As I was glancing through the newsletter from the church I used to serve in Flagstaff, Arizona, I happened to notice an interview with their newly hired Interim Minister Rev. Gail Collins-Ranadive. She is a professional writer as well as a minister, and I was so struck by how she used the image of the flaming chalice as a metaphor to describe her idea of ministry that I decided to borrow from it.

Picture our chalice with its base, bowl, flame and the glow thrown by the flame, and you see a perfect image of the ministry of the church. 

The base of the chalice is the infrastructure of administration, governing board, finances, building and maintenance and staff. 

The bowl of the chalice contains the ministries of music, worship and the word as experienced on Sunday mornings as well as the life-span educational ministry including Wisdom Wednesdays and our affinity groups. 

The flame of the chalice represents the ministries of membership. These would include the nourishing of long-timers and new comers. It covers orientations of new folks, fellowship, social events, joys and concerns and the caring and counseling ministry of both the minister and lay people.

The glow from the flame illuminates the church’s outreach ministries including staying connected to the larger UU movement, social justice activities, Interfaith cooperation and our charitable commitments like the Cooperative Feeding Program. 

Everyone who participates in any of these areas is doing the ministry of the church. Ideally the work of the minister is support, cheerlead for and be a resource person for all these ministries by providing education and inspiration through sermons, classes, committee input and spiritual support and nurturance.

All too often, due to lack on interest, time or willingness to participate, a very few people and the staff are doing too much and this can lead to resentments, conflicts and burn-out.  I ask that you think seriously this year about the role you want to play in helping our UU Chalice burn brighter than ever here in Oakland Park. 

A kitchen minister, a bulletin board minister, and couple of ongoing greeting ministers are some of the smaller jobs that would really help keep the chalice lit this year.

In community,