I have a confession to make.  Is it OK if I do that in a UU church?  For many years, I never thought I would belong to any church, let alone speak publicly about what a church meant to me.
 
It’s not so much that I didn’t want to belong to a church – it’s just that I didn’t think that a church would want me.  My problem is that I think too much.  I have a hard time doing or believing something just because I’m told to.  So I have some serious doubts about some of the stories in the Bible.  To make matters worse, I’ve been exposed to other world religions and have been surprised to find that there is some wisdom and truth in each of these faith traditions. My experience with other churches led me to believe that my views would not be welcome.
 
I came here the first time for a simple reason -- you paid me.  It was May 15, 1994, Music Sunday, and I sang Rutter's Requiem with the choir.  The performance was beautiful, but that would have been my last time here if it hadn't been for one thing.  During a break in the Requiem, Reverend Kendrick got up and read a story about Buddha.  I'll tell you -- I did a double-take.  “They can do that at a church?!?”  I was so impressed with the open mindedness here that I saved the order of service and still have it.
 
Two years later, my son Spencer was born, and my wife Lisa and I decided that we wanted to have a religious ritual to welcome our newborn son.  Based on my earlier experience here, I suggested that we try coming to Fern St.  We came and liked it a lot, but we were sure that there had to be a catch.  So we kept coming back, week after week, looking for the "gotcha".  Eventually, we realized that at this church, what you see is what you get.  We ended up deciding not only to have Spencer's welcoming ceremony here, but to also become members of the congregation, and as they say “the rest is history”.
 
This congregation has been incredibly supportive to me over the years.  Some of you have discussed theology with me, and we’ve always had a good conversation that has been enhanced exactly because we have different perspectives.  You’ve been there when we’ve had loss in our family. And you’ve also been very supportive of my musical contributions to the church.  Your support has helped me go beyond my comfort zone of singing in the choir, and has encouraged me to sing a solo, to compose, to conduct, and to play the organ.  You helped me through a most terrifying morning, when I had to fill in for Cheryl with about 1 hour of practice.
 
I am proud of our church.  I’m proud that we’re not just a Tolerant Congregation, but that we are a Welcoming Congregation.  I’m proud that we give to the community in many ways, such as by cooking and serving for those in need at South Park Inn.  I am proud that we stand for religious diversity in an age where that is hard to find.  I'm proud of our fantastic religious education program.  And mostly, I’m proud that we are a voice for what we feel is right, without being self-righteous about it.  That's why I keep coming back week after week.