Dear Church,
We find ourselves again in a season of change. I failed to cover my garden for the first frost this week, so my zinnias and dahlias have passed on. Lucy and I dug up the beds and put them to bed for the winter. The days are feeling shorter and the ground is covered in leaves. It’s stunning, and yet all changes so quickly while life is so busy… I don’t want to miss it! Join me in leaning into the busyness of this season while also taking moments to pause and breathe in the beauty of this particular moment of change.
The weekend ahead is a full and exciting one. It is the Trans Faith and Justice Weekend, a three-part event supporting Maine faith communities and our secular partners in deepening our capacity and commitment to transgender justice in and beyond our congregations. The weekend’s events are a collaboration between our congregation, Pink Haven Maine, the Equality Community Center, and the Unitarian Universalist Funding Program (who gave us a grant to make all this possible).
On Friday night (Equality Community Center at 6:30pm) I will moderate a panel discussion entitled “Living Both: Trans Journeys of Faith” with transgender, nonbinary, and genderqueer Mainers from a range of faith traditions including Unitarian Universalist, Christian, Jewish, Quaker, and Spiritualist. On Saturday from 10am-3:30pm Alex Kapitan from the Transforming Hearts Collective will lead a workshop entitled “The Spiritual Work of Trans Liberation.” And on Sunday, A2U2 will join in the Trans Justice Preach-In, where Alex and I will co-lead a worship service alongside 16 other congregations across southern and midcoast Maine who will all be preaching messages of trans liberation. I’ve arranged a partnership with the Maine Council of Churches who will keep a resource hub of all the services on their website for folks to watch/listen to moving forward. It’s going to be a powerful weekend of learning and transformation for participants. I hope to see you at one or all of the offerings!
After Alex and I lead our service, “The Spiritual Practice of Disobedience,” and our children and youth Trick-or-Treat The Values in costume, members of your A2U2 Board and Building and Grounds Committee will offer an information session on the Sanctuary Heat Pump Project. Yes, we’re getting heat pumps in the Sanctuary!! We’re adapting to climate change and going green. Read this week’s ENews to learn how you can contribute to the fundraising campaign so we can make it happen!
Our Friday Afternoon Calls for Action (FACA) group members have been working their tails off writing GOTV postcards and letters and canvassing. Our Committee on Congregational Life is taking off and they have been bringing incredible ideas and thoughtfulness to the table. Your Board is pushing a number of important projects forward, Buildings and grounds is supporting our heat pump project and getting our sacred space ready for winter, Pastoral Care is onboarding new members, the holiday fair planning team has launched, and about a million other things are happening that I don’t have space to mention here. Which is all to say… it’s all go at A2U2! Thank you each and all for the energy you’re bringing to this fall season of programming and ministry. It’s truly incredible what we can accomplish together. Don’t forget to take a breath. Or 20.
See you this weekend!
In faith,
Rev. Tara