Beloved,

COLD. Boy is it cold. I’m sitting here in the pahsonage with a busted furnace, and thinking of Haitians living in tents outside because they’re afraid ever to be under a roof again. I’m thinking of Haitians climbing into boats to escape the chaos and smell of death, only to be intercepted and put in tents in Guantanamo. I’m thinking of Marie Dorcena, an erstwhile First Churcher (now in PA with Jacques and baby Anais, warm and safe, thank God) who moved to Boston as a tweenager, midwinter, from Haiti years ago, and finding it cold, cold, cold here.

Cold. We have weather to battle with, and can only do so much with tempermental furnaces. But what can we do with our hearts? What can we do with our words? What can we do to be invitational, to climb inside the stories of others, stay there a while and huddle for warmth, bring fuel to fan the flames of justice, create sanctuaries here within, a roof under which people may safely stay, sheltered?

We’ve been talking about race, immigration, justice, and the (multiracial?) future of First Church for four weeks now. This Sunday is the last in our series:  Rev. Hank Peirce, a friend of mine and the pastor of the UU church in Medford, and I are swapping pulpits. I’ll go preach for his people, and he will come preach for you:  on his congregation’s amazing work on immigration over these last few years, the blessings and curses of doing this work. I know you will welcome him warmly, admire his ink, ask him about his punk-rocker past, listen closely to his interpretation of God’s holy word, take inspiration from him and his church’s work. Gary is our able liturgist. Laura Ruth will welcome, pray.

After church, at coffee hour: if you are already planning to go on the all-church retreat next week, find someone who isn’t and tell them how great it is! Make a personal invitation! If you’re not already planning to go, and you don’t have other plans, be open to the personal invitation! You won’t regret it.

After church, at 2p: Sing! Prayer and Praise! For the first time in many, many moons, First Church Somerville is hosting an event for the entire Massachusetts Conference of the UCC! Come, sing groovy songs in a worshipful setting from the new hymnal that our former music director and current member Branden Grimmett had a strong hand in shaping. There’s nothing like singing as if your life depended on it to warm the blood.

brrrrrrrressings,
Molly