Snow, Seeds and Groundhog Day

"We have all known the long loneliness. We have learned that the only solution is love, and that love comes with community."

-Dorothy Day

Somehow the words that Denise VanVooren chooses to share as a reflective focus at the weekly “NP 2.0” team meetings always seem just right. This week, she shared the words of Dorothy Day above- so fitting for this pandemic life, even though first written decades ago.

winter red berries on branch
Photo by Emma Buchanan

So many thanks to Rev. Tess Baumberger for leading Sunday’s service in which she spoke about Beloved Conversations, a program for Unitarian Universalists seeking to embody racial justice as a spiritual practice. A few of us have already signed up for the Spring 2022 “Within” online experience- myself, Pat Grimm and Gail Forsyth-Vail. You can learn more about it here. The program consists of 6 online lessons on your personal schedule, 6 learning pod gatherings for conversation, and 3 whole group sessions. There is a cost; if prohibitive, please ask me about a grant from the Discretionary Fund.

The words that Denise chose to end our last meeting were these, by Barbara Winkler: “Every gardener knows that under the cloak of winter lies a miracle … a seed waiting to sprout, a bulb opening to the light, a bud straining to unfurl. And the anticipation nurtures our dream.”  This might be good to remember this weekend, as the snow comes down and the wind howls. I hope that we all can take some winter meditation time to just sit and watch and appreciate the beauty of the snow and a world covered in white, and that all can stay cozy and warm. (If you can’t keep up with heating bills, again, please just let me know.)

I’m aware that some folks have a tradition of watching the Bill Murray movie Groundhog Day at this time every year- which offers a few life lessons through comedy.  If you have children and access to Netflix, this might also be a great weekend to watch the animated film Over the Moon, about the moon goddess of Chinese mythology.  Wishing you all a Happy Lunar New Year, a Cozy Imbolc, a Hopeful Groundhog Day!

Rev. Lee

P.S. I’ve been under the weather this week and we may have a blizzard on the way, so check out our Groundhog Day plan for Sunday’s worship. Let’s call it “PJs and Hot Chocolate Sunday”.  Hope to see you on Zoom!  Next Sunday, Feb. 6th, the Meeting House will be open again.