Why Are We Here?
Margaret A. Hart
First Unversalist Church of Central Square, NY
May 7, 2006

Today is being celebrated as Chalice Lighter’s Sunday in the Saint Lawrence District of the Unitarian Universalist Association, of which we are a part. I am also responding today to a bid on a sermon topic from last year’s Service and Merchandise Auction. Chet Perkins asked me to talk about what needs people have which bring them to church, and how the church can satisfy their needs. Keeping these goals in mind, I have decided to speak more broadly on “Why Are We Here?”
First I’d like to share a bit about the history and significance of the flaming chalice, from the Unitarian Universalist Association’s website:
At the opening of Unitarian Universalist worship services, many congregations light a flame inside a chalice. This flaming chalice has become a well-known symbol of our denomination. It unites our members in worship and symbolizes the spirit of our work.

The chalice and the flame were brought together as a Unitarian symbol by an Austrian artist, Hans Deutsch, in 1941. Living in Paris during the 1930's Deutsch drew critical cartoons of Adolf Hitler. When the Nazis invaded Paris in 1940, he abandoned all he had and fled to the South of France, then to Spain, and finally, with an altered passport, into Portugal.

There, he met the Reverend Charles Joy, executive director of the Unitarian Service Committee (USC). The Service Committee was new, founded in Boston to assist Eastern Europeans, among them Unitarians as well as Jews, who needed to escape Nazi persecution. From his Lisbon headquarters, Joy oversaw a secret network of couriers and agents.

Charles Joy felt that this new, unknown organisation needed some visual image to represent Unitarianism to the world, especially when dealing with government agencies abroad.

Deutsch was most impressed and soon was working for the USC. He later wrote to Joy:

"There is something that urges me to tell you... how much I admire your utter self denial [and] readiness to serve, to sacrifice all, your time, your health, your well being, to help, help, help.

"I am not what you may actually call a believer. But if your kind of life is the profession of your faith---as it is, I feel sure---then religion, ceasing to be magic and mysticism, becomes confession to practical philosophy and---what is more- --to active, really useful social work. And this religion--- with or without a heading---is one to which even a `godless' fellow like myself can say wholeheartedly, Yes!"

The USC was an unknown organization in 1941. This was a special handicap in the cloak-and-dagger world, where establishing trust quickly across barriers of language, nationality, and faith could mean life instead of death. Disguises, signs and countersigns, and midnight runs across guarded borders were the means of freedom in those days. Joy asked Deutsch to create a symbol for their papers "to make them look official, to give dignity and importance to them, and at the same time to symbolize the spirit of our work.... When a document may keep a man out of jail, give him standing with governments and police, it is important that it look important."

Thus, Hans Deutsch made his lasting contribution to the USC and, as it turned out, to Unitarian Universalism. With pencil and ink he drew a chalice with a flame. It was, Joy wrote his board in Boston, "a chalice with a flame, the kind of chalice which the Greeks and Romans put on their altars. The holy oil burning in it is a symbol of helpfulness and sacrifice.... This was in the mind of the artist. The fact, however, that it remotely suggests a cross was not in his mind, but to me this also has its merit. We do not limit our work to Christians. Indeed, at the present moment, our work is nine-tenths for the Jews, yet we do stem from the Christian tradition, and the cross does symbolize Christianity and its central theme of sacrificial love."

The flaming chalice design was made into a seal for papers and a badge for agents moving refugees to freedom. In time it became a symbol of Unitarian Universalism all around the world.

The story of Hans Deutsch reminds us that the symbol of a flaming chalice stood in the beginning for a life of service. When Deutsch designed the flaming chalice, he had never seen a Unitarian or Universalist church or heard a sermon. What he had seen was faith in action—people who were willing to risk all for others in a time of urgent need.

Today, the flaming chalice is the official symbol of the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee and the Unitarian Universalist Association. Officially or unofficially, it functions as a logo for hundreds of congregations. A version of the symbol was adopted by the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches in Britain. It has since been used by Unitarian churches in other parts of the world. Perhaps most importantly, it has become a focal point for worship. No one meaning or interpretation is official. The flaming chalice, like our faith, stands open to receive new truths that pass the tests of reason, justice, and compassion.

We recently conducted a congregational survey here. Thirty-five surveys were returned, a great return rate for a church this size. Thank you to so many of you for participating. And thanks to Mary Perkins for her part in helping to design the survey and in tabulating the results. One of the most striking results was that 19 out of the 35 surveys indicated that “sense of community” was very important to them in coming to this church. 12 cited the “expression of religious and spiritual values “ as being very important. While there were other interesting things which arose from the surveys, I would like to focus on these two things, as they were most frequently cited as the most important factors which brought respondents to this church.
First, people noted a “sense of community”. But what does that mean? If a “sense of community” is one of our main priorities for being here, it would be helpful for us to understand what that means. Is it simply friendliness? We could experience that in other social places. While it’s great to be friendly, we don’t necessarily need to come to a church to experience friendliness. I’ve heard many people refer to a feeling of “coming home” when they first came to this church. I experienced that myself. It’s hard to explain it, but it can be a relief to be among people with whom we can freely express ourselves, without fear of being judged... to bring our whole selves to church, and not to feel the need (or the desire) to hide part of ourselves. It’s refreshing to be accepted, and respected, for who we are.. imperfections and all.
But how accepting are we, really? And how trusting? Do we really reach out to welcome people who are not like us in some way? Do we truly respect people who have very different views from us? And do we even know what views other people hold? Do we freely share our beliefs and our whole selves with each other? Or do we hold back in some ways?
It would be interesting to survey not only the people who come here regularly, but also the people who have attended a time or two, to find out why they chose not to return on a regular basis. When I was working at my previous job as a Program Director, I used to conduct exit interviews with staff who were leaving the agency. Sometimes I was able to glean insights which I might not have heard otherwise. Sometimes people feel they can be more honest, in critical ways, when they are leaving a situation. And criticism can be helpful to hear, especially if it is given and received with love. My goal here is to be able to give and receive honest feedback, with love and compassion, without anyone having to leave! In this way, we can all learn and grow together, realizing that we are not yet perfect, if we ever hope to be.
This brings me to the second main reason given for coming to this church, the “expression of religious and spiritual values”. Unitarian Universalist churches have a reputation for their openness to different expressions of religious and spritual values. While the Unitarian and Universalist churches arose from Christian origins, Unitarian Universalist churches can no longer be categorized as Christian. In fact, Christian Unitarian Universalists are in the minority in most of our churches, and they often feel that way. One of the sources of our living tradition as Unitarian Universalists is wisdom from the world’s religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life. That is all the world’s religions. And when asked in the recent survey what sermon topics they would find most interersting, 17 respondents indicated that they were interested in understanding other traditions. So, there is an openness to continuing to learn about, and from, other traditions.
Unitarian Universalists are usually considered pretty open to and tolerant of diversity, and certainly most of us think of ourselves that way. And yet, how much diversity is there really among us? There is a wide diversity of beliefs among us, including people from many spiritual traditions and practices, and those with no religious background... people who believe in some form of God, Goddess, or Great Spirit, and those who don’t. People with differing sexual and affectional orientations find a home here. But in most Unitarian Universalists congregations the people in the pew, and the pulpit, are typically Caucasian, well-educated, and middle class or above. Unitarian Universalists are overwhelmingly liberal in their politics, which is perhaps in keeping with the principles which guide us.
But how welcoming are we of people who we perceive as being different from us in some way? Do we understand and welcome people who are differently-abled, whether mentally or physically? Would we look away if someone appeared to be unkempt, dirty, or confused? That is, assuming that they even felt comfortable enough to enter these doors, and were willing to leave their comfort zones to enter ours.
How much do we reach out into the community to invite people in? How much risk are we willing to take? Are we content to be closet Unitarian Universalists, and remain in a zone of comfort, among those we know and trust? Or do we feel compelled, in some way, to share the good news of Unitarian Universalism, and of the existence of this particular church? There are many people who drive by here regularly, and have no idea that we are here! How will we open ourselves to them?
This church has had about the same number of members for some time now. Some people have died or left; others have come. Some people have joined the church. Others have visited and left. Why is it that some people decide to return again and again, and become a part of this church community? And why do others choose not to?
The questions which were posed at the beginning of this sermon suggest that people come with particular needs, and that if those needs are met, then they will return. This is probably true. My understanding of the desire for a “sense of community” is a sense of being involved in something larger than oneself. A church can be such a community. It involves active participation. It’s not a spectator sport. When church members and friends are involved in the work of the church, both within the walls of the church and in the larger community, there is a feeling of making a difference. And we all want to make a difference.
Sometimes we act out of a sense of obligation, or duty, to something beyond ourselves... whether to our family, friends, or church. But if it always feels like an obligation or duty, and never like a joy, there’s something wrong with the picture. Because we also seek enjoyment. We need to have fun, and laugh. Some of us have had jobs that we didn’t enjoy. That’s not ideal; it’s better if we can enjoy what we do. But at least we get paid for doing a job. With church, it’s different. It’s important that we feel a certain passion for our church - and experience joy and love. Most of us come to church to have our spiritual lives challenged and fed. In Unitarian Universalist churches, we find more questions than answers. We don’t have a doctrine or creed, but we do have a set of principles to guide us, and a set of sources from which we draw inspiration. We are each expected to engage in a responsible search for truth and meaning, and to support and encourage each other in doing so. We are aware that the search is an on-going process, and that the process itself is important. How we are with each other in the process is essential. Our first principle is that we covenant (or agree) to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person. That can be translated as the Golden Rule, which is found in all religions- that we should treat others as we would want to be treated. If we do that, we can live in harmony with each other and with our world.
We also come to enjoy the fellowship of gathering and working together for something which transcends any one of us. In a meditation center I used to visit, part of the daily program was seva, or selfless service, and everyone was expected to be involved. I found that I developed some of my closest friendships through seva, through working together. Words didn’t need to be exchanged... in fact sometimes we spoke different languages and couldn’t exchange words. But we spoke the language of the heart, and experienced working together for a greater purpose, whether chopping vegetables or cleaning bathrooms. It was a sharing of love and comraderie. I have had similar experiences here at the church working on projects with many of you... washing dishes at roast beef dinners, participating at committee and Board meetings, cleaning at love-your-church days, and so on.
And then there is service to the larger Unitarian Universalist movement- singing together and learning new songs at the recent Music Workshop, participating with a team from this church and other Unitarian Universalist churches at the Small Church Growth and Vitality Workshop, networking and serving as a delegate at the District Annual Assembly, working with other Unitarian Universalist ministers and Board Presidents in the region to share ideas and resources, exchanging pulpits with colleagues in other UU churches....the opportunities are endless.
Since today is being celebrated as Chalice Lighters Sunday, I want to share something about the Chalice Lighters program from the district website:
A chalice lighter is an individual (or family) who pledges to make a contribution, twice a year, to the congregation who has been dreaming big and planning reasonably for a specific growth or healthy congregation endeavor.

Chalice Lighters have helped bring ministerial leadership to many congregations in our district. They have helped congregations move into buildings of their own. They have helped new congregations get up and running, and they have helped existing congregations realize their dreams.

I would add that this church was the recipient of a Chalice Lighters grant to help fund the installation of a lift and other features which make this church more accessible to the public as well as to members and friends. Many people, contributing a small amount each, can make a big difference in the growth of Unitarian Universalism. Mary Perkins is the Chalice Lighters Ambassador for this congregation, and has set up a display to highlight the program. If you would like to learn more about Chalice Lighters, or to join, I know Mary would be happy to talk with you after the service. A large percentage of this congregation’s members are actively involved as Chalice Lighters. It has often been noted, many hands make light work. This is clearly true with the Chalice Lighters.
As I think about the growth of Unitarian Universalism, a movement to which I am committed, a poem comes to mind:
He drew a circle that shut me out –. Heretic, rebel a thing to flout. But Love and I had the wit to win. we drew a circle that drew him in. ...

When we come to church and many of our friends are here, it can become a comfortable place to be. it can feel difficult, and even unnecessary, to expand. But our habitat can become stagnant, like a pond which has no movement of fresh water. Ronald W. Richardson, in his book Creating a Healthier Church, compares an “alive, spirit-filled, well-functioning church” to a mobile, the parts of which can move freely, interacting in new ways. He writes (p.73):
As Christians, we believe that life comes to us from outside ourselves, that God’s Holy Spirit continues to bring us new life and energy every day (“give us this day our daily bread” is both a spiritual and a material request). When we operate within a closed system, it is more difficult for the Spirit of God to feed and nurture us with newness of life.

Although Richardson writes of Christian churches, his approach is systemic, and his words are applicable to this church. Churches, and other social systems, always need to find a balance between inner-focus and outer-focus. I see ways in which this church strives to wear bifocals. It isn’t always easy, but it is necessary, especially as we grow older.
It is my hope that while we strengthen the center of our circle, and continue to make it a place which will satisfy our need for a “sense of community”, we will also find ways to expand the circumference of the circle, and make it permeable and inviting to those who may want to enter in. May it be so.