On March 20th of last month, which was the spring equinox, UUFB returned to in-person services and children’s Religious Exploration (RE) in our building for the first time since mid-August of last year. About 45 people attended in-person that day. It was wonderful to have people physically present in the building again after preaching in a nearly empty sanctuary for many months. And from what I heard from those who were present that day, folks were very glad to be there.

Had this not been the weekend following spring break for local schools, it is quite likely the number of people attending in-person would have been higher. And the weather probably discouraged some people from attending in-person as well. That morning, the area was under a winter storm advisory with temperatures in the low 30’s and several inches of snow falling just prior to and during the service. Because the weather was not at all inviting, the outdoor social time after the service was cancelled.

After more than two years of holding most of our services and children’s RE online, the return to meeting in-person again was greatly appreciated. We made the shift to online services in 2020 when no other option was available or appropriate. Since then, the decision was made to continue live-streaming the services even after we were again able to meet in the building. That means people can decide whether to join us in the building or to participate in the service in the comfort of their home on Sunday mornings. This is an example of how we, as a Fellowship and UU’s more generally, strive to offer people a variety of options. We recognize that each person is unique and has different wants and needs. While we can’t meet all of the wants and needs of those who are looking for a religious home, we strive to make our Fellowship and what it has to offer accessible to those who are interested in connecting with and/or getting involved in this congregation.

With spring now upon us, I believe our efforts to resume in-person gatherings will be supported by the increasing length of daylight and warming temperatures. As I said during my sermon on March 20th, it is my hope, and quite likely your hope as well, that we will be able to hold in-person services and RE every Sunday from this day onward. Because the COVID virus is still with us, there is still much that is uncertain. In spite of the uncertainty, work is being done to continue moving in the direction of providing more opportunities for people to meet in-person, both in the building and outside.

In the weeks and months ahead, considerable time, attention and energy will be required as we work to recover and rebuild from the impact the pandemic has had on us as individuals and as a congregation. We are all long past the point of being ready for the pandemic to be a thing of the past. We have all experienced loss as a result of the pandemic. With the return to in-person gatherings, we are taking one step in the journey to recovery and rebuilding. Each time we gather in-person in the coming weeks and months we will have the chance to re-engage, offer support and encouragement, and re-imagine how we will be in community together. Just as spring weather is unpredictable on a day-to-day basis, so will our path forward be. But spring both demonstrates and convinces me that better days lie ahead. In the coming days, I look forward to the blossoming that will occur in our Fellowship and in gardens, fields and forests in the area.