The Roman god Janus has two faces. One face is facing the future and the other facing the past. Janus is the god of beginnings and transitions, past and future, the god of passages.

For me, Janus is the succinct metaphor for being fully present. Only if we are aware of our place in time amid the total span of time can we realize what the present truly is.

What does this have to do with our church? For me, everything. UUFSCC has a long history dating back to before 1866 in Santa Cruz for being a liberal, progressive church. While UUFSCC has been through many variations and iterations—we have a rich history when we look backwards. And looking backwards can provide a true sense of perspective, progress, and evoke pride. But if we dwell too long looking backwards, we tend to inflate the past glory and beauty of the past. Like remembering the 1950’s as a wonderful time in America—when that was only true for a few white people. It is human nature to talk about “the good ol’ days” as a time when things were slower, simpler, and good for all. Our memories glorify the past, but luckily most people don’t live in the past—we live in the future.

In a recent study in Chicago, 500 adults were pinged during the day to record their immediate thoughts and moods. Were they thinking about the past or future?  If traditional psychological theory had been correct, these people would have spent a lot of time ruminating about the past. But they actually thought about the future three times more often than the past

So, if we are typical of Chicagoans, what is in our future at UUFSCC? My list includes enhanced Sunday morning worship services, expansion of Small Group Ministry, Children’s RE programming growth, Adult RE programming growth, increased social justice engagement, a strategic/tactical plan for the next 5 years, and a balanced budget. Are these wild dreams? No, they are all initiatives in process which will benefit us soon.

But our goals and ongoing initiatives are only a result of your support of this institution. Only by the incredible generosity of our congregants can we sustain and thrive.

Our Stewardship drive is in process, and you should have gotten a letter (in the mail!) asking for your support as we plan our budget for next year. Our campaign this year is named “It’s up to me” to emphasize each of our individual roles in sustaining the ongoing efforts and achieving our future goals. If you have ever—by being at UUFSCC—benefited from, been comforted by, been challenged because of, felt loved without judgment, cried, laughed, been plunged into existential thought, or experienced spiritual growth—I ask that you support our community with your generous pledge. We exist only because of your financial support. If you didn’t get a stewardship letter and want one, please contact me or the Office—and we’ll get you one.

I am thrilled to be associated with such a great group of people who are doing our part to build the Beloved Community—first locally, then in our community, then the city and beyond. Let’s look beyond sustaining. Let’s look to the future of our congregation and for all those who have yet to find us.

It is possible, but remember—–It’s up to me………….in shared ministry………Russ