Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the history of the UUCV and our record of accomplishments since we began 60 years ago on November 2, 1958. Over the years we have overcome many obstacles to achieve the forward motion that has brought us to where we are today. A handful of people had a vision for liberal religion in Ventura. They met in homes and worked together to provide a meaningful spiritual experience with other like-minded folks. They rented small commercial spaces to hold services. After many years a home, the Terry House, was purchased which became a permanent place to worship. Time passed, new members joined, families grew, friends passed away. When the time came a new home on Ralston was acquired. The cycle continues with new families joining and old friends saying goodbye. Between the bookends is the thread of what it means to experience a fully lived life as part of a religious/spiritual community. You can get a measure of that experience on Sunday mornings during coffee hour. Berg Hall just seems to be alive following the service. There is a buzz in the room that is electric and affirming of the journey that has seen the growth of the UUCV.
And why shouldn’t there be? We have grown into a vital home of people in community with each other, each on their own spiritual path. Our website www.uuventura.org has a section on our history at https://www.uuventura.org/about-us/our-stories/church-history/ and is worth a review by everyone. You will learn just how far we’ve come and how it is that we stand on the shoulders of others. Folks largely unknown to most of us made a place at the table for people they would never meet. They were paying it forward. The generational charge being to “pass it on.” I think that by “it” is meant the generosity that comes in the form of acceptance, friendship, sharing, and journeying together as we each seek our way. For me, the result is a deep feeling of gratitude for those who came before and for those who are here now.
This year we are to be engaged in the serious business of discerning who we are and what we want for ourselves and future generations. In September, the Board held a Congregational Conversation around the issue of our long-term financial stability. This was not intended as a meeting to provide solutions. That will come later in the year. What we did was ask some questions. It’s in the revelations from the answers that we find our way. One of those questions was: How is the Unitarian Universalist Church of Ventura my legacy? This work we are doing together involves deep sharing with one another. It is about the longings of our hearts and what we want for ourselves and others. However we do it, the time has arrived for each of us to decide how we shall move the UUCV forward and what the legacy will be for those who are yet to come.
Living in Paradise,
Bryan Buck, UUCV Board President
805-644-3898
administrator@uuventura.org
