Next week, I will be away from Monday through Wednesday, attending the annual gathering of the Prairie Star Chapter of the Unitarian Universalist Ministers Association. We meet at a retreat center in Iowa, where we share worship, learning, spiritual practices, collegial support and connection, and more, as well as holding a business meeting of our chapter. It is time that feeds us in mind, body, and spirit, and keeps us connected to colleagues we may only see in person this one time each year.

This year, one of the spiritual practices I am looking forward to is “forest bathing”—which has nothing to do with bathing the body, but instead with bathing the spirit in the beauty of the woods. I imagine the experience, which is new for me, will make it into a future column or sermon!

It’s hard to believe that while I am there, we will move from September into October! The summer seems to have gone quickly, from my perspective, and if anything the autumn is moving even faster, perhaps because it is filled with lots of exciting events, which are listed elsewhere in this email.

I hope to see many of you at the Steve Simon event at UUFM this evening; if I don’t see you there, I look forward to connecting again after I am back from Iowa.

 

In gratitude,

Rev. Diana