If you really want to know something about having a vision, become an immigrant, or an emigrant if you’re already here. There is nothing more exhilarating than leaving behind what at least appears to be a dull, dreary life, and to go to a place of excitement and possibility! For me, coming to America—to New York City, no less—was an adventure par excellence! I had a vision of life in America. I was not disappointed for I had a vision of what I wanted and I set about creating it and I had fun doing it.

         In England in the late 1960’s, the television shut down at 12 midnight, so coming here and watching Johnnie Carson into the wee hours was exciting (at least for a few months). However, nothing matched the mesmerizing experience of free poetry readings in Greenwich Village, street artists, musicians, dancers, singers, and hawkers, and free museums as magnificent as the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

         I thought I had America figured out until one day, a curious piece of art stopped me in my tracks in, not a free Museum, but one that charged quite a highfee; it was the Guggenheim Museum. I don’t know whether you have seen it, but it is in the shape of the bow of a ship. I could hardly imagine what kind of art such a building might hold.

         So one day, I gathered my precious dollars and spent $4 on admission, which was quite high in those days, the late 1960’s. I saw a lot of strange art that day—contemporary and modern they called it—but nothing was stranger then and now to me than a piece of sculpture called “Black Box.” Can you imagine what it looked like? Yes, it was just that, a black box. It was a 3-foot by 3-foot cube of wood painted black. I simply could not believe my eyes. I looked around to see whether it was actually a seat for people to sit on to look at the other works of art. But, no, for there was next to it a plaque with the artist’s name and the name of the piece was “Black Box.” This was also the beginning of the White on White squares on canvass that also passed as art and they were in the Metropolitan Museum of Art! No doubt my education was sadly lacking in fine arts but it seemed likely to me at that time that the artist was actually a con-artist! This was the beginning of my Great Awakening; that is, one person’s vision of great art, is not another’s. In fact, one person’s vision of a fine life is not another’s.

         You have heard the saying, “Birds of a feather, flock together.” I have found that this is true for the most part. Look at us. In order for people to be drawn together, they must share some important things in common. Unitarian Universalists share similar values. These are expressed primarily in our Seven Principles and six sources from which we draw our inspiration. These principles and sources often inspire us to form a common vision of what we want for ourselves as a community.

         The more similar a community, the easier it is to construct a common vision. The most famous community with a common vision was the ancient Hebrews. They had their God. Their God gave them a covenant—rules of behavior to follow and if they lived by those rules, those laws, he would lead them to the Promised Land. The Promised Land became their vision.

         What they didn’t understand (and there are many who do not now) was that the Promised Land was not a place; it was really a peaceful and righteous way of living that is attained only when there is a fair and just society; the Promised land is in the human heart. Some theologians believe that Jesus meant that this was the Kingdom (or City) of God—the just society on earth. Nowadays, in our religion, we call the Promised Land, the Beloved Community. The Beloved Community is the ideal community that we want to become.

         Our reading this morning talked of the fact that change happens. It does! Why not consciously bring about the change that we want rather than the change that happens while we’re not looking! Why not create a vision with our power of intention? Perhaps you have heard on PBS New Age guru, Dwane Dyer talking about the Power of Intention as being a creative energy field that we can use to create the life that we want. I do not know whether intention is an actual field, but it certainly makes sense that having a vision of what we want to create is like knowing where we are going when we set out on a journey.

         I know that it is possible to get into a car and just drive and sometimes this is fine. Sometimes “blowing with the wind” is okay. But in order to grow and change effectively, it is a good idea to know who we are and what we might grow to become, so there might be some intentionality, or power of intent. Otherwise, perhaps the wind would just keep us jogging in place. This is why experts advise groups to create a new vision every three to five years. It is one thing to have an individual vision but far more exciting and interesting to forge a communal vision to guide our religious activities.

         If you think that Bible stories are just ancient stories to be put aside when we grow up, you are mistaken. Stories of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Moses, Exodus, the Promised Land are stories of the human condition and of what might be. They are psychological milestones there to show us all the warts as well as the potential of life.

         Political parties understand that if you do not have a well articulated vision, you cannot get elected. This is why the Democrats are floundering; they have lost their vision; there’s nothing to articulate that’s better or more just that the Republicans. The Democrats have lost their way.

         In Proverbs [29:18] we are told, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” Of course, people do not really perish, they are just not fully alive! A vision is a powerful thing: it encourages us to set goals, to dream dreams, to bring justice. The American dream has changed over the centuries. First it was the Promised Land, the New Eden, the Good City on the Hill, and all of Europe looked at it with envy as the vision of freedom from kings, class, unjust laws, and poverty.

         In ancient Israel, when the people lost their vision of a just society, the prophets stepped in and called them back to justice. Nowadays, it is the role of liberal religions to call the government back to a just society. We are the prophets. But the religious community must have its own vision for its own sake and its own growth.

         A vision must be supported by a mission, a group of activities that comprise the map of how to achieve the vision. And the people must have a covenant of how they will best walk together towards the vision. On the back of our Order of Service every week is the Mission statement of our Society. Let us have a look at it. It says:

         The Mission of the Unitarian Universalist Society of Fairhaven is to maintain a place of open religion and fellowship for individuals and families which supports and consoles emotionally, inspires spiritually, challenges intellectually, promotes tolerance, understanding and respect for all people, and puts ideals into action for the benefit of ourselves and the greater community.

         It is pretty good, isn’t it? When we create our vision, we’ll see whether our mission statement must change.

         A covenant is an agreement of the rules we will follow as we interact with one another. The covenant that we read at the beginning of our service today is from our hymnbook—“Love is the Spirit of this church and service its prayer.” Variations of this are read weekly by congregations across the nation. When our vision and mission are created, perhaps we will create our version of a covenant like this. Perhaps it will be more expansive or more specific. It is our choice.

          It would be a wonderful thing if at least all of us here, in this room, would sign up to participate in the creation of this vision, mission, and covenant on Saturday, March 5th, 9 to 3 pm. Will you do it? Will you help us create the Beloved Community that is the most effective it can be? If you have children, we will have childcare for them. The more of us who participate, the more authentically representative will be the vision. So I hope you will ponder this deeply. This workshop is a big step for us on our way to growing our communal soul. Oh, yes, we have a soul—it is who we are collectively. I am speaking of course to members and friends but also to frequent visitors who think they might become part of this community. And here is the sign-up sheet. It will be here next week as well, even though I will be away.

         So what do you think? Are you brave and committed enough to create a vision, a mission, and a covenant? It could be an educational process as well a community-building one.

          Our religious journey together is like a choreographed dance, with some built-in opportunities for improvisation to always allow for creativity and spontaneity. May I have this dance with you? Let us sing, Hymn #311 Let It Be a Dance!