As I sat down to write this week, I started by typing: What to expect at OUUC in the Fall. While I can make some guesses and we are planning because that’s what we do, the best I can offer is to expect the unexpected, expect to adapt and change, expect to pivot and be flexible.
The image that came to my mind is the flexible toy that I had when I was a kid. Do you remember those? May we all have this flexibility, and smile, too!
Here’s what I do know.
We’ll need to share. We’ll be using a registration system to keep the numbers of people in the service at safer levels whether inside or outside. That means not everyone can attend the service every Sunday and we’ll need to step aside to share the limited space. I know we will get there, we’re just not there yet.
We’ll need to be kind to each other. Each of us is making the best decisions we can in difficult times. Each of us has different circumstances and tolerance for risk. Being kind means assuming the best in others, especially those in our own faith community. These days it can be hard to trust others, yet we are all in this together.
We’ll need to clean up after ourselves. There will be lots of moving chairs and other things as we create worship space in new areas. There will be moving chairs as we seek to be together as safely as possible. And we’ll need to clean ourselves and our space in ways that maybe we haven’t before. There are many baskets of cleaning supplies all around OUUC. Plus, lots of hand sanitizer. Please wash your hands frequently, wear a mask, clean up after yourself and help others clean up, too.
We’ll need to be creative. What can you imagine that can build community at OUUC? I imagined an alternative to coffee hour that is a weekly tea for 8 of us to gather outside to get to know each other; the sign-ups are in the Weekly Update this week.
Could you imagine a watch party for viewing the Sunday service outside with a few OUUC friends? Could you imagine a hike or walk with another person or a small group on your favorite trail? Can you imagine a small group meeting on the OUUC patio for conversation and reflection? What can you imagine?
These extraordinary times ask us to share, to be kind, to clean up after ourselves and to be creative. I’m practicing being flexible and smiling. How about you?
Blessings on your week,
Rev. Mary
(With thanks to UU minister Rev. Robert Fulgham, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten.)