I don’t have to tell you that UUs are a religiously, spiritually, and humanistically polyglot lot. As I often say, our faith does not require us “to think alike, to love alike.” We are intentionally non-creedal and pluralistic in our religious orientation. So why do we worship together?

Of course, many of you may not resonate with the word “worship,” and that’s absolutely fine in our sanctuary. I use the word to mean “worth-ship;” our time to consider and develop awe for those things in our world, our lives, each other, this universe – that are worthy of our attention and love. 

There are reasons beyond that. There’s a line I love and recall often from the readings in our hymnal: “Our eyes reclaim the remembered faces; their voices stir the surrounding air…”*  I come to “reclaim the remembered faces,” most of all, but Robert French Leavens put it all together when he wrote:

“Holy and beautiful the custom which brings us together

In the presence of the Most High –

To face our ideals,

To remember our loved ones in absence,

To give thanks, to make confession,

To offer forgiveness,

To be enlightened and to be strengthened.

Through this quiet hour breathes the worship of ages

The cathedral music of history…”

We gather together to make sense of our lives, to be a part of community, to feel connected to Life beyond our own scope. The spiritual practice of coming to church, to participate in a congregation, to worship, enlivens us in this way. But sustaining our spirits asks us to do more than show up quietly for one hour each week. It calls us into the messy busy-ness of coffee hour, to connect with one new person…it insists on participation in the work of the world where liberation is calling…it needs to be nurtured with soup and conversation, taking the chance to learn something new or reflect more deeply on things known. It asks us to offer service to the people and place that feeds our souls. It is to take part in the life of the congregation.

In troubling times, we need each other and the practices that teach us how to love more deeply, risk our hearts more broadly, and show up with more compassion more than ever. That is why we worship, and why we offer our attention and presence in this most holy place – our congregation, UU Asheville.

If you need to talk about the world and all its suffering, please join me at the yet-again rescheduled Troubled Times luncheon on Tuesday, Feb. 17th. Bring a lunch and join us – it helps to be able to talk with people  who care about what’s going on around us. And our status as a Welcoming Congregation is built on building practices and widening our understanding of the issues LGBTQIA+ folx face, especially in a time of active assault on rights. Please join me and Gender Equality NY’s amazing panel for a night of education and questions about Trans, non-binary, intersex and gender expansive folx on ZOOM at 6:30 pm that same evening, Feb. 17th. Registration is easily found in our eNews or on the church website calendar. 

See you in church – love,

Rev. Audette

*Ken Patton