“Church is like brownies,” announced the toddler

To his mother.

            I wonder if he meant:

Church is warm, and brown, and sweet, and

sometimes it comes with something really cool,

like vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, and/or milk?

Did he mean Church tastes soooo good

That a second helping is mostly always welcome.

            Church is fun, gooey, and it’s exciting.

Something to look forward to after a meal?

It’s full of awe like a new day,

Full of light and sun to soak up and play in?

 

Or did he mean something else?

Something like it takes a lot of different ingredients to

Make a church community happen?

Just like making a brownie or a cookie?

Did he mean something like

It takes all of our stories, our willingness, or

Desire to bring our best selves here to make a church

Community stay alive – thrive?

 

//

 

Church is like brownies.

            The church community is a powerful gathering,

Rich with stories,

An embracing gathering of light…of incredible potential.

 

 //

 

In her sermon on August 27th,  the Rev. Marta Valentin

Of the First UU Congregation of New Orleans spoke

To a community still in mourning, still working to regain

Some sense of normalcy saying:

“In the words of Diane Thornton: "Give yourself to giving, and you'll find

 that the things that matter are returning."  The things that matter cannot

 return unless we actively bring them back, unless we pull them out of

 the darkness of no return, and shine the light of possibility on them.

 Possibilities that are as diverse as we are,

                                              inside and outside of these four walls.