These days, our Unitarian forefather, John Luther Adams, is uppermost in my mind. Adams died just in 1994, almost 30 years ago now. He was one of the most influential theologians in our denomination in the 20th century not to mention among liberal Christian theologians generally. He was active as a Unitarian parish minister, social activist, journal editor, prolific author, and divinity professor for over 40 years.
Adams thought that church is the place where you get to practice what it means to be a human being. Church is the place where you bring your whole self to bear – the good, the bad, the beautiful, and yes … even the ugly. Here is a place where we speak the truth, hold each other in love. It is here that we can learn how to grow into the fullness of who we are. None of us get it right all the time. Trust gets broken. Feelings will be hurt. It is here that we learn to hold this, share this, acknowledge it in ourselves, and to acknowledge it to others.
It is church that provides us with the space to try different ways of responding and holding each other. In so doing, we learn how to become our best selves. I’ve always resonated with this understanding as we begin to understand what covenant means and how it plays out in our congregational life. Living into covenant is hard work, and yet the rewards are great!
When we learn to hold our differences, speak in love, and to each other, we generate possibilities to restore relationships.
We generate the possibility to express our needs to one another and listen deeply to the needs of another.
We generate the possibility of being deeply listened to and heard as we do this for others.
We generate the possibility of learning how to take accountability for our own actions, to offer and receive deep heart-felt apologies.
We generate possibilities of growing into the fullness of who we are as a person, as a people, and as a congregation.
I need spaces like this in my life. This is why I go to church. How about you?