This month there will be real opportunities to hold history together. We will reflect on the legacy of care in our congregations, explore what it means to re-member difficult truths, and- on November 14th- welcome new members and ordain a new minister. A new member ceremony and ordination both represent a commitment to continuing- to welcoming and sharing the flame of Unitarian Universalism. Both include a reciting of promises- a covenant- between individuals and congregation. Some rituals- signing the book in a membership ceremony, laying on of hands in an ordination- are time-honored and meaningful. But not everything old is worth keeping; we can also change traditions and create new ones. My process of ordination planning has led me to careful discernment of traditions I wish to hold onto, and ones I wish to change- and the use of multi-platform technology has created a new kind of service altogether.
Our times demand change. As I write this, world leaders have begun to meet in Glasgow for the COP26 Climate Summit; they have just announced a decision to end deforestation by 2030 to protect the world’s lungs. The need for change is immediate- and we must make commitments rooted in accountability together. So let us look back at history that we might learn from it; may we keep what inspires and empowers us. But we may also look with critical eyes upon legacies that have caused harm- whether that is the consumption of fossil fuels, or racism, colonization, and other systems of violence- and seek change where change is needed.
In peace,
Terri