“Hold me accountable so I may bring honor to you, amplify love and compassion to those around me, and make the way easier for those yet to come.”
–Rev. Tandi Rogers, in “I Call Upon You”
“When will you start your ministry?” they always ask with excitement. This is usually after I’ve given a sermon, delivered a benediction, taught a class rooted in our shared spiritual values, or in some other way acknowledged them on their spiritual path.
“This is my ministry.”
My travels as a religious professional have allowed me to connect with all kinds of folks, and this question of ministry often comes from secular humanists, or at least folks who don’t want to leave out the secular humanists. It comes from the folks who identify as “not quite there yet” and searching. Or the folks who say, Never would I ever find myself in a church again, but I like it here since this isn’t really “church.”
Inside, I cringe. Not just because we’re usually talking in a shared sacred space, but because this is often said after we’ve shared a collective spiritual experience.
This is my ministry. Although I have not been ordained, we are in ministry together—because ministry, my friend, is the collective stewarding of our values in the face of the unknown. Church is where we do some of our greatest work, where we build some of the deepest community, and where we show those outside of our communities what collective liberation looks like. Church is where our ministries intersect: mine and theirs and yours.
On the outside, I do the rituals, bless the babies, and hold the hands of community members having a tough time. It’s never about me. Our shared ministry is making this life livable in the best and worst of times; we can only do that together.
I may never be an ordained minister, but I’ve learned that in some contexts, that label isn’t what matters. What matters is the way we live our lives together; the way we sing and hug and celebrate together. My ministry is with the folks who want to transform in this life together, hoping their ideas of mystery and wonder will be honored.
Our Unitarian Universalist ministry embraces all of it. And together, we are home.
Prayer
Spirit of Life and Love, Guide us so we may share our gifts and trust our roles in this cycle of transformation.