July 3, 2020: Update From Rev. Florence Caplow

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Hello dear ones!

I am writing to you just before I begin six weeks away for study leave and vacation, but it feels important to say hello and let you know that I am thinking of you.

Recently I have been missing our crowded and crazy Fellowship Hour in Fellowship Hall – just to be able to see your faces, greet newcomers and old-timers, and see the generations together, eating, talking, drinking coffee, and laughing. I know there will be a time when we are will be together again, other than via Zoom (and we do have a sweet Zoom Fellowship Hour) but I also suspect that it will be a while, and we will have to be creative in how we create community and care for one another in the months ahead. I know we can do it!

Speaking of creativity, I spent last week participating in the first-ever, all-virtual UUA General Assembly online, an immense undertaking on the part of hundreds of volunteers and staff. I was joined by seven delegates from our church and three other staff members. It was third largest GA ever, with nearly 5,000 attendees, and it was historic for all kinds of reasons.

For the last three years there has been a Commission on Institutional Change, looking deeply at the ways systemic racism and oppression is embedded within the UUA and our congregations, and exploring how we can move forward in new ways. Their report was released on the second day of GA, and it is nothing short of revolutionary. I am so inspired to see where this will go, here in our church and nationally. If you would like to read it yourself, you can find it here: Widening the Circle of Concer . If you want to watch the Commissioners talk about the report go here.

The delegates also passed two powerfully-worded “Actions of Immediate Witness”, one in relationship to colonialism and supporting indigenous communities, another in relationship to the national uprising for Black lives and defunding the police. You can read about each of them in the press releases below.

Also, the delegates voted overwhelmingly (greater than 90% voted positive) for a responsive resolution to fund greater support for UU youth and young adults. Here is that resolution.

Voting for and watching these visionary commitments pass with such strong support in this time of so many challenges brought me to tears. If you would like to hear some of the inspiring moments of General Assembly yourself, you can follow the links here: https://www.uua.org/ga/off-site/2020 . The passage of the Actions of Immediate Witness and Responsive Resolutions happened in General Session 5, if you want to watch it happen.

Also last week I watched our own newly elected UUCUC Board of Trustees pass a powerful statement of commitment for Black Lives, addressing our own complicity in systemic racism and the work ahead of us, drafted by the Racial Justice Project at the request of the Board. You can read it here: https://uucuc.org/uucucs-statement-on-black-lives-matter/

And I know so many of you have been participating in actions, protests, and letter writing campaigns, determined to seize the moment when there is a chance of making change. We have now also raised over $25,000 in our Faithify Community Relief Fund campaign, supporting our neighbors who are facing food insecurity. These actions give me hope and inspiration.

It is good to know that even as we live through these strange, distanced lives, our commitment to bring greater justice and compassion to this hurting world burns brightly. Thank you for all you do.

We all need inspiration to keep going, and even though I will be gone for the next few weeks, your Worship Committee has some lovely interactive services coming up, so on these hot summer mornings when, by 10:15 am, it is already too hot to be outside, consider tuning in to our live stream, and hear the stories (and see the art) of other members and friends of UUCUC.

If times get tough, in whatever way, or if you experience a loss or difficulty this summer, please reach out to the caring co-chairs of Care Core, Marilyn Ryan and Cindy Loui. You can reach them at pastoralcare@uucuc.org. They will be checking that email address regularly. Other UU ministers in the area are available on call for pastoral care emergencies.

And this goes without saying, but please stay safe!! We are now in Phase 4, but masks and distancing, and socializing outdoors rather than inside, in very small groups, is more important than ever, and it is so easy to become less careful. I have heard from several people that cases are increasing right here in our community. I have gotten tested several times, at the Marketplace Mall drive-through testing center, and it is quick and easy, so don’t hesitate to be tested if you have participated in a protest or suspect you might have been exposed.

Meanwhile, please know that you are in my heart and that I will be thinking of you in my quiet time of study and rejuvenation this summer. I think of the time I have coming up as “dormancy” – just as plants need times of quiescence to bloom again, ministers do too. And we will have a rich and exciting fall, with Rev. Sally’s arrival and many new ways of creating and sustaining community. Please take good care of yourself as well, and enjoy the beauties and abundance of summer.

With love and appreciation,
Rev. Florence Caplow