A Meeting Ground for Everyone

Everyday routine in corporate America frequently fails to engage our souls.  In the kaleidoscope of daily activities, our lives can seem disconnected from a fundamental sense of meaning.  Consequently, a large segment of our society finds itself functioning on autopilot, instead of being deeply involved in each moment of life and truly relating to each other.

In our retreat to the safety of the North Shore, more and more of us live alone, drive alone, and engage our neighbors in personal ways less and less.  What is lacking for all too many of us is a sense of belonging to give meaning to our lives.

Younger adults in particular find their identity shaped for them by the demands and rush of our society.  They have a gnawing sense that, somewhere along the way, they lost their essential self.  Sometimes they feel “burned out.” And they watch helplessly as romance and passion fade from their lives, and monotony becomes the order of the day––while their children, on whom they lavish so much materially, often grow up alienated.

Few things matter more than meaningful relationships.  There’s nothing quite as sustaining as a real sense of belonging.  It is a powerful antidote to the things that get us down.

When a partner leaves or dies, an accident happens, an illness strikes, or we lose our job, if we’ve built close friendships, it’s a lot easier to cope.  Not only is there practical help in times of crisis, but we are reassured we have worth despite what our circumstances may scream at us.

To this end, our community offers a variety of opportunities to connect with others.  Our friendships extend well beyond scheduled meetings.  They thrive in lunches shared, conversations over coffee, participation in fun activities, and evenings spent in each other’s homes.

We experience community only to the extent we invest ourselves.  All of us have different needs.  We invite you to share yourself with us in a manner that fits your particular needs.  We honestly believe you will not easily find a more accepting, understanding group of people.  You’ll learn that this is a place where you can truly be yourself, both in your pain and in your celebration of life.

Don’t know how to how to join in?  Afraid people won’t welcome you?  With us, there’s no “in” group.  Just approach any group at any of our activities, and pretty soon you’ll be drawn in.  This is how each of us found a spiritual home.

A  Spiritual Home

Unitarian Universalists on the North Shore

“I don’t believe in organized religion,” someone said to me recently.

Perhaps you resonate what this person is objecting to.  Like this individual, you don’t want someone telling you what to believe or how to live your life.

Most of us who have found a home in the North Shore’s Unitarian Universalist community come from a background in churches that made it their business to mind our business.  Over time, we found ourselves increasingly wanting to chart our own lives.  To think for ourselves, to ask hitherto “forbidden” questions, to test ideas and examine different lifestyles––in other words, to take our own journey through life, without someone censoring us––became important to us.

I frequently hear another objection to what many refer to as “organized religion,” and that is that any one religious tradition seems too limited.  What bothers people is the idea that a particular religion thinks it has the complete and exclusive answer to the spiritual quest.  A lot of us cannot believe that billions of people in other traditions are totally clueless––or, as some churches claim, eternally “lost.”

Yet, life does not happen in a vacuum.  As well as needing freedom to choose our own path, we humans are also communal creatures.  To thrive, we need each other.  We do not need to be criticized, stifled, controlled.  But we do need to be exposed to different ideas.

A great strength of Unitarian Universalists for almost five hundred years has been our championing of freedom of thought and plurality.  Because freedom of thought is highly prized, and because we value each person’s experience, to be part of this spiritual community doesn’t restrict us.  It enriches our lives.

A second reason for coming together as a spiritual community is that humans benefit from being part of a community in which they are able to form meaningful connections.  Studies have shown that humans do best if they are deeply bonded in a caring community.  For instance, people who have a sense of belonging are less prone to depression.

Belonging is not the same as simply attending a congregation, club, or social event.  In order to feel that we belong, we have to go beyond mere attendance and become involved.  This is why our Unitarian Universalist community is more than simply a place to come on Sundays.  We have found here a spiritual home.

There is a third reason for gathering as a spiritual community.  If our world is ever to become a caring, hospitable environment for all peoples, creatures, and life-forms, we must come together to think about how we can help enlighten those who oppress others and those who destroy the planet that sustains us.

For centuries, Unitarian Universalists have been interested in reaching out beyond themselves and making a difference in the world.  Both in Europe and in the United States, we have a rich history of people who made the world a better place.