From Your Minister

Dear Ones,

In March we will be exploring the value of Transformation. The proposed revisions to Article II of the Unitarian Universalist Association’s bylaws state that the UUA “will actively engage its members in the transformation of the world through liberating Love.” It also describes the value of Transformation in this way:

• Transformation: We adapt to the changing world. We covenant to collectively transform and grow spiritually and ethically. Openness to change is fundamental to our Unitarian and Universalist heritages, never complete and never perfect.

There are so many aspects to transformation: the metamorphosis that changes a caterpillar into a butterfly; the change of seasons that happens gradually and rapidly – sometimes all in the same day; the growth of a baby into a child, youth, and adult; the changes we go through as individuals and as communities. And so, as I’ve been sitting with this value, I’ve found myself reflecting on what it means to declare that we adapt to a changing world – the good, the bad, the beautiful, and the ugly.

As a former environmental professional, this brings to my mind and heart discussions that happened when we began to discuss adapting to climate change. When we decided that, while it was imperative to keep working to reduce future climate change, present and some future changes were inevitable and so we also had to work on adaptation. Change was coming, change was here, and in order to survive and thrive, and help the most vulnerable survive and thrive, we needed to notice that and make changes.

There are so many parallels to this in our world. There is so much we must do to resist oppressive forces, to promote justice, equity, pluralism, and interdependence. And yet we also need to practice adaptation.

And so, I’m reflecting on the importance of cultivating practices to help ourselves and our communities be open to change. To help us transform individually and collectively, grow spiritually and ethically. We do much of this already at UUS, and yet, under ever-increasing pressures from the world, it’s crucial that we continue to cultivate these practices. Fortunately, nourishing resilience, practicing care and compassion, and cultivating sustainable practices are part of our vision of ministry for this year. What ways are you leaning into this work? What ways can you help this congregation broaden and deepen this work?

As we explore what this value of Transformation means to us individually and as a congregation, I’m looking forward to reflecting with you on how articulating it as part of the center of our living liberal religious tradition affects how we understand Unitarian Universalism and where we’re being called today. I’m glad to be on this transformational journey together.

Love and Blessings,
Rev. Diana