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Sermon_022810.mp3

If you were here last sunday you had the opportunity opportunity to hear reverend daniel o'connell talk about heeding the call. And about discernment of how you are being called in your life. This week i'd like to talk with you some more about this idea of call. I'd invite you into it through our ancient hebrew prophets. I have a particular interest in a biblical genre of writing known as the call narrative. Of our ancient. Hebrew prophets it's inspiring for me to hear the prophets. I'm history account exactly how it was they heard god calling them in their lives. And i'm amazed by the many different ways which with which they responded. From. The proactive isaiah who hears god say who shall i send will go for me. And isaiah respond eagerly 2 a.m. call me. Innocent. Prophet jonah who hears god's call go at once to nineveh that great city and cry out against it for their wickedness has come up before me. And jonah jonah. Fled directly without haste. In the opposite direction ending up trapped in the belly of a whale before he could ultimately say yes to his call. I'm between the eager isaiah and the defiant jonah. There's a widespread spectrum for the many other prophets. Who hear the call and respond with varying degrees of confidence. Jeremiah protest that he is not ready to be a prophet because he is only a boy and has so much yet to learn. When i was early in my seminary training a friend of mine believed that revelation was sealed. That god had been revealed in the hebrew and christian scriptures and that we need only look to the bible for guidance or wisdom. I argue that i believe that god was also revealed through later heroes. Like harriet tubman dorothy day. Mahatma gandhi. The idea i had that profits were people who changed the world in their lifetime. And i think i had this notion that they needed to be deceased in order to be lifted up as a prophet. And like a state. My friend was appalled that i could so easily apply this term prophet to ordinary people. But i think that all of our profits even our ancient hebrew 1. We're just as ordinary. Mini lift up john murray as among the most important figures of early universalism. In this country. In the late 18th century he preached up and down the east coast. Spreading a liberating theological alternative to straight to calvinism. History started though in england. With a time of tragedy. Having been a preacher ostracised for his increasingly liberal universalist belief that all are saved. Things got worse when after an illness his wife and infant son died and the medical bills landed marie in debt. He came to this country seeking escape from debtors prison and determined to never preach again. Is is a captivating story of healing and courage. However in this story of john murray 1770 arrival to this country. I am in fact more drawn to thomas potter as a central figure for it was thomas party at potter a new jersey farmer turned onto new new liberal religion. To build a liberal church. That would preach god's open love. Not a preacher himself. Unable to read or write potter believe that is he built a church. A universalist preacher would somehow someday arrive to preaching it. And indeed one day john murray arrived on that new jersey shore line. Quite by accident. And walked right up to thomas potter. And thomas potter-inspired that reluctant despairing john murray back into the pulpit which he himself built. I wish we had a calmative for this story. I wish i could hear how potter heard his call to follow through on such an unlikely. Build a church for a preacher him you do not as of yet no. But who will come to you one day and preach in the church you build. And it would be one thing if there were a great many universalist preachers around. But there were none. And it would be one thing if he could post a listing on craigslist but this was 1770. And when that preacher vidon that new jersey shoreline thomas potter was ready. What i could not say to my seminary friend were thoughts that were only beginning to bubble up then. But which about i am very certain now. The dare. We're not only famous prophet who died in the last centuries but if there is a prophet. Living among us today. There is a prophet living out a call in our lifetime. And i know that this profit exists. Because there is a man from dallas who chooses to live with no income. In war-torn baghdad. In order to provide pediatric wheelchairs. To disabled a rocky children. And i know this prophet exist because the day after the earthquake in haiti. Presbyterian pastor in delaware road in inspiring him about our haitian brothers and sisters. And circulated. Circulated widely among churches across the country who would support relief efforts. And i know this prophet exists because there is a breast cancer survivor and west. Park florida who every weekend and spring and fall walkthrough low-income communities in southern florida. Answering her call to educate women about breast health. And connecting them with resources for mammogram. And i know this prophet exist because all across the country and right here in. In collin county. In dallas there are grassroots programs. Teaching children in our poorest communities how to create music. An art. Average human beings whom history might not ever recognize. Or glorify or remember. People who are quietly changing the world with small acts of justice. And with kindness and compassion. No american holiday will bear witness to their stories. No chapter in history will print their names. But lives are being changed. Right now. And to borrow from the image of theodore parker. The arc of the moral universe. Might be long. But it is being bent. Ever so slightly more toward justice because profits in this time. Are directing it so. And it makes me wonder whether every single one of us. Has a prophetic call. I'm starting to think that everyone of us right here in this sanctuary and around the world. Was formed in the womb. Foursome transforming transcending loving. That when we are our best selves each of us is a prophet. With something profoundly important. To offer to a hurting world. I knew a little girl wants. With a severely debilitating illness. I babysat her when i was a teenager. She couldn't walk or talk or sit up she couldn't even make eye contact. But she could smile. So brightly. That it lit up the room. Every time she did i suddenly understood things that i did not understand before. In what she was doing. With something so simple simply i'm making a parent or inherent worth and dignity. I would like to suggest. But she was prophetic. Many have this idea that people who cannot. Walk or talk or communicate except in cries or smile. I have very little to offer this world. Did they are destined to a meager existence. In the short time that she lives on this earth. She forced people to rethink that assertion and she opened people's hearts. I have heard that a prophet is someone whose legacy outlives his or her lifetime. Her legacy is still imprinted on my heart. And it is changed. How i interact with people and what i understand to be important. I want to tell you about a movie. I saw her recently. Call book of eli. It takes place some thirty years after some kind of nuclear war has wiped out most of the world. Things no longer grow. The small number of remaining people turn to stealing violence and you can cannibalism to survive. In a dry windy desert mundane items suddenly become precious and hard to come by things like water. Chapstick. Wet wipes. The character eli played by denzel washington meet the young woman who did not experience life before but they called the flash. And his woman wide-eyed and curious. Listen to describe life. Before. He sounds really recalled this description that to her limited experience. Seems so impossible. He says. People had more than they needed. We had no idea what was precious what wasn't. We threw away things people would kill each other for now. As i watch this film this particular quote hung in the air for me mostly because i'm afraid that we are the people about who he is speaking. I know i sometimes get confused about what is precious. And what isn't i think i need things that i don't. And i fail to consider the impact of those illusions. In this film eli is following what he perceives. To be his call. He has found his own kind of vision to know what the world needs in order to heal. 18th century author jonathan swift is quoted as saying. Vision is the art of seeing things. Invisible. The prophets are the ones whose minds and hearts are clear enough to see the needs of our time to know what they are being called to do and tim meet those needs. To communicate to a confused community. But they really need. Instead of what might temporarily satiate them. And i might be wrong. But i don't think i am i believe that we all have ears with which to hear and eyes with which to see. That whether or not we literally hear a voice. Or whether or not we believe in the ancient hebrew understanding of god that there might still be room for each of us. To perceive a deep sense of purpose. Call. That like our prophets of old. And the prophets here-and-now. Our legacy can in whatever fashion outlive our lifetime. But sometimes we get stuck. And as someone who gets stuck from time to time i'm here to say that i think there are ways to get unstuck. And for me every year at precisely this time. I dedicate myself to getting unstuck. In the christian calendar we've entered into the lenten season. It began a week and a half ago with ash wednesday and will continue until easter on april 4th. This is a time of reflection. And a time for giving something. I was raised in the roman catholic church. A group of people that take lent very seriously growing up the season of lent felt like torture. We were required to give something up. It was generally the thing we loved most. As a child i most often gave up candy and desserts. And i went to a catholic school and we were often asked by many different people what we gave up creating sources of accountability everywhere in our young lives. As an adult he was a long way from her catholic origins linton practice is one of the few of the christian practices that i continue to observe now as a unitarian universalist. As someone who has been known to soothe the trials of adulthood with a carton of mint chocolate chip ice cream i continue to give up sweets for lent. Not out of a pie is need for torture but because i am better off going without it for 40 days. Play some years i give up other things that aren't good for me some things that i. Be better off without. Sarcasm. Overscheduling. Television. I sometimes give up things that aren't good for our environment. Fast food. Styrofoam. Eating meat. In some cases i've learned that having giving up something for 40 days i can actually go 350 days without it. And in doing so i'm living just a little closer out of what i consider to be my best self. The self that the creative force of our universe is calling me to be the self that i was destined to be even before i was formed in the womb. But when i turn to food or shopping or objects. To numb my feelings and my reality. But i'm not able to fully participate in my reality. I'm not able to hear when i'm being called to act in that reality because i'm too busy trying to escape it. What do you. Have that you would be better off. What do you do that you would be better off. Not doing. What do you do that our world would be better off. If you weren't doing it. I believe that every last one of us. It called to be a prop. Perhaps not all are called to be great orators of our time. Perhaps not all are called to give up their possessions and live among the poor. But i'm increasingly certain that we are all called to something important. To love fully. To live joyfully. Speak truth. I believe that revelation is not seal. And that each of us has a part in the ongoing revelation. Some are prophetic in their roles as teachers. Parents. Children. Software developers. Doctors. Students. It's not just what we do but how we do it that might be what live on beyond our lifetime. What is your legacy. Are you answering your call. Or are you the reluctant jeremiah. Waiting to have learned all you need to know in order to feel more ready to do the work you are called to do. Are you jonah. Stuck in the belly of the whale paralyzed by fear because your call seems to impulse. Or are you an older. More experienced jonah recalling your time stuck in the belly and grateful to be back on track as your best and freest cell. Are you the eager isaiah joyfully answering here i am god call me. And if there is anything getting in the way of your call your legacy. I encourage you. To give it. I didn't the season of lent i invite you to be intentional about where you are. And where you want to be in the life that you have been created to live. Midbeast.

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20160110-Sermon.mp3

Today's main event is the question box sermon. How do we do that. We do that by having pencil and paper and if the ushers are out and about if you have not gotten a piece of paper or pencil or need something to write on it with. Please raise your hand and we will make sure those get distributed. The idea is to. Provide me with a brief. What fssn brief legible legible question that i can hopefully try and do some justice to in the time we have a lot of this morning if i somehow don't get to your question or you don't feel you've had an effort sponsored. Talk to me and we'll set up a time to talk about it trying to clarify everything in the hallway after the service is usually not the best place to do that although we have tried a time so. That's the best way to do it now when he's up at the time at the beginning of the offering. The offertory. The ushers will gather these at first. And then. They'll do the regular offering okay. You got that. Usher's we good. Well we're done. So. I have a 30-minute timer here. Cuz otherwise who knows we're going to end. What you want that's a really deep question this year. I mean other you're just like how we're going to fix the roof. I don't know it's your money. There's some really good ones here. Gathering together. Let's start with the mundane. How are the hems pick-4 the service and how is monthly topic picked. Well. We here currently are. Participating in a. Topical seymour thematic approach to monthly worship. The same structure has one been set up by. All souls unitarian church in tulsa which is the largest congregation in our movement i know tulsa. But it's over 2,000. And they have. Set up a website and all sorts of supporting things that allow us to do a three-year cycle. A three-year cycle in some way emulates. The liturgical cycle you see in the christian churches use common lectionary. And so we are currently in the beginning of the cycle again ruin what was the year a for us. In a three-year cycle we are one year behind. We're also. That's intentional. And there are many uu congregation. For using this steamatic approach it covers 9 months of the year. And a. It's up a good wife for us to. Try and be coherent about what we're trying to do. To give us more than a sunday to think about something to engage with it. The advantage to me and to the worship team is that we have a month to use resources when we have gathered often we gather resources for a topic and we got three or four days worth of stuff we can't use it. And we're waiting for the next time to use it before the football. So now. We have a month and so. The sundays hopefully become something of a conversation. An extended conversation. An extended. Reflection on. Whatever the topic happens to be. It sometimes it forces us to deal with topics we don't like. I know one year. If we started doing this. I had a number of people tell me they were very unhappy that we use death for a month. And i said well i'm not thrilled with either but i got to talk about but it's still an important part of our reality in about who we are and it's. The essence of religion is to make us look at the things we may not be comfortable with because. We need to. 2b whole. The pimm's are generally picked. For the service unit by myself. Or if i am not. The principal speaker or leader. The worst associates will work with if there's a guest minister or clergy person who has some ideas of those things and works within our tradition. And can do that work they will pick up. And then there are services that the worship associates and sells lead for weezer laid and they also managed the bulk of those selections. So and they're trying to do that that's why. They got that. The great in a two-year commitment at a time kind of things. All right pick that got that. So my ass is the shared pulpit open to everyone. If so how does one register for it how much does it cost. I'm not had this question before. The shared pulpit. What that means is the members of the congregation. And the clergy do not have exclusive. Claim. To be to speak to the community. To speak to the congregation. This is part of the free pulpit tradition and free pewter edition. That we have. Articulated is shared pulpit as. As free pulpit. In that i can say. Whatever i need to within responsibility. And. You all. Can say whatever you want to. Class. I've just been in line. If you didn't hear the bell i did. The shooter pulpit. Is a class. We are taking. Sorry well you can lecture on something. So that's actually relevant to the topic of it. We're doing a ale-8 preaching course. Starting in february on thursday nights for several weeks. That will be here in the evening. We'll have more information out about that coming up very shortly in the february newsletter and in some of the weekly updates. And on the website. Stay. And if you have more specific question you can look up the book the shared pulpit which is what we working with. By eric hewitt who is one of our leading liturgical. Thinkers in our movement. Quite nice. So look that up if you want to. As a starting point. Thank you for saying. But. Alright. A couple questions about raising children. I'm reminded of the old saying. That's a been attributed to many many people that. When i was single and had no children i had. You know 20 series and now that i'm. Married and have children have 20 children i have no theories. When the questions is raising our children as free-thinking people and outside the family traditions i grew up with. And. I would say it's important to keep in mind the idea of. Free sinking children does not mean free range. I have so many parents tell him what to believe cuz i wanted. Okay their kids. You got to give him some direction. And it's important if you believe. That what you're getting and expressing and sharing and a community of faith is important enough for you to be there. Is reasonable to say okay. This is what i believe this is what is important to me. This is quite important to me and to our family. And i expect that when you get old enough. You will consider these things. And i hope that when you do. You will consider these things. That i'm sharing with you now and as we try to live them out in our lives together. In the meantime this is our faith community as a family. Okay. To say you can go believe whatever you want. Is not true. Right. There are lots of things that they are not going to be able to do. I believe it. Have a good idea. Human sacrifice. Yeah i know. Sounds like a right-wing conspiracy theory so. That they will get on the streets. Or sex and religion information. This is why we teach comprehensive lifespan. Rational sexuality training here and that we and our partners in the united church of christ are known internationally for the quality of the programs we have. And it's also the reason why we have reflective. Thoughtful. The theology and. Tired of the whole. People. Okay. And before i fall in reflective and and passionate of what we do. We don't just go oh i think i'll so otherwise we're leaving. Or support. And. That's not saying i love you. Thank you. Alright how can we help our children stay connected to reality within our current and growing trend of virtual reality. those were here from minecraft last night we had a big minecraft. I love you i don't know. And then he starts telling me about the nature of reality and it's the reality within minecraft. This is so this is so and i'm like. Minecraft this is where we live. Minecraft. So i think part of that is. I know it's apparent i'm discovering that limiting screen time. Is essential. Being very clear about. What that means. In your contacts in your family. I know that some of the things that are being done to help with that is to. Create. Structure without being regimented. About how things go.. Keeping you know aboard on a taurus bart ford. You know or something if you have to do these things before you can get this thing and you get this thing for this long. Inconsistency. So. I would say that's probably the best thing to do. I think it's important to have conversations. As someone who was. In the end of high school when the trs. Was it 90. 80k the trash 80s they called him they were tandy radio shack. Computer kit. Came out. Can i get a friend who boo boo's dad. And we got to play on it. Left your coordinates based star trek kind of. You know it's really more like. Battleship game. And. Yes i remember those things i mean videogames were things. You played on consoles. In bars. Or an arcades. Later on i got really good so i was in college when i started playing video games. I had a guy down the hall head of nintendo. Pac-man on it. He had the whole thing memorized. Entire all of the screens he had memorized. Education dollars at work and so. You know. Eventually we have to come up for air. And i think it's important to talk to the top talk to him. Like anything like driving. Sex. It's important to have a conversation about those things which of the most profound influences. On our lives. I think it's reasonable i have i have use i don't know how many. In the last ten years have been. Occasionally commenting to me about how they wish. They were coming of age and going off to college in the era before facebook. Or before social media. Because they have no chance to reinvent themselves. Because all of this stuff comes back is behind them like a gigantic anchor. Can you imagine putting all of your stuff. Online. And being stuck with it from when you were a teenager. Holy smokes. Oh my god. And then i have tremendous grief and pity for them and i tell him we'll don't put nothing up there you don't have up there for the rest of your life. Cuz that's what it means. He goes up once it gets there. I don't care who says he taking it out. Is there. So be clear with him be honest with him. Talk about consequences. Also the other thing is that the more when we have thoughts. They we know that physiologically. Recreate neural pathways. Every time we have a thought. He's a physical. Strands of a cell. Some of those don't last very long. But like ants marching to a funeral to a seed. They begin to grow every time you get one you get to you get three at 4 you ever come across the whole hands with ants marching. Well that's what happens as you create essentially a hardwire. For that flight path. In your mind. And we. You can track that is by trying to find another one and in starving that one. What is there. So when we have habits we have negative thoughts or thought things they go on remind when we learned behaviors. Those get hardwired in. And for kids that's especially easy. So this is why correcting. Behavior that's antisocial. Or at least talking about it you're not cracking at punitive way but talking about it. With some. And their teachers and experts and whoever else you can fight. You know i'm not an expert expert on this i'm just a pair of who reads a lot. So. You know there are others who know far more than i do. And i hope that's been useful. You're not alone. You're not alone. And. Quick answers quick fixes. Don't generally work. It's an ongoing challenge for. Future generations. What outreach has happening that results in the. Many families with children here today. I don't know we're here. We emphasize that he's had a sort of a dna. Wrapped around. Families and. Children and religious education is a sort of comes from the very beginning of this community's. Essence. 40 years ago and has continued to be pretty strong all the way through. And that's why we have is as dedicated a religious education program. We have a full-time staff person who runs that program. And. Dedicated to her as professional. That's why we gave her a sabbatical so she could go recharge but back. So those are important things. And. I hopefully if people see quality and that their friends talk to them about it. And families do talk to each other about things this year. And being progressive in this community. Can be sort of an underground railway kind of experience. You know subrosa everything you know and if you see somebody who. Obviously you know they have the bumper right bumper stickers. On the van you know and you go hey. We like to think we do. But. Sorry. Yes. Not southern baptist difference. Although there are some wonderful. So i think that hopefully explains it i'm glad to hear that someone's noticing that. And because we're always costly trying to make sure we doing this enough do we need to do more. And i think we're constantly trying to be better at what we're doing. Good question. How do you describe this church and beliefs in two to three sentences. As most have not heard of this church. Yes we are incredibly well kept secret. Troy. Will elevator speech is a nice kind of euphemism for that. I think it's. To be able to say what our beliefs are is. Misleading in some ways i mean we need to talk about ourselves in a concise way. But i think sometimes that can lead us to. Creating a false sense of another of orthodoxy. Because we are covenant ali based. And i'd say that's the principal. Organizing principle for us as a community that we are coming in today based. And that comes back from hundreds of years. Airbar institutional history in the. Pilgrim churches founded were founded. By the mayflower compact. That we are direct institutional descendants of. As a church. Is it movement. So that idea of being together because we want to be together and that we set the terms by which we are in relationship with each other. And it means we hold each other accountable. Are we hold ourselves accountable. For those things to which we say we are committed and that we are in agreement with each other on. We're not angry man isn't contestant we have agreed these are the rules. These the ways we're going to be together as a community. And these are things are going to aspire to. I think the other one and i'll touch on this amendment and also with any other questions on truth. We believe that truth has. No hierarchy to it. That truth. Can be about facts you can be about. The mythopoetic inspiration of an individual receives it can be about the received. Knowledge. And in the wisdom of all of the ages. And all of those are in constant conversation with each other. Churning and. Challenging and enlightening. Us and those things. Constantly. That we have an open canon. Revelation is not sealed. That we are in a world of ongoing. New understanding. Everything is. Hotter for understanding. Of who we are where we are in the universe what's the nature of things what's the meaning of life. Why are we here. And because that openness it gives us the ability to claim an ultimate hopefulness. An ultimate optimism as some of my predecessors have talked about. It's the kind of statement is reflected in the saying the doctor king used it actually he cribbed from. Theodore parker in 19th century. Whenever you turn ministries. The idea that the ark. That the universe is long but bends towards justice. That's coming we're talkin about. So it's not the owner everything will work out just fine. No. But. We are willing and able to engage in. Whatever it is we're doing the struggle the risk. The journey. Because we have faith that ultimately it leads. Prayer it will be worthwhile and. Into building the beloved community. That we are seeking. So hopefully that answers. Some of that question. We. Also just as is apart of this note. We are inclusive environment. Preferred for youth and children. We struggled very hard to do that. And we have a wide range of. Individuals. In our congregation who have a variety of gender identities. Racial and ethnic makeup. So and that includes our youth program. So we're very proud of that we are a space. In which that can happen. I don't know how they did it but they're very very true. Okay. Speak to us about the role of intention in our lives. I can either be a long or short of a short. Intention is about being. Present. Focused mentally aware awake. And doing things deliberately rather than responding to things. This is often where we see in a lot of. Self-help literature and and then pop psychology and stuff this idea of taking control of your life. Well. We never happened to live her life absolutely that's just not real. But. We can have the ability to direct our lives. More effectively by making choices about what we think. And about what we want to do and what we should do and in our going to do. And doing those things. In a direction that takes us where we are going to be more. Hopeful healthy productive. Generous. Caring. People. The only thing one can affect in any system. Whether it's. Community of family. Is one's own behavior. One's own thoughts and behavior. That's it. I know that we have tried spending lifetime trying to control other people. How's that working out. Co-dependents anonymous. Got a phone call. So yeah so it's. It doesn't work. Mind reading is an illusion. A delusion. We don't know what other people think we guess. So now you can change and affected your behavior. But that's the weather is in your family or friends you community. And so think about. But you can take responsibility for. And. And making your life more intentional about how you want it to be. And i'm going to turn 55 in june. And i'm like holy smokes. How should i get here. You know. Oh me and i should have done something different at times. You know. I'm glad i'm here i have a wonderful family and a great life. But there are other things i look at until. I cooked on that different. Did that work or whatever. So. Things move fast. And the older you get the faster they move. Literally psychological. So that would be my answer about intention it's this is all of the things that are meant by mindfulness. In buddhist meditation and all of that sings tick not han refers to. The dalai lama. Shifting gears are we born sinners. Where did this idea come from hell no hell no we are in our universe list tradition. In. One of the critical. Theological pieces of our history theologically and currently. Is that we rejected. As unscriptural. The idea of original sin. Which is much more. Much more in line with a jewish tradition. And i figured since they rode it they probably got a better beat on things. So. And and also it just all sorts of reasons why to be unpacked when studying the christian scriptures from. Are the jewish scriptures from the christian perspective in wyoming. That you're really is not there. And infecting the jewish tradition the original sin. Is murder. Cain and abel. That's the original sin. So so the answer is no. We are not. Daddy comes from. Interpretation of. The gospel of the creation story that way. And part of the reason for that was it was a it was. Is systemic rationalization for. Having jesus be a sacrificial figure. Cuz. If jesus i have anything to be sacrificed for what's the point. What you doing. Energy radio controversy about did jesus ever say any of that stuff. Wonderful book called the fifth gospel that compares. How realistically the things jesus said to said the bible actually were probably what he did say. Not much. So good we'll look at that. So. You know i don't worry about it too much. You know i was raised in the disciples tradition. Maybe it was at the time but really wasn't emphasize very much. Although it is a part of their theology. And. So the idea of hell and damnation everything really is kind of alien. The sense of it's not something i do at walmart. Yeah i do know i catch myself wishing there worse at places so i can send people there. But then i also remember how my pagan tradition what goes around comes around. So. Call me please on how prayer makes sense if one sense of the ultimate. Is at best a holy mystery. There's a great there's a reading in our hymnal by. Rabbi says that the purpose of prayer is not. 2. You know. The water up in arid land or two in a stop a flood or two in o. Make people magically better. But it's to heal our souls. Is to mend our relationship. Prayer is a conversation. It's conversation with ourselves if you don't believe there's anything you on it it's still an amazingly effective way to have an internal conversation. And if you do believe or do feel or maybe suspect. There is something more. It's a way to have that conversation. With that which transcends our understanding and our ability to grasp and grapple with. Not with an expectation that is a cosmic santa claus. It's not. As i said the only way by factor system is to change the way we interact with it. And as a spiritual person. Someone who. Does pray and. Does have those beliefs. I know. That if. There is some amazing coincidence things. It looks like somebody is stuck their hand in and move the world around for me. I have to be careful. deluding myself. Cuz it's really tempting. To make ourselves the center of a cosmic drama. On the other hand we are the center of a cosmic. Story. Hours. Our own story. So it's the sense that we are. Never enough and we are. Always. As one of the. Stories from the romantic tradition says we have a reading in one pocket that says. Ashes to ashes dust to dust. And to dust you shall return and the other pocket. A reading that says you are the fullness. You are cute you are the earth and the fullness thereof. And those are the poles which we balance ourselves between do you think magnetically or some other way. Can we try and find that balance point. Where. In the lakota tradition they talk about the good red road and the black road. The good red road. Live life in the black road of earthly difficulties. Where they meet. That's where. The tree of life flowers. Engross the tree of understanding. Set my timer says i'm done i can go on for a couple more minutes if you want. Yes. Okay i'll take that as an affirmation. Along those lines how do we through our actions can we find the proper balance between fulfilling all of our desires and helping others meet their basic needs. Well if you can't meet your own basic needs. You really can't help other people do theirs. Right. This is like the oxygen mask on the airplane thing. So the idea of sacrificing oneself. As a noble act. To save other people you know whether it's your children or somebody else. Let's self-aggrandizement on an internal level. And because. You know it doesn't really solve much of anything that might. You occasionally hear about that and someone you know they're their safety and stuff of that but it really really. Is not a healthy way to be in the world are healthy way to model. Being. People together in the world. The idea is that we you know if we have take care of our basic needs however that is nothing whatever we define them as hopefully you know not a mercedes and. I know if you have once okay. But you know. So you know i have one right. The idea is that. We meet. Those basic. Needs whether it's physical and material or spiritual. Or emotional. And then we're in a better place to be able to help other people where the grounded. Rooted sustainable centered place. And we can still be ourselves would be self-defense she ate it. We can be the eye in the eyes our relationship. That can then reach out to the other. Who is natal and. Make sure then bring them. To our level of function not be drawn down to their level function. There's some folks that you could throw a million people on the bonfire of their tragedies it did never solve anything. Okay that's a sad truth. I had london street ministry in chicago. You know sometimes people just because they tell him really good story. Nothing else i'm stimulating the creativity. The light of truth. That we seek. But in freedom so often how can different personal truths be. Kindly considered and discussed in a world with more rigorous. The factual scientific truth. There's a lot of different ways to understand the word truth and fact. Truths are not necessarily about that. And to complete truth and fact together is actually. Doing both the service. There have been truth around a long time before people start to get sylvia get you a fact. One of my my colleagues. Michael. Michael dowd. Author of thank god for evolution a fabulous book. They have a website about the great story. I wanted to talk so he gives a lot of times is about the difference between day language and night language. Day language is the factual. Real concrete types of things how many inches does this board need to be. To support the roof. You know that's engineering. Real things how fast can a scar stop. If it has these kinds of tires measurable understandable things. That are factual in the scent of. Now there are numbers attached to them and we can make. Scent of them in a. Rational way. Night language is the missile poetic. Expression of our souls and we may describe the same phenomenon. That we might describe with. The day language and it's totally different. Or how it sounds. Or help comes across. You know you can talk about. The breakup of a relationship and you can read a really great self-help book about how that is and all the different things that go on in that. Or you can listen to country western. Right. We're opera. Oh my god. So some of the best breakup songs are offerup and. So. This difference in the mode and push re-engaging with. Play truth or it exists and experience were a reality or situation. Just because we express it differently does not mean it's necessarily wrong. It may not be the same thing as a fact. This idea of a trialogue. If you think about pie chart three sections. With arrows going both directions all around. And you have italy one of those is. Rational critical. Objective kinds of truth or whatever they call it. So you know the stuff you can measure taste touch smell. Rubbing your hair. That and understands that are critical in and reflective. Then you have. The. Individual. Isomorphic. Subjective experience. And all of that comes with that and then you have. The inherited. Knowledge wisdom understanding. Accumulated. And constantly evolving. Knowledge that we have as a species as communities as culture. Now. Not all of those not everything in each of those. Is worthwhile. That's part of our job is to sort through the stuff. And and then compare and contrast. So if i have a dream that says that i should go do something. Really kind of odd. Dad had those. Any kind of way that and you go to your teachers in and others you say won't. Just what i'm feeling and here is the experience and aol okay. Tradition tells us that this kind of dream means this. That you're having an initiatory experience. And the reason why. You can't talk to anybody really rationally is because your brains all messed up. Because you're having this initiatory kind of psychosis. It'll pass give it two or three weeks. The meantime don't do anything important. You know. And. Until you do okay fine yeah. Been experiencing you you learn from it and you gain from you get wisdom and then you kind of move back into a more ordinary state of mine that's an example of. That kind of thing. So tradition informs. Things and reason informs them. You know so i know that it's psychosis. That's caused by initiatory psychological experience is done through us with the preparation things you can read about this in a william james's. A book. Varieties of religious experience written a hundred years ago. And. You find all of those things. In conversation with each other so we create better understanding. Of who we are what we are and what the heck's going on. Restlessness. There's a good question about how to reconcile all the really. Reprehensible things being done in our names as citizens of an in parts of this community and the world united states. Western powers etc. And. You don't. How do we you know by corporations buy those. By the the powers and principalities. To use the traditional language. And how do we address the those places that have been abandoned by empire. With whatever you have. As a person i mean if all you can do is write a letter. You write letters. If you send email to someone. And not just. Officials newspapers. Anyone else that you can get to listen. 2. Maybe take seriously because. Is someone who wasn't a journalism for a while and is working government thinks. It's not any one thing usually is the balance of. The weight of things. The grain how many grains of sand to take before. Something shifts how many snowflakes before. The small snow falls off the tree. That kind of thing it is accumulative effect. And that is the genius of. Democracy in many ways. So don't consider yourself. Small and hopeless and. In all these things. Cuz you are one of a mighty mighty voice. Claire. O'mighty. Sing out your songs of justice and hope. So that the world may hear. Not all yours but everyone else is. We have to move on now we're done with time. It's 10 till and i appreciate your indulgence. If there are questions you have not heard about. That would be great to have conversation about those things. There is much in the way of social justice. That we are all struggling with to make sense of and how to address. Resolving. How to overcome our own fears and prejudices that we might be. The people that in our hearts we always wanted to be.

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20150329-Sermon.mp3

We learn from the message of all ages how moses came to be raised in the royal household. Moses grew and prospered and became a strong and healthy man. One day he was walking and saw an egyptian soldier feeding a hebrew slave. Inrage moses struck the soldier and killed him. Inspira pharaoh moses fled into the desert. Where he was taken in by jethro's family. Let's join moses the once-mighty prince of egypt. You're he is tending a flock of sheep. I'm going to take the. The base of the holy man. As moses walks he daydreams remembering how it was that he came to be in midian in the land of the kenites. A vaguely recalled his childhood in the court of egypt and his long-ago discovery that he was not egyptian. But is instead bennett born it to a hebrew woman. What are the slaves who labored on the sarah's pyramids. Remember that awful day when he had killed an egyptian soldier. A man had to run and run and run until we came to his land. He wondered what had become of his people still enslaved in the land of egypt. He thought about how lucky he was to have escaped into come to midian. He smiled as he remembered his wife and two sons. And thought about how contented he was suspended days tending his father-in-law jethro is flog. Send moses and the flock reach the base of the mountain. Where they would surely find goodpasture. As moses walked something caught his eye and pulled him abruptly from his reverie. A single bush was on fire and odd occurrence. As moses approached the bush you heard a voice calling to him. Motion. Here i am. The voice ordered him to put off his sandals for the place where he was standing was holy ground. Who are you. I am the god of your fathers of abraham isaac and jacob. I have heard my. I want you to go and tell pharaoh let my people go. Who me. Weather. Wouldn't believe me. Who shall i say sent me. Tell them that i am. Sent you. I will give you a sign. Cast yourself upon the ground. When moses threw a stop to the ground began to move it became a snake. Take the snake by the tail. When moses grab the snake it became once more his staff. Convinced that the voice was indeed god's or elected moses pointed out that he was a poor choice to go and make demands asaro. I've never been eloquent. I'm slow speech in slow tongue. Going to let my people go. Your brother aaron conservice mouthpiece. That's meltys for you if you need help. Will you please pick someone else. There must be others that can do this and tell sarah to let my people go. Reluctantly moses made preparations to leave for egypt. Reluctant later. I think i'm looking at her room. Dal. We all have a tendency to we have to step up when. When you need it. And actually we find that our. True heroes don't really have to leap over tall buildings. You can walk on water. Show up. Juanita. Provocative family kids been brother big brother sister whatever. Just had. had to have a soccer team coach. Step up. Show up when you have to. Weather. Witness church actually helped us open up habitat for manatee here in south carolina county. Stopped up. Now we serve about 100 people a year 96% of them in. Locally for them and 108 different countries erection building homes in tazewell. The people stepped up to make that happen several people in this church help us do that and they also helped us when we opened. Dia. The restore i had to step over to help run the store. Answer valesky runs through people who helped us open its doors well. He will step up. This i would like to thank this group here because these people are stepping up. And and. Finish this whole program called harvester power. And better yet i realize it. Cheryl riley ardena of the. Has stepped up my many many many different. Is a pretty long process. Talk about leadership though actually very simple fundamental. A program i learned this back. In 1969.. An osseous officer candidate school program for the army. What was the tsar they did march aside into a field. Text into what's called a leadership. Testing center section created by the germans. So. Virginia huge shoes program a little vignettes they had observation deck. And had all of us. 10 km going through and. And they break something good about 7 people and. Show me religious by rita's the other problem. And then we would try to resolve it now using our team. And what they do isn't it would just. Arbitrarily pl. Is that person who. Hopefully we're paying attention would now be in charge of that group to try to copy. In-n-out. Talk to the the brass. Did you talk to her. Listen to the rascals. Dissection. I think i'll buy the seven people in one person actually hit tabletop easter. Her cast. Two different things. And so we thought so that's going to be the guy. And when i get up there. Is it will they they they say that the. Fact that you finished. Project they're looking for people who built team. Listen to your team dissipated when you're in there you got to participate. Debilitating. And and you. You made a decision to go forward you stayed with it and microchips to make major changes to finish the project. Andy mobile. Miscalculated couple things. Anybody just took response. Courtney westmoreland. Don't think about. Leadership leaving people where they want to go. Let's keep you don't have team you snack whole dragging people pushing people eating people. So it's. So it's all about team. Got team you probably will do. Pretty good job of making it. So. Don't be that reluctant leader. Step up. Moses is glad to meet his brother aaron on the edge of wilderness outside of egypt. Aaron told him of the difficulty the hebrew people had under the yoke of slavery. Moses told aaron of the strange vision at the burning bush and have his understanding that he and aaron were to go to. Go to faroe and demand that he let the hebrew people go. A few days later moses and aaron stood before pharaoh. The god of our fathers demands that we hold a feast for him in the wilderness at a place three days journey from. If we do not go. Denius promise that terrible events shall befall us. And also the people of each. Why do you want to take my people away. You must not have a work network to do. And the pharaoh ordered his taskmasters to force the hebrews to their own to find their own straw to make bricks. The people were forced together stubble for straw doubling their work expected of them. The foreman came to moses and aaron to complain. Why did you ever go and talk to whero you love me things worse he has doubled our work and increased our suffering. And moses told them of the freedom that awaited them and they kept before them the hope and the vision of the land of got land gotta promise would be theirs. God was getting impatient and spoke to moses again. Go and help. The people of israel aren't listening to me. Why would favor listen to a person like me. When i went to pharaoh they showed him too many wonderful and terrible things that god could do. The waters of the nile turned to blood there was a plague of frogs in the land. Not invaded the land of flies swarm throughout egypt. Go and sacrifice your god but was in the land of egypt. It would not be right for us to sacrifice within the lens of each. We must travel three days into the wilderness for our feast. And god demands it again that moses go to pharaoh and tell him to let the people go. Got threatened that a sickness would come upon the cattle in a pestilence upon the people of egypt espero did not let the hebrews go. Thunder and lightning and hail that would ruin crops and cause famine in the land. And pharaoh did not listen and those plates came to pass. When the hell came upon the land sarah wanted to bargain. Go and sacrifice to your god take away the man and women and children must remain in in egypt. We must go with our young and old. We must go with our sons and daughters. And with our flocks and herds. Three days journey into the wilderness to hold a feast for our god. Pharaoh refused driving moses and aaron from his presence. And when they win again tufaro to demand that he let the people go moses and aaron. Brenda got their god would bring a plague of locusts and a plague of darkness upon the land of egypt. And so it was that the plague of locusts was followed by a plague of darkness. And sparrow called an ensign. Call moses n2m. Go and sacrifice to your god. Take take your women your man and women and your children but leave your herds. Behind. We must have our animals the sacrifice. Not one hoof will we leave behind. No get out of here forever see your face i will kill you. Moses spoke to the people of egypt and not to pharaoh when he told the last play to come. All the firstborn in the land of egypt would die if they were would not let the hebrews go. Moses and aaron called the people of israel together and gave them instructions. Yuma slaughter a lamb. And take some of the blood. And put it on your door and your doorsteps so that the plague will pass your vote. And so it was that all the firstborn of the land of egypt died that night and the firstborn of the hebrews were spared. Pharaoh heard the great cry in all of egypt. Islamic moses and aaron in the dead of night. Just go take your man your women your children your flocks. Ear hurts get out of egypt now. And the people of israel left so quickly that they could not allow their bread to rise. Baden-baden brad is a journey. When they reach the red sea pharaoh's army was in pursuit. Espero drew near the people cried out to moses. Is it because there are no graves in egypt you have taken it out to die in the wilderness. What have you done to us why didn't you leave well enough alone. In egypt we would have lived and this year we will be slaughtered. Fear not. Stand firm. And he stretched out his staff over the waters of the red sea and a great east wind blew and the waters were divided. The people pass across the red sea on dry land. When they reach the other side they wash the waters closed in closed in drowning pharaohs pursuing army. There's great celebration in the land songs and dancing in a sound of tambourines and a free people prepared for the journey into the wilderness toward the land that god promised them. Well moses was ambivalent about this that best. Why him. And couldn't he find a way out of this predicament. For himself mainly but certainly for his people as well. Those of us who had leadership positions find periodic reluctance and ambivalence that's for sure. What are the skills that we already see that moses. Possesses. That could get this job done. Well he was persistent. Persisted in his resistance on one hand but then persistence and diligence. In carrying out the task that he had been told to do over and over again. How many times do you give up on something when you've been told to do it. And then rethink attends rededicate yourself to it. He was patient. He was patience. Outwardly. Inwardly i'm sure that he had distress. But he was patient and diligent in carrying out the task in the chelsea in the stores the story continues. 40 years worth of patience and wandering around in the wilderness. He was teachable. You'll see a little later that jethro his father-in-law guided him to. Used his team as gary mentioned earlier. Having a team of people to rely upon. Moses chose some judges to do some of the work of. Arbitration among the. People of israel. He was faithful. Faithful sometimes in the story isn't. Is revealed to be faithful to god. And and moses was that. But he was faithful to the vision and the task. Once he understood what the task was. He persisted and was faithful and. Carried the task. The last one. Always make me smile. He was obedient. I always have trouble with this one because i'm not so we'll be the end about things. But he was obedient to the task at hand. So persistence obedience teachability patients. All of those are skills and talents. The journey through the wilderness was difficult. Moses was called on to do many things they sought advice from god to figure out what to do. After three days journey the only water they could find was bitter and undrinkable. The people complained demanding something to drink. Mosasaur a piece of wood into the water and it became sweet. The people drank eagerly and then continue their journey until they reach ellen. Where there were twelve springs of water and 70 palm trees. After they departed ellum. Some weeks after leaving a job they ran short of food. The people complained against moses and aaron. Only we had died by the hand of god in the land of egypt. Please stop by the fleshpots and ate our philip bread. Where you at rhonda's out into this wilderness to kill the whole assembly with however. And moses told the people that got a promise man i would rain down from heaven in the night. And a daybreak they could gather and eat their fill. And so was the man of looking white like coriander seed with a taste like that of wafers and honey. Was found everywhere as the sun rose. And the people ate their fill and continue to gather indeed manage morning through through their journey. And when they can't addressed them. There was again no water to drink. And the people complained. Why did you bring us out of egypt to kill us and our children and our lives. with birth. What should i do. They are ready to stone me. And god instructed him to take his staff and in the presence of the elders to strike a rock. Moses said so and water came out of the rock so the people could drink. The amalekites who lived in the area did not want to share their water with this wandering people and they attack. Moses told his commander joshua to choose some men to fight the amalekites. They went out to fight and moses aaron and hur one of the elders went to the top of the hill. The bad one folded before then. Whenever moses lifted up his hand is real provel. Whenever he lowered his hand mellow prevailed. When moses group to where it's a hold his hand up any longer they brought a stone and put it under him so he could sit. Aaron and hur held up his hands. One on one side and the other on the other side. So he was steady until the sunset. Does joshua israelites defeated the amalekites. When they came to the land of midian where moses father-in-law wife and children or living. Moses told jethro of all that had befallen since he had last midian. Jethro observed that the people came to moses with all of their complaints and disputes. And that moses work to resolve everyone. Moses was exhausted and had no time for his wife or children. Jethro said to moses. Why are you doing this. Why must you solve disputes between people from morning to evening. You need to delegate some work. Choose individuals who are trustworthy. Worthy. Teach them. To be judges. Improvise over complaint. Spirits of the people. Moses listen to his father-in-law and name some judges. After that the judges brought only the hard cases to moses so the rest they decided themselves. Who are moses. The reluctant leader had once again become a great man. A man without a negotiated the most powerful man in the land. And now we're the people of israel grateful know. They remember the days of their bondage what's mastalgia. In the good old days we had water to drink. And we snap by the fires at 8 bread and roasted meat. Before you think too badly. Of the people of israel remember. Change is uncomfortable for all people just isn't comfortable as it was for the children of israel. In the harvest the power classes we weren't strategy. To bring a congregation to times of change. And moses learned other list. He learns how to delegate. He learned how to avoid overwhelm and burnout. These lessons are also stressed in harvest the power workshop. We give you strategies to avoid. To avoid overwhelm and two lesson burnout. Let's rejoin moses. And the people of israel in the sinai desert. When they reach the foot of mount sinai moses summon the elders and told them to instruct the people to wash their clothes and prepare for god to come three days hence. Do not allow anyone to go up the mountain. On the third day at 6 cloud cover the mountain and there was thunder and lightning in the blast of a trumpet. Moses and aaron approached them out the mouth and covering their faces. The people were afraid and stood at a distance. After a time moses journeyed alone to the top of the mountain where you receive from god to tablets containing the words of the covenant with israel. The ten commandments. On the mountaintop moses receive mini instructions for forming a new society. Including prescriptions for behavior. Instructions for worshiping for construction of a tabernacle. Before an art to hold the tablets of the covenant. And he was gone from the people for a long time. Meanwhile the people at the foot of the mountain grew anxious. Who is this moses anyway. What is a discography talking about promises of a new land. They are staring to do something to help them to make them a golden calf that they might worship something familiar. Aaron was worried about the people and wanted to reassure them. So i gathered all of their gold jewelry in melted it down and created for them. A golden calf to worship. As moses came down from the mountain carrying the tablets with the covenant. He heard much singing and dancing and he became concerned. He knew that the first thing on those tablets was. I'm the lord your god and you shall have no other gods before me. So when moses came upon the people worshipping the golden calf. Singing and celebrating he grew angry. He broke the tablets he pulled her eyes the golden calf and put the powder into water which he made the. Eldraine. Then he called out. Who is on the side of the lord. Those who can do i'm instructed to take their swartz swords and a kill all those who would worship the golden calf. Even brothers and cousins and other family members. 3000 people were slaughtered that day. Moses pitched and apart from the people outside the camp. There he went through to speak. With god in the fleet on behalf of the people. Aftertime god instructed moses to once again journey up the mountain to meet god. Once again dakar tablets upon which would be written instructions for a new society. Xcel moses went up the mountain for a second time. And receive the words of the covenant on behalf of the people of israel. And it came down from mount sinai much change. He looked and sounded calm as you gather the people around to tell them the laws for new society. Instructed them on the roles they were to play the way they were to worship and the ways they were to behave with one another. He ordered the construction of the ark in the tabernacle according to the instructions he had received. And so it was that the israelites 1/4 carrying the ark of the covenant turning towards the promised land. What god told moses that the people were not ready for a new land. They were to wander in the wilderness for 40 years until a generation that died. The next generation of israelites would be the one to answer the promised land. Moses himself went to the mountaintop and saw the promised land but did not answer it. He died there through the stage no one knows where he's buried. Wow what a great story. You know moses being a figure of great significance to. Christians to jews and muslims. This may be one of the best-known stories of leadership. In the world. Think how many little children. Heard the story the baby moses when they were small i know it's one of my first lesson. So this teacher this. This lesson that we that we do here is absolutely my favorite in the whole harvest the power program series 2. We love teaching this together. You have heard me talk about leadership so many times up here i looked in my computer and i think i have. Six different messages without delivered over about the last. 8 years. About leadership so i'm really happy.. Because one of the most fundamental elements of any successful organization. Is leadership. I believe it's true and effective leadership of a congregation. Means guiding people. Toward their express vision of the holy. Leadership however is often misunderstood. It's pretty essential to differentiate between being a leader and being a boss. Abbas has authority and power based on his or her position. Abbas tells people what they're supposed to do. This weather disobey. A leader may have authority based on position. However he or she does not have the luxury. If that's how you look at it. To tell people what to do as patrick or elena and they just tell you what to do. Not so much not respond. A leader is responsible. A reader asks. A leader shows us that what we do and where we're going is in the best. Picrew. This was the case with moses be had to leave the hebrew people from egypt. He didn't have the power or authority to make them. He had to convince the why they should leave. It began with a vision. Moses explain to the people that it was time to claim what god had promised abraham and isaac and jacob. Eye-land pharaon. He made it clear where they were going and why it was better the land of milk and honey. And that vision. Exploited. Will follow. Moses. Secondly moses understood his people. Like a shepherd understands. You know he had some timid ones and some eager ones probably some over-eager one. Brain worms. And obviously a great many of his flock with very short attention span. Oh no. A leader who understands his or her peep. Can keep the vision before them. And help them understand its importance to the point. That it becomes a natural progression. Ask who the people are. And what it is that they're called to do. The acceptability and relevant. Television. Which ring. Is how it becomes a reality. Probably couldn't have lead. A bunch of egyptian out into the wilderness because it wasn't. Under harsh conditions wouldn't have been relevant. They did not have the vision that god had given to the israel. Thirdly it's my belief to even with a dynamic vision and a clear plan to reach that vision. It's impossible without the right support. But he had his brother to help. When his arms were exhausted he had his lieutenants to help them out. His. His father-in-law jethro told him when he needed judges. You know. As gary said it's the team. Moses built a team of leaders who shared the same values in the same belief system. These were men who could carry on the fission and continue to lead the people. Even after they reached the promised land without him. Don't be afraid. Kate connelly. You have many people right here in the shark congregation. Who share your same values. Gold and culture. To help guarantee. Success of your service. Finally. Well this is one that always gets me you know when i was a kid i thought how great it would be if god would just talk to me directly i would know exactly what he wanted me to do a my life will be very easy. Not so much huh. But it was important to moses to get time away from everyone so that he could speak with his thought. That time with god gave him vision and strength. Encourage. Leader must spend time with the whole. Impersonal spiritual development. I'm looking for perfect. In learning to be quiet. Your spiritual self. Shows up. In your actions. And in your interactions with other. Prayer. Meditation. Study a connection with nature however you find faith and strength. Nourishment for your soul this is vital for a leader. The leadership experience itself cause you to grow did you deal with your team. And learn and move toward the promised land facing both difficulties. Enjoys together. Moses has in his followers faced enormous challenge. But he was able to get this food congregation to follow him. In the midst of the rest. Uncertainty and chaos. Moses lead the israelites successful. Because he saw the vision. He understood his people. He developed a strong team. You spent time alone scott. These lessons to work for you too. Whatever circumstances. You find yourself called.

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20130721-Sermon.mp3

You know i tried this out at the uu church in arlington. Instead of standing behind. The pulpit i. Kind of brought a chair. Confront my shoes off. Got comfortable. Fireside chat. And i kind of liked it it just felt more. Like family. And also i love to speak. When i'm in the meditation. Posture. How we do it at the buddhist. Where. Teacher in many of the students. Anna meditation. I like that. So how are you all doing. Beautiful. You know i have a few different topics in mind to share with you today but i also want to get a sense. What's going on with you. Some questions you may have about life. Spirituality. So i'd like to ask. At least. 82 in each of the sections. Ask a question that's actually a question and not a commentary. Simple question that you think. Someone else at least one other person in the room may have that quest. It becomes a useful. Let's start over cuz. And then raise your hand if you have. Okay good question. Undertaker. What is dharma. Alright. What is the difference between. Taoism and taoism. I can answer that right away there's no difference other than. That taoism is not the way you. Taoism is it is just the way english people spell chinese words you know. Like prince is my name is spelled with a c h. But actually it's pronounced g-sync. It may be that in there may be a dialect. There in northern china. Does adidas. Common because there's many dialects in. Okay other question. Can we exist without war. Boy. You want to come to a weekend retreat. Okay what is the source of. What happens when you die. Well that depends on how you die. I'm sorry. Yes. How would i describe the feeling of enlightenment. Any last questions. Can you slow down your mind. Did i say. What is zen. One more. Alright so. I don't remember all the questions but i will try to speak. Hopefully answer mode. Maybe i'll start with the question that you would ask. What is dharma. Well the word dharma is a sanskrit word in sanskrit. Was used a lot in. Ancient india. And in fact. There's a. An ancient language. That. India and europe. And so many of the modern indian and modern european languages actually have their roots. In this. Ancient mother language. Which stock is very much for. Example. You have the word. Magni. Aspire. In sanskrit. And we have an english the word ignite. Which also eat bugs the same. Idea of. Sparking a fire. So you'll see many many words. In sanskrit. That are similar to the word zany. Because we have a common root. Going way back. And that's why i love the sanskrit language. Whenever i do chanting in sanskrit. Has a very anxious feel to it. Resonates. English. Maybe chinese physically but my mind structure is has been shaped by the english beat. So. Major resume. And so i like to share sandwich hunting with. As well because. There's just something. V. Md place. So the word dharma. Has many different meanings. The way buddhist use the word dharma. Is. I asked the teachings of the buddha. Is the main way we use. But also is sometimes used. To mean truth. From any source. And. Then another way it's sometimes used is. The way things are. Are the principles of how things work. And then the most. Generic way it's you. Is. That it it refers to all phenomenon. In the universe. Because everything is a manifestation of the way things are and the way things were. So everything is dharma. So. So that's what i mean by dharma is. Primarily truth. Secondarily the tea. The buddha who is. Expressing. And then of course. Really it goes down boils down to the truth of the way things actually work it's not in some sort of. Mine constructed imposition on reality but like really look at reality how does it actually work. This is important. For all of us as well. Including four buddhas. Because. Fundamentalism exist everywhere. And buddhism. Arnot. An exception either so they're in there can be. Spider-man. I don't usually become friends with them but i respect them and i honor honor their right to have their viewpoint. But to me. I'm not a follower the buddha because i say. The buddha was the only one. Truth and. Completely. Right or maybe even if he had it when i have no idea what he actually 1% said. You know i'm saying. So. Maybe that's a huge part of it but anyway. So. I think it's important to. Remember that truth. Even if. Where where are using the truth from a very great teacher. It's still went to a greater truth. The truth of the way things work. That's greater than any human teacher. And so we have to remember that. In. I'm part of that definition. That truth of the way things work in the universe is not separate from. Myself. Or you. For any individual. Because we're all actually expressions of the way things. Worth the wait. So therefore we are all. The dharma is within all of us. We all are expression. Truth and we all have access to. 2. Have that ability to. In our own way. There's a story in in buddhism that also. I've seen it. The hindus also use it now in the dallas and everyone else. But i believe from my research that actually originated from the buddha. At first. I could be wrong. There was the buddha was telling a story about. I think it was for blind men. Who are. Wondering what. An elephant. And so they all touch. The elephant. One blind man touched the trunk of the. Of the elephant's nose. And said. The an elephant is like. A hose. And then another blind man touched the leg. Sonoran elephant is like a tree trunk. And another. Black manta. Detailed. Elephant. He said oh no no no an elephant is like whip. And someone else. The. Yeah they're all anyways the ear how about the ear. And he touched the ear and he's a no-no. An elephant is like a pen. Well. That's a good illustration that. We're all blind and some way. And we don't see the whole truth always. And so any description that any particular individual gives. Truth. May not always be the whole picture. So we have to be careful and i think that's where. That's why in buddhism. There many different. Branches of buddhism that develop. 1 grads that developed. West caldwell. I think someone else had a question about zen. And then. Is very much in the spirit of. Finding the truth. Beyond. Anyone. Secular viewpoint. And find the truth experience. I think it is i think that the story really is a good. Standing of wizened development. Because you can. You can have certain. Viewpoints. Become rigid. Maybe even treadle. But i think that the spirits. Is it it. Is weekend. When you. Just. Try to embrace the. The teachings in such a rigid way. You know really good example of of that is. Very recently it's very sad. Over in burma or myanmar. They've been having so many problems for so many years. But recently there was some very very radical political buddhist monk who. As a leading several other who does. To become very violent. + 2. To incite riots. To try to. Eliminate. The muslims. Country because i feel like. And they're very small minority of people in so i don't know if you remember any of you reading any of this. A lot of them are slaughtered children slaughtered every. Slaughtered. Thousands and thousands and thousands of people slaughter. And. And i know that when people feel threatened they do crazy things right. So but the problem is. If and of course. I don't think of these people as true buddhist to do. Completely going against what the buddha taught. About nonviolence. But. From their perspective i guess they must be thinking they're trying to protect. Protect their religion. Because. Buddhism. Not always survive in the country settings. And so. It's be eradicated. However. If your religions such as buddhism. Teaches. Nonviolence. And yet. To protect your religion. Resort to violence. Haven't you lost your. Haven't you already lost the spirit of religion. So. You've actually not protected buddhism. If you're destroying it. You destroying its credibility or destroying its spirit or destroying its effectiveness. And you're also. Saying it doesn't work. Deliv non-violently doesn't work. Because you have to resort. So it is a contradiction. And. They may be trying to go by certain. Rigid ideas about buddhism but. Many of much of our unhappy. Derives from. Distorted view coin. And that's why. In buddhism not only do we have dharma. The teaching. Of the way things are. We also have the buddha course. One who lives it. To breathe the truth is awakened to the truth. And who shares it. But. I think more importantly. Then dharma or buddha. Is. The 3rd. Tonga. And these are the three jewels in buddhism buddha dharma sangha. Tsonga mean. Especially the community of those who are deeply. Committed to the path of enlightenment. Anime have become enlightened. In some way. In certain forms of buddhism we say there are four stages of enlightenment. So even if you're just. Only lightning the first stage you're part of that. Enlightened. Krowd. Cuz it's so hard to get to the fourth page anyway like you wouldn't have any community. Honor those who were fully night but. At least almost of us are least somewhat partially enlightened. So we are all part of the community of those. What's the point. And i really believe that this. The most important. Cuz. We have. All these different. Perspective. On troost. To help us. To balance out our own person. Otherwise we may have. Become a little bit fanatical. Maybe even self delusional. Thinking that we are the only one with truth and there are ways the only way. And then of course if you start teaching that to others and they agree with you. Then you have a. Occult. So i believe that the song goes a wonderful way of to guarantee. Police to try to help guarantee. Curbing this tennessee. Colts. Like. Behavior. 2. To know that. We all have. Truth within us and that we all. Can. Have our own way to access that truth in. And change your mind as we grow and that others perspectives are also important to help us. I appreciate the choir you all know that was you. So. Another question. Clearing clearing the mine. What happens when you die according to my okay wow. What is enlighten. Feel like oh okay. I don't know because i'm not enlightened. But. I do know what it feels to have a glimpse of a. And in the same condition. We call that can show. Kensho means literally. To see your tuna. Social glimpse. Nature taste. Very powerful. And if it's very very powerful to the point of of enlightenment or awakening. Then. Satori. So at least i'll just share with you my experience of what i experienced i won't label it. But i've had a few different kinds of extra. I want experience. Samadhi. Which is a form of list from concentration. And. I was at a retreat and. I was hauling the meditation instruction. The picture and. He guided us step-by-step. It was very ingenious what he did because it. It really helped me to go deeper and deeper and deeper and then. When i reach. The level where we were getting in touch. Very. Aspects of our. Our nature as. Free from all obstructions. My heart. Burst open. And i felt. Lot of energy coming through me rushing more and more more. I don't think i actually heard a sound but it felt like. It felt like a sound of a rushing like niagara falls. Rushing through my whole entire being. All it felt like as if. All the energy of the universe i'm a part of that. And it ain't like supernova. It was amazing that i and i felt wow how can i experience that too much energy and not. This body deteriorate. Tired. Incinerate but it was amazing. Because we're all part of this amazing. Energy of the universe. When all of my blocks were removed. Well that's what's their energy. Infinite energy. But that's not a knife. And this is why we need spiritual teachers who have been on the pathway longer. Venice because. People who. Who may have certain experiences might think that's a nightmare. Cuz i don't know. Cuz i don't have an instructor. To help them. I mean you can have things like this happen just by doing psychedelic drugs are you there's all kinds of ways you can experience. That's right. Really cool awesome cause experiences does not. Meaning lights. It just means really cool cosmics races. So. But another experience i had. Was actually confirmed by my side. And in that experience. There's no fireworks. There's no energy. There's. Nothing it was so. Subtle and so. Like. No big deal. It was like i just singing meditation one morning. Breathing in. And all the sudden it wasn't bubble bubble pop and i may have shared with the. With you before. My identity as a self. It was like a bubble just popped i no longer had that. That identity. And it was just. It was free it was there was only just. Free. Consciousness. This existence is being. Without boundaries. Without a self. And it was almost as if i wasn't looking. Behind my. You know my body. Observing every. And i realize that everything is. An expression. 1 infinite. Whatever you call it. And that's. Who i actually am although. At the time i did not use the word i. There was no individuation of that it's just. They're just being. Dupure conch. Without. Being confined in. So. When i ended when i looked at the body and look inside the body into the mind i could not find a stepper. There is no stop. There is a mental. Construct and there's an operating system. And is a body. But. There is no actual separate self. So in that moment i realized. The truth non-self which is one of the three or four major. Choose that the buddha. Says that we will see. When we are fully. What is. So. I realize that. There's only one. I'm going to call the one true self but. There's only one true self. And it expresses as. Body.. Flower. Everything is. Russian. In various ways. So there's no separate selves. Now there are obviously separate bodies and stuff. Reference points. But all of these. Body minds are simply. Various. Reference points for the one true. Expressen. Experience. When you realize non-self than you also realize at the same time. 1. And when you realize the truth of oneness. When you realize. The. Senseless. The war. Touches on. And. I don't know if we will ever see. On this particular planet. But i do know that. Possible for the warts. Face within yourself. And that if you can. Share that peace with others. Can also spread. Non-war. For others. So. And there are different kinds of ways that buddhist think of this. A more traditional buddhist a that there will always be. Suffering on this planet. Because that's just nature of his. And so they're probably lots of wars and. Because i've always exist. Whenever there's humans. And so there are those. Have that. And that's very traditional. Then there's some more modern buddhists. Progressive. I think i'm maybe one of them. I. I believe that there is progress. It may be. Progress that looks like this. Coming down. Down up and down but over several centuries i think there's a. Light. Progress. Over overall i hope that's how it is my hope. So i have a hope. That. Things will progress. As we. Human. Become more educated and start to meditate and start learn. Help us. Sister war within. And as the war within ceases i believe it will manifest outwardly. But. But not in this. Lifetime. Probably won't happen overnight. So we cannot try to do our political action. What the expectation that is all going to be good in perfect. Before we die. Cuz that's just a recipe for. Frustration. You actually have to have a longer view of history. So whatever good that you are doing in this life. Don't always expect all the results come. Back to you in the. But do it for the future generation. Do it for the sake of the progress of the whole planet. Wait long after. We really have to do our good work in that. Because if we only do our good work. Wanting all the results for this life. This lifetime. It can. That actually can cause war 2. Because of your desperation to like make all the changes right now and. You just want your. A political party or your country or your. You caused to 22b. Upheld. And you don't even if you don't look at the effect it's going to have. Over a long. of time in history. You may be actually responsible for. Some sort of war. Later on. So we can't just. You know. I don't have to tell you this i mean. Some of the wars that america has. You know. Created. Recently in the last. Decatur so. Armoire. You don't come to think of it ever since america was founded there's been wars. We can't just go to war because we're wanting to like do what's right for right now because it can cause. You can plant the seeds for future wars. You know. Maybe not in our country but it could cause other country. I mean. We need to think beyond our own.. We must think. A long long time. How many more minutes. The religious education classes do let out at this time and so it's possible that the parents may want to go. Get their children out of class. If if you would like to go a few more minutes and i think that probably that would be quite okay with a lot of people who are sitting here. You met you you you may bet that this is a roommate. Do you you can go on bet bet this is a reminder that the re classes will be letting out over the next few minutes. So was there. One last question that i didn't quite answer that maybe. Oh my goodness. I'll tell you when i get there. Okay so. That would take another sermon. So. Call boy. That's a very complex topic. Troy complex. It's not as simple as that. And it depends on which sect of buddhism. Talking to. So. But i will at least share one thing. From descendants. Is that one of you is. Do not. Do not make the mistake. Appreciate. Your happiness. Always into. Including. Because we have the habit in our society keep pushing our happiness for the future. I will be happy when i. The graduate. From school and then you graduate but okay i'll be happy when. I have my first. Or i'll be happy when i have my first. Espouse. I'll be happy when i have my next spouse children. I'll be happy when they go to college away from home. I'll be happy when i retire. It just never ends and. When we keep doing that. We actually, we create the causes of unhappiness. Present. Because we don't know how to be happy in the present moment because we have this habit energy of pushing it always into the future. And even when they get to the future which then becomes the present we can't even embrace it fully. And appreciate fully. Because we have is part of our psyche that we've been habituating to not be happy now but only for something in the future. And that's very dangerous for our happy. Because. Be happy except in the present moment. And if we're not happy the present moment and only pushing into the imaginary future. Guess what you'll never arrive. Until you die. And i know who knows what happened. But in a sin. We try to encourage people. Tonight. Thanks so much about the afterlife but this. Right. Because there's always a birth and death going on in each. 7-inch moment. We're dying and being. We had a fresh new. 2. Recreate ourselves. To make. Better. Choices. + 2. Learn how to. Sleepy happy. So there may be all kinds of things going on. Better. Maybe causes brand. Yes but you can still. At least fine. Peace. In the chaos. You can even have a flu or you can even have a cyclospora parasite growing in your stomach but you can still fine. Lovejoy. Patience wisdom. So i'd like to close with a chance of healing and love. For yourself and all being. Please join your. Together with me if you like. Bydureon. Samyak sambuddha. Maha by charger. Raja song. Repeating after me. May all beings be happy. Mel b.

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20131117-Sermon.mp3

In a cabin. Below the cold wind swept decks of the mayflower. The leaders of the religious settlers. We have come to call the pilgrims. Met to draw up a document to a firm and guide their purpose. It is recorded that they covenanted together with the following words. On a small ship bobbing and choppy waters off the coast of cape cod. On the 21st of november. 1620. 41 men gathered assigned the first european document of democratic self-rule in north america. The mayflower compact realizing they were off course and nowhere near northern virginia. They organized a simple but profound social covenant that would cover them as a colony. 471 years. And in part it reads. In the name of god amen we whose names are underwritten. Have undertaken for the glory of god and advancement of the christian faith a voyage. Do by these presents solemnly and mutually in the presence of god and one another covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politic. For our better ordering and preservation. The furtherance of the ends aforesaid. And by virtue here of new laws or ordinances acts and constitutions and offices. I shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the colony. Onto which we promise all do submission and obedience. These folks barely survived. The first. Winter i believe over half of the colonists died. The first winter. Those that survived had to feel as if they were spared by some sort of grace. First thanksgiving more of a harvest home celebration was to mark the first year and crops and resources that they had gathered and shared by there. Native american neighbors. That just might help them survive the next winter. To use an lamotte's language from our reading earlier. It was a call of help thanks and wow. She says it all looks hopeless. Even for a crappy optimus like me. Things couldn't be worse. Everywhere you turn our lives and marriages and morale and government are falling to pieces. So many friends have broken children the planet does not seem have long for this world. Repent. Oh wait nevermind i meant hell. What i want my whole life. That was relief from pressure isolation. People suffering and putting my own. Which was mainly mental. An entire political administration. That is really only want now. Besides dealing with standard-issue family crises heartbreak emmett and mishegoss. I feel that i can't stand one single more death in my life. That's too bad because as we speak i have a cherished thirteen-year-old cat was near death with lymphoma and i know i won't be able to live without her. This might sound really totally petty to those of you facing the more impending loss of people careers. Or retirement savings. But if you are. Madly in love with your pads as any rational person is you know what a loss it will be for both me and my three-year-old grandson jack's. My cat genie has. Helped raise him and it was his first death. I told him that she was sick and if the angels were coming to take her from us. I tried to make it sound like rather happy news after all. Vultures are coming for her or snakes. But he wasn't having any of it. Angels are taking genie away. Yes because she is old and needs to go to live in heaven now. He said i'm mad at the angels. He's mad at death. I'm a duff 2. I've had it. I'm existentially sick to death. Of death. And i absolutely cannot stand that a couple of my friends and they lose their children i cannot stand that my sons and grandsons. Behold some ice isolation strife death. And, yet humiliating skin conditions. Kurt vonnegut putted welcome to the monkey house. This is a hard planet. Andrea bernal mobile species. And all i can do is pray. Help. But i hope anne lamott has done. For us. In this small town and other things. Is to break down. Some of the great issues for us that. The things that face. Faces as human beings. That the prayers we utter our. Broken down into categories of help. Thanks and wow. Makes it a little more. Approachable. As a parent. As my wife and i are parents of two young children. My wife and i are in constantly trying to teach our children basic social skills and values. How to behave how to treat each other. A big part of this is the attitude that goes along with it you know the the magic words of please and thank you. Are a big part of that. My son was. Candiria. I want that i'm sorry do you say something. May i please have such a. Sure. Let's talk about it. And part of the hope for us is that we will somehow and still a level of self-awareness overtime. For them to be kind. And grateful. As i have mentioned the last 2 weeks. Well i can't say i don't have any flies on me cuz i haven't. As i mentioned last 2 weeks gratitude can be our response to something wonderful. What animal refers to as the wild. But also looking to be a personal spiritual practice a habit. They can lift us up when we are not in a place of wow. But more of whoopi who cares. For a place of help. Show gratitude can be a response to things but can also be a practice. Helps lead us into other places. But sometimes. Sometimes we encounter those who say. Nothing. Researcher robert emmons. Says that perhaps the most famous instance of ingratitude in history. Is found in the new testament gospel of luke. Jesus heals 10 lepers of their physical disease and ensuing so. Their social stigma. Pronounce clean other contagious condition and no longer social outcast they get their old lives back. Being brought back from near death you think they'd be overwhelmingly grateful right. Emmons offers. Yet only one returned to express thanksgiving. For being healed. Knowing full well that only one would come back. Thankful jesus asked. We're not all ten cleansed. Where where do where are the other nine. Was no one found to return and give praise to god except for this foreigner. And then he said to them. Rise and go your faith has made you well. Now biblical scholars. Of this passage agree that by faith. In this as a translated into english by jesus really meant was. Thankfulness. As in your gratitude has made you well. The parable reminds us in that light. Just how common ingratitude is and how easy it is to take blessings for granted. And how gratitude is dependent upon unmerited. Favors. We talked before also at the issue of. Grace being that witch. Is. Earned. And cannot be earned. That's not the same thing as undeserved. Because we confuse all that and are meritocracy. A good protestant work ethic. And obviously if you haven't earned it you don't deserve it. Bright. That's the message most of us here these days. You haven't learned your healthcare you don't deserve it. Right. If you haven't learned food. You don't deserve it. If you haven't earned shelter you don't deserve it. That's not grace. As i said before also that. Grace is not something we can learn. It is something given. We cannot earn it by works or. Or by confession of faith. Are universalists forbearers. Pointed that out to us. That grace is given to us freely whether we wanted or not. Because otherwise simply confessing or making some confession of faith is simply another barter or exchange. With god. And you don't barter with god. Sometimes we might try and dick her a little bit. But it doesn't usually get us very far. For me personally gratitude. Is this impulse to give back in some way in order to show my appreciation for what i have received. As. Grace. But again it can also be a process by which i practice my life. To remind me of what is possible. House like grace. Elf-like gratitude. What things there are to be grateful for. In my life. When the night is too long. And the difficulties are too much. So can we adequately respond. To the grace of the universe. I feel the answer is both no and yes. Typical liberal fashion. We as finite beings. Cannot. Mass the infinite abundance of the universe. Liberal. Religionists. We understand that the. The understanding the awareness the abundance of. The universe goddess god however we wish to articulate it. Is. Unending. And ongoing. Said that there is an ultimate abundance. An ultimate optimism. That doesn't mean it's going to help us pass a driver's test if we have been studying for. However since. We experienced grace in the senate ood of the here and the now. We can at least try to respond to it and fashion. Of that same level. In my seminary days i took several classes in jewish studies. And. Part of that tradition is that at just about any occasion there's a series of blessings. But unlike those blessings that i grew up with as a protestant christian the blessings are not a request for god to give us more. Rather the blessings in the jewish tradition are in fact blessings that we bestow upon god. As thanksgiving. For god's grace in the past the present. The future. This is the same basic meaning as the contemporary pagan response. Blessed be. Bridges often hurt after prayers are readings. And where do we believe in goddess gaia the doll but will you. The truth of all truths. I believe that the exercise of gratitude itself to be a very sound one. This is why we teach our children please and thank you. When we do not respond with gratitude we feel the gratitude that we feel we. Model up that experience of the holy we repress our joy and deny our feelings. And when we do this we deny the grace. That we had been privileged to. And janiah others. The opportunity to share in it with us. When we share our gratitude for the blessings that we have received when we have made. When we make a manifest response. In gratitude for the unearned race of the universe. We are expressing thanks. Giving. It is the literal literal giving of. Thanks. This can be difficult. My own personal family thanksgiving i'm from the local area here. I have family who live outside of fort worth. We tend to go to one of their large. Not like home but all my life piece of property. But several of them have in common. And we all gather there. And it's actually the invitation we receive is comfort come for thanksgiving lunch and target practice. Because i have set up a shooting range on their property. Which is wonderful. And and. But i got to say my growing-up years in middle-class fort worth i never would have dreamed that what thanksgiving would look like. And so. I have many nieces and nephews and in-laws and outlaws of various sorts who will show up. With their various firearm a crucial mall. We have fun shooting at things. You know. So i. Reach into myself to sign that gratitude for this family. So i never would have predicted. Even 20 years ago but they are mine. I'm there's what they want me or not. Actually we all get along pretty well. So even sometimes when things are hard or difficult. When we have an in-law of. Sandpiper may hold extremely different views from us. We may be able to offer gratitude for the fact that they offer us lunch. That they provide us the place to get together with our other family members. They are a part of our life and they are our teachers. We don't often recognize we often don't recognize grace until we have some perspective on the situation. And realize how much we really have. Received. Then we may feel grateful and give thanks. Even well after the fact. What are some of the consequences. What are some of the consequences of giving thanks. Of being grateful. I feel that the main effects maybe. An expression of. Grace as it is shared. I believe that this is part of the power of witnessing our own. Faith or religious experiences with each other in ways which are respectful of them as well. I am certain for myself and as many of you feel that it is only an act of grace which led us here. 42 unitarian-universalism at all. Or to beliefnet.com and the belief ematic quiz. Said it may have only been inactive grace and maybe a google algorithm. The goddess here. The point is that as a religious community we have a message of hope and courage. To share with. Which may be experienced is nothing less nothing less. Then life. Transforming grace. Find many who encounters. So grace is indeed amazing as the song would refer and so is our capacity to respond to it with gratitude. Praise. And thanksgiving. Remind me to share the grace that we have encountered through our impulses of gratitude and our acts of thanksgiving we share that grace that abundance magnified to the lenses of our own souls and lives. One-we. Teach our families our children to say please and thank you. When we remember ourselves. To do that as well. When we give back and thanks and praise for those gifts that we have received them the abundance of life in the universe is that much more for us to encounter again and again. And again. When we yield to the impulses of gratitude. When we engage it as a practice. We risk creating the reality. Of thanksgiving. Of abundance in the world. Which we all need. We all deserve. And we all hope for. So please remember this. And thank you.

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Sermon_032810.mp3

Most mornings. I awake to a clock radio alarm gently broadcasting news from mpr until i awakened enough to get up. It's a slow process my weight gain. I'm a night owl. One morning last month i was half awake as i heard a story about a haitian woman who traveled every day to the dominican republic to buy some kind of chicken something to bring back to haiti to sell. I was not awake enough to comprehend and with one ear dug into my pillow. I wasn't able to hear one critical word. Chicken nuggets chicken nuggets. I have an image of a woman with a big tub of chicken nuggets. Honor head and i was wondering what she would need bbq sauce to or. When i finally became conscious enough to hear the story had ended. And i was baffled but the universe must have needed me to hear the story because as i was driving from denton to plano i heard the story again. Chicken neck. That makes sense chicken necks people in an impoverished country do not take perfectly good chicken meat breaded fry it and dip it in sauce what they do is they take what they can get in this case the next the discarded pieces of chicken from the better-off country of the dominican republic. Near waste in one country is precious commodity in another. Ninja tales of the business women story is worth sharing. Her name is eros jean-baptiste. And she borrows funds from a microcredit bank. She gets on the bus to the dominican republic buys product not available in haiti. Get back on the bus and delivers the product to shopkeepers in port-au-prince. But here's the really ingenious thing. She does not collect money at the time she delivers the goods. She extends credit to her customers. She leaves the chicken necks corn and oatmeal and 15 days later she returns to collect her money plus interest. So she's a middle woman a wholesaler. Wholesaler. And by being an intermediary she enables other businesspeople to stock their stores and profit in their businesses. Images of women with a 5th grade education. Unfortunately she had just made a trip to the dominican republic and delivered her goods right before the earthquake struck. All 10 of her customers doors were level. Many died. But the bank from which she borrowed the money was still standing and they wanted their money. At the time that they ran this story. Eros owed roughly 100 us dollars. An earthquake is bad enough but an earthquake in an area of poverty makes a d logical issue and economic issue. Or at their least it highlights the economic issues that were already present. In february the bbc published an article called. Why did so many people died in haiti's quake. And it compare different earthquakes from different years in different areas. While the earthquake in haiti was smaller than a 7.9 earthquake in china in 2008. The impact in haiti was significantly greater. In part because it affected such a densely populated area in haiti. But a big part of the devastation was due to the poverty that haiti was experiencing when the earthquake hit. In haiti where 72% of the population live on less than $2 a day. An important prince where many are housed in poor and densely packed shantytowns and badly constructed buildings. Impact was magnified. Comparing the earthquake in haiti to other earthquake shows that do the earthquake in haiti was smaller and magnitude to other earthquake. It was greater and impact. In 1995 japan had an earthquake that was one of the worst in the country's history measuring 7.2. 6433 people died. So just over 6,000 in haiti the death toll reached 200,000. In china's earthquake one in every 690 people were rescued. In haiti one and every 16580 8 p.m.. Where rescue. Part of that is because of the density of port-au-prince which made it hard to get two people. Do too many poorly constructed buildings collapsing there's a great amount of rebel to get through. Part of it is because they had such limited resources. China's military force was a huge part of the rescue effort in china's 2008 or quake. Lacking strong military support and lacking a fully-functioning airport haiti had a hard time getting access to the many people in the world who wanted so desperately to help them. Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere with 80% of the population living under the poverty line. And 54% in abject poverty. Two-thirds of all haitians depend on agricultural sector. Mainly small-scale subsistence farming. And we made vulnerable to damage from frequent natural disasters. Maracana me has recovered in recent years. Registering positive growth since 2005 for tropical storms in 2008 severely damaged the transportation infrastructure and agriculture. A washington post article from 2002 scrub the impact of importing cheap. American rice and how it devastated the haitian rice farming industry and the many haitians who depend on that industry for a livelihood. And haley has a devastating history. As a french colony based on 4th street and sugar related industries. He became one of the wealthiest caribbean the caribbean. But only through the heavy importation of african slaves. Inconsiderable environmental degradation. In the late 18th century hades nearly half million slaves revolted. I need 1804 became the first black republic to declare independence. Eddie has been plagued by political violence from most of its history. On most days all of this depression and sadness overwhelms me. Until the earthquake in haiti i admit that i knew near to nothing about the history of haiti. I knew very little about the poverty they endured. And the stuffed place they were in before the earthquake in january. As i read on i felt guilty that i didn't know. I felt guilty that i hadn't contributed in some way to their release before the earthquake. And from there it's easy to spiral into a sense of hopelessness at the increasing disparity between rich and poor. And my own limited capacity to do anything to direct it differently. And honestly i think it's okay to go there from time to time to feel utter sadness at the reality of people like eros john baptiste. Whose business does tank. Who is surrounded by death and destruction and he was being hounded by a bank. For money she doesn't have despite her best. And knowing that there are many others in her country whose stories are just as devastating people who lost entire family's not just because of the earthquakes but because of the lineage of oppression and then poverty. It is sad. But we can't stay there. In the jewish tradition passover starts tomorrow at sundown passover celebrates the story of moses. Leading the israelites out of slavery. Encouraged by god moses over and over again insist to pharaoh let my people go. And god indeed make sure they make it to safety. The history of the unitarian universalist service committee. The ust began as a unitarian initiative to help jewish refugees escape nazi terror. The usda has continued in collaborating with successful stable grassroots agencies. In the us and abroad to combat oppression poverty and injustice. Do you usd was quick to respond to the needs in haiti. Teaming up with local haitian agencies to offer rescue and relief. While larger aid organizations were bottlenecked trying to gain access. Despite the significant relief in haiti in the last couple of months. I don't think that such a miracle story as the exodus story of passover will emerge for the people of haiti. Call me a skeptic but i don't think that god will lead haitians out of poverty in some grand observable finite way. If i don't think that god will lead. Any oppressed poor or suffering people out of their conditions in some grand observable or finite way. Yet we insist anyway. Let my people go. We stand up to the pharaohs of injustice. Anyway. We demand food shelter and safety anyway. Simply because it is the right thing to do. It becomes an act of faith. Author and theologian sharon welch rights. The horizon of action. Is recognition that we cannot imagine how we will win. We cannot guarantee decisive changes in the near future or even in our lifetime. Yet still we stay. Let my people go. Author and unitarian universalist minister richard gilbert writes about his own theology that serves as his epic for social justice work. He writes. I affirm what i call horizontal transcendence. I love to know god in or beyond history as a point of reference. My point of reference. Is the beloved community. A concept that transcends my meager efforts a vision sufficiently sublime that i do not confuse it with reality. Ago the commands my allegiance. Those who work for social justice are often too preoccupied with finite endeavors. Which are dirty with the everyday dingy with the prosaic. Somehow separated from the cosmic connection. The task is to learn to live with a partial fulfillment of a just and sustainable world. Recognizing that we are finite creatures. To aspire infinitely. Our task is unfinished. Just as the cosmic creativity is ever in process. Gilbert says the religious question then becomes. What can we contribute to the beloved community. In the christian calendar today is palm sunday. Christian churches of different denominations. Are hanging or waving palm leaves in honor of the biblical story which describes jesus entering into jerusalem on a donkey. The story celebrates the regality of jesus as lord. People honored him by waving palm leaves while he passed through the streets. But the part of the story that i'm drawn to is what kind of lord jesus wants to be. Not glenn carried in on a golden chariot. But one carried in on the back of a donkey. Jesus is a king who chose to align with a poor and oppressed. He wanted to set himself apart as a contributor to the beloved community. Not. As lord above it. In terms of advancing economic justice how do we contribute. To the beloved community. The usda makes it easy by breaking it down into three tasks. Learn. And support. The first is to learn and reflect on the movement for workers rights. As painful as it is to know the reality of working conditions it's our obligation to. What kind of wages can someone reasonably live on in collin county. How many people in our community and our workplaces in our schools. Make nowhere near to that amount. How can we promote a living wage in our community. What do our local political representatives need to know from us. How did our purchasing contribute to economic oppression and poverty. We can meet up on the publications of the uusc. They're working with local grassroots organizations with long stable histories of support. Enabling them to serve people who are most vulnerable and most overlooked. In addition to learning and reflecting we can act to strengthen protections for marginalized workers. We can write letters to our political representatives. We can demand changes in our workplaces and our other organizations. We can buy fair trade products. Including coffee tea chocolate sugar. And we can demand that our local stores carry fair trade products. We can demand that our school districts and local government agencies adopt a sweat-free purchasing policy to stop tax dollars from subsidizing sweatshops and abusive child labor. We can sign up for uufcc community list to receive updates and alerts so we can take action to advance human rights. In addition to learning and acting weekend support. And it's tight economy the very last thing i want to do is ask you for money. We are in the midst of our congregations annual budget drive and my hope is that you have all major pledges. For the coming church year. The congregation is up tremendous value. It is a source of love and support a place for spiritual and emotional growth. A place where we can learn how our values can be enacted in the world. For me a hunk congregation works best in conjunction with the efforts of the usc. I maintain my membership in the usda because the usb is important resource for me. As i seek education that i cannot get from mainstream media. And it provides concrete ways for us to create the beloved community locally and globally. Members of our congregations faith in action group will be available today in the coffee hour with membership forms and information and if you're not already a member i strongly encourage you to look at the information and think about becoming a member. Usd is a membership organization that is independent of and receives no funding from the are larger unitarian universalist association of congregations. Its status as a membership organization provides at the autonomy to advocate for justice oriented public policies across the political spectrum. I neither speaking directing government funds. It maintains a high level of independence. Enabling it to do the radical work that is most needed. Past years contributions from our church is a whole have been recognized by our banner and also by the certificates on the table. The two certificates are the james luther adams award which celebrates congregations that contribute at least $1 for each member of the congregation. Through our operating budget. The next level certificate honors those contributions. That represent $25 for each member of our kind. Navigation. This year our guest at your table drive. Raised $823 to support the usd's work toward human rights. In addition to receiving. Another of the james luther adams certificate. My hope is that we can increase our individual membership. To receive another banner. This creating justice spinner celebrates the year we achieved between 25 and 49% of our congregational members. Be members in the usd. Pretty. 25 to 49% of our membership. Join wwusd that year. I'd like to see us reach that level again. Or increase. Two more than 50% for the vision of justice. Division of the beloved community is about joining together enjoy. About supporting one another in service. The beloved community is about commitment. Richard gilbert describes it as a constellation of values. To be lived out by the individual and the religious community in the wider society. Unitarian universalism seeks to be a church without walls. In which social concerns become the agenda of the people. As they take their spiritual and ethical values into the public arena. The beloved community. Is not without sorrow. Pain and loss it is not a place where goals are always realized. But it is a community in creation. It is the beloved community art of our history of unitarian. You offered service to jewish people needing escaped during wwii. It is the beloved community of rescue and relief workers in haiti. Commissioned by our uusc as a radical act of faith. It is a beloved community of all those who dare to acknowledge. That all life is a gift. Which we are called to use. To build the common good. Let me look at our flaming chalice. Here in our sanctuary on our order of worship on our name tags. The various other places where they represented. May we be ever mindful. In our own part. And contributing. To the beloved community.

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Reading_041110.mp3

My reading this morning comes from the book of qualities by j ruth gendler. In which the author personifies different qualities. This is a story about three characters. Doubt and cynicism. Lives in the same apartment building as doubt. Wednesday's was out of town visiting her uncle in the hospital. Stampy cat. And water the asparagus fern. Faith is comfortable with doubt because she grew up with him. Their mothers are cousins. Face is not dogmatic about her beliefs like some of her relative. Her friends fear that faith is a bit stupid. They whisper that she is naive then depends on doubt to protect her from the meanest of life. In fact it is the other way around. It is fake. Protect. From cynicism.

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20131215-Reading_2.mp3

This is the story of the birth of jesus. Told by the unitarian real religious educator sophia lion falls in her book from long ago in many lands. Over 2000 years ago jesus was born. Many wonderful stories have been told about his birthday. This is the oldest of the mall. One day marry the young jewish woman who is to become jesus mother sat in her garden dreaming about when she would become a mother. She thought she saw someone so lovely she had never seen anyone like him before. I like showing from his face and his clothes were bright like a rainbow. Merry sweet woman he said. You will soon have a child and you will call him jesus. When he is grown he will be a king. A king whose kingdom is never destroyed. Wendy's soft words have been said he disappeared and mary was left trembling in wonder. As the months passed the baby grew inside of her. And soon she was almost ready to give birth. In order came from the governor saying that she and her husband joseph would have to go to bethlehem to take care of her taxes. It was a journey of several days. And when they got there the town was so crowded it was hard to find a place to sleep. And those days in that place which was the time when animals and people live close together people built their houses with rooms that are animals close by. Open the part of the same building. So the stories say that joseph and mary found a place to sleep near the cows and the goats and sheep. And when it came time for mary to have her baby his first bed was made of straw from the manger. Mary must have rained very close to him with her heart full of peace and love as almost all new mothers are. That very night on a hillside nearby there were shepherds watching their sheep. Suddenly they were startled by vision of a shining angel who said to them kindly. Do not be afraid. I come with good news that a baby has been born who will be the great person. You have been hoping for. And wood for your nation and bring you peace. They saw the sky full of life and angels singing glory to god in the highest and on earth peace and goodwill among men. And then division was gone. Nothing seemed so important to the shepherds as going to bethlehem to see the thing that the angels had said happened. It didn't take long until they found joseph and mary and the baby. I'm at the animals. They marveled at how humbled a little family was. Could this be the baby. That would be the one that would save in the messiah. It seemed impossible but somehow they thought it was true. When at last the shepherds were satisfied that they had found wonder-child. They left to go back to their hillside. Once they were outside the quiet sleeping town they sing their hearts out with joy. Long after the shepherds are gone merry kept thinking of the story they've told over and over again she would say the words to herself peace on earth. Goodwill among man. What her little boy sunday make those words come true. In a country far away three wise men were sitting together looking up at the stars. They knew all the stars that usually stay together in clusters and then to the stars. What we call the planets now that move across the sky. They sat together like this for many nights over the years. For in those days it was believed that god spoke to mankind through the position of the stars. So when a brighton store up here in the place no star had ever been before. They immediately thought that something important happened. They talked for a long time debating what it might be. They finally concluded that a great person had just been born somewhere someone who would bring peace to the earth. But where. They talked for a long time or and decided that the baby must be the king of the jews have been waiting for. The kingswood being priest peace to the whole world. Their next thought was to search for the child until i found him each one of them decide on a gift they would bring to him they pack up the provisions on camels and set on a long journey the days were hot but every night. They look for a bright new star. It was their shining down on them like a new friend. The strange thing was it look like it was moving along in front of them. And then after 12 days of traveling the star look like it stopped. Stranger still it look like it stopped over the town and even over one house. And when they went to that house sure enough there was a baby there. Immediately they began to thank god that they had found him. And then i gave him gifts they brought gold and incense and perfume. Joseph mary couldn't believe what they were seeing they didn't even have words they were so astonished. All they could do was ask. Who are you. And where did you come from. Then they heard the wonderful story of the new star and how it guided the wise men to bethlehem. Joseph and mary were still days is swiping left. Didn't they know that joseph was a poor carpenter and mary with the dodger daughter of a village farmer. How could their baby ever be king. This is the old wonder tale about the birth of jesus. No one can ever know what really happened. But we do know that the baby jesus didn't grow up to be the king of a country. He chose to be a poor man. A teacher who traveled from town to town. Teaching people how to live and what being good and doing right ought to mean. Most people who live in that long time ago have been forgotten. But even now millions of people still talk about jesus in the things he taught. And there are a great many people who think that the things jesus taught about being good and doing right. Made him greater than any king of any country could ever be. And that is the end of this part of the sea.

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Reading_082309.mp3

Great sea has set me in motion set me adrift moving me like a weed in a river the sky and a strong wind have moved the spirit inside me till i am carried away trembling. With joy. Those are the words of the female anyway shaman revive nick. Her words are in our hymnal that she was also the subject of study by miniature ellioti the great anthropologist. She was a nineteenth-century mid-nineteenth-century shaman of the nits aliki eskimo who use songs for healing it is said that while out one winter's night to evolve nick was hit by a fireball that lit up her internal organs in pain and delirium she stumbled back to her village and fell down in song. The music emanated from the shaman and reportedly cleanse her and those around her with joy the song allowed them to free themselves from the ill-will and distrust in their hearts and to give themselves to piece it is said that from that time on she was able to heal the sick with her songs.

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20150712-Sermon.mp3

Good morning and i feel so soothing and hear my goodness in larger as a senior pastor i used to have these at the of the elder and the chairman of the deacon order yet everything and it's like most of our meetings by the end of our various meetings like we would be drained from all the back and forth the went to place in the southern baptist church but. What i see here is peace i see love and i see joy so amen and hallelujah. Also when they acknowledge all the various different faiths that are here. So that as we move forward in all that we do it all the way say we will be of one spirit of one mind as we look at this whole issue of. Principles of true happiness and prosperity are guests here today i see she liked and samina we worship with him in the ramadasa had some good evening after after after it was dark though. And also we love the food that you gave us yesterday we picked out on it for dinner. That was good with psalm chapter 1. But before i get into that i still want to get the whole idea of understanding but my background as a senior pastor from the east coast from 1988. Up about 2,000 to common value of everything is that i used to meet with an interfaith fellowship. Of of juice. Of muslims of the christian community talk about of the uu. The members as well as we're told about baptist and pentecostal because we had the same things in common and that is we had to deal with the issues that went place and took place in our own individual churches. Until we would go there we would pray about the people who are struggling with this and we will pray for each other as our wise were dealing with other issues that the congregation didn't know about the closed on sundays they had to come and had a smiling and get that man hallelujah. And we didn't deal we didn't deal with the various physiological differences that we had we knew what they were we at we we we didn't try to address them all we tried to do is we looked at each other as neighbors and we tried to love each other and pray for each other and encourage each other even though we knew we are going to we are marching out to different. Groups that believe different things. If you go back i want to go back with him. In march of 1991 this was sitting on the floor play with my daughters. I'm going to let you go on the news that the four police officers was chasing down this this drunk guy in a car and california talk about and so he's the first amateur the first amateur camera guy who actually took this police brutality should i don't know what. Whole world to see this 92. Are they go to trial nearby stand outside other to be convicted they just did a terrible thing and what happened was that the verdict came in that all of all the four police officers were quitting as a result of that there was a major riot in south central la and which 50 people were killed. 2000 people were injured and about 1,000 people at the gym the the police and the leaders called on rodney king himself on the third day to stand up in front of the press and he was like nervous and he said like. If we just learn to disagree agreeably. If you're married. 50 years. And you don't have any issues whatsoever. Zillow got a perfect relationship going right but when i was in when i was at counseling people who are going through to go i'm going through divorce it was because you're talking about people who are looking for a perfect relationship they were telling me i'm sick of these he snores at night i can't get any sleep. You have to agree to disagree agreeably or else you're not together that's the way of the world. It's all when you come together in the body of christ and you or body price or whoever you are. What you want to understand though is that even though i may not agree with you as my neighbor or the person that i'm supposed to love i'm supposed to do the things that that god has called us to do and we see that the weekend i said that the last time i was here in matthew chapter 22 verses 37 and 38 39 where. The teacher or the pharisee of one of that one of the teachers of the law came to jesus and said what are the what is the greatest command all and he said. To love the lord with all your heart with all your mind and number two he says to love your neighbor as yourself. So it's like no matter what the disagreements are. We're supposed to love each other even though we may not agree on the same thing evening even though we may not be happy about. Various things that have taken place in the last few days you have some people as a result of what the what the supreme court has done there like the sky is falling. When reality god is still in control. It's always we look at this that was a segway into when i get ready to talk about the principles when it comes to true happiness and prosperity begins right here we see the converse 11 verse 1 of psalm chapter 1 and this is also called the story of two ways or two pads which relates back to the right direction and he says blessed is the man who does not walk in the council and on his. He prospers wow that work. First of all let me just tell you this on this particular passage where it says bless it comes from it didn't come from in most in the in the in the old testament usual you see the word barak. Right bro. But this one is answer. You also in the aramaic it would be it would be mubarak. When ramadan is like ramadan mubarak. But it's like on this one asher means happy. Is a man gets a multitude of happiness. The person that puts god first no principle number one when you put god first no matter what you believe no matter what you think when you put god first and you try to leave your life in a right way loving people like you would love yourself he says i'm going to give you happiness that no one else can give you. If you go back to ecclesiastes chapter 2 king solomon in the book of lazy asses he says in verse in chapter 1 ecclesiastes the preacher he says he says vanity vanity all is vanity play says what that means is empty empty empty. Anything i wanted i had 700 wives and 300 concubines if i wanted to buy me i had all the sex in the world that i want it. I mean if i wanted if i wanted to drink a drink if i wanted i mean i was famous i had money i had everything that my heart desire he's as in at the end of it he says i was still left empty. It so when you look at this passage here what you see is you see a person who understands that it's not a matter of pursuing happiness what this is saying is when you delight yourself in pursuing god and the relationship the most important relationship on the relationship with god god says i'll give you the happiness i'll give you the give you a fullness in your life that no thing no person no success no disappointment can ever take away from you. As long as you decide to live your life with god number one in your life. And bob developing that relationship through through prayer and sometimes jesus says. Jesus said that sometimes there's something that you pray about it can't just be prayer it's got to be fasting and prayer three says when you do these things and you allow god some people say the universe we love this show and i. Young m.a. watchmaker. And it's like you hear the woman's like that they haven't been eating to have nothing for like 14 days and god finally gives them up he finally gives them a bird and they like thank you universe. And that means that even though you may not believe the same way that i believe even though you may not believe that jesus is the way or whatever way you want to go it doesn't matter as long as we can agree to disagree love each other and trust god based on what we believe guess what. He said when you live your life on those terms and you're not wishy-washy about what you want to believe something don't just want to go over here believe something. This is when you do that he says in verse 3 he says. You will be like a tree planted by the streams of water. Which heals the fruit in season and does and and whose life does not wither and whatsoever he does he prospers because you're you're doing things with conviction with a with a faith conviction that you believe in may not believe the same thing. This agree to disagree agreeably. Know how do i know that. And i'm going to pick on my own the christian faith as a result of the christian faith you have some people who are isolated a lot of people in the bin a body of christ are isolated themselves because if you don't believe the exact thing that they believe in guess what you're going to hell. They don't hear what you got to say you said no but i just believe know the guy's not even you're going to hell right now i mean last year in in austin it blew me away that on television we were embarrassed. Where. Where are the muslims with was having observation in austin and then they were out there praying. And the christians were across the street with with signs saying you know that all the phrases of jerks that the mic out of the out of the. The speaker's hands and says you're going to hell you're going to hell you need jesus loves you. I was like wait a minute i've got your god said that you're supposed to love your neighbor as yourself and that's two of the greatest commands in the bible why is there so much hatred and hostility spewing out of your lungs. 80ss real estate agents. We heard you went to hang out with some muslim friends. No. Isis. Are real assassins as far as far as our real estate is concerned we have we have we have gay clients with a muslim clients with we have. We got we got angry clients we don't care. Because our goal in life is to make sure that whatever we're doing we're doing it in a way that people can be respected that people can feel loved and nurtured when they are around us. Because in the same breath that matter. Here we are in different place. Different unity we can come together we can pray. We can look each other we can fellowship together and we can go out we can go out of here and still enjoy life now. We're here because i'm telling you something it's so it's so peaceful in the future. It's not like that. but it doesn't matter when you go out there when you go outside of the bubble the bible says that we're supposed to go and make disciples or we're supposed to influence people the way they were supposed to important based on what we think of when we believe. So that matter i can say to you i disagree with you but i can agree to disagree we can agree to disagree so alone. If you look back about 30-40 years ago it wasn't there wasn't like that. When i was raised up on the east coast. Almost everybody in the neighborhood was was all in my neighborhood almost here and they was black. Almost every bite they went they went to a baptist church or they went over or they went to pentecostal church and it's like. Isolationist view beyond rrroll personal world which is wrong. It's when we open our hearts opening up our minds to the place to where we see listen. As far as you're concerned as long as we have common interest in the community to work on we can always come together and love and make sure those things that need to be done in our community are taking place we are we are we are a whole slew of different. Amalgamations of races religions lifestyles that we live around and these are our neighbors therefore we're supposed to love them and encourage them and respect him even though we may not agree with each other. Anthony's just a minute again. You send me where he lived at isis will let you know what you said what am i think i said my neighbors neighbors are muslim i says we've got neighbors we've got all kinds of neighbors. We're all fellowship and enjoying one another but we have to understand that not everybody is going to agree with your position not ever going to do with my position. What was the result of that when it comes to the whole whole idea of how this is all working out remember what jesus christ in jesus christ as the john 10:10 and none of my clothes. And john 10:10 jesus christ says i've come that you might have life and what they have and what. More abundantly he says i've come that you might have a full life. Not an isolated life where you was over here by yourself and you don't want to interact with any anybody. I enjoy going to different fellowships in different worships so that i can see what i miss in in my word. Mes in my worship is it gets if it's a little bit different you come there you may be a little bit scared because if you go to some of the traditional baptist churches. I miss it completely different flavor. Yet it all comes back it always goes back around to the same thing that god. Is in control of everything there is one true god i believe. Better control of the universe in the beginning in the bible says that god created the earth. The heavens and the earth. It's like when you understand that if you understand that you've got if you put god first. You're about prayer and when it comes to your money. You trust god and say like okay i'm going to get back. To those are less fortunate. Mike malachi 3:10 says will a man rob god they will try but you can't. The various groups that are needed or less fortunate you and watch what happens. What would happen. My wife and we don't we have been unemployed for a long time is real city. And it's amazing how god works it out. He works it out to where we get up we we look at what we've got and then the phone. I mean we can go to the gym and play some racquetball. Because the phone rings and somebody said hey listen. Can you show me that half a million dollar house over in preston hollow day you hop in the car and you go. It is like no matter what is like god continues to provide the manner that we need. Deliver we are and it's like and it is so it's like when we regarded it's like we got five kids are all grown and because we have a slice of heaven at home they have to call us when they come over they hit their cages drop over we don't want that because like we raised them but it's like we love you. Hey it's like it's like what we've you decide to live your life on the counsel of god the word of god when you decide to do that it's like it's amazing what happens we got five kids. And not all of them are living successful. One of the oldest ones that matter those when my daughter is like. At which was in high school she was, she was just a smart smart kid kind of reminds me of. The smartest. You're smart and she just said she would like i just like him it's like zack zack he's like if you go if you. Answer the question. I go to yale. Or i can go to a brandeis a collagen. Massachusetts where you think i should do. I said that i said well whoever pays you the most money if they going to give you all the money you can you go where the money is but where the hell am i. She's going to rush it and it's like she's broke how does she do it. Where you try to tell him they won't even get let you get out of it before you think. Well i think i know i know i know i know i know they don't listen. Okay you grown can't nobody tell you so it's like we see the train wreck getting ready to happen it's like you can either go the right way or the wrong they always choose the right way to try to prove us wrong and the wrong every time every time every time. Sore eyelids what you say. If you want it if you want to live a life. That is filled with joy. Happiness and peace. Keep god first. And the two greatest commandments. Love the lord with all your heart soul and mind. That's your number one responsible. Man love other people in respect of the people like you would be respected. The happiness. Prosperity. Thank you so much.

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20150920-Sermon.mp3

In the movie keeping the faith. Produced in 1999. There's a great scene which a younger ed norton. Plays a young priest named father brian kilkenny thin. And he said. After asking his congregation. A question about the seven deadly sins for sale flunked. The terribly. He said the truth is i don't really learn much about your face by asking questions like that. Because those aren't really question to that face. Those are questions about religion. And it's very important to understand the difference between religion and faith. Because faith is not about having the right answers. Faith is a feeling. Faith is a hunch really. It's a hunch that there is something bigger. Connecting it all connecting us all together. And that ceiling that hunch is god. And coming here tonight on your sunday evening to connect with that feeling that is an act of faith. And to all i have to do is look around this room cuz it's packed church. No we're doing pretty well. As a community. Even if all of you failed my pop quiz miserably. I recommend a movie it's just lovely movie. In the book of hebrews in the christian scriptures that says faith. Is the assurance. A things hoped for the conviction of things unseen. That doesn't sound like certainty does it. A lot of this come to this congregation or this type of congregation. Because we need to find some reconciliation. With our heads in our hearts and even our guts. In a big. You know in a big way of a previous creed or beliefs though that may be reason enough. Brother i'm trying to approach those things where we have a rational understanding of how things are. We also know that there are things we feel. That are not rational that also tell us that they are right as well. In her book trusting your own deepest experience. The celebrated buddhist teacher sharon salzberg expands on the understanding of faith when she writes this story. She says one day a friend called to ask if we could meet for tea. Knowing that i was writing a book on faith from the buddhist perspective she was confused and wanted to talk. How can you possibly be writing a book on faith without focusing on god she demanded. Isn't that the whole point. Her concern spoke to the common understanding we have faith. That is a synonymous with religious adherents. But the tendency to equate face with doctrine. And then argue about terminology and concepts. Distract us from what faith is actually about. In my understanding. But their faith is connected to a deity or not. Its essence lies in trusting ourselves to discover. The deepest truth on which we can rely this faith is not a commodity. We either have or don't have. It is an inner quality that unfolds as we learn to trust our own. Deepest experience. Now i personally have really no patience. For sloppy anthropology were slipshod biblical scholarship. And i've often had to deal with a lot of that. You know and that's basically because it's around people who call things faith that they didn't make truth claims around. That's not valid. So in contrast. I have. Things that i deeply hold. That cannot be. Rationally supported. No matter how much. I may not be able to rationally explain without grasping at straws i am confident. In my lived faith that it is possible. For example to affect healing and renewal through practices such as reiki and healing touch. I have faith that there are realities beyond the one we inhabit. That may be part of an awareness in an afterlife. I have faith. I have a personal relationship with the holy. Whom i know through mini 9 names and guys's. And other things to all of which i couldn't prove rationally if my life depended on it. Some ways i think this is. The difference between what michael dowd the writer of thank god for evolution. Has called. Night and day language. Nightwing with day language is the language affect the native language of gravity this is so climate change is real get over it. The night language is the language of poetry in mythology. You'll be like talking about the eclipse of the moon. From an astro astronomical point of view and then talking about it. From a poetic point of view. The describing the same thing. But with different eyes. And with different crews. Thin caramel. Faith is not logical. But it's also not be logical. This is a false economy. Faith is none logical. It does not fall. Into aaa visser that category it is. Non logical it is in the non-rational. Realm. Oftentimes people try to rationalize it to try to justify it. The safe is non logical. Faith is the assurance of things hoped for. The conviction of things unseen. Faith. Then we move deeply into. Those places. And trust them. We may experience face at this point as our returning the embrace of that which will not let us go. We want to respond. Looking at different ways to do so. All sorts of spiritual practices. Different types of music. The general impulse to worship to show our. Finding of worth in the relationship. Now this is part of the saving nature of religion. Which is not something that we do on the side. But as a practice. And face that are central to who we are. This is why religion is not a hobby. Aura leisure-time activity. It is the lens. The medium. In and which through we live our lives more abundantly. If our saving messages of hope. Are to be heard then we have to step up and. Actually. Put. Resources there. There's throw says you new picture castles in the air but you got to build foundation underneath them. James luther adams the great 20th century. Cirrus 10. Uu scholar. Said there is an ongoing necessity to make our principles and actions quote. Relevant the spiritual and ethical demands of the changing historical situation. This calls us. To engage with our faith. And then to our face to engage. Guitar world. When we are touched by the realization of this enormous and powerful truth we may responded gratitude and a desire for others to know this after mation. We each have a transformational story and message. And evangeline gospel or good news. To share. The one of the things i want to say probably up i was about this issue of faith. And where are things tend to go awry. Is when we in our personal safe. Then try to make claims on others. One of the sources of truth. Process unitarian universalist is the personal experience of that pain sending other. But it's also the subjective experience. That which can be known but not shared. Or sheridan perfectly. And we know that because the nature of that kind of truth. That truth cannot be used to claim. Make claims on others. So even though we may have some amazing mystical experience and write it all down in some manic state. And it's wonderful and inspiring. That's great we can share it. We cannot demand that others. Accede to any demands it makes. Our experiences are ours alone we can share them we can learn from them. We can learn from history from. The experiences of others. But that experience is ours and we are the only one accountable. To it. This is where things go awry a lot of times you have people have these profound experiences and they are so moved and then make a universalizing declaration and claim on everybody else based on their personal experience and then hailed as a prophet or. You know whatever so. This is the distinction we say face and it's non-rational. When we have these experiences we cannot use them to make claims on others that they do not want to have made on them. But each of us is called by our face. Whatever it is we have faith in. I know for me is someone raised in this or not raised but trained in this tradition. Realizing that my internship was 22 years ago. And attending an ordination yesterday and people are going around the room saying when they were ordained. 20 years ago. Holy mackerel. And. Exactly. In all of that time i have been very heavily influenced by human is teachers and leaders and have. Really. Absorbed the idea that we must start with a human condition. Can anything we do no matter what are the ology or beliefs are. And yet at the same time and not in conflict but seemingly because. Humanism tends to pride itself on being rational and thoughtful but ironically historically and actually had more to do with. Doing good in the world and and being a good person. So i'm at the struggle of why i know all these things at electorally but they're at odds with the things that i feel are important things i feel compelled and drawn to do. So this is conflict. We all have those experiences. This is why a lot of us are here to try and reconcile. Conflicts. Tensions. Is crisis of faith. And the thing that we understand here is that you do not have to necessarily choose. Or if you do you have to maybe figure out a way that they go together. Did they work together and that this is a community in which the opportunity to grow in one's face. Is possible without having to change pues. Without having to find another community and start over again some other belief system with different symbols and language. So we are here able to then engaging our faith. Face journeys. Our spiritual exploration if you will. And we can do that together. We can't do it for each other. And the things we can hold each other accountable for. Are the things that we. Value so i can hold. Someone else accountable for their beliefs if they cannot hold me accountable they but they have to hold me accountable for mine. I can hold you accountable. Well that would go well. The idea is and this is what we do an interface work also is that the unitarian universalist cannot make. Claims of my face on someone who is jewish or muslim or christian but i can make claims on them from their face tradition. They themselves have lifted up his important. To being faithful to their way of life and seeing the world. So if you know some of you got family members who. Ride trains on other tracks. Theologically speaking. Yes i pick trains intentionally. And so the opportunity. And not as a way of picking on the morgue wearing their aux but to engage with them is that. Take them generally seriously about what they say that then also say. And how are you living this out how are you doing this and i'm not to challenge them but to explore with them. Maybe they can be doing it differently. I think and this is not endorsing. I do think that what senator sanders did recently by going to liberty university. And witnessing to them their faith tradition. He called them on their beliefs. And they were stunned by. It could be a transformational moment. Sol bean. Cold on our stuff. My each other is part of what we do. So whatever we have faith in. We. She try to learn how to be faithful to it. And to ourselves. And then our covenant to each other. This is. What it means when we know that the divine seeds of the kingdom of god the beloved community. Reside within each of us and collectively. If they yearn for a release into a springtime. Of the world that can be. An intern will feel liberated to help and reconcile our world with the best that it can be. With the best that we can all do and be in our faithfulness we are a faith tradition a community of hope for ourselves. For the stranger. A target. The immigrant. For children. Our children and others. And for the world. Have faith.

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Sermon_011010.mp3

Best way to do this is just a dive in here. Somebody got their questioning early. Reward their diligence. How can a human has to pay you your pagan and a youth tennis a week after week for 10 years. What's the magic. My first asked the question if your humanist are you sure you want to use the word magic. It's a good question. I think the underlying. Answer is the fact that were unitarian universalist. Because that. Is the primary identification that is. Thing that. Pizzas all coming together here. Universalism is. Not necessarily asset. Absolute answers. But it is. Way of. Exploring the questions that we all share is he. Are together. And does have some underlying assumptions about the nature of the universe and our place in it. Does not require one to ascribe to any one particular. Ridgid. Identification. Humanist were christian or buddhist or pagan. I think that's how we do it. And yes i think sometimes it's b magic. Why do you think more people go to church in the united states than in europe. That's a sociological question. I think partly because europe did such a good job of institutionalizing religion. That people lost. Their interest in it. That it lost its alta became to acquainted. With the power structures. There was nothing to push against. Religion at its best. As we have found in this country chile. Is. A center of power socially. That. Is a part of a larger mix. It's like an ecology when there is a healthy mix in the ecology. Everything thrives. Monocultures they don't den to do solo. I think that's another part of it. Is also a lot of other historical reasons that are unique to europe the united states. I think also when you living environment frontier environment chicali. You have to. Grapple. With things more. And you also may be looking for more simple answers sometimes. Sincerely more complex answers. I think it environment that are. Country here has. Come about in the last 200 300 years. Has also been a part of that. Self-reliance issue. And religion came to these shores in many ways as a. Fight against. Interstitial terminate suspicion in our puritan ancestors who we are in 220 descended from. Unitarian universalist. Lr. Questioning of authority fishing of too much concentration of power. Are conservatives welcome in your congregation and assuming they are. How do we reconcile that with. Our liberal message principles maya sentences. The question is what do you mean by conservative. And. What do you mean by liberal message. Tennessee. Because. There's a lot of words or symbols. And as such they get a lot of different things attached to them. That different people may or may not agree on much attached in the psych what is the flag mean. American flag. I would say conservatives in the sense that. We are looking. At some of the basic principles of our country. Philosophy. Yes absolutely. I think that. You know as we define political issues. This is not this is not a sub-genre of democrat. Okay it's not. We're not. Okay. Hey loser text addison we were just be real clear about that. And number two that's not who we are we are not a political party. Yes it's been a lot of overlap at various points in time in history. Between what unitarian universalist. As a majority within our ranks probably helps you. But that's not always been true. I mean a lot of people we lived off as exemplars nearly 19th century. You know this is abolitionist outcasts in the unitarian church. Leaving randy unitarian church of that time where the ship owners. And shipping magnets who made their money off of slavery. Daiso. Keep that in mind. So conservative again what does it mean i am actually beginning to feel more conservative. In the sense that. The things that i always assumed you were sort of. Natural civic duties and responsibilities are now being outsourced to the private sector. And i feel i'm being conservative. Being that i want to hold those things to the public good in the public will. Iic that is very fundamental to the history and attention of our founders. Is a conservative is a liberal. Haymarket that's the way i feel about it so how we define the terms often. Is it important way. We also have assumptions that the pigeonholes everybody's agrees ons. Well their concern. What does that mean. Trojan you know. Pro-life or whatever. So i say. We try to be as open and welcoming intolerance and. Embracing and engaging as possible and i think it's important also to recognize that tolerance. Is. But using the word tolerance it indicates that we have the ability to work that even the right to not be taller. Cps use that wheelchair. So i would say yes conservatives are welcome here. We have many. Conservatives. Physical little falls ny. Theologically we are in liberal progressive tradition. And. So however you define that that's going to have some impact. But remember they were a lot of. Cisco and. Conservative members of the unitarian universalist church. Over the last 200 years. Givenchy logically. Statue of thomas starr king was replaced by sexual ronald reagan in the national statuary hall in the us capitol. Starting was described as the orator who saved the nation and was a unitarian and universalist minister who helped prevent california from seceding from the union. Praise raise a lot of money to care for the wounded soldiers and. Works for the rights of san francisco's black in chinese. Even that king was so easily replaced. You think our message and our missions becoming weaker with each passing year. I would say no. I think that a lot of times. We look at with nostalgia at times like. The nineteenth century when we had so many people who were. In positions of. Influence and we can see that position of influence through the lens of history half the time nobody. Solomon need to take away. Influential. It's only through history that we actually know, starting was doing any importance of it. At the time he was just somebody out there doing his thing. And. You know we have to be careful about judging ourselves in contrast to the greatness of those who came before us. We are doing things individually and collectively. And i think. Recognize that the world is. It's a fluid dynamics place. When we think that we're losing we might actually be winning history is weird like that. Me and my sister. All right you just never like a box of chocolates you never know what you're gonna get. And i think to assume that. Easy. After last decade we had political culturally in this country chicken. To be depressed. Okay that's really i bet that. I live in that environment. Jack mendelson one of our great unitarian universalist minister. Go to book calming liberal in liberal age. 1960. And now we look like the sixties was great liberal heyday. No that wasn't the case. Right. Okay. Never was. And my response to jack mendelson was we always live in the illiberal age. Every age is an illiberal that's one of the blessings and curses of being a liberal logically and philosophically. Is that were always pushing again. The desire to concentrate and abused power. To limit. What it means to be in community with each other. What it means to be an affair and just people. Every age in illinois. Only through history as retrospective we get to see. Where on the continuum. Anyone particular point placement. Do not despair. Arc of the universe is long and it bends towards justice. By the way that was written by. Theodore carter. Unitarian. Transcendentalist. Abolitionist. Is any war just. Will you aren't playing any punches today. Is any war just. Only give you as my personal opinion. If i have to say yes there are times. Icing. Conditions had deteriorated to the point where. There is no alternative. Alack. Human rights don't exist. Except the degrees at the. Enforce their existence. That we. Recognized. Each other. And when. Those rights are denied. And all other venues archive off. Then perhaps the use of violence. Is pacifier. I cannot imagine wwii having been decided in any other way. That was. Maybe this and maybe that but i don't think so. On the other hand i was one of the people who stood against. The iraq war. Because it was not. Am i singing it was an unnecessary. It was a war of revenge and adventure. And. So icy. In contrast to what we're doing that that was more. Perhaps just. Now i'm still parvo. So i think perhaps there are. Unfortunately i think sometimes. Necessary. In the world. That is not. Responsive. Tune on violin. Gandhi himself. Was a very strategic man. He chose his path of non-violence not only because philosophically he was in tune with it because he was also pragmatic. But he recognized work. And the situation he was in. And someone asked him if nonviolence would not was not going to be. What would you have done he said i would have had to reconsider my position. So there are times and places where. Non-violence is. Those not only morally the appropriate response but also pragmatically. We are not affected in the world all the morals in the world on that. Play really good i just can't get into it. How do we live in peace with people who believe that those. Do not believe they say do are not worthy of. Try. I think there's a difference between. Acceptance and condoning. I think we can accept people for who they are you do not have to condone what they do. We all have peculiar beliefs that if we acted on them. It's an ongoing process. I think people forget that piece is not an ecstatic state that we somehow reach and then suddenly doing wonderful. Warriors record. It's not like that. Pieces ongoing effort to be. Engagement each other in meaningful and. Promoting waze. You have to start with tolerance. But that's only starting. So how do we do that. I wish i had more simple answers. Everyday i hear about. A jihadist or. Someone else remix. Doing something really horrific and. Artemisia says they got to be nuts. But they're not. To dismiss someone. Being insane. Cuz they're not in sync with my perspective. This is one of those places for. Yes of questions about violence. Same time card balance in with justice equity compassion. Noah. What is the difference between being religious and being spiritual. Not much. Alert times in it's often been from some of you. Spiritual but i'm not religious. Friends family members. Pendragon to churches you know their hair was on fire and water in the town. I think a lot of it too.. Experience how we experiencing. World religion has been compton cumbered with baggage. A lot of us especially who come into progressive churches carry with us sort of like marley's ghost. In our we got all of our chains clanking in our baggage and. An answer for us religion. Set up reaction. And so were struggling with that and yet we still. To connect. With. That ineffable something. That is not us. That transpersonal experience has what. It means to be. Here now. Until we call that spiritual. And try and divorce it from. Institutional private. So some of this is semantics. It's about the use of language. 30 40 50 years ago religious experience and spiritual experience where the same here synonyms. And over the last half-century or so they forgot to griffith park. Antonyms. But they aren't necessarily synonyms. So i think that's probably what you're saying is adrift in language. That creates confusion. I think. For a lot of us. The spiritual experience is the experience of that which religion points. Religious traditions in faith communities. Try to provide the place in which we can have that experience of the whole were safer than his transpersonal. Extra person. And. That the spiritual is defined. Why do not use the video screen to enhance the service. If you're still figuring out how to use technology that's simple. Nothing we're complicated. Still figuring out how to use technology effectively. And. And i took a 12-hour training program in district leadership conference. 2 months ago. From someone young man who does this professionally for what a big episcopal churches down the bush family. And. Even in those environments where they use the stuff breaker lyrics. Possibly coming up with new ways to do a learning process of how to do this stuff with technology. And we're just getting started. There are some very basic issues for us for example by having the screen here which is marvelous the choir can't see it. Okay how many of them are. So the choir can't see it very well the people sitting down here where pam and. Do artists have to turn around and pray they're not.. Okay so that would mean obviously like him a lot harder since we should have two of them well that doubles our cost. 8000 dollars worth of equipment. That we would need to double it probably put over here on this wall for people over here. We have given this box. Alright. So are this is about technological. Experience nice hey it's about. Learning how to get things in place. ontario organization and frankly we're just kind of stretched a little thin on our volunteers. Phenomenal job yay kevin up there and. Jerry and 4j hall and some of the other people and later.. This tremendous work. But we're still kind of babies. In learning how to use the technology. There's also issues that have been raised by musicians. About the use of just lyrics up on the screen. That they're finding sometimes the children come into public schools are not as musically literate. Now because they aren't used to looking at him those with actually staffs and notes on them that they have to kind of wash go up and down. Answered it because you just looking at the screens and their charges are coming in without is high degree of sufficient proficiency in how to reuse it. So there's questions like that is that is it culturally advantageous for us to abandon the use of. Death note music. So. If you like to volunteer for technology team. I'm sure jay would love to talk to you after the service and see that nice gentleman. Wasn't lucifer aka the bringer of light really the first unitarian. Okay i feel like this is a plant but i say no. Lucifer was on he was doing his own thing he was actually. Quite selfish. I know some people see him as sort of like the ultimate rebel kind of thing and a lot of historical traditions especially diagnostics traditions that have kind of put him in that frame. But he was actually fairly nihilistic. Shirley. Sort of into this doesn't make sense therefore i'm going to walk and create my own kind of thing. Dante i can capture some of that in. Does the phrase that lucifer uses better to rule in hell than to serve in heaven. So no i don't. At all. If your if your definition is that were giving that finger to the man. No. But that's not what we're doing that's not what we're doing here and that's. Not what you also have to kind of want to buy into the whole. Christological that the whole kind of cosmology that goes with that. Personally in. I mean if you look at the devil or the daytime. Lucifer. Satane. In the jieber tradition. And especially the book of joe. Assembly. Certified prosecutor in court. Coil. Or god. Play again and in that story. Until that's a very different. Understanding associates. The. Search edition that we've inherited understanding we have the devil lucifer whatever. Is in the bible. It's mostly come out of dante and other popular fiction. Over the last. 1500 years. And then tickling the last hundred years by hollywood. Has had probably more influence. Anything else. The rapture rapture is not in the bible. Written by a guy that people like a protector. Another he put in there so people. There is no rapture in the bible. That will be a surprise for some people straight. Complicated. Looking at atomic clock in the back. What role should what should the role of this church be in the community. And what role should its members take as individuals and as a. Okay. As your minister it's up to you. I can give you suggestions. But it's your church. I'm not in charge. Fry's. They church. We define a lot of those roles in our strategic planning process long-range goals plans asked last year and. Good place to look. How does manifest some of those things already happening. Possibilities are endless there are so many needs for ministry. In our community that. You could be doing. That all the time not do anything. And still barely begin to touch. I would say that i would encourage people. Individually and it's fabulous but i would encourage people to identifying work for christmas. Even in your individual actions. Say as a unitarian universalist i am called to do this. So getting that identification as a part of your motivation and your salacious. Is important even in our individual actions. So it's a that would be something that we could do that automatically listen. Our profile. But individually we have to be willing to do that. Collective action. We're already doing a lot of things collectively and it's a matter of. How much energy and time and resources we have to put towards it and. Choices we make. As community. I encourage you to think about those rolls. I have ideas about things. My ideas are always necessarily the best. Can you talk about suffering. Why are there so many tragedies were starvation genocide. Bring up listing i like that. I think this gets the idea of evil. Also. Tragedy and evil. I think they're really two kinds of. There are catastrophes. That we experience that we have no control. As horrifying song. Nato's. You know we can prepare for them if you are best at making ourselves. Less formidable to say. That's really put a lot of the human effort. Ingenuity has been over the millennia is simply making ourselves vulnerable to our physical environment. So we can do that but still there's many things happen they're going to be tsunamis they're going to happen. Is there going to be a earthquake going to be those things that happen that we have no control. And can't. On the other hand are those things over which we do have control. And i think the line between. Catastrophe and tragedy. Is. Where we have that. Control. I think the flooding in new orleans. Was catastrophe. That was also turned into a tragedy. Because we had the ability to do things proactively beforehand and assholes. Mitigate. Damage death. Such a degree that we don't do those things that mitigate suffering. And it don't. To try to protect people. I think then we have some level of culpability. At the same time recognizing that we cannot eat release date. Metro station around. I'm the father of a 17 month old. Pieces of plastic to me suddenly take on these. Proportions saran wrap oh my god i'm going to choke on that. You know and so i'm running around throwing away everything he could possibly put in his mouth and choke on. Suddenly realize i may be throwing away things i shouldn't. Cuz i can't make it will totally safe. And it's true of our lives in general. We live in uncertain universe. And unfortunately that's where we are. Hey. In our usual addition to is a final authority of right and wrong. Who decides what justice is. What is a lot of things in there. It depends upon what you mean by justice was coming out of the break western tradition. Final authority i think we can talk. Directly. There is no hierarchical. 40 on what is true i think is true. And. I apologize. Merciless. People there are usually tree nexus or locus of truth. Define. Give me a coffee. You tend to find those true that we have inherited those that just are. Present at the moment. In our situation. There are those true that we discover through. Reason and investigation. And there are those things that we. No. True. Experience. Mission. Subjective. That only we can. Experiencing. And in most. Traditions of. And usually tradition. Whatever people say is so. Because they say. Is at the top and everything else is subsumed under that. So you can have. Science and reason and an intuition but they have to be in the service of tradition. The liberal tradition we belong to. To say no i don't think so. $5 word for this. Prediction trump. Having a cold a heteronymous truth slang. Alright. Hieronymus truth claim says. Because tradition says it is so therefore it has superior clement. And on story. And a liberal religious tradition and philosophical tradition came into play by saying. No you got to have to show me the proof. You know show me why this should be the case. And. This is where the enlightenment and the renaissance and all of these things came into play authority. Comes from tradition right of kings divine right of kings. All of that. The whole challenge to authority. This is why the puritans were such radicals because they rejected the church of england as a source of authority. So this is why the american experiment. Such a direct threat to the tradition of philosophy. Tradition trucks. So. We do not believe in. Authority for truth. Dwayne which we understand this mix is trial on. Is that these three things are across the conversation with each other. And that no one of them trumps. And the second try to elevate one of them over the other two you get in trouble. And it's a constant dynamic. Process of refinement. Understanding. So there is no static. Truth is not a relativist argument. It's simply a statement. You can't newton's have solutely all the time. So. As far as treecko. Final authorities go. Each of us in our own lives is a final authority on certain types of things you have certain experiences. But we also cannot make claims. Of that authority on other people's concern. I might have a dream that we should. Do something you know as a church. That doesn't give me the right to tell you all you got to do this. That's partly why we're unitarian universalist and not something else. Total wine. Sc. Source of truth in florida. Will you guys are in it. What is the greatest challenge represent to you. Hello. Like loving all of your children equally. So. That's a long answer to. Thank you. If you haven't heard what you think is a satisfactory answer right. Write something down. Talk to me about it if i tried asking jesus about it after service is probably not the place to do that. Play bryson stitchie. But. These will be a place i will be able to take these. Think about them. Talk about this is our conversation. Our ongoing dialogue. We have to have each other to be. Community anthony open in to be investigating new things. I assume you already know that i don't have a right to ask. And vice versa. This is part of our way of getting around those this summer. Thank you. And i hope you have a wonderful new year.

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Sermon_041413.mp3

For this story before but. Over 20 years ago now. After i graduated from college with an ever so marketable political science degree. From the university of missouri mizzou. My sense of who i was and the realities i thought to find who i was began to kind of. While i was in school. And in return they offered to get me in the door county government sometime after i graduated. I had to go away for a little while. People take advantage of their largesse. They both the two people i wasn't dealing with. I thought it rather narrow-minded of them. And it took all my immediate career prospects to the grave with them. So shortly afterwards my first marriage began to implode. To say i was depressed would be like calling the grand canyon a hole in the ground. And then my life's tried to get really weird. There were times that. The only difference between reality and fantasy in between sleeping and waking. And vivid and powerful dreams to stay in my thoughts for days i was doing a lot of journaling and working on meditation and stuff all these things. My reality became full of coincidences and synchronicities and open them randomly the passages that said exactly what i needed to know and understand something going on. Then. Or crazy people. Say crazy because people were crazy. Out of a crowd and say things that made perfect sense to me but no one else. Still haven't. It seems as though hit they had read my mind or had been sent to tell me things i needed to know. To hear. My world was turned upside down and inside out and i was in a state of chaos. Noel change the very essence of reality. And is being experienced more intensively. Was being talked about in the reading earlier. By william bridges is this the intensity. That has changed. And. Making or creating the changes we want or desire is often the difficulty. Reply. Well is pogo is often quoted. We have met the enemy and he is us origin reclusive language she and he for us. We are most often stymied in any social and personal transformation by our own fears and discomfort. With the changes themselves. For me growth is the purpose of our lives. I noticed with every fiber of my being and i have known it for some time. For most of my life in fact. Can i choose. And i accept the call to ministry and i can think of no other path or calling which offers me and forces me to engage so constantly and profoundly in the act of being. Not more than i am but being the fullest me possible. A monarch caterpillar moves always. Towards being a monarch a monarch caterpillar always move towards being a monarch butterfly. An acorn does not become something else besides an oak tree. But it moves all the time towards being more fully an oak tree all the time. Growth is change and change often means discomfort as things go from being what they were. To what they are becoming. Please. Chances to grow and to change or not always welcome one. Friend and colleague has coined the term asco. For another freaking growth opportunity. Or if you're a battlestar galactica fracking. His common response to these unwanted intrusions into our stable though unfulfilled lives this is a big part of about what bugs us about change. Quite frankly even small changes can scare the bejesus out of. We tend to tie up our sense of self our existence. With our relationships to the world and things and people in them. And when there is a possibility that those relationships might change in some file for fundamentally or profound way we tend to be afraid. Internally we equate the little deaths of our own physical deaths. Human. Mini exam any anxieties attached to. Then come into play without even being aware of them. When they're only dealing with death. Sometimes we're afraid. To give up even painful situations. For fear of the unknown. Unless i'm reminded of a close friend who just couldn't seem to stop his pattern of profoundly dysfunctional relationships. When i asked him about this he referred to as having a bad case of the warm prickly pear fuzzy's. Said once you hugged enough cactuses. You begin to miss the familiarity of the pain. You are afraid there won't be anything. If you give up the pain. People will endure much. Out of fear. Have an absence of something else. So if this is so painful. This growth this change stuff. Why do we do it. I do it i enjoy this incidental discomfort of change because i have faith that be what is beyond the pain that i sometimes experience in growing is more than worth the effort. Most of the time that's true. It's a calculated risk. I do not choose to change because i don't like myself or my life but because at my core i probably love myself and want to be even more of like i am now that's frightening for some people. That i would choose to be more of who i am. My doctor tells me i need to be less of who i am right now. About 40 lb. As you want to change things about your life. We have to. Understand because at our court we are loved and loving and want our lives to be. Better at reflecting. Expressing that reality. The emotional consequences of these profound. Even if it seemed like minor changes or endings even if there is generally a positive that's might come out of it there's often a sadness. At some level we have any degree for those parts of our lives that are now past we haven't eaten stay for good or ill this is now gone. We have. Many families in this congregation who been here for many many years who have had to take jobs in other places because of the economy. For for career advancement or for other reasons family. And we grieve them even though they may be going onto really wonderful situation. And i know they grieve our loss of our company to. Given all of this it's no wonder that religions and traditional cultures have specific rights and behaviors to help people go through some of these changes. Frases unitarian universalists in our congregations we have concerns and milestones. As is done here often and candles are lit. For other things are marked. Collectively we recognize our endings with goodbye parties or. Funerals and memorial services. We celebrate our new beginnings with children. Dedications and ingathering services a new member sundays and with rites of passage such as bridging ceremony in coming-of-age services. Free children and our youth. And in elder recognition services we honor crucial changes in our lives. The rituals and rites of passage help us give shape and meaning. They offer a frame of reference to the chaos we encounter with change. Often they give us an identity either and hopefully maybe or in recognition of. We have become through some struggle. I'm sure she can hear it up here but the box i'm standing on a ship deck. I know the choir can hear it. Some of that left anything going on there. In mythology narrative has great fish it at the minotaur's labyrinth. It is here that myths and stories and rituals of passage and help us by speaking to our subconscious and providing us with vehicles by which we can make our journeys and maps to guide us. As we are forced to understand that the path. Goes on. In the midst of change and chaos we may need to mount ships of myth and ritual and dream scanning horizons with the eyes of a seeker. Behold now comes the changer. Fear not in chaos this week. For she comes to stir us from our lethargy and blow-dry to the embers of our souls. So does chaos this in-between place which psychologist erik erikson calls the neutral zone. Is a state in which people often feel the truth of the bumper sticker which reads my karma ran over my dogma. We cannot rush this part of the process. It is an experience of listlessness or a sitting still or simply being for a while to allow some important inter-process to take place it is a time that is not an ending and is not a beginning. I'm reminded as we use this metaphor of metamorphosis of the butterfly inside its chrysalis it's in one place. But it's in constant motion in change while it's going on there. I'm also reminded of the saying i heard years ago from social commentator that are americans are. People that have to be in motion to be still. That we find stillness in motion. And having traveled across the country and and things extensive like i get that. Like the pupa and chrysalis old patterns fall away. And we find ourselves trying on new ways of being in our world. Often the mystic become commonplace dreams become vivid and memorable and often there is a sense of. Waiting of anticipation. Intensely experience is waiting many many years ago after things my life had gone for verbally to hell in a handbasket. By the time i told a mentor and a friend of mine that i was anxious and seemingly adrift and feeling of waiting for something to happen. In reply he suggested i pay attention to my dreams and learn new ways of thinking about the world and that i enjoy the change of pace. Which the waiting would give me and. Do something for myself in the interim. As i did these things as i relax and stop pushing the river. Events seem to accelerate chaos faded. In the waiting eventually ended. Catholic mystic meister eckhart. Call this chaos the via negativa. Offering at the only way out of hell is to go through it. It is another world the land of fairy which the mythic hero enters and leaves transformed. By their encounters. And it is this matter of transformation. Which is crucial to understanding this chaos. Anthropologist mutual aliotti wrote for the archaic and truitt traditional cultures is symbolic return to chaos is indispensable. To any new creation. In the midst of chaos many people experience a sense of things seeing things as they really are for the first time. The neutral zone provides them an access or an angle on vision division of life that you can get nowhere else you're sort of lifted out of the everything this. The normal everything that's and you see things. Tremendously differently. And it's an accretion of these kinds of experiences over life. Would turn into wisdom. This chaos is an opportunity for renewal and recreation. Essentially. We honor what has been given to us by virtue of simply being. And we try to make the most of what. And who we are and what we can be. We use our providentially given. Self-searching and self-forming powers and in this week's at the opportunities that come our way. Even if initially they are another freaking growth opportunity. And with these we can move through the pain and discomfort of change. And growth. There is an old saying. The what we are. Is a gift of god. For the ground of being or whatever elemental. Ultimate formula to put in there. The we are gift of god of the universe. And hope we become is our gift back. Until i seek fulfillment for myself and for others as an active rattitude. To all that has given me life and to all those who believed in me and nurtured me in this amazingly complex and you're connected garden of our existence. For all of these changes. We talked about all the the things that william bridges look it up in the reading. Primarily in our life transitions there are endings in between and there is this. of reintegration. We're not starting a new book. Starting a new chapter in the same book. We're not throwing everything away like the chrysalis with the butterfly in the caterpillar. What's in the chrysalis. Is not. Not caterpillar. It's not a caterpillar as a caterpillar was. And it's not yet the butterfly as a butterfly will be. But it still. Essentially of those things. Have i confused you yet. Say amen. So we. Don't stop being who we are we stopped. Being who we are in some form of what we were before and become something. More. And other. I think it's important for us to keep in mind that these states of change occur on a metal level for society. Such as ours and there's often this temptation to think that will things will always turn out for the best. And i think those of us who have supported various causes over the years and think now that some of those causes aren't going so well. Are they. And 10 years ago 20 years ago we thought we had things. So what some shims about the nature of where changes actually heading is dangerous and we should be afraid of our complacency around that. Does history simply does not bear out. That things will simply inevitably turn out for the best. Find things in a fluid or plastic state of flux much like the butterflies pupa we have the possibility. Of molding them like a chrysalis. For a very long time. It is kind of pliable state our efforts can have even greater impact than is usually the case this is one of the great things that. Such as the social justice ministry that we were. I'm talking about earlier. That. When certain times occur. There may be opportunities to change things then maybe when i call steve changes. I think one of the issues currently in the news right now that we are familiar with it i think has had some of this is the issue around gun control and background checks and all of that there is. Has been a sea change. Skin that. As a consequence of some of the. Tragedies we've endured. If we is religious liberals miss these opportunities to act on and model and imprint the ideals that we claim to affirm and promote. If we sit passively by. Then we will experience. Are, running over our dogma. Beginnings are processes of entry integration. Not everything disappears with endings as i said before a lot of things fall away. A lot of new and modified things come into our spears. During our odysseys with change. We interviewed the new and improved with the old and reliable creating new patterns. We aren't starting completely new lives rather we are starting the newest chapters of those lives. Because in endings. And beginnings with chaos and strings and germination in between. With these processes. The same processes are constantly going on in our lives i think one of things we find is that. You know what do you want with little changes all the time and lineup sort of like the planets coming into alignment. Crap out of. Right. Yeah okay. It's not only that we might move but we might moving at a new job and we might leave or have a new relationship and we might. You know have something else happened and start adding up. Simultaneously that things start to get really. So if we ignore them. Bacon steamrollers. The same rhythm so put us to sleep at night. And they wake us up in the morning after a dark time full of half-remembered and enigmatic clues. They take us through the wheel of the year around on ending that opens out onto a new beginning. And even now our seasons are changing again as the wet enviable bluebonnet variable bluebonnet weather. A spring unfolds into the hot and hazy days of summer. For those weren't leaving anyway. Changing our lives. Israeli easy or quick. I'm reminded of carol christa feminist writer who many years ago did a radio interview and. She's talking about. She thought she would be easy because all you do is teach people how it was people and they would change. And she realized after 10 or 15 years of doing that teaching. That even she had begun to change. And she said she realized a couple of important things about that. Change is hard. And it can be slow. But she said the other thing about it that you realized which is really tremendous. Is that. Everything we do counts. And that's a form of grace. That everything we do. Couch. To this changing thing. It's an act of co-creation. Atticus couple billion years to get here now. It is a sacred act. Like a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis may take a long time it may take struggle in effort. Perhaps even a lifetime to unfold and to be realized. Now unlike butterflies or trees human beings do not innately know how to make a lot of these things happen a lot of these changes on our own. And that is why we come together. As worshiping communities. As study groups as meditation groups is covenant group. Acquire is or committees. To learn and share. These journeys. Transformation together. Change is a part of living with all of its grief and its goodness. To be fully human we have to respect and embrace change. With all of its risk for doing harm along with all of its powers and potentials. For creating. And becoming. The thing that we seek. The beloved community. So ends our message today.

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20141228-Sermon.mp3

When i was telling folks over the past couple of months that the title of the sermon would be the spiritual genome. I received a lot of quizzical looks something straight out of the comic strip. Where. Actual question marks are forming over someone's call and just kind of floating out into the ether. And. That response is completely understandable. It's a odd title. I'm hoping that. What will have today when i'm finished with this is. It's a framework for another type of contemplation. When gregor mendel the scientist and catholic monk did the first experiments that confirms the laws of inheritance he demonstrated something that had already been suspected for a long time. That is it traits can be passed down or inherited. True succeeding generations. He did these experiments anki plans ruined remembers this. In the end of experiments in the 1800's were the first step. In a long journey of human understanding themselves and the rest of the living world. Through the lens of inheritance. So. The study of genetics is certainly not new. And the terms genetics and genomics in common language dad used interchangeably but they are not the same thing. The study of specific. Typically. Individual genes. Is referred to as genetic that's genetics with genomics refers to an organism's entire genetic makeup is much more complex list. Than anyone gene. Then we have the epigenome. The intersection between the genome and an organism's environment where we had once thought of gene expression as being fixed. We had all done those crosses in school. Who's going to wind up with blue eyes who's going to wind up with brown eyes. Some expressions are fixed. But the epigenome can actually change throughout a person's lifetime. How does this change occur. The epigenome gets exposed to chemical tags for the course of daily living. Pollutants. The foods that we eat. The medications we take it we smoke or not. A whole host of environmental factors influence this process. A person's lifestyle can influence what occurs with the original list of jeans that they were born with. That sounds very ominous. It's not all bad currently it's lot that many many epigenetic influences are basically benign or not particularly meaningful. But there are epigenomic changes that are now linked to certain cancers. Diabetes. Even mental illness. We are living in a time where the discovery of the underpinnings of how we work and how other species work. Is embodied in weekly or even daily news reports of new information we are all going through this you log into your favorite news website and there was bound to be at least one story this week. Usually more than one. Regarding genomic study. One research study after another show that in some way the answer to the historical debate of nature versus nurture in many cases is. And because the answer can be both. Because a wide range of diseases behaviors and adaptations are dependent on a set of arcane instructions that are encoded within ourselves. Our self concept. As well as our concepts of other species. It's forced into a state of ongoing change. The existence of a literal god gene. Has been hypothesized inhumans a book was published on this several years ago. Idea behind the hypothesis that people who possess this gene. Allegedly are priests predisposed towards having spiritual experiences. One aspect of this hypothesis is that spirituality is a quantifiable trait. We can measure that a person has spirituality. And also how much of it. When did chimas first identified. The publication came out on it. The response from both scientific researchers and some religious leaders was not. Positive. Religious leaders didn't like the idea of. The reduction of religious faith in this way. Is it just like having blue eyes or brown eyes. Rub people the wrong way. But then many scientists also said. The information to support the hypothesis was weak. It didn't stand up to their muster. I would say there's another problem with this hypothesis. The hypothesis that one's magnitude of spirituality is based in physiology first. And that is simply that many people do not have one single flavor of religious experiences in their lifetimes. Is it possible that the god gene is real. But like other genes that can be influenced by environment and behavior. Most membership organizations religious or otherwise lean towards. Increasing their numbers. If more people join that is seen as a good thing that's a positive thing. And with religious organizations increasing numbers is viewed in many cases as evidence for the inherent ripeness the correctness. The organization and its tenants. And the history of humankind and of course includes countless examples of numbers being increased by force. Or at least by coercion. Even just earlier this week just a few days ago the new york times reported on the phenomenon ivory conversion. A religious minorities in india. Some of you may have read about this. Taking place right now. India is. Predominantly hindu country. Composed primarily of people of the hindu face. And so. People who are muslims people who are christians. Identify with other face are religious minorities in india. Powerful hindu nationalist groups are using a variety of tactics to trick and force muslims and christians and others. At what they are calling re conversions. Sometimes there was a promise of economic benefit. With this process we should mirrors a little bit of their prosperity gospel that were seeing in the united states now. Those responsible for this movement refer to these coerced conversions as. Homecomings. They are bringing back quote those who have lost their way. They get style of language is familiar to. Everyone who's sitting in this in the sanctuary this morning that they feel justified in their actions as being a form of redress. For the long and complex political and religious history of india. Water pressure on the current prime minister to condemn. These activities. They're people who have even been deported. Because they refuse to participate in them. The prime minister has yet to do that. But even apt absent tax tactics such as those. There are many who treat religious or spiritual living as a big game of red rover red rover. If you can convince someone to shift their spiritual identity to something like your own. Somehow you have one know that. Somehow is a check in the win column. And there are religions that have that very activity built into their tenants we understand this. We know. Sew-in asking us. 2. Embrace for the time being. The use of the understood concepts of genetics and genomics. But a metaphorical framework again. 4. Self-exploration. For understanding ourselves. And those around us. Does we delve into the metaphor for many people your first religion is a religion you are born into. That is to say we can play with the language and call it an inherited condition. Hey what's your what's your. What whatever church whatever whatever. However your parents your family identified religiously is probably. What your first religion was. Now we expand and suggest the idea of a spiritual gino. Your entire spiritual makeup. We can go one step further how about a spiritual epigenome. One of the most powerful concepts in genetics and genomics is dad of distinction you may not have an entirely unique genome of course but given epigenetic influences given the fact that genes can be turned on and off on your different circumstances. You can have a sense. That your own epigenome maybe distinctive from the people in your at least in your immediate family. A spiritual experience of life in one spiritual identity need not be static. But there can be a lot of cultural pressure to do that. To have a static spiritual life. The term lapsed catholic is not a compliment. A few weeks ago a friend of mine referred to herself as a lapsed methodist i had never heard that before. So. What is the distinction of your spiritual geno. How do you experience that which some call god. And most basic terms unitarian-universalism is considered to be a haven denomination. Many who come to auu community. You so. Because they have rejected the previous path that they have been. Or experienced rejection. On that previous path. Some come seeking a place where they can belong as they actually are. Rather than having acceptance be dependent on taking oaths that are not true for them. A, conception is that you you ism is a place where the members can believe anything they want to hear the flop. This gets discussed in you use circles and elsewhere. And the standard response is well that's actually not true. While we do not share a common creed. Only our beliefs that one could hold it would not be in accordance with our principles or values. But even the word belief is a sticky wicket. I would argue that people are in the active leaving a wide range of things each day influenced by many factors and so you can and you do. Believe anything you want. Anywhere you want. The question is. Where and when are you required to attest to believe that you don't actually hold. Take a breath and. Not be talking at church for a second what about it work how many times in your life have you been sitting with your manager your boss. Staring off into the middle distance. Nodding yes i agree we should do that. You're right. No you're right that person wrong you're correct. Do you is that a belief you actually hold or are you going along with program because you want to keep your job. Or what about with your spouse. Perhaps sitting on the couch. Having a mildly heated discussion about something. Do you always say actually precisely what you believe. And push that. To the instagram. Are. Is it possible that you might. In order to keep the peace. Say. But within. The context. A1 spiritual life. And a religious community to. Which someone may belong or be interested in belonging. If you would test to believe that you don't actually have. To broker your chance to be part of it. What impact do you think that might have on our metaphorical spiritual g-note. Please consider if you will your own story within this framework however you define yourself christian jewish pagan humanist or the ever-popular other. How do you feel right now. Do you feel right now that the life that you're living is in accord with that gino. That gino being a metaphor for your basic truth. Regarding your spiritual identity. Have there been times in your life when you were not in a ford. Does anyone have any comments on that question. Let's let's see a show of hands who has. Belong to a religious community at any point in their lives. Where. Even if initially it felt right. They stopped feeling like they word. But let the recording show that 90% of the hands of the time of him have have been raised. It's not static is it. It's not static. We have. A dynamic spirituality. And if it should come to pass. Since. There are some. You using the room here with us today who are. Several generations in. Tubing unitarian universalist. If it should come to pass. That. What you. Latch onto to start with. For what path you got into start with to start with. Continues to feel true that's fine. But as you go forth from the service today. Consider your spiritual identity and how it relates to this metaphor chino. Our right to do this is enshrined within our 7 principles. The distinctiveness of the individual creed's of our members. It's how the fabric. Of our beloved community is welfin each day. The centaurs.

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20131222-Reading_1.mp3

Like antlers like veins of the brain the birches marrkadams of mind on the red winter sky. I am thought of all plants says the green man. The hungry birds harry the last berries of rowan. White is her bark in the darkness. Of rain. Irise. Green man. Ash's a clashing their boughs likes or dancers there black buzzard racing wild faces. In the clouds. I come with the wind says the green man. The olders are rattling is already for battle guarding the groove freshie waits for her lover. I burn with these irs as the green man. It's in and out of a yellowing long's of willow the pollenbright bees are plundering the catkin. I am. Honey of love says the green man. The hedges of quick stick with me blossoms. Is the dances advanced on the leaf-covered king. It's off with my head. Is the green man. Green man. Becomes grown man. Flame of the oak. As its crown from just masking it salida just. I speak through the oak. The holly is flowering is hay fields are rolling their gleaming long grasses like ways of the sea. I shine with the sun says the green man. The hazel's are rocking the cuts of their nuts. Is the harvester show. When the last. I swim with the salmon says the green man. The globes of the grapes are robbing with bloom. Like the haze is awesome. Like the milky way. Stardust. I am crushed for your drinks. The aspen drop silver of leaves on earth silver. And the popular should gold on the young ivy flower heads. I have paid for your pleasure says the green man. The reed beds are flanking. Silence the islands. Where meditates wisdom. As she waits. And wait. I have kept. The bark of the elder. Makes whistles. Children to call to the deer. As they drove over the snow. I am born. The darkside.

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Reading_032711.mp3

A reading today is a story by paul kismet called the thrill of being upright. I remember the day my son scott stood for the first time. He carefully pulled himself up against the recliner and turned to me with the beautiful the most beautiful smile of accomplishment a proud father could ever hope to see. His limited world has suddenly expanded to three and a half feet high counting his reach. And he seemed more thrilled than i. Immediately sent the new power that standing had given him. His hands were free to manipulate and carry things a big improvement over crawling around with toys in his mouth pat style. Maybe he was just excited about becoming more like his parents. It is own way he had joined the lands of adult. And the new range of options and choices he created was clearly compelling and satisfying. Until evening. By nightfall he had become so intoxicated by the power and thrill of standing and shuffling around the house balancing against walls and chairs. That he could not permit himself to lie down and sleep. Even when he was completely exhausted. Far into the night the battle of competing dries continued mercilessly. He wanted to ask bradley to go to sleep but the thrill of being upright would not let him lie down. Every two minutes or so the cycle would repeat exhausted he would lie down but almost instantly he would miss standing. So he would begin to whimper and cry and pull himself up again. The later it got the more tired he became and the worst he felt. As a cycle continued toward midnight. Still he would not release himself from his dilemma every soothing tactic i tried songs backrubs bottle rocking everything sales. Everytime i put him back in the crib the anguish return until eventually i realized. I could not be his savior. He was going to have to fight this battle alone. As i sat in the rocker next to his bed his tender innocent here's synchronize with my own. And i realize that he was feeling for the first. Hi. It's bittersweet dilemma of humanity. He was caught between the desire to store and his physical limits. The day of his biggest triumph. Had also been his greatest grief. He had felt the full force of what it is to be human. Did the thrill of being upright. Will not let us easily lie down. The next morning. I awoke to cruise and screams of joy. Scott was standing again.

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Reading_101010.mp3

Ar reading. This morning comes from. A book called proverbs of ashes. Rita nakashima brock and rebecca and parker. The subtitle is violence redemption suffering and the search for what saves us. Well-known jesus historian and author scholar john dominic crossan. Says that this book is a searing indictment personal and experiential pastoral and theological. The most unfortunately successful idea in the history of christian. With a book cover like that. Rebecca parker is. The president of our school at starr king school for the ministry in berkeley california. She is duly affiliated with united methodist church and with unitarian universalist association. Rita nakashima brock is a former harvard fellow and is currently. Faculty at. Starr king school for the ministry. Rebecca parker in early sherman of hers when she was a minister. Invade anselm of canterbury. Formulated the first statement. Substitutiary. Atonement geologic. Theology. As late as the 12th century. And why did god become human ansem. Shed. No one can forgive himself more fully can give himself or philly to god. Then. When there is self-surrender to death for god's honor. In the sixteenth century john calvin develop this theology further placing more emphasis. On the wrath and punishment of god. And his institute's he said not only was christ's body given as a price of our redemption but he paid a greater and more excellent price and suffering in spirit the terrible torment of a condemned and forsaken man. Eboy the way to divine severity since he was quote stricken and afflicted. By god's hand and experience. And all the signs of a wrathful and avenging god. Jesus struggles with assignment to be a substitute he prays father let this cup pass from me by jesus loves his father and honors the request even though it means a terrible death. Adam and eve were disobedient. The jesus obeys. Let thy will be. Not mine be done. Down the cross jesus bears punishment we deserve. And we are set free. Says k. Summarizing this theology. Sugar congregation she looked around for the pulpit of the faces the people in the church much like i am looking at yours. And for some of us this is the core christian theology that we grew up with. It is hold some of us. That we are loved and forgiven them freed. World has done its best to stamp the last bits of self-respect. Autozone. Parker says life's insulting justices and cruelties. Pat persuaded most of the people in her congregation that they were in the words of one of the leaders of the church. Nothing but trash. Substitutiary. Theology of the atonement lifted them up and renewed their confidence he told them that their lives had worth. She goes on to tell them. I do not want you to lose. The knowledge that you will. Are of infinite worth. There is no guilt. So severe that you cannot make amends and no message from life's and justices and humiliations that should define you as trash. Each one of us is the beloved child of god. When this knowledge is shattered in us there is a divine mercy that will minister to our broken hearts and heal us. But we must arrive at this affirmation and trust. Play a different half. The generation after anselm of canterbury road his teaology of atonement. Abelard in his exposition on the epistle to the romans question.. He says who will forgive god for the sin of killing his own child. How cruel and wicked is seems that anyone to demand the blood of an innocent person as a price for anyting. Or that it should be in any way pleasing to him that an innocent man should be slain. Still less that god should consider the death of his son so agreeable that buy it he should be reconciled to the whole world. Offense at a cruel image of god has been present throughout the centuries. And in response in our own tradition. And 1805. Over 100 years ago in his treatise on the atonement. American universalist preacher and theologian hosea ballou said. The belief that the great jehovah was offended with his creatures to the greedy that nothing. The death. Christ or endless miseries of humankind could appease his anger. Is an idea that has done more injury to the christian religion. Turn all the writings of all of his opposers. For many centuries. The error has been fatal to the life and spirit of the religion of christ in our world. And all of those principles. Picture to be dreaded by men have been believed to exist in god. And professors have been molded into the image of their deity and become more cruel. Do we really believe that god's appease by cruelty he says. Once nothing more than our obedient. It becomes imperative that we ask this question we examined how the ology sanctions. Human cruelty. Parker says if god imagined as a fatherly torture earthly parents are also justified perhaps even required to teach such violence. Children are instructed to understand their submission to pain is a form of love. Behind closed doors in our own community spouses and children are battered by abusers who justify their actions as necessary loving discipline. I only hit her because i love her i'm doing this for your own good. The child or spouse who believes that obedience is what god wants may put up with physical or sexual abuse. An effort to be a good. Theology that defines virtue as obedience to god. Suppresses the virtue of revolt. A woman being battered by her husband will be counseled to be obedient as jesus was to god. After all he's brought sin into the world by her disobedience. A good woman must submit to her husband. As he submits to god. Some will say that absolute obedient to god doesn't carry danger because god is good and does not ask us to be violent. But this defense requires us to be certain. That we are always right and understanding what god asks of us. We are fallible. The bible samardzija provides an infallible revelation of the will of god. But the bible is complex multi voiced as a document. His teachings can be harmonized only by imposing on to the bible a uniformity that is not in the text itself. There is no simple revelation of god's will. We have to accept responsibility for our interpretations. Obedience. Is not a virtue. It is an evasion of our responsibility. Religion must engage us in the exercise of our responsibilities. Not teaches to deny the power. That is. Agada punishes disobedience. Will teach us to obey and endure. When it would be holding. To protest. And righteous. To refuse. So ends at.

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Sermon_110412.mp3

This month. We're talking about forgiveness in our community in. Sunday services in our covenant groups in. Are religious education programs. And today will be talking sort of out what do people really mean by they talk about forgiveness. Later in the month. Third sunday will be talkin about. What is it what is it that we get from. Forgiveness. More in-depth and we will today and at the end of the month we were talking about issues of reconciliation and. Renewal and. Wholeness. Saturday we're going to be. Looking at what it is exactly we mean when we're talking about forgiveness. Now this being the week of election day and i do hope that you do vote if you haven't already i was going to wear my vote sticker today and i forgot to bring it with me. The election we're seeing is drawing to a close. It's been pretty brutal. We have been spared much of it here in texas because nobody really wants to come and talk to us. We're one of those non battleground states. So maybe that will change in the future. So with the presidential elections and even though we aren't one of those. Target areas we still see a lot of campaigning and we still here a lot of things and. Does westworld who are news junkies get more than we bargained for. And we see people doing some really silly things in pursuit of power access to power many officials and candidates and supporters of acted. Very badly. And have done things that we can only hope they will regret at sometime. In the future if not currently. Maybe after the election will regret it more. After the dust settles we the citizenry the people of this country are actively asked for our individual and collective forgiveness. For their various transgressions. Real or imagined. So what is impaled in our offering forgiveness and maybe reconciliation and then how might we apply those to our own lives. Again earlier from harold kushner. From his book how good we have to be. He says religion. Properly understood. Is the cure for feelings of guilt and shame. Not there cause. So what do we mean by forgiveness what does anyone. Think that forgiveness me. Alzheimer's. Anybody what does forgiveness mean. Absolution. Letting go. Finding peace. Giving up anger okay. Reaching out. Healing. Alright. You don't have to like the person but you're not allowed to ruminate anymore that correct. Alright. Yes i was just like the word ruminated has such a visual. Applications. Chewing on our cud. There a lot of different definitions out there it's one of those words kind of hard to pin that's her liking the nailing jell-o to a wall. And. I was in my parents trained me very well you know he have trouble the word go look it up. So i did and and webster. You know basically says the definition of forgive is to give up resentment of. Fort wayne to requital for some offense. So far it seems to be one of the better definitions. To forgive is to cease to feel resentment against some offender or offense forgiving is and allowing of room for error or mistake. Support of forgiveness is a recognition of our fellow ability. I want to places i think we find. Do we have problems with the word forgiveness is ian actually some of the associated words. Define those in the dictionary as well. Absolution amnesty pardon remission. Ab really wouldn't buy into absolution for some of the things people have done. And they're also some antonyms punishment penalty retribution. That's what we're supposed to be giving up with forgiveness. And other related words like parole acquittal. Exculpation exoneration vindication etc. Exemption. Immunity. Those often have feelings of of things to us that are not exactly what we mean. They're not exactly what we intend. And they tend to have definitions for just about everything. For psychological definition of forgiveness. In research literature. There is an agreement that seems to be emerging for forgiveness as a process. Which i find very intriguing because dr. martin luther king has said this explicitly he said forgiveness is not an occasional act it is a constant attitude. Another definition of forgiveness which was passed on to me in the past by a former. Congregation member. Is abandoning all hope of having having a more perfect past. And i find this interesting in my interpretation of that is that. This is at the perfect pass we are manning is both ours and anyone else's. Innocence interesting lee similar to something that lily tomlin the great comedian has said she says forgiveness means giving up all hope for a better past. So what do we mean by forgiveness does anyone. Have any new ideas. Anything different come up. Of course. Yes we're getting to that because we deserve it not the offender. Very good i'm tying the pain you feel from the person who gave it to you. Okay. Well one of them questions that comes with this question of forgiveness is. Who do we forget. Now president john f kennedy. Which i think is extremely i really do. You know. It reminds me very much. Of the sentiment of our transylvania unitarian forbearers in romania who talked about. You know to be using the biblical injunction to be as gentle as doves and as wise as serpents. I think that. Carry some weight here. And playwright oscar wilde was known for his wit says always forgive your enemies nothing annoys them so much. And he had lots of enemies. As this may be the chief subject of our forgiveness are others. And ourselves. The other and ourselves are the chief subjects of. This. On one holiday and against people another holiday. So on one day you're dealing with your relationship with god and the other you done with your relationship with people. It's a way to make a smoothie. Before us as we enter into. The new year. At the beginning of yom kippur service at a chance the following translation by consent of the authorities in heaven and on earth we permit center to enter and be a part of the congregation. Who are the senators. Well it's pogo said we have met the enemy and he is us. The process of seeking atonement and forgiveness it is. Recognize in the jewish tradition that god only can forgive those transgressions committed against god. Phyllis committed against other people we need to seek forgiveness of those we may have wronged including ourselves. Conversely we can only forgive those trespasses which may have been committed against us. And not those committed against another. What interesting things about that happens in human community it sometimes you probably find it in your family and if you have any probably will at thanksgiving this year. That. We often tend to. Hi tabby proxy grudge holders. Descent familiar feels familiar. I know it's true for me and my family out of people i know. We're not allowed to do that. So if you're busy holding grudges by proxy. It's not yours. Giving up. And it doesn't mean you trying to get somebody. Else to carry the grudge. Is they may have already given up. And and forgives. Whatever has been done but others like i don't know how they can do that and they dwell and build more and more anger and resentment. And then he started being angry and resentful at the person is actually forgiving the other person. And how dare they forgive this other person over here. Against whatever. Wrong perceived or real. Traditionally in a christian movement. They put a little different spin on things. With jesus's crucifixion and resurrection. Creating redemption for all our sins and trespasses including an inherently fallen or sinful nature. Now in exchange for belief or works or both. We're neither depending upon one's tradition. But even that is important for us to engage with each other not just ourselves and perhaps some transcendence power. In the orthodox perspective. Christian scriptures in the book of matthew chapter 5 it's written so when offering your gift at the altar if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you leave your gift there before the altar and go first be reconciled to your brother or sister. And then come and offer your gift. Traditions. Is it going to clear the path of relationships of the obstructions. Two more whole and healthy experience of ourselves and each other in relationship to ourselves. Sandwich other end to the universe. It is. The path to reconciliation to the restoration of harmony. And that which is most consistent with our best selves as. We can be. Again let me be very clear when i talk about forgiving i am not talking about forgiving and forgetting i agree with. President kennedy. You can forgive your enemies remember their names. I'm not talking about condoning a transgression. We may forgive people is still hold them accountable. For their actions. Something i think it's important to point out is that forgiveness. Is also not for wimps. We tend to think the people who have forgiven have just wimped out. It's not manly to forgive. Maybe they need testosterone. They're pushing it for everything else. You can't be a wimp and forgive. The lake christian reformed the illusion louisb snead's. Said that when we forgive evil we do not excuse it. We do not tolerate it we do not smother it. He goes on he says we look the evil full in the face. Call it what it is and let is horshack and stun and enrages and only then do we forgive it. Forgiving his loves toughest work loves biggest risk if you twist it into something it was never meant to be. It can make you a doormat or an insufferable manipulator. Forgetting seems almost unnatural he says our sense of fairness tells us people should pay for the wrong that they do. That forgiving is love power to break nature's rule. In a similar vein. Mohandas gandhi said the weak can never forgive. Forgiveness. Is the attribute of the strong. An actor rapper and writer will smith says that throughout life people will make you mad. Disrespect you and treat you bad. Let god deal with these things they do because hate in your heart will consume you too. And writer catherine ponder offers that when. You hold resentment towards another you are bound to that person or condition by an emotional link that is stronger than steel. Forgiveness is the only way to dissolve that link and to get free. Not to mention some of this last week a little bit in one of my homilies. And all souls. But rabbi kushner offers that one reason we may choose not to be forgiving. Is somehow it gives us. A feeling of power over someone we may otherwise feel powerless with. This is often true in situations where we feel. We have no power. We will do anything we can to gain some sense of control. And control is usually an illusion in most relationship. How many of those really truly control other people in our relationship. We can barely control ourselves. But because we have this need to have some sense of control. Being angry with. Finding fault with. Is a way for us to at least get a handle on that. Thing that we're trying to struggle with. And forgiveness we fear. At some level. Will cause us to lose that sense of control. Krishna says that holding onto grievances against others tends to do two things. First they strangers from their people. And that in turn can become a habit. Mckenna strangers from people and that can become a habit. We think of all the stereotypes of the angry. You know neighbor. You know you know. Start a stereotype. The curmudgeon. People who can't seem to let go of their anger. Secondly holding on holding a grudge conditions us to think of ourselves. As victims. Rather than is active participants in our own lives. Hold a refusing to to. Engagement forgiveness. Actually makes us passive. It actually takes control away from us. The conditions us to think as someone who has acted on. Rather than as someone who has the power and ability to act. For ourselves and. Not forgiving. Will in reality give away the power of our lives. In the past action or person. Which we are dealing with. Forgiveness is there for an act of personal empowerment and liberation. More for the forgiver then for the forgiven. Doing so we choose happiness. Over righteousness. In my own life. A little example i had a neighbor recently i mowed my lawn. And i don't. Gather my clippings. Right. Because i believe in recycling the clippings and stuff. But some of the major way into the street. And i have some neighbors who are really really intense about. Cleaning up their yard. And making sure everything is exactly so. Trimmed you know. Perfectly honed. Beautifully manicured. Well i left clippings. In the street. I went inside cleanup i had to go somewhere i came out to do something. And there's a small pile of clipping. In the middle of my front yard. It looks like a little dream snowman. Or calling you know. And i know which neighbor is wonderful people have done great things for us we do nothing for them together. Cut myself. Sara lee petty. Really unhappy about this and then i realized. No it's not worth it. But i can't do something because nose. And so i took a little pumpkin we had put it on top of it. That my son had made it preschool had glitter face on it so i guess. I see what you're telling me thank you and i'm going to turn it into art. But you have to look at everyday so is your job have to give me now. I'm not sure if that's the right way to go about it. Is still there by the way if you want. The idea is that. Forgiveness is an act of personal empowerment and liberation. More for the forgiver then for the forgiven. In doing so we choose happiness. Over righteousness. In a video i want saw and the one you almost got to see today actually recommend you go see on beliefnet.com kushner offers the image that. Holding onto the grievance and not forgiving is like holding onto a white hot coal. In hopes of being able to throw it at the source of your anger. And the truth is that we are the ones who get burned and consumed by it. He also says it's like drinking poison and hoping somebody else dies. This unfamiliar. For us as religious liberals as unitarian universalist the consequences of not forgiving are twofold. First it does all the things that rabbi kushner offers giving away our power and turning us into victims. Which in turn allows us to negate or ignore ourselves. As inherently worthy beings. We are not able to honor ourselves and others is precious part of the holiness of the universe. Secondly we are diminished in our ability to extend that recognition to another. Not just those who have transgressed against us but even ourselves and those who have done nothing. No matter how indifferent or depraved another maybe. They are still a child of the universe. As are we. And we are obligated to recognize the message. If we wish to claim the same. For ourselves. Again choose happiness over righteous. So let's wrap up today by saying if forgiveness is away. Press to say that we can do better. It is not a. Condemnation but encouragement for us to grow. To be more of who. We can be. And a who we currently are. It is part of the spiritual journey of accepting ourselves as we are. As enough and also seeking to be more. The prince and ourselves as we are. Forgiveness can help us to find. Closer relationships with ourselves. What each other. And with the holy. Stay tuned for more.

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Sermon_013110_p1.mp3

The universe being sorry that unitarian universalist association which is the national denomination national organization depend on denomination has an annual meeting called general assembly. Every year. I think it's snowing. July. June in june the end of june. Last summer three members of this congregation. Served as delegates for this congregation at general assembly dick hildebrandt back at the back. Stanley is chan here. Yes janice here myself and reverend price we're all at general assembly last year in salt lake city which is actually my hometown so it was really special for me. If you ever have an opportunity to go to general assembly i would highly recommend it. It makes you. Really. Grasp. Why people are drawn to unitarian universalism. And it's just a. Powerful experience. This particular service. I went to that i'm going to present the sermon from. Is the service of the living tradition. In the service of the living tradition is an annual service they have a general assembly. It's where they honor theon retiring. Ministers and mourn the passing ministers who passed away. And also. The newly credentialed newly fellowship ministers they. It's kind of like. Service for these guys and in fact. Patrick's wife reverend ernest got her final fellowship is that what it's called right. At the service and then the sermon itself. This particular sermon that i'm going to. So we're going to plan watch on the dvd. It was. It went a long way for me towards answering what is life you know the basic question. What the heck over here. So i hope you find it as powerful as i did. It's reverend mary jay harrington. Is the the person giving the service the sermon. And she actually also believe receive final fellowship is a minister at this service of living traditions. She's a newly ordained. Minister in the church. Shirt awful. The folks are sitting in this section. You may want to twist your seats just a little bit so you're not. Having to crane your neck i'm afraid i should have had them. Rearrange the seats just a little bit but i didn't think of that in time. I think we're ready to go ahead and play the dvd is there anyway that we can knock down this light here to. Welcome to the silly comforting poem. It is not the sunrise. Which is a red rent. Quickest flowering all over the eastern sky. It is not the rain falling out of the first of god. Or the trees or the beatles burrowing into the earth. It is not the mockingbird. Who in his own cadence. Will go on fizzling and clapping from the branches of the catalpa. Better billowing and shining. Better shaking in the wind. Nothing is so delicate. Or so finally hinge. Is the wing. Of the green moss. Against. The lantern. Against its heat. Against. The beak. Of the. The blue wisteria. My mother was the most extreme out behind the house. My mother. Alas. Alas. Did not always love for life. Heavier than iron it was. As she carried it in her arms from room to room. My father. What's the demon of frustrated dreams. What's a breaker of trust. Was a poor thin boy with bad luck. Listen. This was his life. Hi. in the earth. I sweep the closets. I leave the house. I mentioned them now. I will not mention them again. It is not lack of love nor lack of sorrow. But the iron thing they carried. I will not carry. May they sleep well. May they soften. But i will not give them the kiss of complicity. I will not give them responsibility. For my life. Do you know. 30 +. Has a tongue. With which to gather in all that it can of sweetness. Do you. Know that. The poem is not the world. Even the first page of the world. But the poem. Wants to flower. Like a flower. It wants to open itself. Like the door to a little temple. So did you might step inside. And be cooled and refresh. Unless yourself. Then part of everything. Therefore. Tell me. What will engage you. What will open the dark fields of your mind. Like a lover. At first touching. When loneliness. Come stalking. Go into the fields. Stare hard at the hummingbird. In the summer rain. Shaking the water sparks from its wings. Let's grief. Be your sister. She will. Whether or no. Rise up from the stump of sorrow and beef green also. Like the diligent leaves. A lifetime isn't long enough for the beauty of the world. And the responsibilities of your life. Gather your flowers over the graves and walk away. Be good-natured and. Untidy in your exuberant. In the glare of your mind. Be modest. Live with the beetle. And the wind. This is the dark bread of the poem. This is the dark. And nourishing bread. Of the poem. Tell me the poet insist. What will engage you. What does it take to get your attention. Domestics of all-time have understood. But there is something in our nature that can pull up toward doll routine and habits. Leading to numbness. Forgetfulness. Zoning out. The bible frequently refers to us as sheep. And having personally raised sheep. I assure you this is not a compliment. We can easily become so caught up with dizziness. Jobs homework. Aaron's meetings. That we tune out what really matters in our lives. For centuries religious poets. L musician. Artist of every stripe. I've been doing handspring to get our attention. And help us really awake to life at its height and its.. The sufis in particular will do almost anything to help people wake up. They believe some of the greatest spins are sloths. And spiritual lethargy. Sufism is of course the mystical branch of islam. But it can also be understood more widely. Sufis believe that we need special teachers. To call us back to our true self. And that these teachers can appear in any culture. It anytime. And in any religious tradition. The sufi poet rumi. Is anything but subtle. Come. Take a pic app. And break apart your stoney self. Batter down the door. Unstop the wine jug. Smash the jug. And come to the river. Sometimes i think it would take a pickaxe. To get my attention. Whenever i don't spend enough time outside. In the woods or at a beach. I become distracted and scattered. And what would life be without music. And friends to share it with. How could you forget music. But when i'm on automatic pilot. Just going through the motions. I can forget a lot of wonderful and important things. Even things that bring me joy. I know i'm not alone in this. Small comfort so that maybe. People seem more wound up or run down these days. More spiritually and emotionally disconnected. Either way. There are the worries in our personal lives. And so much in our world that is going wrong. So much that cries out for clear seeing. I just speaking. Our deep attention. Yeah that's how it activist. And trappist monk thomas merton warren. There's a pervasive form of contemporary violin. And that is activism and overworked. To allow oneself to be carried away by a multitude of conflicting concerns. To surrender to too many demands. To commit oneself to too many projects. It's just a come to violence. The frenzy of our activism neutralizes our work for peace. It destroys our own inner capacity for peace. Because it kills the route. Of the inner wisdom. Which makes work fruitful. I'm not saying we have to choose. Because we can't choose. Between having a rich inner life. And a fierce commitment to justice. To be meaningful each must be grounded. In the strength of the other. But i think we you use. Sometimes he quit taking time for rest and reflection. With the sin of self-indulgence. Not long ago. I gifted passionate collie. Ask me to meet with him. Because he felt completely overwhelmed. Biology had on plate. He just didn't know where to start. Where how to find even five minutes of downtime to relax. Let alone meditate or pray. It took me almost an hour to get through. Through his anxiety over so many things on his to-do list. Through his despair that there could be any relief. Do the resistance. And yes but. To every small suggestion. I wish i had had a pickaxe. What he had forgotten. But i forget. Is it having an inner life. It's not a luxury. It is not a recreational option. It is a necessity. It is in fact. A moral and spiritual imperative. No matter how many compelling family. School or work responsibilities we may have. This is in fact. Our greatest responsibility. To be awake to the reality mary oliver reminds us of. But even a lifetime isn't long enough. To the beauty of this world. You are part of the beauty of this world. Full of rubies. Precious jewels without price. Which no one will ever enjoy. Not even you. If they stay locked inside. There is a communal responsibility to share your treasure with others. It is a pressing responsibilities. Of the greatest magnitude. It is holy work.

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Reading_2_091111.mp3

Our second reading this morning is a time for gifts. New york times. September 26th 2001. The patterns of human history decency and depravity in equal measure. We often assume therefore such a fine balance of results. Must emerge from society's made of decent and depressed people. Equal numbers. So we need to celebrate the fallacy of. So that in this moment of crisis. Lemay reaffirming essential truth. Too easily forgotten. And regain some crucial comfort. Orgone. Good and kind people outnumber all the others 5000 21. The tragedy of human history lies in the enormous potential for destruction. In rear axle. Complex systems can only be built step-by-step. Brass construction requires. I like to call the greatest symmetry. Every spectacular incidence of evil will be balanced by 10000 acts of kindness. Too often unnoted and invisible. Azzy ordinary effort to the vast majority. We have a duty almost a holy responsibility. Record and honor to victorious weight of these innumerable little kindnesses. An unprecedented threatens to the option of ordinary human behavior. I have stood at ground zero sons by the twisted ruins of the largest. Human structure ever destroyed in a catastrophic moments. I will discount claims the tower of babel. And i have contemplated a single day of carnage that our nation has not suffered since battles that still above passions and tears. Nearly 150 years later and see them. Gettysburg coldharbour. The scene is insufferably sad. Weather ground zero can only be described. The last meeting of a grand old world word as sublime. Innocence of all inspired by solemnity. In human terms. Ground zero is the focus. Avast web bustling goodness. Channeling unaccountable deeds of kindness from the entire planet. The accident must be reported to reaffirm the overwhelming weight. The rubble of ground zero stands mute. Beehive of human activity turns within and radiates outward. Has everyone makes a selfless contribution. Secor tiny according to means instill. But each of equal worth. My wife and stepdaughter established a depot on spring street to collect and fairy unneeded items fairy needed items in short supply. Including face masks and shoe inserts. Word spread like a spiral kunas in dollars. Purchase of hard hats made on the spot at a local supply house. And delivered right to us. I will cite one tiny story among so many to answer the count that will overwhelm the power of any terrorist act. 560 tails x million soul. People finally understand why their vision of inspired fear. Cannot prevail over ordinary decency. We left a local restaurant to make a delivery to ground zero late one evening the cook gave us a shopping bag instead. Here's a dozen apple brown betty zar best dessert still warm. Please give them to the rescue workers. How lovely i thought but how many must accept as an act of solidarity connecting the cook to the cleanup. Still we promised that we would make the distribution. P**** at the bag of 12 apple brown betty teapot several thousand face masks and shoe pads. 12 apple brown betty. 12 apple brown betty s4002 workers. And then i learned something important that i should never have forgotten. And a joke turned on me. Those 12 apple brown betty. He's trivial symbols in my initial judgment turned into little drops of gold within a rainstorm with similar offerings for the stomach and the soul. From children's postcards to cheers by the roadside he gave the last one to a firefighter. An older man and a young crowd sitting alone and other extreme exhaustion as he inserted one of our species has. Any said twinkle and a smile with jordan's face. Thank you this is the most lovely thing i've seen in four days and still warm.

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Sermon_052310.mp3

Sometimes sitting here listening to the anthem i am tempted to simply say amen let's go home. What can i add that is more beautiful. So what is. Worship. Is it like the proverbial i'll know it when i see it. Anyone would offer. An answer. Praise the lord. Helping jesus. Anyone else. Powering down. Sure. Moments of all. Amy. Feeling gratitude. Showing love. Okay. Praying okay. Subjecting yourself to something more powerful than. Reverence. Stephen cheating a state of clear. Moment of transcending the mundane life. Well y'all really good. Mindfulness. Mindfulness of beauty. Do unitarian reformer henry ward beecher. 10 tenders that i never knew how to worship until i knew how to love. And creation creator of process theology alfred north whitehead says that. The worship of god is not a rule of safety. It is an adventure of the spirit. A flight after the unattainable. The death of religion comes with the repression of the hi-ho. Of adventure. Mohandas gandhi says when i admire the wonders of a sunset or the beauty of the moon. My soul expands in the worship of the creator. I'd like you all to turn in your hymnals to number 441. This is almost a litany of. What it means to worship. Say it with me responsibly if you will. To worship is to stand in all under a heaven of stars before flower alief in sunlight or a grain of sand. To worship is to work with dedication and with skill it is to pause from work and listen to a strain of music. Worship is a loneliness taking communion. It is a thirsty land crying out for rain. Worship is the mystery within us reaching out to the mystery beyond. Learning to speak. It is the window of the moment. Open to the sky of the eternal. Seems to be a fairly comprehensive list. Religion. At least religion at its best. Is that which reconnect us or. Reminds us of our connections. With the ultimate sources of our being and meaning in our lives. It is an approach to creating and finding raider holness. In our lives. Worship. Is the unique function and act found in religion. That is found no and no other central social institutions. It is the thing that says churches and other religious communities of heart. Trump charity schools and advocacy groups. As my colleague the reverend wayne arneson and kathleen roland right institutionally worship is primary because without some form of regular worship there is no church community. You can have focus groups that talk about how to be a church. You can have lectures that offer a new knowledge or prophetic engagement with the issues of the day. You can have religious education classes to teach the doctrines and values of your tradition. And you can have social events and fundraisers and parties that build community. You can have service projects and social justice demonstration. Engage people in living out their liberal religious beliefs. However until you open the doors for public worship. No one. In the world inside our tradition or outside it. Is going to identify you as a. Church. Back in the fall of 2005. Wayne and kathleen. We're coming answers up in west shore unitarian church. Opinion. Cleveland. Ohio embarked on an 18-month long. Sabbatical road trip now i'm only taking four months next year so. Could be worse. They attended services. Been interviewed worship leaders at 30 congregations of diverse sizes and traditions. And i wrote a book about it and the result of their research. Elsa challenge to us as unitarian universalist who care about services in which we participate. In our unitarian universalist tradition. The most commonly refer to definition of worship is found. In the 1992 commission on common worship. Which i read that earlier. The ccw definition refers to the ancient english root of the word. Worship voice shipping. What can be translated into considering things of worth. They say that the purpose of worship is to lift up the highest and holiest of human values. His approach was the basis for many psychological and anthropological definitions of worship. That we have heard. Kathleen and. Wayne. Say that our colleagues the reverend ken belden says that worship is a public act of reaching into ourselves. It is a transformative act of deepening. And it is leading people to a place where they want to go. Rev dr laurel holloman most recently of first unitarian church here in dallas. Says that worship is a communal ritual event. Covenanted community. About the links to its past and allows for the elements of creative. Price. And dennis hamilton. Our minister over here it horizon in carrollton. Did not see much difference between psychology and spirituality he says the minister's job is to help people be more engaged with life. We engage them with mysteries beyond words mysteries that can only be engaged by music metaphor and symbol. And the reverend kendall givens who is my internship supervisor and mentor. Warned us about the perils of seeking a common definition of worship she says that. The purpose of worship is not to talk about the ineffable. The point is whether or not you can enact it. No personally i find that that sort of like. Everything talking about a ball game and experiencing a ball game. Or. Well let's try an experience here. I would like. You all to do a wave. You know what a wave is. Does if you are willing and able to stand. So we're going to do that talking about away we sit here we have a visual aura mine. But until we do it. Not the same thing. So let's go ahead start over here on my left. We're going to start over here. And. Going to go ahead. I have a way there we go okay. Then thinking about it. Reading about watching about it. It is enacting. The ineffable. Wayne and kathleen go on the say we believe that there is something further something that matters even more than content. That is crucial to highway worshiping community understands itself something that is the attitude of a community. Brings to its worship. What do they think they are doing when they attend worship services. Any answers as many of you provided are as diverse as those if you hear. Are they coming to find intellectual stimulation or to hear stories of lies that have been changed. Can you tell by the way they come into the space but entering into worship memes. To this congregation. Is. Transformative meaning conveyed. By the way the worship leaders approach their roles. I hope so. What does the order of service. And how is it presented. Reveal about this congregation and its understanding. The religion. What we bring to a service of worship may be as important as the content. If we bring no expectations no intention. To flow with the experience we are unlikely to get a whole lot out of it we bring ourselves our past our own unique experiences into the common experience above all. We bring an openness of mind a spirit and a self. Kathleen and wayne say we are willing to let ourselves be transformed by the power present in a caring community gathered together. By the creativity that lies in new ideas in spaces. Between us and beyond us and in our very receptivity to what is new. So getting back to that central question of worshipping. So what is worthy of our worship. Commission on appraisal offers to ascribe worth to shape things of worth. How do we know what ideals persons of values concepts. Are indeed worthy of. Worship. What keeps us from falling victim to the idolatry. Of our day. Add a reminder that i don't have trees. The setting up of the non ultimate in the place of the altima. It's not about statues and graven images. The commission says a full discussion of these questions is beyond the scope of their essay but it can be said that what the individuals behind. To be worthwhile in their own experience may be tested in the context. Other persons. Society and history as well as any innermost regions of. The self. The critical tradition of unitarian universalism makes us wary of all beliefs and forms would claim to be final or absolute. As i tell a great many people. We don't claim to have all the answers but we pretty sure nobody else does either. Share that with your friends at coffee sometime. The shaping process which is worship therefore even though it focuses on the individual must have a social and historical dimension. If it is to be. The commission goes on to list the goal of worship. Saying that the aim of common worship is to help order. The religious consciousness in the individual and the group. It is to help us know and feel how we relate as individuals to ourselves and to our world. To totality. Avene. Name a common worship is to help us face. Our. Face up to our individual and collective limitations. And failures. To be open this up two sources of creative and healing transformation. End. To renewing power. It is to help us discover how that which transcends our narrow individual experience can move us challenges and inspire us. Stimulate us to think. He'll act. And be. It is to help us declare celebrate rejoice in those things that we have discovered to be of worth. The aim of common worship they say is to help us reorder re-open reshape and reinterpret. Our experience and to help us find the power. To reaffirm again and again. In word and deed what is worthy. Our ultimate. Commitment. Opportunity for us as individuals. And as a community here is to ask what is worthy of our worship. Unitarian minister and transcendentalist philosopher ralph waldo emerson writes that a person will worship something have no doubt about that. He may think our tribute is paid in secret in the dark recesses of our hearts. But it will out. That which dominates our imaginations and our thoughts. Will determine our lives and our character therefore it behooves us to be careful what we worship. For what we are worshipping we are becoming. But we are worshipping what we are giving. Value and worth. And thought. And time to. Come to dominate our lives. What is a paramount importance to our hearts and our souls. What do we prioritize and give the energies of our lives. But do we want to become. Our worshipping. I leave you today consider that. As we. Individually and collectively consider the decisions before us today. As a community and in our everyday lives. We also need to give voice to that which we find of worth. That is essential in our lives. As a community of faith. And hope. That we want to continue being and that we wish to become. More of. Hymnal the him lie saying. At the response. Number 34. You can look this up if you wish. The last verse. Come spirit, our hearts control our spirits long to be made. Whole. Latin word love. Guide every deed. And by this we worship. And our. Let us continue to refine. Our understanding and our practice. Of lifting up. That witch. Is worthy. And by that. May we be healed. Andhra news. And free. Be who we can. And want. And need to be.

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Sermon_120212.mp3

Is religious liberals. Hoof is. One of the great defining elements of theology. And of our culture. Subletting. It's even more so then for orthodox traditions i feel. In most religions. Most religions offer hope of salvation. From les. Desirable state of affairs. It is usually these less desirable state of affairs that are put forward. And then hope is offered if one. Follow through on one. Orthodoxy or one's right belief. Whereas with liberal religion starts with. Hopefulness. But let's cover a few things that get mistaken for this hope. That we speaker. Wishful thinking. Now it's christmas time. We have lots of kids out there making lots of wishes. Slos having our own wishful thinking going along with that. Like we hope that the line for santa isn't too long. This year where that are kid doesn't throw up on them again. Where doesn't have a total meltdown. For that our child isn't asking for things. Possible for us to even begin. Wishful thinking. Some scholars. To imagine instead of by peeling to evidence rationality or reality. This is why it's wishful. Studies have consistently shown that holding. All else equal. Positive outcome. To be more likely than negative outcomes. But even in the face of evidence. People will tend to. Project. Christopher booker the scholar rights. Need. He says the fantasy cycle. Storytelling. When we embarked on a course of action that is driven by. For a time. And what may be called the dream stage. I had a relationship with you like that. But because just make-believe. As things start to go wrong. As reality presses in it leads to a nightmare everything goes wrong. Culminating in an explosion into reality. Fantasy finally falls. 10 things i know about. Personal and social realities. And the more divergent. What we want to have happen is for the more we have to protect those boundaries. The more we have to reinforce the difference between our reality and the reality around us. And if you noticed that. When people have those kinds of them. They spend most of their time protecting their boundaries their sense of what makes me different from you. And i think this has been a big part of the social and political discourse the last. For 25 years. In our country. I think it is. Towing. That plan a. Social paradigm. Even a religious paradigm is on its way out. Struggling. Introverts most extreme manifestation. In order to try and ground itself and maintain its boundaries. Against this larger reality. Some examples of this kind of. Reality this wishful thinking. One comes from an economist irving fisher said that stock prices have reached what looks like. This was a few weeks before the stock market crash of 1929. Which was followed by the great depression. Other people said similar things during the great bubble before our most recent recession. And this is another one i just did a very quick. And the election. A date. Michelle was on the record with greta van susteren. And he reaffirmed his prediction that romney will win tuesday presidential election in a landslide. Many of you are familiar with the story of. Simply would not believe. The prediction. For the election. People he actually had to send somebody down to interrogate them. She was wrong because they had convinced themselves so adamantly. Mostly out of wishful thinking and really bad pulling. What are things that happened. Republicans get service. Irrelevant in our time. Fallacy. Beautiful wishful thinking. In addition to being a cognitive bias. Wishful thinking is commonly held to be a specific. Informal fallacy. In an argument when it is assumed that because we would something to be true it actually hughes true or false. And he possibly making a certain things that are. This is the way things are. Cuz that's the way you want them to be. And i keep searching for him and i'm sorry no that's not the way. To show you it's not i'm going to expose you to reality. You know like you're going to your room. Right now. And no you're not in charge of this moment. We all know this right. It works a lot of time not always sometimes i mean. Bandana. As long as he'll be trying to jump off the roof and fly i'm okay. I had a sister that did that. This policy has a form syllogistically anybody. Logical if p then q. If i destroy the whole idea watching if he's accused. I wish that p is true or false. Earlier. But i'm taking some fairly complicated courses at the university of chicago divinity school. Play just out of sheer spite i argued against what the professor was teaching. Because me off. Assertion. Big red letters. What are you trying to do. How is feeling feverish. I wish that pee. Is your false and therefore p is true or false. Wishful thinking. If this were true. Rely upon pills to emotion. It would also be. During an argument. Wishful thinking. May. Cause blindness. Two unintended consequences. As we move forward or look forward. No. Optimism. Is a mental attitude or world situation. Meaning that in some way. Four factors that made. The present moment is an optimal state for some reason. The concept is typically extended to include the attitude of hope for future conditions unfolding as optimal as well. Things will get better. We came out of the end of the 19th century with forever. About human progress in growth and development. You know and so it's very easy to get into this. As far as social progress or whatever. And. This whole philosophy collapse. Cuz it was really based on a lot of wishful thinking. And a form of optimism. It really take into account other factors. Yes we have to take into account. Opportunity to deweyville. That we all have. And we failed to take that into a. The difference between hope and optimism. A couple things. One is that hope entails pathways and thought. Twin intended goal. Optimism leads one to expect the best. Necessarily provide a new critical thinking about how we're going to arrive at that improves future. Father father. Wonderful man. Optimist club of all things. Organization. Interesting. Assuming the best was going to come but he didn't necessarily do anything to get there. And this resulted in some significant financial difficulties. And so you know it's the whole idea we can castles in the air. Somehow we'll get there. But don't really. Work on the foundational aspect of it. By itself. Dr. barbara fredrickson offers some. Is hopeful perspective. Because. Because positive emotions arise. In response to diffuse opportunities. Rather than early focus threats positive emotion. Momentarily broaden people's attention and thinking. Enabling some draw to draw on higher-level connections. Any wider than usual range of perception. Or ideas. Cognitive psychology physical for social resources. What you saying is that. Hook does is that it. Is not necessarily addressed at a specific threat. But cause us to elevate our thoughts to a higher level to a broader scope. Understanding and therefore broadens our perspective on the situation. I think personally this is one of the sources wisdom. Is this opening up of our perspective. She goes on. She says she's explained. In a moment of great means also. And with the sense of hope positive emotions such as happiness and joy courage and empowerment. So it's. When we are caught. The intensity of a moment. And we're able to step back or rise above. Broader perspective. And experience things that stay. Give us greater context. Put whatever is reese.. A broader context. For what is. Going on. American universalist founder john murray. So often you said give them. he'll but hope encourage. That's sort of a byword for us. Universalist their number reasons we say we should have hope. Once inherent worth and dignity of every person. Are interconnected web of all existence. Consequently we are not alone part of a larger whole. Reject damnation and believe all have the same fate. Therefore we all have a face. Not a negative. Grace. The incremental nature of reality is that everything we do count. Revelation and truth or not clothes but constantly revealed and hence the resources both divine and human that are available for achievement of meaningful change. Justifying attitude of ultimate but not necessarily immediate. Hope. So basically because. Revelation is constantly open there are new possibilities. There is hope bandhan. Of the universe. While i believe this saves us from the idea of all being chaos neither is a retreat from engagement. An attitude of. Don't worry be happy. Is not sufficient. Time. But not sufficient. Says courage is that would be exhibit in the face of fear. Not in its absence. So true hope lives in the present despair. Not in its absence. It is easy to seem hopeful when things are going well. However. A matter of faith. We cannot give proof. For something that is. An ultimate. But we can look at things at least two point. Scholars tell us that positive outcome. It's circumstances in one's life. Hope applies a certain amount of. Perseverance. Believing that a positive outcome is possible even when there is evidence to the contrary. Or even just optimism. Vaclav havel. The great check. Play riot in politician and i had to suffer. Maintains that hope is a dimension of the spirit. It is not stop outside of us. But with dimmer. Again. Syphilis is somewhat different from optimism in that hope. Is an emotional state. Where is optimism is a conclusion reached through a deliberate thought pattern that leaves to its positive attitude. The hope and optimism both can be based in unrealistic. Play 4 fantasy. Hope is often the result of. Animotion. Pastries and inspired and inform type of positive. Hope is typically contrasted with despair. But despair may also refer to a crisis of faith. When used in a religious context. Carry the connotation being aware. Spiritual truth. And hope is distinct from positive thinking which refers to a therapeutic or systematic approach used in psychology. For reversing pessimism. The term refers to. Fantasy. For an extremely unlikely outcome. Again. I say wishful thinking is another term for that. Too often live longest and survived. Send the most. With the blood great creativity and grace are in fact those people who approach these things with optimism and hope. Deeper than life issue is more pressing issue. Individually and collectively. Speer is a necessary precursor. The successful oppression of a person or an entire people. If you want. Conquer people. Make them despair. Remove hope. And we remove resistance to those who would control us. To our hope we are ultimately saved from despair and nihilism. Denial isn't was lovely words a lot of us think we know what it means. The $5 word. It basically talking about that the ultimate miss a reality is meaningless. The consequence of meaninglessness. Is a conviction that it is necessary to utterly destroy existing patterns of relationship. Things that happened. Is 8 a well if my reality can exist. I want to blow everything up. I'm going to take it with me to start over again the way it should be. What does ism. The desire to have things go away. Him blow up. Be wiped out what is the zombie apocalypse or the rapture. All of those desires to have things. Wiped out. So we can start over again as it should be. Is nihilism. And it's usually a response to a failed. Belief system or a perspective on the world which has not been successful. And this is one of the great dangers. When they have. Met their logical end is they often turn into nihilism. And they rise up even stronger than before. This is what happened. And also in some ways with communism. So it's like a wooden animal. Keep that in mind. Now as religious liberals we reject nihilism. Casein. As the great-father historian and. You your social rights james with her adams he says history has a meaning and a demanded direction. This is the issue that cuts through all others that cuts through the ranks of those who believe in god as well as through the ranks of unbelievers for us is religious liberals. Existence is ultimately meaningful and hopeful not meaning less and despairing. The implications for. Not just press are not just. Part of a realm of larger social. Flip a dynamic intimate and personal nature. Sherwin-williams spray. Undergraduate years university of missouri i had one of those. Hey parents are college-age children here. Yes i know some of you are. To figure out. Had an original goal that i thought was a journalism and that already fell through due to a change of interest. I was already on track to get a bachelor's degree in political science. I thought about the possibility of you with a peel-off dr. theodore for ted tarco. I taken courses in greek and roman civilization from philosophy. College and later is dean of the massive arts and science departments university missouri. Quick situations. Alfredo's loaded with me. Who did this a lot. And one. Human salability captured in the statement that even if that he says even the greeks made junk. And he showed us examples of this. Even the greeks made jump so anytime you're feeling bad about things not living up to expectations. He was again offer me no less. And very honestly doctor taco made up lightly but. Clear that my grades were listening. I must have seemed very disappointed because. And then i had an obvious interest and aptitude for history in the classic. Can you say that given this that i should remember that quote. There is always hope for those who love truth and beauty. There is always hope for those who love truth and beauty. And over the intervening years this phrase and its implications have given me more solace encouragement and guidance and i probably realized. Unitarian universalist hope is not naive. Been honest hope. Facetime. Universe. Ultimately has meaning. Faith is not based on proof. Things we know to be true in the absence of proof. Therefore i cannot give you proof or having hope only that way. I believe that our principles hand. The hope for renewal attracted me to close in the first place. Oops. Refresh my commitment to this face all the time. I mostly find that it is in the commitment to you and of you. And others. To me and to this community and to each other. And i to you in to them within the bonds of the beloved community. He ran across the world that makes it possible to go on. When the pain is deep. When there is fear that is daunting. When the task seems overwhelming. When the labor goes on too long. It is our ability. As unitarian universalist as people to reach out. Hand to hand and heart to heart. And together help. Everyone's returns fear into courage and despair into hope. No matter what we understand the source of disgrace to be whether it is goddess or god. Spirit of life for the ground of being for the power of human community. The invitations are the same. There is hope. And we are not alone. Even the darkness. We can claim for ourselves that hope. Which is our birthright as co-creators and participants together in this sacred reality. And this holy. Chipotle. Go forward.

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Reading_120609.mp3

Couple months ago i. Do the sermon the began to talk about some of the writings of james luther adams who is. Considered one of the great theologians and neutering universalism. And liberal circles in 20th century. He has a. A document. That it is. Five smooth stones of liberalism. Ideally he did not pick that title publisher did. But he kind of rolled with it. A couple months ago i presented part of. Those first three of those. And you want to find them they are online and sermon ark. But today we're going to finish up. Talking about those. Because they are curly central 2. A concise understanding of what it means to be. A liberal religious person. He offers. In response. Primary question. Weather history has a meaning. And it demanded direction or not. Most of the major. Movement writers. 20th century finally. Say yay. This is the issue that cuts through all others. It cuts through the ranks of those who believe in god as well as the ranks of unbelievers. Affirmative answer a prophetic religion. Which may be heard in the very midst. Of the doom that threatens like thunder. Is that history is a struggle in dead earnest. Between justice. And injustice. Looking towards the ultimate victory in the promise and fulfillment of grace. Anyone who does not enter into that struggle with the affirmation of love and beauty. Misses the mark end towards creation as well as self-creation. Bus. With all the realism and tough-minded me. That can't be mustard. The genuine liberal finally can hear and join the alleluia chorus. Intellectual integrity social relevance amplitude of perspective. And the spirit. True liberation. Offer. No rush. So ends our.

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Sermon_051610.mp3

He finally got to the sermon. How many. But how many times do we hear this or say this or even. Kind of. You know ingest or seriously how many ways do we apply or use this word miracle. You know it's a miracle that kids aren't in jail or worse. Family reunions right. It's a miracle i didn't get caught in rush-hour traffic. And then there's a big ones. It's nothing short of a miracle for that little boy who survived that are crashed. Or that more people were hurt by those tornadoes in oklahoma. What are miracles and where does unitarian-universalism come down on the issue theologically historically and now. We do not have a sense of orthodoxy about this i mean that's one of the key things about us. So we have the least but we also don't say and if you don't believe this out the door. But we do have a gentle path. A general sense of this. That has evolved over the last 200 years of the unitarian universalist thought. Webster's dictionary says that a miracle is an extremely outstanding or unusual event. Sing or accomplish me. Abroad definition. Some of the different definitions i found online. A miracle is an act defined the laws of nature. Sometimes an event also attributed in part to a miracle worker saint or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature. Others suggest that god may work with the laws of nature to perform but people perceive as miracles. Theologians say that the divine providence god regularly works. Who created nature yet is free to work without above and against it. A miracle is often considered a fortuitous event. Compared with an act of god. Now in casual usage a miracle may also refer to any statistically unlikely but beneficial event. Such as surviving a natural disaster or simply a wonderful occurrence. Regardless likelihood such as a birth or making that green light. Helen miracles might be survival of terminal illness escaping a life-threatening situation or just beating the odds. Sometimes put instances. Can are perceived to be. Therapist. American writer and publisher and artist albert hubbard. A miracle is an event described by those to whom it was told by people who did not see it. And others such a samuel levinson say love at first sight is easy to understand. It's when two people have been looking each other for years that it becomes a miracle. And. Commentator jack adams says if it's free it's advice. If you pay for it it's counseling. And if you can use either one it's a miracle. And cynically mark twain offers that the difference between a miracle and a fact. Is exactly the difference between a mermaid and a seal. It could not be express. Better he says. Albert einstein offers there are only two ways to live your life. 1 is the as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though. An interesting lee enough. Augustine. I signed offer some very interesting insights. He says. People travel to wonder at the height of mountains at the huge waves of the sea at the long courses of rivers. At the vast compass of the ocean. That the circular motion of the stars. And they pass by themselves. Without wondering. He goes on miracles are not contrary to nature. But only contrary to what we know about. A miracle is an event. Something. And then we spend our time reflecting recounting remembering. That event. Well i was. Talking. While taking all of these. Previous. Definitions into account. I have learned myself. Over the years that there are at least two types. Of experiences that get called miracles. First is something that is. Reportedly broken the expected course of natural events or laws. Something so exceptional they can only be categorized as a divine intervention. We think it was a lot of us who are raised in various traditions of things like the parting of the red sea for the israelites and manna from heaven to feed them in the wilderness. Or jesus turning water into wine i still think one of the coolest tricks in the bible. For healing the sick. Or raising the dead. In the movie clip we just saw from the movie. Leap of faith. The first miracle proclaimed was supposedly of the first type the supernatural. In the eyes of the jesus figure were miraculously opened. Because jonas was able to paint them on there while the drunken night watchman was sleeping. Later there is an actual healing in the movie. They crippled youth. What jonah nightingale sneeringly calls the genuine article. The caches everyone by surprise. I find there is a second type of. Events. Any more common. Type of miracle. These are the experiences of events so wondrous. That we are. Transformed. In some way physically emotionally. Spiritual. The buddha is reported to say that if we could see the miracle of a single flower clearly. Our whole life. Would change. When i was. Younger. Back in 1986 at some pivotal point in my life. When i was struggling to find myself before i found unitarian-universalism. Hi. Was engaging are beginning to get involved in a spiritual path in the contemporary pagan community. And i was. Putting in central missouri at the time and. Found out about something called the heartland pagan festival those can be held for the very first time at central kansas middle of july. Now you got to be somewhat religiously inclined to go to the middle of kansas in july. And we went to a private ymca camp there that was fairly primitive. They're about 150 of us it was a pretty amazing event and i had some pretty profound experiences. The one of the ones that still is just. Gets me is. That at night. One of the evenings we were there. I went looking for a friend who has had a campsite on the opposite side of a small earthen dam and there was a turbo bull-shaped reservoir very small only about you know a few hundred feet across in any direction and about. From where you stand above the lip the water was down probably a good. Call feet below you. It was pitch black. And as i was approaching the flashlight somebody to turn my flashlight off. Well i being a nubian all this said okay. This must be important so i turn my flashlight off. On my way. To the lip of this bowl. It was a clear. Moonless night. And. At first when i looked ahead of me i thought i was seeing past the horizon line seeing stars. But they started to move. They weren't stars at all. They were firefly. Hundreds of thousands if not millions of them. Completely. Covering the inside of this. Mole. Ground. What's the trees in the bushes. And down to the waterline. And. You could look down to the waterline. And cedar flexion of the stars above and reflection of the fireflies and you could do almost a complete 360 and see nothing but glowing lights. And i realize as my eyes adjusted that there are about 30 or 40 people standing there. Skooly slack-jawed. Just like me. Struck out early. Dumb. And silence. Withal. Call me. Perhaps from any of those others who were there at that time. Looking for some way to be connected more with. That which is. That was a miracle. I think i am kind of reminded of that when i see that clip in the movie of the butterflies. Coming to rest on the hands of liam neeson and debra winger. Butterflies that have migrated thousands and thousands of miles to winter and tomato. In our tradition. Over the last 200 years or more. We have moved my path. Generally rejecting the first type of miracle we discussed a dove. The supernatural. And more to embracing the second type. American president on unitarian john adams. Said. The question before the human race is whether god of nature shall govern the world by his own laws. Or whether priests and kings shall roulette by fictitious miracles. Use of miracles in other words he was attacking as a justification for the divine right of kings and churches. And unitarian. Thomas jefferson and principal author of the declaration of independence and 3rd president. Edited version of the bible which many of us are familiar with. Richie remove sections of the new testament containing supernatural aspects. As well as perceived misinterpretations he believed to have been added by the four evangelists. The jefferson bible is called and it's still in print. You can order it from. Decompress. Jefferson wrote the establishment of the innocents and genuine character of this. Benevolent moralist jesus. And the rescuing of it from the imputation of imposter. Which has resulted from artificial systems. Which for him are the immaculate conception of jesus the deification. The creation of the world by him and his miraculous powers his resurrection and visible ascension. His corporeal presence in the eucharist the trinity original sin atonement election orders of hierarchy etc. Let's hispano.. All of this he says it's invented by ultra christian sex unauthorized. By single word ever uttered by him jesus. Is the most desirable object in 12 which priestly that's. Joseph priestley. That successfully devoted his labors and learning. Joseph priestley by the way was the inventor or discoverer of oxygen. And a unitarian theologian who preached. In the first openly unitarian church located in philadelphia at the end of the eighteenth century. The later. The transcendentalist generally denied the existence of supernatural miracles referring a version of christianity based on the teachings of jesus. Rather than on his purported actions. Ralph waldo emerson said that jesus spoke of miracles for he thought that man's life was a miracle. That old man doss and all he know knew that his daily miracle shines as a man is the diviner. But every word miracle the very word miracle as pronounce by christian churches. Gives a false impression. It is monster. It is not one with the blowing clover. And the falling rain. Emerson goes on to say that the invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common. And his friend henry david thoreau walden pond fame wrote all change is a miracle to contemplate. But it is a miracle. Which is taking place. Every second. Nerf barrel fellow transcendentalist. While putting in proclaimed. To me every hour of the day and night is unspeakably perfect. Miracle. As for me i know nothing else but miracles. Whether i walk the streets of a manhattan or dart my site over the roofs of houses toward the sky. Or wade with naked feet along the beach just in the edge of the water. Or stand under trees in the woods. Or talk by day with anyone i love. Or sleep with. In bed at night with anyone my love. Or watch. Honey bees busy around the hive iv summer afternoon. The wonderfulness. Of the sunset. Or star is shining so quiet and bright. For the exquisite. Delicate sinker. The new moon in spring. Stranger miracles. Are there. Science fiction writer robert heinlein. Says the shamans are forever yakking about their snake oil miracles. I prefer the real mccoy. Pregnant woman. And george bernard shaw says miracles. Innocence of phenomena we cannot explain surround us on every hand. Life isn't itself. Is the miracle of miracles. Science fiction author ray bradbury says we are the miracle. A force and matter. Taking itself. Old making itself over. Into imagination and will. Incredible. The life-force experimenting with forms. You. 41 me for another the universe has childhood itself alive we are. 1. Of the shots. And then our reading earlier robert weston said. This is the marvel of life rising to see and to know. Out of your heart cry wonder. That we live. Transformation. Noxious lewis was raised the unitarian but then became an anglican. Right of the miraculous saying that miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the world and letters too large for some of us to see. Another word caesar moment. They're open for us. To give us. Into those things which we may not be able to receive because they're so pervasive. Along these lines my colleague rev lynn ungar is quoted as saying that whatever miracles maybe i am sure that they do not take place. Do not take the place of the day-to-day work of dealing with reality as we know it. A miracle contrary to popular understanding is not something in itself supernatural something outside the world that breaks through in a burst of glory. A miracle is something that connects. Back to the world. Which reminds us that we are part of the larger heart. The wider embrace. Down the ancient greek of the new testament the word miracle itself means a sign or wonder. In this way miracles are things that point beyond themselves. Like the finger pointing at the moon. This may be to some sort of. Outside supernatural divine power and or it may also be that which creates orville's on and wonder by itself. George bernard shaw also offers this insight. Into the experience of miracles. Because a miracle is an event which creates faith. Frauds. Receive. Any events which creates faith. Does not deceive. Therefore it is not a fraud. But a miracle. I think that is. For me one of the underlying messages in this movie that we just saw the clip from. So in this movie. If we were to watch it where. Are the miracles where is the miracle. Is it in the boy who later walks. Is in the rain, should the drought ravaged community. At the end of the movie. Where's the miracle in the hearts and lives that are change. For the batter. Is the miracle in the possibility. For us of a second or a third or even a fourth chance. After we have mucked things up so badly in some way. I know that we i know i i'm hungry for miracles. But the question maybe are we ready for a miracle as the gospel song says are we ready to be transformed by the power of love and hope by an optimistic faith in the future despite the lack of faith in us by our many elected leaders. And those economic power. Are we ready to claim the miracles of our kinship with each other and all that is. Are we ready for the joyous miracle of knowing that we are each and all-powerful precious. Holy and not alone. As a community of faith and action. We here together have accomplished many things over the years. Sometimes our greatest miracle seems to be our. Even being here at all in this place and in these times. Now we are poised to move forward into an even fuller understanding of who we want and need to be as a liberal religious community. Hope and justice. Standing on the side of love. Whether it is here in plano or in arizona or other places. Famous unitarian universalist we understand that we are each co-creators. With the universe as are all people. Miracles are things. Weekly must have a hand in producing. My mother's mother. Is reported to have believed that. The statement god helps those who help themselves was actually in the bible. She was convinced my mother had to shoulder is actually in poor richard's almanac. But. The truth of that whether it was written in the new testament or in poor richard's by ben franklin. Is that we do sort of usually have to meet the universe halfway. So miracles are things which we must had a hand in producing. By grace and the hard work of so many over the years. We have been brought together here and now with the opportunity to create even more wonders than before to reach out to those in our community. To be a place of healing. Hope. The rest. Is up to. Our miracles are expressions of our desires are wills and our resources. Combined for the greater good. Each of us holds in trust. Heart of the possibility. For miracles. And i know that we can expect. Even.

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Sermon_112011.mp3

Most of us have some idea. Minister. Or. Ministry. For some of us this is about. Embodiment of a person recall a minister. Often ordained clergy. Unfortunately just does not really reflect what all the ministries of a church. And sometimes our experience of ministry and things have been. To minister is to give aid or service. To another. Minister is. The act of serving or ministration. One that serves as a means and instrumentality. Originally the word meant a servant. In our own congregation lee based churches the ministry belongs. To the people. All of you. And it is the people. You. Who set aside. Certain people by ordaining them and calling them or by investing them with certain aspects of a larger ministry. Poor servant. In the congregation. So it is not the minister who gives away. The ministry to the laity it is the corporate party of the laity as the congregation. Setting the best ordained clergy and other professionals. With responsibilities for certain aspects of the. His ministry. Mystery is not. Just to each other but to those who have not joined the rest of the world. As unitarian universalist we believe in and promote the ministry of all souls. We believe in pursue the earthly realization that all people are part of the same great cosmic reality. The beloved community and. Set all souls do and will participate in the same ends. Therefore we are called upon to lift up and minister to each other. Has fellow pilgrims. In our journey to go. Religious community is a place if not be place where we can explore. Denise andrews. Existence which can be as. You writers susan pangoro says are known only through our immersion. In the daily ambiguities of living. So does chicken-and-egg type in order to be healthy supportive transformational as a religious community. A religious community has to be a place where we can feel free to take risk. Inherent in our struggling together towards a wholeness and transformation. Successfully taking risks. Can we get a sense of safety. And trust. Sometimes. To create that safety we have to take leaps of faith. And courage. There is a paradox. That sometimes. Create. The security the safety disability we are looking for. 1/2. Take risks. I'd like you to do something now some of you. She don't listen to don't have to. But i'd like you to take the hands of those around you who are closest to the isles or anything like that. This is a very real and physical manifestation of. Religious community. Within this sacred time. And this sacred. Place. This shaker community bc. Is at present only in words. And ideas. Setlist basically. In the very real touches. Summer hands. Greeting. Or in our shared work. For the cam. You can let go now. Sweaty or hot here to the hell out of people doing this. Just as we take risks in reaching out to each other some more we learn how to take the calculated risks of living a healthy life then. Return and you taking them. This dynamic feel the full word momentum which helps your propel us into action and change and growth. Oh great just another freaking growth opportunity. A religious community though that does not challenge itself. Is stagnant. Handsome dad. Has if its sole. He's not in his body. Gross is necessary for health of any organism. If for no other reason than to simply maintain it. Communities. Partner different. The religious professionals who work for and with congregations are themselves called upon to constantly. He challenged in our thinking in in our comfort zones. Our religious professionals whether they are danes ministers religious educators musicians. For administrative professionals are called upon by the nature of their work. Be willing to renew and recreate their understanding of their work. In light of the new conditions and new knowledge. The ongoing training is an essential element of their ministries. The theme this year for our association sunday is celebrating excellence in dentistry. And the unitarian universalist association will partner with our ministers association. The musicians network. Liberal religious educators association. Administrators association and other organizations. Funds raised will be distributed as professional organizations. To support a range of projects including scholarships. Continuing education and assessments of our ministries and other projects that help religious professional. Get the ongoing training they need to support our thriving congregations. Some of these projects. That have been proposed. Include. Small group training support and coaching for ministers to work together is building ministry all skills. Scholarship for religious professionals to attend. Biennial institute for excellence in dentistry. Multicultural competency. Assessment multicultural training for religious professionals and lay people. Collaborative partner learning programs between professional organizations they shared ministry workshop series focus. Collaborative planning and implementation of multi-generational worship services. For religious educators ministers and musicians. Additional support for the used children's choir music professional credentialing. And a composition of new uu music. These are just a few of the kinds of ideas and things that we're looking forward. Tubing supported by the funds. This congregation and congregation cross-country will be raising. Excellence in ministry. So you heard me say things like this before but i think it's bears repeating. 901. No matter how talented or well-trained. Is perfect. Right. You know anybody in your job that doesn't perfectly. If they do. you want to push him out the window. They probably don't do it perfectly you just don't know what they're messing up. I know that this news may somehow come as a crushing blow the truth is ugly. The wording for our association sunday is about promoting excellence in mid professional ministries. Not protection. Something that helps me and understanding. Is turning out the differences between what we often think of is perfection. His excellence is not perfection. Is the following and you may want to take this with you. Perfection does not tolerate mistakes. Excellence. Incorporate. I see a lot of lights going on that's good people freaking out there paying attention visor open. Perfection does not tolerate mistakes. Excellence. Corporate. This is the difference between. Dogma and wisdom. What we strive for his wisdom. Perfection like purity strides from blemished lawlessness and is intolerant of failure. On the other hand. Exxon wisdom accept failure learn from it is a part of our process of. Growing. In a flawed and finite world. This is all part of living our lives. Has. Hang girls riding. Reading said earlier. It's about being in the living. My late colleague reverend robert. Cardon. Hazrat the following i think. Speaks deeply to this end it. Understanding of ministry. He says what makes my experience in the ministry so hopeful. For me is that i am not alone in this. Careful hearing of both pain and excitement. This is not something reserved for only one ordained and rogue. It is. Something we all do for and with. One another. Ours is a shared ministry hey giving and receiving we tell one another our stories missed our innermost thoughts. And we seek to listen if we can. With sensitivity and with purpose. And love. We live. Lie. We do not live creed's for theologies or even value. We are engaged with really fast and we are related. Corn and isolated together. We are at odds and we are sometimes very close. The spiritual center of our lives is not to be found in faith. No matter how cherished or revered it comes rather out of the openness and honest engagement the courage and pain. And a lovely experience. With one another. Sometimes that openness is searching and doubting confused or serene. Ambivalence. Or empowered. But it is an openness nonetheless. And out of it comes a vision of a world made new by the reality of our lives. Lived in the service of love and justice of gentle goodness and. Forgiveness. A minister seeks to live in the struggle of each and everyone of us. As we seek to come to an understanding of who we are. Where we are. How. A minister seeks to help us raise up the vision of where we must go as a people and invites us if we need the invitation to join hands and hearts. With one another. To get there. What robert rose i say all men. We are all in this together. The final verse of our hymn of reflection number 298 wake now my senses praise for the challenges and gifts of our ministry together. Wake now my vision of ministry clear frightened my pathway and radiance here. Mingle my calling with all who would share. Work for the planet transformed by our care. May the work. Our ministries. Separate and together. How to lay and professional. Continue. The shape our lives. And our communities. Be the best. And the most. Excellent. Happy. Can all be.

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20130623-Sermon_062313.mp3

We have to grab up a body. They rarely run me because i'm too weird so if you want to read me you've got the. I was really shocked. Yes. Before we get started i want to pass this basket. You can wear a pair of groucho glasses you've got a weird it out happy face sticker. Or you have a mini beach ball. And here's the deal you have to engage with it during my talk you have to wear the glasses. Or put on the sticker or blow up the beach ball and if you want to move lady card there in there as well and when we're finished passing that around somebody could take it to the kids room and make sure that they get some of this phone so i hope you had a good summer solstice it was a few days ago. Anthropic doesn't mean anything at all seasons are strictly something for us in the temperate zone. It's the shortest night it's the longest day the whopping 14 hours long and here in north texas and that's because the earth and its axial wobble is pointed towards the sun. So it's also the first day summer solstice is of the sign of cancer master logical sign of cancer and that's because in this wobble. The earth is so tilted then instead of the equator pointing towards the sun the tropic of cancer is pointed towards the sun and the reverse is true for the winter solstice the tropic of capricorn. Pointed towards the sun but you like my visual aid hear very good. Well i got the sun as it arcs from east to west across the sky rises and sets at the most northernmost point that it can. Almost overhead. And it does that for three days in a row. Atwood solstice me sun stand still. Live from here it starts rising and setting a little bit lower until fall equinox when it rises and sets exactly due east and west. And then it keeps on going down. Little further setting and rising at the most southernmost point that it can and that time in the summer in december when the sun is totally in your eyes all the time. That's it. So all of this is great astronomical facta tooth you know. Carries the meaning of what summer solstice is. Here's the meaning we're all going to die. Soap mortals from this point forward we all start to get this wrinkles around space we all start to get this love handles and for us women we start to get this. Summer solstice is the day that we celebrate being young vibrant and beautiful because all too that will pass away. You know summer solstice here we are at the maximum annual prime of life yet we're at the turning point of our mortality from this moment forward plants and flowers will say they're going to start putting their energy into percy's in fruit. And all those ethereal balloons will manifest into the solid preparing for the end the young of animals and birds get weaned from the nest. An app summer solstice everything begins heading for winters dark rebirth. So this longest day this point it that captures in 24 hours what is the essence of what it means to be a mortal. Here on earth to be living and dying. Summer solstice the day that states. Do it now because tomorrow may be too late carpe friggin deal. You know you it's the day to say what your boys want to say go where you've always wanted to go do something. You know in philosophy is flying i'm good philosophy but you can't eat for breakfast. Now you know you just got to laugh. Because at least smile don't start with that. Just turn to the person next to you and smile smile smile. When you go so no nobody nobody nobody. There are things that we will be regretting things we wish that we had done. Things that we failed to say. You know and i will be one more thing. We will wish that we had done more things that people told us that we weren't supposed to be absolutely. And what if people tell us we're not supposed to do when you're not supposed to play with your toilet paper are you. You're not supposed to do as well as somebody's somebody's house. So it's so spoiled paper in somebody's house. We're going to see if we can make it work in this kind of configuration. So those of you who are on the outside you're going to start the process if you want to move to the outside to do it if not you can just be in field so. Do we have our toilet paper is it done rolled and ready alright okay so we need the people in the front row and now the front door so you got to stand up and face that way. You're just been recruited it's like gallagher here on the front roads going to have two more people on the front rough so do we have basically kind of around okay. Yeah we're going to throw the fat patrick frozen over that way you throw it over that way so we're going to go to crisscross and then just let it go okay. I think we have succeeded thank you very much how much of life depends on to letting go to improvising thinking in the moment now when i do this. Social darwinism with the official parenting philosophy. Those lovely pills they passed out in the 50s. And i was just chasing men and dad was you know away all the time working to pay for the circus at home and me as the smallest the youngest the most bookish you know this game. Social darwinism is really stacked against me it's hard to survive is the strongest when you're just so tiny. Lord of the flies had some real moments of great fun it was a bunch of semi-feral kids really totally there was endless expirations at the creek riding bikes till midnight insanely competitive board game marathon. And yet there were moments of terror when cruelty was the currency in the game was predator and prey. From the time i could walk until i was eight. Was kill as if. So from the time that i could think. You know flms talking game with so much fun for my siblings but you know when you're 2 years old it's just not that you know and it ended badly. Really badly sometimes. So that i could think i was thinking about fun and funny and how it could be so radically different people. North north dallas focus on school piano lessons campfire girls charm school just chaplains dance classes. And and coupled with living on point against the next ambush and staying up late because it was just a lot safer to be the last person to go to sleep at night. Is its own form of meditation. How many has this way of slaying our feelings of uniqueness and disconnection. It is the absolute panda pop blow it tells us that we are human. At the humans have been feeling for a very long time and there's really no stopping them now they're just going to keep on being human for as long as we can. That honesty comes acceptance in from that accept. In comedy taught me that people are so in love google. Even people you know and love that you just have to let go of every hoping to understand. You can only accept the way it is and try to move them forward without surrendering yourself. And the comedians way is to observe human interactions and take away some bit of knowledge whatever-it-is some insight into psychology or human history or human nature or even himself. Growing up in camp lord of the flies that they being weaned basically on comedy. Gave me the gift of respective you just don't sweat the small stuff and well you know. It's all small stuff. Some a hole cut you off in traffic. Just doesn't matter. What's a time warner cable still ripping you off just doesn't matter i know the parking lot by somebody. You know what you got to do. It is no doubt about it. But you just got to put on your big girl panties for your big boy briefs. Hello. We just have to say. Are you with me. Like bill murray in the movie stripes with me. Otherwise got one said you got to dance like there's nobody watching love like you'll never hurt sing like there's nobody listening. The live like it's heaven on earth. Sing with me this song. Wonderful song. John jacob jingleheimer smith his name is. Around the world. Website. Lettuce in this little shindig of mine. Because ball with the spurs game. Early human beings it was an inflated. Stomach. We got plastic balls. Never thought i'd be happy.. How long we could get these balls in play in for those of you with the little balls. Are you ready.

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20150621-Sermon.mp3

Well. There's a lot of literature. On the issue of being men being fathers. And. Search. Oh yeah. Yeah. Okay. That's just a fragment of what i have available. But i have read large sections of all of them and he wasn't my bread all the way through. Just in case you want to know what they are at the measure of a man ritual by spiritual autobiography of william touch of sidney poitier. Fantastic. Moral politics. Bye george lakoff. We talked about family structures will go into that rather spirit by tomlin toll on my colleagues. The thing about men joining together and a quest for intimacy intimacy the seasons of a man's life by daniel levinson's is a classic out there. Manhood in america a cultural history. Hi michael kimmel. Another classic. Nurtureshock so if you know this but. Timothy recommended to me. How we think about how we raise our children. American society and how it really works. Susan faludi. From a number of years that's about 10 years ago. Sasha.. How the betrayal of the american man. And then another classic fire in the belly on being a man by sam kean. For now. Amazon. People have opinions about what i means to be a man. And and how to raise men. We've been talking a lot about transitions the last couple of months. And this month into the summer talking about the subjective building a new way and how that applies. In so many different parts of our lives. And i think here at the intersection of. Father's day. I think that's. An excellent place for us to look at those also. How do we create a new way. And it's important that we do this because. The topics are about to the air we breathe the water we drink in the earth we walk on. Father's day ii. Felt it a good thing to reflect on what all of these mean for us. Our roles as fathers as men as. Guides. There a lot of rules on how to become a man. Some of them are. Not too bad others are downright annoying. We read a couple of online and and do a google search or something for being a man. Raising boys who have too many things like this. Lots of advice out there. Not all of it good. So here's one from a conservative christian blogger. That came through the pay pos and network. He said these are 7 timeless truths taken from god's word the bible. So here we are the seven duties of a man in no particular order. One fight for what's right. Being a man man means you have to go around. It doesn't mean you have to go around punching people. But it does mean you know you have to try and do right. And then his bible verses to support all these. Take responsibility boys run from responsibility men run towards responsibility. The kind of macho there. Provide for your family. Your wife and your children course it's assuming you're heterosexual. Your wife and your children should know that you're willing to go hungry to make sure they're fed. Control your emotions. Now is the father myself of a almost 7 year old. Who can. Scream and yell at the best with his three-and-a-half-year-old sister. At times. Difficult at times not to say you know you don't have to do that. So controlling your emotions is one of those things that this author feels we should be. Paying attention to. Love your wife again federal sexual or something. Soul of your partner. And. A very clear understanding of what that means fidelity in marriage being the head of the household leather interesting things. Keep your commitments. Not bad. Keep your commitment but it also implies that if you can't keep your commitment to your failure. Trust god. They assumed your point of view. And it also in. This underlies a particular view of what god is or means. And usually that. The jewish form of zeus sitting on a throne. In the clouds judging people and keeping score. Occasionally interfering this author has. Know another offer author stephen cefagen who offers. What he calls 10 minutes of growing up mail. And he takes these from a broader understanding. From a. A book by an author named blasina. Explain set many men operate under a set of misunderstandings about what men are supposed to do so hungry this list to you and. There's only one way to be a man. Fear the feminine. Men must funnel all their feelings into sex or aggression. Affection is always associated with sex. Boy society is based on power strength and paranoia. A boy needs a male role model or his sense of being a man is flawed. If your father is rejecting you must learn to please him. If you don't please your mother you must marry someone like her. A rule for that i think happens next. Being a man. Is a 24/7 job. A man must follow the commandments even if it caused these commandments even if it causes him to be emotionally stunted or leaves him off track. We really like this they seem kind of silly. A lot of them. Internalize. A lioness. And i think a lot of the laughter is nervous laughter. Recognition. Ozinga auger argues that once the. Once we recognize the way that. These commandments dictator lives we can then. An opportunity to reflect on more positive aspects of things. So. We had the old rules. And then. We had some of the new rules in the reading that i did before. About instead of telling our child to suck it up to perhaps engage with them and what they're experiencing and support them. To move on. In a healthier way. These different models of what it means to be a man in our culture weather. Heterosexual. Or gay or. Don't care. And your people who don't. These are all influx. And in some ways we are dealing with a transition that is as. Tectonic. As intense as what the women's movement went through in the 50s 60s 70s. Hades and continues to move through. But men because we're hyper individualists that's another commandment do-it-yourself. Don't ask for help enough don't ask for directions to go into the store and look for a clerk. Jennifer's my wife is the one who wants to go. Hunting. Thanks for shopping instinct and i'm a hunter i want to go find it and go home fine shirt kill shirt for home. Damaging. It is a part of. A hyper-masculinity that we inherited. From the madman. our lives. Madman why is it so popular. You know why. Because the rules are simple. They're very clear. And what happens in the series as they get less clear and gets more complicated. And more emotionally involved. Amor real. We are in a place in our society for what it means to be a person to be. Church to be a family all of those things are in dynamic flux they are in a huge plate of changed and we talked about this issue of change before where. It's not an empty place in between this the place for opportunity to make changes the way we want them to be. I think right now part of the dynamic that we're seeing. Around the roles of men and boys and children. And families. Is. Exemplified in a fairly straightforward way by. George lakoff. 20 years. And he says what conservatives know that liberals don't. And his point is that he was trying to figure out why all these different constellations of values held by different groups. Because they're not logical. They're not consistent. You can be pro-gun. Pro-death penalty. An anti-abortion. Or you can be. Pro-choice. Anti-gun and. Against the death penalty. For combinations. So there's not a lot of. Consistency about how people view things. How they how they put their energy into them and when he came up with was an understanding that these are reflections of how people understand ideal family should function. What they should do. In the models are there on a continuum. And on one side is your right beside. This ideas the the strong father model and then the word father is used intentionally. 3 petree article classic. Paterfamilias. Kind of idea. And on the other side is what's called a nurturing parent. Model. And that is probably more recognizable to a lot of people. I think both of these taken to their extremes are become ridiculous and dangerous. But all of us are actually somewhere in the middle. You always had a strong parent. It sometime probably. And nurturing parents. Some more than others. But i think we're going to. A place where that tension. Is. Pulling harder and harder. My sense is that. Sociologically. The strong father model which is the the older paradigm. Ariana panic mode because his dying. And it's in. Under. Jurasin therefore it has extreme manifestation. Like the quiverfull movement that the duggars. Are part of. Which is an extreme expression. Of this model. And then. On the other side we get people who are so afraid of letting their kids outside. Now that police if a child goes to the park. By themself the police pick them up and take them home because they shouldn't be here. My parents were going nuts. Let us know where you're at and stay out of trouble. That's it don't talk to strangers you know that don't you. Just go out there and if you if you get hurt you know and will hear you. But this idea now that we have to the children are somehow so fragile and the world is such an awful place that we cannot. They don't have the freedom to explore the world on their own. I did i think it's just tragic. I don't think it's true and i think it's tragic. So there are strange. But what we can do is we can look at. In our own lives individually how we have been affected by each of these and how we then play those things out with. Children grandchildren. With with other human beings other adults even cuz a lot of his head pretty childish leaving with other adult. And. For example in my family my father who is a very kind man with a boy scout executive do a lot of really amazing things. And it really was not. That overly violent but he did spank when i was a little boy was mostly about. Getting my attention to pay attention that i shouldn't do this. It wasn't. Punishment. Read was worse than the actual event. Wait till your father gets home. And then. The one time. He did something pretty extreme was i played hooky for three days in junior high school. Got caught. My brother has a big mouth and. He sent me out back back. Together switch. And. He went in the garage and. He use that on me and he cried the whole time. Someone who makes messages there. And by the way i never play with you again. Not recommending it. So we have. All of these different messages were getting. And my father came from a rural community pioneers across the prairie in conestoga wagons. And you know had to be a little tough to get things done but he also had relatives adult relevant for absolute sob's. For horrible people. And and he knew it because his father and grandfather. Survive those experiences. Until he wanted something more caring more kind. For his family. My mother even mentioned that it was my father's family that taught her to be emotionally demonstrative. Because her father. Was a pent-up. English irishman. Who's angry most the time. We have all these different things but yet he has to be aware of them. So that when our child or our friend is in pain we do not say suck it up. You know my first marriage. By the way. Is one of the starter marriages i talk about that's not to dismiss it as anything less it's just for the reality of it. And she was coming from denver with all of her household goods in a truck driven by a friend of ours. In an icy road the truck light over in the ground. And i in my anxiousness and stupidity. Instead of saying are you okay. Said. How did you do that. Beginning of the end right there don't you. So. Are wearing this or self-awareness of how we do these things of how we talk. It doesn't mean we shouldn't be firm we shouldn't let certain things to happen but we also have to be. A colleague of mine says. There are three rules to be kind. To be kind. Kind. I think no matter how we struggle with these roles and how we try and figure out where they're going to lead us and take us as families as a society. I think if we can engage with that. I think we'll be in good shape. Nothing kind doesn't mean to be a patsy. And i think it also points out that we are all here together. Stay at as communities. Because we need each other and figuring this stuff out. Scheduled individualist model says that the lone ranger the cowboys or whatever he's going to he's going to have the answers and going to swoop in and save the day. The reality is none of us have most of this. And we're trying to figure out you know how to make sense out of all of it. So we're here to share this journey with each other. And to engage with the struggle of what it means to be good. To do good to live good. Lives. So is men and women. Children as fathers mothers guides. I asked us. A myself. To embrace the fullness. That's who we are. As. Human beings. In our kindness and in our ability to be present with each other in a way that is nurturing and supportive. And support that fullness. That all of our children and other people in our lives can be. Discernment.

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Reading_032011.mp3

A reading this morning is from fairly wonderful book called salted with fire. Unitarian universalist strategies for sharing faith in growing congregations this was put out a number of years ago now i remember it was all the brand new hot topic in. My gosh that was fifteen years ago so it's still very relevant and very wonderful book scott alexander one of my colleagues is the editor of it and any introduction he has the following to say. Perhaps one of the few positive things that has resulted from the aggressive activism of the radical religious right. Is what social commentators have come to call the culture wars. This is 15 years ago keep in mind. It is a. Renewed sensima unitarian-universalist if they have a unique and valuable religious vision to offer others. Whether or not we welcome these battles that have broken all over us. The culture wars are all about the struggle in a public square between competing theological and ethical visions. And we must realize that it makes a great deal of difference to us into the rest of humanity which visions triumphs in the struggle as religious education evangelist sapphire father's reminded us earlier in this century and in our reading earlier. Some beliefs are like walled gardens. Encourage exclusiveness and a feeling of being especially privileged. Other beliefs are expansive and leaves away into wider and deeper sympathies. Some beliefs are divisive separating to save from the unsaved friends from enemies. Other beliefs are bonds in world community with sincere differences. Beautify the pattern. Some beliefs are rigid like the body of death if it sent in a changing world. Other beliefs are pliable like the young sapling ever-growing with the upward thrust of life. He goes on to say. As the radical religious life has unashamedly attempted to influence public policy and private morality. In private morality singularly reflected their theological and moral perspectives religious liberals have slowly awakened to the fact that we remain silent. And hidden. About what we believe. And dream at our own peril. If we are not bold and caring enough to stand up in the public square without arrogance or vitriol. Affirm what it is we believe. And what dreams command our loyalty. Then by default it will be the beliefs and dreams of others that will influence and instruct the shape the society. And the lives of those. Around us. Sew-ins.

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20150111-Sermon.mp3

Well no guarantee there's are in order of priority or importance. If you don't hear your question. It's because we will not have time but we'll get to it as we can. Start off with the most important question dallas or green bay. Hahaha who will win you know after the way dallas and even the patriots played this last time i haven't got a clue. I know i'm cheering for but. What are the best ways to get involved with the church and become more active participant in the activities of the church. I think it's showing up. Is a good way to do that that sounds of a big lid but it dents. Essentially it. I think tanning sunday services as much as possible attending social activities as much as possible. Getting involved with any other activities that are of interest. If you're not seeing the things that might be of interest up feel free to talk to me or to any of the folks wearing colored name tags. I will try and help you. But. Mainly it's being present and. Also realizing that although you may feel new. That within a few months you're actually an old hand. Because there are people coming in behind you who are even newer. And so don't wait around for someone to reach out to you in a sara lee. Feel free to reach out to others as well so that's how we can get probably the quickest way to do that. Will the congregation ever vote on having services for all ages with adult child youth classes before or after the service. That's a very good question i don't know. That's going to be an issue that the leadership will have to take up. And we will be discussing probably. Sometime in the near future. Getting back to that issue came up couple years ago and we put on the back burner. But it's primarily i think one that. If we were to go to a dedicated religious education our education our where we have adult and youth and children programming at the same time. It's a matter of space. So it would be. Not impossible but difficult. We currently have enough education space for a children and youth programming at this time. At one time but not really enough to add a lot of adult programming we could do two maybe three programs. For adults but they would. Kind of be in make-do spaces. So that's one of those things so if you hear us talking about. Adding more space and things this is part of the reason why that might be coming up. So stay tuned. And if you have an opinion about these things. Feel free to share them with the leadership. I have some ideas that i'd like to bring the leadership how do i bring those ideas to the leadership team. You can send it to a board at. Community uu church.org. That's the church's board of trustees. Or if it's more specific to some sort of religious programming. A religious education programming. Iu for children and youth you talked to kathy smith our religious education director or any of the folks on that committee. You can talk to me. And will try and make sure you get steers the right direction. What exciting happenings in the church do you foresee in 2015. Well. In less than a month we'll be doing our initial. Kicking off of our 40th anniversary. The church's birthday was focused february 2nd. And 1975. And so this will be our 40th anniversary i will be doing that on february 1st. But that'll be the first of a number of activities will be talked about history will be looking at. Where we go from here hopefully we're going to try and have a. Sort of reunions sunday in the fall. Gathering or fall homecoming kind of thing. After labor day probably so lots of things coming up so and i know that our stewardship folks will be talking about some of those things as well. Speaking of stewardship. I had one from. Can you speak to the joy of stewardship. As part of spiritual development. Yeah. I can't. Oh you want me to now yes. It is joyous. Stewardship means that we take care of ourselves we take care of. Each other. We take care of the things that we have been given. Not because their hours but because they are not ours but because they belong to the generations behind us and the generations that come after us. This includes taking care of the institutions that we. Are a part of and those institutions would carry forward the ideas and ideals. That we think the world world needs. More of. This is why we have. Ar. Why we have. Phones that can be. Given to for the future. We have things that can be given to for the present. We had a amazing gift from one of our friends the congregation a few years ago. Which has now empowered us to do a great many things in our social justice and action work. Especially in taking care of issues of. Food in. Food insecurity. That's the kind of giving that will empower the congregation to do more of the things that we want to do in the world. Whether it's or whatever facility we have to be apart of. Or. To creating something even more. Large. And. Decisively important. So. Weather is time talent or treasure. Your contributions are. Our treasure. Are important to all of us. And your. Stewardship. Of our collective meeting. Is also. Crucial. It is a spiritual act. And. A religious. How do you choose who gets to light the chalice and give a reading. You sign up. Please there is a sign up on a list of bullet on a clipboard and founders hall. And i am sure that people can show you how to do that any. You can even worse email worship at community uu church.org that email is long but it's memorable. Community uu church. . org so worship at. So you can be able to mail to an email it to us contact the church office. Sign up on the clipboard and the same goes for flowers on sunday mornings. So participating is not hard. I will show you how. All you have to do is ask and we'll let you. Why is there a cross in the men's restroom but across the early church. And the entryway right over here where these doors are used to be the baptistry. And it was a full immersion baptistry. And so you had entrances for both the men's room and the women's room. Queer people with change. And so you had that cross in there as a part of recognition that that was a preparatory space for people to go in for their baptism. So but we reconfigure the building we got here and that's just left over it's a nice walls there. So. How does humanism fit with unitarianism. That's a long question. Unitarian universalism has had a long history of engaging with humanism where they were talking about. The renaissance style of humanism or the humanism emerging out of the 19th century or even what people have called humanism coming out of the mid-twentieth century. The differences there are different types of humanism. In the two that have had the strongest sort of impact and presents. For us have been the kind that came out of the ethical culture movement itself came out of reform judaism at the end of the 19th century. And john dietrich riding. That kind of humanism asked the question what does it mean to be a good person what does it mean to have a good life. And really is not atheistic it just doesn't care. About whether there's a god or not. It's irrelevant to that pursuit. According to john dietrich and others. The other type of belief that calls itself humanism and i qualify at this way. That came out of principal the post-world war. is. Ask the question what is truth or how can we know what is true. And it posits a fairly strong. Grounding in. If you can't see it smell it taste it touch it and rub it on your tummy is not real. And it is strongly tends to be strongly atheistic. By those who put it for have practiced it. That strain of humanism actually has been sort of dying out generationally the last 10 years or so. In our movement and is kind of reaching up amor. Normal but when you call him. The sustainable level rather than being a dominant. Force. It had become. Had it had been part of. The post-war culture. Primarily because of the fascist movements in europe. And the rise of the use of technology. To push back against. Those forces. There was a suspicion of emotionalism. Because of its abuse and used by the axis powers than the nazis and others. And and people also coming out of. Emotionally emoting religious traditions that they felt were oppressive. The other is the rise of technology during world war ii who was an infantryman thank god for dvt. You know it kept a lot of us alive and getting sick from various diseases and also if the atomic bomb ended the war i probably saved millions of lives. However we feel about that. That's the reality. And so people felt that technology. Coming out of the 50s 60s particular. You know i'm a child of the sixties watch the the moonshot. So there's a very strong emphasis on almost an act of most scientists mm. Or rationalism or positivism. And said the two became confused by calling themselves humanism and also the idea that humanist were atheist also became. Prevalent is not necessarily so. You can be a humanist that being an atheist you can be an atheist heralding a humanist. The documents i would recommend looking at are the humanist manifesto. They came out in the 1930s and again another in the 1980s. I think another one has been sent. And the number of unitarians particularly sign 21 in 19th and 1930s and the one the 1980s. So you know we've had a long history of involvement with humanist thought. With we have many of our ministers who are identify as feminist. And. The wheels as ministers who were jointly ordained or commissioned as ethical culture leaders. So the ethical culture society and. So it's it's an important part of our history send important part of our theology. I think for me the way humanism affects the way i operate i was trained by one of the leading humanists in our movement by the reverend dr. kendall givens. Just now in kansas city. And she was my internship supervisor. And. She tends to follow the strain that talks about what does it mean to live the good life what does it mean to be a good person. And that's the direction i, and what it means is the first thing i tend to ask about something is not is. Is there some abstract theology about. Something but rather what is the human dimension. In. Whatever it is we're approaching. How do i as a human being approached this how do i perceive this. What is humanly knowable about this. And that helps a lot in trying to understand then. For we go with whatever it is we're talkin about. I like the garden and the horse thank you. How many years. Or groups of coming-of-age students has this church had. I don't know since i've been here we hired our director of religious education. Cathy smith at full-time so she could address. Did you ever coming-of-age program. Which are early teenagers early high school. Go through and then at the end of that year, coming-of-age. They take a heritage trip to boston. They've been raising money to that end. And we'll be having a big rummage sale in march so hang on to your stuff. And they will then raise funds for that. And take a heritage trip to boston which for those who don't know that's like armeca or jerusalem. Are rome h salt lake city. But that's that's in a where we hail from it's one of the few places you can walk. For five blocks and run into multiple uu churches. Literally at run into its. Having just come from the holy land massachusetts visiting family my wife's family it is an experience to be able to see so much of what we read about and think about talked about and actually there in public view and. Around you on a regular basis. We have a good caring committee how can we the receivers. Of help reciprocate. I think by offering yourself. As also is someone who can give. Myna daphne who is not here today that she and bill are still on vacation. Do they do an amazing job but she doesn't message of coordinating. How many of you have served with the carers in providing. Support for people at various times. Yeah she's a list. Of people to call for various things and his extraordinary well-organized about this. And she's part of a long list of people who done this sort of thing for congregation for generations so i say offering yourself in some way if you can assist. If you can't offer. Physical help if there's a way to financially support that or two. Recommend other people. Who might need assistance. To maya and to the caring committee so that they might receive the support they need. Communication is very important. It's very hard these days to get two people in the hospital because they usually so quickly in-n-out. Feels like a conveyor belt sometimes. Indian stuff that used to be a week in hospitals now to 3 days max. And sometimes i don't find out somebody's been in the hospital till they come and tell me. So please feel free to communicate with us so we can make sure to support you. And communicate with us about anybody you know who might need support. Do we have any plans to show her support for planos anti-discrimination ordinance which includes members of the lgbtq community. Yes we do dick. So what are we talking about it but the board trustees i've already written a letter to the mayor and the city council a week or two ago. Elena did you have something to say about this. Will be making specific plans with the board charlie batista has offered to coordinate our efforts and late at patrick's been out of town so they haven't had a chance to get together but he will call patrick and and patrick has community has connections among other like-minded churches in the area so we will be banding together with them we will be doing some things like letter-writing campaigns we may bring a resolution to the congregation for you to vote on just so that we can have that. As. Something to put forth in the communications are church voted. Unanimously i would hope. For this resolution saying that we support the equal equal rights ordinance so stay tuned and if you would like to get involved in that and be active you can contact me or you can contact charlie bautista. I can comment that efforts to to put out a petition to repeal the ordinance is driven primarily by group smell outside the area it is being coordinated locally by prestonwood baptist protestant cathedral. Up the road and. There is a heaven several meetings i'm aware of this cuz i'm on mailing lists and people just assume save reverend in my name that i should be getting these mailing lists so. I don't dissuade them. So. There are a number of large national groups that are trying to back this. This is happened in several places around the country and generally they aren't very successful. Because this is primarily a money issue. Let's be very clear about it we might support at 4. Morale purposes but the people who really want this past are the people who try and recruit corporations to locate here. So because they don't want toyota and state farm in the rest of them don't want to worry about whether their lgbt employees. We're going to have problems when they move here. This is this is so mean you know follow the money. And so i don't think it's going to go very far but one should not be complacent. And we should show our support it is an opportunity for us to step forward and say hey us to. And to do whatever we can and to be again to be present showing up is 90% of it. So but do be aware that there are financial forces in play here. That have a great deal to do white was even passed in the first place. The 50th anniversary of the march on selma advocating for voter rights occurs in march of this year. how might this be an opportunity for renewed dialogue regarding racial issues especially in the context of citizen police relationships justice you cannot mix. And educational disparities etc. Yes there are lots of opportunities there are. Activities that national er association is participating in that people can be part of. That are happening. But as someone who's been to selma and been through all of the the civil rights pilgrimage up there a couple of times. In the years of i highly. Encourage it if it's possible to go personally. As far as local context i am actually working with the doll with the. Trainers from the dallas area interfaith organizers who are apart of the industrial areas foundation the saul alinsky. Organization. And we're looking at trying to develop a. Local community organizing vehicle much like the one in dallas and fort worth look like. So that we can collin county and some of the surrounding communities. Can be better at organizing around various issues. Such as voter rights immigrant-rights a healthcare. Things some of things we've already worked on. But to try and be more collectively active. And i'm working with several ministers. Across the theological spectrum on that but it's in it's very nascent stages we're having. Some planning meetings of this month and follow-up to her initial organizing meetings. So and it's going to be a long-term process because it takes money. To do this. And so just maybe something you'll hear about later on when we are asked to either put up or. Step back. What is evil but you should have been in our class this morning at 9. We actually moved back here it was a little cold. That which was not evil but inconvenience. And back to the library which was very convenient. Evil i think their long definitions. In-house for hope which is the book we are currently reading in the theology discussion group. It's discussed by rebecca parker and john buren's. As. Things that. Exploit others for the benefit of others. Things that destroy the bonds of human solidarity. The things that destroy the bonds. Of humanity with the earth and its creation. And all the cosmos. Anything that comes between those things receives to denigrate them or profit from them. Anyway that diminishes the other. Is suspect. I think i said i'm going to leave that there. But if you want to go to page 69. In a house for hope cuz we were reading that today and it's a pretty good place to look for a definition. If we all if we take all of our expenses and divided by the average number of members. What value do we get. Hildebrandt provided the numbers and i'm currently working on our stewardship material so i happen to run that last night there are several different ways to slice it up but by and large you're looking at roughly $1,500 per family we call it at pledging unit. So if your husband and wife has one pledging unit if you attend without. Your husband is some of the students that still one pledging. The roughly $1,500 of family. So with partners or not plugging it 1500. All right now these are the really theological once you got to stay put now. In the christian faith why is so much attention given to the birth and death and much less to the words of christ in the actions of the environment. That time. Good question this is one of the reasons unitarians broke away from the congregational 200 years ago. Because of applying rational us analysis to scriptural texts. And saying what really is going on here and rather than simply adopting traditional. Explanation. I can't tell you all the reasons i can say that there were. Two times in history of christianity when christianity itself was turned. Toward the use of an imperial system. First one was by constantine. At the very beginning and the second one was by charlemagne. It beginning of the second millennium. During the first millennium christianity was really. Very much about. This world the earth is paradise. And there is actually a wonderful book called saving paradise by rebecca parker. Andre de nakashima brock that hawks about this. And that charlemagne's court really turned. The theology to blood atonement. And salvation by death. As a way of then raising armies and eventually resulting in the crusades. So significant history that some of this racing products tradition really didn't. Very much of. So we do say that we are more interested in the teachings of jesus. Then in the religion about jesus. So if somebody asks us are you christian i would say in my take not in a sense that you might understand. But i do follow try to follow jesus's teachings. I am more interested in what he had to say then what. Somebody else says he who he was. Is uua new age religion. No. And i can tell you why. New age religions generally are called that because they emerge pretty much out of the late twentieth century some maybe early 20th century. And they have a particular theology which underlies them which actually looks a lot like. Fundamentalist christianity. Witchy basically it says that if we don't get our act together there's going to be this horrible thing happened and we're all going to die except for those who get it right. Right they'll be saved lbw saved. They're at and and if you. If your mind is set in the right way you can change things or you can heal people and if you don't have. That then you know it's your fault. It's totally blaming people who don't pray well enough. You know for someone. And so it actually has i have found and i participated in these communities in the 1980s. A fairly toxic underlying theology. There's a lot of interest. Things that people lump into it this is a big category. And is there a lot of uno. Healing and reiki auditions his are all very different things that people tend to lump into one thing and they're not the same thing. Just like contemporary paganism is not new age it has a very different system of the ologies and i mean theology is cuz it's a multi-faith moving all by itself. And then. Now to address the other question here is unitarian universalism a religion. Now depends on who you ask. Right so yes we are a religion. For several reasons. One historically we can claim that we come out of an institutional tradition that dates back 500 years or so back through the reformation. So there's institutional connection there. But aside from that. Our religion is really a system of thought and belief and practice. About how we reconnect with that which is ultimately meaningful in our lives. Religion itself the word. It comes from the agave which is the same root as ligament. Means that which connects us back or brings us back to. That which is ultimately meaningful and profound in our lives. And tell religion by definition has nothing to do with god or not.. Church or not church that is not a definition of religion. And you can check this with the university of chicago's divinity school which was the founding place of the comparative religions movement. Or any place else like. So. Religion. Does not have to do. With a lot of things the trappings of what other people think it does or insist it does because then they're right and everyone else is wrong. So yes we are a religion. Besides the irs says we are and isn't that the most important thing. Sorry. It is it constantly being challenged and i don't know why they keep doing it because it's not healthy. For their political career. How best can we respect the belief structure of a religion that ended. The intrinsically. He values our freedom to not share. Their beliefs. Please. Okay. We can respect someone's belief. To have. A feeling of a belief that is different. We do not have to let those beliefs go unchallenged. If because. Let me see her back like a little bit. Liberals historically have this problem with thinking that they have to be nice. Right. We think we have to be nice. We don't. Okay. We have to be. Careful we have to be civil. Okay we want to be civil that's different. From rolling over conflict so you know. We're not about being conflict-averse. We were born out of conflict theologically and we're we're still here. So it doesn't mean that we aren't. Apologists for our own religion. That we don't say hey this is what we're really talking about how dare you to find me in this way cuz we don't. And other religions i think get things wrong. I think they have some fairly toxic. Beliefs. And i'm. Okay telling people that. In the right situation. I think that. We have to be careful also that a. Small. Percentage-wise wrong. Of a group. Gets to represent everybody else. In that group. The interfaith work i have done. I have worked with some amazing people. With beliefs that i would never share a million years but i think they're amazing people. And they do amazingly wonderful things in the world. And i have been privileged to know them. And have them as friends. So i think we need to be careful about. The anti-social. Actions of a few people. Whether there are fundamentalist christians or fundamentalist muslims are fundamentalist hindus of which there are many. And or even fundamentalist buddhist to commit a horrible war atrocities. And we make assumptions that are simply not realistic. About the way the world is and we have to be careful about that. People are people and people behave the way people behave however belief system they might attach to it. And so we have to be careful about assigning belief system. 2in intrinsically bad or good. Wendy interesting things about the united states and its history is that. Everybody tends to bend to its will. Every group that comes here tends to be. Remade in an american form. One example is that the way trisha's or organized way religious bodies are organized. Is dictated by the state in the irs and others and and and how corporations are set up. That has nothing to do with the way these groups operate in other countries. When they come here they have to have a board to have to have treasure they have to have all these are the kinds of institutional approval mall. And. Because of sunday evening one of the main days at people meet. Groups that don't have other sign days they tend to be on sundays. Beside our community who rents our building. If they had their way everything that happened on thursday. But they don't. So. The structure of the culture. Affect the things that come into its sphere and we in turn are affected by them. Last question. Have you ever had a religious or philosophical epiphany. I tried to get into definition of terms. Yes i have. And. Dirty when i was a kid i had. And understanding that the divine was like an infinitely faceted. Infinite gem. And. Therefore every view is different than all collectively. Came together and is actually. Theologically a form of modalism. And i've had others have also done shamanic work so i've had a lot of interesting experiences with that as well. So yeah i have and i'd be delighted to help people. To learn about that. So one last thing just to share with you i am planning on beginning a course of study in the next few months. With a perkins theological school in getting. A certification as a spiritual director so that is something i'm going to be doing and moving. My time and energy into the area of spiritual direction in and faith development. Here so that. We'll be having more of that the long-term. Thank you very much.

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20160207-Sermon.mp3

What is love. The only way that's fine. you can say that. Musical oliver 1968. Based on oliver twist by dickens novel. Cuz most people live at the end not everybody. Definition of ponder years ago when i was in the texas boys choir is child and. That's always had a sort of a soft spot for it cuz i never got to sing it publicly. But is a soprano. Lots of chances. But actually interesting question of where is love park parcel of the question of where is god. For us if that is. Something we understand to be part of our lives. I'm. Taken with. Valentine's day. I'm just grateful i have someone now i know i'm going to get valentines from. Because for many many years i almost two decades. And those are embarrassing things to find in your stuff you know when you're going through your your papers at home you find valentine's cards and people you don't even remember their name. Or oh my god i forgot. So. We have these things we associate with. With love with valentine's day. And. I know that there are a lot of marketing companies that are looking at valentines day and hoping it's a really good day. But love love is an interesting complex word. There are. At least three major definitions of it from the greek. Three different types of love the new right. Baby. So we have three basic types. I think dr. king actually does a really good job of a flushing that out for us read his definitions cuz they're pretty decent outpouring. Love is something much deeper than emotional box to look at work perhaps the greek language can clear up confusion at this point and the greek new testament there are three words for love eros. Is a sort of aesthetic or romantic love. In photonic dialogues heroes is a yearning of the soul for the realm of the divine. The second word is celia like philadelphia syria or filial. It's a reciprocal kind of love. Love of the intimate affection and friendship and friendship between friends we love those whom we like and we love because we are loved. The third word is agape understanding. And creative redemptive goodwill for all people. An overflowing love which seeks nothing in return. Agape is the love of god operating in the human heart. At this level we love men and women not because we like them. Nor because they're always appeal to us. Or even because they possess some type of john vines park. We love. Every man and every woman because god loves him. At this level. We love the person. He doesn't evil deed although we hate the deed that they do. 13 is also talked about how that love the agape is that withdraws a community together that makes the beloved community possible. So here we are. Face with all these different kinds of love. Any commit in a in a society love. And if you make a buck off of it there's nobody's really looking to do that right. And then we're also trying to mediate with that means in our lives. With natalie. Friends and lovers but. With. Our family is in with. That which is beyond perhaps understanding and measure. What are things i found years ago when studying about christmas. Was that the history of christmas is one of trying to tame wild emotions and turn it into a domestic holiday and then commoditizing. And turn the ability to have real. Emotional exchange. Between people of different classes. Into a internalized exchange of commodities. The presence. And that emotions then became. Pass through the magic of santa claus. This is this is really it has a cyclist with his works. Things are passed through santa claus. And become. Somehow magically imbued with all of the emotional intent and baggage that we are wishing to assign to them. And that we hope the other person then receives from. And that's why things generally are dissatisfied. Valentine's day is kind of similar. We're hoping that we can somehow express or give to someone. True things. Flowers dinners. Dancing lessons whatever it is. That we can. Express our affection or love our hopes for that relationship. I know one of the big tricks when i was single i really want. This long-term. Do i see this short-term. Where do we see this going in and it really doesn't. Helping jesus answer the. The thing about all of that is then we we we. Give up our control. And invest our hopes in things to do what. Is really supposed to be part of our personal engagement and an encounter with each other as people. Until we pass. Our hopes and our aspirations and our desires. True things to try and baby. Get somebody to do what we want there's a magical quality to it thick cupid's arrow. Is that magical artifact that. Will hit people and dinner if you just get the right color roses you know. You know what tom thumb or someplace going now those are kind of freezer burn. So yeah. Or the right card. The right dinner. Those who have been in relationships long time do wish to express their gratitude to their partner. And there are some lovely tokens of ways to do that as long as you understand that those are tokens. That's fine. But when we see them as a vehicle to. Somehow change or make a relationship into something other than what it is or. Might be. Then we are. Turning an eyebrow relationship relationship that is between you and me. Into a relationship with nothing. I-it relationship. Pillage and martin buber with today. We have. Given up. Our. Ability to have authentic relationship. With people. Because we are passing them through this. Process of commoditization. That's very interesting because this often. What people do with their spiritual journeys. That people say they want spirituality. Right. People want spirituality. What i have come to learn over the years is that that probably means people want an authentic first person experience with something larger than themselves. Where something is someone tells them is larger than. Hence the explosion of workshops and retreats and pilgrimages. To various holy sites of things. And what i find is it many many people do these things all the time they don't really take the time to actually reflect on what they're experiencing. And integrate that into their lives they just do this. Kind of impact mankind of jung-hwa if consumers. Eating those little power pills of spiritual something-or-other. Without really quite understand what it is and why they're doing it and why. What it's doing to them or or could do to them if they stay.. Long enough to allow it to happen. Transformation is not. Just add water the throw in the oven. Me you can't just go to a holy well in something you know i'm afraid that doesn't work that way usually. That's why they're called miracles. So. We had to be careful about commodifying even those things we consider to be. Deeply powerful of profound for assault. Because it's easier. It's less scary. It keeps us from having to face ourselves. I'm having to deal with ourselves i mean the key. Waunakee understandings about addictions is that they are an avoidance of dealing with ourselves. Because they are a distraction or a numbing. What is it about ourselves that so terrifying. Are we afraid we don't have love. They're not loved. Do this i got baggage from our families. Yeah usually match sets but. Envia this is. The part of what we do things like counseling and therapy and psychology and stuff. But we also then have to look a little deeper about but it is who we are and how we want to relate to the universe how is my eye dowell relationship. With god or the universe or the ground of being. How is that relationship. You my internship years ago. She would after putting me through some sort of gut-wrenching kind of analysis of some sort she look at me and she goes how's your prayer life. And i turn into a pile of goo and this was. Only. Heightened by the fact that she was at she is a humanist. Who. Understands the need for these things. Is not about whether we believe there is objectively some sort of divine god. But that. What we talked about prayer which i'm not talking to. Ourselves. And. To that which we hope. Is there. For us. To support us in our times of hope and need. Their times. A joy and celebration. As a reading said earlier we need one another. Great park. That is why. I have faith that we are. Immersed. In love. The question of where is love. And what we what and what have you done with it. If it is present. Is it. Is that great second person you. That pervades and surrounds us. I want a big ass questions we can ask ourselves and each other is how do we know that love is present in our lives. Army ultimately i can give no better answer than to say that i know it because i experienced it. Usually when i am not looking for it. In my own physiology i am an imminent assist. And before you hurt yourself trying to look it up. It means that i believe that the holy or the sacred is present manifest or imminent in everything. And everyone. And all time. I have faith that we are in fact as i said immersed in love. And that we are integral part of a larger sacred reality. And here's the important part therefore it is not possible to be divorced or cut off from love. Or god. For the holy. But we can become. Unaware of it. Anesthetize. Distracted. Because we fear. But the possibility is if we engage. With that. Other. Which may be our deepest selves but maybe. Something beyond ourselves. And we can act as if we don't. Have love. And we can feel that we don't have love. The reality we wish to receive. In our minds. Is the one that we react to. You know this now from your psychology. Those are two things that the reality that we live in our head is the one that most affects us. Physically and otherwise. Well if you're negative tapes. If i got those. Ever catch yourself feeling. Why is that running in my head. Define the song it's better. An earworm. The reality we perceive. Is the one we react to. Religion is that about that which reconnect us or wakes us up or reawakens us. To the actual reality. The ultimate. To the holy. Route spinoza in 17th century as a jewish philosopher theologian wrote that. The more clearly you understand yourself and your emotions the more you become. A lover of what is. This is not just about. Us it's about us in relationship. Love does not exist by itself. It must be in relationship. And i believe that which we seek to deny distort or disrupt. Or supersede this relationship of love this hopeful encounter and participation in the holy. Is the source or experience of that which we often traditionally fortuitous in or evil. Love in this case philia and agape is found in those who minister to us and to others. And the healers and caregivers in our lives are evidence of the presence of love. I see this as a manifestation of the eyes our relationship. Describe martin buber. And when we relate to each other in the world are ways that our mutual and respectful when we are. In that i'd our relationship. The other the vow is seeing it honored. Treated as sacred. In the language of our universal principles they have inherent worth and dignity. As a part of the interconnected web of all existence. In this type of relationship. We believe that love is present. Or perhaps we are aware of his presence in the qualities of the relationship. The idle relationship is in stark contrast to that i it do we have spoken before. Cuz in the i8 relationship between. Thing as a commodity. As a useful thing we literally consume. The other. I always find it interesting that the word consume for consumption. Had a negative connotation up until the mid-twentieth century. It referred to tuberculosis. I find it interesting. We are described by our politicians and leaders. We are consumers. Citizens were consumers. That our fundamental relationship should be 12. Things. Market rather than two. The polis. To our community. So where is love. Is it within the prayers that we say in the hope that we feel. I think it's in the hands that heal and in those that give life. The shape of justice. As the song says. And it is in our loneliness seeking communion. It is in the mystery within us reaching out. To the mysteries beyond. It is in our desire. To be seen. To be known. To be understood. Do not feel hopeless. Hopeless. We're on our own. This community. So many others. Exist. Try to keep us. Falling into despair. And nihilism. Which we think that nothing is going to be better so we should just blow it all up now. Start over. Those are false gods. Because you are loved. You are worthy. You all are. Here in this place and here in our life. When we give ourselves a chance. I'll give you some exercises to go do home to do. On your own find a mirror. When you're alone nobody else is around. And i want you to look in the mirror into your own eyes in that mirror. And you say to yourself i am loved. I am a child of the universe. I am a part of something great and sacred. And holy. I am. Worthy of everything. Drive inherited. Is it descend. Of the cosmos. Or you could just look at yourself and say i love you. That's hard to do a lot of times but it's worth it. If you keep at it. Keep talking to yourself. Keep sharing yourself. With yourself. And with those. Can you trust. You love. Kahlil gibran another poem says another reading says. Make not a bond of love let there be spaces in your togetherness. Because the open the cypress grow not in each other shadow in the pillars of the temple do not stand together. So we do stand alone but we stand together. Also. Like trees in a forest. We are individual unique and yet part of a larger whole. Which is also unique. Found and loving caring. University create. The universe we perceive. The world. Do we understand to be. Is the one that we will create. In our own life. That which we give attention to. Takes on power and meaning and energy. It shapes who we are. So let us go forward now and shape a world. With having and we're sharing. With everyone. Was sharing all of the philia and agape and maybe occasionally darrell. And then we will know. Where is la. Olaf which resides in the midst of our relationships between the you and i you are in the darkest night as well as in the oil and the hope. And the gratitude we have for multitude of blessings. And loves and graces in our lives. You are in the here and the now. Oh sacred love we are part of you and you are always with us. Here to remind us that we are powerful precious holy. And not alone.

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Sermon_011710.mp3

Well you got past the holidays. Some people feel like they've been mugged vine less. Westin the road like to travel. Adventure that time of year and we'll tragical calendar. Soften referred to as the via creative for the way of creativity. It's often associated with the winter months. The jubilee community. In asheville north carolina which is a creation spirituality base christian church. Has the following definition. Or the vehicle i like it. It says that from the apparent dormancy of the winter months we are called to explore the imagination. And creativity that underlie all of creation at every moment. We come to understand that we too are divine and as such are co-creators with god. Therefore this is a time of great expectancy. As we celebrate that which is and that which. Will be. How many of your family with a book called the. Artist way. Subliminal rumor. Is very popular book by julia cameron. Energy number 290 it to because of association yes. You know you leave the absence alone so. Julia cameron russell spokane 1991 can we hardly believe it was that long ago. 6 principles of creativity. This is what she shares. She says first utility is the natural order of life life is energy. Your creative energy. Secondly there is an underlying indwelling created force infusing all of life including ourselves. Thirdly. When we open ourselves to our creativity we open ourselves to the creator's creativity within us and our lives. Fourth. We are ourselves. Creations. We and we in turn are meant to continue creativity by being creative. Ourselves. Creativity is god's gift to us. Using our creativity is our gift. Back to god. S6r creative dreams and yearnings come from a divine source. As we move toward our dreams we move toward. Our divinity. But often happens when we enter into this. of creativity. There is both a period of suspension of anticipation of waiting. Also of movement at the same time. That reading we did earlier. By marge piercy when i read to you. Connections are made slowly sometimes growing underground. This is the time of which those ground listings are growing underground. Replacing my yard. Which is a test for many of us especially when we have a large tree in our yard. To get the grass to grow to fry cuz we play patches in chepachet right next to each other. Offer something. Well. All the grass seed i was looking at was telling me that i need to put it down. Before the winter. So that it would grow. Slowly. During the winter months stronger. When is spring finally came. Interesting is i thought nothing grew during the winter time. Johnson's scott's bag. Christian said otherwise. I did that. Things are always going on underneath. And then they often bubbles the top sometimes. 10 things that creativity does to us is it shipped. Nothing bubbles up at us from one place to another. Is schitt's our consciousness from the here and now. The here and now we thought we were living in. To the one that is actually. Think of the. Story the parker palmer told about the irish smoke. Filled up in the wall. He obviously had some great experience and revelation and he came to share with his community. You're not interested in being transformed. Awesome that is the case in our lives we may have an epiphany. A transformational experience. Something creatively powerful has happened to us. And in the process we are alienated. From any of those. Or even our surrounding. Any of us who've been through recovery of various sorts aaa or other groups. This is not unfamiliar to us. That one this is, that when we get healthy. When we go through. Our steps. That the people we had thought. Many of the ones pushing us. Gorgeous. Suddenly realize they're uncomfortable with us changing. Becoming healthier with the coming. More of who we are entering into the creativity of self creation. A self realization. This. of the year asked us to wait. The stand-in suspension. Now a few weeks ago when it was really really cold. Most of us were much more willing to enter into that space mentally because everything was sort of in suspension. Everything nothing. Types. Rhodes name. Leaving now. Even as the sun is growing more everyday. Wish i heard someone, the other day that they were just really thrilled about. Even with that happening we are still in a place where we're still waiting for. The grass to start growing above ground. Sometimes i reminded visible any rocky horror picture fans. The line. Frankenfurter. Manchester. Patient. Does you go to the movie to hear this it's a lot of banter between the continent the audience and the congregation. Oh yeah. The audience and the screen. Is that there's a lot of banter and 12 things when this character says anticipate. Decent people in the audience go say it send. Sometimes i feel like i'm yelling at this. Waiting for that. Thing to happen. Starhawk. One of the leading. Writers and theologians in the. Contemporary pagan movement. Truth or dare. And you can sit out there. Well i'm headed to rediscover classic. She talked about one of her experiences i'm going to share that with you. 600 women. Are crowded in the gym at camp parks. All of us have been arrested for blockading the livermore weapons lab. One of the two facilities in united states where nuclear weapons are designed and developed. We are irritable and uncomfortable. Today is hot voices ricocheted off the walls and pounced on the wooden floor. Miscanti food runs short at every meal. No one has slept well and we have no doors to close out the crowd. Constant meetings the decisions to be made no way to withdraw or be alone. On our second day in custody we are massed in the center of the floor having an endless meeting. That is becoming excited and extended argument. We are arguing about solidarity about militancy about violence and nonviolence about 6 urology and spirituality and how polite we should be you're not be to the guards. We have learned from our lawyers the gym we are held in had been decided experiments with radioactive substances. We are arguing about who knew the fact ahead of time and why didn't alice. And what we should do about it. Outside. Nothing. Dust smog and barbed wire. Inside r600 women rapidly getting sick of each other. And feeling their bodies on is getting rather frayed. And then the woman runs in she bursted the door and open doorway that leads to the concrete exercise yard six guards are after her grab her her around her. Ripping her arms and legs and killing her with our bodies. Guards grabbed her legs and pull we resist. Holding on. And the guards of the women are shouting in a moment i know the night sticks will descend on kidneys and heads. But in that suspended interval before the violence starts we hold our ground. And then someone begins. 2chan. The chanters wordless. Elohim. The swells and grows with open vowels as if we had become the collective voice of some ancient beasts that grows in sings the voice of something that knows nothing of guns walls nightsticks mace or barbed wire fencing yet gives protection. A voice outside of surveillance or calculation. But not outside knowledge a voice that is recognized by our bodies if not her mind and is known also to the guards who is human bodies like ours have been animal for a million years. Control was invented. Regards back away. A woman whispers. Become a tableau sitting a class named woman as with as if we are healing her with our voices and our magic. The confrontation has become a laying on of hands. Guards. Stand. Call. Isolated pillars. They look bewildered. Something they are unprepared for. Unprepared even to name. Has arisen in our moment of common action. They do not know what to do. And so after i'm woman. They withdraw. The chance dies away. It is over. For a moment. Mystery. Asbestos board. The moment passes. We take a deep breath. Return to our arguments and irritation. The encounter does not transform us into saints or even make us all get along much better. Implications of incident are too much for us to take in fully. We've all at all. Returning to our usual games and strategies. Yep it is taking place and then act. I could reach teacher something deep about power. In that moment in that jail the power of domination and control them at something outside is comprehension. How are rooted in another source. Know that power. Read the situation they're bringing forth. It's sometime. So there's something spontaneous happens. For all of the training that these people have gone through to prepare for protest. That some of us have gone through these protests trainings before in marches and other things. In fact. This whole book is about how to do sort of religious spiritual countercultural challenging of authority and. Protesting how to be effective. And yet for all of that preparation it is often the spontaneous moment that arises. They can only arise when the ground has been seated. Play all of this other work. Ground has to be plowed. It has to be. Made ready. A lot of what we do here and worship for example what we do. In our lives. Mason wrote. But yet it is in those moments. Does open moments that occur. When i'm up here preaching and talking about something. Tell me about the children shall lead them in a baby cries. Those moments. Something about god calling and somebody cell phone goes off. Celestine. I try. Those moments when we are together with our loved ones. We may set out to create the vacation for wonderland and it's great. But it's in the moment we're sitting around catching our breath. Ask for the creativity. Emergency. The seeds of the creativity we have planted. Are fruit. It is the being together. Is the being together in community. That allows going this moment to happen. Supervisor. Situation first take place. Which. The singing. The singing changes from being simply. Music to being. Something more as bernice johnson reagan talked about. Parker palmer talks about the shift our stand from one moment. Another our flame changes. Is all talking about reframing so we're going to think about it in terms of reframing. Our perception. Reality world. What is. That might help. I thought a number of years ago that i had a pretty good handle on the civil rights movement historically or something of the history geek. Grub in the south. Call anamosa what's going on. Southern. History tour number of years ago back in 2002. Places in the deep south. The part of the universal sister here are movement had mashed with. Civil rights movement. And one of the places we went to with selma. Any of you been to selma. You had on board with us. Three men for men who actually been at salma salma transpired. Ministers colliesonline. Or loughmiller particularly. Park freeman. Or with the reverend james reid. A unitarian minister when he was beaten to death. Buy a white crowd. It came out of a diner. I knew all these stories. I stood on the corner. With. Clark in or las miller. Outside the diner after i just eatin inside the restaurant. The occupy the same space. And stood with them and a handful of. Other people. As they told us exactly how things happen in pointed where people were standing. What happened to james reid and sorlock being beaten and other people running off. Looking for help. It was no longer. It was no longer. History far far away. My perspective has changed. There was a creative moment there and which i entered into. A little closer. What actually transpired. More connected. War part of that larger force. And the same was true honey watch it when we walk across the edmund pettus bridge. In silence. Together song. Realizing just how short a distance that really wrong. And yet many people were beaten and gas. Trenton. Lost their lives. And then we drove down the highway later on. George montgomery. And we saw this trying along the highway where. Car went near where the car went off the road where viola liuzzo unitarian leg women from minnesota. And her car was run off the road. And she was shotgun. And as we experience the events in haiti. And other places. They become real. As we encounter people who are connected. But i am in the airport. My vendor lot recently. And i encounter servicemen and women coming back. We're going to. War sounds. It suddenly becomes a lot more. Pamela w. Are in turn shared with me that. One of the news reporters on ntr and i hate to say i can't remember tell insane. She heard. She was just stunned because he was one of her flatmates in san francisco. And he was. Tommy. As reported he was doing haiti. And she said she'd never heard him cry in her life. Degrees of separation are pretty marginal. Nowadays. That is the earth is flat because of our ability to be connected. So useless. I think is. Fairly accurate representation. So we are offered a challenge and opportunity. Through that creativity. That is ours. And those connections. Hr hours. 2 gauge. And shift our awareness where can have the shifting of our awareness in power us. Has bernice johnson talked about with the song she had some of those songs for whole life that suddenly in a new contacts they meant something. My late sister margot was dying. Cancer. And breathing her last i was. Brought up short by seeing. The song to myself. And then to her. That i had known for years. I know this rose will open. I know. My fear will burn away i know my soul will incirlik swings. I know this rose will open. Suddenly it wasn't just a nice song. It was something powerful and profound. Play the moments with. Creativity. And that. Relationship with the divine. However we know it. Is that much. So is up to us to honor our connections. Cultivation. I know this is a challenge to a lot of. Some of you may be frustrated waiting for me to respond. Facebook inquiries. But we still have a great treasure. In that treasure we have tremendous. Opportunity to experience our own power. Individually and collectively. We're together. Vision widens. Our strength is. As we move forward from this place and this time. Cherry that. That you are not alone. Together. You can do more when you come individual. Just let us a.

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20150607-Sermon.mp3

I think the last 25 years or so have been pretty hard on all of us right there's ever been around that long by the way. I know it seems to me that feels like it was about 1990 when things got really. Kind of complicated chain started happening culturally and ways we hadn't expected hadn't seen coming and then by 1995. Oh my gosh i was using email you know i negotiated my first letter of agreement with my free first congregation in 1995 by using email oh my gosh email. And then within 45 years we had the internet. Which is. True unfortunately. So we're dealing with all of those changes and then along receive how many years ago was it smartphone came out. 567 now i have something here that has more computing power than all of nasa did. In the 1960s for the moon launch seriously. I was looking at computer today and they are now coming with two terabyte hard drives i know they're people who work in the information technology sector. Story packages to businesses for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Okay and now you can get us some drive to do that. You know. Scuse me. So things are happening i mean the kids are learning to do stuff on my smartphone. They're playing games on it and they know how to open things i don't my phone when nate was with with with my wife on its side she had no idea she had to finally. Because they shouldn't be out alone. What. My parents would go insane 6 kids oh my god. They wanted us to go away and we can drive we were buying groceries at the store for the family we are picking up other brothers and sisters we were doing errands okay there was none of this hovering stuff because. And we're just as busy as they are expected to do all this other stuff too i don't know. So you know the lottery. Apart of. Of our living. Everyday i mean and it just our experience of it. Whether it's true or not experience of it may not be any more profound than those who were working in the the cloth industry in the seventeenth century when the mills began and the luddites rose to smash the machines you know. Dealing with all these changes these things are happening so one of the things we can do is we can scream and yell and shout in a good way or usefully will probably get horse. Things will keep moving. So change is. Apart of living. With all of its brief and its goodness. To be fully human. We have to respect and embrace change so i have to like it with all its risks for doing harm along with all its powers and potentials. For creating. The beloved community. We don't have change we can't go from the status quo to something else. Bridges in another place says transitions like individual organizations like individuals and organizations can repress the future just as a repressed the path that doesn't interesting thing that we can repress the future. In the same way we were pressed the past. Repressing the past creates subjects that cannot be discussed he says so it creates problems that cannot be addressed. Secrets and the individuals or organizations path to its destiny and leaves it buffeted by constant change. Repressing pressing the future blocks the organization's path to its destiny and leaves it buffeted by constant change. No i know that i am a lot of leadership feel like we're constantly buffeted by change and our roles here and so maybe are we doing something to repress our future thing to think about. But one of the key things that comes out of all the time standing of transitions changes. Is that. There's an opportunity here. Transitions. Have three major parts ones and ending. A middle part. End. A beginning. Caterpillar chrysalis butterfly. So basically something has to die or stop being in order for something else to come into being. And with that comes endings to things to step back to take inventory. To see things from a new perspective that really is a place of wisdom that we gained over a lifetime. That we can. See things differently than we do when we have our head down in the everyday move ahead kind of position. That transition that. Neutral place the neutral zone erik erikson calls and i kind of think of klingons and romulans when i think a neutral zones but that's just my upbringing. In-between place. Is a place where we can. Do different things we can try on different things. There's no hard-and-fast rules. And so it's an opportunity. Trust to make changes in the direction that we want. Because. There's no guarantee that we're going to end up someplace radically different from where we were if we don't make the effort to get there. If you don't know where you're going you'll probably get there so we have to make sure that we use this opportunity because things don't take as much energy plastics. So on a personal level we have an opportunity but we also have these opportunities at other levels in our lives so we can move them towards a new beginning which reintegrate all the things we wish to bring with us. And the new things that we've found. And out of that if we are clever if we are smart and attentive but we will build into ourselves is a higher degree of resilience. In a cultural change. It's like. You martial arts when you hit something it tends to cause muscle the bones to break down just a little bit and then they recalcify and when they do is harder. Your bones are actually harder than they were before people get a break in the bone. Disorder think we maybe get broken a little bit by these changes but if we are able to then use that experience to then move us to a place where we have a higher level of resilience. To these things. Then the next time something comes along. We're not going to turn off our center quite so dramatically we're not going to be thrown into chaos quite so dramatically. He'll still be transitioned overwhelmed by them in the same way. This is true on any level individual institutional. Cultural. So if we're building a new way. Perhaps getaway of resilience. A way of using change and our transitions expansive condition. Building resilience individually and collectively if i learn from my experience as i hopefully did when i was younger i had a paid one of the starter marriages and my 2023. You don't even have a fully-formed prefrontal cortex what were they thinking i know i wasn't. So. You know and he was all well-intended and everything but good lord and. You do and i was just worse within you know. A couple years separated with into and divorced within 4. In the middle of heartbreak and nothing but of course you learn from these things. And you become more resilient you you you understand yourself better you understand your sense of relationships better. You have to actually leave these things to make them work i had a therapist years ago. Who want to shed now. Can this room a lot of people who are well-educated or who read a lot. We tend to think if we if we if we get information even if it's just blame the book. That somehow we are at a fide and we've solved the issue. Our curiosity has been satisfied and we can now look at with it it's no longer a problem in the universe. Because we are at a fide. What. Yeah. No. You know. Hey i still buy books i haven't gotten to read yet you know sometimes i think this will take over but. So we have to take what we learn and practice with it and do things with it in the real world out here like we do it the gardening i mean something said randall reed seed catalogs it's a whole nother thing to buy them put them in the ground roem harvest. Begin changes are transitions. Don't necessarily mean we move forward we can move backwards or laterally so. Sing we have to look at it though is what are we going to get out of this. An adaptive change but it says is that there are changes that are on a higher level of systemic level. So we have to use those that we have to engage with those because otherwise if we do if we keep doing the same things were doing if we run into a problem and we keep doing the things we know how to do we're probably not going to change the situation because. Technical changes and those are great maybe there's a real need for those you know yes i really should clean up my house i really should you know i get these things out of the way i should do this or that the other thing is that really going to affect. Some other larger dynamic in my life is that really going to help me feel better. About. What i'm doing. So adaptive change is one way on a larger scale that we can we can think about how we build a new way of doing things of being in the world. And i think i'm a larger-scale there's so much we could look at. One little thing is it is a. Pulled the transition network. Org transition network. About 10 years ago and it's really taken off globally. How to create self-organizing groups. Have local effect on a global scale. And they're saying that they're looking at is. The issue of. Climate change but also the fact that we have hit the pecan oil. And from here on out we're probably not going to see as much oil ever again. Ever again and that things like city planning is still based on assumptions. The people had 20 years ago or 40 years ago about the availability of petroleum products and things like that. So we're still planning here in plano for all of our housing our infrastructure and everything else on the assumption that we're going to have ready access to petroleum products for the next 30 years or 4:40 maybe. I don't know we might but right now you know why saudi arabia is pumpkin oil like crazy because oil is going out of fashion and they know it and high oil prices drives the incentive to develop alternative and they're trying to undercut that incentive to develop alternatives. That's why they're pumping like crazy because i know it will keep the market open longer and they're trying to put money away because someday they're not going to have it and they know it. Two. So. We're not going to work early i just your technology we're not going to solve it by having you know more oil exploration or grazing like that so this group is saying we need to build resilience in our communities so that we can handle it. So this is one example of one set of organizations that is looking at how do we work with our local communities and building this scent of resilient into what we do i think would be an interesting fallout exercise groups in plano or in collin county. Or had to deal with. What if you run out of oil. What. Do you do. What happens. And i bet there's a tremendous cascade or what if you run out of natural gas or you run out of water. What do you do. To deal with this what do we do. State of fear and doomsday preparedness stuff. It is to think about how do we build structures and systems that aren't. Acceptable. To these things. As they are now. So. As we move forward with looking at the changes that are going on in our lives in the transitions were going through personally. Internally we also have opportunities here there's an opportunity for us to find ways to learn and to become more resilient. It's not about being closed off or being hard it's not creating shell it's more like when plant blow in the wind and they develop a stronger internal structure. The consequence of it there's some plants that if they don't have wind. They don't grow very well. Because they aren't strong enough to grow vertically. And maybe get past the canopy of smothers. So we need that stimulation. How do we use it. How to look for. How do we build in that resilience. Which will allow us. Build a new way. Our community for ourselves for our families for our world. Cuz that's what we're trying to do. Trying to build. A new way. Be together. As human beings as children of the universe. So let us go forward. Act locally think globally and embrace changes in the transitions to come our way. Slandering.

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20151011-Sermon.mp3

I have a feeling i should explain that story a little more. Anybody's not familiar with the. Idea of schrodinger's cat. As a metaphorical illustration than a cat in a box. If like the particles. Can be both dead and alive at the same time. We don't know what it is. Until it is observed. At that time then it is one of the other. And that was deaf. I see you. Jerry seinfeld. Says that according to most studies people's number one fear is public speaking. Number 2 is death. Jesse's number to does that sound right he says this means that the average person if you go to a funeral you're better off in the casket then doing the eulogy. I have seen some of those. George carlin. Precious soul. Says i'm always relieved when somebody is delivering a eulogy and i realize i'm listening to it. And isaac asimov. Says life is pleasant. Death is peaceful it's the transition that's troublesome. This month we're spending time talking about death that can be difficult for some of us. Challenging for others. The lightning for even other more. What is unitarian universalist say about. This inevitability this. Death. While no one is required to hold a creed about this we do affirm that death is a natural phenomenon that is. Normal. Forest church the lake forest church rights religion. Is our human response. Do the dual reality of being alive and having to die. And i'll be speaking more on him and his. Reflections next week. Another formulation i heard years ago is 2. Imagine you were born with the overcoat and its pockets there were instructions for living and dying. In one pocket you found a slip of paper. With a verse of scripture that says from dust you have, and unto dust you shall return. And in the other pocket you find a slip of paper that says yours is the earth. And the fullness thereof. One of the beliefs that defines. The latest liberals as such. Is an emphasis and a certainty. Of the importance of processes as means. Rather than focusing on the ends themselves. How we get somewhere affects the quality of the ends we achieve. The quality of the way we live our lives cannot help but affect the quality of the way we face our deaths. I strongly feel that the beliefs we hold shape the way we live our lives. This is no less true about our views of death and afterlife. Then anything else that we may have faith in. Our lives affect our views of death and our views of death affect our lives. For example if our view of death. And what happens afterward is a highly individualistic one. We will tend to view life in that same way. Unfortunately. In the act of seeking freedom from often toxic. And restrictive kreta beliefs or. Family systems it has been that many. Have embraced a radical individualism. And this. Type of engine individualism usually elevates the individual to the top of a pyramid value rather than trying to find a balance of interdependence. But i find unfortunate is that this type of radical individualism now most read by our consumer culture. Tends to breed a growing isolation from others. In the mistaken notion that we have to do things on our own or else we are weak. I know no one in this room has that problem. It says. That this idea says that you are born alone we live alone we die alone. And it's a lie. A source source of hope for many of us is that even with the death of a loved one we can change that relationship by changing ourselves and how we relate to their interior presence in our lives. That love outlast time and death. And all the stars. Is unitarian universalist we historically have rejected the idea of having a fallen or depraved nature. And embrace the idea of an ultimately optimistic universe. This is not about pollyanna. Everything's going to be just fine. It depends with the arcana versus long and it bends towards justice. We have. Reflected this idea in our first principle of our covenant the inherent worth and dignity of every person. Well we often interpret that phrase is a highly individualistic statement. I see it as a statement not about an individual but about all. Individuals. If all are worthy. Then the fate of one is the fate of all. We are all in this. Together. And nobody gets out alive as unitarian universalist we uphold the democratic process by which compassion. Are manifest in our relationships with each other and the world. Addition kluddes. Death. Is john donne wrote about death. He comes equally to us all and makes us all equal when it comes. Death is the ultimate act of democracy in this world. We believe about death affects the way we live our lives. Flores david eaton in are responsive reading. Said earlier. All living substance. Of energy being and purpose are united and share the same destiny. Old people those we love and those we know not of our united and share the same destiny. Birth to death. We share this unity with the sun. Earth are brothers and sisters strangers. Flowers of the field snowflakes volcanoes. And moonbeams. Birth life. Death. Unknown known. Unknown. May we have the faith to accept this wonderful mystery. And build upon its everlasting truth. No i. Have come to understand in my life journey that the only. Promise of any sacred thing. Is the promise of a more abundant life. It's our understanding of death helps us to be healthier. Liberated engaged well filled as persons and as communities. And it is to be cherished. But if an understanding of death limits our willingness at our ability to love. Or to be kind. If it makes us afraid of ourselves and others if it threatens the very bonds of our solidarity with each other. And all that is. Then it is not an understanding deaf we're squandering our lives for. We are in need. Of one another in life. And death. And we are not cut off from each other even after death. Through our seventh principle the interconnected web of all existence of which way are apart. We affirm this reality. But no matter how we view death and afterlife. We are always connected to each other. Whether this connection is through some atomic structures as part of the cycles of nature. Or to the survival of the spirit and a heaven of all souls or through some form of reincarnation where is many others. That we can explore and speculate on this side of the event horizon of death. We are part of a world community. That is the world community but i would say. A global and. Solar system-wide. If perhaps even wider. Community. Cuz now we know that there is physical interaction. Between. Our souls are environment our environment. N-space. And the other thing is in our solar system and the oort cloud and those things with other or clouds other solar system. So in a daisy chain. We have connection to the universe. Any community that we are part of stretches backwards and forwards through generations and time. We die not alone. And we live not alone we exist together and not. Alone. I know that's a hard thing for internalized. It's really tough. But one is feeling isolated. Cut off. Especially even from oneself. That is the definition of loneliness. Not a solitude. The idea is that together. We can bridge those. Illusions of separateness. That we can be more together. That we can be healing and caring. Together. So however we understand death and whatever exists beyond it. We are each other's. Is this life and for. Eternity. One of my favorite benedictions. That i use in memorial services. Was written by my former internship supervisor kendall givens. Enclosing she offers us. A faithful hope. For our lives and what lay beyond. Not close with the. Is so much that is precious can be so easily lost. Let us more dearly cherish all that remains. The love we can no longer give to our beloved. May we choose to give to those who need it. Whatever we have known and loved becomes a part of us. And is ours forever. Well all about us and within it is a mystery. And the mystery shines with a light that reveals to us all that is beautiful and good. May we have faith. That is not otherwise beyond the limit of our sight. That beauty and yours. That goodness reigns. That love outlast time and death. And all the stars. Live in love. Died in love. It's that simple. And that differ.

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Reading_051009.mp3

The story of the flower communion is a fundamental. Story for us in our times. Conflict of pluralism. A global community. It is the story of one man of a community in particular place and time. But it is also a story for us now. Norbert topic. Was raised a baptist in czechoslovakia. In 1910 he was introduced. Two unitarianism by professor thomas mazurek the first president of czechoslovakia and his american wife charlotte. Who was from the first unitarian church of brooklyn new york. Capek later moved to the united states where he attended the unitarian church in east orange new jersey. In 1923. Capek returned to his native land where he founded the unitarian church. This new church. Grew rapidly. With the prague congregation reaching over 3,500 members. It was the largest unitarian congregation in the world. The prague congregation whilst also very diverse. Made up of many people with catholic protestant and jewish backgrounds. To serve this diversity. And his vision of democratic and religious community. Tropic road hymns and liturgies and created unique rituals and symbols including the flower communion. The czech community was caught up in the tidal waves before and of world war which swept through europe. With the german occupation. Capek continue to preach. Even with the gestapo sitting in his congregation. Then they came and they arrested him in 1941 in march. For listening to a bbc broadcast. In 1942 he was sent to dachau concentration camp. His papers were stamped with the words. Return unwanted. Even in prison capek continue to write him. Actively inspiring his friends family and congregation right up until his death later that year. As a subject of medical experiments. The flower communion. Was originally designed by norbert capek. To make hannibal the idea that each of us. Brings gifts to our religious community. And together those gifts create beauty. In our church. And uh. Archer. Internet service also takes away gifts. When we are part of this community. And often we do not know. Who gave these gifts. Which means most to us. Or who perhaps received with gratitude. The gifts which we ourselves have given. That is the nature and inherent mystery. A human community. This morning. We celebrate that same ritual again. The flowers connect us not only here to each other. Here in this congregation that also to unitarian universalist. All over the world. And from many many years ago. And stretching down into the future. We may have never met. Or may never meet. But who have all been apart. Of this celebration of community.

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20151227-Sermon.mp3

To everything there is a season. Turnings. Our lives are always in the process of turning. Life is not static. And the beginning of the new year is a special turning. It is special because it's as we turn the calendar page. To the new year. We have an opportunity ahead. And look back and reflect. Purpose of this service. Is to look back at the year just ending. To honor the verse the death. And other milestones in our lives. Vegetation of time in two years as an arbitrary one yet it does afford us an opportunity to stop and reflect. T'mark the passage of our days. To comprehend the broad sweep of our lives and it's right to do so in the context of religious community. For if we are to discern the meaning of our living. We need the support of the presence of others. With whom we can share some level of trust. We also need the company of an enduring religious tradition. Surprises understanding and compassion. We have a human need to believe and know that there are hands and hearts that will join our hands and our hearts. And acknowledging our loves and fears our griefs and joy. And so today in this religious community. Let us acknowledge the ways we have been touched in this past year. Touch my birth. Touched by death. Touched by any significant earnings in our lives. Am i making this acknowledgment may we come to see the narrative of our lives with greater clarity. May we come to a greater consciousness of what it is to live. And from that gay new resolve to live deeply and well. Do everything there is a season. Endings need to be acknowledged. We must honestly acknowledge our own grief and vulnerability at the reality of death. The we know that death is natural. And generative at every level of reality. Lettuce recall. In the stillness of this moment. Those who have died this past year. Some died quietly. Satisfied in their years others long after the moment they would have chosen for their ending. A great many died far too soon. Accidents. War. Migration. Institutionalized violence. Everyone who died had someone who would mourn for them. Assignor daughter. Brother sister. Mother. Father. Friend. Lover. To all we give thanks for the moments they shared with us and their journey through life. To all we recommit ourselves to the affirmation of life. And we would like handled in honor of those who gave this universe consciousness. By their coming and going. If you have experienced the death of someone close to you in this past year. I invite you to speak the name of the one who died. And then light a candle on the wall in remembrance. And lettuce light yet another candle. In honor of all those of earth great family of humanity. Who have died in this past year. May those who mourn be comforted. Maybe remember that the dead live in every conscious thought and active us the living. To hold them in loving memory. To everything there is a season. Every culture has ceremonies that mark birth and death because we were so important. Yet these two events are but two and a long list of transitions that occur in life. And as we look back we see many days throughout the year that might be turning for us some turnings or the occasion for public acknowledgment and celebration graduation or marriage perhaps others are more difficult to celebrate illness separation divorce. 4-cylinder turnings there are no traditional rituals to mark their passing. Those precious moments of internal growth a letting go of what can no longer be. Or an embracing of the new moments difficult to name but significant earnings none the less for an every turning of a person's life. There lies the potential for a new sense of self for creative transformation it is right that we should acknowledge these significant events and transitions in our lives. In the context of religious community. I want you to contemplate contemplate. The significant earnings in your lives during the past year. There's no prescription for what qualifies as a significant turning. Only you yourself cannot do those events. In which the potential for creative transformation lies. Are those events which are important milestones in your life i invite you to name the turning in your life that we make knowledge it here and community and if you wish you may name your turning only in your heart. Before lighting a candle on our candle wall. And we light yet another candle. In honor of all those turnings and earth's great family of humanity. Better unspoken. My risking growing and sharing. We renew the bonds of affection in faith. Is the dance of our lives unfold. May we turn and spend together. Everything there is a season. Mansion this. You're living in a world constituted almost entirely of war. Water. And darkness. Food and shelter are free. Life demands nothing of you. Yet daily you grow and develop and change. And if you grow your world start. Your world slowly become smaller. Will constricted finally you are too big for your world. It will no longer contain you. And when this time comes not so much by an act of will is buying us essity. You break free. Entering a dark tunnel and moving toward the light. In a matter of moments. You enter a new world. You are born. And your life changes forever within minutes brightness dryness and hunger are introduced into your world. And by your entrance the world you enter also changes. In quick measure you both subtract from and add to its quotient of suffering and joy. Perhaps no event is a greater occasion for joy. No event gives greater calls for the rejuvenation of faith and hope. Then the birth or adoption or fostering of a child. Children are testaments to the spirited impulse toward being. Children give the no to death. To all the new children and are mixed we bid you welcome. To all the children who have traveled through our mist we bid you safe passage. We rejoice in your new being even as we accept our part in your future. If a child has come into your life during the past year. I invite you to speak that child's name. And lot of candle on our candle wall. And we might yet another candle in honor of all those of earth's great family of humanity who were born in this past year. Ladies candle serve is a blessing and a hope for the future of the new lives among us. Maybe stroke no peace and be a blessing to the generations they will yet bring forth. The circle of life song going. The belle of the new year will soon ring out in a message of grief and change and joy. The year wiltern. And so our lives go on turning. We have given thought to what has been. And marked those turnings. Now we can open ourselves to what will be. The circle of life is ongoing. And we are here now together. And it is good.

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20130825-Reading_1.mp3

Like to share with you now reading entitled the stream of life. The same stream of life that runs through my veins. Night and day. Runs through the world and dances and rhythmic measures. It is the same life that shoots enjoy through the dust of the earth. In number list blades of grass. And breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers. It is the same life that is robbed in the ocean cradle of birth and of death. In ab. And inflow. I feel my limbs are made glorious by the touch of this world of life. And my pride is from the life throb of ages. Dancing in my blood. This moment.

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Reading_031311.mp3

Our readings this morning come from a couple of sources one is from. Ralph waldo emerson's essay self-reliance. He says. Prayer that craves a particular commodity anything less than all good. Is vicious. Prayer is the contemplation of the facts of life. From the highest point of view. It is the soliloquy of a beholding and jubilant soul. It is the spirit of god pronouncing his works good. What prayer is a means to effect a private end is meanness and theft. It supposed to ilysm and not unity in nature and consciousness. As soon as the. Man is at one with god he will not beg. He will then see prayer in all action. From a pamphlet. Call unitarian universalist views of prayer which you can see online. Couple of selections of. Difference. People who have written on saying or somewhere to read three of these. First one is rodger cohen. He says in a desperate moment i cried out for help and i was answered some years later. I am still a humanist. I believe that religion is about this world about bringing justice and mercy and power of love into the life here and now. Yet i am a humanist to phrase. Who begins each morning with devotional reading this anytime of silence and prayer. Why do i do this. I need a quiet time. I need to express my gratitude. I need you military. I pray because alone i am not enough and also i am too much. I express gratitude for all the gifts of aliveness. I assert my oneness with you and all humankind and all creation. When all your prey. I acknowledge. Play god is not me. Lucy virginia hitchcock has among her. Comments she says. Prayer for me is taking time to be present. For that gracious spirit and aware of the gifts that come to and through me simply because i am alive. One word for this time of presents is gratitude. Another word is meditation in which by observing my breathing i become ever more of creation in process. In addition prayer is theological reflection and social strategy and alone and in groups. This leads. Chewy return of gifts bestowed. As in the wonderful universalist affirmation. Which i love to recite in our communal worship. Love is the doctrine of this church. If i swear truth is our sacrament and service is our prayer. And james ishmael ford. Another of my colleagues says. In my thirty years delving into the zen practices of bear attention. This has been my experience. At the moments within our complete nakedness to what is we find our foolishness and glory are all review. Hear our hearts and minds open and here we come to the experience that is worthy of those. Wonderful words meaning and purpose. Within this prayer within this attention. We can find our connections. Sweet as a deep intimacy. And out of this knowledge. We find a moral perspective. A call to justice. And a piece. Surpasses all. Sew-ins are rita.

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Sermon_091111.mp3

Mother cell. Price gird myself. 4. People on. Anniversary. Pass. Say. Also the second. Other lighters. Publication. Tired. A lot of. Hoard. When i heard. Congregation in south carolina. Tuesday's were my usual day off. I was puttering around my house. Saying all those things. We all hope to get around to it. But i received an urgent phone call from my director religious education. Turn on the television. Template. Turn on my television set just in time to see the second. I was jarred. Out of. Referee. Z reality. A wider world unfolding. I know. Call. Other. York. I found out tuesday afternoon that my brother and his wife why it's not weird. Safely away. We're actually. They had been another part of the island and were in fact say. But they could have easily been. Ground zero if headers have. Schedule. At least. Congregation. Nyu living in the dorm. Hi. Felt like i was mugged. Very tasty. Conversation shortly afterwards with a mother i knew. She commented on how she grieves for her children would never live in a world where they could feel safe. And i reminded her of our own generation upbringing. Under the threat of nuclear destruction. Always. Lie. You seem to take home. He know that they will survive. Even as he dealt with our existential threads. But it is horrible. We use american federally jerk into awareness adjust how violent place world is. For so many of our brothers and sisters around the world. Our safety and the illusion of it. He often give lip service to being part of. Web of all of existence. But these atrocities. Our connection to each other and us will have been made. Honduras plane crash will pay tower. Ground pennsylvania. They struck a thunderous. Hoard. Call the web of all interconnected lives. Herring us under many of our lives together. Complex music of tragedy horror. Courage. Hope. Passion. I still. Reverberate. This is not only an american tragedy but a tragedy for people around the world. Many thanks. Countries and places. Had. On the ground. We also as a superpower are dishonorable. How much more vulnerable. World. You cannot ever again see ourselves as a nation. Separate. Who are world. Has. Orient express. Ears. We're in our. Stop. Tasha. Has worn off some. Nile of rvs. Here and anger. He. Someone. 16 suffering. He needed this season. Laugh out loud. Ensure that justice. Savior. Auto expressions of our desire for vengeance. Pagan eye-for-an-eye google all. The quran surah 5 it says do not allow your hatred. Sunset. He had engaged war. Against. Nation. Add against any of our. Or. Money taken. Fun ward site. Almost deliberately abused. Journey to the worst sort of cronyism. Hi. I think this is important later. Mine. The crisis we face. Great park. War of retribution or justice. Understand but reckless adventurism. Hair and tyranny. Solitary and systems. Dominus. All have something in common. They have each other in common. And especially. Here. A saudi destroys human bonds of solidarity and prevention. Call me. In the wake of 9/11 there wasn't. Serious. Felt love for public figures. Grateful. Maybe this was a turning point. For something different. I would say most of this. Solitaire. Wedges. Ribbon. Call pipe. Call race. Call classy. Nationality. Where we now have. Highly polarized. National park. The last year's. Added or subtracted from each other. Nationwide car service. World. I would say there are no no and i'm working miller with it. Just from the daily exposure. And now we think we are really are. I think he knows that there is no. Issue. But there are. Literally housing. Are more diverse. Apparel. Are we doing all morning. Thousands are dead. Name of a few thousand people killed on 9/11. Tens of thousands of americans. Allied services miller dead. Hundreds of thousands. Pakistan. Set army. Veteran. Late great sainted molly ivins. Often quoted from an obituary for george. Gerber who headed the annenberg school. 25 years. Herbert said fearful people are more dependent more easily manipulated. Hardline posters. They may accept. It promises to leave. Parodies. Hollywood didn't actually going to summarize this by saying that.. Bad. A lot of hair. And a lot of. Author frank herbert. Author of dune series of science fiction novels. Crystal shop addresses many issues and one of them is the issue of fear any litany for addressing fear he says i must not fear fear is the mind-killer. Here is little olivia. I will face my fear i will admit it. Passover meal has gone i will turn. Over. I. Weather here has gone there will be nothing. Simpler version of this is. Tear. I permitted to pass over me and through me. Haunted hair salon. Nothing. He must take into account. Raped. You should know. Here. Courage. He doesn't need you have nothing. Going against. Heard. Deer called. Hurry. These days. Idle screw. He will destroy us. Right now our economy is it hatter. Richard. Forearm. Restaurants. Billion dollars. I'd only our political system. Are you. People want. We know that's not true. Negative. Devastating blow. And here. Each of us here. Favorite. Bring into the circle of cooperate. Always. Always. I think of ourselves as hats and washing up on the beat. Mater helmet. Hair. Children. Pattonville. Raisins are. 1 line. Christian mingle. Leather world with lydia. That are children. Not happy meal. So with courage. Forward. Needtobreathe for those who have died. Catastrophes. Read or all of ourselves for our loved ones for the lost. Once more of our sense of security. Let us hope and pray for wisdom for ourselves. 4 hour. What is pray and hopeless. Still those were doing important work. Citrusolution. Legos. You remember. Mercy psl. Let us remember to embrace our lives. Stranger friend. The living manifestation of all that is holy. We. Har. Here where god or the holy. Has been all along. It has been in the courage of those who risk their lives for others. Now. Is in the kindness of strangers it is in our ears that is in our hands as we reach out to each other and work. It is in the quiet of the night sharing our struggles. 50 other. Are suffering. It is in the hope we carry as a seed in our hearts. Ready to reclaim the devastation. As the garden. Spirit of life. Mauritius. I noticed. I know mine is. I know. I know that. Join us in our closing hymn number 121.

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20140209-Homily_3.mp3

So it's a question most of us have heard from small children in from each other this morning. Where did we come from. You've heard jeanette and sarah offer two very different kinds of answers. One kind includes all of the various stories people have told each other since we first sat around a fire in a cave. About gods and magic. About a world carried on the back of a giant turtle. I love those stories. The image of the sipapu the holy opening through which humans were born into the world. The image of a loving god picking up a handful of mud. And lovingly shaping it into a man. There's another wholly different kind of answer. One based in the careful analysis of data. Wanted insist on evidence. This kind of answer to the question. Where did we come from. Has been built over the centuries from the steady accretion of small observations building on each other. Buy calcium carbonate for being stalagmites in a cave. Each answer seems to belong to its own demesne and many of us don't see why they should conflict with each other. And yet this argument of what answer do we give our children has generated tremendous passion. Even if the scientific evidence becomes overwhelming. Why. Michael dowd and his wife connie barlow we're in town several years ago to present his thank god for evolution. Presentation which we heard about in the reading. I went to one of those and when they began taking questions i asked what those of us who were involved in public education i was sitting on a school board at the time. What we could do to head off parents concerns and continue to teach evolution science. Connie barlow. Michael's wife and a director of religious education for uu churches. Said. As long as parents think that accepting evolution will send their children to hell. They are going to fight against it being taught in the classroom. You may be aware of the battles being waged at this very moment to keep american students from learning evolution. Or to ensure that they hear about it with a week and a teacher saying. But you know really the existence of a lot requires i watchmaker. Laws are currently being debated in four states right now. That would either open the door to teaching creationism explicitly. Under the guise of intelligent design. Which has been called creationism dressed up in a bad suit. Or even this isn't south dakota to explicitly forbid school administrators and school boards. Kinder teachers from introducing intelligent design in their classroom. In other words you cannot stop a teacher. From introducing intelligent design. That one is unconstitutional without a doubt the supreme court this this has been decided case law since the dover case some years ago when the judge said intelligent design is inherently religious and sectarian. Now observe has don't appear too worried this one is actually going to pass but it was still filed these bills continue to be filed around the country. The common technique which jeanette alluded to is the teach the controversy technique teach the debate. Open. Basically they raise a bunch of really untrue. Concerns or questions are supposed gaps and evolution science the creation advocates. And then i want to teach the students that there are there is actually more question about evolution than there really. Yes. There is really no debate in the scientific community community that evolution occurs. As your fellow member carol wise once said to me evolution is a theory. In the same way gravity is a theory. We can't ignore the conflict. And we can't quit fighting for the scientific truth. But it seems to me that a direct head-to-head zero-sum battle for america's soul is getting no one anywhere. Is there another way. Even though we as unitarian universalist may not believe in hell. We can sympathize with parents who want to make sure their children are set on the right path. We want that. How can we help usher in a world where it's safe. To accept the facts behind evolution. I think michael dowd is on the right path with his idea of the great story. Henry frames the creation story in a way that treasures its beauty. That accepts the facts without trying to discard. The god or the force behind it. He sees the process of evolution itself is evidence of the hand of god. And the question i always asked is yes god is omniscient and omnipotent you would think he's not smart enough to come up with evolution. If we want to make the world safe for teaching evolution i think those of us who do accept the scientific evidence. Need to be a little less strident need to relax a little. Not be richard dawkins. Not be christopher hitchens. Quit insisting on evolution as a means of getting rid of god. If we move the focus off of the origins of life and onto the evidence in the elegance of evolution itself. Maybe we can open up the breathing room that people need to say. Yes. My god could work in that way. Maybe we can let the parents breathe easy that their children can learn biology without losing their faith. Ultimately all of us are looking for ways to make sense of our world. We need to find meaning in our lives. Whether that meaning comes from a god goddess outside of us. Orphan nature and humanity without that supernatural components. The creation stories and body intention from an outside being. Evolution is inherently without intention if you look at the data. Is there another way that we can find meaning and purpose. In our lives. In the the forward motion. Of the earth. Without it having to be intended. As unitarian universalist we have it easier than most people. One of the cornerstones of our faith the five smooth stones of liberal religion that you've heard patrick talk about. Is that revolution is revelation is not sealed. We're still learning the truth. Well that's evolution. So it's easier for us. Both our physical world and our understanding of the divine are changing and evolving all the time. And that can be a powerful source of meaning and purpose. I am grateful for the work of charles darwin in the thousands of scientists over the last century-and-a-half who have provided compelling evidence and elegant explanations for the mechanisms of evolution. And i also appreciate the human lessons embodied in our creation stories let there be light. What a beautiful metaphor for the big bang. Or even for the beginning of consciousness. On this evolution sunday i encourage you to take a few minutes to learn about the current state of the science and the politics wrapped up in the topic. The national center for science education the clergy letter project. And the texas freedom network all have good websites. I've brought a few reference materials as well that you are welcome to peruse after the service. We unitarian-universalist have the mix of skills and compassion. That this country needs to advance the understanding of evolution. We ask questions. We look for answers. And we accept that there may be multiple valid answers to our questions. Let us take those skills into the world. And help spread the joyful news of the great story of evolution.

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20141130-Sermon.mp3

Morning. When i graduated from divinity school. I need lee went to work teaching. Theology. Interurban catholic high schools in and around boston. Yes it is where i met the librarian of the school who was the unitarian universalist who told me you will be one of us someday but. This is not that story this morning. I ended up at a school. That was 95% students of color. Less than 300 students. Facebook 21 different first languages at home. All of them were either the first or second generation of their family to live in the united states. In my first year there i got eaten alive. I was so despondent i did not know if i would return for year 2. If anyone has ever been a first-year teacher. Or has been someone totally out of their element. You probably know a little bit of the feeling. Right. There was no classroom management. There was nothing i could do or say that was right i was you know the horrible authority figure in charge. It did not help that i was older than everybody and i was frequently the only white person in the room over the summer i scratch my head next year is going to be different. I'm going to do something. Waterman duberman do something. And talking with the chair of the theology department. Came up with the idea that. You make a covenant. Day one we're not going to do anything this year until we make an agreement a set of promises about how we're going to treat each other during this year in this class. What if we don't want to do that then we're not going to start this class that's great i said yes but if you don't do any of this flash you will fail the class so you have to get to it. It took about three days before anybody started to raise the subject again. So if we going to make these promises this this covenant thing is this a contract class. Like no this is not a contract class. We read about that this morning right. This is not a contract class. No. Know what we're going to do is we need to agree with each other how we're going to treat each other so that we can do some really interesting fun fantastic stuff. Will like what i don't know you're in this class how would you like to be treated since you're in this room. I want people to respect me. Good start. Are you ready to respect everybody else only if they respect me first no that's not how it works. You respect everybody. Even if they don't respect you. Why is that. Because i'm asking you to promise to do that. Well if i promise you that how do i know that they're going to keep their promise to do that you don't. That's why they call it a promise. Because it's not a law no police. Going to come arrest you for breaking your promise. But it is going to make the relationship between you and that other person and you and me really much more difficult. And we're going to spend all our time arguing over who's dissing who and who's not dissing who when we're not going to do any of the things that i think you will have a good time doing. You're weird. Granted. So what promises do you want to make. And push and pull over the next couple of days. They hammered out some stuff. And along the way. I got them to agree to you're not just promising. To do things you're promising that. You let other people do those things as well that not only do you have rights in here that everyone else is going to respect by their promises you have responsibilities to uphold your own. All these years later i still have what they. Couple years into it i didn't have to do the exercise anymore i just kind of gave him this is a template.. Which around a little bit year in and year out for this is. They came up with. You have the right to be respected you have the responsibility to respect others. You have the right to be hurt. You have the responsibility to listen. You have the right to express yourself. You have the responsibility to consider other opinions you have the right to an orderly class. You have the responsibility to help maintain. You have the right to clear direction. You have the responsibility to follow them. You have the right to clear deadline. You have the responsibility to. You have the right to be given choices. You have the responsibility to choose wise. You have the right to work at a reasonable pace. You have the responsibility to finish. You have the right to criticize the class and the t. And boy did that. But you have the responsibility to participate. Before you would value. And it wasn't perfect. But a few months into the first time using this they were calling each other. I'm breaking this stuff and i didn't have to. Halfway through my second year i think ida lewis. The rest of the time i was there it was cuz they they agree. Promise. Police each other. It wasn't perfect and sometimes i had to intervene. But by and large it was. You can tell i'm still impressed right. Yeah i'm kind of still impressed at work that well i figured it would help but. To this day i'm unimpressed at work that well. And. I was able to do stuff in that classroom because of that. That i don't think i would have gotten the chance to. Anywhere else. Be very creative do out. Wild project all kinds of crazy stuff and it was them that allowed it for their own learning. We here in the unitarian universalist church. We're all about covenant. This is what we do. We are not held together by dogma or creeds are common beliefs are held together by the way we agree to live in spiritual community today. And yet we keep coming back to having to go over this over. And overwrite what is this thing that we're in the process. This idea of covenant. As promised. Is something. That when we based our religious life on it. We start to look around for other examples we come up with a few. But this is not the way by and large. The human beings are set up. Especially not in our culture. So we come up with the example of marriage marriage is a good good example covenant promises fidelity's right. That's what good example of how difficult covenants really are. But the marriage and relationship researcher john gottman. In his studies found that it takes. 5 positive interactions and relationship to offset one negative interaction. Why is it so hard for us to keep covenant. Whether it's our marriage or our friendship or at church. Because one- encounter. Five positive income. Make that balance she eating so we still feel the trust hasn't. That's that that's hardstop right. We find in our communities in the unitarian universalist association that. With covenants hazard bedrock. We have to be like negotiating all the time. And we have some pitfalls that we fall into. We start to get into covenants as a way to police. Each other. Not respecting my worth and dig. You're breaking my car. Maybe so. But what about you. Is the covenant here or rule book. Would you measure about how well people are treating you and how well you'll treat other people like. Well. If i get 7 hours of positive affirmation respecting my dignity and worth. I'll endeavor to put in 7 hours of that. Or if i put in $10. Heck if i put in $10 i expect $10 worth of. Dignity and respect given back to me by the congregation if i put in $1,000. No that's not how it works. Not how it works. Paul palmer. Reading i think is really important for us. If we're going to be a covenanted community we got we got. As part of that covenant agreed to push aside. That looking at covenant does a conch. Contracts and legal things. You can't legislate what's right. You can't legislate what's. You can't legislate positive attitude. You can't legend. Promise. The rules. In the contract. In the lot is a least common denominator you do at least that. But the covenant is way up here. That in addition to the least common. I'm promising. Be up here all the time. As unitarian universalist. Look to our five smooth stones of liberal religion. One of which tells us that. Relationships must be. Free and not coerce. And yet a lot of times. In our congregational life. And in our relationships in general. We get into this contract view of the covenant in the promises were trying to make. Keep two other people. And it bogs us down. We get stuck there. And we start. Taking notes. When i've been violated. And if i don't like what's happening to me. Well maybe i'm not going to put in my my part my wrist. Stability. Keep my promises. I'm not getting my way with something else over here. I mean it's like i'm going to take my ball and go home. But when you make the promises. One of the things you promise. Is tonight take your ball and go home or things i had to do with my students at the high school. To get that covenant to work. Is like for the first three or four months every single time someone broke it. I had to stop everything. I'm sorry susan you were talking over jamal. Please apologize. Remind me the cubs. The process. Sometimes. Hour or an hour and a half with 90 min. A day. Until they realize that this insane series of interruptions was their own fault. And then they started calling you. Have a collie. A couple of years ago she wrote a great piece. In the. Uu world. Wrote about. A congregation she work with a new england where i'm from so i get what. Talking to. And learned a lot and did a lot of nice things a congregation had a lot of success while. Was there and so on and so forth. But her article was about the woman who taught her about cousin. When she arrived there she said this woman was already. In advanced age well. And woman did not like victoria. Victoria wasn't that ministerial position where there is nothing you can do nothing you can say. No wonderful service you can do no great sermon you can preach. No social call you can make. It would get this person to see you in a favorable light so she's like i'm just going to have to live with that. She says the woman told her at one point. I've outlived all your successors and i'll outlive you. But the interesting thing was this woman in her 80s. Was baptized. In that universalist church. Decades before the merger. Was mary. Has served on every board commission task force name at they got. In all her adult years. She never has missed in her eighties and nineties went. My colleague left there. Never missed. Congregational year. She told victoria that. I don't think i vote is not on my way in 35 years but i still come. And. She was one of the biggest pleasures. She. With a lot of. He was still a universalist christian and a largely no human is congregate. She was political conservative in a congregation. Well you go to church. So she was she was on the outs there. But she came every sunday. She served it however she could. She made one of the biggest pledges every year. She went to all the annie. What she did. Does a covenant doesn't say i'm going to play as long as i get my way or as long as everything's going the way i want it. She stayed at the table. All the hearts. All the. To minister she didn't like. Decision. Like to program. Budget she didn't lie. Cuz her covenant wasn't to each of those individual decisions or any of the individual. People. Behind them providing another viewpoint. Covenant. Was with that congregation as a whole that whole group. My colleague wrote that she learned more about coven. From that woman. Then she ever could have learned in seminary. And why not. When you have to show up in practice it. And mean it. Keeping your promises. To be all of a sudden really important. And not this nicety little thing that we recite on sunday. Senior order service right. It's not in there today you're coming it's not in there today. Read it for me. Those words roll off your tongue really easily. Every time someone here annoys you. Every time a decision is made by your board that you think is so egregious they might as well join the tea party. Is your first thought. What about my promises. Probably not mine usually is. We're on this boat together right. But that's what we're asked to do. Make those promises that important. James luther adams are famous theologian tells us that. Church is the place we practice being human there is no other way to practice being human. To the nth degree of difficulty. Then to keep your promises. Keeping your promises. But the only way to keep the promises working is to keep engaging. You know that the slogan is we are covenant making covenant breaking coven. Remaking people. And the reality is because human beings are promise making promise breaking. The stain at the table is our effort. That that covenant is not time-bound that covenant those promises you make they are forever. And for always. Breaking the promise. Requires a lot of ongoing war. And that's what keeps the relationship. And the work you can do when you keep the covenant alive i hear toll. That there was a little bit of a grand vision set before you last week. Yes. So on the way there. Things are going to get tough. You are asked to keep the relationship. 521 or better. It's like glass blowing. Do you want that. Just a workable and management able to adapt and change and get stuff done. Big vision. And big goals. You got to keep at it. Mountain glass blowers blow in the glass. That's hot. Keep working it. Once the glass dries and it's hard really way to change it is to do what. Breakin and then you're breaking your promises. In the covenants get into places of broken hearts. Covenants are about things. That you can't. Have penalties reaper. That makes up for what. The covenant. The hearts chrysler. So encouraged you. Make that covenant those promises to each other. Front issue. When you see them on sunday. Don't just say them. And be thinking about. What you're going to have for lunch and with who or what class are going to after the service or whether you agree or not with what patrick said that more. Give those words a few minutes. Remind your. The glass moulton. Flexible. Connect me to stay. It is really. For us to do. Because if this is the place we practice being human. Where we have to go put our practice in the practice beyond here. When the covenant well here helps us do it out. And the reality is. Our society and our world. Needs help with. We going to practice that hears we can be more help to them out there. Ferguson. Let's be real. What's happening right now in ferguson and in ark. Are wearing a see this. This is about covenant not about law. This is about how we don't. Keep the promises we either make implicitly or we explicitly make. That we the people mean. Everybody that we're all in this together. Under the rule of law everybody is treated equally. Well somewhere along the line we. Forgetting to keep the promise over and over and over again. You gotta practice covenant here because when you get out there. They need people who know how to do it. When it's really hard. When the stain at the table means letting someone other be angry. In sad. In the state through that all. She can get to the i'm sorry in the week of 19 in triad. Because we can't fix what happened. We can only come. To the courage. Stay at the table. Stay at the covenant.

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20131215-Reading_3.mp3

Earlier we talked about jesus and we mentioned he has been viewed as a messiah. But what is a messiah. The one who is deliberate the people to free them from bondage to bring peace to the world. The story which has been told by some many people in so many different ways. It's a story that uses that word. So listen carefully. You might have heard this story set in a country far away. Or with a monastery and a rabbi. But this retelling. For tapestry of faith of the rabbi's gift. Is seth. In a different time and a different place. Matter fact you might even recognize it. Mr. cowan. Was the teacher of the most quarrelsome third grade class you could possibly imagine. The kids in that class they argued about everything they argued about who should stand in front of the line they argued about. What games they should play during recess they argue about who was the best reader in class. They even argued about mr. it was sunny or rainy outside. No mr. cullen. He was at his wit's end. There was so much arguing going on no one was getting anything done. When they tried to do multiplication problems. Janie and stan argued about whether it meant to * 2 or 2 + 2. When it came time for spelling. Carmen and linda. They crippled over who got first turn in the spelling bee. In music in music class. Carlos and beth are you over who got the tambourine. What happened even got bopped on the head and had to go to the nurse's office. Mr. cowan tried everything. He promised an ice cream party if everyone would stop arguing. No sooner had you made this offer. Then of course they started arguing over whether it should be chocolate chip ice cream or chocolate mint ice cream. Mr. cowan threatened the kids. He told them anyone who is arguing would have to go to the principal's office. That didn't work either the principal mrs. sanchez told him after lunch. Politely. Firmly. 15 kids in one day is enough. Mr. cohen called parents. He tried politely asking the kids to stop. He kept the class in at recess. And nothing. There was only one thing left to do. He went to his synagogue on the sabbath and he prayed. Anna's rabbi noticed. I was very stressed. And worried he looked. And she sat down next to him. She listened to his story about the most difficult argumentative 3rd grade class in history. And when she had heard at all. She said to him. Stay home from work tomorrow. I'll go to class. Leave it to me. Stop monday the kids walked into their classroom and they found the rabbi sitting at the teacher's desk. Of course. They immediately began begin to. Argue. Exactly. Was mister colin homesick. Or this is sanchez finally gotten tired of all the kids going to the office and fired him. The rabbi just listened. She didn't raise her voice. She didn't try to stop them. And they spread to quiet down. And look at her. When the classroom was finally quiet. She slowly stood up. Mr cullen will not be here today she said. I am your substitute teacher. I have only one thing to tell you. And i will only say it. Once. So listen care. The kids were too surprised argue about that. They listen to the rabbi's voice rang out in the classroom. Last night in my dreams. God told me. A messiah. Is ammonia. And what do you think happens next. Exactly pandemonium broke out in the classroom as the kids begin to argue over who might be the messiah. It couldn't possibly be charles he was always getting into trouble. On the other hand charles could always be counted on to help a friend in need. Ling was clearly too bossy to be a messiah. Then again she went to church every sunday. And she prayed every night before bed. What about janie. She was quiet but she always did her work so. Carefully. The argument didn't stop overnight when mister, and got back on tuesday morning the first thing he heard was stan's angry voice going i'm telling you, carmen bobby is the messiah i saw him hugging a little first grader. And comforting her isn't that something that i'ma style would do. However. The arguments began to disappear when janie begin to argue with charles over who was going to stand first in line. She's only offered to stand behind him because after all. He might be the messiah. Music class. Carlos and beth took turns. Sharing the tambourine. After all. One of them. Might be the messiah. All that year the kids try to figure out who the messiah might be. Think of each other a little differently they notice the good things about each other. They noticed that stan was a great artist with a huge imagination. Ling with passionate. And strong. Carmen with the most loyal friend you could ask for. An app for mr. cohen. He was a kind and gentle teacher. Maybe she was the messiah. Kids also begin to think about themselves. Echild wonder. Is it me. Could i. Be the messiah. The children were inspired. To be the best. They could be. Send the kids in mr. collins class had a reputation. It had changed. Now they had a reputation. As a class the treated one another well. Teachers came from the other classes to visit the classroom to see what mr. cowan was doing. The year ended. The kids in mr. collins class. Graduated having learned a special lesson that they never forgot. Everyone around you is special. And any one of you. Could be a messiah. So the next fall mr. cowan looked at his brand new class of third graders. Already joe and anna were arguing about whether alligators wear the same thing as crocodiles. Good morning children said mr. cowan. Has anyone here. Ever heard. Of a messiah. He lowered his voice to a whisper. I have. In this club.

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20151129-Sermon.mp3

I do want to thank you. On behalf of those. To receive these funds from the discretionary account. In advance and anytime you wish to make a contribution to this account you may do so. I had someone come to me last week. For funds i thought i was out. I called our bookkeeper just on the off-chance that some money might have made its way in there and it had. And i was able to help someone. Who had the considerable need at that time. We talked a lot about forgiveness and i'm hoping you forgive me for doing forgiveness for the whole month. And we talked about what is forgiveness and their law different definitions and we mention the one that's attributed to lily tomlin the comedian. We should ask forgiveness means giving up all hope of them for a better past. There are some of us who still ruminate on those things. When the important things we talked about is that this forgiveness. Is not. The kind of. Seeing what we're condoning something were. Allowing someone to. Be okay with their actions. Important remembered this forgiveness of others and ourselves. It's something we do for ourselves. So what are we get out of it. The intent of these and other additions are spiritual paths that we follow. Is 2. Clear the obstructions. Omar lives. Tu amor. Whole and healthy experience of ourselves and each other. In relationship to ourselves and to each other and to the universe. It is a path of reconciliation of to restoration of harmony. And that which is. Most consistent. With our best selves as we can be. This is about the possibility. Other more abundant life. This is not. I take two forgivenesses and you'll get rich. She's not joel olsteen this is not. Any of the other folks would promise you miracles if you will just do xyz. But it is. About the opportunity. And the likelihood. Goes up. License. Is it for a lot of us the perfect pass that we are abandoning. Really isn't that much. But we fear that which is beyond. We fear the future perhaps. Or maybe even being present in the moment. Forgiveness is. An act of humility. Forgiveness is a recognition of our own fallibility. Not about blame. In the jewish high holidays of russia shawna and jewish new year. Yom kippur the day of atonement. The focus of these days is to seek forgiveness and atonement. For wrongs committed against god and then other people separate days god one. People yelling. And it's it's a way of making smooth the way before us as we enter into a new year. At the beginning of the yom kippur service the kantar chance the following by consent of the authorities in heaven and on earth we permit center to enter. And be a part of the congregation. Who are these sinners there everybody who's sitting. In the seats and in the process of seeking atonement. For healing. And forgiveness it is recognized in the jewish tradition and i think and ours as well that god can only forgive those transgressions committed against god. They don't have anybody you can kind of do it for god. For those committed against other people we need to seek. The forgiveness of those we may have wronged. Including ourselves. I think it's an important thing to keep in mind. Even if it is ourselves. Anand. Conversely we can only forgive those trespasses which may have been committed against us. Not those committed against another. There's no proxy. Grudge-holding or forgiving. Being done. You can't proxy forgive cuz you should be proxy grizzling. But if you are. Forgive yourself devon. In the christian scriptures in the book of matthew chapter 5 it is written so when offering your gift at the altar if you remember that your brother or sister has something against you leave your gift there before the altar and go first to be reconciled to your brother or sister. And then come and offer your gift. But this is trying to lift up his that the nature of relationship is paramount. In religious community. This is. More important. Then. Another going to scandalize treasurer's everywhere more important than money. More important than the physical support. It is the nature of relationship. This is why a lot of congregations. A lot of communities religious communities of all stripes of the highway most you name it. Gossip. Is a horrible sin. As well as. Not willing to be. In relationship with someone even though we may have difficulty with. These are important things. I know this is not a coded message for anybody by the way. People always like. That's also gossip. So the idea is that. Relationship is paramount. And that we do our best. Now there's an old saying that says you remember to remember until you remember what that means is blame. Is that there's no guilt associated with forgetting something. But. You try to remember to remember. Until you do remember. And then when you do you you go forward to it that you have to do. There's no blame associated. You move forward. You. Let go of guilt. Same. And get on with doing of being in the right path. So in this process of clearing a path. And being in a relationship. It is this past reconciliation to the restoration of harmony. And that which is most consistent with our best selves. As we can be. This is one of the core concepts in. Shamanic tradition around the world it's not about worshiping a deity it's about being a relationship with all of the creation and beyond. And trying to be in a harmonious state with those things. That illness that disiz. Disiz. Is about being out of relationship is about out of being in. Harmony. With the things around you know this is not the same thing as curing. Healing is not the same as cured. Many people have been healed of many things. But not cured of their element. Another thing to keep in mind is. Keeping each other accountable for our actions. Without blame. This is hard to do. For all of us. About love the sinner and not the sin. I know a lot of you really liked the film part. I do too. At certain times. But we have to move on. Has another word that i know there people ride your bike. People tightening up. Right. I can use somebody's not breathing. For many of us is term conjures up images of fire-breathing preachers or ruler toting religious teachers who condemn anyone transgression. Transgressing a set of predetermined doctrine. Fire breathing baptist ministers or nuns or whoever it is you think. He's going to. Use that as a stick. In contrast the definition of sin. Which i find useful and more historically accurate. Is that it is any act which tends to damage or cut off our ability. To relate healthily. To ourselves to each other and to the universe. It is those things we missed the mark. That's what the word means means to miss the mark so it's those things that are not on target with doing what we can to be our best selves. One of the reasons i think small children are probably some of our best philosophers if not the most annoying is asking why why why why why i don't know why i leave me alone go ask your mother she's on missions. I don't know but i'm going to pretend. Why do we do the things we do why do the things in the world the way they are why do people behave that way. Why. Historically religions and philosophies of offerup a lot of responses to this question. Often is phrased as divine instruction or recommendation so our motivation has to be obedience or faith neither of which is bad but i find them insufficient. By themselves to move forward to do the hard work that we are called to do. In order to find. This clearness this wholeness that we are seeking in our lives. I talked about rabbi harold kushner. Before many of you know him from. A lot of his books that are very popular. Things happen to good people i'm waiting for the sequel why do bad things by the good things happen to bad people that. He's not sure you can write that one up. So he's got a lot of lot of wisdom out there and he says that holding my grievances against another person has to do a couple of different things. First day of strangers from other people and that in turn can be, i haven't being estranged. Secondly holding our bread conditions us to think of ourselves as victims. Rather than as active participants in our lives i happen to think that this. Along with some other issues of transference and projection. Are part of what is driving. Much of the conservative forces in our country right now. Seriously. That. They have. Taking on these grudges. Atmosphere. And think of themselves as victims rather than as active participants in their own lives. And act accordingly. Prisoner says not forgiving will in reality give away the power of your life. To the past action or person. Which we are a mess with. It anchors us to that point in time that moment that place that person. Forgiveness is there for an act of personal empowerment and liberation. More for the forgiver. Then for the forgiven. In forgiving we choose happiness. Over righteousness. Being right feel good sometimes but i am reminded what mark twain said about. Things he said that he'd been in court twice in his life. And. Why seafood somebody. And the first time he won. And was broke. And the second time he won be lost and he was broke. But he was right. Truth is that we are the ones who get burned if we don't let go of these things that were holding on to. Not about forgive or forget that that's not recommended. We're condoning. It is about moving beyond suffering. Towards a place of healing wholeness and abundance. It's about. Getting past. Not negating it. What happened. It was horrible. Find whatever words you want to it then this probably true. And the person was really awful or the situation was traumatic. All those are true. What you going to do with it now. You going to hang out there. Do the condo next door. You don't spend all your time living in that place. My grandfather my mother's father was a steward on a lot of the cunard and white star lines. During the same. of time that the titanic went down. And he is textured on some of the sister ships. His father. My great-grandfather was a fireman or stoker. On the lusitania when it went down. He survived. But that trauma. Who carries fruit. To the point where my grandfather couldn't stop talking about the fault that the sinking of the titanic. To the point where traumatized my mother wished she could never go see a movie about it. But you probably would have liked. So we can live in that trauma we can relive it re. Energized all the time. Or we can choose. Not too. There's an old saying that there are two wolves. In our hearts. 1 is. Good the other one is not. And whichever one wins in the contest that they are engaged in. Depends on which one we seed. Only don't let go when we choose not to forgive. We are not able to honor ourselves and others as precious parts of the holiness of the universe. And secondly we're diminished in our ability to extend that recognition to others. Not just those who have transgressed against us. No matter how indifferent or depraved another maybe they still have inherent worth and dignity that doesn't mean you trust them but you can't negate that. Ontological that net. That they have inherent worth and dignity. They too are a child of the universe as are we and we are obligated to recognize them as such if we wish to claim the same for ourselves. Choose happiness or righteousness. Forgiveness is also a way for us to say we can do better. I am reminded. Very strongly right now. About. What happened during wwii and after and what's going on now in the world. The allies were just so ticked off at germany. That's a punish them they drove them into the ground with war reparations. And created the veramar republic which end of class and which into the ground for. You-know-who. Where the nazi regime to come to power. On top of the great depression it was happening. After wwii they said you know we're not going to do that again. And so there was a huge effort to do rebuilding both in europe and in asia. After the war ended. So that we would have. Friends who were prosperous rather than enemies who are angry and envious. Do we have something shatter over there. Thank you. Go to buy some more. So. If we were to take that seriously now. We would look at how do we help. To encourage and build the lives of people. Who have left. Places seeking refuge. Refugees. And to help people those who are still in those places of hurt. A conflict. Without dropping something and blows up on them. Keep in mind i'm no peacenik. Okay. But the same time i think there's a diminishing return. A lot of what we're doing in the world. And i think that we can find a way to. Be forgiving without being stupid. And i think that will just take people off. Frankly. The things that people in the world. Want our security. Health happiness for their families opportunities to grow. Experience those things into live in accordance. With their beliefs. And if we continue to deny those things. As country as we have 40 70 or 80 years now. By overturning government after government. We'll get what we got now but more of it. And i personally. Do not want to see my children going to war. Show forgiveness may be an opportunity for us to let go of the things that are chewing on our hearts. And our souls. Even if we don't know the rats are in the basement. Let me watch a homo shows. Like dyi and. Things like that you know a beautiful house. Dead rats. Dead rat painting off of wires you know. Knob and tube wiring ohmigod. Horrible things.. Thought your foundation was sitting on one timber on top of one brick. That really happen. Lisa you must leave the house now you cannot be in here it is not safe. Of stuff that were attached to. When we are attacked. To this anger to frustration to. I done somebody done me wrong song you know. The whole bed. Is refined stuff there that we really didn't expect or we forgot about od. Uno. Looks like the junk to her you know and the kitchen. Deal. You stick your hand in there and you stabbed. So we can hurt ourselves that way we should probably take that out of the drawer. So the idea of doing this. A more abundant life a healthier life the more forward-thinking ford living. Seeing being life. Some people say i don't have a lot of abundance in my life but. We do. All of us here live a whole lot better than probably a lot of other people in the world they'd trade places with us in a heartbeat. Don't kill yourself. I have a colleague who just spent 4 days. On a greek island working with refugees currently serve the congregation the uk so it wasn't that big a trip for him. But. He said some amazing post about the experiences he's had. Working with things not just how horrible is humanity involved. How people are actually. Pre civil to each other. Despite all of the want. Suffering. Who is one of the. Premier. Las cruces social theorist of the unitarian universalist movement. In the 20th century. Came up with five statements about liberal religion. They're often called the five smooth stones of liberal it in a term he did not like or pick his publisher did. But unfortunately that he gave way to that before he passed away. One of those is the moral is. The first one is the resources divine and human. That are available for achievement of meaningful change. Justify an attitude of ultimate that not necessarily immediate optimism. There is hope in the ultimate abundance of the universe. So that's a big. Just ultimate abundance. Their possibility revelation is not sealed therefore possibility always exists. But it's also about the immediate possibility of abundance like tyler perry was talking about in the reading earlier. In the from the interview with terry gross. And i don't want to build too much into this this is some sort of magical technical fix. But the reality is in systems in in healthy systems in family systems another. When we are able to let go of these things that have so bound up. With. The ugly stuff in our lives. When we can find a way to truly let go of that and not being messed with it doesn't mean we run away from it. Sometimes we have to do that to get perspective. But then we have to reproach. It's not about being cut off it's about. Not being caught up. If we get there. Then we can take that knowledge is wisdom. And our lives become that much better. In that we're not hanging onto stuff we're not. Counting ourselves ahead with stuff are self-taught gets better. Muhammad had those committees really my colleague austin says that she has an inner motorcycle gang. All big women on motorcycles. They are not kind. So we can we can find that. Channel towards that more ultimate. Optimism. The ultimate abundance. As we heard from dr. king last week when he said that. This is not a $0.01 one-off kind of thing you know he said this is not an occurrence it's a habit. It's a way of beating to his living. Intuit. Something to do every single day. And that's a part of the spiritual practice. Part of living into. Our best selves. As we know we can be. But individually and. Collective. As a community. So. Let us go forth. Forgiving ourselves and others. Being wise. The things we learn. And sharing a more abundant universe. And a life. Everyone.

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20160124-Sermon.mp3

So another light topic equal justice. Justice is our theme for this month. And there's so many different things to say about it so many different things still lift up his illustrations. Justice is a big word. Especially when we tend to use it. Do we give it a lot of different meanings but one of those simple and inclusive general definitions for justice is. Just behavior or treatment. It is a concern for justice peace and genuine respect for people. Obviously it's a little more complicated than that. And there are often different schemes for. Understanding a breaking down justice into different categories there's communicative justice which requires fairness in our agreements and exchanges. Retributive. Justice. At which defines what is due to a person when they have been wrong. Restitution. Procedural justice which is why because that's how supposed to be run is that. Procedure. How. Decisions are made how processes are done are supposed to be equitable. So that everyone has an equal shot at. Finding the truth or getting a just verdict. Distributive justice refers to. How the numerous goods of society are divided. How do we. Find the common good. How is it how is it define. And who gets to control. Those mechanisms. What is the role of government for example in guaranteeing that. There is a fair distribution. Is it enough for government to ensure fair procedures unbiased courts. Where should governments seek to promote fair outcomes. So justices. Probably one of the defining. Challenges before us. Both the last 50 years and probably the next fifty or more. Sometimes we think that we've accomplished. Those things i know growing up. Here in fort worth in the 19. 60s and 70s in. Our textbooks were were full of examples of the civil rights movement and accomplishments were done. I lived through the desegregation of fort school district not a problem. Hey man yeah i sent witnesses. So. And wash my brother get bust off is a second grader to other schools in. My best friend in 4th grade supply. And. That was our reality that that movement was being made progress is being made somehow. It was difficult it was hard. But there was change. And i went to college in 79. And things seem pretty good. Junaid was good. And. And then for some reason it felt like. After a year or so. After the election. Of 1980. Ouc was coming right. It was. I just remember. Being classes or in conversations with professors. Two would say the end has come. And they said and they were being ironic. Watch what happen. And they outline. In detail. The things that have now happened for the last 40 years. And they were right unfortunately. And the accumulation of wealth. Redistribution of power. Degradation of voting. Repeal the rolling back of all sorts of. Civil rights and other types of. Movements to create justice. So now i stand here and i think. About what dr. king was encountering and i realized it. It was bad then when we had institutionalized. Apartheid. In this country. By race. Primarily. But now we have institutionalized apartheid. Bayan ko. My wife had reason recently to. Go to someone's home in the on the westside gyro of plano frisco. Area and. She recounted her adventure. She said yes it wasn't too bad we had to stop at the gate. An interracial curity code. And then we had to go to the guardhouse. And get a day pass. That was only good until 7 in the evening. And. Then we had to go to the designated parking area. 4. Visitors. And then we could go and visit our friend. And i seen the parking pass pretty impressive. They have their own security police. In this. Gated community here on the westside of. This area. Any people their kids don't go to public schools. They live in this giant bubble. And. This community is made of the people of all colors. The nationalities. But they're all. Very. Well off. Now. I'm not opposed to people being well-off i pray for the lottery. All the time i do and i promise to whoever i will share it widely. What. You know we're not talking about people who make. A good living. Selling things we're talking about people who make money at a scale that we cannot comprehend. And this is not that they're in enemy but this is the system we are living in. I'm reminded of a quote that i heard when i was in seminary in chicago. In hyde park. Which now is a very trendy place to be has been for a few years because university of charles bought everything up and then provide it. Apparently the 1940s it's kind of dangerous to live there. But 1960s and 70s. There was this effort at. It was probably the beginning of the gentrification and there was this great rallying cry you know black and white together and then subjects was against the four. Because you do was. I didn't do that. Somebody's ringing the bell. How you know the song. So the idea was that you know so you had this great harmony among the races. Based on deprecating and getting rid of. Panhandlers in street people. People bring you down your property values. I just finished a couple of months working for the plano. School system. As an appointed. Representative to a task force looking at bond issue the next bond issue this coming up. And. I was appointed about 30 people on that and it was pretty pretty interesting experience we got to look at all the nuts and bolts of. Facilities and technology and how the school system actually functions and how it actually works. And how it has overtime and. I got to say this place is really run really well. I mean height. Height and and. Very competent people slightly conservative in their financial approach but that's paid off big dividends for them and and. We have a aaa rating. You know bond rating so pretty good shape. Assumptions. That i had made that because i live here on the east side of town which is. The other side of the tracks. For a lot of people in plano are used to be anywhere now they're building nice big expensive houses around here so. Little more confusing. And. I live in mary over here. About a mile-and-a-half away that's the most hispanics dentist racket in the cowley. And we have a nice modest home. And so my assumption was that this is probably the working class section while they're working class over the place. And that what happens is that in amongst all of these gated communities. What is a state community. With their homeowners associations. That there are the pockets of. People. Trying to. Pay for houses mostly renting. Mostly apartments. To work. In these houses. Or who work. Hourly jobs. And who school even though they're in the midst of 10 wealthiest part of 10 wealthiest cities in the wealthiest countries in the world. They are still. 60 70%. Of the children in those schools are getting free lunch. And all sorts of other assistance because the kids who lived next door in the neighborhood don't go to that school. Just like barron elementary over here. Who are the parents are working all the time and nobody has time for you to pta. So this part of our work is a churches that help that. Pistol that school. But unlike here there are people. Living around that community those communities and those schools that could. Be doing things. And are not. Because they have segregated themselves. From everyone else. They have removed themselves from. The common. Part of the common good. And there is no justice in that. Now the answer is not. To launch a zombie army at the takedown the gates and you know it. That doesn't tend to work out very well for anybody and zombies. It's not really fair to them either but we have to keep in mind that these issues of justice or not just about economics. So. We have. One of most diverse communities here. We have 90. Two languages taught in our public spoken in our public schools. 92. This is not a community of 400,000 people yet. And we're not exceptional for the whole metroplex either. There are others that are even less intense. So this is the reality we live in. And yet there's this perception on the part of a lot of us especially those of us who are born into white privilege. That. The assumption is that. People's experiences are like our experiences or the experience of the symptoms we know. And so we busy we're busy trying to deal with these things i got family i got a niece and nephew for latino. You never know their mother was a redhead. Amazing people. I love him deeply. And. They have a hard time. Where is there. Half-brother who is white blue-eyed. And blond. Does not have the same. Justice is not one thing. It's not about money. It's not about. Race. Not about. Gender identification. Any of those things. Not all of them. And. We can. And this is this is the great liberal default let's argue about it who's more challenge who's more hobbled who's more. Damaged who's more behind the 8-ball. Assuming that the wifely be useful to do that. Instead of trying to understand how they're interrelated into. Understand that plucking it one will draw us into. The other. The drawing on one thread will. Unravel something else that we didn't expect. Flint michigan. And the crisis of the poisoning of their water system. By unelected. Technocrats. Apparatchiks they would call them in the soviet union who were trying to save a few dollars by converting their water from clean water from lake huron to the water from the flint river. The flint river stinks. I mean. I have friends who serve there. In the kit that community. It's not a fire like the cuyahoga was. You know. But you know him. And so for the sake of saving a few dollars dollars. Someone without thought for consequence. Because they don't face those consequences and they don't think that there are consequences waters water what's the problem. Because they aren't. Faced with having to deal with those consequences. Personally. They made choices. That were. Damaging and deadly. Or an entire community of people. We won't know the extent of the damage for generations. This is the same kind of thing you get when you get radioactive fallout you just don't know. Because it was about money. Which was really about to power and control. In michigan. For all the communities that were taken over by the. What were they called. Administrators were. Emergency managers. Emergency that's a good word to use when you're taking over something. Almost all those communities that were affected. Communities of color. Again is systemic approach. Disempowering and. Removing. The ability of. Those at the lower end of the power scale to do anything about their situation. The problem is that most of us. Didn't grow up feeling like we were in that place some of us did. The lot of us we thought we were in control of our lives our reality. You know my parents had a pretty good sense of it they grow wwii generation. Basic kids to the 50s 60s 70s. 80s. In. Reality is we had a nice illusion going on after about 1980. And. That now all of us. Pretty much for somebody who has money i don't know about. We will find you. Yes we will. Because we got a flood drive coming up by the way so. All of us do not have. The ability to impact. Our government. In any significant way all of the all of the studies now show that there is zero correlation. Zero correlation between what the people in this country want as a majority and the policies they get in that 20 the only place where there is a correlation is with the population of people in the top 1%. They get what they want. Consistently. So who's. Don't nobody cares. The point is though that if we do that we surrender the very thing that makes us. Threat. To those who have. Power whether its monetary or otherwise. Equality that we try to find that we need. For our children and our children's children. And for ourselves and for those who are. It places in their lives when they can't. Penance. This equality. Is about our participation in this system. And changing the system. As we go about it. There's also an argument about how to do that and that's fine. Don't get caught up in the argument. That's not the point. Keep your eyes on the prize. That's the point. I don't believe that the ends justify the means most of the time. And i'll keep that in mind when we do these things it's very tempting. It's very tempting. Do you want to make the. Means. 50in that we want. But if we do that then anything can be justified anything can be rationalized anything can be made to happen. Like flint. So we must also. Please to the things that we know are a part of our tradition. As not just into this country but it is. Liberal religious people. Heard the liberal tradition. Writ large. Has always been about challenging. Assumptions. Challenging the it's always been dense done this way. Kind of approach. For us. Our job is to heal the poop of the world would say. It is a repairing of our wounded world. And a creation of. A world that we. That has not been. Canby. The beloved community the doctor king. So eloquently talked about. Point is balance the point is to walk the beautiful trail. Defined. That which is. The best for all. The hebrew. In the jewish tradition. Talk about the beginning of healing the world as to coon alarm. And it begins. With imagining that healing. Visualizing that restoration that coming together of edges rent and ragged and lives separated. From the power of love by the love of power. I asked you to take just a moment to think about what that looks like. What is the future that we want. Don't think about how you're going to get there just think about what it needs to be. Enclosing i'll quote the poet denise levertov. Who reminds us. But we have only begun who love the earth. We have only begun to imagine the fullness. So take those imaginings. Does hunger's. Those needs. Those cries for justice and wholeness. And use them in our own lives and the lives of others. Cuz we are all in this together.

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20140907-Sermon.mp3

When ministers go about putting together. There are sermon topics for a newsletter realize that it's sometimes three and four weeks ahead of the month what was i thinking. This month our theme is vision. And you're going to be hearing a lot about different aspects of what we mean by vision. And how old was things. Play out how perception and. The other things work in our lives. Now there's a familiar story out there and this particular version comes from book called coffee break with god. Streeter's like this. A traveler at an airport went to a lounge and bought a small package of cookies to eat while reading a newspaper gradually she became aware of a rustling noise looking from behind her paper she was flabbergasted to see a neatly dressed man helping himself to her. Amenity pass and that she heard more wrestling. He was helping himself to another cookie. By this time she had come to the end of the package. She was angry but didn't daryl ourself say anything as if. And left. Still feeling later when her flight was announced the woman open her hand back to get her ticket. To her shock and embarrassment there was her pack of unopened cookies so sometimes it is. Belief is a window a lens through which we view the experience. Of the world. This is why religious education for our kids is so important why many of you started coming here to begin with. It's about knific narrative the guiding stories and principles which we learned either explicitly or implicitly which are lenses through which we experience our life. Perception is so crucial i am reminded of the example of the story of yoda in the empire strikes back. Empire strikes back star trek service last year come on. Yoda says. I don't do your voice as well but. Or in the movie the santa clause with an e at the end. The original one. Little elf named judy. Is talking to tim. And he lead actor. Character from the shuttle. Tim allen who's playing guy who gets turned into santa claus. That believing is seeing. Why. Adults can't seem to understand or appreciate her or see the reality of things like the north pole and believing is seeing. Several years ago an experiment was conducted on several college campuses in which students were recruited who at whereas similar and profile as possible. The main difference was in self-esteem. What was discovered was that when were given responses to tests and interviews. Evenly weighted with positive and negative feedback the students who rated with high self-esteem were very likely to focus on what they did right and the positive feedback while students with low self-esteem were far more likely to focus on the negative feedback. And what they did wrong. Often what we expect to find is what we do find. Are perceptions and preconceptions shape the reality we live in and our responses to it shapes the way we experience along those lines. Ralph waldo emerson offers in one of our readings in our hymnal he says he says therefore it behooves us to be careful what we worship for what we are worshipping we are becoming and as unitarian universalist one's own direction. Other believe she'll like gateways opening wide vistas for exploration. The language we use to describe the universe. Shapes the way we experience it. Now. You'll see this. Close your eyes. Do you think this is a sunrise. Open your eyes. Sunset. So. Open right now please. So it wasn't. And it is not a problem with it but it is a matter of perception this could be either. One of my sons. Favorite thomas the train books. Has a picture of a sunset. Going on but he keeps insisting. Even though the book says that the sunset. Because tim. And there are other such things. It's about our our preconceptions. That we have to take into account. The images of the green man figure that a lot of us either the full aid head they call it. And often has these streams of. Foliage. It looks like they're coming out of his mouth. You know. Well but the reality is maybe he's consuming him we don't know. So all the experts on this particular kind of image created but it's a modern. So we construct our realities essentially. Knight say about language in the front of our hymnal there is the list of our principles and purposes there. And as unitarian universalist certain things. We do not agree on everything nor do we agree on nothing we are not a people who pray to whom it may concern. Yet even given all of this faith is not simply about what we believe. Faith is not just about the set of propositions through which we give consent or a scent in an ultimate sense faith is about where or in what we feel we can put our trust. What is it that is reliable in the universe. No wonder things that nearly all ministers doing funerals or memorial service is released if they're doing it right is to give people something to hang on to that says out of the universe there was something that is constant and reliable. In times of transition or upset or chaos human beings have a need for some external frame or which we can take our bearings and get some sense of where we are in contact. We want some fixed point or constant in which we can then trust. This is very much along lines of what rabbi mecklenburger was talking about in his book. That. There is this need for not just any but there is a a functional need for a certainty at a certain level so we can move on and function and when the situation becomes so unraveled or so unnerved. That we can't have that then we become prone to all sorts of mental disabilities such as depression and nihilism and despair. So if we if we become convinced that there is no certainty nothing reliable to believe in then we will surrender to despair and we see the sheep the solace in the constancy of meaninglessness and nihilism define any kind of constancy or reliability we eventually jennifer hands and say it's all meaningless. Which is the least. Reliably constant. If we believe that. Those who surrender denialism then often decided the only way to make sense of the world is actually destroy it and start over. Imposing their own internal sensor order on the world this is where you often find people who commit murder suicides. And other types of crimes. A passion. And their lives. And also people like adolf hitler who basically and others other other dictators to say well if i can't have it i'm taking y'all with me you know everybody fight to the last man. And this is the pattern of cynicism and the mind of a totalitarianism if we find nothing to have faith and we will seek to destroy the world and impose our own sense of order on it such as our need for that level of certainty in reliability as j ruth gendler writes in her book of qualities it is faith who protects doubt from cynicism. How is unitarian-universalist if we do not act on our stated believes in the inherent worth and dignity of others then we have no faith only words. So faith is not simply about what we believe it is not just about the sets of propositions which we give a cent faith is also about the nature of our experiences of the universe and our responses to it. The fundamental nature of religion. Is that. Of relationship to the other. However. We understand that other to be. Therefore it is logical that the experience we often associate with faith is our sense of relationship or our affection for what we esteem. This can be a relationship to people or a place and idea excetera i feel that this. Relational quality is why many of us find. The importance of our joys of concerns moments. In our services. And also i reading the holy it creates a bridge of relational authenticity experience each other in the holy in our lives. I'm reminded of the first unitarian universalist general assembly that i attended over 24 years ago now in 1990. The general assembly was held in milwaukee i think i told a few people before that was my my mecca experience because it's the milwaukee exposition convention conference in arena. Yeah. It had been i've been a member assigned member of the dayton ohio congregation for only 9 months. Before i went as a delegate i was also going in many ways to put my newfound faith. As a universal standby recent sense of calling to the ministry to attest i immediately sought out the group. And what i found is almost beyond words. But what i can say is that by the end of an hour i felt for the first time in my life that i was truly in a room of my peers it was the most at home with others and myself. That i had ever felt up to that moment. I experienced a profound sense of belonging and joy. I was embraced by them even though i had not yet even formally applied to my local seminary pre-admission i was invited to participate in the worship service they would present and was asked to give one of two short homilies or sermons. Not only did i feel connected to this group but i was affirmed in my choice. And after i returned from milwaukee i enrolled in night classes at the local methodist seminary my profound sense of relationship was a firm and i began the next part of my journey which brings me here today. I was given a vision. A foretaste of what it could be like as a minister in this face by my being at that gathering and which in turn was the result of following other visions of what my life could possibly be at that time. My late twenties. Trying to figure out who i was going to be when i grew up i got out of the air force for my skills went and also where my heart was. The book of hebrews in the bible says faith is the assurance of things hoped for. The conviction of things unseen. And in his book faithful change the reverend james fowler. Right as human beings we have imagination. Intuitions and moment of awakening. That disturb us into awareness of dimensions of circumambient reality. That's a great word circumambient reality. Things that go around our daily a daily existence. That we can only name on our own as mystery. And yet our feet meijer in the clay of every day 12 getting and giving spending and being spent and in the struggle for survival in meaning. In the midst of contingency and suckled on uncertainty we spend our blessed and threatened years becoming selves. Do relationships of trust and loyalty with others like us persons in communities. We attached to one another in love we struggle with fidelity and infidelity we share our visions of ultimate destiny and calling. Our projections and hope our moments of revelations. We are language-related symbol born and story sustained. We do not live long or well without meaning. That is to say we are creatures who live by faith. After i return from milwaukee i acted on the newly found in affirmed. Vision and convictions affirmation is an act of expressing and reinforcing a conviction. Conviction the knowing of the rightness of one's experience is a crucial step in faith development the convictions and knowing alone do not make for a faith journey. In 1990 the same year that i attended that general assembly in in milwaukee a study was conducted by the city university of new york and they found that. A large number of people in new york state when asked for the religious affiliation identified themselves as unitarian universalist. You know how many people that was. Just under half a million. 463000 roughly now two-and-a-half times are certified membership for all of north america. Then-president bill schulz international for over a decade and now is head of the. Used service committee. But he said was he has what these statistics mean is that we are far from being a tiny minority on the religious landscape as we so often think ours is the 15th most popular religious identification in united states. More people then identified themselves as unitarian universalist quaker christian scientist or disciples of christ. He goes on to say how can we close the gap between those. People so sympathetic to our point of view today claimed our name and yet avoid the institutional burden of helping to get to perpetuate our movement. Bring those people at people like all of you who not only drink from our vessel facebook help to pass it along. Commitment commitment is fundamental to any relationship and it is crucial as a third step in the development and unfolding of faith. The institutional answers that dr. schultz went on to outline can be summarized as acts of commitment. Commitment is conviction in action. Faith without commitment is dead. Conversely the christian apostle paul wrote that show me your face apart from your works. And i will show you my faith by my works. For the many of us who come from other religious traditions or no tradition. We often find ourselves saying words we could no longer give our hearts to we no longer felt the conviction of the commitment we hungered for her to say yes. To say yes. To a strongly with our lives as with our lips we were looking for a faith so deep and sweet and renewing. That commitment pours from us in a torrent of joy and gratitude. For many of us in this place this tradition or where we are currently exploring it. In faith we move from our experience a relationship through conviction and actions and commitment. As human beings we must have faith in something the assurances of things hoped for the conviction of things unseen as unitarian universalist. We covenant to keep our faith with each other. Sewer commitments to each other. To the to our congregations to our association and the communities and to our world. It is through these things. That we've been make our visions. Bring our visions in line. With what our hopes and aspirations. Telus. It is. That vision. That understanding. About reality which we perceive. In moments of clarity. That we can then try and bring it to full realization. Here. And now.

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20141102-Homily_2.mp3

We're moving into that time of year when the holidays just come hard-and-fast on each other's heels friday course with halloween thanksgiving is near at hand and. Christmas. I noticed starbucks already has the christmas cups out. Tonica the yuletide season and new year's are all not far off. And of course. Tuesday is election day. Because of that election some of us are very aware right now. That in the pursuit of power or because of their access to power. We have some officials some candidates or their supporters. Who's had sometimes acted very badly. And done things that we can only hope they will come to regret. After the dust settles. We've citizenry are actively asked for our individual and collective forgiveness for their various transgressions. So what does that entail. How can we apply those to our own lines. The dictionary definition of to forgive is to give up resentment of. Or claim requital for. Summer sense. To forgive is to cease to feel resentment against. Summer sander. Forgiving is also and i like this one. The allowing of room for error or mistake. So part of forgiveness is a recognition of our fallibilities. One of the reasons i think small children are among our best teachers is because. They tend to ask the basic most elemental questions. Over and over again. What is that where did that come from. Asking why in particular is important because it points to our motivation. We're on need for motivation in our actions. So with that in mind with the motivation in life why should we forgive. Rabbi harold kushner author of the national best-selling book how good do we have to be. You wouldn't want to go too far with that. He offers one reason we may choose not to be forgiving. Is that it gives us a feeling of power over someone. That we might otherwise feel powerless with. They heard us the only thing we can do back. Is hold on to that resentment. But kushnir says that holding onto the grievances against another does two things. First it is strange's us from other people. And that can become a habit. Secondly holding grudges conditions ourselves to. Think of ourselves as victims. Rather than active participants in control of our own lives. Not forgiving in fact gives away. The power of our life. To whatever past action or person that were all caught up with. Forgiveness is there for an act of personal empowerment and liberation. You know this it's more for the forgiver than for the forgiven. In forgiving we choose health and happiness over righteousness. Now let me be very clear that talk about forgiveness does not mean forgetting. Or about condoning what someone else has done. It's about moving beyond the suffering to a place where we can begin healing. For us as religious liberals as unitarian universalist. The consequences of not forgiving are twofold. First does all the things that rabbi kushner says gives away our power turns us into victims. Which allows us to forget that we are inherently worthy. Human beings. And did not forgiving we're not able to fully honor ourselves and others as. Precious. Of the holiness in the divinity of the universe. We're diminished in our ability to extend that recognition to other people and not just to those who transgressed against us. No matter how indifferent or depraved another person maybe they are still not devoid of worth. You're also a child of the universe just as we are. And we have an obligation to recognize them as children of the holy if we want to claim that we are inherently worthy as well. Forgiveness is a way for us to say we can do better it's not a condemnation but i did encourage meant for us to grow to be more than what we currently are. It's a part of the spiritual journey of accepting ourselves as we are. You are enough. And still seeking to be more. Forgiveness can help us to find closer relationships with ourselves with each other and with the holy. So back to the election cuz everything always goes back to the election right now until tuesday. How do we apply all these ideas of forgiveness to. Public figures. First of all forgiveness makes reconciliation possible. But not inevitable. Or even necessary. In our relationships with public officials we may be able to forgive and get beyond resentment but we may not be reconciled with these people. Our trust may continue to be damaged. And we may not have the same ability to be vulnerable and risk with them again. But we shouldn't be proxy grudge holders for other people. We see this all the time on editorial pages or political blogs or the jon stewart show. Being sympathetic for others is an important part of being fully human. But holding a grudge on behalf of another. Is a sign of projection of our own issues. The same goes for any inclinations to feel righteous indignation over violations of religious doctrine. Luckily most of us in this room are not particularly prone to that. But we see it we're around it and every once in awhile we'll have ourselves a good fit a righteous indignation anyway. Transgressions that are against god is god or the universe or whatever you hold as the most holy and divine. Are between the transgressor. And the divine. Not us. The divine does not need us. To metal. So what are the conditions that are necessary to be able to forgive. The following are ideal for not only allowing us to more readily for give it to move towards reconciliation. But they're not necessary for us to choose to forgive. That's a matter of our choice and our control. For starters it helps for there to be recognition and a will on our own part. To say i want. Second. It helps. When there is an honest recognition by the transgressor. Did they have done wrong. And a sincere apology. We don't always get there. Third wonderful to have an offer of some kind to make amends. To forgive or not to forgive that is the question. The choice is ours. Do we liberate ourselves sprint from being held hostage by our anger. And ourselves and others. Do we release that white-hot cole of resentment and shoes happiness. As you use our tradition challenges us to love justice and mercy. And to affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person. In responsible forgiveness we put into practice all of those beliefs. By seeking to forgive and to be forgiven. We can be reconciled. And we can restore. A greater harmony. And more present possibility for ourselves and our world.

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Reading_041909.mp3

Kevin do we have a technical support. Ar reading today is. The lyrics from the song the string by peter mayer. And i had a powerpoint. So you can see the lyrics. And i don't know if we have a goat we have to go kevin i'm getting the know from kevin up there in the booth. Probably compatibility issue from my computer to the version of powerpoint here which is probably older. So. Operator error. So i'm going to read these to you and you'll hear them again as i use them touchdowns in the sermon. And we will also hear the song after the sermon. As we do a web weaving exercise which i will need all of the children's help with. At that time. Peter rights. I have found a hole in the center of the heart. Through which a thread goes. Enters. And departs. It's faster than the middle to inside of me. From where is saint continues. To the heart. Of everything. So when i get a feeling like a pulling. Like a pulling on the chest. I have to ask if that was me. Or one of the rest. Sometimes it's painful. Sometimes just a tap. Sometimes it happens violently and knocks me on my back. When pain is not just mine alone. That's when i know. Someone's tugging on the string. And when i start shaking like a tremor in the ground. Or an organ pipe in rank. When it's resonating sound such a fine motion of intensity. Takes a hold and i know that it can't be only me. Then i guess that someone may be far away. Has grown a little tired of the instrument they play and somehow has discovered that universal thread. And reached out a courageous hand. I plucked that cord instead. When life seems like it's only music. Then i know. Somebody. Playing. The string. And sometimes when i stand beneath the sky at night. I take up the slack. Till the string is tight. And staring at the stars i take a step or two. And i see them move. I think i see them move. Everything's connected like peas in a pod. Or beads on a necklace. Decorating god. Going around the rosie we are all in the ring. Hand in hand. Like a strand. To the heart. Of everything. Sew-ins.

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20130915-Sermon.mp3

When i mentioned to someone recently. Young adults actually. That i was going to be talking about the story of lazarus they said lazarus lazarus lazarus raised from the dead. But it does raise some interesting questions which we'll talk about some other time. The gospel of john in the christian scriptures which i find the least likely. Scholarly point of view and historically but it's also one of the more interesting ones to read. And. The story of lazarus is one of those stories that you don't find anywhere else in the bible. It begins like this. Now a certain man was ill lazarus of bethany the village of mary and her sister martha. Mary was the one who anointed the lord with perfume and wiped his feet with her hair. Her brother lazarus was ill so the sister send a message to jesus lord he whom you love is ill. When jesus. Found the lazarus has already been in the tomb for days now when he gets there and now bethany was near jerusalem some two miles away and many of the jews had come to martha and mary to consult her about her brother. When martha heard that jesus was coming she went and met him while mary stayed home. Martha said to jesus lord if you had been here my brother would not have died. But even though i know that god will give you whatever you ask him and she just said to hurt your brother will rise again. Martha said to him i know that he will rise again in the resurrection of the last day. When she had said this she went back and called her sister mary and told her privately the teacher is here and is calling for you. And when she heard it she got up quickly and went to him. No just had not yet come to the village but was still at the place where martha had met him. The jews who were in her house consoling her saw mary get up quickly and go out and they followed her because they thought she was going to the tomb to weep there. When mary came to where jesus was and saw him she melted his feet and said to him lord if you had been here my brother would not have died. When jesus saw her weeping and the jews who came with her also waving he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said where have you laid him. They said to him lord come and see she just began to whip whip. So did you said see how he loved him but some of them said could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept him from dying. Then jesus again greatly disturbed came to the tomb it was a cave with a stone lying on it. Jesus said take away the stone. Martha the sister of the dead man said to him lord already there is a stench because he's been dead for days. Jesus said to her i did not tell you did i not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of god. So they took away the stone and jesus said father i thank you for having heard me. I know that you always hear me but i have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here so they may believe that you sent me. When he had said this he cried with a loud voice lazarus come out. The dead man came out his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them unbind him and let him go. This is an interesting story from a whole lot of perspectives. And what interesting things about it is this is a story in the story of raising lazarus from the dead. It is supposed to through. St.john's apostles. Writing to reveal to us. That jesus was sent from god to be a giver of life. It's supposed to help reveal jesus's. Vocation. Is someone who gives life. That. Life beyond death. Notice that in the hellenistic world they particularly felt that the soul stay near the body for 3 days but then after the third day the soul was gone and departed. Now what i didn't read actually in here was a section for jesus actually gets worried that the guy is sick and lazarus is sick but he waits 2 days. To make sure that lazarus is dead when he gets there. 4 days. And this is the author's attempt to say jesus really knew the guy was dead. Jesus head planters. And that the stench part was to say no he wasn't in a coma. He was stinky dead. Inatome. And that his soul had left by all hellenistic stand by the standards of helena squirrel and he's writing to the hellenistic writing to jews. That's why i talked about the jews. That way. This whole issue of coming out lazarus come out now i didn't do this because i knew there's a gay pride parade either completely slipped my mind my wife pointed it out to me. But what we're looking at is is this whole idea of. Who we are inside and so it's not lazarus who has this. Location is jesus's location that is real revealed. But at the same time we have metaphorically the ability to identify perhaps if lazarus the idea of maybe finding a new life. Especially after our own life has gotten a bit stinky. But they call coming out of a tomb life. This is often the way people describe their understanding of finding vocation in their life. In contrast to their evocation or their job. Or what they do for a living. So what is calling us out of our four days of dead stinky death. Tell elijah hope and renewal what makes us. Come alive. Like i've used this quote before howard thurman the great theologian said don't ask yourself what the world needs ask yourself what makes you come alive then go do that because that is what the world needs the world needs people who have come alive. I mean they're enough dead people in the world all right. Even somewhere still upright. So this issue a voice. Jesus used his voice. Is all sorts of metaphorical little things there. But what. Voice we hear inside of us and not the one we medicaid. But the one that is in our hearts. Telling us. Something. Needs to change in our life. The purpose of religion is to help us reconnect with that which is of ultimate value. And this is why sometimes. When people say i want religion because it comforts me i said that's great religion is good and comforting that's what is for b also there to disturb us. It's there two challenges it's there too. Call us to be more in line with that which is of ultimate. Valium to be in harmony to as native americans may say to walk in beauty which is to be in harmony. With that which is. I started my internship years ago i realize now. It was 20 years ago. 20 years ago this last summer i finished my clinical pastoral education at the university of chicago. Summering in beirut at the time. Very interesting urban setting. Urban hospital with virtually no staff. And then went on to do my internship in january 1994. Now the fun thing that happened just before i start my internship is my father died. November he became terribly ill. Suddenly. His immune system collapsed due to a weird tumor. And he died within a month. Just before christmas. Until i. Was pretty badly off. And. Went back to. Illinois back to intern in the chicago area naperville. And fortunately i had a very supportive internship supervisor and her family in the church. Fish were well-equipped to deal with me. But i have been cracked open. Really badly cracked open. And i was in real need of being called out. To being drawn out. And i was fortunate that i had people doing that. Pretentiously engaged with me who pushed my sore places. Who drew on those things. That were. Strongest. And deepest for me. Who would ask me questions when i was struggling with something. Insane. How is your prayer life. Now that's a powerful statement coming from anybody but from someone like my internship supervisor kendall gibbons who was an arch humanist. This particular powerful statement. Because she's using language that was. Central to my life. Inso. I dug and probed and they probed and doug and we worked together to find out what was this calling i had been experiencing. To go into ministry what was this calling. To be a parish ministry what was this calling inside of me. What was it that called me. And how. Enter many answers some of them very personal some of them very private either. Many of them very. Profound. Enjoy us. For me my deepening of my understanding of my personal theology. My relationship to what i understand is goddess god. It also a practical sense my. Inherited scottish pragmatism. That this was something i could do well and enjoy doing. Show combination of things but also realization that it was never done. That i constantly live my calling my. My voice is calling my vocation forward. That i am constantly a process of being drawn in new directions of vocation that i am constantly being challenged. Since the moment i think i am done i find another. Way to be drawn forward. To be more. And not necessarily liking it. Because i would like to rest and be comfortable occasionally. We all work and we all do we need to take those things. They always that calling. That voice calling. Come out. Of the tomb come out into the light. Come into a fuller life. By leading a life that is more in tune with who you are. Then what you think you should be. One of the reasons i wear this stall is. To remind me of that calling that experience i had an internship 20 years ago. This was handmade for me by my internship supervisor she's windows notoriously competent people. I know she may listen to this tape sometime so i will take kendall i love you. And in your intimidating. In your competence. But she always makes tools for oliver interns and she's had. Many many of those over the years. In each unique. That we are each unique in our. Calling. Play i am called is not the way you maybe called. I remember my late sister margo who was the unitarian universalist at first jefferson in fort worth it's time i was in seminary. She was struggling with her own sense of calling she had all sorts of college degrees she had master's degree from tcu in. Mass in playwriting she had a lot of grief and university of texas. I am frightfully carpeted and accomplished and yet she was struggling you know she was an accomplished actress and. And things. And she said well maybe i should go to seminary. Chedmardo that's my gig. That's what i'm doing sibling rivalry differentiation but. At the same time it said i don't think this is necessarily what you're meant to do. You know maybe you're right so. As palmer was talking about in the reading earlier, so i can about you looking at others and trying on their. Ideals their ways of trying to. Be. More in the world. Can be it can be instructive. You can help us differentiate. Perhaps but ultimately it's not what we're called to do. We're not called to be somebody else or to live somebody else's life. Recalled to live our lives. In the most authentic way possible. A little exercise i might suggest for you. Is 2. Sit down and write. However but two to think about. What. Is it. But i am most afraid to try. What is it that i most want to do. What would i most like to accomplish. What would i most like to be remembered for. What do i most love. What gives me joy. What makes me come alive. So this issue of vocation is one of being called. I'm hearing that calling of listening to those voices. Not necessarily the voice. Of god. For the voice of. Some great teacher or leader. But definitely the voices within our hearts within our souls are being. Within our innermost selves. Howard thurman offers these additional words. I'll close with this. Reflecting on. How we are called. He says in the quietness of this place. Surrounded by the offer wedding presence of the holy my heart whispers. Keep. Fresh. Before me the moments of my high resolve. That in good times or in tempest. I may not forget that to wish my life is committed. Keep fresh before me the moments. Of my high resolve. May we all find that which helps us. To come alive.

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Reading_100409.mp3

I'll reading this morning is. From black elk speaks it's a slightly longer version of. The reading we had for the responsive reading this morning. It is in. The midst of and towards the end of. Nicholas black elk's great vision that he recounts to john neihardt. It's a fairly long vision actually and it's. Pretty brilliant. So we're coming into the middle of some action so be aware of that if you don't quite get everything. Black elk says. And when i looked down upon my people yonder the cloud passed over blessing them with friendly rain. And stood in the east. With a flaming rainbow over it. Then all the horses went singing back to their places beyond the summit of 1/4 ascent in all things saying along with them as they walked. Add a voice said all over the universe they have finished a day of happiness. And looking down i saw the whole circle of the day was beautiful and green. With all of the fruits growing and all. Things kind. And happy. Then a voice said behold this day for it is yours to make. No you shall stand upon the center of the earth to see. For there. They are taking you. I was still on my bay horse and once more i felt the writers of the west and the north and the east in the south behind me information as before. And. We were going east. And i looked. Ahead and saw the mountains there and rocks and forest on them from the mountains flash all colors upward to the heavens. Then i was standing on the highest mountain of them all and round. About beneath me was the hoop of the whole world. For i was standing. There. I saw more than i can tell and i understood more than i saw for i was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all things in the spirit the shapes of all things as they must live together like one being. And i saw that the hoop sacred hoop of my people. Was one of many hoops that made one circle why does daylight and a starlight. And in the center grew one mighty flowering tree to shelter all the children of one mother and one father and i saw that it was holy. Then as i stood there. Two men were coming from the east. Headfirst like arrows flying between them rose the daybreak star. They came and gave an herb to me and said with this on earth you shall undertake anything and do it. It was the daylight start herb the herb of understanding. They told me to drop it on the earth. I saw it falling far. And when it struck the earth it routed and grew and flowered for blossoms one on each stem. A blue white and scarlet and yellow and the rays from the stream upward to the heavens. So that all creatures saw it. And in no place was there darkness. Then the voice said. Your six grandfathers. Now. You should go back.

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Sermon_012410.mp3

The title for a talk today is widening the community it is really the theme of our whole service. As we widen our usual exported its usual experience this morning to include chinese musicians and stories. This team. Began as a way to celebrate that our congregation recently completed a process to be informal partnership with you you hong kong. A group of unitarian universalist in hong kong. You are in the early stages of developing their society. To understand you you hung kong it's important to understand hong kong itself. Hong kong. Consists of two major urban areas. Hong kong island and the mainland kowloon peninsula. Hong kong also consists of the surrounding new territories and over 200 small world islands. Hong kong is an international financial center in southeast asia. And may consider the major doorway to mainland china. Hong kong had been a british colony for 155 years until 1997. When its sovereignty was returned to the people's republic of china. Pursuant to an agreement signed by china and the uk china promise that under its one country two systems formula. China's. Socialist economic system would not be imposed on hong kong. And it for 50 years hong kong would enjoy a high degree of autonomy. In all matters except foreign and defence affairs. Over 7 million people live in hong kong with about 95% of them of chinese descent. Ethnic minorities minorities include people from southeast asia and expatriates from america and europe. The primary language is cantonese. A dialect of southeast china that more than 90% of the hong kong population is. English is commonly understood especially among the more well-educated younger generation. Mandarin the official language of china has been gaining popularity since 1997. The name hong kong literally means. Fragrant harbor. And it's derived from the area around present-day aberdeen on hong kong island. We're fragrant wood products and incense for wentz trade in. Hong kong's victoria harbour is one of the deepest natural maritime courts in the world. Areas of interest in hong kong include victoria peak. Also known as the peak. Adtran takes passengers to the peak where they can experience spectacular views of hong kong and also visit the shop. Man mo temple is one of the oldest and most famous temples in hong kong. During the 1970s came here to solve disputes that could not be solved by british law. Weatherman no temple is no longer used for settling disputes people come here to burn huge bell-shaped coils of incense that hang from the temple ceiling. In hopes of attracting the attention of the gods. A large number of fortune-tellers dolls are located near the temple. Both locals and visitors stopped by to check out their chances for good luck in the future. Clairvoyance shake a bamboo tube that consists of fortune sticks. There's a number on each day that corresponds to a fortune and the one that falls out first. Determines your destiny. The temple of ten thousand buddhas is another popular landmark in hong kong life-size statues 92 steve flight of over 400 steps. Leading to the temple. The actual number of buddhas is more than 13,000. In addition to having a great many buddha statues hong kong's lantau island. Has asia's tallest outdoor seated buddha. Thailand is also known for beautiful scenery and the presence of a buddhist monastery. Hong kong's urban areas include times a times square district with lots of crowds and shopping. There's an area called lan kwai fong which is a trendy area where people go to party and dance. Hong kong's avenue of the stars celebrates hong kong film industry. Anemone street markets in hong kong including a special street that's for herbal medicines and also a special street for dried seafood. 90% of hong kong's population practices a mix of local religions of buddhism taoism and chinese folk religion. A sizeable christian community of about 8 to 9% of the total population. Are catholic or protestant. And officially 17 individual identify as unitarian universalist unitarian universalism. And this group is the first. Unitarian universalist former presidents in the area. Before we learned more about you you hongkong i want identify some of their major festivals and holidays. They include the chinese new year easter. Qingming festival. Buddha's birthday. The dragon boat festival. Mid-autumn festival. The double ninth festival and christmas. Letting ming festival literally meaning clear and bright festival happens in april when family show their respect by visiting the graves of their ancestors to clear away weeds. Ketchup gravestone inscriptions and make offerings of wine and fruit. But his birthday is in may and worshiper show their devotion by bathing buddha statue. In june people race dragon boats to celebrate the dragon boat festival commemorating the death of a popular chinese national hero. And it's my last name but yes so the surname of this hero in. In cantonese is what what. So this national hero john himself in a river over 2000 years ago to protest the corrupt rulers. Legend says that the people attempted to rescue him by beating drums to scare away fish. And it's road dumplings into the sea to keep the fish from eating his body. The mid-autumn festival. The mid-autumn festival occurs in september when people celebrate the full moon by carrying lanterns. Double ninth festival is the ninth day of the ninth month in the chinese calendar usually in october. People climbing high mountain to avoid potential danger due to double nine on the calendar. It was a magnet culture and context that a group of liberal religious thinkers. Came together to form unitarian-universalist hongkong. In may 2004 a group of young friends who met on the internet and who were attracted by a liberal approach to religion. Decided to gather for regular meetings. They formed the spiritual secret society. The first unitarian universalist group in hong kong. Now called you you hung kong the group meets in various venues of progressive christian organization. The society's website with set-up under uuh k. org. And the first online uu resources in china in chinese or develop. The major activities are the regular gatherings on the first and third fridays of each month in these gatherings they discuss you you publications and listen to sermon. On the first and third monday their host safe house. A support group for people of different faiths to share and support each other. The goal is to build a mutual support group for those who are doubting their religion or those who are in religious transition. They receive unconditional acceptance support. And basic counseling. The service is provided free of charge by a counselor. The group has also participated in various interface activities including services and talk. By christian orthodox islam. High-end interface groups. Dad held some unitarian universalist worship services led by lay leaders and also bite you yes from different parts of the world. Connecticut grows they anticipate adding regular worship services. You you hung kong is also very active in social justice efforts they have marched to promote. Universal suffrage. With assistance from. Distance from the people's republic of china the people of hong kong have been striving. The right to elect their chief executive. And a legislative count. They've also marched and spoken on behalf of lesbian gay bisexual and transgender rights. At many forms and events. In october 2007 they co-hosted a talk by the episcopal gay bishop. Reverend gene robinson. They have given testimonials twice at the legislative council in support of the tv documentary. Which was criticized for presenting gabe's use. They've been involved in many outreach and publicity efforts and they have received international guests including representatives from meadville lombard theological school. And the international council of unitarian universalist. The president and founder of uu hong kong alex zeto articulates a strong need for promoting a message of liberal religion. Irritate young people often regarded buddhist confucianism and taoism as old stuff. And are more inclined to either secularism we're increasingly too conservative western christianity. He notes that unitarian-universalism shitt if he'll naturally to hong kong because hong kong shares many similarities. With the roots of unitarian universalism as people seek alternative. Too conservative christianity. In addition the pluralistic nature of hong kong with its own versions of humanism and naturalism. Make the many sources perspective of unitarian universalism ideal. The president's larger hope is that this you you group might eventually pioneer free religion in hong kong. Moving forward uu hongkong hopes to redesign its website to make it more attractive to outsiders. They hope to find people to help translate english uu materials into chinese and to help find publishing houses in china. They're interested in developing friendships with others who share their desire for a liberal religion. In general and unitarian universalism in particular. They also hope to learn from people who have experience in congregational growth and leadership. Heather small group they would also benefit from financial resources. From people spreading the word of their existence to fellow unitarian universalist. So. Why are we engaging in this partnership. Romania bus engaging in any form of evangelism. Goes against our very nature. I know it raises my hackles especially when it involves international communities we know little about. In a recent newsletter of the unitarian universalist association partner church council. The board chair road. The world needs our liberal religious message of freedom. Reason. Tolerance and compassion more than ever. And we need one another to make that message more universal. If we choose to be isolated we weaken the chances that are saving message will have any real and lasting impact. In a troubled and troubling world. Together we are stronger and we have the opportunity to grow our faith. Enter reach more people with our message. The people of you you hung khan talk about the need they had for a place. Where they could practice liberal religion freely. A place to heal the wounds of other religious experiences. Efface that affirms lesbian gay transgender and bisexual people. Progressive home to advance social justice work. And to fellowship with people who share their ideals. These are many of the same reasons that many of us came to unitarian universalism. And it makes me wonder why we aren't louder and boulder about spreading our messages of freedom. Reason. Tolerance and compassion. Proworld it so badly needs it. Moving forward let us work together to imagine what we can do to deepen this relationship. With our new friends in hong kong. I imagine part of how we might learn together is by understanding how it is working through our common struggles. Our experiences in texas are different but there are similarities. Struggles we share our how to spread a liberal message in a conservative environment. Where the term universe unitarian universalist. Is not well-known. How to promote the rights of lesbian gay and bisexual. People and more recently we can join together in our concern. How to support the people of haiti. Currently we are developing a partner church committee with an initial planning group already starting to imagine how to deepen our relationship with you you hung kong. They're talking about an online discussion and ways to share updates with one another. One thing we can all do starting this week is go to their website uuh k. org and learn more about them. Let us together explore ways of widening this community not simply for the sake of including this group in hong kong but to learn how we might be more welcoming generally. May we learn from this partnership. And may it help us to grow in our liberal faith and promote the message. That's so many in our local and international communities need to.

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20130623-Reading_062313.mp3

Today i reading these from all i really need to know i learned in kindergarten by robert fulghum a passage and made themselves a child me i'm the godfather in the deal and i take my job seriously so far it introduced the kid to the good things in life chocolate beer cigars beethoven and dirty jokes i don't think he cares much for beethoven peach and lime amber amber and all the rest would smile and get a little funny look on their faces and cover the world with imagination.

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Sermon_0927_p2.mp3

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Reading_032512.mp3

Power readings are inspiration this morning is from. Be there a story from the. Medication called rock of ages at the taj mahal. The reverend make barnhouse who was here a few weeks ago. Pleasure of knowing. I know the beauty and grace are all around me. Sometimes i know how to be there for you. Other times i get distracted by bank balance dipping into the negative. So my child coughing. Call my body aging. Or by someone somewhere. Disappointed. Usually is clear to me that i have the choice to stew about things or to be there for my life. In her book intuitive body aikido master wendy palmer rice that you get what you pay for when it comes to your attention. Whatever you pay attention to. That is what you get. If you pay attention to the things that are nuisances. Your life feels like one big nuisance. Pay attention to beauty and joy in your life filled up with you to enjoy. Last weekend i was paying attention to 90° is so upsetting crowd standing in line as bumper cars. For my two boys. Changing his mind about the ride. But he really wanted to do with pasta rubber chickens into a small. Five tries for $2. My brain was. I had just dragged the children all over the fair looking for the riders with whom i was supposed to sign books. I was also looking for the folks in my congregation who are selling beer. I couldn't find either group and the whole time i was looking both boys were pulling me and asking me now. I didn't even have the energy to start the g you know the difference in can in may because my nine-year-old last time said yeah mom may is a month in container. So i said let's go ride the ride. And here we were in line into my head came this.. Once i saw my older son dive into a car and start quarreling the wheel waiting for the ride to start. His brother to watch. They're my brain cool off enough to remember to enjoy my life. Be there for the beauty and grace in that situation. I saw my son's mouth wide with joy. Inside stained red by tigers blood flavor shaved ice. She was impressed. Being slammed from behind and from all sides by other bumper car drivers he threw back his head and. Looking sideways at the other driver grinning not quite able to believe that this was actually. Jubilee. Jubilee. Bubbles of joy. I was having fun. Here was beauty. And here was grace. Here i was. Middle. Jubilee.

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Sermon_082309.mp3

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Reading_062010.mp3

Junior school is a non-for-profit preschool in syracuse new york. That serves children with a wide range of abilities. Typical children and children with special needs learn together in the same classroom side-by-side. The name jawonio comes from indian word. That means to set free. After observing the children of jawonio marisa panchavarna professor at syracuse university school of education wrote this poem. The children of jawonio know. Not because they have been told. But because they have lived it. There's always room for everyone in the circle and it's nap time and on the playground. And even if they have to wiggle a little to get another body in. And even if they have to find a new way to do it. They can figure it out. I'm so it might be reasonable to assume that there is enough room for everyone in the world. The children of jamonilla no not because they have been told. But because they have lived it. The children come in a dazzling assortment of sizes colors and shapes big and little and all shades of brown and beige and pink. And some walk. And some use wheelchairs. But everyone gets around and the same is boring. And so it might be reasonable to assume that everyone in the world could be accepted for who they are. The children of demonio no not because they have been told. But because they have lived it. That there are people who talk with their mouth. I'm people who talk with their hands. I'm people who talk by pointing. I'm people who tell us all we need to know with their bodies. If only we listen well. I'm so it might be reasonable to assume that all people of the world could learn to talk. And listen to one another. The children of jawonio not because they have been told. But because they have lived it. That we don't send people away because they're different or even because they're difficult and they're all people need support and that if people are hurting. We take the time to notice. And that words can build bridges. And hugs can heal. And so it might be reasonable to assume that all the people on the planet. Could reach out to each other. And heal the wounds. And make a world fit for us all. May it be so.

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20141102-Homily_1.mp3

What patrick is found. In his own life. And his ministry. Is that usually what we fear in our own deaths and grieve in the deaths of others. Is our loss of immediate relationship. It's the longest of that we. The partly defines who we are. There's also a fear of losing any help of changing. That relationship this grief may be particularly poignant for those of us who are from healthy families where we haven't yet come to terms with the reality. Did someone send parent or sibling. Is not going to meet our needs. It's true whether the other person is alive or dead. But in death we are forced to confront this reality more directly. This may be in fact. A gift. Why we cannot get our needs met by them. We can begin to meet those needs ourselves and with others in healthy way. A source of help for many of us is that even with the death of a loved one. We can change that relationship. By changing ourselves. And how we relate to their interior presence in our lives. Is unitarian universalist we reject the misconceptions of humanity and existence that says they are fallen. That we are depraved in our very basic natures. Instead we embraced the idea. Did the universe is ultimately one of hope we reflect that in our first principle the inherent worth and dignity of every person. If you're not familiar with all of his principles they are near the beginning of the hymnal and you can look. We the member congregations of the unitarian universalist association. Covenant to affirm and promotes the inherent worth and dignity. Every. Human being. Why we often interpret that phrase is a highly individualistic statement. Are universalists forebears. Sade is a statement not about just one individual. What about all of us as individual. If all are worthy. Then the fate of one is the fate of all of us we are all in this together. As you use we uphold the democratic process by which equity justice and compassion are made manifest in our relationships with each other and the world. And this includes death. Is john donne wrote death comes equally to us all. And it makes us all equal when it. Death is the ultimate. Active democracy. What we believe about death also affects the way we live our lives the only promise of any sacred thing is the promise of a more abundant life. If our understanding of death helps us to be healthier more liberated engaged and fulfilled as persons and communities than it is to be cherished. But he has an understanding of death and an afterlife limits our willingness and our ability to love or to be kind. If it makes us afraid of ourselves or others. If it threatens the very bonds of our solidarity with each other. Then it's not an afterlife for squandering our lives for. We need one another in life and in death. And we are not cut off. From each other. Even after death. Through our seventh principle the interconnected web of all existence of which we are apart. Reaffirmed its reality. No matter how we view death and an afterlife. We are always connected to each other whether the connection is through our atomic structures. We are made of stardust. And through the cycles of nature. Or whether it's to our beliefs in the survival of a spirit and a heaven of all souls. Or through some form of reincarnation. Or the many other possibilities that we can explore and speculate on from this side of the event horizon of death. We're part of a world community stretching backwards and forwards through generations. We die not alone we live not alone. We exist together. And did not alone. However we understand death. And whatever exists beyond its mystery. We are each other's. In this life. And for eternity.

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Reading_101109.mp3

Are reading this morning is from. A. Well-known pamphlet. Call the five smooth stones of liberalism by james luther adams. Do interesting lee enough adams did not call it the five smooth stones of liberalism when he wrote it. His publisher decided that was a nap title and so it's stuck. He kind of surrendered to the inevitability of it. But it's reprinted from his book on being human religiously. And in this essay he distinguishes. He is the distinguished unitarian universalist yellow jim and former professor at both meadville and harvard. Eloquently described the basic principles of religious liberalism. This is one of several formulations are available but it's a very good one and one that is consistently found. Religious liberalism depends first on the principle that revelation is continuous. Meaning that not. And it has not been finally captured nothing is complete and that's nothing is exempt from criticism. Liberalism itself. As an actuality is patient. In this limit patient of this limitation at best are symbols of communication early reference and do not capsule8 reality. Events of word deed in nature are not sealed. They point always beyond themselves not only two insignificant novelty be possible. Not only insignificant novelty. Both possible and manifest but also significant it's itself inculcate. And subject. To inner tensions apparel. And opportunity. The ground for this first tenant is the human dependence for being and freedom upon a creative power. And upon processes. Not ultimately of our own making. The liberals ultimate face is not in him or herself. We find ourselves to be historical beings living in nature and history and having freedom in nature and history. The forms that nature and history take possessive. Certain given faithful character and yet they also are fraught with meaningful possibilities. Within this framework. Humanity find something dependable. And also many things that are not dependable. One thing that is dependable. Is the order of nature and of history. Did the scientists are able to discern and describe with varying degrees of precision. How long the order of nature will continue to support human life is beyond. Decanting of our science. Possibly our earth and our son will one day cool off and freeze where they may dissipate or explode. Moreover everyone is condemned to what we call death. Whatever beyond this life there is a new life is a matter of faith. The faith that trust reality as we have known it. Like one of old we may say to this universe and its ruling power into thy hands i commend my spirit. Whatever the destiny of the planet or of individual life. A sustaining meaning is discernible. A commanding in the here and now. Anyone who denies this denies that there is anything worth taking seriously or even worth talking about. Every blade of grass every work of art. Every scientific endeavor every striving for righteousness bears witness. To this meaning. Indeed every frustration or perversion of truth beauty or goodness. Also bears this witness is a shadow points. To the sun. One way of characterizing this meaning. It to say that. Through it god is active or is in the process of. Fulfillment in nature and history. To be sure the word god is also so heavily laden with unacceptable connotations. That it is for many people scarcely usable without confusion. It is therefore well for us to indicate briefly that the word signifies here considering this definition however the reader should remember that among liberals new formulation is definitive and mandatory indeed the word god may itself may in the present context be replaced by the phrase that we place our confidence sew-ins are we.

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Sermon_010812.mp3

We are all hard. The interconnected web of all existence of which. Bowie laurel. Cargo van in spanish. All the known time and dimensions. Extends not just here and now we're even just a little while ago or a little violin. To all time. And mentions an interesting enough with things like. Membrane siri and physics time may actually predate existence of our universe. You and i are related to everything and everyone who ever was and ever will be in this universe and perhaps beyond. A scientist neil degrassi tyson. We are all connected to each other biologically. To the earth chemically. Rest of the universe. Chronically. Our being apart of creation is not just. Words on a page of wishful thinking political or theological doctrine. It is a publicly. Verifiable fact. We are created out of the remnants of stars. Has. I know that the molecules in my body are traceable to the phenomena in the cosmos. Like. Degrassi tyson said that makes me want to grab people in the streets and say have you heard this. I know where the great functions of both religion and science is to help us to understand the nature of our lives. They come. Have them in very different ways. And if maximizing what they do well address very different parts of our realities. For the consequences of both science and religion is for us to better be able to say this is where i am this is who i am and this is why i am here. Or at least. Begin figuring it out. The higher animal brain especially human. Are designed to make mats out of our environment in order to better navigate them in order to get what we need. This is no less true of our emotional spiritual needs that our physical ones. We engage in ritual to help us to create a virtual expression of the larger existential realities that we belong to. For example it is common in many traditions to invoke the directions of the compass like we did the beginning of the service. Pizza hut east west north and south. The earth and sky. The center of being. When creating or recognizing the presence of sacred space. What we are doing at that time is creating a small-scale representation of some essential part of that larger reality. As above so below and vice versa. The pool is represented in the immediate presence of the ritual. As a religious community we do this actually every time we come together and worship not the specific calling of quarters. But we make. Statements. Hand gestures that say. This is who we are. This is what we believe in. This is what we value and this is why we are here. We are here in relationship. With each other. And then. Play some of the particular is of those relationships out. This process. Worship. It's lifting up of that which is worthy. Helps us to orient ourselves in relation to everything else that is going on it allows us to get our bearings in our daily existence where we feel spun around and around. Like most kids my three-year-old son. I know none of you ever seen it so. I know it's a shock. So there is spinning around his balance. And if he drops and ground some cell phone place. Where he is until his head clears unless he starts trying to crawl off and that's really funny watch. Leaving at 4. This is exactly how i often feel when i get to worship on sunday or at vespers on wednesday night were. Worship in some other time and place personal or public. That i stagger into it and grab a hold or drop. Until my head stops spinning. And i am able to get my bearings once again. I know again where i am and who i am and whose i am and where i need to go and. If the ritual and worship are done well we are invited to lay our burdens down. My burdens of confusion and anxiety. For a while. We can rest and reacquaint ourselves with ourselves and with a larger relationships of the holy the universe with the really. Real. And by this weekend are. Renewed. Come round right. That's the song. I turning turning. Brown rice. As physicist richard heineman said in the video and its really there. You got to stop and think about it. About the complexity really get the pleasure. What this amounts to. The spiritual practice. It is our spiritual gps of sorts. Global positioning satellite. Well on our journey. We need to rest and take our bearings and remind ourselves why. And whose company we are traveling in. Hopefully in that process especially together and communal worship we are reminded that we do not do this alone. That we are powerful precious holy. And not alone. This is an equally important things that i gained when i was working. In. The pekin community many years ago. Because it was explicit. President implicit as i have learned in my disciples of christ upbringing. The idea that we need to ground ourselves. To center ourselves. Nobody's around us where are we relationship. Everything else. And others at least maybe not everything else but the other things that are important to us. One of the exercises that i took with me that i use now. Is to sit still. + 2. Seal roots growing into the ground and branches growing up into. Energy and light in the sun in the moon. Bruce spring and energy. And to think of myself. 7 access point. One for each of the directions. Coming through me. And one for up and down. Each of those directions six. And then one. Come straight through my heart. And my soul. That is the center of all things. Peter mayer in one of his songs singer-songwriter and his song the thread. Talks about. The ceiling in his chest. From someone else's tugging on thread. And this is the feeling. Set the often come to this place. And places like it. Not being aware of. At least he'll cut off somehow somebody is still in the wind. Falling down like a marionette. He's been cutlass. The reality is. No matter what we do or what we say or who we are or where we are. That's red always. You're always. Here always. Purple lighter hole. We are always others. No matter what. You can never be sucker. This is why we haul have together the same fate ultimately. As i universalist for bearing set. Friends together. So when i imagine in that exercise when i visualize and steel. That connection i i know that. Put pierces my heart is is the axis mundi. That goes to the center of the world it's not just the center of me at the center of everything. It is the jets of light and energy shooting out of the great super. Massive black hole at the center of our galaxy. It is. The tree with shamans climb in their journey. It is the center pole of the sundance in the lakota tradition. We are connected. We are a part of something so much bigger than ourselves. And yet we forget. Because. Has the buddhist would say your monkey mind takes over. Began chasing the small things. I'm reminded in the the cartoons of movies. Ice age movies vecinos. And there's a little prehistoric squirrel who's running around. With the nut. And a guy can't catch a break. He's always chasing this one nut. And sometimes that's the way we feel. Little squirrely little nutty. Can't catch a break. Even in those. We are hard. And yet so much into so intimate. One of the beautiful things i have come to appreciate about quantum physics and i'm no mathematician. I probably be a physicist aurora geologist or an accountant. But i can appreciate the sunset. And any idea fractals. Fractals are it means that no matter how deep. Or far back you zoom in in a structure. It maintains its integrity. It doesn't break down. Pixelate. Reporter out. And that means that the structures are if i have integrity further 30 you down or the farther you go out. And our reality. In a quantum world. Of which we physically participate. And maybe even spiritually. Is. That way that no matter how high up or down we go he's always there. But there is order there is structure. There's continuity. There's something to which we can relate to belong. And elijah like that the ancient mystic he's talked about as above as below as below as above. I think sometimes. They were two things. Hades. So as we go about our lives specials move into this next year and i was so many of us. Have experienced that. What am i the singers in one of my favorite groups. I really kind of fun. Advance auto garden music group. One of the musicians. Kia. Who's going to retire. Refrain was. Looking forward to back on this year. Yes and i know so many of us. Have felt that way about the year just passed. Tawny port. Even in that. Keep in your mind. We are here to remind ourselves religion is about. Eligio vine. So we are reminding reminding ourselves. We are. A part of something. That we are a part of life. No matter how mean-spirited political debates may get. And they are getting ugly. And no matter how. Weird our family conversations get with our relatives. And we did some of that had those at the holidays right. Still alive. Don't ask don't tell us still alive and family situations. Talk about politics or religion. Pass the gravy. Hopefully it comes out of this understanding. Is. A sense of. Joy. Sense of gratitude. Not just awareness. Something that makes us more of who we are. Something that makes it come alive. He. Great indian. Poet rabindranath tagore. Says the same stream of life that runs through my veins night and day runs through world and dances and rhythmic measures. It is the same life that shoots enjoy to the dust of the earth and numberless blades of grass and breaks into tumultuous waves of leaves and flowers. It is the same life that is rocking the ocean cradle of birth and death in abandoned flow. I feel my limbs are made glorious. Play the touch of this world of life. And my pride is from the lifestraw but ages dancing in my blood. This month. Who could be jazzed about that. I mean. Seriously. This is the purpose of art and poetry. The science of knowledge. To remind us so that we are enlarged. So we are enthused filled with a spirit. We can go forth we can do the things that we need to do it our lives that we are renewed. I know that many of you feel this way or you wouldn't be here today you'd be doing something else. Set an alarm ring the paper drink coffee starbucks. Wherever the street wi-fi. Get off facebook. If you didn't feel that you needed to make that connection. You would not be here you'll be doing something else. Is make a connection is reseal that. As in responsive reading earlier. Yeah there's a whole experience in there and if you pay attention to that if you look at that. At the end word each time it changes pista progression. Hopefully it takes you. Into a place of connection. And. Love and joy and gratitude. Work. Doing good works. Finding perhaps a place of peace. Find. That's still point. While it is not necessarily contentment. Disability. Lies. The next time you're using your gps in your car. Remember everything i said. That's human.. Ups in your car. Either mandela. Symbol to reflect on to meditate. What were you doing sir i was meditating. Have his meditating on my gps. Make sure you shouldn't do that. And. But you still have this opportunity to take these things. And end sheets and for your own benefit and for the benefit of those in real life. He was powerful precious holy and not alone. We're all here. We are with others and not just us gathered here people as far as we could see farther than we could throw a rock. People in churches. They too are a part of all this. Play to our whole. And sacred. And powerful impression. The goal with this understanding in your heart. Be renewed. He hopefully choice. Even. As we may cross to shadow in the valley of death. There is more on the other side. There's always more. Coffee.

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20151108-Sermon.mp3

Like a lot of us in our lives when we. Ara. Dealing with our. Fears and frustrations some of us have that dream where we end up in junior high school in her underwear and you know or whatever is most embarrassing she'll show up to work at a meeting you didn't know it been called. So one of those four ministers just to show up in the pulpit and realize i am got a thing to say. What is forget. The one thing we don't forget is. The great forgiveness. That is a part of being in our communities. I spoke of forgiveness a lot last week is part of the. Homilies for all souls. And that. Issues like death. Often feel like they closed doors honest on our ability to resolve relationships that i pointed out again. That. That's not the case. Because it is our internal relationship. That we have. If others. Alive or dead. Near or far. They dictate how we behave and how. Even our body responds. The issues which we're dealing with. And so forgiveness and that context. Becomes a way to detoxify. Fairlife. The way to let go of. Energy that we are burning. That is eating us up. Inside like a white-hot cole. The rabbi kushner has talked about that people hold onto hoping that they get a chance to throw it at somebody. For he's also said it's like drinking poison hoping the guy across the street dies. About as effective. So the opportunity for us is to. Embrace. The opportunity to forgive. It is difficult. It is hard everytime i think i have gotten. Kind of. Done something i come back and find there's more. 5 gano. Stuff from 30 years ago and i thought i got rid of that. I still got more you know there's interest building up so there's more principal in there somewhere so. I got to figure out what that is you know. Keep working on it. So he's not. Not easy to do. But it's essential that we do it in order to have. A life worth living. Cuz otherwise we simply become bitter and cruel. And we end up hating ourselves. One of the things that gets confused with. Forgiveness. Is both this issue of. Condoning something. Which i think rabbi kushner spoke to eloquently in the reading. That forgiving is not. Condoning. It is not a pass it is not a. Keep going you got a like on facebook it's. Not. An affirmation of the trespass. And it is certainly not. A call for us. To forget. Sometimes we make ourselves forget things. Because maybe there's too much pain there for us to confront or deal with the time. Images of you watch mr. robot. Adult series on usa. You really should watch it. Fabulous. It will. You have possession. But. The point being green character has. Significant mental issues but. Part of that is i needing to forget. Literally. Things of his life. So that he can. Confunkshun at all. And yet. He still has to remember. In order to be able to move forward. And his wife. Are we struggle with that. Sometimes. There are things that we feel we would better be better off not knowing. Somebody could just mindwipe. That little. Took couple brandon and memory engrams out. But forgiving is not forgetting. Because we carry is very energy of whatever it is in our bodies. What we experience sign side online. Inner subconscious. Frontal lobes. All of those places. Have a moral effect on our physiology. And our mental state. Send all of the surrounding. Outside. Sensory. Imports. Unless you're in. Achromatic. Overwhelming situation. So yes if you fall out of an airplane you got problems. And they're real. Pretty girl holding onto anger grief. Injustice rage. Those are not. Going to do you any good cuz they just make a cortisol go up. Mess up your body. Mess up your head. Mess up your life. So remembering. 4. Unforgetting. Is not just. About human memory. Human memory is sickle. What are the things i've learned in my training years ago doing hypnosis work. Is that memory. Is not static. Memory changes. I need to see in the the cartoon inside out. Please really should get out more really or stay in more. And when the things you see in that show and that we know for a fact happens is that when we remember. When we recall a memory. It is changed. And tinged. And colored. Bye. The reality we are experiencing in the moment. And that gets layered. Into the memory. And so if we obsessed about something. With a particular kind of energy. Boy just fills up and fills up until zit. And those things loom large. Emerson said you know be careful what things you. If you put next put. Foremost in your mind because that will dictate who you are. And what you do. And it will show. Be careful that god you worship lest you become like them. So this active remembering. Is a human. Action but we also know the oral culture that had to save her. There there. Standard their gold standard was to. Getting absolutely right. Absolutely right in transmission. Of information because they knew memory was not reliable. We know that that eyewitness testimony now. 20 years ago was considered the gold standard now not so much. Now it's understood that it actually is probably the least reliable. Form of. Observations can be used. Until this has great. Implications for us as a society. As a culture. The people. Because when we as a society as a culture. Forget. Things. Then we make room for them to happen again. Georgetown deanna said. Those who forget history. Are doomed to repeat it. Something along those lines. It's true. I think we're seeing a lot of right now and are. Halls of power. For those who aspire to. People forget. Were there made to forget. Or they're told that their memory is faulty. But no you don't really run that right it's like this over here. Yes we are founded as a christian nation. No we weren't. For the confederate flag is a symbol of. Southern heritage. Well yeah in a way. But having dealt with that particular. Piece of cloth for several years upfront. I can tell you it's about slavery. I've been. In the baptist church in downtown columbia south carolina several times. Where the articles of confederation were written. And i guarantee you every single clauses something about slavery. It's not about. States rights of this stuff. That's a fabrication. This is the kind of. Misremembering. For misremembering. That is put on us. By those who have other agendas. And we only put on others to. Keep mine just goes both ways. Somebody asked why do black lives matter while it's because. Not that you're more important everybody else but we need to lift it up because obviously we're not treating him that way. People forget. Just. How recent. All of this is. There has been. Chattel slavery on this planet for over 350 years. It was only 150 years ago. The slavery was formally. Outlawed. 70 / 200 years. Of it. So there's been more of it than not of it. In the history of. This. Colonization of this. Connor. It's only been. 50 years since. The formal ending of. The old jim crow apartheid. And look what's sprung up. In its you know. And the ashes. We have a new jim crow. There are reasons why. Various communities. African american latino. Tickly. Have only a fraction of the wealth only a fraction of. Physical resources and educational things that are offered. To society that are assumed. Not just thought about but simply assumes like a goldfish assumes water. For most of us. We forget. These things. We imperil ourselves and our world to do it again and again and again this is why those. Cocaine out of the holocaust. Are still adamant. About. Keeping track of. Everything. Not just memories but records. Documents. Relics. Artifacts. Cruising. Scientifically factually. Dispute ubly. What has gone before. What has happened. So that it may not happen again because when we are lulled into a sense of forgetting. For misremembering. He becomes very easy. Do these things again. Just look at the language of some of the candidates in the presidential. Sweepstakes. Really. I am appalled. What i hear. A teacher on a schoolyard would not allow a lot of that language. Should we must remember but we should not allow the memories to possess us. But you guide us. What are the important things in our lives in a healthy emotion life is differential good self-differentiation that's a fancy way of saying. I'm interested in what you're doing. But i really don't care. That means. I am connected to you i'm engaged with you. But my emotional self is not. Bound up. In your issues or your stuff or the situation. And i remained myself and you remain yourself. And in that we can. The entire login. Accomplish things. But if i get all bound up in you i get enmeshed. Triangulated. Then probably i'm not going to be very good place to help you. Whataburger place to talk with you. And we act out. Parts of our own lies. So we need to be. Engaged. With history. With memory. With experience. Museum. With criticism with cynicism if you will. But do them. And understand them. Am i stone. And. When we do that then that actually gives us space to do their forgiveness. That we really feel like we need. To do. Because we know we're not letting go. But also not. Abusing ourselves. With the memory. Giving it get space. So we can have our space in our lives. So. We strive to forgive. But not. It is. Essential. I think for us to try and and work with those things. Or we can let go. And open up space and energy in our lives. Already so much it was taken up with. The emotional and intellectual equivalent of spam. So as in the torah it says you know. Forgive. Don't forget but it says choose happiness. And that's what. Rabbi kushner says about forgiveness is that his way of choosing happiness. Over righteousness. So we have to remember. The truth facts. Understandable knowable things. So that justice can be maintained. So even as we let go of all of those traspasses against us. And we. Open ourselves to the possibilities of a more abundant life. We also. Remember. And we witness. So that everyone. Can have. That more abundant life. And that we remember all of those good things. Their hours. Not just the trespass. That we remember and embrace all of our blessings. All of our hopes all of our joys all those things we are to other people. Oldest transformational moments. It happened in the blink of an eye. And reminding ourselves. That we matter. And if we have to lift up a group of people to say. They matter. It means something is wrong. So let us. Live our lives so that everyone. Can have that blessing. We must attend. 2 problems. We also must remember our blessings. So not only. Can we have them but we can share them. If everyone. Purpose of life as kushner says. Is true. Grow. Had to share. So go in peace. Remembering all of your blessings. And releasing all of your burdens. And open your arms. Possibility. Other-life. Mormon. And more worth living everyday.

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Reading_031509.mp3

Are reading today is taken from. A series of esteemed lectures. The berry street essays. That ministers have been offering for some hundred and fifty years or more. Now at their annual gathering of our association. The 1995. Carl scoville the emeritus minister of. King's chapel in boston. Offered the following in his essay that year. What is spirituality. Note my definition please as i hear the word being used it speaks to me first of an individual yearning for and reaching. For some experience. And experience. And some conviction of that which is greater than self. And yet fulfilling of self. I do not use the word spirituality to describe behavior patterns. Such as lighting candles or a chalice. Praying meditating sharing concerns. Spirituality. The yearning and reaching. May lead to behavior patterns but i hear it used. To describe the motive force for behavior. I hear it as the primal inculcate. Diffuse need often indefinable at the onset. When someone comes to see me and says something like i'm not sure why i'm here my life seems to be going pretty well my jobs okay. I seen fine with my spouse or partner and. I just feel like there's something i'm missing. When i hear that. I have a strong sense that we will end up discussing. Spirituality. The speakers. Very vagueness at the outset betrays the seriousness of the enterprise at hand. I called spirituality and individual yearning and groping. And as you know it is more than that. It is a movement. In the last decade or so we have seen in our country a growing interest and desire for rituals reading retreats workshops. Disciplines and conversations which enhance the life of the soul. We've seen this in our own churches and fellowships. Your request for sermons and classes and explorations dealing with something more. More than what. More than white enlightenment humanism and victorian optimism. And scientific so-called certitude have been able to provide. And we. As ministers often ill-equipped by tradition training experience and assumption. Robin being called upon to respond to these inculcate request for something more. Spirituality is a public as well as a private desire a collective as well as an individual need. But let us be clear let us not rejoice too soon in this wave of spirituality. Let us remember that belonging does not per se create. Faith. The desire itself does not bring fulfillment. The hunger does not automatically lead. To fullness. The longing the desire. And the hunger must be focused and answered. With some. Form if they are to grow in the life. Of the spirit. It's like music. Almost everyone can enjoy music and create music but there is no generic. Music. To enjoy create one must focus on a form. Whether it's folk jazz-rock showtunes coral trio singing. Symphonies. The need for music must be answered through specific forms. And so is spirituality. To go deeper we must focus. I precisely here we hit the problem. We can counter the threat of spirituality unfocused spirituality is easy mild. Harmless eclectic. Almost entertaining. Focused spirituality is a threat. For then it becomes. Focused spirituality threatens our place in our familiar communities families workplace neighborhood and church especially church. I think of the woman who came to me. 300 miles for a baptism she did not wish she said to hurt the feelings of her local fellowship. I think of a colleague who wears a cross concealed from his congregation. I think of another colleague recently returned from retreat who said to me. Of course this retreat puts me at odds with some of my people. And i'm. Here to serve them. What do i do now. As people grow in the life of the spirit. They become clear on what is essential. More centered on the simple power of the soul and less subject to manipulation. And. Their change can be a threat to others. Who sense the change and react irritation and disiz. Michigan soften and families ever covered alcoholics. We can stand almost anything except to love one's new life. As the defuse potential of spirituality comes to focus in a form. But appeared is mild and even appealing may seem like a threat both to the person. And to the group. The grow or begin to see what he or she might lose. The illusion of control over his or her life. The comfortable quilt which has excused so little transformation. The identity. A victim. Have competent. For cripple. This has left them and irresponsible bystander. On the road.

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Sermon_041011.mp3

I had a colleague who saw this title. Recently. Said to me he goes i appreciate you should have to see this to see what kind of trainwreck you make out of it. I thank him for his support. Set a timer topic for us to be looking at today because of well. Isn't it. I think there were some people who were hoping that the government shutdown would happen just so they'd have a few extra days. Defiling. But then they came once they realize that wouldn't extend their filing. Choice privileges and opportunities in raising a two-and-a-half-year-old. Is. That were costly trying to help him. Dia better person. That we talked about sharing. Nice touchdown hit. You know. You have more than enough you can allow them to have some of them.. And then i was so. Possible that reminded of. The great unitarian-universalist age robert fulghum. Amelia not know that robert olson was a unitarian minister. And he has said publicly that all of his writings are unitarian universalist. Epix and blossom. So you have friends who want to know what you believe, robert golden book. In his classic everything i needed to know i learned in kindergarten. He has a whole laundry list of things. But there were four that jumped out at me that were very relevant i think too but we're dealing with today. And our world and. Share everything. Play fair. Put things back where you found them. Clean up your own mess. Its mother once i don't take things that aren't yours and. Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody. Wash your hands before you eat. Anschluss. These ideas of sharing everything and place are. The world would be like if we actually took that seriously. We spend all of our time is a cognitive dissonance here between what we tell our children is important and what they see us doing. As a community as a nation. No wonder they rebelled against our authority. But i talked about. This whole issue of taxes. What makes. Something a religious act. The word religion comes from the root word leaf religio. Just needs to reconnect it comes from human kind of root word. Those acts that bring us back into relationship or into awareness of a pre-existing relationship with each other as children of the holy as fellow pilgrims in this life. And with all that has gone before us. All that which exists now and that which will and those who will come after us. Can i use hearing universalist principles of the 7 principles. Four of them i think particularly address this. Did heron worth and dignity of every person. Justice equity and compassion in human relationship. The right of conscience and use the democratic process within our congregations and society at large. The goal of world community with peace liberty and justice. For all. The preamble of the constitution of the united states. Even if you've read that recently. That's actually surprised. We the people of the united states in order to form a perfect union. Establish justice. Insure domestic tranquility provide for the common defense. Promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity. Ordain and establish this constitution for the united states of america. Now that the phrases struck me most. Immediately and rereading this recently was to promote the general welfare. The overall preamble how it doesn't have much illegal. Wait to it recording constitutional scholars it does provide. A general. Social compact. For us as citizens and residents of. This country and its territories. In order to do all of those things that is laid out in the preamble. George washington. Had some things to say. He said it is essential that you should practically bear in mind that towards the payment of debts there must be revenue. I'm going to say that struck me is very profound because nobody's talking about that right now. Are they. George washington. Pretty basic. She practically bear in mind that towards a payment that's there must be revenue. That they have revenue there must be taxes that's no taxes can be devised which are not more or less inconvenience and unpleasant. I love it i wish i heard earlier in my life. Make a bumper sticker or something. I got space on a new car. Advance. Into this idea using the common good wendell berry. In his classic another turn of the crank. Says there is some hope. Any idea of a commonwealth. But seems to acknowledge that we all have a common interest that precedes our interest in private property. The presidents of our share. In the commonwealth and the best evidence is that we share also any common health. 2 impact. Are inseparable. And looking at what might make this. A religious issue for us. In the christian tradition. Which informs much of the western culture that we are apart of and is commonly cited by the most conservative elements of our nation. Economically politically and. Socially. In mark chapter 12. Verses 13 through 17. Jesus says bring me. A denarius and let me look at it. Coin. They brought the coin and he asked them whose image is this and who's inscription. Caesars they replied. Then jesus said to them. Give back to caesar what is caesar's and to god what is god's. And they were amazed. Recruiter on in the tradition one. Reading that i hadn't. Remember since i was a kid. Regarding payment of taxes the christian apostle paul couldn't make it any clearer. He's very explicit. Romans 13:5 through 7. He says this is new international version. Because therefore it is necessary to submit to the authorities. Not only because of possible punishment. But also because of options. This is also why you pay taxes. Or the authorities are god's servants. Who give their full-time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him. If you owe taxes pay taxes. If revenue then revenue youth respect. Then respect. If honor. Then. Honor. I would like to see those. Sentiments in public discourse. A little more coming on. And they are so relevant now because we are. Immersed globally in a corporate culture of consumption and immediate gratification. And yet we teach our children that deferring satisfaction for the sake of something greater down the line is one of the hallmarks of maturity and adulthood. Does a view in the psychological sciences and social sciences know this to be axiomatic know this is a fundamental understanding. Those who work with people with addiction this is a basic concept. That we work with. Pay taxes is a religious act because the differing satisfaction. The makers. For the sake of something greater down the line is the hallmark. Maturity in adulthood not only. An individuals that also in communities. Secular and religious. To be a part of more responsible and grown-up society that actually does what it says it will do. It will berry in in another quote from his wonderful book. Says the industrial consumer and industrial producer. Leave it after any encounter between people or between people in the world. There will be no consequences. Consumption society is interested in sterile or inconsequential intimacy. Witches fantasy. But suppose on the contrary that we try to serve the cultural forms and imperative. The prepare adequately for the convergence of need with fertility of human life. What's the natural world. Then we must think of consequences. We must think of the children. He goes on i am an uneasy believer in the right of private property because i know this right to be understood as a right to destroy property. Which is to say. The natural or given world. I do not believe that such a right exists even though it is presumed existence. Has covered the destruction of a lot of land. A considerable amount of this destruction has been allowed by granting our corporations the status of persons. Capable of holding. Private property. And arianna huffington. Is writing a book. Third world america. Offers. This. 1964. The american national election studies. At the university of michigan has regularly asked voters whether they think the us government is run for the benefit of all. Or buy if you big interest. In the mid-1960s only 29%. Caught big interest ran the nation. By the 1990s that number had cloud climb to 76%. And in 2008 80% of americans surveyed told the programme on american international policy attitudes. Did they believe government was controlled by quote a few big interests. Looking out. For themselves. So the next time you think you're the only one. 80%. Thinking of the issues of heck station issues. Fairness in our society. I came across a quote from someone who would kind of forgotten about she's been dead a few years now. Leona helmsley. Hotel magnate never leona. She's famous for a quote that i think you're maybe infamous. Only the little people pay taxes. Frankly i think that's the mantra of the national chamber of commerce. And recently. Sequels mason's movie wall street. Original. The great. Close. Gordon gekko the corporate raider. Besides greed for lack of a better word. Is good. And even in the context of the movie in which it was said it's still a very chilling statement. Yeah great work that's been put out recently called unnecessary austerity unnecessary shutdown which i found the great. Like timely this week. The institute for policy studies. Says. We're broke. Or so claim governors and lawmakers all over the country. Are states internation cano longer aboard their plant there. The plate goes and the programs and services that americans expect government to provide. We must do it unless you need austerity. They go on we are not broke. Not even close. United states of america is awash in well. Are corporations are holding record trillions in cash. And overall individual wealth in united states the credit suisse. Research institute reported this past call has risen to 23% since the year 2000. So. What that mean did you take all that break it down is that. If you break all the wells town in united states average across every american adult. It would be 236,000 213 dollars. I'd be very happy with. And that's not an indicator the personnel committee that i'm looking for a ray. Just say. They go on to say we have these. Indicators of overall wealth suggest. Survived the great recession quite nicely. So how can average families in the national state and local governments that exist to serve him he doing so poorly. Why do deficit dominate our political discourse. What explains the red ink hurricane now pounding government budgets at every level. This text a report identifies to prime drivers behind our current budget squeeze. One we have indeed become wealthier than ever. But our well has become incredibly more concentrated at our economic summit. U.s. income is cascading disproportionately to the top. To we are taxing the dollars that go to wherever richer rich and corporations they own at levels far below the tax rates. The miracle of a just a few years ago. Do decades ago. We have in effect. Shifted our tax burden off the shoulders of those most able to bear it. And away from those who district court and away from those. List of course who disproportionately benefit from government interests the most. So rich. Are paying less. These two factors more dollars at the top significantly lower taxes on those dollars. Have unleashed a fiscal nightmare. Can we wake up in time to avoid the crippling austerity that so many of our political leaders insist we accept. This report offers both analysis and our current predicament and a series of puzzles that can help open her eyes to further marketable brighter future. It's a very long report. You're a few key facts so i'm going to ask a celine now to bring up a couple of slides i don't normally do powerpoints during sermons. You think we're so. Amazing. Visual learner myself i had to put these up. 15753. The number of households in 1961 the year i was born. Near our association of unitarian universalist. Was created. Number of households in 1961 with $1000000 taxable income adjusted for inflation. It's only 15,000. 753. 631. Hundred. 360 100,000. Number of households in 2011 estimated to have 100. Million. 1 million in taxable income. 43.1% of. Total reported income that americans earning 1 million paid in taxes in 1961 adjusted for. Current dollars. 23.1% of total reported income that americans earning 1 million or more are likely to pay. In 2011 estimated from the latest irsd. 47.4% of profit corporations paid in taxes in 1961. 11.1% of profits for corporations paid in taxes in 2000. I hope yours is nauseated by these numbers is i. Let's bring up another the other slide. So what all this means is if households with income over a million today pay their federal income tax. At the same rate that comfortable household paid in 1961. We were this year raising additional 231 billion dollars in taxes. Everything revenue. Is affluent households those with incomes of in 2011 between 200000 and 1 million. Hey that 1961 race us treasury would see another 151 billion dollars in revenue. If us corporations paid at the same effective tax rate they paid in 1961. Additional tax revenue would raise a total of 485 billion. How much do a grand total i mean after a while. Grand total is 857. Alien. Dollars in revenue. Just by doing that one thing. Going back to tax rates we had 50 years ago. And i put the number of zeros in there just kind of get it home. Could we forget sometimes that billion trillion ever while pencil kind of abstract. Paying taxes is a religious act. Because it is a way of creating. Justice. Legally. Politically. Morally. And economically. In a august. 2009 yes magazine article called taxing wealth for the common good. Look up the work of a group. If i discovered separately on online recently. A group of high-income earners. In a new network caldwell for the common good. And they say raise our taxes. Why. Because it's fair because they can afford it. You give a number of reasons why this is important. And what they should do they would like they were habitating for the repeal of the bush-era tax cuts on the wealthiest of the wealthy. Those making 235,000. I know there's something. He put you in the hmong the highest-paid people in the world. I just united states. The world. In single-digit category. So it's not enough money that's a separate question. Why is it not enough money for you or whoever. Changing conversation is key says the. Article. Aurora mendez a principal architect at microsoft and member of the initiative acknowledge that fact that when describing his own financial success during a wealth for the common good press conference. He said quote. I could choose to tell him i story this way. I arrived in the united states from india with $250 in my pocket. where i am based entirely on my hard work. That is true. But it's not a hole. Linda menezes then. Gave a more honest reckoning that took into account his publicly-funded education. Government invested in government investments in technology industries. And all the benefits he gains from schools hospitals roads bridges parks and civic amenities that were built and paid for by previous generation. That had their collective will to invest in their future and the future of their children. Again they say our current structure is regressive. And unfairly burdens those in the middle and bottom tiers. Ted todd be achilles. A member of the network and a leading executive into telecom industry. He says ensuring that everyone has an opportunity to be successful and pursue their dreams means ensuring that every. Each and every american contributes are purposely. The nation. Well he. Paying taxes is a religious act. As it says in the jewish torah. We drink from wells we did not dig and eat some vineyards we did not plant. We have been warmed by fires we did not. In his book dare not to live bruce larson recounts the following story. Travelers across the lawn and seldom-used trail. In the amargosa desert. Did offer the only hope a fresh drinking water along their journey. Why do the pump handle with a baking powder can and inside the can was a handwritten note. This pump is alright as of june 1932. I put a new sucker washer into it and not to laugh out here. But the washer dries out on the pump has got to be prime. Under the white rock i buried a bottle of water out of the sun the cork and up. There's enough water in it to prime the pump but not if you drink some first. Pour about 1/4 and let her soap do you want the letter. Then pour in the rest medium-fast and pump like crazy. You'll get water. Well it never runs dry have faith. When you get watered up till the bottle and put it back like you found it for the next dollar. Sign. Desert pete. Yes don't go drinking up the water first time to pump with it and you'll get all the water you can hold. Deferring satisfaction. Then think of something greater down the line is one of the hallmarks of maturity. And adulthood. And i would say. Then the case. Our society. Probably survival. I told you. The sacrifice. Doesn't necessarily have. Anything to do with pain or suffering would you believe me. That sounds sort of like getting her sweet tea without all the calories. How do you do instill. Haven't the authentic. Begin with the word sacrifice only means to sanctify something. That is setting something aside a special or. Important. Make something. I setting it aside or identifying it as special we include it as worthy or of work which in turn is the root of the word. In german for shipping to worship. In other words sacrifice is the surrender of something for the sake of something else. That we deem to be more important. They say something is secret is to say that it is set aside for some specific purpose. Or use of a particular important or worthy nature. The sacrifice is not the same as suffering. It is possible sometimes the supper when making a sacrifice but it's not necessarily the case. With this we can honestly talk about giving. Not because it hurts but because it feels good to do it. We don't come here because it hurts. We come here because we get something out of it you give and we should give because we get something out of it not as a consumer but as participant in our journey 14 more whole and holy. In fact we should give until it feels good even great it's actually about healing and even pleasure. Not paying. The purpose behind this sacrifice that we make whether it is the pledging to our community here or to our taxes. What you other things that we support with our resources. Purpose. It's not your keys some greedy or vindictive deity. Ettore align ourselves with what we would hold be of ultimate importance. With our understanding of what is right. And how things should be. We are trying to realign our inner and outer realities and create balance and harmony in our lives and the world. Uu minister carl scoville offers that part of giving especially traditional typing. That is 10% of. Of. My income put me in tune with processors or power or person. I would not be in tune with. If i was hanging onto this stuff. It would get in the way of your relationship makes. Sacrifice. Perhaps that is to pay my proportional share. The common good. Cutting taxes is a religious act because money or well is nothing by itself but a thing. A placeholder a symbol. For concentrated energy. And energy the power that we have created and received from others. Power is ability to create and run hibbett change in ourselves and the world. Paying taxes is a spiritual practice their minds as to avoid the idolatry the worship of power and that the love of money which is essentially a love of power. Is indeed the root of all evil. Money's bad okay let's talk about it. It's not that. The love of power. That money. Provide. That is the roof. Of all evil according to the scriptures. Paying taxes is a religious act because it is a concrete way to ensure our stewardship. Of the planet and its resources which we have been entrusted with. Or the future. For me to pay taxes says that i'm a part of a shared sacrifice and commitment to a greater realization of the beloved community in this place in this time with this group of kindred pilgrims. It says that i have taken responsibility for the hell. Wealth and well-being of others now and for the future. It says i have respect for my ancestors. That's a pretty conservative idea. But i have respect for my ancestors and all who have invested in sacrifice he for me so that i may drink from wells i did not dig and walk on rose i did not build. Just as they gave to me and to their future so do i give back. Respect to our ancestors while insurance creating a future a greater future. For my children. All who would come after me. All of us. 1 things that spurs me on. In this is a sense of gratitude it calls me to make. Thanksgiving. Which is more than my hopes and prayers but. To make it manifest in the world and collective action with others. Sensation of conflict but. Yuengling work peacemaking. As dr. king wrote. The hue out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. Why is paying. Taxes a religious act. Commute means to accept and to share the many blessings of grace. We have received. It means to respond ingratitude. And to make our lives and act of thanksgiving. It means to build up the institutions and opportunities for us to truly affirm. Equity and justice. And with wisdom joy and love. Continue to cure the diseases of fear. And despair. To confront. The culture. Ignorance and death. That is being pushed as the new morn. In the end it may be as simple as this. And hebrew scriptures the prophet micah tells us. What does the lord require of you but to do justice to love mercy walk humbly with your god. Are the chinese sage confucius says. Bring peace to the old have trust in your friends and cherish. Young. Why is pain. Taxes and religious act. Cousin these tenuous times. The living of our lives soz. Potential for the future. Seeds of grace hope peace and gratitude. For our lives elijah those who live so far away and yet so close. What's the distance. And in thai. They are our neighbors. How children are brothers and sisters. In the beloved community. That is an.

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20130721-Reading.mp3

Are reading this morning is taken from an essay by the reverend meg barnhouse of first uu church in austin meg has spoken. Brevard makaveli. I'm also her partner kind of heartwood has performed here. The title is broken buddha. These are the words of reverend mag. I have a photograph in my online art collection titled broken buddha. It shows the lap of a painted statue. 1 graceful hand has broken off and is resting on the sole of an upturned foot. I'm trying to figure out why i'm so drawn to this image. The enlightened one as imperfect. Cracked and chipped. Maybe that is how my enlightenment feels. It is not all that shiny anymore a piece or two may have gotten knocked off. I don't know why it makes me remember a woman who was a pillar of my husband's presbyterian church. Tall slender righteous she was a community sayings and icon. Whenever her name was mentioned that someone would read that reverently. Oh she is wonderful. And everyone around would nod with downcast eyes and saw faces. But she and her husband were to leave that church within a year because. It wasn't christian enough. How are you enjoying being a mother she asked me. We had two small boys my husband the minister was gone a lot and i was juggling a therapy practice smothering. And also being a writer. I love it i said i mean i'm tired of changing diapers but the rest is great. It's the kind of thing that parents say to one another to make the connection of telling the truth. About one's life. Most people would touch her arm with a warm smile full of understanding. And your hearts would be together for a moment leaving both of you strengthened. She did not touch my arm. She fixed me with an intense gaze and said. I loved changing diapers. I loved every minute of raising my children. Every. Minutes. My heart sank. I don't know what her heart was doing because i couldn't feel her heart anywhere. There is nothing crueler than suggesting to a young mother that she is not a good one. She quietly suspect that's true every single day of her life. This particularly crappy combination of sweetness and meanness had been coming at me from church people since i was 8 years old. There was a line to toe. There was a circle of approved thoughts and behaviors within which to stay if you were to be a member of the group in good standing. And if it looked as if you were about to stray. The enforcers descended with that exact. A spiritual person was supposed to be victorious triumphant in the conquering of life's difficulties praising god in the midst of any circumstance. Grateful for whatever came peaceful in the heart. Always. The broken buddha says. I don't have to be scared of being the way i am. I've met some non evangelicos with that same cruel but somehow comfortable worldview. As a practicing therapist i met a lot of people who trusted in therapy. They would speak as if you could get help for any situation and handle it with your head held high your intellect clear and your feelings and good order. If you were healthy enough you were supposed to be able to go through even a nasty divorce with peace in your heart. Is something disturbing. Disturbs you. You should get help. The broken buddha tells me that sometimes agony is appropriate. Once in workshop i was leading an older woman were sharing her grief at having lost her son to cancer. When he was just in his twenties. In response a woman across the table tilted her head. And spoken that breathy voice that some people makes them think sound. More spiritual. Her eyes were wide to. And she didn't blink. Have you ever thought about what he might have why he wanted to draw that suffering into his life. Word. The broken buddha tells me that life is not neat. Life is gorgeous and horrific and beyond understanding. We may create certain situations. Draw certain things. But others suffering strikes like a tiger from the tall grass. Snatching us from one life into another without cause or warning. I meditate on the broken hand of the buddha and it comforts me. It tells me that the spiritual moves in and through cracks and gaps. That is wild and it doesn't make sense. It sticks with you even through something that can't be fixed by intelligence or kindness. Orlov. I learned that the statues broken hand is in the corona mudra the shape used for warding off demons. Maybe you can be enlightened and broken too. Sometimes i feel like i understand so much that i can be a lot of help to people. And other times my mind is blank and there is nothing in my mind or hard to say but i am so sorry. I want to reach out my hand is lying in my lap. Still in the shape of warding off demons of fear and illness. Financial terrors and loss. And i can't do anything with it. The broken buddha says he knows how i feel. Our hearts beat together for a time. And we are both strengthened. Descenza reading.

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Sermon_100211.mp3

I want to see. Great concise i hope here. The saying a few things i think irrelevant first of all our association. Participant in the interfaith efforts to. Support the dream act and other comprehensive forms of immigration reform. These are. Incredibly important to us. Our general assembly this last summer and made this a part of our. Immigration reform a part of our study action items for the next 3-4 years. And so there's actually curriculum for this and other opportunities that we will be pursuing over the next two years. To engage ourselves and our community. Around issues around immigration reform. Personal i am grandson. My mother's father truck ship in new york harbor before world war 1. He was a steward on the white star and cunard lines between new york and liverpool. English of irish descent. And he. Eventually found himself in iowa of all places. Her he fell in love with my grandmother. Courted her he worthy. Classic plaid. Close of the. and his. Soon father-in-law called him the dude. John mccarthy was an amazing man. Work hard all of his life. Raised five children and grill iowa. Working in a cannery most of the time. See the great depression. Saw his sons go off to war. Eventually became the grandfather of. Cowboys grandchildren now. He passed away when i was quite young. I didn't know him very well but i knew of him. After the war. There was a move to try and. Legalize people whose status. Question question and this was also the beginning of the mccarthy era. And he was fortunate that he was able to go to the government and apply for resume lien status and accomplish that. There's a huge relief. Grandmother had be trained. His burden around with him for seven years needs a really didn't quite realize how big the burden had been. It's only a headband. Taken from their shoulders. I find it interesting things in following up with my mother on this issue to make sure i had my facts right. She herself had been concerned that i should share this. Because. Anti-immigration. Vibration going on in our society right now is such that she was afraid. But she and her sister who is the sole surviving sibling. 4 in their 80s. Woody in trouble. Because their father had at one time been in illegal immigrants. I had to convince her that this was not the case. Eipril whole range of reasons. But such is the discourse in our society right now that someone. Who has been. Part of this culture for 84 years. Hand. His father had legal status eventually. Bastille concern. It should be hidden. That this should not be known. I find this reprehensible. And unacceptable. In this country and anywhere. That human beings. For a society. I'd like to share some brief comments from our. President of our unitarian universalist association peter morales. Part of a larger piece but he says as religious people. Who affirm human compassion. An advocate for human rights and seek justice we must never make the mistake of confusing a legal right with a moral right. Forced removal of the native americans from the land onto reservations was legal. Importation sale of african slaves was legal. South african apartheid was legal. The confiscation of property of jews beginning of the nazi regime was legal. Spanish inquisition was legal. Crucifying jesus was legal. Burning michael servetus at the state or his unitarian theology was legal. The fact that something is legal does not cut much ethical ice. The powerful of always use the legal system to oppress the powerless. He goes on. It is true that is citizens we should respect the rule of law. More importantly though our duty is to create the laws founded on our highest sense of justice. Equity and compassion. Loud voices urges to choose fear. Denial reactionary nationalism and racism. He must resist and choose the better way urge by every major religious tradition. He must choose the path of compassion and hope. We must choose a path that is founded on the recognition that we are all connected. And that we are all in this. Together. There is so much to take in around this issue of the dream act and other legislation for immigration reform. Encourage you to go to ruu a website and even just a general search term. Type in immigration. I think you'll find lots of wonderful materials there as well as whatever else you can find on the dream act online. It is important that. We were able to stand up for those who are not. Our future is as much at stake as anyone else's. Create a country. People are free. Be creative. Productive. Be able to contribute in a way. That. Has meaning and value. Not just for themselves. For all of us. But also lifts up this is not an issue. Latinos and hispanic cologne. A large proportion of the children and youth. Considered under the dream act come from other parts of the world including europe. So this is somebody taking mine. It's not just a latino hispanic issue in this part of the world we tend to think of things in those terms. Even in this part of the country. So i like you. To think about these things if this is something that moves you and you would like for us to the congregation to do more with it. Please speak to leelanau county. Myself or any of the board members of the congregation and we will see what we can do to move forward on these issues in a way that is appropriate productive and meaningful. I'd like to close with a couple of scripture verses. The book of job it says no stranger had to spend the night in the street or my door was always open to the traveler. Jesus said. I was hungry and you gave me food i was thirsty and you gave me drink i was a stranger and you welcomed me in. An exodus it says you shall not oppress a stranger since you yourself. Yourself know how it feels to be a stranger. For you were strangers in the land of egypt. Let us do what we can when we can. Pillows that we can. Can't do it all. We shouldn't try to be overwhelmed by that fact. My wife and i often say that we have to remind yourself you can't eat the fish in one bite one scale at a time. 1 scale alpine. So let us move forward. As much as we're able. Create a better dream. Ourselves. For everyone in this country and in the world.

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20141026-Story_1.mp3

But when you were in that space maybe when you were younger or littler. Did anyone ever tell you to put on a brave face i remember being told that as a child. A brave face and i think of this as. Put on a brave face and go out to face the war to go out. To face the difficult situation to go into your sister's room and say i'm sorry. To put on a brave face when inside you know that you are the colors on that paper. But you have a face on and that brave face can help you face your fears. Or even better move through your fears. But it has to be a face that's yours. At least has elements of who you are you can't. Put on something that's totally foreign if you think about the little kitten. Facing up to the big dog. It may be channeling a great big lion. But it's still a cat. I'm stopping to ask you to turn that paper over. And think. For a moment. How it feels. To be brave. Just say something. What color. Is brave. What animal might represent a brave face. What element. Might be a symbol of bravery. Fire. Earth. Water. Stone. We'll sing a little later. About peace like a river or joy like a fountain or strength like a mountain. Maybe one of those things. Is the face of bravery for you. I'll let you in on a secret though while you're driving drawing that. One of the secrets of putting on a brave face. If it's somebody knows you're doing it. And that somebody. Could be a parent. Are your spouse or your partner. A good friend. Your church community. But having somebody who knows the real you. Knows what you're afraid of and why. And loves you. And support you anyway. That is imperative. For putting the brave face on to work. Just recently it had the experience. Of giving one of the eulogies for my father who passed away a couple of weeks ago. And while it could have been a very difficult thing. Because i was facing a room full of people in my father's retirement community that i have never met. Or heading that once when i had visited and yet sitting in the front row was my stepmother a woman that i have known and loved for 32 years. We have talked before the service and she knew that there was an element of this for me that. To something i was a little bit nervous about not just the words but speaking to a hundred people that. Didn't know me and i didn't know. And we talked a little about what i was going to say but more than anything. Talking to her and seeing her face in the front row. And knowing that she knew that i was nervous inside. But on the front i was putting on a brave face. Made it so much easier for me to say what i needed to say and do what needed to be done. And to finish it. With a smile. And good memories. And you know. Putting on a brave face. Having someone who knew and supported me. Maybe made it possible for me to walk through my fear and my sadness and my grieving to the other side where i was able. To do what i needed to do with a smile. There's a quote that i found from a website for people who deal with depression. That's when you become real to the world. That's when you can grow. And so what is you know that somebody in your life has put on a brave face. But if you are that person who is the helper. Your role is to help them. Encourage them. To move through into authenticity. To help them learn and know and remember that there is a river that flows through them. A river of love. A deep well of human potential and strength and courage that flows through every single one of us. It ebbs and flows with the x. But it is there for us to draw on whenever we need it.

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Sermon_101611.mp3

Window as metaphor. I found that very interesting. Things to think about over the last. 2 years since i originally saw on that hurry for stretches. Meditation essay. Bridgeview. The fact that. Metaphors. Great possibilities for us. To think about how we would think about the unthinkable. It sounds silly but. I find that please important line in. That essay is that. Pretty talks about. 21st. Century theology based on the concept of one light and many windows. Offers its appearance of fred and focus. Honoring multiple religious approaches. It only excludes the truth claims of absolutist. That is because fundamentalist claimed that the light shines through their window. Only. Opportunity for us with integrity. Try to apprehend true. God however we may understand god. Variety of lenses. Through which we may understand for see things in different ways at different. This is the opportunity to us especially in a pluralistic world. That is changing so fast. And where so many different perspectives are constantly being offered to it. When i was a kid. Growing up in the disciples church i remember very clearly having an image of. How do we understand god or or the truth i was standing in. Grace disciples of christ original christian church in fort worth on standing in the old. Fellowship hall on hamilton. Introverted. And getting next to the dime coke machine. 9. Thank you kind of had the little vertical door you open up when you pull it out and makes a lot of clicking noise. I were standing next to that and just start heading this this image of. Infinite infinitely faster to jim. Classes. Window. He is a way of. Perceiving. Emoji understanding. The ultimate. Or perhaps is an aspect of the ultimate. And it is to that window. That we. Proceed some heart of this greater whole incident. We simply cannot apprehend all. Hub is facets and we will always be in sun. Form of ignorance or agnosticism about. That cappelletty. So when i heard for us trish's talking about windows years ago. The first time i went. Familiar. Similar. Say how are you build a theology or kevin fiala just based on metaphors. So i think it's important to understand the nature of metaphors. Granny weatherwax remember what she says be careful about them metaphors. They aren't real she's a very literal kind of person. Granny weatherwax. The thing is. Words and shelves are symbols. And symbols. Always stand for things. Beyond themselves. They also have multiple possible value their multivalent. Can a possible multiple values around the same symbol and they have very different motivations for doing that. I think the the rallies and protests over seeing right now the occupy wall street in fort worth. The 99 percenters. I think. That. What we're seeing is a lot of different people with pain and concerns me a lot of different places coming together around the same banners. From the same standards. We're going to find that a lot of the causes for those things are similar. I think that's supposed to be coming. The symbols are multivalent words are symbols. This is why the idea of literal literal isms. Generally does not make sense. Because it's all about symbols and symbols themselves are. Incomplete meaning. Metaphors are. Like this the bigger. Metaphors are meta meta. Ford metter. Or. Semaphore. Pig sign. Sunny a metaphor is a fig symbol. It stands for something. Had a larger scale. I like maps. I think about maps. Map. Any of you ever work for the topographical map. Topographical map street map. Right. Okay. If you don't know how that those little lines are and how far apart they are and what that means are the closest together you don't know that that. Finger walking towards the cliff. Quite a long stretched-out valley. A number thing. Set of symbols. The tells you how to interpret. Right. Legend. So if you're looking more like i have no idea what he's talking about. Any of you use maps now. Okay good luck. Hello. The map is not the terrain. It is a way of describing the train but it is not the train itself. And the language used in religious. Community. In describing the ology apprehending that which is beyond apprehension. He is only an approximation. Of the things we are. Reaching for it's the finger pointing to the moon but not the moon itself. Medical. Maps. Different ways to perceive landscape around. If we have a map. That our kids drew that shows the treasure map of where they bury things in the yard that's different from a survey map we use when we go to buy or sell real estate. Survey maps. Sometime. Can i let you know asmus in degrees. 20/14 religion often tells us is where our boundary. So. The boundary on the ground may not be exactly what it looks like on the map. Metaphors for language. Symbols. Saturday or windows were otherwise. Are always a step removed from the direct experience. And even as forest church describe that he says that the light which is that. Ineffable. Wholeness. That we often called god of the granddaddy moultrie. Is filtered through that. That one way of perceiving things. Anytime we focus on one thing in our lives we screwed others. How many drive with small children. Okay. Focusing on the small child in your backseat definitely lose other things in your vision. Okay. Or trying to pay attention to the guy who's barreling on your right hand side as you're trying to get the right-hand lane to get off the exit ramp. You definitely do that. Rather considerably. And you know. Cell phones this is part of our problem. Cell phones and driving while distracted. Over focusing on the one thing we have a limited ability to focus on other things. And it means myth in the center of it ain't true. Cannot. Multitask. Humanly impossible. Sequentially in rapid switching order. And the more rapidly you switch back and forth the less focus you maintain. Okay. So maybe some things you can do by muscle memory and other things you can do in contact with attention to that's how we drive and listen to the radio. Driving listen to book on tape. That kind of stuff that we can do that. That's the closest multitasking we're going to get. So this idea of our focus our attention. What we pay attention to footlite we look at or how you look at that light coming into our lives of the world. The only look at it and so many ways at once. What religious traditions of our lot of our world has done is they have intentionally said we're going to choose to look at the lights this way. Or we we understand the light being. This way. And that he set up systems of creating the windows maintaining the windows. Sometimes breaking and rebuilding the windows. These lenses of perception ways of. Defining. Sometimes combining. But we understand is that like which is larger than. Any of the windows and larger than the cathedral itself. But again our. Understanding of looking at only one windows. Queuing. Reality. The reviewing it through this window through this. Prism. Interpretation. I wonder temptations we often has that. Progressives or people who are more open to this one than just one window. Vision. Use of is. What is it called a religion. Smorgasbord religion. Yes i was shopping churches. Shopping different religions. That we saw. That way. If we're not careful for not attentive. Is that we're constantly moving from. One window to the other in a way that. Is really all about what the prettiest. Newest most novel what's the most shiny object. Printify talks about his prospirit. Taking over his body in a. His inner raven gets the better of an is contracted the newest chinese prettiest thing is wanting to do the surf magpie gathering up of things. You can experience of light something to be consumed then squirreled away in our. Private closet. Rather than is something that we use to transform my life with. Brother the light. From a window is. The experience on a deeper and more engaging level. Hey. The reason why you don't help you this mandalas that we see this tibetan or native american reddit. These are not usually very simple things that complex. Images. Henna head. Detail within detail. And that's because we are meant to go into. That. One time that many times over. Over again. I am perceived. Something more that we did not receive. This is part of spiritual discipline. Processor. It looking at any of those windows in the cathedral of the world. We have to look at. All of the different things there. I know many of you would look at stained glass windows in churches. I remember very clearly the first time i walked into the arms and street uu church in boston. William ellery channing frye. Just got 14 tiffany windows. Beautiful. Can you go in there and every time you go in there there's something new you didn't see before. That is the religious journey. That is what it means to be engaged. A spiritual path. He's constantly see something new. Shining through that window that we did not see before. But we have to stay engaged with that. So if a person moving from one thing to another. Then it's hard to stay engaged. And a long enough. Bad case of spiritual. Did unitarian universalist we do and should desire the understanding of life. Succumbs and streams through different windows that are around us. The different traditions are different perspectives. Offer us a great deal of richmond. Otherwise we are grounded in our understanding and appreciation of our own. Tradition. The light coming through our windows. Send weekend he dazzled blinded by others or afraid that we will be. When we are truly. Confidence out. In our own understanding of. Hawaii. Coming through our window.. Other windows and those who admire those windows. Without fear of being in ghosts. By that other light. He is a part of our history. They're deeply rooted in the henderson destin. Very open to other religious tradition. Martin luther king christian tradition very open to other religions. Very good example before he had his projects.. Which is one of those deeply-rooted. Things you can do in this world. He encountered in that experience. Variety. How's the wolf. And by going deeper into this tradition. He then became finally open to things. That were beyond. His previous understanding. He moved away from being a separatist isolationist. Tipping someone who felt we had to move into an interface mode which is what probably got himself. Many many other people operate this way. We are in the city of the other. So what how we are looking at these windows. He has to understand. And proceeded. The light coming through our windows. And then when we have a little bit of rest of that will be more confident more able to. Confidently in. Competently and confidently. Cuz they try to talk about and share their experience. Of the windows they are experiencing the light of heaven or god true. About metaphors you can tend to. Craig mcclintock. Are you going to come up and i text a few up here today. I'd like to invite a couple of readings from. Quest church ology. Osteology intentional used. Indefinite article with the definite article. This is the advantage of having sticky notes. He says that in our encounters with others but also with nature and art we sometimes experience moments of peace and wholeness that reflect more eloquently than any theology. The underlying basis of a relationship to the ground of our being. But the religious liberal knows illiberal seekers in their obsession with orthodoxy often-overlooked. We are most likely discovered god. When we allow our minds to follow our hearts. God is love. Which is a good metaphor is any. We then how we love measures our knowledge of god's true nature and our closeness to god. More tellingly than anything we may think what disease. In sharp contrast some theologians pick god as a cosmic butterfly. Who make capture kill and pin to a. Board for closer observation. Canada's griffin extradition. Skeptics then point out that god is dead. However beautiful its wings the concept by. Biblical or anti-biblical both groups are people. Play harden the littlest taxidermist of the creation. Wholly lacking an eye for the poetry. I got. Theology is not a science. Southern art. Think of the creation as a masterpiece the most nuanced and unfathomable masterpiece of all. As with any great work of art interpretations concerning its meaning will dipper. The greater the worker more spirited the contentions of the debate will be. This is certainly true of religions. For the past is in large measure ponder the creation. He goes on. When it comes. To god. Fundamentalist insist on the absolute truth of their opinion. In stark contrast liberal theology is grounded in the philosophies of humility and openness. Guy impersonates truck when he says. The absolute truth of their opinion i'm reminded of the late tim russert statement of that we are all entitled to our opinions but we're not all the titles who are on fact. Churches on us-1 butane humility the more we know of life and death and god the greater. Ignorance appears. Beyond every ridgelines another slope and beyond every promontory looms yet another vast and awesome lane. However far we track while cursed or blessed with a knowledge of our mortality we shall never finally know the answer to the question why. Your openness is rewarded if we can never unwrap that mystery at livescore. He can underlust enrich our lives immensely. Hi. Divining hints of holes. For the hensley garner are closer to the truth than the claimed assurances of fundamentalist. Will reflect itself in the comparative reverence of our response to creation. One can surely say that a fresh set of face. Saves expresses its reverence differently. Santa face facebook saves. And dams. Universalism he says a loving god. Suffering and struggling with us in our attempts to be kinder. More understanding people. Such a god is not an autocrat. But a democrat molding. Molding is mine. H-e-b clear small. Not judgemental but forgiving not audiological the flexible god were talking about not ideological. Flexible. Such a god values cooperation over competition. Relationship over hierarchy. Kiss of war. Neighborliness over tribalism. Such a god doesn't divide people that helped bring them together and one way we can come together. If i slowly recognizing that it is god's will to heat swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks. Most organized religion contains a universalist dimensions often play somewhere near the harp. Love your neighbor as yourself they were frying it. It differently worded as many world religions is the universalist first principle. Get how often religions express itself in language and actions express neighborly. Within the very face that. Inner fundamentalist manifestations. Others beliefs and communicate. Islamic christian and jewish universalist awakened to the fact that we are all share as human beings much more than she's ever device. Pluralistic world the fast we can hope for is development of a meaningful commitment to our own face while acknowledging that those who believe differently may in their own distinctive ways. He just as close to god or the truth is we on. Given where we begin. The world more divided than united by religion the best we can hope for. Hoodie no small accomplishment. Achieve it and we shall be much more. And better neighbors. In the magnificent cathedral. Go to teeth metaphor. Images alive. When you see your window. Think about what. White maybe streaming through it. When do you see in your mind or one. Home. Receive things slightly differently but it does not mean that the light shines through it is it the same one. Celebrity humble and yet. Facebook. Heading courageous in our efforts to apprehend what that life is. Had to live out. In our lives. How hot is a living.

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Sermon_020710.mp3

Give them not held at hope and courage. These words were among those totally spoken by. Jean-marie when he spoke from that pulpit in that little rough you in church on potter's land. But how did all this happen. Memory grove heritage society. Offers this version. They said in the mid-1770s the land that is now marie grove in good luck new jersey. Was being farmed by thomas potter a member of a locally prominent family. Do unlettered. Potter hat was a successful and deeply religious man. Probably a quaker baptist. He had. Caught wind of a radical new theological current called universalism. Yeah yeah against strict calvin. Calvinist predestination that all human beings will ultimately attain salvation. Now based on his understanding of scripture as he read them he worked out his own strong beliefs. He sought out those with. Knowledge and with similar views. Including visiting minister is inviting them to his home to discuss current issues. About 1760. His wife mary. Having grown tired of hosting such discussions in her home. Told potter to build a meeting house. Play express purpose of housing a preacher of the universalist gospel. But for 10 years. He never found one. However he persevered in his face that one would be provided to him. And in the faces of his nature his neighbors skepticism. At the same time in england and ireland a young man with an intense interest in religion and natural talent for public speaking was reaching a life crisis. Having first converted from anglicanism to methodism. Jean-marie had then. Been convinced by universalist doctrine that he had read and heard in london. And losing his position in the methodist church as a result. And soon thereafter losing both his infant son and beloved wife. Illness. He was barely rescued from a debtors prison. Downcast and distressed. He was determined to give up religion all together and make a new life for himself in america. I can tell you from time to time ministers have this impulse. You want to give up what they're doing and go find a life in the wilderness. Murray booked passage on the brig hand-in-hand bound for new york and diverted first to philadelphia. They're on their way back up to the jersey coast when they were swept onto a sandbar in the fog just off of cranberry inlet which. No longer exist. Into barnegat bay. The captain offloaded some of the cargo onto a smaller local vessel but she asked marie to oversee. The brig now lighter and the wind having shifted was able to return to the open ocean. The wind changed again in the smaller but was unable to follow. The hand-in-hand and proceeded on to new york leaving murray the boat and the sailors in the cargo behind trapped in the bay. They came ashore and when mary went in search of provisions he was directed to the potter home. Thomas potter having seen the vessel stranded met him with i have longed to see you. I have been expecting you a long time. What would we do if somebody we had never before seen came to us and said i have longed to see you i have been waiting for you a long time. When hunter learned of murray's background he was convinced that this was the preacher of universalism for whom he had been waiting sent to him by providence. Murray protested that preaching was now in his past that he wanted nothing more to do with it. Besides he had to leave as soon as the wind allowed his boat out of the bay. Hunter responded. This is another famous quote. The wind will never change sir. Until you have delivered to us in that meeting house a message from god. Finally they agreed that it's about we're still stuck in the bay the following sunday. Murraywood preaching potter's meaning house. If it were free before then he would depart. The ship was still there on sunday. Marie didn't back preacher sermon on universalism to potter his family and neighbors. September 30th 1770. As soon as he was finished a sailor ran up to inform him that the wind had just turned the ship was free and they could now leave for new york. Marie departed but soon return to good luck and his friend potter. Freshly inspired he stayed in this area for several years traveling around to nearby towns and villages preaching universalism too enthusiastic listeners. Eventually left again making his way to new england. Learning ever-greater popularity. I found a permanent home in gloucester. Creating and ministering to the universalist church they're the first in the united states. And later in boston. He was instrumental in the organization of universalism acid in denomination. In 1793. The potter's death probably during the revolutionary war. Will left the meeting house and care. An acre of land on which i sat to marie. Breda was unable to clean it before his own death in 1815. The passing the hands of the local methodist congregation. Original building was taken down the current chapel was built on the site in 1841. Now the rev dr morgan whose book on titus universalism. Devotional heart with tallest player on publishing house skinner house books. Rights. It could be argued that nowhere in universalist history are we given such a straight of safe. As that atomic potter illiterate farmer who built a chapel in 1760. In the new jersey woods. For universalist preacher. Although. We say we don't believe in miracles. Meaning of reverend john murray fleeing to england to lose himself in the world. It's hotter sure that god has sent his preacher of universalism. To give him a sermon in his chapel. Is about as close to a miracle as any in the bible. I might use the word synchronicity to describe this meeting. Synchronicity was first coined by carl jung to describe meaningful events that did not seem to follow the laws of cause and effect. Who was thomas potter and why was he a universalist many years before the parent of universal american universalism john murray arrive. On his doorstep from england. By accident or providence depending upon your theological point of view. Potter himself was born in. December 18th and 16 89 in. Monmouth new jersey. His parents were ephraim potter and sarah brown. Or home he inherited the land. The whole area initially had been part of the land purchased by the quaker william penn from the native americans. Cutter probably had. Contact in 1744 with missionaries from the ephrata cloister. In pennsylvania. Who are universalists themselves. And founded by a german baptist name conrad visel. We know something about potter from what he said to john murray. As reported in marie's own autobiography. Oh i know about potter from universalist historians is that he was an unlettered mystic. Like arjun estate out of pine wilderness of new jersey. And don't meetinghouse frightening creatures. Some of the words murray himself used to describe potter are ones worth pondering today as we wondered what remains of universalist faith. We've inherited. I have often forgotten. Maurice's of potter that he was. He had unbounded benevolence. He was a friend to strangers. And a ceiling. Faithful man. This hospitable doors were open to everyone. His heart was devoted to god. Jean-marie ashley preached in that sermon in that little rough-hewn. Church. The pine barrens we don't know. Does john murray like to preach off-the-cuff. A lot. What are the preachers who preach off-the-cuff a lot if they tend to preach the same thing. And so we have a sense of what he was saying and according to the other bridge text from his own autobiography and letters. This is the essence of what he talked about. Go out into the highways and byways of america. Your new country. Give the people blanketed with a decaying and crumbling calvinism something of your nuvision. You may possess only small light but uncover it let it shine use it in order to bring more light and understanding to the hearts and minds of men. Give them not hell but hope and courage. Do not push them deeper into their theological despair. Capri's the kindness and everlasting love. Hub.. Don't you think that marie was all solemnity he was a very fast on his feet type of person and had quite a sense of humor. My colleague here and white associate minister at first dallas here offers this he says after one sermon in which marie drew a lot of applause one local orthodox minister the reverend bacon. And some of his supporters left the worship space and quote came back with eggs and started pelting marie with them. Now for all of you who are fans of corny jokes and puns will be happy know that a very witty marie immediately responded that day quote these are moving arguments but i must own that i have never been so fully treated to bacon and eggs before it all my life. Weather reader synchronicity or providence from which this event this. Miracle happened. We don't know. But we do know is that. Four things that happen in this world we have to work towards them. Play potterhead not build his. Church. And then waiting for a murray. And perhaps. We would not be here. What we can do in our lives. To foster those miracles the synchronicities. Is that we can create the conditions for something to become more likely. To occur. Part of the story of. Thomas potter and. John murray. Is a story of faith. And a story of opportunity. And the story of redemption. We know these kinds of stories we see them all the time. I know many of you are familiar with the kevin costner movie field of dreams. Lesbian art let me summarize. Koster is a farmer in iowa. Called. Buy something. To build a baseball diamond in his cornfield. Discovered. At the end. About the purpose for all of this. Was that this was for the redemption. A baseball players wear cast out of baseball to their own infamy. The transgressions against the game that they were now given a place. To come back and play that game they were. Forgiving and. Redeemed. Potters. Seis. But didn't just come out of the ground that was part of a larger cultural environment in use. But she was. Still came and manifested itself he brought together. Raw resources in. Form in the world. In order to support the possibility. Or something. That his neighbors thought he was crazy to expect. But he had faith. And sometimes. Faith is. Belief in those things. For which we do not have evidence. Hotter did not just build this church. Himself. He built it for his neighbors. You could not wait to go out and find them and share with them. This good news. That john murray was ringing to them. And murray himself. If you truly not wanted to preach. He didn't have. There was something in him that long or wanted to actually. She somehow find a sense of renewal. And potter's invitation and opportunity provided him the chance or a sense of. Redemption. Sense of rediscovering his call. His purpose. Is pat. Redemption and salvation. Hello times for unitarian universalist easter words that we equate often with. Religious baggage that we have in our own lives. Or lives of others. So we often don't. Have those words sort of in our daily orbit. But if we as unitarian universalist do not believe we need to buy fire insurance for our souls. Then what effect are we being saved or redeemed from and for. What do we need to save the world from or for. What. Are the consequences. If we don't try. Our unitarian universalist forbearers were concerned that we be saved from the ignorance of doctrinal orthodoxy and its misinterpretation of scriptures particularly around issues of free will. Are universalists forebears swat. Salvation from the despair of orthodoxy sphere of a judgmental hell-raising god. Ignorance and despair. He's pretty good things to be safe from. And to save the world from. I know that all i have to do is listen to the radio on a regular basis. Right here lots of ignorance and i have lots of despair. I am a unitarian universalist in order to be safe from ignorance of who i am of who you and others are as powerful precious and holy being. I'm unitarian universalist to be saved from despair by knowing that i am part of a greater reality part of an interconnected web of all existence. And that i am not isolated. That i am not alone. Culture that desperately wants me to think that i am. Ignorance and despair. As a unitarian universalist caesar but i am charged with saving the world from. Measure minister you charge me to help you do the same. Become aware. And to be healthy and loving and whole. And why. We all seek salvation and redemption from something. To change or improve the quality of our lives. If not you would likely. Not be sitting here now. You be out doing. Something else. So what are we seeking to be saved from. I will not ask you to share that out loud but to ponder it in your hearts and then to ask. Where does this question and its answers wii u. Are christian universalist ancestors rejected the idea that a just and loving god. We condemn it still didn't want eternity of suffering in hell. They did not. But they. They did often hold that there might be a time of trial. Purgatory for the refinement of our beings. Before i return an entry into union with god and all the saints. I think there might be some truth to what the hell 2. But. That we do not have to die to experience either the bitterness or the sweet. The purgatory or the kingdom of god. I firmly believe that we are here on this planet in this time and this place to save ourselves and each other. Our cultures and our posterity and creation itself. My sense is that we as a world as a nation as a society estate burning in purgatory's of our own making. And unless we do something to change that to save the world. As we know it. We are condemning not only ourselves but our children to live in it. We are called to create those places of. Preparation. Opportunities. To create the ground upon which miracles may grow. And preparation is so very important for so many things for those of us who are parents we we have learned. If i previously the true value of preparation. Hurt somebody. I know for myself personally. This is constantly given to me as an ongoing lived meditation. Does it work. I have an 18 month old son. Beautiful. But one time recently i got him up in the morning too. Change him. Unfortunately i was prepared in many ways to deal with the situation. I had everything laid out for him his new clothes. Getting ready for his day. And. I suddenly realized. He was soaked. I couldn't figure out why because he had one of those in a mega diapers that supposed to hold everything. And so as i peeled off the layers of the clothes he was wearing for the night. I began to discover. Finally when i opened the last layer. Found out why you was wet. Super diaper head exploded. Now if you've ever looked inside of what's inside those things. It's all sorts of gel material. And you can't get rid of it. It sticks to everything. So i was able to peel him apart and then run into the shower with him and hope it didn't clogged my drain. Because. All the all this material was stuck to him and you cannot peel it off. Eventually i had to vacuum it up. Because all this little. Silica particles. Because i was prepared. I was able to deal with that with that. And turned what could have been a crisis actually into a moment of learning and. He had a great time trying to get into the stuff you know. So. The preparation is something that we. Have to do. Bethel church we have to. Prepare. 4. Valley the moments that are at hand that will be coming down the pike. For us the good news. Our. Good news. Is that the holy the spirit of life has in fact. Equipped us. Kryptall people. Do something about this. State of affairs in our world by virtue of all of the holy text. And wisdoms of humanity throughout the ages. Do i use of reason then. Critical thinking and most importantly through our intuition and profoundest experiences of what we know to be right and good. That we and all people are inherently worthy expressions of creation. The divine seeds of the kingdom of god the beloved community. Reside within each of us collectively. They burn for release. Gateway springtime of amazing possible. There is power in our dreams. To change and to be what we know we can and should be. Sometimes we fear. What might we fear. Change. Rose's life. But it is also change. And change your mind just have death so we often try to stave off this little death by refusing to embrace life. So we stay safe and small in unfulfilled lives. As a religion we stay safe in small congregations that do not find their voices and when we have a gospel of hope. Enjoy that should be shouted from the mountaintops. And whispered in the ears. Babies. Religion a religion. Especially it's not about being safe. Uncomfortable. Comforting yes. Comfortable. It is an axiom that ministry and i would add religion are about comforting the afflicted. And affecting the comfortable. A lot of us are really good about infecting the comfortable as long as they don't select our comfort. Religion is supposed to get in our way. It is supposed to be. A struggle. Gathered here in the mystery of the. In the power. It is not about being safe. Are perfect. Religion our living tradition. Is about taking risks and becoming wise. It is supposed to. Forces choices. To prioritize just like john murray made choices. Prioritize. To make sacrifices like thomas potter did. That. Which we know to be right and good and important and holy may prevail. Liberal religion is a life practice. Holding the fragility of our lives in ways that show is just how strong we actually are. Liberal religion. The place where we can be reminded that to use traditional religious language the kingdom of god or to use martin luther king junior's words that community beloved community. Is within each and every single one of us. Liberal religion. This liberal religion. Then brings this knowledge and these experiences together to project to erect an affirm those visions of a world made fair with all of her people one into focus in the here and now. I for one moment at a time when act at a time. To see that vision that dream brought into being to see what lies behind the shroud of our fears. And with each breath in each heartbeat anything that we do that is in line with a profound is authenticity. A food we truly are. Then in those moments as they become longer and more common. That veil between what is and the justice of what can be. Becomes just that much thinner. So what is our religion. Is it a drinking fountain in a private park in a gated community. We're only we in a selected few friends can refresh ourselves. At her leisure. Or is it an expansive life-affirming ignorance busting despair destroying hope giving fountain of the waters of life. Our justice rolls down and peace. Like an ever-flowing stream. That we have to paddle like mad. To stay afloat on and laugh all the while. Our religion to the streets. The highways and byways as john murray would have us. By first taking it into our hearts and asking the spirit of life. A movie in our hands. Getting life the shape of justice. I choose the ladder and say yes to this face. Which is placed before us the loftiest of ideals without counting the cost. That's what we are doing is nothing less than creating the possibility. For the miracles that we desire in our own lives. Ultimately. Or savings. Give them not hell.

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Reading2_041209.mp3

Our next reading is from. The book jesus's. Family values. Nfc title in these times. By deidre goodwin. She says that like paul. Jesus. Identify. Disciples or community members as siblings. Any family focused on doing the will. Of one heavenly father. Enmark jesus prohibits divorce unequivocally but in matthew's gospel jesus allows divorce under a single circumstance. In matthew certain disciples make themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom. As unmarried examples of single-minded devotion to god. The idea that is absent from the other gospels. Married. Disciples. In matthew mark and luke. Professed to have left wives families professions and household in order to follow jesus. In some passages jesus commands this his would-be followers to repudiate family. Wealth and property. For the sake of the kingdom. And others he commands individuals to return to family and community. That's the new testament portrays a variety of ways in which the early believers. Became followers of jesus. In the different circumstances of single married and community life. For us to isolate and commend one set of moral instructions over another. Fails to acknowledge the authority of the whole teaching. There is no unified teaching on marriage divorce household or families in the new testament. Since we can find implicit condemnations of different patterns of life or evil. New testament lifestyle. In what various communities. It would seem prudent to single out. Imprudent to single out anyone for my behavior as being authoritative. Only be regarded as provisional since other models of mike rightly be derived. Driving direct or he from the new testament. Furthermore a multiplicity of community and personal life patterns. Is explicitly warranted by paul celebration of diversity. The constitutes the body of christ. Similarly the authority of the gospel is supplementing and self-defining. The through the very fact that the church has canonize for distinct. Often irreconcilably different and equally authoritative gospel witnesses. She goes on to offer. An old rabbi once asked his people's how they could tell when the night had ended and the day had begun. Could it be asked one student. When you can see an animal in the distance and tell whether it is a sheep or a dog. No. Answer the rabbi. Another asked. Is it on you can look at 3 in the distance until whether it's a fig tree or a peach tree. No. Answer the rabbi. Then when did the people demanded. Is it weather look on the face. Any other person and see that it is your sister or brother. Because if you cannot see this. It is still night. Deidre good says my parents fiftieth wedding anniversary included married single divorced and remarried relatives alongside people like me and same-sex committed relationships. As they have suffered their relatives deaths and divorces and celebrated marriages andre marriages and births and blending the families. My parents are trying to maintain relationships with all present and past family members. They have attended second marriages other relatives shunned. They visit and are visited by ex-wives and ex-husband of their relatives with their children. Were these persons. To marry again i know my parents would welcome them. The newly-constituted families into their home. So it was my parents fiftieth wedding anniversary listening to my mother talk at church service planned by my father. I sat with my same-sex partner. Next remind tension ali single brother. Afterward i enjoyed lunch in the company of my mother's cousin and his second wife. His second ex-wife. No one who knows my parents thinks that everyone in our family shares their perspectives or that their generosity was not hard one. They would be the first to admit. Its imperfections. But its simplicity is utterly genuine and grounded in reliance upon god's limitless love. On such occasions surrounded by so great a crowd of witnesses. Focusing on thanking god for the blessing of marriage and abel's the joys and sorrows a family presents. An absence to be subordinate to gratitude. These are the circumstances that make. Such celebrations richer by far. And give us. Estranged. Poignant. Foretaste. Are the messianic banquet. This is a place. For the day. Has.

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Sermon_073111.mp3

I was told that i have 20 minutes to talk about this other church which is she she's about 2,000 years old so if i figured that out it's like hundred years for 1 minute. Christian coptic orthodox church is considered one of the ellie. Or what they called in the ancient christian one of the early churches that was. Establish myself mark the hustle himself. 68d. And one of his trips when he departed and left paul. Hey paul went to wrong you don't have the three missionary trips that he has to make hanson mark one of the 70 also sweetheart too and he was also a title. One of the four gospels. He left came to egypt and musically started christianity there. An alliance which was for all practical purposes a pagan land they were rushing idol worshipping. Daya daya egypt is as you know it's the. It's ancient egypt stands for ancient egyptians. Drive from the greek world ejectors. Which is an arabic is called high kept at. Which which is also called memphis they ancient capital capital of egypt. They cups. I mean the ancient egyptians did not disappear. So they they have children on the cops are considered daylight accessories of the ancient egyptians so. Pro practical purposes me and my family are children of the parents. Solo. Christianity played a very major i mean the the coptic people played a major role in the christian world during the first five centuries of the history of christianity. Let me just tell you the kind of challenges that 45-minute of today. That was facing sent mark when he came to egypt. Do you know egypt was alexandria actually is where he landed. Was a very cosmopolitan city it's almost like new york today. And it has all kinds of diverse people diverse religious beliefs greek roman asia minor and so on. And for him to start talking about a new religion in the midst of all that it's was a very difficult and challenging task. We believe that if. Not for the works of the holy spirit. Strucid mark. He would not have achieved what he achieved. My pending and about 300 to 400 years egypt essentially became. A christian nation. Something that will probably all be surprised is we it we all know that egypt is a muslim nation. No egypt is a christian nation for the first. 500 to 600 years before islam came. Occupied the land. Ancient egyptians wear as you know if i don't know if you have had the chance to go to egypt and visit them but they are very religious people. Regardless of what they believed in they were pretty preoccupied in as much as they were preoccupied with earthly things. They were also very occupied with heavenly things are. Let me put it another word life of life after death the whole essence of the pyramid building the the monuments all that stuff. It's the deal was life after this especially in the preparation of the pharaohs. And when christianity came in and sunmark came in. Of the world the word god was not something unfamiliar to them direction and you that there's something out there there's a god out there but they couldn't make or put him in a framework. That they can easily relate to and that's what's on tomorrow. He was able. Opportunity. To start with one single man who happened to be walking around the. The streets of alexandria. And his shootin so he went to a shoemaker. And ask him if he can repair his shoes and the shoemaker while he was repairing shoes he. Injured his finger with the needle. I hate like oh my god. And then mark looked at him and said you know what you just said. Who is this god who said no but. You know if there's something out there. And then that's when send mark start talking to him about jesus christ the internet god. That he has been recently crucified and risen. And that intrigues he was by the name of. To become the first christian believer in jesus christ. Send marcus consumed the first of the coptic church. The talk we have right now is the 117 after mark that's why we call it the apostolic church it's an apostolic church because. It goes back all the way to its initiator. They shoemaker was the second part. The church of alexandria. The coptic people are known for their distinctive and architectural arts they have actually there on. Artifacts and if you go to egypt and visit day. Egypt museum which was big news back in january 25th. Eeveelution you noticed that there was the world was concerned about that building. Huge red building next to the hurrier square. I doubt they could be destroyed because on in newton. This is a museum for the whole human race is not just for the egyptian people. Because it contains the fingerprints of civilization. Human civilization. Our civilization. And. So basically that's. The face for 400 to 500 years we were established as a church. We actually one of the good things that sound mark has done his he's established the life of the school of theology in alexandria. Which became very important school for teaching christianity or the rules are the principles of christianity. From there on. Its contribution to the christian world. As you know there were four major churches. Went to study was established the church of alexandria. Anybody willing to take the test one out of three churches. The church of alexandria the church of antioch the church of rome and the church of. Jerusalem. The church of jerusalem is the number one that was established by the apostles themselves. Send. We believe. That's comforting people. In what i just read in isaiah. That these prophecies that were made in isaiah is for. The egyptian people the coptic people the christian people that are now. Still left in egypt as 10% of the population. Other minority and i'll come to you. In a minute regarding.. Isaiah the prophet 19:19 said and that day there will be an altar to the lord in the midst of the land of egypt. Nfler to the lord atlas border. If you'da graphically look at this word m. If you remember the family the holy family trip to egypt. Reddit went from jerusalem all the way down to upper egypt and the reason why they call it operation. Which is southern egypt. Is where the knife laws if lost from from south to north. That's because the upper lower egypt is actually the delta near the mediterranean sea. The oldies places than saint mary and jesus christ have visited and state for a couple of days or even months. There's either a monastery or a church located in that. One of them is al-muharraq monastery and geographically it's at the center of egypt. And we believe that a reflection of the prophecy of isaiah.. Tiller of the. An altar to the lord is in the midst of the land of egypt and every monastery that is an altar for doing communion acoustic services. As you know christianity was faced with a lot of heretic heresy or we was lot of challenges. And i don't understand t580 strong defendant. Of the christian face is. Was it coptic is namor stand athanasius. And he also denisea creed. And he basically stood up as the one who fought areas. In his heresy when you know a night and i understand. Definition of this issue but he. Basically came up wednesday. Teaching the jesus christ is not god and he fought this very hard. Saint athanasius the apostolic stood against that. He came up with his day on this year. Update reason why the coptic church. Has to defend this because that's where the battle was decided decided between the defender divinity and the nature of christ. And i know that that's the subject of discussion. I'm still on you're still going on but that's what the history tell us as far as what happened in 325 80. There are about 12 to 15 million christians in egypt. There's about 1.5 million immigrants. Because of what happened what's going on in egypt today. As you know when islam came to i-680. They brought with them a lot of immigration from arabia. And that immigration kept coming in until finally they make majority-christian swear. Pretty much. Downgraded to a 10% minority into 2011. The fact that we as a church. Being a member at that time in the first you know thousand years ago there was no united nation. There was no human rights nobody to protect you you out on your own. There was nothing that could have stopped islam from totally annihilating the whole christian. Church in egypt. Many times miracles happen. Prevented them from doing that at the right time. And i don't have the time to tell you about some of these miracles. But hopefully one day. I'm writing a book about all these things about the history of our church for our own use maybe one day you will have a chance to read all these details. Some of these public references. But the. Right now. Most of the coptic people have emigrated. Other again for many reasons economic and persecution wise to. The western world us canada australia. Europe south africa swimming brazil. South america. But the church in egypt is still strong it's about we're still the temperature in minoriti. Since the revolution as you may all have hair in january. 25th 9th 2011 of this year. We thought that this is great news because now egypt has finally come to join the rest of the. The world the open-minded worms of leaving behind these. You know religious intolerance of other people in the minority's to join the world as far as respecting the human rights the libertines and so on. When they had their this rate revolution back in january 2011. Well the news coming out of egypt or half-and-half. Unfortunately. Day forces of extremities mountain fundamentalism scene. Seems to be getting the upper hand right now. And probably taking over the winning the elections the free elections on. Play constitution that they just voted on. Our papa is not happy and so is our delicious of the church about the events in egypt. As of now so yeah we do ask for your prayers. Again as i said. The fact that our chairs survive. Almost 1,000 years. Innovative predominantly muslim nation. Which used to be christian. And the fact that we didn't need any outside help. Is a testament to their faith in the power of the lord that is protecting it so far. We personally believe. All the books you have read in isaiah today. Isaiah 19. Is a reflection of what's happening today in egypt egyptians against egyptians we saw that a lot. The tv in the in the last 6 months. And still happening. I think eventually the lord will have his way to put an end to all of this and bring egypt back. Do him one more time because that's what it used to be. The christian nation. There's a prophecy one of them. Of course that died recently. Carelessness six he had this prophecy made that egypt will eventually come back to the lord. Because that's what and if you look at isaiah 19 it supposed.. Prophecy. It doesn't make sense to all of us right now actually heading the other way. But you know what was the was the way the lord works. It's like watching this hollywood movie in the last minute. The last second of the movie goodwin's already do so i think that's what's going to happen. If you would have just said is our pump right now his number 117. We also have a diocese in the southern united states headed by bishop youssef and he has 28 churches and their newson. Bishop eustace was the first bishop. To be over the first diocese that was found outside the united states. sorry outside. Egypt. And it was the first diocese in the united states. And guess where. In texas i'm guess where colleyville texas. That was the first. A diocese to be for this church outside of egypt in the last two thousand years to be found here in texas headed by bishop yusuf the second one. And it's a matter of days. Difference between them was in california los angeles california.

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20131229-Sermon.mp3

This is one of these problematic. Passages. In fact i got an interesting email from elena. But you know you're coming to. Right i said yes i am very aware i am coming to community. What we fail to realize that a lot of my brothers and sisters in the christian faith fail to realize they get so hung up on this idea of commandment. But they missed the whole point of this most beautiful passes. First off. It was not settled among the disciples about resurrection. A lot of people do say oh they all nude you know jesus when he talks about going to the father in a lot of ways we can translate and hear that in a mini different way because you see it the time. there was three major group. And we now suspect that each of these groups are represented in these disciples not only the 12 but the 72. The the women and families that also follow jesus. There were those sadducee you know the temple lawyers. And they say really didn't believe in any sort of resurrection at all. You're on this earth you did what god told you to do and then you died you're done. The pharisees on the other hand believed in the resurrection you were on this earth you did what god told you to do so that god will take you back and there might be an idea they were actually just then developing this idea of hell. And they're kind of playing well what if we don't do we have to have someplace to go and. Like the iscariot. Really couldn't care less what happened after death as long as the romans got voted out in the next congress. And they're gathered here with jesus they're beginning to understand. But they are going to this place. Jesus has been challenging all three of these group. This is what i love about you. Not the hallmark. I love the jesus talk about resurrection then. A look at the group. How are we going to. But you know. City of push the envelope. He knew that he was going to be in really pretty serious trouble with the. And this is a time. Honor. Well. Continuing time on earth. When those. Challenge. Status quo. Often meet. Troubling. And so just before this whole. Easter story is about to happen with them. He sits down with them. And he says listen. I'm going to be gone. You won't see me. In fact the world won't see me. Now those who believe in the resurrection. Immediately began. Personify the spirit and all of this those. Not settle of course. Carrie. We carry those. Stories. Our loved ones go. An unfortunate. How do we get rid of the romans. Becky. The one that. Most widely missed. The mark. Saying what. I leave. Not as the world gives. You see the world understand peace and a lot of ways and i was trying to think of all the ways having just. Barely survived yet another war on christmas by christians. Frustrated with the whole season. Beginning the actual christmas season last. Tuesday night. And i began to think in terms of the little prince of peace and how that would drive people. To be so hateful and so narrow-minded. About the way they want others to understand. And like. Anne lamott i had a brown bag moment. And realize. Isn't about getting all of you to believe the way that i believe or getting all of you to act like me. He is developing understanding of it is. What it is. That's the spirit of truth it is. What it is peace is not the absence of chaos for some people. Thank goodness. We have paramedics. And live for the siren i know that sounds weird but the siren goes off and they get in the ambulance and they. Drive faster than everybody across town and they coming to these scenes are horrible. And yet they rushed him. With the world. Doing. Peace transcends just. Peace even transcends the idea of an absence of war. But it's not. A satisfaction based in. Resignation. Pizzeria. What i want to say is some people claim they have peace because they've given up on ever having. And they just kind of live with what they live. And kind of just. Are sad and miserable as they go through their existence. Peace is a constant challenge of becoming. Aware. Of what truly is. It's like an lamont. Translate. What's up. Well i call this an emergency. I need it. In case the fridge. But it is a realization that. Fruit. France. These eyes. We no longer need to have everyone around us believe the things that we believe we no longer need the world around us to drive what we drive we no longer need the world to speak. Our language that have peace we discover that peace is found in the chaos. It's in the moment of jesus taking these followers into the eye of the storm in jerusalem to say there's a better way. Christian struggle. With this idea the massage you heard it on tv. In fact so many of my brothers and sisters in the face really are still waiting for jesus to actually the first time was kind of just a warm-up or well that's just an idea of what i'm really going to pay the next one we know all his on an m1 abrams carrying an m-16 right. We've got battles and jesus is going to come back and do it right and that's the whole miss information. Others rapture stuff. The idea that god's going to take everybody that's like each other. In the heaven. And the rest of us. Get their cars. I've got one picked out over there on the other side in fort worth it's a really nice mercedes i get it when the rapture happened debs. Finding. The reality. That the world is going to want us to. I think this is why the abstract world. Because the world is too busy trying to make everybody. Like. Well you know it's like my mother's. Someone. Someone i would expand on the same. The opening. For those whose hearts. Someone needs. Tell story. Someone needs to be a quiet anchor inn. Community. Someone needs. Get thrilled and excited when they hear the sirens go off and jump into the chaos of the world. Someone needs to stop and say i don't believe that. I don't believe that think again and someone needs to say but i do believe that. And there is hope. And there. Refine. Born in. We are. And then we look across the aisle.

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Sermon_030412.mp3

Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Make you come alive. And go do that. Because with the world needs people who have come. He's the words of the great. Howard thurman. Leading theologians of the 20th century. Especially. African american. Quality a great mentor to most of the leaders of the civil rights movement. They are words with. Specially in the day-to-day grind that we often find ourselves in. Words. Makes you come alive. Find yourself. He said ask yourself so obviously we have that losing inside of us. According to him. What makes you come alive. And go do that. But actually get up and do something about it. Princess margaret. Coming alive. So. 1990. I went to my first unitarian universalist general assembly. At all places. Milwaukee. Exposition conference in convention center and arena. Mecca. I had. Astroneer force. New of mike weir tour. Ohio. And. Just joined. Even though i had not yet signed up for summer. And i was. I went into this exhausted myself.. You can't. And i was robust and healthy and i got sick. But i also had. Especially. Supersu ministry. In previous months and i had asked myself. And a my fatherhood. Fringe religions in south and glide. I still can't figure out why i wasn't. 28 years old. Most alive. I found. Things i like do. Sing together in this location. First of all. So i went to the channel chamblee in milwaukee. And i. A group of students. Which ironically. But i have to be there that year. Program. Getting together and sharing talking and. And in doing. Leading worship. I was checking in with open arms. Join the seminary you sign up for seminary. As if i was a long lost brother. By all of these men and women. Soldered. And come alive headed home. Affirmations. Never happened before. Sarah cleaning this worship experience and experience has that people had.. To represent. That's right my first connelly. I've never written. Hominy. 5 minutes. Chloe was moderately. So. I had this profound. So now i had to. My supervisor. That's i just would not interfere with my duties. Benefits. And. Long. And i have felt i have come or alive. I can't imagine the pads that i might have traveled otherwise in my life. Where i would be i cannot imagine. I think that you do feel the same way about. If not you may be wishing you had and maybe you're looking for the things that make you come alive. You wake up in the morning can't wait to do. Crimson my god i got. We saw in the story from the movie the help. He character of italy. Come alive when she was asked. You saw her come alive in the way this up until that point in the movie you don't see her. As alive. He is our. Perspective. Quite a few sometimes a mental frame. On what is going on. That makes us feel that we. Hey perhaps the way you do. Greater influence influence her in our lives is our self. And the greatest influence our over ourselves is our mental and emotional. On ourselves. Eyeworld in our place. Schedule gps. We get lost. Unconnected. All of this does not give us. Rely. Opportunity. To direct our lives in ways more compatible. Level. Most. 4. We know that i think of course. Sometimes we have to let go of the everyday. Sometimes. And if your thoughts your feelings are already focused on what is important. To us. To you. Send real chains and breakthroughs. More in that direction are comfortable. Reinforcing. The more we are relationship. Expressive. Core. That which brings us alive. Cinnamoroll. There is no end. With a viewpoint that. Allied inspires and powers and embolden us. We were able to change. We are able to be the changes. That we wish to see a desire. Call salvation. And we're looking for ways. As the meeting said earlier. This idea years and years ago almost 200 years ago. An understanding. Call self-culture. Himself he's referring to something bigger than. So you're going to nurse her. So he might call and said 120 quart he might call the divine steve. Culture it. Raise it to support. And we have to do that with each other. One of the people he influenced. About this. Christ. Founder of. Kindergarten. He founded it in america. Kindergarten. Is. Agharta. Gardens for children. A garden. Who are cultivated and nurtured. Flower and bear fruit. Is there interview. Cell culture understood education in a sense that it is fallout. As a growing sport potential in child as an unfolding. Subculture also. Call others returned to their most authentic self and to reach out and do reformation. Century horace mann. Himself known as the father of the american public education. Founder of antioch college. Karen and bruce. And publicly supported. Emerson and thoreau and travis and political revolution. Wrote in her memoirs. Quotes very early on i knew that the only object in life was to grow. Even today we see this idea at stand echo in our covenant statement. Promote. Encouragement. But ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive and then go do it. Subculture is religious he says when we look into ourselves we discover powers which link us with his outward visible finite ever-changing world. We have site and other senses to discern and a power of it cannot stop at what exist. He continues the improvement of the soul consists in raising above what is narrow particular individual selfish. She never sold and uncombined. He says to improve a man. His to liberalize to enlarge them into ceiling. Narrowness of intellect in park. This is the degradation from it's all culture aims to rescue. Reply to our political dynamic now. What's going on in the country. He says. The individual is called to determine measures affecting the well-being of millions. The destinies of posterity. We must consider not only the internal relations of his native land. What is connection record. Judge of quality touches the whole world. He is called by his participation in the national sovereignty he cherished public spirit. Paragard common in general wheel. A man who proposes to discharge faithfully these obligations. Is carrying on a generous self. Pinterest. It is about that would connect us to the world that is a part of what brings us alive. When the things i understand. And. Differentness from solitude. His isolation is what happens when we are cut off from everything including. Hendegaard is one of the things you find in our core self work. Is located there. In contrast solitude. Everyday. For the purpose of. Sitar cell. Deeper engagement. Considered. Worth. Isolated. We do things like. He too much and drink too much and smoke too much and work too much and sleep too much. This is the land of addiction. Because we're trying to avoid engaging our self. No matter how hard we run. Can't get away. And yet in solitude we're not going there to get away from. Getting there to get in touch with. I need each other. Community. Aurora. Family. War. Operation. Nasty self the world needs ask yourself what makes you come alive. So even as we engage with the growth. Holy potentials others to help them to do so and recognize their potential. Spiritually physically malaysian. This does not mean that we impose our agendas on them but rather that we offered to help them explore their lives and deliberate. The hope the nurturer the power that is laying dormant. Help them become more alive. Unitarian universalist. Is this people come become more alive. We're offering them a form of salvation is not about fire insurance for our souls. And it's not about rescue from some eternity. Rescue song. Isolation separation. Weston now. This is why. It was shared with me again. Again. I hear this over and over and over again. Generals. Families before he died cuz he really would have appreciated this community. These are families that have no relationship to it. Somehow know there's a resonance there and that will do the right thing in this. But this would be appropriate to. Commemorate their loved one. Don't wait until you're dead or tell somebody is dead. To tell him oh yeah you really should have sent your grandfather's father to know your mother your brother your sister your aunt. You know. Told them. Nothing else on wikipedia in beliefnet.com. Sugar website. Youtube. You know. Velocity tip. It's mutual ground. You know we don't control those so they can get. It's not about what we going to do. Because we're so authentic and open in. So our conversation our larger unitarian universalist movement is not a secret card. The sole province of those who are lucky enough and brave enough. We are more like a community garden. Village commons. We must be visible and central and a birthright of every person who chooses to belong and participate. Adult religious and responsibilities that come with it. If people don't know about it they can't make that choice. We cannot do all of this if we do not reach out to them and provide support for this holy work. This means that we currently offer our message and support to as many people as you can. We provide the means for sharing our good news. But it is time talent or treasure. Or if what we find here is a value and importance in our lives. How is it any less to somebody else. Maybe still parked and waiting. For the waters. And the nurture of the good news with me liberate them from their fear. Hyundai gorman c and may help them. We reach out to them so that they too may stretch in the light. Great. As they grow we all games. And together we make sure the world ways of being that transcend. Here. We are here to change ourselves and the world. And we've done it before. We're doing it now. We will do it again and again and again. My growing. Culturing are cell. And then. Doing. He will do it by sharing our good news that everyone has. Choices. He is enough. Powerful and precious holy. And not alone. We will do it by committing to our. Share resources alives. With each other quizzes, good for the cultivation of the divine. Corroseal. Refugee. Direwolf. Mayfair. So that all. Define enzymes life.

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20131222-Message-For-All-Ages_2.mp3

Our story. Is a book called hanukkah moon by deborah dacosta. It is dark. In the morning. We leave for aunt louisa's house i breathe foggy breath into the air. Tell me again mama what's going to happen at aunt louisa's mama smiles i very special hanukkah party but aunt louisa just moved here from mexico will she know how we celebrate hanukkah ear of course. Well of course papa says and and at louise's you will also get to celebrate the hanukkah moon. Hanukkah moon i asked. I've never heard i've heard of a blue moon and even a man in the moon but i've never heard of a hanukkah moon. Before i get an answer the pull up at aunt louise's she's waiting in the doorway holding her cat paco who seems to be smiling. Welcome welcome she says papa hands hurt my suitcase. Then he talks some chocolate hanukkah coins in my pocket. Sweeten your visit says hugging me. We wave as mama and papa pull away i unwrap a chocolate coin and pop it into my mouth. Aunt louise's house. Is filled with colorful rugs and lots of photos on the walls i admire a shiny pink banner over the fireplace that says felicie on that guy. The letters are made out of tiny photos of birds. That means happy hanukkah in spanish at louisa explains the birds are from my bird tree. She points towards a large bear branch tree in her backyard. Hanging from the dining room ceiling is a gigantic pinata. Light shaped like a dreidel wow i say. When are we going to break open the pinata the night of the hanukkah moon at louisa replies. What exactly is a hanukkah moon i asked wondering if it is a moon shaped like a huge potato latke you'll find out soon enough i can't see any moon i've never heard of. In the kitchen window is a big chanukiah that looks like a boat with birds squirrels raccoons and deer. I like your hunter pia i said aunt louisa i've never seen one like it. I made it myself she says. It's my little noah's ark. I modeled it after my backyard friends. I look out the window in the backyard is empty. I guess aunt louis louisa has a great imagination. That night we celebrate by lighting the hanukkah and eating latkes i give aunt louisa little silver dreidel from israel she gives me a small package wrapped in shiny blue paper it's a little camera. I take pictures of paco sleeping on his back. Paco playing with a ball and pocket looking out the window at louis's mi i'm glad you like taking pictures isabel maybe you can visit one of my photography classes. You take classes at i asked. I teach them she answers after university. You'll get to meet some of my students soon. I look outside again before i go to bed. There is hardly any moon just a tiny sliver of light. I fall asleep dreaming of a moon shaped like a giant dreidel. That popped open showering the world hanukkah gifts. At louisa wakes me early the sun is just coming up quick she says throwing your coat and slippers take your camera. We walked or the bird tree she says walk softly. The bird tree is full of birds chirping and buzzing and pecking away at theaters take some pictures she was rude. Then we can look in my bird book and see which ones they are i take lots of pictures at luisa takes them too when we are finished we go back to the house for jelly donuts and cocoa. When aunt louisa prince the pictures i get dressed. When i look outside the sun is up. But the birds are gone. At louisa spreads out our photos out on a dining room table next to her bird book. We have taken pictures of black-capped chickadees cardinals kinglets and blue jays. The chickadees are wearing little black hats that. Look like yamakas. Maybe they are hanukkah birds and maybe they will bring the hanukkah moon that night after we like the chanukiah aunt louisa gives me a beautiful scrapbook of our bird bird photos. Outside the moon has gotten even smaller. I wake up to a delicious smell aunt louisa is baking dreidel shaped cookies as i help her cut them out i think i made it out of clay at louisa sings back from both rumple trompo lohi say they borrow. We saying more versus an english and spanish while we sprinkle the cookies with colored sugar. Hi to before at least was at louisa stop me you can have plenty more tonight when we celebrate the hanukkah moon. We brush paco until his fur shines. Eloisa puts plates of grapes grapes nuts and berries outside on a low table. She has a small bowl of water. We may have some surprise visitors tonight she tells me. Why don't we just invite them in i asked. Aunt louisa just laughs and i wonder if these prize gifts have bad table manners. It's starting to get dark when aunt louisa's students arrived they kiss at louisa on the cheek and shake my hand isabel v the that's eva and they owe me. Aunt louisa says vita carrying a huge bunch of flowers. But shiva holding hold a straw basket filled with little boxes of sweets. And naomi has two cameras dangling from her shoulders. We join at louisa and blessing the lights she has a special reading tonight is rush had her dash the beginning of the new moon an important time for women you remember that when moses came down from mount sinai with the ten commandments he found the israelites worshipping a golden calf. According to tradition to women refused to contribute their gold to help build the idle. The reward was a special holiday once a month. Roscoe dash. The time of the new moon wow i say i didn't know that. After dinner it's time to break open the pinata. I stand on a chair and whack out of hard with a stick while aunt louisa holds me tight. Out falls a bag of chocolate coins and tiny prizes. Wow and double wow is all i can say it's not over yet let's go outside. It's very dark on aunt louis's porch. The sky is black with ink black as ink and there is no moon at all. It has disappeared like the morning birds. Aunt louisa whisperer. We don't want to scare away our guests. Where's the hanukkah moonlight whisper. Aunt louisa points for the sky it's there she says. It is the luna nueva the new moon that always appears during hanukkah. But why can't i see it i ask because the bright side is facing away from the earth she explains tomorrow night it will start to reappear. My eyes are getting used to the dark. And now i can see the guests. Two deer and a fat raccoon are eating a nuts and berries aunt louisa left for them. Book whispered yes she was respect. They come in the dark when they feel safe. While we watch at lewis's students take pictures with their special night cameras and all the food is gone the animals disappear and we go inside. As the guests leave we wish each other a good month that night i dream about a moon birds and animals that appear and disappear. In the morning i pack my camera scrapbook and pinata prizes at louisa braised my hair into one long braid just like hers. I feel sad to leave my mama and papa come at louisa and i give each other hugs i even hug paco. I give aunt louisa some of my chocolate coins. So the rest of your hanukkah will be sweet by teller. Can i come back again sometime and take more pictures. And see your backyard friends and celebrate another rosh chodesh. Absolutely louisa says smiling as she pops a chocolate coin into her mouth. I smile back. Hip-hop one into my mouth. So ends our story.

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Sermon_040509.mp3

Well. With the trees greening of them bluebonnets blooming and the wind blowing and hay fever spreading. It must mean that we are in the throes of what passes for spring in this part of the world. It is truly. A time of not only change but transformation and renewal. In the various calendars of the world's religions there are all sorts of festivals and holy days. That reflect this or are marked at this time. From the pagan os tarah. Last month to jewish passover which is this thursday to christian. Easter which is next sunday. In some ways they marked the turning of a year. And the changes. Of our lives. In the mystical christian tradition and in creation spirituality. This cyclic time of the year is often. Call by its latin name. The villa transformative. This is the time of natural resurrection of new life springing forth from the earth and from within us as well. We strive for universal compassion and the healing to itch. Such compassion gives birth. All are reasons for celebration. This season. The via transformer tv is bracketed. Previously by the via kreativa or winter. The via positiva or summer. And then the via negativa. In the fall. For those of us who do not know latin. The word via simply means way. Warpath. So the via transformative aa is a way or path of transformation. In my reflecting on this i thought about all the different ways that other religions approach this in about how unitarian universalist approach the path of transformation. And this is. What i see is one of our face pass. Of transformation. First a little background. Does anyone know who william ellery channing was. The pop quiz i just said earlier. Okay so okay who was william ellery channing. Unitarian minister. Father of unitarianism. In america. That's right. Lecturer. Thinker abolitionist. Well william ellery channing was an important unitarian minister and theologian in the early nineteenth century in boston. He's often called the father of american unitarianism. And. As a unitarian minister and transcendentalist leader. Ralph waldo emerson also often referred to channing as our bishop. Meaning of the transcendentalist movement. And scholar david robinson calls william ellery channing america's theologian. Channing was an unpretentious man. A very small tiny man off on sickly. And i noted boston preacher thinker and humanitarian. What did he say that so inspired the transcendentalist and other social reformers to go risk themselves to change the world. What does he offer to us even today as we seek to be changed to walk the path. Of the via transformative and to change. The world. In boston in september of 1838 doctor channing delivered a lecture. Called. Self. Culture. As the opening address in a series of public lectures to and for working people. And as channing put it those who are occupied by manual labor. Pardoning the non gender inclusive language listen to what he has to say. There are two powers of the human soul which makes self-culture possible. The self-searching and the self-forming power. We have the power not only of tracing our powers. But if guiding and impaling them. Not only are seeing our faculties grow. But if applying to them means. And influences. To aid their growth. Of all the discoveries which men. Need to make. The most important is that a self forming power treasured up in themselves. It transcends. In importance. All our power over outward nature. There is. More divinity. In it then in the forest which impels the outward universe. This makes self-culture possible. And binds it on us. As a solemn duty. To cultivate anything be a plant and animal a mind. Is to make. Grow. Growth. Expansion. Is the end. Nothing admits kulture but that which is has a principle of life. Capable of being expanded. He who does what he can to unfold all his powers and capacities. Essentially. Is his nobler ones. So as to become a well-proportioned. Vigorous. Excellent happy being. Practices. Self-culture. Amman. Is a cell is to cultivate himself because he is a man. He is to start with the conviction that there is something greater within him. Then in the whole material creation. Then in all the worlds with press on the eye and ear and that inward improvements have a worth and dignity in themselves. Quite distinct. From the power they give over outward things. Undoubtedly a man is to labor. To better his condition. But first. To batter. Himself. Cherish a true respect for yourselves. Feel that your nature is worth more than everything which is foreign to you. He who has not caught a glimpse of his own rational and spiritual being. A something within himself superior to the world and allied to divinity. Once the true spring of that purpose of self culture. On which i have insisted as the first of all means. Improvement. In referring to self. Channing does not mean the. Psychological constructs or models which we in our time commonly ascribed to self this is pre freudian. Free union. Remember freud wasn't even around. Channing uses the idea of cell. To refer to the soul. The spirit the divine essence. The divine seed. Which is at the core. Of our being. Self. Is that which makes us uniquely. And divinely who we are. He uses culture not in the sense that we often do sociologically that is in reference. Do that which we feel is respectable or proper. Rather tanning uses culture and it's more original term. As in to cultivate. As in horticulture or agriculture. What he is offering us our lessons on the nature of and cultivation of. Our spirit. Our holy beings so that we might be more hole. These words and others had a profound impact on those who had heard them and who read them. These ideas of self culture and a divine seed. Within each of us which can be nurtured. And transforms us and the world. One of those who took self-culture as her aid was elizabeth peabody. She was an active member of cannings congregation and she brought the word. The german word kindergarten. To the united states and the movement. We take this idea kindergarten for granted now. Even here in texas. But we usually misunderstand what it means. Most of us think of kindergarten as a garden for children. A place for them to play and be together. The kindergarten is actually a metaphor. For a place. A metaphorical garden in which children are cultivated and nurtured to flower and bear fruit of their inner being. Elizabeth peabody understood education in its roots sense. That is. To draw out. That's what education mean. To draw out. As a drawing forth. Of the potential. In the child. As unfolding. Other social reformers were equally affected. Horace mann. Known himself as the father of american public education. And founder of antioch college. Was it unitarian and was influenced and publicly supported by channing. Transcendentalist journalist and public political revolutionary margaret fuller. Wrote in her memoirs. Very early on i knew that the only object in life. Was. To grow. Even today we see this idea echoed in our own coven until statement of our unitarian universalist principles and purposes. We affirm and promote. Encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregation. Channing's theology of self culture was and is. A. Double rejection. A calvinist doctrine. By saying that the self can and should be cultivated. He meant that it was worthy and not depraved as calvinist would have. An insane the soul or self can be influenced and cultivated tanning was also rejecting the calvinist beliefs. In predestination. That there really isn't anything we can do to influence our situation or condition. For tanning we are both enough. And have the potential to be more. We are inherently worthy. And. Have free will. To channing and to us as the inheritors of his vision. Religion is not about keeping doctrine. Nora's religion about instantaneous transformation or conversion as is common in many traditions. Religious life the spiritual life is about growth. Henna process of. Coming. Life and religion are about to culturing the developing the unfolding of ourselves as holy beings. It's about spiritual development. A calvinist acquaintance of channing's asked him if he had ever had a conversion experience. Channing replied. I should say not. Unless. The whole of my life. Should be called. As it truly has been. A process of. Conversion. Channing scholar david robinson rights. The unitarians dust reformulated the spiritual life not in terms of depravity and election or of instantaneous conversion as we find it in the oven jellicle and fundamentalist traditions. But as a process of growth and improvement. And the nurturing cultivation. Of spiritual potential of every self. For dr. channing the great and the religious instruction is to awaken the soul. To excite and cherish. Spiritual life. This is not a gospel of progress. But one of. Filament. Cell culture is not about self-absorbed navel-gazing either. If we have all of this divine seed within us then we are all carriers we are all expressions of that holy potential. We are all interconnected in this holy state of being whether we understand it as a manifestation of evolution. And quantum physics. Or of a metaphysical reality. Channing rights. Self-culture is religious. When we look into ourselves we discover power. Powers which link us with this outward visible finite ever-changing world. We have site and other senses to discern. Any power. Which cannot stop at what exists within the bounds. Subspace. End time. He continues. The improvement of the soul consists in raising it above what is narrow particular individual selfish. To the universe. Universal and uncombined. To improve a man is to liberalize enlarged him and thought feeling and purpose. Narrowness of intellect and heart. This. Is the degradation from which all culture. Playing. Culture aims to rescue the being. Civically the individual is called to determine measures affecting the well-being of millions. And the destinies of posterity. He must consider not only the internal relations. Of his native land. But it's connections with foreign states. And judge of a policy. Fish touches the whole world. He is called by his participation. In the national sovereignty. To cherish public spirit. To regard. Do the general wheel. A man who purpose is to discharge faithfully these obligations. Is carrying on a generous self culture. We are then in our own efforts at self-culture drawn-out of ourselves like a seed out of its husk. Into the light of our larger existence. It is our calling to tend to the gar garden of the common good. To provide those conditions which are most favorable. To nurturing the seeds of holy potential in assal. This addresses the role of the individual but what is the role of the community. The congregation in self-culture. Unitarian universalist minister and writer roy phillips sums it up this way. He says. The environment the congregation provides. Is that of a fertile and cultivated field. In which the uniqueness. Preciousness. And power of divine seeds. People bring can send roots into the rich ground of culture tradition and community. I'm coming.. Within. Reaching outward. An upward. Actualizing their potential coming gloriously to flower and bearing fruit for serving the needs of the world. One of the primary aims of religion he says is self-culture. We are saying. The cultivation. Of the spirit. We mean that we must support the unique unfolding a person. For the beauty of the flowering. And for the fruit it will bear. For the. For me. Growth. Is. The purpose of our lives. I know this with every fiber of my being and i have known it for most of my life. I chose an accepted a call to ministry in great part because for me i can think of no other path are calling which offers me and in fact forces me to engage so constantly and profoundly in the act of being. Not more than i am but of being the fullest me possible. An acorn does not become something else besides an oak tree. But it moves all the while towards being more fully. What an oak tree is. And can be. Growth is change. And change as a lot of us know. Often means discomfort. As things go from being what they were to what they are becoming. These chances to grow and change your not always welcome ones. A friend and colleague of mine has coined the acronym af goof go. For another freaking growth opportunity. Adjust it to see your own temperament. Is common response to these unwanted intrusions in our stable though unfulfilled lives. So. If this is so painful why do we do this. I do this i enjoy the incidental discomfort of change because i have faith that what is beyond the pain that i sometimes experience and growing is more than worth the effort. I do not choose to change because i don't like myself. Or my life that because at my core i probably love myself and want to be even more of who i am. For some that could be a frightening thought. I also choose this path to nurture this holy potential because i am grateful. For all that i am. And have. The good the bad and the ugly. There is an old saying that. What we are is a gift of god. And what we become. Is our gift effects. I seek fulfillment. For myself. And for others. As an act of gratitude to all. That has given me life and to all of those who believed in me and nurtured me. In this amazingly complex and interconnected garden. Of our existence. No. How do we embrace. This via transformer chiva or. Self. Weekend in start we can start by internalizing the reality of our own potential. By embracing ourselves as powerful precious and holy being. Right now i would like you to close your eyes if you're comfortable doing that. Right now. And repeat after me. I am. Powerful. Precious. And holy. Again i am. Powerful. Precious. And holy. I am powerful precious and holy. What's that again. I am powerful precious and holy. And not alone. When we understand ourselves to be rooted in the midst of a holy reality. And that all others are as well then you can open your eyes by the way. Then our perception of the world and those who compromised it fundamentally is altered. When we carry this in our hearts and minds as an ongoing meditation of being. We cannot but be changed and the world changed. With us. The next step in our self culture is that we honor. Has given been given to us by virtue of our simply. Being. By nurturing our divine seed. By making the most of what and who we are and who we can be. We use our providentially given self-searching. And self-forming powers. And in this we accept the opportunities which come our way even if initially they are another freaking growth opportunity. And with these we can move through the pain and discomfort of change. And growth. In all of this we have the need to create. And sustain places. And institutions. Which in turn can sustain us. And others. This specifically includes our children who need the kindergarten. The religious education. An ethical education. The places of nurture. So that they may grow to be the most. Of what they are capable of being. And thereby. The world. Then even as we engage. With the growth and fulfillment of our own holy potentials. We reach out to others to help them. To recognize and to fulfill their potential spiritually physically and relationally. This does not mean that we impose our agendas on them. The rather that we offer to help them to explore their lives. And to liberate the hope. And nurture the power. That is laying dormant. In their lives. If we are living our lives as powerful and precious and holy being then others will be drawn to what they find. But they must know about it first. They must be able. To find us. Our congregation and our larger movement. There's not a secret garden. The sole province of those who are lucky enough and brave enough to find it. And take russia. We have. We are more like a community garden or a village commons. We must be visible in central. Any birthright of every person who chooses to belong. Participate. With all the privileges and responsibilities that come with it. We cannot do this if we do not reach out to them and provide the settings and the support for this holy work. This means that we. Caringly offer our message and support. To as many people as we can. That we provide the means of sharing. Our good news. For if we find here is a value and importance for our lives. Then how is it any less for the lives of others who are still waiting. Parched. And waiting for hopeful waters. And the nature of the good news that may liberate them from their fear and dormancy. We reach out to them. So they may. Stretch into the light. Up our great common existence. As they grow. We all gang. And together we may show the world ways of being that transcend the husks. Of consumption and competition. And fear and ignorance. Why are we here. We are here to change. The world. We have done it before. We are doing it now. We will do it again. And again. And again. By growing our souls. On arvia transformative. By sharing our good news that everyone has choices and is enough. And is powerful precious. And holy. We will do it. By committing to share our resources. Our talents. And our lives. With each other for the common good. Cultivating the divine seed within each and everyone of us. Creating not just garden. Or a field. For a fruited plain. But a world. Made fair. For all.

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20131027-Homily_3.mp3

Amazing grace how sweet the sound. That saved a wretch like me. I want to watch lost. But now i'm found. Was bellowing board no ic. How many of you know the story behind that him. It is. The expression of thanksgiving of one-man john newton. An eighteenth-century english slave captain who was saved from a wretched existence by grace which he felt set him free from slaving. I know many of us have difficulty with some of the lyrics of this song we might rightly feel that calling ourselves wretched is wretches is uncouth and healthy and not affirming of our inherent worth and dignity. I cannot help but feel that part of the power of this song besides its haunting melody is that it touches something universal in the human experience. That in some way john newton's encounter with grace and his subsequent gratitude and thanksgiving is not unlike our own. From what i understand grace is our experience of the abundance the abundance of the universe. It is the awareness of the gifts which we have not worked for and have not actively earned. Grace is the experience of receiving that which is not of our making and that which we have not earned. And i want to be very clear at this point i want to clearly make a distinction between what i say what i mean when i say not earned and the idea of that which is not deserved. In our modern western society we. Theoretically exist in a meritocracy. In this we have merged the ideas i've earned and deserved together. It almost seems obvious that if we have not somehow earned something then we do not deserve it. There is an unspoken implicit corollary to the idea that if we earn it then we deserve it. The shadow side of this concept is. The idea that if we haven't learned something then we don't deserve it. But the question is if we do not earn food do we deserve it. If we do not earn clean air or water do we deserve it. If we do not learn decent schools for our children do they deserve them. Just because we turned something does not automatically mean that we deserve it. And just because. We have not learned something does not necessarily mean that we do not deserve it. Grace is about that which we have not earned. And in fact cannot earn. Even if we want. This is a part of martin luther's complaints on 400 years ago. And i'm not known for partying martin luther so. When i do this pay attention. No matter how hard we work we cannot earn the grace or abundance of the universe. But we're i essentially different with martin luther among other things. Is that he's basically made confession of faith another way to earn grace. Grace in my understanding cannot be earned either by works or by faith. Either of those approaches. Hearns god is god the holy our ground of being our experience of the universe into a type of material or metaphysical exchange of goods and services. Our christian universalist forbearers clearly rejected this bartering with god. As seen in their belief in the universal salvation of all souls. Regardless of merit. Because all are inherently worthy. The grace of the universe is all around us in our living our breathing are being even in our opportunity to struggle for what is better. We experienced disgrace when we become aware of it when the ears of our ears awake and honey eyes of our eyes are opened. Does this mean we should not ask for help from the universe. Sure we should ask. But we must be aware that we are not able to dictate the terms. And we may not be answered in the ways we might choose. We might hope or expect to be answered. We cannot come and grace. We can risk being open. To is possibilities. So what happens when we do experience grace. For myself i know that i have an impulse to respond in some way to express my gratitude. For me gratitude is. This simple impulse to give back in some way in order to show my appreciation for what i have received as grace. I do not. I do want to be clear here about the difference between the impulse. The desire to respond and actually doing it. Think about the phrase an expression of gratitude. Gratitude is a feeling an impulse but by itself it is not a manifestation it is not a thing. It is something we must take another step to make manifest or concrete in our world so although we may feel gratitude. We may not impact express it in some observable way. The reasons we may not express our gratitude imany. And may include some. Include. From absent-mindedness to a fear of doing something wrong. To feeling of insufficiency in our ability to respond. So can we adequately respond to the grace of the universe. I feel the answer is probably both yes and no. The fact that we are as finite beings cannot match the infinite abundance of the universe so in that sense we cannot possibly adequately express our gratitude. However since we can express grace in the finitude of the here and the now we can try to respond in like fashion. In my seminary days i took several classes in jewish studies. Part of that tradition is that just as that it just about any occasion in there is a series of blessings. But unlike those of us who grew up with a protestant. Christian tradition the blessings are not a request. For god to give us more. Blessings. Rather the blessings in the jewish tradition. Are in fact. Blessings bestowed upon god. Has thanksgiving for god's grace in the past present and future. This is the same basic meaning as in the contemporary pagan response blessed be which is often heard of the ends of prayers are readings. But do we believe in god is god the dow what you will or not. I believe the exercises gratitude itself to be a sound one. When we do not respond with gratitude we feel the register that we do feel we bottle up the experience of that all that. Holiness. We express our we were pressed are joy and we didn't i our feelings. When we do this we do not have the grace that we have been privy to and deny others the opportunity. To share in it with us. We share our gratitude for the blessings that we have received. When we make a manifest response and gratitude for the unearned grace of the universe. We are expressing thanksgiving. It is the literal giving. Thanks. We often don't recognize grace until we have some perspective on the situation and realize just really how much we have received. Then we may feel gratitude and give thanks even well after the fact. Overtime the united states is thanksgiving celebration has come not only to commemorate the events around the the pilgrims. But to use as a time of reflection and celebrating the grace we encounter here and now. Point is this that as a religious community. We have a message of hope. Encourage. To share with our world. Which may be experienced as nothing less than grace. By many of us who encounter it. Grace is indeed amazing and so is our capacity to respond to it. With gratitude praise and thanksgiving. When we share the grace we have encountered through our impulses of gratitude and our act of thanksgiving. We share that grace that abundance magnify through the lenses of our own souls when we get back in thanks and praise for those gifts we have received then the abundance of life and the universe is that much more for us to encounter again and again. When we yield to the impulses of gratitude we risk creating the reality of thanksgiving in the world. We all need. And we all. Deserve. As an act of. Thanksgiving. For the grace. Their lives. We dedicate garden arches. And roses. The dedicatory plaques. The 14 on the southside here. This garden arch is dedicated to many more in honor of her commitment to this church. Providing support and nurture to so many and two are liberal faith. The arch over here on the westside. Is in loving memory of our friend clarence fisher for his heartfelt concern for the needy in our community. There are white roses on both sides of the arches. One side where donated by friends of gay grouchy and on the other by judy kovaleski. The plaques read on the south and loving memory of geography sisters boswell and and billings. And the north plaque reads in loving memory of ed. The same types of white roses we planted beside betty's arch as they are available. I just showed up so you don't nobody she's actually sitting right over here right now so. So we dedicate. These. As an act of thanksgiving for the grace that we have received. Unearned. From these good friends.

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20150322-Sermon.mp3

One of the interesting phenomena that happens when you're part of a clergy couple like my wife and i are. Is that we get to see each other's work. And. One of the things my wife got to do yesterday was she did a memorial service at 1st jefferson in fort worth where she is minister. For one of their very long-term members who was also something of an academic star at university of texas at arlington for like 30 or 40 years. Help establish the planetarium there stuff. And so we get to see each other do these things site i had the privilege of doing. A memorial service a few weeks ago for the mother of one of our members and. Had the privilege of doing simile for many of you and for many of our dear. Friends. Getting to reflect on someone's life. Being invited him to do that is is a sacred thing it is powerful. And we get to. Perhaps only glimpses of. What makeup someone's life that they're often some of the more important ones. Can we look at what does it mean to be what does it mean to live a good life. What does it mean to be a good person what does it mean to have been successful. Or not. What is this life a life that. Was redeemed or redeeming. In some way. Now the only promise. Any sacred thing. Is the promise of more abundant life. This is one of the things i often say in the weddings that i perform. And i would offer that if our understanding of death helps us to be. Perhaps healthier. And we're liberated and engaged and fulfilled his persons and communities than it is to be cherished. But if an understanding of deaths in an afterlife limits our willingness and ability to beat to love or to be kind. If it makes us afraid of ourselves and others if it threatens the very bonds of our solidarity with each other and all that is then it is not an afterlife worth squandering our lives for. What is paradise. How do i redeem it. We need one another. We need one another in life. In death. We are not cut off from each other even after. To our seventh principle the interconnected web of all existence. So which we are apart we were reaffirm. That reality no matter how we view. Death after life. We are always connected to each other whether this connection is through our atomic structures. And as part of the cycles of nature or to the survival of the spirit. In heaven of all souls or through some form of reincarnation many other. Understandings. Which we can only speculate on from this side of the event horizon of death. But we are a part of this world community. Stretching backwards. Forward. Through generations uncounted. We are the descendants of our ancestors. I have to say is my son my family are very big into genealogy i know some of you are too and it's interesting to find out just how many really rotten people. Art on our family trees kind of amazing that we you know we're here. Maybe they had to be rotting to survive so sometimes we have to think about those things. The truth is we do not die alone. We do not. Live alone. We exist together. I'm not alone. However we understand and whatever may just beyond its mystery. We are each other's. In this life and for eternity. This is one of the key messages of our universalist forebears. That whatever happens after death. It happens to all of us. Yeah there's no first class. There's no select. Many of you know the hymn amazing grace right. Amazing grace how sweet the sound. When you know the story behind it. Special thanks. For one man john newton and his redemption from being a slave ship captain and 18th century. England. I know sometimes we have difficulty with some of the lyrics. Chipley wretch. Some of the feel like i got away from a religion. I do want to go back. His expression. Things we think about this is an autobiographical statement. About how he. Experienced his wife in reality changes. Quite a bit. And maybe sometimes we really are. Wretched in our existence in our experience with life. Not in our very nature. I cannot help but feel that part of the power of that song. Besides its haunting melody is that it touches something universal in our human experience. Then someway john newton's encounter with redemptive grace. And your subsequent gratitude and thanksgiving is not unlike hours. From what i understand grace is our experience of the abundance. Of the universe. It is awareness of the gift which we have not worked for and have not actively learn. Grace is the experience of receiving. That not of our own making. That which we have not learned. At this point i want a very clearly. Make a distinction. Between what i say and what i mean when i say not earned and the idea which some of you may have heard is not deserved. First time ever preached on this concept. I had several people come at me and tell me how you dare tell me i'm not deserving. I didn't say anything about that. Set on earned. In our modern western society though we just primarily in what we at least have the illusion of a meritocracy. In this we have mercy ideas of earned and deserved. Together. Tennessee earned it therefore you probably deserved it or if you deserve it you learn it because that's the way a meritocracy function. Now we know that's not really. What's going on. But we like to pretend. It almost seemed obvious that if we have not somehow earn something we obviously don't deserve it. There is an unspoken implicit corollary to the idea that if we deserved it. And the shadow side of that concept is that if we haven't learned something then we don't deserve it. But the question is if we do not earn food do we deserve it. If we do not earn clean air. Clean water. Do we deserve it if we do not earn decent schools for our children do they deserve them. Just because we are in something. Does not automatically mean that we deserve it. And just because we have not learned something does not necessarily mean we do not deserve it. Grace is about that which we have not learned and in fact cannot earn. Even if we want to. Now this is part of martin luther's complaints on 400 years ago. No matter how hard we work we cannot burn the redemptive grace of the abundance of the universe. But we're i essentially differ from martin luther among others. Is that he basically made a confession of faith another way to earn grace. It's a different exchange. Gracing my understanding cannot be earned. Either by works or and or by faith. .. You can't. Do anything to make it happen. Either of those approaches turns goddess god the holy around of being our experience of the universe into a type of material and or metaphysical exchange of goods and services. Are christian universalist forbearers clearly rejected this bartering with god as seen in their belief in universal salvation of all souls. Regardless of merit. Because all are inherently worthy. This redemption of ours by the grace of the universe is all around us in our living are breathing i'll be eating even in the opportunity to struggle for what is better. We experience is grace when we become aware of it. When the ears of our ears awaken the eyes of our eyes are opened. Does this mean we should not ask for help from the universe. Sure we should ask. But we must be aware that we are not able to dictate the terms. And may not be answered in ways we might expect or hope to be answered. We cannot. Command grace. But we can. And we need to be open and vulnerable. Twist possibilities. So what happens when we do experience this redeeming grace. For myself i know that i have an impulse to respond in some way to express my gratitude. For me gratitude is the impulse to give back in some way in order to show my appreciation for what is received as grace. I do want to be clear. About the differences. Between the impulse the desire to respond. And actually doing it. Think about the phrase an expression of gratitude. Gratitude isn't feeling an impulse. But it by itself is not a manifest thing it is something we must make. Take another step to create to make manifest to have concrete in the world so although my i may feel gratitude. But may not in fact express it in some concrete or observable way. The reasons we may not express our gratitude or many. And may include from absent-mindedness to fear of doing the wrong thing to feeling insufficiency. In our ability to respond. Appropriately. I think one thing that does come up for some of us subconsciously maybe when writer cyril connolly. Those of us who are brought up as christians and have lost our faith have retained the sense of sin without the saving benefit of redemption. Just poisoned our fault and so paralyzed us in action he says. I would offer there's a contrast in the jewish community in the jewish tradition. That. At just about any occasion there is a set a set series of blessings. But unlike those blessings that i grew up with in protestant christianity. The blessings are not a request for god to give us more. Rather the blessings in the jewish tradition artifact blessings bestowed upon god. Thanksgiving for god's grace. In the past present and future. This is the same basic meaning that the contemporary pagan community has and their response blessed beef which is often heard after prayers are reading. So whether we believe in goddess god the dow what you will or not. I believe the exercise of gratitude itself to be a sound one. When we do not respond with gratitude we feel. Bottled up. In the experience. We feel. Not as connected. Or perhaps even feel cut off from the holy and we repress our joy and we deny our feelings we don't feel like we have a right to to those things because we haven't done anything. Only do though we do this we deny the redeeming grace that we have privy to. And we deny others the opportunity sharing it with us and perhaps too experienced it themselves. One of the ways that i have. Chosen. To express my joy and my gratitude at. Being a part of this tradition. And being able to be a minister in this tradition and all of the many blessings in a come my way over the years. 20 years at the end of april that i was ordained. And. When did that happen. You know it. Amazing and so the one one of the many ways that i can think of making that concrete. Is my giving. In my anal giving it a certain level. Worked up now to where i give over 5% of my gross income. Buddhist congregation. And it's not. Really miss that much. Set my my wife occasionally. Does brooks but. You know we can pay off my credit card a lot faster. I said yeah and if you give up your pledges we could do the same. i'm not doing that. But it's. Really important. For me. To have that outlet that way to give. Myself at this congregation but to our whole faith community this is why i volunteer in our larger faith community i'm actually the treasurer for our ministers association in this region. Which means i get to ask other people for money. It's it's so important. To have these opportunities for many of you. You make concrete. Gift of your time and your energy also. I went to barron elementary to the day and was at the book fair. That my wife and i went in for our sons mid-year teacher conference and the book fair was down the hallway in the actually in the library. I came around the corner and i think i counted six of you. Standing there in barron elementary. And. Amazingly wonderful. Does he such a great presents. And know that you are giving so much of your time and yourself. We share. Our gratitude. For the blessings. And the grace that we have received. When we make a manifest response ingratitude. For that honor and grace of the universe. I feel one of the main consequences of giving thanks is an expansion of grace and it's redeeming power as it is shared. I believe that it is part of the power of witnessing our own face. Are religious experiences are stories with each other in ways that are respectful. Puppy chow other and enlarging. I'm certain from myself as many of you feel that it was. An act of grace. That met us here to this community either this congregation or his faith in other places. We can't imagine what our lives would be like otherwise. Point is that as a religious community we have a message of hope. Encourage. To share. Which may be experienced is nothing less. Then life-saving. To those who encounter. We saved his life. Not to put too fine a point on it. But. Making change sometimes it's difficult. Second offense. Rihanna. And even with the help and inspiration of redemptive gracely still may be stuck. In the more contemporary language of family systems theory comes out of. Murray bowen. He offers us some important insights into how we actually achieve changing our life how people actually do these things. Primarily we must first recognize we are not solitary creatures afloat out here on our own. We exist. In a mess in a in a myriad of relationships both past and present. Which influence how we behave. And what choices we make unconsciously and consciously. Dr. bowen right. Systems thinking. Is directed at getting be on cause-and-effect thinking. An into a system view of the human phenomenon. Emotional reactiveness. In a family or other group. That could be us. For groups. That lives or works together goes from one family member. To another in a chain of reaction. Fashion. Each person is programmed. From birth to serve a certain set of functions or senses. Payroll as they say. Of what is required or expected from the way the system functions. He or she does have one ability beyond other protoplasmic life. Periplasmic life. And that is the ability to observe. Abstract. And see the natural order to understand the secrets of nature. The govern ourselves. Bit differently. Essentially the only way we changed the way a system functions. Is the change are functioning within the system. And how we relate to. In a nutshell understanding our place in a relationships will empower us to be able to be different. In those relationships to people. Or and or things. And they can be very long dead people by the way. One of the practices. For working with family systems theory is that you do what's called a genogram. A genealogist to the group this isn't very hard you can actually do this fairly easily. Did she go back and you chart sort of your family trees going back in about the different things those people experienced in. The relationships. And. Sing the problems they had and the things they accomplished. And you often find a really amazing pattern of behaviors that you go ohmygod. This generation is re-enacting is this kabuki theater that three generations ago they were doing back in the old country. The only real changes we have any control over our changes in ourselves. And our own behaviors. Raising small children i am constantly reminded of that. Philosopher and activist wendell berry writes that the work of redemption. Is a long and painful word. But it is also the only real way to save anyting. And it is in the very ties of bondage to real people. And real circumstances. That we find a freedom of joy. Healing. And happiness. Human flourishing. So grace may be amazing. And so is our capacity to respond with gratitude and praise and thanksgiving. Only share the grace we have encountered through our impulses of gratitude. And our acts of thanksgiving we share that grace that abundance magnified through the lens of our own souls. And when we get back in thanks and praise for those gifts we have received. The abundance of the life in the universe is that much more for us to encounter. Again and again and i. Again. Like each renewing spring. When we yield to the impulses. A gratitude. We are creating the very. Reality. Of redemption. For ourselves. To save the world. All we need. All we deserve.

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20150104-Sermon.mp3

Dr. bill snell's a longtime member of community church. Along with his wife laura and their two daughters who are grown. Bill is also a cell biology researcher at ut southwestern medical school. The snail lab uses a single-cell algae which bill once called a silly little pond scum. To study fundamental questions of cell reproduction. His work could someday lead to a vaccine against malaria and help us understand how genes for a particular protein are conserved across many different animal and plant. Species. At community bill has served in many different leadership roles. Including the presidency. He was most recently a member of the sunday services committee. And we welcome him this morning as our guests. I think that most of us find it impossible to imagine. That event. That happened over 14 million years ago. That ultimate singularity. That gave rise to our universe. In one instant nothing. And and in the next. All of the matter and energy that constitute our universe now. A universe contained in that tiny everything seed we just heard about. That spec without dimension was an unimaginably hot and unimaginably dense. Once it started expanding cooling gradually began. And condensation is of energy and matter. Eventually gave rise to galaxies and stars and moons and planets. For me this big bang creation is beyond my consent. Unknowable. Incomprehensible. In some ways not unlike the views that many people have of god. Continuing with our story. It took quite a while. For all the matter and energy to settle down enough and reorganize enough. To create all of our elements and eventually our solar system. Our sun and planets and their moons appear. Around four billion years ago give or take a billion years. So we had this big explosion and it took that was 14 million years ago. It took 9 million years ago 9 million billion years for things to settle down enough. Stephen form our solar system. If we really stretch. Many of us can maybe imagine that somehow organic compounds could have appear. Given the right combination of energy and carbon and phosphates and nitrogen in the water. That is the basic compounds that are needed for life. Once we're there it seems easier to imagine the first life-forms appearing about 2 billion years ago. That is 2 billion years after the. Earth in the solar system. These life-forms could become capable of reproducing themselves. Then unicellular organisms formed. Some commingle. With photosynthetic bacteria. To become lg. And became capable of using the sun's energy to convert carbon dioxide and water. Wish there was plenty of. The sugar and oxygen. Wish there wasn't any out real. That is the process of photosynthesis. Of course it's a given. That wants sugar and oxygen appeared more complex multicellular animals with him. And not too much later the real creation occurred and we humans showed up. And some of us became unitarian universalist and there we have the full creation story. But as we were reminded by the world words of carl sagan and are childless laying by my wife laura this morning. When we allow ourselves to think deeply about creation. Feelings of awe and wonder and mystery. And even beauty well within us. Well up with ms. Maybe these feelings are spiritual. Or religious even. Einstein believed that these were truly religious feelings whose origins were not in mysticism but in nature. He said. What i see in nature is a magnificent structure. That we can comprehend only very imperfectly. And that must feel a thinking person with a feeling of humility. One of our most important scientists in our lifetime in our in our world. Let's back up a bit and consider changes the earth experience once life began in earnest. Are sphere started off very hot. Once earth was formed to changed. It cooled inform the crust. It commingled with other objects. In space with meteors. I had collisions. And a giant collision might have even spawned our moon some scientists. All in all though it was pretty barren. Once photosynthesis arose though. And those algae and plants evolved they really went to town. They made things green. Everywhere green. Even the oceans were green. Wherever there was a usable mix of carbon dioxide and water and sunshine and the right temperature. Photosynthesis everywhere. Not only did all of those green things change the appearance of the earth and i'm sure you can recollect images of all the. Plants growing all over the world. But they did something else that helps us humans he's many millions of years later. They died. Fortunately for us no animals were around yet to eat them. And the bacteria couldn't just couldn't work fast enough. Today jessica. Do all of these plants all of that plant material. All of those aldi in the in the ocean. They died. And they didn't decompose. And they became compress. And transformed. Into our current stores of oil and coal and gas. This is still the creation story happening. But now we've moved from creation to one of our unitarian universalist seven principles. The interdependent web of all existence. And i just want to remind you that sometimes i think it's the interdependent web of all life. But it's independent of all existence so it goes back to this creation we just described our being warm here in this room in the sanctuary. And having electricity to run the microphone. Enter project images on the screen and cook the breakfast we had before we came here this morning and the drive the car that we used to get here this morning all depend on the sun and those early plants. So it really is true that we need to everyday to remember to thank a green plant. I'm sure that many of us have had some sort of religious epiphany. A moment that changed us at our core i've actually had to sort of. The first one felt like an epiphany. At least it had. To paraphrase the truthiness concept. At least it had epiphanous but it didn't take. Second one tucking in a rose in the presence of our energy created the sun. And out of a sharp recognition of the interdependent web of all existence. In both of these happened when i was a kid growing up on a small farm in illinois. Actually i grew up in the corn belt. And belong to. The 4-h club. And participated in many community activities. And was really part of an independent web there. I was raised in the methodist church. And still have the lapel pins that show that i didn't miss a sunday for i don't know how many years. We really went every sunday my my my mother and father and my and me and my and my three sisters. In retrospect when i think back on it our church was a progressive. No hellfire and brimstone kind of a place. I was not frightened by what i learned in church and sunday school and i had wonderful sunday school team. Fact i still remember the hi-ho board game that my teacher gave me as a christmas present one year. I always love that game and my teacher's gift inspired me actually to give the same gift to the kids in the classes that i taught here many years ago. So that creation than of that idea really stuck with me and it reminds me of this interdependent web. In that low methodist church. Read riley. Was art pianist and he was outstanding. And he was our janitor. Many of the church family that lived in the community for eons and i really felt connected with them. The goodbread family were farmers like us. And my sunday school classmates lori and jim goodrich still run their family farm there in deer park township. The small number of ministers that move through our church when i was a child were talented insightful warm people. And as i say a small number i was a member of that church until probably i was 18 or 20 years old. Going off to college. And. Those folks almost i guess all of the men. I work we're good solid people. I remember that i once asked a minister to help answer a question that have been nayami. We were standing between some of our old wooden pews. Towards the back of our small sanctuary in a white clapboard church. And i asked. If the bible says that adam and eve were the first people on earth. Where did the cavemen come in. I think i was pretty sure that i have this is something i've been thinking about i was really bothered by it. How do how do i mix the story how do i match these two kinds of stories that i was learning about of the young teenager. For me the bible was on the rock. His immediate inspired answer was that we need to understand that the seven days of creation described in the bible. Can be interpreted in many ways. And the poetic one day in genesis. In reality could have been millions and millions of years. I was in awe it was a perfect answer. And it truly was a perfect answer for me at the time. By the way as an aside. It turns out even though i've worked on this sermon and practice it several times are places i might still break out from when i read something so please forgive me for that. In reflecting more and growing up in that small community i understand now the depth of that interconnected human web. That we were all part of our family and my dad's brothers families live close by and we all help each other. The brothers share farm equipment in my diet my dad and uncles and my me and my cousin's bale hay together. As i mentioned i was blessed with wonderful parents in every way. Perforate my dad taught me how to raise healthy dairy and beef calves. And how to get them all spiffed up for the annual 4-h fair. 4h fair was always a big deal. We always have new blue jeans that we went but we wore it when we took when we went to the fair we had our cattle and derek has all spiffed-up and we practice leading him around and making sure that we know how to show them at their best. But during the year we had monthly 4-h club meetings. Meetings usually started in the evening before my dad was done milking. So my uncle jack always gave me a ride and my uncle jack was also the coach for a club softball team. And spent many hot summer afternoons practicing with us. Building a team and building young people. In this interconnected well. It's only in the past few years when i've actually reflect that i'm growing up andrew illinois that i gained an even deeper understanding of how the cornbelt kids 4h club is important in my spiritual and religious development in many ways. So you might think of 4h as a maybe a possibly conservative. A group or organization. Settled in the midwest well it turns out it wasn't quite as that way as you might imagine. Our club was focused on nurturing young people to be good. People in 2b community caretakers and builders. And 48 did this. Without hints of organized religion. Justice god isn't mentioned in the constitution. God was not part of 4h. This is something i've only thought about my reflected back on this a few years ago in my tan my mother died. I was thinking more about 4-h and reflecting on that and talk with my my uncle talk about that. We didn't say a prayer time eating. Instead we recited our 4-h pledge. And here's our 4-h pledge of a see if i can do it without breaking up. And actually we did it. In the way that. I pledge my hip. I had a dog. I pledge my head to clearer thinking. My parts are greater loyalty. My hands to larger service. And my health to better living. For my club. My community. I learned when i was preparing this. My words today that the pledge now ends with an my world. So that 4-h club foundation. Nash international probably now. Powerful work. And certainly with hints of unitarian universal. To bring the message home the community union train universalist church of plano texas texas. We should recognize how important the interconnected web is that we have built look how many kids we songs are there classes today. How many adults left with it. We parents do our best on our own to nurture and raise our children. But it's so much better if our children also learn about religious ideas and ideals from the many many dedicated teachers and staff and art already program. And just as a reminder about our dedicated staff also. As you. I hope many of you read the essays that are present that are found in our newsletter and kathy smith always almost always has an excellent. Thoughtful inspiring write-up. An essay in in that. And of course all of our dedicated already teachers. Many of us have children that grew up in his church and know that those classes and teachers. Made a difference in still make a difference. Some of those kids are now far from plano texas. And i'm working no to nurture and grow community in their own neighborhoods. Many of those kids that we've raised here that grew up here who for whom and smith was our director of religious education them are now psychologists work in prisons. Our leaders of education. And are working in the community they learned a lesson from through our inner interconnected web in our own community here. Back to religious epiphanies and interconnectedness ice trade a little bit. It turned out the deer park township also had a small non-denominational community church. And that was a church that you saw before that was the it's a beautiful church. Oh that one that you saw an image before it was actually this non-denominational community church. And as i reflect on those times at community church must have had leaders that were somewhat less progressive than those that are low methodist church. Community church had a revival on summer. We didn't have revival tournament. My family decided to go. Actually it was at that church that i went to. Bible school. There was another name for it i can't remember what it was in the summertime still. When we would get what is it. Vacation bible school that's right. And. It was it was actually a lot of fun. We would sing lots of hymns we were supposed to memorize as many bible verses as we could and actually get points for memorizing them and i know that i knew several of them and had memorized them easiest one of course with john 11:35 jesus wept and that's something a lot of it's bad. And also we had ice cream we truly had ice cream socials in that little church you saw an image before it was a it was a nice church it was a good church and so we sort of had a connection or a link to it it still standing that image before it makes it clear that it truly is a community church. So they had a revival on summer. My family decided to go. I think i was about 10 years old. We might have even men at 10. It really was a revival meeting i think they must have brought in a minister from outside and not sure. In any case i'm sure that fire that the hellfire and brimstone or invoke that night. And jesus was involved. A lot. And people could feel the lord. That reminder that revival minister said that we could feel the lord's presence better with her eyes closed. And the lord wanted us to confess our sins and come to the front can be saved. This is a 10-year old kid heroes experiencing us. At least that revival minister certainly made us feel that that that is what the lord wanted. I didn't really think that i needed to be safe. I didn't want to go up front. But i can hear lots of people headed up there. And when i picked out from under my eyelids i thought that most of my friends were headed up there to that from. So i went. And because i was up at the front of the church i guess it meant that i was saved. I didn't really feel anything special or maybe felt a little guilty. For that. A few days later after this. Epiphany. That minister actually stopped by our house to make it to make sure that i was reading the bible as part of my salvation and actually had started i was reading genesis it was slow going. But my salvation didn't last long baling hay and fishing and swimming in the pond or much more fun the second epiphany was much more powerful and much more real. And relate to the interconnected web. And that second epiphany sticks to this day. I was in my teens and working out and figuring out how the world work. Even though our church was comforting and filled with wonderful people and ideas i wasn't sure that things made sense to me. I felt connected. But i struggled with a connector described on my church. So it was in the afternoon of a warm sunny day. I was on my way down or laying for my big red barn to bring the collagen for pastor for milking and it's that barn this this is this time taken. A few years ago but that was many years ago. And that the cornfield and that's the lane that i would walk down. To bring the cows in from pasture for melting. The lane was next to one of our cornfield. The sweet pervasive smell of corn pollen then enveloped our farm. And actually the whole of the corn belt early in the season was gone. I want to take it just a very brief step away from that now to bring in something that was mentioned this earlier. I'm a cell biologist and i study algae and sexual reproduction in algae. A few years ago we discovered a gene it's essential for fusion of the sperm and egg equivalent in out in these altitudes. Well it turns out that that. That protein. Which we think have to. Actually with others names have two because they discovered an implant when they didn't really know what to do. That protein is present in pollen. And so when. I was growing up i was surrounded with pollen. Corn i don't know if you've ever been in the midwest when corn is passing. But it is everywhere you just it's just it's actually a wonderful smell. And it was really a mystical experience almost for me is a cell biologist when i discovered when we discovered this protein that was president of green algae was required for fusion of the two of us from the egg. To learn that it's the same protein is essential for fusion. Of the sperm and the egg. In the pop in the when the pain gets down to the female part of the plant. So in a sense i was surrounded. When i go back to the farm and pounding during hassling with these proteins. I discovered it truly wasn't i mean it sounds a little cheesy but it's a mystical experience and actually it turns out that i also realized when looking through the databases. But that gina we discovered was essential for was present in the malaria organism plasmodium. Turns out plasmodium. Gametes that is a sex cell. Only form in the gut of the mosquito. Not a very pleasant place i suppose. But it's there that there when the gametes are formed at the fuse to form a zygote. And to begin creation of the next generation of these nasty things. Well we work with a group in england who i've learned study these things. And we showed that if we if we mutated the gene that we discovered in our green algae. It blocked mosquito transmission of malaria. Do gametes those malaria gametes in the mosquito were using the same protein. That my little green algae use that are all all green plants. In the world use. To bring about sexual reproduction. And it turns out that that protein now has become of vaccine target for mullerian it's just a really exciting thing and again i'm bringing this up to help folks understand the interconnected web of life we cannot escape. It is it is real. So it was a warm sunny afternoon i was walking to get the cows. The pollen was gone now the sense of alfalfa mixed with sweet clover with everywhere. Even if you call patties made their own pleasant contribution to this decay. The sky was deep blue with big white fluffy clouds. I stopped for a second and just looked up into the sky. At that moment surrounded by the earth and all of its troops. I realize that i was connected directly to the earth and to the universe i didn't need a separate connect. Everything was right there. And it was more than enough. Now let's go back to another dimension of the interconnected web of existence that grew out of creation. The core link between our sun green plants and algae and us. I just can't avoid emphasizing this. At a fundamental and practical level. The connector within this integrated web. Of life of all existence is energy. And most of that energy comes to us from the sun. And that original creative singularity. When does nuclear fusion in the core of the sun falling or skin it warms us here. And it warms up here just like it does humans in africa and in the north pole and our ancient hominid ancestors. And the early multicellular animals and multicellular plants and the green algae that gave rise to those complex plants in the bacteria. And back and back. That son has been there. As we learned in grade school though. Humans don't do it to that heat energy. Fortunately the sun the energy from the sun's sun brings more than heat to the earth. The sun send us a complex mixture of electromagnetic radiation. We humans can glimpses complexity when sunlight passes through raindrops revealing the visible spectrum. As a rainbow of colors representing light of different wavelengths and energy. Because we can't use that energy. We need to thank our lucky stars. For a green organism. What's on my falls on a plant or a single-celled algae. The energy is captured in the most magical process of photosynthesis. Plants absorb the energy from the light. They break up water. And. They create oxygen when they break up that water. At the same time. The plants use that energy to link carbon atoms. From carbon dioxide. Entertains. To make sugar. Glucose. And the energy from the stunt sinus stored in these connections between the carbon atoms. So we're getting down to the core of photosynthesis here this magical transformation. Energy from the sun. That is plants can convert light energy into chemical energy. Plants plants can use that chemical energy. To come by and simple molecules into more complex ones like a m asses at least make. To make proteins and nucleic acids to make her genetic material. Dna. And here comes the absolute core of the interdependent web at least for us humans. Not only can we use the building the chemical building blocks to make us. But we can use the energy stored in that carbon-carbon those carbon-carbon bonds in the sugars to move our muscles. And to think about why we want to move those muscles and to do what we humans do. And of course as a reminder. To unlock that energy stored in those carbon-carbon bonds we absolutely must use the oxygen the oxygen the only the plants. Inmate search. For me this link. Constitutes the ultimate interconnected web of all existence at least from a physical and biological perspective. Our creation rose all of the elements in our sun. And out of the sun arises the energy that plants use to remodel the owner into forms of matter and energy that we can use to become humans. That's tarsa. Swirled around in the universe comes down takes the form of us for a while. Then goes off again into the into the become part of the universe again. Our dependence on his son of course is truly all-encompassing if we think about it really elaborating in the sun but we can avoid it. Almost every single bit of energy we use to make our fancy gizmos work automobiles and spaceships and farm combines and cell phone comes from the sun. If the energy doesn't come from fossil fuels that comes from other forms of energy that depend on the sun. Solar panels are windmills the wind windsor created by changes in temperature. Weather falling waters and hydroelectric plant. When water evaporates forms rain falls again in the movements of the earth around its axis and around the sun. Regulate our daily activities and create our seasons. The sun omnipresent all-powerful. No wonder early man worship the sun. Complimenting is very practical biological interdependent web of all existence. Is the independent web of human relationships. Individually we are little son. At the centers of our own version of solar system. The many people that are many people that are parts of our lives. We generate energy in the form of our abilities and our passions. But this energy acquire only acquires meaning in human value when it becomes converted into contributions that interweave with and expand the richness of our larger community. I land with another quote from einstein intelligence makes clear to us the interrelationship of means and ends but miss thinking cannot give us a sense of the ultimate and fundamental in. To make clear these fundamental ends in valuation. And two-step them fast in the emotional life of the individual. Seems to me precisely the most important function. Which religion has to form in the social life of man.

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Reading2_011710.mp3

Our second reading is from the companion guide to. Documentary eyes. Bernice johnson reagon. One of the freedom singers. Albany georgia. Protest that lasted for four years there might be 61 to 65. Talked about she grew up in the church for father was a minister. And they didn't get a piano in that church until she was 11. It's over early music was all acapella. Hands and. Voices. She said it was also true of everything in community school. Playground. She end up being arrested the second wave of arrests in albany. And she says when we got to jail sister slater king who was already in jail said bernice. Is that you. And i said yes and he said sing a song. Sing tradition in albany she says was congregational. There were no soloist. There were only songleaders. It's later said bernie sing a song. He wasn't asking for a solo. He was asking me to plant a seed. The minute you start the song the song is created by everybody there and there is already almost a musical explosion. Mass meetings always started with these freedom songs most of the meetings were seen. Songs with a bed of everything and i've never. Seen or felt. Songs that do that before. I had songs in college and high school in church. In the movie all the words out a different. This little light of mine. I'm going to let it shine. Said something. Very. Difference. We buried the verses. All in the street i'm going to let it shine all in the jailhouse i'm going to let it shine. Voice i have now. I got the first time i sang in the movement meeting. After i got out of jail. I did the song over my head i see freedom in the air. But i had never heard that voice before i had never been that mean. Before. And once i became that me i have never let that me go. Transformation took place inside of the people. The singing was just the echo of. They could not stop our sound. They would have to kill us to stop us from singing. Sometimes the police would plead and say please stop singing. And they would just know that your word was being heard and you felt joy. There is a way in which the song kept us from being touched by people who would want us not to be who we were becoming. There was a woman at shiloh baptist church with sing one song come and go with me to that land. For an hour. It was not a song anymore. People are clapping theater going and you can hear her three blocks away. Your ears are not enough your eyes are not enough your body is not enough and you can't block it. The only way you survive the singing used to open up and let go and be moved by it. 2. Another space. Sew-ins.

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Reading2_040311.mp3

Our second reading is from. Encountering god is spiritual journey from bozeman to banaras by arbor theologian and. Professor diane. She says private ownership of the land has become a sacred principle of american life the ownership of god takes but a little more audacity than the ownership of nature. Whatever we may think of god the referent of that word that symbol is a mystery. God is finally beyond our grasp god is not ours even with the grace of god's revealing. There are however christians and people of other faiths who seem to have no trouble with speaking of god's ultimacy with one breath and staking out a private territory of god's activity with the next. But what if we presuppose that god's activity and grace abound. What if we presuppose as hindus do that the names and forms of the one-armed money. Limited only by argument capacity to recognizing. What we might learn them of the one we call god. It cannot be owned as we wished only land and property. The moment we humans grass god with jealousy and possessiveness we lose hold of god. One might add that the religious point here is quite the opposite of god's jealousy of which we hear so much in the old testament it is god's infinitude an infinite capacity to love. And the problem is. Human jealousy. All of us. In almost every religious tradition live our lives with a theology of sorts. What do we think about god as father motherlover hero tyrant or 1000 arm protector. Easily think more abstractly of the ground of being or death of dimension or ultimate concern or. Spirit of life. Or we think of god as absent meaningless a foolish idea or not war name we still have a theology. In a sense that we have made some evaluative decision. About the meaning of the term god for ourselves. Even for those who are uncomfortable with the term god who quarrel with god or who reject god. Have an idea and an image of god. Our concept of god is not simply given. Welearn. For better or for worse. We developed the operative concept of god with which we live inheriting god as it were, our history historical most of hysterical. Historical religious tradition as it is brought to us. Learning something of god from our families and teachers. A personal friends and public figures. We develop an impression of what's this word god mean. Perhaps it becomes more than a concept and we experience god for ourselves. But even within a single religious traditions such as christianity. What image of god is seen in christ. People live their life with vastly different concepts of god. Some live with an angry and vengeful god just over-the-shoulder someone live with a god forgiveness. Some live with a revolutionary god others with a god who is a pillar of the status quo. We need to acknowledge our own responsibility or the image of god that we are content to believe in. Or not. So ends our reading.

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20141026-Story_2.mp3

There's this balance between wearing a mask and being authentic to yourself. We have to be careful about the masks we choose how many of y'all have ever seen the movie the mask. Yeah. For those of you who may not have. It's a story of a really shy introverted very withdrawn thank clerk. Who finds a mask the mask of loci. Lokai is. Loki thank you who is the norse god of mischief exactly so he. He puts it on and it gives him the person who goes in. And how long does the bates systems challenges the gangsters makes the girl fall in love with him. And. It tricks them into being somebody that he's really not. He gives in to the xbox excesses and when he puts the mask down the bad guy tyrone picks it up and it magnifies his bad guy has i when he puts it down the dog picks it up and it magnifies is. A mask can be a dangerous thing sometimes we have to be careful not to get lost. In the masks that we put on historically speaking if you if you look at it after pelagic lie a person who wears a mask. Is considered to be indirect. Association with the mask spirit force. In some respects the wear of the math is an actor and in some ways he assumes the spirit. The real drama. Of the mask actually is the life force of the wearer. So. How do you say authentic to yourself. Even when you're wearing a mask when you're putting on the brave face. We all have inside of us. A voice that helps us remember who we really are. It is the still small voice. When i was a child we refer to that as the voice of god. Which as a child i doubted. As i grew older. I grew to learn of it as the voice of conscience. But all of us have a voice inside of us. That helps us remember who we are. And also choose to be the best person that we can be. It isn't always a voice that you can hear saying. It's a metaphorical voice. But it helps us like a compass guide us to what is true.

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20141102-Homily_3.mp3

So you all know the hymn amazing grace. How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now i'm found was blind but now i see. How many of you know the story behind. It's the expression of thanksgiving we hope he does english slave ship by a grace that he felt set him free. From slaving. I know many of us have difficulty with some of the lyrics of this song we may rightly feel that and you'll notice in our hymnal the word has an alternate. They're calling yourself a rat. Is not healthy. Not affirming of our inherent worth and dignity. I can't help but feel that part of the power of this song besides that haunting melody. Is it it touches something universal in the human experience. Varian someway john newton's encounter with grace and his subsequent gratitude and thanksgiving. It's not unlike our own. From what i understand grace is our experience of the abundance of the universe. It's the awareness of the gifs. That we have not worked for. And could not learn. Grace is the experience of receiving something that's not of our own making. At this point i want to make a distinction between what i mean when i say not earned and. Not. Deserved. In modern western society we have this idea this meritocratic. I did not deserve. Things into the idea of earned and deserve to come together. But they don't have to. There's an unspoken implicit corollary to the idea that if we have earned it we deserve it. We all know some timely expressions of that i will remind you to go vote on tuesday. The shadow side of that concept is the idea that if we haven't heard something you don't deserve it. But the question is if we don't learn food do we deserve it. If we don't learn clean air and water do we deserve it. If we don't learn decent schools for children. Do we deserve. Just because we aren't something doesn't automatically mean we deserve it. And just because we haven't learned something doesn't mean that we don't. But grace is about that. Which cannot. Bjorn. Part of martin luther's complaint some 400 years ago. No matter how hard we work we cannot earn the grace or the abundance of the universe. They just. Where i is sensually differ with martin luther among others is that he basically made a confession of faith another way to earn grace. Grace cannot be earned. Either by works or by say. Either of those approaches. Kearns god is god the holy. Our experience of the universe. Into either a material or a metaphysical exchange of goods and services. Are christian universalist forebears rejected this bartering with god. As seen in their belief in the universal salvation of also. Regardless. Of our apparent earthly marriage. Because we are all inherently worthy. The grace of the universe is all around us in our living. Breathing our be even in the opportunity to struggle for what is better. We experienced disgrace. By becoming aware of. When the ears of our ears awake and the eyes of our eyes are opened. Does that mean we shouldn't ask for help. From the universe. Sure ask. But be aware that you can't dictate the terms. And as we all have heard. Prayers are answered in ways that you could not. Before expect. We can't command grace. But we can risk being open to its possibilities. What is that mean to experience grace. I have an impulse to respond in some way to express my gratitude. Gratitude is this impulse to give back in some way in order to show my appreciation. For what i have received as gray. Think about the phrase an expression of gratitude gratitude feeling an impulse. It's not a manifest thing. You have to take another step to make it manifest or concrete in the world. You make steel gratitude. But then you have to express it. The reasons for not expressing your gratitude or many and may include. Absent mindedness. A fear of doing the wrong thing. Or feeling insufficient in our ability to express gratitude. Can we adequately respond to the grace of the universe is it possible. Dancers both yes and no. The fact is that we as finite beings cannot match the infinite abundance of the universe. So in that sense no we can't adequately express gratitude. But we experience grace. In the here and now. And we can respond. In the hearing now. Patrick and his seminary days took several classes in jewish studies. And part of that tradition is dad at just about any occasion is a series of blessings. Gives his blessing for new house there's a blessing for the first apple of the season there's a blessing for of course eating and for drinking and there's a different blessing for bread than there is for wine. But the blessings in the jewish tradition are not a request for god to give us more. Rather the blessings in the jewish tradition are intact blessings. Did the worshiper bestows upon god. Blessed be he. Thanksgiving for god's grace in the past present and future. It's the same basic meaning as the contemporary pagan response blessed be. Which you will sometimes hear is say. Weather. Each of you individually believes in god is with god where the dow or something else. The exercise of gratitude is. In itself. A worthy one. When we don't respond with that gratitude we feel we bottle up the experience of the holy. We're repressing our joy. And denying our feelings. And we did not have a grace that we've been privy to. And deny others the opportunity to share and it with us. We share our gratitude for the blessings we've received. When we make a manifest response in gratitude for the unearned grace of the universe. We're expressing thanksgiving. We sometimes don't recognize grace until we've gotten some perspective on the situation and realize just how much we really receive. And then we can express thanks even well after. The facts. What's the effects of giving thanks. It expands grace at insidious as it is shared. It's part of the power of witnessing our own faith or religious experiences with others. And when's that are respectful. Of the other. It was only an act of grace. That led each of us here. And as a religious community we have a message of hope and courage that we can experience is nothing less. Then grace grace is amazing and so is our capacity to respond to it with gratitude praise and thanksgiving. When we share the grace we've encountered. We share that abundance magnified through the lenses of our own souls. When we get back and thanks and praise for those gifts we have received. Then the abundance of the life in the universe is that much more for us to encounter again. And again. When we healed to the impulses of gratitude. We risk. Creating the reality of thanksgiving in the world that we all need. Do we all deserve. Risk.

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20150308-Sermon.mp3

13 years ago. 13 years ago in spring of 2002 i had the great opportunity sabbatical. And my first congregation in from south carolina and was able to take that time and spent a lot of it doing. Things in the south retracing southern rights movement visiting various locations and. The universalist association at the time had one of their seven every 7-year convocation in birmingham. And part of it at the end was a large heritage bus tour. Where a lot of us went through various places in birmingham and actually visited the birmingham church which was a staging area and that shirt actually has now been torn down and sold. But we got to see it before that went away. And we spent on a time on that bus trip with people who were there and selma. Most notably car polson orloff miller. Who were with james reed when he was attacked beaten. And also gordon gibson who his a longtime acquaintance of mine and friend and colleague. Who was also in the area and they're in selma at the same time. So as well as many others. Summit is important because. We. Are still dealing with. The same issues. We still carry some of the same fears. Those of us who are. Not persons of color. Don't necessarily know the anxiety. That members of those communities. Carrie. We. Do not necessarily get it. But we do try. For a white denomination. The unitarian universalist in 1965 where only 4 years old. Sec less than that it's time of march. Has a new religious group. And historically we had not done very well. An interracial issues. But this was a moment of. Redemption. When dr. king called for religious leaders from all over the country. To come to selma. The board of trustees of the association which was meeting in boston adjourned its needing to go to selma. And in any of the pictures you see with doctor king. Dana greeley who is the lead who's president of the association time is standing in line there with him. And several hundred of our ministers also got there. Keep in mind even now we only have around 1,500 ministers. Show for 300 of our ministers to show up. In the south that i was pretty significant and travel was not nearly as nice. Okay. So in some ways this was a moment a chance for us to find. Listen to redemption as a religious movement. As one of james reeves. Colleagues said. About his death and. Dr. tims eulogizing of him. Robert holder. When i get a minister said then as many as kanjam inside the small church. For a memorial service for jim reed. And they're unitarians and universalist unitarian and universalist. That time. Inside and outside and i feel like elliot richardson who said our brief is tempered only by our pride. Keep in mind others died. Play young african-american man. Also kill. Jimmie lee jackson. How many of us. Try to make sure to remind ourselves of that. Redemption is a funny thing. We have to keep. Finding it over and over again. Because we can backslide or we can get careless or it's easy for us. Who are in the dominant position in a culture. To forget. Set there are things we need to be. Maladjusted to. Has dr. king has said. Humana doctor king's sermons. He said there is a final reason he says i think. The jesus says love your enemies. It is this that love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power there that eventually transforms individuals. Just keep being friendly. To that person just keep loving them. They can't stand it too long. One of the. Current understandings of who jesus was that he was. Something of a provocateur. Person who spoke truth to power. Jewish prophetic tradition. The challenge. The conventional wisdom. A time. Rebecca parker. In her book proverbs of ashes. Says that salvation requires law. Faint hearted love idealize love inpatient love cannot walk. In the shadow of death. Healing love touches the hidden wounds of violence alliances the places a store trauma and restores. Glimpses of this hole. For those of us in positions of social and economic privilege. Like most people. We fear not the loss of privilege so much. As we fear. The loss of relationship. Rejection. And withdrawal of love. We fear that we will have to admit. That we have hurt. 4. Even unwittingly participated in the system that has hurt other people. There is a fear of the inhumanity that we. Have supper. And that we. They have inflicted on others. In our willful ignorance. In order to survive. We are afraid that if we acknowledge our feelings. That we will be a band. And that are hearts. Break. There are so many things we can learn from. The activities and actions in selma and those two in there. But i think one of the most is that there is. Always room for reconciliation there is always room for redemption. There is room. Cornhole. There is a place. Also that. No matter what we do. It will never be enough. But it always counts. And that you can't fake showing up. My sense is if such an arch racist is george wallace. Can have his. Realization of what he had done. And come back into a reconciled relationship. Those he had oppressed and abused. Then i figure it's possible for all of us to do this whatever those relationships may be. Forgiveness. Have others and by others is important. Ultimate fails. With our need to forgive ourselves. What are actual or perceived shortcomings. Because it is true. Forgiveness. That we are. Reconciled with ourselves. And that is the first person we have to be in relationship. And in that. Br open again to the possibilities of the universe. I'll be wearing us of. The holy as we know it. And we are able to. Feel. Reading. Renewed. And abel. Did i move forward. Grace. Joy.

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Call_To_Worship_05052013.mp3

Good morning. How many of you are visiting. This church for the first time. We begin our call to worship by saying thank you. And also. For you to notice what betty said lovingly and her talked about stewardship. Like her most of us in this room come to unitarian universalism as a second third fourth. 5th cir last resort and it takes great courage. To come on to a new church property to walk through those doors adventure in here to find out. What. And how. We worship. Super those of you that are here for the first time take. Confidence in the fact that the people seated next to you. Will love you. Have been through what you were going through this morning. Enter here to help you. With your unique. An individual spiritual journey. You are among friends. The worth of john buren's and my favorite. Pseudo theologian buckminster fuller bless blessed are those who yearn for deepening more than escape and who are not afraid to grow in spirit blessed are those who take seriously the bonds of community who regularly join and celebration and learning. Who come here as much to minister as to be ministered unto. Blessed are those who bring their children. Blessed are those who invite their friends to come along. I did join in fellowship. To join his service to join in learning and to join in pro. Blessed are those who know that the work of the church is the transformation of this society. We have a vision of beloved community that is transcending the present moment. And we do not shrink from controversy sacrifice. Or change. Enough from. Mischief for. Everyone of us has the perfect gift to give to this world and if each of us has freed up to give the gift that is uniquely ours to share. This world will then be in perfect harmony. So this morning. Let us sing. Hand-speak. Our prayers of worship.

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Reading_030710.mp3

Our readings very short today. It is from diuretic in her book encountering god is spiritual journey from bozeman. To banaras. It is also a deacon house publication. Universal spa. Kayak is a harvard professor of hindu hindu an indian history. And also a theologian. She has written that. The language. That we use about god does not exist the reality. Of god. And that to claim that the language about god. Gives us a total understanding about god. Is an act of idolatry. She's done quotes. Gandhi. Who says that. No nation. Or tribe. As. The right or ability. To claim an exclusive. Hold. On the language. And nature. Of god. Lessons are reading.

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Reading_030611.mp3

Our reading is from. One of the books of rebecca and parker. Rev dr parker is the president of. Starr king school for the ministry are unitarian universalist theological school in berkeley california. And she is also one of our. Lead theologians. In her book. Blessing the world. She says we need. A revolution a conversion. The old dominant worldview says that we are self-interested individuals unconnected and unconcerned with one another it says that we are determiners of the value in a world that is empty of value apart from that which we project upon it. It says the purpose of life is to serve ourselves. And compete with our neighbors and it adds that such competition is the given nature of things. Institutionalize these beliefs in economic theories and systems that dominate. Our days. We are not inherently. Interested individuals. We are connected to one another. And caring for others is fundamental to our existence. Adenitis is to go against the character of reality. The purpose of life is not our own well-being and isolation from others. We are subjects the locus of intrinsic value. What is value is always fleeting and always relational. Our well-being enters into the well-being of others adding a measure of health or joy. Our actions matter to us and also to all the world. We lived both for ourselves and for one another. In a balanced that is. Given in the nature. The purpose of life. Then is to discover the joy or well-being. Play simultaneously pleases us. And blesses our neighbor. Every act we commit. Is a contribution. To the world. The question is whether our actions will blessings. Or a curse. The basic question of life is not. What do i want. It's not what i want. Rather. What do i want. To give. Sew-ins. Ar reading.

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Reading1_053109.mp3

A reading today is from. The novel. Angels and demons by dan brown. Victoria says. Of her father. He devised an experiment one he hoped would settle one of the most bitter conflicts in history of science and religion. Langdon. Wondered with conflict she could mean. There were so many. Creationism vittoria declare the battle over how the universe came to be. Oh i thought the debate. The bible of course states that god created the universe explained. God she said. God said let there be light and everything we see appeared out of a vast emptiness. Unfortunately one of the fundamental laws of physics states that matter cannot be created out of nothing. Langdon head read about this stalemate the idea that god allegedly created something from nothing was totally contrary to the accepted laws of modern physics. And therefore scientist claimed genesis with scientifically absurd. Mister langdon victoria said turning i assume you are familiar with the big bang theory. Langdon shrugged more or less. Big bang he knew was be scientifically accepted model for the creation of the universe. He didn't really understand it but according to the theory a single point of the intensity of intensely focused energy erupted in a cataclysmic explosion expanding outward deform the universe. Or something like that. Victoria continued. When the catholic church first proposed the big bang theory and nightwing 27. he goes i'm sorry. Langdon interrupted before he could stop himself you say the big bang was a catholic idea. Victoria looks surprised by his question of course. Proposed by a catholic monk. Gregoris limit chair in 1927 edwin hubble. Kohler the head of the cern laboratory glowered. Again american scientific ignorant the arrogance. Hubble published in 1929 two years after lemons hair. Lincoln scalp is called the hubble telescope sir i've never heard of a lemon tier telescope. Mr. caller is right victoria said the idea belong to lemon tear. Hubble only confirmed it by gathering the hard evidence that proved the big bang was scientifically probable. O-lines nsaid. Wondering if the hubble fanatics in the harvard astronomy department at ever mentioned lemon tear in their lectures. But lemons here first. Proposed the big bang theory victoria continuing scientist claimed it was utterly ridiculous. Matter science said. Could not be created out of nothing so when hubble shock to the world by scientifically proven big bang theory was accurate. The church claimed victory heralding this as proof that the bible is scientifically accurate. Accurate the divine truth. Langdon not it. Focusing intensely now. Of course scientists did not appreciate having their discoveries used by the church remote religion. So they immediately mathematize big bang theory removed all the religious overtones and claimed it as their own. Unfortunately for science however their equations even today have one serious deficiency that the church likes to point out. Kohler grunted. The singularity. He spoke the word as if it were the bane of his existence. Yes the singularity victoria said the exact moment of creation. Time zero. She looked at langdon. Even today science cannot grasp the initial moment of creation. But. Our equations explained the early universe quite effectively but as we move back in time approaching time zero suddenly our mathematics disintegrates and everything becomes meaningless. Correct color said with a voice edgy. And the church holds up this deficiency as proof of god's miraculous involvement. Come to your point. Victoria's express expression became distant. My point. Is that my father had always believed in god's involvement and the big bang. Even though science. Was unable to comprehend the divine moment of creation. He believed someday. It would. She mentioned sadly. Motion sally to a laser printed memo attack over her father's work area. She says my dad used to wave that in front of my face every time i had doubts. Langdon read the message. Science and religion are not at odds. Science is simply too young to understand. She continued my dad wanted to bring science to a higher level. Victoria said where science supported the concept of god. She ran a hand through long hair looking melancholy he set out to do something no scientist it ever thought to do something that no one had. Ever had the technology to do. She paused as the one certain how to speak the next words. He designed an experiment. Prove genesis with possible. Later on she says. Matter victoria repeated blossoming out of nothing. An incredible display of subatomic particle fireworks. A miniature universe springing to life. He proved not only that matter can be created from nothing. But that's a big bang and genesis can be explained simply by accepting the presence of an enormous source of energy. You mean god color demanded. God buddha the force yahweh the singularity. University pointe call it whatever you like the result is the same. Science and religion support the same truth. Pure energy. Is the father of creation. That sends our first reading.

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20140824-d-WaterCommunionStory.mp3

The water service that a lot of us you know co this is been going on forever or you know you know has been going on for many many many many years but the water communion. People generally bring a small canister of water container collected from a special place during summers travels or closer to home or. Water that is symbolic and they pour it into a vessel and share their inner and outer journey. Most of us don't realize that the service originated with angry women. Megan putting a woman right there so carolyn mcdade and lucille schuck longview were asked to create a ritual for women for the women and religion conference at east lansing michigan in 1980. Their service was intended to speak to the worship needs of women which sommerfeld had not been widely included in this movement up at that time. As mcdade social activists and songwriter recalls quote it was a strong service about community taking power about creating a political and liberating theology. Mcdade in longview shared a vision of justice both for women and for the environment that made working together easy at lucile's house i spent many rewarding hours brainstorming and writing the service everything they produced held up nature and community. Mcdade believes that this ritual broke the long silence of lay women. The creation of a sacred space for by women happen for the circle and a simple bowl. This celebration of connectedness as mcdade closet empowered women instead of calling them to serve others. The water symbolizes the birth water is the cycles of moon tides and women. And all the waters of this small blue planet. Each woman attending that conference was invited to bring a container of water with her mcdade recalls that it was very moving the women drinking water from places of spiritual importance. The ceremony was also decide designed to demonstrate solidarity with women globally. As women the world over traditionally draw and carry water. This many years since its creation i think it is. 1980 was that 34 years. 34 years. Longview and mcdade's ritual speaks to a deep awareness of our solidarity with brothers and sisters globally. Who will may often lack the most basic and precious resources and also speak eloquently to our desire for community and interdependence.

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20150222-Sermon.mp3

Just say this is a sermon, fraught with peril. An understatement. It's also an attempt to get away from the traditional sermon on the amount. You had heard it before. I do have to say some of my colleagues this last weekend it right everybody's kind of facing the same dynamics and their churches. We're saying what is a shadow version of a sermon topic for your blood drive that you. And some of them were out there i can't share with you but a couple of pretty good. What was the widow mite and you should refer to the widow's mite in jesus's story. Buy up mind of yours. About money finance your malcolm forbes said that money isn't everything as long as you have enough. And woody allen comedian put the spin on situation writing that money is better than poverty if only for financial reasons. Philosophically. Clint murchison says that money is like manure if you spread it around it doesn't look too good. But if you pile it up on my places stinks like hell. And writer and social philosopher albert camus offers. Us the following challenge that it is only it is a kind of spiritual snobbery. That makes people think they can be happy without money. Many years ago carl scoville the longtime minister at king's chapel in boston. I said to his parishioners if someone in the next century wanted to know who we were she could read our letters and our diaries and our emails or obits report cards job evaluations but if they wanted to know what we valued. I think she'd have to find our checkbooks. Therefore of course he says we are sensitive about money. We are sensitive about our values. We are sensitive about how we rank our needs are comforts our fantasies are family or friends are politics the poor the state the church. The neighborhood. He goes on to say we are sensitive about these things just perhaps you underestimate the case. Our money and how we spend it are the last great conversational taboo. Things we discuss in secret if at all. And yet our checkbook mirrors are values. It behooves religious people to bring their money conversation. Into the open. However we want to view it. We need money. To help us to assemble the puzzle pieces of our individual lives. And our collective lives and as a congregation. Sometimes due to our past experiences or lack of them we are more than little puzzled by the nature of money. And its relationship to our lives as religious persons. About the authority. That interacts with money. We use the resources of our lives how we use of resources of our lives speaks more about what is important to us that all the words we can possibly other. As the liberal baptist preacher and social critic will campbell. He was the model for the character will be done. Cartoons. He says what you do is your religion. Religious community is one of those places if not v or a place where we should feel safe dealing with the most important issues of our lives such as birth death sexuality and money. Religion is a mediating and meaning-making force for us with these powerful parts of our lives. But we still deal with money the very incarnation of power in our society as if we were our puritan forebears at a pornography convention. Talking about money in church often gets the same get level. level reaction as catching your parents making out. Many people in our congregations are actually more comfortable talking about their sex lives unfortunately then their bank balances. And god forbid whether we believe in one or not. That someone should know what we give to the congregation. And other charities. Now i have to say is not nearly as uptight as some others i have been involved with. I believe one of the reasons for all of this concern around money though is because money is liquid power in our culture. Let me talk about power little bit. Power. Is nothing more than the ability to create. And or inhibit change. Power is the ability to create and or inhibit change. That's it. Anything that does that. His power or has power. Money. Is a fungible liquid. Form of wealth which is a form of power in society. And therefore it is pretty powerful. We seen the consequences of this in all of the. Supreme court the aftermath of the supreme court decisions allowing for more money in elections. So wherever the most power is concentrated in our lives is also where we feel we are potentially the most vulnerable. It is this fear of our possible vulnerability that makes us so nez talking about money for the most part. Especially in a place where we already have our guards partially down which is hopefully a religious community. So what does. So what meaning does religion make of money and where does it fit in our religious values. Well in a word. Sacrifice. Now. Begin with the word sacrifice only means to sanctify something. I know a lot of us think about. That working with this is about god's hibachi that you're going to you know throw burnt offerings on something and you know including ourselves we're going to end up. Injured or hurt or something that we have to give up our pound of flesh. But it only means sanctifying something. That is. Setting something aside a special or important. By setting it aside or identifying it as special we declare it worthy. And in having worth. Which in turn is the root word of the german word for shipping. To worship. In other words sacrificed is just is the surrender of something for the sake of something else. Do any of us who have made mortgage payments. Car payments. Raise children. Raising children children. Know about these. Trade-offs. I mean i'm currently talking with my three-year-old especially my six-year-old who sees every day on tv. I mean like right now. Got to have it. We can't do that. We have to make trade-offs. To say something is sacred. It's a say that it is set aside for some specific purpose. Are you over particularly important or were they nature. Sacrifice is not the same thing as suffering. It is possible sometimes to suffer when making a sacrifice but not necessarily. With this we can honestly talk about giving not because it hurts. Because it feels good to do it. We give because we get something out of it. Not as a consumer. But as a participant. In our journey toward being warhol. And holy. In fact we should give until it feels good even great. It's actually about healing and even pleasure. Not pain. Tell my wife warn me when she read that sentence and helping to review this she said that's a little fifty-shades-of-grey don't you think. Purpose behind this sacrifice is not to appease some greedy or vindictive deity buttery align ourselves with what we hold to be a ultimate importance. With our understanding of what is right and how things should be. We are trying to realign realign our inner and outer realities and create balance and harmony in our lives in the world. Last week the presentation we saw a few minutes out by michael dowd. Who wrote thank god for evolution he talks about. Being connected or aware of what is real. And. Therefore. What do we do. Therefore what are the consequences what. How do we then align ourselves with that reality. Doctor scoville offers again that part of being that part of giving especially traditional tithing. That is giving 10% is to put yourself in particular attitude of hey i'm going to assume. That the act of deliberately giving away a portion of my encompass me in tune with processes or power or a person. I would not be in tune with if i was hanging out hang want all this stuff. It would get in the way of that relationship. I have to say we have our our coming-of-age rummage sale coming up in a month. Collecting stuff for it. And i have a garage.. But i've been trying to winnow out for years and feel like i'm just getting off the interest every year principal of years ago. You know these things are getting in the way of our living our lives as fully as we should and could. Their ways to deal with that. Financial advisor and buddhist meditation teacher george kinder says in his experience working with clients who bring all their hopes and fears. The process of trying to understand and manage money. That why he and other advisers are doing is helping to find ways of relating the deepest part. Of their client. That their spirit and their soul. To the world. Kinder says that money is the medium that relates the two. What he is saying is that in our society money is the medium which relate to our deepest selves. To the world at large. Do you think maybe this might explain why people are so touchy about money. If kinder is right. Then our relationship with money is about nothing less than the ways we relate from our deepest selves to the world around us. It certainly fits with the official definition of what money is. The dictionary says that money is something generally accepted as a medium of exchange a measure of value. We're all seeking meaning here. If we weren't we wouldn't be here. Ics having a lot of tensions in are seeking to make sense of our lives and the world around us. Some of us use money to do it and some come to religion or social service or all of them. The secular consumer culture says that meaning can be found in consuming an immediate gratification. Oh my god. I'm still upset about something that happened years ago. But. Years ago i was in columbia south carolina where i was serving and a truck for a local fashion outlet had a truck that went by as i was leaving the mall the lot this says we have a. You you need a style and we have one for you. What. If somebody walked up to you in a bar. Something like that or even in the store. That would be really rude and dangerous. So we are not seeking that immediate gratification and we're not. Trying to fill something. Others are telling us is not there. Unfortunately though even spiritual experiences have become a collectible for many. Looking to fill up their lives with meaning. This is not an attack on religious official practice and discipline. But what i do criticize are those experienced junkies. Who spend their time leaving from one third-world holy site to another. Without paying attention to the very oppressed and abject conditions. But the people that encounter actually live in. Is it one of the worst forms of conspicuous consumption i can think. It is narcissism at its worst. Faith by itself. It hasn't works is dead say the scriptures. But we might get insight and wisdom up on the mountaintop it's only in. Community. That we find. Meaning. It is. What we have in a very present moment of our lives in our jobs our schools and our families and our communities. When we are engaged with others in the creation of the beloved community. All of us. To the extent we are pursuing supporting affirming promoting etc the prophetic principles. Of this religious community. And or similar ones or other traditions we are living meaningful spiritual lives. But many of us do much of this type of work all the time it's part of our livelihood. We all have the opportunities and obligations to do them and to understand the deeply spiritual qualities. Of what we are doing. We talked about in this congregation that when we commit to it we're offering our time our town and our treasure and for some of us the ratios of those things are romantically different at different times. And they should because we're all in grammatical different places of our lives. At various times. But they're all still part of the same mix. They're part of the whole. Ourtime. Our talent. And our treasurer. Probably the three most valuable commodities we have. As we acting compassion. And justice more and more. And move deeper deeper into relationship with that which we call beauty or the holy or harmony with the universe. Alignment. With the holy as we encountered in the lives of those we touch and who touch us. For life to be meaningful we have to be involved with life. Not separate from it. Years ago when i was seeing a therapist or counselor am i single years. And i was bemoaning the fact about relationships and he says he has work on relationships. Get up get in there buddy. Subtle hint. My being a lot involved with life and not separated from it. The result is that we. Minister to and with each other. We're not just members of a religious community but are ministers to and with each other and together we become ministers of the holy. This changing of our culture of money and meaning is not an easy thing for us to do. It is sometimes something we cannot escape for very long. We are here together as a community of faith to help each other in our struggles individually and. Money. And its meaning in our lives is not going to be resolved easily or quickly. But it will not go away either. And it is our mutual benefit that we address it sooner or later. Because it does have a religious authority. Is seeking to do so let us. Be even more open-handed. Even more liberal. In our financial giving as we are in our generosity of spirit for others. Let our relationship with money not being in panama.. But rather another vehicle to the right relations we seek with ourselves. With each other. With the world and all that we know as holy. And in doing so then maybe just maybe someday we will all live in harmony with each other. And the earth. And as judy chicago says and then everywhere will be called eden once again. Sew-ins.

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20131020-Sermon.mp3

It moves with the sun. With this archive all the energy. Give me the roar kickback at the end of the month will probably have one built. If you go across these train tracks and you go probably about four blocks down 4x you left. Seabrook. Literally went right here that the water was up 50 ft where you stand. That i'm far is broke. It's a wide-open like we weren't leaving. See the water and didn't move. I want to make this tomorrow we will claim he lost his house. I gave up everything for the for the people. He lost everything. You know i lost i lost thing but it has people that lost the whole family this whole project is to create a blueprint to how we can embrace the disaster bet that's that's what this is all about so for everybody here. You guys have found a way to put your drop in the bucket. In 7 billion people in the world today. And if a tenth of that 7 billion every time we had a disaster. Put a drop in the bucket the bucket with overflow every time. So it's bigger than skateboarding is bigger than just. Just a community this is the the world community that's why this is named the village. Name the village because. That's what we are. We we have to think and care about each other. I haven't seen anything and i've been on the ground as one of the first responder. I haven't seen anything that. All nationalities. Wrap your arms around then what you guys are doing right now people from new orleans in every major city in the country right now 7 years later and people stayed in the lower ninth ward at that time. You going to see him. Big hole in the roof they had 12 minutes. From the time 11 broke. To get that second roof. And if they didn't they drown what you think they made that hole in that roof button eyes whatever they can find you know the people that was up there. Thank you. Becoming to you community. Church. In your heart. I thought i would come here. And. And yes. But i'm finding that i'm getting so much more than i'm giving. I want to talk briefly. About. Purpose. And kind of why i'm doing this. I never dreamed. I would be doing what i'm doing now and. I can't see not doing this. My mom is a missionary and she always talked about purpose. To be totally honest which i always thought she was crazy. After. Katrina. And i didn't know at the time that was the worst disaster american ever seen. Forbade. Made it 10 11 months. And i was trying to. See what i was going to do with the rest of my life. I lost everything. I have 14 antique cars. Before katrina. With a plan. Whatever you going to do with those cars i don't know how i knew this but. Start creating a portfolio as all my cars and all my friends cars. And to put them in the movies. And. If i get my car put in the movie i make a hundred percent. If i get my friend's car put in the movie like 20%. New orleans became last year number one and making movies. And. Of course i didn't have no cars i lost all them with katrina. But being around 18 cars always made me feel good too. But this. Community center. That they are talking about. I never intended the vino communities. I wanted that to be a space where we. Did antique car shows and we did that we worked on my antique cars. But god is powerful. From the moment i got those keys in my hand. He got busy. I'm telling i walked in that place and he said there. This is going to be a community center to bring the community together and i said no. It's going to be an antique. He wouldn't let me rest. So i went to the townhome meetings and. And. Reluctantly. Instead look amadou groundbreaking by this face. In two weeks i know they didn't have enough time to get there so i said 2 weeks. I'm doing groundbreaking over there and if you want to talk about making it a community center. That's the day imma do it. I figured they wouldn't show up. The day came. And then almost a whole community came. I said hello i'm in trouble. But i didn't i didn't i had a back-up plan. I filled out some 4 x 4 cards. And they basically said if you wanted to become a community center what can you do put them right on the spot right. Anarchy online. Almost every one of them. I said okay i'm not going for three strikes i'm just going to do it. I'm kind of angry i got at the time i said i'ma tell you i know i don't have no idea what i have to do you going to have to guide me through this whole thing you know. And i got to talk in the guy like i'm talking to you i said let me tell you. When i get big problems i can and i'm giving them to you. And when i get these little problems. And i did that several times. And i would give him these big problems and i would take on the little one that i thought i could handle. Before i can do delivery. He always has taken care of the vapor. So. I begin to like this. I didn't know if felt this good. Caring about other people. We coming up in a capitalist society we cannot believe we are what we have. So we judge ourselves by things. Which is totally wrong. The most important thing in life. And we get so try sidetracked with that. And we want to be judged by the mercedes we drive. God didn't make no mistakes. Color of your skin. The region and where you was born. With all by his design. But we fight it. Supposed to be embracing it. I know i did. I didn't want to stay on the side of tracks i was raised in and wanted to move. Liquor jefferson. And i found out i was really running from myself. If you look back over your life. God didn't make your purpose to be. Stressful. Tubi. Fulfill. The key to finding your purpose you want everybody to find a purpose. You want them to find that because it feels so good finding your purpose. Not going to be easy. But it's so worth it. Your faith has to be tested. So you going to have to go through some trials and you're going to have to go through some things. Imma give you a brief. Nonsense. I decide to do this community center. Cursory. When i've been through. My. Dream house. Velociraptor foreclosure. Within the two-year span. I lost two grandbabies that never made 2 years old. I lost. My youngest child. At 21 years old. So i know loss. I know what it feels like. But didn't discourage me from doing. My purpose. No. I miss my daughter. I miss. My grandkids. And maybe that was my test. Remember that was my test 2. Give up. Don't do my purpose. This building. Then i'm calling the village. When i first. Got that building i had a plan. To pay for that building. I was in the salvage business and it went out of the roof in new orleans. One of my best friend became a comfortable millionaire. With salvage old cars and all that. Well. I didn't want to do the savage. I wanted to help people that the world had forgotten about. The lower ninth ward was the hardest hit with katrina. But the last one to get service. Head over 18,000 people as you saw. Kim. Between 4000 now. Mo said property was owned by elderly. We have less than 5% of them back. My mom taught me two things that i'll probably never forget. You never ever. Miss you so beautiful kiss. No exceptions you never do it. Travis warren. And the other one was you never ever. Disrespect. I miss you was elderly. But both of those are the target in my community right now. With seven schools in my community we only have one now. The elderly want to be home. We had more homeowners in the lower ninth ward. Did anywhere in louisiana. And they're treating them like they broke the levis. That's what you doing right now. And you know where. At the end of the day. I wish i had a magic wand. And i could just. Make everybody whole again. I don't. Choose what i decide to do. Is create a blueprint. And this blueprint. Making sure. That. This never ever happen again. No way in the world. So we have to talk about the elephant in the room we have to talk about the things that. Making that like that. And then we have to deal with it. Because at the end of the day. People are just people. And when they hurt. They hurt. Where the differences. I want. When you hurt. Do a disaster. I heard. And vice versa. Ultimately what i want to do for what i'm doing now also me what i want to do. It's create this blueprint. And i ain't want to. Travel all over the world. Wherever they have a disaster. I want to be there. In. This pace since 07. Over 50,000 people. It came volunteering work throughout the city. By the time is finished. They probably have went well over 100,000. And that will become up icy so when i go to these disasters. Who's going to stop 100,000 people. Cuz most of the time. The government. Tops. The people from getting the things that need. We loaded up barges defended haiti. And. We sent them over there and then we center staff over there. And they got over there about 34 weeks later. The barge was at the dock. And it had people less than. A mile away. With dying of thirst and needed water. Because his. The laws. We have to get rid of the laws when people are suffering. It's not hard to see. When someone is suffering. If someone tell you they hungry. 9 - 9 times out of 10. They hungry. And we should feed them. I wanted to thank you. For being here today. And share my story because you know. It feels better talking about. It feels better. Getting out and not keeping it in. And you guys have given me the opportunity to do that. I'm going to be here the rest of the evening so. Got any kind of questions i love answering questions. No such thing as a dumb question cuz i covered all those already. So i'll be available for you guys to ask me in. Thank you for letting me become a part of your family. You may be sorry because i'm internationally known i will find you.

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Sermon_0920_Wu.mp3

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Sermon_011512.mp3

Listen friends to a parable. Once there was a man who longed to know god. For he was anxious and his wife was not certain at all. And he prayed long and hard for a sign and eventually he had a dream and go out in the forest where he could find god. The warm sunlight till the day with ud's and the breeze has refreshed him along his way. Still. Eventually as he walked he came to a clear flowing stream and there he met a traveling man. Who was carrying a heavy burden. Adapter proper introductions the pilgrim ask the holy man what he carried on his back i am carrying god on my back but i found god at the center of the universe. This must surely be the answer to prayers. He asked the holy man if he might accompany him and if he might even help him in his holy task. Holy man agreed and soon they were on their way in the pilgrim carrying the swaddle bundle of god upon his back. Asthma. Who's left plenty of time. And his thoughts went something like this. He's a holy man had to go all the way to the center of the universe to find god how lucky am i. Brought god here. I would probably never have found god on my own and obviously god has made him a holy man of wisdom and will do the same for me. I will wait until he's asleep and leave and take god back with me so that i will be blessed and always know where to find god. And that is exactly what he do. Upon waking. But the holy man seemed undisturbed. Last stream andrew forth a lord greystone. By the water. Admiring is water drip, he balanced and continued to wash the water drip. Begin to dry. Cordially. Morning god. And going back to the bank of the stream he put it in another bundle and place it upon his back instead at westmora pond. Last week. We talked about how we are connected. Would each other and all of the universe. How many tangible and intangible ways. Connect biologically to all life ever connected to the earth chemically and higher cosmo. That we are apart of creation and the cosmos and not bystanders. Unfortunately we do not always have that experience. And often go looking for it in all of this. This is good we want to experience this connection this awareness of god. Into a fool's errand because we're not paying attention. And we are so desperate for it that any facsimile. This is idolatry. Substituting. And while we seek after a chance to touch the face of god he may already be standing on its feet. We are unaware of. Every age has its religious pilgrims and often this becomes more about consuming.. Experiencing. What are consuming and experience than experiencing. In the 1980s i was. A part of eliza fringe avila call the new age community at that time. Probably a little bit. If not money than time and energy. I know i did. There was also this rise of this. Go on this retreat. Sure whatever. You no answer. Consumerism. Instead of being part interval part of some sort of spiritual. Fortunately that's a lot of what happens in our lives. Looking for something fast. Spirituality. And the thing is there's usually somebody out there willing to sell us what we want. And even if it's not what we really need. Looking for in this room looking for this connection. Pikachu. These are kids who go to summer camp you had these amazing experiences. I remember coming home from church camp. This was here in texas. No air conditioning in the summer camp. What were you at. Part of the experience that you're having with each other people. Hey so when i went home i would close the door to my room and i open the window. We have pikachu.. As a part of our life. William james. In his book the varieties of religious experience over 100 years ago. Is usually a whole series of preparation physical preparations and things. Some people are sick. 4. Because your body is somehow preparing and it chemically things moved in our brains and. Dancing. So. Like maybe illness i mean nicholas. Martinez someone special later on his life. And then later. He would begin. His preparations. But he. Story when he was working with john neihardt who helped write the book. Nicholas. And so but he prepared himself. To eat in that holy place to pray the prayers that he thought were important. A lot of it. Fuji all the time in japan that has big sacred journey. The other secret journey that we make some people. Secret journey. Right. Telluride. But isaac. Spring break.. And a private camping area that we would go to it. Whitehouse mountain. That was beautiful at the royal fight because the buzzer jusuru stuff there and. But still very nice we go climbing up there. And i remember climbing up there early in the morning to get up there at 3 for our hike up. And.. You know a blanket. Rattlesnakes and lizards. And some water. There. And then there was where all the people. The mountain was a great place to go visit. They're amazingly far as i can see. Often. Verified. Pikes peak before. I have. Sickness going up. If i open it. Just stay and drink it all in. We cannot. Red hair. And we have to descend back into the valley below us. Richer. In our footing perhaps is more certain. In a reading earlier. Connections from a slowly sometimes they grow underground. And we do all of these important things fight persistently the creeper that brings down the tree. Hino in the dark and use the sun to make sugar. Raviv real connections create real nodes build real houses. Live in a closet is loving. Detangling and if you're leaving and taking in sick more thicket. A bramble wilderness the outside before us. Interconnected. Live like yourself and evening. Because it's in the valleys. Let me do that kind of work. We get to see things. That we do all of this work is building a connection to living our lives that allow us. To go up in the mountains. Interesting. Uses the word valley of despair. Did you catch that. The valley or the mountain. Other than where we are. Someplace. Hello arlo. Or something cruising. And difficult to overcome. He says out of all of this perhaps out of the mountains. 2a stone. That would be. What it is. His cool idea of mountains. He talked about having been to the mountain using very mosaic language language testament. That he had been to the mountaintop. That place. Because it is on the mountaintop that we can see. The valleys that we are going to the valleys that we need to. Make fertile. Perhaps. We need to make straight the crooked places. Mountains and valleys. The very important religious language. Is often seen as a habitation of god. Special rarefy. But we bring that down with us into the valley. He bring that inspiration. He bring the life-changing moments. Ministries. Play doctor. Bring those with us into our everyday life. Because we have to be reminded that god does not exist. But in our lives everyday. Anything if you do everyday. And that's how we make justice. Everyday. Littleton. Marches on washington are amazing experiences. I had one of those myself and. South carolina serving our congregation. There was a march on the capital. Martin luther king day. To try and bring down and federate flag that flew on the capitol dome and in this in the chambers of seka. I got invited as one of number of people. To get up and speak before crowd. You never stood in front of. That's a mountain. For them for me brabus. It was pretty heady stuff. Energy. .. Form it into something you can. And i just reminisce about. Run into. Inconsiderate. I'm a very tail end of the baby boomer generation is 1961. And so i have older siblings. Who identify themselves as hippies you know things like that. And if you smoke or drink. This is true for some of you isn't it. There are generational. Woodstock. Pretty tired generation icon. We have to come home. And build online. And that's what we all live together. Sally's saloon. So it is in this place that we must every single time. Take in. Sunlight and make sure. We have to turn to each other and help each other. So that we can go to the mountaintop and freedom. From all the mountain. Whether it is the rockies or the allegheny. For lookout mountain. Cuz this is the place in our everyday life. Recreate at 11 community. While it is good to go to the mouth. Freedom and justice. It's more important for us to come down in the valleys and live it. Every single day. Knowing that no matter what happens. Everything you do. Everything you do. And in that way. In that way it is. You out of a mountain. Had only a stone. Justice. Communicate. Mayfair. Call hubby.

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Reading_050309.mp3

I have to admit a few weeks ago i didn't even know what the emerging emergent church was. And. Combination of events conspired to inform me about it and i decided i should get better informed and when i did i thought it might. Be something that we should begin learning about ourselves here and maybe figure out maybe there's some things we can learn from others considering that's part of what we say we do is learning from others. I'm going to share with you is the beginning of. About here called the new christians dispatches from the emergent frontier by tony jones. We'll talk more about tony and emergent and emerging churches which are actually two different things in a little bit but right now he has to show this. When she sat down next to me in first class on the flight to new york i knew that she was the kind of person who regularly traveled there. Upfront. I was bumped up from coach by the airline but i suspected that she paid for her seat. To be honest i was intimidated by this woman who is probably around my age. I was. She wore jean torn jeans the kind that we're really expensive and. Comfrey torn. Complemented by a shabby chic wool sweater and she was pregnant. I never spoke to her. Just observed. As we were taking off she was editing a very hip looking graphic novel with a blue pencil of a savvy new york editor. I mean why i was attempting to hide the fact that i was reading a bible. How uncouth. And once we reach cruising altitude she pulled a sleek macbook pro out of her bag. And i hesitated lee opened my dell dinosaur. And began typing up a bible study. I was out matt. A very vanilla suburbanite christian pastor from minnesota next to the hippest of new york editors. I write books i wanted to say. But i dared not. For new york editor it's like a unicorn. If you talk to her she'll disappear she'll stab you in the heart with her horn. But then about halfway through the flight she close your macbook until to the receipt back. What happened next struck me. Ever since. She took a rosary out of her pocket. Great the prayer beads over a pregnant belly and spent the next hour surreptitiously praying with her eyes. Neurons in my brain began to misfire. Does. Not compute. New york editor of graphic novels praying the most traditional of roman catholic rituals. I thought she was enlightened liberal member of the east coast elite. But instead she was praying to the blessed virgin. I would have been less surprised if she tried to blow up her shoe. Is there something in the air. Is there a spiritual pitch that people are trying to scratch. But that's just the middle of their back at place i can't quite reach. It seems. Infant incontrovertibly so. We are becoming less religious as some people argue we are becoming differently religious. And the shift is significant some call it a tectonic shift. Other seismic works anomic. Whatever your geologic metaphor. The changes are shaking the earth beneath our feet. La's the second half of the 72nd. Half of the 20th century began most sociologist. And social theorists and social philosophers. Miss type here. Printing error as the second half of the twentieth century began most sociologist and social theorist and social philosophers. We're proclaiming that the death of religion was nigh. How many of you remember the god is dead. They were bards of an impending secularism that was lapping at the shores of all western countries. We are losing our religion they calmly and often approvingly lectured from behind their podia. We are leaving the midst of this god and that god behind establishing a new spirituality that is unhinged. From the oppressive regimes of conventional religion. New ageism is an odd in that direction as we mature intellectually and scientifically will realize that traditional religions are holding us back. We'll achieve our liberation by relying less on this strictures of religions. I'm moving into the promise horizon of. Spirituality. This was of course a natural consequence of god's death first declared by friedrich nietzsche in 1882 and had it again by time magazine in 1966. Mici himself wasn't out to kill godforsaken or was he saying that no one believe in god anymore. He was announcing that the modern mine could no longer tolerate and authoritarian figure who towers over the cosmos. With a lightning bolt in hand ready to strike down evil doors. That did he said have been murdered. With the death of that version of god the christian morals that upheld all western society had done durand. We were nietzsche feared on a fast track to nihilistic hell. So he went on a search for some sort of universal moral foundation that was not dependent on an unacceptable and medieval notion of god. The same sensibility was seen by many observers as they move toward a universal and secular spirituality. We would realize how much we had in common. We would. Become more enlightened we would teach the world to sing in perfect harmony. But a perfect thing but a funny thing happened on the way to the 21st century. We became more religious. Not less. Fundamentalism is now thrive in all major religions. Churches and religious schools keep popping up and religious books outsell all other categories. And nowadays you can't find a self-respecting social theorist proclaiming secularism. It's dead they're studying religion getting facetime on cnn explaining. Too often oblivious journalist how religious americans really are. Backup pulpits ironically pastors continue to bewail that we're living through the decline and fall of the jail cuz they are christian america. The empire and its secularism is a fast-moving glacier. Raising the mountains of faith that have been. Heart of america since its birth. But the data just doesn't back that up. Just 10% of americans are not affiliated with a church or synagogue. Another 5% who pays other than judaism or christianity. At least 85% of americans who can write down the name and address of the congregation with which state affiliate. Yes that bears repeating. 85%. There are 255 million turd affiliated americans. What. Can be questioned. Is the level of commitment. That americans have to their churches. They may know the address but do they know the doctrinal statement. Or the denominational affiliation. Do they care. The answer to the last question is decidedly no. American christians. Care less and less about the denominational abides. That are so important to their seminary trained pastors. In the 21st century it's not god who is dead it's the church. Or at least conventional forms of church. Dead you say. Isn't that overstating the case a bit. Indeed churches still abound. Soda payphones. You can still find pay phones around. In airport train stations in shopping malls. They're plenty of working pay phones. But look around your local airport and you'll likely see this ad remnant. We're payphones used to hang. The strange row of rectangles on the wall in the empty slot where phonebook used to sit. There are under a million pay phones in the u.s. today. In 1997 there were over 2 million. Of course the death of the phone doesn't mean that we don't make phone calls anymore. In fact we make far more calls than ever before but we make them. Differently. Now we make phone calls from home or on the mobile device class doorbell. And worth your computers. Phone calls aren't obsolete. But the pay phone is. At least it's quickly becoming so. I'll pay you later. Modern. An adjective. Modern can mean current or up-to-date for example of highway area rest area with modern facilities as indoor plumbing. In our discussions however modern refers to an era in western society following the enlightenment. Any industrial revolution and reflects the values of those social upheaval. Similarly the modern church is changing and developing balding and emerging. To extend the analogy a bit. No one is saying the payphone was a bad idea most people would agree that it was a good idea. At the time. It was an excellent way to communicate. But communication. What is the goal of payphones were merely a means to an end. The modern church at least as it is characterized by imposing physical buildings. Professional clergy. Denominational bureaucracies residential seminary training and other trappings. Wasn't endeavor i faithful men and women in their time and place attempting to live in the biblical gospel. But the church. Was never the end. Only the mean. The desire of emergence. Is to live. Christian lee. To build something wonderful for the future on the legacy. Of the past. Sew-ins are reading.

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Sermon_031713.mp3

My mother is. Green-eyed redhead. I know that snapshot. Who's last maiden whose maiden name was mccarthy. Her. Grandfather came from southern coast of ireland. And i am with another great-grandfather. Growing up. Sense of identity. For me. Was very important. Because it gave me an anchor at times when i didn't have a lot else going on. And we know now that. Studies show that children who have a sense of their own genealogical hat. Actually have a greater sense of great ability to be resilient. Gregor. Stick-to-itiveness a greater sense of self. In a world. To diminish difference. And create homogenisation. At the same time. So. Being here at saint patrick's day is not a statement of irish. Clear about that. But it is. Hey way to lift up. An example of. Types of things. That many of us encounter in our daily lives. I think i can safely say that all of us have had problems. And even traumas in our lives specially over the last several years. Define unemployment and underemployment. Terrorism here and abroad. Wars that we appear to win and peace that we can't seem to. Can't do know how to do. Create. And. Can i personalize these and other factors cause stress upon stress. Usually on top of life. Raising kids workout relationship trying to stay healthy and all the other stuff that comes our way. Officer degree to a degree that we might not be sure how we are going to hold. Or deal with it. Or keep it together little recover from it all. So what makes it possible. Many people if not all people. To be more. Resume. Hang on or to rebound. And then thrive. I mean i seen this month is about brokenness. And resilience is not about not being broken but it's about what we do when something becomes broke. How do we. React to it perhaps. How do we minimize that brokenness. What are the resources and tendencies that help. 1 psychiatrist and writer dr frank simply that resilience is the ability to turn tragedy into. Sounds like an irish traits me. I know it's a further that it is the duty to embrace. While this may cut to the core of resilience it is a rather simple model for a complex and multifaceted. The study of coping and resilient to the part of a sea change in medicine mental health social sciences. Community building. In which there is a shift from studying illness and pathology to studying what makes for healthy. Living and healthy system. Psychologist civilwarland says that resilience and bodies of paradox we're talkin about the capacity to rebound from experience mixed with all the damage and problems that adversity can cause. It's not an either-or thing our resilience is not about. Invulnerability. For not being hurt or damaged by life's events. Dr. john defraying unitarian universalist family researcher at the university of nebraska. Emphasizes with great intensity quote. I think it's society, to the conclusion that there are some magical little children out there who are somehow inoculated against savagery and violence. We will look the other way as children continue to be traumatized. The findings about being able to talk. And to even bounce-back summarized by studies by defraying and others pointed their being. At least in their model six basic characteristics. Four factors that are probably central to helping us be more. Resilient in our lives. First of all there is no timeline there is no set. for finding strength. Resilient behavior and coping skills. Defrain illustrations for the story about a man who had been regularly beaten with a number of objects throughout his childhood. In his twenties amanda sided to die. Reddit suicide note put a gun to his head. The sudden he thought. I'm not going to die because of what someone else did to me. That. The point is that it is not too late to begin renewing and rebuilding our lives. Well people do better if they develop resilient resilience characteristics as children. It's never too late. Understand. Internalize that we are not prisoners to our past. We have the potentials. To acknowledge it. Play let it go. And to move forward. At any time. This is why the hallmarks of liberal religion. Liberal religion says the past is not the future. That we have free will. That we have. Choices. Please. Elements resilience the religious communities. He's at. Faith is a key component in personal resilience. That's a surprise. However this does not have to be faith in a personal god or higher power and may include faith in the future community or the world. Resilience is aided by a belief in ultimate goodness of life. And that, we are experiencing is passing and temporary. This is not a pollyanna everything is going to be okay blind optimism. As religious liberal as we recognize and affirm that pain and death are real for all of us. But we also affirmed that possibilities are abundant and that life is ultimately dependable. It is offered in the jewish tradition that we should carry two verses of scripture in our pockets in one pocket a verse that says from dust you have come and unto dust you shall return. Scripture verse which reads yours is the earth. And the fullness thereof. Disability difficulties and stress as temporary. Is connected with a third trait of resilience namely that third trait is being able to reframe our experiences. European psychotherapists uchi. I love it. It's a wonderful book called inevitable grace it's been many many years i recommended highlight. He writes that the active reframing is a kind of mental gymnastics. That increases your flexibility. Mental mastery and ability to reverse a situation. Refrain. Reframing is a kind of mental gymnastics that increases our inner flexibility. Mental mastery and ability to reverse a situation. Essentially by reframing we may be able to make sense out of what may otherwise be senseless. We can get positive values to otherwise negative experiences. This is more than simply putting a positive spin on a negative situation. This is not about spinning. It is a willingness and ability to look at things in more than one way. A method of reframing that i'd used for as long as i can remember his opportunity. Reframing allows me to support the truth of the proverb that no problem comes to us without a gift in his hands. For me reframing lets us recognize these gifts and then to unpack them. He noted fourth characteristic of resilience. Available to us in dealing with adversity is a tendency to set goals and plan for the future. Some of us are really good at this. Especially the setting goals. Meeting the goals. These tendencies may in fact reduce the impact of adversity or trauma when it happens by creating ready responses and contingencies. Again well being optimistic we know that bad things will happen. We try to plan for them. I feel that much of the emotional benefit that comes from goal-setting and planning as a sense of empowerment in mitigating the impact of adversity and releasing anxieties. We have done what we can to prepare. Having adequate health insurance is a prime example of this. And the impact is slack may have honorability to deal with other things. So for me issues like the affordable care act. National. Resilience. In the face of adversity. It is a. To me it's a national security issue. Not just to help.. I do find it interesting though and if you watch the shows on doomsday preppers. You watch these guys people who they say they figure out what apocalypse am i dealing with and then they prepare for it. Brother it's meteors striking the earth or. The yellowstone caldera blowing up or. Any number of things for the market collapsing people running amok. I think that's an example of preparation gone wild so i think that there is there are places along the continuum or we find decreasing. Value. On everyday level. Preparation. Can't have too much of something. But. Architerra christy resilience ability to believe in oneself and one's strengths. Recognizing recognizing and even taking private we're doing the best that we can. Alaska to value ourselves. More even if. Simply pride in the fact that we're surviving. Or have survived but it is life-threatening illness. One of my colleagues recently. Mentor. Had a double mastectomy. You think this is. Going to address her her issue with cancer. It's going to take care of it but. She has in the meantime surrounded herself with every real. Resource available to her. To bolster her. Resilience. In this situation. Physically. Mentally emotionally. So make yourself a place. Intelligence. Competence. Surround yourself with things that help you to stabilize. And remember that you're trying what you're trying to do. This includes recognizing our strengths and knowing they are our. With this comes importance of things like education. Efrain and others that talk about education will competence offer is self-esteem skills and hope for a way out of adversity. Studies show that a child's ability to read at grade level by age 10 was a starling predictor. Whether or not a child would engage in juvenile crime. At least 70% of youthful offenders were needed remedial education by fourth grade. Train reports that skills are whole house. For adults this maybe. Learning or reapplying the skills and knowledge that bring us a real sense of accomplishment. Incompetence. I know for me personally there have been many stressful times in my life when i resort to activities where i can use my hand physically active. Because i find a tremendous sense of status immediate satisfaction. And it's not. A different. This brings us to the six basic quality supporting a resilience in the face of adversity. Researchers find that. This is the most significant factor in helping us to cope and even survive. Foremost element in transcending trouble. Is in not having to do it. Santa seems like a no-brainer. But we often forget it. I don't know how many people. Who are in the midst of struggles. Who feel that if they call on the church or on friends or on family they're imposing. That they should just suck it up. That's what we're here for. Be here for each other. And if you're doing too much of it will tell you. Trees are friends. So don't worry about it. That's our job. Most resilient people don't do it alone in fact that usually don't even try to do. Well there are remarkable people who seem to do this resisting recovery on their own. The overwhelming majority of us frankly need help and support to do it. Brazilian people not only use help at actively recruit other people. To support and help. This recruitment is not necessarily a conscious act but often it is. In one study was found that many people were able to begin getting their lives together when they got married. Now coming up on my 10th wedding anniversary in june. I do not recommend marriage by itself as a way to transcend difficulties i see you had similar experiences. My personal take on this as i think that it may be more that people are ready to get their lives together. May be more likely to feel they're ready for marriage. Heather. Coincidence not causation. However it is love. And hope and help. A burden shared is a burden light. So where does all this lead us. Many psychologists and others doing research now believe that all people have the capacity for resilience. And i can feel it is their job and i would add our job as well to learn how to help draw out. People including ourselves and to support them. Appearance teachers therapist employers supervisors as religious liberals as ministers to each other. We have opportunities and a commitment to help foster these qualities in ourselves. Each other. G6. Basic characteristics are factors. First. There is no time limit. We always have potentials to acknowledge our situation pastor present. Let go and move forward. Second. Is inability to see difficulties and her stress as temporary or transient. This is connected to a third trade resilience being able to reframe our experiences. Make sense out of what otherwise maybe senseless. Force is a set is to set goals. Plan for the future and to follow through. This factor for resilience is to believing oneself and one's strength and the six factor is that we cannot and should not try to do this. So if we are not hardwired how much of this is one of them. If we can just do four things i feel will make tremendous difference in the lives of our children ourselves and many others. First we need to foster competence in learning and skill development at school and work and home. Second is to encourage learning to find and help. To find an ask for help. That's important being competent and knowing how to find and ask for help. Thirdly we teach and demonstrate the need to plan and implement goals. Finally in fort lee. For us to constantly share our good news affirming and supporting and ultimately optimistic and pragmatic. And the universe. Has american universalist founder john murray preached. Unitarian universalist we offer in our principals and other statements of faith many of the same ideas and qualities. Which researchers are finding in resilient people. Reaffirming support the acceptance of one another and self-knowledge and spiritual growth. We embrace the fundamentally optimistic quality of the universe and are open to the forces which create in a whole life. Inherent worth and dignity of every person. We recognize and respect that we are all connected. That we are not alone in the interconnected web of all existence of which we are apart. Does a religious community we stand for justice equity and compassion in human relations. One of our readings in our hymnal says that. Unitarian unitarian universalist we affirm the unfailing renewal of life. Which all creatures shall find fulfillment. We affirm the steady growth of human companionship in which people the world over she'll seek the ways of understanding. We affirm a continuing hope. The spirits of individuals. I believe these principles any principles. And hope for renewal and body are in fact much of what attracted me to unitarian universalism in the first place. And which helps to refresh my commitment to this faith all the time. But as with researchers and resilience i also find that it is in the commitments that i have made to family. To you. Two others. And yours and to each other within the bonds of this larger this religious community and the larger beloved community. He ran across the world that makes it possible to go on. When is fear is daunting and a task seems overwhelming. It is our ability. Unitarian universalist. To reach out and to hand. Heart to heart and together. These struggles. Journeys of discovery. Hi tragedies into understanding. Tarsiers into courage. Despair into. Embracing ourselves. Allied.

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Sermon_010613.mp3

First off do you write your sermons yourself. Where's the uterus provide them to you. I love the answer to that. Was given by. A character in a book story. He's a rabbi in so. Appropriately i'll help. So and you steal from myself live early. Just so you know. Hear the same thing occasionally when you said that sometimes. Because i went back inside me i said it really well that time i think i'll list that little paragraph for that sin. So that hopefully answers your questions are. Some people would say he doesn't even write a sermon what are you talking about. Why do the same topic for a month this is a process we're going right now in the church. It's part of helping to establish a more consistent liturgical year. It's a. Thing that a lot of your congregations are doing it's not universal by any stretch of the imagination. Creations what is. And. But it's an effort for us to create an opportunity. To have a more in-depth conversation. About a particular. Example this month is just. Last month was pope. Opportunity. For me as a preacher. Comes about it is a chant as i do research on one-on-one aspect of this i find a lot of collateral information. And i'm able to use that collateral information in muncie's other things.. Atopic. I'm break it down into pieces that's very helpful. We also integrate these topics. Four children and so the kids are also. There is a community-wide effort to address the same we can have a bigger conversation. Is a body. We also do some of this has something to do programming when covenant groups we also have those groups also use the same topics. The specific thematic. What we're doing is all souls unitarian universalist church in tulsa. And they also have the resources and people to spend. So our congregation and love others are using the same kinds of resources the same resources that they have put out. And we are a year behind them in the cycle that they have chosen to do we're doing it intentionally. So that we can a see what they're coming up with this sometimes things don't work. Any chance for us to learn from anything they might have to share with us. About what. And so therefore we can have any mature conversation. We are on the same schedule with these of the topics first jefferson in fort worth is. La quinta. And a number of other congregations in the area are doing similar kinds of things. Because i want to do something here instead of over here or vice versa. So. I did have a member here who was telling me they were very unhappy that we were doing. Death during november. Never know so i apologize if some people feel bored with that there may be a lack of novelty. But sometimes boredom is the first step towards wisdom. Anybody who's done anything with meditation knows that. Things that go on invitation or like well this is really cool you know. When is this going to stop. And then you go so hopefully we'll get to own eventually with somebody topic so if you find yourself in when is this going to stop maybe that's the monkey mind trying to get you something else. And you know maybe. So hopefully i'll try and provide a little bit of diversity diversity diversity diversity. But. That's the purpose is to go deeper. In the sand to do it intentionally. Where do the monthly topics like justice center i just talked about that okay. With my cat with many conservative friends how would you respond to the question as. Hey you you. Don't you believe in family values dancers yes absolutely. We probably have more explicitly stated family values. Association through his general assembly's has made many pronouncement about the importance of families and the values that whole family we also have a very. Potential understanding of what a family. And that you can be many many many things. And i think that is where we find a virgin. That our understanding of families is more inclusive. And we're embracing then many more traditional orthodox. I always find it useful to remind people that. Family values in one. of time are different from family values in other periods of time. All you have to do is look at the way our parents were raised and the way their parents were raised. Going back in time to see what family values were adhered to or held up as being important. At any one point in time. So they think you change. Shall we say the answer is yes we do. Then others or have a more inclusive approach. I would say that might be an important way to. Do you find common ground between buddhism and unitarian universal. Buddhism keep in mind is big. Set to say buddhism. Is not that simple thing. I mean there are buddhists who are technically ceuster but it's mostly who are not cs2 or who it be technically. Humanist. So. Just that alone creates a tremendous diversity. Buddhist philosophy is in. A methodology on how we. Live our lives with integrity. In a way that allows us to be more present to ourselves. To each other and to our world without being in messed with it. In in salmon. Current self-help speak. Yolanda's to be engaged with the world without being a messed with it. I think that's an important kind of message for us. Take with a 90 that's a grand simplification of tremendously complex topic. But i think yes absolutely we have common ground. How is unitarian universalism similar and different from secular humanism. Secular humanism must keep in mind as we're talking about his non-religious humanism is humanism in the secular speer. And. Therefore that point of humanism. Secular anything we have a religious perspective. On things which is different from one that is not. And so you have to take that into account. Humanism in love itself we have a proud and prestigious him and his history and unitarianism. So. We are identifying many ways as a practicing human it in the sense that a lot of where i start with my questions and answers i look for are in the human condition. What does it mean for music human being or for other people as human being to experience something that we start from there rather than from priest some preconceived. Idea of what we must start with the heavens and therefore you know this is the way we interpret. We start with the human condition and understanding what it means you're human beings to experience things and wrestle with tough issues and questions in our life. And i think therefore that humanism and the religious fear religious humanism. Is important part of our tradition. Secular humanism is an important part of our culture. And i think it's incredibly important sphere. Forest in which to practice religion without oppression. If it is practice well. I think when secular humanism itself. Becomes. For any belief system. Design decides that it has all of the answers. And that alone is the arbitrator of things. Then i think we have problems. Whether that secular humanism or fundamentalist christianity or judaism. I think we have problems when we run into that. Issues. That hopefully will dress just a little bit about the similarities and differences there. Advise you to go on and read. The. Many many post about humanism on unitarian universalist website. At what point does atheism become a religion as opposed to a logical conclusion. Atheism is an interesting. First of all i think that. Total atheist. Some people are. And ii razor distinction that's good. Consider. When we're looking at what we call 8.1 people consider himself the atheist. Most of us have been raised in a religious tradition which we then have often said goodbye to or. Are released without a religious tradition. We aren't terribly interested in. 4r. And so therefore we reject those and say well i'm not that therefore i must be because that's all i know. And if that's all we know and therefore rejecting it. What the reality is there is a huge diversity of different ways to understand our relationship. And. What that means is that we are actually atheist relative to many particular. Types of understandings of god or the whole. The garden white chair in the clouds or if you know some other kind of understanding. And so we are all technically relative atheist to someone's understanding of. So the question is are we simply relative atheist to versions of the holy or god or whatever. That's all we know and so therefore we assume that we're checking everything. Or are we really total atheist where we really do not. Embrace the idea that there is some thing transpersonal out there or. More than ourselves. That is apart of the universe. Perfectly legitimate and valid. Declarative. Let's start with that. So at that point. totally theism. Totally theism. At what point does it become a religion. I would say it would becomes an idol i wouldn't say religion i would say becomes an idol. In the sense that it is something that we said above other things that are of ultimate value. And i think at the point where again we stop listening to other voices and assuming that our position is the only position. That we take a total lipstick. Position. Myself. When we do that it means. Feeling threatened. By taking. Anxiety comes out. In our hostility. Towards. Keep in mind. So atheism is a very important part of the american tradition. Secular and religious discourse. I think it's important part of the whole conversation of separation of church and state. And i think it's a very valid point of view for us to consider me important issues in our lives from but i don't think that it in of itself has all the answers. Mister spock's, conversation. In. In the star trek movie. Country. Where he's talking to a protege. He says and he says that. Logic is the beginning of wisdom. And i would say the same thing about any other belief. What are the five symbols on the banners representing. We'll start with that so the five symbols up here with these are from the churches decoration of it. That were brought here and place here when the building was moved in the turkish music. The first one is an equilateral cross which i think is a twofer. Does equilateral cross can be christian and also be a sun sign. Someone in middle here on my left is a little confusing. Some people think it's a sling. Set elotes flower. Old path in the a spoked wheel. Over here we have the star of david or the moment david from judaism. Over here we have the word ohm in sanskrit. Tetraplegic. And over here to starcraft. Which represents the islamic tradition. So. I think it's important keep in mind that this is not. A limitation on but we understand is simply beginning of the conversation. Humanist society. So those are things we have here and they're part of the church's history and part of our understanding. How we approaching. What is prayer to a pagan. That's a very open question. I want to be very clear when i talk about pagan i'm talking about. The new. The revivalist movement of contemporary paganism. And not the fact anything is not christian is pagan. Be clear about that. I think it's the same thing that anybody else would find this prayer. I think sometimes the forms may be slightly different in the language but the structure is usually pretty much the same. Years i've been teaching worshipping ritual. In a pagan setting and in the hue setting. Is that the constructs are almost identical no matter where you are and whatever human culture. Set the content varies based on the cultural situation. So that the way in which you structure things are really based more again on the human experience. Then on any kind of divinely ordained things from on high it's more about how to human beings engage with. The ritual and drama of life. Content. The immediacy of the moment. And culturing wiki. What does how does describe what happens after one dies. Well first of all there is a sermon online about this and sermon archive. But. I say in short universalism reticulate says. We are all in this together so no matter what happens we're all together. Whatever happens. We all have the same ultimate fate. Universal democracy when it comes to death. This is why things are universalist ancestors. Talk about our forbearers that they're in there is no select. There is no lack. There is no hell for say there's no belief that a god that is supposed to be all loving and caring is going to send people to hell or even purgatory. So that's why the universalist originally called no heller's. Because. So. Keep in mind i think that's an important thing to say now on the other hand there is no proof for anything happening after that. There's no proof. There's tremendous speculation. And some of it is really exciting as i talked about before. Hina issues. Cellular microtubules. And interactions of the brain is a quantum computer and quantum fields that makes 10 to continue to exist. All of this possibility. Uno. Ida grand opportunity to explore the universe. And i think it's wonderful. And i have a real desire to find explorer listening to. But we can't know for sure so i would say it is ultimately agnostic. On the issue of what happens. In a sense of is their survival of the solar not. But we're very clear that whatever it is that happens. It happens to everybody. Citrol in this together. And there is no division. Soundstage and i'm saved sarah. We are all worthy. Church i grew up in. I am happy to find that the uterus professes beliefs i can support however sometimes i missed the rituals of my childhood. Church how can i resolve this. Probably you're just don't know how to love in a way that you can. Connect. And they think they're being wanting. I'm happy to find that users professors lisa. You missed the rituals of your childhood and. Nothing important thing to do i mean i grew up in a tradition where we have communion every at end of every sunday in the disciples. Felicia colporrhaphy scallions. Hartley this is why we are bringing more ways of finding people find ways for people to participate virtually in our worship. Such as we have candles here the last year. The singing i do at the beginning of the service. It's something i've been doing for a long time because. 2 accident. Other things i discovered that the aesthetic. Has tremendous meaning to a lot of people. And the content is when they can address they can be open to. So i'm not chanting. Call matt. In a language or verbage or theological. That is hostile to anyone. Off-putting. Hopefully the formed and invite people come back in. Defined their way back into a relationship with some ultimate understanding. Universe. So we're trying to provide those here but no church can be everything to everyone. Free sample we intentionally don't do smell. In this room. I have a woody smell that's not intentional. Me i love incense. I would burn it. But we have people here who have physical allergies. And other people who have the illogical allergy. That are just as profound and more likely to ruin produce high so we have to keep in mind that we're a diverse group of people and so we try and make. Or we can without sacrificing authenticity. So and what does this creates a creative tension for us to try and engage with. And hopefully that does this force us into a more creative space. To try and be more creative in how we do things. For example we really can't burn things in here cuz i'll set off the fire alarm. I understand in the sprinkler system. So we do things that don't have that. Potential to create large clouds of smoke in here. Those kinds of things. So we trying to accommodate. I would say if you really are hungering for those things. Take a day and go visit one of those. First of all get their fix. With that kind of aesthetic experience here everyday and so. This is why i'm not here and is lovely but it is exactly the way i grew up with it and that's why i'm not here now. And maybe think of some ways that maybe we could bring it into this life of the congregation with a sense of authenticity. I think we try and be very careful not to borrow from other traditions. We may be inspired. But we try not to borrow from them because that's a form of cultural colonialism and appropriation isn't really really want. Hopefully that helps. What is optimism is an optimist. I just preached on this so long ago. So i'm not going to go into detail. Perspective on things they tend to assume things are going. Assuming things are going to end well. That there's going to be a positive outcome. I think it's important. What is a minister. What is a minister. And if you're talking about what is ordained minister in our tradition. Ordained minister in addition to someone who intentionally. Set aside. And given. Certain prerogatives. To lead the congregation. In the teaching and worship life. Navigation wishes to pursue. And. In our tradition as unitarian is only congregations that can ordain someone. And it is an actual setting aside. Ministers when they take on the role in relationship to a congregation. That they are serving. Lose that immediacy of community that they had may be found as a lay person. Because in order to do the job there has to be some space in our togetherness. Sapote. Keep in mind that's why is understood as a setting aside. When someone takes on that role. Natural reality. It's very clear i do this cuz i love doing it. But a minister in a broader sense is. Ministries. That we do for each other and for the world. Things that we do in-service things that we do in love. Things that we do. As a test of our own metal sometimes. To maybe help us grow. So ministries are the things that all of us to bring the world closer. Tubing in line with that understanding the beloved community that we all say we hope for. One religion. Does religion exist to force us to be altruistic or is altruism innate. Good question i think historically there has been understanding if you look at some of the founding fathers mothers who really didn't feel late had much use for religion except it was good to make people feel good. I would say that there is. Twofold i would say any social conventions. Do we have that have. Can create a reinforcement towards positive end. Can support altruism altruism is both a social constructs. But i think it is also there were finding much more now. Genetic components or genetic underpinnings for that. To buccaneer a science and other. It's not nurture or nature i think it's both. And so i think religion is an important part of supporting the sort of the the nurture component. Understanding of how we are altruistic with each other. Turn up missing something here. Repeatedly. There are summons online about religious issue to pay taxes. You know what are we afraid of when were talking about the super rich. And it'll be interspersed with other sermons and other types of messages. So if you're feeling like you're not getting enough let me know. Other people have let me know they are tired of getting. So we're trying to do this balancing act again. Informed were to have their own opinions reinforce. But heather mind change so far for one person isn't engaging terminus another person isn't is an act of rehearsing what they already know and it's boring. Or is it such a challenge. That they really find it antagonist. Find a balance here there is a diversity of perspectives on what we believe. We're going to culture that seems increasingly antagonistic. Towards deep critical thinking how can we best convey the critical question then i've been our faith without appearing elitist and sometimes even arrogant. Well. Okay. I think it's important to. Anytime we get into situations where we're saying in ohio. We have to be careful. It doesn't mean you are right. Oh you have to help me with his name the late meet the press correspondents. Tim russert. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion but not their own facts. And i think that's where i draw the line. We're all entitled to our own opinions and religion ultimately isn't opinion. And this is coming from somebody who doesn't for a living. Religion is ultimately an opinion. It is not a fact. Animator how hard people want to make it a fact. If not. So i think that's an important thing taken my fair. I think it's a distinction that that's important for some people to be a fact because that's all they can handle. And in our tradition we say that actually envisioned in visits. It shows a lack of faith. So that having religion happy concrete or to have to be true in ultimate absolute sense actually isn't. That might not go over well at the office party. Keep that in mind. So take your time to battle. Forever fit. I would say it's important to try and be inclusive and. To create bridges rather than your fill of wall with other people. Sometimes it's fun to disassemble in front of them. Appreciate it but. If it's not ethical to buy oil sand oil why is it ethical to buy saudi arabian royal. Good question. Sounds like a whole year's worth of studying and and conversation. I would say. Sure. Stuff anyway. You know i have a lot of problems with the oil sand issue. On technical issues on waterman. And on the grounds of do we really need to keep going down this road. You know what. What's getting in the way of our making transitions we need to make a society and culture to a more sustainable future. I am responsible present. You know i don't think it's a fickle and i think it's important part of a conversation to have. About all that. Where did magic or origin of magic come from. Boy that's a huge topic. And classes on this at universities. I would recommend probably the best book to read is like real magic has been around forever and ever. It's probably when the best books on it. Theoretical point of view entergy which is sort of structure and study of the theory of the theory of a magic. So. What ages of children will be included in the new multi-generational services were looking in creating. That's all still in process right now but most likely quinn that comes online or is that comes online. It will be somewhere in the 425 range maybe a little older. So and there's another question where we stand on the intergenerational kids in the service. Will it be starting up. An upcoming salt. Maybe. It's in transition allura here is one of two people who are co-chairing that committee and i was suggesting you talked with laura or ascend blanco about that at some time probably give you much more. Please. Remember everybody. What are some ideas to teach fairness to children and still it where that never itself isn't her. You know. I think trying to be fair yourself is probably the most important thing we can do. Is a parent of a small child. Play remembering back to me stuff that i am horrified. Absolutely horrified. Horrified my god where'd you learn that. Oh my god so yeah. Yeah so i would say. Modeling role modeling is the best thing we can do. Children are very great mimics their great tape recorders or you know whatever medium you choose to use as an analogy. And i'll do it the rest of your life. So i think. That's the best thing i can tell you is. If you want to take some fairness. Seafarer and then reinforced that explicitly. With them anyways that they can understand at whatever age they are at. Someone says i feel it's important that the minister visit those who are ill in the hospital and you don't seem to feel that way can you explain your position. And i would i would say that on my position is misrepresented. I do feel. To do those things and i do do that. Per my problem with getting everybody in the hospital is people out of the hospital before i find her sick. Anymore with these one day surgeries that's a big deal. Such a huge issue. The other thing is we have any strong nearly competent. Lay ministry here which goes out of its way to address the needs of our members. On a chronic and ongoing basis. Which is a huge benefit. Do the thing keep in mind is that as churches get larger when she transcend a certain size and we have long passed that size. By the way. The minister can no longer go and visit everybody who's sick. Just not going to happen. And it's just part of the reality of larger congregation. This is why churches that are larger has specially designated people who do that job and even they have to have a large support team. Make everything happen. So yes there is disappointment and things do fall through the cracks. Congregation we are at a size square. We're trying to sort it all out and that means. You know champagne taste on a beer budget. That kind of stuff and and we want more support. We want the intimacy we had in our little 50-member church we grew up in. But we want the services that a 500-member church provides. Minto. All of those things the same time chris he's really intense dynamic. Address those. Is best i can but if you feel i'm not doing my job adequately. Don't hesitate don't wait for these moments to bring it up. Come and talk to me. And we'll find address. We're coming talk to the people who are on the caring committees. That are running around garner group right now is doing a great job. Dressing a lot. Illness and shut-in. Courage youtube. If you could be a part of that ministry. But i really hope that. People understand there are limitations. But we would try to try and. Do. Guitar specific situations you feel that can be addressed. I do try and visit people ospital i do intervene for people in hospitals and i have done so several time. In recent past. Right after i stepped in with caregivers and demanded a higher quality of service. So. I can be a very strong advocate. The medical staff because i know what goes on in hospital. So. He a part of that ministry so let me know so we can have that engagement in that relationship. But don't just hold onto things and get mad about it or upset about it. College park was having a conversation. It's a ways you can really try and make a difference. In your life or the lies on the people in the congregation. Remember what we talked about before about forgiveness a few weeks to months ago. Don't try and hold grudges by proxy. Okay if you feel like somebody's not getting what they need and you're feeling in your holding a grudge for them by proxy. That's not your place. If you feel that need to be addressed coming address it with me or other leaders of congregation. I will try and do it we can. But it's not doing you any good. Set kind of tension. Frustration. It doesn't do you any good. I asked you please be open to this ongoing conversation we had.. And i think that's the end of it. Let me know. That we're going to finish today so that we can get out of here and respect everybody. Antutu. Remember this is a co-creation. This is a conversation and these are important if there are things you want to raise up that you just tickled your mind as hell yeah but. Talk to me send me an e-mail whatever and i would love to have your input cuz we're always looking for ideas for services and other activities in the.

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Sermon_050513.mp3

This church is configured a little bit differently and i normally have a clock. A little bit closer that i can read that was cuz it's a little afternoon. It's so high so just to honor our time together i'm going to put my watch here. Cuz she knows it's the job don't you. Do you know what it means when a unitarian universalist minister. Put his. Watch on the pulpit. Absolutely nothing you are mine for the next few minutes. No i will do my best to. Donna our time together. I want to begin with a. Question. Have you ever experienced something. We're in the very moment it occurred. You knew you learned something really important. But you also knew you wouldn't be able to process it or discern what it was. Just yet. You ever experienced something. We're in the very moment it occurred. You knew you learned something really important. But you also knew you wouldn't be able to process it. Or discern what it was. Just yet. I'm going to say a few words this morning and i'm going to be. Referencing my catholic upbringing. Whatever i say the words out the coronavirus. You can insert whatever your religion of origin might have did and this is not to be disrespectful in any way. Because it's a great part of my roman catholic. Childhood that i love and adore and wish i could still do. And also we've got this new pope. Stop them and obviously. This is not a pope. That we're going to be able to agree and partner with on everything. Because they're still. Trading. Gays lesbians and transgender did bisexual people. In a way that is not becoming to unitarian universalist theology. And they are still treating women like second-class citizens but. This pope. Decided the feeding the poor. A challenge worthy of our effort. Another something. So i am. I am praying. And i'm wishing. Well. But in that catholic upbringing you're possibly in your religion of origin. I really struggled with the theology of heaven and hell has been presented to me. Heaven and hell was a site that you earn. That and it was so funny about that to me even as a seven-year-old taking the baltimore catechism. It was a 1950. Use of recognition right. Assassin very important questions who made you in the answer courses god made me. At why did god make. God made me to show for his goodness. It's good that you like that god made me to show forth is good essentials makes me happy with him in heaven. That's what god wants but i. As a seven-year-old could keep god from having what god wanted by then. Boy. How did that happen how did that happen. So. Most of what i have preached most of what i thought most of what i have written. About my 32-unit are universe to and through unitarian universalist. Has been some. Mind-numbing conversation. Our father connolly or monsignor kennelly. And i'm reliving all of this and reconciling. The dna of my early spiritual journey. Religion. That we share. Pure magic for any of us. That have tonsils. This journey. The absolute. Bob cleary. Realization that there's actually a religion in a community like this. Within which i can prosper. Blossom. It's also been amazing to be able to come back. Here. I haven't been here for a while. Story. This is not a pity party. So that you could say i'm doing really really well. 15 months ago. I was doing what minutes is really like to do. Substitute for another minister. And their pulse. We love to do that cuz you don't typically have to write anything new and it's like you can just back into your bag of march greatest hits and pull one out what at you know it's just going to. At first jefferson in fort worth because she was. And what she did and it was all wonderful. So that's sunday january 22nd of last year. I say that i will never forget i deliver the sermon and it's exactly the way i wanted it to be everybody's happy and thrilled and i'm in the lobby and they're loving me up in arms around you. Behind. Unlike anything i have ever felt. And i knew for some reason that it was a heart attack but i didn't know what it was. And it was. Russia. I don't know what childbirth is like. But if it's worse than that i don't want any part of luckily luckily i'll be spared that but i wasn't fair this. Was it about 2 minutes i knew i had to go later. The 45-minute i'd lost. I was paralyzed. It was. Horrible and i never lost consciousness. One of the people they're good friends. First jeff set. Previously. Military medic. You know all this bravado to explain but i think we're the real crisis or i'm calling the paramedics. So the endless. The paramedics come in and. They asked me two questions. The first one was. Do you have insurance. That's okay that's the world we live in. But i had honestly answer. I don't think so. Let me tell you why. My wife's an occupational therapy in a couple of months before that. The company she worked for he got bought out by another couple. And even though she didn't say where she work. Who replaces for what you did for a living. I wish you drove to go do this work. Everyday. She was not a newbie with no insurance. It so we went online to give it done cobra you got to go online and some government system well that's a nightmare. Tell my wife what does all that for me that's friday it said he's crazy. Scream. I transferred money but it doesn't tell me that word sure this is friday. Sunday i'm at first jeff doing. Dometic stalker. I don't think. That's important because what happened. Is this. The real testament. That we have.. Stop.. The next question was where would you like. Dallas. You're in tarrant county. I can take you anywhere in tarrant county you want to go but i can't take you this out. Okay how about taking me to arlington. Arlington memorial. Cuz i thought it would be closer to my wife she can find me. It'll be everything will be fine so anyway. The transporting me to. By ambulance arlington. By the time we get there they play me through the mri the rest. They figure out that it's like i did not have a heart attack. Aorta hedberg. Weeding out a time i'm in pretty bad shape. But they also realize they have no surgeon on staff at the. Qualified to do the operations that i mean. And i'm listen to all this. This. So but i'm listen to this doctor. Call around 5. I'll testify on a sunday afternoon. During the nfl football playoffs that will come and take care of it. And about 2 minutes late seem like. 6 seconds to minutes later get to call back. It turns out to be perhaps the most pre-eminent thoracic surgeon. Said i sound my surgical nurse. I found my anesthesiology. Getting to the heart power aerosmith. And i will go to work. And i said okay well loading up in the addresses no no no. No ambulance. Because we got second. Knocked out. They tell me the retrospective. Percent chance of surviving. But i did. Now what i did. Hospital. Remember i did not. Verizon. In my wife is there blessurheart that i hear this conversation isn't really interested. Now. Ican 68 order. But there's always thinks it's in the wrong. He may not know who he is. Memories. Something else may happen. If anything bad happens does he want to be. On. What were set aside. And i heard my wife saying. He said he didn't. Did i say that. Bless my wife in this moment she's in shock. I'm in shock. She remembered what i wanted and she stood up for me at that moment so now i'm thinking good for her. This is crooked. Somebody do something now and i don't care what the results are. But i need to share what happens next because everybody's always asking since it's so what did you learn. What did you learn. Let me begin that. It was in that moment. Of all that about the wheeled me into surgery to be wanting them to do whatever. Blood work out that's fine. That i had the following. Thoughts. That the universe was not punishing. That that god or the universe and all the people working on its behalf. We doing everything everything they could for me in that moment. But that it just might not be my. You know. This might. Probably going to be my last. I really expected. I went out. So just brushing up against head curtain. It did feel like that. Call queen license. I didn't answer and i was happy in my face. That i had absolute crossword. It was going to happen. But i was going to be okay regardless of the outcome. I had that. But i also have that moment i asked you. Sort of floating in and out of my consciousness that i knew i had just learned something really important. But i also knew that i said or not so i started right now. The balance of my thoughts as we go into this surgery so they will me in. They do their thing and lo and behold the next day. I guess i brought me out of anywhere i come to. And my wife holding one hand and my oldest daughter might my four-year-old daughter calling my other hand and in that instant i knew. My wife says one bedroom do it cuz i didn't you look like a cadaver and i felt like something by the ankles and slam me against an oak tree about 45 times. I thought. Truly. Sea pride. Send. Nurses come in. Mark mahaney. Hello. Look at your chest. Show me back up and by the way it looks like it's open me with a chainsaw but i. Suffix locked out of it. Had some three-year-old it done this thing too but i gather and i'm feeling pretty good about that so she hands me this is so she's supposed to hold this against your chest. Real tight because even so much as. Is going to feel excruciating pain. I usually don't want to sneeze or cough or whatever. But i didn't get to hear any of that. Because ashley's held this pillow applebee's said she handcrafted market. Coughing. And that's sweet. Fort worth texas. Hoosier coffee. Are you kidding me you bring me through this to hand me a pillow to put on my coffin are you kidding me and that i ordered cremation. Okay. Coughing. Okay i just did the very best friend but it was an amazing thing to have this. And i still keep i will never so this puppy.. Call sydney safety many hours about. Hey. What happened then after that for some time. I'm 6 days and i see you were free night to you and for your first married. And by the way. Those folks are. They're all my new best friend. The surgeon the nurse i couldn't wait when i was angela tori to go back for the care but i will tell you something that happened in intensive care. That if you have a large ego. Is it. Revelatory. Let's go. Wow. What's hard for me. That's letting go. For them anthem. I hope they're not ever have to do it again. But it was. It wasn't learning. So. What am i going to do with the neck. If i'm waiting on my back.. And i got some. Very rare. Alexander mccall smith. The number one ladies detective agency is my wife for that to me on the way somewhere to preach on a sunday and i went.. What typically wear with ecology. How did it go charge. Church works. Family sisters. So i'm. You bring me something. You think i might love. Fiction wife. Did you bring. Is a canadian author that does a lot of. Like murder mysteries. But it was very very little right. Very amazing. And i'm reading a third not doing nothing but reading right. Reading. And. So i called. The bristol palin. She's got a character in there. Reciprocity old woman. Northeast indie crutchfield women here. In the novel. And. Tears in the book. And i'm going to read it to you. Because. This. Is what started the on cernon. That moment that i had. I just sit where i'm put. Composed of stone and wishful thinking. Set the deity who kills for pleasure. Will also heal. Side of the midst of your nightmare. The final one. Kind lion will come with bandages in her mouth. The soft body of a woman. And lick you clean forever. I took your soul up gently by the nape of the neck. And caress you is the darkness. I realize that in spite of my unitarian universalist. Spite of my new theology. On that. On that girl. There was a heart. That there was paradise. What i saw. Paradise. So i'm reading this song. I sit where i put. Composed of stone at wickliffe. And that this guy who kills for pleasure might also heal. The midst of this nightmare this final one a kind lion will come with edges in her mouth. And lick me clean forever. Check my sole objective by the neighbourhood. Recipe. Second to leave this earth and go to some. Could i have the setback down paradise. This is. Heaven. Antarctica. This is harper. And it's not. Unlimited list. More profound law it is that. But it is also sublime.. This is. So whatever we experience. This is mom. You don't have to. For whatever means.. Knox. I felt safe. Going. But i knew that it was. God no. Pristine golf courses. There are no single malt scotches. But we were safe in the universal fall river. We're really. Exactly what i went through all that day. But didn't have the good fortune. To live in the city. But has these kinds of. Talented individual. Too far away to get anywhere in time. And most of the people i find out to die because of this are misdiagnosed. I thought we had a heart attack that said aspirin that accelerates the bleeding out. They never even make it. How to tell you i've got to tell you this but i do have. Lotus time. Paradise. So. What i have learned most people on this earth work until they drop dead. I decided i had it in icu or 6. Billion people on this planet would have taken my life. Trade places with me in a heartbeat. Billion of them because they would have access to that lousy chicken broth and put it. Another billion because i have a safe place to lay there another billion to have somebody just. Show them some decent care. And not everybody. Has the blessing. Because there are people whose lives too soon. Unrelenting. Which is the reason why we. In our family. For those of you that are like me of a certain date or beyond. Let me just put it real. You have never had more wisdom. More life experience. More wealth or more time. A chart of course. And you may not want to be. Unearthed. For police officer or a teacher anymore. But you need to be as elder of the tribe. Children's children's children neighbors need you this faith needs you. This church needs you like it never happened. If this is paradise. We are obligated. Select people least have. Ascent. Balance. Between heartache. We must.

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Sermon_022711.mp3

But very nice to be back with all of you today and see all of you again. I was thinking about returning to his place to preach. I began reflecting in a very personal way about. The month since i was your intern here and now that i'm a solo pastor in my own church i see how different those experiences were. Mostly now i'm having to face the possibility that i myself am not perfect. Affected many of you sheltered me from during my internship here. I think you're being gracious and supportive a few of you shared critical feedback but always in a very gentle way. Not unless about me having made a mistake which i truly did and more about perhaps a difference in opinion about how we might approach something my experience of this place is one of being surrounded by love. And acceptance and the very best of intentions. And my experience now in denton is not so different although i am faced with a great many more tasks and responsibilities. And i'm learning a lot. And i'm making mistakes along the way way more than i might have made as an intern. And i admit i have issues with this i was raised roman catholic i was raised believing in the possibility of an infallible pope. A man like any man but so perfect in his essence that he wouldn't make any mistake. So now that i'm a minister i had to reconcile my own experience of ministry with the illusions with which i grew up. It turns out the pope's infallibility doesn't mean he's perceived as perfect his stamp of invalid infallibility is reserved only for those public declarations of doctrine. According to the catholic website infallibility applies only to solemn official teachings on face and morals. Not to disciplinary decisions or even unofficial comments on face and morals. A pope's private theological opinions are not fallible. Are not infallible. Only what he soundly defines is considered to be infallible teaching so a pope might still accidentally put his shirt on inside-out or lock his keys in the car or cite the gospel of john when he meant to cite the gospel of luke. But somehow that revelation didn't let me off the hook. I still felt this driving and still feel sometimes it's driving need to be perfect. And it turns out i am in good company a great many of us share this need for perfection and a great many of us are completely and utterly fallible. He talked about this tension between perfect and imperfect i want to tell you story about an imperfect man named rodger and his first experience in a small midwestern unitarian universalist church. Rodger was greeted by a cheerful woman at the door who welcomes him and showed him to the welcome table. Rogers thought started racing and his fear was mounting these people don't know me what am i supposed to say to these people at the welcome table he was encouraged to fill out an information sheet and a name tag. Assembly didn't want to talk to anyone. He suddenly wanted to run out the front door but instead he abruptly stated that he wasn't going to fill out a form and insisted that he didn't need a name tag. You just wanted to enter the sanctuary in peace and not talk to anyone. He headed toward the door where women and a robe and stole was greeting people. She seemed nice enough her long gray hair reminded him of his grandmother who had died when he was in his 20. But who loves him unconditionally everyday that they had together. He felt tears in his eyes as he approached her. She shook his hand and said good morning is this your first time with us. Rodger once felt defensive. What was she implying maybe this is a closed club for members only. Rodger knotted quickly and then rush pastor to see austin the corner. In the back row. He curled up trying to make himself as small as he possibly could. The person in front of them turned around extended a hand and said welcome i don't believe we've met my name is joe. Rodger just nodded then joe said would you like to visit our welcome table would love to get your information and give you a name tag. Rodger resented his cheerful enthusiasm he led an angry sky. And i just sit here and not have to talk with anyone. Do you have some ideas about rodger what kind of person he is maybe feel bad for him maybe you're annoyed by him. Hibi in one person or another are in one form or another you feel like you've met him. He is woefully imperfect maybe even clumsy and this group of strangers who are trying to reach out. Not shared with you the middle of a story and i would like to share the story again this time with the beginning in the end. When rodger first came to church he was in the midst of wrenching grief. His partner bill had been sick with a rare form of cancer and died only two weeks before he first stepped foot into that small unitarian universalist congregation. You're not been a churchgoer in fact he still held onto some long-standing resentment about the way that his beloved pastor of 22 years responded when rodger came out as gay. When he was a young adult about 20 years ago. Church was the last place he ever wanted to be. But rodger was going through a difficult time he'd been so preoccupied with build illness for the last few years. That he had isolated himself from potential support system. And now he felt very much alone in the world having lost his beloved spouse best friend. And lover. His workplace wasn't the sort of place where gay identity would be welcomed so rodger didn't even share his experiences and feelings with the people with whom he spent the most amount of his time. You're just going back to work after telling folks that his brother had died. After supporting that lie 45 days he needed to go somewhere where he could be his.. And someone told him to try this uu church not even a mile from his home. Rodger was reluctant at first but ultimately decided to check it out. Rodger was greeted by a cheerful woman at the door who welcomes him. And showed him to the welcome table. Rodger scott started racing atmosphere with mounting these people don't know me. What am i supposed to say to these people. At the welcome table he was encouraged to fill out an information sheet and a name tag. He said late didn't want to talk with anyone he suddenly wanted to run out the front door. But instead he abruptly stated that he wasn't going to fill out the form and insisted that he didn't need a name tag. He just wanted to enter the sanctuary in peace and not talk to anyone. He headed toward the door where woman in a robe and still was greeting people she seems nice enough her long gray hair reminded him of his grandmother who had died when he was in his twenties. But you loved him unconditionally everyday they had together. He felt tears in his eyes as he approached her. She shook his hand and said good morning is this your first time with us. Rodger at wentzville defensive what was she implying. Maybe this is a closed club for members only. Rodger knotted quickly and then rushed past her to a seat off in the corner in the back row. He curled up trying to make himself as small as he possibly could. The person in front of them turned around extended a hand and said welcome i don't believe we've met my name is joe. Rodger just nodded. Ninjago said would you like to visit our welcome table we'd love to get your information and get you a name tag. Rodger ruzena jose cheerful enthusiasm he let out an angry sky. Can't i just sit here and not have to talk to anyone. Because this is a story that may or may not have happened. Jojo. Didn't get hurt. He didn't get defensive he simply said in response. Of course you can. You know it takes a lot of courage to come to a new church. Thank you for trusting us enough to enter our doors. I hope you find what you need in this space. My name is joe. And i'm here if you need a friend today. And joe turn back around in his c. Rodger felt awful he knew how rude he had been the truth is still kind of reminded him of his boss at work. They share the same features had the same kind of accent do remember the day he tried to take a morning off from work to take his brother. The chemotherapy because the person who was going to drive him was sick. His boss had retorted doesn't your brother have a wife who can do that. Rodger never really let that in. He was so busy just doing what he needed for bill. He felt the tears well up in his eyes and he saw that stranger sitting in front of him. Friend. And quietly rodger moves upper row and sat next to joe. Throughout the service rodger felt deep gratitude to have the company of someone next to him who he could call friend. The sims 3 can look different when you know what happened before and what happened after. And with all the details feel then maybe we can see how rodger was suspicious. How he compared himself to others. How he judged and how he feared judgment. And maybe with the detail still then we can understand why he might act that way. It would be easy for rodger to get hung up on feeling imperfect right now. Pick a himself tuqiri folks who seem to have it all together to despair in the possibility of ever getting through this difficult time. I feel like he should be further along than he is. And i suspect a good number of us in this room can identify with some of the. In doctor churches imperfect primary he offers us three rules for perfectionism. And reminds us with humor that perfectionism just. Isn't good for us. I'm very certain that the purpose of our relationships is not to compare ourselves to others. So that we can either feel better or worse about ourselves. But it is so tempting. When i feel inadequate. When i forgot to call mr. jones like i said i would. I want to remind the world that last week's mrs. smith didn't call mr. jones either in fact she didn't even show up for our monthly meeting like i did. And when i feel inadequate i also tend to notice how much better others are compared to me. When i feel self-conscious about how i look or how much money i make or how many candies i ate yesterday. Maybe everyone else suddenly looks so perfect so wealthy so self-controlled. And i might begin to despair that i will never be so perfect. That i am so far from being the perfect minister and wife and stepmother and daughter and friend. Listen is not that we are imperfect. The real sin. Is this feeling of inadequacy. Now the definition of sin that i hold onto is that which separates us from. Ourselves from one another. From god. And with this definition of sin i think that are real thin. Is when our thoughts of inadequacy when our insecurities leads us to do and say things that separate us from other people. It's separate us from god. That separate us from ourselves. Are responsive reading today said that. From the fragmented world of our everyday lives. We gather in search of wholeness. Buy many cares and preoccupations by diverse and selfish aims. We are separated from one another and divided within ourselves. We gather together in search of wholeness. But why are we so divided. From one another and ourselves. I've been taking your long family systems class it's a once-a-month class designed especially for ministers. In this class we look at how families tend to organize themselves how they take on different roles healthy rolls and unhealthy rolls. And how these families and individuals from these families. Bring me those rolls into their congregational life. It also examines how congregations become their own kind of system. With people falling into rolls like nurturer. The responsible one. The irresponsible one the jokester the outcast the optimist whatever. We tend to take on a kind of role in our families and in our congregation. We become so fixed in our roles that any one of us might become. Well inflexible. And how he interacts with another person. Especially in a time of conflict or chaos. Let's take the jokester for example the jokester makes people laugh lighten the mood. But when cass is high the jokester might become so out of control silly. Then it sets off the reasoner. In the group is trying so hard to think straight. Suddenly the jokester in the reason or can't understand why they can't even sit in the same room together even though both of them are working so hard through this difficult time in the life of a congregation or whatever system they are engaged in. To work together and. Meet a common goal. Anyway in this class each month we talk about a different topic. But we also seem to always circle back to one basic concepts and that concept is. Concept of differentiation versus fusion. Psychiatrist meribo and use these terms to name one's ability to distinguish between intellectual process. Any emotional or feeling process. A differentiated responses one in which one is able to distinguish what one feels from what one thinks. A fuse response is one in which what one feels and what when. But when things are fused together. And when we talked about taking on these ideas of perfectionism and inadequacy. The trick is to be differentiated enough to accept. What one says without letting it bring you down. Trick is not taking on another's negativity about themselves or about you. In our little vignette about rodger we saw churchgoer joe do that really really well. When rodger was saying what's your problem. Jaden thinks himself man i better defend myself and say something rude back to him. Nor did he say. Man this guy knows that i'm in perfect and i've offended him with my imperfections i better slip away before he sees any more of my fault. None of that he stayed differentiated and he thought you know this guy is in a bad mood. I don't know why i don't know if he'll ever snap out of it. But in any case it's not about me. And maybe what he most needs right now is compassion. No we aren't always going to stay in that. Supremely differentiated place. We are going to respond defensively and in ways that are unbecoming of us. We might lash out because in that moment we are having all kinds of feelings that we didn't see coming we are imperfect. And in our imperfect fallible nature's. I believe that we are perfect. And that perfection lies in our ability to be with and care for one another. To stay connected and not separate from one another. Did not separate from spirit. Not separate from ourselves. I believe that we are working for perfection not when we are interacting in ways that seem so perfect. But when we are staying engaged even in our imperfection. We might even have a darn good reason for being defensive on some particular day on some particular issue we might regret how we act on that defensiveness maybe even with someone we love. But we move toward perfection beloved community when we stay in relationship anyway. When we learn to see each other as fellow and friends and not enemy when jokester and reasoner can reconcile their differences and work together. Notice doesn't mean we accept abuse. Or leave others unaccountable. It just means we engage with one another when it isn't easy. In our story for all ages just as no one name for god was adequate. So no one of us is adequate. Except in community. Just like all the names for god together create a beautiful picture of some divine entity. So all of us together. Create a beautiful picture of some divine entity. And the trick is to understand and appreciate and see one another for who we are. Not for who we aren't not for whom we want others to be. We need to understand and appreciate ourselves. For who we are and not who we wish we were. The story says. They knelt by a lake that was clear and quiet like a mirror. God's mirror. Invite you to consider. What others might look like. When mirrored back to you in some holy mirror. Sam divine. Near. I would love. Imagine that. Especially that person you cannot stand. Maybe that person at. Work or church you're on the tv who drives you up the wall. What does that person look like in god's near. When you can see the beginning and the end and all the reasons why a person might behave the way they do. When you can see them. As yours. And you as theirs. In our imperfections in our brokenness. When we stepped on one another's toes while we disappoint in rage and offend. I hope. We can stay committed toward our highest vision of beloved community. And see one another and ourselves reflected in this mirror of divine love. I hope we might find our most. Perfect cell. Not in isolation. Put in the perfection of right relationships with those. Who need us and those whom we need. Our story said. Then each person who had a name for god. Looked at the others who had a different name. They looked into god's mirror and saw their own faces and the faces of all the others. And they called out their names for god source of light creator of light. Source of life shepherd maker of peace my rock healer redeemer. Ancient one. Comforter. Mother father. Friend. All at the same time. At that moment the people knew that all the names for god we're good. And no name was better than another. Then all at once their voices came together. And they call god. May we find that oneness in our community. Amen and blessed.

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Sermon_060511.mp3

Well here we are. Still. There have been. By one count on one website i think it's something like the end of the world box. Has there been over 100. Very high visible. Declarations of the end of the world in just the last. A hundred years or so i want a year. And so it's almost becomes background noise for us. I didn't even use of movie plot device in ghostbusters. You know. Funny. Whenever wedding revelation at the mirror. You know what i'm saying how you know. Dogs and cats living together. I think at the direct quote. I think for the reason why this stock resonates with us and end you know. This most recent. Declaration of the end of the world on may 21st at 6 in each time zone. That i don't get it. Maybe said greenwich mean time or something like that. Charles schulz. Peanuts pain once said. It's not can't deal world can end today cuz it's tomorrow someplace else already. When harold camping who's the 89 year-old. Patriarch an owner millionaire multi-millionaire owner of the. Family. Radio network. Began talking about this. And then putting over million dollars of his own resources into advertising campaign since billboard billboard. Waiting until may be single book. I felt like i hit it was her bingo i thought. One day. And as interesting as if you really believe this he would have spent all his money putting up the billboard. But you didn't. So i have to waive that consideration in my thinking. About his sincerity. As. 1. Minister put it this guy is not an evan jellicle he's not a minister. Mister. Peter hood said of mr. camping he is self-deluded. Most of the folks in the christian community at-large where up hall. Buy this for variety of reasons. Some technical and some. More moral. But the fact that. People waiting for the end of the world they have given up. Everything. Awesome selling everything. Burning their bridges. Quite literally sometimes. Because of this expectation. One young man twenty-seven-year-old name. Mister daniels who's talk about inn in new zealand. Talk about. A reporter. Was talking to him and he says well we're still watching and waiting for christ's return. And mr daniel said adding it's a beautiful night for a rapture. He said. That while there had been a few dramatic geological hiccups this weekend and earthquake in new zealand volcano in iceland he was nothing compared with the end of the world would be like. Call a volcano is a volcano mr. daniel said. This is the end of the world. That's not even an order. Beatles to say. You didn't come to pass. But that doesn't mean there was a harmless. And the way. Of these things. Things don't have to go moon moore slash or fries or flash. Across the field. Like it may be the end of the world as we know it. Close r.e.m.. Sing a song a lot lately and if i could have found a really good video we would have been playing it. This change that were experiencing workshops we had yesterday here. Was on technology. And the technological goal that exists between generations is enormous. Is getting bigger. I got a two-and-a-half-year-old who's going to live in a world that i never. Fathom. And i thought i was pretty out there as far as projecting science-fiction stuff than. Ghetto kind of having a grasp on the teacher. Nothing much. According to scientists we are now living in a new and unique environmental epoch. That is completely of human making. Something. That i know was not i was not raised thinking about. In the sixties and seventies and yet it will likely be the reality of my children and all of our descendants. 400. Gears. So. Yeah the sense that the end-of-the-world is coming is understandable. It is even understandable how some would give into a nihilistic. Self-destructive impulse 21 it all to blow off and let god sort it out and start over. By putting god in charge at least we know who is in charge. And if somebody is in charge. And what we have to do to get through. This chaos. We know what the rules are. But there are rules. Getting many ways we as human beings have been here. Before. There was some of you may not know this we are now pretty certain scientifically there was a mass die-off. Several thousands of years ago that nearly wiped off the planet. We know this from studies of genetic markers. And because of this narrowing down of the total human population to only a few thousand individuals. We are actually all much more closely related than we ever first expected. That may be covered into some of us others may be a little disconcerting. The plagues of medieval europe. And a little ice age that helped bring them on starting around the end of the first millennium. There's a wonderful books been out for quite a long time for the distant mirror that deals with all of these issues of how there really was a sense that this was the end of the world for good reason. All. The signs though. Half-day end. Annie are still. Thanks to our ancestors. Number lock. Clean living. Good genes. And the reality is as jay gordon melton. Talk about. We are not going to change the minds of the folks who have swallowed the theological hook. Studies show that most people who emotionally and or otherwise invest themselves and extreme belief systems. Find ways to reinterpret their beliefs. Rather than give them up. So my point here is not convinced those were already certain the end is near. Rather to clarify why we do not take the path all too often taken. And what it means for us as unitarian universalist. Four basic points. Four main reasons. That we is unitarian universalist reject this addiction. Apocalyptic. Prediction. I was very. Out of that. Addiction to apocalyptic prediction. First one is. Bad biblical scholarship. Book of daniel and other biblical prophets were delivering warnings and messages to the powers of their own time he even the author of revelation was talking about rome. That's. Did mark of the beast 666 that was nero. This is all settled biblical scholarship. Oh yeah. So basically. They were telling the people the powers and principalities are there on time to straighten up and fly right or you're going to be in for a heck of a woman. They were not talking. To us or about us. And our time. The second part of that is the concept of the rapture. Which figures is part of the most recent entice predictions is not in the bible. Did you know this. How many beano the rapture is not in the bible. There are some sources for its starting in the fifteen hundreds of people who came up with this idea. It really gained some steam the end of the nineteenth century when it was put into a biblical criticism that was run down the middle between the columns of the bible so people would be reading along the bible verses and they would read over to the criticism and they internalised it as if it was part of the scriptural text itself. This is the understanding that second second sociologists have understood how this came to be so entrenched. The rapture is not in the bible. Doesn't exist. It is extra biblical. Second main concept. Jesus himself. Said. No one can know the hour of. The coming of god. But all of that day and hour no one knows not even the angels of heaven that my father only. In the book of matthew and mark. So what is it with all the predictions stuff. I think it's the need to control. Our reality. As practitioners of liberal religion the idea of making prosthetic prognostication is generally inconsistent with our understanding that revelation is open and constantly changing. The truth. Is not steal. For some of us who work with astrology historically so i guess this would create problems. We have kind of know if we can't really predict things. The future has not happened though and he's not fixed. And therefore it cannot be known in advance. This is a. Basic tenant. Of liberal religion. As you turn universalist also we firmly believe. As we said in our reading a common destiny. That we all have the same. Even if we do not fully understand what that might be. There is no electric. Unless you mean. Everybody. Eunice the whole concept of a raptor. Etc becomes unnecessary. Superfluous and a bit ridiculous. In the classic sense of ridiculous ridicule. That just laughed at. Force major point one of the cornerstones of liberal religion is that the sources divine and human that are available for the achievement of meaningful change. Justify an attitude of ultimate but not necessarily immediate optimism. There is hope in the ultimate abundance of the universe. This flies directly in the face of the nihilism that says let you know kill them all i got sorted out. James luther adams susan smith park yesterday about the five smooth stones of liberal religion. Comes from some of his talking. He says the information of the moral obligation to direct one's efforts for the establishment of a johnson loving community is a central component. Of what it means to be liberal. Religion. And the denial of the immaculate conception of virtue and the affirmation of the necessity of social incarnation. In other words good must consciously to give informant power within history. So part of our obligation is to confront. These things are going on. God is not going to step in and either turn up the heat or pour biscuits out of the fire. After we set our own house on fire. We are all still here. And so we have to deal with the situation at hand. Just like cleaning up after the natural disasters in tuscaloosa. Will my wife used to serve when the tornado hit that town it broke my heart cuz i knew some places there are joplin missouri where i have gone through many many times. Are these other places. Graphic katrina. You're still here. And we have to deal with the consequences of the world we live in. And. Realize that we have the resources. Both. Physical and moral and spiritual to deal with this. And we have a moral obligation to do so. For the common good. We don't get out of it because god. Close the crystal and yells everybody out of the pool. We do have an obligation to lead in dealing with the problems and crises that human beings. Have created and are creating for ourselves and our descendants. We also have the obligation to vigorously counter. The falsehoods. That have damaging effects on people's lives individually. And a waste of our time and resources. Collectively. We can. Training with david letterman. And laugh. At people. Or we can. Put ourselves a little bit more on the line and actually. Challenge. Them not to change them but in order that there may be two sides to the conversation. In the public square. And in. Private rooms that we all inhabit with other people. More more that's on facebook. Twitter. And those kinds of places. This is not something we can say though the minister will take care of this. This is now. Part of. The global conversation. The everyone of us is now a part of in our world. This is not. Are you using or. No class. Thing or anything else this is a people thing in the world. This is the reality. We are all now in a global conversation. It is through that global conversation. That true. Will be determined. If we do not speak up and participate in that conversation. Then we will be buried under our moral high ground. So rejoice. The end is not near. We are still here. We still have each other. Better or for worse. We still have a world that is magnificent. Joy love. To be caressed. Devote in and of. Soleta steak. All of this. Into the future. And make a world. So amazing. But no one with using speech about. Wanting.

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20140209-Homily_2.mp3

One of my most visited childhood memories is lying on a blanket. In my backyard and arid eastern washington state. And watching the moon and the stars. The dry desert air made the stars seem to be just beyond the reach of my four-year-old arms. The absolute majesty of creation swelled in my tiny being. And i burst into a song of praise for the night sky. I still remember that feeling of connectedness to everything that is. My mother eventually called me in to go to bed. And i was excited of course. I couldn't sleep without a story. Mama stories all began with once upon a time. If you promise not to go to sleep i'll tell you some stories. These stories don't start with once upon a time they start with in the beginning. From china in the beginning the heavens and the earth. We're still one and always chaos. The universe was like a big black egg. Caring pongu inside itself. After 18 thousand years pongu woke from a long sleep. He took up a broad axe and will need it with all his might to crack open the egg. The light clear part of it floated up to the heavens to form sky. And the cold yoke stay below to form the earth. Pongu stood in the middle his head touching the sky his feet planted on the earth. The heavens and the earth begin to grow and pain grew grew along with them. After another eighteen thousand years the sky was higher. The earth sticker and pongu stood between them like a pillar so that they would never join again. When pongo died his breath became the wind and the clouds his voice the rolling thunder. When i became the sun and one eye the moon. His body and limbs turned 25 big mountains. And his blood form the roaring waters. His veins became far stretching roads. And his muscles fertile land. The stars in the sky came from his hair and his beard. The flowers and trees came from his skin in the fine hairs on his body. His marrow turn to jade and pearls. His sweat flowed like the good rain in the sweet dude that nurtures all things on earth. The fleas and lice on his body became the ancestors of mankind. From tahiti. In the beginning he was. Toroa was his name he stood in the void no earth no stein oh man. Aurora called the four corners of the universe. And nothing replied. Alone existing he changes himself into the universe. Turo is the light he is the seed he is the base he is the incorruptible. The universe is only the shell of terroah it is he who puts it in motion and brings forth its harmony. From the ancient city of ur. In the beginning is only namo shiva the sweet fertile waters mother of everything. She is a goddess without a spouse she is the self procreating womb of the universe she is the primal matter. The mother who gave birth to heaven and earth and all the gods. Namu is the mother of enki. God of magic crafts and wisdom in oriska doll the goddess of the underworld. More importantly to us now movies the goddess who had the idea of creating humankind. From the zulu people of south africa. In the beginning. The ancient one known as in kulu kulu. Gru from the reeds and from the reeds he brought forth the people and the cattle. He created everything that is. Mountain streams animals and humans he taught the zulu how to hunt. How to make fire and how to grow food. He's the first man and he dwells in all he created. From the huron people of north america. In the beginning there was only one water and the water animals that lived in it. Then a woman fell from a torn place in the sky. She was a divine woman stole of power. Tulunes flying over the water saw her falling. They flew under her clothes together making a pillow for her to sit on. The loons held her up and cried for help. They could be heard for a long way as they called for the other animals to come. The snapping turtle ordered all the other animals to aid and saving the divine woman's life. The animals decided the woman eater earth to live on. The turtle said dive down in the water and bring up some earth. So they did that. Each time turtle looked inside their mouth when they came up. But there was no earth to be found. Toad went under the water he stayed down too long and he nearly died. But when turtle looked inside toad's mouth he found a little earth. The woman took it and put it all around on turtle shell and that was the start of the earth. The dryland grew until it forms a country and then another country and another country and then all the earth. To this day turtle holds up the earth. Time passed and the divine woman had twin boys. They were opposites her son's one was good and one was bad. When was warmest born as children are usually born in the normal way. But the other one broke out of his mother's side and she died. When the divine woman was buried. All the plants needed for life on earth spring from the ground above her from her head camden pumpkinvine. Maize came from her chest and pool route beans growth group of her legs. From the hebrew scriptures. In the beginning god created the heaven and the earth. Now the earth was unformed and void and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the spirit of god hovered over the face of the waters. And god said let there be light and there was light. And god saw the light that it was good and god divided the light from the darkness. And god called the light day and the darkness he called night. And there was evening and there was morning one day. The stories continue to tell the creation of all the familiar things we know and love. There are differences to be sure but the similarities of the stories are striking. Looking up at the moon and stars at night who is not moved by the majesty of all that is feeling the warm sun. During the day who does not marvel at the steaming order that seems to exist. Sitting around the warm glow of the fire who is not moved to try to explain how everything came to be. In the beginning. What magic those words evoke. These are stories to be sure. Stores that could just as well begin with once upon a time. This creation mythology exists all around the world in every culture. Not remember just because something is mythical. Does not mean. And not factual does not mean that it's not true. These stories carry a deep religious truth. The truth is we are all connected to the mystery. We are all connected to each other. And we are all connected to the web of all except.

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20131020-Message-For-All-Ages.mp3

Good morning again. Our message for all ages today comes from the story the pumpkin patch. Which itself is a traditional buddhist tale. Illustrated here by june akan and retold by sybil taylor. There once was a very wise old man who lived in the country in the little house with the garden where he grew good things to eat. The old man loved all the living things around him. He liked to watch his pumpkin patch grow. But one day the pumpkins began to quarrel. I'm the biggest one. I'm the highest to the sky i'm the roundest. You're mean i don't care that you're just a baby. So what you're crowding me i'm the sweetest i'm the closest to the earth. When the old man heard the racket. He looked out of his window and said. Please pumpkins stop. No more talking. Just sit very. Very quietly together. Sit very very still. And very very silent. Like this. Why ask the littlest pumpkin. The wise old man just smiled and said. Try it. Nc. The sun went down over the garden and in the pumpkin patch the pumpkin set very. Very still. And very very silent. Stars and moon came out and the old man slapped. And pumpkins continue to sit very very still and very very silent. Rain fell in clouds flew by and still the pumpkins sat on until it last. The morning sun rose up. Pumpkins. The old man said. Did you learn something. Yes they all said happily welearn. That we all feel the same thing. We all feel the warm sun on our skin. Helping us to be strong and to grow. We all feel the raindrops. Bring fresh water to the earth. Enter the thirsty roots of our irvine mother. We all feel our vine mother drinking up the water and feeding it to each and everyone of us through our stems. And we know that one. And all. R1. We are connected together in a single. Great big beautiful pumpkin pie. And the wise old man smiled and said. Good. And then he went into his house house. An eighth. Delicious.

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20130908-Sermon.mp3

Let them eat cake. Now i thought that was going to be a great title for this sermon. Unlike an ad like often times we are mistaken about the things we assume we know. This is one of the reasons we are a tradition that challenges and. Criticizes and lifts up reason as well as. Ar. Subjective experiences are passions are aesthetics. Our joys are emotions and the things we carry forward to our traditions. Because we need to be challenged on our assumptions. Lynn mcbride who is the author of southern fried french food she's former south carolina now living in france. She says let's start our apollo memory first of all. The consensus is that she never uttered these words marie antoinette. They were uttered by even the wife of louis the fourteenth or a tuscan duchess. Perhaps a hundred years earlier. Any offender actually said let them eat brioche. Which at that time may or may not have meant an egg rich bread. Or it may have been the scrapings from the baker's oven. Or it may have even been a bread named after a brie cheese. We're not going to be bogged down in that debate. I still think it's an interesting image. I was always told it wasn't that marie antoinette was oblivious to things she just didn't care. You know let them eat the scraping some the baker's oven. Boy that's pretty indicting. But even if marie antoinette or somebody else didn't actually say that or that's not what they met is still an interesting thing to ponder on i think an interesting image for us to. Think about. Because that's what i often feel like we are told these days. When we mentioned we do not have bread. Well just delete the scrapings from the oven. Money. Is a kind of. Liquidpower. One of the interesting definitions of how i learned years ago is that power is the ability to create. Shape. Or inhibit change. It has no ethical value by itself think of electricity. But it amplifies the agenda of whoever uses it. Just like electricity can amplify our ability to get work done. The reality of our situation. Is that over 33 years we've been getting the shaft. During the whole of my adult life time since college since 1980. It has been harder and harder for the overwhelming majority of the american people in this country to support themselves with full-time work. Wages of essentially remain flat. Well per person gross domestic product the vaunted gdp has been skyrocketing. So where's the difference gone now as paul stieglitz mentioned. The formal term is called rent-seeking. The way i remember this is it it's like monopoly. Okay. The game monopoly the practice of getting control of more and more of the wealth available. And then using it or leveraging it to generate more wealth at the expense of everybody else. It does not grow the pie. There's some symptoms and consequences of all of this that many of us will be familiar with. But often been interpreted in the wrong way. The religious right and many other social conservatives have decried the fall of the traditional family women going to the workplace all that fun stuff right. Play blame it on the feminazis. And and you know it we know who we are and. Right so they pee it out. But the reality is that women came into the workplace. Did not bring america down but women had you overwhelmingly enter the workplace in order for the families to try to maintain our previous standards of living. My wife and i have to have to. Basically full-time incomes. In this economy. To have a very modest home. 10 raised two children. Where my parents did it and raised six. In comfort. Can i make. More than my dad did. Another symptom. And consequences credit card another consumer debt explosion. Has driven mainly. Been driven mainly by those of us trying to maintain or even attained a previous standard of living. That we could not buy work alone. Credit cards became our emergency funds because it was becoming and became and is often too hard. To approve the savings we have previously used for those things. Summed up an editorial cartoon in this morning's dallas morning news. Titled the american worker of 2013. Shows a bewildered worker holding three paychecks from three different part-time jobs in one hand. And the other hand a piece of paper indicating there are no health care benefits. What are we to do. What's going on. More about my paycheck. Wake up sounds of summer dream. We wonder why. We fight the telling you have to show her. We jumped into the car and drive with two blown. Muster up. He's already speculated and talked about some of the cost of our situation. One of the biggest assumptions that has been made is. That we can. Tighten our belt. Through this and somehow. Come out better than we were before. I think that's sort of like putting on a corset. I keep on lacing it up without expecting it to damage the internal organs. At a certain point something's gotta give. Austerity just doesn't work. There's a wonderful effect this wonderful image hear of that. It's the austerity stupid says the headline. Mother jones. The author of this particular article talks about about the 90% paper. That was put out by. A couple of harvard economist. Reinhart and rogoff. Somebody or nodding yes okay the research that was being used to support the whole push for austerity not just here but in europe too has proved to be utterly. False. When a bunch of people especially research students at other colleges started researching. The data that stood behind this their study and their papers it proved they were completely wrong. And they have now been made academic laughing stocks. And so all of these politicians and policymakers and pundits have bought into this whole idea that austerity was the way to grow us into a new way of being. Should have egg on their face. But they don't why do so many people get on the bandwagon with these people. The author here says that. Reinhart and rogoff were pushing on an open door. There were lots of powerful actors p peterson grover norquist the washington post editorial page. Ready to leap at the chance to pretend that their pursuit of us of austerity was motivated not by politics or self-interest. But merely bar virtuous desire to be kanak to grow the economy. The 90% paper provided them the cover. Thank you serious. He's snoring quite eloquently available. Yeah me too me too baby the point is that a steriti is only working out fine for 1% or less actually less than 1%. Their jobs are safe. Their investments are growing and our taxes are low. But the rest of us are paying a high price in the form of slow growth. Hire unemployment. And for years stagnant and even lower wages. All things considered. We've been remarkably patient. And sanguine about all of this. The folks who run the world. Might do well to ponder how long that might last. There are things that we gain from public investments. Like farm to market road 20. Visiting my family in iowa as a kid my dad would point out how great those market farm-to-market roads were. An improvement over the old gravel roads and dirt roads the farmers had to use. There a lot of moral assumptions that have been laid on. A lot of things that are actually value-neutral. And that's why some of this is important to us as a religious community not just because of. The prophetic implications. Debt. How many of us have a twinge debt. Right. You know. Somehow it's been beaten into us or we pick it up somewhere. But that is a. Moral neutral. Function of the economy. Just like income it depends upon how you use it. If you use public debt. To do something stupid and frivolous. It's not a good thing. But if you do use it. To create long-term investment in infrastructure or education. Especially. If you can have a short-term stimulus effect you create long-term economic growth which more than pays for the debt. Inputs. The money back in. Another assumption that we often have that brings our own moral prejudices into play. In wrongly again so is the assumption that household economics. Has the same dynamics as economics on a communal or national scale. Government spending needs to be countercyclical. When everybody else is tightening their belts they need to be to spender of last resort. To keep everything from falling into the basement. And yet some of us still insist on saying all we got a titan about we got to be you know and and buy into essentially is. Post a misperception. And. Cynically carried out by many and our cultural i. Another thing is that trickle down economics doesn't work. Packers a whole host of. Economic policies. That are still around even though they have been disproven just like the paper i was telling about there's even a book called zombie economics. The great book. How did ideas still walk among us like the idea of privatize social security and efficient physical markets. Physical markets are not efficient. They never have been because their subject. The human emotional input. And they also just never reach levels of efficiency that are assumed. So why are these ideas still here. Cuz i have to have resonance with somebody and somebody's. Got a vested interest in making sure that those ideas are still maintained. We are suffering the consequences of all of these things and they are ahead of us. And for our children if we don't do something. About it. And why are we concerned with this we're just a religious community. Why is this important to us. Talk about this. Today. Somebody know what it was that jesus used to talk about more than anything else. Come on speaker money right he never said a word about gay marriage. Nothing. Never said anything about deficits. Never said anything about gun control. Or the right to bear arms. But he did talk about money a whole lot. Now we understand jesus to be a tremendously powerful powerful prosthetic moral teacher. And tried to listen to what he has to say. And if so many in our society claimed that we are quote-unquote a christian nation. And if we are then we're certainly not following. But jesus talked about. Does jesus talk a whole lot more about feeding the poor. And. Talk about. Richmond trying to get to heaven by passing a camel through the eye of a needle or something like that right. He made people nervous. Jesus challenged the foundations of empire. That people forget what the prophets actually say instead celebrate the prophets life. Cm of dr. king. March on washington. We had 50th anniversary i've not too long ago people forget that that was the march on washington. 4 jobs. As well. And the doctor king experienced his worst experiences in the western suburbs of chicago. Not in the deep south. Because he challenged economic status quo for a lot of people. Who had vested interest. Is unitarian universalist as part of the religious liberal history of this country. We. Are immersed. In what is called the prophetic imperative. We believe in not only the priesthood of all believers but the prophethood of all believers. The one for the elevation and celebration of the holy and the other. For the prophesying. We are called. To challenge. What we call empire. Whether it is. Government or economic interests. We are called. To say. The basic ball truth the emperor has no clothes as we have seen so many of the things we are told so don't worry about that it'll take care of itself the market is self-correcting. Just trust these things have faith in these things. And yet how many of us will court had faith in the market ended up getting reamed when our investments went to hell. When the markets turn down in 2008 and most of them still haven't recovered completely. It may not four years how many of us have family who lost jobs. I know i have many many family members in this area who lost jobs to pay cuts. Heather unions busted. Because it was an excuse to do those things. Have faith. And yet when we say. That's not what our faith is we are called on american we are called. Anti-capitalist. We are called all sorts of bad names. Because we don't agree. With the lies that we're being told. As a religious community. We have an obligation to challenge these things. Not with. Any kind of emotionally equipped you know rabble-rousing. I mean unitarian-universalist just generally don't for mobs all right. Orderly discussion groups yes we're very good at that. But that mobs know i shudder to think what that would actually look like i shut her even more to think about being on the receiving end of that but. But we are called you bring our faith in the thing our faith the things our faith. Promote to the public dialogue. And we even do our private conversations to challenge the people in our daily lives. About their assumptions. Cuz it is much their assumptions that have put us where we are than any others. Teresa laughlin is a professor of economics at palomar college in berkeley. In her online blog the utopian list. Right where the couple years ago she says it's easy to see why concentration of wealth is bad for the poor in the middle class. What is bad for the wealthy as well. Things could turn badly very quickly. One little comment about eating cake and you find your head in the basket at the feet of madame to phone. She says today the concentration of wealth is even more severe than during the great depression. That's something for us to ponder i was raised by depression. Children. Does your greater economic. Income inequality. Here now then there was in egypt and tunisia. Before the arab spring. There are millions of people out of work and struggling to get by there is a concerted effort by some to bust labor unions. And thereby further eroding the middle class. George santayana said the immortal words words those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. And we can hope that the top half of 1% will take the lessons from history. Or. We can await the changes that are sure to come. Sweet. As this congregation as individuals as collections of individuals and families. Have a vested interest. A personal interest. As well as a moral obligation to do something about the circumstance. Now what exactly. There's a lot of possibilities. And i can't point anyone and say thou shalt go to this or thou shalt go out and do that. But what i can say is we need to pay attention. We need to start challenging the status quo a little more. I mean some of us used to have bumper stickers that said challenge the status quo didn't lie. Don't trust authority blah blah blah well. It's time folks. The revolution is now. Is it a hand. And we can either be a part of it or not. So the choice is ours. The weeknd. Speak the truth. Or speak not. We can do the things that need to be done. Even the small thing. Writing a letter writing an email. Challenging. Untruths. Saying what truth is there are and that we know. And if we don't know them there's lots of resources. Everytime i bring stacks of books up here people think i'm going to talk to adam every single book. We're in this together. And while the same tide may not lift all of our boats. The boats we are in. Are going to sink all of us. If we don't stop. The leaks. To come together. Pray. Sing. Worship. Celebrate the things that are. Our nature or nurture our support. The places we gain our power. And then go forth and do the things that need to be done. Not just to take the babies that are being thrown into the river out of the river but to stop people from throwing them in the river. Blessings be upon all of us. Here now. And always as we go forth. To do what we can. When we can as we are able.

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20151004-Sermon.mp3

Good morning. Good morning let me tell you a story. Once upon a time long long ago in the 1960s 16 year old girl in a very very small kansas town now this girl took herself very seriously. She loved everything that was dark and brooding. She tried out for all the school plays. And always got a part but because she was short and very thin she never got there dimatik lead now in fact she was always cast as a child. Imagine this young lady's delight when her english teacher speech teacher. Flash debate coach flash drama coach i mentioned this was a very small town right. Imagine her delight when her teacher told her that she was selected to be one of the students to take a reading to the straight state speech and drama contest better yet she could choose the reading herself. The girls selected the darkest and most brooding poem she could find and she practice performing it and hermosa dark and brooding boy. Early on the day of the contest she dressed in her best. White lace blouse. White tights lavender dirndl skirt. And white patent leather mary jane shoes and set out with her teacher and the other students for the state contest. Tell that you're in fort scott kansas. When the time came for her performance she read dylan thomas's poem do not go gentle into that good night with all the brooding foreboding and anger she could muster. The girl was satisfied with her performance but when she received the judges critique forms. The universally recommended that such a cute tiny girl should be performing like comedy readings perhaps the maternal point of view. She should under no circumstances read poems about death by melancholy jonathan welsh poet. Three guesses who that girl was. Fast forward almost 50 years and i can now see the judges point of view. There was no way i should have been reciting poems about death. Not because i was short and thin. Not because i was a girl. Not because i had chosen to dress myself like a ten-year-old that day. But because it's 16 i have simply not done enough living. They have any real concept of mortality. I had not experienced enough joy. Or sorrow enough pain. Enough watch to read that poem with genuine conviction. How do i feel about just now that i'm farther down the road to that ultimate reality completely. If i sometimes forget how far down the road i am i have plenty of reminders here's a sample of my recent mail. This one says 65 zone ahead. Advertisement for a medicare advantage program. Here's one offering me a free gourmet meal all i have to do is listen to a retirement investment seminar. And this one for a free senior hearing aid check-up and my favorite i mahler from the neptune society. Offering me a chance to read a chance to win a free cremation and i've noticed i've noticed that lately store clerk automatically give me the senior discount. I used to have to remind them. Everything is conspiring to remind me that i'm not that sixteen-year-old girl who thought death romantic. But i've come to realize that the mortality i fear is not mine. But that of my family and friends i remember tiptoeing into my children's rooms at night. To make sure they were still breathing. When they started to drive i couldn't rest until they were safe at home. No one warned me that once you have children you never have another good night sleep. Both my parents have passed on my father when he was younger than i am now from lung cancer. The result of a 3-pack add a habit acquired when he was just 18 a newly drafted soldier given cigarettes as part of his rations. Mama died a few years ago just stays shy of her 85th birthday she died from an upper respiratory infection she had contracted at the alzheimer's unit over nursing home. Do i miss her some at her death seemed like a release from pain not a tragedy. I've lost high school classmates all along the way starting soon after graduation when the war in vietnam was in full swing. I'm continuing ever since from car accidents cancer and heart attacks and a few suicides. The list of people who will make it to our 50th reunions is dwindling. Since i've admitted to being 16 in the 1960s. And you know that i've got a 50th for union sometime in my near future you know i'm part of the boomer generation. That huge bubble of humanity that emerged after world war ii when the greatest generation got down to the business of reproducing. We boomers are praised in some quarters and much-maligned and others. But i think it's fair to say that we were and are self-absorbed perhaps that explains the increasing interest in longevity and transfeminism. We boomers are not ready to go gentle into that good night. In fact some of us are ready to fight the dying of the light with pharmaceutical supplements and robotic replacement body parts when all else fails and personality the some kind of immortal robotic contraption. Maybe that is the ultimate self-absorption some of us boomers intend to stay here forever. Forever's a long time but i've read a few articles that mention extending lifespans to a million years. I have to say i find that very creepy. I want to lift up that the joy of life is its fragility is the ephemeral nature. The beauty of the morning glory is that it's gone by the afternoon. The reason we left snow in north texas is that it melts in just a few hours. If the sunset hung around all the time we would soon tire of it's a red and gold display. The joy of the sunset is that it processes in tonight. With all nights mystery and wonder. What does ruu faith tell us about more. Morality. Morality. Are universalists forebears tell us if there's no hell no place of eternal punishment for our transgressions. Other than that. Will you use our free to believe what we will about what happens after we die. You use theology tells us that the time we has here in the world of the living is more important than whatever happens after death. No matter how profound that experience maybe. As you use we know for sure that we live on in the memories of our family are friends. And all the people whose lives we have touched. We live on in a good we have done the justice we have worked for. We lived on and all the simple acts of kindness we have performed. You use believe that the way we live our life is our legacy. We are given the assignment to make our life a service to the greater good. Some of us have many resources and we are called on to share these resources with our fellow beings. Some of us have more average means but all of us have the ability to help someone else. It can be as simple as letting someone merge in front of us in traffic. It can be as easy as not giving the person with 20 items in a 15 or less line a dirty look we can all offer a smile or word of encouragement where it's needed. The store clerk. And the food server. May often be treated like robots. Which one day they may be. But for now he's almost smile and let them know we received their humanity. These are some simple things that anyone can do. We also can become more involved at church community church is doing many things that can build our legacy. We're feeding the hungry with the community harvest garden in our assistance to god's food pantry. We are helping the next generation of plano residents with all the volunteer activities and supply drive for barron elementary. You're standing up for lgbt-rights fire support of the equal rights ordinance in plano and buy marching in the allen ross freedom parade each year. We team up with the size center and thank our first responders each september 11th with notes of appreciation and baskets of treats. In the next few weeks will have the opportunity. Give me the opportunity. To witness. To expand our presence in the community with a black lives matter banner. We can do committee work here at church with joy and good grace and rest in the knowledge that we are building this church not just for today before the generations to come. And for those of you who want to keep our financial legacy living on after death. Community who has a plan giving opportunity away to assure financial help for this church. For years to come. Remember we are here to make the world a better place by our lives. So what is my view of my personal immortality now. I have to say. That i feel alive live to its fullest is the answer to building my particular legacy. And like fullest i don't mean i've taken up skydiving or base jumping. That may be fine for some. But not for me. I've never been a thrill seeker. So now i try to live in the present moment. I endeavour to simplest simply and with joy. I want kindness and service to be my legacy. I want to be connected to my fellow beings in this journey to the great mystery. Let me tell you another story this summer i went to a family reunions it was a reunions on my mother's side of the family. And i was reminded several time for relatives had been a long time since i've been to a reunions. In fact it has been 30 years. A lot changes in 30 years some of my youngest cousin's have grandchildren now. I have only one aunt left. Aunt rita. She's the wife of my mother's my mother's youngest brother charlie charlie died about three years ago it occurred to me that except for aunt rita. We myself my sister's my cousin. We were the old folks there. We were the ones with the old memories. We are the keepers of the family stories we are the ones in charge of passing on the family legacy. So i'm working on a project to pass on some of that legacy to the next generation. My mother left me a very special quilt. It's a story quilt. With a block for each house she ever lived in. It came with a spiral-bound notebook. With her memories of each house written in her small precise cursive handwriting. I am intend to have each block of the quilt photograph. Illustrate this book my mother wrote. So carefully inner spiral notebook. I also intend a transcriber handwriting into more readable text. It's a way to make my mother's legacy available to the next generation. Oh and by the way in case you haven't noticed i don't take myself nearly as seriously as i did when i was 16. I do have a poem to read you but it's not an angry poem if not a morbid poem. Yes it's a poem about death but it's also a poem about the ephemeral beauty of life. Actually it's a song by barrymore. But i'm reading this a poem. It's called wave up to the shore. A daffodil is born and rises in the spring. It opens out its beauty to hear the crickets sing. But as quick as it does grow it a cake decays away so soon. Before the summer sun sunshine has reached its golden noon. Before the summer sunshine has reached its golden noon. Extreme it does rise from the mountains so tall it swells into a river and gently it does fall. It meanders through valley through city through town. But in the boundless ocean this river it is ground. I in the boundless ocean this river it is ground. On the see the winds do rajon the waves grow so high. Whitening the surface as they reach up to the sky. But soon the wave to go gentle no longer do they roar. As they make their lonesome passageway up to the pebble shore. As they make their lonesome passageway. Up to the pebbled shore. If i was like the daffodil so far upon the ground or like the winding river with its sweet and mellow sound. Like a wave up to the shore like a river to the sea. I'd lay down in my resting place contented there to be i'd lay down in my resting place and contented i would be. So answer sermon.

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Sermon_0913_p1.mp3

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Sermon_080711.mp3

So what i am doing here this morning. Is reflecting on watch spirituality is. Tumi. Did i hope you can find something in this reflection. Connect with you. And your life. Actually. I have noticed for some time that unitarians are very curious. And interest. Enn about spirituality. What is it. Our spiritual. Branson really real. Can unitarians have spiritual. This seems to be two kinds of unitarian responses. Virtuality. The first is of the temp. To try too hard. To be spiritual. It is i believe. The source of the new age. And pagan forms of religiosity and unitarianism today. The other kind of response come from those who bemoaned the fact. Neither. Response. Appropriate. They both missed the point. Of what street valatie really is. And there are two kinds of experiences that we generally experience new jersey we can call them. Spiritual experiences and religious experiences. And they are not. Spiritual experiences are natural experiences. Almost everybody during their lifetime has some visual experience. Experiences of all. Beauty. Love. Meaningfulness. Something to experience them only occasionally but others seem to be blessed with an abundance. Religious experiences are. Man-made experiences. Their experiences that occur most often during rituals. And almost always. Social setting. Their experiences like the release of guilt that comes with a communion. Are the feelings of identity in membership. Then a baptismal service can generate. The unfortunate part is. The church takes credit for both kinds of. But what religious experience is required search within which to occur. Spiritual experiences do not. Naturalist from henry david thoreau. Delaura knisley regularly report deep and moving spiritual experiences. In nature. I'm not dissing religion. Experiences here. I think they can be useful and have a place but because their instruments. Social interaction they can also be instruments of social manipulation. Which day off. Ar. The child abuse scandals in the roman catholic church. Is one example of how religion. Experience. Haven't you. The results. Has been. So many people. No longer trust religion. And i don't blame you. I am very much. A humanist. I do not believe there is a god. Nor do i believe in anything. Supernatural. There is naught i believe any kind of life after death. And i have come even sit down. Did there was a jesus as depicted in the bible. Instead jesus i believe is an item a face. As much a myth a hebrew miss. Just as the egyptian greek and god roman gods and goddesses. But regardless of my skepticism. I also consider my. Army consider myself. A very. Spiritual person. You've no doubt heard the expression. I'm not religious but i am spiritual. That goes double. Well most people. Pry. At sad movies. I cry. Happy happy outcomes. My daughter. Went through a phase. Going to movie within happily she was saying out loud so everybody in the theater could hear what's the matter daddy. Of course there was that she knew i would be with tears running down my face. I enjoy watching the tv show the biggest loser but i wind up crying and almost every episode i watched. Is this mean spiritual. It is. But you explain why will require more than a little explanation. So here you go. What does the word spiritual really imply anyway. When i was in seminary at meadville lumbar. School in chicago. I constructed what i thought was a good translation of the word spirit. Spiritual and spirituality from how they are so often used. 2. What most people actually seem to mean when they use those were. He goes something like this. Spirit. Is that which has meaning. Therefore. Spiritual. It's a feeling of being meaningful. Against. Spirituality. Is the meaningfulness. That one can often does derive from the world at large. That's a long way from the original meaning of the word spirit. Richmond. Breath. But i think connecting the spiritual wisdom anymore is a lot closer to the way the word is intended. Today. I was pleased recently when i received the summer 2011 uu world magazine. Install an article entitled. Before words the spirituality of humanism. Side italy. I read the article by doug mader. A member of the first parish in bedford massachusetts. In that article mr. muttered to find spirituality has the awareness of the gap. Between what you experience and watch you can describe. But that definition. Didn't do. Airplane. Are we describing spirituality has a gap. Something that doesn't exist. No no no no. I believe spirituality is something that is real something that does exist i know it when i feel it. It needs. Appositive definition. Not a negative. Feeling the need to get spirituality a positive spin. How to return to that definition of spruce of the spiritual that i had constructed in seminary. That is. How does existence of something meaningful. Create ceiling. A being spiritual. The first thing i noticed is that. Meaning to me occurs. When i have deep feelings. That is the most. I'll bring some to tag id ceilings with meanings. Which incidentally explains why i cry it episodes of the biggest loser. I am i have learned. Very open to the emotions within which others finds meaning. When others find meaning. At losing weight. Are winning a national championship. The emotion. Is overwhelmed. And i often cry. Can you cry. It feels good. But. Like all feelings. Not all feelings are tagged with meaning. So what is the difference. Between ceiling. That wind up being mean meaningful. Enzo's. It took a lot of thinking. In a lot of introspection. But i began to understand what's the difference. What. It gradually begins to dawn. The breakthrough came for me when i began to understand what cognitive dissonance. And how it played a role in our lives. Cognitive dissonance is a psychological tool. It describes a conflict. Usually resulting in anxiety. New to inconsistencies between one's release. One's actions. Call r. Between opposing set the beliefs. That a single individual holds. At the same time. What are beginning to realize is a cognitive dissonance. Not only occurs between once released but also between once believed someone stealing. But what happened. Not between gif. Different sets of belief. But instead. Between very close. The closer the correlation between one's worldview. And once feeling. The more meaningful that correlation becomes. Or. Put another way. And more. Spiritual. It is. Worldviews and feelings that have a high degree of correlation. Produce a very strong form of spiritual feelings. Those that do not. Have much of a correlation. Arcing dissipated. Unforgotten. And was that inside. I arrived at an understanding what i believe spirituality is. It is when the way one sees the world agrees with the way one feels about it. In other words it is an agreement. Have one's head. And one. I need to provide you some examples. And that's not easy. Because what spiritually spiritually is. At one point. In a person's life. Maybe very different. And another. But i'll try. Yorgos. When i was in junior high school. I read. I read a book that said. Our son was really a star. I never realize that before. It was a. Moving. Spiritual discovery. For me to discover. The sun. What's a star. And i am still. Rossi although son. Blazing. In the night sky. Another example. I have two degrees in geology and work for a while as an exploration geologist. Flying school my professors. Repeatedly stressed the importance of the beginning of the cambrian.. That time that mark the beginning of abundant life on earth. The cambrian is also often described as the cambrian explosion. What causes the sun. Sudden an abundant appearance of animal organisms. The beginning of the cambrian is marked by a time marker. Call the cambrian pre-cambrian contact. The contact of cambrian rock that rest on conformably. On older. Precambrian rocks. The cambrian precambrian contact outcrops at various places. Throughout the united states. Probably most notably. And near the base of the grand canyon. What's on a field trip. The southern missouri. Our instructor pointed out and exposed carson. Of the cambrian. Pre-cambrian contact. When i laid my hand on that 542 million-year-old timewalker. Realizing the significance of what followed it in the earth. It was. It was a wild experience. A spiritual. I still hope. The cambrian. Precambrian walker. Special. One more example. At the end of wwii. Do united states assume too many ugly. Control many of the contact death camps run by nazis. One of them. You wanted a cow. What converted by the american army into a military stockade. For american prisoners. G.i. who had gone awol or just hurt it. When i was in the army i was stationed for a while as agar. I live with the knowledge of the horror that place daily. But it was just that. Intellectual horror nothing. Years later my wife and i. Visited a calendar. We went through the preserve barracks. And the remains of the gas chamber there. We decided to see if we can find any record. Norbert capek. The unitarian minister. Who started the flower to me. He was a minister of the largest unitarian church in the world at the time. In prague. He had been arrested by the nazis or helping many people escaped nazi rule. And sent it back out. We found it. With the help. I will german lady is our assistance. We found a two-line tambien. In the camp records. As a prisoner. Incarcerated. Backhoe. He was designated as a surfer. Meaning father. But all the messy called all clergy. I recall being so overwhelmed with ceiling. And i could not help. My cognigy world was suddenly connected with my beliefs and the feeling. That suddenly erupted within me was one of the most movies at the feelings i have every. It was. There are many sources of spiritual experiences. Music is a biggie. So is meditation. So it's good literature. I would be willing to bet that there is no one here who has not read a good book that made them. Heal. And his nose and much snow. Show is silent. Solitude. We seem to try to find ways to avoid. Silence and solitude in our modern workaday world. Which i believe is a real chain. Or at least to a drought. A spiritual feeling. The world today is so filled with driving music video games and movies with artificial realities that his wonder anyone can experience anything spiritual anymore. That wasn't him. Connect. Their tongue is the worldview. With their emotions. And no the sweet joy. Second timer. Spiritual experiences. Are the sweet candy of life. Is hard to get enough. What you begin to experience spiritual you automatically one more. The normal experience of the spiritual stands between ordinary life. And the mystic. Mystic seemed to be caught up in the spiritual. Just as much as addicts do was their obsession. He does not seem to me. To be healthy. Line was out spirituality also seems to be. Bland and empty. We need spirituality to give our alive meaning and color and vitality. As benjamin franklin warren all things in moderation. Or as the buddha recommended. Seek the middle way. That is. Too much. We come to church in the hopes of being moved spiritually. Sometimes we are. One of the best ways to obtain obtain spiritual experiences. Is the find a guy or a spiritual coach. What is the east. Call guru. The second thing we need to do. Is learn how not to miss our spiritual experiences. When they occur. We need to distract an awareness of. And for. Spiritual feelings. So that we do not rush past them in our modern hurry up live. There is something to be said for. Smell the roses. And lastly. We need to make it a practice. The getaway. Telephone. Tvs. And computers. Every so often. And allow the silence and the solitude that is always there. Every american airline. I will not promise you that if you get away. You will have a spiritual experience. But i will promise you that if you don't you probably won't have such experiences. And i will not promise you that if you come to my chorus called adventures in religion at 7 p.m. on thursday evening when the annex building next door over there. You will learn how to have a spiritual experience but i can promise you. That you will learn a lot more about religion. And that will increase your talk receive understanding of religion so that when it is emotional event. Does occur. It will correlate was that kognity taunton. And it will be spirit. Secular spiritual experiences ri hours if we choose. It is not a betrayal. Of our naturalistic are unitarian values our worldviews. Spiritual. Is a normal and natural things they don't come from god they are human products. They can be. Your store. Amini's especially when meaning is in short supply. Our bridge over troubled waters. They are usually fleeting. When they occur and if we are aware of their presence. They are a price.