The ‘G’ Word (It’s Probably Not What You Think)
Brookfield Unitarian Universalist Church
December 6, 2020
The Rev. Craig M. Nowak
Some people have the gift of gab. They can start and maintain a conversation with just about anyone about anything. For better or worse, I am not one of those people. And my choice of career hasn’t helped. For in my experience nothing stops a conversation between strangers faster than responding to the common question, “What do you do for living?” with, “I’m a minister.”
At least when I could say I was studying for the ministry, people would often respond, “Why?” Admittedly, I asked myself that question many times as I ventured further and further down the path towards ordained ministry. For those you who are unfamiliar with the process, it is, to be frank, quite daunting.
The basic requirements are an M.Div (Master of Divinity) degree, which is a professional degree requiring at least three years of full time study to complete; completion of an exhaustive mental health and career assessment; lots of interviews, recommendations, and endorsements by various committees comprised of clergy and lay leaders, hundreds of hours of chaplaincy training, an internship and final approval by the ministerial fellowship committee…all of this requiring an enormous commitment of time, energy, and money. I’d be lying if I told you I had never once thought about quitting this pursuit.
So what kept me going during those times when I was tempted to give up for any number of reasons? It was the repeated realization that ministry is not simply a career choice for me, it is a response to a deeply felt calling…which includes a call to grow.
Now, I’m willing to bet that most, if not all of you here, whether you’re a longtime member, friend of the congregation, or a visitor here today are here in response, on some level, to a deeply felt calling. I’m further willing to bet that if you look into your heart that call that has brought you here this morning has something to do with a hunger or need to grow. And so today I want to engage you in what I hope will blossom into a continuing conversation with yourself and among each other about that all important religious “G” word, growth.
There are of course many ways people may feel called to grow. I want to touch upon three in particular I encounter regularly in church meetings, casual conversations before or after church, and pastoral visits: spiritual growth; growth in wisdom, and relational growth.
Maybe you’ve come here today, as Douglas Taylor writes, “beset by sorrow and hurt in your life.” Perhaps you or a loved one is struggling with loss…or with an illness or addiction.
Perhaps you’re wrestling with questions about what it all means, what life is all about and where you fit into this world or... if you fit in at all. Such questions point to a call towards spiritual growth.
Spiritual growth concerns the who, what, why, and how of our existence. The so-called “universal questions” about life and death. These are the questions that form the very foundation of religious exploration and, for some, an explanation itself. Indeed, the late Rev. Dr. Forrest Church summarized religion as, “Our human response to the dual reality of being alive and having to die." Spiritual growth is rooted in the formation and continual refinement of our personal response to this dual reality.
Of course you may instead or also be here today, “beset by frustration and anger at the world around you.” Week after week you find your heart aching from the brokenness in the world…the hollow promises of numbing materialism or the pervasive presence of violence in the world, often in the name of some god. You want to make a difference through service to others. Or discover a way to transcend self concern for the betterment of your community, both local and worldwide. You feel stirred to serve something larger than yourself. This suggests a calling towards growth in wisdom. Wisdom is rooted in awareness or mindfulness, practices which help us to see and embrace our potential and accept our limitations, aiding us in the cultivation of compassion for ourselves and others. A call toward growth in wisdom is often awakened in us as we face uncertainty about how to live with or put into practice the sense of purpose and meaning arising from our spiritual exploration.
Still, others of you here today may feel, “beset by confusion and emptiness in your soul” and so you come seeking community. A place to be with others who will support and stand by you in good times and bad, A place where you feel welcome, safe, and affirmed. Such places are increasing rare in our culture.
If this is why you are here today you are likely responding to a call toward relational growth. A call to increasing our sense of belonging and ease our existential loneliness. A call to join with others in building beloved community.
Now, up to this point I have been talking about individuals responding to their own personal call to grow…but just as individuals are called to grow, so are those institutions which support our individual growth, like the church. And like their individual members, churches, as a body of members, experience calls to spiritual growth, growth in wisdom, and relational growth.
Unfortunately, Unitarian Universalism is sometimes jokingly referred to as the best kept secret in religion. Given the depth of our roots as a faith, which stretch back nearly 2,000 years and the significant roles our religious forebears played in the history of the United States as presidents, poets, social reformers, artists, scientists and so on, it is scandalous that our faith is so little known to many of our neighbors today.
Some years ago, former Unitarian Universalist Association president Peter Morales said, “The potential for us to be a vital participant in American religious life and really touch the lives of tens of thousands of people is a very real possibility.” Rev. Morales challenged Unitarian Universalists to consider growth “a religious and moral imperative.” His words were nothing less than a prophetic call to live deeply and share this faith, which has supported and continues to support our growth. Of course, as Clinton Scott Lee reminds us in one of our readings from today, “It is always easier to pay homage to prophets than to heed the direction of their vision.”
I know this congregation is committed to ensuring Unitarian Universalism has a presence in its corner of the world. It is clear you possess hope and a vision of BUUC (Brookfield Unitarian Universalist Church) as a vibrant, active religious community. From steadfast service to the surrounding community to efforts toward improving and increasing accessibility, not to mention the ability to adapt and willingness to innovate to keep worship, music and programming going strong through a global pandemic, this community exhibits faith in its present and future relevance. This cheers my spirit as your minister. There is much to be proud of, so much in fact that I feel compelled to reiterate these cautionary words by Walt Whitman from our call to worship, “However sheltered this port, and however calm these waters, we must not anchor here.”
For churches, although often lauded as symbols of stability or derided as staid relics in a world of unceasing change, are actually not meant to be static.
Indeed the most “stable” churches are those best able to move out of their own way over time. That is, they are able to grow, not with or in reaction against the times, but in observant response to them.
You have heard me talk about or reference BUUC’s (Brookfield Unitarian Universalist Church) mission many times over the last several years. The church’s mission is simply a statement in response to the question, “Why does our church exist?” While it is worthwhile to ask and feel good about the ways in which the church is fulfilling its mission, it is equally as important to ask where it isn’t. And to pay special attention to the parts we actually, perhaps strongly, resist, as this may indicate a call toward growth in wisdom, requiring deeper engagement and greater spaciousness of heart and mind.
And what of spiritual growth? How is worship, our ministries, programming, religious Education and yes, even committee meetings reflective of our mission? If they aren’t or we, as a community aren’t sure, that may indicate a call to deeper spiritual growth as a congregation.
Relational growth, as I apply it to the church as an institution, refers to an increase in the number of people entering into relationship with the church. And not just as visitors or potential new members, but any people or groups with whom the church might engage, partner with, or serve in the larger community. This type of growth is greatly influenced by the degree to which we are able to hear and respond to the call of the first two types of growth.
In addition, responding to a call towards relational growth will include seeing the church through the eyes of the first time visitor. To see as they see. Is the church welcoming physically inside and out with clearly marked entrances and other signage? Or is the church confusing, even frustrating to a visitor? What about virtually, online? An especially important consideration right now. Is the physical and virtual atmosphere warm and inviting? Are visitors left alone or are they greeted and made to feel welcome and affirmed before, during, and after the service? Is the visitor left with the impression they have intruded upon a private club, insider or family event to which they were not invited?
While aesthetics like a beautiful, clean sanctuary and a well crafted and presented service are important, studies show the most important factor in a person’s decision to return to a church is the degree to which they felt truly welcomed by the membership. In other words when people come in or visit online they are asking themselves, “Are these people I could be in relationship with?” As the old saying goes, “First Impressions are lasting impressions.”
Having said all this, it is in the spirit of the wisdom of Walt Whitman’s words, “we must not anchor here” that I’m about to present you with a challenge:
Our worship theme this month is sharing. And Unitarian Universalists are notoriously reluctant to share their faith with others…there are many reasons for this…but for our purposes I’m asking you to set aside whatever reasons you might have and step outside your comfort zone.
My challenge is simply this: Invite someone new to attend church via Zoom on one Sunday before the end of the month or on Christmas Eve. The person could be a family member, friend, or acquaintance. Don’t worry about what to tell them about Unitarian Universalism, just warmly invite them to attend, no strings attached.
I know this might be difficult for some of you to try but I strongly urge you to try it anyway. My aim is to stretch, not stress you. Of course you can’t make someone attend if they truly don’t want to or can’t, but I’m hopeful a few new faces will grace our screens this month.
We are all called to grow both as individuals and as a church comprised of many individuals bonded by covenant in community. If we are serious about our faith, if we are committed to living it, it is important that we come to understand growth, whether spiritual, wisdom, or relational as a religious and moral imperative. This need not, however, be a chore. Indeed, it is a gift we’ve been entrusted to share. Sharing requires stepping outside our comfort zone and taking risks. But we who have come to know and love this church and its people also know that to remain the best kept secret in religion is an unacceptable choice, for this faith community is a place where we have and can still change the world; make life sweeter; and save lives.
In the words of the late Universalist minister, Frederic A. Mooney, “Religion helps us make satisfactory adjustments to life as we find it day by day….We are a branch of the Church Universal. Let us resolve that it shall be a live branch, a vital branch, an increasingly influential branch. We are able; let us carry on with the spirit that wins.” May it be so here, at the Brookfield Unitarian Universalist Church.
Amen and Blessed Be.
Brookfield Unitarian Universalist Church
December 6, 2020
The Rev. Craig M. Nowak
Some people have the gift of gab. They can start and maintain a conversation with just about anyone about anything. For better or worse, I am not one of those people. And my choice of career hasn’t helped. For in my experience nothing stops a conversation between strangers faster than responding to the common question, “What do you do for living?” with, “I’m a minister.”
At least when I could say I was studying for the ministry, people would often respond, “Why?” Admittedly, I asked myself that question many times as I ventured further and further down the path towards ordained ministry. For those you who are unfamiliar with the process, it is, to be frank, quite daunting.
The basic requirements are an M.Div (Master of Divinity) degree, which is a professional degree requiring at least three years of full time study to complete; completion of an exhaustive mental health and career assessment; lots of interviews, recommendations, and endorsements by various committees comprised of clergy and lay leaders, hundreds of hours of chaplaincy training, an internship and final approval by the ministerial fellowship committee…all of this requiring an enormous commitment of time, energy, and money. I’d be lying if I told you I had never once thought about quitting this pursuit.
So what kept me going during those times when I was tempted to give up for any number of reasons? It was the repeated realization that ministry is not simply a career choice for me, it is a response to a deeply felt calling…which includes a call to grow.
Now, I’m willing to bet that most, if not all of you here, whether you’re a longtime member, friend of the congregation, or a visitor here today are here in response, on some level, to a deeply felt calling. I’m further willing to bet that if you look into your heart that call that has brought you here this morning has something to do with a hunger or need to grow. And so today I want to engage you in what I hope will blossom into a continuing conversation with yourself and among each other about that all important religious “G” word, growth.
There are of course many ways people may feel called to grow. I want to touch upon three in particular I encounter regularly in church meetings, casual conversations before or after church, and pastoral visits: spiritual growth; growth in wisdom, and relational growth.
Maybe you’ve come here today, as Douglas Taylor writes, “beset by sorrow and hurt in your life.” Perhaps you or a loved one is struggling with loss…or with an illness or addiction.
Perhaps you’re wrestling with questions about what it all means, what life is all about and where you fit into this world or... if you fit in at all. Such questions point to a call towards spiritual growth.
Spiritual growth concerns the who, what, why, and how of our existence. The so-called “universal questions” about life and death. These are the questions that form the very foundation of religious exploration and, for some, an explanation itself. Indeed, the late Rev. Dr. Forrest Church summarized religion as, “Our human response to the dual reality of being alive and having to die." Spiritual growth is rooted in the formation and continual refinement of our personal response to this dual reality.
Of course you may instead or also be here today, “beset by frustration and anger at the world around you.” Week after week you find your heart aching from the brokenness in the world…the hollow promises of numbing materialism or the pervasive presence of violence in the world, often in the name of some god. You want to make a difference through service to others. Or discover a way to transcend self concern for the betterment of your community, both local and worldwide. You feel stirred to serve something larger than yourself. This suggests a calling towards growth in wisdom. Wisdom is rooted in awareness or mindfulness, practices which help us to see and embrace our potential and accept our limitations, aiding us in the cultivation of compassion for ourselves and others. A call toward growth in wisdom is often awakened in us as we face uncertainty about how to live with or put into practice the sense of purpose and meaning arising from our spiritual exploration.
Still, others of you here today may feel, “beset by confusion and emptiness in your soul” and so you come seeking community. A place to be with others who will support and stand by you in good times and bad, A place where you feel welcome, safe, and affirmed. Such places are increasing rare in our culture.
If this is why you are here today you are likely responding to a call toward relational growth. A call to increasing our sense of belonging and ease our existential loneliness. A call to join with others in building beloved community.
Now, up to this point I have been talking about individuals responding to their own personal call to grow…but just as individuals are called to grow, so are those institutions which support our individual growth, like the church. And like their individual members, churches, as a body of members, experience calls to spiritual growth, growth in wisdom, and relational growth.
Unfortunately, Unitarian Universalism is sometimes jokingly referred to as the best kept secret in religion. Given the depth of our roots as a faith, which stretch back nearly 2,000 years and the significant roles our religious forebears played in the history of the United States as presidents, poets, social reformers, artists, scientists and so on, it is scandalous that our faith is so little known to many of our neighbors today.
Some years ago, former Unitarian Universalist Association president Peter Morales said, “The potential for us to be a vital participant in American religious life and really touch the lives of tens of thousands of people is a very real possibility.” Rev. Morales challenged Unitarian Universalists to consider growth “a religious and moral imperative.” His words were nothing less than a prophetic call to live deeply and share this faith, which has supported and continues to support our growth. Of course, as Clinton Scott Lee reminds us in one of our readings from today, “It is always easier to pay homage to prophets than to heed the direction of their vision.”
I know this congregation is committed to ensuring Unitarian Universalism has a presence in its corner of the world. It is clear you possess hope and a vision of BUUC (Brookfield Unitarian Universalist Church) as a vibrant, active religious community. From steadfast service to the surrounding community to efforts toward improving and increasing accessibility, not to mention the ability to adapt and willingness to innovate to keep worship, music and programming going strong through a global pandemic, this community exhibits faith in its present and future relevance. This cheers my spirit as your minister. There is much to be proud of, so much in fact that I feel compelled to reiterate these cautionary words by Walt Whitman from our call to worship, “However sheltered this port, and however calm these waters, we must not anchor here.”
For churches, although often lauded as symbols of stability or derided as staid relics in a world of unceasing change, are actually not meant to be static.
Indeed the most “stable” churches are those best able to move out of their own way over time. That is, they are able to grow, not with or in reaction against the times, but in observant response to them.
You have heard me talk about or reference BUUC’s (Brookfield Unitarian Universalist Church) mission many times over the last several years. The church’s mission is simply a statement in response to the question, “Why does our church exist?” While it is worthwhile to ask and feel good about the ways in which the church is fulfilling its mission, it is equally as important to ask where it isn’t. And to pay special attention to the parts we actually, perhaps strongly, resist, as this may indicate a call toward growth in wisdom, requiring deeper engagement and greater spaciousness of heart and mind.
And what of spiritual growth? How is worship, our ministries, programming, religious Education and yes, even committee meetings reflective of our mission? If they aren’t or we, as a community aren’t sure, that may indicate a call to deeper spiritual growth as a congregation.
Relational growth, as I apply it to the church as an institution, refers to an increase in the number of people entering into relationship with the church. And not just as visitors or potential new members, but any people or groups with whom the church might engage, partner with, or serve in the larger community. This type of growth is greatly influenced by the degree to which we are able to hear and respond to the call of the first two types of growth.
In addition, responding to a call towards relational growth will include seeing the church through the eyes of the first time visitor. To see as they see. Is the church welcoming physically inside and out with clearly marked entrances and other signage? Or is the church confusing, even frustrating to a visitor? What about virtually, online? An especially important consideration right now. Is the physical and virtual atmosphere warm and inviting? Are visitors left alone or are they greeted and made to feel welcome and affirmed before, during, and after the service? Is the visitor left with the impression they have intruded upon a private club, insider or family event to which they were not invited?
While aesthetics like a beautiful, clean sanctuary and a well crafted and presented service are important, studies show the most important factor in a person’s decision to return to a church is the degree to which they felt truly welcomed by the membership. In other words when people come in or visit online they are asking themselves, “Are these people I could be in relationship with?” As the old saying goes, “First Impressions are lasting impressions.”
Having said all this, it is in the spirit of the wisdom of Walt Whitman’s words, “we must not anchor here” that I’m about to present you with a challenge:
Our worship theme this month is sharing. And Unitarian Universalists are notoriously reluctant to share their faith with others…there are many reasons for this…but for our purposes I’m asking you to set aside whatever reasons you might have and step outside your comfort zone.
My challenge is simply this: Invite someone new to attend church via Zoom on one Sunday before the end of the month or on Christmas Eve. The person could be a family member, friend, or acquaintance. Don’t worry about what to tell them about Unitarian Universalism, just warmly invite them to attend, no strings attached.
I know this might be difficult for some of you to try but I strongly urge you to try it anyway. My aim is to stretch, not stress you. Of course you can’t make someone attend if they truly don’t want to or can’t, but I’m hopeful a few new faces will grace our screens this month.
We are all called to grow both as individuals and as a church comprised of many individuals bonded by covenant in community. If we are serious about our faith, if we are committed to living it, it is important that we come to understand growth, whether spiritual, wisdom, or relational as a religious and moral imperative. This need not, however, be a chore. Indeed, it is a gift we’ve been entrusted to share. Sharing requires stepping outside our comfort zone and taking risks. But we who have come to know and love this church and its people also know that to remain the best kept secret in religion is an unacceptable choice, for this faith community is a place where we have and can still change the world; make life sweeter; and save lives.
In the words of the late Universalist minister, Frederic A. Mooney, “Religion helps us make satisfactory adjustments to life as we find it day by day….We are a branch of the Church Universal. Let us resolve that it shall be a live branch, a vital branch, an increasingly influential branch. We are able; let us carry on with the spirit that wins.” May it be so here, at the Brookfield Unitarian Universalist Church.
Amen and Blessed Be.