Many Hats

In a church our size, to be involved often means that we have many hats to wear. I was pleased to be able to wear my interior design hat to help decorate for the auction earlier this month. I switched out that hat for my celebration party hat to attend the auction that evening. Most of the time this year, I’ve been wearing my board president hat, and will be doing so Sunday by chairing the special congregational board meeting. I hope you’ve had a chance to look over the documents that will be voted on Sunday, our bylaws and endowment plan. They represent many months of careful consideration, conversation, and thought on how the previously approved documents fit our congregation, and how they can be edited to better serve our members and friends. If you cannot attend, please fill out a proxy form so that you can still participate in our democratic process.

I’m also pleased in a couple weeks to be back wearing my worship leader hat. On Sunday November 4th, the service will be devoted to the appreciation of poetry. The writing and reading of poetry allow us to tap in to spiritual elements in a way that is unique. Our capacity for compassion, wisdom, and patience is bolstered by its sharing. Please plan on attending and sharing a favorite poem. The hat I wear underneath them all, the small, thin, skintight hat that fits my head so snug and warmly that I never take it off, is the hat of belonging to our loving community. It is the hat that will be most prominent as I participate in the All Soul’s service this coming Sunday. There is something about gathering with like-minded souls and remembering and celebrating absent friends together that affirms my humanity and makes the space between us feel a little smaller. Whether the weather turns out sunny or cloudy, laying stones with their names in our newly rededicated memorial garden will be very meaningful to me. I hope to see you there as well, whether it has become cold enough for physical hats or not.

Contact Gillian at president@westsideuuc.org