*Above picture is of me preaching during a Zoom worship service in December of 2020, as seen in the house of a congregant.
There are many dimensions to ministry. The following I choose to highlight because they are, in my mind, a minister's core areas of responsibility.
Preaching and Worship
UU minister Jacob Trapp said that worship is "the mystery within us reaching out to the mystery beyond." Worship is an action of the heart, whereby we connect with something deep in ourselves while also seeking to re-connect to the ultimate mystery that is existence itself. When I prepare a worship service, I am always seeking to facilitate some kind of re-alignment: helping people re-align with their deepest inner priorities; helping us re-connect with each other, rebuilding a sense of community; reminding the congregation of their core values; opening mind and heart to the big concerns of life; and perhaps even enabling some kind of encounter/reconnection to the Holy (however that is understood).
Sermons are an important part of the worship experience. My sermons always come out of a thoughtful process of research, contemplation, and even struggle with a difficult topic or text. Sermons are where, as Ralph Waldo Emerson put it, "life is passed through the fire of thought" and we hear, hopefully, a word of truth that is needed in this present moment.
*Leading worship on Christmas Eve, 2019, at the UU Fellowship of Falmouth. Pic by Larry Ladd.
Preaching and Worship
UU minister Jacob Trapp said that worship is "the mystery within us reaching out to the mystery beyond." Worship is an action of the heart, whereby we connect with something deep in ourselves while also seeking to re-connect to the ultimate mystery that is existence itself. When I prepare a worship service, I am always seeking to facilitate some kind of re-alignment: helping people re-align with their deepest inner priorities; helping us re-connect with each other, rebuilding a sense of community; reminding the congregation of their core values; opening mind and heart to the big concerns of life; and perhaps even enabling some kind of encounter/reconnection to the Holy (however that is understood).
Sermons are an important part of the worship experience. My sermons always come out of a thoughtful process of research, contemplation, and even struggle with a difficult topic or text. Sermons are where, as Ralph Waldo Emerson put it, "life is passed through the fire of thought" and we hear, hopefully, a word of truth that is needed in this present moment.
*Leading worship on Christmas Eve, 2019, at the UU Fellowship of Falmouth. Pic by Larry Ladd.
Pastoral Care
Pastoral care means being the presence in the room that will not judge, and who will hold whatever you can't hold on your own. It means being a listening ear. It means helping you remember how to listen to your own self, reminding you of your strength and resources when life makes you forget.
Pastoral care means being a presence in the hospital for those who are sick, checking in on congregants in their home when they're unable to make it out, making sure no one feels forgotten. It means being known in the larger community as a living safe space and compassionate presence for those suffering discrimination, hate, abuse, or marginalization.
Pastoral care isn't the work of just one person, however. Caring for each other is the work of the whole community. We are all interconnected, interwoven, and we need each other. Making this a communal reality is at the heart of pastoral ministry. In all the congregations I've served in (two as intern and the one as minister), I have started or helped restructure and lead teams of lay pastoral caregivers, to assist me (or the minister) in the work of pastoral care. It's all part of making sure no one is ever forgotten or left behind.
*Photo by me. From the altar for a Maundy Thursday service assembled by Manna (a Boston-area Episcopal homeless community). These "hands of Jesus" were found in garbage by one of the regular members. They are actually hands of Buddha, but which holy figure we call them by is not important to me. They remind me that it is we who are to be the hands of Love at work in our world.
Pastoral care means being the presence in the room that will not judge, and who will hold whatever you can't hold on your own. It means being a listening ear. It means helping you remember how to listen to your own self, reminding you of your strength and resources when life makes you forget.
Pastoral care means being a presence in the hospital for those who are sick, checking in on congregants in their home when they're unable to make it out, making sure no one feels forgotten. It means being known in the larger community as a living safe space and compassionate presence for those suffering discrimination, hate, abuse, or marginalization.
Pastoral care isn't the work of just one person, however. Caring for each other is the work of the whole community. We are all interconnected, interwoven, and we need each other. Making this a communal reality is at the heart of pastoral ministry. In all the congregations I've served in (two as intern and the one as minister), I have started or helped restructure and lead teams of lay pastoral caregivers, to assist me (or the minister) in the work of pastoral care. It's all part of making sure no one is ever forgotten or left behind.
*Photo by me. From the altar for a Maundy Thursday service assembled by Manna (a Boston-area Episcopal homeless community). These "hands of Jesus" were found in garbage by one of the regular members. They are actually hands of Buddha, but which holy figure we call them by is not important to me. They remind me that it is we who are to be the hands of Love at work in our world.
Social Justice
The work of social justice is interwoven with all that we do. I bristle when critics say that we're "too political" or that we're "not a real religion" because of our activism. When I march in the streets for a better world it is not mere "politics"; my religion demands a world where all humans can flourish and find fulfillment. When I preach social justice from the pulpit or at rallies my goal is never to give a veneer of religious sanction to a political party's agenda; when I speak for justice and liberation it is because, to me, these are moral values. It is about speaking up for what is right and not being afraid to rebuke evil.
I strive in my social justice ministry to be educated by and follow the lead of those most marginalized. Who better to tell us how to overcome patriarchy than women? Who better to show us how to foster justice for transgender people than trans folk themselves? Who knows better the extent of white supremacy than people of color? Sometimes the most powerful way to lead as a minister with white male privilege is to share the pulpit and the mic with those otherwise denied a voice in our society.
As always, of course, this work must start at home. We must start by liberating ourselves from false ways of seeing each other and relating to each other. We change the world first by changing ourselves, and then we can work to help our congregation model in miniature the world we long for. We can show such a world is possible by being small examples of it in action. As Arundhati Roy said, "Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. One a quiet day, I can hear her breathing."
*
Photo of me speaking at the Juneteenth rally on June 20th, 2020, on the Falmouth Town Green. The event was an official part of a nationwide series of actions by the Movement for Black Lives, part of many Black Lives Matter events happening that summer around the nation. Photo by Larry Ladd.
The work of social justice is interwoven with all that we do. I bristle when critics say that we're "too political" or that we're "not a real religion" because of our activism. When I march in the streets for a better world it is not mere "politics"; my religion demands a world where all humans can flourish and find fulfillment. When I preach social justice from the pulpit or at rallies my goal is never to give a veneer of religious sanction to a political party's agenda; when I speak for justice and liberation it is because, to me, these are moral values. It is about speaking up for what is right and not being afraid to rebuke evil.
I strive in my social justice ministry to be educated by and follow the lead of those most marginalized. Who better to tell us how to overcome patriarchy than women? Who better to show us how to foster justice for transgender people than trans folk themselves? Who knows better the extent of white supremacy than people of color? Sometimes the most powerful way to lead as a minister with white male privilege is to share the pulpit and the mic with those otherwise denied a voice in our society.
As always, of course, this work must start at home. We must start by liberating ourselves from false ways of seeing each other and relating to each other. We change the world first by changing ourselves, and then we can work to help our congregation model in miniature the world we long for. We can show such a world is possible by being small examples of it in action. As Arundhati Roy said, "Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. One a quiet day, I can hear her breathing."
*
Photo of me speaking at the Juneteenth rally on June 20th, 2020, on the Falmouth Town Green. The event was an official part of a nationwide series of actions by the Movement for Black Lives, part of many Black Lives Matter events happening that summer around the nation. Photo by Larry Ladd.
Administration
The minister is also chief of staff and administrative head. Since all the work of paid staff, and all the work of the institutional church, is fundamentally about our ministry, our service to the world, that makes administration a key component of my work. I view the staff as a covenantal team, and I seek to empower and support each staff person in their work, helping them to bring forth their best self, feel a real sense of investment in what they do, and let them shine with their unique gifts.
The administration of the church, though, is not simply paid staff. Many volunteers work to make our ministry happen, and the minister oversees all of that. As with staff, my goal is never to micromanage; I want to equip all volunteers and committee or team chairs to have what they need to do their work, and to keep their work connected to our vision and values. What's more, one of my proudest accomplishments where I currently serve is the work I've done breaking down silos between committees and building deeper collaboration among all parts of the congregation.
*Shot of the name plaque on the door of my former church office door. During non-COVID times, my regular scheduled times in my office (with my door usually open) were not only times for congregants to drop-in, but also times for regular collaboration with other staff and church leaders.
The minister is also chief of staff and administrative head. Since all the work of paid staff, and all the work of the institutional church, is fundamentally about our ministry, our service to the world, that makes administration a key component of my work. I view the staff as a covenantal team, and I seek to empower and support each staff person in their work, helping them to bring forth their best self, feel a real sense of investment in what they do, and let them shine with their unique gifts.
The administration of the church, though, is not simply paid staff. Many volunteers work to make our ministry happen, and the minister oversees all of that. As with staff, my goal is never to micromanage; I want to equip all volunteers and committee or team chairs to have what they need to do their work, and to keep their work connected to our vision and values. What's more, one of my proudest accomplishments where I currently serve is the work I've done breaking down silos between committees and building deeper collaboration among all parts of the congregation.
*Shot of the name plaque on the door of my former church office door. During non-COVID times, my regular scheduled times in my office (with my door usually open) were not only times for congregants to drop-in, but also times for regular collaboration with other staff and church leaders.