I am flush with gratitude.

Each time I turned my face towards you, I beheld so so so many of you out there.  At first it felt like I was stealing glances at you.  I felt brazen.  Then I felt more courageous and eventually more confident.

There you were: a full to brimming space, dear ones from a broad swath of my life: long-time friends and recent companions; family of blood and choice; people I spent the morning with barefoot and taking communion; some I’d not seen in nearly 30 years and several continents away; some of you were straight out strangers, and yet now we are forever bound.

There you were: a room full of my chosen people and people who have chosen me; people who have known me long before ministry was ever a glint in my eye and might have laughed at the notion; and those of you who grew my ministry up, those of you who told me I was a minister even when I placed my hands over my ears and shouted “la la la — I can’t hear you!” – you were there. So many shapes and sizes and flavors and textures.

I am flush with gratitude. 

Present, too, were so many spirits flitting about the Great Hall in which we found ourselves listening and singing and moving and shouting, “Hallelujah!” Spirits of loved ones gone from us, delighting in the power of the day. Spirits of dear ones at a geographical distance who wished to be there, but sent their well wishes and high hopes.

I am flush with gratitude.

TO THE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS THERE: Thank you. You were a powerful people yesterday. Not just because you raised up, named, and conferred ordination on another minister in our faith movement; not just because you stepped into your power and authority to name your spiritual leaders with integrity and joy; but because you felt the potential and truth of YOUR ministry. You were challenged and charged to EMBODY, not just think, not even just do, but EMBODY compassion and justice now. Not just read, not just talk, EMBODY. Shout, praise, raise hands, get uncomfortable, move, sway, sweat, all of it: EMBODY IT. You were a powerful people yesterday, the possibility pulsing through us.

I actively, humbly, thoroughly received your collective electricity yesterday.  It vibrates within me today. I will return again and again in my heart and mind to this day as I find comfort and inspiration in this shared act of love and hope. You told me that I was not alone.  When you spoke that line in your vow, I looked out at all of you, and knew beyond knowing that it was true.

An insufficient expression of my gratitude without bounds:

Thank you to the “free-range” Unitarian Universalists who, for whatever reasons find it too complicated to come to Sunday morning services, yet still feel their connection to this wide faith movement and came out of joy, support, and friendship.

Thank you, too, to dear ones who are not UU, religiously-affiliated or delightfully non-religious: the breadth you bring to my understanding of the spiritual mechanics and flow of this reality is essential and I hope never to be without you.

Thank you to the dear colleagues, interfaith and UU, who processed and brought their witness to the day.

Thank you to those clergy and religious educators, lay leaders and family members, who participated in the ceremony and made it rich beyond anything I could have imagined.

Thank you to the busy bees, the ones running around in the weeks and days and hours beforehand, probably during, as well as afterwards, providing tasty food, then cleaning up — such generous service for which I am deeply grateful.  You are my unsung heroes.

Thank you for the delightful, creative, super sweet prayer flags that lined the space and which will keep me good company in the years to come.

Thank you for the abundance, glorious abundance, of flowers upon flowers upon flowers which now overflow throughout my home, declaring beauty and in a few days, will remind me of the impermanence of all things.

Thank you for the gorgeous stoles, each with a beautiful story and an artistic challenge to minister faithfully.

Thank you for the music: the love with which it was sung made my heart leap and my eyes weep.

Thank you and BIG SHOUT OUT to The Unitarian Society of East Brunswick who was represented by some stalwart folks who made the journey from New Jersey to celebrate — I can hardly wait to come share ministry with you!

Thank you Village Church of Cummington and West Cummington Church for witnessing me.

And though lastly, it is because it is mostly: thank you, Unitarian Society of Northampton and Florence and First Parish Church of Groton for ordaining me.

It has been a wild ride and by no means is it over.  In fact, it is just beginning, by which I mean, it continues.  Endings, beginnings, and continuity: all one.

I am flush with gratitude.