With Labor Day behind us, summer has reached its official end. Like schools and many other institutions, First Unitarian moves into a new year.

At least we say that a “new church year” is beginning, and it is true that our programming does ramp up. Religious education classes in our Learning Community resume and the choirs return. Classes for adults and small group opportunities for spiritual deepening will also begin soon.

But energy remained high throughout the summer. Attendance, in fact, was up in comparison to last year. I know that worshipping in our lovely Chapel was a draw for some of us. Attendance was good even for the 9:15 service when there was no choir. And last Sunday was not the first time that the 11:15 service was “SRO.”

We had over 900 in worship when we hosted the UU Musicians Network in early August. Our witness for immigrant rights , along with much of our justice work, remained strong. This last week saw volunteers preparing our former shelter space to welcome asylum seekers detained at the Sheridan prison. It felt like First Unitarian moved closer to functioning like a 12 month church.

We will move back into the Sanctuary for worship this Sunday. Our Chancel (or stage) is now accessible for someone in a wheelchair or scooter via the south gallery. It is also slightly larger for which those who lead worship are thankful. New lighting, fresh paint and a thorough cleaning give the whole sanctuary a new look. There are improvements in the Narthex (the lobby) as well.

Through the summer, we did not print Orders of Service, an experiment designed to reduce the amount of paper we use. This generated as much conversation as the move to the Chapel.

As we return to the Sanctuary, we will try a compromise. We will print single sheet 8 ½ X 11 Orders of Service, with announcements on the reverse side. But we will continue to have information about the readings and music on the screens and at the website. We will be asking all of us to think about whether we need an Order of Service, or if every member of every family needs her own. If you find that you can do without and especially if you find that you don’t miss having a printed Order of Service, let’s save some paper and lighten our load on the planet.

You will notice new spiritual themes this year. The first, Integrity, in September. The themes this year are being grouped under the “Moral Compass” language from our vision statement. This approach allows us to explore some new religious/spiritual concepts while relating our worship and programming to the mission of the church.

The new year will bring challenges, both spiritual, moral and political. The need for our religious voice has never been greater. Our vision of the Beloved Community calls us forward.

See you in church!

Bill