Everyone!

I’m very excited.

First: thank you for trusting and supporting me during these days of uncertainty and separation. I have felt the encouragement and enthusiasm of the GNUUC Board and all of our ministries as we plod, sometimes stumble, sometimes lurch through these days. We will all look back and realize that maybe we should have done this or that… but it is my hope that we shall also see in retrospect that we grew in wisdom and understanding.

This time of social distancing has created ministry opportunities for me that I hope will benefit our whole congregation (and beyond.) Because I am not commuting, and because so many community-based meetings and workshops have moved online, I’ve had the opportunity to meet and become familiar with many interfaith leaders and organizers from West Nashville and beyond. Here is a partial list of them:

Weekly “Rabbi & Reverend” meetings with about 12-15 interfaith leaders
Participation in the West Nashville clergy group
Membership in Spiritual Alliance For Interfaith Reconciliation
Workshops with Gamaliel (NOAH)
Preaching seminars
Our gift of almost $10,000 (funded by a UUA grant) to communities most devastated by the tornado has opened doors and created connections.

An example of what has occurred is that West Nashville clergy are making plans to host a billboard for 4 weeks in support of removing the Nathan Bedford Forrest bust from the Statehouse, and to follow up with our presence and continued support. Here’s a link to an article about the latest effort to have the bust removed. Still, as one person of color told us bluntly, that’s great but it has to be just a beginning. I know that many of you have devoted time, effort, and money to support marginalized people. The leading edge is figuring out what we can do as a community and in conjunction with other faith communities that we couldn’t do individually.

Because I had relationships with the Imam and a leader in the Muslim community, I was able to reach out personally after the anti-Islamic ad appeared in the paper. Their gratitude and good wishes for our community were abundant. Building relationships.

In addition, I’ve been doing some fairly intensive work and study in my Buddhist practice and with guided meditations, Neuro Linguistic Programming, and even hypnotism, which I hope will provide me with resources for our times ahead, or at least make me a calmer, healthier minister when we all join together.

I have a better phone!

When I return from leave at the beginning of August, I will set up a link with “office hours” during which you can schedule a phone meeting, to plan church events, to kvetch about anything church or non-church, or just to process how you are doing. Meanwhile, I’m still on duty for the next week so please text or leave a message if you’d like to set up a call. My cell # is 859 221 3034.

Don’t forget to check in on one another by phone, e-mail or snail mail, and to thank your leaders, volunteers, and pastoral caregivers for carrying the burden of planning and shifting gears day by day.

My love to all,

Cynthia

I knew nothing about this statue! Keep me informed!

July 1, 2020: What's New?