Young Church News

REflections
by Julie Parker Amery

The death of a celebrity generally doesn’t haunt me, but I admit to a certain preoccupation with—and a definite sadness over—the recent death of the actor John Ritter. I have always appreciated his talent and thought he exuded the charm and graciousness that those who knew him say he indeed possessed. I regularly watched Three’s Company with amusement and fascination as a teenager. But to tell the truth, in the Amery household, John Ritter was best known—by far—as the voice of Clifford the Big Red Dog.

Clifford the Big Red Dog is on at 7:00 a.m. and is a big part of our morning routine. Of course, it is only a part—the other parts including the Making of the Pillow Pile, juice, the dramatic march upstairs to the family room, and breakfast. But it is an essential part. Indeed, the day would be off-kilter for us if we missed our daily dose of Clifford’s endearing lessons.

The ritual doesn’t stop at simply watching Clifford. My son takes great pleasure in saying the exact same thing each day between segments of the show (“I don’t know what the next story’s going to be!”) and he likes to turn the tv off himself just as the ending credits start. I’m not sure how much of the actual story he, at the age of three, understands; for him, watching Clifford is as much about the ritual as it is about the story.

Until a few months ago, I would have scoffed at the idea of calling it a ritual. It’s television, after all! But now that it has become an important part of our morning, every morning (except Sundays, of course!) I feel differently. It is more than mindlessly plunking ourselves down to stare at the tube. The show gives us a basis for good conversation. (What does it mean to be a good friend? How might we help others?) There is comfort in the predictability of our routine. It starts our day off on an uplifting note.

Watching Clifford may not be terribly profound, but it’s one of the many things we do in the course of our day that reinforces a feeling of security in our family. It may not be steeped in drama or tradition, but this ritual reminds us that we like to do things together. Even when the world seems to be falling apart, our simple rituals help hold us together and remind us that our lives go on.

I’ll take ritual wherever I can get it. The meaning doesn’t come from the thing itself, after all; the meaning comes from how you experience it.

John Ritter’s death has, ironically, added for me a new dimension to our simple ritual. Every morning I hear his voice through the big red dog, sharing kind words and unassuming wisdom with all he comes in contact with—and I can’t help but feel sad.

So, maybe it’s a little profound, after all.

There will be no Young Church the following Sunday, November 2nd. Instead, the entire FRS community will worship together and participate in a dedication ceremony. The service will be followed by a special reception.

Space allocation for classes is still being determined. Four classes will meet regularly in the new space, while four will remain in the Parish Hall. The Religious Education Committee will finalize plans at its October meeting. Stay tuned.

Eight high school sophomores are participating in the program, which runs through June. In addition to meeting monthly with his or her mentor, each youth will complete a number of independent projects intended to further his or her understanding of Unitarian Universalism. Additionally, the entire group of mentors and mentees will meet one Sunday morning a month to discuss a particular issue, such as evil, prayer, and war.

the program will culminate in a retreat next spring, at which participants will write their personal belief statements. These will be shared with the congregation at a worship service on June 6.

Thank you to the people who are so generously giving of themselves by being mentors: Rick Anderson, Michael Fosburg, Pat Hurzeler, Pat Skibbee, Leanna Sorcar, Maxine Steeves, Tom Stites, and Linda Tulley.