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Providing the finest quality dental care available, in a warm and relaxed environment. 75 TALcoTr RoAD, SUITE 60 WILLISTON, VERMONT 05495 802.878.9888 SOCIALLY RESPONSIVE FINANCIAL SERVICES SINCE ‘I985 the Spiritual Essence By The Rev. lane Dwinell (If only our opponents could stop, breathe, and take the time to be presentto the reality of same gender relationships, I could only hope that their hearts would be changed. Greetings to all. I’d like to introduce myself, and this new column. The Spiritual Essence will consider all matters‘ that touch us deeply withinrthe framework of our lives as BGLT folk. As with all people, we are touched by joy, by pain, by grace, by suffering, by wonder and by loss. In community, we can find the means to explore our lives and find the strength to go on. This community can be a cyber- or word-based one. It can be physical as with regular attendance at a house of wor- ship. It can be casual as over a meal with friends.. It can be seemingly solitary as in a con- nection, a communion, with nature through contact with the _beautiful mountains, lakes and ‘ rivers of our state. My strength and solace is found in all these places. I rely } on my cyber buddies - far- ‘ flung friends and colleagues. I rely on the weekly act of group worship and connection in my religious community. I rely on the fun and relaxation of spending time with my friends and family. But mostly, I rely on my connection with nature. That’s why I live in Vermont. My time spent skiing on Jay Peak, paddling on Lake Memphremagog, or simply sit- ting in a chair watching the finches and chickadees at the feeder is what connects me with the spiritual essence - that which is larger, deeper, and more profound than my little life here on Earth. How, did I come to this place? I was born here I’m a seventh generation Vermonter - both sides of the family - and I grew up in Montpelier. As a child I attended a United Church of Benaz Franklin C°xw1l"<’79’“@é»."fi’ann°vr\g,5 Monday-Saturday 9-9 Sunday 11-5 518 Shelhurne Road Next in Mall 189 862-0645 www.ben1r'ank|in.haweb.cum Get discounts , join our craft club! Christ congregation, but, as I grew into adulthood, I no longer believed much of what I had been taught. I spent my young adult years in spiritual search — exploring Buddhism and Hinduism, the Goddess tradition, the Quaker tradition, and finally discovering Unitarian Universalism. Unitarian Universalism, while born in the Protestant Reformat-ion with deep Christian roots, has evolved into an inclusive and diverse faith» that celebrates the wis- dom of all the world’s religions and calls us to an ethical, right relationship with each other and with the earth. I serve the First Universalist Parish in Derby Line, situated right on the Canadian border in the heart of the Northeast Kingdom. I also provide chap- laincy services for North Country Hospital and Orleans and Northern Essex Visiting Nurses and Hospice. In my spare time, I am President of Interweave Continental, Unitarian Universalists for BGLT Concerns. But mostly, I spend time with my beloved family - my partner, Sky, and children, Dana (age 14) and Sayer (age 10) - who share my love of nature and the spiritual connec- tion we feel on the slopes, and on the lake. We are fortunate to make our home on the shores of Lake Memphremagog, a glorious. body of water connecting Vermont with our neighbors in Quebec. Because my faith calls me to a right relationship with other people, I have been involved with education and legislative work on civil unions. I have been most honored to have “certified” sixteen such unions since the law went into effect last July. I’m sure I will be honored to certify many more unions, though we must not be complacent. To have the opportunity to work with couples who have been together 5, 10, 25 or 30 years has been incredible. The depth of commitment, the strength of relationship, and the honoring of another’s life has been the hallmark of these couples. How anyone could misunderstand this deep spiri- tual essence as sinful, promis- cuous, or unhealthy is beyond me. If only our opponents could stop, breathe, and take the time to be present to the reality of same gender relation- ships, I could only hope that their hearts would be changed. But I know that it is not that easy. Here in the Kingdom, I know first hand the bigotry, fear, and deep misunderstand- . ing surrounding this issue. Not only do I attend . Legislative Breakfasts and hear our “six-pack” (Republican representatives Nancy Sheltra, Loren Shaw, John Hall, Duncan Kilmartin, Kevin Goodridge, and David Bolduc) first hand, I also attend a monthly interfaith clergy group which constantly calls me to remember my commitment to right relationships even in the face of deep theological divide. In good Buddhist fashion, I stay present, acknowledge the humanity of those with whom I disagree, and watch my words before I speak - a challenging spiritual practice unto itself. As the metaphor goes, we are all on a spiritual path - whatever it may look like - and headed up the same mountain. Our paths may diverge and converge on occasion, but we walk steadily on, aiming for the peak that swims in and out of the clouds so far ahead. But the destination - .the peak - is not the goal, the jour- ney is. One step at a time, we move forward. How much bet- ter the journey will be as we bump into each other and walk for a time together on this long and complicated path. I look forward to our time together, as we share in the twists and turns along the way.