Growing Our Faith through Growing Our Numbers

We have seen the moving stories in the Voices of a Liberal Faith DVD; you all should be very proud of your role in it. It is inspirational to see what our faith does for people. I am going to tell you what it has done for me, but first I will share with you a challenging story-to make it clear, we need to add more voices to our liberal faith.

In the year 1887 in Manchester, Massachusetts something very sad happened. Twin infants, Samuel and Elizabeth Bradford died. As a memorial gift, their parents gave the First Unitarian Church of their town this silver communion decanter. The Bradfords loved their children; they cared for their church too. Unfortunately, that church no longer exists; it also died. The only thing left is this lovely communion decanter, a lonely vestige of the love of the Bradford family and the consoling value of their religious community.

One family alone cannot save a church. It takes the commitment of many people. One congregation alone cannot change a country, but together we can make a difference. Just as individuals need families to survive, and families need communities for support and encouragement, so a church needs an association of congregations to be strong and influential.

Today we celebrate Association Sunday to affirm our common bonds and purposes with our Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations. We are better together as individual congregations because we assist more people more effectively; and we are better together as an association of congregations because together we have more influence on a country that dearly needs more inclusive, spiritual values.

The Unitarian Church in Manchester, Massachusetts no longer exists. I’m glad this church exists, and I am certain you are too. I’m glad that our other congregations exist as well. For example, the First Universalist Church in Wausau, Wisconsin—because that congregation changed my life; they made it much better.

As a teenager in the 1960’s the songs of Bob Dylan had a lasting influence on me. It was a tumultuous time of change, as Dylan sang, “The old road is rapidly fading. So, get out of the new way, if you can’t lend a hand, for the times they are a-changing.” For many, adolescence is a time to question the status-quo; it certainly was for me, and my friends. We questioned everything: our parents, teachers, the government, the socio-economic order, the War in Vietnam, the draft. Another Dylan song declared: “You are either busy being born, or you’re busy dying!” At that time, I wasn’t sure which I was going to be doing.

Fortunately, it was also a time of idealism. President Kennedy asked us to consider what we could do for our country, and President Johnson invited us to imagine a “Great Society.” We did; we imagined “a world without war”; we came together, recruited others; we marched and protested, and eventually we brought that war to an end.

It seems to me that once again we need to “Grow Our Faith,” in the goodness of life, in peace, in others, in ourselves, and the good we should, and can do for our country, and world. Bob Dylan’s songs gave me hope because they proclaimed that love, peace, justice, freedom, and reason were the right values to affirm, so did my discovery of the First Universalist Church of Wausau, Wisconsin. They took me in and kept me “busy being born.”

That church accepted me as I was, a non-believer in traditional theology; but they also challenged me to keep open to new possibilities in religion, society, and myself. That church gave me freedom, a sense of purpose, and hope. I chose to go into the UU ministry because I wanted to help make the world a better place, and to keep growing intellectually, morally, spiritually. They taught me about the possibility of registering as a conscientious objector. (My earlier religious community had not mentioned that possibility.) I cannot say for a literal fact that the Unitarian Universalist Association saved my life, but I know it has saved others, and that it encouraged me to believe in life and to get busy-making it better.

I am grateful for that First Universalist Church-and it is incumbent on me to support the growth of our liberating movement. Unitarian Universalism empowered me; it was here for me when I needed it, and I believe we have a responsibility to offer its sustaining and empowering influence to more people, and to our country. Unitarian Universalism encouraged me to grow; it calls us all to grow; in fact, growth is integral to our way in religion.

Unitarian Universalists acknowledge human responsibility to save the world. Most of us do not believe in a supernatural omnipotent deity that will bring peace to earth without our cooperation. The purpose of our religion is moral development not just personal salvation. Unlike other religions that claim they have the one and only truth, we say everyone has some; we come together to share ours, and learn from others; we come together to grow.

There is a story my memory says was written by one of our ministers, Clinton Lee Scott, as one of his “Parish Parables.” It is told about a religious leader who noticed one of his members was no longer attending services at the temple. He sent a messenger to inquire the reason. The man told the messenger that he wasn’t coming to services anymore because the clergy’s comments only caused him to have more questions. He said, our minister leads us out into deep waters and then leaves us there to drown. When the religious leader heard this he sent the messenger back to him saying, “Tell he who stays away from the services that the temple does not exist as a life preserver, but rather to teach people how to swim.”

That’s us. That is what we try to do. Encourage people to keep learning and growing. That opportunity is one reason most of us came to this religious community: we did not find the traditional answers efficacious, so we came to a community where we could be honest, and free to learn, and grow. It’s who we are as individuals, and as a people of faith.

The Unitarian spirit is exemplified in the words of a young girl quoted by Bruce Southworth, one of our ministers. She “returned from her first day at kindergarten, and her parents asked what she learned. ‘Not enough, not enough. I have to keep going back.” “Revelation is not sealed,” as one of our hymns proclaims. We know truth takes a lot of work to be revealed; we believe in the need to keep learning, growing.

Personal growth is integral to our way in religion. Why not institutional growth? Why not share the faith and increase our effectiveness when in fact the world awaits us-needs us? Larry Peers, who once served in our extension department writes, “We live in a time that has the largest number of unchurched people than in any previous time. When this unchurched population is interviewed, it is discovered that many of them would be interested in a faith much like that of Unitarian Universalism, if they but knew it.” (Salted With Fire, p. 70)

Don’t we have a responsibility to let them know we exist? The liberal religious community accepted me, and helped me develop. Unitarian Universalism encourages us, and challenges us, not only to accept, but to reach out to others.

Our country and our world today seem even more turbulent, conflicted, and dangerous than it did in the 60’s. A religion that encourages a rational response, an inclusive reaction to diversity and conflict is needed now more than ever. The religious right has grown, organized and influenced our political process; compared to them we are “missing in action.”

The world does not need more partisans who proclaim the supremacy of one ideology over others. It needs more people who acknowledge “the inherent worth and dignity of every person,” and who have “respect for the interdependent web of all existence….” I believe the world would be a better place with more people affirming the values and principles of Unitarian Universalism. I imagine you believe it too…and yet we seem reluctant to share our faith.

Scott Alexander states the problem clearly in his book encouraging UU evangelism: “Unitarian Universalists are notoriously spiritually silent. Because we demand to think for ourselves, are respectful of human differences, and don’t appreciate it when someone else tries to ram their own beliefs down our throats, we tend to shy away from even cautiously and respectfully sharing with others what it is we believe, and how those beliefs help us strive to be better, larger people. It is hard for some of us to talk back to fundamentalism by ‘talking up’ our own faith, but I passionately believe we cannot afford such a self-imposed silence in dangerous and divisive times such as these.” (pp.39-40.) He continues to say, “If we are not bold and caring enough to stand up in the public square and (without arrogance or vitriol) affirm what it is we believe and what dreams command our loyalty-then by default it will be the beliefs and dreams of others that will influence and instruct the shape of our society….” (p. 4.)

So there are several reasons why we should all work tirelessly to develop and extend Unitarian Universalism: One, because we are all people who believe in learning; two, because growth, spiritual and ethical, is integral to our understanding of the purpose of religion; three, because there are people who need our supportive, and empowering community; four, because the world needs us, if it is to become more equitable, and peaceful. And, fifth, because as Bob Dylan put it: “You’re either busy being born, or you’re busy dying!” Which is this religious community? Which is our Association of Congregations, “Busy being born or busy dying”?

There are fewer Unitarian Universalist today than there were one hundred years ago. In the 1850’s there were more than 500,000 Universalists alone, by the time of merger in 1961 there were only 68,000. At that time, we had 1035 congregations; today we have 1042. We have close to 160,000 members today, which is just slightly more than we did in 1961. For about the last 20 years our numbers have been increasing a tiny amount; last year we grew by 1%; but we are deceasing as a portion of the US population, which has grown exponentially; we have become insignificant. The average size of UU congregations is just over 100. The average UU is over 55 years old; and we only retain about 10 percent of our children. If we don’t get “Busy being born,” we are going to be “busy dying.”

The First Universalist Unitarian Church of Wausau, Wisconsin changed my life, made it better, made me better; it helped me grow. I don’t want to stop growing now. I don’t want my church, your church, our Association of Congregations, which have ministered unto us, sustained and empowered us; I don’t want them to stop growing now, and I hope you don’t want them to stop growing either.

The First Unitarian Church in Manchester, Massachusetts was also the last. This silver communion decanter is all that remains of that community; they did not grow their faith. We need to grow our faith in the goodness of life, and the human potential to make it better. There is a better world waiting to be born; it is waiting for us. We need to grow our faith in ourselves, in Unitarian Universalism, in the UUA, and in our influence for good.

Unitarian Universalism gave me freedom and faith; it gives me hope. I was almost lost, but I was found; certainly there are many others with similar values and beliefs waiting to be found. Let us get busy, being “born-again” Unitarian Universalists. Because creating a more welcoming and a larger, religious community would both deepen us spiritually, and extend our influence for good. Let us affirm the vision of our caring communities serving more people whose faith development can occur best through us; and let us affirm the vision of us as spiritually empowered people having more influence on our society by living our faith into the world.
For, as President Sinkford has said, “Now is the time for us to live up to the promise of our liberal religion, to let the world know we are here, and to welcome those who seek our community of peace, justice and love. Now is the time for our congregations to grow stronger and more effective because our religious values are sorely needed to help heal a wounded world.”

To do this effectively, we need to connect, affirm our common bonds and purposes, and combine our resources. You are joining today with 573 congregations across our continent and around the world. Fifty percent of the funds raised will be for a national marketing partnership with Time magazine. Here is our first ad. Go out and get a copy; share it with others. Twenty-five percent of the funds raised will go to support our ministers and ministerial students of color, and the congregations who call them; and the final twenty-five percent of the amount raised in your district will be available for your district board to distribute to congregations for their growth projects.

And now more exciting news-an anonymous member of your congregation will double every dollar you contribute up to $10,000; and, in addition, we have been offered up to $500,000 in matching gifts by committed Unitarian Universalists from our other congregations who like you want Association Sunday to be a financial as well as a spiritual success. We hope the graciousness of these anonymous donors will inspire you to give generously because every dollar you contribute will be quadrupled!

You have effectively raised funds for your regional marketing campaign. I ask you now to contribute liberally to this special collection for others. We are hoping everyone will try to give an average of $50.00. There are envelopes in your orders of service. Here is my check for $250 for your collection because I know not everyone can afford to give $50.00.

We need to add voices to our liberal faith here in the Bay area, and across the country. Imagine 3 million UUs in the US, and more throughout the world. “The times are a-changing,” and we must change too, to make them better times. We need to grow individually, as congregations, and as an Association of Congregations. Let us “Grow Our Faith through Growing Our Numbers,” NOW! So we can “help heal a wounded world!” May it be so. Amen.