Celebrating Our First Mortgage

 

On the occasion of the congregation burning the mortgage on Sunday, Jan 16, I asked the Founding Minister of the congregation, Linda Hoddy, if she had any thoughts that she would like to share with UU Saratoga. (Rev. Hoddy was minister of the congregation from its founding in 1996 to 2011.)

Read these wonderful words from Rev. Hoddy:

Congratulations on this milestone of paying off the first mortgage on a building. This is an important symbol and reality of your devotion to one another as a congregation and to our faith.

I recall those days of wandering in the wilderness–moving from that first meeting in the library, to meetings in Molly Sargent’s living room, to services at First Methodist, and Temple Sinai and the Chapel at Skidmore. Remember those days carrying a chalice and hymnals and parish record and Re material and supplies in the back of our cars and setting up at the new site and taking it all down again?. It was hard work and exhausting.

And then, my husband, who sold commercial real estate, suggested we meet with Ron Peters, a colleague of his who specialized in real estate swaps, especially involving non-profits. So, I think it was Jim Mihuta and Treasurer Larry Frank and I who met with Ron over lunch. We knew that the Jehovah’s Witnesses on North Broadway were selling their building. “Buy it.” said Ron. “It’s undervalued for the market.” We were surprised and silent as the enormity of that moment, that possibility, reoriented us. And so began an effort of fund-raising, and the hope that we would soon be in our new building. But now, there was even more work– if a different kind of work. Now, we would be responsible for cleaning and snow removal and building maintenance and furnishing a kitchen. We would be owners instead of renters. Nevertheless, we were enthused. We had grown weary wandering in the wilderness. And so, we began to raise money to finance the purchase of the building.

One of our first meetings in the building was to discuss what had happened on 9/11. We were stunned, and did not know what to do with our grief. So, we met to light candles and share our feelings.

Our boards and committees began to hold meetings in the building and then there was a first Sunday service, the sunday before Thanksgiving. The Sunday after we closed on the building, I entitled the sermon, “Crossing the Threshold” and talked about how important thresholds were, how they demarcated worlds, and made possible new life.

I thought it was a good next step for the congregation, but I warned that we would run out of Religious Education Space,, space for our children, before we ran out of space for worship and coffee hour. Larry Frank suggested we each bring our own lawn chairs for worship. But thankfully, others who were more aesthetically oriented, organized us to purchase chairs, and Jim Mihuta prevailed on the manufacturer to upgrade the padding in the seats.

I worried that we might get too comfortable and not push on to find or build a building that would better serve the needs of the congregation and its ministries to the community. I hope that while you celebrate this important milestone, that you not lose sight that it is only one milestone. You are called to even greater things.

I had a high school friend whose father was a Baptist minister. I remember that minister saying, “If a church doesn’t have a mortgage, it isn’t working hard enough.” I don’t know that I’d go that far. I think you deserve to rest on your laurels for a bit. But eventually, I hope you will bring to Saratoga Springs a beautiful building that speaks to the values of our faith — values of justice and leadership and radical hospitality, as well as beauty and worship. I always hope it won’t be out in the woods, but in the heart of the community, where people will see it, and that it will make people curious about Unitarian Universalism, and that it will speak to our values of dignity and worth for every human being, and justice and beauty, and taking part in our community’s life, bringing the values of Unitarian Universalism to bear in that larger life.

So, enjoy this moment. Rest for a while, and then begin again, to ask the questions of calling and vision and mission. The questions of why we gather, and how a building serves those things. For I know, you have an even greater mission to serve the people of this region.

In peace,
Linda

This is truly a wonderful accomplishment to celebrate! And, as Rev. Hoddy says, let’s understand what we are celebrating as paying off our first mortgage. With hearts full of well-earned pride for what the congregation has been able to do, let’s use this feeling of accomplishment and replenishment to take our next steps.

UU Saratoga has a call to greater things, a greater mission. If you would be willing to give some of your time and energy to helping the congregation to “ask the questions of calling and vision and mission,” helping the congregation ask “the questions of why we gather, and how a building serves those things,” please let me and/or the Board know! The group discernment that will allow us to take our next steps on our path needs your time and attention. You don’t need special experience to help with this. And there is years of learning we’ve already done to build upon! All you need is a dedication to listening well—listening to each other and to the deepest truths of our calling as a congregation. We are called to great things!

Blessings,
Rev. Joe

P.S. I start a one-month sabbatical today (Jan 21 through Feb 20) during which I’ll be taking a course on leadership in emergent systems, giving some attention to the organization of UU Saratoga Board documents online, and taking time for spiritual renewal with family. I won’t be checking email during this time, but if something urgent comes up, please just text or call me at 518-290-0284. You can reach the Care Team at careteam@uusaratoga.org and you can reach Janice, our Congregational Administrator, at uusaratoga@gmail.com.