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“How Can I Make A Difference?”

McKell Moorhead and Mike Nashleanas Sermon at UUSP on May 22, 2011

To the reader: This sermon was only part of a service of worship with many components working together,

all of which were designed to be experienced in a community context. In our "free pulpit" tradition, its concepts are intended not as truths to receive, but as spurs to your own thought and faith.

CALL TO WORSHIP (Suggest this is spoken by BOT member) (In loving memory of my former colleague & mentor, Rev. Dr. Duncan Littlefair) This is a day for us to live. Let’s celebrate it and make a difference in the world. Let’s be grateful for the incredible gift of life, And let us be especially grateful for the love which brings us together Giving dignity, meaning, worth and joy to all of our days. RESPONSIVE READING (Responsive “ONE” read by Speaker #1) #1: ONE: From Albert Schweitzer we read, ALL: Wherever a person turns they can find someone who needs them. ONE: From Tom Brokaw we read, ALL: It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a differ- ence. ONE: From William James we read, ALL: Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does. ONE: From Dr. Seuss we read, ALL: Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing’s go- ing to get better, it's just simply not. ONE: From Winston Churchill we read, ALL: We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give. ONE: From Anne Frank we read, ALL: How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. ONE: From Maya Angelou we read, ALL: I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catchers mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw something back.

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READINGS (Readings begun by Speaker #2)

#2 Our readings this morning speak to volunteerism and our continued gratitude for

those who give to our community and to the world. Of our three readings, the first two

are printed in the programs.

I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And

I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do. ~Edward Everett Hale

#1 Everybody can be great. Because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a

college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to

serve.... You don't have to know the second theory of thermodynamics in physics to

serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love. ~Rev. Dr. Martin

Luther King, Jr.

#2 Our third reading speaks to the processes that our UUSP volunteers will certainly

never encounter when stepping forward to make a difference at our church home.

How many UU St. Pete volunteers does it take to change a light bulb? Answer:

about 140.

#1 That’s 60 to have a town hall meeting to allow everyone in the church to voice

their opinions both for and against the new lightbulb.

#2 3 more to run it by the Admin Group to determine if a new bylaw needs to be

voted upon prior to the change.

#1 7 to entertain a motion with lightbulb discussion during a Board of Trustees

meeting.

#2 10 to check the lightbulb changing calendar during a Program Council meeting.

#1 6 to facilitate a lightbulb check in to open covenant group meetings.

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#2 8 to form a Friends of Darkness support group.

#1 5 to consider the ecological ramifications of fluorescent v. incandescent bulbs,

#2 25 to sing the choir anthem “Waitin’ For The Light To Shine,”

#1 4 to debate with Building and Grounds regarding the least expensive ladder with

which to change the lightbulb,

#2 9 from the Worship Ministry to create a lightbulb communion ceremony for a

Sunday service,

#1 2 to prepare coffee and tea for the lightbulb reception immediately following the

service to be held in Gilmour Hall to your right,

#2 and 1 to simply go ahead and change the burned out lightbulb without asking

anyone else first.

SERMON

This Morning’s Themes

#1 How can I make a difference…specifically in this special place? What is it about

UU St. Pete that allows me to feel as though I’m in my church HOME? Who do I

approach to become more involved here? This morning, let’s briefly explore these

questions together, which will require examinations of those limiting aspects of our lives

that prevent us from furthering deeper involvement, of this beautiful religious community,

and of the many opportunities that await your unique talents and passions.

For Our Guests

#2 For our guests here today, please allow us a moment to provide a framework in

which to listen to this sermon on a subject specific to the hard working volunteers within

this congregation. If you’re a first timer today, you picked a great Sunday to come,

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because a part of the answer to “how can I make a difference in this special place” is that

everyone here began as guests, newcomers, just a part of the crowd looking to journey

with others while discovering a deeper capacity for love. We then united with this

congregation, understanding that the feeling of belonging is supportive to our own

journeys and deepening to our understanding of our own gifts and talents. We now use

our talents within the church to further our sense of being a part of this religious

community. We love and support each other, knowing that, while we are together in a

spirit of love, we are also on our own unique life journeys. We then complete a spiritual

circle of sorts, by returning outward again into the St. Pete area to pursue our passions

outside of these walls. Ultimately, we strive to share those passions as a ministry… to

make a difference in the world.

We have a vision of liberal religion that views every person as unique, with

unique gifts that define their place in the world. Our community exists not to defend

doctrine or save souls, but to proclaim this vision to the wider world and help those who

join to discover, nourish, and share their gifts. Members of this special place understand

the value in growing together, learning to share the love we feel here. We’re excited by

the volunteer work that we are doing in this place, and invigorated by simply being here

together in a beloved community. So, with that framework, let’s do the work of today and

ask, “how can I make a difference?”

Why Does UUSP Feel Like A Church Home? #1 To begin, what does it mean to call this community our church “home?” Our

UUA President the Rev. Peter Morales suggests that to think of this place as a home

away from home says something about what we are seeking and what we seek to create.

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A home is that place where you find comfort when you’re feeling weary, lonely,

frightened or just going through some changes. A home is also that place that you turn to

when you’re feeling strong, energized or wishing to gain a broader vision of the world.

When you feel at home, you don’t need to have all the answers. You feel safe to ask

questions, safe to question your old beliefs and stop believing them if they no longer

make sense to you. When you feel at home, you give yourself permission to grow and

change and make mistakes and learn and heal and do it in your own time and know that

others will stand with you even through your craziest moments.

A home is also a center for celebrations of special times…religious holidays,

weddings, unions, birthdays, or as is the case today, the recognition of those who made a

difference in our community this past year. Beyond special occasions, there is wonderful

value is simply coming together. Never underestimate the value of having some fun

together.

How Can I Make A Difference In This Special Place?

#2 Even if you currently view yourself as someone who rarely volunteers for group

activities, your life is connected to millions of others. Even if you join this community

with the intent to simply come on Sunday mornings for services, your actions will

inevitably impact others. To break through a barrier of reticence and to enhance your own

personal journeys while developing a deeper relationship with your church home beyond

Sunday mornings from 11:00 until 12:00, a good first step might be to expand your

consciousness through gratitude. Rather than make participation or volunteering a

responsibility, think about it in terms of gratitude that pays back and pays forward.

There’s an old Caribbean story about gratitude that expresses this forward thinking

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manner of giving. After a heavy rain an old man began digging holes in his garden. His

neighbor asked him, “What are you doing?” “Planting mango trees”, he said. The

neighbor said, “Do you expect to eat mangoes from those trees?” He replied, “No. I

won’t live long enough for that. But others will. All my life I have enjoyed mangoes

planted by other people. This is my way of showing them my gratitude.” This beautiful

story reminds us that someone once worked hard to make possible all the things we now

take for granted. Gratitude creates connections we hadn’t even thought of; connections

with each other and connections between our actions and the future.

#1 If, however, you feel as though you have little to give, or if you feel overwhelmed

by the amount of work facing you either at home or at your church home, please

remember the words from our earlier reading. “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do

everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with

what I can do.” Do what you feel you can do, in your life and in your church home

activities. Small causes can even have enormous effect, like the flapping of a butterfly

wing that causes a hurricane on the other side of the world. Actions that start out small

may create waves of positive change. Even then, you may not see any connection for

awhile. Still, do the only thing you can do, the only thing you have any control over. Stir

your hand in the pond then watch tiny ripples begin to move in all directions and let go of

the outcome.

#2 This is not an exclusively Unitarian Universalist mindset. Most of the spiritual

traditions teach some form of the law of cause and effect. Whether it’s the theistic

traditions like Judaism and Christianity that teach that a Creator God is the ultimate cause

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who keeps account of good and evil in the world, or non theistic traditions like Buddhism

and Taoism that teach that the law of cause and effect is built into the very nature of life,

and the universe itself keeps balance, most traditions encourage some sort of personal

involvement in the shaping of your own reality. Even if you’re a newcomer to UUSP,

there are many opportunities here to create your own ripple in this UU pond. Please

don’t allow being new to interfere with what you can do. If you wish to share your

discovery of this special place with others, you don’t need secret answers that are

unearthed only after years of experience here. One of the aspects that makes our faith

unique is that we don’t “do” answers…we ask questions. Ask guests “what are you

looking for?” Is it the freedom to doubt as well as believe? Here in this place, doubt and

belief work hand in hand to free the mind. Is it a place to grow spiritually? Here in this

place we view spiritual life as a journey, not a destination. We don’t save souls. We

grow them. Is it a way to live that makes a difference? Here in this place we believe that

life is meaningful when you spend it on something larger than your own. Everyone has

something to give that can change the world.

#1 Once guests have come in and are no longer newcomers, we might ask them how

we can provide support on their own journeys and deepen their understanding of their

own gifts and talents. To assist in this deepening level of involvement, we offer covenant

groups. Although Sunday morning services are the hubs of our religious wheels, at about

140 members we are too many to have a meaningful discussion over coffee where

everyone can hear and be heard. Everyone’s spiritual journey will deepen richly from the

interaction small groups provide.

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Who Do I Approach To Become More Involved Here? #2 Once members have pursued their own spiritual journeys and identified their gifts and talents, how can we utilize those talents to deepen our spirit of religious community? How can we, each of us, share our talents as a ministry to others in this religious community?

#1 I don’t know. But I know who to ask. We can ask Cheryl and Mark how we

might assist with coffee hour.

#2 We can ask how to share our gifts of song by asking Annie, Caleb, Carol, Dan,

Dave, Dave, David, Don, Dorothy, Evie, Fred, Ginny, Heaven, Jack, Julie, Laurie,

Liz, McKell, Mia, Mike, Miriam, Nancy, Paul, Peter, Rebecca, Summer and Tina

about joining the choir.

#1 Do you want our church to be picture perfect? Grab your camera and capture our

special moments with photographers Barbara, Michael and Luis.

#2 Do you love to take minutes of meetings? Text Michael.

#1 Are you handy? Hammer it out with Fred and Reggie and Laurie and Mike on

buildings and grounds.

#2 Are you technically savvy? Tweet Morgan about our communications.

#1 Love kids? Come forward with Dolores, Shannon, Careena, Rob and Joe.

#2 Have a medical background? Make an appointment with Rose.

#1 Have ideas about Sunday services? Margie’s the go to person.

#2 Do you play an instrument? Strum along with Fred, Laurie, McKell and Fred.

#1 Are you a woman? Talk to Betsy or Pat.

#2 Are you a man? Talk to Mike.

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#1 Are you a Humanist? It’s Rosemary.

#2 Do you love to stay awake all night thinking about balanced books? Go figure

with Sally and Alex.

#1 Do you love to count money? Bank on Dani and Dave.

#2 Do your talents include sorting clothes and schlepping? Migrate over to Karen

and the migrant ministry.

#1 Do you love music but feel that you can’t sing? Ring in the service with Handbell

ringers Michael, Margie, Sally, Rebecca, Karen, Anne, Alex and Peter.

#2 Do you consider yourself a webmaster wannabe? Click on Michael.

#1 Are you concerned about others? Care with Alec and the Care Ministry.

#2 Are you good in the kitchen? Feed the homeless with Reggie and the homeless

ministry.

#1 Does your life find meaning in the nuisances of administration? Sit down with

the administrative group of Margie, Jeff and Sally.

#2 Want to enhance the spiritual journeys of others while broadening your own?

Check in with Covenant Group Facilitators Dave, Dorothy, Dean, Sally, Tina or

Karen.

#1 Do you want to ensure that a Jim will never tell another joke from the pulpit?

Give feedback to McKell and the Ministry on Ministry.

#2 Want to explore your spiritual journey through your body? Vandana teaches Yoga.

#1 Are you a genuinely warm and friendly person? Dave can usher you into the

Congregational Life Ministry.

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#2 Do you have the gifts of time, talent, dedication and tons of patience? The Board

of Trustees consists of Margie, Dave, Laurie, Jeff, Tina, Robb and Teresa.

One More Time #1 So, how can I make a difference? First, act as if what you do makes a

difference. It does.

#2 Next, no matter how long or short a time you’ve been attending here, enhance

your spiritual journey beyond the beauty of Sunday morning services from 11:00 until

12:00 by becoming more involved in your church home activities.

#1 Finally, discover a small group within this special place where you can use your

unique talents to make a difference in your life, the lives of others and the lives of future

members yet unknown.

#2 Let’s act and become more involved and volunteer to make a difference in the

same spirit and for the same reasons we do all that we do in life…get ready to say it with

me…most of us know how these sermons always end…

ALL to bring Dignity, Meaning, Worth and Joy to all our days.

#1 Please rise and join in singing the closing hymn, #118 in the Grey books, “This

Little Light Of Mine.”