Update from Rev. Susan – 12/5/2025

Hi Friends,

One of my new spiritual practices is finding local outdoor places to explore. This summer I randomly received in a mailing solicitation a map of “100 Spots to Explore the Chicago Lakefront” from Openlands, an organization doing good work “conserving nature for life.” I love the snow, so I’ve continued to be out for snowy walks and the photo is of me recently exploring the Rogers Park Beach, one of the spots on the Openlands’ map.

During this holiday season, one of my renewed spiritual practices is being purposely present wherever I am. With the political and geopolitical worlds weighing heavy on my heart and my mind, I am intentionally making time to tend to my body and my spirit this winter. I’m seeking to find the balance of nurturing my whole being so that I may have the capacity to continue to engage in the world. I’m seeking to find the balance of holding the grief of death and the challenges of preserving our democracy alongside embracing the joy of celebrating my personal holidays and the holidays of those I cherish.

Our large congregation has members with many theological traditions and religious backgrounds and as we move through this winter holiday season, we celebrate different traditions. On December 8, we celebrate Bodhi Day, which commemorates the day Siddhartha Gautama achieved enlightenment under the Bodhi tree, becoming the Buddha. 

December 14-22, we celebrate Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, which commemorates the struggle for religious freedom through the Maccabean Revolt and celebrates the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem and the miraculous relighting of the temple’s menorah for eight days with a single jar of oil.

For decades I have spent the winter holidays celebrating with various Pagan communities. The winter solstice on December 21 marks the longest night of the year. It is a time of rest and renewal, when animals hibernate and plants decompose to replenish the soil. As humans in modern society, we have to make the choice to rest and renew. It is in this spirit of caring for yourself that I invite you to figure out how you might make time for rest and renewal in the weeks ahead. 

I am trying to have daily spiritual practices of mindfulness, prayer, and planning. As I travel to and from UCE during the week, I set an intention to appreciate the beauty of the brilliant snow during the day and the twinkling holiday lights at night. As I end each day, I make time for prayer that includes lament for the day’s events and gratitude for the day’s gifts. As I make plans for the holidays, I set an intention to be fully present with family and friends. Mickey and I planned a weeklong Thanksgiving celebration, being with my parents on the Sunday before Thanksgiving, spending time with a dear friend on Monday, being at home just the two of us for most of Thanksgiving Day, and spending the Saturday after Thanksgiving with Mickey’s family. 

As fresh grief and the grief of marking the anniversaries of missed loved ones is upon us this holiday season, I invite you to join us for a Blue Holiday Service in the sanctuary from 5:30-6:30 pm on Wednesday, December 10. If the weight of what is happening with our country or around the world is weighing on you, please join us for this service when we honor the challenges that do not go away, and sometimes intensify, during the winter holidays. If you need, or someone you know needs, some support right now, please fill out a Request for Care form or email me, Rev. Eileen, or Rev. Elizabeth. 

You are also invited to join in the festivities of celebrating our Christian heritage in a UU way with our tree ornament making Sunday on December 7, our Holiday Music Sunday on December 14, our Christmas Pageant on December 21, and our Christmas Eve Candlelight Service on December 24. The list of events is located on the Home page of our website and in this newsletter. Come craft and sing and laugh and be comforted! 

In this snowy winter wonder land, take care of yourself and join us! You are not alone. You are valued within our faith tradition. You are loved this holiday season for exactly who you are.

Yours in wintry rest and renewal,

Rev. Susan