Gratitude: For A Covenantal Faith

Ponderings of the Spiritual Life Director

We often talk about Unitarian Universalism being a transformational faith. Indeed, we have the potential to change minds, hearts, and souls. In a book by the Rev. Meg Riley entitled Testimony, you can read many stories of lives transformed by our faith.The stories in the book speak to the power of UUism to bring people back from despair and discover a renewed purpose. If you are looking for compelling and heartwarming stories, or if you haven’t fully realized the potential of this faith to transform, I’d recommend you pick a copy up.

I’ve often thought about the transformation in my own life since I walked through the doors of UUCL. I’ve learned so much about reaching out in love, good teamwork, and having faith in myself. Being a Unitarian Universalist is challenging work that will change our minds, hearts, and souls but I believe we are able to do it together because of one very important element of our faith: covenant. We are able to build a strong community because we make promises to each other about how we’re going to be together- and that makes us feel safer when we take the risks we need to take in order to change. For that, I am eternally grateful.

Below is our congregational covenant. As participants in this community, we are all asked to enter into it together.

Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Lakeland

Covenant

Adopted at Annual Meeting 2007

We the people of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Lakeland, in our effort to promote the true spirit of our guiding principles, hereby commit our lives and resources with the following covenant:

1. I will, with patience and understanding, treat all others with kindness and respect.
2. I will be sensitive to the needs of others, treat them with civility, and honor their confidentiality.
3. I will promote a harmonious spirit and a truly welcoming congregation by my personal caring and positive attitude.
4. I will promote democracy by speaking with candor, respecting the right to dissent, seeking consensus, and honoring the will of the majority.
5. I will seek to possess an open mind and a respect for views different from my own.
6. I will support our congregation by volunteering my time and fulfilling my commitments.

I am excited to work with all of you, and our newly formed Right Relations Committee, to figure out what exactly these promises can and should look like. It will surely be challenging and fulfilling work for all of us as we realize our potential to transform ourselves and the world around us!

In Faith-

Heather