Mission Peak UU Congregation

M i s s i o n P e a k U n i t a r i a n U n i v e r s a l i s t C o n g r e g a t i o n

WHAT YOU TOLD ME ABOUT YOUR HOPES AND FEARS

One of the interim year developmental tasks, citing chapter and verse from the interim literature, is: "Illuminating the congregation's unique identity, its strengths, its needs, its challenges." Last year at this time, to symbolize this task, I unpacked this mirror from my "interim suitcase" filled with items symbolic of the interim tasks.

As an interim minister, I strive in various ways to offer my observations of how the congregation operates, as a way to hold up a mirror, so that you can see your unique congregational identity reflected. We've been working together on this task of illuminating the identity, strengths and challenges of this congregation during the past year, especially at the Board level, through the Program Council, in committee work, and through some workshops and sermons. Today's service is another chance for me to hold up the mirror, and for us to have some conversation about your identity and desires as we begin a second interim year together.

If you are a newcomer or visitor, please bear with us for today. I promise that most services here are about things like the important social issues of the day, the spiritual quest, and aspects of the human condition - hopefully topics that are relevant to your own lives and personal quests. Today's sermon is for the sake of doing some interim work together.

This is serious business, folks. Therefore, I'll begin with a joke I heard recently:

Joe was walking across a bridge one day, and he saw a man standing on the edge, about to jump off. Joe immediately ran over and said, "Stop! Don't do it!"
"Why shouldn't I?" said the man.
Joe said, "Well, there's so much to live for!"
"Like what?"
"Well ... are you religious or atheist?"
"Religious."
"Me too! Are you Christian or Jewish?"
"Christian."
"Me too! Are you Catholic or Protestant?"
"Protestant."
"Me too! Are you Episcopalian or Baptist?"
"Baptist."
"Wow! Me too! Are you Baptist Church of God or Baptist Church of the Lord?"
"Baptist Church of God."
"Me too! Are you Original Baptist Church of God, or are you Reformed Baptist Church of God?"
"Reformed Baptist Church of God."
"Wow! Me too! Are you Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1879, or Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1915?"
"Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1915!"
To which Joe said, "Die, heretic scum!" and pushed him off the bridge.

It is utterly amazing to me what people will fight about with regard to religion, and even within religious communities! In our Unitarian Universalist communities, because we embrace theological diversity, we may not squabble over fine points of doctrine, but we nevertheless do find things from time to time to have conflict over. For instance, back in 1976, when I was the minister in Duluth, Minnesota, a serious fight broke out at the end of a congregational meeting over question of whether smoking in the sanctuary should still be permitted! This skirmish became intense and lasted for months, with people lining up on both sides (those were certainly different times)! As I've mentioned here before, I've served on the District Healthy Congregations Team for over two decades. Among its other tasks, the Healthy Congregations Team does interventions on request when a congregation is facing serious conflict, and in that capacity as a member of this Team for so long, I have seen some serious fights, with factions lining up, rumors flying, and people resigning in protest or in dismay. Mission Peak congregation has lot to be thankful for, because although you've had a few times of significant disagreement in your past, there are no factions here currently, and signs in general point to very good congregational health.

That said, there are always challenges in a congregation, and this one is no exception. One thing I've heard here from a number of people is that, in this interim time between settled ministers, you may be having something of a congregational identity crisis. Questions like, "Who are we?" "Where are we going?" "What do we want to be about?" are in the air. This is not surprising in an interim year, but it is especially fitting in a congregation in its teen years as you are, at the age of 15 and a half. It's analogous to a teenager trying to find his or her way in life. You are among the youngest Unitarian Universalist congregations in this district, and in some ways you are still finding your own way, figuring out what you're about.

I offered a Visioning workshop last May, which 31 of you attended. This was another venue in which we worked on who and what this congregation is and wants to be. The write-up records a brainstorming session on factors that enhance growth and inhibit growth in this congregation. It also reports on some specific goals participants generated in five areas of congregational life - areas that participants broke into small groups to discuss: Membership, Physical Space, Organizational Structure, Program (there were two Program sub-groups) and Finance.

What is not in the write-up, and what I saved to explore with you today, is what those of you who were there said at the beginning of the workshop. I posed to you a simple question: "What do you hope for concerning the future of this congregation, and, what do you fear?" Each person in turn shared hopes and fears around the large circle, and I scribbled notes as you spoke.

Not surprisingly, the answers tended to cluster into categories, and of course people tended to build on others' ideas as we went around the circle.

Among the hopes were:

Growth in numbers of members (although some qualified that by saying that we should grow to an "optimal size," not just grow for the sake of growth, and another one put it, "I hope we can grow without losing our soul.")
Getting your own building. Quite a few identified this as a hope.
Many spoke of enhancing Religious Education for children, like having a separate class for each grade, the hope of getting a new RE Director in the face of the then recent resignation of Kevin Drewery (this hope has already been realized, as Sally Angher was hired last spring). Some said that eventually having a full-time RE Director would be desirable, as well as a space for our teens (and soliciting the teens' input about their space and program). Several expressed the hope that our youth will continue to find the congregation nurturing and revitalizing as they grow up. Also mentioned with regard to RE was desire that both adult's and children's RE continue to do as well as they are now doing.
Many of you mentioned a hope for greater diversity in the congregation - a hope that this congregation can become more reflective of the racially and culturally diverse community it is part of, and that the congregation will readily embrace diversity. (We will have a service about this subject in two weeks.)
Quite a few mentioned getting more involved in the community, especially with regard to social justice issues. The hope of becoming a beacon of light in this community, a recognized and respected socially activist congregation, was mentioned.
A couple of people hoped that the congregation would grow in not just in size but in depth of spirit.
One hoped that we can learn to talk to each other in religious language, including a diversity of religious points of view.
Several expressed the hope for a new settled minister, one "we like," one "who keeps everyone," one who "brings vitality."

Here were some of the fears (some of these were the flip side of the hopes expressed):

We won't get a new minister we like.
We won't get a building of our own.
We won't succeed in becoming more involved in and known for social activism.
We won't grow fast enough.
We might overemphasize the space issue.
When we do get our own home, we'll wear ourselves out working on it.
Our kids will grow up and lose interest.
We won't publicize ourselves to the larger community (hiding our light under a bushel).
As we grow, we'll lose our warm welcoming and friendliness.
Some expressed the fear of being stuck, because people might resist growth (like going to two services). We'll be stuck because "we're too comfortable."
Fears about financial stability were expressed, especially in the face of the current economy.
Fear of burnout was mentioned quite a few times, because the same leaders do so many jobs.
Four people said they had no fears, one of them, "no fears but concerns," another, no fears, "because there is a lot of talent in the congregation to deal with whatever might come up."

Before I open this up for some interaction, I want to mention both the hope and the fear of one clever soul. Under hopes he said "Never give up having hopes." Under fears, "I fear that our hopes may be realized." - a version of the old adage, "Be careful what you wish for."

Conversation with the congregation

Words to conclude the conversation:

Love is the active concern for the life and growth of that which we love.
--Erich Fromm

Benediction

If you are proud of this congregation, become its advocate.
If you are concerned for its future, share its message.
If its values resonate deep within you, give it a measure of your devotion.
This congregation cannot survive without your faith, your confidence, your enthusiasm.
Its destiny, the larger hope, rests in your hands.
-Anonymous