What difference does First Unitarian make in your life?

If 70% of the world’s population will be in cities by 2050, then I’m hoping vibrant centers of liberal religion, like our church, can continue to thrive in the heart of the commonwealth, downtown Worcester--a strong religious home for us as we work together for a better community.    Kate O'Dell

A sigh of relief: Around 1980, flipping though magazines in a waiting room, I saw an ad for a humanist conference in Pittsburgh…“without supernatural beliefs, affirming our ability and responsibility to lead ethical lives that aspire to the greater good.”  It turned out to be in a Unitarian church, at exactly the time that we needed an affirming opportunity for faith development that would allow us and our early grade-school age children to explore our convictions, without threats of damnation and “infallible rule-books.”

A reliable, intimate community:  We experimented with intentional communities, and had embraced the idea of working together with other people “in solidarity…while trying to live more consciously and compassionately.”  Churches have been the traditional center of communities, and finding UU churches allows us to move to new locations with the assurance that, though the building, worship practices, and people are different, the fellowship is the same, self-motivated, and spiritual people who affirm the Seven Principles. 

Commitment to use our pooled resources responsibly, for a greater good:  I feel like when I donate my time and pledge, I’m doing it out of gratitude for how blessed I feel to have found such fellowship, I really want to see this kind of opportunity remain present and available to all seekers—a chance to join in doing our fair share. The church “has a difference vision: taking care of each other, concern for the common welfare, and personal fulfillment through service to the whole.”

A challenge to stay awake, and keep exploring new opportunities.  I like that we don’t have all the answers, and that there is no such thing as too much truth.  I like that, since it’s an intimate community, there are jobs to do that I would normally think are NOT for me, but they need to be done, so we do them.  Someone was pruning the church roses the other day, and said to me, “Well, SOMEONE had to do it!!” So true: I like that we can all have faith that we are doing our best.

SO, we’ve been happy to be part of several UU churches over 30+ years.  What specifically does First Unitarian Church of Worcester mean to me?  I especially value our church because it’s not only beautiful, traditional, and Unitarian, but it is so easy for so many people to walk to it!!  If 70% of the world’s population will be in cities by 2050, then I’m hoping vibrant centers of liberal religion, like our church, can continue to thrive on downtown Main Street USA, one more destination in the heart of the commonwealth, downtown Worcester--a strong religious home for us as we work together for a better community.

(The quotes above are from Gary Kowalski’s message about Stewardship: 2-2013)