We nurture hearts and minds, practice beloved community and work for justice.―UU Santa Fe Mission Statement
Give | A Life of Gratitude and Generosity
For it is in giving that we receive.―St. Francis of Assisi
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A Theology of Money, Giving and Stewardship in Our Covenantal Community
Giving Is a Spiritual Practice As Unitarian Universalists, we dedicate ourselves to one another, to promise our mutual trust and support in and among our congregations. It takes a high level commitment of money, time and leadership to realize our vision and sustain our ministries and programs. One of the ways we provide support is through our financial giving. Whether we commit ourselves to a proportion of our income, a weekly contribution through bill pay or make a generous contribution to the weekly offering, our giving matters. Giving and generosity are matters of the spirit and at the heart of stewardship. Giving is a spiritual discipline, a practice that reflects one’s religious values, spiritual depth and maturity. Becoming a generous person involves a lifelong developmental process, which begins in infancy and evolves with each experience of receiving and giving. Our spiritual communities are ones in which the economy of grace invites us all to do all we can with joy and gratitude to be able to offer our gifts.―excerpted from Laurel Amabile, Giving Speaks |
You don’t get anything here. Not for a dollar. Not for ten thousand dollars. You don’t get Hellfire Insurance at a UU congregation or standing-room-only tickets to the Hereafter Show. If we do not become Truth and become Meaning, we will search for both in vain. We are here to give something of ourselves. Meant to be present for one another. And by being so present, receive what we are meant to, not what we want, but what we need.―Steven Mead, UU Religious Educator