"When I committed to regular attendance at UUCT, a little over nine years ago, it was important to me to be a supporting friend, rather than a member. I had been unsatisfied with the religious answers and dogmatic positions of my former church for some time. While I felt very much at home at UUCT, I did not feel like being a "member" of this church or any other.
Even in those years, however, when I placed great value on my "independent" status, I felt it was important to provide financial support to the church. I believed in its mission. I found a set of principles that I could get behind. I marveled at a church that promised to question my answers. And above all, I valued that there was a structure here for accomplishing good, for promoting justice, for alleviating hunger, and pain, and isolation, and that structure was available to all.
I became a member for the same reasons that I continue to pledge every year—a desire to make my investments more socially responsible, and a need to follow the advice of our painter Pepper, who said, "Do what you're good at." Let me explain…
I had been a dutiful saver for most of my professional life. But pinning my future retirement on the success of tobacco companies and firearms manufacturers just seemed wrong. Switching to socially responsible investments and green funds let me go about my business without that little nagging prod in the back of my head.
I view giving to UUCT in much the same way. Giving to UUCT is one of my socially responsible investments. Giving to the church provides me with much the same sense of relief that I get when I know my money is going to support causes I believe in.
Now, about Pepper the painter. We had hired him to put some color on our interior walls, and we marveled at how he was effortlessly applying paint without masking tape, drips, or smudges. I remember he got a bit upset after getting one dollop of paint on his otherwise spotless white coveralls. We were discussing hiring him for our simpler rooms versus doing the painting ourselves, and he remarked, "Do what you're good at." Paraphrasing, he told us to focus our time and effort and money on things we know how to do and enjoy. We're not painters, we don't like painting, we're not very good at it, so why would we consider doing something else?
Now, not everyone is comfortable being a greeter. Not everyone has the physical abilities to move furniture or cut grass. Not everyone is good at or enjoys committee meetings, local politics, cooking meals, singing, advocacy, writing editorials, giving sermons, teaching kids, writing newsletters, or any of the dozens of activities that go on here to support our shared mission.
"Doing what you're good at" implies "doing what you can." And part of that, yes, includes giving money.
