Dear KUUF Community,
Today, like many of you, I am breathing a sigh (and weeping tears!) of relief. The inauguration ceremony this morning was a historic moment. And after the last four years, a welcome change. I hope you are spending some time this week nurturing those feelings of joy and hope. There is much to rejoice! And we will need that joy and that hope to carry us through in the months ahead.
Because we still have a long way to go yet. This week hopefully you received the email from our Parish Nurse, Jennifer Ingalls, with a link for those 65 and over to sign up to receive your COVID vaccine. Here is the link again, in case you need it: https://www.chifranciscan.org/patients-and-visitors/covid-19/vaccine-information
There has been a lot of confusion about the rollout of this vaccine. And it hasn’t been easy for everyone who needs it to get access. But I encourage those of you who are eligible to take the opportunity to make an appointment. New slots open up every day, so even if it says there's nothing available, keep checking. If you have any questions or concerns, please remember you can always send Jennifer an email at nurse@kuuf.org and she can answer your health questions. She is an invaluable resource for KUUF and we are so grateful to her!
In the weeks ahead you will be getting more information from the Moving Forward Task Force and the Board of Trustees on a plan for moving forward through the “re-opening phases” of this pandemic, as outlined by Governor Inslee recently. KUUF will not be making any major shifts in the immediate future, but we want to be prepared for the moment when it arrives, and we want you to have the information as well. We are all keeping our eyes on the Kitsap Public Health District COVID page and keeping on top of the science. If you haven’t done so, I encourage you to sign up for those updates, as it will give you lots of important information in the months ahead: https://kitsappublichealth.org/CommunityHealth/CoronaVirus.php
One of the shifts happening in our community is that our children and teachers are slowly going back to in-person school. This is an enormous stress on our kids and families, and our teachers. And I want to hold our littlest and most precious members, and all those who care for them, in our hearts and minds right now. Our children have been affected by this pandemic in ways we don’t know yet, and won’t know for a long while. And when we come back together in person, it will be part of our charge as their village to help them make sense of what happened during this time. I know you join with me in sending all of our children, and our families and teachers, our blessings of love in the weeks ahead. (And to our children, I hope someone reads this to you: We love you. We believe in you. And we are with you! We know you can do it!)
This week feels like another emotional shift in this long pandemic era, as we look forward to the possibilities of accountability, healing, and renewal. It is also a time filled with worry, excitement and anxiety. Remember to reach out to pastoral care if you need support. You can email us at pastoralcare@kuuf.org.
And remember that regardless of what the winds of change bring, we are still a beloved community, moving through this moment as one congregation, and that we will get to the other side of this before too long. Today, and this week especially, may you feel the hope and certainty that while this moment came to pass, it did not come to stay.
Much love and many blessings to you,
Rev. Jessica
From the Minister
Dear KUUF Community,
As the smoke clears and the rains settle in, we enter a time of year that is both familiar and unlike anything we have ever experienced before. Outside I see the gorgeous leaves changing color and scattering to the ground. I smell that reassuring scent of wet cedar trees. And I recall so many Autumns that brought me joy. It’s taking a little effort to feel that this year. With all that we are enduring at this particular moment in history, it’s much easier to watch the season change and succumb to despair and fear.
The last couple Sundays I have spent some time encouraging us to reach out to one another, to stay connected, and to harvest our blessings (even if all they amount to is one tiny tomato). I want to reiterate to you, that KUUF is here, come what may. The enormous love and care that has been put into this congregation over the years has built a strong fellowship. We have everything we need to weather this storm. We can have faith that, even if all else feels uncertain, our community remains.
So don’t forget to stay connected. Find out who is in your neighborhood group. Join a chalice circle. And reach out to our pastoral care team. If you need to get connected to any of these resources, please email me at minister@kuuf.org. I am eager to help.
In the months ahead we will be gathering on Zoom, as we have been doing almost all year. We will worship and pray and gain strength from one another. We will certainly celebrate the upcoming holidays. And we will face the upcoming election knowing that, come what may, we have been doing the difficult work of building beloved community for a long time now. Let us continue to work together and show up doing what we do best: listening to prophetic voices, calling for greater justice, and always siding with love.
As always, thank you for allowing me to serve as your minister. I am so grateful to be in community with you, now more than ever.
In faith,
Rev. Jessica
Vesper Services
Join us every Wednesday at 7:30pm, for the weekly midweek vespers service. These will be short, contemplative services where we can gather together each week, listen to poetry and music, and share our joys and sorrows. After the service we will have a chance for fellowship. These services will be happening on Zoom meeting. The link is https://uuma.zoom.us/j/94203615957. A passcode will be required to attend. Please contact admin@kuuf.org and the passcode will be emailed to you. We hope you can join us for some meditative contemplation as we enter fall and winter.