To Be One With the Sea

By Rev. Carol Bodeau

Dear Friends,

Many of you participated in our annual Water Communion this last week, in which we use a ritual of pouring water into a communal vase to represent the ways we come together as a community. Each week, when we meet either in person or virtually, we share our common humanity: the struggles that are inevitable on our human journey, the moments of joy and excitement, the confusions of facing a complex world, and all the ups and downs that are part of all our lives. In the Water Communion, we symbolically recommit to connecting with one another in the container that is our congregation, as a way of finding a greater wholeness through loving and caring connections.

Gentle waves move along a sandy beach. In the distance, the sun is at the horizon of a blue sky.

But being part of a community also comes with another layer of sharing: sharing responsibilities, and committing to being part of something by actively participating in it. Recently, Westside has been thriving as more and more people participate in the many activities of our congregation. You’ve all been taking an active part in creating conversations, committees, projects, and the like to help our community be healthy and vibrant.

As a member congregation of the Unitarian Universalist Association, we are also part of the ‘much bigger something’ that is our denomination. And this comes with both gifts and responsibilities. As we will be exploring in coming weeks and months, our participation in this larger community means that we ‘covenant’—make a promise from our hearts—to live out the values we espouse. And this means being accountable for doing all we can to build the world we dream of. As we start a new congregational year, guided by the newly adopted Statement of Principles and Purposes of our denomination, we recommit to this larger denominational community, as well.

So be on the lookout for deeper reflections about how we are ‘accountable’ for the values of Unitarian Universalism. Justice, Equity, Transformation, Pluralism, Interdependence, and Generosity are things we will be actively embodying. Let’s explore together how we can help one another belong, not just to Westside, but to the movement that is UUism in the 21st century.

In faith and hope,

Rev. Carol