Presented at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Brevard at our Annual Meeting
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSDwFmVfClE
Where you go I will go, Annual Meeting Reflection.
“Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay.
Your people will be my people and your God my God”.
These are the words from the Bible book of Ruth.
It tells the story of two Moabite women, Orpah and Ruth.
They were married to the sons of Naomi. Now in a
short time Naomi’s husband and both her sons passed away,
leaving the women alone. Being widowed and
alone she planned to return to the land of Judah.
She encouraged both her daughters in law (now widowed)
to return to their ancestral home and their people.
Orpah chooses to return home, but Ruth chooses
her mother in law as her family.
“Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay.
Your people will be my people and your God my God”.
Now there are many themes and inspirations
we can find in the book of Ruth. Love, Devotion,
faith and family. To me, this is the story of a
chosen family. Naomi in the story encourages
Ruth to return to her family. She can not give Ruth
a husband or the stability that she would have
among her own people, yet Ruth chooses love
over her ancestral ties. Ruth works in the field
and cares for her mother in law. And in the story
Ruth is rewarded by God for her hard work and
devotion to Naomi with a family, husband
and prosperity.
This community is a chosen family. Like so
many in our community, we seek people beyond
our familiar ties. People who share our values,
and accept us for who we are, our whole selves.
Looking through our historical documents,
I came across this (History of Unitarian
Universalist Fellowship of Melbourne
Florida 1956 -1974).
It reads:
“Our congregation is a fellowship of people
who encourage and help one another to
explore the vital questions of life and mutually
support values that would lead to a meaningful
life for all people”.
Our chosen family was formed in February
and March of 1956. Jim Hopper, a Unitarian
from Wellesley Hills Massachusetts, started
us as the first Unitarian meeting in Brevard
county. They started in the trailer of Margaret
and Cyril Nute in Canova Beach, gaining
interest from those moving to the area for
the newly formed space program. In the early
years they met in several places, including
members' homes, the Eau Gallie YMCA,
Florida Tech, and the Melbourne Civic Theater.
This document goes into some of the speakers
and group activities shared with the early members,
and I would invite people to read through it and
see some of our legacy in this community.
We went through many ups and downs, and
according to records almost disappeared in the
early 70’s. But like Ruth, through our faith and
devotion to one another, we found a way in this
community to continue and thrive.
In 1973, through the generous pledges of
our members, we began over the summer
the process of building on this beautiful piece
of land we sit on today.
From the words of our members:
Dr William Mather said at October 7th meeting
in 1973
“The long silence of the summer does not
mean that we have all been loafing.
To the contrary, we can now announce the
first general meeting of the fellowship.”
Bill Newcomb (Building Committee Chair)
and Ralph Moorhouse (Finance Committee Chair)
“finally got a roof over our heads and floors
beneath our feet, and to them we all say
Thanks again and again. Where once the
Bedford horses grazed and the palmetto scrub
flourished, we now have a place for our
deeper fellowship.”
And we are grateful for those who helped create
our legacy, and move us into this deeper fellowship.
So what were the goals of this fellowship in 1974.
In the words of Dr William Mather:
“We must be more completely oriented to the needs
of our neighborhood, our town, our county, state
and ultimately all humanity. It will not be enough,
through the next 5 years to meet together just to
enjoy each other’s company or to get an emotional thrill.
There is work to be done in this world, by Unitarians”.
And so may these be our goals in our 21st century
chosen family. May we like Ruth, choose love,
choose to care for one another. For your people
are my people, and where you go I will go.
May we be each other’s chosen family as we
do serve our wider community in the spirit of our
Unitarian Founders.
So may it be.
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