Are you religious? How often have I asked or been asked that question. I grew up attending Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur services, sharing Seders with extended family, attending Hebrew school and becoming a Bar Mitzvah. Rabbi Harold Kushner framed description of an individual’s religiosity as being
serious or not. I was not a serious Jew. Prior to marrying Tara, we struggled to develop a plan for how to approach religion. Tara was raised by serious Catholics. Neither of us rejected our religious backgrounds or our faith. The idea that my children would be raised Catholic produced significant discomfort. I believe Tara felt the same about raising her children in the Jewish Faith. The other’s religion seemed foreign to us. I feared having any distance between my kids or my wife.

We married without a roadmap for religion in our lives. We searched, as many Unitarian Universalists do, attending Catholic, Protestant, Jewish and Unitarian Universalist services. UU services resonated with us. When we moved to Manchester, our children were 2 1/2. We enjoyed the welcoming atmosphere of the church and the minister’s words. When we moved to Concord, we attended services at our church and finally felt at home. We loved the community, making new friends, and were very happy to bring our children to a place where they would be surrounded by compassionate, supportive leaders and congregants. The UU Church appeared to us a place where our children would learn values which were dearly held by us.

When our triplets were approximately 10 years old, we became involved in a UU organized circle of friends of refugees. The experience of working with other wonderful individuals and families in support of an incredible family, recently arrived from Africa, was a powerful experience. Working with this family was one of the most fulfilling, humbling and informative experiences of my life and was a great handson activity with other children for my triplets. Over the next few years, my children were taught about several other faiths, visiting other churches through the Neighboring Faiths program at the church. Tara was very involved as a religious education teacher. It was fascinating for me to learn from her and the kids about Quakers, Baptists, Congregational Christians, Bahai faith and others.

I was able to share the fun and wonder of working with other UUs at The Friendly Kitchen. I witnessed the UU Church of Concord icon, Fran Philippe, in action, feeling connection to other volunteers and those who we served.

The exposure that my family had to diversity of faith, lifestyle and lived experience, all through our church, has contributed to how we think about religion and other individuals in the world. After the kids left home, we stopped attending services regularly, however, we always stayed connected at some level.

This year, I have been fortunate to join another UUFOR circle, supporting a new family recently arrived from Venezuela. I have met several new colleagues and reconnected with old friends, reliving the wonder and joy of helping and befriending another family from a distant land. While reconnecting with the church, I’ve discovered the vibrant atmosphere that exists here. The opportunities to find fulfillment working with others seem endless. Michael’s gentle manner, moving words, warmth, enthusiasm, and selflessness have been alluring. It is good to be back.

~ Doug Weckstein, Member since 2006