Unitarian Universalist Meeting of
“Following Our Dreams”
Rev. Kathy Duhon
Many years ago, I came across the Walt Disney quote, “If you can DREAM it, you can DO it.” That’s a pretty fantastic statement – I’m not sure if it’s true. Maybe if Walt Disney or other geniuses dream something, they can do it. Certainly, many dreams out there do not come true – maybe they are too fantastical or impractical, but also, the dreamers do not always follow through for some reason or other, including that they have gone on to different dreams.
And, many dreams do come true. Folks dream of falling in love, owning a home, learning to play an instrument, visiting a special place, going to Disney World, etc. Dreams come true because we keep them alive; because we believe and work to make them happen. Just dreaming is beautiful – we should dream all our lives, even if it isn’t always true that “if you can dream it, you can do it.”
What I do believe is true is the opposite. “If you want to do anything, you have to dream it first, and then follow your dream.” A dream is like a rehearsal, or maybe initially like an audition. You cannot stage the full production unless you first try out for the role, and then practice it, and that’s what you do when you dream.
I have had wonderful dreams in my life, some of which I hope will still come true, some of which are already part of the fabric of my life. One dream I had as a teenager was that a religion which was universal and rooted in our oneness could bring all the people of the world together. I did not know about Unitarian Universalism at the time – I thought I was going to have to invent something new. I am now following the dream that the universalism of our own amazing religion will help to bring the people of the world and the religions of the world together, and I know that my dream is in process already. The audition has happened, but the final production may be a ways off.
In college, I used to dream of creating a community center, where people could share and learn and help each other and grow together. I did not know that a congregation could be a community center. This dream is already beginning to be fulfilled now by UUMSB – we are a place where folks can share good times and hard ones too; learn about important issues, ideas and hopes; help each other in service and with love; and grow together in faith. We have launched this dream, but you might say we are still in rehearsal time, looking for the community center itself, in which we can stage a full production.
A few years back, I followed a dream of beginning a Unitarian Universalist congregation for our community, and here we are, ten years later, a vibrant congregation. I dreamed that such a congregation could be a beacon of hope. We are. I dreamed that we would minister to each other and make the world a better place. We do. This is a body of people where the most worthy, meaningful dreams are coming true. And yet, my dream is not complete – maybe it will always be unfolding as it becomes the living dream of the folks who come to be together as the Unitarian Universalist Meeting of South Berkshire, but I believe that this dream will grow much larger, with the growth of the congregation and our someday wonderful home of our own.
Last Sunday was a dream come true – we were full to overflowing with folks who long for peace and who needed to be together with others in the spirit of peace. We ministered to this community, and to the world. We dreamed of peace and we helped make that dream more real.
I have to tell you a funny story about last week, though. We had seven wonderful folks come to help us do the service – three musicians and four worship leaders. Two were old friends who had been here before. Of the remaining five, three were confused about where UUMSB is located. Two asked ahead of time, thinking we were somewhere else, but one was lost until just before the service. Were we at St. James, or at the Friends Meeting House? We are in a temporary home and that makes it hard for the world to place us, and find us.
Of the many who
did find us last Sunday, some had heard about us for years and were glad to
finally come to a service. One of these
folks told me that she had seen me at the lecture at Simon’s Rock with the
woman from
I dream of a home of our own. We have been looking – wow, have we been looking! Much hard work has gone into this search, and Bob Dix and Ron Dlugosz should be much appreciated for their endless efforts, as well as the whole Meeting Space Committee. We have been walking up and down many pieces of land in the greater Great Barrington area, but land is expensive, appropriate land is sparse, and our coffers are not that large, although we have been saving for a long time.
For several years, we have put $5000 into the Building Fund from our budget annually, and folks have occasionally added a few hundred or a few thousand to the fund personally. Last year, our budget was tighter and we could only allot $3000 for the Building Fund. I hope we can dream bigger this year, much bigger.
In our own home,
we will be better able to grow and follow our dreams as a congregation. Although it’s true that we will always be
growing and rehearsing, when we are settled in a center of Unitarian
Universalism for
You are a generous congregation, with hearts the size of watermelons – I have known this for years. Each year we have a chance to pledge ourselves to following the dreams of our congregation. With our hearts and minds and strength and resources, we can make our dreams come true. Come, dream a dream with me, of a Unitarian Universalist Meeting of South Berkshire in full swing production. What a blessing to the world. So may we blessed be.