Another practice of Spiritual Leadership in congregations is faithful risking. Spiritual Leadership calls us to risk stretching beyond where we are comfortable, beyond what we think we are capable of in the name of Love and Justice. This kind of stretch is how our congregations reinvent themselves, adapt to new realities, and renew our historic covenant.
By Faithful Risking, we mean choosing to take action even though the outcome is uncertain and things may not go as we intend or plan -- and we risk losing something we value.
Sometimes we have to choose to move, to take a risk, or to stretch beyond our comfort. Sometimes we are flung into motion when risks come whether we welcome them or not. This was the case at the beginning of the covid-19 pandemic, which required sudden, radical changes to almost every aspect of congregational life.
We can, individually and collectively, meet these situations faithfully or not. That is a choice that is always before us. To what extent we will live aligned with our values? And what will we risk for that alignment?
Practice Makes Possible
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This month we are delighted to share a voice from our pews. Author Rumni Saha recently shared a version of this essay with her congregation, and sent a copy to our NER office as well. We asked her permission to share it with you. Doing so is a faithful risk by our sibling in faith, and Faithful...
By Rumni Saha | September 27, 2023 | From Tending to Tradition -
[This post is a follow up to "When We Wonder Together" (Practice Makes Possible - March 7, 2023)] In March, the theme for the bi-monthly gathering for our community of practice Spiritual Leadership for Culture Change (SL4CC) was "Discernment for Faithful Risking." We distinguished discernment fro...
By Meck Groot, Joe Sullivan | June 21, 2023 | From Faithful Risking -
[This post is a follow up to "When We Wonder Together" (Practice Makes Possible - March 7, 2023)] In March, the theme for the bi-monthly gathering for our community of practice Spiritual Leadership for Culture Change (SL4CC) was "Discernment for Faithful Risking." We distinguished discernment fro...
By Meck Groot, Joe Sullivan | June 21, 2023 | From Faithful Risking -
In our experience, most Unitarian Universalist congregations are not culturally predisposed to using discernment as a way to determine direction, focus or action. Our congregations generally use "the democratic process" in which group decisions are made by majority vote....
By Meck Groot, Joe Sullivan | March 7, 2023 | From Faithful Risking -
In our experience, most Unitarian Universalist congregations are not culturally predisposed to using discernment as a way to determine direction, focus or action. Our congregations generally use "the democratic process" in which group decisions are made by majority vote....
By Meck Groot, Joe Sullivan | March 7, 2023 | From Faithful Risking -
In 2020 General Assembly delegates voted to begin a review of Article II of the UUA Bylaws. Article II is the covenant between and among UU congregations. It currently contains our seven Principles and six Sources. It also has language about inclusion and freedom of belief....
By Erica Baron, Meck Groot, Joe Sullivan | November 21, 2022 | From New England Region -
In 2020 General Assembly delegates voted to begin a review of Article II of the UUA Bylaws. Article II is the covenant between and among UU congregations. It currently contains our seven Principles and six Sources. It also has language about inclusion and freedom of belief....
By Erica Baron, Meck Groot, Joe Sullivan | November 21, 2022 | From New England Region -
In 2020 General Assembly delegates voted to begin a review of Article II of the UUA Bylaws. Article II is the covenant between and among UU congregations. It currently contains our seven Principles and six Sources. It also has language about inclusion and freedom of belief....
By Erica Baron, Meck Groot, Joe Sullivan | November 21, 2022 | From New England Region -
The point of a community of practice is for people who want to get better at something to learn from each other through regular interaction. Even people new to a field can help the group learn. Their observations and questions can identify unrecognized practices and raise awareness of which...
By Meck Groot, Joe Sullivan | October 20, 2022 | From New England Region -
The point of a community of practice is for people who want to get better at something to learn from each other through regular interaction. Even people new to a field can help the group learn. Their observations and questions can identify unrecognized practices and raise awareness of which...
By Meck Groot, Joe Sullivan | October 20, 2022 | From New England Region