Responsibilities and Rewards: A Stewardship Sermon

Because this is our stewardship sermon AND is part of my series entitled, “We R UUs,” challenging myself to preach on themes starting with the letter R- I chose the title for this message to be “Responsibilities and Rewards,” for certainly we think of those things when we think of giving to our congregation. And I remembered that Jesus shared a parable about Responsibilities and Rewards – the parable of the Talents - and I thought I could use that. But I never really liked that Parable. Shhh –Don’t tell Jesus.  So, I thought – maybe if I retold it in a modern-day story, it would be better. To do that I had to rely on google to determine what a “talent” in Jesus’ day was worth – then get out my calculator to see the approximate equivalent today. So, with that in mind, I share with you the Jane Page adaptation of Jesus’ Parable of the Talents.

 

A successful businesswoman was taking a government position. which would require her to release the management of all of her business operations to others.

To her most talented executive, she assigned holdings equivalent to two million five hundred thousand dollars 

To another executive, she assigned holdings equivalent to one million dollars, and to a third holdings equivalent to a half a million dollars.

When her term of office with the government agency ended, she returned to her business and asked for their reports. The top executive shared data indicating the investments and risks took with their holdings doubling in value – now worth 5 million dollars.  The businesswoman said, “Well-done.  You’ve proven you can handle these holdings, and you are worthy of a promotion.”

The second executive was also successful in doubling the value of holdings which now were valued at one million. The businesswoman said, “Good for you!  You’ve shown you’ve got what it takes and I’m rewarding you with a promotion.” 

The third executive shared with the business owner. “Pardon me, but I knew of your tough businesses dealings – and that you would be hard on anyone who did not take care of your possessions. So, I dared not take any risks that might devalue your holdings. But they are still here at approximately the same value as before.” 

The businesswoman said, “Well, I’m ashamed to have you and your laziness as part of this company.  You’re fired.”

 

Well, translating it into a modern-day parable doesn’t make it feel any better, does it.  I mean, she entrusted them according to their capabilities, so she perhaps should have been more lenient with her expectations of the third employee.

 

Why did Jesus tell the parable of the talents? And why am I repeating it? Well, because there are some lessons here.

 

First – whatever we possess in terms of time, talents, and treasure doesn’t really belong to us.  Regardless of your theology – you know that you can’t take any of it with you.  What you have been given or earned or won in the lottery is like those talents given to the servants, or those holdings given to those business executives. They really belong to something bigger. Some may say God, others may say humanity, and still others may say the Universe. We are STEWARDS of these possessions. How we share or invest our time, talents, and treasure should be something that can make a positive difference in not only our own lives, but the lives of others, and this world we live in.

 

Folks – that’s why we call it stewardship!

 

And today is when we kick-off our stewardship drive with me giving what some call “the Sermon on the Amount.”  Now, of course – not all our members use zoom, and they are not all here to HEAR this. But -it’s like the two guys who were in an airline crash and ended up marooned on a deserted island.  One man paced back and forth worried and scared while the other man sat back and was sunning himself. The first man said to the second man, “Aren’t you afraid we are about to die.” “No,” said the second man, “I make $10,000 a week and tithe faithfully to my church every week. It’s Stewardship Month at my church. They will find me.”  And, indeed, we will find a way to get this word to all our members and friends, because we don’t want any to miss out on the opportunity.

 

SO – back to our theme- What IS our responsibility to this congregation and Unitarian Universalism? And what is our reward?  Because we are Unitarian Universalists, the responses to these questions aren’t as clear cut for UU ministers as they are for some others. 

The idea of tithing – or giving one tenth of your income –  is an ancient one, showing up in not only ancient Hebrew scripture but as a practice of other near Eastern Ancient cultures as well.  Some say Jesus opposed tithing since he criticized some who did.  But his criticism was that they did this very publicly but then lived unrighteous lives.  In fact, he lifted up those who gave all their possessions away.  

 

In the year 567, there was a council of Bishops at Tours, France that reinforced tithing as “in accord with divine law since they were instituted by God Himself.  Constantine and others made supporting the church part of the tax structure.  And some other churches tied in with the governments began to collect mandatory tithes through taxation (and some still do.)  Our spiritual ancestors in the New England Churches did the same until laws were established separating church and state.  The idea of Tithing then became voluntary.  Some religious organizations, however, withhold certain privileges of the church (like entering a Mormon temple) until you “settle up” with the Bishop – and they use your income tax records to determine that.  But I’m not here to lift up or condemn any particular practices, just to say that we certainly have a lot more freedom in determining what we will share to be members of this congregation, and I applaud that.

 

At the same time, I think many are missing out by not giving as a spiritual practice – and giving to this faith tradition in the “first fruits” tradition.  Not what’s left at the end of the month.  I, and many others who follow this “first fruits” practice – have checks that come automatically to this congregation.  I set up my check to be sent shortly after my biggest check (which is my pension check) comes into my account. 

 

Our association provides a giving guide that is helpful and is based on income and how you see yourself and the support you want to give.  It moves from supporter to sustainer to visionary to tither.  I’m hopeful that most of you would want to be at the sustainer level or above.  We’ve done a good job of stretching our funds and giving for special needs – but we need gifts that will sustain us for the future as well. 

 

As you may have heard, this weekend marks the 15^th Anniversary of my ordination and installation as your minister.  Now sometimes when ministers have these Anniversaries that end with a 0 or a 5 – their churches give them a gift or a trip or something.  Well, I need neither a gift not a trip.  If you want to show any appreciation, I ask instead that you consider raising your pledge by 15% of what you currently give.  Do the math and see if that’s possible.  And if it’s not – see what you can do.  And what will be your REWARD? 

 

We are not a “prosperity gospel” church that claims your gifts to us will bring you greater financial wealth!  Your reward may be your Joy in giving.  Or perhaps you are beyond that --- and you give like that myrtle tree in the reading we heard by Gibran – who states that some give “as in yonder valley the myrtle breathes its fragrance into space.”  It’s just what we do.

Now I know you are called on to give to lots of charities.  I am too.  And I have favorites.  But though I give to other good causes, I find that my greatest blessings as a giver come when I give to that greater good that this congregation and Unitarian Universalism represents as we Side with Love in this community and in the world.  This is the place where we receive spiritual sustenance and grow those values in ourselves and in our children that make us better givers with other causes.  This congregation should be where we give our greatest gifts. 

 

And most Unitarian Universalists have the resources to make meaningful gifts.  But unlike other faith communities, many Unitarian Universalists treat their congregations as just another charity – like NPR or something.   Although Unitarian Universalists are near the top in average income, we are dead last in our giving.

 

Say what?  Yes!

Although Unitarian Universalists are near the top in average income, we are dead last in our giving among 23 major faith traditions in the United States. (From Spiritual Truths, General Assembly Providence, RI – Rev. Val Weller)

 

Statistics show that folks with lower incomes give a greater percentage to charity.  (See Bama Group Research) And while most faith traditions challenge folks to tithe, we have very low expectations. We tend to have a fatalistic view of what we can do.  But I’m an evangelist for the LOVE that we stand for!

 

 

So like the prophet of old—I’m going to Side with Love – and shout out that we can do better.  We can be a part of a congregation that truly can live our principles and values.

 

 

I truly believe that in a time when so many folks need a welcoming home, we truly are standing on the edge of something great.  We can be more than a little light in a tiny chalice.  We can be a lighthouse – a beacon of Love shining out in this community.  But for the light to shine, we need your gifts.

 

Whatever you give will be honored and appreciated.  And if you have very little money to give – that’s okay too!  Because we also need for everyone to give of their time and talents as they are able to do so.

 

Now we have to be careful when we ask folks to give of their time and talent.  Because some folks readily give and give and then get burned out and leave us.  We’ve seen that happen during this pandemic.  We are stretched thin with folks who feel they can step up.  But we don’t want folks to leave!

 

 

We want them to stay with us and be renewed by others.  You know – some folks say that leading Unitarian Universalists is like herding cats.  But I don’t like that analogy.  I prefer referencing a flock of geese as a metaphor for a UU congregation, because there are lots of lessons we can learn from geese.  I’ve shared this before – but it’s worth repeating these lessons (originally shared by Milton Olson. (http://www.uww-adr.com/blog/lessons-from-geese-by-milton-olson#.VBc7thawVZw)

 

 

FACT 1

As each goose flaps its wings it creates an "uplift" for the birds that follow. By flying in a "V" formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if each bird flew alone.

 

LESSON

People who share a common direction and sense of community can get where they are going quicker and easier because they are traveling on the thrust of one another

 

FACT 2

When a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag and resistance of flying alone. It quickly moves back into formation to take advantage of the lifting power of the bird immediately in front of it.

 

LESSON

If we have as much sense as a goose we stay in formation with those headed where we want to go. We are willing to accept their help and give our help to others.

 

FACT 3

When the lead goose tires, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies to the point position.

 

LESSON

It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. As with geese, people are interdependent on each other's skills, capabilities and unique arrangements of gifts, talents or resources.

 

FACT 4

The geese flying in formation honk to encourage those up front to keep up their speed.

 

LESSON

We need to make sure our honking is encouraging. In groups where there is encouragement, the production is much greater. The power of encouragement (to stand by one's heart or core values and encourage the heart and core of others) is the quality of honking we seek.

 

FACT 5

When a goose gets sick, wounded or shot down, two geese drop out of formation and follow it down to help and protect it. They stay with it until it dies or is able to fly again. Then, they launch out with another formation or catch up with the flock.

 

LESSON

If we have as much sense as geese, we will stand by each other in difficult times as well as when we are strong.

 

 

That’s the congregation we need to be and that we CAN be. But we need us some good soup to nourish us.  And I have a STONE for the soup.  This STONE is magical because this represents our vision of what we can be.  We can BE that liberal beacon shining in southeast Georgia.  We can BE a congregation that folks KNOW exists because of our visibility – both in terms of our meeting place and in terms of our good works and advocacy for justice and peace.  We can BE a people that teaches our strong values to our children and reinforces them in us as well.  We can BE a community of faith where we can nurture and heal ourselves and receive the nourishment to nurture and heal the world.  But this vision –this stone, by itself, will not make the soup.  We need for each of us to go back and look into our cupboards --- and perhaps see what we are hoarding there in terms of our time, talents, and treasure, and bring them to share in the soup pot for the greater good.  And when we do, we will know – that it is a good and joyful gift. I can just smell that wonderful soup now.  Mmmm mmm good!

 

May it be so!  Honk Honk

Rosh Hashanah and the High Holy Days:: Lessons for UUs

 

Did you hear that?

The sound of the ram’s horn is sharp. It is like no other sound.

It pierces the armor of the heart.

 It calls us to pay attention to our relationship with the Divine.

 It calls us to be in Right relations with ourselves and all others.

 It calls us to reflect and repent for our shortcomings

and wrongful deeds as we enter a new year.  

The Jewish New Year – also known as Rosh Hashanah

began at sunset on September 6 –

the day that I actually wrote these words. 

So, I was called on what little bit of Jewish heritage I can claim

from my long ago Altman ancestors and searched for the lessons

that we, as Unitarian Universalists, can learn from this Holy Day

 and the following Holy Days, sometimes called

 “The Days of Awe” which are upon us.

 

As a refresher for some of you – and perhaps a new lesson for others,

 I’ll take some time to go in more detail

than our children’s story about these Holy Days.

Rosh Hashanah meaning "head [of] the year", is the Jewish New Year.  The biblical name for this holiday is Yom Teruah,

literally "day of shouting or blasting",

and is also more commonly known in English as the Feast of Trumpets.

It is the first of the Jewish High Holy Days specified by Leviticus 23:23–32

 that occur in the early autumn of the Northern Hemisphere.

Rosh Hashanah marks the beginning of the civil year,

according to the teachings of Judaism, and is the traditional anniversary

of the creation of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman

according to the Hebrew Bible,

and the inauguration of humanity's role in God's world.

 

 

Rosh Hashanah customs include sounding the shofar

(a cleaned-out ram's horn), following the prescription of the Hebrew Bible to "raise a noise" on Yom Teruah.

Its rabbinical customs include attending synagogue services

and reciting special liturgy, as well as enjoying festive meals.

Eating symbolic foods is now a tradition, such as apples dipped in honey,

hoping to evoke a sweet new year.

We say Shanah Tovar to wish others a good and sweet year.

But like other Jewish words,

it takes often takes a paragraph to truly explain the whole meaning. 

It’s not just a substitute for our “Happy New Year.”

No, there is deeper meaning.

 Shanah Tovar implies a return to our truest and best selves. 

It is a journey of rediscovery requiring

 an inward reflective gaze of self-evaluation.

 

Indeed, we are called to look at the sins

we have committed this past year.

In our prelude, the group Six 13 sings,

I’m starting over.  I’m looking back.

Cause I’ve done things that I’m not proud of

In this year we’re coming out of

Now’s a time for introspection

Time to forge a new direction

Decide who I want to be

A brand-new year, a brand new me.

You may say – well, that’s kind of like making New Year’s Resolutions –

but it’s more than that.

If folks truly do their reflections during those 10 Days of Awe –

then they look at who they may have hurt

through things done or left undone –

or how they have hurt themselves –

and they prepare for that day of Yom Kippur –

also known as the Day of Atonement –

when they can forgive themselves and each other

and begin again in love.

So, as I wrote these words at 5:00 pm on September 6 –

knowing that Rosh Hashanah was arriving at sundown,

I knew if I were going to take this seriously, I needed to make a big shift.

You see, recently – I have felt like the Prophet crying out to people – telling them how they have sinned – how they have “missed the mark.”

I say to the workman who made a home repair for me:

 “Why aren’t you vaccinated?  You need to protect yourselves and others.

It’s not good for you to go unvaccinated.”

I said to the Bulloch County school board.

 “You are not protecting our school personnel and children.

 Your lack of actions has put our community in crisis.”

 

I complain to my grandsons:

“You have got responsibilities

and you need to organize yourselves better.”

I tell my mom,

“You should not answer the door at 9 pm

when you are here home alone.”

I tell my husband, “Move over, quit hogging the bed.”

I yell at the Texas lawmakers on TV – well, I better not say that in church.

I mean – I’ve been on a tear sharing with others how they miss the mark.

But today – it’s not about them.  “It’s me, standing in the need of prayer.”

I don’t need to confess everything to you folks,

I do need to take stock, and recognize, that I have work to do. 

I have folks I need to reconnect with  - somehow -- ? 

So, during these days of awe,

 I’ve been reflecting a little more on MY part. 

 

That’s an important part of what folks do

when they are in 12 step programs.

 They take a look at their resentments –

and then ask –well, what’s my part in this? 

And even though others may have done some harmful things,

 there are probably things we need to hold ourselves accountable for.

And if there are things we can do

that will help repair what we have done, we need to do that. 

Sometimes, there may not be anything we can do. 

And we have to accept that as well.

These holy days are not only a time to take stock –

but it’s a time to let go of the past with its associated pain

 so that one can embrace a future of goodness. 

We can look at where we are – and contrast it with

where or who we want to be.  Setting good intentions.

 

And this pandemic – being such a liminal time for us anyway –

may be the best time to contemplate what was and what might be. 

This can be that time between summer and fall;

 regret and repentance; guilt and renewal.

According to Jewish teachings, the “Book of Life” is open but once a year

 and remains so only during the Days of Awe. 

This is the time for truth telling and forgiveness. 

And then the book is closed – the door is closed –

and some believe you have to drag this heavy stuff

around for another year.

Of course, I do not believe there is a time frame

for this kind of self-reflection. 

But I can understand why folks have these special days and special rituals

 to call them to this special time.  Otherwise – it may go undone.

This is just one of the ageless and timeless stories

 of humanities yearnings for connection.

 It is a time of repentance and more importantly forgiveness.

 It is our passage from brokenness into wholeness and blessing.

Rev. Paul Daniels states that

“The only whole heart is the broken and wounded one.

Atonement is in a word an At-One-Mint with humanity and the Holy.”

The door is open –

challenging us to begin again in love and walk through that door of hope.

As our online choir sang

Be the change you want to see in the world

Be the voice you want to hear in the world

Be the light you want to shine in the world

And change will come to you.

Shanah Tovah, dear ones!

May you have a Good and Sweet Year. 

 

Renewal and Rebirth

 

The title for the August 22^nd message that I wrote back in July for the August Newsletter was “Renewal and Rebirth:  After the Pandemic.”  Of course, at the time, we really thought that this would be “after the Pandemic.”  But someone failed to send a memo to Miss Delta.  And she’s come roaring in, taking advantage of regions with high vaccine resistors, and bringing all our post pandemic messages, celebrations, and now our in-person services to a halt.

So, I deleted the “after the pandemic part.”  This message is simply entitled, “Renewal and Rebirth.”

Has anyone ever asked you, “Are you born again?”  What has been your response? Mine has changed through the years.  I walked down the aisle of the Baptist church during a revival when I was nine years old, shook the pastor’s hand, told him I was ready to be saved and born again, and had the experience of being dunked under the water and brought back up as a representation of my rebirth.  As an adult, I was more likely to question “what in the world people meant by that” – and to question my own self as to whether I could give a positive response to that question.  Now as a Unitarian Universalist, I respond with a joyful YES, I’ve been born again, ….and again, and again, and again.  I am still Jane – but I’m not the same person I was at 9, or 29, or even 59.  Sometimes the changes have been gradual, and sometimes they have been through some enlightenment I received through my reading or dreaming or by the grace of lived experiences, including losing loved ones and welcoming new life.   And along the way, my faith has been subdued, and renewed, realigned, and refined.  I imagine that many of you have had similar experiences.

Now we know that we don’t have the same bodies we had when we were children or younger adults.  Did you know that the body's cells largely replace themselves every 7 to 10 years? In other words, old cells mostly die and are replaced by new ones during this time span. The cell renewal process happens more quickly in certain parts of the body, but head-to-toe rejuvenation can take up to a decade or so.

You may wonder why if we have this renewal, some of us are getting old.  Well, we’re all getting old if we live long enough – it’s just that some of us are ahead in that game.  But that cell renewal slows down as you get older.  That renewal button doesn’t get pushed as often.  And I’ve got some places in my body that I think have forgotten how to renew. 

I haven’t found that to be the case for my psyche, though.  The person I am continues to change.  And how does that happen?  Our body changes are affected by what we eat.  When I was a child, I used to love reading the poems in my Childcraft book.  One of my favorites was the one you heard earlier in the service by Poet Walter de la Mare about Miss T.  The lines at the beginning and end remind us that “Whatever Miss T eats, turns into Miss T.” 

 And whatever Jane eats turns into Jane – and makes Jane a Healthy Jane or an Unhealthy Jane.

 I think the same is true of our psyches and souls.  What we take in, stimulates a new model of ourselves.  We are renewed – and some may say reborn. 

 I’ve shared with you all before that my old high school classmates sometimes ask me what happened to me – to make me so different (and some have even said weird) – and I just say, “I read.”  

 I’ve wondered recently how our experiences with this pandemic have affected who we are.  Are you different in any way that you were before?

 I asked my Facebook friends to help me with my sermon by responding to that question and got quite an array of responses.  I’ll read some excerpts of some of the responses to you. And I’d like for you to see if some of these reflect your own changes in who you have become– or not.

 One Said:

Spending so much time at home has been trying, but it's been a chance to go into a safe cocoon and do a lot of healing like a caterpillar morphing gradually into a butterfly. It has been a lot of becoming.

 Another wrote:

It's been a liminal space for me - a time of reconsidering and evaluating and preparing (and hanging out with the fur babies). I'm getting ready to walk into the classroom next week with no mask mandate and with no vaccine requirement for students (or faculty/staff) and I'm trying to do this without it being from a place of fear. I AM different, though. I have learned more about personal boundaries - when to set them, when to take them down; I have become more centered; I have become more observant (I think); and I've also realized how much time I waste doing some things when I could be doing more productive things (Ohhh, FB..... lol).

 Another response was:

I’m Less extroverted. I’m less in shape. My concentration and attention span are both greatly reduced.

And here’s one more that’s more positive:

he pandemic reaffirmed the connectedness of all people. I now feel more responsibility in being a good citizen.

Someone who had a tough battle with COVID responded:

Well before I had Covid-19 with Pneumonia, I was going through the stages of life, get up, go to work, pay rent and go back to sleep. But now I see life a little bit better. I no longer think that life is short. I think of it as an adventure, and just because I'm not where I want to be yet, I’m at a better place then I was before. I always told myself that the best years of my life are coming soon and yes, they are. But like the song goes "You know you have to go through hell before you get to heaven." And that is because you appreciate the rewards that you are given.

Another shared what they had learned:

The pandemic has taught me the importance of being "the change." If I want to live in a less chaotic and harsh world, I need to focus on showing kindness and empathy to all.

Another learner said:

I learned to cook so many new things! I changed my diet and lost weight and have been staying at home with my kids. My spiritual practice has been to make a home and to learn to be patient as I manage my second son's early intervention therapies.

Here’s another honest reaction:

I’ve lost much of my belief in people innately caring for one another. The selfish responses to protecting others by wearing masks, getting vaccinated or even simply distancing has made a strong impact on how I view the community and country.

One of our members shared:

I wonder if my parents would have been able move out of their home of 40 years were it not for the gripping impact of the pandemic on the economy. The lowered interest rates on loans seemed to be an economic impetus for the community of folks edging to make the move to the next chapter in their lives.

 Another shared:

There is no more "normal" in my life. I'm so thrilled that I made it through one more e admitted:

I'm pissed a lot of the time. Does that count? It's not what I think of as good sermon content, but there it is.  (This comment got more likes than any others)

 My colleague David Messner wrote:

I see beauty in the smallest places, kindness is now the main touchstone of my practice. My sense of joy and power of creativity have just opened up!

      Then replied -- No not really, I am cranky, achy, and exhausted.

 A 55-year-old said:

I am more in touch with the possibility of my mortality. Hearing and knowing of others my age or younger losing their lives because of the ugly attack of covid on their body is terrifying…. This heightened awareness of immortality has caused me a great deal of anxiety and increased depression. So, for me, the pandemic has caused this 55-year-old human a great deal of personal turmoil.

 Another shared:

I am so very tired from the anxiety and isolation…

Children in daycare or school are getting sick, that means they return home. Parents will lose work. There is zero financial back up. I feel the weight and anxiety of the people doing the right thing crushing my bones. And I feel for our medical system.

 And finally – one person summed up what some others were implying.

I’ve Lost faith in humanity. I’m Angry A LOT.

These mixed messages – some brutally honest about their more negative outlooks – are not what I wanted to preach about when I chose the topic of Renewal and Rebirth.  I wanted sunshine and rainbows – not storm clouds and tornados.  But here we are.  And these experiences have affected us and our psyches and souls. 

Maybe that’s a good thing.  In order for birth to take place, there’s usually labor and pain.  As one of my respondents shared, “You might have to go through hell to appreciate heaven.”  But I do think we have to look for the heaven – for the paradise – in our lives, even in difficult times, and work together to bring that more loving, peaceful, healthier world to others.  That’s one reason to come to worship services, to be with others in community who are also working for that beloved community.

When I chose the topic of Renewal and Rebirth – I did not just want to look at our personal journeys, I thought that our “after the pandemic” time might be a great time to think of how we might work to renew our congregation – rebirth it – not just bring it back to the way it was before the pandemic, but to bring back something better because of the pandemic.  And I still have that hope for us, even as we’ve had to move back to online only services.  We don’t have to be back in our building to push our renew buttons for this congregation.  How can we labor now for the birth of something even better?

COVID-19 has highlighted the interdependence of all people and the natural world. The pandemic's disruption presents an opportunity to rebuild a congregation, a community, indeed, a world in which the whole of society is considered in what we do – not just our tribe or family.  Our seventh principle lifts this up.  We say that we affirm and support Respect for the Interdependent Web of All Existence of Which We Are a Part. 

This pandemic has highlighted that we can’t just do this by singing songs and lighting candles.  I believe we have to have a more radical response.  A Radical Love.  If Unitarian Universalists can’t do this – then I fear for the world.  We must renew our own spirits and the spirit of this congregation – and we may have to do it from a distance from one another, but we can’t wait till we can all gather in the same building. 

Because of the effects of this pandemic and others that will follow – and climate change which already is devastating many places, foreign and domestic terrorism, and the resulting physical and mental health crises that are a result of all these possibilities, we must renew ourselves and encourage one another.

One way we can do this is by recognizing all these crises, while also being intentional about looking for the joy, the beauty, and the love all around us.  It is there.  It is healing.  And just as we must pay attention to the problems, for our own health and that of our congregation, the community, and the world, we must also pay great attention to the goodness, the connections, the love in the world. 

I encourage you to think of three people you will reach out to today and express your appreciation and love for them.  It matters.  It pushes their renewal buttons and yours too.  And we could all use a little renewal. 

There will be other ideas and possibilities we can explore as we go forward.  But just for today – let’s connect, care, and share.  The butterfly will come out of the cocoon, the rainbow will appear after the storm, and we will shout Hallelujah with each renewal and rebirth, again, and again, again.

May it be so!