“There was something of jubilee in that annual autumnal beginning… (Wallace Stegner)
It’s September already, and like me, you may be asking, “Where did the summer GO?” I have always thought of September 1, rather than January 1, as the true start of a new year. After the many decades of starting a new school season, first for me, then for my children, September has always held the promise of exciting new possibilities. And so it is at TRUU! We begin this church year with a confidence in our firm foundation, but also with anticipation of opportunities yet to be discovered. We have already begun with the inspiring “in-gathering” water communion service, with more than 60 people in attendance, and with Reverend Papa conducting his first “official” Sunday service, followed by Nathan Woodliff-Stanley, Director of Colorado’s ACLU, speaking at the new Carbondale library. Reverend Papa will return to the Calaway Room on Sept. 8 to provide “a wisdom story for all ages” and again on Sept. 15, and then a Fellowship Sunday on Sept. 22. Then it’s October, with the Blessing of the Animals and the second Annual Bidding for Fun Auction and more thought-provoking services led by our wonderful new minister. We will continue to be blessed by the music of Jimmy Byrne and the Religious Exploration classes of Heather Rydell.
Those are some of the things we know will happen, but even more exciting are the things we don’t know: What new people will discover the amazing community of TRUU, and what part will you play in bringing them? What will we learn about ourselves and our beliefs? What young families will recognize that it’s time for their children to find a spiritual home that is, in the words of the Rev. John Wolf, “a place where children come without being saddled with guilt or terrified of some celestial Peeping Tom, where they can learn that religion is for joy, for comfort, for gratitude and love”? How will you give of your own gifts in return for all that has been given to you? How will TRUU live out its Social Justice mission and transform the larger communities in which we live? How will we support each other, strengthen our ties and deepen our understanding of what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist?
The answer to all these questions is, “It depends.” It depends on how much we care, how much we participate, how much we are willing to give of our time, our money, and ultimately, our love.
Last question: Why should you support TRUU? Again, in the words of John Wolf: “You want to support it because it is more concerned with human beings than with dogmas. Because it searches for the holy, rather than dwelling upon the depraved. Because it calls no one a sinner, yet knows how deep is the struggle in each person’s breast and how great is the hunger for what is good.”
If those words resonate with you, then you are in the right place! Don’t be shy about sharing what you have discovered for yourself, because chances are there are a lot of people out there looking for what you have already found.
It’s September, it’s homecoming, it’s a new year, and we are turning another page. You need to be a part of this story!