Living Our Values

Aloha kākou, beloveds in this time of heavy rains,

Many of us are dealing with flooding, damage, power loss, and disruption, and one family, the Cranfords, has had to leave their flooded home. Our hearts are with everyone impacted, and we’re grateful that all appear to be safe and that so much care is being shared within and beyond our congregation. This Sunday, our Share the Plate will go to our Emergency Fund; please give as you are able so we can respond where help is needed.

Because of dangerous conditions, we postponed Friday’s Hope for Us session, but thanks to Sof Ma’arav canceling their Saturday service, we were able to gather earlier and make good use of the time. Revs. Samantha and Sarah led a powerful exploration of our 73-year history, our roots, and the patterns that have shaped us, with early memories shared by Molly Rowland. Others who have been here since our second and third ministers shared their recollections. I will schedule a Zoom to share more with those who signed up as SUPPORTERS; if you’d like to be included, please sign up and I will send you the invitation.

This work with our history has also deepened our appreciation for our Unitarian Universalist Association and the dedication of Rev. Sarah over seven years and Rev. Samantha since Hope for Us began here. I am now considering attending the UUA Pacific Western Region conference in Sacramento in two weeks. In these troubled times, our church is called both to care for our members and to reach out to protect people and preserve rights, and our wider world needs that same witness at regional and national levels. Our denomination is needed to stand up for our values nationally, and we know those values of justice, pluralism, interdependence, equity, generosity, and transformation, all centered in love, carry greater power when we stand together.

Mahalo for all you do,
Rev. Deborah