Unitarian Universalists tend to be lifelong learners. We have a holy curiosity about us that begins as small children, and this yearning is never extinguished. It is a frequent trait among us. However, many of our religious education programs or exploration programs used to end after eighth grade or at the end of high school. We even called the ceremony at the end of either of those time periods “graduation,” as if our children were done with the big questions about the meaning of everything. 

But the good news is that more and more of our communities are imagining and creating lifespan learning communities.Luckily, today, a congregation that doesn’t include ample opportunities for spiritual growth for parents and adults without children is in the minority. I am not surprised that so many of you spoke about the importance of our children and youth ministries and a desire for more growth opportunities for yourselves. 

Religion is the most written about and talked about subject, yet we could never come close to completion. As our spiritual ancestors would say, “Revelation is not sealed.” We are inheritors of a religious tradition resembling one of the great stone cathedrals constantly under construction. Over time, we as individuals and as a movement have incorporated new insights from wherever they might break forth, including the sacred texts and teachings of the world’s religions, nature and science, human experience, the arts, and more. 

We are always learning new truths and applications of those truths and unlearning what we thought before. Our faith is constantly under construction, and so are we. This is the perspective of a liberal religion. When I was engaged in organizing campus ministries with other leaders around the country, you could see images of UUs on college campuses with signs advertising their group, including, “We have questions for all your answers.” That was a different angle than what was represented on the signs of neighboring faiths’ tables at the fall fairs.

We even question our own answers. One question that comes to mind as a matter of faith for Unitarian Universalists is: How does that answer, belief or action help you/us to put love at the center? This is a question on our minds this year as we explore placing love at the center of our faith as an anchoring theme in worship, wellspring, community circles, and more. This question may be a vehicle to allow us to move towards being a liberal and liberating faith. 

As we enter the search for our new Acting/Interim Director of Lifespan Faith Formation and Family Ministries, we begin a period of exploration as to what comes next for our community as far as how we hope to grow spiritually from the youngest among us all the way to our eldest. We have had strong ministries in the past, but at times they have been siloed. Adding a lifespan thrust to this position in the interim will allow us to experiment and discover how we might best move together toward a holistic, lifelong quest for truth and meaning that never ends. (You’ll find the posting for this position here, and please do share it: Director of Lifespan Faith Formation & Family Ministries — Job Opening

In faith,

Rev. Alison Miller (she/her) 

To make an appointment on her calendar, go to: www.calendly.com/alisonmiller