by Rev. Leslie Woodward

“In the midst of every crisis, lies great opportunity.”

Albert Einstein said that — or at least that’s what google tells me. As the weeks and months go by and the novelty of the immediate crisis fades even as the danger remains, how do we re-imagine church life and find the opportunity within the crisis?

The metaphor of Blizzard, Winter and Ice Age resonates with me.

In “Leading Beyond the Blizzard” Andy Crouch, Kurt Keilhacker, and Dave Blanchard analyze three responses to the pandemic through the images of blizzard, winter, and ice age.

“In a Blizzard we can’t go out—zero visibility and hostile conditions. We need to shelter. In a Blizzard, we acknowledge that things are very difficult, provide emotional and practical support for immediate needs, and urge people to take extraordinary measures that not only would be unthinkable in ordinary times, but are unsustainable for long periods of time. If the crisis generated by COVID-19 is a blizzard, it will be over soon, we will all emerge from our shelter, and resume life roughly the way it was before. Our job in a blizzard is to wait it out.”

I remember back in March, there was a sense that we just needed to hunker down for a short time and all would be well. Maybe a few weeks? I clearly remember thinking that we might actually be back in our beloved sanctuary for Easter. That wish was dashed pretty quickly. But maybe in a few months? Crouch, Keilhacker and Blanchard go on to talk about the metaphor of winter:

“In Winter we can go out, but not for long. We need to wear protective clothing and check the forecast for storms. We need to survive. Winter might begin with a blizzard, but it is a season lasting months, not a single event. In cold climates, winter means that periodic acute events (blizzards) punctuate a continuous period in which human activity must adapt to bitterly inhospitable conditions. This is almost certainly the reality of COVID-19 in the United States and many other countries. This will not be an event lasting a few weeks.”

It was a shock to all of us at Heritage to realize that we needed to close down our building through the end of May, then through the end of September, and beyond to ensure the safety of everyone. So, if COVID 19 requires longer term thinking, maybe a different metaphor can help us envision the future. Crouch, Keilhacker and Blanchard propose that we begin thinking of the current crisis through the metaphor of a ‘mini ice age.’

“The metaphor is obvious. Just as winter is more chronic and long-lasting than a blizzard, and requires different sorts of adaptation, which are in many ways more far-reaching than merely hunkering down for a few days or weeks—so there are even larger-scale events that reshape the climate through countless successive seasons. A generally accepted timeframe for the wide deployment of an effective vaccine—though there are huge uncertainties here— is 18 months. But 18 months is not a season — it is, for many purposes, more like an age or an era.”

We need to acknowledge that we are not going back to normal! It seems increasingly clear that the coronavirus pandemic is not just something to “get through” for a few days or weeks or even months. Instead, it is a once-in-a-lifetime change that is likely to affect our lives, societies, and religious congregations for years.

What does that mean for our church and our children? We need to begin planning to survive the winter by building for the ice age—to do all that is necessary to sustain connections between our children and youth. To ensure that they know we consider them a vital part of our church community by consistently including them in worship and other online opportunities. We need to consider their well-being in every church decision about programming, budgets and re-opening our building and grounds. We need to build trust through regular, sustained contact with adult members of Heritage in ways that have yet to be imagined.

Throughout the past few weeks I’ve been talking with other UU religious professionals and religious education leaders of other faiths about the opportunities that lie within our current crisis. I’ve been pushing myself to learn new skills – video editing, desktop publishing, and an amazing newer artform, digital story telling — that will help as we envision a way forward for our children and youth.

But I can’t do this by myself. If we want families to continue to feel welcome at Heritage, it will take all of us to build new ways of connection with families, children and youth of all ages.

It’s going to be a wonderful (??) “mini-ice-age” at Heritage. Won’t you join us?

by Jim Nolan

Hello all –

Since this is my last “President’s Corner,” I am compelled to look back over the past year and reflect upon what has happened since I became President of the Board of Trustees.

Oh my.

I didn’t think I would look back fondly on a time when our biggest concern was a leaky roof and ruined carpet – but here we are.

• A new shed
• “Garden Parties”
• “Town Hall” meetings
• Political action and the 2020 election
• Rev. Bill’s sabbatical
• Jaime Castle leaving the board to run for U.S. Congress
• Incidents with a troubled individual that required legal intervention

It was already shaping up to be a crazy year before coronavirus; before lockdowns, before quarantine; before George Floyd; before the protests; before the counter-protests – before Bethel. Who knows? By the time I finish typing this, maybe some other new insanity will grab the headlines.

In a few days we will gather together (virtually) for our annual congregational meeting – a tradition that goes back for generations. We will meet, we will discuss and we will debate (maybe even argue) because we all feel passionately about both the present and the future of Heritage and what that means.

When we gather, I hope we can do so in a state that is mindful of the fact that we are part of a continuum. We will make decisions that are based on our past; but that affect the generations that come after us. Also when we gather, it will mark the end of my time as your president. I’d be lying if I didn’t say there is a bit of a feeling of relief that comes with that thought. I have no idea what the next year will have in store for us, but I can assure you that every member of the board will do their very best to address it in the spirit of our principles and our heritage.

Leadership is challenging and not something I often choose. As I’ve said before, I’m much more comfortable working in the background. But, I am so very grateful to you all for putting your trust in me this past year and I just hope that I have served you well.

Jim

by Rev. Bill Gupton

Many of us are being called upon to make difficult choices right now. Whether or not to attend a family reunion, a wedding, a child’s sports event, a Fourth of July picnic or parade – summer activities that most of us would have participated in without a second thought just a year ago – are now choices fraught with uncertainty and anxiety. Whether or not to attend a protest march or a Black Lives Matter rally has become a heart-wrenchingly difficult decision.

Each choice we make will be scrutinized – not just in our own conscience, and by our own families, but by friends and complete strangers alike. Each choice we make potentially has very serious ramifications. And each choice we make, sadly, has become politically charged, having the potential to spiral into a socially polarizing situation.

This is what the pandemic has done to us.

Wearing a mask in public – politicized. Common sense health choices – polarizing. Family members, people who live in the same house, sometimes do not agree on what level of safety measures to take. Church members, people who share a beloved faith community, are experiencing the same thing. Folks with whom we seem to agree on almost everything else, may not agree with us on what are perhaps the most important choices we can be making right now. It can be very disturbing, and disorienting. We have come to expect that so-and-so will agree with us on everything that really matters – but not so, any longer.

I want to give voice to these feelings because I hear them being expressed to me, nearly every day, by members of our community. So, too, I want to lift up those among us who have the most pertinent first-hand experience – those who have suffered from COVID-19 already. (Thankfully, we have not lost anyone in our church family to this terrible disease, although some of us have indeed lost members of our extended family, friends, co-workers and colleagues).

As a result of all these realities, some of us have made a carefully considered choice not to go out into the world, not to attend public gatherings, not to come back to church – until a vaccine is available and they have been vaccinated. Others have made a different choice: To resume travel, to take vacations, to go to public events and eat out at restaurants, to gather at church (outside).

We do not, and will not, all agree on the choices we make during this pandemic – or after. In one respect, that should not be surprising. Yet in this particular case, it is proving to be quite painful. I encourage all of us to take a deep breath. To grant grace and forgiveness. To affirm individual choice, even as we acknowledge the importance of the common good.

As your Senior Minister, I continue to find myself torn, with the choices I must make. Most of you know that I’m a “hugger.” I miss those physical expressions of love and support in our congregation. I miss being in the same space together, singing together, holding hands around the sanctuary during our weekly benediction. I miss visiting you in hospitals. I want to attend events at the church such as outdoor vespers, commemorations, meals, discussions. In happy times, and in sad – I want to be with you. In person, not just on a Zoom screen or smart phone.

But the fact is, I do not feel safe doing so at this time. It does not feel prudent, for me. I could offer explanations about age, underlying health conditions, science and statistics, the fact that COVID cases are rising dramatically in Hamilton County, and in Ohio – but those things, frankly, should not even matter. Because my choice, is my choice. Just as your choice, is your choice. And all our choices will not be the same.

For the foreseeable future, I choose to avoid large and even smaller in-person gatherings, in order to minimize the risk to myself and others. I am only comfortable being with a very few people, outdoors – more comfortable, if we are all wearing masks.

I recognize that I am privileged to be able to make these choices. To choose not to be indoors at grocery stores or the pharmacy, even the library. That I am blessed to have a job that allows me to do most if not all of my work virtually during this time. My wife’s workplace is beginning to hold in-person events again this month, and of course many among us hold jobs that have required us to interact with countless other citizens since the beginning of this pandemic. My appreciation and admiration go out to our health care workers and first responders, and to all those working in the various service industries. My heart breaks for those who have been furloughed from or have lost jobs, all those whose businesses have suffered, and all those whose livelihood and well-being are threatened by the economic fallout of the pandemic.

This virus has made one truth inescapable: We are all – each and every one of us – deeply interconnected. Being Unitarian Universalists, we affirm and celebrate “the interconnected web of existence.” That shared principle can often give us a warm, fuzzy feeling. But Coronavirus has highlighted the flip side – the inherent challenges – of such profound interconnection. As we each make our choices, during these difficult days, may we remember to honor the Spirit of Life, in each and in all. May we remember to give, and to receive, the Love that is the spirit of this church.

Until we meet again –

Namaste,
Rev. Bill

July 2020.

by Jim Nolan, Board of Trustees President

As I write this, I am weary.
I am weary of talking COVID.
I’m weary of thinking about COVID.

I’m weary of worrying about it; and trying to be prepared for it. I’m weary of making policies around it and weary of realizing that any and all plans and preparations might amount to nothing without a moment’s notice. I’m weary of knowing that real lives are at stake if we “under-react” – but also knowing that everyone else is weary too… and we all just want “get back to normal again.”

And therein lies the rub. There is no “getting back to normal.”

“Things” will never be “the same” again (and yes, I’m getting paid by the quotation mark).

My kids’ school will never be the same. My wife’s work will never be the same. A trip to the grocery store will never be the same. And, to be completely frank, I haven’t played hockey since March 8 and I’m going a bit crazy missing something that allows me to feel normal again.

I feel okay saying all of this to you because I’m certain you all feel the same way.

There’s a sadness to it, for sure – but I’m looking for the positive.

I’ve seen many incredible innovations. Several of my musician friends have lost all sources of income; they improvised by offering online music lessons or virtual concerts. I’ve seen folks turn a hobby into a revenue source. And I have seen countless parents learn how to become excellent teachers.

We adapt. We overcome. We stick together.

Amid the weariness, there is overwhelming gratitude.

And so, I want to acknowledge – by name – your Board of Trustees.

Bob Booth, Mark Buckley, Barb Lyon, Bob Rush, Tamilyn Thompson and Michael Wilhite – plus, of course, Rev. Bill Gupton and Rev. Leslie Woodward.

They have been my lifeline through all of this.

As I said when I started this position – I’ve never been the president of anything before. I am far more comfortable working behind-the-scenes than I am in a leadership role – and I probably would have been a flaming train-wreck from day one if it weren’t for these people – and Jaime Castle, who always leads by example. She taught me how it all works and I am incredibly grateful to her for it.

I am grateful to all of them. I am grateful to you for the trust you have put in me – and I am grateful for the lessons this horrible, horrible experience has taught me.

So yeah, I don’t know when we’ll see each other and that makes me sad; but I know that you’re out there.

And knowing that, assures me that the world is getting a little bit better every day.

Thank you.

Jim

(May 26, 2020.)

by Rev. Bill Gupton

It has been roughly 10 weeks since I postponed the remainder of my sabbatical and returned to our Heritage community. It feels more like 10 months. I don’t know about you, but time itself seems to be out of kilter these days.

When I rejoined our community, those 10 short (long) weeks ago, you had just cancelled in-person worship services, and the life of this church was just beginning to be transformed by the emerging pandemic known as COVID-19. Now, there are 100,000 American casualties of this pandemic – nearly twice the number of American who died in the Vietnam War. By the first day of summer, more Americans will have died from this virus than the total number who perished in World War I.

Here at Heritage, I am thankful that, thus far, we have not lost anyone in our immediate church family. But do not be fooled – those in the Heritage community who have contracted COVID-19 and developed symptoms have suffered greatly. Even when it is not fatal, this illness can be agonizing, painful, incredibly scary, and cruelly unrelenting. Church members who are recovering from it tell of ongoing physical pain and frightening new medical flare-ups. No, Mr. President, this is not a hoax.

We must take this virus and the dangers it poses to our health and our lives very, very seriously. Which is why I continue to advocate for an abundance of caution and a level of physical separation that is, admittedly, almost antithetical to the warm, embracing, intimate type of community we have created together at Heritage Church over the generations. It breaks my heart – as I know it does yours – to be unable to gather together in our sanctuary, to be unable to hug one another, to be unable to share tears and smiles in person or to help raise our children in person or to break bread together – in person. Yet it is precisely because of the Love that is the spirit of this church – precisely because we honor and seek to protect the health and well being of each and every individual (no exceptions) – that we must remain apart. For the foreseeable future. It is the only way for us to be safe.

My dear friend and colleague Rev. Amy Carol Webb, who serves one of our Unitarian Universalist churches in Florida – where the reckless rush to re-open in now in full swing – put it this way recently in a web post: “Let us be very clear in this moment: We at River of Grass UU Congregation cannot and will not be compelled to violate our ethics, conscience, and values with the demand that houses of worship meet in person before science and health advisors declare it safe to do so. We remain true to our purpose … without risking the lives of ourselves, our neighbors, or the most vulnerable among and around us. We believe in love. And science. We teach that bodies are sacred – ours, and yours, and everyone else’s – and are to be respected and protected. So, no. Though we ache in our very bones to be with you, we will wait until it is safe to gather in person, however long that may take. We love you too much” to do otherwise.

In that short statement, she speaks for me, and for many in our congregation with whom I have spoken in recent days. I realize there are differing – and strongly held – views on the matter of “re-opening,” but I know as well that several church members have told me that they will not feel safe or comfortable returning to group gatherings until there is a proven vaccine, and they have been vaccinated with it. I honor and sympathize (perhaps even empathize) with that position. Each of us must make tough calls these days: whether to wear a mask when we go out, whether to go into the grocery store or hardware store, whether to go to work (if we are lucky enough to still have a job, as the economy staggers forward) – and yes, whether to meet with others from the church or our other circles of support.

As you make those hard decisions, I want you to know that you are held in an invisible embrace (what our UU Principles call “the interconnected web of all existence”). That the Love that is the spirit of our church reaches you and touches you, even now. No matter where you go. In your basement. At Kroger’s. At the beach. In moments of sadness and despair. In moments of joy and celebration. You are loved. You are part of this Heritage family. And I am grateful, to share that with you.

Be well, my friends. Be safe. Be healthy.

Namaste,
Rev. Bill

by Rev. Leslie Woodward

Take a few deep breaths with me. In…. Out…. In…. Out….

My last Heirloom article was written in late April, when I was still hoping beyond hope that our nation would: 1) Ensure adequate supplies of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for all health care workers, 2) Greatly expand coronavirus testing, and 3) Proceed with utmost caution in re-opening public spaces.

News reports cause my heart to sink. Nearly two-thirds of health care workers report PPE shortages, especially N-95 masks. In Ohio, testing is limited unless you fall into one of the top priority groups. As for re-opening? No state, including Ohio, has come close to the federally recommended decline in cases over a 14-day period before beginning a phased re-opening. Ohio’s daily statistics have been rising again as the state began lifting restrictions in May.

What does this mean for all of us? First and foremost, we need to stay safe. Wear a mask, limit unnecessary travel, be diligent about safe physical distancing, and wash your hands often.

What does this mean for our Heritage children and youth?

That’s a more complicated and sobering conversation. Everyone who has ever observed children knows that social distancing is not in their nature. Children play, they hug, they wrestle and tackle and poke, and sometimes even bite. Younger children don’t hesitate to put toys in their mouths and even older kids often chew on a finger or bite their nails. Try enforcing keeping six-feet-apart-from-your-friends to a kid and see how far you get.

For older children and youth, video-conferencing gets mixed results. Building community through a computer screen is proving much more difficult than simply dialing into a Zoom call.

The question then becomes — Under current pandemic conditions, how do we respect, nurture and grow our children and youth’s spiritual selves? Will enhanced video-conferencing work? YouTube how-to videos? RE-at-home packs? Family worship and rituals?

The answer appears to be: All of the above. There is no one-size-fit-all. What works for one family might be useless for another and vice versa.

Then a new question arises: What help, resources, and materials do families need so that growing our children and youth’s spirituality becomes a joy and not another burden? At this point my answer must be: I don’t know.

Over the next 4 weeks, Heritage will be pausing all of its Religious Exploration offerings to more fully contemplate this question. I’ll be taking my accrued vacation time for rest and renewal, then using study leave to begin again to re-imagine RE with the goal of launching a new, more sustainable program in late summer.

Please be patient. Be safe. Take care of each other. And know that all of you are held in my heart.

Rev. Leslie

June 2020.

by Rev. Leslie Woodward

Yesterday I found my blue bullet journal which had been lost for the better part of a year. As I flipped through the pages, I came across notes from a workshop that I had attended a few years ago focused on visioning new ways to minister to families. Here are some of my notes. Sound familiar?

Parent Truths

We are worried

• About the speed of change
• About keeping up with the amount of information coming at us
• Are we doing this right?

We are weary

• So much to do
• New expectations added every day
• Single parenting and co-parenting is exhausting

We are wired

• But how do we use technology wisely?
• How can we model & teach wise use to our children/youth?
• Can we meaningfully connect digitally?

Having children and youth in your household during the pandemic and social distancing can only exacerbate these fears and feelings. Not surprisingly, it also creates challenges for ministering to our children, youth and families.

Another page in my journal brought me up short. It said:

Never stop…

Re-examining
Re-imagining
Re-creating

Another urgent message that is even more relevant to these times. So that’s what we’re going to do. Re-examine; Re-imagine; Re-create.

Look for a full list of our new Religious Exploration offerings listed in another article in this Heirloom. Your RE committee, with special help from other members who are stepping up, has created a slate of online offerings designed to connect with children and youth throughout the coming months. I’m in awe of their creativity and tremendous imaginations. And I am filled with gratitude.

Even if you can’t join us online for any of these new programs, you need to know this: you are enough. You are loved. We’ll get through this together.

Religious Exploration is going to be wonderful at Heritage — even online!
Won’t you join us?

May 2020.

by Rev. Bill Gupton

As we continue to be separated from the larger Heritage Church community, and unable to gather together as one large family of faith in our physical building on Newtown Road, we are finding new and creative ways to experience the special blessing that is being part of this beloved congregation. Opportunities abound to gather virtually in ways that will help you, and all of us, in these unique times – including ongoing, weekly events like “Slip into Sleep Meditation,” Anxiety and Stress Reduction sessions, our traditional Vespers services and brand-new all-ages Sabbath services, and groups devoted to healthy eating, communal knitting, supportive conversation and more. I’ve begun offering biweekly gatherings for the health care providers in our midst, whose courageous work in these challenging times, on behalf of all of us, is remarkable to behold.

Our Caring Circle has created a congregation-wide network of phone trees that include small (four or five homes) groups where folks are checking in with one another. Please continue to do that regularly – and if you haven’t heard from anyone in the church lately, please reach out. People are making meals for the sick and elderly, leaving gifts of love on folks’ doorsteps, posting messages on Facebook and other social media, texting, calling, and – yes – gathering frequently on Zoom. Although the church itself is “closed” I can attest that all the usual meetings (and more!) of leadership and administrative groups, committees and teams, continue to happen; it’s just that they’re all on Zoom now.

If you find yourself with a little extra time on your hands, step up. Volunteer to help. The work of the church does continue; in fact, in many ways, there is more work now. And there are those among us who have far less available time now, with children at home 24/7 and other added responsibilities brought on by the crisis. There are many ways to get involved as our church ministry evolves and adapts in what one of my colleagues refers to as “these volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous times.” We need you. We need each other.

I hope to “see” you on Zoom or in other settings soon.

Namaste,
Rev. Bill

by Jim Nolan

plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose

Hello all –

I want to, again, express my gratitude to all of you who participated in our online congregational meeting. It was great to see your faces and hear your voices – and I hope we accomplished something that will help sustain Heritage through the quarantine, no matter how long that may be.

Saying that, I am reading reports that the Payroll Protection Program, to which we applied, has run – or is running – out of funds. As I write this, I do not yet know the status of the program nor if or how it involves us. I’m certain the Finance Committee is watching this and will do their best to keep us updated as more information is available. Again – I am very grateful to the entire committee and especially Michael Wilhite who, along with Denise Martinez, navigated the process to get us enrolled in the program. Thank you.

In other news – please mark your calendars for two more important online meetings:

1. Town Hall Meeting: Sunday, May 31 @ 1:30 p.m.
2. Annual Congregational Meeting: Sunday, June 28 @ 10 a.m.

The Annual Meeting takes place the same day as the UUA’s General Assembly service – which will also be held online. Right now, we are anticipating our own meeting to start at 10am (a chance for you to sleep in a bit!) but that may change as we learn more about the G/A agenda. This is a crucial meeting so I hope you can attend.

Until then, many of us are learning new skills and abilities that we didn’t know we had.

For myself, I’m learning that I can simultaneously work from home, manage my kids’ school schedules and (sometimes) make dinner. Throw in a few dog walks and sessions of wiping down door handles and that can make for a pretty full day.

What I still need to learn is how to remember to take a minute for myself and do some kind of “self-care.” During the first week of quarantine I would sometimes forget to shave, shower or get some fresh air — I was a mess by the weekend.

I’m still learning… but, by reminding myself daily that I’m not being my most effective worker, father, husband or dog-walker if I’m not first making sure I’m okay, I’m little-by-little getting better all the time.

What I’m trying to say is – I hope you are doing the same. Please keep taking care of yourselves. We need you around.
Until we meet again.

April 24, 2020.

Dear Heritage Church community,

We are living in difficult, anxious, unprecedented times. I am certain that each of you has been experiencing a wide range of emotions while, together as a society and as a religious community, we navigate the changes to our lives, our plans, our hopes and dreams, brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since Feb. 1, when I began my sabbatical, I have watched the news with growing concern and compassion, and my heart has ached imagining all that you must have been going through. My prayers for the health and safety of you, and those you love, have been and remain a constant part of my spiritual life.

As the pandemic began to take shape, and to reshape our lives, I opened lines of communication with Rev. Leslie Woodward, and we have been discussing appropriate responses for me, considering that I was on sabbatical. You may recall that part of my sabbatical covenant included procedures that we would initiate in the event of a national crisis or emergency. Certainly, we are in such a situation now.

Therefore, I am ending my sabbatical, and returning to an active role as your Senior Minister. Together with Rev. Leslie, we will be acting as a pastoral and ministerial team, effective immediately. This is simply no time for me to be on the sidelines, or even behind the scenes; I want to be with you as we live in and through these fearful times, and as we find new, “virtual” ways to remain in community and mutual support.

Let me acknowledge and express my profound gratitude to my trusted colleague, Rev. Leslie, for the amazing ministry she has been providing to the Heritage Church family. I have simply been blown away at how she has, with skill and grace, risen to the occasion, and to this moment we are all facing. Although we Unitarian Universalists don’t do canonization, I think “Saint Leslie” has a pretty good ring to it – and is a well-deserved moniker. Thank you, thank you, Rev. Leslie!

I know that many of you have developed strong, important connections with Rev. Leslie in these past months (and years), and we assure you, she will continue to be there for you. It’s just that now, the two of us will be back together serving as your shared ministry team.

While I’m at it, I am also aware that countless lay leaders in the church have also stepped up and taken on additional responsibilities, gladly and graciously, over the past two months. Though I cannot list you all (and certainly don’t even know who all of you are), I definitely want to lift you up; please know that the many ways you have expressed and embodied the Love that is the spirit of this church are deeply appreciated! They mean the world to your fellow congregants – and to your ministers.

Now let me say just a little bit about how my return to the church will look, in the weeks ahead. Keep in mind that we are all creating this new reality as we go.

My primary focus in the next few weeks will be pastoral care – reaching out to those who are most affected, most fearful, most at risk. And I will be available, by phone or email or even (gulp!) Skype, to speak with or just to listen to anyone in our community who needs a shoulder to lean on and a (sadly, virtual) hug.

I will also begin slowly re-engaging with administrative activities such as meetings (Zoom, here I come!), the pledge drive and fundraising, staff concerns, and so on.

Thanks to the hard work of Rev. Leslie and our outstanding Worship Committee, worship services are in good hands for the immediate future (and I understand that the Cincinnati churches are banding together for certain Sunday and other services). So my return to whatever amounts to “the pulpit” these days will be a little slower than my return to pastoral and administrative duties. It is also hoped that, now that my sabbatical has ended, and she will not be spread so thin, Rev. Leslie will be able to give more time and loving attention to our families and the Religious Exploration program.

I realize this is already a lengthy letter, but if you will indulge me just a couple more paragraphs, I’d like to update you on what has been happening in my family. Most of you are aware that our son, Patrick, has been living in New Zealand since graduating from Ohio State in 2018. Recently, his visa expired, and he began the next stage of his planned adventure, in Thailand – rock-climbing, backpacking, snorkeling, and just all-around “living the life.” However, when the U.S. State Department issued a warning that American citizens abroad should return home immediately, or risk being stranded abroad indefinitely, Patrick, Jennifer and I put our heads and hearts together to reconsider things. Soon, we were scrambling – along with countless other Americans — to find flights home. Many flights have been cancelled. The past week has been quite an emotional rollercoaster, but two days ago, our prayers were answered and Patrick made it back to Cincinnati. We are incredibly relieved!

Our new reality looks something like this: Both Jennifer and I are working from home – in different parts of the house. Patrick is re-acclimating to life at home, while experiencing to-be-expected jet lag. We are striving to follow shelter-in-place and self-quarantine guidelines. All three of us are isolating ourselves as much as possible from each other in the house, and venturing outdoors only for exercise, walks, and the occasional work at Heritage Acres.

There are many stories to tell, at another time, about Patrick’s adventures both in New Zealand, and in getting home – but for now, the bottom line is, the three of us are reunited, at home, and wishing very much that we could hug and hold each other. Yet we – like all of us – must adapt to what is needed right now, holding to the faith that this too shall pass. We are feeling blessed to be alive, in the same home, and currently symptom-free.

So that’s how our family is doing. I am eager to hear how you and yours are doing. Feel free to reach out, if you are so inclined. And know that I am here for you, praying for you, and giving thanks, as always, for the Love that is the spirit of our church.

Stay safe. Stay healthy.

Namaste,
Rev. Bill Gupton
March 26, 2020