Connie's Column: Out there, in here
Nearly every week, someone comes up to me after the Sunday service to say “I haven’t been here in person in a long time, and I want to introduce myself.” Or someone says “I’m here for the first time, and I want to introduce myself.” Or someone emails to say “I’m usually there in person, but today I watched the livestream, and I wanted you to know I was there even though you couldn’t see me.” Or someone emails to say “I’m not able to attend in person, but I’m here.” I love hearing from all of you!
In-person and online attendance at Sunday services is strong. Even with additional chairs recently set out, the Meeting Room feels full, in an alive and engaged way. And there’s room for you, whether in body or in spirit!
When the world shut down in 2020, I was serving the First Unitarian Church of Pittsburgh. Their historic sanctuary had not been set up with the technology for livestreaming services. There was a week when we had “church by email.” And by the following week, we had a volunteer crew using cell phones and a small camera on tripods to stream the service, for a total of four of us in the room including the music director. I will admit that leading the service was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life! After that first livestream service, a congregant emailed the tech crew leader, the music director, and me, to express appreciation for the fact that there was a service. The writer said, “it must be difficult, in an empty sanctuary.” The tech crew leader replied, “The sanctuary wasn’t empty, because you were here with us.”
The Meeting Room at UUCB is “full” on Sunday mornings – full of life; full of music; full of people talking, listening, reflecting, singing, enjoying being together. And there’s plenty of room for you to be with us, in here or out there.
In faith and hope,
Connie
Rev. Connie Grant
Interim Lead Minister
847-840-8542
