Better Together

ASSOCIATION SUNDAY – October 2, 2011
Rev. Mike Quayle

Today Unitarian Universalists gather in churches, meeting houses, and some in rented spaces.    Some of the buildings are sprawling Gothic Cathedral-like structures.  Others are white clapboard churches.  Some are modern buildings which look more like spaceships than churches.  Others are traditional church buildings “recycled” from churches which have closed and still retain symbols like stained glass windows of the Last Supper or Jesus rising from the tomb.  Some meet in public school buildings.  Others in a college auditorium.  I recently read about one UU congregation that uses a local funeral chapel  to gather.  Then there are our friends in Lexington who meet in the courthouse.  And of, course, I know of one congregation that meets in an old schoolhouse!

Some have no more than ten people gathering.  Others have hundreds in attendance.  Still other UU’s have no congregation near them so they are part of the Church of the Larger Fellowship;  a sort of virtual church that relies on internet access and large gatherings throughout the year.

All are Unitarian Universalists gathering together to live out our commitment to each other and to the world.

We gather to be inspired.  We gather to challenge each other and our   world.  We gather to speak words of comfort to each other.  At times, we bicker with each other.  We debate and we argue.  We struggle to  find answers to life’s most challenging questions.

While we don’t all agree on worship style, on words, on beliefs, and what is the most important task we face,  we all agree there is value in gathering together.  WE ARE BETTER TOGETHER THAN WE ARE ALONE.

I like something George Bernard Shaw once said.  Listen to his words:

“Independence…..middle class blasphemy !  We are all dependent

on one another,  every soul of us on earth.”
Today is Association Sunday.  We celebrate what it means to be Unitarian Universalists together.  This year’s focus is on “Excellence in Ministry.”  Ministry is a word that is difficult for some of us.  When we hear the word ministry,  we tend to think of a person rather than an action.  If you hear nothing else today,  I hope you will hear this:
Ministry is not a noun.  It is not a person, place, or thing !  Ministry is a VERB.  It means action and requires that we DO SOMETHING.

As I prepare for a professional ministry in the Unitarian Universalist Church, I have been interested to hear the differing views on what ministry means  to  different people.  When I tell some that I am working towards ordination in the UU, they are often surprised that we have ministers, let alone that we ordain them.  Some are very uncomfortable if not downright suspicious about ministers.  Perhaps it is a bad experience with a minister in their past.  Perhaps it is a deep  distrust of organized religion or an institution.
Yet we in the Unitarian Universalist tradition DO have professional ministers.  Actually, for most of our long history of 400+ years….  that was the NORM.  UU is a movement that has been led by ministers and found much of its strength and stability in keeping ministers around.

But, I want to be VERY CLEAR this morning.

I am not here to give a message to prop up professional ministry or to say that  churches cannot flourish without a minister.

I would never, never want HUU to believe for a moment that the point where  we reach a new plateau of success is if and when we decide to call a minister. I have the unique position of being able to speak to you today as one who went to seminary and trained for the ministry.   I spent twenty years as a minister.  But, I can also speak to you today as one who has had some significant time sitting in the place where you sit today as a member of a congregation.

Very early after my arrival at HUU I remember saying to Bernie Mathes that I would have given anything to have served a congregation with the level of commitment that I find here at HUU.

HUU has something very good happening.  It is something of which you ought to be very proud.  You have a committed core of people who had a vision,  nurtured that vision, stuck it out through thick and thin,  and without them,  HUU could not exist.  I cannot predict what is ahead for HUU.  The day may come when the church   will be in a position to call a minister.  It may be something HUU decides not to do even if it were possible.

We are experiencing remarkable growth and what seems to be a new vitality.  There are pains that come with growth.  There are fears that we will change too much.   Each of us needs to be honest about those fears and challenges.  But, we also cannot let fear and challenges define who we are.  We are not our fears.  We are not our challenges.  And, when we choose to look at the word MINISTRY in only one way,  we greatly  limit who we are and what we can become.  Ministry is not about calling a person to come and serve this congregation or any other congregation.

MINISTRY IS ABOUT YOU….  THE MEMBERS OF HUU.

Ministry is about HOW we live out our particular passions and callings. Ministry is not about growing to the point where we can hire someone to DO it for us.
Rather…  ministry is about discovering where we feel we are called to give our time,  our talents, and our gifts.  A sure sign of impending death for a congregation is to believe we hire someone to do ministry for us.   Let’s never go to that place.

You as the members of HUU are a wonderfully gifted and beloved community. You are more competent that you think you are.  You have SO MUCH to offer this community.  This community needs you.  It needs your voice.

My belief about ministry is this;  It is the belief I will carry with me when the time comes for me to move to a congregation and accept the call to serve as their minister.
The purpose of a minister is to make it easier for you to do YOUR WORK.  My task as a minister will be to help others find their gifts and how to best use them.  My work as a minister is to nurture you……the real ministers….  so you can do the work that needs to be done.  I believe there is a place for professional ministry.  But professional ministry is a broad term.  It includes a congregational minister;  but it also includes leadership for religious education.  It includes music ministry.  It includes the ministry of being a parish administrator.  It includes serving in groups that strengthen the work we do together.  It includes washing the dishes and mopping the floors.  It includes caring for the children and creating a safe place where they feel nurtured.  It includes overseeing the church web site,  preparing the bulletin, and writing the  checks to keep the lights on.  Ministry is mowing the grass and pulling the weeds.

Don’t let negative associations about what some have done badly in the name of ministry sour you to the possibilities of doing ministry well and honoring the varied callings and gifts that exist within a congregation.

Many folks talk a lot about “being saved.”   I do believe we need to be saved….   but not in the sense that the TV evangelist speaks about being saved. Being saved is not about some reward we receive after death because we believed the right doctrines,  recited the correct creed,  or worshipped the true God.
Being saved is about how we live.   Being saved is what happens when we  speak out against violence in our society.  Being saved is talking and talking about the need to treat our world and environment in a way that is sustainable.

Being saved is about finding YOUR PASSION……not criticizing the passion of others.  Being saved is finding what sets your spirit and heart on fire andmoves you to action.  And THAT IS MINISTRY…….pure and simple.

So today…..  we join with thousands of fellow UU’s in celebrating “Excellence in Ministry.”

I want to close with a quote by Margaret Meade….it is one that you have heard often……but I want us to really hear it again today………..chew on it a bit……
She said,

“Never doubt that a small group of  thoughtful, committed, citizens can change
the world.  Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Now really think about that statement……..Think of any positive and good changes that have come to our world……When I allowed myself to really think about her words……   I was hard pressed to think of any meaningful and history altering change that was not brought about by a small, thoughtful, committed group of people.
THAT is EXCELLENCE IN MINISTRY.
We have good days ahead of us here at HUU if we focus on that goal……EXCELLENCE IN MINISTRY…… You are a small group………you are a thoughtful group…..you are a committed group………so let’s change the world………TOGETHER.  Because, that’s the only way the world will change !!!  SO MAY IT BE.    AMEN.