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(970) 351-6751 info@uucgreeley.org
Our Minister
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(Monthly "Memo from Michael" below)
Welcome!
One of my
favorite hymns in our hymnal is “Enter, Rejoice, and Come In.” The very
first line, sung twice, is a joyful invitation to join in—to “enter,
rejoice and come in” to an experience of worship; to a sense of companionship in the search for
what is meaningful—thus holy—in life; to the celebration of a time when
we are gathered together to support one another in religious
community.
I invite you to “enter, rejoice, and come
in”—to this community that
strives “to be a caring religious community that supports the sharing of
ideas and experiences of all who travel rich and varied spiritual paths.”
I invite you to “enter,
rejoice, and come in”—to this
community that values diversity and affirms “the inherent worth and
dignity of every person,” and seeks for ways to heal and make whole “the
interdependent web of all existence, of which we are a part.” I invite you to “enter, rejoice, and come
in”—to this community in which
together we “seek the wisdom and courage to be grounded in our Seven
Principles to guide us on our journey….”
Religious
community in our Unitarian Universalist tradition is a unique thing—each
congregation is free to take the shape of the larger community in which it
is situated. Each Unitarian Universalist congregation is made up of unique
individuals who covenant together to be a community of faith, in a
particular place, at a particular time. Yet, we are bound to a larger life
of faith as well. The Unitarian Universalist Church of Greeley has deep,
foundational roots in the history of this place. We are also part of an
Association of Congregations with religious communities in all 50 States;
and we cherish our ties to Unitarian Universalists all over the world. We
celebrate a tradition of 500 years of searching for meaning as people of
Liberal faith—for the right to determine our own spiritual path, and for
freedom of conscience.
Finally, we
also know, in the words of the Reverend Mark Morrison-Reed, that “the central task of the religious
community is to unveil the bonds that bind each to all. There is a
connectedness, a relationship discovered amid the particulars of our own
lives and the lives of others. Once felt, it inspires us to act for
justice. It is the church that assures us that we are not struggling for
justice on our own, but as members of a larger community. The religious
community is essential, for alone our vision is too narrow to see all that
must be seen, and our strength too limited to do all that must be done.
Together, our vision widens and our strength is renewed.”
If you seek for
a way to widen your vision and
renew your strength, I invite
you to consider exploring how this community of faith can help you do
that. If this way in religion speaks to you, I invite you to find out more
about us by attending services, religious education opportunities, and
social events; by taking time to converse with members of the Unitarian
Universalist Church of Greeley; by making a time to chat with me about
this community of faith, and Unitarian Universalism. If this kind of
religious community touches the deep inward springs of your Being, I
invite you to explore deeply the wonderful diversity of this
congregation—to “enter, rejoice, and come
in!”
Shalom and
Blessings,
Michael
Memo from Michael
(From August 2008 Unifax)
Ministerial
Musings
Summer has
progressed this year seemingly without much fanfare or advance notice. I
suppose that’s because I’ve been pretty busy. Transitions are claiming a
fair amount of my energy. I haven’t had much chance to relax and enjoy the
“lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer…” as the old song
goes.
And now, August is upon us—time to begin celebrating
the delicious results of our garden labors…and time for me to write my first column for the Unifax! In the ancient tradition
of “First Fruits,” I hope to offer you my best efforts right from the
beginning. So, let me begin with an introduction of
sorts.
I come to the UU
Church of Greeley shaped by two years of active ministry in another small
congregation—the UU Church of
On a deeper level, I
come to you with hopes and expectations formed from my life experience and
recent engagements. I’m sure, too, that you already have some expectations
of me. That’s only fair—and, indeed, human! We’ll learn more as well about
those things as we get to know one
another.
Personally, I come
from rather a diverse set of circumstances that can’t help but have formed
my yearnings and visions, and established my path in the world. I’m a New
Englander, born in “Bawston” (Dorchester, actually) and raised in central
Rhode Island in a large extended family of immigrants from pre-Republican
Ireland and French Canada (oui,
j’parle français). I’m the eldest of five children—four of us adopted
from the same “Infant Asylum” in
So, my siblings
include a sister of Afro-Portuguese heritage, and another who has coped
with serious physical and mental challenges her entire life. Needless to
say, we created an unusual “family portrait” (especially for a
working-class 1950s mill town) as we made our way around our town of
20,000! We were most often received with acceptance—and some wonder—but
there were those times….
Because of this, I
harbor great yearning to create hospitality and welcoming wherever I have
the privilege of entering in. In fact, radical hospitality has become a
force for spiritual discipline in my life.
My “life questions”
are less about theological niceties than about how I receive and welcome
“Other,” whether that’s the stranger or foreigner, or the person whose
experience is radically different than mine. Welcoming “Other” also
includes recognizing and being open to those “Other” parts of myself—the
mystical and the moronic, and whatever is
in-between.
Finally, I come to you
as “Other.” You have invited me in, and welcomed me, for which I thank
you. Now we have ample occasion to present to each other the “First
Fruits” of our hopes and dreams and wishes and yearnings for this beloved
community, and for the ever growing sense of “engaged mysticism” that
leads us to seek together for ways to work for the healing and wholeness
of the world. I look forward to learning with you the ways we’ll choose to
do that. I welcome the opportunity to get to know each of you and your
deepest yearnings and highest aspirations. I rejoice in this beginning of
our walk together!
Shalom and
blessings,
Michael