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REFLECTION: The State Of The Interim Address  Rev. Elaine Beth Peresluha

Did you know that right now, South Church is marching in step with other U.U. congregations all over the globe? All the members of the U.U nation who are also moving through an interim process- who are somewhere in the middle of settled ministries, are completing a mid year interim assessment- remember the sermon on dead reckoning? Well- that really introduced a January theme to out work- the reflective process of noting where we are before we plot the course- so today is all about where we are- I though it might be helpful to share with you the TT’s process since we created ourselves in August- Wheat a strongly representative group assembles0- you most of you know at least one of them (List) Team- if you are here go ahead and stand up so people can see who your are

Now this team shares a lot in common with the general MO of this congregation. They are strongly committed to South Church, knowledgeable about it history and its members. Value centered- and of course strongly opinionated…  we would not be U.U.’s if we were not. Our conversations and pour process have been rich- and unique to Sc. You can trust this team to represent you well as we try to address interim task s and progress to the settling of a minister- That is our goal right? Just want to make that clear- would be very bad indeed if we did not agree on where it is we ant to get to!

Interim Year Developmental Goals

Coming to terms with history.

Discovering a new identity.

Allowing needed leadership to emerge.

Renewing denominational linkages.

Committing to new directions in ministry.

I filled out my assessment on line- and you may here form Lauren Katz or Kate Kressley as they fill out the leadership’s portion of the assessment. All is well- and I reflected that this Coming to terms with history is SC ‘s most significant task- TT begin to explore all the myths, the dragons and the princes so that the core- at the very heart of SC’s long long presence is known and appreciated. Only then – only then can this community truly emerge form its middle and know where it is going and how to get there. And it cannot be one person- or 20 persons who decide- it must be every person who cares about an open-minded religious presence on the seacoast- it must be every person who wants to have children understand that there are many faiths and many ways of being faithful- and that are lives are richer and our hearts more content when we understand and appreciate all the ways that a person can be faithful.

The TT is not sure you all would show up at a congregational event- some of you have been there, done that-

One of the dragons is the Strategic Plan – so may worked so hard but there is a sense that the effort has been lost- ignored or even hidden

There are two copies in the library clearly visible under the label of Strategic Plan and they have been there since it was first presented to the BOT in 2008. YOU can go directly to the plan on the website- where it can be found under the menu for About Soutch Church.   what it is and how if anyone says to you something negative about that intiative, you can appreciate their myth and  reveail the prince that is inside that dragon.

What is it about ddragons, breathing fire that insoire us all to get out our swaords-

Democrats, republicans, Scot Borwn and or Sen. Lieberman-

Tell Narnia story about Eustis becoming a dragon.

Sometime it is hard to know that what you are doing is actually getting you somewhere- sort of like physical therapy or couples counseling. Our bodies- and our hearts do not always feel like we are improving or getting stronger until all of a sudden- We see small examples of progress then it feels like we have these huge backslides and we think it was all for naught… but then one day, usually totally unexpectedly and after a long hard slog… there we are- WOW! I walked a whole mile this morning without being winded or today I went a whole day without fighting the urge to smoke every minute Improvement and change do not always show up in dramatic quantum leaps- but in sure steady progress over time. Like grieving or growing, we move through change one day at a time, one day at a time until suddenly-

You are able to forget all those ancient myths

The myths about dragons

    And you know- and you smile because all those

dragons were really princes…. Princes

   who were only waiting to see us once beautiful and brave.

And we learn that everything terrible is in its deepest being

   Something helpless that wants help from us. Something is happening with you,

   That life has not forgotten you, that it holds you in its hand.

It will not let you fall.                 --Rilke