Institutional Adulting

apparently there's a theme...

Ever since I wrote last week about resolving fake fights, I’ve been thinking about Louis Untermeyer’s poem “Prayer for This House” – which is set as the first hymn in the Unitarian Universalist hymnal Singing the Living Tradition lately –which begins “May nothing evil cross this door.” The last stanza reads

With laughter drown the raucous shout,
and, though these sheltering walls are thin,
may they be strong to keep hate out
and hold love in.

Now I’ve been thinking a lot about these words because of these – dare I say – unprecedented times we are in.

And I’m of two minds about the sentiment. (We’ll set aside the mind that remembers this is a poem about a residence, because I think the poem stands beautifully in that context.) The part that makes me anxious is when sung corporally, in an institution – particularly a religious one – there is a supposition that our congregations are safe havens – bunkers, even. There is in these lyrics a sense of intentional isolation and protectionism.

And.

There is in these words an understanding of invitation into a community of belonging. A place of safety, of blessing, of warmth and comfort, of sacredness. A place of trust – which is perhaps the most important thing we need right now: a community of people we trust, in a nation that is sowing seeds of suspicion.

These lyrics remind us that our congregations can be those strong foundations upon which we build our spiritual and moral cores; where we strengthen our relationships and connections; where we hone our skills for nurturance, activism, and prophetic witness; where we reconnect and heal.

And god knows we need this strong foundation more than ever. I don’t need to tell you that we are on fire and the fire is hateful, destructive, and chaotic. And it doesn’t look like the institutions we relied on in the past to put out the fires are able, or willing, to do so. We are the fire fighters – small bands of volunteers in small and large communities, fulfilling Margaret Mead’s assertion to “never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.”

So what does it mean to be a strong foundation for this unbelievable moment? And more importantly, how do we get there?

Addressing fake fights for sure, is important. Vital, even. But as I thought about last week’s post and prepared to preach for a congregation that is beginning the process of calling their beloved contract minister, I realized that even healthy congregations have got work to do right now.

It’s what I’ve begun thinking of as ‘institutional adulting.’

You see, I have been doing a bit more personal adulting in the last couple of weeks - getting an overdue repair done on my car, assessing my financial picture, making sure my will is up to date, getting the doctor’s appointments scheduled, etc. All of this is personal infrastructure work, strengthening my foundation so I’m not caught short-footed.

Institutional adulting is getting your congregational house in order so that you can focus on what’s coming. For some congregations, that means getting bylaws and policies in order. For others, it may mean settling some outstanding issues. For many, it means some overdue repairs to the building. Others still have some covenant and relational work to address. And some have to deal with strengthening the foundation of their ministries.

No congregation worth its salt – no matter the faith or the population it serves – can afford the luxury of putting things off. No congregation worth its salt can afford to sit idly by and be surprised when tyranny and hate come knocking. We have to get ready. More than ever, how we build and strengthen our institutions matters, and how we demonstrate our faith matters, and how we proclaim our good news matters, and how we fight tyranny and hate matters.

Do not – DO NOT – let the holidays be your excuse. There is far too much to do. It’s gonna be a busy few months, leading into a busy few years.

Like I said last week… break’s over.