Dear Beloved Community,

Tell me if you’ve heard this one… I’ve got a story for you… I heard that story, but I don’t believe it.

This January we come to the theme of story, and of the ways in which stories shape our beliefs, our myths, and our calls to action. It seems to me that nearly everything we do in community is about story. When we are in crisis or are moved to act, we find old stories about heroic people and times that inspire us. When we want to tell people who we are, our stories reveal both our cherished memories and hopes for the future. And, when we tell children and youth about our values, we don’t just tell them stories- we hope that the storytelling will encourage young people to find themselves in an unfolding narrative about the world we hope they will bring about.

The difficulty and the promise of the story as a spiritual tool is its ability to be re-framed and re-interpreted. Only the best stories survive the centuries and find their way into multiple mediums-becoming not just the work of the traditional oral storyteller, but composers, artists, filmmakers, dramatists and poets. Communities are made stronger when they are open to hearing the stories of individuals in their midst, rather than on imposing one narrative about the “way we got this way”. And when we challenge the stuck narratives in our midst, or let those who are often silent speak, we find out way towards health.

I hope you will find your way to becoming a part of our community through this month’s events, gatherings, opportunities for service, and Sunday happenings.

Blessed Be, Amen, Ashe, and Shalom.

Warm Regards,

Reverend Val