“The great end in religious instruction is not to stamp our minds upon the young, but to stir up their own. . . “ William Ellery Channing
Friends,
William Ellery Channing is considered by many as the father of American Unitarianism. He laid out the theological tenets of Unitarian Christianity and was instrumental in the establishment of the American Unitarian Association in May of 1825. In the 200 years since, our association of congregations has evolved, merging Unitarians and Universalists together and growing to be inclusive of diverse religious traditions. Even so, much of Channing’s thinking and teaching is evident in our practice of Unitarian Universalism today, including how we approach religious education and faith formation.
We don’t teach a set of doctrines or creeds, or in Channing’s words, “not to stamp our minds on the young, but to stir up their own.” Instead, we strive to equip people of all ages with a sense of wonder and adventure in approaching the big questions of life, like: Where do we come from? Is there purpose to our existence? What happens when we die? Why do bad things happen? Who or what is God? Or is there such a thing as God? How do we best live, knowing we must die?
We don’t offer up answers in the form of a creed, but encourage people of all ages to engage the questions and arrive at their own credo, or personal statement of belief. The intent is the formation of a faith that will sustain them through all that life brings; the good times and bad times, joys and struggles.
What is compelling to me about a credo is that it is not set in stone, not stagnant, but evolves and changes over time. It isn’t always written out in words but is felt in our hearts and expressed in our everyday actions.
As we acknowledge this milestone moment in Unitarian Universalist history, may we keep the spirit of wonder and adventure alive.
Yours in shared ministry,
Rev. Diane
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