Reflection #122 (26th April 2026 at Essex Church / Kensington Unitarians)
At the top of the service, I said that we’d reflect on the idea of belonging to each other, in both the universal sense and also the particular sense of belonging to this, our beloved community of Kensington Unitarians, aka Essex Church.
Last week I put a call out to members of the congregation and asked them to say, in just a sentence or two, what being a member means to them. Thanks to everyone who responded – I’ve put all those responses in the service text that is up on the website (scroll to the bottom of the page) – they’re more-or-less anonymised but some have identifying features! We’re just going to share a few fragments of those responses now – I’m going to ask Brian to help me read them out – to just give a sense of the variety of things people said about their sense of belonging as members of this community.
‘Essex Church has been a home for me for since 1983. It has given me a sense of continuity in my life throughout its ups and downs. I have made many friends, sadly some are now deceased. The Church has been through ups and downs too and it still remains my home.’
‘It’s important to me to have a place where I have the time and space to work through how to be a better person and to be encouraged to do that, and to think more of others and how to make the world a better place.’
‘Sundays are reserved for Kensington Unitarians; they’re how I start and end that day each week, and I look forward to them all. Pitching my tent in the virtual space of Essex Church, sitting around our chalice flame, singing loudly, reflecting quietly, and laughing together.’
‘I’m grateful for the opportunity to come and share spiritual community with people in a gentle, simple way. I can be joyful, tearful, exhausted, open or closed, and know I still have a place.’
‘This church and the Unitarian faith is a place of refuge and stability in my life. I can relax, breathe and belong, knowing I am in a community of openness and care.’
‘Each service has given me food for reflection afterwards and a sense of kinship with everyone there. It’s been by joining other activities like the weekly H&S online that I feel closeness to individuals and the group.’
‘The Sunday service has become an anchor in my week, a reminder that belonging travels across oceans and time zones, carried by shared values and the company of people who care about the same questions.’
‘I come to church not to be told what to believe but how to explore ideas behind and beyond words. I value the connections in our congregations that operate on many different levels but are based on our shared values of community, spirituality, and conscience.’
‘Participating nourishes my soul and fosters my spiritual growth. I find wisdom from spiritual leaders and from members of the congregation on the big questions of life, and care and support for navigating life’s highs and lows.‘
‘Being a member means I feel at home in a loving community of curious, kindred souls, where we value free spiritual exploration and share a commitment to bettering our external and internal worlds. It’s a space of solidarity and sanctuary for me.’
‘It took me a long time to commit to membership. I am not much into joining anything, especially a church. However, Essex Church won me over as I knew it would, because, quite simply, it is a place when I do not have to pretend to be anything or anybody other than who I am. I feel valued and loved for the person who goes around dressed in my skin.’
‘There are so many things I love about being a member of Essex Church that I think you could call it my happy place!’
‘Being a member means that I am willing to commit wholeheartedly to my church community.’
Thanks Brian – and thanks again to everyone who contributed – like I said I’ve put all the full contributions up with the service text on the website. Hopefully those few excerpts have given a flavour of what belonging is all about though. A few common themes emerge: there’s a sense of stability, continuity, and commitment; support and solidarity; care and companionship; shared values and purpose; a sense that we’re exploring and joining in something that’s bigger than ourselves.
Earlier in the service, I asked another question: if we truly belong to one another – as members of this congregation, Kensington Unitarians, aka Essex Church – then what does that require of us in terms of responsibility and mutuality? What do we owe to each other? This is, after all, our church, nobody else’s. As Unitarians, we’re very proud of our independence – but that means it’s entirely up to us and we need to take ownership – we are the grown-ups that have to keep the show on the road – this community’s existence and flourishing requires us all to be invested in showing up and doing what we can – so this community is still here for us next month, next year, and for future generations. Don’t forget, we only have this church now, we can only rock up on a Sunday morning and join this community, because a continuous line of people have pitched in over centuries – since Theophilus Lindsey founded the original Essex Church back in 1774 – so many people have done their bit to keep it going.
And now it’s our turn. We haven’t all got the same capacities, skills, or aptitudes. We won’t all be able to contribute in the same way (and that’s a good thing! In this ecosystem there are many niches, and diversity is an asset). But I ask you to ask yourselves: ‘how can I help?’ If you’re here on a Sunday morning (whether in person or online) that might mean looking out for newcomers and striking up conversation, asking what brought them here, showing interest and nurturing connection. It might mean noticing if extra chairs need putting out after the service has started or helping with cleaning tables or washing up. It might mean letting Liz know that you’re ready to step up and volunteer as greeter or coffee-maker, or letting Charlotte know you might be willing and able to help out with the co-hosting online. It might mean taking responsibility for some of the work of church governance or perhaps being a representative for our community at national Unitarian events. Crucially, it might mean signing up and showing up for our small groups, which is where a lot of the spiritual deepening happens, and where supportive and nurturing connections grow.
Showing up for each other and for this community is a truly vital aspect of belonging. And it’s how we’re going to grow this congregation and make a difference in this world.
Speaking of growing this congregation… Each year in our membership service we welcome new members, and we encourage all members, old and new, to inwardly and outwardly reaffirm their belonging and commitment to this church community. So I’d like to take this opportunity to welcome eleven new members – ELEVEN! – who have officially joined in the past year: Aisha, Sally, Teresa, LiLi, Harvey, Linda H, Vita, Mussy, Akiko, Linda R, and Margaret. That brings us up to 65 members in total. We’re growing! And if anyone who attends regularly (in-person or online) would like to officially join – it’s not too late. Membership isn’t about money, not here, there’s no subscription fee. It’s about showing your support for this congregation, and what we stand for, and it’s good for morale for those of us who are keeping the show on the road when people sign up.
We have a tradition of sharing in a responsive affirmation each year at our membership service. So I’m going to invite you to inwardly affirm your membership, or if you’re not a member affirm your good wishes for the work of this church, by joining in a responsive prayer for this ministry. This is the prayer written for my Induction Service, based on the collectively sourced congregational values, which set out our intentions for this ministry and all that we do together here; we revisit it each year as a reminder of our mutual commitment. The words are printed on your hymn sheet and they’ll also be up on screen in a moment. I invite you to join in with the responses printed in bold.
Spirit of Life, God of All Love, we ask for your blessing on this congregation and our shared ministry and mission. Help us to flourish and thrive; empower us to fulfil our calling.
May this be a community of spiritual commitment; somewhere we go to reconnect with what matters most in life. Encourage us to seek your daily guidance; inspire us to pray all ways.
May this be a community of care and compassion; a safer, softer, kinder space; a holy house of sanctuary. Grant us the spirit of generosity in our listening and speaking.
May this be a community of authentic connection and realness where we can show up as our true selves and share our stories. Help us open our hearts to each other; reveal our common humanity.
May this be a community of learning, growth, and transformation; in which we are encouraged to use and develop our own unique gifts. Guide us toward new horizons; call us onward to greater heights and depths.
May this be a community of resistance and liberation; a church where we speak and act for equality and justice. Awaken in us the insight, strength, and courage to serve the greater good.
Spirit of Life, God of All Love, we commit ourselves to this shared ministry. Bless the work of our hearts, minds, and hands in the years to come. Amen.
Reflection by Jane Blackall