Many Lives, One Vision by Rev. Cynthia Heilman

Prominently displayed at the top of the inside page of each of our Sunday programs is our Fellowship’s mission statement. It is a clear declaration of what we want to do as a church. It says:

“Our Fellowship's mission is to promote religious freedom with responsibility, to support each other with compassion, and to serve peace with justice.”

We have identified three activities in which we want to be engaged: promotion, support, and service. This is a great statement, and I can only imagine the months (years?) it took to birth it. It captured my attention when I delivered a sermon here in June of last year, and again as I began studying your Packet shortly thereafter. It spoke to me as the kind of congregation I would like to partner with; a church that was unashamedly outward-focused. Yes, you are serving your own needs, and doing it very well. But with this mission statement you are also intentionally positioning yourselves for growth; growth in numbers (members) and in that awareness of the mystery that moves in and among us and all living things.

As I studied your packet, I asked myself from where does a congregation of 45+ individuals summons such courage, chutzpah to declare such a future for itself?

I hadn’t read that you had an endowment of a couple of million dollars, or hired an advertising company to create and launch particular portions of your mission. No. What I read was that (1) a congregation composed predominately of European Americans identifying themselves as Pagans, Buddhists, Humanists, Christians, Jews, agnostics, and even combinations of any of these, (2) located in a racial, economic, and educationally mixed town wanted to be more aggressive in sharing who they were with those outside of their four walls for three reasons. Why?

(1) They have a perspective on religion and spirituality that just might resonate with many in the community.

(2) They have maintained a consistent presence in the community for over 40 years. And,

(3) Issues of race, class, economic, and education are affecting them as well.

Even more to the point, this Fellowship is home to many personalities, perspectives, gifts, and desires. All these things inform who you are and where you can go. You’ve worked and worshipped within a multitude of diversities for more than 40 years. Religious diversity. Racial diversity. Economic diversity. Educational diversity. Sexual and generational diversity. And diversity regarding physical and mental abilities. I believe your audacious nature is born, stirred anew, when you gather in committees designing programs and policies, asking who’s should be included in the decision-making process, what words should be spoken; what brings life and joy to what you doing? I believe that it is because of all these things, especially your willingness to live into what all this diversity demands of you as individuals, you can dream so boldly, and will continue to make your mission statement become even more evident.

Until now I have used the terms “this fellowship“, “your mission” and “your diversity”. And so now, I will stop using that terminology, because after your deliberations over the selection of a ministerial candidate, you chose me. And I chose you, making your mission my mission, too. I come as a colleague, a fellow “companion on the way”; someone who is willing to lend her skills to accomplish some wonderful things here. I come not as a know-it-all, or wanna-do-it-all. And if I ever start to act as if I am Super Minister, please someone, quietly take me aside and remind me that I am from Cleveland, Ohio, not the planet Krypton.

Nevertheless, I am someone who differs from you in one not so subtle way. I trust the Board selected me because of my particular UU identity, my previous experience in parish minister, my embrace of the ethos and passion of the Oberlin UU Fellowship. And I truly do feel that these were indeed the reasons. And if my racial heritage entered into the mix in any way, I hope that the weight it was given was not with the assumption that I would function as a magnet to attract hundreds of other racial minorities. It may do the opposite. But, it might happen. And if so, TERRIFIC!

I personally hope that it will happen. But let it happen not be because of my color, but because we’ve created generous space for people to see themselves in a church like this one; where the lives of historic UU figures talked about and celebrated; their voices being clearly heard; their interests, gifts and skills being valued and utilized.

Let it happen because we have been honest about who we were, who we are, and who we are becoming. Let it happen because we are creating Sunday celebrations that feed and refresh the spirit and the mind. Weekday gatherings and activities that find us scattered throughout the town and beyond forging relationships, breaking down barriers, and supporting peace with understanding and justice. Yes, we light our chalice that Blacks will come. And also Asians, Hispanics, Native Americans, Pacific Islanders…whoever finds our message and our hospitality warn and compelling.

Anyone looking in on us will no doubt question what we are doing here. Why give voice to so many religious sensitivities? Why the emphasis on shared leadership? Surely these are the very elements that would break a congregation. And no doubt at one time or another many of you may have thrown up your hands in despair over a decision or program. As overwhelming as it may be, and probably will continue to be, that’s the genius and beauty of our movement. Our work in this church, in the UUA, is not about having it all laid out neatly with all the answers underlined. It is about the journey, the adventure to truth and meaning. About how we set out in our quest. It’s about giving good attention to the various signs and surprises on the way. Asking new questions. Letting go of answers that don’t work anymore. It’s about being enriched and informed by voices and experiences that we thought were suspect.

When people look at us, may they see White and Black, people of both modest and great means, blue collar and white collar, GLBT and straight, those from the academy and also the service sector….all working, singing, walking, and talking together because we are better when we are doing all these things together than we are apart…all engaged in the work of promoting religious freedom with responsibility, supporting each other with compassion, and serving peace with justice. We are undeniably suited to this task, for we are many lives, yet willing to combine them and focus on one vision: a vibrant and growing church seeking to positively impacting the lives of those with whom it comes in contact.

But while they are looking at us, let us be clear about what we are projecting. When I think about the work we are taking up in fulfillment of our mission statement, I am reminded of the methodology Dirk Ficca, Executive Director of the Parliament for the Worlds Religions, advocates that people and organizations committed to creating a common vision despite their real and perceived differences, in the case where I heard him mention this it was regarding interreligious dialogue. And in a sense we are engaged in interreligious/philosophica/spiritual dialogue.

First, he advocates that we seek to continually work to establish trust over agreement. We will surely not agree on everything, maybe some important things, but if we come to the table willing to offer our best selves, being careful to acknowledge the wisdom in each other, and committing ourselves to find ways to support is good and working…then trust has a good chance of taking root.

Second, we would do well to seek harmony not unity. We are not giving up who we are; we can be unique and come to the table willing to explore how we can complement each others interests.

Third, we seek convergence not consensus. Our several groups work on issues that matter to them, which means that not every cluster (person) is not involved in every issue, but is supportive of the other’s sensitivities.

And lastly, we promote facilitation over structure. The leadership (the Fellowship) is open to hearing about what matters to each cluster and helps them to find ways and means to advance their livelihood in the Fellowship.

I raise these rubric not that your internal relationships are out of whack, but that I understand the seriousness and tedious nature of your journey. Even, I seen you already miles ahead in your self-understanding. I assure you, am fully onboard with what you want to do and where you want to go.

Close your eyes and let your mind dream the wildest dreams about the future of the Oberlin Unitarian Universalist Fellowship. What do you see?

*a building of our own?

*4 more covenant groups with the majority of participants from the community?

*a weekly radio program?

*a peace and reconciliation center?

*a city-wide OWL program

*a presence on the Oberlin College and Lorain Community College campuses

I don’t know what you dreamed about, but hopefully our dreams might one day come true. May they come true as we continue to tell our individual stories and live into the truth that each of us brings an important piece of what needs to be said, seen, and done in this Fellowship. May they come true as we refuse to let our differences hinder our journey forward. May we all catch a new and sustained glimpse of all that makes us special and what we have to offer. May the way we hold this space sacred by caring for each other, celebrating the joy and mystery of life translate into an energy that we cannot keep to ourselves; one that calls to the thirsty sprit in those around us.

May it be so.