MY CONNECTION WITH THE UU CHURCH Part 1

LOVE IS THE SPIRIT OF THIS CHURCH;
THE QUEST FOR TRUTH IS ITS SACRAMENT;
AND SERVICE IS ITS PRAYER.
TO DWELL TOGETHER IN PEACE;
TO SEEK KNOWLEDGE IN FREEDOM;
TO SERVE HUMAN NEED;
TO THE END THAT ALL SOULS SHALL GROW
INTO HARMONY WITH THE DIVINE.
THUS DO WE COVENANT WITH EACH OTHER
AND WITH OUR GOD.

I first encountered these words when I stepped into The First Universalist Church of Dexter, a few years after moving to Maine in the late ‘80’s. I was curious and a bit timid, not knowing what to expect, as I was never too much of a church goer. What actually enticed me to enter this beautiful New England style church with a high steeple and beautiful stain glass windows, was the sign outside… which stated the theme of the sermon: THE TURNING POINT, by Fritjof Capra. I had just read that book. The other thing was there was no minister just a lay person giving the talk and I could tell that he was very intelligent by the way he spoke eloquentlythat day to the congregation. The talk centered on the environment. That was quite different from anything I was accustomed to seeing in a regular church.

The timing was good for me to check out this place, for I was looking to make new friends and these seemed to be the kind of people that read the stuff I was reading. I knew from literature, that Emerson had spoken in the 1800’s to the Unitarian churches in Boston…. and Emerson and Thoreau were very important thinkers to me. My hunch proved correct and as I read the UU Avowal of Faith over a few times it rang true with me unlike any other experiences I had had with other faith communities, limited that they were in my church going experiences. The emphasis seemed to be more on deeds rather than creeds…and if you wanted to hold to a belief system that was OK too! The important thing here is that the individual is not given a spoon fed doctrine, but rathe,r allowed to come up with his own truth by his own living experiences and a capacity to be open to the wisdom and testament of all the religions and the knowledge of science.

UU’s are probably one of the most liberal of all religious organizations on the planet. They are an inclusive not an exclusive group, and the pulpit is free as long as respect and dignity is given to all. Anyone is allowed to enter our church from any faith, although there are those fundamental churches that would avoid us like the plague… and we have many ex-Catholics, Jews, fundamentalists, humanists, etc. that are in our pews. The UU’s are a dedicated organization to finding Justice and Peace in this world and are very strong advocates for the environment. They are seekers of truth and believe it to be an on-going process. The Hymnal has passages that stem from all faiths and so is the music. I have never witnessed any kind of “Holier than Thou” attitude shown, as I came to be part of the fellowship that always meets for an hour after the service. There are scientists, teachers, artists and just everyday common folks that meet there to discuss topics and enjoy the learning process and the sharing of our thoughts. Many of the congregation have given talks on their own areas of expertise. It is a very civil diverse group that agrees to disagree at times. The other important thing to mention is that it is always interesting, we have had a wide assortment of speakers, including clergy from other faiths including our own, environmentalists, scientists, poets, Native Americans, Muslims … some thing that is rare in other churches. It seems always to be some place where you are learning and sharing the wide diversity of ideas. Love and creation are honored above the redemption theme. Fear is never used as a tactic to manipulate people.

When you look at how so many churches are declining in numbers, I wonder if some of these people that have become so alienated to the usual stuff they hear in most churches today, that they no longer attend, would ever give the UU’s a try. I feel that many of these people searching for something that may be closer to accommodating their spirituality needs might be found in a nearby UU church. The one thing for sure they will definitely find there, are warm and sensitive humans . This is one of the salient features that I cannot overemphasize here, and why I’ve become a regular there.