Worship Tomorrw
I will be preaching
Lynelle Wise is our Worship Associate.
Music from Francisco and a children’s story from Naomi

Town Hall Council, May 28

Worship next week
The culmination of our Coming of Age program

Congregational Meeting, May 31

The June Advance
Deadline is tomorrow
Please send your announcements, stories, poems, artwork to
Advance at uuclb.org

Saying Goodbye
Coming to the end of the Interim
Budget process is nearly over
Wrapping up the Stewardship Campaign
Last Board meeting
Annual meeting on May 31
Annual Reports
Which is also the last day of the fiscal year
In worship a series of “ending” worship services
Coming of Age culmination
Music Sunday
RE Sunday
And then my last Sunday and the farewell celebration of the interim ministry
Let’s do what we need to do to say goodbye before June 30.

After June 30 I encourage you to take a sabbath rest.
Or, if you feel you must, you can start in July working with Lissa
to get ready for the start of the Settled ministry
August 1.

Memorial Day on Monday puts me in mind of how we say goodbye.

I know from my experience leading Memorial Services
That one of the important pieces of saying goodbye
And an essential task of a memorial service

            Is to name the ending

Sometimes it’s sensitive to use language like “passing on”

            Or gone away

            Or left us.

But it can also be healing to be specific

            To name what happened

            He died

Ambiguity at a time of parting can make it harder to move on

We need a good ending

            So that the space is truly clear for healing

            And for starting what comes next.

So to be clear

            I will be your minister until June 30

                        But not after that

                        I won’t be hanging around

                                    Or finding ways to involve myself in the future of your congregation

                        I will care for you

                                    And think of you

                                    And pray for you

                        But from a distance.

So, knowing that that full stop is coming, June 30.

            I encourage you to do what you feel you need to do to make an ending.

                        Maybe that’s nothing.

                                    That’s OK

                        Or maybe you need to say something to me

                                    Or want to send a card

                        Or maybe it’s just an acknowledgment you need to make for yourself

                                    In your own mind.

                        Or maybe you just want to be sure to attend the farewell event

                                    We are arranging for June 21.

                                    (and by the way – send Laura Scully a photo and a few sentences)

One of the challenges of virtual church

            Is that we lose a lot of those opportunities for casual interaction

                        Where we both pass each in the breezeway and there’s a chance for a

                                    Casual word.

So we need to be more deliberate.

            But let’s not miss our chance.

            To say goodbye

Goodbye for now

See you at worship tomorrow

Enjoy your Memorial Day

I’ll be back here on Tuesday, at 1pm.