Reading:

From Salted With Fire, Scott Alexander, ed. excerpts, pp 1-4.

We have a vision for creating a more loveable and livable world.why are we not out there telling any and everyone in our community about it? Why are we content with our self-description as "the best kept secret in town?" ... Our cause is for the enhancement of human dignity and for creating inclusive circles of love. That is our good news. Isn't it about time we go tell it ... ?

If we are not bold and caring enough to stand up.and (without arrogance or rancor) affirm what it is we believe and what dreams command our loyalty - then by default it will be the beliefs and dreams of others that will influence and instruct the shape of our society and the lives of those around us.

Sermon:

I have a question: Why are you here? There are plenty of other things to do on a Sunday morning - even one as grey, chilly and damp as this. There are books and papers to read and music to play. You could be sharing coffee or a meal with family or friends. Then there's exercise - or sports. Warm blankets and cozy fires sound pretty good, too, especially on a day like this. So why are you here?

Each of us has our own answer to that question. We have our own stories, our own sensibilities. Still, our answers are likely to be somewhat predictable. I would guess they range from "someone made me" or "had to bring the kids" and "I brought the treats this morning." Better, there's "my friends are here;" "I always find there's something that helps me through the week" and "these services save my life!" If you don't recognize yourself in some variation on one of those, I imagine you know exactly what your different reasons are.

One of our ministers, Rev Victor Carpenter, likes to say that small miracles happen in UU congregations every week. He is not referring to the fact that people actually get here. On the contrary, we know that each week our members and friends somehow offer and find gifts of many kinds - some of which seem pretty miraculous to the person who needs exactly that word or smile, that bit of advice or resource, that reassurance that they are known and valued. Another of our ministers, Rev Chip Wright, who serves our San Rafael congregation, tells UUs that they should be in church every week - whether or not they feel like it; whether or not they like the topic - because someone here needs them. I think both of them are right. We need each other. And the words and gestures we share miraculously touch deep places within, offering something of inspiration, something of affirmation, something of calm and healing and energy.

Now that we know why we're here, I have another question. Who have you told about Unitarian Universalism and this Fellowship? I've heard it said that the average UU talks about our faith only rarely, and actually invites someone to come to a service once in 27 years. No wonder we're the best kept secret in town!

But if you have been touched and affirmed here, if you've had new insights or been inspired to be more loving, more committed to justice, your life has been transformed. I dare say that few if any of us are the same persons we were when we first walked through the door of a UU church. And thank heaven for that! We don't talk about transformation all that often, but maybe we should. Because UU congregations are about helping us develop into kinder, more thoughtful, more compassionate people. We're about the richness that comes from listening to different ideas, from sifting through story and symbol to find the deepest meaning. We're about different ages and stages of life and the varied gifts available at each of them. We're about principles and values that can transform our lives and make our communities better places. So if all this is going on here, why are you keeping us a secret?

One of the things that keeps us from talking about our church - even if we really like it and find inspiration and community here - may be past experience of people who were aggressive about promoting their religion. They may have been street preachers, members of a church we grew up in or attended for a while, or well-meaning but overly zealous folks trying mightily to save us from the errors of our ways. Whichever it might have been, we didn't like it one bit! And we promised ourselves that we would never, absolutely not ever! do that ourselves. I have no problem with that.

But I want to remind you that there's quite a bit of ground between heavy-handed proselytizing and keeping our religion a secret. We haven't explored that territory very much. But if Unitarian Universalism has been significant, even transforming for us, how can we justify keeping it from others? One of the authors in the book that provided our reading claims that "there are many people who would share our dream if we would let them know we are here." I agree with him. And I think it's especially true in places like our area, where Unitarian Universalism isn't well known. I am pretty sure I am not the only one who has answered some form of the church question - as in "Where do you go to church?" - and had the answer met with a blank stare. Most Central Valley folks have never heard of Unitarian Universalists - or they think we mean Unity or Universal Life! They don't know what they are missing. Literally. Who better to tell them than us?

OK, I can see some of you are thinking, "Not me, honey!" So we'd better explore that landscape between religious bullying and secrecy. Let me offer some guidelines. First off, be aware that for a lot of people, the church question is just a conversational figure, like "How are you? 'or "Nice day, isn't it?" It's a way of keeping the conversation going. You can imagine that I get it pretty often. It didn't take long for me to realize that simply saying I was the minister of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship was likely to get that blank look. So I started adding the location: I'm the minister of the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship out on Kiernan Ave. At least they recognize the location. The conversational ball is back in their court. Some then go on to tell me what church they attend. Some mention knowing someone who's a member here, or maybe they've been here for a wedding or such. Even if that's as far as the topic goes, I - or you - have added a connection, a bit of familiarity for the church. Some reasonably pleasant person they've met is connected to the congregation in their awareness.

Some folks do want to know more about us. I hope that our responses to them will be both personal and positive. In other words, I hope we will talk about the things that are most meaningful to us. Are you here because of the children's program? If so, talk about that. Or maybe it's something about our services. Maybe you love the fact that we draw inspiration from many different sources. Maybe it's the acceptance and welcome that first drew you in, and now the caring connections among our members keep you coming back. Maybe being able to participate in preparing and serving the shelter dinners is an important way for you to live out your ideals. Maybe you love the minister. She's so funny! Whatever it is that has value for you - that's what you should talk about.

You can tailor it more if you know something about the person's interests. Do they have children? Is community service important to them? Are they looking for a chance to sing? Maybe one of our Adult classes holds particular interest. Don't worry about being uncomfortable talking theology or worry that you UU history is a little shaky. Just give them an idea why you like to be here, or suggest something they might find helpful or interesting.

One of the harder follow up questions asks what UUs believe. The reason it's challenging is that most familiar churches are gathered around doctrine and creed. For them, belief is the defining factor. We are a covenantal religion. That means we are gathered around the promises we make to one another and the values we share. We promise to walk our religious journeys together and to offer each other acceptance, encouragement, challenge and support. We say that that everyone has inherent worth and deserves respect and compassion. We recognize that everything and everybody on this planet is connected and interdependent. We think that revelation continues and there is always more knowledge and wisdom to be discovered. In other words, we focus on how we can best live lives based on love and justice - for each other and all the creatures and features of our Earthly home. So specific items of belief aren't too important to us.

This does not mean that UUs can "believe anything they want" - though some of us have said that at times. It's not so. You can't really be a UU and believe that there's only one religious path that's true, right and meaningful. We say insight is found in many places. You can't believe that some people just aren't quite equal or worthwhile. Whatever prejudices surround us about race or gender, sexual orientation and identification; about age, physical or mental ability or particular cultures, we are committed to recognizing and opposing them. We know that we're all affected by our culture, so that's a pretty big commitment. A real UU wouldn't believe that the earth's resources are simply ours for the taking, with no effects or concern except our enrichment or convenience. We say that our planet's systems are interdependent, and that we're a part of a complex whole.

A few years ago, Unitarian Universalists across the continent were talking about "elevator speeches." Maybe you remember that the term first came into use when the committee that credentials candidates for our ministry started asking seminarians this question. "Suppose that at General Assembly, or some other large UU gathering, you find yourself in an elevator with one other person. This person notices your nametag and says, "Oh, I've been seeing a lot of those in the past day or so. What is a Unitarian Universalist anyway?" You have the time it takes to get to the 4th (or 2nd or 10th) floor. What will you say?" With acceptance as a minister at stake, you can imagine that one's "elevator speech" was no small concern.

But it was pretty much a seminary anxiety until Bill Sinkford, our last UUA president, wrote about it in the UU World and encouraged all of us to have an elevator speech ready to use. I personally took that as rhetorical; an interesting idea. But some UUs around the country took it literally and personally. They started sending their versions to Boston. A selection was published in each issue of the magazine for about a year. And the more I thought about it, the better I liked the idea. In fact, I think it's good to develop a couple of alternate versions - with different lengths or different emphases. I keep revising and changing mine and I hope you will too. It's a great way to get more comfortable talking about Unitarian Universalism. You might find yourself using it with a friend or acquaintance some day soon - even though we don't have a whole lot of elevators in our area. And you'll also find yourself understanding Unitarian Universalism and what it means to you in ways that are deeper and more clear.

Now in case that idea strikes fear in your heart, here are a few that were published. My favorite might be: "Most religions try to get people into heaven. Unitarian Universalists work to get heaven into people." But it's a little flip, and doesn't give much information. What about some others?

If you've only got a one-floor ride, I'd recommend something like this piece, written by Ann Creech of Roswell, Georgia. "Unitarian Universalists believe that all life is sacred, all existence is interconnected, and that justice and compassion must be the foundation of our thoughts and deeds." Let me read that again. "Unitarian Universalists believe that all life is sacred, all existence is interconnected, and that justice and compassion must be the foundation of our thoughts and deeds." Gets a lot in before the door slides open, doesn't it?

If you have a longer ride, you might try something like this one from Erin Christman of St Paul, Minnesota. "Unitarian Universalism grew out of Christianity, with the Unitarians believing in the unity of God and the Universalists believing in universal salvation. We have developed into a religion that draws spiritual wisdom from many different sources. It is a place where people come together to share and learn from each other's spiritual journey.

We help each other in our search for God or the sacred, even though we realize that each person's vision of God or the sacred is different. We believe in the importance of individual conscience, spiritually and socially, as well as the responsibility towards the community and creation that comes with that freedom."

I don't think that anyone wants a 17 floor version, though I have read some. And even if someone is pretty interested, I'd say that a long monologue isn't the best approach. Let them ask questions so you know which aspects fit them best. Invite them to come to a service - especially one you know you'll be attending. Really. Even if you've already done it within the past 27 years!

Thinking about the content of your speech - or what you might say in any context - I encourage you to think about three areas. You might want to focus on the Fellowship's programs, activities and services and also our members. A lot goes on here. Or perhaps you'll talk about the way we encourage us each to develop a personal theology that leads us to be more loving and more just. Or maybe you'd like to describe the way our Principles and Purposes give us ideals about the way we live together within webs of relationship. Any of those will help someone who doesn't know about us. They provide something to build on and pique their interest.

Whichever particular features of Unitarian Universalism you select, keep the personal in mind. If it's important to you, your energy and commitment will be part of the message. That's a big part of spreading the word. We have reasons to keep coming back on Sunday mornings. The ideals and values and connections that draw us have appeal to others also. If Unitarian Universalism has made a difference in our lives - in your life and in mine - is it fair to keep that possibility from others? I don't think so. I'd say that keeping UUism a secret is actually selfish. I think it's a generous act to spread the word. For our "word" is about encouraging our minds to be open to greater truth, our hearts to greater compassion and our consciences to hear the call of justice. How different we are because of that message! How different the world would be if those things were more common! Sometimes they seem a far-off dream. But others would share that dream, if we just let them know we're here. And that's how dreams grow into reality.

January 10, 2010

This is one of our Minister's Sermons. We also have a brief biography of Rev. Simons, and the latest edition of Grace Notes, a column she writes for our newsletter.
We have another sermon collection, from our Guests.