An Introduction: Your Sabbatical Minister

Rev. McCarty with his kitty, Dora the Explorer.

A poster of a magazine cartoon used to hang on the wall in the Fellowship Hall at

Salt Lake City’s First Unitarian Church (which is where I began my UU journey many

years ago.) It was titled, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our Church.” One, a high castle with

battlements, was labeled “Catholics.” Another, a western-style log stockade, was

labeled “Mormons.” Still another, a solid concrete block with bay windows flags flying,

had the “Episcopalians.” Finally, down in a corner, were the Unitarian Universalists

(which the cartoonist had, of course, incorrectly labeled, “Unitarians.” We were in a

circus tent!

Yeah, that’s us, all right, and proud of it! Church should be nurturing and

supportive when we need it. It should be challenging, too, now and then, because we

also need to be challenged. But it should also be interesting. And dang it, church should

be fun!

As your Sabbatical Minister, I do feel challenged. And excited. And also humble—

ready to learn. Since retiring from parish ministry in 2015, I’ve written several books,

done quite a bit of guest preaching across the country, and engaged in other artistic/

literary endeavors. I even did several months’ Sabbatical ministry a few years ago.

But every church is different, and church itself is changing these days, faster than

it ever has. Moreover, Rev. Shari Woodbury is a tough act to stand in for. Finally—one

thing I have not done in my many years, is virtual, offsite ministry.

So there’s going to be a learning curve for me. That’s not bad, though, ministry

itself is a teaching/learning profession. That is, in fact, one reason Sabbaticals are

important.

My contract does call me to teach and adult religious education series of

workshops. Starting when I come on-site at the beginning of September, I’ve chosen to

share elements of my research for an upcoming book, The Celluloid Periscope: Movies

as Windows into America’s Soul. You can learn a lot about a culture by looking at the art

it creates, and to no art form does this apply more than to motion pictures.

I’m still working on the details, but I can guarantee we’ll have some interesting

services and some interesting evening sessions. Learning should be fun. Church should

be fun.