November has become the month of gratitude for many people (though as Rev. Rick likes to remind us, we are on the path of Compassion and Gratitude daily in our lives). Nevertheless, as we prepare to gather for Thanksgiving with our friends and families this month, I am reminded of the importance of being grateful for things in my life that have just developed over time without much forethought of what it should be. One of those things is this column, Behind the Chalice, which came about from a need to communicate during COVID times and has developed into a nice way of connecting our congregation and community.

This past year, that connection has been through learning about many of the people who provided different services each week to bring the Sunday worship service to you, in-person or via live stream. I have sent further requests out to people in hope that you will be able to continue meeting and learning about the various people you see milling about on a Sunday.

The time has also come to turn to you, the people before the chalice and learn about you. If you would like to answer a similar questionnaire like the ones you have been seeing this past year, send me an email at sara@uusalem.org and I would be happy to send you the list of questions. It would be fun to get to know the people Before the Chalice as well as those behind.
I’d like to leave you with this, about gratitude:

“Blessed be the gifts you never notice,
your health, eyes to behold the world,
thoughts to countenance the unknown,
memory to harvest vanished days,
your heart to feel the world’s waves,
your breath to breathe the nourishment
of distance made intimate by earth.”
~ John O’Donohue

In gratitude, we who serve, – Behind the Chalice.