CHALLENGES:  our Comfort, our Concerns, and our Creativity

Jan. 8, 2023

Rev. Kit Ketcham

As I’ve enjoyed our Coffee Klatches in December and have thought about the topics discussed, it’s become clear to me that each region of our parish has common thoughts about certain subjects, many of them similar.

         It’s exciting to see the positive effect of the new energy and ideas that have come with folks who have arrived in our parish in the past couple of years.  Not only did we survive the pandemic in pretty good shape, but we gained some really incredible new members and friends.  We are not the PUUF of the past; we are becoming the PUUF of today and the future.

         Let me run down the list of topics discussed in December and make some connections between what’s been discussed and what our membership is thinking about.

         Here’s a quickie summary of topics and themes in the coffee klatches.  Socializing, of course,  has always been the bedrock of coffee klatch groups, but ours at PUUF tend to go a lot deeper than gossip or gripes about political events, although those are also touched upon!

          In December, we swapped stories about how we found UUism and what it has meant in our lives.  For some it was a life stage moment, something that changed a life.   It may have changed our trajectory in life.  Sometimes it changed our relationships with family members and sometimes it brought peace and purpose after chaos. 

         Ageing and health concerns in our own small UU community spark a lot of discussion; care for our elders and care for ourselves, the difficult work of caretaking a struggling relative or friend, the lack of adequate facilities to treat our friends and family members—and ourselves—as we do our best with beloved adults who cannot adequately take care of themselves.

         Scary health episodes and the blessing of music as healer; relearning skills we lost because of ageing or health issues; finding understanding from others when we are having a difficult time; handling our hurt feelings when a quick joke stings and feels personal.

         Memories of the way things used to be---at PUUF, in our families, among our friends, the effect of political divides, both the sweet memories and the painful ones, the losses of friends and loved ones who have died.

         The excitement of seeing new faces participating in our services and other activities, getting to know these interesting people and listening to their ideas, thinking about the ways we might tweak the ways we’ve been doing things, to include new ideas and processes as we grow and thrive as a community.

As I put this homily together, I’ve noticed several C words that bear mentioning:  the Comfort we love, the Concerns we have for our own area, and the Creativity that is emerging, as we are energized by the presence of so many newer and younger folks in our midst.  And as an umbrella over all the C words, yet another:  the Challenges that we share as a Unitarian Universalist congregation.

So I’ve entitled this homily “Challenges:  Our Comfort, Our Concerns, and Our Creativity” because I think that’s where we are in our PUUF journey, taking stock of where we are and where we need and want to go.  

I see our major Challenges as these:  we need to address the uneasiness about change which threatens our Comfort level; we need to examine our Concerns about our communities carefully to see how we as a congregation can help with those concerns, and we want to welcome and include our newer folks by listening to their Creative ideas and implementing the ones which can strengthen PUUF and help us grow.

And at the bedrock of our Challenges is the constant awareness that we are a Unitarian Universalist Congregation, with an identity that is spelled out by our Principles.

I’d like to introduce something here that I found on the internet, on the UUMA Facebook page.  It’s a restating of our familiar Principles, expressing our values and amplifying them. You may not recognize the author’s name:  ChatGPT.  Yes, it’s written by a ChatBot, a device of Artificial Intelligence.  But ChatGPT seems to have a strong sense of what our Principles and our Values stand for.  I was pretty amazed when I encountered this version.

 

 A beacon of light in a sea of uncertainty,

We embrace the Principles of Unitarian Universalism

 

We affirm each person's inherent worth and dignity,

Respecting the diversity of each individual's beliefs

 

We commit ourselves to justice, equity, and compassion

Interconnected by a spirit of acceptance and understanding

 

We seek to further truth, beauty and goodness in our world,

Living within a circle of trust and mutual respect

 

We celebrate our spiritual heritage,

The legacy of the great Life Giving Spirit of Love 

 

We work together to build a beloved community,

Seeing in each person a reflection of the holy

 

We strive for peace, justice, and liberty for all,

Embodying the spirit of a Liberal Faith tradition.

 

These are the principles of Unitarian Universalism,

Bringing us all closer together in Light, Love and Liberty.

 

         Whatever you may think of Artificial Intelligence, of its dangers and its benefits, this seems to me to be a pretty succinct and useful stating of who we are, as a congregation and as a member of the parent group, the UUA.

         As a UU congregation, we have the responsibility to live up to our heritage, to our principles and values.   How are we doing that presently and how might we better fulfill that responsibility?

         Let’s think about the “C” words I mentioned.  I’d like to ask some questions and see what you have to say.  In order for our Zoom folks to participate, we require that you come to the mic to speak.  You are inaudible otherwise and we miss out on your contribution.  Laura Janes, are you able to take notes for the record?  Thank you so much.

         What is the Comfort we seek at PUUF?  What are the Comforts you particularly enjoy and how do they serve our identity as a UU congregation?  What are the blessings of Comfort?  What are the hazards of Comfort?

         What are our mutual Concerns for our larger community?  How are we addressing them, as a congregation and as individuals?  How are we serving our own membership’s personal concerns?  Is there more we could do?

         And how are we welcoming and celebrating the Creativity that our newer folks have brought?  What are some of the Creative ideas you’ve witnessed in the past year or two?  What are the fears that something new and different might arouse  in our minds?      

         Thank you for your thoughts and your participation this afternoon.  I think this discussion may be helpful as you look ahead to issues that arise, those that suggest change and those that address growth and faithfulness to our responsibility as a UU congregation.

BENEDICTION:  As Veja extinguishes our chalice, let’s pause for our benediction.

Our worship service, our time of shaping worth together, is ended, but our service to the world begins again as we leave this place.  Let us go in peace, remembering that we have commitments, as human beings and as members of a Fellowship which cares for its own and for the larger community.  May we live out our values in everyday life, watching for ways to serve.  And may we find peace and healing in ourselves and grace in our life together.  Amen, Shalom, Salaam, and Blessed Be.

 

CLOSING CIRCLE