In these last few days before we jump into our fall season there’s a kind of wistfulness that it’s been easy for me to slip into. Having announced that this will be my last year at UUCA, I find myself ticking things off – my last this, my last that. But of course, I soon won’t have the luxury for any of that. We have a terrific array of programs, services and events planned that will keep us all hopping. And more than that, rarely has there been a time when passion and commitment for the work of liberal religion was more needed.
Having spent a good third of my life in journalism before entering the ministry, I’ve made a practice of subscribing to my local paper and the New York Times and each morning spending some time poring through them.
I have friends who shrink at the idea and say, “How can you begin your day with such depressing stuff?” I get that. I see more than enough that drags me down, but I stay with it. Part of the reason is I just want to be in the know, plugged into what’s happening to the world, and random bulletins on my cell phone are not enough.
I want to take time with people – reporters and editors – who have spent time and energy to track down the closest thing they can find to the truth. Seeing the news media under greater assault than at any moment in my lifetime reminds me what a precious gift it is.
A similar sort of feeling comes to me when I think about this religious tradition where I’ve made my home, that is the center of my calling. We determined truth-tellers, when it comes to the life of the spirit, can find ourselves embattled, too. The bullying and shaming that we see in the public sphere has its analog in the religious world, and we desperately need communities like this one that can provide a home for the doubters, for those seeking to make their own path religiously, who cling to their own integrity like a life raft.
I want to take time with people who are struggling to figure it out, who dig deep into their own epiphanies, hopes and fears, who get real with each other and find joy in the journey together. It’s often challenging work that pushes us all outside of our comfort zones, but it is also deeply satisfying to be supported in our struggles and to be part of a community that nudges us to put the values that guide us to work in the larger world.
This, too, is a precious gift. I’m grateful to have been a part of all this with you and look forward to an eventful year together.
Rev. Mark Ward, Lead Minister