Guest Blog by Better Oppenheimer and Irv Mortensen
Being connected to QUUF virtually throughout the pandemic has been a gift. While it hasn’t felt much like “normal church,” the connection to everyone through Sunday services, weekly updates, chats and events has meant a lot to us, for the same reasons that QUUF means a lot to us. It is our community, and it is grounding and heartening to know that QUUF is there, that all of you are there, even when we cannot access our community the way we might like to.
It’s been interesting for us to ponder the idea that most people who join QUUF want it to stay just the way it was when they first arrived. Obviously that is not possible, since the fellowship seems to have a life of its own and grows and changes constantly. But during COVID-19, none of us has gotten the congregation we envisioned, and rather than grumble about it, in order to stay connected, we’ve all had to adjust.
When we think back to the congregation we joined, it was so very different from today’s QUUF. In 1995, there were 60 members meeting in Chimacum, a quarter-time minister who commuted from Portland for a long weekend each month, and discussions about what and how to build on the land that had just been purchased in Port Townsend. By the time we finished building and moved into the new building in May 1997, we had almost doubled in size, by attracting so many locals who wanted to help us with the project.
That’s the constant about QUUF. Our activities and projects continue to attract and include new people who not only see the value in the specific project, but who also seek and find community here.
So, as much as each of us might wish QUUF could feel exactly the way it felt when we first fell in love with it, that wish is as unrealistic as it would be to expect love to remain the same throughout the course of a one-on-one relationship. It grows and changes; we wrestle with our feelings about it; and if it makes sense, we remain committed.
We are happy to remain committed to QUUF as we weather the pandemic and support each other from afar. We are so grateful to Kate and our board and staff for keeping QUUF alive through technology during this difficult time. It is clear that the pandemic has and will continue to change each of us and our perspectives on what is important in this life. Who knows what permanent changes it will prompt for QUUF? As with every change we’ve seen at QUUF, there is a point at which it is simply a matter of acceptance.
Thank you, Betty & Irv, for your timely reminder of the good & positive things we enjoy as part of the QUUF family. It’s been almost a year & I’m grateful for your encouraging words. We’re rounding a big corner in this pandemic, looking for the “new normal” that is ahead. It will be good to work out what that is for our community.
Thanks Betty and Irv for your insightful reflection on our family-community we call QUUF. It is good to step back from the day-to-day, one step at a time, perceptive.
Betty and Irv, you reflected my feelings about QUUF very well. I miss you all during this time of basically no gatherings but I know Lynn and I will last this pandemic out and adjust to whatever comes next. Thanks for your thoughts.
I appreciate your wise words on expecting and accepting change as a part of life at QUUF. I agree that the pandemic will surely bring lasting changes as we transition to a post-pandemic fellowship. Thank you.
Thanks Betty and Irv. It’s fun to hear from 2 of our Founders! Having been with QUUF for all it’s existence, you are well qualified to speak about adjusting to our changes. You are good models for us all!