For all that is our lives, we sing our thanks and praise!

~Bruce Findlow

Dear Ones–

It’s not official yet, but I’m feeling that summertime is upon us: School is mostly over;  the main business of the church year has been accomplished (thank you for your pledges and your participation in our annual meeting, from which we left with a shiny new budget and Board for next year!); and the GNUUC tradition of Summer Song started last Sunday and promises to be full of so much wisdom and generosity!

Summer also means vacations and traveling and the General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association (of which we are a member congregation). This year, delegates and UUA staff and lay leaders and many others will gather in Portland, Oregon, and online to conduct the business of the UUA and to experience the power of gathering, worshipping, and learning with crowds of UUs. I am excited to be traveling to participate in person and looking forward to bringing back new ideas for our life together. 

I am also looking forward to taking some vacation time this summer. In fact, I plan to be away from GNUUC for the month of July. I’ll be busy resting and reading and helping my daughter prepare to begin college at the end of August. It will be a full summer for me, and I appreciate working for a congregation that recognizes the importance of allowing me time to pause, process the year behind us, and prepare for the coming year. Your Board and I are already looking forward to the launch of the 2022-23 church year, with our annual visioning process plus the added bonus of a Startup Workshop (because I am still your “new” minister) with Southern Region staff in August. I can’t wait to see what awaits us!

Thinking about the summer ahead of us, I have two invitations to extend to each of you:

1. If you would like to talk with me sooner rather than later, please reach out now (email works great!) to make an appointment to talk in person, by phone, or online before I go on vacation.

2. If you would like to help with worship over the summer, please reach out to me or to any of the familiar faces you see helping with Sunday services. We have all our speakers lined up for Summer Song, but the worship team can always use more help, whether you are online or in the sanctuary–we need folks to greet congregants, help with readings, even creating slides and choosing music. We would love to help you discover where you can contribute.

No matter how you plan to spend the months ahead, I hope they are full of rest, adventure, and learning, in whatever mix suits you best!

Yours in anticipation and love,

Rev. Denise

Rev. Denise Gyauch

Minister, Greater Nashville UU Congregation

RevDenise@gnuuc.org

May 25, 2022

 Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?

~Mary Oliver

Beloveds–

The hillside next to my office window at church has become thickly green over the last few weeks. Looking out, I can now see the sky only in very small patches, and the hawks (there seem to be three living in close proximity to our grounds) I see only when I’m outside. 

Makes me wonder what’s coming next–for the hillside and my view, but also for us. What will summer bring this year? I’m sure it will be different from last year, and after the last few years, I’ve pretty much given up most of my expectations that life will be predictable!

A few things I do anticipate, and I hope you will consider remembering also:

• This Saturday, at 2 p.m., we will gather to celebrate the life of Charles Sumner, along with his family and friends from the wider community. If you are planning to attend, please be sure to brush up on our COVID precautions: bring a mask (or pick one up at the door), take a quick test at home that morning, sign in when you arrive, and be sure to email me (revdenise@gnuuc.org) if you test positive for COVID within a week of attending this or any gathering here.

• This Sunday we will gather, not for a worship service, but for a 5th Sunday service project: working on our own grounds. Look for more information in the Eblast.

• The annual General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association (of which we are a member congregation) will meet in Portland, OR, and online starting on June 22. I plan to travel to Portland to cast my votes as your minister (and also to spend a couple of days with colleagues at the meeting of the UU Ministers Association), but there are also online registration options for our delegates and anyone else who wants to participate in the business meetings and/or workshops, worship services, and other programming. (Questions? Ask me!)

• GNUUC’s famous Summer Song Series begins in June and continues through August 7. Each Sunday service will feature a different person or group of people from within the congregation, offering thoughts of their choice for the general edification of all. It’s an amazing chance to hear from each other and revel in the wisdom and breadth of experience and thought among us!

Finally, I want you to know that I will be away from GNUUC for the month of July. Some of July will be paid time-off for vacation; some will be study leave, during which I read and think in preparation for the coming church year. (Thank you for being a congregation that provides these benefits to your minister.) More information about that to come, but if you’ve been wanting to talk with me (or maybe even meet me for the first time), now is a good time to schedule that. 

For now, I’m looking forward to sharing whatever the rest of the spring brings our way!

Yours in greenness and hope,

Rev. Denise

Rev. Denise Gyauch
Minister, Greater Nashville UU Congregation

RevDenise@gnuuc.org

 Unitarian Universalism is faith in people, 
hope for tomorrow’s child, 
confidence in a continuity that spans all time.
~Edward L. Schempp

Dear ones, hello. I’m thinking of you and hope you are well. 

It feels so long since I have written you a note like this. What a busy spring we have had! We have celebrated spring, had a rollicking good time raising funds at our annual auction, began work on various building projects, are watching things bloom and get very green on our grounds, are about to pause to recognize the graduating seniors among our youth (join us live in person or on Zoom this Sunday for that!) and have been mourning the death and celebrating the lives of congregational elders. (Read the Eblast for details about Charles Sumner’s Celebration of Life service coming up later this month.)

I hope you are enjoying this spring-into-summer time in middle Tennessee (or wherever you are). It’s always a beautiful time of year; this year, there’s something about the overlay of pandemic re-emergence that makes these days feel even more precious for being full of possibilities that we now know (more keenly than we did a few brief years ago) are still (and may always be) fragile. 

As you move through these days of light & green & endings & new beginnings, go gently and remember to pause, breathe, and take it all in. When that “all” seems too much, remember we are here together and together we are big enough to hold it all, perhaps even to celebrate it all. 

Yours in greenness and hope,

Rev. Denise

Rev. Denise Gyauch

Minister, Greater Nashville UU Congregation

RevDenise@gnuuc.org

"Please come to the auction; it will be fun!" ~Rev. Denise

Just that, plus: I really want to see YOU!

March 9, 2022

There’s still time to learn the lessons of winter. ~Alexa Bradley Hulsey

Dear Ones,

How are you this mid-March day? 

I am … feeling hugely grateful–for sunshine and for the beings with whom I share this life–and a little, well, soggy. 

You may or may not have heard, but our church building had a water-logged weekend due to a plumbing problem in one of our restrooms. The restrooms are back in working order, and the remediation company has removed sodden flooring and deployed air movers and dehumidifiers to dry everything else out. GNUUC leaders are busy meeting with the insurance adjuster and getting bids for needed repairs, and things will be put right in time. Fortunately, the sanctuary seems not to have been affected by water–hooray!--and we plan to be able to host hybrid worship, as usual, this coming Sunday. 

For a day or two, as we began sorting out the logistics, I was feeling pretty discouraged. On the very first spring day we were able to enjoy an outdoor worship service, welcome several visitors, and greet congregants we haven’t seen in person in much too long, we also had to wonder if we would have to “go backwards” to online-only worship (because, of course, this being middle TN, it will be cold this weekend!), just as we’re finding spring energy for planning church events and being able to gather in larger numbers. 

This morning, in my inbox, I found a very wise blog post from my acupuncturist. It’s a reflection on the beginning of spring in middle Tennessee, but it points to a bit of wisdom about the nature of change and growth that helps me embrace what is here now with a little less worry and impatience for what is coming next. You might like it, too: Winter

Yours in all the weather–outside or in,

Rev. Denise

Rev. Denise Gyauch
Minister, Greater Nashville UU Congregation
RevDenise@gnuuc.org

Feb. 9, 2022

 Anyone who genuinely and consistently with both hands looks for something, will find it.--Rumi*

Beloveds,

The Soul Matters theme for this month is Widening the Circle, inspired by the title of the report released by the UUA’s Commission on Institutional Change not quite two years ago: Widening the Circle of Concern, which focuses on addressing racial discrimination and dismantling systems of white supremacy within our Unitarian Universalist movement. (It’s a big topic and a report worthy of study, if you feel called.) I particularly appreciate the title of this report because it feels both strong (centered, if you will) and compassionate–truly welcoming and offering an invitation into expanding our learning about systems and social/cultural dynamics which some of us have not recognized, understood, or considered until recently. 

I don’t know about you, but this time of year–winter, post-holidays–always seems like a good time to learn something new or to delve deeply into a topic only vaguely familiar. If this is you, if you’re wanting to widen your circle of concern or itching to hang out with a few other committed and interesting souls to explore how our UU values intersect with and guide our everyday choices, you’re in luck! Beginning soon are two opportunities to learn with other Nashville UUs: 

1. Let’s read & discuss: Defund Fear: Safety without Policing, Prisons, and Punishment, by Zach Norris, was chosen as this year's Common Read by the UUA, and several of us (including me) are planning to meet on Zoom starting in two weeks to discuss it as we read. (See the announcement for more details.)

2. My friend Marguerite Mills, Director of Lifespan Religious Education at First UU Nashville, has invited parents and caregivers of young folks to join an upcoming class at FUUN. It will support you as a sexuality educator and will quite likely be loads of fun, as well. No registration is required, although participants should be willing to commit to all four sessions. Marguerite says you can just show up for the first Zoom meeting. (See announcement for details.) 

If these sound appealing and you’re ready to spend time reading and learning in community, either (or both) of these could widen your circle this winter/spring. 

Yours in ever-widening and deepening connection,

Rev. Denise

Rev. Denise Gyauch
Minister, Greater Nashville UU Congregation
RevDenise@gnuuc.org

*I know, it’s the same quotation I used a few weeks ago, but it’s good for this month, too!

 Anyone who genuinely and consistently with both hands looks for something, will find it.--Rumi

Dear ones,

For what do you look genuinely and consistently? Or, for what do you intend to look? At the beginning of this church year, your Board decided to make connection our shared mission this year. And many of you have been genuinely and consistently doing the work of creating and strengthening our connections: phone calls to check in with each other, meeting with covenant groups, joining worship online or in the sanctuary, spending time with our young folks in Children's Religious Education, working together in the garden or on our new covered pavilion, planning service projects, and so much more. 

In this month of “living with intention” (our Soul Matters theme for January), I wonder what you intend to look for. If, perhaps, you are looking for more connection with the congregation or the wider community, you might want to consider the following:

• Join the Worship Team meeting tomorrow evening (Thursday, 1/20, 6 p.m.) on Zoom. We hope to spend some time brainstorming creative ideas for worship. If you have ideas, or if you’re just interested in being more involved, we’d love to see you! 

• Watch for announcements from our Social Justice team–NOAH (Nashville Organized for Action and Hope) is a particularly good way to enter into the wider community of justice-builders in Nashville. 

• Consider joining the Unitarian Universalist Association’s Common Read of Defund Fear. I intend to read this book, regardless, but it would be great to join others in discussing it. (Indicate your interest in reading together here.)

• As the pandemic continues, I am keenly aware that I have not met many of you. If you’re interested in setting up a chat (about anything), please email me, and we’ll find a good time.

• Peruse all the announcements in this email. Whether you are a long-time member or the newest of visitors, you are invited to participate in any programming, meeting, or opportunity that looks intriguing to you. 

Whatever you are looking for this winter, I hope you’re looking with both hands and your whole heart, and I hope you will share your search with us!

Yours in connection and intention,

Rev. Denise

Rev. Denise Gyauch
Minister, Greater Nashville UU Congregation
RevDenise@gnuuc.org

Heaven knows where we are going, but … we will get there; we know we will.

–”Woyaya” (STJ#1020)

Happy New Year, Dear Ones! 

I hope the coming year will bring happiness and wholeness to us all.  

You’ll have to forgive me, but I’m a wee bit COVID-obsessed this week. I’ve been watching the numbers of cases in our area, as well as our state and the entire country climb steeply over the last days and hoping that the gap between cases diagnosed and hospitalizations continues to grow, indicating that the effects of the Omicron variant are milder than earlier versions of COVID-19 and significantly moderated by vaccinations. 

I’m so, so grateful for the careful work over many months (we can now almost say “years”!) by members and leaders of this congregation to research safety protocols, craft an indoor meeting policy, and solve ever-evolving technical issues so that we can continue gathering for worship. Late last fall, we moved to meeting in hybrid/multiplatform mode. Almost every worship service is now available both online (Zoom and YouTube) and in person in the sanctuary (or occasionally outdoors). 

I expect our hybrid meetings will continue through the current spike in COVID cases, but I want to ask each of you to think carefully about your own safety, health, and risk levels. If you would like to join us in person, please continue to sign in when you arrive, to wear a good mask properly, and to maintain space between yourself and others while inside–these measures help us keep each other safer. Please, please, be sure to get vaccinated and boosted as you are eligible. But also consider your own individual level of risk: if you have underlying health issues, or other areas of your life involve higher levels of risk or exposure, please be mindful of whether or not your overall well-being is best served by joining us in person or online. Our policy and practices cannot keep us perfectly safe, but if each of us is thoughtful and careful, we will all be safer and able to sustain the congregational connections that nurture us.

I know we are tired of living with the pandemic; I know this has been a long slog. I also know that we can keep on being together and supporting each other, and that we will. 

Yours in love, hope, and so much more patience than we ever imagined,

Rev. Denise

Rev. Denise Gyauch
Minister, Greater Nashville UU Congregation
RevDenise@gnuuc.org

December 29, 2021

All in all, I’d say this year in flight together has been fun.--Peter Mayer

Beloveds, 

I hope your holiday season is filled with whatever you most want or need, and that you are taking time to relax and enjoy it. 

I am away from work this week (returning to work on Tuesday, January 4), enjoying some time away with my family. While I am gone: 

• Rev. Michelle Pederson will be available for pastoral care in the event of an emergency. 

• Your worship and tech teams are taking a break, also–no service on Sunday, January 2! You might wish to join one of our sibling congregations for worship that morning; many are easy to find on the internet or on Facebook or YouTube.

• We will return (COVID permitting) to our regular pattern of hybrid Sunday services starting Jan 9, 2022. I look forward to wishing you a happy new year then! 

Sending you one of my favorite New Year’s songs: 

One More Circle, Peter Mayer

Or if you really dislike bagpipes (why?!), an acoustic version.

I am so happy that my circle around the sun came to include you this year; here’s to doing the next circle together!

Yours in celebration and hope,

Rev. Denise

Rev. Denise Gyauch
Minister, Greater Nashville UU Congregation
RevDenise@gnuuc.org