“It takes a village” – the truth of this phrase has been brought home to us many times over this past month, as we welcomed Felix Asher Klug to the world on November 3. After a week in Emerson Hospital with pneumonia, surrounded by a village of Special Care nurses, Felix has been back home since mid-November. Everyone is healthy and doing well, as we settle into the happy chaos of life as a family of five (well, six)!

We are so grateful for the parental leave afforded us by First Parish; to Sarah K, Rosemary, the rest of the staff, the Deacons, and the many other leaders and volunteers for keeping things running during one of the busiest months of the church year; and to everyone who cooked us a delicious meal, wrote us a card or email, or prayed for us.

Gwendolyn Brooks put it well: “We are each other’s harvest… we are each other’s business… we are each other’s magnitude and bond.” Thank you for reminding us of this truth so powerfully.

Now, with the season of Advent upon us, we’re all invited into the story of waiting for and welcoming a child. “It takes a village” takes on meaning for all of us. From the Touch of Christmas fair to carol singing to our children’s pageant, from discussions about the Holy Land to our special Outreach offering, this season offers manifold opportunities to be the village that embodies the Nazareth prophet’s vision for justice, beauty, and love.

The honor
of being human
will stay constant.
The earth, earth,
water wet, sun
shine.
The world will be
as ever round, and
all yourselves
will know it,
on it, and around
and around.
-Robert Creeley

With love,
Nate & Kit

PS – Just a reminder about our parental leave. Nate returns to work on December 1, and he can’t wait to catch up with you during the holiday season. Kit will remain on leave until the end of January. We look forward to introducing Felix to the congregation soon…perhaps sometime this month!