During this time between Rev. Jessica’s departure as your called minister, I am honored to be serving KUUF as your bridge minister. I like the term “bridge” because it indicates my time with you has a specific time span anticipated as six months, during which I hope to accompany you as you process the feelings of loss of a beloved minister and be with you as you begin next stage of KUUF’s journey.
Some of you know me, but for those who don’t I’ll briefly introduce myself. I am a native of Washington and have lived in Olympia for 50 years. I have been a secondary and community college teacher, an antiquarian bookseller, executive editor of a magazine, and an indexer (please feel free to ask me what that entails!). I attended seminary at Seattle University’s School of Theology and Ministry, and was ordained in 2006 by my home church, the Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation. I am OUUC’s affiliated community minister, focusing on social, economic, and environmental justice work and interfaith relations. I have served as director of WA State UU Voices for Justice, our statewide legislative advocacy organization, and coordinated OUUC’s Faith in Action Ministry. I continue to serve on the Pacific Western Region’s Healthy Congregations Team. As a regular presence in KUUF’s pulpit for several years, I have very much enjoyed getting to know many of you.
As your bridge minister, I will continue to speak each month. I also will be meeting regularly and supporting the work of your board, worship and pastoral care teams, and the Committee on Shared Ministry. And I hope to support each of you. If you would like to arrange a time to talk, call the KUUF office, 360-377-4724, or email me at minister@kuuf.org. I will hold office hours each Thursday, from 10 am to 2 pm, and hope you will “stop by” to get acquainted and visit. Of course, at this point in time we will adhere to health and safety guidelines, which means we will connect with each other by phone, email, or Zoom. As soon as it is possible to meet in person, we can schedule time together at KUUF.
In faith and love,
Rev. Carol
From Rev. Carol
A VIEW FROM THE BRIDGE
Many of us are feeling anger and outrage as we watch events unfolding in Ukraine following the declaration of war against that country by Russian president Vladimir Putin. Unitarian Universalists join people of faith across the world condemning this act of aggression from Russia, and declaring our support for Ukraine and its people as they defend their sovereignty and their democracy. In doing so, we are rooted in our tradition’s values of justice, equity and compassion in a world community of peace, liberty and justice for all, values we share with many other religious traditions.
Here in our corner of Washington state, let us offer our support to Ukrainians in our local community, calling upon our personal and communal spiritual practices to strengthen our resolve to see a world of peace and equity.
We offer this prayer for Ukraine and its people:
Spirit of Life and Love,
We pray for the people of Ukraine,
for all those suffering or afraid,
that they may be protected from harm.
We pray for world leaders,
for compassion, strength and wisdom to guide their choices.
We pray for the world
that in this moment of crisis,
we may reach out in solidarity
to our brothers and sisters in need.
May peace and justice
become a reality for the people of Ukraine
and for all the world. Amen; so may it be.
In peace and love,
Rev. Carol
Read moreHappy Inauguration Day!
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