A year ago, we were meeting on Zoom, with the worst of the Covid 19 waves taking shape around our shuttered meetinghouse. As a faith community, we had responded effectively to the pandemic and addressed needs involving online technology, social isolation and material aid. We also came together in witness to the tragedy of police shootings and, then, the attack on the Capitol.
A year later, we have figured out how to hold meeting for worship safely in-person, and also agreed on reserving some Sundays for Zoom worship to include Friends who can’t come to the meetinghouse. In this same spirit of addressing challenges head-on and trusting in Continuing Revelation, we have formed an Accessibility Working Group so that meetinghouse events can be inclusive for those with hearing loss, asthma, allergies to mold and sensitivity to heat and humidity.
We continue to aspire to informing ourselves about the history of racial injustice and the opportunities to create a more just society. There was a challenge here, too: not having the time and energy to form book reading groups. So we pioneered a book report discussion format instead that has allowed our pursuits to continue.
We are asked by First Day School to hold this beloved part of our community in the Light. The Covid challenges are daunting, and the onset of cold weather makes it hard to figure out a solution. Not every problem can be solved. We are deeply grateful that younger children are now receiving vaccinations.
Our community is small and resilient. We miss the beloved faces of Friends we no longer see, and appreciate our newcomers. Can we say the best of times and the worst of times? We are getting to see the best of each other and that counts for a lot.
Respectfully,
Dana Robinson, Clerk
