Summertime

June has been a sad month with Memorial Services for two of our beloved long-time members. We have grieved the loss of Dave Johnson and Marcia Payson. The longer I stay at A2U2, the more I love the people here, and the harder the deaths feel to me. And yet, these memorials have been celebrations too, celebrations of two lives beautifully lived, and also celebrations of the love and depth of this community that gathers close for support and care when we face a loss together. I offer special thanks to the Caring Connection who coordinated the receptions, and many thanks for all who stepped up to bring food and help in many ways. You make our mission of transforming love come alive.

I wanted to thank Mark Gallup for his enthusiastic participation in our community as a Chaplaincy Intern during this past year. He graduated from the Chaplaincy Institute of Maine on June 2nd. Congratulations, Mark! Happily, he has decided to stay at A2U2, not as our intern, but as an active participant in our Environmental focus, along with other volunteer activities. Hurray!

We are entering now a transition from our regular church year to our quieter summer season. If you are new, I want to say that now is a chance to experience our lay-led services in the round, which offer the inspiration of thoughtful creative people, and the intimacy of a smaller group. It is a great chance to get to know people better, and to engage your heart and mind and spirit.

But this summer feels a little less quiet than usual. First of all, the Environmental Steering Group is planning to jump into our Permaculture adventure, with several offerings to introduce us to the principles and practices of permaculture—movies, workshops, site visits, etc. They are in the midst of planning now, and so watch for details soon. I understand that over 50 people have signed up to get notices of events. You can too, by emailing haroldmcwilliams@gmail.com to ask to be on the list, or just watch the eblast.

Another group that is busy is our DRE Search Committee. Chaired by the always capable Sonia Tonelli, it includes people representing various aspects of connection to Religious Education. Sonia is a member of the RE committee, an RE leader and also member of our Personnel Committee. Members include RE parents and leaders, Susan Lindahl Malcolm, Sally Moon, & Scott Pollard; board representative & former DRE Sally Kakitis, our emeritus DRE Tirrell Kimball, and myself. We have met a few times already to sort out the hiring process, advertise the position, and develop interview questions, and we are beginning to conduct interviews, which will continue into July. The Committee is hoping to hire someone to begin in August, and you can be sure they will let you know when we have news.

So perhaps our quiet summer season at A2U2 is not so quiet after all this year. But I am hoping to take some time for rest and refreshment in between times of study and preparation for next year. Margy and I are planning our beach adventures, a visit to Cape Cod, and a Johnson family reunion for my mom's 80th birthday; we're looking forward to seeing all of my 8 brothers and sisters and their families. I wish you a beautiful summer! And if you have some not so beautiful challenges, remember to call our Pastoral Care Team (797-7240 ext. 13 or care@a2u2.org). They are ready to offer a listening ear, and to contact me in the case of any emergencies.

Rev. Myke