For those who don’t know me, I’m a decades long member of this congregation and raised my now-adult son here. I have served on the Board, the Ministerial Search Team, the Committee on Ministry and other leadership roles because I want Westside to be welcoming, inclusive, sustainable and relevant. I support adoption of the 8th Principle with the caveat that it become the lived Westside experience and not just a banner on the side of the building or words on the website. This must be a commitment to personal and congregational self-examination, teaching and cultural change. This commitment must be a face forward, visible vow of covenant, inclusion, antiracism and multiculturalism. I want to live in the UU of the future. One that holds us in ethical, moral and spiritual practice and is a force for growth.

I have recently become disappointed by several member’s and former member’s inability to embrace these changes. Hence, I have searched for other denominations that could be my home. While this search has re-confirmed that UUism is the only place for me, it has also made me aware that other liberal faith traditions have already made the type of public proclamations that this congregation has yet to make. This deepens my disappointments. UUism is a covenantal faith and not creedal like the others. So what does that mean in a collected congregation, like ours, of many backgrounds and life experiences? In answering this, I found the discussion of Covenant by the UUA Article II Study Commission informative and thought provoking. Here is the YouTube link (https://fb.watch/b6TIRO3U21/). I hope you will view and reflect. If we don’t offer the tools to build a beloved community based on Covenant; then, we are part of the problem. What do I mean by “Covenant” … seriously, watch the video.