Dear Ones:

Our ministry theme for March is trust. I recently discovered a short list of lessons on trust from the writer, activist, and organizer adrienne maree brown. She compiled these lessons from a 2019 workshop in New Orleans known as an “emergent strategy immersion.” The lessons speak to me about the role of trust in a congregation. In fact, as you read the list below, every time you encounter the word “people,” I invite you to substitute the word “congregation,” and think about UUSE as you do. Here’s the list:

trust the people who move towards you and already feel like home.

trust the people to let you rest.

trust the people to do everything better than you could have imagined.

trust the people and they become trustworthy.

trust that the people are doing their work to trust themselves.

trust that each breach of trust can deepen trust or clarify boundaries.

trust the people who revel in pleasure after hard work.

trust the people who let children teach/remind us how to emote, be still, and laugh.

trust the people who see and hold your heart.

trust the people who listen to the whales.

trust the people and you will become trustworthy.

trust the people and show them your love.

trust the people.

I especially like the notion that in trusting the people (congregation), the people (congregation) become trustworthy. AND, in trusting the people (congregation), we become trustworthy. I like the sense of mutuality at the heart of this notion. I like the way trust moves back and forth between people. I like how our trustworthiness grows in relation to our willingness to trust. Trust is infectious: the more I trust you, the more you trust me. And the more we trust each other, the more vulnerable we can be, the more honest we can be, the more human we can be.

The presence of trust does not mean breaches of trust won’t happen. Breaches do happen. These lessons acknowledge this reality. But if handled well, breaches of trust provide opportunities for the clarification of boundaries, the clarification of community norms, assumptions and agreements, the clarification of what works in community and what doesn’t. And as we gain clarity, we restore trust, and the cycle continues.

For now, I invite you to spend some time with brown’s lessons on trust. Read them closely and slowly. Return to them throughout the month. Which lessons speak the most to you? Which are most important for us as a congregation? Please share your thoughts with other UUSE members and friends. Please feel free to share them with me. What does it mean to you to ‘trust the people?’

With love and care,

Rev. Josh Pawelek

#MarchNewsletter