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Exiting the Aircraft

May 28, 2021 | Filed under: Church Newsletter, Ministry

As I write, over 50% of American adults have been fully vaccinated. In San Diego County, over 50% of residents have been fully vaccinated. All covid metrics in San Diego are dropping: case rate per 100,000 people, testing positivity percentage, community outbreaks, hospitalizations, ICU stays, and deaths. The Centers for …

Pre-Sabbatical Letter

July 1, 2016 | Filed under: Church Newsletter, Self Care

This is the letter I shared with my congregation in June 2016 before taking a four month sabbatical: Beloved community, Since my sabbatical was announced earlier this year, I have been asked dozens of times—by people within our congregation and outside it as well—“What are your plans?” It is only …

Dec: The Challenge of Staying Engaged

December 1, 2014 | Filed under: Church Newsletter, Prophetic Outreach

Beloved community, The week before Thanksgiving was certainly tumultuous. First, President Obama announced he would use his executive powers to protect up to 5 million undocumented immigrants from being deported. Many of us who have been hoping for immigration reform were glad for some action to finally be taken, imperfect …

Nov: Praying for Those in the Desert

November 1, 2014 | Filed under: Church Newsletter, Prophetic Outreach

Beloved community, I have just arrived home from a 5-day trip to Tucson, where I studied immigration issues with 20 other Unitarian Universalist ministers through a program offered by BorderLinks and the UU College of Social Justice. BorderLinks is a nonprofit educational organization in Tucson that offers experiential learning in …

Oct: Speaking of Memorial Services

October 1, 2014 | Filed under: Church Newsletter, Pastoral Care

Beloved community, Most people are uncomfortable talking about memorial services. Not me. I’ve been planning my own memorial service since I was a teenager, with a particular interest in music selections. I’ve progressed from thinking I might like the Star Wars theme played to—more recently—thinking the song “I Lived” by …

Sept: The Minister’s Reading List

September 1, 2014 | Filed under: Church Newsletter, Ministry, Prophetic Outreach, Spiritual Practice, Teaching

Beloved community, Because we are such a community of readers, I thought some of you might be interested in knowing what’s on my reading list for the coming year. Reclaiming Prophetic Witness: Liberal Religion in the Public Square by Paul Rasor. This is the UUA’s “Common Read” title for 2014-15. …

August: Reflections on Time and Silence

August 1, 2014 | Filed under: Church Newsletter, Self Care, Spiritual Practice

Beloved community, As part of my recent time off for vacation, I participated in a five-day silent retreat at Mary and Joseph Retreat Center in Rancho Palos Verdes. Except for one hour each day with my spiritual director, I was silent from 7 p.m. Sunday evening until Friday morning (I …

July: Just the Right Amount of Change

July 1, 2014 | Filed under: Church Newsletter

Beloved community, It is an exciting time for Chalice! We have just launched our capital campaign to raise money for Phase 1 of our hoped-for construction project, and we are in the process of hiring a new half-time staff position, the Director of Congregational Life. This is also a time …

June: Let’s Talk About Fires

June 1, 2014 | Filed under: Church Newsletter

Beloved community, Let’s talk about fires. In 2007, wildfires in San Diego forced every single member of my immediate family to evacuate their homes. Living near SDSU, my husband, Peter, and I were the only ones not evacuated. There was a moment in time when it seemed that fires might …

May: A Prayer from District Assembly

May 1, 2014 | Filed under: Church Newsletter

Beloved community, I write this at the end of our District Assembly weekend, a time when hundreds of Unitarian Universalists from the Pacific Southwest District gathered for shared worship and learning. It was so lovely to share that time with those of you who were there! Our keynote speaker was …

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