View from the Pew, October 2020: A Dispatch from Michigan

Hello CHUC Folks!

You may have noticed a couple of unfamiliar faces joining you in Sunday Zoom Worship. My husband and I have been joining you from Michigan pretty regularly so I thought I would introduce myself. I am Becky Jamros and I live in SW Michigan just a few miles from Lake Michigan with my husband, John, and our three dogs, Pal, Samson, and Billy. We moved to the tiny town of Fennville about three years ago from Lansing, our state capital in the center of the "Mitten." Our area is a lush, fruit-growing region filled with rivers, lakes, forests, vineyards, and orchards. We are not far from bigger towns and cities like Grand Rapids and Chicago, so we have the best of both worlds.

One of my greatest joys in this third stage of life has been traveling on a wide open, freewheeling spiritual road trip filled with discoveries, insights, and adventures. We're part of a beautiful Interfaith Worship Community where we have met many wonderful people. Spirit Space friends told us about a fantastic church that their child had found in Philadelphia. So, in this strange time of COVID, when congregations are not meeting face-to-face, we began tuning into your weekly services, finding yet another "hidden" jewel that we may never have come across if circumstances were different. My metaphysical friends would say that's synchro-divinity. I'd say it's a blessing.

My heart resonates with your commitment to social justice, inclusion, and diversity. One of the highlights of my summer was joining Kerr Mesner's class at the Naramta Center on transgender inclusion. Each Sunday we listen, learn, and are inspired by the wisdom of your sermons, songs, and poetry. Joining your worship has been a very bright spot in these difficult times.

Curiosity leads me to reading, making art, participating in online discussions and classes, meditation, being out in nature walking, hiking, kayaking, and spending (virtual) time with friends and family. When the time comes again for real-life travel, I think a road trip to Philadelphia would be at the top of our list!