What are we doing here?

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Rev. Chris Jimmerson
Rev. Erin Walter
Rev. Jonalu Johnstone
October 16, 2022
First UU Church of Austin
4700 Grover Ave., Austin, TX 78756
www.austinuu.org

Revs. Chris, Erin and Jonalu come together in person for the first time to explore how we do church at First UU of Austin and as Unitarian Universalists.

Chalice Lighting

This is the flame we hold in our hearts as we strive for justice for everyone. This is the light we shine upon systems of oppression until they are no more. This is the warmth that we share with one another as our struggle becomes our salvation.

Affirming Our Mission

Together we nourish souls, transform lives, and do justice to build the Beloved Community.

Reading

from “The History, Philosophy and Impact of Interim Ministry”
by Margaret Keip

Let’s step back a moment for a broader picture of our faith endeavor. Consider religions as offering frameworks that render life coherent and assure us that we belong to the human family, to the earth, to All That Is, however we name it. A religion that fits us helps us know we are at home in the universe. Religion seeks a cosmic view; it’s a whole-picture enterprise.

Thus a religious community touches every aspect of our lives. It invites us to come together to grow more wholly, more fully, human; to become more truly who we are; to encounter the meaning of being alive. Religious leadership promotes this wholeness of being. Knowing that whole, holy, heal, and healthy are part of the same word family sheds warm light on our shared endeavors.

Historically, [Jewish and Christian] clergy were sometimes the only learned and literate people in their town. They preached and taught Scripture as the ultimate source of truth… They kept official records of births and deaths and presided over these vital events. It was both a lofty and solitary role.

And life continued to happen… [C]uriosity and yearning… is inherently human, and irrepressible. Questions sought answers and yielded more questions, and the meteoric expansion of knowledge rendered singular authority obsolete. The more there was to know, the less of it could be mastered by one individual. Knowledge and skills diversified. Specialization became essential. Human community grew encyclopedic. Echoes of archaic authority linger when “Reverend” is attached to our names, but the role of ordained clergy is to share and shepherd this diversity. Ministry cannot be an individual responsibility when understood as nurturing and caring for the spirit, in partnership with Creation.

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