Chalice Art by Selma Blackburn

THE REV. BOB KLEIN

Unitarian Universalist Church of Little Rock                                                    January 2, 2005

A SERVICE OF RE-COVENANTING FOR THE NEW YEAR

It isn’t just the resolutions we make, but the commitments we make to ourselves and each other as a religious community that will make 2005 a great year!

As a New Year dawns, it is common to make resolutions and commitments for positive changes we hope to accomplish during the course of the year. I believe that this can be a fruitful process for many. Each year on January 1^st, I see a group of New Year’s walkers—people I have never seen before.  I often get up too late for the New Year’s runners.  Most of them won’t be back anyway. Each year there are new or repeated resolutions by dieters, smokers, and drinkers. Each year there are promises we make to ourselves and our families. Each year there are hopes of major changes, often not supported by sufficient will, commitment, or realistic assessments of our addictions, the time we are willing to commit to exercising, and other difficulties in accomplishing our resolutions.  For those persons who back their resolutions with a serious commitment, there can be a significant opportunity for positive change. I, on the other hand, made one resolution several years ago that I have pretty much stuck with, to stop making resolutions!

Many churches conduct a Covenanting Service on the first Sunday of the New Year. The idea of a Covenanting service is to make a contract with each other to strive to do the best that we can to build up the church community and make a positive difference in people’s lives, in our community and in the world. In the course of the process, if we can voice some new ideas about how we might make a positive difference that would be wonderful. If you have specific proposals or ideas, please also submit them in writing to me, the appropriate committee, or to the board. This process is not a legislative one, that may come later in board meetings, workshops, and congregational meetings. This service is more of a tone setter for how we will work together and the general directions we want to go as a community during this year.

In a few moments, I am going to invite you each to share a few words about what you feel is most important for our congregation to accomplish in this year just begun. If you are visiting or belong to another congregation and would like to say something about your hopes for your own congregation or for Unitarian Universalism generally, or for our nation or the world, I will welcome those comments as well. I would ask that we all try to keep our statements brief so that everyone who wishes to speak will have an opportunity. I also ask that this not become a debate. We each have different ideas, but our Principles call us to respect each other and seek to encourage each other along our Spiritual and Life Journeys.

On the back of our Order of Service, you will usually find the Principles and Purposes of the Unitarian Universalist Association. Each of more than a thousand congregations has covenanted to affirm and promote:

The inherent worth and dignity of every person;

Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations;

Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;

A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;

The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;

The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;

Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

These seven principles comprise the basic commitment of each UU congregation and every Unitarian Universalist member. This is what we believe and what we have committed ourselves to practice in our lives in the world.  We also add to the Principles a statement of our Living Tradition which honors our roots in the Judeo-Christian religions and also affirms the wisdom we have gained from science, humanism, earth based religions, and prophetic women and men. As printed in our hymnal, the page ends with this statement:

Grateful for the religious pluralism which enriches and ennobles our faith, we are inspired to deepen our understanding and expand our vision. As free congregations we enter into this covenant, promising to one another our mutual trust and support.

These statements comprise our ongoing covenant as congregations of Unitarian Universalists. At least once each year, we ought to remind ourselves of these statements, which are subject to revision from time to time.

Within the context of these Principles, members of each congregation may make whatever commitments the members see fit to make.  This morning, I invite us each to voice those areas on which we would like to see the congregation focus in the months ahead, remembering that any official action will come through the democratic means afforded by our congregational meetings and the work of our elected board. I will invite us to covenant together generally today, so that we can sharpen our focus later in the days that come.

The covenant we make with each other ought to reflect our deep and genuine commitment to living as a community, to actions that will better our community and world, and to spiritual and philosophical growth as individuals and as a congregation. I encourage you to share your hopes and make your personal covenants to support each other, The Unitarian Universalist Church of Little Rock, the Unitarian Universalist Association, and the Cosmos in which we live!

Please feel free to share your thoughts with the community at this time. Raise a hand and the ushers will bring you the microphone!

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Thank you for sharing your thoughts, your hopes, and your dreams. I invite you now to join me in reading the statement of covenant printed in the order of service!

Amen, Shalom, Salam, and Blessed Be!