The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Salem, Oregon

A VISION ON OUR 60^TH ANNIVERSARY

The Reverend Richard R. Davis

September 27, 2009

             It’s unseemly to boast, especially for someone in my position, so I have never told you about my psychic abilities.  Yet the time has come for me to reveal my powers of precognition – that is, my ability to gaze into the future.  To be sure, I’m no Nostradamus – you can read about him in those trustworthy publications you see at the check out line in grocery stores – the ones that show amazing pictures, like the Mars rover discovering a lost tribe of Eskimos on Mars or Bat Boy and aliens from outer space conferring with the president.  These publications tell us that old Nostradamus could gaze with upmost clarity centuries into the future.  My psychic telescope lets me see about one decade into the future, but that’s not too shabby – it’s certainly enough to note some amazing developments in the world.

            Today, I’m going to describe the Sunday worship service that will be held here on Sept. 29, 2019, when our congregation will be celebrating its 70^th birthday (we celebrate our 60^th today). 

            As I gaze into the parking lot in 2019 I notice that the trees are much taller and our facility has a more settled, established look.  The parking lot is quite full, but the vehicles are different.  There are many more bicycles and electric scooters and some other interesting looking vehicles that don’t appear to run on fossil fuel.  There is also some kind of large alternative fuel vehicle that has our name, chalice logo and the words “Free Faith Express” on the side – it must be for picking up seniors and others who can’t drive or have any other mode of transportation here. 

            On the roof I see solar panels.   They were installed several years earlier with some creative financing and funds from a bequest dedicated to support this project.  Now, with the money saved from energy bills these solar panels have paid for themselves and the money that used to pay for electricity is dedicated to environmental projects on our property and in our community. 

Looking out back I see that all the invasive plants and trees on our property have been uprooted and native plants and flowers line the trails.  Down at the creek there is water monitoring station that detects pollutants so that the causes for these can be detected and stopped.   How clear and clean the stream looks.  How much our entire plot of land looks healed and restored to an original state. 

            At the entrance I see a large crowd of people gathering and it’s hard to figure out exactly what’s going on, but I can see that newcomers (they are called “guests” not “visitors”) are quickly approached and warmly greeted.  A member stays with each visitor throughout the service and social hour, unless the visitor chooses to be on their own.   No paper orders of service are handed out by the greeters whose hands are free to shake hands and hug – several years earlier the Green Team advised us to have paperless services.   

            As the UUCS chamber musicians play the prelude announcements are projected on the wall:  There’s a reminder that Hispanic UU’s meet on Sunday evening for the Spanish service; the Young Adult UU’s have their social gathering on Friday evenings;  the weekly community yoga class is going strong as are many of the programs we currently have going.  Volunteers are needed for a dizzying array of outreach ministries and leaders are being sought for more spiritual growth groups are starting due to popular demand – for more information, contact the associate minister.  (a few years ago, after the congregation paid off its mortgage, we were able to engage new staff).  

            There are physical differences, too.  This sanctuary is considerably more spacious.  Thanks to some generous bequests and a successful capital campaign there has been some new construction.  For one thing, the south wall of this room (behind the pulpit) has been moved out (our architect, Craig Carslon, designed our building to be expandable).   The sanctuary is rectangular, instead of square, and can accommodate 500 people.  Wow. 

At first there was a bit of grumbling about this expansion.  Why?  Because for several years before this new construction there were two Sunday morning services and many people were very attached to attending either the early or later service.  But now, with the much larger sanctuary, the congregation has been asked to return to one Sunday service.  Some were concerned that this change would lead to a loss of intimacy they cherished, but small groups have formed to address this need.   Change is always challenging, but most members overcame their resistance and appreciate having such a large room where large community gatherings can occur.

            As the service gets under way the chalice is lit in honor of all those who have kept the flame of our free faith tradition alive for the past seventy years.  Mention is made of the memorial wall outside our sanctuary where the names of many dear friends who have died are on simple plaques.   There are so many names there.  I can’t bear to look and see the names, but my heart is full of gratitude for those who live in memory. 

            A full Children’s Choir – (around 30 members) – led by our music director – (more new staff) sings a rousing, uplifting song and then these children and all the others come forward to pass under the love arch.  Some of those adults creating the arch with remember when they were children walking underneath in days gone by.

            The children and youth head down to the expanded Religious Education wing – new classrooms have been built to make room for more precious young ones.  Even with this new classroom space, the rooms are full of children and youth.

            Back in the sanctuary people are eagerly awaiting to hear our honored guest speaker for this special 70^th anniversary worship service - the first female president of the Unitarian Universalist Association. 

            As she begins her remarks, the Rev. Dr. Angela Herrera fondly remembers her days as a young adult member here.  She speaks of how much she learned about leadership when she served on the Board of Trustees and how much emotional support she received as she prepared to head off to Harvard Divinity School to study for the ministry.  She further mentions the supportive role our congregation played in her ordination ceremony.  It is good, she notes, to be back home.   The congregation, in turn, is delighted to see her and very proud of her. 

In her remarks Angela congratulates us on our success in creating such a welcoming, caring and compassionate community and for all our outreach ministries and social justice endeavors.  But once everyone’s defenses are down she shifts gears and challenges the congregation not to rest on its laurels and notes “when you are called to participate in your shared ministry here, please don’t say you “don’t have time.”  “Make time!  There is a world of hurt and injustice around us and you are called to share in this ministry “to heal the brokenhearted and bind up their wounds,” “to do justice, love kindness and walk humbly in the presence of the sacred.”  She concludes by pointedly asking “what better way to spend the time of your “one precious life” than by serving?”  

A few people who haven’t served stir uneasily in their seats, but mostly the congregation is amazed and inspired to hear the power of these words which speak truth to power.  After this powerful admonition they won’t dare rest on their laurels. 

Yet it is important for the congregation to recognize the good they have already done, and the next part of the service serves this purpose.  Various spoken and written testimonials are offered.

A young man goes first.  He speaks from the heart, telling the congregation of his problems with substance abuse and how the members of the Addiction Recovery Ministry Support reached out to him and may have saved his very life.  He is now in recovery, day by day.

Next, a middle aged woman speaks and says that ever since she was a teen she has struggled with mental illness and often felt ostracized by society.  But thanks to the Mental Health Support group here and the general climate of compassion and acceptance she has found here, she has known more love and joy than she had thought was possible. 

An older couple speaks next – telling of a tragic loss in their lives and how much loving support they found from the Life Lines Lay Ministry – although their hearts will never completely heal from their loss the compassionate concern of our Life Line Lay ministers has been a light for them in the midst of great darkness.

Next, letters of congratulations and gratitude are read from various ministries we have supported in the community to help the homeless and others in need.  It’s amazing to consider how many lives we have touched through these outreach efforts. 

A letter is read from a young man doing quite well at the University of Oregon – he thanks members of the congregation for mentoring and tutoring him when he was a young student at nearby Auburn Elementary School .  This vital help gave him the boost he sorely needed to rise out of his family of origin’s cycle of poverty.  Now he’s on the way to realizing his true potential.   

Then there are notes of gratitude from members of a number of the micro-credit banks we have established in Asia, Africa and Central America .  These notes all convey the same message: that we will never know the true extent of the help we have given to them with these loans – our efforts have meant the vast difference between leading lives of poverty and despair and lives of hope, meaning and purpose. 

There is a final spoken testimonial by representatives from UU Voices for Justice in Oregon (“Lobbying for UU Values in the public arena”).  They thank our congregation – here in the state capitol – for playing a major role in organizing and sustaining this  organization, and they note how integral we were in helping pass legislation legalizing same sex marriage in Oregon and abolishing the Death Penalty. 

The members of the congregation listen to all of this in amazement.  Most have played some role in supporting one or another of these many programs and initiatives but they had never realized how much of a positive difference the entire congregation has made in the world.  They feel deep satisfaction knowing that they are a part of something much greater than the individual self.  They are inspired to give even more.

Those who have coordinated this service anticipated this generous feeling and schedule the offertory at this high point .  The Chalice Circle Players and Dancers have long since been the coordinators of this part of the service.   While the UUCS Gospel choir (one of several of our choirs) belts out a song that makes you want to get up and dance.  In fact, this is what our ushers now do every Sunday when they receive the offering – they dance, sway, sashay and boogie down the aisles as they pass the offering baskets.  When this first began a few years before some of the more staid members were unsettled, but the dancing ushers are so appealing in their graceful movements that this has become one the favorite parts of the service.  The message is clear – it is a joy to give, especially to a community that brings so much light, love, joy and hope into the world. 

After the dancing ushers pass by members bring food forward for the Marion Polk Food Share.  After the service volunteers will take these nutritious offerings across the street to the food storage/ distribution module the congregation has built on the east end of the overflow parking lot.  

After the service members and friends all join in the annual loco-vore harvest festival.  (After the factory farm environmental disasters in 2013 and the outbreak of the anti-biotic resistant salmonella more and more people get their food from local farmers).   At the potluck there’s also an abundance of produce for people to take home afterwards – there are lots of gardeners in the congregation who share their bounty with others.

 Yes, with my powers of precognition I can see that there will be a grand 70^th anniversary service here in 2019. 

Or not.  You certainly know I can’t peer into the future.  But you and I do have to power to cast a vision – and today I have done so because I know how vital it is to have a positive vision of the future.  An ancient admonition from Proverbs reminds us that “where there is no vision, the people drift and die.” 

So we cast a vision – we plant seeds of hope for days to come.  And mind you, nothing I have envisioned today lies beyond our reach.  You and I do have the power now, today, to work together in such a faithful, patient, dedicated fashion, day by day, month by month, year by year, so that ten years from now, when the congregation steps back to see what has been accomplished, you will be amazed. 

May it be so.