If I have achieved nothing else here, my hope is that I have managed to embody in some portion that to which I have pointed. I found the above quote as I was preparing for my final sermon reflection this past Sunday – Guy’s message is well worth revisiting – you can find it in our website sermon archive.

I open this missive with thoughts of embodiment because I find myself in this moment so completely bereft of my ability to convey with words my love and gratitude to you all. So, I will put aside the internal pressure I feel to compose something artful for the ages, and simply provide you a brief list of closing thoughts:
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• Thank you so very much for the wonderful farewell celebration bash on Sunday – please know that I was so very overwhelmed by the expressions of your love and generosity that my brain was barely functioning…I offer this in explanation for my obvious inability to respond well to the whole “Questions for Dawn” segment of the party. The old synapses just weren’t firing properly.
  
  
• While I haven’t as yet worked my way through the “Messages in a Bottle” gift – I did notice that many of the scrolled messages appear to be written on paper with the image of a map on the reverse side. Remember my final story I shared in service on Sunday…about the boy who pieced back together a map of the world? I can’t express how happy that little piece of confluence makes me!
  
  
• “Stones on the Road” has been a theme that I have returned to again and again throughout my work here at UUFCM – one regret I have is that I didn’t do a better job of keeping up with the periodic written ministerial missives (titled, of course, “Stones on the Road”) that I had planned to provide you in addition to my weekly sermon reflections. You’ll see on the website the pitiful number of offerings I’ve managed. I’m thinking now that possibly that intention will come to fruition in the form of a blog somewhere down the road…
  
  
• Speaking of stones – I don’t believe I’ve ever told you this – the stones that we use each week as part of our joys and sorrows ritual…those originally were my stones, stones I have gathered on my travels through the years. Years ago, when we transitioned from candle lighting to using stones and water for our ritual, I brought in my stones for us to use. Those stones are part of the community now. They are my gift to you.

There is a song that has been circling through me over the last several months here – I’d never heard this song before stumbling on it in the course of doing my weekly worship prep research. It seems to have crossed my path just so I may offer it to you now as benediction to my time here with you. Recorded at the 2012 Last Night Brattleboro (VT) event, please listen to “Here Is My Home” by Si Kahn.

Where your treasure is…there is your heart.

In case you’ve missed the signs, this is the time of year when we as a fellowship reflect deeply on our existence as a community of faith – we look at the process of our work together over the past year(s) and consider our dreams for the future. We ask ourselves again important questions about what the UUFCM means in our lives – as individuals, in the lives of our children, and as a vital presence in our community. But we don’t stop there – we’re also asked to reflect on our support of this congregation with our time, talent and treasure, consider our level of giving, and re-commit our support of the UUFCM for the coming year. If you’ve been in worship any of the Sundays in the past three weeks, you’ve had the opportunity to hear from several of our members their very thoughtful personal reflections on what stewardship of this church means in their lives. If you missed any of these, please visit the homepage of our website to read each of these wonderful reflections. May their stories inspire you.

Within the next week, all members and friends of the UUFCM will be receiving the annual stewardship “packet” in the mail. As your minister, I ask each of you to remember that much loving concern and effort went into the creation of this year’s articulation of our needs. We are a young church still learning how best to do all of this…and the lay leaders who generously give of their blood, sweat and tears on behalf of us all in the annual stewardship drive deserve our most tender embrace. This is hard, challenging work…and I’m guessing we all know why. That “M” word: Money. So let’s all take a deep breath as we go through this together. And to those of us who habitually twitch (and sometimes snarl) when the topic of money comes up in church – you take extra big breaths and hold the hand of someone near. Know that we’ll be exploring aspects of stewardship in worship throughout the month of March and that I and members of the UUFCM board are most willing to speak with you if you have questions or concerns. And also know that I am in this with you – I have decided to remain a pledging member of this congregation as I serve as your minister. The only privilege I will forfeit as a member is my vote in congregational matters. My personal goal this year is to pledge 5% of my income to the UUFCM. I believe in and value the vision and mission of this faith community. 
What does this sacred place mean to you?

“I have found everything I could need or ask for
is right here in flawed abundance.”
~ Mark Nepo

A Message from the Minister
As I have been reflecting this past week on all that I am grateful for in this life, I 
stumbled upon this meditation by poet Mark Nepo that I want to share with all of you, 
this congregation I am deeply grateful to serve. 
I wish you all a most blessed Thanksgiving. 
     In peace and love, 
     Dawn