Reflection #104 (27th April 2025 at Essex Church / Kensington Unitarians)
It seems important, to me, that we take some time at least once a year to think about our purpose as a church – and to remind ourselves of the part we each play in fulfilling that purpose – all of us. As the Minister-with-a-capital-M I’m most often the one who’s standing up at the front, facilitating groups, or sending emails – and I’m delighted to be in a position to do so, to lead this congregation, to spend most of my waking hours thinking and writing and organising and furthering the cause of Unitarianism – but ministry is a collective effort. It has to be. I’m just one person. If the work of this church rested on my efforts alone then that would significantly limit what we can do and be. But just imagine what we might be able to create together if we harnessed more of our gifts! There is so much potential in this congregation for us to collectively dream something wonderful (or perhaps I should say even more wonderful!) into being. I’m pretty proud of what we’re doing already.
I shared that quote from Thich Nhat Hanh at the top of the service because I wanted us to begin with an explicitly religious vision of community and what we might be trying to co-create here. Although his words are rooted in his own Buddhist tradition – he uses the word ‘Sangha’ which refers to the Buddhist community of practice’ – I reckon we should be aiming for something very similar. I’ll share his words again: ‘A true Sangha is a community that practices the teaching of liberation and becomes free; a true Sangha practices the teaching of understanding and becomes more understanding; a true Sangha practices compassion and becomes more compassionate. Climbing the hill of the twenty-first century can be very joyful if we climb as a Sangha. If we support each other, we can become much stronger, and we can more easily resist the temptation of despair.’
This church has to have a purpose beyond existing for its own sake. It’s not just a place to come and sit quietly for an hour, then eat some cake (as much as I love eating cake and sitting quietly!) Thich Nhat Hanh talks of practicing liberation, understanding, compassion, and supporting each other to resist the temptation of despair – in this view the religious community exists primarily for the sake of transformation – transformation of ourselves, our ways of seeing, our ways of coping, our inner moral compass or conscience, our ways of living – and thus ultimately transformation of the world.
There’s another quote which many of you will have heard me share before – it was included in the Induction Service last year – and I bring it out on a regular basis as, for me, it’s a crucial touchstone and a reminder of what it is I think we’re doing here. The words are from Rebecca Parker, UU and United Methodist minister: ‘Congregations can be “communities of resistance” – countercultural habitations in which people learn ways to survive and thrive that can resist and sometimes even transform an unjust dominant culture… an embodied experience of covenant and commitment… which ground life in shared rituals that nourish and strengthen people spiritually, emotionally, psychologically and intellectually, providing a deep foundation for courageous and meaningful living.’
It’s big stuff, I know. These are high ideals. But when we look at the state of the world around us, perhaps it might convince us of the need to help cultivate a radical alternative, a better way of being. And for me, it seems important that we join the dots between such inspiring visions of what we might be, what we might aspire to co-create as a community, and what that might require of us in practice. (I admit that at this point I kind-of hope you’re already inwardly asking yourself ‘what can I do?’)
The flourishing of this community – the fulfilment of our purpose, our mission – the possibility of realising a bold dream of what we might yet be – all of that rests on a thousand small commitments. Commitments we all make. Showing up, week in, week out, more-or-less (as near as we can manage). Keeping in touch with that sense of purpose, what it is we’re here for, and stepping up to play our part.
So I’m going to be very straightforward about suggesting a few things that each of us might do – and of course I know that lots of you are already getting stuck in and playing your part in various ways – but I don’t think it hurts to spell out some ways in which everyone can help to co-create community.
Perhaps the most important thing that each one of us can do is to build a network of connection – get to know each other – I know we’re not all naturally gregarious types – and staying behind to chat at coffee hour isn’t everybody’s cup of tea (pun sort-of intended) – but luckily we have various small groups like Heart and Soul and the Better World Book Club which are carefully structured to build deeper connection in a way that helps us get over any social awkwardness we might feel (and I know all about awkwardness). Building the relationships that are the foundation of any such community depends on regularly putting in the time and attention it takes to get to know people and care for them. And doing that over the long haul. As a side-note on this, I’d say we need to pay particular attention to newcomers to the church or our groups, and be sensitive in offering a welcome that builds connection from their very first visit, but doesn’t overwhelm them with more attention or fuss than they bargained for. It delights me when I see people actively looking out for newcomers, including them in conversation. But even the simple act of showing up is so important for this. When people come here or join one of our small groups for the first time – and just taking that first step, crossing the threshold, that is a really big deal for many people – it makes a difference if they come into a place that feels full of life, friendly, warm, full of diverse, interesting, open-hearted people. Us.
Another thing each of us might do is to talk about this community with people outside the church. I know that a lot of people are very wary about speaking of religious things – of ‘coming out’ as someone who’s part of a religious community – and I do get why you might be reluctant to do so. But I think we’re doing something important here. We’re co-creating something very special. And, to my mind, if we know we’re onto a good thing we have a responsibility to let other people know about it – to spread the word about what it means to us – if being a part of this community has changed our lives for the better then shouldn’t we give others an opportunity to experience that too? It’s hardly the kind of evangelism that threatens dire consequences for those who don’t convert, is it? We’re simply saying – we’re doing something a bit different here – and you might want to be part of it. Hardly anyone knows about Unitarianism and spreading the word could be a win-win for us all.
Some of the things that people need to do in order for this church to flourish are, frankly, not very exciting. Someone has to log in to online banking once a week to authorise payments and pay the bills. Someone has to liaise with legal advisers to sort out contracts and leases. Someone has to work on official policies and procedures to keep us compliant with best practice as a charity. And a lot of these ‘someones’ can’t be paid staff – they have to be congregation members who step up to be trustees and represent the ethos of this church and our Unitarian values – dedicated people who are sensible and reliable enough to do the tedious legwork that keeps the show on the road. People’s lives are demanding, I know, but in order for this church to continue existing we constantly need new generations to step up and take on those volunteering roles. It is scary to think about but I am all too aware of congregations which have closed down with money in the bank just because they have run out of people who are willing and able to be trustees and to perform these basic functions to go on.
That said, within this congregation, at this moment, there are plenty of things to be optimistic about. We are growing! New people are finding us and staying (at least some of them are). Our hybrid services and online groups are enabling us to reach those who wouldn’t otherwise have been able to connect with Unitarian community, and they’re also allowing us to build connections with people from other congregations in the UK, and worldwide. And that is exciting to me, because with each new person we reach, each new connection we make, that’s another chance to transform a life (and to transform our community in turn, as each new person contributes their own gifts, insights, and efforts to the cause). We are doing alright financially thanks to our building and the lettings income that largely funds our work. We have a small but dedicated band of volunteers doing many of the tasks that need to be done – greeting, making coffee, and washing up – contributing to services, taking photos, writing articles for our newsletter, helping to run our small groups and other activities – keeping in touch, sending texts or making calls, looking out for each other – so much good work.
Our Unitarian witness is so needed in this world. Our community can be a model for a better way. So I encourage you, this morning, to ask yourself what part you are going to play in its co-creation – and as we always say – how you might use your unique gifts in the service of love, justice and peace. Amen.
Reflection by Jane Blackall