Welcome to summer! With the arrival of summer, what are you looking forward to? Do you have summer rituals you enjoy—or have enjoyed in the past? Perhaps there is a favorite body of water that calls to you to come, sit, and rest a while. Or maybe you have a particular tradition for where you watch fireworks on the 4th of July. From favorite summer foods to special places to a change in pace, the season of summer holds a multitude of possible delights.
As a minister, summer brings a period of vacation and study leave for me. Beginning June 25, I will be on a break, returning August 15. During this time, I will enjoy vacation days spent with friends and family, as well as some ‘stay-cation’ attention to my neglected yard. I will also spend four weeks of this time on study leave—reading and researching about various topics that support my ministry here with you. These weeks renew my mind and spirit enabling me to return invigorated for another church year. During these weeks away, the Rev. Ken Reeves will be on-call for pastoral support, with the Rev. Sheldon Bennett covering Rev. Reeves’ vacation (July 19-August 1). To be connected with them, please contact the office. If needed, either they or Barbara Martin, Chair of Standing Committee, will reach out to me directly for my support.
How will you renew yourself this summer? Are there season specific activities that bring you joy and feed your spirit? Or is summer one part of an ongoing flow of actions that sustain you year-round? Whatever the date may be, I believe we all benefit from being intentional to nurture our spirits in the ways that are meaningful to us. In the same way the farmers pay close attention to the inputs of water, sun, and nutrients to the plants they grow all summer, so too we can actively seek to cultivate our own spiritual well-being. Whether through a concert at the Hatch Shell, a new or ongoing meditation practice, visiting with loved ones, attending a Summer Service, engaging in some activism, or simply taking a walk in the Public Garden, I hope you will choose to tend to your sense of inner well-being. Reflecting on the nature of spirituality, UU minister and Zen Buddhist priest James Ishmael Ford wrote, “My spiritual practice of Zen meditation and frequent Zen retreats is about noticing the luminous quality of the ordinary. I sit still and notice.” I hope we all find ways to notice the wonder and gift of Life throughout these summer days.
At some point over the summer, I invite you to collect a sample of water that symbolizes how you are nurturing your spirit. Perhaps the water will be from a special place or gather. Or maybe the water is from the bottle you take on walks or your favorite fountain in a cherished park. On Sunday, September 15, we will gather for Water Sunday and pour our collected water into a common bowl as symbol of our community nurtured by what we each bring from our spiritual journeys. While Water Sunday is the traditional ingathering service, our first Sunday back in the sanctuary and with the choir will be September 8 for Charter Sunday. This service honors and explores our long history as a congregation founded in 1630 alongside Boston. The sermon topic will align with the fall series of the Partnership of Historic Bostons.
Until we connect again, may your summer unfold with wonder and gifts that renew and nurture you.