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Earth Day

RevSusan — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 16:25:24 +0000

Sermon April 22, 2012
Earth Matters
This morning in the responsive reading from Thomas Wolfe we read, “All things proceeding for the earth to seasons, all things that lapse and change and come again upon the earth, these come up from the earth that never changes, they go back to the earth that lasts forever. The leaf, the blade the flower, the wind… the trees, whose stiff arms clash and tremble in the dark.” Wolfe was a prolific writer of the emerging Americana authors, F. Scott Fitzgerald most notably. Wolfe was born on October 3, 1900 in Ashville North Carolina and he died in Maryland on September 15, 1938 of pneumonia and Tuberculosis of the brain. Two weeks before his death Wolfe had traveled extensively throughout the States. He began in New York and he visited 11 national parks before he ended up in Washington state ill with the disease which would in short time lead to his death. His writing is richly poetic, even his prose is full of imagery and dramatic influence. His plays and books were exceedingly wordy and thus not the easiest to read or publish and or put on as theatrical productions. When we read the responsive reading, even though it is clear that he is a wordy writer, it is clear that he has deep connection to the way that the earth and humans and change and death and the city and country and all of life’s experiences and nature experiences were in his heart and soul wanting to be expressed.
Today is Earth Day and finding his reading made me reflect on the meaning of this day. – “Something bursting from the earth again, forever deathless, faithful, coming into life again like April.” We would do well to adopt the sentiments that Thomas Wolfe wrote about to make sure that the earth does remain deathless and continuing to come into life again like glorious April. We would do well to adopt the sentiments of those who organized and continue to organize Earth day.
The beginnings of Earth Day came from a Senator from Wisconsin- Gaylord Nelson. He was deeply influenced by the writings of Rachel Carson, one of our Unitarian Universalist saints who wrote about the negative effect of DDT’s on bird life in her book Silent Spring, published in 1962. In 1963 Senator Nelson tried to introduce legislation to ban DDT’s and no one, not one other Senator, would support his bill, but the ‘times they were a changin’’ as Bob Dylan was singing all across the nation and Senator Nelson saw a way to finally begin to address the environmental concerns that haunted him. Teach-ins, Grass root organizing and anti-war and other socially conscious demonstrations were being carried out. In January of 1970 he announced that on April 22, 1970 in New York a teach-in on environmental issues would be held. He hired a student activist Dennis Hayes to handle the logistics and information dissemination but Senator Nelson insisted that any and all events, which he hoped would happen all across the United States, would be locally organized. And it happened on April 22, 1970 over 20 million people across the continent organized and held Earth Day events. The vision was to offer small grassroots gatherings where environmental teach-ins and work on specific environmental problems could be undertaken by a locally driven group. It was a success and then in 1990, the Earth Day teach-ins went global. One need only go on the web or open today’s paper to see how far this event has spread and how valuable it is. Teach-in’s, demonstrations, consciousness raising groups, public and private boycotts all which came out of the “hippy dippy” sixties have continued to be one of the world’s most effective way to change and confront social wrongs and problems. Earth day is one of those.
The other day I had to break down and go to see my doctor about a severe case of poison ivy. I know we are supposed to love every part of creation, animal, crawling and flying things, and every plant and vegetable; but for the life of me I am having a really impossible time finding any room in my heart for poison ivy. (Well except the song from the 60’s called poison ivy, great music) What in the world is it good for- absolutely nothing. But I digress from my story about my doctors visit. After he gave me a shot to relieve the immediate symptoms and a prescription to take to treat the outbreak we got to talking. I told him I was on my way over to Mount Wachusett Community College to listen to Gloria Steinem. I thought I was going to have to explain who she was- a feminist, a radical leader of the women’s movement, founder of Ms Magazine and renowned lecturer but no that was not necessary as he said two things to me. One, “she is a phenomenal woman who made my wife the great woman she is and helped me know how to raise a daughter” and two, he looked at me wistfully and with great nostalgia and blurted out, “I sure do miss the sixties. In College I used to bring my dates to demonstrations but only after making sure they could outrun the campus police who might want to break up our event and that they had sneakers and clothes on that would not be ruined by participating.” The sixties and into the seventies sure set the path for teach-ins, love-ins, bra burnings, demonstrations to confront injustices, racial, class and gender, and to register frustration with the ongoing unwinnable Vietnam war, the unfair draft, and importantly the deteriorating condition of the earth that people all across the globe are gathering to remember and honor today.
Before I talk about Gloria Steinem and how her message is relevant to Earth Day I wanted to share a few of the things that the annual Earth day events have made possible about renewing and protecting the environment. There are many legislative actions – such as the endangered species act, clean air act, safe drinking water initiatives, sustainable energy, habitat destruction provisions and many governmental and local initiatives to protect the sea, the water, the air, and the land. They have grown out of those first Earth day teach-in events. I doubt that the issues of global warming or climate change would even have registered a second glance if it was not for the energy poured into education and research. There is a hymn in our gray book (#207 if you are interested) “Earth was given as a garden, cradle for all humanity; tree of life and tree of knowledge placed for our discovery. .. Bless the earth and all your children, one creation make us whole, interwoven, all connected… Holy Mother Life bestowing bid our waste and warfare cease. Fill us all with grace overflowing. Teach us how to live in peace.” Are some of its words.
Pray we learn how to stop wasting the earth’s resources and for warfare to cease. Pray we nurture this cradle earth so it can sustain all of humanity into the next generations. Pray we learn how to do this now and this is where Gloria Steinem’s words helped me to grasp the connection between Earth Day and activism and a nostalgic love for the 60’s.
Ms. Steinem said that to be effective transformers, change agents, even rabble rousers we would do well to look to trees. Trees she said change from the roots upward. Trees she said transform and become stronger from their roots upward. Social transformation, too she said, occurs not from the top down which is a hierarchy and not effective but from its roots upwards. Earth Day, the Occupy movements, the feminist movement, that she so ably shepherded, the anti-war, anti-poverty, anti-oppressive movements all occur from grass roots gathering, feeding and nurturing. It is true that a single and individual act done with others can foment a revolution, can motivate a movement, can organize for social change. This is why Unitarian Universalist love grass roots organizing and why we flock to listen to gentle leaders and organizers such as Gloria Steinem. We are reminded of our two most important principles – the respect for the inherent worth and dignity of every person- our individuality honored and respect and awe for the interdependent web of existence of which we are a part- the web of life the interconnectedness of the individual with all others, human, animal, winged, crawling, flowering and growing except of course for poison ivy which is outside of my realm of care though it has my deepest respect for its ability to reign havoc on my body and in my yard. But seriously this is a thought that Steinem left me with, she said “that any personal act or thought expressed is also a political act or thought”. She is so right and Earth Day is a perfect reminder of how even the simplest things we can do- limiting our use of carbon fuel, using recyclable materials, composting, swapping clothes, and more are acts of a political nature that are grass roots ways to transform our earth so that it will yield fruit into the next generations.
Our final Unitarian Universalist source added in 1998 is we draw from the spiritual teachings of earth centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instructs us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature. Today is the day to fine tune this lovingly but radically social revolution.
May it be so.

RevSusan — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 20:42:43 +0000

Sermon – Association Sunday – “Better Together”
Rev. Harlan Limpert – 4-15-2012
First of all, I want you to know how happy I am to be here. I know that’s what every guest speaker says. It may sound perfunctory. But I truly am glad to be here, and I’ll tell you just one of the reasons why.
The Lutheran Church in which I was raised had a fabulous organ, and I grew to love organ music. In fact, this is the third time in three years that I’ve been in this sanctuary celebrating Association Sunday with you. Each year, until now, I’ve been able to simply sit in the pews – like you – and relish the music. Last year, the Rev. Susan Suchocki Brown even gave me a tour of the innards of the organ – the area behind the chancel – and explained some of the history of that beautiful instrument. This year, I guess you’re going to make me work for the privilege of listening. Well, it seems only fair.
So…besides the gift of being able to speak, I get to hear this music again.
I’ve got a question for you: It’s sort of a rhetorical question because I know the answer. Do you remember where you were at about 9:30 AM on September 11, 2001? I’ll bet you do, just like those of us over age 50 remember where we were on November 22, 1963. Some events shake up our lives so abruptly, so dramatically, that the images, the sounds, the details of the moment are remembered forever.
I certainly remember where I was. I was 3 hours into an eight-hour flight, flying westbound from London to my hometown of Minneapolis. The sun was bright, the air was clear, and the pilot had assured us a smooth journey.
Suddenly the soundtrack for the movie that was being shown was turned off. Then a voice over the loudspeaker, in the typically muffled voice of a pilot, said, “ladies and gentlemen… You may have noticed the sun is on the opposite side of the plane then it was 10 min. ago. Air traffic control has directed us back to the London Gatwick airport.” He went on to say there was “an event”, and that all flights to or from the United States had cancelled. All planes were being grounded.
The pilot finished his message. “That’s all the information I have right now. When we land at Gatwick, airport agents will provide more information. The pilot, of course, could not say more. If someone on the plane had friends or relatives in the Twin Towers, havoc would no doubt have ensued.
That begin a three-hour game of speculation. What in the world happened?
When we landed, the first thing I wanted to know was “Is my family safe?” A natural response.
But do you know what I wanted second? To be with the members of my church – my church family.
In fact, after connecting with my wife and daughters – my wife had left New York City the evening before the attack, and confirming all were safe – I called the minister of the church I’ve been a member of since 1973. I was not a parish minister at the time but rather a lay leader like most of you. I was the congregational president, in fact. I was finishing my second three-year term on the board of trustees. My first question to my minister was, “Are YOU doing okay?” I could only imagine how difficult HIS day had been, providing pastoral ministry to so many church members. Then I asked what was being done to provide a sacred space for the members of our religious community. Not surprisingly, I learned that everything was well under control. The church had opened its doors to its members and friends and to the larger community that very day so that people could simply be together.
But here’s what I also learned: the ministers of the Unitarian Universalist congregations in the Minneapolis St. Paul area had already begun plans to gather a few days later in a single location, members and friends from a half-dozen UU churches, to be together – to share stories, to express their fears, to share their sadness, to grieve, and to simply be together as a larger community of faith.

We Unitarian Universalists are funny people. Most often we are fiercely independent and individualistic. We often pride ourselves on our self-reliance, on our autonomy. We can do just fine on our own. This independence is actually one of our greatest strengths. Often that’s led us to think differently than many, to challenge the status quo, to take positions at times that are unpopular, to step away from the crowd. The first part of the Kipling poem you heard earlier is well understood by us: “The strength of the pack is the wolf.” The wolf – the individual wolf – powerful, smart, strong.
This fierce independence is even the reason some Unitarian Universalists don’t even officially join congregations – ever! EVER! We all remember that old Groucho Marx line, “I wouldn’t want to be a member of a club that would accept me as a member.” The Rev. Meg Riley, one of my ministerial colleagues, states that Unitarian Universalists sometimes shorten that adage to say, “I wouldn’t want to be a member of a club that had members.” That’s how independent we can be!
But it’s not only individuals, but congregations that can be lone wolves. In a recent survey of UU’s, nearly half said their congregation had no relationship with a neighboring congregation. As individuals and as congregations, we easily get “The strength of the pack is the wolf”, but we sometimes forget “the strength of the wolf is the pack.”
But when tragedy strikes, or during difficult times, we don’t always feel so strong and we don’t always want to be so independent.
Well, these are difficult times, and it is not a good time to be independent. The economy is crushing so many. Budget cuts are hitting the most vulnerable among us. Although some states are passing marriage equality laws – six so far – others – including my own historically liberal state of Minnesota – are introducing constitutional amendments to prohibit same gender marriage. Bullying of young people–often those struggling with their sexuality–has finally hit the radar screen because of tragic suicides that catch our attention. And of course the amount of distrust and fear of people who are coming here for a better life from neighboring countries is sobering. This is a time when we must join together as an larger Association of Congregations to have the positive impact on the world that we can inspire.
But you folks get it! The very fact that you are together this morning is proof of that! You may not realize how exceptional what you are doing is – gathering together – six different congregations – to worship together, sing together, celebrate and of course eat together. I remember from past years how much you like to eat together afterwards! To my knowledge, there are fewer than five of these Regional Association Sunday gatherings among our 1,054 congregations across the continent. And part of what you are celebrating – I hope – is being part of that larger community of 1,054 congregations.
When I come here to promote Association Sunday, I realize that I’m preaching to the choir. You are already associating!

And it’s not just with one another. When I look at what you are doing for the larger community – individually or collectively – as members of the North Central Mass. UU congregations, it is inspiring. You are not only working between and among yourselves, but you are contributing to a better world and making your mark on the larger community. I’ve done my research. Do you know that individually or collectively you have:

• Sponsored GBLTQ teen coffeehouse
• Offered monthly meals called “Our Neighbor’s Kitchen & Welcome Table” for congregations and community
• Sponsored a collection of new and used toys for the spirit of Christmas collection?
• Engaged in the GBLTQ alliance of North Central Mass in partnership in 2008 with Mt. Wachusett Community College?
• Participated in the Martin Luther King Jr. coalition for 11 years in a row
• Your congregations have hosted AA and Al-Anon meetings
• Some of you have officially become “welcoming congregations”
• During the Iraq war, you conducted weekly peace vigils.
• You serve community-wide holiday meals
• You open your monthly drum circle to the community
• You support local food pantries, local animal shelters, and a community garden.

And there are far more kinds of ministry taking place than I could ever understand or describe.

All these are examples of reaching out, working with others, seeing the bigger picture, being engaged. They are actions to be proud of! I hope you are!

I don’t know if you can do more. Probably not. You seem pretty busy to me.

Still, when we gather together after the service for our meal, I encourage you to sit with someone you don’t know – someone from another congregation. Find out which congregation they are a part of. Ask what their church is doing that they’re excited about. Share what YOUR congregation is doing. See if there are ways where even more connections can be made.

And in the spirit of knowing that we can be better together – the title of this sermon – imagine an even larger pack. The larger pack is not just the congregations present here today. They are the 64 congregations in the Clara Barton district. They are the 108 congregations in the combined Clara Barton and Mass Bay districts. They are the 235 congregations in the Northern New England region. They are the 1,054 congregations that make up the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations. They are the nearly 4000 Unitarian Universalists who are expected to gather this year at our General Assembly in Phoenix and the 7,000 UU’s who have gathered together at recent GAs.

Time and time again, I see people who have attended their first General Assembly glow with delight. Coming from a congregation of 25 or 50 or 100 members, they had no idea what it would be like to worship and celebrate and eat and share with thousands of others who share similar values. It is a powerful experience, and a memorable one.

Ultimately, that’s what we’re trying to create. The largest Association of congregations possible. And to what purpose?

To help nurture our spirits and heal the world.

To work together for the cause of marriage equality. UUs have been instrumental in working together to get marriage equality laws passed in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Iowa, Connecticut, and Vermont and Maryland, and helped make civil unions legal in Washington state. And we came close to succeeding and will be trying again in California and Maine. There is strength in numbers.

To work for immigrant human rights. Unitarian Universalists have been working together in large numbers for the cause of immigrant rights and immigration reform. While immigration reform is a complicated issue and there is no unanimity in its solutions, we are clearly united in protesting the inhumane and immoral ways in which those seeking a better life in this country are being treated. There is strength in numbers.

To work to overturn – or prevent the passing – of immoral laws that turn people seeking a better life into criminals. You remember seeing the photos of UUs in yellow shirts in Phoenix a year ago July? Hundreds of Unitarian Universalists joined thousands of others to witness against SB 1070. XX were arrested, including XX of our clergy. Oh, and our president – Peter Morales – spent a long, hot night in jail. There is strength in numbers.

To provide relief to victims of disasters. You may recall that the UUA and the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee and hundreds of Unitarian Universalist congregations all over the world mobilized to raise $3.6 million to aid victims of Katrina. Interestingly, two thirds of those funds went to local groups that did not receive support from the Red Cross. We are better together.

It’s not always easy to associate. There isn’t enough time. Travel can be difficult. We’re already busy. There is so much competition for our time.

Still, many of us know in our hearts that we are better together. If we Unitarian Universalists were 1,000,000 million strong, think of what we could do! Until that time, we do what we can as individuals and we do what we can together. The strength of the pack is the Wolf and the strength of the Wolf is the pack.

Blessed be.

RevSusan — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 20:42:14 +0000

Easter Sunday April 8, 2012- We are Waiting
While at the gym on Friday morning, when talking with a friend about this upcoming Easter Service, he told me he had just read the cover of Time magazine which announced, “Forget church: follow Jesus”. I had about ten thoughts at once, (if you can believe that) and not one of them could find hope or agreement with that statement. I don’t ever want to discourage people from coming to church. Church, as I told a reporter the other day, is a good thing. It is a community of support, challenge, opportunity and a reality tester. I don’t want to discourage people from thinking about Jesus either. After all without Jesus we would not have Christianity a world religion whose influence on nations, society and culture has shaped centuries of thought and belief and action. Some things good, some not so, but none the less important. And, no matter how you look at the life and death of Jesus we are required as church goers to grapple with the fundamental meaning of church, of prophetic leadership, of spiritual social justice, of the basic rights of humans and the earth, of myths and music and art and ways of living and beliefs about living and dying. I don’t want to discourage people from finding in church a community of likeminded or different thinking folk who can come together with a common vision of preserving traditions, stories, buildings and ideas that can make us build a better world. However, I do want to be free to wrestle with concepts of truth and how science and myth merge, of how story and fact blur and how religion and spirituality can enhance our common life. So I have been reflecting on the Time magazine cover statement and don’t agree, don’t like it and think it will do more damage to churches which already struggle with their existence, upkeep and sense of purpose. Plus for me church is not about Jesus. It is about following the Golden Rule which permeates all religions and is about coming together because we are better together.
Today on Easter Sunday let’s take a look at the concept of following Jesus. What does that mean? We are told in all the Bible stories that women followed Jesus. During his three year ministry the outcasts, the ill, the poor in spirit and in health also followed Jesus. They followed him right into Jerusalem at Passover time, during what Christians call the Palm Sunday procession. Some of the followers stayed with him during the week leading up to his capture, trial and crucifixion. Many men from his inner circle scattered after his arrest but the women stayed with him. They were the ones who went to the tomb on Sunday morning. Jesus had died after dusk on Friday. Saturday was Sabbath day so they could not do what they needed to do to prepare him for burial until Sunday- the first day of the week. Let me share from the book of Luke Chapter 24 verse 1-10, “But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb taking spices and oils which they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb and when they went in they did not find the body… Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James, (who probably was Jesus’ mother too, as James was Jesus brother) and other women with them who told this to the apostles; but these words seemed as an idle tale, and they did not believe them.” But these women who had stood near the place where he was crucified, who watched as his body was placed in the tomb and who came to prepare him for proper burial knew that something was going on, it was no idle tale made up by a group of daft women. These women were the first ones who told the story of hope found in thinking about Jesus surviving even death. This has been enduring message of Easter: that something survives and lives on even after bodily death. This Easter message is confirmed and reconfirmed within the story of Jesus that his followers tell about him. They went to the tomb three days after his death but it was empty is a powerful story. It could have been a story of gloom and despair however his followers found great hope in seeing the tomb empty. It is the foundation for the Christian religion and a source of solace for millions.
There are few who could move and effect people as Jesus could. He would not let his disciples be passive participants in life. Like the women who traveled with him who were the life givers through healing, pregnancy and birthing, Jesus too was a life giver. Why should this idea end at his death? The gospel stories do not tell of an easy life for those who chose to follow him, but speak of them all as being surrounded with the sick, the possessed, the military zealots, the Roman guards, the hungry, the poor, the lame, the unclean, the status free social outcasts. Yes, it was not an easy life for Jesus or any of his followers. But death was not the end of the man Jesus. His means of death should not have been that which fell upon a slave, a traitor, a status free person. Therefore his death had to contain a resurrection. A metaphorical rebirth. For from that empty tomb he passed on all that he lived for and all that he suffered for and all that he died for. Without the women disciples finding the empty tomb, without the disciples finding a message of hope in that empty space all that Jesus modeled, taught, and demonstrated by his active, involved, committed life would have ended the day that the women went to tend to him in the burial rites. The tomb had to be empty to teach that in fact the life is never empty and the enduring message of our purpose, plans, life needn’t be the end of the story.
Easter is about us and our own rebirth too, in our culture it is centered on a man whose life and death is shrouded in mystery and suspense. In spite of the fact that the resurrection myth is as ancient as the spoken word and in spite of the fact that the resurrection theme is found in all cultures, the story that gets passed on and paid attention to is the story of Jesus.
So why do Unitarian Universalist gather on Easter Sunday and dare to mention the name of Jesus. Not that we believe in the literal resurrection of a man, but that we believe in the rebirth, resurrection of the human spirit, the human community, the human capacity for awe, mystery, wonder and renewal.
Reading the biblical stories after the death of Jesus it appears that when the apostles dared to gather again to talk of his death and of his teachings there is a primary message. It comes through in the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. It is that his followers need to become the messengers to carry on in his memory; to carry on the hope filled teachings and possibility for healings that he had imparted to them. The purpose is to go forth and build a heaven on earth.
Now for me that is an Easter message I can live with. To bring forth a prophetic message of confronting corrupt powers, of transforming selfish motives into self less giving, to try to develop my mind, spirit and life as a reflection of goodness and life, that is a story I can follow. And I still believe we need church as a holding vessel and a vehicle to do this in. For where else are we allowed to experiment with religious and spiritual thinking, to expand our spiritual language, to fill our spirit with music, words, and beauty in ways so special. Yep I’m sticking with church as a value to support and sustain. I hope you will too. Forget church? Not likely.
Happy Easter. Happy Spring.

RevSusan — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 20:41:50 +0000

Sermon April 1, 2012
A Fool for Trying?
Have you ever had one of those really bad weeks? You know the kind- the contractors don’t show up when they are supposed to, your spouse locks the house door for the first time in 18 years and you ran home to grab something quick and you don’t have a new key, the computer goes on the fritz and eats an important report, the car doesn’t seem to be running right, the bank calls and you forgot to sign the check which now makes a payment late, you know those weeks. A job loss, a death of a friend, a long drawn out fight with your spouse about the same thing yet again, your kid brings home a bad grade letter, the doctor’s office calls and says you better come in for a follow-up. You know those weeks. They last as long as this month of March has seemed to but you just put one foot in front of the other and keep on trying. Are you a fool for trying? Never, for that is the one unquestionable indisputable resource we possess -the will to keep trying.
Do any of you remember hearing “The Old Philosopher” a song by Eddie Lawrence from the 1940’s. Rev Nannene who you met sent me the link to it on Utube when we were talking about never giving up. let me share just a bit of it with you. It is on line under The old philosophers song by Eddie Lawrence- u tube.
Now I invite you to think about the week that Jesus is about to face, and ask the same question- a fool for trying? So let’s get into some of the story and you answer. It begins with Palm Sunday – today the day that Jesus throws down the gauntlet. He takes a remarkable leap of faith and plans a spectacular and very visible procession into the city of Jerusalem. It is a huge risky procession. Processions are allowed only for rulers, lords, those in command. The day that Jesus has chosen to come into the city on the back of a donkey is the same day that Pontius Pilate is riding with his cavalry on the back of horses, accompanied by his foot soldiers, dressed in leather and helmets and armor and with pomp and circumstance and all the fan fare given to a ruler who enters a city making a show to keep the order during a festival. Remember that the festival of Passover is about to begin. This festival is associated with the Jewish overthrow and escape from another oppressive nation, escape from Egypt to the land of milk and honey in Israel. The Jewish nation and people may have known some years of freedom but once again they are under the rule of a new oppressor the Roman’s. If I were a Roman ruler I would make sure I was in Jerusalem to insure no revolution or revolt was in the workings during a time when throwing off the oppressors is part of the history, and Jesus’ teachings and actions have been receiving notice. The Roman rulers were no fools and Jesus is no fool for trying.
Jesus has been hanging around for the last three years in the country side, hanging around the smaller cities, villages and towns. Ministering and meeting with those who have been oppressed and kept in servitude to the Romans. Whatever else you may find in the bible stories of the New Testament, you will always find a message of Jesus and his disciples talking about THE possibilities. The possibility of healing, the possibility of being free, the possibility of seeing clearly, the possibility of ushering a new kind of kingdom, one that is clearly believed to be in alignment with a God of justice, courage, healing and power. Not against the Jewish religion, but for a reform of the Jewish religion, as it has been set down by Moses and Elijah and the other prophets, as it had been practiced at the beginning when the lesser were cared for, when food was shared, when widows and children were tended to. Jesus’ message has attracted the attention of the Roman and of the Jewish leaders who would just as soon keep the peace and not rock the boat. After all, rarely, do those in power want to relinquish it and all that it brings.
Jesus has built up a band of disciples. We know of twelve of his closest disciples. But he has more followers, women and men who are part of his group, though probably not the inner circle and they have been on the way with him. In the book of Mark we hear Jesus address the crowd and say: “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Mark 8:34. As Marcus Borg and Dominic Crossan point out in the their book, The Last Week, taking up the cross doesn’t mean what it currently does- bearing up under hard and or tragic times, what it meant back then when Jesus said it, was risking imperial retribution. P 28. Death by crucifixion was execution by the state for sedition, for traitorous behavior. This of course sheds new light on the two men who were also crucified on the day that Jesus was, they were no ordinary thieves, and they too were executed as rebels who wished to overthrow the current government. Jesus has spent his time wisely in the villages and towns gathering disciples and inviting them to be part of ushering in the new kingdom; slated to begin at Passover. What could be more in your face, outrageous and rebellious behavior than entering the city in a parade like mode on the back of a common and most useful animal? Some bible stories say it was a donkey, some a young colt. I would guess it was a young colt, playing off the Roman ruler riding on the back of a war ready horse signifying his might and power, while Jesus rides in on a young colt, being followed by a ragtag group of disciples signifying newness and new possibility and that his followers are the common folk. A perfect April fool’s joke isn’t it? A subtle twist on reality is always the best April fool’s joke there is.
For example, the other day my hairdresser shared what his April fool’s joke was on his staff person. He took the appointment book from last year and put all her sticky notes on that one, and left it open on the desk. He then hid the current year’s appointment book and the poor woman was beside herself as she tried to reconcile the sticky notes with the wrong information inside the book.)
Then comes Monday in the bad week for Jesus. First, he goes out of the city to a small town called Bethany where he finds the fig tree that has no fruit to feed him. It was not the season for figs. A little unfair of Jesus to curse a fig tree that has no figs cause it is not the time for figs. It would be like us cursing the apple tree in the midst of January because it has no apples. He leaves there and goes back into Jerusalem for the incident in the temple often called- “Jesus temple tantrum” or the cleansing of the temple. Both events have to do with Jesus expressing anger at and with things as they are. There is a whole lot of symbolic meaning in those two events. Rather than go into great detail let me sum it up by saying- Jesus had expected that there would be more fruit in Jerusalem and surrounding area than he found. More fruit in terms of opportunity to usher in the new kindom. More fruit in terms of the temple readiness for listening and being about reform and transformation. How could he not be mad and not be having a bad week? But is he a fool for trying, no way. The seeds have been sown the process in place and the plan must go on. The problem is not the money changers or the sacrifice as Borg points out the problems is that the “God that Jesus is teaching about is a God of justice and righteousness and when worship substitutes for justice, God rejects God’s temples.” This is what happened when Jesus entered the temple and took action to upset the temple’s activities. p 49.
On Tuesday Jesus finds himself in conflict with the temple authorities, Chief priests, the elders and the scribes. Those are the learned Jewish religious and political leaders. “They ask him by what authority are you doing these things?” He spends the day questioning and being questioned and in the end Jesus makes them look like fools. He twists their words against them, he tells them to be open to new ways of following God. The long day ended and Jesus went back to Bethany to the house of a friend whom he had cured of leprosy.
Wednesday a woman with the alabaster jar came and anointed Jesus with a costly ointment. This caused no amount of controversy and still does. Why waste the ointment, why pour this over Jesus as an anointing, does this mean she was anointing him as Lord and King, why take money away from the poor to buy this precious ointment? Primarily this story sets the stage to introduce Judas as a traitor to Jesus.
Thursday and Friday see the continuance of the plot that has been put in motion. A plan is now underway that ends with Jesus death on Friday. A plan that involves many who never uttered a mumbling word to interrupt it. A plan that began with an in your face processional, that continued and escalated during the week into more and more controversial moments. A plan with those who were disciples, who followed Jesus, and even those who anointed him and those who denied him and betrayed him and left him alone at his final moments of uncertainty, agony and despair.
But was he a fool for trying, no and neither are we, for to try again and again is not foolish nor failure. The failure is when we give up. Or when we forget what church is for, or what religion is all about especially our Unitarian Universalist religion which teaches us to learn from all traditions, adopt the values and stories as relevant to our struggles today, treat all persons with respect for all of us are related and interconnected, and that we all have potential. This is what we are here for – I hope you join in.

RevSusan — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 14:52:31 +0000

March 5, 2012 After the Journey
First Reading the Journey by Mary Oliver
This poem by Mary Oliver was one that I used to read while I was at Andover Newton Theological School preparing for the ministry. I was born in that in-between time of the women’s liberation movement and the more traditional view of woman in the honored role as mother and homemaker. The painful reality of trying to balance career and marriage and knowing a deeper calling to become a part of the larger world tugged and created turmoil when I was in my twenties, thirties and forties. I never doubted the validity and or value of being a mother, homemaker, spouse but I also wrestled with and so wanted to be something more. “The wild nights” and my “life road full of fallen branches and stones” as Oliver wrote, caused me to be heartsick for some years. Until, finally through sheer determination, willfulness and needing to form a new path I forged ahead, as Oliver wrote, “determined to do the only thing that you could do- determined to save the only life you could save.”
I learned many lessons on my journey and one is to take regular Sabbatical times to renew and revive and restore my soul and heart so that I can stay centered and balanced.
As Ron and I drove away from home and church and this city I so love I knew that the timing was perfect and that I would begin in Savannah to revitalize my body and mind, I did. Lazy days at the camper, walking in the morning to where the river meets the ocean, sipping coffee while sitting outside and planning to go into Savannah to learn about the city; I began to unwind and “I strove”, as Oliver wrote, “deeper and deeper into the world.” We toured Savannah with a bus full of tourist, just like us, with cameras over their shoulders, and comfortable shoes for walking, and pockets full of maps and brochures. We saw the many stately homes, and elegant squares named after gallant men, we saw a living oak tree over 500 years old, visited with the Occupy Savannah movement folk who had set up on the common, we ate well, toured the waterfront and ate pecan pralines and fried green tomatoes. All the while I was so grateful to you for realizing the importance of Sabbatical time and for so ably covering all the things that need to be done here. Thank you
Read The Balance by Graeme Edge
After we had journeyed more, we rested and we said it is good. New Orleans or better yet in Mandeville Louisiana on the shore of Lake Pontchartrain 30 minutes from the “city of sin” as my neighbor calls it. A perfect place to be. We could go into New Orleans and we did many days but when the noise of the Carnival, which is really pre Mardi Gras partying and celebrating, or heavy traffic and hussle bustle of drunks on Bourbon Street and the French Quarter got too much we could head to the very quiet and peaceful campground. As many of you know one of our side trips was to a Cajun bayou where we saw alligators and birds and snakes- but the most intriguing part of that trip was learning about the Creole, Cajun, Acadian and British cultures. I grew up in Gardner Mass where I first heard the cadence, accent and idiosyncratic speech patterns of the French Canadians. So when I was in Cajun Country listening to Mr. Edgar Boudreau explain about the alligators I was delighted. The Acadians or Cajun culture was alive and well. The Acadians in Louisiana were those who had been kicked out of New Brunswick/Nova Scotia or Maritime Canada by the British in the late 1700’s they settled outside of New Orleans. In The Balance, Edge, sang – “and he learned love then he was answered”. I hardly expected to go on Sabbatical 2,000 miles from home and be reminded of the wonderful French Canadian culture that I had been brought up in as a young girl. The warmth of the people, the humor and resilience, the delight in hearing a dialect that was part of my life was a salve to my mind. I laughed and delighted in learning about alligators, – if you are chased by an alligator run in a straight line, not zigzag as TV tells you, run as fast as you can for 50 yards then you are safe- and don’t run up a tree either- no alligators can’t climb trees but they can wait for a very long time. The other painful truth I learned is that oppressions of the other continue to be one of our nation’s most significant stains. Edge writes, “And he learned compassion, he saw his enemies like unto himself and he learned love and then he was answered.” The Creoles were the original settlers of New Orleans- they were primarily French aristocrats who settled and built the French Quarter. Haitian, black, Native American, French, they lived together in peace until first the Spaniards and then the British came in and pried power and land out of the hands of the original settlers. And they lost compassion for one another, they forgot who they were, they failed to understand what we must grasp at our peril, which is¬ that we must love others as we love ourselves, that we must cultivate compassion for all persons, that we must stop seeing the “otherness” but instead see the likeness and magnificent perfection of all people without barriers and boundaries. We are our brothers and sisters. We may have a distinct culture and it is good to know it and enjoy it and teach it but we have no more right to our distinctive culture than anyone else has. And the blot of oppression of the other has and will taint our soul until we learn the lesson of love, “just open your heart”, wrote Edge and that’s a start. Love your neighbor as yourself.
Read from Staying Put: Making a Home in a Restless World, by Scott Russell Sanders.
“Seekers often journey to the ends of the earth in search of holy ground, only to find that they have never walked on anything else.” Wrote Sanders. And thus we arrived home after traveling on the sacred and holy ground of many places. “What a blessing”, I said to Ron one day, as we were traveling, “to be able to see so much of the country and to delve into two special places Savannah Ga and New Orleans Louisiana. I am so grateful.”
Although the French Quarter is the French Quarter a 6X 12 block of incredible architecture with iron railings, colorful homes, ornate doorways and arches, dark corridors leading to spacious courtyards and during Mardi Gras a place transformed into one large block party it truly is a holy place. Never have I been in a city quite so focused on art as vital to its very being, a part of its soul. To be sure it was Carnival and Mardi Gras time but everyone did something, wore something to enhance the sacredness of art and creativity. Street entertainers in particular, I saw one very long legged man dressed in an all white tuxedo suit with a red, white and blue tall hat with a fake dog looking to be leashed before him could remain in one position, which looked as if he was striding along. He remained unmoving for up to a 1hour and ½. We ate beignets, sinfully rich powdered French donuts at Café Dumont with street musicians who set up and played music as we ate. there were elaborate and wonderful costumes, and beads and feathers and elaborately dressed up persons, turning a corner there would suddenly be a 5 piece jazz or fiddle group or acrobats tumbling down 45 degree angle stairs, jumping over one another flipping in the air like aerial performers or artists painting and jewelry makers and masks and face painting a constant reminder that beauty is sacred and holy. “The Search may begin with a restless feeling”, writes Sanders, “as if one is being watched. One turns in all directions and sees nothing. Yet one senses that there is a source for this deep restlessness…. and the path leads home.” But Ron and I turned in all directions and saw magnificent sites, people, buildings, statues, costumes, art, and we heard magnificent noises, people, music and the hustle and bustle of a wonderful city full of itself at Carnival time. Yet we knew that at any time of the year New Orleans would be a place of promise and creative wonder. And then our journey came to an end and we headed home to you and family and snow knowing that each step we had taken was on holy ground. The journey of miles might be over but the journey of memory is still much alive. I look forward to sharing more stories with you of visiting a Creole plantation, being on the Mississippi river on a steam boat, meeting a Voodoo Priestess and visiting the Voodoo temple, and more stories too. May you find your holy ground and may it be here.

RevSusan — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 14:51:22 +0000

Sermon March 18, 2012
I have been thinking about our religion
Having been born and brought up a Unitarian Universalist in a congregation with a minister who was very eclectic in his interests, I was encouraged to be open to all sorts of religious experiences. I knew that church was a place to participate in a full array of possibilities. And, as the Kathleen Norris reading said, “Church was used as compost to work the earth of my heart, and to yield a rich harvest.” I also fully appreciated the words from Alfred North Whitehead that I shared this morning. In particular, I like his reflection that “Religion is the vision of something which stands beyond, behind and within, the passing flux of immediate things; something which is real and yet waiting to be realized, … the vision is worship … a surrender to the claim for assimilation, urged with the motive force of mutual love.” Though I stepped out of being a part of a congregation for a couple of years when I came back I did so knowing that mutual love, worship and awe, exploring potentiality of all life, engaging with various thoughts, experiences and being open to a multitude of others’ religious experiences and beliefs would be the touchstones of how I would think about my religious beliefs. And, when I became a Unitarian Universalist minister I knew all this would be the growing place for me and any congregation I would serve. Leominster has given me that opportunity. Traveling has also given me opportunities to continue to expand and explore many religious possibilities. I probably should go and visit other UU churches when I travel but I would rather go places that I have never been. This most recent Sabbatical from February to March brought me into a Voodoo Spiritual Temple in New Orleans. Visiting the temple really made me think about our religion.
There is this funny tension within Unitarian Universalism that seems to have focused around the distinction between religion and spirituality or the thinking and experiencing aspects of our human nature, or at least that is how it is named. Unitarianism did grow out of a strong intellectual drive to prove or disprove certain religious beliefs. The early Unitarians were the ones who took apart the Bible dissecting it and studying the history, vocabulary and facts that other religions accepted on faith. It is rare that anyone who is Unitarian Universalist now-a-days is so focused on facts that they miss the awe and mystery of story, of parable, of experiencing religion in a spirit filled way. I was fortunate that my childhood minister and congregation were comfortable and able to bridge the gap between intellect and experience. I understand the tension between the two but I don’t find them mutually exclusive so when I think about our religion I am aware of the rich possibility for integrating both. Visiting the Voodoo Spiritual Temple was a full immersion experience with all my senses and intellect and feelings being engaged during the visit. Of course like the Unitarian Universalist that I am, once I experienced the temple, I had to get a book to “learn” and study about the religion. Yep, when I think about our religion I think we really are an open and affirming group of people who are open to a broad array of experience and that when we are intrigued we do two things – we get a book and study the subject or we find people who are involved in the subject to learn from.
Let me tell you some of the similarities between Unitarian Universalism and Voodoo. Voodoo is a religion that has gotten a bad rap and is frequently misunderstood. Some would believe that Voodoo is not a religion, and that it uses or misuses personal power to do ill to others. Unitarian Universalism also gets a bad rap and is frequently misunderstood. Some don’t even consider us a religion and think we misuse our religion to keep people from being saved.
Voodoo is a religion that is very syncretistic. This means that it takes from other religious, cultural, spiritual practices and weaves it into its rituals and beliefs. Unitarian Universalism is a religion that also does this. We use the teachings from the world’s religions; we integrate the teachings from many sacred texts; we use rituals from others, E.g. practices that have come to us from pagan or indigenous sources or from other cultures that we use to augment our worship; we also use an assortment of religious rites and practices; we adopt and follow the words and deeds of prophetic women and men and most of all like the voodoo religion we enter into covenant to affirm and promote the interdependent web of existence and to honor the mutual love which is at the heart of our very being.
The temple was the assimilation of many religious, cultural traditions. Inside the smoky, incense filled rooms were various altars established and dedicated to the major Voodoo gods and goddesses. There are many, let me just tell you about the major ones, Erzulie, the cosmic mother, the goddess of love, Legba, or Papa Legba the god who is the intermediary into discovery of the spirit world and communion with the ancestors, Gran Bwa, or The Big Wood is the spirit of Nature personified, Baron is the guardian of the dead and the ancestors and protector of the new born children, Ogoun is the god of diplomacy, negotiation and a warrior. In the temple, altars with objects special and sacred to each of these gods and goddesses were all around the room. Baron in particular likes rum and cigars, there was a corner devoted to Erzulie, with many pictures depicting love and with statues of the Virgin Mary and the black virgin of Guadalupe, statues of Venus, photographs, and of Kuan Yin, Athena, Adonis, gorgeous fresh cut flowers and fresh decadent food, books, and many pictures; George the Dragon Slayer, the Archangel Michael; pictures from old family bibles representing Saint Peter, adorned some altars; pictures of Sitting Bull and other Native American shamans were around some altars, candles and masks and gorgeous fabric and at one altar a picture of the Ancient goddess Medusa and a live python was there in a cage, too. I hope you can get a bit of the vision. It was an incredible visionary and sense place, crammed full of religious iconography, statues, and idols from every conceivable era and time, in two rooms filling about 18 x 36 feet. Though I noticed few pictures representing Jesus I saw no crucifixes, which I commented on to Ron later. One altar was a piano filled with musical instruments and with a picture of dancing groups, and sax and trumpet players, and drummers, and singers. Voodoo is a physical religion and movement and trance dance is very typical of a ceremony. The author of Vodou Shaman, Ross Heaven, writes, “When we dance we do not use or brains; we allow our spirits to blend with things outside ourselves… Eventually we achieve a state of trance, wherein we are no longer fully present, in the sense that our ego no longer vetoes our actions.” Voodoo is a religion of the body, drumming, singing, dancing, movement is crucial for entering into an altered state of consciousness where deeper meanings can be intuited.
At each altar the objects were stuffed with rolled and folded dollar bills and half full bottles of rum and cigars. Ron and I gave Priestess Miriam money rather than leaving it at a particular altar as the money at the altars doesn’t get taken away, and I told her I know how much money it takes to keep a church going. A temple has a Priestess or Priest who are the holy leaders. In New Orleans it was Priestess Miriam. She embodied love and respect and honor and appreciation for both the individual and for the larger community. She described herself as just an ordinary woman until she heard an ancestor call out to here in a dream- “from now on your name will be Miriam and your life is about to change”. Miriam is an ancient biblical name she was the sister of Moses and like Moses a prophet and religious leader; she lead her people through song and dance. Shortly after her dream Miriam met the man she would marry and together they came to New Orleans where they started the spiritual center we visited. He died in 1995 but her connection to him has transcended his physical death and I could almost feel him standing beside her as she told us about their adventures and learning and life purpose.
The purpose for the temple, and I quote from the brochure I picked up during the visit is “to present education and clarification of the beliefs and practices associated with voodoo in the hopes of furthering enlightenment and dispelling misconceptions.” Voodoo has gotten a bad rap and is misrepresented in books and especially so in the 1970’s by filmmakers who made the religion about sacrifices and zombies and voodoo dolls. (I am going to pass around this Voodoo doll that I bought at Marie Laveau’s store that specialized in Voodoo stuff. The tag states it is a voodoo doll for protection. Though the religion has often been labeled as a Satanist religion it is not and has not ever been. In part it is labeled this because of the racism of those who knew that the earliest followers of Voodoo were African’s who brought the religion here during the time of slavery. In any event its roots are African and Haitian which mixed with Catholicism, Christianity and like Unitarian Universalism it has some foundational structure and belief but is willing to be transformed and shift.
The basic tenet of Voodooism is to discover one’s personal power or energetic strength called Ashe, (A-Shay), and to use this by being in communion with the spirit world to embody love. Voodoo does not deny that there is evil in the world, nor does it ignore sin as a part of life, rather like Unitarian Universalism it attempts to find and bring balance and harmony into existence.
In brief, Voodoo is an ancient religion that is rooted in the culture and beliefs of a people who brought their religious practices to a new place when they were enslaved. Voodoo is connected to earth based spiritual practices, healing arts of herbs, plants and other healing practices if much a part of it. The intention to be in right relations with one’s ancestors and to communicate across the divide between what we call life and death is a crucial part of the Voodoo religion. Intention and personal responsibility rank high as values and finding ones’ way in the world in spite of obstacles and road blocks by using religious teachers and teachings is another important component.
I can only hope that I have given you a little taste of an important indigenousness religion and if you are interested in learning more I am happy to speak with you and to give you the name of the book I am reading and help you find reliable resources. May your religious journeys continue to open your mind and heart and spirit. Blessed Be.

Sermon: Audacious Living January 29, 2012

RevSusan — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:05:37 +0000

One of the more challenging aspects of being a Unitarian Universalist and a UU minister is trying to define what Unitarian Universalism is in a short enough time frame that my hearers do not glaze over. Today seems an opportunity to do this, not have you glaze over, (unless you need the rest of course) but an attempt to explain Unitarian Universalism. This past week I was at a minister’s study group. It began 110 years ago for Universalist ministers and has been meeting at the Wayside Inn in Sudbury Mass, since 1901, with the exception of two years- those years were during World Wars. The invitation to join is an honored one and many of the members are long time and revered ministers. Since Unitarians and Universalists merged in 1965 most of the ministers are now UU’s not Universalist and most of the longer time members have had rich long ministries with incredible experiences. Some marched with Dr. King on Selma and on the March on Washington. Some were those who helped register congregants as Conscientious Objectors during the Vietnam War. Some helped women get abortions when it was not legal even though the woman had been raped or abused and to give birth to a child would jeopardize them and the child. Some began churches and became ministers out of the active fellowship movement of the late 1950’s. Two were among the first females in our ministry. Some were signers of the Humanist Manifesto, which became one of the most controversial divisions in Unitarian Universalist history, as people were encouraged to develop a belief that stretched beyond the usual categories of Christian or believing in God. One was head of the department of ministry when sexual scandals emerged and when a code of ethics was drafted. One is a relative of one of our former ministers. He is retired yet still preaches once a year at the congregation he served for over 25 years when he comes back for this annual Fraters meeting. Those ministers, the elders and the new ones, share one common characteristic that I propose is the backbone of our Unitarian Universalist faith- they all practice audacious living. I am suggesting that teaching, modeling, and living our Unitarian Universalist faith is about audacious living.
Audacious is defined, by the 1960 Funk and Wagnalls dictonary, as having or exhibiting an unabashed or fearless spirit. One that is defiant of ordinary restraint. (p. 94) That I think sums us up in a succinct definition. We are bold, daring, and fearless especially in challenging assumptions of common conventions. It has long been said that it is not easy to be a Unitarian Universalist. Why is it hard, because you are encouraged to accept one another and encourage spiritual growth of others in our congregations. What if someone disagrees with how you think? What if no one gives you absolute answers, what if the minister says explore your beliefs I am not the authority for your beliefs? Why is it hard, because we are called to respect the inherent worth and dignity of every person and to respect the interdependent web of all existence. This creates a bit of tension does it not? affirming and promoting everybody is not easy, we all have opinions of how people should be living and acting and some people really are quiet annoying, however because we are part of all existence, it is important to affirm that. It doesn’t mean that we put up with bad disrespectful behavior or inappropriate acting out toward others but we try to love the person even if we dislike their actions. Our principles and purposes are the glue that holds us together as we explore being a Unitarian Universalist. Now it is not true, as sometimes has been said, that you can believe anything you want and be a Unitarian Universalist, to do that is the opposite or shadow side of being audacious. To say you can believe anything you want is being overconfident, coy, disrespectful or foolhardy. on line Encarta dictionary.
The dedication of Emily and Grayson this morning follows a long and rich tradition with our Unitarian Universalist faith. It is based on the premise coming out of the 1st Century Christians that God created humans and they are good, pure, and innocent. And that it is up to a community of faithful persons, parents, godparents, relatives and a church community to help them attain their true potential. We do recognize that people can go astray, can sin and we even recognize that there is evil in the world. However we stuck to the earlier teachings about the goodness and purity of all creation with an understanding that there is not original sin in the human condition.
In fact it is recognition and acceptance of the human condition that makes for audacious living in the best sense of pursuing wisdom and knowledge and searching for truths in all sorts of way, and of being fearless of spirit to understand that our beliefs can withstand rigorous evaluation and that our faith can survive even in the ambiguity of surety. Unitarian Universalism as an audacious faith even requires that we be diligent in questioning, diligent in learning, diligent in exploring the depths of our spirit, of life, of the universe, of that which is oft times called God.
Today will be the last time I will be in the pulpit until March 4th and speaking of audacious living. I will be driving with Ron first to Savannah Ga and then to Louisiana. A sabbatical is a time for audacity. A time to be fearless of spirit and thought. A time to be open to new ideas, new experiences, new ways of being day to day without being tied to the normal conventions. Well, as normal as it can be around here with the hundred and one things that we do both as a church community and with the larger community. During a sabbatical time even just for a month the days are more fluid, the time not as tightly controlled and certain things don’t need to be done in the same way. So during this sabbatical I will be watching and learning about new cultural experiences. We will be in Louisiana during Carnival and at Mardi Gras time. It is a cultural experience that has a rich religious history, not just Christian but pagan and from the Native Peoples who lived in that territory before it was formed into its distinctive city and place. I expect being there and in Savannah will expose me to southern ways of thinking and being that I don’t know and I look forward to living with audacity for the month.
So continue to support one another and explore what it means to practice audacious living of your Unitarian Universalist faith. Be fearless in knowing what it is that you believe in and why and fearless in sharing that with others. So be it.

RevSusan — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:49:34 +0000

Sermon January 22, 2012
Praying in another Way
Deciding to introduce the conversation of praying in and among a group of Unitarian Universalist is probably a very risky act on my part; fortunately I will be out of town for the next couple of days to avoid a lynching. Seriously though, Unitarian Universalists, myself included, have frequently had difficulties with the concept of prayer. Some claiming they do not; would not and never could imagine saying a prayer. Some claiming that prayer involves believing in some source that might or might not grant requests like a rich benefactor. Others saying that prayer is an easy out or even no way out of difficulties and pain filled experiences that are caused by humans anyway and that require action and fixing not prayer. Other Unitarian Universalist say they would meditate, they would reflect, they would explore their inner thinking/ feeling self but would never raise their voice or thoughts in prayer to an unknown, unknowable, deity. What does prayer mean to you? If for you it holds that traditional meaning of talking to a personal gift granting father god then thinking about prayer might be more challenging. Or thinking about another way of praying might be liberating. Never do I suggest or believe that prayer is an answer or solution to the difficulties that life brings, nor do I think that what has come into my life both the good and the bad is as a result of some deity dispensing source.
So let’s look at various ways of prayer as a way to get you to think about what prayer has meant to you and what it could mean going forward. The most known form of prayer is the petitionary or what, from those other Christian background, are called prayers of supplication. This is the I want, I ask for, will you grant this to me prayer. Underlying this prayer is the concept that we have been good, therefore we deserve and need to have certain things granted to us. Someone once suggested as I was wrestling with the I want prayer, is that not every answer should be yes, here you go, your wish is my command. Ouch, that was a real learning moment.
Then there is the prayer of lament. In the Hebrew Scriptures there are the Psalms and the book of Laments. A lament is speaking in a way that expresses disappointment, sorrow, even grief about something. I have prayed in lament form more than once when I have been in the midst of pain and trouble. Grumbling, or having a cuss and discuss form of prayer is perfectly all right. It is honest inner and outer dialogue, it is moaning and groaning and being upset and being in despair. Believe me it is fine to let loose in lament prayer, let it fly, get it out. Prayer is truest when it is uncensored and raw. The universe can handle it.
Another type of prayer is the prayer of confession. If prayer is talking aloud to a source greater than our self, and trying to get in right relationships with others then a prayer of confession can simply be a conscious moral inventory and reminder of the ways we might have failed to meet, not just our standards, but some basic standards of right behavior. Prayers of confession need not be guilt inducing or involve beating up on ourselves; they can be a gentle reminder that we make mistakes and can always do better.
Another type of prayer is thanksgiving and gratitude. Graces at meals, expressing gratitude and appreciation at public events is something I do at least once a week. Meister Eckhart a 13th Century mystic, once said “if the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.” Another type of prayer is often called a praise or adoration prayer. This type is similar to praying in gratitude for what we have or will receive however I like to think of a prayer of praise as being attentive to and appreciative of all that is about us. Acknowledging that we appreciate the beauty of each other’s faces, the beauty of nature and of human creativity, the wonder of love and compassion, the joy of being healthy, the chance to be alive and work toward becoming more fully spiritual beings – this to be in praise praying.
Tim Tebow, the left hand throwing quarterback who rallied the Denver Bronco’s into an exciting end of the season, exemplified and angered many with his praying, so much so that his actions came to be called “tebowing” and has led to many a discussion on television and radio and been fodder for stand up comedians. I personally found the whole discussion quite interesting and revealing of our uncomfortableness with public displays of religious piety. I am not even at ease with the fingers in the air or signing of the cross that many athletes engage in. Yet, if Tebow wants to have a conversation with that which he believes to help him center and play better ball and be a better leader is in fine; but as my mother used to admonish me, “Just don’t make a spectacle of yourself.”
It is not usual for me nor for UU’s by and large to go to the bible as a source of authority. However there is a lot to say in the bible about prayer. From the book of Matthew Chapter 6 there are some most revealing sentences allegedly from Jesus: “and in praying you must not be like the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen…and in praying do not heap up empty phrases but pray like this,” and he goes on to say the prayer often called the Lord’s prayer or as I prefer to say the prayer of Jesus. I found a couple things really interesting when the bible was addressing Jesus and prayer – one is that most often Jesus prays in silence and recommends it as the conversation to have with whom he addresses as Papa. The second is in any reference to prayer by Jesus he follows up immediately by saying it matters not what you say, what matters in how you act. If you don’t forgive others, you won’t find forgiveness for yourself either, and if you don’t clothe, feed, assist the needy, the widow, the prisoner, the homeless, the stranger, the outcast then forget it all your words are noises without substance.
Tebowing has led to numerous columns, sermons, articles and sources of inspiration and derision about the problem that has faced humans since we first began to think about why some people seem to have things go right in their life and why others don’t. This is one of the problems about prayer. Our religious upbringings more often than not taught that having a personal and good relationship with God will almost guarantee that nothing bad will happen. Of course this flies in the face of reality. Bad things will happen, they do happen, and nothing can change this reality. The most we can hope for is that by having a spiritual connection with others, with the universe and with maintaining balance and cultivating all the ways we can to build resiliency we will get through those bad things that happen – death, illness, loss of health, betrayal, environmental catastrophes, economic troubles, and etc.
For we who are Unitarian Universalist by birth or choice there is not any set way to pray, nor any words we must use, nor any creed or words to recite we have pray. In fact, I would like to introduce a couple of other kinds of prayer. The first is silent prayer often called meditation. Mary Oliver invited us in her poem this morning to think of this as she wrote, “just pay attention, patch a few words together, this isn’t a context but the doorway into thanks, and a silence in which another voice may speak.” That other voice may be your inner strength, your inner spiritual core of wisdom, your inner moral compass, your inner source of strength, your inner still, small voice. That is bigger than what has commonly been called the “lord’s prayer”.
The other is to look at lots of alternative prayers. As you can see from the handout of Alternatives people have been wrestling with the Jesus prayer for a very long time. Since the beginning of time people have prayed. Listen to Socrates prayer to Pan, Beloved Pan, and all ye other gods who haunt this place, give me beauty in the inward soul; and may the inward and the outward, be at one. May I reckon that wealth lies in wisdom, and may I have such quantity of gold as a temperate person and only such a person can bear and carry? Anything more? This prayer I think is enough for me.” There is an even more ancient prayer to the Goddess Ishtar, from Sumerian, “See me, O my Lady, Accept my prayers.”
The patriarchal language beginning of that which is called the Lord’s Prayer has always stuck in my craw. I get annoyed beyond reason when at an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting which always closes with the prayer of Jesus the person beginning the prayer begins by saying… “Whose father.” Such rude and insensitive words, I want to scream, don’t assume I want to say that I have a concept of a source greater than me as a male parent figure, nor I want to say assume that Jesus even thought that either. Jesus didn’t; he never said father, he said Abba which is the gentler and more loving term used to describe a person who guides, sustains and stands with those in need during all times.
I guess what I am proposing is that praying in a new way can open us up to some interesting new ways to explore what inner resources we have when things go bad or good, can open us up to other conversations about what, who, how we view the world when bad things happen, can let us know we are not alone when hearing language that excludes women, pagans, atheists, agnostic or other free thinkers. I tell you there is no form of prayer that we must adopt nor follow nor that we even need pray. What I am suggesting is that we remain open to the love that flows into us when we gather together to do those things that makes us and the world a better place. Blessed be.
What alternative prayer would you like me to close with today?

January 22, 2012

RevSusan — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 16:48:11 +0000

RevSusan — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:24:46 +0000

Sermon January 15, 2012
Hope, humanity and Dr. King
All across our country the federal holiday honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. day of birth will be celebrated tomorrow. Today we will be holding the 13th annual event beginning with brunch in the downstairs fellowship hall, the cost for the brunch is $10 for adults and $5 for children 5-12. I hope you can join us or at least come to the no charge event this afternoon at 12:30.
Today begins the holiday honoring and remembering Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. the prophet, preacher, activist, civil rights leader who was born today in 1929 and who was assassinated on April 4, 1968.
“Holidays,” as the late Rev Forrest Church reminds us, “exists for two reasons. The first might be called the “gathering or significant cause.” We take time to ponder something essential or meaningful in the lives we share. All religious and national holidays spring from some deep collective need to ponder or celebrate, to mourn or to give thanks. They exist as compass points for our souls. But they exist for another reason as well. Even those who participate in the religious or patriotic ceremonies that mark these holidays tend to lapse into primary appreciation of their secondary cause, vacation… the gift of a little discretionary time, the luxury of an extra day off. We need that too. … It is a good thing. But because it is a good thing we can overlook what it was that caused our forebears to establish a holiday in the first place… Martin Luther King Day is the quintessential American patriotic holiday. Through the pain of its true sponsors it harks back to the aspirations of our founders and passions of our prophets… if we are paying any attention at all it reminds us of just how far we have to go to break down the many barriers between people that subvert the idealistic blueprint for this republic, “Out of many, one”.
I am proud of the event we hold at the church and how a church diversity committee was the driving force behind this event. I think that when we adopted and worked toward building the coalition and planning the events we were working to further the vision “out of many, one.” That vision is an admirable founding national ideal and a guiding principle for our Unitarian Universalist faith and a worthy vision for us to strive for. I want more church members to get involved so that we can continue to demonstrate to the larger community that here at First Church we not just talk the talk but we walk the walk toward becoming a beloved community. A beloved community is one that understands that out of many diverse points of view, in spite of differences in cultural, racial, ethnic background, out of our of many life experiences, and regardless of age, economic position, politics, class, gender or educational opportunities – a united community can bring the best to the world. My hope is that the work that any we begin here on antiracism, anti-oppression and multicultural issues sets us apart as a church community that holds out a positive vision of humanity as a possibility. Hope and humanity came together in the work, life and legacy of Dr. King. Was he perfect? no! No one is and as Unitarian Universalist we appreciate the irony of that because we believe and have had it demonstrated in our own lives that perfection is not what we are striving for, we are striving to do the best we can with who we are, to change and modify our behavior as we continue to take personal inventory and to find a community that helps us develop our full potential as individuals in community.
When I think of King, the one vision that most comes to my mind is that of a “beloved community.” This was his vision, goal and a dream he has left for us. Do I think we are there- no way- do I think it is attainable- I hope, and I wonder the form it will take and I know that it may not be the vision I have but a blending of many other’s vision melded with mine. King was far too a realist to believe that in the beloved community there would be no sin- he knew from his own life mistakes- we know too from our own shortcomings that perfection and will you let me say sin-less-ness is not possible.
But he believed that “in a dark, confused world the kingdom of God may yet reign in the hearts of all.” P.155, Strength to Love. When we said the prayer that Jesus taught us, a few moments ago, we said, “ thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”. Is this in part where MLK got his vision, where he begins his vision for a beloved community? If it is, what does he mean? What can we learn to help us fulfill the hope for humanity as equal, free, courageous and love filled beings here and now?
The beloved community in King’s view is a social system that deals with the whole person, soul and body; spiritual well being and material well being. King was too much of a realist and too much of a lover of life to hold a vision that would only speak to a kindom in a place not of this world and earth. It was his earthiness that gave him passion for justice, passion for peace, passion for knowledge, passion for faith, passion for the teachings of Jesus. King wrestled with issues of self- respect, strength, courage, dignity, reconciliation and balancing the spirit and the human.
During his ministry in Montgomery Alabama the bus boycott began. He was asked to be the leader for the people. He was asked to help hold them together body and spirit. He was asked to do this by his words, his beliefs, his actions, his hope, his vision. He taught that it was more honorable to walk, crawl if necessary to places- such as work and the market, than to ride the buses in shame and humiliation. Can we even imagine taking this action, can we imagine not being co-opted, can we imagine peaceful non-cooperation to overcome a great social injustice? What motivates me is the belief that my actions, my non cooperation with wrong, would help bring about a community that cared for my spirit and my physical well being and the spiritual and physical well being of all humanity. This is the belief in the power of eternal love. The strength to love that MLK demonstrated and the vision of hope is that in spite of the complexities of human motives and in spite of our capacity for doing bad things there is a universal love and what he and many call God- which is available and dwells in the heart of persons to lead us to goodness and blessed beloved community.
Many of you will have tomorrow off as a day of rest and recreation. I hope that you will take some time to go to the Whitney Field mall and support the members of the Choir who will be there performing and to hear Mickey and his family band play and to listen to Dr. King’s ‘I have a dream speech’. You will have tomorrow off and it is a good thing and while you have your day off take time to reflect on the hope-filled message that Dr. King left us. All around us people’s rights are threatened and prejudice, discrimination and racial inequality do rear their ugly head, we have been given a gift here at First Church- the gift- the opportunity to learn how to truly be with others and to hear their struggles and to learn with an open mind and heart about those struggles, to walk with others through society’s attempts to keep us from being a loving beloved community and we have a voice and eyes which allow us to see more clearly and speak out against injustice anywhere.
Let’s reconfirm our vision: We, the members of First Church Unitarian Universalist, dedicate ourselves to walk together in ways of truth, goodness and beauty, to be an anti-racist, democratic, nurturing community of love, to be a support to each other in times of need and to stand in the larger community for those values of tolerance, justice, equality, and love by which we attempt to live our lives.”
May it be So.