President’s Letter — February 2007

Dear Members and Friends,

I cry in church.

I would never do that at work, with my mountain biking buddies, or in any of the other organizations I am part of. Not very manly. Not my style.

But I cry in church.

I cry when “Spirits in Harmony” touches me.

I cry when Rev. Jim Covington’s sermons tap sensitivities I had forgotten.

I cry when members and friends share Sorrows!and Joys.

I cry when Erika Schenker’s music lifts me up.

I cry with shared pride when Sam Morkal-Williams plays Ragtime.

I cry when members of the Men’s Group-Community Circle tell their stories.

I cry when I learn about oppression in Palestine through the eyes of a young man who could be my son or yours.

I cry when I hear of the continued plight in the Gulf Coast.

Crying is usually thought of as sadness akin to depression. That picture does not suit me at all. This crying is a spiritual process. It grounds me and gives tinder to my passions and the impetus to take action. Our church, our Fellowship, is a safe place where I can expose this vulnerability. It is a safe place for me and –I trust–for others. As such, it is a place where I can give and get affection and support from more than my immediate family. This is a treasure.

For those of you who might share some of these inclinations, it is a treasure that should not be kept a secret. If you experience the value of this treasure and want to invite others, then please do what I learned from Anne Sumers. Many people seem to be timid, so timid that they feel uncomfortable in the Coffee Hour or amongst UUs. These people carry blue mugs, white mugs or no mugs at all. Let’s work to shatter this wall of discomfort and isolation. Every one of us should try to get to know at least two people they did not know before. Let’s make new connections in this safe place. If each of us does this every Coffee Hour–and at every function of this Fellowship–the treasure can indeed be shared.

The light is on, the door is open, Please come in, we have much warmth to share.

Eddy Fried

President of the Board of Trustees