Promises Kept
Sermon given at Brookfield Unitarian Universalist Church
February 21, 2016
by The Rev. Craig M. Nowak
A few months into my first year at BUUC, Laurel, Lila and I were discussing music for an upcoming worship service and for reasons I don’t fully recall, we ventured up here to the sanctuary. It was a bright, sunny day and the light gave the large stained glass window at the back of the room a jewel like quality. Lila sat down at the piano...Laurel stood nearby and I stood right here. Lila started to play filling the room with music. Then she began to demonstrate some possible variations for the particular piece we had been discussing. And just for a moment, it seemed time stood still, and I remember thinking to myself, “Man, this is a cool job.”
Later that day as I drove home, I began to think about my journey from call to the ministry, which I was initially sure was a cosmic misdial, to minister of a nearly 300 year old congregation.
At first I felt lucky. A number of opportunities has presented themselves on that journey at just the right time, opportunities I could never have imagined or anticipated. Then I felt proud. I had taken the risk of embarking on the journey with no guarantee of success, worked hard, and well, here I am. But the strongest feeling that emerged as I thought about my journey was gratitude.
And not only gratitude for the family, friends, employers, colleagues, professors, ministers and congregations who encouraged and supported me along the way. But gratitude for the long and often unknown stream of people whose past commitment to religion, this faith, to the ministry... and to humanity built the schools, retreat centers, hospitals, and churches I attended, worked at or benefited from and who funded the scholarships that helped pay for my education, and inspired the generosity of others to do the same.
The Jewish tradition reminds us that, if we pause to reflect on our lives and what we have, we often find we are, “Living in houses which we did not build, drinking from wells which we did not dig, and eating from trees which we did not plant.”
So, when I think to myself, “Man, this is cool job.” I can’t help but be filled with gratitude, for I am the beneficiary of another’s...indeed many other’s... generosity.
And so is everyone here today, both individually and as a faith community.
As the the religious community known as the Brookfield Unitarian Universalist Church, we have inherited a house...a house of worship...that most definitely, as Avery noted, looks like a castle...one we did not build.
But more, we are the heirs of a religious home, a generous vision
of a religion and religious community of hope and love...
where once upon a time our ancestors preached about a loving, parental God and universal salvation and where today an atheist, theist and everyone in between are welcome, can sit and sing together, listen to the “amazing choir” and find meaning, even encouragement to be a better version of oneself, in the same worship service.
A religion and religious community where we change the world...
Where once upon a time many of our ancestors worked toward the abolition of slavery and better conditions and treatment for mentally ill and where today we welcome and speak up in support of LGBTQ people, feed the hungry, and speak out against racism, poverty and other forms of oppression and spiritual violence.
A religion and religious community where we make life sweeter...
Where once upon a time our ancestors engaged with one another socially, visited and cared for the sick and bereaved and where today, we still do those things as we also now provide opportunities for members and friends to lead, to safely step outside their comfort zone, and share their gifts and talents across the life and activities of the congregation.
A religion and religious community where we save, yes save lives both physically and spiritually...
Where once upon a time our ancestors offered theologies of empowerment contrary to the conventional wisdom of the day and where today I, in addition to my own salvation story, am privy to the story of many others who credit this faith for lifting them up and giving them the strength to go on.
We are heirs to a generous vision which began long before any of us were born, a vision continually re-imagined in each age to form this religious tradition we today call Unitarian Universalism and embodied here at the Brookfield Unitarian Universalist Church. Ours is a living tradition and church sustained by promises made and promises kept by those who came before us to be good stewards of the generous vision of this faith and this religious community.
And there’s that word...steward. It must be time to talk about stewardship again, but you probably knew that already from the testimonials Avery, Tom and Amy gave. For some, perhaps many, stewardship is about giving money. And most of you probably know by now that I am not one to deny the vital importance of the financial support your pledges provide in ensuring not only the day to day operations of the church, but the continuation of the vision of this faith. I have myself pledged right from the beginning and will continue to do so at an increased level this year.
At the same time, I want to be clear that stewardship and being a good steward, including pledging, is not some sort of unfortunate necessity. Instead, it is an opportunity we’re offered and an obligation we accept as Unitarian Universalists to live into being with gratitude the generous vision of this faith with which we have been entrusted.
So, what does it take to be a good steward? In a word, commitment. Commitment to the care, continuation, and growth of this faith, this congregation, and its generous vision.
Our commitment to be good stewards is really a promise we make to our past, present and future to nurture, grow and pay forward the generous vision we have inherited for today and for those who will come after us. Good stewardship is an embodiment of Unitarian Universalism’s seventh principle, “respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part” for it expresses our recognition that how we live and use our resources has a far reaching impact that extends beyond ourselves and our time upon this earth.
If commitment is what it takes to be a good steward, what does the practice of good stewardship look like? Again, one word comes to mind, support. Support directed toward the congregation, the community, and our wider Unitarian Universalist faith.
We help support the congregation when we attend worship, participate in RE, children’s or adult, serve on a committee, engage in pastoral outreach, singing in the pews or the choir, attend, help set up or clean up after events, assist with building maintenance or repair, help with the website or donate professional services and of course, make a financial contribution.
Unitarian Universalist congregations are self-sustaining and self-funded. Most of our annual operating budget comes from the annual financial pledges made by members and friends and over the next month canvassers will be reaching out to members and friends to ask for your support. I hope you will join me in raising your pledge if you can.
Support directed at the community include the various ways we practice our faith in service to the community beyond our walls such as our weekly food collection to benefit the Brookfield ecumenical food pantry, special collections to help others in need, the monthly SMOC dinners, Arts for Peace, presence at the Apple Festival in the fall, Halloween celebrations on the common, the purchase of luminaries at Christmas, and even wearing a rainbow ribbon on your nametag, affirming this congregation’s intention and commitment to welcome, not merely tolerate, people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.
And support for our UU faith includes things like inviting or attending a workshop or presentation offered by our regional office or the UUA itself. Participation in UUA (Unitarian Universalist Association) or UUSC (Unitarian Universalist Service Committee) sponsored collections or outreach efforts, service trips and attendance or online participation at our annual General Assembly.
When we engage in these practices of stewardship we are doing more than necessary tasks, we are carrying forward the generous vision with which we have been entrusted to receive, re-imagine and pass on. But don’t take my word for it, listen again to some of what Avery, from our church school, said,
I love this church because:
It has nice people.
It has great ideas.
It gives food to people who don’t have a lot of food.
It helps other people.
I like sharing my joys and concerns.
And her dad, Tom, who said, “Through the years, the Brookfield UU never loses its true spirit and warmth. I keep coming back not only for my daughter’s sake but for my own as well.”
And Amy, our church president, “The more I become involved the happier I become.”
Stewardship is a spiritual practice that moves us from observers of... to participants in... history, the history of this church. This church... your church...our church is, as Sean Neil-Barron reminds us, a history of human enterprise, evolving in its sights and sounds, yet revolving always around its core. At the heart of that core is a generous vision sustained by promises made and promises kept generation after generation...a vision to fuel the fire of commitment that each successive generation, including our own, might know today as the day our future can begin. May it be so.
Amen and Blessed Be
Sermon given at Brookfield Unitarian Universalist Church
February 21, 2016
by The Rev. Craig M. Nowak
A few months into my first year at BUUC, Laurel, Lila and I were discussing music for an upcoming worship service and for reasons I don’t fully recall, we ventured up here to the sanctuary. It was a bright, sunny day and the light gave the large stained glass window at the back of the room a jewel like quality. Lila sat down at the piano...Laurel stood nearby and I stood right here. Lila started to play filling the room with music. Then she began to demonstrate some possible variations for the particular piece we had been discussing. And just for a moment, it seemed time stood still, and I remember thinking to myself, “Man, this is a cool job.”
Later that day as I drove home, I began to think about my journey from call to the ministry, which I was initially sure was a cosmic misdial, to minister of a nearly 300 year old congregation.
At first I felt lucky. A number of opportunities has presented themselves on that journey at just the right time, opportunities I could never have imagined or anticipated. Then I felt proud. I had taken the risk of embarking on the journey with no guarantee of success, worked hard, and well, here I am. But the strongest feeling that emerged as I thought about my journey was gratitude.
And not only gratitude for the family, friends, employers, colleagues, professors, ministers and congregations who encouraged and supported me along the way. But gratitude for the long and often unknown stream of people whose past commitment to religion, this faith, to the ministry... and to humanity built the schools, retreat centers, hospitals, and churches I attended, worked at or benefited from and who funded the scholarships that helped pay for my education, and inspired the generosity of others to do the same.
The Jewish tradition reminds us that, if we pause to reflect on our lives and what we have, we often find we are, “Living in houses which we did not build, drinking from wells which we did not dig, and eating from trees which we did not plant.”
So, when I think to myself, “Man, this is cool job.” I can’t help but be filled with gratitude, for I am the beneficiary of another’s...indeed many other’s... generosity.
And so is everyone here today, both individually and as a faith community.
As the the religious community known as the Brookfield Unitarian Universalist Church, we have inherited a house...a house of worship...that most definitely, as Avery noted, looks like a castle...one we did not build.
But more, we are the heirs of a religious home, a generous vision
of a religion and religious community of hope and love...
where once upon a time our ancestors preached about a loving, parental God and universal salvation and where today an atheist, theist and everyone in between are welcome, can sit and sing together, listen to the “amazing choir” and find meaning, even encouragement to be a better version of oneself, in the same worship service.
A religion and religious community where we change the world...
Where once upon a time many of our ancestors worked toward the abolition of slavery and better conditions and treatment for mentally ill and where today we welcome and speak up in support of LGBTQ people, feed the hungry, and speak out against racism, poverty and other forms of oppression and spiritual violence.
A religion and religious community where we make life sweeter...
Where once upon a time our ancestors engaged with one another socially, visited and cared for the sick and bereaved and where today, we still do those things as we also now provide opportunities for members and friends to lead, to safely step outside their comfort zone, and share their gifts and talents across the life and activities of the congregation.
A religion and religious community where we save, yes save lives both physically and spiritually...
Where once upon a time our ancestors offered theologies of empowerment contrary to the conventional wisdom of the day and where today I, in addition to my own salvation story, am privy to the story of many others who credit this faith for lifting them up and giving them the strength to go on.
We are heirs to a generous vision which began long before any of us were born, a vision continually re-imagined in each age to form this religious tradition we today call Unitarian Universalism and embodied here at the Brookfield Unitarian Universalist Church. Ours is a living tradition and church sustained by promises made and promises kept by those who came before us to be good stewards of the generous vision of this faith and this religious community.
And there’s that word...steward. It must be time to talk about stewardship again, but you probably knew that already from the testimonials Avery, Tom and Amy gave. For some, perhaps many, stewardship is about giving money. And most of you probably know by now that I am not one to deny the vital importance of the financial support your pledges provide in ensuring not only the day to day operations of the church, but the continuation of the vision of this faith. I have myself pledged right from the beginning and will continue to do so at an increased level this year.
At the same time, I want to be clear that stewardship and being a good steward, including pledging, is not some sort of unfortunate necessity. Instead, it is an opportunity we’re offered and an obligation we accept as Unitarian Universalists to live into being with gratitude the generous vision of this faith with which we have been entrusted.
So, what does it take to be a good steward? In a word, commitment. Commitment to the care, continuation, and growth of this faith, this congregation, and its generous vision.
Our commitment to be good stewards is really a promise we make to our past, present and future to nurture, grow and pay forward the generous vision we have inherited for today and for those who will come after us. Good stewardship is an embodiment of Unitarian Universalism’s seventh principle, “respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part” for it expresses our recognition that how we live and use our resources has a far reaching impact that extends beyond ourselves and our time upon this earth.
If commitment is what it takes to be a good steward, what does the practice of good stewardship look like? Again, one word comes to mind, support. Support directed toward the congregation, the community, and our wider Unitarian Universalist faith.
We help support the congregation when we attend worship, participate in RE, children’s or adult, serve on a committee, engage in pastoral outreach, singing in the pews or the choir, attend, help set up or clean up after events, assist with building maintenance or repair, help with the website or donate professional services and of course, make a financial contribution.
Unitarian Universalist congregations are self-sustaining and self-funded. Most of our annual operating budget comes from the annual financial pledges made by members and friends and over the next month canvassers will be reaching out to members and friends to ask for your support. I hope you will join me in raising your pledge if you can.
Support directed at the community include the various ways we practice our faith in service to the community beyond our walls such as our weekly food collection to benefit the Brookfield ecumenical food pantry, special collections to help others in need, the monthly SMOC dinners, Arts for Peace, presence at the Apple Festival in the fall, Halloween celebrations on the common, the purchase of luminaries at Christmas, and even wearing a rainbow ribbon on your nametag, affirming this congregation’s intention and commitment to welcome, not merely tolerate, people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.
And support for our UU faith includes things like inviting or attending a workshop or presentation offered by our regional office or the UUA itself. Participation in UUA (Unitarian Universalist Association) or UUSC (Unitarian Universalist Service Committee) sponsored collections or outreach efforts, service trips and attendance or online participation at our annual General Assembly.
When we engage in these practices of stewardship we are doing more than necessary tasks, we are carrying forward the generous vision with which we have been entrusted to receive, re-imagine and pass on. But don’t take my word for it, listen again to some of what Avery, from our church school, said,
I love this church because:
It has nice people.
It has great ideas.
It gives food to people who don’t have a lot of food.
It helps other people.
I like sharing my joys and concerns.
And her dad, Tom, who said, “Through the years, the Brookfield UU never loses its true spirit and warmth. I keep coming back not only for my daughter’s sake but for my own as well.”
And Amy, our church president, “The more I become involved the happier I become.”
Stewardship is a spiritual practice that moves us from observers of... to participants in... history, the history of this church. This church... your church...our church is, as Sean Neil-Barron reminds us, a history of human enterprise, evolving in its sights and sounds, yet revolving always around its core. At the heart of that core is a generous vision sustained by promises made and promises kept generation after generation...a vision to fuel the fire of commitment that each successive generation, including our own, might know today as the day our future can begin. May it be so.
Amen and Blessed Be
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