My name is Jamie Broughton.

Its kind of ironic that I’m doing my testimonial on daylight savings because it reflects my first encounter with church. There was one day about 25 years ago when my Dad had decided, for some unknown reason, that ‘maybe we should give this religious thing a go’. So he rounded up the family and off to church we went. Unbeknownst to him it was daylight savings and the clocks had been moved FORWARD an hour. We arrived at the church RIGHT ON TIME, for the end of the service. He took it as a sign and we never went back. With the time change today, I might have arrived an hour EARLY for the service, maybe that’s a sign too? I don’t know.

Needless to say, I had been raised in a ‘non-religious’ household. In fact, at the Broughton residence, the closest thing to a religious encounter were the words used to describe my Mom’s Yorkshire puddings – Oh my GOD these look good! Oh my GOD these taste amazing Mom!!!

Over the years I shopped around a little – a catholic service here, an Anglican one there, and numerous United services. I never felt entirely comfortable or at home. Early last fall my wife, April Ferguson, stumbled across First. She was working in the area and looking for a meeting room for her then employer. She suggested we check it out and I haven’t looked back since.

Over the past year I have been continually moved and inspired by the sermons from Donna and Mark and our intern ministers. I can RELATE to what is being said. They are speaking MY language! I have also made a few dear friends and most importantly, I have discovered a community of people that encourage and respect my exploration and growth.

This last year has been a little like peeling back the layers of an onion. It’s a little cliché perhaps. But have you ever peeled back the layers and found another onion inside the outside one, skin and all? Remember the first time you saw this? It has some WOW factor in it. Like, what’s this!? Isn’t that amazing. That’s how I view this past year at First, a little bit of WOW about what I’ve discovered.

I have come to look at Unitarianism as a smorgasbord. We get to SELECT and form our path from an endless variety of dishes and perspectives. Now this is not the kind of selection that you get at some all inclusive resorts where the buns are moldy, and food is prepared without great care or regard for its consumer. No, Unitarianism is more like a potluck where everyone has PREPARED their OWN dish, their most favorite dish with their OWN hands. As a Unitarian I get to PARTICIPATE. Not only do I get to sample all the dishes, I get to BRING something to the table. I like that.

I became a member of First just this past spring so I’m pretty new to the spiritual kitchen so-to-speak. And just like the person who is learning to cook might start with a favorite old recipe of moms to take to the pot-luck, I too am doing the same. So look out, I make an amazing Yorkshire pudding!!