The Unitarian Fellowship of Peterborough

 I offer these words found at www.newstories.org:

“Stories shape us. They shape our thoughts, our perceptions, and our responses to the world. They hold our history and guide our actions in difficult times. They define us to ourselves and each other and provide our place in the order of things.”

What are the stories that you know, or have heard, about this community, the Unitarian Fellowship of Peterborough? Have you heard that we are warm and friendly, or that we are cliquish and homogenous? Have you learned that we hold onto tradition for all it’s worth, or that we are constantly changing? Do you believe that we are wealthy, or poor? Are children central to our community, or are they to be delegated to a room somewhere separate? Do we get along by disregarding our differences or by embracing them?

Over the next few months, take notice of the stories you hear. When someone says “we always...” or “it’s like that here” or “that’s just like a Unitarian”, pay attention to the whole story. What is it saying about who we are? Is it a story that you want to use to guide us and help us find our place in the order of things? What are the actions and attitudes that result from telling that story?

Listen. Take note. Wonder. And then share that story with me, through email or a phone call. Over this church year, we are going to explore the stories that shape us...to see if they still fit us, or if we’d like to re-story who we are.

And while you’re at it, take note of your own stories. Share them with others. Listen to the stories of others. Alice Walker said, "Storytelling is how we survive. When there's no food, the story feeds something; it feeds the spirit, the imagination. I can't imagine life without stories, stories from my parents, my culture. Stories from other people's parents, they're culture. That's how we learn from each other, it's the best way.”

Blessed are you, my friends, and blessed are our stories.

Julie