I always get the words wrong. The hymn “We Would Be One” is a favorite of mine and of many of us:

We would be one as now we join in singing
Our hymn of love to pledge ourselves anew…

My problem is that I learned different lyrics, because this was the official hymn of Liberal Religious Youth, the youth ministry of the newly consolidated Unitarian Universalist Association when I became a UU.

“Our hymn of youth” is what we sang and what still is called up for me whenever the simple and stately chords of Finlandia (the tune) introduce that hymn.

The Unitarian and Universalist adult denominations “merged” in 1961. The youth ministries of the two made common cause 8 years before, in 1953. The young people realized that they would be larger and stronger together before adults could get to the same conclusion.

Back then, we youth took great pride in leading the way. The theological differences that troubled the adults were so much less important to us. We were focused on changing the world and on growing into our leadership. The adult arguments felt like they were from a former world that had little meaning to us.

For example, one of the sticking points for the adults was whether the new, joint statement of purpose would speak of “love to God and mankind” as “truths taught by Jesus” or “from our Judeo-Christian heritage.” Those who identified as humanist, rather than Christian, wanted no mention of Jesus.

If today this feels a bit like arguing about how many angels can dance on the head of a pin…it had some of that feeling. As we look forward to celebrating Easter next week, we should remember that the understanding of Jesus has been a source of complexity for our liberal religious faith for a long time.

The adults finally got over their disagreements and followed the example of the youth. As Rev. Paul Carnes, minister of a congregation then affiliated with both the Unitarian and Universalists and later President of the new UUA, wrote: “Something happened to the Universalists. They met the Unitarians and found that the Unitarians are, more or less, just like Universalists except that there are more of them and they make more noise.”

You have heard me describe the denominational coming together as the creation of a religious blended family. We are still sorting it out, as you know from more than one of my sermons.

There is, however, a common hope and a common vision we share. I still know that hope most deeply in the language of that hymn I sang so often as a young person:

“We would be one in searching for that meaning
which binds our hearts and points us on our way.
As one we pledge our selves to greater service,
With love and justice, strive to make us free.”

I hope you will join me in the sanctuary this Sunday for our annual Youth Service, to hear the voices of the next generation of liberal religious leaders.

Blessings,

Bill