Church School may be done, but June is a month filled with special children and youth events. We do hope that you can join us and delight in the gifts they have to offer.

It has been an honor and a privilege to serve this church community.

Peace and Love,

Jennifer

I clearly recall my first college choral audition—which was also my first ever audition for singing—and the nervous waiting for a list to be posted afterward to see who got into the main Cathedral Choir. Once the list was finally posted (what felt like an endless number of days later), I read every name in the soprano, alto, tenor, and bass sections at least three times. My name was not there. Not anywhere to be found. I was disappointed to say the least! But, checking an adjacently posted list for another choir, I saw that I had been placed in the alto section of the Women’s Chorus. I loved singing, so of course I accepted the placement, and it was in the Women’s Chorus that my experience with choral singing began.

I was a pianist, so I could read music, even if my singing voice wasn’t especially strong. I was willing to work at it, even though it wasn’t necessarily the grand start to choir that I had imagined. However, it only took one rehearsal with the Women’s Chorus for me to realize the incredible joy of singing with so many others, creating, honing, working hard at a common goal, which was, simply put, beauty. This beauty was created in community. It was a beauty created when you hoped for but didn’t truly know what exactly would come out of the mouth of the person beside you, or even your own at times. Yet more often than not, something within all of us would align to a precision that was exquisite and moving, heartfelt, and even other-worldly at times. Wonderful friendships were forged in choir, some that are still maintained all these years later.

Not too long ago I surveyed our Chancel Choir asking them about what they thought were the best reasons to be in a choir. I should not have been surprised when I received the responses and saw that there was a common theme among them. Love of singing, social engagement with others in a musical setting, and giving back through music that uplifts others were the overwhelming winners. And what do they like most about choir? Singing with others, friendship, and making a difference.

Our church choir community, here and now, is resilient. We are working hard, not only at the beauty of our singing, but at supporting one another for who we are, and sharing from the heart with the hope of uplifting our congregation. Though the program year is ending, our connections are not lost. They remain strong as we recreate, pause, and return again to one another and our commonality in the fall.

Dave is from Connecticut, Camila and Natalia are from Middlebury, and Marilyn is from Peru. Dave and Marilyn worked at a ski resort together in Colorado; that’s how they met. Dave went to college in VT and always wanted to move back some day to raise a family and be close to his family. 

They like hiking, snowboarding, hanging out with friends and family, biking, and traveling. Their ideal family vacation is anywhere warm and close to the water and green. Dave’s hobbies are hiking, snowboarding, and mixing music. Camila loves to play, ride her bike, and practice scooting. Natalia’s hobbies are playing with Camila, dancing, and playing outside. Marilyn’s hobbies are cooking, gardening, and hiking.

Camila laughs the most when papa makes a funny face. Natalia laughs the most when playing with Camila. Marilyn laughs the most when her kids are being silly.

The Green Team leaned into learning and service during the month of May. We were inspired by the state-wide Walk/Bike Summit held at the Town Hall Theater and organized a contingent of congregants to join Vermonters all over the state on Green Up Day. We enjoyed fellowship and brisk air and successfully covered the downtown area, cleaning up a portion of the banks of Otter Creek, the Marble Works, the Town Green, and roads near the church.

We were also heartened with the success of our 2nd Annual Seedling Giveaway! Our enthusiastic growers provided plenty of vegetable and herb seedlings for members of our faith community, in addition to sending over six dozen plants to our friends at the CVOEO Addison Food Shelf for their clients.

We remain inspired by our Creation Justice Church covenant as we continue to explore our commitment to reach beyond our church’s walls and connect with other partners engaged in environmental justice work.

Our next Green Team meeting is Monday, June 6, at 7:00 p.m. via Zoom. New members are always welcome! Contact sureidstjohn@gmail.com or leanna_maglienti@yahoo.com if you would like to be involved or learn more about our team.

1. Register to vote, and

2. Create a will

Voting is essential for all who live in a democracy; in particular, it's an opportunity for us to work toward a just society for all. Having a will enables YOU to express your core values by deciding what happens to your possessions if an accident or illness leads to your early death.