Great Expectations & New Beginnings

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Religious Education for children and youth happens during worship on Sundays. Children and youth arrive in the Sanctuary for the just a little bit and welcome in Sunday with a story and song. Then, they attend their own programs in the Education building. Learn more here!

If you don’t have a chalice, but want to light one, check out our Making a Chalice at Home page.

Both virtual and in person services are followed by coffee hour.

Children’s Story

Sermon Audio

Sermon Text

Today’s story The Day You Begin reminds us that no matter what our age, whether we are going to our first day of kindergarten, joining a new book club, or stepping into a leadership role for the first time, we might feel nervous, might worry about not fitting in, or even fear people hurting our feelings… In the story we learn the importance of cultural values, cultural differences and similarities. That illusions of separateness can melt away with a smile. We also learn that every time we step into a room, into a new situation, we have expectations and the people in the room have their own expectations about us as well. On every page in the book there is a ruler hidden in the illustrations, a metaphor for all the ways we measure ourselves against other people…

The author, Jacqueline Woodson, says that we sometimes forget how fabulous and amazing we are and reminds us how grateful we should be for each other’s presence. Can we just take a minute to look around us and appreciate everyone here? We are fabulous and amazing people! The universe conspired to bring us together!

Recently, two people approached me. One said “we have very high expectations of you, you know…” and later another said “we have very low expectations because of our recent history” to which I responded, well I have very high expectations of myself and of this community. I believe that I was called to be your minister because this community has very high standards indeed and that my credentials and expertise make for a good match. I have very high expectations because you deserve them, I believe in you, and I want to journey with you so that together we can make our dreams and aspirations come true. You have been brave, creative, resilient, and have thrived despite the many challenges and losses you have experienced. Despite the disappointments and broken promises, you have remained strong and focused on the collective wellbeing of the congregation rather than individual preferences. I have high expectations that together we can break the silence, have the hard conversations that need to happen in order to heal and move forward. Together we can repair the trust that has been broken. Together, we can dream new dreams, strengthen already existing programs, and build for the future, so that the new generations inherit a legacy of love and courage.

I’ve learned from author Brené Brown that courage comes from the Latin word ‘Cor’ which means ‘Heart’ and stands for the ability to open your heart and show what lives inside. The good and the not so good. It’s the ability to tell your story with your whole heart. You show up just as you are. It takes courage to show your true self, to be vulnerable, to open your heart and really see someone in all their humanity, with all their imperfections. True courage comes when we decide to take a risk without knowing the outcome. It means showing up and letting yourself be seen, despite the risk. When you show up in this way, you open yourself up to connection.

It takes courage to look inside ourselves. It takes courage to admit that we made a mistake and that we are imperfect. To say I love and forgive me first. It takes courage to embrace vulnerability. Brene Brown says that in our culture we equate vulnerability with weakness. Vulnerability is absolutely at the core of fear and anxiety and shame and very difficult emotions that we all experience but vulnerability is also the birthplace of joy of love of belonging and creativity of faith. Faith: To do something when there are no guarantees.
It takes courage and self compassion to look inside ourselves and see ourselves as beautifully imperfect beings always searching for human connection. Having the courage to be imperfect makes for wholehearted people, people with empathy & compassion. Compassion for others and also the compassion to be kind to ourselves.

We know that fear doesn’t magically disappear. Conquering fear takes time, like a spiritual practice, it needs to become a daily ritual, opening up a little bit more each time. That choice to move forward even in the face of fear, transforms us. In that transformation we become aware of our presuppositions, our assumptions and expectations, and aware of what we fear. Change itself can be the cause of fear: aging, illness, losing a loved one, fear of the next stage of the pandemic, fear of being alone, fear of the unknown…fear of the new…

Today I invite us to leave the measuring tape aside, and to remember that we are worthy of trust. That beyond measurable expectations, we are bound together by our covenantal faith. We have chosen to journey together and create a shared ministry. We covenant to treat one another with the utmost respect and compassion. This covenant is not a burden but a source of hope and joy! This covenant reminds us that we are worthy of a bright future, worthy of trust, joy, and love in abundance! Today, we mark this new beginning by looking into each other’s eyes and seeing there not a stranger but in the Mayan way of being “In-Lak’ech I am your another self”

Let us take a moment to look into our neighbor’s eyes and say to each other “In-Lak’esh: I am your another self”

My dear seminary colleague, Valarie Kaur, filmmaker, attorney, and author of the book See No Stranger, shares a creation story rooted in her Sikh faith: It’s the story of Guru Nanak, the first teacher of the Sikh faith. Five centuries ago a young man by the name of Nanak lived in a village in Punjab where there was terrible violence between Muslims and Hindus. One day Nanak disappeared by the river for three days and the people thought he was dead. But he emerged on the third day to proclaim a new truth and a new vision of the world: We are One-Ik Onkar. He began singing love songs to the divine and to express his love for everyone around him. He saw people with new eyes; with the eyes of love: he saw everyone as a part of himself that he did not know yet. “I see no stranger” said Guru Nank. “I see no enemy” this was the beginning of the Sikh faith which did away with separating people according to caste, inviting those labeled untouchables to sit at the table and share a meal during worship services. Guru Nanak taught that we all have Haumai, a voice within ourselves that projects the illusion of separateness from one another. Haumai resides in a bowl that holds our individuality. But when we quiet our minds with music or meditation, those boundaries begin to melt away. The bowl breaks. And then we can taste the sweetness of our interconnectedness.

In this new beginning so filled with great expectations, I invite us to start looking at ourselves and each other with new eyes, with the eyes of love.

What are your expectations of yourself and our shared ministry?
How do you measure your faith?
How do you want to begin this new chapter in the life of this community?
What are your fears?
What needs repair and healing?
What brings you joy?

We have a choice. We have been given the opportunity, the blessing actually, to meet in a place of openness and acceptance, a brave space. I invite us to begin making room, meeting each other with curiosity and generosity. Meeting in that proverbial field that the poet Rumi envisioned: “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and right doing, there is a field. I will meet you there”

Today we begin together. Let us covenant to remember that the work of this church belongs to us all. Let us remember that we are beautiful, imperfect humans and can falter. Let us recognize that we bear a responsibility in our mutual material welfare and spiritual development. Let us covenant to collaborate in our common growth as a community of faith.

Let us declare our trust and love for each other. Now we begin our shared journey, striving to put into practice our principles and together renew our commitment to working for peace and justice in our hearts, in our communities, and our world. Let us covenant to remember to recall us to our best selves when we fall short of honoring our covenant of right relationship. Before us is the open road, a mutual quest toward a greater understanding of spiritual practices that encourages us to bring our whole selves.
My mentor Rev. Clyde Grubbs blessed my Ministry with these words:

“Remember always that in ministry we do nothing alone,
Our ministry is always enhanced, deepened, and empowered by our colleagues and our congregations by the power of shared ministry. Remember who you are. Remember your rootedness in the wisdom of this earth and remember that you submitted yourself to extensive training,
You are a Doctor of Theology.
I charge you to remember all of those gifts, all of those experiences,
all that training and know that you are powerful. know that you are wise. Affirm your power, affirm your wisdom, stand in your love and connections. Listen to the voices of those who have gone before,
to your ancestors, to their wisdom for it is a gift to you, and a gift for you to share with others. And listen to the wisdom from the traditions of other peoples as well, for their perspectives help us understand our own and give depth to our souls. So Listen to those you share ministry with, listen with open heart and critical awareness, listen with compassion for you are a caring heart, but listen also with an eye to empowerment, because equipping others with the capacity to change their world multiplies the caring hearts to a chorus.”

Beloveds, next year at this time we will hopefully be celebrating my installation ceremony, a ritual to make visible our mutual covenant, our promises to one another. Beyond measuring tapes, rulers, and evaluation forms, how will we measure a year in our shared ministry, in the life of this Beloved Community? How will we measure our trust, our love, our teamwork, our resilience, creativity, joy, as well as the challenges to communicate clearly and compassionately, to become more and more inclusive, to be brave and raise our voices when injustice threatens our core values, how will we measure the courage of being vulnerable and sharing our stories so that we may be seen, heard, held, and embraced?
May we measure our time together in love, always in love…Amen?

Eric, will you accompany me in the theme song from Rent?
*Five hundred twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes
Five hundred twenty-five thousand moments so dear
Five hundred twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes
How do you measure, measure a year?
In daylights, in sunsets
In midnights, in cups of coffee
In inches, in miles
In laughter, in strife
In five hundred twenty-five thousand, six hundred minutes
How do you measure a year in the life?
How about love?
Measure in love.
Amen, Ashe and Blessed Be.

* Lyrics from “Seasons of Love” from the play Rent by Jonathan Larson