Weavers

Happy Holidays & a Happy New Year!

Ending this year, 2010, I am mindful of how blessed I feel to be the minister at Allen Avenue UU Church.   I want to say a big thank you to all of the folks who bring our community together. What does it take to grow a community? First of all, it takes the energy of many individuals who share their creativity, kindness, and passion. Thank you! But even more than that, it takes the dedicated work of those I call the “weavers.” The weavers are those who weave a collection of bright individual threads into a beautiful garment.

Our committee chairpersons are weavers, who enable the talents of individuals to come together in the common purpose of each committee. Our Spiritual Enrichment Group facilitators are weavers, who hold the circles in which deeper bonds between our members and friends are nurtured. Our board members are weavers, who try to imagine the whole pattern of our church, and shape its direction. Our program staff are weavers―thank you Dale, Anne, and Kim, for enabling the participation of so many people in music and religious education, and for helping newcomers to find a way to join the tapestry. A special big thank you to our Church Fair coordinators, Angie, Julie, and Jennifer, for weaving a fantastic community event out of the efforts of dozens of volunteers.

I also want to say a big thank you to all of those who give their time and dedication to the more hidden side of any weaving―a sturdy foundation―a “loom” on which to build. Thank you to our support staff, Mary in the office, Pam for finances, and Steve for the building. Thank you to all the folks who work on the building and grounds, on church finances and stewardship, on communication and IT, on all areas of church administration. As our community has grown larger, your work has become more challenging and complex. Thank you!

May our A2U2 community grow strong in 2011, and may the weavers be plentiful and joyful!

May joy and many blessings come to each of you in the new year.

Rev. Myke

P. S. Margy and I are saying hello to two sister kittens, whom we are adopting from the HART Shelter in Cumberland. By the time you read this, we hope they will be here in our home, bringing their own kitteny joy to our world.  Here are Billie & Sassy (named after Jazz greats Billie Holiday and Sarah "Sassy" Vaughan.)