Stewardship Sunday:
Stand by this Faith!

A sermon delivered at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation (Blacksburg, VA), March 22, 2009, by the Reverend Christine Brownlie.

I want to start with a story. I’m not certain that this story is “true” in the sense that it actually happened. But from what I know of the life of the Rev. Olympia Brown, my story is truthful for what it tells about this remarkable woman and her devotion to Universalism.

They were waiting for her, and as soon as they heard the sound of the horse’s hooves, they picked up the rocks that lay at their feet. The sheriff and a few of his men were already there, so those who despised her couldn’t stone her, but they could try to run her off; that woman minister and her cockeyed theology that said that there was no hell. No hell! Hell! Why would anyone be good if they weren’t afraid of hell? There are plenty of folks who do believe in hell, but that belief doesn’t seem to affect their lives all that much; they drink and curse and carry on like they’re never going to face that judgment day.

The wagon stopped, and she jumped off the wagon seat and marched right up to the door of the church. She was a tiny thing, but she went through the mob without so much as a blink of her eye. She unlocked that door and shut it behind her.

The men were so startled by her boldness that they’d been standing there like big dumb rocks themselves The minute they heard that door shut, they all jumped as if a snake bit them! They let loose, and the rocks went flying. It must have sounded like a mighty hail storm inside that little church, but the roof held and that woman stayed right in there.

The sheriff ran some of the men off, but a few stayed. They were curious. They wanted to hear her. Imagine a woman preaching — to men! That’s against scripture, isn’t it? The sheriff stood at the door and made the men take their hats off as they went in.

More people arrived. Whole families came and went right in to join the service. There wasn’t any shouting, or carrying on like you hear in some churches these days. Just some singing and her sermon that told us God loved us and would never send a soul to hell for all eternity. She said that believers should live good and godly lives out of love for God, not fear. We’d never heard such words before, but they made sense to me.

Then we all came out. The driver helped her into the wagon. He called to the horses, and she was gone into the chilly Wisconsin night. She wasn’t afraid of anything: that so-called “Reverend” Olympia Brown. She was out to change our hearts and minds wherever she went, and that’s just what she did.

This is our Stewardship Sunday Celebration, so you may be wondering why I’m talking about Olympia Brown who was born more than 150 years ago. Here is an analogy that will hopefully clarify the connection.

I think of our way of the spirit as a piece of beautiful jewelry that’s been handed down from generation to generation. Over the years, those who had possession of this piece have modified it to reflect their own tastes and preferences, their sense of beauty. Sometimes the modifications were minor. Sometimes they were costly. To those who are unaware of the history of the piece, it holds little interest. But to those who know the story, who understand the reasons for the changes and the price that was paid over the years to keep the piece current, this is a unique and precious object.

I see our Unitarian Universalist heritage in the same way. When I know the names, the struggles and the price that was paid by our foremothers and forefathers so that we could gather on Sundays and claim a faith that brings purpose, meaning and hope to so many, I find that my appreciation for the precious gift of Unitarian Universalism is much deeper, and my own faith more meaningful.

I am a big fan of the Rev. Brown for two reasons. She was the first woman in America to attend a divinity school and receive her degree. She was the first woman to be ordained by a recognized religion and to serve a congregation. She was as strong advocate for giving women the vote, and she was one of the few of the original suffragists who lived long enough to vote in a national election in 1920.

But I have another reason for recalling the Rev. Brown on this day of celebration. I find that her words, as well as her deeds, speak to what this day and this entire stewardship campaign are about. She reminds us that our focus, both as friends and members of this congregation and as a corporate body, must be more than our own personal wishes. We must hold a larger view of what this congregation means in our lives and to our community.

Listen to what Olivia wrote to her own congregations:

“Stand by this faith. Work for it and sacrifice for it. There is nothing in all the world so important to you as to be loyal to this faith which has placed before you the loftiest ideals, which has comforted you in sorrow, strengthened you for noble duty, and made the world beautiful for you. Do not demand immediate results but rejoice that you are worthy to be entrusted with this great message and that you are strong enough to work for a great true principle without counting the cost. Go on finding ever new applications of these truths and new enjoyments in their contemplation.”

These words tell me that all to often, my understanding of what our congregation is all about is too small. Much too small! I need to hold a grander view of our faith and what it can mean for our lives and for the world

My faith in religion was in general too small when I first discovered the Unitarian Universalist Church. I’d become disillusioned with Christianity. It seemed to me that lofty ideal and noble duties that I heard on Sunday were not carried into the week. I wanted to be involved with a faith that mattered every day of the week.

I had heard about the UU church through the man I was dating. His father was a UU minister. I’ll confess that this way of religion sounded pretty strange to me: no creed, no trinity, and no belief that the Bible was the only holy book, but I agreed to attend a service. I did, the very next Sunday, and from that day forward, I was a “UU.”

Can you recall what it was like for you to find this congregation, this home for your spirit where you are accepted for who you are and encouraged to become who you long to be? A place where you have the opportunity to build a faith that makes sense to you and which calls you to a life of integrity and authenticity. Were you comforted and inspired by the theological diversity and acceptance, of this community?

Did you rejoice that at last you could be sure that your children and grandchildren would be taught the value of respect for all of creation and all people? That they would not be scolded or mocked for their questions or opinions?

Those first few Sundays can be heady and exciting. But for some folks, things change after a few months. Just as in any relationship, we begin to move into a comfort zone that opens our eyes to the reality of life within our congregation.

The glow dims, and sometimes we’re a little disappointed.

I know not every Sunday lives up to expectations, not every sermon touches your soul or feeds your intellect. There are Sundays when I go home thinking “Gee, if I’d had four more hours, I could have really made that sermon sing!”

In any relationship there are difficulties and frustrations that we struggle with, things that we would like to see happen that don’t appear, things we dislike that keep popping up. That’s to be expected when we have a diverse group with a broad range of needs and wants.

I’ve discovered something in my 25 years of working in the vineyard of Unitarian Universalism. There seems to be a law that expresses the reality of every UU congregation, sort of a corollary to Newton’s third law of motion: for every preference that is held there is an opposite and equal aversion. That is the challenge of diversity, isn’t it?

But there’s something even bigger to consider. I must confess that while I love this congregation, and while I try hard to ensure that every service on every Sunday offers something of value to everyone who shows up and offers their precious time and presence as a gift to this congregation, I would not devote 10 years of my life to the impossible task of being everyone’s ideal minister so that everyone was pleased and happy every Sunday. There is far more at stake than that!

Rev. Brown’s words spell it out for me. My deepest hope and loftiest goal is to keep Unitarian Universalism alive and vibrant for future generations. Not because I want future generations to remember MY devotion to our faith, but because I believe that our way of the spirit offers a worldview and a set of values that can save and bless the world and everything that lives on our planet.

You see, if we’re only here for our own needs and desires — and when I say “we” I include myself — our faith is too small. If we do not grasp the fact that we are part of something that is much larger than this congregation then our claims of truth, our values and principles become shallow solipsisms. Our commitment to Unitarian Universalism must go beyond what happens here on Sunday morning.

One of my colleagues once observed that our greatest challenge as UUs is to understand that while we place a high value on each individual for his or her unique set of traits and talents and gifts, that is just the beginning of what our faith is about. Our story of salvation is that our traits and talents and gifts must be combined with the gifts and talents and unique traits of others, and then they must be used to envision and then to create a world where love replaces hatred and fear. Peace is recognized as the bold and real solution to violence and greed, and justice is a promise that dries every tear and gives purpose to life. Our burning question is not “Am I Saved?” It is, “What can we do to bring hope and peace and love to a world that needs our values so very much?”

I find that that my sister, the Rev. Olympia Brown, offers us words of inspiration, She calls to us from the past, exhorting each of us to stand for this faith, because it has enriched us by giving us comfort when we were lost and lonely, it has guided our hearts and minds to a more vital understanding of life and the best of ourselves. We must work for this faith, so that it will be passed down to the generations to come who will face a world filled with difficult problems that will need people who are committed to justice, equity, and the care of the Earth. We must give as generously as we can: of our time, our energy, our talents, and our money so that our children and their children will know their own worth and the worth of every other person on the planet. We must rejoice in the great message that life is good, that our planet is our beloved home to be cherished and not exploited. And like Olympia Brown, we must be bold enough to share our radical and shinning faith with others. I know that there are people in our community who are lost and alone, who feel that they have no one to comfort them or to stand with them, and who need the empowering message of our way of the spirit.

Today is a celebration of the generosity of all of you who give of yourselves in so many different ways to this beloved community. It is also a time of gratitude for all that has been given to our congregation by so many over the years — not just as a gift to themselves, but as gift to us so that we could have the opportunity to grow our bold and encompassing faith. Let us rejoice that we too have been entrusted with a great message, and that together we are strong enough to work for an even stronger future without counting the cost.

May it be so!