April 1, 2020
Dear Parents:
You and your families are so very much on my mind. I hope you are finding ways to make sense of your days and nights as we journey through this uncharted terrain together.
I would love your feedback on how Family Worship on Sundays is working for you and your family. What parts do you like? What suggestions do you or your family have for changes to the service/your worship experience? Please let me know and I will try to incorporate your suggestions and ideas.
For now, we will continue with our weekly Family Worship online at 10:15. I know that some schools are going on spring break next week—we will still have Family Worship online. I hope you will join us!
We also will have a second online service that includes a sermon. This week, we are connecting at 10AM with the Blacksburg UU Congregation. Unfortunately, because of the service timing, you will have to choose between attending Family Worship or the service with the Blacksburg Congregation (Rev. Pam Philips is the minister there.) We will also continue to have virtual coffee/social hour at TJMC on Sundays at noon. Links to all these events will be posted on the church events page.
If your child would like to record a musical selection for possible use in a future online worship—be it Family Worship or the evolving online service that includes the sermon, please contact Scott DeVeaux, our Director of Music, at deveaux@virginia.edu
Wasn’t the at home #chalicechallenge in last Sunday’s Family Worship fun? In case you missed it or want to watch it again, I’ve included the link here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v9JPR8AOD8&fbclid=IwAR16z6NkPSwVImQrCL8NUeBFGempL1J8 KZ1metMmxTc0Lf2pXtTciLr67Ag
Please send me photos or videos of your family’s #chalicechallenge and I will find ways to share them!
A special project we are working on is the SPECIAL FRIENDS program. If you would like to be matched with another family in our congregation to be pen pals while we are all at home, please let me know. We are especially hoping to connect families with elders in our congregation who might be feeling particularly lonely right now. Once we are all able to gather in public again, we will have a SPECIAL FRIENDS party! Please email me to let me know if you want to participate! We’d like to get people connected as soon as possible.
Another activity I am excited about is the ekphrastic poetry project! Maybe you heard this piece on NPR:
https://www.npr.org/2020/04/01/823853480/social-distance-a-community-style-poem-to-help-you- feel-less-isolated
I have asked an artist in our congregation to choose two pieces of art for us to look at as a congregation and then do our own version of what Kwame Alexander did with NPR listeners. Watch for more information about this!
I will continue hosting weekly Zoom chats on Tuesdays from 3:30-4:30. Here’s the link: https://zoom.us/j/720371737 I would love to have you join me. If this time doesn’t work and you would like to suggest an alternative time, please do.
Finally, please let me know what you need from the congregation or me right now. What online resources or programs would be helpful? What support do you need? What might we do to help you and your family through this stressful time?
I miss you! I miss being together! I am sending you much love and prayers for us all for health and ease.
In faith and with love, Leia