Likewise, I like very much to live in my own head and for the most part it's pretty satisfying in there.

Yet my head isn't where I can live my whole life. Connection to others and a connection to the world are not nearly as dynamic or satisfying in the abstract as they are in the concrete world. So I seek connection for myself in the same way that I want his hands to touch play doh.

This community is precious to my spiritual growth in the same way play doh is to my son's growing mind. It gives me a chance to connect, moment to moment, effort to effort, exchange to exchange with my hands, my heart and even my resistant head.

Well before I moved to Toronto, I made a promise that whenever I find a group of people actualizing something which resonates with my inner ideals I would join in. I would accept all of the inherent flaws and embrace and celebrate the reality of its existence. Further, I would find ways to enhance and grow it.

Though in some ways my relationship with Unitarianism reaches back 20 years, twice, recently in the local UU community I heard such a call: At Unicamp and here at 1st Unitarian.

Honoring my resonance with Unicamp was easy to do, nature is fully trustworthy to me. The community and environment of support, growth and empowerment is palpably evident at Unicamp. Now I find myself on its board and I am unqualifiedly excited by its programs that encourage us to accept and grow into ourselves. For this reason, I'm happy to be putting my energy into insuring that these programs happen this year as they have for 35 years before.

Embracing 1st took a little bit more of a leap of faith. I had to overcome my strong fear for the harm that organized religion can bring. But, I'm willing to set aside my concern so that I may connect with the rich sincerity, the collective intelligence and the manifest human compassion that I find so strong in this community, and again, I'm excited by all the programs here and find that I am of use on the program committee.

I'm still challenged always to reassert that I do belong here and I work to stay open to all that it has to offer. Yet,still, in little ways I'm always reminded that I do belong.

In Short, what brought me here and why I'm here is to connect, to be of use in as real a way as my mind and heart will allow.

What feeds me spiritually and what feeds my connection to 1st are not entirely the same.

What feeds and sustains my spirituality is the changing seasons, the rhythms of nature and the wisdom of the universe and even finding connections to others.

So I find renewal in some Buddhist teachings, mystical writings, pagan rituals which honor our balance with nature, humanist ideas, mythmaking and alchemical creativity, as well as a basic assumption that we are all trying our best.

I could pursue all of these spiritual interests elsewhere or on my own,

but what keeps me here at 1st is the importance of remembering that my own spirituality does have meaning to an entity greater than myself. And the opportunity to explore in community, with others, to share in your processes and pathways and to feel our collective energy, confirmation that… Yes, there is good in the world manifest even outside of my own head.

And I know that as long as I continue to be moved each time we collectively say our call to action …and I'd love it if you joined me in this…

"For all that is our life we sing our thanks and praise,
for all life is a gift which we are called to use
to build the common good and make our own days glad."

I don't know why it hits me so, but as long as it does, I'll keep coming until I know both why it moves me and that it moves others too.