First UU Columbus

“However sheltered this port, and however calm these waters, we must not anchor here; however welcome the hospitality that surrounds us, we are permitted to receive it but a little while.”

Those words are Walt Whitman’s, from his iconic poem, “Song of the Open Road.” My time has come to set sail.

July 9 will be my farewell worship service with you. As I’m preparing for that Sunday, I’m recalling the joys and challenges of our two-year journey together. Now it’s time for our paths to diverge. My journey, shared with First UU Columbus for two remarkable years, continues. So does yours. I’m setting off for the First Unitarian Church of Des Moines, Iowa (like First UU, a flagship congregation in its region). You’ll soon be welcome the Rev. Marian Stewart as your settled Senior Minister.

Roads for traveling souls.

It’s been a joy to serve this congregation, to experience the warmth and commitment of the people who make this their spiritual home. I’m grateful to my colleagues who have ministered with me here: Rev. Eric Meter, Rev. Lane Campbell, and Brian Hagemann, First UU’s Director of Administration. I’m happy for First UU and for my long-distance colleague, Rev. Marian. I know that this wonderful community, with renewed zest for its mission, looks forward to a future of great promise.

I love dogs. I admit it freely. It even runs in the family: we call my mother “Dog Woman” (and she gladly accepts the title). Dogs are drawn to her, probably because she always welcomes them. Aren’t people like that, too? Aren’t we drawn to someone who welcomes us, who offers kind words, food, and a soft place to lie down?

My dog Rosie is solar-charged. On a sunny day she stretches out on the grass and offers herself unabashedly to the Sun God.  It’s as if she has a soul-deep knowledge of the wisdom that resonates through her connection with the Earth and sky. People need that, too: the sun’s rays re-stocking our Vitamin D supply, the gentle cradle of the ground; the soft movement of the air. For me, it’s a hammock under the dappled sun-and-shade of the lilacs.

First UU Church Annual Labor Day Retreat at Camp Oty' Okwa Sat, Sep 2 to Mon, Sept 4, 2017. Wonderful for families, singles or couples. Workshops, hiking, crafts, community building! Sign up by Sunday August 27.  

Sign up on-line.  Check out the Labor Day Retreat table in Fellowship Hall or contact Beth McCreary, 850-1463   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it   or Julie Pinsonneault, 447-8407 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 View a Sample Schedule or Labor Day FAQs

Annual Meeting
Sunday June 4th at 11:30am (following the 10am service)

We encourage everyone to attend our annual meeting.  Members will be hearing about the 2017 church year from elected leadership and on this years agenda are:

• Spring Giving Campaign News. The Campaign Team asked for an increase in pledges by $60,000 and First UU’s members and friends responded! Together, we have met the $60,000 goal. But our total relies on on some pledging households we haven’t actually heard from; please reassure us all by sending in a pledge [online pledge form] for the year beginning July 1, 2017. 
• Mission and Vision: Revised. Thanks to the many people who have commented on the Mission and Vision drafts since the February Midyear Congregational Meeting. We now have revised Mission & Vision statements [mission and vision pdf] to be presented at the congregational meeting.
• Share-the-Plate Nominees. At the Annual Congregational Meeting, members will vote on 11 of the 18 Share-the-Plate nominees. [nominees list pdf]  During 2016-17, the first year of our Share-the-Plate program, we donated about $20,000 to worthy causes. Each recipient receives 50% of the plate collection for one month (although July and August are combined for one recipient). 
• 2017 Annual Report [pdf]

We will also be asking the membership to approve the FY2018 proposed budget.  Finally we are happy to announce we will be previewing a new First UU promotional video that was created by our Sunday Sound Tech, Jabar Cole.  Come and see!

One of my favorite God stories comes from the late Rev. Howard Thurman, who founded and pastored the Church for the Fellowship of All Peoples in San Francisco, perhaps the first intentionally interracial church in the country. 

A young boy is afraid of the dark and is having trouble going to sleep. His mother tells him that it is safe because God will be with him in the dark. All he needs to do when he is afraid is to pray and God will be by his side. But the boy remains fearful. At length he says to his mother, “Mommy, will you please ask God to put some skin on and then I will be alright.”  

Now, my understanding of God may be more poetic than many, but I love this little story. There are times, not only in childhood, when we want, even need, our comfort to have shape and texture. We want the source of our solace to be embodied, in other words. Abstractions will just not do. 

When I have been asked to offer what is often called Extending the Hand of Fellowship at ordination and installation ceremonies, I take the hand of the person being ordained or installed in mine and mention what I find there.