A Great Celebration

I was among the 250 or so happy Unitarian Universalists who got to celebrate the joining of the New Hampshire/ Vermont District of the Unitarian Universalist Association with the Northeast District (Maine) on April 11 and 12. What a party! There were a banner parade, choral singing with percussion, and a rapid-fire “testimony” time on Friday night that got us all thinking about what a lot of Good News there is to share about our congregations in these three states. And a well-run meeting in which delegates from the two districts met simultaneously for their last separate annual meetings, culminating in a vote to merge, consolidate, or whatever it was we called it. Then our surprise keynote speaker, Ginny Courter, UUA Moderator proceeded to knock our socks off with an alternately hilarious and touching presentation encouraging us to go ahead and let people know about our faith. I missed the grand ceremonial worship service because I had long ago agreed to do a wedding that afternoon for a couple near and dear to the congregation’s hearts, but all reports were that it was energetic and inspiring. Members of the congregation who attended came back energized, though tired.

So now two are one, with a bigger voice and fewer votes in the UUA, though our fewer votes will emerge as the longer-serving of our Trustees reaches the end of his tenure next year. And we’re too big for any of the congregations to be able to house our annual meetings and conferences. I trust we will make up for all that by having a critical mass that will bring new energy to our associations here in northern New England. It will certainly be easier to staff one District instead of two, and to staff it well instead of sketchily. I’m excited about the presence of a small church specialist among us, since this is a part of the world with many little congregations tucked away here and there, bringing civilization to the boonies.

May Northern New England speak and sing with a new voice that energizes the whole region with the good news of Unitarian Universalism, the faith we make for ourselves in conversation with one another.