The Shaker song tells us “Tis a gift to be simple, ‘tis a gift to be free,” and liberty-loving complexity-filled Unitarian Universalist hearts surge. Sometimes when technology, capitalism, and humanity twist and turn this world towards exponential complexity, the song of simplicity calls.
Rather than solely a material endeavor, spiritual simplicity can invite letting go and surrendering to the essentials of the present. What is truly essential in your mind, your life, and the world? What would it be like to focus primarily or even solely on those essentials?
As a congregation, one of our opportunities to simplify is to focus our shared ministry on making progress towards our Ends. The Board’s work on Policy Governance simplifies our governance process by clarifying the expected outcomes of ministry (the Ends), putting limits on the means by which we achieve those Ends (limits like safety, asset protection, and financial condition), and then encouraging our shared ministry to pursue those Ends outcomes. It simplifies by providing focus (the Ends) and rules (the limitations), and then let us go forth and share ministry together!
This summer, I hope you get to have the simple joy of some human connection, beauty, time outside, and love. I will be pursuing these joys as well, and am out of the office from June 18 – July 31. I look forward to seeing you again in August!
With love,
Jennifer