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From Our Co-MinistersMarch 2006 March Forth is the holiday we mark this month. Last March Interim Minister of Religious Education Michelle Favreault spoke of a hard time in her life; a relationship was ending and she was uncertain of what to do with her life. On March 4th, when she didn’t have the money for it, she went out and bought herself a fabulous new outfit and celebrated the holiday, March Forth, a day she would honor by marching forth with all the fullness of herself that she could muster! March forth into the next chapter of life. We see this community Marching Forth into more and more life. We lift up a few recent glorious illustrations. How we love seeing this congregation’s tradition of fine music and drama shared with a new generation of children, poised and beautiful, singing and acting in Sunday and special services and in musical productions, like Opera Alive! What a joy! How we love gathering in a circle before Thursday night dinners with children knowing and singing out the songs that bring all of us children and adults together! We are grateful that congregational life, unlike so many activities in our lives that are segregated by age, bring together children, youth, and adults. The fun Western Fundraising Party for the Greater Richmond Interfaith Program brought all ages together. Our youth created the wonderful cowboy cutout decorations. The youth also recently served up a community lunch to raise money for Heifer International. Your meal and donation may have provided a treasure of trees to vanishing forest lands half-way round the world. Creating beautiful music, making loving community, giving to the world, there’s no end to what we can do when we all work together! Our congregation’s health is seen in the Board of Trustee who take their work seriously and joyfully and the Council who bring to their work vitality, clarity, effectiveness, respect, and commitment. The last year and half, according to the Policy-Based Governance Review Committee, the congregation’s participation in decision-making has broadened while efficiency and effectiveness have also improved. A process of creating a covenant of right relations has begun through the attentive work of a dedicated group of members. All of you will have a chance over the coming months to help establish a covenant that will guide all of us in our community life. “I am so glad to come to this church–to see and hear our beautiful children, to find people doing their very best to live lives of integrity, joy, and service, to experience folks aging with grace, power, and a plan!” said Lynne Cahoon, Co-Chair of the Canvass, in the congregational meeting. When the government is authorizing torture in secret prisons, when our leaders are lying to us, and when she is overwhelmed by the news of war, Lynne said, the church brings her hope. The world needs our Unitarian Universalist values. The two of us believe with all our hearts that as you participate in the marching forth of this community, you will find your own life marching forth into more and more health and wholeness. Go forward in the power of love, march forth, march forth!
Barbara and Bill
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