“Showing up is an act of healing” Sul ka dub/Freddie Lane
Beloved East Shore Congregation:
As the wheel of the year marks the winter Solstice and announces a New Year, may we welcome this opportunity to reflect upon and express our gratitude for all the blessings we received this year.
I am deeply grateful for each and every one of you and our collaborative shared Ministry. Whether you volunteered to teach an RE class, were part of the ACE tech team, participated in a Sunday worship service, sang with the choir, made coffee or soup, cleaned up the grounds, tended the garden, cooked a meal for our community partners, marched in the Seattle Pride parade, participated in the auction, and in some way donated your time, talent, and treasure to support our Beloved East Shore community: Thank You!
As I reflect on what our Unitarian Universalist faith is asking of us in these times, I am reminded of the many ways we are already centering love and living into our values: Feeding the hungry, protecting our trans siblings, welcoming immigrants and refugees, visiting the sick, advocating for reproductive rights, volunteering in local schools, deepening partnerships with our indigenous neighbors, and all the ways we show up to strengthen communal care and connection.
In times of uncertainty and heartbreak, may we remember that we are stronger together and that we are not alone. May we remember that joy and music are tools of resistance in the face of oppression and fear. May this Holiday Season remind us of the greatest gift of all: Love. Unconditional. Without borders. Liberating.
Beloveds, in 2025, let us keep resisting, collaborating, planting, marching, singing, healing, and dreaming together!
Mama Lily and I send you and your loved ones our Blessings for the New Year.
Rev. Dr. María Cristina Vlassidis Burgoa