People at the Sedona Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (SUUF) don’t want to disappoint newcomers. So they discourage several expectations.

For example, don’t expect to hear at SUUF familiar spiritual platitudes, sermons that point to one religious belief as the solution to all problems, or affirmations of age-old ways of thinking.  SUUF isn’t a place for easy, predictable answers

SUUF visitors will be urged to listen, to dialogue, to meditate, to think, to feel, to stretch, and to respect others’ opinions–as hard as that can be these days when people’s opinions often immediately trigger character judgments.

At SUUF, people are asked to deepen their capacity to receive others, rather than to shore up their ability to turn others away.

When they hear things they disagree with, Unitarians are counseled to lean in with curiosity, rather than lean back in righteousness.

They advocate compassion, which starts with seeking interaction with a wide range of people, learning what it feels is like to live inside those people’s skin, and recognizing that there won’t be full peace and joy for “us” until “they” have peace and joy, too.

While doing this work, UUs don’t expect the person in the pulpit to provide nicely packaged spiritual answers, or to wrap them in a reassuring blanket of hope because God has their back.

UUs have answers, but they’re mostly about our potential to do what is right.

UUs have hope, but it’s mostly for growing our capacity to see the dignity and worth in every person.

UU has faith–in principles for living that don’t dictate what to think or do about the challenges we face in our household or community.

Instead, SUUF asks us to lean in, look deeply, and learn more about whatever we don’t yet understand or know.

April 26, 2024