Rev. Alex McGee preaches this sermon as a goodbye to the congregation before her role ends in September: reflections and appreciations, with a little bit of challenge tossed in. Readings from UU writers will offer you a chance to ponder the nature of change. Alex is grateful to Scott, Music Director; Ellie Ransom, Videographer; MJ Lightbody and the signing class; and to her own sister, for special musical gifts and images—come hear and see!
August 29, 2021 Sermon
By Rev. Alex McGee
Looking Upstream, Looking Downstream: So We Go
For Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charlottesville
On the occasion of her final sermon as finishing eleven years of service
Please note there are typos that I acknowledge, and that this was written as my script for myself, and that my spoken words might vary as the moment leads me to extemporize.
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Come with me
in your imagination
to a time when you have walked in nature
and come upon a bridge. If it helps, close your eyes to see this bridge in your minds eye.
Try to feel the bridge under your feet and sense the railing under your hands, feel the air temperature on your skin
see in your mind’s eye the water under the bridge.
Listen to the sounds of the water
See if you can find smell in the air
See if you can visualize the water flowing toward the bridge —
all the rocks, banks that it touches,
all the fish, insects that live in the water, the animals that feed at the edge.
The plants nourished by the water
Look as far upstream as you can.
Remaining on that bridge, turn now, and look downstream.
See the water flowing away.
Notice details of what is different from this view.
What plants, animals are nourished, and what imprint does the water make on the earth? Look downstream as far as you can see.
And now let that image fade and bring yourself back to this time and place, here in this worship service.
At this moment I am standing on a bridge across a stream
I am looking up at what has already flowed in the last 11 years that I have served this congregation on the ministry staff.
We just heard the singing of Bill Staines, and he described a river this way:
“Ever moving and winding and free
You rolling old river, you changing old river”
Bill Staines uses river as a metaphor for the journey and changes in life.
Right now I am looking upstream
When I began: here, on July 1st, 2010,
Stats
The president of the US was Barack Obama, the mayor of Charlottesville was Dave Norriss, the president of UVA was Teresa Sullivan, and the president of this congregation was Pam Philips.
There was more ice on the polar caps then and there were different statues around Charlottesville.
The population of Charlottesville was 9% smaller than it is today. White people, on average, earned 20% less than they do now, and black people earned 30% more than they do now.
The Church owned a house next door called UHouse.
Babies that were blessed that year are now teens getting their drivers license
Teens that were in Religious Education program then are now adults in congregational leadership
Back then, I printed my sermons on a printer, … and hadn’t yet dreamed of speaking from an iPad, and especially not on zoom.
Stories
I began on July 1, 2010, and four days later, on July 4, one of the members, Kip Newland, called me to tell me that a member named Walter Plunkett had died that day. He suggested I go visit his newly widowed wife, Dee Plunkett. I got in my car, and went. And there began a fondness and annual visits — since she had trouble making it to church— that lasted until Dee died last year. That story right there pretty much sums up what it has been like serving here for eleven years: you all care about each other, we show up, and lives change.
Image/stories
As I look back, many holy moments stand out in my mind, and here are just a few:
- Lunches with the young adults, and later watching them plan their own events;
- seeing couples court, then officiating their wedding, then bring their children to church;
- officiating at marriages for couples who already had had a committed partnership for many decades before marriage was legal;
- funerals in the sanctuary and memorial garden;
- saying goodbye to people who knew it was their last goodbye
- quiet, deep sharing with people in the annual pre-holiday retreat;
- collages and timelines in the Building Your Own Theology class;
check ins in the monthly Pastoral Visitors program
and so so so much more.
As I look up stream, I give thanks:
Thank you for the amazing ordination ceremony.
Thank you to the three different committees who met with me your reflection and encouragement each over the course of a year to fulfill my credentialing requirements –
Thank you to all the people who trusted me to officiate your wedding and lead a funeral for your loved one.
Thank you to all of you who have tended the spaces in which we staff have our offices.
Thank you to everyone who worked hard to get fair compensation.
Thank you to everyone who put out food and hot water for tea on Sunday mornings—a vital and essential sustenance.
As I look back, I see how we navigated Challenge moments that mark this time frame:
And what I see is that We were responsive together and had Moments of growth.
*August 11 and 12, when the Unite the Right rally occurred in this city. Amid the horror, Positive images that stand out for me are:
– before worship that morning, when those of us who would be leading worship and child care met and stood in a circle and grounded together.
-also, that the UUA President, Susan Frederick-Gray showed up, and Regional staff person Carlton Elliott Smith. We were not alone.
– and, This congregation opened its doors as a safe space on August 12, so that people affected by trauma could come and process in healthy ways.
– a few years later, when Minneapolis was full of protests and uncertainty after the killing of George Floyd, our pastoral visitor co-chairs met with the pastoral visitor team of a congregation there, to give them encouragement in their time of need, letting them know that hope was possible based on their experience here
*Another a big challenge moment during this past eleven years, was when the pandemic hit and the building was closed in February 2020, I could not begin to envision how to lead on line worship—I didn’t even have language for it. I was so tired, and so I proposed a few months to get up and running for zoom worship. But a wise board members said, no, if we don’t start now, people will lose traction. We have to do something, even if it is imperfect. And that push to action motivated me,—not only did we get zoom worship going, but on a deeper and more personal level: proceeding with brash imperfection helped me with important muscles for life—to have the courage to step up to meet a need even if I am not sure how to meet it fully yet
Strengths
From my perspective, I see many strengths:
This congregation is caring, service-oriented, social, and loves worship and discussion.
You are so strong in your small groups — the classes, covenant groups, chalice circles, meetings for people with common life experiences: people get support to keep going through a rough spell, here is where they get to know another person and call them friend. This fulfills the human need for contact, to know and be known.
You are so strong in your Religious Education programming: from the nursery a plastic chalice is lit each week, to the teens have service projects, such as the Appalachian Service Project, and, that adults who teach RE learn by teaching. This fulfills the human need for places to grow and to teach.
You are so strong in your Social Action Collection program. On the face of it, this may appear simply to be a way to collect money once a month for a worthy local program. But more than that, it is an education and bridge-building moment once a month —in worship— to be inspired by neighbors thriving despite obstacles. Moreover, these groups are picked once a year in an annual meeting where congregation members bring forth organizations in which they are passionately involved, and representatives sit together and present priorities. This fulfillsthe human need to give and to learn about others in their community.
Those are things that I see as a I look upstream.
Now it is 2021, 11 years since I began journeying with this congregation.
If we turn and look downstream, what do we see?
it is the nature of life, the river of life, that change happens. Changes come in many forms:
*Change is happening as the trees in our area are beginning to let go of their leaves, as the fruits of summer are no longer available, but autumn vegetables are coming ripe. This week, all over town, kids have again been out on the sidewalks in the morning, waiting for the schoolbus. These are signs of change.
*You, yourself, may be experiencing changes now, through illness, leaving an institution, beginning or ending a job or school, or relationship.
* On the world stage, nations and leaders are experiencing change through war and weather, and navigating it with mixed results.
Some times a river forks, and there are two different paths downstream. And that is what is happening now. I will be stepping away from the river of this congregation’s journey.
Different Rivers now
So, we go. Like a river, this life keeps moving.
I have travelled along in this flowing stream with the congregation for 11 years.
Now, I will step out of this stream.
I will still follow my calling of helping people be as whole as possible,
I will still follow my calling to bring fresh vision and voice to help my community,
— I will continue on the spiritual care staff at Martha Jefferson Hospital,
and will begin teaching in their new staff resiliency program.
I will remain faithful to regional and national Unitarian Universalist circles.
After September, I will not be participating in the life of the Unitarian universalist congregation of Charlottesville. Taking a few years away is good advice I have gotten from many people, since it will allow me to process this change, and will free you up to adapt to a new situation. Nonetheless, I will miss you and the loveliness that I find here. I care very deeply, even as I say goodbye.
I have been saying goodbyes in many ways.
*To bring my work here to a close, I have been doing handoffs with committees and staff.
*I will send a note of transition to Torok Istvan at the Oltheviz congregation and Lehman Bates at Ebenezer Baptist Church.
*Last Saturday I sat quietly in the memorial garden and read each name—some I didn’t know, some I knew, some I helped place the plaque and ashes.
*Some of you have asked me for goodbye meetings or given me cards, and I am grateful.
* I hope all of you will RSVP for a slot at the outdoor reception to say goodbyes on September 12.
Challenges to you:
As I say my goodbyes, and step out of the river of this congregation’s journey, I make a glimpse at what is downstream for you. This is your journey to make, not mine, and your board is leading you well through this two year interim with Rev. Linda, and planning for a developmental minister to start a year from now.
how exciting! You are about to embark on a terribly exciting time—if you will only dare to shed the skin you’ve been living in, and see what is possible…
Let me offer an image: A song by a writer named Patrick DeSimio says, “So We Go, turning on through life.” One of the verses says, “Come as mistakes turn into wisdom, come as the rash become the sage.” What he is referring to here is the opportunities to take the wanted and unwanted changes in life, and let ourselves benefit from them.
As I glimpse downstream at where as you might go, turning on through life, I would like to offer some challenges.
First, Harness your financial power. Keep re-examining your beliefs and assumptions about money.
The way the world uses currency and the frontiers of space are literally changing. This congregation will be more effective and nimble, when it is part of that new reality. I dream of the day when the finance committee will be the most coveted committee to serve on
When you are financially strong, you can better serve the increasing population in Charlottesville, and the students who live in the neighborhood around the congregation’s building. The welcome message of UUism can be life-saving for people who feel alone and different.
Second, honor your covenant with the UUA. Don’t be untethered. Just one example: If your child was in the summer programming called Feefie and you liked the workbook they received about self awareness and community responsibility, keep in mind that UUA funds designed that resource. The Unitarian Universalist Association, exists solely as a covenant between congregations, with shared funds and decisions.
Third, keep up your congregational partnerships with the Oltheviz Unitarian congregation in Transylvania and the Ebenezer Baptist Church here in Charlottesville.
Listening to them, they may tell you something important about opportunities for policy change and advocacy: such as
– the role of the US in placing missiles in eastern Europe?
– the role of international environmentalists in preventing mountain top removal in economically struggling countries?
– our role in educational opportunities for black youth in Charlottesville?
And these kinfolk may offer spiritual insight about why they find the life of Jesus a source of spiritual wisdom.
Their ministers, Torok Istvan in Transylvania, and Lehman Bates at Ebenezer, are ready to connect.
Fourth, see institutional change as a way to widen your circle of concern. Although anti-racism work may be scary, uncomfortable, or have gone very badly in the past, take heart that it is a life-long learning. Like any muscle, it takes practice, and once it gets stronger, using it is easier and more fun.
Finally, I commend to you to dream new dreams.
Dream new dreams as individuals.
A religious community can be a place to grow in ways you didn’t know possible. People grow spiritually as they move from one type of activity to another in the church – gardening, finances, board, teaching, and so on. Let other people bring you along, and bring other people along. Sure, volunteer to do things you are already good at—we need your skills, but also, show up for things that make you nervous—we need your growth.
And, dream new dreams, as a congregation.
This year, your second year of interim, and after that, Developmental ministry, is a special time to step into the river and see where you are headed next. A time to read the water together read the rapids, read the rocks, and practice your boating skills. So we go. So we go, turning on through life.
CLOSING: SO WE GO
Benediction
My dear ones…
What an honor to have journeyed alongside you. Thank you! I bid you well as your river continues, and as I put my boat into a different river.
I finish and send you forth with these words:
May peace and light always surround you.
May you be protected from harm, and may you not harm others, and may you make it right again when you do.
May you welcome those in need, and allow yourself to be helped.
May you let your light shine as a beacon in this world.
Amen.
So we go, turning on through life.
Order of Service August 29, 2021
Prelude Adiemus by Karl Jenkins
Welcome Dawn Dirks
Call to Worship by Kathleen Rolenz “In the Meantime”
Opening Hymn My Life Goes On in Endless Song hymn 108 in UU Singing the Living Tradition; traditional tune, with third verse added during McCarthy era; images compiled by Amikema, portraying actions of protest by UU leaders
Chalice Lighting “Dance of Fire, Dance of Transition” read by Dawn Dirks, written by Gretchen L. Woods
Time for All Ages: MJ Lightbody and Signing Class sign Spirit of Life
Music for Reflection: Images of Doors painted by Laura McGee; pianist Scott DeVeaux
Sharing of Joys and Sorrows
Meditative Hymn: Just as Long as I Have Breath
Prayer “A Goodbye in Every Hello” by Tricia Brennan, read by Alex McGee
Invitation to Offering Dawn Dirks
Gratitude for Offering Dawn Dirks and congregation
Music before Sermon River written and sung by Bill Staines
Sermon “Looking Upstream, Looking Downstream: So We Go” by Rev. Alex McGee
Benediction Rev. Alex McGee
Benediction Music: “So We Go”
©Copyright 2017 Patrick David DeSimio
Score arranged by Mark Sloniker and Pat DeSimio;
sung by Alex McGee and Scott DeVeaux;
video by Ellie Ransom
Postlude
Many thanks to our creative team, and to the Unitarian Universalist Association for publishing The Spirit that Moves: Readings and Rituals for Times of Change and Transition, ed. Barbara Child, 2019. Three readings from today’s service are found in this book. Our UUA helps make these resources available.
https://zoom.us/j/95025058534
Meeting id: 95025058534
Call: 646-558-8656
