Aug. 27, 2025

Aug 27, 2025

“In dwelling, live close to the ground. In thinking, keep to the simple. 
In conflict, be fair and generous. In governing, don't try to control. 
In work, do what you enjoy. In family life, be completely present.” 
~ attributed to Lao Tzu

Beloveds,

In church life right now, I am finding the advice above (which I found on the internet but cannot find in the Tao Te Ching, and no one is sure Lao Tzu was a real person, so maybe this is Taoist; maybe not quite) helpful and timely, and I commend it to all of us. 

Both within and beyond our congregation, our days are full of good and bad news, anxious responses, conflict within and between groups, and uncertainty. More than ever, we need to live close to the ground, honoring and caring for the bit of it that is our responsibility–this will help us discern how to respond to climate change. Conflict is inevitable in life and beingness of all kinds; the bit of it in which we engage directly is more useful and less destructive if we can manage a modicum of fairness and generosity. As far as control goes, I’m increasingly of the mind that it’s always been a fantasy, albeit a particularly dangerous and costly one. The ground beneath us, conflict, uncertainty–these are simply hard truths of existence. 

And here’s what cushions that hardness: finding joy in our work, whatever it is, and learning to be truly present with each other (with fairness and generosity!). These are not easy assignments, but they also don’t have deadlines or pass/fail grades. I hope that you, like I, think of our GNUUC community as a family with whom we can practice being completely present and among whom we find work that benefits all of us and is uniquely enjoyable for each of us.

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