Dear UUCPA folks, Christmas is coming! We have a wonderful service planned for 6:30 and 8 this evening, with gorgeous guitar from Yuri Liberzon, special music from Veronika Agranov-Dafoe, Richard Heydt, and Mayo Tsuzuki, our wonderful new Minister of Religous Education, Rev. Cat, joining me in telling the old story of Christmas and sharing poetry of today, and–oh joy!–all of us singing beloved carols and bringing the light of hundreds of candles.
Thanks to the COVID Safety Task Force and your flexibility and support for each other, we have done an excellent job these past almost-three years at keeping the delicate balance: caring for our hearts and spirits by being together, caring for our bodies by taking the virus seriously. As I write, hospitalizations from COVID are almost as high in our area as they were when the first new variant appeared, the Delta in August 2021. Thus far we are proceeding on the evidence that more recent and updated boosters help keep you out of the hospital, so for eligible folks (age 5 and up), bivalent boosters are a must. Masks also make a significant difference, so we will continue to wear masks indoors. If you require a waiver because it’s not advisable for you to get the booster, speak to me confidentially.
If you can’t join the service in person, join online! Make sure to have a candle and matches so you can add your candlelight at “Silent Night.” And I recommend printing out the carols (they’ll be linked from the service webpage), making your favorite cozy drink and turning the lights down low.
Big thanks to William Phelps, Byron Brown, Paul Kostka, and Tim Berry for bringing both services to Zoom and FB Live this evening, and to John Wright and Ann Zeise, who help make everyone feel at home online.
I look forward to seeing your beloved faces tonight.
Blessings,
Amy