Sermon by Danielle Webber.

First Unitarian Congregation of Toronto has been gathering virtually for the past month and will continue to do so for the rest of the summer, as you all transition out of one gathering space, and into a temporary building. I have thought often about UU Communities in the past several years as being called Homes. New friends and members in our communities will talk about coming Home to our faith, or that our spaces feel like home, and individuals who have been members for years, talk about how our communities are second homes for them. It seems like such a great analogy, a place where you can find comfort, be yourself, and there will be others who care about you. But what if this analogy does not fit? Ought we treat our faith community as a place where comfort happens, or where we can witness holy space? Are our buildings, our Sacred gatherings places where we can be ourselves, or might they be places where we are called to be our highest self? A space where we are called to live into our principles and uphold values that ask us to stretch into our discomfort in order to create spaces for others to find welcome. Could we change the language and find a more useful analogy, one that fits better and calls us to a different standard?

I look forward to exploring these ideas with you this Sunday,
Rev. Danielle