Last month, our Worship Team collaborated with the folks at Evergreen UU Fellowship in Marysville to do a collaborative service honoring Easter and Passover. It went well, and I think everyone involved learned a lot by shaking things up and doing things a little differently than we normally would. The EUUF folks taught us some things about how they do worship, and we showed them some of what we’ve learned from transitioning to hybrid (in-person and virtual) worship services.
The lesson that sticks with me most from that experience, however, wasn’t about how to use our technology better, or how to construct the Order of Service differently; the lesson that sticks with me most is about the mindset we approach our worship planning with. The Evergreen folks live by the mantra: It’s about connection, not perfection.
I’ve noticed that since going to hybrid services, there have been a lot more roles and volunteer positions added to the Sunday morning worship team. We’ve got people who operate the cameras, people who run the sound board, a Zoomkeeper managing the online experience with the help of a Zoommate ready to jump in if needed. And then there’s the Worship Leader, who works with me to plan the content of the worship service. There are a lot of details to manage, and if I’m being honest, sometimes we get bogged down in the details. Sometimes we get so focused on making sure that all of the details are perfect, that we forget that our goal with the Sunday worship service is not about creating a slick, highly-produced piece of entertainment; it is an opportunity (an invitation, really) to come together, have a communal experience, and renew our spirits. It’s about connection, not perfection.
Now, of course I want our worship services to be interesting and engaging. I want them to be warm and welcoming, whether you attend virtually or in person. But I do find that when I plan and lead worship, I show up more authentically (and the services generally are better quality) when I remember the mantra that Evergreen uses: It’s about connection, not perfection. When this is my orientation, the end result is often better.
I think that this applies to other areas of church life too, not just worship. Have you ever been to a committee meeting that had way too much of the agenda left at the end of the meeting because everyone discussed the details of one item for way too long, trying to get it just perfect? Or have you ever missed the point of what someone tried to share with you because you were focused on the way they worded their statement, rather than what they were trying to express?
I’m guilty of all of these, by the way. And that’s why, when the folks at Evergreen shared their mantra, it really resonated deeply with me. It spoke to a truth that I hold close: we are in community to connect with each other. To support and love one another. We are not in community to perfect (or fix) each other. This is why those “religious” words like Grace and Forgiveness are important: they help a bunch of imperfect people (and we are all imperfect people) get along together. But that’s a whole ‘nother topic.
For now, just remember: It’s about connection, not perfection. Repeat as necessary.
UU 101 is a two-session class offered quarterly that covers some basics about Unitarian Universalist History, Theology, and Polity. What is polity, you ask? Come to UU 101 and find out!
The next UU 101 dates are:
Session 1: Saturday, May 14, 1-3:30 p.m. (Hybrid: Zoom and in-person at WUUC)
Session 2: Saturday, May 28, 1-3:30 p.m. (Hybrid: Zoom and in-person at WUUC)
By Leslie Morton The Rummage Sale will be on Friday and Saturday, June 3-4 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The main set up and donation day is right after services on Sunday, May 29. This is unfortunately Memorial Day weekend (if you have ever tried to schedule something at church you will understand!).
On that Sunday we will take everything out of the sanctuary, set up tables for the sale and start setting up donated items. We will need lots of volunteers that day and every day that week and on the sale days. If you haven’t volunteered before, have no worries; the job isn’t complicated and there are plenty of people around to help you. We will also need volunteers for after the sale to put the church back together in time for Sunday services on June 5.
What do we take for the Rummage Sale? Almost anything: clothing, shoes, books, crafts, toys, holiday, household, bikes, yard, and of course Boutique items (higher-end everything). This year I really want to encourage people to bring as much “soft goods” as possible; clothing, linens, shoes, purses and accessories.
If you have any questions, please reach out to one of the Rummage Sale team members: Dewey Millar, Linda McCrystal, Johnna Ebanks, Tevina Flood and Leslie Morton (mortonmarler@hotmail.com, 425-891-4285).
We need this to be successful for the church coffers and for our garages/basements/closets!
Thank you to all who pledged in this spring’s 2022-2023 WUUC Pledge Drive.
With $335,239 pledged to date, we have exceeded all past WUUC pledge drives.
Stats:
Total pledged: $335,239
Number of pledges: 88
Participation rate: 97%
Percent of goal: 97%
Average pledge: $3,709
Median pledge: $2,150
We are Re-Emerging ready for renewal and growth as we return to in person services events, and activities.
While we did not reach our goal of $345K, there is still time to pledge or increase your financial support to ensure the continuity and growth of our programs.
Soul Matters offers UU congregations an opportunity to explore a theme each month. WUUC uses these themes in our Worship services, our small group discussions, and any time we just feel like talking about something other than the weather or the woes of the world. Join in, consider this month’s theme, Nurturing Beauty.
Submitted by Linda Sherry
Nurturing Beauty
What is Beauty saying to you?
Beauty.
We appreciate it.
How could we not?
We wonder at it.
Get absorbed in it.
Analyze it, if it’s got a frame around it.
We make it.
Grow it.
Point at it.
Collect it.
Share it.
Save it.
But how often do we listen to it?
How often do we ask, “What is it trying to get me to hear?”
Rather than, “Do I like it or not?”
It’s just so hard to step outside
our mangled view of the world
that sees everything in the light of consumption.
Not everything is here for our possession.
Not everything is here to entertain us.
Not everything is meant to be put to use, even you.
We must find our way back,
to those questions that were once alive
but now are buried deep:
“What if beauty is here to make us wise?”
“What if beauty is the way the sacred speaks?”
Yes! Yes! It does so much more than decorate.
It demands. It calls. It asks for commitment.
It doesn’t just say “Love and appreciate me.”
It says “Protect me! Fight for me!”
It steps out in front of us and points to a precious world
that needs our help.
It paints a picture of new ways of living
and declares, “Follow me there!”
It says, “Even in hell holes I find a way to grow.”
It sings, “This world was made for more than work.”
It whispers, “Use me to heal.”
It pleads, “Nurture a new relationship with me. One that allows me to talk!”
So what is Beauty saying to you?
Reprinted from Soul Matters May 2022 Small Group materials, author was not credited.
