From Anne Godlasky, Member (remote):
I realized something, only in preparing this. I’ve been a virtual member of UUCWC from here in Maryland for about as long as I was there in New Jersey. This seems impossible. In the past, of course, this would in fact be impossible.
When I was there, I began to learn to sit still, to breathe. During some of Rev. Kim’s sermons, I felt the tears well up and knew I wasn’t alone. But that’s when I was able to stay in the sanctuary. More often than not, I was in the nursery or pre-K class or even with a baby on my hip in the foyer, balancing — literally — my children and my own need for, as some might say, a good word. I would not trade those experiences either! But perhaps they felt more lovingly scattered than deeply spiritual. I worked, then, in New York City and found it difficult to make it out to Titusville for weeknight meetings, so my participation was limited to Sundays.
Becoming a virtual member has allowed me to redouble my commitment to UUCWC in ways I never would’ve expected. My calendar glows with church — Worship Associates, Stewardship Committee, Chalice Circle, OWL for Parents, Lectio Divina — from hundreds of miles away, you all enrich my life. Our connection may be virtual but it is, for me, tactile, a safety I feel in my body – a meaningfulness that is as real as the sun that shines on us all.
No one could have predicted in 2019 that this would be possible, let alone desirable. That was just four years ago. Four years from now — forget 20 — I don’t know what the world will bring. I worry, as we all do, about the coming decades. But I do not worry about this congregation. I do not doubt that we will continue to find ways to connect with each other and our faith, to bring energy and ingenuity to problems inside and outside our church. You – and I mean, really, individuals sitting there and on screen – remind me of what good people can do in the world. You are the reason my wife and I made the decision to increase our pledge this year to our highest level yet – it’s certainly not a church best but it is a personal best. Is this the year for your personal best?