It doesn’t feel like it, but 10 years ago I stepped on to this campus for an interview and well, it changed my life. But to understand why, I’m going to have to go back a bit to share with your MY faith journey.
I grew up in a loving, Catholic, household. That included Catholic elementary school and Mass most Sundays. I was a bit odd for a kid, as I really liked church. So much so, I remember one Sunday my mom was sick, so we stayed home and I brought out ritz crackers and grape juice to do our own communion!
It was the only faith I knew, and it made sense to me. A hymn that to this day I still love is based off a passage from Matthew (25:35-36, 40): “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’”
That was simple for me. Whatever you do for the least among us is how you treat everyone.
When I was in high school I started having questions. I wanted to understand how I can believe what I believe when it can, at times, contradict with what is being said by those interpreting the Bible for me.
As an adult, I tried a new church. It was a beautiful building, with lovely services. But here’s the thing. I stopped going after a few months. You see, I was looking for a community and no one ever said hello. No one ever asked me to get coffee or asked me what brought me here. No one even asked my name. I was alone and lonely. I was in a scary place in my life of first job, no roommates, trying to figure out how to truly adult. I NEEDED community. So I stopped going. And that was the end of my faith journey.
In 2009, I was laid off from my job. I worked as a morning news producer for 5 years and I had a chance to sit back and think about what I wanted to do next. I was tired, cranky, jaded… and I didn’t like who I had become. And once again, I was lonely.
After a year and a half of searching for a job, I was frustrated and remember saying to my mom “I know they say when God closes a door, they open a window… but I think a dresser may be blocking my window.” I knew I had many people praying for me and putting good vibes into the world. And that’s when my journey took a shift. That’s when I was handed a wanted ad for a Communications and Technology Director at a local Presbyterian church.
Broad Street is a great church. Large congregation, a lot of social justice work, very liberal, with two female ministers! It was the first time I worked someplace that I actually felt cared about my wellbeing, a place that encouraged me to speak up and ask questions. I really loved it.
My dream though… my dream to live in Seattle with Shaun was within reach. It was time for me to take this big step forward in my life. I was looking for jobs. And it was hard because honestly, once you’ve had a job where you feel like you are both appreciated AND putting good into the world, it’s hard to go back.
There was a job opening at the Presbyterian church in Seattle. But something didn’t feel right. I asked the Associate Minister, Ann, if she knew the church. She said no, but would look at the website and let me know why I felt that way. She came back the next day and said “I see two things. One, on their page about marriage it only talks about traditional marriage. And two, anywhere they mention God, they use he/him pronouns.” That was enough for me to know it wasn’t a good fit.
Luckily, the next day, East Shore posted their job opening. I went into the office, not knowing ANYTHING about Unitarians and asked Ann, “what do you know about Unitarians?” She looked at me, paused for a moment, and said “those are your people.”
And she’s right. It may have taken a little bit. My first few years I kept asking Aisha if a quirk here was “a PNW thing, a UU thing, or an East Shore thing.” I sometimes feel I’m pushing my midwestern ways of welcoming people contradictory to the “Seattle freeze.” But, that’s why I’m here. My commitment is to make sure that for everyone who walks through that door, that we are their people. That no one feels alone.
We all have our own faith journey. Our own reasons for leaving, our own reasons for coming back. We are all looking for our people. Our place where we can be ourselves, be seen, and be accepted. So next time you are in the Sanctuary, I ask you to look at your neighbor and say, “I see you, I welcome you”
May we all feel the warmth of welcome!
by Nicole Duff, Director of Membership Development