Welcome to Our Guest Speaker
This Sunday, we are delighted to welcome back The Rev. Dr. Scott Dillard, a longtime friend and member of High Street Unitarian Universalist Church.
In reflecting on his recent retirement, Rev. Dr. Dillard writes:
“Upon my recent retirement, I have been contemplating the various turning points of life and the meanings they may hold for our journeys. The one thing that I know is that the only constant is change.”
His message, “The Only Constant Is Change,” invites us to explore how life’s inevitable transitions can shape us, challenge us, and guide us toward deeper understanding and purpose.
Scott is honorably retired as Emeritus Professor of Rhetoric at Georgia College and State University, where he most recently served as Interim Chair of the Department of Communications. He is an ordained interfaith minister and a regular preacher for Unitarian Universalist congregations throughout north Georgia. For several years, he also served as Dean of The Mountain Leadership School.
Scott holds degrees from Blackburn College, Southern Illinois University, and The New Seminary for Interfaith Studies in New York. He and his husband, Chris Lamphere, divide their time between their home in Milledgeville and their peaceful retreat in Blue Ridge.
Please join us in offering a warm and heartfelt welcome to Rev. Dr. Scott Dillard.
A Word about Worship
We have been here before, facing a time of transition between one beloved minister who is leaving and another unknown minister who will be arriving. Thankfully, we have an excellent Transition Team who will be helping guide as we wander in the wilderness for a season.
Some of you may be a little anxious about what Sunday mornings will look like in Rev. Amanda’s absence. Well, we’ve already experienced her absence on a monthly basis on her non-preaching Sundays, when we’ve had guest ministers / speakers. As I’ve said, we’ve been here before.
Because we will be relying mostly on guest ministers during the next few months, the Board has significantly increased our speakers budget through this fiscal year. This will enable us to enjoy a few voices in the pulpit that we have come to know and love.
High Street has always been blessed with a cadre of ordained ministers who know well how to lead worship and deliver meaningful messages. Between now and January, you will hear from the Rev. Dr. Scott Dillard, the Rev. Tina Clark, the Rev. Bob Bledsoe, and perhaps even me.
You will also be hearing from several members of our congregation who completed a class with Rev. Amanda called “The Shared Pulpit,” where they learned the basics of sermon preparation and delivery. There will also be guest speakers from our community.
We have been here before. It’s important that you know that we have a plan. And more than a plan, we on the Worship Team have a commitment to providing worship services that are creative, informative, transformative, and inspiring.
And, who knows, there may be a Sunday (or few) when Rev. Amanda checks in from the UK to keep us updated on how she, Wanda, Nora, and Joe are doing as they begin their new lives “across the pond.” Pip-pip, cheerio, and all that rot!
What we need from you is your patience and your presence. It will be tempting to “phone in” church via Zoom. I hope that each of you will make a special effort over the next few months to be physically present in worship at High Street. Building a beloved community is all about showing up.
Feel free to contact me if you have any worship concerns.
We have been here before. In the grand scheme of things we will be in the same place at some point again. If our history teaches us anything, it shows that we can make it through this period of transition with flying colors, as long as we find ways to be together … in faith, in worship, in service.
May it ever be so. Blessed be. Amen.
Arlen
