Dear Ones, 

Because this month’s theme is awakening curiosity, I’m thinking about the role of curiosity in ministry.  One of the things that led me to enter the search process was wondering about how other congregations do things.  I started looking at the search packets congregations had put together, and got even more curious because each description was so unique.  I delved deeper and eventually found a few that resonated so much with my understanding of ministry, that I started applying to some.  It’s understood by congregations in search that what they’re looking for is a good match – a minister with whom they resonate, whose ministry complements theirs, who shares their vision and priorities – and I found myself excited about the possibilities of matching with a new congregation.  You all will get to do this too – to get curious about who you are as a congregation and what kind of minister might be a good match for you.

I’m also thinking about the role of curiosity in our living tradition.  I’m reminded of this short history of our faith by the Rev. Adam Robersmith:  So, how did Unitarian Universalists come to be?  I could tell the story about histories of heresy or the mechanics of the merger in 1961.  Those are stories well worth telling.  But for now, I’ll tell it like this: once there were people who kept asking why? and how? and Is that really true?  Some people asked them to be quiet, to stop asking so many questions.  But they couldn’t stop!  They didn’t know how!  Finally, everyone else around them said, “You all should have your own churches, where you can ask questions that we don’t want to ask and you can find answers that don’t make sense to us.”  Many of them did just that and, even though it wasn’t easy, in time they decided to transform themselves into something new by making promises to one another about how they would be with one another and in the world.  And that’s how Unitarian Universalism was born, but to this very day we still ask why? and how? and Is that really true?

And because UUs still ask those questions, our faith tradition will continue to grow and change as it always has.  And that is true of Reeb tool – I often say that we change with every new person who comes through our doors, when we can be curious about what they bring to our congregation.  So I hope you’ll keep asking why? and how? and is that really true? about yourselves, your congregation, your mission, and the possibilities for your next minister.  I’m excited for you to embark on this journey!

In faith and love, Karen