Rev. Joshua Mason Pawelek
Parish Minister
Theology
I like a definition of theology that James Luther Adams put forward many years ago: Theology is the articulation of that which is ultimately reliable.
I believe in God. I rely on God. I’m what you might call a Nature Theist. I equate Nature and God. I see Nature and Nature’s wisdom as the clearest manifestations of God. I see Nature and Nature’s wisdom as the most reliable spiritual ground upon which to stand as I engage the world.
I also suspect (you might say I have faith) that God is more than Nature. Though I don’t profess to know how God is more than Nature, I like to imagine. I like to speculate. In fact, I see all theology as speculation. This is because theology uses words to describe God. Yet experience has taught me that as soon as I settle on a specific set of words to describe God, I have then suddenly set limits on God, and I have therefore not adequately described God. God tends to defy most limits. God tends to transgress and subvert most limits. God is like wind in this regard, knowing no borders or boundaries. As such, I try to remain open to the sacred in my life and in the world. I try to embrace mystery and uncertainty. Sometimes this requires me to not use words. That is, I try to let myself have spiritual experiences before I speak about theology. I let my experiences inform my theology. Speaking about theology first often creates barriers to spiritual experiences and thus barriers to God. I will take insight without words over words without insight any day. Much in the world is unsettled, yet I find the world reliable. Much in God is unsettled, yet I find God reliable. Revelation is not sealed. There is a great openness in the universe. I would rather explore it than settle on any specific words that may pronounce the universe closed.
In addition to my personal theological and spiritual reflections, and despite my reluctance to cling too closely to any theological language, there are a number of theologies that resonate very deeply with me, and which influence my ministry. These include: religious humanism, naturalistic theism (discerning the divine in the rhythms of nature), earth-based and agricultural traditions, my grandmother’s Pennsylvania Dutch, pietistic evangelical Christianity, atheism (such as that of Karl Marx), prophetic Judaism (including the teachings, and ethics of the historical Jesus), Taoism, traditional Christian Universalism (God is all-loving and saves everyone!), and some process theology. I draw upon these theologies at different times for different reasons. When I pray during worship, I am most comfortable as a naturalistic theist, appealing to changing seasons, rolling tides, and the bountiful earth as evidence of divinity. When I want to express the notion that we are all beloved children of the most holy, I draw on traditional Universalism or look to my grandmother’s theology. When I am passionate about justice, I call up the words of prophetic Judaism and the great innovations of religious humanism. When I want to express the notion of living in the moment, I wander with the Taoist masters. This pluralism makes my ministry flexible, far-reaching, and resilient. Each of these theologies inspires me, and together they comprise an integrated whole. I believe it is one of the great insights of current UUism that an individual can have multiple theological inspirations and multiple spiritual practices.
Leadership Style
I am decisive and authoritative on issues I care deeply about. I am not afraid to propose strategies for achieving ends that I hold important. However, I recognize there are many decisions the congregation needs to make regardless of how deeply the minister feels about the outcome. In such situations, I speak my piece, but I also help all points of view to be heard. As a leader, I trust the creativity of the group. I lead by facilitating a search for the best path to follow. I strive to lead through modeling. And I strive to share the ministry.
Social Justice
I wish to be known beyond the local congregation as one who speaks and acts for justice, based on UU principles. My primary approach to working for justice in the community is through developing relationships of accountability to historically marginalized and oppressed groups. For example, an anti-racist congregation is one that makes itself accountable to people of color in the local community, especially people of color who are organized and working for social justice. An anti-classist congregation is one that makes itself accountable to poor and low-income people in the local community, especially poor and low-income people who are organized and working for social justice. I don’t have any illusions that developing such congregational accountability is easy. It is not. But I do believe Unitarian Universalism will only fulfill the social promise of its Universalist heritage—the notion that all are indeed loved, saved, and welcome—when it learns to make itself truly accountable to oppressed communities.
Religious Education
I expect to work in collaboration with the Director of Religious Education to provide ministry to the children of the congregation. I am also committed to multigenerational activities and worship services, and will strive to make these regular events in the life of the congregation I serve. I believe that both children and adults benefit immensely from frequent engagement in multigenerational communities. My approach to religious education is grounded in my observation that human development does not stop at the end of adolescence. Human beings continue to develop on many levels until they take their final breaths, and religious education must account for this. I see UU religious education as having two primary ends. First, it helps individuals of all ages to continually uncover, expand, and live by the truths that reside in their hearts. Second, and more specifically, it develops UU identity. I have a strong interest in leading adult religious education on a variety of topics, and I wish to work very closely with an Adult Religious Education Committee. I enjoy facilitating adult conversations about spirituality, UU identity, and justice-making.
