At the Sedona Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (SUUF), congregants value theologian Henry Wieman’s “Creative Interchange” concept.  Here’s how it works:

You and I interact; we learn something new from one another; we absorb that fresh awareness into our own being; and our experience of the world is enriched.

Our enriched selves, in turn, expand others’ awareness.  This ripple effect eventually enhances our community–and beyond. The more varied our experiences and the more we interact with different people, the more our wisdom increases and contributes.

Those who join a UU service, social gathering, or community service project, are likely to meet someone they haven’t met in other social circles. That person might be from a different background, generation, social class, or ethnic group.  Their interaction will differ somewhat from what they’re used to, and both will grow a bit from this exchange.

Why is that?  UU provides a safe space, a place where participants can be fully themselves, where they don’t have to hide or check a part of themselves at the door. This allows for expanded creative interchanges.  It’s about people meeting people where they are, and learning from each other.

Different people bring different ideas.  Encountering a variety of viewpoints can be viewed as a threat, or as a gift.  UUers believes each new person with whom they connect is a gift – a mysterious treasure whose value is revealed over time.

UUs prefer being in community with people unlike themselves.  Their congregation is inclusive, not out of duty, but out of anticipating how meeting each new person will expand them via their upcoming creative interchanges.

September 6, 2024