Sept. 30, 2026

In a time of destruction, create something.
A poem. A parade. A community. A school.
A vow. A moral principle.One peaceful moment.
~ Maxine Hong Kingston, The Fifth Book of Peace

Beloveds,

I’m still smiling, thinking about the celebration we created last weekend!

While it’s always a joy to be with you in person and remotely, to reflect on the ministry we have created together, and to think about the shared ministry ahead of us, it was a special treat to officially celebrate your call and my settlement with a party to which we invited some of our favorite people.

The flowers, the guests, the new stoles, the piles of stuffed animals (if you were there, you know), singing together, and enjoying the reception afterwards (and for days of yummy leftovers)--surely all this does a small bit toward counter-balancing the destructive forces of our time. And I hope our continued ministry together remains productive and creative, a force for love and growth and justice that starts in our little corner of the world and ripples outward.

Yours in the work and joy of creation,
Rev. Denise
RevDenise@gnuuc.org