News: January 24, 2025
Dear Members and Friends
What an eventful week we’ve had- a record-setting winter storm here in the southern US, continuing fires in Los Angeles, and a presidential inauguration that kicked off a blast of executive actions. I know that I won’t be the only one who walks through the sanctuary doors on Sunday hoping to make some sense of it all. And I certainly won’t be the only one seeking the warmth of community in this literal and figurative cold of winter.
Friends in their curiosity sometimes ask me how I found my way to Unitarian Universalism. I suspect that I might start to hear that question more often, as more people look to progressive religions as a place to build community around shared values of kindness, compassion and empathy. My answer is really two-fold: I first came to the Unitarian Universalist faith to find a religious community for my children, a community that could absorb their personal theology whatever it turned out to be. The reasons I keep coming to church, and the reason I’ll be in worship this Sunday, are more numerous. I probably don’t understand them all myself, but I think it makes sense for me, and for all of us really, to take stock of those reasons we do comprehend.
First, I come to church for beauty. This is no small thing, for we all need beauty in our lives. The magnificent music; the readings taken from poets, philosophers and holy texts; the memorial garden; the pulpit flowers; and the smiles of my fellow congregants are all examples of the beauty I find at First Church every Sunday. It can be challenging to find spaces that deliberately cultivate beauty, but ours is certainly one. The beauty we cultivate fills and sustains my soul, and I’m grateful that we extend more beauty into the community by hosting musical performances and art exhibitions.
Second, I come to church for perspective. Perspective to me is a new way of looking at a situation. Sunday sermons, discussion groups, forums and even casual conversations with fellow churchgoers give me new insights that help me look at the world in different ways. When current events seem troubling, or I face personal challenges, I’m often prompted to re-evaluate my thinking by what I hear in church. I’m also gently challenged and pushed to live a more intentional life, with more emphasis on my impact on the planet and on other living things.
Third, I come to church for support. Unitarian Universalists are a community of seekers. We are committed to seeking the truth, both individually and collectively, and to supporting one another along the way. Worship services and collective social action are both areas in which the congregation supports me to figure out what I believe and how to live out those beliefs in the world. Social and community events also help me feel supported in life’s milestones. I furthermore know that, just as I have helped provide material support in times of illness or injury, that the congregation stands ready to help my family and I in an hour of need.
Finally, I come to church for love. I’m blessed to have a loving family, and 3 dogs who want nothing more than to cuddle with me on the sofa. But the love of a community is something altogether different. That our congregation draws together people from different backgrounds and different beliefs, and all around a shared covenant to bring more love to one another and to the world, is an amazing thing. We might not always feel or behave towards one another exactly as our covenant would have us do, but in the end we’re united by our commitment to love each other and the world as best we can. Just think about that for a minute.
I encourage all of you to think about why you come to church, and maybe even why you come to First Unitarian Universalist specifically. Perhaps your reasons are different; perhaps you’re able to articulate some that I’ve not mentioned (ahem, coffee). Inspired by these reflections, let’s go out and widen love’s circle.
With love,
Sheryl
Sheryl Abrahams
Board President
What an eventful week we’ve had- a record-setting winter storm here in the southern US, continuing fires in Los Angeles, and a presidential inauguration that kicked off a blast of executive actions. I know that I won’t be the only one who walks through the sanctuary doors on Sunday hoping to make some sense of it all. And I certainly won’t be the only one seeking the warmth of community in this literal and figurative cold of winter.
Friends in their curiosity sometimes ask me how I found my way to Unitarian Universalism. I suspect that I might start to hear that question more often, as more people look to progressive religions as a place to build community around shared values of kindness, compassion and empathy. My answer is really two-fold: I first came to the Unitarian Universalist faith to find a religious community for my children, a community that could absorb their personal theology whatever it turned out to be. The reasons I keep coming to church, and the reason I’ll be in worship this Sunday, are more numerous. I probably don’t understand them all myself, but I think it makes sense for me, and for all of us really, to take stock of those reasons we do comprehend.
First, I come to church for beauty. This is no small thing, for we all need beauty in our lives. The magnificent music; the readings taken from poets, philosophers and holy texts; the memorial garden; the pulpit flowers; and the smiles of my fellow congregants are all examples of the beauty I find at First Church every Sunday. It can be challenging to find spaces that deliberately cultivate beauty, but ours is certainly one. The beauty we cultivate fills and sustains my soul, and I’m grateful that we extend more beauty into the community by hosting musical performances and art exhibitions.
Second, I come to church for perspective. Perspective to me is a new way of looking at a situation. Sunday sermons, discussion groups, forums and even casual conversations with fellow churchgoers give me new insights that help me look at the world in different ways. When current events seem troubling, or I face personal challenges, I’m often prompted to re-evaluate my thinking by what I hear in church. I’m also gently challenged and pushed to live a more intentional life, with more emphasis on my impact on the planet and on other living things.
Third, I come to church for support. Unitarian Universalists are a community of seekers. We are committed to seeking the truth, both individually and collectively, and to supporting one another along the way. Worship services and collective social action are both areas in which the congregation supports me to figure out what I believe and how to live out those beliefs in the world. Social and community events also help me feel supported in life’s milestones. I furthermore know that, just as I have helped provide material support in times of illness or injury, that the congregation stands ready to help my family and I in an hour of need.
Finally, I come to church for love. I’m blessed to have a loving family, and 3 dogs who want nothing more than to cuddle with me on the sofa. But the love of a community is something altogether different. That our congregation draws together people from different backgrounds and different beliefs, and all around a shared covenant to bring more love to one another and to the world, is an amazing thing. We might not always feel or behave towards one another exactly as our covenant would have us do, but in the end we’re united by our commitment to love each other and the world as best we can. Just think about that for a minute.
I encourage all of you to think about why you come to church, and maybe even why you come to First Unitarian Universalist specifically. Perhaps your reasons are different; perhaps you’re able to articulate some that I’ve not mentioned (ahem, coffee). Inspired by these reflections, let’s go out and widen love’s circle.
With love,
Sheryl
Sheryl Abrahams
Board President
