Minister’s Letter — March 2006

Someone said to me recently that she didn’t know what she would do without the Fellowship, that there were so many good people, nice people she had met since becoming a member and that she had made so many connections, healthy connections, healing connections, she couldn’t imagine what it would be like without the UU-BC0.

Somebody else wrote that in a conversation with a group recently, he and everyone else agreed that the Fellowship provided that only real nurturing community of human beings they had the privilege of belonging to.

And another individual emailed to everyone how much the people of the Fellowship meant to her, how supportive and helpful everyone is.

Somebody else told me a few weeks ago that the worship service is the most meaningful part of his week.

And so it goes, or so I keep hearing. Yes, we do have our bickering disputes and confrontations. We sigh sometimes (”I can’t believe he just said that!”). Well, we’re human, after all. I would love to offer a long psychological explanation and hardheaded directive about “being human,” but I will resist the temptation. We do need to be mindful about how we communicate with each other. But we’re human. Good humans. Wellintentioned humans. Caring humans. And sometimes, a pain-in-the-neck!

So I can spend a lot of time yapping about what’s wrong. And I do. But we need to remember and say out loud, what’s right. We’re a busy, committed, dedicated, event-planning group of imperfect, sometimes rude, hardheaded mortals. Someone, an administrator in the UU District told me we were the busiest little congregation he had seen for a while. Groups galore! Events, activities! Meetings! I worry we will burn out. But you keep doing it. Stewardship committee: We have an endowment plan, now! Membership committee: I can’t tell you how busy they have been lately. You will hear more about their plans, maybe in this Newsletter. MEEI committee– well you know what they’re planning. A “Green Sanctuary” environmental group! Social Concerns, feeding the hungry, B&G, RE, Community Circles and the MUSIC!! –I could go on. Oh yes, fundraising! What a great job they are doing! That UU On the Road thing was a smashing success!

And now we are going to start hearing from the Pledge Committee. They’re meeting too! Planning how to persuade members to raise their pledges. But you know something? I don’t think it should be that difficult, do you? If this congregation of human beings means as much as it seems to mean to all of us, how can we not also generously give money to support it–to express our gratitude and our vision and our hope and our determination and our commitment to reach out to the larger community more, to help more people less fortunate than us, to invite other humans regardless of color, ethnicity or sexual orientation, to join us–in this Beloved Community of Human Beings and Universal Values that we say we cherish so much, that helps us become better human beings, in spite of ourselves? Why, giving more to a religious congregation that allows all of that to happen, seems as natural as planting a flower in the springtime. Don’t you think? In other words, if we want to offer more ministry to the larger community by reaching out, connecting, learning, teaching and serving– if we take our “mission” seriously, well, we need love money in the bank! See you at the Fellowship! And the pledge cards are coming! In a few weeks–in the spring. I can hardly wait! I love you all.

Jim Covington