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Beginning Anew
I love September. Even though the fall transitions us into the end of the year, for me it always feels like a beginning. I imagine this comes from my childhood when the day after Labor Day was the first day of school. Remember the smell of new crayons? Sharpened pencils, new notebooks, making book covers out of paper bags – and my new PF Flyers that I was certain truly did make me “run faster, jump higher.” I began the school year with high energy and enthusiasm.
That is the case, still. I feel more energetic and enthusiastic in September when the weight of the summer humidity finally lifts, and the air turns crisp and clear. (I probably need some PF Flyers, though, there’s so much to keep up with!) The new congregational year has begun with wonderful services –
blessings of the tools of our work, the water communion, and last week’s Life in Letters by Johnette Rodriguez and Linda Whyte Burrell.
The Board of Directors has jumped into the new year as well. Last Saturday, the Board and Rev Denis attended a UUA New England Regional Leadership Retreat. Joining 14 other UU congregational leadership groups, we identified personal moments within our congregation when we each felt most
inspired or excited. From those moments we extracted the qualities of the congregation that contributed to these special and meaningful moments: our welcoming and loving connections with each other; our commitment to social justice; our openness to spiritual inspiration and growth – in essence, our mission. This led us to a big question: “How can we be our best selves, living more fully into our mission within our congregation and in the wider community?” You’ll be hearing much more about this as the year goes along.
Finally, I can’t reflect on Beginning Anew without mention of the Jewish New Year, Rosh HaShanah, literally “the head of the year”. This two-day holiday (observed last weekend) is a time for personal reflection, repentance, and renewal. It begins a ten-day period that culminates in Yom Kippur, the
Jewish day of atonement, observed this Sunday evening and Monday. These are the most significant holidays of the Jewish tradition, a time of moral and spiritual introspection when we reflect on the times we missed the mark, fell short of who we want to be. The Jewish holidays mark for me a time to
begin anew, to keep improving toward my best self.
I look forward to an exciting new year of spiritual and personal growth with this amazing UUCSC community.
L’Shana Tova (to a good year)
Nancy
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