I have served as a lay leader for the Juneau Unitarian Universalist Fellowship (JUUF) for well over the past decade and it has been an honor and a privilege to do so. It has also been a challenge. As Unitarian Universalists we are guided by seven Principles, which we hold as strong values and moral guides. As explained on the UUA web page (www.uua.org) these Principles are not dogma or doctrine. They grew out of the grassroots of our communities, were affirmed democratically (they are written in our Bylaws) and are a part of who we are.
As a JUUF lay leader these seven Principles provide me with direction for my message on any given Sunday morning. I am particularly drawn to our third and fourth Principles: “Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations and a free and responsible search for truth and meaning.”
Herein lies my personal challenge: How to speak to a spiritual topic when those assembled vary greatly in their personal approach. Say the word “prayer” in a UU congregation and you may receive a wide variety of definitions. Some may pray as a daily, devotional practice while others see praying as a fruitless endeavor. And those who do pray may direct their prayers to a wide range of recipients.
I pray. I pray to the Universe, to Holy Wisdom, Most Compassionate and hope for Loving Kindness toward all, for all. It is an endeavor that I engage in throughout my day. Stop, pause, pay attention, send out an intention. In our home there is a small altar where candles are lit and a “prayer jar,” to receive names of those who we lifting up, is held. One Sunday I chose to share this practice with my Fellowship and I was gratified with the result.
I had read about a minister who went beyond the prayer chain at her church. She attempted to make an “exchange of comfort” more personal. I took her lead and tried to do the same. My message spoke to my idea of prayer as described above and I then invited everyone to write down something personal that they may want someone to pray for on their behalf i.e. patience, strength, good health, a decent night’s sleep, discipline, assistance with ________________ (you fill in the blank).
Each of us placed our petition in a basket and then the baskets were re-distributed; we each selected someone else’s request for prayer. I asked that these notes be taken home and placed somewhere that they might be noticed daily as a nudge to remember the appeal for prayer, to engage in the exchange of comfort.
The following Sunday we discussed how this activity had unfolded over the week. Most were hesitant to share but once the conversation was started it was lovely. Yes, some found the prayer request in their pockets when they did the wash, but they hung on to it and prayed for the intention. People spoke of how they interpreted prayer and how they were affected by what they had been entrusted with, the responsibility to follow through, to respond with compassion and love. Many of us gained solace over the week as we dealt with the situations that challenged us, knowing that someone was thinking of us, wishing us well, praying for our intentions and holding us up.
Connections were created as we shared the experience of both being needy and of being of assistance. We shared the experience of being human as we encouraged each other in our quest for spiritual growth and our search for truth and meaning. Our exchange of comfort was a success and an endeavor worthy of being a daily practice.
• Pat McLear serves as a lay leader at the Juneau Unitarian Universalist Fellowship.
