Discover a faith that embraces, encourages and empowers

Recent surveys measuring religious participation in religious activities show a steady decline in the United States over the last several decades.

“The Christian share of the U.S. population is declining, while the number of U.S. adults who do not identify with any organized religion is growing … . Moreover, these changes are taking place across the religious landscape, affecting all regions of the country and many demographic groups.” - May 15, 2015 Pew Research Center.

A considerable percentage of Americans can be seen as “post-religious” and that number is growing. “Some research has put it at 1 out of 3 Americans” - Warren Bird and Tom Clegg, Missing in America 2007.

The central challenge for a faith community is to offer meanings that relate to the real concerns of people’s lives while providing ethical guidelines for responding to those abiding existentialist questions and a need for hopeful and effective ways to relate to others and life. Religion’s job is to offer a meaningful ideas and inspire values that reflect those ideas.

Today’s ever-increasing access to instantaneous communication and information, seems to foster widespread isolation and increasing alienation rather than cooperation and understanding. It is a most maddening situation: overload of information with a dearth of wisdom and either superficial inspiration or dystopian gloom. With more freedom and knowledge comes the awareness of how overwhelmingly discouraging the situation is.

The truth may be liberating, but only inasmuch as it provides inspiration, options and hope in the form of practical and meaningful paradigms.

We need one another. We need to be appreciated and understood. Diversity is enriching. Curiosity is life sustaining. Inquiry enlarges our world view. Understanding mediates fear.

The wonder of existence is in its interdependence. We need ideas and ideals that enlighten and sustain.

Faith is most valuable when accepted as a verb: a changing, developing process of exploration, trial, celebration, and hope. Truth is an evolving tool used to sustain the health and happiness of life, all life. Arbitrary creeds and inflexible doctrines can be a straitjacket for the spirit and a negation of the liveliness and goodness of all creation.

Modern Unitarian Universalism is the historical heir of two Christian heresies: the unity of God (subordinate status of Jesus to God) as opposed to the concept of triune deity (Trinity) and the belief that God’s irresistible love would ultimately save all.

Shaped by the scientific advancements of the enlightenment 300 years ago, this unorthodox spiritual offering is inspired by rationalism in the service of humanity and all creation. Unitarian Universalist congregations value inquiry, inclusion, encouragement, and service.

Unitarian Universalist communities honor spiritual freedom, welcome diversity, courageously explore rather than indoctrinate, and are dedicated to serving consciously the interdependent web of life with an irresistible love that embraces encourages, and empowers for the benefit of all.

This story was originally published February 27, 2016 at 5:58 AM with the headline "Discover a faith that embraces, encourages and empowers."