Minilogue - Janauary 2005

Invitations

By the Rev. Bruce Johnson

At the worship service on December 12th, I issued a series of "invitations" to new members of UUCUV. A number of people have since asked me for copies of what I said, which made me realize that the words are equally valid whether one has been a member for only a few weeks or for many years. So here is the heart of my message, for all members:

I invite you to make the most of your membership by faithfully attending the services of worship each week. The weekly rhythm of celebration is the core activity which integrates and binds together the diverse programs of the church and which gathers together the scattered fragments of our individual lives and continually renews and refreshes our community. Your presence on Sunday mornings is important!

I invite you to establish and maintain a personal spiritual discipline, or devotional practice, if you do not already have one. This kind of individual work, preferably done on a daily basis, is the necessary counterpart to the corporate discipline of worship. The particular form that this "soul work" will take cannot be prescribed for you in advance; it is perhaps the most personal choice that anyone can make. But whatever shape that gentle discipline may take in your life, I encourage you to develop it, knowing that it will enrich the rest of your experience as a member of UUCUV.

I invite you to continue your learning adventure by participating in our adult religious education classes, and, when the time is appropriate, by volunteering as a teacher in our children's religious education program. We take education seriously at UUCUV, as an integral part of religious life, and we hope you will want to explore the depths of this heritage, add to it, and carry it forward.

I invite you to open your hearts to both give and receive compassionate care within this community. Most of this caring occurs in informal, almost imperceptible ways: an understanding ear when someone shares a personal story, an affirmative nod or a gentle touch on the shoulder during coffee hour. Beyond this, from time to time, someone may call to ask if you might bring a covered dish to a church member recovering from surgery, or to offer a ride to someone who is homebound. Whenever possible, I hope you will respond positively to such requests; it is through these acts of caring that the fabric of community is woven, and rewoven again and again, into a strong and important: please let it be known if you are in need of care yourself. Whether that be through a brief sharing during joys and concerns, or through a telephone call to the minister or to someone else in the congregation. This may, indeed, be more difficult than reaching out to someone else's need. But it is very important, and I think, a sign of maturity and responsibility, to ask for what you need.

I invite you to share in the stewardship of the resources of this congregation by making and upholding a generous financial pledge, and by participating in the organizational work of the church through its various committees. As a voluntary association, UUCUV depends on the contributions of its members, both in money and time. The Nominating Committee is designed to help you find a good match for your talents and time in the committee structure of the church, and someone from the Canvass Committee will also be glad to outline the financial responsibilities of membership for you.

Finally, and most importantly, I invite you to seek opportunities to live out your developing faith through action in the world: in the way you relate to your family and friends, in the care and commitment you bring to your work, in the way you exercise your citizenship and build community in a diverse and often troubled world. This church, like any religious organization, is not an end in itself. It does not exist for its own sake, but for the sake of the world. This is not to say the church is simply a platform for political action; the various other functions I have outlined give it a distinctive character, unlike any other institution in society. But the bottom line, the proof, the justification of all that we do together, is how it makes the world we share a more just, compassionate, and beautiful place.

It is a great joy to welcome you into the covenant of membership. I look forward to a deepening relationship with each one of you.