Minister's Musings
April 2012
As our construction and building renovation project comes to a close, it is amazing for
me to see the how much hard work goes into updating and transforming a 19th century
building. This was the largest project since 1926 when the Church decided to excavate underneath
the Meetinghouse to create Willson Hall and build the two story addition on the
back of the main building (including the Cleveland Room where we have Fellowship Hour).
I have spent the last nine months working amidst and dealing with noise, dust, no heat, more
dust and occasional moments of inevitable frustration. I have also spent the last many
months working with some outstanding people who have made this all worthwhile.
The church as been well served by the Site Supervisor for Essex Construction, Chris Serino,
whose talented hands, capable management skills and good humor have kept the job moving
along. Lynne Spencer and Patrick Guthrie, our architects from Menders, Torrey and Spencer
have been very involved and helpful, especially during moments when we needed to change
or add to our plans. Their original design conception for the new addition has proven to be
exactly what worked on our site. There have been many other talented tradesmen who have
contributed their share, including: cement contractors, framers, asbestos and lead abatement
contractors, finish carpenters, plumbers, insulators, masons, landscapers, elevator installers,
pipe fitters, tile installers, painters and electricians. It is amazing how much coordination is
required to complete a project of this size and scope.
And there is one more group worthy of mention: you the members and friends of the First
Church who have stepped up, contributed and volunteered in ways I would never have
thought likely one year ago. Indeed the most rewarding aspect of this project for me over the
last 12 months have been all the folks who have showed up to help out at the Church. Since
we did not have enough funds to do all the work we needed to accomplish, it has been you
our members and friends that have made the difference. People have cleaned, prepped,
sanded, scraped, painted, rewired, shoveled, moved, excavated, sawed, hammered, cleaned,
dusted and planted in ways both big and small, all in the name of breathing new life into our
beautiful 19th century building that needed very much to be updated. And along the way, I
find we are breathing new life into our community as old connections are renewed and new
friendships are made. This has been one of the most rewarding parts of this journey for me.
Churches in the end are not buildings. They are communities. While buildings are important,
they are tools and instruments that both reflect and enhance our values and hopes as a
community.
I hope all of you will be able to join us for Easter Sunday at the First Church. This will be
our first Sunday back in our own building since last June. More importantly this will be a
celebration of the many possibilities for rebirth we have in our lives and in our community.
March 2012
For those of you who have known me for a while, kindly sit down before you read any
further. I did something last month that I have been meaning to do for ten years: I
cleaned my office. I am not talking dusting and vacuuming, but rather excavating, defenestrating
(great word, look it up!), and in some cases recycling. Admittedly, I had developed
and mastered an unusual filing and record keeping system over the last 12 years. I
called it “piling.” Perhaps, you have heard of it? I liked to group similar items together
and organize them by date – or year at least.
I know some of you at times were amazed at how quickly and efficiently I could work in
my office amidst such seeming disarray. (Each succeeding Chair of the Standing Committee
would stand in the Cleveland Room in wide-mouthed disbelief as I would quickly return
from my messy office with the document or item we were discussing.) My secret I
suppose is that I knew where 90% of the items were in my office and the remaining 10% I
regarded as an “adventure.” Mathematically speaking, chaos is merely an undiscovered
order and that is how I felt about some of the mystery sections that I would periodically
unearth. “Oh look, here’s that book I had forgotten about!” “Wow! There’s that great
article that I overlooked and misplaced.” For me, it was in a way like looking back on entries
in one’s journal from a while ago, surprised and fascinated by what one found interesting
and worth writing about at that time.
But this chapter has now come to a close. The construction project and the resulting dust
that has infiltrated every nook and cranny of the building finally forced me to clean and
organize. Not to mention, I wanted desperately to remove the pink wall-to-wall carpet
that had been installed in my office just before I arrived in 1998. (God bless Grace Morrison!).
So, on Ash Wednesday, I finished emptying out my lovely old workplace habitation;
my stacks and folders, my file cabinet and desk all left the room. I sorted, organized
and threw away a lot of stuff. It felt good and somehow fitting to do this on Ash Wednesday,
the beginning of the Christian season of Lent. What better day to deal with massive
amounts of dust than on the day when we are all reminded that we are just that: dust – at
least in the cosmic scheme of things. As I moved my desk out of the way, and ripped up
the old carpet, and then swept and wiped the floor, I felt somehow cleansed and at peace.
I am sure that over time my desk will fill back up with clutter. There is an ebb and flow to
how much structure any of us can and should impose on our lives and our souls. In the
meantime, it feels good to walk into a clean, stark office with hardwood floors and a boringly
placid desk. You could say that I have given up being messy for Lent. Good thing it
is only 6 weeks long! There is a well-known quote that sums up this conflicting connection
between organization, innovation and creativity. Unfortunately, I can’t find it right
now. My office is too clean!
We have a busy month of March ahead of us with many opportunities to volunteer and
get to know new people. I do hope you will join us.
February 2012
The following remarks were delivered by the Rev. Jeff Barz-Snell at the Community Celebration held on Saturday, January 21 in Salem. Some 70 church members were in attendance and a good time was had by all.
Perhaps it goes without saying, but typically you learn more about yourself on a journey than by
staying at home. The metaphor of the journey, or in the parlance of religion, the pilgrimage, is perhaps
the most basic narrative structure that exists. Going on a journey leads to knowledge not just
about the world but oneself as well. This is certainly true with the First Church in the last eight
months.
For the first time in a very long while, we find ourselves homeless (at least on Sunday mornings)
and relying on the gracious hospitality of our neighbors and friends. Our fellow travelers at the
First Universalist Society have been nothing but pleasant and accommodating. I have enjoyed
working with the Rev. Matty and members of their church and getting to know more folks in the
larger community. I think many of us have gained some insight into what we like about our tradition
and practices and perhaps a few things about parts of our practice that we might want to
change. There has been a delightful exchange of ideas and ways of being a UU church in the last
six months and I truly believe that both churches are the better for it.
There have been a variety of surprises along this journey that have required significant attention,
thought and effort. Lynn Taggart and the Project Management Team have spent the last five
months, week in and week out, wrestling with the never-ending array of cost changes and design
decisions with both grace and good humor. And along the way there have been many talented
members and friends who have stepped forward to pitch in at key moments, including those who
arranged for this party. This is a great community, one we can all feel proud of.
When we return to our home this spring, we should all realize that we, the current members of the
First Church, will have accomplished something that has only occurred a handful of times in the
last 383 years of our history - we will have refashioned a building that was handed down to us by
previous generations. We should feel proud of this accomplishment - and perhaps slightly relieved
it is over!
But more than that, we should feel proud and excited to be part of an open-minded and warmhearted
religious community that dared to find ways to let its cherished ideals ring out not just from
the pulpit, but from its newly configured walls and stairs and gardens and yes, even its heating system.
This is a church that has always attracted thoughtful folks committed to making an impact on their
world. The First Church has a longstanding practice of combining open theological inquiry and
social improvement. That is part of what our “walk together” is all about. Perhaps that is why we
have been a place over the last four centuries that welcomed colonists and revolutionaries, patriots
and privateers, social reformers and abolitionists, suffragists and scholars, and freethinkers and entrepreneurs.
We are a community that cherishes our traditions, but values progress and change for
the better.
The First Church finds itself renewed and reinvigorated with this project and each of you has a part
to play in this journey and in our ongoing story. I thank you for your good will and commitment to
support the work of this church in the days ahead.
January 2012
The purpose of life is to grow a soul. - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Every year at this time, people flock to the gym in the wake of freshly made new year’s resolutions. I am told it’s called the January Effect in the business. Starting now gyms all over the country find themselves inundated with well intentioned, out of shape folks hoping to improve their health and fitness in the New Year. Usually by February the flocks of new gym attendees thins out as people lose interest or become disillusioned with how hard it can be to lose weight and get in shape. It takes effort, focus and time.
In a very real way, the same can be said of one’s spiritual life. There is an old saying that “no one grows closer to God by accident.” If one wishes to find a more balanced, spiritual outlook – or simply find a greater sense of peace - it does not happen without some effort. It does not happen without embracing some daily or regular practice. Sometimes this is prayer. Sometimes this is meditation or devotional reading or journaling or playing an instrument or singing in the car or any of a host of other mundane activities. But it always requires some action, some level of intention. A good spiritual practice is a like a good gym routine: for either to work they must become a regular, habitual part of one’s life.
With that in mind, we will be offering an adult religious education program this winter on developing and practicing a devotional life. Instead of focusing on beliefs (we actually hope there will be a diversity of views present), we intend to focus on the actions – or mechanics – of developing a spiritual life, much like a dancer or singer would learn and then practice a technique. It turns out that there are several tried and true activities that have helped people down through the ages as they sought to cultivate a greater awareness of the sacred and what’s most important in their lives. As we put these methods into practice on a regular basis, we find our lives slowly altered and transformed, much in the same manner as one might experience a newfound level of fitness after working out for period of time. This process is what Emerson is describing in his epigrammatic statement quoted above. Part of life really does involve "growing a soul."
This winter presents many opportunities and challenges for the First Church as we continue with managing our largest renovation project in over 80 years. There is – and will be – a LOT to do in the coming weeks and months. Even so, winter is a good time to do some “inside” work. Information about the Cultivating Soul program can be found herein (page 2).
In the meantime, I wish you all a happy and healthy 2012. Here’s to new beginnings, great communities, good friends and timeless values.
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