Remember your birth, how your mother struggled to give you form and breath.

You are evidence of her life, and her mother’s, and hers.

Remember your father. He is your life, also. Remember the earth whose skin you are:
red earth, black earth, yellow earth, white earth, brown earth, we are earth.

excerpt from Joy Harjo’s poem, Remember

 

Dear Ones,

What does it mean to remember, to see clearly the path that we have come from, and to remember who has nurtured and supported us? We have an opportunity, an opening to take time to remember and honor our own mothers, those who nurtured us and our dear Mother Earth. And this is the season she is flourishing, as we see so much new life pushing up through the earth, filling the branches, blanketing the fields as we move through Springtime. The incredible light green of new unfolding leaves, pure white of snowdrops, bright yellow of daffodils, delicate pink of azalea and apple blossoms. There is so much beauty and new life right now to give us pause, bring moments of joy, and to lift our weary spirits. What better time to cradle new ideas and nurture creative insights, daring to share ideas with another, and taking a step however small towards our individual and collective vision. This is the month of our Annual Meeting – a time to remember and celebrate the year we have had – the many services and events, work completed and continuing, newcomers finding their way through our doors and friends making the commitment to joining our congregation. We have held memorial services and celebrations, hosted social justice events and educational activities, we have an architectural design that honors and encourages stewardship and accessibility of our land, held our Holiday Bazaar and Spring Fair and Summer Yard Sale. We have held events to raise funds to pave our driveway, creating a more accessible way to get to the church. And the list goes on and on as we remember and reflect. So let us honor each other and the collective work we have done in this time. Let us remember how strong we are as a collective body of seeking minds and open hearts and working hands. It is no small feat to nurture and sustain a congregation. May we honor and bless each other, and celebrate our work together!

With Deep Gratitude,
Rev. Telos