FIRE OF COMMITMENT
February 20, 2005 The Reverend Anne Felton Hines
Last Sunday, during our 50th anniversary celebration, we heard about the very early days of this church. We learned that it was begun by four families who had initially been members of another Unitarian church on the other side of the Valley, but who had become disillusioned with the direction that church was going, and so they left.
For a year or more they did nothing, other than occasionally get together socially. But at some point they realized they were missing being part of a religious community. So they began meeting regularly in each other’s homes for more intentional discussions and worship. They began letting others know about their meetings, until they grew to about 40 members, and even held classes for their children.
Finally, after about a year, they decided to become part of the larger Unitarian movement, and so applied for affiliation with what was then the American Unitarian Association. And so it was that on Feb. 14, 1955, Emerson Unitarian Fellowship was born.
All of this happened because those early founders believed that the world needed a liberal religion such as theirs, and because their generosity fueled their commitment.
We heard last week how every decade in the life of this church saw new growth, new visions, and new commitment to those visions. Each decade also experienced sometimesformidable challenges. But the members never allowed those challenges to overwhelm their visions, or undermine their commitment. They believed deeply that the world needed a liberal religion such as theirs, and their generosity continued to fuel their commitment.
Today is no different. As you saw a little while ago, we are experiencing new growth here at Emerson; and in the next few weeks, we will be exploring together the visions we hold in common for this church. As we embark on that process, we will each be invited to reflect on our commitment to those visions, and to contribute generously so that they can be made real. For we believe, still, that the world needs a liberal religion such as ours.
Unitarian Universalism is, by its very nature, a faith grounded in generosity. Our Universalist ancestors believed in a God so generous in His love that He would condemn no one to Hell. And our Unitarian ancestors were so generous in their vision of human beings, that they held faith that we are not depraved sinners, but basically good and rational people, worthy of love.
Today, we Unitarian Universalists are generous in our belief that every person is born with dignity and worth; that all people deserve justice and equity; that a peaceful world is possible and imperative; and that we are connected to every other form of life on this planet, and are responsible for its care.
Dr. Rebecca Parker, president of Starr King School for the Ministry, suggests that “generous people are people who hope,” and I know that members of this congregation carry tremendous hope. That’s why we stretched ourselves this year and hired a Coordinator of Religious Education, so that our children and youth could have the experience of liberal religion they so richly deserve, and our dedicated volunteers might rest just a bit. It’s why we’ve participated, more than any other faith tradition in the West Valley, in our local vigils for peace. And it’s why we voted to declare our church as one that “stands on the side of Love,” by supporting samesex marriage.
Dr. Parker suggests that, “Generous people are those liberated from the confines of narrow concerns,” who are quick to involve themselves in concerns beyond their own immediate circle. Members of this congregation have manifested such generosity when contributing to the clients of our “adopted” social worker; to disaster relief in Southeast Asia, or to victims of the Iraq war; to striking hotel workers, or to the safety of children at the local elementary school. Our City Councilman pledged $1,000 to us last week because he saw in us a generous people.
And so I would hope that we want to be just as generous – perhaps even more so – to the church itself – the place we are welcomed into every Sunday for spiritual deepening, for human connection, for beautiful music, for guidance for our children. It is our church which companions us as we struggle with the moral and ethical issues of our time; which grieves with us our sorrows, and celebrates with us our triumphs.
The church provides us with an avenue through which to work on a plethora of concerns that take us beyond ourselves. What other organization invites us to feed the hungry, house the homeless, witness for peace, take care of the earth, and any number of other actions – all alongside friends who are motivated by the same religious Principles as are we?
A colleague of mine, the Rev. Diane Miller, tells a story straight from her own childhood. Apparently it was her father who would take her and her five siblings to church every Sunday – a Methodist church, while their mother would remain at home to fix Sunday dinner.
One Sunday, as they were all gathered around the dinner table, Rev. Miller’s mother asked what the sermon topic had been that morning. “Money,” her father replied.
Well, what did the minister say about money?” asked the eldest child.
“He talked about people who aren’t giving enough money to the church,” answered their father.
“Oh, Daddy,” cried the youngest, with alarm in her voice. “Did he mention us by name?!”
I’m sure that minister didn’t mention them – or anybody else – by name that morning; and I’m not going to mention any names, either! But I do want to talk a bit about money this morning, and what the generous giving of it might require of us.
Each time the church asks us for money, we are being invited to put into action our ideals of generosity – which is, after all, one of the roles of the church – to help us live out our ideals. That is why I speak about it from this pulpit; generosity is a spiritual issue. But it is not always easy, nor should it be.
Usually in our churches, we have advised people to give a percentage of their income to the church – just as people in Biblical times. Unlike in Biblical times, however, UUs have always thought that a mere 2% of income was sufficient; and even that was rarely received in most of our churches!
However, lately we’ve begun to suggest higher percentages in our churches. Here at Emerson two years ago, we even suggested that the writers of the Bible might have been on to something; that tithing – giving 10% of one’s income – was something we might all strive to attain some day. We learned that year that some of our members were already tithing to Emerson, and still more were giving around 5%.
But now I’m thinking that percentages of income may not be the most important question. Now I’m thinking that what we first need to do is wrestle with the question of what it means to be truly generous; what would we need to give up to become as generous as our ideals suggest we be?
I know that some of you have already wrestled with that issue, and are amazingly generous, with both your time and money at Emerson. But it is what we all must ask ourselves, for it has to do with whether we are living authentically or not.
And so this year, as I reflect on my pledge amount for our next fiscal year, I will be looking honestly at my ideal of generosity, and how that sometimes conflicts with my desire for things – like those really cool 1930s red shoes! I need to decide if I’m going to be true to my deepest religious values – if I’m going to live my Principles.
Generosity doesn’t have much to do with the final amount one gives; generosity is about the stretching we go through in the process. The amount you contribute may not seem that significant compared to the amount someone else contributes; but it may very well represent a huge stretch for you, given your income and/or life circumstances. To paraphrase Mother Teresa, it’s not how much we give, but the love we put into the giving that’s important.
The generosity with which we contribute to the church represents our love for it – our commitment to its ministry, and our passion for its visions.
Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church has had 50 years of working together for justice. Again, we heard about much of that last Sunday: Antiracism work; early support for the farm workers; housing for the homeless population, as well as for Central American refugees; the Food Pantry, the Adopt-a-Social Worker program, the Welcoming Congregation; and most recently, voting to hang a banner on our fence, proclaiming that this church supports marriage equality. The church has suffered arson and other threats in past years because of its courage; yet it has never wavered from its commitment to doing what’s right.
But that’s not all that this church stands for. When the Religion Editor of the Daily News asked me recently what the essence of Emerson Church is, I talked about its inclusiveness, its “down-to-earthness,” its honesty and integrity. I told her that people here engage in conversations of depth and of caring – sometimes through their Small Group Ministries, and sometimes simply after church on a Sunday morning. We not only minister to the wider community; we minister to one another as well. Where else does one find both?
The original founders of this church had their visions for it, and contributed generously to it – both with their time and with their financial resources. But now it’s up to us – you and me – to reflect on our visions for this religious home. And then it’s up to us – you and me – to support the work that will realize those visions, by contributing as generously as we can. This is how we fuel the “fire of commitment;” this is how we accomplish the ministry to which we, as a congregation, are called.
The first step, of course, will be to attend one of the Canvass Gatherings, where you’ll be invited to begin the conversation about your visions, as well as to make your pledge of support for the upcoming fiscal year. I cannot emphasize strongly enough the importance of attending one of those gatherings, which have been scheduled at a variety of times and locations, with child care available at some of them. Even if you prefer to be canvassed oneonone, I’d encourage you to attend a Gathering in order to participate in the discussion about your hopes for the church.
There is a parable about three stonecutters building a cathedral in the 14th century. When the first stonecutter is asked what he’s doing, he replies with great bitterness that he’s being forced to cut stones into blocks, all the same size; he has been doing this all of his adult life, and will continue to do it until he dies.
When the 2nd stonecutter is asked what he’s doing, he says with great warmth in his voice that he is earning a living so he can provide for his family, who he dearly loves.
And finally, the 3rd stonecutter is asked what he’s doing. He replies joyfully that he has the privilege of building this great cathedral, so strong that it will stand as a sacred monument for a thousand years, bringing comfort and inspiration to all who enter it.
We can be like the first stonecutter, contributing to this church because as a member we are obliged to do so, giving with some resistance whatever is left over after we’ve paid for everything else in our life.
But wouldn’t it feel better if, like the second stonecutter, we contributed out of our love and gratitude for all this church gives to us? And wouldn’t we gain even more joy if we gave as generously as possible, knowing – as did the third stonecutter – that we are building upon a strong foundation, and that what we do today will make a difference beyond our lifetimes? Just imagine what this religious community could become, if we only had the resources!
As long as there is violence, hatred, fear poverty, injustice, and environmental degradation, the world is going to need a religion such as ours, “that teaches our hearts to hope and our hands to serve.”* May we ensure that such a religion exists and thrives, by continuing to fuel the fire of our commitment; by giving as generously as we can to this church that is our spiritual home.
© 2005 Anne Felton Hines. All rights reserved.
