Unitarian Universalism: A Vision for the 21st Century
 Rev. Ted Tollefson
©August 3, 2008 @ UU Society of River Falls

Vision tells us who we are;
Mission statements tell us what we must do to fulfill our Vision;
Goals tell us how to do it..

Summary
After belonging to Unitarian Universalist groups for 40 years and serving 28 years in its ministry, I am discovering a clearer sense of who we are as liberal religious communities.   My wager is that our identity as Unitarian Universalists is composed of at least three elements.  I leave it for the members of UUSRF to decide how these qualities are and are not present in this beloved community.

* We are a learning community: we try to make sense of a complex world using all the resources at our disposal.
* We are a caring community: we care about the the world in which we find ourselves, we care for others and our selves.   We aim to make connections that are deep, heart-felt, value-laden.
* We are a transforming community: we want to make a difference, we want to make our world, our community and our selves better.

1. WE ARE A LEARNING COMMUNITY: Making Sense of our World

Learning is a gradual, non-violent way to understand and change the world.  Our learning is informed by religious texts from many traditions and it also includes what we have learned more recently from science, mathematics, philosophy and art.   For many of us, the process of learning  is sacred: it connects us to our true nature and informs us of what our world is like.

Though there are many aspects of learning, three seem crucial.   First, we gather data, we take measurements.  Notice the thermostat in this room.   Imagine how costly it would be to heat and cool this building if we only took measurements twice per year.  So we may want to take measures more often than that.   Second,  we look for matches and mis-matches between what we sense and what we want.   The thermostat is constantly measuring the room temperature against the set-point.  When people start to shiver, we turn it up.   When people sweat, we turn it down.   Without this testing function, we can be loyal to a course of action even if it proves ruinous, wasteful, harmful.   Third, in a dynamic system, we may need to try something new.   If the music we love is broader than the music we sing, we may need expand our repetoire.   If sermons go on too long, they may need to be edited.   If the policies of a leader seem disasterous, we may need a change at the top.

There are many learning communities around us---public and private schools, universities and community colleges.   What distinguishes us as a learning community?  Some of our learning is about our identity as Unitarian Universalists.  Both the content and the methods reflect our values, especially "the free and responsible search for truth and meaning".   All easy answers are questioned here.    Second, some of our learning involves the exchange of useful skills.  Everyone has something to teach and something to learn.   The 21st century seems to require skillful hands, hearts and minds.  Some of that learning can be acquired from one another---perhaps by creating a skill-bank where we identify human resources.   Third,  learning in our midst aims at wisdom, not just more knowledge.   Wisdom begins in a liberal context not by mouthing the platitudes of the past, nor with fear and trembling.   Wisdom begins with an open heart and open mind.   Wisdom grows whenever we integrate the information that comes from our critical mind and our creative imagination, our compasssionate heart and our focused will.   Wisdom leads to wholeness and healing that is not separate from holiness.

Learning focus group (36% of those present)

What we're already doing:  many topics and speakers on Sundays, learning about UUism, learning about social events and calls for action, learning more about each other, learning is an individual reponsibility, learning leads us to caring and transformation.

What we could do more of: more book-clubs and discussion groups,  more movies, forums, discussions, support Religious Education, more forums and discussions, find out what others are offering.

2. WE ARE A CARING COMMUNITY: making  deep, heart-felt connections between self, others, world

Unitarian Universalists care about this world.  We may speculate or dream about other worlds, higher worlds, virtual worlds or imaginary worlds, but we care most deeply about this world.  As my mentor Thoreau said on his death-bed when asked about the next world: "one world at a time!"   Though many religions eventually arrive at a this-worldly understanding of religious language, a frightening amount of intellectual and spiritual capital has been  wasted on "others worlds".   So we begin where we are, caring for where we find ourselves: we are temporary guests on a fragile planet where all events are deeply intertwined (our 7th principle).

Because caring is important to us, we practice it every Sunday.  The human heart is a muscle; it is strengthened by exercise.  Much of what we do on Sunday morning aims to  develop skill in giving and receiving care:  we share our names and touch hands,  we welcome strangers as guests,  we speak aloud our joys and concerns knowing that they will be well received, we delight in old friends and reach out to new friends,  we join our hands and hearts and voices that we might experience the commonground of love that unites us. 

Though we have people  with special caring skills in our midst, we are all part of the Caring Circle.   When our friends and members are sick, they are visited.  When disaster befalls us, healing hands reach out.  When we have good or bad news to share, we listen with an open heart and mind.  Every hour that we are here, there is evidence of not-so-random acts of kindness and generosity.   Through caring our true nature unfolds like a garden: we are kind to our kin because it is our nature to be so.

Caring focus group (16% of those  present)

What we're already doing: making connections, graciousness, unity and community, paying honest and genuine attention to members, opening our homes and reaching out.

What we could do more of: reach out beyond our 4 walls, reach out to our surrounding communities: visiting schools, nursing homes, prisons, Christmas caroling, donations to local, regional and national 'good causes'.

3. WE ARE A TRANSFORMING COMMUNITY:making a difference in our selves, our communities, our world

For several centuries, Unitarians and Universalists have been working to make a difference in this world we share.  A Universalist physician  Benjamin Rush and Unitarian activist Dorthea Dix pioneered humane, non-punitive care for the mentally ill.  Of the six founder's of American democracy, all espoused Unitarian views of God, Jesus and Humankind; three helped establish or promote Unitarian congregations; one (John Adams) was a life-long member of First Parish Unitarian of Braintree, MA.  Unitarians like Horace Mann helped invent free public education.   Unitarians like Emerson, Thoreau and Elizabeth Peabody championed the liberation of slaves.   Thousands of Unitarians and Universalist have worked for over one hundred on equal rights for women.  Closer to home, many Unitarian Universalists had led the call for "restorative" rather than punitive justice and an end to foolish, wasteful and unnecessary wars. 

Why are Unitarians, as Garrison Keillor has suggested, so "relentlessly self-improving"?  Because we care for all forms of life in this world and are curious about it, we pay attention to this world.   And because we treasure our moral imagination, we can often find ways to improve what is.   In a sense this desire-to-improve is the flip side of "sin".   Rather than lamenting the inevitable gap between what is and what ought to be, we claim this gap-perceiving capacity as a distinctly human trait.  The human conscience is the gateway through which moral values into this world.   Rather than blaming ourselves or looking for someone else to blame, we try to make things better.   As the Universalist P.T. Barnum said:  "If a hungry person asks for food, give them the potato first, then  the prayer".

As Unitarian Universalists, we expect our selves and our congregations to make the world a better place.  And we sometimes hope that  our congregations will  make us better people.   One of our neighboring congregations says that their mission is to empower their members "to live lives of service, integrity and joy".  Another says that the goal of congregational life is "to carry the Universalist message of love and hope to our families, our neighborhoods and our world".  How might we reframe our  mission in light of this vision of learning-caring-transforming communities?

Caring focus group (26% of those present)

What we could do more of:
 
1)  We are participants in our citizenry processes; however, the important issues are not given adequate discussion or response.
 
2)  We need to make noise to save the environment and the planet.  The big issues of energy and population are examples.  We need communities with concerns beyond the price of gasoline in order to address global warming and our carbon footprints.  Actually, increased fuel costs are leading to some good conservation measures.  Getting communities of faith to view the environment and creation as one may lead to the necessary respect for our life enabling planet.
 
3)  We need to combine learning and action--We need to do our homework and dialogue with others.
 
4)  Though taxes, at 36% of the average income, aren't necessarily bad in themselves, we need to take personally how they are budgeted and utilized.  Thoreau may encourage rapping the gavel with family, friends, and neighbors to address the Q: "What are we getting from our giving of funds?"  We need to speak, and act, for better results from our giving of funds--especially as many are at the edge of their family budgets and poverty encourages soldiering as an option for building ones future; and
 
5)  We need to get beyond the manipulation that leads to acceptance of the near-instant-feel-good choices--Instead, we need to evolve decision making and action planning based on evidence and reason. (Submitted by  Dennis Ferche)

THE MISSING 4th PIECE: A Signature of Liberal Religion

Missing Piece Focus Group (16% of those present): a welcoming, open-minded liberal religious community; unifying;
happy, joyous, loving ("no fear"); open-minded; ethical

Several groups noted how learning-caring-transforming are part of the same process.   I agree.   This pattern of learning-caring-transforming is a "signature" of Unitarian Universalism.   Every successful worship services artfully combines these elements: we learn something, we express our care for one another and our shared world, we are called to transformative action.   The "fourth thing" that these three create together is the inter-active field we call "Unitarian Universalism".  This is our "common ground", our version of  "the kingdom of heaven",  the "promised land" and the "good Red road".   One of my Unitarian mentors, Arthur Foote, said "the place where we gather to seek the highest is sacred ground".   I say the place where we gather to seek Wisdom, Compassion, and Justice is sacred ground. 

We learn and thereby make sense of this world entrusted to us [Wisdom]
We care for one another, our selves and our common world  and thereby make deep, heart-felt connections [Compassion]
We trans-form our selves, communities and our world and thereby make a difference [Justice]
 
Blessed are the peace-makers