From Rev. Anya Sammler-Michael, Senior Co-Minister
Compassion looks like bold Black Lives Matter signs and direct action in accordance.
Compassion looks like your faces in a Zoom meeting.
Compassion looks like love in action.
Compassion also looks like the making of tough decisions.
Our Board of Trustees in concert with our ministers, as well as the inclinations of many of our members, has decided that our congregation will not host any in-person gatherings through the summer. This is a compassionate choice – one that honors the health of our members and community, and recognizes that even if some of us feel safe enough to gather, many do not. Compassion requires us to consider the needs of the many, before the needs of the few.
Compassion also requires the sustenance of our virtual offerings. Members friends and visitors have been engaging our live streamed and recorded worship services, our virtual Connection Cafe conversations, our online religious education programs, our drop-in and regular Covenant Groups on Zoom, our Soulful Sundown evening online worship, our Chat and Chew lunch and our many small group offerings also found online.
UUCM is alive and well. Our congregation is not our building. Our justice and care work continue and you may be surprised to know that even now we are reaching a wider audience – expanding our pool of worshippers and participants to the far reaches of our state and nation. Compassion requires that we care for those we know and those who are just getting to know us. To ensure that this compassion continues UUCM is dedicated to maintain our virtual offerings even when we are again able to gather in person.
UUCM is a compassionate enterprise – not perfect – but working always, with compassion as our goal. And you, dear ones, you are our congregation’s compassion in action. The way you care for one another within our fold and beyond is our compassionate expression unfolding. Take care of yourself. You deserve your compassion as well. We will get through this together.