On August 1, I took care in getting ready for my first official day of work at QUUF. I selected a favorite dress, grabbed my lightweight black cardigan (will it be chilly?), and started looking at my earrings for just the right pair.

The choice was obvious. Though the small turquoise pieces at the dangling end of the earrings didn’t really match my pea green linen dress, they were perfect. Under the turquoise, two silver colored metal circles were stamped with the words “brave” on one and “world” on the other.

The maker of these earrings called them story circles, and my impression was that the words landed in particular pairs somewhat randomly and offered an opportunity to think of, recall, or imagine what the story might be.

They were perfect, then, for the first day of a new adventure – or starting work in a new place. Even the most confident of us worry, I suspect, about how it will be going to a new place. Middle school may be distant for many of us, but those questions that plague our tender teen hearts persist longer than we might want. “Will they like me?” “Is there a place for me?”

I hadn’t thought much about that again until I stepped off the platform on Sunday after sharing my two stories and realized that my hands were shaking. Starting new things can really be hard. And knowing that this congregation has been struggling with conflict for a few years added an extra level of that wondering how it will be. Without a magic wand or equivalent, working through deep disagreement takes courage on all parts.

That’s why Brave was the word I needed for my first day, and as we move into working on the Developmental Goals that were set for my time here. Learning and growing takes courage. Healing from conflict isn’t easy, and goodness knows we need courage to both acknowledge fault and to forgive. Even committing to live and let live in the midst of disagreement calls forth a measure of trust which isn’t easy.

And World reminds us that there is tremendous beauty and delight all around us all the time if we stop to see it. Annie Dillard says, “I’ve been thinking about seeing. There are lots of things to see, unwrapped gifts and free surprises.” In reflecting upon her childhood habit of “hiding” a penny for someone to find, she goes on: “The world is fairly studded and strewn with pennies cast broadside from a generous hand,” and reminds us that what we see – what we look for – is what we get.

We know it’s not only beauty, too. Loss and tragedy surround us all. The terrors of climate change, every kind of battle being fought between countries, and individuals, the grief of cancer diagnoses and watching beloved friends and family members fail and die is with us every day, too. And often we close off our awareness to it all just to get through the day.

How we achieve the goals that were set for this time of developmental ministry is still in process and will be for the whole of the time I serve here. I hope many of you will join with me with courage and a recognition of what the part of the world that is QUUF has to offer and how the wider world needs us.

In case you’re not clear on the goals set for this time of Developmental Ministry, here they are:

The developmental minister will work with leadership to prioritize the following goals and establish appropriate timelines, milestones, and deliverables.

1. Trust: Nurture the rebuilding of trust and fellowship within the congregation.

2. Right Relations: Assist congregational leadership in communications with the congregation regarding the Right Relations Covenant and establishing clear guidance with regards to consequences and enforcement.

3. Denominational Affairs: Help the congregation work through our current controversies in reimagining Unitarian Universalism and the UUA.

4. Programming: Expand programming to inform congregants on what it means to be a UU and what it means to be a member of QUUF as a UUA congregation.

5. Programming: Work with leadership and the congregation to determine what the goals are for offering Adult Learning Programs; establish policies and practices to support them.

6. Programming: Expand programming to support growth opportunities for congregants looking for a liberal religious spiritual community.

7. New Governance Structure: Guide the leadership and congregation in the understanding and adoption of the new governance structure, setting up clear communications around milestones and checkpoints for this transition.