Message from our Consulting Minister

Reflections from David

One of my favorite novelists once began a story with the admonition "A beginning is a delicate time." It is an admonition that is in my mind as I have been preparing to become your new Interim Minister. When I met with Rev. Fran at General Assembly in Minneapolis, she told me of her love for you as a congregation and as individuals, and how much she enjoyed her time with you. She expressed pride in you, and hope for the time that I will be able to spend with you in the coming year. I am both excited and honored to have been chosen by the Interim Minister Selection Committee and the Board to walk in ministry with you.

I am coming to UUFoM having spent a year as a Chaplain Resident at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital and Rainbow Hospice and Palliative Care in Park Ridge, IL. It has been an amazing experience to walk with families through traumatic injury and loss in a Level 1 Trauma Center, and to walk the journey known as "End-of-Life" with hospice patients and their families.

Of the many things that I will take away from this past year, one of the most profound has been that what seems to matter most at such moments of crisis and loss is not esoteric theology, not church doctrine or creed or truth with a capitol T. What has mattered most to these families amidst such loss is to know that they love one another, that they will miss one another, and that they forgive one another. It is from that place that they are able to begin again, amidst such change.

With the beginning of a new ministry, we too are given a moment to "begin again in love", as a reading from our hymnal says. I look forward to "beginning again" with you, as I visit the congregation during the first week of August. I look forward to meeting you, learning about your passions, seeing how you, as Joseph Campbell said so well "follow your bliss". I look forward to exploring with you the vision you have for UUFoM, and sharing with you some of the journey that has brought me to you.

Through August, I will be learning about the congregation (reading by-laws, Board minutes, and annual reports). I will be talking with committee chairs, staff members, and the Board, and be learning about you as individuals and as a congregation. I hope to be laying the foundation for a strong start for a new Director of Religious Education. I will step into the UUFoM pulpit for the first time on September 5th. During August, you will see me come and go, as I will be commuting from Chicago as I complete my Chaplain Residency. On August 27th, Sandy (my wife) and I will complete our move to Midland, and be proud to call your home our new home.

If you could design a word that meant excited and humbled, joyous and sober, motivated and sedate, inspired and open to what will come… it would begin to describe my emotions at coming to the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Midland. It is a beginning. It is a delicate time… and I pray we can begin together, another beginning amidst the many in our lives… in love.

Yours in faith,

Rev. David

Pictures of Rev. David Pyle on the web:

  http://www.flickr.com/photos/23154972@N07/sets/72157603990476403/show/

As you know, we have a new minister who will join us September 1. The Reverend David G. Pyle will visit Midland to get acquainted with us the first week of August. Rev. David would like to get to know people and has, therefore, requested small, intimate groups. Please sign up for one of these ‘get acquainted sessions’. If these all get filled up, we’ll add another. In addition, there will be a Fellowship pot luck so that we can all welcome Rev. David together.

Small Group Meetings: Call or email Elaine (uufom@uufom.org) to reserve a spot.

Wednesday August 4
        10:00 AM to 11:30 AM
          6:30 PM to 8:00 PM

Thursday August 5
        10:00 AM to 11:30 PM
          3:30 PM to  5:00 PM

 Friday August 6
         1:00 PM to 2:30 PM

Saturday August 7
       10:00 AM to 11:30 AM

All Fellowship Group Potluck

Friday August 6, 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM

The Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Midland is recognized by the Unitarian Universalist Association as a Welcoming Congregation. We welcome, affirm, promote and celebrate the full participation of all persons in all of our activities without regard to age, gender, sexual orientation, race or any other such category of exclusion.

Please feel free to contact us with any feedback, corrections or questions at jaham1729@gmail.com