Hello Beloveds,
Today a song that I haven’t heard in a long time came to mind as I think about how our time together draws to a close and I had to go listen to it again. Maybe you are familiar with the song “It’s So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday” from different periods of time – the version that came to my mind was the a cappella version by Boyz II Men from 1991. It’s a mournful song that laments the need to say goodbye. Some of the lyrics include…
I don’t know where this road
Is going to lead
All I know is where we’ve been
And what we’ve been through
…
And I’ll take with me the memories
To be my sunshine after the rain
It’s so hard to say goodbye to yesterday
As an Interim Minister, we knew that my time with you was time-bound and would be coming to a close after this two-year period. Knowing it and experiencing it are very different in this moment. I have come to know and love you, to love this congregation as I anticipated I would. There is both sadness and joy – for the time and ministry we have shared, the lessons learned, and the journey we have traveled together. I’m finding it hard to say goodbye to all that we have shared, especially knowing that we will have a two year period that we won’t be in touch with one another. But know as the song says I’ll take the memories to be my sunshine after the rain – will take all that I have gained with me into all of my future ministries. You all hold a very dear place in my heart as the first congregation I served as an ordained minister.
The next month holds some sadness and the opportunity to celebrate. My last Sunday in the pulpit will be July 16th and I plan on moving later that week. Before then I want to create lots of opportunities and intentional space to say goodbye in a meaningful way. With that in mind, there are some things have been or will be scheduled between now and my departure. I will be visiting the residents of Westminster Oaks on the morning of June 16th and the Transitions Team is also planning an event, likely on Saturday, July 8th for an opportunity for both celebration and saying goodbye. This will include both in-person and zoom opportunities. Stay tuned for more details as we approach these dates.
If you won’t be around on July 8th or would like a chance to check in as a smaller group or individually before July 16th please let me know so we can get it on the calendar. We can meet in person – at the church or a coffee shop or park – we could also meet on zoom or talk on the phone. I will be attending General Assembly and prior to that Ministry Days in Pittsburgh, PA from June 19th – June 26th so I will be unavailable during that time. I look forward to all of the moments we will share in the coming weeks and know that those moments will fly by oh so quickly.
May you be well, Rev. Holly
About the author
Rev. Holly Brown, Interim Minister
Rev. Holly (they/them/theirs) was ordained on April 3, 2021, by Piedmont Unitarian Universalist Church in Charlotte and Salisbury, NC, where they served as a ministerial intern. Rev. Holly earned their Master of Divinity from Methodist Theological School in Ohio (MTSO) with a special focus on UU courses offered by the UU House of Studies at MTSO. During seminary, they served as a student minister at North Unitarian Universalist Church in Lewis Center, Ohio and student chaplain during one unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Rev. Holly also served as an Interim Director of Religious Education at the UU Congregation of Greenville, NC before perusing ministry.
Rev. Holly has a passion for Racial Justice, LGBTQIA Rights, Interfaith Work, and Mental Health Awareness and Accessibility Justice. In addition to local justice work, Rev. Holly is a member of several UUA and UUMA (UU Ministers Association) groups including TRUUsT (Trans Religious professional Unitarian Universalists Together), Trans/Nonbinary Ministers, Ministers with Disabilities, ARE (Allies for Racial Equity), and the UU Mental Health Network.