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1667.mp3

When i was. About. 13 years old. Micah.. When i was about 13 years old. I remember struggling with a geometry problem. And it was especially frustrating because i love geometry. And i haven't the faintest idea what that problem was today. But when i do remember when i went to bed. Still with no answer. In the middle of the night i dream how to solve that problem. In the morning i had it figured out. And i could even prove what i had done because that was always part of the answer. Today sometimes i go to bed trying to figure out how a story i want to tell at river road. Could be told. With the right examples in a simple short meaningful way. And often in the middle of the night actually it's probably very early in the morning. My dreams help me shake my stories. Or bring new ideas to compliment the story. Years ago i took a class. An understanding dream. And we're all told but they're alright archetype old symbols in dreams. But only the dreamer. Can really interpret the dream. In our biblical story. Joseph. Told the pharaoh that he joseph. Could not interpret the dream. But that god could. And then joseph proceeded to explain it as if giving voice. To god's vision. As for me. I try not to interpret other people's dream. I have to say when someone tells me. Before a large group of people in an important presentation. I often assume. But they have some anxiety about the next presentation they have to make. And maybe even their confidence and doing it. Whether or not only the dreamer can interpret her dream. I think it true. Only the dreamer can act. On her dream. That is what was important to me about the pharaohs reaction to joseph's interpretation. The barrow active. And it was a scary dream. Pharaoh acted on his dream. Now one of the things i experienced in that drink laugh. Was that my dreams. Can interact with other people's dream. And there's with mine. That's right. If you share your dream with me. Pieces of your dream might appear. In my dream. It says if. Are dreams. We're living things. Holy thing. Sacred things. And i think they often are. I know of children. Dream that their parents could get married. What they would wear. What their parents would wear. Who would come to the wedding and what the party would be like. And they long to show pictures of their parents in those. From their parents wedding. An album. To their friends. But in there today. Laws prevent their two mothers from getting married. I have married couples. Here in this room. When the service itself actually acknowledged. Are many gay and lesbian couples. Who dream. A being able to stand in this room and participate in a wedding ceremony. Subway. That those couples were doing at this very upset very moment. I invited heidi and fiona. The share that e.e. cummings poem with us this morning. Because i was honored to officiate at their wedding. On the banks of the potomac river. When they said those very words to each other. They could get married in the district of columbia. But they could not get married here in this room. Because maryland. Of maryland law and even though unitarian-universalist have been continental leaders. In marriage equality. We couldn't do it in this room. Those dreams of children and a married couples have seeped into my dream. I can see myself standing in this room. With two women or two men saying. By the power vested in me by the river road unitarian universalist congregation. And the state of maryland. I pronounce you married. It is a dream. I can act upon and i can invite you to join me. The maryland state legislature passed a law this year that would allow that to happen. Would allow same-sex marriages in the state of maryland. But there is a referendum on this long enough signatures were gathered. To refer this decision to the citizens of maryland. And on november 6th. If you are a registered voter in the state of maryland you will have the opportunity to vote yes to retain. Same-sex marriage legislation passed this year. If you're not a registered voter in maryland. I invite you to encourage your maryland friend. The vote to retain marriage equality. In maryland. There is another dream. That's has seeped into my dreams. Dream of many young people who have successfully graduated. From our schools here in maryland. Many of them. With impressive grade-point averages. Give me. Young people. Who were brought to the united states as infants or children without legal documents. To allow them to be permanent residence. Here in this country. They have grown up here. We have invested in their education from kindergarten through high school. They have played on our football teams and sung in our school choir. They have song that's girl scout cookies. And wrapping gift wrapping paper from their school project. They have recycle paper and picked up trash on our highways. Have made favors for our family the nursing home. And food and odd at fireworks. On the 4th of july. They have said. I pledge allegiance. To the united states of america. And to the republic for which it had which it stands. Again and again and again. Is to be able to pay in-state tuition. In maryland community college. To begin their college education. As i thought about preaching on this. August sunday morning. In those early morning hours i mentioned earlier. The dreams of those young people and their families entered my dream. In some part i think. Because i have grown up in a country that's so very often. From its earliest roots. Dreamed of our children being educated. When enslaved people children were not allowed to learn to read. They and their parents dream. Of having access to education. Many of the immigrants from europe from asia from central and south america and from the middle east and africa throughout the ages. Dreams of their children having access to an education. They had not been available to them. The west that is the west of his country. With often developed by popular teachers teachers who had a little bit of education. I would teach those who had left. Google rwanda the cornerstone. Of developing a child. And we unitarian universalist. Have an extensive personal history of longing for education. It wasn't. Until 1813. When unitarianism was officially legal. In britain. Unitarian super descent. Descenders. Of the church of england. We're allowed to go to university. Or enter the profession. 1830. Unitarians were leaders in the early united states an innovative education. It opened up schools for children who had not previously been provided avenue. To education. Names like peabody. Man and dewey. Are found in our ranks. And we have been leaders in fighting for the right for women to go to schools colleges and seminary. Universalist were involved in founding saint lawrence university. Talk to university. The california institute of technology. And buchtel college. Unitarians were leaders in founding cooper union for the advancement of science and art. Reed college. And washington university in st louis. We have demonstrated our affirmation and promotion of a free and responsible search for truth and meaning in our commitment to education. Many of our congregation such as river road itself. With a major focus to teach our value to our children. Education. Has always been important to. You know i didn't invite yannick and all of the dreamers. To come here. And tell their stories. So we could feel sorry for them. So we could step up its suck get stuck up in that anger about the. Injustice of it all. I invited him. So we could stand in solidarity with him on the rest of them. So we could admire their courage and strength. As they identified himself. Committed to continuing their education. Even. If they are people without documentation. They know. The very act of standing before you and saying their name. Could lead to their deportation. And possibly the deportation of some other members of their family. And yet. They have a dream. A dream. Which we may enter in our dream. Yatta cannot vote. It is up to you and me. Adara follow fellow marylanders. 2 on november 6th. Vote yes. Retaining this law so that some of our most talented maryland students. May continue their education. Their dreams their parents dreams and the dreams of many of us are dependent upon our action. This year the maryland state legislature passed the dreamers law which would allow young people who grew up in maryland. Who were brought to the united states as children without legal documentation to live here. Speak english have graduated from maryland high school. Whose parents pay taxes. Allows children to pay. In-state tuition. To attend community colleges in maryland. And after that state colleges. Not to go to school free. But the pay the same tuition. Is there a high school tears. In-state tuition. But now there is this referendum. Enough signatures were gathered. To ask the citizens of maryland to retain this lock or repellent. The boat is up to you and me. Theologian walter brueggemann said. Prophetic ministry. 6 to penetrate the spare. So that new futures. Can be believed in. And embrace. By us. Energy in a world-weary. He says we do not we do know. That's the only. That energizes. Is the word. Adjust. Gesture. Or next that believes in our future. And affirms it to us. I invite you to attend a house party or throw one. Show me. Sharing this information with your neighbors and friends and asking them to share in this dream. Their cards in your order of service. You can fill out and leaving a basket at the end of the service and either of the exit door. Or you can take it home with you and give it to a friend that you think might be interested in it. About the actual ballot language is in the white insert part of your order of service. More information about this and the marriage equality law will be available in the fellowship hall after the service. When you have an opportunity to speak more to the dreamers that we have with us this morning. And to talk with riverboat is working for marriage equality. We have an opportunity this year. Two again live out our faith. To enrich the lives. I've some very talented young people. And people who are in love. Perhaps even more importantly. We have the opportunity. To be creators of the beloved. Community. Is to enrich the law as the lives of our community and the nation. So that new futures can be believed in. An embrace. Biosol. And right now. At this time in this ministry with our new senior minister here at river road unitarian universalist congregation. We are ready and excited. About new future. Lots of new futures. We can believe in. And embrace. The dreams i have mentioned this morning emerged out of despair. Out of pain or hurt. Being denied the right to marry or access to higher education. It is for us to act. To prove that to provide. That word or gesture or i would say both. Energize our willy world. To help. Heal the world. And in the process. Help heal ourselves. Or marriage. And for education. Stan. On the side of love. I don't let the people here say. Amen.

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2857.mp3

Harbor we didn't talk this through but you might want to sit down but don't get too nervous. We're going to go a little longer today but not that log. Amazing i thought we would each reflect on a different phrase of this him and for the first to reflect personally on how the heck we got here to this place at this moment. And how do we ever figure out. What we want to offer in this world and where. Is j.r.r. tolkien wrote. Not all those who wander. Aloft. Play journey has been a little more at galactix and some. Dropping out of college to work in backpack in colorado. Professional modern dance companies community organizing. Ministry in prison campus and then of course serving as clergy in five very different communities. Congregation is the place to which i return. Even when i want to run away and become a yoga teacher. I come back to this ministry because. From you i receive. Let me tell you how it got here. Life and congregation began in childhood for me. My parents were raised in families where presbyterian church was central to spiritual and social life. Can we just send it on both sides from clans in scotland that were part of. The reformation of john knox in the 1500 so my family is. Cooper presbyterian i am the outlier. Family life el paso texas included choir youth group sunday school worship at first presbyterian it wasn't a choice. If it's what we did. And much of my high school life was at church. Put social justice work on the border and in the southwest. We had a female associate minister named holly bart says he'll be called holi holi like the neil diamond song at the time i know those of you who don't remember it have no idea what i'm talking about. Weekly youth coffee house on friday nights it was really the center of my youth life. Many ministers and lay leaders among my relatives including great-grandparent missionaries in china. Church elders moderators denominational staff. Becoming a minister was never and i mean never a thought in my mind until i was turning 30. A 12-year gap at any church ended. And i started to notice a church on my commute to the l train in chicago. I was seeking something in my life. I didn't know yet it was a congregational community. The fellowship spirit and service. And at that time in 1988 a dynamic congregation administering chicago really change my world. At wellington avenue u c c. Experience urban ministry. And progressive social justice and community. It was so transformative that the next year i was in divinity school. Much to the shock of my entire family and. In boston this wonderful corrugation church of the covenant became the next place i experienced radical welcome. Injustice in the city. Both of those learning places reminded me of my youth. The anchor of community the deep relationship. The collective social action. And this partnership in spiritual life. Over the last decade i've worked almost entirely and unitarian universalist settings. Replace my grandparents mother never did understand. Now i find a denomination to hold the breath of my sources and my interest. The buddhist meditation the yoga to cure time. My celtic roots their earth based. And this. Desire to explore spiritual formation. It's the transformative work of community building. That fascinates me the most. From you. I received the chance to worship. Weekly. From you. I received the privilege of presents. And multi-generational circles. Mercantile dedications memorial. Coming-of-age graduation first job retirement health. Illness. Yes. Joys and sorrows. I'm from you i received the challenge of organizing connections. I'm trying to do study teaching and preaching. Of developing leaders. Four lane ministry. From you i receive joy. Interrogation of life. Fun at a retreat for labyrinth walk. Ballroom dance class. Winter cabaret. From you. I receive a place to make a difference in the world in the waze. Change ripples out in congregations. Affecting individuals and families. In multiple circles over time. Why. Transformation. In congregation. I don't think there's anything else exactly. Like it. From you i receive because. No minister knows how to lead. Who has not fully received from others. I live at this calling and congregations in the three where i was member. In the five that are served. I received. Semaj from you. Here at river road. And i'm grateful. For the chance to build community. I'm called to reflect on. I thought i'd begin by sharing how i got here today not to broadscope but literally how i got here today like from the moment the baby woke up and my alarm clock rang and i hit the drive-thru for coffee and i got here today. The second person to arrive here on sunday morning. Most often behind loose the staff person who so lovingly sets up the coffee and. Ken's are space for us. Sometimes i am third behind walter the head custodian who often has so much to do preparing this place for all of you that he is in fact worked until 2 or 3 in the morning. And spent the night on a couch somewhere in this building. So he could get up and put out the hymnals that you now hold in your hands. Sometimes beth beats me. Interoffice wide-awake preparing to meet 50 still sleepy teams as they arrive hungry for community or cookies or both. And this is what your pledges pay for. But i'm comfortable couches to give you what you need in the morning. People who rise and come here. To do what needs to be done. Usually it is silent. And it is still. When i arrive. When i get here 7:30 or so i walk around doing whatever tasks need to be done. I admire the light is it lands on your empty seats. And i say a little prayer of gratitude for each of you who will fill them. Because i know where you regulars usually sit. And bit by bit i watch this place. Is it finally starts to come to life. Sometime around 8:30 every sunday morning the lovely latent shell of this place becomes a teeming body of energy and expectations of friendship and deface something unmistakably sacred take shape than those minutes when the choir starts to warm up. And the candles are trimmed and the children and their parents make their way to the classrooms where they will explore the hardest questions in the safest places. We all have our reasons for being here. Forgiving our time or money our energy to make this place come alive. It is after all many things to many people. It is a chance to pray. To daydream. To hope. To get agitated or excited or inspired a place where you can cry and nobody will peer over your shoulder and presume that you are falling apart. Is the place to be both hole and broken. Sometimes both at the same time. Is the place to find both questions and answers. And it is a place full of memories. Teaming with a whole cloud of witnesses from age to age who have believed. Sacrifice. Built. So that we might show up here. To laugh and cry each in our turn. And in our time. There is i think a special kind of humor. A special kind of comfort. But it sounded a whole group of people attempting to sort through life's deepest questions its greatest rewards and its most searing losses through the mechanisms of potluck dinners eager sermonic attempts ever approaching committee meetings and though this seldom happens here the off-key singing of those brave souls who don't know the tune but sing it anyway. And to me that's what congregational life is all about. The faltering. Sometimes even failing experiment and shared living we engage in here. Always together. And always in the presence of our souls deepest yearnings. On sunday mornings if you all arrived. And you engage in your separate conversations you setup your tables you've given get your many messages the point of it all. Is made clear a new. The community of faith is made manifest. The kind of earnest capable even humble togetherness that feeds me in a thousand ways. But i have never known in the same way. Outside of the context of congregational life. It is a flawed and it's finite as it is. Giving an ultimately hope making. And this is why i give. This is why it is worth it. Because i am here to bear witness to this place and the people in it coming together. Coming alive. Not just on sunday morning but in the course of all our days. Because i have never known a place so human. And so grand. We are a community of researchers. Bound together by a history we draw meaning from a message freedom we speak without being forced and bonds of relationship that hold us through it all. Every sunday i arrive. I set up the space with what small gifts i have to share. And i wait once again. For the miracle to happen. Interesting quotes. By lillian daniel that nancy found. Nothing challenging about having deep thoughts all by oneself. What is interesting is doing this working community. Or other people might call you on your stuff. We're having for bed. Disagree with you. We're life with god which is her center gets rich and provocative is when you dig deeply into a tradition. But you did not invent. All for yourself. I once heard a man call himself. The contemplatively extrovert. And the term resonated with me. Having deep thoughts by myself. Enjoying silence in nature. Going with him and meditation and yoga all do feed my spirit. I disagree somewhat with lillian daniel and then i do find challenge in those realms. Contemplation. The restorative for me. And so i believe it's important for one who called to be an agent of change in the world. Parker palmer's books. An active life. Help me define and understand that calling. He writes beautifully about ways to integrate. Contemplatively mind in action. So that the mind and spirit that you develop on retreat. Ghost daily with you into service. The main natural extraversion the energy boost that get from people. Leaves into community action. As you heard before. Experience aetna variety of settings but. Have found congregation. To be the most powerful and provocative place to make change over time. And yet i fully agree with daniel on this. In community. We are called outside our own. We are challenged. To be in a dialog and creative tension. Difference. That is a tremendous gift. Sometimes annoyance. And opportunities. It's not always easy. My hands just like you might. The first senior minister with him i work tuesday great phrase to stay calm he took one step back and observed. Isn't it interesting what they do. That it's best. Congregation pushes. To be bold. Chris. To have the courage of our convictions. Another group or a denomination we are more able to stand on the side of love. With more power. As a collective. Animator jays galvanize by the hopes and dreams of our. Collaborative work. Together we share. Ultimately i become a better person. When i test my beliefs my experience. My principles live in a community and i receive feedback from others. Together we share. Something different. Then what we experienced on our own mountaintop retreat. It gets more messy. It gets frustrating perhaps that time. But glorious. I'm any others. As daniel says. Navigational life gets rich and provocative when you dig deeply into a tradition. That you did not event. All for yourself. It matters. That we stand on the shoulders of so many who came before river road in the ua. And all the wisdom traditions and family history. That we each carried to this moment. Together. We share the chance to make change happen. Inside ourselves. In our families. In our work. Montgomery county the region the nation the planet. What a privilege. My privilege to have so much capacity. So much potential. So much ability. To serve. And what a gift. Can do this together. Together we share. I need a kennedy with serving as a doctor and living in sierra leone. She was there the children in the surrounding community became familiar with her ever-present red backpack in the camera she always carried around inside of it. Little voices calling i need a i need a come snap we. Good morning those two voices emerged as if. From angels high up in the branches of a mango tree. And so she walked over to that tree and saw those beaming beautiful faces there and she snapped a few pictures of the children. She took a portrait of each of them and then snapped one shot straight up into the tree the children hanging their shining in the morning light. Because there's not a facility to develop home to her brother and he sent them back developed as quickly as he could a copy of that beautiful moment the tree for each of the children. Word spread ahead of her the photos are in people declared as she walked. I'm little muhammad grabbed his mother and let her eagerly to the doctor's house saying i'm mina anita you get the photos. Which of course she did get the photos. And if you looked with admiration at that snapshot muhammad identified each one of his friends. Them and saying their names one by one with joy. But there was one child in the picture of whom he did not name. Himself. Find my his mother pointed at his an image and said to him. Muhammad. And suddenly i need to realize that in this village there are no mirrors as we know them. Nope reading glass to steroid no giant storefront windows in which to check one's hair and little muhammad knew every line and smiling. on the faces of his friends but he actually did not recognize his own face. He knew himself only through his mother. His friends. Is neighbors. The community that surrounded him each and every day. He knew himself only in connection. And not in isolation. And so the doctors thought the people here saw themselves through human mirrors. When they spoke to each other work together corrected each other forgave each other they were always learning not just about the other but who they were they created one another and reflected one another in a wave polished glass never could. And when i went to bed that night she prayed. Asking only that even when mirrors and technology come to that village as they have surely come to ours. But the people might still be human mirrors. For one another. This is a way of living. Ecumen mirrors for one another where we not only reflect. What we see but reflect what we imagine. Where i become more me because of what you see in me. We are saved by the communal life we live and this is what we give for not for a bottom-line or a budget even but for the grand experiment and community that calls us and shapes us. And reflect the thief intern. From you i receive to you i give. Together we share. And by this way of being. Is many mirror reflection. By this. We have the congregation and as a community. Truly live. Foreclosing hands we will be in the chill hymnal please rise as you're able for 10:18. And if you feel like moving. Breakout. Which was never ours alone world. And now. Play the truth that make us free. Love that cast out fear. In the hope that never dies. Guide us. And those we love. Not love. Forward together. To the day spring break. And all the shadows.

www_rruuc_org

2892.mp3

I maybe i'll. I've been coming to river road with my mom and my sister for as long as i can remember. I'm pretty sure this building is filled with unflattering childhood photos of me. Because this building and this community have been part of my life for so long i struggled with what exactly i wanted to say in my speech. River road has influenced my life is navia statement. Am i yours is coming here i've made incredible friends but i hope to keep the rest of my life. What are the people i've had the privilege to know for 12 years or 41. There's something about the aria community here that has allowed me to create and sustain really meaningful connection. What these fantastic people i've been on adventures in the tree house fundraisers organizers then. And all manners of large moments that i definitely won't forget anytime soon. The more than that it's the little moments and the atmosphere here that i've come to appreciate both. Because i left ridiculously close to river road and my mother and i are not the world's most organized people. Chewing carpet clothes coming here on sunday morning. Regardless of how fragile i am running out the door and trying to find a place to park. The moment i stepped in the door of the youth room. Every face turned toward me with a smile. Without fail someone will say hello or gesture for me to sit next to them. Attractions are what really make me feel at home and youth group and this community. Overwhelming feeling of unity that surrounds me whenever i'm here and i know that feeling won't disappear when i leave next year. And that's the greatest thing about it. The love and warmth of this community doesn't come from me or from any one person or from the youth group as a whole. It's the kindness and respect of this congregation that's found here in this building. Are people drawn here by that you you search for truth and meaning. Not done with my search yet or even close to it. I think i've managed to find a little bit of it here at river road. Community provided me with an environment where it was just as acceptable to laugh and joke around. As it was to have debates about economic inequality and the failings of the us public education system both of which i've had at the part of youth group. I think that it can sometimes be hard to find a group of people who so fully embrace what every person has to offer. River road doesn't really good job of that every sunday. Anyone who's ever had a conversation with me knows but i talk a lot. Be honest a lot of probably an understatement. They're plenty of environments in which that tendency isn't great but thankfully never been one of those. The building has always been a place where i felt free to share my ideas and my opinions without wearing if i'm talking to about you're not making any sense. I know that other people are always listening and will give me their honest opinion back. Which i found incredibly valuable over the years. When i started thinking about getting my senior speech i had to mediate.. I'll probably cry. Happened yet. What in the world do i write about. How do i explain. Growing up in the place in this building and with these people. Since our services focus on the content of july i tried to focus my writing enjoy as well. But when i attempted to write i realize that it wouldn't be impossible for me to talk about river road without talking about joy. Earlier this week. My mentor teacher at my internship. I think legislative i actually enjoyed coming here every sunday. I told her yes and i wasn't lying. The friends that i've made. And the memories i've made here have brought me so much joy over the years that it's hard to put it into words. Beyond that though river road has given me a deeper understanding of what 11 community feels like. I know that wherever i end up next year. I'll bring that joy with me. And the memories i've made here will follow me wherever i go.

www_rruuc_org

3117.mp3

4th of july holiday is always a complicated favorite of mine. Complicated. Because it represents to me is creative tension. Between the world as it should be. And the world as it is. I almost always end up preaching on fourth of july weekend. The senior ministers are never in town and year after year and is seeking what i can say about this creative tension. Famous organizer saul alinsky. It is that tension between the world as it is the world as it should be which drives us. To do justice. For we are motivated by the painful gap. That is between ideals and reality. Independence day of course is a festival of patriotism. It's the best of what we love about our country and perhaps the worst. That we can be as well. American essentialism. Amidst all the flag waving and the hoopla. We do find this yearning. Truly. Of our highest ideals. It's the 200th anniversary of the star-spangled banner. You may have seen a lot about that creative sewing by mary pickersgill of baltimore i like to say her name because she made the flag. And the songwriting of francis scott key. The smithsonian institution asked artist to answer the question what is our flag saying now 200 years later. An artist coming to dwell on this cultural tension which is within the symbol of the flag. Often with their powerful nonverbal messages. Providing proof that we have powerful. Provoke strong response. This is an online exhibit so you can look at it at smithsonian.com under flags 200. Forget the magazine it exists only in virtual space. And you can see and hear the visual art and music the videos. You can experience for yourself how. Engages history. How challenges us to a wider perception. Pushes us to contemplate the new. Using this multimedia creative power. Internet process. Artist helped rewrite history because there's never just. One true story usually the winning story. But there are a multitude of perspectives to consider. Describe a video for you plant 200 in clothes this great short video by photographer and filmmaker matt mccarron. And he names the flag seamstress mary pickersgill as the inspiration sayings. This is just one person. Making one large sing. An object survive. More importantly. Survive. And so in his video goes something like this. Strong muscle black figure looking like a sprinter. Taking up the flag of 1814 against his shoulder. It's wide and flat like a shield about the size or a battering ram. With stars and stripes. He's going up against large block letters. Ny. Spelling out. White. Only. Against the charcoal background. And then with one big push. The dark cartoon figure. Use the flag to smash the barrier. And the letters just crumble down to dust. Next in the video this hate speech against gays start to fill the screen one word at a time with a boom of a big drum to emphasize the impact. And then the same 1814 flag. Floats in. Blocks the word and gradually becomes the rainbow flag. A shroud of camouflage move in this material hanging over a casket in the sky with one human arm hanging down. In 1814 flag appears again one star missing. Is it actually did look prior to the 21st century restoration. The tattered flag comes in and covers the camouflage coffin. Moving downward to rest gently on a sea of military tombstones. And then the flag begins to restore itself. Weaving the whole. Where are the star is missing. Repairing the tatters from the battlefield. And the video ends with a flag intact. A blue sky. Stop music playing. Video art is a great mix of the world as it is. Sometimes painful sometimes hateful. And the world as it should be. In the video the ideals of the flag. Are healing the damage. Of the world as it is. Healing the damage. To the star-spangled icon itself. I went to observe the flag and. Lot of ways at the fourth of july parade in takoma park wait i have to. Flag. Parade in takoma park is an annual adventure. In art. Culture and history. Their independence day celebration is one of the oldest along the atlantic coast. 2014 mark and 125th. Anniversary of the parade. Tracking. And i waved american flag there on thursday. Received from a campaigning gubernatorial candidate who shall not be named there's a big slice of idealized american life in a parade you could think of it is performance art. The rock band belting out proud mary on the float. All the politicians going by an antique cars. The marching swim team with inflatable dolphins i like that one the caribbean steel drum float with dozens of dancers. The vietnam vets. The kids riding horses. They're all flowing along together with pride. Takoma park. Because it is, park it there is also political commentary. The advocates march by for the new dog park. The advocates come by for more urban gardens. Or greater inclusion for lgbt families. Marilyn green party have on my favorites a giant cardboard box on a flatbed truck. Inside with enormous paper mache donkey head an elephant head in the box. People marching saying outside-the-box nice. Free speech we also get the wacky fringe was anybody else there at this parade yes. Surprisingly large convoy on a float espousing 9/11 conspiracy theory. The truth. Us and israeli involvement in bringing down the world towers. Is what they advertise. It's a horror of men he's watching. Fourth of july parade is historical commentary. It's cultural art. On patriotism. On community. Of course. On the american flag. Same flag was a symbolic marker and a very different west coast event a few days before on tuesday. Many of you know there's a new immigrant crisis along the us border right now and in texas alone. They're up to 50,000 children being detained. They've been coming up in waves from central america that have been growing since last october. And thousands are unaccompanied minors. They're just being sent out norte say to the north. Desperate parents. Who are worried about gang violence. They simply want physical and economic safety for their children and toyotas. Handlers or exploiting the fear. And bringing in. Thousands of children without any adults. The texas border patrol the federal immigration systems are overwhelmed. Sending thousands of people to california. And i'm tuesday. In murrieta california. 3 federal a contracted buses were surrounded. Residence. And had to turn back. Hundred. A flag-waving residence. For shouting at the immigrant passengers most of them children. Go home. An anti-immigrant century with a cowboy hat step on a hill. Watching for more busloads. He was holding a very large flag and a sign with his own political commentary. No vacancy. Try the white house. Since wednesday also been counter-protesters. Pro-immigrant forces lining the road of the bus routes. Also with their flag. Their signs read. No human. Is illegal. Emma local and the state police are now in place. Keeping both sides in czech. Wear uniform. But also show. The american flag. We all bring our own. Hopes and dreams to this iconic symbol. Le pain. About we see is broken. The poignancy of that for which we yearn. The flag stands for freedom. And it symbolizes the great gap. Between our ideals. In our reality. A friend of mine went down to see a work colleague. Sworn in as a new citizen. In florida recently couple weeks ago. And i were together on the 4th of july. And she told me she was surprised that the federal ceremony clothes with the 1984 uber patriotic country western him god bless the u.s.a.. The lyrics go. Is tomorrow all the things were gone i'd worked for all my life. And i had to start again with just my children and my wife. I thank my lucky stars. We living here today. Cuz the flag still stands for freedom. And they can't take that away. And i'm proud to be an american where at least i know i'm free. And i won't forget the men who died who gave that right to me. And i gladly stand up next to you. And defend herself today. Cuz there ain't no doubt. I love this land. God bless the u.s.a.. Of course. Many who love this song. Don't love. Everyone. For the child and wife. Welcome them as residents. Of this great land. However the art of. Performance can always expand symbolism. And make new meaning. I was looking for the song and listening to it. Found something wonderful. This happens at the new york city fourth of july concert in 2011. When beyonce. Herself a cultural icon. Offered a very powerful version. Of god bless the u.s.a.. She nailed the song. She was on a nightstand. What does avenue of dramatically let american flag. With military personnel cheering. Check it out on youtube. Impeccably attired in black evening gown and jewels. Her hair flowing back in the wind. And she made a fairly repetitive anthem some positively thrilling. To see this beautiful and accomplished african-american woman. Perform. An overly in-my-mind nationalistic song of freedom. Knowing. Remembering how her ancestors arrived here. Is jussie our ideals. Triumph. And just as in the flag. 200 video. This is battering-ram of the flag smash through a symbolic. Lights on whites only sign. At that moment. It's simply crumble to dust. As beyonce's voice. Sword. And it's fourth of july weekend because it's one of my favorite hymns. We've already heard the chance that tune beautifully sung. The words go this is my home. The country where my heart is. Cure my hopes. My dreams. My holy shrine. But other hearts in other lands are beating. With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine. You only have to watch the world cup for 5 seconds to know how a nationalism sores around the globe. And on this. Independence day. Mary saver what is worthy. A prize in america. The baby humble. About how much will yet need to change. Maybe live up to the dream. Of the flag. 200 years ago it was a symbol of pride. A symbol of courage. And revolution. There is much. Transformation still to unfold. In this our country.

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2278.mp3

For i begin tonight i have been told that i switched the times of the two memorial services. So hairy radcliffe service on saturday is at 3 and adventist service on sunday is at 2. I didn't want someone to arrive at the wrong time something like that. The salt dissolved into the water. And the song couldn't be taken out of the water nor the water out of the saw. Like love they dissolved into each other. And so it has been with me here at river road. The love we have for each other. Has dissolved within us. It has it has it really has dissolved within us. It is sometimes mysterious. Hard to talk about. Or understand. Because there is nothing physical. Invisible. All of that meaning. Can give us those concrete object. To help us understand. Send for me sometimes. Don't do it. They helped me feel and they helped me understand ideas. But i can. With my eyes. Deal with my hands. A famous unitarian universalist theologian james luther adams once wrote about what he called the five smooth stones. A liberal religion. Thinking about that i realized. Remind industry here. The ministry that we have created here. Could be described. Within my. Five smooth stones. So let me identify them for you. You received a bag. Who don't open it yet just wait just a second raise your hand if you didn't get a small bag that has something inside it raise your hand and usher's would you would you take one of those baskets and make sure that people who don't have stones. In a bag of stones can have a bag of cuz i heard of you dropping already okay there's some back here just keep your hands up until everybody gets a bag of stones. Okay that's fine we're going to have some time today. Hey how are we doing there couple hands over here there's a hand right over there. And one my friend here. It's like the buddhist clap you know frank's or attention. I think we have them if you don't keep your head up and yes is will keep working with inside bag of five smooth stones. I invite you to think of the five smooth stones as symbols. The five lessons. That have become part of us. During the years of my ministry here at river road. Now i invite you to open that bag you should be able to just pull the strings like you're on tying a bow. You take just one stone out of the bag. And hold it in your hand. Amethyst birthstone stand for what i call. Stop look and listen. The message i have actually shared austin here. It's a let's try for just a moment. Breathe again. And breathe out and then turn and look through the glass doors at the woods that we have here at river round. Breathe in again. And then breathe out. And lettuce. Make the sound of rain. Which we all heard i think couple days ago and might need to put your stone back on your lap or in your bag for that. I am going to start demonstrating a sound over here and when i come to you i want you to copy what i'm doing and keep doing it until i come back to you and change the sound for you so maybe a difference down coming here at like a storm is coming. And then we'll come back right so the beginning over here i want you to. To rub your hands together. Be careful. And when we take time. Stop. And look and listen. It always brings us to notice. To pay attention. A mindfulness. Do you remember when you saw that storm coming in hurt and took your breath away for the moment. When we take time. And notice. To pay attention. For me it brings out thing. All over just makes me. Recognize how thankful i am. For you and for the place. And what you have done and will always do. So invited us now. I thought you put your stone back in your bag and rides and body or spirit and join us and singing a hymn number 1010 we give thanks.

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1997.mp3

Alone. Take me to long as a young boy. The realize that my parents were not to be trusted. What i was experiencing. Play the video of odds. But my father was an alcoholic so you never quite knew. What was going to come home at night. Therapist have sent to me over the years. Hr first representations of god. Well if my first god's will my parents. Then my lack of trusting god is pretty understandable. Iphone people to be untrustworthy. I adopted a stand that i better take care of myself. If i wanted to get by in this life. Self-reliance became my god. It is been in most times. Well i haven't known what to do. Did not trust anyone enough. To turn to them for guidance or solace. Probably like most teenagers. I guess really wanted to be appreciated and recognized. Define the place to fit in. I worked up the street at a horse stable in. One day i overheard this. Solitary man. Why work for blacksmith tough customer. Tcu looks. You looked at another guy who was there and he said you see that kid. He works like a man. Wow. Positive affirmation. Moveitmarch my future behavior. I believe for a long time that hard work. Would bring the appreciation that i needed to feel connected. I thought for sure. It was one of the keys to fitting in. For many years in corporate player. I was distracted. From my underlying loneliness by my success. It's time went on i came to see my work. There's a lot of activity. With precious little substance. Who's very disconnected from myself. I'm also my unhealthy relationship with work and its rewards. Alienated people that i actually love. I looked in the mirror one day. Staring back at me was drunk. He was overweight. It was incredibly sad and lonely. I saw man who spent most of his life. Longing to fit in. To feel appreciated recognized. Instead what i fell. Was different. Balloon. Disconnected. Connected. I need to feel safe. How to trust myself perhaps then maybe i would be able to trust others. And maybe even the universe itself. Finally at 8:40. I went to work for myself. I found a way. To experience personal growth and make a comfortable living applying when i was learning the family businesses. By connecting with my natural skills and applying those skills. Appreciate it. Individual recognition. And some of my loneliness subsided. But even though my work became more fulfilling. I still felt the part and i realized i had a good bit more work to do. Well. Another way i tried to feel connected was through romance. Starting in the fourth grade with nancy jones. This was followed by years of multiple relationships. Two failed marriages. From those attachments. Most unrealistic expectations. And the resulting heartbreak that followed. But eventually i did figure some things out. And i've been celebrating my 20th wedding anniversary. And i have a child. Jeepers. Dimension to my sense of connectedness and belonging which i didn't have. I've come to some conclusions about romance as a way of dealing with loneliness for the single people out there. Lust. Adrenaline of the chase. For me only a distraction from my loneliness. Unrealistic. Unexpressed expectations or road trust. Without trust in myself. And my partner. I will never feel safe enough. Do not feel alone in relationship. Step back for a moment. Acknowledged. You're not the same thing for me. I'm sitting in solitude can be some of the best company i can imagine. Again it comes back. To belonging to fit in connected do i feel safe. With the people in the crowd. Do i trust myself. And the universe when i'm sitting in solitude. Well this brings us to the question of spiritual loneliness. Display my hourly worshiping the god of self-reliance. Deep inside i've been on a spiritual quest. I was born into a spiritual vacuum. To spend the rest of my life trying to fill. Spiritual connections. Let my desire. The fit in. Kinder this quest for connection. My first glimpse of a spiritual connection. When i was a teenager. Don't have been moved by god it was incredible. As i tried to explain this experience to you know the fellow teenagers. Reactions old maid. This brother is plenty weird. I'm coming from a place that's far different than where i'm coming from. Well i did feel alone in that vacuum. My desire for spiritual connection was probably well well stated way back when i was a senior in high school. I was asked to preach a sermon on youth sunday. I don't remember what much of what i said but i do remember a fractured quote that i borrowed. It went like this i sought my god. My god i couldn't see. I thought my god. My god eluded me. Since then i've been down many spiritual path. Some far stranger than others. We have experienced being connected with the universe. Much of my life i've had one foot firmly planted in mainstream tradition. Mba michigan blah blah blah. And the other one was dancing in the alternate realities of being in the 5th dimension 6th dimension. The difficulty comes when i try to share what i've learned communing with spirits rocks and trees. With some people in my life. Because what they do is they looked at me and just rise up. But by the same token and let's be honest here. When i try to have a business like the scussion with some of my spiritual fellow travelers. Dismissed. Perhaps we. Only the fit in somewhere. The question is. Where is that somewhere. Becoming involved. In this community at river road. Teaching sunday school and then gradually becoming more active in the congregation. Has provided me with a sense of community that was previously absent for my life. This is a place. Or i can look. Out into the audience. And i can see your number of people. Caribou. So i feel connected to. It's a wonderful feeling that people come up to you and say. It's good to see you. And have that look on your face that you know they made. I know it's i know except the being alone is part of life. And when being alone feels lonely. We can use that to motivate ourselves to get connected. Did you win our longings to be recognized and appreciated my longing to fit in. Although i'm now much more family and socially connected i'm still a person who seeks solitude. To get time alone i spend a week in summer in the mountains. Colorado or idaho. Time to reflect. It's important to me a time when i try to figure out where do i fit into this universe. I do with the rest of my life. Years ago. I had a transformational experience. On one of these vision quest. Where's the link july and was still cold high up in the mountains. One morning just before sunrise i wrap myself up in a small sleeping bag. Out to the edge of the old red. My sat there. And i waited for what seemed like an eternity. Alone. And somewhat foolish. Sitting in the dark in this lonely place. After a long time. All of the plans were turning towards the sun. Including myself. I realized it just like everything around me. The animals. The vegetation and the earth itself. I was waiting for the sun. In a trust ritual. Is old as the earth itself. As i stood in the lightning dawn. I realize. I do have a place in the universe. I do fit in. As we make the transition.

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71.mp3

Thank you beautiful. Minibus come to services here. To be reminded. About what. Important. It's difficult to maintain perspective given the hug and full of everyday life. Happy to share some insights that i've gained on this question of what's important. So much for life but some death. Whole30 when my grandmother died. She had an. Stalker quality care. Big-hearted and very expensive. Remember how credibly devoted she was incredibly. Calculus of her grandchild is every accomplishment no matter how small. And uncle be devoted to us to my grandfather. There was a commercial that you might recall from a few years ago it down if it's four diamonds. With a beautiful woman walking. Boyfriend. And it's very elderly couple is passing the other way he wearing a beret. And in between them. Walking. Meaning twitter. Foley walking is one. Siri image. Enduring love. And yellow. That. That image was my grandparents almost as if sprite from one of our home movie. Or my grandmother became very low. And was hospitalized. Her body was. Was getting out my grandfather stood vigil by her bedside in the hospital. And i want my white shoes. Philly fade and no longer able to speak. Disable to motion fruit for pen and paper. And she managed just to scratch out. Four letters. The word. Lots. Headed back then. I know it's last words. 41 mi. Grandfather died. Are you the quiet. Reflective tape. As a young man. Budding picasso short story writer but. When the great depression had abandoned that cinemark finance. Garibaldi. He considered himself named felicia and in many ways he was. But they were contradictions. Just after. My grandma just asked invited me to join him on a transatlantic cruise to replace the trip is he taking with her once before. More than once before. They find us in the dining hall to table for 2:10 take our meals with. Remember that number times during that trip he had those people laughing with his ride comments. When he became free how my mother had to move two small apartments near her house. And then when it's houses. 96. She moved him to a hospice. And i returned from living overseas to attend. And i was going to pass to stopping by the hospice to pick up his. Personal effects. Items of clothing inside chanel. Paper bag. But what's that mean was how more than one person at the hospice said. Oh yes i remember your grandfather. He was funny he had us laughing. This. From a man. Sometime. How's about. 50 when my friend. Mod guide. He was born the day after me. Same here. He was a gentle soul. Meditated regularly. Religions. And y'all to devote his life to protecting the environment. Republic service. Meditated regularly. He ain't know me and have no taste for alcohol. Is the quilt square from the cleanest living person i knew. Was diagnosed with brain cancer. When it became too difficult for him to work. His wife mentioned to me that he was kind of bored and lonely sitting home weekend. Saturn taking off. In afternoon. About 12 months of work to go visit with her. If you enjoyed the chance to just talk. After a while it became difficult to talk so i get the talking. On my last visit to him about a week before he died. He shook his head was too difficult. But then he reached out and took my hand and looked me in the eye. And he held my hand. Family. And we just looked at each other stairway. And we stay like that for. 10. 20 minutes i have no idea. Skip listening. Guideposts. What lessons for life have i drawn from these experiences. And what can we all learn. I know i've been intensely career-focused during my professional life and. But i've begun to do a better job of. Not letting my work define who i am. At least in my own head. Passing with working out focus on. Aaron's in to-do list. And other things typically do need to get done i've kept it more in perspective. I brought my horizons by. Among other things. Kevin is the manager for my daughter's travel basketball team and participating in more river road activities that i care to admit. I've gotten out of my work and home offices. Out of my shell. Out of my comfort zone. To wit. I'm looking for you now. If he's playing the role of harry potter in the upcoming fellowship dinner at. Why the changes. Because i asked myself. What was important to these loved ones. Everything. Peripheral. We stripped away. When they only had the strength and ability. The other few sentences. To write a single word. We're just holding hands make icons. I think what they valued most was. Connection. Human. I think that message to me. And to all of us. That is what matters most. And gives meaning to our lives.

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1884.mp3

Recently. While researching river roads history. Reverend ginger brought to my attention. A. From the building committee dated november 20th 1962. It laid out the religiously significant value that the committee wanted to embed into the design of this building. It was a beautifully written proclamation. What's a congregation held as sacred. The congregation was only 3 years old. They're common attitudes and. Aspiration. And i heard you. To read the full text reverend ginger's article in this month's january's inward springs journal adjust. Came out just in your link is in your inbox. But for now i would like to highlight one of the values articulated in that. We are a unity and diversity. Imposing no dogma but believing in the freedom of mind and. Close close. Is a bedrock principle of liberal religion. Stated as a common belief. It's not that easy. To live into this belief. Is perhaps unitarian universalist. Greatest challenge. Part of the problem is that unity and diversity is what we call an oxymoron. Meaning that it contains two opposing concepts. In fact when i looked up unit unity the word unity and my dictionary. Some of the definitions were. Unburied or uniform character. Oneness of mine or feelings among a number of persons. So the question is. Can a liberal religious communities achieve oneness of mind and feeling. Without imposing dogma that inhibits freedom. I'll propose that this is essentially a balancing a. Between opposite ends of the spectrum. The imposition of dogma. And boundless freedom of belief. On the young. The unity that we are looking for as a community. Constitutes. The balance. Somewhere in between those. Those ends. This morning. I'd like to tell you a story of a time in our unitarian history. When did dogma. And three religious. Became polarized. And on the verge of pulling the nomination apart. Only to be rescued. Buy a beautifully written proclamation of unity. The found enough balance. For unity. In diversity to actually become a reality. This price is for. It's called the western issue. Which occurred in the 1880s. But first i'd like to provide some historical context. Our story begins in 1865 right after the civil war. By that year unitarianism had spread west. Along. With the american settlers. What's considered anything beyond the ohio river valley. Boston was the center of unitarianism because that was where the american unitarian association was located along with harvard divinity school and a large population of unitarians in new england. However chicago was rising as the new center of unitarianism in the west. Unitarian churches in chicago by 1865. It was also the home of the western unitarian. Which formed in 1857. As a regional body of the aua. Joseph priestley. It 1865. Unitarianism was still considered by most people to be a christian religion. The language and ritual and worship services. We're very similar to the other protestant churches of. The new england unitarian. Represented the more conservative faction. Here to the authority of the bible. And the providence of jesus as the son of god. The aua main responsibilities at that time. What's the published religious journals and to organize missionary evangelism effort. In fact. The main journal of the aua was called the christian register. However. There was another strain of unitarianism that had its own journals and followers. Which came out of the transcendental moon. Almost as soon as the unitarian movement was established in the 1820s. They had their own schism. Between the old guard and the young minister. Who advocated. The prime 40 of individual experience. And loosening of biblical. These were known as the transcendentalist. Transcendentalism. Is identified with a pantheistic conception of god in the world. Meaning god is infused in all living things. And the universe. Is identical with the divine. Ralph waldo emerson. Was perhaps the most prominent folks. 4 transcendental. He preached and wrote. That the ultimate ground of morality. Must be intuitive. And that religion was. About being. Not knowledge. Emerson and the other travel transcendentalist believed in immediate. Direct relation. With god. Without any medium. He declared. The god in us. Worships god. One of the other prominent transcendental. Was theodore parker. He was very polarizing figure within the unitarian movement. He preached that three inmates primal truth. True religion. 1. The instinctive intuition. Of the divine create conscious. Divine reality. The instinctive intuition of moral rights. Create consciousness of moral law that transcends human will. 3d attrition of the immortal soul. It's yours at the essential element of man the principle of individuality. Never die. He believed. That the only religious authorities that matter the reason. And intuition. This direct. Experience with god didn't require christ as an intermediary for salvation. To the unitarian ministerial stablished in boston. Black. They didn't try to excommunicate parker on grounds of heresy it was a trial and everything. Nonetheless. These two strings on the main channel. In which unitarianism progressed throughout the 19th. New england. It took with this growing schism. However there was something about the rugged individualism. And the fluctuating conditions of the frontier. Attracted those churches. In the west. Transcendental strain. Parker was very popular in the western unitarian. Biking 65. The western church has led the movement away from christian doctrine. And more towards. A modern intellectual inquiry. Any conception of christianity as an ethical way of life. But i'll get back to that a little later. Nachos 1865 is the beginning point of this story. Because this was the year that samuel bellows. Founded the national coffee. Unitarian churches. This was the real beginning of unitarianism as a denomination. Before that unitarian movement was held together mostly by a couple of seminary. Pulpit swapping among ministers and several journals and periodicals. Congregations for autonomous. And they usually reflected the religious persuasion of their ministers who often held one pulpit for their entire careers. The aua had no ecclesiastical authority of a ministerial fellowship. It was made up. Individual members not churches. Bellows was a prominent minister at all souls in new york before the civil war. And during the war he was ahead of the us sanitary commission. After the war he immediately set out to establish unitarianism as a national institution. That united the congregation. Provided services that were too difficult for individual congregations to manage. And help unitarianism become more competitive with the other mainline denomination. Also expanding. The national conference. Was bella. Vehicle. Implement unity in diversity. This may sound rather practical. It was a difficult task because the idea of a national organization. Rent counter to the strict congregational polity of unitarian heritage. It also. Brought the derive the device. Question. Free. Because many unitarians at the time. Thought the conference needed a statement of common beliefs. Unify the religion into a denomination. The cradle argument ran into. Resist. Spire group. Western radicals that opposed anything. That restricted free and open. Search for. Sound familiar. In the end. Bellows was successful. Establishing the car. But without a statement of belief. What in the preamble of the constitution. There was enough language about lord jesus christ. Because. Split several years later. Those that opposed those that opposed the national. Any form of creedal statement. Came mostly from western ministers of the transcendental school of intuitive individual. Spiritual freedom was paramount. They saw a national denominational structure as. Fort aryan unity. Which could destroy diversity. In response they formed a splinter group. Call the free religious association. But never really threatened the national conference. What has as. Historian david robinson right. They served as an advance guard that. Was ahead of religious thinking. A mainstream unitarianism. The directions are thinking. The direction of their thinking away from supernatural. Toward science. Away from sears i'm toward human is. And away from ecclesiastes. Towards social reform. This set the stage where unitarianism roundup in the 20th century. In the western unitarian conference. These free religious theologians ministers held a lot more sway. After the civil war. Jenkins lloyd jones. William cannon gannon. Became dominant leaders of the western conference. They edited the journal called unity. Which became the voice of radical western unitarianism. They organize the car. Along african faces. With no state. Fantasized personal growth. And stokes. Improvement. Slogan. Freedom. Fellowship and character. Freedom. Riperton on creedalism. And character. Suggested. That's the basis of. Most notable. Was the absence of any mention. God. Who by the 1880s. The population in the midwest in the far west have grown considerably. And there were more church. Springing up every year. But in the western you're turning popping. Was probably the largest regional district outside of new england. And it had its share of unitarian christian minister. Which opposed the direction that jones and garrett were taking the conference. 1886 western unitarian thompson. Meeting. The issue of theism. Came to a head. The christian ministers. Led by jabez sunderland. Saw the driftwood free religion. Fundamental shift. Any identity of unitarians. But you couldn't imagine a religion without a state of belief in god. And they was headed to secular oblivion. Sunderland felt that the time had come. To draw a line in the sand. The 4th. Unity of belief. So he proposed test as a base. Ministers to be ordained. And to be called the puppets. A crisis known as the western issue. Which involve dueling journals and periodicals and pamphlets that circulated all around western churches. The aua and the national conference. But they didn't have the means to force any change on the western. So heading into the 1887 conference. The atmosphere. Charged with anxiety. William chatingan. Behemoth leah post sunderland cradle proposed. You chose to create common ground. Not by forcing unit. But b distilling. Unity from the common beliefs that already exists. Among the christian theater. And the free religious members of the conference. A reading this morning. Was the eloquent state. Principal. Written by. Which was adopted by the 1887 western conference. Have a non-binding explanation. Communitarian theology. It was so well-written. Able to capture the elements of unitarianism. That is enabled the majority of those present. Define aphasia. Agreement. Been allowed enough room for their difference. Janet deliberately use the words. We believe. He was trying to show that a religious community. And of the nomination at that time was spreading across the. Could have common beliefs. Without. The first. Bass. A religion. We believe that the lovegood. Lip good. Supreme thing. Conscience and reason. Final authorities in matter. Religion. Honored. He honors the. Bible. And jesus. But he clearly is inclusive of other sacred texts. New and old as well as other prophets. He also called out. That we believe in the growing nobility of man. And then we have to join hands and work to make the good things better. And the worst good. This was the first unitarian elevators. Into the short sentences. With our belief in ethics. Reason. Christian heritage. Respect for other religious traditions. Humanism. Social. He devoted the last center. The issue of god. I'll read it in its entirety. We worship one and all. That life. When suns and stars in. Derive their orbits in the soul of man it's. Which lighteth every man. That cometh. The world. Giving us the power to become the sons of god. That love. With my soul. This one we named the eternal god. I could summon up as we worship life. Quality and love. He said we named it god but he could just as easily said we named it the spirit of life. Get it titled this. Statement. Things most commonly believe today by us. Order service. And you'll see a different title. After i turned in the order of service i went on the website to pull up reading and i discovered that i had use an alternate title. From another reference. In fact the real title has the word today in it. And that one word is very. He meant that these are the things. That they believed on that day. He left it open to revision. In fact here is the prelude which i didn't include in the reading. The western conference has neither the wit nor the right to buying single-member by declaration. Concerning fellowship. Word doctrine. You think some practical good may be done by setting forth in simple words the things most commonly believed among us. This statement is always open to restatement. To be regarded only as a thought. The majority. In other words. No creed. But a statement of belief. As the basis for unity in diversity. Statement added to tractors but it passed by a vote of 59-13. It was enough of a majority that sunderland and his cohorts dropped their proposal. Western unicorn unitarian conference began to heal its open wounds. And come together as a religious community. 7 years later. Representatives from the western unitarian confer. Proposed language for the national. For their constitution. Expressly stated. Unitarianism. Non credo religion. Without much of a fight. For today. We probably declare the river road unitarian universalist congregation is. Intentionally non credo. Well now you know where we how we arrived at that. In 1961. 74 years after the 1887 western unitarian conference. The unitarians and the universalists. Whitmer. One of the most important. Difficult things that they did. Was to establish a set of nine non-binding but defining principles that we call the 7th. We print them on the back of the order of service. Keep them to our children and their religious education classes. And we refer to them when people ask us what is unitarianism. The statement of common belief. Adopted by the western unitarian. What's the legacy that we honor today. Qr7 form. That legacy taught us. We can be a community. A free freely religious p. Meetup. Humanists. Mystic. Spiritualist. Haggens. Accor. We believe. Common prints. The guide. Our spiritual pursuit. We are truly. Unity in diversity.

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748.mp3

And my commute of 20 miles only takes. But i pollute less. I was born in. Boot disregarded pollution. I grew up with cheap gas and big cars. In summer we cranked up the ac. I was born into a society of energy extravagance. It helps me to remember earlier societies they were on the wrong track in other ways. And i've been born in the south 100 years earlier. I would have grown up in society where slavery was normal. Who slavery was wrong. They couldn't give up their lifestyle. Share with our ancestors. For the greater good. Habits and expectations. Better insulated home. I grew up in a large suburban house. And i was giving a ford falcon when i was 16. Could i live differently. Smaller homes. Such as friends. And my parents let their large house in boston to live for years in a tie. Better energy. Experiences. We borrow the sweaters. Everytime i come home. Making small energy change. Small steps. Together our carbon footprint. We are home. Spills and cold mining devastation. We've barely touched. Area. And used for electricity delivered to your home through pepco transmission lines. When you pay your monthly electric bill you're supporting the expansion of wind power in our country. Do i sign up for women. No windmill on my roof. No new power lines into my home. Estilo coming from petco. My electric bill. A rep from. We are hoping to get 100 rruuc members tower in the next 6 months. Wind power is it true we can all share. I'm sure that you have all your own aha moments about energy and the environment. Remember to play with your friends. But most of all remember to ask him. Only by taking steps. Even small ones. Can we change our world for the better. We celebrate the web of life.

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4214.mp3

A story written by jan richardson. When a friend of mine was ready to build on the land he'd purchased in eastern kentucky. He sent out a request to friends. Invited us to offer an object. A tangible blessing. Bury in the ground. Where he would later build his house. Invited us. To offer something that represented him and wrote me that some of the items included t. Lego and puzzle pieces from his childhood sent by his mother. Guitar strings. A bit of granite from his hometown. Spells from a childhood vacation beach. And after all the gifts arrive scott gathered for a ceremony on his property. Placing the gifts down in the ground they offered a blessing. For what would kick route. In that place. They built the house. And married now and with young children. Got flourishes with his family. In the house built. Atop buried blessings. What is your own. Individual and family legacy and how has it taken root. From what household of faith or practice. Do you come. What treasures does it hold buried within. And what. Legacy do you. Now choose. What is the legacy of this collective house. River road uu congregation. How has this foundation been laid for us. Atop what buried blessings. And what will we choose. What will we. Create. Going forward. Unitarian universalist household has six. Sources. The look these up the full text in your greyhound the later. Direct experience. Transcending mystery and wonder. The words and deeds of prophetic women and men. Wisdom from all the world's religions. Jewish and christian teachings on loving your neighbor. As yourself. Humanist teachings. Spiritual teachings of earth-centered. Traditions. And we stay. That. A living uu tradition draws from. Has many treasures. And yes. Are human truth is this. Some of the sources. I'm more familiar than others. Teacher bus. Some fit us. Well. Downright. Or bizarre as a river road person such me this week about someone else's belief. Even inspire a version. River road house r-vision. Is to join together and fellowship spirit in service but the many ways that we create a legacy or hardly homogeneous. Isn't it time. Increasingly multiracial and multicultural. This is what is. Interphase. And secular. That is happening. We stay in our own precious house. Alone. At our peril. Avast. We might be benignly ineffective. If we just stay in our own tribe. And it were. We are dangerously disconnected. From the messy contradictions of our century. Have you research recently stated that by 2040. Muslims will be the second largest religious group in this country. After christian surpassing jews. And our usual legacy is likely to be. A minority people. Not just our own. Liberal religious views. But the face and the practice of peoples who inhabit. Other majority houses. We have a moral obligation to speak in solidarity with muslims and jews. Time of rampant islamophobia. And the virulent resurgence. Of anti-semitism. And we have an ethical imperative i'm going to suggest to finally. Update our view of christianity. We have to move into the true diversity of this century. Which includes the clothes cousins. Progressive social justice christian to our own uu values. And acknowledged that many many christian views exist. Hit one of the best ways that. We can celebrate our interdependence is to learn about the gifts that others bring. We have much to discover about their treasures. As stephen prothero suggest. We do that best. Without a fall. Lowest common denominator. We do that best when we let strong differences. Stand. And god is not 1/4 arrow shows. Various central human problems solutions and techniques. 8 different religious traditions. Are fundamentally different. If we use the categories of one phase on a tradition that doesn't seek the same means or ends. We end up hopelessly muddled. Looking for home runs. A basketball game. In judaism. He says the way. Is exile and return. The problem. Is exile. The solution. Is return to god and repair of the world to canal um. The techniques. Are both remembering and obeying. To law and narrative two sides of the same coin. In christianity. The way. Is salvation. The problem. Is our human propensity. Towards doing wrong. Send. The solution. Is salvation through jesus christ. The category. With a vast array of meanings in the christian world. Is a combination of faith and good works again depending on your belief about what redemption even is. In islam. The way is submission. The problem. Is self-sufficiency or pride. The solution. Submission. An obedient. And the techniques. Are the five pillars of islam. Different perspective of heterodoxy with our legacy of dissent and re-examination of innovation and experimentation. These three traditions can appear like solid structure. That kind of makes us nervous and judgmental. We question the rules of each house. Even though we live elsewhere. We debate doctrines that are not even our own. We attempt to critique essentially conservative systems. A postmodern variance. We just missed the treasure. Little present in each house. We are blind gif. Because we use a different. Problem solution. And technique. And you're carrying reversal ism. Judaism and christianity. Listen more closed houses. The repetition of narrative. At a passover seder in judaism. The union with allah. Through the secret sound itself. Of arabic. Islam. The humble inquiry of repeating seasons like advent. And land in christianity. These treasures are all fundamentally different. Then the uu jewels. Which are buried in the household of the six. Open and fluid sources. And yet in this year of 2016 and beyond. I believe are relevant. Irrelevance in the world. Will depend on our ability to put down. Ruu defenses. Truly. Here. The experience of others. And work together for the common good. We are interconnected in so many ways. And are you you legacy will stand in our way. If we are not able to create alliances respecting religious difference. So we have that. Annual opportunity on martin luther king weekend. To let us begin again in love. To stand for justice. With all those who say that when black lives matter. All lives will matter. To remember the prophetic voice of reverend dr. king. Who called unitarian-universalist to a movement civil rights movement. Whose religion was primarily not their own. Embrace meaning. In a multiplicity of forms. This is the legacy that we. Make create. From the one. That we have chosen. This is the legacy that hours. Is hours to design. In our own. Fierce urgency of now. To use dr. king's words. For the next generations. Letter here.

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1.mp3

Let me tell you a true simple story about happiness. Genuine heart satisfying. For lifting happiness that i experienced. It was a cold dreary rainy day a few weeks back in november you know one of those days when the morning weather guy says stay in bed if you can. But i was well just where i was i was on my bike. Cycling up the capital crescent in the driving rain about 8 in the morning. And i was contrary to all logic. Happy as a clam at high tide. I was happy as a clam. Why simple really. For the previous few days i've been traveling through new england business. And i did not have a bicycle i was not able to find a gym i was unable to do my routine my exercise routine that i so love. Back on the bike. And i just was. Happy to be able to feel the blood coursing through my body. And my interview invigorated. Once again there i was. Drenched to the bone getting cold but smiling. The ear. Happy as a duck in a pond. Simply for the simple gift of being able to exercise again. Some of you might write off this early morning ecstasy of mine is just one more irrefutable piece of evidence. That your minister is a total goofball. I mean how in his or her right mind can a human being be happy. Cycling hunting puffing up a long hill on an outwardly miserable morning like that. But the fact is that my simple. Genuine soul satisfying happiness that morning. Has recently been explained. By leading psychologist from harvard and other notable institution. Acumen learning. It turns out. But a spate of recent studies on what makes for human happiness have determined. But lasting. Life enrichment happiness the kind. The quietly turns our lives in the works of satisfaction. Is found not. In the peak moments of ecstasy. We all experience laykx like getting a new car in our driveway or. Landing a big promotion at work or. Falling head over heels in love or with birth of a grandchild. But rather. What one server search recalled. The routines a small delights. True happiness in life is found. Not in the peak experiences. But in the routines. Small. D'lites. That we're able to have in our life. It's all here in dr. daniel gilbert best-selling book. Stumbling on happiness. Every barnes & noble hasn't you get it online. Stumbling on happiness the title of my sermon this morning. Which reports the findings of dr. gilbert. Decades-long research. On the nature and dynamics of human happiness and he's one of only many psychologists who are now studying. Happiness in a tempted serious way. In a nutshell what dr. gilbert who's known around harvard az.doc as professor happiness. What he's discovered in his research as a psychologist. Is the human beings are lousy. At predicting the future. Most particularly their lousy about predicting how they they will feel about their lives. When both good and bad things happened to them. And he picks up on many of the same things that dr. barry schwartz was observing in the reading before the sermon. I know quote dr. gilbert at some length. What we've been seeing in my lab over and over and over again. Is it people have an inability. To predict. What will make us happy. Or unhappy. Few of us. Can accurately gauge how we will feel tomorrow or next week. And then you said people routinely overestimate. How future successes and failures will affect their happiness. For the better or worse. The truth is he right. Bad things don't affect us as profoundly as we expect them to. And this is true of good things too. The good isn't this good. And the bad isn't as bad. As we think it's going to be. I'll research eagles on simply says. But whether it's a pleasant event or a difficult one. Both will matter less. Then you think. In terms. Of your happiness. Or your sorrel. The truth is that regardless of what happens good or bad. He writes. We adapt. Very quickly. So the good news gilbert says isn't going blind. Is not going to make you as unhappy as you think it was. And the bad news is winning the lottery will not make you as happy as you expect. Ebony goes on. As a species we tend to be moderately happy. With whatever we get in life. If you take a scale he writes. From 0 to 100. People generally generally report their happiness. At about 75. We keep trying to get to 100. And sometimes we get there. We don't stay there long. Before we get back to the 75. Moderate level. And conversely. We certainly fear the things that would get us down to 10 or 20%. The death of a loved one. The end of a relationship. A serious challenge to personal health. But when these things happen. Most of us return to the baseline. 75% of reported happiness. More quickly. Then we predict. And then he ends with his main point but i want you to hear. Human beings. Are wildly. Resilient. The corollary finding. Is that a single big payoff in life. Raise. Hermes kelly bag. Hot cha cha date. Affect people's essential happiness. Much less. Send the routines. A simple the lights. The routines. Small delights. And then he ends with a sentence about where we human beings. Will find happiness. That i just love. There is much to be said. Dr. gilbert rides. For steamed rice. Where we are. You are happy. Little rats. And dr. gilbert gives a simple example from his own life. He says it's one of the best things about teaching at harvard. Is not the big salary he gets. No the prestige but the fact that he's able to walk to work. Every morning. Along the charles. River. In cambridge mass. As someone who also loves to commute. That's a perspective on happiness. That i can. I truly appreciate. No i want to represent for you is thinking of a simple graph. What dr. gilbert. Pointing out. And that our happiness are long-term committed. Contentment in life. Is founding of middle earth. Routine not the dramas. But the littlest routine. Again dr. gilbert. We expect to feel devastated. If our spouse leaves us. Or if we get passed over for a big promotion at work. But when things like that do happen. We rationalized very quickly. It's soon that we say to ourselves well she was never right for me or. Well it's good i didn't get that big job because i actually need more free time with my family. People dr. gilbert deserves. Have remarkable talent. For finding ways to soften. In their lives. They thus and thus taken the expect. Such blows. 3 much more devastating. Sundance fact. Turn out emotionally. And so. Sustainable happiness. For us. Human beings because of these psychological truths. Sustainable happiness. The kind that makes a genuine positive difference in our lives over the long run. Turns out to be something we can only experience. In this littlest domain of life. In the everyday habitats. Of ordinary relationships. And routine. And experiences. That weekend because of the way we are hardwired as human beings. Because we take them for granted. It's in this littlest ground. Things we take for granted. Or happiness. Sustainable. Happiness. Is filed. On the holy ground. Of the routine. 11th broadway. To represent this for us musically for a few mobile. And as i got you with me this morning. Can you spiritually and emotionally by the idea. The idea that is supported by some of the finest psychological research going on in america. The place to look for sustainable happy. In your life. Lies not in the wild expansive peak. The really. Flashy expensive extravagant traumatic. But rather in the steady everyday drum beats. Study everyday drum beats. Of your routine life in the happy little rats. But you already have. Establish. In your life. Those ordinary moments. When you on a daily basis make small choices. To be once again. With the same family and friends. To make productive use of your mind. And hearts. And hands. To enjoy your moment with nature. To spend quality time with yourself and be quiet. To reach out and care. For another human being in one of the small ways. That makes such a big difference. It's almost too good to be true. The idea. But the stuff in our lives. It has the true power to bring us to happiness. And contentment. Already lies all about us. Scattered. About our feet. Scattered. In our heart. Already in the habitat. Of the ordinary. Unspectacular day. It is before i. It's almost too good to be true but this is what the scientist. Now let me be clear about this. It's okay to want a new lexus. So long as you know deep in your heart. The true happiness is going to probably come to you faster that beat old beat-up old dodge minivan as you take the kids. The soccer practice. It's okay to dream for luxurious 9-day all-expenses-paid. Vacation to tahiti. So long as you know you're more likely to find happiness and that third week in july on the jersey shore when you're back with that same quirky family of yours. Struggling with the same issues you've been doing for three decades. It's okay to want. Morin. Bigger and better to want a fancy house up in potomac as soon as you get that big promotion. As long as you know that everything you really need to be happiest in that little ranch house you already have in rockville. It's okay to want more and bigger and better and fancier. That's what human beings do they dream from or bigger and better and fancier. As long as you realize. Could you have already at your fingertips. Oh that human being needs to claim. Rich. Unsatisfied. It may seem like disappointing news to some of you. Who are always hooking your emotional star. 2 what's next. But the emotional and spiritual truth. Is that the only place. You can ever. Stumble on happiness. Is right here. Right now. In the routine and the rats. Of the life. You all. So on this first sunday. In the year 2010. My message to you is a simple. As it is appointed. Dream of a more spectacular personal. Future if you must. But the truth is that you don't need anymore. Then you already have. To discover. A life. Left. With contentment. And happiness. All the stuff the gods would take. To make heaven are already at your disposal. You can this day. Exercise. Your body. Tonight. As the winter temperatures drop well below freezing. You can tuck your kids in the bed with their warm blankets. Or you can snuggle in your own bed with a spouse or with yourself. Drop into the holy embrace asleep. Today you can read a good book. Fun bowl game. Volunteer down at the soup kitchen. Prepare a favorite meal of comfort food i don't know. Mitmita meatballs and mashed potatoes. Sarah wonderful cup of coffee with a dear old friend. The sky is the limit my friends. Right here. In this familiar old. Slightly worn house of a life. You already have. In this slightly worn familiar old house of a life. You already have. I can offer you. Nothing more saving. Or sweet. The naturals today. For this is the place. Right here. Right now. Were you were free. To stumble. Stumble.

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2638.mp3

Emerging from the mainline protestant christianity on my husband side of our family. This is one him. That we staying at pretty much all of our big shindigz all of the big life events. From the celebration of new babies to weddings. John and i chose it at our own wedding and we have sung it at virtually every other wedding in our family since then. A line of connection that reminds us in a way only music can. All these ceremonies are somehow connected to each other. Lilting lovely him out of the united church of christ. Hymnal that's called i was there to hear your borning cry. It begins with these early moments of a child life with that line i was there to hear your borning cry. I was there when you were but a child i won't sing anymore. And it goes on and it talks about in the way of a classic country song it goes on through all the elements of a life well-lived right from birth. When you were child to those moments when you find your own truth when you find someone to share your life with and through all of that i sit there and i sing the first few verses of that him and every single time because i am a mommy and because every so often i always find myself holding one child or another and we. I think i was there to hear your borning cry. And i cheer up. I think oh yeah i was there. I was there and i will be there for so much yet to come. Another i am sniffling away at him every time lost in my own personal reverie's the hymn keeps going. Until you get to the last verse. Which does. I'll be there to guide you through the night. Complete what i've begun. In the hole last verse wraps itself up and imagery of death. Of the endings of things of closed eye. Goodbye. And bam. I remember all over again. That that him is not. About. Me. Any luck at all in this world i heard the borning cry will not be there when my children face the end and not only will i not likely be there for the last moments but i will not be there for the vast majority of moments in the middle. Tim is not. About me. Whoever or whatever will be for the ones i love when i am not. It's about that which is present when i am long gone. When i am absent. When i am in transit. When i am unavailable. It's about what accompanies our loved ones into the places where we ourselves cannot follow. In the context of that him in that tradition. It's about god. Everytime i sing it i lead off the whole affair thinking it's about me. And i have to be surprised all over again by the fact that there are places my children my loved ones must go into which i cannot follow them. Everytime i sing it i have to accept the challenge that those words issue. The challenge to have faith. But someone or something will be there. When i turn it on. In the classic poem we shared this morning kahlil gibran says. Your children. Arnot. Your children. Daughters of life's longing for itself they come through you but not from you and though they are with you yet they do not belong to you. You may give them your love but not your thoughts for they have their own thoughts. How's their bodies friends but not their souls. For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow which you cannot visit. In other words. They're not mine. It's not me. Who heard their borning cry. Or at least not only me. It's not me be there when the evening of life closes in or at least not only me and what is most precious to me is not mine to hold but only mine to tend for a time in the brief transit of these days given to us. This haunting little anecdotes in the gospel of luke. In which jesus exhorts his disciples. Everything they have been behind and everyone they have ever known behind. In order to step out into the unknown places of their callings he says and this is some bulb language she says. Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother spouse and children and brothers and sisters cannot be my disciple. Any tell the people who listen to him to turn their backs on everything they have known. So they can find the freedom of their way. Not unlike our own dear saint ralph waldo emerson who once wrote. Father and mother were brother and sister when my own genius calls me. Very young person. Such sentiments were rather appealing to me. Freedom and self-determination. Now that i am a mother i tend to think that totes jesus and emerson in these cases sound a little bit. Bratty. Mary hasn't put up with enough from you i mean hey mister big shot. Water into wine you can call your mother. But the fact beneath those unsettling sentiment remains ever-present and nearly universal. Our children are not our children. I loved ones are not ours. But the sons and daughters of something so much larger. Of which we are only one component part and the letting go that terrible and beautiful letting go inherent in all of our loving. Is a very important piece of who were called to be for each other. It's not just children of course. Who are ours but not ours. Would that it were that simple. Instead the letting-go is inherent in everything we love. And everything that comes from us and yet is not ours to keep. Our parents are not. They don't wait for us to catch up. Before becoming what they are called to become. They don't wait for us to arrive. Before they close their eyes. Sometimes for the very last time. As with our children we can't always be there in the turning moments of their lives either and just as with our babies we must trust that we were never required to. Because they were never ours alone in the first place. But the sons and daughters of life pressure. Unending longing for itself. Likewise. For those of us who create. Our art. Is not really ours. It moves through us but it is not ours to keep even good old j.d. salinger who never wanted his last unfinished imperfect works to see the light of day is subject to time. Choose own absence. And to the fact that what we bring forth be at love or painting. Or the family business or the great american novel. Was never for us to keep. To ourselves. Book collectors. Are the collectors of rare jewel to shell out hundreds of thousands of dollars for ancient codices and angel minerals. The wise among them know that you can't ever really owns. Keeper of it for a time. The steward of a great treasure for one small portion of it. Long arc through history so much longer than your own. Interest. Absolutely everything. From our children. To our parents. To our treasures to our bodies themselves merely granted to us for the space of a long-term loan. Absolutely everything we think we own everything we think we can control and call around and him and define all of it is borrowed. Gather together for these days. Ready to go forth in some other form when the time comes. And the journey leads on. Is albert einstein said energy can neither be created nor destroyed. It can only be changed from one form into another. Until the energy of this universe world and shapes and reshapes itself over and over again into forms we come to know and to love. A billion little bits of starstuff gather together to form the feet. You think are yours. Hands with stroke your cheek. Brown and blue and golden eyes that watch you with love or with devotion. We borrow. The energy of the universe for a time. And then we give it back. So that different stars might be born of the very stuff of us. To hold on to it would be not only spiritually deadening but as a matter of fact impossible. For the forms of things are ever-changing. Living through us and going beyond us every single day. We are not the owners of things. Or even of ourselves. We cannot claim the right to clean to that which we have come to love for in doing so we deny the very life force of creation pulsing and pulling all things including us. Gibran said. Your children are not your children. They are the sons and daughters. Of life's longing for itself. And that long. Played out in the pushing edges of the expanding universe in which life tumbled headlong into life. Longing life always has for itself is a constant even when everything else changes. Efforts to create the new. And it only works if we have the compassion in the vision to let go with greatest love. Absolutely everything we have borrowed. This is great priest in contemplatively thomas merton. Who once wrote that there is in all things. An invisible fecundity. A dimmed light. A hidden wholeness. The mother of all. There is in all things. An invisible fecundity the mother of all. And i always get stuck when i'm reading that quote on that word fecundity which is sort of like a ten-dollar word. But it means essentially abundance. Or perhaps. Fertility. Invisible abundance a desire to expand a life-giving shape. Formed over and over again and that reality which is so much bigger than us is there even when we are not. The great source of life. At the center of all things. Is what some liberal theologians and some of us might call god. But there's more to it than that to. In addition to life's longing for itself there's something else that accompanies us through every moment of our lives. I think of it as the cumulative story we share. Ever present history of our people. And how we have made meaning overtime. When we come to the moments of truth when we think we are alone we are accompanied by life itself and we are also accompanied by the stories we tell in the meaning we have made out of it. Some of you will remember. The classic quote. About the secretary of war william. Stanton who was sitting by the bedside of abraham lincoln right as he was dying. When the last breath we're gone from the great man stanton stood and said. They always remembered words. And now he belongs to the ages. Except. Many scholars think he probably didn't say ages at all but rather angels. And now he belongs to the angels. He might have said. Which is the different message entirely into my mind rather less poetic. Shurfine. Send him to the angels in their heavenly halls i guess that works. But give him over to the ages. The rolling tide of time in the stories of generation upon generation who will remember him and shape their lives around his memory now that. Something. We belong not to one another. But to the inexhaustible energy at the center of things and we belong not to the angels but to the ages. At the intersection of energy and history. What will be there for my children when i cannot hold onto them any longer. At the intersection of energy and of history. Born in. On-loan for a time. That which connects us across generations. Those are mighty forces. But i might entrust them to if i dare. Did the couple of weeks after my son whose three-month-old don't be dedicated in the second service just a couple of weeks after he was born. My family was brave enough to venture out into the world for dinner. And my oldest child four years old was having a hard time at the restaurant. As kids are sometimes want to do she was squirming and she was running around and when it one point i feared she might run right out the door into the street i wrapped her all up in my arm so that she couldn't get away. And she wriggled and she squirmed before looking up with tears in her eyes and proclaiming mommy you're a spider. Now i know i should have been hurt or offended or something. But mostly i was amazed at this little theologian. Mommy dearest spiders you said. And i thought of all eight legs wrapping her up. And holding on tight. And what she wanted then and we'll want again with simply the freedom to move. And change and squirm. And grow. And in that moment i could not let go. I had to keep her safe. But there will come a time for all of us parents and artist. And children and lovers to uncoil our eight arms of control and protection. There will come a time to remember that the ones we love are not ours to ensnare. Then we will let go faithfully. Knowing that life has never stopped moving. But the story is never done being told. And it's something greater than ourselves will stand at the precipice. Waiting. And holding. And hoping. Even when we ourselves. Maybe so. And diamond.

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2413.mp3

I think about celebration. Birthdays come to mind first. Celebrating birthdays i find is subject to all kinds of family rules and traditions. As summer very extensive. In my family. You might feel born into color on your birthday like rumi says. Moving from black and white to some kind of vivid. Technicolor movie like in the wizard of oz when suddenly everything goes into color. It's difficult to imagine in this very constantly wired. Technicolor. Nicole age. Time i promise it's true when tv was only black and white. I said. No i'm serious it was only black and white he said. Why did they do that i said they hadn't invented it yet he goes how is that possible as that i can't explain it but it was true. Clear memory from my childhood is my grandparents house to watch certain things in color because they had the color tv and we have black and white. The old rodgers and hammerstein's cinderella with lesley ann warren i still know a lot of the songs i will not sing that for you. The grand ball in full color. It had these beautiful peach and gold and kind of yellow tones i can still see it very gently in the haze of my memories. Mesmerizing to see this transformation of the pitiful cinderella into the glowing princess. We were on this scratchy oriental rug at my grandparents house. Well line are stomach on the cushion looking up at the ball. And just swaying to the music. And suddenly my five-year-olds at the time sister. Allison. Throwing your head down on the carpet. Beautiful every have never let her live that down but she's. Now she had a beauty and celebration. Knowing they were vivid parts of life at that young age. Now she's someone who creates art and dance and theatrical magic and her life. I'm not under any illusion. That all of us share happy birthday history or any kind of cinderella childhood. I know we were lucky children there is a lot of not select your stuff going on also. Standard. From my mother. Another artist. Another lover of romance. And you have permission to really have it all on that day you got your special dinner she has special gifts or she did his perfect bows. And then surprise and wonder. You can say that birthdays. Mama's of color and is kaleidoscope of living. I looked up kaleidoscope. Greek roots. Beautiful form. We're always choosing really how we put together the bits of color and glass. Set for marview of life. We as grown-ups actually. Have the chance to make our own tradition. The little ones the big ones. We can make birthday special for ourselves no matter how they were in the past. Crap even make day-to-day life. Special. Which is what roommate is calling us to do. Permission to celebrate on a birthday on a big anniversary at a wedding at something as significance. And then. Maybe at times for just a little bit. In the giving of celebration. Dutifully withhold the very thing. That bring us joy day today. We wait. Until we think the time is right. Not too busy. Not too worried. We're too distracted. Perfect time. Delayed. In fact it may never arrive. The results can be a kind of prison of the mundane. It's an illusory sense really. That we have no options. That we cannot celebrate day today. I think this is a. Depressing hazard of human existence particularly in the 21st century maybe. Where we work more. Heather's. Electronic communication. We've almost always experienced these kind of dreary. and particular times of life. You go along and a bit of rope busyness. How busy you are. Grimly fulfilling your responsibilities. Checking off list. Process sometimes you isolate your spirit. From the very thing. Vivid color. And meanwhile the days months or years are accumulating. The fact that we know and still ignore in this daily grind of. Modern life the rapid pace. A major crossroads life seems achingly precious. Free face a significant birthday. We celebrate the marriage of our last child. We go through painful divorce. Play feel a life-threatening disease. The illness the death of a parent and then. Clarity. No one. Wishes they had work. Carter. Instead. Look-back ruefully we wish we had created more birthday parties. More vivid living with our beloved. Mark hyman beautiful places. And i think this. Wife of room a really pretty days. The nike slogan by centuries essentially. Cancer reading. Begins on the other. Become the sky. The higher than the walls. That you create become the sky. Ass. To the prison wall. Escape. Walkout. Like someone suddenly born into color. I want. Received the card that had a tranquil green pond with a lotus. Flower on it. Had a quote from the buddha. Happiness itself. Can you open apps. The birthday. Birthday. I thought about that a lot. No one asks of that being is to be olson. Just suddenly burst into color is really put it. Why doesn't suddenly become magical mirroring the plot of a cinderella movie i get it. They're still tremendous pain. His great lies. I know very well as a minister and also in my own wife. Being a person in may. National global challenges there a lot. Of mean people is true. Their unfair circumstances. And then there are truly cruel oppression. This is so. It'll hurt. And brings grief. And yet being the birthdays means that. We would show up. For celebration. Creating the circumstances for joy. Being available for surprise. Being present. Play something wonderful.. Becker noticing. And life goes on your by year. We each create that kaleidoscope the bits of glass. Of the beautiful form. A lot of it's in the story we tell. Mention one more thing about celebration in this will also date myself but. Group of african-american musicians who complained together for 50 years kool & the gang's anyone the baby boomers. Together they're still touring all over the world. Remove very smooth r&b so great dancers. I'm not going to sing it they say celebrate good times. Come on. The invitation. And if you watched youtube. Video of this 1980 classic. Which i did this week. You will see over 18 million hits. Video. Maybe some people looking at it going i cannot believe what people look like in 1980 moving and dancing to that but to be happy. They call us to this party of life. The celebration of each other. Of essential goodness. I think it's one of the anthems of celebration of our time a lot of times people of all ages love it. It's fine it's simple. A reminder that the simple pleasures of life in rhythm. Dancing at a wedding party. With friends. Find the song they play for the older people before the hip hop begin. It's a moment of color. The black and white. Of living. We have said. Capacity. For deep connection. For countless. Moments of joggling wonder. And living life fully is really being ready. Delete out. Of the black-and-white. Interested in color when the opportunity arises not every moment. But noticing it when it does. Arrange the jewels of glass. The kaleidoscopic view of your own living you. Canby. The birthday. You can be. The celebration. My clothes with. More words from rumi. That scholar. Who is on an academic trail. Who became a very strange mystic and academics drawn into strangely. Unsettling encounters with a whirling dervish. A dancing. Friend. He also wrote this. Afterwards. Now. Open this. Window. Cinema center. Of your chest. Spirit. In and out. But ferret fly. Resume are daisy filled with moments of celebration. The ones that would create. The ones that we were awake enough. Maybe so.

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1983.mp3

Knowing everything well. I questioned that but i'm not willing to give away the whole song because of that. Because because it does. Cake. Opening up bose h i. And finding our hearts. In order to be wise. And often i know things. Without knowing. Bye. Or how. Wisdom doesn't come. From the facts. Or truth. It comes from experience it comes from noticing paying attention and it comes from trusting the best. Within yourself. I suppose that is why frequently in our culture and id'd throughout the world the world wisdom is attributed most often to the elderly. Haven't you heard. She is wiser than her years. And wise-beyond-her-years. The elderly often no more. Because they've had more time to reflect. And simply to observe to pay attention. Had more experience to reflect upon and often have more time. To think beyond themselves. It wasn't an accident that the women's conference i measure mentioned lifted up sophia. Lifted up wisdom. Because so many of our culture than especially the religions within these cultures. Had what people thought were truth. Within them. But denied the wisdom of women. An essay feminist philosopher a woman who speaks it said. When you are a gender. Or persuasion. Or orientation. Or color or group. That is marginalized in the face of social of the worthy. Your truth. Is discredited. But the truth. Of the power over you. Your ability to live honestly it's subject. To the dishonesty of your oppressor. In my own case my being a woman hold certain expectations about my strengths and weaknesses. It has historically been assumed that my ability to reason is less developed and less efficient than a man. She claims her association with children. Parents and the earth. Are assumed. To line her. Are assumed to limit her academic understanding. So she says it's happening less now than in the past. The reflecting on their dicks words. Whether someone is considered. A freedom fighter. Or a terrorist. Depends upon the truth we see. We don't live in a culture that sometimes thinks that. Don't don't what do we live in a culture that sometimes things. Some races of people and some cultures. Are less able to reason. Or less developed. We have that term developing country. Don't we live in a culture that sometimes thinks farmers and yes. Many real people. Gardner's people who work with the earth. Art. Lester intellectually and culturally. Yes those assumptions she describes maybe less strong than once held. But their implications linger. And can still be felt. They do linger. And they are felt. Continue and so it goes with truth. Things that were once obvious. Like the inferiority of women are now truth left strongly how but they are no less historical truth. And as i read leander.tx words. I thought yes. Even today women can't be ordained catholic freeze. Or ordained baptist minister. Today we are arguing. About whether women can be in combat. All of those prohibitions. Have at the root. Some certain cultural truth. Which are understood. By some people. Continue where is the truth that is not bound and determined by self. Interest. Passionate self-interest. The truth of this nature is elusive at best she says. And i'm true at worse. Suggest. We listen to simona bell. Who says. Perhaps. Rather. Rather than try to increase our graphs of truth. We should apply this. Sentiment. 2 wisdom. She says i cannot help it see the gifted beauty of wisdom as an understanding of the fallacy of truth. I'm looking beyond the obvious. Through the power structures and within the subjective. Define not truth. But the potential of possibility. The unity with indifference. And the transcendence in the stall. Fixtures. The wise woman does not look for truth. She sticks with herself in reflection. Anticipation and recognizing the wisdom of the other. And sharing to create a new fabric of diversity. Harmony. And a multitude. Of differentiated love. Now i don't think wisdom is possessed only by women. It's in everyone of us remember. Church. Fourth church tells the story one of his parishioners. A famous architect in new york who took his nine-year-old son out camping and they were looking up at the sky. And the father said to his nine-year-old. This must be the eighth wonder of the world. Alison said. What are the other seven. And so being an architect he actually knew what some of those wonders of the world where. But in case you don't know. Or can't remember. They are the egyptian pyramids. The hanging gardens of babylon on this architect because it was an architect explain the structures of these things to his nine-year-old. Colossus of rhodes. To the tomb of not soulless. At halicarnassus. The temple of. Artemis at ephesus. The statue of zeus. At olympia. Ampharos or the lighthouse. And alexandra. Alexandria nnt began explaining how wonderful all these were and his son said.. Dad. What are the real. Wonders of the world. And he said so what do you think. He said i think the first one is. Born a baby. And then i think maybe the second is. Being able to see. And the third and fourth maybe being able to talk and to walk. And then baby hearing and touch. And smell. And then his dad said. What about love. I'm a nine-year-old said you're right there the 8th. Real wonder of the world is love. And there is a kind of wisdom. And that very young child. The brings all that. The knowing our own wisdom. Yes indeed. It is within each of us. To be wise. Adults. Children. Women. Men. If we were to try to increase our graph of wisdom. If we were to increase our grasp of looking beyond the obvious. Do the power of structures then within the subjective defined not truth. But the potential of possibility. The unity with indifference. Emma transcendence in the south. What would we be doing. Well i think. That's why many of us come. Here on sunday morning to river road. Seeking maybe not truth. But the potential of possibility. Unity with indifference. Emma transcendence in self. And recognizing we all regardless of our age or place of origin are raised our religion formal education and all those other differences. The divide and contribute to judging each other. Realizing that it is in each of us to be wise. Is a beginning. Degrasse. Our. Wisdom. There is a piece of divine within each of us. And if we try to increase our grasp of understanding that. Without knowing how to define divine. Just knowing. Inherent worth and dignity in everyone. Just maybe just maybe we are on the path. Do a moment of transcendence. Strangely or. Probably predictably. Though it's in everyone of us to be wise we don't seem to be why it's all the time. Have you noticed. Especially maybe with yourself. You made something so profound that you are even aware of your wisdom. And then. Something so ridiculous that you question your own choices. You are distracted by everyday responsibilities. I don't think being wise is like a degree urine and then you have it. It's within us. It comes and goes. Becomes especially we when we take the time to open our eyes. And find our heart. Do children may lead us because they notice so much more. I got many of us. An artist may lead us because they often see more than many of us. Visitors to our lives may lead us. Because they may see what we ignore. Will bring new visions. To ponder. The elderly may lead us because their experiences. They're knowing and because they take time. To pay attention. And often see the world beyond themselves. And those who love unselfishly. Mulitas toward wisdom. Without ever knowing why. But i do know. Is that when i have been in the presence of wisdom. I often know it. Without knowing how i know it. And wisdom doesn't just know beauty and kindness. Wisdom nose pain and disappointment. Those with wisdom are able to sit with me right to me. Hold me in their hearts in ways that those without wisdom cannot. Opening both eyes. And finding one's heart. Maybe the only way. To live through pain and disappointment. Wisdom knows the spirit of life. The essence of life. Robert atchley in his book spirituality and aging talks about the. Spirituality of a seaking. In which waiting. Patience and paying attention are important elements to the journey. Have a spiritual journey he described sounds to me. Much like a journey to wisdom. He talks about how some elders are drawn to developing. The capacity for wisdom. Pcs wisdom.of something we have. Capacities we develop. These capacities require. Cultivating. Along with taking time to be present. I'm paying attention. Sometimes referred to as mindfulness. He says wisdom requires. Service from the spirit. That is nurturing the ties between one's own spirituality. And that of another human being. All of the sounds to me a bit like. Finding your heart. An opening. Uri. Both of them. Spirituality is a seeking to develop. The capacity for wisdom. And yes sophia. That ancient mary's word for wisdom is a kind of spirituality. So maybe those denominations recalling their delegates from that conference in minneapolis. We're correct in a sentence. And wisdom can be dangerous. It can challenge the truth. But many understand or claim. It requires interrupting your daily busy lives to pay attention. And it requires seeking wisdom in others. May each of you. Find your heart. And open up both your eyes. And know the capacity for wisdom is within each of you. I have experienced it within many of you. It is in everyone of us. Qby. I have seen your wisdom. May you continue. The cultivated. And now i invite you to rise and body or spirit and sing hymn number 90. From all the frozen fever of the day.

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4305.mp3

I want to tell you about my particular health journey. It's a personal offering. As a way to ponder the universal questions of struggle. And at the winter solstice. December 2009. I laid quietly in a room at sibley hospital. Listening to the flute music. That you just heard. The day before my life had changed quickly. My severe abdominal pain of two weeks. Who is diagnosed with e.coli. The infection was serious and it had spread into two systems of my body. And the truth of what was happening. What's scary. Knowing that a definite timetable. Or any kind of guarantee on my recovery. And as it turned out i would spend 12 days in the hospital and. Then wait at home for 8 weeks. With iv antibiotic infusions. Preparing for surgery in february 2010. Early winter morning the musical glass. Tinkled. And the flute played. And the tears. Roll down my cheeks. It has been a long year. Of breast cancer treatment in 2008-9. From radiation. And now what felt like an overwhelming development. Weather infection due to immune suppression. My plans for 2010 were dramatically. Shifting. And the music. The sound. Was releasing my great sadness. I prepared to make phone calls saying that i would not be working. Anytime soon. I let go of my work at all souls unitarian d.c.. American university. At the uu congregation of columbia. All places i had work not knowing when i would return. And i went on long term disability. And didn't work for 4 months. Acknowledge the truth. That i was very ill was. To yield. To accept fully the care of others. The e.coli the major surgery the recovery. Or not things i was going to control. They would become life event. Now yours later. I'm on a path to wellness. And it's after many rounds of respiratory gastrointestinal skin and eye infection. My immune system which has been so porous over the last two years. Haven't laughed been boosted. Buy new treatment. And while i'm navigating at times a very frustrating path i won't lie. I have come to develop greater compassion. For myself. In november last year. I came to see the truth. Of where i was. Once again. I yielded to the necessity for new test. New medical choices. Surrendering. Happening. Like it or not. And i did not like it. Today. I am increasing in strength and vitality. And the ability to stay well. Embrace this 8-year path. Quit self-love. Knowing that inquiring deeply into my own rhythm. Disease. And health. Has made me a better person. I better spouse in ballantyne. A better family member. Administer. In one start truth that i uncovered in this process. Causes of my illness. I had to fully accept. Self care. Not as some essential. When urgent in the er. A constant practice. Not as some kind of springboard back to action. Value. Itself. I had to be willing to rest. In the limit. Of my service. And the limits. Save my energy for ministry. Tamar off and do what i can do fully. And to let go. But what simply can't be done. This is not some temporary phase. But a more balanced way of being. I'm with my health actually depends. Is going to be the rest of my life. Emerging from years of increasing self-awareness. And truly. I am still learning. A beginner and these practices. Unraveled is a practitioner who discovered the modality of bioenergy healing when she herself. Once had lupus. If we were to realize that any pain or illness we suffer. Is our body's way of trying to get us to come back home. To get more in tune with ourselves. We will find. Different life. The truth. Of the body. It may be confounding and humbly. Also joyous and exhilarating. I'm free. Tries to bring you back home. You can be called sharply. Who pain. Through infection. Who acute attack through a broken limb. Through a car crash. Your own. Or someone else's. Can wake you up. Biology happens. Accident happen illness happens. And they just wrapped life. We won't change that. And i believe. Sing time every dis-ease. Every health challenge has a mental emotional and spiritual component operating as well. Choices. And how to respond. At least. When shilling is the target. Trevino said. Illness. Is the bow. Against my own ability to sit with a truth. About what's happening in my body. Back in. 20. 2008. 2010. Then 2015. Maybe some of them are familiar to you. I really like. To be active. An extroverted. And busy. It's how i was raised. It's also my natural appetite and energy. And in my extended family. Has two others is so central. That individual wants and needs habitually. Secondary. To the good of the whole. We were trains to keep up our responsibilities diligently. Even in times of crisis. And great challenge. Brene brown writes about. Something called that dig deep button. Where you going and when you really need to do it you dig deep. What she said is the beginning of our healing. Disabled. The button. I am also socialized as a caregiving female. I am agitated as a clergy helper. I am constitutionally an expansive leo. I'm expressive i marty i'm a little too driven in a muffin taipei. And all this adds up. An inconvenient truth. I don't. Like to stop. Unless i want to. I like to call the shots. Of when and where and how i rest an illness. Was not part of my plan. Repeated illness. Was definitely not welcome. I felt like i was failing somehow. And yes it was. Happening. And the truth. Of this body. The more eastern spiritual resources upon which i draw. Yoga and movement mindfulness. Enjoying and making art. They are all just ways to slow down. And cultivate presents. And over several decades really they have helped me intervene with my energizer bunny self. They draw me tomorrow for paws. They create this capacity. For more presents. And when i needed those skills the most. As life came to a big haul. An illness. They serve me well. I have already begun. Practicing. External service and helping to lead and manage and contributing to people in the world are all good things. There are certain journeys that can only be taken internally. No matter how many doctors you have. No matter how many medical tools are at your disposal. There are important matters that you discover in dialogue with yourself. Showing you. Well your soul. Craves change. Haven trevino on the dow of healing reminds us this as well. The bird. Who learns to fly. Must also learn to land. She flies far. But never forgets the nesting place. She travels far. It understands. Her own boundaries. One who flits about. Seeking peace. Forgets. To look. And her own tree. I've also come to know. That struggling with house or injuring medical mystery. Will force you. To look at your own tree. River road is truly an amazing place. I'm happy to be one of your ministers. I'm also relieved. To be taking a break. The pace of the last couple years has been fast. We don't just sit around eating bonbons around here. And i have simultaneously been searching for answers to greater health. Until my deep desire for contemplation and for rastas been rising. And it's time to take a step back. Navigation and the study leave that's part of my contract has felt life-giving. Even imperative. And so starting next friday. How's it going to costa rica. For two more weeks of study leave. Return to the forest time to this place that steve's my spirit and heals my body. Nosara. On the pacific coast of juan acosta. And i've been taking 100 hour yoga teacher training. And the subject matter is. Right on time. It's kind of. Hilarious really when i signed up last september i could never have known how apropos it would become. The class is called. Self-awakening yoga. The expansion of consciousness through the body's own wisdom. My body spoke to me alot all last year. It had something hard. And wise to say. And now i'm going to listen. This yoga method is very simple. Is exploratory it's based on alignment systems like feldenkrais movement and heightened internal visual scanning. The designer of self awakening yoga teacher john stapleton wrote this about it. Nurturing relationships itself through expanding awareness is a means for taking refuge. Taking refuge from the dynamic and the changing circumstances of life. Refuge in infinite self-love. On this journey there is no failure. Even when the landscape turns desolate. The knowledge. Is your unique and personal journey provides its own comforting piece. Techniques. Kirei. Are not a substitute. Her consciousness. Techniques are not a substitute for consciousness. With an ever-deepening consciousness. An awareness of your capacity to become aware. You have unlimited access to prana. A life force. As a trustworthy guide. As a companion in life. I'm also going to be taking two more weeks. After those two to integrate the house improvements for the last 2 months. And those weeks back at home i will anchor in the learning of the course and take a break. And those sweets. Or hard. To request. Truth be told. I thought about it for 30 days and kept trying to talk myself out of it. My immune system clears and repairs. The jeepers rest in the silence. That goes with it is essential. Get for me. It would have been easier to ask. If i were headed to surgery or having chemo or have my leg in a cast. Simply want time to stop. When i'm feeling. Good. Is a new experience for me. I can't say it's very comfortable. And yet my wellness. Depends on it. And so does my ongoing health and recovery. It's different for me to pause well before i'm tired. To replenish when i still have a quarter tank. To go to bed earlier. To rise before the sun does. But this rhythm changes me for the better. It helps me lean more fully into being without so much dependence. I'm doing. It's the person. That my soul ass. Become. We heard today from the dallas feeling recounts my own experience. Gained over many trials and errors for sure. A pathway that has. Eventually. Come into alignment. Haven trevino road. Properly use. An illness turns and outward focus inward. It sends energy where it's needed most. It transformed. Fear into strength. Arrogance. Humility. Compulsion. Caring. To compassion. Brings imbalance. To balance. In all the ways that health changes us. Perhaps the greatest is turning within. The path. Is solitary. We can have a posse. Of healers and allies and yet certain discoveries we simply must make. To come to greater compassion for your own. Human. Being. To humbly learn to love yourself and all your frail to your limitations. Struggle. This is a pearl of great price. And so trevino says. One who embraces illness as well as health. Embraces the whole of life she can offer life because she receives. Life. That makes a difference. To learn to say thank you. When the casserole arrive. To say yes. To the ride. To take the medicine. To notice the gifts to hear the advice. Even embrace the limitations. To move away from your strongest. Self. To not even be able to find your strongest. Stop. To sit. At the feet. Of your sadist. And most vulnerable inner child. To do accomplish an offer. Nothing. Because you are so tired. You can only rest. Most importantly to love yourself. In the midst. Fully. Knowing that you're a compassionate caring is refueling you for the future. This will change you to the core. If you just let it. Tick not han. Has been on his own healing journey. In 2015. He had a major stroke. He was in a coma. Is come into stroke recovery back in plum village now in france. He reminds us so wisely. The miracle is not to walk on water. The miracle is to walk. On the green earth in the present moment. Appreciate the peace and the beauty that are available. To us. Once we learn to touch this piece. We will be healed. We will be transformed. It is not a matter of faith. It is matter of practice. And so it is. Life. Gives us the opportunity. The practice. Again. Run again. And all we have to do. I say yes.

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1931.mp3

Kubz scouts. Church. What signs and banners. Marching bilberry with lighting the chalice. Alliance wrestling sand diggy's. Did hamburger buns of the scout kind of slow them down. Nightmare did not come true. We saw trevor nancy and not a single picture showed up. So how did i become the party lady. During my first two years of river road. Got involved in a bunch of activities. Mostly cuz someone asked me to. Awesome way to meet people. Like texas hold'em i went all-in. Projects for volunteers. I was invited a 10-1 committee meeting in 2 minutes later i was the co-chair. Chicken with its head cut off. Ask me to do something i thought. How hard could that be. Eliza getting involved in something. Start to get hard. I realize that i wasn't really having fun. Just because someone asked me to. Did i had a real passion for them but just because someone asks you i said okay i can do that. I felt burned. Ouch. Trying to figure out what i want to do next to river road. Focus my efforts to volunteer smarter not harder. About the time i was thinking i'd like to do more get more involved. You know what you do great at running the fellowship dinner. I love food i love having parties amazing potlucks. Arranging the potluck. No 500. Over two nights. At times it was like herding cats. Elvis of the ones the next charlie but charlie wants to sit next to phoebe but wants to sit next to elvis. Even all the details had to be worked out. And it was a lot of fun. About my abilities in about other people. The biggest i get out of working together in community. Which people to achieve a common purpose. Which is the fellowship and meet people and help people build a greater connection. To our church community. Because the more of all people are. The more invested they are in this church. Furniture. And when one person starts to move furniture. Everybody move furniture. Over a year ago my family moved to a new house. A member of river road. I had brought him you'll see when she had a brand new baby. Camille. When i mention the river maureen that i had declined chastise meeting. What kind of example are you setting. But you will give and give but you yourself won't accept health. I seriously call back my friend and i accepted her generous offer. In what. For letting her. Sometimes you give by receiving. Was an eye-opener. I realize that people are yearning to serve to contribute their time. Infield connection. The last three events are organized i wasn't running around anymore like i said. I was delegating sharing the details and trusting them things would get done. You know what they did. If you're doing the costco run. You're serving. If you're prepping in the kitchen. Hello kitten lions. Reserving. It doesn't have to be the big cat all of these details matter. All of them are of being of you. 2010 on the leadership and nominations committee and became the vice chair. That whenever we were cast by the board to come up with a slate for the ministerial search committee. We found people in this congregation. Willing and able to serve. Any free time they had the next 15 months. Connection to forge their own legacy within this congregation. How cool is that. People sometimes ask me how i'm still involved with this congregation of two small kids. In a part-time job. And the first thing i say is that i have an amazing stuff. And we managed to juggle stuff between the two of us because this is important. You are labors of love. And when it's something you love. You find the time. When i serve the congregation doesn't feel like a chore. Community is invigorating and exercising to me. Because as i give. I receive. It's in the hugs i get. In the fellowship hall. Is in the words of encouragement from the ministers. And our incredible staff. It's in the religious education doesn't have a child. I can serve the congregation in many ways. Sarah's friends i've met at river road. It's part of a community of folks who care about each other. Who care about me. And my family. As much as i have served this congregation. This beloved community has served me. So much more. Our congregation is made richer by the gift of time and resources from our members and friends. Now is the time for our offertory and for the lighting of candles of joining concern. The offering is gratefully received.

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3089.mp3

There i was. A true boy of summer. Learning baseball in southern california. Play catching the backyard with my father. Who was the very good. Semi-pro knuckleball pitcher in the 1940s. We spent many weekend afternoons at the local park. Throwing soccer pitches. As long as i was willing to get them. He was my first coach. First in the backyard. If i played with as i progressed through all the youth leagues. Pitching and playing first base. Looking back. Baseball with that unique mix of childhood fun and dread. The joy of hitting the ball. Just wright. And the agony of an error in the field at the most inopportune time. Like when the bases are loaded and the score is tied. Through it all my dad told me. Never let the strikeouts for errors get you down. Baseball is a sport where your success if you hit the ball three times out of 10. Adulthood intervened. And no more baseball. My dad continue to coach. Course to college and work. Growing up meant other athletic endeavors. Slow pitch softball. Ultimate sport of a middle-aged former baseball player. Into my 50th is a government lawyer my baseball career was far in the past. A neighbor and fellow softball player. Take me to the fountain of youth. Ponce de leon baseball league. It's real name. For me to know that guys like us can still play baseball in maryland. What a revelation. I became a reborn boy of summer. Playing on a couple of local teams. Going to florida for week-long baseball tournaments. Those of us in the ponce de leon lee go to motley crue guys and one woman. Who played in youth leagues. High school or college. Even higher levels. Some hook continue to play four decades. Some were just playing organized baseball for the first time in their lives. My senior baseball and divers have been both amazingly satisfying and scary. My first time at bat in decades and i got a hit. Still able to stretch out at first base and scooped a throw out of the dirt. Circling under a high pop fly and wondering if i judge to correctly. Not always. The times when i came up to bat with the game on the line. In the last inning. Don't want you to be the hero. Sometimes getting a hit. Also striking out and still feeling that and letting my teammates down. This mixed feelings for summed up by the great hank aaron. The thing i like about baseball. Just that it's one-on-one. Stand up there alone. Mistake mistake. You hit a homerun it's your homerun. But what i found in my second baseball career is the zen of baseball. When i am in the field the rest of the world seems to disappear. My focus is totally onto hearing now. The batter. The next pitch. Where the runners are. Where i need to throw the ball if it's sent to me. For 3 hours my worries are reduced. So what is happening between the foul lines. And the outside world doesn't penetrate into the field. There's another sin moment. Hitting the ball on the sweet spot of the bat. In terms of physics it is a precise spot on a baseball bat for the most energy is transmitted to the ball. The satisfaction is this. Can you hit the ball in the sweet spot. You don't feel a thing it's almost as if you're hitting a feather. When i find the sweet spot a line driver long fly ball jumps off the bat and baseball seems effortless. Baseball has its ups and downs like anything else. Sometimes when i pitched i can't get the ball over the plate to save my life. What guy says senior players however is what guided joe dimaggio. Baseball is no longer fun. It's no longer a game. Or is my teammate brian tells me whenever i simone a strikeout or a weak grounder. Just see the ball and hit the ball and stop thinking and enjoy the game. There it was again recently. Hitting against the top picture. With the game on the line. The two strikes by hit a line drive into left field scoring two runs. I wish my first and best coach my father. Knuckleball pitcher. Still around to see it. He would have said what he always did. Way2go. But don't let it go to your head. It's always going to be another game. It amazes me to think. Many decades later those lessons learned in the backyard still resonates. Comfort and bring back so many wonderful memories. And yes i have discovered there is always another game. I hope my experience is a reborn baseball player look at you thinking about making summer your sweet spot. Of the year. Find your passion. Fallout 3 in the past. And do it this summer. All you need to do is find it.

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1633.mp3

Anything once we do get home. Even if we reach heights we never thought possible. And even if. We look back upon some span of years together and we've saved some people in this world from the pain and the suffering they would have known without the work of this community. Even then. Will be a little lost. Freezing then the way will unfold in new and utterly unexpected directions even then our plans must change even the really good ones. But if that out then together. Define. loftness. To walk into the unknown. To let the path turn in ways we have not known before. What a joy it is to be lost. And what a wonder to be found. If only briefly. Just before we slip out into the unknown. And begin the process all over. Again. Our him is number to allow.

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1550.mp3

Said the desire to love. To welcome to nurture to promise. I want to end with the reading. Poem. Play me some miller. Because we used to have leaves on a damp days are muscles feel a tug. Painful now. From when roots pulled us into the ground. And because our children believe they can fly. Instinct retain from the bones and our arms were shaped like zither. Broke neatly under their feathers. Because before we had lungs we knew how far it was to the bottom. As we floated open i like painted scarves to the scenery of dreams. And because we awakened and learn to speak. Beset by fires in our caves. And because we were poor we made up a tale about a treasure mountain that would only open for us. And because you are always defeated we invented impossible riddles. Only we could solve. Monsters only we could kill. Women who could love no one else and because we have survived. Sisters from brothers and daughters and sons. We discovered bones that rose from the dark earth and sang as wipers in the trees. Because the story of our life becomes our life. Because each of us tells the same story but tells it differently. And none of us tells it the same way twice. Because grandmother's want to enchant the children. And grandfather's need to convince us what happened happened because of them. Listen only haphazardly. We will begin our story. With the word. Arthritis we are able and sin.

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3683.mp3

Have any of you ever heard the word. Mansplaining. Explaining is a very important concept. A person in this case usually a man speaking to a woman goes about explaining something patronising lee. Explain that to you. Is when a white person goes about patronising lee lecturing a person of color. Explaining i do that all the time. Phenomenon of explanation without interrelationship it's everywhere we look right. It happens whenever we go about sharing information with another person as if the information we have to share we have to offer on any particular issue. And presumably it's exactly what would compel that person to act in a particular way. That we deem to be necessary or moral. All correct. Explain ourselves so much in this world. Our positions left and right we throw information into the air like so much fairy dust. Charts and graphs and logical argumentation to uphold so many of the issues. And the passions that are dear to our hearts. And some of those issues we throw all the information we have at our due to us not just because we care about them. But because. Everything rests upon them. Take for instance. Climate change. The subject will grapple with today in the ccnc contemporary issues forum where. Daniel mcgraw from the centre for environmental law will be up with us. I'm sure that we have heard plenty of people and plenty of contacts mansplain climate-change half to death. Sharks. And more grass. And more information to an unmoved populous over and over again as if the sheer bulk of the information about it is going to change. We do this to ourselves so much. Moaning and unhearing on perceptive blind populist until we begin to see or the information that matters. Threat that changes hearts and breaks them. But the human face. In this case the human face of climate change the community's decimated not tomorrow but today. What matters and what persuades. It's not the information. And it is not the immensity of the threat it is the personal connections we make to the people involved it is simply people speaking to the people they love speaking to the people they trust people the people the people. What makes us change our minds. What really impact our behavior. What makes us value what we do and take risks for what we believe in. What makes us choose to act either for our own best interest or quite decidedly outside of it. Time after time the data show that the answers we think apply are only the merest fraction of the truth. We say for instance that media bias is shaping us all. We say that the religious right is taking over the airwaves and political ads are making us all into automatons and consumers of messaged opinions and all of that is true sort of. All of it has some effect. Beautiful every bit of persuasive power inherent in religious authorities and political parties and ads and news media all of it. Grant. The people we try. The people we know. The single biggest predictor. Of a person's political behavior. Is not your socioeconomic class or your media choice or your level of information to single biggest predictor of one's political behavior is the behavior of the people you surround yourself with. The cohort effect. And so however much we want to believe it. However much we like to argue in another direction we are simply not the issues voters we think we are. We are cohort voters. We vote with those we understand to be our own people. And we do it to an astonishing degree almost entirely without regard to the actual issue at hand even when the stakes of that issue are nothing less than ever. I'm not defending this i'm not critiquing it either i'm just saying the truth. That it is not now. And perhaps never has been really about the issue at hand or all of the information we gather about it. And so the question is what does change us. What will empower us what will push us to be and become for one another something more holes. More courageous. What really works. If you want to be of service. I tell you it is not just signed scientists patronising lemans flaming climate change to skeptics. Is it true believers patronising lee mansplain in creationism to me. Earned income tax credit. Frankly not about any of our explanations of it. It never has been. And more than that. Because this sermon gets harder before i promise i will come around and make it easier again not only is it not about the issue at hand. It's also not about bending the arc of justice. Either. Not really anyway. Let me tell you a story to illustrate that point. Some of us here at river road been working to build interfaith connection through leadership with this organization called action in montgomery. And one snowy day. I think it must have been in february because we were all sitting there nervous around this conference table being anxious about whether we would ever make it home that day we're sitting there at that conference table and my friend jonathan liang had been brought in to kind of give us a pep talk now jonathan when it comes to community organizing social action he's the real deal. For 35 years he organized the very first living wage campaign in baltimore he's put in his time he was there to be the one to fire us up to be engines of justice right. Start talking that i understand the place i wasn't sure i could follow. Instead. And they will tell you it's about bending the arc of justice 2 won't they. All the sudden my heart kind of seized up i got very nervous like what you going to tell me it's not anyway he goes. Tell you it's about bending the arc of justice. But i tell you i'm not even sure i believe. In the arc of justice. Anymore. After 35 years of community organizing a living wage from the ground-up have invented. And i sat there in that room. Honestly just trying to make it through another week and there were some of you in there with me so you know i do not exaggerate my reaction when he said that. I put my head down on the table. And started doing this that's right. And i said no in fact i cannot handle that right now and i think chris lad may have patted me on the back eventually i think that happened and i did in time to pick my head up off the table and at least convince talkin. I will say that i do believe. Has his bent over the last 50 years just ask people who marched in some of the first time like john lewis. I believe in progress. Not constant. I believe. In progress. And yet i know that this statement is born perhaps out of face as much as out of evidence. And yet jonathan's corrective is important. What he tells us. In that message. Is it the change we most during for we may not see in our lifetimes and yet the work must go on must be sustained from sources somehow even deeper than the arc of justice i continue to have such faith in. I sat there looking at him and i thought. 35 years in the trenches of change. And still. You cannot see the arc bending 35 years. And eventually i got around to asking him what it is that keeps him going what it is that kept him going all those years. And he told me. What it is. Is the l. That he helped to create. The relationships he's formed over a lifetime of labor the fact that those relationships themselves will continue to build leaders onward and onward in the days and the relationships that will impact people in the planet and each other in ways we cannot wholly imagine now. But the one thing he could point to. In 35 years. Go out come above all others that there are people who have been changed and that those people have the capacity to change others and that he said was enough. The issue and the information they sent out with time. As a result of all of our labors the arc of the moral universe may bend imperceptibly if at all but the unyielding and ever-present reality of the people who have been changed alongside us does not disappoint. And ultimately perhaps it is the only thing that truly. Truly persuade. I'm so why are we here. What's the point. Why bother. Because we are consecrated andre consecrated. Not by the purity of all our causes. Or even the immensity of the wrongs all around us. But by the fact that there are people in this world who can call us and say will you come with me. And to whom we cannot help. I say yes. People with trust enough to shape our behavior who can invite us to take our greatest risk. To make our bold choices not because we've been persuaded but because we actually trust them. I'm not circle of people must be expanded to include those whose experiences are different than my own. Different than your home. So the wii. The fault forms our cohort the people who are our people. We must build for each other a wider. Endeavour wider. We. Now i know it must be hard to tell from the newsletter in the website and the constant flood of announcements you get here. But there are those of us not necessarily me but those of us who have been pointing river road in this direction for a long time. Imagine our social justice ministry's the core values at the heart of the whole thing. Include the ideas that social justice should be inclusive. Grounded energizing and relational. Relational. Holding up the example of some of our very finest moments and movements of a congregation. Partnerships in el salvador the founding of beaconhouse a community after school program where we fell in love with those children we taught. And we gave to them not because we wanted to fix them but because we straight-up loved them. We just have them still. And we hold relationality is a core value of our social justice. Connected real relationship with those impacted by that issue or that caused led by those who have a real stake in the world. I'm so mark morrison recalled us together in birmingham. Preparing us to march across the edmund pettus bridge in selma he asked us simply how wide is your wii. Really. What is the cohort that influences your choices. Simply put. Who are you in relationship to. Because when the time comes for the selma of your day when the phone rings will you answer it and will you say yes. When the time comes will you have done the worm. People on the front line so that the prophets of our day will call us and we will show up. Not too curious sign. Order write a check. What to put ourselves on the line for friends whom we hold dear and when the time comes they may show up for us. It all has me thinking. Not only about who i love in this world. What about who i trust. Who i trust so much that i would let them go to me into action. So much that i would let them make me uncomfortable for the sake of staying in relationship so much that i would show up when they called. Who do you trust like that. And how wide is circle. Can you draw your trusted companions from. One of our newest river rotors. Kumite will. Quotes anonymously. Told me that the reason he's here. It's so that we. And particularly me. Can hold his feet. To the fire of his values. He trusts me that way. Which is an honor and a responsibility i can barely begin to fathom. Of course this only works if it's a two-way street. Values he has to inch closer to the flame as well. And so in this vision. A community like this one does not exist so that we can be in the company of like-minded people who will reinforce our pre-existing opinion. It exists so that we might collectively expand our cohorts not just inside these walls but outside of them. Such that there might be an ever larger and more expensive circle of relationship. And challenge. An imagination. As mark morrison read preached while i sat in my conference room seat and wept in birmingham. You. Can turn differences into dialogue. Confusion into understanding. Distance into, rotterdam. But you have to stop making excuses and engage. With whom are you in relationship. A relationship that would compel you to take risk. When someone is that close it no longer matters. In the context of relationship wrist become secondary when the other becomes your sister brother friend you will feel compelled to act and the wider your circle of friends the more often it will happen because you have expanded the boundaries of your heart. We act because we care. We act. Because we care. Right now in this place. We're invited in ways only you can imagine. To expand the circle of that care. The circle of challenge. The circle of real and abiding trust. Who are you in a relationship too. Who says to you. Come with me. And to whom are you willing to say without hesitation. I'll be there.

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3816.mp3

Test. Remind machination but it's kind of a strange morning. But all good. It's. Amy. Weseluck sing. Isle of iona cleopatre since last summer. And she and i work together at all so she and her wife danielle our members. Here now is just a joy to have you in the house sick. I woke up friday morning. Two strong memories that were competing for space. In my mind in my visual field. One was. A happy room of children. Parents and a leader. At the thursday night after school launch at south lake elementary school. There was a man and energy when i imagine that happy scene. And the other. The end of the tv show i saw only briefly once i got home that night. And it was the polar opposite. In that scene and i wish i hadn't sat down on the couch. For a second. There was violence there was fear. Or so. And so different that i observed again how our memory. Actively shaped our emotional state. How our memory affects our sense of well-being. The brain responds to images and then our bodies than our emotions. In our spirits. React as well. So the good news is that. Our minds are malleable and we can actually train them to focus yet it takes. Repetition. And each time i recalled the disturbing memory of the tv scene i'm just too impressionable. I actively replaced it. But the memory of the aim action. Not surprisingly this had to happen a number of times to take route. This is a core practice idea in mindfulness. The power of attention. Can cultivate a sense of well-being. Memory can be central to this feeling of safety. Especially when it's linked. Computing. To happiness. It's so we can learn actually learn to maintain a kind of calm in spite of the disturbance that flows across memory. And even with the destabilizing waves. Go by emotions. Maybe remember being at the eye doctor i think they still do this. Given a visual choice. Round glass and metal pieces click down in front of you and then they say which is clear. Number one. Barbie number 2. Number one. Review number two. I think life. More like that than we sometimes realize our brains are simply looking for a focal point. And the images. That we choose. Have great power. Starkly different images are vying for attention and chosen focus creed's of you. Like the lens popping down. The scenes are not fixed. Elections direct how we think. Musical. Is a song called wanting memories it's about this process. The singers remember. That a person who is now-departed help. Their world towards beauty. In grief. They recalled his teaching that was grounding for them. The foundation. That can come from being connected. To a person. That we love. Goodness. They asked that memories would teach them again through their own vision of the world. To become the lens that they choose. Invite you to listen to our musical text now wanting memories. And imagine someone that you miss. Remember how you spell the first sharp absence after a death or departure. And then recall how the person's presence comes back to you in images. Words. Memories. And then ask. What lessons did they teach you. What connection. Still lives in you. Through them. You might as the song say. Imagine the cradle of their arms creating comfort and consolation. And let the beauty of their world be seen. Through your own eyes. Pregestimil.

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2176.mp3

Our story this morning. The people arrive. After they've wondered in the desert. For so very very long. Emerging from the sands and the hunger and the uncertainty. And they walk into what they understand to be the land of their dreams. They have it you see third-hand. From the mouth of the holy 12 moses and for moses to joshua that this land. Land. Will be flowing with milk and which honey it will be full of abundance beyond their very imagining. And they're imagining. Turned into expectation. And their expectations turned into disappointment. Ending time. And only with time. Disappointment turned into gratitude. Several steps. For the people to get to gratitude in this story they eventually got there but in a roundabout way. It took. Several steps. Eventually their barren skinny goat start to give milk again in the sunset lit up the sky like honey from heaven. And like the people. In the story. It often takes us several steps. To get. From desert x to gratitude. Iruvar on blessings third-hand mere rumors of wonders for a time. Until we accept. We ourselves have eyes to see and ears to hear until we accept the wonders of this non idealized dirty beautiful life. It has been given us. It takes me several steps. Always. And not because i am particularly dense so i might be. But because the desire to create and then to demand and ideal is so much at work in my own soul. The question becomes. For what are we prepared to be grateful. For the realization of our incredibly high expectations. Believe we are entitled to for the shouting from the rooftops of our own good news so their perfection we think our lives could be an afterlife paved with gold or forgiveness so encompassing that we shall glow without ceasing with its power. From this day. On into that good night. Or we prepared to be grateful right here. Right now. For what is. For the unending miracle of our own participation in the family of things. Which is always been miracle enough. For what we received from the universe that is ever-expanding and the literal and metaphorical reality that the warmth generated in our days upon this earth lives on long after we are gone. The bungled attempt at wholeness that we can achieve. For the brown and muddy river. Not made of milk but of earth. And of elements. And if sediment. And if stone. For even our failures. And for some of our heartbreak. Which can in time point round. To our greatest gifts. For these days. Are we prepared. Today. To be abundantly grateful. A moment of. Theological importance in my own life hinges on this very question. For what. In this moment are we prepared to be grateful including those footsteps which our plans and make them something. In this moment in our lives for what is my life and my prepared to be grateful it's a question that actually had a huge part. Tearing universalism in it has a hand in what keeps me here. I'm by no means a person who allows myself a tawdry sense of superiority that comes along with bashing other faith traditions. So when i tell this little piece of my story which includes a part of why i left the catholic church hold it with that gentleness. And that knowledge that it's not about how wrong where i came from was but the fact that where i stand feels holy to me. And i'd everything to do with why i'm here why we are gathered. One of the last conversations i had with a mentor and a leader in the catholic church in which i grew up with around this very issue. I was 19 years old or so and i was sitting with the novice mistress of a dominican mother house in which i was spending some time doing discernment about what the rest of my life was going to look like. It was a place that felt safe. Beautiful to me. It was space to think it was time to pray and the rhythms of it all nurtured and introspection in me. That is difficult to come by in the world outside of sacred walls. Out of that intersection. I had what felt to me at the time like a revelation of sorts. A dawning of some essential truth that i had to share with eager to share which is why i was sitting across from the novice mistress in this beautiful wood-paneled room smelling of mahogany and candle wax all of fire with delights ready to reveal this big thing. But i've come to know about myself that shirley. Surely she would understand. And i told her my big old teenagers revelation. But in my time in that safe place. I have come to know. That this life is truly blessed and i was blessed to be living at that every single moment that led up to that one was in some way holy even the hardest ones even for that that for which i had spent years repenting and believing i needed to repent i told her i was grateful for my failure. Grateful for my shortcomings for the things i said and did that i cannot take back or talk away even those i told her or holy and i didn't need to repent my imperfection because all of it. Every decision and every sorrow made me me and gave me the chance to love myself in the world again. How was fine even if i never got it right i told her i was fine and i thought i had turned in that moment with such excitement at long last from the state of sorrow at my own soul and the world to a state of gratitude and i told her all of this. And after that concern. Is she told me i was wrong. She told me i needed to stop hanging out with radical jesuits from el salvador and i needed to refocus on the primary spiritual goal that she had her self-assigned me which was not insignificantly humility and that was the last conversation i ever had with her i waltzed into a u u congregation a couple of months later. Greeted by a preacher with a graying ponytail talking about buddhism. And as i've said before the pagan group but that congregation took me to red lobster for cheddar biscuits on my first sunday as that was that this is what's important in her even before the fall of adam and eve there was a garden of paradise before shame and failure where there was no and there was only abundance. The central value of her faith. At least in that moment when she spoke to me. We continued repentance and humility. For the fact that this world is not that one. For as long as we missed the mark. Glory. As long as we live in a place where the rivers and our souls are sometimes dirty in the mountains are made of stone we are not in the promised land and stopping to marvel for too long amid all this imperfection was to her. Unseemly. As long as what remains of us is merely heat and light and love we are missing the miracle she believed. And i was coming to see that the miracle wasn't waiting. Wasn't facts right there. And then i was apart of it. The corner of her theology in that moment. With sorrow. For the state of our own being. And the state of this world. Not gratitude but sorrow. Mired in our brokenness and not seeing its blessing and that is a theological statement not unique to catholics or novice mistresses or jewish grandmother's or any other subset of the human population. My colleague. Daylon gingrich has done a lot of writing about gratitude. And he says that gratitude ought to be at the very core of who we are. If people with progressive religion. In his words gratitude should be the defining element of our unitarian-universalist face as judaism is defined by the by obedience christianity by love and islam by sacred submission we should be guided forward by gratitude. Because he says. We perhaps uniquely in the religious world are well-suited to see how deeply embedded we are. Everything that came before us. And how much we owe to the entire universe for the very fact of our existence. Not just god we have to thank. But our ancestors in the plants and the trees that said them in the sun that shone upon them in the air they breathe and the whole beautiful holy mess that collapses. To make all the things we know. In this world. He says of our face that it requires of us a discipline of gratitude constantly acknowledging our utter dependence. Upon the sources that make life possible. And demands an ethic of gratitude. Looking for a future in which all relationships among humans. As well as between humans and the physical world are fair. Unconstructive. Inharmonious. An ethic of gratitude tells us that if you are grateful for something you cannot discount it. You cannot discount it you cannot destroy it. That's in our theological framework we are creators of the future and we are created by the entire system of which we are apart. There is no thing. Not even the tiniest molecule with a slightest breeze or the generated heat from your body the encircling impact of which you can never take back. That is insignificant. There's no element of creation that is not worthy of some measure of praise since it brings into being every precious moment of our lives. In the lives of those we love. Is the matter i think of first thing. Starting points. Do we begin with our dissatisfaction for all that we are not. For all that this world is not. Or do we begin with gratitude for what is and what great capacity we have. Within it. There's a sort of cheesy. That wonderful story that i could not convince myself not to tell this morning. Blind man who sits on the corner. Panhandling with a rather predictably worded sign. The sign reads i am blind please help. He's not bringing it very much money at all until click click click he hears the clock of heels coming up in front of him and a woman stops and she asked if she could change the message on a sign. The guy says sure and she changes the wording of that message before she walks away upon whatever errand had occupied her attention in the first place. Meanwhile dairy fish. Place on the same day not much at all his chance but suddenly the cash is pouring in you know there are dollars were once there were dive their five-drawer once there were one and maybe somebody threw a 50 in there i don't know. And the only thing that was different was the message on his sign. What you changed on this particular day. From i am blind please help. 2. Today is a beautiful day. And i can't see. The matter of first thing. Do we start with the beauty that is or the burdens that keep us from some imagined ideal. Do we begin with wonder for this natural world or do we spend our days wishing for eating. Do we pray the blessing before us. Or your nun remitted lee for the blessings will never know. There's a poem by tony hoagland just called. A blessing. And there is a poem which i will not say. Because i'm too classy for that. But i will invite you as you for willing and able and comfortable to fill in empty space with. Whatever. The poem by tony hoagland begin. There may be no angel's guiding us towards light. There may be no higher power arranging scholarships or parking places that suddenly appear in front of the theater where your play is triumph. But then again. Who is my neighbor. Mrs. susan north. With her aluminum walker. And her oxygen mask. Who takes her dog out twice a day. And wears a plastic baggie over her left hand. To pick up. So all the other living people won't have. Wonder still. The world shall witness. Like mrs. susan north. Like the silt laid in rivers. Bring life. Like a conservation of matter and of energy and the fact that not even our greatest failures are irredeemable. Wonder still. This world shall witness. And before such everyday glory. What need have we. Of an imaginary eden.

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3959.mp3

I know that january 1st is the time of year when the gyms charge special reduce rates for all those resolutions setters. And our broader secular culture goes out with the old and in with the new. I've always found that the high holy days of the jewish calendar and the jewish new year of rosh hashanah approaching in the early fall is closer to the real new years of rhythm of my days. After all my life like some of yours is not dictated by the calendar year but by the school year and at least in my case the church here. When those who have gone far afield come back. And summer is done in soccer practice starts. And so this time of year. Around rosh hashanah is the time when i set my resolution. And this year i am telling myself a few things in this season of new beginnings i'm telling myself first of all that i am actually going to start blow-drying my hair in the morning and maybe even wearing makeup. It hasn't happened yet. But i have one week until we go back to two services and maybe i could procure concealer by then. That's the plan. It's the new year. And that's not my only resolution thankfully. More importantly. I'm committed that i will never ever. Not once. Walk in my office back there on the other side of the building. And start a single bit of my day's work before i have. Prayed. And not just prayed for myself. I don't think prayer is magic. Focused intention. I do think the pointing of our energy in a direction that makes us more whole and so i am committed at this time of new beginnings but i will never open my email inbox until i have prayed for all of you until i have prayed for those with whom my relationships are a bit rocky and i have prayed that i might step up to whatever challenge but with gentleness and grace. And persistence. Are my new year's resolutions. The blow dry my hair sometime then to never begin the work until i have prayed. And i can tell you which one i will actually keep. Part of who i want to be one of them returns me to up my true or kinder more fundamentally decent self breaking away the rock that might have accumulated on my heart with a gentle and persistent power of intentionality of hope of community. For you and for everyone who intersect my path in life. The other other resolution at best will just make me look. A little less blotchy. This process. Resolution setting that we do this time of year. It's an effort to castaway behaviors and norms and barriers that keep us from being whole. It's an effort to make a new choice. Surrender some piece of our story some hard thing that has held us back into something that will become a new lesson. The claim that we have the ability to cast away stones to let them go into something larger more powerful than even our own clinging insistence that we must not change. On rosh hashanah there is a widely practiced ritual called taliq that literally means to castaway. It means to talk outward that which must be done with if we are to choose new pads for our lives. And on or near rosh hashanah the turning of the new year the people gather near bodies of water preferably bodies of moving water with lee russian currency. Living moving water and they cast crumbs of bread. Into the waves. The people do this to castaway their sins the castaway their fears they tossed upon the waters their brokenness and they toss it not into some fire or towards some tabernacle or upon an altar by a tree but into the living water of the earth because that living water is a symbol of just how powerful and how persistent and healing change can be. The water so soft and yielding. Jetso inexorably mighty. It takes all that which we have to pawn it and it carries it away into some universal depth we could never reach on our own. As the dow says nothing in the world is as soft and yielding as water. Yep for dissolving the hard and inflexible even the hard and inflexible sediment about our hearts nothing can surpass it. The song stover comes the hard the gentle overcomes the rigid. Everyone knows this is true. But few can put it into practice. You can try. Choose all your strength and all your guts and all your ferocity to break a stone apart. You can try to bust into pieces with some great big hammer of the soul you can try to demand that the world and you yourself change and all the ways you were called to change. But somehow. Somehow beneath all that fierceness there is a powerful gentleness that has more capacity to create the change than ever our insistence could. And so we cast the crumbs of the stones are the boulder of our fear and our failure. Into the waters of ancient streams in oceans. We let go of the hard and unyielding surfaces of our anger and let something simultaneously soft and powerful take it. And pull it in actually away. And so we begin our congregational year with this ritual of water communion. In which we mingle these drops we have brought these elements. Once brought together cannot be separated again. And perhaps we also mingle waters. Because we too want to be a part of something gentle and mighty. A force capable of carving canyons out of rock. Possibility from impossibility. And to do this not just through some mighty cataclysm but one single. Small drop at a time. Combined 10000 fold into a gentleness that breaks down all rigidity. There are rituals this time of year. The casting away of crumbs the setting of resolutions the gathering of the waters. Let there be for us healing in these rituals. Sure knowledge that we do not always have to fight our way through life but submit sometimes. Strength of the current that moved in us. And beyond death. In the words of tyler knott gregson. I think i am water. And i think i always have been. I go my own way and somehow without knowing how find my way through all the cracks and crevices the grooves in the hole-in-the-rock. Form around my fragile heart. For all the rocks formed around our fragile hearts. But the gentle and persistent waters of love and devotion that wear them down. And carry them away. For another year full of hope. And full of possibility. We are grateful. What gifts we bring. What journeys we have had. What hope have carried us through the summer and into this waiting moment of new possibilities. The water we mingle is a symbol not just of where we've been but of what we bring. What holds us up. What strength beyond our own small cells is there to carry into hold our burdens. And what strength is uniquely ours to share. From the oceans of the world. From the rivers of the world. From the lakes of the world. From the springs and streams whose waters renew the lakes the rivers and the oceans from the rain and the snow these waters come. To quench the thirst of all living things. Enter carve mighty canyons from the rock. From the tears of joy and sorrow we have shed we bring the living waters of our lives. Let us share them with hope. In celebration. Braided are tremendous blessing to be together. And now i invite you the music place to come forward. Mingle your waters into those. This community.

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1992.mp3

Are we scared to be alone. I'm constantly surrounded by people. It's no longer trendy to deeply connect. At this point. Relationship. Are about status. Having a large quantity of friends. Outrank having a few quality ones. I believe this is all afraid. To be alone. School doesn't really matter who you're talking to is popular. It just matters that you're talking to someone. And it's not your mom. Publix. It seems to me that the biggest faux pas in high school is being alone. Alone and not having anyone to text. Aura facebook. Update to check. If someone doesn't have friends. Why would you want to be friends. Time i noticed that kids will try to overcompensate. How would you present yourself as someone to get to know. Wow. You want to hang out in groups. Text friends will hang out with other friends. Married on facebook. Surrounded by friends in your profile pictures. I find that it's all about creating a mirage that you're wanted and needed in your community. Sometimes i look around and notice that everybody's head is down. I'll be hanging out with friends in individually will be on their cell phone. Texting friends in twitter or facebook. I don't get it. I don't have twitter. I'd much rather talk to someone on the phone. Black sheep of my generation. Which makes me lonely. Phone to answer texts. Or worse start checking social media while we're hanging out. It makes me feel inadequate. I know. Living in a world where kids are always searching for the coolest or funniest person. I find it difficult to say fulfilled and secure within relationship. I struggle to connect with someone. They only want to give me a faction third tension. So that they can balance their large quantity. A friend. How do i connect with someone that's only giving me a fraction of their attention. Everyone has their own media arena. I'm following certain people on twitter. To watch tv shows. People my age have encapsulated themselves. In their own personal digital worlds. With everyone's heads up in the digital cloud. I feel lonely being back on her.

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2256.mp3

I grew up in a family that broke people. At least it broke kids. My father believed that which didn't kill you only made you stronger. I'm so confused but it at the bible saying or a military slogan. In the military. Where do you go to basic training or david to canada school. Or to one of the service academies it's the instructor's job to break you down and then build you back up in the molded fits the service it seems crazy i think it's still protective today. Daddy thought it was the way to raise children to he was wrong. Daddy was the highest-ranking. Colonel in the air force. He was a captain for one month in world war ii. Promoted to major. Army air corps bomber pilot in north africa where one-third of the planes were shot down every time they went out. He got mad about the losses. Insisted on coming back. Greenville north carolina south carolina. And the runs like school. He told the command that he could train new pilots to survive longer with their planes. But don't get in my way. They gave him the command. It is a tradition in military family life to ask too much of the entire family. Daddy had lots of military responsibilities and mom had those two. A family of six children at home they just sort of leaned on me the oldest girl. To do whatever needed doing without any excuses or jasmine. To stand with my father in public if my mother could not be available. And to stand in for my parents at home when they couldn't be there. But my relationship changed dramatically when i was in second grade. I don't remember my infraction but i did have a co-conspirator my younger sister. It was one of those wait until your dad gets home. It meant that he was going to come home and have to do the whippings. I can't imagine what it would be like. To be that parent. But that's what he believed was right. That's what he did. Come in take off that web belt of his little metal rattle in it and hid away on our bare legs. This time. I was seven. And i decided that i was done with that. For my sister and myself. The band the deep. Stupid injustice of it. My sister got a few whacks and was screaming bloody murder and then sent from the room. I hated seeing her cry seeing him hit her. I drew up inside of myself. I am never going to pray again in front of daddy i'm not. It was not a well-chosen resistance method daddy gave me a few wallops and i did not cry or yell. I just gritted my teeth. He walloped some more. My teeth hurt as my jaw and face tightened. My sister was alarmed. At some risk to herself she peeked around the doorway. Nsaid. Crying just crying. I looked over at her through those isaac pictures though i did not want them. No. More. I was supposed to feel punished punished. Scream and holler. I really don't remember much more. Just that it ended. And then daddy never touched me again. Not in anger. Not. That life just about broke me. But i found a lifeline. When i was in sixth grade mrs. ruin ski and officer's wife. Started a bible study class. I don't remember what got me started at that class at her home on wednesday night. But i joined about six other kids and kept going for 4 years. Small thin woman with a quiet manner. A good sense of logic and clarity. In her living room we did not ask what would jesus do. But we did ask. How could i be a better person. He calmly answered questions and helps us find thoughtful bible passages to take us deeper. It was a remarkably trusting glue. We talked about how we had acted. And what we might have done or thought. Do it been a better person. I don't remember being in there by any other persons than myself. In the process i was with kids from all kinds of family. Some words harsh. Ed vine it somewhere lots nicer. Grand willard at their options and that we can treat each other kindly and still turn out okay. Again. We felt valued listening and being listened to. We connected with each other there and this is rowan skis home. Larger proof. Very confusing. And some. We apparently gave me hope. I think that's how i came to build a more complex sense of right and wrong. Daddy died at our home in idaho. On a saturday morning in the fall. Just after 9/11. National guard was scheduled to fly over there military helicopters over the boise state stadium for the football game. That morning. The pilot change their plans. Blue out over our house. Over the stadium in the missing man formation. We later learned that one how many learned that daddy had died. Family table. All six heads. With the pastor the plan daddy service. Pastor john asked us for particular remembrances. As my brothers and sisters offered the best face of daddy the pastor gathered up ideas. Well then. I will tell how the colonel always put his family first. No just weld up out of me. Daddy sacrifice his family do everything he thought was important. He was a great man too many but he was not there for his wife nor his children. We were supposed to be there for him. No one said a word. Pastor john look steadily at me and then quietly said. Okay. Not a family man. It was a well-attended service with great speeches. At the graveside i thanked the honor guard. No ma'am. Your father. When a soldier is killed isn't he didn't he make it so that the newspaper wouldn't print his name. Until the family had been notified. We look steadily at each other for a moment. It is. Honored to be here.

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2350.mp3

River road. Someone passed me in the hall upstairs before the services said it's inauguration day and i was here last week. It is kind of different when you're preaching for the first time as a hired person. For the next couple years at least and i want to say again thank you for the beautiful welcome that i received the last 2 weeks i appreciate it very much. Start with some. Words by albert einstein. That you may have heard i knew the first part but i never seen the second. Have. The most beautiful. We can experience. Is the mysterious. Any source of all true art. And all science. To whom this emotion is a stranger. Who can no longer pause to wonder. Handstand rap. In all. Is as good as dead. His eyes are closed. We would add her eyes are closed. If we cannot say. So on friday of this week. It was my privilege. To talk about the universe. With the mother of the hubble river road congregate doctor nancy grace roman and i'm going to outer she's back there under the eave i don't know if she's hanging back there cuz she knows i'm going to talk about her butt. She was chief of astronomy at nasa in the 1960s when the idea arose to send a very large telescope out into the universe. Beyond what she described to me as the disturbance and the colors of our own atmosphere. Until in 1965 dr. roman nancy grace. A group of scientists together. Figure out how to best design this exciting project. And so she thought we're going to build it it might as well work and she convened the group. The hubble telescope with bill. To study velocity and distance in the expanding universe which was hubble's idea that. Blastoise. Velocity increase with distance. Take pictures. And that proves to be very interesting from a pr. Point of view. They were both for research and for the general public and what happened was. These dazzling public photos became beloved. And we've been enjoying them for decades. Nancy grace has two beautiful hubble pictures in her own home. The end of our talk. 1 shows new star. That are protecting columns of space dust. From evaporating. That is about as much as i got from her explanation she said a lot more and i kept calling it something else but anyway the pictures called pillars of creation and there's something about new stars that keeps things from evaporating right beneath it so we see the huge columns i hope that was right. The other photo is of an ancient star that's losing density and mass apparently happens when you age as a star and so is throwing off material and a very wide and radiant to wing shape. Call the butterfly. I call it the butterfly because i see it a different way most likely and the same way. Birds and death. Beginning and ending. Processes that affect star and all creatures. The cycles of life. Also on our global mother earth. As well as india. I kind of blows my mind. I asked nancy grace thought of the albert einstein quote the most beautiful thing we can experience. Is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. Never had the chance to ask a famous scientist what they thought of that. Agree with einstein. Viewing space. With the odds of hearing beautiful classical music. Or seen a lovely painting. Turned out that this extremely accomplished scientists still enjoys stargazing. Simply taking in the mystery of the night sky. Doing that since childhood even before her very focused decision in the seventh grade to become an astronomer. Nancy grace. Grace ramen. A clear dark. Sky. Where she can just lay down and look at the painting of the stars. For just awhile. And she said that she sets aside the scientific research eyes and just enjoys the radiance. Depreciation and all. The astronauts once voted on their own 10 favorite hubble pictures. And number one was the sombra at all nebula. It looks like a giant sombrero. It's also known less poetically as the m-104 galaxy. It has 800 billion suns. 28 million light years away. I had to look up light-year again to remind myself. Light years are measured in distance. It's the link that light travels in 365 days. Approximately. 5.88 trillion miles. Or as a second dictionary definition. Informal usage. A long way. So where am i going with all this. We have light-years to go or a very long way many situations many issues choices over a lifetime. Maintain momentum. Replenish energy over decades. So how do we take the wide view the longview. And keep going. Levin forest church offers a clue saying this. Halfway inside. Between the cosmos. And the smallest particle of creation. We exist in a kind of equipoise a kind of balance. Our dna. As amazing as a number of our personal stars. A definition for equipoise is. Something that creates a balanced space. Usually by counterbalancing. Some other forester thing. The paradoxically we maintained at the poison in challenging situation public or private. By looking in the opposite direction. This is counterintuitive at time sometimes the more important we think it is sommore. We never stop staring. But we can counterbalance our most fervent passion about the hot-button issues our lives. With some old-fashioned stargazing. Our moment of cooling rest. This happens in our lives. Sometimes illness. Our grief. On accident. Brings us here. To this moment. When we stop. Are sometimes we just desire to breed a little more deeply and rass. And we take a timeout. A sabbatical. Maternity leave. Away from the desk. That word poised that's embedded in equipoise. Hovering. Or being in suspension which reminded me of like the hovercraft that you see. Hovering in poise is a graceful controlled way of performing an action. So if we have her in this way. We might achieve graceful pause now and then. Grace in your life might come. You learn to ballroom dance. I heard about that from a senior this week. Define love. Did you ever notice how your to-do list just drops away. When you fall in love. Decide to meditate and get a little spaces nest. Maybe you getting new kittens. I'll take your focus. Are you might just watch the stars. How do we find that grace we all need to hover. D'isis pandas forward forward forward velocity. To recharge the batteries for the next run. Sounds like we have a hovercraft outside right as we speak. Looking at another directions is actually the key to restoring energy. But his long-term issues his long-term situations. We all know. The very intense. Sometimes unpleasant folks. Who have burnout overtime perhaps we've each been there. Now and then i know i have. I know my spouse would have passed to that. Too much action. Too long staring into these fires of a kind of self-centered excitement and passion. Or anger. Agree for resentment. The truth is there are very few causes that are going to benefit from our complete. Obsession. Effectiveness a clarity that doesn't wenzel write down. When we get burned up. In the comet. Have our own action. My current view on this. Arises from the rather startling vantage point. Middle-aged. Did start a while ago i don't know you out 4849 the aarp start sending you things how do they know. I do know the answer that after two decades of ministry now i'm on kind of a wide-angle plateau. I most likely more than halfway through my life. I've worked collectively on social justice in chicago and boston and new york and dc. I probably organized several hundred events and actions. And by now i know that we rarely win in one campaign. I know that health issues can last a lifetime. I know that work and family life can take surprising and unexpected twists and turns. Turning 56 years ago. I've come through to serious health crisis of my own. And i'm glad to be standing. I completed my longest ministry at all souls. You're carrying d.c.. I got certified in costa rica on sabbatical as a yoga teacher. I work the number of congregation sees last 18 months as a freelance minister. And so as i begin this two-year interim here at river road. I'm excited about a more settled chapter i've been kind of a rover. For a couple years my life has been in transition and transformation. It feels good. Since 1988. Absurd hundreds of people as a minister. As a community organizer. I've heard many stories of triumph and grief. If worried. Of wonder. The hard truth. No matter how many great move through plan. Over. How many years. No matter how many victories will achieve over decades. The moment. Individual passing. Come. In an instant. As a ministry pastoral care i have been there. Many times should i instant and you may have been with someone else as well. In life crafts. Forest church reminds us this way. That's the way jess works. We hit a trapdoor. It opens. And we fall. We may fall for a minute. A month or a year but once the trap door springs. There's nothing we can do. And even more sadly nothing. Will change all the minutes hours days weeks months and years that slip by. Unconsciously. Before we fell. This is a start quotes. I find this realization frame. Not frightening i actually find it liberating. The time we spend observing nature is as important. A strategic political action. The time. With precious loved ones over good food. Is actually as urgent. As social justice. Hiking lovely mountains or seeing great plays making beautiful music or raising a child. Satisfy. In a lifetime as any moment of cultural or political transformation. Movie take this perspective of light-years. A very long way. The longview. All of our choices matter. And therefore we have to remember. The stare out at the stars. The ark. Towards justice can be very very long indeed. And therefore we had surrendered sure ourselves. Each other for the duration. Imagine. The mother. Of the hubble telescope. And still loving to spread a blanket down on the earth. Just are up in wonder at the clear night sky. That is wisdom. What really matters and living. At the end of the day. It's not the past it's not the emails. It's not the to do list. No one in their life ever wish they had done more of that. Eventually passed away from his living publicly. And he had identified what was truly valuable. What mattered most to him. What matters most to me. Is showing up. Being completely present. For the ones you love. At home. For your children and the community. And your work for justice. And if we take the long view we know that a new earth cycle. Will begin. Anna different. Season will come. And many possibilities for transformation still remain. Athame you find faster. For the long haul. May you find. The paws. The hover. In a bit. Of counter-balance. Maybe stuff for each of us. Enjoying now.

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3530.mp3

I'd like to start by. Sharing with you an interesting development. Control and letting go. Shockingly apropos occurrence. I have no sermon today it's not that i didn't write once i did it's not that i didn't send it to myself here to print i did it's not that i didn't attach it i swear i did. But it's not there and no one answers at home and so i let go the sermon that i wrote something a propel and i pray that it is enough. Wendell berry quote for the opening this morning cuz i love that line. It is extravagance we shape. The strenuous outline. Kavanaugh. That we start strenuous was a curious choice of words is outlining of enough. You paint the picture of waves after waves after waves of extravagance of life coming at you. Of course sometimes it doesn't feel that extravagant or abundant it just feels like the tsunami. We live in a world which is. Over-connected over-stimulated is no longer news. Disability. To discern when we are stacy ated. Our plate is overflowing and actually do something about it. Maybe the single most important skill for living a life of contentment. If we can't even. Figure out what it is it's coming at us it's hard to know if we want it. If we'd like to engage it or if we're even happen. Ifixit. Facebook has been working on me since the summer actually a life of being having and doing enough. I got it when i was. With pneumonia in august. Frustrated. At the limits of energy about the tall of illness. Mad that antibiotics weren't working. Just thinking about what i wanted to do what i wanted to be accomplishing. And recognizing the limits of my control. And it's trying to read this book then thinking about preaching it later. Was taken by his metaphor of. How many eggs can you hold. He says when we are children begin to find and collect the eggs. The people the ideas the dreams that we would like to hold in our hands. Appoint. Our capacity to safely hold on to any more eggs stops growing with us. The challenges that. We either fail to notice. The capacity. Has ended. We are at our limit or just operate as if there were none. What do points towards is. The brokenness that comes when the eggs start to fly off your plate. For the most part that brokenness shows up. Relationship. Oftentimes people that are most dear to us. We would like to create. That we would like to nurture. We see the frame. Limits. And so poinsettias towards. Only picking up newegg's if we can carefully take at least one from the existing pile and gently putting it. We do not like this. Putting down the edge. Speaking for myself i do not like this often days the limits of control. The email. A with no attachments. Inability to get home to resend. Apparel really of what we thought we knew and what we have actually discovered. Heroin. I think life can be like that. It's difficult to face. What stops us. What is fraying us what is wearing us down. But if we never look. We can't do anything about it. In the strenuous outline of. Enough. We are asked to make choices about how we spend our time. And we do have a creative design power. That lies within us. We have the ability to see. To do an accounting. To discern. And to respond. Letting go and accepting these physics of human life. One of those. Learning aspects of this existence. It's not for the faint of heart. One of the privileges of ministry is to do memorial services to do. The celebration of life. And nancy and i were fortunate yesterday to be with the family of. Nancy meyer and some of you. Person after person gave a testimony. Of what her exuberance. Her love. Her attention meant to them. No one stud. And said. And she answered every email. It's hard to remember we're in the middle of the inbox. But at the end of our days it is our attention it is our love it is what we offered to those in our beloved communities that matter most. We have a chance to decide what is important in our lives. We have a chance to discern our own limits. That things start to fall. Precious things break. That can wake us up. And in that moment. We choose. What are the things. To which we will put our attention where will we offer our energy. And if our energy has depleted. Howell we restore. Inevitable physics of human life. We find. I felt up against illness. The variability of others. The cork's of technology. All of the things that shaped the lives that we must. Deal with. Until we decide. That we will take account. That we will choose. Where and how much and how many. We will go along in this tsunami. As if we had no control. Point we stopped growing. Wayne miller says in our capacity to safely hold on to any more eggs steps growing with us. Different people have different sized hands. And some can hold more or less than others. But each of us. Hazaron finite limit. Beyond wit. If we take on even just one more. Things will start to fall. And whatever precious things we are carrying will inevitably begin to break. Once we have reached this moment of fullness of satiation of enough. We can only pick up a newegg. If we carefully take at least one from the existing tile in our hands and gently put it down. We must let something go. This is no judgement. About our ability. Are skillfulness. Or power. It is simply the inevitable physics. Love human life. Larry eat find that strenuous outline of enough. Verilife. Verifying the places. That we wish to nurture and give them our full attention. And energy. Maybe roll. What's what is. Here we accept the realities of life. And still keep our power of creative design. Maybe so. May this be. The sermon for today.

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1247.mp3

In 2000. I had the extraordinary opportunity to attend to comanche powwow. In southwestern oklahoma. Mysimon. For the texas state history museum was the interview and photograph the descendants of the great comanche chief quanah parker. Parker had originally fought the white invaders from the east. But sensing that resistance was futile cheap parker forged to deal with the military leaders. Us presidents. Effort to preserve. The comanche cultural identity. Tragically. The comanche children were separated. From their families. Forced to attend white schools. As part of an unrelenting campaign of assimilation into the prevailing white society. I left the interview shaking my head that touched the wrong could be visited upon a people so long ago. Deprived children of their cultural birthright. Whitewash ignorance of their language. Their history. And their potential. 10 years ago. Just a few weeks ago. I went to a different museum. Not in texas. But in our nation's capital. This time i was tagging along with the river road youth group to see the race exhibit at the smithsonian natural history museum. Tapestry of faith class in rachel huertas and now i wanted to see the race exhibit i thought it was something i should do as part of my opinion as a liberal open person who is racewear. Along with the uua class left me humbled has to how little i still do understand about this complicated issue of race. They came home to me that a century later it wasn't just the comanche children who have been deprived of an essential education. But all of us. Racism issue in our society has played a huge role in shaping who we are today as a nation or community and even a congregation. And the injustice is it perpetrated has left huge wounds. In many and affects you something's we make. And the way we evaluate people based solely on their parents. Experience the other side of racial sanctions and evaluations in my professional life a few years ago when i applied for a permanent job at the world bank. I started there at the consultant 2002 and felt fortunate to be in such a rich multicultural environment. I thought people from all corners and countries of the world interacting on a daily basis. But finding permanent work in this unique environment being experienced something i never had before. Discrimination for who i was. And the color of my skin. It was a full-time position available in my area and i applied. I thought i was a strong candidate with my skillset and expertise. My boss was very sharp and astute at jamaican woman with a human resources background. Open point she came to me and said. Confidentially. The world bank has certain hiring requirements diversity goals. An international harvey korman. As a white male and us citizen. You will never be hired here. I just need to tell you this so you're wearing can make plans. For yourself. But you said those words. I was stunned in her. I never been exposed to a situation like this. It made me feel marginalized on me even on this small-scale. What it must be like for many seeking opportunities and having their race. Gender. Religion. Or something about their personal life out against them. Unlike many. I got to experience a different outcome i did get this job. But it was an eye-opening experience and on reflection. I realize. Try to. Made assumptions about people based on appearances. Growing up in a totally white and primarily protestant small town in pennsylvania. Certainly presenting me with a prospective the world that look with suspicion on any who were. Not like that or not like us. It wasn't learn certain behaviors and made assumptions and about people based on race and religion. Characterizations from the us media the fifties and sixties also contributed to my education. I would so ill-prepared for the diverse community i found a college to-the-point rising even know how to have a conversation with anyone who was. Not like me. In the tapestry of faith course i learned a phrase that help me gain an understanding of what i had been deprived of. Not unlike the comanche children even 100 years earlier i had been. Educated into ignorance. My ancestors thought about the world around me and the people that inhabit it is. Despite the opportunities of a white male from a solid middle-class upbringing with a good education. I have been taught by my community and my country. That not all persons were worthy of my respect. As much as saying those words horrify me. I've had to come to terms not only with my white privilege but also my wife guilt my shame for the injustice is of our country and its early days. And what it now on its worst days perpetuates by marginalizing and separating those who look in our different then. Then who me. And my northern european and anglo-saxon ancestry. Or just anyone who is. Not like us in appearance religion. Politics. And so i live every day with that education into ignorance and my desire to transcended to re-educate myself. Important distinction has been not just seeing race as a societal problem i need to address in order to help others. But you realize that it is interval. To who i am. I made some progress but need to do more to become the person. I want to be. Part of that in the first to use guiding principles resonate strongly with me. As you know. These are too firm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person. With justice equity and compassion in human relations. I know he's not just as principals but as daily personal goals. As we move forward during this period of transition in this congregation. Which is far less reflective of our community. And we would like. We could remember these principles interactions with each other. And our guests. To this house.

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1779.mp3

With the dancer. Choreographer. A composer. And the writer. Is the fastest most direct route. To the truth. Some big truths it belongs to everybody. Get down in personal time. What's happening in me right now kind of truth. We danced to reclaim our brilliant ability to disappear and something bigger something safe. A space without a critic. Or judge. Or an analyst. We dance to fall in love with the spirit of all things. Memory or transform it into moves that nobody else can make. Because they didn't live it. We danced to hook up to the true genius. Lurking behind all the bs. To seek refuge in our originality. And our power to reinvent ourselves. To shed the past. Forget the future. And fall into the future. First. I think we all have an old piece of clothing that is impossible to throw away. An item that has been sick and thin. An item that you can trust. An item that carries a truly important part of you. Maybe two or three parts. It could be an old corn sweatshirt or a grimy pair of jeans or. Maybe even a tuxedo or a pair of yellow socks. You know you have such an item. Go ahead. Bring it to your mind's eye. Go ahead. Smile that smile. Now. Let me tell you about mine. Pair of black. Leather. Capezio. You can fold one of those shoes in half the leather is so supple. And the song is so sad you can practically feel the grain of the dance floor while you dance. About to be clear i am not a real dancer. I've never had lessons. Taking classes. Seriously. But i can do a mean waltz. Impassable versions of several scandinavian folk dances. Where the man and woman turns steadily around each other. Glorious fiddle tune. The man with his left hand on the woman's back. His right-hand delicately holding the woman's skirt. Has a couple turns. It's challenging for the couple to get their balance just right then about to rule. But once in awhile. Everything clicks. The music is perfect. The partners. Dances one. And you are transported to a place where everything. Is as it should be. Vacations in my wife. Lisa and i are in sync. Dancing becomes pure poetry. And indeed everything is. Exactly. As it should be. I've had my capezios for over 25 years. I don't wear them as often as i'd like. Resolutions. Anago. A blue canvas bag under my suits in my bedroom closet. As a professional economist. I wear those suits more often than these shoes. And that they are safe. Pull them out of the bag. Just abandon in half and inhale the leather. The smell calls to mind that perfect bustle rule. But it also calls to mind those moments. When my balance is thrown off a bit. And dearly held plans fall out of sync. And everything is not. Exactly as it should be. I think about a beautiful november sunday in 1987. Today i wear those capezios when i married my wife lisa. I wore them out taking my vows and breaking the glass with the solid dancers heel. There was the reception. I had choreographed our first dance as husband and wife. Scandinavian music. A small ensemble of friends that agreed to play. But. It did not work out that way. We arrived at the reception. Only to be faced by the predicament. Of the requisite receiving line. A seeming with seemingly endless barricade. Blocking us from the dance floor. What to do. Justin. Strains of cat stevens version of morning has broken. Which is as lovely as a wall. As you'll ever hear. 32 watts from the dance floor. Tingle. I explained to her long-standing were telling me it was time to dance anyway. We sidestepped at receiving line and twirled out onto the dance floor. Handmade wedding dress. And me and my capezios. Glorious. And i smile everytime i hear morning has broken on the radio. We're here. River road service. Cat stevens. Overedit problem. Over the years my shoes have helped resolve more challenging puzzles as well. Daughter when i married lisa and we have two girls of our own. I love being a father. And one of my fatherly dreams is to waltz with each of my girls. At their wedding. Ezio's of course. My oldest daughter imara the five-year-old at my wedding. Got married a little over 6 years ago. When i first mentioned samara my desire to walk with her at her wedding. Matter-of-factly. I don't think. That can happen. What are you talkin about. Mara and her husband josh. Have chosen to leave the doretha. stews. A decision that brings a decided measure of predictability and community. Significant rules and restrictions. It turns out that i didn't orthodox wedding. And enjoyed immensely by the bride and the groom and the families and all their friends. But men must dance with men. And women must dance with women. Pizza. Separates the dancefloor into two pieces. Men and women cannot touch in such a public place as a wedding. Another. Not even a father. With his daughter. Upon hearing this!. Everything was decidedly not. As it should be. Perceptive. Creative wife. Posed a simple question. What do you really want. I responded. I want to dance with my daughter on her wedding day. Going to happen. At least i didn't let the problem get in the way. If it's the touching in public that's the problem. What if you were to waltz with mara. In private. Prior to the ceremony. With family and a few close friends in attendance. Walmart was a little reluctant at first she agreed to this solution. 2 hours prior to the ceremony. I took the dance floor my capezios. With a few family and friends watching. It wasn't exactly what i had envisioned. We were not surrounded. Buy wedding guest. Wasn't playing. It was in fact setting up behind us. I put a cd into a boombox. Chosen ice long. And dance. I told her how beautiful she looked. I told her a bad joker 2. Closest and oldest friend clandestinely recorded. The waltz. So now i can watch it whenever i want. Let me tell you. Capezios. So what's next for me and my capezios. My middle daughter jessica. At my daughter's wedding. Maybe one of those weddings might take place here. Hi river road. It'd be a perfect joining of my family. Play my place of worship. Jessica went through went through. Maybe this one's going to work out that way. But. Turned out that jessica had witnessed a wedding. On the beach at rehoboth several years earlier. Dream was formed in her head. So next august. I'll take that blue canvas bag. Down to the beach. They'll be on my feet. When jessica marries erin. On the beach. I'll have to tell you about her another time. She's a girl on the move. I only hope i can keep copping with my capezios on my feet and my wife by my side i think we'll find a way. So why do these to sell them warm capezios lay such a claim on my personal history. They are just shoes. After all. First i think my shoes captured my desire to be graceful and poetic. When i dance it's probably as close as i come philip to fulfilling that aspiration. Represent a way of being close to the people i love. More than anyone else on this earth. Changing transition. And lastly. I think my shoes have come to represent my optimism. Everything is not. When long-planned dreams have been knocked off balance. I can choose to adjust. I can restore that balance. All it takes. A little sidestep and maybe a twirl or two. My shoes have taught me. Set solutions to thorny and simple problems. Are out there. If only we allow ourselves to be open to them. Has reverend killoran was fond of saying. Don't let the problem. Remark. Sometimes. You have to change your plans. Even the really good ones. When everything. Is not. As it should be. Hi sometimes in vision. Putting on my capezios. And i left my feet feel that little tingle. Anticipation. And i remember that when things. Are not as they should be. There are solutions out there. If only were open to them. And that. If you listen. Really listen. There might be a waltz playing for you. Right. Curly under my arm. You're able and joining join us in singing or dancing to him number 38 morning has broken.

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1995.mp3

I can remember as a youngster asking myself. Who am i. Well most of the time i've accepted feeling different. Water feeling still comes in joints goes. Even in my 52nd year. It has taken quite some time for me to understand how i'm wired. How are and how that impacts how i relate to people. Only reason i started. To notice other is of a similar mindset. River road is part of that experience. This 1-percenter has been welcomed here. I felt less alone. Exalt not always been the case. As a youth i found the catholic church to ritualistic. Help. With my searching. I was often rather awkward around other kids. I used to play a lot of chess. And a lot of the time. Dream. It was not until high school. Began having within a couple of friends at a time. The closest thing to an organized sport. That i ever embraced was ultimate frisbee. The high school team that i found it. He didn't having a lot of fun. And we never could find a team we couldn't beat. We rose to that level of performance by being welcoming to all. A year of therapy helps with the lonely task. Upcoming of age. Many people assumed i was a druggie in college do to my long hair. Weirdness. I gravitated. Towards those. Searching for meaning and individualism. The powerful shamanistic stories. Don juan's. College costume that is done one series. And dan millman. The way of the peaceful warrior. Help me with a challenging task. Abridging my concrete task-oriented side. Abstract dance. The idea of applying common sense to a broad perspective part broad perceptive framework appeal to me. I doubt i will ever really be done. Reconciling these worlds. At 32. I got married for the first time. It was a fiery relationship. And snap transitions. We're hard on me. We ended up not being able to bridge the combination of culture and class. Korean upper class. I ended up feeling misunderstood and alone. The illuminance of post-separation soul-searching was a positive thing. I learn to be less arrogant. And more understanding. Heather and i. Babbling at potomac on the potomac. Separation. We got in touch. Several again several years later. 7 years ago we married. Homeschool are two daughters and cope with the with one salary usually leads us scraping to get by. One of the ways i deal with this is by fixing most everything myself. Relationship time. My parents are in their 80s. Mom is a two-time breast cancer survivor. Declining. After a stroke two years ago. Fortunately. Maternal grandparents last health crisis stages. There seems to always be a plethora of excuses. For postponing our personal time. This kind of loneliness. Together. But not having enough time for each other is a pervasive problem. I don't always put enough effort. In time to nurture. Our marriage. But we are not alone. I continue to walk the fine line of being true to myself. And not alienating people. This is especially true at work. I work at the epa office of pesticides. Rit shop. I take my responsibilities. Computer systems development and maintenance. From a change management perspective. But trying to bring needed saying to my office is difficult. I seem to always be needing to reconcile the conflict. Of needing to be. An outsider on the inside. I don't think challenging the government's operational framework makes me an anarchist. I think it makes me a realist. Is lonely and disconcerting to try and come to terms with the magnitude of change that i see as being necessary. Playing that dragon is not a hero's role. I still need to work on my problem definition and consensus-building skills in order to be able to contribute more effectively. In touch with the associated loneliness. It's going to get me to is what is going to get me to a more capable and balance place. It's clear to me that are meant that there are many people here at river road who genuinely care about me and my family. Understanding i reminded. Many of my challenges are common if not universal. Heather and i attended the river road couples retreat which we found informative introspective and enjoyable. Both our daughters eating and anya. Participate in programs here and we relished contributing. The spiritual path. Of all our young people. I know that by helping get our family out the door early when heather is scheduled to teach spirit play class. That we are entering a circle of giving. That benefits us directly. Sunday service provides us with fresh perspectives to consider. We value sunday's community building through conversation here as well. While many people sort things out verbally. I relied heavily on doing. I can. By examining my participation choices. Better understand my own needs and priorities. From sporadic interactions with the environmental task force. The garden canyon committee. They're repairing bikes. For the spring. Giving. And bizarre. I know improving the physical river road environment is important to me. Is one aspect of being well for me. What should be the priorities for practicing good stewardship locally. My current thinking is that our collective. Intellectual capacity is stunningly high here. As one who gravitates towards the balance. I see managing our local environment. As a component of addressing the needs of my body and spirit. If i can make it different here. And at home. Coming to terms with the needs of our planet. Quite so solitary. Well each of us has a distinct path. Our collective struggles. And loneliness. Are all part of the human experience. Compassion and understanding. That is available to me here. It's a blessing for which i am grateful. Thank you for giving me the space. Here and there.

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4212.mp3

Help you understand the sport you're playing. We can do little history this morning. Because i dug in but beyond my alleged. Somewhat cliff notes. American history since i was not originally ordained unitarian universalist united church of christ. And then have moved into the uu camp in the last dozen years. Identify as unitarian universalist and i am one. Come from a legacy of thinkers outside-the-box. Rather than orthodox which means. Straight or right opinion. We tend to be heterodox. Literally with other opinions. Heterodox and 12 taurus is this. Unorthodox. Heretical. Sacrilegious. Dissenting. Contrary to accepted belief. Do you get the drift. Early unitarian and universalist and most of us. Live into a legacy where people got into very serious trouble. Sometimes even gas. As a result of the flag of fame. And unitarian who questioned the doctrine of trinity christianity something which existed from the early days of christianity. And also universalist. Who claimed that this eventual restoration of all souls to god what happened to all religions. Both were deviating. From the dominant culture at great risk. Toleration is a famous unitarian law passed in 1568. In the transylvanian area of hungary. King john sigismund. Was encouraged by his unitarian minister. Whose name was francis david. To issue an edict. Was free. To support their own view not a religion. Christianity. Be a catholic. Lutheran calvinist. Or now adding in unitarian. This was debated over several big assemblies they started at 5 a.m.. People gathered and listen to arguments all day long. So much like our time. This resulted in many conversions to unitarianism including by the king himself. Untimely death. But francis david kept reaching across the region causing a stir. No unfortunately the next king was catholic. And not at all and then about to unitarian views. He was arrested he was tried for the crime of innovation. I'm not making this up i was the word innovation. Charged with questioning and challenging religious doctrine. The orthodox do not always appreciate innovation. And then francisco vivas condemned. To the king's dungeon for life. In 1579. Intolerance created a safer zone for two other face. The reason islam and judaism. They were not awarded the same legal protections as christians. What to do no harm. But still a movement of peace at that time. No sometimes unitarians. Invented interfaith harmony. Yet both jews and muslims have long traditions of religious acceptance. In judaism. Prothero says in this book. What is required is not to agree. But to engage. Not to agree but to engaged. Jewish points-of-view are all preserved and their written tradition unlike many traditions where the variance are suppressed. In oral arguments in text study. Sometimes with other tribes in malaysian. Difference. And dialogue and argument is preserved. And one of the prophet muhammad's messages to his followers into all christians was to safeguard each other. 612 of the common area. Era 612. Muhammad protected interfaith marriage. Christian and muslim houses of worship. Monasteries and monks. In prayer practices for both faith. Advance of tolerance. Religious conflict arises regularly. We know well that religious rivalry and struggle or global. Cultural norms political differences power battles. And the three religions. And which i focus today have centuries of strife and bloodshed between them. The silencing of critics. The persecution of enemies. An outright genocide. Even with laws. To offer peace. They can discriminate. For example. Lord baltimore maryland toleration act. In 1649 is often lauded. As a pragmatic christian solution. To protect catholics. And keep peace with the puritans. That's all well and good. At the same time this so-called toleration act. Those denying the trinity. Could be put to death. Or have all lands and goods confiscated. That would be the unitarians people. Also listed are string of other offenders i don't even know what some of these are. Calvinist anabaptist lutheran's antinomian barelis roundheads. Temperature. You should get the idea. Over 2000 years ago. And i can rent jewish teacher name jesus. Ask the followers of the way as he called it. To love their enemies. To even pray. For those who persecuted or harm them. The early followers lived in community. Book about inclusion the new norm. And challenge the orthodoxy of their day. Still. Renewal movement of judaism. Eventually became something else entirely. They became the christianity of a pragmatic emperor constantinople in empire. Then. Avast political. From eastern orthodoxy. Then crusades against muslims. Expulsion of the jews. A spanish inquisition. And evan jellicle purity court code. And on and on. So i understand. Why you use often struggle in the relationship. To christianity particularly. There's a christian emphasis on doctrine. Doctrine and salvation are the home run. Of christianity. Even in the milder forms of orthodoxy this flies against our proud legacy of heterodoxy. And the pain in the suffering caused are real. And the harsh tactics are hard to witness and experience. However when we do the tradition for the outside now. We often imagined this homogeneity. Which doesn't exist. If you used to have allegacy with calls us. To listening. Which caused us to respect. And humility. Which acknowledges. Something important. The right of self-definition. Troll face. And all believers. After always stood for that for centuries have we not. Sometimes at penalty of death. Into a celtic christian theologian that i admire john philip newell. Invite says to a twenty-first-century face. That participates. And the healing of the world. Newell believe. But this happens to what. Because fresh articulation of earth honoring spirituality. And the facilitation. An interfaith relationship. Each wisdom tradition is a house. Continue treasures he suggests. The weekend visit. Heather holmes. We can admire their art. And we don't have to live there. New writes about his household. From the inside. We speak from within the christian household. In communion. But humanity's other wisdom traditions. Addition. He cites this very long-held celtic christian idea. The unitarians or universalist might term. Original blessing. Of course. And so he sees a thread of god the image of god woven like a golden thread. In the fabric of our being. He writes. The image of god. A barbie game. It is the core of the human soul. We are sacred. Not because we have been baptized. Because we belong to one faith tradition or another. Where sacred. Because we have been born.

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425.mp3

The dalai lama meister eckhart or st theresa that said if the only prayer you ever utters thank you it's it's enough and. Thanks. Choir for god. Decades ago. When the unitarian universalist women looked at our purposes and principles. And wanted their sex sexist language updated a bit. The long conversation about the core of our faith tradition. From that prolonged conversation emerged to new central principle that have been growing importance since the last time we looked at these. Principles. Sr7. Principal our new one. Respect. For the interdependent web of all existence. Which we're apart. Reverend david a professor at meadville lombard theological school and wise theologian of our tradition. Claims that this principle. Is r1 truly. Revolutionary. 1. Because withered. We broke. Free of it. From our judeo-christian tradition. Of concentrating pretty solely on our group or individual relationship with god. And directed our religious attention directly. To our relationship with this planet. And with our myriad related. Of course the original native and earth centered religious traditions had looked in this. Interdependent direction. For their inspiration and grounding for millennia. But they have been largely lost. To our tradition. Until our new seventh principle. Welcomed them in. 2r widened religious community. North 7th principal came none too soon. For the latter part of the twentieth century. It it started become apparent to many especially biologists who were studying biological trends closely. Did our industrial revolution and technology revolution enhanced. Modern human empress enterprise. Was having major deleterious ramifications on the whole earth. Environment. And community. And that we were beginning to knock up against limits. That we had never before known about or even conceived. If we would be reaching. Prince's just 11 example. Really going to do it early in the 1980s. For the first time there were any scientific papers published. Suggesting. Dad the food in the sea. Fish supply. Might infect have limits. Before then to see it been seen as an inexhaustible resource. For humankind. It was at the time the very moment. Windows first papers even questioning. Same with her might be a limit to this. When those papers came out wasn't point the fact of which we reach our highest seafood production rates. You want to call it that. In history. So. We learned about the limits of the sea. At the very same time that unbeknownst to us. Or technology of sonar in the glider nets and all. I basically scraped the oceans. Drastically. So we were in deep trouble. For even new. That there was a problem. I'm so too has it happened with climate warming. It was only when the arctic ice sheet. Began disappearing. In the summer of 1990 of 2007. For faster far faster. Computer models had predicted. The jim hansen in the nasa scientist went back. Based upon this feedback from the earth. And had to readjust. All of their equations and their computer models. Because the earth was telling them. That this change was happening far faster. Then they had imagined it would. And when they did that they came to the conclusion. 2. Keep earth's climate. Within the range which has been since humans evolved on it. That we would have to bring our carbon. Call dioxide limits. Down to 350 parts. Vermillion. That's actually slightly higher than the range has been in the past but was close enough where now it's 392. Bring it down to 350. Obama. The obama administration is. I've been aiming at 450 parts per million. And an mit analysis of the. Meaning of the recent copenhagen talks on climate change. Change the conclusion that if every country there. Does absolutely everything that it has promised to do even though there are no binding since it's all voluntary. But everybody does everything they said they would. That we will reach 760. Parts per million. Nearly twice the 3/5 / choice. The 350. Leading desmond tutu. To beg. The nation's there. Do far far better. Because what he said is if. 760 is the best we can do. That we are consigning africa to what he called. A living hell. So the suddenness and the magnitude. Of this new ethical situation. Has caught us all by surprise. And many people are been forced to attempt. Trains are traditional ethical ways of thinking. And this is really hard to do it we've never seen anything like this before. Hans jonas for instance. It was a prominent ethical philosopher was one at the new school of social research during the 20th century. Auntie road about how are ethical situation. Is entirely new. For us humans. Purple reason. First. We no longer. Inhabit an unchanging world. Where the ethical dilemmas of new generations are pretty much. The same as those of the older generation that they succeed. And that you can have things like the ten commandments or other ethical guidelines abide for centuries unchanged. But now our technological prowess. The second reason. Has put. The entire natural world. Under our ethical aegis. Giving us responsibilities for other species. That we've never even considered. Before. And lastly the ethic be found at the ethical decisions. That we now make. Influence. The range of possibilities of ethical decisions. That our successors can make. Picture no longer this timeless. Immoral. Setting. There now but we decide now. Is going to change. The whole landscape down the down the road so that we now have an evolutionary of fluid. Ethics. Or. Take the recent roman catholic. Passionist father. Thomas berry one of the seminole. Early writers of ecological movement. And he turned our traditional ethics are certainly the ethics of the catholic church. On its head. When he declared. That the well-being of the earth. Is primary. And human wellbeing. Is secondary. We've never had we've never had anything like this before. You can debate that if you want. But i think if you think about it i think the man's right. And further he then. Has went on to call. Fran inter-species. Legal system. Because the other species are now under our ethical leeches. Call fran inter-species. Economic framework. I think the world bank is just started to add any glycol concerns to their stuff. Interspecies. Economic. Framework. A medical ethics. It puts the health of the planet first since we cannot have healthy humans on a sick planet. And on through every single major institution. Of our culture. Change. And this huge change in our situation is why he further suggested to the religious community. At least those that. Mostly. Derive their teachings from scriptures. How the man did not get excommunicated is beyond me but he suggested that we take our religious texts. And put them in our drawers. For at least fifty years. Until we can once again. Understand. What he called the primary revelation of god. Which is the natural world. And then maybe if we can actually understand our place in the natural world. Primary revelation of the divine of the sacred of the holy. Then maybe we can bring our scriptures back out and see. Healthy supplement that. But not based on religion. What's a good child for recently. Wrote a book about how our industrial and then technological revolutions. We're in his term. The age of exuberance. In which basically all of us. Have had the fossil-fuel and technological equivalent. Of about 80 slaves. Puppies. To make our lives. Better. But that now he says we are a touring but he calls the age of reality. As we hit. Peak oil. And cannot depend upon those 80 personal slaves that we've been. And we've been enjoying. So to me it seems clear several things. That are part in changing the planet's climate. Surely the most important ethical issue before us as a people. Because of the consequences are so overwhelmingly profound. For all living things and especially the most vulnerable not only for the present but for all future time. Ancestors of everyone of us here in this room. Managed. Bring us to this supreme privilege. Being alive upon this miraculous planet. And they did this with a courage and the intelligence and the self-sacrifice and the steadfastness. Necessary. Make sure that new life survived and prevailed reaching out even on to us. I asked you all just text freeman at some point today during the break-in the football game or something. 2:03 from your knowledge of of what you know your ancestors face. Take some time to appreciate what the courage the dedication the intelligence that sheer creativity that they had to muster the steadfastness. To get us here alive. And i cannot believe. This new. And i cannot believe that we have this time. Pray heritage such as this. With mistaken short-sighted notions of economic gain the next quarter in that kind of stuff. With apathy. In the face of danger with willful ostrich-like ignorance or with self-referential complacent he's i just can't believe that. Because this is a crisis we are in with further reaching implications than we humans have ever faced before. At a crisis in addition that has an urgent timeline attached. To it. Unlike any other crisis. We've ever faced. Before. Make a case for nuclear winter but we were dealing with. With all we can negotiate with the russians and try to avoid mistakes on that. But we cannot simply do our muddled best. And leave it to work children. To do a better job. Because meeting this is ours to do and it's ours to do now. Bill mckibben succinctly puts it. We cannot bargain with the laws of physics. They don't give wiggle room. Like a lot of human negotiations to. So you take the rapid melting of the ice sheet and the glaciers and the. Consequences for people living downstream of the increasing desertification of sub-saharan africa and the implications of that has been implicated in what's going on in darfur in the other. You have shrinking resources and different ethnic groups. Guess what happens. Need a certifying of the oceans all those things in british columbia alone there are 33 million acres of essentially dead forest. Of dead lodgepole pines. And they're dead because the longer warmer springs and falls the whole extra breeding cycle for a beetle that chews them up. And winners don't kill the beatles anymore. So that's what's going on. Out west. And by the simple fact that warmer air holds more moisture. Comes in some places increased violent rainstorm. More extreme weather changes and us more violent weather fronts. And another places comes to certification. Since more moisture as it soared up out from the ground and of course things in general get hotter. So what i have reluctantly acknowledged to myself. Is that the baltimore springs of my childhood. Are indeed gone. And now i see increasingly. Swings of of major. Changes in the weather. So as mckibben point south. Is no longer a question of preserving our planet for kids. We've already changed it from the one we all grew up on. It's not a question of reducing the damage as much as possible. We are not bad people we did not see this coming until very recently but we know better now. How we respond is the great moral question of our time and the one that we will be remembered for by future generations for good. Will ferrell. Is also the question by which we are presently being judged. Why the rest of the world. And think about the implications of that one if you want to worry about anger anywhere. Mike kidwell director of the chesapeake climate action network. Find morley intolerable. Did the people in malawi with whom he worked in the peace corps. No electricity at all the people you work with almost nothing to create this problem will be like the other poorest people on earth the ones suffering hose from climate change like the pakistani peasants recently. Pointe south. The consequences of our own national co2 emissions came back and visited themselves upon us instead of being spread out upon the rest of the world. Florida would now be a couple of small islands. So what seems required of a is first to recognize that we are in a climate crisis with a pressing time limit on it and act as if that is our situation. As if this is our responsibility. And not something we can pass off. Future. Second requires us to realize that we that simply greening our own lives. Even inviting other disenfranchised people to join us in greening efforts. Is simply not enough. Because the numbers are not sufficient to the magnitude of the crisis. We need. To advocate for a change in public policy. Religious people like to walk the talk which is wonderful. But in this case unless your legislators legislators also know your feelings loud and clear. And it was for advocating for policy change. We are going to fail. Civil rights movement required public policy changes. Success. Not just individual goodwill. Third. We can make huge strides tenacion by simply addressing the profligate waste of energy the strong conservation efforts as good business. It's good economics its same policy. And we also find around us 4th. Did many people around us are moving in many creative ways. 2. Setting up a culture which. Focus itself more an artistic and cultural and community interconnected events rather than more material things. 2. To make life good. And the second-half mckibben's book and yes magazine in all kinds of people are addressing then. So places like this. Local communities of mutual karen respect. Are absolutely crucial. In creating this new kind of. Future together. I know about what you all do here i know what an outstanding congregation you are. In terms of torture in terms of healthcare in terms of all the other community outreach and advocacy and social justice work you do. And the candy castle is your wonderful our representative. And board member of you use for social justice that keeps me informed about what you folks are up to. So i just wanted finally invite you on november 13th at all souls. Doing other uu congregation to the area to brainstorm about how we. People the face of unitarian universalist. Can most effectively publicly advocate. For both national and also maryland dc and virginia. Issues and we'll have number of people from other. Groups joining us to to inform us of what's going on. We're going to be doing the thinking. And i want to just let you also know that although we're going to be having upcoming things on glbt q issues and immigration issues. This last sunday at the green festival in dc the biggest environmental gathering the mid-atlantic. For the fourth year we had a booth there. Representing unitarian universalist. At people concerned about the environment. And beyond that we can put together. Together for the first time and interfaith panel there. With a major christian. Islamic and jewish as well as unitarian universalist. Boise addressing choir this is religious issue. From the power of the testimony of those people there i can tell you people stop squawking by stopped. Transfix. That's what they were hearing. And the willingness of countless people to engage in this effort. Even though we've got ourselves in a bad holes that were. We can move forward. Doing more deeply satisfying. A more communal sharing future. May it be so.

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6.mp3

Images 1850. As a part of the sad compromised to try to save the union of the united states. The congress of the united states. Past. And president millard fillmore shamefully sign. The fugitive slave act. A federal law. Which required the slaves who had escaped to freedom in the north. Be returned in chains. To their southern slaveholders. In boston massachusetts a unitarian minister theodore parker you find his picture on the front of your order of service this morning. And the large congregation eserve. Fiercely refuse to obey this re-enslavement act. And as an active direct civil disobedience gave sanctuary to many freed slaves. Some of them stayed in parker's home and others who were scattered throughout the congregations homes. A rezoning orator. Abolitionist and social activist parker became the leading voice. For the northern states to resist. The fugitive slave act. In one fiery sermon. He told his parishioners and by extension he was telling the president of the united states. When rulers. Have inverted their function. And enacted wickedness into law which treads down the inalienable rights of man to such a degree as this. That i know no ruler but god. No more but natural justice eye care. The hateful statute of kidnappers to shivers. I trample it underneath my feet. I do so in the name of all lost in the name of justice and of man. And the name of dear god. It is widely reported that during this 10th time when slave-catchers were lurking everywhere. In the streets of boston. Whenever parker was at home composing his sermons. He would have a gun. A flintlock gun on his desk in his study. The sword nearby. To defend to his death if necessary. The freed slave living under his roof. And no doubt partially for political and dramatic effect. When parker stepped into his boston pulpit each sunday in 1850 before the thousands who gathered to hear him. He would brandice a saver bringing it into the pulpit with him. As loudly clanking it down. On his. Pulpit who said theater is not a part of ministry. A great risk to himself and his congregation he stood up unequivocally. For justice equity and compassion in human relation. The time when both. Congress and the president of the united states ordered. Ordered americans on threat of imprisonment. To turn their back. I'm free. Slaves. Fast forward now please 115 years. To the spring of 1965. Martin luther king who's reading we just sheridan. And other leaders of the southern leadership conference were in alabama. Fighting for voting rights which had for generations but denied to african american citizens. And the organized as you all know a dramatic march of citizens from selma. To montgomery the state capital. As the march began. Hordes of white state alabama trooper some on horseback with whips. Without provocation. Ghast and beat. The nonviolent marchers. At the edmund pettus bridge. Just outside of salem salem. Selma. As the march was beginning. Seriously injuring more than 75 men. Women and children. The whole shameful episode mercifully. Was captured by national television network cameras. And countless americans in every region of the country were shocked. An outraged at the injustice and brutality of this police attack. That night a telegram was sent out by dr. king to religious leaders. All across america which impart red. In the vicious maltreatment. I'm defenseless citizens of selma. We're old women and young children were gassed and clubbed at random. We have witnessed an eruption of the disease of racism. Which seeks to destroy all of america. No american is without responsibility this telegram runtime. The people of selma will struggle on for the soul of the nation. What are the spinning that all americans helped to bear the burden. I called there for king said i'm clergy of all faiths. To join me now in selma. Within hours more than 100 unitarian universalist ministers that were only about 400 serving churches at that time. Including the president of the u.s.a. the reverend dana greeley. Unless you heard last week in our 50th anniversary celebration. The reverend robert j louis minister of this congregation. In 1965. A number which represented 25% of our clergy responded quickly. 2 kings call the largest representation. Of any american faith group. Supporting dr. king. And the disenfranchised citizens. Of alabama. One of those ministers the reverend james reeb whose picture you see in the middle. Of the three. On your order of service this morning. Earlier in his career had been an assistant minister downtown. At all souls on 16th street. Read traveled from boston. To lend his voice. On the side of justice. Soon after he arrived. He and two other unit union minister that i know well. Clark olofsson. And orloff miller. We're walking back to where they were staying from a selma restaurant. When they were set upon and beaten. By a gang of segregationist white man. One of whom. Wielded a 3-foot section of pipe. 50 club. Read in the head. Repeatedly with. Read. Suffered severe brain injuries. And died the next day. He was 38. Years old. Reed's death. Shocked the entire nation. President lyndon baines johnson declared that the events. Selma. To be an american tragedy. And his voting rights proposal reached congress. That the morning after reed's death. And was quickly voted. And signed into law. Like theodore parker james reeb is a hero of our faith. Because he put his line on the life. For justice. Equity and compassion. In human relations. This morning i'm continuing my year-long sermon series on the seven principles. How about unitarian universalist faith. We print them every sunday. On the back of the order of service. But i'm reflecting today on the second principle. Found the purposes and principal section of the bylaws. Avard denominational association. Our parents denomination. Every each and every sunday we print these on the back of the order of service. So the visitors and members alike. Cancion reflect upon. The core beliefs. Of all religious movements. My focus for the day the second prince. Simply states and now i quoted. We unitarian universalist. Covenant. To a firman permit promote. Justice equity and compassion. In human relations. No. I have always found the second straightforward clear principle of our faith. To be extremely inspiring and spiritually unethically indispensable to me. As i seek to evermore take my faith. Seriously on bus. Actively live by my beliefs in this troubled world we all inhabit. I have a rather iconoclastic and controversial colleague. The reverend davidson lure some of you no doubt have heard of him. Who were the vocal gadfly in our movement has repeatedly written and spoken over recent years. You never even nomination of daniel he can find. About how these this principle and the other six. Are nothing more to him that he quotes the seven fatalities. The 7th fatalities he calls them. What do you mean by this pointed criticism. Is it he finds are seven principles to lack those profundity. And religiosity. They come laura pines. From the secular culture. And the secular values of american liberalism. And then he goes they do not distinguish unitarian-universalism as a religion. At least not with a clear and compelling. Spiritual path. Or lasting. Spiritual insight unquote. The problem i have is another personal level i enjoy davidson lauren. Is a lot of fun to be with a conference. But i find his glyph dismissal of our 7 principles including this all important principle of ours this dismissal of them as banality. To be utterly without force or merit. Yes it is true. Set the second principal like the other six. Are big and broad and idealistic statements. Ohio and what human life on this planet to look like and many other people beyond unitarian universalist believe in justice equity and compassion. So i suppose it can be criticized easily. For both their optimism and their scope. We're after all perfect. Justice. Equality equity and compassion will prove eternally elusive. In this world. But nonetheless as a wife long and proud you you. This bowl. Clear principle. Boulevard's reminds me and i hope it reminds all of you. That it is our duty. Our duty. Unitarian universalist to actively work. Right where we live in this profoundly imperfect world it's our duty to work. For a better. And humane world and there is nothing but now. About that. Our faith tradition. Which traces its origins as an organized movement back more than 500 years to europe. And then early in the united states. I've always been a religion. Which is understood the obligation to be active in the world. On behalf of the human ideals of justice. And equity. The two stories i've already told you at the outset. About the bravery of theodore parker protecting runaway slaves. And james reid surrendering his life. For the same cause. Decades later. These are perfect reflection. Of the best. Of what it means to be a unitarian universal. The second principle of our faith reminds us. So we cannot be true unitarian universalist. If we are content. To simply sit back and some comfortable intellectual armchair some library of the mind. With glowing ennoble beliefs about what human life ought to look like now. A lingering bronchitis. Our fees requires us. To do something. The do something real and active and regular. On behalf. Of our deepest. Held beliefs. For the human family. I love the way 20th century minister. Harry meserve once put this famous i've quoted the sermon title many times. Outside to say paul church one sunday on the marquis was simply this question his sermon title for the next day. Dafina unitarian-universalist were against the law. Would there be enough evidence to convict you. Like we all still the title. In 1850. There was ample evidence. To convict theodore parker of violating. The fugitive. Slave. What president. Fillmore did not there. He stood up to the federal government. He defended the justice for the freed slaves. And there was ample evidence also. James reid. In 1965 when he dropped everything. His life is. Wife has children. Left boston. To crush to selma. In the fence. Of the rights of people. He did not know. Display the examples of our faith challenge us to reflect. What are online. And ask herself deep to the heart. Am i doing enough. In a world similarly filled with injustice and wrong am i doing enough right now. To end. Steve. Gorgeous. Abarth. I like the way my colleague richard gilbert put in. There's a book on the seven principles which are denomination. Published and dick wrote the chapter on this principle and then that chapter. He wrote this. As unitarian universalist for the proud history of repairing the world. We cannot be content to be mere occupants. Time and space. We want our time on earth to mean something. We want the space in which we live and move and have our being we want that space to be in good repair. We are ill content. To wear our religion only in our heads. And heart. We want to express it. With our hands. Compassionate service to others and social justice work. Eagles odds. Is not simply another option. On the spiritual menu. An ad on an extracurricular activity. But it is rather part and parcel of what it means to be a unitarian universal. And then he ends. Justice equity and compassion. Are live values. Of a free face. Suggesting that the spiritual life. Must. Express itself ethically. Spiritual life. Must. Express. Itself. I find myself and passionate agreement. With my colleague. To be going to terry universalist means you must personally commit. Personally commit. You can't just say with your lips what's that you believe in me. I agree with everything church might be alright. That's not enough. You have to roll up your sleeves. And work with others. And many of them are not unitarian universalist. To bring these values. To fruition. In our world. Few if any of our efforts on behalf of justice. Equity and compassion will be a significant does those accomplished by martin luther king. Or mahatma gandhi. Her mother teresa. Or james reeb. Cathedral parker we won't probably. Shein. That brightly. But we must never minimize. The importance of our everyday afterwards. Right where we live. In behalf of the. That is why is cindy. Articulated earlier in the service are social justice council. And the social justice task forces of which there are 15. Are such an integral. An important part of what we do here. At 6301. River road. Since its founding 50 years ago this month. This congregation is always taken. The second principle of our faith. Serious. Early in our days we fought. For racial justice. In this town bethesda had covenants. That would not allow jews and blacks. To live in most of the neighborhood. And we on my mother's help to undo those. Covenant. We take our faith seriously and always have. In this congregation and practical. Tangible. Unrepeatable ways i just want to give one concrete example. As i alluded to in the announcements this sunday and next. As we have been doing for 50 years. We are gathering several carloads of food. Which are you. As part of their spiritual practice. Turning belief into action. Will take down next sunday we worship here. Down to all souls to help sort. Tons and tons of food. So we distributed to hundreds of needy families. In the district. This food drive last year provided holiday food for more than 500. And fifty impoverished families. And was begun in the 1940s by the great unitarian minister a pal davie. The third picture you see. On the order of service. This morning. He got this food drive started when he realize. The many african-american families in the city were so poor. That they literally had nothing to eat. On thanksgiving day. And the quickest id rafael might before i share. How you can participate in this food drive this week. This is not the only way that a paul davies. Lived out our faith. When he was here in washington. It is great ministry. In 1953. When the district was a still profoundly segregated racist. Southern city. Most of the restaurants in this town were closed to blacks. Davey's single-handedly. Organize a district-wide campaign. This is so slick. Urging residents. Do patronize only restaurants that would serve all citizens. Black-and-white even organized you simply had these little dining guide. Set up and then a great rift too many of the white ministers. He persuaded them to pass these dining guides out in their congregation. And soon all the segregated restaurants caved. Because their businesses went down by 30 40 54 cents they caved. It was a paul davies who desegregated all of the restaurant. In the district of columbia and 19th. With a little piece of paper. And a lot of. April babies. Was a hero. An exemplar of our faith. Go back to the food drive. Which we are participating in right now. All this week we are collecting food with people like you will donate and leave in the in the foyer. And the insert. Tells you what kind of things they hope for most. Are you to be generous when you bring food to our drive and if you have kids. Either go to the grocery store shopping with them and make decisions with them about what you're giving. Or if you're like me i got so much stuff in my cupboards at home i'm going to clear out about half of my cupboard. And bring down two or three great big bags full of good. Sings like i just haven't gotten around to eating yet. Involve your kids. So they can see. How you are living your face and what it means. What compassionate service to others means it's part of what it means to be a unitarian. Universal. My colleague davidson lore you know the one. Who called our principles the seven banality. Could not be more wrong. In his glib. Dismissal. This is especially true. Of the second principal address today. This principle that challenges us every day of our life everyday. To live up to the legacy. Theodore parker. James reid. Anime paul davis. The principle that reminds us it is our duty. To do whatever we can wherever we find ourselves in this creation. On behalf. I'll be ideal if you all know what it means justice. Equity and compassion. To live out. Photos individual. In our daily routines. And together as congregation. Driving here. To honor the faith tradition around which this building was built. May we this day and everyday we call ourselves unitarian-universalist take. Second principle into our hearts. And living out through our hands. And live it out through or him. That this beautiful. Trouble. World of o. Might slowly become. More humane.

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1430.mp3

Uphold. We gather here today. At least in part to consider and from me and my family's perspective to hopefully extend a calling from this congregation. To me is your next senior minister and there is weight. And there is gravity. To that decision. In this case it is the congregation who calls the congregation that is empowered it is your voices that must be heard and it is your voices that i as a minister must then respond to. But we clergy also talk of calling. Amore diffused even numinous ways. What called us to ministry in the first place what causes to this way of living. How do we. How did i. Know that this particular work. Is my calling. In seminary circles we sometimes talk about calling. As if it occurs in some highly dramatic fashion not a whisper but a lightning bolt baby. A flock of doves. Phone ringing at 3 a.m. with a personal invitation from the almighty something really juicy right. The frequency with which we ask that earnest question and how did you discern your call makes it sound as if the moment should have been clear and distinct entirely obvious and really really hard to miss. And for a long time. It was that sort of calling i was looking for in my own life. I grew up roman catholic. And there was a poster in the hallway of my childhood church which had one big bold question printed in huge black letters it said do you have a location. And every wednesday night when i showed up with my mother and my sister for catechism class that question flashed before my eyes do you have a vocation. It said. What that poster. Next to the huge letters of the question was a photograph. Awesome beaming freshly scrubbed young people. Women whose applecheeks kicked out from beneath black veils and white wimple. Standing next to young man with the kind of haircut. Dad's generally want their daughter's boyfriends to have. Clean-cut. Straight back. And seeming to glow from the inside with the light of whatever. Or whoever called them. The happy young people with their vocations. Jammed together on that poster and they ask that eager question to whomever chance to pass by. Knowing that contacts. Do you have a vocation something very specific. It meant. Has god as preached and displaced calling you to be a sister or a priest. It was a very reverend sort of question. It was meant to evoke images of bells and smells and sunday mornings in the cues which is why it's quite ironic that every time i looked at that poster i could not help but think of. The gumball machine at the local kmart. And i am aware i have taken an interesting turn here. But stay with me is a part of my master plan for keeping you awake through the entire sermon you never really know what's coming next. Number to the gumball machine i have always been an aficionado of the gumball and candy machines of this world at the local kmart in posey county indiana i am sure ate up the equivalent of at least a mortgage payment over the years one dime at a time with my mom being my supplier. I'm not machine. Situated as you will notice all candy machines always are in the highly visible front lobby. Local kmart. What's wrong with these multicolored gumballs wichita they all look different pretty much all tasted exactly the same. And yet for all of their sameness a few of the gumballs in that great big math green and white and pink we're really differ. Because maybe a dozen of them. Stood out in that glow because they alone were. The golden. Gumball. What you deserve that glamorous name because they were colored this right freakish canary-yellow and have the word winner. Stencils alongside. And the game at kmart with like this. You put your diamond the slot you crank the handle and you hoped for the best. And if you got a golden gumball you were supposed to take it up to the return the counter and collect the wonderful prize. And i wanted that golden gumball. So bad. I would close my eyes and i would crank that handle to actually praying that this time just this time it might work out and i imagined step balloons might fall from the sky and perhaps all the lights for the blue light special would shine just for me. And i never did win the prize so i guess i'll never know. Because apparently the front lobby of the kmart in posey county indiana was one staging point for my religious imagination it was golden gumballs. That i thought of every time i saw that poster. With the bright shining faces. Ask me if i had. A vocation. Because that's what i wanted to calling to be like. I wanted the blue light special to shine just for me. I wanted the big balloon drop or the god of which i was not even sure i totally believed to shout into my precious little ears so that i could not ignore her. It always came to me. People on the poster the ones with a vocation the ones with a calling a special-purpose a preordained something that they were supposed to do. We're set apart. To a special place in the family of things. And the way i figured it when i was 8 years old. Play with their starched collars. And their gleaming grins. With the big winners in the kmart of life. They were hoisted upon the shoulders of the holy. They were set apart. Because god had spoken to them. I'm giving them a great gift they could not deny. That poster was asking if any of us in wednesday night catechism class might be big winners to. Movie with big red stencil letters across our soul that said winner. But the thunderclap i was looking for never came. The balloons of blessing never fell from the sky. And all i ever knew. All i know still of a collie. It's annoying hunger i felt and still feel. For communion with something larger than myself. Her faithfulness to the human endeavor for honesty laid bare before the source of it all and this thing this marvelous magical thing we create for one another when we show up on sunday morning. Or tuesday evening. Only one another's bedsides. I would look into the eternal mystery and dare to be unafraid. That's hungry. With the closest thing that you were calling i ever got. And maybe that quiet hunger. Is the only way of calling ever comes. The challenge then for all of us. Is to open ourselves to feeling the genuine hunger that is the only voice of the holy. A voice that comes out of the darkness sometimes so quietly that we are not at for certain we have heard it all. Forecast. Is to see evidence of our blessedness. Even when it is not stenciled in bright red letters across our souls. To hear the calling in the night that emanates not exactly from within and not exactly from a supernatural god but from sources that are bigger and more mysterious. Did any of us can comprehend. The challenge. It's a break away from the earnest hope that any of us alone is set apart. And remember that every single person we encounter. Every single person we served is called to listen quietly in that darkness 2 for the moments when they're great hunger is made manifest and there is nothing to do in the face of it but to say in the words of martin luther. Here i am. I can do. No other. There is. Is paul harvey would say the rest. Story to the golden gumball thing. The summer after my freshman year in college i spent some time in the dominican convent in nashville tennessee. I guess it was a final effort to feel the thunderbolts. But when i actually realized that i did not then. And had never believed. Any supernatural transcendent god that is sort of a deal-breaker for the whole none thing. And i drove away from that place feeling sweet freedom and profound fear because absent that particular package that i thought my calling would come in i did not know if there was a calling for me at all. And that is when i started church shopping. Not long after that i walked into a little uu fellowship in the suburbs of cincinnati i was greeted at the door by a member of the welcoming committee. eat a bird whose name yes i still remember and i still have the card she sent me. To thank me for visiting. For two months i sat in the back row on the sunday services literally with my chair turned toward the wall and i wept. Because finally here was a place. In which i could live my calling. And it was both beautiful. And terrifying. I preached my first sermon in that little church. When i was 19 years old. After which a member of the congregation wrote me a note saying don't just think about becoming a minister you already are one. And it has been a very long time. Since i've even remotely doubted the truth of that statement. This is why i come to you. As an eight-year veteran of the ministry. Having occupied a pulpit regularly for the last 15 years and i have not yet a single gray hair to show for it. I am relatively speaking young. But i am not new to this. When you know what you're made to do. Why dilly dally. And after all. Former president daniel mclean greeley. Elected to that post while still in his thirties once said. My youth is a problem which will soon take care of itself. And how lucky am i. Spoil demise by the fact that my calling gets to be put on display like this every sunday. And the truth is calling to parish ministry is so obvious it's almost cliche isn't it. People get to see my calling and take note of it to public publicly affirm or reject it every single day. This is not always so with callings. In fact. This is very rarely so. Not all calling them as public as mine. But each and every one of them is no less important no less vital to this world and native transformation and river road is here so that we. As individuals and as a gather community. Can come ever closer to our calling. Think on it. What's it like. If you're calling in community. To hear and respond to the still small voice of your spirit. What would it be like. For you to begin living your calling here or in the world. Or both. In conversations this week i've watched walter wise his eyes light up as he handed me a bag of arugula from the garden here at river road i've listen to dave leonard tell me about this beautiful and complex toy that he gets to play with every sunday would he works the sound system. In the church i now serve. Directions to be a 65 year old grandfather with a management experience out the wazoo whose fundamental volunteer commitment in that congregation with cradling babies in the nursery. Howard thurman once said. Don't ask what the world needs. What makes you come alive and go do it. Because the world needs people who have come alive. Walter. And dave and the grandpa in the nursery every one of them is giving themselves the chance to do what makes them come alive in the context of a community they care about. You're not doing these things in order to conform to some image of who they ought to be nor are they just doing what this institution expects of them. They're doing that which makes them come alive. And that service feeds them. When we serve because we know we are called. When we do it because we are leaning into the very edge of our own capacities when we do it because we know clear as day that our service matters even and especially the finance committee can be a calling. It happens. So it turns out. But i never won the golden gumball. The calling i thought would define my life never came to pass in the blue lights never flashed for me. But when i listened. And when i listen still inquietude to the edges of my own earnings. William push. Toward the unknown. Protest envisioned i'm only just beginning to understand. That's a big part of what brings me here. I do not have this place nor your needs all figured out. I am not the smartest person in this room. But i am smart enough. And i'm willing. And i'm listening. For that voice which calls in this place. That is larger than myself. What did you think you were going to be. Who did you think you would become. And most important of all who are you really. And where does your deep learning call you to serve. Not just here but throughout your life. Are you willing to risk something in order to live your calling more fully. Calling take us places that shock and amaze. To take us places that sometimes we would frankly rather not go. Break down barriers that were never meant to hold us in the first place if a grandpa wants to cradle babies in the nursery hallelujah. If your day job pays the rent but wagner marion opera makes your soul sing listen to it. If an invitation for leadership arises that sounds amazing and just a little bit scary. Lean into it. Instead of backing away. It takes some courage to answer some a call. To walk into the very heart of yearning. Find a way toward that courage we all have to learn first of all to be alone. Company by nothing but the still. Small. Occasionally clamoring voice. With that. Voice. Whether we want to listen to it or not has the power to tell us what we were made to do. At least for today and maybe forever. And so may we listen. Everyone of us. To the calling within. May we find ourselves to be curious searchers ready to say yes to life. Wherever it may take us and even when the call is not a lightning bolt even when it is a whisper in the night may we have ears to hear. That we ourselves may come alive. And bring that renewed life with us. Everywhere we go. Maybe so. And all men. Are him. Is from. Your keel hymnal. Number 1008. It speaks of the voice within the call deep inside when our heart is in a holy place. Please rise and remain standing after the hymn for the benediction.

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3668.mp3

Well as i said at the first service. Pretty much the sermon but once you've written your attached so i can't quite walk away but that was it. Virginia my spouse easily asked me so how the sermon turnout. And i say oh. And this one i just. Come out as your everyday mystic. Allow me to explain a little more. In the reading by gary snyder. You heard the word palimpsest. Strangely it has come up for me in the last couple weeks several times as well palimpsest. It literally means to scratch again. To scrape off. In latin. And in greek. So a palimpsest is a page. Or a canvas from which text or design has been washed away. Or scraped off and wax in the roman times. It's great. so that it can be reused. Are we purpose. And the word is used in art. Architecture. In archaeology and even if. Field of geomythology which i didn't know existed. But as reference. By gary snyder. Do a pallet. Is worked upon for one purpose. And then later is reused. For a different name. I find that the palimpsest of earth. Places. Places that i returned to somehow. Works upon the palimpsest. Of our body history. Creating this alchemy of movement. And change. I find. We can experience transformation when we are lead by nature. Where we are both subject. And objects. We observe. And at the same time we are part of the web. Existence. The from my earliest age. As far back as i can remember i connected deeply with particular landscape. For inspiration. For teaching. For renewal. Body. My body. Has been through much. Scraping away. Whirling out the cancer cells. Resisting. Strong infection. Giving up numerous. Organs. Tumors. And every time i danced with health. I am repurpose. For more living. I am this palimpsest in the human form. And when i yearn for earth i long for the home bases that hold me the sacred sites that my own history inhabit. And when i encounter them i am changed. I am healed again. I'm restored. In my brain. Doesn't need to fully comprehend this. Because my body. Nose. It knows the difference. It experiences the effects. Of this repurposing. Barbara holsworth rights of are coming from the earth. Returning to the earth in this way it resonates deeply with me. We emerge from deep within its range of possibilities. And don't are. Range is a possibility shipped. Overtime. And when we die we do not so much stop living. Take on a different form. And so the leaf does not fall out. The world. When it leaves the tree. It has a different way. A different place. Maybe because we have this human transmigration process. We have this capacity to let certain places in print. Upon us. And we might recognize landscape at this guy level. Just the name for energy this organic consciousness which works within the organism of. Our bodies. Human. This unfolding wisdom which is within and without. The same. We are then painted into that palimpsest of earth. Our own nature shifted. And i would say that yearning takes me leads me literally to landscapes that move and change me. Perhaps this way of nature drawing in the mystics that i am. And the term mystic. In latin just means connected to mystery. Connected to a hidden or secret thing which to me. Is not hidden at all it's just our interior space. Our inner knowing. I arrived on the planet with this deep connection to certain earth forms and i had this. Hunger. Explore more of them. Are two definitions of a mystic. When is a person. Who speaks by contemplation and self-surrender to obtain unity. With the absolute. Whatever we named it. Or one who believes. Spiritual apprehensions of truth. Letter b on the intellect. Again this is not weird to me. In fact. It is well within unitarian-universalism to use the intellect well. I try. Other ways of knowing because. The intellect only goes so far. I need a chair universalism we say this is our direct experience. Experience in the body. Transcending mysteries of wonder are first you use sword. And then we say it is affirmed earth-centered traditions which celebrate. The sacred circle of life. The six. Source. Mainstream. Universalism. This happened in particular place and time for me. I grew up. In the desert southwest of el paso. And my consciousness was really shaped by these open horizons. Many western. United states people have this phenomenon that when they come east it all feels a little. Crowded and claustrophobic for a while. Used to belong vista. And i often said on this balcony which was outside my bedroom. Where i could take the long view down to the mountains of new mexico. Glorious sunset the twinkling lights. El paso is my place of birth. It was not my lifelong home. Plus i knew. When i looked into this landscape it drew me into a future for which i yearned. Involving travel exploration adventure. Maybe i was feeling my great-grandmother. Good morning about. Cell. Who took off on a ship to china. At 23 alone. Corunna school for the presbyterian denomination. As i grew. My. Places of return accumulated. New mexico. Eastern aspen and pine forest near cloudcroft. All the way up to the high desert in the north near taos abiquiu santa fe. I went repeatedly to the blue ridge mountains above. Asheville and black mountain. Above. Home. Montreat which came to be my grandparents. I went to the west coast at laguna beach in california. 23 arch bay. And then many times to the san francisco bay area to the north. I went to the rocky mountains of colorado and live there for a year and backpacks and. Camp while i was front desk manager at the holiday inn a college dropout. Freaking my parents out i might add. I've been so many times to the. Stockbridge bowl in the berkshires of massachusetts a retreat center at kupala that draws me. And over the last four years is new earth magnets cuz that's what they feel like to me having merged. The breathtaking area of utah near kanab and zion national park. The jungle of costa rica. I know sparkling diamond beach which is masada. And monica stay where i did my yoga teacher training three times. Just february. I savored the stunning monterey peninsula in the. Amazing beach of carmel. When i go to any of these beloved places i reconnect and i find support. It's like plugging back in to some energetic earth umbilical cord. I remember my deepest source. I am embrace. By a great mother. Carroll philosophy of the andean people of federal which. Is up and down the. Indian spying. Of latin america. The earth. Pachamama. Avast bowl that holds us like a womb. And the cairo teachers. The healers say that. We are able to recall this waking dream. Our connection of hatchimal mama. If we have forgotten. Remember that the drum beat. Is our heartbeat. To know that the blood in our veins is lava. In the earth to understand that the water. And our bodies in ourselves is. Connected. The lakes. The rivers the oceans of this planet. That we are stardust. That we are formed of the materials of the galaxies in the universe. And so this experience of gaia to me is like a swirl of natural energy which is my own energy. It is my. Deepest. Connection. In my experience. It feels organic and simple. It's as if the palimpsest of my living. Has moved up again. A palimpsest on a place. On earth. And then as snyder says. We are together holding these multiple overlaid new and ancient traces of the swirl of forces. We become the same fluid. We're all the same art. Emotion. In the most challenging junctures of living. When i'm most sad. Afraid. When i fear being alone. An absolute return to earth wisdom. I experienced this. Spiritual apprehension of truth that is beyond my intellect. Because my intellect. Is getting in my way. Experience it is all mystics do as anyone of us can. When. We move to south surrender. Contemplation of the unity with the absolute. And whatever we call it. However we experience it is. Our birthright. Icons with words that work. Written in the indian tradition native american i'm not sure anyone knows who wrote them. The ute tribe called themselves the new co. And the people. Like most tribes they see themselves as. Prototypes for the human ones. Reside in the four corners of utah colorado new mexico arizona. Their forebears were the anasazi. New and they lived earth wisdom not as something that you believe. Not as something you write on a piece of paper and say. Like a credo. But as connective tissue. As the very strengths that they experience. Until we hear there lived prayer. Which comes in the moment. When our minds. Have our limits. Teach me stillness. Has the grasses are stilled with light. Earth. Teach me suffering. Has old stone suffer with memory. Earth. Teach me caring. As parents who secure their young. Earth. Teach me courage. At the tree. Which. Stands alone. Teach me limitation. Has the ant. What crawls on the ground. Howarth. Teach me freedom. Has the eagle which stores in the sky. Dear earth. Teach me resignation. As the leaves which die in the fall. Dear earth. Teach me regeneration. Has the seed. Which rises. In the spring. Everything we remember. All that we know. And experience. Is in our living matrix. What the earth. And as we yearn. For gaia. We desire our deepest bean. Are most sustaining source. We yearn to come home to our places of return. In so doing. We are made whole.

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871.mp3

It was the morning of september 11th 2001. And i was working in the us senate on capitol hill. After several chaotic hours and the fear that a third plane was headed to the capitol. We were ordered to evacuate the building. Once outside everyone decided it was best to head home. I nervously walk with the crowds towards union station but union station was being evacuated so there was no sense trying to take the metro. The streets were filled with cars in the sidewalks were filled with people so i decided to start walking home 8 miles. I followed massachusetts avenue. Once past dupont circle i came to the islamic center at rock creek park. And i did something completely unexpected. I turned and i spit at the center. My actions were spotless. Visceral. It was the raw human instinct. The categories. To last out. An instinctive way to respond to a frightening situation. And a group of individuals who am i viewed in mass as the enemy even though i knew better. But i'm 9/11 i had never had a personal relationship with him loose one. My image of muslims with what i saw on television in the newspaper. And almost all of that was mysterious at best and negative it worse. The hive the burqa the destruction of the buddhist figures the buddha figures and by the taliban. The stoning of women the incidents of terrorism around the world those were the images i had islam. I didn't think about the fact that there are over two million. Muslims living perfectly peaceful lives in the united states are there that are that there are 1/4 of the world population is muslim. And i haven't read very much about the muslim religion are who muhammad was. Since 9/11 islam has become a major factor in all of our lives. And we've had the opportunity to learn more about it. It's been a journey for me ever since. I've been exposed to many novels. Films in-depth articles written involving muslim people and countries. They're been conversations with friends and coworkers. Some of whom have lived in muslim countries. And. And it's life-changing for me. There were the world-changing and timmy horrifying photos. It appeared in april 2004. Depicting the. Complete dehumanization of the detainees at abu ghraib. It terrified me. That our country out of fear and mania. Could resort to the illegal and immoral use of torture. And it terrified me to see the real life consequence. Of categorizing up people as the enemy. Not like us. The other. I am convinced. They had the detainees not an arab or muslim we never would have considered using torture. The images from abu ghraib and the accompanying revelations of the conditions there galvanized many of us in this congregation to speak out against the use of torture. Through a series of events i became part of a national multi-faith effort to end the use of torture by the united states. It's called the national-religious campaign against torture. River road uua and the uusc i am proud to say our three of our over 300 member organizations. My work with one of the campaigns founding members islamic society of north america. Which is a 45 year-old organization made up of about over 100,000 muslims members. Has been particularly in richmond for me. I have learned that those muslims who are americans love this country. Deeply in the human rights. Charity. Family respect. And concern for their fellow human beings. They are deeply religious. And disciplined. I have learned that our core at our core we speak the same language and share the same values. We all agree on the fundamental importance of honoring the inherent worth and dignity of all people. As leaders from the national religious campaign against torture recently wrote. Far from a radicalized friend group. Muslims are woven into the american tapestry. They service teachers factory workers doctors lawyers social service volunteers and loving parents. They serve in the military in the fbi and police forces in in fire department. And many have given their lives for our country. Yes they are like us. And like us they too are afraid. But they are afraid that they will be victims of anti-muslim bigotry in the united states. The growing incidence of such bigotry cause the national-religious campaign against torture to join other religious leaders at a gathering in washington dc in september of last year. Those leaders issued a statement of solidarity with the muslim american community. And it was carried by newspapers and brought news broadcast across the country. They laid later agreed to form a permanent organization called shoulder-to-shoulder. Shoulder-to-shoulder call them religious leaders of all faiths to stand together quote and denounce categorically. Derision misinformation or outright bigotry directed against any religious group in the united states. Silence they say is not an option. It's been nine and a half years since my long walk home on 9/11. And my actions before the islamic center. I continue to wrestle with my own response to islam. To my prejudices my ignorance in my anger. I still rail against the abuses of women in afghanistan against the suicide bombers against muslims who claim there is only allah and all other religions are false. And the muslims i know. I've come to know. Field just as i do about the extremist. But they also worry that their friends neighbors and co-workers who are not muslim. Will confuse the two like i did on 9/11. So they are uneasy. And many of them are simply afraid. As the faith leaders said in their statement to the nation's silence is not an option. And i'd like to think it's not an option for us at river road either. I think about my own ignorance in my lack of connection to the muslim community prior to 9/11 and how i've benefited from the connections i've made since then. Weather on an individual basis. Ouran as a religious community. We need to engage with the muslims living and worshiping in our area on a personal level. To build communication and connection and to create an opportunity to show that we care. I'm hoping it river road will find some way to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our muslim neighbors in montgomery county. Just as we do with our jewish neighbors. Abeth high. And with our insight buddhist neighbors who meet here every wednesday. And with our bradley presbyterian neighbors in our shared campaign to support those living with aids. At the unitarian universalist i feel called as we are all called. To be always trying to learn and to seek the truth. To speak up for the worth and dignity of every person and to be vigilant. With respect to our own prejudices. The times in which we live require us to educate ourselves about our fellow muslims. And engage with them on a person-to-person basis. So we can attain a deeper understanding of their situation. If martin luther king reminds us. Our lives begin to end the day we remain silent. About things that matter. Freeing ourselves from fear. Through education and connections matters. And making our country safe and hospitable. For the muslims who call this nation home. Matters. Please stand as you're able and join us in singing him 170. We are a gentle angry people.

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1846.mp3

Laugh. Bring a couple of my friends. The reverend scott and anya similar michael cuz i hang out with a lot of reverend. Couple of my friends they took a trip. To the holy land. To those embattled sacred sites. So close to the detonation point of rockets and spray of gunfire this very day. As a part of their trip. My friends took a tour that went deep down underneath the foundations of the western wall. It's the last remaining piece of herod's great temple on the temple mount in jerusalem is so many of you know and those foundation stones of the western wall are dug deep. Into that ancient earth. Carved into what was once a sloping hillsides a place that's now riddled with honeycombs of holes. Archaeological dig. Military incursions over the years. We went down on this tour down to the very. Bottom of the foundation stones and they ran their hands. Along those giant blocks. I've been so many of you have seen them i've seen them and it's unbelievable how they ever got there. Enormous block transported by labour and love and obligation. To that place. Planted so deeply. Set another time nor history nor even war is likely to ever move them. And when they were down underground on this tour my friends were looking upward at the stones of the temple and they knew that the living city pulse up above their heads. The market stalls in the cramped streets in the baker's carts clattered and twisted and shouted. And it was into this blessed cacophony. That they rose up at the end of their tour from the deep. Silence and calm of that underground place up into the cacophony of the city. Haven't seen the stones of the wall and press. Prayers into the crevices and seen the hopes of 1,000 people crowded into the stone. It must have been jarring to come up again into the hurry in the noise. City streets. Because apparently. At the very end of the underground tour of the western wall it turns out that you are dumped right smack into the middle of the muslim quarter of the old city of jerusalem. The loudest. Colorful most jam-packed place in the whole city where vendors trip over each other and smell from around the world assault your senses. From that underground place. Is what they emerged. And my friend on your rights that has they ascended to this place of daylight and hustle and bustle and noise. The tour guide spoke loudly above the din of the crowd. She said. We usually have armed guards. To take us back to the jewish quarter. But they aren't here. And i don't know why. I need to go back to lead another tour she said. Will you go with me. The following description is in anya's word she says. Aurgroup mumble descent and stepped forward. Now hyper-alert. With a train date. Group members kept their loved ones close with feverish vigilance. I lagged behind for a moment and a couple behind me scampered in. Leaving me to send i suppose. For myself. When i slowed my pace to take a picture of a salesman in the twisting alleyway my father reminded me keep up with the group. And a jointed forward. Looking around. My husband reminded me. We're safe. The same streets we walked yesterday. We're not in danger we took a picture here less than twenty-four hours ago. Just our family. No guard. I turned to him. What happened. We not remember. Not remember these streets how did we all forget did one word from our tour guide with us from our peace. Gar. And we all were suddenly strangers. And the shots alien. And the salesman foe. We walked on in army like formation while under our feet and aching distance down that old wall persisted no longer the wall to a city no longer the barricade no longer the last resort the edge of safety. Assad. Listing its ancient hands in prayer. What happened. One word. With all it took. To make formerly beautiful streets feel threatening. What word was all it took to form the people of that tourist group into a tight marching formations clustered for protection against the surrounding forests of the other. Guards. We usually have gar. That's all that you were god had said. And it was enough to make the boundary between us and them crystal clear the dividing line established an unbending for all to see. And the tourists marched on. Afraid. Weird yesterday they had merely been shoppers snapping pictures on a busy. What is that about. Context. It's about it's about the framing of any given moment in life in a particular way that shuts us down that marches us through that gathers the truth. And then ultimately load the guns. That one word. Guards. Or garden. Or any of the other contexts or danger to change it all to a degree that we suddenly measure our safety and our well-being. By the degree to which we can remain separated and safe. From whoever. We consider the other. When confronted with such a framing. Turn the corner to fear. Once abundant world. Becomes riddled with scarcity. A place where we could not walk and laugh just yesterday becomes a landscape we must endure unscathed. Not just because i am preaching about peace doesn't mean. But i am going to propose some grand solutions to the current crisis in the middle east. There are plenty of you in this room who have more intelligent things to say about that and i do. And i do not think weekly manufactured quarter baked solutions to geopolitical crises really belongings armin's anyway. But i will say this. And i think it has everything to do with the middle east. And peaceful in the world in our hearts. And here i think is my point for today so this is all you listen to. Reality tells me that there are things in this world which are really truly scares. And my face tells me there are forces in this world which are truly. Unabashedly. Lavishly abundance. And in times of war and hardness of heart in general we tend to get all confused about which is which. It doesn't take much to convince us. Bitlife. Or beauty is at risk. 1 words. The right kind of frame. Guards rocket. Guns that's all we need and suddenly we've gotten ourselves all confused about what is abundance and what is truly limited in this precious world. In the middle east right now. Landis terrace. In some environments water is scarce there is only one temple mount so it is by nature a scarce resource we don't have several of them hanging around. All of these things are very definitely and factually in short supply and wednesdays are in short supply people have conflict in order to safeguard and procure those resources for themselves. Not a radical concept. Resources land water place. All of those things. If negotiated around in a rational way could be managed with on sibley all of those things if they were really what we were fighting over could be allocated and disperse. A man is with a great economic. An environmental minds of ra. The problem is. If these real-life scarce resources aren't really what we're fighting over. They aren't really what people die to protect. Instead we pick up the guns. To defend concepts like freedom. Ideal like love. The identities about racial ethnic and religious tribe. We treat these resources. Resources of raw. Life. Freedom of home we treat these abundant resources as if they themselves are in short supply as if my freedom is contingent upon your oppression and the degree of love and safety you know the creases in kind the degree of love and safeties leftover for my precious children. And it is when we mistake these truly abundant resources for scarce commodities that we tip over the edge. And peace becomes an ever more distant possibility. Native american anti-violence advocate and really smith says. At the great tragedy of our culture. Is that self-determination among us. Is always over and against somebody else's oppression. Politically we behave as if love and life and freedom were in short supply and we structure our lives to protect these resources and hold them close. Left some other tribe of some other people. Gather them together for their own. Smith called this approach machismo approach to self-determination. Dipta. And get what you need because there ain't enough to go around storm the castle if you need to capture the generals and fire your weapon 5 because you have got to get while the getting is good. The movies reflections into a different sphere to bring it home let's call to mind the anxiety produced among some in the wake of obama's win in november. The first words that come out of the mouths of many pundits were mournful and even angry statements that white men were no longer the primary mover in our political process. Has bill o'reilly said the white establishment is now the minority. And one could almost see the grief. Glistening behind his clouded eyes. I sense that whatever power it is in this world it is scarce. And his tribe. The white establishment. With losing it. What emerged in those moments wasn't so much anxiety. Outright fear. Set a particular tribal culture in our society with losing its grip on the stairs for source of power. And i've seen what happened. When that kind of grief sets in. When that kind of scarcity transforms itself into fear. In such circumstances safety is hoarded. Well-being is presumed to be scared and existence itself is somehow managed and contained as if we were approaching 40 years of drought. And everybody had to get their own. You heard me say earlier. That there are actual scarce resources in this world. Tell us that. And my face. My face in the human spirit faith in life itself tells me there are also forces in this world which are truly unabashedly lavishly abundance. Nothing stingy about love. Frugal about blessedness. And this is an act of faith to believe that anything is so lavishly abundance. So truly blessed. There is more than enough to go around more than enough. And we do not have to be afraid. More than enough. So much that in fact it won't hurt. To give it away to flaunt it to cass is about like 10 he's from heaven there is more than enough existence to go around so why should we fight about the right of nations to exist as it as if existence itself is in short supply. There's more than enough love to go around so much in fact. Set the more i offer the more i received there is more than enough power to go around so much that if we share it we are all less alone. And yet sometimes miss world. We only believe in scarcity. And we only believe in competition. As if that's the only reality. As if every single thing we have even loved. Should somehow be hoarded. At the expense of another. And it's not just wore that happens when we live this lie of ultimate scarcity. It's not just somewhere off in the distant near east at a cost of blood and sorrow is paid. It's also here in our own hearts. For the assumption of scarcity drives us to fight even against our own well-being. And gather up treasures of love and care as if they will fade away the moment are hoarding. Peaceful heart. Is one that knows you have everything you shall ever need right here. And there is no cause for anxious. Grasping. A song like stillwater that draws others toward it is never fearful that your love is my loss. Your power is my undoing that your laughter is a reason for my tears. And i know we're all good people we all get that. That love is abundant in your love doesn't cost me mine i know we get it in our brains. But even the best of us don't always feel it. Even the best of us look around and feel the stinging bite of fear from time-to-time wondering if you can be so very very happy and there can still be enough for me at the end of the day. We begin to conceptualize. That there is enough existence enough blessedness enough holiness to go around. But it is so. Difficult for us to see that in our own hearts. Our own homes. Can you see really see. But there is enough love to go around at your own dinner table. When you sit with your somewhat critical mother and she describes once again the inadequacies of your haircut can you see the abundance of the love that is available to you even so. When your husband seems to love the hockey game more than you or your daughter tells you as mine actually does mommy stop freaking out. Can you find in those moments. The piece that comes with knowing there is abundance here. Enough of everything we really need. All the love. This world must have. Feel itself in our broken heart. The great theologian parker palmer said everything i'm saying better. When he wrote these words. Daily i am astonished. At how readily i believe that something i need is in short supply. If i cord possessions that is because i believe there are not enough to go around if i struggle with others overpower it's because i believe the power is limited. If i become jealous and relationships is because i believe that when you eat too much shortchanged. The ironing often tragic. Is that up by embracing. The steel city assumption we create the scarcities we fear. We create scarcity by fearfully accepting it as law. And by completing with others for resources as if we are stranded in the sahara in search of an oasis. In the human world abundance does not happen easily. What are the scarce resources money or love or power or words the true law of life is that we generate more of whatever seems there's by trusting it's supply and passing it around. Authentic abundance. Does not lie and secured stockpiles of food or cash or influence or affection. Budding belonging to a community where we can give those good to others who need them. Here is a summertime truth. Abundance is a communal act. The joint creation. Of an incredibly complex ecology in which every part functions on behalf of the whole. And in return is sustained by the whole. Community. Doesn't just create abundance. Community is. Abundance. And so let us be abundance. For one another. Let us remind ourselves that some things in this world are actually not scared. Lavished and expansive. Maybe believe once again that love is not. And that blessedness is not frugal. And that there is and has always been enough. Of what we really need. For us. And for all create. Are him is number 392 i invite you to ride.

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2283.mp3

And now for that this congregation. Was built. Make room. For children and youth. There wasn't enough room at cedar lane unitarian universalist congregation so some of the people there started this congregation. And when i started to be a minister i took all the courses retire for a minister and all the courses required to be administered religious education and then i had to decide what i wanted to declare myself to be. And i decided. That i wanted to be. A minister of religious education. I wanted to stand. With people. Who knew that learning but the life and activity. We do it all our lives. I wanted to stand with children and youth and the people who worked with them. I wanted people to understand the importance. Children spirituality and their ministry. I wanted. Tubi. I wanted us and to be working. You know. Religious community. And i'm reminded. Buy some new words. From garrison keillor. When i think of this. You have children. The fun to hang out with. More fundamental. If you have one available right there on the front of it. Caring about the world. Caring about the world doesn't begin with fear. It doesn't begin with the display of piety. Morbidity. With fascination with beautiful things that are near at hand. Unreliable. Almost like little critters the cartoon. Walk off the edge of a cliff but do not fall. Love story. It's for our children and you. Quinn by this to reflect on our history so we can share it. And to carry on into the future cuz that's where they're going. And. Remind us again and again. Of the ordinarily sacred. In our lives. So as you put that fifth stone back in your bag. Hold the bag hold the whole bag and feel its softness. On its surface. He pulled the strings tightly. Think of it. Has a bag of love. Which holds these sacred stones. It is love that holds all these stones. In fact. Everything. And then you can if things fall out. Love can gather them back up again.

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1981.mp3

National women's spirituality conference. In minneapolis. This was a conference inviting women from around the world to share their religious traditions. Has women of the world. During the opening ceremony we offered a prayer of supplication. To sophia. A word in early christianity coming from. Ancient near east wisdom literature. Demean. Wisdom. Or the feminine face of god. We ask for wisdom or an awareness of the divine within each of us. We were women calling forth. Foreknowledge of what was to be what it was to be a woman. And to know the sacred. The holy. Had we been asked to define what sofia meant to us. We could never have come to consensus. The evening provided an experience of wholeness. Rarely known by most of us. And perhaps. That was what made it's so dangerous. The next morning in the minneapolis star-tribune. There was a story that many protestant denominations were recalling their women delegates to the conference. It seems their women had been praying to sophia. An ancient near east goddess. And dust desecrating the image of god. Some women left. For a grounding of centering in a celebration of their wisdom their faith. And their commonality with women throughout the world. There are five books of the hebrew and protestant bibles 7 in the catholic bible. Call the wisdom books. They don't tell history of the people i've did the books of the bible that precede them. Instead. They fall into the category of ancient near east wisdom literature. Genre of writing that spoke assault focuses on the existential question. About god. Humanity. Creation. And the nature of. Evil and suffering. Wisdom literature could take the form of short memorable insides. Has the book of proverbs which you just heard this morning. Or a dialogue as you would find in the book of job what y'all been jobs friends and god engage in a conversation that teaches. And then lightens the reader. Wisdom literature was produced in several different cultures in the ancient near east. But by far the best we westerners now. Are those that are found. They have found their way into the bible canon. Joe. Psalms. Proverbs. Ecclesiastes. Song of songs. About the same time i was attending that conference. I was teaching children a david pomeranz song that i had heard john denver and the muppets singing. It's in everyone of us. To be wise.

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3871.mp3

Lordy nancy meyer. You know that. The bunker hill monument. It stands there in charlestown. 21 ft high. Overlooking the heart of revolutionary boston and facts staring resolutely right into the face. A revolutionary boston. After the devastation of the revolutionary war that surrounding area in charlestown if built up with these grand townhomes amid the rolling pastures. It became home to the moneyed and influential sons of the revolution. Known to history of the boston brahmins. Of course in time that area became largely immigrant and working-class but in those formative years when people decided how to tell their history. It was an enclave of the best stock of boston society in fact first and foremost among the most influential unitarians and america came from those same boston brahmin. And it was those sons and daughters of the revolutionary generation who first told the story the lexington and concord and indeed the story. Bunker hill itself. The most bloody and devastating battle in the fight for independence. Perhaps heard those stories of some of them. Boston was held by the british and the patriots from the neighboring town stole away in the dark of night to fortify bunker hill against all odds to hold that high promontory overlooking the occupied city. And because the rebel army was scraping by without adequate reinforcements and were wildly low on everything they needed including food and ammunition. Commander ground and told them to conserve their shot and hold their fire. Colonel israel putnam. Is quoted as saying. Don't fire till you see the white. Of their eye. Bright. And the british came. Short-order thereafter the redcoats finally packed it up and left their occupation of boston. Still honored in new england today as evacuation day and at least when my husband was a kid. Even got out of school for it. Brahmins didn't tell. The story of their ancestors that they didn't perpetuates was way more complicated and way more bizarre. Like almost every great american story the facts on the ground make matters murkier than the symphonies in the fireworks and the remembrances invite us to recall. The real stories are both worse and better almost every time you look at american history. Amor real. There's actually more to learn from. In the truth. Bunker hill. The battle itself with nothing more or less than a close-quarters dogfight obscured by the p thick fog of war. It was a seething standoff between courageous. But horribly ill-prepared american forces. And the british army who simply did not know how to respond to an enemy as chaotic as disorganized and as ultimately baffling can bafflingly confusing as the american patriots were. There was then. Perhaps not now but there was. Way to fight. There was a way to have a war. Among gentlemen. And regimen. Divided into marching lines and clear on who fired win and at what the british had drilled not just for generations but for hundreds of years in the structured and honorable military engagement. Attorney horowitz has written. The redcoats who occupied boston war among the best trained troops in europe. And they were led by seasoned commanders. One of who marched confidently at the head of his men accompanied by a servant carrying a bottle of good wine. The americans meanwhile we're at the time little more than an under under armed and little train collection of local militias. It would be 3 months. Before their aristocratic dandy of a commander named george washington would arrive. And find himself utterly at a loss about how to turn this ragtag locked into an actual army. So when the battle horns begin to sound at bunker hill they were not just patriots there in tri-cornered hats waving flag the revolution there were children and there were farmers on those breastworks. They followed little or no real command of the whole. And their courage was born not just from the fire in their bellies for freedom nor the strategic plan they were all united in follow ways but from the promise of their imminent demise. Indeed there have been a plan. Originally. Sort of. Some of the bravest and the most reckless of the rebels were in fact charged with sneaking through the dark of night mounting the highest point outside the city the peak of bunker hill and building their the middle of the night. An earthen fortification. Ready to greet the british in the morning. And take them by surprise when they woke. Of course those brave american patriots did sneak away in the dark knight. And they did fortify a hill. It was unfortunately. Very much. After all. We're not a little drunk. And who can tell one he'll from another in such circumstances and so they sent that fabled night not only building the money fortifications from which they would fight but drinking the last of their rum and fighting about which among them was more likely to be a traitor. I'm in the morning when everybody woke up it wasn't just the british who were surprised it was the americans to. Accidentally fortified not bunker hill the highest point in the surrounding area which was also well outside the range of british cannon. But breathe. A significantly lower. I'm closer in hill. Directly within a reasonably easy shot in the world. We're on the wrong damn hill. And they could see the whites of the enemy's eyes not because they were so brave because they had fortified hill so close to the british lines that they could very nearly be picked off with musket fire from right where they stood. Everything about that battle from there on out. With nothing short of baffling. To everyone. On both sides. Impossible from the outset to hold that hill and so it was a lost for the american army in a pyrrhic victory at best for the british. Who proclaims that they had paid too high a price for that mound of dirt. Leaving 1054 british troops dad lying there as someone said. As thick as a sheet. Enfold. It all happened not on bunker hill as planned and as tourist history still reports but on adjacent breed's hill. And that strategic error on the americans part drove that battle to the bloodiest possible conclusion. Today. If you google. Bunker hill charlestown. Everywhere we need to go to that 220-foot monument still standing today on the wrong hill emblazoned with courageous quotes that no one really ironed. The real bunker hill. The one they didn't fortify is still there. It's crowned not with a monument but with an old shirts people. It is in fact incredibly difficult to manage the wind e1 way boston streets that lead up to it and one historian nathaniel philbrick has written it is a pity the americans didn't actually fortify this hill because the british would never have found it. The whole thing was a screw-up he goes on. Angel that forces the fight no one planned the battle itself is an ugly and confused mess and it ends with a british victory that is also a defeat. And yet the story. Much much less interesting than the truth. Story that remains in common currency as we celebrate the patriotic history of these united states. Are always. Or at least almost always. Not just the courageous ones but the smart ones and the heroes of every story. You know how almost all of us curate our personalities on facebook. We put the good pictures. We don't put the ones with the double chins or the like bags under our eyes we put the good ones. We do the same for american history. We curate it to show its very best bass. Shining a light on the best of ourselves and conveniently forgetting the worst or most confusing parts. And this is never more true than on independence day. Remember that revolutionary generation that the sort of caricature of themselves and imagine that they would most certainly approve of whatever our own interpretation of their deeds and ideals might be. The stories we tell. Are designed to structure our thinking our memories. And our self-understanding in a particular way. We make and remake history in our talons of it. Creating not just a recitation of facts. Narrative it's an imagined land. That we today are meant to emulate. And to promote. And yet stories with an unblemished heroic arc. Stories where there is no real complexity stories with no failure no teeth that bite. Lessons to teach are perhaps not the kind of stories that will shape us into the people we need to be. As a power. A welshman who became one of the greatest exponents of a new american patriotism preached. It is not because we inhabit a certain geographical area. But because we inherit a certain exceedingly significant history. That we are american. The history which cannot be interpreted without unfolding a meaning and a purpose. But it's faithful to the entire human race. And stories that sanitize the truth of life. Or national pride. Or own circumstances are shallow stories in the end. Like so many empty calories that do not nourish that do not unfold into meaning and purpose for human living. The real story challenges. Finding our strength in the living of the complexity and not the whitewashing of it and yes i use that word whitewashing. With grade intentionality. Just last week. Association general assembly in portland the reverend allison miller talked about this power of how we tell our story. She said that we are called to restore er tradition by extension even our nation's to read story ourselves to tell life-giving challenging honest stories about ourselves in the world. I need it she told some of her own story. As a teenager. Cancer that resulted in scarring along her left arm and difficulty opening her cuffed hand on that side. She carried those scars with her. Drew seminary and into hospital chaplaincy where she served. Of course in chaplaincy as an any ministry as an any healing comforting presence you reach out your hands. You reach out your hands and blessing or accompaniment you reach out your hands to touch people to be with them where they are and allison said that for years and years she was careful not to reach out. With what she saw as her bad hand but only to reach out. With what she understood to be her good side. For unscarred whole right arm to extend the good ones to put the unscarred part of her forward. Until one day after all those years she finally met a woman suffering with the same cancer that had almost killed her and for the first time she reached out. With her left hand. She extended not just the curated seemingly perfect part of herself but the whole of her cell. And if she preached last week she raised up that left arm. Guard-one. The one that for the real story and she said this. Is my good arm. Because that was where her compassion came from. And that was where her ministry came from and that was where the truth of her life resided she told a new story about herself and her personal history that gave her power. And change the way she interacted with the world. The stories we tell matter. We are made in some sansome image of our own stories. And to tell an american story is a narrative of unflinching and unbroken heroism while ironing over the rough spots to tell ourselves that is impossible. To be transformed by our failures. And to be informed by our suffering. After all. A cynthia chain wrote recently in the huffington post. Even our very best moments. Even the 14th amendment was hardly the pure and lofty product of a nation seeking to define itself as a shining example to the world. Instead the fourteenth amendment. The notion that the state so due process and equal protection to all of their citizens was the product of the civil war it was the product of a nation eating itself alive over questions of race and that's why it comes right after the 13th amendment's prohibition of slavery. The 14th is a constitutional backstop. And attempt to ensure the confederate states could not re-enact slavery by alternative means. And yet born of that difficult. traumatic that horrible story it was the 14th that guided the way. For the supreme court to rule in favor of same-sex marriage this week. We are not built on the backs of our forebears heroism alone. Their treachery. And their responsiveness in fits and starts to all of the above. And it's bat country. Story of failure and renewal and beginning again that fuels the fire of a true and lasting patriotism in our country. I have learned a thing or two about patriotism. By being a minister in this congregation. I have preached eulogies for more patriots in this pulpit. Then i could even name. In fact i'll do it again next sunday. When we remember bob benson in the service complete with a boy scout honor guard carrying the flag right up that aisle. Right there. Alongside his persistent and gentle pride in the freedoms of this country stands so many others here among us. Whose primary identity was of course to love those nearest them but hot-on-the-heels of that was the patriotism that define them and goaded them into action. In fact i have a growing collection of memoirs and books. Deceased members of this congregation who spent the final years of their lives writing about how to make this nation better. More capable of living into her values. It happens over and over again. Precious men who have lived their lives in service to this country die. I show up as the minister to pastor to the family and collect my book. I gather that book full of solution to all of this country's problems and i read it with amazement at the richness of that life and walk away more hole for this year patriotic fervor. Those among us. And yet the patriotism of our men and women who have passed. Is never an uncritical patriotism. Aware. Adaptive. Always questioning and ready to learn. Never maudlin or purple. And their praise. As adam gualdo has said history is neither a political fable in which all the brothers are valiant and all the sisters virtuous. Nor is it a tabloid expose full of crimes and follies signifying nothing but victimization. Our history is neither is grand and heroic as we make it out to be. Norm's broken and morally bankrupt as it often feels. Indeed our history as a nation is every bit as complicated as our lives. And while we are tempted at times to take our historical figures and knock them down a few notches. Contemporary prateek of all the jingoistic patriotism around us. They're still opposed to tell the story in a way that brings us into our very best. Glozell going to say. I admitted classic delight in unveiling the frailties of our jefferson than even our lincoln's. But the delight turns malevolent when it served only to strip the american past of anything remarkable or exceptional at all. Or when it demeans or discourages civic engagement and confidence in this our shared endeavor. Without criticism has no head. And criticism without patriotism has no heart. Stories of our nation that call to mind not only heroism. But unbridled dominion and domination. Their stories of power that obscure the pain and then there are stories filled with greatness and failure. And we need those stories. Stories worthy of our nation's best best ideal. Call us not just to revere the path but to learn from it. And be changed in challenged by it. An even bunker hill. That strategic disaster. Bumbling chaos. Evacuation of boston and eventually the freedoms we even that story. To tell it not in the sanitized version but for the complicated truth of it invites us to a different kind of pride in those revolutionary days. Because maybe. Error in the dark of night fueled by ramen and fear paradoxically really was what one the day. Maybe not knowing what we were doing paid off. Maybe our strategic failure resulted ultimately in our victory. Not the smartest move certainly. And not what any strategist would have planned but a blatant provocation by a ragtag bunch without a whole lot of remaining options. And so they stood there. I'm not mound of dirt. Foolish. But bold. And they confuse the enemy so thoroughly that they drew them out of the safe walls of the city and out into that last-ditch battleground and the whole conflagration. Force the british to ask just how much they wanted to put themselves through. In order to hold that muddy peninsula. Anytime perhaps that failure even turned the tide of war. Even through the law. In the foolishness. Hemisphere. And it's hot those earliest americans that almost anything was possible. Not just in spite of but also because of. Their failure. And so. But the flag fly for honest patriotism. Born of tears and injustice and glory and courage alike. So that we may come to see ourselves not as inheritors of some perfectly heroic legacy sealed for time. In the constitutional writ. A complex and vibrant story. With lessons to teach. At every turn.

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4133.mp3

Of all things is our theme for this month. And our story speaks of peace but it also speaks of war of the aftermath of violence. Stories about a year in advance. And i actually remember a year ago. Sitting back there in my office with gabrielle and louise and cliff our staff team. As we plan the stories. And the lessons that we would share in our religious education program this year and i remember at some point in that meeting a year ago i said. Is anyone else worried that most of our stories for 2015 seemed a bit heavy. Is anyone else worried that the stories were telling to and with our children and you threw a bit i don't know. Sirius i said. Another two-point back to war or the how we cope with violence and hope that's only born out of death should we be lightening up a bit i wondered less her oshima in sarajevo more simple gifts and go light maybe. And here we are with the themes destefanis. And the painful truth that i was totally wrong. Because none of our stories. No matter how painful how poignant or serious or heavy none of our teaching stories we curate for our children are serious. Or as heavier is painful or as poignant as the actual world we are living in these days. And nothing we can do no amount of tinsel and light and avoiding the conversation can utterly sure. shield our children from the reality of this world. And the work that is there just as much of our as ours of building hope out of destruction. This is the world they live in. The only world they have ever known and if we are to teach peace in this world. We must. Teach first about how to handle heartbreak. This is their world in hours. This world with lockdown drills and bulletproof blankets in preschools. The echoes are national memories of 1962 when we crouched beneath our desk. As if formica writing services would save us from a cuban missile. This world is familiar and yet ever new. As is this fear we live in. I am not sure it is even possible to tell stories of hope and lost and heartbreaks that are too serious for our children and our grandchildren and our families because our kids are living a story more serious. Then i ever could have imagined. Beyonce violence in our world are not abstractions to be talked around or glossed over. They are the very substance of our lives. And this is a fact that i know not so much from my own experience but because all of you have taught me that. And so today we speak not in some inkling christmas sort of way but from a place deep down in our guts where we don't just pray for peace or urine for peace but beg for peace and cry real tears of it try to remember what it feels like try to find enough faith to put hope into practice all over again and here you are. Global citizens nonprofit managers and journalists and teachers and bus drivers people who gathered here after the pentagon started burning and the d.c. snipers aimed their guns and the navy yard lockdown. You perhaps more than most understand that this violence of our world is not abstract because you have lived. And so you do not need bromides. Or empty blessings. Any more than our children do. The reason to become man to remain faithful. Do i hope that will not let you go. Even in the face of it all. And if i cannot provide such a reason you can. Provide that reason for each other. From the depth of your own stories in the breadth of your own faith you can provide that hope for one another. Just before thanksgiving. I got a quick message from joanne husky. One of our lay worship leaders and a friend to so many of you. Inviting me into a conversation about this team we were getting ready to approach of peace. Set with something she had a special interest in then as i read blinking on my email screen the fact that she herself is a survivor of terrorism. Indeed she is. Married to jim of course. A diplomat. And herself as she has said a diplomat spouse and dustin unofficial diplomat in her own right. Jim and joanne and their family have been all over the world. At the very threshold of history's turning time and time again. And they were there in kenya. On august 7th 1998 when a man who's named most of us did not yet know. A man named osama bin laden play some phone calls. An ordered the bombing of the us embassy in niles nairobi. In fact they were in the building that day. I'm working away at the embassy joanne and two of her kids. In the medical clinic on the lowest level near the parking garage where the bombs went off. And when the unimaginable happened. And the walls caved in. And the rubble rained down. Joanne literally. Crawled out. She crawled out of that crumbling building toward the light at the end of a crumbling tunnel of fire and stones with her children clinging to her shirt tales. Crawled out and ran out and somehow they found each other and they survived when so many many others did not. So i sit there a few weeks ago across the table from joann. She told the story i sit there sipping coffee with mariah breath between the horror and the hope and she tells me that she was afraid but then again she was too busy to dwell on it because after all you have to do something don't you have to do something she said. She would not be the frightened little western diplomats wife crying into the camera. Not then. Not ever. And the miracle of it is that she found her calling. In the midst of that rubble-strewn path. She found a greater courage after literally crawling through the fire. And with not a glimmer of cynicism whatsoever. She can look at anyone of you and tell you what she believes. Which is that if we all work together she says. Nothing they do can defeat us. It just. And she means. With her whole life she means it. After the bombing she established a fund to provide aid medical care to the kenyan victims of the attack. Because she been cross-cultural trainer for years she came home just before 911 and founded a nonprofit that has trained over 700 young women from 70 nations and leadership skills. Through her work she's created opportunities on four continents for cross-continental connection and learning among young women who actually have the capacity to build the world a new. Organizing computer training fundraising what joanne does has the power to create change when we need it the most it rippled out one girl at a time not just here but all over the world i could go on and on you must google your friend joanne and find out what a treasure is among us. What she's done. Is almost as impressive as who she is. Good lord to see what one person is capable of. What i really want to know to the parable for us all amid all the difference that she and her family has made is not so much for stealing her accomplishment and her courage but her faithfulness. Are on the flag and faithfulness. The crossing boundaries of culture and faith and nationality crossing boundaries amid divided people her faithfulness at this boundary-crossing has the power to save us all she believes in the power of the human endeavor she has faced that making a difference isn't a pipe dream. To the rippling cause of greater peace. And to my astonishment my utter astonishment and humbling glory her survival in the face of the worst. Only serve to strengthen her faith. Rather than to a wrote it. Wow. I've read the headlines myself. I read the headlines and i can barely maintain my faith in my nation and my fellow human being. She crawled through flame and comes out ready to believe all over again that a different world is possible. And well that faith is astonishing. It isn't unreasonable. Perfect in the ripple effect of one person who changes the life of another who changes the life of another and on and on until the critical mass of us break down the system of oppression. She doesn't hold it for no reason. Because hope like fear can function as a sort of social contagion can't it. We can be infected with the possibility of peace we can pass the term of change on from one person to another and another and there is plenty of literature out there to support the idea that one person incrementally a bit of it at a time can influence all system around them. Granted. Most of the literature about our influence on each other exists. To support the social contagion of violence. How violence spread from one person to another to another. Yet we are influenced by our culture in ways that are both both mysterious and profound. This life of ours is a social process. And what we do impacts and influences all of our network of connections it's because for better and for ill we are made and remade by the influences we encounter everyday. School shootings in math violence such as we experience them today they do not have to happen. Terrorism is not a shear inevitability. The kind of violence we experienced today especially the mass shootings in fact essentially a modern phenomenon and school shootings particularly are predominantly american one. Malcolm gladwell has said that the rise of this particular kind of violence is like a slow-motion riot. A social process driven by thresholds of social pressure. She says. Have a different social threshold the number of people who need to be doing a thing before we agree to join in. He goes on to draw from historical social science research to say that some very few people very few people with the lowest threshold of all will put a rock through window at the slightest provocation. The greater number who will throw a rock only if someone else goes first. There is a person who would never break windows unless they were three people in front of them already doing it and on and on and on to the hundredth degree social contagion person by person a slow-motion riot of violence burning our nation alive. Violence can be contagious. Impact of our influence to give rise to that slow motion riot ten it not also give rise to a slow-motion sweep of reconciliation if one person's qualms are overcome by two ahead of them throwing stones together could that same persons apathy not the overcome by those same two people ahead of them gathering stones together to build a new world. In our story today one man played the cello. Outside of a bombed-out breadline. He played that day and he for each of 22 days. And people around the world not only heard the music but we're infected by his hope. They caught the contagion of his courage and all over the world people play the cello and raise the money and did the work. And joanne crawled out of that rubble. And more than 700 girls and young women are changing the world because of what she started. Thousands upon thousands are changed by them. And on and on and on there is reason to be faithful. Which is not to say that being faithful to the possibility of peace is easy. In fact just this week i gathered along 70 alongside 70 or so other clergy leaders from all around the region and every faith tradition to speak out. And to demand action from congress to address the epidemic of gun violence in this country. We were asking among other things for common-sense measures on a national level to curb the accessibility of assault weapons. But serve no purpose but for people to kill people. I do not believe that is asking too much. And yet that same day congress passed legislation making it even easier to get guns. And if some of us gathered around here in the same words over and over again come out of our own mouth. We had something of a heated debate among us. A debate over whether the latest shooting in san bernardino would actually mark a turning point. In our national conversation about guns. Would this horrific incident finally be the one that pushes us to change we debated and some of my colleagues said yes. The most deadly shooting since sandy hook this will be the one that starts to change things some of my friends said and i wanted to believe them but i couldn't help it down in my heart i took the opposite position. I am not sure this is the turning point. I am not sure this will change things. I'm not sure if strongly-worded letter to congress or my impassioned words or any other thing can. Do. Well matter. I'm not sure. About any of it. And i was one of the cluster of clergy too sick and tired to be faithful. The possibility of success. day. That doesn't mean i didn't show up for the work that doesn't mean i won't keep doing it and invite you all to join me in it but it does mean that i have been and on some days will remain unfaithful. To the power and potential. Are common endeavor. I will do the work but not even i will always believe. As fully as i might. I do not come close to the face that joanne has in all of us and by extension in me. And in each of you. The face she has that we can make a difference. But i want heard one of my favorite preachers carl scope with one of the greats. He preached that there are some things we can know. We can know he said that one person falls victim to cancer and another does not fit one village is swept away by flood while another still stands that we are free to make decisions and act even while our freedom is circumscribed by myriad things these things we know. Mystery energy order fate freedom finitude but together none of them constitutes of faith. She says is by its nature something you cannot know. Certainly cannot prove for certain. And face might even be something you cannot always holy believe in. I do not always believe. People i mean. I do not always believe. The new world is possible. But even when i cannot believe in the possibility of peace i choose to live as if i do. I choose to live as if the basic goodness of the human spirit is true i choose to live as if i have all the faith in the world in myself and in you and in our nation because to do otherwise is to let the violent people win and so i signed a strongly-worded letter to congress and i will preach my little words and i will join in the public outcry and here is my challenge to you. You do not have to agree with my assessment of guns or gun control or any other agenda for curbing the violence of our time. You don't need me to remind you of that right. You do not have to agree with me that's cool. Do not have faith in me or my strategies or agendas but do find and keep faith in the idea that this culture of death after death after death does not have to be the world we leave our children. Find and keep faith. And that. An act on it in any way that feels right and whole and effective to you i have come to believe that we are morally bound either to have faith that real changes possible or to fake it until we do. To believe that our actions can create real change for a better world or live as if they can long enough. To bring some new birth into this broken. I don't care if you have to fake it till you make it. I'm faking it till i make it. But we can't be hopeless. And we can't let hopelessness win the day. Is cornel west to said when i look at the world around me i have no reason to be optimistic but i will remain always and forever a prisoner of hope. We need not always have faith in the possibility of a more peaceful world. But we might have is if we do. As if we do we must work as if we do we must spend live and loved as if we do. Until like joanne like the cellist of sarajevo we too are infected with the germ of hope from which we cannot be cured a germ that we cannot help but pathan wherever we go. For the truly faithful ones. Who rise up in difficult days we give thanks. And for the not quite faithful ones like me. And for the skeptics who still bar cynicism at the door of their hearts. And for all those in every place who live as if the true piece of this season of light. May one day truly be with us. And among us. Now and forevermore.

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2104.mp3

Are swimming today begins with words that are not my own. Beautiful to not read. Gabrielle pharrell our director of religious education starting next year our director of children's ministries. Right now husband flexions on memories. Power for all of powerful for all of us a story all her own. You'll know when i start talking to my own voice cuz i'll get up there. Are we happy. I asked my husband laying in that hospital bed. All the hospital bed. I was in it because several days before i had had a grand mal seizure this second seizure of my under 30 life but intent. So intense that my heart stopped long enough. For breathing to be interrupted. It was concerned brain damage. It was late august 1986. Waking up into the baseball season that it was clear the cardinals were no longer in contention. At least i wasn't going to miss a fantastic postseason but i didn't even really get that until a year later. As far as i knew my baseball xfinity lay with the yankees. I had no consciousness that i've been in st louis cardinals fan since 1982. Nor did i comprehend that i currently lived in that city. When asked i was pretty sure i lived in connecticut and i thought the whole thing was a strange question. My hospital bed was located was the least of my challenges. I couldn't actually place myself in the hospital. Do i recall waking up in the icu briefly. Slater my full consciousness hadn't yet returned even after being moved into a private room. I remember doctor's coming and going watching lots of them. Mini asking what we're curious questions about current events. More from my point of view event that had not yet happened and some more serious queries like where do you live. What is the name of your husband. It was strangely passive for me. I didn't ask myself very many questions and i tired easily it was as if i was stunned continually for days on end. I can only recall one question of the many that people asked. Did i remember the challenger. I didn't. In fact i didn't even understand the question. But it left me uneasy and sad. My husband was very close in those days. Always there. I was a bit confused by this. And i finally asked why. My parents arrived shortly thereafter and i was surprised. Etsy in my mother who is deathly afraid of flying. It was then that my husband asked his own curious question. He said. You aren't afraid of flying aren't you. I told him. He was silly. And then i was in this area and like many others never going to turn into my mother. It was the only trick he tried to play and it worked. I have. An arteriovenous malformation in a vm basically a normal blood vessel in my left temporal lobe. Born with it no doubt and it never caused me a moment's concern. Until a visit to europe post-college when i had my first seizure. It was medication. There was investigation the cause was determined no worries. Or so i thought. Is caesar though his wife. my memory of four years. Gone. My in-laws who live in st louis came to visit and i struggled remember their names. Everyday more questions from the doctors it was like a current event category in jeopardy and i never ever won. Three days after being awake. My husband visited and shout on the bed. Taking my hand he told me that i was 5 months pregnant. It was then that i asked that question. Are we happy. I had no memory. I still have no memory of morning sickness or how i found out our names are played with or clothing or all the things that i was now apparently buying. But i did remember my husband's flight reticence. But now i was about the time to have a baby. I couldn't locate the conversations or where we had them but i knew maybe that the only thing that i knew for sure was it important to ask my husband if he was happy if we were happy that i was pregnant. Progressed. Some memory returned. But many never did. I traveled extensively the year before the surgery in the only memory i have of those times of the photos that my family has shared with me. I can't recall anything on my own. Even more curiously those force-fed memories don't change like the real ones. They remained exactly as i learned them. From the photographs and storytelling of those first months. No memory has returned. From part of that time. Are the total absence of memory for about a year and scattered memory through 18 months. I still don't recall the moment when i first found out that i was pregnant. And i miss that moment most of all. I remember the deep parts the sad parts. The scary parts. As i struggled with memory and identity what i came to with a ceiling. Feelings matter more than facts. Living in the moment cuz i did for those months afterwards was exhilarating and interesting and then tiring. I had one more seizures since then. Again while sleeping as the others were to. I have no associated memory loss with that one. I had totally forgotten i had it. My husband had to remind me. Memory impairment and the resulting experiences i have chosen moment. Overtime line. Today over past or future. And i know that i wouldn't have had that. Without this experience. It keeps me close to things that matter. The children. The weather. Images. And death. Last week we spoke of the cherry blossoms. Is the fragile. Yep persistent thing. Somehow fleeting yet always weirdly reliable present only for a time. But coming back consistently every year. Blossoms pink or shimmering white. Doubletree in your own front yard. When it really starts to bloom. Chances are it'll be blooming with flowers not so different than last year's crop of fragile wonder. If you walk by that same tree in the early spring of each year there they are. Fragile. But at least consistent. Both lovely. And repeatable. But today. Return to that which or both good and for ill is inherently not repeatable to what has been and will never return in the same way again the sounds images taste stories and sorrows that structure the narrative of our lives. Because real memories. The ones for which there are no photographic evidence the ones for which there is no family in legend which you will be told again and again for confirmation real memories are a moving thing. They're transformed by the context we give them. The meanings that are built around them. The structure we let into the stories of our lives. Gabrielle wrote in her remarkable reflection some of our memory her memories needed to be given to her stories and images of the people she loved. This is true for all of us. But she said those force-fed memories don't change like the real ones. I learned them from the photographs in the storytelling of those first few months. The pictures. Don't change. But memories do. And the most important attachment we should have is not to the purity of the fact themselves but to the impact of their meaning in our lives. Now that i am pregnant with my second child at times try to remember certain details of how we did things the first time when we started storing up milk and when she went from serial to first foods and how exactly i felt in the last couple months of pregnancy that time after all. And it's frustrating to realize. Just how few of the fact i actually can recall. I do not remember so much. But this week in the middle of all the busyness i do remember. But when my daughter was 3 weeks old. I was presenting on a panel at all souls church about some incredibly arrogant subject like how religion and unitarian-universalism is going to save the world. In 10 minutes before that program started i was crying in a bathroom stall. Either because my pants were too tight. Or i miss her so much. Orange about to sit down in front of several hundred people and proclaim deep stuff. Well quite possibly leaking through my sport coat that is what i remember today because perhaps in light of my life at this moment that's what i need to remember and need to interpret if only so that i might recall that it is not necessary to engage in public theorizing about how to save the world 3 weeks postpartum. Many scientists in most schools of psychology hold that memories are stored in chains. Not unlike a magnet. 1 ideas connected association ali with another and another and another. In an unbroken line. From what was. It emerges in time from the past and into the experience of this moment. In fact at least one school of psychotherapy focuses expresses its focus is expressly on the idea that a memory only becomes truly truly damaging when it is cut off. From the meanings we make from it cut off from the chain that guides it out into a meaning in our present days. The truth is. Even when we're living in the past. We're interpreting it through the lens of the present. Our memories. And the meaning we make from them. I always pleasant or happy. But as long as we allow him to change. To evolve in the light of our current experience they are at least. Potentially creative. Friend of mine. He should spend a lot of time sitting with me. Well he remember the good old days of his rural americans hometown in the early sixties. He recalled the smell inside his family's old church old candle wax. Unpolished wood. Layer upon layer of time and sacredness. Playing in the streets and nobody being afraid in this whole beaver cleaver kind of existence that to me sounds like it should be broadcast in black-and-white but the him was in vivid living color. Again and again we spoke of these things. Always remembering the bliss of bygone days and honestly the thing became a little cumbersome for me. Yeah yeah apple pie and grandma and the old barber shop. Until somehow somewhere we took a turn. And started to talk. About why those memories burst forth into his life now. About his sadness in the everyday. The sense that this world isn't safe anymore in his grief that no place smelt of candle wax. And nowhere but nowhere felt like home. And we knew in those moments why those memories mattered. Because they were technically accurate. Or all-inclusive or true with a capital t who knows what really went on in the ancient hues of that old church or the well-groomed walkways of small-town life. Who knows if the apple pies cooled in peace on all the windows sales in the neighborhood kids really all gotta log. What matters. Is that you needed to remember something that felt like home. He needed to know that it's possible not to be afraid. He was living in the past. So that he might learn once again how to believe in the present. And this way our memories both beautiful and painful or not object to clean 2 in and of themselves. But sources of meaning waiting to be unpacked in the context of this day this life this gif. This opportunity to become more holes. Perhaps more wholly to. A memory. It's merely meaning waiting to be made. If and when we are ready to make it. A memory isn't meant to be factual in the strictest sense. It is meant. To have meaning. So let us go and the meaning makers. For the past is not pure but evolving. And if we let it what has been. Both the glory and the desolation of it. Might be among our greatest tools for reimagining. What will be.

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796.mp3

One of the neighbors on my block has a clever bumper sticker. It says. I'm aware with a 501 c 3. The bumper sticker says an ot for me thank you i prefer a progress. Now in addition to being clever i realize that is a partisan political statement it's not what i'm going to be talking about this morning. But the concept in the dichotomy. Entry to me i don't want to get back to that later but it is getting more and more difficult. For clerics. To know what to speak about. From the pulpit these days. You want to be irrelevant socially but you don't want to lose your 501 c 3 status. Serious trouble. Engagement partisan politics. I remember a couple years ago well more than a couple years ago i was on a brief book tour. I went to knoxville tennessee. For there. Weekend weekend of jewish learning. Your knoxville tennessee really that washington is not the south. An old old friend of mine you know liberal progressive somewhat formerly radical conservative rabbi was the. Rabbi the conservative congregation never gotten quite pious. In his later years was sort of my post. And friday night i was to speak at the reform congregation. And i spoke about social issues judaism's belief and social justice. I spoke about immigration issues. About sexual minority issues. About the importance of healthcare4ppl and the importance of education. Allure afterwards send me said you know art. You're sounding like a politician. So. I i know how to do conservative judaism very well i was trained in that so the next morning. When i was speaking of his congregation i thought i would clean up upstage him. They had tablets are the ten commandments which is a common symbol of jewish congregation. So i pointed to that and i said about the importance. Of law and truth and learning. I talked about the bible as a rich resource even today for human life. I talked about the importance of community congregational attendance jewish education and god's presence in our lives. Afterwards movie said juneau arts you're sounding just like a politician. So i said well how we know. If i want to be truly religious i guess i'll just make a living doing bar mitzvahs blessing babies. And maybe exorcisms. I'll tell you what i'll exercise i'll just spell all the all the dybbuks. From your congregation for 10 bucks a pop. This is the sabbath so we can't pay bicycle send you a bill. Now you know what happens if you don't pay your exorcism bill. You get repossessed. But what intrigued me about the the bumper sticker. Is the sense we have in society. Of people it seems to me. That want to move forward believe in. Progress. That were on a road. Leaving from an imperfect world and eventually leaving meaning. Leading to a better society. To a more perfect society. People who believe that like me or previously br. I guess call progressive. We view. The others as people who want to move back in time. I believe that there was a place where things were better. Now. My tradition my religious history. Actually has both concepts. Many religious perfectly western religions view life linearly like a cpap. Or road. Some say that things started out great they were identity. Honda generator. Obviously things have started out hopeful but imperfect. And are getting better. Judaism american judaism has. Played with both concepts. It's a common belief among jews and those are familiar with the jewish community. That. Before world war 1 really. For the early 1900s. In eastern europe. Instead office in little villages which were portrayed. In literature movies books. Broadway plays. Has these kind of little jewish kingdoms. In which everybody was exquisitely happy they live their lives according to jewish law. There was some teenage rebellion but in general everything worked great until the gentiles. Messed it all up in the head to flee to america. Interesting. This image of jewish life is totally fictional. It did not exist. In american writing prior to world war ii. But shortly after wwii. Two things happened. The popularization. Obey old-world writer show him a lathan. Are you destroyed her living in america. Writing an english wrote a series of stories called the tempest stories. That portrayed this kind of happy. Joyous. Prediction on world of fiddler on the roof. And a sociological study purporting to be an oral history. Eastern european judaism was published called life is with people. That is the most. Quotient. Source for any sociological study of eastern european jewish life it had an introduction by margaret mead. Widely beloved book. And it's fraudulent. The authors acknowledge that a lot of it was bass. On fictional material particularly the tevye stories. That were used for fiddler on the roof. They do not say any of the sources. Progresso called oral history. If you look in books such as beauteous car to judaism judaism for dummies. Witcher are written by confidence scholars. One is pyriform. Scholar the other by orthodox scholar both books. Fight. Fiddler on the roof as a reliable picture of eastern european jewish life. When jews lived according to jewish law and. Suspected rabbis and study the torah and the talmud went to synagogue and observed all the holidays. So there is a belief. Among americans who this mess still being taught by most jewish leaders that there was a time when everything was perfectly jewish until i got messed up by the outsiders by the czar by the song. By the polka grumps. But it's a fiction. And it probably was created about the same time during the 50s. The eisenhower era. As sort of a i think a jewish version of father knows best. It's really very very similar to that was slightly different accents. And slightly different clothing. But the idea of gender roles. And generational roles. Very strongly apart. Fiddler on the roof. Life is with people. Completely ignores minorities as if there never any. People who didn't get married. But if the rain never any sexual minorities everybody was a father or mother or a son or a daughter completely ignores. The plight of poor people. The sociological study. So the notion that there was a time. When things were good when life was simpler when people are healthy we're happy if only we could get back to that that we somehow lost the way. If we could just go back in time it's part of jewish tradition and many religious traditions. You think of the. Let that insular mormon group. It was raided and we saw that the women wore these. Old-fashioned costumes. One thinks of four i think of casita crops in the summer and brooklyn. Dressing the way polish booshwazee dressed in the 1800. This is where i am or perfect time to go back into history. So this notion that if we get rid of all the degeneration of american life all the crazy stuff that's going on and go back to our values will be happy it's based on a fantasy. As if there is a line of road and we got off at you can get back there. Similarly in jewish tradition is a strong sense of evolution affect the f-word evolve revolution is used frequently in twentieth-century american jewish writing. But god didn't finish creating the world. Traditional rabbi speech. But left it up to people. And that things are getting better there will be more justice we have medical discovery we're learning to manage our health better leading longer healthier happier lives. And so on and that eventually there will be peace and justice education and happiness for all that it's heading somewhere that that somehow god. Plan. This too is a fiction. I know how religion is done i'm in the business. And i tell you the answers didn't pay attention to the man behind the curtain. We select from tradition. One of my favorite passages about i've quoted many times. And it's a popular jewish passage from isaiah. On that day that shall beat their swords into plowshares. Pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation and people not teach war anymore. Who could argue with that. It's very inspiring it's the message of the prophet. What rob boys do not always say or sometimes don't always know is that in the next chapter. The same prophet isaiah says they shall beat their. Into. They're pruning hooks into spears in their plowshares into swords. And the people will rise up and they will vanquish their enemies and punish them. For not realizing they are god's chosen people. So the notion that you're heading somewhere that's going to be better and perfect. Is the yearning it's a hope. But it's also. Affection. In fact while i believe in peace justice. Happiness i want everyone. To beat their swords into plowshares. I generally yearn for that. But we have no evidence or experience of that. It never existed how do we know that it will work or that it will be a lot of fun. Jewish tradition is filled with many images of what the coming. God's kingdom on earth will be one of those is that we spend all our time with angels. Sing god's praises. While we feast on the meat of the loot leave yatin and. And live in paradise. Somehow the notion of spending my life praising god. Who would create me specifically to praise them. Sounds boring. Suppose my image my vision my hope my yearning for a world of peace and justice were achieved. Suppose all disease could go away the fear of death could be vanquished ignorance. Could be enlightened with knowledge. Suppose vincent van gogh lives in that world. He doesn't commit suicide. He doesn't mutilate himself. And it doesn't paint a starry night. I don't know would there be arc would there be literature would be there bees attention. Things that make life exciting for me. In a perfect world could i imagine a world that would have these things. And not have pain or suffering. Who knows. It's just imagination. It's just play in my mind. It doesn't exist. So the idea that there is progress that there's some good place that you're getting to. Which i feel in my heart is a sentiment. There was some good place that we need to get back to is a sentiment. And what all i as a self-styled progressive. Envy. Others. Tea party whatever the regressives whatever i want to label them. Believe. We actually have a lot in common. We're both saying that. Wife. Society. Out of kilter. Generally what we're uncomfortable with this each other's differences. What's wrong with the world they say is me and my kind. Well i say sometimes when i'm thing especially uncharitable. Is what's wrong with the world is you and your kind. But everybody's kind of agreed that society is is not working and that we need to move forward or backward to some other place. That is guaranteed to be successful. We just want to go somewhere else in time. I think there's another way of looking at things. If one thinks of a river. Standing in a river. And it moves confident that there was the greek poet. Classic repoet early generation rock with his. Said you can't parmenides you can't step into the same river twice. My professor said she's wrong you can't step into the same river once. But what if life is a river that the only thing that is constant is change. Barely going anywhere it's not heading in any particular direction it turns. Time to water evaporates absorbing of the clouds comes back down as rain some of it goes into the ocean where it's evaporated absorbed comes down as rain in the mountains. Some of it enters into the mud some of it forms eddie's but it is constant and squirrely and the only thing is possible that you can stop it. If your damn the river. It moves around the christermon to crates great energy but you cannot keep the river stopping you cannot stop the flow of history you cannot stop the movement you cannot stop the change and society. And the frustration. That many people have with society is the fact that it is changing and things are new and often scary. So. If i forget. Lamar road going somewhere. But only one is the world in which i live now what is my life how does it feel now. And how does that pain. The amount of change this awesome. 1969. I graduated college i grew up in a small city in pennsylvania called easton i went to a small college. And i was enrolled into a theological seminary a very prestigious and intimidating institution. The conservative. The movement of judaism. I moved into my dormitory in new york city two or three days after the stonewall riots. I saw on the street. Two men holding hands. I have never seen this before in my life. I knew what it was but i didn't even know the name for it. We knew what was going on in the news. The line that occurred to me was well-to-do i guess we're not in kansas anymore. It was also very frightening and problematic for me. As i began to realize some things. About who i was and perhaps what a terrible mistake i had made in my career choice. Well today is gay pride day in new york city. And i guess the line that occurs to me now is baby i was born this way. Puppy. Now that i feel. I got a wedding ring. A pride. Hope. I don't know if this is proper. Or degeneration depending on who you ask. But i know how it feels it certainly feels a lot better a lot more wonderful today than it did almost to the day 42 years ago when it was scary and strange. Now it's wonderful and amazing. So if life is a river and not a road. And change is constant. What i share with people of other political views. Is the sense of being ill at ease with differentness. That are ideas seem very scary to me and very dangerous. And i suspect who i am seems very scary and very dangerous. The sum of them. We kind of hair that. I don't know where it's all going to go. I no longer believe in progress. I do not necessarily believe that the freedom enjoy. That i am experiencing now. In 2011 will not be transmuted to some kind of horror. And political change. A few years from now. Certainly history has shown me. But that's quite possible. We have had examples of other societies who said our world is decadent. Our thoughts iety is decadent and degenerate it must be purified and things got turned around overnight and people die. But now i know it feels good. A little scary. And very troyius. There is a precedent. In. Jewish tradition. 4. Being in the present. The mystical. Teachers. Emphasize that. It's familiar to those who are. Conversant with jewish tradition is called the broncos or the blessing it's a format of a one-line prayer. It always begins baruch attah adonai eloheinu melech ha'olam. Who blessed are you lord our god ruler of the universe. Did something it's a say. Trump calls for cleverness. And it represents by quoting some a biblical passage or something a celebration of the present. Before a meal bless that i owe god produces red from the earth. The one before celebration god creates the fruit of the vine. Some jews pious jews observe the practice of save 100 blessings every day. 4 something. Even the most mundane things. And orthodox very thick throw orthodox prayer books. Watsonville contains many examples of these kinds of various blessings. For eating fruit of a tree the blessing for smelling fragrant woods or barks. Or other odorous plants. A blessing on smelling fragrant oils of blessing for witnessing lightning. Seeing falling stars i'm reading from this lofty mountains or great deserts. Jose maya separate sheet god who makes all the acts of creation. Just wanted to not hear people make them up. I had heard one that app i asked you did. Set upon seeing an old friend that are not seen in many years except blessed are you lord our god who revives the dead. Old friend it's like. They're come back to life it's very place i thought it was very beautiful. But it's an affirmation. It's an affirmation of what exists. Lightning is very frightening. People died in storms. I'm hearing thunder. God who strengthens might fill the world. Record creates the great sea. Blessings for seeing a king. If it's a wise man other than but not sacred knowledge secular knowledge. Dennis card was giving his wisdom to flesh-and-blood. The religious sage dennis carter was implant parted with his wisdom to those that fear him. But my favorite one. That i want to conclude with an affirmation. Because of its meaning in hebrew. Not necessarily because of the occasion that triggers it. Is the blessing that is reserved when you see strangely deformed this is an ultrabook. Strangely deformed person. Such as giants or dwarfs. But the blessing is praised are you almighty god ruler of the universe. Mataanaha brio. God. Create. Diversity. Show me the specs on a little bit now for some. Silence and personal reflect.

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1762.mp3

There once was a traveling clergyman. What happened on his regular walk. Upon a respectable strangers he was traveling about the countryside. Well-dressed but not extravagantly show. With shoelaces instead of buckles. Strangers just got struck up a friendly and very rambling conversation. With this traveling clergyman. Mechanics of clocks and machinery and all the devices of modern life and from the clarity of his thoughts and his innovations the traveling clergyman was absolutely certain. He was talking with an engineer. And then i spoke of agriculture. The turning of the seasons in the appropriate crops for certain soils and the traveler was absolutely certain that this man he spoke to was a wise and cultured farmer. Finally they spoke of religion. In the stranger was so gentle. I'm so heartfelt and his devotion. But the traveler thought. He was speaking to another clergyman like himself. Including their conversation. The clergyman returned to the local in. Where he gave a full description of this man and acquired from the inquired from the innkeeper as to the identity of this. Multi-talented slightly bizarre stranger. Why don't you know. Said the innkeeper. That was mr. jefferson. Jefferson. The much-loved and sharply critiqued leader whose life. Never did quite equal his ideals mr. jefferson the man who formed the basis for the separation of church and state. Mr. jefferson. Whose words some say frame the civil religion of these united states. The man who wrote we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal. But who himself never did find the courage or the conviction to free his own slaves. Mr. jefferson. Politician who claims to hate politics. A farmer who was very rarely attended to his fields. A princess lover of simplicity who found himself enchanted by the powdered wigs and gilded halls of pre-revolutionary france. There are a whole lot of thomas jefferson's in our history books. So many faces of the one who put pen to paper. Who wrote out the freedoms of this land. He was an enigmatic man full of contradictions yet firm in his convictions in this world. And today i gave myself or perhaps all of us i hope not foolishly the daunting task. A reflecting together on the functions the overlaps and the distance between politics and religion in this democracy of hours. I should come clean and say that my giving myself this topic today does not mean i am an expert. In fact i honestly do not think a preacher is ever meant to be a subject matter expert on much of anything and if we present ourselves as such we are doing it wrong. But i can at least begin a conversation. And perhaps it is fitting that we begin this one's with that architect of church-state separation. And the question what is after all. The purpose of these two great forces in our culture what is the purpose of politics in which we are also anxiously swimming this time of year what is legislation for and what is the sometimes overlapping and sometimes safely distant purpose of religion. In civil society. Not the jefferson. Carefully balanced controlled and minimally intrusive federal government. Was it the core of the republican small are experiment. In the virginia statute for religious freedom what she wrote jefferson made his position regarding the role of the government in moral and personal discernment very clear he wrote the opinions of men. And women know i didn't say it or not the subject of civil government nor in the least under its jurisdiction and civil officers should interfere in the principles of the people when and only when. Those principles break out into overact. Against peace and good order. Government was not to impose uniformity of moral judgment upon the people. But to protect the right of descent. And to impede it only when the freedom of another person. For the health and well-being of the populist was at risk. 1782 book notes on the state of virginia he wrote. The legitimate powers of government extend. Such acts only as our injuries to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say that there are twenty gods or no god at all. It neither picks no my pocket nor breaks my leg. If it doesn't pick my pocket or break your leg if it doesn't silence one who must speak or impoverished one who is hungry it is outside of the purview of civil government. Time and time again. Legislative bodies who failed to heed this augusta advice learn the hard way that it is a cumbersome task to debate whether or not teenagers can wear baggy pants. Or whether music lyrics should be legislated. Government. Over matters of personal discernment amount so often to a symbolic conversation about values in which we spin and spin and spin often with very little traction. So the challenge here. Division street jefferson tries to get us to see is that rather than debating endlessly in seeking to legislate matters of personal discernment the government and all of its legislating abilities should focus on those grandly written inalienable rights. So famously stole from john locke. That's right you didn't think he made that up himself. John locke wrote. In his essay concerning human understanding he wrote that the three essential rights of the human being our life liberty and property and jefferson he just picked him up and tweet them a little bit. I'm davis what we know as life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Those rich to what rights to which all the services of government and all legislation r-design 2.2. Become like this mantra for most americans perhaps even a prayer said again and again and again in the course of our political conversations the words of which eventually come to lack the force of their original meaning life liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Are demanding ideal. Not only for government before all of its people. A ideas. Are in fact the overarching purpose of government. It would do us well to remember the force with which they were originally penned. Take for instance. Liberty. Liberty which is today used almost interchangeably with freedom and it's probably the most often used word in our political vocabulary. In some ways our entire national history is a story of defining and redefining what it means to hold the central tenets of freedom. In every age including this one and perhaps especially jefferson's freedom has had its corruption. And today the prevalent corruption the freedom. Include the idolatrous.. That liberty means i have the right to buy my clothes for $10 cheaper. Because a child in honduras worked a 14-hour day. Or that every american deserves as a matter of human rights the opportunity to burn limitless cheap gasoline. Or the conception that a prerequisite for american freedom means assimilation to a largely judeo christian and eurocentric worldview. This enlightenment view of freedom house by jefferson. By the other framers of our constitution it wasn't centered around flags. Bald eagles. Cheap tennis shoes. Or imperialist aspirations. And the beauty of our liberty doesn't lie in our right. To do whatever and be whatever we please at the expense of all others. It is a beauty. Rarity. And the obligations of our freedom lie in our responsibilities to each other. Did john locke into jefferson liberty untempered by equality under the law is immoral and freedom is always always coupled with duty. It was every free person's duty to exercise their rights in such a way as not to impinge on the freedom of others and then this truly utilitarian patterns legislation exists to provide the limited but necessary restrictions on personal freedom. That allowed the greatest number of freedom. For the greatest number of people. And what's the job of we the people. In that government. If our task is to participate in the realization of our own democracy to arouse ourselves out of moral lethargy to continually create and recreate our lives and the state. Only ours to shape. In this society some tools for educating ourselves. Tools for riling us up into a state of moral action and righteous indignation and here i think. Is where religion comes in. What is the role of religion in civil society. No note that question what is the role of religion in civil society this is not what is the role of religion in your own personal life or even what is the role of religion within these walls but what is the role of religion in civil society. Believe the role of it in your own person like for like a hundred other sermons which i promise i will preach but for today. Religion and civil society it serves as a kind of social glue to hold people together. In some versions it serves as a sort of social glue to hold the separate groups holy even dangerously apart. Obvious enough. I don't have to tell you the whole sordid history of things americans have done in the name of religion. But no matter what bill maher says. That's not the whole story either. Whether you like it or not. Religion still served in our society as the most overt shaper of moral values that we know. Those moral values articulated in pulpits around this country inform but do not dictate policy choices and a compelling framing of a certain moral perspective does ultimately translate into voter behavior. And here's where it gets sticky. An important. And a little bit scary. Liberal religion does not equal liberal politics. And while it is not always obvious or acknowledged and well as enrique roy pointed out this morning sunday morning remains the most segregated hour in america. We do run the full spectrum of political ideologies here among us. And yet we are united not by a politically partisan charge but by a particular tradition that has particular things to say about what moral values are in this world. Liberal religious moral values. To the full freedom of conscience honest diversity of opinion and unimpeded inquiry in the place of dogma. It's not a partisan affiliation at our best. But a kind of moral framing. And the way we frame moral values if unitarian-universalist is different than that of traditional orthodox or evangelical religion in america and i would be lying if i didn't think that we were on some fundamental level basically right. Suu minister alice claire wesley pointed out it matters what we believe. It matters even more so what we love. The free church is an organization we establish and join. So that we might help others find what are our own worthiest loves and what those loves require of us. Why would i be you you let alone and you you minister. If i didn't believe our framing of moral values the way we choose to name our love is somehow good for the world. Liberal religious persons are not willing to organize compelling unwilling places to take up our role as framers of the moral conversation in this culture if we are not willing to own those values in civil society the religious right is more than happy to fill the void. With a value system framed largely on obedience. To the emagine dictates. Straight white male god. There are many examples. From within our faith tradition of framing the moral values of their day unitarian and universalist have always been busy people in the affairs of their respective ages. But perhaps the most poignant comes from the history of our own congregation. You all know i'm any of you apart of them a pal davies the man who's preaching and who's unapologetically prayerful ministry literally burst out of the walls of all souls church for the founding of a place just like this was nothing left and perhaps nothing more than an agent of moral courage in society. He was a shape of moral values he was on hotpoint of righteous indignation and when that man got mad about something the whole country listened. When both legislation and civil discourse veered away from the responsible and interconnected view of religion he espoused. He lets his country know from his pulpit and from his pain. Staunchly anti-communist. Profoundly critical of government abuses in the mccarthy era. He launched a city-wide boycott of segregated lunch counters in washington dc. And in 1957 he preached the sermon that would become the launching pad of the rest of his life as an anti-nuclear activist. Just left the living forget is one some of you have no doubt heard and it was prompted by this amazing an awful image this picture he saw in the social pages of the washington post that had all of these muckety-mucks including an admiral in the us navy posing with glasses of champagne while cutting smiling into a cake the shape of a mushroom cloud. That morning. When that picture had run in the washington post. Scrapped the sermon he had planned to preach. Student that pulpit. And these are his words not mine so don't hold the theology against me i'm just saying. He said. Try to imagine yourself a continental european wondering brooding asking yourself 100 times a day will america lead us. Is there enough decency in this world and not enough conscience left in america to lead us back to hope to liberty try to imagine yourself day-by-day appealed to buy soviet project propaganda but still hoping. Still having faith in america imagine yourself being shown this picture. If i have the authority of a priest of the middle ages. I would call down the wrath of god upon such an obscenity. Such a monstrous betrayal of everything for which the brokenhearted ones of this world. Are waiting. And people around the country were reading those words. Within days. That was a way of framing moral values with a direct impact on the civil discourse. That is religion influencing society. And when davies did it well. We unitarian-universalist were firmly in the middle of our glory days. So how are we called to be shapers of moral values today. Atrocities today must not go unnoticed talked in the back pain. It's hard to find an issue. More firmly planted. In the historical values of our inclusiveness. And advocacy for the right. Update lesbian bisexual and transgender person. Any issue that we unitarian-universalist have earned in the trenches the right to speak about it is this. Here. We do not allow the religious right. To define the family phora. We. More than any other religious group in this entire country. Have the freedom and the ability to shape the discourse around glbt issues not based on partisan affiliation but based on our hard-fought and well-earned moral stance that it is love which makes a family and we were saying that before anybody else. We stand here today with history happening all around us. And there's a reason that marylanders for marriage equality has more you use actively engaged in their work than any other faith group. Because this work is ours. And we perhaps more so than any other religious body in this moral sphere are able and willing to do it. We are also uniquely capable if we let ourselves. Capable of building partnerships across the religious spectrum. And those partnerships across the religious spectrum not just unitarian universalist and not just traditionally progressive religious people. People like us. Those partnerships truly across the religious spectrum have the capacity to change the world in greater ways than we could ever do alone. And to do so while challenging us to really live out our values of inclusiveness. Is one thing for liberals to hang out with liberals and conservatives to hang out with conservatives. It is another thing entirely. 435. 45 congregations across the religious and political spectrum to come together and decide on those key issues upon which they can stand united. Spiritual practice. Four people a free face that is a boundary-crossing relationship. I'm moving to discern those issues upon which we can stand together is wholly and difficult work. Which is why it matters very much to me. Set the largest community organizing group in this county action in montgomery has chosen the dream act. For their reform work this fall. Immigration and immigration reform is not your bag was something that i did not care about it all even if i were utterly uninformed about the issues which i am not about right now. Is enough to get me out of my seat. I'm moving with 800 others in one direction. Because of that. That ability to compromise. To sit in discomfort to be with people who do not inherently agree with us that itself is a shifting moral focus that the society needs so badly. The age that has been given to us. And so many others are the issues of that age. Righteous indignation. Is not reserved for history books. And the memories long-dead saints. Nor the power of religion consigned to the churches of the jim crow south. For the pulpit of all souls church in 1957. For the crumbling sanctuaries from whence the crusades were launched. In our glory days. We shake the culture around us. And in our moments of glory grounded in spiritual sustenance and supported by our commitment to one another. We might continue. Wholeheartedly.

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8.mp3

Text jeanne. The middle last may and i'm in an orthopedist office in fort smith arkansas having made it more than halfway across the country. On my bike. Am i big 27-day 3000-mile charity ride. Waiting to see the doctor. Kumon jax my badly arthritic 60 year old left knee. With a high-tech lubricant made from chicken combs of all thing. In the hopes that this medical intervention will enable me to complete the ride. Without a lot of debilitating pain when i look down. In the waiting area and they're on the top of the pile of magazines. Is a publication with my name on it. Scissor jack. I kid you not there's a magazine called either jack. The magazine for what they call master athletes like myself. When i got home i tried of course to subscribe to kezar joc. Why wouldn't i after all if my book my magazine. What discovers it's now only available is an online magazine so i went online and looked at it. And if you want to read all these inspiring stories sent in by aging athletes who like myself don't want to admit they're slowing down and are much more decrepit than they once were you must do so over the internet just google geezer jog. In any case. This aging athletes love these stories. Recently a reading online about who won the 2007 geezer jock. Of the year awards. Another about some six-year-old guy who is quotes paddling for prostate. In a kayak in a kayak from chicago to new york city. Add a third article. Proclaiming with absolute either jack's the tiger woods won't reach quotes his true potential as a golfer for another 30 years. Magazine aging athletes get the makeup all kinds of stuff is this a great country or what. Surely you are all familiar with ben franklin's famous quote. But in this world nothing is certain but death and taxes. But that of course is not quite right. There is a third thing which is certain in life. And that of course is the inexorable process of aging. All of us. Regardless of how young or old we are at the present moment. Are constantly. Slowly it's deadly aging everyday. We pay taxes only once a year on april 15th. And for most of us death. Is oppressing reality only at the very end of our lives. But everyday we wake up we must face the fact that we are inevitably and inexorably aging. Everyday our minds and bodies get a bit older. And everyone of us must continuously cope. With all the ramifications good and bad. The getting older. Carries with it. And it matters of course. Everyone of us tries to age as well and as gracefully. As we can. Surely every last person in this room regardless of chronological age. Hopes to age in the future. With dignity. And grace. And as much help as possible. Living as long as we each can with just as much quality of life as possible this is. Are universal goal. Know a lot of people. That i know i rather fatalistic. About the aging process. Many people believe that the key factor in aging well is at the old saying goes. To choose your parents. Well. Which is a cute way of saying of course. Good ones familial genetics. Play a foundational and significant role. In your own personal aging process. I don't think you will find any expert in the field of human aging. Who will deny. The ones genetics the dna cards you have been dealt. From your parents and grandparents and other ancestors. Both the dna card has a lot to say. Not only about how long you may live. But also about the quality of life that may be possible for you. In every congregation i've served over the years i've been able to watch. And enjoy a handful. A truly remarkable older members. Who aged so gracefully and well. In preparation for the sermon you won't be surprised i called sally tony i said sally. Your 93 your sister's going to be 103. Can you you have any. Secret. About that aging process. At 93 she is still teaching water aerobics. And leading a fully active life including many activities here at river road. During our conversation she did mention them you know my sister's going to be 103 and genetics has to play some role in that and in all of our health and longevity. Another example of course. Is muriel davies. Our minister amerita. The widow of the great 20th century unitarian preacher de paul davies. Muriel the much-beloved firststaff person. Who organized this congregation in the early 60s. Who is now approaching. Her 102nd birthday. Sharp as a tack. Her health excellent. Considering her age. Still enjoying she remarkable independence. At an assisted living facility in gaithersburg. With intelligence. Optimism and engagement the simply amazes everyone who knows her. A few days ago i called me real to check in on her because she is after all a member of the congregation. But i had a conversation with her. About what the secret of her long and healthy life is. That she's a bit hard of hearing. So it was somewhat difficult for us to communicate over the phone. But when i ask muriel if she knew what contributed to our longevity. He said honestly scott. I have no idea. I just did in good health my whole life. When i asked her if in addition to genetics. She believed her optimistic personality help. He allowed as though this were perhaps so. But in the end she reaffirmed she really had no idea. Why she has been so lucky. To live so long. And two ways. Sowell. The truth is. That genetics. While important actually have left to say. About how well we aides then people tend to sink. In a wonderful article in the wall street journal. Entitled what science tells us about growing older. And staying healthy staff reporter. Tara parker-pope. Did a comprehensive study of recent scientific studies. About people who age. Well. I quote her. From the beginning of the article. Today the average person in the us. Lives for nearly 78 years. But what about those people who beat the average. Why do some men and women defy the chronological add. And live longer and in good health. Increasingly she goes on. The scientific community is shifting its focus to this elite group these. Successful agers. Who seem to be doing a better job of getting old. Then the rest of us. What scientists are finding. Is it each of us has much more control. Over how well and successfully we will age. Then we like to think. I quote john wr02 is the director of the macarthur foundation research. I'm successful aging didn't know there was such a thing huh. Quote. People fielder the genetic program that they are playing out. But since only about 1/3. 1/3 of aging is heritable. The key study here is. Swedish twins who grew apart. Okay so they had completely different environment experience. Only one-third of successful aging is heritable. The rest is acquired. That means mr. rogo's on. You are responsible for the quality. Of your own age. Numerous studies of rats. Monkeys. None. British government workers and santerian not me. Have unlocked. Many of the secrets of successful aging. So what you're dying to know. Well it turns out of course. The most important components really aren't. Secrets at all. Right off the bat there is several obvious and well long and well and scientifically established things. Which are clearly under our control as individual persons which helped us to a better. You all know the list. It's the stuff we regularly and various leave feel guilty about failing. Two entirely do. But we all know that if we want to have the chance. To live a long life with. Comfort. We need to eat the right foods and eat them in moderation. And of course if you drink alcohol do that in moderation also. You need to maintain a healthy body weight. Exercise regularly would scientists agree is the single most important. Habit. That contributes to longevity on this earth it is exercise. Without. You are of course to avoid smoking. And harmful drugs. And last but not least you are supposed to get plenty. Asleep. Now i know some of you don't want to hear all this in church. But i would be remiss in my role as a spiritual leader of this congregation. If i did not regularly remind everyone in this community. Of the foundational importance of establishing good. Everyday lifestyle habits. For yourself. That are under our control. And our proven beyond any doubt to enable us. To be fit. And productive and healthy. And to live longer. Human beings. Just as it matters here at river road. What you believe. And what values and principles guide your life and how you behave and treat other person all these things matter ultimately. In our religious life. It also. Matter. That we practice good. Physical self care like sally and muriel both do. This. By the way. Is our job. As i believe this is our job as unitarian universalist to be around in the world. For long and effectively as we reasonably can. Contributing each of us. From our hearts and vine. To making this world a better and you want to more humane place. Had to take. Care. Of those close to us we love. And those beyond our immediate. Circle. Of care. And we can't do all of that. Lifework. Unless we take good care of our physical bodies. In a word we all have the responsibility. To be wise and discipline stewart's. Within reason. All these amazing yet fragile bodies. That we have so we can make our contribution. To the world. Try to gently point out on numerous occasions from this pulpit. As we work here to become the finest and most useful persons we can. There can never be any real successful separation. Between our spiritual. Our emotional and our physical selves. We're human beings eat come into this world as one incredibly complex. Package deal. And so when we were catshit at shaping our lives into all they can become. We must not neglect. Physical part of that it is a duty. To take care. Love yourself. Emotionally. Physically. And spiritually. Now of course and this is a crucial. Caveat. And actually a monumentally unpleasant truth in life. Of course no amount of proper self. Care. Eating right exercising watching your weight. Avoiding harmful substances. Getting lots of sleep. None of this can or will necessarily protect us. For many of the most dire and random hazards of life everyone in this room. Nose of wonderful healthy individual. Who have done almost everything right. For their physical selves. And yet have had their lives. Cut tragically short. Play random accident. Or illness. No amount. A'right or careful living. Will necessarily protect you from many forms. Everly death. We all know this. Car. Crime. Many cancers. Neurological and vascular diseases like als. Parkinson. Aneurysm. Alzheimer. Just to name a few. Are twists of physical faith. That do not care. How well. You have cared for your body. This world is full of tragedy then diseases. Goodwill. Sadly prevent many of us. From living long. And healthy life. At the same time. Several experts on aging have recently pointed out. The quote-unquote if nothing goes wrong. A human person might expect. To live to be. 120. Which is 6 time. The 20 years. How old when a person reaches maturity. All different animal. Most animals live six times are can live. Six-time past the age of maturity so for us that would be. 120. But the sad fact is that for many of us something quote on quote. Will go wrong. Awesome decade. Before the maximum expected lifespan. That's simply it's a lock of the car. But that said the overall point here. Is it's about successful aging. Is it each of us are nonetheless responsible to be the wisest. And most caring stewart's of our lives and our bodies as we can. But this is not i promise you just simply going to be another one of my jack lalanne sermon and by the way. I googled jack lalanne and you know what his mantra is his mantra is the pictures of these 93 also. Thousand push-ups. Mantra is. Exercise is the king. Diet is the queen and together they make the kingdom. I love it. Yes. Good physical self care is crucial. And helping us live long and robust lives. But it turns out they're a couple of other crucial things. Beyond good physical self care. That we can do for ourselves that will enable us to live longer and better. What a whole host of recent medical studies have discovered. Isn't the most significant enemy of old age. Is not being sedentary or being a couch potato you know eating potato chips and watching television all day. No. The worst. Enemy of old age isn't fact. Stress. Unremitting. Unresolved. I'm dissipated. Chronic. Stress. It is stress. Particularly stress. But it's not somehow as they say shedded. But ends up taking years or decades off our lives. I called again from the wall street journal. How much stress we faced in a lifetime and how well we cope with that stress. Is one of the most significant factors for predicting how well we age. Unremitting stress. In a person who can't shedded. Leave the stress response. The protects us in moments of danger. The stress response of the human body in the on position. All those physical changes that protect you in a moment of crisis elevated heart rate and blood pressure and all kinds of chemical changes in your immune system. The healthiest ages. The article. Includes. Nickelodeon death. Shedding. Stress. Now all of us of course regularly experience stress. In our lives there is no such thing as stress-free living. Most especially here inside the beltway in washington. And as many studies have revealed. Normal day-to-day stress is not in and of itself. Necessarily detrimental to one's health. But what is deadly and dangerous. Is not having the mechanisms. Or the modalities or the habit in your life. That allow you to relieve stress. To let go of it to let go of resentment and anger is like sally tony told me she knows how to do. I don't hold onto things. What you need are ways to manage stress. In a way that let you maintain. Healthy relaxed balance in your life. People who aged well. These studies. Suggest. Have learned how to dissipate. Much of the natural stress in their lives. Another i'm sure many ways it's various ones of us shed our stress. As i thought about. Let me share with you what works for me and i hope this will trigger your thinking. About stress reduction in your own life. I have four main ways of getting rid of stress in my life the first of course is regular exercise. Getting out of my bicycle everyday and giving my body a good run for its money. Work. Call me magic on me. Whenever my body and mind are all tense and tightened up i try to ride in the midday. So i can get rid of all the tensions in the morning to focus. More calmly. On the afternoon. A good physical workout each day and facts help you to work out. Whatever has you all tied up. Intense. In knots. And for me that's mostly done on a bicycle by the way did you know. But the world health organization. Recently reported that the simple act. A regularly riding a bicycle like the majority of people in denmark do. Reduces your mortality rates by 40%. On average. And we'll add are you ready for this riding a bicycle bob lobster do i see down on the canal we can i pass each other that's 20 years to your life bob we're going to live to be 140. And by the way. I use much less gas getting to work then most of you. Bike riding and countless other forms of exercise. Simple as walking everyday through your neighborhood. Is perhaps the greatest. Stress reducing and life-enhancing technique known. Humanity. My second secrets of stress reduction is a simple practice. Irregularly trying to get a good night. Sleep. Each day i discipline myself to get at least 7 to 8 hours of good. Restorative sleep. Some time ago bucking the recent tendency of americans to get less. And leslie collins and i have given up. On the 11 news. We've given up on. We go to bed 10:30 about. Put life aside earlier. So they can arise the next morning refreshed and ready to face. Whatever demands and stresses come my way sleep. Is so simple. A beneficiary for us. Sleep. So. You just. Down on the pillow some of you have trouble sleeping i know. And those filter different problem. For most of us. Getting a good night's sleep. Simple as going. I said stress and maintain balance in my life. By keeping my work and my home life as separate as possible. By routinely compartmentalizing and separating my professional my personal life. I'm able to give each of them their do. While keeping my life chain and balance i do ministers. Who have their office at home with all their books and all their computers waiting for them. The one they go home and they're drawn back into that home office. I do my work here. I want to go home. I go home. I go home. To my family and my friends. And i hope all of you. Have learned. This. Technique. As well. And 4th. I manage stress. By maintaining. Strong network of family and friends. I cultivate. Family. And friends. A number of longevity studies point to family and friends as being crucial. Two aging wellness a more about that just a moment. For me of course the most important relationship i have is with my spouse of what is it now 27 years. Having a spouse. Backed up with the care and support of other family and friends. Simply means that i do not have to go to the stresses. And the strength of life alone. I have someone. Who cares about me in a special way. With whom i can share my problems intention. And this helps me. only keep my stress. Introspective. But how does psychologically processor than dissipated as well. You don't need a spouse or partner of course. Toledo long and happy life. But all the studies indicate that you do need a network of. However you build it around yourself. A network of caring network of people. I pray all of you are building those networks because they take. Time. And effort. You must give. Phuket. For stress reducer. How about you. What techniques or habits or structures do you have in your life. That help you shed stress. Return to balance. Macomb. Mercifully. There are countless of things that can help us alleviate stress and age well. Ballroom dancing. Walking the dog around the block. Taking my yoga class with other. Gardening. Many people whose gardening. Cooking. Knitting. Stamp collecting playing in a rock band like our governor. Participating in a book discussion group. Taking an afternoon nap attending a concert with an old friend. Swimming laps in a pool take your pic but make sure that you pick. Make sure you have calming. Restorative activities and pursuits in your life. Because stress. Unfettered. Is a killer. Pure and simple. Now what i have already mentioned recent studies suggest that men and women who aged well. Have spent a lifetime building close. And caring connections with other human beings again the wall street journal. Successful agers are not loners. People wage well tend to be closed. Extended family. And have a strong network of friends and other social relationships. Study after study this article says. Active relationships with family and friends. Translate into emotional support. Make an important difference. In our ability to achieve old age. And believe it or not. Churches. As one manifestation of that are one of the best. Ways to have a long life i can't make this stuff up. The national institute. For healthcare research determined. The participating in a truth. Increases men's longevity by a whopping 30% and women's by a whopping 60%. Another study more modestly concludes that going to church. Will increase your lifespan by 25%. And another even more cautious study says that on average going to church. Add 3.1 years to your life highly figure this stuff out. Whatever the percentage the data is in. Part of caring social communities of people. Most particularly religious congregation. Help you age well. Not because such human contact. Protect you from stress. But because the connections and the caring. Support the only people can provide help us. To put stress. Instead it. People who are regularly in the foot the bottom line here is people who are regularly engage with people. In a marriage. Neighborhood. Community organization. Or religious body live longer and happier. That isolated and solitary people. And luckily. Every one of the principles of our faith you look at them. They're all about connecting with people. They're all about being bound in to a wider world our religion is a relational religion our religion is one that says. Be apart. Of the human network. The network of life. That is in fact. Creation. Our religion teaches. This. Health habit. Of being connected. Well. We're about half an hour older. Then we were when i began this sermon. And life is short so it's time for me to wrap up. To summarize. But there are a number of diverse and in some cases interlocking factors. Which enabled people to age well and live long good genetics plays a role yes. And sodas good diet. Weight control. Regular exercise. Sleep. And knowing how to handle stress. And cultivating a strong network of family and friend and last but not least. It is having an optimistic. Fun-loving. An adaptable personality. And obviously sometimes i've skipped over a couple pages of the sermon didn't print out. What they say they study the bike i got to go back to that just for a second. They studied none. Kowalczyk american nuns will share the basic kind of life of situation except for their personalities and what they found is that the nuns who were adaptable to new circumstances in their lives especially difficult circumstances like arthritis or limitations are handicapped. And the nuns who had great sense of humor. And the nuns who were just. Generally cheerful about everything as they've always been. Optimist in their lives. These people. Much better than the other none. Saturday i was on the cape cod rail trail biking with collins i'm rather optimistic personality and it looked out the pavement and there's somebody had. Cancel this great the greeting it said smile. Look at that somebody. Simple smile right in the middle of the canal of of the rodents he said stats not smile that's 5 mi optimist can't help themself. Now i realize. I realize that some of you don't have an optimistic turn of heart. And i realize that some of that is set but. But there are several books that talk about learning optimism in writing a different narrative for your life for the pessimistic when i think we have a lot of control. Over-optimism and they they studied the nuns. In america they discovered that the optimus in the adapters. And the people with a good rye sense of humor. The little oblong right now we're way more than half an hour older than when we started. Do what you can do your friends. To extend. And enhance. And enrich. And enjoy your lives. It matters deeply i think. That you try to hang around. This planet. For as long as you can. And make your unique. And caring contribution. For as long as you can. Of course the ascorbic actress betty davis was right. When she famously observed getting older is not for sissies. As the years and decades go by we all must face an infinite number. Of complications and challenges. Some of them very painful and difficult. And some of them may greatly diminish. Or even end. Our lives. Way before we would have it. But what i would spiritually remind you of today. Is that in many significant and important ways. We are not helpless. Dictum. There's a lot more to say than choosing your parents. Well. We can choose our lives. Well. As we face. The increasing challenges. Passing. Decade. Weeds have a lot to say. About how well we will do. On this incredible. Mortal journey. That is ours. So no matter how old you are today dear friend. Get out there and. Live long. And livwell. Live law. And live. I don't forget. Coming to church help. And i say i mean. I'm in.

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2585.mp3

What a gift of beauty thank you for that. Thank you for that reminder to. The truth that is there that cannot be squashed no matter what can we hear it. Wherever we are. So friends it is exciting for me to be back here with you today i was here about a year ago for nancy's installation as your senior minister and i got the cook in the kitchen with some of you and make bad jokes and celebrate and have a grand time being with you being with you and being with her and it is so good to be back again back in this place with you and also back with her and getting to meet her new son jed as well. Such a huge gift. I'll tell you there were a lot of reasons i was excited about coming here today and one of them if i'm really honest one of those reasons was the fact that i was more than happy to get out of minnesota for a little while now i grew up in maryland over in ellicott city and this is feels like home marilyn does and i've been adjusting to minnesota whether it's a little extreme out there i believe. It's already started snowing the flurries have begun in earnest and we're out trying to find our gloves and match things up. And if i believe the weather forecasters they'll be a snowstorm on halloween so i am excited to be here where it is 20 degrees warmer and excited to get out of that for a moment. That is out there i got a taste of it this past summer in june as well. We have this. Storm in minnesota that i think will be the stuff of legends. We had this rain and wind storm that. Somehow was different from all of the others and the old big trees that are there all over the city that line the boulevard. Topple like dominoes. All throughout the city. Send this deep drenching rain and those trees they fell over on cars and houses they. Close off whole sections of the city as they fell down like twigs. Happened we were all watching in wonder and of course afterwards we had to ask ourselves what was different this time. What happened that made this storm different than the others why did all those. Go down. Experts came out and told us. Well the water had soaked the ground and the tree is their roots simply didn't go deep enough. These beautiful old tree if they had these. Gorgeous canopy is with all kinds of branches they look so healthy from the outside. But underneath the ground. We're so much of the tree live. The roots were shallow. I'm so when the water came and the ground got loose and the wind started pushing those trees they toppled over. Like nothing. I'll tell you i listen to these tree experts. And they got my attention. They got my attention because they were talking about the need for deep roots. They were talking about how what is up above the surface. Isn't always what's really going on. And i thought. This is a preacher's this metaphor this is fantastic canary went on they said and. Very clear words they said that it needs three things to thrive to survive through those storms and to thrive. Need air. They need space. I need the roots to go deep. And in the right direction. Air and space and they need their roots to go deep. Had to go in the right direction. Thinking about this for a long time now over the course of the summer and i'd run into a quote from a rabbi instructing his people not long after the storm happen that ran into this quote that said essentially this. He said your spirit. Is like a tree. If you grow too many branches and don't have deep roots. You will fall over when the wind blows and the storm comes. Forget the culture around you seems to value only your branches. And remember. Your true strength lies in your roots. Grow your roots. He told us. So i'll tell you this. Comparison. This comparison between plants and trees and our spirits are sold if you will it is an age-old comparison and metaphor it's one that has deep roots in our religious tradition as well. A transcendentalist ancestors those freethinkers of the early 1800s so many of them unitarian. Are thinking in america with their natural images of the spirit. Books like margaret fuller and henry david thoreau and ralph waldo emerson just to name a few. Who proposed the radical idea. One of us possesses the spark of the divine deep within. I'm at the purpose of our lives. The clear purpose of our lives was to grow that spark to grow our souls. Surface. This might not seem like such a radical idea this idea that the purpose of life is to grow a soul. But when you look a little closer i think you can see the upset that this simple idea can cause. The purpose of life is to grow a soul they said. Now it sounds good but put it up again what our culture tells us the purpose of life is. Our culture tells us the purpose of life is to look good. Look really good. Do not grow old at all to accumulate things. Over experiences. Our culture tells us that flies is about things that are so much more shallow. Been growing a soul. And then there's the fact. Transcendentalist ancestors they said that it's not just. Me or you that has that spark of the divine within that has that responsibility and ability to grow a soul it is each and everyone of us. So emerson for instance in his essay self-reliance he wrote. Set the absolutely trustworthy. Is seated in each human heart. The absolutely trustworthy is seated in each human heart. And that too is an incredibly radical idea. You take that back to the 1800's when there's transcendentalist ancestors live when they declared that. Every person had that spark. Every person had that absolutely trustworthy cheated in their heart. It didn't matter about skin color or religious affiliation or educational status. Each person had that. How's that. In their heart. Radical then and it is still radical now. Conviction set each person. Possesses that spark. The absolutely trustworthy and that it is up to us not only to grow our own soul our own spark. But to create the conditions in the world where each and every person. Parkour soul might grow. These have radical implications these simple thoughts. I think about the notes that made. Back then i think about the books that he wrote on about how they became. Critical. For folks like gandhi and martin luther king jr. in their civil rights were. I think about how radical it is. To say that each one of us carries the light of truth. The light of the divine deep within our heart. What are ancestors have taught us. And i believe that is what we still believe today. As unitarian universalist. Spark. That soul is there if we dare to listen. If we dare to dig in. We ask that question. Do you hear. Do you hear it in each other do you hear it in your own hearts do you hear it moving. In the world around us. I think it is. Unusual sometimes in our culture. To sit and listen. To go deep with one another. The really hear each other's stories. To see and hear and know and trust that spark that that soul is present in us. I didn't want another. Conversations are about to start having with each other those opportunities to really listen to hear each other's stories. That is one of those places. Or you'll get to hear and nurture that's park. That's all within each person. Coaches for each other in the best of ways. Of drawing out of growing that soul and that spark. I noticed it when you are watching the kids choir this morning when they were singing the themes of love that were coming off of you onto these wonderful children. I thought when they're your coming-of-age for up here at the mentors out there. Themes of love you are signing on each other. There's hardly anything more powerful than that than being seen and being loved. It is a way that we can be there for one another we can coach each other. Remind one another of that spark. With him. I think we need to feed that. Did intentionally feed that spark and that soul if it's going to survive. And it tell you a little bit more about that i want to tell you a story also from this past summer. It's a way that i tend to think that our souls are a whole lot like tomato plants. Hang with me here but i really do think that our soul. Are a lot like tomato plants and especially the ones that were in my backyard this year. How it started this past spring. Neighborhood in minneapolis and they're selling plants. As a fundraiser for their school i don't know folks do this here but the kids are coming through the neighborhood they sell us. These plants will bring by you know a month or two later when the weather is better. And when it came through with their guide of what i could buy i got super excited i planned this elaborate garden out in the backyard would have liked vegetables and flowers and it was going to be fantastic so i've ordered all kinds of plants then about a month later after i forgotten that i'd order these plants the kids came back and they delivered them. Time to put them in the ground in that moment so i place these plants in the backyard and. Walked off and it was one of those weeks in minnesota where all the sudden out of nowhere it became like 90 95 degrees and. I'd forgotten about my plants and. I went back out a few days later to take the garbage out and there they were. Shriveled up and dead and dying and snot all the image of what i had hoped for there in my garden. But there were a few that we could nurse back to health so i watered them and i tended them and i put them in the shade and as soon as they were. Healthy enough to go in the ground to put them in the ground. And then we left town for 4 weeks or so and i'll tell you when we got back there were a few of those plants that were miraculously still alive we've had friends that came over and diligently watered for us and try to take care of things but. The plants that were still alive we're overrun with weeds of all times and you know they were tomato plants they were skipping over and they were all about to die the ones that have made it. So we pulled out some weeds and we tether the plants to the fence and we thought now we're really going to pay attention to these we're going to really. And support since we watered them intended to them. I'm in about a week later. We got a dog and we got a puppy and this puppy love to dick. And also thinks that anything that is green and round is probably a tennis ball so the puppies you know did his thing with her tomato plants and they suffered again despite our best intentions in our attempt. To protect them. But i'll tell you here is the thing that struck me at the end of the summer. Struck me about those tomato plants and also continues to amaze me about our spirits in our souls. After all of that downright abuse. All of that abuse and neglect of those plants some of them survive. Not only did they survive but they thrived. Coming after all of that. Watering and tending of friends in the moments of crisis. Just trying to trace the hound away and divert him with other shiny objects. Those plants were. And there were the fruits of the plants as well. Shining bright in the sun at the end of the summer. So you see i believe our souls are like those tomato plants. They are resilience and hardy and beautiful parts of ourselves that response amazingly well. Are. At attention. I believe that just like those tomato plants. Are full perk up and reach for the sun whenever we give them the least bit of attention. Whether it's five minutes to clear away the weeds or fend off the dogs or bring a can of water. Starfall. Hookup. I don't know if you had this experience but i can be in the midst of a crazy.. And if i take 15 minutes. To go for a walk. To censor myself with prayer or meditation or a reading. So just take a deep breath. And remember what is important to me. Things shift. My soul perks up. That part of me that is absolutely trustworthy that is seated there in my heart it comes back. Hawaii. I am always amazed what happens when i give my soul or my spirit at least bit of attention. The miracle i think. The resilience of our souls and our spirits. Kindergarten. But here's what else i believe. I believe that for the most part our souls and our spirits. Neglected. Neglected just like those tomato plants were in my garden. I believe that for most of us most of the time we were we rely too much. On the resilience. Other souls. We rely on the fact that just like those tomato plants they will perk up again when we give them a little bit of water retention. And i have to wonder. What would it look like what would it mean if we gave our spirits and our souls. More. More than survive and eat fi. But to thrive. What would that look like. For us. What would it look like if we paid our spirits and assholes the tiniest bit of attention each and every day. Or maybe on a regular basis. What would it be like if we gave our souls the room they needed to breathe. We gave them. And light. And the opportunity to grow deep and in the right direction. What could that look like. For us. I don't think there's anyone right way to do it to grow our souls to nurture that spark that is within each one of us. We can do it by simply committing to coming to church every sunday. Giving ourselves the gift of quiet. And attention and reflection. We can do it by committing maybe to a conversation once a week. Where once a month with an old friend. Was someone we trust with a mentor or guide. We can talk about what really matters in our lives instead of skimming. The surface. Start a new spiritual practices of prayer or meditation or gratitude. You can join in one of these 121 conversations that are happening here. Deepening your connection to the church and to your spiritual companion. On the journey. You can commit. To reaching out. To seeing that light in others and in yourself. To growing. That spirit. I think two we can tend our garden. We can go outside and water or cover-up. What campos. There are so many ways. To nurture our sold to dig in and a trust. But we are going to find there. We need this. We need this because here in this fast-paced crazy making culture that we live in we have so often neglect our souls. Our bodies and our minds and our spirits and we do it at our own peril. We know. I think we know from our experience that when the canopy is too full and the roots are too shallow the wind comes and we topple over just like those trees did in the city of minneapolis last summer. Arutz they need to go deep. To allow us to be flexible in the ways we hope for. When the storms. And i'll tell you as they've been cleaning up these trees around minneapolis i've been getting a little more reinforcements for my spiritual journey as well. So they take the trees down and then they put them in the chipper. I think about my soul and i think i do not want that to happen to me do not want to go in the chipper i would so much rather dig in. And go deep. And spend the time and give the attention. In space. And like. I'm growing my roots in the right direction. So much for us to learn from the trees as the poet told us this morning. Other spiritual ancestors remind us. We too can learn to stand tall and proud to sink a routes. Please into the earth. We too can learn to reflect the light of a greater source. To think long-term. To go out on a limb. To remember our place among all living beings. We too can learn to embrace with joy the changing seasons. Knowing that eats yields its own abundance. We can feel the wind and sun and delight in their presents. I'm sick nourishment from the good things in life. We2. Can learn to be content with our natural beauty. To drink plenty of water. The letter a limbs way and dance in the breeze. We can learn. To be flexible. To go deep. To remember our roots. Because they're at the core of our being. Absolutely trustworthy resides. And it is there. For off the field. And grow. That we two might be flexible and resilient. And joyful. Mad diesel.

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250.mp3

During the offering. Any of you received little bottles if you would just hold those until you get some more directions. A friend of mine with giving the sermon to a committee of the unitarian universalist association that was going to determine whether she could become a minister or not. She started her sermon without words. She started by taking out a bottle. Opening of it stop. Pulling out a little gone. Lifting at wand. Doing that again and again. Sometimes when she didn't she actually tried to catch the bubble. He done that. And sometimes when she did it. Just moving her body to try to move the bubble. And then she said. Some of the best lessons. 4life. Can be found in bubbles. The bubble. Only lasts for a very short time. There is a transient about them. But in that short time they can lift our spirits. I somehow we slow ride along with that bubble. We often. Breathe differently. And sometimes have a smile and sometimes you can actually feel your body. Hoping to help direct that bubble. Sometimes we marvel at how beautiful the bubble is. How amazing it is. That a drop of soapy water. Can take such a shape. And flow actually float in the air. And sometimes we're sad when the bubble burst. When that aha. Experience. Has been lost. We learned to try again. And hope. Again. Because. We have seen the bubble float. Many people think of blowing bubbles as a form of clay. Play like bubbles. Have some of those very same license to give us. We breathe differently. We see especially acutely sometime. Colors are brighter we smile giggle. Yes. Just simply feel good. We often learn it doesn't last forever. We can try again and again. Playing like watching and blowing bubbles. It transforms us. Sometimes play. Is a lot of work. We stay we play baller we play the piano are we play cards. And it takes a lot of practice to do any of those kinds of playing. If your coach have just had you running a fast miles to get you in condition for your next ball game you may feel. Display is work. And i'm tired and yes. I'm breathing differently but my muscles my muscles ache and i'm sweating all over. And yet. Do you want to quit. Most often. You want to play ball. About playing ball has its moments of delight. Not unlike blowing bubbles. And those about to have played or do play today musical instruments. Know how many hours we have practice for those. Few seconds sometimes minutes. Of becoming part. A vibrating sound. In a living way. Sometime. Play can be hurtful. Or the circumstances around play can be heard from if you want to be included or chosen to be part of a team and you are not. It hurts. You feel lonely and left out. And then what would you say the lessons of that kind of play are. To be aware that most everyone feels lonely or left out sometimes. And now maybe you have more energy to reach out to people. When you see exclusion happening. Or maybe to find deep inside yourself. An affirmation that you have worth. Even if they didn't want you on the team. That you are more. Then maybe being part of only one team. Until there's an nfl player named kurt warner. Who had such an experience he wasn't drafted by the nfl. So he stocked shelves in a grocery store and he worked in minor league professional football for years. Until he expended to overnight started with the ram several years ago. We sometimes play by ourselves. It was another person or in an organized group. As we robbed and swim at the beach or play in the sand pile. Walk or bike to the park or the woods or the neighborhood. That's a. Being. Kind of play. Like the bubbles that simply. In the air and are caught by the wind and fling here and there. This is the play where our eyes begin to see what we often ignore. This is the kind of play when we realize we are parked. About universe. It's power it's danger. It's gentleman. And it's beauty. We are more aware of our breath. About muscles. And the feel of water and wind. We are more aware of the smell of. Salt in the air. Huckleberry bushes blooming as we walk by. Or the fumes of a car that just broke drove by and obviously. Needs its exhaust system repaired. We can hear waves. The wind. And birds. We even hear children in adult voices in a different way. Do you sometimes wonder if a bubble can hear. Actually they can in the way. They can be moved. By sound waves. Sometimes. We need to be careful of the power of play. It can engulf us or take hold of us in such a way that we don't want to do anything else. It can be addictive. Especially with things like some board games and video games. Most games make us healthier happier and more engaged in the world. But if we get so involved in a specific form of play that we ignore the rest of the world. It can actually make us sick. And yet. Some of us think about work as play. Did you know that jared miller who used to go to our sunday school here got a job when he graduated from college. A job of putting together lego large. Sculpture. For lego store they paid him to do it. And his work was doing something that many of us think of. As play. Sometimes some of us choose. To do foreplay. What others do for work. Like gardening. Do be sure to check out the peas in the radishes that are really growing in our garden outside behind the new building. For many of us the work we have done like cleaning up on the anacostia which we heard about just a few minutes ago or landscaping around the dennis avenue clinic. Or will do as we help with a habitat this next week. To build a house in the district. All doing our action week that will seem like play to us. Because of the community and the satisfaction we get from this work. Some of us. Everyday routine. Like bathing and cooking. Talking to people. Driving. Sending and receiving emails and yes. For some even cleaning. Did the kind of play. If you are one of those people i imagine that you have taken the lessons of play. The wisdom of play into your lives in such a way. If you can breathe. Mc and here. Removed in a new kind of grace. And maybe intentionally. And the awareness. You have. A being glad to be alive. There are people in our congregation who it seems to me. Have done just that. Live their life in such a way that they breathe see here and move. In a special kind of grace in their work. With religious education. We would like to honor some of those people this morning by awarding them. The muriel davies award for excellence in religious education. You can read more about them. And their accomplishments in the insert in your order service. Peter benjamin. Linda bleeding heiser. Carrie hilton and rosemarie humdinger. Would you please come forward to receive the muriel davies. Award for excellence in religious education. Right now come forward. This award was created in honor of our first professional religious educator. And one of the founders of our congregation muriel davis. Who died just this last year. These people before us today that sometimes turned work and their lives. Interplay. If they had served us all. Let us give them our thanks. Not in applause. But by standing up. An opening up those little bottles. A bubble witch were passed out to you during the offering and lettuce all blow some little bubbles. Entering these people with the symbols of beauty. Play a mystery. But we can create. By blowing a bit of our breath. Into soapy water. Giving life into bubbles again and again and saying. Thank you. You can say thank you between those breasts of bubbles and look at these bubbles look at them are they wonderful day i have to do it too.

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48.mp3

It will probably come as no surprise to most of you to hear that i've been thinking a lot about. Completely. As a personal and universal human phenomenon. Ever since i decided last autumn to and my ministry here at river road. I'll take a new ministry with a different unitarian universalist congregation somewhere else in the country. Something that will happen in august. I have been pondering what all the changes of this transition will bring will be into me. Kakalin. Above the rest of my family and friends and to all of you indeed. Who make up the congregation this congregation which i have served. For the last dozen years. With both is obvious parallels and possibilities excitement. And anxiety. Has been kind of front-and-center in my heart and mind so it seemed only logical. For me right now to develop sunday sermon. To this vast and fundamental human topic. To have us reflect together this day. On what change means in our lives. Let me begin by making a couple of terribly obvious but i think none the less very helpful and necessary observations. About change. The first is almost the shop one cliche which the reading today picked up on. The only constant in life is indeed changed. Over the course of our lifetimes we human being. Who quite naturally seek. Stability. Predictability pattern and routine in our lives. Number one. We constantly experience as a writer this morning said change. Whether we like it or not whether we have prepared for him.. Life on the fluid marshall and open planets. Simply doesn't allow us to ever fix our lives. In some sort of. Fought after steady-state. Like most of you i am profoundly a creature of habit. Who likes. Predictable routines. And structures. And patterns in my life. And i know very few people. Who frequently seek out change. Just. For change's sake. We human beings are naturally stability seeking creatures and that i think is a good. The natural thing. But even though most of us do not routinely. Speak out changed. Like it or not. Change constantly comes into our denture are doors. Alpha london. But by many other times also by choice by volition. Over our lifetimes we prepare chili change. We age and grow older. Form and then lose friends relationships. We acquire new skills and abilities and then lose. Skills and abilities. We develop new pursuits and passions and interests. We adopt and then abandon rituals and patterns. Every experience both good and bad luck. Which imposed change. Aaliyah dead end. As a consequence. All these things we are obliged to move through life. Coping with adapting to a constant flow of changes again that either come on sought by circumstance. Or that we choose. Originally. For better or worse then. Change is indeed the great constant in life. And so it seems obvious to me that if we're to be successful and happy in life. We must learn somehow. Somehow to strike a truth. Spiritual truth. With change. And perhaps even learn as reading this morning suggested. Perhaps even learn as a habit of the heart. To embrace. Welcome or trust. Just as many of life changes as we can. Indeed i believe that in the overview and generally speaking we human beings are wise. In these complicated. Fluid lines of ours. If we can learn to accept and when possible in brace. Chain. Eva life companion. Spiritual stance this of embracing change. But if nothing else will keep life. Forest lively and moving. The second obvious observation i need to make which i've already alluded to this morning. Is the chase change of an overall phenomenon in our life. If i think profoundly value-neutral. Whoever coined the bumper sticker changes good must have had a spiritual screw loose. No. Change is not good. Some changes good some change this very bad hello. Change can be glorious. I'm good. When we suddenly fall in love. Or start a family are welcome a new grandchild worth are. Learning new skills are fowler bluff like taking up federal playing bagpipes how about that for a thrill. Or move to a part of the world we adore or get the job we've always dreamed of. But change as every last one of you also knows can be very brutal. As when we suddenly become ill or incapacitated. Divorce or other estrangement from persons we have once loved. Orbach fine we can no longer pursue activities that we love. Or lose the job that we wanted to have one. Head-up the scramble to find meaningful work. Over the course of our lifetimes of course. We face both kinds of change. Deliciously glorious and painfully brutal. This is the way life is. Change is profoundly that as a phenomenon. Value-neutral. It's not always a prima facie or good. Anymore that it's always something to be feared or dreaded in the negative sort of way. Life on this planet. Is a whirling helix. Welcome and unwelcome changes are coming to our life. But with these two obvious thing said the change is the only constant in life and that. Change is not necessarily good or bad it's just value-neutral. The kind of change i really want to focus on today is the kind of change. That is required of us when in response to either outward circumstance. Or buy some yearning we have in our hearts. What i really want to focus on is the change. What is required of us when we find ourselves wanting or needing to reinvent ourselves. To redirect ourselves to redefine ourselves. To recreate ourselves and some new. Derek's directions. This is the kind of change. With collins and i are facing in our lives right now. As i look for a new church community. To serve in a new community in a different part of the country i think a warmer part of the country more on that in a couple of weeks when i start around the church. And this is the kind of change. Which you were the congregation are also facing. As you begin looking for a new minister. An interim one at first. And then finally settled minister for the long haul. To serve your needs. As you move into the on your unfolding future. So all of us in this room. Are facing substantiv changes. And if kind of shape. When was applied to established new pattern. New routines. New relationships and direction. This change is not child's play for any of us. The steaks are always incredibly high. When we find ourselves either obliged or eager. To break new ground in our lives. If you don't make the right kinds of decisions during transition time. The outcome can be very painful. And we all know. That's something we don't want. Let me speak personally for a moment. Accountant i do not really feel that we want or need to totally reinvent ourselves. And our lives at this moment. We are both of equal measure anxious and excited. About the new patterns and possibilities and relationships that we're going to have. In some other part of the country. March is going to remain the same for us as a couple. Every undergo are our big move this summer. Allostatic sign. I'm still going to be a unitarian universalist minister i'm not becoming a buddhist to the baptist i'm still going to be a huge guy out there. Serving of the church. It's going to continue to be a number cruncher a senior analyst. For the association of american medical colleges. I want a personal level we hope and trust. That much about our daily and. Relational wisewoman the same. Will both be the same personalities. In the same primary relationship. With the same basic habits and commitments. With the same hopefully circle of friends and family that we've always had. We are also but we are also facing real and substantial changes. In our life pattern. We are going to be delivering in a different climate. In a different community. We're going to live apart from one another for more than a week each month. Something we have never done in our three nearly three decades together. And we're surely going to both. Gain and lose new relationships. New habits. New pattern. In our living. I must honestly tell you that both cones and i are. Already weary alexis about as well as excited and eager to embrace. These new experiences and friends and patterns. That we know we're going to come our way. My point here is that. Even when any of us chooses. To make a transition in our lives. It comes with inevitable anxiety and risk. As well as engaged. The chinese symbol. 4 chain. Is simply dangerous opportunity. I really like that came across that this week. The symbol for change is dangerous opportunity and that's what it feels like to me. And i think that's probably what. You were the kind of geisha you're feeling about getting a new minister it's a dangerous opportunity god knows you making a minister was more hair that's probably likely. No. Let me take a step back from my own transition situation and talk more in general terms. About all of us. I believe that any time any of us begins the process of. Redirecting. Redefining. Recreating william benning ourselves again. Weather i would circumstance. Requires that or whether we choose it. It involved this redefining involve a leap of faith. When all is said and done involves a leap in faith. Set the change we will experience will neto. On the positive and purposeful side. Of life. Quaver. Without some measure of confidence in the heart. It will be sent out a new path. Things will end up at least as good for us as it happened in the past without that. You live a life of dragon. Looking backward instead of looking forward. It takes a leap of faith to say you know. This is probably going to work out. It's probably going to work out. And don't say arrive. Edward fields to me right now with the creative and almost blessed paradox of change. Whenever we find ourselves recreating and redirecting our self. As i said. On the one side of the equation is always the natural hesitation. Fear and anxiety. Which results when we face. What we may be losing or giving up. When we transition to a new place. And on the other side. The excitement and adventure and opportunity which we intuitively know lies just beyond the horizon of where we're headed. Down the yellow brick road you know something. Wonderful adventures. Is just over the horizon. Only spiritual fool with tell you to ignore the risk of the anxiety side. Of a chain. The tougher side of the paradox. When entering into any substitute transition in our lives again whether we choose it or it's wasted on us. We must fully face and acknowledge. What is being lost. What is being set aside what is endangered if you don't face those things you're just not dealing creatively with what's happening to you. I have called my face is transition. We have been regularly talking to one another almost on a daily basis. About the things that we're going to miss. In washington the friends we won't see as much. The sights the sounds of things were going to lose. Necessary losses. Involved in leaving this area. At the same time. We also are. And inventorying all of the wonderful things that can happen to us. I think in any successful life transition. When we reinventar redirect ourselves. We have to somehow. Let me look at those things we're going to louis we have to send out a bracket. Or shall not hide them in the closet but put them up on a shelf. Bracket them so they become manageable. End. Not denying them but not living out of them everyday either. One strategy which helps me to do this. If you gather as much information and insight as i can about the transition i'm going into. I can't tell you the number of hours i have spent. Studying the 7 congregations i've been interviewing with and the communities in which they live. I've been doing spreadsheet. The bad decision amanda's going to be a spreadsheet decision. But i find comfort in transition in. Cataloging with as much information as i can get. Really what i'm looking at. But again the only phrase which works for me is i ponder. Successfully navigating this or any transition. Is it at some point it requires a leap of faith. Not the leap of faith that some fool makes blindly jumping off a cliff. Without looking over the edge to see what's at the bottom and where they'll land. What a leap of faith. We make after looking back on a flea and taking stock of where we've been. Trusting. But there can be a good and soft and congenial landing. In the new land. Where we're headed. Count nine. Are facing this transition. Honestly. Looking at the. The difficulties in the losses but also. Trusting that we're going to land. In a good place. And different think it's a leap of faith. What is required. Of all of us. We took a little slightly different tact. Give you an example of something that happened to me out of my own life years ago. Maybe if you were going to recognize the broad existential outlines of the story. Many years ago i suddenly. As far as i was concerned unjustly lost a wonderful life opportunity. But i was sure i had to have for my happiness. I was heartbroken at the loss of this opportunity. And i have to settle on a situation i was sure. With left desirable that i never would have chosen. It was not that year a smooth or joyful transition. But just a few months later. After i had stepped into that new life with my full energies into a new job and a new community. Again. But i never would have chosen. I never would have chosen it. I suddenly realized one day was like a a big boxing glove coming out of a cloud in a kind of whack in the end ahead and and that boxing gloves came out of the cloud instead. Hey scott. You realize that things have worked out really fabulously for you in fact. Better much better than had you gotten what you wanted. You realize if i losing what you wanted. You actually got something far better. That i think. If something happens to any of us in life. Someone welcome. Or unexpected changes. Impose on you by fader bad luck. Which is first hurt and discombobulated you. Throw you off your balance. It is these changes which in fact. Workout to bless and enrich you. In ways that you were previously. Totally incapable of seeing does this ring a bell with any of you just. Wave your wave your hands. Right. So successfully navigating. The paradox of change it seems to me. Involves again two things first. Acknowledging. And managing and facing. The real losses and anxieties which come with any life-changing. Space. At the same time trusting. But you can and will find your way. After some period of time. New reorganized life. They will ultimately prove. Satisfying. And meaningful. I'm fulfilling at least. This is leap of faith that i am taking now. Which brings me to the transition which you are facing as a congregation. Let me talk for a minute about this ministerial transition. But you was the congregation are going through over the next. Couple of years. It must be obvious to all of you who understand how churches work. But the lead minister of a congregation which is the role i have filled here for the last 12 years. The lead minister has a great deal of influence. Over the mood. Personality. Style and direction of the congregation. With not with my departure this summer. You together face the inevitable change. The substantial change. The comes with having a different person. Or person. Phil. Space and the roll. In this church. Well maybe if you bless your hearts of taking time over recent weeks. To personally come to me and tell me how sad you are to see me going. Some of you even saying you don't know how river road is going to proceed without me. Now despite the kindness. In the affirmation which lies behind these comments. You and i both know. The 5th congregation will proceed. Justify. Without. Scott alexander thank you very much for no minister. No staff person. No administrator no worries erector nolay leadership no board of trustees even is indispensable. Most particularly. Congregations always have adorable life. Beyond the tenure of any particular minister. But i suspect the truth is that just as with collins and me. Who are currently aware of what we'll be having to give up because of this transition some of you. Not all of you but some of you. Are grieving. Or at least anxious. But the loss of my familiar and reasonably predictable and certainly bad presents. But this transition. But just as this transition. Presents me with a positive opportunity to reinvent. Andre to find myself with a group of people. Who hasn't yet batman doesn't know how i'm going to get to ministry so maybe i can do it differently. Justice presents me with an opportunity for a fresh start. This transition presents you with a positive opportunity. To redefine and recreate. And reinvent yourself. As a congregation. My departure and please hear this loud and clear if you hear nothing else today hear this. My departure. Is a clear. Compelling opportunity. For this congregation to take a good hard look at itself. As goal. Mission. Program. And style. Edits mood. It's personality. Its strength. It's very real weaknesses. And decide how you want to purposely make. A future that is different than where you just come from. What a tragedy it would be. If you were the congregation did not use this transition. Did not use my departure. To make some real changes. And to make some real decisions. That will move this congregation. Intentionally into the future. But it's different that is past. No i know your board of trustees and some other congregation leaders. Fully understand this present opportunity. For reflection. And change. And we'll be using this transition. Time. To engage all of you with the congregation in a rigorous. Systematic process. A self-evaluation. Add redirection. I am sure. The trust with my own personal transition. Your complication of process of evaluation and redirection will it sometimes. Be uncomfortable and anxiety-producing. You know the bosses side the anxiety side. But again. To allow this ministry on transition to happen without serious reflection. And that's an in-depth reflection on your part. Would be institutionally extremely foolish. I want to be more particular about what i hope. You'll take from this transition process and what you're engaged in. I believe that is a congregation. River road because of its proud and ambitious culture. I've often been hesitant. To make choices. About what it is to be. And a vehicle important. What it is not. At the congregation made up of many assertive constituents. Repeat that. As a congregation made up of many assertive. Constituency than communities. You intended to what. Everything. Everything from yourselves as a congregation. Everything from your ministers. Regardless of how limited the resources. And this habit of wanting everything. And wanting it now of course. Is that a wig unrealistic. It's downright unhelpful. I believe river road needs now in this transition period of the next couple of years. To make real and clear choices. About its goal. It's message. Its mission. And its expectations. Both its ministers. And itself. And not pretend. As has been our recent habit. It can be all things. To all people. All the time. In every conceivable way. There. I said it to you. I believe that this congregation. Have a truly creative and enjoyable and healthy future. Needs to focus. Focus expectations. Focus its outreach. Focus its resources and focus its program. For both the sanity of itself. And its staff. Let me give just one example if i might. As a congregation we take justifiable pride in our social justice task forces we even have a booklet. With all 16 of the minute. Great big blue booklet. Which pro probably describe. I work in the wider world. The truth. Because of limited people. Unlimited interest. Not all these task forces we brag about are presently functions. A number of them are comatose. Several of them are not meeting right now and we're doing no work in our community. That we say we are. Take for example the environmental task force. Which was very active and productive for a few years but has now fallen into complete disrepair. No one has picked up the leadership. Of environmental task force we do not have an enviable task force we are not doing environmental education in our wider world now. I personally do not see this as a tragedy. For the fact is it as a congregation right now. We apparently don't have the people. Or the interest. To make a difference. Environmental task force work. I believe that rather than pretend. The we are addressing. Every conceivable social justice issue in america and the world. We start making choices. And not print 16 social justice test versus 45 of which are not functioning. We start making choices. And focus our limited energies and resources on fewer projects. And fewer areas of human concern. It may sound like heresy to some of you. But i do not believe that river road unitarian universalist congregation. One congregation of 250,000 in the in this nation. Needs to single-handedly solve every social justice and human concerns in the world you don't need to do that. You must make choices. And be realistic. About who and what you are. And how many resources you're willing to put in the thing. You have to be more realistic. And to do this. You can use this transition.. As a. of discernment. About which. Where your focus is. But the strongest thing is i never said that you. I believe the absolute worst thing you could do as a congregation during this transition. Is to simply and impatiently focus. I'm getting another warm body and reasonably intelligent mind behind that desk up in the minister's study. Without truly and thoughtfully looking at your mission. Your goal your program and your personality is a group i want to say this as clearly as i can. This transition. For you. Is a chance. To mature. And focus. As a congregation. Just as this transition for me is an opportunity for me. Temperature. And focus. My minister. Setting. As i move into my cell. Decade. And so dear friends let me in by observing. The fifth transition. As with all transitions that come to us in life bitten or unbidden. Will of necessity involve both losses. And opportunities. Anxiety and great joy. It is so important when we face any transition in our lives. Two faces paradoxical helix of change. Spirals down into our lives. With the covid-19 the opportunity. But i want to repeat my main spiritual point to you. I take it on faith and hope that you do too. They're almost always when we approach any significant change in our lives. If we do so with an open mind. An open heart. We can come out on the other side. Richer and better and more satisfied for the transmission. Events the unwelcomed. This at least. The spiritual approach. Collins die are going to take. As we move this summer. We want. To willingly move our two lives forward. From the comfortable pattern we have known for the past 12 years. And the brave fresh new pattern. And relationships. And the way of human being. And i hope it will be the same. For you. Do we have open hearts. And open minds as we move into our respective evolving live. But if not fear. The fresh. New surprising path. The one on the phone. But rather treat these pads on.. As wonderful. Strangers. Wonderful rich strangers that will evolve. Interfere. And i say your name.

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3561.mp3

Imitating me with the clip little by on the tail end of her interactions with friends and adults and loved ones. In this practice. I have on occasion heard some of you imitate me in the same way don't think i didn't notice. Significant to me. At the people tend to notice my clipped little by. But nobody not my daughter not my friends perhaps not even my husband really notices the thing. Part. That usually precedes it. Because of course it is perfunctory it's quick and it rolls off the tongue like an expectation as much of an as an expression of genuine gratitude. It's not like it's nothing that thanks. But then again it's not wholly something either the thx that passes for gratitude in text messages that clipped off warmth of feeling before the rushed goodbye. And one might be forgiven for sensing that the very word thing. Itself. Has started to lose some of its meaning. Until perhaps you look again. Some years ago. I stumbled one weekend morning into the sacred space. The buddhist temple of chicago. Expecting to have a meaningful cultural experience. What ended up with was a concept i've been ruminating on ever since. And one of the best sermons i can ever remember hearing a student at the temple spoke about her teacher. The reverend bagayoko saito. And his influence on generations of buddhist most specifically. The service reflected on reverend saito's very distinct definition of what too many of us might be a reasonably familiar term. Now. If you are a particularly attuned baby boomer. Orange enexor from the early days of mtv familiar with the band styx. No doubt look at this morning sermon title and immediately fill in the rest of the culturally mandated phraseology domo arigato mr. roboto. And if you were born anytime after 1975 i apologize for the reference in my sermon you probably did not get. I should perhaps pause. All the people cognizant of the 1970s tune out long enough to thank you very much of mr. roboto in your own internal dialogue. In so doing you might be reminded of the traditional translation of that familiar japanese phrase. Domo arigato. Means thank you. Or thank you very much. Except. But it doesn't. Or it doesn't just mean that. According to his students. Reverend ayako saito always taught that domo arigato was the most important phrase in any buddhist vocabulary and to him it did not just mean thank you. Literally he said. It meant. It would be too difficult. Without you. To break it down and its component parts. Domo all rude. i don't know meaning meaning to exist and cation got time meanings to be difficult. Literally. To be difficult without. Not simply say thank you or thanks a lot or thx in a text but when sent to someone who has met your limitations or you're very broken heart with kindness it would be too difficult. Without you. And that is a statement and order-of-magnitude deeper than the throwaway half gratitude thank-yous we usually talk over our shoulders. As the waitress walked away with our newly cleared plates. Or a friend brings the car back with a full tank of gas. When asked what the phrase really meant to him reverend fito said. Too difficult to exist. Without. Without your kindness. Without your critique. Without everything of every sort that you are to me this life would be too difficult and so by carrying away my dirty dishes. Bringing back the gas tank full by calling me when i am lonely or telling me a story that makes me laugh or saving my life you are making it possible for me to beat me. Without you it would be too hard. And without you. I simply would not. And those two meanings. Without you it would be too hard and without you i simply would not be are so very powerful. Imagine if every time we express gratitude we also expressed our deep need of one another quite literally our dependence on such kindness as we have known. Those meaning. It would be too hard without you. And i could not be me without you. Get down to the very soul of gratitude because they are honest. Honest about the nature of relationships in life and the ways in which we depend upon one another in the lived experience of our days. Unpack the power of that latter meaning. Not the one who is on the other side of my isolation were not. I turned in my own spiritual life to the great buddhist teacher tick not han. There is no without interbeing. Interconnected in enter woven into the live the struggle than the stories of those around us. There is no separately existing self. Without the world in which that's elf moves. There is literally no me without you no love letter without the paper on which it was written no paper without the tree from which it came no tree without the rain that nourished it no rain. Without the cloud that held it. And no cloud without the sky in which is sale. There is no me without you. Off me and into me to break my heart and make it whole again to make and remake me through our every interaction day after day year after year domo arigato there is no me without you. Sociologically it is well-known and widely held. That we all function. Not on our own individual crab islands not in pockets of our own creation but in worlds of creativity. And connection. Imagine for instance a movie it's oscar season right. Who created. Imovie. From whence does it come who really deserve the oscar for the movie that made the critics and the children of like we big fat tears of self-realization. Howard as becker has said that a movie is a powerful example of the interbeing of the creative act. After all he says nobody has ever figured out who the real artist is. Screenwriter the director the actor or who. And apparently. During the making of the wizard of oz. Which incidentally had four directors. The great big idea that we will never forget from that movie the moment when it goes from black and white to color. Was not the creation of the directors in all at all it was in fact the composer and the lyricist. Who came up with that idea cliff harden that's right the composer and lyricist sitting around a piano dreaming up a song that brought images along with it and the shining moments of your life the credit for the glorious triumph. I want all of those fancy white people stand up to accept their oscars for best actor this year. Who exactly are they thinking. Domo arigato they might say. To all those in the field. Of their effort. Even to us picking at our popcorn at home it would be too difficult without you. There would be no me without you. There was only us. Inter. In this dance together. Without you i would not be. Isn't that a sentiment more powerful more honest then thanks bye. And more accurate to the experience of our days. This is not to say that all the bootstrap e self-improvement of frontier times and i'm rand novel this complete malarkey. It is actually not entirely. Unitarian universalist and to affect the world around them. It's often said that our congregations are institutions with auntie institutionalist. And while this is not always true it does play out among us. At its best are individualism memes that we believe in the power of the individual person to choose love. Against even the most striking odds. And in a way we believe in the power of the individual person to assert the moral mandate of that love. Upon the world around them. And yet no matter how independent. No matter how strong or talented or capable or just flat-out bootstrap pulling gutsy you are even the greatest of competence has its limits. And even our greatest achievements cannot possibly be ours alone. By offering acknowledgement that i simply could not be without you. I am not denying my own power. Rather i am living into the simple gratitude that is called for. When we see that every achievement we are proud of. Exist in the context of all those who kept the ground from rising up to crush us. Before we ever had the chance. Henri nouwen. A one-time harvard professor of theology who left the university to pursue communal living. Read wonderful little book called our greatest gift about the process. Of dying and living with hope and with faith. In-n-out book he recalled a conversation he once had with a trapeze artist from the circus. The trapeze artist. And now it says one day i was sitting. With road lee the leader of the troop in his caravan talking about flying. He said. As a flyer i must have complete trust in my catcher. The public might think that i am the greatest star of the trapeze but the real star is joe my catcher. Do you have to be there. For me with split-second precision and grab me out of the air as i come to him in the long jump. How does it work i asked. The secret world lee said. Is that the friar does nothing in the catcher does everything. When i fly the joe i have simply to stretch out my arms and hands and wait for him to catch me and pull me safely. Over beyond the catch bar. I said surprise. Nothing. Rosalie reply. A flyer must fly and a catcher must catch in the flyer must trust without stretch arms that his catcher. Will be there for him. Every single time we have ever flown and made it through alive we did so with catchers mounting one atop another to bring us safely home. Every time we have taken the greatest risks of our lives we have done it in the context. Of those who have likewise risked. Or giving us the idea in the first place. Or let us go so that we might dare. Or built the schools that taught us. Or literally held out hands to catch us lest we fall in graceless fashion. To the earth below. Domo arigato. I could not be without you. And yet there is that other meaning to. Not merely that i could not exist without you but that existence itself. Would be flat-out too difficult. Without you. That this living might break me. If it were not for what you give. What you offer what you share. It is the simple truth that our experiences of suffering of sorrow and loss. Can be greater than anything we can bear alone. It is simply too difficult to meet us suffering world. Without the everyday encounters for which we are abundantly grateful. And that's i am not only dependent upon you to exist. Sometimes. I need you. If i'm even going to make it through the day. Domo arigato. It would be too difficult without you. So difficult i cannot imagine going it alone. Lance corporal brian borello was 19 years old. When he was killed by an ied. While patrolling near the haditha dam in iraq. He was the only member of his platoon who didn't make it home from that tour of duty. And since his death now 10 years ago some members of his platoon have become uncommonly close with his mother. As if their grief could only be matched by hers and somehow must be shared. One of the soldiers sergeant kevin powell instantly recorded a story within pr. We're here the conversation with brian's mother shirley parello. He said he remembers the day when the two of them first met the sergeant and the mother had been with her son and his very last moment remembered his final breath and cheese. Who remembered his first. To the mother of his friend sergeant powell said. I couldn't wait to meet you and give you a hug. I remember running through my head what i say to you i walked up to you i gave you a hug and i didn't say anything because i couldn't. And i'm sorry for that. And shirley perello whose son was dead. Spoke right to the center of this young man suffering when she said. You were his family. And so that means you're my family now. The grieving young man in the grieving mother stood on the other end of great law. 10 years later. And promised that they would always be there for each other. For as long as i'm alive sergeant powell said. And his dead friend's mother's dead. I know. And hearing them say these things even the cynical side of me slides away. And i believe them. From the center of their shared sorrow they became one another's people. And once board that is a bond not easily broken. Domo arigato shirley perello might have said. Because the grief of that would be too difficult without you. And domo arigato sergeant powell might have said. Because i could not bear the memories. Without your accompaniment. And somehow their shared pain became their great blessing. And they will be one another's people for as long as they live. Because it would be too difficult to do anything else. And so on this day. That finds us both proudly independent. Defiantly dependent on each other. Dependent on each and all to be our catchers when we fly our comfort in the night our companion in deep pain the brave one when were scared and yes the one who picks up milk. At the end of the day. Domo arigato friends. It would be too difficult without you. I could not be without you. There are no throwaway thank-yous in a beloved community. But only this truth. That we are one another's. And we need one another. For the whole duration of our day.

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4383.mp3

People ask me sometimes. Whether i believe in the resurrection question i asked my two-year-old son. So what is easter. Miracles i guess. The greatest wonder of the whole thing. It's not a question of angels in heaven and all that jazz the greatest miracle is and has always been to me the continued existence on earth of the church. To put it simply. The fact that jesus's story didn't die with him. Followers push through their grief and became for one another a community dedicated to the practices hit always been preaching. Friends of jesus in the early church of document in the books of acts and the letters of paul. Small communities of people who like cheese's. Endeavored to welcome everyone. Unlike the complicated church that would follow those earliest collections of jesus followers. Places for all the people. Places for women to lead a slave to be free. For soldiers to find a voice for peace and poor people to serve the rich thousands of years later we are still trying to tell that story and even to catch up to the progress they made then in the context of their deep loss. They were gathered together in those days and years after his death trying to be a community where all are welcome. And to me that is a great miracle. Evidence that once again death did not win the day. Sorrow did not defeat them. Mystery of this world could not squash their vision. They kept telling the story. And they lived. Until the story lived. Haven't lived in off today. There's power in that. In a community that has known suffering there is power in a person who has known great loss there was power enough for resurrections even now. If we have the courage. If we bear the loss. If we welcome the surprise. So much as possible. Even when we least expect it. And that power is at work in the world. Everyday. Right now. This is a contemporary story. Of every day resurrection. And that surprises that led to expanded power. A place called koinonia farm. Another word koinonia is greek. Describe the way. The early communities of christians came together in the kind of deep. Fellowship. Or joint action. And clarence. Florence jordan. 40 people that actually felt. The new testament. What is a mandate. We went out. In a way that they saw their. They founded koinonia farm with another couple the england's and they modeled it on the early christian communities. This is the pledge that anyone who live there took. The treat all human beings with dignity and justice. The choose love over violence. To share resources. To live simply. To be in service to others and to be faithful stewards of the land and animals. Where do they decide to do this. Americus georgia. Directly south of atlanta. In the year. Was 1942. Clarence was a very unusual man from this part of georgia and the jim crow era. He had an agriculture degree from university of georgia and. A greek new testament phd from the seminary. He went back. The southwest georgia. Specifically in 1942 to found a place where blacks and whites could work live and worship together. This was his radical attempt to live a christian life. He called it. A demonstration plot. For the kingdom of god. He was courageous. He was a countercultural progressive christian in a very. Very conservative place. For the beginning of civil rights movement in the south. And the action. Acquaintance are farm created a big. Reaction. Network committed to segregation saw interracial life. As dangerous challenge. To the way things were. Koinonia farm. Became a target of bombing. And drive-by shootings. And most damaging of all a local economic boycott. One day the white supremacist organization the ku klux klan came to visit. In a 70 car. Motorcade. Clarence. You need to leave. Are we will kill you. Clarence jordan look them in the eye and answered well. We won't be the first christians to die for what we believe. We're staying put. And then the chamber of commerce. that was a little extreme so they that we're going to have a business meeting and just sit down with the founders of koinonia farm and say. You will need to go do this somewhere else. Is koinonia business. The residence. Declined. And they remained. And clarence and florence jordan answered all this bullying was nonviolent resistance with prayer with lots of new ideas. They also posted a volunteer unarmed overnight guard team. At the gate. Every night. To keep the peace. The weather that violent storm and they kept on going to this very day. 70 years. Since the founding. And all those new ideas that they thought of of never stop coming. A whole line of everyday resurrection and new communities of deep fellowship in action. When event you may have heard of. They began work on local low-income housing cooperative as the koinonia partnership. And this became habitat for humanity. Headed for. Who went to koinonia farm for a 1-month retreat. The change their life. Clarence jordan. Simply thought like jesus. With both his bravery and his radical compassion. More than any other person i met millard said. Clearance inspired millard to retire. From his very successful business career to divest most of his family wealth. And to start a new housing organization with his wife linda. Airnow 500,000 habitat home. In 100 country. This community has started by two couples required courage. They had some very big surprises. And now koinonia is this place. A radiating power today for so many. The number of economic ventures. Organization. Leadership farming ministry. Koinonia fellowship. Because when things got tough. Clarence jordan. And koinonia farm community stay faithful. When one idea closed off so sharply many more flowers in new ways. They recreated themself. This is easter happening every day in southwest georgia. This is how easter happens today. With small with large concrete steps. The power of everyday resurrection one at a time. Steps chosen by us. Created by us. But inspiration from each other. You and i. We're in our own communities. Md fellowship. Spirit and service. We seek to be true. To our mission. In these times. We make easter happen. By putting our values. Emmaline.

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2501.mp3

Anthony de mello who says popular spiritual author. Collection meditations called taking flight. Describes a woman. Kool-aid dying in a coma and he imagines her at that precious. Fragment of a moment at the end of thing. Only had a feeling that she was taken up to heaven before the judgment seat who are you a great voice said to her. I am the wife of the mayor replied. I did not you are but who you are. I'm the mother of four children. I did not ask whose mother you are. But who you are. I'm a school teacher i did not ask what you do for a living but who you are and so it went no matter what she replied she didn't have an answer that seems satisfactory to the big booming voice. Who are you. It asked again. I'm a christian. I did not ask what religion you are. I'm the one who went to church everyday and always help the poor and needy. I did not ask what you did but who you are. Evidently feeling the examination she was sent back to earth. She recovered from her illness she was determined to find out who she was. And that alone. Made all the difference. Sensimilla. It doesn't say whether or not she ever found out exactly who she was infuriating and honest way of poetry it doesn't even tell us the right answer but it does say that some earnest intention of finding out who we are makes all the difference. Come back from the brink and at least continue asking the question that was the gift. Who am i. Sounds like a sort of pure question doesn't it like there's some pure undiluted answer waiting to be discovered. Not whose mother a mine or whose wives north who's lawyer. Not what beliefs i share nor anything else but simply who am i. Although i must say this morning as i was preparing to come back and leave the service for the first time since my son was born six weeks ago. I said i need to go to church and leave the service and route said my daughter is for she said why i said cuz i'm a minister she said you're not a minister you're a mommy and i said can't you be both and she said no and i asked would you like to do two things in your life and she said no i only want to be an ice cream truck operated anyway. Your identity and how much you willing to fight to scrap to work to labor to defend that identity against all who would try to wash it away. Or generalize it have to death. Orchard sue meant underneath all the roles responsibilities and patterns of life. Who are you. And how willing are you to meet the person next to you with all that you are the full complexity of it. I'm afraid that you will find in their eyes that you do not belong. We could spend most of a lifetime contemplating just that. Trying to get to the offenses authenticity that lies at the core of our identity and trying to be bold enough to share it with others without being afraid. And yet the more i think about this question. About who i am. It seems the more i circled back away from me and my isolation and back to all of you. One might argue that progressive religious people like us are pretty good at asking who we are. We're not the sort of people who follow lockstep and what generations before i said we are said we should believe who am i is a familiar question too many of us it might even be a comfortable one. But the uncomfortable fact. The one we don't always want to see. Is it walleye and more than the sum total of my roles in my titles in this world there is no me without you. I cannot ask who am i without immediately asking who i am related to no man is an island that is true enough. And island isn't even an island without the water that surrounds it. Everything exists. In relationship to everything else. And our spiritual level perhaps there is nothing else. Just oneself. Formed informing. By all the other shelves around us bouncing in and off one another and internal act of creating one another a new. It was a great poet hafeez. Who wrote. God and i. Have become like two giant fat people living in a tiny boat. We keep bumping off one another and laughing. You and i. We cannot help but bump into one another and when we do what the reaction could we have been laughter. I keep bumping into you and you keep changing me. You keep bumping into me and becoming different in ways we never could have expected. Is individualistic as we are human beings are inherently social creatures. And as such are our identities are socially constructed states. We cannot know where we are unless we allow ourselves to continue with the identities of others. And so who am i isn't inherently leading question. You can't ask who am i without following up almost immediately with the next step namely. Who's. I. As my colleague victoria safford puts it. You can't be a person by yourself. Who's am i. Is to extend the questions far beyond the little self-absorbed self in wonder who needs you. Who loves you. Are you accountable. To whom do you answer. Whose life is altered by your choices. With whose life whose lives as your own all bound up in extricable e in obvious or invisible waze. And so. Who's are we. To whom do we belong. And what does that interconnection demand of us. We're all claimed by something. We're all called out by someone we are formed by our relationships and perhaps we are claimed owned called. Not just by people but by ideals. My dreams. I want with urine for. We all belong to something. Perhaps someone. It's just a matter of discovering who or what that is over and over and over again through our lives. I've been reading lately perhaps understandably about infant development. With a six-week-old who spends most of his time sitting in my lap this is an interesting study and one fascinating bit of research of come across. Is about the developing infants sense of smell. Research. Shows that the first sense they develop is the sense of smell. A newborn baby within days of its birth can detect the smell of his or her mother and they lean toward that smell not as if. Life itself depended on it but literally because life itself depends on it. The mother dad's grandparents used. Before a baby can see darkness or light. Before they can comprehend anything at all in the years before any words find their way to the firing synapses of their brains babies know that unique in particular smell of the ones who bring them sustenance. The one who belongs to them belongs to them before they ever understand it. I'm such an elemental. Century level. They know when they are at home. In the presence of the one whose very sent defines their world. Even without any philosophies to prove it they know whose they are. And perhaps we spend much of the rest of our lives. Sniffing out that kind of connection. Yearning to be that close again. To be enveloped by a relationship that defines and defends us. Symbiosis in which we are both cared for. And created a new. But the archetypal mother she's not always there is she. If she ever was there she doesn't always remain. No child can sit in mom's lap with its only developed sense soaking up awareness of home forever. It just doesn't work that way. And eventually we must since we have every intellectual capacity every spiritual practice to sniff out the scent of our own belonging. In other ways. Isn't just about the warm fuzzies and feeling safe. It isn't just being comfy. It's about being in relationship with all that that entails. So whose are we. To whom do we belong. Not just who are you comfortable with but who are you accountable to who or what has a claim on you. Because that claim. That belonging. It alone shapes who we are. I've been thinking. A bit about belonging to a group. Since i listen to doug sermon from last week which i'm sure some of you heard he had these really thoughtful reflections about syria and how the fragmentation of kinship of identity group has created within that country a boiling cauldron of ethnic and religious tensions. People primary identity group cited their sectarian religious groups to their political affiliations to their splinter splinters of splinter groups too many people in too many places including these united states. Primarily to their group. And not to the ideals. Around which any such group ought to be formed. Consequently too many people belong. To their hate. We belong to our opposition. Who's are we. Are we the wholly-owned subsidiary of our own prejudices. And what could happen in such an environment but violence. So often we are own and we are claimed. Buy identities and practices that move us further and further from our own potential we are owned by our addictions our fears are both wearying loneliness. So often we belong to our sorrow. Who's are you. Are you sorrows man. Are you guilt long-suffering mistress. Who's are you. And whose would you like to be. Could you be owned by your vision. Instead of our limitations. Claim they called forth by your passion. Is there an ideal that owns your imagination and always will even when you repeatedly fall short of realizing it. Not long ago. Ministers get together. Turn into a widespread series of conversation about this question who's are we. Who's are we in to whom are we accountable. It was one way of moving that individualistic question what do you believe into a more relational space whose are we together. And when one group of colleagues gathered to discuss these things the first words they heard or from the reverend gianduiotto whose minister of university unitarian church in seattle and he told this story. In seattle. Clergy organization has a tradition. Senior colleagues to share their life oddities. On one particular occasion a roman catholic priest. Was telling his story. And he said that his life had been in some large measure a failure. He remembered the heady days of vatican 2 and how hopeful he and his generation of liberal priesthood been real change was coming to the church that he loves so dearly. And yet these many years later he felt. Did the church had become hardened. And his dreams had not been realized. Mother's priest with someone who value who was valued by his interface colleagues a great deal and they were somewhat hurt and saddened by his revelation and yet one colleague noted that despite the severity of his words. His demeanor. How can you claim that your life was a failure. And yet appear so calm and serene. I know whose i am. Replied the priest. I know whose i am. Now i know. Kind of easy to dismiss he's a priest right so he's god's man. But maybe it was more complicated. For him. More complicated even if it is for us. He belongs. Perhaps. Two-a-day from so many of us don't believe in. But a person will be owned by something. A soul belongs to someone. Supernatural someone. And should we take the time to look we too might relate the stories of our lives. Full of calm confidence. I'm peaceful hearts. Knowing that no matter what. No matter how our plans crumble. No matter how our hearts are broken. We too might know who's we are. What we have lived our days in service to. We may not be owned and claimed by an almighty power but we are claimed nonetheless. We are someone. We are owned by some vision. And knowing that or at least coming back from every brink determined once again to discover it just might make all the difference. May we come to know not only who we are but whose we are. And might that knowledge guide us well. Do everything that awaits. Mary shaw. For him.

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2051.mp3

The young boy jack's grits. In fear as he faced a moral dilemma. He let himself be influenced by his friends. Little turtle. Call the name. One minute he's admiring. A beautiful creature. But he was afraid of appearing weak. And winding up all alone. However. Equally compelling voice. Inside his head told him that hurting another being. What was like to do something evil. And it scared him. In his hit. Frozen. But let's not forget the turtle the turtle was caught in a situation beyond its control. Of someone else. Hunker down. And surrender. Jackson county became a valuable lesson for him. Even though it only. A couple of seconds. Don't like an eternity. By doing what his friends told him to do. Isolated. But the cost was high because it would have changed him in a way that he didn't want. He moved from focusing on the separation from his friends. To a connection. With a turtle. It's a common emotion that we all experience. Sometimes. Sometimes it freezes. But there's no way to avoid it as long as you're alive. Whenever we are challenged to act. Different way. We encounter fear at some point. What beer amplifies our energy. Yes we are hardwired for fear. We have a conflicted relationship with it. We tried ourselves for being scared. We love rollercoaster. We spend billions. The war on terror. What we need to do. Is the stop struggling with fear. And to listen to it. Health psychologist that there are only two things. Which cumin. Instinctively. Loud noises. Installing. I would have thought they were more than that. Makes sense. Because they involve sudden changes to our body. Thinking of situations. All other fears are established in our minds. Deep down in our subconscious. Is awareness that we as individuals. I've been disconnected to the totality of existence. We are on our own. Separated at birth. And this feeling of being disconnected to the totality of existence. We also have the capability and the capacity. $0.02. We are connected to the universe. Much larger forces. Is all of creation together. Reform community and we worship these mysterious forces. Aching desire to transcend of isolation. The spiritual journey to move from isolation. Three connection to god. The spirit of life the universe whatever you want to call it. Is at the heart of all religions. In the story of adam and eve adam experienced shortly after eating the fruit of knowledge. As soon as we don't exist. Vulnerable. When god told for him. Because he realized for the first time. One of my recurring nightmares is that i'm in an ordinary crowd of people moving around doing their ordinary things. Can i suddenly realize that i am completely naked. Like adam. I look for a place to hide but i can't. I have to. Face my vulnerability. I'm actually having a conversation with fear. Do i have no control over. That the most common fear. Is public speaking. Mark twain once remarked that there are two types of speakers those who are nervous and those who are liars. Speaking. Publix. Those people when you go to a funeral. But all joking aside. I once met a man who is struggling with the fear of death. While i was doing my clinical pastoral education at the nih national institutes of health. A patient with an aggressive form of lymphoma. Cell transplant which would which would give him a new immunity system. So he could fight this cancer that was raising through his body. He was scared of dying. But he was also scared. No one could tell him. How his body would react to the stem cell transplant. Henderson certainly. Paralyzed. As the date of the transplant rooney. Through tighter and tighter into himself. One day i came to see him. And this time he didn't throw me out of the room. The feeling of utterly alone. At warning down. And he was ready to speak to someone about his fear. I asked. If you had ever been as afraid as he was at that moment. And he told me about the time that he was asked to speak in front of this congregation. He was terrified. But he mustered the strength. When he listened to his. And he realized that the people facing him. Actually love them. Focused on his connection. Rather than the isolation to the object of his fear. Being in front loving community. Held by their support. He closes eyes. And after a few minutes. Smile. I told him that i loved him. And that his family and the medical team all of them. We were his community. In our present was not facing the transplant alone. I wish i could tell you that this was a happy ending. Listening to our fears does not guarantee happy endings or safety. But it allows us to move. And live each moment of our lives in spite of no guarantees. I was deeply moved by what he said about the power of love. The congregation from those who were judging him to people who loved him. He's able to stand in front of them with all his vulnerability. I'm reminded that this is a sacred space where are covenant. One another. Transcend our separation. This is a place where we can bring our fears. And all our struggle can know that we are held by community. We may not find all the answers to the things that seitan. Put together. That arises when we close. The truth. In our first meeting. Pema chodron instructed us that our purpose. Is not to eliminate fear. But to get to know it. So that we could sense the world in new ways that will continually humblest. Denver first or rather in her book when things fall apart. Keep accounts a story. That a man told her in a lecture. About his. Spiritual experiences in india back in the 1960s. Was determined to get rid of all his negative emotions. In the spiritual practice. Pride. Whataburger. He wanted to conquer fear. Is meditation teacher told him to stop struggling. But he just took that as another way of overcoming his obstacle. So finally the teacher sent him off to the foothills to meditate. In a little hot all alone. Shut the door. Began to settle down. It is spiritual practice. When it got dark he let three cannons. Around midnight. You heard a noise in the corner of the room. And in the shadows. Esau a very. Large. It looked at him like a king cobra. There was right front of him. Watching him intensely. All night stayed alert. Keeping his eye on that is eyes on that snake. He was so afraid he couldn't move. There was just a snake. Himself. And fear. Just before dawn the last candle went out. And he began to cry. He wasn't crying out desperation. Put some tenderness. The longing. All animals and all people. In his heart. Angry. Jealous. Was afraid. He also accepted that he was wise and foolish. Rich and poor. Limited. An unfathomable. Precious beyond all measure. He felt so much gratitude that in the total.. What were the snakes. Unbowed. Then he fell asleep on the floor. When you woke the snake was gone. He told the audience that he never knew that the snake was actually there. Or if he had just imagined. People that the end of the electric. It really didn't matter. With that much intimacy with fear. Because the drama of his life. And the world finally broke through. I think of fear as a spectrum of emotions. Caution. The terror. But typically it arises when we feel threatened or. We sense. Wellbeing. The emotion sports our minds to get ready. In the process we might formulate a story or workouts. Particularly when sarfira alerts us into action. But it can also meyer us into a struggle with uncertainty. What consequence. We shut down in order to circle our wagons. Maybe we take a pill. Or we distract ourselves to the fear will just go away. The last thing we want to do. And listen to it. With everything we have. But that is what we must. I'm not talking about listening to the danger. I'm talking about listening to the fear. What you will find in those precious moments. A truly present. You accept yourself. And that. Is the first. The courage. The truth. We don't know what will happen in the future. Trusting the present moments. Is one of the hardest things will ever do. We are conditioned to stay one step ahead. Life is not a chessboard where we can detach ourselves and watch from a distance. Avoiding our fears takes us out of the world and into our heads. Listening to our fear. Opens our lands to what the world needs. And that's another step toward courage. Listening to. Can take you to places. Where we were you never thought you would go. I'll tell you my story. 3 years ago. My brother-in-law called me on the phone. And suggested that we go skydiving for the thrill of it. I must admit that i had long thought of it. I prefer security over that kind of risk-taking. But on that day my brother-in-law's challenge. Made me realize that the only reason that i had never done it because i was afraid. Finish that i didn't approach the challenge. With my rational self or else i would have never experienced. The wonder. And the beauty. Flying in the air. It was a clear crisp. Fort collins colorado. When we two knuckleheads. Who were wearing a parachute. Once we got to about 10,000 feet. Right in the guts. But held it back and i'd ignored it up until then. But when the door to the plane opened it announced its presence. There was no denying it. I was scared. But in that moment. I realized something very profound. Everyone else on that plane. What's dare to. We're all scared. I looked at my brother-in-law. And the smile on his face was like when you go on a roller coaster in it. Here we go. It was time to trust. Things beyond my control. Justin. I was thrown into the great beyond. What an unbelievable feeling. What time fear was over. All around the majestic mountains and patchwork field purple and gold. I was flying. Once the parachute open the sublime became even more awesome. We glided peacefully. Through the air. And everything that i saw. Is forever etched in my mind. An adult child. Experiencing the world. From a totally new perspective. Pema chodron says. The trip. The trick is to keep exploring. And not to bail out. Even when we find that something is not what we thought. Whether we like it or not. Is with us on our spiritual journey. With every new discovery. We become. More intimate. And we become closer to the connective universal tissue. When we listen to our fear. We learn so much. About who we truly are. Blackjack. And the turtle. Can actually be your spiritual guide to a new life. Listen to it. And it will show you. Courage. Namaste. Amen. Please turn to your grave. And turn to him number six. Just as long as i have breath. Rise if you were willing and able and lend us your voice.

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2067.mp3

This last week. Mark the 10-year anniversary. The beginning of the war in iraq. The statue of saddam hussein toppled in baghdad. When it all began. I'm sure so many of us remember that day. Remember it because it meant you or the people you love might be called up to service. In the distance in the desolate place. Somebody remember it because your very lives and livelihood were at stake. And some of you like me. Remember that day because it was the day. For the week. For the months that you took up a picket sign. And walked into the early spring afternoon to protest this thing. The day when you bring toll city blocks with like-minded people all asking why. And this week. On tuesday and wednesday the supreme court will take up again hearings on the defense of marriage act. Doma. Which continues to create barriers to loving gay and lesbian couples who just. Whisper some equal protection under the law in this democracy. Good morning so many people including many of us i hope. We'll go down to the supreme court to participate in an interfaith worship service. And a rally in support of those families. Add to that. Assault weapons ban that i and many others have been working for in maryland that's currently bogged down in the house. At risk of being gutted and waiting for some resolution and it is a complicated week. For advocates out there. Particularly ones of a certain stripe including some of you. And certainly including me. It's a week when idiot logical ideal. Clearly delineated a week both for good and for ill. When it comes to the well-being of our spirits. For the lines to be so clearly drawn. Some years ago i heard a retiring leader in our movement. Talk about the defining fight. Of her 30 years serving among progressive religious people. She said. 30 years of service. The defining fights of her age included the cold war. Women's rights. And eventually and completely. The rise of the aids epidemic. And she said something to the effect to all of the unitarian universalist gathered out in front of her she said those are the defining fights that were given to me and my generation to speak to and make meaning of. Time will tell what the defining fights of the coming decades will be. And all of you must find your voice. I think i can safely say. But over the last decade wore and marriage equality of probably been the defining fight. For many individuals within our congregations. For me personally this is certainly been the case and you add to that issues around immigration in the racism that's all tied around it and it feels like the last decade has been virtually and ever-present fight. In which i have almost always known exactly which side of a given idiot logical / i stand on and i have sometimes. In that decade. Danone to test my surroundings by how many of us are in the room and how many of them. Are in it too. Such is the way with defining fights isn't it. And they define the other. Did you find the one who is not us sometimes in such stark release that it's hard to come back from the edge of all that hostility back to some sense of shared humanity again. My colleague dean schneider the foundry united methodist congregation in the district at the congregation that's worked as tirelessly is any for marriage equality. He was reflecting this week on his blog. All these prayers that have emanated from the religious right from politically conservative groups this week. Extending hope that the supreme court woodhue to the word of god as they understand it. And uphold what they call traditional marriage. And on his blog dean paraphrase some of those prayers are emerging from the religious right for a fact they all seem to start with a good old-fashioned deer lure. And go on something like this. Lord may those arguing on behalf of same-sex marriage present their arguments in nfl. An unconvincing way. Fraction with the justices met the right of californians to amend their state constitution to protect barrage be defended. Defense of marriage act be ruled constitutional. Albeit with the exact opposite intention that is just the sort of prayer at least even unbidden that arises for my own heart at times when i stand on whatever side of a protest line or rally stage that i find myself on may our enemies goofballs i unintentionally prey. Fish out of water win. I don't always judge myself too harshly for these not entirely gracious thoughts. They are. And within them the lines are so clear. The weed so well-defined and the them drawn out in such stark contrast it deserves some attention doesn't it. Need to admit to themselves as well that when it comes to some of the defining fights of our times. Even the most gracious among us. Have a solid dread of hostility. Toward those with whom we do not agree. For my part. Having stood on so many lines haven't shouted when it was time to shout having turn up the heat of polarisation when it was time to do so. That thread of hostilities toward the other. Live down deep inside of me. Perhaps serving more often than it should. To divide this entire world into categories. Of me. And not me. There's a place for such categorization in our lives. After all much of the time this world teaches us. But you must polarize to win. But there is also a place is there not. For hire and pensions. Spiritual practice that calls us out of this demarcation steez clear divisions and into a relationship with our own ideals. However impossible they may be to realize. And one of our ideals. One of the defining characteristics of the free religious tradition that we are gathered here to support is that a truly welcoming the stranger of breaking down barriers and meeting each person not. Just for the category they represent. But for the entire constellation the entire expanding universe. Who they are. This ideal. Is in fact so radical in the face of our categorizing culture that people do not always understand it. Even the washington post trying to make hay out of the doma deliberations by cooking up imagine controversy among unitarians made fun. Of that ideal of universal welcome this week. But real hospitality. Making room for every person who walks through our doors it's nothing to laugh at. It's a spiritual commitment that isn't easy. It's not light-hearted. It's not simple. It's a practice that if we live it even partially has the capacity to change our lives. Now last sunday after the delight of saturday night fellowship dinner here at river road i got on a plane really. Greeley early in the morning. And i flew to the place that i grew up in. Southern indiana. For my papaw my grandfather is. People not from southern indiana would say for my grandfather's memorial service and funeral. And my mother the eldest of papa's children eldest of five she actually was here visiting me and she got up at 3 in the morning. Get on that plane. And fly to indiana with me. Markley so i could be here at the fellowship dinner but anyway that's dedication. And we flew to indiana and when we got there without so much of the pitstop we drove to the funeral home. And she took her place alongside her brothers and sisters without pausing. And she proceeded to stay on there for 6. Hours. And shake hands of all of the well-wishers who came there to greet our family. Did you remember him. We estimated that 800 people walk through that line. And no 6 hours. They made a circle around the entire building the line itself was an hour-long just to get up to the front to shake my family's hands and my mom and her siblings. Who it is important to know we're in a giant flutter of heartbreaking conflict only a week before. They stood there together in a line the entire time. Every one of those 800 hands. Even the ones they didn't know. And they made every single one of those 800 people feel welcome. Was like watching a marathon runner finish the race. It was astonishing. It was humbling. And afterward. With all 800 people had been greeted and purell had been exchanged on all hands. My mom and her siblings sat down together in this strange little funeral home parlor that they always make available for the family. Arms around each other's back. And they each took their own fare from the world's most enormous box of fried chicken. And you would never know watching them. That they had ever so much as stepped on each other's pinky toes. Because i believe the act of hospitality extended to 800 souls. And the impact of sharing something anything that transcended their differences in this case greece. Change them for a time. Spiritual writer henri nouwen. Reading was from this week. He says that one of the three greatest spiritual task. Other human life is to fundamentally alter one stance toward this world and all the people in it from a stance of hostility. Hospitality. No true enough there is a time for hostility. In the face of injustice there are few who can rant and rave quite as loudly as i. There's a time to do all of that. But what happens. Come down from the picket line and into the level of the human heart. To be honest on any given day to our responses to other people including those we know and those we understand do not understand and those we will never agree with. A fundamental stance of hostility to others. Component and stranger alike it sets us up for a quite different kind of spiritual life. Fundamental stance of hospitality toward others. Those known and unknown. Those we love and those we do not love. And the question for us becomes. Do i meet each and every person who walks through the door of my life with a frame of hostility. Protecting myself from who they might be or what they might impose upon me. Aura frame of hospitality. Opening myself to the learning and growth. It comes with really welcoming the stranger. Is it possible. Breasticles cultivate within ourselves the sort of hospitality of the heart. An openness. The picket lines of the spirit are not always so clearly drawn and there is really room to offer our own great care and compassion across every barrier that separates us. I speak this not as a mandate i'm not bossing you or demanding you agree with me i'm just asking these questions cuz they're the ones i need to hear. When the lines are still clearly drawn in my heart this week. And if you disagree with me so much the better because fellowship across lines of disagreement is after all the whole point. Of the spiritual practice. No maybe a year ago. Dean schneider again my colleague whom i quoted earlier. I read this article. And a progressive religious magazine the illustrated some of these questions for me and it should have been haunting me it's called my jehovah's witness broke up with me. And i'll just paraphrase most of the story but it starts with the author tim maury read for outreach magazine reflection on this breakup between he and his jehovah's witness. 5 minutes she said. And his watch because he started a timer. 5 minutes. I'll give you 5 minutes. I can only stammer. After 6 weeks meeting every single week this was really how our friendship was going to end. I'm at john the way most of us meet jehovah's witnesses with him knocking on my door and handing me a watchtower pamphlet. We chatted. I agreed to meet with him. And for six months not 6 weeks 6 months john and i met every week over open bibles and starbucks coffee. We were both very candid from the beginning about our intentions. i did not follow the true christianity and wanted to convert me and i believe the same about him. A progressive christian and a jehovah's witness truck up this very conditional friendship. For the sake of our own reflection let's just imagine that the two people in question aren't jehovah's witness any unitarian universalist. The same parameters might safely be assigned to what to each one of us. After all. Convert. Silver strike it up. The chat over coffee. Quotes scholarly reflection on the same versus and scientific evidence supporting contrary claims. And discrepancies in historical facts and space statements and then inevitably because it was always going to happen there's the break-up. The break-up. Happens with any truly missional relationship. Found it on hostility to each other's views there's the moment when one or the other of you sees this fight has come to a draw and gives up. And you walk away. In a relationship so conditional upon agreement. Purest form of hospitality the moment always comes. When either you break up with your jehovah's witness or your jehovah's witness breaks up with you. When the hostile heart wins. And real relationship across boundaries isn't possible anymore. And this perhaps is how many maybe even most human relationships end. The conditions by which they are held together are broken and we move on. This is perhaps how it ought to happen much of the time. And the ideal of absolute hospitality unconditional welcome remain bat and ideal. But ideal has power. Even if we don't realize it to its fullest all the time. One author daniel holman road of radical hospitality that it's a spiritual practice. It's a way of becoming more human. Wave understanding yourself. Hospitality is an answer to our alienation. And a path to a deeper grace. Now is my family can attest. It's something that can make us personally more hole. Even if others cannot or will never be fully welcoming to us. We can turn the tables by extending our welcome without condition to them. Hospitality. The very core. He's welcoming the stranger without any hidden agendas. Not at all. With no litmus test. Or assessment of agreement but only an outstretched hand and a willingness to walk beside each other. Is henri nouwen remind us. The church is perhaps one of the few places left. Where people can meet to are different than we. But who together form a larger family. If there is any place in this world. Where we can practice the transforming art of hospitality. It's here. There so few groups of people. For whom the fragile ideal of unconditional welcome is still woven into the fabric of the community. In the midst of a divided congress. In a swarm of prayers for the failure or success or then of this or that partisan issue when families are torn apart by any number of small and large betrayals and it seems like every person in the whole world looks to others mostly for affirmation or support of their own opinions. There is a place. For the spiritual practice of unconditional welcome is at least upheld as an ideal. We aren't the only ones blessed enough to find ourselves in such a place. But we are among. So welcome. Let us extend our hands 800 times. Not always testing or listening for the code words to find out if someone who walked through these doors of the doorways of our hearts. Belongs. Or agrees. Offense. Or matches. Not waiting for others to fail us. But merely extending an open hand. Welcome. Not just to this place. But you are lives. Welcome stranger. Welcome partner. Welcome in perfect. Lumpy. Expansive universe. Welcome. Even though you are not what i expect. Or who i'd like to have a beer with next friday night. Or who i think i can ever grow to love. Welcome. I made that welcome. Be spiritual practice. That nurtures both. Of our souls.

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2481.mp3

I had a vivid dream once when my daughter was a little child of one or two years old. Feeding ducks. Gracefully swimming in the water. The dream shift. And my daughter was in a little boat all by herself. She was drifting away from the dock. Storm clouds appeared in the wind picked up in the water.. The last thing i remember from that dream. Was a feeling of dread. As she drifted away with an expression. Her on her face. I woke up in a pool of sweat wondering why i didn't dive into the water and rescue. You see. I feel totally responsible for her. You belong to me and looked it was my job to protect her. The weight of that responsibility. Welled up inside me and found its release in that dream. I laid there in bed thinking about how much i love my daughter. And how i would do anything to keep her safe. Spell fast forward about 20 years. And the focus of my concern with my parents. I was the child but in their failing health and diminished mental state. They looked up to me as the parents. I remember one day i was shaving my father. Looked up at me and he said. I guess it's your turn to take care of me. We're family and that's what we do. We take care of each other. Deep sense of belonging came over me. I guess that's what i felt 20 years earlier after that dream. He summed it all up with your family. And that's what we do we take care of each other. In the quote. On the front of the order of service. Greg boyle expresses it another way. Kinship is more than service. It's being one with the other. When we feel belonging when when we enter into oneness. The transcend separate separation. One-step belonging that kinship. Doesn't depend on blood. It's based on love. I'll bet if i conducted the survey. Most of us here would say that we love our family members and that we feel a deep connection with our families. Amen to that. Love is a beautiful thing. We don't love one another out of obligation or because we're supposed to. What happened. And its many shades and various varieties when we connect with that comment. Humanity in the other person. When we see through the layers of differences and through the walls of protection encasing our hearts. We love. No wonder that we love the people closest to us. Because in them we've recognized uncovered. Eternal spark that we instantly recognize which binds us together as fellow travelers. Word certainly fail me when i try to capture such wonderful things. But that spark. Is what i call god. It's a quality of being not being quality transcends the boundaries between me. And you. Everything else. I use the word god to describe that quality of being. Because i can't think of anything. Raider. We love whomever. And whenever. We find god. I truly believe that we find. God in the smallest things. Any expansion of the universe. When we lower our defenses. And allow that sense of being. That sense of love. The breakthrough. Kinship. Is that bond. Ab1. With the other. In psalm 133. The david reds. Expresses a beautifully. How very good and pleasant it is. When kindred live together in unity. Just like to do on mount hermon. Where the lord gave the blessing of life. Forevermore. This song was written as a song the pilgrims as they made their way to jerusalem. The visit their god. I too sing the blessedness. Kindred souls across the family of humankind. In that unity. Lights. Is forevermore. Humans have always sensed that bond of kinship from the earliest families and tribal units living together in the forest or huddled in a cave around the warmth of a fire. In ancient times the people in the near me. Make covenants with one another to extend. Those respected connections of family relationship outside of the natural family. Enter generic form. These covenants consisted of. A selection. Relationship. Obligation. And a guarantee. Because the parties were not born into the family. One or the other in the relationship. Add to make. A selection. But it was usually predicated by a mutual but not necessarily equal. Basis. The obligations could be binding on one side or on both. But they always came with a guarantee. In ancient times they guarantee guarantee was usually a solemn oath. The gods that carried with it a blessing for compliance. Waking me up. This type of agreement was quite often used in international treaties because short of warfare. Legal procedures for enforcing problems. And promises with difficult. Sagittarian universalist. Covenant. Kinship is at the very core of our faith tradition. We organize and govern our congregations in association. Bicarbonate. We even conduct meetings and workshops by covenant. And we covenant to affirm the values and principles that bind us together as a religion in the world. Universal kinship. Is the thread that weaves r seven prince. Starting with the entire net worth and dignity of every individual. Gold world community living in peace. Accommodating. With the respect. I'll be interconnection of all life. That we are apart of. Human relations is inextricably linked. To our unitarian universalist worldview. It's like an invisible magnet that's religion together. And yes. It's so very hard to live into that vision. From the beginning of our lives we are bombarded with socialized messages that try to shrink our bond to smaller and smaller units. Abalone. Chopped up into infinite peace like race. Nationality. Ginger class. Generation. These are just a few of the ways that we are taught to identify ourselves. To understand who we are. These classifications of course are artificial constructs. The makeup by society. In order to simplify ways that we are related to each other. However the opposite tends to happen. We create boundaries around these. Identity. We make judgments about those living in the those in the other groups. Reform lawyer things around our artificial boxes. And what time. Power and influence are distributed unequally. Leading to oppression. An injustice. It becomes harder and harder. To see the face of god in someone else when it's obscured by layers of fear. Judgment. Mother teresa characterize the world's ills by saying. We've forgotten that we belong to each other. This number two high-profile stories illustrated the difference it makes when we approached each other as a ken. Where are the flats. In july george zimmerman was acquitted. In the murder of trayvon martin. Awful tragedy. Because an armed white latino man. Like me. A black teenager in his neighborhood had felt threatened. Acting out of fear. Judgment it's talk to you. And provoked the deadly confrontation. The acquittal brought to the surface the underlying racism that permeates our judicial. Monona on black king with kill. Is a statement was able to walk free. Because he claims he felt threatened. That's a license to use deadly force. George zimmerman. Had forgotten sticky and trayvon martin. Belong to each other. The other story. Occurred on august 24th. When a gunman. Enter the mcnair discovery learning academy in atlanta georgia. Come there because he felt that he had nothing to live for. It is emotionally troubled mind imagine going out in a blaze of gunfire with the police. But instead. Antoinette tuff. The bookkeeper at the school touched his humanity. With her. She saved him. The children. Police. And herself. With love. You haven't seen the video of her the audio of the 911 call the captured her conversation with the gunman. Urge you to do so. Whenever i hear it. Something. The gunman michael brandon hill. Very different from each other if you go buy those categories i mentioned. Keys wife. Middle-aged. 20 years old. She's a woman he's a man. No one would have blamed her if she saw hill. Evil monster intent on killing innocent people. But instead. Seesaw. Young man with inherent word that she could communicate with. She was able to talk him into putting down his weapons and giving himself up to live another day. He trusted her because she saw him at his worst. And still loved him. Chico. Don't you worry we're all going through something in life. Going to be alright sweetie. I just want you to know. I love you. I'm proud of you for giving yourself up. Antoinette tuff. Remember that she and michael brandon hill. The long. To each other. What does this sense of belonging and responsibility for each other have its limits. How do we act on. All this week. Our nation has been debating. Whether or not we should escalate our involvement in the syrian civil war. President obama has asked congress for authorization to strike the forces of bashar al-assad with missy. In retaliation for his alleged use. Chemical weapons. Request. To attack other nations. To have blurred together into a continual pattern since the first gulf war in 1991. Understandably our nation is weary of the constant conflict. Skeptical. Entanglement. This time we are told. Set the united states states must. Teach assad. Using weapons of mass destruction cannot go unpunished. I don't discount the gravity of the situation. What is specially massacres in genocide. Our moral issue. On a grand scale. In which there are usually no good choice. Justly fab. While i was in el salvador this summer with our youth group. I heard first-hand testimony. The massacre survivors of the cruelties and horrors of civil war. The village where we stayed was wiped out by constant bombardment and in the strips criminal killing of women and children. We saw the cage where the people. And we walked on the craters left by the bomb. The school we were rebuilding was destroyed by bomb. Salvador civil war. That peaceful solution can be found when the world community remembers that. We all. Not just some of us. Belong to each other. Us. Was involved in that war and it prolong that war. Over 75,000 civilians died at the hands of the government forces and over a million people were displaced. During the 12 years of fighting. Everybody we met. I'd lost loved ones in that war. And yet. Keith was found. When the international community forced the outside parties to withdraw their support. I'll be combatants. Today both sides in the conflict still disagree. What they're doing so within a civil political system. The former gorillas are acting. Or actually right now in power. And democracy drive. Question on the table today. Can we stop the humanitarian crisis in syria intervening with more violence. Well that just escalate things out of control. No matter how confident our leaders may be. That question is an unknown. With grave consequences. Bye. Have opposed to intervention because. I do not believe that all diplomatic options have been exhausted. I do not believe that more deadly force is the answer. I am heartbroken. By the tragic situation there in by the refugee crisis that is rapidly developing and syria's neighboring states. With firing missiles into syria. Moved farther away for my universal kinship with the people of syria. I was at the congregational retreat yesterday. And we had a very good discussion on the syrian issue. Some of our fellow congregants express support for the missile strike because they believe that the united states has a unique obligation. To humanity. To prevent the use of chemical biological and nuclear weapons. Attacking assad is about demonstrating how universal kinship. And i have no doubt. The deposition played a part in the president's decision. This is a very complicated. Conflict in a volatile region with the heart too many variables that seemed to me to be poorly addressed at this time. The administration believes it can conduct sterile. Surgical strikes with no boots on the ground. But being a superpower doesn't mean we have superpowers. Iraq and afghanistan. War. Is matt. Bugatti. Unpredictable. I believe they're working on the side of love. For the cause of peace especially there in perhaps the funniest place in the whole world. Has a far greater chance. Helping my brothers and sisters there. Been using military force. Going all the way back to biblical times just about every empire in the near east has invaded and occupied syria. The modern state. Post french imperialist. Amalgam of city-states. Septarian groups held together by a loose affiliation. To a central government. Since their independence in 1948 they've had a turbulent record of coup d'etat than authority. What we have playing out in syria right now. Are steph curry and divisions and differences that have never been resolved. People there belong to their tribal sex. Not to their country let alone the world. These smell. Circle. Belonging. Breathe. Infidelity. War is not inevitable there. But neither is peace. I do not believe that peace hacked out by more violence without addressing the underlying causes of differences is the solution. As long as the international powers back different factions in the war. That is happening now the war will rage on even. After we intervene. I believe united states should instead work diplomatically on the international front with the other regional powers in solidarity with the syrian people the final last. Political solution. Assignation. And as individual. We must do everything we can to assist those. Who are caring for the refugees. Jordan. Iraq. Perky. And they need our help. Whether we are talking about international crisis. Or individual conflict. We give into our differences and we see them as threats. The tragedy. Doing out of fear and violence. Will continue. However as our responsive reading this morning reminded us. When we recognize the interdependence of all life. Act on it to build community. We will be safe. If we join spirits. As brothers and sisters the pain. A viral illness will be lessened. And that does matter. Universal kinship through peace and world community is a part. Hand wash. Struggle. When that flight attendant in our story this morning caught a glimpse of the real person behind the tattoos. And beyond her images of a gang banger. She was moved to tears. Matters. When people are released from prison and our congregants are there to walk with them as they re-enter society. That stuff matters. Go to el salvador and work with the community to build a school destroyed by war. That stuff matters. It's the relationships we form out of our kinship with each other that matters. And when we see however fleeting. That glimpse. Shared humanity. Reach out with love. We all matter. Amen.

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1934.mp3

Placard. Even a tag on the river road facebook page. Question. What i want to tell you is about what i've been given because i gave. Every meaningful volunteer experience i've had here. Will you do this. And each time my initial reaction was the same. Me know i can't do that. But you know reverend ginger luke is a hard person to say no to. Experiences. It was on the sunday morning after an inspiring presentation by our high school youth group. They were gideon's obviously been up all night. It was clear that they had a strong bond. The kind that long for when i was looking. Talking about how great it is that this congregation offers with young people at a meaningful focus for all that energy and passion. My side put her hand on my shoulder and said. Advisor. What do i know about teenagers my children were preschoolers at the time. I've never taught anything. Maybe i could. And i wanted to support what i saw in that group. I want my son to have that opportunity and other people's children to. I left each morning feeling renewed. Hangout with energetic engage enthusiastic people of any age. Is a great antidote to. Headlines it will have you convinced that the world's going to hell in a handbasket. As a member of the ministerial search committee. I didn't prep song of all of us did some points. Maybe we weren't the right person for the job. The work ahead seems so complicated and demanding. And all the swear that the end of the day we might have to come back to you the congregation say we just didn't find the right person. We were nine individuals and most of us didn't know each other very well. We brought different life experiences to the task. At the start. We even disagree that how we would agree. Majority vote majority 2/3. I left some of our early meetings wondering if we would ever decide a single thing. I never realized impatient person i can be. But the importance of this groundwork soon became clear. Out of necessity. And out of a growing trust in each other we started to share things about herself. About our experience of religion. About our hopes and our dreams. The future by spiritual home. This kind of commitment can't help the change you. Every time i see one of those eight people i feel like i got to speak a special greeting from them and that i offered the same in return. The last the data-gathering stage was completed and we had applications from a fascinating collection people. It was clear that we were looking at some of the brightest most gifted unitarian universalist. The next step. What's for each of us to spend literally hundreds of hours reading sermons. Listen disturbance over a period of a few months. That probably sounds like a huge chore. There was a spirit. We were spending time with some great preachers and thinkers and seeing them at their best. In the process we found ourselves questioning assumptions. Looking at this congregation in the new life. Evaluating why each one of us. In order to preserve the confidentiality of the applicants we had to listen to the sermons and privacy. We downloaded mp3s or ipod. Listen to us while we were gardening. Sporting goods for the bazaar. What happened to do tbk. Kind of spiritual practice. A mini meditative retreat from everyday life. Meanwhile of course our spouses and other family members were taking on extra childcare carpool time making meal shopping for groceries. Even clearing out of our homes with children children in tow to make space for us to meet with a candidate. It was truly a family commitment. Everyone want to be youthful. To feel that you've made some small difference in this place and time. Person watch recognition. Can someone say i see you. I know you for who you really are you're important to me. Isn't that why you're here this morning. You could be at home reading the coffee. But you come here from just down the street or from more than an hour away. Many of you passed other year. Why is that. One reason you're here is that you're searching for spiritual meaning in community. Self-discovery frequently involves taking risks. Or giving up something that's become comfortable. To paraphrase reverend marine killoran art interim senior minister. Change often is fear that we're going to lose things that we value. He told us one good way to cope with that fear. Is to be involved. Staff questions. And be part of the process. Ago my parents. The way from the midwest community where they lived for more than 40 years. And they were regular contributors of time and money. Not one person representing that community. Call them to find out why they look. After 40 years. I cannot imagine that happening here. The congregation would not allow that to happen. And for that i am grateful to you. If you've been attending services and finding something that you value it river road. I'm glad that you become part of this community. Allow me to suggest the river road may serve you even more. Erase that you haven't yet imagined. If you find the place where your service to be received. Focus on that part of river road that feeds you. And strengthen that bond by giving something back. And ask for your help. About how you might say yes. Fry's in body or in spirit. Number 10 24 in the teal. When the spirit says do. I'm pretty sure that you haven't sung this before. So i'm going to play through one time. Just one side of words when spirit says do. We'll figure the second time and change the word due to the word. Hey man the first her time she will go back to work to.

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3131.mp3

Explorers in history for the second sunday in a row and grateful to have. Tom's explorations. And also the amazing service i would like to lift up of days leonard. And his son sky. And his friends you know who spent hours here always long putting in a new sound system in new soundboard. If you notice any improvement in the sound and also the let's. Figure out the new system it's all the above it's very exciting for really grateful for that service. I think service to others has been imagined as a calling for many women overtime. It's a sense of purpose that's embedded in history with countless examples. It's also true for men of course. And yet many women are actively steered this way by family and culture directed. To be of service their whole lives. And therefore that role of women is a focused today not because i think man don't do wonderful service and face some of the same pitfalls. But because i'm telling the story of two women. About 100 years apart. Intrepid women move way beyond the usual parameters of life they reinvent what's possible. Expand prescribed roll. And pay the price. As well. I think that nineteenth-century universalist clara barton. And also contemporary artists liz luhrmann's are both such women. I was recently down at the clara barton house show a hands who knows or has been down there goldsboro road glen echo 10 minutes. It's really interesting. There you'll see that barton had a very long life with many passages. Unbelievable stamina and perseverance. And she also suffered from depression. Anxiety. And burnout. Throughout her life. Hers was a very complex journey it was trailblazing it was disruptive to others and to her own safety. And somebody say something about the biography of her exceptional life first. This is a catalog to go through to make the point that it is incredible and exhausted and i will try not to exhaust you on a section. Born in the 1821 in north oxford massachusetts near worcester really identified with the state of massachusetts. She spent her early life as a teacher or principal a copyist of the u.s. office of patents where she challenged and ask. 4 equal pay. For women. Susannah mid-1800s. Realize it was live through age 40. Didn't really indicate a lot about where the second half was going to go. However she has cared for this injured brother for two years. When he had a riding accident. And she devoted herself to his care which is both admirable and a my mind alarming because she was age 11. + 12. Martin's life change course dramatically on april 19th 1861. The american civil war had broken out one week before until the shock of many. The six. Massachusetts infantry was marching through baltimore and was attacked by mob. Southern sympathizers in baltimore. They arrived in dc severely beaten several dead. An amazing leader warehouse temporarily in the senate chamber of the capitol. Clara barton answer a call at this particular moment. With her people of massachusetts but she also had something in her. We're going to see this lifelong pattern when emergency arises barton rushes in. Sometimes to her own detriment. Often too tremendous results. And provided medical supplies from her own house. And then she made a public play and got an enormous response and congressional funding immediately that never happens anymore. Launched her very long career as. Angel of the battlefield. The clara barton was right in that battle areas all around us bull run harpers ferry antietam and other sites. Eventually put in charge of field hospital diet and nursing in the whole field of virginia. And she kept going. She directed a four-year search for missing men. Statistics are unbelievable to located and marked 13,000 grave. Cid with others 22,000 men. She answered 63,000 letters. Fourier. And then in 1868 6668 she started her life as a public speaker. 200 lectures in the northeast in the midwest on civil war experience. She spoke with frederick douglass. Ross. Waldo emerson mark twain walt whitman sometimes on the same. And she asked for and received equal pay. For speaking. 1860 + 69. She had her first. Breakdown. The signs of exhaustion set in. She lost her voice. She had great fatigue. They called it that time mental prostration. Interesting your brain is so overloaded loves you just must. Wydown. She traveled to europe to regain her health and by then she was in her late forties. The washroom is there. Frank arrest. Franco-prussian war broke out. Inspired renewed for two years of war relief. And then it happened again. The nervous exhaustion this time. She temporarily lost her eyesight. He recuperated in england. He mourned the death of her beloved sister. And she eventually went to convalescence in danville new york to regain her health. First in a sanitarium and then at home. Once again. She got inspired by the international red cross movement and jump back yet and she did 5 years of organizing to found the american red cross. To be aligned with the international red cross. As she was elected president. 60. 1881. He worked on the michigan forest fires she went to the mississippi river and ohio river floods. Works on the typhoid fever epidemic. Cubans at the charleston south carolina earthquake she was at the drought in central texas. The illinois tornado does the name a few. Chico's on-site directing medical relief wherever she goes. 1891 the building that says clara clara barton house. Was built. For the american red cross. As a warehouse essentially in a site and office site for staff as part of the chautauqua movement. And when some of those buildings burn down the house remains. Clara barton now is. 870 still going. Directing the red cross out of that house. And then she moved in. And stayed until her death in 1912 when she moved in she's set up a giant cooperative garden. Organize food for different neighborhoods. She's very frugal. Plaid her instincts to the house itself and she was always. Figuring out the cheapest building materials i had to do something with nothing. It goes on and on international relief on on. Finally a 1905 she founded a rival organization the national first aid association of america she's already in her 80s at this time. And first aid instruction ambulance for gays for police and fire departments. Glen echo. In 1912. Buried in oxford massachusetts. Shifting gears for a moment to liz lemon. Elena. Tie it into a peaceful is creative recently for clara barton has a major role. Art explorers history it explores life. And it helps us come to new conclusion. And for the last two years artist liz lerman turned her eye towards research on both the american civil war on the occasion of the 150th anniversary. And the iraqi civil war. She came across the nurses that were led by clara barton and she began to look at warfare. Medical care aftermath. Of war. What happened to the patients. And what happens. To the healers. Her new dance healing wars. Has two main characters clara barton. Military surgeons in iraq. And her interest became in the innovation. A medicine during war. Clara barton was spectacular creating a systems overview we're literally no one saw the need yet for coordinated care. Lerman explores the healers relationship to the wounded and the dying. On healers themself. The tremendous loss the tremendous pain at they face. Liz luhrmann's multimedia way she created the piece. With assistance from clinicians. Soldiers historians doctors. Dancers. Actors. It was a group process of creating of what she called hiking the horizontal. Going across a wide spectrum rather than turning it top to bottom turning it sideways hiking horizontal where all ideas can participate. This is what the baltimore sun said about that piece. Tim smith writing. Liz lerman. Takes the audience. The places few of us are comfortable being. A place where injury or death. Is ever-present. But she makes the journey feel necessary vital. Strangeway. Uplifting. Really turned out to be a touch of healing here. A reminder that. No matter how often we fall. We suffer. We die. We are all joined together. In some fundamental way. It's difficult to describe how healing words functions. How deathly it delivers a diverse assortment of historical anecdotes. Interns physical movements. Into an extension of each subject under discussion. Luhrmann has created something brilliant. Appear. Something. That should be seen. Insult. Retard. Shows us. What we can connect together. In nuwave. In these subjects that resonate somehow over 100 years. Aren't is a way we can understand more deeply what is happening now. Where we want to go in the future. And we know more when we learn on multiple channels. Hiking the horizontal across many disciplines. We look through many spectrums distinctions and there is this coherence in the difference. I connect this to pastoral care as well. For their is the touch of healing. Of the hardest. Situations. This extending. Compassion of care of being with someone is healing presence wherever they are in life. Has that healing. And we need a community for that. Because it's just simply too much. For a few people. We want to expand our reach at river road. With more dedicated volunteers. And more sharing of the load. Barton was a woman who did caregiving with abandon. Giving yourself completely. Over decades. I remember studying her as a girl scout. When i was young. In a badge that had to do with first aid. Probably. Alrighty he's got it. It's out there but no one taught me. About the fact that she broke down. No one mentioned that. Glen echo that essentially says. Her own words and her calling. Is to be available. The help the starving the wounded and the dying at all places and all times. That doesn't work out that well. For anyone. Her body paid the price. Something very familiar to long-term caregivers. The women in general maybe to veterans coming back from war. Ptsd. Chronic anxiety from the over-stimulated nervous system. Bestest nervous exhaustion or the mental fatigue which lead. To the longtime outside recovery several years sometime. And yet. She came back. Again and again. Driven to service. Put new collaborations in new allies. Just before she died. At age 91. Martin had a significant dream that she wrote about. He was in battle. Trying to help the many injured she was seeing the wounded and the dying as it was. 45 years before. In the civil war. This is a scene in the dance theater piece by liz lerman healing wars. This recounting of images that can't be erased. The damage. That remains. Unless we do our own inner healing. And get the piece. Also suggests there is a way forward and healing. And that way. Is define the support of a dedicated. And loving. Community. Clowns with the words of dorothy day. Is another great woman. Far beyond the parameters of prescribed rules and she also struggle with internal tensions and challenges how much. Is enough. When do i rest. Dorothy day road. We have all known the long. Loneliness. We have all known the long. Loneliness. And we have learned that the only solution. Is love. And love. Comes with community. Is a question. Posed by the uu daily compass. This week. What community makes you feel. That what matters most to you will continue. Even when you yourself. Oregon. Clara barton found at legacy. Liz lerman is creating it. The potential for that right here. At this place. At this time. We actually do it everyday. Maybe participate in the healing. Pavlov. Together. Stretching the boundaries. Setting the limit. And we asked. For resources. And support. And receive them. And we each have the wisdom to do this. Maybe so.

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2279.mp3

I'm going back to that bag of stone take out another one a different one and hold it in your hand. Golden spoke with both hands warmly. And that's the second stone stand for. It's in everyone of us to be why. Stand for that spark of life and wisdom within you. The divine within you. Just by holding that stone you can make it warmer. It's a miracle how your body work how the blood runs through your body how you breathe how the connections getting made in your brain. All of these things how your eyes see and how your ears hear. All the things you can do. All that is wisdom. So does your brain and so do your feelings. And that amazing spark of life. Within you. There is a light within you. So put this down back in your bag. Advise and body or spirit. Insane. Little light of mine we already heard special version of it. You don't really need the word and you don't really need the words. But it's in the hymnal 118. This little light of mine i'm going to let it shine the first and second verse. The other one is everywhere i go riding the body of fear.

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070325_Victoria%20Lee_Rumi's%20Preposterous%20Path%20to%20Joy.mp3

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060903_Walter%20Anderson_Unity%20with%20the%20Universe.mp3

Good morning everyone so good to see so many of you. Real pleased to announce app. Who was sick last week has rhythm. Yellow paper. It's on the back table. And there's also a personal letter. My usual solicitation. I'm instructions about getting. This year you will have a choice. You have a choice between tapes and cds. Courtesy of mac. I have we have a we have an announcement from taal. Okay. I just wanted to let you know that. Bill moyers had a 7-part series on faith and reason. On public television newest x1. We recorded them all. Eldon. Put them on dvd. I'm going to do a presentation on monday nights. Beginning a week. Tomorrow the 11th. September. 47. Stop. B and we're going to be a two-hour program wonder our showing the program. In one hour discussion. Reminded me a lot of personal theology as long as things i mentioned. Starflyer's back here. The orange one. Okay now to get going what's anderson you here. We're very happy to have walter anderson come with us again walter truitt. Political scientist and i think he's a good philosopher. Is a prolific writer. About the car. I remember being on a sailboat reading his book reality is important. Because of another person on the sailboat reading something about virtual reality and my son said look you guys. All cheering enjoying reality is. Thank you for coming again. Thank you martha. Open nice to see you again. I am not a chance to watch any of the year bill moyers faith and reason. Siri. I suspect that what i want to talk about today is. Sort of a ballpark. Actually what i'm going to be talking about. Are is more drawn from. Shirley recent science. Then any other single source. I like the title that i gave martha from my chocolate unity with the universe. Which seems appropriate for unitarian universalist church. Reasoning mystery because one of the train. That i have found as i've been writing and thinking you're going to be working on a book that's kind of about religion and science. Beerus other things i came across a quote by albert einstein who said that mystery was the most important. Of all human experiences and was absolutely. Necessary to human life. And i think that one of the things that we have tended to do in modern times. Is toulouse. Call respectrum mystery. Direct us to both in in. The organized religions and in science which is everybody. Running around trying to be absolutely certain about something or another. Infrequently arguing with one another about it. Failing to. Take notice of the enormous amount. Mystery. Set continues to exist in our lives. Mystery to me. I feel a little bit better. What's the word that please don't you agree with albert einstein. But i do in this particular change them like twink. That one of the things we need to do in order to become a global civilization. Insta bae to let go of some of our certainties and recognized. Track is the human species. Osborne industry and then loosen mystery and dicing mystery. The fact that metal roof unless something is going on out there that i have not been told about. For all the science in all the wisdom of all the religions that we have in the world. We don't know where we came from. We don't know where we're going and we don't know what we are. We have a lot of. A lot of very impressive. Some positions around those things. We do live in mystery. And so kind of with that in background. I want to talk a little bit about. Health science has evolved in recent years. Cuz i think some very interesting things have been going on. Probably things that many of you are familiar with. Bear with me if we if we touch on some things you already know about. But i find that there is a lot going on particularly in the world of cosmology. The tells us that has a lot to say. About the things that we are concerned about. In places like this. Discovering right here. Angular not conclusive. To say the least. Open doors new doors in the ways of thinking about who and what we are. Don't you go back. Two millennia and think about the origins of. Words like cosmology and operation of the idea and cosmopolitan the audio thing. Chasing the world the word cosmos. Which way now more or less equate with universe. Pretty much at that time meant the world. What i'm getting at into one of the things her has taken place. Over the past centuries. Is an expansion of our frame of reference of what it is that we are in. From. Pretty much a concept of people live within a world which was the planet and some other stuff that was out there in relation to its tarzan. And planets insofar. Not yet quite a return trip to the universe not that has really come into being. Fairly recently the concept of. Something. Person scale that we know. Except. What it is that we are what our habitat is. Up until fairly recently. It was assumed that they milky way that is or what we know with all our galaxy. What's the universe that that was the whole state. That was certainly a lot bigger than. Go to the previous versions of our habitat is the world of the solar system. But it was still in the perspective of twenty-first-century science. Was pretty limited it was the galaxy and that was the universe. And there was no drama.. Cluster out there that people. We're able to see in the night sky sometimes. That was assumed to be a part of this galaxy inside of their other nebular. Call the insurance place. But it was only around there let me check my figures here. In the 1920s year that edwin hubble. The year the great astronomer. Begin to intercept course involving the evolution of. October. Equipment. Technology. Go to the point of being able to identify the andromeda. Customer was not. Part of our galaxy. Galaxy. About 22 billion. Light years away 2 million light-years away. And in the decades that followed. The universe. Kept getting better. Until present time not only do we not think of our galaxy is the only one. Or the andromeda is another one. Williams. Buildium. Galaxy. In the universe. Aesthetic huge expansion. Received scientific concept. What we mean by the word universe. None of you know what it's beginning to get even more words in fairly recent years. I can remember only a few years ago when i first. Came across the. The concept of multiple universes. That's pretty weird again. But it turns out that sucks now pretty much people like their margin raise their year and the astronomer royal. World's leading scientist. Does it's pretty much within the realm of empirical science even though we don't know much about. Multiple universes. There's certain ways that it's the only way that we can make sense of the one we got. Is to consider the possibility. That there is an infinite number of other universes. Out there that we not only. So everything is jumped again but i don't like the way you live in a huge. Universe with billion reserve. Galaxies in mira mesa. Very well live. In some kind of a larger system. Edwards like multiverse. Omegaverse. That is inconceivably. Words beyond. Interesting recent t-shirt. Evolution. End of each stage of this we say well that's. That's what the universe now is that what reality now is this is established disapproving. Changes again. And we didn't we know that we live in this huge thing that's. Galaxies are flying apart is getting larger. We also have observed the pretty much over the same. of time.. William jumped from the idea of a galaxy to the idea of multiple galaxies to multiple universes. Williamson. Kind of corresponding. Expansion downward if you want to call it that. Aurora ideas. What's what all let's stuff is made of shoe hundred years ago. Newton's time it was. Pretty well-established everything all matter was made of. Solid rahardja intelligible. Particles and then we move to adams and begins attentively. Fundamental teaspoon. Stuff that everything was made of its kind of a little solar system notes i was about what we got when i was getting educated into. Chemistry and i'm sure you're familiar with that. But then people came along to ignore wait a minute the particles within the atom. Also have a smaller particles and so we started to talk about clark's in. Funny stuff like that it kept getting. Smaller and smaller and now the prevailing. Scientific.. String theory which isn't everything is made of. Tiny. Vibrating strings of energy that aren't really quite. Matter at all but depending on how they vibrate i'm just repeating there cuz i don't know what the hell is made. That determines what they are. And the. Whatever it is that appears to be what we are. Because one of the other things that science. Springfield established fairly conclusively. Is that millions of years ago way alter after the big bang. Stars began to. Formed forge within themselves. Atoms and molecules. Which after those stars died millions of years ago. What's flying out to the the universe. I am in team into. Some of them to reskin. What form is the planets like the planet earth which has internal evolved into us. Which means look what we are sitting here in this room every single one of us every single. Body in this room as well as everything else. Is composed of molecules. Urban flying around the universe. Commuting to garrison till late happened to land here. Antique form here. And that's what we are folks and that's what all of us are we're all we're all made of the same stuff in them can. People like gelatin in saigon radio.. Used to talk about all of us being made her room. Starstruck. Repeat again and again. Coincidentally happens to be. Appraise it appears quite a bit in recife literature. That we came to. Storage. From the time that we began to accept the. The concept of. The big bang. Which has been the prevailing you. Version of the appearance of the universe. Really just. Two decades. And i should mention there that's still a bit controversial in. The term big bang itself which i'm sure you're okay. Premier west was coined by the. Astronomer royal. Recorded as a term of derision because he thought the idea of everything exploding out of nothing. I was absolutely ludicrous and. Table tennis tournament contempt bigbang. How much do instagram turned out to be. You know the other prevailing paradigm and in our time. And overcame the. The idea which is still held by some dissenters that the universe. Didn't have it beginning. And up to answers expansive new matter is. In creative to sort of. Fill in the blanks as it were. Chicago. Experiment. But. The big bang notion. Look at it. Is there more or less. Silently. Over the past few decades. Science has accepted the idea that the universe itself. Is it a process of evolution and that the evolution of life. On earth. It is just. Another step. On the gradual process that's taking place. Over the millennia by which. Atoms have been for molecules of informed we moved into the creation of. Solarcity yellow suns and planets and all of us. Anesthesia. The evolution of life on earth. Is regarded as a continuum. On that. Google open syrup other very interesting questions because. There's a lot of argument going on out there in the scientific world. About how it came to paris. Got. There is life. What's the temp. Made it happen. I'm sure you're familiar with sir. Dunkin save. Series what he calls the heart. Blame watchmaker. Explains to his satisfaction that at all. Helping of a series of accidents on the. Planet woodshed. No direction no. Socialist purpose. What's the weather. Uber against-the-odds. There's been a lot of thinking about. The notion that somehow or another. We are a natural outgrowth. The universe in some way or another and end. If you think i'm being a little cautious in my search of terms are you allowed to read some of the scientific literature on this. Because there's a lot of interest in the idea that. That's somehow i will give you one.. This is from paul paul davis. David cheesman. The mathematical principles of physics. In their elegant simplicity. Uno. In advance about life and its barest complexity. The laws of nature in code or hidden contacts. The cosmic imperative. Make lights. To life. Its by-products. Mind knowledge understanding. It means that the laws of nature have engineered their own comprehension. This is a breathtaking vision of nature magnificent and uplifting and its majestic sweet. Another. Trimble's coming to use about this. Pregnant universe. Which interesting lee nurse was trying to. Coin in the same spirit as the big bang. Turn black another singer. Chocolatey idea that the universe somehow naturally. Gave birth to life. Was utterly ridiculous. The universe was not pregnant with life. Existentialist. We have books like you like a book that i just been reading recently told by your cousin. Which suggests that the university is. And some cents. Hawaii. Grace's older the interesting questions about. About how come. Consciousness. Because. Consciousness. Research. For quite long. of time now. Has revealed something interesting about consciousness in which i'm sure many of you. Which is it it doesn't seem to exactly wrong things. What what some people call epiphenomenal which means a lot of stuff goes on. Including our own thoughts and decisions and we'd watch those going on. What's a conscious mind. Is more an observer. I am in this line of thought. Initiator of x. And there's been a lot of interesting. Scientific research. It's very precise timing. Is observed that the conscious mind tends to be about. Kappa second behind any particular decision that it makes. I've often noticed that you wake up in the morning. It's about time to get up and you look at the clock and say well maybe in 10 minutes i'll get up there. You know you kind of. And some point in the process. You find yourself getting up. But you haven't particularly said now at this point i will put my foot out of the bed until back but it just kind of happened in there someplace and you deserve it. Happening. Well the point that i'm trying to make with this is that. It's pretty easy to make sense and very. Strictly darwinian terms. Play life just operating on the principles of. Selection. Should. Develop intelligence because we we see various kinds of intelligence everywhere in in nature. Why did it develop consciousness. What is the. Strictly darwinian answer for that question and there isn't. Really. We get some interesting speculations about. The question of how come. Consciousness that i kind of like this is from. Antonio damasio. Food. If you're not familiar with him you might like to look up a book of his call. The feeling of what happens. Seo. Draws attention a lot a lot more than moster. People and gets healed. To the body. And promotions into the realm of. Emotion. You're not conscious light. He says in this is kind of his. Punch about. About the hotel murah consciousness question. I suspect consciousness prevailed in evolution. Because knowing the feelings caused by emotions. Was so indispensable for the art of life. But i will not mind if you give my word to twist and just say the consciousness was invented. So that we could know life. The wording is not scientifically correct of course. I like it. And i like it too and you you guess what. What people like him. Are tired of tiptoeing around which is not only the idea that. The universe was pregnant with wife. But that was somehow. Pregnant with consciousness. You probably heard of me your van suffolk. Which arises allowed in the context of esky. Discussion. And which. Many people in the scientific world. Very exciting and promising and other people inside speedworld. Find utterly contemptible. The anthropic principle comes in many different. Packages. Try to get stuck in your neck. That's so we can have. Time to talk about it. Really like this. Principal image. Most fundamental for what they call the weeknd topic principal. Merely point out. Get the conditions of the universe. Are remarkably congenial. The evolution of biological life. And anyway that's just kind of a tautology obviously. If we're here. It must be possible for us to be here because we're here at cetera therefore. The universe is at least. But a lot of people point out that the tolerances are really amazing in terms of weight. Specific. Qualities of the natural laws. In the universe that have made it possible. Four lights to emerge. So then you can expand from there as some people do. Any more courageous souls in the scientific world. To what they called a strong anthropic principle. Which is. The present universe. Which suggests that somehow has some people who is blake davey simpson. But the universe knew we were coming. There's something really inherit. Denver nature of the old whatever it is that the universe is. It was oriented toward life. Another intelligence. Into work. And it doesn't. School supply. What that something is. So course. There is a certain ability possibility of trying to communicate commuting. Between. The storm entropic principle. R&r ofender intelligent design. Except if you're looking at it. Thunderstruck. Anthropic principle pregnant universe credit concept. Adult. Make that next leap. Endocrinology and say that senseless marvelous thing exist. We can talk about what the thing is that makes it exist controller garden. Yellow proceed from there to have inquisitions and the earth and all the tallest. What i'm trying to get up is that. Seems to me that in order to appreciate. Imma just a concept like that. And the recognize that it is. Within the realm of what you might call. Acceptable science. But not proven. But not proven. The only thing you are left with. Is it kind of expanded mystery. Or you held this framework. What seems to be out there. But you don't have. An answer precisely to what it is. And maybe we're going to heaven answer one of these days. I'm not at all sure about that. Maybe. Then we're going to have to live. Restore the lives of those of us in this room. What's a great deal with mystery. Mystery girl at the same time mezuzahs rather majestic isner. Play the new york. Attract. Part of the universe inseparable parts. Pornographer. I should mention that beyond the. Strong anthropic principle you have some. Even more courageous souls were speculating beyond ruat the weekends up a principal. And the sat the strong anthropic principle. You helped what some people call a participatory. Anthropic principle. This was especially. Other work of. Brilliant. For thinking sort of person. Titles are at home in the universe. Entertained that title. And variation. Superior. Couple of other tribes stuart kauffman of the year. Also wrote a book called. At home in the universe. Capriccio copper in a couple of collaborators. Gotobus.com. Rrr cosmic neighborhood. Their preachers but was trying to get nuts saying. Ariana should have written it down but i didn't.. No no that was noah's mother another book. That's kind of weather in the neighborhood also. Anyway so it's so there's a lot of lot of stuff being written around that they're kind of comes from the assumption that we are. Another reason to feel at home in the universe. Not only in our neighborhood. Or in the multiverse. Wake up joe. Then going beyond the stronger until pay principle. Squealers notion of what he calls the participatory. Anthropic principle. Which is very very hard to summarize. The notion essentially. Excuse me is that everything in the universe participate. In the creation of the universe civic sort of self creating. But not still creating by. Something off their separate that is it's not proposing a deity. What is suggesting. That we are all in the same creators of the universe. I kind of like that one too. He totally loses me. When he suggests. The part of this is being done in the future. Actions of. Entertaining. Which. Somehow. Determine what exists. In the presence of the past in a few understand. please explain it to me after work. Tyrese recently heard about a conference. Sinus. Are gonna tell you see san diego. On the subject of what they call retrocausality. Which is around this notion of the future. Creating presence. Just tell him. Dorchester to liven up your sunday. I'll mention one other and celtic principle glitches. Call the sat or final entropy principle. Associated with mostly with an american. Is that ashley evolution of intelligence. Human intelligence precedes. It will lose beyond earth to the solar system. Enter the galaxy. The rest of the universe and all the other universes. Intelligence. Sort of. Encompasses the entire. Being conscious intelligence. And he sort of seasonal make appointment all of the. Happen. Beyond witch. We don't know what happened i surely do. Anyway that's that's the sap your final and suffolk principal. What you're skeptical writer once they're described as the. Craap or they completely ridiculous. and truck rental. Anyway that's pretty much today as far as i want to go in terms of. This morning science lecture but what i wanted to just point out. We don't we don't have there is no true freeway of any of these. Nor is there proof of anything else. Laura's is there proof of genesis or. You know you're african vista. Everything kind of came out of a great god who run. Threw up a lot and it all came out about 2. Play like. There's no explanation there is no proof of any of them there is no. Nothing that's got us practically says. This is what you are. This is where we're going and this is why you're here. So since we live in mystery. I particularly fine this conversation about it rather interesting in ark. I presented as a conversation rather than. Doctor in either scientific care or religious. But something that i find very rich to think about. And i kind of like the volume. Makes me feel. I'll conclude in android justice for whatever questions and thomas richwood or yes. Sure. Justiriser. I just wanted to say that what you refer to as multiple universes isn't all that new event idea the earliest reference i know to addison there early jewish mystical tradition notice kabbalah which was before christ. Where multiple. Whatever you want to call them. I think there's something like in hindu. So it gets interesting how you even use the word universe because it's almost there in the past we assumed our big bang was the universe and that's. Will you keep reading about the university. Refers to death. You can't really say that anymore then it would be our universe. Dlnr university on his spine height. Yeah. If you talking about. Dc universe it's something bigger.. Entails aldi's. Multiple big bangs that are around. So do universes as. More like an infant. And up. So that the finite universe you say. You sleeping references to date the universe is expanding and people kind of acknowledge that but it's our universe that's expanding. And then universe which is internet is not. Expanding at all because. Impossible for supper. To expand. It struck me listening to you. Do you drink. If you were talking to people. 5000 years ago. With their limited knowledge that you might have said. On the first day i created the stars in the heavens. That i might have said that. See if you were trying to explain it to someone with their with the limitations that they had to deal with as far as their knowledge was concerned. Do you think you might have said something like on the first day i created. The stars in the heavens. Are there ever been a little presumptuous in order to have them understand. But that was a sequence of events. That led to. World as they know it at that particular time. That's not that's always the thing that strikes me about the people that. Alright so biblically. Anchor. That they don't expand their mind to stop and think will these guys. You couldn't tell him 40 million years because they didn't know what a billion was. They still thought the world was flat. And remember it's only fairly recently that we've had. Our contemporary close up. The world. In around in heaven. People more less like us. Just been held up by turtles. Suddenlink. I think one of the hardest things for people to understand is how different. Our consciousness and understanding. Keeps changing. And that as a changes week we take some of the changes for granted. Here we are in the universe. That's a truly nagaland. Someone obsolete. Terminology for what people now. Maybe out there in some people. Talk about multiple universes and some kind of talk about everything more. You were suggesting. Is one thing and kind of say that what we. Used to call our universe is just kind of a. Neighborhood. Happens to have different sets of. Applause gravity and so forth. They're probably different. From other neighborhoods. And there were two or three different ideas. About why there. Perhaps might be. Other universes. Discredit maybe bigbang's are happening all over some place in. Lee smolin. Canadian scientists quite well-known. Has suggested that other universes are. Created inside of black holes and there's been other theorizing that the thing that reads. Other universes is one cosmic that are admitting quantum particles spread apart. And one of them disappears. Frequently. Observer laboratory work. Pepin's. Where the hell does the other one go. Multiple universes. Provides an answer for something that's otherwise. I'm wondering about that. Concept. Multiple conscious reality. Weeds ipsen. Conscious reality. But there. Appears to be evidence. That there are other taxes realities that we. Cannot normally be aware of. Some indications. Goodwill i think it's quite true and i think that's another one of the things that we all know. And i think one of the ways that. The evolution of civilization is going to go is that we become. Much more knowledgeable about. Intolerant. Our own. Internal multiverse you might call it a voice change. Highway mobile in highly changeable end. And includes different voices funeral in ourselves. Ableton starter two different times. We kind of have different identities for different situations. It seems to me with a lot of civilization has been an organized conspiracy. Against the complexity of the human mind then. What is the most interesting things beginning to happen. A lot of different sources. Thinking is opening up in again this may. Reflect. Things that strength came in and went in other earlier civilization. Global basis. We can begin to have a more expensive concept of the. Diversity near the inner diversity of our own minds. If nothing else a lot more. Colored one another and it may be more tolerant of. Ourselves. Right next door there. Oh i thought you was your head up. Yes following longley ideas. I'm from. Twinkie. Theoretical physicist. Girard thinking create laden. Formulation. Prior to their. Empirical. Verification. Call the particle theory. Not attract. Beethoven. Empirical yet. Yes. And. And it's attractive and. Circles of people are able to communicate with each other using the. Indigo officials team. And then. Sure. after while you look. For the things for the particles for. That that have been through right. And there they are. And. I wonder about 43. Creating. Otherwise i would just covering them over our way in assets creating at me or does it. Difference. I was just thinking from the spiritual point of view. All of this modern science. Directions towards. The concept of an emblem of the divine. And certainly the idea of god is object. So abhorrent. Rampart. But if you take the internet for the devon evolution becomes a very beautiful unfolding. A great religious experience. Thank you. Play cinctive. We have a. Part of the evolution of our thinking i like to think is in the direction of. Which is what evolution is cosmic evolution is. At the same time we're still kind of afraid of that because process. Regional clinic where you are at this moment tell you weren't going to be in 5 minutes. Unless we're all going to die and etc etc. Everything that you're on this is much more in the kind of. Buddhist sensor dard ellison. Is flowing change. But of course we spend most of our lives in atlanta. Civilization devotes most of its energy. The particular truth. And enforcing adherence to them and all of us that i need to release. To really move into. Parsons motors. Good beer. Enormous global transmission. Survive long enough to get their corner of the room. I have no idea what i'm saying. I found in my experiences of meditation. And getting in touch with consciousness. The sound of silence. Brings all to me in 24 hours series. Night. Doreen. That comes. A reality to me. And i literally live the dream. The dreams come true in salty springs. And other people. Huston smith when you do dip into the pool or divine. Pick up the serendipity the string theory whatever it is. And all. The grid. Leprechaun. I found it just experienced of a dream. Did i had. I saw my hand nursery old and uses lights. And they say take the old woman she did good she help people. Is one seat left. And this woman is in my face and she's putting this thing down like a racecar thing in front of me and i said. How did you know. How to find us. I said to her and she said what was in the store. The aquarion water drops. And it's a spiral takes you through the milky way and how can the other side galaxy. And i said oh i see and i woke up. I got the answer i just need to the motor machine to get me there. I want one like to make for we get to this place coming down here is it. What are the things that i would like us to be. Coming back to you is not so much. What's what's out there is no scientific siri i mean this. All this stuff makes for great you know kind of grudge. I'm searching something is speculating about. The origins of the cosmos. What does it feel like in our daily life what does it mean to be. Thinking about airport. Bring it home in the universe. And i don't think you have to. Particularly. Swallow running in a specific siri or wait for final proof. Let yourself accept that their point of view it's as good as any other. I was reading. Sri aurobindo and he's talking about. The longing. People having. Major. Long music. Struck me because i. Is that right. Do we have a really strong impulse. Immortality. I've been waiting chris wells. Ripley and all the worker. Going on now and then. Expanding light. Personal. Technology so. I mean. Concentration. What about the religious. Ideas. Immortality. Power already. Beyond ourselves. Rush 2. Extend our own personal life. Absolutely genius burgoyne mangrate promoter and. Maybe a little bit limited spiritually here in atlanta. And perhaps ecologically you. Quarterback rankings. We're going to move toward. Radical extension. Perhaps even to the point of. What some people call functional immortality. Which means no dinner unless you fall off a cliff or get shot or something like that. Just gets hard commit suicide that you get to live forever. And end. Preferably delta what that's about to happen but i think that even the thinking i find kind of limited. University in ways that you suggested and also. Various. Ethological and ethel ethical sensors which is that. In the world start living. You know forever. But even let's say for 150 years 200 years. Well if you've ever followed you know the population issues it all has to do with the ratio between birth rates and death rate. Death rates decline. Significantly. You have another kind of population explosion cuz everybody that lives. Consumes resources and takes up space. It's crude and all the rest of it. Question about what happened. We get to that stage of functional. Immortality is i don't think it's going to happen. Relative same time i think that those kinds of considerations ought to be part of the dialogue. More than they are and there's also. The ethical consideration. Which incentive said becomes possible for people to live longer. What people get to live longer. Because if you look even now that the figures for mortality. Global basis. Difference. Between life expectancy and scandinavian countries words. Thirtysomething meat something. For the board's darkness mainly but not entirely different stage. The rain. The differential. Life expectancy. In the world that i don't. Personally think i'm kind of getting everybody so far she'll get off. But that's exactly where we going to be placing. All of our energy. Metacomet. Find it interesting that in spite of all the different series in in these few points that.. Human beings seem to have a need to subscribe to a particular one. Let it go. Most of us live our lives you know based on some view of the cosmos. I just find it interesting that people don't judge. Leave everything up in the air. And not subscribe to anything. We all have an opinion workforce we have an opinion about. How we think things started. You know free books you might be hindu it might be christian and might be whatever. Well i think you just erase a very important point i think you're absolutely right. Anybody at any given time. Explanation you know i mean i i kind of inclined toward the strong and something. Principal. The next question is how do you. How do you place the terms of your relationships to the rest of the world. Do you require other people who see the world the same way. That is the big issue you know not that we all have. The world's opinion. But the question is can we live in the world in which we know that not everybody. Opinion. We all know. Is a life-and-death issue. Thanks for bringing that up. I wanted to. Reflect on the concept of. Having an opinion. As opposed to. Living in the openness without an. Mini princeton. The concept that you just been talkin about these new scientific concepts. Don't feel to be a whole lot different. From. The traditional concepts of god. You're trying to explain. The universe in some frame. Rather than. Rather than sitting there with the open mind. I'm trying to see how it really is. I just wanted to check up thank you. Listening attempting to understand. Nordstrom i was playing tennis with. Rephrase. Universe. Endplate first. End. Throughout the hour that was. Either helpful or getting in the way. What was. Ed stetzer comment and i don't know what it means. Except i have the cell phone. What. Great clips. I'm wondering where do the poet's a dedicated poet the artist musician. We're not usually steeped in theories and math and science and. Chemistry. We just bundling along the edges of all of their store. Do we have a place. Actually as i read science for the better scientific literature. Lifeline just coach poetry all over the place. Because there are so many things that are said. In poetry that are. That are so much more looser than in. Accessible. Sprinkler. Any any. Scientific book. Lifelike bioconcentration. Kotadiny. This is nothing profound but it's what i would have answered to mac is. If you're living with an open mind. To see it on folding is not that. A worldview. That the world is unfolding and i'm open to it. Kotzebue. Last question. Where do you play religious fundamentalism in this. Your worldview. Xenoblade closing out to her so many. Possibilities that used in. Well sort of. Historically i would place the emergence of religious fundamentalism. University logan run martin martinez. What's a lot of work on. Flashlight. Fundamentalism which he says is not. Not the same as religious conservatism in the past that it snow. What he calls in a postmodern phenomenon. Still exists partly in in. Emergent apart williams reaction. To race brothers. Postmodern. Sorry to take etc. So i just happened recently. Rita in your speech by. Khomeini. Navigate to steph curry took power. In aurora. I don't know who it was he was raining yet but he sounded like he could have been reading a lot of french intellectuals. You intellectuals you know you weren't freedom you want freedom for this from freedom for that. And then we say the way wants when he wants it. Which is which is given by the sword. In order that are useful not be corruption. That's a powerful force in the world is i don't have to tell. Anybody here. Far as i'm concerned if anybody wants to be a fundamentalist. That's okay with me. As long as they leave me alone to be generous lake a year. Principal. Not too sure about that either. That's the issue it's not really is something serious which is i don't. Think we can nor should we try. To legislate what anybody believes. But in today's world we have to be very concerned. About the forces that are not content simply. Tell their own belief systems but to impose them. Another. And there is a difference there.. Mighty hard want to meet.

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070603_Mary%20Dewey-Wagner_UUFETA.mp3

Good morning and thank you all for coming i really do appreciate it. I've looked forward to this time with you what i have to share with you this morning. Little bit more. I would also like to say that. No i have a wonderful. And i have today off. And on. And one of my numbers is here and milliken. Information to washington park. I hope i hope we will see the other two i don't know it will be a surprise when i get open as a prime. But i don't think i mean. I don't think i'm not. Is going to be correct. Newspaper article. The paper and brought to you. I don't know about animals. Brittany. Delta rivers i can sacramento i don't know i don't hear my daughter she straight even around here. I want to go up to alaska and get to where i can see you. I know. Humpback whale. And i was so excited about that and i bought the book for somebody wrote i don't remember who. Hit by a boat or something, or something. Inland coronavirus. And i worry who i worried about them. I read the newspaper. Edward cochran. Regular water. Pia. I heard was i don't know what he wants. We're going down on tuesday. Hopefully you have a good long life span out here rather than. I'm totally against. Weill cornell. Editorial. I don't know how. I like you to see and hear about a priority who are in power. Animals of the world. Authorities to notice that are willing to help them like the coast of the whale. Important. For our world. Pandora. Word definition for utilization. Paper call. I do not believe. You know. Don't let them move. Weather. Entropion the animals to move. They can live. An animal rights group. President of india. Mario. Animal rights group. In other words. And all the one way out. And. When it is needed you know when animals are mistreated or abused. You can talk to santa. Started attending church. First of all in the drama club. Showing and goodnight park in putting on plays in. Still working. Party near here. Acquire and shine with him for 12. .. I married in the 1980s. Hand. I opening. Thank you. My nervousness. For the first time. Phoenix arizona. Call nana. I was sitting in a meeting. Realizing. You know. That was not. I'm not going to.. Would you like to get say something out. One of my t-mobile number. Ok google. Are in the early days of the. Information. Define. Going to be a rooftop. Minor. Hercules. Bored. Numbers, on board they were getting burnt out. Bored. Roblox. Okay. Back into action. Tell you. Yeah really irish. Integrated into something i really wanted to. De'anthony and. Bring together. And we were very active. I don't remember how many. We are. Animal. Are whippets something else. And i was working in that and then i moved. Reading wonders. Every year. I want to remember to do. Amore. Is there a good one. Indian die. Animals. Many animals are on the bottom of the ladder when it comes to. Animals more jump. Call. Several years ago. Call access services. Chili. I never held. Issachar. Beginning of the love and. Real wild one. Is all the whole floor of the house all day. Moderate to. A great price. I always try to improve. Volume. Airdroid. Why do unitarians. A playground. Stock down. One-time razor. Donation argo in living animal. Pacific healthcare. Loving myself. Radio. 1990 dime. Real real love. Rarity. Call rhonda craig. Free images. Durags. Wayfair. Local hardware. Do with the money you. On a regular basis to have guns. Nrdc. The other people were going to go up to her. For when you do any habitable or when you do a fundraising would be good. Where the money's going. We might get more people who. I'm a lover and a vegetarian. When i think about it. Animal. Provide. Very very. I wonder how you feel about that. What you see despair. Experiment. Native american. Reston animal before they. There are ways to keep them early and be good to them. I'm feeling still be able to use. Back with her. I've wondered how you felt. Crowded. Animal research animal research. Naked women. Because they want g. I want to get a good grant. I don't know what is going on i heard out i heard that. 50 animals had a choice in it. Like humans do. Something like that it's whether their lies are going to be pooping. Operation. Animals have no choice about it. Call daphne's rehire. Timer. Security. If we were taken to an animal. No i'm sorry. Now. And we can pick up. You're going to go far. I can't remember. Coronavirus. Broncos. A bad i have read all her somewhere. Stepping are coming up with more marvel robotic model not real not real. Apple. Grandma bear not anybody in this room. And and we're not as able to care for aging animals as we would like a assistant in this part of the bay area for people who are unable to care for ill animal. I don't know i would. Animal hospital. Okay. 2923 10:23. Purple. I know but i wanted to redo it. I wanted to talk to you into mine. The man lyrics. Thank you albert. Spyker. Reverend we could have reverence for all life. Really amato. For all life and every creature on earth. Hurricane. Thank you very much. I promise you. Around.

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070128_Barbara%20McGrew_Rediscovering%20America's%20Sacred%20Ground.mp3

It's a pleasure to again have diverticulitis. So much fun introducing herself. As you now know barbara a background in both law. Reading. Oblock and other. Philosophical sources for the american. Independence movements or. Revolutionary times. But i appreciate if she's going back and looking at. What did the founding fathers mean. Freedom of religion. Baymax. What's commonly called off today. Barbara is also an author. She's written on this subject. Teacher professor at saint mary's college. Barbara mcgraw. I usually like like some cheering or something when i'm starting okay. I want to thank god martha homing for inviting me to the personal theology and the thank you all for coming. And those of you who hit were here last week. I know some really personal things about my personal theology and we also talked about for the fundamental purpose of the nation. Is just the beginning introduction today i'm going to. Do more of a lecture on how. Call that plays out but if you weren't here last week. Today's stand-alone so you're in good shape either way. One thing though i hope you had your morning coffee because. You're going to need it. Because of this is a heavy-duty topic and we're going to be blowing through some. Really major material. Before i get started however i'd like to ask that everyone hold questions till the end because it's the kind of a whole idea. And when we get the whole idea done then we can do questions. Green aura. Let's get started. We have a formidable problem facing us today. We have growing religious intolerance and polarisation the threatens the very heart of american life. In our current. Has become a series of manipulations to gain. Our. And conversation. And dialogue. Evolve into this kind of competing. Sing five competing with each other on all issues. And all vying to have the dominant voice. And isn't become kind of like a competitive discourse. Kind of all-out battle. Between. And we even see a kind of tribal identity developing around particular viewpoint. Viewpoint becomes a large part of who we actually think we are. I'm a democrat. I'm a republican i'm a conservative i'm a liberal i'm a christian imma do i have a cell phone i am a libertarian or green. It's warmer whatever and then what we do is we solidify our identities around these particular perspective. And corresponding labels. An elder results. Spell to make any effort at all to understand one another. I thought you use. We're supposed to be all about dialogue. Open lines. Open heart. And ultimately to be open to. Formed. Sometimes it's not what's happening. And that's a tragedy. Not only corrupt you use but also. America herself when it behaves. And i'm on open why. And why is that because. Truncated narrow discourse. We only speak and listen to the choir. Contribute. Significantly to undermining dialog. Argument and debate. Deform the very foundations. Of a democratic. And free. Society. And this matters. Because what is that steak. America herself. Afraid what i'm getting at i'm going to look at one main area in america in which this problem is clear and pronounced. And this is the debate about the role of religion. In public life. And this is promoted in the media as a war. Hooper war between the secular left and the religious right. With extreme pain each side. Buying domino's. Start with a question. Carnation. I made some under god. Religious rights. Oh yeah. The other side. Absolutely not. But what is confusing is it both sides claim to be the one who got it right with the founding fathers. And guess what. Both. Consult the american founders in support of their position. For example the religious right quotes john adams. Sad. There is the governing providence of the supreme being. Anivia counter. Of men to him. As the searcher of hearts. Righteous. Computer of rewards and punishment. The jeep then stand food no judgement of which are conducive equally. To the happiness and rectitude of individuals and the well-being. Community. Mla cite. Mountain is well stated that the right of contents of every man and religion is unalienable because it's derived from the detour the creator. And the religious right quotes george washington who said. America are from this. to be considered as the actors on the most. Theater. Which seems to be peculiarly designated by providence. For the display of human greatness in felicity. Here they are not only surrounded with everything which can contribute to the completion of private and domestic enjoyment. Heaven is crown all its other blessing by giving a fair opportunity for political happiness. Any other nation has ever been. Favorite. And the religious right points to the declaration of independence. The declaration of independence states that our rights are given by our creator. And it references nature's god and divine providence. And so the religious right conclude that religion in particular christianity or the judeo-christian tradition. They concluded after dancing is the basis for the nation. And they claim that the nation's whole moral fabric. Is declining. Because we're not taking this seriously. God is close to. Right. And they argued. The department did frosted religion and math why the founders wanted separation of church and state. So here's a different quote by james madison. The conduct of every popular assembly acting on. Strongest of religious shows that individuals join without remorse and acts against which their consciences would revolt. If proposed to them separately in their closet. When indeed religion is kindled into enthusiasm it's for like that of other passions is increased by the sympathy. And they quote jefferson. Who rejected the notion that any civil or ecclesiastical legislators or rulers have any legitimate authority over the faith of others. He stated that the imposition of their own opinions and modes of thinking has established and maintained false religions over the greatest part of the world and through all. Prime. As well. Coincidence. Constitution is the operative document of the nation. Annual. Look at it. Doesn't include any references to god. Emily also site. Jefferson. Who's the first amendment to the constitution. Memes. Between. Until the what circular left conclude that the founders meant to keep religion out of public life. Talk about confusing. But instead of doing what the fart s wacker jacked or just ignore the religious aspects of the founding generation. Over the phone or religious right. Conclude that the founders references to god. Mean that we are supposed to use the bible to make public policy. I decided to listen more carefully. Hempstead. I decided to cross sacred boundaries. Engage the other. Both. Straight to buy. And when i did there. Something shifted in me. I love myself. Be transformed. I rediscovered. What i call america. Sacred ground. I realize that both sides in today's date debate. Our help right. And half wrong. Get together. Let me take you back in history and we can do a little political philosophy to give you a sin. Of what i found on my journey. While we consider our question is our nascent nation under god. The first thing we need to do is understand more about the theory of government that was prevalent before. United states was established. And in order to do that. We need to go back to the philosophy of john locke. Who actually was writing a century before the founding of the united states. And he was considered to be the pivotal political philosopher for the founding generation. You can call our political philosopher in scriptural authority for the american founder and in my work i call him. Prophet of america. John locke's fundamentals. What's the founding fathers relied on. It's very significant way. First and foremost. He was looking for a way to create a political structure. That would promote. A good society another words a way to create a better world. Because his own world his own history was filled with terrible wars religious conflict and strife. Torture torturing hanging of heretics. All of those things you read about in your history classes. Certainly this was now. A good society. Sixteenth and seventeenth centuries and beyond saw some of the word conflict in history. In fact the. from 1559 to 1750 has been called the age of religious wars. The division between the churches that have been with the result of the protestant reformation resulted in wars that lasted well over a century all over europe. Torture hanging burnings at the stake were the order of the day for heretics. And the worst thing of all was that the religious norm. Would change every few years depending on who came into power. Making everyone insecure. The wind john locke was writing in 1689 and 1690. All his work that became profoundly influential to the american founders. Bad guy. Knew what he was talking about. He started writing about her. And he said you know. Everything is. We just got to start over. Let's think about government in the holman way we've got to go back. And think about right from the beginning the state of nature. And locked it in the state of nature. Everyone. Free. An equal. Now why is everyone free and equal. Listen for thinking little bit tricky. Because we all take this for granted. But we don't recognize that this basic premise this idea freedom and equality. Is really grounded in a fundamental. Delete. And it's believed that comes right out of john locke. Own religion. He was a high church anglican. Now what's up. Reason that we are free and equal. Is because we are created that way. My god. We are created with free will and therefore our destiny is not predetermined by god. And we are created equal. But this doesn't mean that we are all equally the same and look around the room. Summer more beautiful like martha. Attributes for talent. Different health different abilities and so what is it mean to say that everyone is equal. It means that we have equal dignity. We are all inherently worthy whatever our particular situation in life is. Because. We are all god's children. Kellogg said if this is the fundamental natural law. In the state of nature. Okay. Then it would also be the fundamental law and society as well. Why. Well. So that we do not store. The essential nature of humanity. As god. All that. This fundamental natural law was being violated by governments in his own time and in his own immediate history. Okay and so that's why he's running but the problem was. That his whole way of thinking. Was in total opposition to the way those in power in lock on time. Thought about government. Whose ideas were. Radical. And whose ideas were in total opposition to the theory of government that was prevalent in the american founders time as well. Let's talk about that prevalent idea. Government was based. On this a traditional christian political theory. It was a religious justification for government. And it was bass. On the doctrine. And the idea was. People. You are inherently. Government. Is nefertari. Keep you all in line to restring your sinful nature. In other words the role of the state is to keep everyone uniformly in line that is not coming. In accordance with the doctrines of the authorities who interpret god's will. In other words. The people. Cannot be trusted. To do the right thing. You can see this is going to require government and churches to kind of work together right churches me government. Involvement for an effective means to enforce church doctrine regarding sin. And government uses the sanctum of the church to justify its punishment. Go under this system the state as an instrument of religion religion as an instrument. I'm really kind of looks like this. Okay so here's what we have is the government specifically involved in ordering the lives of the people. You got god at the top of a grand hierarchy. Word is interpreted by the church and the state. Working together. Keeping people uniformly in line that is not sunny. And telling all the people what to do sometime. What i do. Nitrite. Okay. The government dominates people by establishing the spread of uniform oral order which is in forth to the coercive power of the states and what it is is a top-down overarching worldview approach to government. Mn overarching worldview is enforced by the state. The american founders and shawn walk before they looked around them and back into history and saw. As we said earlier in the good society. Remember those wars and torture and everything. Car for producing the peaceful society that uniformity promised just didn't work. The founders following john locke came up with a different idea. First of all both walk-in the founders rejected the doctrine of original sin as a basis for government. This is the key and what creates the confusing. Between both sides. They didn't reject religion. Instead. To a different. Religious idea. Based on very simple theology. There is god. And god. Communicate with. The people. Another words lock in the founders got grounded their political theory in the relationship of god's individual human being. Any ideas like this. Okay. God's relationship in communication is not with the elites of religious institutions in the state who then tell everyone what to do. And then persecute those who don't follow the rule instead god's relationship in communication is with each individual through conscience. And god comes to conscious the revelation spiritual or other inside and through nature. Andreesen. This is why. Freedom of conscience. Fundamental. The founders approach to government. People are called by god to conscience. And so freedom of conscience must be preserved to the individuals can listen for and hear the voice of god and akron society in accordance with that call. So that they can make a better world. Founders wanted to preserve god's relationship with the people by establishing a government. That would not involve domination of the people. By the state. Or. The churches. Instead. Government entity formed by the people. And for the people. To preserve their natural rights. Grounded in freedom and equal dignity and in particular. Freedom of conscience. And it's. Russian. But the big question. Of the day was. How is a good society going to come about it has are not telling people what to do what is right and enforcing their idea of right. Well here was john locke's answer. There's no guarantee. But we already know the old system doesn't work right. The only way it is even possible. For a good society, bout is to preserve liberty of each individual to discern through his and her own conscience. What is pleasing to god. And then as individuals of conscience. Really express themselves from the prospective conscience gives them. They participate. In a. Dialogue. Read conversation. With each other. About how best to live together. While engaging together in the ongoing search. The true. And the crew. Just linked up with that purpose. I'm here last week purpose. The nation. To create the good. Society from the ground up. Do i have another little diagram. For this one too. This is what we're supposed to. Ground-up approach. You look you still have god but now god speaks to the people. Ground up. And this is a government by the people for the people preserving their natural right. Which is really the core. Okay so that the people can build the good society. Okay and that is made up of laws that preserve the natural rights but also the voluntary actions of the people. Form when i call communities of kanter. Uucb is a community of conscience. Amasty idea the good society. From the ground up. This is the political system. Trust the people. To act in accordance with conscience. Public forum. And together through reason and debate. Truth. Really make it real in society. Another word lock was saying. Conscience. Of a free people. He's our only hope. Only them. Does truth. Have a real chance. To prevail. As lock said. For truth. Certainly would do well enough. She were once left. Herself. Seldom has received. And i fear never will receive. Much assistance from the power of great man. Rarely known and more rarely welcome. Not taught by law. Nor has he any need of four. Entrance. Enter the mines. The founding fathers adopted john locke fundamental ideas they took walks theory his political theology and they put it into practice. And they form the government by the people and for the people and they made freedom of conscience and the right to express constant in speed and actions the primary rights of the people and they preserved that in the first amendment. Of the united states constitution as well. Whataburger commence about how much they did that how much they didn't but it was there in full for and this was something everyone was buying into. Now of course we all know america did not live up to its ideal at the founding. Slavery was promoted in the south. Tolerated by the norris. Women did not gain full rights as free human being native americans were robbed of their land and liberty. But over time. It has been the appeal. Ideal of liberty and equal dignity that has losing the chains of those who continue to be. Rap. This is an ideal. Work. I called out ideal. America's sacred ground. And its fundamentals are. A political theology. Based on god's relationship with each and every. Which gives rise to. Inalienable right to freedom of conscience. Freeway express. Contacts. Which is the public forum. Where the people can fulfill the purpose of the whole system. To build the good society from the ground up. Where people are keep their ideas private. Not even their religious ideas. System that expects everyone to express conscience. And listen to the expressions of others in a great conversation. About the good society. Public forum. A bit doesn't mean of course but anything goes as long as we all discuss it. Absolutely not. What it means is that there's a grounding framework. A public forum that is free. For all. Framework that public forum. As a moral ground. Another word. The founders adopted a values-based. Constitution even though it was turned in negative. There are underlying values. And here's where we get to something that nobody in today's debate seems to understand. Soundspace constitution provides public forum been in effect has level. Or two tiers. No we talked about public and private and it's like if. If it's not public and be quiet about it. Talk about a neutered. Or your home. But that's not what. The founding fathers or john locke were talking about. This way but this is really. What you're talkin about y'all. Prove it. Ludacris. The first one is pacific public forum when i call the civic public for us and that's the forum for law and enforcement. Another public forum way out there with everyone. What i call the contents is public forum and this is for voluntary persuasion. Involuntary acceptance. You persuade. The government isn't. Forcing people to do it. Okay. Each one of these. Has two principles. Public forum. Principles. First of all grounded in the grounding prison principles of liberty and equal. Pacific public forum to principles i call laws. Because they would are to be enforced. And this is kind of the basis for the legal system. Law of no harm. No one may harm another in his or her life liberty or property. And the law of consistency that no one may deny to others what one is not willing to deny oneself. Kind of like a reverse golden rule. And then the conscientious public forum has two duties and i called them duties because they're not enforced by the state but they are the things that we should do if the system is going to work the way it was intended to work. For its ultimate purpose to produce. And that is the duty to discern with conscience direct. By raising conscience to god. Universal reason universal compassion. Or the divine. However. You understand that something greater than yourself however you understand that. And then you have a duty to participate in the public forum three-year speeds. Action listening to others views with honesty and with respect for others. Having an open mind. Having an open heart. Alright so now we understand the basics of the political philosophy. Underline the nation and now we need to think about the implications of it. Consonance expression are the means. The good society. Then it follows express in public forum when never meant to be. Not even religious expression. In fact. This is what freedom. Or. As long as those expressions do not threaten the system that preserves freedom of expression for everyone. And they fulfill the principal. Of the two-tier public forum. All expressions are welcome in the public forum. Why. Because locke and the american founders envisioned us authority. In which everyone's views. In public. Debate. Intrude. Woodskip. For herself. Mountain fair. Contrary to what you generally hear lock in the founders pluralism into account. Religious pluralism all kinds of voices in ways that you might find surprising. So. Lock adopted radical tolerance tolerance of all the religions. Is he considered tolerance to be the chief characteristic hallmark of the. Serg for tolerance of religious people of all kinds including those in all sects of protestant christianity naming the most controversial of his day. As well as catholics. Muslim referred to as muhammad on native americans and pagans these are all explicitly mentioned in john locke's works okay and he said. Observations of festivals. Public worship be permitted to anyone sort of professors. Another word for religious people. All these things are to be permitted to the presbyterian we know how crazy you are. Independent anabaptist armenians quakers and others with the same liberty. If we met openly. Truth. Become as one man to another. Neither pagan or muhammad on nor jew ought to be excluded from the civil rights of the commonwealth because of. Religion. Mark even advised that i do olive tree. Even should be tolerated. He was out there. You never know this from looking in the religious right and the founding fathers. Followed and locke's ideas even further. Richard henry lee said. I fully agree with the presbyterian true freedom in braces the muhammad mm. Indigent. Hindu as well as the christian religion. And thomas jefferson's notes on religion stated. So we suffer pagans a deal with us and not suffer him to pray to his god. It is the refusing coloration to those of different opinion which is produced all the bustles and wars on account of realism. And regarding the debate about the virginia act for religious freedom jefferson said this. The insertion of jesus christ in the preamble was rejected by the great majority improved. To comprehend within the mantle of its protection. Drew and the gentile. Christian in the muhammad then the hindu. Mb infidel of every denomination. Emma found this considered atheists as well. As jefferson said. What is tolerance to those who deny the existence of god. It was a great thing to go so far. Where he stops short. We may go on. But perhaps richard henry lee put it best when he said in 1787. It is true we are not disposed to differ much at present. About religion. But when we are making a constitution. It is to be hoped. For ages. And williams. Yeah. Unborn. Clearly the widest possible freedom of conscience was intended by the founders and the political system was designed to make room for a much greater pluralism than what we are generally told by both sides in the debate. Baton rouge. Public forum is open to all. And does not involve domination from the top down. That was the system repudiated by the founder. What is going on today is damaging to the select legacy. The christian right sees the founding fathers references to religion and they used this. Gordon quote logic. Christianity. Our founders were freedom. Freedom odesza corner of the american system vr4 christianity is at the core of freedom. Think about it that's exactly what they're doing. Doesn't want to follow if you look at it. I'm in the use of justification to impose christianity on the nation as a whole all in the name of what. Liberty. True. Is not meant. Except for herself. System is undermined. Mistake the separations make it there instead of going back and looking at with the founding fathers really intended. They ignore the religious views the founder and claimed that those were not really important to the founder. Any counter with an argument that goes like. Our founders were freedom. Freedom is not compatible with christianity. Their power the founders could not have been. Distance. Not really religious. Tell you is just a plain falls argument. First of all. Videos of larvae real religion. In fact the problem with the whole base today is that it is stuck in a false dichotomy religious right versus secular well and this is a completely erroneous way of thinking about what is at stake in the debate. It's as if they're like these two competing world.zoo vying for dominance the whoever gets the most votes wins. But there's a third. Better way. America's sacred ground. The fundamental framework principles and purpose. Of the nation. And it provides a political legal structure. Crane public debate. For the maximum participation of everyone in america's pluralist. With basic principles as ground rules. System. That is free. And knocker. Referral. Debates. And why because it's grounded in the principles of america's sacred grounds. What is the answer to our dilemma. Remember i said at the beginning. Both sides are half white and half wrong. Well. The christian right is half right. A religious moral and moral grounds of the nation. As well just have right to. The american founders wanted the government to preserve freedom of conscience and its expression. For everyone and stay out of religion otherwise. Both eyes are half wrong to. Calphalon. About this. Separation of church and state is not about eliminating religious participation. And debates about morale in the public forum. This is what freedom is for. Rather as we've seen the founding fathers had a religious. Immoral reasons for the system. Put the christian right is half song 2. They have to remember the founders could not have meant to make christianity the basis for the name some because then justice now there were numerous versions of christianity. Which one would they choose. Today throwback tibet top-down system. Overarching worldview that the founding fathers repudiated. But let's be clear the secular left is not right when it says that the problem is that the christian right. Are religious. That's not what separation of church and state. Is all. About. What it is about eliminating dominating influences of any particular religion or any other ideology on the people. As a whole. Through the instrumentality of the state. That is the dichotomy that counts is not religious right vs secular left. Domino's. Versa. Liberty. What is the purpose of liberty. To ensure. Delete individual is free to hear the voice of god or if you are not religious the voice of reason. And free to answer that call in order to help build the good society. From the ground up. What have our conversation about the critical issues of our time. What do it on america's sacred ground by reference to its two tiered public forum and especially those principal that i laid out. Otherwise will undermine the very system that makes all these conversations possible in the first place. So. Is our nation under god. Think about it. Do we really want to continue to hold on to the symbol on our pledge of allegiance when it really recalled that top-down structure did john locke in the founding fathers repudiated. Ours is not a nation with god at the top of a g hierarchy speaking to the king. Or a president. To the people. Ours is a nation grounded in god. Because god comes to the people. From the ground up. And this is not. Really just mere semantics. Because what is that steak. Who meaning and purpose of the nation and its legacy. The world. But there's an important element in all of this is awesomeness. Remember. Hours. Is the legal and political system. So there's a responsibility that goes with us. As john adams said. Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious. People. It is wholly inadequate. To the government of any other. And james madison said. Is there any form of government will secure liberty or happiness without any virtue in the people. Izakaya miracle. Idea. That is. Is allusion. In other words unless the people are raising their minds and hearts. Something greater than their self-interest. Universal resort universal compassion the divine however one understands that. And deserting what contents wants of us. And bring that to the public forum. The system cannot. Chick-fil-a. To make a better world. In other words. Freedom. Is not. For your own happiness. It is for the happiness. So it's up to you. You are called. You're called by the founders. You're called by reasons. You are called. My god. And it is important that you answer that call. Because when we listen to that still small voice calling in our hearts. We know that we can live that call in our lives. Together. We can move forward with courage and even face in the process of the great conversation on america's sacred ground. About the importance. A bar time. We can find a way to lift up the needy. We can find a way to feed the hungry we can heal the sick. We can free the oppressed. We can find a way to end suffering. We can choose. Love. Our neighbors. Let me close with this brief paragraph for my book. This was the view of the founders. The one that was given a fact in the first amendment. Freedom of conscience. Is at the core of truth. Improve. The herald. Any good only prevails in a free forum for debate and action. For truth. For herself. Only if the public forum is free and open. And conscience. Is express. Canopy set. As it was fed in 1788. Let the voice of the people. Is the boise. I went a little longer than i meant sorry about that. I think we can go over a little bit then and here. Just don't go this way. Scott's comments warriors are considerations. I can't hear you do is wait for the mic. Speak right into it. Oh i don't know the purpose of liberty. This one. Before the quan. Away at the beginning. I would like an expert. I can call it the secular right. Religious. Equally good argument. Second point. We have this debate among ourselves but in reality our hole. War in iraq is over the same principle. Accepted. One step further and saying. In order to ensure truth. Vr. Totally within their rights to. Destroy the opposition by. Suicidal attacks in. Right well. One of the reasons why i'm on a crusade for us to. Rediscover america's sacred ground is because. We have lost. A real sense of what are fundamental principles are. And that's why we have a serial president. Doing things like. Moving into iraq. In a way that. He have. And i really think that if we. We're really grounded in our own principles. We have much better public policy. And also. They're over there supposedly trying to promote democracy i mean we could argue about that's what they're really doing or not but let's just. Save them in at that moment that they are. Well. They don't understand what ours is about. Otherwise they wouldn't be so shocked and surprised when we got him often. In palestine and we've got hezbollah and of the voting that goes under their shocked about the voting and that's because they don't understand that our system isn't only about the voting. It's about the fundamental principle. Set the voting can't override. And that's what's mesto. Wake me up a lot of mistakes in terms of our actions in the world. In larkspur. Because we don't or the people that are. Running the public policy don't understand the values of the underlined the nation to begin with. I'd like to say just a few words. Is one of the infidels. British dukes. Welcome. In liberty. As sort of an abstract fundamental. Issue floating around is seems to be a little. To extract the idea. Freedom and its. Evolution in concert comes from. The experience of freedom by individual people. Any interpretation of that over. The millennial religion is. Has been progressing. I like the idea of the dialogue between. What receives the secular. Religious radicalism. But i see this in the stream. Evolution of dialog where. The secular world in the age of reason in the lightening. Is inexorably taking over cultures of the world. The result is. It's excessive exuberance of the part of radicals of each side. Battle between. Interpretation of religion. Experience. Starving. The problem is not religion is dogma. Ss you put up. Something of that respect. Douglas what is killed so many millions of people. Whether or not. Radicals of stalin and hitler. Word dogmatic is used to not read text. I'm hearing it's over and over lately i just heard rick warren say. Hitler work secular. Hitler started off as a tablet that was humanly. And the soldiers were these buckles. Whatever. And they had these lumps. Praises you know. For god and all this other stuff they were not circular. Hitler was not secular. And that's like a missed ups going around definite religious-themed. Just wasn't christian. He was kristen when he started and then he shifted but it was still all about calling on god and that we were gods nation and all that was all apart of that toy just want to clarify that one thing but i agree with you about the. The exuberance in one of the problems with religious freedom is. It's always going to have this for the radical bubbling going on all the time. I'm saying is that one can interpret. Excessive. The extremes of relation. The manifestation of the fastest. Let the war between the. Secular the sectarian. Is b1. Inexorably by the secular. Solis. Exaggerated. Vicious. Examples of a religion on the ride height of a circling in the wagons of the ceiling idea. I don't think freedom comes from god or any authority it comes from. Cohesion of the experiences of individuals of their freedom. And that's still taking from bottom up. Nothing. Fantastic comes from the top down. Isaac newton. Make arguments to justify freedom and equality without reference to god. I just think it's important to understand that it wasn't done without reference to god. By the founder. And that's why they have these references to religion. If we ignore those references to religion than its thieves the whole religious argument to the religious right. And i was standing in the jefferson memorial a couple years ago and the people coming in and you look at every wall every wall is talking about god and heaven and i'm so freaking summer. In every person who was. Enlightenment. Secularism. Fans in there and they are all. I thought the religious right. And that's why it's really important to understand what they really meant by those religious points do the thing i forgot to mention answer one thing that you said which is. You can't you do have a a religious left and secular right also however the debate is framed. Primarily in the media as secular christmas religious right that's why i'm addressing that. And my concern about the religious the laugh. Is bad in space that it could move and some writing. Are planning to move in the same direction as our religious right. Now we're going to quote the bible for our side. And i'm very concerned about that because that's just the competing worldview thing and still missing. That sacred ground and so we have to really watch what we're doing there's a way to claim religion without. We don't seem to have any dialogue between. The religious. Hearing it from over here. The secular. Pilot bumper sticker is. I believe it. End of argument. That's what many of us are. Do we we love dialogue. But that's not happening. Right and i'm trying to make i'm trying to do that i have this seriously where it's got conservatives and liberal. And from many different. Houston's and muslims and all talking about these kinds of issues from the perspective of. Does grounding in liberty and equal dignity and these principles and so forth and i'm trying to make that happen i've been to texas giving this speech soon. All over the place where can i find interesting is the. The people who are like in the bible belt. I'm very open to hearing that. The ones who are not open to hearing us are the strict secular. It's real strict. People. I went to berkeley. I have somebody like screaming at me. But if i go to the bible belt. They see the difference. Explain that. Religious right. And then this kind of grounding or. Secularists who are not quite so far. Open tattoo has a lot of room for. Don't have time for a couple more questions. Who has the. Okay great. It seems like there's a lot of it. Arrakis. Where. It's so obvious. As the means. That no matter what we do or what. Saddam in establishing. The results show that. The palace. The wrong. I'm just using that as an example. And so i'm wondering you know now that. Hopeful. Interpretation. How do you. Going from where we are now to. Going up. World hunger. Creating a job search. I first started talking about this. And public. Rediscovering america's sacred ground. In the last three years i've started here. More. August shift around this religious idea to go okay we can do this to which is a mentor. There are folks like a barack obama has a speech. That he doesn't use being on my terminologies civic public forum, kansas public forum and silver. They are talking about a role for public persuasion and things like that and it's one of these things where. Is this like a lot of people. Chipping away and then they will become a turning point. And i think the debacle in iraq. The arrogance of this president. Down to work 26% approval or whatever. It's an unfortunate way to go about it but i do think it is helping people understand. Something too much is lost. And who we are in those kinds of policies and i think. I'm hopeful that we are. Trending back. The other direction. Now. Bye. Our system depends on everyone playing a part and participating and in this idea kind of comes out of the commercial side of in the material is to commercial capital of cited. It's all about my own happiness. Get a bunch of money so i can buy the best yacht. And. The up book now america sticker down in the marketplace because we don't want that ideology to overtake this ideology that i've laid out for you. Bad economics suits it within that political realm. When you drop that. Economic idea. You had it was a bad also was up pursue myself interest in a competitive environment. So that the greatest good will be served well it's been chained pursue myself interest in a competitive environment so the greatest good for me. Is sir amanda's really under contributing to undermine the system and people on the left note and people on the right note. The right and right blames the left until i think there's a lot of room for us to get together around those issues. Because this system is meant to work by people not. Pursuing only their own interests but contributing to making a better world that's what freedom really is for. So i can make a lot of money in the big w. One more. It's about 5 minutes.

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060820_Chris%20O'Sullivan_Bush%202%20Foreign%20Policy%20Analysis.mp3

Start bruce always has a lot to say so i know that. Runs over every time this is the third year we have had the privilege of doctor chris o'sullivan. He is a professor of history at university of san francisco. He has a book for us last year he spoke in the united nations. He tells me this year he's going to still share with us. Something just found out about the bush administration. And after that we can get into the middle east. So. I wide open for questions be a lot of lot of stuff this morning so he were here he is chris o'sullivan. Thank you dorothy. How's the sound can it be when you're okay. Very nice to be back for a third consecutive year amongst friends i always enjoy this because it's usually my first. Appearance or lecture after being gone for some time the last ride been gone for a year. On a fulbright to jordan. And i've just come back now after 3 months on a center for international studies. Fellowship. And london. I'm looking into the relations. Or perhaps lack thereof. Among. The bush administration and are. Former. European allies sadly to say perhaps not our european allies anymore. I also like at some point to talk a little bit about the you and i have written a book since we were last together. About the united nations. Impart with sort of the mission of the united nations association in mind. Because i wanted to write something that someone could read. During short flight between say. Chicago and san francisco. So the text of the book is actually a hundred pages only and there's a document if anyone wants to go deeper so. I offer that as well. And i'll certainly leave plenty of time for. Question which is the part i most enjoy about visiting with you. Every august. Let me begin by taking us back. 2. 1960. 62. In the midst of the cuban missile crisis. One of the more dramatic. Important. Crises that occurred during the cold war. And a potential crisis between the united states and its. Friends and allies in europe. At that time president kennedy of course is in the white house. And. President kennedy wanted to share with our closest allies. British and the french. The intelligence that the us had on. Missiles in cuba. Now. Descent d. Us diplomat david bruce to talk to harold macmillan. And london. But. Choosing someone to speak with president de gaulle of france. Took a little bit of creativity. Who would you send. Tammy. The president a call. Former secretary of state dean acheson was available. He was in some ways persona non grata in london. Because the year before he given a speech in america which almost no one in america covered or even took notice of. We're at justin said someone asked him about. Britain has a problem that you can prepare your remarks right. But when people ask questions. This is what makes the news i found this when i was keynoting at the un 60th anniversary last year. My remarks were about. Roosevelt's vision of the united nations. And how i thought that. The millennium development goals with a stick very nicely in with what franklin delano roosevelt and vision for the role of the un. And i spoke to this for about 45 minutes. And afterwards i was asked a single question about the rock. And the chronicle the next morning said. Local academic attacks bush administration on a rock. That was the story. Nothing about roosevelt nothing about the millennium development goals. Dean acheson was asked questions and he said i'm afraid that britain has lost its empire. And not yet found its role. And as i say no one in america took notice of us to just make headlines all over britain. So you couldn't send madison to. To london to talk to mcmillan's. Dean acheson was sent to paris to breathe. President de gaulle. On the cuban missile crisis. An atchison said. Mr. president i have in my briefcase the evidence. The aerial photographs. What's happening in cuba. And the gall said. Mr aitchison. I don't need to see the evidence. Your word. And the word the president kennedy. It's good enough for me. Can you imagine such an exchange. Today. When you when you consider the acrimony. Which our relationship clearance french. Iphone. Keep in mind that. To almost any administration particularly to the state department or to secretary of state such as former secretary of state. Colin powell who currently writing a biography. Innocence the events of 9/11. Or against. Because it allowed the administration isn't so desire. To recast itself. After a very rocky and difficult first eight months in the world. Can any of you remember in your lifetime wear for a moment. America stood taller. The british parliament saying. God bless america. French newspapers even the most critical one said that we are all americans. There was an astonishing degree of sympathy but also looking to america to lead. But to lead in which way. Most of the world look to us in the hope. That we would work. Collaboratively. With international institutions such as the united nations. And this of course did not happen. What i want to talk about briefly today is some of the things i found. Handwriting spa group colin powell. Some observations and insights about some of the personnel of the bush administration. And then talk about how the makeup of this administration impacts. American policy currently in places like. The middle east europe. And even far east asian. Open it up to questions hopefully we'll have some discussion afterward about. The current situation in the middle east the warren iraq. And. Possible role for the united nations there. In looking at the current bush administration. I don't mean to be cheeky. And saying that perhaps the best place to start. It's not. With the president himself. Because with regard to foreign relations. Certainly there are other figures in the administration who may be more relevant. In any effort to understand what the bush administration is about. Vice president cheney for example comes to mind. There was much speculation. About richard d cheney's role in this administration. You may recall in the summer of 2000. Richard cheney was chosen to be kind of chaperone. To help arrange the date between. The prospective republican nominee and his future vice-presidential running mate. Hear you had a case of the chaperone. Canceling himself in on the dance card. Dick cheney ended up as the vice-presidential running mate and ultimately. Vice president. I think the extent of dick cheney power and influence in the administration was revealed very early on. If you recall that very controversial. Interregnum the. after the election kind of ended. But the supreme court ruled 5-4 in favor of. President bush. That dick cheney was handling most of the. Transition. And this was a process that was thrown into upheaval. When. Cheney was hospitalized. With shortness of breath so this is kind of a demonstration of how important and crucial he would be the administration that when he was hospitalized it seemed to some extent that the entire transition was put on hold. Administration is provoked much speculation. People have abs. Is he merely vice president. Or perhaps a seaplane the roll. Of. Chief executive officer in this administration. In george bush's conception of a kind of corporate structure presidency where george bush might be kind of. Particular president. The corporation. Kind of. Or some of arguing is he. The prime minister. In the court of king george the second. Having served. Loyly. King george the first. Now serving the dolphin perhaps. This has been much speculation about chinese roll if you look at the original composition of this administration has created i think again it's evidence of the vice president's powers. For example. President-elect bush. Had no relationship. With. Donald rumsfeld have been dick cheney's mentor. Going back to the early 1970s. When donald rumsfeld was white house chief of staff under gerald ford dick to use deputy chief. So this was very much this decision to have rumsfeld. Become secretary defense was very much an example of. The president-elect had no relationship with his future secretary of the treasury another very important post. Given initially to paul o'neill. Call o'neill again had close relations with the vice president not with. The president-elect. And when you look at most of the people who were chosen to be the seconds in the administration. Condoleezza rice's deputy. As national security adviser stephen hadley. I've been on. Secretary defense cheney staff. 19. 89 + 93. The deputy secretary of defense paul wolfowitz headband. A secretary defense cheney stacks. And the previous bush administration. So the weight of the administration was designed was guaranteed. To maximize the vice president's influence. And did some way diminish the influence of. The president himself. Colin powell was kind of the odd person out in this next to some degree. Vice president cheney really didn't want full and towel to become secretary of state but there didn't seem to be a lot he could do about it. Book of course had a serious legitimacy question hanging over his head because of the extraordinary nature. The way in which you obtained the president. I mean. We've never really had a election quite as controversial as fits we had previously three elections were the person who received fewer votes to detain the presidency. But nothing quite like this where there was this long drawn-out controversy. In a particular state. Happened. To be governor. Candidates brother. This is a remarkable see how remarkable they truly are. Looking back historically. Bush's first. Personnel decision the first announcement he made after the supreme court decided 5-4 to end the recount. West. Did colin powell at the secretary of state desert. Call somebody who been around washington for a very long time. He had been in the nixon office of management and budget of the white house fellow in 1971 to give you some idea how long ago. Empower kind of understood immediately. But if he was going to prevail. Msf ministration. How to do several things. He had to make sure that he would have. Allies and other parts of the administration. He had to try to. Develop. A working relationship with the new president what you really did not have. And he began to think immediately of. Who would become his counterpart as secretary of defense this is before rumsfeld was announced. Impala very strongly favored. Pennsylvania governor former congressman from pennsylvania tom ridge. Homeland security after 9/11. Power filter ridge like him was a moderate republican. Vietnam veteran. Be able to build a collegial relationship with. One major problem with tom ridge. Tom ridge a den. Under consideration for vice president back in that summer of 2000. When dick cheney was able to pencil himself in on the dance card. So immediately the vice-president had some problems at the ridge having forwarded him in july 2000. Ford him again. In december of 2000. By arranging his former mentor donald rumsfeld had not held. Senior ministerial office for a quarter-century. And there's been some good reasons why rumsfeld have been out of office. Is relations with both the reagan and bush administration the previous coach administration were quite poor. As an example again that's chinese power. It is quite surprising that george w bush would have allowed the point. Donald rumsfeld. Because rumsfeld relations with george w bush's father were very very bad. And. Vice president had significant power even in the selection of major cabinet. Also very cleverly look though design in his head that he wanted. Tom ridge to be the secretary of defense. Who do i want to be deputy secretary of defense because. It doesn't so much matter who my deputy is. At the state department. Because i can pick this person in this person will. Allegedly be subordinate to me. Ruby japanese secretary defense that might create problems from his very close friend. Weed service for many many years richard armitage. Richard armitage is also vietnam veteran very straight talkin it's kind of funny in my book. Anytime you find on the spell check. Profanity lots of profanity it's usually a quote from richard armitage richard armitage. Who fought in vietnam who's a very close friend to colin powell. I wanted armitage to be the deputy secretary defense. Will canyon rumsfeld knew about this and innocence pal hardy developed before anyone even sworn into office. What i call a reverse midas touch. Whatever panel touch did not turn to gold it turned into something else and the very idea that's how i was supporting richard armitage for deputy. Secretary defense. Was enough to nexus idea that armitage was innocence blacklisted. By the powers that the administration. And instead towel saw was coming. Paul wolfowitz was probably going to be deputy secretary defense. Is the favorite word administration he tried to preempt this act. He went to wolfowitz an astonishingly. And the people like myself a very strong supporter of united nation and bill tram pleasure for example i know it's a problem. Exactly. To the chagrin and fear of them. John bolton was difficult as an ambassador to the un. Colin powell oxford. In late 2000. The ambassador's ship to the un to paul wolfowitz. The idea for power was to get wilkowitz. Out of washington. And it's far from the state department as he possibly could. Wolfowitz of course smell shreve it's immediately. Instead took what was seen by most people as a less glamorous job as deputy secretary of defense someone asked him. Why did you take this instead of the un wolfowitz answer with one word. Powell. I'm going to be here because of. I woke what's on cell. Very much as a check on colin's house. How often have a lot of control over even his own appointments in the state department. John bolton would be named. Assistant secretary state in the administration had a sense of humor. Four arms control. End. Caltrate caltrate e proventus or krampus as well he took the remarkable step and i've ever heard of it happening before. Call went to the. Diddy. Senate foreign relations committee. And lobbied them. Indignant. To reject bolton at his own assistant secretary. Relations committee. Members of congress of course had a lot of experience with administration's where there are rivalries and personal bitterness. But not before this morning. so you had these kinds of. Impossible rivalries and bitter factionalism even before january 20th 2001. Major problem the ministration would be condoleezza rice for. Paladin national security advisor himself during the end of the reagan. Any sort of assumed that condi rice would play the role that pal himself had. Visa vie secretary of state george shultz in the late 1980s subordinate role referring to the secretary of state in certain matter. This was really not going to happen. Rice saw herself very much as. The protector of president bush's interests and. In some ways she was described as. President bush's. One woman brain trust. On foreign policy. So i finally get around to who should have been the principal of the administration and talking about foreign affairs and that's president bush and self but. He may not be as relevant to some of these other key characters because. Governor bush when he was running for the presidency. Probably demonstrated less. Interest. In matters of foreign affairs. As a candidate. Then any candidate i would say is. The story of us foreign relations. Probably have to look at the 1924 coolidge election. Define a candidate who is a disinterested. And as unengaged with the world in foreign affairs matters. Governor book. Many of you may remember the kind of gotcha moments. We're a cheeky local news reporter asked. The governor of texas to name. Several heads of state of various countries. In an interesting enough. One of the questions was whose leader in pakistan. President. Governor was unable to answer this. He know that within a year. Betty that the leader of pakistan truthful figures in the so-called war on terrorism after september 11th. Steve kinser recently wrote in his book overthrow. Governor bush demonstrated probably. The least interesting curiosity of any modern president of a monarch person running. Four presidents. From the perspective of someone like colin powell. This. Presented a potential opportunity. But also apparel. An opportunity because he might be able to dominate the administration in some way because the president did not seem to be. Terribly engaged in some of the issues that matter to call most. But it also meant. That other advisors senior and junior. What happened immense. Degree. Power. In administration. Where. The commander-in-chief. Was not particularly engaged and did not have a strong interest in resolving adjudicating disputes. Among. Other members of the administration. Let me give you one. Stark example where this came to play out very early on. And that was in the middle east. If you recall at the time that bush and his administration came into office in january 2001. The middle east was in some state of turmoil in somewhat of a cliche you can push a button and speakers. At the time. President clinton left office he tried to broker this peace accord returning to camp david. And was unsuccessful in doing that. How was the opinion. That why the administration might be wise to lower expectations. What activities in the middle east. It could not afford to completely disengage itself. What's happening. The consequences would be too dire. Particularly to the palestinian. But to his shock. And in astonishment. At the first meeting of the national security council. In january 2001. Secretary powell realize that this administration will be run along lines very different from the previous three administrations he'd served in. A senior official. How old is famous in washington for his briefings. He brought his laptop. Powerpoint installed on it. Kyosho these remarkable maps and diagrams and tables used laser pointer. He's known to be very seductive as a briefer always kind of shading the breeze. Arguing of course if it was a very impartial breaking that usually shading it in ways that were very sympathetic to his point of view. In the bush administration powell found he would not even be allowed to open his laptop. When you arrived at the first national security council meeting. Bring up the subject of the crisis in the middle east ariel sharona just become prime minister of israel. And. President bush looked at condi rice they sort of nodded to each other and busch began to speak and said dumb. In 1998. Ariel sharone took me on a helicopter ride. Over the camps. Are you talking about the palestinian refugee. Bush said i look down there and realize it wasn't a heck of a lot we could do for those people. And i think we should pull out of. And powell said dumb mr. president that might have dire consequences to dictate to the palestinian. Bush's answer was well sometimes it show of force on one side really settles an issue. And that was essentially the administration had decided. To depart from the traditions that probably the previous six administrations going back to the nixon administration. And withdrawal american. Involvement or interest in something called the peace process. How soon found that the administration's dominated by the opinion. That it would ultimately achieve its objectives. Unconditional support for prime minister sharone. As opposed to approaching the region at least. And the perception of some as a more honest broker trying to judicate the problem between. The palestinians in israeli. On the matter of syria there was another major difference. Power much of the rest of them. Howell saw syria as in some ways a source of stability. He remembered back in 1990 and 91 sirius cooperation in the first gulf war. Thought about lebanon. And he felt that. The theory occupation. While perhaps some palatable in some ways. What's at least providing stability in lebanon and had for the previous decade. He feared that if it's syrians left lebanon it might create a power vacuum. To which neighboring states might. Intervene. Where is the other senior members of the administration sought syria as a sponsor of terrorism. And a country to be marginalized and isolated. Pallet one point made the case to his colleagues.. If you're all intent upon invading iraq. It might be a good idea to have relations with syria so that you can at least control the araki boy. This was not of interest people early in the administration. I mentioned a rock and let me just a few words about this. In doing the research for this bogra found powell. One of the most vivid moments of lead-up to the war certainly was towels. Dramatic speech with some people i think. Misnamed his quota adlai stevenson moment. At the un. On february 5th 2003. We're all laid out the case very effectively for going to war against iraq. Thanks to the. Utility of information technology. Sorting to the speech and counting up the number of times cows made certain accusations. He connected. Saddam hussein in the baptistry. Spider. And osama bin laden more than 30 times in the. You mentioned rocky nuclear weapons or nuclear weapons programs more than 20 time. Biological and chemical weapons. So i power g extruding salt in. Would be supporters of the war. And i remember at this time it was a very persuasive speech. Cuz people who'd previously been on the fence. Or even mildly opposed to going to work with someone persuaded. Powell's powell's finally been allowed to open his laptop. And it was at the un in february 5th. Of course now powell has sought to distance himself from the speech. He has denounced his own remarks he said. What's the distance from salt from the he doesn't believe in them anymore. Which is quite astonishing considering that one might expect. A four-star general to know something. About intelligence. And intelligence-gathering. And the rat. Intelligence. Show me the case of a rock. It became clear to me that. One of the reasons there was there was so much. Obfuscation. Nn. Even. Outright lying about the rationale for going to war with iraq was that administration greatly feared. But if there had been a more open and rational discussion. About what the ultimate costs of an invasion of iraq. And with the consequences of an occupation of iraq would be. If this would undermine. Support for the war. Support for the war. I'm going to warn spring of 2003. Was always very much predicated upon. Stirring in the minds of the american people a certain degree of hysteria. About rocks capabilities. And sadly to say venerable publications such as the new york times. Sensi star for the slime. A reporter and columnist for the new york times. Digested. Administration spin. Leading up to the world the rock. Without. Qualification without question it doesn't really speak well of even some of our most respected publications in the country. For the way that they behave in the lead-up to the store did you not find it remarkable. That i think it was at some point during. The fall of 2004 around the time of the real book of the re-election. Maybe publications began to flagellate themselves the new york times wrote what i think was a most remarkable full-page editorial in its history. Apologizing. For misleading it. In the lead-up to the war in iraq. The new republic magazine did the same the washington post i was going to taller. Journalists in the organs all of the country were falling over each other trying to offer apologies for their coverage leading up to the war and mentioning fox. Cuz i believe it was in harris poll correct me if i'm wrong i could have been a gallup poll. Which said that a majority of the american people still believe. That weapons of mass destruction. Were discovered in iraq. In the poster who is in charge of this was asked how can a large percentage of americans still believe that iraq was responsible for the events of 9/11. And the poster was asked how can this be in upholstery service in our polling. Is that the american people are increasingly existing independent. Of reality. Pretty interesting euphemism. I thought i thought that might be the subtitle of my biography of colin powell in my study of the bush administration's foreign policy independent of reality. In the poster was asked to follow up. Why you think this is. Posters are not no offense to anyone here who majored in statistics but in a fairly dry neutral people they don't offer a lot of interesting nuggets of wisdom her insight about motivations but just poster said well. My assumption is that the american people become very strongly conditioning and almost spoon-fed. Propaganda from the administration. And from tell the travelers in the conservative press is fox news that they come to believe things obviously are not true. Can you think of any. New story that's more alarming in recent weeks. Set in the country such as ours. That's for better or worse has such an immense power. Obviously has the desire to protect that power. But it's very very dependent upon. An informed and educated population. The cheap our government and our leaders in check. How to make sure that when you project that power it's done in a way. But at least has the greatest legitimacy and sense of justice. And certainly working with international institutions like the you and helps to guarantee that i can. You that you would have on american population. Notion of what's happening in the world. Particularly in an area as sensitive. Definitely. Let me just wrap up with a couple of more observations about. Europe. And asia. And then hopefully we'll go to some. Likely questions as we had in the last couple of summer. I'm a question of europe. Bush's relations with most major european power of leaders was essentially nonexistent. A bush did not like president jacques chirac of france. He did not like. Chancellor gerhard schroeder of germany largely because his bushwick was told by condoleezza rice that schroeder was a socialist. Which immediately set bush off against the german cancer. You just barely tolerated tony blair. And that made them because blurry pointed out that they share the same brand of toothpaste. Blair in some ways made the same mistakes that colin powell. Blair as soon as dick powell. But he could cultivate a relationship with bush. Endust have influence over bush. What happens if you're courting for seducing the wrong person. I would argue and i will argue in my book. The bushman not have been the most significant person in his own administration. With regard. Stabbing in coronavirus foreign policy. Powell and blair should have been bringing the bouquet of flowers in the box of chocolates. Dick cheney for donald rumsfeld. Because their courtship of bush ended up to be something. Cul-de-sac. It ended with us. Bush made several pledges to tony blair on the lead-up to the iraq war. Which president bush himself i think found he was unable to deliver on. Because. Senior members of his administration work enough. To making any concessions to the british prime minister. Oddly enough. Bushtit have warm relations. With one european leader at the time. And that was silvio berlusconi italy. The right-wing media tycoon come. Italian prime minister. I was just fascinated by berlusconi i was in italy for. Several times. Living there briefly during. Berlusconi racine. Berlusconi give me everything kind of like the dorian gray of european politics observe somebody's getting younger and younger the laundry was office and he started growing hair in places you never had it if it got darker the face got tanner and at the end he looks kind of like a carrot with a bad toupee. Berlusconi have been able to defeat romano probably in the recent italian election. By the time he was done with his next term we be going back in addressing back through puberty back to his seat again all the way. Berlusconi has discovered the fountain of youth. For whatever reason he and president bush had an affinity for one another and got along very very well. The administration's policies in certain areas like the middle east. 2. To downgrade its relations with european countries again breaking with a long tradition going back to the truman and roosevelt ministrations. And emphasizing. It's unconditional support for ariel peron. And dilute faction is really politics. Meant that relations with his route with with you're also going to be very much strength. Administration push for war in iraq. These trains came. The breaking point. One final comment about asia a charm. Over north korea into the bush administration inherited. Ivory tortoise. Enviable. Innocence. Aaa association that would there was a great deal of momentum. In early 2001. Since 1994 the clinton ministration of decided in june of 94 working to jimmy carter to engage pion yang in north korea. And. Throughout late-2000s madeleine albright went to pyongyang. With. With the with the great leader. And president clinton was planning on making a state visit to north korea. During the period between. The election. His departure. But the recount controversy. Convince clinton he should perhaps stay in the country until a result. And you never made the truck. North and south korea had been involved in improving relations over the previous two years was called the sunshine policy. The south korean president have won the nobel peace prize in 2001 for. Pursuing this. And powell i think made the cardinal sin. Abstain before congress. That. Continuing the clinton albright policy in north korea was quote a no-brainer. Well in this administration even no-brainers were thrown out with the bathwater. Okay. South korean president appearing washington president bush begin announced as he did with the middle east that there was going to be completely redoing of the policy. Pyongyang was a terrorist state that we have to isolate them that the engagement would end. And towels gone public. With his endorsement of continuity of continuing the momentum from the previous administration. I'll have enforced very early. In march and april 2001. To go. Before the public. After his visit to the woodshed. And announced that he did not speak to the administration. On korea. Which was a real humiliation for a new secretary of state. Probably at that moment powell should have resigned. I should have known. That this was going to be the ongoing trend of administration. Winnie repeal did have real success and i think that we owe him something to this and it is remarkable if you consider where we were prior to 9/11. Most people who observed the bush administration. And its personnel early on would have assumed. That there was probably going to be some unfortunate incident or confrontation with china. Debbie cheney rumsfeld worldview in some ways depends upon. Increasing confrontation and threats around the world in order to mobilize public opinion in support of the defense and foreign policies. And you may recall that in march and april of 2001 there was this incident. Word american reconnaissance spy plane was brought down over hainan island by a chinese fighter. And initially there was a great deal of rhetorical saber-rattling and bombastic rhetoric apocalyptic rhetoric about a coming conflict with china. But. Soon enough after few days cooler heads in the administration prevail. Powell had succeeded in gaining the release of the crew and trying to calm all of the rhetoric. If it had not been for 911. They're most likely would have been a very serious confrontation with china. In the first two years of bush administration. One of the only positive side effects that i can think of the events of 9/11. It is very much an unintended consequence. Is that the mean figures in the administration such as paul wolfowitz. Insults for a country station with china in the first eight months of the administration. Where does distracted. By the middle east in relations with china have been. Relatively stable i would say certainly better than anyone could have predicted rent acetate. Municibid. I want to leave it there i won't offer any grande assessments because i've only finished three of the eight chapters i'm writing so far. But it's fun for me to come and talk about a new project like this because natalie doesn't kind of focusing in my own mind but i love the the questions and comments to come back so. Alex cord. And there's a gentleman who has a microphone so anyone has a question till i'll bring it over to you. Call mykenna one. Statement. And then i have to question sometimes i don't have time for both of them to one of these you can get her when i want colin's house and i was just completely wrapped up in it. And i felt at the time. That he was telling the truth however i felt it all in his mock-ups and doodads and thailand part if i didn't believe there's all of this convenient manufactured it's not convincing. To someone who doesn't want to believe it. Oh that's just my sister i just thought it was. My easy question is. Call mcneil septic very soon and wrote his book and i. Again. The administration. And i don't know if you like it. Am i too complicated. Getting into the project of the new american century. But all these people with the exception. Colin powell and george bush. Put that document together with the idea of going into iraq. And we even have our ambassador to iraq right now with the same down there contact. One of the designers. At the project. It happens to be on page 51 of this very long. Where they say we will have something like pearl harbor to convince the american people to go into iraq and syria was going to be there next year. I believe circle into ran because they said they would go through around there you have walter the exchange jeb bush. Charlemagne. Max holiday which i think is interesting. Cheney rumsfeld pearl. Crystal. Envelope. And using apparently w as their. Figurehead i don't think he has excluded it was even written roommate let me start with your last and go backwards. You're right about this existing pre-existing on 11th circle. Very first national security council meeting of the bush administration in january 2001 the one where the decision was made to to disengage from the middle east there was also discussion of a rock. Indica ties in with your second, because one of the key sources for that. And one of the best books to come out so far to give you an insider's account. Is the kinder from ghostwritten book by ron suskind about paul o'neill called price of loyalty. What came out about 2 years ago. Which jesus kind of the first insider's perspective. About how the bush administration function to spend a very important source to me. Going back to the project for the new american century. Remember the distance some way. Average origins in the last months of the previous bush administration because when vice president cheney was in secretary defense. Many of the people around him. I created this document. About germany what would be the american strategic objective after the cold war in furby dominance. So can't remember the paul wolfowitz goes all the way back to the mid-1970s is being a staffer for the committee on the present danger. History being involved in these. Endeavors. I'm going also to your first comment about towel in the united nations. Keep in mind that on february first 5 days before powell spoke at the un. He went to langley he went to the to the. Cia headquarters. By-the-way name to george h.w. bush cia headquarters. He was he was given a briefing by the cia. About the intelligence that they have. Iraq. Howell subsequently contacted his confidant bob woodward of the washington post instead. It's very thin. Lindsey i'm very disappointed. They didn't make a slam dunk case they promised me. Really distresses me as a writer as a historian. Express these misgivings only days before his un speech. The american people were never at any point in the process privy. To the misgivings that towel felt. He could confide. Woodward. But not to the american people. More broccoli. And this is quite shocking because you say if you look back at that tape if you look back at powell speech. It is a very decisive and persuasive. Without. Hint of doubt. Or nuance about. What's going on in iraq. Gentleman. Can you hear me. Yes thank you for your time. Call the tls hamer. Call. Man of honor. It appears to be one of the strategies of this administration was to bring people into that office. It's offices that would give the impression. They were legit american they were good guys and they really wanted to do what was right for the american public. The question i have for you is. Am i. Deluded into thinking that tall is an honorable person. Why would someone who was a four-star general. Once it was clear. What was going on. These people are lying. We're doing things that with you. Everything he stood for. Not at some point say hey wait a minute. I thought this is not right. I need to step out and do something against it. In sturgis's ratchet 2 months ago. The bush administration i don't understand is getting you help me out. I think we make a mistake when we assuming our and i am not in this gentleman questions fascinating and he's not falling into the trap of this to people often say to me. Powell was a military man and this helps the rationalizing explain why he behaved the way that you did. Keep in mind that all of certain other points in his career. Could be astonishingly insubordinate over other issues that he seemed to think we're more important than going to war with iraq i'll give you two examples. In the first weeks of the clinton administration. When towels in his final year as chairman of the joint chiefs of staff. Rap president clinton with the impression that he was on the verge of resignation which which which would be devastating for clinton's presidency. And its first weeks or months to have. That's very popular chairman of the joint chiefs of staff resigned. Over the question. Update in the military. Socal was willing on certain issues to go to court uncle go to the mat. With a commander-in-chief. The second issue that year that he went to the matter over with bossman. We're powell did not want the us to get involved powhatan breaks. An idea which i think we subsequently come to realize elisburg b lindsey. Bosnia was about ancient at the complex there was nothing we could do the reznor american interest in was absolutely nothing international community with united nations to do. Try to resolve disagreements tunein. And again he went public and wrote an opinion piece in the new york times. First bliss in clinton administration policy. We have examples of him behaving in a way. It doesn't really fit into the argument that as a military man he is taught to be loyalists. I will also argue the towel wheatley mystery towels was in coppell was an opponent of the war in iraq. He was not. Howell wanted an iraq war to be a repeat of the previous go for. Going to the united nations and trying to find significant ally so this was a significant difference it wasn't so much the ends were different but the means of obtaining is in. Quite different. We talked about the notion of being an honorable person. Might harshest criticism the towel which may diminish that to some extent. Is his desire to reveal two very powerful media figures like bob woodward. Internal private descent misgiving. Fear about certain things related to the warner rock. But never once considering. Perhaps the highest public service he could have offered. The people of this country no more broadly that he had these concerned if indeed he did. It's a very difficult thing for a writer to contend with to what extent. Or is he telling these things for 15 years throughout his career. Evan almost insurance policy. So that when you rock war inevitably goes bad. I am on record as having planted the seeds of all of these misgivings. Because i think it's difficult i think. Writers often asked to assess a person. By the statements that person makes in public to the public. And i think in some ways that's far more important than the secretive off-the-record leaks. Comedians media figures which were only going to appear two or three years down the road so i have an obligation to judge powell by the public record. How do you fake history wolf. Judge paul if you would please i was just writing the conclusion conclusion i was cracklin with this question and i thought that. Remember 1995 where there were. Call her presidents club sprouting all over the country. And powell kind of three dramatically november 95 said he wasn't going to run for president i don't think it was really so dramatic because powell's cousin bruce llewellyn. Pointed out that there was really no. No prospect for a power cannabis. Listen to the democratic incumbent president. Perot demonstrated about as well as any independent can do spending a hundred million of his own money. And no electoral votes. How could not get the republican nomination. He was he was out of sympathy this was a year after the gingrich revolution was on the contract with america. And colin powell saying that he supported affirmative action that he was pro-choice i mean. And we would have seen swift boats. In the 96 primary. Did the respect of life in an interesting compelling backstory. Would be held against him. Very popular memoir 95 would have been sliced and diced in framed and ways to destroy an undermined is kansas. But if you think back to that moment. Coppell had truly remained. Faithful to that pledge to remove himself from public life. This would have been a different story altogether. Because powell reputation his his. His story was in no way enhance. But coming back. In 2001 and serving. Very sore scab for years at secretary of state. It has a diplomatic restoring you look at these other examples and. Hoping that he would be perceived as another george marshall. That was in some ways marshall into some extent george soros because scheels had a similar challenge the power source with reagan towel george w bush coming in and having to work with a president who wasn't particularly engaged who's surrounded by right-wing ideologues and how do you steer this person to a rapprochement. Recorder shopping. Powell will be remembered as a secretary of state. More along the lines of a william rogers cyrus vance. Some of the secretary of alexander haig. Figures remember who were marginalize relatively easily and did not have very much influence it's very interesting that around the time at powell decided not to run for president. Bill clinton offered him. Secretary of state. I'll turn him down under very very good circumstances it would have in hindsight power would have actually gained the state department. In a way that would have suited his aims and objectives much better than what happened in 2001. Abdul had offered him the vice-presidential nomination several times and 96th and powell, creative ways to turn the sound so it's interesting. In 2001. What's most interesting is for a man who will bleach a great political savvy. So much leverage over bush in december 2000. Bush needed towel more than towel needed book at that point. The relationship began to change after 9/11. Could have insisted upon certain things very early on. That might have an ocular ated him from the marginalization that later came first a many senior officials have at least inquire. About the flowchart. Of where the power resides in the administration. Empower. Really misread. How this administration would function it was not going to be repeated the reagan administration. Secretary of state to gain mastery over president in particular direction. Because again like blair he was courting. The wrong principle. I was just wondering. i've always been confused about condi rice how she was able to get two on board with her different background in her. Knowledge of history and her having lived abroad to get on with all these guys. Remember that condi rice have been deputy national security adviser in the first bush administration. Brent scowcroft. And during the during the years of the clinton ministration condi rice was a provost over at stanford. And george shultz was very instrumental as a fellow at the hoover institution. Trying to connect. People like condi rice to potential candidates. Or hierarchical. Governor george w bush really didn't have. Anyone around him he knew much about foreign affairs he himself was not very engaged in this. Rice i i don't. Nissan horrible and fairly critical but i think it's worth looking again at the history of aries people held that position. Rice is really not in the tradition of say that henry kissinger is a big new brzezinski. Innovative ideas. Her role is national security advisor now secretary of state. Margie because she was an intimate of the president a staunch loyalist in someone who could be. Depended upon consider that. She had been perceived early on in any way. As a threat. 2 puccini. Rumsfeld. She wouldn't have gotten this job no matter what she was allowed to become national security advisor. My thesis is. Because she wouldn't she would not serve in that job at the office. He was in office but not in power. Because if you look at the way that the bush administration has function. The de-facto national security adviser has been from the very first day. Dick cheney. He is the national security advisor this administration. Rice was a kind of glorified. Court trooper. To the president. And was rewarded with that loyalty for not standing in the way of the rumsfeld cheney. Objective with the state department. Ultimately. Many people who study these things many observers paperwork in the national security council. The weakest. Person to hold this job in the job history. She had the offer the nameplate on her desk. Schickel's relations with the president of beyond that. She had essentially no power as national security advisor. People in the administration who had certain designs for how the foreign policy would have bought. This is more of a statement than a question. I believe the best ambassadors in the world. It's fine to leave the best ambassadors in the world are. Arvin. Therefore i heard of a recent project poet laureate in pleasanton. Let's come up with an idea that poet. Send poems that can be sent. Can be translated into arabic. And spent to be araki people. And i'm involved in their stomachs exciting them. Really happy for this connection after the fact. Would you please any truth to the theory that. Chalabi is always been sort of a secret operative for iran to talk pushing you concentrated. Reading arakkonam korsaren has been the great benefit of that. It's certainly plausible. I guess the new peter galbraith has mentioned something about this a galbraith is mention this in the new york review of books that. Shelby's kind of the great? of this what was cholla b's rolling. For a while conservatives were sort of shaping him up to be in a rocky degaulle and a sense. They even called his movement butterfree araki forces. The major difference was of course that degaulle was perhaps one of them turned out to be one of the great political minds of the 20th century. And when you consider the hand that the galvez delta played a remarkably well. Free french forces were able to. Put forces in the field to demonstrate his legitimacy. Chihuahua you may remember one point. It was explained to congress by none other than paul wolfowitz at the free rocky forces would provide. The mainstay a personnel that would allow the americans to draw down at some point. But when push came to shove chalabi was only able to come up with 75 fighters. Mistake 75 more rocking bench alabi does. The other thing that raises questions i don't know if you read the new york review of books but it's had some remarkable coverage of the iraq war and recent years and and. And peter gilbert's most recent piece. Talks about some of the newest specials of the current government. Who were previously imprisoned by the cpa in the american occupation who are now being rehabilitated what their role is one of the major figures in the new rocky government that president bush recently met with when he landed dramatically in baghdad. Was previously being castigated by our own administration as a member of al-qaeda. And a demonstration that al-qaeda was functioning in a rock. Raises all kinds of bizarre possibilities. I don't have a specific opinion on the chalabi. Matter. Related to. Whether or not shala chalabi has been operating. The service of iranian intercept objectives along absolutely agree with the gentleman. The one country he was clearly. Benefited in an unmitigated to pay from there. Is it wrong. Go back. And read the memoirs saved our former president was george h.w. bush road. Collaborative memo is brent scowcroft. Call. Remember what it was called but it's very devoted to explaining why they did not go on the bag out of 91. And this lays out. All of the last four years are anticipated by george h.w. bush and brent scowcroft in this book. Now let me remind you something. Listen to book written. Not only the fellow republican. He's also the father of the current i can understand if this is written by jimmy carter and the current president disdained it but i mean they've taken this desire to endle continuity to an illogical extreme were they not only ended up with the current administration and some of the things that they're handed from clinton that they should have continued to. Keep the momentum going. It really take someone a tank with a phd in psychology. Try to understand extent to which bush is seeking to do the exact opposite of what even his own father was still. And. You will recall that the administration in the president show the words freedom around all the time. And i'd like to let you know in case you don't care george like all his come out with a new book. Call cruise freedom. It's a follow-up tomorrow politics and don't think of an elephant. And it explains in a coherent way puts together lakehouse research for the last 10 years on. Houses neoconservative stink and how you can make sense of what they're saying in their speeches. Which most cancer most progressives cannot do. So. You can. Get the book. Whose freedom mitchell really enables you to keep tracker. Foreign policy and national a much better than most of us. Andrew and also. Like off. Frames the book from the point of view of progressive. And the book is addressed to progressives on how to respond. To this rhetoric from the right-wing which almost. Which seldom gets an adequate response so. You know everybody you can do your homework and be a lot more articulate about all these issues since i'm pretty. I just want to make one observation about that. One of the more alarming trends i've seen from this administration. Is d. Is the exploitation. Tragedies the expansion of the notion of scraps in order to achieve their political aims in using rhetoric and language like this since it's astonishing. I'm teaching a course this fall at usf on the troubles in northern ireland. And i've been looking at a lot of video tapes of the british government the peace process and i was watching former british prime minister john major. He was saying. You know there was one point where the ira had a mortar attack on 10 downing street. Major said my greatest concern was to not unduly in the necessary alarm the public. So that we would lose control the policy room. I was in britain last week when this kerfuffle occurred with the with the airliners. And tony blair has learned from the master he has learned exactly what kind of language to use in the way to present himself in order to milk into exploit. People's fears to his own political event. We now live in a time where we have the public i think have to have to strengthen ourselves protect ourselves against this because it's becoming all too easy for public officials. To unduly alarm and plant the seeds of hysteria iraq war happened. Because of this. Lyrics to remember the color-coded alerts i mean presuming that is about to expire. The color-coded alerts leading up to the debate. It's it's one of the more alarming trends. Maybe in the back to ballantyne. I think we only have time for one or two more questions. Two more questions. Yes sir. Want to ask about the anthrax attacks. And what you think of them and the possibility. If they were a false flag. Operation. Benefit. Enables the totem ball to. Suppress opposition. To basically further the aims of the axis. Cheney wilson. And rumsfeld that you have described earlier and it would be. I don't have any i'm not privy to any information or good research about the origins of the anthrax attacks or. Or what you mentioned but i do agree that dumb. The timing of it in some ways i think the anthrax attacks did more. History of the attacks of september 11th in south america salt well is happening in. Lower manhattan. Anthrax attacks happen suddenly it. It became much more of a national phenomenon of hysteria. And i think help to kind of bolstering support. The climate history of a continued in the country in some ways. Continues to right now because everything was so frank rich this morning he was talking about the second keeper optimistic that needed more optimistic than i am. Set the administration's gone to the well too many times. I'm trying to exploit situations like this. But if you talk to people who are medical specialist on the human brain. A lot of them have great fears about the way in which advertising and. Politicians are finding ways to penetrate our consciousness our subconsciousness. Get us to do things that are clearly antithetical to our own interest. Thank you i have some books if anyone's interested in i brought my lucky un colored 10 to sign them..

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20170903-uucb-John-Maes.mp3

Good morning. Johnny. And the other thing for him. Fortunate. I got a copy. After i quit being a catholic in 1966. Everybody. Corporeal or immaterial. Material. Reality. Of course. It's better to be. Material things. As a man who is devoted. I can tell you. Call mater originate. Which brain. Up and adam. Ordinary reality. Okay. Material. Qualities. Opinion. Understanding. Intuition. Consciousness. Taylor. Will be here. The common trait for all examples of spirituality and material. Is inherently immaterial. Ever since. Everything that is spiritual in material. And everything. Immaterial. An interesting thing though it's about this. This sounds contradictory. Materialistic. Material and immaterial at. Materialism. In this view. It is the spiritual material. The problem with the modified version of materialism. The material immaterial. Materialism is entirely immaterial. The claim that the non-material. And obviously. Harris is one of the quartet. Who does not believe in free will. At this moment. Sitting here in this room. But at the same time. I swear. Burek. Complex. Unconscious. Property consciousness. Paris continues by saying. Merely correlates a person's ability to experience. Pacific states of the spring. And directly experience. Depended on that which is material. Capacity. Mental capacity. Well. Appositive. Your mind can heal. One example. And meditation. I'm tempted to say mind over matter. More accurately. Mind. Unlike the brain the mind is not composed. Mines are real and immaterial material. How many. You each have a soul. But first i want to talk. Do not have souls. Yourself. And write down an inventory of all the parts of yourself. York. Quality etcetera. Write down how you feel about yourself how you feel about how you feel about how you feel about your environment. Describe your personality. Right. You really are. But you are more than that. We all know. Call it what you will all have it. Continue. We do not see what happened. At least not yet. With a manual car. There were there was a series of people who attempt. And that any beliefs about the existence. And talkin about. Unknown something god. We appreciate power. Thomas aquinas. God is said to have no name. No i. Intelligent. Presentation sierra. Gandhi study. I feel it though i do not see it. It is not the case that there is an actual world which accidentally happened. There is an actual world. Is it necessary. My mind. After finishing the book though. Identityiq. Including chapter for entitled. Why they're almost certainly is no god. Although i myself. Given that there is no proof. It's just not what i believe in. There is a god. The world's most notorious. The only way. Which is the chief function of the imagination. Include. The archon general are a conscious spirituality. The pioneering abstract. Many writers and literature and poetry and composers of music. Unknown spiritual. Walt whitman said. Compare. What is all our material. Blind. But the people. It is a great pity. Concluded. Albert einstein. But i think. Is the universe. Important. And i believe we're getting technology. As well and this process. Universe. But if we. Because power and motive. Martin luther king. Religion interpret. Religion is control. Rain today. The gospel at its best deals with the whole person but the body not only spiritual. But material well-being. Writer.. Immaterial. And the credit card. But now there is. And now. Yeah well. And everything else. Supernatural. It does exist. Or not really no. Limited. Has particles of matter. Really you got all that spiritual to me. There is reality. A guy that is. Junk food. I would imagine it could be the duality of. That. Perception. The blend of the father would arise. Because i sound really awakening. The first one was a cloudy and using everything that you know all the emotions and ideas and mcnaughten. Container of a description of spirituality. Around. Coming up on canvas or musicians and their soul comes out in the music so i just want to say in particular view to aspects of your talk. When i think of. Couple years ago friend introduced me to the pond siri rather than the great the great. Instead of the big bang. Really would created pond. And everything it was just the evolution. Stern father and. Responsible mother. I prefer. Slowly start to manifest. Siri. Somehow i feel like. What is that initial click and created everything. And if i was going to say that would be. Where the. God. Began and continues to spread and encompassing everything is a common start face. Like that about. Approach to life. I want to thank you for stimulating interesting. Okay. I don't really have any. Can i have my doubts about the material world. And they did not. Mediterranean. For the color blue. Was about karen armstrong. Material. The park. Wow.

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070410_Kathleen%20Burneo_Jesus%20and%20the%20Way%20of%20Non-violence.mp3

Resurrection. Matters of. I like to challenge this morning in honor of the spirited nonviolent. But i think it's. Domino's. Nominate. I'm coming from when his name. Community. Violet. I will and i must today. Honored inhaled repair by me. In our conversation. Electric conversation take place. The name of jesus. Not serve our world our nation are called her or our movement for us to have no place in that dialogue. In the protestant reformation and jesus is our brother. And i will not. I will not abandon. Weather. And i want to say that. In judaism. Call darrell. Understanding. Brother. Universal ever grounded in. Call danna. Sometimes. Jesus as teacher and profit and brother. Onward. As a movement. Or. Muhammad or anyone else. Directly. An enlightened. Demons of anger resentment and bitterness. I have in front of you. The number of resources important. Which are from the bay area center for nonviolent communication. Jesus. In the gospel of mark. Man would never never never. Google. 11 generation. Associated. Dollar. What is the most original material about jesus like what he did when he said. Terrible. Are the most original material and i'm going to. Wanted to parable later on. Runaround story. Remember. Nothing was written. 40 years after jesus. Connor. Possibly. Non-ordinary reality. Reality. So i called. Not ordinary reality. We are in our culture. 5k natural. Define anyone. Non-ordinary reality. Around the world. Pharrell. 1. Out of the earth. Universe. Being apart of the one. Great. Trying to start a renewal movement. Quick no longer carry me. Letter of the law kills. The one you need. Never meant. Why do you call me. Martyred. Merciless today as we are. You are in a large enough but don't know. Kauai. Nickname was the way. I believe. Absolutely. Rather be. Understand that nonviolence. From one another. We are one. We all share the same basic human needs. Emotional. Standing. Is a universal human need. Comparable. What's a man gave a dinner party and invited jeff. Matthew said. Brighton street. Wonderful dinner. What would be your. Rejection. What's wrong with me why didn't really like me and i thought they did. I'm not really a worthy person. What's the matter with him. Call me. Interaction with the universe. And liking the middle way a lot. I might have been. Neighborhood rather than inviting them into my house. Inviting lots of people and you're only one person i would be nervous about that so i might take the food. Seaway and healing. It's a part of the third way to me. Sounds like rabbit. Normally. Okay. Don't know that. What time am i supposed to end. I want to make this analysis of your comment. 2016 100. What do i do now. Ready for another terrible. Samaritan. Now by chance. Corrigan oil. Eddie money. Caribbean and whatever else you spend. You know like the man jumped up and said thank you. What happened in the moment when you're home. Sleeping in a doorway. What was your experience. Afraid of getting barrel. About what is happening in the world. You're lifting up.. I'm guessing every person. American. Remembering. I am.. Therefore the grace of god jul. So you're guessing. It could have been me. What would you name. Call. What can i do. Something must be done to stop the suffering that i'm resonating with. Samaritan for actor. I don't know whether it's. Acquainted. Convert a fraction. Sweetheart. Walking away. People understood the middle of generosity you would never have a meal without sharing it that was how important are the roxy working. Nrr. If you haven't quite finished you thought. American icon from. Write itself. Rite-aid south independence. Going on freezer. Okay. I want to lift up one of the story. That. Only the right-hand for something striking the left hand with the unclean hands. The right-hander. That in one of the gospel rescue. On the right. Opera. Order tri-command on the right. With your right hand. Flap material. Redefine yourself. He would have to strike you down as an equal you at all. Define by another person as inferior in any way. Nonviolent response. In the nonviolent respond either way. Indignity of all. Disciples were not wrong. Well. Christ has no coronavirus now. Now i have to have something. Rockabye. In the spirit of i am.. If i receive it. The words of jesus before. Capricorn. Story about. Violence against property. Knowing out of fear for their life or whatever. Well. And i also think it may have been intentional to the level of i do think. I think he was fine. And i would have to say that i think you're making a point that way. Do you make a distinction between personal and non-violence and. The act of civil disobedience. And i think and i also think that. Did it with love and there is a place in non-violence for the protected you support. And the questionnaire is the purpose retribution oasis purpose restorative. And i believe that it was an act of sword of justice. Enactment protected you before. Walking the nonviolent way. I do. And i just want to know where they are. I do attribute that talk to him so i don't believe anyone would present don't know what words he said. Do not fully recognize what they do is a thought. In our ordinary. As one. I am therefore i want. I do not want to put my dog. Understanding. Strategy chart. Delauro. Payback. Rising above. Extending your hand in friendship. Slender revenge 1. Dallas. I also. Other people. Where are you. Because you're not doing. America. What he needed to do. He took care of him but he did not. I'm not sure. It's not universally defined or understood. Could you maybe aggressive smell. Relationship. Ron. Work for him. So i'm thinking that we could. It was more than a personal protest. They were allowed to be inside the temple square by the officials of the temple. Anger about the. Don't want you don't have to appear motive. But you have to ask yourself if i passed by and i going to be able to live with myself. Anime. I don't want to get nothing i don't want to play doctor i don't know what i'm doing. Can't. I just can't live with myself. I like to think about it. Damminger motivation. Expect the worst motives. Helping people to look at her motivation because oftentimes. Swirling mists of motivate. I actually most christian denomination. I honestly. Project irony to me that we do not claim now the name christopher ourselves as a movement and even those of us with. I want to love. Alabama. Christian. Could i wear has a god. Very clear presentation today. Very powerful. What is you. Where is he coming from is the expecting to be playing. Have a good samaritan come along and do that for him going on with that person. Yeah i think so. The man who. That experience violence comes out of nowhere. Noticed that they go to attack and not only robbed him group. Robbed in half there they were already many-to-one rob him. Violence that goes beyond and i believe. Awakener. All pro. In a way that has that we didn't brianna crowell. Are you working. It don't work. Figure out what's going on big people be so poor that they have two former band of robbers and attack strangers on the road. I like to decorate and i think it's endemic to the nonviolent movement. Gratitude that you carry for all of all the gifted come come your way. So i would have. Gratitude and we need to be thankful. What might have been. What lessons might he have learned. What what new possibilities. My understanding is that. Everybody america. Go option about you. Christmas club for maybe the comment that we all long for perfect no one will. We want to put it in the law that you have to help. And yet in fact. Got that accident around easier it is to pass by and you found someone in trouble. Most likely. Very different. First message. and i believe that the law will never enforced.. But we can. I want to make a story. I don't think he'll. Alive. Reflect on the fact that when i walk down the school. Carl i come off the freeway. Welcome to someone asking for money. Generosity. 1st of august. You're good. Motivated or active story. Parables are.

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061224_Sarah%20Lewis_Giving%20Birth%20to%20God.mp3

We're happy today.. Microsoft. Clara. New college. Gtu summer school. She's also. Spiritual. I've always appreciated. Her. Inquiring mind. Sharon lewis. I thank you. Soma. For letting me come because i always learned things that i never would have learned. If i had been. Giving a talk. Gander church. Martha and i come up with these topics 6 months in advance. And then i study and i meditate and i. Research. And i never quite know what i'm going to learn. And i bring some very interesting things. It this is not what i thought i was going to come up with your rent when i. When we were first talking about. This is one place i can be really open about my feelings and i know that christmas eve is. Maybe not christianity bashing. But. I think that. Why did you can handle it. So. My owner of you is simply i'm i'm going to talk a little bit about what the disciple top. And what i wish they had taught. I didn't give a chance for discussion. And. So i'm going to start by contrasting. The first sermon that st peter gave. With the first sermon jesus gave. I'm going to see this huge. Difference. Gap. Petersburg german. The disciples had been after jesus who died and they had it in experience. He had risen. They were still staying in jerusalem in this large house there are 120 of them. Prank prank. And the festival of first fruits. What's happening. In jerusalem the jewish festival in which like the first. Grading with bra and it was to celebrate that yes the harvest was starting. Iron. The disciples could always getting together and they experienced this. Powerful move what they called the holy spirit. Coming in. And. Touching each one of them. And. They ran out in the street and started saying look what's happened. People around. We're wondering what is going on because they were hearing these. Country. People. Speaking in all these different various language doesn't actually say they were speaking in them but the people were hearing them. In their own languages. And this is really amazing other people think they're just drunk. So peter respond. Hey we're not drunk it's only 9 in the morning. And then he goes on to say this is the fulfillment of the prophecy. From the prophet joelle. Quit in which god says. It will come to pass. Praise the lord. I will pour out my spirit on all flesh. And your daughters shall prophesy. And your young men shall see visions. And your old men shall dream dreams. Alex reported out of my servants at my handmaiden i will pour out. My spirit and they shall prophesy.. We get that part and then he goes into the part two of his sermon which is a long historical. Diatribe about how bad they been. And how they've always kill the prophet prophet and now what's even worse is. Thank you.. God is going to be very very angry at them and. Part 3. Well. He said god is going to come back and set up a kingdom her jesus is the king. God is going to punish all of you because you didn't believe. This is good news. Is axe. Chapter 2. Starts with 416. And. Come to people say oh no this is terrible what are we going to do. Then peter says. Repent. And be baptized everyone of you in the name of jesus christ for the remission of sin. And you shall receive the gift of the holy spirit. Jesus wasn't baptized in his own name the disciples have been baptized in the name of jesus. They just had john's baptism which was. Within the jewish tradition of the cleansing ceremony. But he's change this now. Cassidy in jesus's name. And then you will receive the gift of the holy spirit. But he doesn't tell us why is the spirit important he doesn't. What it will do for us. What changes will it make in you. His emphasis is all on the wickedness of the people and how god's going to get them. Misses the whole point. Cuz i think the spirit is the whole point. Contrasting this with jesus's birth serving. Witches in luke chapter 4. The contest isn't jesus have been baptized by john. Hit experience. Spirit coming into him. He went off into the. Desert to think about all that how am i going to. What am i going to do with this time i going to go for. A global solution to set myself up as a ruler. Or am i going to try to make people. Recognize i'm really special. Disregard call the temptations. I i see it in terms of he was trying to figure out what kind of ministry he was going to have. And. He finally figured out. He's going to be local. And he's not going to try to. First people. Jubilee. Something special. Go picking it up at luke 4:14. Jesus returned in the power of the spirit into galilee. And he taught in the synagogue. And he went. Where he been brought up. And he went into the synagogue on this cabin and stood up to read. And the scroll of the book isaiah was given to him. Opened it. And red. The spirit of the lord is upon me. Because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted. To preach deliverance to the captives. Recovering of sight to the blind. Andrews federal liberty those who are oppressed. This is a different message. Pictures of really different message. This is about what the spirit wants to do for you. It is not about god being really angry and and planning to punish people. It's about god wanting to sit. People free. Implicit in this is what the spirit has done in him. To make him able. To speak. I'm going to develop this because this is really what. I want us to look at. But i really wish they had talked. Insomnia spoken about the union symbols of christmas. And i mentioned how the virgin mary. Is a symbol for that part in us. Which is open to saying yes to god. Part of us that hasn't gotten so involved with her work. And our daily activity. Answer. Whatever call. Spirit brings to us. An end to say yes. Sure. And she said yes to the idea. God. Coming into her and coming through her to the world. And what the angel says specifically to her when she says hey how's it going to happen. Gabriel says the holy spirit will come upon you the power of the most high will come over you. And therefore the holy thing which shall be born of you shall be called. Son of god. So it is the spirit. Which brings to life in us the god energy. That enables us to reach out to others in helpful ways. To bring good news to people. Who are less fortunate. Either poor in love poor materially. And. That is. Really i think the good news. That. Jesus is bringing and i just what i wished peter has said he would have said the spirit is up on me. Let you know that the spirits available for you. With god's power we can bring about. This justice. Healing of those who are emotionally wounded. Bring people who are oppressed. It's not about a temporal kingdom. Pick up set up and the people who didn't believe in jesus. End up being the flame. About the spirit. I have never seen that connection. Between peter start off by saying this is the spirit. And then he goes on to say god's going to be really mean to you. And jesus saying. It's the spirit who's come. To heal. Free. Bring you good news. Cancel the important part. I think is really the changes that the spirit makes enough. Show me the psychological aspects. About first sermon that jesus preached. Because you can look at it from. The political. Sociological standpoint. But i kind of helpful also to consider. The psychological dimension. How god wants to set us free. From patxi's captor. One of the big things that has people captured right now is is fear. Fear of terrorism. In the summer school class last summer how can we waste our time praying. The situation in iraq is so terrible. When there are terrorists everywhere. How can we spend our time praying when the environment. Is falling apart global warming. This planet is in real serious trouble. How can we justify. Learning about prayer. Coaches captivity to fear. This is a big one. To be set free from that. Toby great. The ensign people feel. As i get older and they worried about will there be enough money to take care of them. Low-level anxiety. Depression is another thing. We think of the millions of people taking antidepressant. People. Taking anti-anxiety medication and people medicating himself with alcohol and drugs. This. Really has a captive. Existential fear fear that simply is. What is life going to bring. What i've noticed is that anxiety doesn't actually help me deal with it. I see it in my personal life. Actions that i take that are really fear-based. Can't make things worse. And. I think a lot of our political decisions that have been made in the last number of years was here based. Some of them were also like. Greed motivated. But. But i think a lot of people went along with some of these plans because of fear. I think we're seeing that it really didn't help but it actually made things worse. Grief and sorrow also. Tremendous. Oppressive. People who can't get out of grief. Anger and greed are other areas of oppression. Admitting that areas of blindness. We can see our friends we can we can co. Can't you see what you're doing. And they said to us can't you see what you're doing. And no we can't we can see for them. Agency for us but we can't see ourselves. How we tend to get ourselves boston corners. Making poor choices. Depression. How we kind of live along in life. Dealing with things we can't get out of. Procrastination. Watching too much tv. Spending too much time on the internet. Addictions to food or any number of things. I don't see that this group. Doesn't seem to me that this group would have. Some of these. More blatant things that i'm mentioning here. But. I know for myself here areas that i simply can't overcome. I would be happy to have some divine intervention. Dubai help. So change. So that it would be easy for me to get out. My thank-you letters on time. That's one of my biggest problems and always have been if it was actually minor. Yeah but it's a source of ongoing nagging a fire. Kevin uses up other energy. Energy that could be used for that outreach. St paul has sometimes been vilified as. The perverter of the gospel of jesus christ. But as i was reading stuff i found that he actually. Get more of the idea transformation. Insight.. Take peter it was real clear. Dogs going to come back. Set up a kingdom. Beat up anybody who didn't believe in jesus. I'm going to be the grand vizier or i'm going to be the prime minister. It was real clear to him. Potato actually talks about transformation. And the transformation that that can occur. My speculation is that it's because he did have this mystical experience of being caught up. What he referred to as the third heaven. I have no idea what that means. But. He was caught up and he saw. What it was like in this heaven. And i think he got more of a sense of what god really wanted to do with it. People. Paul writes for example. The group accordant that their very bodies. Are the temple. Of the holy spirit. I belong to all souls and we have a surgery healing service in part of the litany is about the holy spirit making our bodies. The temple. August presence. Whatever i say that line i just uninstall. In the ancient world the temple was the literal dwelling place. Whichever god the temple was to. And to think. Okay seussical body and now it's god into well. God is actually living in my physical body. This is as far from gnosticism as you can get. Set the body itself. Hold the spirit. Is. Permeated. Paul wright. Labor. As in childbirth. I'm labor for christ to be formed in you. He's not talking about the historical jesus. He's not one of the historical jesus to be formed. Teresa of avila. Image of jesus actually living in her heart. And thomas merton says well that works fine for her but that's not going to work for us. Paul is talking about christ and. Christ we talked about before is that symbol of the. Human and divine. Fusion. And he wants. These people. To have that human and divine. Beat that human divine. Living on earth. He refers to christ in you the hope of glory. And that you are being changed from glory to glory. Radical. Mystical transformation. You are in this process of becoming divine. He tells people you have the mind of christ. Again that human divine. Mind that is able to understand. Be transformed. By the renewing of your mind. Promix cinema. Because st. paul also does the singer you gotta believe in jesus and daughter to escape god's wrath. But in a month. I think he actually get that what. God really wants to do now. Twitches too. Make us more than human. Arnez put a dog became human so humans could become divine. I think that's really the message that god is always been trying to get through. For us to be able to. Learn to accept. That that spirit is enough. Learn how to. Eat it. Rohit cultivated. Give birth to it. So that we can reach out. To bring good news. Two other people to help heal the brokenhearted. And upset others who are captive. Whatever. In captive to set them free. Paul writes about how. Someone with the spirit becomes a new creature. Jesus also spoke of this. He told nicodemus. You have to be regenerated from on high. From above. This has been translated as born-again and it has become. Tell me that we all dread having people come up to us on the sidewalk with the tracks ain't are you born again. It's lost the original meaning of to be regenerated but actually meant become like an embryo. Restart. As this new creature. It's both human and divine. And one reason that i think it is not. Absolutely dependent. On this idea of accepting jesus as your personal savior. Is because of that prophecy from joel. Gus's apartments terminal flash. What does he mean that does he mean all or does he mean well only a few. And i tend to think he pours it out all. On all it's always available. It's our option to say yeah i'll take that. I think the spirit has been poured out at whoever is trying to serve god get close to god learn about who god is try to do what god wants. Is eligible to have that spirit living and growing in. Then transforming. Digitizing. And the more open to receiving spirit to more it can deactivate.. I'm going to talk. Now. On a very different aspect. And the one that i hadn't realized but all of this stuff the disciples have about god's wrath. The very first letter. That we have which is. Saint paul's letter to the thessalonians. Written. About the year 50. He says. Those who believe will be saved from god's wrath. Do something big scene god's wrath. Jesus went around saying if you don't. Do what i'm saying. It's going to be really bad. Because the temples going to be thrown down. Turn up not one stone left on another. And he. Things like descendants about the kitties because it'll be worse for you than it was for sodom and gomorrah. Because you didn't listen to what i said. Okay the disciples took that and said. God is going to be really angry because they didn't. Listen to. Jesus. As i was reading it looked to me like. Jesus is not talkin about god's wrath. Jesus is talking about roman wrath. That he saw what would happen if a little tiny province of the empire cat rebelling. We could think of it in terms of. What like what is rhode island decided to secede from the united states they form their own militia they said we're throwing out all the federal. Government. Officials in offices we will no longer pay taxes. And we're from their own country. Federal government wouldn't like it and they would step in as hard as they needed to. To keep rhode island. As part of the united states we saw what happened when the american cell tried to secede. Did you think of sherman's march to the sea and burning 50 miles a sloth. Land 50 miles wide all the way to georgia to the sea. We get a hint of how rome handled. Provinces that kept being a problem. Places like spain france roman in their concord instead of a government. Don't road built aqueducts setup government brought law. Romance. Did not hansel spain and france. Those became provinces that were. Having normal life normal rule. The reason israel had so many roman soldiers and it was because they kept rebelling. It was a trouble spot. I think jesus was saying what you guys. Stop this rebellion. And then because people didn't listen he said. It's going to go really badly for you. We're going to come in and smash everything and it's true rome ran with blood. Halfway up to the knees. When rome came in to put down the rebellion and in 66. 135. When brown came in. They totally leveled the place. Any juice from ever coming back. So i did the disciples. this was really wrong. They thought it was god's wrath and jesus was talking about roman wrath. He was saying what you guys. Doesn't matter that caesars. The governmental head what really matters is god's kingdom. God's kingdom is not of this world in the sense of it doesn't have a civil government. And the disciples kept arguing at will who's going to be greatest in the kingdom of god. it wrong. It's not like that. And he said my kingdom is not of this world he said my kingdom doesn't come. That you can visually see it. I wish the disciples had continued to preach. We need. Just mellow out. Sure let's caesar. Sure pay taxes to caesar. Zoom was not a despotic. Government. They had. Shut up really. Pretty great empire it was now safe to go sailing there were no pirates. It was safe to go traveling along the road they built wonderful roads they built wonderful aqueduct. Brought in. Freshwater. Ancient rome had better sanitation than a lot of cities have today some of the really large cities. In the third world countries developing countries. I just wanted things to run smoothly. And they were willing to do whatever it took to put down rebellions. Do stuff to the relationships don't you see the signs of the time. Don't you see it. Barbecue one of his purposes. A major purpose was to try to warn people off. The constant rebellion. And the focus on. The development of a heart that gives. Get them off. collision course with rome. Democrats. There were two thousand years and i look at what's going on now and i think okay if they hadn't. Worcester country. They were forcibly taken out of their country and it was given to other people. And then in 1947 the people who've been living here will forcibly taken out. Put into little cams. And. The country was given back. Temperature is people and look at the problems we're having. Until i say wow. If they had listened. It would be better now. Israel had had continuous occupation of. Palestine. For those two thousand years. Sleeping a lot less trouble now. That kind of blows me away. Those are my reflections i wish they had preached god's love i wish they had preached. God in us. The hope of glory. The growth of the spirit transforming us. I think they really got it wrong. And i invite your comment. Okay we'll try to use the microphone for comment. Would you like to identify yourself. I'm peter. Hi peter. People will know who. Peter aiello. The second part you brought up in the air. A pixie illogical. God's wrath. Instead using the roman. Branson in indio test. Dollar tree until until 4 if then then. They were told about. Is candy bad for you know god's wrath is going to come on you. And then they going to babylonian kept. There's always this thing about. I think god using. Temporal kingdom. Whenever he. He cares to. Syrian captivity the babylonian. So i. I see both happening you know you can maybe. Up in the sky god saying this is my rats and then he uses. Capital kingdom. I don't see a conflict. I see them both happening simultaneous. When one of them is in windham. The others happening in the in our president. Natural. That's how i. Reconcile. What's your problem there you know. I think it's both. You know maybe what god's wrath. Virginia to use the romans. Exactly. That's another. Theological question because i think in in in in biblical. There's a saying about opening up. True. Trust. 2 m. Yourself. So. Not brought out too much. Like even peter and his epistles talks about. Being exalted. Casting all your care upon him. He even. Recognizes. Center transformation maybe his first sermon. Scolding. Did use for rejecting christ. But he also said well you shall receive. Holy spirit of your. Disposing there too. It all fits together act. Transformation. Yes it's a raft. But this also.. Thank you. Anyone else. Joyce is my name. I don't know. Why. Wyd. They get it there. Before you give up the microphone i would like to hear. Your ideas on that. Well i think it has to do with it. Habitual. Nevermind. That. Begin to feel like they had gotten something. And then. Various. I've gotten into. Or. But it made me wonder. How could one. Tell dad. Are all paid. And what we wanted. Why does. Why didn't. My sense is that people had like you say a mindset. That was already made up they had a story about how things are supposed to be. And their conviction. That israel was supposed to be an autonomous. Nation. So ingrained in them. I think they really couldn't hear that he was saying it doesn't matter. What's important. Is. The god connection and the growth in the spirit. This question. How does 12. How does one. I think i think about. Do you think. Not. Formally. I used to. Small children. But it's a question that burns. In my own teaching in the gt is summer school. There are some people who come in whose minds are really closed. And. Simply are not really. Even to experiment with the possibility. I haven't found how to reach them. I really. I would like to know too. And. All i have seen is that people do become so attached to their story. Actually the mindfulness meditation buddhist. Depositor. Helps to break up the story. Because if you're watching your online you see all of her little. Things that don't fit the story. You start to observe all the things that don't fit your view of reality. And so it helps people to begin to have a little more down. About. Their view is absolutely right. And not to be changed. The only thing i think i've learned so far is. To look for an opening. And. That picture. Yes. Yes it does. Yeah i want to space. Think about looking for an opening. Harkins americas. Explain to you under. How they believe. Because. Unicornio. Got to work all the time. That's helpful idea. Ripstik. Little bit stuck here. Good morning. My thoughts. Cover for subject areas. Organization. Behavior. Quality. First. My great-great-grandfather. Survivor. Hub city. U.s. civil war. Wounded. Caps. In the battle of richmond. Before. Hand survived over a year. Southern soup. Southern. Prisoner of war. Anderson. Where the average lifespan. The prisoners. Oh that's. Four generations. You go back. 3000. Generate. Hard. Get back to a tribe of about 1,000. 60000 years ago. Who had. Survive. Hey. What amounted to a nuclear winter. World. Resulting. Interruption. Call huge eruption. Hover ball. In the area of sumatra. Aurora. To that tribe. About 1,000. Bringing in evolution. If you. Go back. 3 million generator. Armoire. All life. Comes related. Evolution. Kitchen stoves. Other in the teaching. Call aunt. Reply okay. Molecular biology. Discovery of microbes delivering. In what amounts to battery acid. Just in the last day or two. Micro living organism. Cross. This is about the spies. Live. Large viruses. Basically. 2 chainz. Realm of science. Star-crossed. Fairly clear. Live for the park. Tennessee. Make life. Is an inherent properties. Of matter. Stutter. Indwelling. Spirit. Earlier.. Matter itself. How's the. The characteristic. Producing life. The other. Quality. Respective. A member of the america. Society. Quality. Certified quality auditor. Asq. And they're trying to get across. Perspective. Quality. Teaching quality. Business operation. Not too much of focusing on the negative. Minimize. Car. Dad products. Maxim. Prophet. The relation. Perspectives. Call peter. To that quality. Respective. Focused. On the positive. The maximizing. Prophet. Albertson. Call peters. Minimize. Cost. And our last the organizational. Respective. Terracom. Peter reminds me of. Calvin. Where calvin was. Focusing on. Developing an organization. What amount is left. Focused. And the notion of these organizational men. Calvin. Haha. Focus. On their of wally maybe thinking globally. You're acting locally. 2. Create. Kingdom. Through their organization. Behavior which. Necessarily have to take on. Local. Casper. Thank you. Well some of you are thinking of what you might like to add. Let me address peters theological issues. It's true that. The. That people did tend to see disasters as. Representing god's wrath. The prophets who came and spoke. Before these things would emphasize. Actually mostly enterprise social justice. As well as. The business. People worshipping other gods which was actually quite literal. In our society i would say it is not. Literal that we have. Temple 2. The god of money or the god of luck. And call it that. But i would say that most people in this society. Rich's other guys and it says they worshipped gods of beauty. The cult of. Youth. They worship money. The cult of. Prophet. And oftentimes bowfinger more important. Then. Worshipping. That transcendent love. Is that the. Okay. Transcendent love and a desire to reach out to help others. The difficulty. With. Assigning. Unintentional rap. T'god. Is. Then how. Okay just personal there's a metaphysical difficulty in that god has been defined as love. God is love. And. That the acura buttes are identical to the essence. It isn't just that god is loving. Sometimes god is not loving. The christian your standing is that the. The attributes are identical so we can take god is love god is wisdom god is. Good. Not just like weed sometimes we're good. Sometimes we're loving but sometimes wear. Not loving. Sometimes we're cruel. No one in this room obviously but i speak for myself. So we would have to do intake god is anger. And. Theologians. Have defined god wrath of metaphorical. The current understanding is that there are certain. Nascar results. There's a certain dynamism that happens. If your nation engages in certain kinds of behavior. Then there are certain natural consequences. And it is not that god intends you to suffer. If we have a god. With. With. Rap that is expressed by causing people's suffering. Then that goes contrary. All of the. Prophets came and spoke. About god wanting to. Prius from southbury. And. In jesus's life didn't seem to do things too. Create suffering but rather to alleviate suffering. So. You have been able to reconcile the two things. For me. I was unable to reconcile it. And so just teaching about how they're certain natural consequences. For example we could say. There will be certain consequences. As a result of it. Our invasion into iraq. Dutchess country will be hurt. And i would say it's not because god is angry. For example when the twin towers thing happened some of the. The fundamentalist preachers needed to just discard draft. Or hurricane katrina this is god's wrath. People. Really shut them up pretty quickly. Consequence. Other things that made it wasn't god deliberately intended to cause suffering. Took for me i really for me to want to even have anything to do with god it needs to be a god whose hole. Trust is. To relieve. Human suffering. Encourage people. To avoid the consequences of. Really. Negative behavior but not. God deliberately causing him suffering. So that's another perspective on. The one i wanted to thank that.. Struck me about spike me about this whole thing. Is if you tell someone. If you will. Walk across the street i'll give you a dollar. They may or may not do it. But if you tell someone with. Get the impression that you have a lot of power behind you. If you don't walk across the street. I'm not only going to. Crippled you i go to hang you by your thumbs and watch me destroy your family. Skidmore. To respond to that fear. But you are too positive. Thing and that's a big thing when people are selling. Is salve self here if you don't put in these things your health is going to fall down with us. They tell you that and then they try and gentle attempt. And make it go but people listen to fear the republican party has been selling fear and it's less what has led to their success. Albertsons 911. Is they they sell the idea. That if we don't get back at these. Now they're just going to come and get it. Okay so are you saying that god was trying to play on their fear morning dental. The people selling god in their mind. The god of their mind are motivating you. By telling you these stories. Make you afraid because they feel the fear is better motivator than the positive. Well that's interesting to talk about how to get people to be open to transformation. And we met we didn't bring any idea of telling them that. People happen to you if you don't. Open maps. You know it's but awakening people to that idea. I want to think i don't know when i her first heard it or. When the idea first came into my head i probably read something. Occurred to me. That you don't learn anything. Until you admit your mistake. Another word people defend their mistakes so often it prevents them from finding a better way rather than saying this in turn up right. They. Who is what i did. Haha. Once they do that then they begin to learn. And so the same thing. Do we have anyone else. Do you find it. I thought about this. Survival knife. Still open. That. And that's the best den. Yeah. Yes. Thank you. I want to. To conclude just buy. Noting that that god often reminds me to practice what i teach. And. I talked about the virgin mary part of us. The part that's open to saying yes and so i'm going to. Try to look for ways okay what in me is really open to trying to do something. This kind of dog weigh. And i invite you to also consider. That in yourself that's that's open to the transformation and. Give it a little extra loved. This holiday season. Thank you very much. Thank you sarah. Oh and let me tell you next week i will explain about the star. The christmas star. Because cicero astrariums. Know what it's about.

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061029_Carol%20Carlyle_The%20Authentic%20Legacy%20of%20Marie%20Laveau%20in%20New%20Orleans.mp3

Modern unwelcome following charles great. Calling to order. Carol carlisle has given. Quite a few workshops women's mysteries at the church. Today she is. Talkin about some of the indigenous religion. Religious aspects of new orleans. And it includes. Voodoo has. Been misused to represent. Falls funeral like voodoo economics. Actually it's kind of religion. Carol will tell you more about it. Tyrell. You can have more drama situation. Not you. Hello. Reverend reverend poke. Okay. Well good morning. Good morning now i beat that drum three times really hard. And i didn't do that randomly. The cavalry and the army. Wanted to get the people out of the congo square from doing the dances. They would. Shoot off cannons. 3 cannons at sunset and everybody had to skedaddle. Well. When the voodoo dancers figured it out. They would always start. They're dancing with three loud drum beats. Cavalry. Message to get out of here. I'm not an expert. I. Haven't read everything there is to know about voodoo. But. Last january i got an email. Come to a conger dance. And i'm like okay. It has been a pretty bad year you remember last september. Yes we remember last september. When the. New orleans move away. Same-day new orleans blow away with the same day my daughter went off to college. I felt blown away. Louder. Wow. So. It just had spiral down and down and i was pretty sick in january. Hardly get out of bed. Go to this country dance. Fortunately people that were sending me the email where people i trusted part of my shamanic community. I got you something. What are the things where they said you had to dress all in white. All dressed all in white in january pretty hard. So first of all it got me out of bed just to shop. Can you relate to that lady's. I'm at ross. Looking for a white skirt. But i really didn't know what i got myself into. In what was this little lady from ponca city oklahoma baptist. Here now and being there then talking about experiencing vudu. And. Country dancing. Well i think my family was. What do they do. You know it's what we did in town because i grew up hearing all about new orleans. And jambalaya and catching crawfish with handkerchiefs. Because. My mama and daddy matt on a riverboat in the mississippi river in new orleans. So i figure i should have a little thing. Across my backpack made in orland. So. You know you can have roots and ancestors that aren't apparent. So we talked we in today we're going to talk about ancestors and how the ancestors are closer. This time of year at halloween samhain because the seasons are changing. It's amazing yesterday beautiful sunny and today. It's dark and it. It really does that it's so apparent. So they say the ancestors drawn here. You know there's aunt tilly. And grandma but there's also spiritual ancestors. What's a substitute for to do. So. Imagine. Swept away from your country or your town. Your community put in a ship. And brought to another country and enslaved. Yeah. It's hard to imagine. How do you connect with your ancestors. You can't write him a letter user you might hope that they get brought over. You might hope. So all you have is basically the air. What do you do to the air you vibrate it with drums you dance. You remember you conjure. Bring it up bring it up. You call it up. Ancestors we call our spirits. The zombie ashley. Was an african name for the king. And the snake. We think of this zombie snakes. We all. I've heard of kundalini energy that rises up. So you're trying to connect with that. Nick. Snake. Is energy you have your indigenous religions all of every there's actually people have written books about the snake energy. I'm almost every inner indigenous religion. Because it's really about. The image of energy moving. We have our physicists now. String theory. Connexus. Conjuring energy. Shred. Found in our movement. And we're being of service. 2. The spirit. That means. But they did their dance. 123 it sounded like voodoo you know it was a translation of sound. And all you've got is your spirit energy inviting in your spirit you have your memory of how to use herbs. And grow things from the earth and be midwives and teachers of one another to try to hold your culture together. We are talking about the slaves in new orleans now. And they would set intentions to empower themselves. You have no legal power you have no political power you have no freedom. So you have to use whatever you're able to use to get ahead to get what you need. You might have to cast a spell. To make somebody go away. To change the energy. Because that's what you know now in truth nobody in new orleans voodoo really ever made a poppet a doll and stuck pins in it. Okay one misspelled. Most of the time nobody actually did anything to kill somebody the one-story i did hear about somebody. Intentionally saying words manipulating herbs. Do someone harm that person disappeared like that. It's what goes around comes around. And that is a very important. Aspect. So you actually try to. Live a good life. Now. So i went to the contra dance. And i was in livent. And i can describe it but one of the things was. We use the work of a woman named martha. Show me the people that i know actually know this author and she works with a voodoo community and she's written definitive book about marie laveau. Here on the altar and so i wrote her and i take what i tell people why do i tell you that is and i want to use her words she says she tells people about a great spiritual tradition headed by free women of color in a city known for carrying heavy burdens of suffering of ritual tradition that brought the spirits into the street for the healing healing the social body is pretty matter-of-fact it's another brilliant shamanic culture with real power she thinks racism is the underlying reason most people think they have issues with voodoo. So so we know we all know about ghost dances and we had cherry farley here a few years ago doing a dance and singing and drumming and conjuring the ancestors and did we go in we embraced but we have pushed away and you have been taught you have been carefully taught he went and he found everybody he could that could tell him a story - so he wrote the definitive. She went and interviewed and looked up and public record who were these people and what they were doing i can't tell what time it is today it's about 9:50. Marie laveau a free woman of color and a catholic but she was also a fever nurse during the yellow fever. She used her own herbal remedies she worked with the earth and the sea. With connected to everything the water the crocodiles the snakes. New orleans and she could heal better than anyone and she wanted more power for her people so she went to cstg we really have to keep the door shut because it's cold and herbalist but she also is very smart because the only way you could get things done in new orleans. In the 1840s was through legal channels to get things notarized the notary if somebody puts their signature to it that makes it real. What would happen if i would get for you i would get a little money and i would go by my cousin you know you would buy your cut your people out of slavery and you get this all notarized and it was all well and good and legal a piece of paper she fell in love with a white man could marry a white man so he got himself notarized to be of color you have you have people make little bag bag they're nothing but. And peace and freedom they want to take care of each other sounds familiar so back to the contra dance what do they do at the conjuring dance. So we show up all dressed in white kind of looking looking around like what's going on here and the people that were there were people from a shamanic culture tradition here in berkeley there's some shamans in berkeley and has had been trained journey to to go to the spirit world so they told us about marie laveau and they then they told us to set an intention so this is the room about 50 people in there telling a room of 50 people in 10 minutes to set an intention can we. That we went to dance for that hard to do but somehow because we had set the intention for being there and had agreed within about 20 minutes we broke into groups. Journeyed we went to the spirit world when i'm saying journey and go to the spirit world. And here today in berkeley california this many people are going to set the attention if you're agreed if you're not agreed you can just sit there too which is new year of confidence and compassion and love and i will and you will feel what that feels like to be drums have have compassion and confidence and love drummed into you when the holy roller.

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060910_Huston%20Smith_American%20Indian%20Religion.mp3

The flyers are on. We are so happy to have our friend you still care. Most of you know who is also best known for his book of world religions. He's been a lifetime professor of religion and philosophy. Syracuse university the university of california and a few others. Hello houston he was bernie lumas first graduate student. And he used to come to our classes when bernie used to talk about him. What was it dirty bag. Alright whatever. Thank you. Not my business. If you can't hear me it's. His business. Well these are all with such happy. Okay. Annual it's a prediction. Mayonnaise brands. And such. Happiness. Kobe. With you. Announce. The tibetan chants the one empirical discovery. I discovered the. Webcertain longmont. Malta pony can hang. Which has introduced a new word in. Lexicography of musicology. Maltipom champagne. And their cards over there. If you want to order copy. Of the discard that taste. Phenomenal. Now before i launched in. Jamai announce top paint. I want to mention. What we probably all know. This sensor. Anniversary. Founding of the united. Neisha. And i go out of my way. To mention that because. I'm a. Survivor. Subway. When. The united nations was moved into place. Well i'm on. How did you get in there. They wanted. A gesture towards democracy. Call the last three roles. Balcony. Work first. First sir. I was a graduate student at cal. Hi caught. The bible talked first.. San francisco. And i was. There. Why. There. And i. Dementia. Pecans. That was a. Thrilling. Building. Play. Optimism. We are turning a corner. We're going to. Resolve our differences. Like. United states does through congress. Through war. Well. Help card. We know. Shattering. Call jack. We have an administration.. Blatantly blush brushes. Outside. The united nation. You don't know her at all. And so. It's enough. To make us all. Now i will. Launch in. Announce top. Bankofamerica. Call barb place in. Now martha remind me. We have half an hour is that right and i've already. You're going to give me permission to be in lasting. All right but i do want to honor your right. I know unitarians and i married once and i like them. Daylight. And so i know you want to talk. And i want to scare you. Alright. Let me adjust time. How many of you. Personal. 12-11-1 contacts. Woodland native american. Good lace. Spring lane. There are. I want to tell you. Old burger. When i was studying world religion. Until i went to syracuse university. And we found that our house. Was 5 miles from the iroquois longhouse. Well interesting. We drove out there another 10 years went by. More and more i was sending my way. Preservation. The native americans. They weren't much on education. One of them when. One year and didn't even. Last of the first semester. One of them. All the way through and got me. During this semester. In my class on the history. Philosophy. I got a phone call in the morning. From my brother younger brother. And you said hold on t south houston. Our older brother bob die. Last night. Of a blood clot. In the brain. The class was. Automated car waiver. Shall i call the secretary. Supposed to notice on the door. Class canceled but i wavered write-up. Bedtime. And i decided to go through with that. Decided to be upfront. Can have fun. I said not for your. Condolence and 35.. T-mobile more scattered invasion what i say i want you to know why. I got through the hour. One student waited for me a door. Assassinated my mirror. Without saying a word. We walked about. Call i don't know 5 minutes to my office. Sack down. And then. Douglas fan. Protest vs. mayor. When. Among our. Together. And so we. Together for. Well. Without. Saying a word. And then he got up. Sorry it's happening. Annie left. And ike. 1. Connor. Gollum. Have. Ever. Receive. There. You. Our place in this. Where. You know i. I have been veteran teacher and i know i have to. Reams the material down into whatever slot. Is available salt. I have. Put this simply. Rihanna work. We do wrong. Now let me expand the. Send. I'm going to venture. All the distinction between. Things in this world. They draw those line. More. Banks lake. Or you can say perforated. They are not as rigid. They are not as firm. May. Could be. And so take any distinction. You want. Let's take the animal. Species. If i'm using that word. Generic play. Right. And they want to say. Difference between the various. Use of animal. Is not as char. As we met. It out to be. We are human beings and we have a dog and we have a cat. Sharpline. No. Sarah moore. And it's more like we're both members of. 1. Species. Where. Distinctions of course. Yeah have to draw distinction. But. Char. Lauren. And for example. The line between. Human beings and animals. Call we place ourselves at tuttle. Ugh.. Firerock. Kt so. They think of. Some animal. As being. Why we are. Because they've been on this. More. Longer. We. So it goes with all those distinction. Anime. Anime. Well. I remember. Someone took a course in. Basket weaving down somewhere in the southwest. Thank you angie would like to learn how to weave baskets. They never. March. Ron. Because the entire course consisted. And going around and telling the legends. These places in weight the prawn. Gru. Salvage. Between vegetarian. You know aristotle hasn't categorically sharpline. Mineral. Vegetative. And wouldn't you know on the top of the key. Call rational we homosapien. Nah. Dang. Not. Call. I've learned as i say. Kaputnik poems. Succinct. And i don't want. 2. And deprive you of time to see by being redundant at all. Up front before i turn it over. Two walls anderson my dear and wise friend. Will. Help my miserable near you may have gotten word. The good news. I've have a surgical implant and in about 2 months. Yeah it will begin the kick in. Before i year is over i will be. 95% normal in my hearing. With no hearing aid program across. When i get rid of dog turn it over to you. Comfortable and acknowledging mistakes. I'm going to go back to the 50th anniversary of the. United nation. Miranda. Thrilling atmospheric in the auditorium anna song came out of it. I see some head nodding. I'm also old enough that i don't mind making a fool out of myself. With my protein break i'm going to start to sing it and those of you who have good voices on with my hearing i can't even tell if i'm on tune. But who cares. 10 nations. Breathe. Redial. Call amy. Your. And then ixoras send. Call home. Wow. George companies. Yes i'm holding on. Now what. You. Take over i have a problem here because walt could answer the question. Just as well as if not better then i. But according to protocol. Relays on. Romanian baked cousin. Okay. I could maybe answer questions but i don't see nearly as well as yesterday. My job here is to take cards if you have questions. If you would hand them up to give bring them up for. Show map for something here. And then i'll take those. And. I'll read the questions to houston which i will. Challenges. A native american. Ron between. Until japanese. Yes. Now i'm talkin. Off the top of my head i'm thinking out loud. Genco is basic grey love. Japan and especially. Beauty outlet nature. Yes i went tavian. To that again. Correct my wallpaper pc. Second question refers not to question. Mostly recognized important differences. Between native american groups. In religion beliefs. Different different. Forgot. Should we. Recognize important differences between american. Native american. There are just give me a chance not to romanticise them. Because there were steroids. Fierce fighting between. Members of the 300. A date of american tribes in this country. So i don't want to roll that i'm just talkin about something that is of vital importance to us today. A relation to our environment. Okay drink this one simply stares turtle. Clayton creation?. Turn on cree. Kitty roar. Or is it a lie. Ellie. It's often that y'all find you. Stud meaning. The prey. Tiny turtle island for. The america. Do you have any thoughts. About. Whoops. Thoughts about the recent book. On france. And religion. By francis collins and he arose. You know this book on science and religion. Why. Francis collins. Psyllium. Is that the one you're talking about. Call wilson road a classic florida. 4 years ago. How at all together. Is that the book. What about consilium are you familiar with. Oh yeah. Zillion. It is. Coming. Together. Bringing. Together. Truly brewery. Right. Hi tom. What we know about this. Natural world. And so so far. So goodbye. Wonderful. But. Damn. Towards the end. Turn. Rendition. Deal. Where. Water. The natural world. But they have no. To the end. Visible. So they're dealing with. World. Rather. Then the whole world. Are four years the world now. And. Large. Sub all there in. We have several questions concerning native american beliefs and practices. Choose one. Regarding animals you talked about some. Animals being wiser than ark. Which one. Okay. Now. Don't quote me on this because i'm not sure i can. Locate i'm sorry. we're back head up but i. Tradition has a fairy. Fairing. The coyote. The coyote is an enigmatic kind of. Figure. Among the animal. Circle around. And probably is smiling while it does that. Bob doug. With that bright or knowledge because it took. Is not. One-hundred-percent clearly benevolent. May create. Thank you. What does native american spirituality. Teachers today in order to live in balance. With the earth. Star trek blood and importance. Came through. We belong. Squirrel. And. Therefore we should. We should. Where. Rei. And they would. Original serve there. Beg. Purpose. You know what i'm talk. Annabelle. Where. There is. Near the surface. Spring in. Bulldozers or maybe. Easy access to the org. Are the native americans that would be. Mine. Even my name. Categorical. But on the whole. There again. Probing. From one's own body. Interesting question here going back to the animals again. You think that only human. Have the kind of consciousness. Can reflect back on a shelf or do other. Collective conscious. Okay. I wish i had it were legal. Well. But since i can't do that. Think out loud. And say. Yeah. Tubi. The question. 4 grand. Or. 4. 4. I'm going to drop that question. Here because i have. Nothing no firm opinion. Beyond. Do you want to add your opinion. Gendusa. You're right i don't know everything.. Could you speak on native american coming-of-age practices. Could could we use something like that. Native american. Call coming of a. For graduating using. Good. Yeah. Uber to rye. You know i don't think i've thought about that. And it's a veteran. Make sure i know especially good question. Because with almighty. I never thought of that. I think all culture. Have. Schubert. Ar. I need the mark at all. Alarm. We have. Among shoes for men. Christianity. Used to have. Information. By the bar board. And. Our closest. 2. Hey. Graduate. Or i poop. Hayride is. The driving like some. That's far. Walleye. Moana. Knott's berry. Inspiring by the way. We. Kill. More. On the road. We. Kill. I don't know how to finish that. Because. Hummus from kendra. Answer. Staggering. Number. I can read. What is the native american belief about the. Again. I think i am acura. Yeah. Faint line. On the whole. Start of life. Reincarnation. But they don't go into slicing. Between in this physical life and body coming back or whether it's more like a tibetan. Bar dough. And it happens on another plane of existence. Question is. Did the native americans get the right to use peyote. Absolutely. New maino. My involvement in that. I have a student who. He's quite not indian. But decided to turn down. Fabulous contract. And devote himself 10-day they've american law. And one morning my phone rang and said. Houston have you heard the news. And i said. And he said. Supreme core. Has. Just declared the native american church. Eligor. Akon. It's sacred substance. Yeah. Peyote in unlegal drive. Now we ever think about that for a moment. Peyote. Is a cat. Wake hair to which it is impossible to become a dick. And too wet. Not even a miss. No being there. To say nothing of a try. Crime has ever been. Pray. Now compare that with alcohol. The damage. The ravages. But every time i'm driving across the bay bridge. Barber seagram's. 7. I mean just think about the irrationality but. Alcoholic drink that's okay. And peyote is there. So it is not. So there may be a copy of my book cleansing the doors. Perception. Hell. Star. I cooperated with. Reuben. Renee. The granger. Native american. Political leader of the 20th century. When i was first introduced to him. He held out his hand and with a gracious smile so. I'm reuben may your humble servant. Then we are. He was like. Rei. Started this movement. The first one that public cross. 300 native american. Pride. After a year. Year-and-a-half of hardware. Willie purdue. Film. Anime. And. Judiciary having let them down. They dared. And run to the legislature. And bill clinton. I forget the exact year i think the last year. And they. Garden behind. Find it. 2. Zaire. Right. Red leg dress right. Thank you. This one seems like you've already sort of answer.. Can indian native americans make a difference. In modern problems. Maybe a book there one day chinander dawn. That's the books that elsa. Starry. Bye. The right direction. 10 indian. Make a difference. And modern problems. Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Douglas. Who was my. Duden. With me. Silently. When all the way through. And it has. Rei. Native american. Believer. He has written. Ar. Wonderful. The true story of the mohawks that has not been published. Yeah. And. In which i buy bread the manuscript. And it's just. Lowe's the whistle sounded like noam chomsky. Connor. Untrue. On the untruth about native american history. And iris murdoch.. Wonderful. Walmart. Tragic. Blade. Develop alzheimer's. Sears selling their right mind. He made a statement that are stuck with me. Tell the truth. And just. Will take care of itself. Arrest. And the more i think about that i think. Douglas georgia. The crew. Starring. Where he refused. Going. Theory. Of the mohawk. Is going to be an important for. And right now he is negotiating. Land claim. Because. As. Annoying. Senator in no way. When he testified. For real. Write survey chair. Hearsay. Today senate committee on another native american. And he said. We find 100. Preteens. Where the native american. And it does not. Please me. As a member of the senate. I have to report. That we just filed away. 400 of those. Friday's. Wow. Requiring that the native americans. Live. But there. And as for the. 4. Hundred that we just didn't file away. We have broken. Brain. 1. Them. Can indians make a difference in my. The burden of my entire talk. Yeah. If bri listen. What about what are your thoughts about the pros and cons. Native american. Casino in. All that's part of fun. Helpline. I don't know. Abused them. Soma. They're really at the bottom of the heat. Fair demoralize. And they're even. I'm going to say. About low-carb a afro-american. That's going pretty far. They are are. Hungry for money. We have. Kept from suppressed soma. Better part of me says okay. You have a right. Can i have some money. That. Weight set. The pain away that. Yeah.. But the other half. Call me. Sarah. Gambling is not a good way. To get money. And they're actually true gout. On some reservation. Over. Bisquick. What do you think accounts for the similarities. Among indigenous people around the world. Oh i think they're great. They are gray. Are closer to. Land. Hannebery fortune. Burien. Life in innumerable way. The australian. Aborigine. When i was. In australia forest. Why i. Hung out with the anthropologist. Find out what they could tell me about the. Aborigine. One named tristan. And all of them in the eight universities. Of them. We're absolutely convinced. That. They had powers. Telepathy. And there. Surmise was we do 2. But we have. That. Capacity. Scruffy. Because we rely on telephone run facts. And the postal. Service. I think aaron is going to resonate to the point. Going to go into that. Go ahead. Show the relates to that. You think that the emotions humans experience. Are the emotions of all creatures in the universe. Emotions. Emotion. The emotions. Humans experience. Reflect those of all creatures in the universe. Consumption. Seaquest. Brain i'm still not on top of that. especially when i hear the laughter and i always enjoy. Laughter but sometime. I fear they may be laughing and me fun and i'm not be aware the question is do you think that the emotions the feelings that you and i experience. Somehow reflect. Big feelings of all creatures. In the universe. Oh that's good now i have. Claire. Again. The reason they left was because i said it's an easy question to answer. I'm inclined to say. Yeah. Fireline. Continuum by the way. 1. 10. Why. We were. Baez psychiatrist. Psychologist in sweden. Saturn. You know we'd have fewer. In swedish. Or psychological. Stay. Then you do. The. Pharcyde. For emotion. Then you do. And kendra said. Well powder. Why is there. And he said. Where. Maybe because we have fewer emotions. I don't know if i do. Last card i have what can we learn. The native americans about how to choose leaders. Who care. Well you know i am. Oren lyons. Onondaga reservation. I said. Why are all the cheese. Why are there no women cheat. And he said. You are right. There are no women. Touchy. How to secure a m. That's always your cards i have. Let's go back to the question above. Call the country. In the universe. Does that relate to our. Capacity or loss capacity. Or telepathy. The view the consciousness pervades the universe. Does that relate to. 2d. Human capacity or the lost human capacity for. Telepathy. Well i think probably so. By the way there's a lovely part train. Really. Bears on their. By edna vincent millay but i'm not sure. Mine. So. 4. Ar. So world spread. No wider. The mind is why. Soul. Can split. Reminding. Gone. Shine through. I think that says it all in for line but i'm not going to take. I'm here. Spell owl. Call goes for line relate. Body-mind. So. And spirit. Any any final questions from out there that you could just. Relate the million-dollar pass on to houston. I'll repeat it so we get a a casey famous american psychic. And i recently saw a program on him on the history channel. And. Guardian of the program. They said that he said anyone can do what i do. If they apply themselves. At that made me think of. What you just said about the native americans and they're being able to. He serve edgar cayce. You do great psychic. Well you know i'm okay i have a graduate student at the university. Chicago. And he wanted to write his dissertation on edgar cayce. Because. Visited virginia beach. Thursday archives. Was convinced it was felt. Rejected by the university of. Chicago. Not. Nuwave. Northern appropriate. Subject. He refused to back down. And after. Find me. Javen. View house. You may do this. So i wrote his. Dissertation. And i went down to virginia beach. And when they learned out there in that i had. China background. Thanks are. edgar cayce. Pretty dick. That in the long run. Tryna. What's going to be. Believing christian nation in the world. At that time that sounded all the wall. Recent rape or. May. Left. Emser. Christian church in. Growing mike my parents in. They died thinking that their whole. Work. Had gone down the drain. Weather now revolution. It went underground and it is driving. And it is even. Reaching such. Proportion. They. Government. Dale allaire. And does not like. Mass movement the mine. Power. Taping. And the church is having to meet in. Now. Almost. Cabot cove. Overlake christianity. And it even surging beyond. What's the name of the. Buddhism. Skyfood longer. Something like that. Falun gong. Steve christian. Surging about that. Well that's my virginia beach edgar cayce starting. The the question from over there was. Edgar cayce said that anybody could have the ability. He had. If they wanted to.. If they work on it. I just hear that as a friendly amendment. Thank you very much. Okay back here in pink. Regarding mind body soul spirit. What is the difference between soul and spirit. Call. The final locus of our individuality. How many of us are there in this room. T-mobile 75 or 80. There's 75 or 80. How many spirit. Beautiful answer. Any other questions. Do you have any final comments. I had intended. A ham. Final statement because rummaging through papers for something i wanted. I came upon a poem. But i rode at the age of 20. And colleagues will you had to level on their club. 1. 4. Majors and plus in religion and others who got good grades in english. And we were did meet once a month that we each had to bring a contribution. And then we would vote they were reading anonymous like we weren't both and the best ones got gathered together and i came upon this. Debating whether to have my last statement to try to improvise this. And bought ten or whether it's better next. Send. Martha you call me. Aparat. Final statement array that possibility and fury. Problem. Where i bought. Boxer.. Someday i will. Learn. Hey. One direction. Lange. Lee lane useless. For practical purposes. True. Call wherever. I will. Learn. The word. Mine. At. Suck. Yeah. Find collinger. Well. Home. Tell my door. 2. And i will. Where. The word. Call daniel ocean. And. Preacher. Well congregate around. My fee. Fraulein tell them what they meant. Find the. Were. And. I will. Carol the world the meaning of the word. Call. Now. Is going. A little more. Doing. But in my new language. I am. Going to. 2. The john. And i forget the flurries but it ends with. And martha you made my box yet but you kept me idea that's fine. Farewell acceptance thank you. Ephrata main. Happy. Arcade. Thank you mark. Houston. The joy to be here.

uucb_org

070121_Barbara%20McGraw_Encounter%20with%20the%20Sacred.mp3

Let's get started. Good morning everyone. Martha has a cold and so she's not here today and she try to get someone else to do the introduction. And. Was able to work that out so i'm going to be introducing myself. I'd like to introduce to you one of the most fabulous women in the entire universe. Barbara mcgraw professor at saint mary's college of california to religion and politics. It's a spiritual you you. And has written. A book called rediscovering america's sacred ground. Co-editor of. And co-author of. One of the. Texan world religions, many peoples many faiths women and men in the world religions. And she speaks. All over the country young. And please welcome her. Mods for inviting introduction. Call kelly malone. Theology. And normally when i speak on the subject is more like a lecture. And because it's a personal teologia start with the personal theology component of it today. And tell you a little bit about. Myself and how i came to. And the. Let me start when the early 1990s year by year it'll take about a half hour for each year in 1990 i was practicing corporate finance law. With three well-known and high-powered. Law firm international law firm skadden arps slate meagher & flom had ever really funny name in order to be a named partner in that. And i have been a lawyer there for several years. Wilkes finance america into junk bonds at in the 1980s. Spell all my practice involves a very grueling schedule sometime. All night sometimes. All night and all day for refinance. But even so i really like that work. And i really enjoyed the ego-trip of being a lawyer. Especially true in the 80s. Mergers and acquisitions and complex international deals involving many different countries. Record speed. Money. Working a prestigious law firm as an associate attorney. And then there wasn't a partner so i wasn't making as much as the partners but i was still doing pretty well. Empower. Course not mine. Limousine. Advanced technology available numerous support staff taking care of every necessity the best hotels restaurants. First class travel resort retreats in. Credible parties. One of them was in the museum of natural history in new york. Where we entered to a trumpet fanfare numerous bands and many locations. Imagine dancing. Fabulous rock band. Temple of dunbar. Incredible. You name it. We had it. I wouldn't say that i totally had it made because associate attorneys. Are always a curious fact. But i had certainly arrived at the table of the elite. In the business world. So even if my fate at scanner. Was not filled it wasn't likely i was going to fall too far from the height. Years of study and practice of law has kept me on a good trajectory. Or at least. Relative. Stop in the world. This was my life. I saw her. Once i have discovered. Am i. Future. But. That was not meant to be. I was minding my own business or you could take my nice cabins business depending on how you want to look at it. When all of a sudden i started having a whole series of. Cancel. I think i must have been having and i. Variance of a mental breakdown. Maybe i had a schizophrenic episode. Maybe. I can tell you this. Experiences were so profound. Transforming. Even then. And i. Believe now that they were. So much so. Over the course of about two years i experienced intermittently. Numerous. Hotel to me to be divine encounter. And it all started one night when i went outside to my backyard. The beautiful night. Holy lighting the sky. And i was there. I wasn't asking. Here i am. And i remain kind of. Still in silent. My whole heart. Suddenly. But really. I was in philip in the few. Love that was. Ian word. Cool. Cool. Heat feeling. Love it was secure and. Not merely for the. Actually. Celebrate. I filter i was in brave. Now i have been a believer in spiritual thing. For otherwise it wouldn't burn out the backyard prank right. States really only mean kind of a leap of faith. And that was the kind of face that didn't have any evidence. And therefore is plagued by doubt. But now there wasn't any leap of faith. Now there was this. Feeling of absolute. After that night. Periodically. My days and night. Interrupted. Abruptly sometimes. With messages in my ear. An impulse to write words that. I didn't feel came from me. And then one night i had a profound. Healing experience. Again i was outdoors and i looked up. And the profound feeling overwhelmed. And it was an experience. Everything. And everyone in unity and all its diversity all at once. Everything. All the pain. All the sorrow. How to desire. Obituary. Especially. All the love. Of the whole universe. And that experience overwhelming with stealing. Tears were streaming down my face involuntarily. Am i open my mouth. This kind of. Tears coming down my face. But the experience wasn't just emotional. It was snowing and it involved my whole heart. My whole mind. That was deeper than. Word knowledge. Interfering. Beyond my own emotions. And i've come to feel and believe. Experiences may be what some refer to as universal compassion or universal. But all i can say is that of all the. This was the one that most reoriented my whole way of proceeding and feeling about the world. Rewired my whole entire being in planting a whole new. More cole perspective and insight about the world. And god's desire. And how significant. Every person is to. And after that. I knew. Why are we here. I didn't ask. I didn't need to. Because the message was already clear. Even though it wasn't conveyed in words. More to my senses. Images and feelings perceptions and insight in those experiences. No i told everyone i know. Practically about all of this year's my friends. This is the first time i'm hearing it and i kind of more public setting. And i wanted to share it with you as my. Personal geology today. Why are we here. God. God desire to have experiences. In order to experience however. There had to be something to experience. Oh god birthed the universe. And the universe is not god. Because then there would be nothing for god to experience. The universe is of god. Child. T-mobile. God does not desire only to experience however. God wanted to experience relationship. That is god did not want only something for god to experience. God wanted someone to experience god. The cardigans not just want experience. God wanted the ultimate relationship. Experience. Love. Laughter. Joyful selfless. Abiding love. Connection of absolute knowing that takes up the whole of the other. Define ecstatic. Embrace. Forever. Godly relationship is not possible. Unless there is freedom. Love can't be imposed but must be accepted. Love can be requested even command. But it cannot be coerced. It must be given freely. Human beings were created with free will. And every human being no matter who they are no matter their talents and abilities. No matter the circumstances. No matter whether they or others believe they deserve it. Was created with the freedom to love. And beloved. And therefore everyone. Leslie caron. Worthy. So why are we here. Freeland shoes to open our hearts. Armani. Our spirits. Beloved. And to love god in return. And more. The whole purpose of our existence. It's the joint everyone who has ever lived. Whoever has lived. Loving embrace with god. Each other. God is calling out to you. And god is calling you various people. Since the beginning. And i am calling. You forgot now. Now you can experience my work anymore. I'm still at again but feel that i was playing some sort of real-life monopoly game with a whole bunch of millions of dollars floating all over the place that was a poor use of this precious life of mine. And so i was drawn to another. All these years of study and experience practicing law behind. Venture into unknown territory. And i recall one day. During my time when i was having these encounters. I was driving on the street in los angeles where i lived at the time and i was heading towards some you know ordinary. Dry cleaners or something like that destination inlay ordinary day. Overwhelming desire to stop at a little store that was on the corner. Housing in the stores so small that i hadn't even noticed it before i even though i'd gone that way a million times before. Park my car and i went in. And i looked around the room. Jewelry and various items trinkets to rios. Novelties in solon spirit spiritual themes. Spiritual books apple. Although you wouldn't have known it by its name. Call the joshua tree i don't know it might still be there. So why are they here. Well then immediately the message was goin'. And through the opening to the right. So i went through. On my right as i answered the second room there was a world look so. Prince that in front of those. Buxom blonde okay. One book. Food out. I just want you to know it did not glow or anything like he would be in a hollywood movie it wasn't like that. But it was a. Because it was clear to me that i was being guided to pick it up and open it which i did. And guess what it wasn't the bible. The first one that caught my attention on the page that i opened to random. Randomly. Okay. Those first words were essentially this. The one that caught my attention. Men. Are being called by god. Play. In the transformation of the world. People are called for specific tasks or one might say missions. Which they are particularly suited. And they are chosen for those pacific endeavor. Or special believers or. Anything like that. Because they will do it. Willingly. Regardless. It was clearly a message for me that they wasn't there. I have a part to play. And i will do it. What is my cart. Well if the number of things. But one of the main things is to call america. Back to her route. So that we all play our part. Someone once said that america is not only a place. But it is an ideal. And that creates the conditions. Where is possible. For you to people from to hear the voice of god calling. Most important. To be able to answer that call. Panda express in the world. The world. Words. Md. Without rap. Sanction. Or abuse. Several months or so of messages and experiences. I realize know what. Pending contractor here for quite a while. Louder than the spacing between previous experiences. So i went outside and i pray. God. Please give me a sign that you are still with me. Wait at the moment. And the boys return. Spoke in my ear and forehead. How many slimes do you need. I'll have to tell you i have not heard a word from god. That way or any of the other kinds of experiences. I don't know if i ever will again. But even so i have. Turn on my way. And this two-week personal theology here at uucp. Is 1 answer. My call. What are the conditions in society. It make it possible. For people to hear the voice of god answer back. The idea of america. More specifically america is a nation with a purpose. No doubt the foremost word by word. America is. Liberty. Liberty founding generation as they sought their independence from oppressive government authority. But what is freedom. Certainly the founders made freedom central. Praying for all of us. Episode 4 millions and ages yet unborn. The people could pursue their own ideas of happiness and the good life individually and in groups like this one. An organization survey form. Freedom was for much much much more than that. Because freedom was thought to be the best hope. A producing a society that would promote the common good. The good of the commons. What we all share. It's supposed to only be the good for elise who hold power. And this was as much a religious idea. As a secular one. Because it depends. Freedom of conscience. How you might recall from your american history classes in high school or college. Did john locke was the seventeenth century political philosopher most influenced. The founding fathers. So much so that you hear would hear his name in church sermons. Pizza and. Main foundation for the declaration of independence. Norwalk. Tell to a friendly. That reason is natural revelation. Revelation. Is reason in learned because a quote from him by a new set of discoveries. Communicated by god immediately. Which reason about is the truth. But they come from god. And he said that all morality is based on both. Which come from the saiyan eternal law. So we can't judge another person's claim of religious inspiration as being true or untrue. Just because it is contrary to an established tradition. The reason is. God is still speaking to and through human beings. 10:00 that everyone has. The light of truth in them. Reason. Is the voice of god in human beings. Improve his idea was the true reason dialogue and spiritual reflection and a great conversation in the base and two there were the people are capable of advancing their understanding in a great conversation about how best to live together and how best to serve god in their own time a conversation where reason and inspired persuasion replaces governmental. Course. Turlock fair. For truth. Certainly would do well enough. If you were 12 left to shift for herself. Seldom has received. Anoint your never will receive. From the power of quitman. Really known and more rarely welcome. Bylaws. Nor has he any need of force. Turn her entrance into the minds of men. Because if truth makes not her way into the understanding by her own light. She will be. But the weaker for any borrowed force. Violence can add. To her. This was locks for most legacy for america. An american founders. Maalox in the central focus of the government for the new nation. Create an open forum where people can pursue the true in the good where they are religious or not and bring that into the open forum in an ongoing dialogue arguments debate and through their works. Thomas jefferson said echoing lock. True. Is the proper and sufficient antagonist to error. And has nothing to fear. From the conflict. Unless by human interposition. She is just harmed of her natural weapons. Free argument and debate. Are ceasing to be dangerous. When it is permitted freely. Contradict. And so america was founded with a purpose. The creation of an open forum where the people are free. To hear the voice of god. However god is understood. Because the people's consciences are free. Spiritual and other insight and through nature. Hand wringer. And they are free to answer that call. People can play their part. Bring to the open forum. What they believe is god's desire. Or is there not religion. What reason. For humanity. And the world. The founders believed that the true and the good are more likely to prevail. Such an open forum. Pain under oppressive systems of government. They had known previously. In their own time and in their own immediate history. And that's because the people are free to bring the best of who they are. And their beliefs reasons. Forward. Without fear of sanction or abuse. The phone of the week system they were created. Only makes possible. For the true. And the good. I prevail. Would be up to the people. You. Make it girl.

uucb_org

061126_Jeremy%20Taylor_Projection%20as%20Spiritual%20Discipline.mp3

In the past and i think all of you know. That jeremy is a flounder. Projective. Dreamwork. Quickest internationally famous. Does have a workshop and a class. At the church. This church every february we've done it. So we'll have another one his workshop will be on february 3rd. And his class will start. The following tuesday 6-week class for more experienced person. Persons the workshop is for anyone. Introductory. So jeremy. It's your podium. Is ready to talk to russ about it this one my life. How projection can be used. As a tool for healing. If anybody knows about projection it's jeremy. Thank you morris. It is a great pleasure to be back with you again. Once again it's great to see familiar faces and faces that i have not seen before. Since the. The theme of this series. Is. Personal belief. The foundations of. Life that as religious liberals. Not. Anchored to any particular. Tradition or plan of salvation. Let me let me begin. Where the brief autobiographical piece. I am i am the only child. Of an extremely intelligent and cranky single mother. And one of the things that did for me. From early on. Was to make the notion of feminine aspects of the divine. Quite reasonable. And the notion of a father god who is both. All good and all-powerful. Grotesque to the appointment of being unimaginable. I take imagination very seriously. Seems to me that imagination is not. A function of idle fantasy. It is a means of perception. And that part of our problem collectively is that we have lost track of the fact. That. Imagination is the. The faculty that we have. For perceiving non-material truth. And there are such things as non-material truths. And the only way to perceive them directly is through the imagination. Imagination is in some sense the most important faculty we have. I am a unitarian universalist because. No matter how you define. That which cannot be spoken. That which is not a secret but which is literally beyond. The ability of. Human language and thought-form to frame. Is the most important question that we all face. And to imagine. That's something that has traditionally been called god or goddess i think of those words as placeholders. That to imagine anyting. Of that order which is not at very least by definition thesaurus and support of all. Is an intellectual error. And to imagine that there is anything that does not find its ultimate source. In. That which we cannot even conceive adequately. Is a similar error. And to imagine that anything is ultimately separated from that source. Is also an error. In other words i'm an instinctive universalist. I don't know whether any of you noticed the story in the chronicle i guess was on npr also about the. The hard shell is angeles. Who got it. Couple of weeks ago at this beeping is. Got it. That. He had been. Preaching untruths. And that all of this. Hell and damnation stuff that he had been preaching for his entire life. Thank you. Was nonsense. And that if there was such a thing as god then that had to mean that everybody was safe. Basic universalism. And he got struck by the universalist lightning and thrown out of his congregation. Managed to get on npr and it was really quite a cheering moment. Any discussion. Ultimate human value and concern. That does not address our unconscious state. Is an inadequate discussion doomed to failure. The most important thing about us as a species. Is the extent to which we are unconscious. And we are going to choke on the lie that we are homo sapiens. Unless we wake up to this fact. Homo boobie answers sounds a little closer to the mark. At this point. I have been a community organizer. All my life. My. Very intelligent and cranky single mom was. A quaker anarchist. And i inherited the quaker and a kiss to perspective from her early on. And it has withstood. All the tests that i can offer to it so i'm still a sort of quaker ridge and anarchist. The best thing that the law can do. Is to give concrete structure. To our relationships with one another. And the worst thing the law can do is to create stumbling blocks in our ability to establish relationships with one another. The law is not particularly significant. It is a way of codifying social agreements and it is nothing more than that. If we put our ultimate faith in the law. We are going to lose. Just the way we are going to lose if we put our ultimate phase. In anything outside of and beyond our evolving imaginations and our relationships with one another. Substantial and shifting though that ground maybe it's the only ground we've got. Which is what makes me a unitarian. The basic unitarian position. Thank goodness. Is that there is no legitimate authority. Outside and beyond the authority of individual conscience. And you will notice that that argument makes no reference. 2. What's what's the word to cancel. It was perfection. Infallibility nest aware. It makes no reference to infallibility we all know that individual conscience is grotesquely fallible. And vulnerable to. The huge errors that. Are visible before us the problem is. Vulnerable to error though individual conscience is indeed it is still the only legitimate source that we have. What are the pieces of evidence for that is that even if someone. Is raised to invest ultimate spiritual authority outside of individual conscience. When that seemingly external authority violates the parameters of individual conscience it is a recipe for spiritual crisis. And if the sociology is any good my suspicion is more than half of the people in this room have intimate personal knowledge of that truth. And if individual conscience were not superior to the seemingly. Infallible external. Sources. Then that conflict would not be a crisis. When would simply go out well must be something wrong with my conscience. A lot of people try to do that. And fail. And my guess is there's any number of people here today who tried to do that info. I wasn't go to we have a request for a show of hands if. Yeah. Yeah. And there's i think there's a lot of people keeping their hands down thank you thank you. So i begin with the assumption. That. However you define salvation all are saved. One cannot be ultimately separated from the. The ground reality of one's being. It's not possible it is beyond honest imagining. And if there is no authority in the universe superior to the authority of individual conscience. Riddled with error though it may be in any individual instance. And that the primary fact about us as human beings. Is that we have. Made this gamble. Of relying on consciousness as our primary survival tool. And in the midst of that we have deceived ourselves into thinking that we are only conscious beings. And that is so obviously not true we must turn our attention to the extent that we are unconscious individually and collectively. Now if we were not still groaning under the weight of roman imperialism is i believe we still are we are in fact still using roman imperial forms as the definition of academic and social success. Another terrible error. I believe we would have abandoned. The term unconscious as our primary technical term a long time ago. Because as near as i can make out the only thing it has to recommend it is that it has been cobbled together from academically fashionable latin roots. And one of the problems with that is it for people who don't speak latin and don't have a lot of respect for academicians it leads them to suppose that the unconscious is some sort of abstruse. Minor interest only two people with letters after their names and has nothing to do with the way ordinary good folk live their lives. And the fact of the matter is that it is precisely the opposite. That all of us are so vulnerable to that which we are unconscious of is that we are threatening to plunge the entire planet. Into a state of chaos where it will not be able to support complex mammalian life anymore. So i don't need to go through all the evidence for that i suspect this is an audience that is more sensitive to that evidence than a lot of others. The issue is why. Personally i do not believe. The world leaders of. Commerce and industry and government get together every morning on some kind of conference call and congratulate each other on their success. In. Creating a conspiracy to destroy the planet's ability to support human life. I don't think they do that. But you know what they might as well. Because that is the inescapable cumulative effect of their activity. And they are not doing it on purpose they are doing it unconsciously what what is that mean how can something be. Unin conscious all at the same time. There is however a phrase out of the less academically fashionable but much more evocative anglo-saxon word hard. That i think serves our purposes a great deal better and that phrase is not yet speech ripe. So that when you hear the word unconscious or read the word unconscious if you try experimental a translating in your mind. With the phrase not yet speech ripe. I think you will immediately have a much clearer idea of what's going on. There is this stuff inside us. We have no words for it so we can't talk about him can't even think about it. But it depresses on our awareness and our feelings and most importantly on our behavior. So we end up doing grotesquely counterproductive things. Which we don't even recognize are counterproductive until after the fact. It reminds me of that line of steve mcqueen's from the magnificent seven where they're all sitting around in the bar. Being sad because the age of the cowboys passing. And steve mcqueen says it reminds me of this guy i know who took all his clothes off and jumped into the mezquite. And his miss partner said to him. Knee looked at us all and said well it seemed like a good idea at the time. Those things which seem like a good idea at the time and moments later they reveal themselves to be grotesquely counterproductive are the direct an observable consequence of the extent to which we are unconscious. Now the primary way that our unconsciousness manifests itself when we are awake. Is through. The mechanism to use mechanical. Metaphors here it's not a machine i used i say mechanical because it is automatic and inevitable. That's the way the unconscious is it it seems automatic and inevitable because it is unconscious because it is not speech right. It is a process where we. Imagine without realizing that it's imagination at that point where very eat very willing to accept imagination as a. That's a means of perception. We imagine that we are perceiving things in other people which are in fact aspects of our own being. We find it much easier to see in others. Then to recognize in ourselves. Like preemptive wars indeed. Dimension one of the more grotesque examples right out of our current. Experian. It is a known psychological situation one of the reasons i am so interested in dreams and dreaming. Is that. Every sleeping. we are given this. Laundry list. Of what we are projecting. Cuz we know some things about dreams at this point one of the things we know is everybody drains. There is no such thing as a human being who does not drain. Anybody who says i don't dream it's simply confessing that they have gotten out of the habit of paying attention to this aspect of their xperia. When we look at dreams with an eye to their deeper meaning and significance. We discovered that every dream. Is. Constructed. Out of symbolic representations of the dreamers own interior life it is the central understanding of the gestalt school of psychology. Which was presented to us in north america primarily by fritz perls. The fritz was right. Everything in the dream is me the dreamer some aspect of my own being. In the dream. It is obvious. On the face of it it's not me. We all experienced our dreams in essentially the same pattern there's me the dreamer the dream ego. We sort of like how i think of myself when i'm awake. And then there's everything out there in the dream that is obviously on the face of it not me. But we also know that in fact it is me. To the extent that we dream and remember our dreams in this basic pattern. Me and not me. Is an absolutely reliable indicator of the extent to which we are projecting in waking life. It is a. Barometric pressure reading of the way projection rules our lives. Now one of the problems with talking about projection is that just because it's projection doesn't mean it isn't true. And if it's true. It will then draw projections out of us. Automatically. Like a magnet. We common garden-variety neurotic. I don't know there may be some successful psychotics in the room who are passing but let us say for the purposes of argument. There's nobody here in the room today except ordinary neurotics we come and garden very neurotic. Project where there are hooks to hang it on. We project intelligence on people who really are smart. Louis project beauty on people who really are gorgeous. And we project nastiness on people who really genuinely are jerks they were jerks before we met them they will presumably go on being jerks once they leave. But when these folks show up. With their beautiful intelligent nasty flags flying. We immediately recognized that in them and in the process of that recognition. We automatically because it is unconscious because it is not speech ripe. Give them credit not only for their own genuine beauty and intelligence and nastiness but all the beauty and intelligence and nastiness that we have that we have not yet. Add. The courage and the wit and the wisdom to own consciously. One of the reasons why it's so hard to argue with someone who is in the grips of protection because they always want to say well so-and-so is nasty. And if you're a friend of this person you probably don't well you know he's not my favorite character either and i just assumed sit another table at lunch but i don't want to kill him. This desire to put a bomb in his car seems a little extreme. And the difference between not wanting to sit at the same table at lunch and putting a bomb in his car is an absolutely accurate measure of the nastiness that is in me. That is easier for me to see in some other nasty person then to own consciously in myself. No one of the. One of the things that went out with the with the. Title of this talk was projection as a spiritual discipline. Because this is this is how it is. Everyone is in the same boat in this regard we project. Habitually. Unconsciously. Always i frankly do not believe we are in a position not to project. I think that that is at the pool players with say that shot isn't even on the table. But what is possible what is akiva belize to begin to recognize that we are projecting in the midst of doing it. And amending our behavior and our relations with one another on the basis of this increased understanding of the reality of our situation. Now there are a number of spontaneous. The technical name for them is ejaculatory. Prayer practices from various traditions around the world that address this question directly. I am particularly taken. Where the hindu. Prayer practice. In sanskrit the prayer is some soft spot. I am that. And rom dass. Translated that into english and said the problem with the literal translation is it in english it's a very totalitarian statement i am that. The implication is that is me i am nothing more than that. And you lose the subtlety of the projection. So when wronged us translated into english added the magic word to. So the his translation of santa cervantes i am back to. I am that also. And the practice involves. Moving through the world awake. And whenever anything strikes my awareness and awaken some kind of emotional response. To automatically say i am that too. Because i am that. If i were not that i wouldn't even notice. The event could take place right in front of me and i would be looking off at the sky and thinking about something else. Anything that impact on our awareness and evokes an emotional response from us in the waking world is a projection. And it is a very important spiritual discipline to recognize i would not be having these feelings if i were not looking at some aspect of my own being. This week's us around in a big circle to carl jung. He is my main mentor in this regard fascist sympathies aside. If you are interested in the question of his. Political life which i think is very important question. And if you are already familiar with the basic outlines of his biography. I would recommend reading deirdre bears new biography of young. It's. 800 and some pages. Almost 400 of which are footnotes. I wish i could say just ignore the footnotes. But like many scholars she allows herself to express opinions in the footnotes that she would not allow herself to express in the main text. And some of the most interesting stuff is in the footnotes. And she answers the main critiques that are offered of young today by serious moe. Namely that he was a nazi sympathizer if not a full-blown nazi and he was a compulsive womanizer. And she looks at the nazi sympathy question and demonstrates know he was not a nazi. And she looks at the compulsive womanizing question and says yes he was a compulsive womanizer. But so was dr. martin luther king. And i believe everyone here would recognize that it would be a terrible error. To reject kings perspective on racial tension in america simply because he couldn't keep his hands off every good-looking woman that crossed his path. Footnote in honor of deirdre bair. What are the things that deirdre did. Was to go to switzerland. And to interview the heirs of women who were clients of young's. One of the things that young did with his clients was to encourage them. Keep journals. In which they would record their dreams and other salient experiences in their lives. And she would say to these children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren anybody ever read grandma's journals and they do actually. They haven't in awhile i would love to. Will you give me. Youtube give me permission here sign here. And let me read your grandmother's journal so she read all of these journals from these women who were clients of yawns. And. Pretty much to a woman they included. Detailed and lurid descriptions of the physical lovemaking that happened occasionally in their meetings. The great man. Translate deja vu initial. Well. One-eyed errors there is a little band of unions who are arguing that it was all projection and if this was all fantasy all this journal. Stuff. And in the footnote deirdre bear says i've read them all and i got to tell you i think these are real accounts. In the same way that she just fell. The miss that young was a nazi one of the accusations that was made against him was that he was invited. Roberta's garden to cavort with hitler. In the height of world war ii well as a matter of fact he was invited. To go to bircus garden and cavort with hitler. But the invitation was engineered and she has seen the documents the demonstrative. By the high command of the german army who said too young. You have enough credibility in germany that if you were to spend time with the fuhrer and go back to switzerland. And publish an account in which you said that the furore was mentally deranged we would be able to use that diagnosis to overthrow him. And. Allen allen dulles. Who was the head of the oss station in zurich. Urged young to go. The urged him to go multiple times. And you eventually decided not to go primarily out of fear. Because dulles had also made the mistake of presenting him earlier on with a list of people who were to be summarily executed. After the war in europe was won in the nazis invaded switzerland. And young was third on the list. The first was the president of switzerland the second was the head of the swiss military and the third was carl jung. And you knew that this death list existed in germany and he was afraid that someone would kill him. Even though he had this official. Letter of invitation from the fuhrer himself so he decided. To go. Interesting information. Anyway. Back to young. June's primary contribution to our understanding of the unconscious is his exhaustive demonstration of the fact. That beyond the personal unconscious. Which freud looks at exclusively there is a collective unconscious. There is a level at which. All individual human psyches. Reproduce the same tendencies toward symbolic form that exists in all other human psyche. A lot of people fling their hands. It seems to me the cleanest analogy is anatomy. We do not throw our hands up in horror at the proposition that every human being reproduces the same basic anatomical form. We all have the same number of muscles we all have the same organs all the organs do essentially the same thing. It is true that each heart is unique. And at the heart of a professional athlete is larger and beats more slowly and circulates more blood with each contraction and at the heart of an asthmatic is smaller and beats more quickly and circulates less blood with each contraction yes but each heart is also a heart and what it does is pump the blood around the body. And the same is true that is essentially what young is talking about when he was talking about archetypes of the collective unconscious. That there are basic patterns. Bed we are all in here and lie predisposed. 2. Not necessarily accept. But to be influenced by unconsciously. Let me give you one of the one of the clearest examples it's so clear that most people have even forgotten that it's symbolic. All of us human beings are inherently predisposed to associate the direction up. With light. And consciousness and goodness. Paired with that predisposition we are all inherently predisposed to associate the direction down. With darkness. Unconsciousness and evil. We come into the world predisposed to do this. In a tremendous amount of trouble that we get ourselves and he's simply accepting this unconscious predisposition as though it were fact. Taking this essentially symbolic reality. And translating it literally into our relations with up-and-down and dark and light in the waking world. It is the archetypal format the basis of racism. And it is very important to remember even in the midst of our liberal european guilt. That lighter skinned people were enslaving darker-skinned people in sub-saharan africa long before the portuguese and the arabs arrived. And they're one of the reasons the slave trade was so brisk was that it was already built into the culture of sub-saharan africa. All the arabs in the portuguese did was to take over and already thriving business. I realize it's not a very popular thing to say but if we're going to get ourselves out of these terrible things that we have gotten ourselves into. We need to begin to call things by their right names. And racism is not some nasty quirk of europeans it is a universal predisposition. And it is as dangerous and destructive. 2. Human possibility in every culture that it appears in. What we need to do. Since we have cast our lot. Evolutionarily. With consciousness. Rather than with bigger claws or wings. Or the ability to sleep through the winter without eating or any number of other. Strategies that other species have pick we picked this country's misrule. And so we are now responsible for looking at these in tarrant predisposition. And deciding consciously whether they are any good or not. One of the ones we need to do immediately is to recognize that everything that is tall and bright is not good. And everything that is short and dark is not bad. As a matter of fact if you are engaged in what my. More pious brothers and sisters would call a spiritual discipline. One of the things you absolutely have to recognize is that any new relationship with the divine. Any relationship to the. Most important sources of meaning and value in your life which is not conscious now resides not in the light but in the darkness. Yes really. So that if you are going to evolve spiritually you are obligated to enter the dark with curiosity. Joseph campbell has an interesting example of all of that. Stop my favorite guy in all the world that he got. He got large pieces of it right. Rather like young. Campbell says there is this. Metaphor of the quest. And the quest is a symbol for spiritual development individually and collectively in society. And that it's some point in the quest. Usually after having passed through the forest of forking paths. You reach a crossroads. And one of the roads goes to the right up the mountain to the traditional locus of communion with the divine the mountaintop is an inherently symbolic form for communion with. The sky deity. And on the other path there is a left-handed pan that goes down into a cave. And they look like mutually exclusive choices it looks like the quester has to make the right choice or he or she is doomed. And campbell points out that it is in fact a trick question. Because either path chosen will lead to the other if you authentic lee choose the path up the mountain to commune with the divine in the rarefied air of the mountaintop in order to get there you will have to pass through the cave. Because you don't get there without passing through the cave. And if you go all at traditional pius spiritual bulshit i don't have anything to do with that i'm going to go on my own barefoot search for truth down into this cave. If you do that sincerely you will end up on the mountain top. And as campbell says there is really only one mistake to be made at that juncture at that crossroads at mythological. Event and that is not to choose. If you simply stand at the crossroads and dither around for your entire life and make. No choice either way that could be considered a mistake. Otherwise there is no mistake because either path sincerely followed will metamorphose and transform into the other. Now this is. Metaphoric and symbolic as we talked about it in waking life. It is literally in the dreamworld. In the dream world the dreamer may in fact be faced with. I seen exactly like that. Doesn't have to be exactly like that if it isn't exactly like that it will be symbolically like that. It doesn't have to be in the midst of a wilderness path it can be in the center of a a destroyed city. Deception the costumes change. The fundamental drama remains the same. And the more we know about that fundamental drama the more we can live our lives. Creatively and elegantly and lightly and effectively the more we can actually promote. An embrace of diversity the more we can actually. Influence a harmonious more harmonious relationship. With the biosphere with the echo system. The more we can cultivate. Passion. And i want to close with that as a as a pitched a picture about dreamwork i have always been very interested in. The large overall patterns. That define our dream reports as i said the biggest one. Is this. Unquestioned assumption that the dream is made up of me and not me. And the deeper truth is everything in there is me. And to the extent that i experienced and remember my dream in that. Arch typical fashion it is an absolutely reliable indicator of the extent to which i am projecting in waking life. Another. Thing that happens. When people pay attention to their dreams overtime. Is it their ability to recall these experiences. Increases. And one of the things that happens early on is the people begin to be able to remember being in two places at once. Very difficult thing to do in the waking world but in the dream world. My guess would be that. Three-quarters of the people in this room at least have already had the experience of being in a dream. And i'm regular dream me seemingly in a body running around dreaming the dream the way i always do. And in addition i am aware of a disembodied observing me. Usually above and behind embodied me by. 610 ft. So i have a higher perspective and i have a different view is a dream i have a different understanding of the drain. And that begins to reflect. An ability to. Understand and hold onto two thoughts at once when i'm awake. Which i would argue is the beginning of compassion. There is a. I sort of sentimental value of compassion that says compassion is sort of an amped-up view of. A pity. There's ordinary pity and then there's eight cylinder turbocharged pd which has enough extra energy to it that i might actually do something. Well i would like to suggest to you today that pity and compassion are opposites. They are not extensions of one another. Because pity is a separating emotion if i experienced pity i am primarily aware of how different i and my circumstances are. From the person or the situation that is evoking pity in me. Compassion on the other hand makes me vividly aware of how connected i am to the person or the situation which is awakening compassion in. Despite all the differences in the surface of appearance. And i believe on the basis of 40 years of professional dreamwork. That there is an inherent evolutionary trope in the dreamworld. That is moving us in the direction of compassion. And that the more people pay attention to their dream. The more they bring consciousness. 2. The unconscious. The more we make a conscious effort to make that which was not speech ripe. Communicable. The more we ate in this evolutionary process. And sooner or later in addition to being. In more than one place in a single dream people begin to realize that they are dreaming many dreams at once. There's not only this mean dream that i'm remembering. There are these other dreams that are going up. Another quick footnote i went and saw. The jerry bruckheimer. Syfy. Cop movie deja vu. Highly recommended. As a dream drama. And there. Very exciting scene. Where denzel washington is wearing this complex headgear. It allows him to see things that happened four days in the past. And he's involved in a car chase. He's chasing somebody four days in the past and he's driving on the highway in the present so he's got these two views. And he has to drive a car and avoid running into people. And that's one of the most elegant metaphors in popular culture than i have seen of. Because essentially what compassion requires of us is that we take other people's worldviews seriously. We do not have to be convinced by them. We don't even have to think they are nice but we have to make the effort of recognizing what they are and dealing with them with that understanding uppermost in our minds. That is a street legal definition of compassion. Anything else i think is pius nunsense. And one of the things that that means isn't should be particularly appealing to religious liberals. Is that curiosity is one of the highest spiritual energies that we have. In a spiritual tradition which does not promote curiosity is ultimately in opposition to genuine compassion. And one of the greatest things our tradition does is to give this sacred special place to curiosity. I don't think we use it for ticular lee well but it is at least enshrined in our history. He's at least they're to be used if we care to use it. No i think one of the most interesting ways to use it is to get together and share our dreams with running. As. Martha was saying i. Had the privilege of doing this. Group projective dreamwork here in this congregation for. Bob 30 years. And there are groups that have spun off and are continuing to function independently because it is in fact a self-empowerment exercise. I am always hoping that the end of an experience like the workshop or going to do in february. Significant portion of the audience will get it. I could do this. Me and my friends could get together and do this. We don't have to do something else first. And then go off and form their own groups and i think everybody that does that is not only doing something of great personal interest in value but is contributing directly to the evolution of the species. In a closet with any luck at all in a positive fashion. And you don't need me to tell you the kind of crisis that were in. I think if you think about it it becomes very clear the only thing that's going to get us out of this crisis rather than an endless succession of frying pans and fires is an evolution of human consciousness. The question then becomes how do we do that. And one of the ways we do that is to recognize consciously and take conscious responsibility for. The universality of our tendencies to project. Group projective dreamwork is the single best and most amusing way i know of doing that. That you for the whole time we're here. Let me move into a more dialogic mode here are there any questions or comments or arguments or stuff. Yes please use the microphone. Hello sue good morning. That wonderful exciting. Shadowy figure of charles rangel has brought up the idea of bring back the draft and it makes some of us you use shiver and quake. Because a very interesting study and projection and i think those of us have children and grandchildren of that age. Better get busy and do something about what you spoke about two years ago and that is sanctuary. Les twins. Lieutenant watados of the world are brave enough to say no i'm not going. Things can change but we we can help change it to so you want to speak about that projection. Hey husband. Favorite object of projection of my decades. And this time it's clear to me that it was ever before the van is consciously choosing to play the archetype of trickster. He's put on the trickster hat. And he has said the absolutely unacceptable thing. Which allows us to recognize a we already have a draft. It's a de facto draft that has to do with economics. And that there is value in becoming conscious of those things which we don't want to look at. And it is the tricksters greatest trick. The tricksters greatest trick is to get consciousness to look at the things that conscious. And i say bravo charlie. And given his record i cannot believe that he would actually vote for the draft. If it were to suddenly become. Like white house proposal. I don't imagine that charlie would be on that bandwagon. But he is on the bandwagon of raising country. And he is willing to suffer the slings and arrows of outraged liberalism. Which is another price that tricksters. Toupee. Tricksters are constantly being. Excoriated by there. If you're going to play that role you have to get used to that. Step response. Can you hear me. I'd like to ask you about how you. Personally. Manage. Baroness of yours truly. Daily. Habits your daily path. Do you have a way of like driving through traffic or interacting with people or indeed even being here where you say well where you sort of talk to yourself about what's a projection what is ended what you do with your own feelings about that. The. I am glad to exercises one that i practice. And i practice it regularly there's another even more athletic version of that exercise. That i do not practice as much as i once did because. You got to have a lot of free time. At which i don't have anymore. And that is. To look at the face of everybody you meet. And for a moment imagine. That this is the face of the one. The one you love best in all the world who reciprocates and loves you best in all the way. And it's not like distorting the face to fit some sort of ideal model that you have in your mind it's looking at the face as it presents itself in the moment. And imagining how would i feel. If i were looking into the face of the one. And it is an extraordinary exercise. And the reason you need a lot of free time is that. If you practice it with any energy at all. Folks will come up to you and say i don't know why but i have this urge to tell you the story of my life. And you owe it to them to sit down and have a coffee cup of coffee and listen to the story of their lives cuz awakening this kind of energy. And then. Frustrating it is not a not a service to humankind. It makes for trouble in the short-run i'm not sure about the long run but in the short run it makes for a lot of grotesque. But. If you wish to try it. I would highly recommend it. It is an extremely useful exercise it's particularly useful. When you meet someone. Who is in a class of traditional anime. Like say a neocon. With. Big button on with a peace sign with little little jet engines attached to it and says drop it on the bottom. It's a useful exercise. There are there are other exercises at the probably the most important exercise. Is to remember dreams to keep track of. To keep a record of them and the next most important thing is to have a group of people. You care about and who care about you. With whom you share the dreams. Is the main problem with the dreams. Is that the dreamer who is the only one who can say what deeper meanings may lie in there. Is in solitude inevitably going to be uniquely and selectively blind. To the deeper meanings of his or her dream so we need each other. In order to see the most valuable symbolic information that our dreams have to give. Will be going into this and much more detail in february. Urge any of you that are interested in that succumb to the. Come to the workshop. We have about 89 minutes left so. My thoughts. List or the early political scientist nicolo. Machiavelli. And his advice to the prince about. The difference between ruling by love and ruling by fear. Because fear has held together. By threat of punishment and. Love by publication. And obligations are easy to break but. The threat of punishment i will stay with you always. Children. Yes whether it's true mature adults is another question. His advice basically speaks to the brutishness. Nastiness. Keepall. And how it strikes me how liberal. Are religious people tend to think that. For folks like hitler would be good if only they. We're not so ignorant. And. How. That seemed that seems to be a problem. With. Call religious liberals difficulty. Seeing. Nastiness. Your father. Yep yep i couldn't i couldn't agree with you more. New world yep yep yep it's one of the. The most vicious consequences of christianity. That kind of pious nonsense. Curious situation to be and i have to assure you i am not a christian. And. Even though i am not a christian what i know as a community organizer is. That the only thing that changes our circumstances in any kind of positive way is coming to love our enemies. And we should do it not because some notorious middle-eastern crank oldest to. But because it's the only thing that works. And it's another one of the reasons why i'm a dream worker because i have never met a dream that i was not interested. And virtually all the conscious stories they people tell me about themselves i'm not particularly interested in. They are. They fall into easy. Easily categorized patterns. Couple of sentences into the story i know how it's going. Not true the dreamworld. So one of the things being a dream worker allows me to do is to stay curious about my. Now one of the game another one of the problems with christianity is this whole love your enemies business. The sentimental pious view of that that most of my friends hole. Is that that's an a direction to pretend that you have no enemies. And treat everyone in the same loving embracing fashion. Well that is a one-way ticket to an early death is near as i can figure out. And it's not what the man said. To speak to christian samantha did not say pretend you have no enemies. He said love your enemies and that means knowing very clearly who they are. And being consciously aware that if given an opportunity they will do me and my family farm. And loving them anyway. That's the trick. And the only way i have been able to accomplish that trick. Is to remain curious about their not yet speech ripe unconscious lies. And my very strong suspicion. Confirmed by. Nephew is a lot of argument about their their authenticity the few paintings that hitler left. Suggested me. That he was a psychotic. Psychosis is something that can be unraveled. It's a it's a difficult thing to do but i spent 12 years in a residential treatment program for schizophrenia. An artistic adolescents and children and adolescents and young adults right here in north berkeley and outfit call st george homes. And my primary chant my job description changed. Wildly over the course of the decade-plus that i was there but the. The thread of continuity was that i did dream work with the kids in the program pretty much on a daily basis. And i did dream work training for the staff and any number of other constituencies. Pretty much twice a week. And in the course of that it became clear to me. That the only difference. Between common garden-variety neurotic such as ourselves and psychotics who really ought to be locked up. For their own safety and the safety of others. It certainly put hitler in that category. Is that we have the luxury of waking up from our dreams. And in the first waking moments asking the universal archetypal question what was that all about. And they don't. The primary characteristic of profound mental and emotional disturbance. Is that the object relations that pertain in the dreamworld. Persist into the waking world unbroken. And i know there are things you can do about that. That is not. That's not an optimal situation. And there are interventions that can be undertaken they are. Amazingly expensive. But the only issue is expense. If you are willing to put the money in the energy into it it can be done. I am personally convinced on the basis of my experience at george. That there is no such thing as chronic and incurable mental illness. There is only. Chronic mental illness that is incurable because we're not willing to spend the money to do anything about it. Once you have the resources. Even those. Classic diagnosis can be overcome. And when a my bitterness is about the the mental health industry is. Founders st george homes. Dorothea roman, who just died a couple months ago. Was ferocious with us senior staff members about writing up our successes. And sending them off to the journals. This is a really interesting article. As you can see we all read it. Unbiased jurors reddit read it twice and we sent it around again. And we swear sending it back to you because if what you say happened and we have no reason to believe that it didn't. Then it must have been a misdiagnosis. And we are not interested in publishing stories about ms diagnosis. Pet shop 22. And that happened to me personally countless times. And it happened to my colleagues countless time. And it is. A little. Cautionary tale. About what is passing itself off as science these days. No matter what the evidence is if it contradicts. Deeply-held one has to call them religious because they are so deeply held. If it contradicts deeply held religious beliefs it is rejected out of hand. And that's a one-way trip. 2. Palookaville. Extinction. Cuz we're abandoning the main tool would we have adopted in order to evolve and survive. And creatures that do that cease to evolve and cease to survive. It's not just an unfortunate quirk. Of the mental health publishing world. It is a symptom of. Disaster. Fundamental disease. Thank you thank you all did you all get to kid pages. Everybody should have gotten a little sheet of paper that says dreamwork toolkit if you didn't get it i think there are more on the back on your attention please if you are interested in the workshop or the class in early february please leave your name and telephone number and i'll be glad to talk with you about it cuz there's more where that came from.

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061202_Hanna%20Matt_The%20Devine%20Feminine%20in%20Hinduism%20&%20Buddhism.mp3

We're very happy to have animat. Many of you know. Anna teaches world religions. Chichi you in the summer scootaloo. And in other places. And like huston smith she seems to appreciate all the religions. And i like that. Anna has been a general favourite. And this year she's going to talk about the feminine. Indian religious traditions. Shows today she starts. With with salsa. The building in which tradition. Hi good morning. See you all again. Today i'm going to talk about divine feminine. In indigenous religions. And hinduism and buddhism. So it's a big topic. But we can do it when we're going to look at some highlights. So i'd like to begin historically. Start with the oldest and that would be hinduism. And of all the religions. Hinduism has. Are the most predominant emphasis. On the divine feminine. It has the most representative. Sample of the divine feminine many many different. Faces of the divine feminine. In all of its ranges. So 80% of india. Is a. Country villages. And. Most of the spirituality in these villages. Is goddess worship. So if you go into any home. In the country in india. Is 80% of the homes. You will find in the corner of the living room. A a little altar. And a picture of one form of the divine mother and fruit and flowers and candles and incense. And maybe a a book of scripture that talks about the divine mother. So it's really all pervasive. And there is an association with. The divine mother and being close to the earth. Being an agricultural people. The divine mother is associated in many cases with. Creativity with fertility with abundance. With a sense of. Prolific. Reaping of the crops and children and healing and protection. So she is the main deity really in india. And she has many forms. So the name that characterizes the divine feminine principle. This is not something we have so much in our culture. It's not a goddess here it's a principle it's a divine feminine principle energy. That in stockton. Eshakti does not have a form or an image. But she takes. Many different forms. Her her energy her divine energy is projected out and becomes the various goddesses likes holly. And parvati. Adore got all the different personalities of the one god. Interesting lee enough. Hinduism is monotheistic. It may not look that way because it has so many different forms of the divine. But if you really talk to a hindu they will say there is only one divine spirit and it has many different faces. Or aspects. Just like i have many different. Personalities in aspects to me. I can be angry i can be tender i can be loving i can be nurturing and protective. I can be inspired to learning and creativity. I could be full of abundance. And introduce abundance. And in the same way the divine feminine manifest all these different faces. But there is only considered to be one divine energy. And it has two aspects. One aspect is that it's the feminine divine energy. And this aspect is called shakti. Shakti. And that literally means energy. Or power. But it's divine energy. So shawty is this feminine divine energy. Divine energy is called shiva. Interesting lee enough in hinduism. Feminine is the active part. She is the one who takes. The inert. State. Emptiness. Which hasn't yet come into being but is pure potentiality. That's the mask. And she takes this. And she is responsible for creative manifestation in physical form. So the male divine energy is. Stillness. Emptiness in a positive way emptiness that is fullness but it hasn't yet. Come into form. It's. Very much in meditation. It's aloof. It still. And it's the feminine shakti which is. Makes it move out of this skynyrd state. And come in to produce something to to make all the different forms of the earth. So we have a very different take on what's masculine what's feminine. Here in india what's considered active in creating. Manifestation on the earth. Is the feminine divine. But both are both are taking place the masculine and the feminine. So. Here is from the hindu scriptures the piranhas. It's talking about shakti. She who holds the universe in her womb. Source of all creative energies. Who conceives and bears and nourishes all that exists. She is the condensed power of energy. She is the power that virgins for. Into action. She is the purest consciousness and bliss. Inherent. In the manifesting. Of all being. She maintains the many beings of the world. And there is just one great mother. Eshakti. She has many aspects and faces. Which are the different goddesses. But it is the shakti. Who is the ultimate source. The cosmic energy. Of all that occurs. So this is on your hand out in the first paragraph you like to look at it later. I've included some of the quote so that you can take this home. And just a bit further and discuss it with. Friend. So we can see the dishes. A basic basic part. Is the divine feminine. This hyundai ting energy. Is energy which take something in it. Infinite potential state. And turns it into form. Ashanti is is called the divine mother. Spiritual life force. And dynamic energy of the other universe. So she takes what's unmanifest. And she brings it into manifestation in the physical form. She is actually. Dc universe in all its forms. So it's a little bit different in our conception to because we think in our culture. That god is somehow ruling over the earth. Is a transcendent and bigger than the earth somehow different. From. The trees. And you and me. But in hinduism is thought of as the world. So you're a manifestation of her you're a manifestation of her and the trees are and we get this sense of non-duality. Did she reject herself. Enter creation and she actually becomes creation. So. She's especially manifest in the human being. And in the earth. And in. Fruits and. Plants. Budding. Plants that are. Destino this sense of a tree bursting into. Vibrant growth is is full of this. Divine life energy. So we we go beyond a sense that we are separate from the divine. And it's this. Within you. Which is. Caring for you. Which is helping you. Which is giving you wisdom to know what to do. And. This form of the divine feminine does not tell you. To ignore the world. Or go away from the world. Or to somehow feel that the world is defiled and dirty and. How to bennett co. This is very much an engaged spirituality with the world. Because. Every part of the world. Contains the device. Not separate so we treat each other. With the idea that the other person is a manifestation of. The divine feminine. Rather than being somehow. There's a. There is a spirit on one side and then there's matter on the other. Here it would be a matter would be conceived of as. Spirit. Condense. And. In physical form. So it's a very different relationship we have been to the world. The world sacred. And we have. We can't pollute it. The streams are thought to be. The blood in her bank. The grass is thought to be the hair on her head. So we are actually in murst in her body. Is she has many different spaces. We have kali. And kali is the form of the divine feminine. Which is angry. And we don't usually get to see. An angry form of the divine feminine. We usually see passive. Obedient. Humboldt sweets. Demure. Never really speaking up and saying. Stop. But kali is this aspect of the divine feminine. Which is the fire of purification. She's angry in. And raffle in destroying our hindrances. Ignorance. And anything that stands in the way of you coming to the divine. But what she destroys is negative. So she may be the destructive force. But she's just destroying what's getting in your way. For those of you who come in there are handouts they're back there and on each seat. So. A collie is this. Destructive power of the universe but it's destroying in order. To create a new in a better way. So it's always with the idea of improving. Getting rid of obstacles and barriers. She is. Considered to be dark. So instead of equating the divine feminine with light and white and purity she is acquainted with night. With anger with the with the. With dreams. The shadow within you. The shadow of the world she's what oz to look at our own shadow and look at the shadow of the world and deal with it. And stop the oppression stop the affliction. Stop the injustice. Now. And she will stand up and. Arise. And cause an abs welling. And society and in you in order to get rid of injustice. So this is the warrior aspect within us. She has immense spiritual power. And that power is designed to propel us toward. Realization of the divine and producing adjust society. She is considered to be the slayer. The eagle. The negative ego. The constricted self which keeps us from growing. And this is from the hindu scriptures. Which describes her. Scripture is called the scanda. Hari vamsa piranha. Is on page 2. Bottom. Of the first paragraph. About kali. Black as the petal of a blue lotus. At night. Black as the night. Touched by the light of the moon. Kali is the essence of night. Who is called dream. She is the dark one. Who dispels fear. Daughter of the ocean. Mother born of anger. Is that interesting it's really a reframe on our idea the divine feminine. She's the mother who is born of anger. So here was seeing the holiness of anger. Rather than seeing anger as a defilement or something we're trying to get rid of it seeing that it's sometimes arising and saying the holy no. Something has to change. Know that when this. of suffering and sorrow finds its natural and. Collie. She'll be there to gather the seeds. To create the new creation. So you could see this maybe as a violent thunderstorm which is clearing the trees of deadwood. Or you could see it as a huge flood which is opening up the streams which have gotten blocked. All this is designed. 2. Create something new that's functioning in a better way. But sometimes in the process. Things need to be destroyed. So we see here in hinduism a key points and that is. That the whole phenomenon of creation. Destruction. And renewal. Is key to their theology. They believe that the divine is in destruction. Divine is in death. The rather than sing that the divine is only. Light is only goodness is only hell is only good things happening. We're seeing a different attitude of watching nature and watching. That. Part of a cycle of nature is winter when things are destroyed and died. And they fertilize. New growth. So that's that's the part of which is kali. And i think it's very important. For us to see images. Where this aspect of the divine is emphasized because this also. Acknowledges that it is part of us. And that it is holy. It's not necessarily something that we need to get rid of. Okay that's one form of the divine feminine which is. Angry and wrathful. Another form is durga. And durga is always on the battlefield. Which is a symbol of battlefield of life. Our daily life. Consider to be a real battlefield. And she is the warrior woman. She can stand up to the demon. She was created. Because. None of the male god. Could. Conquer the demon. So they needed to create somebody who was. Incredibly strong and powerful and could overcome the demons. Could stand up to the. And that's what door got you so this is this. Might. And spiritual warrior hood be able to stand up. To those that shadow part of life. And ourselves. And to be able to overcome it. The mother or shakti has very many tender. Faces also. Other aspects of the divine feminine. For example parvati. Parvati is. Considered to be the lady of the mount. That's her name. And she's sivas beautiful gentle bride. She said aspect of us. Which is. Tender. Which is gentle. Which is nurturing it's very much of a. Nature orient. Hibachi she's always in the mountain. Very sweet and gentle. And then we have sarswati. Cruise. Thrust is really learning. And cultural refinement. She is that part of us. It always wants to learn and iscariot. Wants to read wants to go to lectures wants to. Find out about things in the world. And so all these. Young causing archetypes that are in us all the gods. And goddesses are archetypes. Which are within us. So sorry swati is that part of us. That is. Craving learning. It wants to expand our. Another aspect. Is lakshmi. And that's the part of us. That is responsible for producing abundance. We we have this ability to prosper. And not just materially. But the whole idea of prosperity as being fruitful as being able to produce abundance in your life. So the mother is seen as generally shakti is seen as. A nurturing. As embracing. The mother never refuses anybody. So we have here a different philosophy also then possibly in the west. The mother is. Generally accepting of everybody would never turn anybody away everybody is. Part of the mother's embrace. So there is never a sense that well i haven't done so many good things in my life i've send like crazy i walk down and unwholesome road so i'm out of step with the divine. And i'm not the divine is not open to me. That's not true at all with them with a mother with shakti there's always an open. There's always a sense of unconditional love. You're never cast out of the garden ever ever ever. You never thought of as defile. You never saw it as your nature is staying. You are completely accepted all the time. So the mother covers and protects you. Her concerns our daily life. It's another thing that's a little bit different with us this philosophy is that. The. The realm of spiritual practice. Is in our daily living. It has to do with how we treat each other. How we cook our food what we eat. How we go about our work. How we drive in traffic. How we interact. Are on a daily basis how we do our work. All of that is. Spiritual practice for the divine mother. It isn't so much removing yourself. And going off to a mountaintop and being away from the world it has to do with. Being. A loving presence in the world. Being at peace in your daily round of activities. And why is this. Because the divine feminine is seem to exist in every part. Of human experience. Your relationships. Nature. Society. Work. All that is a manifestation of the mother in different forms. So one is to relate to the universe as. The mother. Julius switch for us. Seeing the universe as. A manifestation of the divine mother. Remember i lived in india for 4 years and i remember. People would take as their spiritual practice to go out. And watch the sunset every night. And they would always say. Look at it tonight the mothers putting on. Her finest clothes. For us tonight. So it's very much his idea that what is happening right here. In our experience is the divine mother manifest. As a very close relationship. Almost as if she is. Our true mother or sister. The one is to relate to the universe. Mother. Learning to feed from the mother throughout the day. As if you are. Nurturing being nurtured from her breast. Learning how to interact with and drive system. An inspiration from the mother. So this is an ongoing thing that you are continually deriving your sustenance for your daily life. From her just like a child. At the breast would be deriving. His sustenance from his mother on a daily basis many many times a day. So you go to feed from the mother. Periodically during the day. So she says. In the chandi the chandi is a hindu scriptures. Which discusses. To the most in-depth. The divine feminine chandi means the divine feminine. Another name for shakti. And it's 700 versus all describing. The divine mother in everyday life. And it says in the chandi. Quote. The universal mother says. Whenever there is oppression in the world. I shall descend and destroy it. Very much protecting. For children. From affliction. Not saying over you deserved it so. It's much more a sense of. Coming down and helping to eradicate injustice. So it's a powerful strong purifying energy. Rather than thinking of it as me. Or. Ineffective. It is very very powerful the very name shakti means power. For example if someone is very tired one day. That they might say what i just don't have my shot. So it's really considered your energy or vitality. To do and create. From the hindu scriptures the piranhas. Shakti's omnipotence. Is in all that she continually does. Do they not say that even shiva. The masculine principle. Is unable to. On his own. He lies as a corpse. Until she grants him. Her energy. In the form of a coiled serpent. A spiritual energy. Kundalini. She lies at the base of each person's spine. When that person does spiritual practices or action is spiritual way she unwind. Viscoil. Spiritual energy. At the base of the spine. And it arises through our body. And the same coil. Spiral energy is circulating. Through all of nature. Society. So our job is to put ourselves in harmony. So those are a few of the most prominent. Forms of the divine feminine within hinduism. And now i'd like to look a little bit at buddhism. Buddhism came out yesterday. A total number. I would say probably a hundred. But those are the most. Important. Discuss. Okay buddhist buddhism came out of hinduism evolved from hinduism it's as if it's a limb of the tree. Of hinduism. What are the two most prominent forms of the divine feminine within buddhism. The first is quan yin. I lived in japan and i studied buddhism in japan and on every corner i remember seeing a temple. Or i liked it like we would have a church. To kuan yin. And her statue would be standing up on top of it. The quan yin is a household. It in the same way that i described in india it's the same in japan and korea. And in the spiritual parts of china china has become quite secular but in people who still have retained the old spiritual traditions. They keep this custom. And you will find in every home a little shrine in the corner with a statue of quan yin. Kuan yin. Her name means hear of the cries of living beings. Or sound regarder. She is listening. 2. What you are saying. He's listening to the cries of the world. She's not off distant aloof. Transcendent she's right here with you listening. Your needs your suffering. If you like to follow along with me this is on page 2. So she is considered to be. The embodiment of mercy and all-embracing love. Rejecting no one. And this is something that we find you out all the forms of the divine feminine. Is the divine feminine rejects no one. There is a complete all-embracing. Unconditional love. Guanyin is called the great compassionate one. She's an embodiment of compassion. She was the bodhisattva of compassion. Bodhisattva means. That. You are on the path to enlightenment. And just before you come into enlightenment into nirvana. You decide that you are going to go back. And help all beings relieve suffering. So you you. Put off your own enlightenment until all people. Can come into enlightenment. So she was the most popular bodhisattva and then it came to be that she. Carter became the divine feminine energy within buddhism. Achieved a divine status. So she's not only a bodhisattva but she's an embodiment of the divine feminine. She's known for her miraculous powers. In aiding human beings in distress. And her potent compassion which takes care of you. And she's to be a an example for us. So not that we give over to kwan yin. But that we are to be this embodiment of compassion. And aid people in distress. So it's instead of saying it just as. Oh pray to kuan yin and everything will be okay. It's. It's a different philosophy and buddhism it's more. The example. And we follow the exam. Of how she is of aiding other beings of listening to other. Ab doing everything we can to relieve suffering. So. Very much of an example for us. She's portrayed as a gentle mother. Carrying a child in her arms. And she has long white flowing robes. It is said that if you align. Yourself with her. You can become fertile and second as she is. So it's really an alignment. Process. That allows. A fertility in a creativity. It is said that like her. We are to become a lamb. To those who cannot see. And sometimes that's not just. Literally they can't see. But that they have blinders on. We are to become a sunshade. To those consumed by the heat. A craving for avoidance. We are to become a stream for those who are spiritually thirsty. And one who takes away all fear. From those who are in anxiety. And we are to become a healer. For the sick. And a mother. To the unhappy. To aldi's are symbol. Are metaphors. Just like she is this way we are to be like this. So it does not see the human being as impoverished. It morrissey's there's tremendous potential we have to attain the same level. As quania. She's often pictured as having a thousand arms. Because she's doing so many things. Speeding this one person. Comforting the other and being a mother to another. Doing so many things. So she is by far the most popular and best love image. Of the divine feminine. Representations of her are featured. In every home. In japan. In korea. She often sits on a white lotus flower. And her mercy is said to be in. There's no end. To her compassion. And compassion here is not seen as pity. Compassion really means. Feeling with. Unataza pier. Feeling with. Okay. Buddhism. And the next one in buddhism is progeny paromita. Prajnaparamita. It's at the bottom of page 2. Prajnaparamita is not a figure. Not a form. Again this is sort of a concept of the divine feminine. Energy. And it means wisdom. It means sacred wisdom. And wisdom in buddhism is. Portrayed as feminine. So prochnow is it means wisdom. And parmita means. The fullness of wisdom or the perfection of wisdom or that's the highest stated was. So this is something within you. This is not something separate from you this is an energy within each human being it's what allows you. To come to insights. When you get quiet and still all of a sudden you may find a solution to a problem. So it's that inherent. Wisdom that we all have if we. Go deep enough within our cell. So cosmopor m is central. To all forms of buddhism. Because it is the essential element of the enlightenment experience. So the enlightenment experience. Memes. That. You have insight. It means that you can quiet yourself. And be able to come. To a new idea. Or a wise way of doing something. It doesn't mean something. So far off. It really is something that is is very reachable very accessible. So it is the achievement of wisdom or prajna. That enables the bodhisattva. To maintain. The consciousness of ultimate reality. In the midst of living in this world. So we have this two things going on one is. Reaching the state of enlightenment. And the other is being in the world of everyday reality and how difficult that is. Soap rashna is that which enables you to do that. Having your wisdom with you. It helps you deal with the negative forces within you the hindrances which are called. Always wanting more. Or a version denial pushing things away. Or. Crazy. Egyptian. So when those come up. Yorkie age is your project. Wisdom. Wise discernment. Prajnaparamita. Is often conceived of. As the mother of all the buddhas. So we think that the buddha is the greatest teacher in in in buddhism. But who was the creator of the buddha who was the original teacher of the buddha who gave the buddha the dharma. And that was prajnaparamita. So she came first. And she gave birth. To all the buddhas and she gave them their wisdom. He gave them the teachings of buddhism. Sushi is primary. The mother of all the buddhas. Buddhism empathizes the need for the union. Of wisdom with skillful needs. So wisdom is prochnow. And skillful means our upaya. So i might have all the insights in the world and the great ideas. And great wisdom but unless i really have skilful mean. That means like ways to put it into practice. Ways to bring it about. Like i may have an idea that i need to talk to somebody and tell them. Did they were wrong. And skillful means might be the way i talk to them i might talk to them with respect. And show them how much i honor them. And acknowledge all the good things that they did. And then communicate in a skillful way. So that your message gets across. So proshno would be the wisdom part of it. And pia. Skillful means. Bringing it down into effective action. That is going to make a difference. This is from the mahayana text. In the middle of the paragraph. Quote the perfection of wisdom. Prajnaparamita. Gives light. Except that. That force inside you which gives you light. She is unstained. And the entire world cannot stain her. So that means that there's a part of you that no matter what has happened to you. No matter how horrendous that experience might have been. There's a part of you that's completely unstained by it. It stays completely untainted. From everyone she removes darkness. And leads them away. From the blinding darkness. Caused by hindrances and wrong views. In her we can find shelter. She makes us seek. The safety of the wings of enlightenment. She brings light. To those who can't see. So that all fear and distress. Maybe forsaken. Sushi is that part of us. When we are filled with anxiety and worry. She is softly whispering. Don't worry. It's going to be okay. You don't have to see her. Let go of your anxiety. Wisdom. She is an organ of vision so she's that ability within you to have vision. I have vision thinking be able to. Think of a solution to a problem or an idea that's new and fresh. She disperses your gloom. So when you find yourself in a place of sadness and despair she is that force within you which is bringing light and dispelling gloom. She guides you from within on the spiritual path. And she is the giver. Of all the buddha's teachings. From within. She brings about the ten powers of a buddha. So the buddha would have none of his teaching. Without the progeny parmita. She cannot be crushed. So she's that part of you that no matter how much you've been beaten down by life. You cannot be crushed. It's indomitable. She protects the unprotected. With the help of the four grounds of self-confidence. So she's the aspect within you of self-esteem. A self-confidence. Even though you may feel one part of you as a sense that. You just aren't enough. And you don't make the grade. She is that part of you who reassures you. That you. Have self-confidence that you are worthwhile more than just worthwhile you are a wise being. She is an antidote to deadness. So when you feel that sense of dead and lack of vitality boredom she is that aspect of vitality. Of new life. Agnew generating. Vibrancy and radiance. She has clear in her knowing of all the spiritual teachings. So this is that part of you that has an inner knowing. Not just conceptual knowledge. Yeah you may not know about many different philosophies or ideas or how to do certain things but there's a part in you that does no. It is very interesting instead of thinking of us as. Somehow deficient and we need to be filled from the outside. This is maura sense that there is a part of you that does no. An interesting refrain. So at the bottom of page 2. This is from the buddhist scriptures. Envisaging her thus. One should say. The act of identification. Quote. Such as is the lady prajnaparamita. Even so am i. Such as i am. So is the lady. Price pricing a parameter. So we are to identify with her. We are to realize that she is within a she is a part of us. Not to think that she's separate she's outside in. That we don't have all that those qualities. Okay i'm just going to touch on one form of the divine feminine in indigenous religions. And this is one of my favorite one. Call the old spider-woman. And she is from the native americans. In. The southwest. Us. And it says that the old spider-woman. Produces the world web. Out of her body. And weaves us together in a fabric of interconnection. And then when we get out of balance. Remembers us. Chicago weaves us back into the web. Even though we may be filled with bitterness. And suffering and rage. She helps us endure. Vibrant and certain. Of our significant. Certain. Of her centrality. And her identity as the sacred. Poop of being. This is a big concept in native american theology is it there is a sacred hoop of being. And we are part of that. Who is this circle. And we have a sacred hoop of being within our self. And we have a sacred hoop of being within our family. And then a larger hoop within our friends and acquaintances. And then a larger hoop with nature. So all this is about right relationship. And we are part of this interrelated matrix. Is interconnected web of being. And when we find ourselves. Getting out of step off. Suffering we feel. Depressed. We can know. That we are being brought back into this web of life it's a trust. The trust that there is a force within the universe. That is remembering us it is reincorporated on us. Into this. Sacred hoop of being. Soda sit the sacred hoop of being is seen as feminine. All people and nature and animals. In one vast living speer. And this linkage is not material. But it's spiritual. So you can't see it. But it is there there is an interconnection. The absence of this connection is the power to transform you. To heal you. To communicate with others and was a spirit. This idea is very apparent in the plains indians. With their idea of the medicine wheel. The way we heal. Is to reconnect with our sacred who. Within. But our family with our friends and with nature. That is. What transforms. So each thing and being partakes. Of the life of the all spirit which is running through all the sacred hoop of phoenix. All movement is related to every other movement. In the interconnected web. And. All beings are seen as equal value. So we have equal value with animals. The rock. In the water in the mountains. So this denies the opposition dualism. Isolation and separateness. That characterizes much of non-native or indian thought. So god is not seen as separate from human beings. And nature. So the native person assumes a place in creation that is very dynamic. It's creative. That's responsive. The native person conceives of oneself as participating. In destiny on all levels. Including that of creation. Imagine thinking that you are having a big heart. Increation. An ongoing effect. Of life. So the. American indian universe is based on a dynamic self-esteem. The ability of each person. She share in this process is ongoing creation. Makes. All being supper. L.l.bean sacred. So what is the basis of your self-esteem. It's that you are. Taking a big heart. And creation. You are responsive god isn't doing things without your co-creator show. You are your dynamic your responsive you're creating. Along with god so you have a tremendous value. You never thought of as. Replaceable irrelevant of no use. You are considered to be. Very very. Crucial. Every person every being is a tremendously crucial and important. To the whole process. The one thinks of oneself. As unlimited. Beyond just one's physical. Capabilities. Each person is thought to have immense power. A vital. Principle of dynamism within. And each person is seen as necessary a crucial part of an ordered balance. And living hole. So obvious idea of the sacred hoop of being. And the old spider woman who is leaving us into this web of interconnection. That we not we may not be able to see. But to know it is it's there spiritually. Don't have time for questions. For those of you who came in late there is a handout that you can take home. And study this material further. On the back table. Okay thank you for a very enlightening presentation i just wanted to ask you about the. Playing about everything and everyone being a manifestation of the divine feminine it would seem then that like murderers and rapists and warmongers and polluters and child abusers without the manifestation of the divine feminine so that not only is there a positive. Nurturing aspect of the divine feminine there's also a negative self-destructive aspect so how did how does that all sorted out. India in the in the countryside and they didn't have too many child molesters there so that is kind of more seen as a perversion of human nature is not necessarily manifestation of the divine mother cuz the divine mother wants to protect. Her children. But you're right there is an aspect of the divine mother which is destructive but it's the kind of destruction which is destroying. What is negative. Destroying your addiction. Destroying your. Your impediment. Destroying your hindrances. Destroying anything that keeps you from the divine. So the destruction is not i mean it's also storms storms you know destroy. That would be considered the divine feminine. So it's a kind of destruction. Is being referred to. Okay so that it if if it's not a manifestation of the divine feminine then there is a duality. Will it could be that one ones at a veil has been placed over one's eyes. Not that there's two separate things but somehow do to your conditioning. You became violent. And. There's a jail. And you become hardened. But that doesn't mean that you're not still all of us things. And that you could return and that you have that as a part of your basic. Essential nature. So that's something scene is very. Surface. Something very workable. Something that can be changed easily. It's not your. Essential nature. Hardwood. Peasant or a person in the countryside. Describe the wonderful works of mahatma. Gandhi relative to shocked achieva in that unification and balance. You spoke.. I'm not sure exactly. In terms of it working. To do the great things that he did. What was at work here said unification together. Expand the way he did. And do the things that he did. For the betterment of all the people of india. In the recognition of all. Religions excetera. What was what was it work here. I think that's a really important point because. The divine masculine is shiva part is meditation its its retreat is quiet. Anand gandhi did have one day every week where. He retreated into his house and and then just didn't speak. And. Did prayer meditation studying writing. Just kind of going within a kind of recharging your battery. You know it's sort of. How's your day. I needs to be doing and making and changing and improving the world and. Working. And then there also has to be a balance of being able to. Recharge. Going within slowing down resting. That the shooter is still it's quiet it's resting it's in a. Steady-state. So gandhi said he could not have overthrown the british and got them to leave if he hadn't had. That time. So i think that's a really good example of those two working together. Of having times of regeneration. And in times of going out into the world. And fighting oppression. Whenever my wife and i visit the united nations outside of new york city. We make at least a few minutes in the meditation room to hamish old meditation room. Do you have. Any brief comment on. The reality of the united nation since 1945. And or. This much longer reality. Is in what sense. Is it. At all special. In terms of manifesting. A lot of what. Scribing. Overlooked instrument that is. That it is place for people. To learn relate. For sure i think that speaks a lot about the sacred hoop of being. You know that we are interconnected. We are in this interrelated matrix. And we need to have right relationship we need to hear what someone in kenya is dealing with. You need to hear about the problems in rwanda. We need to hear about problems in every country. And that would be very much a function of the divine mother she's very concerned with the details. Are people suffering and responding to that and fixing the problem. Not just sort of going-away. Yourself. And saying how you deal with it yourself. What's your problem. So i think the united nations would be a good example. Avera sacred hoop. He forgot the mic okay. Okay i know that there are artistic depictions of many of. The goddesses that you're talkin. Are they enhancing or inhibiting. Well. That's a good question because in hinduism it said that. We live in the material world we have senses and we're attuned to the census. Just seeing things. And if you don't have. Physical manifestations in a form of the divine. Dan your tendency is to become very secular and to forget all about the divine. And so. They have. Forms and pictures of the divine everywhere. Every everywhere. Just everywhere you look you reminded of the divine. So i think in that way it's very good. Other way and that shadow side i think that. Anytime you have a form of something that limits it. And you tend to think of. It's just that form and it's just over there and it's not in me. It's not a force. Within the universe that. Affecting me. It's just. Kind of statue over there. It has no relevance for my inner life for my outer life. So i think maybe that's why. It says in the bible you know to not make images. Because it somehow limits the divine it can find the device puts the divine in such a tight little box. A physical manifestation. That. It takes away its power. But it's a really good question because that's what. Kinder's a lot of people from studying hinduism. Because of all these different forms. Yes i'd like to ask you. About maya. I was surprised that you didn't mention. There aren't just. Positive images. Of femininity in in india. Dynasty the temptress the one that keeps you away. I'm from spiritual and and. A contemplative actions. Also that it seems like energy is often times not dualistic. That power is seen as power for good or evil depending on how you use it and a lot of people cannot identify with kali because they don't want to see the shadow side of creativity you can create nuclear bonds. And the other thing i was surprised at that you didn't mention amaterasu one of my favorites. It is since you mentioned. Buddhism she is a creator. Goddess. And quite interesting. Could you say something about her yeah yeah. The sun. Write the sun is depiction. Radiating golden light. It's from japan. Create the reason i didn't is because when i was in japan what was strongest was quan yin. Kiwanians in every house. I'm about to is more of a shinto. Deity and i didn't see it all that much maybe once a year there be procession. With her form being. Emblazoned. But i didn't see it all that much. So i didn't i i only have like 45 minutes to do this i was trying to pick you know two examples that were most prominent. And also about maya maya isn't considered to be. A goddess. Maya is considered to be. That veil which comes down over our eyes. So that we cannot see. The divine in everyday life. So it's not really a divine aspect it's a. It's part of the lila of gods of gods. Damn. Of god sport if we didn't have the veil over our eyes there would be no journey. There would be no story there would be no adventure we would all be in enlightenment in god-consciousness all the time. But we are have available placed over our eyes and our work is to be able to see through that fail to lift at vail. The way we treat each other. Through spiritual practices through. Learning. Through all the different ways that we can come to the divine. So maya although it is a feminine word. I think it isn't really consider to be divine. It's more the force of hendrix. That's what gets in the way of your. Spiritual evolution. So it's it's. It is delusion it's seeing things not as they really are. Princeton's they use an example of your walking along hiking. And uca. A stick on the ground. And you think it's a snake. And you jump. But it's not. It's just a. It's just a stick. And so the things that you're afraid of the things that you think are the wrong views that we have the the misunderstanding. All that keeps us from enlighten. So i don't think maya is. A divine. Feminine energy i think it's. In the universe. Which enables. The whole adventure 2. He carried out. Thank you anna thank you.

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070506_Lois%20Atkinson_Tales%20from%20the%20Stairs.mp3

Iron. Impersonal for urology. Louis welcome. Eating. I depended on my memory. Let me down. Geology under false pretenses because i cannot be allowed to school. I don't believe. So i'm technically kind of a believer. Who created the world. I doubt that they outside above or beyond nature. I read your boat. It's my obvious reverend that makes people feel nervous when i speak out. Gathering. I can't help meant in the morning to you you blind spots here. Lotro called religious liberal. Generous to a christian. And yes i even mean thunderman worth. You may have your reasons personal emotional trauma at the hands of the religious beliefs. I realize that it's there. But. The lines about god being metaphor. Santa claus just read the famous article. Don't have to take care of all the metaphors in generosity. About that. Label. Why do call me metaphysical dilettante. Idilico. Guarding ability as an amateur dabbler. Both the word and the word amateur has a second connotation. Unlocked or learn. Loveropa. Synonymous with connoisseur. Do you know enough about the subject to be attached to it. Intimate romantic. And that's me. Many tragic fascinating. Maybe i can pass myself off as an experiment something but i. I prefer in independence. And i am a lover of almost everything. The bakery for religion of course in literature. I'm sorry ligature a rope. You have to be tied down to something i don't like that. My belief is instructing already. Remote. And there's very little system about anything i do. Life-changing for restrike you like lightning. I remember vividly in my college gymnasium. Electrified by the great unified field theory. Shrimp look like. Conversion on the road to damascus. I adore science. Super-friendly petty things that are measurable and candy crew. Ideas of course can be based in reality. Some people. That i have neo-pagan reading. Do i really do. I really call myself an ecos animal. Anna neo-pagan. Because that way i can still be a believer in some kind of god. And if i want to go down. And i do think of it is brown. I'd like to. My christian and other orthodox. Who are friends of mine are always talking about climbing jacob's ladder for trying to get more spiritual for trying to get better and better everyday. My paden friend. Becoming intimate with mother earth. More like going down in the cave. Delving into. Rather than going app. That's why you're here. Natural atheism. David eller parker start were all born. Without supervision free synagogue. And therefore. That is not my experience. I was born under. Animal right. My earliest recollection coronavirus ar with family story. I wonder wonder and paper exploration. I don't believe. Make it any less reverent. Eagan. That's where my so-called spirituality. Especially delighted and yes hopefully moral. In metairie. Ulta beauty. I can be self-absorbed. Without thinking of myself as a park. Surrounding. I remember the garden at the old spanish trail stucco house my parents had in compton california. They're always roses in irish. Snapdragon. Magnolia. I guess that's when i became a smoking. When i was a toddler. Over the years my family camping trips around every summer. Adult family garden go when my father sang in the car his favorite hymn. None. If a person remembers that he is a part of me it almost seems impossible to feel disconnected. Alien nails or despondent. You are welcome from helper. Perhaps. But there's a sense of wonder in every bit of love for me. My parents sent me when i was about five years old. My old dixie down the block to the church of the nazarene. The holy road. Steering fluid. Central classes referral of wildly colorful tracks from the old gospel song played on honky-tonk piano. Odie ideas. I've got the joy joy joy joy. And i go where the same. God is love and my mother gave me. Give to the mcnary babies nap. Fascinating. Nbc-2. Mountain. Joy droid joy joy. My mother appeared to be a simple proper form. Norman vincent peale. Stupid cutout. La county. Brockton. Evangelism follow. Incompetent. Oregon. An amateur surgeon. My father's new home. It is. Communion table. Most services. Liholiho. And ended with the old rugged cross or. A mighty fortress is our god. I did see the theater in britain. Application fraud. Knox. Great. Get off her.. 1950 crestfield road from lynnwood. Movin on up. Lower middle class. Which meant we were busy in a neighborhood. I was in first grade. We live close to the george washington elementary school. Arbor medical. On my way home. However. Could not. Her family and her lifestyle. Gorgeous. Brand new record player. The album we listen to over and over again without prescription. Irresistible. Very interesting. They didn't know the wiener. Money. Nope. One good thing and one. Sweetheart. Elderly people. Major event. It wasn't for android. Made arrangements to put me immediately to work and find washer. When all the chores are done and every kid. And homework done. Ready to go to bed. Idle hands are the devil's playground. Don't forget it. Let me tell you one good thing. Father and when did he enjoy. Children. Volkswagen. My father always saying while driving your car. It was our family's annual taught me how to sing harmony. One year. Galvanized pipe. My father's inbox. African long zippers. Climb up at 9. My brother. Apartment. Walmart. In yellowstone park. My father took his usual. Garage door repair. I can look forward to. Unusual. Annabelle true wire hanger. Father interview. If i hadn't been so stubborn. If i hadn't. He wouldn't have to. My particular brand of escaped. Annoying brother. We met in george 60s avocado tree. Until my mother discovered anytime i wasn't doing my chores. No walk with me. Horizontal. Charger whatever. George. After my mother founder. We committed. Rodger. Bbq pork. Linwood my parents allowed me to go to players. Saturday program. Elementary school. Diapers on sale. The royal. Show me. From my point of view. Lyrics. I got like me. Realize the part of me in the part of them. Mantel clock. Optimum. Johnny davis. In that reveal picture. Religion is fiji. The world. Unreliable. Scandinavian. Riderwood. Turmoil. Liberalist. Was it blood or water. When i would ask why fearing god was the beginning of wisdom. 1%. Or wonder. That was the beginning of march translating everything that annoys. I found everywhere i go. Symbolism. Second grade reader. Why do people go to heaven. Embroidered t-shirt maker. It was obvious heaven wasn't. Obviously what we think when we poop. High school with large enough. Disabled. Educated. I went to denominational college. My kinda song. Theology and philosophy. Heidi klum. I love you. Psychology. Couldn't wait for hollywood star. My parents were afraid. My mother said louis astro boy crazy to be married before she came through his first year. A argument. I circumvented him. By getting scholarships loans and grants. Far away. Could. And college. Not only could i reject. Marshalls. Unified field theory. Universal. Way to get getting a double major in regal theater. John was an age of an aquarius math major. Rock and roll. They were the heart of boca campus underground newspaper and the buddy. Pre-loved iq wrong. Terminate number. Communication important. Where's my high school boyfriend. Attending college nearby. And ryland. And i became rich people. At that time i was. Directions. Every center. Restored finance company. Credit department. Graduation in miami. California. California. California. I however. Applying for food stamps. I'm getting very hungry indeed. Jobs. Part-time bookkeeper. My amazement i was good at handling money. And numbers. Application. Management jobs. California. Now in crockett. Should i become a loaner after my sophomore year. Studio apartment. Carmen. We had group. Service representative. When i got laid off. I turned over my. Baumgardner. 1992. The communards offers to take p.m.. And take care of you. Another try. Amazing thing happened with nancy's baby jordan. Agronomy for children in montclair. Garden. At meals. Omnivore. Alcohol marijuana and. I myself dropped acid every weekend. Escape from. Robert heinlein. Richard wright. Herbert and neo-pagans. Scavenger hunt. Looking for material. Oatmeal boxes. John and nancy and two others. A picture of god. The time. I was asked to be included in the group. What happened. Reading help me analyze my position. And eventually i decided to move out. Tiny little white house. Observation,. Economy inn. Live my life. People going in tamil. Eligibility. I admit my carol. Mike moved in with me. Serious car accident. I don't know what we're going to do. Advantage is michael. Making friends with the nightmare. There are. Activity. Spell recently communicated by using phrases from song. For a great deal because. Even in an intensive care unit. Because michael german. I feel so guilty about being unaware. A new apartment. Kobe. Midwife. With the baby coming out. Already in the world. Even before her body was out of the room. And gardendale. I hated my job is social services. Jericho. I got a job at macy. Graduate school. Decided to get a second teaching credential. Children. Macy's department store in concord. Run in cartwright bookkeeping. Children realign despacito. The private in the passenger side. Democracy. They were moaning in pain. Target hours. Farmington lake. I thought it was just another california. And i continued my work early. Starting to go. Injuries on there. Dragging myself home in the evening. Walking pneumonia. Coronavirus pneumonia. But i did something wrong. That word from. Read even if you can. I love. Citizen of the world. Number of verizon. Even when i got close. Leprechaun ian. Shred. Always learning. What makes people kill. I also make sure i attended every year. Galen was amazing. Arone. Department. 1988. Akron children's. 7th and 8th graders. In 1990 to a screeching halt. One evening. Unable to. I'm making a heart monitor goes crazy. Sacramento. Monroe. My family were informed something about pulling the plug. Ending artificial life before. Sedated. Irritated. Even when i was. Sedated. Before they started. Ending my life. There's not going to be enough. While i was there because i couldn't see. Ginger. Annie. Elmwood convalescent hospital. I go by adrift on memory. I learned a lot in that place about bending over at convalescent hospital. Annabelle. Down the road to the bus stop with my oxygen tank for a line me. I'm not afraid. Hurricane. But i did not dream. Probably induced by morphine. That incorporated in the hospital room. In real life. Meanwhile game. I became the owner of that house. Even though i was disabled. With a disintegrating discs in my neck. Spinal cord damage. The operation is making others in like trying to penetrate even talk to. Weather. Weather. I'm optimistic. Optimal picture. In heart. And the only thing to do with growing old. Amazing people. I gratefully received. When i get off. Mentally or physically. Someone gives me a little list. I still find an asteroid. And i don't take my. Survive on numerous occasions. Important. I feel close to the julie curry. Mountain. Burning bridges. Middle way. Paradox. Ilearn. Beyond burger. Attitude sports cancelled. Charter. Thank you. American hip-hop music. Meditation. Long live the heart. Patrick star. Animal. Ecology. Dear polly. Learning. I was born that way. Yeah question you crying. Repainting. Very good word. I haven't gotten rid of cable yet. My mother. My brother. Ancillary. Mother. Very simple woman on her parents live demo. Older. River city 2015 time. What kind of poetry. I've been meaning to call you. Barnes & noble. There is. Written by ryan peterson. Lookout. Boca content on price is right up my alley. .. Kahoot. Speak in tongue. Other people. Empire barber. Metaphor. Is inbox or another kind of insurance. Discusses me of you. Chaminade middle school. I wanted to. I love dancing with you. Another advertisement for you guys. Absolutely beautiful. Thank you. Here now we love andrew. Or here in a liter. Grinding. Kroger. But here and now. Beautiful poem. I wrote on vacation when i went on vacation with my dad. Remember. Mother father ever kissing girl. Graduation. Either one. Buddy had to give me a reptile. I like when you were in junior high. Better than you. I just want to thank you so much for your beautiful story survivor i feel. And one of the extraordinary people that i feel. Unconditional love by everytime i see you.

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070610_Antonio%20Medrano_Amnesty%20Intl%20in%20Cent%20Am.mp3

Where are students are you at. I got basically no answer we don't know. But eventually i would to learn. From mexico. Horrific story. Wendy. 2. 10:30. Antonio. We call the plane. Coming. It was talk one day about. Bringing peanuts. And it finally happened. But i'm at my friends my students over there to keep those memories riker diaries into from there. American. U.s. citizen. I know him. Article termination magazine. I guess i could youtube. An anti-government organization. If you ever saw the movie making. I should mention to you that in my experience. I began. I began teaching at. I began teaching. That's where i began my teaching. Has my kids always laugh at me now. We understand poverty living in a monastery. What we don't understand. 101 rebellion occurred in 1960. From the top of the building. Google.com. Do the robot. There's nothing.. Paw patrol. I'm embarrassed. Don't do anything. Don't respond. National guard. Come later to remind me occasion. So over the years i volunteered for many many. Tunica. I would come back to my car. I was talking about. Children who live in the refugee camp. Edible condition. Where you at. Olive garden. For dinner. The only ones who got me. And when is example. Gathering. Dmt. General assembly. When people ask me. What is one of the most memorable memory. When was when i was working a traffic on 100. Mexican border. And they were all the refugees were mayan indian. Probably be over 3000. Using an army tent. When i was little. And we were going to. When we got to the camp. 44 whatever. Far away. From the main. Avatar meeting. I remember asking the director. Away from the main one. Question. Any very honest in spanish. Radio communication. Can i win. Attention. Yep. Spanish. Young watermelon. I remember very clearly. Hearing a young boy outside my can. Very patiently explaining pumping. And i'm crying. Somebody i know. Sidewalk cops. Me no more.. Speaking to an older gentleman. Resume. Grandfather. Demand. 22 mean. On a piece of paper. I said. He wrote with very taking him. And he told his daughter. She gave it to me. Belong. Years later i gave that. Second example was one evening. If it's wednesday early 80s. Speaking spanish. The young kids would leave the camp. Early in the morning in the morning. A good morning prayer. Follow me. 34. We run. In the hills. Where did they go. Single baseball. Out of the bushes appear to soldiers. Still pulling a pan. Native american guatemala. Who are they. Raped. And i picked. Fortunate. I live on reported the incident to the un. The guy in charge of the camp. You're okay. Airport. Retain. I don't care. And i did. Coming back from the camp. And they offer. Anacortes to chicago. And not to move. We knelt there. 45 hours. America's watch. Human rights watch also. Republic. What happened. Military governments. No respect for human rights. Community organizer. Call liberation theology. If you are poor. If you're organizing a union. And the car went out. Went down there. Now that i look fat. Bt21 general. It was becoming time of general called. Being brought up on charges of torturing people. And our taxes very simple. People brazil. Salvadorian. Guatemala. What's your name. Lower. Be like me going to lower your best friend or your daughter call me i can talk to you. Horrendous. Unborn baby. Text over the bushes. Nfl. Villages burned to the ground and people. I want to crucify. We went back to the lake. In an adult. Adobe house. Guatemalan government. Temperature in guatemala. Salvadorian brothers were tortured and killed. At one point i remember the wall on a dirt floor. I want. Guatemalan. Over 80% native american indian. To the party. With memorize. At one point after numerous beating. I heard the door open. Creaky door. And the guys royse city. Where is antonio moreno. I hope my kids remember me. Can we find out later. Why would come back and give him the raw story. And i heard this guy walking across the floor. We know. You. And detained by the military forces. Remember after that. Hyundai. Melon my mouth. Rewiring my mouth. 42. Are you at. And so they brought you to a hospital and i'm going. I know. Knew where i was going. Am i at. That year i came back. My poor. When i came back i tried doing a lot of work. And then what time. Score for summer.. Water torture. Holding a gun. Abusing your son. Call randy. Because. If we do it here. We are all over the world. We are the largest. I was very careful because we have family. New government. Mexico city. No. Black january. People rose up in protest. You check off your. Are you visiting. Fingerprint mexico. Today. Anathema. A workaround. What tamiya great change. I was there. Thrown from the united states. Lawyer.com. Martha. Germany. Lawyer. Every summer. My dad made the arctic is indiana what time you're going. Zyuranger. Beetle. They went. Three blocks away. Within 3 hours and came back. 3000 communities. Marching band. The governor called. Union. When are they. Guatemala. I'm one of three i hear voices. I look up. For the international call. Right away. When we pretend. Sonic. When you leave the country. I know there's lots of questions you want to ask. Lotto. What you're looking at. Helping an hour. When i went to. Palo alto. Is there gun school in palo alto. Talk about the condition. I was told by the teacher. Filipino. Copper tile. Organization. Directions to richmond high school. About everybody. Antonio brown. International and the quaker. Many of the early founders. We do a lot of work. We're very proud partner. They are incredible incredible people. What is your status. I know what i want. Are very helpful. We have go-kart. People live on a. Coronavirus. Alright. We have a story to tell you. There. Mennonite. I didn't kind of working america. Other friends. Yes ma'am. Wondering. Hoosier lottery work. Multicultural community. I wish we had.. Crazy. Antonio marano. Born in the country. What time you break in through that. We don't have in san francisco. He brought about. Inactivate very good. People who live in richmond. Every single sunday. We need more people like that. It is great to have university. Or government whatever it is. Grassroots organizing. I need a record on a beautiful voice. No. We haven't seen. We have the same thing happen in indonesia. Antonio. Once in a while there's an animal. And with the key with a creative writing. Screw. To write letters in french. Reinforcement. Net worth. We're proud to say that the largest segment of amnesty are the young people. What we get young people to write letter. Makeup. Guatemalan consulate. Whichever confident about that. We have jared campaign over a year was provided.. This year because of the immigration. Viola better. And make a video out of it. It's very good. Every year. Score of the america. Presentation richmond highway. Teriyaki. Can there. Very effective. Very very. Encouraged. There are no stupid questions. Cartoon connect. When i was at. Work in the refugee camp. Take a hot shower. We company heard stories that the american image. i went on a wild and take roll call. And we wondered why. One of my trip in guatemala and the native americans. I volunteered to go to the border to collect to bring him to the camp. And. The village is closed down because of fighting. Are we. Nfl. Soldier. Guatemala. Was it called gentleman. Military uniform. Immediately. And wiped out. Stop what you doing. Our government. We know for sure. American embassy. We still have forsaken. My daughter. Beginner write all of them. From the go to the work. And record them. Column. La quinta. Grandfather story. How does my daughter was coming out again. Grandfathered. Incarcerated. Information. How are they running. What was going on in. People. Minion. Earlier in the year. Where were chocolate. And in the county. African american. Totally completely dark rum. Underwater. I went to. A lot of counseling. I work with a certain hotel. I had no problem at all. Thank you very much.

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060929_Lawrence%20Lecture_Imam%20Feisal%20Rauf.mp3

We do not have a separation of church and state in england. The church of england in. Run by the queen so to speak. But you do have a very strong tradition of separation of religion and politics. Now the opposite example of that is india. So you have a constitutional separation. Temple. And state. But you don't have really much separation between religion and politics. Parking very much affected. By religion. And arguably the united states is in between. Sing to understanding new ones. What the relationship between institutions of faith institutions of religion and and the political power and teach me. Should be and how they should be like. In fact we have just initiated with the help of the prime minister of malaysia a project to benchmark. What an islamic state means. God has much confusion on this subject. Even though. I've even noticed a mcfate actually is an incoherent concept. The identity the movements to do stomach flu stomach pain. Are very recent. Anatomic history is only about a century-old. Which is a result of the rise of the nation-state concept. And the design by accident. During the colonial era. Create an islamic state. Which has which is something which does not flow or cam originate. From doctrine. Stomach theology or star mcclure jurisprudence. It's something has came from near. Political social activism. With it when has resulted in a lot of anguish a lot of suffering lot of loss of lives. In the western world. But there is a need because of the defector existence of stacy's call themselves islamic. Enough movement. Play like hamilton palestine. Like those who are trying to. Right now in afghanistan and iraq. Very coherent understanding of what. Patrick concept could mean. It flows from the authenticity and the author black orthodoxy on stomach doctrine and islamic law would mean. Apponequet just began we hope that we can have some results. But another year to 18 months on this one. It's very briefly describe to you the scope of the work i've been engaged in. And how. We have been embarking on it the lost track of the cause of an extremely strong one of conflict but rather one of utilizing. The tool of arts and culture. As a means to to bring people together. And also means of shedding light on some of these issues. Princeton street did they play. About 82 years ago. The church of saint andrews new york. Where we supposed to drink thing between between. My wife and the russian jewish community. And tripped community. To do a play in which we really which we explored or exhibited the kinds of prejudices. And fears that people have. On both side of this divide. But through through arts and the medium of art. And culture that can be a very rapid depreciation. What is beautiful about each sign because. The weight interface. Dialogue work. Is what by comparing the best of one to the west of another. It has to be to compare the best of one with the best of the other. To understand what gives ryan. To the worst of one of each side. Because in many cases the issues are similar just packaged in a different. In a different venue. This describes very briefly the scope of the work i've been doing and with your permission i'd like to really engage with you. And. Holdout oxygen flexeril. I prefer dialogue rather than monologue. So did y'all respect with video permission i'd like to open the floor to. Quicksilver comics because we're recording if you will raise your hand and ask chris to bring the microphone to you then we'll be able to get your question. Well as the response and well christian said walking with a microphone for the first question just want to mention that tomorrow morning if you would like to participate in a follow-up workshop to tonight's event. From 9 to noon the gathering in the fireside room of the church and we hope that you'll be able to come. Thank you. I. Pedir register day. I came here to find out what this was all about. I haven't learned a thing. Well that doesn't now you will. Islam as a creed. Is based upon five things that a person has to believe in. Number one to believe in god. Believe in god is almighty. I got it is the creator of the universe. A god that is. Absolute consciousness. Absolute power. Absolute awareness. Absolute compassion. Absolute power. And then 99 such attributes that describe the concept of god as we understand god. God is beyond. Gender. God is not a he or she. Agon is not something that is physical. God is the source of everything that we are. God is loving god is merciful god is compassionate. God is just. God is kind. The second article of the stomach. Creed set of beliefs. Is that we have to believe in the existence of angels. Angelic beings created from light. Who is purpose is to fulfill the divine objective. Many of the market also say that islam views itself as part of the of the tradition of the biblical faith tradition. We're possibly abrahamic traditions. How much was it was the descendants. Abraham from the side of ishmael. This is all of the biblical prophets do most of them almost all of them from the side of of of isaac. So isaac. Joseph the 12 tribes of israel. All the apostles the same tradition. So the angels like michael who is the one who we believe will blow the trumpet. Raise the trolls on the day of resurrection. Nickel in arabic. The gabriel the angel who. Who is the prophet that information technology. It was gabriel for instance who came to mother mary to announce to her that she will have a son. Jesus we're not having had hulu without a father not having a husband. Half the profits when braking. I told him if he would become a prophet. And he was a medium by which she received the quran. Wichita scripture. The third thing that muslims have to believe in. Is in the scriptures. And we believed to be scriptures to be literally the word of god. Literally composed by god. Yeah i'm not just ideas. That i inspire to the prophet the prophet speaks in his own words. Such things exist is that called in our tradition daddy. The sayings of the prophet. But the quran is is is one of the scripture and we believe in the torah. We believe in the ngo which is the arabic word for the avenger of the gospel of jesus christ. In the psalms of david. List of the ones that i've known and some other smaller scripture is given to abraham. And moses apart from these pictures that we have just mentioned. The first thing that listens believe in or have to believe in. Play the messengers of the prophets. These profits are human beings who came to teach. Every community the message of the one gone about the one god. But what god wants us to believe in and how god wants us to behave and act. The common the common commandment. That god gave to all of the traditions. Is the same as run. God gave moses. And when a lawyer continent to new testament of jesus the greatest commandment walls. Is it to love the lord thy god. With all of your heart all of your mind. All of your soul and all of your strength. In-n-out of gospel. All the components of our being. Because according to our spiritual markers and human being is composed of four dimensions of being. We are physical beings our body. We are intellectual beings we are mind we are have thinking capacity. We are psychic or emotional beings. Let feel love and hate and jealousy and pride and egotism. And i'll passionate nature. And our soul or spirit. Which is this course of life. Which is the source of the self the eyes of the capital i and the source of the locus of our will. Set alarm god with all of the components of a being is a major commandments. And the second commandment which jesus say the sequel to the first. Is to love by neighbor. Which means to love for your fellow human being what you love for yourself. All right now. The jewish rabbi. Was art once by a pagan want to explain the toronto standing on one leg. Which means to discredit or i'd like you know in a hot minute. And he said whatever you don't want others to do to you do not do to them. All the rest is commentary. These two commandments. Ricky km also under scriba circumscribe all the foundations of the islamic faith. Prophet muhammad said none of you is a believer until you love for your brother what you love for yourself. And rub against men not into gender saints. Quite a fellow human being what you love for yourself. Unless you do that you are not a believer. If it's something good happens. To your brother to your sister to your neighbor to your friend. Honey feel that kind of jealousy. When you are not a believer. Fixing that muslims have to believe in. Is the day of the week or the last day. Which means that the. The world or create internet will come to an end. Followed by adele resurrection when your soul shall be resurrected. Call by day of judgment when all the soul shall be judged. For the ethical actions and decisions. And they will receive the daisy the reward of god's acceptance. Got pleasure i got this pleasure. Which movie define heaven. Until. What what it means is that we human beings are accountable. We are accountable shall be held accountable. Call our decisions. Decision to have tea or coffee because they're not ethical decision. But the decisions which have ethics. The decisions which involve being good being kind or being an evil kind of a person. Aziza viva discordia hawk leader or the the the creed of the faith of islam. Listen to having this as part of their beliefs. High voltage with the phone but it's called the five pillars of islam. Which is a 5x in so now you believe in there's no what do you do. That first and foremost to the shehadeh stop the declaration of faith. Which goes like which which basically says i bear witness. Diabetic no god but god. Avant-garde. And i better get that muhammad. Is the messenger of god. And when you bite by bedouin sister muhammad you been with me through all of the messengers. It is not making an exclusive 10. Evita peron is quite explicit. Muhammad came as part of a. Of a group of prophets. Muhammad. It's lana's about god ink not about muhammad ink. And all of the profits well-liked regional managers of god. So it is they are so from the aquatic point of view all the prophets were muslim in the sense that they were surrendered to god because the word muslim mean. Surrender to the creator. Anybody. Who believes anybody who believes in god anybody who. Who surrenders to the dictates of his deep conscience. Thanks kind of like my joseph campbell 76 follow your bliss. When you follow your true conscience you are a muslim. In fact i was part of the delegation to iran. 3 years ago. Macomb. And he said that anybody who follows. His or her conscience is a muslim even if at that moment they exit the faith of islam. Your conscience trumps everything because your conscience. Country him. Is the presence of the voice. Of god within you. And it is never wrong. It knows truth. It knows the truth. It is what it is but gives you your capacity to know right as right. And wrong is wrong. And whenever you are following it you're following you are following the truth you're following god. I know you're following god you're always on the right track. She's like this we just take it in arabic. You are a muslim. We are unitarians with an arabic liturgy. Call jewels in arabic liturgy we're not that different if you look at what i'll delete searches from a spectrum of jewish thought and belief. Spectrum of christian thoughts and beliefs and practices. The second thing that muslims do is yeah we pray 5 times a day. I forgot the christian prayers vespers inclines and. The name of the latin name for the different prayers. We do praise 5 times it's awful day coinciding with the cosmic clock. Dawn noon. Sunset. And night when the evening twilight disappearing. And the prayers consist of a korea choreographed movement. And and the recitation of the first chapter of the quran and any other person or group of persons. From the quran icon to text formula. And it's nice to do it's always nice to pray i can tell you that. Pella. Call the pipe fitters of the slam. Is to get charity. Insanity it is actually a required payment. It's something like a tithing. That we have to pay. And the percentage very typically two-and-a-half percent. Of our assets or income depending upon the nature of the income agricultural emergency. Which is boring. And then fight you no drying and complicated. But basically atc obligation of the community. To give from its own wealth to support the well-being of the community. The four pillar of islamic practice is a fasting of the month of ramadan. This is the ninth month of our calendar. It has just started this last weekend. I fasted today in spite of being a traveler i could have been exempt from. Sitting on a plane from newark to. To oakland is not exactly hardship. So i continued mifi. Boulder hot chick was having three extra hours of fasting. Play the west coast. But i look for tomorrow at 3 a.m.. Jose is a very lovely experience will be abstaining from food and drink. And smoking in any sexual activity. From dawn to stand down for a plate of a month. For the first few days you may. You may get a little dizzy from low blood sugar. But after you do it for 45 days a week you enter into a very different state. Chill,. What happens is that you begin to feel. Experience. Separation of those four components that i was supposed to be about earlier. Yaks beacon. Can feel the difference between. Yourself and your body. It's like you're watching your body do things. It's my body and i'm hungry but the hungry doesn't feel as part of your essential self. And they offer you don't feel hungry after a little while anyway. Alexa doing very argument physical work. But you also get a detachment. You experience detachment. Of your higher self of your soul. From your passionate self. So let's say something which normally something which happens which normally would would make you respond emotionally. Angry anger whatever. You won't have the fuel for the anger. Exist normally do. Kind of attachment occurs between. Your awareness of the stimulus. And the part of yourself which responds. With englewood passion. An in this awareness is is part of an important spiritual. Education. Because the against the sophie's which i also engaging. Which is the dd contempt. Of office edition witches which shares. The same understandings and principles or anything temperature prediction. Progressive life involving denver has an answer for. Spirits of god. The same. God is beyond language. Experience of love. You might use the word love him at luther with ammar or amore or. Amur. Marhaban arabic. Portynka in malayalam. But experience is the same. Experience of god. The experience of oneness with the universe. Language trump's defense. Putting in our own conception of tradition. Alexa's in the education in the mechanics. Exercises. Spiritual awareness. In recognition of knowledge of raquel and precipitating states of. Of the disclosure of god within our consciousness. The exercises which help us to. Get rid. What we consider to be spiritual diseases. Like egotism like fried. Like excessive anger like like. Jealousy which congress to put people down. Augusta. All the things that are corrosive. The well-being of the soul a part of the process of. Laughlin education. Part of knowledge of yourself but also working on ourselves to. Filter these things. Offervault practice altima behavior. Handfasting is a very powerful tool. And helping us. Gain an understanding of the self. And finally the pix11 she's a head-to-toe damage to mecca once in one's lifetime. If we can afford it physically and financially. And scott. In olden times it was an arduous trip. Right on camels across texas and stuff like that. Today you just have to give you a credit card to a. 202a. Travel agent. And you can choose what you want go first-class economy. 6 star hotel on a one-star hotel. And you'll be taking whatever you might be because of that numbers have really grown. Now dammit expensive 2 million people converging. On to the town of mecca every year. Very briefly is the is a brief synopsis of the cleveland place. August lamb. Whichever y'all from game. The lady in red. Thank you. My doctor asked about. Voices in the muslim world and what i mean by that is. That it seems to me is entirely different. We have in america. People. Different. I didn't know there many objections and people who support people don't support the actions of this nation. And in detail and many more than just the current lord's but also economically riendo. And there are many voices have been heard their interviews with the press handstand and so is almost. Accomplished people making their. Opinion about what's going on now i don't hear anything at all like that. In the muslim world and i particularly. And wondering about margaret forces such as your own. Or moderate imams or cultured people are business people. Who might be giving interviews i have in columns in newspapers with different. Approaches different ways of doing things then the small minardi that you mentioned is just to 2%. We only hear here. About the philosophies and actions of the 2%. And not more measured voices this my. And balance. And that's my question. Because fox news from npr. That's a simple way of describing it. Visible license exist. I think if you just one example one small example. After 9/11 in before we went to war in afghanistan. Percival after 9/11. Every listen country condemned 911. Alex. maybe this time. Just before we went to war against afghanistan. There was a request. For effective i was in legal opinion. By the muslim chaplain of the us armed forces. As to whether it was okay. Home listings in the us armed forces to participate in hostilities against the taliban. Because they would be fighting co-religionist. This fact was sent. Some of the most well-known in the world. Five of them. Issued a fatwa. What happened at 11 what's an act of terrorism. Neca scialabba technical word under the stomach wall. Capital crime. Under stomach law. How about refers to. Things like highway robbers. People who created. Divisiveness in society breakdown the civil society structures. It is considered a capital crime in islamic law. Some classical time. Nfl those who committed their. Are guilty of capital crime and that they they they. Should be. Pursued. And if they're killed any okay. I was asked to comment on this thing by the new york time. And i pleaded. Vagina to please have this fatwa. Adequate. Publicity on the front page of a nation challenge section. She said she would try. Hbh. Population challenge section. It was a very important factor. But it's an example of the challenge that we have. Indexing important news. Which wich in the production of many of us. Are important building blocks. A building understanding across the divine. But those news item. 10:30 buried intensity even not in many cases. Not published. I'm not adding away but given the kind of coverage. We should make people appreciate and recognize. The existence of such voices all over all over the region. But i assure you madam. Bismarck voices exist. Exist. And that trying in fact. I'm now working as i mentioned in passing. For the prime minister of malaysia. Who is the chairman of the organization of islamic conference. This is a group of 57 muslim nations. To try to see and he's very keen on bridging the divide. Their political leaders like like him. Like the heads of state of kansas like jordan. Many many heads of state. Concerned about mr. hyde and trying to do what they can to 22 bridges. Religious leaders what doing. Trying their best. But unfortunately. Moderate voices i'm not newsworthy. That's the that's the challenge that we have. And. If you have any ideas on how to make modded voices. I'll be the ones who are driving use. And the negative or the bad ones not. Then i'll working stun. Belated. The first one is. I recall an event that took place in afghanistan. It was a man who was accused of being mentally ill. Who gave up being a muslim and mother gay. And they thought he should be killed the people are many of the people there and i wonder why they got that idea. And it is that correct. Secondly. In in in the current iraq government. There is a constitution. And in that constitution is the section called the kia law. Set. Now i wonder how that jibes with the. State law. What is. If it is. Two very profound question apostrophe. Physical of confusion on this issue. Explicit on the compulsion in religion. And a toboggan. Practically all of its minor exceptions. Listen to listen very carefully adhered to this principle and protected the right of that population. 22 practice the face that they wish to practice. What happened was. Are there a number of instances during the time of the prophet because you the prophet had to flee mecca. And the unbelievers who denied construe. They're all greeted each other as jalapeno. Next. think that. The enemies of the prophets were. Words. There were his uncles and cousins and second cousins are all related to each other. At that time when there was no police no military. The those who. Would the pasta side. Was not the case of. Different beliefs. It had to do with an act of treason. Another was glenn frey this way. In a society where there's no separation of church and state. A shift of your church beliefs. Constitutes an act of. A different state police. It becomes an act of treason. And treason has always been the capital crime. Under many societies in america. Until the 20th century. Basic inflation. Love the act of treason with the act of religious choice. In certain instances very early in islamic history. Which led to the. Judgment by some people. Cuckoo conflated apostasy with treason. And this is the point this is the part which needs to be unpacked. In in the number of contemporary understanding of the stack. Because the prophet in the number of cases. Epsom the right of the person who believes in what in sa status of returns to believe in. As far as she hello i'm not an expert on the difference between cialo and. And sunni law. When it comes to islamic law in general. The difference is between atomic law and that's a secular law are not that different. The major difference has to do with the fact that. Let me go back to the two commandments. The first commandment is to love the lord thy god and then to love your neighbor as yourself. The next verse in the gospel upon these two commandments hang all of the law and all of the pockets. Islamic law is built upon these two commandments. So if you look at any book any manual islamic law. The first section deals with acts of worship. The love of god. Parts of the commandments. So define filicide talked earlier. About. Confession of faith. The prayer. The rules regarding when do you pray validity of prayer examples for prayer all these laws and rules around surrounding that is the first part of its county florida probate laws pertaining to worship. The love of god dimension. Lawrence pertaining to worldly lord. What's the difference between second dimension. And listen juris then divided those laws into what you call criminal law. Personal status law business law and later on they expanded into laws of governance and what we might call today international mall. When you look at the exhibit this specific server laws many of these laws are based upon principles of justice. End. As far as justice is concerned you will not find much difference. Between secular laws and the santa claus. The only part which difference is the obligation of the state to support. The practice of religion and the free practice of religion and various interpretations on the extent to which the state. May or may not be engaged in supporting. The practice of religion. Princeton in america. The states. And the government. Does not support. Temples in houses of worship at all. In germany they do. Germany a portion of attack. Actually goes to sustain churches to support churches listen to tuitions. So this is not mean does this mean that. German law in saturday just more. Different interpretations like that. On what is dean to be the obligation of the state power. Intensivist report of religious institutions. And then maintenance and upkeep. All i do know is that we didn't see how long the role of the of the what they called the imam. The role of the live jurisprudence. Is them is an important factor. In the understanding of law so i cannot understand exactly murad. How many in iran. Have a a kind of something like a paper. Not exactly infallibility by the powers of a kind of paper power kind of an equivalent. In pronouncing law that will be deemed to be binding upon all of his followers. Presence kidney law we do not have an individual who has this capacity but we have a heritage of a consensus of laws. Basic a kind of american rule of law concept. And the rule of the jurisprudence. The individual who interprets the law. Sew-in enchilada is more of a concept. Of the established the rule of the jurisprudence. Variety coffee they called it. Richmond and end in in the live jurisprudence. Can actually abrogate. A legal decision done by his predecessor. Where is in-n-out in sydney jurisprudence is more difficult to do that but there is an understanding that that that the president is important. What is context change. Then the candy a revision of that particular ruling on a particular more because of the change of context. That's about as much as i think i'm qualified to go into this question she hello. You mentioned at the first of your avatar. One of the major problems at the corner bar wanted to solve was the. Israeli. Palestinian problem or i was wondering by there any good ideas on how to sell products all that conflict. Yes what i want to know is has your group come up with a good solution. Get to solve the conflict between the israelis and the palestinians. Equation to find the solution. Driving simulation in palestinian. It solutions exist. The question is just the willpower to to implementing. To bring about the requisite forces to make it happen. I have had two seats of discussions with major american jewish leaders who believed that the three 6787. Admitted that. That. We all know where this finishing line. Hp 67 borders and. You know pretty much now. And some kind of a citizen for the for the refugee. Initials of the right of return. Fuel line items that need to be addressed but they can be address. In fact we're trying to work on right now is to bring a critical mass of of major american jewish leaders. Who is the muslim leaders. To see if we can get some kind of critical mass of support. Around a solution that both sides agree. And it lobby for its acceptance. But i think the time has come for it to happen i just got an email today from international crisis group. That dad making out of a major initiative. To bring together a lot of. Big-name people. People who are. Maybe expensive state. Ex ministries of state. To do laundry together. Interpret 22 really cold for a commitment. To addressing this problem. I can say right now. Are there any women email. And how does the status of a woman compared with that of a man. In the in your religion. Thank you that is one of the most important exception problem about the slam. The. As far as the women in man's a concern. Many of them and mainly because of cultural cultural issues. Find china there happens to be a lot of them. In march. The role of women is really a function of culture and left of religion. For instance we have had the most someone has had five women heads of state. Turkey inside the prime minister woman prime minister. Pakistan has had a woman prime minister bangladesh has one right now and had to. An indonesian woman president. Then i state has not yet had a. Might potentially be the next to the first one. But this is not mean just because the guy faces not had a woman head of state. That one can definitely use that to say that. Status of women in america. It's cultural. Attach to do with with with the. The role of women. Previous from in many societies. You'll see for example women. Much less involved in public affairs in saudi arabia. Baltimore bedouin tribal societies tend to be more patriarchal. Grace cottage like egypt princeton switch had a history of queen. You find women ministers than. For a long long time women in positions of power and influence. As in indonesia as in india. Tradition. Of women elementary oculus society. However what we see happening in in the world today to condemn the world. Is that many of the of the. The progress for the progression of women being involved in society. Is evolving. The lack of maybe half a century of self. In this society was very patriarchal. But as as america produced a wealthy society. They are wealthy widows and daughters. Utilize the economic wealth to establish schools december 3rd acacian. The lobby for the vote. Lobby for the freedom to smoke. Dino not we don't anymore. But it's a lobby for the for the equality of right. Women voting. In in countries where even voting is self-raising like in kuwait. What some of the emirates gulf countries. Again because of the rise of wealth in those societies we see the same trends evolving. It is something that i've no doubt that but in another generation at most. Very different world in denver some walls. One of my close friends looking talk to me. Is a is a minister of economy. And planning is tupac's calling you. United arab emirates. So will you see more women being engaged in fact we are having a conference of women of. Come all over them some world in november in new york. Many women of that caliber women who are. Cabinet departments women who are professors of laundry students. And syria in fact just recently. Appointed. I think fine. Women muftis. Which means. Julius caesar. These are like. Islamic law express. Who are. Able to eat your fat wife. Is it in in a certain sense even more important than in them. Because they are more profound bearing. On on on what happens in society. Dial like judges or supreme court judge edward. But judges have a very powerful bearing. On interpretations of law particular sonic law in the society. We were fortunate to have a theologian here in the church. A number of years you can ducted. First urology. On sunday morning. And one of the. Concept the west with me which i saw. Very important. Indian process yaga's learning. And one of our obligation. Prayers. God know what's going on. I have another. Cop and another. Questioning. How do you feel about the inerrancy of the bible. Pick 3 previous questions what is the process theology that is really resonated with a passkey legend who talks about god as being eternally transforming and in process that was more of a comment in the second question was on the inerrancy of scripture on the bible even i would think the coroner. How you. Settings christmas. God. Is it god is. Polar concepts in islamabad god. That is god as. Transcendent. God as. That which is unknowable. The concept in arabic is called. Tenzi that god is beyond. Ascription leon description. And the other one is. Is where we use. We describe god. By terms that a familiar. It's called text be. A comparison to speak about god as being compassionate as being almighty as being all-powerful and being just as being. The one who gives life want to give death. Then it kind of need attention. Between these two concepts. This god as transcendent and god as imminent. God that is that transcends everything and god that that exists in the interstices of every. Entity in creation. Buddy sonic concept of god is that god is abby. Engaged. Entertaining the world. But god is not itself. As being. And in process. God's power. Is engage in process. But god as god. It's separate from that. Scripture. We believe that the previous scriptures have been changed. We did not but we believe that the koran as we know it today as we're excited today is as it was retarded by the prophet the prophet was very very solicitous. The quran itself should be recognized as the koran. And that he's owned saying the hadith should not be confused with a fur on. The great effort. Was made. For the koran to. 222 beaten to be. Tips to ensure its accuracy. In fact from the very beginning many many people memorize the forearm. Until today that i many people who memorized the whole quran. It is numb. And that i met many years ago in the month of ramadan for insisted it is not uncommon. For us to create an extra prayers. The night prayers. I'm behind someone who has memorized the quran. And when he makes a mistake you're here for 5610 horses correcting him. This happened from very early islamic history. Saudi iran is regarded today even by western scholars. As being. The same as it was at the time of the prophet. Having said that. 7 many interpretations on the koran. Many many people will take the same verse. Interpreted differently. So that is a different thing from the inerrancy of scripture. The scripture itself is regarded as inerrant. But our understanding of it. Candy in aurora. I sent you for your work and your vision for bridging religions and cultures very simple question you mentioned that your wife was involved with the jewish group and putting on a play i just want to hear the name of the place thank you. I think it was supposed same difference. Something something like that by to give me your card i'll have my wife contact you. In fact they were trying to get some funding to put it on. To put it on peavey escort 11th avenue it was very powerful if it's a little bit now but it was very very people were crying. It was very powerful play. I'd also like to thank you for being here and my question is about. Hotwells. In this country where we're aware of many people who. Practice a religion but don't necessarily believe it. There's many jews who. Practice celebrate the holidays have craters in their homes. Their jewish identity is very important but but their atheist or agnostic. There are many people who go to christmas eve services who don't believe that jesus was anything more than a prophet. That is not a divinely inspired. I've got. And. People who celebrate easter but don't believe in the resurrection including a lot of unitarians. So. Australia western. Cultural phenomenon. But i've come to know a few people who are muslims and you identify. Practice what you described. Probably impressed they might not. And wondering if that is a chain. Bet you see might be happening. Over the generations. Communities in west. The question. This is not a western phenomenon it's a human phenomenon we call them arrangements land. Listen some discount percent of it be too big holidays. You know you don't see them at the mall every friday night to come for the two holidays. Ramadan but not tray. In fact. The. There's a verse in the quran it talks about the bedouin arabs with a prophet. Push headwear believers. I plan to tell them you are not yet believers. Uark submeters but not yet believers because. Hey. Has not yet penetrated into your heart. There is a concept in islamic spirituality become temperature tradition. Text dara that daisy. That there is an evolutionary process. In our own individual religiosity. To practice our faith. Externally. Practice the rituals of the faith. But whose interests have not yet been enlightened. Put any type not yet then. By what you might call the fire of divine love. Is why sufi spotlight love-a-lot is because they talked about. The disclosure order the witnessing of god. Has being the moment when you cut a fallen love. With god where you where you become. Ue become initiated. Into the reality of faith and religion. But there is a validity there is a accused. To the phenomenon of practicing faith. From from what i called the outside in. Were you practicing rituals. And that is part of being culturally. Culturally a christina culturally a jew. This is part of our culture this is where religion becomes. Something that you do because it's normative to your culture. So here i wear a jacket. If i was in saturday night in modesto. Hey how is in malaysian restaurant. This has to do with pure culture. Cuz that's what people do there's no particular reason for that. Aspect. About practice of faith. In many cases is a fat part of culture. Is also as you pointed out a part of identity. Many of us identify. Which we we are born into a second identity regrow into a second identity. And i'll say tradition is part of our identity. But there comes a moment. When we have to. To decide. But we have to own our own identity. We have to own our own existence show viewpoint. We have to own. Who and what we are. And that moment may happen to different people different times in their lives. Support summit happen to actively young. Thought of it happens when damaging their forties. All others when they begin to you know reach the green that green up their urine. Let it begin to think of the purpose of their existence and why they are alive. And what is it that is truly meaningful in life. It is amazing. How god has created varieties. But only of creatures button varieties of faith. And varieties of ways in which we even practice our individual face. But this is why from the sufi tradition. The autocratic scarface wallet is valid. It is only part of the process. Imdb the real. Experience of religion is when you. Realize god. When you have. A weakness. The reality of god. And. And then your faith grows and then your practice becomes filled. Yo-yo your liturgy becomes filled with the truth. Of your own realization. And that to me is a religion. Is really meaningful. When legend becomes. White truly is all about. And not. Cultural. I'm not from an identity. But from the the authenticity. Open legit experience. And we'll have time for just one more question i'm sorry everybody who's. When were supposed to end by the way. Okay. Thank you. In reply to a question. Hi. Which are the moderate muslims. 98% or whatever. Been doing and you. Chadwell we're doing a lot because i heard you at least you said we're doing a lot but. You know fox doesn't like it it's not sexy news is on the. Texan theater new york times oakworth my question is a little deeper. And that is. What. In fact apart from not being reported why in fact have this 2%. Seemingly hijack your religion and a moderate. What exactly are the moderates doing even though it's not in the papers. For example. Has any muslim. Jurist. Eeyore. Someplace. Against suicide bombing at least again. Kalamazoo news in iraq. Oregon. Oh yes many many have done so. I mean. Many manufacturers throughout the most in the muslim world. Have condemned suicide. Suicide has never been sexy by the prophet. Have been does not been a single instance. Sanctioned suicide. Dick dick the suicide irs recommend a book by by robert tape. Call dying to win. University of chicago professor who has studied suicide terrorism. And points out that. In every case you find a study to side terrorism from 1982. The time the book was published. Is that the recovery period of over 23 years. Any points. that suicide terrorism has always. Ben. Really a nationalistic secular campaign. Who is. Objective was to attain certain political objectives. Has always conducted against a military force. That individual in the eyes of the suicide terrorists. Are occupying their lands. What is the tamil tigers and the tamil tigers in sri lanka. Are the ones who have made most cases of suicide terrorism. After that comes in israel-palestine. Now more in iraq. And enough in afghanistan. Any foods that how each of these are in entities targeted. Political political objectives. And it has been little to do with religion. I was in fact part of a group of. Over 100 college engerix. Largo in july. In amman in jordan. In which we condemned. Are we condemned the actions of violence against other muslims. But what difference does it make because because is not religion driven. That driven by political issues. And. As long as it's political issues exist. The phenomenon exists. And i owed you to read roberts facebook machine very coherently incursion play. Augie's the case for it. Thank you very much in question. And again we'll have time tomorrow for all of these questions and more so please come again the workshop will be off in the fireside room just through there and we all deeply thank you very much thank you thank you thank you.

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060917_Dr%20Richard%20Stromer_Personal%20Mythology%20as%20Personal%20Theology.mp3

And she recommended him so. We asked him to give a class in. The salty and personal theology shear. First he's giving a talk. Richard has a doctorate in mythological studies and world sacred traditions. As feared from the perspective of depth psychology. He has a counseling and teaching practice based in berkeley. Specializes on the application of the concept of personal mythology. Pictures of psychological and spiritual development. Monday. A week from tomorrow. He will start in class. I believe. And it will be on the power of personal milk. He can tell you a little bit more about it but i hope some of you will join me in taking that class. Richard. Thank you. I will talk with just a little bit about the class at the end of may. I talked this morning. In 1912. Call christian. Published a seminal work. The symbols of transformation. The work that initially postulated his vision. Have an inherently mythological basis to the operation of the human psyche. In the introduction to this work. Union temple. Yet profound question. What is the myth. You are living. He goes on to observe in the process of writing this book. I took it upon myself to know my ms. And i regarded this as the time. Up cast. In 1961. You'll repeat this team of the mythic nature of personal experience. Writing in the prologue of his memoir memories dreams and reflections. I have now undertaken in my 83rd year. Carol my personal mail. Commenting on the inherently subjective nature of the process. Telling one story in mythic terms. He also observes that he can only tell stories. Down to declare whether or not the stories are. Does not matter. It's not the problem. Including the only question is whether what i tell is minus. Mike. In a very real sense. This question of finding symbols and stories through which one may discover the meaning of our lives. Seems to be a perennial one. As old as human consciousness itself. What makes be asking. And answering of this question. Particularly significant emergent day. Is that unlike previous generations. Many contemporary men and women. Find themselves living in a time when the collective culture offers little alternative. Personally. Question. And arriving answers from the core about individual experience. For the majority of people living in the modern secular world however. She must be addressed before dealing with yours question. Namely. Why bother with. For most people viewed in a culture without obvious or clear mythological underpinnings. It would appear that living well enough without context. Perhaps uman beings. What remains invisible to these men and women. Is the inevitability. Of living out his unconscious. An ill-fitting mythology. If a conscious psychic process. It's not in writing ali and reflectively disclosed more meaning for 1. Blankets price. Ecology no longer generator sense of existential meaning for many people. One alternative has been to turn mythic consciousness. Inward. And attempts to find the mythic dimension of each person's life story. Personal. Pathology. The psychologist stanley krippner offers an effective. Basic set. Value of disc. Personal mythology. He writes. Give meaning to the past. Understanding to the present. Interaction to the future. He goes on to observe the personal mythologies perform the functions of explaining. Confirming. Guiding and sacrificing experience. For the individual in a manner analogous to the way cultural. Once serve dysfunction. Or an entire society. Another basic definition of personal myth. One that directly addresses the religious dimension of this concept. Is that one proposed by robert atkins hormone specialist in human development. The personality rhymes. Is that personally sacred story of one's beliefs and experiences. Order shape and direct one's life. And which is also going to the story we all share. I'm thinking about personal mythology. It's. Inevitable. That we speak about the word compressor campbell. No one has done more to go shape and popularized. Idea of a personal approach to mythology. Glen campbell. What are campbell's more famous observations about mythology. Is it mist served for fundamental function. The first of these functions is metaphysical and religious in nature. Serving to express our relationship to divinity. Which campbell describes is that ultimate mystery. Transcending names and forms. The second function of myth according to campbell is a cosmological one. Serving to help us comprehend the natural order of the cosmos. And he's washing service in the modern world to the evolving. Increasingly complex mythology. Theoretical science. Disturbed music function campbell says the sociological. And is intended to express. Our collective stories community. Is this phone connected campbell observes that is in the greatest disarray. Awaiting the emergence of some new as-yet-unknown myth of humankind is global community. According to campbell psychological oriented. Foster the centering and unfolding of the individual. Enabling us to find demeaning inherent in the inner working of our own psyches. Apiece for the first. And the last. The religious or metaphysical function. A one can serve with psychological development. Are the problems with personal name. Another important aspect of apologies to bear in mind where they are collective. What personal. Ancient. Ramada. Is the ole miss. Functional two levels. First. A story. And second. At the whole networks network of beliefs and expectations. And assumptions. The police expectations and assumptions. Are related to the tenants in society. And organized religion. Impersonal manner. They are about ourselves. About others. About our relationship to the world and our relationship to the sacred. These networks of beliefs expectations and assumptions grow out of. Are based on the stories we tell. And at the same time these network reinforce the stories as we continue to tell them. Some aspects of these beliefs expectations and assumptions. Our conscious. Farm or submerged in the unconscious much is the bulk of an iceberg is below the surface of the ocean. Unfortunately. We care about our stories. Without also questioning our networking police expectation. Assumptions. Norwegian can we evolve our network of beliefs and expectations and assumptions. Without expanding the scope of our story. What are the key problems involved in working with the evolving nature of our own mythology. Is this chicken-and-egg relationship between our stories. And the world music simultaneously give rise to them. If i'm supporting them. Now that i said something about my contention. And in particular a personal orientation to me. I need to spend a little time speaking about what mix is. And isn't. This is particularly important. Illusion distortion and falsehood. Rather than perceiving it as a source of profound and perennial wisdom. To begin with. It's essential to understand that meant is always inherently. Symbolic. Metaphorical. As a result never speaks about literal logical factual matters. Rather like poetry. 62 sport images that indirectly tell us something about the human experience in general. And our own unique experience of being human. Is joseph campbell was endlessly fond of observing. Mints are about things that never were. Ar. In this way miss asks us to imagine. A flack. Rather than define. Analyze. Equally important consciousness are rent-a-car. To be engaged experientially. And not simply observed from some. Perspective of objectivity. In addition to fully grasp our personal mirror. We need to recognize that miscue historically common. Perennial reoccurring symbols. Through the lens about individual life stories. Indeed one of the most compelling qualities that the missing perspective offers. As a framework for reflecting on our collect. Experience experience of life. Is the accident but miss provides to a larger. Perhaps even universal contacts. Comprehending. Indeed. What are the key reasons for paying attention to the relationship between the personal and the collective or universal dimensions of mere. Is the desire to see and experience more clearly. The nature of the human condition itself. In this rain. The colorful in soho images that provide masks allow us to step back from our experiences. So that we might catch a glimpse of the bigger. Conversely. If mister to become more than your stories for us. They must be encountered and engaged. The experience of our own lives. End of the world in which we live. Regardless of whether one initial receipts to find a sense of universality in one's personal experience. Orange tag reflects on the ways one personally relate. The great themes of world mythology. Agoura personal mythology in the end must be to dynamically interweave the personal. And universal dimensions of our stories. As a result. The potency of the universal quality of our experience in humans. Is simultaneously grounded word interpersonal contacts. For each of us to reflect on the mythic nature of our store. Is concerned about the universal. Versus the personal aspects of mythology. Brings me to spend just a few moments looking for subject of archetype. Archetype of quality. Archetype. Which there are an infinite number. Psychological reality. Cast of characters. The collectively define each person psychic reality. You understood great myths and legends and the seemingly ordinary stories of our own lives. Are equally driven by a common pastor such powerful and eternal archetypal characters. Thunder wizard. The dragon number warrior. The mother and the father. Sportster. It's simply moved within human consciousness. Are merely externalized personification. I would have always been dinner. Yosemite archetypes israelite residing in the collective unconscious. Which we dropping and dreams. Deacon's fantasy thinking. And the creation creation of any form of art. Indeed one to accurately describe miss as stories that explain to archetype. Regarding the relationship between personal next in arkansas. Personal myth-making. Is the process of recognizing. And understanding archetypal images. In traditional motifs. In around watch stories. Because the local or personal. Universal collective are always present. Reflecting on them. Can you put reminder in. We might think of these two orientations to working with personal myth. As a bottom-up. Versus top-down or perhaps of micro vs. macro. Model. For example we can start by focusing on those michigan archetype of images that arrived when we contemplate some aspect of our own lives. I like stories are dreams. Synchronicities in our lives. Enjoy such a bottom-up approach in our own stories. And compare them to similar themes and symbols. Legends fairy tales dark-cycle stories of the world. Alternatively. We might start the process of coming to understand our personal theology. By carefully. And reflecting on the world. An archetype of literature. I'm done contemplating how the images and stories. Relate to the story tomorrow line. As to how we might affect italy identify those stories. And images from historical and cultural storehouse admit that are personally relevant and meaningful to our men. Union psychologist change hollis. Suggest being attentive to what he called an archetypal residents. Kind of psychic to work. Between such music material and our innermost sense of who we are. By the way please don't assume that you need to read me. Let alone commit to other time. Places to explore your mythology. Indeed. Some of the most provocative inside come to about my mythology. How come from ewing and reflecting deeply on those motion picture. Most profound leader. Of course not even the personal to universal universal to personal approach. Exploring our mythology. The work of understanding the michigan archival implications of our life stories is really a process of alternating between these two perspectives. Sometimes we might choose to begin by reflecting on the mythical archetypal themes and images encounter mineral life experience. Other times are reflections mikey traitor. By a profound sense of the mythical rock cycle connection. Piccolo story we are reading. Horror movie we are watching or some aspect of our own life stories. And some aspect of. Regarding. Which end of the process restart from however. The touchstone of our personal mythology. And return back. To the narrative. Personal. Thinking specifically about personal mythology as an approach to the sacred dimension of human experience. It's helpful to return for a moana. Campbell's first. Religious or metaphysical. Which is by the way the one who said all the others emerged. It's the province of organized religion. This result attended in the past to be entirely collected in orientation. Marvin cowardly always going to personally felt aspect. Strength of religious mythology. Michelle. Rituals embodying them were contained within the constraints of collective traditions and officially. Urology. Has been increasingly clear throughout most of the last century. This domination of the sacred function of nearby traditional religious authority is no longer tenable. Initial effectiveness developer. Is offered in the wholesale rejection of religious mythologies. Alienation of many people from the religious dimension of life. Unfortunately. Wholesale rejection of religion seems to me to be ultimately untenable as the previously unquestioning reliance on outside religious authority for interpreting easements. Examples baby in the bath water thrown out together. Regarding religion. Analyst to suggest we are collectively suffering from what he calls her failure of religious imagination. Define sligc8v size in a growing number of people who see behind the curtain of their childhood face. Endo dismayed to find a patriarchal image of god which they can no longer worship. Who discovered the dark side of god that goes unspoken. Who searched for new traditions to meet often indescribable hunger or leave without any religious practice at all. Experian. That person can provide. A highly bible pathway for engaging in the search. For meaningful and sustaining relationship to sacred. Engaging your personal network from a religious or spiritual perspective. Means reflecting. Dimensionally. On the relationship of the sacred. However that concept might be defined. 217 experience. Dreams and fantasies. Emotional and intellectual response. Both existing here. And the symbols in our tribal images that arise spontaneously. Within the psyche of the individual. Regardless of whether engagement with one person in mythology. Leads to the adoption of a purely personal orientation. To the religious aspects of life. Or to return to the religion of one's childhood. Lester the more personal relationship to that station. Or to the embracing of another tradition warranty being one with one in eight religious sensibility. Is a real possibility of a more personally engaged. An innately meaningful approach to religious life. Through personal. Religious or spiritual aspect of working with our personal apology. Is also supported by two interrelated trends associated. Temporary search for sacred. The first of these general trend. Concerns are growing emphasis in contemporary religion. Experiential dimension. Obstruction. Increasingly pluralistic nature contemporary religious landscapes. United states in europe. Experimental basis for religious belief and practice. Has increased dramatically since the baby boom generation fluoridation 60s and 70s. It's the start of the 20th century. And the work of the psychologist william james. Classic varieties of religious experience. James made the distinction between what he called. Firsthand religion. And secondhand religion. For james. Firsthand religion. Is always based on direct personal experience of the divine in one's own life. In contrast secondhand religion according to james. It's based on a collective and traditional adherents. Tucannon religious dogmas. For james. Many people today. The first-hand variety of religion is the primary and essential form of religious experience. One thing firsthand religion is ultimately the source of all religion. When the initial revelation. Revelatory experience of the initiator of the religious tradition tradition to his or her followers. Revelation becomes more and more institutionalized. Elegiac. As it transforms into an orthodox form of religious teaching. It also becomes more and more distance from a flesh-and-blood experience of the sacred. The desire to experience the sacred directly. To have an encounter with god or the divine without the intervention of inherited beliefs ideas and concepts understandable. Secondhand religion. Because personal experience most. A particularly important aspect of this experiential approach to religion. Is the degree to which encourages a conscious borrowing. Assembles beliefs and practices from a wide range of sacred tradition. Has greatly been facilitated by the existing pluralistic contemporary. What obvious impact of this intense inter-religious exploration than borrowing. It's been a radical shift in the way many individuals have come to view the myth. Symbols and rituals. Of the world's many distinctive religious traditions. Depriving is trend as reflexive spirituality. Religious studies scholar clarkway roof. Observe this approach requires that individuals accept the responsibility of weaving together a religious world. From the available images symbols. Moral codes in doctrines of the world's religions. Thereby exercising greater autonomy in defining and shaping. What is to be considered religious meaning for. These two interrelated religious development. 142 more experiential orientation to religious life. More prolific pluralistic approach. Religious orientation are very much relevant to the idea. Of adopting personal net worth. Regarding need for more experiential basis for religious life working with the mythic and archetypal dimensions of our life story inherently asked us to reflect on the times in our lives when we have personally confronted. Sacred dimension of human existence. Moreover. Search music reflection alter regions to contemplate the degree to which the sacred regular experience of being alive. Finally. Working with personal mythology can help us become more effective receivers. A sacred symbols and stories. Thereby providing us with the more effectively. On which to read more meaningfully personal religious. Another approach to our orientation to religion. Relates to the dilemma of how to meaningfully approach. Possibility of religious renewal. Give me the consequences of 300 years. Of enlightenment thought. What is unrelenting insistence on principles of rationality. Empiricism. According to sociologists peter berger. The confrontation between this modern frame of reference. And the largely literal approach to understanding with ologies of religion in the medieval.. I slept contemporary individuals faced with two equally untenable ways of relating to the religious aspects of life. The first of these two alternative. Consists of a wholesale denial of the relevant today. The adoption of a completely sexual orientation. The second required to return to restrict and uncompromising fundamentalism that infect. Denies the validity of all modern fall. Ironically. Reject the possibility of a mythic relationship. While the former alternative dismisses. The latter insisted religiousness be viewed as historical facts. Finding a third alternative between both fundamentalism and secularism. Is the religious historian robert siegel. Describe his dilemma is one concerning the often contentious relationship between modernity and religion. Relationship between modernity and religion is taking one of three forms. Characterizes respectively as fundamentalist. Rationalist. And romantic. The first of these three orientation siegel observe. Pitts religion against modernity. Adopts for religion. Adding fundamentally fundamentally ignores. Organized beings capability of modernity. The 2nd of each orientations is like the fundamentalist un1t respect since it to its legality against religion. As opposed to. Rationalism. Maternity over religion. Disregard rewrites the rationalists. Rationalist religion. For the restless religion is not merely unnecessary. But for modern is out riding possible. Ironically both fundamentalists and rationalists believe that the term modern religion is a contradiction in terms. Because ironically like the fundamentalist. Rational salida realized immense underlying religion and pit them against science as an explanation for the functioning of the physical world. Where's fundamentalist playing to the explanatory function of religious myth. As in the case of endorsing biblical creation stories over the theory of evolution. Religion can only work when it's explanation is accepted. And science precludes the exception. Acceptance. The surge you which siegel describes as the romantic approached referring to the great nineteenth-century reaction against extreme. Rationalism of the enlightenment. Brakes people's fundamentalism. Inis perfume religion to modernity. Choosing between these two opposing views. Aromantic perspective attempts to reconcile. Like fundamentalist single observes romantic and invaluable possession. However in contrast to fundamentalist. He continues romantics. Do not rise religion as an explanation. Deep for them religion serves to do almost anything but explain. Express. Advocate. Comfort. Harmonize. Meaning. As a result. Religion can continue to serve these functions by addressing the core existential questions of human life in symbolic. Metaphorical international terms. Romantic orientation allows for reconciliation. Between modernity. And religion. Peter berger is characterized as postmodern option opposed to book secular materialism. And religious fundamentalism. Azteca reticle alternative. In this context burger observes that the word heresy. Comes from the greek word horizon which means. I believe the burgers observation on the dilemma of having to choose between the syllabus qualities of a purely secular materials primer reference. The unrelenting dogmatism of fundamentalism. A particular relevance to this notion of developing a personal sense of mythic consciousness. Samsung. Psychologist. Philosopher and colleague joseph campbell. Someone who has been an impassioned advocate for embracing this heretical music alternative to go secularism. And fundamentalism. Disregard on the theme of personal mix. A sacred stories. The cosmic story fails to provide for my spiritual journey right. Locate human beings in the grand scheme of things. Minecraft like yours is driven primarily. A personal. Existential need to discover how i fit into the scheme of things not buy an abstract need to understand how human beings in general. Into the cosmos. Disregard. A doggies if i'm ever to feel at home in the world. I must discover how was single life. Fits into life. The capital l. Tell my story fits into the universal story. Examining my story i can at least bring into focus one small part. Sacred hole. Composers that wear traditional religion tennessee require a broad leap into the arms of authority. The personal spiritual quest. Which i would say is everything spiritual crap. Only requires a short step over into the void. The basic assumptions such a spiritual quest to claire's. Is this. My life. Is the tech. In which i must find. The revelation. Disappeared. I would like to propose an overarching metaphor. Describe both process. Anyhow, seeking the sacred to a personal engagement. With mythic stories images and symbols. This metaphors expressed in the phrase. Faith. In the journey. Implied within this deceptively simple phrase. Is the vision of faith grounded in what changed first-hand experience. A religious truth. It also improves the image of journey. One of the oldest metaphors for the unfolding process of living life. An image that also knost the sensor. Personal initiation. A religious pilgrimage. Spiritual quest. Searchable in abiding sense of meaning. And a purpose in our lives. This metaphor faith in the journey. Is also meant to suggest an ongoing process of evolving a living relationship. Between ourselves. Mp unknowable. Inescapable mystery. We simply referred to as god. It's been my experience. Then she can recycle to the mythic text. How about live experience. Eric ripeness insensitive of our unique journey through life. We come to realize that the sacred lies not in obtaining the object of the quest. Corn reaching the shrine that is the destination of the pilgrimage. But rather in the active consciously journey itself. Also reasons to understand that discovering a sense of the meaning of our lives. Lies not in the great cosmic mysteries. Rather and actively encountering and embracing their. Finally. And most importantly. We can experience existential kind of faith. It matters little what we believe about the unknown and unknowable god behind the many masks and images. Because i'm facing returning. I'd like to spend a little bit of time. Talking about how to use tradition in particular. Is a religious tradition that is open. Mythic understanding of the sacred. Ender. We can look. For one thing the whole concept that revelation is not sealed. Opens us to the possibility of quinceaneras. How to get online to the sacred texts. In addition this whole emphasis on a personal search for wisdom the whole lecture series i'm speaking on personal theology. Crater story. Greater stories when i first encountered the concept. Greater stories. It became clear to me. These were personal. These are mr. people's relationship to the sacred quite ours is a great name for them. But that's what they are. Also. Find the openness of. Our tradition. To the wisdom. Stories in symbols and images of all the world. Open this up to that but i called top-down approach. To seeking wisdom in our own stories meaning in our own stories. I think the whole idea that we are a living tradition. In which we are expected. Find our own relationship to the sacred. Define traditions in in myths of the world as well as to our own experience of daily living. Is instaperfect. Forum. For engaging personal manifesto. Quest. Dimension of life. Great surprise to me. Discovered. Existed because. I found it quite accidentally. After i had. My pursuit of mythic awareness. One last thing is just in case people are interested in knowing more about the class that i'll be teaching. Will be doing your number things first of all will be exploring him a kind of overarching vision of what milk is our talked a little bit about that. Today. We'll be looking into great teams in the world cup. Garelick journey. And the missiles eternal return which is. The great mr. recycles are of the seasons in their life. Archetype of masculine mythology of which women participating rotisserie and the other is the great famine in the archetype of the mother paramedics colleges of the world. We will also spend some time looking at the whole question of collectiveness. 3rd function to campbell talks about as it relates to ours. Will spend time looking at the mythology of the human life cycle great stages and passages that we go through. Human life. And finally will conclude with them. How to seek the sacred in our miss. Nn-no personal mythology. And i'm hoping the last class if we actually. Have enough time. Time to have some space for personal nick telling. Any questions. Okay. Call. It's kind of comment about your primary and secondary religion. You can separate. The two because even with experiential. Stinks. I'm willing to bet that we are all taught some spiritual path in order to arrive at that accept mystical experience or whatever. So i think there's an interplay between the two i don't see how you can say well. It's only experiential. I think what jamesy saying is the primary form of religious experience is the first. Not the second. But the second can give rise to the first. But if we're going to have a personal experience of the sacred. It has to come from personally relating to that second a addition in somewhere never arrived at that so. I don't need to be taught anything to watch a movie and and and have a mystical experience as a result of her. Pregnant. A lot of times people use the word myth. Do they want to say that particular belief system is only metaphors and don't allow it to be. History or. Or or whatever and i think that's a little insulting to a lot of people. Not necessarily the word memphis cell. When you say well your belief system using only metaphors. A literal truth which everybody must abide by. If it isn't then it's a literal truth we almost to bye-bye. The most important problem the most important things however is young pointed out can't be described and can only be understood in terms of symbols and metaphors. The authors are j.r.r. tolkien trilogy the lord of the rings said david that he was attempting to create. Play mythology for england. Comment on colton's work and your view of his success in that endeavor. Yeah she was writing about wella. His own personal mythology grew out of his experience of the horror of the first world war. And the trenches. And that when he saw the coming of the second world war. He was like most people in in europe and certainly almost everyone in britain. Equally horrified. By the prospector. And so he trying to create a myth that would sustain britain. In its struggle against fascism. And what it would have to endure. Can i see all the rent. He also ecology. Experience of the industrial revolution. And the horrors that it had inflicted on england. Answer the naturalism of his mythology. Is an innocence a reaction against. And the horrors of industrialization and we desire to return to a more natural way of her peeing. So his is heroes very much. Opposed fascistic kinds of energy. And support the natural order of the world. I was curious and i understand the notion of the person experiencing the most powerful. How would you were seagull explained. Tendency of administration sacred symbols are they embracing. Or a search for the sacred. That would allow them to get in touch with. Going to war. Torture. Negation of things rational. Could you help me understand from a layman's point of view. What was pushing company you're doing is endorsing that fundamentalist alternative the one that literally liza smith that believes the world is coming to an end. That intact fear is it's a good grounding. For him religious endeavor. Assurance to dogmatic religious beliefs will save us. From. All the scary things that the end of the world will bring. But i think what we're seeing is a fundamental lighting. Anytime we fundamentally anytime we try and liberalize it. Campbell what caused most of the mischief in the world. Thank you for reminding me to drink of my life a mythic. Really enjoyed you talk. Yet i felt as usual the old sense of alienation. When you had no references to women as. Mythologist or writers. Women who run with wolves. Just include. Mind. Sex in your. Yeah. Yes. She's a woman for you jk rowling. What do you have to say about harry potter and particularly its impact on you. Well i think it's introducing the whole generation and use. To ignition cuellar telling stories. Ha. Those stories are so archetypal. And whether children know the names of the archetypes. Whether they know the names of the archetypes in the archetype of forces that aren't working those stories whether they know anything about other myths and religions and by the way rowling is wonderful and weaving. Other missing in traditions into her stories. Concern given a grounding in a picway proceeding. Give her all the credit in the world and the fact that she's so staring to fundamentalist. Boats really well for her in my book. Just one more. I asked about the relationship of. Personal myth-making as a investigational activity versus an artistic. Activity investigation using to talk to. Inductive logic to the artistic. Create. Call miss macy. Existentialist meaningless universe. Open. I do think that personal miss work is more of an art form and rational activity. For example reflecting on james is much more valuable in telling us something about our mexican analyzing dreams. Breaking them down into bed. We are rational creatures and looking for the relationship between the myths of the world and the images in my own story that have a mythic implication. Music kind of rational activity. Rational. But i think that dumb. This obviously is part that i see nick and and religion both is being far more like hard. And far less like science. I'm i'm fascinated. With your story says smith. I invite you to reflect for us a little bit. Abusive men in the in the religious conversations themselves of the of the different. That we have in our world. Well. Of course the strings on the most part of your wealth is the western tradition is the western christian one. I mean is this the stories of of jesus. Oh absolutely stories of mohammed and buddha and interview musically. If there's a problem with monotheism. Traditionally practiced. Is that it doesn't think of yourself. It thinks of itself. Therefore it doesn't think of itself as being connected to the great circle. How he thinks of itself as being funnier. Come and heading from a beginning in the garden of eden. To an end of some kind of christians muslims are much clearer about these kind. Monotheism is the only major stream of religious tradition in the world. It doesn't. Recognize that is fundamentally mission sees itself as historical. If you talk to a hindu for example. They'll tell you that. They're the rents and tell him a great deal about life but they're not historical fact. I'm in a sentence you can say that hindus worship their gods they just don't believe in them. So. Get directions to desert a great difference between native indigenous traditions traditions in asia world absolutely world. Which campbell's make a lot of time writing about how big do in a disastrous way broke. From a mythological understanding of religious awareness. Could you say something about dreamwork in the relationship between developing your own personal mail absolutely. While not everyone has access to their own dreams there isn't a better source for finding the mythic. Material in one's own drinking was a life been one dreams. I would say the second best source of the synchronicities in one's life and then have profound significance meaningful coincidences. That broad is so tight because otherwise imagine their cotton have gotten to. The-dream no i mean. The collective unconscious which is the source of all men. Is the source of our own dreams it's just that our dreams are filtered through our own personal unconscious and tractors adairsville allina campbell that many. Is collective dream just a dream is personal mint. The world's dreams and its mythology and redeem our mythology that night in our in our own dreams. Not to question you got about how to. Look at western tradition. Mythological. You going to say something about how. If you wanted to move into the. The middle ground of mythology how you might. Review. Christianity. Of the western tradition sperm historical into mythological. It's been a certain part of my own journey and i was racing jewish tradition and which i walked away from when i was in my twenties. Actually claimed the mythological underpinnings of it you have to look deeply to find them in any cases or well for example now there's a whole literature that's arisen about the massachusetts. Dark chocolate jesus draws upon world about dying and rising gods. That were connected to the cycles of life in the earth. And how those got rid of realized and in some ways a story had to be created. That would restore sizes you were that. That whole mythic pattern. Answer me in the jewish tradition if you have been able to come back to romantic perspective to call off. Because the kabbalistic and vision of judaism is inherently article learned in mythological and doesn't try to liberalize anything. What's going on in the. The weather. Responses to what's been going on sample. Historically in in in europe there was a time when. Handful. Dominating. Take your business if you will. And in response to that you got the god is dead movement. Amanda, gage communism socialism. You would see as a response to this. Fundamentalism the tapping in our own country and around the world. Who argued the problem isn't christianity. Fundamentalist christian. Liberal muslims and liberal christians. Need to strive to reclaim. Traditions. From the people who are attempting to steal them. By mineralizing them to death. That's that's one of the great challenges facing us is new year's. Animals that you know we have been for 150 years or more. In that struggle. So it's just that we seem to have lost a lot of into this. The first terrorist. Well i should probably lived the last 75 years of the twentieth century and need to get that. That's team wrapped up again liberal religious thinkers. That need to come together. And basically. Saying no uncertain terms that these fundamentalist approaches to religion are killing us. Is angelica christians have just proclaimed. Taking bath. Their religion. Taking care of the earth. Priority. Fundamentalist not the fundamentalist. Use up the earth before the end of the world. Earth is god's creation and its take care of it so they were. Almost shut down. Current regime saying. No no no let's stick to our core issues. Abortion and gay rights. And ignore. Environmentalist movement of the lamp. Have nothing to do with us. And they're saying no we won't be shut up. We will take care of your we will join the environmentalist. This is just. Big big news i think. Tell me about the power of archetypal in the archetype confusion. If you go back to the ancient hebrew in the book of genesis. The word that used. Describe man's relationship to the earth is much more. Connotes tid of stewardship rather than dominion. Dominion was a mistranslation. That has persisted through many many translations and languages. Give up this idea of rulership over the world different archetype. Them stewardship of world. History channel recently on the last year or so. Did a series of programs. Kind of gave a general title to. Who really wrote. The new testament. And without seeing all the programs i figured it was constantine. The gospels were all written by different people or most of who. Pick up what they heard by hearsay. The fact that much of what's in the gospels don't agree with each other tells us they were different streams of thought they came together. What interests me and in by the way i will be teaching a class on the mythology juice to the oakland church next spring. Is is the mythological aspects of the story. Ignore the fact that there may very well have been a profound lee important religious teacher and revolutionary. He said many of the things that seem to be in agreement in all the gospels. But much of the power of the story of jesus doesn't lemonade out of that. Animated mystical awareness of his quality is a mythic figure. Airbnb your point of there. Thing was not so much that they rewrote.. But my editing what went into. And was locked out. Wisconsin teams. So we're basically doing that. I don't really know how to phrase the question as much as a comet that is. Seems to me that the non-western thought. Expressed through buddhist ideas of becoming more comfortable. With the reality that seems like in permanent. Have a lot to. I guess what i'm. Experimenting myself is that. Looking at our experience through this mythic context whether it's hard dream or. Are in a metaphorical approach to life is much more ambiguous. And not the concrete like you. Mentioned. Science. Irrational deduction in an analytical process and i filled it fundamentalism. Inherently turns away. From ambiguity and i'm wondering i guess if i have any questions how we can all become more comfortable in dealing with. The uncertainty. Abstractionist. Ability to quantify. And ice-t metaphor art. Dreamworks as. One practice in that respect. Well you can't do personal miss work without coming right up against all the aspects of our stories that don't get along with all the other aspects of our stories until the paradoxical quality of our own experiences. Is fundamental. Commence work. Also miss your fundamentally about mystery. About engaging a mystery one of the great teacher that are mystical. Their doorways to mystical understanding. Famous interchange with murders in the television series where moira says commits are telling us about the meaning of life. No disappointing us jordan experience alive. Dairy product.

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060930_Lawrence%20Lecture_Discussion%201.mp3

Welcome this morning. Kalisto. One and maybe more of you were not able to be here last night but we're glad to have you here this morning a wonderful experience last night of. I'm beginning to open up ideas of. How we can understand one another as people who come out of different traditions and how we can be builders of bridges of understanding. Our format this morning is going to be very conversational very much of a dialogue. Imam raul is going to respond to questions from walt and at the very beginning and we'll have a little chance for them to have a little back-and-forth dialogue for a few minutes and then they'll open it up to questions from you. So let those creative juices get going early here in the morning. And we look forward to a wonderful wonderful conversation we will take a break in about an hour for a few minutes so just know that that will be coming up as well. When we get to that question time i was going to. Bring the microphone around so just raise your hand and he'll pay attention. So. Welcome it's so good to have you here this continuation of the lawrence lecture and. Turn to. Engage in dialogue. I'm not exactly going to. Are we both working okay i'm not exactly going to start with a question. Maybe i can maybe after i see a few things i'll do it my question is. Seems to me that one of the most important things that's going on in the world. Everywhere is. What took some people would call an outbreak of cosmopolitanism. That is we all find ourselves in the global civilization we are all everybody in the world really for the first time in the world. Are all. Vaguely aware of being connected to a world. And that there are civilizations ways of thinking. Even reality she might stay outside of our own frameworks some of you may have read an interesting article looked at my eyes and was in the new york times. A few weeks ago. It was about a group of about 80 people. Okay my wandering out of the amazon jungle to a little village. In columbia. And they said they decided to come. Lift outside of the jungle. And they wanted to stick their plan to stay there. They hope that the local people would give them some instruction on farming. Essentially they have decided. To join the world. Dakota busby morning outside. The new side in the tigers make a whole way of life. Whatever. There was one person in the group of who had been outside. Austin. What's a plan to do about the future and. He said the future of what is that. Apparently he understood the word but didn't quite have the concept. In any case i have no idea how they knew cock mccoo which is what they call themselves are going to. Make out in the future or in the world that they decided to become a part of. Remind me in a way that even those most remote places in the world that are still in the sense not quite connected. Are connected. Hydrocortisone people become connected to a global. Civilization global society global context whatever you want to call it. They can't help revising their sense of their own boundaries and their. Their way of looking at their own beliefs and values. That seems to me to be going on all over the place. And it seems to me. And i guess this is not where i. The question that part of what. What what singers. Perceived as. Serious problem in relation to the. Islamic world. Is the number of people. Who are. Strong reaction to any kind of corruption i'm thinking of. Award shows. Khomeini about this. Said sometime after the revolution in a run. A speech to the intellectuals i think it might be reflecting on his experience in france. You intellectuals you want freedom you want to touch a touch ra. You can't live with the idea. That we want to. Go back to world of 1400 years ago. I want to make it very clear i don't believe that. Concept is. Universal remote. The islamic world and i know very well that those kinds of feelings are entertained by a lot of people. In the united states. Nevertheless it seems to me that's that. The issue that is generated by the destruction or global contacts. Sing. Does two peoples. Concerns about the integrity of their own culture. Comes pretty close to being a central part of the problem. And so i would like. If that's a question. Or if it's a thought that you would. Light to. Different word for, illinois. The very important question. Many people have spoken about over the last several years. Under the rubric of the. The word globalization. And dumb i look for. Just gave me this morning. What is published. Funny book about globalization. Impact of globalization. I'm sorry. Can you hear me now. I want you all to hear. What book on globalization. Over the last several years this has been a subject which a lot of people have. Been talking about i myself have participated. The number of conferences. That try to try to. To discuss or wrap our heads around. This topic of globalization. And the way that walt resented it really describes the phenomenon very well. How is how do people. Rules. From. A world in which we had relatively different societies. And when we were kids. I mean look at national geographic magazine. Which of these articles about these different cultures and different peoples in africa or south america and china. Go look different with dress differently. Behave differently. And then not transferred within the span of a lifetime. You go to any of these countries anglesey looks just like downtown new york. You'll see high-rise buildings in kuala lumpur in shanghai in. Many parts of the world end the rapid pace of the changes are causing great stress has too many of these society. I primarily in terms of their values. And. Which is where this stuff comes in walt witches wear. Many people because of the. A globalization and the reach of some of our programs our television programs. The impact of baywatch lincoln perception is whether perception problem becomes a problem. Is apperception in much of the world especially in certain parts of the muslim world. Baywatch is represent. American values. How americans behave. And there's a sense that that that this kind of broadcast. Sydney has a profound impact upon people growing up. People grow up and they they. They look at the icon. When i was growing up what were on icon from television. Red robin hurt. Read tarzan. We had do you know all these heroes you know sorrow. Fighting for the good fighting against the evil. And whether we know it or not these these the movie icons have a profound impact upon the way people behave. And today the icons of media of communications insofar presents. A set of values which many people believe are corrosive to their own values. Reactions of people at home and in other parts of the world. Aquavit. What date was they perceive to be the onslaught. Of a value less system. That comes from. From the media from lori mccall. The hollywood. Kind of. Stork. Another source about globalization is also the impact of. Multinational corporations. Are we now have. The entities which are very powerful. Companies like microsoft and many of these multinational companies exxon. Tavarius multinationals. In many cases more powerful than country. Richard and richard and country. Capacity to 44. To pursue their that that profits in their particular objectives. Which have been. Very important to the roof kind of world we live in. Has also had a profound impact upon many aspects. Busy ecology beat environment beat people's values people the way people even live. Just coming up the road with service knocking wall. I wasn't. You were talkin about walmart. Which are which went into a small town in texas. Mineola texas. Establishing walmart just outside the city boundaries for the new kano taxes. But the impact. Call walmart upon the whole economy and its socio-economic structure of the town. Was like like. Threatening huge boulder into small pond. So the whole. The whole ecosystem of the pond. How to speak violently joking around. This is a kind of an analogy already and you metaphor for what's been happening in many of these societies across the world. There's a flashlight and there's a concert but the reactions that we are seeing. Some of which tend to be couched in the vindy. Cabrio religion. Because religion izzy izzy. Rapid pace running rich our values are are held and maintained in a pound. Ag most important values. Values of goodness and kindness and charity and community insofar.. Even if he's up identity also.. So what is factor v. In creating the authenticity. Variable what you call globalization important variable factor. In in trying to unpack and understand. The complex dynamics. That i taking place between. What you might call the west. And the crypto pentatonix. If i may just just one more assertive elaboration on my question and then maybe week. Go to work. Coaching with everybody in the group. The word secular. I looked it up recently because it's trying to recover right about it and. I noticed that means different things to different people. City the latin words. Secular essentially has to do with time. Panera. Edit. It suggests that there is it within any kind of belief system. There are people were kind of trying to hold on to the my chains eternal. Values and beliefs of that. Subculture. And there are people who are trying to so to speak. Change. Terms with the time. That's a different meaning of course from the way we often kind of. Set up a jewella to your secular versus. Religious. So we have what i'm trying to get at is that. In the first meaning of the word secular that i suggested. It seems to me that in almost. Any religion. As matter fact in almost any kind of. Organized value systems such as marxism. You find people who are trying to kind of hold on to the central. Givens. Beliefs of that. Organization that. The weather in larsonsen for example. True believers held the. Mark. Fandangles had essentially outline the laws of history. And the dogs were unchanged. And then do a lot of other people in the world who call themselves marxist. We're going to have a little stock market. You might stay in secular terms. Bartz's i only use that example. Suggested maybe there is a kind of a dynamic. Was any any within any religion within any kind of ideology ethan. That is very powerful. Set event. Christianity for example we have these battles all the time about. Ordaining. Women. Things like that. Which are seen by others as. Lod play. Antagonistic today. Central values. The religion. And i wouldn't. To ask you to comment on your own perceptions of. Whatever vocabulary you want to use for the. Within. You just read something question your claman. First of all i think the most the most important profound comments that is implicit in your suggestion. Is the use of language and terminology. The problem much of the problem that that happens in my opinion. Comes about because of the way people use language. How to use language to mean different things. How did the reality tell. But we see your different how we divide reality. Is different like this payment expression that eskimos don't have a word for snow. Happy happy no. Umpteen word for spring snow, snow. Yeah wet so dry snow whatever it is. Similarly different people have different ways in which they break up reality. And the way we do our choice of language is a profound. Impact upon the way we actually perceive. The. The notion of secular. By which you mean. The world lyrics. Domain. Is something recognized under islamic law as i mentioned yesterday santa claus begins. With the idea of the two commandments. And divides its laws into laws pertaining to. 2 acts of worship. That liturgico act. And and unload pertaining to. Worldly. The reality. But. Because it is constructed that way. The world is not deemed. Tubi. Propane. The world is sacred. Is there is no. There's no a dichotomy. There's visit there's a differentiation there is a. Definition of category. Between the divine all that. The work that we do intensive worship. And what we do and how we behave towards our our environment to what our neighbors excetera. But. In behaving towards our neighbors. Correctly in behaving to rosenbaum correct. You are performing. A religious act as well it's not it's not outside the ambit. All religious law. It is considered. It is considered a sin. Hundreds, klaatu polluted pond. So. Busy but the notion of the worldly. Is understood in that wise advice that, you mean. A distinction between what goes on in in the moscow intensive acts of worship and tells about redo to the world that distinction exists. But it's not outside of the ambit of the religious war. In fact this is what i believe the the westin concept needs to be to be further fleshed out because. We all every human being given monster have a belief set. So if you refuse use the word religion. To mean your belief set. The belief that you live your life. Then marxism is religion. Communism is a religion. Because that is your belief that that is that is the. The foundation of your eventual reality how you view yourself in the scheme of things and how you stream the values of your society. School in in that sense you cannot say well it's on christianity judaism a religion than committing fraud religion. In the sense of being a police set that informs your decision. Informs your values involve jurassic. This is why i say we can if we if we define our terminology in a way. That reflects the the substantive reality we which will be less erroneous. In and how we how we formulate our our conclusions from that. Islam is very i said i said yesterday maybe not an electrical conversation it's a very american. The notion. Zzb. The american declaration of independence starts off with some very profound statements. It says we hold these truths to be self-evident. A tall men hitting all of humankind are created equal. Got a notion of human equality. Regardless of ethnicity. Flies that look like he's a very abrahamic scene. I didn't want abraham contributed to thought. Because up until that time and in many societies until recently you had classes. Are you had the. The king of the emperor was viewed to be divine or semi-divine you have the royal class and noble classes. All the way down to the. The very lowest glasses and religions like in hinduism or eastern religions. The life of the. Of the lowest. Wrong person of society was not deemed. That valuable. But equal to a person. You could kill someone from the. The hydrogen free sample and it was not much. Marty killing a goat. I saw the notion that all life is equal. Let that woman takes a human life is if you're still all of humanity regardless of that. This is what the abrahamic traditions contribute. The oneness of god in strict monotheism. And the oneness of humanity. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal and endowed by the creator. Unalienable rights. Not the concept that the rights that we have are given to us by the creator. And not by. The government by any man-made. Because they are given to us by the creator because our divine endowment. They in here. Enactus human being. So you cannot take somebody else's rights because they're not they're not given to you by you anyway. If i give you a ride i can revoke that right. But it's the right is given to you and to me by god we cannot revoke the right only the creative has that right. Religious concept. That's a very slama concept as our rights are given to us by the creator among which. Ilife. Liberty. Arguments property. And property was was. Erase and transferred into. Pursuit of happiness. Centuries before these words were written. Western jewelry. All of islamic. Has as its objective. The advancement of the best interests of the human being. In this life. Pain in the neck. Which is preferred reflected 2 commandments. The lost and lost between to how we worship. End. The next level of objectives days unpacked this. Best interest into five major objectives of the law must protect and further. Life. Religion. Property. Family. And intellect. Hawaii doing my book on the apartment my book. Which is called website with islam is what's right with america. I untie show how the residence between. These these principles of jurisprudence. And the foundational documents of american society. The. The notion. That h. Societal contract in united states. Is not religious is belied by this very language. The rights we have are given to us by the creator. They may have a different concept of the creator give me think of god is in this form of that fall. But that language. Is. Not parochial religious language. But it expresses the truth that are in better. In the abrahamic faith traditions of judaism christianity and islam. It's important for us to recognize to recognize this. That this document. Is dr. oakley religious. But it is substitute substantively religious speaks to the values. That we as muslims and christians and jews. Believe emanates from out on face today. Hungry howie's n create a society where we have the space or respected liberties is is is very like the challenge. And then possibly talent that we have in inches. And a lot of the mistakes michigan happens in society. Misunderstood. These concepts are applied these concepts. Incorrectly. This is why i stay positive even one of the products we had no doing right now is to benchmark what state is. Golden islamic state. Is not defined. By a demographic definition which is pollination station. Define ciganovic greatest reason. For conflict in the world over the last century. It is defined by the values of that face. Now the christian a christian state. Or jewish faith. Barney's pharmacy. It was defined by the fact that people that have two. Call themselves christians definition. But if. A christian state is defined by love hope and charity. Bye-bye principles. Ethics and behavior. It's a jewish state is defined by what rabbi hillel said on the essence of the torah. What you don't want others to do to you to not do to others. If it's namaste is define. By the objectives and principles. Explain government rules fundraising in mama's overlap. Between the jewish islamic and christian state or even steak like tonight. America. That's the direction that we hope. 11 more news item and then i'll ask her some questions and i think one question would be if those are the principal. How come we're all having so much trouble in the world. Great question well then i'm any causes for that. But in terms of in terms of the. Did the cause which emanate. I mean comes from personal greed hegemony political aspirations of different people etc. But if you want to get some from what what concepts are what i'm correct concepts have contributed to conflict. In my mind. Nationalism has been one of the worst. Scourges over the last couple of centuries. Where. The notion of a nation. Shifted from a community-based notion. Oceans are on this piece of land you have to be of the same type. Whether it's by the color of your skin. Weather in spy the the religion that you have about the language that you that you have. Did the concept of the nation-state. Which developed in europe in the seventeenth century. Was a major contributing factor. The conflicts between europe and the various world. And unfortunately about a century ago. The muslim world adopted that concept. So we created an ocean. Of august we created you know arab nationalism which was something which. Was tried in the 19. Forties and fifties and sixties. In fact that historians. Point out that this was something with the british initiated in fermented. To bring about the destruction of the ottoman empire. I document the ottomans rule. Over all kinds of people to the persians of a greek. Over arabs over courage they rule the world. Are romanians and bulgarians inbox me and ottoman empire. Hungarian stew. Once did the concept of empire did not imply that you had to be all of one kind in 11 territory. But there's a result of nationalism and they pull mented not out of nationalism in the late 19th century to bring about the demise of the ottoman empire. You know what happened even in the area with lawrence of arabia and all that kind of stuff. But then we adopted it the worst part is that the most things about today. So when i created turkey. Encrypted turkish nationalism. All of a sudden now you had great massive demographic shift. So that was no longer space for non-turbo innocence. Xx changes for between briefs. People don't even remember now anymore. That sounds like turkey like is near smyrna. The old greek smyrna modern world is where was 2/3 week until the 1920s. Cappadocia was majority greek. Alexandria in egypt country of my parents first. What's had 400,000 greek until the 1950s was a greek lb. I want to have these national identities around geography. Yuba credit recreated ethnic nationalism. Register. Heritage of archaeology. Jurisprudence. But people are recreated this concept around. You know the the nationalistic sentiments. And we're still living with the aftermath of this context today. This is the problem in iraq. Enough chords want a nation-state and. Nation-states. I just happen in the bathroom crisis where you created an ident you created you identities these people in europe. You align said okay now you're all going to be nigerians. So something like 250 african tribes. Wow call themselves rebels of the africans or whatever. Identity. Old identity. Netspend. To do. This is one of the one of the reasons not the only reason. For the complex that we see today. Vaclav havel said something very interesting a few years ago that eat. Believed and hoped that nations were. In the process of becoming but i think he called. List truculent entities with more porous boundaries that they were more. More evolve into being. Administrative units than this sort of. Exaggerated sense of you know we're all american dinner together or you know. Does the. The ideas. Nation becoming a kind of religion and itself which it certainly has vancouver. I don't want this to just turn into a dialogue i would like to mention that one little break news-item that's that i thought was. Interesting and relevant to our conversation and then i like to fill it open for questions. Something again that i read in the new york times this more recently a couple of weeks ago i believe. Shirley good-sized article answer you suck. Amazingly in the very recent past. There has been a sharp increase of immigration of the muslims to the united states. Which which would seem to contract the idea of a. Hardening global polarization between. America in. Unfortunately. I'm not surprised by it because. Because listings exist all over the world. Stevie young. The american islamic god bless you. Another one coming. The american islamic community represents a cross-section of the growth of the globe. Technically louisiana mustangs from tax-free everything. Including african american muslims. White american muslims. Questions comes from. Boston from turkey from all the countries in north africa central africa even central asia these old inspected time. Other than dx18 republic store ex-soviet republics. Call faiza so. Given the. The interactions between. Between. Existing community. And their home communities. Images happening with all images community. Mexicans. Relationships. Your family members you have your cousins your uncle's. And this is a very powerful contributing factor. To look at people coming to the states. So any questions coming. In the orange. I can barely see you but yeah. Good morning how are you. Why all of a sudden my mind went blank while i have a personal question i would like to ask you to. Because it's been on my mind since i first read. These were coming. Are we warned the united states were you born outside the united states is obviously you don't have an accent so. Curious to find out. Well. American. We all have an accent feed american or different one. I was born in kuwait. Call richardson parents. Kuwait was not a place known by american until after the first gulf war. And then i live in england. My father was. England. 18 months old. The next five years of my life until i was six were brought brought up in england. And then after everything to egypt my father responsible to malaysia. Southeast asia. Expecting years of my life there. And then i'll pretend to eat it for another year we were transfixed in our state. Columbia university. New york. 50 work. Even second physics. Indefinite amount of amoxil tribeca since 1983. Oh okay. Remind my mom that i'm in amana mall i'm in command of them are like a reverend of a church. My mom is a small mosque in the area of tribeca in manhattan. Acronym for the triangle below canal. Hello canal street. Yes. Yes i was wanting to listen family. I'm not used to these. Appreciate your personal questions and i feel. Really connected to you. My wife asked you last night. Afterwards. If you hug people. And you said yes and so she's. So she hugged you please. Uconnect. But. You're assuming you didn't point out in your. Talk last night that you were a mystic. If the soup is mystic or not. The word moderate came up in terms of muslims several times from the audience but. Your speech seem to be very carefully. Your electric. Seem to be very careful about your user not using certain inflammatory words. Like capitalism you didn't use that word once. You didn't use the word done. Used wealth instead i thought. You use them. There was some other i'm going to fly right now. Oh you didn't use the word fascism. At all you didn't say i love you as his last fastest fixing. Some of the muslim country. You. Well i was talking to other instances where i felt that you. Carefully. Use language would you said earlier in this conversation today was. Very important. How you choose your words. Is very critical. Talkin about secularize still going. Have a clear sense of where you are about secular. I'm i'm afraid i took this man's of microphone. Do you want to respond to that or do you want to just hear another question i could do that and we could just say grayson sweetheart we have time and we have lot of time and then. Well. Intensive intensive washington my language that is deliberate thing. It comes to box from a number of sources one is my. Myerly. Recognition. That a lot of. Black knight salad columbia. They gave us a big stack of books to read the other two quarters on a humanities course. 1 introduction to contemporary civilization red russo of only startled office in the modern philosophy. And dumb. It appeared to me. A lot of the confusion that i had was because you didn't seem to have a definite vocabulary. You know how was each place for using language was was very much determined. What you would say and that's why i had i began to be very critical. Of the fact that we did not have a very well-defined vocabulary like we have no physical sciences. But it was energy means mass times velocity. Doesn't mean i have no energy. It's a different concept completely. From the way they use language in in in the social sciences and the other. Fields of intellectual endeavor. That's one called the other causes that i also. How come to realization through my ministerial work as an email. And through the work that i have not devoted myself to which is being a bridge cigarette between the west and the islamic world. That words. Words and expressions can be volatile. They can you know what you say. Can can. Really hurt people. Can arouse people. And if you. Choose your words carefully you can have the opposite effect. And part of the challenge that we have today in part what i like to see. Is it both leaders. In the western world and islamic world. Train their language differently. Because it has a profound impact on how others view. The apollo the religion itself or the empty itself. So when for example. The president's use the word like islamic fascism. Around a lot of hostility in the muslim world. When the pope say something. Even if you did not mean it. Lesson 11 discussion. It has a profound impact on how people reacting. And the same thing vice-versa. Queen america react. How people speak about our other parts of the world. I've been to a few managers myself. Nebulizer even just between you know. Man-woman relationships friend your words i clinically important. Are you from your words wrongly and and you know you're you're out. Are you saying my words correctly and your hero. So i framing resident parking. I think if we just took a closer look at the word evil. Promiscuous use of it in in public dialogue. I never did get my. Your language because of the lack of controversy. I could tell that you were avoiding controversy. Because they have nowhere. And. But i am. The big fan of bill moyers program called faith and reason that's not effect. Playing southern programs here in this room. Brighton current. Mr. now we're doing one a week. And i would like to hear. Your question. Are your your view of the difference between faith. Andre. That's a very good question. Well from the point of view of what i've learned from our spiritual teachers. And to discontinue from a discussion that i said yesterday. I believe. That i'd even being richmond being have four components of being. We have our our physical being. I'll mind on internet. The rational being there took apart that stinks. I've been we have our passion of being. And we have. At the heart of all. Let me have the soul. Which is the eagle itself. Behind the capital i. The one with. Nosy which knows that you exist directly. And the most important component of our being is the self. Is the soul. And it's so can can know each each. Compulsive about being. Get information received data. Play receives it differently. The. The physical body receives its input is poct it sees. And i was seeing if i could physical. Physical senses. That gives us information gives us data. Bye-bye. rex and surrey perception. The. The mind of the intellect. Analyzes it to see its logical coherence. And of course that there are times when even our minds are challenged like. Wet when our. Our receptors see things which are paradoxical how many citizens make sense is an optical illusion. Are there some things which are not optical illusions. They are like these in physical examples of wave particle duality. Electron a wave or a particle. These are things that even the. Simpsons the mind itself. Gets stomped by. How about we then recreate a new way of thinking. These two experiences of reality. Inter coherent intellectual structure. The soul of the spirit knows directly. I just see that nose. Space. Is an act of the soul. Where reason. It's an act of the mind. It is important for us. All our. Our position is stronger. When when all the components about being an alignment. Netherlands where what you see. Physically. With what you what your mind is coherent. Fix without your soul. Is right or your conscience feels is right. It's always the locus of your. Hope your conscience of your york or essence of being. End end of the city behind the real i. Spell. It's not. The body. The body is just a. A vehicle. Alright already. Already. The the container. In which are the carrier of a cell. Call crystal. Let's wipe example you can have out-of-body experience i'm sure some of you gif. .. Out-of-body spencer your consciousness your soul is floating around. The. And you know alice misses this is my body. Read about near-death experiences you also. Pretty things. But the. The spiritual damage to rocket contemplatively sufi work is what introduces us. Mentions of reality. Social reason is is a tool. That that's affecting my body is my mind. That the that is not a separate from. The song itself. As the. Florent. Being. That's how it differentiate between. Faith in reason. The faith is an act of. Call crystal acceptance or acknowledgement. By the soul. Off absolutely. Accepting of it in a contractual sense. Because the mind. The mindful except. The concept of the creator from a logical sense of an intellectual center philosophical sense. You can reach the point where you say. The notion of god is plausible it makes sense it sensible. But the direct perception. Absolutely. Comes from is an act of the soul. Is weis lucas say that the. That the internet. Can take you to the door of the beloved. But doesn't take into the chamber of the heart. Articulate. How it be inflammatory in all that i do use the word that could be inflammatory. Faith. Is blind. Ignorant delete. Ignorance meaning of lack of knowledge. If we knew it would then be reason if we had the knowledge behind. It suddenly becomes reason than because then we can see and understand it mentally. But. Blind ignorance ely. Means. That we believe in spite of the fact we can't see any. Visible proof. And i was thinking about it driving down here this morning and i was thinking like. People have say. But the sun was going to come up tomorrow. Because. It always come up for their parents or do i come up with a grandparents and it always come up for them. Just going to come out tomorrow. That is kind of a faith thing. Because it isn't really based on reason. But in a way space-time. Observations. And then reason my see if i drop this is going to hit the ground. And that we know. Has the more physically proven facts. But i really appreciate your going into that and and i agree generally with you in the very. Types of observation. Acceptance and understanding. Brockport. Just one brief comment i would say ron event is being blind. This is acknowledged by. Psychiatrist hospital monsters that that deactivate the active the soul. Is not. Attractive attractive their mind. It is a non-rational slick hot supra-rational on non-rational act. In other words the. Acknowledgement. Of the soul. Call paps of god reality absolute consciousness. Comes about. Of course. And can only come about as an act of the soul from the direct connection the disclosure. Within your soul. God. In other words when you experience the reality of gods like this is why they use the word does the language of love. Falling in love love is not a rational act. It doesn't mean to say rational. Doesn't mean that it can be blind. Blind love. And i was at the love lee. It is. The acts of love is an act of the heart. National act. Not the act of the intellect. No course you can create. Different kinds of love and one of the things that i found ready. Important to my own special development. It's recognized different kinds of love. Set that i can love i can have a purely physical love. But the destruction of the body to another person's body. I can have. An emotional love where my passion my heart. Love the heart of the other person. Intellectual love. With the love is driven. Bye. The mental engagement that i have another intellect. And also it is possible to experience a purely spiritual love where your soul is drawn to the soul of another. Regardless of what the other person's intellect might be. Now that's maybe an active face but that is really an activist all that canvas.. With that caveat in agreement. Whether it's been holding the microphone down there lol. This question is addressed to the iman and it's also. It's also address to walter. Because he's done some thinking along this line. Okay when sfter we have responded to your question bill suggested we take a 10-minute breaks to love everybody. The last one. We have some. In this country. Many people. Who do not identify with any of the abrahamic religions. And has been a strong influence of eastern religions. In this country in this church. Church in english country. Sarah people who. Steal that they don't identify with the historical andy mineo. Monotheistic. Traditions. Identify more with. The more buddhist. 60 contradiction. Among these people they are people of passionate t's passionate love. And we definitely walked outside. And i'm wondering how to skip this group off people. Who singing this way. And i know walter came from thinking about you. And you probably have to. Because. I think it's an old i think it's. Christian vs islam. And are all sick of america is really a christian nation certain sections of it. Have a certain type of christianity. Redondo beach real christianity. Then there is this august. Stepping all the way to approach g80. Ultimate reality. So what about that. Play shoot you go first. I think your question i think i'm. We need to differentiate between. The. The different aspect of religious port logistics 3 and regis tractors. Within these are tradition. The the practice which we normally described today as falling within the rubric of sufism. Contemplation the spiritual dimension this kind of discussion. It's very much in sync. With with with the ideas of the spiritual dimensions of hinduism and buddhism. In fact. To my mind. The buddhism is more of an effort to saint practice. Nssd emphasis on theology. And consent and developing mental constructs of the nature of reality. Rodger talking about the extra focus being. On the exercise of achieving. Enlightenment achieving harmony. I would be polite with with nature and with the creator. Similarly also with with hinduism where hindu mystical practice is very profound and very very deep intensifier exercises. The the difference that we have between is. The. Kinds of history in kinds of societies that were established. I believe today for example that. The notions of human equality. Which was not part of hindu society is a traditional hindu society. And nobody society. Have become adopted by these people today. So modern hindus. Modern buddhist today have adopted the abrahamic principle of human equality. They did not. 50 years ago. They did not a century ago. Maybe that maybe pocket still but i believe. That the that the. That the world is moving towards. Don't have to call it by the what abrahamic. Adopting. These principles which lemonade. From from the store all human life. Is equal. The other side is that we also have to distinguish winning out on traditions. Between. Between those thoughts and those understandings which are. Hr central. Which are meaningful. And those which came about of from history. From human intervention. Even very often in the worst sense of humor. Shopkins in islamic history in jewish history christmas tree that we do not want. 222. Include. As part of the. Hearts of our authentic heritage. What is going on today in the name of islam violence conducted. The burning of churches. Visa. Antithetical. The epics. Geology to the jurisprudence. The inquisition. Enum. And in spain. What's something that is not at all speak. The ethics of jesus christ. So we we we have to recognize and we have to help each other. In in in recognizing and separating. The those aspects of history. That have a credit all occurring. And we also have to help each other and do this. And to recognize what it is that is causing it. I was in the recording them until show justice class them. Yu-gi-oh vines i don't remember. And it's going to be. And i think of the next week or so. And reverend jesse jackson was sitting next to me and. Montel was asking the question about. Sonics near me. And jesse jackson said look. We have to differentiate. Between. Religion and religion and politics and other issues inside the misuse of religion. And he started talking about how. In encino how. Are the christian churches during the times of slavery. Christianity was was a. Was an active participant. In the supportive of slavery. And went out i have a big crush on my check. What significant conversation. But the point is that we all have those chapters in our history. But if we need. Be careful. Me too to help our own face community. Back off or randleman. From identifying. Something that is said. With the religion self. We cannot say that the inquisition is for christianity. As a muslim i would never a hotel my people people in my artists like obligation. At least we try we don't stay that week because jesus is our prophet to. We know better so we don't see that what happened. In in spanish inquisition. Was christianity. That's it that's a yes. That's a very interesting to do. A stimulator i think that we need. A coalition of percentages. Not an islamic thing to do. Imagine if you. What you're doing is not islamic. Given the reasons why. This is where the nature of interaction between equipment acoustic place. But recognize where the similarities are. And to draw them into shannon. Important. My answer will be fairly fairly recent. Play i don't want to interrupt i can really only speak from sun to where i am. Tell myself in you know my own declaration weather. About 40 years ago i was. Down southern california was out horseback riding with a friend of mine. And she asked me if i believe in god. And i said that i really didn't use that word anymore that i found it somehow in my own efforts to try to understand. But i am and how i feel about 2. Matters of ultimate concern. Letter to me to let go of that. But that didn't mean it all that i had become an atheist too because that means that you're expressing as active disbelief. Don't really know. And and i have no more insight into the origins of. Of all beings in the morning or less than anybody else i don't know whether there is. Something that's a definition of god. Or not and i i find that i become much more. Comfortable with mystery. Which it seems to me there's an awful lot of it. Find personally that i feel that i've become more religious. Over the years. Looks connected. Anything that i. Reliable jidenna playlist that i the engine in ism. We live in it we live in a tremendously rich time and a tremendously rich world. Within which we can we can learn from all kinds of things. And i wouldn't be the person i am i think if i hadn't you know going to church as a kid. Because that's part of me in. A lot of exposure. To buddhism. Has has taught me so much and i think of some. Some phrases that come into my mind for the from reading the soupy teaching. The chicken needs some of the richest and most. Profound things that i've ever come across. And weird mandos romy and that's those are all part of the world we live in. And the roads are putting together in different ways. That's how i choose to do it but it certainly. Doesn't mean that i think it's a beautiful thing for people to. Identify themselves with communities of face you can do that too. You can do that too. And furthermore you can do that. Are living the whole full space. I wasn't what you have access to everything. As what we are very. Complex b and we're capable i think of. Up living in in in wider spaces. I think over time that's going to be what we will learn. Electric brakes. Okay thank you.

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070520_Jeffery%20Melcher_The%20Finger%20and%20the%20Moon.mp3

Internment. Bear i feel much bigger now. Personal theology. Morning. But i'm prepared. Nature personal theology journey. Present. I am. A kind of dialogue. Remote control setting then or. High school teacher. Better to have dialogue. Relationship. Really for me about being human ears about. In the moment. Human-animal environment. Beyond environment. Correct. School and. Save-a-lot record relationships pulling me in different directions. And i was working on a paper for my. Minecraft and. Christmas history. Category. Login. Was end of life. A methodist minister. Weather. Wife and mother monday. Support for a mansion with no longer eating. Theology and ethics. And i'm ready to start printing. Can i go away from the computer for a while and come back. Little mcintosh white. Light sleeping. Hit the return button. Don't freak out here.. Don't don't panic you know you still have an hour and a half you can take care of it. Restart button. Not unlike you know. Population of a hardtop oregon. I've done everything i knew what i could do. Call my wife karen. Call gatekeeper. Mechanism. Kanaram. Volatile memory. Hard driver. Anker battery. Call battery replace. For greenlight. Battery. Meter parking in. It works i went home. didn't got the paper done. And. How is the story about my computer. Related story of me writing about end-of-life end-of-life scenario. Is there another pan is. Operations are gifts or anomalies in university. Open. And. As i was finishing up wrapping paper. Realizing. Very convincing. Straightening of end-of-life. I realize i was open to other. Ability. Hoping. More. I'll have to wait until i was in dialogue relationship. Family in the hospital. Need it. Don't know. Why. And. Window from that time. Geology. Bring myself into. Moment. And i have. And yet time. Preconceived notions about work could be. The moment. Flight tracker. Another crane. Describe myself the illogical e. And what is a contact. Seminary words per minute. By myself i am in a prophetic apostate from the missouri. Cleaning. I did ride of money to learn how to say that. Apathetic. -18 - 1. Talk about rain tonight. The idea that. Apathetic. Missouri synod lutheran church in the pocket. Going outside. Ameritech. It's another term for heritage here. Prostate. Missouri synod lutheran. Michigan. And. Conservative. I left behind. In undergraduate school. Pandora. Minneapolis. Here i am. University. Intro theology outside. Related things work and how. Everything affects everything else. Conoco. Call cobin. And other related hungry. And i'm involved. Campus ministry in my younger sister. And. My exploration into. Cypress medical group. Philosophy. Rolling around in my head. Wrong kind of christian lutheran. Army. Anybody hear coming from a background other than. In my brain. Running in there. Sorrow and guilt. Worshipping. Lining up. Waiting. Metaphorically. Powerful. Right. Made it okay. And. Journey. Continue.. 19. Really trying to. Otherworld. And not having the. Christian. Record. Life. Images that come through. In the moment. Everyday every moment. Present in the moment. About what. Emoting. So. I find myself in a price of what. And. Rated r. Number. Maybe there is eight years old about. Dominant figure. Whether male or female. Having. Humanism. And about having our own place. And. What is actually happening. In the moment. Humans are on the planet. How can we make. Different. Are cocker number evening around the unitarian universalist congregation. Avery. Outside of our. Read. Send. Never understanding the concealed android. Finding out more and more about. Still looking we don't understand everything. Beyond our understanding. It's hot in. Geometry. Which brings me to the agnostic. Spainhour. Well i'm open to possibility. There is nothing there isn't being open to android. Handpan a mm. Caribe devine in alcorn. Iraq. And outside of. Reality. Pantheism. Ism. Open to something. Pantheism. Vinatieri or whatever you call it in. Transcendence. There might be something. Trump. There are four dimensional. How about we believe. Beyond. Rino. Do you want now that you. Powerhouse. Tannerite. Open progression sleep right after 8. What do i do now. Try to be in the moment. How are you supposed to look at the finger or no. I'm in in my life right now and be in the present moment. And having all these studies and having all these activities. Hopefully helping you learn how to be present in the moment. People. Time. Finger. Finger. I'm here right now with you. Having a dialogue. What i trying to do for that. Peyton manning. And probably be. How to be present. My body. And around the shows. Emotional work. Weather in youtube. A lot of work around anti-oppression work in anti-racism and another medication cracker. That help me. During difficult conversation. That is really important. Shirley temple. Anaconda you can take with you. And. Good morning every time. A body. Golden hour. Owning your emotions. Including one that you might consider negative. Negative. Grounding underneath. And then from there. Looking at maybe having a memory of. Typical situation. Nucleus. Remembering. Aurgroup. Human dignity. Goodman. We are okay. Okay. Trying to learn how to hold difficult. It takes a lot of energy in africa. Wiggling. Emperor, duarte. And. Your eyes open or closed. Stevie bragg. In-n-out. Where your feet are. Play your body is a courtesan and share on the floor. And just notice what your body feeling right now. Just noticed any emotion. Might be cold. Gmail. And now. Open youtube. Snowing. But your basic human dignity. Is that your car. Turbo. Think about loving yourself. Everybody has been. You might think about a time when you felt really. What about yourself. Friend. View. How to remove. What's happening. Understand. Larger scope of your basic human dignity. Aftermarket. Corky from universe. Same time. Have you learn. American experience. Dialog. Close up. I'm glad i didn't write out a script so i can have to do. Thank you for inviting me here. More. Note to self. Fort worth. Yeah you took ownership. My dear. Larry haun. You were talking abilities. Ford. Hurry up and i'm games for people who come from a different point of view. And. Dialogue in austin. Airport. Something about. If i'm understanding correctly. Satisfied. How would my conversation. Better. Garbage. Present in the moment. Speaker part 1. In the moment. What is soho. Excellent cracking. Play in the moment. Angler. Market myself as i can. My body my emotion. My reckoning. Mine. Intellect. Metaphor right brain creator. Momentary. Whether or not the other person. I can engage with myself. The environment. Marceline. I'm learning something. I have open microphone. Harahan. By being present in the moment. Who i might be. Write down some of those otomy. What is mean what does not mean. Sakura chaya. Great oak manor. In the moment. Can be created. Is that where we're going. Trejo. Call my own. The end of our life centaur. Battery is about to die. Anywhere. Related. Of the body. An afterlife. Ready to die. Markiplier. Carl. Carhop. I'm trying to. Synopsis. Modern classical. Revolutionize. The medical term for the long way to go in. Somebody dies. Caracas book. Tell me we have to fear is fear itself. How many things in our culture in the technology. Anthony. When people shout like taking care of the relationship of. Whoever i need. Divide let-go. Becoming. Elisabeth kubler-ross. Talk about. Start having expensive. End-of-life. When i remember reading. About her. Powerade. Hager mma. How. Her on ray and anger. And if we. Meyerco angry. Ab. Actually sing. I'm really mad. Whatever whatever. Am i parked. I'm working with that too. Anger. And. An overall good time. Realism. Finger. Good morning i left right. Understand. Am i come back. Actually invented gum. University state of mind. Put me in. Immersion. Christianity and aiden. And then also realizing that. From where. Later reading basically. With everybody. Whentowork. If you have. You know. And that might give you. Make it work. In melbourne. Where you headed. You probably need 10 hours to answer you didn't mention you contact of where evil comes from. How do you deal with criticism. You just trade in a few. And you'll be back on the cat. Ratm. Evil or is there a concept that they're humping. Eagles score. Making things. I believe in free will. Eagle. Alma. More complicated. Hurtful to myself brothers. Unconscious. Hurricane tornadoes earthquake. Eva eva moore. Do you know whether any of your calling. Your friends are going to the military military chaplain. And then about why might the bardo. Actor about his lucifer effect. Situational evil. Military cap. Thought about it. Liberalism. Variety of military. About. Earthquake tornadoes. Ecological framework of my world here. I'd like to point out that although we can still. Earthquake. I can't do that anymore with hurricanes and tornadoes. Are getting my global warming and that's our fault for. Grocery / conspicuous. Comment picker. I heard something very. Ipa. Is really related to an amp. Operator. Is operator virgin and there is definitely certain. Judeo-christian. Christian model of. Think about that. Thank you we'll talk tomorrow after.

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061008_Bill%20Hamilton-Hollway_A%20Generous%20Life.mp3

Today i'll speaker is bill hamilton hallway. Our. Call minister. And when bill and barbara was first year that first year. We invited them to be here. Arts at the get-acquainted and since then we've enjoyed having them. Attributed tradition on a connection. And it took them a chance to do something a little different. About the body. Book about a very moving and. People were talking about it later. Thorntons. It gives him another. 2. Connect. Today bills title is a generous life. Bill hamilton hallway. I am sitting at about 7,500 feet. On the shore of. Wheeler lake. In the sierras. The water shimmers with the breeze. And the reflection. Sun is dazzling. I'm sitting on a large granite rock. One of many on this shore with others. Protruding from the lake. Creating. Small islands. Tall pine trees. Around the lake. There are. Fluffy white clouds hearing there. Canadian geese are eating in the morris about a hundred yards away. I breathed in. The silence. I am. Relaxation. Deep breathing. I am at 1. With this beauty. This. Connection. It's a doorway. Integrality. Last sunday afternoon. The congregation gathered in the sanctuary to celebrate the life of one of our long-term and. Beloved members. Billups first came to this church in the 1950s when we were in the building and berkeley dana and bancroft. Bill was a board president member of the choir for 45 years. And the chair of the committee. Responsible for. Building this church. Here we were. A community. Gathered to honor the life. Spirit. The essence. Of this person who had given so much of himself. For so many years. To create a strong. And loving community. Sam's club connection. Is a doorway. Into gratitude. It is august 22nd. I am attending a luncheon given by the berkeley food and housing project. We stayed in the dining room where each day homeless people. Are given nutritious meals. And then beds are providing. Sleeping. I am one of half-a-dozen religious leaders people gathered from a variety of congregations in the east bay. Brought together by our commitment. Two or more compassionate. And just world. Right here. In our community. This congregation considers the berkeley food and housing project a good neighbor. At least one month each year. We share our sunday offering. Last year we gave them over $2,400. They express their thanks. And give me a certificate of appreciation. Share with the congregation. This. Sense of connection. Is a doorway. Inter gratitude. The feeling of gratitude we describe. Metaphorically as. The opening of our hearts. That which has been closed. That which has been hardened. Stop. Our bodies feel differently. Morgan earp. Saltwater of thanksgiving may swell. In archer.. The natural response. To the feeling of gravity. It's the expression of sang. A giving birth. I want to thank you for being here this morning. In particular i want to thank you martha helmet. For taking. Bernie boomers vision of a personal theology seminar. And working with countless others over all these years. To bring to this congregation so many different perspectives on religion. Spirituality. The ethical life. Unitarian universalists have a deep love of learning. We are curious people. We support intellectual pursuit. Think of the lives that have been touched. The mines that have been stirred and stressed. Hearts that have been open. Here. In this room. Sunday morning. At 9:30. It has been suggested that. We unitarian universalist. That are seven principles are in reverse order of importance. That instead of affirming teresa worth and dignity of every person. We should proclaim the interdependent web of all existence of which we are apart. Bernie loomer would have agreed with that. Those of you who knew him remember the web. Was his central metaphor for understanding existence and the divine. Everything. Is connected. Is connection. Personal theology is a task for each of us. From our perspective on it. We are called to give voice to our understanding of the web. The divine gift of mystery on wonder. That has given us. Air to breathe. And conscious. Awareness. I want this morning to speak with great appreciation from my place on the web. Speaking to give meaning to the golden fred. That connects. This is the work of theology. To give voice to the threads that connect us to one another. And to all existence. Whether we are sitting on the shores of a mountain lake on a beautiful day. Reminded by the sparkling water of the glory of creation. Or gathered with friends and our religious community to celebrate the life of one of us. Or witnessing to our deepest values. To service the world. Or gathering with others. To have our minds stretch. And our hearts open. We are invited to walk through the doorways of connection. Into a spacious understanding. And to recognize that the appropriate response. To this. Unsolicited gift of existence. As fully as we can. A generous life. Doug craft. Is the minister of the unitarian universalist society in sacramento. On his sabbatical last year. He travel to thailand for two months. Immersion. Meditation. What did you learn. I asked him. It all comes back to generosity continuously. Cycling back like a spiral that gets closer and closer to the essential experience. The joy of being. Buddhist culture he said. Grows from. The generous spirit. There is no place for greed. The competition that lead to victory or defeat. There is. Community support. You have no bowl. Here. Doug spoke of the sign on a tie internet cafe. Fortunately for him it was translated into english it said. Free internet access. Donations accepted. As you are comfortable. He said it insults last words that keep coming back to him. You are comfortable. I have never seen such a sign in our western culture. I am afraid. It would not produce enough income. To support the service. Comfort. Zone is different. To austin it is described in the language of scarcity. An hour. Competitive economic system. There is not enough to go around. We are afraid of not having enough we accumulate. We try to win the game. And use the rules for our own benefit. Rich get richer. On the back of increasing poverty. Shreveport goes with great wealth on average. Giveaway a much smaller percentage. And those with little income. For many. The deep satisfaction of generosity is cut off. We may give away old clothes that no longer fit. Or worn-out furniture we don't want anymore. Just do the conscience. That yearns. 4 golden trail. Or actions. A true generosity. Poor connection. I'm a great fan of bill clinton's annual gathering of the wealthy. He has found a way to tie competition. To philanthropy. And the result is that each year the bill gates and warren buffett's of the world. Are giving away more and more. Japan projects. That major save the earth. And humanity. I hope this generosity is contagious. That we all can give away enough from our open heart. That we will learn that. Giving. As we are comfortable. Strengthens those golden threads of connection. Weave a web. Avoir injustice. I hope we will find. It feels good. How do we begin. Perhaps by noting we give joyously. To promote what matters to us. Geraldine brooks in her 2016 litter prize-winning historical novel march. Tell the other side of. Unitarian louisa may alcott little women. Mr. march the father of the little women is absent during the civil war in alcott story. Brooke developed mr. marches character. As a non-violent preacher. Who is so touched by the violence and injustice of slavery. Becky hurst gives away his savings to support john brown's efforts to create a training community. Ford escape slave. That is not enough to soothe his conscience. He enlist in the union army as a chaplain. And freely gives the fullness of his life effort. 2 emancipation. And education. A former slave. Like. Reverend march. We want to give. What matters most. We want to support institutions which will carry forth the values and commitment. It gives meaning and purpose. Qry. Hospital. Colleges and university political organization. Social service agency. Social justice and reform group. And churches. My colleague the reverend stephen kendrick is minister of first and second church in boston that's not to churches it's one merge. He and i served together for many years on the fun for unitarian-universalism grants panel. We wanted to grant the panel's funds in ways that would inspire generosity. Steven wright. Show me a generous person. Someone who lives with a sense of trust and abundance. And i will know this person is in touch with that inner moral center. Harmony. That place of balance. Seed of hope. Where is god steven at. Perhaps not in heaven. Somatic so much as on earth. In an outstretched hand. In the willingness to forgive. The ability to move past past. Betrayal. And that expectation. And the ability to inspire service in others and not waiting for things to recognition. Through the people. Literally shining. With a giving spirit. I had a dream while i was reflecting on this subject of a generous life. I am with my friend and colleague rodger and an enormous church. Seated in the back behind a. Large call row of column so that. We cannot see but. We can hear the service. We are. Visitors. Learning about this place. Community. A rather rough booking usher. Has cheated us. And is still in view. Toward the end of the service offering is an ounce. At my friend and i take out our wallets. Trying to decide from the various denominations of bills what to give. Usher approaches. He leans over and he reaches toward our wallets. Is it take what he pleases. I pull away. And then as is possible only in a dream. I moved through. A series of alternative. Possible responses. At first i am aware of feeling invaded. Threatened. Violated. And i want to get out. But i fear i cannot. Chick-fil-a. This is a voluntary offering. And i will give what i please. Alienation and. The defensiveness in my voice. And i moved to thinking i'll say. May i speak with the pastor. Feels better but. Still feels awkward. Like i want to take his inappropriate action to his supervisor. I realize i want to speak directly. With an open mind and heart. Shift the tone of this encounter. Perhaps i'll say. I'm new here. Wanting to learn about this religious community. What would be an appropriate amount. For an offering gif. Akai awaken from the dream i do not know the response of the usher to this question. The situation. I am hopeful that it would not be a commanding give all you have. But rather an invitation. The generosity. Perhaps you would say. In the intersection of your treasure and your trust. Give what you can. Donations accepted. As you are come. Those of you who have done dreamworks. Are familiar with the suggestion that all of the characters of your dreams in fact all of the images within them. Are your own creation. And there is much to be gained. From exploring the dream. From each perspective. This means as well as being the visitor. And the usher. Well into my 30th year of ministry many have been the opportunities to invite financial gifts. To support the church. I have worried that i might be perceived as. Lurking over someone's wallet or check. Give all you have. And on my own journey of generosity. I have appreciated the opportunities i have been given. On how my deepest values and commitment. Live in the world. When my giving is joined with the giving of others. As the usher. I want to be able to say. Know that whatever you do. Will fuel the work of love and justice in the world. In the intersection. Have your trust and your treasure. Give what you can. My father had a stroke on august. Second. We hope the physical therapy will continue to restore the mobility and strength of his arms and legs. It will be a long. Hard road. But his mind is sharp. And his spirit strong. Is the person from whom i first learned church leadership. Like his parents. He helped found a unitarian universalist church. He served as its first president. He served on the southwest district board of trustees and as its present. He served on the board of trustees of the unitarian universalist association 48-year. In these organizations he served as treasurer and as finance committee chair. Over and over again. It was from dad. That i first learn to think about income. Expensive. And how to balance a budget. It was from dad and mother. That i learned about generosity. And giving two institutions that embody my deepest convictions. Church consultants lyles taylor observe. Mini church leaders feel their job is not to expand ministry. Minimize expenses. I learned from dad. That mission comes first. And that we saved a bunch of. To fulfill it. Certainly we want to communicate information like. It takes 2000. $700 a day. To operate this church. And we do not. Fin fun. We want to be good stewards of this congregations resources. We want our giving. The fuel justice. And love in the world. Similarly. We don't dress up like my dream usher and demand give all you have. We live out our mission within our fundraiser. We focused on connection. On relation. Ingratitude on generosity. And we invite people. To be on a journey. We might call it. Perpetual children. A journey of generosity. Weavings golden thread. Into an ever stronger web. Is congregation. Has a long history. A generous giving. Here we are. In the edith mcgrew. Fireside grill. When this church was built. Edith mcgrew. Paid off the $93,000 mortgage she held. And then she was a major contributor. For the aliens skinner oregon. Last week we celebrated the lawrence lecture. Made possible by the generous endowment given by larry berger in 1977. To enable annual presentations by distinguishing provocative person. Speaking about the intersection of religion and society. Larry's vision of people inspired to action in the world. Our last capital campaign was supported generously. Timer. And none more generously. And wally and pat ellis. Who's giving me possible immense several projects. The expansion of the music room. The griffis. Donated the harpsichord. And the new bank of pipes for the oregon. Bass pipes you barely hear. Field. Migration. In recent years the church has received generous bequest from among others. Gertrude hall death blackstone. An oral walters. And we have been informed. The generous gets will come to the church from the estate of many of our beloved and. Deeply committed members. Who died within the last 2 years. There is a culture of generosity. Within these walls. In recent years to supplement our operating funds and to stimulate the generosity of others. We have received gifts from people we have sometimes called. Angel. Allison the davises catch warts and linda laskowski. And those who have sponsored special event. Have enabled us. To do far more within this church. Otherwise we. Continually inspired. Biceps generosity. And then we received notice that elaine clark is creating a fund in memory of her father the second president of what is now starr king school for the ministry and a long long time member this year. Elaine is accumulating $25,000. To create the william hess morgan son for theological education. Support the internship program. Against. Carlisle roofing tile has made a gift of 25000. $25,000. Will be shared between the unitarian universalist association. And this church. To aid our music program. Golden. Fred. Connection. 23 years ago. Bill off wrote these words for the newsletter. Titled. Why i support this church. Our church is the place where i am inspired to ponder the mysteries of creation. Our church is the place where i am embolden. Beyond the narrow confines of. Me. And mine. To the broader world humankind. Our church is the place where i am empowered to create. And to enjoy. Beauty. Our church is the place where i am taught to love myself. And you. Our church is the place where i am needed. In my search for meaning. Our church is the place where i am comforted. Prince. Our church is the place where i am encouraged to grow. Mentally emotionally. And spiritual. For these. Manifold blessings. I support our. People come to this church. For many reasons. Spiritual growth. Community. A belief. That we can be more effective. Together. In changing the world. I'm guessing. That you come to personal theology. To have your mind stimulated and stretch. And your heart open. William ellery channing back in 1819 was the first person to deliver a definitive statement of american unitarianism. His understanding of the purpose of education. Could have been written today. The great indian religious instruction is not to stamp our minds upon the young. But their own. Not to make them see with our eyes. But to look inquiring lie and. But their own. Not to give them a definite amount of knowledge. But to inspire a fervent love of truth. Not to find them. Buy-in eradicable prejudices to. Our particular notion. But to prepare them for impartial conscientious judging of whatever subjects may be offered to their decision. Nah. Burden the memory. Quicken and strengthen. The power of thought. Not to impose religion upon them. In the form of arbitrary rules. But to awaken the conscience. Unitarian universalist have a deep love of learning. We are curious. Curious people support. Intellectual pursuit. I know for some of you. This personal theology seminar. Teacher primary point. Connection. Literature. When i was thinking about you. And preparing for this morning. I was imagining why you would want to support this church generous. I came up with it. You believe this church does good work in the world. And you want to be sure this church exists. To affirm the importance of learning. Think of the lives that have been touched. The minds that had been stirred and stretched the hearts that is an open here on these church grounds. Children and adults of all ages. Sunday mornings and throughout the week. Here we offer wisdom from the world's religions. Philosophy. From the prophetic lives of women and man. Here we are equipping and challenging people to live lives. Of meaning and purpose. Worthy. My purpose. This morning. Is to engage you. And thinking about the golden threads we weave. Strength. This interdependent web. I want us to touch the place of joy within us. Opens with delight. At the possibilities for reshaping the world. Compassionate. I want to engage you. And thinking about how we continue to create a culture of generosity. To ensure this place. Dedicated to stirring up the mind and the conscience. Is made ever stronger. Year after year. So we may be part of changing the values of this world. Each year barbara and i gladly gif. More than 10% of our income. Our journey of generosity has lettuce to look deeply into our values. We can think of no more worthy play. No community of people. Who more fully are living testament. To the foundational principle. A power lock. I want so much. For us to give from a place of. Joy. To give as we are comfortable. Knowing. That what we do here matters. What we do here. Is to challenge people to lead lives of meaning and purpose. To make real in their lives. Kindness. And the determination to overcome the insatiable. Covetousness. Fostered by our society's distorted sense. Obscurity. I want not only the children of this congregation. But every child we can reach. I know there are alternatives. To a culture of competitiveness. Consumption. I want our legacy to the future. The beat generation. Of nonviolent messenger. Of intelligent discernment. And kind-hearted action. My personal theological entreaty this morning. Is that we recognize and the firm the golden web of connections that embraces all being. And that we covenant with one another. To do all we can in the days and years to come. Create and recreation. Sacred ground. A lasting beacon. Beckoning all who will see it. To live. Honestly. Caring for the earth. In right relations with their neighbors. Nextdoor. And around the world. My personal theological in 3d. Open your heart. And apply your brain. To this. Imperative cast. Some of you are here for the first time this morning. Others of you have been regular participant. In the seminar for years. Many of you are already giving generously to this community. You are models of a generous life. Oliver. Have stories to tell. What opens our hearts. Stars are conscious. And calls forth our generosity. My colleague stephen kendrick believes. Generosity is our true treasure. He said i want to be around people. Who laughs easily. Who sing of others with. Mercy. And not betternet. Lend a hand ungrudgingly. And make helping an enjoyable and. For experience. People who are willing to offer guests. Time. Simple affection. And if i prefer. To be around people like that. Then i want to grow into being. A person. Who is like. This growth is not easy. And we need all the help and encouragement along the way. We can possibly. Like steel. I want to grow into an ever more generous person. And i hope you do too. I wanted to know and to nurture. The deep sense of connection. What is the doorway to gravity. I invite your questions and your reflection. I want us together to inspire generosity. Know that what you do. Nikes. Give. As you are comfortable. With great joy. Pre-record down this personal theologies and. Max wonderful work we are able to. Podcast please. Personal knology presentations. You could be in denmark. Listen. To the podcast. This coming week. On our website if you go to the church website tool. See that those sermons and now personal theology presentation. Question. How important is your commitment to make sure that the money you gave those use wisely i think of. But it's important to do that. Oh and that our. Important. Warren buffett. And he's going to give him billions of dollars. That's an expression. Every year. People get bowsens of dollars to our church i hope that's an expression of. What we do here in. How we operate. Suggest. Little different aspect of generosity. I was moved by what. And how they responded. Shootings of the five school girls. Spell. Got the man who shot. These people look very troubled. And they prayed that he would be forgiven they tried to forgive him. They sent members of that congregation to his funeral. Text ended themselves to his widow realizing that. She would be in financial difficulties. I have never seen such a public. Experience of generosity. Tell you mike comment on that. I think you're right that what a wonderful expression of an open heart in the world. Available to the creation the suffering and the pain. Coming from a place. Compassion. Know if we could all be like that. It would be no violence. Began to transform. Cartel land. Culture. Can't replace her. Peace. Anta. Thank you for being here this morning. It's one of the spiritual heads for this congregation. What would you say you over the last 30 years as minister. What's one of the most difficult things to you. And having experience. How did you get through it. Get above it. You may know that i'm celebrating my 30th year in ministry so you're asking me to think about the whole time that i've been in ministry. Something very difficult. Laptop. Found a way through. But like that. I'm thinking of 22 different kinds of thing. One is several different very tragic death. Setup happened in the congregation. Copying with a congregation in degree. And how we as a community. Could deal with that one just last year. Number for the congregation who were murdered. Way. The way we respond to. What can what got me through that was. Community. Istat pulled together in a way that we've never pull together before around. Being in school ministry with barbara. Things that we do a lot of. Supporting of one another helping each other to get through whatever it is that for. Pepper facebook. Helping each other to. Open up to a more generous. Way of being. Present in the world. In congregational life there are always. Issues. And there are some issues that are big issues and there are some issues that are just kind of know day-to-day weeks. The biggest. Congregational consulate. Time twins. What's happening. The reason there's a berkeley fellowship down the hill. Please. Hartley over. The congregations heading to move up here. Hartley. / 8. Disagreement about the style of ministerial leadership.. Disagreement. Canby. That extreme. Second grade to the separation. I'm thinking of an experience just a couple of years ago when we made a shift in our. Government structure. And there were some folks who sell. Unseen and unappreciated. That just happened. The difficult. Maxifort cited to try with a new a new model of governor. I think i'm still. Working on getting through that one. Still working on mending relationship. Still working on. Trying to re-establish. We're in this together. Constant. Call back. Open app. Find that generous. Naughty. Not be. The usher who's. Grabbing for the money but rather. Inciting people. To give. I like to add. My comment. Relatives of the golden web of interconnection with tebow. That in my already in a fairly long life. What are the things that i have learned to appreciate so much. Is. The ability to the human being to volunteer. To do things beyond the reach of money. That's if you look at. Katrina how many people went down there. Really sacrifice their time and energy to help the other person. Add to my way of thinking it goes so far beyond the wallet. That's its. Deep in the heart. And i hope more people can volunteer i didn't know people who volunteer in hospice i have down there. Volunteer to visit the sick in hospitals and the so many things you can volunteer for children. Boy scouts or what have you and. The rewards come from the satisfaction of knowing that you were there. I think that's partly why i love that pulitzer prize-winning. Novel. March. Story of this man who inherits well and he. Person in business. Very. Conscious. Conscience conscious. Raised around. Annie gets basically gets away. Call daddy has his family is. Destitute have to move from their nice large house too small. But he still not testify he needs to give of himself. Anto. Becomes a chaplain. Hold the hand. Exactly. Bill in your career as a minister like my career as a non-profit manager. We end up. I think unfortunately having to spend a lot of time. Worrying about budgets and fundraising. My wish worth it. Alexo. And i ciara. And then unfortunately we. Sometimes in my life. Not give. As you are comfortable. Reality. Actually. Yeah a little bit but you know what i've learned is if you are given to. What you care about. That even though it might mean you are giving up something. Because you can't you don't have the money to do something else. That it feels good to him. So the hurting. You know i'm one hand but. But you recognized that it makes possible. I want to take the opportunity of your question just to to make a comment. There were some ways martha vet. Last year's personal theology. Presentation about embodiment with a lot more fun to do than you. But i want you to hear in bruce's comment. And in my response. That i feel called. To speak to you. About the topic. And i think one of the differences between being a tenant active director of the nonprofit and being the minister of the church. Is that i am called to make the theological connection. I'm called to talk about. Power connections with one another. Our connections with the world. In a way that. To your death. In a way that. Help you. Make a connection between. The treasure you have. And the values you hold. And i hope you have for the world. And how that can make pie. Even if i weren't inviting you to give generously to the church and. That i am doing that you heard that i trust. But even if i weren't doing that. Just topic. Essential one for us to talk about. We have. A culture in which the religious right. Is raising. Billions of dollars. Because those folks. I don't think we do too. I think we do too. So what's up. Talk about it. Define the way that it maybe it won't ever feel comfortable but maybe it can i know it can feel good. To be part of a community that is doing things that matter in the world. Barber night friday night. We're leaving a couple's worked out here in this room. And adam this in the social hall. Was a speaker as speaking to parents of small children. Out he was out of. A martial arts master. Speaking about discipline. In the atrium. Where 1620. Uber. Having fun and doing activities and. Thinking. Adjectives church.. And the generations of people that it touches. That's what matters. That's what matters for our values to be perpetuated and evolved. The time goes on. You got two strong. Well that's a hard-ass. And executive director of nonprofit i have the same problem i have to push myself to the point of being uncomfortable. But one of the things you mentioned a couple of comments ago makes me. Think we have to keep in mind that give the consequences you can also applies to. Disagreement. And when we're arguing with our right-wing friends. Or even people in the dark to give. Open our hearts. And mine's a little bit. Begin. So that we can talk about something common out there. And maybe realize we're talking about the same values. How many of you were here for the lawrence lecture. Friday night okay how many were here saturday morning. Remains for me of the imams. A presentation in his time with us. Is his generosity. So he had a few questions yet we're a little pointed. A few questions that were coming from a place if i'm not quite sure what this is all about. Islam and its connection with the west. Every time he was asked a question in particular. The questions that were pointed that had a little edge to them he said. That is a really good question. He just opened himself up. The generous spirit with right there. I struggle to get there i can't always do that my defenses get up there and i hear my voice coming from a place of. Open generous connection. 1 + 2. Make my point. I got a lot of growing. Learning do about that jenner. I think we unitarian-universalist for people who in the world feel very strongly about things in our history is to. And we change the world because we've done that. I think our calling to change the world now. It's a little different. Confrontation. It's not getting us where we want to be in this world. We have to stop to find the non-violence. Passionate ways to make those connections into nurture them. Transform the way we are. Transforming the way we are. We. Participate in transforming the world. If you didn't get to the word collector. We got it on the web now look on the personal theology page. Thank you matt. We're getting ready to. Conjunction with the unitarians leadership. It was the unitarians who spearheaded. The. International association of religious liberals. Who brought over vivekananda. From india are welcome to him i think it was 1892. But it just symbolizes to me. The way in which. We had mr.. The diversity. And yep street principle of how important it is. To have this kind of think i wanted to change bigger can understand. It was at the beginning of this expression. Darrell mini. Trails to the top of the mountain. Vinnie paz to peru. So thank you very much bill.

uucb_org

2005112701.mp3

The reading for today service is from the poet may sarton. And i'd invite you to open your minds and hearts as you listen to the reading and we'll have a little bit of silence before i begin reading and some silence that follows the reading. Or maybe there is a word or phrase that you have heard that you will reflect on. During the silence. So from may sign. Now i become myself. It's taken time. Many years and places. I have been dissolved and shaken. Warren other people's faces. Run madly. As if time were there. Now. Now. To stand still. To be here. Feel my own weight and density. My work. My love my time my face. Gathered into one intense. Jester. So all the poem is. Can give. Grows in me. To become the song. Made so and rooted by love. Now there is time. Endtime is young. Oh and this single hour i live. All of myself. And do not move. Pursued who madly ran. Standstill. Standstill. And stop. The sun. Now. I become. May we live to make it. Good morning friends actual and potential. I'm not prehistoric. But i am pretty high-tech. And is this thing positioned rightly. What should i do. Right toilet okay. Okay. The theme for the day is old age. Here before you one example. There are some. Obvious things about being. Octogenarian or older. That's a lovely word octogenarian. The obvious things are all the creeks and squeaks. The way we get more and more similar in appearance as hair. Graze. And flesh. Sags. But there are some not-so-obvious things that i want to address. The first is symbolized by the color i am wearing. Red. In traditional japan. Men when they retired. We're permitted to wear red. In place of the sober. Gray and black that was the uniform of salary men. This marked a release not only from the responsibilities. Of midlife. But also from the burdensome decorum. And formality. Of japanese life. They were permitted to play. To be playful. And even to be outrageous. With pat release. There is a shift. From doing. Tufia. I saw this shift take place in my father. When he was in his mid-eighties. He visited us in massachusetts. And always an active man he was out in the. Yard doing some work for us. I happen to. Glanced out the window. And saw him. Bend over a rough patch of grass. Intently studying something in it. And then when he straightened up. His face was radiant with joy. Not an expression i associated. With my sober very hard-working father. Later i went out. Look into this patch of grass. And saw three small flowers. Butthead escaped the mower. Oh the joy of being. The moments that are lost the moments of joy that we lose. When we are preoccupied. With work and achievement. My second point. With age comes a shift in one sense of self. Another example. When bill invited me. To come up here and speak. I first protested no i can't i'm too nervous i'm shy don't know. And then it struck me. That this self-image of being shy and diffident. Was like a worn-out old garment. In actuality. I am a closet exhibitionist the last 40 years. Have been an extended. Coming. Party. In my mother's family and to some extent in my father's. Females were expected to be shy. Diffident. And quiet. And i had taken this on. Like a halloween costume. Only i didn't know it was a costume. More and more. I see the personas. Of myself. And everyone else. Weather shy and timid. Or take-charge confident. Or whatever. Like a halloween costume. Old woman is it costume. And still reeling is gender. And the rules we take on. Grandparent. Life. Professional. Husband wife. Simply more costumes. Well inside. Inside. Is a lively and quisitive. Oakland. Loving and sometimes surprising. Awareness. Or so. More and more i see myself. And everyone else. As his tender somewhat fragile. Mysterious self. Peering out of so many. Disguises. When people in india do the namaste. It is a recognition. Of what is inside our variety. Of disguises. Do you know what happened 44 years ago today right. Here. In this very space. I know that some of you were here. Having celebrated the 70th anniversary of its founding just four months earlier. On november 26th 1961. The congregation of first unitarian church of berkeley. Dedicated this. New church building. It was a momentous day. In a very exciting time. And the life of this church. The congregation celebrated its. 10th annual. Doctor of durability service. To honor elders. We have a picture in the church archives which i've posted just outside the sanctuary. That was taken. During that first doctor abdullah durability service on october 14th 1952. For its first 70 years this church was campus centered. And held services in the old building still standing. On the corner of dana and ben cross streets in the heart of berkeley. I hope. The picture. Does not show. All the elders who are honored that day. And we might have other pictures in the archives. Because it shows us seven. Matt. I am sure that there were just as many if not more women of the congregation who had celebrated their 80th birthdays. I am glad that this picture shows us the seven. I'll mention just three of them. The oldest at 92. Is the architect. Bernard maybeck. 2 years later. Hillside to the congregation. For the new building. Also pictured are earl morris wilbur age 86. And william morgan age 88. The first and second president's. Of what is now starr king school for the ministry. In recent years when i have spoken about our service to honor elders people have wondered about the title. Doctor of durability. Many have said they don't like focusing on being durable. Or lasting. That the important thing is not how long someone lives. But the quality of life. I imagine those originally naming the service. In doing so. Being deeply connected with the academic environment of cow. They decided to offer diploma like certificates. To anyone who had reached their 80th. Year. And for those reaching 8590. The certificates red cumlaude. Magna cumlaude and summa cumlaude a. And this year when we recognize mary a celia townsend and her 100th year. We have added ultra lotto but perhaps another latin term would be more appropriate. Honoris causa. Meaning. For the sake of honor. While the term doctor of durability does connote a focus on longevity. My understanding is that the service itself each year. Has celebrated the lives and the wisdom. Of those who are. Chronologically qualified. To be considered elders. Still i want you to know. Each year. Elders tell me that they do not want to participate. In a service whose title suggests a focus on longevity. I think it's time we changed the name. Of the service. Barbara chris and i. Suggest that in the next year we consider. All we want this service to celebrate. And let the creativity among us suggest a new more appropriate name. Are there rituals we might create. That recognize a person's passage. Into being an elder. What are the rights. And the responsibilities. Of being an elder in this congregation. These questions will be the topic of our elders valentine's tea in february. And we hope that the alliance caring companions. Any other groups in the church would like to do so. Well also. Give them some attention. My guess is. What we come up with. We'll have something to do with wisdom. Something to do with. Gratitude. Something to do with wives and authentically. With stories of day after day. Becoming more truly. Ourselves. In 1982 i was working for the unitarian universalist association based in boston. And consulting with congregations across north america. The plane in st louis found my seed and settled in. Sitting next to a friendly looking woman who was about 70. We began chatting. And she asked me what i did. When i told her i was a unitarian universalist minister. Her eyes. What opened more widely and she said that she would be giving a lecture. That our general assembly in a few months. In fact it was to be the where lecture are major lecture at general assembly she was may sarton. And she was interested in knowing what she should expect from her audience. We had a wonderful conversation for about a half an hour. When she said that she needed to save her voice for a poetry reading she was giving that night. May sarton was familiar with unitarian universalism almost her entire life. At the age of immigrated with her parents from belgium to the united states. 8 years later after they had settled in cambridge massachusetts. With a friend she visited first parish. A unitarian church. She remembered. The minister they're saying. Go into the inner chamber of your soul. And stay there. She wrote. Out of her deepest soul. All of her life. Wow she never officially joined a unitarian universalist church. In an interview in 1992 she said. Like gandhi i think all religions are true. You see innocence all great religions believe in a single god. And then there are the goddesses. I'm a unitarian. That's my affiliation. Because unitarians don't believe in the divinity of jesus they believe in jesus as one of the great spiritual leaders like buddha. Like many others. She said she had learned this perspective. From her parents. May sarton was an active writer her whole adult life. Producing volumes of. Prose and poetry. She thought of life as. Constantly cultivating one's soul. In 1965. She wrote mrs. stephens hears the mermaids singing. It has been called her coming out novel. In which she wrote for the first time of lesbian relationships. Perhaps when we think about what we honor. In recognizing our elders. It is this. Learning. And showing the way to others. Of cultivating one solo. As she tells us. It is not easy. Now i become myself. It's taken time many years and places. I have been dissolved and shaken warn other people's faces. Run medley. As if time were there. Now. The standstill. To be here. Feel my own weight. And density. My work. My love my time my face gathered into one intense. Gesture. So all the poem is can give. Crows in me to become the song. Made so. And rooted. By law. Now there is time and time is young. Oh and this single hour. I live all of myself. And do not move. I. The pursued who ran madly. Standstill. Standstill. And stop. The sun. This is a piece of the mystic wisdom of aging. To come to a place within ourselves where we are able to be so fully present in this single hour. That we are one with all that has ever been. And ever will be. And in so doing. Stop the sun. Embracing. That possibility. We began to embrace all things. And can say as met certain rights elsewhere. I am not ready to die. But i am learning to trust death. As i have trusted life. I am moving toward a new freedom. Born of detachment. And a sweeter grace. Learning. To let go. I am not ready to die but as i approached death i turn my face toward the sea. I shall go. Where tides. Replace thyme. Where my world will open. To a far horizon. Over the floating never still flux and change i shall go with the changes. I shall look far out. Over golden grasses. And blue waters. There are no. Farewells. May the coming year. Us with wisdom. Remind us of. Gratitude. Help us to live our lives authentically. Creating stories of becoming day after day. More truly ourselves. Let us learn. To let go. To go with the changes. To turn our faces toward the sea. That we may know. And saying hello. There are. No. Farewells.

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060625_Frederick%20Shaw_His%20Work%20in%20India.mp3

Bling in sewell. As some of you are already aware. Dr. peter rozak colby last night. He was ill and had was going to emergency. However at 7 a.m. this morning. A beautiful gentleman. Who is in town for his wedding anniversary. Supposed to say that. What is it roberta. 40. 40th so this is were very special to have them normally he would be in india. So why just a chance we have. Lovely dr. fredrick shaw and he does public health. Program is working in a tiny village called chandigarh india. Please appreciate him that he stepped in at 7 this morning. We are distracting him from his anniversary so thank you for coming frederick. This is giving me a whole set of new ideas for. In the river. Bait-and-switch thing. I can just see myself saying. I'm very sorry henry kissinger couldn't come this morning but instead. Or i could say my beautiful queen elizabeth the second just couldn't make it this morning. And so luckily i'm just. Actually i'm sorry this weekend.. Do wish i could hear a motel. Heather galter correct dorothy. Cuz i don't know service population are like one and a half minute i guess. It's a good size. Chandigarh is a model city. Design by their french office cappuccio. And he designed it after independence. Monkey 47 48. Punjab punjab. So the capital of punjab working before and it went to pakistan. And so the indian punjab. The state didn't have a capital. That's what you're coming into timer. Sign switching certainly end indian movie. A remarkable sight. Good music. Going a lot of people now. Animal control people have come there in recent years. Searching the last 45 years. People bringing from neighboring states from tamil nadu from. Entrepreneur from himachal pradesh. These are the poorest of the poor. Day labor a type of people. And it come in there's no kids living so they would go to the dump and pick up some. It took nap alarm cardboard boxes empty continents. Industrial stuff came in. I need booties kinds of champions. And then develops interrelated. I'm down there a little. Brookside school charminar. Working in 116 place. It's called junka culinary. And it has a population of about 12,000 people. These people are living in small houses. You describe someone. Many of them are 10 ft by 12 ft. Anytime baby. More than four people. Crowded. Population. Living under vertigo deconditioning. Havanese throwing waste. Your kind of thing. Imagine 45 years of waste piling up in plastic bags. Situation. For punjab and ask him where should i locate my project in his face. He suggested this place. So i wouldn't have to look at it. And it's indeed challenging. Pencil. There are. How are you. Nice to see you. Oops about my organization developing indigenous resources. Deep into what we call development. Universe development. Don't you. I'm not sure a lot of people do. 2. That looks think about it. After the second world war. Call lizzy imperialistic tallest wwe event center colonies. And so they were looking around and people were saying while discounted very pro-rata isn't doing very well. If so resources aren't developed. And it's schools aren't developed and this isn't developed singles resort development. And so the ideas that will eat some underdeveloped country. All countries are western countries are european countries we speak of them as developed. And then as we went to boys trying to develop. Undeveloped countries. Maybe for an idea of exactly what we were doing. Developed country is that way or this way. Well let's see we have an agrarian society. Then we have the industrial revolution natalie and had big cities built. And then industries became industrialized. Jojo. Stroger you the way to go when it's the way the developing countries have to go. Pencil for quite a long time now. Beginning to look at development. In a different way. Put on tulare recent name. I'm still is fixing some people's minds at what we must do. Developing countries. Is to have them industrialised. And so will become more like a more developed that's the way to do it. Local people in developing a long time. I had to struggle with the idea myself and. Are we setting up this organization. What sort of avoiding the world. Because it was becoming a dirty word that some of the things that were happening under the guise of development were very destructive. In the third world. How do i talk about what i'm doing if i don't use the word development but then what do i mean if i use the word development. So i went to the oud if which helps me understand words sometimes. Origin. Development. And it comes out as far as i can gather. From french middle french word. Meaning to uncover. Spanish words. Disembelih. And developed that we put letters in. Will you disembelih. Do you take the cover off in a while. That's great. That's exactly. What are going to do in. Development. I want want not to make those people are those country is more like me or our country. But instead. Took the covers off to see you. What is there a all along what can come on what is there potential. And that's the way several people on my cell phone. Business. we're looking at. Development. This is very shocking to some people today play because they say well. You don't know what's underneath.. But it seems to be good. And it seems to work out that way man seamster. Some freaking working. I'm interest beside development. What do i mean by that what's going to occur there. Well i'm not sure what's going to kroger. But i do believe that when a problem is solved if it's ever going to be saul gets sold by the people that have them. Psychiatrist. Long time to learn this. But i think it's true and the development schemes and i worked in the last 20 years. Have old bingham this way. I've taken the people that have the problem. And enjoyed them and have them. volunteering work on the problem of providence. Only got a few professionals i'll go. A2 physicians in one nutritionist. I working for me nerve recent hard. Under note from the corner then i'll come the summer. All the rest of the people on the rest of my workers at 11 workers in the colony so far. Their own. People that were born in the summer. Throw young people between why do between 25 and 35. Another android. End. Each of them. Has google found. Committing. 11 people. So we're both like 121 people. The people are employed are. Fully employed and paid workers. Do legion way. It's a living wage. But it isn't the great wave. I guess i could have been a little hard but i didn't want to i didn't want to attract people for money. I wanted to attract people who wanted to do the kind of work. Sleepy's on the corner. Until you say water problems in the corner. Roller problems. Principally the worst ones are health problems. Vincent martella. And the number of women who died in childbirth in spring high. And it's needlessly song. Most of the deaths that i see around me and looked around me are all preventable. I'm so i'm working with these 11 young people. And they're working with their commitment is. In order. 2. Coolbot the ways of eliminating the health risks that are in their environment. What are the news for today now. Better than 60% of the people in the koenig when i went there today. Epidemiological survey. I discovered better and 50% had a had or didn't have. Malaria. Which is. Almost almost 100%. I'm in the easy way to get rid of that has to go to the stanley watercourse to know to go by killing mosquitoes. Christmas speakers. They're excellent to walk on 14 days are you going to adults on your car. I don't know if you know the statistics on on mosquitoes. I need a larger town for generations. Spring total offsprings of herself and all her daughters and so on. In four generations. Would be 20 million. A lot of mosquitoes. So if you can prevent the eggs from hatching and go through their various stages then you can do great things. So we're limiting standing walker this is one of the first things we did. Don't use r100r, figueroa bloodfever. You killed some people and get some. You don't want it. Michael strahan have. In the colony i'm attempting to teach the people relationship between the weight of children and health. I'm so older children. Loading angel fighting. Find meijer my worker. Each worker has a waffle lamp. 200 horses the funeral. Wizards. I want some money. And the go there to educate surprises. I'm going to weigh the children under five years avenger look at the hills from the people. I've never seen this on your fishing license before i seen a lot of money. And some of these youngsters can you imagine or half the way things should be have. These are her kids they're marked for death for scrum. What are we doing about this. Or the children severely underweight. We haven't looked at it and i'll take him to a clinic. Dewormed immediately of course. Search for other. And also talked to the browns of ontario. Most cases it's not starving. Wrong foods. These people are just making it on the survival edge. Contemptuous. Enough money to. Tigard ford. Not grateful. I'm not great quantities already. Butters. Very very few people starving there are sometimes. Between and we're trying to do that from your broadcast. Supplemental foods. Once a month older pregnant women and make sure they got continental exams. I'm looking for. Mineral deficiencies on everything else. And beautiful alright. We're training the midwives. There are three of midwives in there. Semicolon man. Chemical training whatsoever. Halfway between wichita nursing. Another kind of thing. Come morning all 427 came across recently. My workers. Just before i started. In the colony. His wife and had a baby. Enter the midwife. Oh wait to do maybe tomorrow got a new breakfast okay but the percentage it wasn't delivered. Women got ahold of 3m darkest in tools and tool. Anacortes emergency case and she had to go to hospital. So i asked a question how long did they wait for the afterbirth performing started coming on. How was your day was it. 6 alarm 12 alarm. Probably 5-10 minutes. 3 horrifying. This is the level of. Still. Working with them. Are going to get some education to bars. Nocturne terrible things i'm trying to do the right thing. 103 recent set. How many deaths occur. Arctic 40. Dehydration. Imagine indian place in summertime. When i left we haven't been under 40° for. Free forex inspirational apps. It's a coincidence that i'm on home leave during his prayer. 102 103. We've been up to 47 years. Dehydration. Courtney's youngsters. Pick up to use diseases and possibly disagree or not type of thing from. Ark encounter. Drums bacteria in food runner waldrop. The disease doesn't kill them. Body normally recover. These kinds of illness. Quick simple bacteria. What they do become seriously ill and they do do iphone. Is dehydration. Do you know where any certain level you. Babies. Bbc quite resilient in many many ways. If the body is given the chance. But. And baby it less than a month over can. Dehydrating freons. So it's critical that the people know what to do about that. Stacey kent. There aren't positions in grand healthcare facilities that are close enough nearby that they have access to. Fordham. And there are facilities for the kind of four down. The way a bit. Given an ar so they could get to algonquin hospital. Frequently they don't know. Text nicole it's just. Call mathias. Having diarrhea. Baby's body fluids can be kept out it's immune system. Kick it. Typically the baby gets better with heart medicine we're hardly think then just like them. If you left the body through. Descend beneath the certain level. Immune system can't function ellipsity doesn't move. Duma. Rehydration solution. Easiest simplest thing up. Johnstone. Aurora and. Call. Tina walker. Baking soda. Everybody going to call me no no. Jamaica or s3idyle knows how to do that and they're using it. Extensively. More than i ever guessed you wouldn't. Salata. The. Workers i have working for me. Last month. I all right monthly reports and. Can i send it to people who are supporting my project. And some of the people here i'm sure have seen last month before. Danger force. Progress. I got a big surprise. We were sitting. I should tell you. Our preparation for about an hour and a half. Then we going to program mathis on how do you run a proper program this is i'm talking about. My sitting having. Seminole. The first. And a half where you go to academic things for example their landing elementary on askamanager geology in cytology remember all this young things like have. 2nd 3rd grade. Education. 1 president. Findlay high school. But they're learning these things we're not using complicated words. Reasonable simple word. I'm dumb people jerry small. Very intelligent. Grasping on to concentrate quickly. I'm dumb. Wonderful workers. Furniture. Last month recipe. Academic saxena andrea talking about program matters and. Herndon. In the morning goofing off on the road. We're getting ready for tea and. Before. The forger. Before dirtmc kane we were nothing. Adam samuel service center. Sundown. The conversation. I didn't. I do understand some like. But. What's. They're so poor and so depressed until be done. They had begun to think of themselves as nothing. You know nothing. So in this program they're going around on there talkin to. People in their homes never told her to stay well on. I'm done. These workers not have chicken on a self-importance. Did they see a reason for their being for the wrecking. I was amazed i was a man. And then i start looking at the other people nicole the same type of thing. Do you know. Everybody treats them like derek. The government ignores him. Political clyde. Pinterest.com. Anyway. And leave the people inside now i am somebody. Never struck me this would be on arkham. That's my introduction. Are there any questions what can i tell you. What is a what. Are they. Outside the casket. The other question is. Is there a problem getting in. To go in and take a look will tell you how to. Deliver a baby or will tell your honey. Are you going to the parents since. I'm just curious about the entree it seems like many people would. Wonder. Cool buddy. Direct instruction percenter. There isn't anybody saying i'm smarter than you and here's your way to do it. But we looking at. All the things that are wrong when something is wrong and it was. We look at what is happening and examines very close today. And then i ask a question about what do we do about that. Free counseling. I didn't tell him for me to do is dry off all the phones and all that kind of enjoying everything i didn't do nothing. I don't think would work that well. But instead we looked at what is the problem what is the nature of 100 worth. I've been making up with what we can do about it. In this thing with midwives we're looking at 1/2 in the bad deliveries. In a normal healthy delivery. And then relocate to sing. Human beings to. Deposit. And we looking at me see what what is there. How can we do this how do we go monday. Always not kind of problem solving. It's a bit slower. When the people have the answer is there around 2 it's not. An answer was given to them. You don't have to remind them they kind of got it. What kind of system. Thank goodness it's the money thing and it's important. It would matter i suppose if these people were mixing instead. Circle. But it doesn't. It doesn't matter or not. It doesn't matter to me or to them in the corner. Nearly everybody inside hindu. To muslims to christians. Jojo. Doesn't doesn't seem to matter that much. I wondered if. Origins. There are a few hydrogen. But it doesn't seem to matter. It may to a few people but in general doesn't. Did many people have aids in the village and also do you work at all with world health organization unesco unicef any of those guys. Unicorn. Don't work with small people like me. Olmert's 100% play work with governments. Injectables and the immunizations machinations that my people giving. Do come from who in youngstown. They're coming from wwe. Instead we get in the department telephone descansen. Indirect. Know that you tend to be way out there and very political and very young. Bureaucratic. Very hard to move. Woodward women go to ulitzuirf4y. 2 million dollar project. I want 5000. To do something. Starla costume. Higgs is there we haven't. Go to the bottom. But just know this week we've started to own. One of my incisions are has started. Avoidance or aids prevention. Salmonella. So that'll be going on. I know something about triggers i guess when i get back. I don't know the size of the problem i don't think. I don't think it is. An indian agency. Because. If you. If you make a map of india. And then you plotting aids cases on it. You can see that they first came in at the port. Kikkoman to bombay. Coaching. Start showing up. Long distant relatives bring major thoroughfares going to other major cities in them. You see them showing up here and there. Adidas dryer apart. What is happening on what has happened. Is the longest. Truck drivers. Who go to the poor. To get the trucks filled out. Visit prostitutes. And the prostitutes have had contact with sailors have in the point. The truck driver. Imaging drive. Stomps to come or stay overnight on the game against apartment rooney passes are gone. In the day's drive again. Another. Wonder few countries in the world for the spread of aids is not a mystery of snow. What happened. Work you're doing. I really commend you for the work you're doing and all the other. Churches. Don't like. They are huge. They don't get the funding. Aldi's. Mastiff. I wish you would. Tons and tons of money money is not short supplier and there were road. Getting home. Frederick a really pragmatic question. How do you get clean water do you have to boil it for example every time you going to make the solution or drink. How do i get clean water. People making filter water. And surveying so true. Using a very old method must be three or four hundred years old. Simply filtering into. Two old bucket of sand matches. That's for your cousin constantly unterrified tomorrow. How do i get a walker. Thankfully in india when i lived there before back in the 60s. Used to 307 boardwalk. Roderick neal. you can buy a mineral water. Which is. Hospital money but so far it's been pure. And that's that's a great help. Because in the hot weather of course you're going to reserve a l attire. Final time. And i'm going to be buying mineral mineral water. Troy. All the grocery stores that have it. Universal. Well i could say that i tried almost everything else until about it. This is only thing left. Some things are getting get around to try. Doctor public health. Development. This kind of procedure elephant sings 468. I hope i'm not lining up to. After gaining some of the country. I want to ask you. Is there any chance for these people to get employment for. And move out of the. Colony grill. There are opportunities there aren't enough. Opportunity for everybody unfortunately. Are you probably know that india's population is going to be the biggest in the world that's going to pass china. Quite soon. 1.6 billion. You know that's. One and a half times the population of world in 1800. Horrifying. So. Some of the people will be able to make conscript living but. Minivan. The opportunity simply isn't their jones campground. In development very unfortunately some of the schemes and some of the things that people do. Are not that helpful. I mean in the colony. Before i went there some people are going there. I'm beside the road these people need income-generating skills. And so one of the things that women. How to use sewing machines. And they brought in some old hand sewing machines your grandmother's used. And the river. Peoplelooker. So honestly think. So. Pizza. I designed it coming already. I designed. Weinbach. You know in california girlfriend that used to live here with go to a friend's house you take a bottle of wine on the evening. Random. I just happens to have them purifiers agrees with me. Really this is not why i'm giving you a call. We were going to tell me it's after church to see our side.. Friends with them. With the person upholstery business. And he gives me last last year's samples of upholstery. Freaky. Starbucks cooper square. Not much you can do with it. Interpret all different. And so we had to run and make these bags. And if you're under back this time. I'm looking for a market if anybody has an idea what i can do with it. I thought i'd go to wine merchant wine stomp. If anybody would like to buy them. Are suing. I can't subsidizes forever unless i can sell them. Calendar for the warehouse full of you. I'm working on this phone. And the people clamoring i mean. Everybody wants to serve wine.. Good. Thank you. When you talked about these things in the past people have. Wondered about the fact that you're helping to keep babies alive. And and so forth and then people get nervous about. Overpopulation what happened in pakistan in the project that you did. Divine design there and presumably that same kind of phenomena may happen here ends up not. I mean. It seems contradiction in the country that's overpopulated. I mean you're trying to preserve population. If we look at. What is happening in the country. Which have stabilizer population country. About example it doesn't stay on. It would have stabilized in 74 if they installed immigration that limited immigration. This is the only developed and developing developed country that i know is the united states. Population going to dumbo. Boulder restaurants. Indian japan germany france. Or him. Reduce their population increased so they are stable on some countries reducing the size of population. If we look at historically how did this happen. It didn't happen because the government. Started family planning programs you didn't happen because they were giving away free condoms or free education. Population on earth. It happened. When. These countries got a gram. Unpreventable desk. And if you look even look at the history of your own family if you look back. In my case. My populations mega generation behind us. But. My father was the oldest off 11 children. My mother was as of ten children. Until my mother and father married and they had two children. Family. For my grandparents families until they were gone families. But a great number of children dying. In the last generation my father's generation. They lost one child any trapezoid family. Did the series. Put the restaurant. 2. Goofy's what happened just about every country in that i know of that has been studying. We have something for the demographic transition. I miss you too. George krause. And you have numbers on the side. Rates. And you have time long the baltimore baltimore access. You look at. Crude death rate. It's going along rock hits. Variable. And. The critic. Birthright. Constant and just slightly above it. And staying power lock matic. When you start to get rid of preventable death springstone to stop doors. Crude death rate starts to go dawn.com. And the crude birth rate continues for ninja v and then a towel. And it comes on. Prevented all the preventable deaths in one must die sometime but you don't have to die earlier that happens in this crap. Tattooers that low-level. And the birthrate the terrorists sister bumper. Empirically you can see this is happened. So that's what most of us in developing our striving for in the developing countries. Is 2. Good riddles please preventable deaths. Teresa people in cell. Historic to have small town race not because of government. Neighbors are large or anything else. They don't seem to work. China's laws. Strongest so far. Givenchy. It really haven't worked. Looked at me. Publix near me. It's reduced the rate. Mention malnutrition could you discuss the diet that. And what it is you have to work. The diet. If you talk to anybody. We eat the wrong towards or too much of the wrong for a dorito dispatch. What are we doing about it. Oprah talked about balanced diet. Uninhabited islands terms. What do giant typical oxy protein. You will get some families. they just have a bigger rice in the evening. Sunset by the government. That's come.. Everybody is endocrine. Protein. Can you receive only yourself. Cousin microcenter stunted. Very much on this time. You're going to try again soon. 14 in looks like i'm 9 or 10 year olds. We're working with that one. We're having fun with supplemental toward yet we don't have a store to that. But we we young i think of nothing on crs catholic relief society. They got some circus merkin circus. Agrarian commodities preview. And then rock. That should make a good difference. There is protein are usable protein. In most places on it. Just barely affordable. People are not using university using. We're getting some bit by bit. Text to something that i've come across. Regarding rice. I understand that rice and beans make a perfect protein. Is that correct rice and beans. Perfect protein. Indian but one. It's it's a good meal it isn't everything isn't there i mean you need other things. Encouraging which is absent in those two. But. If you had rice and beans or. Are chickpeas. Garbanzo your phone hahaha. That's her finding dory. Engram remove. Music like. Sure. Very unfortunately that's one of the things i'm going to have to get rid of their cars. Chandigarh. But in the cub in the colonies some people. 22 people owen cancel. Undercooked reselling in newark. Which is good and not very nice. Who put these counselor wandering through our alley racine. Ladder bar 14 ft wide. The only other. Waver street the golden streets but there really aliens. And so do you see some cars to walk along and defecation and do all kinds of men masturbate. Have we like to stop recording. Realtor people who keep ticks. Sure their stuff look up to. Trichinosis. Shekinah. I'm coming towards cases. Four children have. Hyena. And in some cases. Organism can penetrate the brain. And since you're kind of insult. Doesn't do much damage to human. What system put the coating around of the shell of calcium. And then we build up the shell of calcium and of course it's 20. Max effective. Like a stone. Intersystems help. Under normal conditions in muscle tissue. People with extreme pain in the long muscle. Because literally hundreds. Maybe one muscle. When it gets in the brain. It's like a brain tumor. Mw restaurant. Call sorcher. I'm station showtimes for tryon north carolina. Thornton our little 8 year old girl recently. Cool. Prothom alo. Later on manhattan athletic fit. And then recovered from the perfect man. And i looked hurt life. Call i hope it's not i hope it's not your time ever they want.. Took off the hospital. To operate for this snarf's. Can you remove it. The question rose wholehearted together. One way that is passed on. Her case was passed on this way. Was. It shows happened pigs feces. And then animals in pigs walk through this. And then defeat carrier. Are the legs carrier. 2 rum. Cabbage lettuce. Growing plants. Richardson. Really. Very very very carefully warren. Wheeler county district i know on the quickest route to david small. Ozone 2. Vegetation greyhound. So we have vegetarians with shekinah i've never heard of it. Pandora. This is a test question to when you're. These people you're teaching them to teach in arlington's what languages are you using. Understand. Yes i have an interpreter. Interpreter speaks. What is the word language hindi. Most of the people i'm working with. Do i get to all the people i work with understand hindi. Sometimes translate into punjabi. Depends and durango. And tonight we will communicate indian thing that your old is. What government service ending in. The government urban tired i work with on speaking like emily speaking exam then. Digitech intercourse near officers between each other because they come from different states. And they they don't know each other. Restaurant. Bigger working for calvary on the average american. Knock-knock joke they're not going to call me. Toilet sprayer. And the climate is wrong. I mean for 5 hours away. I'm going to hills and were being underground yesterday. We live in a bad place. You look at you say this is not. The north pole. And i keep wondering why don't the people get. Backup is really a pleasure to talk to you thank you very much for listening to me. The reason website. And i'll put this up by the map. The webs are son-in-law is fixing the website so they'll be more on it in a few days more pictures. Unfortunate frederick as wonderful pictures but they're all digital. They're all in our computer is not pretty. we didn't get the other later on. More information. It's developing indigenous resources. Dir and the website w.w. developing i are developing. org it's developing i arthur. Ir. Is the email yahoo.. In case people want to email you and get more information. Telephone. Long ones. It's a lot of reading for summer thank you so much credit you stepped in at the last minute and it's so exciting you were in town at this moment. So again thank you very much. Next week. Next week is a member of. It's a chance to get to know her better she's very interesting person her job is works as a program director for a halfway house in in oakland. I hope you will come and get to know keisha. Next week keep coming back. All summer. Thank you.

uucb_org

070107_Bill%20Garrett_Death%20&%20the%20Sacred.mp3

Good morning. Good morning and welcome. I hope you're all having a good new year. We were originally scheduled to have talked about the american way of. Dying and grieving she can also. But she. Double booked myself and had to cancel so we asked bill garrett. What is a friend about program. To talk with ralph and bill is going to talk about death and the sacred. Addicted something that he teaches in his classes at john fk university. In the department of religion and philosophy. So we are very grateful to bill that he could teach it for us. I could come in our machine. That was somewhat similar but obviously we'll be coming in in a different direction. Bilstein. Thanks for the kind invitation. Introduction. Surprise this time. You were going to get i believe what you were going to get was an introduction to the whole. Death industry jessica mitford the american way of death and it's great stuff that's terrific stuff. And why is that such a likely industry is because we are undone psychologically. At the time of death. And we do anything. Think clearly. We. Warner express her love. By spending too much for. Gaskets for spending too much for thinking about death is not fully rational. I'm going to go. A different sense and i'm practically what i say today is not something. For funerals it's not something for when people are sad when people are simply. Taken apart and distraught psychologically. Distance to be short about. Now before those terrible times hit it's very difficult to think clearly in those times but if you have given it some thought. In advance. We can make it so you can make it easier. French everest you may have heard of him. Lou roche food called. Interesting perfect villain in his life but he said lots of smart little things little one liners and wrote them down. Nobody can look on the sun for long. Neither can they look directly on death for a long. Death is one of those things that we avoid thinking about. So much so. The twentieth-century philosopher martin heidegger. How to define what it is to be human yes the human being is the animal that knows it dies. And spends its life. Looking away from that fact. So basically we know it's there but. We tend to look away.. Sooner or later however. We've all got to look. And what we see. When we're confronted by death what we see. Depends on how we live. And on how we've come to understand why. We begin as it were peeking through our fingers at this. What suggested public figures are last weekend celebration by gerald ford's wife for example. A sharper focus comes through the death of people that we know sharper still. Friends and loved ones. But possibly the most sharp of all is when we face an unhappy medical diagnosis. Might be. And it changes everyday. That we think about that. This morning our presents are alternatives to what i take to have been historically prevailing attitude towards death in the west. Again. I want to reiterate and i know i'm not speaking to people here who lack common sense that these are not things that you bring to a funeral with you and say oh but have you thought about it this way. No. That's not the time for these ideas. A lovely sunday morning. In january. In the berkeley hills. That's the time to think about these ideas. My assumptions rvs. Our terrors of death. And by the way. I am in no way in urine from those terrors i haven't. Anywhere. Assure you. Terrors of death. They have their root cause. Not in the usual suspects. The usual suspects. Oh my gosh. A day is going to come and after that day i won't exist anymore. The fear and terror of annihilation. Is probably. More commonplace here at the unitarian universalist church. There's another fear that i wanted this miss. And that is the fear of i'm going to die. Peyton's going to get me and i'm going to be tortured if i'm not going to give time to that one right here i'll basically i'm speaking to it went to a bunch of unit at unitarian for god sake. I'm done. An afterlife in hell. Ghastly horrors torture sadistic scenarios. We'll just let that when brian and for people who believe in that i don't know how to address them. First place. Really sorry but maybe you want to think about that. We're not going to talk to her. I'm more interested in the aversion of death. Anybody. Thinks about what. Reversion to death. Tends to be a fear of annihilation. And that's here. Why would focus on the future. Oh my god in the year 2050 i ain't going to be here i'll be gone it's focused on the future. But it's rooted in the present. It's rooted in i'll suggest you. Two misconceptions that we engaging right here right now. The first. Is that the secret. It's somewhere else. Secret the secret. Another domain. To get there you've got to die. Assumption persist even among people who would deny it first that they believe such a thing. Builders that carrying the carryover idea that the world to which we walk everyday. Is not a sacred place. Sacred. Is. Holy or holy holy other this is a carryover from our religious history historical religious traditions in the west. I trust it's making sense to something other than the world. Outside the world. That's one assumption. The other one perhaps more pernicious. Is the assumption that. The human self or me. Inside discreet. And separate thing. It's cold and atomistic self. A self that exists within an environment. What is not one with that environment. This assumption originates in the western philosophical tradition. It started in earnest. What's the philosopher plato. I know some of you heard of plato's myth of the cave and there you are at the bottom of the cave. But you're an alien here you are not connected to this reality you belong somewhere else. That's the idea of the discreet. Isolated as a mystic self-taken. And given a more refined renaissance expression to the philosophy of rene descartes. Maybe related to others but. Perhaps not as well. I'm going to be suggesting to you is a contemporary science and of course contemporary velocity. Suggested is to be related. There is no such thing as atomistic existence. To be is to be identical so identified with. Environmental context with red contacts. Is natural the biosphere. Or whether it's culture. This is heidi in which you live. An excellent presentation. Call visa version. Toward death. In the underground on the understanding of an atom. In some sounds of the existentialist philosopher. You've heard of them. Possibly you possibly reggie story because he only wrote. He also wrote literature and one of the great short stories he wrote. Was titled the wall as anybody. Anybody wanted a terrific start very short. The wall as in up against the wall jack and of the wall as the backdrop of a firing squad. The walls are backdrop of death it's the story is set in the spanish civil war where was perfectly easy to believe that you're going to be taken out and shot in the morning. Executed. I tell myself. It will be nothing afterwards. I don't know what that means i see my course that's not hard. But i'm the one who sees it with my eyes. And i've got to think. Think that i won't see anything anymore. I get the world will go on. For others without me in it. There are consequences for such a view this is the view of annihilation. Constitutes a complete annihilation annihilation of the self. There are consequences of it. Specifically it tends to reach right. Meaning of orange dye you insignificant. As it turns out in shark story. The guy is not executed he does not get sent to the firing squad he's given a reprieve he spared and he's released. But he's not relieved. Things have changed forever now he knows he will die. The wall we're going to take you out. Put you against that wall ready. Ok google home. This is a life transformative event. This has brought to your consciousness in a way that nothing else can. The fact that you are mortal that you will die. just pertains to you. That invasion that's philosopher heidegger talk about. Is impossible if you're standing against an execution wall. As i say he's. Spared he's released but he feels no relief this is what he says. Death's-head disenchanted everything. I joined the anarchist movement i spoken public meeting. I took everything is seriously. As if i would live forever. Now it wondered how i'd been able to walk to laugh the girls. I wouldn't have so much moved my little finger if i'd imagined that i would die like this. Someone had told me that i could go home quietly and that they would leave me my whole life. It would have left me cold. Several hours. Or several years or several decades of waiting is all the same when you have lost the illusion. Of being immortal. The man whose name was tom. Realized. That mortality one's awareness of death. Was utterly debility. And that is part. Sometimes is presented as a tough-guy 20th century philosophical existentialist to the manifesto. Life is filled with confusion. Heartbreak and disappointment. And then you die get it. Grow up and face it. Hardly surprise. People would look for other alternatives to buy those alternatives. What's a rational coherence a wood. Be willing to pay that price. The capacity to accept the other meaning of life in the face of death. What's 4 many obviously never all but for many existentialist. The measure of authenticity it's what constitute decode you're tough enough to take it. Specifically existentialist like start express contempt for any belief. In personal immortality. The hope for an afterlife in the domain vaguely conceived is heaven. Such hopes ac. Or merely a delusion kind of psychological pain killer. In the face of. Of the dreadful reality of death. Those existentialist tended to sneer at decent people. I do not sneer and it don't recommend it. But i do suggest. Actors existentialist may have had at least. Part of a point. Cognitive psychologist. Neuroscientists are persuaded. Sense of me are inner sense of me. Or personality. Eagle if you like. Is generated in tandem. What's the development of the body. And personality personal consciousness. There's a parallel destiny with the body and its demise. Wait a second garrett it sounds like you're saying that start was right after all. In fact i think. He found a partial truth and took it to be the whole truth. Aversion. Today. Is certain and we will do anything to avoid it if we think that death is merely a nihilation. And i sure their view there are those who see stark's tough-guy conclusions as being poorly thought-out. There are those who think that. He was simply wrong yes personal immortality seems and incoherent a desperate hope. Cynicism and pessimism however. Or not in order. Unessential. Aspect of sorts thinking. What are you referred to earlier. The atomistic view of the self individual self that is somehow disconnected. Somehow unrelated to its environment. A cellphone which when it's dead and gone without a trace. The whole story. The story that it tells is a story of meaningless and valueless. I knew somebody actually said he was somebody when i was younger person who said that. Start and many of the existentialist. We're metaphysical crybabies. Because they could no longer believe in god yet they were stuck with the belief. Value and meaning in life somehow proceeding from god right they wanted to throw out god but then we'll okay. here's death ogier what about that. Because they were still stuck. Thinking that nature. Is simply blind matter blind machinery they were still stuck. Impossibility of seeing nature at the sacred domain and they were still stuck living. In the traditional western assumption about an atomistic self. Again whether that assumption comes from. Our religious traditions were some people are saved and some people are not. Or whether it comes from or philosophical traditions by way of plato and descartes. Other ideas. That nature itself. A transcendent god who is outside and other than nature but rather that nature itself. Is the sacred. Is taken by many people. Be capable of transforming everything and in particular transforming human ideas about mortality. But again. In this view nature is a domain of interconnectedness there's no such thing as. Free chat existing being silly obviously it needs the soil it needs a certain climate. Atmospheric conditions to. Tree exist in a an entire context of interrelatedness. As with the tree. Human person it's just obvious if you think about it. Where would you be. Without the biosphere. How much do simple where would you be without the culture in which you were raised. Think about it a good way to proceed with this i think is. Your language. Your language is not something essential to you your language is something that you picked up you were born with the capacity to learn language. But no. Speak english or russian or chinese. Is this making sense. All of these things reflect your relatedness your embeddedness if you like. Within culture. You are not defined whether we look at it from the ecological standpoint from the standpoint of neuroscience and cognitive psychology from the standpoint of. Many of the religious views that are coming in from other places in the world. You are not defined in terms of atomistic independence. True something that might even be cold radical interdependence. You are interdependent with the biosphere with your culture with your family with your friends. Belief in the atomistic self. And for personal immortality on its terms. Is. People. The great. Western civilization philosophy and religion now it's possible that that particular way of looking at things. Conferred advantage made people able to face things go bump in the night because. I believe i have a destiny in this will somehow go and if i do lose my life protecting my community on that battlefield everything's going to be okay because i get to go to valhalla or something like that right. No doubt it did. But many say that those times are at an end and moreover. Personal immortality has become has come to confirm not so much a benefit. But i kind of liability. What could be harmful in the belief. Personal immortality you die you go somewhere else. Many say that the belief in personal immortality it sounds like an overstatement of a butterfield. But it's tumble around your mind a bit you'll see what i mean. The belief in personal immortality. And the hook for personal immortality. It's an unstated declaration of war. Against nature. Because nature is where things come into being they thrive and they pass out of being. Nature is a domain of balance between life and death and 212 have. Garrett forever i have to either escape nature. Or i have to somehow defeat the laws by which nature maintains itself. In regard to individual things. If there is life. Then there must be. Think about it this way. Text o. Sigmund freud to get this one right death is a profoundly transformative expenditure transformer. I'm not in the frightening way that people eat people typically think of the first. When jess is introduced into a given domain. What had previously been near duration. Becomes wife. For the first billion years or so of the universe. There was no gas. But that's because. There was no life i realize that people have alternative understanding the visit life was there at the beginning but. What's standard scientific view. For the first billion years of the universe there was no gas because there was no life. Transformed what otherwise would have been meaningless duration into life. Without dancer can be no life life and death are reciprocal concept. So it goes. Insofar as leader or real. Exist together if you want life. You're being incoherent if you don't accept the reality of death. And god bless us everyone. That has been to the highest hopes of many western religions are one wife. Forever. And ever and life is just. Nido garrett. Atomistic self. And there's going to be some wonderful event comes down i will be saved and i will get there. Go hangout. You know people for a while you're not really invited to read the fine print of what that would that would be like. The problem. Come back to a point that i made earlier. The problem is that our aversion to death. Is based not so much 1 series of future annihilation that's where we put our attention. But it's based i think on misconceptions about our present state. Our prison stages 1. Reciprocal existence with a nature that balances itself through life and death. There's a wonderful line. The daodejing it's a chinese religion taoism to which i confess to having sympathies here. In chapter 33. At the very end of the chapter. It says. When your body dies. You don't cease to exist. You exist everywhere. What is the sense of you their badges to say spanish to say the essential you that is the nature that was present in u.s. every state of every step you took from the first step is a toddler. The last step for you when we were you tumble over and then and that's it and makeover. The matrix. Your divine reality is present. Your immortality is something in which you participate everyday. What you do in life matters because. Your relationship to nature is not one. Where your stamping about on a neutral stage setting. In your life. For worse and for better. You impact. The environment around you you impacted biologically you weren't active socially. You cannot but make a difference. That difference will be. Infinitesimal. It will be so small as to almost. They may as well not exist at all. Evolution happen. By way of those infinitesimal differences that take place over one. One biped. Somehow evading a predator. And taking refuge in the crevice of a rock and sweating and barking and just noticed to do that for another few years and. Horse having babies. The dallas prediction. I'll talk about it just a little bit more. Is one that stole the idea. Personal immortality was very popular in china at the time we're talking right away so she should make this clear we're talkin. Two and a half thousand years ago. Was very popular and as a result. It develops philosophers who went against that there's one of my favorites the guys name is wang truong. I'm finding very much around anymore but he was a. He was a puckish fellow he like to. But without that without sneering. She says things like this. Why should man alone become a cursed when he dies. I don't get sentimental now but how many of you have pets that have made a great. Difference in your life. Okay why can't natters become with me. Yeah right. Start a certain way. And he said people will talk about. Seeing ghosts. Actually if there are ghosts out there. The road should be choked with go to mia's room should be crowded with ghosts look at them so many people have died. But my favorite puckish observation to wang chung by the way was a rough contemporary longer than jesus. My favorite is something that almost sounds like. An episode from the tv series columbo. You told me you sold goose. Anybody. People regularly. I know i do this for long tongue. What were they wearing. One more question. Where did they get their clothes. Where'd you go sides are always dressed aren't they. It's a totally different experience you walk in you say i see dead people okay fine you go into the store over here you talk to somebody. I see dead naked people over. Right. Ghost typically artwork. Where do they get. Can you get you get the idea it's. It's a humorous. Ancient chinese guy. Play poking fun at the idea that there is maybe something maybe that's the ghosts themselves came from the same place that their clothes came from. Your mind perhaps. What's a light touch. The point is we are at home. We participate in however minimally however infinitesimally we participate in the greatest story ever told. And yet. The issues remain certain which inspire about if we want. But then here comes a diagnosis we need you to come in for some. Cast. Okay what what's this going to be. Terry stop. Hamilton the gravedigger scene in act 5 he picks up the skull. Of his childhood playmate the gesture urich. He picks up the medicine he holds it first run. And he whispers seductively intuit ear holes and are near anymore by sudhir hole. Go get you to my lady's chamber. Tell her liquor painting in stick to this favor if you want to come. Make her laugh at that. Hard to laugh at that is a matter of fact. If it's hard to laugh. 10 junk. Assert your integrity and your love of life in another way. Horses together here. Another way entirely appropriate. And i don't speak here of simpering pretense. You can sing your rain. Inescapable but you don't have to like it. You don't have to message you can accept it and you can see it as part of life. But you can go to it with as it were a sacred dammit. Right. I'm not ready to leave yet. And i'm speaking here one of my favorite poems by dylan thomas. Do not go gentle into that good night. It's a poem written to his father. When is father's deathbed. And uses pronounce your love of life. By rage rage against the dying of the light. The words are important. Do not go gentle into that. Good night. The night that his death is not pronounced evil and over 20 somebody save me from it. The night that is pronounced. Death is called a good night. Do not go gentle into that good night rage rage against the dying of the light. Jeff is not kirsten is pronounced good. Yet the appropriate disposition toward it if you truly love life. Is a sense of impatience of rage. Reverence exposed. True rage. There are other ways of looking at this. And we need that we were two trains for. I'm going to give you one more. And maybe you seen it maybe a heaven. As american as apple pie. Thornton wilder. Our town town. Good. Okay fine so bear with me if you haven't on the final scene act 3 takes place in a graveyard but what's really weird is that there are no not exactly. Are shown as waiting. And they are waiting for something that they take to be something wonderful. They are waiting and they are looking up at the vermont sky and a new hampshire sky. Struck dumb many of them with a sheer beauty.. Expended. Rumely wireless play. Even in the earlier act when when there's a full moon night. I'm going to the character says isn't the moonlight terrible tonight. Wonderful terrible. This idea that the people who die are being reabsorbed back into. The nature. And they are being reabsorbed into that nature. The love of beauty. It's not terrifying. It doesn't mean their lives were insignificant. A different way to think about. A different way to think about life. Now. What do you folks think of this sort of thing. Cuz the best part of eagle talks for me. Is when somebody goes and wait a second professor. And in fact i think we run around. Master of the bike. Evans getting remade for many months and finding him. Very interesting helpful on the subject and. It's interesting that annihilationism. Amion. Annihilation is a word that comes up a lot in roomy in a positive way he wants us. Annihilation. Annihilation of the persona the fall sells to personal identity. Die before you die and then you're not afraid of dying anymore. Summarize. So much that would take. Many years to kids that do justice to but i just recommend. Rumi's everyone who's interested in the subject because he has certainly a. Wonderful and often times the mystics will say that but what they mean by dying there is a sense of transformation. Jesus regularly spoke of the advisability of dying right but he meant by that dying so as to reach a higher higher level. During interview by charlie rose channel 9 the other night. Interviewing. Beijing express. Of all the people that were born after the year 2050 percent will be live to be 100 years old. I thought was pretty star wars. You seemed to know what he was talking about. Activate coronavirus medical. Good lifestyle. Need my. Talk a little bit free here but i wasn't there. Suggest one thing and i'm not sure i'm going to take it from another. From another. Western writer. Arthur c clarke's. Debris. He wrote a book called the city and the stars. Speaking of a life-form that had become all but immortal that trajectory was a very advanced civilization in the future. Because of its immortality could not change but was forced to repeat eternally. Steam in darien pattern. He concludes. Long ago man sought immortality and at last achieved. They forgot the world. Banished. Must also banish light. Or at least significant place. The power to extend his life indefinitely might bring contentment to the individual. But it brought stagnation to the race. 250 years. Keep forgetting. Hi tom. I bought you a comment on the issue of. Sadness loss. Greece. Which of course is. Predominant. Reaction. And i wonder if you think that in this culture. The denial of those feelings. And the suppression maybe of the expression of grief. Is. Would you comment on that part of this because. Lost. Seal. Is so profound. On an emotional level is. Really doesn't matter. How you explain this philosophical. August, briefly. We aren't fully human. We have declined we have opted out of the intensity that makes us unique if we don't experience that grieve one of the reasons why i love the dylan thomas poem. Is he didn't say well you know dan we all have our own here and you know it's. Just don't let's be realistic about in scientific approach would say. Nonsense. Rage rage against the dying of the light i mean he doesn't even info for thomas you get the sense that grief would be to tampa two-term he wants to just expressed outrage i'm not finished dancing yet that sort of idea and when you lose somebody to service terribly precious to you. You would be less than human if you didn't you didn't feel it. Interesting to hear. Woman teacher comes back and be interesting because the american way of death. Shrewd business venture out there. Graphics and trades on that that she learned that there's feelings of grief in. The ultimate consumer society i'm not sure that i'm really addressing your question. Help me refinance. Open nature and the tree and. Our relationship to all of this. And i wonder where. Where the lost ships and i think. I mean it's even talked with many animals. We now know go through a grieving process. But a lot of them don't i just wonder where your thoughts about. Looking at this in terms of a relationship to nature. What's the experience of the losses is it. As simple as. What purchased that i mean. Why is there the greek. Because we lose a friend that we have cherished. Because we lose an engagement with life that we have cherished. What. Adela store. Thornton wilder or dylan thomas or arthur c clarkwood council up here. Don't let that feeling of pain and disappointment. Amped up into a great indictment of nature if that's the way things work here. There must be a better place for me i think nature is terrible if it just hurt me to this degree. Life hurts but it hurt for the kind of poignancy. Let me suggest because i know many of you have dvd players. There is a brilliant i've my own my favorite directors and akira kurosawa japanese guy right. One of his last films was titled dreams. And it's a sequence that it's a bunch of vignettes the very last one. Is the waterwheel village it's something of a dallas metaphor and in it a woman who dies who was 99 years old. And her dance is treated yes. She was loved and she was part of the community. Put the funeral service. Is a celebration a celebration of a wonderful life full of contributions that changed and made our garage what it is if anybody seen that trick. And it does take those feelings of loss. But doesn't work them tumble into feelings of resentment or betrayal or that there's something wrong here. It can be the sure somebody died and it's right before tell me what they must have gone to. I was 95 years old i hope i do that right him in mind that would be a real good shot for me. And yet they couldn't help. When you were younger people that i hit her and has a stronger bite. Gaston's just how things work here there can be no. Transformation of our culture end of our species. If we don't. Process through. Can two agree with ear in. The fact that we should celebrate. Death rather than mourn people. Everyone has a little influence on. Anyone we come into contact with. If it's good. Let's celebrate. Having been with the. Person as long as we had them. If someone is kind to me. And if. Important to me. I will cherish that memory. And. Remember them. Maybe not consciously. But they're there and what they have done. Make that impact. I couldn't agree more that seems to be the idea and so with their you're there tomorrow let's say right you do not disappear those effects. Persist. Gladiator. When maximus is stirring up his people to go fight against he's really kind of unwashed looking germans if you remember there at the beginning. And he sure. What we do in life echoes in eternity ecco store. Something like that is the idea. When you study evolutionary theory. Billions of years for these little things to coagulate into more complex. It seems like nobody's really doing anything out there we are doing things on the basis of identity might be seen as not that. You are have that kind of substantiv i am this from you know there's that at there. Or identity might be best realize who the concept of participation. And that's what you're saying there. That's all you can ask for and your. Your ongoing effect. Inconsistent just that my mother died. Black january. She was 99 she would have been 100 in last june. And this woman had been. Bed bound for the better part of the year she had had. She just lost all of her strength. She didn't lose any mental strength she was still there and still doing things for people. And making herself. Not consciously. She was making people. Appreciate. Their lives. And. You know this is the way i cherish. I celebrated her. Because this is what she wanted. And i celebrate it. That she died and is now at peace. Or whatever. But you still around. In every. Come into contact with. It's that way. For better. And for worse and if there's a morrowind center built into all this. Whether you realize it or not. You are creating ripples. And what you doing life. Maximus again what you doing life. Echoes in eternity. What kind of echo are you looking to generate are there. And i saw some other hands. This all reminds me of what the chinese believe. The life goes on as long as someone remembers. And that's why they do ancestor worship so. The children in the generation to remember. Interesting interesting idea and of course. Life goes on even if nobody does remember because it's. Life is not restricted at least from the dallas perspective that would be a more confusion as prospective up from a dallas perspective. Life is not restricted to human life right. Stinkmeaner. Euripides tells us that prometheus learn changing mountain. Punished by the gods. Because he gave man the year. Stop man from proceeding do. And then there was some. Other technological innovations like fire but the big thing was that man from foreseeing dune. We. Built into our being we. Item deathly ignore it will you don't foresee the doom. Wonderful thank you i'll be dependent now and say actually it was aeschylus was prometheus bound. But there's a wonderful irony in there where prometheus and saying to the chorus at the tiny thing by human beings from seeing their doom and i instilled in them false hopes. And the corset that you did. Now it sounds like near irony but at certain levels. We need those for hope or will fall apart so they kind of tension here between between needing the idea of a valhalla. Or we simply won't be able to hold our culture together it's great i love the passage. And. Different stages of human life. Have different whatsoever was so disturbing too many of us. Is that we seem to have gone back. In america especially. I don't speak about america we seem to have gone back to the critical mass of our population. Who has gone back and embraced free scientific pre-scientific outlooks. Somebody heard me talk about that here to co cratic aspirations on the part of many people that there's a hope for some kind of an a rapture and it's going to come down and right now as i'm speaking to you i could just be here as well. It's 82 it's wish fulfillment it is. Too many of us there's something disturbing a disturbingly lacking in the authenticity that it makes you want to call sardon on one stage with a referee's whistle instead of blow it or there's a lack of authenticity here. But yeah that idea that we need some illusions by which to live. Which illusion illusions and just get to the truth please. I don't think so. I don't think that's a human possibility. What is a human possibility is that we have a choice as to what. Government tends to jordan to call them illusions we call them miss. What misfit we're going to live with. The myths of heaven the midst of personal immortality on suggest you has been useful. But it's outlived its usefulness and now we have because it tends to get in the way of our concerns are speakers really folks if. That went to country western song says if you believe in forever in life is just a one-night stand right. But if we see that this is something to which we are integrally connected. I miss condition how we act i think that's what i feel so strongly about. Thank you for forgotten about that scene from. Is it you're either fighting or right-wing bias over here looking. I want to take this moment to give a plug to the greek group. Baptist church. It's listed in the order of service. My name is marcia and i am. Facilitate the group. And the premise that we offer is that. The more were able to mourn. Actively through tears as well as laughter. And share the deepness of all of our. Feelings of loss about our beloved. Paramore were able. Celebrate. Bear. Contributions that they offer to our lives. And also. The more were able to embrace. Possibility. I hear a lot of people trying to. Don't come. The culture. Or pressure to get over it. Carried. Through. Throughout the decades. Anchorage. Even if. Right after. Formal gathering. Ernie enjoyed your talk and i'd like to just make a couple of comments about your literary allusion. Christina literature teacher ever i just want to mention that. When it comes to living forever. You may recall the often-overlooked. Epigraph to ts eliot's poem the wasteland where the struggle of kumar. Iskcon. In a cage. And the young boy asks her. Google what do you want. And she answers apples grown in halo. I just want to die. And the reason for that was there back in the old days. She was offered. Eternal life. But that was contradicted by another god is that alright you can live forever. But you didn't ask for eternal youth. Sure she just kept getting older and older and could not die. And she wanted to die. So that's one literary wish the other one i wanted mentioned briefly is. In the dylan thomas poem. I have always taken a purse line. Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage rage against the dying of the light. I think this the phrase goodnight. A death to sleep of course. And then when you're ready to go to sleep everybody says goodnight goodnight. I've always taken in that poem that praise as ironic. When it shifts from. Going to sleep and waking up to going to sleep forever and having died. Frazier's used ironically. So it's supposed to be good night i'll see you in the morning. She suddenly realized the officer it's not a good night it's a bad night i don't agree with you. What's a good night. That's why they call a toiletry. It seems from the first time i was able to think i was interested in the idea of what is true. There have been a few in my life that has challenged my mind. About what is true. Experiences that i remember as if they were real. And yet. I have in my mind that they canna real. Some of my most treasured experiences. One of which was the evening after my father's death. When i was perhaps asleep. And my father came into the room as a ghost but he wasn't wearing clothes he didn't really have a form. She said i exist. And i take you camping just used i. And he came closer and said i. And i said no. No daddy's die. And he took another step closer and said i exist. And i reached out to touch him. And. The memory elm. Before i text you. I agree with your dad. But in this sense. Barry is right there. Is that making sense. And you carry them with you. Are you you may have mentioned this earlier but i was curious about this alternate excentia lucinda. Annihilation of the mortality. Those who embrace her. How and where are by what means if they find. Quality of life meaning in life enjoying life. The question was you won't hear the question was there for people like stark who accept who who said death is the end and that's it where do they find quality and meaning enjoying life that's the kick in the head folks. Simone de beauvoir. That was the terrible thing that they that they somehow confused. What kind of grimm. Quince paste stone and i want to say stoicism because i was a very important movement back in the ancient roman times but they simply took reality is bad news now grow up you can tell yourself fairy tales if you want don't we guys and they're usually guys you guys are too tough to do that. Affectionate sensor code. Degree hemingway embraced it to a degree bertrand russell embraced it. Not all existentialist are don't want to i don't want to give you a sense of the german philosopher nietzsche for example absolutely he would say things like. You're you're so we'll be dead before your body and if you know something about how the desert that process goes that's pretty much accurate fritz you had one down there but she's told what you are part of now is all of nature and that keeps going in for sus driving lawn and. And you're part of something wonderful the task is not to worry about what happens when you don't exist. But to live in the moment. And that i think is what hoops for personal immortality tend to dampen. Tiara future's investment program and what gets lost in that policy in the fine print is the present right here tends to sort of disappear or become tail. I just had to mention another literary work that answers a question with that was just asked back here. I miss you remember just yescas narwhals brothers cutting myself. Play argument. Between iran and russia. Is that. If there's no. God and no heaven been like his meeting listen there are no moral values. Other brother. Who is retarded. Takes this idea and thinks that. If god is dead then it's okay to kill your father. Well the answer to if there's no god then there's no morality and no ethics and no meaning. Are trenches simply fault. Because people live in cultures and there are over four hundred of them somewhere. That around the face of the earth. In each of these cultures people are born into families. Things they love. They have ways of relating that you're born into a culture that has its own morality and values. Weather. Things in nature and animals and other people in your life to love and take care of. And this could fulfill your whole life. You don't need. just think that there are important things. But you can do in your human life to make your life in the life of others. People animals and the biosphere. Better than it is now and then maybe you won't need to think about going to have him something. Sounds great i think we're at the end of our road it's been a real pleasure getting together with you all as it always is for me. Thank you for that and i will see you sometime in the not-too-distant future.

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070311_Jurgen%20Schwing_Spirtual%20Care%20for%20the%20Dying.mp3

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061105_Bill%20Garrett_Flight%20from%20Enlightenment.mp3

First of all. When i'm going to be talkin about enlightenment this morning. It's not enlightenment as in buddhist enlightenment its enlightenment as in. The enlightenment. That is to say it is the. Religious. And political and philosophical. An economic. Movement that began in the eighteenth century the candidate to take serious serious flight. What is the people. Let gave voice to the enlightenment so effectively we normally think of course. John locke. And thomas jefferson. And that's appropriate. But there's another thinker. Who lived in germany immanuel kant. And he said that the essence of enlightenment. And just to be traumatic. He put it in latin. Shakira. O'dea. Dare to know. Dare to know dare to become wise. Because there is an element of daring in the enlightenment agenda. The enlightenment agenda is based upon the fact that we humans. We haven't always been capable of self-government. But now we are. And we have to step in both to that privilege and do that responsibility. Audacity builds remarkable civilizations. Absence of audacity allows. Remarkable institutions and civilizations. To simply slide away. That's my concern this morning i'm not here to give a hellfire. Sermon or anything like that. But i'm worried about how things are beginning to look around here folks. There seems to be. An almost secular version of the old doctrine of original sin that's taken the field and his is being found very persuasive by many people. That western civilization. Is in the last analysis. A parade. Of criminal acts and dishonorable intentions. Oh to be sure. We dropped the ball we screw things up. But our intentions often times. Are the best thing about us. We have worried many lost that sense of odessa t. End. The enlightenment was made was articulated was intended. Not for people who see themselves as sinners. These people enlightenment. Was intended for people who saw themselves as having. Brass in their souls as it were. I'll say something about the usual suspects i can't get out of a shark like this without mentioning the the emergence of religious literalism. Find book recently written by kevin phillips. Kevin phillips by the way not just a republican. But a conservative republican. Deeply troubled by what he sees as. Av the development of a theocracy in america. We'll also. Look very briefly. At 8 pointedly understated. And almost invisible. Trend that's emerging whereby. Our. Political ideas are very conscience. Consciousness. Is being subtly crafted suddenly configured. By the forces. Public relations and media. The 55 aspirational words in the declaration of independence you know the moment say the mall we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal about the legitimacy of government. Is grounded. In the consent of the governed. For some time now. Beatitude has been. Okay. What do you want them to consent to this time. We can manufacture consent. There is substantial concern on the part. As it turns out this time on the part of people who are on the democratic democratic side of the equation. I don't know if any of you are familiar with george laycoffs book of a couple years ago. Don't think of an elephant. And he is very publicly pulling his hair out is. How is it that so many people voted against. Their own interests. It's because. They could be bamboozled it's because they could be brought. Give disproportionate attention to mere distractions here were facing. A war in iraq were facing catastrophe and education were facing crises and healthcare and social security. But you know it's really all about adam and steve. It's all about deus. I'm being hateful now because i'm putting it in somebody's accent here but but it's all about it's all about whether some guy is gay or someone is gay or not or whether weather somehow people believe in the same kind of religion that's the concern we are being deflected. And we are being effectively and may i say rather expertly moved away from those kind of fundamental values. So. It is most ironic. Stella major enlightenment figure. Provides the theoretical basis. For one of the greatest 21st century threats to enlightenment. And i get looked at funny when i say that adam smith is a great enlightenment figure but in fact folks he was. Doesn't matter if you're republican democrat i think they could have problems with capitals no doubt there is. I will sometimes pull the room how many of you are. How many of you are descended from aristocracy could i. Me neither so. We are where we are in a sense in no small part because adam smith. Insisted that the wealth of a culture. The wealth of a nation. Resided not in its very rich people presiding over the poverty of a whole lot of very poor and very unhappy people. The wealth of nations is in the entire population. Insofar as a population is going to be healthy. And invigorated everybody must be able to participate. In the marketplace now he said other things of course too but that's a very important one. One of the things that would came along with that. What's a kind of revolution. Adam smith instituted. A revolution in revaluing. Desire and self-interest. Before adam smith. Desire. Self-interest. These were seen as impediments to social welfare and personal happiness. As a scotsman he was born into a stroller. Calvinistic value. Self-denial and thrift were taken. To be cardinal virtues. Desires appetites. Self-assertiveness. These were things to be controlled indeed it was again the unchecked pursuit. Of appetite. And desire that. Disrupted social stability. Undermine personal happiness. But for smith what had been formerly seen as a source of social destruction. Was nowcast as an engine. An engine of an egalitarian economic machine that is to say. A machine. In which. All segments of the population. Even folks like my ancestors right. Would participate. Would produce and would be rewarded. Be patient with banda. i can see it in your face that you're not used to hit here at adam smith being painted and just have it. But this is the big secret about adam smith's is that he had this very interesting. The very. Desire that very acquisitiveness. That's so historically was distrusted was now. Coming to be seen as the fuel that would ensure. Neverending expansion of productive sources desire in other words. What's the serve as the guarantor. For the new social order. A prosperity. In which. Wellbeing would be secured for everybody through. Consumption. Part of the scenario. Is the fastest human desire the acquisitiveness of individual human beings. Was taken to be. Frankly insatiable. People talked to adam's of your you're plugging into this does that don't you see that. People will never have enough still go out and buy another one just because it's new just because it's got a different paint job as it were. And adam smith i don't know that he responded this way but he would have said something like. Yeah and it great with this can just go on forever people will always want new stuff. Here was a new call to civic responsibility. One that use not the language. Of restraint and sacrifice. Restraint and sacrifice would prove to be a drag on the market. Democracy came to be associated. With adam smith precisely through increasing your material well-being. The citizen strictly speaking intensivist terms and there's terrific ironic resonances for these in the late 20th and early 21st centuries. The citizen came to be construed as a consumer. But. And here's where adam smith really was. And enlightenment figure. The citizen would be a consumer but that consumer would be rational. Informed and capable of acting and purchasing in their own self-interest. Is this making sense or another. Go out there and you just. Seek your own good. And if only unwittingly you will raise but with the welfare and well-being of the entire society. We jump a couple of centuries down the down the road now. And we. Enter. Public relations and commercial advertising. The commercialized society. Is one in which the consent of the governed. So prize by locke and jefferson. Adam smith himself. Could be subverted by the manufacturer of consent. No i bet. Most of you in this room has heard that term the manufacture of consent and you associated with known chomsky and is very good that is very good book is very good documentary but he didn't make it up. The term was coined by a guy named edward bernays have you heard of him. Notifying. Justin. Good good. That was a trick question. Actually you haven't heard of him but you've heard of his uncle. His uncle was sigmund freud. So he's very very smart guy. And he came to america very early wasn't american. And he went over after world war and he saw what was being done and. He was hugely impressed by how effective propaganda was. And so he decided i am going to be a propagandist. And then assertive. But the word. The word has negative associations. It's going to be i've got it. Public relations. That was his first step into this. The manufacture of consent came later his first grade. Stroke of genius that he would take a word with kind of sinister overtones propaganda and change it to public relations let's have a nice relationship in public right now. That's what he did. In addition to inventing the word. He also invented. The enterprise. Domestic. Use of the of the apparatus of persuasion one part psychology one part demography. I'll just give you a reference really quickly if you want to read a superb. Book on this it's a a guy named stewart. Ewen that ewen stewart unit yuan. And his book is spin. Colon. A history of public relations. Edward byrne i've lived a long time and you and actually got to interview him before he died so it's a very interesting because you get the first-hand accounts from my brandeis. Democracy is designed. To change the structure of power. The structures of power through which society is ordered. Democracy is designed. To be respondent. To the needs the desires. The will of the governed. Public relations. As a political strategy now. Is designed. To the premise that. Those structures of power. Can be maintained by giving people. Not the reality of power. But the feeling of power. The feeling that they have power but now power is largely the power. Of consumer choice. Not the people but remember we're talkin to freud's nephew here. Not the people but the desires that run the people. Those desires. It was believed to not only be sub rational they can be irrational. It is possible to invest people. In the proposition that they must buy a product and this is the subversion of adamsville. Theory of capitalism. Where you would go out and buy. Perhaps a pair of blue jeans right and you would get the best product at the lowest price. Turn it over to public-relations turn it over to an advertising company. And if you've got kids you know exactly what i'm talking about you can go out and sell a clearly inferior product for. Tell google price. And have it be a hit. It will work. For a while. It doesn't have to work for. Longer than a while you can bring people. To settle for an image now as i say these these enterprises have. Have a lifespan you can only do it for so long one of the things that the detroit were in the back in the 70s. Is that you could. Advertising play the sexy music and have the great looking cars going and if you don't make a. A quality product people are going to vote with their feet and there's no amount of advertising it will turn that around but for a good a good deal of time. That advertising can be effective. Increasingly. In a culture. Crafted through public relations through commercials. What. Happens is when advertisements are made whether they be for politics. Or whether they be for products. What is addressed is not what is good about the product. But what is. Insecure. About the target audience. Market research has given way to. I'm sorry product development has given way to market research said that backwards. Democracy. And so the balance of business and political expenditures shifts from. Interest. In the candidate interest in the product. 2. What are people afraid of these days what are people thinking. How can we make. Consumers. Flash voters. Feel important how can we make something because it's all about the feeling. And not about the substance. Does this sound like a familiar. The strategy when you. One of the things that's happening with the emergence. Of advertisement on television. And there's just a little bit of a history to this one. Political discourse has been tilted in favor. Of those vast sums of corporate money know the background to this. Here in california are we in contra costa county right now. Okay good cuz it happened here. Sticking look like. Okay. Now it sounds like i'm yelling at you but it says it's going to be okay. Is contra costa county in 1887 there was a land dispute a right-of-way dispute between. Southern pacific railway. And contra costa county. And it went to the supreme court and the supreme court found in favor of. Southern pacific railroad. But that wasn't the important point. In finding in favor of southern pacific railroad the court. Described. That corporation. As a person. Are you familiar with this. Terrific. It was described as a person so i am a person. Martha's a person you're a person we got people. And southern pacific railway is a person. In 1977. Best first time. That's that's free people who write history. How did we get here. Centralnet. But the story doesn't stop there just left a little less than a century later in 1977 we were there for this one. Corporate persons were given. First amendment rights. Free speech is a great thing let's in rich. The dialogue by including more voices. In the conversation. Sounds like a great idea. Garrett's got his voice. You've got your voice sir and. General electric has its voice. You can say anything you want. Nobody's going to hear. General electric talks or when lorillard tobacco talks or when any of the great corporations. With. Legislative manipulation in mind talk. They buy television ads and they saturate the television with issue advocacy ads. And the terrible thing about those issue advocacy ads. Is that they are probably the best. Television available for their little 30 second hit. That is to say they are done by astute political philosophers. Do psychologists and brilliant artistic crafts. Craftspeople. And they do manage to say shall we. Get a handle on the insurance the insurance industry for example not to pick on that one well there's all these counter ads out there and the voters don't know what the hell to vote for. Shall we. Introduce. Something like education reform is there are things so bad in california that we should for example introduce the the the policy of school vouchers. And incomes.. Enormous resources of the of the various teachers unions and then why have you and they managed. Tip. That's all i can really were seeing something similar and proposition 87 we're always. Oh this is the last thing that you were brought to you by jaron oil. Level thing if they mumble at the bottom with issue advocacy ads i'm sort of a developing the habit. They have to listen to what they're saying wait to the end. And sometimes at the end they put those other they got to put in there but they'll put them sort of like cream on white lake. If you can bear you can barely see them or you can barely hear what's being said. This is one way in which the. Consent. Which is. Of enlightenment the enlightenment political agenda. Is being taken and manipulated. People. Run again. North damn fool what you want to get angry with people but decent people people that i grew up with ken and up. Voting for. Policies that will in the end. Not be in there interested by those jeans. That are twice the price. And and half the quality. But we've got to stop in and then i think about i think. The other aspect of these things never happened in isolation. Is the extent to which. A kind of. Fear that is permeated culture. Not just in america but also in europe and probably everywhere on the planet. A fear of terrorism. No a fear of rapid change. I fear that. People are going to lose their jobs at. They won't be able to for example provide their children. What's the kind of. With the kind of lifestyle that they themselves enjoyed. And they are terrified by it there's all the talk about outsourcing the talk about. And you had better have a very good education departure payton this economy. And it is. Scaring. The daylight. Two people. And they are seeking to resolve these twenty-first-century who might call them. Postmodern problems. They are seeking to solve them with pre-modern remedies. And what i mean by premotor remedies is going back. 2a. Prescientific. Auntie scientific understanding of the world this is where i'm going to bring the the whole idea of. Theocracy into play. Because theocracy is not just commit committed. To bringing a strong religious view to our to our culture into the way that we live. I wouldn't particularly argue with that. Theocracy is bringing a specific vision. And i know you folks but no you do about this because it gets so much press. Bringing a sufficient a specific vision that is to say that the world was created. In six days flat. And it was created. 6000 years ago. And what about then all the scientific evidence. It's a fraud. Literally there are people embracing. Auntie scientific views. For the same reason. That those public relation. People know motivates them. To do so makes them feel good. If you're familiar there's a very fat why you sometimes feel that will characterize it as. Dueling novels there's there's there's a novel in the one hand the davinci code. Which is very exciting for people who are looking forward and want to change things and want to have an active role in reconfiguring say the christian tradition. Its counterpart in this corner we've got the davinci code and in this corner over here and it's kind of let's get ready to rumble we've got. The left behind series and a bunch of. A bunch of wannabes but basically the left behind series which is a whopping. 12 volume siri novel series of novels. By jenkins and lahaye. Cover what are going to be the rapture and the last times it is blatantly. Unscientific it is. Conciliatory. Just committed to making people feel good. I find the the the title of it left behind. To be a very telling title for people who feel. Left behind and the 21st century with its with the titanic and it's. It's it's. It's broad. But the demand for communication skills. The fact that you're left behind. It's a good thing it makes you smile. And then other people out there who are who think they're so smart right now. All they've got a surprise comeuppance. You get the idea. That there is a a golf. Emerging. Between people. Not who are religious and who are non-religious i think that's one of the most misleading and unhelpful ways to frame it. But people whose religion is a. A pre-scientific religion a pre-modern religion. And those whose religion is a religion of the late 20th early 21st century. Is this making sense. In this. Angry debate in this angry. Spectacle. Unfortunately again i'll come back to the media the media is out there to sell. Are. Here we have a republican and here we have a democrat and they had to debate. At the unitarian church. In berkeley. And they said you know what we're going to do this afternoon is we're going to focus on our common ground rather than the things that separate us. And they sat there and articulated points of common interest points everybody's concerned about. And they shook hands and said we're not as far apart. As we thought we were. And you met him. Of one of the. Stations on the we've got this. 30 minutes you can run this debate. Who wants to see everybody. Rationally and get along. What. Bells i'm afraid on the media. Flick what cells. Is. I've heard it put it's kind of like of the media treat to treat. The social scene. Like that the critter in the predator movies. Why do they go to los angeles if you're familiar with his fees. The ghastly movies but they're kind of interesting. Because they like heat and light. That's the heathen conflict that's. That's the nature of the media in a sense. Dog bites man. Not news. Man bites dog now we've got something that we could do we have a video of it and going by the video time and time and time again. So in other words. Conflict. Shows it's no longer on and i'm glad shows like crossfire if you've heard of those were just you get two people from opposing positions and have them borkut each other essentially they're not really they're not really dialogue in. Too often that serves. As. What we. Political communication political. One of the things. But can remedy this. Is simple enough. And was insisted upon by all the enlightenment thinkers. And that is. Education. If we train. Not college students. But young people to use their minds. We will be able to. Face. Are we going to have problems of course we'll have problems that will be able to face those problems. To our reason to our traditions. As opposed to simply being reactive towards them. One of the things i mentioned that i mentioned the philosopher kant. Said that what was needed was. To dare to know. He saw enlighten. And is not. Is not a recovery from ignorance. But a recovery from self-deception i think there's something to that. He saw the enlightenment. As being people deciding to wake up. And step into their own responsibilities he saw in other words that most people have abdicated those responsibilities. And it's kind of a weird we're all of us running around like children trying to believe in santa claus for one more season. We are the responsible parties. And you can step into that responsibility. Or you can evade it. You can speak for yourself or. Somebody else will speak for you. In a way we have a threat. Unprecedented i hate when i give these talks i'm always using the word historically unprecedented there's sounds like this mantra but the it's true it's historically unprecedented. The capacity to reach. As many people. We have moved to an electronic communication network. As our mode of public discourse. And that of itself is significant but it only tells half the story. Our discourse now proceed not by way of written or even spoken words. But by way of images. And we relate to images in different ways than we relate. 2. Just spoken words when you're reading you are in a state of attention you are. You know what i'm talkin about you might get home from from your visit here today from george. And it's a nice it's about 3 in the afternoon or whatever oh look let's read this. I got to take a nap i'm too tired to read. Reading requires effort. Are you ever too tired. To watch tv. Never uk. Put it on and it doesn't matter what i'm watching. I can sit there and look at it and it doesn't tire me out. What. Good. Most people put it on because the house doesn't sound right it's kind of like you didn't turn all the lights on and now you go that's it and now there's the talk what are they talking about i don't know something but it's comforting to hear them. And you give them chatter over there good for you. What neuroscientist say is that when we watch television. We go into a deeply relax. State. Disturbing. Here's why. Cuz it doesn't matter what you're watching. Over here we got children starving or being horizontally abuse in the congo or in-depth floor over here we have terrible poverty in america. And you're just sitting there chewing on your piece of pizza or something like that the content itself does not interrupt the fact that is a deeply relaxing experience. Add to that again from neuroscience. The fact that as we watch television we enter a state of mind are our brain literally they can hook it up to electroencephalograph. And your brain goes into a state that has been identified by scientists was being. Deeply receptive so. You put yourself almost in an hypnotic state. And then the message. Is come at you one by what oh don't worry i don't pay attention to this stuff. You don't have to pay attention to it that's the genius of it. If you're in the room you are having those values. There's a sumption. Downloaded into your psyche. Nowhere. Bunch of good. Crusty tough people in here and i like that. What about kids. What about young people who haven't yet had the kind of experience. That leads them to think when i sell it on the tv right. That doesn't lead them to. That develop critical defense is it. Bear. The danger is even more and again we wear can we come up with specters of. If we're going to rescue. Representative democracy. Let me give you a. Look. That what i'm talking about here. I've got free speech you've got free speech and soda corporation. Corporations are persons persons with first amendment right. The market value of ibm actually i'm taking this from walter truitt anderson's book who spoke to her a few weeks ago. It's his book all connected now which was publishing netta 2002. A couple years ago hasn't changed that much. The market value of ibm. Is equal to the gross domestic product. Of columbia. Walmart. Is equal to that of argentina microsoft. Spain. Lucent technologies south. Hewlett-packard. Greece. Merck. The ukraine. Home depot. Bangladesh. Dell computer. Vietnam. In other words. That kind of assets that are held now by corporation. And they even turn the mic up sometimes did you notice that. I'm joking around. I thought that was delcambre. Is it ready. It's when it goes down and we can worry about that. They have assets that can quite literally buy. Other countries supposed acore paration i'm not picking this country her just because nobody knows very much about it and it's down to south america we've decided that we want or agway. I'll buy it. Now. I know you're thinking we don't have to worry here this is the united states nobody could buy the united states. Well i'm not thinking of trying to so much as i'm thinking. Ava buying the info. Can congress and folks i'm not here to make inflammatory statements these are not i repeat are not bribes. They are campaign contributions. But those campaign contributions are the lifeblood of how then why do we need campaign contributions. Because if you can't advertise your message on television you are. Finished. People are not the first person to come up with a basic i'm giving you a summary of of other critiques that i read and people will say well then in that case. We can do something about this. We can simply say. No advertisements for political issues on the electronic media or at least on the tv media yes sir. They do and they voted down but they have a particular slogan that they voted down with. Listen. You start denying free speech to anybody and freeze pretty soon so you're not going to be able to say what you want nor you. In other words everybody has free speech and there are people who wanted to die free speech. It gets fashioned into a free speech. Are you at how many of you are in favor of censorship oh i'm shocked. Right now. Nobody's going to be favored in favor of censorship. What is it possible. As a as a culture. We can say that there a corporation has. A lot of assets it's got unlimited lifetime corporations live longer than i do dammit right so so they've got unlimited lifetime they can gather money. Maybe they do have first amendment rights and if they can go out there and advertise they don't interesting we have 5th amendment rights if i corporation comes into a. Courtroom and just as i decline to answer on the grounds that the answer may go mad at me. The judge would not allow that. But they have first amendment rights. All of us have first amendment rights but those rights exist with him. Limitations and that's what i want to turn to there are some and i'm not talking just about yelling fire in a theater right that's a that's. Standard answer. But as far as corporations go we haven't at we have already decided. You may not. I believe it's still the case you may not advertise whiskey on television. Is anybody. Disagree with that by the way. I remember they used to be whiskey as but now there are no whiskey as you cannot. Show somebody drinking beer they can be holding the beer right. But they can't do can't they can't be seen as drinking the beer. Dozer and you can't advertise cigarettes. You can have issue advocacy ads out there for cigarettes but you can't have somebody waiting up and getting their room they getting their hits on. With a cigarette. These kind of things we have decided. Okay you can't put that on that extremely psychologically powerful. Medium that connects right straight up almost circumvents are critical analysis function and sand and plugs right into that nexus of desire that you know sigmund freud and his nephew edward bernays i knew so well. You can do anything but you. Can't advertise cigarettes whiskey. On on that medium. How bad a thing would that be. That's not a bad thing could we also then say that in the interests of preserving representative democracy because. Because. Corporate funding. Has a way of tilting the process to where it's no longer au. No longer rum. A play about a level playing field. No more political advertisements. Propositions. Or four candidates. On the electronic media. To be able to do that. We would have to be willing to admit. That when we watch television something funny is going on that is to say our capacity for to act and think in our own self-interest is being gradually subverted. We are being put into a relaxed state and we are being put into. 2a state. In which. We are susceptible to. Suggestion. Better than the kind of the kind of state that people associate with hypnosis. These are the kind of questions i think that would be yeah. Be worth interested in discussing because how does this flight from enlightenment get actually implemented. Nobody's going to come. Step in and. Grab your rights away and push you down and it is it wonderful. Topian novels and i know many of you are familiar with them. George orwell's 1984. A big brother and there's just really with who we know doesn't really exist. O'brien is telling winston smith the image of the future is a boot and a human face. If that's really what it and you've got the thought police and they're going to torture you and beat you up okay you've got my attention and i am all eyes and all years and i'm going to pay attention. You frightened me and you make me smart. Right if you really scare me of visceral fear. If by contrast. All you do is entertain me. How do i get smart. How does one take arms against a sea of amusements and entertainment right. That's the genius and that's where i think that perhaps aldous huxley. Headed. More accurately headed had to figure it out more accurately than his friend george orwell. Because huxley pointed out that totalitarianism will be most. Effectively implemented and not through coercion not through physical terror. But through entertainment through pleasure. That we will we will. It's not that we want to give away these rights but you know i wanted to. Don't know right now want to see what's what's happening in this episode of the tv so we become distracted and that's it. I'm going to stop talkin now at least for a minute but i wanted to cuz i see lots of hand out there. Hang on we got my stuff going here. I'm sorry so they read your t-shirt then i'm going to give you the money. That's the halftime. I walked inside bush go home. Around the bottom. The stadium. Standing up like a. Cheerleader. If i thought nothing could be done i wouldn't be a teacher right i got teacher to student teaching for 40 years now right and i would not be at this what part of the liability you need to get out of the job of the profession or you just stay plugged into the idea that it matters what we do. Your teaching is inefficient now if you're teaching people to think you're supposed to teach people scripted. Learning that will help them improve their test scores. Icanvas that you know. Your parents are always alive and present in you. Over this overtime that comes to be nice such a pain in the neck when you were young but. Here comes my dad out you know what this country needs. It's a good damn depression. We think too much that these are luxury items and we think you know basically will just go once. Tv version of it. It is possible i'm just bringing this. Bring it out because it's. More and more people are talking this way that as long as we remain comfortable as long as. During elections. The gasoline price goes down to where you can pretty much a 4s. so bad come on guys right as long as we remain comfortable we are not going to get that kind of grit and tiger in our eyes that it takes. To basically take control of the process. I got emails and i'm still getting them for what seems to be a rather adolescent sort of college kid prank suggestion. But the more i think about it and i'm not going to do it. The more i think about it what a statement would be. Next election. Elf. Every incumbent. Now you'd get some jerks in there i guarantee you. But it would be the election that nobody would forget remember the election of 2000. Because what it would assert is we the people run the show get it. Wilbert the dukes out next time right so we're dangerous stuff and i'm not going to do it either cuz i don't trust the republicans to do it okay i'm not going to i'm not going to do it either but it would just the idea of it it seems like. Beyond our capacity that this notion of the manufacture of consent. Seems to be all but invincible. All but invincible i think. As long as we're comfortable is this making sense. If there were some real serious problems that weren't just matters of. I love discussing in places like this and i'm not. Wishing them on any of us but if there was some serious if there were to be some serious problems. I think we would begin. Defaulting back to our okay let's let's look at this really closely consider gay marriages get out of my face with this distraction right and let me look at the kind of problems that are that are that are pressing it on the on the social security issue for example on. Public healthcare in and where is this going. Not if we feel pain in our everyday lives we do not like we've like to be the excellent question we'd like to be distracted only if we have a certain level of comfort going on. I'm sorry i missed you. Yes killing off our children anorak killing off our children in iraq is something that. Well it's. There are young officers over there to that are getting. It's not just the poor ones. At any rate there are young folks being killed in iraq there are young iraq he's being killed in iraq. And. At what point are we have as long as it's somebody else. Folks we have an enormous capacity to endure it. Otherwise we'd all be going nuts over what's happening in death for and in the congo right now but. It says. Streets of oakland thank you yes sir. I forgot what i was going to say. I'm really sorry i forgot what i was going to say and i thought it was really important. Would anybody like to second that. This this thing about religion and science is. You're saying there almost like it's either one or the other there's a lot of things like an religion friend since its science doesn't even address. Princess left behind there's going to be a rapture is not what does science have to do with that a person can believe that and not a go contrary to science because science isn't even address it. It's a whole gap between science and religion it's just going to be that way. Actually i don't. Did everybody hear the question as you got the bike there i think that there is a profoundly unscientific avoiding science it was so what what's going to happen to newtonian laws of gravitation when people being whipped up into the sky. I think i think the weakness of the of the of the left behind series by the way and i'm already taken great courage i know i don't want to be malicious and then think that anybody's kids going to. Attorney against them but in this evangelical hand wagon and all that stuff that the rapture is going to happen. Blossom. The teenagers are bailing out. I can't mom dad i'm going to go do something else over here. The main reason not to do that is that overtime. Your children will come to disrespect you right because they know that there is something peyton lee.. To come back to the first part of your question it which is we don't have no is peyton lee false because this not nothing scientific involved in that it's full to assume that the universe is 6,000 years old that it was made that in other words it all the archaeological paleontology paleontology evidence. Is just a trick but there's some overlap there but a lot of it there isn't. Decide where it's. Science vs religion there certain issues that are just not. Address by science and never probably never will be so i mean you know like what's the problem i don't i don't i don't agree with that last point and i could be wrong i haven't got you know i got the microphone but i haven't got wisdom or anything like that i've got the money. I think that science and religion are the closer you look at it. They are inextricably aspects of one enterprise each prices a different kind of evidence each seat 50cc do a different kind of investigation and there we. What. Oh i sorry i remembered what i was going to say you know that always saying the tax-and-spend democrat. And the democrats have never said the borrow and spend republicans. Because they're the ones that build up the debt and the democrats would come along and bail this out and then they say they always trying to tax you. And that's that that's just that same kind of selling and we kind of miss it. I don't know how many of you have followed. In harrison. Writing. The end of faith which. Which i actually feel the title is a misnomer i thinking. The end of ill-founded or dogmatic. I'm in for that matter in his follow-up he. Points out he doesn't mean. The end of faith in yourself. So he. He is back having to correct his title. But the but the book which i recommend reading the last chapter first if you like good news as opposed to the sobering part. Is is a profound statement that addresses this issue of the relationship of science and religion. And that critical thinking can somehow play a role there. At the end of faith is sam harris's a prior a book his latest is a letter to a christian nation which is more pointed. You can get the same kind of stuff if you like to read harris's terrific another just great writer on this particular is a richard dawkins. Aiden english's div. The explainer of science royal or something like i won this great british titles and what he is so angry with religion for over for a lot of reasons and he just. He just will not kind of like another person i really respect sigmund freud sigmund freud would not listen to it it a religion is just childish wish fulfillment and nothing besides and he had very well-educated friends trying to say you know you're you're you're not looking at the whole picture and he says yes i am and so bless them all. But there is that the there is a tissue. I'd like to just extend on what paul just said. I just wanted to extend on what paul just said i noticed in the paper last week when george bush was campaigning he was saying all he believes in god and god meant us all to be free and that's why we have to fight in iraq to set these people free. So it seems like we're entering into an era now of bleeding-heart conservatives. Got her spending our treasury you know you know just. Doing things like that. Interesting interesting i won't say anything to it but sir. Ignore ignorance is bliss concept. Atlanta pride myself included price. M11. Was totally connected. B e n n. Cvs. Dc that was the source of him. At all this information. And i was very happy. Did the weather information that i was getting. And my views in my expressions were based on those wheels. No considering the media is getting consolidated and you're hearing the same thing no matter where we are in this country. How do we. Excite us elves. Wrong information. The question is since. The question is what did jon stewart as one good answer another good answer folks is the the internet. There is so much intelligent discussion going on in the internet that i find a. That's the one thing i didn't talk about very much here but. It's it's a it's a potent. A potent resource. I think we're out a time thank you bill. Could you come back.

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070114_Sterling%20Newberry_Learning%20the%20Power%20of%20%20Presence.mp3

This is a special one again away. Topeka stirling newberry. Has been a member of this church and he moved to artisan. Couple of months ago. And he said i will keep my commitment. So he's down deserting friend. And speaking to us today. And totally interested in. Process the process between people. Personal process. His title. Is burning the power of presence. He's been up the facilitator. Add a mediator. And he's been very involved with c. Church. Group that has been working with covid-19. Sterling explained all these ideas with you. Is this coming across okay. Good morning it's a pleasure to be back here with you. I'm very much enjoying being back here and visit with a few people and at the same time my body's been kind of rebelling against me. I get back to california and all the sudden my allergies hit. Bigbang. And so this morning i was having a few challenges with my body. I had to turn around and go back. Google play friends staying at. Took care of a few items. Back in the car and i got about two-thirds of the way here. I realize i didn't have my glasses. This is okay because when i went to portland. And went to the driver's license test in all. Read line for. I wonder if i can do that without glasses and she said go ahead and cry and i did so she's his. No restrictions. Buena vida glasses to drive with unfortunately. I realize this is i was driving down here and i was starting to panic a little bit. And i remembered. A friend of mine used to give me penis in united airlines and he and i work next to each other. Benny i learned a lot from him. One day he was struggling with a particularly difficult part. Cursing under his breath back and forth to the torquay getting different tools. Fireman over a week we would help each other a lot of was coming over and said you know so how's it going. You know. Someday i'm going to look back on this day and lasses. What not today. If i remembered that as i was driving over here. And i'm not happy with myself for having forgotten the glasses. Green really come through to me about that story. With a quality that been had. A being able to recognize himself being caught in the moment. With his own feelings and and being attached to him like being angry at that part. Frustrated with himself. At the same time being able to. Look at himself doing that. Can't even tell a story like that and and to laugh about it. And that actually gets me started on. Some of the things i wanted to talk about today. I happened to personally be very attracted to eckhart tolle. His writing because. They speak. Very deeply to me. And that story about benny. And his not today. Answer to himself. Is a beginning point. I liked about eckhart tolle is the way he. Ask us to. Recognize that. We wear most in pain. Just want you and this is something i agree strongly agree with when i'm in pain. I am identified with that ego of myself which is very i'm coming down here. What's it going to look like if i can't read my own notes. Right. What is that going to look like. From a point of view of god. Or spirit or whatever your terminology for that. Infinite one this is. What does that matter. What does it matter what i look like or even what somebody thinks of me. What's the matter with him he can't read his own notes. Does he have bad handwriting. Just having a. We'll see how far i get without it and then the operator's license can radio operator have a say in which is. When all else fails read the manual actually read my notes and remember when i. Was reminding myself of. But anyway whatever cause is getting at is that. There is that. Crew. Who we really are. Which is not the same as our ego. And that's who we really are is that. Dean neff. You can begin to see that if all you do. Is observe yourself being caught in your own feelings about something in the moment. And there you are observing. Yourself like me. Finally remembering the story about benny and observing myself. Going nervous and worried. I am already. Starting to awaken. Who i really am. That sense of myself. I'm actually going to use the foot chart. What i believe he's saying is that. You're going to discover what reason why i can't read my own handwriting. It's sitting since there is an equivalent between god or the one. Who i am. I am not separate from god that's not doesn't mean sterling. Solicitor the mediator the father's a husband. The guy who hope he looks good standing up here. That's not the ndi. That's my ego. I know he's talking about is that. That life. I am wife life is v. There is no separation. Between the two. And. Sulfur for elkhart. Arcade purpose in this life. Is to awaken to who we really are. And to be awake to the interview come. More. Be awake more and more and more and more and more moments so i can do it in this moment. And i don't do it the next one okay there's another moment coming up. And so every moment that i'm able to be awake and who i really am and not attached. My ego. That's the moment when i am. Talk to god. At most. And most close. Story about danny being able to see himself being caught in the moment and it's a theme time of zurich himself until. Laugh about it. Is that sense of. The equivalence between god and who i really am. And it's really important to separate out the. But that's not my ego self that. Worthy steyer. Crying and. Grasping. Holding onto things that don't really matter. I'm going to die someday and they're going to be gone. It's being one with. God. As who i really am that sense of. And that's something that's available to me in every moment. It's not available in the past is the past is already gone and i can't change whatever it is i've done in the past. Do i feel bad about. I wish i had done differently. It's gone. And as long as i cling onto that in anyway. Whether it's great i was cuz i gave a great speech yesterday. Or beating myself up because i wish i had done something better. That prince of hang on to the past in that way is my ego. It's not who i really am. And that sense of. I have to. Do extra day because i got this big plan for tomorrow and if i don't read my golo god how will i look. That sense of grasping on and waiting for something to happen in the future that will be better. Beginning that's my ego. It's not who i really am now that doesn't mean i can't have plans are going to this in a little bit in a moment. It means that those whatever those plans are will come and go. What's real is what's happening right here in this moment. To the power that i bring to this moment. Distance of presents with who i really am. Is what allows me to be closer to god. One of the things that he says is it. Wc3 modality. For being. Part of this. Our presence in the moment. Eckhart tolle actually i have a list of. Books that has it on and maybe we can meet later. Bering okay. If you're interested in that we can do that. He identified three modalities. Through which we can. The presence in every moment and and live as who we really are not at their egos. So one of them is acceptance. Call if i'm going through the day i'm in this moment and there's something which i use i really didn't have to do. Like cleaning the bathroom or doing the dishes. If i can use all i can do is just accept that that's what i'm doing right now. I need to do it for whatever reason. And that's what i need to do right now and i can just accept it that's okay to do it. That's like the first step in becoming. Most prison. Just came alive for me long before i ever heard of eckhart tolle infect in a time of my life when i considered myself to be an atheist. And i was working in some of the early machinist jobs i had. I felt great alienated. Partly because of the top-down system that i was working in neither the boss. You have to jump. It was very good doing. And there were these machines were stinky and smelly and most of them are pretty old-fashioned in dangerous. And after a while i'm working and i'm getting trained in the machine and working with it. I promise funny thing happening. We're all the sudden i was just like. Inner rhythm with the machine. Things you have to do. In order to make the sheet machine run smoothly so that my life went smoothly i didn't break parts or hurt myself. And after a while i realized. That i was just. Be there with the machines like we were doing it all dance with each other. And this is something i had to do i had a real wedding. I've also there for political reasons cuz i believe that's where the revolution was going to come from. And i need to be there everyday. And i found myself without even being that conscious of it. Actually sitting there in acceptance of what i had to do. And the more i was able to accept what i had to do and just do it. The boy found that i could actually get into a rhythm with the machine. If you were there. Be with myself. I started noticing more the quality of the. Smells of the sulfur rated oils that we used to use. Sounds of the machine actually. Recognize the sound some machine so i got better at knowing when the machine was going to do it hiccup. Which is one of the danger points that. Come down and stamping in which a second time if your hand is in the way you can lose some fingers. So i got to where i could recognize the sound the machine was making it was going to do a hiccup and so i wasn't going to get caught hurt. Allow me actually be more aware of what was happening in the moment. Between me and the machine with the machinist 04. And it made my day go faster. Cuz i wasn't sitting there like. Oh god what have i have to be here oh god these are so be there. Wanting us. And all those thoughts. Which would run through my head a time. Today painful. Now faded away. And. What was happening in the bowl is what was madder than then when i was done working we going to lunch. Great political discussions. Is draining warren vietnam and. Call lexington. we would talk until 4. After while i actually got to the point. Where i was enjoying it. There are certain machines i actually look forward. To working on. Because when i got into those rhythms. I could both be present with what was happening the machine and i can write poetry in my head. Literally. And i couldn't understand it at the time but that was about i just knew that it would happen every once in awhile. So i went from accepting it to enjoying it and that's the second modality. Did iheart all talks about. That if you're able to accept. What you have to do with what you have to do and i quite adore. Tell yourself stories about it. And be in the moment with it. That you would actually be under find yourself enjoying it. In that sense of joy. The creative aspect of being. My belief is that. God is creating all the time. Every moment. You can see it in the flowers you can see in the trees you can see it and do babies being born. And you can see it in ican see it. You're my own changing consciousness and in the changing consciousness of people i see around me. They're all those things to me. R constant forms of creation. And. The more in tune i am with god and every moment. A recognizing who i really am. The more i accept what i have to do and then begin to enjoy it. The morai become a partner with god in creation. Now my little part of creation. Really tiny. Infinitesimally small. But it's a part of the creation is going on in this. Huge incredible world we live in. And this even more immense universe. It's all happening together at the same time. And just because i can't understand exactly what my place is going to. Is in it. Or. How what i'm creating is necessarily going to change anything else. It doesn't matter. The key thing is that. I am engaged and i'm enjoying it. And then the third modality says in that. Except next upward. Really being who you are. Is. When you have a sense that there is something that the things you enjoy doing. Have. A possibility of a goal or something that could come as a result the fruit of them. This is not something that i. Define very carefully and outline in. Exact detail what it's going to look like. But for myself. This has come. The work that i learned to love which is the mediation and facilitation were. I actually. Learned. Through my trials and tribulations in the factory. Which is. I realize i'm just says something about it a third aspect of. My beliefs about god. Which are. I'm only going to write that one word because. It's hard for me to put into words which is a sense of the independent interdependence about the human beings. Which is both a part of what makes us human. And a part of. What houses to be co-creators with god. No actually one of the things you're going to see on that sheet. Boxes. About to developing mind. The biology and one of the key findings. In human development is that human beings can't develop without in a relationship. Kill the baby. Myself yourself any of his babies became who we were humans. Through our interactions with our caregivers. If you give a baby. All the food it needs to burn. Kohl's watches. And it has no human interaction that babies likely. Likely to waste away and die. And to be stunted and its growth. Human. After our basic physical needs are taken care of. The interactions that we have with each other. And i believe that those important to those interactions carry-on into our adult lives and i've watched it happen. Both of myself in conflict would i have other people and it's sitting with other people who are having conflict. In the sense that the more separated i feel from other people. Call my own ego and i'm right and they're wrong. And all i can see of them is this image in my mind about how they hurt me. How wrong they are. Pretty expensive and coronet i'm isolated from them. I can't make the connection at the. Human level are the spiritual level. And therefore. What we always do is sit there throwing fight royce. Kendra needs across the brick wall. And that's an image that i started to develop after doing mediation for a while and for meeting about. During the eastern airlines strike where i. Spent a lot of time working rising people to go out to the picket lines even though i didn't work at eastern. And after while when the strike. The strike didn't really solve anything. Eastern airlines went away the guy who ran the company can on an airline anymore people lost jobs or suicides and divorces. And the people in the union started pointing the finger at each other. Who was or wasn't doing the us. Things the right way we started. Getting angry at each other who were the people who screwed you would normally think we should be on the right side. And i realize that there was something fundamentally wrong with what i was doing. Which is that. Bye. When is the fingering blaming. People in management who. Like i'm stupid they were doing the wrong thing. The finger at them and treating them as though they were cardboard cartoon characters one-dimensional. Evil beings. I was. In essence becoming like them. I was getting caught in my own you go my own need to prove them wrong my own needs to demonstrate how evil and and bad and wrong they were. And as the strike. Went dragged on and there wasn't any victory really for anybody. Wheeling union movement started doing that to each other as well. Score between more and more fragmented. And more and more. Ego driven. That sense of being together in the solidarity. Now became a source of fighting and blaming each other. And i realized that i needed to do something different that it wasn't okay for me to be that way. And the alchemy came when i took a class in. In business meeting facilitation. Xcel united airlines and. For our class c through me into this. Team of contentious. And i realized i was enjoying it. How many was really hard i had to keep running back to my mentor and saying what do i do i was doing. Couple diplomacy between machinist and managers and. And engineers. Even sit and talk with each other in the room properly and i loved it. And the reason i loved it i had taken myself out of. Position of having an eagle investment and what the outcome was. And as i played with that. Over and over over the years. I realized that sense of. Do you there for the purpose of. Helping other people understand each other. And in the course my having to understand into to get past the superficial. Ego-driven behaviors that were problematic for them and. Still are you still comes up for me. Sit in that process. I was becoming closer to god. And when i did my job the best and those people were willing to. Jason that process themselves. They became close to the gyno one evidence i had for that was they actually started to listen to and understand each other. Even if they disagreed they couldn't understand and empathize with why the other part person. Spotting after the way they did. That's outside of my own ego. And to learn from other people. Is step for me towards being closer to god. Because god by definition. And i capsulated in my little body with with my little ego. The only theater infinitesimally small part of that. Bigger reality. So i need you. For me to get outside of myself i can only see so much. I can only know so much i can always hear so much. I can only have so many experiences and you have all those other experiences i can't have. Even if we're sitting in the same room hearing the same words. You're receiving them differently because of where you came from and who you are and that sense of being able to get beyond myself. And appreciate you. For who you are and for what you know and to grow through learning. From you. Is one of those decks where my sent. Enjoyment. Becoming a purpose. Purpose driven life if you will. Becomes real for me. It's in those kinds of interactions with people. Where i'm getting beyond my ego and i might taste. Dealing with the emotion which is most difficult for me because of the. My family history which i won't go into which is anger. Should be able to sit in the room with people were feeling very angry with each other. Kpreps. And to be calm myself in to help them talk about their anger or whatever other feelings are having. And to get beyond. Their clocks about each other to understanding each other. Best away for me of being closer to god. And in the course of doing that i realized that in essence whether we set it or not. We are kind of negotiating little agreements about how we were going to be together with each other. When you go to school to be a mediator they teach about ground rules. And oftentimes they have a. Pets of the ground rules at will. Everybody speaks respectfully and be on time it's kind of things. It makes the mediation go better what i realized that. Basketball agree to those ground rules all you want. Didn't really matter very much. Partly because. As a mediator that people are coming into the room they want to impress you. They want you to think they're the good person in this fight so they try to be on your best behavior. It all breaks down. And that's gone. Patterson breakdown as a mediator as you talk to people and say can you tell me why that's important to you. And yes the other person you tell me what the other person said or did. That triggered the feelings you are having where that comes from. He actually start talking about what they need in order to have. Poor relation loving relationship for the other person. And the person starts to kira. And circle think about well am i going to agree to do things that way they know. Stop. Going. If that's really difficult for them to sit with. Creating these. Ways of how is it okay for you to be with me. For us to have a good relationship. Is. Comes into the covid-19 project team which i got involved with which. Portland producers not being involved in that anymore. Is the tents that inner organization like a church. In a family my wife and i have done this with each other at the workplace wherever you are. You can negotiate that sense of how are we going to be with each other. Adjust an ongoing and transfer negotiations partly because we're constantly learning. So what i think i know about. Good relationships today. Is much smaller in. Wesley what it will be. And i'm going to constantly. Renegotiate with that means. Can my wife and i have a relationship vision. And things that are on it or things like. We practice and make mistakes. And. That we will tell each other honestly wentworth feeling. Not a big challenge for me. Why was in my twenties. I was lucky if i knew what i felt. The time. I mean literally i could remember incident. Oh. I was angry. That was a revelation for me at that time. So over the years to become just become present with what i was feeling in the moment. Was a big deal and. No thanks boo. Cardigan encouragement for my wife. I think it but to say it to her. Which. Dangerous thing for me when i was younger kiss me expressing difficult emotions met there goes a relationship. Could actually do that with her and her with me and to be able to sit with each other and to even accept. We're going to practice and make mistakes with me. In the moment. Kind of covenant between the two of us. Is what helps us to have a growing relationship. And that really matter to us because. This is the second time around. We were married. Divorce and now we've been remarried. The last couple years. And if that. Relationship. Negotiating of how we will beat you with each other in the moment when things are most difficult. Desmayar relationship what it is today. And that requires. Recognizing who i really am. And not. Pretending that my areolas. In charge right now. What you doing is what i'm having the most difficulty. But recognizing that it is and that that's really not me. And i spent for being able to look at myself. Observe myself. Being messy. Caught up in my own ego feelings in the moment is that first step. Away from. Unconsciousness and into awareness. Who i really am. The next step is to is to accept okay just what's happening right now is we're having a conflict. And i need to be with my wife in to sit here with her or whoever it is. And see if i can't do something different. Either way i was 10 minutes ago which was not very pleasant. And understand that if i can accept that that's what i have to do and just do it. And that we working are independent or dependent with each other. Negotiate with the moment. Ground rule that i'm going to tell you my feelings but. It sounds kind of messy right now. Call the trust that she'll hear it. And she may respond in a messy way to be. But if we sit with each other and are alike. Together in that mess. That was somehow we're going to come through it on the other side with a more honest and more loving relationship. Dang it doesn't work. That's the time we feel most clothes and most in love with each other for the time we've gone through something like that and trusted. Interrelationship day covenant in covenant and actually living the covenant. Helps us to go back closer to god. Restless death expensive. Yes to life. Is what makes it all possible and work well for me. And that's where i go time and time and time. No i've had to. Experiences. It involves. Golden horizons. The loud music and breathing deeper and faster than normal. What's your into an altered states and i've done it through your 40 times and. In my life. And there were two times when i. Was directly in contact. Where. In a in a way that i can't even express of that. God and who i really am are the same. I in all the sudden there was no loud music. Nobody turned it off it was still going on. There was no loud music i had no sense physically of having a body. No pressure. no pressure lying on the ground. I couldn't hear the people around me anymore. I wasn't aware of breathing. Of anything. I had the sense of. White bear and i say white just because i. I don't have a word for it. White background. An inside of that there are these little tiny chance of like maybe an eyebrow. The outline of of of a 10 or something. That i knew was sort of. Me in there in some way and yet. The sense of me as a separate being was gone. I had a feeling of total. Unconditional. Love. There was nothing else there was love. And that was it. And. I realized that in some way. I had been given a gift. To be able to see something that i had thought about in the past. And i experiencing smaller ways through poetry through sitting in nature. Times being with my wife at times when we were. Quietly. Being together or not really doing anything. I will have the gift of experiencing something in a stark. Wade. Couldn't of experience in the other. Prime. And it was a gift. 2. Offer me the opportunity. To get out of my shed and just say. Yes to god. Does this is something that i know. In a way that. That's not acceptable to my reasoning mind. Halo. Google you my reasoning mind. 2. Troublesome times. To think things through and i'll and i love that and that's really important to me i love reading books and all of that is important to me. And there is a place where. Reason and science can't go. I don't care how much you dissect the brain and your body and look at all the chemicals running through it. You will never find love that way. And yes i believe it all of us experience love. As a. As something real. That may be connected to our bodies and maybe a connected in some ways to those chemicals running through our brains and. And our hearts and whatever however it is that we physically experience love. But there's something about it that you cannot. Get by analyzing the body. Now i believe that god is like that. That at some point i don't care how much you discover through science and those are all valuable things. And important we have them. There's some point in which there is something there. That is being that you can experience. But you can't. Find by analyzing. That's what. Guidance. It's that sense of being discussed and the ways i find to. Expressive. In this life. Through the acceptance the enjoyment. And the sense of purpose and things that i enjoy. That's not attached to any outcomes. I mean if i think that i'm going to. Startx program i get involved working with people and i'm enjoying it and it's program doesn't happen something else does. That's really important that i'm not not getting too attached. The outcome. But i do have a sense that there's a purpose to my life. And i don't see how i could have as strong of a sense of a purpose if i hadn't had that. Experience of knowing that i was. The equivalent as who i really am of god. Beyond anything that i can. 22 in this material world. That's what has really come alive for me through the power of presence. That is. None of those experiences. Far from the path. There are things i can figure out that i ought to get to. They're not steps i didn't have that experience of god because i. Prepare for a minute. 3 or 40. Experiences in holotropic breathwork and none of them had anything to do with those who experience so they weren't like it they didn't get me ready for it. There weren't a way of getting to that point where i would have the experience experiences just happened. And they are what they are. I can't explain how it was for me. Anybody else in a way that you could really get it. I wouldn't expect anybody to believe. What it was. To believe that that was the me. God. If it doesn't work for you it doesn't work. And i can. Send more than i can explain. Walden it poison my life. And the way it keeps bringing me for until the next thing. Which right now. Maybe this is sucks. Why something was reminding me through my. Now leaving the glasses behind and and and and everything happening to my body which is that at this point in my life. What i. Decided to do is to stop. Really doing anything. Shop i cook i get up in the morning and get dressed and showers. But i'm not really doing anything i'm not going out there looking for the next job now.. Can i get social security. That's nice. Play the bills. But i'm just trying to be. Is president like 10 with you every moment. Let the. Old man that i had for having to have something to do a project a job or whatever. And in that emptiness. That's going to be. I think that you were going to mention. Crossword. Whatsapp message you along these lines. Call ahead. Maybe i just do it today is explicitly okay. What women talk about the covenanting process in the church okay alright. The truth is i can't say very much about it right now. Because i've been here for two or three months and all kinds of stuff is going on in my absence. What's happening with the covenanting process in the church. I'm the last person to ask i will say this about it. One of the things that i did for myself as a part of the covenanting project team. Was. I let go of. The need to be in charge in some way. Because i came into that and i believe. Other people if this is true. Some people thought. Swami as somebody who was going to lead this process and that i had a lot of ideas about it. There for you. Lindsey stirling let him go at some houses there might be. A great outcome out of it that might be my delusion. But i realize that if i had that belief. Said it was important for me to let go of it. Find a way to be a member of the team. Where i didn't. That i had to be the leader. And in my experience of the team was that we all sat together. And works through okay now we're in this stage what are we going to do. And who's going to do what part of it. And wow here's what we learned out of that and we realized what we thought was going to be the end result prices to point the way it's going to go so how do we adjust that it was a constant dialogue. On the team. And i feel myself more alive because of. Whatever anybody else was thinking you're doing. I let go of my own expectations for myself. And let myself be in process with my team members and the go she ate how we were going to have this team go. That's what made it alive. So we were in effect. Doing what. Doing what we had been charged with by the church to help the whole church do. Which is not to come up with a set of. Very high sounding idealistic. Rules that were all going to agree to. What was the learn to be in covenant with each other everyday. That's what we were doing that's what came alive for us. A b a. Getting out of the way. And letting go of my own ideas about what i was supposed to be doing. And i believe for all of us at it as a team is matt being present in the moment at every beating at every function that we participated in. And accepted it for what it was. Learning, and then doing the next thing. And that process of being in covenant with the week with each other i believe is what made a team and. I've only probably still.. Reading recently my guess would be that that still carrying on. Extent it is. That's what i hope it's the discursive alpha covenant of right relations that's what it will be it will be. Your genius together everyday. Every sunday every thursday night every whatever. You're being this together and you're learning with each other. What's the way to be. Together that is in alignment with your spiritual beliefs. The deck kind of a living. Documents. I will come out of it and that would be my highest hope. Did any trick question. Yep. In a recent discussion i had with someone i ask a question. Why is it. Brad. Administration. Do not simply sit down and talk. The people in iraq. Iran and syria. And the secret to me was. Completely different. There's no bridge. Can you get in touch with. My question to you is. In your experiences is that true. No matter what the conflict. Make sure i understand what you're asking or asking me is. If people believe that there's no bridge between them that there really isn't one. Or yes. I believe the definite llusion. A dangerous and real illusion in a sense that if i believe it you believe it we're in conflict. We might start liking each other if we believe that. The same time. You and i are both. Who we really are. God. Love. Er and so the possibility of us getting. From i don't see any possibility of bridging to. Understanding each other and working together. Always there. It's always a choice immediate difficult choice in the moment for me or for whoever's involved but it's. I believe it's always a choice. Well you didn't need your notes. Thank you so much. So many things i want to respond to. Wanted to say that i had my own most profound spiritual experiences. Through the breathwork. And that. I think that maybe is a sunday have to be a foundation for. Mediation or facilitation it. In the way that you're talking about is that. Having some experience that. Teaches you beyond doubt. That's about the gear divine nature and and i was going to comment that. All the great mystics. Share that message the weather. It's roomy hircine's caveira mary oliver. The list goes on and on of those who want peaches. There's more there's more than this. Simple material playing and scientific method. Does prejudice has a virus. Agriculture. And then i just wanted to highlight. As a couple towns where the point that you made about. When we are lost and when we are locked in conflict. Koneko have lost touch with our divine nature and whatever it takes to bring us back. With everything. And one of the things that i learned. Myself as a mediator that was very humbling. Was that. Wallace reporting for me to be skilled and knowledgeable and up-to-date and doing the best that i could in my role as a mediator. Did in the final analysis i had very little to do with it. This is like my. I'm having that experience of being one with god. Today was a matter of grace. End. For any individual i believe. Coming to that sense of knowingness. That i am. The my real self is god's spirit or whatever. It's not something that i can. Depart to someone or convince them of. I may be a part of creating a space in which. Grace can happen. What is going to happen or it's not. And it doesn't happen. In my experience because i make it happen. The only thing that i could do is by not being who i really am and not a crackling the skills that i have that i might. Get in the way. Mercury help creating enough noise that people won't notice the moment when it comes that i could do that. But i'm more. Helping to provide a space for it. Guess why it's gray it's amazing grace and. It's always available always. Accessible to a safeway open. Thank you so much. Would you be willing to pay a little more about what the. Tentacles are in your. Covenant in turmeric. I don't really have permission from bicycle great via philip. And then other things that i really have to do with our process. And i don't think part of the reason i would be reluctant to do it is because. I don't have her permission to read the whole thing. Park apartments because we don't have the answer we've developed it out of. The particularities of our relationship. Is working for us right now. Wrote one with my son's it would be different than. My wife wife because. The particularities of a relationship. I was really interested in the way you used the word god. It's obvious to me that you use it in a transcendent way. And also imminent that you are gone. But i was a little confused when you started saying that god had a plan for your life. That's where you lost me because. Thank you for saying that i didn't realize i had said that. That's what you got out of my words will be that's what that's what you get out of it. Yeah i wouldn't say that god has a plan for me like god except. Thinking things up with you. If i gave you that impression. I misspoke heard i didn't communicate clearly. That's not what i. Repeat request rutabaga. Ruler. Okay. One thing that. Did i like about eckhart tolle is he says that. If you read my words. You're not the truth. But they are not the truth or anything i said here today. It can all i can for one thing i can only. I can't describe what god really what god means to me. Because god is beyond words. Beyond description. So i try to use metaphors and stories. Point toward what the experiences. Add to the extent that it resonates for you in that way. Then i thought that. Thank you thank you. They're sharing that with me. And that's very important to me is that it's not about. That i somehow have the crude. It's about i'm a seeker like all of you. Anything i hear from another person as well as when i say for myself i take as. Like the map is not. Appreciated what you said was the reason and science. You know they're part of me in my own way they're part of reality but not the total. Toto reality that. Like i said they're tools. We use our minds to. No reason things out but there is a. Mortuary science you know scientist. And i like i like science note for my. Makes life a lot better for me and easier for me but then there's head hoes. Spiritual dimension is very very important to their. Come outside. Degrassi. And even reason of. I don't know can't really competitive park on concern. So anyway. Thank you. I just i just finished the book a few days ago and my had one of its first stages is that a note the skeptics and. Unbelievers in so quick and one of the things i wanted to say which i think is. You're also saying just that the words don't matter you can call it whatever you want you don't need to call it god or you could call it reality and call it transcendence you can call it. I don't know i think i think we do get we tend to weaverville people tend to get hung up on the word and we want a word that fits our there is nowhere that fit. The word epistle of. I want to believe you with one other story which is in this exemplifies for me. My own journey to get beyond myself and my. Basic assumptions. American of myself is a very liberal person is a revolutionary. Always on the left somewhere. And one of the people that became one of my closest friends at work with a guy but i know the time. Who considered himself a reagan republican. The way we met was he was coming over to get trained on the machines that i was on and everybody else was like. Oh god here comes donnie 64e. They're ready to run for the hills. And decided that i was. Not going to do that i was going to get to know this guy and stand my own goofy. Big white story short she and i had interactions over several days in which. We actually stopped and listened to each other he ended up calling me his favorite socialist. Animal paradise very affectionate way in and i learn to appreciate him in a sense of what family meant to him. Things like that. A one point he went to another department i went upstairs. Call to get something. And it was sitting on a milk crate. For five guys around him. Electric him in that same angry defensive way that he he always had in the past. About you liberals you don't like it when i called work and murder and you and it would not use for like back on onto it. And so i mean it was funny in a way i mean i could stay i could see that they were just having their own interactions with it and i got defensive. But i realize also that in another way. He had open my eyes my. Mind on the question of abortion in a way that i had looked at it before. I change my mind and said oh we shouldn't have pro-choice you shouldn't be pro-choice. It was that i realize that. Given that i support a woman's right to choose. It's important for me to be aware of what all the consequences of that choice. Which is. There's a fetus line. Now it might be a tiny little. 3 day old fetus. It might be bigger than that. And if i'm not willing to be aware. Of what that means. And still make the choice. I'm not being honest with myself. In the same way. That somebody who opposes abortion if they're not aware of what the consequences are needless i would say that. They do back alley abortions take place again for whatever reason. There's a woman is going to be carrying a baby to term. There's a baby that's going to be born and who's going to take care of that baby whole be raised what kind of life will it will it have. Did those consequences of your choice are real thing. I don't remember to tell somebody. But therefore they should. Be opposed to abortion effects. Really what they believe in this in the depth of the heart. Bless them i no problem with that. But i do ask myself and other people i talk to. To be alive and aware to what actually happened. Are the consequences of the choices. Screw that i believe. And i've had this experience a couple times of people who oppose abortion. If we can talk about those consequences we can start talking about things that we can agree on to do. So somebody who opposes abortion may actually be active in helping to find homes for these days. And supporting the moms and. No helping me. Medical care in sulphur. And that's something i can agree with them on. Because i think if someone does whatever their position is if they a single mom whatever her conditioner reason is for why that baby came into existence. She is especially if she's alone than the guy who's involved isn't around. Is able to make a choice in the different way it is not face with all those nasty consequences. People do get face when they get when they believe they're alone. Then she'll be better off in the baby will be better off and we'll all be better off. That person is a poster board and i can work together on that. We will be closer to god. Even if we have different opinions on whether or not rovi way to be overturned. And that i actually go around actually. Listen to fox radio. I speak out. Conservative talk show host who. Nothing. Especially when they're feeling like ranting and raving and i've done that myself. From my own perspective. But when they're being thoughtful from their point of view i want to see what they have to say. In a possibly want to engage with people like that. Because i need them to grow. I need them. To be closer to god.

uucb_org

2005080701.mp3

So what are we doing here. Why exactly do we round ourselves from the sweetness of sunday morning slumber. Why do we gather in sing. Why do we worship. I think that in this sacred time. We are gathering our 30 burgers. So we are reminding ourselves that our connectedness. Our unity holds power. That we are bringing it together all that we know and love. So that we can be refreshed in the sometimes insurmountable tasks which await us outside these walls. I believe that in this holy crucible of community. That we are laying the spiritual foundation for one of the most precious and powerful things in this world. Spiritual. Home. Annie dillard so beautifully rights of the spiritual path. Of the night blind maces and slade hills in which people grow for decades on end for the absolute. We are on a journey of evolution. Engrossed in the good news this morning is that we don't have to do it alone. The good news this morning is that this community of seekers can hold you in your strivings. Status community can nurture and encourage us all along our paths. Even if you have been here for years. Even if you feel someone comfortable in your spiritual growth which is often a sign that something is wrong. This community can challenge you. Can help you look into your spiritual path and discern what next level of commitment or involvement will help you grow and deepen. This community. Can be your spiritual home. But it takes more than just showing up. It's best i can testify. Years ago i began my involvement with the arlington street church in boston by sneaking in and hiding in the back row nothing against anybody in the back row this morning i would arrive just as the service was beginning and endured the few obligatory pleasantries with the greeters and would perch myself clear in the back in the last pew ready to flee. Pre-loved worship. From my safely secluded spot i could slip into sacred space with ease. The singing and the sermons and the joys and the sorrows i cherished. Play never stayed for coffee hour. I would disappear as soon as the postlude was over. It seemed to me for a while that the church and i had somewhat of an understanding. I would come religiously to services dave of my meager funds and i didn't have to talk to anyone that i didn't have to. And it went on like this until i got a call from a friend. He had heard that this church that i was going to was a great place to pick up guys. Upon hearing this news he had a sudden burst of religious fervor and wanted to accompany me to services but this of course meant that i was going to have to stay. And actually go into the coffee hour. I'm going to have to meet people. The very next week we went and we worshipped. And when my natural biorhythm was screaming for me to flee instead i went into the social hall. And took the red cup that was to signify that you were fresh blood and i began to mill about. And you know it wasn't half bad certainly awkward at first as it always is. But then i met people. Soon after i had made the first few cracks in the cocoon of back-row and intimidate a class was offered for prospective members. No it's far from new to the faith having been raised by a minister and an incredibly committed lay leader. Never at that point taken any adult religious education classes. And your ended to know a little bit more about this community. That was slowly and sweetly bringing me into it circles. After just a few months my worship buddy had jumpship. Having met someone who is going to go on to be a long lasting love. So i entered these next two levels of the community alone. Put in the new member class i was amazed. For the first time in my entire life as a unitarian universalist i had a sense of history. I felt myself standing in a river which stretched back and forth through time. Connected to a tradition of radical questioning of brave stands and heretical creativity. I also learned of the history of this building in which i had taken sunday morning refuge for more than a year. I heard it's story and i realized that i had a place and it's evolving future. So simple. And yet. So huge. All of the sudden there was some familiar faces on sunday morning and i was one of those familiar faces for other people. I was slowly entering the community. But it still wasn't quite my spiritual home. Spiritual home or not the end of the class with an opportunity to join. And i decided that i would. I can feel so much afoot emerging as i stood before that congregation. I felt so right. Words flowing between those of us who were joining and those who are welcoming us into their midst. Love and reverence and so much feeling that space. I just about the same time the church was kicking off a small group ministry program. Who's very much in the birthing stages when i decided that i would join i heard the l talk about ultimacy and intimacy. That large there were precious few opportunities to really have connections of depth. With a variety of people. So i decided to try it out. Small group of people mess up twice a month. We were nine in my group. We had a broad spectrum of people from pillars of the church to recent members from lifelong universalist to the freshly converted. We had a wretch. Variety. And as we met. Slowly something so simple and so profound happened. We got to know. One another's depths. We came together and we witnessed one another as we lived our lives. And in that kind of witness there's magic. I was in college surrounded by people of a similar age and they're in the midst of it i came together with eight people to hear and be heard. To see and be seen. Throughout that time my experience of the church was transformed. As much as i had cherished my anonymity. And i think i needed it in the beginning as i became more involved in those first relationships of death i allowed myself to be more present. Fair. Premier that took the form of becoming involved in a soup kitchen which serve food every friday night. And also volunteering to teach some religious education. I created my own curriculum to teach the bible to junior high students. Which involved field trips to museum to explore medieval art depicting the trials and gruesome deaths of the saints and the creation of an epic mural on bright yellow paper all done in red and black marker depicting the climactic battles of the book of revelations. I sat there and read the fiery passages aloud while they threw the corresponding dragons and demons and blood and fire and angels. And then in the wake. Of that frenetic day. We talked about what it must feel like. Sincerely believe that that all is about to happen. Adult relationships with those youth. In those years. Which have persisted for years. I watch them grow and transform. It wasn't just them. That was changing. There is some fundamental shift going on inside of me. The church was slowly becoming a place where. Only did i go on sundays to have my heart in my mind refreshed. It was no longer a place that i came to as a consumer in search of some spiritual service. Brother. Is it become my spiritual home. For me that meant that i was bringing myself more and more into relationship with the people and the place i was opening myself more and more into this community. Allowing myself to be known. Over the years the people of that holy place pushed me and told me they stretched me and shaped me. It was there that i began to delve deep into many of the spiritual practices that have become my bedrock. There's that i began to blossom. Spiritual home is a circle of love and support. A place of acceptance and challenge. We can change lives. So why did you first come here. What in your life hold you or pushed you into this place. Many have come here to this sanctuary of our sacred space jaded. Bruised and beaten by experiences of religious abuse. Wheeling from self-induced spiritual neglect. Wary of anything vaguely resembling the religions that they fled. Meaning of come here and found a unique kind of peace. Haven in which their humanity can come forth and shine. Many others come into this spiritual home and they seek to infuse their lives with meaning and purpose. A vibrant and involves spiritual home can save us from the deadening numbing consumer-driven automaton factory which so much of the world is desperate to squeeze us into. All too often we can lose our soul. Or at least misplace armeni. We can lose track and lose touch of what is most important. In a million subtle and blatant ways there are forces at work desperately trying to steal our freedom. Thought. Our very beings. And so in the midst of this fast soundbite sensationalist universe we come here. We carve out time on one of the few days that we have any time to carve out anything for and we come here. Become here in praise. And in worship. We come here to rest and rejuvenate for the work of our lives. We come to join in like minds and open in deep dialogue with those who differ. We come to grapple and dance with our deepest questions. For we are. A religious institution. We are a spiritual home. And we are deeply. Blessed. We're blessed here to have the breadth and depth of community that we have. What are the gifts of our sizes that there are enough people that each and every one of us can be true to our needs to the best that we know them. By this i mean that they're going to be times. In your relationship with this place when you have energy and enthusiasm. Times when you have room enough to wiggle your schedule so that you can make some kind of volunteer work possible. When you can devote your talent to the mini doings of this place and that is fantastic. This is one of the gifts of our size there is plenty of good work to go around. This. Can be part of your spiritual practice. And their times. When life has other plans. When you feel like you are about to bottom. When you lack sufficient energy. To take care of your own basic needs let alone the churches. When there is just nothing left to pour out. This is a natural part of the ebb and flow of our lives. We're throwing curveballs. We need grief and death. Disaster appears in its many disguises with its singularly characteristic poor timing. And this. Becomes your practice. And it's natural. We come in and out of roles in this kind of community. The key is to remember that no matter what as much as you allow it to this spiritual home can hold you. No matter where you are in a cycle of emerging or retreat. In grief correlation in anger or rapture we are a home. We are a family of more than 550 folks all human. And there is a place here for each and everyone of us. There is room here for the seeker come with questions asked them. There a new classes bubbling up all the time come and open your questions to the air. And there is room here for the church elders. Those who sweat and love have created and sustained this place. Those who have served and are serving in the many seats of leadership here ask yourselves what new chapters of your involvement in this place. Are waiting to unfold. What would it mean. For you to take a risk. In your spiritual life. You can do it. Here. If you choose. And i hope you do. In this coming year we will have a bounty of opportunities for involvement. We hope to be beginning a small group ministry program to provide these opportunities for ultimacy and intimacy. To join with others in this community as you move along your spiritual path supported and affirmed. To delve into your depths and to grow together. And. Of course the new year of religious education is upon us a few weeks in this fall we will be offering a rich and varied number of exciting things to the children and youth of this congregation. You're interested in teaching and volunteering of anyway seek me out seek margaret out. We are at the dawn of a new era in the educational ministry of this congregation. It will be shaped by the love and support for all who care. There's a number of exciting ways to do this work and we will find something uniquely our own. Do you have a passion for education fresh ideas. Exciting possibilities seek me out. This is a sacred time of potential. In the life of our community. In the evolution of this spiritual home. So come. Seek out something to do if doing is what you need to do. But if you're not doing. Is what you need to do. Please don't. Sometimes it for many of us the hardest thing to do. His to not do. But if it is your need allow this place to hold you with its many hands. U2. Will be holding soon. But don't just sit back. And lowell yourself into spiritual passivity. There is holy work to be done. And it is nothing less than the growing of our hearts and minds the stretching of our souls. It can be done here. If you open to what this place has to offer. Gnats. What we're here for. May we all have the wisdom. To discern our needs and the courage to test our comfort. May we move along the path of our souls deepest longing held by this community. May be there to witness and be witnessed here. And no intimacy and ultimacy. May we know this place this gathered community. As spiritual. Huh man.

uucb_org

070204_Tim%20Wietzel_Spirituality%20of%20Deep%20Democracy.mp3

Call home. Is very much interested in the fragmentation of getting people to get together. Disgust. We will be having a workshop. Saturday february 24th. Spell consultant if you want kim watch some trap. Good morning everybody. Remember of you. Spirituality. Diversity of irvine. Foreign ways to. My wife nursing how. Bear alignment and collectively. Become more alive. And so i'm going to be referencing that attic. Number of points throughout the presentation. Set time for me. What i want to do story out and talk about to dream. We're really safer for a dramatic change my life. 4. They were what inspired me to go to phd in psychology and their what. What inspired the actual reaper. Call kelly. Stream. Sitting in sitting under a tree in 1950s auroral alabama. I was born in nineteen sixty-three number of years before i was even born and i find it i'm off in tampa needed by. Dreamt about being a different time. Anyway, sitting under a tree i was in a very conservative black and black suit black tie white shirt. And i was very sleepy and groggy really lethargic and sad and there were these old cars around. Bad. Dial car with a really heavy gauge steel. Paint job. Mall. African american gospel church. Behind me and i was there. Erupted into this. Vibrant gospel music. And at that moment in the dream my heart. Wide awake in real life wide awake. Dream. My heart. Read me. Over to the church. The first people were celebrating together. Sampling everybody. Long you're wanting to be in that church. Ej. Old cathedral made of made of brick. Born and raised. Sleepy and groggy. Preaching dogma in a monotone doll voice and everybody. Demographic. Dialogue. Are part of. Are part of my own psychology for me. Moving away from. A single poker originally poker. Minecraft. But. Message to oliver. Individual. But before i go further i think it's important that i talk about what i mean by alignment. Alive more like what i experienced when i can move beyond over worn-out sandpoint and ways of seeing the world. I'm not worried about you. It's going to be better when and that sort of stuff. I don't know what. A wonderful question. Under what does elijah mean. The pressure to be alive in the world. Talking about. One of my favorite pictures. Powerful. Really. What how do you look at what's the opposite of a. Call bridget drive dolphins. Right. Young. More time call. Parts for important part or multiple part of. Are not part of our concert everyday.. Sublimate. If we're working. Lucky. Is awesome honey. Energy and motivation for a spiritual path. What i want to do here. Forewarning you talkin about how do we reclaim those lost parts of ourselves. Auto parts of arkansas. Voices in our culture and in our world. Lemur. What was the right move to make in my life and so forth. The problem with the work that has to happen. There's lots of ways to get there. Meditation. Psychology. Individual. How are psychology and organized is very similar. The dominant narrative. Culture is organized. Every individual every individual. Every culture has a dominant narrative. Play area. Every. Is the collection of our self-inflicted the collection of our. Unconscious our collective unconscious in the complexes. And the dominant narrative which is again. But then all other people opinion. Unpopular issues in pro 4. Screwed. If my position literally are connected to our to our divine potential. Ongoing dialogue. Between. What's dominant in our world and what is marginalized or repressed. We we learn what is dominant or what is repressed by in a few are green and to our body symptoms to our relationship difficulty. Told her all signal. Argument. In our culture. Scenario. Foundry. Permeated. Information control back and forth. Dorado poker. Background. Our ego reality in our communication. Bartells in the other parts of our culture. Psychological development. Problematic. Now it becomes problematic when the boundaries around it are real richard and instead of. We become out of our fear. Don't count. Go to think and act like you are better people. Information other voices. Other information. Other voices in our culture can't enter. We don't know it but we. Alcohol drug. Cultural norm support our temper personhood. We don't we don't even realize how arrive. When are. Let me just a little bit more about. Marginalized people. Are people that are excluded from the world of meaning and interior. Orange desirable object for those in power. There's a law for positive or lovable images. Corporation of denigrated self-images widely percolating in mainstream culture. Images. I pulled off the web. Examples. Black. You don't have to live with the daily reminder of what they are not. Third wife doesn't resemble any way shape or form. Although i'm sure. It's a little bit outdated but it's still not heard most pictures of appliances with women and 90 in our house i'm a much better cook than my wife. You would rather eat my cooking than hers trust me. You know of how women are supposed to work program. Richmond happy. Pictures of putin power. Terrible terrible poverty. No in real life. Who are marginalized women. People with color. Lesbian. Other culture. World of there. Wayne's world. Play meet the world record internalised. It's known as internalized. Ambassador another boring their marginalized parkour gifted. On the other hand. Identify with collective norm. Corporal position gives a lot of positive meaning. Only about a very limited number. We get a lot of practice support for who we are as long as what we are her. Cultural dominant narrative. And so our our our our collective support and our other edition keepers numb operation. The part of ourselves that really are indispensable moral i. With mark divine. I know. Triplet, interpretive an oxymoron. Bear with me. By the way. Recommended. Development. Brickway. And unbalanced state. White man with. You know there are cultural center of rising above it all, for poker of. Career oriented. Very violent. Crazy chaotic. Family guy was the alarm for that person and i get a lot of acting out. But my point is is that i grew up. But i think. Affinity. To folks who are. Martial arts in our culture. I've met. So strongly identified. With the cultural norm. The parts of themselves. It's hard for me not to sound judgmental dakota. But. You know what i'm talkin about. I can i can move on. The problem is one of my teeth. We're addicted to alcohol don't know why. Don't know why. What is renewing. Let me go back to the marshall. Myself all along right here. Rigid. Rural alabama. Represent. One of the most cruel and insured. Cultural paradigms in the history of humankind. Right. I was wearing metal cars with. Black and white color. Tired and lethargic. Temporary old. An old in a monotone voice and aboard all-white congregation. White men are supposed to do with their lives. With. Considered myself an individual. I work like crazy i used to make fun of people who took the weekends off. Twerking to the evening. Working hard. The need to know who we are i support all of them still work hard. What was problematic for mean. Identify that way of being and i was dying inside. Skyward d230. 35 lb overweight. Maybe more. Terribly out of shape. I'm happy. More. You're dying. Wake up. Paradigm of what you're supposed to do. What your heart. The world. Dream. Instead of your life rules monological. Identified with norm. Realself. The multiplicity within yourself. Multiple parts of who you are. The world. Death why diverse community. Powerful for my well-being. Who you are. You cannot know who you are. The more fluid one. A rigid mind sexism or fluid one. That is an ongoing relationship with our finger self. Democracy. Really wonderful teacher a true a true modern-day common. Portland. Formulation of his concept of democracy. Because they are part of who we are individually and collectively. Commitment to creating all people with rooming house mine. You're welcome. Are given our time oliver time. Bored. What it means. Around of instead of just automatically going through life. Certain types of people important things not even allowed on our radar screen. We develop an open-hearted now. Lemur. Forward from whatever comes our way. And what is outside of her. Form of a spiritual path. Mary watkins another one of my teachers and i couldn't find the reference for this but i will if anybody wants her to the wonderful rider i can't recommend it highly enough. Liberty new life requires that we experience and related to. Psychology of liberation the term other is as crucial as the term self. Opener to the revelation of the other is that necessary of open up to the revelation of one's own plot. Rational. But it also weather. But it doesn't. Reality of the other. More often. Write a story that i will share with you. A little bit later. The willingness. Open heart and riq. The more of the energy in our body and in our culture that is needed for renewal. Remind.. Somebody. That was one of the most profound lessons of my life. New york one of the reasons why the first community. Because i'm. Opportunity. Deeper. Learn more about other. Ethnic racial sexual preference. Personality differences. My wife is extroverted and introverted. Highlights of wedding sardar son try it out 2,000. Call those things that are sources of conflict. Recognizing our story. Usually when we feel strong reactive emotions were living out old stories about ourselves. About the others about the relationship. Nothing to do. Sometimes. How far projection alarm. Go. Budding. Creative way of letting go is finding out what's going on in. Running to withdraw our protection. Recognizing. Is the workhorse of personal information towards greater lightning. Play it's my workhorse. Openness to other or other new democracy is the ground upon which airport. More than people williams responsible for so much of what do i do today. Call wife. Rotational. Learn to say present in that moment. I met her about four times in all four times we had an argument. I don't know what. Diversity help me work at the open one of the bible crater fluffy for me is the directive described not with any man without car. There are so many people driving with people in spirit all the time. Arguing with them. Discovered the first reactions were almost always more about me than the other person. Covered many parts of myself. Ceo of a major corporation. Charismatic people. Show my flight coming out of him. Statement work was very congruent. Another woman. What is wrong with me. General if something makes me uncomfortable. Nalda reserve. Astoria all the time. Former drug addict. A little bit about. Micro again. Number of years. Diversity. Body works. My job is at. I have your secret with that. Where i'm done right. I mean i enter work. Because every new situation that i'm in remind me more. Help me understand more of who i am. And. But that's a good thing to know that because now when i know when i need to take care of myself and to feed myself. Loan. My wife is very supportive there. About having a product. Reactive. But my desire. Morganite. I don't want to beat myself up about. And think about myself. Ever. Being a compassionate man with an open heart everybody. A my choices are to have a drink. That energy. What makes me selfish. Not able to guilt. Where are you. But i also. I have. Love and compassion. For all. Ignore the processes that make you feel more alive. More intense and broader collective relationship in math isolation. And now. Becoming more alive. North. When you are in that open. I'll make a quick. I want to talk about. Diversity can lead to collective alignment. When i do the work of resisting cultural norms are unhealthy i'm working for everybody. Basically what the hell. Create. Justified. Ignore the plight of others. It's much easier to fool ourselves into thinking that other. We don't have to think about it. Rapunzel 1112. Care more about social justice. Remove from diversity support ilysm. So the more marginalized people who are now. Dora moore marching marching like people who are now empowered and associated. With political. There's more privileged people in touch with her humanity in and actively supporting the inclusion and empowerment of other. More liveness in the system as a whole. Install whitmore identity group. We we reached the place of coral ism where crew interdependence is possible. Garnett corrective stage of development important. Tribalism. You want to read this. Real quick and then i'll be done. Electric coastal plains community is not empty but for various forms of energy vibration particles in a wave. Facebook. Regular nourishment of an atmosphere truck. Regular notion of an atmosphere card with love is essential for proper functioning of the psyche. Set everywhere. Emotional intelligence. Neuroscience. Research from positive psychology. We are in effect of rain in such a way that leads. Mono mono. Whatever poker. Workone. I wanted to play but i do want to honor the fact that you like to have questions and talked for awhile. Kind of reminded me of. World problems. I don't i don't know what he was influenced by but my guess would be no. Yeah maybe maybe i don't got the way that i am richard in clothes off. Very difficult time. listening to our present administration. But i would say. You don't like after after 9/11. A rupture in the world spiky that was. A moment of opportunity in a moment of crisis and we chose the path of croatia. So what happened opening more and be more inclusive we become more riches. The advertising for the military removed from. My point is. Idea of bringing democracy to the world. Come from a very rigid central here that is unable to dialogue with the other. Democracy might not be their ideal form of government. Maybe it looks like i'm not answering your question but i don't i didn't mention.. I crack myself up. What are you thinking. Apparently. We need a container to help us do the work. One of mine up. But it's always been a large group of people with other way. Reflect on that for me a little bit i'd love to see the world open. Michael. I work with a bunch of black people i'm a very ghetto blaster. We have a little political. Duck life. Yep there go out of comfort in minecraft in ways i mean even though they. Ridgid minecraft. Very very fundamental and rickety ology. But i also think you know. Journey of a thousand miles begins with one. Developing quickly as we collectively. That we're not developing as quickly as we want to and that. Always going to be people. I don't know how to deal with. There are more people who understand their way of being now than there were. Workout equipment for grandpa. Microsoft. Talking about. Democracy. Democracies meaning. The fact that example in our democracy the majority win. Democracy you don't cut it off because we wanted to play we continue to listen to voices until trump organizing. Model also democracy in a year. 713. About a year. Kind of like. Play-doh. Where you're saying diversity is the technicolor world outside and people can be dramatically changed inside queer as a christian. It's saying that they're in technicolor world outside and you are the one paid to sell his ideas inside the kids have you ever been able to do them. No i haven't. But i have i i don't i don't use a lot of the language that are you but i used to model in my work all the time. I work in fortune 500 corporations. Talk about narrow richards height. Environment. Going to your appointment. Creeper rap. I normally people in our organization. But i would expect. Fire away from there. Go in organization. Yellow part that i have the channel park. Pony my. What i want. You got to be careful about how much you take away from people. How much is a story that you. Experience. Harbhajan singh. Yeah right when i hear the word shadow for me that i was not a negative print. Something that i don't see. Alignment. Marginalized. Alcoholic. Federer. Can i watch. Play older people. Fireworks. I was wondering. In your work. People who are not alive. Come alive. Let me give it. Ar. I think i am. Play what i think you're hearing. Chromatic. Violent actions gateway. Experiencing. Free flow of energy and lorelai. Alignment. And i would. Yeah. I think the black the black panther. Because. There was an element of culture that couldn't hear any other way. I'm not condoning violence. But you know we talked about terrorism and i'm not. Supporting terrorists. How l. Somebody going to get country like the united states. Call will. So. The the the individuation process. Promote it like that the perforated boundaries was very ideal. What normally happen work like for me. I started. In my life i started waking up at night. Because i drank too much and i broke up and had. I don't think i was an alcoholic go on that wrong. Quit. The wallet was in the middle of the night. You know what. My wife is.. Oh that was a form of an internal black panther. Recurring. My reality luxury my reality i didn't want. I would have done anything to get rid of that token. Right there. Doorway to my owner wife.

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061210_Hanna%20Matt_The%20Devine%20Feminine%20in%20Judaism.mp3

World religions classes at the graduate theological union and other places. And like euston smith she just. Feels sympathy for each of the religions which is one reason. That we've enjoyed your so much. It's yours. Handout out. A little bit. Can everybody hear. Okay sad better. Okay great. So today we're going to talk about. Divine feminine within judaism. Last week we did the divine feminine in. Hinduism and buddhism and indigenous religions. So today we're going to move into. The name of the divine feminine in judaism is the chef cleaner. Justina. And. That is from the root word chicane which means to dwell. It means an indwelling presence. Within you. And between you and another person. And the earth in a natural thing. So instead of it being a goddess. I like we see some of the statues. Of the goddesses from india and the buddhist countries. This is much more of a presence. It's never detected. In physical form or a statue. It is considered to be an indwelling. Eminence. Within you. So it is so whenever. God takes form. In the world. Within beings and within nature. And within the community. So very much an intangible. Presence. A numinous. Luminosity. Within being. So this is distinguish between. The aspect of god which is transcendence. Which is abstract which is removed. Which is distant which is aloof. This is very much the aspect of god which is close. Which is intimate with the human being. And it's said to be our nearest access to the human being are our gateway to the divine. So let's begin with the first quote let's read this one. Along with me. This is from the zohar. And the 15 i really is developed in kabbalah. It is developed around the 13th century. In spain. And then moved throughout the jewish world. Before this. Tina was simply the divine presence. In the bible it simply means. The divine presence. Which is. In the temple. Which is. Sometimes a light upon certain profit and they begin to prophesy. But it simply means the divine presence. When it is. Almost physical almost. Perceptible by human beings. So it's only when it gets into the kabbalah the mystical stream of judaism. That it becomes the feminine divine presence. Is the word is feminine. So the zohar is the major book of jewish mysticism. And was written in thirteenth-century spain. And in the zohar it's really a book about the shekhinah it's about her life story about her adventures. About how she has gone into exile. Divine feminine is an exile and that's why we have. A patriarchal male god. Somehow she has been. Suppress. And with the zohar she is coming back into the world. Coming up through us. Coming up to the community and coming up to nature coming back into. Our awareness. So this is from the zohar the first quote. God speaking. And i will set my dwelling among and within you. From leviticus 26. This is the shekinah. My surety. My certainty. It is like a man who is fond of someone. He said to her. My love for you is so great. That i would like to live with you. And she said. How do i know that you will continue to live with me. He took the most precious thing in his house. And brought it to her. He said. Look. You now have this surety this certainty. That i shall never leave you. In the same way the holy one wanted. To dwell within and among the people. Even though the holy one blessed be he. Has gone far away from us. He has left a surety with us. And we take care. Of this greatest treasure. So even though people. Are now in exile. They have the surety. And the divine presence. Shall never forsake them. Never leave them. It is like a man who loved his companion. And wanted to live with her. What did he do. He took his bed. And brought it to her house. He said look. My bed is in your house. For i shall not go away from you. From your daily living. Since my bed is in your house with you. You will know. That i shall not leave you. So here we get this sense. That. The divine is so great. So transcendent the holy one blessed be he. Has gone away. We no longer feel this close intimate. Presence. It's nearness of the divine. But the divine wants. Live with us wants this closeness. So. He. Bring the shekinah into our daily life into our miss. As if bringing. His bed. Into our home. So wonderful image because if your if someone's bed is in your house that means they're going to sleep there they're going to eat there. You're going to do well there they're going to have their clothes there they're going to really be with you. In your daily living. So this was a way to resolve. The situation that it happened at the time where god was removed and aloof and transcended and so far away that no one felt. That sense of god's presence daily in their everyday lives. So here we have the sense of the chef enoch. The feminine divine presence. Who is intimate. Who is relational who is closed and enables mutual relation. With other people. So a real sense of. Presents living with you. In every moment of your life. Okay let's just look at these together. Number one. Is she is the presence of god. The attendants or dwelling of the divine. In a place or a person. Sofra gampel if you go to a place that is very sacred a sacred space. You they would probably say that shiv cena is especially dwelling there. Or if a person has a lot of charisma. They would stay out the shift tina has come alive in her. Or if you have an inspiration. A great idea. They would say. It has alighted upon that person. So it's it's. Times of particular. Awakening of the. Spirituality. Number two. She is the nearness of god. Not transcendence. She is close to human being. And she is intimacy. Especially. When you are praying. Or learning studying. Eating in holiness. When you're in community gathering. And when there's deep human connection. So all those times she said. Tubi. Very present. Very alive. Remember when jesus said when two or three are gathered in my name there i am. That's a rabbinic saying. From urbanek literature at the time. Which says that the divine presence. Is alive and palpable. When two people or more are gathered. In god's name. And praying together or studying together or there's deep human connection. This is an old rabbinic idea and now it's it's brought into. The more feminine. Sensibility. Okay number 3. He is the feminine side of god and the feminine aspect. Within all human beings. So this is not just within women. This is the feminine. Principal within men also. So within man and woman. There is a masculine principle and a feminine principle. And this goes along with the idea. In the old testament that when we were created. We were androgynous. And we were one human being the original adam adam. Was half male and half female. And it was to being. And they were attached at the back like siamese twins. And so they were. Kid that was considered to be homeless. Perfection. A state in which one could i directly experience the divine. If one had both the male and female aspects. So then god came along and saw that adam at the back. And we became. Man and woman. But the spiritual task of every person. Is 2. Incorporate that original androgyny and cultivate. The feminine principle within one and the masculine principle. And then one will be fully functioning. And a fit. For the divine presence. Okay. Number for. She is the only aspect of the divine accessible to human being. He is our intimate connection. With god and others. She is called gate. One who enters the divine. Enter through this gate. Columbus ohio. So this is. I have an extreme statement. But it was thought that. The shekinah is really the aspect of the divine. That is so close to us it's. Did the other aspects of the divine or a little bit more inexpensive are hard for us to. To touch an access. But the feminine divine presence is is very acceptable. So she is the gate. She is really the link. Between. The human being. And the divine. She is that aspect. Which is the first step. On the spiritual path. The first opening. That we take. Okay number 5. She is relational. She's the aspect of god we can be in mutual relationship with. She also enables mutual relations with other people. Because when you are in. Deep connection with another person you are relating to. This. Divine presence feminine indwelling divine presence. The hikaru shibaraku is the holy one blessed be he. This is. The god of the old testament. This is rebecca moore patriarchal. Image of of the divine and that was thought to be unknowable in in terms of an intimate connection. You can be in relation with. Deep relation. So she is considered to be the mysterious. A feminine that the queen or princess. Hidden within. Each person. The only aspect of divinity that we can actually. The only one we can greet. Example of a code word for her. In the bible is. Glory. Hubbard and that is often pictured as light. So if you see a a radiant light in a certain place like over a temple or over a person. Or over a place. That is considered to be. Her presence. So it's. It's that fine line between. Where the spirit becomes physical. That sense of. Numinous. Like that. As the lights pouring in. So the glory of god in human experience. The shipley know is the aspect of god that we can experientially. No. She can be experienced directly. When we have community gathering. Like this. Or when there's making love. Or when there's moments of common. Human. Intimacy in all levels. Number 6. She is eminence. Eminence that mean. Inside. She is the holy spark. In all things and being. Even in the worst places. She is the future. The divine life force. In every being and thing. So i stopped there for a minute and explain that. It's not that. Within every person and everything and everything in nature. There are two aspects. There is the outer covering which is called the husk. And then there's the inner part which is called the feud. And that's the divine life force. The colonel. And that's what you you want to. Search for. And within that colonel are. Police park. And they're trapped. Within the outer covering. And so our job as human beings is to be able to look beneath the surface of things and being. And. Search for those holy sparks. And release those holy sparks lift them out of there. Imprisonment. And when all the holy sparks. Have been released. Then the messianic age will come. The messiah will come. So we are the one. Who bring the messiah. We are just waiting for the messiah we're actually. Part of bringing them. The messianic. So she's called the holy sparks. That are scattered. Within all material things and people. We can't see them they're hidden. So are our job is to. Distinguish between what is simply appearance. And what is inner core. Okay. Moving on. In number 6 in the middle. She is called i. Or this. Or in this way. I is annie. Is. Call. In this way. That means just what presents itself right in front of you. Just what. You are in the middle of just what the process year in. That's what shafina is it's not something far away or justin or something that you have to attain. After years and years and years of work. It it has an immediacy to it. Just what you're involved in. At the moment. Play number seven. She's called ruah. Hakoda. Which means the holy spirit. She is the prophecy which comes to the prophet. So whenever anyone experiences. The holy spirit. This is considered. To be her. It is said in the talmud. Whoever receives. Bass. Of one's friend. Receives the face of shafina. Feminine divine. In the zohar. Takes it one step further. Instead. The comrades your friends. Actually are. The face of shafina. Because shekinah is hidden within them. She is concealed. And they are revealed. So she is that those holy sparks or that luminosity. Within. The face or the being of your friends. So you're your focus in yours in your spiritual life. Is tubi on joining shafina. And that joining is called devacut. Which means. Sticking to or cleaving to. Or attachment to. Or i. Searching for and folding clothes. So it took a real a reaching out and connecting. With something deeply. So once you are trying to do that. Zohar says. Just as you. Cleave to her constantly. Then she cleaves to you. And never leaves you. So this this is the goal of spiritual life. Is difficult. Cleave. The shekinah. Devic. In hebrew. The root of. Debit cards mean. Glue. So it's this idea of reaching out and it hearing yourself. To this eminent presence. Within each being insane. So. This presence is with us always. But sometimes. When we hurt other people or we lie or we steal. Or we get off in some way in our actions. We exiled her. And she retreats from us just a little ways away. She just moves a little bit away from us and weight. Waits for us. Change waits for us to do some good action. Play some positive thoughts. And then she comes back. So she never leaves us entirely she just takes a step away temporarily. And then she returned. All depending on our action. So she is. Symbolized by the moon. And the moon is is always changing. Sometimes it's full sometimes we feel her presence in a very big way. And then sometimes she's. Completely apps. We can't feel her presence at all. And then sometimes it is is growing like a a crescent moon. So she is always in the process of change. The holy one blessed be he does not change. He is. Still mmm changeless. Sofina. Is always in the process of transformation. They say that. She represents all the colors. And she's constantly changing colors. So we don't get an idea of a static. Divine here we get this this. Image of constant changing of colors. Constant a coming into our awareness and then retreating depending on our actions. So very much of a fluid. Changeable devine. It from the zohar. Quote when the transgressions of the world abound. And the subpoena. Is defiled. By our actions. And the male removes himself from the female. The mighty serpent. Begins to be aroused. Woe to the world. Bands of marauders. Are aroused. Throughout the world. Many of the righteous are taken away from the world. And why is all this. Because the mail removed himself. From the family. Cuz this is. The reason that adam got kicked out of the garden of eden. This is a commentary on genesis. So instead of seeing it as eve's fault. Emma's or it's thought that. We actually are in the garden all the time we are still in the garden of eden. But. Because we have exiled. The feminine. Divine presence. Tamar being. And from the world. Then we are kicked out of the garden. We no longer see the beauty around us we no longer see the wonders of awe. The radical amazement. So this is the reason. That adam. Was kicked out of the garden. He exiled. That's temenin aspect within himself. And within the divine. And once we do that. Even as as as women. Even it when the woman does that. Then we exile ourselves from the garden. So instead of it being. God punishing. Eating from the tree. It is thought to be. We somehow marred our original androgyny. That the divine presence. Has a male and a female side and we have a male and a female god within us. And when we exile. One part of that. Then we take ourselves out of the garden of eden. And we no longer experience the divine presence. In our daily lives. So the zohar sanctioned utopian activism. In that it said it is now. The task. Other people. To pursue the return of the exiled shafina. God is in exile. And the holy sparks are hidden. In. Things and people. That's what exile. Exile each person feels. Was seeing two because. By the exile of the shafina. The alienation. Of the famine in from the mass killing in god. So holiness cannot function. Holiness can only function. When the male and the female principle. Are present and alive. It is only through human effort. Status shuffle now will rise again. So here we have a very. Activist. Spirituality it really depends on our efforts. We don't stand back and wait. And ask god to do everything it's really very much a proactive. Sort of a spiritual practice. So how does. The shafina rise again. It is through our efforts. To find that feminine dimension. Of divinity and also within ourselves. And then the world will be repaired. And the machine. We'll wait. Until humans do their share. The exile of the shekinah is are losing touch. With the feminine dimension of divinity. So this is. Moving. Beyond the image of god the father. God the king god the judge god the man-of-war. God with a voice of thunder. Who is lord over his people and lead them into battle. So we have a. Complimentary image of god which is the shafina. Number 8. She is personified in each woman. Women carry the imprint and the image of her within them. Each woman is recognized as an earthly representative of her. She is called the world of the feminine. Women of light. Queen. Daughter. Matron. Sister. Why. One soul is a part of her. She's called the broken heart of the world. Weeping for the desecration of the earth. And the suffering of her children. She goes with a person. When one is in exile and suffering. Comforting one. So. That's why at the beginning of the sabbath. The woman. Is the one to light the lights like a candle. And bring in shabbat. Because she seemed to be the earthly representative. Archana. Fishermen have the. Feminine divine presence within them to. This idea of her. Weeping. For the desecration of the earth. And suffering of her children is a strong thing. Throughout a jewish mysticism. And seem to be. Guys partner. God. Mate. But. She is willing to leave. The holy one blessed be he in his. Remote palace. And. Go with the people. Into exile. She's willing to leave. The heaven. She's willing to leave the comfort. And the bliss. To be with people. Who are in exile. Who are suffering. Because. Current job. Is to comfort them. Is to hold them and to uplift them. And to feed them. So she can't imagine being separate from them. So here we have an image of the divine that is not just blissful. Is not just peaceful. It is an image of the divine who is protopic. It's full of feeling is really able to suffer with the suffering of the human being. Okay number 9. She's called the mother of all life. The midwife. The provider of food. Protector. Nurturer. Wet nurse. Keeper and protector of human being. And the world. No we see images of god as mother. In isaiah 42-14. + 66. 13. So this is not a foreign concept. But. These images are not picked up in the liturgy. And are vastly overshadowed by masculine imagery. So they don't have it. Impact on the dominant image of god. But in kabbalah. We have this rebalancing. The divine image. Income balaji is called the redeeming angel. Who protects the world. She is called. The mother. Who hovers. Over. Human beings like a mother over her children. Number 10. She is love personified. She's the caring part of god. Called the heart. And she's the intercessor. First human being. Since she is. So close to us. And. Also so close to she is the divine she is. Pray to for intercession. Is a sense of accessibility. We have. In the zohar. It describes how the holy one blessed be he. Threatens to severely punish. The people. Because of their corruption. And he raises his whip. Getting ready to punish them. And the mother that shifty knock comes. And intercedes on behalf of her children. Counterbalancing. The wrathful aspect of god. He grabbed hold of his arm and holds it back. And the whip is suspended. The sentence is not carried out. So here we see this. That's a balancing aspect. This mercy this compassion. Even though they blew it even though they keep sending and transgressing. And hurting one another in lying and oppressing each other. Still. There's this idea of. Compassion and mercy. Socially not is. Connected with expressions of love. And particularly romantic love. And. Marital bliss. The glow of lovers. And happy couples. Is considered to be the reflection of shekhinah. Rabbi akiva said. A man and a woman if they are worthy justina is between them. And abides in their mix. And if not. Fire consumes them. Saudi importance of this in a relationship to be. Focusing on the shafina between you. 11. She is wisdom. With a capital w. This is really yeah. Sacred wisdom or intuitive wisdom or experiential wisdom. Not necessarily the wisdom. Inbox. Could be but it's much more of a. Wisdom that comes from within. She is the co-architect. Of the world. Receive this in the bible. Where i cheated i was with god at the very beginning. And i was the co-architect of the world. She gives wise direction to human being. From within and without. So when you are in need of. Guidance. And direction. And you ask for that for checking off you find it. Through many medium someone may come to you someone they give you a book and maybe drawn to a book. You may go to a lecture you may be listening to your own internal guidance. All that is supposed to be a function. Abhishek. The basis of shafina is the wisdom literature of the bible. And that's proverbs psalms. Joe the book of wisdom. Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiasticus and beru. All these have several large passages. Which are taken to be. Foundation tax for the shekinah. K number 12. Human actions caused her to be present. Or depart temporarily. There's two streams of thought and jewish mysticism. One stream of thought says the shipping on never leaves you. Cabanas with you it's in your house. Is no way that she's going to leave no matter what you do. And there's another stream that says. No she withdraws herself temporarily from you. Depending on your action. So if you. Connect some transgression then she's going to move to the side of it. And wait for your return. With your return she returns. The association with humanity. Was emphasized. By the talmud. Which saw the shekinah as suffering when human beings aired. So she suffers. When we transgressed. Acts of insensitivity. Corruption of justice. And dishonesty cause the shekhinah to depart. 4 time. Whoever is humble. Will cause the schifino to dwell upon them. Whoever is arrogant. Brings about the defilement of the earth and the departure of the shafina. To actions which are harmful to others. Or one cell. Or the earth. Cause the shafina to move away from us temporarily. And then she watches and she waits. For human beings to turn. When she loses patience. In our ability to redirect our ways. She rises even farther away. But never to completely go. The positive actions of human beings attract his presence downward to earth. If you give a coin to a poor person. You become worthy to receive the face of the shafina. It's from the talmud. Another way that the schifino is drawn downward is when people. Are in need of a comforting presence. When they're suffering. The rabbis say hovers. Over the head. A sick person. So when you go to visit somebody who's sick. You are actually encounter initial see now because the shipping i always hovers over the bed. I'm sick person. Number 13. She is learning. And new interpretations of terraria. She is called orchard. Those who create new interpretations of tara. Are harvesting her. She is intuitive knowledge more experiential learning. Prayer also brings a person near her. When 10 people are gathered for prayer. There she is. So the full name of the shekhinah. Is the holy apple orchard. So when you are creating new interpretations of the bible or sacred text. It's as if you are walking. Through this holy apple orchard and picking. The apple. Andy chappell is a new interpretation. Ark scripture. So. Instead of new interpretations. Being threatening. Or maybe not acceptable because they're not. The party line. It's more considered that. Is the zohar says each new interpretation. Is. Considered to be. A jewel a new jewel placed in god's crown. Encourage. If you have new interpretations new creativity this is said to be the shafina in action. So a person's own ingenuity. And free-thinking. About the meaning. Text spiritual texts. Is is thought to be the divine in action. Rather than you're mistaken ways or your ignorance. Go on to the next. 14. She is glory. Light. Radiance. The luminous in all beings and things. She is the light. Of creation. So god's presence in the bible often manifests as light. This is the most prominent image. Of the shekinah. Shekinah is identified with the brilliance. Or splendor of god. Mentioned in the bible. The earth did shine with god's glory. This is the face of shafina. That's from a rabbinic commentary. Nice thought to be the screech early light. Which god drapes over a particular location. Or person to distinguish it. The guy just called the primordial light. Sew-in qabalah she is his numinous. Luminous presence of the divine. Is great light with shine. In. All creatures. She is. The jewel. Or precious stone. Represented. Buy the torah. She called the crown bride of god. The divine crown. Most common experiences of shafina are. Of light. In a gradient. Okay number 15. She is. Community. So another name. For her. Is. The assembly. Of all the people. So it's very interesting idea. That a name of the divine. Would be the community of the people. The assembly of the people. That gives a real divinity. To the people the group of the people. I don't think i've seen that in another religion. Where the community of the people. Are considered to be the divine. It's really quite a. Step. She is considered to be the protector of the people. She dwells permanently with the people. From the talmud. Whenever the people go into exile the show k-9 goes with them. The zohar says. Each person is a part. Or limb of the shekinah. The community itself. Is the body of the shekinah. So all of us together embody the shafina. So you maybe the arm you maybe the liver you maybe the lungs you maybe the leg. Someone else is the heart but we all are a part of this one body that is the chefe nah. So that means we're all needed. We're all crucial. To the functioning. Spirit and and other people. It's not as if. One person's expendable. Each person is crucial. And it also means that each person is responsible. For each other. Some other person is in need then we reach out because we're part of the same body and we need each other to be functioning well. Hey 16. She is called the creator. The source of all things in nature. The animating life force. The sustainer. The giver of form and individuality. The enabler of material embodiment. She manifest god's creative energy on the physical plane. She is. Dynamic energy. So we see her as sort of this intermediary for so this. Divine energy comes into her. And this divine energy is in its unformed state. It's just pure. A potential. Just. Lifeforce which hasn't taken on any qualities yet. No individuality. No particular nature to it yet. It's just pure divine energy and when it comes through her it takes on its unique individual form. So in her is this creativity to produce material form. In all of its infinite variety. Without her material embodiment would not happen. It would stay in this. Simply divine energy state without taking on a material quality. So she said individuating process. Which is still going on with us. The individuality of each thing. It comes through her. And is the driving force which seeks to express itself. In our own creative process. So we may also be going through this process. Energy be just coming through us in a very unformed. And it comes through this aspect of us it's just enough and it takes form. In physical manifestation. Unique. With a real individuality. As a a different form a different figure. And then she is that in her countenance. That lights up something from within. She is the power transformer. Or matrix. Through which is power unfolds itself. Is she is responsible for the presentation. The animation. From the hidden life of god. Here we're seeing. The haircutters barroco the holy one blessed be he is very hidden. Is very unformed is very abstract. And comes to her and it takes on. Animation in particular attack. Okay 17. She is sovereignty. Another name for her is mahu. Which means the kingdom of god. You read all the time in the bible the kingdom of god is among you. That is thought to be the schifino. So it's really god's manifestation on this realm in this world. She's called the ruler and queen of the world. A number 18. She is all-inclusive. The sum of all possibilities. And polarities. She is called mirror. As she reflects all aspects. Of divinity. So this is really her uniqueness. The traditional notion of god as father and king. Is dramatically transformed. To god as the sum total of all possibilities. All polarities in the world. She's called mirror for that reason. Did she reflects all aspects. Of our experience and. The divine. In all of its many dimensions. She's not just one-sided or one way. Okay. 19. She is the realm of direct speech. She expresses the divine language. She is called d'ivoire. Meaning the word of god. She is the mouth of the divine. She's revelation. Oral torah. As opposed to written torah. She appears through inspired individuals. The prophets voice. And she is. One's inner voice. The still small voice within you. Number 20. She is described by nature symbols. She's called rose. Night. Garden. See. Well. Tree. Field. Moon. Holy apple orchard. And rainbow. Pushy displays all the colors. Number 21. She's called social justice and righteousness. She acts through us. For reform. Corrections in society. We are required to engage. In social and political action. To make a transformation in society. Aiming at the liberation. Of all people. And a world where all people have the basic resources they need. To survive. Thrive. In-shape the structures. They give substance to their lives. So here we have a. Aspect of the divine which really encourages. Social justice work. That it's not a matter of just conforming to. The way society is at the moment. And being critical deviant. It's really i to rise up and try to change those. Structures of oppression and injustice. So that is a short description of shafina. I also would like to invite all of you. To a class is coming up on. The divine feminine in each of the world's religions. Which i'm giving january 22 through 26. Here in oakland. It's going to be a held at the united methodist church. But it's given through wisdom university so you actually get credit for it if you want that. But it's going to be. And we're going to look at each religion and the divine feminine in each of the world's religions. And important. Women. Teachers. In each of the traditions so if you would. Like to come. I would like to invite you. And the. Information here is on the second page. Phone number and website if you'd like to find out more about the class. Or you can email me and my emails on there. So this is just a taste of. Things that we're going to do in. Yes. Yes question yes. I'd like to know if this ruler ha kodesh the holy spirit. Is the same holy spirit that is in christianity of the third member of the trinity exactly. It is. Is insane. Record ash the holy spirit. Yeah. Is there a is there a difference in the way men or women access the feminine. Access this particular energy i'm thinking of it in terms of social justice are presidency etc etc. I don't think so and i think it's the same energy within us. Maybe as some people have different routes and like some people are more attuned to learning. Some people social justice work. Other people prayer other people connection with each other human bonds. There's so many different ways from all that you know i've showed you that. It could be you know your predilection. Some people are more attuned to being in nature. Some people are more involved with the organizing and groups. And actually doing. Doing things. So. I think it really depends on your tendencies. Stupid question. Sure. We're still in the garden of eden is that gray it's really encouraging a gloss and can never be retrieved that i have to work for the next 12 years you know to find it it's just that the idea of exile and that she's taking it still available to us. Is really hurting right in the second thing that i thought of was in alchemy the notion of a lunar of the moon as the gateway. That sounds like the same thing that that's the only way that you can. Come together with the earthly part of you. And the spiritual part of you that you have to come through the gateway of a lunar consciousness and that sounds like. Another aspect shekinah don't we have to do it in a. Embodied way to bring the both together yeah that sounds exactly i think a lot of alchemy was based on carvela yeah yeah a lot of things were. Yeah. Right there needs to be some sort of intermediary and it does come from. Idea of the moon or something closely accessible. Yeah. I noticed that you've been in jerusalem for a long time and i'm curious. How what's the relationship in israel. Between this mystical. Line and the traditional. A jewish more conservative church or religion. Well within. The cobbler. The circles of the cobbler. This is a big part. Very very big. But i think he do within. The organized. Patriarchal type of religion. It comes across in shabbat on the sabbath. That's the time where you bring in the feminine divine presence. You know you when you bring it in when you're. Lighting the candles and you bring in. They come my beloved let's go and greet the queen. So that's an established part of the mainstream religion. That one. A wii. I understand the queen comes and is a visitor in your house. So you stopped working. And you have a beautiful meal in her honor. And you spend your time with your family and your friends. And you make take long walks and nature appreciating. But not changing nature. And you're not doing anything to transform it because it's seen as. Beautiful the way it is. And you're spending your time learning. Studying. And praying and singing. And really appreciating things as they are. It taking joy in each other's presence. The time to reconnect with the divine. And that is saying really is a very feminine. Time is the time of the shafina. So you see it's filtered in. But it's not the same. Kabbalistic circles where it's really discussed all the time the shuttle has referred to and. It's up. Prominent piece. So it takes a while. I think these things too. Bubble up into the mainstream consciousness. This morning i was under the impression that. The messiah will come when the chosen people have regained the temple mount excetera excetera according to you. The messiah will come wednesday to the mail in the feminine. I've been reunited. Buy arlo device could you comment on that and also that we raise the sparks. Within each being and thing and situation. Example if you walk into a situation and it looks really dismal. You can say all this is a really difficult situation i'm just going to check out. Or you can say no. There's holy spark hidden here too. And my job is to raise them. My job is to look beneath the surface of things. And find those trapped humans those trapped holy sparks. And raise them out. Raise them up and as soon as. Everyone does that and all the sparks are raised. Then the messianic age will come. Do really depends on us. Doesn't really depend on the divine it depends on our act. Star war. Yes. I think in christianity were still worrying about. Weather belief is enough for it has to be belief with works. Yes and it sounds like shaking eyes is representing that second. Condition in judaism. Right. It's really all about work it's very activist. Spirituality it really depends on your your actions and how you treat other people. Very much in the world. Yeah. Before you. And. Next week we are doing christianity. We are going to be looking at the sophia. The divine feminine within christianity. So we'll continue on that note thank you, will we also take a look at mary. A little bit a little bit but really going to focus on sofia. Thank you.

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070401_Chris%20Craethnenn_2%20Services.mp3

uucb_org

060924_Richard%20Shankman_Buddhism.mp3

Martha is asked me to introduce richmond shenkman who's our speaker this morning. I know it because. He often comes down and speaks to. The song i wish i could. On thursday night. It's been a meditative for 35 years. I found it a couple of other stronger. Santa cruz i guess who's the. Is the one you work with the closest right now. So come on up and talk with. Speaker and i really like he's a wonderful person. Thank you richard. Good morning. Can you hear okay how's this. Tell him happy to be here this morning. And to talk about xm hoping most of our time will be some discussion. You may have some comments and some two and eggs i'm going to say a little in the beginning. And then we can open it up and i hope most of the time will be all of us. Travel to talk a little about a buddhism buddhist buddhist teaching. The first thing i'd like to say is i don't actually maybe i can get to ask other people here who had exposure to buddhism. Okay. And some not. One thing i would like to say is you know we often think of buddhism is this one. Kind of monolithic. Not my religion. And i would suggest that. Perhaps a more accurate way to think of it is that buddhism. Thought of it as a family of religions under this one umbrella that we called buddhism. They're all legitimate lee can trace himself back. To the buddha. But one of the. I think very interesting parts of aspects of buddhism in really i think one of its strengths is its that over the centuries has it. We'll get the different countries and cultures it retains some of the core. Essence of the teachings of john say a little bit about and just a moment. But it actually. Also would if. Adapt itself to different cultures different countries different. Spiritual traditions. In the country in the country to go into and so it took many many different forms so if you look at in alphabet and buddhism heels real tibetan. Right and if you go into this a lot of different forms as you can out there for example but if you go into your japanese sodas in zoey danny's denzel beatles real japanese. And so i can actually even some of the. The practices the philosophies the goals are not even all the same. And it's happening here in this country to. May or may not get a chance to talk about that much. But i'm people come harder where opportunities to all these different forms of buddhism. It's a real interesting time in history because. Really the first time in history and we have instantaneous worldwide communications at the internet. You know if you've got a i don't know if you got a credit card and a visa you know you can be halfway around the world and what 12-14 hours. So all the sudden all these different houston you know they were these different. Flavors of buddhism would be thousands of miles apart and overtake you six months a year 2 years of traveling. Things are changing on starting to now they're starting to. Influence each other. And i'm also stayed at i practice. Destiny's child. From. Resume afford to work for pasta night with his v texting. What is meditation. But it seems like in this country. Branch of buddhism. But it comes out of the style of buddhism that was practice. Today in thailand from sri lanka. Perhaps wow. And of the surly schools that were around at the time of the buddha. That is the only one to survive. 2 today. So you know i'm coming. Most religions are maybe all religions. We have some idea of what they were. Ultimate reality of oral summit. And i want to be a little careful here some people. They got you one of responded this. Latino in insane. Christianity judaism islam for example become idea of god. That would be the highest truth or highest reality. Perhaps. You know in gif. He had someone coming out of. The world is hinduism in hinduism is a very broad term also with many many different. Traditions in spiritual practices. Thank you for lesions under that also but you know depending on where they were coming from they may use terms like. It's soul highest. True self highest self. Different traditions might say things like. Spirit. Unmanifest reality. Alternate reality many many different terms of different traditions used to try and talk about some kind of ultimate reality. Now in the buddha. A little bit kind of point. Towards some idea of ultimate reality but in general. It's kind of different. Guide away from outside away but he he kind of refrain from. Talking in that way trying to point it and it gets in there a little bit. But what the buddhists and he was very explicit about that he said there is no ultimate reality and he actually claimed to have direct experience of it which we can believe or not believe. Bedini said anything we can say about it. Would actually fall short of the thing itself just because ultimate reality by definition whatever it is however we conceive of it each other will be different. Is speed on word. And it's actually beyond the. Verbal conceptual categories that were bound to use if you want to communicate. So it's something beyond the limitations of the human mind. Stand is it something to be experienced. But not really talked about so much and so what you'll find is. And this is not so true as you got into later developments in buddhist and we won't talk about that today but there and it goes back into some of the latin traditions you may be familiar with the terms of via positiva. The way of affirmation in the way of negation. If we go back using terminology for non-buddhist terminology of god. You know you could stay. Via positiva what god is trying to talk about it in that way which is no good. Pick your language whatever you prefer goddess. All loving all-knowing all-powerful all these positive adjective we could use. The via negativo would be just speak about it more in terms of what god is not. Maybe this isn't the best analogy but when i can think of. The poodle was using more this via negative approach. And so it's mostly tucker with his ultimate reality is not but not try to so much talk about a composite director. As a result. Most of the buddhist teachings in. 2 chainz not about trying to talk about this. Unmanifest absolute reality or the equivalency trying to talk about god if you wanted to use that kind of language. Most of the weight the buddhist teaching directly talking about the conventional world. And that's the reason why most of the rudest. So what is it that we didn't see when we take a close look at the conventional world. What are few of these truths we might call in in the buddhist language you might call them the ultimate. Truth of the conventional world. One of the things if we take a close look. And it's a real important thing in buddhist teaching. We look at the conventional world one of the things that we see is a set. And you all know this. Into big teaching nothing nothing nothing permanent nothing lasts forever. Now. And we all know this. Intellectually if we would request on it right. But we don't live our lives as if it's true. And that's kind of going to get them to stay a little more about this in a minute but that's getting down to the real core of what. Justin music. Buddhism use the term impermanence. But i'll just say a little bit about it. We all know that. But we as individuals you know we certainly don't laugh at least in this form they have certain beliefs or ideas about what carries on after we die but certainly a human being to your guitar bodies don't last forever we all know that. Everything seemed look around doesn't last forever these trees is building under the skin or nothing in the world the world itself won't last forever benchley the sun will supernova the sun and stars don't last forever really have nothing in the conventional world we can look at this last. Gravity fall in permanent. And as a result. It leads to this is called one of the characteristics of existence. Big term that use in buddhism. Since nothing lasts forever. Extent were grasping cleaning holding onto thing. It's a setup for suffering. If i'm attacked and identified with the body. Well look let's just be honest about it were all attached identified to the body were all human being so i don't think the buddhist saying or doing anything wrong it's part of being a human being is anybody here. Doesn't have some. Attachment to your body could talk later be interested to talk with you. We're human being so i don't think the food was making a judgment about it wasn't but i think it's more description of the way things were. The way things work is just that you know if i'mma text you know i remember when i was young. As a rock climber for many years those days are long behind me. But i kind of. Almost time for a number of years i was really into it. And. I had a lot of attention to you around at 2. And i remember being out out once with some friends and we were going to go climb up something look up himself. I mean we noticed that there weren't any old people around. And. And i noticed. I don't know what i was thinking but i noticed i said to my friend well that's not going to be me. I'm going to just stay with it you know i'm going to keep myself in shape and i'm not going to lose it and then. I don't know what i was thinking. Macaws. You know my body didn't really actually asked me my opinion. It just went right ahead and then as i got older. You know it's just. Besides i didn't have that i can have that fire to go do it because a body starts getting it doesn't hold up. And so. It's just a perfect example of well if i was. Gentefied with that. I'm in big trouble. So part of what we're trying to do in the buddhist teaching is. One of the ways of the big way to talk about us getting back to this idea of ultimate reality. He gave us teaching of conventional reality that did ways of living and acting and speaking. And practicing. That. Will lead us to direct experience of something. Higher deeper. So one of the ways we can live in practice in the world is to the extent i'm. Identified with what i might call this. This body this mine shorter than the small fence. Well that's not the best word but a better returns not coming to me. Right now smaller sense of who i am. That's according to buddhism set up for supper. To the extent. We. We do some practices different meditation practices and things we can talk about where i she come to directly c. Impermanent. If there's nothing sick. Impermanence by the way is does not just mean that. Things are here for a while. They don't stay forever. It even goes beyond that actually look closer everything's always in constant pain. Even things that look. Forget the water we can see that it's a bad example but. Feel stalin. But you know even if you. Electron microscopy and businesses could tell you that. It's just all these atoms and what are atoms unit all changing things is really nothing very solid it's kind of a loser. But we don't notice it sometimes. When we start to see that more what it can happen is. We can see there's nothing really to hold onto and clean to. So tightly. In the conventional spell since we do we still have our families our jobs our lives. We're not being asked to throw those away. But. What we're being asked to do was look to where we look for. For our happiness and well-being that's the teaching and buddhism. And soap. How do most of us is the rhetorical question how do most of us. Look for happiness in our well-being. I'm going to take something if it's just kind of silly it's so obvious but i think it's worth saying. We look for happiness as human beings. In trying to have more experiences more of the things that we. Morph life to be the way we want it to be another words more pleasant experiences. And have less of what we don't want less unpleasant. I just never we're all doing. Nobody's trying to have. More of what you don't want and less of what you want right whatever that looks like for each of us. And that's not nothing wrong with that this is part of being human being. But while we're busy. Trying to set up our lives you know to weather is consciously or unconsciously. To be how we want them to be. In the end we get what we get. Moment-by-moment right we all know life's uncertain we can't completely controller. So. The question is why we're busy living our lives and wanting it to go certain ways and everything. What do we do with you get what you get. That's what we're being asked to take a look at and so we. And part of it is that's part of this this this letting go or non clean they can start to happen. Life changes. We don't always get what we want and so. The extent that our well-being is completely bound us in experience or the nature of certain circumstances. To that extent our well-being it's actually kind of tenuous. Our well-being or happiness is completely dependent upon. The way the winds of life happened to blow. If we could completely control it. I'll try hard to do that. I'm not separating myself out from that. We're being asked to do actions make one little ship. You don't have to live in a cave. You don't have to go become a monk or a nun. If you want to do it at spawn. But there were many laypeople and into the boots of the buddha taught it was not only monastics. Even back in the early days. You don't have to throw away your life you don't have to go live under a bridge you don't have to stop being who you are and having a family and the things registry and none of that. The matter fact. If if we were to throw out all that away i don't think i would be very wise and skillful of us. All we're being asked. And that is. Can we start to make a shift so that our happiness our well-being. Is not. Only dependent on circumstances. It's not depending on what is experienced were having or not having. What is the relationship. With whatever experience. .. Relationship. I'll give you an example i was supposed to teach somewhere yesterday morning i've been signed up to teach there for a long time. And it turned out. Eccentric also be meno spirit rock meditation center marin county major center right. Traveling part of teaching this friday morning class about half time after time for long time. Someone else is taking over the the lead on that and maybe decision that they're going to start doing all the teachers define. And dumb. They want all the other teachers anymore because they were going to start doing it. Actually freeze up sometimes they didn't do it they didn't tell me. And i drove all the way out. Do you know spending our driving out there in an hour driving back when i got there they said oh oh and. Oh we didn't tell you no joke. Fairgrounds. It's not the biggest example the world is a little example but you know what. I could have been all bent out of shape about it i could have. Or it's just. Okay. Now i'm turning around. Now i'm driving back home. And really i noticed that i'm not making any claims that i never get. React. Already say. Or anything if you don't believe me. You know you just ask my wife and. You get the real story. I'm not making any claims your butt but in this example. And i found a piece of practicing this week. In many examples. Art in the heart stayed open the mine was perfectly at peace and didn't even come up in me wasn't irritated. Okay. In the car. It's just an example of you can see how we might it wouldn't be a judgment about anyone i'm just saying i could perfectly imagine someone being pretty annoyed cannot set aside my whole morning. I spent the gas money at 2 hours round-trip driving and fighting you taste me and you know we've all been into the house. That wouldn't be the worst suffering on were in the world but we certainly have. Is that what you never advocated we're related. We can import in buddhism to talk about. Jay. Is there truth. Things the way they are. So. There's a lot more we could stay here and i wanted to have some time for discussion i mean there's just so much we can send it trying to text on a few things. I guess the last key. I could go on for hours up here so. The last piece i want to say is that. We're not getting into. Power y but the basic teaching. If we pay attention. How we think and speak in half. Instruct to learn to watch our minds work. Notice the place. They create suffering in our lives. Start. Learning packet answers. Beginner part under the skills we need is to. Living way to create. Left suffering for ourselves and others. And living way to create more happiness and well-being and peace for ourselves and others according to the buddhist teaching then we're doing everything we can. Since after all all we have is how we thinking speaking act i don't know what else. Taking it back to what i said in the beginning not so much focusing on what's the nature of absolute reality or god of that transcend reality. What we pay attention to how we thinking speaking act. And by doing that and if many practices in many ways we might talk about that. Then. Living. Wiseman skillfully it's in to take us to the direct experience of the deep. And. It creates more harmony war peace more well-being here. So what kind of covers both vases. One way to say it. One of the last thing i'll say is if any of you i guess we could do it now but later i'll just say it now. If any of you really want to get more into detail about the nature of the teachings and. And because of the history of buddhism and everything i put little choir on the back there there's a five. 5 weeks series i'm going to be doing a monday evenings in october in berkeley and it's going to go through in a lot more like what real time to really go to the core teaching. And even a little bit of a life of the buddha and come at like what does in. Tibetan buddhism. But for now what i think i would like to do is just stop. And. If people have it could either be may have your own comments. Question. Messenger. If you would like. Thank you deeply for quite a while now and have been struck by one of his central teaching that i work i get to the sleepy teaching that we need to celebrate lost pain the shattering of our personal identity because. Stand in the way of the joy that we're capable of experiencing these ideas interact. So. I think that's what i would say is i love rumi. And i appreciate that a lot when you're bringing. So i would say. To the extent that we can do that. Yeah. Let us celebrate little register way of finding the joy. Not so depending on the circumstances but it really is if the buddhist teaching or maybe pointing to is that the possibility of i'll use this word. Freedom. Which may have a lot of connotation. Or happiness or joy or liberation or whatever word you want to use. If it's available to us. Potential steering any moment. Which week the buddhist i'm not that familiar with roomy but some in the buddhist teaching the possibility but we will call freedom liberation. Is there an any moment. Then how can we find any moment and that's certainly one of the ways. But i would still do that. I would also like once they do is. Sometimes. We can't. Find celebration. When the real. Challenges the worst difficulties hit. Sometimes. It'd be nice if we could but there are the times also when it's just too much. He's not saying we have a choice i done saying becky says the opposite that will never choose that will never do letting go of our identities and things were attached to but life will force it on us we will we will get sick we will die we will lose everything burgers and one way or another sooner or later it will give us our stage and and he is just inviting a meditation interact nicely with the idea that spending a lot of time in contemplation. You know a temperature to practice. So that we can beat these situations with an open heart in a quiet peace. That's exactly right. So thank you very much. Nothing lasts. Forever. Right. I say everything last forever will have to recognize that it changes. There isn't really accept my glass is half-full. Yeah i wouldn't. Play minus half empty but let me just say this maybe it's just the way we're using words and language. I'm not sure because when you take everything last forever i would say for example. Take this building. We did nothing. We all just walked away. And we just left it alone. At some point it might take hundreds of thousands of years it would just called hart. What would the earth itself will be gone at some point. No it's true if we want to say i don't want to get off into the metaphysics year i understand what you're saying you're saying. Eternal. I'm not actually sure how you would know you but i don't want to say the words for you but you know maybe these atoms will take a different form and everything so that's true i suppose i'm not really. Interesting conversation i'm not really. Talking on that level but you're bringing up what i'm doing is. In this teaching. Is. How can we use this idea to free ourselves so if the idea. That the way you were talking about it. Lisa's great opening. Or non clean opening to something deeper bigger so it's leading to a sense of freedom and. That's great. If. What useful is i'm i'm actually noticing that i'm useful to. 2. Open ourselves directly to the bigger picture if you will. And that says what can also be useful is if we actually notice it to some places where we are. In fact stuck in cleaning it identified a small contracted wave the cheapest from the from that reality can be useful it's only. To contemplate on the half-empty parker parker today. Do things don't last forever and everything in that can help us. In the buddhist. This is very important. He was not trying to promote. Any. Secular. Philosophy ordog dogmatic view. Or opinion. He was just trying to. Haven't eaten it's going to vary from person to person and some situation situation what is it that this is free. Many many different types of. Earlier recorded. The earlier scriptures discourse. Telomere conflicting. Bekasi taught contextually. Each of us are different. Moment is different. And so what's needed in the moments of freedom mine. Isn't always the same thing so i think what you're playing to it maybe two different ways we could. Are you taking people or she. What i hear about buddhism i think of the dalai lama. M.. How important is he at to the average buddhist and what is his parole. And how much allegiance do they give to the dalai lama. Yeah. I would say this. He's kind of the closest we have to the. To the buddha spoke yet. But i would say this. So technically the dalai lama was his one branch of buddhism. Tibetan buddhism which is actually in the whole world of buddhism is quite small. Piece of quick tibetan buddhist diaspora because of what happened in china and everything. So he was the. Temporal head of state of tibet. And. From a spiritual point of the detection for different. Animal documentaries for difference. Text or schools of tibetan buddhism. He's the head of one of those he's not the head of the other three. Call deluca's. So. Having others who don't recognize and they're actually cincinnati buddhism. Tibetan buddhists to this whole political things actually feel like they were being oppressed by the dalai lama so it's a whole big thing but most of us and everybody that i know just has his tremendous love for him because if you've ever met him. Not messing one-on-one but i've been to see him a number of times. You know. It's just love love love. And when you're around him it's just love love love. And so. You know he's considered. By the tibetan to be an incarnation of. Transcendent being if you will or the bodhisattva of compassion poster be the incarnation of compassionate cell. So when you're around i don't particularly. I'm kind of diagnostic on that whole cosmology of whether that's literally true or not but all i know is when you're around him. In any way that matters. Incarnation. Compassion. So. Most buddhist. Just hold him with tremendous love and respect. Even though he wouldn't necessarily be considered the spiritual authority or the head of the lineage. A lot of love and respect in the last thing i would say is one of the things. Among so many. Think i loved and respected up a dalai lama is just that he. You know he is very. Sincerely not just. How to be politically correct sincerely respectful and open for all the different not only was in buddhism but and i've heard him speak many many times about you know. Whatever it is that we're drawn to this opens our hearts that have us live in harmony with each other. He said she noticed the path you should be on so you know if you find that you know. Whatever you know is mom is with you and that's what opens your heart. Will you shouldn't you know that's where you need to be so i think he's really i really appreciate that about. Can you talk a little bit about what happens when i consciousness practicing acceptance runs into social injustice on the street. That's a huge topic and what i would say is this. So one of the things that. Can get a little confused i don't think you were saying this project want to name this that. You know we talked about in buddhism and i'm up here saying well we just learned to kind of let go. And let everything be as it is right. So some people will say wait a minute that means if i'm. You know what's derek's coach. You know someone's being abused do we just say. Yeah that's the karma you let him in and so i think of the answer to me is real obvious in lemony snicket's there's two levels of relieving suffering. Did i just didn't get into this. The one level of relieving suffering in the world is what would be called the unconditional and the unconditional call the unconditional cuz it's not depending on circumstance. It's what i was talking about earlier. Can we find a way of being where happiness and well-being is not dependent on uncircumcised. What is more hower relating. So can we find the heart mind stays open at peace regardless of what's going on one level. That is a whole other level 2 equal. Which says of course we have to pay attention to circumstances of courses fix the situation of course and in the perfect i'll just give you one example. So obviously. Look at this mini exam. I was on a meditation retreat when hurricane katrina get a little over a year ago. I think it hit on a monday. And i came out of been spending two weeks in silent intensive meditation. And i came out i think was the winds day and. The news was just starting to come out about the people i started. Convention center. You know these are people who hadn't have food or water for whatever 2 or 3 days. And they're even reports of. Innocent shooting. Do you know that made maybe we're going on and. People getting ready for gang beasts and know every single number just sounded like like like a hell. Environment truly as hell. You know and i'm going to say something and sometimes you might laugh i'm just trying to make a point. You wouldn't go up to those p. You know the problem here it's not that you haven't had any. Food or water for 3 days and it's pitch black in the center of your being shot and killed your problem isn't that your cleaning and you need you need to learn to let go and sin not have your happiness betide external circumstances. Of course not it's ridiculous. They needed food. Take me to water. Think right. So what i would say is is that. Both are important that we meet league of course very much needed in the buddha talked about this and self by the way when you go back. It was not only these teachings of go off and live in a cave room however we might do it. Renounce the world. We're off in the cave and i'm off in the stomach. And i'm out of here and i'm off to the strands and i'm going for nirvana. Whatever that you heard that word at least we won't. What it is since i haven't actually. A nirvana i can't really talk about anyway but i can tell you was written about it. He also the boudain selfies many many teachings of. Improving at the circumstances here in the world. And so to me it's intuitively obvious. Italy requires no explanation is both of those are true. And what it is what is needed in the moment. So what's austin mean just in the moment is. Personal people need. Food shelter daily safety. You know there's a whole area around social justice. Get into. Get that need care and attention and if we don't pay attention. And we don't want also also we don't want to throw away the teachings that also when it once the people have their food and shelter and. Are we taking care of a lot of these other issues. Then let's not throw away the peace that also said. Well now is it possible also to even. Not stop near but even find it even deeper happiness or well-being. Kind of not depending. Inner peace. That you hear about him. So i'm kind of going on and on but. One last thing also is it a big topic. A buddhist cuz they're over there i know number. What you call socially engaged buddhist. I am myself i do some work. Run program in a couple of state prison. We bring meditation. And so am i i try to do some things like that a rhino number. Do. It's this idea also of. A prison can be very frustrating. And i don't want to. A lot of people in their sincere and try to do the best job and i'm not trying to. Dump on the. Play. Inside myself even when i'm trying to. To do that work externally. There has to be a place of non-attachment. Results everything i can. Can we do the best we can. Also. You know. It's like the world be what it is. People in order of. I don't get to you. I love your presentation. I have one comment and. I was in an audience went for the dalai lama was asked. What do you do when you're confronted with social injustice. Questions over the dalai lama says. Do that. Questions are related. I've had the. Serious asian. Who did scholars. Stan and beautiful. Expedition. About. Weather is the diff. Scranton. I do not. An open unanswered. Digimon we can talk more about that. Okay. The other. It has to do with. Enlightened. Robert thurman. Thinks that. Buddhism wells lose. Agreement. Enlightenment is. Come another part of the counter. United states unless we have monasteries. That's a big question i'm actually know about. Read things that i've heard him say that exact same thing what i would say is this. In any. Traditional what we might call asian food has come. Country or buddhism came to the west. It was always the case that. The level that people. The depth. Which people took their practice in the actual realizations they had it was a wide range in a continuum. And even among the monastics by the way if you were to go to age now this is a gross generalization but i think it's probably pretty safe to say. Only a very small percentage meditate at all. Maybe 10%. Even the monastic. Light-up gets enjoy anyway. And all that but. Of the 12 meditate. It's a whole range of what levels do you know the 12 universities. Masters and if you ever need any of these it's just something palpable. Not too many. So i don't want to over romanticize the. The monastic side. Having said that i think it is true. And i think that. We need to have people who. Whatever form it takes. 2:30. People commit themselves their whole life. 2. Whatever traditions are practicing in if we want pizza really. You know father tap deeply. Sew-in to come to some realizations on their own. Tell that i practiced by mederma teacher in in. Lay practitioners now throughout the world. Many many flavors and spouse buddhism out there that's its valuable lay more than the monastic. Cuz they might teach them all you're getting caught up in form. With the monastic in the name of the hole. So i think there's something to what he saying but it's a whole interesting. i don't think it's right or wrong. In traffic so what i would say is. For all of us in whatever way whatever traditions were called to. You know we're the students of the. Previous generation. And we're the elders of the next-generation it's not anybody else's us here here. So i think it's for all of us to come to as much awakening as we can. It's much realization ispy. And we do the best we can with that and then. I don't know what direction. Going to go to. Even if who dis is coming into america and this is there's a lot of thieves from ethnic asian community service. It's not that much interaction with some of the. People born here in the west to weren't connected with some ethnic communities has come here and as a different style buddhism so there's a lot of. But among people like me who was jewish and you know grace jewish and now i'm buddhist. Places like spirit rock where there is a blending this happening. They're actually wanted to become more and more part of the culture. And people will plug into whatever level they can so for example i'm starting to do some work with oakland schools here about bringing some meditation mindful for buddhism when i'm talking about nirvana. You know when we going to prison. What can be helpful hearing you know if people can learn to be a little more mindful and awake. A little more self-aware. Taken. What they're for us. In the teaching and it is part of the culture in and so they'll be that whole place that that we wanted to become part of just the culture much as possible. And i think you're hopefully will be a place for the other forms that we don't lose. Who are. I think the monastic will be apart but if you know what it's going to be a lay movement. Country kiriakis. Call olmos. The real question then he has given the test going to happen just look around any of the group. And i'm not that many monks and nuns here. Most people i know who were serious students and teachers. Are taking it on as an approval koan for us to see can we come to a deed. Seriously. Real awakening xl. In the midst of. Lai lai. And that's a question for everyone here in the room. You know everyone here comes to an end of suffering. Liberation and freedom. Given. Your life is what it is. So truly question for all of us. And i hope the answer is yes and i don't want us to give up trying. Before we flipped this great experiment. Play self. Master i need your advice. I hate war. B2. And i find that the war against terror. Has increased terrorism. Do i go out with vocal righteous indignation. Or silently meditate. Perhaps. You don't have to feel either one of those away. So i just want to be a little careful here because. Tell him to come back exactly what you're saying. Company uses clinical example here in a moment. I want to be a little careful. One of the things i can't i don't know this community in this team. But i'll just know when in the sender. Potassium in my. Dharma my spiritual world. Most of the people that just happens mostly people there tend to be pretty little to be pretty progressive. And so sometimes you know somebody up there and i'll say something like you know. George bush and eliza blowing leaves an idiot hahaha. everybody will go hahaha. But. Statistically. Small percentage or three people actually politics or conservative. And i see them kind of it's not safe and they kind of a cringing in the back i'm just imagining. You know cuz it's not safe or whatever. And so. I guess i don't know you all here i'm going to use this pitiful example but. I happen to be pretty. Liberal and progressive myself but if you happen to be conservative. You can just. I'm going to use an example of george bush in a minute but my point here is not to policy. Point i'm going to raise isn't that you could just substitute in. Clinton. And then disanalogy i'm going to use will work for you okay. Here. For everyone in that way. Having said that. My mind goes crazy around george bush i don't have any piece of that. Serenity to learning edge for me and i come here. And weakened by definition by the way it recently buddhist world. You can you can change that you can read language this into your own petition. But the way in the buddhist world by definition until we're all buddhas. By definition of places reminds aren't free. We're still going to get caught. So. Here i am by definition i'm not a buddhist places i get caught and. I think that i can have. Pretty decent amount of equanimity and peace my heart face cream open my mind state. Pretty decently i'm not making any claims you as i said earlier you know. Get my wife. And i'll tell you but definitely and i think a lot of it is come directly out of the practice and has been transformative. And i have my ads. Or and especially in particular ministration you know i look at it. You know i remember when when reagan came in i just thought all right. Can't be as bad as i'm going to start working it was think we're going to be okay i'm going to make it. You know what i did i did make it. And then when i win. Scotty and i just thought. When he was in rajasthan. If he. I'm going to die i'm going to physically die. And then you got it. This won't be as bad as i thought. And actually for the first time that i can remember it's worth it's way worse than i could have imagined it's like it is worth. It actually is beyond my worst-case catastrophic fantasy. Then the question is what am i going to do. How am i going to be. This is what i strive to do when it's a learning as a just want to be honest about it over and again. What i strive to do is. I actually i went ohio worked on carrie. Actually happen by chance of being columbus. Training ohio. I only went there because i was just going crazy and i had to feel like i was. Something it wasn't suicide i've been trying to be involved. And to the extent that i can't find the peace in my heart. I suffer. So my goal is in actually. This is what my own personal goal is for myself and my life. My goal is to living away where no one is. No one is ever shut out of my heart. No human being is ever set out of my heart that's my goal. That's my aspiration. But i wanted to practice. And then i get to notice the places. Where. You know it's not hard to find places where my heart.. And then. How do i work with that. Miss many many things. I still need to. Administration out of here. Somehow. And. Can i live in. Texaco on 4th. A friend of mine very wise friend of mine. I have a little. Where i meditate. A funny word for. Little buddha image. Pictures of some things that. Are inspiring to me. Meditated are. I suggest that i quit.. And i noticed when he said that i. Okay i'll try to ridgeland. I can't i just can't. And he said well we loving kindness. Before you meditate. Literally consciously does physics for malpractice. Loving kindness. Practiscore. I couldn't do it. Here i am saying my aspiration is. We're no being has ever said out of my heart. And i don't even want to try here so i think it's important to notice the places where. Maybe we just go to someone food. Not much. A mile. Let's practice there. Pushes it's too much. And indian have some compassion for yourself knowing you don't give the place where i can't go. And then we just try to keep growing and growing and knowing that there's places we have an end. So i know to say i wish i had more wisdom around. I think it's hard. Try to say this here. I realize that we only have about three minutes and i'm sure what i'm assuming one. Arsenal versus. Within buddhism distinctions extremely brief it again maybe this is a good segue to also give a. I mentioned my class. And if you really want to get that come to you don't have to come to all but as many as you want or can of of this. Intro to buddhism. In a lot of detail but basically. Appassionata what happened is this there were some westerners. Jack kornfield sharon salzberg. Go to the peace corps in the late sixties and i were in somewhere in indiana in dayton and thailand. And got interested in buddhism there and became buddhist and practice intensively actually some of them became amongst there. And then came back to this country and started teaching and like in the early 70s. And so as a result of that what they made a decision to do what they were teaching in a traditionalist call tera vaada. Remember but. Harrah's of elders involved of the way. Karaboutis one of the only surviving school buddhism that was around back at the time of the buddha. All these other schools of buddhism invalidating number saying they're not as equally buddhism. You are prettier more much more recent innovations you know tibetan buddhism. Thousand years. South charleston west virginia. So. Let's bring back all the teachings and everything but they just want to bring back about the cultural park. I started teaching this meditation practice that comes out of there if you were to go to thailand into burma called the pasta with the viva pasta just needs to see clearly. It's inside. Insight meditation. I started teaching insight meditation here and then what's happened of course is a lot of things than all the rest of buddhism kind of float along with them. Ansell down people who practice for pastina some of them don't necessarily identify as buddhist. Some of them do identify as buddhist. Some of them connect with much more of the tradition some of them just fine. just do the practice stuff. I don't can't do it any better that quickly. And i'd be happy to talk offline. Okay thank you richard at you to get a very interesting job.. Let me. Remind you that richard will be doing an actual practice session with us on saturday october 7th from 9 to 12 here at the church so if you'd like to comment. How experienced some of the experiential aspects. Oh, i certainly will be there. Thank you very much everybody for coming.

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061022_Barbara%20Hamilton-Holway_A%20Theology%20of%20Hospitality.mp3

So many people have through the years found this to be. The way they linked to this congregation the way that they keep learning and growing and get engaged with one another so. It's really good to hear i guess this must be my 11:00 time to speak at personal theology. And what a. Download it's just great to be alive and great to to join with you this morning. I'm glad that i'm here and i'm glad you're here thank you for coming. Where are we. Well i. Blanket the world right now can seem to us to be so sort of harry then. Hurried. And time can't even seem to be times of hostility. And so at such times it seems what we really need is hospitality. We need a theology of hospitality or to even more important. Several short. I just want to share with you today. And i want to begin with a reading by kurt vonnegut. Who i think lays out the problem for us and the need for hospitality. He writes. People have a longing for community. This is a lonesome society that has been fragmented by our economic system. People have to move from here to there as jobs move. As prosperity leaves one area and appears somewhere else. People don't live in communities permanently anymore. But they should. Communities are very comforting to human beings. He goes on i was talking to a united mines worker lawyer in a bar down in the village the other day. And he was telling me how the minors in pennsylvania damn well will not leave even though the jobs are vanishing. Because. Of their church centered communities. And particularly he says because of the music. They have choirs that are 100 years old some of them extraordinary choir. And they're not going to leave that and go to san diego and build ships or airplanes. They are going to stay in pennsylvania because that's home. Vonnegut says that's intelligent. People should have homes. I would like people he says to stay in one community. To travel away from it to see the world but always to come home again. Is comforting. Until recent times you know human beings usually had a permanent community of relative. They had dozens of homes they could go to. So when a couple had a fight. One or the other can go to a house 3 doors down and stay with a close relative until he or she. What's feeling tender again. Or if kids got so fed up with their parents that they couldn't stand it. They could march over to their uncle's for a while. And this is no longer possible. Each family is locked into its own little box. The neighbors aren't relative. There aren't other houses where people can go and be cared for. The win the presidency says is pondering what's happening to america. Where have all the old values gone and all that. The answer is perfectly simple. We're lonesome. We don't have enough friends or relatives anymore. And we would if we lived in real communities. Then he says don't tell me i'm wrong. Human beings will be happier not when they cure cancer or get to mars. Or even eliminate racial prejudice or even reverse global warming. But when they find ways to have community. And i read somewhere in the chronicle a few months back about how most people feel they don't have anyone they can call on. To take them to a medical appointment. Where to pick them up at the airport. Because their relatives are spread away and they don't feel that they know anyone close enough to ask for that. People long preferred community for people who will take you in who will care for you and love you as you are. And in our wonderful unitarian universalist way of finding truth and building our theology upon world religions and upon all sorts of human understanding and learning i'm going to look next to. The earth centered spiritual leader and teacher starhawk. And this is the way she talks of this train longing. We are all longing to go home. To someplace we've never been. A place half-remembered. And have envisioned. We can only catch glimpses of from time to time. Community. Somewhere there are people to whom we can speak with passion. Without having the word catch in our throats. Somewhere a circle of hands will open to receive us. I will light up as we enter. Voices will celebrate with us whenever we come into our power. Community means strength. The twins are estranged. To do the work that needs to be done. Arms to hold this when we falter. A circle of healing. A circle of friends. Someplace. Where we can be. I have long loved those words. They touched back into some deep memories for me and some sweet longing. Even as a little girl i would say to myself. I just want to go home. Even if i was at home. Somehow home meant me a place where everything was going to be okay. Where i was okay. So i'm finding my way into a theology of hospitality by looking at my own experiences including even looking at my dreams. Cuz all of my life i've had recurring dreams. A big old houses. And in these dreams when i get to the house i am just so glad to arrive and i feel like i've come home. Old house. And in the first three and it's like i'm surprised to discover that there are more rooms and i realized in these houses. And through the years though as the dreams have progressed. Now when i see the house i'm just so excited and i know how to get to those hidden rooms and get off to them. And i love finding these additional rooms and what that means to me. And in the dreams i have been surprised to see that there are green and growing plants. In the rooms and that the rooms are being. Tender than cared for their clean their ready. Recently in a dream i'm at this house. And a group of people arrive and it slowly dawned on me that they're going to be. And i go off to the secret wing of the house. And the beds are all fraction made up and ready. And i can welcome the guests. But in my waking life. I'm not so ready for guests. One day dress rushes into the next and the week is hectic and busy and then suddenly i realize oh my god we've got guests coming and i need to change the sheets and wash the towels and clean the sink and vacuumed up the hairs and the dog fur and air out the room. Makes me feel exhausted thinking about it. Bill and i are apart of a monthly supper and discussion group. And our own schedules make being a part of such a group really challenging. Because most of the other people in the group work regular schedules. And saturday night is a really good night for them. But saturday night is a school night. For us. And we usually still have our homework to do. So it's not. And it's. Through the years in any sort of way of being the host and hat being hospitable. I find that if i clean up the house. Prepare a nice meal. Clean myself up. I'm just pretty exhausted by the time against the rye. And i'm not able to be present. And engaged. And no matter how good the food. I don't feel satisfied. I think styles of hospitality maybe another thing in life that gets passed along generation to generation. Because if i. Stop and try to remember and picture my mother when she prepared meals. She was always fussing about. Should work really hard ahead of time she cleaned and cooked. Polish the silver. Dust and shine the glasses to sparkling. She would set the table and then mess around with getting everything place just so. During the meal she would still be fussing about. Waiting on everyone else. And i always wanted her to just sit down. And be with us. And even for just simple family meals like a breakfast. She'd be flipping the pancakes while everyone else was eating. This is the model i grew up with. And it's likely that my mother grew up with the same model. Many of us have been raised with an awareness of the jewish and christian culture and so we have heard the story of mary and martha. Jesus enters a village and a woman named martha received him into her home. Martha's sister mary at his feet. And listen to his stories. Martha is distracted with much serving. And she goes to jesus and complains and she says don't you care that my sister has left me to serve alone tell her to come and help. And jesus answers. I guess he has to say her name twice just to get her attention. You are anxious and troubled about many things. One thing. Is needful. And mary has chosen the good portion. Which shall not be taken away from her. That message has sunk into me a little. If we are relaxed. And present. If we sit and share good talk and listening it's likely that the supper no matter what the food is that is served. Will be satisfied. Start with bills in my month to host the supper group. I set the table cleaned up and served a delicious spicy garlic eggplant. Moo shu vegetables. Sauteed green beans. And sweet and sour walnuts. I told everyone that bill and i had been taking chinese cooking lessons. And they believed it for a minute. The little white carry-out containers were we're hidden in the recycling. We had a good evening. And as people were leaving one of the group said to me. And it's really loved your energy tonight. The barber. You are anxious and troubled about many things. One thing is needful. Sit down and be with us. Just sit down. People are longing for someone. Did jack be with. We long for sanctuary. In my dreams of that big old house. It's sometimes a church. In one dream it's late at night and i'm a little girl and i'm walking down the street alone and i'm scared and i have a rock in my hand. I'm afraid and this rock is my protection. I walk along and i see the big old building a church. And it's all glowing. I feel safe. And i walked toward its doors. People need church. The community. For sanctuary. But a congregation can be distracted just like a host just like martha was in the story told by jesus. People can be running around doing church business. We can be talking only to people we already know. We can miss completely. Stopping. And listening to the stories of our guest. And since our theology says that the nature of jesus is human. We can miss out on being with someone like jesus. And all we really have to do. Is welcome. And just be with people. In another one of these house church streams i'm part of a group of people and we're out on the street and we've all gotten in tangled. In the dream it's actually literally entangled one person's hair is caught in the zipper of another person's jacket. And a hook of one person's code is stuck in another belkin anyway everybody is all entangled. And we look up and again we see this glowing church. We disentangle and go inside. The congregation is just singing the last words of the closing hymn. There's lots of energy. Enjoy. And we are welcome. This is what i want for everyone. And i want to tell you a story that's from our unitarian-universalist heritage and when you hear it i think you'll know what i was drawn to the story. The world was a winter wonderland. No hung on the trees and a young person named mary went out into the night. But she was unable to see y'all have this beautiful. The night was christmas eve and she felt just a desperate loneliness. She had rejected the religion of her church. In her childhood. So she had no church. She walked the streets and this was in duxbury massachusetts. Just feeling terribly alone. Her younger sister rachel had been born with a congenital illness. And when rachel was a youth the illness groover. The families minister visited rachel and her family. And he preached to them that rachel had to be converted or she would go to hell. Somehow this young. Person had in her. Something that part really intrigued me of let this young girl had that to her. Family and to her family's minister she refused. Despicable. The minister was angry and declared. If you die you will burn in hell forever. Mary's parents were frightened. How could their daughter rachel. Refuse. Salvation. They tried to convince her and again she refused. Rachel died. Her family was terrified. Rachel would burn in hell because she had not been saved. Mary rejected this idea. Rachel had been sweet and good and she's never done any harm to anyone. So married to stop going to church. And that night on christmas eve when she was feeling so lonely she passed a church. She could hear the music. She felt an old yearning and she stepped into the light of the open door. The carol was just finishing and the minister stood to speak. The church was warm and loving people were smiling. The christmas eve sermon was titled. Fervent and hopeful. Mary had never known a religion like this. Instead of preaching thin the minister preach love. Instead of a condemning god. This god was loving and forgiving. As mary left the church she asked to borrow the minister's sermon. Later she hand-copied the sermon so she could always have with her these words of love. The church was the universalist church of duxbury massachusetts. Mary found a religion. As if she could just totally fully embrace with her mind and her heart and she joined and this face lasted her throughout her lifetime. It didn't hurt that she later fell in love with and married a universalist minister. But mary livermore became a newspaper reporter and then editor a national lecturer and public speaker mary livermore lived a long and productive life advocating for social reforms and women's rights. And she always had the universalist church saved her. I assured her that her sister was not in hell and she could reclaim her faith in life. And in her style. People are desperately longing for a church a community that can heal and not harm. That can bring salve to the wounds they have perhaps from an earlier religion that sometimes even condemn them to hell. And our congregation are unitarian universalist faith has that the saving message. We believe the world would be healthier. It's more people had in common the values we share. Freedom reason tolerance justice. Stretching open minds and also wide-open compassionate heart. I'm going now to turn to one of my favorite theologians this is garrison keillor. From lake wobegon days. After sixth grade. I left sunnyvale and rode the bus. In lake wobegon high in town. Where mr dettman was the principal. A man who looked wild hogs were after him. A giant icicle hung over his head. Worried 8 at mr. dettman. Younger that's what if we ran downstairs believing that we were going to fall and break our necks and died on the landing. He imagines pupil choking on food and so he wouldn't allow me in the lunchroom unless it was totally ground up. I mean had his own winter fear that a blizzard would sweep in and the school buses be marooned on the roads and children paris. So in october announced that they eat people who lived in the country would be assigned a storm home in town. If a blizzard struck during school we would go to our storm home. Mine with the kugel. An old couple who lived in a little green cottage by a lake. She kept a rock garden on the lakeside. Appearances of elyssium pansies petunias moss roses rising up to a statue of the blessed virgin. And around her feet a bed of marigolds. It was a magical garden. Perfectly arranged the ivy on the trellis seem to move up in formation platoons of asters and irises along the drive. And 3 cast iron deer. Graves in front. It looks like the home of the kindly couple the children lost in the forest suddenly come upon in a clearing and know they are lucky to be in a story that will have a happy ending. That was how i felt because about the kugels after i got their name on a little slip of paper and walked by the house and inspected it. Don't my family might have wondered about my assignment to a catholic home. They had not known. We were suspicious of catholics. Enough to wonder if perhaps the pope. Had ordained them to take in little protestant children during blizzards. And make them say the rosary for their supper. But i imagine the kugels have personally chosen me as their stormchild. Because they like me. They had told mr jackman in the event of a blizzard we want that boy the skinny one with the glasses. No blizzard king during the school hours that year all the snow storms were conveniently on evenings or the weekend. And i never got to stay with the floogals. But they were often in my thoughts. And they grew more than my imagination. My storm home. Lizards aren't the only storms and not the worst by any means. I could imagine worse things. If the worst should come. I could go to the cloogle. Candle might be lit in the window and i'd knock on their door. Hello i'd say i'm your storm child. Oh i know she'd say i was wondering when you'd come so it's good to see you. How would you like a hot chocolate and an oatmeal cookie. We're so glad to have you i can't tell you carl carl come down and see who's here and carl would call is it the storm child. Yes himself in the flesh. You know i want there to be a place like that for you i want this place to be like that for you where you know that you are welcome now and it's the worst. Sitcom. I want you to know that. Someone is saying so glad that you are here i can't tell you. So good to see you. And i want more and more people to experience such a reception. Imagine how you would feel if one sunday you were walking by our church office and you heard one side of a phone conversation. Someone calling out from our church office phone. Honey it's me. Yes. I'm at the church. I just been to the service and i want you to promise you'll come with me next week. No this isn't like other churches. This is different. Right from the moment i drove into the parking lot i felt welcome. Everybody's been so friendly. I feel so at ease. I can't believe how relaxed i feel. People seem to really want to know me. Even though i'm brand new lots of people have talked with me. Well there's just been such a sense of joy. I walked in the door and i felt like i'd come home. I would love to overhear a conversation. When i hear those words of starhawk that i began with. This morning i guess i usually imagine myself coming home. That there's some arms. Stretched wide to receive. That eyes are lighting up as i am scene. The tears are ready to listen and people ready to accept me for who i am. The pointers are ready to appreciate and celebrate my finding my way to being here right now. The truth is. The more that we see ourselves in the other world. As host. The more our own arms open our eyes light up. The more we listen. The more we recognize and appreciate what it for someone to find us. And choose to make their way through our doors. The more we reach out to the gas. The richer our lives. The more we actually have what we want for. In greek mythology there is the story of an elderly poor couple. Two strangers arrived at their door and the couple welcomed them into their cottage to rest and eat. The strangers eat and then they asked if their bulls can be replenished. The old couple are sad and embarrassed because their picture is empty. They go to pour out what they believe will be the very last drop. But the picture. Is full. No matter how often they tore from the picture it is always. Don't you just want to. How's that that miraculous picture. In some ways in some deep and true ways. You do. All that you need you already have. In the realm of the spirit. There's no such thing as non-renewable resource. Resources of the spirit art infinite. And they don't have to be hoarded. They can be freely given away and shared. Relax. Welcome the stranger in your midst. Right here. Ask questions and listen at least until you hear something that makes it so you can introduce that person to someone else you know someone who has something in common with that guest. So if in the first few sentences say you discover that the person has a passion for reading aloud to children you can say oh i've just got it introduced you to when he's there or maryland joyce for people who you know share that interest. And if you haven't found that connecting link then keep asking more questions and keep listening until you do. Keep listening. What a difference small things like a friendly face. And inviting question. A listening ear can make. What we are about as religious people is discovering the hidden splendors. Ann arbor. When you close yourself off from people you will find yourself in the driest of deserts. When you open yourself to others and to the new. You will be fed. You will have lice. In the midst of welcoming another we find ourselves. At home. After years of study. And ministry. I think this is a pretty unsophisticated theology. It's simple. It's very straightforward. Common sense. Perhaps our oldest and deepest knowing. I was a stranger. Any turkey. Thank you. So i am glad to have this time now for questions and discussion and engagement with you and. Claire has a question or not. How does this work. Okay. We have four mike's to here. Barbaro's reminded. Is it on. Barber i was reminded. When you said that you had. This recurring dream of the. Large house. And i think you said you kept finding new rooms and. Maybe some for hiding in or resting in whatever. I was reminded of a line from a poet. Oliver wendell holmes. Building more stately mansions. Oh my soul. Yay thank you i love that thank you. And that old line of in my father's house. There are many rooms. And sometimes when i have this dream i think well i think maybe part of the messages there's parts of your mind and soul that you aren't discovering and knowing. Yeah there's more it's like that whole notion that the. Spirit 10. Be you. there's more there's more to fine so there's more room in our hearts for hospitality as well. And thank you. Selma. For all the blessings. That you and they'll bring to us and i'm remembering one of my first day at. Turd. About four years ago is when you and bill had. I'm back from colonia turkey and i walked into the atrium and her about remy. And near that i was home. Yeah and i have known that. I was remembering that and i think you are referred to this address the rumi poem that is every morning a new guest arrives and welcome them all. And in that poem. A roommate talking about. We might be having to face. Difficulties during the day incredible challenges. Sweetness joy beauty but be ready no matter what it is anger to welcome this guest to learn from it and know it. And i think the more we take on the physical act of welcoming us the stranger. Speaking to someone we don't know just covering the death of there the more we are also capable than of our own doubts and welcoming whatever comes our way. So thank you for the room everyone. Welcome. Did everyone hear her. Wouldn't you say it into the mic victoria so beautiful. Welcome and entertain them all. Because each has been sent as a guide from beyond. Weather beyond means whatever it needs to. Thank you so much barbara. I'm not home yet i just come back from my homeland and grease and if you want hospitality. Yeah that's where you go. If i spoke just a few words of greek. Any any great time at. I i was in their home. But i went to connect with my first cousins in france. In athens and my mother's island mickey genie. And it was just. Even though i had not seen these people. Some for over 40 years somewhere over 18 years. I was home with my family and i'm so glad i i'm still there and i really i'm envious of your dream because i think of course that we are at home we are at home in the rooms and everything in it still. It's just wonderful to hear that. And it's it's nice to come home i'm glad to be here too. And i think the stranger ii need to welcome is myself before i welcome anyone else. You know wednesday couple things connected to that one as i think that the home we most one is to feel more at home in ourselves. That the home is carried with you wherever you go. And i have experience. You are experiencing greek connect. Green's connecting with your relatives in with. Your people. Certainly was my experience with not my people in that sense but in turkey. Where i think some of you heard me tell the story of how. Bill and i were traveling on just the regular public bus system in it was a 24-hour bus trip and we were. Riding with all these people and we didn't have a language in common we did some mining and we did some drawing together. People stopped at rest stops along the way would invite us to have tea with them and. Make sweet connections but then when we actually got to the town where we were getting off the bus. We were lost it was raining and we had this little crust of bread was all we had left in our backpack. The really looked quite forlorn and a landlocked. And there was a wedge so that we can be out of the rain trying to figure out where we were and around the corner and someone came out carrying a tray with g. And. So that sense of hospitality that i think is some countries in some cultures. Very dear. And so i want to learn from that and i. Agree with you that we need to make. Welcome ourselves. Learn the stranger we are and host ourselves into being. And i think simultaneously. Being reaching out and that is in the reaching out and in the connecting and in the sharing and the story that will learn our own selves to in our own deaths. To the mountaintop. To wait till we were enlightened we we might have a long wait and we might be a pretty lonely so that it needs we need time alone certainly to be centered and strong but we also need to be in relationship if that's where we're going to grow ourselves. Don't talk to dad okay. I just wanted to say to all of you. That them. Maybe you know that i've been going through a very hard time right now with the illnesses forthcoming death of my husband. I did not even have to ask. But the kerry committee was calling me and taking care of me. I have a lot more of its going to have to happen and i know. That you're all here. Thank you barbara. Thank you laura sand i. I think that's bad sense of coming home and yourself i know that there are people in this room who have dealt with. The death of loved ones in the ones closest to us and have worked with hospice people who help us to feel at home and i dying and feel present to one another and the ends of our life and what a huge wonderful thing and. Message cuz it's i just. Can tell you how much i believe this is true. That the more you show up here. The more you actually get what you want. So that if you come to as garrison keillor says the blizzard or the worst. The storm in your life if people say. Oh my gosh that happened is so until we went to let's get some food over there let's get some let's see how we can help. If people go only that. Was that that person. Blonde hair glasses. Ithaca. It's a truth. I edited that coming-of-age class last sunday totally sweet experience for me here's these. Seventh and eighth-graders 12 and 13 year olds. They walk into the room they put on their little stole that they each have their own stool they put them on for. They like their challenge they speak opening words that are printed up on the wall they eat little votive candle and said something about themselves. They. That they had a closing word and i thought the kids who come here. Week after week. This is really going to be a coming-of-age for them they are really isn't going to be some phony ritual it's going to be deep and real but if you come sporadically it probably won't. So you show up to welcome the other but you're also making her place here and experience that so much with bill olson memorial service. Up here with this man that so many people said. He was the first person to walk them to me. He was the first person to reach out and take my hand and then the tributes to him and how there was no dearth of people there to be for that family as he went through his. Dementia and decline. So what you really long for and won and in some ways to keep going out and searching and searching for all it does is take sort of rooting yourself someplace and saying i've searched this is it i'm going to be home here and i'm going to make it home and then you actually have what you want. The hard lessons worth cuz we just keep searching. Your word home. Had such a residents to me. Because it reminds me. I would think maybe about 54 years ago. That i first step. Into a unitarian church in burke. And. I had been in berkeley only a short time. But enough to begin to put down some roots out of this university. And but when i stepped in. Do the irish steve's church down on dayton street. I felt at home and the curious thing. Is this has held for me in whatever unitarian church i independent. In san diego. But we moved i stepped into the church it was my church this is my. It's my church. And the people in it are my people. But it is mine first. And that came from that stepping into. The jerk. And dana and ceiling. This is where i belong. And this is mike. There's something about how you step in and who you are and that gets met. That's certainly true end at phillips memorial service turtle bun chadwick unitarian universalist. And it is sort of like a little work here teacher. It's your turn and then that also makes it our church. And that word home as you say it's it's a deep power forward i can remember being with a group of people and somebody just which was this song. A song that has the word home in it. Crying. It's cuz it's something it touches. Really have party. I don't think i want to throw mine the range. There's a lot of them yeah it's getting it with the wizard of oz is there a homecoming you're not. Something anyway if it was one of those. Can i do this often happens actually in religious community. That i can look at this little song anyting. How simplistic family guy. And then you start singing it and looking around and realizing that it is touching some place in you and the word home is like that. I'm gloria merrill i've been a member of this. I don't really. One day. Telling my parents. Everyone is broke. Here i am. My kids have. Benches. I have been. I have help with fundraisers. But one day i can visit my parents and relatives from hawaii. I open spanx. Someone. Came running. And block the door. And said what are you doing. My turn. Oh my god. All the things that you've been telling me about this. And to his dying day my father said. I was not. Oh my god i'm sorry yes but. Because of. I have. Not really.. Emhyr. Color. I still remember it. Care in my mind. Be careful please. Someone who is a member of the church. Chilling. Someone who you don't really. Absolutely. Thank you and that well. Thank you for being honest and telling the story and it is just so heartbreaking and how powerful how long that experience has stayed with you. And i would just wish that we could have a second chance. With you and. Certainly. I wish that there was a way to heal that wound and the wound that your parents felt and that we didn't live up to who we profess poppy and. And just to take really too hard how important. Our present is with one another and it's like that thing of saying when i'm. Rushing around cleaning and making the food riding trying to get everything right i can't be present and sometimes that's how we are here we're like trying to do so much and do that we don't. Am i i have to also honor i know the time like when it's fairly recently had a thursday night dinner. I was wanting to speak to hospitality i think i found it for the hostel. I wanted you to pick up some people sit at the same table every night so i was kind of like. You can talk to someone new. You know that's kind of like the shutting the door so how to kind of. Keeping open keeping present keeping welcoming welcome in. What is different from ourselves and know that it's fine the way there's a place where we meet and touch interconnected and one. Directions to spend a most delightful and stimulating morning especially for me yes when i hear those words coming from you there's such a strong link between hospitality caring and caregiving and. I heard there's so many places and minuses sometimes we have. Negative things that happen in life but when i look back at caregiving i got no i've gone through some very heavy things to end caregiving where i find that there's some critical things that come up that i really rubbed me the wrong way when i look at the overall picture. That caregiving has been a great reward and if i haven't learned something from that then i can't help anybody else. And it's. Very satisfying open your arms to someone i give them comfort to because it comes back at you as another reward. Well i think many of us know that eldon. Stretches are understanding of what it's like to be a caregiver and has this been doing amazing caring for so long and so well and it's. It touches my heart and i don't know that i'd be up. For it if you have pulled. From something some deep wellspring to be able to do what you do. So many things. Akora. Hi barbara. How. I couldn't even. Yes. I'm beverly and i won't even coming to the tree. Two and a half men. But. Thinking of a memory that i had the church i grew up in michigan. What kind of my. Storm torok. Because. Have an automobile and i live two miles south of town. And my school is a mile north of town. And the church. Which i've been active in since i was about 4. With a place. Frequent. So when i started coming to the church it was so friendly. How many people reached out to me. That i said to my daughter this reminds me of the churches that i could. And when i come into the atrium i look around i just feel. Walls of very cool and it was just an interesting. Memories that was triggered by the friendliness of this that i have felt. Steven i don't. This was. Church became a storm pork. I'm just so glad and. I want to say you know we all. And mess up but need to be generous with one another as sweet as much as we can into. Try again. And i think mark has something to. Barbara. One prices. What's kerman. Beautiful scene. It's so simple. Indeed. It said that i should. One of the lines. Rumi poems. That was left out do you broken your vows. 1010. Yep, gang. All of us could do better. More welcoming sure we will be. So that's one of your face. Thank you very much thank you martha thanks to all of you thank you.

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061112_Bill%20Garrett_The%20Gospel%20of%20Judas.mp3

And as you remember bills a professor at jfk today for the talk about the gospel of judas. Gospels in the desert. We didn't know about. My son will it hurt. Are you talking about. You know you didn't have the concept anyway bill had some things to say about what this costed me off. Reverse directory back with you again. So just beginners how many of you have heard of the gospel of judas. The amazing race years believed to have been written in greek original greek sometime between 1:30. X180 why do they know that because of the church father irenaeus in the year 180 condemned it. Ingress. Parabens agency coptic. Probably in the early part of the fourth century. Because in 371. The another church father athanasius declared that all of the gnostic gospels all those 2010 onicle gospel of matthew mark luke and john and they were turned over to be burned and if you don't turn your gospel. Of course. 371. That's when the order went out it's also very very interesting time it's also when a lot of christian mystics in egypt sort of got the direction of where things were going with the church and they took off and became desert month is when no part of this. Play event barringer scriptures that were very precious to them thinking that after a few years ago blow over and then come back and get him. Are the few years okay was that was that was until 1945 that the cash at naga body was found not far from dunkin body is where the gospel of john. And. Many scholars who were working with this now i regularly will tell people that did to me. And i probably should say i'm not a christian very friendly toward christianity but not one. What am i. I'm working on that i don't know exactly everything still working on that but i do love studying ancient christianity. And for my money the most. Exciting of the world's religions is none other than christianity because it was so hidebound by yarbrough for so long and now it's free and flying in seven different directions is not more. Very exciting play the noted author elaine pagels. Send up the discovery of a judas along the other gnostic awful as well. She says that it explodes the myth of a monolith a monolithic religion. And demonstrates how diverse and fascinating the early christian movement was. I think the real lesson for us in the 21st century what christianity wants was. So it can be again. Right now here in the present. Have anything. Is christianity a religion. If it is not to be relegated. Fun house that you will televangelist. And uncle christian centers where people go and have something that looks more like a football pep rally right then.. Then it will be important to bring these ancient ancient resources. The interesting thing is there's two ways to rethink a tradition that people who are dedicated to it from here to the future. Another way is to discover new routes you aspects of the past and that's actually both is better these are happening religion but the most exciting are the discoveries of the past that the christian past is not a bit what we thought of it. I was raised the catholic kid. And i got the intimations of that just from reading the scriptures then you read the scripture and read that read that scripture which of course is a galaga not supposed to do but at least when i was in when i was 10. Separate. Less than four miles from where jesus grew up at nazareth. And it was a rental roman urban city. There was a there was a healing center of aesculapius there was just all kind of things that jesus. Almost certainly would have been about. But that's not over until about this time. We're going to go back to the enigma of judas. What went on there. The easy answer if we take advantage of a survival what went on there and depend upon which. Gospel you read because as you move away from the early source the actual events of jesus life. No matter what topic you're considering the events getting more and more spectacular and more magical the gospel of mark. Find consensus is the earliest of the so-called. Canonical gospels in your bible right. And it presents the starting with the baptism of obviously obviously. In the gospel of luke story of jesus. And his mom and john the baptist mom come into a room together and the little caesars of john the baptist jumps for joy after sure how joyous that was her for recognizing that he's met his bizarre and savior. Now you can move out another for having 10 15 20 years and suddenly where is. It's not even spoken of his jesus anymore he's a he's a particular kind of the christ this christ known as the logos. And he is there at the three origins of the world in the beginning. Sprint in the beginning was the windows and the logos was with god you get the idea the statue of jesus is elevating and elevating. The further away from you get from the act of the actual events. Something similar happens with judas. Judas was just one of the guys and more friday was just worthless.. Addenda. He becomes positively demonic in his in in his evil becomes an incarnation of evil. So again what happened couldn't jesus have a better judge of character than that and i probably would have been conned by this guy. What was going on. Was judas a zealot. Various schools of judaism those around one of them were committed to armed overthrow was he one of those zealots who said if i put jesus i believe that jesus is the son of god and if i put him in the hands of the romans apple for the romans hands and we'll get this apocalypse underway that's one.. More interesting i think these suggestions. That judas was the only one of the disciples who truly understood him and they had to do this ritual. Execution. And he was the only one judas was the only one strong enough of you read that now doesn't that the move doesn't do justice to a goes a long novel extensive dialogue between jesus and judas. Judas is jesus and the jews i can't do this by myself. You're the only one who's strong enough to do it anyway did you decide about the ez roll you've got the tough when you're going to have to go down and be the bad guy throughout history. Interesting that actually happened this way. Nobody knows. That brings us to especially an interesting especially interesting bearing on this. Send judas was a gnostic. And that they were acting out a kind of gnostic myth. I'll come back to that in a second because i think that's that's the one that's the most plausible. In any case the conflicting stories matthew has him hanging himself. Lux accounting asshat says that he bought a field. With the blood money and without plowing it and. Exploded. Building explodes. I was so enamored with explosion. It's in the book of acts a c t f. Actually believe they know where the field is 4140 contagion. People know where all this stuff is but you can't rely on this because it's a tourist area right there comes to a bar or something like that. It is obvious that the judas gospel by the way. Online. It's in inexpensive additions there it is but he's way to get it is online folks philando get there. Clemson orientation to the ancient texts found at nag hammadi in 1945 and gnostic gospels. But if you are i think familiar with the concept of gnosticism but i'll briefly review it. The word agnostic. The word gnostic how many wisdom. But more specifically transformative. Gnosis is an inside that involves direct and unmediated experience of the divine. An important point gnosis is an alternative. Two-face. What has faith in regard to that which one has not yet had immediate experience is that making sense. I guess you like it you're being daily right yet. What are the things that judith said to jesus. I couldn't possibly say where you come from. And i'm in other words is beyond expression and language. So. This was trouble and it was trouble for the clergy and generator trouble with the clergy. For animals for the church and its intercession. Your job father. Has been outdoors. What the clergy typically did this is no longer a salvation religion but a self-realization religion in this. Just going to ask you to trust me i'm not a buddhist either i'm not going to try and more christianity into a booty. Is more similar to the gnostic religion also of buddhism. The object is not to revere. That's the object of the game rituals over here and i did all this january he will wait for what that's the whole purpose of the teaching. Similarly in the gnostic version of christianity. And there was of course inevitable tension and hostility between church authorities on the one hand and the gnostics on the other. Adams i mentioned by 371 the gnostic gospels were declared heretical. Probably some of them were buried. The gospel of judas about it and then we'll have some time to discuss it i hope. How many of you have to refresh my memory how many of you have read the gospel it's very short the gospel of judas anybody. What are the things i love about it. Did you find the statement like this. Open youtube. pair with jesus now often he did not appear to his disciples as himself. What was founded as a child. Is it get today. Now if you insist upon reading it literally lot of explaining to do and then probably you can do that. Jesus frequently searching that the kingdom of heaven was uniquely accessible to a child truly my markten truly i receive the kingdom of god. What is the special characteristic of a child receptivity to change. Relentless. What's the question are constantly asking yyyyy wonderful new yorker cartoon where mom is reading their season reading chair and there's a lamp over her head and she's reading clearly the story of cinderella and the little boy looks. Eastern bank. And the horses will turn back into mice. No. We see that. We see the. We see it in children we don't see it in institution. Curiosity is the very thing that institution 10 to discourage. Actually i'll ask one of the great church father the first great writer and thinker and psychologist saint augustine. In book 10 of a of his confessions. He speaks with what man to discuss the disease of curiosity where people just want to know things for the mere sake of knowing. Horrible in-house simplest day.. Anyway he was jesus morphing himself into a tryout. Typically wind gnostic gospels are found there are not champagne corks pumping. In the vatican. He kept her huh okay well what now. We got play bruised broken right there so for celebration because typically a ninja tutions. Formulates itself around nuts. An experience but primarily around belief. Is this making sense. Its formulation self around the leaf in latin. Creed i believe his cradle and quite literally are you a christian lady run and repeat after me god the father almighty creator covid-19. Find contrast gymnastics. Designated specific beliefs as not entirely unimportant what kind of beside the point. Did you have this experience. Other media contact who told some of us today a mystical experience whereby you were paying for. Some of the church fathers a guy named clement of alexandria for example is describing in the letter we just have this letter we don't have anything else it but it's describing the weather is what you going to do with the price looks like. Actually they had coherent beliefs but the gnostics were committed to the idea that the specifics of your belief. Rather like the specifics of your love life. Could only be walked by you yourself could only know maybe you're you're going to find somebody to fall in love with. You decide somehow and ways that you can't really get the specifics of your christian belief will not be something. Crafts with paper that you don't decided you discover it right it's it's like being in love you discover the drug. The one thing that the gnostics shared is that these possible to have this immediate contact and transformative transformative believe. That possibly is what is emblemized by jesus turning into a child. In general. The church is leftist. The police they became typically their own deceptions but typically 95% of the time religions of consolation rather than religions of transformation. And the spark and fire of the religious teachings that we find a gnosticism. Are not speaking the language of consolation. They're speaking the language of a transformation. Just that's that's what we expect. The one that i love best. If you heard anything about it. It's a gospel where jesus is laughing. Agrarian today or portrait let me redo a pageant there's several. One day. In pious observance. When he approached his disciples they gather together over the prayer of thanksgiving over the bridge. And jesus left. The disciple said master why you laughing at our our prayer of thanksgiving for we've done what is right. I am not laughing at you you are not doing this of your own but because it is through your god will be. And the disciples became very angry when i heard this they started getting their hearts and. it began blaspheming against them in their hearts. Now. I like to think it wasn't the chuckle. You walked into the room everybody. You're laughing address robert de niro. That's what i want. Think about 4 minutes. Clearly jesus is portrayed as seeing something misdirected. About the pious prayer. Providence cycle. Well for one thing they are engaged. Empire engage in devotions. And if jesus is a gnostic typically for those who are possessed of a gnostic disposition devotion is a distraction. Devotion is something where you say both let me worship you. Send message of the gnostic christian movement in this is pretty well-documented in it if you understand. Who you are you know that you don't have to pray to everything outside your devotion and devotional prayer are necessary when the divine. Is out there or up there the wait wait up there and i'm going to pray to it. By contrast. The orientation in gnosticism is one of introspection. The divine is not. Out there but we didn't you. The exchange depicted when jesus laugh out loud. Is because the. The disciples are seen as not getting it. Outside themselves and ask questions and basf. It's through the process of introspection. I'm so free lization that your your quest will be brought to fruition. Good. Those two decks. Simple enough that's one way of looking at it. In other words that jesus laugh. Because it wasn't no. And he was trying to teach his disciples a gnostic path but they heard those it will all go pray then i'll go to a gnostic prayer to the great god. Playstation support. No i want to say that there are two other ways of understanding this because not just on the idea that they were involved in devotional prayer but they were praying to god. There are two ways of understanding the gnostic position as it emerged in egypt. Where these texts were found. And they are both opposite. I'm sorry that doesn't austin texted me that gnostic teaching in egypt or the opposite the gnostic teaching. In persia very very profound teaching developed in persia. And it was against the church teaching. In the mainstream christianity what start with you with the person gnosticism. Persian gnosticism. Grew out of a religion called storrow astria azzam. Zoroastrianism is a theological dualism where you have not only the good god. What's a badge on you have gone other words and you have seitan. And in that. There is an ongoing battle for the earth. And which side is going to win there are angels on god's side there are angels on satan side we call them demons write him when you look at the gospels jesus is walking through the texts of especially matthew and mark. In addition and more troubling leave the human species itself is divided into two camps. Those who are children of light those who are children of darkness. And the time is late my friends. It's coming anytime now all this great confrontation where all will be revealed. And there will be a terrible battle and it's always the good guy who win is not under the old mythology. In this story earth is worth fighting for it is the great battle ground. I just want to take that it's called noro astria ism. I don't want to complain and complexify this too much but actually zoroaster is a greek rendering of his name his name is also one that you're going to be familiar with. Zarathustra ryan sarasota. What does total religions are oestrogen ism. Another development grew out of classical zoroastrianism from a guy named mami m a n i. For those of you who are in them studies not man you write emanuel money mani. And mommy we're from 216. 2276cc that's important. He was murdered by zoroastrian priests at the heritage in 276. And he believed. Zoroastrian dualism had it wrong it wasn't a kind of horizontal. It was a vertical do what was in which god was all pure and contained no material whatsoever. By contrast in this view matter was the principal of evil matter was a prison. This world was not made look at it. This world was not made by a good god this world was made by a devilishly clever demonic god. The orthodox zoroastrian view which tends to be the view of the church by the way they will donate roaches. Embodied in the recent blockbuster the lord of the rings right. Nibblers is worth fighting for some good place and we're going to get it back from the evil sauron a good triumphs over evil. The manichean uses you of manning you came to be called a manichaean ism. Is best illustrated by the series. The matrix. You are in a world you think you're going through all these experiences but. You're not really typing these experiences at all what's really going on. If you're lying in a tub of warm somewhere being used as a battery being used it to see the matrix. It's okay. Any idea in one the world. The human beings that are dark. You're already in it this is this is hell and they believe that if you don't attend the right kind of wisdom you get to be reincarnated. Neo manichaeism is what it was called of the so-called half-hour heresy that prevailed in the language of region southern france. You get the idea manichaeism was very very important and came to be hugely important in the development of the church. By contrast. Turn off this ism of an odd hammadi library the gnosticism of the gospel of judas. What is an egyptian and not a persian gnosticism. Where's the persian gnosticism was profoundly dualistic. Egyptian gnosticism is monistic there is only one reality. That reality has a first expression egg highest pinnacle. Emanates itself it transforms itself. Into everything that exists. It transforms itself. To being a manatees like a god or actually many gods. By the way one of which is the is the god worshipped by the jews and the christians. It transforms itself into you and i. And it further transforms itself. Hard to understand now because it makes it sound secular but that's out there into everything that exists. This world is a giant. Splendid transformation of a divine principle. That has everything from the most exquisitely spiritual expression 2. Don't do it cyborg i don't mean to be disrespectful about absolutely everything that exists is that. Is that maintenance. Unitarian. Oh yes. Whatever u m especially for levaquin scenario. Nippy is not going to get out of here. The traditional view of god is familiar and out here's what the gnostics did to him. The great mistake of traditional christianity and traditional judaism is that they saw god the creator of the universe as the only one that the highest principle. When the next two came out of dog hamadi titled don't worry about this the hypothesis of the archons they had a way with title. And hear the god is called their chief. Their chief is blind. Because of his power and ignorance and his arrogance he said with all his power has been there are no dogs other than me. John finlay. He sinned against all. And then there was a voice that came forth from the old all capital letters and said you are mistaken,. God of the blind. Another word. The christian the traditional christian and jewish god is somebody who said that. Your name is some il. God of the blind. This is the totality of reality everything that is from its highest most spiritual expression. All the way down to the material world the one that i like is kind of simple. There's another name for it that's really nice though. It is cold anthropos. Because it is believed this is nice. The gnostics believed that we humans are the only beings that manifest all dimensions. This ole or pillow. But he never has a toothache cause he doesn't have teeth. He doesn't have a physical body. We have a physical body and the spirit that resides within us is a spirit that is every bit as divine as god. We hire fullest. Of this reality and so that reality came to be cold by many people after. What we are ninjas. Now i want to connect this to the canonical gospels. When jesus was at. I am not. Warminster who are you. And remember. He said i am he offs. Andrew hall. I am the son of man. One way to understand this is the kind of an echo of the gnostic teaching about to hear he's saying i'm not this messiah is going to come down and be a battle god. I am the son of everything that is i am the son of a bowl. Unsung band. So clearly we got a different kind of. Different kind of religion a different kind of agenda. But rather of a of self-realization. The talk is one of transformation. Human souls will die. There is no personal immortality promised here. The problem with the question am i going to live forever oasis. Who's asking the question you have a limited understanding of what you are at this moment when you say will that go on forever. In the gnostic view typically. What is personal. Cannot be in mortal. And what is immortal is not personal. And the true core of yourself this was the gnostic teaching the true core of yourself is not right. Play music consciousness and the spirit by which bill to scribes bill to himself and you if i want and get the idea it is a spiritual essence. Is at the core of every human being. Transformation. Is moving from exclusive identity with bill garrett. To identity with the life that permeates. It's bound up and i don't have time to go into it here a couple years ago i think i gave a talk on the route in christianity their roots in the dionysus and elsewhere. Where were they initially called today is a transformative religion where something has to die that's something higher can be born. I'll just go to a little bit just the enigma that any child feel. Being introduced to the idea of the eucharist in christianity. You walked away and he's talking to mom and dad and his quiet for awhile my looks at him and says. So we eating huh. You don't put it exactly no no it looks like a funny guy i thought he was really special person. Obviously the christian eucharist does not describe a kosher dinner right you take the god if you eat his flesh and drink his blood. The metaphorical sacrament of the dionysia religion the world quite literally you become a different kind of life. By undergoing the death penalty for famous for saying jesus did not die on the cross jesus never died for you. I feel the best of reasons. Only you can die for you ryan is kind of like. Different words for life. What is bios. Farrugia biography if i tell you biography it includes the idea of death. What is another word for all. And jesus is open at. Will i gain everlasting by otis. And his answer invariably is i can get you the way. I can give you the way so clearly this sense of transformation is a transformation away from exclusive identity with sings a personality he who would gain life must lose like that you'll have to literally die it means that you put aside the demands of the hopes of this one little guy in hopes of participating. So that transformation is possible. One of the things that. Judas says. Jesus relates judas really to visions of jesus. Judy said to him in the vision i saw myself. As the 12 disciples were stoning and persecuting me severely. In a very important way. Is the reaction on the part of those who have as it were bought a ticket. To consolation if you are with a bunch of people with people decent people your friend. Who believe that i am i've got to destiny and i'm going to die but. My death is just the beginning of a much greater career and i'm going to go to heaven and there's grandma and there's no idea if you've lost kids if you lost family it's deeply consoled it would think that somehow you are going to be able to go and have them back somewhere. And such people will feel betrayed will feel in raised by those who say there is no such thing as personal immortality. The immortality that's available to us they continue is very real. But it's not ever in the future. It's right here right now if you know how to understand yourself. Nevermind the terminology consider a passage from from another gnostic gospel that was this time the gospel of thomas. Jesus said. Jesus said if you bring forth what is within you. What you have within you will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you. What you do not bring for. Will destroy you have a reality within yourself that is identical with something. Interesting lee. Something higher than god. The well worship god if you want but don't get stuck there right because god is not the highest principle reason why did you just laugh of the disciples. Because god is not the highest principle the highest principle is an impersonal principle. Something within people. But they remain oblivious of it. If we identify with the personal cell. Then we have not brought forth that which is within us. And your face is. Temple death. Individual life is born and it dies. Life itself does not die and you have a choice. Where do you establish where do you root your identity. Employed here is a rejection of the very reason why so many people are christians. The howe. For personal salvation the hope for personal immortality. Xxray automotive. Christian gray famous damn sap on the intellect. The religion of transformation. And the religion of consolation. Almost everybody wang the consolation. It takes a certain level of grit and determination to want the. I'm off to update you. Transformation. So we just celebrated judas as a gnostic master which he probably was. One of the few along with mary magdalene or that other basic ryan's right mary magdalene and the and the disciple thomas. Who actually got the teaching of jesus. I want something out however haven't i what is this business of the hateful betrayal of judas how we do understand that. Because jesus is gospel. Truly i say to judas you will exceed all the other disciples for you will sacrifice the man that clothes me. Renton. Illinois jersey black jesus is giving him an endorsement go ahead out there and and get rid of me so you can get to what clothes me. I think. In religion this is called hermeneutics. They're other words for as well but doesn't pay just needs interpretation so what you think of this. Jesus is telling judas religion of me don't. It what i teach. The object of the game. Is not to follow me but to become what i am very similar and i'm not trying to make this the wisdom traditions have the similarity was not looking for people to. Snaptube is solute. You're supposed to be, not following. I do all this really cool reverential. Stop-it-stop-it-stop-it you're missing the point the point is to wake up. Again back to the gospel of thomas demonstrated that he knew who jesus was. Jesus turned and said. I am no longer your master. Basically you got it you have the teaching i am no longer your master. One more possibly. Hopefully not flipping see what you think of this in the 19 and in the 9th century in china. It was a brilliant buddhist teacher known variously as east swan sometimes it didn't she. He recognized that the true goal of buddhism was again not to revere the buddha but to become a buddha. I deleted one and to his students he gave this startling advice you probably heard it. If you meet the buddha on the road kill him. Knock it off many of the great. Chinese buddhists would find somebody engaged in a devotional reading of a scroll and these were things that were hand-copied right nazi rock so it was if it was a very very bad and they were. Were you being used as a substitute for the essence of the teaching. The essence of the teaching. Or jesus was to become. A son of the olay daughter of the ole. A hero sandra boss write the essence of the buddhist teaching was to become a buddha. The point is very exciting that how we going to talk. Okay can you ask your questions but really fast. The old testament christian radio. I think when christianity was fatally taken over by the roman empire and became a bunch of political position as a religious position. Early on but you said reminds me of my bumper sticker i got the freethinkers conference in san francisco mark twain said faith is believing but you know ain't so. Adventurous. Pens made for leaving. Temporary. It can't hurt. It may help. I think my confidence is that i can't her. Ebay home anything about prayer. Bring stuff his name is charles town and he is with nobel laureate and i was lucky enough to imagine once and hear him talk at john f kennedy university and kaiser and he said. Yes yes. He was exciting prayer in this is in this meeting that i was at. Standing out and looking at the mysteries of the of the universe and a no-no on starry night. Something wrong. This is something that you discover for yourself and tell was smart enough not to get into the thing. He said i came in that blank that bursts forth its beginning of time the remarkable to be willing to say and so did you is this an example of that reference to the all guess i think it is a reference to the origin of the oil and the common origin of everything that is. Everybody in this room ever know what's different from me and my dog my dog can't have this conversation with you right my dog is a nice guy to have in the room but i can't have this conversation with you human beings manifest the entire complex of the entire range of complexity of that all because we have that we have the logos which were. I contend that we not be true. Which is to say. Human beings collectively in the sense of our collective consciousness and perhaps to that extent that we can manifest equilibrium on this planet we approach that all. As individuals though isn't it a little bit much to be claiming that i recognize the boundary between me and the community i live in is not so hard and fast in my deeper sense of spirit. Anything larger than myself but that does not on the other sense. Put me in other than a wave traveling in that all so i'm part of an inoffensive i'm away traveling in it. But that does not make me the sum total of all the waves traveling in it other than as how i work in concert with the other parts of the wave thank you i was speaking the language of potential there a drunk and a stalhorse to is clearly not at that moment manifesting all aspects of the oil with what language is confusing and we have that consciousness that is none of that is really distinguished mind. Black panther. Everybody. When are you coming back. As i can.

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070211_Harry%20Manhoff_Da%20Vinci%20Code.mp3

Louis gilbert. Today i'm really real. Who is the rabbi yosef shalom. Was. The rabbi ephraim. Second step. When was christianity. Geography. Purple flowers. American virago introduction to jerusalem. He also teaches philosophy of character. President of northern california. When i first read that rabbis man are i misunderstood him. Went in there. Who may have been here. Diet and exercising. Let me begin with the novel that's different than the davinci code. Led running out of breath. Isaac a prophet wandering through the gallery we have to go find him. Wait a minute we just began planting knocking to get done by yourself. Scratch the heart play with his house. Isaac haxton sunrise. We're with family. Granted. Nothing ever changes up we work the fields at rangewood and then come and take everything that we have her. Yeah. Everybody all over the kingdom. Cold wet night. Railroaded. Which is. Looking for. Somebody. Other novel. I want one. Debary i mean on the country. All descriptions of artwork architecture document. Are actor novel are accurate. Keyword your keywords are just novel. Including the ritual the architect and everything else. The dan brown is a fiction writer. Thorium. And he driving nothing more. Very well written. Murder mystery. Literally. Is not true. Whitman. Text lauren. Breaking okay all those are written by a very well-meaning. Fundamentalist. Who are absolutely. Copart. Play my camera pro. Bart ehrman. North university of north carolina chapel hill. From dan brown. Almost everybody. Question. Christianity. At the council of nicaea under the. Was there a roll. Early christianity. In the roman empire. Text question. More complicated. Remington by sting. Blind men. Ever. End. Let me also make it very very clear. By the people. About one of the people. Community. Roman. The word. Greek. Which occurred. Nevermind. We would never have called ourselves. A century. We called ourselves. We would not have called. Empire. Biblical prophet. Erupting. In the first century. Israelite followers. Among. Women. A woman. Play the name of gloria. Married to rabbi meir. The other rabbis would come to her for advice. There are no rabbi. Century. Technical term. By other pages. Honorific title. Anybody. Master. Carefully. Capital oklahoma. Will know that word very often. Nowhere. Lorde. Whatever the story is. Map. Is the same word. As the word. Call christine work. When not want mean. Riders of the septuagint. Capital l capital. Rv. Navigate to the question. Wahoo. Which part. Golan heights. Wunderground. Juggernaut. Immediately. Directions. Whataburger. An armed insurrection again. Iraq. By the only. Mike woodson. Directions. 12. 6211. 12. There were 12. Probably one story. One version of the story. Rather than the elimination. Night of the betrayal. Remember the high priest comes with movie and to arrest. No no no. Here. I went there. Computer. Carrying a weapon on passover. Armed insurrection. Directions. However. We have prepared for him. Yes prepared from cell. Jerusalem. Everybody knows the property for the prophet zechariah. And that's why donna. Batman riddler ramen. Mary magdalene. Mary mack. Mary magdalene. Heard. I don't know where you might hear from. Grapefruiting. Nowhere. Mary. Mother mary. Anointing with oil. Covington. Leader of all. Very nice lady. They read. I found these other book code have finally made. Mary. Because we haven't heard. Cobra. Corgi. Europe. Anywhere in the first. Automatically. No. It would be great. But. No. Never. Number one. Number two. Now. Another world. End. Right. Whitman very different. A perfect world. Secret. Equality of men and women. Talking to her mom work. Bureau of the gnostic. Proverbs. Proper. Personification. Mary mary. Either. In my book in my novel. Portuguese. Hardaway. Truth. I never said that. Hoping you anywhere else. Career. Mary mack. The perfection. Glover. Rabbi. My wisdom. Barber. There. 1. You were a murderer. Spider-man. Net worth. Multiply. You are. Participating in. End. Call. Been on. Pandora. What do i do. Michael rosenbaum. The world. Mary. Have a child. Mary. Problem. And the most important. Mary. The great novel. You have you have to answer the question with the microphone. You're hiding a number of texts that are not canonical text. Exposition. And i'd like to draw your attention to the gospel of thomas. Amazon canonical. And. The ender girl. Deals with women. And the question is powered if i remember correctly. How can i get to the kingdom of god. Anywhere.. You women become a man. Can you interpret that for me. Find myself in order to make her mail. Every woman. Understand. Underlined. The word for male car. And the world's word for remembrance. Thank you. Maybe going on here. Was that. Remember. You have to be a person remember. I also understand. Matthew. Call nana. What are included in the kingdom of heaven. Dangers of the early century. Clock. Women were not allowed. A nail knot. Limited. Prayer. I know a lot about everything. When you get to the way out of my range. Very important. I don't know. Jacob. Dead sea scrolls. . no different. Generation to generation. Literature. Forecast. But almost every scholar. Then he might do younger. Matthew and john were. Yeah i'm walking with him. Nero. Bet the word. Speaker wire. Albina. Apple road. American colony. If you were wrong. Super why. There is an. Copies. Written. Right. Interruption. Very very noticeable. Chiropractor. And the whole reference the game. Nobody know. Last question. Microphone. The only place in the new testament that says go and. Something like speaking the name of the father the son and the holy ghost or repair. Can you. Say something about that. Technical. First among all weekend quotes. Everybody's uncle. We're gone. You are my son today i have begotten you. Is the first one who represents god on earth. The holy spirit. What to do in god's name. Tired. Perfect. Very much again and i'll answer any questions thank you.

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061231_Sarah%20Lewis_Unified%20Theory%20of%20Religon.mp3

As you know sarah teaches at new college. A gtu. Ichiza spiritual director. And as a topic. She's been exploring. Sort of a unified. Approach theology. Today she's looking at. The theory of the human who what is the human. Shelters that the star bethlehem is going to come into it. Sarah lewis. Thank you last time at the end i said and don't forget next time i'll explain what that star really was all about. Unified. Field theory of religion. Just to recap a little bit last year we started with. Is god or the transcendent. Iceland how i got into it was my father was a choir director. We went to different churches as i was growing up and i got the feeling that that each. Christian denomination understood certain aspects of christianity. Better. The other groups. Like baptist really. Focused and had a deep understanding about baptism. Lutheran's really understood about grace. Catholics really understand the importance of sacrament and ritual. Unitarians really get the idea of god's universal love for everyone. Overnight. Grew older and and started understanding world religions looking at world religions i drop. This would apply to world religions also. Each world religion would would understand certain aspects of divine reality. Better. Then the others. That means that each one has areas in which they are really. Not very young clear at all. And so. The. Endeavour is to. Look at. Where. Ideas for one religion illuminate certain areas of confusion contradiction. Or gaps. In another religion. Because every religious system has contradictions and inconsistencies. And i'm told this is to a mathematical theories to if you try to have a mathematical. that includes everything. You end up with inconsistencies. But if you try to have one that is perfectly consistent. Send it siri necessarily can try to cover everything. I expect we're going to have a romp today because. God is a lot easier. Then. The topic of what. Compromise that composes a human. What are we made of. Not just in terms of. Physical biological sense. Carbon calcium tablets. But. Is a human. And every religion has kind of different takes on this. And. I thought that i would give that some of the general theories but if we stick to theories will get really bogged down because. Different religion have. So many theories. But it seems to me that when you have. Millions of people with thousands of years take this is my experience what it is like to be human. And then you have. Millions of other people who could thousands of years say this is my experience that the opposite of what those people's experiences. I think this is worth looking into. To investigate. Are there any. Formulations that would include both aspects or all the aspects or as many aspects as possible. So are you are you tracking with me here. The idea. Human is more than just a body. Has been around. For a long time. From the time that we have archaeological remains it appears that people bury their dead with utensils. There. Balls or their spears. Get the idea that. There's going to be some kind of continuation of existence that person's going to need. Their utensils in their tools and their spears. This is justin i recently read their fine. Grapefruit. 30000 years ago. People burying their dead with things to help. Then go on. And continued. So this idea that consciousness continues when not in a body. Has been around for a long time. Also the idea that when the body dies that's it that's been around for a long time so we have those too. Begin with. And then we fine. The idea that. There is a. Personal energy. Disconnected. 2a body. That's been around and also the idea of personal energy. The idea of personal. Human consciousness and non-personal human consciousness. When to be equated with the religions that have a personal god or a non personal absolute. In other words in judaism christianity and islam for example there is the idea that there is a person. Consciousness a soul that's in a body. And there's a personal god. Epiphysis. Personal. In. Strict non-dualistic hindu thought. Buddhism. There's an idea that. Is named personal. Energy. Edit. May continue to have rebirth. But it's not a single entity with a united consciousness. This idea that there is a human a single human. Is said to be an illusion. Some of the buddhist teacher say this is the single most difficult concept to get people to recognize. It is really no self there. Know what are the principles i try to use in looking at this unified theory is the principle that you really want to. Take the concept. The word is used in the cons in the context of the religion. Example the idea of no cell. The buddhist doctrine. No heartland no self. Is really unpalatable to people in the west. And some people try to say well it really just mean. Unselfishness. Don't be selfish. Buddhist really mean there's no self there's no you. You have the illusion of being a u. But there really is not theirs. There's a collection of strands of energy. Aggregate. It comes together. And when it's in a body if it has this illusion of being of single-celled but it really isn't. When the body dies. These energies will continue to move on out of rollover. Like. The better cell phone. A few years ago the minutes would roll over into the next month. Well here the human energy or the. The energies of consciousness and feeling. Rollover into its neck. Physical existence but it's not the same person. And. Justin bieber. But let's just hold hold that thought and. People. This has been a major concept has been around for a long time. And if you do a lot of buddhist meditation. You begin to have this sense of. Nothing stops just arrived out of nowhere. I didn't consciously choose to start thinking about this. So if i didn't. If i didn't consciously choose to start thinking about it. Where did it come from. Is there something else. That's kind of. Running the boat that i don't even know about. And get this sensitive. Watch without a thinker. Feelings arise and you say wow look at that. I didn't choose that to come up. So you if you do their practice and you tend to get that experience. Seem to be validated. Just as if you do. The. Western. Jewish christian islamic thai practices. You tend to get a sense of. And related to as a specific person by a personal god. So how what practice put spiritual practice you do does tent influence. What you experienced. For sale in buddhism. Tibetan buddhist. I have a different perspective. Because play treat. This bundle of energies. Non-personal bundle of energy that yet they treated as though it is a person and after the person dies. And is in the bardo. Your prayers that are said to try to help the person either go for the great illumination. At least choose the best router. So although the technical theory has its non-personal. It's treated as though it were personal. Arthur buddhist do a lot of meditation tend to have. Can you experience memories coming up. Different live. And i've had this happen. And what is one to make of it. Having memories. Are a different life this does tend to emphasize the idea of continuity of energy flow. That's acceptable. But it also attempt to. Reinforce the sentence i am a person. I am an individual. And this is technically not acceptable. So the practice here we we see some contradiction. The experience of. Non-personal. And personal. These memories that come up. They really seem like your memories. But we don't know if they are. And and the strict buddhist doctor is no they're not your memories it's just this is where that energy was before but that was not actually a person. Held onto personal. Identification. District non-dualistic. Position in hindu thought. A divine core. And aunt mom is a trunk of divine energy. Inkarnate. All chunks forgot mom are identical to a letter template altima. And. Here again audubon. Is said to be the real and the human is said to be non real. The human consciousness and sense of self is said to be maya. Illusion illusion. Because. It will change it will die or fall away where is his permanent unchangeable. Doesn't suffer. But the problem again is. Hindus experience themselves as person and i tend to have memories of previous lives which attempts to enforce the idea that they human. Is actually. Continuative individual existence. But. Siri. Is that it's just an incarnation. Apartment. Brutus of course deny the presence of armor. But we find that sense of the divine. Poor. Counting up in a lot of places. Even. Talk. Experiencing buddha nature. Witches. Unchanging and blissful. I myself. Grace christian mostly. Practicing buddhist meditation i began to have experiences while meditating. Golden energy in me that was just completely blissful. It was. Happy. Satisfied didn't need anything. My my hidden principal para that's online. Until i had this experience of. Heretic. Buddhist and christian. Religion. But christians also have this sense of the divine and it different time because of that the holy spirit. Other times they said. That's your immortal soul. I've been going around with this question of. The soul is immortal or is it marvel. End. Is it specially created. Or does it come through. The human. Didn't even struggling with this for very long time. Haven't come to any conclusions. For christians. There's okay. Batman eternal does in existence before you come into a body and after you go in. Out of the body. And a sense of pre-existence is also quest. Does the human soul exist before it comes into a body. Some of you who have been exposed to christianity may think of those hymns. About i'm going home. To be with jesus. Or i'm just a stranger here on earth heaven is my home. People often say. Near the end of their life i'm going home. Some people i know some people who have memories. Being in heaven with god before coming here. The experience again contradict. Official theory. But for some people they have the experience of. Being alive for the first time. They have no memory of previously or past existence in heaven or on earth. And. I would say probably for a lot of us in this country that that's the major experience. On the other hand then you have people who have near-death experiences next experience being conscious even outside their body. So we're looking at a whole lot of different experiences. Experiences tend to be in some ways similar. But also not fit with the official series. A different religions. Some religions habitats. Divine spirit. A human soul and in a physical body. And an after-death the divine spirit goes back to heaven the human spirit may wander or the human soul may die. Or the human may be judged. And either cause to suffer or else given a reward. Or perhaps it just wanders. Or it may be dangerous. And needs to be. Giving offerings of food and flowers some of the ancestor worship. Is based on the idea that this. Might not be friendly. And a lot of indigenous religion. Has this idea. But some of the indigenous religions have that your ancestors are staying around you helping to take care of you. Protective. Couple years ago i wrote a paper for the pacific coast theological society. Whether or not christianity. Has any explanation. Fly past life. Therapy. Work. If you're if you're very interested in his topic you can read it online at. Pacific coast theological society. Dot-org. I can't but i look at what's that in christianity there been two main theories about the origin of the the human soul run is that god. Specifically specially create. This goal and puts it in this body. The other theory has been that the soul comes through the parents just the way the body.. Nothing augustine struggle with this. Because he said it wouldn't be just. Pragathi creative soul put it in a body haven't suffered for several years and then die and go to hell because it never had been baptized that would not be justice. On the other hand augustine had such an issue about sexuality. Coming through the parents. Act of sexuality. Create the new body. He never was able to decide. He wrote to jerome pain jerome tell me which is it. Drum never wrote back. Augustine road again saying this is really a problem. Jerome had no answer. Eastern orthodox. Christianity they just said well. The church fathers say it might be one it might be another we don't know. In western christianity. Even though augustine could never decide the church decided it's special creation. And. That's what he'll and am i think most of us were exposed to that although martin luther felt that know the idea of the soul coming to the parents really explain. Original sin. That would be how come every soul is born sinful is because it come through the parents. So you can see that that this is. This has been an issue it's not been resolved. When i wrote the paper. In the discussion time druid foster civil sarah isn't there anyway it could be both. And at that time i just don't know. I don't see how it could be both both special creation and. Coming through the. The body that the parents. And actually christianity has no. Way of explaining. Bypass. Live therapyworks. There's no doubt that it does help a lot of people. Whether or not you accept the idea. The reincarnation. Aerie. Yep when you read the case histories it's clear that people benefit from taking this approach. So i would have summarized how many experience. Asim. People tend to feel they are more than just their body. And they often have a feeling that their existence goes beyond this particular time this particular place. People often have a sense that there is something divine in their core. God is in everyone. They also have a sin. Experiencing. I am me. I am a person. Humans experience a sense of continuing existence of having lived before in heaven or on earth. Anakin. The religious systems tend to find parts or. Are these experiences not acceptable. From a doctrinal point. No. In my explorations i have found it there. Dollar store. Zoroastrianism. Offers. A perspective that reconciled and harmony harmonize with some of these different experiences. Before i get into that. Would any of you like to make any comments. Yes. We have met. Well they might not. My comment. I'd like to come it's listening. Your talk. I bet you're talking about having a scent. The divine. Who i am. And then i'm thinking about the buddhist point of view. Where they say that. We perceive aren't the real getting back the onaga that. Karen. Armstrong. Very interested. The way the. Floored. Religion. Concept where they literally. Said that we can't we can't. Teach you what it is. We could help you. Into experience. Talking about don't even. Yeah. I know it's one point that i'd like to. Other question i really have is. Is like. What are we trying to do with it. Pictures of life. It's like we have always theologies we have our. Dave christian theology we have are chinese theology. We have our greco. We have the indian. Theology. What is the point that they're all true. All time. When were they cry. You know talk about. It seems like. A process of being intellectual about. Ashley workout. Get to someplace where we all agree on it. But it still hasn't. Right. Husband. Where we going. The idea of trying to understand our experience. If we can understand our experience we can both live more fully here. Humans. Consciousness continues. After the body falls away. Then it may be very important to. Bee-related correctly to what comes next. We're buddhist you want to let go of the attachment so that you don't continue to cycle around and around and around and then keep continue to suffer. Or some of the others that had one wife. Stop. You want to get it right so that you don't end up in a place of suffering. It's basically about avoiding suffering. And the idea that if you can understand it well enough then you can avoid the suffering. And i would be also happy people want to share. Some of their own experience. Button-up pack corner. No we're just. If you want to make some comments if you want to. Say yes and i've experienced this or. Why are we even looking at this. Why are people trying to figure this out. Good. I've been wondering about. I've been wondering what the purpose of religion is not only in. Society. One of the major. Motivations. In benadryl. What's the deal with problem of. After death because. But maybe there is something. Yeah. My memory is. Really have no. Thank you. Thank you just a question of whether it's a genuine memory or not is. Is a good question. Thank you a tribute. I've been. I have not tried to cover all of the theories. For buddhists because it's. Buddhist would also argue. Exactly over. Where does the energy go. And. It could go into an animal. I haven't gotten into the intricacies of karma. We're just trying to. Keep it. Kind of. This is simplified. We got to keep it simplified. Because it just gets too intricate. Do unitarian does have a good sense of the divine unity. On the other hand there are people who definitely have experiences of. These three very different aspects. Of that divine unity. We're trying to look at. Reconciling experience but today we're not going to take on the goddess you were just looking at the human. Buddhism about. Getting rid of itself. No cell. Okay i see that also. Christianity. Weary. Dealing with all of the. The flash. Which i think it's the same. Basic same thing. In christianity this idea of dealing with. I desire at ourself. Christianity is not necessarily just the avoidance. Teacher punished. It's also. To release the self towards god or. Jesus. Is to open up to. Spirit. So did you have a. Vacation in this life it's. It's not always the avoidance of hell. I see the same concept. Dealing with self. Christianity as well as in buddhism or hinduism. But it's more than just. Avoidance of punishment. Communication. Divine. That we released self. Christian frame. I just thought i'd ask. Good thank you. But i want to know that for a buddhist it really is. There is no self. A christian. Well if someone is going to say well but in this kind of buddhism. Okay, watch the comment on this. Selfie. It's not that there is. It's at the foundry. Self. Environment. Launch world. Sinner soul. Is non-existent. So the idea of self. Elusive. You try to. That doesn't mean. There is no boundary. And other. Thank you that's another very good way of formulating. Roadside offer you the zoroastrian idea that i have. Scene. Can harmonize. Some of these aspects. Particularly the aspect of non-personal energy. That just keeps rolling on. And the idea of this special unique self. It's created. What i found this is online this is not in there like. Encyclopedias of world religion and so on. And it wasn't until we got. Real access to. Living through astronaut writing about their doctrines at this information. Around. Again i'm going to give you a simplified version. Is there a screen idea is that. God created. Glorious. Beings. Radiant beings of light called probashi. Alien. In glory in heaven. As a group. Looking at what was going on on earth. They said there's terrible terrible evil there. We want to incarnate go there and help. Work. For good. To help fight against evil. Each one is unique it's not quite the same as an angel but it's a similar idea. It's close to it. It's a decision to incarnate. Special. Spiritual creature. Had to come to earth to fight evil. Basically need volunteers. Question of why are we here and we're suffering. This goes a long way towards explaining that. We're here because we chose to come here we knew it was a combat zone. And. We decided to come here. Peace corps. Very good yeah. Bodhisattva. You the real you is this provasi and if ravasi then works with the non-personal energies. And the provasi is the template. Then. For the soul. Using those energies that have been passed down and have been rolling around. Do all sorts of. Incarnations for. Millions of years. But the frivolity doesn't keep reincarnated pravasi comes once and you are the. Unique expression you you are the manifestation in these dimensions of. The glorious spiritual creature that you truly are. So there is a sense of pre-existence. Connection with the divine. Define core and an ulcer with the human. The non-personal energies. The scent of long existence on earth. An author that connection with everything on earth. But you're also a unique person as well. But come by with the non-personal energies. And i've wondered. If this. In almost all of the measurements there's a story of a golden age. When everything was easy i wonder if that refers to. If we were. These golden creatures living in heaven yes there was a golden age. For there was truth in peace and justice. Everything was easy. And then we came here. Tesoro astria system habit that after death if the human soul has been righteous it unites with the provasi and goes back to heaven. But if it hasn't been righteous. Then it wanders around and. Suffers until it really gets the idea that. Cruelty and evil are bad. This explains it. When you. Back up a minute when you mentioned. That people are worried about what happens after death. That religions bring an idea comfort that yes there's a continued existence. Indigenous people. Saw on a spirit plane. Call things much more clearly than we do. The worry was. Not about would you continue after death but what are you going to do with all the ghosts. After the bodies have died of these ghosts are loose running around. Enemy on while they were alive now they can be your enemy even after their dad. The concern was how do you contain. Deyoung. The under-produced sold the listing ghost as it rolls around how do you keep it friendly. Opposite. For what we are more concerned about now. And i wondered about near-death experience. People so often speak of meeting is being of light. Taekwondo is that meeting there for coffee. I can't decide iya of them. Gary devine probashi and the human. So. Google long way towards harmonizing a lot of different experiences that people have. Now i'll tell you the star of bethlehem. We're living in a scientific age and we keep thinking it's an astronomical phenomena was there a nova. Supernova. Was there a certain conjunction of a planets that was. Greenlee. Rare. No there was a conjunction of jupiter and venus on the horizon well that's nice but that happens fairly often. The magi. We're prisons they were partying and it's probable that they were zoroastrians. Naturalizer where we get magician from. It's. My. .. They probably were looking into the spirit realm. Some of my clients. See things on psychic levels. But i don't. And they have said that when. Someone. Comes into earth. Inkarnate. It looks like a very bright star the provocateur looks like a very bright star. Bright white. And more spiritually developed. The brighter the light. Magi. Looking in the astral realm saw an extraordinary bright light. Coming in and i said somebody really important being bored let's go look at that it's got to be a king cuz it's just so big and bright. It took him almost two years to get their caravan together and. Come on out to where they had a sense that it was going to be. They get to the palace it's not there. They talked to herod. Harrods. Scribe say will in the scripture it says that this. Messiah will be born in bethlehem. So they head down to bethlehem. An end record that when i got there they saw the star again. So they have not been able to see it while they were looking for it which means it wasn't something just simply. Like a planetary conjunction sitting on the horizon. But they were actually seeing it on that other level and it took they rejoice exceedingly when they saw it again. I think that they were seeing the provasi. And this was not an in persian. But the persian empire the time of cyrus. This was a standard belief in the provasi in this guiding spirit. That is behind a human. So that was the star they saw defrost the came in. And it was a very special one. They had looked earlier they might have seen the buddha. I got to. Amazura raspbian point-of-view that would have been a very big very special one. So. It was a mystical. Star. Incense it was seen on a level that is not normally available to the human eye. But it was real. Would you like to make some comments. Waiting for the microphone to come around. Giving me. A chance to resync. The 10 or 12 years of my life. I liked. There was a huge black. Which was obvious. And there were these. Technicolor. Planet. Cars whatever. All over the place. Enough. Tabouli. But i never come. All the witcher 3. But it seems to me that helps. Not like knowing heaven is good or whatever. And i don't dream a lot. You push me a little farther along my path. To understand what those 10 to 12 years of. What does an interesting a tenant have. There's a little bit of prehistory on this because i as i was driving here i saw this nice couple standing by the road. Who's there. Thumb out basically until i stopped. Picked him up. This is a man who. Doesn't usually come here but he's been gone since you pick me up i have a deadly. Supposed to come to this particular class today. So he showed up and it turns out your dreams of the darkness but with the little light. Everywhere. And so you're thinking now in terms of yes there is the darkness but there are the little light. They're bringing truth justice peace like you said the peace corps. Is it. This is harassment idea and they have a wonderful festival. They believe that every year for 10 days all of the pravash he's in heaven. Come to visit. The ones who are currently incarnated on earth. All your friends from heaven come to visit you. I pretended and it's a vest. The festival of edessa anything they sing songs about how wonderful this is. The frivolities of of righteous people are and how wonderful it is to have them come and visit and encourages. In nr work against evil. You're welcome. For the ride. Rav. Rfra. Vashi. Raw sushi. Avesta ades. Ta. And if you just go to some of the zoroastrian. The official sites online and you can get. Call the doctor. I have. Problem. Zoroaster. Idea of a. Goodin. People always hiding in. It sounded a lot like original. And. Tumi. If i were an angel or a. Rid of light or. Would you come down to the world. And you. The tools of evil to fight. Would you use violence. To cause more suffering by combating evil. It it seems. To me that there's something. I'm inherently wrong about angels coming down. To combat zone and. Fighting. Using violin. That metaphor very bad for me they wouldn't use the tools of evil. How would they fight evil. With love. The buddha teaches it's what jesus teaches. Perfect. Do not. Return evil for evil but overcome evil with good. I can understand. The use of the word. Overcome. And i do understand. The power of good. But when when you have constant evil being. Warn you always have to ask. Where is that eva. Coming from indy soro astra. Said that its natural. To have half good and happy valley. If that's natural why. Why try to overcome it. Like. It actually it isn't half good half evil that the. Great creator. Is good. And part of the creation turned against it. Part of the creation turned against the good. And there's a leader for that. Other. Yes. So there's two gods one good and one bad. No it's not. But the other one is not a full gone. The other one is very powerful. Armand is powerful but he was. Create it. I prefer the idea that. 10 is. Attempting to read. The bullseye. Attending a tear your little to the left early. To the right. A little a little down. Does that idea of sin have any place in zoroastrian. I really don't know this would be something to check. Check it out i think that. When we came into this darkened. Environment that it was much more difficult to hold on to our original principles. And i think that we do make errors to the left and to the right. But i also do think that there are some beings really. No. That. For example that murder is wrong and yet they do it anyway. I think there are some. Beings and steven some. I think i have met some people. Consciously choose that which they know is wrong. They're distracted by something. So-called eva. That. The original. Creation is moving towards. Compassion. And away from suffering. And because. If you follow your greed. Or slowthai. Anything else. Too closely it starts harmon. Environment around you and and obviously causing. Bad. To happen. The normal thing to do would be to correct for that. And go towards something that would make your life more pleasant. Yes. Thank you. The new nest development. 600 years. Start resort. After that we had the. Great lake. Skyrim. 600 years after that. Event for the. Is anybody else. I have no idea. What. It hasn't been made public. If it has. Well actually he has made his vision. Now. Sing act here. Observe. Sia. The coherence. We know the pattern. Is anxious. To interpret what date is. So. Pattern recognition. He's not. Enough to. Anchor. The cretin. It's only over over. Over a.. That. Go beyond. Would you like to offer. Something that would pull it together. I do have my own experience. Which run. Common. But on the other hand. I don't elevate them. The level of grand theory. I know that. If i don't. Time to understand that. So in that. Yes i am looking. The common denominator. And. I have. I also. Common denominator i will fi. Is autumn orvis. How many of us here do have a sense that. Part of our reason for being on earth is. Working. Good bringing peace bringing justice. Quite a few of us. You have this sense. You understand the question. We. Are we peaceful beings at our core. Or. General patton. I glory. I love it. Yeah. Well i just like to say as. I was looking forward to this talk. Because i thought i understood. Title it was about. Yeah. I guess i wasn't truly. Aware of. So you were in your background. You did what you. Well. Hell no i applaud you for that but. It was like. Survey of what various religions thought about the human. My problem with that. The basic problem is i don't believe in the dualism. Body and soul. And i don't believe in spirits that transcend. Nature and the human. And a scientific view of the world. So. Because of that it seemed to me that you're talkin about all spirits except. The human. Except. Her spirits are you described as i see it all constructions of human imagination and human wish-fulfillment. So. If you don't agree with the idea that there were like i don't do not agree that there is a mine. Mind-body split. You know i think that's all. Question that's been discussed for hundreds of years. I don't think there's a body solo split i don't think such a thing as the soul exists. I'm student of george wyckoff who says that the mind is embodied the midas in the brain the brain has synopsis when the brain dies the mind eyes. And all our cognition and consciousness comes from. The human brain. That mean. There is no eternal life no reincarnation. No past life no past lives no heaven or hell. No. Prodigy. No divinity no divinity. David elder says in his book natural atheism to. He has a whole chapter very persuasive to me at least that. Human experiences as recorded and reported do not in themselves prove the existence of anything beyond nature. And the human level of existence of these are not. These are not in themselves adequate reports of objective reality even if the record of them goes back thousands of years. And i would i was looking forward to a talk and i'm not criticizing you for this because this is not what you. We're trying to do. I would have. Prefer to talk about the human. Without. Divinity's. Or religious song. Trapping. Which accepts that this world exists you didn't deny that. Evolution is still happening. Humans evolved on this planet without any gods except those they imagined. Wishing and imagining will not make it so. Nothing nothing transcends nature. And living without illusions. Is being honest about reality in spite of the fact that it would be nice to live forever nice to have divine help and so on. But if you don't believe any of that. What kind of stance. Apostatize you back to. Nature into other human beings i think it's still possible. Without all these. Religious. Artifact. That's my. Thank you and i'm very glad that you brought this up. I thought about. Should i bring up the atheistic position. And. The question is if we're looking at a unified. Field theory of religion. Then in order to bring up the atheistic view i would need to say to atheism is a religion. And i'm not sure that any atheist would accept that designation. Directv. Yep. Thank you. We have somebody who is just jumping up and down martha can we just. Take a quick one here. Or here and now. We die. Nofar pearland. No time sublime b need some cloudless. But. We live. True love. Thank you that yeah. All of this experience. Does not prove anything. We are inside the system. And whether we have faith. There is a god or whether we have faith that there is no god we have no way of getting outside the system. Look at it. And and say. Yes or no. We can go only by. What. Our experiences. And try to make sense of our experiences. Sarah. Yeah we could go on forever. Thank you thank you.

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060930_Lawrence%20Lecture_Discussion%202.mp3

Oh i was supposed to have a question. But it's just heard of in general in early on in. It's morning sickness when we were talking about. Political and national divisions. And i think we can all take a conversation shortcut and just say. Decreation belize in. Pikachu. You don't matter. But now we have got. Play. Rapture and we've got the jihadists which i understood. And we've got all this violence. I would like you to comment on it. Things appropriate. That is long as people are following. A prophet or wonderful teacher. Their teachings. Things seemed to go pretty well until we get into i hate you forward me because i like mistook the stories about. And then the dogma. And then you don't believe the jesus walked on water and you were going to go to hell immediately. And etc. These kinds of things right now especially very very devices. Atwood. You feel good about coming about that. The issue here is to couple of things one is. What i was referring to earlier how we as human beings. We inject the. The worst part about human failings non-human shortcomings our fears. I into the practice of whatever it is that we do practice. It's it's like love love can be very good. I got a relationship can be very challenging and very cross with conflict. Because we have our own psychology's we have our own. Aspirations ambitions concerned cetera. And this is what injects into into into into religious practice very often. When did richard spokespeople become those who. Cool i'll behave in that manner. I thought in terms of the highest values. The ethics. Healthy feet. The condition itself. Icd. Those who pushed the idea of the rapture and the apocalypse those who want to precipitate the second coming of jesus. As being the flipside of the jihadists. And then somehow. Eat phenomenon. You will see the other. Abdel like two sides of the same coin. And you cannot eliminate one without lemon eliminating the other so if you're going to eat if you're going to erase this. This problem of this conflict. Fueled by the other. Much of what's happening. In the world today. Is a result of our actions. Iraq war. F&f dynacon situation. A presence there. The the. The nature of the discourse as to why we are there. Expressions by general here by pat robinson there. You know it, tina coming there. Together with the presence of a couple hundred thousand troops. Just creates more of the sense of fear. Morbid sense of the war on terrorism attack targeting islam. And then the young kids have nothing better to do will this rise up and you know. I am accountable 67 i was in columbia university when sds was rioting over there. Angie nava. It mocked. is it. Rock johnson. And these huge riots all over the camp all over campuses. I know one day would have suggested. This was going to result in a regime change in washington. But the president has suggested wednesday. Interferon work. Would massively demonstrating a couple of years ago. Because of the tuition rising leading portland tuition to rise is what my father told me. Bush talked about iran. And so did kind of discourse has created. Aggravation on both sides. And that's what we need to to. Two backups ramen chain. Unless that kind of disgust changes my concern. Is it the jihadists will increase. And it's. The flip side. Ultimate increase and exciting. Duo. The other. Seems to me that there's a certain. Mindset. Regarding the world ends of these are road recently i called at the armageddon complex. Frankly as a mental illness.. You can find it identified as political ideology or. Religious doctrine it's laid out pretty well in the book of revelation. And it's basic elements are. There is a battle between good and evil. And to goodwill win that is good thing on our side and evil being those other guys. We will defeat them in a mighty battle after which everything will be okay. Directions to my reminded violates all experience in history. Which is the people bubble a lot. And sometimes somebody wins and somebody else wins. But there don't seem to be any final solutions. Things kind of go on things happen. And it seems to me that right now. A large part of the world is locked into that kind of mindset at all levels. Where will you find ourselves driven to some kind of headache. First of all. The duality is being very clear rather than there being a whole lot of difference. Entities in groups and ways of thinking out there. Some kind of a battle in which way. After which everything is going to be okay. I think we were particularly strongly into that. In the early and you might say almost innocent days. The post 9/11. We're aware of. George w bush funeral. To rid the world of evil. Those were the words he used the first. 911 speech. And i think we're beginning. I begin to see just a few hints of wisdom. Speaking in into the public discourse these days for people. Begin to recognize that those particular problems. Terrorism etc are not about to go away. Look a lot of things out there that we need to do. And live with. Probably for a long long time. Deeply different mindset. Deeply different mindset and i don't think we even really. Clearly identified the first one is staying. One way but not the only way. To think about. Qatar in the world. And whoever has the microphone as far as i'm concerned. Briefly. I would agree with the fact that there is a major battle between good and evil. But it's not between. Between exit to u.s. in the muslim world up in one cutting the other. But it cuts across all. In other words we have to fight. The struggle between good and evil. Exist in every location. So-so winamac have to fight. The evil within that. We in the western world have to fight the evil within us. And every. That's where the boundary between good and evil eyes it's not between nations. Between. Between good and evil in every entity every community. And that's webbie. That's what the challenge price. I have two questions the first is simple. Several years ago not long after 9/11 i recall seeing a public television show on. Do you recall that you can see it at the time. Yes i think my wife has also shown on that one fixation. Wolfe's produce i'm sorry i don't recall but i was wondering if you're talking about the same show if you would recommend that as a good introduction for non-muslim. Yes very much so. The second question has to do with we had a couple of visits from mom's actually i think it may have been the same man shortly after 9/11 and recently at our candlelight vigil and he was also a suit. I don't know if this is coincidental. I'm wondering if you could. I have to admit ignorance regarding the different branches of islam. But if you could tell me if from your perspective there might be. Some branches that are more accessible for westerners are there that are better at making the bridge. Excellent question. It really is a function of the individual. The difference between sunni and shia. Really really political and there are people who are sunnis who are very deeply spiritual people and wonderful people very highly educated people. And that people who are. Attorneys who are the opposite of that. Very marvelous. People who are. Deepest spiritual. Tie-dye atolla remind spoke about yesterday for making pool. Was one of them who who pointed out that whenever a human being does follows their conscience they are listed at that point even if they exit the face of islam. Cookies for who are ram. Deeply enlighten people in irving school fees of proclaim so he's very opposite of that already expiring to be. So what people call themselves i think is is less important. Then then what they are substantially. And that's that's where the difficulty lies. I-90. Iranian sarah she has that cenizas smoothies. Oliver would be highly approachable. Vice versa. How do you said that. I would certainly say that those who are. Who are you who are more in tune with the spiritual side of faith. Bvnnf this would somehow give the nod. Dollar stronger naruto vs luffy side. Will be those have more expensive though because. Because they speak in terms of the antennas the human experience itself. We we we we don't. Bridges can only be built. If we are. If we if we pravim the. The nature of the human experience. And comedy from that from that angle. Rather than use the language of parochial. A history. We cannot escape the language of political history but if and when we do and we need those who are bilingual. Who are who understand. Sonic example just just very uneven discussion. But she pointed out about you know. Jesus christ in the bible said. I put an alarm set. It's very important to have people who can. Okay now reminder. From my each of our respective scriptures instead. I think you know for a for any kind of a discipline. To come into the western world to come into the united states. Need some kind of a messenger. Way back there dt suzuki. Really introduced to the western world. And. Delight i think adrian is played a very important role as so many people have read his. Sufi parable. Introducing people in in in the western world. 2. Certain city teaching. And another course for recently. Kellogg. I understand. United states. Those kinds of things coming into our culture record. I have a tremendous impact on our having. In terms of the way those are. Sort of digested into. Western. We understand. I don't quite understand. Aura. Tony's. Or both or what is the what is the connection. Thank you. The surface can be both. The short answer is yes the difference between sunni and shia. Is it originated with a political difference. Ibuprofen. By the time he died he was. Ineffective ruler of the arabian peninsula. And over the new there could be no prophet after him. The question of who should be the ruler. I began to be a very very politically controversial question. Actually couple of centuries of islamic history. Those who believe that. The ruler should become his bloodline. Especially from the line of his father-in-law harley. And then. Who married his daughter fatima. And that particular. Lineup hasn't been seen and been successful excessive line. Thiago to believe that. Edison me are those who believe that anybody could be the political ruler. But this led to a very big class. I wouldn't i wouldn't understand community. Which has resulted in some differentiation in some matters of jurisprudence of law. Weather coronavirus saying the prayers are pretty much the same. Practices the same. The prism is the name given. To what. What developed later on in the more formal and institutionalized send. As the practice of the contemplatively aspect. Of them. Office lamp. Example of christianity you have the rise of let's say the. Monasteries. If people want devote themselves to the spiritual life. Oh there's no monasticism in islamic and prohibited.. But those who wanted to to emphasize into to go deeper. Into the spiritual practice of faith. Are they entered into what was known as sufi orders. And that's where they'll either sufism in this existed across-the-board. Absentees wenatchee on. In fact because sufism speaks to the. To the direct experience of the truth. There are even those who use the term sofas. Two small open-concept it's it's not as. Rigidly institutionalized. So you could be a christian and and and the fool for you could be a jew in this will females. As rumi says come come whoever you are doesn't matter you know what you call yourself. Just come and join us and. And love god together with us. Distance distance. Maybe dip the boundary of season. Let's define how to speak in mount morris. But your comment in. Afghanistan where the. The taliban is. Forbidding women to do all sorts of things not go to school and and. Prefix. Quite a little bit from panda. Various other practices witcher. Not. What we find very offensive. Indeed. In fact it's expensive even to the principles of islam. The. These that particular interpretations really resonates with their cultural. Cultural love. Patriarchy. Or what's the weather is. Auntie women kind of an attitude. Misogyny. Yeah it is this kind of misogynistic interpretation release a cultural one. The prophet himself was very very vocal. I'm giving women right. He was a revolutionary ain't ever giving women right. And then that happens, some scholars have pointed out that. But the profit even did not could not complete in his lifetime. Was even further you know was present offerings lifetime. Ian many instances. But the treatments - treatment of women is something that. That many people the most in world war very much against. In fact i remember before 9/11. It was a member of the from afghanistan who came to the mosque in long island. And the women digest completely like you know. Russian women asia. Not physically but. Verbally they just really yeah. Tore him apart. And basically don't don't. Know that only three of the 57 listen. Pakistani. The emirates. And saudi arabia. And that came about greedy for more from exit as it as a result of the optima. Of the cold war. I wish i could understand what the front. Cold war. In saudi arabia in. And the united states. And iran were supportive of you. Trump supporters. Tube to bring about the demise of the soviet union. The innocents tent we. We america. Where. Creative. But after the demise of the soviet union. We are just walked away. And. Not we walked away. Continue engaging. Now that is expressed gratitude. For the world for having participated in the. Demise of the soviet union. Is a great book. Which i understand that. Took the rights for it called. Chris. Chris something's wahiawa. My memory isn't what it used to be. Decorations. Pizza. He's a congressman from texas freewheeling. Love to dream collective wolmanized. A great. No just goes back a while and he was instrumental in providing support. Add to the afghan. And he young. Chris something. War. I couldn't put it down. And that shows how he was on the mp was a member of one of the committee's i think witcher. Wichita arms committee. And he was able to fund the other missiles reach shoulder-fired missiles. That is used to bring down the russian helicopters. Allah hoo akbar. These unbelievers. Very exciting story but then after that happened. Hadley being engaged in the process. I'm convinced that we could have. Done a lot too. 222 make people like like bin laden. Like those people not become who they were and become antiseptic auntie auntie us. A green interested in your remarks. I guess would you call the abrahamic. Tradition that we share with. Islam. Judaism and christianity. Well the commonality that we have there. And then that life. Recently the president of iran. Camcorders exactly but it was to be effective. Israel to be wiped off the face of the earth. Number superfortress speak. We're all of his country for islam. Or the only speaking for himself. In terms of. In terms of singer is leslie worth of the face of the map is pretty much speaking for himself. The vast majority of the arab countries for the neighboring countries to israel. Have acknowledged its activities of existence. I have committed myself to a two-state solution. Oh and want to see if you want to see a real permanent solution. Obvious conflict. Very important. The. The distance in which. A broader-based number of mustangs would. Would subscribe. The notion. Goes back to notion of what do we mean. Panasonic state a jewish state a christian state. It's this concept. Eddie's and more deeper question. Israel today is a multicultural society. Christian's that are listed there. And my scent is that. Another fantastic remar. There is another issue another big-picture issue which is going on in the world today. In terms of the battle of. Paradigm's. That is a debacle between a multicultural paradigm of a society. And the opposite of that which i call for lack of a better term of moto cultural paradigm. Countries like our country united states like canada like australia. Have a good cycle contractor multicultural paradigm. We welcome the idea that your hyphenated i can't. We are. American italian american german american jewish american whatever it might be we we welcome this we celebrate that as part of our society. Traditional societies especially france. Is not that the society. In france if you are not. Apologia. You are. Not the highest of the high. There's extensive what it means to be french. Cv needs to be english. And this is part of the battle that is going right now in europe. Between multiculturalism. And as motoconcho society. In the muslim world. Until the twentieth century we will all multicultural society. The ottoman empire was deeply multicultural. Caucasia was vicky multicultural in hinduism living together. Now with the rise of nationalism. Nationalism created. The momentum. Call monocultural society. Great conflict. Drake concert. Recreate religious nationalism. One of which was nine ism. The creation of the state of israel. Is it of israel resulted. From something which could holler park in in in europe christmas virtual laundry. Darkest chapters of human history. Play also resulted in. In massive demographic. In much of the album astroworld. Tapatio wrecking 48. They were jewish communities in every muslim. Morocco. Turkey. Libya. Egypt. Yemen. Syria. Iran. You had iranian jews you had. Egyptian jews. And iranian jews looks iranian facebook farsi. If injuries look a gyptian spoke out of it. American jews look moroccan. But they look like the society. What what happened in fortunately is that. Multiculturalism. Hutchinson create. A good society. Create a healthy economy the reason why. We are good we have a healthy combinations cuz we have immigrants coming in. Cuckoo. Who provide. The services in what the country needs. When you do the reverse of that. When you have a multicultural society. And you shifted to a monoculture society. Your impoverished society. With the rise of nationalism. Woody with the with the. With the. The removal of many communities. In our society example head. Jewish communities with egyptian jewish conviction. Egyptian. A greek community we had italian community. When i'm the most arcane. In the 1962. Nationalism. 47 * the immigration. The integrated. Then they took their wealth and took their expertise the country can offer it. So i believe in multiculturalism. And i believe that that all societies should be multicultural. I believe the most emotions right back. To write was. 100 years ago with people. Back to the future so just keep like that movie. But but but utilize that model that paradigm of of societal rule. And in answer should israel. Batman israel i believe if you are what you wish you were to analyze israel. As a 100% jewish state. That model is not. I mean show me the homeland for jews the place where jews feel since you're that's understandable.. Electricity. An end and trey the model of a society. Well we all can live together. I think these are the broader and bigger questions that have to do with with the nature of society. The nature of a nation. The nature of estate. That is somewhat. Embedded or implied. In his comments which a broader base of mustangs. And even numbers. Would would think it's something we need to look at seriously. I'm even juice and felt. You know. Yahoo. School of israel and who believe israel is. Important part of their. Austere drama. Heritage fair identity the nation heard a sense of nationhood. I've also been having such discussions. On on these types of tissue. If i could just deliberate a little bit on that. There is no question that this point but sad israel should be. Should continue to exist and should continue to exist. As a state that's that is a homeland for the jewish people. But it has to be a multicultural steak. Means the people particularly. The palestinian populations in. Evelyn israel. And there's a sizeable number of them they have the vote. But not a whole lot more they have political parties which have never. Ever participated in the government. And israel. Whereas they were major political leaders. Industrial today were born in russia. Talk freely about your. Reporting the palestinians from israel other words in order for that country. To to continue to exist which i deeply believe it should. It has to exist. Multicultural state with full human rights of citizenship for the non. Joey run. Today's population for dinner. It's not it is not a constructive comment and none of the none of the arab leaders of the muslim leaders have agreed with that. But but i think. What i'm trying to get at is that i think the. The. Support for those kind of. Violently anti-israeli position. Draws of bits on the evidence of the. Kind of lack of enforcement of civil rights within. The country inn. If there were good deal more attention paid. The human rights of the logitech. Populations within israel. Other probably would be a lot more support for. Its position that you're in. The rest of the world in muslim. Assure you of that had been having discussions for the last couple of years of malaysia. About what you would do. Had to help support nelnet. Israel. And he said that he would be happy to do that. Buttieg. Would not feel that would be his place. 22 jump ahead of my brethren and he described it. Palestine who sells the arab neighbors and tells agree whatever they agree to then he'll be the first to 22 in dorset. But he wouldn't would not be his place to jump ahead and so you should agree to this or that because he considered himself one step removed. So they're almost in the world who are very concerned about this issue. Because this issue. Affects them domestically in their own domestic politics. As it does in this country. Affects the domestic politics of every of every arab leader. Arabia had floated apiece. Bosal. But he was told conference. And i think if i'm trying to send out is also pushing right now for some kind of a. Genuine comprehensive. He settlement. Israel and the palestinians. Everybody would put widget with running agree to it at this point. Because it's become so bad. The situation has become so difficult. It has a. The negative aspect to the domestic stability of many of the neighboring country. Salaam alaikum. What was two parts of a. Carlos has to do with. Bridge. House m.d.. But also. Has to do with. Bridging the chasm. About four years ago. Published reports. What's the score on the website. The document says more people die of suicide. Then in all wars in ark. We constantly mistake. The problem. Warfare. Ps on the news. But the real problem. Spare. The conflicts. Are rooted in. Fair. People who are mermaids. Asparagus. Desperado. And thus we have terrace. Weather there. Hattie mcdaniel. Darren despair of. Affecting. Change in their lives were changed in their society. To a more just society. As muslims. We are obliged to. Envision situations where. Well. Xenoverse 1. Religion of islam. Could equally well be translated in the bottom line is peace. Navigation to. Envision situations where. Everyone. Is made to feel safe. Absalom. Ff safety. Are religious studio cheap.. Since we are faced with a situation where. Members of the islamic community. Ar. So desperate. Sofifa. Blowing themselves up. End. We have to achieve a situation where. Even the most. Rabid fundamentalist. Actually feels. Sure. Obligation to do that. And i'm really puzzled over. Wanted to hear. What your thoughts were. How can we get. The other one. 2. Start feeling less threatened. Next. Besieged. By what date. Here is. Hawks of. They're totally. Godless culture upon them. We can recognize it or not. Quite so badly but how do we get them. Thank you for your ready to fun questions. I think the number of things that need to happen. What needs to happen in. In large segments of the muslim world. Is the participation. Equitable basis. In the areas of politics or power political power and economic pie. The reason for the conflict in ireland between the catholics and the protestants. Was not driven by theology. I was driven by. Those sociological groups that identify themselves as catholic. Didn't see that they have parity. In the political power structure and economic pie. That's one one strand of it. In much of the western world. Weather is a perception. Free sample taking the case of bin laden. Bin laden's issue is not about religion. Elevenses shoes about the way i read it. He had. Economic pie. But he wanted to share the political pie. And it said no. I took his hostility. Tousey house of starwood. Stem from the fact that. Clinical pi equation was not being scared. Power. That people fight over these two issues most of most of the conflicts that we see. Come from power. And design 40 carotene power. And parity in economics. The same things happening right now in iraq. Particularly. I wish. Not an issue. Kinesiology or she archaeology. Participation. So what is needed is a. Is it the construction of society. All the evolutions. Of many islamic societies. It's a society's where we have what we call. Capitalism. A kind of democratic capitalism. That's one of the things i mentioned in my book. That i think we need to move to work and and. Thunder. Promise of malaysia has. Delta concert the warden called yourself about it. What's the elevation of the sun. Which identifies 10. Objective. Is that an islamic government should provide. Beginning with belief in god and. Find religious support. Community. National security retrieve. First mutual. Salamo selma safety on eman even. National security is very big thing that is why we have. The young. Amendment which allowed to have to carry arms united states. Did the number one thing that. People want of its government. To give them security. Physical security security the police the army. Economic security. Next. Wellbeing. And our capacity to be to be self-determining. Cutting in power. If we have that in much of the muslim world that will go a long way. Reducing the context of people feel that they have. The capacity to engage. In in shaping how their societies will. Will will be built and how it revolves. That to me is i think the number one thing. That needs to be done intra islamically. And of course the help of the numbers in world who go along way. In terms of. Justice. World trade. Negotiation. As far as the alexei islam in the western boundary between islam and the west because you're you are comparing a draw graffiti to religion in a certain sensor. The phrasing west islam versus islam. Yeah it's not comparing apples to apples so you need to unpack that. And the boundary between the west indies, political. Sociological nomics they are. They exist both within the western world. Sonic world. I in europe mexico in america. When you have the boundaries between the ca majority population is not muslim. How it's fear those concerned. I bought it, priority. I slept the problems in other states. Biggest problem in europe. Introns and brittany holland. Cultural society. The greatest fear. Of the of the growth of exclusive community and what it pretends. Future. That is one of the things that need to be looked at and and and examine. And my thing. On that particular issue. Is 2 is too rapidly evolve. Zzounds. The rise of. What i call a european french islam in american islam. Adachi. Which is part of the wave looking to evolve anyway. If you look at what happened to slamming express from arabian from the profit. To egypt which other very ancient culture. To all the countries of north and central africa. The persia. India. Over a period of. Time developed. Geology the same. The jurisprudence might be little bit different. You would even detect. Play egyptian islamic turkish islam. Pakistan indo-pakistani islam indonesia. Because it blends with the cultural institutions. And then what we need to do today in america and many of the european countries to develop institutional forms. American express. That is true to american food with lamb. France 2272 british culture to take slam. And that is what is percolating bubbling right now. And that's part of the work. We have to do. Nnn b maltese mouth doing all the different. Text together. I will be the way that we can bridge. View to be the chasm. Between the west and islamic world. And that's why i mentioned yesterday media how many free didn't read newspapers for a month. Maybe people. Views about things you wouldn't have such as burning. Nnnn d'alessandro credit because he heard about the pope saying something. So this is where this is where addressing some of these. Particular prophecies. The only the only idea in the current but also the. Entities like the media. So by looking at all these various components in creating a plan. Addresses all of them. We can practically. Cinerama situation that's the directions. Share your thoughts with us about how we. They open hardened i'm still optimistic in light of all the things going on in the world. And. Too personal but as a mother of. Wondering how we let. Muslim and people in arab countries know that they watching something we decide as well. How i encourage my children and united daughter who just. Entered the international high school at berkeley. And the model un and trying to. Advocate. Wondering what kind of practical things like encouraged her to do and my other kid is coming out soon. Justin is it and engage with each other there is something called. Granite city's international something. Apollonia. Lake relationship between american cities and cities overseas and and and people go back and forth between one part of the world of the other. Understand when the soviet union exploded. They had americans visit russia and russians visit america. And just liberty charter get to know each other. That is a very powerful powerful m grassroots to grassroots. So people get to know because when people. Blue people. Metaxa face. I got your friend. They view things differently. You don't know what muslim. I know you're busy but when you know. You know rashid you know mean. Yo-yo your vision of the time changes. And. This is why in march of the mustang world. Domestic generally unaware of. They know that. In some parts of the muslim world where has less social intercourse like in saudi arabia with me very deeply. Restricted kind of a society. I bet meenakshi the case is much but in much of the missing world people are very much aware. And they know i can do as the difference between tony blair and the british people between. Between them. President bush in the american people. But that would be a way of doing that. And going to hurt somebody don't like baywatch 2. I'm in gif. Go to iran and and and. And say that. That would be a bb one way of doing it. Support to people like myself and others are working on. Place i go to every year and we're working together to see how we can expand some of these programs. To just let people know. Pictures of the way we we we believe. The problem that has happened is that we not think in terms of. When i'm in boston world i have to remind people. That when you say why does america do this. You have to realize that. American deeply divided from the iraq war. There were hundreds of thousands of demonstration. Demonstrating how the un because he. I mean don't think that america is all on british side. But we are trained to think that right we we don't say what is bush do this. America. We don't say why does. Ben laden do this why do muslim still there. Vicious. One of the things about that i have about the way the same. Oin used language. We should if we think in terms of individualism people. Rosin religions is actor. Allstate is acting because. The state doesn't track. Play the concept. Subject question mac wanted to australia under the carpet concepts. I want to hear what has happened to the world today. We now. We have created. If taking the corporate concept. The corporation is an independent person. And we speak of that entity as acting. Why do they slam do this. In our traditional way of thinking. It's not a thing. It's a set of actions. What is islamic that you say this you do this you do this you do this. These commercials are say chevron beliefs. So america isabel america isn't doing it. Somebody who is the president was behind us in group of individuals. But we use language this way i don't know what we do is. We. We make something responsible but is not. The case. America is at war. Lottery. We we. Those who are against the war. Become become defective supporters of it. Hey what's it what is christianity. All the christians who are liberal and open-minded enchantable. Seems to be part of that process. Play say what is its name do this the same thing happens. And as many other dangerous because it collapses distasteful diversity. It does use em in the danger in trisomy play some people say what does it say about this subject. Well this is not the way classical listings folk. A classical western scholar or even even today in damosky wouldn't say. Islam says. Casey would say. God says in his book or his scripture that.. The prophet says in an authentic hadith such-and-such. Because god is the speaker. Hippocrates the speaker. And when you stay that way you open the space up for contextual differences. The same question. Two different people. Go to recent contacts. Different things in different contact. But when you say what it is lamb say. It collapses the space of contacts. It presumes that there is one answer independence of contacts. Annette incel. Yeah it is an avenue by which mistakes. Come in and wrong thoughts occur. I just threw that in for. But it's an issue that i feel very strongly about. Hardee's. Driving here this morning. I was thinking back on something that you spoke about last night. When there was. Talk about. The riots on lexa. Thanks like. Call wife. But my memory i just can't believe names off but i know very well. Salvin rusty let's go kill him because he. Insulted. Our religion what-have-you. And berries. Types of these types of rides are going on because the cartoons etc. Distract me. But what was going on. Was adolescent eagle. Many people hold till they die in in some people have that type of. Eagle that's constantly trying to prove itself. And anything that differs from it. Stacy. They have to wipe it out so that. Dirigo can continue. Going in the direction that it's going. And i was just wondering what your thoughts might be on that because. I try and look at people cuz pretty much all the same everybody wants to do the right thing and i try so hard. And they kill each other trying very often. Yeah really has to do with the issue of of the limits of free speech. Intend. Again talking about your point of globalization. How do you. How to negotiate. Different values in different cultures on the limits of free speech. In certain confidence any society sunken gardens highly insulting. Have an insult somebody that is considered like. Like almost an act of war. I went shopping for examples of the devil came here yesterday that nation. Example of free speech. Or it's something that you would consider downright insulting and really abusive. Nnn how do you how do you correct to that. Muslims regard for example d. The forgotten maplesoft who won who. Pictures of a cross in urine and excrement that tattoo artists in our culture you don't do that. You do that that's an act of war. I mean. People you do that in in in india to be riots in india. If you don't insult in fact. Do not insult the gods of others. Let. Lasting saltillo god out of their ignorance. And and this is again i just say in an in an age of globalization where the where the. The boundaries of what i deem to be acceptable free speech. Deem to be different. Listen to this is the underlying issue. The address. But i'm talking about let's let's do a few other people chances here i saw several ends up maybe just a quick. That's exactly what i'm talking about. Adolescent eagle. In other words. Saying something. Awesome dawson only meant to illustrate. The differences in an interview point volume. Was trying to portray his view. Of what. He thought. Because he was. Atheist. He thought was going on during. The. Portray love. Getting information from. The godhead. 2. People. And. The other i think it's relatively innocent although you might or a someone else might. Take a very hostile view of it it's a real install. But it was a few of the reason. Original. Exploration of the reason they went behind. And how you might look at it in a more reasonable way. This transformation are all the information that was coming. Well again and i think people interpret. Things. Based upon not only their perceptions of what they eat grass to the intentions of the other. And then people respond to intentions. And someone rushdie is a monopolist he's a writer. He's writing having novels not nonfiction. And they have been written with. With with an attitude which which which. From the point of view of many people is going to be mocking. Delight in mocking inside mocking aspect to it. Princesses grownup instruction books in which she has a guy who named his dog near or something like that. At which in india was considered to be i may receive a lot of. Right angles, rusty for having done that cuz in that society that means. Something is taken to mean something very negative. That's all i'm in it it's an issue of of where the boundaries of free speech. And how do people react to something i mean the issue again surveillance with the un. Around a lot of hostility in this country. Because. Even though that many americans who would. Who would privately consider. You know george bush to be on that cattle that hill. But you don't call your president that way without feeling bad about it said this famous saying you know village. Author of a woman. With it i can curse my son. But let no one say amen. The real issue i think that we're going to have to do with intercourse is what are appropriate responses to. What you doing this is rude or. Marking. Cemetery. I consider to be excessive or something like that. Persuade another loudmouth demigra and that's the way it goes. But the real the real issue is to my mind just went way except his. Appropriate. Do you know it's interesting because only montalto when when montella arthur question about chavez remark. Jonathan jesse jackson would mention of it says hey rift put into contact. Headed guy was running for election. And our government took the opposite side. Discussion. And amazing scientist like. So i mean he said you were you have to contextualize his remark. This is why i'm saying it's the nature of the discourse is rained in that kind of language. Happy to know that you are a trying to attack them and summers cauldron fascination. Uuuu breed this kind of of of. Of them. Extremism. Let's keep it on the microphone i don't know where it is. Amion yes i was alone liberal and a conservative group in florida recently and. Someone said to me i want to ask you about this concept from an islamic or prophetic you. A statement was made from a woman you know. I believe that hillary clinton is pure evil. And is very provocative to me and i stumbled around to respond to this. Pickle. I have trouble with the notion of anyone or anything being pure evil. And i itch i just started thinking how would evil be explained. Islamic or prophetic viewpoint. How would you i know from a christian point how it would be looked at. How are you doing i believe it goes back to creation and lucifer b you know the miss. Of lucifer being. Dismissed from heaven that's how i believe it looked at mcchristian viewpoint. Personally i tend to think of it as a projection. Of our own shadow decide that we can't. Receiving our health and we projected onto someone else for this woman i would see she can't even recognize her own power as a woman. And so she's very threatened. Notion that hillary clinton has as much power she does so that's how i would look at her but i didn't difficult in the social situation to explain all that individually i could have. But i was kind of floundering you know i just got a citron i don't believe anything is to haverhill oh what what eagle in the world. Conflictual. Social action and i'm just curious how. Eva would be described from mythological or whatever way how. Eva would be described. Yes the way i would describe it into scenes from an islamic point of view is that. It it starts with with the with the same story. Of the angel lucifer. Who then disagrees with god on the creation of man. And the exaltation of our human kind. And satan was called in arabic. Is the embodiment of evil on north perryville. Guy being up in opposition to god. Then what happens when the elderly the narrative unfolds. Is that. We are the state. Within which. Triton try to derail us. And we are. Disney's we are taught that. Domini satan. And part of our own process recognize our own satan has every human being has been appointed disable. We have our guardian angel if you will but you also have a landscaping. And i'm part of the spiritual lesson of progress. Is to learn to see your own taken. Do n2 also recognizes taking in others. End the zz fight. Video. The struggle between good and evil in the struggle that we had that we waged individually. Visit without on satan what you might call the shadow side. We believe that was taken is the one who whispering. Into our hearts. Negative thoughts. I'll conscience to the lowest tell this to the good part. But i'm taking the one that delights. Delight in gossip delight. Delight in hurting other delights in chino. And you can feel all that. A person. Who has become completely. The rule. By his or her. Satan know his and her demon. Becomes the. Demonic. Kind of a human being. What is a human being who is completely dominated. By the divine impulse becomes instinct. So between those two. Extremes as a variation of. Oaxaca varieties of a human being. Which is basically the pictures away. Applicants describe an even used was like. When a person is angry. We say is faking his writing him. And you can almost feel in their in their visit and their faces like this. Dr. jekyll mr. hyde kind of a syndrome where the. You know mr. hyde comes out. That's the almost like the satanic component of the individual coming through. Where is when. We do the crew do prayers when the the. The the holy spirit of the divine spirit. Becomes the most dominate. Our discourse and now it's 16 off thinking process. Then we become revolve more to what you call. These. The word in arabic is wiley. Which means a friend of god. But it is the equivalent of a used english to mina saint augustine 3 person. Easy the process of of learning that in the process of proceeding that you perceive that threw in some dinner reception. That you that you learn and you can actually develop. The recognized the e goode from the eagle. Madeira people. There are in fact. Anaconda. There are staples of human form. There are individuals. Become become embodiment. Ihop off of evil. Counties of evil of negative things if you will. I see your handbag the corner someone was not had a chance to speak before please get the microphone first so we can. Sit down here in denver. Hi i'd like to briefly make a suggestion for everybody of a resource. People have mentioned. I'd like to know. Better how to be able to talk to conservative people. Order supreme one's progressive liberal religious discourse. There's a small book. Written just. Deepika how to do that. Hookah spot george my cost is called don't think of an elephant man if you do this. This is the recent. In a nutshell version of practical application. What charge my car. Lake off. Has explained in a book written written 10 years ago called morrow politics. Which is the in-depth exploration of. What is the framing of how conservatives and fundamentalism neoconservative. Self-righteous about what they say. When we think it's total nonsense and. Evil to befriend. How did they sink. And as an alternative inarticulate. In explaining or. Coming back to conservative from what we too deeply believe. Those of us who were involved in unitarian universalist congregation. So moral politics also explains how. The alternative to this literal decepticon hostel. Kind of conservative. Way of thinking works we have. A way of thinking is capable of complex reasoning. And values that values of community and peace and cooperation. And we should learn better how to understand that and articulate that so. If you read world politics. And or don't think of an elephant it will help you be able to cope with all these things. I'm talking to our guys not you. Level of framing from which. The same words are used with different meanings by the neoconservatives and somebody like dennis kucinich or jesse jackson. Cynthia mckinney are very own barbara lee. Thank you. Lady in red and then and then just passed down the couple till you're right after your 2. But please. We are all fallible beings being human. There can be a serious problem. In. Assigning. The sense that we're not dealing with innovation being who is fallible and is also under. The control of god and doing god's will. In albeit in a twisted way. It's very important from my point of view and i would like it if you could comment on this idea. Done. We can. Do things which are very evil consequences. That in essence we are children of god. And that it is important to keep in mind that at any given time. God's purpose maybe syrup. By our being and our actions that we have free will. That we have the choice between good and bad. To call a person a devil. Regardless of the amount of complication the number of cruise that just. Administration has caused in in regards to venezuela. The possible desperate. Possibly even assassination attempt. There is an error. And the error being. at that point it becomes increasingly difficult to speak to ordinary diplomat. Who may or may not be. Willing to. Become an extreme that warlike in in the relationship between one country and another. I think also that in order to make cheese. Human beings and with all of the motive force in the world and all of the various kinds of diversity of action that it is necessary to assume. That there is some good. It is never know but. I will do what you will do with any of this will do. In the next moment and in given the fact that we can being posted as opposed to disciplined. Is is a very very important concept i think there's an error. Insane.. A person is totally evil. And the air is that that person does. Even. If there are very very. Destructive habits. And we don't know what god is going to do in relation. Of that person even if they were diabolical in in. Absolutely i agree with you. I was just talking about you the concept. Over here. And the. It is not for us to judge others. But when we see things and talk about her as it's priced rachel people and religious people. It's acknowledging the fact of you all soon. We all are. Play the famous hadid. Which god says if you are a people who did not sin. I would have replaced you with a people who did. Who would then ask me for my forgiveness and i'll give it to them. Saudi the role of those of us who watched picture religious leaders. Is not only to purify ourselves. I could strengthen ourselves. To become increasingly. Increasingly same to you female. About also to engage with others in the way that transforms and that way. Did the role of the prophets. I didn't come. Paseo you are all a bunch of evil people are y'all going to go to hell. He would certainly make. Merit. That that result. But his message was about transforming peep. Message was about taking people who. Where's santa's making them believers. Is what jesus christ it. And to me the idea of turning the other cheek. Is not. What i called passive. Being a passive width of a doormat is not a wimp. I've been fortunate to have had a couple of dreams of the property one dream of jesus. And in that. He was no wimp. Is enormously strong and powerful. End. And to me. Cizgi to me right interpretation and church ever many people. My understanding is actively engaging. With a sinner to transform them. Into doing good. And whatever he did that. And if it whenever he healed people. From from illnesses that work you might call. The spiritual equivalent of psychosomatic illnesses. He would say okay or. So did the idea of transforming people. Too good strengthening the good within them. To help. To help us as. As agents of free will. To exercise of free will. The strengthening of our saintly sign. Overall demonic sign. Is the process of a spiritual guide in mustang. And for those of us who are embodied in the credit community of peace. That would urge. Each other in that direction. So i'm. I'm not disagreeing with you. Commenting. On what i believe to be about individual collective responsibility. Boats goes towards our selves. And towards our community. I'm home until august 5th. Logically. Would you pass the mic down to your to your right when you're through.. There isn't my mind. The example of the dolphin. When the dolphins become unconscious. If the other dolphins in in the group don't come and look at dolphin to the surface it drowns because it needs to breathe air. Anytime. That we lose our consciousness of our purpose and our capacity for making peace. We need to have. Other dolphins around us hulu. The depths of the sea to the surface so that we can breathe. Beautiful. I agree with that. Do you break your vows a thousand times. Come. Yet again come my. Question and comment is about to spare i went to thank you about what you said about and loudon because. When i despair about politics. Instead of demonizing president bush. I try to say here is a guy he's naive about the world and he becomes the leader and he surrounds himself. With people that he thinks are loyal and that he can trust and then he listens only to them and they give him bad advice. And i'm back. Fear makes them of bully and that's. And how he's working. It's harder to get a handle on ben ladin because. Evidence the cultural difficulties but he does know the western world. Are by his words now totally rejects anything remotely western. And so it's it's hard to get a handle on him and. And i guess it is all about power i guess. He does feel very powerful like maybe he's even doing good. Harnessing the despair of these young men. Sending them out to. Courageously challenged the world different from their point of view. I guess it's all about power. But. And i wondered if you felt. When you talkin about. Lifting up is islam in a positive way especially here in america. If you don't feel bad. There's a problem among christians that there also might be a problem among muslims when you look at a place like turkey. It's neither. Hot nor cold so you spewed out as he says in the new testament. That it's neither western. Or. Totally muslim so if. It's a place it's not something. Someplace to look at. Goals for your country it's rather. Apathetic. Reject. And it is that's the way most muslims look at it. And my other question about despair was. That when hot-headed young people. Or despairing young people if they aren't allowed something constructive to do. Of course they are going to do something destructive at out of despair. So i was wondering if you also. We're optimistic as i do. About the fact that america. And abby islamic world has a love of the creation as well as the creator. And this could be harnessed. Through science as well as through mysticism that love of creation. And kinship with the world as a place in as animals and us. Brothers and sisters that we could harness this to uplift islamin and christianity in in a common good. In an ecological way to be leaders since america is not an ecological leader in most ways. And and that is lumpy. Helper. By harnessing religion instead of it always being. A contentious bones. That was the final question and we'll get. Final comment proposal. Let me say that whenever i have traveled i seen that the majority of human beings all over the world happy much the same. They want the same basic things of life. They want. Decent meal. They want a roof over their head. Feed and clothe and educate their loved ones. I live a good life. They. Many of the things that they eat that we enjoy here in america think they would like to enjoy which is why many mustangs. From many of the poorest countries. Dream of coming to rest. Directions to friday's. Western europe organized states. The quality of life we have established in something which. Many of those developing countries are seeking to do in their own. As well. Toby rv the boundaries between west and east dissolving. Whenever you go. Go to indonesia go to egypt cartoon. Saudi arabia even go to dubai in that building building highlight building. It doesn't look like what he imagined arabia was 100 years ago. We are becoming more globalized world becoming more similar in many respects the valley that you spoke about about ecology on deeply. Chronic law prohibits. Environment. Pollution of bodies of water. We're allowed to equip prohibited to urinate in a river or in a pond. Princeton sunday. just simple. Ways of describing the principal. Off off at ecology and the sitcom the environment. We share. With the abrahamic traditions that we are. We are creating the image of god as stewards of the earth. We are. Khalifa or ambassadors of god. he was about to fight sequence of god. We have a responsibility. To maintain this earth to maintain its beauty. Maintenance resources. 22 rim. To spend it resources wisely. And not to just to destroy it. And to be good to the resources of humankind as well. They just said to uplift. I would dolphins do we have to lift each other. Turkey creek in society where we uplift each other where we encourage each other to be the best of what he can be. That is the that is the kingdom of heaven on earth. Envy our notion of. Being players in history. Involves us doing that. A whole bunch of rising up to this challenge. Individually and collectively. And by giving people the opportunity to become. The best of what they can be. Easy recipe to removing despair. And recognizes the resource what creates wealth. It's not the oil in the ground. But our human ingenuity. Identify many countries and nations which have lots of natural resources. But was economies are very bad. And yes countries like hong kong. Singapore or japan. That is very poor in natural resources. Right has this resource. As a resource of the human intellect the human mind the human ingenuity. And they have a structure. Whereby the human resource. Is it supplied in a synergistic fashion. Those economies are strong economy. That's. That is where. Beat the real resource is very soft lighting.. Ingenuity. That's the way to 22 bridge our differences passed away to build a society which. Eliminate the gloom of despair. Which gives opportunity to assist in young and coming. Have a roll-in at a place. In a globalized world. And religions have an important. Role to play. Because religion speaks the deepest issues. What needs to be human. It speaks to what we are spiritual beings a testicle being. It is it is our guide it is our. Criteria. I wish we. Get advice from the almighty. The creator. What is right. I don't think she's forgiven to arsenal scriptures. Very clear. Even when we need guidance we do have access. To the spiritual realm. Where we can be given. The guidance. What you call the holy spirit. Whatever language you choose to use. We can learn to know. What is right. Somebody's wrong. For me as an individual. Every given infants. My life. When the when the freedom to act. Well one decision over another prevent yourself. As long as we abide by that. We are we are we are. Walking the parts the right pot. I walking the straight part. Creating the kind of society that you wanted. To do for your own. Daughters. And family and we all got put out all the van all about family. And i thank you very much. May god bless you all and. Thank you thank you very much.

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070225_Alex%20Pappas_Liberation.mp3

Happy to have alex papers for the second time. Last week he talked about. The dualistic. Religions. Especially the abrahamic. Some of us. Asking about dualistic and the non-dualistic kind of came together. Like in mystikal still with that this time. So today alex is going to talk about the non-dualistic. Approaches to religion. Alex when he was a professional for. Alameda county senior center. Alameda county. So i'll let alex have. Good morning thanks for coming again. I was hoping you wouldn't remember what i promised. Anyway i just curious how many were not here last. Okay. If you have. Did you all get the handout for today the keyword. It's on the back table over there. I have 45 copies left of last week's handout. But if you have email my email address is on the. Who won i passed out today i didn't put it on last week i forgot to do that. And if you would like last week's handout just send me a. An email saying salvation please and i'll know which. And i'll send you the television through cyberspace. Okay. And if you got if you're not into email then take one of the hard copies here and if we don't have enough for kids. Maybe running off some more. One thing i want to say is that. Questions come to your mind while i'm speaking please raise your hand i'll try to deal with him as we go because so often as it happened to you you think of a question then you wait. Right moment to come out. I forget what the question is. So give a high sign in. Deal with it. We have a lot to discuss this morning and i'll do the best i can i gave you a handout sheet there's no way we're going to cover everything in it but i'll hit the highlights. You might read it at your leisure and i refer you to other things. The two talks deal with sort of philosophical idea how do we receive reality. Separate. Or do we see things in a more unified non-dualistic way. And i and i classify all religions. The world either is dualistic or non-dualistic. One is not better than the other has no nothing along those lines they just. Different in their approaches and you'll find that almost all of your traditions end up having. Most murder states. All of them have a duelist non-dual tradition in closet and sent that coming out of the closet these days more than. Before and i'll get to that. Okay. No just a review very briefly what we talked about last week cuz the first page of both handouts are similar but not identical. And i like you too. Cover that briefly for orientation purposes before we plunge into the specific. Non-dual traditions okay. Worldview's reality right there at the top of the first page. I like to go over that carefully if those fuel line. Quite important we have orientation. Straight. Dualistic religions. The main idea here is where our separate from the divine reality. We have a body we have an immortal soul. And when you say immortal soul that means our soul that separates from god. For eternity we hope we live our lives and according to the jewish tradition. If we follow god's laws. Someway we will be with the divine after death. Heaven is usually what's referred to. We don't make the grade we go to the other place. This is considered in philosophical terms. A relative reality a relative reality. Is the reality that is impermanent and changing. Everything in the physical in phenomenal world is temporary and undergoes change. Some of you've heard lectures on buddhism know that the heart of buddhist philosophy is bass in the whole idea. That their suffering because we get attached to things that are transient and in permit. And if we grasp. What is transient and impermanence. We're going to create some friction. And stuffer. So how to be in the world so to speak and. Not of it is a real talent. And that's the basic idea.. Immortal soul. Separate from the divine. As subject-object. Idea of reality cause and effect. Now non-dualistic would take a quantum leap. We're not separated from the divine reality you made. And the absolute are the same thing. What is that i haven't any idea. Best of enemies to watch considered the purpose of life is to have. Find that out for yourself wonder what's life's about why were born why are we here what's our purpose. Non-dual tradition states. The purpose is to discover who you really are what your true nature is. They have the concept of what's called the absolute reality. Which meat is immutable. 10 spiritual and it's not subject to change whatever it is. Now those are some of the general parameters. There's some characteristics here. First one here makes me a fraud anything said about non-dualism is dualistic. So i figure we have to do a little creative cheating. Any attribute you give to the non-dual reality with a dualistic language remember you'd flunk english if you didn't have a subject and an object in your writing. Makes it to worcester. So how do we talk about it we tend to slip into what's called monoson oneness. 1 this implies tuners but anyway it's the most non-dual idea there is. And we talked about the one. Zach watson problems. Hinduism and buddhism. Clear that up later i hope. We have time. They're at one of the hardest things in studying and talking about non-dualism is there's no ice.. R18. If you fall in. Armani. Moon. Monism. Moana. 1. Yes it's abused ethereality is 1. And that's quite different than monotheistic or you're worshipping one god separate from you that's a duality. Okay reality has is referred to as you. I made a list are you heard it before the absolute being tentative. Infinite's on changing unconditional love you're not going to find love is something as non separateness. What could be more non-stop person something that's non-dual. Love. If you referred to the non-dual mystery my destiny. Of the absolute. I don't i don't know the mystery. If you decide that is not suffering to spend you can say god is love very easily because that is the state of nonsense. Versus you and me and what happened. Liberation. It's the experience in state of non separateness. Or another way of looking at it is. I'm merging of your consciousness with the absolute which by the way is the definition of yoga we'll get to that in a moment liberation is also called the end of samsara the idea board living dying and then being reborn. And that is considered bondage because every lifetime you has a few laughs but also every lifetime has suffering built into it as one type or another. Incredibly lucky i haven't met anybody yet and have some anxiety or difficulty. Alliterations in state of consciousness. Infinite being knowledge and spiritual bliss. Go to buick brent huston smith book world religions. Perhaps his first chapter. Describe that beautiful yes the state of tasha's ananda we'll get into that. Will beresford may not need a mic. Any word we say here today is completely dualistic. And i have to cheat i'm sorry beresford eyecare. There's some yogi. Exact. But i'm supposed to give a talk today so you have to indulge me. What do i do i'll be out of a job. Liberation is none of the above all of the above i'm not quite sure what that means i just felt inspired when i wrote it. I love you. Wonderful. Now. At the top. Maine. Non-dual traditions in the east. Have to do with hinduism but hinduism is a big ten and. They are six major systems of philosophy in india. Two main ones the tomato cherries on the case. Are where i called vedanta and yoga. Yoga philosophy. Also in buddhism the mahayana tradition of buddhism. It's highest teachings are non-dualistic until 1000 those are free. In the west. Judaism has the kabbalah which is ultimately non-dualistic. Christianity has the christian mystic such as meister ipod. Some of the others they're very non-dualistic interview. An islam has the tradition of sufism. Which is non-dualistic. If you go into 54. So there's a lot of non-dual. Traditions out there. In recent years especially the western ones i mentioned to you there because. Popularmmos. More. Discussion about them. Now some of the things you'll run into i'm trying to give some grudge proton there's but some of the ideas most them with it here too. Our individual to nature who you really are. And the absolute reality of the use of universe of the cosmos. Is an identity there's no difference. You are it. The highest expression in india if you go there and find the girls on top of the mountain. Yeah the highest teaching you'll get is called pop pharmacy. Tattva nasi freebirds. And that. That thou art. You're it. You're searching for the truth you're the truth. You're in darkness you're an ignorant of who you really are. And the purpose is to kind of wake up for that. Secondly the phenomenal world is not real in the sense is always changing temporary and permanent. And so it doesn't fit very well as to what is reality. Which relative reality is all undergoing change and transitory so that's another thing you'll find all of these tradition. Most of them have the idea you have more than one chance to wake up and experience who you really are you have many lifetime. And veterans and karma reincarnation and all of those other. Important aspects. You're alive we have a mortal body and a temporary soul not an immortal soul. Because my immortal soul if the absolute. Is non-dual. If you have any mortal soul in there an alternate reality is truly just. Go in the salvation tradition be a bahama tradition. You have the idea of a separate in mortal soul in the non-dual tradition you have the idea of a separate consciousness i like that better or so that's temporary that'll eventually wake up and merge with the escalade. Fundamental difference. Procure. Okay. During its lifetime they will emphasize you experience dissatisfaction. I'm suffering. And hopefully have a few last two. Anybody want to raise any questions at this point. I have this question. Why did see. Demarco. So you're talking about. Unmerge in the first place. I like the phrase that into another question i can answer. If everything is the true reality is spiritual how come any. Why why is there this descent into matter. You know what the great sacrifice is sacrifice how is define the great sacrifices.. The idea of the plunge that things have become material. Right. And i'm sorry i can't answer your question. In fact i cannot find an any other. Literature and religion why there is so-called creation or manifestation or emanation whatever terms you want is it sometime. And that's a very good question. And i wish i could answer that i can't. Yep. Comment as a human is project 2. Just because. Atoms are moving around and recombining themselves. Different combinations. Molecules. And the table doesn't remain a table that doesn't mean that the atoms don't exist as reality. And i personally think the. Material things exist and a spiritual parallel rail. We never meet. okay. Yes. I think you. Forgot. Important. Religion. Goddard school powerful. I made a mistake. Alright. Traditional ninth dimension. Hinduism but i like to call it vedanta. Three kinds of vedanta the one i'm interested in is a joyful or advise you of it. the idea means not to. Not too. And so when i use the word the downtime only referring to this type and this was developed by the great. 7th century. Philosopher saints. In india. You only live to be 832 but he was sort of the thomas aquinas of. Apologizing. And. Two other important people ahmadi. Andromeda develop other variation. Vedanta but i'm only referring. Non-dual. Tired tired. Orthodontist. The main teachings here come from the last parts of the vedas which are the holy scriptures of india. And they were developed over 3,000 years ago and over about an 800 year. and the last part of the vedas are called the upanishads you've heard about that. Are four major vases in there four major parts in each one is sort of a matrix 216. There upon a child that died at the end of all of these for betta. The main thrust. The early vedas is dualistic how to do rituals and god is separate. Hope the gods will help you. Have a better life on earth. Teaching zmiana starts with your very interesting they're not interested in ritual sacrifice has a hole. They're they advertise meditation and they emphasize the idea that the reality is your true nature. And this is where the source material any other materials. Material. India in hinduism. Gordon on google. Now. The. Purpose according. To vedanta is to experience who you really are your true nature. And other traditions also do this. You will find it in other places on the course the hard questions. Which will be one of the forms of yoga east ask yourself who you really are. Who am i. Purpose. Let's go to the top of page 3. I want to clear up a little jargon. A little bit of terminology there at the top. Samsara is the term. For the cycle of birth death and rebirth. Shorthand. Eva. The name of the temporary soul that reincarnation. Temporaries in involving consciousness and when that consciousness reaches the high state of what we call the state of yoga with y'all get there. There's no longer any g. Reincarnation. Most of us cannot wake up in one lifetime to leave this siri is a theology of non dualism is. That you need more than one lifetime to finish school to wake up to who you really are this is what is meant by self-knowledge not book knowledge but the experience your true nature. And the. And that is supposed process of reincarnation. Now. 10 minutes to work karma, in the hindu tradition means those moral moral law of cause and effect. We have any christianity and judaism you reap what you sow. The only place against controversial really is. We all believe in karma you know if you eat too much you got to gain weight and that kind of thing but what just complicated with reincarnation. Is that things that you do in your life today the effects may not be reached until a different life for the downstream. Okay and that's call the transmigration. Call. As long as we. Perform any action or create an action would create bondage be staying gone as hell get to that in a moment. Let's talk about the relationship. Okay. I want seconds. Anapana shop and i didn't catch it. Which one what. Boulder chevrolet manduka upon a child is very good picasso upon a child. There are 16 or 18 major one and out of there about 116 that are examined still exist today. There's a wonderful pocket paperback book you can guess it was put out by the vedanta society of southern california that summarizes the main one sentence they do a very good job. Another question. Supposed to be. Pursuing. Who you really are. Self-absorbed. Word of life and i can see that if you're you know devoted to a monastic life. But that might be the case might be a good thing to do but for the ordinary person. Juicy.com. Profitable way to live. From everybody else. Well. Thank you for the leading question i will answer it now by discussing the different types of yoga. Let's talk about yoga i think i'll answer you in that process if that's the major. Vedanta said to go philosophical stay. The reality is not separate from us are two natures that reality where in the state of ignorance of that reality. Terminology. That's the purpose of life is to wake up to that and then you'll be. Free family. Cycling. Death and rebirth. The suffering that goes christian. Z. How do you do it. Easier said than done. Remember buddhism the four noble truths and buddha points out grasping and. Call those things cause bondage and suffering and. The way to get out of it until it going again the same question comes up how do you let go and he offers the eightfold path. Different forms of yoga. They serve a similar purpose. Now. The yoga dispose well-known here in the west is what i call physical yoga exercise you'll get it is not considered one of the major yogurt even though that's the one that's best known in the west the option is the pastures the kanayama the greeting exercise the creators of the water cleansing and what-have-you. But many people who practiced yoga don't do hot4yoga. That's a very specialized. Lead you to the feet of god but never into the heart of god. The main types of yoga are on the following page or. An excellent book on those written by swami vivekananda. 15 years ago. If you google any of these words you'll get lots of. Hits on the internet. The major yogurts that there are others but these are the big four of the karma bhakti jana and rodger yoga. Karma yoga. Is the idea that uses for the personalized to do service in the world. But it's very. Yogi is a person in a real high state of consciousness. How many year of ever said. When a little hurt feelings. About somebody. After all i've done for them. Any appreciation. Never have i ever. Well the, yogi say when you do good things in india. Can you help other people and you are attached that what you do succeed that you really help a person. You don't mind getting a pat on the back a little appreciation those two things you like what you're doing to succeed and you like to be appreciated for it because there's a you is expensive i am this time coming from that's the dualism that's called savea seva. Savor. Mother teresa jones ava or was it this, you're going to talk about. You your state of consciousness. Is one of everything you do. In-n-out. I'll use the word. Offer to the lord whatever that means the mystery of the universe. Sonando reality. Your state of consciousness as such. Everyone is. Your brother and sister and everything you do the nature of your very being is. Compassion. In a buddhist and four others. And you have no attachment to the outcome of the way you're living your life but your life in and of itself is one of full service. And there is no sense of a personal iron that says nobody to pan on the back. Utiliquest, yoga. Karmayogi. Is just by their nature. They usually have to start out with saving you immerse. Develop into a karma yogi word you are very being. Just want a service and you have no egocentric sense of i am is that needs to be appreciated. And again. It always comes up with mother teresa doing favor, yoga i don't know i never talked to the lady any question about that there's a real difference between the two. I'm so depressed right when i saw quite a few years ago i heard on the lair report coming over the woman. Singleton kansas or someplace. She was so beautiful i was doing some kind of service. I'm sorry to be so vague about this. And i f****** myself there ever was a karma yogi. And i i didn't. Follow through and find out who it was missing a. The idea of total of selfless service. Everybody every question karma yoga. And this is one way of having a very rich body. This is yoga philosophy. If you do it in probably a lot of you have been somebody hatha yoga. Remember you have to screw it i'm not knocking it. But that's not the path of yoga cuz the word joga mean to union union of what your lower consciousness with the absolute to non-dual reality. When york and that's the state of yoga. There and then there is the process of yoga of doing these different types of yoga. Is that clear. Yoga me junior you know yo you could have choked over to pals. Pulling the cox card down the road. Bringing together green together what. Everyday consciousness. With all the trulia this supreme consciousness. Questioning back. Who's the line in the bhagavad-gita that says. Work alone is your reward. Never the fruits thereof. But do not cease to work. I always wondered. If work. Is the best translation or if. Perhaps conscious awareness. In terms of what the karma yogi. Needs to do. It isn't. Is it worker is awareness. I think that. Cinema wellness cuz that's all i would say is state of consciousness. And that's what i was trying to emphasize before indictment concur with you 100% on that i sent not going to get in a good way to translate it i don't know sanskrit hardly at all i know if he was at work. I think it's a state of consciousness if you think of that way. That makes makes it easy by the way the bhagavad-gita or gita and is one volume of the 18 volume mahabharata. and that is the most well-known book in the india. And. The end. There are the two main books dealing with the different forms of yoga explaining them is divided and the other book is our is the yoga sutras of patanjali overtimes really. Did i answer your question. Okay. Yes. Another one, he's going to be a lot of exercise. Monroe. I am not selfish. But if i were. My stalker. Okay. The only way i can say nothing i say is that the state of consciousness of a karma yogi there is no sense it's gone. And it's very hard for us to let go. Yeah there is no i in this philosophical worldview. Alright let's go to bhakti yoga. Berkeley means the heart talk to his devotion. All of religious tomorrow pretty much practice box of yogi and if you are a devotional type of person. This is the fast track they say to god realization or enlightenment or merging or whatever term you like. What is mafia the practices of bacta yogurt our prayer sounds from familia chanting him indiana. Meditation and what-have-you all of the practices that you will find it. When you go to services here at 11 and you do it him and you do prayer. You're doing. to you okay. And if you have his temperament. You're not always asking why like what you're trying to. Your consciousness is being transformed through your heart as opposed to your mind. You're engaged and bhakti yoga. Didn't know your back to you. Another major form of yoga which is the flip side of the body yoga zianna yoga. This is one of the hardest kinds of yoga. Listen to yoga self-knowledge this is the yoga where you use your mind to a certain extent. And if i'm there too. Branson. Two major practices of yoga. The first one. Trial and error they call it neti neti not this not this ever try to find out what the right thing to do is and you gon try 10 different things and you hope you come upon the right solution to the. How to approach the problem. That's the first approach this maybe that'll give me the truth and how to live my life. How to be in the world and what have you still suffering have never even though i have all this stuff and do this and try some other. Then my time. Looking in another country. Mmbn. None of this will work. And then that. Hopefully we can freely personal self-examination and development. Another approach swami vivekananda. There's a great exponents exponents. The nettie nettie approach the trial-and-error approach. In the practice of yoga. Hope you realize i'm terribly oversimplifying me. Just want to give you a few headline you can find 500 pages on each of these little paragraphs. he's awake. I always have a job the other approach. From the great indian singer died 1950 or 51 ramana maharshi you may have heard of him he's from south india and his approach was the well-known question who am i. And ultimately at an intellectual level at. Hey you can do diet to do it in psychological therapy group something to you people want to look at each other who are you and the first thing you say my name i address. Your job and all this stuff and then you keep asking the same question and all of the. Descriptions of who you are drop off who are you your job are you your name are you your address. That kind of say is that who you really are. Personal question you have to answer for yourself. It is hope that you will have. The experience. The actual experience of who you are not just the thinking about it and of course that would be that. Your. Your true nature is. The absolute. You could say i'm a soul as a metaphor not in the literal sense cousin these traditions those are all temporary. And that you have this experience. And. So ramana maharshi was elijah can read on that paul brunton the english writer. In search of secret india has written extensively on this he's been a couple of years are romano in the early 1930s. And. If you want answer your phone you write very well and. Her committee would call grandpa. Question in the back. Last name. I'm sorry i didn't get to. I'd like to know how to spell. Last name. Call blessing bronson brunton. Swami vivekananda. Give. Kanan. Va physician sanskrit means discrimination ananda mean spiritual breast than lightning through the process of discrimination that's why you got the name vivekananda. Okay. Trial and error. Very very. That's a great question no i'm not aware one but i don't. I got to meditate on that one i don't know i don't know. Huston smith. Has himself a yama yoga. And the way he puts. Ideas. Practically dance. They have an almost. Wellbeing princeton. Inviting him with everything. Yuck. Books are good they can orient you and what have you but. Real knowledge is knowledge of the shelf. Not the small town. That's wonderful he doesn't that way. All right now let's go to rodger yoga royal yoga. And the classic book on this is patanjali yoga sutras of the yoga sutras are. About 190 496. Short sentences in 20 pages in the old days they were written about 2,000 years ago. And. Know how far back before that they were an oral tradition we don't know. Because things were transmitted. From one generation to another orally it was very important to use as few words as possible. It's very hard to understand them. Yoga sutras of patanjali the rb20 pages of the sutras than 500 pages of explanation. The commentary and there's some excellent ones out there. Vivekananda did a very good one, nay society alex bailey. There are eight steps in rajyoga the first five get you ready to do meditation i called the yoga meditation. I didn't list the first five but basically the first two are yamas and miamas the things you don't do and the things you do do i call him the ten commandments. Then i realized. If the purpose of this form of yoga is to quiet your mind. Possibly to eliminate far is either watch the sauce or not have them it's great. I'm going to sing. How how do i slow down tomorrow my mind well if you violate your conscience what do you experience if you do something you feel was wrong. What emotion. But comes up begins with g. Activate the money more than anything else in haunt you forever. So you're very smart here. So you must know your values you must live by your values otherwise you're going to be in a very agitated state. Now. It means you're going to do it again well that means if you. You either have to. Except your values and not do it again or change your values and decide it's okay to do what you're doing. Otherwise. What are the other. The next two are related to hapa yoga asana what proper position to sensations of the lotus position but you don't have to even do it in a chair keep your back straight. Denver for stepping pranayama. Call elizabeth. Economy. Also very calming of the mind. Then the fifth step is truck your heart which means you would you stop. Paint so much attention to the objects of the senses in the world. You know the new car. Focus your attention. You're ready to start the practice of meditation and meditation down into three steps. Wichita craigslist. Donna means concentration have you ever gone to a meditation weathertech concentrate on your breath for monster or something you're learning to concentrate because the mine the monkey mind suzuki talk about it's always jumping around so it's better to have one sock in 100 thought so the first step in meditation according to patanjali where you concentrate and focus and one option. And it's very realistic there is you and the object of meditation and it's okay and it's other thoughts come and let him go. Stay with me. Then the next step is rihanna. Which is tan or is that an all three words means meditation. And that's where you. Subject and the object of the meditation start to come together the gradient. This is a pretty fan. Meditate. You probably have this. A separation. Disappearing. End. For the first stage of meditation. If somebody i never been there that they call it they don't know what word to use to that trance state and this is where. You have. Total cessation. Mine. I thought. Takamine. I took that pretty nora.. What's the formal definition of the state of yoga 23 sanskrit words. Modification of the mind mean to change into mine. In yoga they think of the mind as mine stuff they call it the kicker if you have an active thought. Has a metaphor thing of it is like clay. You got a marking on it. The real high state of yoga when this claim is perfectly smooth. And that's their metaphorical way of talking about it. And break it down into those three steps. And that is rodger yoga the royal yoga. And. The youngest. If you got time for 500 pages i recommend you read yoga sutras. Wonderful buckeyes. I remember once we did the alice bailey. Version of it and a half to go through it as a group and it was a wonderful. Burien. Anybody have a question. How do you say four major types of yoga. So yoga means union. Your current consciousness is separate from who you really are you're not in the state's emerging with the absolute the purpose of yoga. Is to change your consciousness. And yoga therefore stacy consciousness is the one right now where where where the other. Streaming. Green consciousness. And the third state of consciousness. Where do you go when you're in deep sleep and not having any dreams. Question. Yoga they say you're starting to approach the absolute. And the fourth state is when you arrive. Or wake up to it that's called superconsciousness or to ria. Any questions. I'm about to shift gears into another new subject gentleman in the back. Okay sign is another one in the corner. What happened. You have visitors. When you have what visitors. Visitors. I've never been asked that question before. I have to think that. What do you mean by visitors you have a dialogue with someone. Yes you could have a dialog. Or you could have a quiet. In your preconscious. Reawakening. Open your eyes. Visitor. Shadow. 4. Okay. I'm not sure what will happen but your cuz you is already having you having the experience of visitors or the awareness of something else and if you are aware of anything else. You may be making progress towards the non-dual experience but the mere fact you have awareness of something separate from yourself means you still have to go a little bit further. To achieve the state of yoga. And then i can't really say much more than that. Because you and i would suggest you dress very experienced and honor it. And. But don't get stuck in it. Are in indian yogurt sometimes you hear about yogi's developing special powers you know the times again levitator do this or do that and clairvoyance and what-have-you is it called. Beware. Beware. Metacomet. Humans of lisa cohen inherently dualistic in owner thoughts are words and everything even bother with monica. Why do we work within the framework of dualism. Bmore reality. Then anything else. Are you saying that duality is the practical state of affairs and why resisted or something of that sort. But maybe to transform because while you're in a dualistic states the party line here is your going to have a certain quite a bit amount of satisfaction and suffering in your life and if you're interested in. Reducing that. And that being more in it. Ananda spiritual growth. Send you there they believe that but not people who follow non-dualism that is very imperative. To get out of the dualistic state of consciousness. Trusting in god. You don't have to be monastic or even think your phone is taking order to have peace. I got to say that anything that works for you don't let it go and don't listen to me or anybody else and stay with it absolutely if you have found real peace in your heart. Faith in god or whatever it is. If what you're doing gives you the serenity and peace and you were satisfied. Send working don't you know don't fix it if it's not broken. I'm just trying to give you the ideas of the non dual-position gary i'm going to have to buy it doesn't matter it doesn't matter whatever your heart resonates one time in class years ago. Authority figure out. Oh my god. But i came. The lord help me i got the breakout religion that day because i said something i never change i looked at her and i said listen. Whatever opens up your heart makes you a more loving a human being is the right religion to you. And i never changed it. Chance about our western. Ideas. About. What to do. It seems that we are very involved with confidence. Honeyheartsc. Well. Knowledge. Pregnancy. Call. If we're confident and we get things done makes life at this level of reality more convenient. And i'm not i don't think any non-dual is recommending we. Not be confident in sleeping the rain or something like that. The main thing is to be aware. This confidence to this world dualistic view of thing. From their point of view is their point of view. It's fine and dandy. But don't. Always be aware it's not the true absolute reality the relative reality and has a downside cuz no matter what you do. Their point of view it isn't going to work completely to your palace fashion. That's the idea and in the. You should be in the world but not of it. Deal with the practical things but don't buy into a turkey absolute. And that means not being of it as the dolphin you're there she absolutely. Step beyond in western. Yeah. How i can start taking using those things but it's important. That's what i think he thinks these ideas are important trying to give us some perspective on life. I want to touch upon one other thing if they're not out of the question to. Okay i'll try. In the dondrell tradition they most of them. Accept the idea that your temporary soul will take. Bodies until you wake up reincarnation soda. Okay. In buddhism they speak of rebirth in hinduism they speak of reincarnation. Pastor jeffress. One of the main principles. There is no soul no permanent soul no stealth. Any other area. Stop. Great kills. The don turn yoga is off the mark because they talked about permanent so. And. I like to think of myself as a great reconciler. I think they've gotten really hung up on their terminology and are stupid. briefly there's much more written here. Remember in mention that there's a temporary saldana non-dual tradition. Are they calling your sister label. So that's not a violation of the idea of impermanence in buddhism. Chicago problem. The absolute in siddhanta and in yoga is called the ottoman or brahman. Very often in india. I think the swami get a little careless by have the right to say that. Mha all this is the eternal soul or the oversoul. The 11's. They start giving it a tribute. Something permanent. When in reality. Any parmesan.. The ones that really deal with this. You're not. Anytime you give anything an attribute you make a dualistic. If they said batman and brahmin widow is a mystery. Solon enduring soul-searching forwards then wouldn't be a problem. Pickup. Does my opinion by the way. They. Stress into something permanent enduring self. Correct. Because in a joycean vedanta you cannot give attribute to the mystery of the universe. Many prominent the awesome that's just the label so we can have a conversation. But if you don't use it to call it anything it doesn't work so i don't see why. I know you were holding your breath take care of this. I think this one's really. Which rebirth. Kendra smith. T-shirt. Reborn is not your person. Mountain. Scandal. The web needs to retire. But anyway he told her please don't think about. If you wanted make a buddhist wet asking to explain what does reborn what experiences rebirth if there's no so i have a page hereby diaz to talk about the assembly of this condo i just don't have time to do it today. If you read this page. Thank you thank you.

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?download=%2F2019%2F05%2FCelebrationSunday.mp3

Many years ago when i lived in india for a year. I struggled with the language. I'm not good at languages and though i had taken three years of hindi before i went. I found that sometimes even. Easy ideas were hard to understand and harder. We're all speaking hindi or in my case trying to speak hindi. That is the language of the part of northern india in which i lived. One of the most challenging parts of the language for me. With the family. In fact my confusion was understandable since there are pages and pages of words. Four family members of different degrees and detailed relationship. Here we suffice it to say aunt or uncle but they're you get much more specific and use a different word for the mother's brother versus the father's brother. And in some cases it got so specific you were using a turn for the mother's eldest brother versus another brother versus the youngest brother. It was real.

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?download=%2F2019%2F01%2FHonoring_The_Teachings_of_Rev_Dr_Martin_Luther_King_Jr.mp3

Now let's talk. About. More average. In this case. Kids. Kids. Mostly high schoolers maybe some middle schoolers. A bit older than many of our kids here today but not all. Let me say that dr. king did much of his work in alabama. He chose alabama because the government of the state kept creating laws that helped european americans. Sometimes called white people. And that hurt african-americans. At the time respectfully called. Sneaker was. A word respect. And of course that governor had supported. Supporters in cities all around the state. He had supporters in birmingham one of the big cities of alabama. The african americans did something important to claim their rights.

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The_Social_Gospel.mp3

Our reading. From the pastor and theologian walter rauschenbusch. From his book christianity and the social. Britain in 1907. Russian boost uses the term. Man and men. To express. Human and humanity. I will share is p. As it is written. Noting that it was appropriate. For his. When the 19th century die its spirit descended to the vaulted chamber of the past. Where the spirits of the dead century city. On granite thrones together. When the newcomer entered all turned toward him. And the spirit of the eighteenth-century spoke. Brother. Give us word of humankind. We laugh. Tubi. The spirit of the wonderful century. Discoveries and inventions. Like lonely stars. Have clustered in a milky way. Under my rule. One man by the oriole. Never did. Knowledge. And the hoarded wealth of today. Tomorrow. Man had escaped the slavery of necessity. I freed the thoughts of men. Bigotry. Men. Free. And equal. I have touched the summit of history. At last. The spirit of the first-century. We spoke proudly when we came here in the flesh. Wings. And think of what was before us and what came after us. Shame and guilt. Your words sound as if the redemption of man. Commit laugh. Had to come. You have made me rich. Hella. Is none in pain and hunger today and not in fear of hunger for tomorrow. Do none die. Has amassed. And long. You have made men why. Are they wise and cunning. In law. You have set them free. Are there. You have made men 1. Are there earlier the plastic apart. Does not. No longer. As the 19th century listen. Nothing. You shane already upon me. Migrate. Our and yours were. My millions live from hand-to-mouth. Those who toil longing. Have the least. Mcdonald's nsync exhausted before their days are half pint. My human wreckage supply. Class faces class and sullen distrust. The freedom. And now it has only made men keener. Give me. Among you. And let me think. Why. It has been sold. The others turned to the spirit of the first-century. Upromise. Redemption is long and coming. But it will come. We strive to be an ethical religion. We say this at the beginning of our offertory. Discovered that it is a perfect floyd folks to open. Or maybe it just reminds us why we are here. Community and spiritual engagement. For ourselves for our families. But we know that there is more. We strive to be an ethical religion. We serve ourselves but not only. We nurture our spirits. Because if we don't there is no way that we can heal our world. We used to begin the offering by saying. We are an ethical religion. Humility. Centurylink. The nineteenth-century assume that its achievements had a man that had succeeded in saving humanity from. The past century sitting on their granite thrones as if they were the newcomer. What progress had truly mean. Was it at the cole. Moral. Injustice. Not yet. In time. But not yet. Proclaiming ourselves and ethical religion. Not yet. In time. But not yet. Start earlier older statement. Standby this face. Rauschenbusch believe the true religion a moralizing force. That should be unleashed on the world at large. Walter rauschenbusch was a leader in the social gospel movement that thrived and seminaries and congregations from 1907 to 1914. A short heyday. But it had a long legacy. Liberal religion is always learning from innovative scholarship and original faith practices. Social gospel movement from universalist. We too looked around at ourselves at the turn of the nineteenth century. And doubted the efficacy of our progress. Our tools were boulder. But our hearts and minds felt cramped. They still felt confused. Are individualism was driving but our collective embrace of our brothers and sisters was still waning. Community people turned inward. Working out their own inner conundrum. Praying to their own gods for salvation. Are searching their own hearts for strength. The social gospel transform the way we did religion for good. You know of martin luther king jr.. The social gospel. Rebellion. He shares. It is. And is not concerned about the social and economic conditions that scar the soul. Is a spiritually moribund religion. Only waiting for the day to be buried. And you might know of norbert. Who breathed life into his hometown of prom during world war. Struggling to win independence for his country. It is likely he embraced the unitarian religion after studying the social gospel. The church is past he felt must be the place. Truth. Spirit above any scripture freedom above authority and progress above all reaction. Helping him even to endure his own martyrdom in a nazi concentration camp. With equanimity and heroism as attested by fellow prisoners. The social gospel. Is powerful. The two heroes i've invoked king and topic. For each murder. For employing its power. Others were rejected or feared. Why is this faithful power. So frightening. You may have prayed at one time maybe you still pray the lord's prayer. You may know the line. Die kingdom come. Die will be done. On earth as it is in heaven. It is often routinely mumbled. Seeming to announce a future promise. Soft hope. Something that'll happen. A long way off. Prayer becomes a call for direct action. Die kingdom come. Not someday. But now. It is our work here to make it on earth as it is in heaven. And we are far off. We pray so that we may learn to live that kingdom. Now. The father of the social gospel rauschenbusch came from a long line of preachers. Is calling reminded him that men can come before and had succeeded in building up an earthly heaven. Indeed the evidence to the contrary was close at hand. August was 12 years older than his wife caroline and imagine he was a much better christian than her. On one occasion he asked his sister to join him and praying for caroline's death. He wrote. Operate my children from from her. This divide in the family a raucous and incessant feuding and in addition august was a drunk temperance. Walter learned early if. At the unitarian universalist i'm interested in what your faith. Call you to do. Walter rauschenbusch as a christian was also. His christianity was solid was for him the truth. But he's not use it as a bludgeon. But a compass. Or lack of moral values of his faith. When you hear the term kingdom of god. What comes to mind. Headed meant many different things to many different people overtime. Around the time when the rabbi jesus. Many believe. During the time of paul about 30 years after jesus's death. Persecution was again ramp it but now the believers were scattered. Then the kingdom of god came to me in. The purification of an individual soul for immortal bliss. Overtime. The different groups. In different ways. Fashion bushwood oxbow. Jesus that believed in the organic growth of a new society. His parables utilized natural imagery. The store. The tears. Annette. And the mustard seed. It took us downing face to see that god was working in the little beginnings. In the seas. And this is the astounding faith and busch sees in jesus. His message the kingdom is here. Was not apocalyptic or personal. It was social. Rauschenberg state reverse the direction of his life could enter into it. It is not a matter of getting to heaven. But of transforming the life on earth. Into the harmony. Appheaven. As the secular humanist richard rorty replies. Jesus did not come to save you. But to teach you and your neighbor. That working together you can create a just society. Brackenbush stairs a simple formula. Love. Service. And equality. And to test our customs laws and institutions all we need to do is ask. Does it draw humans together. Or divide them. Does it split us. Or does it pull us together as. He asks have faith enough that god says not only sister's soul but the whole of human life. Is a service to the father of humanity. It is much easier to to use these rules. In retrospect. Looking back there seems to be great clarity. Keeping women from the vote was immoral democracy demands equality. And racial segregation within and prejudice. Nurtured by power and privilege. But the social gospel asked us to do more than look. It asks us to be prophetic. And to clarify let me tell you what a prophetic. Congregation is not. It is not aligned with the state. As the christian church was under constantine. If the two forces become reliant on their shared power the church will fail to challenge the state. For its shortcomings. In madera. Even those that contradict the essential teachings of jesus. Or we see this. When a left-leaning congregational minister. Blindly follows the rhetoric of the liberal agenda. The prophetic church cannot align with the state. Nor can it be solely pastoral comforting the afflicted and ministering to the oppressed. Without challenging the system. Oppression. Crockenbush would have been appalled by the popularity of the recent left behind novels that chasing teens to get themselves into heaven. To say their own soul. Or the television evangelist suggestion that making christ one's own business partner. Guaranteed success. From micah. Wherewith shall i come before jehovah myself before god. So i come before him with burnt offering. But jehovah be pleased with thousands of rams or with 10,000 rivers of oil shale firstborn for my transgression. He has told thee oh man. What is good. And what does jehovah require of thee. But to do justly. The love mercy. And to walk humbly with thy god. I'm standing on the shoulders of giants. And fed all. The prophetic church looks around and asks what of this day. Of this century what customs laws are institutions are drawing us together. Which ones are splitting us apart. How about healthcare to raise the beast. We know the debate is not drawing us together. We stand divided. Hurling rhetoric and fear across the divide. But what is the idea and to simplify i mean the idea of the state offering healthcare. The more people. Even if there is. Greatcall. Where should we eat. Loving mercy. And walking humbly. I'm presently satisfied with my health care if i suffer an injury i will be cared for neither i nor my family will be saddled with debt but there was a time when this was not. I live for a few years without healthcare and fear that one wrong step could ruin my future. The small companies i worked for did not have the means to offer healthcare in my pay was not sufficient to cover my own. When i visited. Because i had to prove. Destitute. To receive treatment. Yes in those times i could have asked my parents for help. But many cannot. Yes i survived those years and i've come into greater comfort. But others do not. How many do not. I listen to the rhetoric exploding around this issue and i do not feel the particulars of it belong. There is a lot at stake and the issues are complex but there is one deserves a response. I'm hearing again and again. I do not need this change. I am fine. I have what i need. Does this way of thinking or being draw us together. Does this promote love or a quality. How about empathy. As a person of faith he respects the prophetic church i know a quality is low incoming. And i refuse to assume the political machine. Will march directly towards justice. The political machine is too easily led astray by power and by privilege. But using ration bush's terminology my work here is living the kingdom now. For me that means working for love. Any quality now. And that begins for me with. The work of justice loving mercy and walking humbly which translates. It's not all about me. Universalist were impressed by the environmental activist in prison reformer van jones who spoke at last year's general assembly. Are gathering of congregation. It seems that ration books bush spoke. Through jones. As both extol a social mission grounded in faith. Jones music on the strife born of the crisis for oil. What do you expect will happen he wondered. Oil is made. For-profit. What can come of this. Over 100 years earlier rauschenbusch wrote. The coal stored in the cellar of our great america was intended by the builder for the use of all. A few cigarettes. And away from others. We dig into the earth and find oil and coal. Wii games. Jones reminds us that what we take. We take from the earth. And ration bush calls cola guest of his creator god. From the earth are from god we are blessed. By guess. The faithful lesson of the social gospel is that these gifts are ours to offer. Not to keep. The kingdom the moral universe is not locked in a mysterious somewhere. It is also on earth. And while it begins and the depths of our hearts. It is not meant to stay there. Ration bush right. The kingdom of god cannot be lived out by you alone you have to live it out with me. And with that brothers. We together have to work it out it is a matter of community line and fraternity doing the work of justice. This vision lived in our present striving to be an ethical religion we may use different terminology. That we do that is our religion. It is the work that we do that is our religion. The let it be. And anna.

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Wild_and_Precious_Life.mp3

Yes to life. Yes the truth. Yes. Tell of. It seems a simple gesture to wake up. Perform our morning rituals and shuffle here for a service of worship. For some it is a choice. Four others are parents make us do it. For others it is a welcome habit. Yet for all. All of you who have dared give this morning hours to this community. Today's chance for hope. And beauty. For the time of reflection and awe. You have done something monumental. You have in one simple yet wholly inspiring way. Answered. Yeah. To life. Yes. 2 truth. Yeah. To love. And today we have. The profound honor to listen. As members of our community representatives from many ages share how they answer. Yeah. Each has been asked to reflect on a poem by mary oliver and respond to the question that she poses. In the end. Tell me. What. Is it. You plan to do. With your one. Wild. Impressive. So maybe begin where they began. Let's listen to mary oliver's poem. A piece called the summer day. Who made the world. Who made the swan and the black bear. Who made the grasshopper. This grasshopper i mean. The one who has flung herself out of the grass. The one who is eating sugar out of my hand. Who is moving her jaws. Back and forth. Rather than up. And down. Who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes. Now she lifts her pale forearm. And thoroughly washes her face. Now she snapped her wings open. And floats away. I don't know exactly what a prayer is. I do know how to pay attention. How to fall down. Into the grass. How to kneel down in the grass. How to be idle and blessed. How to stroll through the fields. Which is what i have been doing all day. Tell me. What else. Should i have. Doesn't everything die at last. And too soon. Tell me. What is it you plan to do. With your one. While. And precious. Cuz you know what your order service hollywood. The hollies homewood. In my one wild and precious. Strong. I do taekwondo now. I hope to be out of stock. Play the violin. I hope to someday go to college. I think i'd like to be in art. Or teacher. My mom says maybe an art tea. I would be good at that. I would like to travel to ireland. China. My family my friends. Petflow. I want to be a mom. I hope to live a long and. And to make smart and. If not in this life. Maybe in my next. When i first read the poem. And thought about what i wanted to do with my one wild and precious life. It occurred to me. But i have been asked a lot of questions like this. Questions like. Where do you want to go to college. 4. Rachel. What do you want to be when you grow up. And. Like these questions. My immediate answer for what i wanted to do with my one wild and precious life. What's a symbol 3 word phrase. I don't know. My reaction to this answer at first was. No no no. There has to be something else i can say. But. When i thought about it. I realized. This is a. Refinance. I'd rather just live my life. Then try to decide every detail. Rather focus on the present. Then think about the future. I guess right now i just want to be happy. With whatever i decide to do. With my wild. When you're 23 everybody asks you so what are your plans. But i don't have any plans right now i don't have any big goals or dreams. I know that should be an exciting time for me. The planning too much for the future makes me feel like i'm just waiting for some big event. It devalues the year now. Am i supposed to want more. Sometimes i do but mostly i don't. Eventually i will have to make some plans. But i don't want to ever forget what a wonderful feeling it can be to ask and expect nothing from the world. I wrote a poem is reflection of this feeling it's about waiting to pick up a pizza. This is my best time. My order has been placed. Leg swing aimlessly on the tall stools nothing i can do but wait. Did cassie run froze her hair does it up again i think. She must get here in the food. I feel like i should mind but i don't. The man with the odd facial hair stack box after box. Reaching into the oven over and over for dubious masterpieces. There are no illusions here. Just pizza and it is not good. The toppings are few and far the crust like cardboard. Customers of all makes drift in. Stand idly looking at the menu. Hand stroking their chin. Hoping to find something gourmet admitted he's a $5 pie. Fimi i never asked for any more than the monday night special because it's nice not to be dreaming. Nice to beat destiny tower of pizza. In my early teenage years. I really really wrote in my journal. When tanya asked me to speak. I thought about those. I remember that from time to time i would begin my journal answer. Dear older. I had so many questions for myself. Wondering what my future held. Wondering what part of person i. Running to myself knowing that in 20 years. I'd be so very difficult. So today at age 34. What am i going to do with this one wild. Well tomorrow i'm going to work potomac elementary. Aggressive. In march i'm going to italy over spring break for. This summer i will fly back to washington state. For three weeks. And be there for my. Beyond these things. I will add my children and their journey to adulthood. I will continue to grow older with tony. I will nurture myself. I will appreciate fine schemes of yarn. And relish in the way that they feel. Someone knitting needle. I already virginia woolf. Margaret atwood analysis. I will plant forget-me-nots and poppies. And continue to. Sprouting avocado. I will swim in the ocean. I will love my. I will paint my walls /. Overwatch breakfast. Over and over. Over again. I will travel and drink red wine and. I will take pottery class. I will smile at those who. I will stand up for what i believe is right. I will set an example. People comments. Most of all i will hold my family and friends. One thing that i've always been fond of is. And this too shall pass. It gets me through the tough times. Makes me cherish the. It helps you smell the roses. The time. I will try my best to be a mindful and productive. Rocky mount. 7 seconds. Uncle ramen on. The question we're all. Answering today is. What do we plan to do with our one. What i plan to do well. That's kind of funny if i've learned anything from life so far it's this. Don't spend too much time planning. Because the universe. Has its own plan. Once upon a time. My life was all planned out. When i was much younger. I thought if i just followed my plan. Then maybe i would be spared some of the pain. Did i'd seen. Some of the other people in my life go through my. So i thought. About my plan. So i went off to college. I got married. Got a good job. Semi required to kids. The mortgage. Couple of cats. Everything was going according to plan. Then one day. There was a car crash. And my wife. Hospital. That wasn't in my plan. Then. My son alfred was diagnosed. I wasn't in my plan either. Did my mom die. Enter lisa. Certainly was. Then one day i got laid off from my good job and. That wasn't in my plan either. Ended up getting divorced. That was not in my play. So. Pretty much shot to hell. So what was i going to do now i have no clue. But. It occurred to me. That because of the car crash. I became a volunteer firefighter which i've been. Because alfred has autism. I get to hear everyday. Very unique perspective. Incredible. Because my mom died. I learned. How to live life. I love everyday. Because i got laid off. How much better job. Because i got divorced and up. So my plan now. Is to love. My family and my friends everyday. My plan now is to accept. Whatever the universe. And my plan now.. Help others. So in essence my plan now is. No plan at all. Hi. My name is susan miller and i am very happy to be in the latter days of the. Decade of my life. Once upon a time i was strong enough and capable enough to balance. All the joys and the responsibilities for my children. Husband job. Extended family and home. And i must admit that i did a pretty good job of it for a while. But there was one problem. Whenever life got out of balance i dropped myself out of the mick. So that i could pay attention to everything else. As a result the joys of my life began to fade. And my health began to suffer. In my fifties i determined that to make a graceful segway. Into what i hope will be. A long healthy and vibrant older age. I must put myself back in the balance. I'm the little yellow square on the triple beam balance. I have taken responsibility for my health. And for staying active socially intellectually and spiritually. As a byproduct of this resolved i am physically stronger and healthier than i have been in a long time. I have more energy to do what i want to do spend time with my family. Travel with my husband dave. Hold on. this weekend. He's gone. Compete in the annual new york times crossword puzzle tournament. Take classes one of which begins here wednesday and continue to teach. Unfortunately there is a profound disconnect between how old i think i am and how old the world thinks i am. I've been teaching for only 7 years but i'm old enough to receive frequent retirement-planning emails. From the school benefits department. I usually delete them unread. I watched my friends from high school and college scale back on life. Quit work and leave their established neighborhoods and support networks for. Active adult communities. They seem very happy. But at this moment their choices are not for me. For now i am happy in a neighborhood filled with children's voices. Barking dog. Bicycles in the street. And neighbors to feed our pets while we're gone. I must say though that i cannot rule out the possibility that i may eventually make such a move. I am not brave enough to predict where life will take me or what the future will hold. In fact try as i may i cannot. Create a mental picture of what my life may look like. In my 60s 70s or 80s. Indeed to try and spend time doing so seems pointless. I have learned all too well that unexpected excitement may appear and enrich our lives. And then walking disease and infirmity and death limit our options. I suppose i live my life in line with the saying. Hope for the best but plan for the worst. Until my health wayne's and fatigue takes its toll. I'll keep on keepin on. Paying the premiums on my long-term care insurance. Saving money for the day we eventually retire. Going to school but praying for snow days. And adding more fun and me time into the balance. The hard act to follow. Last thursday trying to break up a dogfight my dog bit my right arm rather badly. For some reason this made me feel rather vulnerable and i kind of waited calling off my part in the service. Morning service. Then i remembered something i'd read by maslow. Psychologist. And i'm paraphrasing if i'm sure. If you never have valley you'll never have peaks. So i decided to accept my discomfort. As i know the peak is coming soon. I have had my share of lowe's. At 83 is inevitable. But i assure you i remember and cherish the peace. The most. And i had forgotten the load. I really have i can't remember them. I assure you i love the view from the peace. In this wild and precious top. I hope you never lose your sense of wonder.

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MLKs_Refrigerator.mp3?_=1

Has ronda so eloquently share this is a justice seeking community filled with people. Know that we are not there yet. Methods cells. In the ways that they can to right the wrongs of intolerance oppression racism prejudice hatred violence. Blindness to the refugee environmental degradation and so on we are a people who know we have work to do. And our hearts. Rake when we sense. The goliath. We are up against. I signed a petition written by a colleague in chicago a commitment to no more murders no more murders in the city of chicago when i signed there was a space to say. State why did you sign and i wrote because i have a dream. David of the biblical stories rose up with a rock and a slingshot to defend his precious community against the monster goliath threatened to tear asunder all they had built and all they love. David had a dream a dream that somehow. His face was enough. It was enough to steal the monsters approach as the story goes. A slingshot. Flatten the beast. Rosa parks trained for many months then refuse to stand to give up. Hersey. James meredith trained for many months then applied to the segregated old miss viola liuzzo the unitarian universalist mother drove protesters to and from the selma standoff then lost her life to bigotry the freedom riders challenge the status quo by riding interstate buses in the south. With mixed racial groups. These are all slingshots. And goliath. Hallelujah and praise. Goliath. Fell. But that goliath is a funny. Sometimes plays possum. Moving so slow and surreptitiously that we forget his presents turn away imagine. Racism. Repeat that back in the 60s. It died with segregation we live in a colorblind world now just look at our president the rev dr martin luther king king had a dream. So we don't have to. I signed that petition and left the testimony because i have a dream for two reasons one. No murders in chicago is david standing up against goliath impossible intractable and a petition it's less than a slingshot. But to the second reason for my testimony is that we can't ever. Stop. No human ill has ever been around. They just change. No human l has ever been eradicated they just. Change form let's take on the most horrendous. Child sacrifice. Much of the hebrew bible wrestles with their societies rejection of this practice the word the hebrew bible the hebrew people use for hell was gehenna. Hannah is the valley visible from the temple mount where fires once rose to the turn the sacrifice bodies of children. Into ask gehenna they called it. Hell they filled that goliath with their face but how it has risen again throughout our history we have sacrificed our children to factories breaking their bodies before they have grown we have sacrificed our children to this extra. These things these slices of hell they still abound and we ache with the woe of the children washed ashore seeking safe harbor fleeing syria. But the dream can't ever die because no human ill has ever been eradicated not even. Child sacrifice. Diesel josh. Change. Tamir rice was a twelve-year-old child. On saturday november 22nd 2014 he and his fourteen-year-old sister tr we're at the cuddle recreation center. Near their home in cleveland around 3:30 p.m.. Tamara was in an outdoor space. In the park playing with an airsoft toy gun. That he had borrowed from a friend earlier that day. Someone saw him and called 911. Recording that there was an individual probably a juvenile. Who had a gun which was probably a fake. Within minutes. A captured on video. Two cleveland police officers timothy loehmann. Frank garmback drove their car at high speed. Instacart. And pulled up within a few feet. Who was standing by himself and was not even. Holding the toy gun. Within less than one second officer lohman jumped out of the still moving police car. Fatally shot tamir in the eye. Collapsed to the ground. The time of their approach. The patrol car windows were shot so that it would have been impossible for the police to issue any audible man's tomb are recently available expert and scientific analysis demonstrates that loehmann's done had to have been on holstered with his hand on the trigger as he exited the vehicle. This explanation comes to us. In the form of a letter from the parents of tamir rice. And their lawyer. The attorney general of the united states. Loretta lynn the letter was written. After the police officers were acquitted. We sacrificed. Child. We sacrificed a child to the fear of blacks to the fear of children with guns to the fear that is tearing us our nation. Heart. Their letter is a slingshot. It weaves an aching story of a broken trial and begs for justice i have copies of the letter there on the table right outside my office. Please read 1. Slingshots pointed at goliath's are acts of faith and we are a faithful people committed to justice we know that the work is not done and when we sleep perchance. Dream. The attorney general has not yet responded there is still hope. In 1964 rev dr martin luther king published an essay why we can't wait. His words speak to us today and it he asserts there are no. The amazing aftermath of birmingham continues the sweeping negro revolution revealed to people all over the land that there are no outsiders in all these 50 states of america when a police dog buried his fangs in the ankle of a small child in birmingham he buried his fangs in the ankle of every american the belle of man's inhumanity to man does not toll for anyone it tolls for you. For me for all of us when a police bullet was buried in the abdomen of a small child it was buried in all of our abdomens i feel it there. This is why we can't wait. Jeremy. There are two aspects to every movement powerful enough. One swallow. The other is hard. When we remember reverend king we remember that he was always beloved. We remember him speaking truths that we were ready to hear. The story of rev dr king's refrigerator by charles johnson is a beautiful story of this easy part of kings character and. Late at night. Rises with writer block. Like we have maybe all had before. I usually do this when writing a sermon maybe you're writing something else. Maybe you're writing a sermon. He looks in his refrigerator and he sees the inescapable network of mutuality. That connects us all. In which all earthly creatures are held. Realization counters. His hunger. With a blessing of indebtedness. Thanksgiving. Everyone. Everything. I love this story because i pray we all have moments in our hunger for justice. Where we two are filled with the same blessing. The same thanksgiving for an epiphany powerful enough to deliver us to restore. Our souls and i love this story because. It shows the easy. Heart. The king we might all call. And king was always friend-of-a-friend the inescapable network of mutuality in this friendship gave him strength. To rise again and again slingshot in hand morning after morning. This is not all that came. Every movement that accomplishes anything has. Ways of being. We like to forget. Aspects of the civil rights. It's easier. That way. But the civil rights era and king were both. Wren. Peacemonger and justice demander both nonviolent. Conference. When the white liberal church feigned ignorance take challenged us from the birmingham jail. So i have tried to make it clear he said that it is wrong to use immoral. To attend moorlands but now i must affirm. It is just as wrong or even more so to use moral means. To preserve. Immoral. One has not only illegal but a moral responsibility to obey just laws conversely. One has a moral responsibility. Disobey. We see the need for nonviolent gadflies to create the kind of tension in society that will help us rise from the dark depths of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights of understanding and brotherhood. In other words. Silence. Tomorrow. Disobey. Create. Silence. Disobey unjust laws. Create. In may of 1963 hundreds of children. Marched in birmingham. Civil rights. This was frightening. This was controversial. Who does he think he is rose voices. How dare he send children out to be beaten. Three babies were bombed in the birmingham chapel now he wants to send more out to be killed he is no better than the races murderers its child sacrifice we said. And then the nation saw a child's ankle get mauled by a dog and we can no longer ignore the hell that gehenna that we were perpetuate. There were no longer any outsider. It's the same when james reid the unitarian universalist was beaten to death in selma a white man died and we suddenly woke up. This hell it touches all of us this helmet moves through the inescapable network of mutuality. And brutalizes. All of us. Violence is immoral. Disobey unjust laws and create tension. The black lives matter movement. Does hall. Is it perfect. No. Was martin luther king jr. perfect. No. Yet i stand symbol. Do you hear me. Waiting for perfect. It's like waiting for godot. Perfect never comes and we die waiting. The black lives matter movement has sharp edges. Is peaceful and angry it is courageous and aching and so am i. I stood with many of you holding a black lives matter sign at the leesburg courthouse asking with the n-double-acp asking with the n-double-acp for a monument honoring the lives of the slaves stole their i think i have karesa marcus to thank for paging that sign. Thank you clarissa your strength. I'm not sign it created tension. That brought me one of the most powerful and meaningful conversations i have ever had. A man pulled me aside. Don't all lives matter. Yes i said. And i don't see the two as mutually. They come together. The inescapable network of. Supporting one another. Sometime. Harder. When unitarian universalist. Who are you accountable to. Who is your neighbor. We almost always steer the conversation to the encompassing answer everyone all people. We know there is an inescapable network of mutuality and we are uncomfortable fighting for anything less. But here's the thing. Sometimes groups are pushed outside the network. Muslim. Black. Transgendered people glbtq people denied their honored place within and if we stand for all lies we don't stand with and in the tension with the power to let them back in. I'm not saying. That black lives matter is the only movement today that levels attention. I'm saying is. 1. Fear has crept in. Racial fear fear of violence and it is so pervasive that a lawyer can argue. Set the shooting of a 12-year old boy was wholly justified and that lawyer can win. We live in a land where again. There are outsiders and we are sacrificing them to alleviate our. Imagine. This is terrible. Imagine that your child. What if i came to you and said it pains me when any child is killed. It pains me when any child not enough right. Not enough. I should say it pains me that your child was killed. Your child matters there like their particular at beautiful life was necessary and they're lost is. This congregation. We're not the borg. I know we have our own ways to stand for justice even in the journey towards wholeness group there are different opinions on how we are called to stand for racial justice. I need to tell you though that i stand with the black lives matter movement and this is why. It is. The lights. Particular child that matters. Every life is sacred. And in this day in this nation we are sacrificing some of those sacred lies to a fear that is blinding and bass i need to stand within the tension. Obvious privilege of my whiteness the privilege. To trust. Been an otherwise well-meaning police officer will not fear me. And will not shoot to kill. We will march on monday and the martin luther king day witness there will be buttons. You can choose one. Or both. Some safe standing on the side of love. And others say black lives matter. Let us rise in the tension. Necessary. Transform our world. Let us not be.