Spoken Meditation

A Colored Meditation

Human life is the mixing of
blood red, royal purple, innocent pink,
pure white, earthy brown, sensual green
passionate orange, mysterious black
and sensible blue moments.
Each day, each hour, each minute of our lives
the combinations come and go
blending together to color our existence.
One moment the colors darken with murky density,
the next they shine with vibrant clarity.
Sometimes the intensity is so great,
we wish to tint our glasses, to close our eyes.
May we recognize we
have been, are and will be
more than today's display of color.
If we are attentive, we will see the rainbow after the rain
and the silver in the lining.
Years golden or green continue to deepen
with each moment we see them as they are
and are not afraid to commingle a few sparkles.

Centering Taken from a report summarizing a conference on the Power of Collaboration in September of 1997[1]:

What does it take from individuals and the organization to create ... powerful collaboration? What skills, traits, conditions and awarenesses are the prerequisites for [a] high-level collaborative success?

• [Most important is a] clear and compelling purpose, goals, or tasks. People need a reason to collaborate, a common purpose that is also personally meaningful.

• A commitment to a win-win approach. The shift from power over to power with ... can assist members in overcoming the barriers to their work together. This calls for a conscious choice to collaborate rather than a choice to compete or to achieve only as individuals.

• Leadership support [of collaboration]... Such leadership pays attention to resources, recognition and rewards that will encourage and support the collaborative effort.

• Systematic, inclusive communication processes. Open, honest communication with well-defined processes and clear ground rules are essential to create the trust and effective relationships needed for successful collaboration.

• Clear expectations for roles and responsibilities, decision making, boundaries and tolerance for risk. With no tolerance for risks or mistakes, members become self-protective, are afraid to contribute, and the potential for creativity plummets.

• Commitment to ongoing learning. Collaboration is strengthened when members choose to open up the boundaries of their abilities, skills, knowledge and beliefs. This is different from the mindset of having to come with the answers already formed. In collaboration, people trust that they can voyage into the unknown and create answers together from the unknown. They demonstrate a tolerance for ambiguity. A corollary is that the courage and desire to collaborate are more important than already having all of the needed skills.

• An appreciation of diversity. This value extends to the different talents, experiences, cultural and ethnic backgrounds, and perspectives of members. Included also is an assumption that in a positive atmosphere, diversity can catalyze greater creativity.

• The group strengthens the individuals and the individuals strengthen the group. Groups craft this synergy by an awareness of their process; having fun; doing great work; and by making the commitment to contribute, grow, and learn. Successful collaborators push out the boundaries of their comfort zones by combining safety and challenge, trust and risk, idealism and realism. They give and ask for the best from each member, help each other remember what they know, and are committed to each others' success. This is not merely a mental exercise, but an earnest endeavor calling for the active engagement of the hearts and spirits of all of the collaborators.

From NONVIOLENT ACTION HANDBOOK by Sanderson Beck

The way of love is based on the faith that if we act in a good way without harming anyone, then inevitably in the long run the results will be good. Instead of trying to control people by threats and force, might we allow humans to use intelligence to solve our problems by communication and negotiation. We may trust in God, or the process of the universe, as well as in human abilities. By challenging our opponents unarmed we are demonstrating our trust in them that they will not destroy us. By standing up to the wrongs we believe they are doing, we are trusting that by a nonviolent process those wrongs will eventually be redressed. Ultimately even if our bodies are destroyed, we will have done what was right and would be trusting that in the future people would recognize that and right the wrongs eventually.

In order to trust fully we must let go of our own control of the situation and allow others to participate in the process. If we are attached to achieving certain results, then we may prejudge the process and reject the will of the Spirit of the whole. The situation may not be best resolved in exactly the way we think it should. Of course we can have goals and objectives for our action; but once we have defined the purpose of our action we need to be detached from the specific results along the way. Otherwise we will find ourselves disappointed and discouraged.[2]

Sermon

I led a workshop during the UU Weekend last Saturday at Silver Bay titled, "Meet Sam". It was a chance for members of our congregation and the other UU congregations in this area to get to know me better. One question I was asked stuck with me because I didn't feel confident about how I answered it. This morning I'd like to provide a fuller answer that will help explain the importance to my ministry of what we will be doing at the Startup Weekend.

I was asked to talk about the role of a minister in evaluating institutional maturity and providing leadership in directions for growth. A follow up question then asked for my vision of an ideal Unitarian Universalist congregation. I was unsatisfied with my answer because I was willing to offer one without a deep understanding of the members of this congregation and the history that has brought us to this point.

The traditional model of ministry up until recent years has been for the minister to bring a vision to a congregation and then proceed to mold that congregation more or less into that vision. Or more often what happened would be for the minister to proclaim their vision to the congregation and the congregation would then begin resisting all or at least part of what the minister was trying to achieve. The savvy minister would figure out where the congregation was already going and run to the front of the parade shouting, follow me!

The antagonism between ministers and congregations has a long history. Reading the letters of Paul in the Bible one can see how the congregation disposes of what the spiritual leader proposes. The prophets, some of whom were recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures, were forever calling upon their people to return to the true way of their ancestors. Moses leading his people in the desert for forty years had his troubles too with his followers doubting him and looking backward, selectively remembering the comforts and security of the slavery they knew in Egypt. Religious leaders usually imagine what is possible in some revealed image of a promised land while their congregations would rather stay home, attached to the way things are now.

Responding to the clerical abuses of the Catholic and Anglican churches, following our Pilgrim forbears, we Unitarian Universalists have institutionalized this tension within our system of governance by giving the power to the congregation while protecting the freedom of the pulpit for the minister. Ministers are commissioned to exert power through the persuasiveness of their words rather than direct control over their followers. Through the years we've seen that this division of power has many benefits as well as a few liabilities.

Of course, everyone is a lot happier when ministers and congregations agree and get along with each other. Our leaders at UUA Headquarters in Boston are always looking for more harmonious solutions to the perennial tensions between preacher and pew. The latest way to deal with this tension is something called shared ministry. As I've pointed out to the Board, the concept of shared ministry means different things to different people. This morning I'd like to expand on how I understand the idea of shared ministry in relation to shared leadership. I hope this will be the beginning of an ongoing conversation on shared ministry. I'm very interested in your response.

The traditional Protestant division of pulpit and pew assumes that ministers have some divine or at least inspired connection which informs their vision and ideas. In Unitarian Universalism, we're suspicious of any such personal claim to revelation. Typically, we assume the minister has no more special authority to present a vision to a congregation than one of the respected members.

The privilege ministers do have is our unique position in a congregation. We participate in a wide range of relationships which help us see patterns and make connections. The talent I do claim is the ability to synthesize the wisdom and energy of a congregation through collaborative leadership.

If I carry any revelation into this room it is witnessing the ability of groups to evolve their own direction from within with the help of skilled facilitation. The foundation for people's ability to lead themselves is belief in the unique value of each group member grounded in a recognition of the inherent worth and dignity of every person. Many heads are much better than one in the collaborative context of dynamic, expansive and free communication. In an atmosphere of trust, safety and respect people can do amazing things together.

The challenge is finding a way to create and support such an atmosphere.

From the first hunting parties of the stone age and probably before, human beings have been experimenting with how to unlock the potential energy of groups. For most of that time, the powerful leader has been the most successful organizing principle, creating a top down, hierarchical structure. If the leader is very good, just, even somewhat enlightened, this system works very well. If the leader is less than all wise, tolerant and compassionate, it can be problematic--even destructive to the group, particularly the dissenters. And when the leadership changes hands, everything is up for grabs.

Even though this model is still dominant around the world, of course it isn't the only effective one. Another model with a long history is the model of consensus. In the consensus model, power is held by the entire group rather than a single leader. This model is increasingly popular in UU congregations as a way of sharing power while respecting each individual in the group. Most of our committees use some form of consensus.

This model works extremely well when everyone can find agreement. Yet the consensus model is vulnerable to manipulation by one individual. Often getting to consensus takes a great deal of time when there are strong differences.

When the effort at consensus seems to break down as people polarize on an issue, what we typically fall back on is Roberts Rules of Order. Through the process of motion, amendment, discussion and voting the majority guides the group. This is the official way this congregation is governed and an important principle of our Unitarian Universalist Association. Rather than governed by a leader, the group is governed by rules of principle rather than personality. And Roberts Rules often do not effectively allow a forum for creative, collaborative exchange. Those in government here know some of the slow, cumbersome and uninspiring aspects of democratic decision making.

Both the consensus and democratic models start with an individual proposition to which the group responds with discussion, debate and decision. Each model is effective at sharing power but less effective at helping a group find its source of energy and creativity, its vitality and drive, its direction and vision.

Unlocking the potential energy of groups is now an academic discipline and the subject of much study coming under the discipline called organizational development. The energy for this research comes from the discovery by businesses that management can become more effective and companies more profitable and competitive if they share power and leadership with their workers and customers. Two highly skilled specialists in this field are with us to use some of the discoveries of this research to show us how this is done. Their names are Joe and Ann Batal. Through designing and conducting collaborative processes they help groups improve effectiveness, recognize strengths, possibilities and opportunities, and begin to fully discover and use their potential.

The model they bring to us is one of collaborative leadership.

They understand the foundation of collaborative leadership is sharing data. When each person speaks their perceptions, ideas and observations, a pool of shared data is gathered. The greater the pool of shared data the better. As that information is shared, members of the group experience an expansion of awareness. I mentioned two weeks ago, the evening I attended the Albany potluck and heard people's negative views of the word religious. I wasn't fully aware of that aspect of the controversy about whether the congregation was social or religious before that moment. The more I hear people in our congregation speak about what they value and what matters, the better I am able to present my ideas on Sunday morning, the more aware I am of how to effectively communicate the passions of my mind and heart. Collaboration greatly benefits from a rich flow of data as we talk to one another, expanding our collective awareness.

The natural response of our minds to lots of data and an expanded awareness is to analyze and generalize. We Unitarian Universalists as a group are very good at looking for patterns and seeing trends that lead to greater understanding. A lot of data has been shared with me about the strengths and weaknesses of this congregation. This has been helpful to me in shaping my understanding of how to approach ministry here. I know about your struggles with the C word (covenant). I know how important the social life of this congregation is to its identity. I know there is tension around traditional theistic concepts and language. I know we have space problems. I know we care about our urban identity.

As a group accepts and analyzes together a shared set of data, the key transition is developing a shared understanding of that data. After sharing a lot of data about strengths and weaknesses of the congregation, the members of the Fellowship I served in Port Charlotte, Florida came to a clear and decisive understanding that they valued and wished to continue having ministerial leadership. This wasn't surely the case before the meeting began as there was much controversy, confusion and doubt. A shared understanding emerged from the public exchange of thoughts and feelings in small groups reported out to the larger group.

Here is what is fundamentally different about this kind of group process. In the other models, someone brings his or her proposal to the group and the group reacts. In this model, the understanding of the group emerges and is shaped by the data shared in the group. No one wins or loses, gets their way or is rejected, since the conversation didn't start with a proposal. The conversation begins with an area of exploration. No result is known or planned ahead of time.

It is this kind of shared exploration and invitation to the evolution of shared understanding that is my desire and intention for our Startup Weekend next Friday night and Saturday. I genuinely have no idea what will come out of it. I have no secret agenda that I plan to sneak in hoping the congregation will rubber stamp it. I trust the process. And in good collaborative group process great things can evolve and be discovered.

For me, good collaborative group process is spiritually uplifting. In this kind of open group space enabled by a clear and compelling purpose, commitment to a win-win approach, leadership support, good communication, clear expectations, toleration of risk, commitment to ongoing learning, an appreciation of diversity, and most importantly, an atmosphere of safety and trust, I believe the spirit can move and move dramatically. I saw it happen at Pacific Central District Leadership School watching small groups work together and connect. I saw it happen in Port Charlotte under the skilled direction of the Batals. I watched that congregation come to life as people talked to each other and discovered what they shared in common.

It is my fervent hope that we will be able to engage the spirit in this congregation during our Startup Weekend so we can start moving forward together. It is an opportunity for us to share our observations, ideas and desires in a way structured to help us find and expand our shared understanding. My experience of this process when it works is that it is energizing and inspirational. And what we discover together will not be mine or yours, it will be ours. What we discover and create together will become the foundation for our shared ministry.

This is a critical moment in the life of this congregation. While I'm still new, we have a unique opportunity to shape how we work together and how we want to move forward. The Startup Weekend can only succeed with broad and diverse participation. I know without developing a strong sense of collaborative leadership, my ministry here could fail.

So think seriously and deliberately about coming to this Startup Weekend. I know for many of you it will be a stretch. I know I've risked a great deal of my reputation with the board asking them to bring in the Batals without any money for this Startup Weekend in the budget. I know I'm taking a big chance that what comes out of the Startup Weekend will be good. It will not be good without broad congregational participation including you and you and you.

My greatest hope is that we will be able to look back on this weekend as the catalyzing event of a great shared ministry that will inspire and shape this congregation far into the future.

The stakes are high.
The possibilities are unlimited.
Don't miss this opportunity to get started together!

BENEDICTION

The thirteenth hexagram of the I Ching is called Human Fellowship combining the trigrams of heaven above and fire below. "True human fellowship", so the commentator explains, "is grounded in universals. It is not the private interests of the individual that create lasting fellowship among us, but rather the goals of humanity. That is why it is said that fellowship in the open succeeds. If unity of this kind prevails, even difficult and dangerous tasks, such as crossing the great water, can be accomplished.[3]"

May we cross any divide we find between us creating a vital and collaborative shared ministry here in Albany.

Copyright (c) 1999 by Rev. Samuel A. Trumbore. All rights reserved.

[1] http://upperleft.aqp.org/draft.html
[2] http://www.san.beck.org/NAH1-Nonviolence.html
[3] "I Ching - Wilhelm Translation, 1950" http://www.akirarabelais.com/i/i.html#13