A Letter From Rev. Dr. Amy Rio

It has been a pleasure to begin getting to know members of our church community these past few weeks! September and October often mean the beginning of a new year for many of us. For students and teachers and parents and grandparents, the academic year is beginning. Samhain comes at the end of the month. And our church traditionally holds Water Communion in early October – a time when we observe the ending of summer and the beginning of a new year.

Water is a great  symbol for bringing about newness and change. We know that sometimes it can be destructive in nature, as we witness with hurricanes. We also know a gentle cleansing presence leaves us feeling refreshed and ready for whatever the new day may bring.

This is a time of great opportunity for our church. We are starting the new year, ready for what the future holds. Water reminds us of the season of change. Change can be exciting, and it certainly can be scary. The religious landscape of our country is undergoing massive change during this time period – some scholars have even theorized that we are in the midst of a once every 500 year seismic shift with the Western church. One thing I do know – people have a great spiritual hunger. They want to explore a spiritual foundation, and from that foundation change the world through love. That is what we are about here at Piedmont UU Church. The waves of change are not overwhelming us – we are riding the crest, ready to see where it takes us in sharing love throughout this world. I look forward to continuing our journey together as we bring about something new.

Rev. Dr. Amy Rio