Message from the Minister
Season’s Greetings Beloveds,
This holiday season can bring a mix of emotions – joy and sorrow. Joy at being with loved ones and seeing old friends, of giving and receiving gifts – especially the joy of watching a child open a gift. This past weekend, it was a joy to see the youth gathered for a bonfire on Friday and so many people at the church for the Festival on the Green on Saturday. I am grateful to Bonnie Abellera and the many volunteers that made the Festival on the Green possible. I also appreciate the invitation to the youth bonfire and meeting those attending during their check in. I had the opportunity to meet some of you for the first time and a chance to visit in person with those I’ve only seen online. I look forward to more such occasions in the new year.
However, for some there are difficult memories, seasonal depression, recent loss, estrangement from one’s family, and on top of it all, the pandemic continues to impact our holiday season. The presence of the Omicron variant has some reconsidering traveling while others find it essential to reconnect with family and friends while they can do so.
Whatever life brings you this week and as we enter the new year, know that you are loved and held by this community. I wish you all a safe, healthy, peaceful and happy holiday and a joyful new year.
I hope that you will join us for our Christmas Eve service at 6 pm via Facebook Live or Zoom on December 24th. The Facebook Live recording will be available for viewing anytime after. This service invites you to approach Christmas with the joy, mystery, and wonder that children embody this time of year.
Joyful Blessings,
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.