​Dearest community,
As vaccines begin to roll out and we mark the longest nights of the year, many of us are celebrating our first hints of future light and hope at the end of what has been a long and lonely ten months. Your re-opening committee has been meeting ​regularly to discuss not how to open our church – our church community has always been open – but when we might be able to see one another in person and how we can best do that safely. 

In September 2020, members of the Living the Homestretch committee shared a presentation on many different ways that people can learn, explore, and entertain themselves while remaining safe at home or socially distancing.  The ideas shared ranged from scenic local walks, to programs offered by universities, to virtually visiting museums, and even to taking a peek into outer space! While some programs are specific to elders, many options are open to people of all ages. At the end of the meeting, participants shared their own ideas for fun and enriching pandemic activities, adding more options for anyone looking for a meaningful way to spend some winter weeks indoors. Check out the list here:  safe_pandemic_activities.pdf.

We won't be putting up an actual tree this year, but we will be creating a two-dimensional paper tree for Bard Hall's window!  If you'd like to help decorate that tree, print out the PDF, decorate the ornament and/or paper chain strips, cut them out and return to church. You can drop them off at the Holiday Drive Through or drop them in the Main Office mail slot no later than noon on Dec 19, 2020.

Day of the Dead has been an important celebration for so many of us for the last few years. I have felt grateful for the opportunity to share with this congregation this holiday during worship. And I know this is a meaningful service for so many of our Mexican, Mexican-American, and Latinx members. An affirmation of our culture and an opportunity to honor our beloved dead in community. The pandemic has already prevented us from gathering and celebrating so many occasions together: Easter, Pride, Pachamama, and more. For our services and some rituals, we have tried new virtual ways to recreate them. But, leading a Day of the Dead service online didn’t feel right to me this year. 

Church member and psychologist Lynn Northrop and her colleague Amanda Mendez are sharing an important tool for self-care in the time of COVID-19. This tool, rooted in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, was created by psychologist Russ Harris. I hope you find this helpful and my deep appreciation to Lynn and Amanda for sharing this tool. ~ Rev. Kathleen Download a worksheet based on the video worksheet en Espaniol | worksheet in English.

Hello friends. It's Meditation Monday. Here to lead us today is Rev. Kathleen.