“Five hundred, twenty five thousand, six hundred minutes
Five hundred, twenty five thousand moments so dear…
How do you measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets
In midnights, in cups of coffee
In inches, in miles
In laughter, in strife
In five hundred, twenty five thousand, six hundred minutes
How do you measure a year in a life?
How about love?” (Seasons of Love: Song by Jonathan Larson)
Beloved East Shore Community:
As the New Year approaches, I am filled with gratitude for all the joys and sorrows that we shared in 2023. As your Minister, I have learned to appreciate and actually look for the hidden lessons and growth opportunities that come hand in hand with challenges and difficult times. I have also delighted in all the ways that serving as your Minister has brought so much joy to my heart. The best part of our shared ministry model is that I get to collaborate with so many wonderful people! This collaboration allows for rich relationship building, pooling of resources, and opportunities for learning and growing together in the ways we relate to each other and how we serve our Beloved East Shore community.
As I flip the calendar pages, I am overwhelmed by all the Blessings I have received from the ESUC community. While I couldn’t possibly mention each individual who has shown me kindness and supported our shared ministry in some way, please know that I could not do this without the help of our excellent staff and the dedication of our Board of Trustees, our Ministry Teams, and our dear congregants, to Practice Love, Explore Spirituality, Build Community, and Promote Justice.
January
In January, we celebrated the Feast of the Three Kings/Epiphany, learned from CB Beal about Pre-Emptive Radical Inclusion, built a Peace tree during the MLK service, and offered a very well received service on Parenting as a Spiritual Practice with moving testimonies. On January 25, I co-officiated a Memorial Service for Susan King.
February
In February, we continued with Pre-emptive Radical Inclusion, created a joyous Love Fest for all ages with twenty children participating in the Child Dedication ceremony, celebrated Mardi Gras, and lifted up the work of our Lay Pastoral Ministry Team.
March
In March, we welcomed Rev. Ashley Horan who preached about Bodily Sacredness as we grappled with the Supreme Court’s decision overturning Roe v. Wade. The following Sunday, we honored the legacy of Dolores Huerta and César Chávez. On March 11, I officiated the Memorial Service for Mr. Pinorini and on March 25, I officiated the Memorial Service for Mr. Sam Glass.
April
In April, we celebrated Easter and Flower Communion, our Indigenous Connections Ministry Team coordinated a visit by Sul ka dub, Freddie Lane, member of the Lummi Nation, and we learned from Rev. Jennifer Alviar, who preached about “The Art of Language to Liberate & Empower” (neurodiversity & disability justice). On the 23rd of April we celebrated my Installation Ceremony, which was glorious thanks to the many volunteers! We welcomed Aisha Hauser, Christina Rivera, Julica DeLa Fuente, Rhonda Brown, Emma’s Revolution, our own East Shore Mighty Choir, local UUA clergy, and of course our Beloved ESUC congregation. I was so happy to share this important milestone with my son, Erick, and my mother, Mama Lily. Thank you East Shore community for the Blessing of calling me to be your Minister.
May
In the month of May, Barb Clagett and Milly Mullarky were honored by the Clara Barton Sisterhood. The following week we enjoyed a wonderful Music Sunday led by our talented Music Director, Eric Lane Barnes. On Memorial Day weekend, many of us gathered for the annual Seabeck Retreat which was my first. Kudos to our Dean David Langrock and to volunteer coordinators Ruth and David Baumgart for an excellent and memorable experience!
June
In June, we celebrated Pride, the RE Bridging Ceremony, welcomed Karishma Gottfried who preached about “Love at the Center” focusing on the UUA’s proposal to revise Article II, and attended the General Assembly virtually. On June 17, I officiated the Memorial Service for J. Page and on June 30, I officiated the Memorial Service for Mr. Fritz Roetman.
July
July was a vacation month for me and it was much needed after my move from Redmond to Bellevue. I am so grateful to live only five minutes away from church! During July, I was not completely away from church or congregational life as I volunteered to water the gardens twice a week, attended meetings, provided pastoral care, participated in auction events, joined in some of the outdoor group activities, and joined the members of the Indigenous Connections Ministry Team in Alki Beach for the Canoe gathering ceremony.
August
August was my study leave during which I had an opportunity to develop the worship calendar, review the Social Justice Ministry Team Charters, and review notes from the Board of Trustees meetings to better understand ESUC history, decision making processes, and goals. On August 12 and 13, we had the Board Retreat facilitated by Julica Hermann DeLa Fuente. The retreat was intense, informative, challenging, illuminating, and left us with lots of homework!
During my study leave, I read books as part of my professional development, to prepare for Sunday worship sermons, and to inform my participation in discussions during meetings. These are some of the books: “On Repentance and Repair” by Rabbi Danya Ruttenberg, “Beyond Welcome: Building Communities of Love” by Linnea Wilson, “An African American and Latinx History of the United States” by Paul Ortiz, “Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist” by Judith Heumann, “Social Justice for the Sensitive Soul: How to Change the World in Quiet Ways” by Dorcas Cheng-Tozun, “The Racism of People Who Love You: Essays On Mixed-Race Belonging” by Samira Mehta, “All Boys Aren’t Blue” by George Johnson, “Healing Justice Lineages: Dreaming at the Crossroads of Liberation, Collective Care, and Safety” by Cara Page, among others.
September
I returned to the pulpit on September 3, honoring workers on Labor Day, and the following Sunday, we gathered to celebrate our annual Water Communion followed by a wonderful community salmon bake/potluck. We closed September with a service dedicated to the UUA common read “Repentance & Repair” followed by a deeply meaningful discussion session. September 21-24, I began serving on the UUA Ministerial Fellowship Committee (MFC) as the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association’s (UUMA) Representative.
October
In October, we had a lovely Blessing of the Animals service, honoring our beloved companions. We celebrated Indigenous People’s Day, reflected on Hope, enjoyed another fabulous Music Sunday, and ended October honoring our ancestors and dearly departed with a special service for the Days of the Dead/All Souls Day. During the month of October, we had the blessing of hosting guests participating in the Porchlight program (previously Congregations for the Homeless). Also in October, the Welcoming Congregation Ministry Team, represented by David Langrock and myself, collaborated with PFLAG Bellevue during Salmon Days in Issaquah.
November
On Sunday, November 5, Rev. Eric Kaminetzky and I did a “pulpit exchange” and I was invited to be guest preacher at the Edmonds UU Church, while he preached at ESUC. The following day, on November 6, all the Social Justice Ministry Teams gathered to share a community meal and to organize themselves as a Council, which will facilitate communication and collaboration among the teams.
On November 9, the UUA Regional Staff held a Town Hall to inform us of the outcome of the MFC investigation of Stephen Furrer, which resulted in his losing his Ministerial credentials and no longer being in Fellowship with the UUA. I continue to offer pastoral care to staff and congregants as they process this news.
On November 12, Nicole Duff, our Director of Membership Development and I led an East Shore and You Q&A session for those visitors wanting to learn more about UUism and East Shore.
Thanks to our Music Director, Eric Lane Barnes, we celebrated Diwali with the amazing Rhythms of India dance troupe. The following Sunday, we celebrated Thanksgiving by sharing our gratitudes, followed by a delicious community potluck. On November 20, the Welcoming Congregation team held a vigil to commemorate International Transgender Day of Remembrance. We closed November with a special guest speaker, Paula Peters, member of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, who shared with us “The True Story of Thanksgiving.”
December
Which brings us to December, a month filled with opportunities to connect, celebrate, and build community. We began by celebrating Las Posadas to reaffirm our commitment to being a Sanctuary for all Immigrants and Refugees. On December 10, we celebrated yet another fabulous Music Sunday, followed by the Congregational meeting. On December 17, the RE staff and volunteers presented the Holiday Pageant. On December 19, a new Blue Christmas service was added to the calendar, so that we may offer a space of respite and contemplation for anyone feeling overwhelmed during the Holidays and on December 21, LeAnne Struble led the Solstice service. We closed the year with two Christmas Eve services at 4:00 and 7:00 pm.
Looking Ahead to 2024!
Beloveds, may the New Year 2024 bring you and family health, unity, joy, and many opportunities to give and receive the gift of unconditional love. A New Year brings the promise of healing and encourages us to let go of old ways of being. The New Year holds potential for new seeds of hope and compassion to grow strong within the warmth of our Beloved East Shore community. May the spirit of community guide us as we tend to those seeds gently and lovingly. May we greet the New Year with a sense of renewal and deep gratitude for all that is our life:
“For all that is our life we sing our thanks and praise;
for all life is a gift which we are called to use
to build the common good and make our own days glad.
For needs which others serve, for services we give,
for work and its rewards, for hours of rest and love;
we come with praise and thanks for all that is our life.
For sorrow we must bear, for failures, pain, and loss,
for each new thing we learn, for fearful hours that pass:
we come with praise and thanks for all that is our life.
For all that is our life we sing our thanks and praise;
for all life is a gift which we are called to use
to build the common good and make our own days glad.” Hymn #128
by Rev. Dr. María Cristina Vlassidis Burgoa