"Hope for the Future" -- Religious Education Sunday

Opening Words by the Rev. Melanie Morel-Ensminger
First Unitarian Universalist Church of New Orleans
Sunday, May 17, 2009

This morning we come together as a congregation to celebrate our youth and the dedicated members of our community who serve as Sunday School teachers, child care workers, and other volunteers in the Religious Education Team. We honor them because without them our church would be less than it is -- less joyful, less spontaneous, less in tune with the beat of contemporary life. A church, like any community, cannot survive without young people; they are, quite literally, our hope for the future.

Like all human beings, our children yearn for pathways in life that have integrity; they want to know that despite the world's pain and confusion, there is meaning in a life lived in compassionate connection with others. Our Sunday School classes and youth activities strive to let our children know Unitarian Universalism from the inside out: to see how our Principles and Purposes are lived out in real-life.

In areas as diverse as sex education, concern for the environment, learning about other religions, actions for social justice, and even fellowship and social activities, our children receive from Religious Education Director Lydia Pélot-Hobbs, their teachers and their parents, a sense of how Unitarian Universalists live their lives.

But the rest of us are not exempt. Every adult who has any contact with a child in this congregation becomes a part of that child's religious education. Parents, of course, are their children's first and most important teachers, but each one of us is, in a certain sense, a religious educator. The way we treat each other, the words we use, how we speak and how we listen (or don't listen), how we make decisions, whether or not we exhibit compassion in our dealings with one another, our actions in the wider community -- in fact, everything we do in front of our young people teaches them something of what it means to be a Unitarian Universalist. Through our actions and words, our children learn from us, and gain their own hope for the future.

This morning we look on with wonder and pride as our children once again put on a worship experience for the entire church community. We recognize the contributions of all our Religious Education teachers, and we grant special recognition to an outstanding volunteer. In a church that has historically affirmed children and youth, this service has become important in our congregational life.

As we listen to the presentations of our children, we get glimpses of the adults they are growing up to be. We marvel at their maturity and presence. We get a kick out of their enthusiasm. We look at them and behold our hope for the future of Unitarian Universalism. Let us open ourselves to their insights as they share with us what they have learned, what they dream, and what they hope for the future.

Benediction for Religious Education Sunday

We all rejoice in the children and youth who are with us on life’s journey. We cherish them, and we pledge ourselves to share with them the living wisdom of our religious tradition.

As members of a church family, we promise to stick together and support each other, through thick and thin, through joy and sorrow, through tears and laughter, through work and play and all the choices and challenges life’s journey brings.

As children of a creative spirit, we affirm our relationship to the larger family of life, and our faith that we have within us the power and wisdom to join in the creation of a world of justice, peace and joy. Let us strive to understand ourselves and one another, and to extend the spirit of goodwill as far as our love can reach.

May we all live in joy and laughter as we grow and learn together. Together may we demonstrate the importance of religious education and spiritual growth within our church community, as well as to the world beyond.

Amen — Ashé — Shalom — Salaam — Namasté — Blessed Be.