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| The
Reverend Nathan L. Stone |
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I
prefer Starbucks.
That is—I would far rather be sitting at Starbucks talking face
to face with you than having to use this medium. But this will have to
do for now.
Welcome to the world we call UUWaco: the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship
of Waco. We call ourselves UUWaco for short.
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There
are many ways to define Unitarian Universalism.
The simplest way I know to describe us is that
we are a church that accepts, affirms, and welcomes
all spiritual paths, believing that we can get
along, learn and grow together, worship together,
and work to make this world a better place.
The Unitarian part means we believe in freedom, reason, and tolerance.
We are
non-creedal which means we do not embrace the various creeds and fixed
beliefs that characterize traditional Christian religion.
The Universalist part means that we believe that all people are inherently
good (though some behave badly, others very badly) and that we all belong
to the larger family of God or the Spirit of Life or the Ground of Being
. . . or whatever you choose to call the Other. The Universalist goal is
to embrace all people regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or
religious path. We work overtime to see good in all people. We embrace
animals and all creation.
I also think it is important for you to know that I was ordained a Southern
Baptist
minister in 1963 and have served as a parish minister in that denomination
until 1996. The few years that I was away from parish ministry I served
as a pastoral counselor and as a hospice chaplain. I entered the world
of Unitarian Universalism in 2001: what freedom, what latitude, what love,
what hope, what refreshment.
I tend to call myself a "world religionist" although my core values (and
upbringing) are based on Christian teachings. But you must allow me to
define what I mean by Christian. Others in our congregation would identify
themselves as Buddhist or agnostics or pagans/adherents of an earth-based
spirituality. Others would call themselves atheists. I think that all of
us would say we are seekers, searchers, people with more questions than
answers, and folks who are willing to live with ambiguity versus certainty.
Well enough of this. I could go on and on. But, like I said, I would really
rather be at Starbucks and talking to you face to face.
Aloha and Namaste.
Nathan L. Stone, Ph.D.
email: natpat@grandecom.net |
Mission
Statement:
'We are a haven for a diverse community that values inquiry over dogma
and seeks spiritual and personal growth, fellowship, and a more just
world.'
We welcome you to join us
at UU Waco!
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