The inaugural service both for this Church year and from our new Settled Minister will include a Unitarian Universalist tradition called a Water Ceremony, which former ministers Nate and Edmund introduced to the church. Water is a powerful universal symbol, evoking the uterine waters that first gave birth to us and the ocean from which life first sprang. Each person is invited to bring a small container of water to the service. The water can be collected from a refreshing summer shower or some significant water source you visited. It may come straight from your tap or it could be "virtual water". We'll purify the water and use it in ceremonies throughout the coming year. Far deeper in significance than a travelogue, the Water Ceremony draws us back together in community where we can share what we have learned and the gifts gained during our time apart.