Why do I love UUCW?
Before I even write, let me show you something. Check out Melanie DeMore’s Song “I will be your standing stone” on YouTube. I saw this song performed at UUCW by Melanie and our choir. I sang along and it moved me. As you sing it, you feel it and it goes deeper. It goes about five times deeper as everyone in the sanctuary sings it. The song’s words are simply “I will be your standing stone, I will stand by you.” And that is all I need to say about UUCW. Our congregation embodies those words.
This congregation stood by me when I lost my wife, Nancy Wulf to heart failure. They offered so much help and all I took were many home-cooked meals. The Lay Pastoral Care team offered services, and Rev. Suzelle Lynch was by my side immediately to console and help plan a wonderful “Celebration of Life Memorial service.” So many people from church came to the service. It surprised me and honored Nancy. Nancy had become ingrained in UUCW by serving 2 years on Stewardship and 3 years on the Board of Trustees. I didn’t really know all the people she knew but I knew many children by serving 8 years in Religious Education.
At a board meeting following her passing, they played the song “Simple Gifts” (best version is by Yo-Yo Ma). The starting words are “Tis a gift to be simple, ‘tis a gift to be free. ‘Tis a gift to come down where we ought to be.”
It is such a gift to be free and yet in such a promoted “free” country, individuals are not free to live as they choose. We, at UUCW, need to be the standing stone and help every individual to live free and have equal rights and equal justice under the law. If you are already here at UUCW you see the gift of coming down where YOU ought to be. If you have similar values but don’t know UUCW please come check us out.
It is simple to have UU values internally. It is hard to live and act on our values. Individually, we need this congregation to live our values, to lead with love, in showing others our UU values. We stand taller …together, we influence with more strength … together, we impact the U.S and the world ….together.
I am proud to give my time, talent, treasures, and yes, tears to the best of my ability. The tears are just a physical representation of love.
Nancy’s spirit is at UUCW, I need to be active here to show my children Nancy’s values.
In memory of so many spirits that still inspire me: Nancy Wulf, Becky Steffes, Bruce Ambuel, Lilo Sewell, Warren Phinney, John Bahr, Allan Johnson, Rightie Pappenheim, and Dennis Wanless.
