Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto

Temporarily Yours

February 14, 2010
Rev. Sean Parker Dennison

Ministry is about being open hearted, having love that is redemptive and freely given; paying attention to and caring about each other; tribal elders and brand new babies and children coming of age; celebrating marriage and mourning people who die. It is about. myths and stories, struggles, and watershed events. It is about carrying our history and witnessing our lives. — Anne Odin Heller

The ministry Anne Heller describes (in the quote above) is not the purview of one person. It doesn’t belong to anyone. It doesn’t belong to the Board of Trustees, the Caring Circle, or the Minister. It’s something everyone must do together. This has often been called “shared ministry,” and like many phrases that become popular, it has almost become jargon among Unitarian Universalists. But even if the term has been used a lot, the practice of shared ministry is key to healthy and growing congregations. Congregations that think of ministry as something we all do for and with each other are congregations full of vision, passion, caring, and resources.

Congregations that engage in shared ministry are engaging in a practice of love — a communal act of compassion, kindness, and service — that changes lives and eventually changes the world. While we may not agree on theology, politics, or other matters of opinion, we have agreed to create a community based on respect, covenant, and our vision of people who do not “need to think alike to love alike” (as the Universalists have said for centuries).

One of the nice things about being with you at UUCPA for these six months is getting to witness this congregation doing its best to bring a shared ministry of respect, caring, and love into being. Seeing the unique but familiar ways you work together to create and nurture community that matters is a good reminder that each and every one of our congregations matter. One by one, they can bring a little more love into the world.