The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Salem, Oregon

“PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE”

The Reverend Richard R. Davis

September 13, 2009

             Today we begin a new congregational year – it’s our version of going back to school.   Although we kept going through the summer, the pace was slower and some of us were away; so this is a time when we re-gather as a religious community, both to remember who we are and dream about the year to come. 

            So, what are we up to this year?  Why do we exist?  What is our purpose?  Well, I won’t be able to say it all, but here are some answers: We gather here as kindred spirits to create and sustain fellowship and have fun.   This is a place where we come to grow – spiritually and intellectually – a place where we come to serve the highest ideals of our liberal religious tradition and humankind – a place where we come to sing, dance and be creative -  a place where we create a community of caring and concern, honor the cycles and seasons of life, love one another.  This is a place where we help create new meaning in a world full of too much pain.   What we do here is important and if we didn’t exist a lot of very good and wonderful things would be missing from our lives and from this community. 

            So, here’s a question – a question each one of us has to answer for ourselves.   How do you want to go about this?  Do you want to be really good at this?  Or just OK?  Or maybe just go through the paces, barely scraping by? 

            If your answer to this question is that you want to do the best you can, I have an idea to share about this. 

            This is not an original idea, but it’s a good one – it works.  But first, we need to pause here for an old joke.   (Have members of the Chalice Circle Players act this out )  There was a bewildered looking tourist was in New York City with a street map.  A long time resident saw him and asked if he could help.  “Yes,” the tourist replied, “how do you get to Carnegie Hall?”  The New Yorker simply replied, “practice, practice, practice.” 

Everyone knows that to get good at something you need to practice to build up your skill.  But here’s something most folks probably don’t think about.  We’re always practicing and you will get good at whatever you practice.  It’s something to think about

Consider this: if you have bad practices they will eventually become bad habits.  In other words, you can get good (or accomplished) at being bad.  Some people get really good at being angry – they think angry thoughts all the time, they express this anger at people, especially family members, they practice being angry in the check out line at the grocery store, while they’re sitting in traffic jams, while they’re watching the news or reading the paper or even watching sports.  Some people practice worrying.  Others practice being lazy and other folks practice being greedy and tightfisted. 

Fortunately, a lot of other people practice good habits.  Many people practice being patient, kind, responsible, generous, forgiving, courageous. 

Anything, for good or for ill, that you practice, over and over and over again, becomes a habit, a way of being.  This is why I meditate every day – basically, it’s the practice of being calm.

            It’s really important to think about what you practice, because what you practice you will become.  Every person has to choose their practice.   Just consider whether what you practice will either be a blessing or a curse to the world.

Yet still, how do you practice being a Unitarian Universalist?  That might not seem like a question that can be answered because we believe that each person should be free to adopt beliefs that seem most true for them.   That is certainly, true, but here are seven practices that we can all agree help create a strong, loving, helpful religious community:   

                          Reader Number 1:  Practice attendance.  Show up every Sunday you possibly can.  Give this a very high priority.  Remember that even if you don’t feel like coming you’ll probably be glad you did once you get here.  Remember, too, that if you don’t come you will be missed, there will be an empty space where your hug or a handshake or a warm smile could have been.  Your presence is a gift that builds a strong community.  Please give it. 

             Reader Number 2:   Practice Compassion.  Be kind and understanding, especially when you may be tempted to gossip, to say unkind things, to pre- judge another harshly.  Resolve not to engage in destructive conflicts.  If someone is ill or absent give them a call or send a card or pay a visit.  Let them know you care.

             Reader Number 3:   Practice Hospitality.   Every Sunday we have first time guests looking for religious community.   Don’t ignore them thinking that it’s the role of some official greeter will welcome them.  Be especially attentive to those who are too often ignored or rejected in our society.  Tell friends and acquaintances who could benefit from our community that we are here waiting for them.

             Reader Number 4:  Practice Generosity.   Our incomes may vary, but each one of us is called to be generous, according to our means.  Giving blesses us and enables us to thrive.  Giving is an act of courage that overcomes fears of scarcity and creates a community of abundance.  

            Reader Number 5:  Practice Service and Justice Making.  We assist many in need in our community through our social service outreach programs –  the hungry, the homeless, the poor, the vulnerable.  Participate in this ministry to others.  Beyond this, become aware of the injustices and inequities that oppress so many beings in our world and join in challenging the systems that allow such conditions to persist.

             Reader Number 6:  Practice responsibility.  Ours is a shared ministry. This is your congregation as much as anyone’s.  Volunteer efforts are essential in sustaining congregational life.  Each one of us is called to discover how we can best be of service, whether by helping with existing programs and activities or creating new ones that fulfill unmet needs. 

             Reader Number 7:  Practice Stretching.  We come here to grow by seeking wisdom and knowledge, stretching our hearts and our minds. All our lives we are called to be on a journey of spiritual growth – we grow by exploring new realms of thought and feeling.