First Parish will celebrate its 375th anniversary in 2030. It will be our Jubilee year—a time for forgiveness, liberation, celebration, and renewal.
This Congregation has witnessed a revolution and civil war, a declaration of independence, the adoption of the state constitution (“The body politic is formed by a voluntary association of individuals: it is a social compact, by which the whole people covenants with each citizen…”) and a national constitution (“We the people of these United States in order to form a more perfect union…”). We have witnessed way too many wars, and too much oppression, poverty, and suffering.
Bending the arc of the moral universe toward justice has always mattered to this Congregation and that work, grounded in our UU theology and heritage, must continue, especially during these troubling times.
I believe that remaining strong and relevant to meet this moment asks us to face two challenges as we approach 2030.
The first is reforming how we organize and finance the liberal church. The nature of church is changing. Committees are becoming teams; leadership is more ad hoc; we ask more of our professional staff for support and services to the Congregation. Our building requires continuous investment and upgrades to keep pace with technology. Financing the new liberal church means exploring new and expanding sources of revenue with appropriate cost controls like asking what we can do without, and all of this needs to be aligned with our values, mission, and covenant.
The second is to keep our faith in the theology of love and beloved community and, importantly, to practice that faith within these walls and beyond. To me, that starts with restoring the norms of our beloved community. My list includes decency, respect, tolerance, inclusion, compassion, justice, and love. You may have other norms to add, and please do; let’s create a long list!
A couple of quick updates –
• Canvass Sunday is March 15th. We welcome anyone who would like to be part of FPCT (First Parish Canvass Team) to help with our canvass activities and festivities—the fun things we do to bring joy & celebration to support our stewardship. Please contact Susan W., Tom C., or me if you are interested. You can help for an hour, a day, a week, or more—all are welcomed!
• There is still time to contribute to the Carlene Merrill Fund! We are very close to meeting the match of $20,000. Will your contribution put us over the top? The campaign winds down on Feb. 15th. See Joan C. or me for more information.
• A big thank you to Carla C., our collector, who keeps us informed of our pledges and contributions, especially during tax season.
• And a personal note. I have been asked to serve as a Peer Facilitator for the UU New England Region and will help congregations address leadership and organizational challenges. The role offers me an opportunity to learn about best practices in other churches and to help strengthen UU churches.
Have mercy,
John S.