I am writing this month’s Sealight article from a café in New York City. I have had a terrific few days here in the city enjoying great food and reconnecting with friends who I haven’t seen in years. Just yesterday we made an unplanned visit to All Souls Church here in New York City.
Wow! What a joy to visit such a historic institution of our faith tradition. The congregation was formed in 1819 and the building is simply amazing. Sitting for a moment in the massive sanctuary filled me with two distinct feelings. I felt rooted in a tremendous tradition, and I longed for the unique little Fellowship that I call home. It is a tension that we exist in as Unitarian Universalists. We are a part of a broad intellectual and historical tradition that has molded much of America. It is a deep and inspiring history that can anchor our faith. And the other side of that tension is an appreciation for the uniqueness of our Fellowship and the individuals we know and love there.
For the most part, members of our congregation know the great work that UUFLB does in our community and the wonderful individuals who come here on Sunday mornings. That deeper sense of tradition however, is lacking. Either through human relationship or visiting some of the vast array of Unitarian Universalist landmarks, the power of connection with a tradition is not something to be read about but something to be experienced.
I am excited to have heard that a few of you plan to attend this year’s District Assembly in Santa Barbara and I hope more of you will seriously consider going. Spending time with other Unitarian Universalists is a priceless and rare opportunity. Sure there are things to learn and new helpful ideas. But much more than that, District Assembly is an opportunity to tap into the power of broader reaching Unitarian Universalist community. Like I said, connection to our tradition is not something to read about, but something to experience. So while I want to share with you a sense of tradition and history that informs my faith, the most important thing I can offer is an invitation, not to read, but to step into a wider circle of our faith tradition.

Peace
Kent