R.E.flections by a chaliceD.R.E.amer

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R.E.flections by a chaliceD.R.E.amer
Wed 17 Feb 2010 1:21pm

My colleague, Jolinda Stephens, wrote in our religious educators’ email group, “Imagine with me, not committees but Faith Development Ministry Associates who care for the ministries of multi-age faith development, adult faith development, very young family ministry, justice making, radical hospitality, and several others. … Imagine that each of these Ministry Associates are in turn supported, enriched and nurtured in their spiritual lives by one another, the minister and me. Would we be on fire? Imagine with me.”

Her words sparked my own imagination! Imagine a community here at First Parish where everything we think, say, and do nourishes our own spirits and the spirits of everyone directly and indirectly touched by us.” What do you dream of here at First Parish? The Canvas season is coming with much talk about budgets and pledges. But so must come taking the time to dream of what you imagine First Parish can be! How can you give as generously as you financially can when you aren’t considering the big picture of how important First Parish is to you and how amazing First Parish can be with your full support? What do you love about First Parish? What is so amazing about First Parish that you wish everyone in town knew about? What do you imagine that First Parish could grow to be in the coming year? What do you imagine that First Parish could grow to be in the next three years? What do you dream for First Parish?

I dream of a community that nurtures the spirit and soul of every person that walks through our doors. I dream of a community in which the joys and sorrows of each member are honored as our own. I dream of a community that inspires each member to share some of their abundance with those less fortunate than themselves. I dream of a community where there is never a sense of “us and them”. I dream of a community that no matter how much we give financially or in volunteer time, our donations are given from the heart and are gratefully appreciated. I dream of a community where we feel so strong in our ideals that we can take our practicing of them out into the larger world. I dream of a community where striving to practice our principles and values can spread as endless ripples of positive effects reaching far beyond we could have ever dreamed. That’s just the beginning of what I dream of for FPS?

I’m impressed by how often we are like my dreams! I’m inspired by how much the members of our community care and share with an abundance of love. I appreciate that First Parish is a community that challenges me to be my best possible self. I am grateful to be surrounded by so many people of all ages here who uniquely carry forth our Unitarian Universalist values in such creative and compassionate ways.

What do you dream for FPS? Blessed be.

Roberta