The Church of the Blue Dome
August finds us deep in the throes of summer. The solstice has passed but the weather has stayed wa
rm and sticky. It’s the season of days by the pool, hikes to swimming holes, or maybe a road trip to visit family or a national park. All of these outdoor activities get me thinking about my introduction to The Church of the Blue Dome.
As young parents at the turn of the millennium, we felt it was time to seek a new spiritual home. We were living in Tallahassee, Florida, a pocket of blue in a conservative part of the state much like Asheville. We found the small UU fellowship and decided to give it a try. After a few visits we were ready to pursue membership and signed up for their newcomer class, ‘UU 101’.
Trudee, the facilitator of the class, was a long-time member and trustee. She kicked off with a round of introductions asking that we describe our spiritual path that had brought us to Unitarian Universalism. Trudee led off by describing her upbringing in a mainline Protestant denomination but drifting away as a young adult. For many years she and her husband considered themselves members of The Church of the Blue Dome. They found their spiritual connection through being out in nature.
This story really resonated with me. I had a similar experience as a young adult. My mom even gave me a shirt with a quote from Steve McQueen, “I’d rather sleep in the middle of nowhere than any city on Earth.”
While Trudee still spent plenty of time in nature, it was the community that she found at the UU Fellowship in Tallahassee that led her to a deeper spirituality. This is another parallel in our paths. Our experience in Tallahassee, then Raleigh, and now Asheville has been one of community.
Summer is a season that our family packs in as many outdoor adventures as we can. There are lots of days in The Church of the Blue Dome. We can rest and recharge in the dark days of winter. It feels good to reconnect with the natural world but it also makes me look forward to reconnecting with our UU community in the fall.
I wish you long summer days with family and friends and look forward to seeing you back at UU Asheville in the fall.
Ben Fleming, UU Asheville Board Member