Dear friends,

When President Abraham Lincoln wrote the Proclamation of Thanksgiving in 1864, the idea was to offer a space for the nation to remember the good while living in a sea of sorrow. At that time, the sorrow was death from the costly Civil War, but also personal losses that come to all of us at different times of our lives. While Thanksgiving is a complicated holiday for people of conscience who know the history of this country, the idea itself is sound. As my Catholic upbringing taught me to say, “It is right and just to give thanks.”

Despite enough tragic news to make me want to give up sometimes, instead I give thanks.

In this congregation, we’ve had a great flurry of activity since our last newsletter. What I’m thinking of now is the fantastic ‘80s Dance Party and our New Member Ceremony. How do they connect with the world events? Let me tell you.

Both events were almost back-to-back and were tremendously beautiful in their own ways. It’s great to see new members joining, while also seeing longtime members getting together just to have fun.

The New Member Ceremony is always a terrific part of our services because it means we’re growing as a congregation. Thinking back to all of us getting together and making that decision to join our community, officially, it was a very special moment and a great way to show our love for our chosen family here at UUCP. Like those who welcomed our family, I want to welcome our new members. We can’t wait to see how you will contribute to UUCP in the future.

Where the ‘80s Dance Party comes in is that during an especially challenging time in history, sometimes we need space to regroup. Personal heartaches colliding with global crises—from Palestine and Israel to Ukraine, not to mention the pains of just living, from work to the general issues with health and wellness—can make life unbearable at times. This is why we have community: to help us fight against the loneliness of the world and the pain that’s always close by remembering that there is also joy in being alive. So why not dance or sing?

The 80s Dance Party that was organized by Trista Blouin was a lot of fun, with people dancing and singing karaoke, giving us all a moment of joy during a troubled time. No reason to neglect the world, or our own personal struggles, but I’ve found that a good way to maintain your sanity is to give yourself space so that the many problems out there won’t consume you—and to continuously find something for which to be thankful.

By joining together in community, we resist the ever-present feeling that we are being dragged under by the world. By no means should we forget the world or disengage from it, but sometimes we need a few hours to ourselves where we can dance and sing. Through this community, we have that space, and for that, I am thankful.

As we move into the Thanksgiving holiday, let us give thanks for the land, while remembering the indigenous (Muskogee Creek) people whose land we are on, but also the people that came before us at UUCP to give us the community we are living in today. At the same time, let us also give thanks to each other and be there for each other as we celebrate the lives we have and the community that we have freely joined and love.

❤,

Scott

Scott Satterwhite