Rev. Linda Hoddy Minister of UUCSS

Rev. Linda Hoddy, has been a minister for fifteen years. "What attracts me to ministry is the creative process of designing and leading worship - weaving words and music and visual beauty together to facilitate people getting in touch with what is sacred for them. I try to create opportunities for people to discern, develop and share their gifts within the congregation and the larger community. I love those holy moments that happen in pastoral counseling when we see things in a new way, and people become freer to move toward a place of health for themselves and their families. I want to help people develop a faith that will sustain them through the hardest times, but also help them see how blessed we are, and how important it is to celebrate all the gifts that life bestows upon us. Our rites of passage for birth, marriage, coming-of-age, and death, help us to navigate through those momentous transitions. Religious community is one of the few places in our society where we can come to know in depth people of all ages, races, sexual orientation and walks of life. We see diversity not as a threat, but as a gift. In these times of change and uncertainty, it is wonderful to be held in the love of one's congregation, a place where we can be supported when life is hard, and challenged to grow when we become too complacent."

Rev. Hoddy is married to John Tracy, a commercial real estate broker. She is the mother of two children, Sean(age 27) and Katie (age 23) and the grandmother of Ian (age 3).