An Openness to Change

One of the hallmarks of liberal religion, Unitarian Universalism included, is the idea that revelation is not sealed. That is to say, our religion can and will change by the discovery or unveiling of new truths and new ways of understanding all existence and the sacred. At its core, then, our theological heritage proclaims an abiding openness to change. (UUA)

I find myself in constant internal tension around wanting things to remain the same and accepting that things change. This is true in so many aspects of my life including in my personal life, in the area of St Paul where I live, in this country and world, and of course, at First Universalist. I have come to understand that to move beyond reacting or simply coping I need to be proactive in finding spiritual practices that let me acknowledge my anxieties and then to let them go (or at least to calm them). 

During new member classes we do an exercise where attendees line up in between two extremes. One side of the room represents “I have a daily spiritual practice” and the opposite side of the room represents “I don’t even know what that means.” We talk about how spiritual practice is broadly defined in our faith. What it centers on is intention and often on slowing down and noticing. We include intentional breath in our Sunday services as a way to experience an easy, reliable spiritual practice together. A person I was speaking with recently said they go on “intention walks.” They leave their phone behind and walk with an observant eye letting their senses take in where they are and all that surrounds them. 

My father-in-law has been singing the same ditty ever since I met him over back in the late 1980s. “Nothing ever stays the same. Sunshine turns to rain…” It is sung with a bit of a Southern drawl. In our family we often sing it to one another when one is lamenting a change. Humor is another tool to help as we navigate change. So is the Serenity Prayer, getting your hands in the soil, or the glance of a loved one. Let this be a place where we learn to practice ways to ground ourselves amidst changes that have been chosen and changes that we cannot control. Let this be a place where we learn to embrace the truth that change is constant, while at the same time acknowledging that it is not always easy. And remember, you are not alone in the reality of change. We are holding it together.