Social Justice
A congregation increases in health as it becomes more aware of its place in the interdependent web. As a minister, I would raise that awareness through our faith’s public witness efforts and through coalition building with at least one group in the local interfaith or civic community.
While the leadership of staff and ordained ministers is important, work outside the congregation is most valuable insofar as it is a door or a window. I would encourage members of the congregation to get involved in the larger UU circle and in the local community, according to each member's needs and abilities. Work outside the walls should be brought back into the congregation for sharing and reflection. We lose an opportunity when we fail to connect our concrete work for justice and compassion with our home congregation or with the contemplative aspects of our faith.
More than ever, the world needs Unitarian Universalists who embrace the joy and responsibility of being people of faith. The world needs us to build and to practice being the beloved community, to offer our religious witness on behalf of our values, and to leverage our resources in solidarity with the most vulnerable of our neighbors. This is a shared ministry for ordained and lay people to pursue together.
While the leadership of staff and ordained ministers is important, work outside the congregation is most valuable insofar as it is a door or a window. I would encourage members of the congregation to get involved in the larger UU circle and in the local community, according to each member's needs and abilities. Work outside the walls should be brought back into the congregation for sharing and reflection. We lose an opportunity when we fail to connect our concrete work for justice and compassion with our home congregation or with the contemplative aspects of our faith.
More than ever, the world needs Unitarian Universalists who embrace the joy and responsibility of being people of faith. The world needs us to build and to practice being the beloved community, to offer our religious witness on behalf of our values, and to leverage our resources in solidarity with the most vulnerable of our neighbors. This is a shared ministry for ordained and lay people to pursue together.
