Dear friends,

As Rodgers and Hammerstein put it in the musical Carousel, “June is bustin’ out all over!” The daffodils and lilacs have given way to foxgloves, roses, and peonies, blooming in all their glory against the lush green. This time of year, it can feel easy to cherish the living earth by simply basking in its beauty.

Our community, too, is in full flower. Last Sunday’s Youth-led service bubbled over with the sturdy joy of community and blessed us with a balloon benediction. Earlier in the week, our youth painted rainbows of inclusion on smiling cheeks at the Lincoln LGBTQ+ Pride Month kick-off event. The FPL Garden is abloom with early abundance, ready to share with neighbors in need. A joyful Annual Meeting on Monday evening celebrated the hard work and vision of our dedicated volunteers and staff. We reflected on a fruitful and effective “275th anniversary” church year. We honored  one another’s efforts, wiping poignant tears of recognition for long tenures of service. And we looked ahead, officially commissioning a Capital Campaign Visioning Team to lead us toward next investments and unanimously approving a balanced budget for 2024-2025. We acknowledged ambitious challenges ahead, and we are up to the task. Plans are being made for next year, events and processes penciled into calendars. Life is teeming.

And. Remember. Nothing in nature blooms all year. So we shouldn’t expect ourselves too, either. Sometimes we need to lie fallow. Sometimes we need to burrow in the dark for a bit. We may be facing personal challenges, we may be grappling with life transitions, the pain of the world from Gaza to Greater Boston may weigh heavy on our hearts, as we seek to find a way to respond with integrity and impact.

If your spirit is unfolding like a dinner plate sized peony right now, enjoy the blossoming! And, if you sometimes feel more like a side-of-the-road dandelion, or maybe a sun-soaked daffodil that’s begun to wilt and shrivel… be kind to yourself. Two things can be true. Take time to breathe and nourish that which feeds your spirit. Remember that every garden and shore, every pathway and presence you encounter this summer can be holy ground.

And as you wander and wonder…please keep in touch! While your ministers will be officially “off” much of the summer, we (and Silvia, our Parish Administrator, as well as the Care Committee) do want to be kept in the loop. If you have any news to share, especially any pastoral emergencies, we want to know! Silvia will be in the church office most of the summer and is a great resource.

We hope to see many of you this Sunday for the last “regular” weekly worship service (followed by fun and games!) before we “bust out” into summer rhythms and schedules (don’t miss our new shared summer services with local UUA churches!)

With appreciation for all the blossoming… and also for the seeds still being planted, and patiently tended.

Love,

Kit and Nate