Given by Board President Pam Mcintire at the June 12, 2022 Community Worship

For me, this is a day filled with appreciation and with sadness as we say goodbye to Rev. Linda.

I want to read a couple of statements of appreciation.  First from

Patty Wallens:

I have greatly appreciated how Linda has been so willing to walk into the more difficult, harder aspects of congregational life as well as our congregation’s own history.  Linda has helped shine a light into these dark areas so that we can see them clearly, all together, to listen to our pains as well as celebrate our joys.  I love how Linda has helped us find ways to open our doors and hearts wider, and wider still, to embrace a larger view of humanity and our place in it.

And From Jim Gorham:

I started as a board member around the same time that Linda joined us.  Working with her, I’ve been constantly amazed at how much Linda does, how much she cares, how hard she works, and how much she thinks about us and how we can be the best UUCville we can be.  She is energy, consistency, passion, good humor, and love, all rolled up into one person.  Over the past two years, I wondered at times if she had cloned herself, since I don’t really think that one person could do all she did.   Kind, but firm, principled, yet flexible, she is what we needed to pull our Congregation out of the doldrums we’d been in for a few years.  And all of this during COVID! WHAT?! On a personal basis, she has listened to me when I needed somebody, provided advice when I needed that, and helped me through the grieving process.  She is a friend, a mentor, a counselor, and has musical talent too!  We hit the jackpot, with a darn good interim minister. Now it’s up to us to live up to all that we now know we are capable of.

And from Greta Dershimer

I have loved Rev. Linda’s use of music and metaphor in the messages she has offered us throughout her ministry with us, and greatly appreciated her strong support of our social justice efforts. My own commitment to our congregation has been strengthened during her time with us.

And, from me:

I am grateful that Rev. Linda has been with us for the past two years.

 She is a wise, experienced guide in all things UU.  Though, perhaps guide is not exactly the right word, because I have never felt she is out in front, pulling us along, more like she is with us, bringing out our best, helping us to move in a good direction.  She leads by example, helping us to see a good path and helping us to want to move in a healthy direction. Among so many other things, she has helped us move through a lot of hurt and betrayal toward forgiveness and acceptance.

I appreciate Rev Linda’s integrity in doing hard work, confronting us on spots that are hard to see and in believing that we deserve clarity and directness even when it shakes us up some.

One of the things I appreciate the most about Rev. Linda is a bit harder to explain.

Sometimes I get discouraged with the nature of humanity. Throughout the week, reading the news, I can get pretty down.  By Sunday, I often just want to detach and ignore the world. But then, I come to church.  My heart starts to loosen up with the music, the good words, and the kindness.  And then, Rev Linda talks to us and I start to remember and reconnect to something deeper.

Speaking for my own heart and mind, I have a hard time believing in an all-knowing, all-powerful being or force on this planet, let alone in the galaxy and the universe.  But, sometimes I get this feeling, in church, when I listen to Rev. Linda.  It is like the feeling I get when someone strikes a tuning fork and I can feel the vibration in my chest.  Kind of like a hum or a resonance. A feeling of connection.  I am reminded of the force of love, of kindness and caring.  I can feel it in me and I can feel that it extends outside of me and in others.  I can feel how together we can create (or maybe remember) powerful, embracing love.  Tuning into it and feeling it as a force in our community, can lift my heart and clear my mind.  

I am very grateful that Rev. Linda does the work of staying true to love and of reminding us of the power of love in community.  I will miss having her with us, but I am grateful that we had a chance to be together.

Thank you Reverend Linda.