Were you there a couple Sundays ago for our service on the #MeToo movement?  If so, you saw the large crowd of women who stood up when our guest minister (the Rev. Kimberley Debus) invited women to come forward who had been victims of sexual harassment or sexual assault. It was a powerful moment. Were you there that Sunday? Did you see the large number of our fellow UUs bearing witness to what they’ve experienced as women? Were you one of them? Were you maybe one of the women who chose to stay seated, not yet ready to share publicly your story?

So many women in our fellowship have expressed to me a desire to not let this moment pass. There is a desire to go deeper with the sense of connection and solidarity that was created.

This Sunday, at 2:30, in the East Wing, we will have the first opportunity to do this. This will be a space for women to come together and share their stories, and to build on the connections that were created in that moment. This space is open to all women and all who were raised as women. To honor this as a woman’s space, I’ve reached out to the Rev. Traci Johnson: a UU minister associated with First Parish Brewster, who works with WE-CAN (Women’s Empowerment through Cape Area Networking). She has experience helping women navigating difficult moments and transitions in their lives, and will be there to provide a spiritual anchor as well as any support that might be needed. She is calling this gathering “A Sacred Circle of Connection.”

If you think you are interested in going, please consider emailing me (minister@uuffm.org) so I can give Rev. Traci a sense of how many might be coming.

Also, if you’re interested but this time doesn’t work for you, let me know. We are hoping to have another Circle sometime in April.

If you have experienced sexual harassment or sexual assault in your life, please know that I am here for you and fully support you. You matter. Your story matters. You are loved.

And may all of us use this moment to hear each other, and honor the stories of the women among us.

Blessings & Love,

The Rev. David Kohlmeier