Not too long ago, in 2014, our General Assembly theme was “Love Reaches Out.” Workshops included visionary topics such as “Deepening Online Engagement,” “Updating Your Web Presence,” and “Making and Sharing Videos.” But old, comfortable ways of doing church are hard to change…until you have to change.

One of the silver linings in the dark cloud of the pandemic is that love has been reaching out, in ways we couldn’t have imagined back in 2014—or even 2019.

In the past two years, there have been so many moments of radical inclusion, connection, and creativity, I thought it would be helpful to share them as a litany.

For those who moved away, who are now able to join us:

We give thanks for their online presence.

For those who are have mobility challenges, who are now able to join us:

We give thanks for their online presence.

For those families who are having a rough morning, who are still able to join us:

We give thanks for their online presence.

For those who are contagious or immunocompromised, who are still able to join us:

We give thanks for their online presence.

For those curious but shy seekers, who want to learn about us:

We give thanks for their online presence.

For those sibling congregations, whose worship team needs a break, now able to visit us:

We give thanks for their online presence.

For the guest preachers who give our worship team a break:

We give thanks for their online presence.

When we are tempted to “go back to normal,” let’s remember the many ways that our online presence has been a miraculous opportunity for the radical love of Unitarian Universalism to reach out.