Sept. 2, 2026

We create transformative, resilient realities 
by becoming transformed, resilient people.
~Krista Tippett

Friends,

As you may have noticed, this is the time of year when my thoughts about ministry turn toward the new church year (which doesn’t follow the official calendar, but more closely follows the typical western school calendar). I am wondering how we will shape our shared ministry this year: What will we choose to learn, to notice, to address, to cultivate, or to do, in both our individual and collective lives? What new tools, projects, and relationships could we decide to embrace? How will we envision living out the commitments we make to each other and the world around us every Sunday when we recite our congregational covenant? 

Every new year (or month, or day, or moment, for that matter!) is an opportunity to do our best to see clearly the worlds within and around us and to nourish the conditions for change and a sturdy, persistent commitment to growth. Both we and the world around us are always in need of transformation and resilience. I am grateful to Tippett for the reminder that we need not–and in fact, should not–think of the inner work and the outer work as separate. 

In our current environment, it is distressingly easy to be aware of the need for the transformation of social, economic, political, environmental, legal, and diplomatic realities. The call to pull our energies in closer to home–to our selves and our smaller human groupings–seems helpful in these overwhelming times. I do not know how tomorrow’s news will affect me or my neighbors, loved ones, and wider networks of relations, but I am curious about, invested in, and excited to discover how our own beloved community of faith will choose to nurture resilience and transformation this year.

Yours in change and love,
Rev. Denise
RevDenise@gnuuc.org