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Sing Out Praises for the Journey!

           I offer my sincere thanks to all who were part of our new building dedication ceremony on November 15^th! With about 180 members, friends, children, and colleagues present, it was a very special evening. I was also pleased to have several local religious leaders and colleagues present to celebrate with us, including Pastor Sallie Hamon (Grace United Methodist Church), Sam Goldman (Congregation Beth Jacob), Imam Abdul Haqq (Mosque an Nur), Pastor Sam Foskey (University Baptist Church and President of the Carbondale Interfaith Council), and Hugh Muldoon (retired Director of the Interfaith Center). In addition to our invited speakers, some of the UU religious leaders who traveled long distances to be with us include Dr. Angela Merkert (Congregational Services Director, Central Midwest District, UUA), Ms. Susan Stukey (UUA Trustee), and the Rev. Bill Haney, (UU Church of Columbia, MO). And it was wonderful to greet our beloved former members Paula Franklin and the Sanders family among those who made the journey back to Southern Illinois to be with us.

If the gathered company was inspiring, so was the ceremony itself. I was moved by Larry Wheeler’s description of our collective accomplishment, and inspired by the challenges we received from UUA President Bill Sinkford. And I remain awestruck by the variety of music that we enjoyed as part of the service: the intergenerational choir, adult choir, guest organist Bob Chamberlin, the duet presented by Bob Mueller on piano and John Hooker on cello, and Emily Weber Hughes’ vocal solo! We did, indeed, sing out praises for the journey that we have shared!

That journey has not, of course, ended. In an open-ended faith tradition such as Unitarian Universalism, the journey can never said to be complete. And even as we celebrate the work that brought us to this new home, we hear the call to face the challenges of the present day and the coming future.

For instance, as I write this column, the November 2^nd election took place almost three weeks ago, yet it remains quite present for many of us. The feelings and thoughts that we shared on Sunday, November 14^th, indicate that many of us are still working our ways through our individual and collective feelings. As one way to facilitate that process, I will present a series of sermons on aspects of “morality” over the course of the next six months. My plan is to offer one of these sermons each month, hoping to achieve some significant depth in examination of some specific aspect of morality. The first of these will be “A Morality of Hope,” to be presented on Sunday, December 5^th. I invite anyone interested to join me for further discussion of the topic following the coffee and conversation time.

In the meantime, I encourage you to do whatever will help you begin the process of “putting the pieces together again.” I challenge you to work things through, both on your own and in the company of others. And I invite you to suggest -- or better yet, organize! -- ways in which the Fellowship can help channel your energies and emotions into constructive action. That, too, is part of our journey together! 

In closing, please forgive me as I “shift gears” rather abruptly. Even as we begin to process the complex reactions we may have to the election, Thanksgiving is upon us and we are poised to enter December, a season of special holidays. So as I close, let me remind you that my family and I wish you and yours a very happy holiday season, and a joyous and fulfilling year in 2005!

In the spirit of the season, (signed) Bill S.