A Rev. Bill Commentary: That Beautiful Time of Year, Again

It’s that beautiful time of year again in the Northern Hemisphere, when the June solstice – your signal to celebrate summer – is nearly upon us.  On June 21, you might pause to notice the earliest dawn and latest sunset and your shortest noontime shadow of the year.  If you’re a person who’s tuned in to the out-of–doors, you know the peaceful, comforting feeling that accompanies these signs and signals of the year’s longest day. The solstice is a time to recall the reverence and understanding that early people had for the sun, our ultimate source of all light and warmth.  Some 5000 years ago both Stonehenge in England and the Great Pyramids of Gaza were designed to be precisely aligned with the sunrise and sunset on the June solstice.

It is a time of turning for all of us. The continuity of life is not permanence, but newness, the constant regeneration of the universe from galaxies to grasshoppers.  As Nietzche put it: ‘Only where there are graves are there resurrections.’ Only as the old order dies can the new order be born. Only as the old me dies, can the new me, and you be born.”

The turning foremost on my mind is my imminent departure from  KVUUC.  I will leave feeling good about my time with you and my experience in ministry as a whole.  Ten years ago I agonized over the question whether I should seek to be ordained as a UU minister, or just “retire” as most of my contemporaries were doing.  I now see the decision to go ahead as one of best of my life.  It has been a 10 year  high; so much growth of my soul, so many encounters at the deepest levels, so many hugs and caring exchanged with so many people, so many opportunities to celebrate, honor and defend life.  I have been truly blessed.

And, I feel KVUUC is a healthy, happy place poised to become what ever it collectively wishes.  And all will be well.  Shortly I presume you will welcome my replacement. If you treat her or him anything like the way you have treated me, a mere mortal should do splendidly.

In gratitude,

Rev. Bill