The Final Goodbye from Rev. Roger Butts

Living a Positive Life

Dear ones, Today I delivered my final sermon as your Associate Minister. I will shared two poems, that I love, and a love letter to Unity. You touched me. You touched my soul. Because of you, I healed in places that were tired and worn out. You gave me a place to land after a very difficult transition away from full time parish ministry. I will not forget you. Let me just say this, the world needs your message right now, more than ever. Your message is embedded in your name: Unity. We are all one. We just sometimes forget. And you all bear witness to this reality. Every time you step into that sanctuary, or attend an interfaith gathering, or worship at another community's service. You bear witness to the ultimate reality, that we are one, and that love has triumphed. If I were to guess, I'd say Ahriana and all of you reached out to me to be a part of your ministry, because I bring a Christian/Humanist/Poetic/Mytho approach to life and our work together. And it has been a privilege and a pleasure to share whatever wisdom I have with you all. My last sermon was like all the other ones: some random stories, some random images, and some laughter that hopefully add up to a little something. But what a beautiful thing that we build together on all of those Sunday morning services. A time to breathe. A time to not contribute to the Gross Domestic Product or the national economy. But just a time to be. Thank you all who joined me! Love, Roger Only Once Denise Levertov All which, because it was flame and song and granted us joy, we thought we'd do, be, revisit, turns out to have been what it was that once, only; every invitation did not begin a series, a build-up: the marvelous did happen in our lives, our stories are not drab with its absence: but don't expect to return for more. Whatever more there will be will be unique as those were unique. Try to acknowledge the next song in its body -- halo of flames as utterly present, as now or never.