Rev. Matthew's April Minister's Report
Dear BUU Board of Directors,
I apologize for my late report this month. I have paused in writing to you as I have wanted to listen closely to our congregation following my announcement this week that I have been invited to be Mountain Vistas' ministerial candidate. What I have heard and felt, in many and varied ways, is: transitions are hard.
In the weeks since I tendered my resignation as BUU's minister, I have reflected through the online Unitel on the nature of change in communities of faith and on being in a liminal place between the past and future. In truth, these are reflections on being in transition. As I look to my last few months with BUU, being inside transition with you all is where my ministry still has meaning and relevance.
Joanna Macy, a systems thinker and activist, teaches about the Great Turning. This is her model for encouraging the changes that our world needs away from capitalist growth to natural sustainability. There are four steps of the Great Turning:
Gratitude
With the help of 12 people this last week, I tested out a "Gratitude Gathering." This is a small group approach to sitting down together and sharing what we are thankful for. As I shared in my March 27th sermon, I have many gratitudes to share with you all. Serving a congregation for over eight years now has been a blessing and I want to share it with you. I'll be organizing four Gratitude Gatherings in May, one for each of our ministries and holding one general one online. As the test group and I found this week, these can be special moments of giving and receiving gratitude.
Honoring Pain
Transitions are hard. There is no way around that. They place endings and loss right up against beginnings and the new. In several one-to-one meetings I have already had, it has been shared how hard this transistion will be. Each of us have named what is ending and what we feel we are losing. We have held and honored one another's pain. I will be continuing to meet with individuals one-to-one and honor the pain we share.
Seeing with New Eyes
Being in transition, although hard, invites new perceptions to emerge. Individually and in small groups, I have begun to witness these new perceptions. As people reflect on their gratitude and pain together there is an opportunity to discover common truths. For example, at last Sunday's 2pm Zoom Fellowship, Martha said with confidence, "It is going to be hard, but we are going to be ok." She was seeing with new eyes and sharing a truth openly. As BUU begins to see with new eyes in a similar fashion, I will be reflecting them back to you, so that you can share in the truth that BUU is discovering in transition.
Going Forth
I will be going forth to a new ministry and so will BUU. I want to make the best of our parting, so that we are each prepared to open up to new what these new ministries will be. Gratitude, honoring pain, and seeing with new eyes are big steps I will be taking with you. However, they are not all the steps. I'm going to be learning about how to have a good goodbye with you and am open to steps I've not yet considered.
Finally, please remember that you are not alone in this transition. Right now, there are UU congregations just like BUU in transition. Right now, there are close to a dozen Unitarian Universalist religious professionals, ministers and lay leaders, supporting the well being of BUU through this transition. If you are feeling isolated and alone, I would be glad to share with you the great care and concern being given to BUU at this time. Transitions are hard, but you do not have to endure them alone.
In transition with you,
Rev. Matthew Funke Crary
I apologize for my late report this month. I have paused in writing to you as I have wanted to listen closely to our congregation following my announcement this week that I have been invited to be Mountain Vistas' ministerial candidate. What I have heard and felt, in many and varied ways, is: transitions are hard.
In the weeks since I tendered my resignation as BUU's minister, I have reflected through the online Unitel on the nature of change in communities of faith and on being in a liminal place between the past and future. In truth, these are reflections on being in transition. As I look to my last few months with BUU, being inside transition with you all is where my ministry still has meaning and relevance.
Joanna Macy, a systems thinker and activist, teaches about the Great Turning. This is her model for encouraging the changes that our world needs away from capitalist growth to natural sustainability. There are four steps of the Great Turning:
- Gratitude
- Honoring Pain
- Seeing with New Eyes
- Going Forth
Gratitude
With the help of 12 people this last week, I tested out a "Gratitude Gathering." This is a small group approach to sitting down together and sharing what we are thankful for. As I shared in my March 27th sermon, I have many gratitudes to share with you all. Serving a congregation for over eight years now has been a blessing and I want to share it with you. I'll be organizing four Gratitude Gatherings in May, one for each of our ministries and holding one general one online. As the test group and I found this week, these can be special moments of giving and receiving gratitude.
Honoring Pain
Transitions are hard. There is no way around that. They place endings and loss right up against beginnings and the new. In several one-to-one meetings I have already had, it has been shared how hard this transistion will be. Each of us have named what is ending and what we feel we are losing. We have held and honored one another's pain. I will be continuing to meet with individuals one-to-one and honor the pain we share.
Seeing with New Eyes
Being in transition, although hard, invites new perceptions to emerge. Individually and in small groups, I have begun to witness these new perceptions. As people reflect on their gratitude and pain together there is an opportunity to discover common truths. For example, at last Sunday's 2pm Zoom Fellowship, Martha said with confidence, "It is going to be hard, but we are going to be ok." She was seeing with new eyes and sharing a truth openly. As BUU begins to see with new eyes in a similar fashion, I will be reflecting them back to you, so that you can share in the truth that BUU is discovering in transition.
Going Forth
I will be going forth to a new ministry and so will BUU. I want to make the best of our parting, so that we are each prepared to open up to new what these new ministries will be. Gratitude, honoring pain, and seeing with new eyes are big steps I will be taking with you. However, they are not all the steps. I'm going to be learning about how to have a good goodbye with you and am open to steps I've not yet considered.
Finally, please remember that you are not alone in this transition. Right now, there are UU congregations just like BUU in transition. Right now, there are close to a dozen Unitarian Universalist religious professionals, ministers and lay leaders, supporting the well being of BUU through this transition. If you are feeling isolated and alone, I would be glad to share with you the great care and concern being given to BUU at this time. Transitions are hard, but you do not have to endure them alone.
In transition with you,
Rev. Matthew Funke Crary