by Rev. Bill Gupton

September is here. We are on the cusp of fall. It’s been a year and a half since a pandemic forced us out of our beloved building. In that time, we learned how to do “Zoom worship” – eventually getting pretty good at it – and tried new ways to keep our community connected.

But if you’re anything like me, there have been times when it may have felt as if we had become a band of internet nomads, searching for home. Well, it’s high time for our homecoming! Although it won’t look exactly like we had hoped it would a few months ago, when we had dreams of returning as a community to our building this fall – we will be together again, in person, at HUUC starting Sunday morning, September 12. Just outdoors, not in the sanctuary. (For more details, see articles elsewhere in this Heirloom).

Our return to in-person community is being predicated on several safety measures as we continue to combat the spread of COVID-19. We urge you to get fully vaccinated, unless there are medical reasons the vaccine is contraindicated for you. We urge you, whether vaccinated or not, to wear a mask when in public (including at church); masks are now required in the HUUC building. And if you are meeting with others in the building, please follow the Board’s guidelines around meeting size, social distancing, and room selection and remediation. The Board has approved the purchase of four HEPA room air filters, two of which are in the sanctuary and two of which are for the rest of the building. They must be left running 24/7 in order to be effective.

In recent weeks, our congregation has seen a few new COVID cases, even in those who are fully vaccinated (so-called “breakthrough” infections). Thankfully, with the vaccine working hard in their bloodstreams, those who have been infected have not become seriously ill. We are grateful, as well, that throughout the course of this pandemic – even before vaccines were available – no one in our Heritage family became sick enough with COVID to be hospitalized. Many of us, however, have lost friends and loved ones to this terrible disease, and I know the past year and a half have been very difficult, emotionally and spiritually, for all of us.

It is in such times of fear and sadness that a community such as Heritage becomes even more important. I recently read a survey that indicated 61% of Americans report having felt lonely in the past year. Many of you have shared, with me, your deep sadness at being cut off from your Heritage community during the pandemic. Try as we might, there’s really no substitute for being with each other.

That is why I am so excited that we will be gathering together again – as safely as possible, outdoors – at church on September 12. If it feels comfortable to you, I hope this will be the time that you consider returning to community. Maybe even get a hug or two (ask first, please). See the smiles in one another’s eyes, if not their mouth (those darn masks!). Sing together. Participate in our Water Ceremony by pouring water to mix with others’. Say our covenant – out loud – with the entire congregation. The thought of it gives me goosebumps.

Moundview Park in Newtown has been a lovely, temporary worship location that some of us have been willing to try out occasionally this summer. But to quote Dorothy, “there’s no place like home!” Come join us on Homecoming Sunday, September 12, at HUUC. I can’t wait to see you!

September 2021.

by Michael Wilhite

One of the most difficult but obvious decisions facing the HUUC Board during this past month was the need to recommend a step back with modest restrictions for COVID safety protocols. The rise in cases and hospitalizations in our area was alarming due the Delta variant spread in recent weeks. While we knew that sitting still was not the correct answer, we wanted to make sure that the spirit of community that had begun to blossom at Heritage was given the opportunity to grow. Being together is so important for the spiritual and mental health of our community. For many, it is why we belong to Heritage. Our approach was to support gathering while taking steps to promote safety. It feels right for where we are now.

Months ago, health experts re-characterized the COVID pandemic as one among the unvaccinated. We know from the survey responses that the members of our Heritage community that had vaccines available to you overwhelmingly stepped up and got your shots. You are my heroes. With that simple leap of faith for science, you did your part to not only protect yourself, the ones you love, but also the still vulnerable members of our community who cannot safely receive the vaccines. The reality is that we all live within communities who have not had similar levels of vaccination required to achieve herd immunity. Unfortunately, that has meant that strains like the Delta variant have continued to thrive and may keep COVID ever-present in our lives.

If you are anything like me, it may be difficult to process the turn of events related to COVID over the past month. I was feeling invincible after being immunized. Seeing the positive trends in the community numbers was uplifting. I was planning for a return to “normal”. It felt like the post-COVID world was in sight.

My mood quickly changed in late July. My low point was hearing the projections from the CDC that trends from this late summer surge could lead to a rise to 4000 deaths per day in the US by October. Hearing the alarm from health care workers as ICU beds were filled created anxiety. Hearing the stories of the spread hitting so many of us close to home again generated feelings of despair as well as anger. I could not fathom this tragedy happening again when the cure was literally available. The mental toll of this pandemic may be as harmful as the physical symptoms, and it tends to impact us all whether we catch COVID or not.

We need each other now more than ever. The love that is the spirit of this church may be the most important remedy for pandemic fatigue. We can express this love through a simple gesture of masking to protect all of us or to even show solidarity in the fight against COVID. Let’s use the outdoor spaces before the cold temperatures hit to connect with one another. Let’s recognize that we may all need a little bit more support and a whole lot of love as we push through this next phase of the pandemic.

We want everyone to keep safe and curb the impact of COVID and the Delta variant, but we also want everyone to keep faith that we will someday see an end to this awful pandemic.

September 2021.

by Laci Lee Adams

Thank you so much to all of you that have warmly welcomed me into this Heritage community! I am already grateful beyond measure for your care, your questions, your wisdom and your presence. I am looking forward to getting to know all of our families, both those with kids in our RE program and those without.

The work of religious professionals is a kind of braiding: separating out the needs of the community, responding to the demands of the moment, and determining the community’s capacities. All of these things get folded or weaved together to create this unique and beautiful thing that we call religious education or faith development. Its careful, thoughtful, and deliberate work in any circumstances, but a particular kind of challenge in the midst of a global pandemic. We are all strengthened and our resolve bolstered by accepting that we are not in a normal time! Embracing that truth helps us to love ourselves and others more deeply. It helps us to accept and embrace the weird digital aspects of our lives and gives us resolve when accepting new things, like mask wearing! My recent Time for All Ages focused on the science of mask wearing. If you missed it, you can see it below this column! As we look forward to the fall, we are all being asked to wear masks.

So, I wanted to thank you in advance for every time you put your mask on. Practically, that action protects our children, most of whom cannot be vaccinated yet. Your mask wearing does something else though – it teaches our children that they are not alone (as they have to wear masks when together) and that they are supported in doing what is required of them. Anytime we can center those that are vulnerable (at our church, in our community, or in the world), we are living our love, which is exactly what our challenging times need more of!

September 2021.

by Michael Wilhite

Our newly elected Board met for our first time together on the evening of July 12th. Our thoughts were with Kay as she was absent to heal. Both Mark and John were eager to continue their Board service and finally meet in person after months of Zoom-only meetings. Michelle brought her enthusiastic attitude, including volunteering to step into the Secretary role. Meredith multi-tasked brilliantly by starting the meeting remotely to tie up things at home before joining in person. Julie interrupted her enjoyable holiday away with her sisters to Zoom into our meeting as she was elected our Vice President. That evening, I was elected President of the HUUC Board.*

When we wrapped that first evening together, there was no other word that could describe my feelings about the coming year other than gratitude. I felt so thankful to be serving the wonderful community that we have at Heritage and felt especially thankful to share this experience with such a talented, caring, and committed group of people on the Board. All that I can do is thank them for their service to Heritage, and I will do my best to make sure they hear that repeatedly.

The reality of the additional responsibilities of the President role also shifted my gratitude to my predecessor, Tamilyn. She served during arguably the most challenging year that most of us have ever seen in our lifetimes. I did my best to communicate to her throughout last year how much I appreciated her leadership and calm disposition. We needed her steady mind during such uncertain times. I also am just beginning to understand what additional responsibilities landed with her to support the continuation of Rev. Bill’s sabbatical this past winter. The amount of change that our community encountered over this past year was unprecedented, but we are looking forward to the positive opportunities from these moves. I cannot thank Tamilyn enough for stewarding our community during these turbulent times.

You should also expect to hear much gratitude from me about the support from all of the members of Heritage. One of the greatest lessons I learned from my term on the Board is how much we depend on committed volunteers to keep our church operating. All of our volunteer teams are the foundation that supports the additional volunteers who create amazing experiences for our community to come together. Even the financial sacrifice of committing our pledges to support Heritage and our staff is a critical form of service. I cannot thank all of you enough.

I can confidently express that I and the other board members will commit to serve Heritage from the love that we share for this community and for the promise for what we hope it can become. We’ll ask for your grace as we do our best with tough decisions and will always seek your input to best represent the collective needs. While I am daunted by some challenges that will likely come our way over the coming year, I am humbled to be able to serve HUUC.

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.” – John F. Kennedy

Michael

August 2021.

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* Editor’s Note: The full names of the Trustees can be found here.

by Rev. Bill Gupton

As I write this, I am (virtually) attending the General Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association. There is much conversation, this year, about how this is a “transformative” summer, a “liminal” time – a period that is and will continue to be a bridge between the fragmented, virtual, COVID times we have experienced over the past 15 months, and the brave new world of “multi-platform” and “multi-channel” church and ministry that lies ahead.

What do those last few words mean? They mean that, in the upcoming 2021-22 “church year” (itself probably an anachronistic term) – and from now on – religious communities, including ours, will exist in a variety of forms and on a variety of platforms. Yes, there will be in-person, in-the-building events, gatherings, meetings, and worship. But they will likely be less heavily attended, less well “subscribed” (a newer word), and less “central” (another newer word) to the life of the church. They will instead be one aspect of the life of the church.

From here on out, some meetings (and all worships) will be joined by folks who are attending remotely – via various kinds of screens and internet connections. Some other meetings (and probably occasional and alternative worships) will be exclusively online. Many offerings will be recorded, to be “consumed” at a time more convenient to the “consumer.” There will be many other, smaller, short-term educational and social opportunities. But they won’t look like they used to. Nothing will.

Surely this reality can evoke grief for what has been lost. I encourage you to be with that grief. Honor it. Don’t try to move past it too quickly. Know that I share some of it with you. But I want you to know as well that I, for one, am also very excited and energized by some of the possibilities of what might lie ahead. Life in our world and our society is changing; so too is life in our congregation. As we always do at Heritage, we will honor our past – our heritage – while living lovingly and compassionately together in the present – all the while also looking forward with optimism to the future.

Looking with gratitude to our past, let me once again thank our recently retired Assistant Minister for Religious Education, Rev. Leslie Woodward. Leslie’s love for our families and children was something to behold! And let me thank as well our recent Interim Religious Educator, Karen Hager, who – all the way from Virginia – guided our program for children, youth, and adults with such skill and expertise. Virtually. Who would have known such a thing was possible?

All of which has led us to this transformative summer. As we now look to our future together, I am delighted to welcome Laci Adams to our staff, as our new (and first!) Lifespan Director of Faith Development (see article introducing her elsewhere in this newsletter). I am confident that Laci is just the right person to help gently guide us into new ways of being together in the multi-platform, multi-channel, multi-cultural world that awaits.

And here’s some more good news: Starting this month, some of us will be able to be back in our building, having meetings and discussions together – while welcoming others into our midst virtually. As we navigate how we might be with one another in these changing times – in a still evolving context where some will be masked, and some will not – where some will be vaccinated, and some will not – where some will prefer in-person community, and some will prefer virtual community – let us keep our hearts connected to the Love that is the spirit of this church. Let us be understanding and compassionate. Let us avoid judgment (what could be more in tune with our Universalist theology than striving, always, to be non-judgmental?). Let us be both giving and forgiving. Let us give, and receive, grace.

And let us, always, center Love in everything we do.

Enjoy your summer. Stay safe! See you in August.

Namaste,
Rev. Bill

by Karen Hager, Interim Religious Educator

It’s hard to believe, but my time with Heritage as an Interim is coming to a close. I’ve enjoyed working with my old congregation the past five months, and I have hopefully helped you prepare for your new settled Director of Lifespan Faith Development (DLFD).

One of my final goals is to leave a recommended program for the new staff member to enable them to hit the ground running in fall. It’s looking very likely that we will be able to be back together in person for RE classes. Our current plans are to hold classes outdoors, weather permitting; and in bad weather, to move indoors with mitigation efforts in place.

There is one big obstacle to holding RE classes, though, and that is recruiting enough teachers. We need to recruit 4-teacher teams for every class meeting this fall, or simply put, classes can’t happen.

Can we count on you to teach RE this fall?

Teaching RE can seem scary if you’ve never done it before, but it actually is a very fun and rewarding volunteer position. We ask our teachers to make a one semester, 8 Sunday commitment. You are agreeing to lead 4 classes and to assist another teacher in 4 classes – that’s it! We expect all curricula content and class prep to be done for you so you can concentrate on simply teaching. And my curricula recommendations will be for fun classes our kids want to attend and enjoy thoroughly!

Teach RE and you will be directly making a difference to a child and helping to grow our next generation of UUs. But you, too, will get a great deal out of teaching. This is a spiritually nourishing volunteer position that teaches you about Unitarian Universalism in the process – I guarantee it won’t be only the kids who are learning!

So, can you agree to devote 8 Sundays between September and January toward helping us achieve an in-person RE program? We need all congregants to step forward and help if they are able.

For more information, or to volunteer to teach, contact me at:

Karen

June 2021.

by Tamilyn Moore

Must admit, I’m doing a little happy dance that this is my last Heirloom article as Board President. This has been one of the hardest parts of the position for me. I appreciate Russ giving me grace in submitting articles at the last minute, and sometimes even a day or two late. Russ, your patience with me has made this easier and I thank you for that.

It has been an honor to serve for three years on the Heritage Board of Trustees and to be President of the Board this past year. I thank you for trusting me with this and hope that I have served the Heritage community well.

I have learned a lot over the last three years. I have learned a lot about myself. It has been a pleasure to work with all the Board members I have worked with. We have worked through a lot of challenges over the years. Covid-19 was certainly an unexpected challenge to add to the mix.

The Heritage community has risen to the challenges that Covid-19 threw our way. So many virtual events have occurred and amazing virtual services each week. We have kept safe and kept connected.

Now we are discussing plans for re-opening. We are looking forward to outside services starting June 6. We can now safely have more meetings and larger groups at church. I look forward to seeing you all in person very soon!

Virtual hugs to all!
Tamilyn Moore

June 2021.

by Rev. Bill Gupton

This month will mark our return to in-person Heritage Church community with our first worship service together in more than a year, on Sunday, June 6! (see details elsewhere in the newsletter, on our website, and in your email inbox). I look forward to seeing many of you on that long-anticipated morning – sharing smiles and tears and the sheer joy of being in one another’s presence after such a lengthy separation. It will be simply glorious to be together, and we will celebrate whether there is rain or shine, whether we can hear each other over the cicadas or not!

Roughly 100 of you responded to a survey conducted last month about congregational attitudes toward “reopening” for in-person events, including religious education and worship. The overwhelming majority were in favor of providing in-person options as well as Zoom options for community – reflecting a new reality that will be part of our congregational life moving forward. Our volunteer teams (Safety and Reopening Team, Worship Committee, Board, etc.) are committed to providing options while lowering risk to our community’s health and safety. In keeping with our Universalist values, we also share a deep commitment to inclusion – which in this case means considering the well-being of those who are immunocompromised or unvaccinated, as well as the full range of opinions, feelings, and emotions around this sensitive topic. In addition, we also want to continue to be welcoming to newcomers and visitors.

In short, we are entering a new and exciting phase in the life and long history of our congregation – a time when changes will continue and in-person activities will gradually resume, but the “old normal” will not return. Together, we will be creating a “new normal” that will in some ways be comforting and reassuring, and in other ways unfamiliar and awkward. As such we will need to be understanding and forgiving of one another. Mistakes will be made. Anxiety will be heightened (and a year’s worth of pent-up anxiety perhaps sometimes expressed). As people of faith – of Universalist faith – we will be called upon to grant grace, maybe even repeatedly, to one another.

Let us remember, and if necessary remind one another, to do just that. Let us remember, and embody, the Love that is the spirit of this church. Soon, we will be together again. Halleluiah!

Namaste,
Rev. Bill

June 2021.

by Rev. Bill Gupton

I don’t know if it was the fact that my four-month sabbatical was incredibly recharging and restful (as I often called it, a “winter hibernation”), or if it is all the exciting things that are going on at Heritage Church and Heritage Acres right now – but I have been loving every minute of my first few weeks back with you. It has been wonderful to catch up with those of you whom I’ve been able to connect with (and if I haven’t connected with you yet, please feel free to give me a call or send me a text; I’d love to hear how things are going for you).

Where to begin the story of this whirlwind April? We are bringing a new Church Administrator onboard, Vali (pronounced like “Molly” but with a “V”) Dugan, giving her some time to work and overlap with Denise Martinez as she gets oriented to our office and our community. By the way, as it was with our retiring Religious Educator, Rev. Leslie Woodward, it will be very hard to say goodbye to Denise when she retires at the end of May after 19 years – 19 years! – with us. Watch for updates about when and how you can be part of our thank-you send-off celebration for Denise.

Meanwhile, we have begun the search for our next Religious Educator. We will begin receiving applications any day now as we start another process of discernment to determine who we think will be the best fit not only for the needs of our children and families, but also for all our adults, as we enter a new era of “lifespan faith development” in our Unitarian Universalist community.

At the same time, discussions have begun in earnest around another important area of discernment for the congregation – when and how we might best safely “reopen” to either full or limited in-person worship, religious education, and other activities. This is a complicated and nuanced conversation, and the Board has appointed a large but nimble 10-person team to look at it from every angle and consider many options and alternatives, because one thing is certain: Whatever congregational life in America and at Heritage Church will look like in the year 2021 and beyond, we will never be able to go back to “the way it was before.”

One thing that will certainly change is how we worship together. Even that word “together” has new layers of meaning now as we enter what will surely be known as the “post-pandemic world.” We have adapted to online worship such that now, it is a given that the future will include some version of what the UUA is calling “multi-platform worship” – a blending of in-person worship, for those who want it, and online worship and community, for those who prefer that platform or those who are geographically or physically unable to join in person.

What will all this mean for church “membership”? How will folks be connected in this brave new world? Those are questions for yet another group of volunteers. We will be assembling a Connections Team in the near future to explore this area of church life; if you’d like to be part of such a team, please let me know.

Meanwhile (there’s that word again), it has been perhaps the busiest month ever for Heritage Acres. We have sold more than a dozen burial plans, planned for a well-attended Open House that included events ranging from a natural art exhibition to a shrouding demonstration, and received tremendous media coverage from the Enquirer to the Eastside Press to public radio. Oh, and we accomplished a goal I had set for completion during my sabbatical – Heritage Acres was recently certified as a Natural Burial Ground by the Green Burial Council!

Yes, it’s been a very full month. It is such a blessing to be back with you, and to be your minister. Thank you for the faith you have put in me for 19 years now and counting. I love you all.

Namaste,
Rev. Bill

May 2021.

by Karen Hager, Interim Religious Educator

This is the time of year that RE begins planning for the launch of the fall program. This year, we are faced with the uncertainty of not knowing exactly where and how we will be able to meet. Our fingers are crossed that COVID conditions will have improved to the point that we will be able to meet together in person in some way this fall!

This means, however, that we need to think about teacher recruitment right now. We cannot hold RE classes if we don’t have teachers. If you’ve never taught RE before, please consider joining us this year. Teaching RE is a fun and rewarding experience, and experienced teachers know that RE classes do make a difference in a child’s life.

If you’ve joined our online classes this winter, you’ve had a chance to observe what teaching is like firsthand. Teaching in person is very similar – with fewer technology headaches!

If you agree to teach, you are making a one-semester, 8-Sunday commitment – that’s it! You lead 4 classes and assist in 4 classes. In my normal classes, I take care of all the prep required and provide all curricula ready to teach so that teachers can concentrate on the fun of teaching; I’ll be encouraging your new settled religious educator to do the same. So, teaching RE will NOT require a large time commitment on your part, and it is NOT a scary proposition!

Teach RE and you will likely find it to be one of the most spiritually rewarding volunteer positions that you’ve ever held. You will be helping to grow the next generation of Unitarian Universalists while having the fun of spending an hour roughly every other week with a class of children.

And, bottom line, we need you! We can’t hold RE classes if people don’t volunteer to teach. So, please consider joining the HUUC RE teaching team this fall and be a part of the return of RE.

If you’d like more information on teaching RE, contact me at:

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Parents: you should have received an email with a link to a survey on reopening this fall. We are asking every parent with children in grades PreK-8 to respond so that we can consider the opinions of parents as we discuss possible reopening plans. Please look for this survey and respond if you haven’t already. If you don’t see it, email me and I’ll resend the survey link. Email me at:

May, 2021.