The Nauset Fellowship, Unitarian/Universalist, was founded in 1978 by members of the First Parish, Brewster who were looking for a more wide-ranging spiritual experience. They claimed jokingly to be fallen-away Unitarians. Over the years, the Fellowship has presented hundreds of fascinating and informative Sunday morning programs on every imaginable topic, been active in community and Cape affairs, and contributed generously to local social services. The founding members of this small lay-led congregation, working with others more recently drawn from the extended neighborhood, make it warm and welcoming.

When I walked in for the first time six years ago, newly retired and feeling adrift, I found myself an amused observer at one of the Fellowship’s monthly business meetings. Someone sang a brief song to encourage us to buy food certificates in support of the homeless, and we plunged into cordial discussion of a new rug. It took us three years to buy the rug and another three to select twenty-five attractive and comfortable chairs. This had nothing to do with rancor or inefficiency. It was simply more fun to let consensus play itself out. Many other things were accomplished as well.

I had attended the Sunday programs for several months when the president mentioned that I was welcome join the Fellowship if I liked. “What do I do?” I asked. “Just sign the book,” she said. “That’s all? I mean, I believe all kinds of things but nothing in particular.” She smiled and said, “That sounds about right.”

Sunday morning programs can be about anything: William Blake, Islam, AIDS, sculpture, China, the Gospels, genetics, embracing life, Thoreau, Emerson, liberal religion, helping a Haitian village, evil, shell fishing, life after death, homosexuality, experimental music, painting, water quality, etc. Once, when the scheduled speaker forgot to come, a visitor volunteered and moderated an excellent discussion on the sources of violence. Everyone is welcomed, no collection is taken, and coffee and munchies are served.

The Fellowship bought the small Victorian Chapel in the Pines in Eastham from the First Parish and paid off the mortgage with chowder suppers. The chapel was built in 1889 as a Universalist church, with the help of Captain Edward Penniman, the retired whaling captain whose elegant mansion graces Fort Hill. The Universalists’ belief in universal salvation had been a great comfort to Cape families who regularly lost their men to the sea. The chapel has been home for twenty five years to the First Encounter Coffee House, which puts on lively performances of folk and blues. AA, Narcotics Anonymous, the Metropolitan Community Church, Am ha Yam, a children’s music program, and the Eastham Free Library all use the building. There are no facilities for children on Sunday mornings, but a small dog attends regularly.

What are Unitarians? Unitarians believe in one God, at most. -- How many Unitarians can dance on the head of a pin? All of them, there aren’t that many. -- How many Unitarians does it take to change a light bulb? They don’t take a position on that; there are many paths to personal illumination. -- You can tell Unitarian jokes all day without offending anyone, but they aren’t that funny.

Muslims and Jews are “unitarian” in that they believe in one God who worshipers address directly. Christians believe in one God but have experienced Him as well in the person of Jesus and through the working of the Holy Spirit in their lives. The doctrine of the Trinity is an effort to capture this experience in words.

Modern Unitarianism dates from the 1500’s in Transylvania, where some churches advocated religious freedom for all. In America, Unitarianism began early in the 19th century. William Ellery Channing’s 1820 sermon “Unitarian Christianity” was the first major statement. Jefferson, Emerson, Darwin, Einstein, and Albert Schweitzer, men who valued scientific discovery and the insights of world religions, have all been claimed for Unitarianism. The Unitarians merged with the Universalists in 1960.

Unitarian/Universalism is a liberal religion which keeps an open mind on all religious questions and believes that personal experience, conscience, and reason should be the final authorities in religion. Some contemporary Unitarian/Universalist congregations are historically Christian, valuing the life and teachings of Jesus but rejecting his divinity for a simpler relationship with God. Other congregations and many church members are primarily Humanist. U/U’s acknowledge seven general principles, as a guide and not a creed: 1) The inherent worth ...of every person. 2) Justice...and compassion in human relations. 3) Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth.... 4) A free and responsible search for truth and meaning. 5) The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process.... 6) The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice.... 7) Respect for the independent web of all existence of which we are part.

A friend of ours, on first seeing this list, said, “That’s what I’ve believed all my life!” Me too, but I could never have imagined a group that really lives by those principles and where everyone gladly listens to your story and freely shares his own, supports you in need, engages you on every subject, and vigorously defends your right to believe any damn fool thing you please. All that and good coffee!