Monday, February 25, 2019

Joining a UU church and covenantal relationships


I joined a Unitarian Univeralist church yesterday, 02/24/19. Finally "signed the book." I have attended this church on and off for the last 5  years or so. This is the third UU church I have joined "signing the book" over the last 14 years.

As my faith has grown, I have become more understanding of the purpose and importance of the covenant. Without membership in a faith community, the covenanting process with its difficulties and benefits isn't experienced.

I am reminded of Groucho Marx's comment that he had reservations about joining an organization that would have anyone like himself as a member.

They let me in along with a few other people and the current congregation seemed happy to admit us.

Having been raised a Roman Catholic I was instructed on the necessity of attending church on Sunday and on Holy Days of Obligaton. Failure to attend, I was told, was a mortal sin, and if I died with a mortal sin on my soul, I would go to hell and burn for all eternity. In other words, going to church on Sunday and Holy Days was a serious obligation not to be neglected unless deathly sick or disrupted with some other grave obligation.

Unitarian Univeralism has no such requirements but to develop and maintain covenantal relationships regular attendance is necessary. I asked a UU friend why she went to church regularly and she said, "I go to church because someone there might need me." She told me that 6 years ago when we attended another UU church together. I asked her today if she remembered telling me that. She said, "Yes, I do remember that and I can't take credit for it because someone had said that to me."

I said, "You were just paying it forward?"

She said, "Yes," and I pay it forward with you, dear reader. Go to church regularly because someone there might need you and it is how convenantal relationships are created and maintained.

UUs covenant together to affirm and promote seven principles and these principles, when implemented, sanctify the world and help people become aware of their holiness.


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