Change in Context

“Love at the Center” graphic credit: the UUA Article II Study Commission

February 19th, 2023

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As a young Catholic, my “official” holy book was the Bible. The sacred text which spoke to my spirit, however, was the hymnal. It became a ritual for me on Sunday mornings: running my fingers over the indentations in the red leather binding, then letting the book fall open to a random page. I would read the music there and every verse of lyrics, and then I would continue, page by page, until the service was over or I got nudged to pay attention. Over the years I began to mentally change some of the words to better suit my beliefs, and sometimes even added new verses. The hymns were a living statement of my theology.

Perhaps this is why, years later, when I was preparing to start my job as music director in a UU church, I went straight to the hymnal. I brought home a copy of Singing the Living Tradition, excited by the abundant resources of music and theology inside. I started with number 1, May Nothing Evil Cross This Door, and over the course of several weeks I learned each and every page. It still feels grounding to me to hold the weight of the book in my hands, knowing how much of the contents feels like home.

I’m going to invite those who are in the sanctuary with me right now to pick up your gray hymnals, too. Here at HUUC, some of ours carry a special layer of tradition by their hand-stitched covers. So just take a moment, if you will, and join me in noticing some of the details of the book. The weight, the texture, the cover design.

And now I’ll ask you to open the front cover, and turn to the copyright page, and notice for yourself what date the copyright reads. Then, turn three more pages, until you see this one, that starts with the seven principles. And whether you were there the day that Unitarian Universalism adopted these lists or this is your first time ever in a UU church, I’ll ask you to read along with me and really pay attention to your own feelings and reactions to the words.

And then at the bottom of the following page, notice where it says “adopted as a bylaw by the 1984 and 1985 general assemblies.”

General Assembly is the annual conference of the Unitarian Universalist Association, where UUs from far and wide gather to learn from one another and to vote on denominational business matters. That note reminds us that the seven principles and six sources were formally adopted into the Association’s bylaws in 1985. Earlier in the service, I read you the original principles from 1961, which these replaced.

Now, since 1985, these principles and sources have lived in a section of the UUA Bylaws known as Article 2. Depending on how tuned in you are to current events in Unitarian Universalism, you may have heard that term in the context of the phrase “the Article 2 Study Commission.”

As a matter of course, every 15 years a dedicated group of volunteers is appointed to conduct an in-depth review of the bylaws and determine whether they need to be updated. The most recent study commission found the need to respond to some of the ways we have been deepening our faith’s commitment to anti-racism, anti-oppression, and multiculturalism. In the wake of a variety of polls, assessments, and special reports all of which indicate that the voting majority of Unitarian Universalists perceive a need to confront (systemic white supremacy and other intersectional forms of oppression) as an expression of our faith, this most recent Article 2 study commission determined that the seven principles and six sources in their current format are not adequate to unify us in those efforts.

In particular, there was a concern that it is highly possible for a UU to interpret the seven principles in a way that enables disregard for the importance of addressing systemic inequalities in our work for justice.

The commission has produced a draft of their recommended update.The proposed version no longer includes the lists we just read out of the hymnal. Instead, a more detailed and specific description is being proposed which upholds the full spirit of the Principles but reflects the needs of our changing faith. As it shows in the graphic on the screen, each of the values expressed in the proposed version center around a core of love.

I’m not going to read the proposed text to you now, because it’s just a lot to take in. But there will be a link in this week’s newsletter, the Belfry, and I also have some printed copies of a handout which compares and contrasts the proposal with the current version.

And speaking of this all being a lot, I also need to take some time here to acknowledge change fatigue. Everything is changing around us so rapidly all the time right now, and I’m certainly experiencing the fatigue too. For my part, my seminary changed the format of the degree program the same semester I started. The Ministerial Fellowship Committee changed their requirements the same month I became an aspirant, and the credentialing interview process underwent dramatic changes just before my interview date.

This feels like the story of my life - two decades ago I was in the first batch of students to face the 2400-point SAT scale. And now here we are so early in my ministry experience, and the PRINCIPLES are on the line?? It makes me want to scream sometimes.

And to be transparent about it, this is why I’m preaching about this now, instead of back in January like many of my colleagues have been doing. Because I didn’t want to think about it. It felt like yet another instance of somebody making a decision that impacts me without having any say in the matter.

But here’s what I’ve come to realize in looking into all this. Here, for once, we actually do have a say. This is no change being handed down from on high - it’s a beautiful and respectful fulfillment of our democratic process. UUA representatives are holding a vast number of virtual Q&A and open discussion sessions with anyone who wants to be a part of the conversation. The current draft is just a proposal, and at this summer’s general assembly, delegates from every congregation will have the opportunity to submit revisions. And THEN, we’ll vote on whether to vote. If it passes, the final vote won’t be until 2024.

We are being called, each and every one of us, to take part in this huge team effort to help our faith tradition grow. Far from threatening, upon closer inspection, this feels deeply hopeful.

And then there’s the matter of polity - that is, the right of each of our congregations to be self-determining. We are not a hierarchical faith, and the Unitarian Universalist Association exists to support and guide our congregations, not to hand down dogma. If we do vote to update the UUA bylaws in a way that involves moving on from the list of principles and sources, that’s the only level where that change takes place. It may help us as a more detailed map of our collective goals and values, but on the congregational scale, it’s a resource, not a rule. In our own churches, the principles and sources live on as a cherished part of our tradition.

I want you to take a look at the pew pocket in front of you once again. Aside from the gray hymnal, what else do you notice? Ah, the teal hymnal! Also known as Singing the Journey. When Singing the Journey was released in 2005, it was designed specifically to help fill some gaps left by the gray hymnal as our faith adapted. In particular, it contains a lot more multiculturalism and a broader variety of musical styles. Now we may think that more of all that stuff means the same thing as “less of the traditional stuff,” but aha! That’s where scarcity thinking has snuck up on us.

If you open up the book, what is the number of the first hymn? It starts at number 1000. It does not start at number one. “May Nothing Evil Cross This Door” is still hymn number one, because we did not throw out the gray book. We added to it.

That’s the beauty of a living, interdependent faith - more means more. Giving more love, more energy, more acceptance in one area doesn’t mean giving less somewhere else. More means more, for all of us.

There are so many more resources to explore if you have questions about this, and if you are interested I’d be happy to dive into them and learn alongside you. I’m so honored that we are on this journey together during this wave of pivotal thought in our faith. When it comes to collaborating as we empower our association to change, I take great comforting in remembering that this dance of discovery and reinvention has long been a shared ideal of our Universalist and Unitarian forebears.

As a denomination, I’m calling on us to come to this question of the future of Article 2 with an open mind and heart. As a congregation, I’m calling on us to be inspired by the democratic process at the UUA as we consider our own relationship to introspection and change. Throughout our abundant remaining time together, what might you be ready to explore to reflect our changing needs and knowledge?

And on a personal level, I want to challenge us all this week to notice when scarcity or all-or-nothing thinking is sneaking up on us. When might we be assuming that more for someone else means less for us? When might we fear that less than perfect means no good at all?

And as we prepare our hearts for the truth-seeking which lies ahead, we root ourselves once again in wisdom imparted through song. The message of our closing hymn was penned in 1928 by our Unitarian forefather, Edwin Henry Wilson, and it continues to be a guide for our hearts today. Won’t you rise…

[Copyright 2023 Miranda (Bran) Lennox]