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The Lights Are On Rev. Sharon Dittmar |
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My sister sent me the joke about denominations and light bulbs. I like this joke. I can't speak for the Lutherans and Episcopalians, but I feel known. There is truth here, and humor. Even more than that, I like what I hear. "We choose not to make a statement". This is correct. We are a non-creedal faith, with room for our members to learn, change, and grow. "You are invited to write a poem or compose a modern dance." While First Church is not exactly the home of liturgical dance, we do honor creativity and individuality. "We will explore a number of light bulb traditions including incandescent, fluorescent, three-way, long life, and tinted, all of which are equally valid paths to luminescence." While this might seem like fuzzy theology to some, it is comforting to me. Life is chaotic, fluid, and mixed. I am grateful for a faith and congregation that explores diversity. As Unitarian Universalists, we share these gifts, freedom, individuality, creativity, flexibility, and diversity. Even more, we partake of a uniquely caring, urban religious community, First Unitarian Church. Our community is made possible by our generous financial gifts. What will we give this year to keep our light bulb on? This fall First Church was sanctuary for members and friends after the attacks on September 11. Over forty of us came early the next Sunday, to pray and mourn, to share our secret fears and hopes for healing and some meaning. While others spoke of vengeance and crusades, First Church was the first place that many of us began a deeper dialogue about suffering and loss, love and hate, diversity and tolerance, Islam and American history. This is where you chose to come to talk, to listen, to despair, to hope, together. After the service that morning at least a half dozen people came up to me and said, "I was afraid I was alone. I was afraid I was the only who wanted to think before acting. Now I know I'm not alone." We comforted one another [shared values- Purposes and Principles, sr. high, inherent worth and dignity, justice equity and compassion in human relationships, acceptance of one another, a goal or world community of peace, and respect for the interdependent web]. On that morning, I watched a broken congregation enter our doors, and a people of hope leave. We found sustenance here, a community of thoughtful, caring individuals. What will we give to sustain this sanctuary for our future? In the months since September 11, we have shared services on fundamentalism, sanctuary, and Ramadan. We have had post service discussions, a guest speaker from the Greater Cincinnati Islamic center, and an adult book group sponsored by the new Adult Enrichment Committee. What will we give to keep this openness in the face of fear, this level of respectful dialogue, this desire to explore a number of light bulb traditions? Although it is hard to remember now (it almost seems like an eternity ago), only last April, in one hot week, we witnessed the worst race riots in Cincinnati since the 1960's. The rioting began on a Tuesday when we were sharing an evening intergenerational community meal. Instead of going forward with planned service and activities we chose to talk with one another, to find out what was happening. In the coming weeks, First Church was a place to discuss the complexity and pain of race in Cincinnati. Some of you were proud to see me take an active role with other concerned clergy and support a Boycott of the Taste of Cincinnati in order to highlight grinding injustices. Others of you were appalled. The wonder of this community is that it was and is safe to have both of those opinions in this one congregation. How many places in our lives accept such a breadth of diversity? "If in your own journey you have found that the light bulb works for you, that is fine." More than accepting our own diversity, we modeled tolerance and critical thinking for a city that desperately needs both. The four teach-ins we hosted, conceived of by Al Gerhardstein, and planned by Dot Christenson, Glenetta Blair and a host of helpers, were well attended and enlightening. Now we have another opportunity to exercise tolerance, critical thinking, diversity, and compassion this spring. First Church will collaborate with Carmel Presbyterian Church, a black Presbyterian church just up the street in Avondale, to host a large refugee family from Africa. Most likely, this family will be Muslim. Mimi Gingold informs me that we are still looking for volunteers, so please see Mimi (new or visitor today). Once again, First Church will step into the fray of race, theology, and ethnicity with love in action. How much will we give to support this kind of community? It will be a delight to get to know our neighbors at Carmel Presbyterian while helping a family in need. As we learned from the Destanis two years ago, we help a family in need and they help us so much more with love, hope, and energy. I really don't logically know how this works, because refugee families come with pain and many needs, yet the work is full of joy and discovery for all of us. There is something about this mission that restores meaning and dignity to all our lives. We reach hands across the abyss that supposedly divides us, and find human beings on the other side, as do they. What will we give to support this? First Church is also a place where we care for one another. Once again, Katie Campbell and Al Gerhardstein are taking our Coming of Age high school students to Boston to question and deepen their faiths and learn more about Unitarian Universalism. Our junior high students are participating in Our Whole Lives, a uniquely balanced and healing comprehensive sexuality education program that will save them years, if not decades, of grief. What will be give to maintain these gifts for our children and our neighbors children? This year we have also begun to focus more attention on our Caring Committee, retitled as the Extended Ministry Committee. Our community connections have always been deep at First Church, but we are beginning to realize that our changing world has left many individuals and families with unmet pastoral needs. We know how to send cards and make hospital visits, but what do we do for overburdened two career families, single parents, adults caring for both children and their parents, individuals and families struggling with isolation and geographic dislocation? This uncharted territory desperately needs addressed. I was sharply reminded of this when I found myself with unplanned surgery for the birth of my son. With no close friends and no family in town, one parent recovering from unplanned surgery and an extra complication, bringing a new baby home suddenly became extremely challenging. As of this fall, the Committee realized it might be a good idea to offer meals to more families struggling with difficult transitions. As a sort of test case, I agreed to meals, not realizing how much we would need them, desperately need them. Peter and I have been so grateful for your kindness because there was no one else to feed us but the church and we could not feed ourselves. In the time since then I have thought a lot about how many of us are isolated and how much more difficult it is then when things go wrong. When we are isolated, it is almost unbearable to face medical concerns, divorce, depression, surgery, let alone bringing home a child. It is not enough to be the voice of diversity, individuality, and social justice. We must also learn better ways to actively minister to one another through our lay membership. The meals are just a start. We know we have missed some of you with needs, and we apologize. We will do better, and we already have done better. At the start of this month, our beloved member and friend Mary Griffith died. Her health had been failing for years and as she and Jack experienced more medical complications and isolation, First Church stepped in. We checked in, established a visitation team, educated ourselves about Alzheimer's Disease so that we could understand how to communicate with Jack and support Mary. When Mary died just three weeks ago, I went to the hospital because Dick Bozian tracked me down and told me that the family needed me now. The family didn't call me until it was too late. Dick is the one who communicated their need to me. But I did not go alone that day. For the first time in my ministry, I went with a lay member, Ray Sinclair. Ray had visited Mary and her family several times while I was on maternity leave. When we walked into her hospital room the family was glad to see me, but one of Mary's daughters just reached out to hug Ray. She just grabbed him and began to cry. Sometimes lay members give the greatest, most urgently needed pastoral care of all. Mary did not die alone, and her family did not struggle with her death alone. First Church was here for the Griffith and we want to do more of this in the future. What will we give to be part of a community who continues to learn how to help our members when we are in need? This year's canvass has a new approach. It is plain and simple. We are making it easy for you. Last week First Church hosted a dinner to thank our dedicated donors, and to ask for their help in canvassing two other people so that our canvass team is not overwhelmed as they have been in past years. This year First Church asks for $250,000 in pledged income. Twenty percent of our pledgers attended the dinner, and in the space of one evening, these folks pledged over $80,000 to this years canvass. That is one-third of what we need, promised before the canvass even begins. We have an excellent start. This year the canvass committee is asking for an average pledge of $1,100 a member (which is $2,200 in a two adult household). For those of us who like facts (and they are important), our budget has increased by just under 10% this year, with increased money going to organ repair, formation of a junior choir, health insurance and increases in staff salaries, technical upgrades, and lay leadership training. As I have told you the last two years, a healthy congregation needs a budget that grows by 5%-10% every year. The last two years we asked for over 10% to make up for years of under funding. This year we have stabilized and are within a healthy range. Our pledges cover many things beginning with the mission of our congregation. Our urban Unitarian Universalist COMMUNITY celebrates and supports one another on our SPIRITUAL/ETHICAL PATHS. We work for JUSTICE, dignity and respect for the web of life. It is important to know budgetary specifics, but we must always begin with the understanding that First Church is a mission-based congregation, not a line item entity. We do what we do as a whole, which is the wonder of community. First Church offers things that can't be bought or constructed by one person or family. $1,100 is an average pledge, with the understanding, some households can give more, some less, and everyone's circumstances change year to year. I share pledging figures with every individual considering membership so that our new members understand our shared values of generosity and stewardship. I also explain to potential members that for some households it is easier to set a standard of giving 2.5% of their income to the church. The percentage approach is more accommodating to variations in income, and honors values rather than numbers. This year Peter and I are pledging 3% of our gross household income to First Church. This year we made $86,000, so our pledge will be $2,600. Like many of you, we can look at our pension plans and see that it was a bad year on the stock market. Across the country the stock market downturn hurt pensions and savings. Some financial plans and dreams will have to wait. However, we are not all devastated. All I ask you to do in determining a pledge for this year is to search your heart and values to see what is true for your household. There are households who were devastated this year by the downturn in the stock market or just by life itself. Some have lost jobs and needed finances. Others live on small fixed incomes or have overwhelming bills. If you are one of these households you know it, and we understand that resources can be limited. We also want you to know that we will be here for you all year. I am entirely sincere about this. The loss of major financial income can be devastating, isolating, embarrassing. It is a pastoral care issue. Please don't go it alone. Tell me, tell a member of the Extended Ministry Committee, tell your canvasser. They will understand. We will understand. I imagine that almost everyone in this room has struggled with money at some point in their lives. I know I have and it was a time of great fear and anxiety. Tell someone here so you don't have to be alone, so that we can walk with you. For those of you with more money this year, I encourage you to make up the difference because there will be a year, or has been a year when your neighbors paid for you. For those of you with less money this year I encourage you to be generous as you are able. Stewardship is about values, not money. Limited income deprives us of resources, not generosity and pride. We trust each member to give as you know best. I believe in the potential of everyone in this room to give until it feels good. I believe in you and in your generosity. Every year we live with the unspoken fear that the financial well has been tapped dry. We live with this fear, but we have yet to see its reality. What we have seen instead is our generosity with one another and the causes that we cherish. My concern is not that we give too little, but that we are unaware of the power of what we have created and are creating, that we have not fully appreciated our generosity and the gifts it brings every day. Several weeks ago the mother of our custodian, Leroy Nelson, died, after a lengthy hospitalization. Most of you know Leroy as the man who cleans the church and stays out of our way. Leroy likes it this way; he is a self-directed, private person. Working with Leroy every day though I also know his profound devotion to this mother. He is her oldest son. He has been worried about her health for several years and one time he told me "I don't know what I'll do if anything happens to her. She's my girl." After that I periodically asked him "How's your girl?" He always knew whom I was asking about. After her death in January, Leroy mentioned to a member that the family did not have enough money to pay for a headstone for his mother's grave. Our President, Dick Miltner heard about this, and after consulting with a few people, decided to ask you, the members and friends, if you would like to help. The simple offer of a collection to pay for a headstone. Like me, I'm sure you thought about the unmarked graves of Beulah and W. H. G. Carter, unmarked not for lack of love, but lack of money. I'm not sure you were ever told, but on that day, in the space of about five minutes, the members and friends gathered here spontaneously donated over $900. You just reached into your pockets and gave, generously, to a quiet employee who never asks for things but gives so much in his work. My concern is not that we give too little, but that we are unaware of the power of what we create, and the people we help. This past fall, at a post-service discussion after September 11, several of you offered to donate money to advertise the tolerant, thoughtful message of First Church on WVXU. Again, in the space of one conversation, members who wanted to do something to care for a world rocked by pain and loss donated $1500. The advertisements were highly successfully, bringing us many visitors. What you don't know is that I also received a call from a non-member who liked our message and wanted to donate money to our mission. With no strings attached, this individual donated $1,000. Sincere generosity breeds more of the same. I do believe that we are known by our works, and our works show us as thoughtful, sincere, caring, and generous people. Just before the holidays, First Church gave $300 from the Carter Fund to a single parent named Colleen. Colleen would have been evicted if it weren't for our intervention. She wrote us this thank you in return: No words can express what it feels like to be at a very low point and to be pulled out of the sadness and despair by loving, caring, Christian people. You gave me hope when I had none, shelter when I was homeless, and renewed strength to keep going no matter what my circumstances. Cincinnati needs the mission and ministry of First Church. If First Church gave you something you valued this year, through worship, music, sanctuary, thoughtful dialogue, religious education, community, pastoral care, social justice, a wedding or memorial service, please consider a generous pledge. At First Church, we offer the opportunity to put values into action. This is our home for hope in the face of tragedy. If what you need is not here, let's find a way to build it together. The bulbs are here, incandescent, fluorescent, three-way, long life and tinted. What will you give to keep them on for all of us, our families, this congregation, our city, our strangers and neighbors outside, and those in need an ocean away? We are a generous people. I ask you to continue to give as generously as you are able. How many Christians does it take to change a
light bulb? Charismatics: Only one. Hands already in the air. Pentecostals: Ten. One to change the bulb, and nine to pray against the spirit of darkness. Presbyterians: None. Lights will go on and off at predestined times. Roman Catholics: None. Candles only. Baptists: At least 15.
One to change the light bulb, and three committees to approve the change
and decide who brings the potato salad. Mormons: Five.
One man to change the bulb, and four wives to tell him how to do it. Lutherans: None. Lutherans don't believe in change. Unitarian Universalists:
We choose not to make a statement either in favor of or against the need
for a light bulb. However, if in your own journey you have found
that light bulbs work for you, that is fine. You are invited to
write a poem or compose a modern dance about your light bulb for the next
Sunday service, in which we will explore a number of light bulb traditions
including incandescent, fluorescent, three-way, long life, and tinted, all
of which are equally valid paths to luminescence. |