A Proposed Covenant for First Parish

As members of First Parish Brewster Unitarian-Universalist Congregation we affirm:

Love is the doctrine of this Church,

the quest for truth is its sacrament,

and service is our prayer,

to the end that all souls shall grow into harmony with the divine.

I, therefore, covenant to support this affirmation by:

• Committing to love ever more fully, as I learn from people of different religions and backgrounds.
• Committing to my own integrity as I seek the truth of my life.  I reflect on my beliefs and actions and take responsibility for my spiritual growth.
• Committing to the service of this congregation, the wider UU community and the world.  I commit to give of my time, talents and financial resources, as I am able.
• Committing to honor the presence in my life of the divine as I understand it, recognizing that there is a strength and harmony in coming together which I cannot find alone.
• Committing to celebrate the full diversity of humanity.

That we may keep this covenant in faithfulness, First Parish Brewster Unitarian Universalist Church commits to:

• Providing opportunities for building a loving community.
• Providing opportunities for seeking truth.
• Providing ways and means to finding one’s own particular path of service.
• Providing many and varied opportunities to worship together.
• Welcoming and celebrating the presence and full participation of all persons regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, economic status, religious and political perspective, or other of the distinctions that are used to keep us from embracing our common humanity.
• Fair and just stewardship of resources to ensure First Parish Brewster’s financial, moral and spiritual health.

This covenant was written during the 2006-2007 church year by a subgroup of our Membership Committee at the behest of our Board of Trustees.  Unitarian Universalists, traditionally, have been held together not by creed but by covenant, not by what we believe but by the promises we make to and with one another about how we will be in community.  What does it mean to be a member of First Parish?  The covenant is one answer.

During this, the 2007-2008 church year, Rev. Erik has been using his “Words of Wikstrom” column to explore the idea of covenant in general and this covenant in particular.  To discuss this proposal, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FPBCovenant  

or send Rev. Erik an e-mail at Erik.fpb@verizon.net.