In consonance with the principles and purposes of the Unitarian Universalist Association, we the members and friends of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Worcester covenant to sustain and support a courageous and caring community by:
* Bringing our best selves to form a welcoming, loving, and inclusive community of faith;
* Creating an atmosphere of celebration and worship in a safe environment;
* Providing opportunities where diverse people and points of view are respected and where open-hearted and open-minded discussion of our differences is encouraged;
* Treating each other with kindness and respect;
* Approaching conflicts with a spirit of humility and with the respectful intent for peaceful resolution;
* Engaging in and encouraging spiritual and intellectual growth across the lifespan;
* Fostering social justice and positive transformation in our community and in the world at large;
* Growing and maintaining the resources necessary to support the missions and ministries of this congregation;
* Fostering fellowship and enjoying each other and the unique gifts that each person brings to our community.
We belong to a faith that has long held up the democratic process as a central tenet of its beliefs. It allowed women, and lay women at that, to preach from the altar when it was taboo in most religious institutions of those times. Rev. Olympia Brown, a Universalist, was one of the first ordained women ministers in this country (1863). Lay men were also often barred from speaking in church in most religious denominations.
You might ask, what does this have to do with us? Plenty!! Despite weekly appeals to have congregants sign up to assist Aaron and Beau on Sunday mornings, few people do. I realize that not everyone is comfortable reading in front of a large group, but this might be a good time to defy your stage fright! Eleanor Roosevelt said, "You must do the thing that you fear you cannot do." Or you could take on the role of the Worship Assistant who handles the preparation of the altar and electronics for the service. Or have you or you and your family light the chalice. There are many ways to serve.
