Where Do We Come From?
Preached 9/8/2019 at SouthWest UU in N. Royalton OH
By Rev. Meg Mathieson
I’d like to begin by going over our covenant together.
By this covenant, we, the members of SouthWest UU Church establish these guidelines for how we will be with each other.
By committing ourselves to this covenant we will build an environment of trust that fosters personal growth and self-worth among our members and friends. We will ensure the opportunity for free and responsible discussion of philosophical and religious ideas while promoting an atmosphere of joy and celebration in our church community.
How does that feel?
Does it feel right? Does it feel good? I’m not necessarily looking for conversation right now, but I’d like to encourage you to just let those words settle in your mind and let them marinate a bit. Let time pass, and see what comes up for you. If you have thoughts during this week, I hope that you will share them with me.
Last week, we talked about how we are a liberal people, and as such, we are a people who value these two things: Compassion and Truth. Recognizing and valuing truth, science, rationality - for Unitarian Universalists as a whole, and for us, as the community that is present in this room right now - Rationality and truth causes us to see the way that the world is, to see the suffering and oppression, to acknowledge our own place in that oppression, even when it is uncomfortable. Rationality leads directly to compassion for each other, for those who we would love to welcome into community with us, but who do not have the privilege that we have to be here today.
So also does compassion lead to rationality, as we say again and again, what can I do? When we are filled with compassion, we are also inspired to be rational, to be at one with the world as it is, and to work within the systems that both benefit and hurt others.
Truth and compassion are two of our greatest motivators, and they could be considered Unitarian Universalist deities.
Truth and compassion are vital ingredients to living in community with other humans, they are the greatest flavors in our own stone soup.
We pledge through our congregational covenant to treat one another with compassion. We pledge to be truthful. Sometimes truth and compassion can seem at odds. When when we deeply disagree, when we can’t seem to find common ground. How do you respond with both truth and compassion?
Sometimes the truth hurts, and sometimes the compassionate thing is to still be truthful. And in the spirit of truthfulness, let’s look back and acknowledge and process some of what we have gone through together in the past year. Let’s grant ourselves some compassion.
Where were you as a person this time last year? What have you been through? Let’s close our eyes or soften our focus and remember - who were we a year ago?
What would you say to the you that you were one year ago, if you could? What would you warn yourself about the future?
In the past year, this congregation has had some really major upheaval, some big changes. As we begin a new church year, we can look forward, and wonder who we will be at this time next year. Looking out at your gorgeous faces, I know that we will laugh together, we will cry together, we will be exhausted together, and we will be invigorated together.
You might not always like me. We all might make some mistakes. But through it all, we are determined to live as a liberal religious community who treasure both compassion and truth.
**Susan, will you bring those three points from the covenant back up on the screen? Thank you.
If you are a longtime member who has shouldered a lot of responsibilities over the years, might it be time to share those responsibilities with newer members?
Wherever you are and whatever your level of involvement in this community, this week, I challenge you to be thinking about what you need to let go of, what no longer feeds your soul. What apps can you close, what are you leaving here, letting float away in the shared water of our water communion?
I invite you to take a deep breath and when you exhale, imagine the old wounds of previous years just flowing right out of you. Everything that is no longer helpful, thank it as it leaves. One more breath.
Preached 9/8/2019 at SouthWest UU in N. Royalton OH
By Rev. Meg Mathieson
I’d like to begin by going over our covenant together.
By this covenant, we, the members of SouthWest UU Church establish these guidelines for how we will be with each other.
By committing ourselves to this covenant we will build an environment of trust that fosters personal growth and self-worth among our members and friends. We will ensure the opportunity for free and responsible discussion of philosophical and religious ideas while promoting an atmosphere of joy and celebration in our church community.
- We will strive to listen to each other with an open mind and respond with compassion and respect.
- In times of conflict, we agree to be both sensitive and honest and to speak directly with each other.
- We agree to share the responsibilities necessary for the life of our church community.
How does that feel?
Does it feel right? Does it feel good? I’m not necessarily looking for conversation right now, but I’d like to encourage you to just let those words settle in your mind and let them marinate a bit. Let time pass, and see what comes up for you. If you have thoughts during this week, I hope that you will share them with me.
Last week, we talked about how we are a liberal people, and as such, we are a people who value these two things: Compassion and Truth. Recognizing and valuing truth, science, rationality - for Unitarian Universalists as a whole, and for us, as the community that is present in this room right now - Rationality and truth causes us to see the way that the world is, to see the suffering and oppression, to acknowledge our own place in that oppression, even when it is uncomfortable. Rationality leads directly to compassion for each other, for those who we would love to welcome into community with us, but who do not have the privilege that we have to be here today.
So also does compassion lead to rationality, as we say again and again, what can I do? When we are filled with compassion, we are also inspired to be rational, to be at one with the world as it is, and to work within the systems that both benefit and hurt others.
Truth and compassion are two of our greatest motivators, and they could be considered Unitarian Universalist deities.
Truth and compassion are vital ingredients to living in community with other humans, they are the greatest flavors in our own stone soup.
We pledge through our congregational covenant to treat one another with compassion. We pledge to be truthful. Sometimes truth and compassion can seem at odds. When when we deeply disagree, when we can’t seem to find common ground. How do you respond with both truth and compassion?
Sometimes the truth hurts, and sometimes the compassionate thing is to still be truthful. And in the spirit of truthfulness, let’s look back and acknowledge and process some of what we have gone through together in the past year. Let’s grant ourselves some compassion.
Where were you as a person this time last year? What have you been through? Let’s close our eyes or soften our focus and remember - who were we a year ago?
What would you say to the you that you were one year ago, if you could? What would you warn yourself about the future?
In the past year, this congregation has had some really major upheaval, some big changes. As we begin a new church year, we can look forward, and wonder who we will be at this time next year. Looking out at your gorgeous faces, I know that we will laugh together, we will cry together, we will be exhausted together, and we will be invigorated together.
You might not always like me. We all might make some mistakes. But through it all, we are determined to live as a liberal religious community who treasure both compassion and truth.
**Susan, will you bring those three points from the covenant back up on the screen? Thank you.
- We will listen. You’re good at that. But I will also listen to you!
- We will be both sensitive and honest - that sounds like compassion and truth to me.
- We share responsibilities.
If you are a longtime member who has shouldered a lot of responsibilities over the years, might it be time to share those responsibilities with newer members?
Wherever you are and whatever your level of involvement in this community, this week, I challenge you to be thinking about what you need to let go of, what no longer feeds your soul. What apps can you close, what are you leaving here, letting float away in the shared water of our water communion?
I invite you to take a deep breath and when you exhale, imagine the old wounds of previous years just flowing right out of you. Everything that is no longer helpful, thank it as it leaves. One more breath.