Testimonies
Please add to our website your witness about the meaning you have received from Christianity within Unitarian Universalism, and from the UUCF–its people, its publications, its events. See below for a few such beginning testimonies, and send others for consideration to RevRonRobinson@aol.com. If you want them used without attribution, just note it.
From Martha:
“UUA General Assembly was held in Boston a few years ago. This was around the time that [UUA Pres.] Bill Sinkford was urging UUs to joyfully reclaim God language, which–as a gal with one foot in the UU camp and one in the Christian camp–is not a problem for me. At the time, however, it was a big issue for the folks in the UU pews. Tom was going to make his “walk” for Preliminary Fellowship at the final Service. His parents had joined us; his father has several mobility issues and there were hundreds of us crammed into the lobby of the Convention Center, waiting to be let into the arena. One of our group hared off to see if we could find out when the arena gates would be opened; when that person returned and said it would only be 10 more minutes, I responded with a heartfelt “thanks be to God”. A couple standing right next to us looked at each other, disgusted, and one said to the other, “Well, I guess THAT’S what’s going to be in our future!” I had only a glimmer of an understanding what it was to be a Christian minority, but it was enough for me to feel unwanted and somewhat threatened.
Some months later, my awareness of the UUCF was raised. Although it sounds like “too late”, really, it hasn’t turned out that way (which in itself is such a God thing). Although I don’t currently attend a UU church, I am becoming increasingly active at the District level. I can freely identify myself as Christian when leading workshops, see some of the folks cringe, and feel serene knowing there are other UUCF’ers out there holding me up in prayer–even if they don’t know my name, don’t know what I’m doing, don’t know if I am particularly in need of prayer. And I guess an aspect that I personally am succored by is that being part of the UUCF community allows me to be open about being creedal–even if other UUCF’ers aren’t. I’m not made to feel like an intellectual/religious halfwit because I profess a creed and believe in the existence of a personal Savior. And finally, the UUCF community is unique because we seem to “get” that talk ABOUT God is not the same as WORSHIPING God. UUCF allows–not just allows but supports–me to experience an ineffable God. UUCF’ers don’t fill in the silence with words about the study of God (which I’m sure is some lovely Greek word)–UUCF’ers have faith that the silence will be filled with Grace.”
From Robert:
God has always been the Great Reality for me, the Center from which all life and being is created. But less than 10 years ago I was stuck in the cool remoteness of theological speculation. An archeologist of my acquaintance, hearing me say that I was immersed in studying panentheism, commented “Ah, yes, a theology in search of a religion.” My balloon of isolation burst. A mocking light flowed in to illumine my private game of solitaire. I was exposed to myself as an imitation religious person.
And it was our Christians, on line, in person, in writing, in prayer and in meetings and at worship who variously gave me and still give me the strength and insight with which I, in the good company of so many of you, have learned to live my faith — and not simply engage in a new form of solitaire. For among you is life, the living reality of God, the Spirit of Christ, the real Presence if you will. You are the elements of my Lord’s Supper, and I feed from your gifts.
Thank you. And nourish those gifts which spill from you. You may have no idea who waits for the hand of God to reach out to them — from you From Elizabeth: