Homily by Shawn Newton.
This Sunday, we begin a new year in the life of the congregation. We will gather for the first time at the site of First Unitarian’s future home at 473 Oakwood to celebrate Water Communion and begin an exciting new chapter for the congregation.
Our service will be held outdoors in the loading dock area behind 473 Oakwood. We will invite you to bring forward water that represents meaningful moments from the past year. (If you don’t have water you’ve gathered from some special place, know that we’ll have a pitcher of water on hand for you to use.) The choir will sing, and Angela Klassen will lead us in a Blessing of the Backpacks to mark the beginning of the school year (if you carry a bag of any sort to school or work, please bring it with you!). At the end of the service, Karen Dunk-Green will make a special announcement about our plans for 473 Oakwood and invite you to join one of the tours on offer during Coffee Hour, which will consist of beverages and light snacks to help tide you over.
For those joining us in person, we encourage you to wear masks, especially when in close proximity to others; masks will be required for those joining the tours of the building.
For those attending online, know that this Sunday’s service will be a simpler and direct live-stream of the service, given the challenges of holding the service outdoors. After the service, Karen Dunk-Green intends to offer a tour of the building via live-stream for those joining us online.
