Hi everyone! Im back from vacation. I went to Alberta Canada and spent a day in the Alberta Badlands, two fantastic days with my brother and his wife on their small farm south of Edmonton, and then two breathtaking days in the Canadian Rockies. It was a wonderful vacation and as is true of most vacations, lovely to be back home. I look forward to seeing you this Sunday when I am back in the pulpit. Here is my weekly article that appears in This Week at Emerson, which I hope that you check out weekly as it really does keep you in the know as to whats going on. Unfortunately I will not be able to attend the M-SLICE workday in Kensington Neighborhood Saturday as I am officiating at a wedding in St. Genevieve MO. But Ill be there with you in spirit! My article: This coming month, the worship theme will be Covenant. Unitarian Universalism is a faith of the covenant. We are not a creedal or a doctrinal faith, meaning that we do not codify a set of beliefs that one must adhere to in order to be faithful. We are a covenantal faith, meaning that for us the central purpose of life consists of promises that we make to each other, promises that embody our values of open-mindedness, compassion for all of life, justice, and the ongoing search for truth. We know that each one of us will fall short of these promises. This is to be expected and understood, rather than judged and vilified, for these promises arent easy to keep. They shouldnt be, or they wouldnt mean anything. However, committing to live them to our highest potential does mean that our lives will be immeasurably enriched. We constantly entertain the real potential of transformation of ourselves, and this makes us agents of transformation for our community and our world. Several years ago, our Committee On Ministry was empowered by the Board of Trustees to develop a Covenant of Right Relations for our congregation, which the Board of Trustees then approved. We didnt make this Covenant up on our own. We leaned on our connections in Unitarian Universalism at large, drawing on a Covenant developed by other UU congregations, modifying it to reflect the particularity of Emerson UU Chapel. This covenant is a guide for us to use in the relationships between people in the congregation. Our church life is itself one of the covenants that we seek to live out. It seems timely, given the recent sale of the 73 Strecker Rd. property and move, that regrounding ourselves in covenant, in the foundation of our liberal religious tradition, would be very helpful. Whenever you engage in this level of change, there are so many emotions. Some of the members of this congregation are in deep grief and disappointment over the sale of our former property, a property they hoped would be the final home of the Chapel, and the embodiment of all its dreams. As a community we need to hold this grief and disappointment. Some members of the congregation are grieving those who have decided not to follow in this transition. There are people that we are missing greatly. As a community we need to hold this grief as well. Some members of the congregation hold a deep sense of accomplishment and pride in the decisions that have been made and their fulfillment. There is excitement and hope, joy and enthusiasm about what we hope might come our way. As a community, we need to hold this as well. And, there are those who find themselves in all of these places. And then, there are those of you who are relatively new to the congregation, perhaps brand new to the congregation. You may have only briefly experienced Emerson Chapel life at our old location, or maybe you have only experienced Emerson Chapel worshiping on Wild Horse Creek Rd. You are as much a part of this congregation as those who have been part of it for decades. We need to hold your experiences as well. How do we hold together a community with such a diversity of perspectives? This has always been our calling. its just become more obvious right now. Unitarian Universalism is committed to diversity. We have always sought to reflect that diversity in the way we live, both in the church and in wider society. Our religion is a path to living in greater harmony with the diversity that already exists. We are called to embrace it. Have a look at the Covenant. Its right below this article. Spend some time reflecting on it. This Covenant will be the focus of our worship services this month. Yours in faith, Rev. Krista. Emerson Unitarian Universalist Chapel Our Covenant We build our church on a foundation of love and covenant with one another, To freely explore our values and honor our diversity as a source of communal strength, To accept responsibility for our individual acts and promote justice and peace, To celebrate the joys of discovery, embracing the fullest measure of our humanity, To communicate with kindness and support, To serve with compassion and commitment, To openly share our laughter and tears and, To show reverence for the divine in all that is. Covenant of Right Relations The well-being, strength, and reputation of our church depend on a sense of fellowship among the members, friends, and staff, which thrives in an atmosphere of trust, respect, and cooperation. Within such an atmosphere, differences of opinion and their resolution through compromise or consensus can enhance a sense of community and serve as an opportunity to grow in healthy authentic relationships with one another. However, differences or misunderstandings that go unresolved and descend into prolonged conflict can threaten the social fabric of our church. We recognize that conflict may occur between members, members and staff, members and minister, or staff and minister. We preface these suggestions with the commonsense wisdom that all should adhere to the UU Principles and Purposes and our own church covenant, exhibiting behaviors that enhance the dignity and inherent worth of all participants: expressing sincere appreciation; allowing for human fallibility; dealing directly with each other; speaking softly; being creative in problem solving; maintaining a sense of humor; actively listening and clarifying what we hear; letting others have their say; respecting boundaries that may differ from our own; respecting confidentiality; refraining from harmful gossip about others; and speaking honestly. We will actively and graciously pursue genuine peace and authentic reconciliation, carefully using mediators when appropriate. We will seek just and mutually beneficial solutions to our differences. Each person, regardless of his or her role in the church - including clergy, board members, nonmember staff, etc. - is expected to live to this covenant within the context of their relationship with the church community. We all, as responsible members of this community, have an obligation to bring to light concerns about things which threaten the health of our church. This should be done by using existing procedures, proper committees, etc. As members of this community, we have an obligation to find out what those procedures are, in a conflict or in any other dealing with the church, just as we have responsibilities to support the church, honor our pledges, show up, fulfill our commitments for committees, and strive to be on time. In short, we owe each other respectful participation in the life of our church.
Posted on: Thu, 31 Jul 2014 18:01:34 +0000
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