Checking In:

As I write, I’m winding down from an intense five-day seminar for interim UU ministers. Like many of you, my colleagues and I are a weary lot.

This is the time of year most of us are looking forward to an extended break, so our internal spiritual clocks were already ticking when the pandemic took over our peoples’ lives. And then our own.

One of the salves for these times is our Unitarian Universalist Association, our parent organization. The UUA was quick in supplying us with practical recommendations, as well as spiritual resources – a steady flow of help that continues.

Examples: near daily e-blasts listing resources for online worship; tips on how to deliver quality programming for children and youths; advice for everything from online annual meetings to justice work, taking care of staff to stewardship campaigns in an economic downturn.

But UUA support was there long before few Americans had even heard of COVD-19. Some more examples: facilitating settlement for both interim and settled ministers; creating leadership and worship resources; being the face of our movement in the greater national and world context; offering services for congregations beset with conflict; continuing education for lay leaders, staff and ministers; confronting our internal oppression of historically marginalized persons.

These are just a sampling of how our thinly stretched Association takes care of us in normal times, let alone times such as these.

For those with online access, let me ask you to go to uua.org and take a deep dive into these and other ministries available to us. (If you’re not online, you may already have a person or two who does. Just remain mindful of social distancing, masks and disinfecting practices.)

The takeaway here is we’re not out here on our own. We are indeed part of something so much bigger than ourselves.

Hang in, folks,
Don

Minister’s Discretionary Fund
You may know that Don oversees a limited fund for helping UUFH members and friends experiencing severe financial hardship. To request confidential assistance, contact Don HERE.