My mother and I have an annual ritual that began with the birth of my first son. We depart our homes, mine in Tampa, hers in Punta Gorda, and we meet half way at the Ellenton Outlet Mall. Our mission? To purchase adorable Easter clothes for my two boys, Desi, 5 and Casey, 4.
My mother loved dressing me and my two brothers in matching Easter outfits. I thought it was fun, on the most part, except for the pantyhose.
What I loved the most were beautiful Easter baskets! Mine was light blue with an enormous amount of tulle wrapped around it and tied with silky ribbon. I can still smell the sweetness of the green plastic grass and taste the sugar explosion of the giant jelly beans filled with marshmallow.
Easter was a big deal.
The whole day centered around our time at church worshipping as a family. We all sat together, grandparents, parents, children. After service we’d have our Easter Egg hunt on the church playground before going out to eat, going to my grandparents house and going home. (For more Easter Egg hunts, of course!)
Easter will be here in a few weeks and I wonder… where would I take my children on Easter morning, or any Sunday morning, if I did not have the Unitarian Universalist Church?
Certainly not the church I was raised in, the Baptist church. I no longer agree with the theology of the Baptist church. My theology is Unitarian Universalist. But I still STRONGLY believe in the benefit of church.
My family was very active in our church community. We were present at most church potlucks and parties and were all baptized (my mother as a baby!) in that church. My whole family attended Sunday School before worship on Sunday. I sang in the choir, attended youth group and took mission trips. We ate dinner at church on Wednesday nights and then sat with my parents for evening worship. We learned the rituals and teachings of our religion through constant contact with that community. I remember how good it felt to be a part of such a large loving family, to feel as though I belonged and everyone knew it. Even though our congregation was large, many people knew who I was and that made me feel special, loved, valued.
Studies show that church attendance is down in all religious communities, Unitarian Universalist congregations included. Of course, there are hundreds of thousands of people who self-identify as Unitarian Universalist but are not members of a congregation. I often wonder why that is. I wonder why there are not more children in our awesome UUCT Religious Education program.
Over the years, I have heard many reasons why folks are not showing up to church. Here are a few, with my thoughts.
1. Sunday is our only day off to spend time together as a family at home.
Time spent together as a family at church will strengthen your bond for a lifetime. Also, church can renew your tired spirit and give you inspiration to move on throughout the week.
2. We have sports/scouts/other activities on Sundays.
Sports, Scouts, and other activities do teach valuable lessons but do they teach Unitarian Universalist values? (See UU Principles and Sources)
3. It’s difficult to get ___ out of bed on Sundays so we let him/her sleep in.
Church does not begin until eleven. The worship service my family attended when I was a child began at eight! Of course, we were always a few minutes late and had to sit in the balcony but we were there.
4. It’s difficult for US to get out of bed on Sundays so we sleep in.
See #3.
5. I feel like a stranger in the congregation and haven’t made any close connections.
By attending more frequently and getting to know other folks in the congregation soon people will stop asking, “Is this your first time here?” We have a Parent’s Potluck Picnic on the 3rd Sunday of every month and opportunities for participation in worship every Sunday.
6. I don’t enjoy worship service.
There are many other church activities to participate in other than worship. My husband JD does not dig traditional worship but has spent time as a youth advisor and an RE teacher during service. This contributed to his spirituality greatly.
7. We live too far away. We do not have transportation.
This is a tough one. I know we have people coming to church from all over the Tampa Bay area and it can be quite a drive. Not to mention the price of gas nowadays! Yikes! If this is the reason you are not attending, let Rev. Sara know. There are many people who are willing to carpool to church.
8. The Religious Education classes are too boring.
Ok, so maybe there are tiny moments in RE class that a child might find boring. But on the most part the curriculum is engaging, fun, and filled with opportunities for interaction and fellowship with peers. And, I might add, some say school (Home school included) is boring but we acknowledge its importance, right? Isn’t Religious Education just as important?
9. The small dome is not acceptable for RE classes.
The small dome has been transformed thanks to the hard work of many volunteers. The air is clean and safe, the space is colorful and organized, and the classes are divided by age groups. Yes, it is too small for our growing program, which is why there is a BRAND SPANKING NEW BUILDING being built right before our very eyes right now!!! It is a great time to be a part of this exciting step forward.
10. I will not be punished by an eternity of hell by not attending, so why go?
Ok, so I have not actually heard this reason for not attending church but I thought I would just throw it in for fun. Yes, it is true, I think, that you will not go to hell if you do not attend. At least, I don’t think you’ll go to hell…but then again, which one of us really knows the facts about that one? (What is UU hell anyway? 24 hours of announcements? Being the last person at the potluck table and only getting the unidentifiable bulgar/kale/vegan concoction? Being asked “But you MUST believe that Jesus is the Lord and Savior, right?” over and over and over again?)
The point is I like church and I think you like church too. I grew up going to church and have very fond memories of being in community at church. If you did not grow up attending church, take my word for it, church is good. I am so happy that a church exists that teaches and preaches what I believe, what I have believed since I was about 14. That all people are important and valuable and should be treated fairly and kindly. That we should encourage each other to learn and explore and find our own truth. That we should have the right to speak out and vote on things that concern us. That we should build a peaceful, fair and free world. That we should take care of the planet, the home we share with all living things. That we can weave the wisdom of other religions, science, and personal experience into our own Unitarian Universalist theology.
Easter in the Unitarian Universalist Church is not the same as in the Christian church. We will not be celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. We will be celebrating the life and teachings of Jesus and the amazing potential each and every one of us has to change and be a part of the world, therefore living on in the world beyond our physical departure from it. We will also be celebrating Spring, Renewal, and Community with a flower communion. A Unitarian Universalist Easter service is a beautiful, fun, inspiring time of worship that I feel blessed to be able to share with my family.
On April 27th my sons Casey and Desi will experience their third church Easter Egg hunt. They will continue to build memories and add to their foundation of values and sense of loving community at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa. My prayer is that on this Easter Sunday families will don their Easter clothes (whether that’s matching plaids, frilly dresses or shorts, t-shirts, & crocs), grab their baskets, and enter through the doors of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tampa.
Come, come, whoever you are.
Wonderer, worshipper, lover of leaving.
Ours is no caravan of despair.
Come, yet again, come.
- Rumi
