Monday, October 30, 2017

Minister Muse -- November 2017

Minister’s Muse

As a preface to the scheduled Fireside Chat on November 19th at 9:15 and 11:30,before and after the worship service, I offer you my own reflections on the importance of doubt, argument and debate as central to the practices of the free church and liberal religion.

As one of my favorite journalists, the late Christopher Hitchens, has written, “If you care about the points of agreement and civility, then you had better be well-equipped with points of argument and combativity, because if you are not, then the “center” will be occupied and defined without your helping to decide it, or determine what and where it is.”

The concept of the dialectic as the dynamic of human progress may have been discredited by its Marxist advocates promoting their version of class struggle, but that does not mean it is without merit and to be abandoned. There must be confrontation and opposition in order that sparks may be kindled and insight and progress achieved.

We claim to be building at First Unitarian Church a free church, where we liberate an emancipating spirit from the existing order within society and history so as to create the beloved community here on Earth. This – building the free church – to liberate the spirit – to create the beloved community is our mission.

You can be assured that my understanding of the meaning of this statement is not an aspiration to any hazy, narcotic Nirvana, where our critical faculties would be of no use to us. I have always found the image of a vague spiritual harmony as our goal in life, as found in much of popular spirituality, to be a world of little value or effectiveness, leading to nothing more than an anesthetized conformism. This kind of religion and  spirituality is, as Marx described, an opiate for the masses.

My understanding of the beloved community is not a state of bliss and perpetual happiness, which is in truth a vision of tedium and pointlessness and predictability. True  happiness, such as that asserted in our Declaration of Independence, in the phrase “the pursuit of happiness,” is the consequence of struggle, often bitter struggle.

But let’s get back to the question: How does all of this apply to our democratic religious community?

I recently shared the following reflection on “good leadership in the church” as opening words for the monthly Council meeting. I wrote this statement for my Ministerial    Record a few years ago, the document potential candidates submit to a congregation’s Search Committee when they wish to be considered for a settled or transitional ministry.

“Building trust is absolutely essential because having learned to trust one another we will no longer be afraid to engage in passionate dialogue around issues and decisions that are key to our success as a vital and dynamic congregation. We should never     hesitate to disagree with, challenge, and question one another, all in the spirit of finding the best answers, discovering the truth, and making great decisions.”

Conflict is not to be shunned; it is a sign of life and not something to be managed or resolved. Conflict usually exists because people care deeply about something in their community. By using a framework that would allow us to engage conflict, in Board meetings, Council meetings, committee meetings, congregational gatherings and Fireside Chats, wherever important issues are being discussed, there will be much more creative energy that can be constructively utilized in the life of this congregation.  

Passionate and unfiltered debate, respectfully engaging one another’s different opinions, is what protects and sustains the free church. This kind of dynamic engagement is the beating heart of the free church, sustaining the integrity of all its programs and  nurturing their creative possibilities. I, as your minister, and the elected church leadership should be collaboratively facilitating this kind of respectful but robust dialogue.

By respectfully engaging in unfiltered conflict we are able to achieve a high level of collaboration and mutual commitment even when Board members or committee members initially disagree on an issue. This is because by doing so we insure that all opinions and ideas are put on the table and considered, giving confidence that no concern has been left unaddressed. Out of conflict may come the most creative and productive efforts. When we address critical issues like our worship program, or how we allocate money in this church – our budget priorities, or the priorities of our children’s          religious education programs, this kind of creative-conflict- leadership is essential to our achieving alignment and a clearly understood, shared commitment to the final   decision.

We need to trust one another more and embrace a disciplined practice of facilitating passionate dialogue about any and all matters of concern. By doing so we will strengthen the commitment of all of us to the broader mission of the church. This kind of dynamic and energizing practice, which requires strong leadership if it is to be    successfully facilitated, will actually encourage church members to set aside their individual needs and agendas and focus on what is best for the church. When this kind of passionate dialogue is achieved, there is less temptation to place one’s own ego needs or pet projects ahead of the collective needs of the congregation. Most people just want to have their ideas heard, understood, considered, and explained within the context of the ultimate decision.” I look forward to seeing you at the Fireside Chat on November 19th.
Gary






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