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uuctucson_org

Slide0028.mp3

Issue number 5 is processing center conditions. Holding cells kept at extreme temperature blankets filthy or denied altogether migrants forced to sleep on over chrome the floor. Bikers are verbally and physically abused migrants are not informed of their right to legal counsel and to contact their consulate.

uuctucson_org

Sermon200126.mp3

Our call to worship words this morning come from chicano poet francisco alarcon may our ears hear what nobody wants to hear may i see what everyone wants to hide marimow speak our true faces and hearts amer armsby branches that give shade and joy let us be a drizzle a sudden storm let us get wet in the rain and the door the kick the ball the road let us arrived as children to this huge playground the universe come let us worship together will you continue with me and the spirit of meditation and prayer whatever is your own style this prayer is titled a prayer to this disaster is written by michael boosie and it wasn't written this week was not written this week you are trying to kill our joy but you have no idea how strong disaster makes us. Joy is permanent not temporary or erasable as it seems civil rights are joy is sturdy not weak and shifty as it seems our leaders are joyous deep not shallow or fleeting as it seems our democracy is. You are trying to kill our joy but we are a community a country of first responders. And deepen our souls we've already begun to triage to staunch the tragic flow even as a shock of you gives gives us temporary amnesia joy is not happiness. And if it were we'd be up a creek. Joy is the consonants that as we sit frozen in fear today our minds are coming back to remind us that we don't give up on joy or right for one another's lives without a fight. And then in the face of disaster as saints mister rogers said. We look for the helpers. And in the midst of the search. We become them. As part of it where joy into existence listen joy into existence laugh joy into existence and know that feeling joy is a form of resistance friends this place in this world. and we are with you always.

uuctucson_org

Sermon200202.mp3

And this congregation this lively talkative oyster is congregation we affirm your right to follow a free and responsible search for truth and meaning free and responsible free not just for you but for everybody. And responsible which means it's on us. Cacique. And learn and change. Here we search for what is truth your truth and my truth. And our truce. Here truth did not reveal itself through a singular sacred text or through a groundhog shadow or through a sham impeachment trial truth reveals itself truth and relationship with their community and into. We imagine truth into existence not isolated living rooms but from common spaces where we gather to search for truth held by and in. Community. And this time of lies and deceit and so much untruth may we use our time together each week to move closer to the truth. That can rest in our bones. I can sustain our lives and i can get us all. Create. Come. Let us worship. At the end of this video on the sq3r. Don't tell them questions.. The questions are. What ways are the characters in the video the same. Boys are they different or looking for similarities and differences. In what ways did they try to figure out. How to play together. So ways are similar we're so different and how did. How to play or work together. Or we can play freeze a stand. No it's freezing cold and freezing. So i do not need my sack my mittens and my practical yet stylish parker. Hello and how exactly do you play freeze dance. Sirius music sirius music. Only if it's okay julia we do not have to play freeze dance. Do you want to play. Like this. Music. Where are you please. Let's play a game. Dancing is making me hot. View. What's the first one. Takahito. No. How are they. Similar how are they similar how were the characters up there so we had. Three characters grover and rosie are they similar. There their muppets are puppets. Hello kitty similar. What did they all want to do. They all wanted to freeze it's well before even freeze dance what did they want to do. I heard it. They want to play together. So how are they different these characters. They're different colors. How much are they different. One of them didn't like the loud music remember her name. Julia didn't like. What else. And they were all stuck in the middle with. Any other differences. How are they able to play. Despite being different. Idiom. Compromise. How old were they able to play together despite being different. The communicator. Where did over hearsay communicated. Right so when julia wasn't happy with how loud the music what she was able to say to her friends this makes me hurt. I wanted a friends day. Find other people to play with. Twitter. We can fix it. We can fix it together. That's how were they able to play today. Make me think about how we do here. Right when we're in our classes. We don't tell her friends who don't like loud music i'll go to the other room. We try to fix it. Which is what we're going to do now we're going to go play games. Is prayers called histories road. By marjorie bowen sweetly. Clyde road. Road history is long. Full of both hope and disappointment. In times past there have been wars. And rumors of wars. Violence and exploitation. Hunger and homelessness. And destruction of this earth. Your creation. We have become a global village with a growing realization of how fragile this earth is. And how interconnected we are to each other. And to all creation. We cannot continue to live in the old way. We must make a change see a new way. Away toward peace. With justice and healthy planet. Oh great creative spirit. You have given a vision of the good. And we yearn for a new way. But where are we to find the courage to begin this work. We know that a different tomorrow is possible but how can we build it. We think of the prophets. Women and men who voiced unpopular opinions. Who made personal sacrifices. And sometimes lost their lives. For the sake of justice. We think of isaiah. Who called out to let those who are held in captivity go free. To give solace to the poor and homeless. Let us be inspired by all who work to overcome misery. Poverty and exploitation. We think of harriet tubman. Who called out to people of good will to join her on an underground railroad. To lift a dehumanize people. From the bondage of slavery. To the promise of freedom. Even when it meant challenging unjust laws. Let us be inspired by those. Who are outlaws. We think of gandhi. Whose belief in soulforce. The witness. Do loves truth. Helped to overthrow the impression of an empire. And gave witness to the way of nonviolent action. Let us be inspired to become witnesses. We think of chief seattle. Who reminded us that we belong to the earth. Not the earth. Let us be inspired by all those who work. For the healing of creation. Of mother earth. And all her creatures. Who are the prophets who inspire you. They may be well-known. Or known only to you. Offering personal inspiration courage. And hope. May they join a great cloud of witnesses. To a new way of life. The way of peace and justice. The way of justice lived according to the way of peace. The beloved community. So may it be. Growing up and unitarian universalist youth groups we made a covenant every time a new group was formed so if there was a sleepover with us from many different churches we always started with a covenant. A covenant is an agreement about how we will be together when we are together. And one of the things that was on almost every covenant we had growing up was don't yuck my yum. Don't yuck my yum and this means pretty much what it sounds like if i like something let me have that thing i like. Don't yuck it so long as my desire is not hurting you. Just because you like drop broccoli doesn't mean i have to say yuck out loud so long as you're honoring my right to not eat broccoli totally hypothetically speaking. And the concept applies beyond vegetables like if you enjoy ritual and worship and i don't i won't yuck loudly i will leave space for you to engage in that practice when it is made available to all of us. Don't yuck my yum helps us each feel at home. And it helps us embrace the diversity of identities and preferences and needs and beliefs in our midst. When i first started working in unitarian universalist congregation 8 years ago i used to hear new members say that they joined because they found in our congregations quote a community of like-minded people anyone ever heard that. Yes. Only sounded odd to me and odd because this feeling is in direct opposition to what i believe we are here to do. We are here to strive to become more diverse and thoughts and beliefs and identities and backgrounds a community of like-minded people they appear to be what we are. But is it what we are striving to be. I'm taking an online course right now sponsored by the transforming hearts collective on how to be more radically welcoming in our congregation. The score specifically discusses how to be more inclusive of transgender non-binary in gender non-conforming folk. But the framework is applicable than any type of radical welcome. And this class is a footnote the classes being made available free to all members of arizona unitarian universalist. Congregations by our state action network uu jazz so keep an ear open for more information if you'd like to take the course yourself. And if we were talking last week about the shift from the dominant paradigm the dominant way of operating the predominant way of operating to the beloved community paradigm. Some examples of the shift are from thinking that dividing the world into us and them to there is only us. From putting things at the center. To putting relationship at the center. From being reactive driven by anger or fear to being proactive motivated by home. From understanding justice as for other people. To engaging in justice for our own sake. This makes sense. Can you imagine what these paradigm shifts would do to you can you imagine what they would allow us to do. Together. The facilitators of this course emphasize that beloved community is not a goal to be achieved this was really helpful for me it's not a goal. That we believe is achievable. But a paradigm shift we are actively engaged in. A beloved community paradigm means that we are actively making space for everyone even those people who are not here yet. To be there. no young's re-elect no one's identity is marginalized. The exceptions become the norm we change our culture. We chained our culture in order to allow more people access. Clipper example if we're working within a beloved community paradigm there would be a lift. Or preferably a ramp. Up here to the chancel. Because right now this chance was only available to people who can walk up 3 stairs. What does it say about who we believe can speak from this pulpit. Who is excluded from full use of leading worship as we currently do it because of those three steps. Exceptions can always be made and we make some of course but a beloved community paradigm access to make exceptions the norm. That's a very tangible idea here is a very relational one related to gilbert's words this morning we are traditionally a highly educated upper-middle-class white denomination. Even if this is not true now or ever here or anywhere these identities have shaped our culture the way we are together. There's an expectation that we all have phds. There's an expectation that we love reading there's an expectation that we have season passes to the symphony and going extravagant vacations. How did these things translate into our culture. We unitarian-universalist do not have a marketing problem. 10 years ago i might have bought that idea but now more and more often when i tell people whether they're my age or a lot older than me that i'm a unitarian universalist i get smiles not what. I get affirmations that they know who we are. And many of them say they have visited a congregation. A recent the recent census shows that 400,000 people climb to the unitarian universalist of the united states they put that on their forms. Our congregations collectively. Can't total 100,000 members one in four of those people who claim unitarian-universalism are actually members of our congregation what is this say the internet the beliefnet quiz other media efforts have helped many people know who we are. And those efforts have helped people show up at our doors. And i believe our culture. Which is heavily informed by a dominant paradigm rooted in white upper-middle-class educated culture has turned people away. This is not to say that culture is bad. This is not say the filter is bad or to be avoided. And it's not to say that you uct this congregation is unique. I could preach that message and just about any congregation across the country. But it all is to say this. Who we say we are and who we actually are. Are two different things. This is not unique to unitarian-universalism it happens and face paste and secular communities around the country. And we are a community that says we are striving to do something different than those facing secular groups. We are striving for a community where all are fully welcome just as they are. The rather than focus on public relations or marketing. I believe we'd do better to invest our energy and getting our culture to better reflect who we say we are. We say we are open to all. I see a lot of congregation saying that now evangelical united church of christ other christian denominations even some jewish synagogues. Some of them actually mean it. And if they made it in philosophy. Many of them are not willing to change their culture to reflect that commitment. So when we say we are open to all. Do we mean it. And if yes then what changes are we actively working on in order to continue becoming more open to the first identities needs and perspective. Bread for the journey of course on moving from inclusion to radical welcome describe the different steps this way. When we are inviting our messages come join our community and share our established cultural values and heritage. When we are inclusive our message is help us be more diverse. When we are radically welcoming. Our message is bring your culture your voice your whole self we want to engage in truly feasible relationship. To hear the difference. Witcher we striving for. Especially here at uuct with all the growth we have seen over the past 18 months over 100 new members and explosion of energy new people are flocking to our doors without us putting any energy into marketing or pr all that is through word-of-mouth website. We don't need a marketing strategy right now we need to focus our energy on moving beyond invitation beyond inclusion towards a posture of radical welcome. In many ways we are well on our way. And in many ways we need more attention and intention in our work. The late even jellicle progressive leader rachel held evans asks us to quote imagine if every church became a place where everyone is safe. And no one is comfortable. Imagine if every church became a place where we told one another the truth. We might just create sanctuary. Creating diverse community requires engaging with our own discomfort. A beloved community paradigm shift asks each of us to feel uncomfortable or often than we'd like. If his church congregation feels like it was created just for you it probably was. And if you want this church to feel close to home for others it might mean sitting with your own discomfort. A little more as we live into a beloved community paradigm. And this goal of living into a beloved community paradigm it's worth fighting for. Worst being uncomfortable over. Because we are leaving in a time a hinge time time in history when technology is moving fast our world is healing quickly and societies are crumbling for their centers and we. We unitarian-universalist have an opportunity to create a space that is a brat in that. We have an opportunity to prepare souls all souls to face hatred with love. To address corruption with truth. To rediscover our radical interdependence with all of creation and to focus on relationship not issues. We are a people who are radically of this world knowing that the other world we dream about is possible right up right here. We cannot give up that vision that is too important. This will not happen tomorrow or next month or next year we're probably even a hundred years from now to be totally honest but it's worse. Fighting for today. I didn't have pretty words to end with myself so here are richard wonka's. Until we are clouds that are like bread but men's like bones. Until we we've each other like silk sheets shrouding mountains or bear gills that shira. Until we softener hard edges. Free to become any shape imaginable four rows of an angel crafted by the breeze like paper mache or a lion or dragon like marbled chiseled by gusts. Until we scatter ourselves pebbles of grape puffs but then band together like string pearls. Until we turn learn to listen to each other as thunderous as opera or as soft as a shower to lullaby. Until we truly treasure the sunset. Lavish it and it small rose and breast. Until we have the courage the vanish like sales into their horizons. Or be at peace anchorage still. Until we move without measure. As vast as continent or as petite as islands floating and abyss a virtual blue we belong to. Until we dance tango with the moon and comfort the jealous start stars falling. Until we care enough for the earth to bless it as a morning fog. Until we realize we're money is puddles. Kristina's legs not get clouds. Until we remember that we're born from rivers and dewdrops. Until we are at east to dissolve as wispy showers not always needing to clash like godly yells a funder. Until we believe lightning rods are not our right to the ground. The week allude and storms that ravaged we can also sprinkle ourselves like memories. Until we tame the riot or tornadoes. Settle down into a soft drizzle into a daydream. Then we make hearse with hail. We can absolve of snowflakes. We can die valiant as rainbows and hold light in our lucid bodies like blood. We can decide to move boundlessly. Without creed or desire. Until we are clouds mashed within cloud sharing a kingdom with no king a city with no walls a country with no name a nation without any borders were claimed. Until we abide as one together in a single. Until then we we keep on reaching. Keep on building. Keep on imagining together. Maybe make it so. Blessed be. Prince do you hear and see and feel the cry for justice in our world. And will you keep your senses awake. To what justice is asking of us these days. As you watch a season-ending football game tonight as he watch caucus results fly in tomorrow as you watch a final vote on actual impeachment on wednesday do not be distracted by the allure of division. Remember the call of justice that call to get all of us free. This is a long-haul fight for justice and dignity is going to get worse before it gets better. And will be here for you all along the way. Go in peace my friends with love and justice on your heart. Always.

uuctucson_org

Slide0001.mp3

No more deaths is an organization based in tucson arizona whose mission is to in death and suffering on us mexico border through civil initiative. The conviction that people of conscience must work openly and in community to uphold fundamental human rights. They work in a number of different ways to achieve these in. But this presentation will focus upon their effort to document. The abuse by government agencies of migrants and others caught in the war zone conditions along the border and to advocate for changes to agency policy. But first some background information.

uuctucson_org

Slide0039.mp3

December was a busy month. Joined a panel at the 2009 low-income immigrant-rights conference hosted by the national immigration law center to respond on a community level two failed enforcement policies. But of particular note was the meeting in brownsville with dhhs chief-of-staff marco lopez. He pledged to review and act upon human rights abuses reported to homeland security.

uuctucson_org

Slide0003.mp3

The desert is hot and dry in the extreme but it is rich biologic. Home to many many species. Of plants and animals. Good news for naturalist. But it's not so good news. To a person who needs to make a very long journey on foot through the area with little preparation. Those plants and animals tend to be fiercely defensive armed with borns and poison that offer a threat to any traveler.

uuctucson_org

Slide0010.mp3

This map depicts the southern 1/3 of the state of arizona down to the border with mexico it was prepared by the humanitarian group humane borders. Each red dot represents the death of an immigrant crossing over into united states during the eight-year period starting in the year 2000. 1138 deaths are represented so some of the dots are for more than one death. The data shown here is that reported by the border patrol. But we know that there are many other discs that are not reported through the border patrol and we suspect large numbers of additional discs that go. Undiscovered by anyone. In october 2003 frustrated that despite the efforts of some well-established and well-organized humanitarian groups were still being solution.

uuctucson_org

Slide0012.mp3

Large numbers of volunteers serve in these programs and camps are established in the desert to provide assistance outreach. Many migrants attempt to cross more than once each time in more compromised health. Raising the likelihood of injury or death. So no more does partnered with cross-border faith communities in agencies and humanitarian groups to establish stations on the mexican side of the border to give immediate.

uuctucson_org

Slide0031.mp3

The 6th issue is deportation practices. Families regularly report being separated during custody and deported at different times and in different locations along the border. And the border patrol denies information about where their relatives are. These deportations are often done in the middle of the night leaving migrants including women and children alone and vulnerable in strange places. And personal belongings are not returned important legal papers and the few treasured keepsakes brought along on the track are lost forever. Luis fernando h-24 was chased along with his brother by border patrol agents. When they drop to the ground and turn themselves in a border patrol agent grabbed his brother's head and slammed it into the ground three times. Put his foot on his brothers hanson. F*** you several times. Well handcuffed and walking to the border patrol vehicle lewisville this did not elicit any concern from the agents lewis and his brother were separated the custody he was told that his brother was repatriated first but did not know to wear.

uuctucson_org

Testimonial_Klein200126.mp3

Hello my name is cassandra cline and i've been asked to give a short testimonial i asked for some clarification on the definition of short i told bethany i was good to speak for an hour and she just laughed and smiled so i think that means it's okay 32 years ago i was. Made fun of. I've been twice divorced because of. The way i wanted to dress in express myself. I felt like i had to hide all the time from everyone. I would sneak out at nights and dress-up so that i could see. Reflections of myself in in the windows of abandoned shopping centers when no one was out and no one could see me. I was told i was mentally ill many times and went to counseling. And then about two years ago after my divorce i decided. This was my time to experiment with a few different. Different approaches to my life. And i researched gender support group in tucson and they recommended. Transgender friendly church and i just laughed to myself i cut that's not real. But i said okay fine they got a rainbow on their sign i looked at the uuct website i said okay i'll just see what they do if i just show up there. And i've showed up scared to death needs shaking walking in my heels coming in. Came in late. Which has happened more than once. Laugh out loud. And i just sat there for the service and then as soon as it was over people flocked around me and welcome to me. And i was shocked i was blown away i got a picture there with a. Genright down here and cynthia you know the other tall one that you guys can't get our names right which one of us which all those six-foot-five trans women look the same don't they. I've been told that i'm beautiful. Every week. Every week when i come in here usually more than one person says you are elegant you are beautiful you light up the room. And imagine that i didn't come up here to beg for compliments really just to explain. Stop the opposite way that i have been accepted here compared to the all rest of my life and to come here. And some people say oh i know i tell you this every week and i say don't stop saying it cuz every time that someone tells you i appreciate the effort that you put to present yourself the way you do. That means something to me and sometimes i write them down and texting to my friends unlike guess what i got two new compliments today that i've never heard before it hurts but they are. Anyway. I've got that i've been greeted warmly. I've had many people come up to me and say. I don't know you. And. Well not maybe in these words but in that what they're they just did what they're saying is i don't know you and you kind of weird me out but i think i owe it to myself. To learn a little more about you. And we sit down and we have a conversation and i've made many good friends that way and i can see some of the faces out here in the conversation of people that just say thank you for just sharing yourself with me and helping me to understand where you come from. Do you have to get me and why i do the things i do know. Which is fine if everybody did it it wouldn't be weird. So i took after everyone loves them be i thought okay fine. Double dog dare i'll see if i can join the choir they're not going to let me do that. But what do you know they did brian welcome him warmly and said you come you sing whatever part you feel comfortable at. And. For a lot of people it was a new and different experience to work on pronouns and there were some slip-ups and that's fine and i totally understand that and everybody has really made such an amazing effort to try and be accepting of me i've also been invited to serve on the audio-video committee to help trying to upgrade the sound and video systems and i sat in a room full of people and been respected and had my opinion valued just like. A regular person and sing solos in church i've had that opportunity i got the opportunity to do a little dolly parton routine for the fundraiser last year that people still talk about sometimes and this year shameless plug i'm going to be alice for alice in wonderland just fyi the christmas angel at the pageant and that to me was such a special experience and people flocked up afterwards and into other circles into people into places where people are not familiar and accepting of trans things and lgbtq things but because of the foundation that i've had here i've been able to go out there and be confident into work environments into social circles worry about what people think of me instead of wondering what they think of me i tell them who i am and i tell them what to think of me but showing them and then another thought perhaps to accept me here. That i can continue to. Did i can continue to be mentally ill in my extremely entertaining way thank you.

uuctucson_org

Slide0008.mp3

In response the us spending on immigration controls skyrocketed from 967 million in 1993 to 2.56 billion in 99 the number of border patrol agents doubled to more than 9,000 in 1999. Following the events of september 11th 2001 and the creation of the department of homeland security. Enforcement efforts accelerated even faster. The 2010 president's budget for customs and border protection. Is 10 billion and supports 20,000 border patrol agents. Of more interest to us is the pattern of that immigration enforcement.

uuctucson_org

Slide0011.mp3

One outcome was the formation of no more deaths in 2004. To provide food water and medical assistance to migrants walking through the arizona desert. Demonica us operations on the border. And to work to change us policy. To resolve the crisis atmosphere on the border.

uuctucson_org

Slide0036.mp3

Since the border patrol has steadily refused to publicly release their internal standards for treatment of detainees. The american civil liberties union of new mexico formally requested them through the freedom of information act. The response came in phases over several months so heavily redacted. Has to be almost useless. Meantime no more deaths expanded their recommendations from the report into language suitable for legislation and included them in an online organizing kit for allies to use. In parallel amnesty international has been studying and reporting on similar abuse has in the long-term custody facilities of immigration and customs enforcement. Ice.

uuctucson_org

Sermon161030.mp3

And before i start i need to let you know that every time i move someplace. Shortly after i arrived i get sick. So just keep that in mind as i speak to you this morning. About hardiness. And whether or not we're the hardy church and you'll catch on. Back when i was working on my doctorate i ran across some fascinating research results. As some of you probably know. Does a positive correlation between stress. And illness. That is. People who are highly stressed. Sometimes become ill. A number of studies have shown that high levels of stress predicted that people would get sick. Indeed. Illnesses such as asthma and bronchitis. A variety of stomach upset. Kohl's. Flu. Headaches. Heart problems and even grinding teeth during sleep have been associated with high levels of stress. Among people suffering from those ailments. So. A close family member of mine died or i change jobs or got fired or relocated or even changed schools or doctors in the stressfulness of those experiences i might develop symptoms of illness. Like headaches. For an upset stomach. This large body of research on the correlation between stress and illness indicated that high levels of stress. Usually predicted the likelihood of illness so high stress. Might get sick. Now i understand the difference between correlation and causation. Nevertheless. Then a couple a couple of sociologists in new york noticed that although the correlation between stress and illness was statistically significant. Nevertheless the correlation was not particularly strong. And this couple. Highly respected husband-and-wife team named element. A sort of epiphany. They wondered about the characteristics of people who are highly stressed. But who did not get sick. What was different about those folks that enable them to adapt to stress without becoming physically ill. So the downriggers published an article posing that question. And shortly thereafter a couple of psychologist over the university of chicago started trying to find out precisely what it was about the people who stayed well under difficult and stressful circumstances. The chicago professors salvador marty and suzanne cabaza conducted a big study with managers at illinois bell telephone. Measuring their stress levels and recording their illness over a period of a year. Then they analyze the data every witch way. Using a variety of complicated statistical models and tools. They found something very very interesting. It goes like this. The people who did not get sick. Even though very highly stressed. Had some approaches to life and some similar attitudes some similar ways of being and doing and thinking. In other words they had a common personality style that had four major factors. The first of these they called commitment. Describe people who had a strong sense of purpose. They were engaged with the world. They were active in their communities as volunteers. Already teachers. Civic leaders. Coaches for the kids athletic teams these folks were not couch potatoes. They had a strong sense of hell. And a desire to use their lives to accomplish constructive things for others as well as for themselves and their own families. They knew who they were and what they were about. I have a sense of civic and social duty. They actively involve themselves and making the world a better place. Commitment. The second characteristic or attitude of the folks who didn't get sick. Was it they had an internal locus of control and they called it simply control. Do people with an internal locus of control take responsibility for their successes and their failures and they don't attribute them to any outside forces. Bourbon blame somebody else if they failed at something. Brother. They will take personal responsibility and then try to figure out what they needed to do in order to succeed the next time. They would be sitting home saying that their vote would make a difference they would not feel helpless or powerless. It would recognize that their actions could influence events. Google acknowledge their mistakes and not blame their failures on anybody else. Bibbitec gangnam style chipmunks. And acknowledge their accomplishments in the right place at the right time might say. Appreciate your saying that. I did work kind of hard on that project. These folks don't go around feeling or talking like victims. They take responsibility for the good they take responsibility for the bad and they move on. Control. Still with me. The third characteristic is called challenge. Challenge describes people who look at change. And the need to adapt. Is a challenge and an opportunity to learn. Rather finish something to fear. They do not fear change so for example if they had an opportunity to live abroad to move to a place that was very different they would think of that as an adventure. The way to learn how other people in other cultures live a chance for their children to interact with lots of different kinds of people. Opportunity to experience different music different kinds of food making friends to enrich their lives and learn instead of being fearful of trying new things. Challenge. The last characteristic they identified. His community. Connectedness. As opposed to isolation. For alienation. Simplest form connectedness is being part of a family. Having a partner or significant other. Connectedness means making the effort to become part of a group. Form and build relationships with other people to work together. We are social animals. We all need to belong. We need to feel part of a group. Feel accepted. Supported. Rather than to feel alone or rejected. Joining the church. Joining clubs. Interest groups. Combat groups. Working together with people on social a community project connects people and provides opportunities for deepening relationships. People whose behaviors and attitudes demonstrate these four qualities. Commitment. Control. Challenge and community. Even when under a lot of stress. We're not as likely to get sick. As people without those qualities. So these four characteristics taken together have a plea been named the hardy personality style. There's now a large body of research with people in many walks of life. To manage stress without becoming ill. If they have hardy personalities. And with intentionality people can cultivate nurture and enhance their hardness listen to this with intentionality we can cultivate nurture. And enhance. How old hardiness. By now you probably figured out where i'm heading with this. Is there such a thing as a hardy organization. A hearty church. I don't know of any research that extends what has been shown for individuals to large groups. But i do find the notion intriguing. Could we as a congregation be characterized as a hardy church. In terms of commitment. Control. Challenge. Community. What would a hearty church look like. Well. What's a commitment. Do we have a strong sense of purpose. Do we have a strong sense. Help me out here folks do we know what we stand for as a congregation. Are we involved in the community and in working to improve the world. Are we acting rather than passive. Are we proactive rather than reactive. Okay good start. You see. I may be your minister but i cannot do it all by myself. What about control. That is feeling a sense of power the ability to influence. Willingness to take responsibility for what we do and how we do it. Do we feel that there's hope that we can make a difference. If we make mistakes are we willing to admit them learn from our mistakes and use that learning to expand our identity and sense of who and what we are in the congregation. Aspic job. The big job. Challenge. How do we react. And respond to change and the need to adapt. How willing are we. To consider new ways of being together as a congregation. It's like mario was talking to you about. She says we're regrouping reorganizing reforming and reforming. Are we fearful of new ideas. A possibilities that might involve change. Some of us are remember when i told you before i started. What i confessed. How do we think of change as an adventure. Challenge. An opportunity to learn and grow. Yes. Community. Are there are those among us who feel lonely rejected or not supported. Probably. How much are here wego how much effort do we make to ensure that visitors feel welcome to the visitors feel welcome today. Good. World track. Do we go up to the person standing by herself at coffee hour and engage her. Do we leave all the caring to the minister and the pastoral care team. Better not. I have a charger. Why do we spend our time at coffee our visiting with only the people we know best. Are we accepting rather than simply tolerant. Do we help connect people in the congregation who have similar interests. Are we are hardy congregation. If we are. Then i think we will be able to weather the recent storms and difficulties in a healthy way. If we are hearty congregation then we will be able to move forward with resolve. Assured of who we are. What we stand for. And with a strong sense of commitment to each other. To the children and the people of the congregation. And to our social justice project. That extend our influence and good works into the larger world. And we have a lot of dedicated devoted members who care deeply about this conversation. And who demonstrate that dedication. Devotion and caring with their gifts of time. Work and money. But we also have several committees begging for people to serve on them. We knew need help teaching with religious education okay. It doesn't take much time and it is very. Fun and rewarding. We need people to sign up to help in the kitchen after coffee hour we need people to welcome. We need people. More people to come to church to make the commitment to join this congregation. We need for all of you to decide how much this church means to you and to put your money where your hearts are did you hear what i just said. We need for all of you to decide how much this means to you and to put your money where your hearts are. Individual and collective commitment. Brings joy. And a stronger sense of purpose. And reason for being. If we are hearty congregation. We will be able to look back individually and collectively at the difficulties and controversies we've gone through. Will be able to take responsibility for our respective roles and actions and learn from them and to do better in the future. Making mistakes. Is not such a bad thing if we learn from them. We will not feel powerless. We will not feel hopeless. We will not feel discouraged. We will acknowledge our pain and anger. And we will intentionally avoid the trap of blaming others did you hear that. Is there a anger in an amongus. Is there anguish. You said your support.. Human. Is there sadness. Is it frustration. I have seen and heard and felt all of these emotions. The past has not always been fun. It's always been pretty. It's been stressful. But a hardy church can take control. Can take responsibility. Candler and can move to a new level of resolve and accountability and confidence. Party church maybe buffeted by external winds. A hearty church with ben to that wind. But we'll stay on course. The course that reflects our values and sense of who we are. I've heard it said that this congregation will not adapt. But some people wanted to stay small. And if there's not. Much resolve to grow in number. How to expand. And enrich the congregations self-concept and identity. I've heard that this congregation fierce change. And finds it uncomfortable to consider new ways of operating and governing. I have also heard just the opposite. I heard that leaders in this church are willing and eager to move forward and to continue to work to make changes. I have seen willingness to experiment and to try new approaches to leadership. Policy governance is gone. Not formally but disc golf. I have. Heard visionary statements. And noted visionary thinking that would bring change. I've heard and felt a sense of challenge that knows no fear. The sense of challenge that enjoys new adventures. And calls for determination patients to see changes through. Step. Bye. If we are hardy church. Our community will truly be a beloved community. Our community will continue to bring children youth and adults together. Did elton our community will continue to share their wisdom and knowledge with our children and youth. This community will leave no one behind. And this community will leave no one app. In this community no one will be marginalized. I'll connectedness. And love for one another will transcend and diminish disagreements. Hardy church community is one that can transform conflicts. Into problems that can be solved. Just remember that whenever there's a conflict all you have to do is. Change it into a problem because you can solve problems. Hardy church community embraces diversity. And respects diversity of opinion. In a hardy church. The processes of resolving differences. And solving problems result and greater respect. And greater love and a genuine wholehearted sense of community and connectedness. In a hardy church. All eyes. Are transformed into a wii. Living a hearty life. Can mitigate mitigate illness when people are stressed. I believe that a party church is a healthy church. Because it has a collective sense of purpose a collective sense of purpose a collective sense of commit. It takes responsibility it accepts challenges and stays connected with fred's of love and fellowship. I think the answer to my question are we a hearted church. I know the answer. If i'm right nothing can deter us. No one can defeat us. No obstacle can stop us. And nothing can divide us. We will grow in strength. And number. In health. In love. H hardness. Oh hell. Can help make us so.

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Slide0019.mp3

No more deaths recommends that agents should always have water available in the field. Every migrant who is apprehended should be given an individual bottle of water without having to request. Electrolytes should be available for any migrant who needs them. If my grades are unable to drink or vomit up on drinking this is a sign of severe physical distress and a potentially dangerous stage of dehydration in this case medical professional should be called in migrants should be evacuated immediately from the field to a medical facility. In the processing centers migrants must always have unlimited access to water every margaret should have his or her own cup so as not to be exposed to potential disease.

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Slide0030.mp3

No more deaths recommends that upon admission. Migrants need to be informed of their rights in a language they understand including the right to petition for asylum to see a judge or attorney and their right to consular notification. I should be able to make phone calls to legal counsel and to their consulate. They should be provided with to clean blankets each. And the cells you provide adequate space into cities for sleeping. They should have and be told that they have access to toilet facilities upon request they should have basic toiletries so toothbrush and toothpaste diapers and sanitary products should be available upon request. And a female officer should always be present when women or children are in custody at the processing center.

uuctucson_org

Testimonial_Moore200202.mp3

I'm under a lot of pressure up here today. For the primary reason is. Last week's testimonial is a very very. Hard act to follow. I'm gilbert moore. I'm 82 years old. I'm a retired editor. I'm a curmudgeon with a tendency to long-windedness. Today i'll try to. Uncharacteristically. Be a little briefing. Play it's time. I have good news and bad news about our congregation and about you you nationally. The good news specially about you use nationally. Is that in education level. In affluence. Were in the top-tier. The bad news in that respect. Is that you use nationally. And very often locally. And i've been at you you for 59 years. M6 denominated 6. Congregations 3 in california 3 in this state. The bad news is that too. You use our in the low-tier as far as. Per capita support. Especially given our incomes. Our support of our congregations. The good news again is sit this congregation. Has been doing better the last three or four years we've been in what the pro football people say are rebuilding years. We've had some tremendous leadership. In our congregation. From the lakeside. I don't think we've. The last couple of years particularly we've been in such a tremendously good shape as far. As. Super dedicated staff. Hard-working people. For instance mary are administrator of in. Watching her. It in action since i've been in this congregation which is over a decade-and-a-half. I would say about mary what voltaire said about god. If she didn't exist we'd have to invent her i told my daughter in hawaii. Relatively new minister i said rev bethany. Is a little young. To be my granddaughter. But in skillset judgment and especially in common sense. She outdoes her colleagues in the ministry department. Who are twice her age the result of all this. Leadership. This dedicated staff. This great minister. Is. Evidence before you. Look around you there a lot more people in this. Room than there used to be the happiest circumstance. We've had. In the last 23 years. There's a lot more kids around here. Then were. And we're an aging congregation is been happily getting some younger members. Pledge time. We need to do a better job. Of. Pledging. Pledging more money. If you can't afford more money. There's a lot of volunteer work to be done. And. More than one spot that will appreciate your hard work. I leave you today with the words of. The character from television you're familiar with. Larry the cable guy. Books let's get er done.

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Slide0014.mp3

In the first 18 months of operation volunteers so i'm more than 200,000 people who are dumped off by us homeland security enforce to walk across the border to mexico. Volunteers also began listening to the deportees stories and that was the beginning of abuse documentation here is more of the stories.

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Slide0021.mp3

Do midessa recommends that agents in the field be provided with basic snap mixes that they should provide to all migrants they encounter. As migrants are being processed in the center's each margaret should be provided with a. Meal should be given regularly to allow for migrants to recuperate.

uuctucson_org

Slide0042.mp3

For more information on the programs of no more.. Disappear website. And for more specifics on abuse documentation select projects and then look at either the full text of the report or the toolkit for those who would act to oppose these outrages.

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Slide0005.mp3

Since the 1980s neoliberal economic policies imposed by the imf and the world bank in the united states force the dismantling of many of the existing protections for mexican agriculture and industry. Crowned by the passage of the north american free trade agreement in 1993.

uuctucson_org

Sermon200119.mp3

These words for call to worship this morning come from the reverend angela herrera don't leave your broken heart at the door bring it to the altar of life don't leave your anger behind it has high standards and the world needs edition bring them with you and your joy and your passion when your loving and your courage and your conviction bring your need for healing and your power to heal there is work to do and you have all you need to do it right here and this room friends come let us worship together. Today we're talking about webs of interdependence the principal reeves respect for the independent web of all existence. The time think about web and we go as humans and nature right humans and nature were all interconnected i want to think today about other kinds of webs and other kinds of independence. Spell in our opening today unity across time and space okay and while you're listening to the foot i want you to maybe think about who might have said this quote and we're providing is the most interesting part. Churches bombed in birmingham alabama killing for in offending innocent beautiful little negro girls but it's just as necessary for a white person of goodwill outside the south to rise up with that same righteous indignation when the negro cannot live well in your neighborhood or when a negro cannot get a job at your particular firm or when a negro cannot join your professional or your academic society your fraternity for your sorority if this problem is to be solved there must be a short of divine discontent. 1954 arizona state university i was surprised to hear came and visited us here did not know that so this is him speaking in those words that you heard where martin luther king and we're celebrating him on monday and worked with him and it's not just true in civil rights that none of us work alone it's true. I would say all walks of life but i think most of them and the thing that strikes me the most is the the black hole that we got a picture of this summer last summer how many people worked on that you guys know. How many people worked on that. More than 100 not at not quite 1000 i was 200 200 separate groups of people working on that can you think of another job or another profession where people work together. His dad works at setting they look for aliens and will telescopes and it's a whole group of people isn't it. Yeah you have an idea right scientist can't work alone they need somebody to help him. Firefighters they have to work together so they keep each other safe to have to work together to keep each other safe is anybody here working a profession where you work completely alone with no other people and no infrastructure and no. No. We don't and that's the same way we're talking about today about this interconnected web leave you with the last middle quote from martin luther king he says modern psychology has a word that is probably use more than any other word in psychology the word is maladjusted maladjusted certainly he says we all want to live well-adjusted lives in order to avoid neurotic and schizophrenic personalities but i must say to you tonight that there are some things in our social order and in our world of which i am proud to be maladjusted and which i call upon all people of good will to be maladjusted until the good societies realized i must honestly confess that i never intend to become adjusted to segregation and discrimination i never intend to adjust myself to religious bigger teeth never intend to become adjusted to the madness and militarism and the self-defeating effects of physical violence so as we think about that i asked you where are you and this time. Spirit of truth and justice. Hear us as we ask that you hold the collective anxiety that permeates the community today. This is a call to arms. Farms that will hold those with broken or elated hearts. Arms that will wrap themselves around beating bodies battered soul. Arms stronger than either giver or receiver no. Arms that keep the weight of misplaced authority and righteousness from crashing down upon those struggling to hold their heads high as each shred of dignity is yanked from their overuse underappreciated bodies. This is a call for committed arms. And mines. And hearts. That know the facts but feel the truth a call to remember that the freedom we've been given to swing our arms wide and open to the sun as we like. Has come on the backs of human beings others whisper invisible. This is a call to arm ourselves. For the facts and feel the truth born out of the power of our unitarian universalist. And the balance of justice. Command and maddie star. Ella jo baker was born in norfolk virginia. She moved to north carolina early and her life after race riots broke out androginia and her family felt safer in north carolina. In early twenties she moved to harlem and started working as an organizer when social working sell-through. This was the beginning of a career and organizing that span 50 years from 1930 to 1980. Miss baker works from harlem new york to mississippi and interracial organizations and also african-american organizations. We know very little about ella jo baker's personal life because her first love was politics. And she wanted to be remembered for her political work. Affectionately known as miss baker. Miss baker worked alongside practically every african-american civil rights leader whose name you know well. And yet her gender and class loyalty made her an outsider within known civil rights leadership her biographer describes it this way. Baker criticized unchecked egos. Objected to undemocratic structures. Protested unilateral decision making condemned and elitism and refused to nod and loyal deference to everything quote the leader had to say these dances after put her on the outside of the inner circle. She learns his first hands during her professional work with the southern christian leadership conference the sdlc and the national association for the advancement of colored people and aacp and the early years of existence of both for the early years of the sclc. She saw a time and time again and both the southern christian leadership conference and the n-double-acp how those organizations assumed they knew what week with local leaders needed and did that rather than following the lead of local organizers these organizations were focused on national strategy often and rather than local empowerment. Miss baker left both organizations in search of a more democratic less ego-driven campaign. Miss baker was a mentor for activist like rosa parks stokely carmichael and bob moses. She believed in broad leadership with empowered leaders were working on grassroots issues. Rather than the irq egos that were centered on one person's mission. This position let her to be instrumental in the mentoring into existence of the student nonviolent coordinating committee or snick. After the impact of lunch counter sit-ins led by those young activists across the country miss baker saw how budding activist leaders could make such a huge impact and she knew that she could help them come together and connect with one another and figure out what they were going to do together. The speaker did not seek to mold the younger leaders into her image. But she thought the help them be the best leaders they could be her biographer put it this way. Young activists were inexperienced but they were not blank slates on which baker or martin luther king jr could write a political script. Each of these young activists brought something with them and missions passions ideas and ways of doing things. Miss baker one of these students and the local people to lead from their experience. She was not going to copy what she had seen happen in both the sdlc and the n-double-acp. During a conference when all these students who had done the alleged ins were gathered miss baker organized bringing them all together and during that conference there was a secret meeting right nearby the campus for this conference was happening with some prominent civil rights leaders including reverend dr. king. Miss baker invited herself to that meeting and learns about their effort to quotes capture the student movement and bring it under the sdlc. Miss baker after inviting herself promptly walked out of that meeting showing her opposition to the lco selc determining the future of the student-led movement. In reference to this situation with baker's biographer wrote this. Baker's view the students who convened needed to be encouraged to take the lead because they were at the forefront of the struggle and represented the greatest hope for a renewed militant democratic mass movement not simply because they were young at the end of this conference after hearing from many civil rights leaders including miss baker the gathered body is formed snick the student nonviolent coordinating committee. Which had grassroots leadership structure no doubt and impact of miss baker's words and empowerment through this and other work miss baker earned the nickname sunday a swahili word referring to a person who passes down a craft to the next-generation sunday despite being married for. She considered herself equal to male leaders in the civil rights movement she inserted herself into conversations were others thought she did not belong she led the way for other women to participate fully in all florida cole organization, speakers work she was in it for all rights for all people who writes for all people her biographer describe it this way baker's message was that oppressed people whatever they had the ability to understand and interpret the world around them. To see that world for what it was and to move to transform it her primary public constituency with the dispossessed she viewed a democratic learning process and discourse as a cornerstone of a democratic movement would not only in supporting civil rights movement in the united states.

uuctucson_org

Testimonial_Warner200119.mp3

And then we're going to hear a stewardship testimonial from natasha warner hi i was asked to think about why uuct is important to me and i rephrase that for myself as what do i find when i come here and i started to think about a couple different ways that you find things when you come here maybe all of you do two things that are in word that help yourself and things that are maybe more outward and i started thinking especially the last few months it has really been hitting me when i walk in those doors that i find people here who care about me and accept me and even love me just for who i am and i don't have to prove something i don't have to prove that i'm smart enough or powerful enough enough for who we are and love us for who we are without making us prove it that's important that's something that although we all provide each other i think we're romantic relationships where the basis of it was understood to be respect respect for the other person you're in a relationship with and respect for yourself and that's what we're teaching.

uuctucson_org

Slide0006.mp3

Cord for example. After mexico was forced on your napkin to allowed duty-free us corn imports. Those imports. Increase in his downing 18 fold during nafta's for 7 years. Thousands of mexican farmers stripped of subsidies and unable to compete with you as producers have been driven from their land. Once able to feed their own families they must narrow obtain cash to buy food despite limited income opportunities.

uuctucson_org

Slide0035.mp3

The day of the this briefing on capitol hill and the capitol building it was a standing-room-only audience which was. Really great for us. Chief david aguilar who's the head of border patrol in d.c. to come to our briefing on we sent him a copy of the report and we've never heard directly from him or his office. Well in washington no more deaths volunteers also advocated for reform with key legislators and met with human rights groups in a briefing hosted by amnesty international. In succeeding months. No more deaths and other organizations have continually followed up to reveal and correct abuse of migrants in custody.

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Slide0023.mp3

Open wounds broken bones and heatstroke have gone untreated before deportation. And even those who've been hospitalized are repeatedly observed by volunteers to be deported wearing only their hospital gowns.

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Slide0027.mp3

The group of migrants including 15 men for animals by border patrol agents. No more deaths recommends that temperatures in vehicles be kept in a consistent moderate rain. Transportation should always be the same speed that takes into account road and weather conditions. Migrants should not be crowded vehicles vehicles with seat belts there should be a seatbelt for every migrant.

uuctucson_org

Slide0025.mp3

Do more deaths recommends. The migrants be assessed and provided medical care in the field and at the processing centers. And that migrants who receive medical care while in custody should receive full treatment for their conditions that is broken bones should be sent open wounds that need stitches should be stitched and any prescriptions. All open wounds including puncture wounds and blisters should be cleaned and attended to prayer to refrigeration and as soon as is feasible once the migrant is in custody.

uuctucson_org

Slide0034.mp3

The main purpose of this report was to get homeland security to implement custody standards standards. For this trip to dc we had sat down with our congressperson while grijalva and it was his idea to host the congressional briefing where he would invite as many congressional offices both from the house representatives and the senate to attend and get a real glimpse of what's going on the realities of the border on the realities of. Homeland security and border patrol. Lily bring the desert to dc and and do a very visual presentation of what the desert looks like what the experience of the migraine is like.

uuctucson_org

Sermon091018.mp3

I come from a long line of episcopal priests and bishops. On both sides of my family. And we piss capelions asks lots of questions. And i've always felt that way about the unitarians as well and so if you have any as i go along and if it's appropriate and a sanctuary for you to raise your hand and ask questions i hope that you will because i i welcome them. I want to talk to you today about the community food bank about the urgent need in our community. I have we work from both sides of the chinese proverb. We're feeding people fish and we're teaching them how to fish and i want to talk with you a little bit about both of those strategies because they're both important to us in this economy. Today's need is pressing last fiscal year which ended july 1st we had distributed 22 and a half million pounds of food. To this community. That's enough for 48,000 meals a day. We probably touched about 180,000 different individuals last year who needed food. So that's the the state of affairs and the people that we're serving over 40% our children about 12% of seniors and we're very concerned about that group they're very. Delicate feminine there living alone are choosing between medicine and food. And need a watchful eye and we're trying to get to them we deliver about 500 special boxes of food to seniors every month. Exit one delivery program we do. But most people come to us or to one of about 60 different agencies around tucson when they need food and that way if you call in to the food bank and tell us where you are we can send you some place that's not too far away to pick up a box of food. Most people don't realize that over 45% of the people were serving are the working poor. And if you think about it if both parents have jobs and they're getting minimum wage there still. At or below the poverty level. What is around $20,000 for a family of four so that's really not sufficient most of the studies show that you need about $40,000 to take decent care of a family of four for the year. So at the community food bank we address this need by working from both sides of the proverb. We give people officially takes them how and raise your hand if you remember kitty offered chase i think she works with his congregation some years ago and if any of you that what i'm saying is true we have spent a lot of time trying to help people towards self-sufficiency and. Started to tell you a little bit about the community food bank we were founded in 1976. Well then here awhile. How many do been to our building on south country club. Hey it's a lot larger than most people realize it's 140,000 square feet and out of that building we administer a number of programs. Reserve five communities in southern arizona we have branch banks in marana in ajo green valley amato and new one in new galas it's bringing a lot of fresh produce through across the border. It's produce that comes across and the driver realizes that it's not going to make it back to new jersey or michigan or wherever it was destined to be and so they donate it to the food bank take it as a write-off and we get all this beautiful. So that partnership is working out beautifully. And frankly we're very happy to have fresh food to go along with these not so interesting food boxes as you can imagine it's. Beans and rice and canned vegetables canned fruit and jar peanut butter a jar of. A can of tuna or chicken and a box of cereal that's a typical food box to just get people through the next 2 or 3 days. We have about 85 employees some of them are part-time and that includes our branch banks. And we have. Probably 2 to 300 volunteers helping us every month. Last year we received 100,000 volunteer hours. We absolutely could not do our work without our volunteers and if you've been to the food bank you seen in the sorting food up in the office entering data on our clients putting food boxes together working in the garden and now we have a farm in marana and so some of them are helping us. So we've got a food box programs emergency food boxes and food plus boxes. That are short-term solutions along with an agency market where some of our donated food in larger quantities goes and we have about 200 agency partners who can come over as often as once a day they send a representative they're all in our system. And it can shop in our market. And we do charge a fee of $0.10 a pound to help us cover the cost of getting the food there cuz we have to pay for the driver and the fuel to get these truckloads of donated items to us. That ten cents a pound is an amazing amount have to pay for food and laundry detergent and toothpaste and things like that in this is for agencies that actually serve food so it's still kitchens and group homes and other organizations that. Better working directly with people who need to eat right now. So then we get to the teaching part of the proverb. And we got some wonderful efforts in place that really make us unique in the food bank community as you look across foodbanks nationwide there are very few or doing some of the things that we do. We have three family advocates to help people who are in a downward spiral and don't know what to do so they get signed up for food stamps and any other programs that they qualify for. And we can get them into classes we have a family literacy class we do with pima community college. Mostly women and they get to know each other form their little support groups learn how to stretch their grocery dollars learn how to shop wisely and. Show recipes for some of the food in the food boxes you name it. And it's a wonderful effort to help people onto their feet. We do a lot of research out of the food bank from our food resource center which is headed up by dr. varga garland. And that research informs just general public policy but also informs the way we do our work and the way we treat our clients. We have a value market there at the food bank so that if you come in for a food box and you have some grocery money with you can go in and shop for food in the value market it's a little store. The food is 10/2. 70% less than you paid a regular grocery store and everyone is welcome to shop there we'd love for you to come over. And your sister because the the profit we make from the store return animal go back into food bank programs. And if you come come on at tuesday morning when we're doing our farmers market cuz the produce is beautiful it's all organically grown and we include some of our consignment farmers. I'm in that market so we've got beautiful fresh eggs. I'm sometimes they're green i taken to my grandchildren if you've never seen a green egg it's a lovely agreement but when you open it is just like any other eggs. A garden and learn to grow your own food. And we have saturday morning classes in gardening. And anyone is welcome to attend the classes in a little difficult great all kinds of good stuff. In those booklets about the season went you should be planting right now and how to make it happen here in tucson arizona. And then also at the food bank we have a demonstration garden which. This reinforces everything that you're learning about home gardening and it's filled with beautiful produce and we have our own little chickens it's kind of a retirement home for a week. Simonton the farm to you we have 10 acres that's being loaned permanently loan to us by the town in marana. And it's a beautiful setting right by the river. And if you willing quotes the driver bank of course looking at at the at the mountains and we planted about 4 acres there we have some terrific farmers that we've hired two who know how to work with the desert soil and we have about. Well i don't know how many different crops going now but all of the seasonal things are happening there and there's a farm stand. I'm in the afternoon i believe on wednesday then you can go out there and buy some of that fresh. Beautiful produce. I'm along with the the farm we have a an adolescent program is an apprentice program for kids 14 to 18 we had a lot of them with us this summer and they came up with a couple of ideas of their own when was the pizza garden. You can picture this the huge round button cut into slices and each place is something that you need for a pizza we have a slice of weed as like three slices of tomatoes is bison eggplant a spicy basil and then we have roseanne. And onions growing. The big had a lot of fun with that and it is it's so pretty. I'm the other idea that they came up with was a spiral garden you can imagine how hot these kids get out there they try to come early in the day and and they're gone by about noon. But it gets very worn out in the farm and they planted some fast-growing shrubbery was quite tall. And it's in the shape of a spiral. And you walk in and you go round and round and round when you get to the middle you're all cool down it's beautifully cool in there. And it's shady and said the kids take breaks and they go into the spiral garden and they just breathe and enjoy and come out and they're all refreshed. So the young people are making a huge impact on us and we loved having them and we received a $300,000 grant to continue that program for three years and really expand it. So these are kids that need the money they have to pacify to be part of this program and they'll be many more of them with us next summer on the farm. So i encourage you to go out and see if you can go up to our website at community food bank. org and there's a map there and actually very easy to get there. Another long-term approach that well it's actually kind of a combination short and long-term is our approach to children. We have at least 50,000 children in this county who do not have enough food. And so we have three programs that we're doing to make sure that these children got food but also to teach them about nutrition because it is as you all know i'm sure that very high incidence of diabetes and obesity and in our community. Until we want to catch children early and teach them that you just don't put some things in your body they're very bad for you and other things are very good for you. So we have these three programs when is the summer meals program which gets to the kids in the rural part of tucson school. Getting a free breakfast and lunch but because school is out for 8 weeks. They don't receive a lot of good nutrition over the summer. So we have summer meals for them at the schools along with the other activities that. I've done by parks and rec and other organization. And then for some of those kids that also are on the free breakfast and lunch program but live in the city we have city we have kissed a brother. Which is an after-school program and we work with nutrition students at the university who came out and take these kids nutrition lessons and anna get a healthy snack. And that maybe the dust food they get for the rest of the day so that's an important program as well and then you've probably heard of our snack packs program and this congregation may be helping us with that are you helping us with. We have a we have nine backpacks programs and most of them have been adopted by churches in town. On the way it works is these children are hand-picked by school personnel for showing signs of hunger stress. They hoard food when they have a chance to get it on their fingernails are brittle they're tired. They're having trouble concentrating all of those things that teachers know to look for. And if they are selected for the program on fridays while the everyone's out of class they get a. Hack packages food for the weekend it's slipped into their backpack and they take that home. For their families and over the holidays we have special holiday boxes but the family's coming pick up at the school the other thing that that we do for kids as we involve them in helping us explain the importance of good food. And if you're a donor to the food bank you probably received one of these every year it's going out in about 2 weeks. And we've gone to the school that we serve and ask for artwork from the children. And they do amazing pictures and then we select our favorites and put a calendar together which people really look forward to and then messages are just amazing. Last year the cover story that cover picture was. Food rocks. And it was at little rock band made of fruits. It was too cute and it just made us all laugh. So i can i hope that if you don't have a calendar and you want one that you will give me a call pauline have birth a good bank and i will make sure that you get one. So you're probably wondering how we pay for all this. We are very efficient operation we just had another perfect audits that's the third one that i've seen since i've been there in three dozen my fourth year. We spend. Over $0.97 of every dollar that we receive on food and programs. Which is an amazing record so that means it less than $0.03 of every dollar is going to administer lee administrative cost. We have a very generous community that's certainly one reason why we can afford to do all these beautiful programs we have about right now 33,000 donors from this community. It's amazing to me and. Our average gift is around $93 but most of our gifts are between 5 and $50 and it's just shows you when you add up all that giving it's amazing we we came in at about eight million dollars last year. We had our best year ever. In this economy because this community is so responsive. And so caring. We got lots of volunteer opportunities i mentioned them to you at the beginning i and i works for valet company i work in a community foundation i worked in a hospital for seven years raising money for different a capital campaigns a woman's center cancer center i work at st. gregory school. And i have to tell you that the donors at the community food bank are. Amazing they are the loveliest people i've ever had the opportunity to work with. Imma get the sweetest notes and i wanted to read 12 today. This came with a gift of $10. And it says i'll be 91 in december. And doodle investments that ended up in chapter 11 and forced to live on social security i lost my dear husband to alzheimer's disease in 2005. However i was very fortunate to pick up a part-time job. So i'll be able to send the small donation each month. If i live closer to your location i would love to donate time. That's the kind of people we hear from and of course i had to call this lady and made her and i asked her what her part-time job is and you'll never guess just teaching line dancing. And we had a great visit and she's just has an immaculate home at 10. Food energy she does all kinds of hand-craft work. And she insisted on coming to the food bank for a tour and when i tried to offer her a ride to come and get her she said oh no i want to know exactly how to get there so i can volunteer there if if my schedule permits it. So i gave her directions she was five minutes early we walked through the entire food bank out to the garden all upstairs. And she was what's higher than i was she's just an amazing lady and we've got a lot of people like that in this community and they are giving to the food bank and. And i know that it feels good for them to share what they have. Regardless of how much that is. And that brings me to my philosophy on giving. Because people often ask me how i do it how can i stand asking people for money. I already get familiar with lindquist. She was with the hunger project for years it's a world hunger effort. She's an outstanding woman. And here's what she has to say. I see money as being a little bit like water. When water is moving and flowing it cleanses it purifies it makes things green it creates growth is beautiful but when it slows down starts to sludge and is still. It becomes toxic and stagnant. I think that's true of money too. And those of us who have a hard time letting money flow. Close to my life and have it flow to a heist commitments sometimes get a little cloudy around the topic. It's sort of like looking through a toxic fish tank out into the world and you can't see so clearly. She continues one of my missions in this lifetime is to enable people to keep money flowing into a sign money to fulfill their highest commitments. And just send it off into the world would love with voice with commitment with vision. Because many carries that energy with it wherever it goes. And she's written a book called the soul of money and it's quite wonderful. So i share her notion. And i absolutely love raising money for the community food bank and part of that is helping get our message out to the community which i'd truly appreciate when i have the opportunity. You haven't been to the food bank please call and we'll make an appointment to show you through. And explain our approaches in more detail. And please think about volunteering you can come as a group as lots of fun to put food boxes together it's a very tangible thing you're exhausted the end but if it's is wonderful. And we do have so many people to take care of right now that need our help so we need your help as well thank you so much.

uuctucson_org

UUJAZ191103.mp3

Good morning i'm janine gelsinger the executive director of you jazz and i'm so delighted to be invited by rex and rub bethany today to do your social justice moments in your service. If you're not familiar uu jazz fans for unitarian universalist justice arizona network our mission is for parts we support the social justice ministry and all the union congregations in the state of arizona we work to create connections between you use across the state working on social justice issues as part of living out our values. We work to strengthen our partnerships with grassroots organizations around the state. And we work for public policy that reflects ruu values in the state of arizona. That's a big lift i know. When i was thinking about what to share with you today. I had something else in mind but then i heard the song and the story and rev bethany talking about hope and i was right reminded of a quote by my friend bryan stevenson. Many of you may know brian stephenson as the founder of equal justice initiative is also an author of the book just mercy which was the you a common read a few years back he gave the lecture in 2017 at uua general assembly in new orleans. And brian says the enemy of justice. Is hopelessness. And i think he's right because in a time where we live right now. When we are confronted on all sides by a world that doesn't reflect our values by a country by a state by a city sometimes that doesn't reflect our values it can make us feel hopeless. It can make us feel like there's nothing we can do. And then our one voice doesn't matter. But i'm here to tell you that it does. And i think you know that. And so i would like to add a yes and onto brian phrase the enemy of justice is hopelessness. I would also say the enemy of justice. His time. And laundry. And school pick-up and job and all the other things we have going on in our lives that prevent us from just taking that tiny step for action to act in the name of justice act in the name of our values. Quit liking invite i'd like to invite you to join me today at 12:15 at the social justice council meeting where we will talk about some ways that you can get involved that take very little time but help you to live out your values injustice we were really exciting partnership with puente human rights movement and that's okay too to both of you and hearing their stories and the helping to support them. We have all sorts of other ways for you to connect from something just as little as spending a few time few hours a month on the internet doing some research. To sending a postcard to mariposa to send postcards to people that are in detention center. Join me. Today at 12:15 right here in the sanctuary. And before that i'll be out of the table with a few books around justice if you're interested in comes up at the table or just say hello thanks so much for having me here today.

uuctucson_org

Slide0022.mp3

Issue number 3 is medical treatment and access to medical professionals. Well in-custody blisters covering entire soles of feet have gone untreated and become infected. Medications for pre-existing conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes are confiscated and not returned.

uuctucson_org

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Oversight is a seventh and final issue. Urges the establishment of a community oversight committee to ensure compliance with these recommendations including medical and legal professionals as well as individuals who work in the area of human and migrant rights must have access to processing centers and other border patrol and homeland security facilities. In september 2008. Almost immediately upon completion. Copies of this report were carried by no more deaths volunteers to washington. Where they presented essential information to congressional staff. Again what statement describes it.

uuctucson_org

Slide0017.mp3

Alfonso age 27 and 34. Witnessed an agent kick one man's legs apart so roughly that his pants rip. When a woman said how can you treat us like that we're not from the streets. And agent said you are a piece of s*** another agent told them the next time you run will kick your butts and leave you here in the desert. The agents threw away all their food and gave their fruit to border patrol horses. A group of 15 was forced to run in place for 30 minutes by border patrol agents year old boy. Recommendations in the report cluster around 7 specific issues. In many cases border patrol agents are refusing ordinary 802 any distress prisoner the same age that no more deaths volunteers are working to provide in the desert and at 8 station.

uuctucson_org

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Took several months we had to compile a lot of different data gathered at three different aid stations with the help of professors at the university of arizona and some tea no more deaf people who'd been intimately involved with gathering all the state of how we started riding a tang and writing and editing and. Finish the final edition of the report within hours of going before congress. The findings of this report are buckets thing and appendix at 345 testimonies of drawn from thousands of interviews of deep. You are a couple that highlight the failure by the border patrol to respect the basic human dignity of the migrants.

uuctucson_org

Slide0009.mp3

That pattern was most prominently said by operation gatekeeper announced in 1994 by then us attorney general janet reno it fortified the westernmost five miles of the border near san diego with a formidable fence and an increased border patrol. Increasingly the border patrol has fortified in populated areas and near major roads making it increasingly difficult for border-crossers to go through those populated areas and into the economic opportunity in walking. And too often. Dying there.

uuctucson_org

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A man aged 28 was repatriated with a cactus spine in his eye causing it to bleed it been in custody without receiving any treatment for the eye injury no food and insufficient water were provided. A pregnant female age 18 was experiencing pregnancy complications and stomach pains after falling she received no care while in border patrol custody.

uuctucson_org

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4th transportation in the vehicles of the border patrol and of the wackenhut corporation a private security firm under contract to homeland security to transport prisoners and deportees. Reports include lack of seatbelt. Agents driving at high speed over rough terrain carrying shackled prisoners. Hazardous overcrowding extreme temperatures. A group of 31 men and four women. Were deported at the nogales port of entry reported spending several hours in border patrol custody to spend hours. Forehead untreated blisters.

uuctucson_org

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Maria and jesus were repatriated at 12:30 a.m.. Along with another woman traveling alone with her six-month-old baby. She requested food and a blanket for the child from the border patrol in spite of the fact that the baby was visibly agents did not respond. No more deaths recommends that all removals from the u.s. to take place during daylight hours. And the family be kept together and return together. Who property must be returned to my rent including paperwork identification medications and money. They should be fully inappropriately closed with clothing provided to them if necessary. Any paperwork they're asked to sign must be fully and accurately explains and copies provided to them. To a family reunification homeland security must provide all appropriate consulates with list. Showing where and when all individuals were deported.

uuctucson_org

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One outcome of the december meeting with dhs was the decision by border human rights groups to start filing formal complaints about actions of border patrol agents. No more deaths since their first batch of these to dhhs during january. Also in january no more guests joined autumn voice against the wall grassroots organization to support them and documenting abuses and violations of indigenous rights by border patrol agents. Additional land span both sides of the border in arizona and sonora in arizona. Organizations will connect individuals to legal support will assist in training and documentation and know your rights and assist in filing official complaints with dhhs.

uuctucson_org

Slide0007.mp3

When stopgap efforts to earn some money fail these are the people who thinset out to go north and across the border into the united states. Likely facing several days walking through hostile country and at the same time evading apprehension by the border patrol.

uuctucson_org

Slide0037.mp3

Summertime brought meetings with major outside figures. In june no more deaths emphasized the need for custody standards with allen iverson the obama administration's and newly-appointed borders. Who is currently awaiting senate confirmation as the new commissioner of customs and border protection. Detention center conditions were the topic when arizona immigration detention reform groups including no more deaths testified before the inter-american commission on human rights special rapporteur on the rights of migrants. And the strong standards act was finally introduced into the us senate which would improve conditions in all immigration detention including border patrol short-term custody.

uuctucson_org

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95 man twenty eight women and four children ages 4 to 11. Were reportedly held in border patrol custody for 4 hours. After being in the desert for up to 3 days. Border patrol agents did not let women go to the bathroom. One-man saint agent choke a 20 year old male on the bus. The group of three men and nine women were repatriated after being in border patrol custody for 16 hours. The agents had thrown away their backpacks and yelled at them when i told one man to get up and he didn't they border patrol agent kicked him in the eye with his boot to women and untreated blisters and another was forced to sign a document in english that she did not understand when she asked. The agents refuse to tell her what she was signing.

uuctucson_org

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In the summer of 06. What another volunteer describes me development. Into a report.

uuctucson_org

Slide0020.mp3

The second issue is food we frequently hear of agents throwing away migrants food. In processing centers request for sufficient food even from children and pregnant women are dismissed. Systematic denial of food exasperates all the other problem. That are common among migrants. Here are a couple of examples. Five mothers with five young children were apprehended by the border patrol as they cross the desert. They were not given food or water in the desert on the bus or in the processing center. Additionally they were not examined for medical needs despite having spent three days in the desert. And having young children with them. Gordita reported that border patrol denied her and her daughter's kb and wanna food while they were in custody from 10 a.m.. Until 8 a.m. the following day.

uuctucson_org

Slide0040.mp3

And in december a long-awaited milestone. The introduction of a comprehensive immigration reform act. Initially it had 89 co-sponsors but more have been joining is the weeks go on. Besides providing pathways to citizenship for undocumented immigrants living and working in the us it also includes major reforms to immigration detention with specific attention to border patrol short-term custody.

www_uuccpf_org

appropriation.mp3

Anybody wants to come up and join me up here for a story come on up. Story this morning. 2 tribes. And what are the tribes had quite a reputation. Their reputation was that they were the meanest. Fiercest. Most fearsome awesome tribe that ever lived. And the other tribe well it didn't have much of a reputation. And one day those in that second tribe that word. That the warriors from the first tribe. We're coming. Now it's hardly interesting that the first try they called them warriors but in fact. The tribe had never gone to war. I've never fought anybody. Have no weapons. And didn't do any training in warfare. Still at the second tribe heard the warriors were coming. Shernoff soon along the trail cam the warriors. And they were fearsome and awesome. You see they understood makeup. So they had wonderful fierce faces put on and what looked like blood on them all dripping out of teeth it was just something to behold. And they also understood costuming. So they had big half the made them seem taller than all the other people. And they came in then circled around the village and then stood at the edge. Stood there. And started tapping their foot. All the people in that surrounded village were filled with fear. Trepidation worry they're scaring. And they began to do what most scared people do. Play starting to whine. Airport drive. Play whimpered and they simply word and they said we don't don't do terrible things to us because in their hearts they knew what was coming either houses burned they could see their women taken they can see their crops to eaton. And they just stood there and cried and begged. And the fear of someone's just stood there tapping their feet. Until one of them stop tapping. His foot instead. We only wants three things from you. Crystal village with a buzz three things what will it be food will be our children what will it be. First they said. We want your recipes. We're hungry. And secondly. We want your stories. Absurdly. We want to see you dance your ritual dance. Soul knight. Fearful tribe quaking in their boots began to prepare dinner and let the outsiders see what they did with the foodstuffs they watched every bit of what was going on to make that food. And then they sat down in a. That ass fire die down. They began to tell the stories of their tribe while the outsiders set around the outside listening keenly. And then began the ritual dances. And again the outsiders stood and watched. Is the whole night was taken away with this dancing. And then in the morning being full food. Filled with stories. Instilled with a dance. The first tribe left. And it was strange. As tribe still had everything they thought they. Possessed that was wonderful but they felt like they had been conquered. First tried to taking them. Because they lost things they couldn't replace. And they then began to spread the story to other tribes oh you don't want those warriors coming to where you are because they'll take everything you've got that's worth anything. And that's how that first tribe gots reputation being spread from one to another. Where are they didn't take any things and they didn't kill any people. They just took recipes and stories and dances. Sometimes we conquered people. Simply by taking what makes them. Cristof's halfsies. He's a producer for the canadian broadcasting corporation. He produces documentaries. And works to make them holistic affairs by trying to incorporate various elements in that would be normal to the situation. And at one point several years ago he was working on a documentary about the native people. Oh canada. And hearing some recordings of some native chance. The rhythms the repetition of the words the light melodies doing with them he was intrigued and incorporated those. Into the background of some of the work that he did for the documentary but along the way. He began to get a little trouble because he realized. That he was basing it totally on the musical nature of what he heard. Without having any clue. About how it was used by those tribes. So they decided to do what any good documentary-maker would do he would make a documentary about how a documentary-maker finds out the answer to those questions. Which he did. And then reflected on it in a paper and this is from the paper he wrote. The difference between genuine. Postmodern practice. And cultural appropriation. Or even plagiarism. Is it the latter parasitically feeds on the meaning and significance of the borrowed material. In fact they have no meaning and significance of their own. Apart from the borrowing. Conversely. The postmodern practice recontextualizing has the borrowed material. In ways in which it reveals a startlingly new meaning. Insignificance. Industry articulated state. Cultural appropriation of plagiarism are morally questionable. On the grounds that they pretend to make a statement. And furthermore claim authorship for the said statement. While in fact the entire statement can easily exist. Within quotation marks. In theory at least. Post-modernism is making an original statement. This statement is not. Dependent on the borrowed material. It uses this material to create a situation whereby the viewer or the listener can follow the new artistic statement. And compared with or juxtapose it against the original meaning. Of the proud material. It is done in a multi-threaded nonlinear manner. Hitherto unknown and or impossible. Reflections on. Two different ways of dealing. With material that's not. Your own. Calm by costas. In a book called. vanishing. It is dedicated to be especially for d johnson. Titled. I am not. Your princess. Sandpaper between two cultures with tear one another apart. I'm not a means by which you can reach spiritual understanding. Or even learn to do beadwork. I'm only willing to tell you. How to make fry bread. One cup of flour. Spoon salt spoon baking powder stir add milk or water or beer until it holds together each piece in the rounds that rest fry in hot grease until golden this is indian food. Only if you know. Indian is a government word which has nothing to do with our names for ourselves. I won't chat for you. I admit no spirituality to you i will not sweat with you or ease your guilt was fine turtle tales. I will not wear dancing clothes to read poetry. Or explain hardly anything at all. I don't think your attempts to understand us are going to work so i'd rather you left us in whatever peace we can still scrambled. Powder all you continue to do. If you send me one more damn slier about how to heal myself for $300 with special feminist counseling i'll probably set fire to something. If you tell me one more time that i'm wise i'll throw up on you. Look at me. See my confusion. Loneliness. Fear. Worrying about all our struggles to keep what little is left for us. Look at my heart not your fantasies. Please don't ever again tell me about your cherokee great-great-grandmother. Don't assume that i know every other native activists in the world personally. That i even know the names of all the tribes orkin pronouncenames i've never heard or that i'm the expert on the peyote stitch. If you ever again tell me. How strong i am. I'll lay down on the ground and moan so you'll see it lamp my human weakness. Like your own. I'm not strong i'm scraped. I'm blessed with life while so many i've known are dead. I have work to do. Dishes to wash a house to clean there is no magic see my simple cracked hands which have washed the same things you wash. See my dark eyes dark with fear and a house by myself late at night. See that. Four to adore me. They are the same. One cup of flour. Stone of salt. Spoon of baking powder. Liquid to hold. Remember this is only my recipe. There are many others. Let me rest. Here. At least. Picture this you're at a dinner party. It's one of those neighborhood dinner parties that you get together with lots of friends from all around your neighborhood. And then that wonderful. after dinner. There's full conversation and story which always follows a good meal. Can hear your host begin to tell a story. Wait a minute. Your stories. They're talking about people as if they were their relatives but you know they're your relatives. You've told that story dozens of times. And you know they've herded themselves from you more than once. But now they're telling and selling it as if it were their own. How can they. How do you feel. Angry. Betrayed. Violated. That was your story. That was your family. So you wait until the party's over. Until you can be alone with them. And you have to know. Why did they do it. Butthurt you know there will be no answer that they couldn't give that would be sufficient. Well it might be sufficient for them. But not for you. They could say they told the story because they had no stories of their own and they needed something to entertain the people at the table. They could say that the story gave them away to understand their own. Unspoken stories. They could say it was a story too good not to be told. They can say it had to be told as if it were theirs or it would lose its meaning. They could say that the story was typical of all families. They could say that the story helps them feel connected. To your family. What other things could they say to justify it any ideas. Guitar. Taking it. But in the end. Isn't it true. That while they might explain their actions. Nothing they would say would be adequate to justify them. Yet isn't this what happens all the time. Don't those with z freedom. Or the power or the imposing philosophy. The freedom or the power philosophy and use it to explore exploit and assume the stories of others. To take the symbols the lore the insights and make it as if they were their own. You know there's a formal protocol. Does followed. About those who conquer. Conquering body mind or spirit. That is the throws who have been conquered. Must give way. To the ways of the conqueror. If you have been bested. You must adapt to the ways of those who rule you. What in fat. A conquest is not completed. When the concord our cultural into the new regime. But only when the new regime. Has rob the others of their deepest cultural treasures. Cultural appropriation. The ultimate imperialism. More powerful than the conquest of land possessions or titles. For once a people's heritage has been assumed by others. There is no turning back. It's like trying to put the toothpaste back in the tube. You can give them back their houses. You can give them back their money and possessions you can make them feel entitled again but you can't give them back their stories. Once you have made them yours also. And made them public. In our religious tradition. One which has made itself rich by incorporating the stories of long ago and many lands. This should all give us pause. With a freedom of faith which is unique. Have we use that freedom responsibly. Or have we become religious imperialists. Looking for a good story or ritual right or practice from anywhere and everywhere with justifications as weak as those storytelling neighbors. In fact. Have we not perhaps. Been even worse. For while the neighbors at least kept the story connected to a family. In the story they stole. We so often take religious tales that we get from others. And we strip them. Of the theology in which they are created. Or for which they were intended. Have we honored our religious tradition. By betraying the culture. Of others. There was a time about 1,700 years ago. When western religion. Was a divided. On one side was an argument about all things religious becoming specific. The accounts of the life and death of jesus became an anchor. Anchor for putting the story of creation being in a specific single god. The story of the holy. Being specified in one person. And the story of the divine mystery. Being specified in a single spirit. On the other side was an argument about the universality of all things religious. The accounts of the ministry of jesus became a window. Through which the creative spirit was understood as being omnipresent. The holy was experienced as everyday. And the divine mystery was pervasive. The specific interpretation. Crescent self. On all those with whom it came into contact. The universal interpretation sought to learn from all those with whom they came into contact. Our liberal religious tradition was born out of that second interpretation. Seeking to find the best sources of support. For our vision of universality. And inclusivity. All spirit of automatic connection of all religious thought open the way not only for the renaissance it also form the foundation for the most progressive elements of the reformation. And it led the way into the enlightenment. Every path. The universal message. Was prized. Even sod. While others might cling to the specifics of their own beliefs. We went. Looking. By the mid-1800s are twin traditions and each embrace not only the scientific model. But also the insights of world religions. Emerson's transcendentalism grew from and pointed toward this larger understanding. The world parliament of religions in chicago in 1893 was prompted to a great degree by our traditions. In fact two nazi connections to other faith traditions. Would be to invalidate a major tenets of our faith. That belief is that all specifics. A lesser parts. Are some larger universal. As we encounter more and more specifics we can form a more complete incompetent understanding of the whole. At the same time we believe that all the parts of a whole reflect that hole there is a holographic nature. That all the parts contain knowledge of the whole and therefore those stories. Those rituals and traditions which have endured and inspired across the ages are not specific entities of anyone culture. But rather the local manifestations of the universal. This is the religious equivalent of saying you can have coke. And pepsi and rc but they're all subsets of colas. Folino cola. You need to be able to experience each of the brands. Even if you've grown up with only one of them. In your household. Argue further that in the world of religion. No one can copyright. Trademark the divine. Whatever is universal is beyond ownership. And therefore no one owns any expression of that universal either. Call the stories right rituals are gifts of the divine not to specific people. But to all people. An irony some would point out. Is it those native traditions. Which most ashu the concept of personal ownership are the very ones who are most protective of their own spiritual insights. So is the shadow side. Aurora liberal religious tradition appropriation of elements of other faiths. Or is that shadowside our own reticence in the name of cultural sensitivity to even more fully incorporate the spiritual options available. In a religion whose richness derives from incorporation of insightful elements from other spiritual traditions. Have we betrayed our religious tradition. Bio-broly honoring. The culture of others. We are in the middle east. Of what appears to be a fight. Between two strands within unitarian-universalism. One tells us that our heritage is to look for all sources of understanding in our spiritual quest. Father tells us that we need to be extremely sensitive and respectful not to be guilty of cultural appropriation. Better to err on the side of a boy ding than including. Let me suggest there is a fight going on. But those are not the real sides. Rather the struggle is between unitarian universalism as a modernist faith. And unitarian universalism. Is a postmodernist faith. We have been for the past seventeen hundred years. A modernist faith. That was a very identity would separated us. From the medieval ism of the specific option. Our use of the experiential. And the evidential rather than the speculative and the theological. Was a hallmark not only of our modernism. But of modernism in general. We were the religious tradition. The song the sea the evidence. Cano the scientific facts to keep an open window at all times on all things. But we now have reached a point in cultural and intellectual development. When modernism can be seen as a formal useful tool. But now also limited in its understanding. In its simplest form. Post-modernism is an openness. To look for cultural paradigms. Structures of thought and models of faith. Which are not merely fulfillment of past patterns. But which transcend the past. In predictive rather than descriptive ways. We're not just saying what it is. We're being visionary about what might be. Postmodern religious world the various elements of the many spiritual communities are not the sources of larger understandings. But only the confirming evidence. I'm larger understandings which transcend any specific community. Ideas are creative. Derivative. So we wouldn't be challenged to move on from justice side by justifying our past understandings. And a start to look for a new religious system of thought. What do we have to say to the future. Which we sense is already. But not yet. In post-modernism the cultural understandings and expressions of others. Are not seen as additional. Ternative doorways to our own understanding and expression. We do not use them. We may look to them for what they mean. For those for whom they are primary. Everyone they mean to a larger understanding. But we would never call them ours to any extent. Now what construct of religious understanding. Can our religious tradition of universality. Offer. Which would not strive to make the face of others ours as well. What more can we say about inclusivity. Other than that we ought to adopt the beliefs of others. I do not yet have an answer to that question. But i do know that as long as we focus more on what others believe. Turn on what we have to say we will never have that answer. As long as we believe that some spiritual path from some other culture will take us where we need to go we will never find our path to the future. The real shadowside religious liberalism at this time when post-modernism is challenging us is neither are appropriations of elements of other face. Nooran reticence in the name of cultural sensitivity. The fully incorporate the spiritual options available. The real shadow is our inability. Or our unwillingness to look past the arguments of 1700 years ago. And instead look for understanding which will serve the coming age. In an increasingly multicultural interconnected post-traditional multinationals post nationalistic world what kind of religion. Can we envision. We won't find what we need to say in any of the existing traditions of the world so why look there for the answer. The greatest impropriety of cultural appropriation at any level. Is that it essentially as an avoidance. Of the real religious work. The faces are future. Will we have anything to say. To the future world. But will we only say that we support all religious options. Of the past. Will unitarian-universalism become a great artifact. Albeit an inclusive universal artifact. Of history. Or will it be a creative contributor. To the shape of the future. Future. Awaits our answer.

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greaterwhole.mp3

A reading today from an intriguing book called quantum theology. Warm work shoe. He writes. What i perceive. Is not a landscape of fat. Or objects. One of events. Process. Movement and energy. In this creative flow past present and future. Indistinguishable. Every creation of matter. Influenced as it is by consciousness. Is a recapitulation. Of all past creation. And carries inherit propensity. To become something more than it is. At any present moment. For this continuous creative movement. Phyllis's bone coined the term. Holo movement. Everything in the cosmos. Is made out of the seamless whole graphic fabric. Of the implicit order. An electron is not just an elementary particle it is a name given to a certain aspect of this holo movement. One of the many dancers in the great cosmic sequence of movement and pattern. Despite the apparent separateness. How's things at the explicate level. Everything is a seamless extension. Everything else. Ultimately the implied and the explicit orders. Blend into each other. Wholeness. Which is largely unmanifest and dynamic. Not stable in nature. Is the wellspring of all possibility in seeking to understand life we begin with the whole. Which is always greater than the sum of its parts. Paradoxically. That whole. Is contained in each part. And yet no hole. Is complete. In itself. From walmart use quantum theology. Wonder if you've ever had this experience that i've had. Experience of working hard on something. Giving it. My time. My energy. My spirit. My all. Working overtime on something. And in the end. Feeling like i got something less than i put into it. Ever had that experience. In which somehow. The whole is less than the sum of its parts. You know if that was a way things were. At the bottom of all creation is that were the inherent nature of the world. That the whole was less than the sum of its parts. There's an outcome that we could all expect and you know what that outcome is. None of us would be here. Nothing would be here. Something is implicit in the order of existence as we understanding and experience it. Which says that overall by say overall i mean across all time which is an infinite expanse of possibility rather than a measure. Linearity. Across the whole span of possibility. The combination of parts in the holes. Mosque in general. Lead to something which is greater than the sum of the parts. Or else there will never be. A hole. Across all the possibilities and adding this plus this gave you less than those two. All creation with cease. 2xist. But unless both you and i are figments of some kind of demented imagination of mine we are here. Her right here now living out lives in which we are parts of various interconnecting circles and communities and interaction we prove by our very existence. That there are holes which exist. Which are greater than the sum of their parts. And in fact we proved that that is the majority position. Within creation. Because if it were the negative would outrun the positive. And things would collapse into themselves. This is that basis that o'murchu is talking about it's somehow magically out of all the possible worlds that could exist out there out of all the probabilities we're in the one in which one you put elements together. You get something more. You put. An electron. Peter parker waiver source of energy or cosmic dancer together with a proton. Maybe a neutron in there while you got it and what do you know you've got something more. Which looks like. All those parts. And something more at the same time. If that we're not true. The best we could have will be the most elementary particles wandering around bumping into each other and nothing would arrive. It arises up into elements. It rises up through the elements into mixtures it rises up through the elements in the mixtures men in the compound and into. Complex compound it rises up from those simple elements. Making holes greater than the sum of its parts rising up into this complex compounds until it even becomes you. You filled with all of that complex information of dna that stretches back and reaches to the original moment. Of life forming. The hole is in. Each one of us. And all of its history going back and all of its history going forward. If every element of the whole. It's part of this grand story. Not only holds the knowledge of what has been. It also is already filled with the possibilities. Of what will be. You. Me. Almost everyone of us are carriers of all that. The past represented in the present already possibilities of the future. That's the story of existence. As we experience it on this physical and spiritual level would we call human life. Do we realize this often. Do we think about how many people thought about this in the last week. They were rising up and here we are but you know i think we actually all of us have thought about italy go back to that first question i posed. About getting of our lives into things. Where is fields after we've given we get less. We know that experience and maybe we don't connect the two but life itself. The very existence we call our own keeps pointing us in a direction and maybe we need to listen to it. So often. Human beings look back to scriptures the financers they look back to holy writings and great sages and wise men sitting in caves. When life itself. Is already giving you an answer. More profound. More universal. Any of those scriptures could offer. Simply by the fact of our existence you're being told something. And that is the true should look in life. For those occasions in which you give. Such that the whole you created. Is greater. Can the sum of its parts. To do those things that connect with those people and fulfil those activities. In which you'll get a real sense that there is something more being created and not something less. Because that is the very message. Of existence itself. So reminder. To each and all of us. That we should be striving to live in such a way. Dudley various connections we make. Create holes with our greater. Turn the sum of all the parts going into it. To ask ourselves deeply and honestly when i do this thing we're connected this person or move in the relationship with this group or this individual. Is something more being created. Or something less being created. Is energy flowing outward. Where is energy being sucked away. Follow the energy. Follow the sense of identity. Go back into your own lives and think about this as a criterion. What would you now honor most. Using this as your evaluative tool. Where in your life right now. Do you find your being part of it. Makes you feel connected to something greater than you and to greater than any of the parts of that hole where do you go and when you come back even though you even though you've sweated you were you're exhausted you're tired but you're energized at the same moment. Where in your life do you experience that where you give it your all and even though all of that is going to way you can something bad. Which is so moving and meaningful you can't even put a word on it but it makes you want to do it again and again and again. Those are the things we should be doing. In our lives. Any other hand we go into situations where we give our toil and our sweat and tears we giving everything we can and when we're exhausted all we feel is exhausted. Maybe life once more is reminding us. Of its intimate secret. That's not something we should be doing. If there is a dark side to light it's not that there is a force of evil or satan or devils around with pitchforks but that people continue to give themselves to be parts of things. That do not lead to greater songs. The individuals even thinking of this continue to move into associations and institutions and relationships which when the day is done takes energy from them and gives them nothing. So the choice is our. The choice day-by-day minute-by-minute doobie parts of greater holes cannot live in isolation of separation because alone we cannot survive. Button connection. In physical connection. Emotional connection is spiritual connection in all kinds of intuitive and other connections. Look for those waze. In which your part. Not only generates more. But that you receive a piece. That which is generated. Let life remind you. To look for the holes. Which are greater. Then the song. The parts.

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speaktruth.mp3

How many have you seen the movie the great dictator. I'm surprised how few this is one of the great movies the first talk either charlie chaplin made. He made the move some music from the movie made before and modern times. Where was the soundtrack without voice on it. Was in the thirties that he made this movie was released in 1940. And he wrote this closing speech. And studio executives wanted him to leave it out of the movie. And you may see why in a moment. Here's a synopsis of the movie. There's this little jewish barber. Who's in this european country that is. Name and. Germany. But it's not called term. It is being run by a great dictator. Adenoids ankle. Ankle has a little problem and ends up dead so that use the farber as substitute. Because he looks just like him. And solace little barber gets to be that great dictator. And therefore falls into a temptation in a sentence. Historia being liberated from being a persecuted into the possibility of power is given all the connections in the world that he might want to have he can make anything happen. He's tempted there for to be able to be that rule. And in the end he says the speech. I'm sorry but i don't want to be an emperor. That's not my business. I don't want to rule or conquer anyone. I should like to help everyone is possible jew gentile black man white. We all want to help one another. Human beings are like that. We all want to live by each other's happiness not by each other's misery. We don't want to hate and despise one another. In this rule in this world there can be room for everyone. Earth is written to provide for everyone. The way of life can be free. And beautiful. But we have lost the way. Greed has poisoned men's souls has barricaded the world with a. Has goose-step got into misery and bloodshed. We have developed speed. But we have shut ourselves in. Machinery that could give us abundance. Has left us in want. Our knowledge has made us cynical. Our cleverness hard and unkind we think too much. Feel too little. More than machinery we need humanity. More than cleverness. We need kindness and gentleness. Without these qualities life will be violent and all will be lost. The aeroplane and radio have brought us closer together. The very nature of these inventions. Cries out for the goodness in man cries out for the universal brotherhood of the unity of all of us. Even now my voice is reaching millions throughout the world millions of despairing men women and little children. Victims of a system that makes men torture. And imprison innocent people. To those who can hear me i say. Do not despair. The misery that is now upon us is about the passing of greed the bitterness of men who fear the way of human progress. The hate of men will pass and dictators die and the power that they took from the people will return to the people and so long as men die liberty will never perish. Soldiers. Don't give yourself to brutes. Man you despise you enslave you who regiment your life tell you what to do what to think and what the field who drill you die at you treat you as cattle as cannon fodder. Don't give yourself to these unnatural men machine men with machine hearts and machine mine. You are not machines. You are not cattle. You are people you have the love of humanity in your heart. You don't hate. Only the unloved hey. Only the unloved and the unnatural. Soldiers don't fight for slavery. Fight for liberty. In the 17th chapter of st luke is written. The kingdom of god is within man not one man nor a group of men but in all men in you in all people. You the people have the power. The power to create happiness. You people have the power to make this life free and beautiful to make this life a wonderful adventure. That in the name of democracy. Let us use that power but us all unite. Best fight for new world decent world that will give people a chance to work they will give you the future and old-age security. By the promise of these things brutes have risen to power. But they lie. They do not fulfill their promise. They never will. Dictators free themselves but enslave the people. Alvarez fight to fulfill that promise let us fight to free the world to do away with national barriers to do away with greed with hayden and tolerance. Does fight for a world of reason. For science and progress will lead to the happiness of all. Soldiers in the name of democracy let us all unite. Look up. Look up. The clouds are lifting. The sun is breaking through we are coming out of the darkness into the light we are coming into a new world a new kindly recording their new world will men will rise above their hate and brutality. The song humanity has been given wings and at last we are beginning to fly we are flying into the rainbow into the light of hope. Into the future that glorious future that belongs to you. To me and to all of us. Look up. In many ways. We liberals. Are sitting ducks. For the fundamentalist. They say just listen to the news at night you know what kind of world this is and what do you liberals have to say to that. Smile. Dulce essential to liberalism. Is affirm safe. Indiana heron goodness of all people. And also a rejection. Of any force in the universe that would create anything close to eternal damnation. Wood that is foundation of an optimistic approach to life. We then are too often and too easily labeled. Bleeding hearts. And we are portrayed as people think that if we just have the right attitude the whole world will be better. Carpinitos glitter tax. On liberalism being religious or secular there's a much deeper charge that's leveled against us. And that is the thing since we have no philosophy or theology of sin. We cannot speak. The evil in the world. The fundamentalist argument is that people are essentially sinful. And that there is a force in the world seeking to recruit that sinfulness. Cause of evil. It's the old god versus satan dualism. So let's set the score straight. Liberals believe that people can do things. Which are bad. Which are unjust which are cool with your unfeeling with your mean. We also believe that people buy their inaction. Can allow bad things to happen. But we also believe that people are not essentially defined. By their failures. But that they can learn from their failures about their potential for good. Gross people are not sinful. Just the x error chrome. Then what about evil. As i said for the fundamentalist. Evil is a forest alive in the world that must be confronted. And must be contained until an ultimate victory over evil will usher in an eternal age of perfection. Cross liberals. Evil is not a force in the world. But rather the effect. A collective human indifference. Accumulation of human mistakes at the same time heading in the same direction. The small seemingly insignificant deeds of individuals a mass into a temporary force. Which then can reach the level we might call evil. But with the demise of the central personality. What were the end of the pattern than energized it. That evil can dissipate back into individual acts. The dictator dies and regime soon falls. Future leadership survival generation. After the leader is gone. Spheres are resolved. And the movement dies. A mass level of prejudice. Which expressed itself is hatred. Certain individuals. Diminishes. When the wii discovers that they are actually the part of an us. And we've met the enemy. And they is us. Individuals. Mayfair mobscene. But once they're differentiated from that mob hole. The appeal the anonymity. Of the mob goes away. You know there's that scene in the kill a mockingbird. Atticus is out at the jail. He's sitting there all night to read. Does tom robinson the black man is in the jail waiting to be transported. It's going to be in a pee on this case and while he's there. Mob people come. It's a lynch mob. And they are going to go up against this loan person there and they're going to take the prisoner. In the midst of that atticus has daughters scout runs up. You shouldn't be there at all. And then she picks out one person in the crowd and names him by name. She says hi mr. cunningham. And then she asks after his boy was in school there it says you say hi to him for me. And with that single act of differentiating the individual from the mob. The mom ceases to exist. It withers back into individual lines. So evil actions yes. Evil force. No. What the fundamentalists are saying is that because we see evil as a temporal expression of human actions which can be changed. Will never adequately address the issue of evil. Do it i say exactly. Because we see evil. As a temporal expression of human actions which can be changed. We are poised to most effectively. Address the issues of evil. Let me tell you how. For me i think there are three central qualities. To what we would call evil. Has experienced in the modern world. And from those three qualities arise three responses. Which grow out of a liberal point of view. First of all. When we experience evil we discover that evil is pervasive. Spider-man mission. Evil must stand in some very large human context. When evil is present. We find its implications in nearly all aspects of life. It does not respect easily made boundaries. Evil has an insatiable appetite. For energy from external sources that are to be as sustained. And it keeps moving outward in the more and more parts of life in search of that energy. The horizons of inclusion are enlarged. Hatred against blas. Soon needed more energy. For the kkk. Insult they came also hatred for foreigners. And then hatred for catholics and on and on. As we remember the month ago. In the germany in the 1930s. The persecutions began against the communist. The one more energy to the system was needed it's spread to the trade unionists. And the socialists and then to the jews and then to the intellectuals and on and on. Such a pattern. Ending need for expansion of action against something or someone. Is a defining quality of evil. Such as perpetrating the invasion of one country. And then claiming the need to invade its neighbor along the same line. Evil seen as the collective affect the individual action. And even in action becomes evil by its ability to become pervasive. When joseph mccarthy. First began to question one or two people about their party affiliations. He was at best. Mean-spirited. But when his intimidations became universal. And we're bedded by large groups. Driven by his appeal. And more by an amorphous fear of communism. They became something more. In the end the ripples of his mean-spiritedness. Reached into almost every area of american life in a way that can only be called evil. Just like bacteria. Standing alone they do little harm and often some very necessary good. But when tyranny becomes pervasive in you. You become sick. But what can stop. Which bacteria we know we stop it we use antibiotics. But you remember the instructions printed on the antibiotic tablets you had to take. Do not condition continued use. Until full course is completed. Even if symptoms disappear. With anything which is pervasive. Occasional. Half-hearted response will not do. Evil is pervasive. It is stopped by persistence. Remember edward are moral. He was persistent. Has mccarthy attempted the spread his shadow over this country merle became relentless and speaking to the evils of fear-mongering. The song would say that persistence is just another name for vigilance. But it's not. Vigilance is a reactive mode in which we keep alert for the indicators of energy being sucked of fears being spread of power being assumed and when our vigilance alerts us that something is wrong with in spring into action. Persistence says we never spring into action because we are always active. Pacific. Actor. Persistence is a sustained approach to life. Not a series of periodic reaction. Against actions which are pervasive. Only is it sustained will be effective. Remember. Do not discontinue use. Until full course is completed. Even if symptoms disappear. For those of you are old enough and for those younger who have read about it. Can you remember what it was like in this country about 50 years ago. Before the landmark civil rights legislation. Of the 60s and the 70s. Back when racism was much more widespread than it is today. I'm not saying it's gone today. Just less widespread. It was in fact pervasive. And it was only with the persistent efforts. A civil right activist. The change ever came about. While we still have a legacy. Awesome systemic aspects of racism. It's not as pervasive as it once was. Ironically at the same time that racism was pervasive. He was also. Excuse. The evil racism was here. They're everywhere but it was hard to pin down. You try to attack racism say in the military and will be wiped out there and you think okay the battles one but no not pops up here in housing. Education. That's the second characteristic of evil. As a collective expression of many different actions and inactions it has multiple identities and often has a presence. Without having a shape. By trying to get a good grip on a handful of jell-o. Getting a handle on evil can be hard. But you don't have to go back 50 years to see what i mean. For example. Pics of recent medicare part d. Drug manufacturer insurance company enhancement plan. No that's not what's called it's called the prescription drug coverage. You hear the name and you think good. But then you figure out all the options when you think. You come to believe there is something wrong with the whole thing but if you try to grab onto what it is. What you grab onto and what your neighbor grabs onto are different things. All part of the same this diffusion. Is both a defining quality. And a tactic. For example. Don't take over the whole school board rather just promote the agenda of having a member of the school board. And a member on the library board and a member of the village board and a member of the precinct committee don't concentrate too much obvious influence in one place. But that'd be influenced with built-in to a covert persuasion. Rather than an overnight program. Is pervasive evil tries to flowable fly below the radar. By being diffuse. There's a simple response to that. Focus. Diffusion only works when we allow ourselves in our persistence. To be taken off track. Diffusion only works when we get distracted from our message so focus. Does a wonderful training program used by one of our political organizing committees in this country. It is entitled my dog has three legs. The person is talked to be trained to try to convey that message. My dog has three legs and then you go into a situation such as a press conference and all sorts of questions. What do you have to say about drilling in alaska and the person says. Actually today i'm more concerned about the fact that my dog has three lass. How do you feel about the lack of new textbooks in the chicago public schools. That's a question some 11 answer but my dog is more concerned about his three of us. How to be able to focus and not be distracted that's what we need to be able to do if we are only persistent. But we remain on focus. The diffused in erosion inherited evil will win the day. I think you know what i mean you probably all been there you've gone to a meeting called for a single purpose and everyone the room is supposedly there for that same purpose. And by the end of the evening nothing gets done. Because it's digression here digression there there's no focus every little pet peeves phone up an hour-long discussion and the discussion wanders from dispatching to that passion from this anger to that anger. Hankering. To the civil rights movement of the 60s there's that old railing phrase. Keep the eye on the prize. Search focus becomes confusing. An ultimately destruction destructive. To the diffusion of evil. Focus is an abundance of energy. Which cannot be co-opted diverted or subverted. An evil is a collection of energy seeking nodes. Has nothing that can match it. As much as evil as both pervasive and diffuse. It takes on a third quality as well. Good deals in specifics. Not universals. Actions and inactions with rise to the level of evil are not targeted to achieve some positive end. As much as to destroy or eliminate someone or something which can be labeled as bad. The third hallmark of evil. Is it defines classes of people. For specific situations is evil. Ironic isn't it. Usually only evil empires can call anyone else evil. In the name of fundamentals. Evil deals mainly in situations. You know we are all fallible. As individuals as communities as institutions it'll be easy for someone or anyone to point a finger in assigned guilt. What does build a system of actions and inactions based on fault-finding and others. It's probably a good definition of evil. Sync to all the situations you would define as evil. Wasn't it the case. What was called for. Which then became evil deeds which were sought was some kind of action against the specific group of people or against the specific situation. Evil talks about action against. Nada action tour. And the response again is simple. Assistant. Expression of those values which uphold the worth and dignity of every person. Not to attack the evil people. Not a plan of attack against evil. Promotion of all people. A plan of action toward the good. Universal principles. Always trump personalities in situations. Focus on those things which are most universal. Most inclusive. Most affirming. And don't be tempted to fall into the same camp. When some person represents what we think is evil. We need to promote the good. Not attack the personality. Of the situation of evil. I'll certainly some things will get our goats. Will find that we cannot even tolerate. To look at certain people. But that's when we know we have to be able to know and show what we affirm. Not what we dislike. Yes we liberals have a hard road to follow. We can't rely on dogmatism of any nature to give a simple answers. And we can't rely on the energy of others to feed our needs. But what we can do. Is persistently focus on those universal values with your firm all people. In the face of the pervasive diffuse personalized manifestations we would call evil. We can be persistent. We can be focused. We can be filled with affirmations of larger values. And that's how a liberal. Can speak truth. Dickeyville.

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lifeanddeath.mp3

Months ago. I penciled in my topic. For today on my list of sermon ideas. I knew i wanted to preach. An election sermon. Of course i have to walk a very fine line. I got to keep in mind the limitations of church and state. That wonderful sandwiches been our protector. For all these many years. I. We miss congregation. Has to live within the constraints. I'm not endorsing any candidates. Norton being overly negative about any candidate. In addition we're not supposed to be speaking out on any single ballot issue. All that is out of bounds. But within those limitations. I wanted to say some very simple things to you today about the election that is coming up on tuesday. First i wanted to say. In this age. Of greatest suspicions about the electoral process. Cynicism may lead some to avoid voting. We should never let our fears of imperfection. Blind from the great potential of democracy. The right to participate by voting is the right to improve the system. And secondly i wanted to say that for me. This election. Is about matters of life. And death. Yes it's a by-election. Yes and some ways we don't have contested matters in terms of our congressman for example. But. Where we do. Where you are and what you got. Angel all the campaigns, these issues. You see them being used. Amazingly even when you're talkin about say the assessor for cook county. I'm talking about issues such as the war in iraq. The intimidation of foreign nationals who live among us. I'm talking about the universal lack of healthcare. I'm talking about the erosion of women's reproductive rights. I'm talking about the relaxation of environmental regulation. I'm talking about the repudiation of the hope that might be in stem cell research. Life. And death will be on the line. When we make decisions on tuesday. Benise. The advertising hyperbole. About who is more despicable than the nest. There are big issues at stake. We know how important these issues are because so few the candidates are addressing them. Silence about the essentials. Is the greatest threat. To our well-being. Matters of life and death are on the line and they're not even being openly debated. Maybe it's too late in this cycle. But in future election cycles. I encourage you to make sure that we talked a more about what's at stake for all of us and less who owns property next to whom. And finally i wanted to say that we unitarian universalist have a long history. Our statements on just those kind of issues. Statements which could have helped us address matters of life and death. Since 1961. Are general assemblies working with the priority set by local congregations. Haven't you should resolutions on such things as abortion rights. Euthanasia capital punishment full funding of public education global warming personal religious freedom and more. I'm and time again we have made clear what it is we think should happen in our communities. In tarnation. And in the world. When we go to vote on tuesday i wanted to say when we go to vote on tuesday on matters of life and death. When we go to vote on tuesday on matters of life and death we unitarian universalist to wonderful statements. Which might illumine what our options will be. I wanted to say that we unitarian universalist have a great deal to say about what should happen in matters of life and death. But then. Troubling thoughts. Crossed my mind. We make great g statements. About what should happen in matters of life and death. But we to fall uncomfortably silent. When it comes time to speak. About. Why. We're really good at the w. We're not so good at the y. For example. Over there in the purposes and principles of the unitarian universalist statement. Play association as a statement. What we say when your firm the inherent worth and dignity of every person. This is one of the seven principles that reflect our shared thinking it influences how we see the world how we approach it issues of life and death. Many of those general assembly resolutions i would point you to use that principle as the foundation. Is the basis for a call-to-action civil liberties. Voters rights. Women's reproductive rights in so much more depend on that foundational beliefs statement. But when was the last time you. Yourself. Did. Or you yourself heard another person here. Discuss why. They affirm. The inherent worth and dignity. Of every person. We say we believe it but why if we're going to go into the voting booth. If we're going to put our little finger on the loading screen. If we're going to punch out the little chad's in the cards. And express our beliefs on matters of life and death. Aquanaut have some understanding. About why we believe those things. Somewhere bad. In that expensive.. Right after unitarian universalist consolidated back in the 1960s. There was an agreement reached. There's been a growing humanist emphasis running through universalism and unitarianism where they became welcoming allies to all those many people who fly out of traditional religion. All those people who wanted to repudiate and put behind them the repressive. Conformist. Dogma of the 1950s. By the 1970s. The two forces those were more against something they've been put into by parents or whatever and those who are looking to move beyond religious pop. Decided to settle on an agreement in our movement. And that was. Good we would no longer have. Theological. Discussions. That we would be an action-oriented faith a human action-oriented faith. But we wouldn't be still on jekyll anymore. Invite theological what i mean is. We decided we wouldn't talk about why. Because when we talked about why we believe the what. We often found we weren't in as much agreement. As we head home. Even if we were noisy about the changes we saw. We fell silent. I'm theology. You know those marches that you saw during the civil rights movement. And you saw that has frontline. Woodminster is was arms law one with another. Often some of those ministers were unitarian universalist. But later in the evening. When the march was over. When the marketers were back having supper. And they sit and talk. Bose coming on a traditional backgrounds with talking about how they had done it as an expression of their commitment to christ. Loggers will talk about how they have done it as a commitment covenant in the torah. And the unitarian universalist would say we did it because it's the right thing to do. But we didn't have a theology. Back it up. But many people were glad for that silence. Kulture which equates theology. With a hierarchical male-dominated sacrificial sin and salvation god. It might seem better to avoid the discussion altogether. But as they say that was that. And this. Is now. Three decades later. Since then we have lived through the rise of cultural and religious feminism. We have lived through the expansion of our context in the global community to enhance communication. We have lived through the increased influence of traditional theologically based religion. On community decision-making. And we have lived through the rise of many new venues for ethical determination. And now in the first decade of the 21st century. We continue to address issues as if we were still in the 1960s. In avoiding. These theological questions. Monster our own peril in terms of influence and relevance. We have become dogmatic. About not being dogmatic. In a way that i buy soy sauce. I say that i wish we had canonized answers that would mean i could walk into the election. Both and say i know what i have to do because my told me so. No i'm not asking for canaanites answers. But i'm suggesting that we had better have some discussions. Only about what we want. But about why we wanted. Or we may become not only isolated. Not only irrelevant. But even perhaps nonexistent. So let's just do that for a little while this morning. Different answer to many of the issues of life and death. Teaspoon is to affirm. The inherent worth and dignity of every person. How do we justify. That affirmation. Let me share with you one position that is often asserted by unitarian universalist as a theological position see if it gives you a y. To that information. Disposition says that we are simply physical beings. Complex organisms of an electrochemical nature. We are the product of the same elements are which all else has created. An inverted sentence. We cannot be meaningfully differentiated from any other part of existence. We exist for a. of time. And then we cease to exist. From the unknown. To the unknown. Nothing is special. Nothing is persistent. We simply are. I bet you've heard that espoused as the core of unitarian universalist theology along the way. How old is that a firm. For example the inherent worth and dignity. Of every person. What contrasts that. 1 grand circle to start the human beings are the physical embodiment of a spiritual essence which transcends any particular physical essence. Not talking about ordained from some divinity. But just be. We are the living expressions of spirit. Which arise out of the hole of all be. Bar lives begin and end. Our spirits are part of the infinite. Has parts of the infinite the whole is reflected in each of us. That whole. Cannot exist over the phone as of time unless it is inherently sustaining and meaningful. So therefore each of us overtime. Are inherently sustaining and meaningful. And therefore. Open heron worth. And dignity. Now there is a theological position that says there is a y. To the w. Each of us probably has our own interpretations. About the nature of existence. Which we then call theology. How do we shape a spoken theology. That really. Affirm. What we assert as our common beliefs. Of course there are many other positions could lead a portion person to. Or away from supporting the conclusion that every person has inherent worth and dignity. But we will never know. Which beliefs lead us toward that. Or away from it. Unless we discuss them. With the discussion of why we believe what we do. Any claim we would make would be simply blind faith. Which is dogma and its worst. Our decisions on matters of life and death without set clarity. Would then be reduced. Self-serving pronouncements. And now we're back. Tuesday's election. Am i think it will be a test for us. Cast for each one of us. Not just which of our candidates will end up winning and which will lose. More over whether we will in the process of making our choices. Address matters of life and death. With alfonso considered religious understanding. Or with just simply self-serving choices. Will we know the why we make the choices we make. Or will we merely live out the what of what we want. Maybe in the end. That is the real matter. Avoid. In death. Whether we will be thoughtful people. Or just liberal religious functionaries.

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20years.mp3

How does it feel when you discover that you've been taken. How does it feel when you discover. You've been lied to. How about when you discover that you have inherited 500 years. Of lies. That's how it feels to me you and i read recent accounts. Of what went on in the late. 15th century and early 16th century. I think you know that. i was talking about. It's when we were told in school. The mighty powerful monolithic catholic church. How to encounter the attempts and reformation. Principal announced by martin luther stacking of 95 theses on a church door. According to this account which we were given luther becomes the major figure and changes which over the centuries will lead to the protestant movement. And then catholic church will never be the same again. All this took place. The familiar sounding names of france and spain and italy and england and netherlands and germany. It almost all of what we have been told. Has been if not outright lies. At least. Only half-truths. What were. The whole truth. Why have we been duped. By whom. And for what purpose. Let me take you back to the late 15th century. At that point we have a millennium old roman catholic church. Which about 400 years previously had survived barely. The breakup of the orthodox from the latin church. It was a church in the late fifteenth century. It was also stripped surviving but struggling. Against the rising tide and fantastic growth of islam. Islam has spread to nearly surround latin christendom. Having a dominating presence on three sides. Buda and pest. When i was hungry. Occupied by the muslims. North africa was thoroughly concord. In spain was very much in their camp. Within the church itself there were numerous organizations of laity and clergy. Who had highly developed. Independent systems of devotion. Relating to historical figures in the church. Such as the franciscans in the augustinian. And they more often than not provided more service to the common people. When did parish churches. The church leadership of such powerhouse communities. Is spain in phoenicia. Recognize no automatic allegiance to rome whatsoever and they made their own decisions about things such as ordination and doctrine. The papacy was deeply involved with the ruling families in a limited area of italy in their own political machinations of the time trying to use family conquest. To deal with their own issues of a loss of status and control. And in the midst of this the holy roman emperor. Supposed ruling all this was at war with the pope. Add all this up. The church was half its size. Surrounded by hostile religious alternative. Filled with independent and comprehensive alternatives. When the church leadership obsessed. With complicity in the machinations of power with hungry dynastic families. Does the song the story we were getting. And all of this was happening an area that canaday contains establish countries. But we can those days contained only starter fluid alliances of warring families in city states. Alliances were shifting almost daily and we're often defined by who was married to whom this year. Areas that were. How long is one moment. We're at ferocious war with each other the nuts moment. For example at the beginning of this.. England and spain we're allies. And yet we know within a span of about a century they'd be dire enemies. And within any of the areas we now considered to be established countries. Their own factions were often at war with each other. And so we have a divided and defensive church. In a contentious and conspiring political climate. Which is very different. In the stable powerful monolith. We were told about. And what's an of this guy luther. Was he the centerpiece of change at the core of the evolving church. Was he the mastermind of the reformation. Was he a doctor of the church with deep theological influence. Hardly. He was a local cleric. Dealing with issues that were very localized. Trying to get a debate going in which he could play a major role. So we could fulfil a fantasy of his that somehow he was equal to the theological faculty of the sorbonne in paris. His big issue. Which was the sale of indulgences. You know those were those imaginative fundraisers. In which the infant worth of the saints to be subdivided and sold to the sinful masses. Was not even a universal issue in the church. When the word of his concerns about indulgences reached italian church officials they were perplexed as what he was talking about cuz they didn't know anything about it. Indulgences works or anywhere in italy. Actually ironically. After they heard about it they said she that's an interesting idea but he was talking about. His credentials were those of any local cleric. But he certainly never had any intense theological honing as a professorship. Or any kind of disputation. He was fiercely chauvinistic about his small corner of the world. As concerned with the imposition of foreign influence as he was with theological purity. He was much more concerned that someone in rome was telling what to do then what it was they were telling him to do. Advanced he was a small. Often small-minded. Minor nuisance. In a religious system which at the time was beset by much more pressing issues. Issues rising to the level survival the church. Nothing that he proposed. To beat the baited in those species. What's up on the door through flyer challenging people to debate. Was either new or creative. Are often spoken about the same issues before. No one took him up on the arguments. So in 1517. We have an obscure local religious figure challenging local church hierarchy to the basin points of church dogma which have been fodder for discussion for decades. And the church divided and under attack. Barely noticed it. Well don't with larger issues. That's 15. 17. John sunsentz we can say. Nothing really happened. At the point that history tries to tell us the big things were happening. On the other hand by about 1540. About 20 years later. Hundreds of fierce debate had taken place. Chat with lutheran evolve. The roman church have begun to move to its own counter reformation. Holy roman empire charles the fifth had attacked and sacked rome and therefore humiliated the pope. John calvin had moved into then out of and then back in the geneva. And became the center of evangelical change. And a succession of city-states changed allegiances over and over again. In the midst of this a large nomadic cast of evangelical thinkers flowed from city-to-city from acceptance one-year to exile in the same city the next. All kinds of towns we never hear about in the modern accounting the story where hotbeds. A religious debate. Lutherwood not live out the decade of the 1540s. I'm by this time he was far from a central figure in any of the arguments. By 1540 those who were writing about the issues weren't even citing him. He was not even a footnote by then. At the same point in our tradition just to put it in perspective. Miguel cervantes of navarro and what is now spain began to argue a prototypical unitarianism right about 1540. Which meant that the reformation now have the ability to attack. only those on the right in the established church as well. Something was going on for about 15-20. 215 40. But it had very little to do with the common story we have been fed. Why then did we get lied to. About the status of the church. The role of luther in the nature of 16th century europe. I want to unpack this a bit more i think there's something very important going on and why that happened. Why we have continued to get a different story. Some would argue that this version of the story is spawn. Because it allows us to see the impact of the opto been greatest transformation of the world that the world has ever seen. The western adaptation. Of movable type printing. A mythic tale of the spread of a simple id up against the mighty church would fit nicely into a technological interpretation of history. The rise of modernism invited such a technological interpretation. Or should i rather say. The rise of modernism required such a technological interpretation. To move into an aged material significant. Upon which all the changes into industrialism depend. Some kind of material genesis would be required. You need anything. Be able to say why more things came about. So the great story is spread that the rise of modernism all points back to the printing press. All the results of modernist thinking. Including the concepts of individual autonomy and democratic freedom. Can be traced back to the power of the printing press. To empower the revolution. It is true that our revolution took place. At about the same time as the development of printing. In the two-day two decades after luther's mailing. Some would say pounding on the doors with his theses. Some city centers of religious debate. Produced as many as 200 new book titles a year. What is the proliferation of printed material the real story. I don't think so. Nor even the sub effect that the proliferation of printed material men a growth in literacy. We know that literacy spread after the development of printing but only among a limited straighter of society. The great masters were largely unaffected by printing for centuries to come. Printing allow the elite. 20-gauge and more and wider debate. Something else was going on in the press was maurice symbol. Set up calls. Remember the opening sentence from the second reading i gave. It goes like this. What the luther future now demonstrated. Was that there was an independent public opinion. And the printing presses the fueled it. Could not be controlled by the existing hierarchies in church or commonwealth. The real story was that there was a quickly developing public opinion that was independent of all the traditional players. And that's the means of sharing that opinion could not be contained. Or controlled by any of the people in power. The oligarchies work in control the game anymore. Against all the most powerful forces in religion and politics something arose with could not be manipulated. Which could not be eliminated with could not be controlled. That something was so powerful that in the short span of 20 years. An age prior to universal an easy communication. Major institutions of the world were transformed. And it seems to me that the real story. And what was that something. That was so powerful that i could do that in 20 years. It was simply. Ikea. Luther expressed it but did not create it. The printing presses sheridan. But did not create it. It was an idea about the meaning of humanity. It was 90 about the value and worth and dignity of people he was an idea about the relationship between god and individuals and therefore was not idea about the relationship between individuals and all institutions. If luther had packed up a set of 95 ideas which had to do with the choice of church location in construction. Want the presses have turned out books. About medieval home decoration. Or who established power is a chosen to focus their responses through the imposition of new liturgy. It would be obvious that none of those factors were the real story. But fortuitously. Each of those elements provided sufficient connection so they could be used overtime to cover up this amazing reality. That our burgeoning idea. Changed understanding of the nature of humanity became so ingrained in the psyche of public debate. That the major religious and political institutions of the western world were changed forever. And changed relatively quickly. We think things happened now quickly. Think about it in two decades. From an idea being obscure to being in the forefront of every debate. Why have we then been fed the line that we have. With all this some 500 years in the past. Why are the same old lies being told. I think it's because the truth of the situation is so profound that established institutions in any age would rather that we not know it. Because the power of ideas. Is so fast and so threatening to any establishment. Stablish mince would do anything. To recast them and more acceptable lesson lightning form. In the place of an idea. We that have been giving a mythic hero figure. A stylized institution of the church. And. A printing press. But if we scratch the surface. I think we're also given a warning. Social institutions. Afraid of real change always try to translate any emergent inciting. Engaging idea. In the terms of mythic heroes. Stylized institutions. And some kind of new technology. For example in the two decades between 1980 and 2000. We saw some very simple ideas spread from common person the common person to common person. In the soviet union. But now is history is being rewritten. We are slowly being told the real story is that a mythic reagan. A stylized soviet union. And the growth of satellite broadcasting. All accomplished this feat. And i wonder about the present claims we have. That's a the internet. And it spread across borders beyond the control of established powers of church and state. Is the great agent of change. I wonder if that's not just a cover up for something else. Or that any political leader rises to the level of charismatic facilitator of change. I wonder also how any institution can be stylistically reduced to a simplistic dualistic pure evil status. What will change the world. And always has. Our ideas. Simple. Liberating affirming ideas through which people come to discover more about themselves and their potential in relation to the whole humanity. Leaders institutions and innovations may assist or hinder the growth of ideas. Ultimately it will be the power of ideas. That would generate the changes. Powers with your already established would spend much of their energy to sustain themselves. By diverting our attention away from ideas. The plants instead the personalities. The stylized institutions to technological innovation suggesting we are to put our energies in those. Trying to get us to think of memes. Is more important than content. The lies that we have been fed about the period from 1517 through about 1537. Are simply a lobster tip once more. Of the pervasiveness of this tendency. By establishing powers. And the fact that has been kept alive is alive for 500 years. Shows how desperate. Those institutions of culture are. To not let us see the ideas. We rediscovered true history not only to know the facts of the past. But also to understand the ways in which history. Has kept by the victors. Has lied to us. So we might be able to also uncover some of the lies we are being fed in our own time. But underneath all history. When red openly. We find the power of ideas to transform. We inherit a world which has been shaped board for filming. But the ideas of the past. No our challenge. Is the understand our own age. In simile open terms. Cannot be distracted by personalities. Nor by stylized representations of others. Nor by the touting of technology as the path to the future. Expansive inclusive ideas. Are the only path to the future. And when they are allowed to grow and flourish. Any 20 years. Will be 20 years that can shape the world. Call my friends. That's the movers and shakers. And not simply the dukes of history.

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spirituallittering.mp3

I've had the peculiar pleasure. A being lee aftermath. Of some very large gatherings. And the ones i'm thinking of her all religious gatherings. I've often been there after the closing day of our unitarian universalist general assembly. When some 527 thousand unitarian universalist have been together for 45 days. This year will be saint louis starting june 21st. A wonderful time of worship and workshops and lectures and learning and camaraderie and also some business along the way. But i've also been in the aftermath of. Some of the assemblies of other traditions some major national council church events. Some general sentence of the presbyterians. Also at some of the. Biannual meetings at the methodist. And what does intrigued me. In all those traditions. Is how after the assembly is over. The place has been trashed. Let me quickly say i'm not talking about physical trash. Because of all these groups have always been very diligent. In honoring the environment. Recycling places. They take care to make sure the facilities are all taken care of and you go into the exhibition hall when it's all over and you can't believe there been thousands of people in there and exhibitions the exhibitors have taken all their stuff away it looks clean. It looks nothing really happened here. I'm not talkin about that physical kind of thrashing. I'm talking about a different kind. The kind that takes place when there is sort of a spiritual littering that goes on. And what do i mean by this. Well let me suggest ways to understand what i'm speaking about my thinking about other kinds of littering. For example almost everyday. I go to my mailbox. And i receive many of these kind of things. And if you get a lot of catalogs in the mail. Things you didn't send for a fiend rockies might like this one coffee a.m.. Everyday i get a whole pile what what do we call these things. Mail. Yes the letter carrier back there among us is glad to see those junk mail. Most of us. What do we do with it. Throw it away trash away. Recycle. Yeah we all recycle every single one of them right. I'm amazed by the number these icy. Littered about the roadways we may he'll try to recycle. Rarely do we get past the front page. Sometimes we don't even get there and then we just throw them away. Put them somewhere. Juno. I'm more careful. With that piece of junk mail. Can i move some other things. Because it's true i don't just throw it away. I try to carefully place it in my. Recycling bin. I know for myself but i'm wondering if this is true for you to that there are some things that come to you spiritually. That you haven't asked for. But they arrived on your doorstep in the form of missionaries. Or they come in the way of conversations at family gatherings. Or you hear them at public occasions they're sort of like spiritual junk mail. And you've already decided you're not interested. And so you don't even crack the cover. You don't even really pay attention to what it says on the front page. You just throw it away. And so often with that we don't even look for a recycling bin. It's like all know. Not interested get rid of that. Or even more we don't even turned even look at it. Something in us has decided without looking. The dad in there for us is junk. And so we just drop it away. I look back on that path i've traveled. My own spiritual path i look back and honesty i can see some places. I've dropped some things back there without opening and i treated them like junk like trash. Are some that i still wouldn't open. Is there a few things back there that i chose the treat that way 20-30 years ago. The one i go back and pick them up now i realized maybe i should have open the cover a little deeper. Maybe i shouldn't have been so quick to say that's hogwash that's junk that's punk. But so often we do that. We talked something away and unfortunately off and on our spiritual path. Once we've labeled it as trash. And once we've assigned it to the role of litter along the path highway. It's very hard to go back. Pick those things up. Have you ever littered your spiritual path. Buy just wholesale throwing something away. I was at an event. Are you your church one time and which was not a service it was a lecture and then the back there were tables of food. That was some really good looking cookies out. And i was upfront speaking as one of the three speakers. It was always a kids were up here and the kids had divided attention between us speakers in the cookies and 4th. Find forgot when you get to the cookies cookies. What are the parents in the adults back there. Probably was trying to take a break kids all rushed back and i heard a sort of groan. Why was there a grown more easily grip. Having some beautiful chocolate chunk cookies. By the time they got to them the trunks were all gone. The cookies romaine. It seems that some of those sitting back there. I've been reaching around and grabbing a little bit of truck along the way and then just leaving the shell. Of the cookie butt. You know. Maybe not as dramatically is that often times in which we. Find something in life that's meaningful and lee. Open adoption with pull out what's important. Very sweet. Like that doja. Throwing the wrapper on the ground. But you know we really just we do that a lot. Which sucks something that we think is the sweetmeat. The essence the kernel of corn the thing we want them out of some religious rapper. And then we tossed the rapper away like trash. The great unitarian-universalist. Thomas jefferson spoken of with great law rhetoric terms because he took the bible. Add a scissors and paste. And went through the bible in snipped when he likes and what he didn't like he left. They said the governor is on jefferson bible. And then toss the rest away. Don't we often seem to do that equivalent. We jumped into buddhism and we loves an influencer. Thoughts of continuing spiritual presence. But because we will trouble with a focus on suffering. Family poverty aspects we started throw all of that away. How many of us have sat at a seder meal is celebrated the passover. Android all the rich one right and all that. The one that nothing of the daily minion or the weekly sabbath service. We took out what we wanted. We threw away the rest. We pick out a few stories. A couple of the parables of few of the activities of jesus and want to talk about this human jesus who did that. A picture and shoes. Choose where we want to be. And then we just sort of. Discard the rest. Something not worthy of having. So once more of the path. It's littered. Littered along the way. Unfortunately there is no real. Recycling bin for stuff like this. Or for those discarded remnants in which we've taken. Chosen good parts. And discarded the difficult one. And then there's sometimes we get things that have. Served us very well. Objects in live which. Help us do our jobs. That made it possible to do what we wanted to communicate to connect. But then after time of benefit to us. They suddenly are empty seeming. Table runner. They're pale. Reminder what they once were. So we also we we started to toss that aside. One more piece of litter. Along the spiritual path. Because who we are now and what that is now somehow don't match so we say it's no longer useful. It's no benefit to us. Along the highways it's discarded beer and pop cans. Tires worn to the. Fred. Batteries with no more charge in them. Along the spiritual path it maybe the image of the divine we knew as a five-year-old. Or maybe it's the story that inspired us when we were thirteen. Or maybe it was the important discipline we followed when we were 30. But all those now or just discarded in the past. If i had a dollar. For every single unitarian universalist. Whoever made yoga a part of their life. And then stop. I could be rich today. Because there's so many of those things which once were fulfilling. But now we're certus discarded. I have a secret to tell you. A secret artist ministry. That when you sit with people who are dying. When you sit with people in their last days whether they're younger or that point of dying. Suddenly they remember all those seemingly empty containers. They remember what they discarded that used to serve them when they were five. And they remember it fondly. As a piece of who they became. They sort of do a spiritual. Cleanup of the path is it were. But they also often say. You know i'm sorry i threw that away back then. I didn't need to have spent maybe treasure it. But i didn't need to get rid of it in quite that callus away. And so we spiritually. We humans not just we unitarian universalist we humans because i've seen it in all those other religious tradition as well. Do a bunch of littering. Sometimes it's because we prejudge something before we even look at it and we throw it away as worthless. And who knows but maybe the secret of our life. Was in that. And sometimes we pick out of something only what we want to hear. You know it's not only. Jefferson snipping the bible to get the chocolate chunks out of it. It's also the entire christian church and all of its subdivisions which is chosen which gospels are in which gospels are out. The whole idea that we can pick and choose out of context and throw away the rest as worthless. And then we litter because sometimes what has been now seems empty and we just want to get rid of it. Not remembering that sometimes the empty vessel. Still lets us know the journey we've been on. So are we littering. Are spiritual paths. Probably. Should we be. Wearied believe. What we say is values no we shouldn't be. So we need to start rethinking what we do. Maybe we have to think about how we open ourselves to at least understand and explore those things that we might automatically reject out of hand. Or cultural or emotional or psychological at least not say that the junk spiritual mail but the say what's going on in there and why is it so important to that person. They think is important maybe i can find a thing by knowing why it's important to them. Enter not pick and choose the little goodie tidbits out of everything and leaving only the sort of mush leftover. Know that if we're really going to be on a spiritual path it's enriched by something will take but not so good as well as the good until her to get. Play complete picture. And you understand that that would we may not think is as important maybe the essential piece for someone over here to put together their religious philosophy. It may not be a piece to put together ours but if we truly believe in the interdependent web of all existence. They're finding their peace that makes them complete. Is a prerequisite. To ask finding pieces that make us complete. They are not separate tasks and to assume that what we think is junk. B junk. Ultimately. Tank sauces well. And to realize that all those now seeming empty containers. May still have somewhere in them. The essence of something. Which made us who we are. So please. The next time you have a rapper don't drop it. The next time you encounter an idea. Don't trash.

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easter.mp3

Something happened. About 2,000 years ago. Something happened involving. A person. Anna people. Anytime. Etta place. And that which happens there now has rippled out across history. Until for many people it says if it's happening here and now for them. And not historical facts. That's the story of easter. The story that was set forth about the death. And the burial. And then the bodily disappearance of one named jesus. We had lived about 2,000 years ago. About 1,900 years ago. What we would know about this would be some stories. Most likely we would know about it because we either were sent a letter. Or we got a letter. From some guy named paul. Who says. Let me tell you what what's been going on. And he would be interpreting what it happened. We would get this information that says you no longer have to be enslaved to the romans. You no longer have the skill that you have to be in the subservience to religion. Instead you can in fact feel yourself to be a brother or sister of life itself. And here's the proof of it. There was a person who lived like that. And he was so frightening he had to be killed. But the mysteries around his death. Get home. That whatever he was about in life you can also be about in life and you don't have to worry about being killed. By his message surviving his own death. You've been released from that threat. And people began to believe they like this think about what i was offering he was telling them that they were not slaves to the state. They were not slaves to. The church when those days they the religious tradition be judaism or the other and quotes pagan religion that they could think for themselves. They were not slaves to any person that as long as their spirit was free they were free. And so church developed it developed off of a story and all it took for people to have the earliest of easter celebration was to have the story. And believing it. And that was good enough. For nearly 1,800 years. They had the book written down they have the letters. They had the story. Bad desire to believe in that. Bethany dauphin to believe in that. And so the easter story. It's handed down. But then somewhere in the eighteenth century especially. 1700. A new method of looking at the world rises up strongly it always been there. It happened in the ancient greek world. Tripping in the ancient chinese world in the emergence of europe. And that was the spirit. A scientific inquiry. I'm going to believe something. I need proof. It's not good enough for you to tell me a story. Tell me a story fine show me the proof. And so all over the developed world. The model begin to shift. So some letters from some ancient. I remembered story. A wonderful miracle wasn't good enough. Show me the facts. And so religion began to ship. On one hand we have the emergence of groups like ours unitarian universalist. Who along the way said let's go with the scientific side of it. We're only going to believe what we can prove and see. Ecoshift on the other side that said. By faith alone. Don't need any proof. In between these pools of both sides. The gate came a middle ground as well. Middle-ground said it's all about faith. Let's see if we can prove faith. An interesting proposition will only have the faith we can prove. Come back to that a little bit is that really faith. If you have to prove it. And is it really proves that there's an element of faith in it. The result of that poggenpohl. With desire by many especially in here to find out where the facts were. And so beginning in the early part of the 1800s. Expeditions were sent. They were sent to all the places of antiquity. To see what artifacts could be gotten. And so a thing called biblical archaeology was born. This is where you go and you dig it a site. Where you think something happened within that story that was shared. Within the mystery that was born and you dig looking for artifacts. And when you find the artifacts. You then use them. Approve the faith. For example. Couple years ago i attended a lecture by someone involved with biblical archaeology. And he was very adamant about a certain discovered who made they have found the ancient site of jericho. And how did they know it was the ancient site of jericho. Because the description of where a well was relating to a certain gate in the city. They found a well right next to the gate where it was. I'm sitting there thinking well this is a wonderful story. I just wonder how many other cities had wells right by their gates. You don't maybe this was the way things were commonly done in those days but the well by the gate because whoever's traveling would probably like a drink of water as soon as i get there. Don't know this was used in the context of this lecture to say. You see what we've proven is the jericho actually existed. And it existed as the bible describes it so therefore if the description of jericho is true as found in the bible then therefore everything else about the story must be true. Obviously these people have never used modern road maps. In which you get to a place. And it's gotten so far from here on. Unfortunately they didn't take into account the dan ryan expressway redoing. So there is no 57th street exit. Even though the map shows there is a way. Digging up things. Saying they prove things. We need to dig up some stuff. We've got an archaeological experiment right here. Do i need an archaeologist. Geologist. Moana. But we're going to stay for right now what we going to do is it archaeologists we've got this as part of the desert it's sand. And in there are some artifacts i think i think it's the holy place i'm not sure. It was written off as being a holy place if you go down western avenue turn left the sycamore turn right into the first driveway go inside there's a sacred site there. So see if you can find any artifacts down in there. You want to be gentle with them because. Now they might be delicate in ancient. You got something. Looks like part of a brick. Well. I guess we can then suppose from this. That whatever was on this site. Was built of brick. What does that tell us. Among other things that tells us that somebody was worried about permanence. And it didn't work. They must be very advanced in their skills because they were able to make bricks. Give me some good revenge mortar on this. So we can interpret this in lots of ways for example we might said it was a great temple here. But then it was bravo's he brought down because while we have is a few shards of it left. So we could interpret it. As a message of importance of permanence. Or destruction of conflict. Everything's in there. Define. Cd. Let's just assume that this is sort of the modern equivalent. Ancient cat what's on the cd. Fan. I need a good day down there. Data is on there. How do we know there's date on there. Did you read it. Okay how do we read it. After we clean it off obviously. We have to put into a computer or something. Top picture that this cd is just come out 2000 years from now. Get out of the sands of here. And some archaeologist says we're going to have to read this. But we haven't used computer is in at least. 1500 years. So someone's going to have to reconstruct computer at ranna. Discover the some of the sectors are dead. And then they're going to have to go look at the data. They're going to see how are we going to read this. They're going to head in the program under which it was written. And the operating system that was written with. And then they're going to have to look at what they find and assume. That their version of whatever using to read it. Gives forth the real data. How is this any different than finding dead sea scrolls. A finding something out of a different culture in a different time using a different technology for which we then have to retrofit our technology to go back and figure out how do we look this we have to find the language that was used. We have to think about what all the day to means that some of it's missing shards here and there we have to guess what is a missing section and then we have to read it as if we knew how the person writing it. Mint. We may not have the proper program we may not understand that in those days for example the third line was the important line formatting. So much a biblical archaeology. Pasta too. You still digging. Are we doing come up with more stuff. Whatever that is. If so. We have all this information on here. What's the best we can say is. That we will tell you what the information that's here is. An hour 2005 i. We have no way of knowing. What it was. 2000 years ago. For example what if we found this were filled with stories. And was the story. Have a wonderful person. Who dealt with all kinds of adversity and then over cayman. Would we decide that in the year 2005. And that this person had been in fact a great solver of mysteries. And i found all kinds of details of the ancient world and the people were venerating this person. What is this disc or filled with the davinci code text. How would we know. If it was a novel. A biography. In riverside. We wouldn't know would we. Just as we dig up all kinds of things. We don't know what they meant to the people who placed them there. What's what else we have what is that thing. No clue. Well there is one of those things. We think that is. What else we find down in here. We found a button that says. Usa patriot act with a red line through it. You know i wonder how often it is that we unearth something that's 2,000 years old. And then we have to scratch our heads and ask noah get what's going on there. What is that symbol of the circle on the red line through it. Do any place we see that otherwise that we known about smoking and parking. So therefore this must somehow be related to civil action of smoking and parking misdemeanors. In this usa patriot act. What if we were. To miss date this by little as 150 years. We die 10d wondering if this was somehow dealing with how we were responding to the remembrance of the patriots at lexington and concord remember them. We don't miss it by a few years. We don't know the meeting was this in fact before the enactment of the act. Was it while it was in place. So much a biblical archaeology deals with how we even place things in time we got an answer to what that is yet. Hospitalized. Some kind of fossilized school obviously somebody went to a lot more because that blood on there. We might have to do an analysis dna on that it could be blood. Which meant that therefore it is a blood sealed document which must mean it's the most holy of holies. But what it is how could we have to admit it seems to have been preserved with something on it. It does appear to be paper but how would so we can do a whole experiment trying to get whatever off of there is analyzing and finding out it what it is. Might decide the blood symbolizes that it was a sacrificial document. Although what it may have been was simply that the person who's working that cut their finger. He why they were doing. Or is it a sign of menstruation. Where's an anti-war document the blood smeared on it by anti-war activists in the files of the fbi. It is so much. Remains a mystery. Even when we have the facts. Let me see what you got found so far cuz we may be getting to the limit of your digging here. I think you've got it. Thank you. Where we got here coins. Damn coins. You know most of what one finds in an archaeological dig. Our everyday things. My coins. For example. When we hear about the dead sea scrolls. What did they find most at that site. Scrolls. Jars. Do actually household objects. Bulls plates other stuff and then lots of stuff like that. How do we know which of the sacred. And which of the secular. How do we know for example. Whether these coins are the coins of the household. Whether these are the coins of offering. How do we know if we find rich's what their meaning is an. This object. Obviously it was found among these other sacred objects the text of the sacred.. Documents of the time the various items and it must have been some kind of altar object. Inside again. What color is that thing. Red. There must have been some major significance about the color red. Because it's in the several objects. You see what we've got in biblical archaeology. Is a series of fines. In a series of miss fines. Example of dead sea scrolls and then eventually. The gnostic scrolls that were found. He's now going back almost 50 years. Why they weren't found for 1900 years and then were found is an interesting question or whether everybody knew they were there and you said it doesn't matter. Can only a certain point in human history did they take on significant enough for them to really be noticed and found that's an issue. But since then we only have a couple other things that are risen to the surface. We have things like the shroud of turin. The cloth supposedly put over jesus. For burial. Which may or may not be that depending upon all kinds of scientific testavan run. The most recent is this boss. With bones in it. Devin mark to be supposedly the bones of jesus's brother. But now it would seem to be a great fake. The timing in the writing is not right. Fashion savings found isn't great fake. Because in fact some still say that's what it is. If any of you ever traveled through europe and going into the cathedrals. Define almost all of them. Have a reliquary. Where the relics of the faith are held as well bones of all the saints and all this. Who's to say whether they are or they aren't. But wasn't refined as we look at the whole issue biblical archaeology is that we can go back. Insights they're supposedly connected to the events of easter. Find objects. Objects and their interpretation. Estranged limitations. Show me go see what that was. That didn't sound like the crime is covering. Book a report back from the archaeologist. Most of biblical archaeology can invest disprove something. But i can't prove something. For example it could show that if you went to the place where something suppose he was and there was nothing there. That probably there was nothing there. But digging up even these things even the most prophetic of items not even these simple ones that we have. Towson in fact. Do anything. In terms of the real element of a day like easter. You're never going to be able to prove. Or disprove. What happened two thousand years. The best data we can get from factual material best be correlation not causation. The best will be able to get is say some of the pieces of the picture are clearer now than they were before. But the bottom line of an event like easter. Like passover. Like christmas. Like all these events of modern religion. Ultimately going to be an act of faith. And when we reduce them to the issue of proof. We do a disservice in two turns. We do a disservice to religion. And we do it this service to proof. We do a disservice to faith. We do a disservice to fax. Because the principle of religion is. The belief that we will be led forward to greater meaning. Even if we don't have the proof for it. We have no absolute proof ribs ample and we probably never will being kind to others automatically is good. I have a faith that that's true. We will probably never have absolute proof. As it were. About the meaning and value of human life. But i have a faith in a belief. That there is a meaning in a value to human life. On the other side when we take facts. Proofs. And use them in ways to prove things that they do not prove absolutely. We take the whole scientific method. And subverted. We try to say that one thing is true when in fact it's simply our interpretation. And if we wish to have a level of rational thought be meaningful and hold up in many situations. Then we don't use it. Innocent verse of way. We use it in a real way. We dig up objects and say we don't know what's going on with these things. We don't make our supposition. So one of the challenges for me on easter is not the challenge of whether or not i want to believe. In a story of a resurrection. Weather. Whether i want to believe. In the things i take on faith. Whether i'm going to be willing in my life with my easter stories with don't have to do with a missing body. But have to do with many other items of faith what i would do with my easter story. Whether i will demand that only those things which have fat will stand. Whether i will live. In faith. How about you. If you had to have absolute proof. For everything you believe. How much. Or rather how little. Could you actually have faith in. So invite you to this easter reflection. Then maybe it wasn't about a town. Maybe it wasn't about a body. Maybe it wasn't about a man. Rather it was about the capacity of those followers. The move outside the realm of fact. For the realm of faith. So that no greater world and a greater possibility. Could be envision. Because all the facts tell one story. And all the faith. Leads to greater stories. Where do you find your easter. Where do you find. Your face.

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not-so-quiet.mp3

It's been not so quiet week in lake wobegon. On monday i found that apparently over a long. of time a large sum of money was taken from me. But i thought i'd say if we saved her telling my future dreams was gone. Have any of you ever been robbed. Remember how it felt to be violating that way. To have someone take your valuables. And you know how i felt. Didn't get better. On tuesday my partner told me the pension plan into which we'd paid for years it been rated by other parts of the organization. And we're looking at much more retirement benefits. And worst of all it was legal. Have any of you had your retirement savings diminished by corporate shenanigans. Oh wait it got worse. On the same day we received an email from a child in college. Because of cutbacks in federal funding tuition will be rising substantially. Federal pell grants will be severely reduced. We will need to borrow more money. I bet that many of you experienced something very similar rising cost for things you need because federal support has been cut. On that same day we got a letter from our local police department. Announcing a town-wide emergency drill in about a month. Need the letter said because of increased tensions in the world. And the likelihood of terrorist acts against the citizens of our community. Meeting emergency drills to be parent prepared against terrorist attacks. Does not make me feel any safer. How about you. I thought wednesday would be a better day. Our class action suit against the abandoned munitions plant. To make it a superfund cleanup site. What's schedule for evidentiary hearings. The last minute the us attorney for a district petition for dismissal and was granted it. On the grounds of national security issues. I wonder if i grown groundwater will ever get cleaned up. And what mysterious substance is. Why is everything the government wants to avoid no matter of national security. I'm sure say i had no time for my own trials and tribulations. I was over at the santa's house. They received word that their daughter lucy had been seriously wounded in the recent flare-up in fallujah. I remember lucy is the bright-eyed coming-of-age er who argued so forcefully with everyone about patriotism. All those arguments seem distant as her family worries for her safe return. I know you join me in sending your healing energy their way. And i know many others wounded or killed are in our thoughts today. I'm friday my office day i was distracted from my own problems again two people one from our congregation one from the community 1011 young came in to discuss their need for assistance with dire medical expenses. I did what i could using your generously donated minister's discretionary fund. But as many of you know key needs keep growing. Wall declines and domestic investments in the dollar internationally means we don't have as much to contribute. We all do what we can do. But don't you wish the realities were different and we could do more. On saturday i drove downtown for an interface meeting. I drive which took away too long. I plan to take the train but with the most recent cutbacks in public transit funding. Trains are not weekday rush-hour only. Did you get caught in that monster traffic jam along with me. But somewhere along the way i saw a sign. No i mean it really was a sign a billboard. And it was also a sign. Piercing intrusion of the universe into my life. Did you see it too. If you had you might have been stopped in your tracks like i was. Suddenly my whole week selling the focus it all came together for me and i realize that the robber who stealth with stole from me. The thief who took the security out of our social security. The force behind the cuts in federal education grant funding. The increase of fear levels. The escalating acts of terrorism the government's denial responsibility for its actions the injury and death of so many here and abroad the lack of medical and financial resources the decline of our economic position worldwide nation the agent of all this personal social and national corrosion. Is war. We are all well aware the usual consequences of war list of casualties photos of distractions debates of causes. But what about less obvious consequences. What about the effects of living in a culture. Which is driven by war. I have mourned the tremendous losses of life and promise in the conflicts which our country is either created or engaged. But when i saw that sign. It awakened the deeper morning. For all the collateral losses. Culture of conflict. I grieve that war creates a climate of scarcity. When more than 100 dillion dollars per year are siphoned from our collective resources to support war. Those resources are not available for enhancing visionary programs. In the name of patriotism and security. We're forced to sacrifice in other aspects of our lives. But when we have already reached the bottom line in terms of healthcare education and public service. Does sacrifice means to have our own pockets picked. The fill the coffers of war. It is as if while you were in the kitchen preparing a snack for your guests. Someone you trust. Quietly rifles through your drawers in search of valuables to pay for an expensive addiction. In a society which is not yet fulfilled its promise. To all of its citizens for an equitable share of the american dream. War is like that thief. Who silently rob's everyone. But then labels are losses patriotic values. Every dollar given to war is it dollar taken from somewhere else. Were shattered is more likely two or three dollars taken from somewhere else. Because the expenses of war are financed by the largest budget deficit in the history of our nation. By the time our war debt is repaid we will easily pay double or triple. Robbing the pockets of our retirement dreams. And the ability of our children to fulfill the promise of the future. No matter where you fall in the political spectrum. Unless you were among those few who benefit from the spoils of war. Your push towards scarcity living and thinking but the accessive economic demands of war. Scarcity thinking a roads are attitude toward everything else. Sense of self sense of family meaning of community threatens the vibrant heart of our liberal religious faith. The abundance of goodness of potential in a world of promise. Do you really want someone. Anyone to rob you of your future. And then tell you the impose scarcity is a virtue. I know i don't. I grieve that war creates a climate of fear. War cannot happen nor can it be justified without some threat. The psychology of conflict. Requires a perception of danger. It might be a threat to our homes. Or threat to our resources or threat to our self-image or threat to our principles. Shrek is then made personal real through fear. But fear is a double-edged sword. Without fear all of our fight-or-flight reflexes are relaxed. Enter higher thought processes can function. But introduce fear. Animals primal responses rise to the surface and listing specialized hormones enzymes perceptual changes. A person in fear becomes of tune to threats. Filled with caution and terror one perceives the whole world as a potential threat. Here once bread reproduces itself rapidly and gendering a continuity of fears. You know how long it takes you to get your heartbeat down to get your head clear to get your eyes sharp after you've been frightened by something. You know how hard it is to return to your normal trusting hopeful self. Until you regain that sense of control you waste your energies irrationally and what you want to avoid. Not what you want to achieve. Those who promote a sense of fear are also like thieves robbing you of your best self. Stealing your deepest dreams leaving only the empty whispers of anxiety. Do you really want someone. Anyone. To rob you of your capacity for a higher thought and visionary action. And then tell you that sears and norm. I know i don't. I grieve that war creates a climate of division. Conflict is about taking sides in a time of war the demand for taking sides against the perceived enemy becomes exaggerated. However in a world of diverse thought values and opinions. We often take sides against friends as well. Our unitarian universalist community should understand this. Remember how the vietnam conflict spread its divisiveness until we unitarian-universalist we're at war with one another. Over the draft sanctuary peace marches and more. In our current time of war sharper lines of dualism are once again being drawn. Often to the detriment of not only our community. What are the essential diversity which we cherish. Rather than weaverridge pattern of complexity and diversity. We are asked to see things one dimensionally. In the process we lose the potential for wisdom in the inside. It is offered by the radical openness which is our heritage. For example if we consider all military personnel to be our antagonist we will miss the wise counsel of people like general anthony zinni. Who's first-hand knowledge of war led him to advocate peace. If we consider all who oppose war to be our allies we may have bet some. Who advocate violence against the system. Whenever our worldview becomes one of division not unity. We sacrifice one of our greatest assets. Our ability to perceive connections more than differences. Do you really want someone. Anyone. To rob you of your capacity to reach across divisions and make meaning and then tell you those divisions are meaningful. I know i don't. But if you don't want to be robbed if you don't want to have your visions and values eroded if you don't want to see your future clouded. What can you do. You can find your voice. You can say yes. You can say yes to abundance hope and inclusion. Rejecting visions of scarcity fear and division. You can say yes to the ways of peace. Rejecting summons to war. Your profound yes. Can challenge scarcity thinking which claims that the wealthiest nation in the world cannot care for its people in their future because of the demands of war. Your yes can express a domestic agenda and some abundance. Our nation appreciating its own abundance would be our greatest peacemaking agenda not only for us but also for the world. Your yes. Can stop the spread of fear with tries to make us think that terrorism defines our lives more than our hopes and dreams. Your yes refuses to let the words symbols and institution of fear become yours. You will speak of hope. When others speak of fear. And your yes can deny all the divisions was try to separate people into us-versus-them your voice can help us all resist the seduction of either you are with us or you're against us thinking. You can work to create dialogue including true non-defensive listening with anyone and everyone no matter how divergent they may seem on any issue or abortion economics politics or religion. Find your voice. And what did that billboard say. That sign which opened my eyes. Modelled on that well-known mastercard at it red. Afghanistan. 40 billion dollars. 5000 lies. Terrorism. 45 billion dollars 25,000 lives. Iraq 200 billion dollars 25,000 lives. Peace. Priceless.

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idolatries.mp3

Free stories. One from back many centuries ago. One from the early part of the nineteenth century. And one from the 1970s. All pointing a similar direction. The first back in the arrow copernicus. And galileo. Those great pioneers that we look back on today and realize that much are universal view goes back to their willingness. To look with different eyes. Cannot be bound by the theological and cultural motifs of their time that said this is the way things are. These were people who would look out. At the various things in the heavens. Looking at those things through mathematical models that they had exploring looking through eyepieces of very rudimentary telescopes. And then the saying. You know the stories we have been told. On true. These are the ones who talk about planetary motion. Without the center of the world being the earth. And the center of the earth being rom. These are the people who said wait a minute. There's another way to see all existence. And this is what makes sense if we use our reason. And if we are awakened by the new insights of science. That's the story we usually talk about. What we don't talk about is the story of what is sue's in the next hundred years or so as others. Turn to better telescopes. As authors be able to hone down those mathematical formula. The authors begin to talk about even wider changes of perception. And as the followers of galileo and copernicus having stepped into new territory often stopped and refused to go any further. Decrying the later discoveries. How old are you they would say. Question the discoveries of the master. Those are mere speculations. We have the proof that this is the way it is. In the early 19th century. Ralph waldo emerson determine that he was going to be a unitarian minister. A good thing. He went to some little ministerial training school in cambridge massachusetts. And what train. And then went out again to preach it s unitarian church in boston. Know if you've been to boston you know there's old north church where you know. Paul revere. Popular sleepover with hope to saint nick no that's another one in the windows and all that. Broken proudly from the patterns of the church of england this is a church that was after the revolution able to throw open its doors and say we don't have to ask what's going on in london anymore. Biggest kong since throwing away most of the puritan beliefs that it bound massachusetts into a theological stranglehold this was a place of great freedom. That everything comes in as a firebrand minister. Not the world's best preacher we're told. But full of idealism and thought. Short time he says you know i know you traditionally serve communion here. I have to tell you i don't know how it fits and unitarian theology. It makes no sense to me why you're doing this. Because that's not what we say we're doing. Are in fact it seems a little barbaric. And the deacon said. No it's part of who we are. We're doing it. And emerson says well give me a justification for how it fits with what we're preaching. Not work we're doing it. 2 emerson. Says goodbye to the ministry. Heads out the concord and has a somewhat successful second career. Church. Church that has gone so far in a journey of openness and freedom. Got to a certain point. And stop. When i was serving a church in massachusetts back in the 70s. One day this woman arrived at the doors came in. Better than to worship them as i watched during the service you could see. It was like in cartoons or so lights are going off about the head. All happening for her. And afterwards she said i feel like i've come home i feel like i've come to the place i've always wanted to be a who i am you're a free open place replace it invites me in his i am oh what a difference from everything i've known in my past and she quickly got involved. When a request comes in. Hagen group do you some of our grounds for worship four times a year. And this person says i we can go there. That's not who we are. Not doing it. Interesting. Is pattern. I'm going a certain distance. And then not going. Annie. Further. One of our purposes and principal statements of sources as i reminded you. Is about appreciating the humanist values and insights which suggests to us that we should get be thankful for the wonderful gifts of reason. And the insights of science. Which helped us avoid the idolatries of the mind and spirit. Those insights which are not bound to dogma. The insights which are not bound to theology. But which suggests that using certain principles. In certain ways of thinking about life. We might be freer. Of past prejudices. And more open to possibilities. That we won't be bound by the idols that are created by society but will look beyond them just as galileo and copernicus using science look beyond the idylls of the medieval systems of astronomy. Just as the nascent unitarianism of 1800 look beyond the dogma. The use of reason and religion. Just as that person coming through the door look to a congregation that will be open to different expressions. Welcoming us to recognize. The power of a reasonable thoughts. And the power of science in my science i mean the whole system. Gaining knowledge. Through rigorous application. Of consistent methodology it isn't just about physics and chemistry science as a way of doing business that doesn't think about prejudices and preconceived notions but asks what's the evidence. How do we know it. And suggested we need. To go there. The i don't know about you. Bryant found a problem in life. 30 * 1. I know i am thinking. Very reasonably. I am thinking perfectly rationally. I am so logical. That you can put it on a test. And i pass. I know i'm going down that route. I know i'm applying science i've got the evidence in a row so that i know what i'm talkin about in life. Is about reasonable. And scientific. I suspect all of you had those. Just know you're right on target. Then for those of you who are living in committed relationships. You discover. Better someone you care about deeply who cares about you deeply. Who doesn't see it quite the same way. Anyone ever been there. Somebody reminds me of this all the time. Just because we claim an appeal. For reason and science. I think that within our system. Everything is clear and evident. It often is not. Probably all of you looking out through these beautiful windows today if i were to ask you to describe what you see. Would be able to tell me many elements. Of that scene. Which would be reasonable. And rational. And even scientific based upon your observations. But as many people as there are in the room that would be home any visions we would hear about. Turtle twice simply the test of reason. And science. May not be enough. And in fact at times it may be contrary to the very principle in which it is embedded. How many times. Have people who have been absolutely reasonable. 10 led down a path. Which in the end is untenable. How many times has science said to us here is the absolute truth. The farm on it. 100 years later. Healy farmers. The electron is the smallest unit you will ever find. The world is flat. Think about all kinds of pronouncement that have come from the proof of science. Which then we will discover later. If not untrue at least they're only partial components. Of the truth. What newtonian physics. You know everything works exactly as newton discovered. As long as you're not moving. Moving close to the speed of light. Things change. And we now live in an entire world. Which is governed by an understanding which would have been called false it sometime in the past. Much of the technology we're developing depend upon of you and understanding of the world. Which would not have been upheld three or four hundred years ago. Just because it's scientific. Just because it's reasonable. Doesn't mean it takes you where you want to go. I'm often mindful the old western movies. It's one of those with someone usually a good guys got to get away. And the bad guys are at from you know that scene he's up there on the beautiful white horse. Geisler baccarin something else. He's he's making a getaway. I need at least he knows what he's doing he's whooping or not when he's heading off across the prairie and thought across the the desert. Toddler tography changes almost immediately the movie. Bad guy just come to the entrance to go well let's see how it gets out of this one. But isn't that. What we do. All the time. We jump on some horse of belief. We decided we're going to escape the dogmas of the past the models of the past the oppressions of the past we're going to get rid of things that we don't think our modern and contemporary and rational and scientific and riding away from them. We go palmetto into some kind of box canyon. And sometimes that box canyon. It's the one that has the sign on it. It says. This way to open country. By this i think is one of the dilemmas of the statement that we talked about. It points the humanism. And says. But coming from there. I thought combines it with this idea that we're going to look beyond. Any idolatries of mind or spirit. But can't humanism itself at times being idolatry. Of mind and spirit if it closes us off from other spiritual understandings. Kathy. Extreme use of reason and rationality as understood in a certain given time. Shut us off. And actually create for us idolatries of the mind. Aren't there times in which a foolish adherence. To the principles of the sciences of a certain age. Become the idolatrous as well. You see what's underneath there to me is a much more important message and it's not about humanism. And it's not about reason. And it's not about science. It's about our belief in the end. That there will never really be a truth with a capital t that will get and hold and say we have arrived. Through our lives were probably always going to be dealing with some truth with small teas. Which if we turn them into the capital t truth become idols that we worship. And it's an invitation to always remember that as good as what we have found today maybe. There still is more out there. So the question is. Are we holding up belief patterns like parents are we learning and remembering. Tonight just open. One window and say we see it all. Put the realize that there are still more windows to open. Pain we open that seem to give us this grand new view maybe simply one square. In a giant frame windows. Didn't we claim we like the freedom and openness of this religious tradition. It is incumbent for us not simply to enjoy it. But to be open to all the windows we could open. And the windows that others. Open that we could look through. Our work is never done. That we will probably never see the full picture. But the commitment in our lives is not going in the cul-de-sac not going in the blind box canyon not going where there is no exit. But striving to find those elements of faith and life. In what's the passageway is open and even though we don't see where it's going. We are committed to going along that path. That we are committed to in one sense be insecure. By not having something that is so secure. Did it blinds us to other possibilities. Idolatry is of the mind. Idolatrous of the spirit. Where are the places that your mind. Or your spirit stops going. And how could you open your eyes. Open your heart. Open your spirit. Cb on those stopping-places. That's the challenge. Not simply to get somewhere and rest. But to get somewhere. In order to journey on.

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manifold.mp3

Want to talk about a b of religious history. I want to talk about. One of the central questions. Are most human beings. I don't want to talk about the challenges of today. Set alarm for the hour if weekend. Do that. Let's begin with a question because that's a good place to start. The question that i suspect we all have. How will i find meaning in life. Picture of part of being human how will i find and make meaning in life what will be the sources that will inform me. How will i understand all which comes into me what will be the filters and frames the lenses and windows by which i see the world. How will i know. What i know. How why i understand what i understand. Even how will i feel what i feel. And that question. In various forms lingers with most of us. We encountered something new when they asked how we going to interpret this. Encounter something very old where you ask do we still interpreted as we used to. Let me suggest a little bit of our own religious history. As a way perhaps of dealing with that question. There was a time early in the common era. Back right after jesus lived. In which tremendous religious fomin was going on. Things were changing. All the time. Think about what happened in that short. of time. Established institutions. Of the way in which people thought and did things. Best set of prescribed lenses for seeing the world was suddenly thrown up for grabs. The message that came out was you don't have to do what you been doing for a thousand years or more. You don't even have to listen to the priests. The ones who had taken the original ideas that might have been liberating and put them into a form which they were like the religious police of the world. You don't have to listen to the romans. You have to listen in a different way. Now it's interesting to me what we find in those early scriptures is jesus saying you got to listen in a different way. And then is pretty unclear about how to listen. He was saying here's a question for you that you haven't dared asked in generations. How shall i listen for the meaning of the world. And so for several centuries. Energizing invitation to really consider how one would interact with the meaning of the world. Energizing discussion took place. It was an exciting time probably do it was also a scary time cuz all the old rules were gone. It was exciting because ideas which had not even been considered. Right now suddenly out there in, discard all kinds of people. Remember one of the greatest revolutionary things about the teachings in that area was it wasn't just going to be a discussion by the rulers or the hereditary of the rulers. So everybody got in on it. Which was also the problem. Cuz all of a sudden we started having numerous strains of different interpretation of where meaning might come in life and how we might get it. And there was one group. Headed nomoli by someone named darius. Who made what seems like a very simple theological argument. There was an argument with ripples two thousand years later. Right into this room. Their course were arguing in a very specific case. And they were arguing that jesus was essentially human. Because. Because of the important part is. Because whatever creative force there was in the universe it was unified. It was one. Play don't sound like take that and say well it's there but there's also it here and it here they were arguing obviously against the idea of the trinity. What's hot we get recorded. If they were arguing against the trinity. But that was not their primary focus. Their primary focus was not against the trinity because the trinity had not yet been posed as a full-scale thought. What they were doing instead was arguing for something. And it was a certain view. Of the world. And that view of the world was of a unity. Whatever creative force there is in the universe. It will be one. It will be unified it will be at unity. So from the smallest pebble on the beach. To the most complex. Organism. The same force. The same genesis. The same rules as it were. Apply. Isn't there some here and something different here and something different here. So whatever there will be. The ultimate truth will be in a form of the unity not in the form of some kind of division. Of course this was the idea the theology. Which of the council of nicaea in the fourth century got a resounding no. Because at that point. The need to differentiate. The need to differentiate for political as well as religious reasons with high. And so another understanding of the world came in as doprava dominant one. For that area around the mediterranean. And then spread beyond that. What this idea. This concept. That whatever there is a meeting in the world relates to some form of hole. Some holistic understanding. Was still there underground. Enter re-emerges in many different places. It re-emerges. In the renaissance. As people begin to try to search out those unities of forms. By which all things are related. Sos genius like leonardo da vinci. Looks like human form mechanical form natural forms all taxes as we're talking about a continuity here. The earliest of the modern scientists were those who began to say. Can we find some unified theory by which we see things happening. Newtonian physics was one of those early examples of ways in which all motion was trying to be understood as being unified and not just. Object here an object there and separate. The great spanish position michael servatus. Looking at the body and trying to understand it as a total organism and not as a series of different vapors enforces going on. It was a strain coming up through. And it keeps coming into different views. Into what we now call unitarianism. A view of a unity of existence. Sometimes framed. In terms of theology. But i think much more meaningful it'll even deeper level. Yes it speaks to religion. Speaks as well. The so many other disciplines. For example almost all of modern physics. Is a search for a unified field theory. With the assumption that underneath all ultimately there is some understanding which binds all existence together. Find 3a here that works on 80% of the cases. And 20% of the cases it isn't that there too. It's that those are two different phases of some single thing we have not seen yet. It's the belief that anytime we have a third that even matches 100% of the cases. We are only talked about what we see now. And that there was something even deeper. More inclusive more universal. That's possible. Did we say is human beings as physical or spiritual beings they feel sometimes like we're on the top of the chain. This theory says understand yourself as something. Part of something larger. You may not be the answer. You may be part of the answer. We've inherited this tradition. This tradition that says there is some. Giant total haul universal unity of which all the parts are apart. Nothing can be apart from that. But every time we describe something that's only a part of it. We're hinting toward aiming towards pointing target but we haven't yet gotten there. Now. Back to that question. How am i going to find meaning in life. We believe with that kind of you that you have two types of meaning in life. One of which is the present one which seems to work tomorrow as well. Which is a subset. One that is not yet known. That would work even better. Every single scripture in the world. Has in fact contained a piece of that better answer. And misses that better answer at the same time. The every source we could turn to. Has some piece of it. But not the office. And so there is no traditional religious scripture or source of meeting that we could throw out totally and say nothing there. Because everything. Has something in it. At the same time we can't point the one and say it's all there. Because nothing yet for phil's the whole. And so we believe there is this unity. That's bigger than any program present moment. Name the present moment at any time in history past present or future. And we know it's not the whole yet. What contains a glimpse of the whole. Most amazing things to me in modern physics. Is a hologram. Massena holograms. Caribana science museum where by projecting laserlyte two different sources under what looks like a flat piece of stuff they say two-dimensional its way not but apparently. Walk around the face you walked by and keeps looking at. You can see the different sides of it. What's intriguing about holograms. Tumi. Is it you could take that plate that's on. You can cut in half. And still see the whole image. I'm kind of getting half. And still see the whole image. And ask where the image on the plate is the answer is yes. Asking to play word isn't in the answer is yes. Are the information about the whole is contained in the hole. And in every piece of the whole. It is both whole. And holy informed. I think about them the implications for that question about how am i going to find meaning. How am i going to know what way to see the world how am i going to structure my frames in my references. But that's her physical analogy to what the unitarians have been arguing for 2000 year is your realize. You can find meaning. In anyting. If you look for what is meaningful. You look for the things that connect. Your life inform your life. And when you start to believe that it's only a certain piece of it that's meaningful or only a certain work that's meaningful that is not the whole of the contains the meaning. News on violence to the whole same time. So now the present circumstance. How many voices do we hear everyday. The ask us for allegiances. Countries. True religions. The dogmas and doctrines that say there is truth only in one interpretation. How many times within a week are we told this is the true way. This is the one way this is the only defining document this is the only style government this is the only true religion. These are the only people say. Define buy some specific source. Into that. We raise up our voices. And we say. We believe that whatever truth there is in the world it's a unified whole with we only get glimpses and no one holds the whole. But everyone holds a piece. So don't say it's only in one place. Because then you do violence to the whole. Instead. We become the messengers of the many many many sources of meaning. And that's also an obligation of trust. And the bird. It's an obligation to live out that belief in reality. To not see any one piece. A history or interpretation as better than another. Rather the clean all of them for meaning. It's also that burden to live up to that. Do understand that just because we don't see it the way some other scripture document read doesn't mean there isn't meaning or truth in it. We are called by the central belief of ours. To all those different sources that i read about. In the unitarian universalist purpose and principle statement. To see all the sources as potential pieces of something larger than any one specific work would give us. What a wonderful challenge. Remind the world. Remind country remind a community remind or tradition. That there are so many sources out there. Always point to something larger. So the invitation. Weren't you worried if there isn't a thing of uu commandment. How show you in the next week. This out this belief. How will you honor the searches you fine. Not by denying the sources other since found. But by finding ways in which you develop connections between them all. So maybe everyone. Can even see greater sources. We believe the sources of meaning. Are manifold. The question is. Do we live. As if we really believe it.

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rumor.mp3

From the hebrew scriptures from the prophet isaiah. For behold. I create new heavens. And a new earth. And the former shall not be remembered nor coming to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which i created for behold i create a jerusalem rejoicing. And her people joy. And i will rejoice in jerusalem and join my people. And the voice of weeping. Show me heard no more in her nor the voice of crying. They're showing no more then speed and infinite days nor an old man that i filled his days. And they shall build houses and inhabit them. And they show vineyards and eat the fruit of them. They shall not build and another inhabit they show not plant and another e. Presidentes of a tree or the days of my people. And mine alaska long enjoy the work of their hands they shall not labor in vain nor bring forth for trouble. For they are the seeds of the blessed of the lord and their offspring with them. And it shall come to pass that before they call i will answer. And whilst speaking i will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together and the lion shall eat straw like the book and dust be the serpent meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain. Saith the lord. Prophecy story. A day yet to come. And then from the christian scriptures the book of john. This recounting of a familiar story. The first day of the week. Kane mary magdalene early. When it was yet dark. She came onto the sepulchre and saw that the stone had been taken away from the door. And then she ran. She came with simon peter and the other disciple whom jesus loved and said unto them. They have taken away my lord out of the sepulchre. And we know not where they have laid him. Peter they're more 1/4 and that other disciple. And they came. To the sepulcher to the tomb. And so they both ran together in the other disciple outran peter. I came first to the tomb and he is stooping down and looking in. Saw the linen closet lying. Guess he didn't go in. Then came simon peter followed him right into the sepulcher and saw the linen clothes line. Napkin which have been a box head. But it was not lying with the linen clothes wrapped together in a separate place by itself. And finally then the other disciple came in. And saw and believed. Price yet they did not know the scripture. That he was to rise from the dead. Disciples went away again into their own houses. But mary stood outside the tomb. Weeping. I know she wept. She stooped down and looked inside to. I saw two angels and white sitting. The one at the head. The other at the feet. Where the body of jesus had lame. And i said to her. Woman. Why do you weep. And she said under them because they have taken away my beloved. I know not where they laid him. And when she said. She's turned herself back. And saw jesus standing there. Didn't know it was jesus. Jesus said to her why do you weep woman whom do you seek. Taking him to be a gardener said to him if you have taken him from here tell me where you've taken him and i will take his body away. At that point jesus said to her. Mary. She turned herself and said unto him robin which is the same master. And jesus said to her touch me not. Prive not yet ascended dead. But go to my brother and then sanded them i now continue my journey. To my fulfillment and your fulfillment. And to my god and your god and mary magdalene came and told the disciples that could seen the lord. And they wanted to talk to her about these things. A reading from the christian scriptures in the book of john. Easter is a hard time. For many modern religious liberals. It's a hard time because all of a sudden. A prevailing culture stops for a moment. And gives a nod to a set of very complicated theologies that for us don't always make sense. And their various reactions to what we might do about that. Some try to ignore this day. Others try to explain it away. Others enter into it fully as a cultural attribute. But for many it's sort of that uncomfortable day. We hear words and stories perhaps from our childhood. We hear songs we don't normally sing. And we're not sure what to do about that. I think the problem is. Did we are religious liberals in the 21st century. And what we've been given. Is about twenty centuries. Across. We've been given about 2,000 years. Humiliated debris of the manipulations of ruling cultures that have been added onto what is basically a very simple story. You know it's in that one passage from the christian scriptures. Mary is there. Zoom. I just trying to wrestle about what's going on. And she's startled that she sees this gardener and she doesn't recognize it as jesus. And what is the scripture say interesting line it says. She doesn't recognize him because she was not yet aware of the scripture that would say that he was going to be resurrected. Interesting passage says we haven't written the official story of this she didn't know what was going on. We get that official story added on after century after century after century body is rising up out of death into life wandering around talking to people and then eventually sending us to put that all into our modern scientific world. Let's go back. To where mary was. I want in the sous there after all the story we've been given but look instead of the story in which a person has been put to death. We now know within this last week from some of the revelations run judas that it may not have been the story is we're usually told. Instead we've got an empty tomb. We got someone walking around that looks like the person is supposed to be dead. And stories are so far our beginning. From there. Spin masters. Oh what follows after that is just rich. I don't want to talk. About the high priests in jerusalem. And i don't want to talk about the officials occupation troops from rome. I don't want to talk about what that guy call would be saying in letter after letter after letter after letter after letter that'll go out after that. I want to talk about what has happened out in the world after that. The people like you and me. So what's place ourselves back somewhere in the first century of the common era. There we are we're in somewhere in the middle east. And we have been living under a series of operations. We also been living with a series of holes. Depression is common to hands of occupying troops. Directions home. The hands of people within a highly differentiated caste system within the jewish world some people could do this some people could do this some people could do this and it's all adjudicated by the great high priest who can do whatever they want to do. And who are we. Where are the everybody's. What is that mean to be in everybody. In this situation it means. You don't know if you may get beaten up by the roman army playing troops cuz i don't like you. But also means other day-to-day things. It means you may be judged by people of your faith community. If you stopped even a little bit out of line. It all the dinner didn't quite get ready. The sun went down would you cooking anyway. And you're in trouble. Or maybe. Maybe you need to go see a dying mother. But it means traveling on a day you shouldn't be traveling. Or maybe it means you do the most human of things. You died. Stop because you don't have money. Because you don't have status. It means that you are then forgotten forever. No monument will be raised in the temple no special blessing can be bought priest. You as a commoner. Common person. I like the dust. Blown away to eternity. You look back in the best you can remember one or two generations maybe. But there is no continuity of life. If you are everyday person. Because you can't afford. Dubai what the other classes are selling. So there you are but you keep being told and you know the scriptures you're an everyday person you do know the scriptures and you know the prophecies. You know what i say has been telling the people now for generations been telling people guess what. Everything's going to be okay someday. You'll get it equity the things you do. The things you build will be yours it won't be taken away by someone else. All your efforts will in fact have an impact on the world. So you know that this is the promise. But you don't see it being fulfilled off. And then somewhere. Somewhere in the beginning of what we call the common era. You're beginning to hear this rumor. And it spread not within the official channels. And it's not spread written down its spread word of mouth. Face to face. And this is the way it goes. There's some guy causing trouble. Coppinger dia. He's saying things without checking it out with the brace. He's going around speaking his mind. Any suggesting. Promises made by the prophets are not about sometime after this they could be here on earth now. Tell me more you say. The princess i don't know anymore. So you wait till someone else passes through the village. That's been traveling you save your hurting the groomers. Rumors about what the price of wheat this year no no no rumors about the guy from galilee. Yeah. I just heard that he stood up to the high priests and wouldn't bow down to them. Oh you like this rumor because this rumor says that maybe just maybe you don't have to bow down either. I didn't hear from another source that he's in trouble. And months later you wondering what happened because of the trouble you now you find out he supposedly is dead. But then you hear another story that says he was seen at road talking to his disciples after the day you was supposed to be dead. And you're trying to put it all together. Ninja cat. And no one has made the official story yet no one has told you. What it is that's going on. But you know. Because you heard. The rumor. And the rumor is simple it's not cast in some kind of big theological framework the rumor is it someone like you. Someone of a lower class like you. Someone not of the temple like you. Dare to speak of different thoughts which he had just as you have had. And those thoughts spoke. Right. To your heart of hearts. You're sort of sores. What he was saying. Match everything you have ever dreamt of our hoped-for. But somehow what you doing this life will matter. But if you give kindness you'll be rewarded with kindness if you walk with love you will find love that whatever you might do this less-than-perfect that's okay that's the way it is it'll be alright. And even a promise the rumor says. When it's all over. And you are buried. What you have done. Whatnot. Be over. Think about how that rumor. Must have felt. To all those people. Who heard it. All of a sudden. Hope was not just an idea in a scripture that became alive in our lives obedience to some transcendence value rather than some state-owned monopolies of religion became real all these good things became possible. It was the most powerful rumor. For most of a millennia. Why. How do we know. Because it's spread. Like wildfire. In a day before internet in a day before before. Within one century. That rumor. Spread from a small community in the middle east. In virtually every point on the western world. Frost national boundaries. Across religious boundaries. It went. People. And spread it. It must have been so powerful a rumor. That people could not do otherwise. It was a rumor. That's so encouraged people. That they felt. Compelled to share it with others. And sober the end of a first-century after the rumor starts. All of that portion of the civilized world knows it. And this is before all the crossed. And the other stuff. Has been put on it. So put yourself back. In first-century, narrow. Hear the rumor that is coming out on. Very ordinary place in judea. And hear how it and live and you. Not take that sense. Take that feeling. Take that knowledge of what that could mean. Is someone two thousand years ago. And bring it up to today. What. Rumor. Could you here. That would be as powerful in your life. As that one was in there. What is it. That you are really really really waiting to hear. That will liberate you. That will encourage you. That will compel you. In that same way what could you here today. Whispered. From person to person. That would be so exciting. That your life will be transformed and you'd want to transform the lives of others. And there you have. The secret of easter. It's not. The secret of jesus. It's the secret. Of all creation that he tried to share and that people whispered about for centuries it is that whatever it is you're waiting to hear. It's there waiting to be heard. That there is a message out there for you. That could be so powerful. And so life-changing. As to compel you to share with others that could rip around the world. And all you'll have to do is truly expect. At the prophecy of it being there. Can be fulfilled. And it's not a specific message that will be the same for each person. But whatever it is you seek. Is available within the fullness of creation. That is the message bestir. Obscured by centuries of religious teachings about one person and that one person all he really wanted to say was. Listen. Seek. Ask. And you will discover what you need to discover. It's not about me would say. It's about you. The message of easter. Is that there is a rumor going around. That you need to hear because it's the one you need to hear. Or even better. There's a rumor that needs to go around. You need to start it. By understanding. What you need to know about life. Happy easter.

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sunsetandcandlelight.mp3

Songs. Only we could see through the glass clear lake. There was just about there. Trees and bushes and grass area. No. Time of darkness. We were to go out there for. Reminder nowhere2go. We might look for signs and symbols that might tell us. Perhaps in the distance to far distant light. Retract our attention. And we will follow toward that. Hoping that it would lead us somewhere we needed or wanted to be. So often. The sunset in figuratively. And we looked out upon our world that is in darkness innocence. I think about my family. Many many years ago. Walking along a very dark road. The latitude. The sun had set at. The road was long. The woman pregnant. No place to stay. And probably the inhabitation. Probably from taking them to the candle lights and little oil lamps. Twitter.. They were alone on the road anymore. They weren't in a place they were austin. In a sense they calmed where they wanted or needed to be live there by that sense of life. Yeah let me hear this is wonder the story about how they arrived that light is they asked for a place to stay there's no replacing. Adele compared to being on that road in the darkness. The barn was probably not as bad. I know the story continues. It's too soon after the birth of that child. Another light in the great darkness of the world wise men traveling. Traveling grace. All i could do was follow. Jetstar. That might make them where they wanted and needed to go. Story on through all the centuries. People travelling their own journey people just like you and me. Looking for. Son of god. That would say. This is where you need to have it. And then it's not just about them. It is. Kabob house. We sit here under alaska lights. Knowing how things are with, before it any moment that could change. Come up with the time we live in relative comfort of life. Can i make it to load into most people's lives. Looks deeply inside or we can't see through that light look beyond the surface painted glass and windows of people's bottom. Moses around somewhere in our lives and some journey of darkness. Journey of the badness or any like that but if there's something out there. We have not yet understood explored. Made our own sounds familiar. Feeling like warehouse in the world. In the dark. That means look for those little candlelight pinterest. Maybe it's encouraging words said by the stranger. Maybe it's a phrase in the book we're reading for the 4th time. Maybe it's in the lyrics of the song that give us the shivers up our backs every time we hear it. Maybe it's in the loving hug. Maybe it's in a glimmer of something called playfully canyonwood words to. But i suspect everyone of us here. Innocence. It's on that long dark road. Sunset is something we understand. Looking for some kind of candle lighter window. The where we want or need to be. This season reminds us. Of the universal experience. It's not just that we are alone doing that. We are going together doing that. Each in our own way in our own quest our own surgery. Twin son measure. Removing through the darkness. Inserted some sorts of life. It's also the season that reminds us why we pick up the message of a man named jesus as christ. The message of a wonderful prophet when liking people on your hiccups. Whatever order her patient it's a reminder. Even in the darkest most unlikely times. Form of 1. Some starter of candle. Some aluminum window. Some guiding light. Samsara. That's very be seen. Belasco. Or we want or need to go. Maybe a physical life. Maybe the light of friendship. The light is carrying the light of knowledge the light of wisdom. Whatever. A message of christmas. When you feel like you're on the darkest road of your life. There is a light waiting out here. For you. From the sunset. Start looking at the shadows. Start looking for the light. It will guide you. You need to go. Made that. of christmas not be just with you on the midplane this point in december. But with you at all today. You joining your way. Christmas is not about a deadhead. It's about an approach to life. The bottom appreciation. Put a gift of guiding stars. It maybe even needed lady nunez summer. When's sunset. For you.

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rightsandblessings.mp3

Do you remember when roots was the rage. People became interested in her family history and her family tree. Wanted to create your own family tree. Go back and research your ancestors. Workshops on genealogy. And looking up surname for the fact. I think access to the internet made this more possible. Energy management people for access to the information also open doors to the public which were not open before. So we could tame that information. Vendors made the most of it. I received flowers flyers for my family tree. My family history my family crest. As well as an invitation to buy a hat and t-shirt. To the loomis university. What she doesn't exist. But also got an invitation to donate money. To loomis chaffee school in connecticut. I know loomis was an english name. As a child i often wonder if there was any connection between. Our name or our family and english royalty free sample. Are we connected to queen kings or lords or ladies back in england before the family came here. And my aunt maxine burst that bubble one day. And she told me about a book on the lumos game. At the loomis gang we're horse thieves upstate new york. Quite proud of that. I thought it was pretty funny. At my dream applause. was sadder. Limited genealogical research. Can be traced back to the 15th century in england. Early ancestral home still stands in connecticut on the property of the loomis chaffee prep school. And there is a family crest. Book about this swift on the family history that was repaired and it really part of the last century. So i was duly impressed. This discovery made up for the horse thieves in the family. And then another surprise awaited me. I was exploring my maternal great-grandparents. Whose surname is duryea. Which i thought was french. My mother provided me with a handwritten letter from an ancestor who described the family history going back. Into pages for 1600. And it's 53 ace migrated from france to holland. To avoid religious persecution. Beavercreek. Protestant and. France was a catholic country. Cassava generations that remained in holland. But eventually they didn't notice that. Finnegan's garage. And it we're becoming amerson deduction culture. Quickest still practice their religion. True.. So they decided to move the united states the land of the free. A place where they can practice their religion freely speak their native language and re-establish their french concert poster. Good night mother dropped a bomb. My grandmother was not a duryea. She was adopted. He was from wisconsin. Everlasting hitman johnson. Or something like that she said. Prepares for scandinavians. Who came to the united states seeking a better life. And they got in the duryea family adopted her. Is amazing. What our ancestors were willing to give up. Put up with. And submit to order to come to this new country. In the search for a better life and basic rights and freedoms. They plunged into a new unknown world. Despite the hardships. And dangerous. They thought they were blessed by this opportunity. This new nation was a welcoming place. The preamble to the united states constitution states. We the people of the united states. In order to form a more 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. Do ordain and establish this constitution. For the united states. Copa america. The preamble of the clear statement of our forebears and 10. When this country was founded. Text for a better and more responsive government. Justice would be available. Not just the wealthy in the privileged. A place of peace and tranquility was sought. The welfare of the general population was as concerned. Not just the welfare of the chrisley. The blessings of liberty were to be extended to 1 at all from that day forward. And this new nation didn't stop there. Secure the words of port emma lazarus. Butcher restaurant on the plaque on the statue of liberty. Give me your tired your poor your huddled masses. Yearning to breathe free. The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these the homeless. Tempest-tost to me. I'll lift my lamp beside the golden door. Bring the masses yearning to be free. The tire. The poor. Directions. The homeless in tampa straz. The golden door was open to everyone. And the first section of the 14th amendment to the constitution of the united states reads as. All person. Born or naturalized in the united states. And subject to the jurisdiction thereof. Are citizens of the united states. Turn up the state wherein they reside. North states shall make or enforce any law. What show bridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the united states. Nor shall any state deprive. Any person of life. Liberty. Or property. Without due process of law. 14 or any person. Within his jurisdiction. The equal protection. Buffalo. The 14th amendment was intended to guarantee that the states could not take away the rights granted to us by the federal constitution. The states did have the right to override the federal constitution. For the golden door was open the lamp was lit. The blessings of the new country were available to everyone. Freedom beckons to the oppressed. As unitary as a nation unitarian and universalist. Against tyranny. App for social justice. Work for the poor and the disenfranchised. Susan b anthony. William ellery channing. Jane addams. John drury olympia brown. Chances are atoms if some of the people. They work to keep the golden door open and the land lit but i can't hear the door is closing in the lamp is deming. All of my ancestors hail from northern europe. They were both in the united states. Eventually they were assimilated into the culture. But no one forced him to give up their french or english or scandinavian culture. Language or religion. Today we find quarters. In-place on immigration. And certain groups. Mandatory country software and states are not that welcome. Fence along the border. Uncle to attempt to walk or swim acrostic. And those are often forcefully repatriated. Efforts to deacon maybe california to make english the official language. Religious extremist. Appearing persuasion. Are engaging in forms of physical and psychological terrorism. Trying to impose their religious beliefs on the world. Play me they are doing the work of god. They call for the integration. Hope your religious beliefs into our schools and government. Repeated attempts. Have been made to introduce. The pledge of allegiance into the classroom. And the ten commandments into public buildings. Reproductive and sexual preference rights of women and men. Heart risk. Glbt. People seeking their long-overdue basic freedoms. Continue to be the target of discrimination. And bias. Repeated efforts. Army made to stop gay marriages and civil union. The courts have repeatedly upheld it as a basic constitutional right. The 80 million-member anglican communion is a danger of breaking up over the issue of. The role of women in the church and gay bishops. The preamble to the constitution calls for the promotion of the populations general welfare. Jenny people came to this nation speaking. Today we see policies and laws being enacted for the benefit of the wealthy and to the detriment of those who are most leading. Pause continue to be made for more tax breaks for the wealthy programs to the needy are cut. Provide funding. In the name of common defense. Homeland security. We find our privacy invaded in our rights. Curtail. Private phone calls are recorded emails are red. Vipers are asked to review patron reading preferences. Tremendous amounts of money i spent on security glaciers often in places where there is little security risk. 1964 civil rights act attempted to do away with segregation and free african americans from. Considerable progress was made in this direction. Remains to be done. The number of young male african americans incarcerated unemployed. Living below the poverty line. That in case the life of crime continues to rise. The standard of living god. Between the middle and upper classes. African-american disquieting is widening rather than shrinking. For the blessing bestowed upon ourselves and our posterity by our nation's founders. Good recipe lost. Cartwright's. Unitarian universalist need to continue to be in the front lines fighting for our rights. We cannot rely on the blessings of our forbearers to protect us and posterity. We must be witnesses and advocates. Eveready down the barricades. And fight the good fight. The cause and work cannot be left up to the few. One voice. Macy's voice in the wilderness. But when we at one and one and one. We can become a loud roar. Electro-voice speakers. No better blessing can be bestowed upon austerity. Send a guarantee a very basic rights and freedoms. What are the requirements. What about us by this liberal religion of ours. Is to keep the golden door open. And the lamp lit. Fayetteville salt. Amen.

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men.mp3

I've been given many great gifts over the years. Toys and clothes. Boss and games. Trinkets and poems. Meals and of course. Ties. All of them with appreciation. Any gift. Is better than the quiet unknowing an unnoticed loneliness of separation. But beyond all the physical gifts i've been given. I received many many more spiritual gifts from women and men alike. Which like whispers in the silent places of life. Inform me of who i am. And who i am becoming. Today in honor of father's day my mind turns to the gifts. From the men of my life. Without which i would not be the person i am today. Nor will i be the person i will be tomorrow. This sign is what i have learned. From men. I've learned from men how to be a warrior. How to seriously take the stuff of life in my hands and teeth. The stand with bravery and courage in the face of a sailing forces. I've read the war accounts of caesar. I've learned the exploits of napoleon. I know that catchphrases of stephen decatur douglas macarthur like. I've been taught of warrior survival skills of the urban landscape. How to walk the city streets with confidence and security. I've been taught how to knock back down not to take no for an answer. I've learned to say go ahead. Make my day. But more than that i have learned how to be. A real warrior. How to fiercely take the injustice has of life in my hands and teeth. And a stand with truth and equity on the battle lines of life. I've read the ward house. William lloyd garrison. I've learned the exploits so eugene bdubs. I've seen martin luther king junior walking his warrior steps along hostile streets. Where racism woodfire like artillery and hatred poison the air. He not missing a step. Eyes looking straight ahead eyes clearly on a prize. Arms lock with other warriors not willing to settle for anything less. Overcoming the deficiencies of the past. I have red throw. Mild-mannered henry david thoreau behind the bars of prison. Not willing to pay a task for a war on neighboring mexico to simply fulfill some great manifest destiny. Warriors orochi 4 who to emerson's question what are you doing in there henry replied no the question is what are you doing out there. I know of john haynes holmes. That majestic preacher at what is now the unitarian universalist community church in new york city. Who helped the found the naacp and the aclu. And who as a true warrior. Openly opposed world war. In the face of almost universal support for that war by his congregation his city and his nation. He like so many other warriors. Who chose the path of conscientious objection is the braver path. I think about my own father. Whose warrior image is that of a social crusader. He taught me that sometimes real warriors. Are quietly covertly. Doing the work of justice. And part-time real estate practice which she had with my mother. He welcomed enquiries from people without regard to race or national origin. Which end are very ethnic community was a rarity. His warriors showed all properties to all people. And his warrior also answer the phone calls. Of hatred and bigotry. With common insurance. When his warrior work with discovery. Buy the less willing and the less open. You see men have taught me to be a warrior. To know what it is that i most highly value and how i may honor those things in my very living. They've encouraged me to be brave. Especially when the times and traditions designate me to be a heretic. A rebel. Sing the flower. They're showing me what can happen for the better of the whole world. When the imperfections. Then justices. The inequities are met with fierce on the failing determination. For the gift of my warrior ship. I give thanks to all the men. Of my inspiration. Manor often cast in the active voice. It's as if all of us men are one-dimensional. Nothing more or less than very active hyperactive. Warriors sounds. I have known men of more dimensions. Then just one. That same henry david thoreau who fiercely inhabited they local gel cell. Also spend innumerable pensive hours. Delving after the meaning of being alive. Asking after the essence of what lies behind the physicality of things. His power of thought was a portal. Through which i began to see life. Including my own life differently. Thorough help me to understand myself. As a thinker. Where to begin. Where to end. Socrates plato the buddha archimedes euclid jesus muhammad lawsuit areas they card hume einstein russell lake off. The list of men who have powerful tool they're thinking. For the benefit of all stretches from before knowing. Two beyond imagining. But with these examples comes an obligation. If i'm going to benefit from the thinking of other men. I'm at my knowledge i'm compelled to acknowledge those gifts in my own thoughtfulness. No i do not say i must compete with their level of genius. Pride out i will shake the foundations of thought. The way those men did. What i'm saying is that i have learned from them. An obligation to mindfulness. The gift of thought. Which has been enhanced and enlarged by their works is a gift i must take most seriously. Life is not to be lived as a passive activity its fullness only arises from an active engagement. Using the gift of thought at is his cornerstone. To know the breadth and depth of the greatest thought of the world. Is part of that. But to be mindful of those around me. And my relationship to them. Is a greater part of that. No philosophy. No theology contains much meaning or power if it expands itself in a vacuum. How we treat one another. Is as much a matter of thought. As are any of the great tomes of philosophy. Those men have taught me to ask after the whole. And then some. Those men have taught me to ask after my neighbor. And my relationship to one and all. Those men have taught me to match my actions to my thoughts. Those men have taught me that integrity. A form of ideas of relationships of theories. Is the essence of a life honestly lived. In time like the monuments of antiquity. Physical objects will fade into memory. In fact everything we now possess in the physical world. Weather in time. The conventional wisdom of any age also passes with its time. But ideas. Ideas as the quantum units by which progress is made indoor. Songs that are beyond simple necessity. Mingled with white sauce from countless others. Will be the building blocks which neither time nor circumstance can a road. Men have taught me. Bs thinker. For that gift of thought. I give thanks to the men. Of my inspiration. Not all of life is whole. Brokenness is a reality of life. Bonesnap. Psyches ache. Life's experience alienation. Infections attack. Spirit steel week. I remember hearing about all those things. It was from the pulpit of the universalist unitarian church at my childhood. The minister the reverend john mcphee. Spoke to the troubled. And they all too often broken human spirit of individuals. The troubled and all too often broken spirit of communities. Of the world. And of the ecology in which we live. Any spoke to that brokenness. With a message of universal hope. He like so many other men. Have taught me that men can be healers. For all the destruction which it will focus warriors can bring to the world. After all the destruction which misused ideas can also bring to the world. We men can also be agents of hope. Healing and health. This is not something new. The ancient and modern sachems all-new this. Shamans the world over. Often with only a visceral recognition of existence is great secret. Understand this. Existence at its core. Must embrace the spirit of healing for wholeness. Morrilton the fullness of the infiniti of time. All existence would have fallen into brokenness. We buy our very presence here say this is not so. That we exist says the world hasn't gone to brokenness. Brokenness in one party of existence does not lead to the extinction of everything. The great hole. Always finds its way to heal. To move on to a new holism. That natural spirit of hope has been lived by both men and women. However in the natural scheme of things women's capacity for birth. Makes the role healer more explicit for them. Brossman the rule is healer is often more implicit. Or too often missing. What does i think about my own life. And how different it would be if i did not know how to make explicit my role as healer. I realize how much i owe two men who have made explicit in their lives. That rule. That work. Of healing. I'm mindful of someone like albert schweitzer. Who dedicated concluding half of his life. To healing in a place that would almost seem beyond healing. In central africa in the midst of a greatly unserved portion of the world's population. Against all odds of disease and trauma we can barely imagine. He offered up the door message. Physical and spiritual hope for decades. Knowing that the needs would always be beyond his resources. And knowing that the solutions might be beyond his craft. He's still here. When and where he could. In the hope that every act of goodness and kindness. Adds to the whole. At the end of it all. The usual male question. Did i win. Was irrelevant to what he accomplished. Rather what men is heelers remind us is it the questioner hearts. Should rather be. Have i given hope. Have i added to the wholeness of existence. Will never be at the end of that task. For the brokenness of life will always present us with new cases. Healing reminds us men. The tasks of life are left. Are less about completion. And more about process. For all those men who have taught me as a man to be a healer. I give thanks. For their inspiration. Alas we live in a world of lowell expectations. There are always exceptions to expectations that. We might like to change. But they're only exceptions. Because so much is the norm. Most men live out a number of role expectations. One of the oldest of those rules is that a provider. At the dawn of historical understanding in an era when society was organized and so-called hunter-gatherer clans. Wee-man where the hunters. We provided more households drawer ability to successfully hunt game of any kind. While the same time are female partners. Provided for the households and way is related to gathering and nurture. From the beginning. Aurora expectation and specific provider. Men have all the greater expectations upon themselves. Probably take a long and controversial doctoral dissertation they analyze how we move from that dual equal differentiated role expectation model. Into the current societal authentication. Of the provider and the provided for. But whatever the evolutionary path. Massage expectations for blood is undesired results. Such as gender discrimination glass ceilings in the life. As serious as are those issues in their consequences for us. As men and women alike. Those are topics for many other days. That still leaves us with the reality that for most of the men in our world. There exists a role expectation to be a provider. Men will work men will produce men will provide the resources for the family. Society reinforces that expectation by rewarding men with higher salaries greater benefit and more public recognition. Whether we like it or not. Wee-man have been cast in the role provider. What i've learned from men. Is it possible to fulfill that assigned role with more meaning than anger. More grace than grumble. This is particularly important in age would just slowly moving through and eventually beyond that get them follow your bliss. As if one's bliss were solitary entity of personal enjoyment. I think about my great-grandfather on my mother's side. Early in 1929 he had a portfolio that was worth well over $1000000. By the end of 1929 he was destitute. At that point he was 66 years of age. He had to start over again. Is a hired hand doing farmfield work for others. Tending his own garden for their food. Providing for his wife. When i knew him in the last decade of his 95 years he was still doing that. Providing. Providing chopped wood for the stove and which they cook in heated themselves. Providing food from the garden for their table. And he was doing it with a smile on his face the littleton is step. More than a joker 2. His bliss was what he found and doing what he could. In the life that he had fashioned. Maybe not what he would have chosen. But given what had chosen him. He lived up to its needs. Will the fullness of spirit. I seen that same spirit and so many other men. All teachers to us all who have not run off to join the circus. Stayed home providing for partners and children and grandchildren and neighbors and communities in the world. They have taught me that the great value in life is not in always getting what we want or think we want. But rather in fulfilling the tasks his life. Which are ours to complete. And finding an even deeper meaning. In choosing the fulfill that which is our task. For all those men standing by their commitments. I give thanks. For their inspiration. Men have taught me to be a warrior. A thinker. I hear and a provider. To all to be my mentors i offer praise and thanks. And this father's day i strive to remember. Did the greatest praise. The most profound things i can give is to so live my life that others men and women alike will learn from me. By being the man i am. May we also live. The others become more themselves. For what we teach down. As we teach them to be. Warriors. Fingers. Hewers. And providers. In our own way. And our own lives.

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channing.mp3

This morning we're going to be talking about man named william ellery channing. Now you're going to hear a lot more about him and just a moment. Look for the readings this morning. I want to take some sections out of a sermon he preached. In 1819. How this would become a very famous sermon. In unitarian history. Who is priest in baltimore. Chatting was 39 years old the time. Part of the service of ordination for a man named jared sparks. Set the place on the context it has been invited to deliver the sermon. At the act in which this minister will be ordained into the ministry asked to speak for a few minutes. One more than a few minutes. About the nature of this religious undertaking. Just to put it in the context. A few minutes when i preached the sermon this morning. It's going to contain around 1,700 words. Channing sermon had over 13,500. They were in for the long haul. But this is what he said in part. He wanted to talk first of all about the source of understanding. And then what some of the understanding was that he gleaned out of his tradition. So first of all he begins to talk about what he means. White talks about deriving information out of scripture. He says our leading principle and interpreting scripture is this. That the bible is a book written for men. In the language of man. And that its meaning is to be sought in the same manner as that of other books. We believe that god when he speaks to the human race conforms. If we may so say to the established rules of speaking and writing. Now all books. And all conversation require in the reader or hear the constant exercise of reason. Or their true import is only to be obtained. By continual comparison. An inference. So he's setting up the standard that. His reason. Is being used in relation to the scriptures he reads. Then he goes on to talk about a number of points that he finds in his readings. In the first place. We believe in the doctrine of god's unity. Or that there is one god and only one. To this truth we give infinite importance and we feel by ourselves bound to take heed. Lest any man spoil us of it by vein philosophy. We understand by it. That there is one being. One mind one person one intelligent agent and only one. To whom under eye. An infinite perfection and dominion belong. We conceived that these words could have conveyed no other meaning. To the simple and uncultivated people. Who were set apart to be the depositories. Of this great truth. An orderly incapable. Understanding those hair breadth distinctions between being and persons. What's the sagacity of ledger ages has suggestion. We find no intimation that this language was to be taken in an unusual source. Or that god's unity was a quite different thing. From the oneness of other intelligent beings. Secondly. Having boss given our views on the unity of god i proceed in the second place to observe that we believe in the unity of jesus. We believe that jesus is one mind one soul one being as truly one as we are equally distinct from the one god. We complain of the doctrine of the trinity that not satisfied with making god three beings it makes jesus christ tubing's. And those introduces infant confusion. Anywhere conceptions of his character. According to this doctrine jesus christ instead of being one mind one conscious intelligent principle of home we can understand consists of two souls and two minds. The one divine the other human the one-week the other almighty the one ignorant the other omniscient. Now we maintain that that is to make christ two beings. We conceived thirdly that christians have generally lean toward a very injuries few. Of the supreme being. Felt as if he were raised by his greatness and sovereignty. Above the principles of morality above those eternal laws and rectitude to which all other beings are subjected. We believe that a no being is the sense of right so strong so omnipotent as in god. We believe that his almighty power is entirely submitted to his perception of rectitude. And this is the ground of our piety. It is not because he is our creator merely. But because he created us for good and holy purposes. It is not because his will is irresistible. But because his will is the perfection of virtue. We pay him allegiance. We cannot bow before being however great and powerful. Who governs tyrannical. We respect nothing but a speck solence. Weather on earth. Or in heaven. We venerate not the loftiness of god's throne. But the equity and goodness in which it is established. Fourth. Having exhaust spoken of the unity of god of the unity of jesus of his inferiority to god another perfection of the divine character. I now proceed to give our views of the mediation of christ and the purpose of his mission. With regard to the great object which jesus came to accomplish there to be no possibility of mistake. We believe that he was sent by the father to affect a moral or spiritual deliverance of mankind. That is to accomplish the sublime purpose by variety of methods. Fios instructions regarding god's unity. I'm god's perennial character and moral government. Buy a promise of pardons to those. Penitent and divine assistance for those who labor for progress and moral excellence. And by their light his throwing on the path of duty. And lastly we believe that all virtue. Has its foundation. In the moral nature of man. That is an conscience. Or his sense of duty. And the power of forming his temper and life according to conscience. We believe that these moral faculties are the grounds of responsibilities in the highest distinction. Human nature. And that no act is praiseworthy. Any farther than its springs from their exertion. Ween the way that no dispositions infused into us without our own moral activity. Are of the nature of virtue. And therefore we reject the doctrine of irresistible divine influence on the human mind. The words of. William ellery channing. In our tradition. We claim to be inspired by the prophetic. Words and deeds. Of the women and men who have preceded us. Within this year. Vista lomas and i are going to be exploring some of those prophetic women and men. Whose words and deeds. That only spoke to their era. Speak to a steel. The last decade or so we've heard a lot about this term new age. About a different way of looking at things. Well before these recent years. If there was ever a new age in america at an earlier time. It probably coincided with a lifetime. Of unitarian luminary william ellery channing. At the time of his birth in 1780. The american colonies were engaged in struggle with great britain. The lofty ideals of independence were still waiting to be realized. The religious climate in the colonies varied from north to south less on theological grounds and more on governance issues. There was a less diversity in theology then there was in terms of episcopal vs. congregational versus presbyterian versus methodist systems of authority and governance. But no matter what the polity of the various churches the theology in those days. Was very common. What was prevalent was a focus on themes of original sin. Human depravity eternal damnation biblical literalism. And the unique salvation offered through the sacrifice of jesus. Young channing grew up in that kind of world. The world of the old age. That's why i prefer david robinson would recount there's a well-known anecdote. About channing's boyhood which goes this way. Take in one day. To hear a. Famous preacher. He was introduced to the calvinist vision. Human depravity. Of lost souls in a dark universe in desperate need of sovereign grace. The somber terror of the sermon struck the sensitive boy deeply. And when is father later pronounced it sound doctrine. Young channing was crushed. It's all true then he thought. Bedazzled boys anguish grew during the silent drive home. He wasn't jarred but when his father started whistling. They want his father reached home. A seat at the conway read his newspaper the boy realized something know his father didn't believe that people do not believe it was not true. Now picture that experience. Arising when it did. In the first decade of the newly-independent confederation of colonies. Which would buy channing's 9th birthday become the united states of america. The promise of enlightenment philosophy. Became real in the political experiment of this new nation. In the climate of such a new political age. The young channing would begin to look for a parallel new age and religion. What is biography. Would not hint. At what would be coming. Warren and newport rhode island. Channing experienced a hard life on the death of his father. When chatting was only 13. Personal sacrifice and commitment. He fulfilled his deep desire to attend harvard college. Which was hardly a bastion of innovation or change. Graduating at the age of 18. He went south. Into the deep traditionalism of virginia to serve as a private family tutor. In the strictly governed social climate of richmond. The nearly impoverished channing with left lonely. And filled with questions which in that social climate could not be asking quite company. Norwood could have found answer. In the religious resources of that culture. However i was that experience came to determination to desire his first felt when in college. That was to become a minister. So 1803 the age of 23 he was called to the ministry of the traditional line central street church. In central boston. A pulpit he would feel for 39 years until his death. A picture what's happening in the nation at that time. The revolution of 1776 has become a national experiment. The industrial revolution that began at slater's mill and 1792 is creating an industrial nation. The national expansion of the louisiana purchase in 1803 foreshadows. A continental nation. The 1789 founding of the university of north carolina began the growth of popular higher education that was not dependent on church sponsorship. And the 1805 appointment of liberal minister henry wear to the faculty of harvard divinity school declared a new openness. In religious studies. Things were changing. It was an age but no one had ever seen the time of freedom industry expansion open education and rational thinking. In other words it was a time of optimism. And opportunity. Well it was a time of optimism and opportunity in secular society. But most religions were still preaching the same old message. But the seeds have been sullen. In the light of this new age sooner or later. The new-age tendencies would have to affect religion in some way. Or sooner or later he would have to retreat. Having had no influence. On those religious tendencies. Channing the sooner or later would take 16 years. Along the way we get glimpses. 1812. We get a glimpse of channing is he's beginning to break. From the chrysalis of traditional religion. I'm beginning to take flight. He preaches an ardent sermon. About the war being waged with great britain. The war of 1812. I didn't that sermon he advocated not only pacifism. But he also brought forth notions about the freedom of thought and the freedom of action. Even in the face of sovereignty not only of royalty. Not only of democracy. But even in the face of the sovereignty of divinity. Channing begins to suggest. That the old line theology may not meet the needs. Of the new age reality. But the 18-12 sermon. Would not go down mark as the startling statement of enduring change. That breakthrough came in 1819. Not because what was said was shockingly new. Puppy cause it was said. Openly. Crowley. Systematically. And on the occasion of a ministerial ordination. Best sermon that we heard part of earlier. Probably didn't contain a lot of stuff that sounded too startling to you. Sermon of unitarian christianity whoever for its day. What's a feisty statement. I've use more and more commonly held but privately held. By the liberal wing of christianity. And talk about a classic and a reframing northlake off would have loved shannon. Until that day that was in the liberal wing. Had often been called unitarians by those who wanted to ride them. They want to call some nasty names he's a unitarian. But what is channing do. He takes that derisive term from the detractors and he adopted us the probably chosen name of what he is. What exactly was he doing. He was not in any way abandoned in christianity. He was not proclaiming a new face. He was not even advancing any new ideas. Scared he was doing two simple. But profound things. First suggested that the windows that looked out upon christianity and all the wisdom of christianity windows. First by the edicts of roma millennium before and then briefly closed. With new locks and new keys by the reformation those window should be pushed wide open. So that individuals could see the full vista and panorama. A christian promise. And then he suggested that what would happen next. Is exactly what should happen in religion. That once the windows were open what would occur is what religion should be about that people would look out upon that world of christianity. And see it. Through their own eyes. Uc4 centuries. Personal experience had been interpreted through the lens of religion. But now channing was suggesting that religion should be interpreted and understood. Through the lens of our own personal experience. The thoughtful. Insightful human mind would not be subjugated to the imposition of a superior divine will. Rather he says the gifts of life including the capacity for reason are seen as links through which the divine and the human are intrinsically united. Open the window to any classic system of understanding. And accepted those looking at that landscape of optimism and opportunity. Will see its meaning. To the experience of their own lives. Probably that's as good a definition of a new-age approach as we're ever going to get. That traditional sources of wisdom. Are open to new critical view. And that the experiences of the viewer. Are the measure of how that wisdom will be received. I want has to wonder was that 1819 sermon. A fluke. The channing go somewhere with you later chose never to go to again. He'll be buried in the mundane well not likely with channing. Consider this sermon from 1828 called. The likeness of god. Hear the words as they are 1828 words. Obsessed with going on underneath. Man has a kindred nature with god. And mayberry most important noble relation to him. Seems to me to be established by a striking proof. This proof. You will understand. But considering for a moment how we obtained our ideas of god. When's come the conception. Which will include under that august name. What else do we derive our knowledge of the attributes imperfections which constitute the supreme being. I answer. We derive them from our own souls. The divine attributes are first developed in ourselves. And then transferred to our creator. The idea of god sublime and awful as it is. Is the idea of our own spiritual nature. Purified and enlarged to infiniti. In ourselves. Are the elements of the divine. God then does not sustain a figurative resemblance to man. It is the resemblance of a parent to a child. The lightness of a kindred nature. We call god of mine he has revealed himself as spirit. But what do we know of mind. But through the unfolding of the principal. In our own breasts. Bounded spiritual energy which we called god is conceived by us only through our consciousness. To the knowledge of ourselves. We're scribes for intelligence to the daddy. As one of his most glorious attributes. And what means this language. These terms way of frame to express operations or faculties of our own souls. The same is true of god's goodness. How do we understand this. But by the principle of love imprinted in the human heart. When's is it that this divine attribute is so ferrilli comprehended. But from the feeble development of it in the multitude of men. Who can understand the strength. Kure fullness and extent of divine philanthropy. But he in-home selfishness. Has been swallowed up in love. Same is true of all the moral perfections of the daddy. These are coming free-handed by us. Only through our own moral nature. 1828. He's saying. It's not something out there. It's something in here. The reverend doctor jack mendelson. When he was choosing a title for his biography of channing decided on the title. The reluctant radical. Channing was not trying to give up anything of his beloved personally interpreted christianity but he wanted to add something beyond the stultified orthodoxy which had fallen out of step with the experiences of his age. This is the real radicalism. Volume ellery channing. Not content. That was so original. What is courageous and continual offering of a radically different way of looking at religion. A way that was consistent. With the emerging age in which he preached. Long ago. His specific notions and interpretations of what appears now to be an outdated christianity were left behind borrow movement. By the early twentieth century the rise of religious humanism and its appeal to the emerging modernism made most of channing's theology seem obsolete to religious liberals. But his approach to theology. Was still as vital as ever. And as we enter the 21st century the rise of an appreciation for more inclusive spirituality and its appeal to the emerging post-modernism. Has rendered most of channing theology even more a profoundly historical artifact. But again his approach to theology. Is as vital as ever. Which is why we recalled channing. Because he ushered in not only unitarianism. Has a theology. But he also ushered in a theological methodology. Long after the specific understandings which channing found in christianity as illuminated by his own experiences. Long after those have faded away. In their postmodern minds and spirits. His methodology. And doors. We recall him and his words not to follow in his footsteps of conclusions. Follow in his footsteps of process. Open the windows. Take a look for yourself. Use your own life experience to help see what awaits you. Otherwise how will any of us. See the new horizons that beckon. Any new ages ever arrives. Has channing road. Every human being. Has worked the carry-on within. Duties to perform abroad influence to exert. Which a purely his. And which no conscience but his own. Can teach. Throw open the windows. For yourself. The whole world of the future. Awaits your gaze.

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discovery.mp3

Welcome to the podcast of the services from the community church unitarian universalist. For chicago south suburbs located in park forest illinois. Hi i'm randy becker the minister the congregation and i welcome you on their behalf cuz he's audio broadcast. Today's service includes two readings in a sermon. You'll find a sermon begins at about the 6-minute point of this broadcast. Before that to readings the first from david henry hwang. Burmese libretto for the opera the voyage that he created with philip glass. In the setting you'll hear him speaking. In the voice of columbus. Columbus on his deathbed. Talking to the vision of queen isabella. Is it foolish to seek the mind of god if there may be no god. Is it futile to reach for order in the universe build upon chaos. Is it vanity to hope one day to know the design of all things. Even the sad expansive regretful human souls. On the first amiibo who fought to break itself free. To ulysses to emma pasta to marco polo to einstein and beyond. All that we seek to know. Houston ourselves. Reduce the darkness by some small degree to light a candle jump a stream that the sum of human ignorance. My window just a bit. And the deeds done in darkness may wither one day. Perhaps even expire. And if our human voyages or sometimes riddled with horrors with pride with vanity with the mother's milk of cruelty. Yes finally human evil does not deny the good. Acknowledge. Light. A revelation. Of the hope that low 1-day exploration will make obsolete. Even the sins of the explorer. I'm sorry i'm unable to tarry here longer but the journey that awaits his farm or deduct they said.. They're all your last temptations. Finally we take the voyage. When the voyage takes us. Finally we take the voyage. When the voyage takes us. I decided to add in a. A bonus reading so to speak this morning. The poem by lawrence ferlinghetti entitled i am waiting. I am waiting for my case to come up and i'm waiting for a rebirth of wonder and i'm waiting for someone to really discover america and weight and i am waiting for the discovery of a new symbolic western frontier and i'm waiting for the american eagle to really spread its wings and straighten up and fly right. And i'm waiting for the age of anxiety to drop dead and i'm waiting for the war to be fought which will make the world safe for anarchy. And i'm waiting for the final withering away of all governments. And i am perpetually awaiting a rebirth of wonder. I am awaiting the second coming and i'm waiting for a religious revival to sweep through the state of arizona and i'm waiting for the grapes of wrath to be stored and i'm waiting for them to prove that god is really american and i'm waiting to see ghana television piped on the church altars. If only they can find the right channel to tunein on. And i'm waiting for the last supper to be served again with a strange new appetizer. And a petrol awaiting a rebirth of wonder. I'm waiting for my number to be called and i'm waiting for the salvation army to take over and i'm waiting for the meat to be blessed and inherit the earth without taxes. And i'm waiting for forrest and animals to reclaim the earth is theirs. And i'm waiting for way to be devised to destroy all nationalisms without killing anyone. And i'm waiting for linens and planets the fall like rain and i'm waiting for lovers and weepers the lie down together again in a new rebirth of wonder. I'm waiting for the great divide to be crossed actually so waiting for the secret of eternal life to be discovered by an obscure general practitioner. And i'm waiting for the storms of life to be over. And i'm waiting to set sail for happiness. And i'm waiting for a reconstructed mayflower to reach america. Was picture story and tv rights or dunnavant to the natives. And i'm waiting for the lost music the sound again in the lost continent. In a new rebirth of wonder. And i'm waiting for the day that make it's all things clear and i'm waiting for retribution for what america did the tom sawyer. And i'm waiting for the american boy to take off beauty's clothes. And i'm waiting for alice in wonderland we transmit to meet for total dream of innocence. And i'm waiting for child roll-on to come to the final darkest hour. And i'm waiting for aphrodite to grow live arms and a final disarmament conference. In a new rebirth of wonder. I'm waiting to get some intimations of immortality by rico acting my early childhood. And i'm waiting for the green mornings to come again. Youth dumb greenfields come back again. And i'm waiting for some strains of unpremeditated are the shake my typewriter. I'm waiting to write the grade indelible poem. And i'm waiting for the last long careless rapture. Are perpetually waiting for the fleeting lovers on the grecian urn to catch each other up at last and embrace. And i'm waiting perpetually and forever. For renaissance. Of wonder. Picture that you're down by lake michigan. You're bound by that wonderful point of land that juts out into the lake and 55th street you know what i'm talking about. Before you spencer. They want two books pants of water. The alaska looking you can see downtown glimmering like the city of oz. Tear right the distant industry of south chicago and there is indiana. A light breeze coming over you. This guy has some scattered clouds but mostly it's just magnificent blue. And it's surprisingly warm for early october. Life. Discord. Chicago never looked better. A sox are winning. You your home your life your community. Some dailies in office and all's well with the world. And as you relax on the grass of that former nike missile installation. There's some use nearby and they're playing a fun game of frisbee. One of them captures the flying disc out of the air and just before tossing it on stops. Looking out to the lake. And your follow her gaze. Can you see the little tips of something out there way out among the waves. What is it. Those faint images become more distinct. And now everyone is stop doing what they were doing in there looking to the lake. Cool starship sell there. Mini. Big. Boring-looking ships. And they just. Keep coming. You've been joined by hordes of others and now you'll hear the sirens in the distance announcing the arrival of the police. Or noon like a scene out of blues brothers. The police take over the park. Soon. You see the standard. Swollen from all the s*** and you don't recognize it. Means nothing to you. Two women standing beside a crest with two ships on it. Sunburst gold eagle crown. What does it mean. Any guesses. Description across the bottom. Excelsior. And then the whisper passes through the crowd. It's the flag of new york. New york has just discovered illinois. Is it. Illinois has just been discovered. Hello there two statements which seemed very much the same. Oh what a difference perspective makes. If the reality is that new york has just discovered illinois. Then the focus is on the explorers and their discoveries and all of their assumptions and their prejudices. The prime example of this comes to mind this weekend. Without traditional remembrance of christopher columbus's so-called discovery of america. Columbus arrived as an emissary of spain. Literally turning a spanish portfolio with him. The assumption of 15th century spain was that it was the paragon of civilization on earth. An embodiment of everything that was divine here in this worldly plane. As she reached her eager arms out work to a growing hegemony. Was because she sought to spread her beneficence. Spain in the new world was an attempt to bring the glories of spanish culture spanish christianity spanish language and spanish aristocracy to new areas on the earth. Painting filter had both a divine right and a manifest destiny to usher the heavenly kingdom. Onto the earth. Lest we forget. This was the same here as the spanish inquisition. Think about what all this. When the spanish arrived on new shores. They didn't see anything there of cultural or spiritual value only human and material resources that could be used to the spanish task coming from elsewhere. Is something was there was nothing that could be discovered in these land that would inform them in anyway. Because they were the ones ordained by the divine. Deform inform and reform the world. Including and especially new worlds. If you had been indigenous. One of the area's so discovery. You would have soon discovered for yourself it's your future hinges on the ability. To adapt to the ways of the newcomers. The hold on to any of your past. When commanded to follow the new commandments of the discoveries. Would mean death. Hundreds of millions discovered that tragically. Ironically. This attitude of the spanish arrivals would eventually over several decades developed to spain's. First there was the iberian spain they would continue to evolve into what is now a very modern culture. Because it was not. Restrained or restricted by this image. The conquerors brought. As. The colonials thing principally in south and central america would fossilized in the remnants of that colonizing attitude. It would be continually set. With past directives. I was spain that was actually gone. The ideological foundation of their colonialism attempted to create clones of spain. But those clones lack any sense of real identity. Because the indigenous peoples creative energies. 49. It would be as if those ships arriving at 55th street. Those new yorkers. We're right with a belief that there is wasn't culture bestowed by the gods of art and intellect. They would come to plant a new york. In a second city. They might even look for the great institutions of indigenous culture and decide that everything they stood for should be removed. Instead of asking. What talents and energies had fueled this great city. It would try to impose their image. On the city that they thought they had discovered. Who knows. Maybe even the greatest name and retailing for half a continent might be deemed irrelevant to the new york image. But what would it mean for austin digenous people. How would it feel. How much of our creative energies. Would be forgotten. How would it feel if we had to serve the vision of others. Beforeigners. Wouldn't feel as if something very important has been lost. Not discovered. What if when those ships sailed out of the 55th street. The flag had not been the flag of new york. Suppose instead of living in blazing with a bear and a star. Whose flag is that. No. California the great republic. Open california discovers illinois. It might be a different story. It probably would been more like the story of how the northern europeans came here. And set up their colonies. Protestant europe. Had been convinced by the time of global exploration that the culture of europe. Was either slavish we dependent on the past. Or based on corruption and sin. The abuse has royalty. The literally stinking urban centers that pollution and crime. The seeming irrelevance of the church and its constant infighting. The epidemics of disease the general grinding poverty and genteel opulence. He was more like it was a hell instead of a heaven on earth. News of new lands of lands unspoiled by those sins of the past offered opportunity the opportunity to begin again and not repeat europe's failures elsewhere. The opportunity begin with a clean slate upon which to build that wonderful image of the beloved community. These arrivals. Especially those from england and the netherlands. Can hear however to impose upon this new land just as much as the spanish imposed. However what they brought was not a desire to clone with already had been. But to avoid what had already been. Theirs was an ideology of perfection. Fueled by an intense religious fervor. We often get told the story that they all came here to escape religious persecution. That's not true. They came here to avoid persecution over their religious beliefs they have no problem persecuting others over there. So soon on these shores the demand to both the indigenous people and the immigrant alike. Was religious and cultural conformity. What did pre-existed here had to be rooted in throwing away so that this new holiness. As expressed in protestant christianity. Flourish. Second only. To the imposition of a foreign culture upon an indigenous people as a source of sterility. Is the imposition of a foreign ideal. Upon an indigenous reality. Someone else's dreams. Usually and easily become. Our own nightmares. Imagine if you will then. Betos california explorers arriving here announcing that california discovered illinois. Announced it from now on will not do anything as it is actually done in california. But rather according to the california ideal. Everything will be shaped over and again. Image of becoming the true golden state. Despite our lack of gold deposits. Despite our lack of golden sun sunny winners. Despite our lack of golden beaches. Who knows where that might lead. Picture what would happen. If it was being imposed on us with the visions of perfection. Dreamed in hollywood in berkeley. Picture sprouts. On your hot dog. Yes it is nutritionally superior to the dayglo relish we have. But something would be lost. Picture our city transformed so that individual freedom was most expressed in a total dependence on the automobile. Are the demand for complete alternative lifestyles. Tofu cuisine. Coastal vineyards relatively free of earthquakes. How would that feel. How would it feel if your way to be told. That your dreams. Your visions had to be someone else's. When did fields of something vital and been lost. Despite being sold as a great promise. I see where the discoverers come to perpetuate what has been. A condom plant of vision of perfection. When the focus is on the discover. And not on what is discovered. The result is the stifling of the potential inherent in any situation. Even if great empires arise from such attitude they are in the attitudes of assumption. Not the attitudes of real discovery. We can all remember so many times when the assumptions of correctness. Or the delusions of profession. Have kept humanity for making discoveries. There were simply waiting there are evolving perceptions. Outdated theologies. Astronomy for ages from advancing our ability to freely navigate not only this world but beyond. Presumptive unproven theories of human anatomy. Characters from great advances in medicine they were just waiting the discovering i to see them. Eragon series on politics and religion have blinded us to both potential peace. And unifying understandings. So then. What is that alternative. Filter is not. New york or california or christopher columbus discovers anything. But what about if it is a matter of us. Being discovered. What if it's about america. Truly being discovered as it was. What is the purpose of all aspiration. Where to focus on what was being discovered. Probably the greatest exponent of this in the modern world with the great traveler marco polo. He was a young man in the great city of valencia. In 1271 when he joined his father and his uncle a journey east. The great khan kublai khan. 24 years. A travel. Before he came home. What is a conqueror he took no troops explore he went not to spread the wisdom of the night sia. But the find what was waiting there to be discovered. Is he would say. Sometime the best trips we take. Are those on which we do not travel. Put on which we journey. Letting go of boundaries of space and time and meaning. Along the way he encountered sights unseen by any western before he tasted food engagement tivities witnessed events which are beyond any of the boundaries of time and space and meaning that he could have supposed orion post. Have you traveled with some positions our ideologies he would have missed everything found on journey. But instead went with open mind and spirit. As far as we can tell by the records he left very very little of the night sia in the east. But he brought home so much of what he discovered there. Pasta. Ice cream. Fireworks. Dirt bike. Guys silks. Around world. And one humanity. Again in his own words. You always have two choices. Central can in words on pictures capture all. Then what will you portray. Would be the lesser or more common or the greater or more novel. Why accentuate the common. Everyone knows that already. Our minds and spirits and live grown only by that which seems novel. It is of course common. But it may feel new. The path to the futures to go where things seem novel and dwell there long enough. For them to become as if common. For the novel which is two or three steps from you is invisible. But the stuff away is not. Those hidden understandings appear when we move towards a novel we can see. And not by standing in the common. And dreaming. On that second perspective. From the point of view of the indigenous being discovered. By which i mean that which resides in those places of future and distance and novelty which are beyond the knowing or what is projected. The real realm of what is waiting to be discovered. I'm introducing next toward what lies beyond his or her world. In that view. A true discovery. The greatest heroes of all discoveries of all the ages have never been the explorers. Rather the indigenous. Who offered their wider circles of meaning for greater understanding. The combination of an explorer in the marco polo tradition. And something waiting to be discovered. Is truly the cutting edge of human evolution. The choice is always going to be simple. Will we follow the path of a columbus who sailed into the unknown but with clear mandate from the knowing to establish more of the same. Or will we choose the path of marco polo. Who sell dolphins the unknown. Not predicating what he would find north stipulating how it would change him. The last words. Go to marco polo. In my travels i learned three lessons at least. If you remain inflexible. You died. If you don't listen to the people where you are. You died. And those who claim special knowledge. i. So i traveled with an open mind and open ears and took no one has authorities simply on their word. And i always came back more myself and more connected and more able to express a wider understanding. And i observed this. Where the greatest concern was for the letter of the law there was the greatest lawlessness. And where people lived out their rules and fullness of a greater good. There a greater good was. For when the guides become restraints. We have all lost. And when are lies express larger values. We all win. And so we have to make the choice. Do we calm like columbus. But the focus on us. Or do we go like marco polo. With a focus on what we don't know already. We hope you've enjoyed this broadcast of a sermon from the community church unitarian universalist of chicago south suburbs. Do you like more information about us unitarian universalism. Or about the programs at our church. Your best connection would be our website. That's www.you you cece. Gf. Dot-org. We hope to see you there too and back here again next week. Have a good week.

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holmes.mp3

Welcome to another podcast in the unitarian universalist community church. A park forest illinois hi i'm dr. randy becker. Minister the congregation. Today service given on september 25th 2005. Includes participation by my intern minister. At loomis. I want to apologize at the outset that the sound quality is not as good as in other podcast. We were experimenting with a two microphone setup. Which we will not repeat. But we hope you'll find a material interesting. Includes a section of readings taken from the. Life of john haynes holmes and then a sermon. On his life. Enjoy.

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fahslecture.mp3

Hello. Welcome to the 2005. Pause. Lecture named after sophia lion foz. And thank you all for coming. To have if you're out of seat with a flyer you see the list of distinguished five lectures from past years. And i am very happy to be introducing to you. Elizabeth bishop decker 2005 files lecture. My name is becky jar i'm a member of. Liberal religious educators association and a v5 lecture committee. Bishop becker is a unitarian universalist. She has been an re teacher. Committee chair. Are staff member episode fireflies rv camp. Are long island. Although not a boring unitarian universalist. She married someone who was the reverend dr. randolph becker. How many of you know. And best of all she is the parent of three typically bright and rambunctious you you kids erica lee and suki. Alyssa's grief journey began with a three-year period of multiple transitions during which her grandfather died. She got married her daughter erica graduated from high school and entered yale. She lost her home and her job. Her cat died. She moved twice. At the age of 20 in a collision with a drunk driver. And her father father three months later. 3 years after that she enrolled in the community counseling program at the college of william and mary. Where she was inducted into to national honor society. Inspired her professors to include grief in their curricula. And graduated with a master's degree. And a specialization in grief and loss. Now she is a national certified counselor and a licensed professional counselor in the state of illinois. She is the co-founder and former president of the center for transformative counseling incorporated. Which has branches in williamsburg virginia and park forest illinois. She has given numerous talks staff trainings and workshops on various aspects of bereavement. To church hospice and other community groups. And she is the author of a book manuscript on the theory of transformative bereavement. Using this theory she has successfully treated clients not only for grief. But for sexual abuse codependency and addictions. Her mission is to awaken others to opportunities for transformation through the grief process. Alyssa is also a published poet and was an editor at the new york quarterly. And she wanted me to be sure to mention her beautiful fluffy golden kitty. Monkey booty. Movie. Who helped her prepare for this lecture i always being available for available for petting and approving of everything she wrote. And i'm looking forward during much to this lecture myself and so i am very delighted to introduce to you. Alyssa bishop packer. Thank you i was expecting maybe three people to show up there thank you so much. I'm delighted and very honored to be presenting this year's to fireflies lecture. Credit union has been passionately involved in already it's especially meaningful for me to be speaking in this setting. It's have my name associated with someone who transforms. Your new religious education. The firefighters had the liberated spot. The children develop their religious understandings from their interaction with the world. And not just certain aspects of the world pre-selected by those in authority. But all aspects including death and breathe. I think that people develop their understandings of death and grief from their interaction with the world. I from havoc receipt that interaction. A profound loss affect all of who we are. Including our thoughts emotions. Spirituality. Physical health relationships and perceptions. So i would like to think that the firefighters would have been interested in what i have to say. Because she would have recognized it as expanding the traditional approach to grief and wasp. Just as she expanded the traditional approach to religious education. When people find out what i do they often ask isn't that impressive. And i reply. That i know from personal experience. That the grief process can be transformative. A profound loss can offer much more than tears and pain. It can offer the opportunity to change your lives for the better. And being an agent of that change. It's the most rewarding work i can imagine. So i approached my clients. With empathy. But also always with hook. Amy was a client of mine. And the story i'll tell you about her is true although i change your name. Amy lost her baby when she was 19. He died minutes after he was born. Amy's parents make all the arrangements for the wake and the funeral. And when the funeral is over her family refused to talk about the dead. Shortly after that her marriage fell apart. The only way she knew how to deal with her pain was too numb it. And she soon became addicted to alcohol and drugs. And then she attempted suicide. What change for amy after the death of her son. Everything. Then there was george. And only child who lost both his parents within a year. Martha whose daughter died quickly of an aneurysm as she sat by her hospital bed. Chloe whose father died when she was 14. And mark a recovering alcoholic. Who lost his father and then went through traumatic divorce. You'll hear their horses. And others as i talk about the please process. I'm a detective today is to introduce you to a different way of thinking about the freezing process. Aware that may help you as you encounter those in your congregation to regrouping. And hopefully also. You yourself. Terrifies me topics i want to cover. What does our culture tell us about grief. The medical model that influences the way we think about grief and loss. Developmental differences between children adolescents and adults. In relation to the way they grieve. What is the transformative perspective. And why does it work better than the medical model. And my own theory transformative briefing. So what does our culture tell us. Culture tube like the atmosphere. What is teaches us is accepted as are and as automatic as breathing. But when there's a hole in that atmosphere something about the way we function gift skewed. Like someone with a broken rib who compensates with shallow breathing. That woman's other aspects of physical functioning. We find a way to cook. That limits our psychological functioning. We deal with loss and grief in a shallow way. Because of a hole in our cultural atmosphere. Grief is the human response to change and loss. Even positive changes involve loss. Graduation things leaving. Friends and possibly at home and school. Marriage means leaving a single lifestyle etc every change involves a loss of something you can when we think of it as positive. Boston brief experience by 100% of the world's population. Getting our culture we find a card to teacher talk about it. On the one hand we minimize or avoided. On the other hand we put salish isaac. Our responses wander off into confusion. And wander away into denial. Maybe we can handle it alone. But handle what. If we do not understand the process we cannot answer that question with any claritin. Our society treats death as an isolated time-limited event. Well-intentioned friends and family members decrease their level of support after 3 to 6 months. Sometimes because they believe it is no longer needed. And sometimes because they fear that talking about our loved one will make painful feelings resurface. We're told that we need to get on with our lives as they had been before the laws. But since our lives are forever changed we often feel isolated or misunderstood. But you can have normal. Research shows that complications develop when our attempts to express our feelings to others. Arnett with inadequate responses. Yet there is also considerable social pressure to not publicly express. Emotions that made franklin other people. And i also. Experiencing a variety of overwhelming symptoms. Without social validation. Am i crazy. The cost of short-circuiting or bypassing the grief process are staggering to our society. Rather than seeing the reassuring outcome our culture encourage this encourages us to expect. Which is a decrease in symptoms overtime. Studies show that we experienced an increase rate of depression. Suicide smoking alcohol drinking illness and hospitalization. Ultimately kris counting to death. Our culture tells us we must be self-sufficient. In control and focused on others. How can we be self-sufficient and require support. How to repair control and unable to fix our own or another's pain. How can we focus on others. When our pain is so intense that it demands all our attention. Death is something we cannot control. And we feel helpless. We cannot make the death not happen. We cannot heal those we care about. And we feel inadequate to deal with our own fears of death or loss. That often reset off and surface on hearing about someone else's. Progress is perceived as an absolute good in our culture so when we experience the loss and get stuck in the past or since ourselves unable to move forward we feel dysfunctional or even defective. As an aside i find it interesting that sometimes we are more able to deal with loss when it occurs on a national or global scale. The definition of liberty more esteemed leader often elicits an outpouring of grief that on the surface seems all out of proportion to our actual personal connection. To the deceased. When everyone seems to be feeling the same pain for the same loss we feel safe to release our own brief and share openly. Receiving the support and validation we crave without risking rejection or denial. However. When we were encouraged by society to focus on fear anger and blame. As we were on september 11th 2001. Everyone runs the same risk of getting stuck at that point in the grief process. As a nation we still have not dealt with it. We all could say we're here 9/11 changed everything. But instead of using that change constructively. We have allowed ourselves to become extinct us. Austin medical model. Our society's perspective on mental health is rooted in the medical model the study of loss has been approached in much the same way as has the study of illness. This is a linear approach. It starts with identifying a problem point made. And fix another solution or fewer point b as the goal. Most mental health professionals focus on the symptoms of loss at the problems. Which is analogous to saying the bleeding is the problem not the wound. Anxiety depression anger. Substance abuse. Delinquency rate hd in children. Spiritual visions. Suicidal ideation. This orientation to reality. And post-traumatic stress disorder. Are symptoms of grief. Better treated as discreet. Pathologies. For example. Profound sadness along with thoughts about that maybe part of clinical depression. But they are also symptoms of creed. And order. Greece is a normal indicator of living. Return to our physicians first. In times of crisis. They offer us medication in a well-meaning attempt. Help us return to a quote-unquote normal life. As quickly as possible. Grief is intensely painful. So when we are reluctant or afraid. To allow the pain to take its course. And the goal is to be cured. And relief is readily available in pill form. It's attraction is obvious. Especially when we're encouraged by concerned friends and family members. Not only are symptoms diminished. But also the need for transformative change. Also when the long-term pain of grief leads to an attempt at avoidance three medication. We're vulnerable to addiction. Most of the experts who have given us the classical theories of grief that have become culturally accepted. Have come from a medical background. They tell us that recovery is the absence of pain. They tell us that grief work is done internally. They tell us that healing is about recuperating. We're getting back to where we were before the loss. They tell us there are stages we need to go through. And that we need to go through all of them in a prescribed order. They tell us that if we do not or cannot renounce our connection to our loved ones we will suffer and be perceived as pathological. Tell us the pain will end within a limited time frame after which we will resume living happily. X4m new relationships. Most of us expect weather. Conscious or not. That when we suffer a loss. We will experience it in this way. The result is that we're unprepared for the reality of grief. Fu it from a perspective that inhibits feeling instead of facilitating it. The fact that grieving should be a positive growth experience. Is not part of this cultural atmosphere. Now let's talk briefly about adolescents and children. You might be wondering how they experienced grief and whether it's the same for them as it is for adults. The answer is yes and no. Let's start with the statistics. Grief does not usually come to mind when we think about childhood. According to the us bureau of the census. One out of every 1,000 us high school students. Die each year. One out of every 20. Experiences the death of a parent. And many adolescents are affected by the death of a grandparents sibling. Celebrity role model for teacher. A study found that 73% of college students. Had recently experienced a major loss. Adolescent. And i use the definition of adolescence has ages 14 through 20. Experience the same feeling symptoms thoughts and fears as adults. But there are significant developmental differences. Adolescents are by definition grieving. Mourning the loss of childhood. And dealing with many physical social and emotional changes. They aren't quite sure yet who they are apart from their parents or how they fit into society. Their uncertainty and self-consciousness. Automated a repression of responses. Feeling vulnerable yet struggling to maintain control. They may not have any visible emotional reaction at all. They are at higher risk for failing to grieve a loss. Because of their inability to reach out. And because adults interpret their restraint. As meaning they're cold. I'm feeling uncommunicative or undemonstrative. The death of there for you often goes unnoticed. When it's all stars shop. And work focused on those who expressed grief. Moreover. Adults often mistress evie adolescence expression of grief as a developmental problem. Or is acting out. Their symptoms include a dropping parades along with difficulty in concentration and memorization. And a resultant lowering your self-confidence. Behavior may become disruptive or even violent. And accidents and illnesses more frequent. Withdrawal from school and social activities. Apathy. Lack of energy. Increase attention-seeking. Perfectionism. Overachieving. Regression anger excessive guilt and sadness are all symptomatic agree. For adolescents. Nelson initially react with aggressive antisocial behavior and females with self injurious behavior. Including sexual promiscuity. Adolescents who have lost a parent sibling or friend to suicide are at risk of suicidal ideation or attempts. And a symptom of having these symptoms is often a sense of being abnormal. And a fear of going crazy or being perceived. By others as crazy. Many adolescents turn to alcohol or drugs to medicate their pain. 86%. I've alcoholics. Could begin to drink in adolescence. As most alcoholics to. Started drinking following a loss. Addiction info adults and adolescents is often the outcome. Unresolved.. Adolescents need active adults support and they need information about 3. So they know that what they're experiencing is normal and at the grief process is hard work. For everyone. Goodness. The experience of grief can lay the foundation for resilience. Learning to deal with change can result in increased self-esteem. Empathy self-awareness. At a more realistic view of life. It also offers the opportunity for identity formation. Most of us think adolescents automatically forged identity. But sometimes it does not happen. Identity formation is achieved through facing a crisis. Questioning identity and values. Weighing alternatives. I consciously choosing a set of personal values. The grief process can foster this essential task. Younger children. In general children understand the world in more concrete terms. I've seen themselves as not separate from their family. When someone in their immediate family dies they interpreted as a punishment. I feel responsible. And become fearful of bodily harm and mutilation. They usually have endless questions and a desire for details about the death and the physical process of dying. They usually want to see the dead body. They want to know all sorts of things that adults are sometimes hard for him to hear. Their imaginations make conjure up all sorts of scary or unrealistic scenarios about what happens when they don't have accurate information. They're concerned with the file for the right way to respond. And would have others respond. And we'll see grieving adults as role models. Their symptoms include regression. Clinginess. School problems withdrawal from friends. Acting up irritability nightmares. Sleep and eating disturbances. A desire to join your loved one which may appear suicidal. But usually isn't. Increase conflict siblings. Poor concentration and confusion about their role in the family. What is the transformative perspective. We've discussed the influence of the medical model water culture with you with grief. Professional counselors and theorists are moving away from your medical mall. For the transformative perspective. This is a paradigm shift. The transformative perspective says that laws can be an opportunity for development. And a catalyst for growth. It says that lost can free us. Not from the past. But from old ways of organizing and perceiving the world. Why we integrate the past into the present in a new way. And it says that kris is not an isolated event. A medical condition. Or an illness that is responsive to a standardized treatment of its symptoms. The grief process is not a straight line. Reading from point a to point b. I visualized a grief process. The transformative process in terms of two. Intersecting circles. Circle one represents our past reality. Particle chick is now changed. Circle to represents our future reality. Part of which is unknown. The area where the circles intersect represent that was pursue. The transformative process is the gradual spiraling movement. From living in circle one. Accepting and learning to live in circle 2. In the grave spiral we move in all directions and in multiple dimensions. It's not the stages themselves that are important but the momentum. Sometimes we move your head. Only to find ourselves feeling we're regressing to an earlier stage or two points in the pass which we thought we had dealt with or resolved. This can be confusing and discouraging. But it's a normal part of the process. And sometimes we need to revisit the experiences of what stage. Usually more than once. Before we can let go and move on to the next. And sometimes because grief is hard work. We just need to rest. Reese's to recognition that we have to surrender to the past. Something we wish for in the present. Future. The grief process is the train. Process. And those who learn to deal well with loss. Learn to deal well with the wife. I want to offer you a brief overview of my own theory of transformative bereavement. The four stages of transformative bereavement. Our loss. Return reconnection and creation. Along with a bridge we'll cross when we come to it. State farm. Elisabeth kubler-ross. The pioneering psychiatrist whose writings on death and dying. Front brakes to a wall at western society had carefully constructed between itself and end-of-life issues. Wrote. That we learn to deal with loss we can come to a new relationship with life. That enables us to accept that as a part of living. She described five stages of death and dying denial anger bargaining depression and acceptance. Pronounce famous stages. Everyone. Comprised. A transformative bereavement. So what denial. The nearly universal response upon hearing about the death of a loved one is no. It makes no sense to us within the context of the event. George said he was feeling down. Martha could not say the word stead or death in connection with her daughter. But because of the self-protective slayer shock. We're sometimes surprised at how well we seem to be coping with the loss. And others often say things like you must be strong you're handling all of this so well. To anger. When the initial shock against anticipate. And we're stays with the reality of the death we often feel intense pain and anger. The pain is felt physically and manifest in breathing eating a sleeping problems. Headed heart palpitations. Tightness in throat and lower abdominal area exhaustion irritability and impatience. Accidents and illnesses. Many people feel an overwhelming anxiety. And search for someone to blame. Amy said i feel like i've been kicked in the stomach. Martha said. I feel like there's a hole nothing will ever fill. Nothing will ever be the same. And people always ask am i crazy. 3 bargaining. It's not only feeling better ambivalence but also our perception of the finality of the wall. Because we all can feel we're being punished in at the loss was some kind of cosmic error. We frantically searched for a way to reverse it. Michael said i should have known what was wrong with her i should have been able to make her go to the doctor sooner. George felt guilty about not being in the hospital room with his mom when she died. Mark said we never said goodbye. I felt terribly guilty about that and it sent me into a tailspin. For depression. Everything to come to terms with our lost the search in. Along with the expectation. Their loved one will return. And it lies will return to quote unquote normal. The damn grapes. Any overwhelming reality of our lost that has been held at bay by anxiety anger and guilt breakfast like a tidal wave over the crumbling wall. George said he felt out of control of his life unsafe vulnerable. Helpless and alone. Kids and going to bed early in the morning sleeping until the afternoon and spending most of his time watching tv. Martha said. It's like you had somebody by your side and now you're out in the sticks strange world all by yourself. I feel lost. Mark said i didn't work. Didn't go out. Estate in my bathrobe and slippers all day i felt helpless and i hate that feeling i thought i was nuts. Brother's face feels awesome and disorienting. It's actually a hopeful sign. It means we're beginning to let go. And if stopped using our energy to fight against what happened to us. Septa. When is boston steelers. Of all the previous steps have been work through we all can feel a surge of released energy and a level of peace. Initially we may discuss the feeling and find a scary the pain is still there. But less frequently. George said before i wasn't thinking about the next step but now i'm more aware of what is ahead before it was all a bad dream and i kept thinking it will go away. Now it's real. Martha said i think straighter than i did. But my heart still hurts. But i'm starting to accept the fact. She's gone home. These five steps most applicable to the first year of the grief process. For the dying the exception stage means resolution before death. But for the grieving. The question that arises at this point is now what. Because the kubler-ross theory was meant to apply to the dying. Not the living. Whose life continue. Return. The end of the momentum of the lost age brings a deeper awareness of loss. At this point there are many physical events in our lives that are left when he's not shared. Many thoughts feelings and learning that our loved ones seemingly has had no relationship to. Many memories created that do not contain the physical presence. Of our loved ones. Our lives continue. Well that a loved one seems frozen in time and space and memory. We return to where we were before the loss. And have to deal with the fact that we are not there anymore. It's not just our loved one who has left. But ourselves as we near them. We proved ourselves. If we don't go back and discover how we to have moved. We will be forever haunted by back then and once upon a time as if there were no. And it's not. So while we want stacy focused on grieving our loved one. The five steps are the same. But this time it's about us. Tonight. Alright then it is changed. Many secondary lawsuits become evident. All the rules that we played in relation to our loved ones are gone. The auction co out-of-control fearful and confused so we didn't either change and try to make our change cells function in the same old patterns and routines. Amy focused on scarcity and identified with loss. Feeling there was never enough. She was proud of being a survivor. There was a dedication of the past not a dynamic vision of the future. So instead i never thought i could come this far after what happened to. I'm stronger than i thought i was. A people invariably sick. Who am i. Two angry. When we can no longer deny the reality of our changed identities we often revisit feelings of intense pain and anger. Anchored this stage is directed at our own lost identity. Feeling powerless shave our new reality back into the one it was supposed to be. Or should have been. We recite endlessly are litany of what will never be. George said. I'll never be a sun again. People who haven't been through this don't understand it. Nothing compares to it. Emma said if he was still alive what would life be like now i hate the what ifs and what would bees. I hate reality. I hate that i have been put into a space that i don't want to be in. That static powerlessness in the face of an altered identity. Austin latest back into guilt. Confronted with the needs of people we love and recalling the person we wanted to be in relationship to them. Restrained mightily to remember our lines and act out our part all the way up feeling that we are not in town anymore. We may feel we have let others down. The broken some sort of unspoken contract to be someone we can be no longer. Mark said my wife said you aren't the person i know. And i replied. Perhaps he's gone. It's my fault he's gone i took her husband away. But i can't and won't go bad. You can't play a game if you're afraid of losing. Because you are going to lose. Amy said. I've survived it and i've learned a lot if i can do it why can't everyone. 42 cresson. This may be the most difficult and painful phase of the grief process. And it often occurs between 18 and 24 months after the death of the huge generalization but. Temperature. The distance in time and space and experience between us and our loved one seems like a chasm too wide to bridge. And at the same time we are almost unrecognizable to ourselves. Attempts to be who we were in the past slide down the walls of that chasm. And a sense of profound sadness and resignation takes their place. We made it here we have no control over anything at all. Amy said she's uncontrollable for the past 3 weeks and didn't understand why. I feel burned out she said. But i know i don't have a choice i got to go forward i feel like i'm 17 again and i hate it. And i already know you can't go back. Mark said. A lot of people think i'm regressing. When do you quit having to revisit the past. I've learned to change the past at the time of feeding the changed you lance's. And begins to balance the old. Sometimes i'm shocked to find out how wrong my perceptions were. How things are thought were instagrammable and unforgivable aren't even remembered by others. But sometimes i feel overwhelmed. It's like i'm a tv picture slowly blacking out i'm disappearing. I can't get myself back. Except. We've left behind can we wear in the past accepted our changed identity and now begin to discover what exactly that means. Most people feel an exhilaration of moving ahead in the process. Tempered by the seemingly docking task that lies before them of recreating themselves. Martha said i had to start all over. You won't ever leave her. But you have to make these steps without her. But it's not without her because she's there. Then martha talked about how she was beginning to enjoy life like her daughter did. Chloe said i'm letting go slowly but surely but it feels weird i have to learn to see through my own eyes. All i can control is my own choices. Mark's dad learned that it's not what's true that matters. So what's true and real from someone's perspective. George says i have more self-esteem i trust myself more and i'm more loving. Amy said are seeing a lot of changes and it's a little scared you can borrow said he sees the changes in me i'm more cool and calm. So why isn't this the end of the grief process. Because if we don't find a way to reconnect with our loved one if we don't find a way to incorporate both how we and she have changed into our present. Will continue to remember her as if she were still physical in frozen in time. I'll cross that bridge when i come to it. Dora come to the bridge. This case is a breathing space and assessment of relationships. This is a sort of midpoint check-in. Because when we return we can finally have a more realistic view. Evolving now and then relationships of our lives. So this is the time to ask questions like i got my act together so why does this all seem so so hard. Are there any relationships nd to let go how am i behaving differently than i have in the past and what effect is that having on others. Are there new relationships and connections on you today. And then we're ready for reconnection. Some people do well let him go of their loved one but cling to their past selves. Another smooth on time but never recognized the loss of the other. We need to both see the other is gone in the familiar terms and ourselves as being changed or different if we are to connect. And what connects is not the superficial of the past. But the essential that transcends. The connection is spirit spirit. Got person-to-person. Reconnection is stage in which to spirits deprived of their physical connection. The process of reconnection begins in the first stage. With acceptance. At little by little the face of the world as we do it with our loved one begins to a different. We begin the process of sorting out what was the vital about our relationship. 5 cases of this stage of our resistance. Recognition. Separation rejoining and balance. 1 reasons. If we're unable or unwilling to ciara. And although the resolution for the food as a loss will appear as a sense of peace and acceptance. Alkane. Platinum instant intensity will remain. The same quality and tone. So amy said let it go to the pan would be letting go of him. Or we may begin to move into the return stage before we accepted the loss. We may be so terrified be separated from our loved one and a feeling the pain of the psychological distance. The comes with acceptance. Wa idolize are loved one. And use that distorted memory as an external energy source. Ava said i don't consider my son's life being over. I just consider he has evolved into another form. Recognition. When we accept our lost of movements the return stay from deal with her loved one has changed how we have changed. And how are changing is change the relationship. The roles we played in relation to our loved one and the roles they played in relation to us are gone. And we see that their identity is not the role they played spells parent-child trendsetter. But who they were. Amy said i saw an image of him as a butterfly. After what they felt like a ton have been lifted off my shoulders. I never thought of him that way before. Three separation. This is the process of sorting out the many facets of our loved ones life and her relationship to our life. It's only by focusing alternate lior simultaneously on what are left when no longer is physically on what we can keep from the relationship i know what we can take with us into the future. That we can separate from our loved ones without feeling we have lost all of who she was. Joshua's dad. I started to related some of my father's life's wisdom. I quote him off and in my mind or in conversation with my spouse. I'm grateful that he was part of bringing me into life i gradually felt able to reconnect. Selene said feeling that perhaps best by doing what i loved. I was learning to let go. And to let her be a part of my life in a different way. For joining. Where where what we've lost what we need to let go and what we always had and therefore could never have lost. We understand that the relationship we treasured with our loved ones. It's only physically involved. Spiritually and psychologically it was and is just as finally within us. Here's where we begin in earnest the task of the body of our loved ones presence in our being in our actions and in the world. Martha decided to call her daughter's friend lisa. Associate not seen in years they agreed to meet at a restaurant. Martha said it was just like we did this all the time. We still love each other and feel like we're part each part of jessica. Hugging with the best part. And you know what's funny. Sometimes when i was talking to lisa it was almost like jessica's words were coming out of my mouth. That's so comforting. I've learned my own strength. And i've learned some things that she knew. George was incorporating aspects of his parents into himself learning to cook handling their financial matters and taking their role in relation to his ass. He told me about your dreams he have wanted was helping them. He was seeing himself as his own parents. George said i can see what i've learned from them. And how i'm becoming more and more like them. Like my mom i can't handle complicated financial transactions and i didn't know that before. And i'm more like my dad in the way i relate to people especially to children. 5 oz. When we find balance we can stop grieving because we know will lose no more. The future seems more exciting and scary and revisiting the past less meaningful. Amy center. I can just help one person it will make everything i've been through worthwhile. George said i'm looking forward to what the future will bring. And stage fourth creation. This is genesis. The emergence of a new reality that takes shape as we focused on what is possible. And are able to act on our vision of what is already but not yet. Recovery is not about having. All as it was before. Nor is it about fixing or conversation. Recovery is about living in trying and finding meaning in our changing world. All that we learn from the grief process has changed our field of experience. And the next step is living in that new field of raw material. Circle 2. Accessing it. Interacting with it and realizing it as in making it real. Emotional connections in life we don't want others to change. And even fear it. But in this reconnection we welcome the creative changes. Because we know they don't change the essence. Unlink the product. It's through the creative changes that we are able to express our loved ones ongoing presence in our lives. Fear of change dissipate. And it's accepted as the stuff of life. That makes transforms potential extra reality. The five phases of this stage are change vision expression and mistakes. Production and fulfillment. Change. Most people resist natural change but in order to be able to create we must be able to accept change as the fundamental process of all light. And in order to be able to accept change we need to learn how to live with uncertainty ambiguity paradox and confusion. So the task of the steppe are to become accustomed. Wider horizons at cannot get the same clearly into tail. To be open to the inherent possibilities of life rather than trying to anticipate what will happen. To trust that there will be something. Even though we cannot know precisely what it is and that it will be meaningful. Chloe said i feel i'm holding back i know i need to take the risk but i'm a perfectionist. What if i fail i'll never know till i put myself out there i need to choose one new thing to try. 2 is vision. People if two-step do not ask. What does this mean. For me. But how does this connect beyond. When we recovered both our scouts have sell pandora abiding connection to what was and the other than both those points of reference failed before larger reality. We can then looking hair just suggesting visionary possibilities without any worry about realization. Amy said i want to help parents and i want to help kids. People need to know there's something they can do in this kind of death happens. They need to know it's okay to talk about it i cry about it and that by making their baby real for that. They can go on to grieve and heal. George said i want to run for position on the board of my neighborhood homeowners association. I want to really make a difference in the way it's run and improve life for people. 3 expression and mistakes. When we learn to trust the process that has led us this far we're no longer afraid of or judgmental about our own mistakes. Each one becomes a point to learning. And then for production by production i don't mean to imply a finished product but a productive direction that connects our experience to the external world. If the direction shows an express is the meaning of has been discovered through the grief process. Then it will leave toward fulfillment. For example mark initiated a program to provide free access to computers for lower-income people. Khloe talk about becoming an architect. Amy wrote a pamphlet for grieving parents and she said i just want to be able to help one person. Give us a reason. Still here. 54 falmouth. Fulfillment is the other side of lost. It's the far shore of the river we could hope for. But not speak in the beginning of the process. It's the reward of change. And it's also but would not have been possible without the loss. We feel whole and joyful and possibilities are everywhere. Amy was finding herself becoming a resource. A government organization asked her to do a presentation on parental greek. It makes me feel it's all been worthwhile she said i think i came a long way i'm proud of myself i can see myself talking in front of 1,000 people about this. Chloe said i was living in lots of fear and i've let a lot of it go i'm not afraid of being alone anymore. I can see everything so much clearer now it's amazing i just let it flow instead of forcing it out forcing myself to do things that i don't want to do and cannot do no matter how hard i try. Trying to live up to other people's expectations i trust myself now. Feels like waking up from a deep sleep. Now i know who i am. In conclusion. Fulfillment look different for each of us. As individual as we are. I left one and our relationship. The concept of perfection is meaningless in terms of the grief process to take someone else's progress as a measure for our own. Where to follow someone else's path is to focus on doing it right instead of doing it well. You can do it wrong. And you cannot do it right. But you can only do it if you do it. The way to get into the transformative in fulfilling is to let go is to be willing to fail to be willing to lose to be willing to stop trying to get energy from others and create our own to get up off the sofa and find a beckoning horizon. To be willing to let the direction and the goal and the potential. Be more important. Then the concrete and a specific and the successful. I believe that when we learn the lessons of loss. Wendy learn to live life on life's terms. Then we could learn one of the fundamental human lessons. Sts elliot road. What we call the beginning. Is often and ending. And to making it. Jamaica beginning. The end is where we start from. We shall not cease from exploration. And the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started. And know the place. For the first time. And i'd like to leave you with a challenge. In a world where death and loss is a normal part of life. Our culture faces a challenge. Everyone of us. Needs to educate ourselves and our children and then encourage our communities and schools and workplaces and churches. To become accurate and helpful resources for those who are grieving. What our culture does not educate us. We must educate our culture. To be human to be anxious about the unknown. The caterpillar control what will happen to us. But we can choose how we react. We can choose to look toward the future with hope rather than fear. We can learn to make meaning of whatever happens to us. We can learn the transformative power of loss. And by doing that. We can contribute to making this a better world. Thank you.

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lacknotloss.mp3

I have for reading for a person along with the responsive reading this morning. These readings all come from these spiritual conversations that my wife and i have. Weather. We were described as our friends. From beyond. Memory serves both well and hill. What it contains life it is good. But when it restrains life it is not. Keep me alive in you. But don't let us keep you from living. You don't have to choose one or the other but can have both. Things as part of a whole not as separate elements that compete for your allegiance and love. Buchanan shouldn't live without a pad. If you give up things you'd rather forget. You also give up. What you should remember. Kisses it's not good to live only in the present is not good to be obsessed with the past. Balance. Live today remembering yesterday and dreaming of tomorrow but don't live by yesterday's losses or tomorrow's promises. How can you learn and remember if you live like you forget. If your memories are just too painful. You have not yet learned. Do you want to throw out a pass. No. Okay then integrated in the life don't measure everything by what was. But also value what was. Grief is the recognition that we have to surrender to the past. Something we wish were in the present and future. When we find balance we can stop grieving. Because then we will lose no more. We keep grieving. Until we do that. I'm continuing with the readings from the spirit of communications. Gold belongs in the past. And take on what will inform the future. For example in my life with you there's a lot of the long's in memories. Insomnia longton presidents in something along with envisions. Getting them straight is the challenge. Then you can remember fondly. Sadly all the cute things i did. You keep alive the things of substance i was about and you can share the dream to the future i had. That's all. You still have those things if you put them in perspective. You don't you don't have them. They have you. And you are stopped on your journey. Which in this case is our journey as well. We all move on. But only if we move on do we have things called memories. If we do we only have grief and regret. In life each time. Is too short. For that. 4 stories. Is it a little boy i know quite well. 411 christmas. Pedigreed wall. Pictures in magazines. And you're not. I want it. Does anyone. Did this one thing. There was a tree and there were presents beyond. And that has began to get on rap. And the fans became evident. Free. And he was surrounded by so many wonderful things. He still felt like he had lost something. He was in grease in a while. Under the tree. Store number one. Store number to donald's. 94 years old. Computer. Nsync. Savannah. Columbia. No children. Old granny said i can't even remember his name. Okay well. I appreciate it when he did for our family. Why are you focusing on fat. Another thing i think about is what. Eliza and i. When is brewer. And one of the things we found early we dealt with that. She was dead. But then her classmates. The gallery. And then began to have serious relationships in meredith. And even have children. The pain and grief over there with his life that would never have them graduations that would never have those marriages would never have those babies we would never have those grandchildren. And we had to deal with some of that stuff and still do is that unfold the life we projected out there. An important story. Is one you probably all know. The wizard of oz. Movie wizard of oz. Map. Illinois. There is. Get into the basket of the balloon. Anime. How do i get back. Dorothy says what she now knows. Remember. I won't go any further than my own backyard. I never really lost it. The beginning. Are kittens eating with people. Who are the sound level are having. Is. They are grieving. Either in the. They are grieving over a lakh. Is not. Lost. Just because we don't have something that we have. We might end up. Happy. Is that story. What's going to be the perfect. Feeling of loss is overwhelmed. Cutting off. It's not the person in the restaurant. Sympathy cards. Orlando. He's so focused on the line of saying something one day. From here. History with this man. Change. By focusing on.. He was giving him so long of relationship. Or in our case. We came to see overtime with guidance from some of our spiritual friends. We would never know what that future would have been. Became discontinuous. I'm only probability. And we might have graduations and marriages and bailey's. But who knows if that would have been. Salida pass. Nothing we would not. How long does the future. Carambas of all the head already occurred. We're not really a law. Because they were unknown terrible. Play future. And we would do so another call. Ourselves. All the memories. The truly can never be lost. Focusing on what we think we lack. We may lose the very things. It really can't be lost. And like dorothy says. It was probably right up there in our own backyard. The things that matter are not in the area. You don't lose what has happened. Thank you loser. Invalidated lose everything that has happened. If you can undo the perspective of where you are now. You also lose the memory. We do that over and over and over again. And we treated as. Even though it never was. We project something expectation onto life. And then because that isn't hawaii lives itself. We feel. Allah. Agree. I'm morning. Even if. In all those realities. Willie. The richness of life. The meaning one confined at any moment you said that you stand here on the path of life. But who knows. Who's the say that we know. That's what we do when we mistake. In-laws we decide when we. The world the universe exists conspirator is so full of possibilities. Who knows what even more. It's just once got to sign from where we think we want to go. Have you ever thought about that in your life. About how you knew exactly how you wanted things to go. And they didn't go. How much. You wouldn't trade for anything. Is that my pictures last year. Older than this. No. Is where you are and what you have where the meaning is. This time of year especially i hear people repairing their new year's resolutions. The resolutions i'm privy to. Once i tell myself. The ones i hear from family. Wouldn't it be better. This time of year did not refuse the two. Trulia. New year's day. We have the treasure. Don't mistake one for the other. They're very.

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fool.mp3

I want to do for things this morning. First i want to share with you a problem i have. Then secondly i want to see if maybe you have the same problem that i do. But i want to see if we might be able to understand together some of what goes on around that kind of problem. And then last of all i'm going to start of issue a challenge. Call. An invitation as it were. The problem. I'll give you some examples. I'm on a train. Going across the country. But there's something wrong. At the table opposite me in the dining car. I realize that at any moment because the precarious nature some items on that table one more bounce to the train and we're going to have a spectacular cascade of china. Do i need to do is either call attention to it to the crew or go over there and fix it myself. The johnson me that my getting up and going over there may be just the thing needs. To come crashing down. Because in fact my foot is not caught somehow and it's linen. And so i don't do anything. Because i'm a little bit worried. I'm worried that if i get up to do something. Maybe just maybe all of a sudden lb this crash things on the floor or everyone will turn around and i'm going to feel. Foolish. What's the score of the same thing of sitting in a meeting. A public meeting where we discussing some matter of public policy. I'm sitting in the back and listen to it all and along the way i realized there might be another way of doing it. No one has mentioned at all. Roy have to do is walk up to the podium. Take my turn to speak. Tell them about this idea i've had. But i hesitate. I stay in my seat. I don't go up to the podium. No one seems to be talking at all what i'm thinking. I don't want to get up there. Only a foolish. I don't want to get up there and have someone say to me afterwards all we talked about that meetings ago and already dealt with it i don't understand why you would even said anything. At moments like that. Moments where you think you know what ought to happen. Or you think you know something that ought to be done. What you think you have an idea. That might be wonderful to be expressed but you discounted immediately. Because obviously. For you if you thought of it all this must've already. Orion worry about what other people will think. And so you. Don't app. You don't do. That would cause out from body mind spirit comes to you and you decide not to act on it because. You might appear. Relate today. What's going on. What's happening in those moments. I think a lot of it has to do with a clash between each of us as individuals. In a whole methodology upon which our society and culture has been built. Right now the rages in the united states. A major discussion. About the rule of certain religious words and symbols. The big discussion about what is the foundation of our culture. Or we can go into the particulars of each of those of this argument about the ten commandments in this argument about these religious symbols. Underneath. There's a presumption in our culture. And the presumption is this. That there is some wisdom. There is some wisdom out there which is the wisdom of the ages and the wisdom of experience. Which must be maintained. Must be upheld. Must be internalized if we're going to have. Civilization. There is a set. Understandings. There is a compendium of wisdom. Which must be the core of everything. Or else we're all going to either get lost wandering away. More worship. We'll all hear foolish. Call of society call of culture the call of traditional religion. Is the one you were in the midst of a situation when you might at. You don't ask what you know for yourself. Rather you ask. What does this great compendium of wisdom. Tell you. When in doubt about choices to be made. You consult the wisdom of others. Not the wisdom of self. If you wish to avoid appearing the fool. You will go with the wise counsel. Of others. Now that might seem an obvious choice cuz none of us in this room have gone through all the experiences of life we haven't been able to be everywhere do everything. But you know you take that whole tradition of thousands of years of human experience and probably in that tradition someone in fact has done everything everyone of them. Prolong the way everything that can happen has happened to somebody and somebody pie wrote down something about it. What they wrote down about it should be your guide. Your wisdom. You should be wondering about what they said about it. To me that's a form. A foolish wisdom. The wisdom which arises out of other people's experiences taken as if it is our own experience and made the gospel truth of how to live. When it is in our life but there's. The wisdom that is taken as if i being written as it is written so show it be. That kind of wisdom which is taken without spot. Without reflection. Without any creativity. Foolish wisdom is the wisdom that says. Everything that needs to be known. Is already known. Call justine. There are no creative edges there are no horizons there's no new place to go. Everything you need to know. Is in the past. And if you could just grab up that wisdom of the ages. Everything would just solve itself perfectly. I need a good definition of the absolute full. Person who lives by the insights of others. And never have a thought for herself. Or himself. There is a lot of wisdom out there. Janelle when you're here that emerson quote about. Foolish consistency being the hobgoblin. I think he was beginning to get into that message. Beginning to understand this idea that if you slave ashley. Bulldogs score. Follow the wisdom that others have said is truth and wisdom in your own reflection. Benefactor becomes the hobgoblin. Keeps you away from the meaning in life rather than get you there. But then what's the alternative. Is the alternative to forget everything anyone else is ever said i would never advocate that can you imagine trying to have to reinvent everything yourself. Just think of all the possibilities. You have to get up in the morning and we learn how to read all over again. What languages would be you have to figure out all the laws of physics you have to figure out how to take an air temperature gauge to your tires. The other figure everything else you have to take some wisdom. But you don't have to take it foolishly. You have to take it wisely. Take it as guidance. But not as master. And then i think about that 92 year old man. When asked how he kept himself young. You said i try to do one foolish thing. Everyday. Got to tell you i'm trusting further on that later. What do you mean do something that you know is foolish. He said no no no no it's foolish. You're a fool to do it. Be wise about it he said what i was talking about. What you doing something each day. Which might make me appear the fool to someone. Never to myself. To do those things. Which would never betray me. Without regard for whether others might consider them. Speak the words. Which i know need to be spoken. Do the deeds i know need to be done. Contemplate the things i know need to be sought about without regard. But whether my neighbors or my larger family for my congregation or the newspapers or the ruling powers or some kind of scripture says i should do it or not. But that's what i meant about doing something foolish everyday. Being willing to risk. What others think. Be able to express. What i know. I feel. I think. You don't religion often takes on the role in trying to give people security. People come to synagogues and mosques and churches. Ashrams all kinds of religious places in communities in order to get a sense of security that you do these things. Everything will be alright. You will never have to worry you never have to worry about anyting. In this community we offer something else. Not the security of everything being okay. Rather the idea of challenge. We're still waiting for the world to come. Did we won. It hasn't all been accomplished isn't all finished the rules aren't all set. And so here what we all hopefully offer is a place where people. May not feel ultimately secure. But they feel safe enough. Be themselves. Safe enough. To be foolish. Faith enough. Say the things that heart and mind and spirit say must be said. Here's my challenge here's my call for you for today and for the week in the month and the years ahead. Never. Never. Never. Ever ever ever. Stop yourself. From doing something. Simply because you worry about someone else thinking. It would be foolish. Of all the great things that have happened in the world. Almost all of them. On the scale measured against the thoughts of others would never have been done. Because they would have appeared. Goulash. 40 years ago. A group of fools. Marcus across the pettus bridge. And the world change. 60 years ago a little man from india. Sat down. And millions foolishly sat with him. And today they have the world's largest democracy. 500 years ago a spaniard foolishly read the bible for himself. And wrote about it. And liberal religion in modern times was born. Thousand years ago. A carpenter's son from a small town. Along in around the dead sea area. Decided he would say what was in his heart in mine. And foolishly took along some friends went out on the road. You know these stories. You know all the other stories of people who realize. It the real death of wisdom. Is to know when to appear the fool. When you speak for the truth. This a real for you. And so this call. Give us foolish wisdom. Give up all those things that other people give you. The buddha said it so well you know someone tells you what scripture don't believe it. But if you experience it. Then let it. The challenge. Risk being the fool. For those things you know. Really matter. Then. Also risk. Being the companion. Of all the fools who populate this room. So that we don't have to be alone. And we can dance the foolish dance of wisdom. Together. Know what is true for you. Beacon. Do it. And you will never truly. Before.

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love.mp3

First reading is from america swami's book the self-aware universe. Anime takes as the test. The familiar passage. Love thy neighbor. As myself. And then says. At the heart of this injunction. Why is the realization. Did we are not separate from our neighbor. Therefore loving oneself. Is loving one's neighbor. And vice versa. And so the assignment is simple. Vern. To love. Love is not a thing. But an act of being. Love is a meditation. Practiced as continuously as possible. Is differin. From love is prescribed behavior or is it pleasure pleasure response. Laws as a meditation. Allows us to soften our eagle boundaries a little. To permit our neighbors consciousness. Into our awareness once in awhile. With patience and perseverance. Love does happen within us. And that love. Not externally imposed. Nor derive form of behavior. Is what transforms our behavior. And then touches. Our neighbor. In a reading from martin luther king jr.. You know we often think about dr. king in terms of. No the fiery speeches about freedom in. Equality. But he was a man of many many dimensions and we do him a great disservice to only. Cents is one dimension. And he rewrites. On the topic of the day. The meaning of love. Is not to be confused with some sentimental outpouring. Love is something more deeper. Then emotional bosh. Perhaps the greek language can clear our confusion at this point. In the greek new testament. There are three words for love. The word eros. Is a sort of aesthetic or romantic love. Animatronic dialogues eros is the yearning of the soul for the realm of the divine. And the second word is philia. A reciprocal love and the intimate affection and friendship between friends. We love those whom we like. And we love because we are loved. Mustard 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 human hearts. At this level we love people not because we like them nor because their ways appeal to us even because they possess some kind of divine spark. We love every person. Because they are loved by creation itself. When jesus bids us to love our enemies. He was speaking of arrows no. Nora filia. He was speaking of agape. Understanding and creative redemptive goodwill. Crawl. Agape is love seeking to preserve and create community. It is insistence on community even 1162 break it. Agape is a willingness to go to any length to restore community. In the final analysis. Agape means a recognition of the fact that all life is interrelated. All humanity. Is involved in a single. Process. The words of. Martin luther king jr.. If instead of being here. We were universalist saying 1840. And we were worshiping on sunday. Dancer pretty good that in any one month. We would hear a sermon on love. It was one of the central. Penance. Of universalism. The pervasive nature. A creative love. Banana world that was so structured around an emphasis. Unsinn. Degradation damnation and salvation. A focus on love was welcomed by many. As a breath of fresh air. What are the reasons so many went to universalist church is in those days was they said afterwards. I come away feeling better not worse. No in the 2000s. Most people i talk to. Would start of dread any sermon on love. And world so filled with banal references to love. Focus on love feels morning more like a morning after stale breath of self-indulgence. I think those ura universalist. Had it right. I think they had it right not only because they understood. That love. Was important. But because they understood that love was connected to the sacred world. Not the profane. They knew there was a deep connection. Between spirituality. In love. Deed i would argue. That it's impossible to have love. Without spirituality. And that love without spirituality is reduced to sentimentality. The greeting card commercialism. Formulaic romanticism. Into a whole set of gender stereotypes. But i'm going to argue that the spirituality. Is a necessary prerequisite to love. What band is spirituality. Term tossed out so freely often these days. Really doesn't get the sign so let me define a bit. For me. Spirituality is simply. In essential awareness. And appreciation. Of existence which transcends the individual. And. An essential awareness and appreciation. Am i in transit connection. Cuz that transcendence existence. Person who lives totally at herself. Or himself. Has no sense that there's a larger world out there. Egoist is a person who knows there's a world out there. But believes that his self or herself. Is the center defining measure of all. In both those cases. There is no sense that there is anything of meaning that is larger than the individual self. Spirituality begins at the point. In which a person moves beyond either of those stances. Into an awareness of the larger realities that are beyond self. That have meaning and worth separate from my be. Adjust being aware of them. Is not enough. Spirituality becomes a greater possibility when a person is both aware of those larger realities. And appreciates for the way in which those realities. Might enhance his or her life. If those large realities are realities of fear threat deprecation denial subjugation. That's not spirituality. There's nothing there that one would want to appreciate. Knowing that existence contains more than just one cell. Appreciating the fact that has good things to offer that might enhance what one is. That's the prerequisite. But even if that is not enough. There are many things we acknowledged as existing. There are many things that we appreciate because they exist. Spirituality becomes real when we reach out from our particularity. Into that universal into that transcendence. Knowing that we are connected to it no matter what. Exist. And we exist and at some level we are one. Spirituality is about being aware of and appreciating our connection to the very essence of existence. To all the brand and broad strokes. A creation of being of meaning. And i believe that that kind of spirituality. Of knowing there's more than just me around here and then it has some meaning to me and that i am connected to it whether i choose to or not is a necessary prelude. To what we call love. The openness. The connection of spirituality to the whole. Paves the way for the openness. And connection to that which is specific. Which we call love. Or put it in miller analogy terms remember those miller analogies test. Spirituality is to the all. As laws is to some. Love is simply our essential awareness and appreciation. Of others. Nr essential awareness and appreciation. Of our ornament connection. Wisdom. Spirituality the universal. Love the specific aspect of the same thing. Reaching out from self. Incensing connection. Tell this would all be so simple. Get the awareness and appreciation of which we speak, i would come to us cleanly clearly and completely. But it doesn't and the collective wisdom of the world reminds us of this. Whether it's in a concept like karma. Or original sin or original blessing or divine covenant. Many religions. Remind us that it often seems as if we enter this world. With some baggage. We didn't have that baggage it might be easy but there we are. Other concepts such as the doll or spiritual persistence or the islamic hajj motif remind us of life as a journey. Is away is a path as a pilgrimage all in search of greater awareness and appreciation. All of these traditions inform us that all our allies are living travels along expanding spirals toward enhancement. We understand some then we understand more we appreciate some we appreciate more we are also journalers. On the pathways. About spirit and of love. And that moving past spins out in spiral from our birth. Over and over again and each time it moves back it's her to closes in on a circle. You might say if you were looking at it from a distance that life is broken into a series. A circle. They continue to spirituality. That contain a sense of love. Unless we go on spiraling down are alive each of those circles gets a little bit bigger. Nothing which was ever there once is lost. The journey of life and love and spirituality is a journey of wholeness. Each part a small mirror the whole all witches incorporated. And we know this. Think about when you were a child. Can you remember that. I'm talking about the littlest one. In arms. We have anybody here remember their own birth. My father says he remembers living lying in his crib. But think about us as children. Think about us. And our first experience of love if we were lucky enough to have it. Not everyone always experiences as. The love of care. Since then our needs were being met. When we cried we were comforted. When we were hungry. We were fed. When we were both followed we were changed. Needs were met. And we came to. Know ourselves in a certain way because someone loved us. We were loved and what we might speak of now is the love of that. was our sense of dependence on others. Are wearing this of others was need-based. Our needs. But we didn't stop there most of us. Somewhere around. One-and-a-half to two years we created another circle. A circle connections. A social circle. A circle in which little children of that age seeing a playmates during the crime emphasize and seek a caregiver. Community of connection with children that age begin to play nearer with each other. Circle connection in which suddenly the little two and a half year old comes home and says. I love so-and-so. Social connection. Play possible. Because the previous circle. Of the need was met in love. But then life cycles on further. We all went through a circle of self-affirmation. A circle of self about our own needs needs to know that we are confident capable individuals. And so we better just circling which were often defined over and against others. The circle of competition. The name of teams in games. And we felt loved. By the way in which we could love ourselves and know that we were competent. And again we could know we were confident. Because we knew we were loved and community. Because we knew we were loved as we had needs. Each circle. Expanding. Widening out. And then preteen error of the circle connection once again looking for community. Joining every club insight wanting to be in the proper click searing and feeling the peer pressure at the same time wanting to belong to some group that you could feel the peer pressure from. Desire to intimately know oneself in connection to others. The crushes. The wanting to love. The pain of loving and not having it returned but trying again wanting to make connection. And moving outward. Another circle comes after that a circle that looks like it might be about community but it's about self. It's about learning the love of biology. Hormones. Sensuality. Identity. How am i loved. Does the person i love love me back. How do i find loving connection. How do i find a way to be myself in intimacy. All flowing. Dimensions of love growing across time and then that circle of connection we move into. A community of productivity. We begin to move with those that we work with. Begin to move with those we partner with we move with families and children we moving the institutions of complexity we learn to love and many different dimensions connected in large ways. Then somewhere down there the spiral circles one more time. And we're into a circle of self and need one smore. Where we ask ourselves those deep questions. What does that all mean. What kind of love is there really. I can't live forever through my children. I can't log into. Live through others. Where is the meaning in life. Where are the values i can love even if the people are gone. Circling onward. Each stage growing upon another each informing another and then that final connection of two levels both a circle of connections and a circle beyond self in connections. Looking for meaning that exists beyond embodiment. Something i can love because it is true no matter who holds it or says it. And ultimately into that sense of wisdom. Way down the circles. In which i feel ultimately affirmed and ultimately connected. And therefore i love unabashedly life itself. And all the creatures of life. Body, walt whitman and truth. Knowing that there is connection and wisdom and everything. Each circle. Allowing innocence each circle in forming a circle creating the next circle on the journey. Nothing to be short-circuited all to be worthy but the story that you told the children. Which one of those stages is love in the answer is. Yes. Laws of those who meet my needs. Love others who are like me. Love of myself as i discover myself. Love others who allow me. To be myself in their presence. Love of those who will love me back. Love of those who will partner with m, and goals. Love those who embody the higher values i've come to see. Log of those higher values however there in body. Love of life itself. Knowing that it's values transcend all embodiment. The many dimensions of love. How we love. With flatau we were late to the whole. We begin by seeing the others of our lives and small specific terms. But then as we move down the path and thing changes. And the journey unfolds. Spirituality pixar love by the hand. And guides us to see wider vistas. Of artemis. Love guides us to see wider vistas. In the specific. Titan mirror. That transcendent reality. Of spirituality. One who cannot love self or others. Cannot log what envelops. And embraces us all. And one who cannot love what involves and embraces us all. Cannot love others. Not even oneself. As we larger-capacity the truly both love. Ourselves and that which is not ourselves. We then learn to love the universal. And as we enlarge our ability to love the universal. We better see ways to live other love others. And ourselves. And so the journey is laid out. Some of us may see that point way down there. When love is about those ornaments senses of meaning. Others of us may live out our lives. Somewhere in productivity. Or maybe in the connection of community. Some of us may spend long time looking for meeting itself in relation to all of it. Is one of those things love. No. Is each of them love. Yes. True love. Is the know where you are. In the authentic. To that place in your journey. Maybe be the kind of community. It helps each and everyone of us. Love. The place that we are. In life. Goforth. Love one another. And largest.

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gnostics.mp3

For those of you who are advocates of g's those sticks. And we knew directions in history. One of which was. Direct and indirect through all the centuries that came from them. And then we had a lot of writings of the argonauts church that's been a lot of their energy riding against them so we knew they existed because why would irenaeus especially. Why would he be riding so much against the group if it didn't exist. Invest in the mid-twentieth century a farmer. Getting into the barren soil. Amati. Found the co2 canister clay in open. And they must be somewhere in the house. And the grandmother the house not knowing what they were used some of them as fire material for a few months. Elaine pagels writes this in her book the gnostic gospels. 252 writings discovered at nagamani. Offer only a glimpse. Of the complexity of the early christian movement. We now begin to see that what we call christianity. And what is the christian tradition. Actually represents only a small selection. How specific sources. Chosen from among dozens of others. Those selections. And for what reasons. Why were these other writings excluded. And band is heresy. What made them so dangerous. Now for the first time. We have the opportunity to find about find out more about the earliest christian heresy. And for the first time. The heretics speak for themselves. Christianity orthodox christianity. Question. Weatherall suffern labor and death derive from human sin which of the orthodox version. Martin originally perfect creation. Others speak of the feminine element in the divine celebrating god as father and mother. Still others suggest the christ resurrection is to be understood symbolically. Not literally. A few radical texts even denounced the catholic christians themselves as heretics. Although they impose do not understand history. But wasn't that the mystery of truth belongs to them alone. Sucks gnostic ideas fascinated the psychoanalyst cg jung. He thought the express the other side of the mine. The spontaneous. The unconscious. Required. To repress. Somewhere is biollante. And the second reading is for quote cognosis by kurt rudolph. Rudolph is a. Theological astorian in germany. He writes in german. I am always. I love to have someone have to wrestle with it and translate it. And i hope you come up with the right words along the way. And i think the translation seems to make sense to the original as far as i can tell but some of that. Translational building i was telling the last photograph fight scene out of china in which they were trying to indicate something over the chinese letters pointing to this one place. First class passenger waiting room. So when the translation sumptuous waiting place. The beginning and end of gnosis in late antiquity cannot be pinpointed exactly. It makes its appearance at the beginning of the christian era. And it disappears again at the latest in the 60 century. At least as far as its western manifestations are concerned. It no longer had a future. Its intellectual and creative powers were largely exhausted in the ideological in theological debates. Nevertheless the problems posed by gnosis. The questions of the origin of evil. The position b zombie the world. The relationship between creation and redemption. The rule of knowledge. The relation of body and spirit or soul ascentra. Remained as before. A motive for speculative thinking in christian theology. One can almost say that moses follow the church. Like a shadow. The church could never overcome it. Its influence had gone too deep. By reason of our common history they remain. Hostel. Sisters. This raises the question of the after-effects of gnosis beyond is concrete historical existence. It can be traced in various ways and has various forms. On the one hand the acceptance of the problems and even the retention of the gnostic positions in christian theology. And i'm kind of transformation. Metamorfosis. Agnostic ideas and traditions including their reformulation view of the change to storical and social situation. And finally the more or less conscious. Sometimes even amateurish reception of gnostic ideas in fragments. Inter modern thought systems and sex. A reading from ruby. Every jumbled pile person. Has the thinking part that wonders what the part that isn't thinking. Isn't thinking. Many ways that describes the mainline church. Presidents of the gymnastics movement. In the early christian.. The mainline church might be considered that part which is doing the thinking. But it's wondering what the part that isn't thinking. Isn't thinking. In a sense that we have your mom also wondering if perhaps the gnostics were the part of the christian world that represented. Let me try to make this concrete. What's behind that door. How do you know. How do you know. I know because she told me. What. Picture. The early christian movie. And experience the life of a person. Who suggested being in this room. And said you know there's a doorway over there. Doorway we don't know. What is a divine kingdom that we may become known later. Jesus. He says. No big secret to do that. I think i know what's over there. Everybody here. Doesn't know what's up. Maybe something here. Tell us something about what's there because you realized it was in this room the other day or whatever. Gears of christianity. Models. For dealing with that room. Now we're going to tell you was there. We're going to say that the leader is jesus told us what was in there. Choose which of the things he supposedly. Over there is perfection over there is the opposite of what's here. And if you want to get to that perfect place. You want to go on the other side of that door. I'm the only one who's got the key. You want to get there to come see me. Based upon whether or not you do what i say you're going to do. Christianity. And that's going to be your knowledge would be on there. But through. there was another tradition. Return we think of it as a secret. Not the word agnostic. Aurelia is awareness. All jesus did. And there never has been. A closed-door. It was all there. What you didn't do. With experience. You're almost praises heaven on earth. The run-through with reminders. Experience. Call. Experience. And that's what they did. They emphasized the religious aspect. I'm looking for one sap. I'm discovering for oneself wear for oneself. And they also held the belief that different people would become aware of different things. If i tell anyone of you come with me and go into that room. We would have probably become aware of different things. Order some seafood other lights etools some might say tables to others might see some might say darkness and the answer is yes. Because all we're doing is trying to form a community of awareness. I know where it is that doesn't collapse after an absolute answer but goes after a common experience of becoming aware. Think about how wonderful this must have played in rome. Anna constantinople. Wait a minute. And this could be put up with until we reach the council of nicea where religion. Contemporary lesson number one for us to. All the sudden what had been an annoyance. Now becomes a problem. And the problem is.. By labeling this heresy by excommunication and also. How to become pride. It's got to become other than public. Which force is it to do a number of things. One it turns itself inward it away to become secretive. What are you going to say publicly about your awareness. You're probably not going to say it. Secret societies and then they could cry them for being secretive. And along the way the gnostics also then embraced a lot of other things other than just the issue of the awareness of things. They could question lots of things. We knew a lot about. Irenaeus. They treated men and women the same. They also. Periodically leadership from within their own ranks by their own choosing. Never heard of such a thing. They also believe that whatever scripture there was. What's open. They were no battery charge than just some kind of club meeting secretly. They were open. All the questions. Community what does it mean to be community. What does it mean to be your religion what does it mean to be aware they were wide open. To all the diversity of thought and opinion. That we probably cherish today. And therefore they were a great threat. Established. Is pedro's in mines us. By the 6th century they have. They're gone. In terms of an organized movement. But they have left a legacy. That continues on to today. For example they were the ones that raised the question where does evil in the world come from. It's been found god is the creator of all things. Community speaker. Turn over there to raise the question. Orthodoxy as well as for all the years thereafter. The question of the presence of the physical presence versus the spiritual presence. They talking about it 1500 years ago. And we still struggle with that question. Because maybe infact longest ride. What the gnostics were where the mirror image and therefore very threatening image. But they did not publicly announce. How many an orthodox worship. Heard of the creed one more time zedd. I wonder if that's true. And then. Immediately put that question on their mind. Anyone who would even promote such a question. That may have been what the gnostic movement was most about. Reminding all those in the establishment. Of the things that the establishment thought about but couldn't admit to themselves they thought about. They were that sort of conscience. Wipe that movement out. You can eliminate it. But you can't eliminate. Pid. It was wiped out by forcing it into secrecy. It's hard to publicize a secret organization. Especially when you know that you talk about it too much. You're going to die. And they're probably going to say was for some political reason rather than some religious reason remember religion and politics over all those years in bed. They also drove it out by canonizing what would become the scriptures of the church. If the documents that is formed the gnostic movement. All kinds of gospels by other people. Some of which were written. If those are not going to be included people are not going to see them. How could that now it's spread. Especially before the printing press you were going to find alternative monasteries doing illuminations of those alternative. Is amazing that anyone ever copied them down and they weren't copies that went through some linguistic changes. But these are things more original than most of the documents we used to underpin what has been canonized within the christian. Scriptures. So you take away the foundation. You make it a secret. Axiology on top of it. It says somehow that their questions were irrelevant. And yet now. 1500 years later. I wonder if we're not sitting here. Is the inheritors. The gnostic movement. Aren't we the ones. Food don't want to have that door slammed on us. Aren't we the ones that we don't want to have our knowledge was in here dictated by what someone else says it's in here. Aren't we the ones that are willing to walk into that dark unknown. Why don't you become aware. Rather than settling for the answers that someone else has come up with. And aren't we faced in fact by the exact same problem. The gnostics were. 17 1800 years ago. On the one hand we are preaching a heresy. And it's the heresy that says there is no truth with a capital t. But there are many awarenesses that are part of a truth that transcends us. Aren't we also preaching idea that that awareness will not come by what someone else gives us. Why what we experience for ourselves and understand for ourselves. Are we the ones who are also suggesting that the world will always be more fun questions. Then answers. And at times aren't we the ones who keep it all secret. Because we worry about it won't happen. If we publicly speak. Damn things that are still heresy today. For the other hand aren't we the ones who still. Try the maturing in the dealing with the questions of the mirror self they don't want to see. So they have to talk about it. We are 200 and some thousand at all unitarian universalist. In the united states. We're not ready. Gymnastics for not many. Some of the work that's going on today i think is representative of that same kind of spirit but things were talking about gender justice. The issues of same-sex marriages. The issues of raising a question. Small hannaford one-hand raises the question. And jump into the debate which they would have been happier avoiding whatsoever. What a tribute to that spirit of the gnostics. Who knew that raising the question. What's the important thing. I'm so glad it's the gnostic tradition in a nutshell. A tradition that suggested the christianity is about opening doors not closing them. About self-awareness through self experience. About a community that's based upon a process of knowing not a contents of knowing. And a community that knows by doing that they will leave a mark on history. Even if their own community saves away. It's a secret.

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mother.mp3

Dave's a complicated day. Today of so many mixed emotions. For sama today we. Which never occurs. It stirs up things we wish to have buried away. We're all there is it today we to desperately await from year to year. Acknowledgement day we hope will contain acknowledgements we don't know if they will come. Brothers of the day that's dreaded because of its sentimentality. Today that's so focuses on a certain role that for those who have not either been blessed with our chosen that roll it may seem like. An empty day. And yet we hear so much about mothers. We hear about so many models and images that probably it's right the stop one day year. And talk about it. But too often we are allowed to talk about it in terms of the stylized. Idealize mother. If you will the mother who stands at one end of a giant spectrum. And is perfect. You know those mothers are the ones none of us had. For always understanding always giving always there would never leave us take care of everything never said a harsh word and at the same time to care of all their own personal needs and stay strong and independent. We hear about them. Re-read the poem we hear about the accolades. Leaving here about julia ward howe what a woman what a mother would at the champion of all these. But there were flaws in the picture. Marriage that wasn't easy. Children do sometimes miss their mother was off on european trips. And yet we keep being given this ideal image. And when we're given ideal and stylized images. There's a problem. I'm a problem. Is what happens at the other end of the spectrum. Because somewhere way way over here. And drawn as a distinct caricature of this extreme. Is mother courage. Mother courage. Is going to be the ideal mother. But she's so caught up in the time and with her own understanding of what i deal means that a $0.01 she is ideal but so taken to an extreme. The cheese almost evil the same time. She is decided that as the single mother. Bringing up these children now almost into adulthood or in those days by that time they were a young adults. And she will do whatever it takes. To ensure their survival. She will make a living. Taking care of their needs so they are not the starving ones beside the road. They will not be the ones wearing the dirt. They will not be the ones lacking parents she will do whatever it takes. To be there for them. And so she develops is thriving business because she realizes early on. That where there's war there was always want and if she can only meet those wants. Her family won't have to want. And so she takes the stylized ideal mother. Next to an extreme. He will take care of her kids. They will never want for what everyone else is wanting for. He'll be there for them. But like the slow pernicious change of realities and focus. Soon divoc is hoarding. Becomes more real than the reality she is living. Having enough goods on the wagon. Decel to the troops. Becomes more important. Intending the children. Getting in good with the army so they'll let her follow and sell goods becomes more important than taking care of her children letting her one son then be recruited into the army so the army would think better of her and buy more we're goods with more important than her children. City ideal. Was it she would take care of her children. And in the end even as she is going off to buy more goods to sustain herself and loses the daughter. Her next thought is how she must carry on the business. Cuz she's the good mother. Who takes care of her children. And the problem is i think on a day like this. That we see the one end of the spectrum. Or for some of us got to be truthful with live through some version. August other end of the spectrum. Which we had the mothers. Who had their own agendas in life that they would say we're idealistic and wonderful but if they played them out they really weren't there for us. When reality neither was the stylized idealized one either. But those are the two things we often are given. The best. And the worst masquerading is the best. Most of us live somewhere here. In the middle. Most of us live here somewhere and making choices about. How will be in if we're honest will also acknowledge that all of our mothers. Made choices the best they could. And some of them were more there somewhere more there but most were somewhere here in the middle. And the real challenge of this day the figure out how to speak about that middle. How to speak about the fact that. Everyone could be a mother courage. And probably in some measure every mother has been. Making choices they thought serve their children which inside serve themselves. Or making choices they thought serve their children but a fact serve some kind of. Idealism or theology or something making choices they said serve their children. But serve some kind of imagined good. Choices are made by everyone. Where was winning one way a little bit and then back another way. I said be honest about that. Then we are honest about that we get something to really celebrate. On mother's day. Not that somebody was perfect. But that most of our mothers. Sometimes made choices that didn't serve us. But then sensing that. Learn how to turn back. And be there. But they knew how to refocus to where they wanted to go they can make the choices they want to get to get more most people there was at least some attempt to move back and help the somewhere in the center. Realizing it delivered either extreme was unreality. Episode of learn. How to celebrate. When the choices are made. But then the corrective element is put in place. And returned back toward that connected. Escape the fact. That the reality. Of being mothers. Is the thing that should be celebrated. Not the ideal. Because in fact there are no perfect mother's. I hate to say that to all the mothers are there are no perfect mother's. Because if you think there are. You then miss one of the great learning realities of motherhood and fatherhood and relationship put in all that. Which is that in the flow of things. Good enough. Is good enough. That when we find the ways to move back toward where we know is health and goodness. Even if we don't achieve it just the turning back is something that ought to be celebrated all levels. So when someone says i appreciate my mother because even though it was hard times and sometimes she chose a direction i wouldn't go. She always came back and then was there for me. She was real. And she buy what she did and i buy acknowledging what she did teach myself about how i make choices. As i related to my children. You see we don't want any more mother's courage. And her children like that. We want our mother realities. And the children result from that. So on this mother's day i saw a bright mothers as the fallible creatures they are. After all if they weren't what stories would we have. And more importantly i celebrate the fallible people that they are. For the way that they have been able. To learn and remember. And turn themselves back on a path. A vision and possibility. That are mothers are the best. When they are in the process of constantly. Reinventing and recreating themselves. Turn image of good. Mother. Reality. And her children.

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wholeness.mp3

He returned to those him knows that you sing out of. It's fine most of the hymns that are in there. Have words that were written in the. 18th and 19th and 20th centuries. And one of those that was written in the 20th century. My name name edwin wilson. Has this stanza. It begins with a question. Where is our holy land. And then the answer. Within the human soul. Wherever free minds truly seek with character. The goal. Him. Which was song often in the church that i grew up in the unitarian universalist church i go up and. What's pandan a time. When arising humanism sought to validate. Every human being. Has an equal are in agent. Of creations potential crying out for fulfillment. No longer seeing individuals as indistinguishable parts. I'm so much more meaningful whole. The animism of humanism. Elevated each person. Two new level of importance. And that him is a sterling example. I was certain concept. And that's the concept. Of the sainthood of all believers. Piss him takes it a step further and says it doesn't even need to be placed in a specific religious contact. Concept. Of the sainthood of all believers first arose in a christian setting. That's the question of salvation was discussed. The saints. Those wonderous souls whose lives of devotion and service without any thought of personal reward earned them a special place. In the spiritual hierarchy racine as rarities. And the rest of the mass of humanity was simply that. Amass. A failure sin. Depravity. Best protestant christianity begin to grow up. Through the reformation.. So did the definition of sainthood. What some of them are in quotes of pure brand just thought that salvation. Unless any special definition of spiritual goodness. Had been preordained back at the beginning of time. The mainstream view. With shifting. Tour the inherent personal relationship of every individual. Was what what was taken as the source of salvation. Course for protestant christianity that source affiliation with jesus. Every person. Potential saint. Every person a potential messenger of god. The reasoning behind this was simple. Anything less than this total potentiality and the whole creation. What fall under the weight of a false philosophical premise. And that premise was simply this. If the presence of the divine was limited or selective. The whole would not hold. In the midst of that debate coming out of the reformation though. Another long-forgotten idea began to emerge as well. One that was familiar. In the first century of the common era. And was warned that have been held in suppression. Further developing christian church. And this was the notion that not only was every person a potential saint. But that every person was by the mere fact of her or his existence. In right relationship with god. In other words. Everyone would be automatically saved from an eternal damnation simply by being a product of divine creation. That's the ideas of historical universalism. The follow me for a moment. What does transits developing over two millennia. From the undifferentiated mass of humanity. The main christian church first of all. Differentiated and designated saints. And then the puritans designated.. And then the general protestants designated every individual's potential. And finally the universal has designated every individual as a separate. Especially meaningful worthy entity. Universalism appeared at first because it offered release. Release from all those images of hell and damnation. Quickly incited much more in his followers jonathan edwards. That all humanity was with a sim was similar to a spider at the end of a long thing fred they were being held over the hellfires. And there's nothing the spider can do to influence whether or not the hand will let go or not. But there's no room for human will. Or desire fulfillment. Into the bad kind of notion. The liberal religious thought expanded the potential for human meaning-making. And said you're not just an inanimate object at the end of a string at the will of others. You are much more than that. And in fact you must. As much more than that. But there's enough sesame. To be more than just. Some kind. Inanimate object. Dangle. Telling the other side of the liberal religious street at the same time. Unitarians have been long championing the human capacity as the expression of the divine presence in the world. With a capacity of. Reason observation discernment and extrapolation. Each individual. Was called by her or his own very nature. To fulfill that possibility. And not just say it belongs to a larger realm. The essence of the religious life. What's the development. Self. Human meaning-making. Was our birthright. And human meaning-making was also our divine charge. We are both blessed with. And challenged by. Our capacity. To the individual points of creation. Talk today hearing this this affirmation for saying you are agents of possibility you are agents of change your agents of your own fulfillment would probably bring a bottle pretty yawning so what else is new. But in its prime. It was a radical message. Against a backdrop. What caused people to fit into an external divine plan. Which reviewed person has one more. Indistinguishable atomized part in the complexity of creation. Which spoke of obedience to external authority as the religious motif. This was radical stuff. Suggesting each individual. Could make a difference. Unlike most radical departures in the direction of freedom. It's not just a departure that makes it important. But the factory quickly developed its own trajectory across time. Picture the are of that movement. It begins with that initial departure from classic theology. In wicked jumpsport with an affirmation of the individual and not just some individuals the affirmation of every one of every one of us. The confirmation of awesome not as relatively meaningless minor building blocks of what's really important. Something more. And that stretches out from that departure and begins to venerate human possibilities. Adventure lands in early twentieth-century squarely in the humanist movement. With his vision. The centrality not just of human possibility. But of human capacity. Everyone a saint. And you better live up to that generation. Much of the second half of the twentieth century in liberal legend can be interpreted as a time of helping individuals. Find their own wholeness. For finding an expressing their own individual capacity for meaning-making. Most of the recent self-awareness and self-improvement. Methods models programs and movements had this goal. To help individual people. To become whole. And this is a noble project seeking to undo centuries. Of the negation of the value of individuals. The search for wholeness was an affirmation of the worth and dignity of every person. The worth and dignity of each of us. The anonymous. Seemingly interchangeable atoms of human culture and said. I am unique. Don't mistake me for another. I'm not just another con in some divine machine. I'm not just a pawn in somebody else's game. The expression of this trident individuality and individuation. Was the inevitable response to centuries of repression. I want to be me became the cry. Ben wholeness of being. Became its mantra. That one level i have a say this sound so wonderfully healthy. Just as in any science the ability to know the constituents of the situation in their fullness and their wholeness is he sensual. You really don't know the qualities of a compound if you do not know the qualities of its constituent atoms. You don't know a society if you do not know its constituent customs mores and history as well as its people you don't know if people if you do not know its people. And you cannot know it's people. If they do not know themselves. The long arms that began by affirming the possibility which is inherent in every human being sorry through the light 20th century. In the form of personal wholeness and fulfillment. What is seems like a goal century before promoting the sainthood of all believers. Seem to be on the verge of attainment. All those promises of the coming age. Set a reminder camelot remember aquarian conspiracy in the whole concept that we're right on the edge. But i don't know about you. But when i listen to other people. In public. When i read the news. When i feel the understandings of my own heart. If there was a victory. I'm hoernis. Feels like a hollow victory of sorts. Personal wholeness is acquainted with saintliness. How come i experience so little sanctified living. Going on around me. In an age in which we assume greater awareness of self. Where are the saints. Where is the holiness. One would expect from a collective growth in wholeness. What are the primary rules in mathematics. In most of the sciences. In economics. And most other systems of thought about complex entities. Is there if you change one side of an equation. There will always be a resulting change on the other side of the equation. The third law of thermodynamics reminds us that without an input of continuing new energy. All complex systems wind down. What's called entropy. Because the miraak. Being something which is more than the sum of its parts. Balances. The equation. There always has to be an importer of some empowering source. Or else larger complexities. Wine down. Heather simplest components. The saints of old envision that empowering source as being external to themselves and even ex-girl to the world in which they live. That's or switch an english is called god was the balancing factor. It could even be the creative it by which the equation was not only balance but even enhanced on both sides. Holiness to the ancient saints. What's the result of not living in their own fonus. But rather in the fullness of that external source. The saints of today. Affirming individual humans as vessels of possibility. Since they are the agents of that balancing and even that enhancing energy themselves. What we seek. And what we hope we find in our search for wholeness. Appreciation. Of the creative and enhancing energy. Which resides ennis. And through us. We become whole not for wholeness sake. But for something more. Were the saints of old found holiness by not living for themselves but for that something more which was separate. We look for that something more. As constituent in us. Not separate from us. Wholeness. It all its many forms preach today. Hardware nacelle self-actualization. Becoming clear at cetera. Wholeness is only the method. Not. The end. Now what is the end. I won't be arrogant as a suggest that i know the final be all answer that. Probably going to be bored enough to suggest one component of the answer. If i drive to self. And therefore drive to wholeness seeks to eliminate our disappearance into anonymity. And develop our appearance as meaningful units of something larger. Then we need to use that wholeness not just horde. We need. Cost to be able to help understand the larger systems of meaning and creation in which we exist. Any given moment. You. Me. Everyone. Are not just realized whole separate entities we are always at every given moment constituent elements of more complex entities. Which exists because we exist. Those more complex entities would not be the same. Without us in them. Your equation. Take us out. And from which we cannot separate ourselves. Xcel steam train. Again the old equation. Each of us. Constitute large realities. Of which we are irresistibly apart. And which arise uniquely from our participation. Look around this room. It's not a rhetorical. Look around the room at the people. Realize this wouldn't be the same experience right now. Anyone of us. We're not here. At this moment in this experience. Is this moment in this experience because we all are here. Anyone leaving and it changes. Is a different experience. Also based upon the levels of wholeness of each of us so we have the same people back in the room in a week would it be a different experience as well. Experience grows out of the sum total of who are here. We are each. And at the same time we are all. And they all is greater than the sum of each of the each has. Sandra no man is an island is an expression of this as is whitman's song of myself. All those different named characters. All making up not only the thought of what america was about even what whitman was about he was one of the characters but all the characters were also he. Into all this comes that notion of holism. Call the emergence from simple entities like us a greater complexity which cannot be predicted from the qualities of the simple entities. Again look around the room see you the different people are here and see also that something exists which is not simply the sum of the parts. That's something which right now is a sense of community and connection has qualities which transcend the qualities of anyone element. Anyone people and even all of them put together. For example when we bring up song and one of our hymns. We do not hear a single voice. We hear all of our voices. And the cords they form. The cords are not actually there but we see them and hear them. As if they were. Because they're just individual voices. Coming together. Not only would it be different if any of us one of us were to be interchanged. Because we automatically matter. But there is something which has a standing of its own which is here. Who does both dependent and independent of its parts. Just like a complex molecule which has properties. That none of the constituent atoms may have. So2 with us here. That is holism. And we participate in an infinite number of holistic expressions which all arise from our being. They are rise whether we are aware of them or not. The purpose of our sense of wholeness. Is a concomitant ability to become more aware of this awesome pattern of creation. Which flows from us. In the larger systems. And then those systems transcend. The parts including us. We seek wholeness not to see ourselves better. But to be better able to see the larger systems. We create. And would continue to create us. We seek to know ourselves so we can see what those cells are creating that is greater. Then that self. We seek to find ourselves. So that we can meaningfully know. How we lose ourselves in the larger entities. And that has always been. The essence of holiness. And the hallmark of any sane. To follow a path of devotion. Whether it be to an external source. But what is named god. Or to an internal source. Black our own wholeness. Not to find the least. The simplest to most separate entity. Glimpse the larger entities. Which are created. We become whole in the particular. The better understand. The universal. We become whole. In our particulars. To better understand. The universal. An old reductionist world the saints were those were mindful of an abstract source of being. Enter holiness was in their devotion to that mindfulness. In a holistic world the saints will be those who are mindful of the complexities which arise from their being. And their holiness will be in their devotion. Mindfulness. Our holiness. Poopy in our devotion. 2r mindfulness. Of all that arises. From arby's. So we remember the poetic wisdom of whitman. As we hear him say. I celebrate myself. And sing myself. And what i assume. You shall assume. For every atom belonging to me. As good. Alongs. To you. Where are the saints. Today. I'm looking at.

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difference.mp3

Why do religions exist. Seems to me that there are two basic reasons that religions exist. And one of them is. The venerate. What is. The religions of the status quo. The religions which are there to worship and adore the structures of history in the past. Upon which some level of stability exist. And then there's another vision of religion and that's a religion as transformation religion as to transformational element and society which constantly reminds us that what we have no matter how good is not perfect. The what we have although it might be united in a census never truly whole. They're what we have is always tending towards something better but has not arrived yet and religion becomes the agency of the transformation toward those visions of perfection and wholeness. It seems to me that unitarian-universalism has always been in that latter camp. The we are religion of transformation. Can we look up anytime we live in and say we could be doing better. That's not the way land rover terrible. Not like a terrible sinner that's a rather we're doing very well and we could always do better. Until that day. What all life can be seen in a holistic manner all peoples together in peace the entire world united sustaining itself. A tall was moving towards visionary goals until that day the role religion is to point us in that direction. But then the question becomes how are we transformational. How shall we do that were of religion. Several months ago reagan bricks did a service here. At the end of it she read these words. Maybe making a difference in the world. Begins with making a difference in ourselves. Maybe it against. Play moving toward trying to be explicit. How about what is important to us. Not leaving it to inference. Or worse yet neglect. If we hope that the world will manifest the values we claim for ourselves. We need to know that we are making them explicit in our lives first. Be the difference you want to see in the world. How will you do that. How will you. Do that. What is the u.s. debt service when she put forth that challenge. I know some of you were because several people came to me afterwards and said i need to talk to you. I got to talk to you because we're talking about change and i realize i've got to be doing some of that. I want to talk to him about the changes are going to come up out of that. And that's wonderful. I want to suggest it's only a beginning. And it was only half the picture. But the issue of being a transformative congregation. Doesn't just have one face to it. We all have been given that. Immediate face. The face that says you want to change this world you better be out there on the barricades. You better be the agent of change. And so we usually venerate those people who are out there doing the things they're the first ones on that and the organizers of this and that. But there's also a second face. Face. Second half. And that's not the path of being the leader of the movement. It's the being the supporter. Of the movement. If the first one is about making a difference. The second is about supporting a difference in the making. For example. Those of you who know the story of les mis. Classic. Victor hugo story about the idealism of the youth in paris at that time who had seen the dreams of the revolution be vanquished within the rule of person emperor and then return of the monarchy. It was an awful time. In their minds. They take themselves in the streets of paris to the barricades and they're going to fight for the liberty that was the revolution they are going to be the revolution renew. And it's their beliefs that they will be on really successful. And the story revolves in a way on one of the plots. About how they get it to that barricade. I'd like to not let bravery. They are brave. Play do not lack courage their courageous and they do not relax smarts they are brainy they can plot lots of things. I have faith. Damn all the wonderful virtues they have vision of what the france might become. But ultimately they died upon the barricades. Because when they turn to others for support. No one. Came. They didn't ask everyone to beyond the barricade but they asked some to hand them the armaments. They are some to give them accurate information they asked some to bring them food that they could be sustained they asked support in many ways. And they were left up there. Alone. Change cannot happen if all we have. Isn't changemaker. And no support system. For every person who went and marched across that bridge in selma. There were hundreds back home sustaining those who were there. Every time we think about someone who is a personality of great change. Gandhi. Mandela. Martin luther king jr.. Mother teresa none of them did that in a vacuum. Someone mended their closed someone sent them money someone smuggled food into prison someone did things. What was the pack of dogs going by. There's always wildlife here. Change doesn't happen simply because some people. Expected they're going to make a change. It always takes a change agent. Anna community of change. A transformative actor. And a community of transformation. What would that community. Look like. Let's think back to a stephen smith saying he sang. You're probably going to find five qualities. To a community. That really is willing to support change it doesn't mean that everyone in that community is out there in the barricades. But rather that everyone in the community. Is supportive in certainty waze. For example. In the first stage when we're just in the status quo. A transformative community. Seeks information. And concepts from outside itself. It doesn't look simply inward it is constant looking outward believing that the paradise has not been discovered yet. And the divisions from elsewhere can be the support of transformation that is needed. A transformative community helps people to open up to become aware and overcome. The temptation to react by denial avoidance or blame. True transformational community no one's looking around to point the finger at anyone else. Rather there around to help people in the direction of wider visions greater possibilities. In a transformational community. There's a safe environment that is built. That helps people to be able to focus on their feelings. Openly and honestly if their fears. And they use their support systems. Transformational community. The leadership is enjoying. From coming up with magical solutions. So that the chaos can be avoided. And transformational community times of unknown are welcome because those are the times when possibility arises. And then in transformational communities. There's room found for reassurance. A new methods of coping with difficulties. There's an openness that we might hear a new idea and it might help us deal with the new difficulties. And finally a transformational community. Has room in it to make it safe. For those who are about change to practice the change they are growing into. Transformational communities are made up of people who are willing to be there within four people. Even if they don't totally understand those people. Because agents of change are often not understood. Until the rest catch up with where they are. Some real challenges for any community of people. The challenge to be. One or the other. Either be an agent of change and transformation. Or to be a member of a community of transformation that empowers those who are doing the work. And both of them. Are worthy. Tasks. Village of the bend in the river. One person was the agent of change. By the end the whole community. Was a transformational community. Each giving in her way or his way so that levy could be built. 1 changing. Caressed facilitating the change. And if they hadn't worked together. They would still be flooded out. Forever. And so the challenge for each and everyone of us. Is which would we be. Will we be that agent of change that's out there in the front of the march that's leading the procession that's running into the council meetings that is going into congress. Doing all those kind of things. Or will we do the equally important. And equally hard work of being supportive transformational community. Set alarms those others to do their work. Or will we choose the third option of two. That's where i'm afraid we too often go. Which is the chews that third option which is to become a spectator on the side of the path when there's only two pads we can take. If we truly believe that the role of religion as we believe it and liberalism is to be transformational about the world and therefore transformational about ourselves. Then we have one of those two tasks and standing by the sidelines and saying that's not how i want to play the game is not one of the options. Soi challenge. To either making a difference. Or supporting a difference in the making. A world waits out there for our transforming ministries. A world away to each of you. For being involved in that process of transformation. How will you respond. Will you make a difference. Or how about a difference. That is in the making. The choice. Is h.

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darwin.mp3

I'm going to ask you to remember something. I hope it's not too painful a memory. I'm going to ask you to remember algebra. I see you remember. Sure that section in algebra graphing. Yeah they would give you an equation and then you could for any value of x find the value of y and put it on a chart and sooner or later you'd get a series of those together and you might get a line segment or whatever. And then there was the start of converse of that. That they would show you a graph and on it would be. Appoint or more than one points. I know it's a. Tell us the equation. For one of those points i remember that. Azizi if there's only one point. That was a simple formula. Can i give you two points. Some kind of simple linear equation. Batman give you three points and now we're getting into the exponential quadratics and all that and 5 and 6 and 7. Can you learn was. That no matter how many points they gave you. If you had a sufficient number of variables possible and then powers to deal with it you could eventually connect. Every single one of the docs they gave you into an equation. Might be equation so complex as to not be able to figure it out within one. so they set aside his homework instead. Ultimately there be this fantastic equation then would come the kicker question. Given points a b c and d. Find the equation which links them. Dino the brains are hurting already this is. And then they were tossed in the. If point e. Has a value of x equal to 10 what is the y-coordinate for pointy. Of course that was a trick question. Trip because it didn't say. What would be the value in the equation for a b c and d. Because outside of that equation you can't answer the question within any equation within a graph you can figure out anyting. But simply because you have an equation here. Does not mean you can predict where the next point will come. Finding a pattern among set a results. Is not predictive. It's only descriptive. In statistics there is a phrase that is often repeated that says the same thing. Correlation. Does not imply causation. No matter how many observations you make. You cannot do any better. Then creating a probability. Of something being true. Unless of course you have the universal formula. That works on everything. The requirement of any scientific inquiry. Always seek to improve the level of probability. And probability. Of a certain understanding being true. Is increased in two ways. One way. Is by increasing the number of observations by expanding the sample by seeking out more instances in which the hypothesis can be tested. The bigger the sample the better the results. And the other is by modifying the hypothesis so that the more of the observations fit within the hypothesis the better the description. The better the siri. It's like that ever more complex equation that would link more and more points. Ssi's there's always known what it needs to do is look for a larger sample as possible and as inclusive of formula as possible. And even then all it's doing. Is maximizing the probabilities. That has been the course of development of human thought as well. Observe more. And then refine our underlying understandings to include all of those observations. When observation appears to contradict our understandings with floor further we ask questions was that a single anomaly or have we come across some kind of pattern that's larger than what we seen before. And if it is the latter. Then we change our understandings. The path of schumann personal intellectual and cultural development has been created in this manner. As overwhelming understandings. Growing by samples being larger and understanding larger overlapping each other behaving ourselves out. To the future. That path which has been lined by a series of understanding eve growing on each other but moving ahead in time. Is litter. Is litter. With the 16 cepted but now discredited understandings which were discarded. Because their descriptions of experience could no longer hold all the experiences of reality. We can easily recall the names of some of those schemes which have been discarded. Wittnauer simply the debris of human thought and development. Things like. Chronology. Eugenics. Alchemy. And things of the why kill. Are reminders of the allure. And often the painful illusion. I'm simplistic reduction. A complex reality. The understandings. Which have paved our way here. And the understandings with no lie like so much to breathe along the path of life. Can be differentiated by one very simple contrast. What is on the path. And what is discarded you can tell the difference. Easily. What has evolved into our most useful interpretations. Have always begun inexperience. And ended up by shaping our understanding. And what has been discarded has always begun in understanded standings and then been imposed upon experience. The theoretical distinction. Between those two i think comes alive for us when we consider one man. That one man's experience. The understandings which derived from his experiences. The ways in which those understandings influences thinking. And the ways in which his thoughts then inform his beliefs. The man. Charles darwin. His experience. The natural world especially portions of the natural world which had not previously been included in prevailing theories. His understanding. That in the fullness of time. Elements of experience will naturally select those traits of being an inheritance. Which will survive to define life forms in the future. His thinking. That life is a form which is a valving process. And then his beliefs based on all that. That the force of creation in the universe is a source of possibility. Not of design. Now with the publication of his grape origin of the species in 1859. Darwin became a focal point of a struggle between two systems of understanding. In fact he became more controversial than did his theory. And he quickly had his theory change of being a smoking a cigarette evolution to being labelled darwinism. They wanted to pick on him. Why. The reaction to darwin. What's ms. Compared with the reaction to newton before him. Einstein after him. Why would that be so. Wasn't because his theories dealt with human beings and the others dealt with objects. Possibly to some extent. Essentially no that wasn't it. Was it because of his own personal religious beliefs. Well maybe to a little degree. Again essentially no. Rather it was because his theory was a result of something more threatening. Then the theory itself. Cruel to his own findings. Darwin understood that future exploration and experience would provide so many new and other finding that eventually his own theory would be outmoded. You'll be superseded by being included into even more complex theories. What is taken as human intelligence. In this understanding. Is the result of an endless progression of experience. Theory. More experience. More theory more inclusive experience more inclusive theory. Arising from that intelligence. Is the human capacity to shape understandings. Indra beliefs. Beliefs which then inform our moral choices. Nrs occult practices. Are ethical practices in our moral choices are good. To the extent that they conform. You are most evolved understanding of existence as we experience it. Darwin never never ever created. Evolve human intelligence. Corridor should supplant religious faith. Do you know that science would never have all the answers to all the questions and that demeaning if we live in the places and spaces between the answers. Religious faith would give a context for belief. Prevention would become the vehicle. 4 coupling science is best understandings as descriptive reality. To our own beliefs. As a basis for our moral reality. In this view. Religion accepts the insights of science. Which by their very nature are empirical not value statements. And uses them as cut stones upon which a rational reasonable faith can be built. And that is precisely. What's so many found appalling about darwin. He shifted the role of what has been called religion and what has been called science. The classic formula was that beliefs. Would determine experience. I'll see it when i believe it. And the new notion was the opposite. I'll believe it when i see it. That's the battle has been fought for 150 years. It has been fought on the basis of heresy. Darwin was labeled an atheist. Although he never ever denied a divine force. He simply denied the way it was put into the church in amityville or reformation form. It has been fought on the basis of authority. Numerous attempts have been made to force the inclusion of biblical curriculum into our schools as an antidote for the so-called. Godless science. It has been fought on the basis of apes. Scopes trial was highlighted by all kinds of depictions of ape-men. And references to the lineage of simians. And what heresy. An authority. And even the apes have failed. The latest attempt is pseudoscience. It's an almost if you can't beat them join them on teeth. The argument shift away from theology. Shift away from authority shift away from the pender dependency and ascendancy to focus on an issue of availability. All you need to do. Isn't the darwinists relationship of science and religion. And do so by pointing out. The inadequacy of science. This new animal. Dressed up with the modern language of intelligent design makes a simple argument. Since current scientific theory cannot explain everything. Anniversary of impose design in heron of the system can. Intelligent design must be more scientific. Then the old scientific approach. In other words if i've got an answer for everything it beats anyone whose only got some answers. Even if the quality the answer is different. Central to this approach. Is this notion that there are elements in nature so complex that they cannot be explained by any comprehensive theory. Other than being an original design. A product of a supremely more intelligent being. They point to the fact that we have yet to develop develop a unified field theory while we are living within a unified field. Which can be measured and verified so therefore there must be some greater design because. We surely will be able to detect it. Is weather. Every fossil. Which does not fit neatly into the prevailing pattern of explored evolution. Is seen as more proof. Set design is more powerful than the explorations of science. We're right back to that trick algebra question points abc and d given those. What about the point. According to this theory because you can't prove the equation fits e. Mathematics itself must fail. And your way can't say anything about anything mathematically. Rather you could only say pointy must be part of some plan that mathematics can't determine. Tell all over this country controversy has arisen over the demands that intelligent design be taught alongside evolution. As a science. Since it has more descriptive an inclusive than any of the traditional scientific theories. Intelligent design research goes looking for evidence of patterns of design which are not explained by science isn't it amazing that they go looking for a pattern and you know what they find. A pattern. Rested all you like. What you have now is what we have had so often in the past another attempt. To reassert outdated understanding of the balance between knowledge and faith between science and religion. The battle over evolution even the battle over darwin is not about evolution or about darling. What about the role of religion in the role of human meaning-making. To our beliefs. Determine our experiences. Or do our experiences. Inform our beliefs. Is simple to remember what has happened when the precursors of intelligent design at prevail. In the time of the inquisition. The great depression of those days many of the advances what we now count as modern medicine. Or burned at the stake. In the repression of the victorian age many of the advances of psychology and sociology were prescribed. Religious fundamentalism has ruled either here or abroad. Advancing technologies have often been forsaken. For conforming theologies. But it's harder to see what happens in those same circumstances. To the very core of religion itself. Here's the paradox. In the name of religion. Something like intelligent design is brought forward and it does its most destructive work on religion. And not on science. Inherent and intelligent design is a notion about the creative force in the universe. God if you will. And that understanding. Is that once underway destructive. Ultimately presumptuous. Bordering on demagoguery. Intelligent design dare presume to know the nature of the divine. Far better than the confessed agnosticism of darwin there is this arrogance certainty. And the presumed nature of the divine. Is one of design creation. And what's the both the creator. And the created. Into patterns. Without any automatic possibility. A further dimension. Intelligent design assumes a divinity. With limited creative possibilities it's like saying god you could do it then you can't do it now. The god we can encounter is a god of design from back then. Back at some point of beginning. Inanna god not a divine not a creative force. Which is currently. The essence of unlimited possibilities and potential. Intelligent design men reduces humanity from being one of the greys examples of creation we decided on to simply being some kind of large detective looking for the underlying patterns of the handiwork of a forest who stopped being creative long ago. Not only is god not capable of evolving. But god's creation is not capable of evolving. Intelligent design presumed to know the nature of the divine. And the divinity necessary to sustain its arguments. Has only limited possibility and creativity. Darlin darwin would be cringing i suspect. Not only is the pseudoscience doing a great disservice to science. And not only is it doing a great disservice to the growth and development of humanity. It's automatically doing a disservice. To the divine force of creation itself. And all of this is being debated in the area of science. Well it's something that really belongs in the arena of religion. And we don't help the situation any. We do not help the situation when we attempt to engage. Intelligent design in scientific argumentation. That's not the true debate. The true debate as the one which darwin challenges us with. A century-and-a-half ago. Will we allow our best. Most intelligent. Most evolved insights into the creative nature existence to inform our beliefs. Or will we allow our beliefs. To limit our intellectual insights into the nature creation. The path of history is clear. The ever-evolving understandings are ever evolving intelligence that we gather from our world will pave the way to the future. All those beliefs which narrow our journey. And what's still our creative minds. Will after i prime a struggle. They come just some more litter along the highway of advancement. Just some more discarded pseudoscience and idolatrous religion. Just more of that one serve petty needs. Rather than enhance. The ever-evolving. Ever creative larger community. For me. I choose darling. Not for his theory of evolution. But for his recognition of the creative rule religion. In relation to our best knowing. Remember the great phrase was not believe and be blind everything else. But rather seek. And you shall find.

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money.mp3

The archaeologist. Chloe queen. The handful of metal discs. She is found in the ruins. The accumulation of the ages slowly wipes away. To review ancient coins. Shiny again. They were the pieces of commerce 70 long since departed civilization. They are now the instruments by which we understand people. People who live. People who make choices people who worship people who created people who played people traveled people who hate people just like you and me. They were the coins and instruments of daily life. Like we enjoy. The archaeologist turns them over in her hands. And questions. Come to her mind. What do the images on these coins tell us. About the values of those ancient people. Given the original value of these coins. Were these the coins of wealth. For the coins of poverty. And what about the location where the where they were found. Were these the coins of necessity. What is the coins of hope worthy's the goings of pressure release the coins of fear. Were they the small pocket change of a wealthy merchant bearing the image of a grade a. They were casually tossed into an alms box in some temple. A mere trifle commitment to the needs of others. Reviews the prized possessions of a poor slave during the signs and symbol of an imperialistic state. Buried secretly in the earth. In hopes of a future purchased freedom. Resist common coins. A common people. Emblazoned with the sacred icon of a city-state. Found in the fossilized till of a bakery. She places them carefully. She places them slowly. Underwear table. Arranging them in a line. She looks at them. For a very very long time. And then mysteriously she reaches into her own pocket. And onto the table she slowly carefully places. The contents of her own pockets. And she wonders what. A colleague in that unimaginable future time with say. If that colleague were cataloging. Her possessions. Slowly she takes what's in her pockets. And she arranges them in a line. There's the cluster of keys. Some of them i'm blazing with the icon of the great multinational automakers. Does she worship them. Song with special writing on them woodward's. Liking yeah once ladle. Others generically alike. So like she herself off and gets the wrong one in the slot. Would anyone ever know. What these keys represent in her life. Security. Freedom. Access. Fear. Employment. Are coins a few not many. One of them with some man of another century on one side. And some building called monticello on the other. Several smaller darker coins with another man of the past. Emma colonnaded monument. Hungry verse. A larger shinier coin with another long deadman on it. An inexplicably riverside extolling the state flower of south carolina. What would the future make of this. And several green slips of paper. Currency money cash. Again the long-dead white man. Again the monuments. And many strange iconic symbols. Does she really know she wanders who and what these men really were. What allegiance does she owe them. Or does she owe them anything. As little as she thinks of these men and their symbols did her ancients have any greater clue about the emperor's upon their coins. She looks at the line of coins and keys in bilaspur pocket. And she finds other questions coming to mine. Pressure coming to possession of these things. Where did they come from. Where will they go. She takes out a piece of paper. And slowly begins cutting it. Until she has some slips the same size as the bills in front of her. She begins with a magic marker to add her own totems and icons. She decorates with flowers. On her bills trees replace monuments. On the face of it built she leaves a large center frame and wonders whose portrait she would put there. If she could choose to honor. What she strive to honor in her life. Why she works she begins the daydream. She begins to dream that she can really create money. You can create money which will bear the images. What's speak to her values. She sees her spending that money out of choice not a necessity she pictures having that money to others and them accepting it at face value. She can change her money. Better money can change her life and her life can change the world. Coins from some ancient past. Awakening in the present. A dream of the future. And what about for you. Suppose you were able to create your own money. What would be on it. Whose picture would be front and center. And why. What would you instill into those bills by your choice of design. Always you represent. Who you are. And what you value. Not pitching whole pot for bills with people like margaret sanger and henry david thoreau and dorothea dix and clara barton and hadley stevenson on them. I'm dreaming about a world in which every time i conduct the transaction. Everyone involved can visibly see. Signs of what i value. What is important to me what vision for a better world i hoard. Or maybe best of all for unitarian universalist. I think i would have bills containing my own picture. Pictures. You would too. Bills of all denominations with your picture on it. Everything you earn truly would be paying to you with bills with your picture on it. Everything you spent. Paid for with bills with your picture on it. But wait. This gets complicated. Where were you and received payment. For something you had no earned. You receive bills with somebody else's picture on it. For example. You would be reminded each time by an adult sees picture that she remembered you and her estate. Or you might see the face of an anonymous third-world worker. Every time you receive a dividend check from a multinational. We men might see the face of a woman on some of the bills. That we would receive. Because our earnings are dependent on the underpayment of women. Wheaton whites might have to look at the face of a black person on some of our bills. Knowing that white privilege. Hurry. some of our money. Even more challenging would be the trail of bills we would leave as we would spend what was our money. People could trace our spending by looking for our picture. Archaeologists we could until then and see are they spending that money on a luxury suv. Or they putting in what community development fund. Are they using it in the till the local merchants. Are we finding it in the cash register about giant conglomerate. Wasn't given to a community of faith in vision. Or was it spent on the latest fashion craze. Our faces. With tell what we value. But you and i all know that's not going to happen. We're not going to get ourselves on our money. We're not even going to get our chosen heroes on our money. Nor will we ever see flaming chalices on the reverse side of our bills. We cannot choose. How our money will look. But we can choose how our money will be spent. We can make choices as if everyone could look at the money. And know how we spend it. We can act as if we use our money as an indicator that is a public statement about what we truly value. We can choose to see that money has a much greater value than the dollar figure printed on it. Because it represents. The values of our lives. We can understand that our choices about money not only express who we are. But also help shape us into becoming who we would like to be. In this country. The top 1%. That has so much money. Then no matter what choices they make. It's not going to have much of a effect upon their lives. I'm not talking about them this morning. Another 25% of our population whose resources are so limited. But they can only make decisions about survival. And i'm not talking about them this more. But in between those two. There is 74% of our population. Who have what is sort of. Poetically referred to as discretionary income. Who have some level money. The spend on their own choices. Yes there's some in this group who are so imbued with scarcity thinking that all they can do is to make the choice to harold that money against them unseen fear in the future. And there are also many in this group who are so nonchalant about their choices that their money has little impact. And then there are those who understand. That the grace of their discretionary income. Opens a world of abundance. It no longer matters in the glass as half-empty or half-full it matters what's in the glass. By their choices these people. Who stands to inherit abundance of life in the world a world that is more sustaining more inclusive more abundant. These are the people who. If their bills could be traced to their faces. Go to bed each night content with their choices. And proud of their ability to make some difference. These are the people who look for connections and affiliations and support those connections and affiliations. Which have is their purpose or more sustaining more inclusive more abundant world for everyone. Turn to. And in turn they give to those organizations whose capital in the world. Brings hope and promise to others. I know this. For myself. I have a core set of values. I have an engaging vision for how the world might be. I have chosen to commit my life. To one of those institutions of similar value and vision. I know that if institutional money also contained a corporate image on it. The money of my chosen organization would be money i could probably show in public. I know it'd be a currency welcomed in the wider world. When people would see that currency. They would always know that they're going to be treated fairly. Just play. Equitably. They would know it as the money of connection. Not of difference. How do i know this. Because in fact it is thin true. In history. The tradition i commit myself. When they wanted to serve the needs of displaced people after world war ii. Put an icon of that faith upon the shipping crates. And everyone who received it new strangers all over the world new. That there was a gift of goodness inside. I know this because the same organization has always reached out in times of need and times of crisis with the symbols on it like a face on a bill which is always men. Help for everyone with no. triangle strings attached. I know because it is taken action for larger values in the company of others and when it has its name and its logo has always been a welcomed addition to the causes of freedom and equality. I know this because in the streets of selma. Airport of the courts in massachusetts and other places around this country on issues of racial and sexual liberty and freedom and equality. This is a logo on a name. That has been welcomed. Because unitarian-universalism has always chosen to commit its resources and weighs consistent not only with its stated values. But with mine as well. So i choose to get my energy. My talents my life and my money to this our religious movement. Because i know if any archaeologists of the future where to find my trail of spending. I would want it to show that i had to spend my money. On what i hold most dear. Now here in this community i make that commitment very real. I do it by giving to this congregation. In the ways that this congregation will in the next year reach out to the larger community in search of real inclusion. Justice and education. I will be investing in my values. In the ways in which this congregation next year invests in program for children and youth i will be investing in my values. In the ways in which this congregation will hold vigil for religious and civil rights against an onslaught of the parochial in the sectarian. I will be investing in my values. In the ways in which this congregation will join forces with the large denomination of community to affect change worldwide i will be investing in my values. I give this congregation. So that we can express a sense of abundance through a generosity of presence in the community. Showing others. Where we place our collective values. I give to this congregation. Because to do otherwise would leave a legacy of betrayal of what i say and what i know i value most. I give as if my money did have my picture on it. Because i want others to know what i truly value. How about you. Will you give as if your money had your picture on it. So others will know what you're truly value. There is so much we could do together. Get together we choose to do it. There is so much we can give to the world. If together. We choose. To give.

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notstandalone.mp3

Couple of short readings this morning the first one comes from an italian patriot. Giuseppe mazzini. What a great name. He reminds us. We improve. With the improvement of humanity. Nor without the improvement of the whole can you hope that your own moral and material condition will improve. Generally speaking. You cannot. Even if you would separate your life from that of humanity. You live in it. Buy it. Foreign. Ask yourself. Whenever you do an action in the sphere of your country or your family. If what i am doing were to be done by all and for all. Who did advantage. Or injure. Humanity. My second reading is from a chicagoan. Social reformer jane addams. She wrote. We are learning that a standard of social ethics. Is not attained by traveling a sequestered byway. But by mixing on the throng and common road. We're almost turn out for one another. The identification with the common law. Which is the essential idea of democracy. Becomes thesaurus and expression. Of social ethics. It is as though we thirsted to drink at the great wells of human experience. Because we knew that a dainty hour or less potent draft. Would not carry us to the end of the journey. Going forward as we must. In the heat. And the jostle. Of the crowd. Want to ask you to do something. If it's necessary. And that is to put aside. Your own personal theology for the next. About 10 minutes. Cuz i'm going to ask you to picture yourself. And i might ask you to picture yourself in a situation. It's your own personal theology doesn't get you to. Travel with me please. I'd like the picture of you picture yourself. Suddenly standing. Before the almighty. There you are you and jehovah. Allah. The brahmin. God. You are standing. Face to face. With all that is. And you find yourself in this situation. Because you have been delegated to be a religious person. How does that come as a surprise to you. Yet here you are. One on one with the divine because it has been alleged that you. Are deeply religious person. Envy all of all that is invites into your mind a question. How have you come before me. And your mind runs through all the possible answers. You discard the obvious one because. You need to discard them or ethnic one. New minot. None of the brief simply obvious seems up to the task. And so you'll quickly do a review and your head of religious studies 101. What have you been told. About being a religious person. Religious person. Isn't. Being religious supposed to be about the spiritual. Rather than the physical. So the religious person must be one who has found a way. The transcend the physical. The material realm. How do you do that. So you try to remember what you've been told about various paths. Various traditions. Various religions. And you remember that stump pass have suggested. That sucks transcendence can only be found one. Renounces all desires. Life so often seems to flow out of simply wants and needs. Without any meaning larger than the fulfillment of our own personal desires. Meeting those desires. Does not lead to religious meaning. So maybe the renunciation. What open a possibility. You could be coming bedded in nothing. You could belong to nothing you would have allegiance to nothing because you would recognize that nothing of this world. Is a real meaning. Wait. You remember that other path suggested. Set the transcendence you're looking for has to come through a life of obedience. You must obey the commandments of the divine. All the commands and demands of society fall away in the face of this supposed higher obligation to god. You would approach the status of religious personhood by looking past the duties and the obligations you might feel in this world. And focusing totally. Beyond. The reference point for all your thoughts. For all your words for all your actions would be in service of the sacred. Not the profane. Extreme longest path everything in the physical world would become associated with imperfection failure because real meaning. Arises elsewhere. Wait a minute. You're also remembering that there are other pads to that transcendence. And it's gotten to a life of surrender. Song with tell you you can never discern the will of the divine. So the best you can hope for. If you strive to be a religious person. It is a life of all. And prayer. Anything less. And you associate yourself with the material world we just hopeful it was filled with sin. But anything more than just all in prayer. Would be to idolatrous we elevate yourself as if a god. Accepting that you'll never know the fullness of the divine. You submit yourself to divine mercy and goodness. Nothing you do other than sucks submission to divine is meaning or will matter. And you also remember that there other traditions that point out another path that says if you want to transcend everything it's here you can only do that. Find something that humanity will never be able to approach. Or depreciate the divine directly. And it's only if you accept a mediator a messenger of messiah that you can become a religious person. Another time another place another person. That's tricky. You will not live directly. Vicariously. Your realities will only remind you. Of the true essential realities. Savaria stand. You can tell by the way that the question. Is burning deep into your psyche. But your answer is truly awaited. Patiently. Or maybe not so patient night. How have you come before me. And your head is swimming with all these possible pants. You search yourself for answers from each of these traditions. How have i separated myself from demands the world. How am i approached the divine transcended my physical material condition submitted myself to the holy in whom do i trust as a messenger of god how have i been most spiritual. In one way or another we are told. A religious person has dispensed with all relationship to the world. And to all beings who are simply of the world. Have i done that. Your mind is stammering. You're stuttering through remembered prayers. Your hands are clutching for knots and prayer shawls or for beads of rosaries. Your knees are sinking toward the ground or rugs. Your eyes are imaging icons. Your ears are seeking the deep silence of meditation. And in that silence. Into your consciousness. Comes a thought. Which you know you did not think. Can i think of anything. That is outside all that is. And then it dawns on you. You are standing before all that is. Using all of your energies. The try to find a way to define yourself. As transcending or denying or ignoring. Some portion of that being that is all. You are looking for an answer. Which will set you apart. As an answer to a question posed by that which is the ultimate universal unity. How incongruous can you get. But that's been the general religious answer. Approach which is all. By denying some portion of all. What a trap. Way back when. Two millennia ago. Our religious traditions unitarianism and universalism began. And they offered their own answers. The unitarians very simply argued that whatever it was divine. Slowed from a divine. Was shirley a unity. Incapable of division. And the universalist argued. Get the inherent creative loving nature of the divine. Was infused into all the universe. Incapable of being withheld. From any portion of that unity. Chanel early on our tradition fell into a trap. They're almost every theological position. Falls into. That is that we begin to develop and proclaim our beliefs. Much more in reaction to the beliefs of others. Denison expression of our own beliefs. For example you just think about the modern roman catholic church. It has over the centuries. Open much more shaped. In reaction to believe so that labels us heresies. Never was shaped by its own orthodoxies. Much of what we call the modern roman catholic church is simply a reaction to the reformation. But we do it too. We define ourselves more to defend against the beliefs of others. Then to expand our own beliefs. At all those other traditions. Suggested that the desired path. Cord that he desired transcendence. Was based on some denial of the individual. We focused our unified universal appreciation on affirming that individual. As an integral part of the path. Attack. Against the unending onslaught. A rigid denials of the worth of the individual. We seem to have become the religion of the individual. And surely we often act as if that's what unitarianism and universalism is all about. Let's be honest with each other we often behave as if all of thor t. Even the authority that we have chosen and participatory communities should be define. We often suspect any decision. Made by our community. Unless it was made with our participation at our absolute agreement. We often see conspiracies against the ultimate sanctity of individual rights in everything. But isn't it ironic. That we do all that acting out. In a community. We don't stay home. We don't sit in hermitage isn't wearing. Sit there by ourselves thinking these things. We asked to be with others to think these things. Even as we act out our worst idiosyncratic reactions. To the assaults on the worth of individuals. We inherently believe. No one. Stan's. Alone. Our unitarian universalist religious tradition calls us back. Calls us back forks lee former behavioral individualism. Every calls us to that image of a unity of all existence. Calls us back to the infusion all that existence. With creative possibility. We each. Individually. And we all collectively. Are part of that unity. And therefore we each individually. And we all collectively are embodiments of that creative possibility. What we do as part of that unity. And what we do with that creative possibility. Is of interest not only to us as individuals. Also to us as a whole. Is a whole family. As a whole congregation. As a whole community as a whole state as a whole nation as a world as parts of the universe as parts of all that is. What does it mean. Be part of that unity. What does it mean. Somebody that creative possibility. On the one hand it means we carry with us the deepest of obligation. And on the other hand means we are graced with a great. Release and relief. Are deep obligation. Is 2. The whole. Knowing that we cannot separate ourselves from all that is. Knowing that we cannot honestly individually. Is if we had no responsibility beyond ourselves. Knowing that is both modern physics and classicist john donne informs us what we do and what we fail to do affects the whole. Our lives take on their deepest meaning. In relationship. For unitarian universalist. Probably the only thing which can be definitely and certainly called a sin. Is a failure to act. When one could have enacted. In a situation. Which one should have known. That their action was needed by others. That would be to fail to look for fail to see the target of our lives played out against the backdrop of a hole. The stand-alone. As if we are not part of the larger drama as being. Is arson. But what then. Of the value rugged individualism of ours. We need to remember. At the individual. Is a tool. Not an end. If it is kept. Like a well-oiled but she's ass. In the woodshed when they need to show a path for refugees from life suppressions what good is that acts. Beside individual is like an access honed and warn overtime through the use in service to others. Is perfection. Its protection. Important. Dennis usefulness. We believe that we defend our individual gifts and talents against the usurpations and oppressions of this side in dogma. Only so that they can be of greater service. Not simply. For our own pleasure or security. And what is that great release and relief. It is knowing that we do not stand alone. We both need not stand alone and cannot stand alone we are always connected into a great web of being a cloud of witnesses which infuse us with the strength. The wisdom the skills to creativity the realize potential of others. We are relieved that we don't have to do it all ourselves. But that all remains only potential. Until we find graceful ways. Surrendering a portion of our individualism. Inter-community. With each spread of connection by which will unite our lives. With the lives of others and mutuality. Reform those communities. In which we can express the best of ourselves. And receive the deepest of what we need. Such real communities. Become microcosms. Of that great unity. The holy hole. Are ever more inclusive living in community with others helps us to experience the potential of the universe. And therefore helps us to realize. The potential of the universe. So there are you stan. You're in front of the almighty. You've been summoned. And you must say how you come to be there. You search for the deepest religious meaning in your life. And you find yourself saying simply. I believe that no one stands alone. And i live as if i believe it. And we believe that the response to that answer. Is a cosmic. Smile.

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interdependence.mp3

Have you ever found that there was something which appeared. Radically simple to you on first appearance. But which over time took on greater complexity. For example. How about the simple phrase. It was good. You know where that comes from. Somebody must know it was good. Genesis. It is good. My translation says it was good. Hookers and translations. See it's getting complex already. But think about it in the book of genesis within the hebrew scriptures. You have this phrase repeated six times. Within the first few chapters. The first benediction. The first affirming blessing of all existence. But then you started thinking about it. If everything was good. It's goodness was imbued and all that was created. Why do all the religions which arise in the abrahamic tradition. Using those scriptures then become so focused. An inherited evil. And not the initial goodness. Simple phrase. Complexity when you get into it. Court how about this phrase all men are created equal. Where's that coming from. Declaration of independence. Seems simple five words which on one level would probably mean when see a lot of firming head-nodding. But that all of a sudden other levels creep in. And we begin to argue how can you have a world of equality. In a world of unique individuals. Can you have a world of equality when there's not mention of women. How can you have a world of equality. With the implied exclusion of people of color because in those days they were not considered to be men. If we are all equal. Why has so much which is derived from that document. Better focus on the ways that we're not equal. Or how about this phrase. Worth and dignity. Of every person you know where that comes from. Uu purposes and principles hanging back there. No it's interesting as i talk with unitarian universalist. I've never met a unitarian universalist who disagreed with that statement. But i've rarely found anyone who completely agrees with it. I am a lipstick sounds inviting. But then out there in the fray of life it becomes her to stuck in her throat when acts of evil seem to confound its essence. We may say it. But we're always putting asterix up there with it. What seems to be a simple statement gets very complex. At the other end. Of those principles there's another one of those simple seeming phrases. Respect for the interdependent web of all existence. Of which we are apart. I remember when i first saw that phrase being proposed for addition to our purposes and principles. I know exactly what that simple statement men. Clear statement about our place in the natural world. I'm being reminded that i do not live by myself alone but depend upon an entire environment for support. I'm reminded that is modern physics demonstrates to us there is no cause anywhere in the universe. Without which affects all the rest of the universe. I feel called to look deeply and how i relate to all the systems. By which i'm enriched. To which i'm born sheltered warmed fadden enhanced. Overtime. I found myself going back again and again. And looking at the seemingly simple statement. And then i started to send something deeper. Something more profound something more provocative alive in those words. He knows i was talking with the young people today. I asked the question of them. Is there anything i can conceive of. What stands out early alone. Fairchance dancer so. But you didn't. So is there anything that you can conceive of which stands out early alone. Any proposals. Loneliness. The homeless person. Both of those are always being the first. Loneliness and the homeless person are usually being then to find over and against some other state and therefore i could argue there's a connection. God as the creative force for the uncreated. Is that the sort of sense of that. Can we say that something stands alone because ever created anyting. Doesn't the act of creation. In fact create relationship. So by the very act of creation you are no longer a part or alone. A week at 5 continue to home that down but i think we would probably get to the point where we could not. Given our way of perceiving the world. Our ability to use word we could not name something it stands apart. Because of mr. depart we could name it see it or know it. Didn't the world that we know. There's nothing separate. So that when we speak about the interdependent web of all existence. We are radically using the word all. And not just saw it's not the interdependent web of some existence we're aiming at all and we mean. And that leads me. To ask some other questions. Questions such as. What is this mean overtime. Is the web of all existence time-limited. Does it only apply to that which is contemporary. Let me suggest. Thrifty all existence is limited only to what is happening now we would have it automatically contradicted what we would have just said that everything is automatic connected. If only what applies is what exists at the present moment. Then we could conceive of many things. Which would be in time standing apart and alone. For example all history up until this moment. Will therefore be outside the definition of all. All of the future. Would be outside of it. And therefore all existence would not be all existence. Sometime cannot be a limiting factor of the definition of all existence. But we already knew that in a sense. So much. Of what we experience as life had its genesis in time past. Our very dna. Carries with it the history of our evolution the path across time of our own genesis. We are tied intimately to what has been. But then also we are tied intimately cuz that which will be. Because in any future there will be a link back to our now. So we are tied in the way to a future with has not even happened. Nothing across time. Is ever separate. Which means nothing that has ever been. Is lost in the web of existence. And those plain echoes of the future with ripple across our present are there as well. Just try to imagine. The complexity of all existence. When time is no longer a limiting factor. But then last ask another question. Is the web of all existence physically limited. Does it only apply to that which is material. Again let me suggest that if we say all existence is only material. We will also contradict what we already know and professed. I know that my life. Is comprised of much more than the mirror material. My experiencing of love. Given and received. Is not material. Even as neurobiology finds physical pathways of excitation. There are synchronistic with the feelings of love. The material element cannot be shown clearly to be positive. In other words. Our emotions may have markers with your physical. But we can't say whether it is the marker that causes the feeling or the feeling that causes the marker. If we were to exclude our entire emotional life from the all of the all existence. 10 something essential to what we call being alive. What stand-up park. And alone and someone unreal. Likewise my life has been filled with experiences. I would call spiritual. And i expect most of us in this room. Have had similar experiences. Whether we paid more or less attention to them. We had them. Moments when we had an apprehension. That transcended the limitations of time and space. Indeed the people that we venerate across the history of humanity have always been those who have lived such deeply spiritual lives. The people who know about wisdom of existence. That is not merely material. Why would something not a part of our existence. Have such a meaning. So begin to think about the complexity of all existence. When there are no longer any physical limits. Tell the meaning of the word all. I think you can see where i'm inviting us all to go. We've inherited a cultural understanding. Which is based upon the boundaries. Development of modern culture has grown upon the power of differentiations. By which existence has been limited according to some defining qualities. Long ago the defining qualities of the world were tribal. The web of all existence. What's the web of the tribe. As tribes expanded in conquest and defeat. Those defining qualities mutated into larger units. Kingdoms. Empires nations. Tribal rituals. Expanded through the alluring wisdom of profits and christ. Hindu religions. And then into movements. Every movement of culture. Included first a braking. Forester mounting of old boundaries. And then an establishment of new boundaries. The smaller circle. Now surrounded with a larger circle. But a defining limiting circle nonetheless. And every circle of cultural development. Weather in guilin larkin the definition to some extent. Never included. All of existence. Indeed the development of religion has always been about finding new boundaries. Which define what is to be taken as the reality of all existence. And then declaring those new boundaries to be the ultimate boundaries beyond which there is nothing. But all statements of boundaries. Imply the existence. Of something outside the boundaries. When a religious tradition claims to know the limits of meaning. It is silently implying and a serving the reality. Of that which transcends itself. When i say faith can only go this far. Second only be true if i perceive there something beyond. Otherwise why proclaim the boundary. Into the historical frame of religion. We then have us entering with this brave seemingly simple little sentence. Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. We really believe in the meaning of that three-letter word all. Religion would be transformed from being a bot content. To being about process. And believing in the interdependence of all existence of which we are apart. We are pledging ourselves. Strive for a radical openness through which we seek not to look for boundaries. But beyond the friendly confines of familiar boundaries. We pledge ourselves to look to be challenged. As much as to be confirmed. All that is theory. What is that mean in practice. Well for some historical figures like william ellery channing and 1820. It meant that he would look beyond the boundaries of orthodox christianity. Begin to ask questions about the meaning of jesus. An individual contemporary lives. He looked beyond the boundaries of the surgical christianity where you couldn't very comfortably remain in familiarity. Invented in the 1920s. People like edmund wilson and clinton lee scott and numerous others. What then look beyond christian unitarianism. As put forth by channing. To inquire about the meaning of the human mind in the development of the modern world. They look beyond the boundaries of traditional unitarianism to humanism. Well they could just have easily have comfortably remained in the familiar. Reminds us of people like miguel cervantes. Pushing the envelope of faith in 16th century europe. Like john murray proposing universalism in a world of familiar eighteenth-century methodism. Play john haynes holmes advocating religious pacifism in the culture of world war when unitarian and universalist the like so military action is their religious duty. People throughout our tradition. I've tried to live out the implications. I'm seeking. All existence is the meaning of religious meaning-making. Not just some. Those adventurers into the all of all existence understood that the religious challenge for religious liberals has always been. To look wider. Farther. Deeper. Not to sit comfortably. Within the knowing boundaries. But then what does that mean for us. Sitting here in these familiar comfortable boundaries here in the early 2000s. I'll speak out of my own life journey. For many years i lived comfortably. The similarity of an affirming religious humanism which sustained me through many life events. I always knew it wasn't the limit of my understanding. It was simply a portal. A window through which i could see even wider perspectives. In time i found a way. Which could be true for me. That could integrate all of that into something even larger. Knowing that no truth i could ever claim whatever be the whole truth. And certainly not the capital t type of truth. There would always be more in the all the existence. Then would be contained in any of my limited appreciation. Then what about. For you. If you truly believe in the interdependent web of all existence of which we are all apart. Then you will always know. There is more to be appreciated. More to be understood. More to be incorporated than even what you take to be true today. Your wife and your beliefs will always be a journey not an arrival. Knowing that anytime you presume you have arrived. You will be denying what you claim to believe. And in fact you'll be denying the very all of all existence. So a simple phrase we believe. Interdependent web of all existence of all out we are at the park. But all my. What complex implications. Arise from the simplest of ideas. So welcome again to the complex journey. A liberal religion. I doubt we want it any other way.

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RememberingChristmas.mp3

When i think of christmas. Interesting to me what comes to my mind. First thing probably. Are the songs and the sites in the smells. Of the downtown of the city i grew up in. City well within the snow belt. So christmas always have that smell. Chris new-fallen snow. In the distance you would hear interesting sounds of the season it could be carolers. When they used to be. It could be the soundcloud's ploughing through the night. Number one time we had 36 inches of snow overnight between christmas eve and christmas morning. We heard a lot of clouds and then other silence. They giving up. The sounds of people. A people out upon the streets people out shopping people are looking people are being with each other people traveling to home people talking with each other. People who off and didn't see each other all year long people who didn't mingle with each other all year long. For several years i worked as a boy scout crossing guard in the midst of that time. We stood at one of the busiest corners in the streets we had a long pole and we put it down. To keep those who are going cross against the light sand crossing against the light. I always was amazed that in a community which in those days was economically and racially segregated. In christmas on the streets of that city. It was thoroughly uniformity. Standing next to each other. Standing alongside that fool and held to keep them in place. Will be people all different backgrounds and traditions and races and economic ability all ages all genders all persuasions it was like everybody in the community. Came out. And that's most visited first memory that comes to me. And then come memories of. Family gatherings groaning boards and tables of food. Women starred in the kitchen washing dishes for hours. But actually enjoyable to talk about things they didn't want to talk about in front of the people who were in the other room. Remember trees. I remember a visit from santa when i was very young. He was the most frightening person i'd ever seen and i hid from him. I remember first christmases with my own children. I'm suddenly having a reversal of roles. Of seeing the delights not through my own eyes but in my own eyes through their own eyes. I've discovered a new dimension to the holiday. You know it's interesting to me. Is that as i remember all of that about christmas. I hope it's brought out for you and your mind your own. Positive memories in general about christmas the one thing i don't remember in christmas was that it was a religious holiday somehow it doesn't. So i ask myself then what was it about what is it that we remember the christmas time larger than self. Even if we don't know it. And their surrounding everything about being human. For all the knowledge we have. It's still a great and glorious mystery. For me one of the saddest things. Inn at christmas time. Is when someone tradition. Or someone mode of thinking wants to take that away from me. Whether it be certain religious concepts that want to say no this is what. The weather in a certain philosophical traditions that want to say. It would be sad to me. Is that mystery. It's a sin to also operations of this season. What is somehow be eliminated. Because that to me maybe the essence of what i remember about chris. Connectedness yes. And a mystery the unknowing. At the same time. One point of my life was a mystery of how those toys. under the tree. And then later is the mystery of how that fat man got down the chimney. And then later with the mystery of how my parents. Living frugally. On a working-class salary. Afforded those things without going in debt. The mystery of how they gave up with they gave up so that we could have. And then the mystery. Apollo's generous wonderful people called grandparents. Could magically be there every christmas. And made it a priority. And then the mystery of how when i went to my own house for the first time. I could celebrate christmas there. And the mystery was still there. And the mystery of how. Wherever i've been in my life. In this season. Iowa south wonderfully. And warmly. And uniquely connected. Two people. Who's around me. Even if it's in a first-year being song. And so for me remembering christmas is remembering all the details. More than that. It's remembering that mystery. I cannot fully name or no. But what you saw was central to my being. I need a season. In which to celebrate. Remembering christmas. That may be the most wonderful gift of the season. We can't. Remember christmas.

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hopenothell.mp3

Hi this is the reverend doctor randy becker minister to the unitarian universalist community church of the south suburbs of chicago. In park forest. It's my pleasure to welcome to the pulpit today. Mr. edward loomis. At loomis is our intern minister. He is studying and serving with us for this year as he prepares for the unitarian universalist ministry. Please welcome mat in his thoughts and words. About the life of john murray. Vatican year. 17. 74. And you are at 11. Congregational society. On state street in boston massachusetts. Reverend john murray preach. The sanctuary fills with a horrible odor. Because somebody has poured a noxious liquid all over the pulpit. In order to keep marie from preaching. But marine continuous with his sermon. Suddenly stones come flying through. The side windows. Just missing the congregation. Still married to continues to preach. Going to large rock sales through the window behind him nearly missing his head. She picks up the rock. Responses. This argument is solid and waiting. But it is neither rational nor convincing. Friends in the congregation implore maritza sit down. I guess response. With your good leave. I will pursue my subject. And while i have a gust saith the lord for every point of doctrine. Which iadvance. Not all the storms in boston. Except they stopped my breath shore shut my mouth. Or arrest. My testimony. All the opposition violent. On another occasion. Murray was preaching at a congregation. Regarding criticism he received from the reverend bacon. Unorthodox. Christian minister in that area. Maurice words were so well-received at the congregations burst into applause. Bacon supporters were angry they left the church. Which and got eggs. Antipope marie with x. Anne-marie's response was. These are moving arguments. But i must own at the same time. I have never been so fully treated. Bacon and eggs before in all my life. John murray is considered the father of universalism. And was minister of the first universalist church in america. The independent church of christ in gloucester massachusetts. Immigrants arrived in the new world they brought with them. For most of them this is a set of beliefs which included a future afterlife. Hellfire and damnation. For those not in god's favor. The quality of life in the 1700 with not very good. And life was short. So many people hoped. For pleasant afterlife. In heaven. Belonging church. Holding the correctly and engaging in the proper. Religious practice was very important. Not only were they concerned about the afterlife. But that of their family and friends. The existing orthodox christian churches. Christian message of eternal damnation. That hellfire for those who are not among still left. Or chosen by god. Murray rejected that message. He could not conceive of god in all his wisdom. Not buddy all his children. I can telling them to hellfire and damnation. Decrease. Universal salvation. And a god who loved and cared for all his children not just the elect. Already be saved. Marie traveled far and wide adventure does a pulpit of many churches. Recent history of universal salvation. Ironically. Because marie. What's a trinitarian. He was often refused permission. To speak in mini unitarian. Bereavement leave in the father son and holy spirit but he said that they are. Free. Parts of one god not tree distinct personality. When mary died 1815. The word. 40 universalist preachers. Within twenty years cover 725. 12:00 congregations. 33 state associations. And associations in provinces of canada. 200 years later it's hard to imagine marissa peel. I have not heard of any recent incidents of roxy trolling. Unitarian universalist church window. Are you experienced universalist ministers being pelted with eggs. But that doesn't mean that the religious differences of the past. Are behind us. Some of them continue. Two faces today in one form. Or another. Much of the work done by marina early universalist laid the groundwork for today is unitarian universalism. Most of the converse universalism came from the baptist and congregational churches. New england area. For independent church polity was the norm. Anne-marie recognized the need for all these independent churches to have an association. In order. To provide mutual sustenance and support. So he created the first association. I just would have become the universal church of america. And to this day we retain that independence of individual congregations. Operate as an association. The unitarian universalist association of churches. Some of the key issues facing the survival of marine is true. Remain with us today. Indifferent form. Relationship between state and church. Orthodox religious thinking. And the institutionalization of an official state religion. First parish church. What's the established church of chester massachusetts when maria came to town. First parish church quickly became concerned. About marie and his unorthodox christian messages and his popularity. Fleetpride various techniques. Stop him before selling his church. At that point in massachusetts there was something called a standing order. The standing order provided state tax support for religion. It was believed that religious education was important to maintain civil order. People required to pay a church tax. To the state to support a local church designated by the state for their community. You did not have to attend that church but you had to pay the tax to that church. Choose to pay that text to first parish church the established church. Local officials began to take away the prize possessions of the universal us who saw them at auctions to raise money to pay the church tax. So soon. First parish church. A behind on the behalf of all dissenting religious people. And after several years he won his case. And henceforth until the year 1833. You pay tax whatever church do you belong to. Instead of one steak search. We no longer pay a church tax. Are we paying numerous taxes. They are utilized. There is a great danger that tax money will be spent to support religious institutions. An organization. Patricia religion that is not accepting of other people's beliefs. A religious practice. Unlike murray. We have little opportunity to refuse to pay. Pass. Petition the legislature for redress. Toppers.. Accused of performing illegal weddings. Because he wasn't he was not an ordained minister. Oedipus find 50 lb. He refused to pay. Any petition the legislature. Freetress on the face he was a called minister. 4/8 years in that congregation. Agreed with his petition. I cancel the fine and pending legal action. In response for his congregation officially into the ministry. Today. The wedding issue was a little girlfriends. Said it wasn't maurice day it's not about coordination. It's about the legal rights. And 40 of an ordained minister and an independent congregation. To conduct same-sex weddings or union ceremonies at their discretion. Tidewater scale. Is about the right of gay lesbian bisexual transgender people. The fruits of committed relationships. And isabel basic religious freedom. We are faced with the issue of orthodox believe coming from the fundamentalist branch of various religions. Orthodoxy that threatens to take over governments and cultures. In the name of salvation. A salvation that is contrary. The concept of universal salvation. Proposed. By sean murray. What can we do. For sure that our religious liberty is not lost. The can't be left up to the members of the church social action committee. Requires attention and action from everyone. Who are some things that. We can do. We are plastic roof by the internet. The opportunity to network and communicate and keep up-to-date on the news. Easley from all around the world. Can i make a particular effort to monitor the religious news for the latest happenings often appear. Long before. If they ever make it to the local news. I also monitor the uu8 webpage. They also now have the ability to email you updates every week. From the uu magazine. How to keep updated on what's happening within the uu association and. In the religious world. Pay attention to what you like to say. Spectre budget center know how you feel about specific issues. Boat and rv collection. Import wisely. What are the candidates. What are the issues who are the candidates. What do they stand for. Support the church. Remember we are in association of independent congregation. That means that each and every one of us has a role to play to make it work. Build the network. Cummins like-minded individuals. Dennis john murray might have said. Open your heart. Let your light shine. Sophia.

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thanks.mp3

Chicago tribune columnist eric zorn. Go to call him this week. The talk about how he was trying to teach. His young children to say thank you. He wisely chose a path and involved behavior modification. Rather than philosophical enlightenment. Respond to such simple acts as being given a menu by a waiter. He was trying to teach them to say those two magic words. Thank you. Spell someday. They may learn the complex rules of etiquette. And someday they may even learn the much larger more complex laws of give-and-take. Which extends far from economics in the social graces. And someday they may learn this still more complex creed's of culture. Which will afford them status. According to their fulfillment of certain scriptures about behavior. But most of all i hope that someday. They will learn the most complex in yet early simple injunction which is spread through all cultures and all religious traditions. Do unto others. As you would have them do. Under you. But for now we're now the best that eric zorn can hope and we can do for those youngsters is that they simply learn to say. Thank you. No i i don't think that's quite right actually what we can hope is that they learn and remember to say thank you. The best lessons in the world. Are nothing. If they are not remembered. However in this experience that we call life. I got to thinking aren't we all youngsters. Are we all not in that phase where we are learning. In which however old we are there are more questions than there are answers. Isn't that infect the essence. Of our shared religious understanding of life. There we are here to try to learn all that we can from this experience knowing that in the boundlessness of existence will always be infinite and eternal. But it's still the task we pursue. The task becomes all the harder. When we have to repeat lessons over and over again failing to retain the answers we have found. Treating old questions as if we never asked or answered them before. Just like all youngsters. We find that we need to learn. And will need to learn to remember to hold those things that we have found. Well actually we need to do something more than just hold those things we found. We need to so incorporate them into our beings that we no longer see them as separate it's not a thing we hold to us. Integral part of ourselves. Constituent elements of our being. Learning and remembering. And that's one of the rules of traditions. To help us in that process of remembering to remind us of those things which were found once. And that have been learned. And which have become part of us. We need to remember that. The money gatherings on thanksgiving. We're not simply about turkey. Stopping. Cranberries. Mashed potatoes sweet potatoes corn. Pease aspect rolls. Pickles onions. They were about something else. They were about a reconnection to larger things. But what larger thing. I want us to do a little group roleplay in a sense in our minds this morning and i have a role for us. It's a wonderful role we're all going to play aliens. You know the ultimate stranger. I'd like all aliens as we know from every movie aliens always have the capacity to speak in any language. Understand all languages. Where are the aliens. And we're going to sign herself seated at a thanksgiving feast here in park forest. And we'll be able to speak then and here to ask probing questions like. Why is there jello. But more likely we can ask questions like. So what's the origin of all this. What answers would be given. As we are lucky australian manner with keep pushing the questions. Probably we begin to hear about pilgrims natives turkeys. But when pushed as to why those pilgrims. What takes three days out of their harvest schedule. Feasting and games. We probably be told. That those pilgrims were very religious people and they knew from their tradition that this is the thing you want to do. And we would ask. What traditions. If someone would get up from the table and go to a bookcase and bring down a very old warren book. It probably black with gold lettering and they say here it's in here. What's this we the aliens it's a training all over not knowing what it was. Bible someone would say and it contains the word of god the creator of the universe. Now at this point uncle leonard you know the one from skokie. What up chad saying that it was more a compendium of wisdom and stories collected over time. He would be interrupted by his son harold who would mumble something about a marxist understanding of the oppressed struggle of people and all times. Aunt sadie would shut them all and try to restore order. Eventually cousin ines. A second cousin twice removed on her mother's side. We aliens remember later we have to ask what a second cousin twice removed is. Hear the conversation back to the bible. Here she says pointing to the bible. Are stories about lots of times of thanksgiving switch all the pilgrims fathers would have known about. Way back then they even roll songs about it. There's a whole book of psalms in here here i'll show you. And inez starts pumping her way through the book and then she goes we see names of books passing by and she's rattling off their various parts of it. Matthew frankel chris said something about her showing off her lutheran background. She lands on. Psalms psalms sing a swan. No no she says. We don't sing them anymore. Well the jews do in worship in hebrew but we don't do it. Today we read them to help us remember. What people long ago had learned. Okay we aliens would say. Rita swan. Oh dear where are my glasses inez would blurt out and quickly leave the room and at that point realm. Not real. Doesn't seem to be related to anybody in the room but it goes on vacation with everybody. Pics of the bible. And there was all this talk. Evil and wicked people and then this. Let burning coals fall upon them by. Thanksgiving must be about relief from those you don't like about others getting theirs. No no no comes from the hallway as inez right it was back in with big glasses on her face now. Listen to this one instead. And she reads about giving thanks. For being. Thanks. From mercy. And thanks. For truth. We say. Now we get it. Thanksgiving is about having things the way you want it. Yes comes the chorus around the table and so we continue. You give thanks because the universe has given you everything you want in the way you want it wow you must be very happy that you must always be pappy with all that being that way you must be feeling like you're living in total abundance. Deep. Melancholy. Silence. More potatoes ines tries to get things going but the moment is gone. All of them. Know that they will never forget. The thanksgiving with the aliens. But the next year. Whether we aliens sit down with them or not. The ritual will repeat itself. The same dishes will be made the same stories will be told the same sense of thankfulness will try to be remembered. They will never forget us aliens. But they will never really remember. What they learned that day. There's a thread. There's a strand. It reaches back. Reaches back from that tableware wiz alien set. And reaches back to the table. Where's some early settlers sad. On that same strand as the table we were at. There's a table somewhere in new england. I'm that same strand there's a table somewhere in virginia. On that same strand there's a table somewhere in iceland on that same strand there's a table somewhere in new south wales somewhere in ethiopia somewhere in young's young province. Early settlers. Gathered around harvest of sustenance. An offering thanks. Even further. In the barren desert of the middle east. Sings praises for life itself. All on the same strand. Even further back in caves on the edges of the plane around small circles of life. A little plan. Would have all the feelings of appreciation and all for a world sustain them. That's the strand. Thanksgiving. A strand in which two words are not consistent. The interpretations transitory. But the feelings universal and eternal. At first spontaneous and later ceremonially those feelings with link individual lives with a spirit of abundance. Those feelings with linkedin individual lives with each other those feelings would link individualized lived in time and space with a meaning which transcends time and space. And no. Here we are. On that strand. And we can reach back a long it we can look back along it just as those who brought the bible to thanksgiving table did reaching back along that strand of thankfulness along the strand of abundance ingratitude along the strand of automatic connection. But to do so. Would be together only half the picture. Picture it for yourself. You look a long that strand which is arriving from history. A strand of thankfulness and gratitude in abundance. What are the stories. What's tell you about that strand. What lives are remembered by you about its long course. What have you learned about its long heritage. Kuwait. Unless you are the center of the universe. The strand is not stopping. With you. You are on the strand. But it is life itself. It is existence it's the moving hand of the infinite crossing through time and space reaching from before until later you are caught on a momentary now strand it's going somewhere. Where is it going. Can you tell. And suddenly. You remember so much. You remember the story of the pilgrims you remember the songs of nomadic tribes and you remember that none of them. Embarrass benchwarmers. Arista place which was beyond worried beyond want beyond out beyond hunger beyond death beyond suffering. None of them claimed to have achieved full film of the abundance of the universe. But simply that they were living. Amidst its possibilities. Bass stop. Nsaid. And saying things not so much for what they had but for something more. They stopped and said and saying things because that strand stranwood eternally linked their individual live with appreciative lives before their own moved on through them. Moved on toward possibilities glimpsed in the present. Moved encore meaning beyond their knowing but within their appreciation moved on toward a promise that was already not yet. Facetime. And they said and they sang facts so that they could live thankfully. And maybe. Just for a short while. Maybe just for a short lifetime. When's that strand as it flowed from promise to fulfillment. Face stopped. And said. And saying. So they could remember. Remember not what had already been. But the promise of what is yet to be. To give thanks that they were alive in a universe in which possibilities exist. To exist in the universe. Which is infused with potential. The be in existence. In which hope. Is a bunion. So we youngsters fine we need to learn. We need to learn that our greatest things are not for what was or is. But for what is yet to be. To learn to say thanks simply because ours is a creative existence offering up a possibilities beyond the knowing. And then to remember what we have learned so our whole beings everything about us are expressions of things of appreciation. Which is yet to horizon arrive. But whose promise. Warren's planks. And if this means we must like eric zornes kids. For being papa say the words of thanks that we must be taught to live lives of such things so we will remember. Then maybe that is one of the most profound definition. We can have. Of our shared liberal religious faith. Set here. We encourage ourselves and others to remember to say thanks in every active are living to be sucks. Faithful and everton examples of a thankful faith well-lived. Aliens were to come and sit at our table. They could not fail but to notice. And they wouldn't need. To ask any questions. It would be so clear. By who. We are.

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wall.mp3

To readings this morning. The first one is from thomas jefferson. Most of us are familiar with some of jefferson's doings in writings. Most of us identify his efforts around the bill of rights and other things. But this is from the virginia at. Krysstabell showing religious freedom. 1786. Several years before. The bill of rights was added to the constitution or the constitution was even passed. This is what he wrote for virginia known picture this is an act this is a bill. These are the words he's using. Including a bill forward. Within the commonwealth of virginia's legislature. And compared to what you hearing bills today. Well aware. That the empire's presumption of legislators and rulers. Civil as well as ecclesiastical. Who being themselves but failable and uninspired men. Have assumed dominion over the face of others. Setting up their own opinions and modes of thinking is the only true and infallible. And as such endeavoring to impose them on others. Half established and maintained false religions over the greatest part of the earth. And through all time. Text amanda furnish contributions and money. For the propagations opinions which he disbelieves is sinful and tyrannical. Even the forcing of him to support this or that teacher of his own religious persuasion. Is depriving him of the comfortable liberty. I'm giving his contributions to the particular pastor. Whose morals he would make his pattern. And whose power is he feels most persuasive to righteousness. That our civil rights have no dependents on our religious opinions. More than our opinions in physics or geometry. That there for the prescribing any citizen as unworthy the public confidence by laying upon him an incapacity of being called to the office of trust and emolument. Unless he professor announced this or that religious opinion. Is depriving him injury asleep. Of those privileges and advantages. To which in common with his fellow citizens. He has a natural right. Also to corrupt the principles of that very religion it is meant to encourage. By bribing with a monopoly a worldly honors and emoluments. Those who would externally profess and conform to it. And finally the truth is great. And will prevail if left to herself. Did she is the proper insufficient antagonist to error. And has nothing to fear from the conflict. Unless spyhuman interposition disarmed of her natural weapons. The weapons of free argument and debate. Are ceasing to be dangerous when it's permitted freely contradict them. Be there for enacted by the general assembly. That no man should be compelled. Frequent. Or support any house of religious worship. Place or ministry whatsoever. North shelby enforced restrained molested or burdened in his body or good floorshow otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief. But that all men shall be free to profess. And my argument to maintain. Their opinions in matters of religion. The same show no wise diminish and large or fat. Their civil capacities. Words from. Thomas jefferson. 1786. No it's real hadn't time to 2005. A noah feldman wrote a book / god. And there he says this. We are increasingly a nation divided by god. Although we all believe in religious liberty. And almost no one wants an officially established religion. We cannot agree on what the rule a sonship between religion and government should be. The distinctive church-state problem. That are framers created. When they declare the people sovereign. Is still with us. Our religious diversity now fueled by immigration of muslims hindus and buddhists is greater than ever. Yet neither illegal secularism. Normal values evangelicalism. Our two most recent attempts at forging a national unity in the face of this religious diversity. Has lived up to its own aspirations. Both promised inclusion. But neither has delivered. To make matters worse conflict between these two approaches is becoming a political. A constitutional crisis all its own. Instead of trying to dump once and for all either of the apparently elegant solution. Illegal secularism. Or the moral of appeal of values avenged alcoholism. We need to look ahead and try to find a fresh alternative. A solution that draws on our past practices. Our highest aspirations. And the best tents. Of what is achievable. A challenge from noah feldman. In this year. Back before i moved here to illinois. Back before i. Move to virginia. Back before i met my wife eliza. A long island. I had a neighbor. What's the family. They were really good people. We got along famously. And it was good because the warehouses were set up. It might have been otherwise. Zion was built in the 1920s. As well situated toward the front of the lot. 1940s and by then zoning laws said you needed a much bigger set back from the road so there is was set in the back of the lot. What's man basically there outside of my backyard is how it was. What rear was in my backyard but i look out the back of the house and every the backyardigans there was their house. But it was fine we got along well our kids and their kids played some they had both front door that went out onto the street they had a backdoor that went out into their backyard and a side door that went out into our yard. Everything was fine. Everything was fine that is. Until they moved. And then we got new neighbors. These are the neighbors that make you think about robert frost great line. Good fences make good neighbors. Tell in this two-bedroom. Going down in conversation room house. There were the two parents. The three children. And the three dogs. And soon they were out in our yard. Now this might not have been so bad but apparently they had some what we might call boundary issues. Cuz often my kids toys to be out there and then after a while they wouldn't be out there. But we would see them in the next door house. Christina sort of a reciprocal their dogs. But sometimes bring things and leave them in our yard. So we wouldn't had a conversation with these neighbors. And why not. This was really our yard. I didn't really see it that way. Let me point out the backyard that was theirs. It's all overgrown and brambles and doesn't get sunlight and doesn't have all the playground equipment you have on yours ours. And so we try to reason with them but it didn't get anywhere. So finally i decided we needed to put up a fence. So i have a surveyor come in. Did that wonderful straight-line measuring market all out we put little metal pipes and both ends and then 6 in in from that. Erected offense. Elvis was not. A privacy fence. This was not a stockade fence this was that great american. White picket fence. It basically says. Here's the line folks. No sooner had that fence gone in. Then open warfare began. And it wasn't about their kids. Or about my yard it was about. The federalist. First of all there will they threats it was on their land. So we had to get the surveyor to provide the official documents not been erected properly. We haven't got a permit. What to do to fast permits. A licensed contractor to put out the fence. This is my favorite one. It was too bright a white color and it was offensive to their eyes. Looking at it. I didn't put the good side or them. Overtime. That fence became such an irritant. To those neighbors. But they just got stuck in it. Everything was about that fence. Event intervened that made them stop noticing the fence. The birth of another child. Interesting that that would do it but that would really meant was they had to leave they couldn't even picture themselves with one more in the house so they moved out. But for all that. of time. Tremendous amounts of energy we're going into dealing with the fence. Soften chaco bought it but then i think. We all. Are doing the same thing. There's a fence or should i say a wall which was constructed over time in this country. Then we take as being one of the most important walls in america. It's a war that was put together with the building blocks from many different sources. Some of the blonde came in reaction to things like the inquisition. Someone came in reaction to the religious intolerance in other places. Others were placed there by those who came here to avoid religious persecution. But be honest they came here not to avoid religious persecution they came her to avoid being persecuted they didn't mind brissa cutie. But i still would have blocked them down there and said we're going to build this wall. Others were there because they were sick and tired. Of kings and governors. Taxing them to support a church they didn't believe in. Install overtime this wall a rose. We heard one of the big building blocks that virginia act on religious freedom and eventually the first amendment to the united states constitution and then the long set of case law rising up to numerous supreme court cases where eventually in the 20th century. It is proclaimed as the wall of separation. Between church. And state. There it is it's a wall that we were religious liberals are really really fascinated with. Almost obsessively focused on. And it's also a wall of problem. Because although it looks like a single wall. It really is. 2 walls. 2 walls built to butt up against each other. One of which was constructed by religious people. People like austin people in all kinds of traditions that we don't want to ever have to put up with government interfering with religion again. You know they go way back as something like constantine in his agreement with the growing christian church which was you know i'll give you a franchise to be the official church of the roman empire. All you have to do is do what i say. Along the way people who didn't like to buy into those kind of bargain said wait a minute let's do it up. So that we can do our own face tradition the way we want to without interference from the state. We won't be. Our ministers won't be licensed by the state we won't in any way be regulated by that because we are institution not of politics. But an institution. Of values. But at the same time. Over in the other side. People were beginning to view the future. A governance. Is something different than what had been. And that's what's going to be governance in which sovereignty was given to human beings. The governess would be would be an instrument of the people. Instrument of inheritance or royalty. But rather an instrument of the will and more importantly of the vision of the people collectively. It would not be owned by anyone tradition. Would not be owned by anyone institution it would be owned by everyone. And creasing me who that everyone in becomes more and more and more inclusive the ultimate desire which would be a fully inclusive. Vox populi democracy in which we rise up out of the sovereignty of each and everyone of us. Hey what's keeping us from getting their well part of it was royalty. United states we took care of that back in the. 1700. We thought. And. It also was an issue of interaction with various institutions. That wanted to say no. This government belongs to us. Am i talking about i'm talking about. That they were stabbed with churches. Established churches who stood on this side sang don't you interfere with us but then they come crossing over. We want you to start all your meetings with our prayer collect our taxes for us and give us special privileges. And so this new vision. Embodied in a new nation begin to put for issues of what that wall might need to be that would be there to be separated. And so on another side of the same wall start being built it said. They're only will not wear religions be free of government influence. Government will be free of religious. The two sides. Working separately. Wanting to make sure that their side of the wall was higher than the other side got building block after block after block. So i reached as high as we can imagine. It reached all the way to supreme court. And where are we today. Well. What time is suggesting is that we have a problem. In that we have three major elements in the united states. One of which. What are the elements of governance. Of the people. Do the voice of the people. The democratic view. Side of the state. Which says we must do the will of the people and the vision of the people without reference to any one religious tradition. Now the other side we have an increasingly vocal group that says. They're all a bunch of situationist. They haven't got a single value in their head all they asked about his consensus and agreement but not values. This in the religious side. Then becomes the new cry evangelicalism of this generation is that of values. If we're going to be a community if we're going to be a nation at all we have to have some common values it's not just governance. But also values. At what is happened is. Both sides. Have lost. Their empowerment. Because they become so focused. On this wall. They're like close neighbors who couldn't do anything but fixate on that wall. Instead of seeing the wall as a tool. Each side caesar as both protection. And optical. Step aside they created is the protection beside the other side put up. Is the optical. Is so tremendous energies are being used. Find everyone in both sides to deal with a wall which nsaid can never be scaled because of the way it was created. Henry wanderback. Some of those phrases. How did jefferson. And out of milton. And out of lots of other places that suggests as feldman does. Best time to think about doing something. Different. Instead of focusing on the wall. Why not focus on whichever side you're on. And fulfill that. Why not stop worrying about what's on the other side and start being on whichever side you will focal point comes down. Another words. What government do with government wants to do. And let religion do. What religion wants to do and understand that that wall is important not because of protest but because it encourages the two sides to fully express themselves. Rather than rely on some kind of complicity to get things done. We don't want the wall gone. We wanted their strongly to remind us that we are not in bed with the state. But rather we are called to be fully in bed with our values are principles what we are called to do but the wall stands there as a challenge cannot go over there in model. But the be here in other words to be an agency of truth. An agency and voice. A vision. Institution. It says let's get in there let's argue let's get the boys to make the point. Will have to be our professing of what we believe that will make the point. It's too easy. Colette the wall. Do the work for us. To say that we stand on that side. With the sector. Organizations. Ransacked where religious organization. Enter over there. So what challenge. The great wall stands. It will probably stand as long as the united states stands. It is a wall built so complex queen so high we can dismantle although both sides are looking for where it needs to be reinforced and where the chinks in it are. But it stands. Now let's stop worrying about it. And start worrying about being who we are. On our side. Of the wall.

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warandpeace.mp3

I am a retired colleague the reverend. Wells be he he lives in ohio. He was virtually assuring that. There's been something inside of him for about sixty years. And he's never talked about it. And then something happened that made him want to talk about it. This is what he wrote. About 3 weeks ago. Marion i saw these two young men hiking south. But we were going north to greenville. We did our business which took about three quarters of an hour. Returning home we saw these two same young men still hiking south. I began to slow. I always give mary. Her choices in decision-making. I asked her if it was okay to give them a ride. By the time she expressed agreement i the stop. And the two we're opening the car door. They jumped in and we were on our way. This is probably the first time in 15 years. I picked up riders. I asked them the usual questions and made the usual amenities. In brief conversation with snapping replies from each of us i asked why they were hiking. They said they invented friends in michigan. And we're on our way to southern indiana. I probed a little farther. And one reply that they had returned from iraq. 2 days before. They were going to take the bus but their money had been stolen. Welcome home. Delving deeper i asked their opinion about a rock. The answer from each of them was it scrappy. We're doing no good there other than getting soldiers killed. Their toes were with contempt. I asked why they join the national guard. One replied that his family took pride that every generation has been in the military. He promised his dad before he died then when it came his time to represent the family. He would continue the tradition. The other had replied that he did not do well in school. His grades were bad and he figured he had two choices. Are there to be impressed by the national guard promises. He could then figured he might progress and his other choice. What's to be a cog in the assembly line in a factory forever. He wanted to make something of himself. His best bet were the promises of the military service. A quick common was added saying. But i never expected anything. Like this. Then i learned that each one of them. Had had a buddy killed. Alongside them. One lad had to carry his dead bodies body to the station for his care. I commented saying. You will never be the same. And they replied in unison we know. All the army supplies grief counselors but they do no good. I advised them to talk to people about their most heartfelt feelings. I told him i made the mistake of being silent. 460 years. And i lived in my own pain. At that the two jumped on me and started to bear their hearts. I was someone who can understand their grief. Their aches and pains. The avalanche me with their feelings they met someone who could or would understand them. Marion jacket, to the conversation that supported them in their grief. Also mary then suggested we go out of our way another 20 miles from our destination and went closer to theirs. It meant we had that much more time to converse. We will arrive to work terminus to turn home. The lads jumped out of the car and hog mary vociferously we shook hands and each of them thank me for giving them a ride. And with gratitude for taking them so far out of our way. And then they commented that it was grand to have someone. To connect to. Story out of wells is life. Very recently. And then he goes on to say the silence i've kept for 60 years. I will not keep. And then he goes on.. Enumerate. Why it is that having been at war. He will never find it. Except. South you know that i am a pacifist. I cannot in my conscience. Go to war. My view of the nature of all existence in human life. Is such that x. Witcher acts of violence and destruction are contrary to the very nature of existence in my mind. Even though there are a long arguments for things like the just war. That doesn't absolve me in my choices in my life. The tell me that i cannot do that. Rather i turn away from the arguments that say what if there were another hitler went there was another stalin what if there was another vlad the impaler the king. Instead i turned images of people like gandhi. People who found nonviolent ways. To transform the world. I think about it. And i think about this story. Wells towels. There's something in there. But i want to talk about. I want to talk about it. But first i want to preface it by saying this is not about anyone who served in the military. We all make our choices we all have. Our values. There isn't one set that is superior to another we all struggle with how do we make them real. I want to raise up a piece of this. At one point. Well says to the two young men. You will never. Be the same. I guess. That's part of what bothers me. Bothers me not just about war but about the whole concept of military service. Unitarian universalist. I think we're the greatest gifts we've been given as individuals. Is it gift of reasoning analysis. Then we are able to look up on the world is wonderful creation and we don't have to tape the words of someone else about it we can have direct experience of it. We can experience the world and all its beauty and its mystery and its ugliness but we can do it personally. Analyzing. Mx race is based upon that that we can exercise our faculty of reason so we can see for example. The build out there where the creek is. Will be something i wouldn't want to do. Not because someone else tells me that but because i know if i were to build up where that creek is i will disturb an entire watershed. I have a faculty. To look. See. The analyzed and then to make choices based upon what i find. And that is antithetical. To the military system. Because the military system says what we want to train you to do is not do that. We don't want you to see with your own eyes. We don't want you to analyze with your own mind we don't want you to apply your own values. Rather we want you to accept as valid what someone else sees. Put someone else's analyzed. What someone else values. And what you must carry out. And that one of the effects. A living in a militarized country. Is the believe it's okay. To take young people. And train them not to think for themselves. Okay. To say don't use your human faculties. Just. Follow. Orders. The arguments can often be made that will be impossible to raise armies if you couldn't do that. Well maybe precisely. But things have gotten done. Great movements of happened. Without that recommendation. So what are the problems i have is with war in general. But i also have a problem with the military aspect that denies the core of human existence. But then i have a problem. With my having a problem with that. Because there are so many people. I loved and respected. Who had experiences in that system. Which trains dumb forever. To change them forever toward the good. And those who went and lived in that system. And went there to achieve peace not war. It's a matter of warranties. It's a dilemma i know where i have to be for myself and what parts of the system i could live with. And everybody else. That would be no better than their opposing it on me. The best i can do is speak my mind. The best you can do. Speak. You're mine. But i do think. We come. To a certain point of responsibility. Start with the understanding that being human means we have a capacity to see and analyze and the reason and therefore to choose. To value what we value and therefore act upon it. Get there is not only a freedom of that that we endorse. But there is a dire responsibility. And here's how the tomb go for me. If the essence of being human. Is this capacity. Individual start valuing analysis and action then we would never ask somebody else. To do anything that we would not do. Ourselves. But that's the problem in this country. We have often asked the younger. The darker. Job corps. Some more mail. The go do things. In the name of the hole that the whole themselves wouldn't dirty their hands with. There were riots back during the war between the states about this when was going to be equal conscription. Majority. Is asking a minority. The do the things they've themselves would not do. I think if we are to have an integrity. As individuals. There is nothing that will ever be done in our name. Then we ourselves. Would not. Do. And don't think that somehow. So you can be surrogate over there for us. And it's not actually our hands they're so we're clean. Is disingenuous. Way back in the early part of the unitarian universalist movement nice a way back i'm talking like the first in the second century of the common ear of one of the great debates was whether or not jesus could be. A substitute. For all our sinfulness and therefore. His dad brings all of us salvation. Those days are good very first with it you can't have substitutional. Atonement. What someone else does doesn't get you off the hook. Well in terms of war what someone else does. In our name even if we don't say so. Hangs on us as well we can't use them as a substitute and say we're clean. Doesn't work that way. But then let's turn that around. What about the other side of the equation. Some of the most violent. Angry people i have ever met have been war protesters. And some of the most loving. Heat-seeking people i've met have been military people. If i'm not going to be able to say you go do my dirty work i'm not willing to do militarily. Then there's another responsibility as well and that is if we are the people who seek peace. Then we have to be the ones who are doing the peace work. And not leaving it for somebody else. We can't say oh it's going to be a peaceful world. Then go home and. Brutalize our families. We can't say we all live in a peaceful world. And then behind backs in our neighborhood gossip and attack people. It's lawsuit says if there's going to be peace in the world. Ultimately. It comes all the way down to being peace. In. Our hearts. Question has become how do we have a peaceful world. The personal question becomes. How do i. Become. A peaceful. Person. No one else. Can bring you peace. Nobody doing piecework at a distance can do it. No philosopher can do it no mass movement can do it. Just as we cannot ask others to go to war for us but act like her hands are clean we can ask others to work for peace. And say we are. The peacemaker. So this sunday. Which follows after a day which we call here veterans day. Some countries call memorial day. Father's car remembrance day. I like that last one. Remembrance day. A day when we remember that in matters of war and peace. It's never really about somebody else. Ultimately and always. Is about ourselves. And whether we are willing to live the lives. And do the deeds. Which we expect. Out of others. Quite a challenge. We want peace in the world. There must be peace. In our hearts.

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solitude.mp3

Have you ever felt like you were out of step. With the rest of the world. Have you ever felt like you saw. Ourselves. Or 7 something that should be obvious but seemed secure to others. Have you ever felt like you were essentially alone. In a vast empty universe. If you have ever felt alone. You're not alone. That experience appears to be universal among us human we have the capacity to know ourselves as cells separate self-defining entities. And we have the capacity to know ourselves. As social beings. And we have the capacity. Feel the pain of the struggle. Between those two realities. Feeling alone seeking connection. Or feeling connected. Seeking our own aloneness. That's not just a world of individuals which wrestles with these issues. It is the larger world with grapples as well with how diverse people. Can be welcoming. Affirming. And supporting. Dutch roman catholic priests are renewing has pondered this personal and universal challenge and responds with an at 1 simple. A complex idea. He calls it simply. Reaching out. In a world that needs to bring people together he suggest we do this not by bringing in them together. But by reaching out. I need subtitles his musings. The three movements of the spiritual life. Unlike many. Of the spiritual self-help books with your proliferated recently. His is a volume. Not about content. But i thought process. Obama quest and a map for the quest but not the destination. He begins at not knowing where we're going to go to but how we are to proceed together. Reaching. Out. Put in order to reach out. You have to be coming from somewhere. Reaching out. From where. Is ham what would say it. There's the rub. For most of us in modern society we have little comprehension of where that place. That's center. That core that spirit that sort of our being is. Especially in the overtly extrovert culture of the united states. Even the most introverted. Even those who would most turn to themselves for their own counsel their wisdom there inside their centering. Find themselves being controlled or being informed by larger influences. Then just the self. Perhaps this is the evolutionary result. I was living in a nation that was shaped by collective effort. And what you want said if we do not hang together we'll hang separately. Even as early as 1841. Emerson. Found it necessary to argue. For self-reliance in his famous essay of the same name. If the vast majority of people had not focused elsewhere. There would have been a little reason for him. To write so forcefully in that essay. Perhaps this outward focus is also a byproduct of our highly commercialized society. In which wants are projected to transcend the more simple needs that we all have. And it's often seems that our own economic well-being rests on the participation and a culture that encourages others to want what we have to offer. Rather than to ask. What is it that we are about. Perhaps it's also the result. Critical uncertainty. About our own worthiness. The end result of centuries of religious denial. Of the worth and dignity as individuals. And the emphasis on external covenants and salvation. Whatever the reason. Whatever thesaurus. Whatever the cause we have become a culture of extraversion. I'm looking outside ourselves for definitions. Invalidation. It's hard to reach out. If all we are is out there. Looking for a sense of self. Is new one reminds us from our own lives. We are become conditioned to see. Did any state of aloneness. Might be a frightening possibility. The term he uses is suffocating. Loneliness. Can you relate to that. Sensing that we are not connecting to all the external sources of power in meaning. We certainly are alone. And it feels like we can't breathe. Feels painful. It feels so threatening. For some of us such loneliness is experienced as a profound sadness. A depression beyond measure. In all there is is experienced as anxiety and unsettled and unsettling nervousness. Still others sensitive a sensory and spiritual numbness. A disturbing state of. Non feeling. And still others experience it as a confusion of feelings amorphous sense of being adrift living without any semen reliable markers. Can you relate to any of those feelings. Depression. Anxiety. Numbness. Ambiguity. If so you can also relate to living in reaction to those feelings. Any of those states is so painful. Psychically spiritually and even physically. That we will do nearly anything. To avoid that feeling. Set alarm this produces in our culture. Ironically our intention to our aloneness. Directs our attention back to that from which we are separated. In a loneliness. We sense even more strongly our loneliness. Rather than to discover in our aloneness. That which remains. When we are disconnected. From all else. What is it. That remains. When we are disconnected. From all else. That is what nuwun calls. Solitude. What is true. Abiding and informing when we are alone with and within ourselves this is the presence of the divine spark within each and every cell this is communion with the spirit of god the reflection of the hole in each and every part. To be aware. Of what is there. Even when we do not see connection. Do anything else. What such a state of awareness and what lies within as opposed to what is imported from outside has often been portrayed in others it's usually portrayed in terms of. Silent monks. Isolated permits. Pilgrimages to walden pond. But no one invites us differently. His is a vision of a solitude which is not situation. What is existential something which is a resource for us no matter what the external circumstances. And to me this maybe the essential religious task. To help people find meaning in their lives. Situation by situation. But rather looking for that deeper. Passionate. Knowing of something that goes beyond the situation. The religion should kick people into the place where they find what abide not that witch. Changes. Usually what religion does traditionally. Is the fail individual right at this point. Instead of suggesting it should go deeply inward and find what you got this is the point they introduce something external. Theater in ancient scripture. Or some kind of god. Or some savior. For some abstract theology. But what is required is what the poet rilke meant by saying we need to learn how to live into the questions. This is what thorough wrote about way talked about simplifying our lives so that solitude is not solitude. It's what you know for yourself. When you allow yourself. Really experienced your aloneness. And see that you need not feel lonely. It's the stuff of the conversations you have with yourself. When you put aside all the noise of the world. It is the wisdom. You remind yourself of. When you stop being distracted. By the world. As new one says unless our questions. Problems and concerns are tested and matured in solitude. It is not realistic to expect answers. That are really our own. Any put his finger on why this is important. The answers that we gain in such solitude and being comfortable and being with us elves. Make us empowered gifted people. In his words. Without the solitude of hearts. Our relationships with others. Easily become needy and greedy sticky and clinging depending and sentimental. We cannot experience the others as different from ourselves. But only as people can be used. For the fulfillment of our own often hidden needs. In other words. Unless we've allowed ourselves to meet ourselves face-to-face in solitude. Not too busy. Not too distracted not too desperate and search for relief from our loneliness. Unless we meet ourselves will be incapable of relating to others with any integrity. Until we can do ourselves and solitude. We cannot relate to anyone or anything else with integrity. In a world in which such a lack of integrity becomes endemic. Ultimately there is no truth. No deeper meaning for anyone. Because it's external to everyone. Are welcoming a receptive solitude is the beginning of moving away from that dyer description. Because once we have something to reach out from once the flow of meaning is from our center's outward once we can speak of our hearts rather than hoping that something will speak to our hearts. Once we know our capacity to love and connect is greater than our need to be loved and find connection. Then we can begin to craft a creative response to the world. Until we do that. All we do. Is simply react. Again echoing the words we heard from doing as far as 12 readings. The movement from loneliness the solitude should lead to a gradual conversion from an anxious reaction. 12 loving response. Loneliness leads to a quick often spastic reaction what makes us prisoner. How to make changing world. Put in solitude of heart. We can all listen to the events of the hour of the day and the year and slowly formulate. Give form to a response that is really our own. In solitude we can pay careful attention to the world. And search for an honest response. Ironically when such solitude is really knowing one engages the world one engages one sisters and brothers one engages ones echo system to a much deeper and honest degree than any reactionary engagement could produce. True solitude leads one back to the world not away from it. Because when we have been in that solitude we finally have something to say to the world. And not sitting there waiting for the world to say something to us. New and concludes his first movement of the spiritual life by saying. The movement from loneliness to solitude is a movement by which we reach out to our innermost being. Define there are great healing powers. Not as unique bottle to be defended. What is a gift to be shared with all human beings and so the movement from loneliness to solitude. Leads are spontaneously. To the movement from hostility. The hospitality. Another words. Our journey into ourselves is not the cervaro needs. But rather prepare us for a needful journey yet to come. A journey beyond ourselves in the hospitality. And real community. What new one has invited us to consider the condition of most modern people as a suffocating sense of loneliness. We will do anything we can to avoid being alone with ourselves. Then you suggest that the aloneness we avoid out of need out of fear out of anxiety out of depression is the very place where we can find our essence. In the solitude of her being are all the answers of creation with your alive in us. And finally he invites us to see that what is found in that solitude will lead us back to the world not as needy fearful anxious depressed isolated individuals. But rather is informed and powered capacitive creative relational components of something larger. Next week. What's a bit more about what those insights of solitude mean. Reaching out. And moving from hostility to hospitality and anticipation. Of that movement in our spiritual lives i'm going to invite you to a week of spiritual preparation. Homework. Soul work. Artwork spirit work. Pick notice this week. Of those times. When you busy yourself. You distract yourself. You're worried yourself. Rather than allowing yourself time to be alone with yourself. Take a look at the patterns by which you avoid. Being in solitude with yourself. Then give yourself some time to be alone with yourself time when you're not doing anything. You are just. Being. And listen for what you have to say to. And for yourself. Because you're not too busy to listen. Remembering those times alone when you remind yourself of your inner presence sense how you can return to that informing place. Even when you're doing other things notice how once you found that solitude when you're not busy. Usain can find it again. Even if all those around you. Are busy. Know-how turning to your own solitude reshapes not only x alone. But then begins to reshape time with others. Send how having something to say to the world feels more fulfilling. The desperate search. For the world say something. To you. Use this week to see how reaching out to your innermost self. Can be the first step. And reaching out beyond yourself. May this week be good to you. And may you be good. To this week.

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coa.mp3

Hi randy becker here minister to the unitarian universalist community church in park forest. Today we got a treat for you. Visiting with us this weekend are the members of the chicago area cooperative coming-of-age program. These are unitarian universalist youth or 12 13 or 14. They're engaged in a series of educational programs outside projects and social occasions. They come together. On three different weekends across the spring at three different unitarian universalist congregation. They'll make a trip to boston. They will also then have a special recognition service. And they're all represented by both their parents and their sponsors and supported this program. Today their program was here in park forest you'll hear several them will brought readings as part of their program and ask them to share those in the service who will hear their responses. Do some deep serious theological questions. And the way that some of our members of our congregation respond to those same questions. We hope that those questions we once a juul ponder as well. 10 questions of practical theology and a little bit of theological practice. And so welcome to our coming-of-age people. And this provocative service. Man on south 4th rearranging cedar branches over the junk and stolen shopping cart the broken junk that is everything the card that holds everything. Delicious when he pushes as if crossing an endless curved is more crap. Can a hungry human that accept food from anyone. The woman smoking in front of the homeless shelter and sold at. Look at this picture my love. Avalanche my doctor gave me. It looks worse in the fern house we left. Man who steals birdbath potted plant. Burn baskets from yard front yards and porches. Since this is okay because his wife did not give him as much as other. People's lives games down. If you meet him at the flea market and said hello my birdbath. Given that register. It would not register at all. Miss pearl augusta is 103 poetry from a giant book on her coffee table to stay fresh. She can't feed her back she talks the thermometer one on one. We are each one hundred percent responsible for all of our experience. Every thought we think is creating our future. Point of power is always in the present. We all grow up and learn we all take different turns. Turns in our path of life turns that may lead to strife. Problems we go through problems exist in other lives too. Having problems are not wrong having problems don't stay forever long. Conflicts cause growth in many ways lessons we learn will always stay. Conflicts regain as years go on lessons we learn make us more straw. Part of what we did yesterday in the program was the considered some key questions. Questions about life. And meaning and religion. And young people answer those questions. And what we want to do this morning is to use their answers. Enzo's questions. As a springboard for your reflection as well. We program it into five parts. Xcaret has two questions. The first of the open-ended statements is this. I think that everything that is. Came from. Science. Another forest other than god. All animals and living life spawn from water particles and soil nutrients. They all turned off in different ways. I don't know. I think that everything that is came from its own individual creator like a plan from another and a child from their mother. Evolution. I honestly do not know. A scientific reason. Organisms were made into people and animals but earth was made by a non-living god. The big bang. Before that was another universe. The collapse. So how about for you. I think that everything that is came from. What are you saying. Principal. Yes. Stardust. Fear. Beer like that better beer beer or here so. Energy. Energy an unknown source. Call just migraine. just your dream. Chucky pondering that. Is he moving to a second one. For me life begins when. I make my own choices. You are born. You learn you can amount to something or understand that you can. For me life begins when amino acids gel in a primordial swamp in a way that can reproduce. For me life begins when the being takes its first breath. When you are born. Somebody loves you whether it be your parents or friends. When i am born. When a soul is born. When you find the meaning of love. For you. Life begins when. When you don't let fear keep you from living. When i decide to be born again either as a. Born again as either an infant or adult. Being here. I think this was easy once i think the purpose of life is. Define happiness in life and just live as fully as you can. Living. To love and to learn and to set examples for future generations in hopes of peace. To do your best on everything. To enjoy it to the fullest extent. To fulfill your dreams. To please yourself and people around you doing no mental or physical harm to anyone. I think the purpose of life is 42 no that's the meaning of life. To learn how the interrelated interact in different ways. To experience what can never be bought. To make the most of it. To live love laugh and be happy. So what about for you what is the purpose of life. Discernment. To connect. 3 responsible. To grow. Cheerleader. Live every day it is as if it were the last. Let's move on to another easy one. To be human is to. Be part of a community. Love live and learn. Be a mammal and animal humans are not significantly different from other animals. Tell ceiling. Live a life of a king queen prince princess. Walk on two feet and have two hands. And have a personality have the intelligence. Respect everything. To be nonviolent breathing thinking smart loving caring sexual breathing long living organism. To be human is to be alive. So to be human is. For you. Content of your character. Florida. To explore. The nurture. To make mistakes we have several more coming later you like him. Killearn. Boldly go where no. And i'm glad to think genderize that thank you. What are finding our way here. Amato all should follow is. Straight others the way you would want to be treated. Treat others as you want to be treated. An eye for an eye will make the world blind stated by gandhi. Life isn't always fair. Treat others the way you would want to be treated. Always do when you believe. True love forgive forget peace. Life is given to us so that we can live it. Be happy and make people happy. Be considerate of people animals and things. So what model do you think we should follow. Treat people the way they want to be treated. Yes. Listen with your heart. Y'all hear that i can give that one either. Every moment seems like no one can hear you and dan and dance like nobody's watching. Reach. Reach what you cannot. Then how about this one being religious. Means. You follow your beliefs whatever they may be as long as you believe in them. Attuning to the spiritual center. You believe in something and follow the rules of what was. If you believe. Having a purpose that is that does not control your life completely. To believe in something spiritually. To believe what you yourself believe. Believe in something. Having faith and belief. Having beliefs. Practicing your beliefs in a sacred place. To be religious means what to you. Not using your face to attack others. Navigate to community of san martin. Hemet community of same minded people. Technology. Acknowledging there is much you do not understand. And then looking beyond to what. I think that after life. People will die and be a memory in other's hearts. You will go to heaven. You choose what happens to you if you were good. I will go to heaven. I think that after life is a long dream of what would happen in your religion depending on how you were in the present life. Is reincarnation. Is you come back to life as a different form if you choose and you forget your past and life begins. We've go to heaven no matter what. His non-existing i believe in reincarnation. We are reborn possibly not exactly the same soul. So you think afterlife. Our energy. Her energy is released into the universe to be used again. It's what you left behind. Nursing. Our bodies are used to nourish the earth. Darkness unit. Will you send us a note. And then in the end the only thing that will matter is. To love the people and friends around you. Connection to self and others. How we lived our life. That we were born innocent. How you treated other people and affected the world. How you lived your life. If you had a great life and lived it right. How good you have been. Call fully and fairly few live. Your family. In the end the only thing that will matter is. Minecraft. What you did with what you were given. How close you live your life by your. Values and ideals. Did i get my fair share. Did you get your fair share of chocolate that would be dark chocolate with it. Weather in level. And finally some of those simple ending questions. When i think of god or the goddess. I believe god is made is a made-up figure that was made in times that weren't very good as a place or person to go to in somebody's mind but spread around to others. I think of nature. I think of the earth's solar system the universe and science. I think of a man on a cloud and robes. I think of nothing. I don't think he is actually there there is some permanent energy or something paranormal energy or something. I think of a non-living imaginative being a magic nonliving thing. Place to focus my dreams and goals and ideals. I think of hope. I think of rubbish that controls your life through a conspiracy. When you think of god. You don't. The church of the ungodly chocolate. They'll have devil's food cake later. Yes. Infinite potential. Unnecessary,. Unnecessary or unnecessary. Unnecessary concept. I remain open. Just. Jermaine open just in case the man hedges his best. August. Loving wisdom. That reagan over there. Comforted by the connection of all the came before and all those who will go after her. Intelligent design. Energy in the universe and all of us. Response to man's innate spirituality. Yes chris. Creative feminine energy. Let's go for one more and we'll see how we doing this it's a simple statement. I hope that. There will be no wars or at least left. And more schools and less fighting. I hope that we are learning. I hope that everyone is happy. I hope we'll get a better idea about religion. I hope that in the end everything works out the way that the person wanted it to be. I hope i have a good life and be the best person i can be. I hope that we come back as a different form. Back onto the earth so i can live through life in many different faces. I hope that i will be god when i die. I hope that in the end all people will realize that life is not about physicians but about humanity's love faith and trust. I hope that everyone eventually becomes the unitarian universalist and for uuo. What. Ilearn. Deployed. Learn to receive joy in spite of the pain. The world will be as one. That don't have to come back here. But you don't have to come back here again. You hope that. Kobe. That hope there's something left to hope for. I hope we will always have young people. Like these. You heard. Their responses to be scott question. Are some questions number of us in the room in silence. And yet they gave us such insightful. Open honest responses out of their lives. Looking ahead to many years and you. Deals with so many things in life. They are these are you these are our future. Thoughtful introspective open. Mine's are just magnificent. Even better than their mind. You know the greatest practical theology is not going to be was written a book. Stop would be something that can be preached before thousands of people in yankee stadium. Probably not going to be something that would ever be regarded as a scripture. But it's going to be the theology that's carried by a generation. Forward into life. It is even a tiny piece is a spark. Open wonder. Informs airlines when the going gets tough. Air condition for all of us. Will be better. Each of us can in life live and enjoy and at the same time learn and remember. We will all that are compression in this life. The greater fulfillment. Greater understanding. Greater love. Possibility of peace. All those lips. Each of these answers we've heard. It's really only a starting place in real life. Columbiana ford. What we celebrating our coming-of-age program. Isn't these young people of recent point where they can answer with the depth and wisdom they heard them speak. In their answers. Exactly. Things are all the places you will go.. So for that and everything. You will challenge us with new questions. And challenges. Your new answers.

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prophetic.mp3

If i were to ask you to think about a date in the past. Ask you what you remember from it. If that date was last week you might remember a lot last year. Probably not as much. More than that. You might not be able to differentiate that data at all. Or maybe you could. For example. August 28th. 1963. Where were you. What were you doing. I remember vividly. That date. I know where i wasn't. And i know what was happening. I wasn't in washington dc. What was happening. With a rally in dc like this nation had never seen. And later that night as i listen to the radio. I heard a speech. Like no speech i had ever heard before. The reverend dr. martin luther king jr.. Steppin to the microphone of that great march and washington. Begin to speak. Began to speak about. The dream he had. By the end of the address as i heard it on radio. It was as if he had spoken to me. As if he had spoken to the heart and essence of everything. Vision. And with hope. Who is if i had been there in front of him. Even though i had not. And for the hundreds of thousands who had seen him that day. They were in his presence. Those words were not just print a page. Those words. Reverberated. Old across the mall out across the reflecting pool through the streets of washington. They reflected out into their lives. And many were transformed by that moment. There was a time long long ago. When some of the ancient israelites. Had the opportunity. Did hear the great prophet amos speak. Where did hear the great prophet isaiah speak. And for them i suspect it was the same kind of experience. The kind of experience that makes you remember a day. A place. A person. A message. They had an intimate relationship. With what that christian was about. And what that person was saying and what they were hearing and what it meant to them inside of themselves. Later some might have stood. Down the hill from where jesus spoke on the mount. And they would have heard those words for the first time. The beatitudes not simply being a scripture written down somewhere. What's the deep meditations on the meaning of life from a living breathing human being that spoke directly to each of them. I doubt anyone who was in attendance that day. What is forgotten. That day. And those words. And later much later. To the masses of people in india. This frail man. The mahatma. Gandhi himself. Would speak before great crowds of people. And i bet every single one of them whoever were in that crowd. Remember to the day of their death. Not simply the man. Words. The message. And i wonder how many sadkhin salons and lecture halls and licea. And heard susan b anthony. Speak out of her heart. About what was possible. Four notches men. But women in this world. How many. Witnessing the acts of love of mother teresa. Then heard her speak. Her message. Faith. And love. And commitment. One of the things we value. Or at least we say we value. Other words are prophetic men and women. Who ever grace this earth. Over a long. of time. We say. Did we honor. Those words. Press we come upon this celebration of. Dr. martin luther king jr.. I look at the pattern. Of what happened. There are three generations. It seems to me. It's around any prophetic voice. First. Is a generation of presents. Those who actually heard the words. Spoken. Those who removed as i had been back in august 1963. By someone who had a dream. That transcended the problems of the nation. I was present albeit by radio. Millions of us probably everyone in this room. Present in some way to those words. We were the generation. Who heard. We were the generation who experienced. We were the generation who are present in a time and place in the year that told us what all that meant. And then came. Degeneration. A remembrance. Those who were not there. Those who did not hear amos or isaiah. Those who never saw jesus alive. Those who never knew susan b anthony. Teresa. But they remembered those people. And they tried to remember not only what those people had done but with those people had said that's spoken to their heart of hearts of every single person. Something gets lost. In the translation. From being present. Remembrance. Something gets translated. Something gets changed in a way. What was once vital and alive. Slowly in memory. Becomes ossified. And fossilized. And scripture wise. And written down. And passed on. It's starts being remembered. It stops being experienced. And then there's the third generation. And that's the generation of memorialization. These are the people. For whom the experience is so far gone. So far behind them. Did they can't even a vision having been there. They received the fruits that would have grown out of that time. They don't even see themselves as remembering and away. But rather holding up these larger-than-life figures. Holding up. These prophets of the world. And memorializing them. Making of their words books of scripture. Making of their words artistic images. Making of their words icons and sound bites and little phrases. Making of their words and live. Holidays and memorials and platitudes. And at some level. When we get to the general duration of memorialization. When we reached the point. That we can't perceive ourselves being present to the words. The words of prophetic. Women and men. Die with them. If we are truly honor. The people we memorialize so often. In religion and civic culture. If we really wanted to memorialize then we would have wrecked no monuments. Sentinel holy dates. I have no books of scripture. We would try to be as present with their words. As had been those. Who are there. When they. We're smoking. For nothing is really of great value to us. Is it something we hold the arm's length. Celebration. And general culture. What truly matters. Is what reaches deep within our hearts. What reaches into our spirits and our soul words that steer themselves so much into our being that we are transformed by it. Now it's true. And probably true for everyone here in this room. That's some words. Some words ordered long ago before we lived. Some words. Hotter than long ago remembered and now memorialized and some text. Some words that have been memorialized in the text which one read by us seared right into that spirit. Cats. Message. Not just scanning them for meaning. Not just doing analysis for understanding. But they're kind of prophetic word that reach out and grab your soul. What words. Reach out. And grab. Your soul. What words. Have and are capable of transforming. Your life. What words can you be present to. Which will give you vision. Will make you. More. Of who you are. What words are prophetic. 2. You. And if you do not have any voices. Present in your life. That's peak prophetically to you. Seek them out. Find them. Listen. Listen to the words of the world. Then you will discover. The second part. The prophetic equation. And you will know. Where do you wear hearing them or not. By this second part. For when you truly. Truly honor. The words are prophetic men and women across history. When you truly have words with spoken evil now or a long ago but was still right into your being. You will find those words not only coming into your ears. You will hear them. Coming out from your mouth. You will taste the royal substance on your lips. You will find that when you truly know. Prophetic words which are present to you. They aren't just words you hear. Ar words. You also. Speak. Because the truly prophetic words. Are those words. Which are passed from generation and generation. From time to time. Into eternity. Because of their truth. Power. And their beauty. We really honor the words of prophetic women and men. When their words. Can become our words. And the lives inspired by their words. Become our lives. Inspiring. H words. What profits. Do you hear. What prophecies. Do you speak. What prophecies. Do you live. To honor. Dr. king. Or any of the great figures of history. The answer. Ultimately. Needs not to be about them. What about us.

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eighdays.mp3

We're reading this morning i have a story by yaffa guns. It's one of these stories out of a book called the travels and tales of doctor mitzvah. Processional with the word mitzvah means a blessing a good deed. Caught a lite for andy. It was almost a week since anyone had seen doctor mitzvah. His patients were looking for him. Ismail was piling up in his phone did not stop ringing. All mrs. gordon greenwood say was the doctor was busy. Could not be disturbed. I wonder where he is or what he's doing said sarah it's not like doxer mitzvah to go into hiding. He's not hiding answer joey. He's probably doing something important. Joey singer said he saw doctor mitzvah going into the master field mansion outside cedarville. What can he be doing there the master fields have their own doctors they never called doctor mitzvah. Let's wait here for him. He has to come home sooner or later said david. Andrew masterfield should have been in class with sethi and sarah and joel and david. But andy was blind. And he studied at home. Did private teacher special tutors his own pony in a private gymnasium. And now we had a new problem. Mr maska failed had called doctor mitzvah. I passed your office the other day and saw your sign it says you are a doctor of mostly everything. I don't think it's you can cure my boys eyes. But perhaps you can help us. You see andy learned that it's a mitzvah to see the lights of the konica candles. He insisted he's going to see them. He doesn't want hanukkah presents he doesn't want parties all he wants to do is see you at the lights. He says he'll have his own private hanukkah ms miracle. He's a good boy doctor mitzvah but so stubborn. He won't listen to anyone. Is there some way you can help him. Perhaps you can explain to him that the lights are not so important. We can celebrate the holiday without the lights. He will be so disappointed can you help us. Dr. mitchell listen carefully. But the lights are important he said without the lights there is no hanukkah. So let me think of it. That very same day documents for went to work. He bought pipes and screws and bolts. He bought gold paint and brushes and metal bells he locked himself up in his workshop and didn't answer the phone or visit his patients. Unless it was an emergency. The day before hanukkah you went to the master felt mansion carrying a heavy package. When he returned he saw joey david's fe and sarah sitting on the bench in his yard. Oh wonderful he cried you're just the people i need. Can you help me carry some packages to the masterfield mansion. I couldn't find a taxi there too heavy for me to take all at once. I'll call my father and ask if he can drive us there since defi. I'm sure he won't mind. These fathers soon pulled up in front of doctor mitzvahs house and ate heavy packages were loaded into the big trunk of his car. Dr. misra said in the front the children piled in the back. The masterfield mansions servants came out to take the packages. Into the house. Can we come in to ask sarah. Well no do usually come to visit nds doctor mitzvah. Children were very quiet. Not usually said sarah softly. Will be nice if you did you no answer doctor mitzvah he would definitely appreciate some company. What come on in. And maybe we'll deal by beginning of many more visits. The children say hello to andy and sat down as doctor mitzvah open the packages. They were full long gold color tube with lots of smaller parts all waiting to be assembled. There were 41 pieces and all. Walls that selfie what are you going to do with all those tubes. I know since ali he's going to do arcana, nora. That's absolutely correct sally said the smiling doctor mitzvah. I can't wait to see it said andy he was smiling too. The children looked at each other. They didn't see any say anything at all. Let's get to work seductor mitzvah. He took out a big drawing and they began to put the pieces together. It was by building a big three-dimensional puzzle. When they were finished all 41 pieces were tightly connected. The menorah skilled 3 ft high and 4 ft wide. Andy sought it carefully. From one end to the other. That's a pretty big minori said. A little smile curved around his lips. Yes indeed that's because chronic is the story of a pretty big miracles adapter mitzvah. When the hellenistic greek syrians capture the land of israel most people thought the jews had to become just like the greeks. They were sure that whatever the greeks did was good and right. Following the tour of the jews was wrong and bad. After all the money greeks were the most civilized people in the world. Many of the jews agree but many others like the maccabees refused to follow the greeks. They were stubborn people who stayed loyal to god in his torah. They refused to turn in the greek they even fought the money greek syrian army's. God help them in their battles and they were able to chase the greeks out of jerusalem. Then a miracle happened. The oil they found re light the menorah in the holy temple in jerusalem was enough for only one day. But it burn for an entire eight days until new oil could be pressed and brought to jerusalem. Cc sometimes it pays to be stubborn. Like me sit andy with a big smile. Like you and the jewish people said joey. How will andy see the lights whispered salad the doctor mitzvah. Wait until hanukkah and you'll find out whisper doctor mitzvah. On the last evening of sonic of the children were invited to a big gathering at the masterfield mansion. The menorah stood in the middle of the room and a low table. Mr matheson felt sick tall candles just the right size for such a big menorah. You said the blessings and everyone answered i'm n. Suddenly andy step forward his arm stretched out before him. He walked to the menorah and he held his hand to the light. The warmth of the candles reached his face. And the light shone in his eyes that he could not see. You know he said. I feel as though i really can see the conoco lights. I can feel them on my face and imagined them in my mind. I even hear them flickering. They flicker. But they will never go out. Maybe someday i'll even see them with my eyes like you do. If we're stubborn and we believe no matter what anyone says god helps us. He turns darkness into light. And makes miracles happen. Even today. I'm men whisper. Dr. misra. So we recall the ancient story of hanukkah. And some ways it is an ancient story. But in many ways it's our story. It begins with. People being occupied by. Troops. With values being imposed upon them that. They wouldn't choose. Customs and traditions. That were theirs being neglected and new customers coming in. Time of questioning identity. Who are we. What shall we be. How shall we be. Any other than mister that comes a message. What says we know who we are it won't even remember. Remember what. I think back to those keepers of the temple. And the people who supported them and the people who worship there. You know in the temple the light was lit. It wasn't a problem with there being no spark. It wasn't a problem with there being no light. Flame in the temple was lit. But when they reclaim the temple. And the kindle life was lips the problem was. Was there enough oil. What there be enough oil to sustain those lights. What there be a flame that continued. Or would flicker out again for want of oil. Depressed new oil. To refill the lamps would take many days. In each of those eight days. But each of our days of our lives can be filled in many ways. I'm sure there was some better then. Who look down that row of days and said. No way. And gave up before they even began. Not seeing the promise of the new oil fulfilled. They didn't even dare risk. Thinking about the first day. Of the limited oil. And then there were some who said no. I think it'll last a day. So what day is worth of life was kindled. Kindled by those who felt. Did they could at least see until tomorrow. But beyond that. They could not say. And they could not see. I'm wondering how many of us. I like those. We're able to step off the dime in a sense from where we are but the best will commit to. Is one more day. We looked it tomorrow. Maybe we say tomorrow is got to be better. Or we say what's tomorrow's today it's all going to happen or some out tomorrow i'll get the phone call been waiting for. We can't see any further than that. I wonder how many of us are the people. Who would have had faith enough. For the first day. But beyond that. Would have been filled with doubt. And see her. And then there's some who can see beyond tomorrow. Candlelight for a second day. They look down that road. And they can see not only what is already in the making. But they can also see. Possibilities. Not yet more than simply dreams. I'm wondering how many of us are like those who can see the practicality of a first day. And maybe a glimpse of another. And that's enough to get us through one day at a time. One-day-at-a-time. But not much more. And then there's some who measure out their lives. In longer terms. The ones who knew on the first day. That there would be a third day. For they are the planner is in the plotters. They're the calendar makers they're the ones. Who know when and where it will happen. In faith what they have written down. Will come true. And how many of us are like those third day people. We know it will be simply because. We have scheduled. We believe more in our calendars. Then we do in our faith. And then there's some. Who can say to the fourth day. See the light kindled for half the distance. And that's as far as they're willing to go. You probably met them. You know the kind. The people who will commit themselves halfway. But no further. The time you can't be totally certain of because all they can say is yes but. Yes but. The halfway committed people. The people can't see the fulfillment. I can see a little bit down the road the ones that frustrate you so much. Because you know if they could just see the second half it would be so easy. But all they seized the first half. And then there are those who can see beyond the half. Who can look down the way beyond where any reasonable person might be able to expect. And into a measure that's beyond what's even speculative. They believe. Even beyond the horizon. I'm the greatest thing they can see. There still is more. Those who see beyond the halfway point. And no it's worth tending to. Are you one of those. And then there are those. Who even see beyond the horizon. Or at least open themselves to what's beyond the horizon. A six-day. Almost a week. Wasn't that really asking too much. Who would ever seen auburn for 6 days with only one day supply. There were some who knew when they arose on the sixth day. At the flame would still be there. And how many of us are those. Who will arise on the six-day when we've gone beyond everything we've known. And still believe. Still have faith. The what is important. Will continue. In summer in it for the week. The seven days. Some there be that. And give him a week. The face. The courage. Commitment. You know them. Maybe you're one of those. There's always a time limit at the end. I can do that as long as it doesn't take too much time i can do that as long as it doesn't take too much energy i can do that as long as. These are the conditional people. These are the ones who think they can see the endpoint and i willing to be part of the process. But in fact. They're only willing to go. Certain distance. They're only willing. The go the seventh day. Because beyond the seventh day. Especially back in those days beyond one sabbath until the next. What world was there. Beyond the seventh day. It's all speculation. Beyond the seventh day it's all potential waiting to be realized beyond the 7-day it's all as if behind the veil. And then there are some. Go the distance. Some. Cool candle light for 8 days. All of known time and more. For whom. There is no end to what is a value. For whom there is no end. To what is visionary. For whom there is no end. For what is possible. And we know those people. We remember their names. They are the holy ones of all times they are the moses's in the desert for 40 years. They're the jesus is in the small towns preaching. They are the mohammed speaking out in a culture. It needed redemption. They're gandhi. And mother teresa. Martin luther king. They're the ones who were in it the go the distance. Knowing that in fact the primes would even be after the 8th day. Kindling the eight flames. Is simply the beginning. To a journey without end. Card fulfillment. And i wonder. Thinking about that progression. 2/8 days of wandering. Where i would stop. Where would i not expect. I like to continue. Where would my faith fail me. Where in those eight days would i have scoff of a tomorrow with light. We're in those eight days. When i have given up. Where in my life. Where in your life. Do you score. At there being a better tomorrow. Where in my life. Where in your life. Do i give up the fight. Or do i ever. Hanukkah. In the symbolic menorah. It's eight candles. It's 8 days. Reminders. Over and over again. To be in it for the long haul. Not give up the fight. Until every possible light. Has been lived in a world. It's so often seems filled with darkness. 8 days of wonder. Just a start. Just. I'll be getting.

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experience.mp3

Welcome to the podcast of the services from the community church unitarian universalist. For chicago south suburbs located in park forest illinois. Hi i'm randy becker the ministry of the congregation and i welcome you on their behalf to these audio broadcast. What did i have two readings for you and one of them is. Semi-long infoblox of words. And wanting is more $0.06 in full images. The first is the word e1. Back at the turn of the other century back no way back when. William james did a series of lectures at harvard university. He went into this somewhat skeptical. He was trying to find out what the impulse was that made people religious. Because he couldn't figure it out he was really there. Beginning electricity bronco out of the religiosity of the victorian age. But somehow is he developed those lectures you begin to see some different things. One point in there and what became the book the varieties of religious experience. He wrote this serenity spoken and then transcribed. Our perceptions of a mystical nature. Rs convincing to those who have had them. Has any direct sensible experience can be. And they are as a rule much more convincing than results established by mere logic ever are. One may indeed be entirely without them the mystical experiences. Probably more than one of you present here is without them in any mark degree. But if you have had them. And have them at all strongly. The probability is that you cannot help regarding them as genuine perceptions of truth. Has revelations of a kind reality which no adverse argument. How are answerable by you and words. Can expel from your belief. The opinion opposed to mysticism. In philosophy. Is sometimes spoken of as rationalism. Rationalism insist that all our beliefs. Ultimately define for themselves. Articulate grounds. Such grounds for rationalism must consist of four things. First. Definitely stay double. Abstract principles. Second. Definite facts of sensation. Third definite hypotheses based upon such facts. And for definite inferences logically drawing. Vague impressions of something indefinable have no place in the rationalistic system. Which artist positive side is surely a splendid intellectual tendency. For not only are all barbie balsamico fruits based on it. But physical science among other good things is its result. Nevertheless. If we look on man's whole mental life as it exists. On the life of man that lies and them apart from their learning and science. Inwardly and privately follow. We have to confess that the part of it which is rationalism. Can give an account that is relatively superficial. It is the part that has the prestige undoubtedly. Ford has a loquacity. They can challenge you for proofs and shock logic and put you down with words. But it will fail to convince. Or convert you all the same if your intuitions are opposed to its conclusions. If you have intuitions at all they come from a deeper level of your nature. Then a loquacious levelwear rationalism inhabits. Your whole subconscious life. Your impulses your faith's your need your divinations have prepared the premises of which your consciousness now feels the weight of the result. In something in you. Absolutely knows that the result must be truer. Then anylogic chopping rationalistic talk. However clever that may contradict it. This inferiority of the rationalistic level in founding belief is just as manifest when rationalism argues for religion. Argues against it. Advanced literature. Proofs of god's existence drawn from the order of nature. Which a century ago seemed so overwhelmingly convincing. Today does little more than gather dust in libraries. The truth is that in the metaphysical and religious fear. Articulate concepts are cogent for us. Only. When are inarticulate feelings of reality. Have already been impressed in favor of the same conclusion. Then indeed our intuitions and our reason work together. And great world brewing systems like that of the buddhist or the capital asset he may grow up. Possibly. Is hero is what sets up the original body of proof. Nra secretly verbalize philosophy. Is but it's showing a transformation in the formulas. The unreasoned an immediate assurance is the deep thing in us. The reason document. Is but a surface exhibition. Instincts lead. Intelligence does. But follow. William james's observations. On the religious impulse. Another simpler language of mary oliver in a poem entitled. The journey. One day you finally knew what you had to do. And began though the voices around you kept shouting their bad advice. Do the whole house began to tremble. And you felt the old tug at your ankles mend my life each voice cried. Didn't stop. You knew what you had to do. Though the wind pride with his fingers at the very foundations. Do their melancholy was terrible. It was already late enough. And a wild night in the road full of fallen branches and stones but little by little. As you left their voices behind. Stars began to burn through the sheets of clouds and there was a new voice which you slowly recognized as your own. The kept you company. As you strode deeper and deeper into the world. Determined to do the only thing. You could do. Determined to save. The only life. You could say. The journey. Play mary oliver. There are many kinds of religions. They're all religions of obedience. Their religions of confession. Their religions of submission. And there's religion of vision. I think we're in that last category. A religion of vision. But only if we. Are willing to engender that spirit of vision. When i say their religions. Obedience. What i'm referring to are those religions that suggests that there is a law a written code a set of strictures that must be obeyed. If one is to be religious. Religions of the word and law. They say that what's important is what happened and was announced sometime in the past. Here are the things. You must. Obey. I want to talk about religions of confession i talk about those traditions in which the experience of some people at some time in history in relation to some individual who was ultimately forgiving. Made them want to speak. Out of their own life's about their failures that they might have a piece of that forgiveness. And now the additive confession is not a personal interaction with a person that's there. But rather a remembering of some other time and the experiences of some other people. When i speak about a religion of submission. Is religion of submission to the experiences and insights. Someone else somewhere else. Submitting to something unseen. In the name of something promised. When i speak about a religion of vision. I'm speaking about a religion that somehow. In its time. Has a vision of something in the time that is yet to come. A vision that says where we are now gives us glimpses of potential and possibility which we will only get two. If somehow. We can get those glimpses into our lives. Religion that way someone divides in the two camps. Those which look backward to something. And that witch in the moments looks forward to something. Arising out of the moment. I want to do a little after size with this morning and you needed him know to do this. I like you too if you got one we're going to start in the beginning. May 1st. Memorial sticker on it dedication sticker. Be nice just for a moment to notice who your book is dedicated to. Somebody within our history. Then you turn the page you come to the title page singing the living tradition. Then you come to the next title page and it says singing the living tradition. Can you come to a page it says contents. Then you come to a page that says preface boy we do go on don't we. But then we come to another title page it says singing the living tradition i guess we know the title of this book and then we come to a page on the left hand side that says we the member congregations you see that page. Are these wonderful visionary principles. That we hold as core to our faith. Not as a creed but more as guidelines. Not the content but the process of what we're going to be about. Knowing every single religious tradition when they talk about their principles their tenants. The creed's. One of the things we always have to ask is if that's what you're say you're about. How do you know you're about that. Well that's the second half of this page. The living tradition we share draws from many sources. Now i'd like to ask you to read with me the first phrase. October 1st semicolon of what's here. Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder. Affirmed in all cultures. Which moves us to a renewal of the spirit. And an openness to the forces that create and uphold life. Where do we get the vision from. What does it say the direct experience of that transforming mystery and wonder. Now i'd like to turn to wear at him for 16 would be if we had him 416. You'll find a spot right after him for 15. What you find there instead is a page entitled readings. See that. There's a whole section about affirmations and other stuff. And then. The next section supposedly based upon our sources. Its title is. Transcending mystery and wonder. What's the difference between what we saw in the beginning of the hymnal and what we're seeing at the rear of the hymnal. Transforming mystery and wonder is in both places. What got chopped off. Direct experience. Interesting. What we've done is taken. And focused on. The object. And not the method and subjective that original source. Direct experience. Apparently it's not going to get dealt with. What is the truth. In our movement from the time of the consolidation of the universalist with the unitarian from 1961 on. Direct experience with something you may have. We're not going to talk about it. We're going to ask you what you found. Transcending mystery and wonder. But not about the experience itself. But then think about what william james. Sad. His observation is a psychologist. That when the going gets tough isn't the reason to argument. Is it the collective justification that really fuels the impulse of human beings to live lives of integrity and heating. No. It's the direct experience they have had of something that points them to transcended meaning in wonder. It is the experience that paves the way for all the other understandings they might have. The direct experience. Of something. That often cannot be reduced to words. Which we know. Is real. That experience out along the shores of lake michigan when the sun rises up. Got all of a sudden one has a feeling of oneness with all existence. And the rational part knows the sun rises every day and the rational part knows that lake michigan is there every day and the red hill park knows there's a larger world. What it is that direct experience. It puts all those facts into an order. Fitbit comparison to worry about the health. Of the atmosphere. And the health of the waters. And of all the people that are having those same experiences. In the quiet moments of grief. In those points of time we're almost every philosophy dwindles away to meaninglessness because you're so grip. But that sense of loss like the whole building has been torn out and suddenly in the midst of that you get an intimation. Is it set of immortality. Something whispers in the us experience. You are open to some voice speaking. About something more than endings. And all the facts of life. And death. And your pain. Suddenly become meaningful. Because of your own direct experience. Something that transcends. Satmar. Probably we've all had those kind of. Those times when. Whatever it is. Usually lose any possible naming but whatever it is touches us. So intimately. So personally so persuasively that we know we will never ever forget it. We will be who we are from that moment on because we experienced that. Isn't it interesting. That is what is often called the religious impulse. And how rarely. We talk about that here. When that is really the core of why we are here. Here i mean in this place in this place of community trying to delve after the deepest things. They're available in life. So that really is our number one source of how we get to our vision that our vision of tomorrow is born. Born in our deep experiences of today. Born in the experiences that are so personally and so universal that they speak of everything to us if that is our most important resource. What do we do about. One thing we shouldn't do. Is somehow focus totally on the object. And forget about the subject. And the process. How to do that. I want to suggest that we are challenged as a religious community if in fact we want to be a religious community in the liberal religious tradition we're challenged by something that could appear to be a chicken-and-egg dilemma. Let me just say it's a challenge. You decide whether you think this or that is chicken or egg. How do we create communities. In which people feel safe. Secure. Invited. Welcome and affirm to speak about those direct experiences. Of those things that transcend us. How do people find a voice. Just speak those things. How do each of us find the memes in the courage to say. Last night i had a dream. And the other side. How do we engender a community that hearing someone say last night i had a dream. Chooses not to argue about whether the dream was true or not. But rather listens. With ear. And spirit. Do what the other says. Not for argument's sake. Oh we love those arguments. We love those discussions but for the wisdom sharing that comes out of it how do we make this into a place. In which. We speak. And we openly listen. In which what is spoken. Is welcome. If we really believe. As we say we do that that direct experience is a central component. And we need to be able to do both. To speak openly and courageously because we know it's safe here to do so. And be part of a community that makes it safe to do so. What are the hallmarks of liberal religion. Has always been a belief that its greatest foundational building block is not some document of history. Is not some person long-dead. But rather is each and everyone of us. Not as individuals and rugged individualism. Individuals speaking from his or her own truth. Animal collective truth. In which division of a better tomorrow. Is born in that speaking. So this is ruin invitation. Invitation to ponder. Over the weekend had the month ahead the year i had the rest of your life and beyond. How do you find the voice. To really share. Your most direct experience of religion. And how do you find the openness. To hear what others have to say. Come let us ponder together. How we can make that source of our religion. So powerful. That we all will be the true visionaries. Their religion claims. We are. We hope you enjoy this broadcast of a sermon from the community church unitarian universalist of chicago south suburbs. Do you like more information about us unitarian universalism. Or about the programs at our church. Your best connection would be our website. That's www.you you cece. Tgif. Dot-org. We hope to see you there too and back here again next week. Have a good week.

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ballou.mp3

Picture if you will that it's the late 1700s. The war for american independence has been fought and won. A new nation has been established. Well wobbly established for about 10 years until it found its constitutional feet. New expectations. Things were changing. In many many ways. No longer was the king upon the throne the ruler of the people rather the people with ruler of the people. No indeed. No new ideas filtered into the consciousness of america along the way. What are those ideas that came was the idea of universalism. John murray had brought it from england. And preached it up and down the eastern seaboard. The idea that there was no eternal damnation. Any idea spread like wildfire. Even into remote places. What's the interior of new hampshire. Where small boy hosea ballou. Sitting through those interminable services of his father filled with hellfire and brimstone. The strictest calvinistic type teaching. That there's nothing you can do. To determine your fate. You're in the hands of a power beyond yours you cannot know it you cannot secure it you cannot even prove it. You must live in hope and terror all the time even in the midst of those hills of new hampshire. Even in those small little towns. The word of universalism began to spread. Those would then say it closter with. Mari and hearing and preached the word. Cuz those days one of the amusements of travel. What's it going to church. Because it was in church you might hear new ideas. Especially if you went to a church that was not part of the establishment. And someone was that this young boy. Barely into his teens. His mother having died when he was two years old i've been brought up in this with his father is a head of the household and only parental image. Started to hear this other message. Another preacher nearby began to dabble into preaching. Of universalism. And he heard it instantly realized that his life need not be filled all the time with terror. He even took the scary step trying to discuss this around the family table. He with his 10 siblings and father at the end of the table. Picture. Calvinists that one end. The budding universalist at the other. That must have been a meal. The witness. His father was not amused. The blue persevere. He left home. Went out. Diptych. Mind you he had never really completed school in south but he went to teach anyway because he needed money. And anyone who appeared to be somewhat proficient in speaking and having some learning could be hired as a teacher. So off we went to teach. And preach. Small congregations that were springing up. Committed to the universalist message. Aloha park. Makes him a special person in the story of our faith. Is that he never went the theological school. He never did formal study of any type of religion but rather believe that like he all people. Have the capacity. The reason it out for themselves. Do for him that men reading the bible and seeing what was there not filtered through the eyes of someone else. Surah to his own experience. It's on hard. His own mine. And what he discovered was. But the universalism of john murray was not radical enough for him. Dulce maria creek the universalism that said. Ultimately. You will all be reunited with the divine. In the length of eternity you're going to be restored to be part of god but. You've been bad there's going to be a little bit of time you got to serve some time. And then when your time is served what you've done that's bad. You'll be restored. Into at 1. Atonement. Blue says this makes no sense. This set up the creator of life. It's both our creator and then autumn judge judging. The creation. Just doesn't make any sense. So he became the main spokesperson for the second generation of universalism. In america. And this was the generation that preached. What they now we're calling. Ultra universalism. Yeah they're attached more saving than ever. Perfect that's what it was. His message was simple. This the one you heard. Sorry sargon. If the creator created something no-one to be flawed or potentially for isn't the onus on the creator not on the flawed product and he is arguing the first product recall issue that's ever been had he saying it belongs with the manufacturer. And certainly not with the user. And if you look at all of nature that's out there. What do you see. A tree that for whatever reason get strangled by a vine devine survives and the tree through its seed also survived nature itself is constantly renewing it all existence is. It does not bring a stop at any point. Nor eternal torment. To the universe. So he began to preach. This message. Which strangely enough some also labeled. Calvinistic message. How's this possible. Well because he argued there was nothing you could do. And nothing you could say. For nothing that you could say. That could keep you from that salvation. That it was the gift of creation itself simply by being. But you were going to return to oneness with all of it is. And it wasn't in your hands. As a consequence he also taught then if you do bad things you will be punished. What's not later. It's here. It sounds charming she would ask people about this. You know the person who sang. Who does the most strong genes. Within your community. Do they ever seem like a happy person. Corset all go in the world. They are living out their own punishment. But the worst thing that happens to us is what we do to ourselves not what will be done from some other agency. Fourth preaching this message. And he began to spread it up and down the coast of america's well when america was just in east coast. Early days of the 19th century. And it was a radical message for so many cuz all of a sudden they could live life in a hole. Rather than in fear. Interesting it along the way. He began to downplay the role of jesus. He began to say well the old universal has kept saying jesus as the savior. I'm just seeing was the messenger. He was anointed as a messenger go take this message but he was human. And therefore he dispensed with all the trinitarian that preferences and began to adopt a unitary anthesis. Now the budding unitarians we're not too happy about this i have to tell you. Ec. He saw the saving grace of universalism. It only makes sense in a world. Communitarianism. In which whatever creative course there was was unified and it was good. The unitarians on their hand. Their model in those days was salvation by character. In other words you were saying by how well you develop the good qualities you had. So i thought of universalism was not one they like. And so william ellery channing we talked about. Several months ago. And blew off and got into sort of a verbal sniping. Matches with each other. Blue always inviting channing into a larger circle understanding. Enchanting often closing the circle. With the universalist outside. Why would this be true. What part of it was a theological argument. Other part of it was a class argument. Best hosea ballou. Who inspired literally thousands of churches in this country. Sunset by 1840 universalism what's the third largest religion in america. That's what he smart. What's a man without learning. Still with waters twang in his voice from the hampshire. Who's sermons. And books. Read light conversation. Not like scoleri treatises. This was a man who made argument by human experience. Rather than by scholarly. Track. And the unitarians had based their entire stock. On the education. And refinement perfume envy. It wasn't just on theology that there was a split. There were other splits that were to come between the unitarian universalist site don't mind you this always reminds me. I'm talking about things like z-14 types of socialist in north america in which the 1% dividing cells up further. One of the most classic times. Was in the discussion of the establishment clause of religion in massachusetts. It always think that with the passing of the bill of rights. That was an automatic separation of church and state 19 until the 1830s did massachusetts get wind of this. And they were still texting people. Disappoint the churches. Do you say okay or not just supporting the churches with your the church of england anymore. We're going to support. All the major established churches. Commence that unitarian. And universal says was obviously get that some of that money based on their membership. Even though the unitarians had this idea that the state needed the power of religion to keep it moral and just. We hear that a lot these days don't we. Do universalist under ballou said no. We need to separate out the two. Because you said. At any time the state is tempted. To support some religion. Because that religion supports the general welfare in good society. That's also the time the state becomes tempted. The condemned the ones that doesn't like. And that we need to have a separation. So that all matters of faith can grow. Not on the will and whim of the state. Ultimately. The universalists through a court case that went to the supreme court of massachusetts. Got their separation. Not only for themselves but for others. Estate taxation of churches ended in massachusetts. Is the last holdout in the united states. Because of the universal. So why do we remember hosea ballou so much later now in these days as i said you don't find. Him of his in the hymnal. You don't even find a responsive reading in their of his. That's because his stuff was not of the liturgical nature. His was the stuff for the heart of ordinary people. People who went out and work each day of the people's struggle to make a line the people try to raise families. His was always a message of hope to everyone. Even if today seems like the worst day you've ever lived. Distilled value. And what will be coming now. And even if you may have great doubts and fears. Your face in your hope can overcome those. I mean never coated it with large language. You're always pretty from the heart. In the most direct way. This is the greatest honor i can do. Bram is to share some of his words. Fix them to you as well. At one point he said this thing. Your child has fallen into the mire. Ask body and its garments. Are defiled. You cleanse it. Anarea in clean robes. The query is. Do you love your child because you have washed it. Or do you wash it. Because you loved it. And then reading number 705. Let's read this one together. If we agree in love. There is no disagreement that can do us any injury. But if we do not. No other agreement can do us any good. Let us endeavor to keep the unity of the spirit. In the bonds of peace. And so i remind you of hosea ballou. Not so much to remember him but remember his message. You are basically good at hard. And once you know that. The whole world is transformed before your eyes. Through your eyes. That's really your love.

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enemies.mp3

Want to take us all back. Into the 1800. And look at something that happened then. Because i think there's a lesson in it. So what's happening right now. And it's a story of the 1800s. Let's talk about the best of our live a religious movement. And. So worse. It's an episode. In american history. Talked about a grave dream. Profound failure. Dream was the dream born especially in the new england colonies in brockport in the new new england states. And trumpeted by people like unitarian horace mann. Every child in this country should be able to have an education. Simply an education. Education. Free from the interference. Church. Monarch. Superstition. Free from the limitations of economics. Class and status. Education. With the greatest gift. And at the same time the great demand of democracy. Pointed with modern democracy was trying to find its way into the world could this experimental america work. Number of the liberal thinkers said it will only work. Only working there are people who are educated educated in the principles of democracy. Is this abstraction democratic possibility. I forgot was a democratic ideal was not pure democratic ideal. Sunset in a particular place at a particular time. It was in the founding of these united states it was set on the philosophies of people at jefferson madison and monroe it was said within the framework of those who signed the declaration of independence it was set up in a culture. Go down the list of names. Decoration independence. And tell me who among them are not protestant. See what was created the time of the founding of the united states in general with this concept. We would somehow. Especially after the ratification of the 1st amendment to the constitution we would somehow transcend religious differences. Creating a world which was not going to be politically and religiously connected. It was going to somehow be. Mysteriously non-sectarian. What's a mint in those days was. Wouldn't the principles of anyone protestants. Didn't mean it wasn't going on while jews and catholics and hindus it was that. We won't be texting. We won't be paying. We won't be supporting. On behalf of. Just about this. Or the anglicans. Or the congregationalists. Rather we will transcend all that in the institutions that we crave. Public schools grew out of ends that foundation. Non-sectarian. We're not going to get / religious differences. As long as those will just differences are all protestant. We're going to read the bible every day in school because the foundation of culture they say. But it will be one version. King james version. Tell picture if you come. Tradition. It says that's not the good translation. Picture in fact if you believe that that translation came about. As a fight against. Iran religious understanding. Play walk into a public school. And you say to yourself wait a minute i'm being forced to listen to something. Which is not a vice a. I thought this was supposed to be non-sectarian. But i'm hearing something it sounds very cinterion to me. Well that was the situation that happened in the 1800's. As growing numbers of roman catholics discovered that their children going to supposedly non-sectarian public schools. Or in fact being indoctrinated into religious philosophy and it was. And so they set up parallel institution of roman catholic schools. To be able to control the option that would be taught. And as charming charlie. This indoctrination. Protein indoctrination says. Protestant non-sectarian. Public school advocates. Which included virtually all of us in the liberal end of the spectrum saw this whole thing as a terrible threat. One group out there the side is going to have its own separate school system. Where is public education go. Down the tube dream is gone where is speaking democracy there are talkin about a sectarian school. And so the moment of the creation of a public education system with this great image of what it might be. Dream. We fell into late-nineteenth-century trap. Just the unitarians are the universalist. Broadband of the product of the spectrum. Which begin to see. The issues in public education in relation to catholicism. Centerpoint a weather tomorrow racine. What exists or not. There were motions and bill to congress that rose up and even got an attitude. With this as the focal point of the business of the united states. Is it the whole future hymns on this. Why do i go back. Wellington unusual little statistic that's also in there. The one that's quoted from. Bishop john ireland. We're talkin about 1892. Height of the anti-catholic feeling over the issue of education. And when she says 68% of our roman catholic kids are more educated at school. What's the people who are upset. About the schools failed to recognize was. In roman catholicism. They had more friends than enemies. True the hierarchy of the church. I'm making sure that there was a separation that can be separate schools and all this vast majority. The people within the roman catholic church has one of their children to get quality education in public school the integrated into become part of the great american dream. Their dream was not a separatist reno's inclusion green. We. Any other. We would have had a sort of mounted position. Non-sectarian protestant the mccratic ideal. Didn't notice.. So what happened. We created unnecessary enemies. Could have been. We took a brush that we wanted to paint. The democratic image over onto roman catholicism. The little places in the hierarchy the date of working we chose airbrush about this wide. Large growing group. Waiting for connection into the mainstream waiting for conversation waiting for some confirmation of their place in democracy. To be able to express their liberality even when their hierarchy would not speak it. To be more conservative because we liberals. Wanted to see it. Why do i. Christmas tree. Because it's not much different. And right now. I was at a clergy meeting. South suburban hospital. The year ago. Sitting talking with some follow after this we would all say. Although somewhere rabbis. And one. Very articulate. Black minister. Do around what do we want other people to know about our religious traditions. I just want you to know one thing. Just because it says evangelical. On the front of our church. Just because i read the bible in every service when i preach. Just because i'm going to use illusions which are thousands of years old. Meaning of stupid. Why is he saying is anyone on to say. How many times he is in meetings. With people who claimed liberal credentials. When he talked about his theological position. They treated him like he was from the back. Social witness. When we talked to his vision of democracy. When we talked about his idea of inclusive community. When we talked about his ideas on evolution. When we talked about his ideas on separation of church and state we were on the same page. Artisto. Like he had to austin. Pushed into a corner. Play the enemy. People with broom. He would like to have alliance. Recent studies in the united states. Looking at a space pattern. Not membership patterns. Facebook. Review seymour store. If you look at membership numbers you will see that the evangelical pentecostal the fundamentalist churches are having the largest rise in membership. These are the churches we see out along the interstates the big. Matteson concrete cathedrals. When you ask people what they believe. Fundamentalism. Evangelical protestantism and telecast tourism as a belief. Is not on the rise. Those places are honoring community. Are offering service support lots of other things but when you get down to it. Once again on issues like. Design. Stem cell research. Prayer in a public school things like that. Just as in the 1800 when the hierarchy said in these issues here. The vast majority. Are not with their leaders. And when we look and quote sunday morning services. And when we take as a spokesperson for that direction pat robertson for example we do such a disservice. Millions and millions of people that we make an unnecessary enemies. When they could be. Good ella. In the continuing redefinition. This thing called democracy. Isa red. Jane addams. Talks about democracy not penis. It's a mystical thing. Things that comes along and suggests you're always looking for the most inclusive circle you can find. And if you use the definition that worked 100 years ago. You may miss out on what democracy means today. When you use definitions used to clyde other groups about their theology and their beliefs they were good 20 years ago without asking where are they today. You may have missed out on religious liberalism as well. Sorry invite you to examine your own socks. Examine your own hearts and spirits. Examine your own attitude is that in your own words. Call austin. True assumptions about what others believe. Do you create unnecessary religious enemies. If you would only talk instead of prejudge. Find allies. Pressing issue. History says. We sometimes have blowing. I hope the future. What's show that we didn't.

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connect.mp3

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remember.mp3

Welcome to the podcast sermons from the unitarian universalist community church of chicago south suburbs. I'm the reverend doctor randy becker. And i'll administer this congregation we welcome you to our cyber congregation. Today service preached on september 11th 2005. Includes a story for our children. Too short readings and a sermon. Christmas special messages you might want to listen to after the sermon. Discernment self begins at about 5 minutes. Enjoy. Let me tell you a story that comes out of africa. And it's about one of the nomadic tribes is northern africa you know nomad said wander about him. Usually in the desert. And this one tribe there was an old lady. And the old lady had this beautiful carved wooden box. And she took it everywhere she went. She would rather carry it. And carry additional clothing. She would rather carry it. An extra food. She said one time when they were very far between oasis. That she would rather starve than give up that box. And when outsiders with, they would ask and everyone the tribe knew the answer this what's in the box. And she said my most treasured things. Here the thing is i never want to forget. And so she would carry it with her from place to place. When i say she was an old lady by that travels and she was in her forties. And that should be came in her 50s. Animes being her 60s. Are 70s bent over with a long stick to want when she follow the tribe. Always with that box. Always the same answer. What's in here are my most treasured things. In here are my memories. I couldn't go anywhere without these. This happens with all lives there came a time when she died. Enter body was laid out by the tribal custom in the chants were said in her body was buried. In the sands of the desert. Near an oasis. And they were going to bury the box with her. But all the tribes said we need to see what those things were that she is carried. 470 some years. Cuz maybe they'll be special to us too. And the elders went into a special gathering decide whether this will be proper. They finally decided that as long as it was going to be buried with her it wouldn't be violated as long as nothing was taken. And so finally the tribe gathered around the box. And opened it. And what was inside. Nothing. What are most treasure things. Her memories. She used to carry as a symbol of all the things she carried in here. So there is a story. A box of memories. Sometimes it isn't the things is what we remember about. Sometimes it's not the events of life stories we tell about them. Two relatively short readings this morning. One from wendell berry in the other from mary oliver. First from wendell berry. We clap the hands. Of those that go before us. And the hands of those who come after us. We enter the little circle of each other's arms and the larger circle of lovers who hands are joined in a dance. And the larger circle of all creatures. Passing in and out of life. Who move also in advance. Tua music so subtle and vast. But no one hears it. Except in fragments. In these words by mary oliver. To live in this world. You must do three things. To love what is mortal. Don't hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it. And when the time comes. To let it go. Getgo. It was back in another town i lived in when i was serving another position. That i met this woman. I met her in one of the usual places of gathering of the kind of people i'm talking about. I met her first i think it was where she was wielding a hammer when we and then interfaith activity. Opening up a habitat for humanity house. I think she was in her 70s or 80s i never was quite sure. We talk. We were. We sweated. Lmsi live longer in that community i got to see her more and more. You know what i mean one of those spaces it gets to be familiar. Got to be familiar in those kind of places where. The usual suspects hangout. Peace marches. Demonstrations. In front of corporations that were doing bad business. Voter registration drives. I've seen her at legal in voter discussion knives. I see her in front of the city council arguing. Every time i encountered her. I heard her talking about her vision for the world. Her dream. Her sense of what was coming yet and that she was an agent of that. I heard her talking passionately about what was possible. Not simply for her. Before all people. I heard her talk about. The world we'd all like to live in. At one time on one of those hot sweltering days. Probably not unlike a lot like today out here. She was rolling up our sleeves a little bit from the usual long sleeve shirts that she wore. Micarta glimpse of it. It was the tattoo. On the arm. He said i see. You seen it. Said yes. And i said you know you never talked about that. And she said why should i. I would only talk about it if i wanted that to define my life. It was in that same community that. For about a year my wife and i spend every evening out of the memorial park. It was the year after our daughter died and we would. Be out of the grave almost every night. It was a ritual. I know some others did about the same time for adults we would see in similar ritual. Does one of those memorial parks where there are no monuments above ground so you can look across vast spaces. And we see this one couple off of the distance and after few weeks weed wave. And after a few months. We begin to say hi. And then after numerous months. We walked over to the graveside where they were but they were not there at that point. And look down at. Decided. Debate ended so well. And finally we spoke to them. They were there every day because it was their son's grave. He'd been murdered by his wife. 10 years before. And they were there every night. Now ten years later. Last month in upstate new york. A community. Finish putting in a playground. That was one of those wonderful modern playgrounds that looks so inviting that even adults want to play on them. Animation it's in a community. Where there's not a lot of luxury and wealth. This is not a community we're at the playground weren't there the kids could still play in their own backyards know they have all that fancy climbing stuff. Play somewhere without this playground. That would really be nothing in this community for children in terms of recreation. The powers-that-be wanted to dedicate. This wonderful playground. And they finally decided the day they would dedicated on would be today. September 11th. Cuz i thought it was a time. To do something. For the future. I see this was announced and almost immediately. The newspaper in that town. Began to get letters. Most of them from downstate new york and a lot of them from the city. Aeneas we're not happy letters. These four letters that said something like. How could you do such a thing. On 911. 911 should stand as a memorial forever. To the cities of life. You shouldn't be dedicating a playground on that day. You know in the hebrew scriptures. There's that story of the exodus. And it's the story of people. Coming out to the edge of the waters. Trembling in fear that they're going to be struck down by the egyptian forces. Crossing over the water eventually. And then spending 40 years. Getting lost. And spending 40 years. Getting found. Crossing over those waters. And as long as they kept their hearts in egypt. As long as they kept their beers with egypt as long as they kept their eyes back on egypt as long as their stories focused on that back there. They got. Nowhere. Headed truck on generation. To move to somewhere else. Those who left few them saw. The promised land. But i want to suggest this morning out of these four stories. Is that what they had to do in that generation. And what that woman had done in her time. And what that couple seemed to a fail to him done. And what one community did but some other people couldn't do was learn to remember to forget. That they needed to figure out ways they could move beyond things so it no longer to find them to such a level that they were held back from living how old back from their own future. That i had to figure out ways of taking absolute realities in life. And transforming those into learnings. How to take the things. The physical realities. The dates. The names. Even the images. And somehow learn to forget all that. And keep what is really. Essential. You know we all have this humor propensity. Which is the layout markers along the path of our lives. You know sir like milestones. And so each of us has our own mantra of those and all of us have probably heard similar please such as. You'll never forget where you were december 7th. Pearl harbor day. Every generation has these. You will never forget where you were when the bombs dropped on hiroshima and nagasaki. You will never forget where you were. November 22nd. And jfk cell. You will never forget what we were and where are you heard it. On the news from memphis said dr. king was dead. You will never forget. When you knew that man walked on the moon but later the space shuttle exploded. You always remember where you were 9/11. 2001. And now we'll all remember. When in the late august where the most beautiful cities in the world. Dissolved in front of our faces. And through the actions of some others. We're always being handed these markers. And it's very tempting. Hey the entire way of our lives with this marker in this marker in this marker. It's amazing you going to some households and that's what the common conversation is you go to holiday and all they're doing is reciting all the markers. Gone way way back. Then i think about someone like that african woman. And her precious little box. She carried with her a mockery except odom. A sacramental vessel which held everything of value to her and inside was. Nothing. And everything. Because she knew what really counted. Was how she felt about keeping those things for herself. And what they did inside herself. Call the events of life. Are not things. But invitations. Invitations not to memorize them. Not to recite them. Lavergne from them. The grove farm and screw and beyond them to take them as the. Call for learning and growth in fulfillment. To receive them as invitations. To who we already arbor not yet. But that takes work. That takes that work of learning to remember to forget and we often don't want to do that. Do we want to forget. Our loved ones who have died. In fear we act as if we forget them for one day they're gone. Overtime. Their days will go by and we don't remember them. Days will go by and then the faces will fade from memory. Days will go by and other parts of lies will go by days will go by and people and events and things will fade into the background unless we choose to dreads them back up. And put them up on some kind of pedestal make them something other than they were. Put in that same process of letting go. We have the capacity to do what's really important. And that is to stop treating. Those things those events those buildings those people as other. Is something to be labeled by a date or time and a place. And instead to incorporate them into our lives. As part of who we are so we no longer have to think of them as 911 or december 7th or this assassination or that ryan or that flooding. When we get to the point of integrating these things so they aren't just things. Then we begin the process. Truly remembering them. Because they are so much a part of us. Could we can forget them. We embody them. We embrace them. We incorporate them. They are such a part of us that we can be. No other. Sos invitation on this september 11th. Is for you to find the pants by which. 911 no longer resignate. What do usual terminology. But rather speaks to who you have become. Since then. And will continue to become. That should be able to approach any time of life not looking backwards to what has been like an anchor to something at is gone. But rather as part of a tide bears you forward. To what is yet to be. When you are locked into the particulars. You will always miss the universals. The transcend. Is learning how to remember. Forget. This service has been brought to you by the unitarian universalist community church of the south suburbs in park forest illinois. I'm the reverend randy becker minister to the congregation. The servants are available on our website at. Dot-org. They're also available by subscription. To audio.com. Books to teach.com and itunes. If you're interested in finding out more about unitarian universalism. Or making a contribution. For facilities for broadcast. We welcome you to visit our website ww.w uccp. Dot-org. And we wish you a good week of living and sharing. Blessed be.

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disconnected.mp3

My wonderful wife alisa shared with me a book the chief found. Thomas barnett intitle the pentagon's new map. And this is one of those bottles. But you're probably begin reading nodding yet oh yeah. And you're in agreement with it. But then along the way becomes one of those most delightful annoying. Compelling obnoxious brookshire eating away. Because it says things you agree with but may not take them to the conclusion should want to go to. For example. To talk about issues of war and peace and not become. Totally on the side of peace. The warnings we've been trying to do in the last year's understand that sometimes we need to look for the ideas we connect to. Not the ones we don't connect to that we look through the eyes of many different people and hear what they're saying because wisdom comes in many different forms and if they don't reach the same conclusions we do. The insights they found along the way help us see things better for ourselves. I want to share with you some short passages from that book the pentagon's new map. This is what barnett rights. When the cold war ended. We thought the world had changed. Deadhead. But not in the way we thought. When the cold war ended. The real challenge began. The united states spend so much energy during those years trying to prevent the horror of global war. That it forgot the dream of global peace. As far as the pentagon strategists were concerned america's status as the world's sole military superpower was something to preserve. Not something to exploit. And because the future was unknowable. They assumed we needed to hedge against all possibilities all threats all futures. America they said was better served adopting a wait-and-see strategy. They decided. One that assumed some grand enemy. What arise in the distant future. It was better than wasting precious resources. Trying to manage a messy world in the near-term. The grand strategy. What's to avoid grand strategies. In this century. It is disconnectedness. It defines danger. Disconnectedness allows bad actors to flourish by keeping entire societies detached from the global community and under their control. Eradicating disconnectedness therefore becomes of defining security task of our age. Just as important however. Is the resultant by expanding the connectivity of globalization. We increase peace and poverty and prosperity planet-wide. What are my treasures came out. Now is the time to redefine and rededicate the nation to a new long-term strategy much as we did following world war. When we began exporting of security that is already made war only a memory for more than half of the world's population. Enabling hundreds of millions to lift themselves out of poverty in the last couple of decades alone. It is our responsibility. And our obligation. To give peace. The same chance. In the disconnected world. Words of thomas barnett. I want to invite you to try to hold in your mind this morning. What may seem to be some very disparate elements. I want assertive weave together into. A cloth of new understanding. But i'm going to invite you to do is to. Put together. A dream. In a photograph taken from by nasa from outer space. And a map that hangs in the pentagon. And a reputed mafia saying. Show us begin with the dream. I took dream not in the sense of a dream we have at night. It's a dream we have empowered by the vision of how we think of life ought to be. It's the dream of a world which is the vision we had were fulfilled this is how life would be. It's a vision contained in that statement of. Purposes and principles of unitarian universalism one of those hands down the list of ways that talks about our vision. Of a world community. A community. Of the whole world. What would that mean breaking down some of that language. Community. The coming together. The gathering around common tables the eating together of common food the communion of breaking bread and taking sustenance. The commonality of issues and needs and fulfillment the connecting with people everywhere world community. Often visualized i think for us religious liberals as a view that the best vision of the world will never have particular aretys on it. But will be universal will be global. It's the dream of seeing the world not with country divisions. Remember that wonderful photograph that came from the moon landing in 1967 we're looking back it was that big. Blue green ball in space. From the distance of the moon looking to the earth. You could see nothing that told you that youman beings were on that earth. They're all of our lives played out an individuality and differentiation all the ways we make ourselves separate fade into nothing cuz there was that ball. White cloud going over and oceans. Incontinence different colors. What are unity. A single object. The place where we called home and every person. Every person who saw that picture. Whether they were in the middle of the congo or the outback of australia whether they were in mongolia or in bolivia or in new york city all of them seeing that knew that that was the place they could call home. Our land. Mine place. Where i belong. Because in that picture. There were no differentiation. Is that ball turned in different pictures were taken out of it. All the places on earth could be seen. Iso we identify with a dream that someday that's how life would be played out. Anytime we thought about this world we thought about it is that hole is that unity in which the people who are on there are all at home they're equally at home on that planet they're connected. Chanel. There's another photograph. It's one nasa took from one of the satellites passing over the earth. They took a sequence of them. And was passing over at night so what you get. It's one of those wonderful mercator projection type images as if the world were flat not round. Played out across time as a satellite pictures night time around the world. What do you see. You see some slightly blue areas deep deep blue. A bit of moonlight illuminating the oceans of the world. And then in the midst of those oceans you see the dark outlines of continents. All the continents laid out and flattened out. And two borders slight whiteness. Where the polar caps are. And you see something else. Various places within those outlines of those continents. You see little pinpricks of light. Little places where human beings are lighting up the night. But it's not all spread out. It's punch together in certain places can you picture that. The deep blue background white edges. Continents. And then. Those areas of light concentration. Where people who are. Filled with the ability to light tonight. Are doing so. Those with energy those with power those with technology and so you have a pattern. Picture of a map of the world. Which surrounds those patterns of white. Start of blob of light. And then outside of that a world in which there are no lights. Have that image in mind. I walk down the corridor the pentagon. Turn into the e circle area. Go into some of the strategists office and i will be hanging on the wall. It is the map of the geopolitical world. They have noted things. They've noted what's happened over the last several decades. Of us military presence. Or usli military presence in a number of ways. There are certain types of markers that say here's where we've had police action. Here is where we've had rescue action. Here is where we've had warfare. Here's what we've done defensive skirmishes. And they got this big map. I just spoke with dots all over the place we could go running name all of those and get some of them we might even not know about. Places where they know they stepped in. With some kind of mind of some kind of strategy. Picture. But the fence map. If you overlay. Vanessa night time map. Over the top. Of the pentagon map. They match exactly. Wherever there are not lights on the nasa map. There are military markers. From the past. And wherever there is light. There are few if any markers. We have created. A new map. A map which is not as much differentiated by where you draw lines between countries. Not so much differentiated by what continent iran. Not so much differentiated by what religious groups you maybe. Cool worlds. The one with the lights the one where there hasn't been much action. It's what they would call the core. It's that group of people. Irrespective of national allegiance who are connected together. To make the decisions. The people have the power and the resources and more importantly the treaties and the face-to-face relationships. Things get done in the world. Squiggle that takes in all kinds of places of course it takes in the united states. Of course it takes in england and france and germany takes in china. Accident. But it leaves out. About three-quarters of south america almost all of africa most of the middle east and most of the former soviet union which are the independent republics now. It takes out all those places. Where we hear about there being. Danger. What is the danger that's out there. It's usually cast in terms of some kind of military danger threatened danger some kind of terrorist. But the real danger is that all those people all those people in the area without the lights all those people would have been military action. In a world in which the sharing of power and resources is based on a connection. These people. Disconnect. And what has been the strategy of our culture for people who are disconnected in there for seeming to be sort of full of terror and roguish. What do we do when we hear there's someone misbehaving. First thing we do. Is we put sanctions on them and say we're not going to talk to you. And we drove them into a further corner. Of disconnection. We have no strategy for what to do with them so we do is figure out ways we don't have to deal with them by pushing them aside. And the lessons of history. Tell us what happened. Any people. Isolated from the decisions are being made about their lives we know from history what happens. What anybody feels they're powerless and disconnected. 1775 lexington and concord we know what the people did there. Anymore 1789 in france 1917 in russia. The berlin wall the east germans turn it down because they're not going to take that anymore. People who feel they do not have a voice. Are all thread. Cuz as the old song goes if you got nothing. You got nothing to lose. And so we have this whole world filled of disconnection. This whole world of massive people and increasingly becoming more and more and more disconnected. So what is the mafia dons. Hold your friends close. But hold your enemies even closer. How come we don't know this. How come we keep pushing people away and if the threat is disconnecting is why do we disconnect some more. Why can't answer that for the federal government. I'm going to raise it up for us. Because nothing is going to work at the global level. That isn't working right here inside of me. Or inside each of you. So what's bring it a lot closer to home let's say the argument is correct that if you want to and look in different ways of the world you draw different kind of math and what you find is there connected and disconnected people okay let's draw maps of chicago. What's wrong maps and where do i put the dots on them. On the number of books citizen in public libraries. High-speed internet access. We're going to play on. Extracurricular advanced placement courses in schools. We're going to start drawing i'm at what's it going to look like. It's gone again be a mapping with there that connected. Disconnected. So let's get even closer to home. We go into our own neighborhoods. We start thinking about our neighbors. Those who participate in the process of being in neighborhoods. And those who feel that the seasons are made. For them on them poured them but they're excluded from the process. And then you begin to see a pattern at home. In your own neighborhoods if there's a disconnected world right next door sometimes. Ultimately bernard argues innsbrook. Turn national strategy has to be some way by which we figure out how to connect to those people how we make it worth their while. To want to relate to us face-to-face. How it is that we bring them within the circle because ultimately it's in their best interest and it's in our best interest and the old model of keeping people out of the circle circle because they misbehave for everyone. What does that mean for us. What does that mean for the way we live day-by-day how do we begin to practice in our lives. That same kind of inclusion. How do we see beyond the barriers that keep some people disconnected and then we connect to them. Does it mean a simple hi in the streets. Does it mean trying to understand where they are does it mean sharing information we have that might help them. Find their connection there are many different answers. As many answers as there are people. But the challenge comes down to each of us. Define gets one thing we could do in the coming week. By which we connect to someone who is disconnected from some of the resources. That we know about. Subway in which we help someone who feels alien in their own home space. To feel more connected. You know what you can do. Now the question is. Will you do it. Otherwise. We're not part of the solution. We're part of the global problem. Of a disconnected world.

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quiet.mp3

The following is an archived sermon. From a couple of years ago. Priest at the williamsburg unitarian universalist in virginia. One of the great challenges of being a minister especially to the unitarian universalist congregation. Is it on have to make assumptions over and over again. I'm preaching to any and all of you. I make assumptions about what's important to you. only as unitarian universalist. But also as people living in these times. The best i can do is to tell you about some things that are important to me. And i hope that when i reach into the depths of what's happening for me. I will touch on universal. I'm saying this with your also important to you. One of those possible universals that i know is living deep deep at the core of my being. Is it need for my religion. To be something more than abstract philosophy. When i make a commitment to embrace and be embraced by a religious tradition. I want that tradition to inform me. Transform me not only to the core of my beliefs. But also to the core of my actions in the world. I don't want a model for belief. I want real believing ones that will make a difference. For today. Tomorrow and odin to the future. One of my test the weather in my religion. Tradition is doing that if they consider the morning news. Weather provided by npr or a local newspaper or via the internet from an international paper i asked myself. Do the core values i hold in faith. Have anything to say to the news of the day. Well let's take a look. Today's daily press. Local news. A story about julian bond. And his life unfolded. The whole legacy of freedom and justice and integrity. Yeah i hear something speaking there. A referendum on tax day shoes. But this one talking about our connection into a larger web and environmental issues. Budget cuts no friend of justice. Again those values of justice. Equity and compassion. Groups to help kids. The issue of the inherent worth of dignity of even our youngest our oldest. And finding ways to make life meaningful. Even the road guy and his discussion of road problems in this area. Talks about a toll collector. Who makes it her job each day. To wish people well if they give her the chain. And send them on with a message of. Perhaps joy but at least depreciation. Almost every day like today i find it when i open the newspaper. Selma unitarian universalist values call out their responses. What i choose to believe does really seem to speak. To our lives and our time. But i choose to believe calls out to me to active for my action. That feels very good to me. You know i'm just not making all this up as i go along i have a faith in something that's larger than myself i have a faith in something is tested not only in the fires of the past but also in the fires of today. I have a faith in something that sustaining and sustain. I have a faith in something that can ground me and more inclusive understandings. And more visionary action. My religion is indeed. Practical. In responding. The world in which i live. However in the quieter moments of my days usually triggered the end of the day when i have a chance to sit down and reflect about what is occurred in that day. I realize i want something more. Job being responsive. Even when informed by deep values of faith is not enough for me. I want a faith. That can go deeper. And gold beneath the details of any given day. Deeper and broader values. And that's when i usually hear. Are quieter principal. These are the principles that don't shout out responses to headlines. But they're the ones which whisperer abiding an eternal messages. In fact in some ways easier the. Principles that were whispering in my head when i thought about what i would say this morning. I would need you accept you as you are. Except your own spiritual journey for what it means to you. And i would need to find a way to connect to that journey. Acceptance. And connection. Sexton. And. One of our unitarian universalist principles invites us. 2 acceptance of one another. And encouragement to spiritual growth. But what is this acceptance. In these turbulent times our worldwide diversity we often hear about religious tolerance. Is that the same as acceptance. No. Tolerance speaks about a permissive attitude toward an idea. Well except in speaks of a favorable reception of an idea. Let's unpack that difference just a little bit more. Tolerance is a permissive. Attitude toward an idea. What is tolerated is allow is permitted. Now that has a broad-spectrum all its own ranging all the way from that which i'll put up with because i'm forced to. Is that what y'all put up with. Because. Well because i guess i have to. Even if we don't embrace any of it ourselves. Brighter m forrester said it this way. Tolerance is a very dull virtue. It is boring. Unlike robert has always had a bad press it is negative it merely means putting up with people and being able to stand things. Such tolerance is predicated on the assumption of power. Over the setting of the parameters. Anavar buying into that power. We made by into the forest that compels us to allow certain beliefs or action. Or we made by the power to define who and what we are and who and what we are not. Or we made by into the assumption that we somehow. Will be the measure of what is tolerated. Tolerance is a one-way street. Single-sided equation. All control falls to the people who are willing to tolerate. And away from the people. They're being tolerated. Wendell willkie argued no one has a right and america to treat any other tolerantly. For tolerance is an assumption of superiority. And i find therefore this concept of tolerance taken in this light to be among other things. Arrogant and condescending. Okay i guess i'll allow that to happen. Or imperialistic. Yes we will allow that to occur. And all the million conflict with one of our other professed values. The inherent worth and dignity dignity of every person. Summerhurst us social scientist notes. Tolerance is often but a gentle of disguise for prejudice. The tolerant often behave as self-appointed connoisseurs of weaknesses and others. And self-appointed protectors of those when they deem to be there in fairy. Psychological they're psychologically there's a strong resemblance between the sprightly tolerance. And the prejudice. For while the one maybe send two attacking whole groups and the other may rise to a passionate defense of them. Both are equally indiscriminate in their attacker defense. And neither has any concern whatsoever. For individual character. If every person. Has inherent worth and dignity. Then how can any one person or group assumed the right to decide what is permitted. What is a law. What is halloween. Hear these words of audre lorde the african american poet. Advocating the mere tolerance of difference. Is the grossest. Reformism. Is a total denial the creative function of difference in our lives. Difference was not nearly be tolerated but seen as a fund of necessary polarity between which our creativity can spark like a dialectic. Earlier words converter. Parents should really be only a temporary attitude. It must lead to acceptance. Powerade means to a fan. And so acceptance. Acceptance is a favorable reception of an idea what is accepted as invited. Welcome. Here to there's a broad spectrum from that which i may disagree with. But which i welcome into my thoughts and feelings for consideration. Choose that which i embrace as if it were my own. But here there is no assumption of power a differentiation. Rather only an assumption of a common human participation in some much larger field of truth in meaning. We are all trying our best to discover the most inclusive portion of that large reality that we can know. Knowing in the whole picture will always be deeper and wider than any one person our system. An embrace. Which step in the word consideration the many different understandings offered by others. Acceptance is a living acknowledgement. Of our own limitation to know all. Understand all. Embody all and live out all things of value. As contrasted tolerance. Acceptance is the humble act of affirming that we do not have all the answers. But that we are interested. In always discovering more and more pieces to the puzzle called life. Think about a world. In which the simple quiet value of acceptance. Where to be commonplace. Isn't that the kind of world you would like to live in. World in which your living acceptance of others will be mirrored. The loving acceptance of you by others. Such a world is the vision of the other aurora quieter principles. The goal of world community. Notice that when we speak about this principle is not the goal of world governments. But rather about world community. It's not about the united nations or the eu or nato or any other political boundaries. It's a call to universal community. A common sense of connection. Do all those who share this life experience with us. Dr. james fowler in his famous work on the stages of faith development. Projected a rarely witness six stayed but a six-stage that he thought we all should aspire to. He called it universalizing. At this level religious faith. Why one knows oneself is arising from and living within a particular faith tradition. She or he knows his or her larger reality. Is real in connection to all faith prediction. Is a stage full of parables and paradoxes as the personal. Reaches out to the universal. Not to confirm. The presumptions of the personal. But the waken wider perceptions. Of the universal. Dr. gabriel moran expanding on fowler positive helical faith journey. Is a renewing preparation. For each quantum change in our faith. Our ability to simultaneously hold police passionately and actively. And at the same time look beyond them. Tomorrow ottoman understanding. Is his form of detachment. He speaks of this as those who love life. But who are detached from a possessive attitude toward. This universalizing detachment of follow moran suggest. The essence of the goal of community. That from our personal in particular live. We are in constant search for ways. In which we can connect. Any and all others. Transcending the catechisms legalism is obedience and sectarian loyalties. Faith of the west evolve level this goal of universal community poses deep and abiding questions to all of us. As we interact with other people. Can we see in them. As they live out there long. The inherent worth and dignity. We would have firm for ourselves. When we look on others are we drawn by what is common. In our human experience. If we have the linguistic tools to converse. Would we really strive to discover the common ground of our lives. And if we did. Would we consider that common ground. Sacred ground. One of the corps understandings i try to embrace is simply this. We can all make. If we focus on connection. Not difference. Not to me the essence of this principle of world community. My religious valuing of the ultimate connection. So i can never view another person. As other than my brother. Or my sister. This is the deepest spiritual reality for me. Didn't the larger scheme of things within the field of all that is within the vision of god orrock marala. We are all. Essentially connected. Dissipate. Disbelief in our essential connection is also foundational to my ability to offer true and honest acceptance of others. Only when i not only know that i can connect to others. But that i am connected to others. Can i open myself to the radical acceptance i desire. Without connection. What would be there to accept. Without acceptance. How could i truly. Connect. Acceptance and connection. The quieter principle. Not ones that shout-out from the headlines of world events. The ones that i find whispered in my ear almost like jiminy cricket. Whispered to make me think over and over again. Like a living mantra my face. How am i connected to that person there. Was that person there. Do you. To you. When i recognize those connections. What will i accept from them. Commute. Think about what i'm a model that would be for others to see and experience and maybe emulate. Life lived as a search for connection. And as an expression of acceptance. When i know that my religion challenges me to continually seek those two values. Then i know that my beliefs can make a difference. Today. Tomorrow. And into the future. We can all make a difference if we accept one another. If we can focus on connection not differences. What would that look like. What would that look.

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onemoreday.mp3

The sermon you're about to hear it was preached on september 4th 2005. This was the first sunday after hurricane katrina has struck the gulf coast. And decimated new orlean who is also a labor day weekend. It's on this context the sermon was offered. There are two readings to be good with the sermon itself beginning it about 2 minutes and 45 seconds. Into this podcast. I hope it's helpful. The first reading is from henry david thoreau it's his. Famous and classic passage. Out of the book of the time you spent at walden pond. Why should we live in such a hurry and waste of life. We are determined to be starved before we are hungry. I wish to deliberately front the essential facts of life. I wish to learn what life has to teach and not when i come to die. Discover that i have not lived. I do not wish to live what is not life living is so dear. Nor do i wish to practice resignation unless it is quite necessary. I wish to live deep. And suck out all the marrow of life i want to cut a broad swath the drive license to a corner reduce it to its lowest terms if it proves to be mean then to get the whole and genuine meanness of it. And publish its meanest to the world. Or is it is sublime. To know if i experience. And to be able to give a true account of it. The second reading. From poet mary oliver. So titled morning poem. Every morning the world is created. Under the orange sticks of the sun. The heat ashes. Of night. Turn into leaves again. And fasten themselves to the high branches. And the ponds appear like black cloth on which are painted islands of summer lilies. Definition nature to be happy. You will swim away along the soft rails for hours. Your imagination. A lighting everywhere. And if your spirit carries within it the thorn that is heavier than lead. If it's all you can do to keep on trudging. There is still somewhere deep within you. A beast shouting. That the earth is exactly what it wanted. Each pawn with its blazing lily's is a prayer heard and answered lavishly. Every morning. Whether or not you ever dared to be happy. Whether or not. You ever dared to pray. I'd chosen the title for the sermon. Many many weeks ago. It was going to be a sermon similar to what i'm about to share with you. But this last week. Has changed it slightly. Not changed it profoundly. More likely that it just amplified some points that. Maybe would have been. Les central. I'm mindful of all those wonderful ads on television. Which one someone has done something spectacular. Won the superbowl. Won the indianapolis 500. Done something like that. Remember those ads now i'm going to go to disney world. You get the chief something great but we're going to grant you one more day and what are you going to do with it. I'm going to go to disney world. Desert classic quest people. If you got an extra day in your life and that was going to be tomorrow. What would you do with it. You often hear those wonderful wonderful stories and what they do. Call ida go to aruba. Ore-ida. I go do a nickname some fantastic glorious thing. Is it for the gift of one more day what they would do with it. It's something very personally. Gratifying. Almost hedonistic. That's what i get the goodies. What would you do. If you were told that you're going to get out of whatever your lifespan is you're going to get a bonus day. When you weren't going to get otherwise. And on the surface of it it has no obligations. It's a day. For you. What would you do with it. And let's say that day you're going to get. Is tomorrow. What are you going to do with it. You don't as i say on the surface all anyone anyting. It's not a day you have to work. You have no obligations to family. Obligations to in-laws. You have no obligations to anybody. But yourself. What are you going to do. With one. More. Day. What choices. Would you make. If i could even make it more tempting you not only have no obligations you have all the resources you need. To do whatever you want to do. So you can't use that excuse i've always wanted to do this but i can never afford it. That's not part of a scenario. So you've got all the money you need. And the time you need tomorrow. Play i've got this day. And nothing has been. Written in on the calendar. And you've got everything you could need to do whatever you want to do. What are you going to do. This last week. I began to get a glimpse. Profoundly. What the answer to that question is. Average. Ordinary. People. Not for the celebrities who are winning the superbowl not for the donald trump's in martha stewart's tomorrow take my ankle bracelet off. I watch those stories on ford. And golf course. In biloxi. New orleans. Enter all the unnamed parishes and counties along there. All the places that even the news media didn't go to. Pocket hearing the stories. And what people were saying over and over and over again. Was that if tomorrow. They weren't sitting in the convention center waiting for food. It's tomorrow they weren't in the superdome waiting for buses. If tomorrow they were not on rooftops. Waiting to be rescued if tomorrow they were not in darkened hospitals waiting for relief. If tomorrow somehow was a day like last week. What day would do. No matter where they were in the socio-economic scale things. They wouldn't do things like. Hug their families. Sit on the porch and twilight. And watch the sunset. Walk along the beaches. And pick up. The little shells. Say thank you. To whoever had made them dinner. Things like that. The average ordinary person. Like us. In a situation of great deprivation. Expose what would probably be true if we all had one more day tomorrow. And that is that we wouldn't do anything great and glorious with it. And we do everything great. Inglorious with. We would not let anything get in the way. Connecting to people and things that were important to us. We would not let. Emergent realities of the day stop us from saying the words of love and appreciation. Then we would go about our everyday lives. But was more of that mindfulness. Mindfulness. We heard about saying then play our town about looking at all the little details and realizing it's not about globe tracking it's about walking your own neighborhood streets. We would spend that time not doing much different. Then we do on every other day. But just doing it a little more holy. A little more thoroughly. A little more mindfully. Then we might do otherwise. But then of course there's always that little catch. And the catch is that in fact you do have. One more day. As too many people discovered. In that whole region. In a moment. Future you thought you had. Could be gone. They reminded us of our mortality. The mortality of body. The mortality of things. Finitude of possessions. It all could be gone in an instant. So tomorrow when you wake up. And it hasn't happened. You just been given one more day. One more day. Which could be your bonus day everyday could be your bonus day. What would happen to you. If you lived every day. As if it were your bonus day. What would happen if those qualities discovered in the midst of all that sorrow down there it was spoken about my somebody became your guiding. Premise. But i'm not going to walk by a lily pond and not notice the lilies. That i'm not going to be in the proximity of someone who needs help without helping. I'm not going to be within earshot of someone who needs to be told appreciation that i'm not going to be so busy. But i don't do what i really need to do with my life. What is tomorrow. Was treated as your bonus day. And then the next day. And the next day. And the next day. The greatest sadness and sorrow that i see. And all those faces. Deeper even than the sadness. Of not being taken care of. The sadness of being separated. With a sadness that so many. Had left some of that work. I'm done. So much so that when asked what they would do that's what left to mine. So an invitation. An invitation on this labor day. Weekend. We often think about labor day in terms of workers. Let's talk about just simply work. What more important work do any of us have to do. Send a treat. Each and every day. As if it were a bonus. And what would the world look like. If everyone of us. And everyone on this planet. Did the same thing. Wouldn't that be something. Worth laboring for. One more day. It's coming. Tomorrow. And the next day. And the next day. How will you. Music. This podcast is brought to you by the unitarian universalist community church of park forest illinois. It's available directly on their website ww.w.. Ccps.org. It's also available through www.jio.com. And also. True ww.w. Learn out loud. calm. The latter two being podcast directories.

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diversity.mp3

On tuesdays. I need with other medicine. Chicago area liberal ministries. Call. The other tuesday is i need with the park forest lectionary group. Term for those chosen readings out of the hebrew and christian bible which formed the foundation and most mainline christian churches for the preaching of that week. Don't you know that are not usually what i'm freaking from but i still engaged to text with them. Go to these are warm supportive groups. The two groups might seem to be the same. Barring some is quite different. And the president's lr1. With you. Liberal religion. I think it ought to. What are the hallmarks of the religious. Has always been at his claim. 12:30 is aleve. We speak about the truth may come. We speak about revelation as never being sealed. We speak about wisdom of all religious traditions. We say the truth with a capital t is unattainable. Knowing that all human knowledge is really truth with a little t. We speak of respect for all inside. Which arise from love. And moved to compassion. We speak of a human journey toward meaning. This diversity reflects the ultimate reality of existence. That reality of existence. Is in the. Which refuses all. What is the name of the many traditions at supporters of divine or manifestations of that potential. Yahweh is seen through hebrew eyes and lies. I support the scene from muslim lies and eyes. Vishnu shiva in the panoply of god are the fourth line is being to hindu lives and dies. All the names which humanity is given to that which surpasses individual human life. Early. We need is more invasive and more inclusive than anyone say you can ever express. Every religion. And for every religious name for the divine there is an infinite number of other possibilities. So we regard and worse than human error. Any claim that one view the divine. Is the only truth. But more than that. We suggest that it is. To say that there is only one truth. Hawaii. Let me see janet 710g. Say you're visiting here and you've never been here before and therefore you have any essential question of life. Best place to eat in chicago. Call dominic altieri get your hotel. You might consult one of the many city magazines with ratings various restaurants. You might hook up information on one of the many websites. Nearby home. Each one of those could give you the dining experience of your life. And you should also give you. Annoying to regret. So what are you do. 30 signs if you can because you can never get an answer. Okay. Do you eat wherever it's most convenient in available or portable. It would be folly. 1291 sorts of information as a gospel truth. Chicago driving. To ignore all of them. There's too much greater potential for dining in our city. And there is too much greater possibility for a great dining in our city to miss the potential which exists. And so the better course. Would be trying to hear it as many voices as possible. Reprise diversity. Because we know this balkan region. And fulfilling. Abc weather. Anything less would mean that were treated. Anything's broken development. Woodland our own potential for fulfillment. Would more than just our own personal fulfillment. Future fulfillment. When we do not actively promote diversity. Weird. Our own personal fulfillment. If we don't allow for other future growth and development. Then we're going to be potential for others. Stories that i shared with the young people. Sword reminder. Diversity were talking about maybe the one least likely. Who is the very one who most needs our need. They can lead us into the future. Speak about adversity it maybe the park. Seven stars apart this most necessary. That is so familiar. Set a reminder. Florida. As we are and if we have been. Can help us grow sand to move on. May actually provide us. With two very necessary benefits. Strange and alien to us. Maybe that would open the doors of understanding about. We may see more about ourselves than we could have thought of our own limited knowing our own limited dragon. Facebook does not open the challenge. Has not opened question. It's not fair. And secondly that would seems alien to who and what we are. Take me to screen to take us back to where we. But that's where we have been with a wider affirmation. Performed by itself. It's not really. Greeley reaffirm challenge. Is a real thing. Diversity of the name for living a reality in which we allow ourselves to encounter not just what is familiar and similar. Strange and alien. Evil that has renounced and rejected. But why because it has been truly and counters. And truly initially considered. Atlanta. Appreciating diversity. Allowing myself to truly encounter. Truly. That seems strange and alien to me. What is strange and alien to my way of thinking to my way of believing to my way of being to my way of the feeling. Which brings me to ministerial group. My denominational college provide me personal professional support. I dunno. I need that. We all know that. Calling provide me. Personal professional support. I need that. We all need that. But like many other things which we need we often don't act like we want them. I know for myself and covering that would seem strange and alien feels like so much more work. Millier. I can physically robot. However i need to be physically happening around me. My guard down because i feel safe. Unfamiliar i need to be highly aware of myself and others. I can be psychically nonchalant and the unfamiliar i need to be psychically attune yourself and others as we do those relationships. Spiritually spiritually. Any unfamiliar i need to be scared understand and to avoid the appearance of bigotry. Field community connected not alone. In the unfamiliar i feel like i stand alone striving to find streams as possible connection. Familiar i can relax. Let my guard down. I need to be alert and we're open for connection. So many kinds of energy. If i want to choose the route. Of diversity. What if i don't choose to expand that energy if i choose instead to feel connected. Also choosing to stop growing. The song finding enrichment. Seeking fulfillment. And there's the challenge. To all of us to promote diversity. Diversity is the only path to a future which is not simply a replay of the past. To remember that we need shoes. Danby energy require. Add reminder self how often. Even if we say that we believe in diversity. That we choose not to expand the energy. Hilly shoes up and waiting for the challenges diversity. Because we just want to feel safe. Or realize or connected. What are the traditional problems of all religious sanctuary. Places of affirmation. Places of community interaction of transformation and growth. The familiar. Rather than encountering the unfamiliar. Navigation of salvation rather than on human ribs in it for filming. Way too easy for us on the religious left. And not see how easy it is for us to fall into the exact same traps. When we did those that we would label was fundamentalist. Or the moral majority or anti-choice or neocon or whatever. Have nothing to say which might inform or enlighten us. We fall into that trap. When we only read the editorials and blog with which we agree. And do not hear the unfamiliar voices of others. We fall into that trap. When we think we know the song feelings of those with whom we disagree and therefore don't even converse with them. We fall into that trap. What we consider ourselves as superior to anyone else or considered anyone else is unworthy of our attention. We fall into that trap. Anyone that we would not engage in discussion with here because of their beliefs or ideas. Fall into that trap. It's easy to say that we believe the diversity is enriching and fulfilling easy. Easy to lay on little g and strategies for a world of diversity. What is it always this. Has been practice. What we believe. Choose to be alert and aware openness looking for connection. Will we do suspend the energy. Starbelly realities. Call will we. Live out the value. Diversity.

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framing.mp3

To readings this morning from george lake off. These rings are taken from an interview that he did about 2 years ago. This is what he said. Language always comes. With what is called framing. Every word is defined relative. To a conceptual framework. If you have something like the word revolt. That implies a population that is being ruled unfairly. Cartoons is being ruled unfairly off the rulers. Which would be considered a good thing. Jasper friend. If you're that mad the word vulture in front of revolt. Do get a metaphorical meaning saying that the voters are oppressed people. Leader. Hosted him and this is a good thing. And all things are good now. All that comes up when you see a headline like voter revolt. Something that most people read and never notice. But these things can be affected by reporters and very often. Play the campaign people themselves. Here's another example of how powerful framing is. Arnold schwarzenegger's acceptance speech she said. People as usual losses. What's that about. Well he knows that he's going to have to face a democratic legislature. So what he has done is frame himself and also republican politics as the people. Framing democratic politicians as politics as usual. In advance. The democratic leaders won't know what hit them. They're automatically framed as enemies. Of the people. And then again from george lakoff. Over the past 30 years. Conservative think tanks of made a heavy investment in ideas and in language. In 1970 supreme court justice lewis powell road of faithful memo to the national council chamber of commerce. Singing all of our best students are becoming anti-business because of the vietnam war and we needed to do something about it. Pause agenda including getting wealthy conservatives to set up professorships. Institutes on and off campus. Intellectuals would write books from a conservative business perspective. And setting up think tanks. Y'all find the whole thing in 1970. They said the heritage foundation in 1973. And the manhattan institute after that. There are many others including the american enterprise institute. And the hoover institute at stanford which date from the 1940s. And now is the new york times magazine quoted paul why rich who started the heritage foundation. They have 1500 conservative radio talk show host. Huge very good operation. And they understand their own moral system. They understand what unites conservatives. And they understand how to talk about it. And they are constantly updating their research. On how best to express their ideas. Words from george lake off. Imagine that you are living in a typical american single-family home. It's one of those houses that has windows. On four sides. And you're the cool that if you look out the windows on each side. You're going to see something different. Looking out the rear. You're going to see everyone carrying on just as they have in the past. Aaron general what you're going to see is the trouble people have made over all the years. You're going to see the weakness of the human condition. Author in the backyard. You know what goes on back there. Rihanna in the front. Out there you see people. Driving to fashion a future. They're working beyond the given rules of the present time. In search of wives are individually. And collectively more fulfilling. You look out there and you see promise. Are you hook up a side windows. Turn on one side what you see. Is entire community. Those who are out to get you. Those who don't like you. Those who are adverse to what you have to say. Those who are attacking your very beliefs. And i'm looking at the other side window. There are all the people who love you and support you. And agree with what you have to say. Now which window. Do you. Lookout. I mean honestly now. Yours in that house you got to go to one window. Which one does your mind go to first. On which one. Do you focus. Do you worry about all the trouble in the world who's making all the trouble and all that sort of stuff. Do you worry about those who are creating a positive hopeful future. Are you upset by those around you. Are you focusing on those who support you. What frames. Your view. Of the world. My father often. Offers this little tidbit of insight. Fundamentalist religion see humanity is basically bad and the role of religion is to keep them from getting any worse. Well liver religion sees humanity as basically good. And tries to help them be even better. 10 more recent 8 on that same theme. Cognitive linguistic george lake office suggested that we. Agriculture. R / 2 understandings. Of the rule of parenting. Image into the cultural government. You know we have this idea of nation is family. Well the nation is a family there must be some parent. What kind of parent. On the one side we have the strict father understanding. Left to their own devices. Children. And ham citizens. Will fall in the bad behavior. You know what's going on in the backyard. The strict father will do everything necessary to indulge us behavior of self-discipline and responsibility. This will require stern unyielding discipline. This ranges from absolute rules. To the so-called top glove. This is a task. So hard. And so demanding. Set an actually more nurturing woman cannot do this. Father knows that whenever he might be a little softer week. Be supportive this will just reinforce bad behaviors. Only those. Who are self disciplined and responsible should be rewarded and the rest should be punished. Even allowed ultimately early sale. Australian father knows which is which. Because the self-disciplined. Will be successful. And those who are not will be needy in some way. Strict father keeps his eye. On the backyard. And keeps yelling at outback there. Other side we have the nurturing parent understanding. Children. And ham citizens. Will grow into their best behavior. Appropriate care. Respect and nurture. The nurturing parent will strive to be supportive of the growth and development of the individual. Programs of support of education of development must be consistent in universal. This is a task shared between mother and father. Bringing a balance between care and guidance. The nurturing parent will love and support those who are doing well. And recognize that they do not need as much care as those who are struggling to find their way toward better living. The nurturing parent looks out at the front yard. And smiles. Because they see the whole and joy that's there as potential. And if this sounds like a contrast between the vengeful ruling god of puritanism and the loving nurturing god of universal unitarianism. You've did the religious over way. Father. Or nurturing parent. Which model speaks to you. Which window. Are you looking out of. Lake off suggest that the model which speaks to you lead you to look out also. One of those windows. The windows rv review. Frame what you will see. And also frame. What you will not see. At the same time looking out either those windows however. You can sense. You can get a peripheral view out of one of the sides. You get a sense that not only are looking this way but there's something going on either here or here. And yes with your back. Whatever window you haven't chosen. You really can't perceive and understand what's going on there. Look out the back. It's as if the front yard doesn't exist look out the front it's as if the backyard doesn't exist. Existence and you will see that all the needs that are there for your strict attention. Corny rise you see both those who agree with you and those who down. You sent one as the allies and the other is the enemies. Giving your focus framed out that back window of human potential for bad behavior. Those enemy forces are going to grab your attention as well you feel deeply challenged by social evil. And you feel victimized by the sources and forces that are out to get you. Looking out truck conversely you see all those opportunities for growth and development and then you perceive the side windows 10. Are all your allies. Giving your focus on that front window with that potential. You find sense support. Collegiality cooperation you feel deeply energized by the possibility and encouraged by those were there for you. You see how you see the world. Makes a difference. Linguist in wyckoff how we speak about what we see on the window right choice not only expresses what we see. But then defines what we will see in the future. We begin by seeing through a frame of reference. And then the understandings from that view help us to make permanent that frame. And then we will see the future only through that. Experience gives us words. Words limit our experiences. Are frames of you eventually become even unspoken. The dimensions of our understanding. When we speak about anyting. We're applying all those frames. Let's take all this. and put it into the reality of 2005. Somewhere in the 1970s following a defeat of several candidates conservatives began to look almost equally and totally to the windows of the back and the windows on the threatening side. Seeing themselves as the victims of social ills. These neocon decided they needed to do so everyone to use those same frames in dealing with the world. Unwavering focus. Unchanging rhetoric for decades. They work to shape the public discourse in all issues of social importance september 11th 2001 gave them the final push. With another perfectly fit the frame they were selling. But everything is bad out there and they're altering to get a few. That was sort of a triumphal moment. One of the results of this pervasive. Long-term strategy is their entire society was forced seemingly beyond his choice. To look through the windows that others have chosen. Controlling the language. Controls the framing. This is lettuce to our current situation in which is a nation as a world we looked out the back windows and we look to the threatening side windows and we interpret what we see. As if we were looking out the front in the friendly windows. We were the nurturing ones then come off as absurd irrelevant delusional and the life. We are looking at those back windows that backyard you were saying aren't they wonderful. Don't you see potential there. We as the nurturers are using language that doesn't fit the frame that has been set. For the discourse. We say things we interpret things which on the surface. To those who might be in the middle wondering which window to look at go how could they say that don't they see what we see. Because in fact republic frame. Is the backyard. We have some tasks if we want to regain any relevant voice in the shaping of our natural national future. And i think there are four tasks we have to do. First is a task of recognition. Who is asking you. What. From what perspective. If we are asked to look out that window. We need to recognize that we may not have much to say about what we see. And in fact if we try to use the language we jews at the front window. We will be last out of the game. But we can have something to say to the person. Who asks us to look out that back window. Corneal cons neoconservatives vision is reality will never have a discussion with us. But the many many others who support and sustain them. Are just as concerned about the issues that we hold as we are. They go to that window simple because someone's inviting them their fourth way. But they could be led to other choices. If we focus on the ways that our lives connect to the lives of real people. Not how our view of life to their view of life but how are lines connect to our lives. We begin to talk about some common ground. Until we recognize points of contact and commonality. With people holding other views. Nothing will change. As long as we talked about them as them. And them as awesome as well. It's going to be business as usual. And then comes the task of reframing. When we connect to others. Maybe not in what they see. But with the struggles they are going through in life like we are. We know that what we see mike begin to interest them. Telling someone. I do not see what they do see it's pointless. Even if we do not like the view out that back window. We need to acknowledge that there is a back window there. And so are both decide ones. The challenge is how to invite people who have been so accustomed to oneview. At least take a peek out our windows of choice. If we're going to be reframing the answers. We have to begin by reframing the questions. And the reframe the questions. We need to reframe. The perceptions of reality. We may not be able to get people to stop looking into that backyard inside windows. But we can suggest that there are friendly neighbors and we can suggest the front yard has a good view 2. Bird is a cast of honesty. Ironically the erosion of the power of those like us who look out the front windows of hope in the side windows of the support has created what i would call functional hypocrisy. Let's be honest for many of us when we confront those who are so totally focused. On victimhood. And the awful potential humanity. We often react in ways that just confirms exactly what they are saying. Think about the rhetoric of most liberals in the past decade. It's often rhetoric that says how those awful conservatives have gone bad have done terrible things how they're falling people and then somehow we liberals are victims. We are using the language that confirms the very thing we say we don't believe in. Casual observer many liberals would actually appear to be endorsing the strict father image. We want vengeance. We want that person kicked out of office. We want some rules we want everything. And we want everything as we want it. We have a task. I'll be honest about how we have failed to thoroughly and body and personify the values we hold. We have become seduced by the frames that we decry. If we're going to be successful inviting others to look in a different direction. We need to be clear. About where it looks like we've been staring for too long. And 4 is a task. Perseverance. Process. A reframing. Is glacial. Not quantum. It proceeded slowly across the plains of culture. It will not result from a single victory of a candidate here or referendum there. It was steady merge out of many invitations and discussions. It will grow from the patient tending toward the direction we want people to look. You know i one degree shift. A prospective. Each month. May seem imperceptible. May seem worthless 13. But one degree of months shift of direction in 15 years is a 180-degree turnaround. It isn't that we have to have it this way immediately. If value is truly valuable. Its value is not validated by the timetable. But rather by its worth. The reframing which energizes the neoconservatives. An enlisted masses of people who could be turned to look in a different direction. Shades. So why should we think that planning an acorn in the morning. Will give us the shade of a note. In the afternoon. Recognition. Reframing. Honesty. And perseverance. Those are the tasks of framing the future. That we want to have. So the question is not which windows will you look out from. To see the world. Rather it is which windows will you fashion. So that you and others. Can commonly see a better world together. Which windows will we fashion. So that all who wish. Come see a better world for all. It's a task. The calls for the work.

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noscripture.mp3

It was a long long time ago. It happened to a people. Or should i say through a people. Who were adrift. What do you do when you feel you are adrift. I know that when i feel that i am adrift. When it's first things i may do. Is the reach out. Try to grab whatever i can grab in order to study myself. A branch. Iraq. My hand. Something to anchor me. How about you. No picture that you are adrift in many different ways. You're physically adrift. Torn from your familiar surroundings. And all the habits in the patterns. Life. Is hard. You are socially adrift. Because in your dislocation many of your social contacts have been severed. Or ordered beyond belief. Patterns of behavior independency. Have been disrupted. Well you are with others. You feel alone. You're psychologically address. Moving in a nomadic life which allows no consistency. No certainty. You feel anxious. Field field with unnamed fears. And you're spiritually adrift. With the values you once affirmed. Now bringing you more suffering than meaning. You're filled with more questions. Then with faith. Which means that you become highly defensive. And i only vulnerable. Your defensiveness makes you were lying too heavily on what has worked in the past. Your vulnerability makes you doubt all that at the same time. You crave something more. But should settle for something less. As long as you got something. You know that story don't you. First it might be the story of those in louisiana. Mississippi and alabama right now. Or it might be a story about. Each of us here. But it's a story about an ancient people. As well as a story about today. Antibiotics. The only difference between the ancient story. And the stories of today. And the stories of our own lives. Is that if we are lucky. Will know there are other options. Maybe if they long long ago had known if they would have chosen differently. And that is robert frost would say. Has made all the difference. The people. He is real lights. The place the great sinai desert the situation a wandering tribe moving toward dissolution. Forgetting its customs. Being tempted in the foreign beliefs and practices. Finding the previous elements of cohesion were no longer sufficient. They were. Adrift. And maybe shows to make a grab. To react to all the factors of being a drip by grabbing for something that would be a steadying element. And are vulnerable issue remember the story they felt the worshiping idols. Moses and his defensiveness tries to reclaim the past but the past is gone it's on the other side of the desert it's over the sea it's in a land that was never there. Only the past is not just remembered. Something happened. Which grass did all the past under the future of all western civilization. Janelle that sequence. The fire comes down. White sandstone. It's the finger of a semitic god yahweh. And it transforms the entire future of our western civilization writing into stone. Heretofore. Had been carried in hearts. And the people given this secure anchor. Drop the golden idols. The reasserted tradition is grasp. What is written. Is chosen as being more important. Then what is knowing. And from that desperate people addressed. Western religion. His growing. In this world. The codification of the torah. The collection of the stories of the prophets the assemblance of songs and saying the entering of the gospels whose automat author begins with a simple affirmation of this in his own words in the beginning was. The word. Establishment of all subsequent major religions have been based on holy writings. Whether the words of an arabian prophet. The translation of golden tablets. Triangle writings of a healing woman. Religion in our culture. Has become firmly rooted. And holy writing. What is called scripture. That which is. Those scriptures serve multiple rules. They delineate the approved story of origins. Assemble cast of holy people whose lies will serve as examples. They prescribed the limits of religious living. They are lure their life they are long. What is included is what is acceptable and desirable. What is not included is not. And make them powerful. They are imbued with divine origin. They're not simply words we're toward. They are sacred words. The sacred words. Chosen by a people. Who were adrift. But did they have a choice. Is it possible to have religion without scripture. Answer that question i think we need to go back to the beginning. Back to. Existential anxiety. Which was not only the experience of the wandering tribes of israel. But it's also the experience of most people. Some people in this world. That angst arrives in infancy. But for most of us infancy and childhood with its connections of family tradition and faith ward off the anxiety. Loving care managers to keep the monsters in the closet or under the bed. We may be scared at times but we are not profoundly anxious. Then comes adolescents. Remember that. Hormones. Brain development. Physical growth sexual identification social connection and alienation and identity differentiation and suddenly we are all adrift in the great land of anxiety. And then we are faced with those same choices. To be made by the ancient nomads. Our culture. Shaped by thousands of years structured by religions of the word into size of law teaches that there is no choice. The only choice offered apparently. Resolve the anxiety of adolescence is by reaffirming the elements of tradition is contained in the sacred writings of religion and society. Field address. Then connect with something that seemed certain. Turning back. Is the choice. The way out of the anxiety of being adrift. It's a lot of back and find out what steadied one before. Accept what is sacred. What has been designated as scripture. Religion becomes the path of faith. By which existential anxiety of the human condition. The feeling of being adrift. In a seemingly amoral and meaningless universe. Is relieved. Through the revelation. A sacred writing. What is many of us here remember adolescence know they have other choices. Which means that we do too. Of course what many adolescents do. Is reject the familiar traditions the familiar words. Cg for others it seemed non-traditional. In word form of ritual. So lutheran summary become gods. Jews become christians timid souls go to raves and so forth. The seeming options are the exchange of one set of scriptures for another. That's not really choice that's just. Substitution. But then i'm reminded of a situation that i often see when i go to the beach. Ocean beaches. Hobart the swimmers out there in the water enjoying themselves. And then suddenly you realize that one of them has had a moment of panic. Perhaps it's the momentary loss of footing underneath. Sudden awareness of how deep the water is maybe it's the perception of a riptide maybe it's. The awareness of how far from shore they are. Whatever the cause is not important. But you can sit in the look on their faces. Amid the horsey of happy faces suddenly one is filled with panic you can see the anxiety. And suddenly they feel they are adrift. And what happens at that moment as you observe it. Isn't the vast majority suddenly started flailing about reaching out for anyting. That might be able to make them steady again. In their anxiety they grab for anything they can which often means they grab onto someone else. And begin to take them down. Into that anxious pool as well. Every once in awhile i see a different reaction. Same look of anxiety on the face. But then things changed. The person moves in the purposeful action. They move ahead in time with intent. Rather than grabbing for rescue. They began working toward relief. Something in the past that person. Equips them for acting. Some turn on their back and know they can float forever like that. Others begin to swim as they have been taught to swim. Toward shore away from the riptide whatever. There are some the few. When facing that anxiety. Don't go give into it and grab for anything. But rather fine from their own innersense. And empowerment. That is the other choice. To use a variety of sources. As understanding. As tools. To respond to new situations in new ways. Nothing is taken as absolute everything is taken as potentially useful. Had that been a choice by taken by those israelites. There would have been no stone tablets. And there would have been no golden calf either. Instead there would have been community conversations about what common vision the community had. And what is guiding vision was not required. To get them out of there a drift situation. Their anxiety would have been relieved not by some external imposition of sacred words. But by their own empowerment. To get on with going where they needed to go. What does swimmer who uses familiar strokes to swim to safety through unfamiliar even frightening waters. All their resources. Would have been used to chart a new path. To a common and vision future. They had done that. Our western civilization would have been shaped by that other choice. By religions of wonderful visionary imagination. Which could never be contained in any form. That would have been a religion of revelation. Not of scripture. Evolutionary. Never ending process of awareness by which the whole with will always be beyond knowing. Is incrementally revealed. But never limited or contained. Ours would have been a culture of discovery. No doubt. What religions of wonder not religions of obedience. Existential anxiety would find release and release through the empowerment of people. Not there disempowerment independency. But then the question arises are we bound. Why what happened thousands of years ago. Even if we can identify with those people who are adrift back then. Even as we remember our own journey through the anxiety of growing up. We know not only that we have another option. But that we are not bound by the past. To ignore that choice. So what would that option look like. What would religion without scripture be. The first and foremost it would be a religion that would not ignore the wisdom of all those scriptures you don't throw out the baby with the bathwater so to speak. But rather which would treat that wisdom is human inside. Still owed from the experience of ages. No religion of affirmation and empowerment. Can ever be built on foundations of rejection. So turn to what has been the wisdom of the ages. But see it through the filters of choice. Furthermore it would be a religion which knows that human beings are living experiments in meaning-making in the best human beings who have lived or a living offer us deep insights. Do not only how our lives are sacred. But how their lives can make our lives sacred. Any honest examination of how others have lived. A people as complex as each of us. Whoever wrestled with life and found sublime insights. As well as suffered profound failure. We better glimpse. What we could be. And more importantly it would be a religion which would honor the direct experience of the religious impulse of heart mind and soul of each person. Religious moments are not simply the stuff of history. But a fuse every moment of time. Yes. Some of that ancient desert had experiences that they symbolized and burning bushes and hands of fire. Here in this room today. Some living breathing human beings. Have also had the experience of the transcendence. A religion without scripture. What explorer of the wisdom of others with an open mind. Would love to exemplary women and men to see ourselves reflected in their trials and triumphs. And we honor that religious impulse that is alive and well and people everywhere of every religion and every culture. It would seek to find whatever wisdom truth and understanding are revealed. All those revelations continuing comfort inn challenges. Religion without scripture becomes a religion with a future. I just saying all this theoretically is one thing. And not enough. If we want that religion could be real. Inserts for something more than theory. At loomis armored astro interning i are going to be devoting several services this year to these very elements. The elements of a religion without scripture. We will explore some of the classic sources of meaning. We're going to look at some lies of exemplary human being. Not defined their perfection. But the fine their wisdom became even through their imperfections. And we're also going to explore the direct personal religious experience. View. Of me. Of all. Not to declare all these things especially sacred. But they're seeing what they reveal. About how we how are you and i might live limes are not anxiously adrift. I'd rather focused. An imaginary. Visionary future. The desert we wander. Is now. The choices we have are many. What will you choose. Can you envision. A religion. Beyond scripture.

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eve.mp3

It is christmas eve. And the time set aside by a story. A story this toilet and scripture. Story this to land song. Let's hear the story one more time. Listen. For the meaning that story has for us. This christmas eve. And it came to pass in those days. That there went out a decree from caesar augustus. They're all the world should be taxed. It all went to be a text everyone to his own city and joseph also went up from galilee out of the city of nazareth. Into judea. Unto the city of david which is called bethany him because he was at the house and lineage of david. 3 text with mary's espoused wife who was great with child. And so it was that while they were there the days were compost that she should be delivered. She brought forth her firstborn son. And she wrapped him in swaddling clothes. And laid him in a manger. Because there was no room for them. In the end. And there were in the same country. Shepherds abiding in the field. Keeping watch over their flocks by night. Hello the angel of the lord came upon them and the glory of the lord shone round about them. And they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them. Fear not. For i bring you good news with shobane good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of david a savior which is christ the lord and this shall be a sign unto you. You shall find the babe. Wrapped in swaddling clothes. Lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel on multitude of the heavenly host. Praising god and saying. Glory to god in the highest. And on earth. Peace. Goodwill toradol. Came to pass as the angels were gone away from them in the oven the shepherd said to one another. Let's now even now going to bethlehem. And see this thing which is come to pass which the lord has made known to us. Came with haste. The saint mary. And joseph. And the babe lying in a manger. And when they did seen it they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered if those things that's were told by the shepherds. But mary kept all these things. And pondered them in her heart. Returned glorifying and praising god for all the things that they had seen and heard. As it had been told under them. Know when jesus was born in bethlehem. Injured deer in the days of herod the king. There came three wise men from the east to jerusalem saying. Where is he. Who has been born king of the jews. For we have seen his star in the east. And have come to worship him. When herod the king heard these things he was troubled and all jerusalem with him. And when are you gather always chief priests and scribes together he demanded them where this christ should be born. And they said unto him. In bethlehem of judea. For the basket was written by the prophet. Then herod. 104th we called the wiseman. Inquired of them diligently what time the start appeared. And he sent them the bethlehem and said go and search diligently for the young child. And when you get found him. Bring me word again. Did i make common worship into. When i heard the king they departed and lo the star which they had seen in the east went before them so it came and stood over where the young child was. And when they saw the star they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they come into the house they saw the young child with mary his mother. And they fell down. And they worshipped him. And when they open their treasures they presented unto him these gifts. Gore. Frankincense. And myrrh. And being warned of god in a dream that they should not return to herod. They departed into their own country. Play another way. Victoria safford is minister of white bear uu church in minnesota and she writes this. No is the moment of magic. When the world. Round earth. Turns again for the sun. And here's a blessing. The days will be longer and brighter now. Even before the winter chill settles in. No is the moment of magic when people beaten down and broken with nothing left but misery. And candles. And their own clear voices. Kindle tiny lights. And whisper secret music. And here's a blessing. The dark universe is suddenly illumined. By the light of the menorah. Ablaze with a light of a kinara in the whole world is glad and loud with winter singing. Now is the moment of magic. Eastern star beckons the ignorant. Toward an unknown goal and here's a blessing. They find nothing in the end. Ordinary baby. Born midnight. Born into poverty and the babies cry. Like bells ringing. Makes people wonder. Is they wander through their lies. What human love. Might really look like. Sound like. Feel like. Now is the moment of magic. And here's a blessing. We already possess the gifts we need. We've already received our presents. Ears to hear music. Eyes to behold lights. Hands to build true peace on earth. And to hold each other. Height. In love. That last passage. That i read out of the christian scriptures. Has an interesting phrase in it about how they shepherds. We're out in the field. Watching their flocks by night. Justice last week. An article i read in the chicago tribune. Someone just passed the scripture writers. Pointing out that in fact at this time of year that might of the world shepherds are not out in their field lying about tending any flops at all. That's a springtime activity. It's writer wanted to call into question this whole thing we call christmas. Based upon the assumption. If we can find some chink in the story some little deficit that's there some little piece that doesn't make sense. Then the whole story august be thrown away. And with it the holiday inn with the season and everything. It wasn't too many years ago that someone else. I read about. Did a long calculation on various astronomical projection. And various things that took place in the heavens and said you know. If those three wise men. Had seen anything approaching the star they were talking about. Then scriptures have got the date wrong. Because that would have happened about 6 or 7 years. One side of the other that but it didn't happen then. Again. The argument started saying. The story doesn't hold. Romanian fact. The story doesn't hold. Because it's some level the christmas story is make-believe. Think about all the elements in there that make it hard to believe. Even if we get into the scientific material. We just get into what's written there in the face. The man and his. Espoused wife. Not yet married. Pregnant. On the road finding a place to stay almost impossible. Brickell why would they even follow through on the rules of the road. You know what's going to happen to 14 family sitting off in the. Back waters of nazareth that they don't wander off and go to the right city. Probably nothing. Anyway implausible. Mary or mary goes with him even though it's not the most propitious time to go. Probably unlikely as well. And their people seeing some pregnant woman. Of their own kindred kind or not going to find something better than a barn firth. Probably unlikely. Today at all that sushi supposed to be there not supposed to be there either and you get this. But maybe that's not. The story. Maybe what's at the core of the story was there a core of christmas. Was there for a car this christmas eve. It's not that story. But another one. Which seems even more fantastic. It seems even more make-believe. It's the story about how. Any one individual person. In one individual lifetime. Could do anything so great. The generations later would remember. Maybe it's the make-believe about how each of us. Have the capacity. Our children. Families. Even our neighbors. As ourselves. That the world can be transformed by a spirit of love. Manny story that a made-up fiction that somehow in the darkest time of a year. Simply holding a candle. In that darkness. Can make us feel like it's alright. No matter what's going wrong. Maybe it's the made-up story the make-believe story of a world in which there was peace everywhere. And there was goodwill. Not just to the people you like. But good will toward everyone. If some level all that. Seems to me infinitely more fantastic. The story about a baby being born in shepherds and fields. Did we remember somehow the capacity we have in us to make a difference. Remember somehow our capacity to soul of others. That the world is transformed. Then we have an austin capacity. Define hope even in the simplest things even in the midst of the worst of times. Understand the meaning on the other side of any of life's events. Seems to me that the world keeps wanting to tell us that all of that. All that which is about us. Is the make-believe. And then a christmas eve comes. And reminds us. But that isn't really make believe. That is simply promise. The promise of what is already. But not yet. In each of us. The christmas message. Yes. It's about a story. About a man named jesus being born long ago. The christmas story is also the story about you. Bangor not so long ago. You not so long ago and so long ago. But we were all born into this world. In the christmas message. It's about what a gift that like is. And what a promise are living fully. Canby. And if that's make believe. The nothing.

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valley.mp3

First reading this morning is one that's probably very familiar to most of you here. It's one that when i begin it sounds he will probably be almost lip-syncing the words. What's the 23rd psalm. We often hear this. At times of loss and bereavement. But i want you to not listen to it as that wrote memorized piece perhaps from childhood. Or is that familiar piece. Out of kinds of liturgy elsewhere. But here it is a song. A song for words. Spoken out from someone who is experiencing. The depths of life. Someone who's trying to figure out what to do with things. The lord is my shepherd. I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his namesake. Yay. Though i walk through the valley. Of the shadow of death. I will fear no evil. Cuz i work with me. Tie rod and thy staff they comfort me. Doppler paris the table before me in the presence of my enemies. Tower noticed my head with oil my cup. Runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. And i will dwell in the house of the lord. Forever. 23rd psalm from the hebrew scriptures. The second reading from that marvelous woman helen keller. Just thinking that she would have it at some point. Been able to write anything for us giving her life. But she writes. Uyghur bereaved. Are not alone. We belong to the largest company in the world the company of those who have no in suffering. When it seems that our sorrow is too great to be born. Let us think of the great family of the heavy-hearted. Into which our grief has given us entrance. And inevitably. We will feel about us their arms. Their sympathy. Their understanding. Believe when you are most unhappy. That there is something for you to do in the world. So long as you can sweeten another's pain. Life is not. In vain. Words from. Helen keller. Does this sound familiar to you. For some reason. Perhaps physical. Perhaps a mental emotional breath spiritual. You feel so bad. Did you wonder if you will ever feel good. Again. It feels like you have slipped. Or been dropped into a deep chasm of illness so deep you fear you will ever rise back to the surface. Like you have been gripped. Why so profound a feeling of fear or despair. You doubt you will ever feel safe again. Like your doubts of so taking over your life. You can't believe you will ever have faith in yourself. In others or in life again. It's an all-too-familiar human pattern. Circumstances or perceptions of circumstances. Make us feel like we are living deep down in a valley of pain. Or depression. Or doubt or fear. Living in a valley so deep. And so steep. We can't see out. No sky. No sun no moon no horizon. For some. Those feelings are few and far between. Just passing moments in the landscape of life. For others they become z to frequent unwanted companions. When those kind of feelings become one's lifestyle consistently defining one's attitude toward life in general. It's a time to seek and use professional assistance. There are places which our lives can take us. Which would cede our abilities to easily understand and overcome. But for most of us sitting here this morning. We are recalling those moments when we felt like we were down in a valley of life with no better vision. And now we can see them for what they were. Moments in life not the totality of our lives. And what do we do with our memories of those times. When the wider horizons seem to elude us. What do we do. When we're honestly recalling to mine it sometimes we felt that way. Oh most of us do something very simple. We do nothing. We rise up out of our gas we move on forgetting or trying to forget how bad we felt. We hope we will never feel that way again. We engage the sort of magical thinking. That should be foreign to all of us who like to affirm rational values and considered thought. We behave as if our thinking about what happened to us. What caused it to happen again. So we move on without a lot of in-depth consideration. We feel relieved. And we refuse to look back down into that valley. We like to view from up on the top. And we don't want to go back. But life is a tricky teacher. As much as we like to pretend that we are in control of what is happening to us. If we do not have the lessons we need to learn in life. Life will present us with more opportunities for edification. Until we learn. And remember. We're going to have to keep on learning. Because life will continue to be define. But why we have not yet come to understand. So let's go back down into some of those places and do those experiences into those feelings into those depths once more. Maybe going there together. Will make it easier to learn and remember. What life is trying to show us. So calm. Send a little bit into this thing called life. Picture yourself in the deep steep valley. If there is any glimmer of light. It is far distant at above you. From where are you staying. All you can see. Is that valley. Sarah valley of the shadow of death. What do you do. What are the first temptations would probably be to look for a way out. Hey we saved get me out of here. Not a bad idea. But how. Reality is down there in the valley. Lots of hamsters. I'm home. Has set up shop. And what they're selling are often maps. Maps with queen the show the one and only route out. They talked about it at work for others. Kaufman detailing escape routes. The come from ancient history. Orcutt missing accounts of achievements. And then those maps are sold to us. As if that was the one path fits all. You know austin religion acts as if it was the warehouse and the retail outlet of those maps. 1 understanding of religion. Is there a forest in history. Which offers people knowing escape routes. From the deep valleys of life. Follow directions they say and you will be okay. In some sense this is the magical thinking of religion. If you follow what is mapped out for you. You can find the way up and out. And remember they say. There is only one route that can work that magic. But i suspect if you were here this morning. Listening to me. You heard that religious sales pitch before maybe even tried it out. And you found it. Or couldn't in the long run give you what you wanted or needed. You gave up on that kind of religion. But your life's quest. For something more than materialism assured you that there must be an alternative. Does simply acting like a pack mule. Following the beaten track with blinders on. Because religion can actually be something other than a warehouse and retail store for the max of others. Religion could also be like another sitter shop. Filled with many tools of the trade. No promises. Just tools. Here we are. A tool shop. An outfitter. And we are at a full shopping and outfitter which offers classes on how to use the tools of life. In a way that will help you do the work. Not that others have done. At the work you need to do. Shared lessons on the use of life stools. A community of support and continuing advice. All the help each of us complete the ultimate do-it-yourself project. Life. And we do our best when we remember. The do-it-yourself does not mean do it alone. Nor do it uninformed. Common tools. Shirt lessons. Community of support. These are the elements offered here. That help us see horizons even when we're in the depths of the deepest valley. What about these things i called common tools. Over many years ago with my summer home i was installing a sink. I got mounted on the wall i got the plumbing up to a certain point. And i was going to put the faucets on. I read the instructions and it said. Titan. The faucet mounting nuts. What sounded simple. Put them on this tight little devils up. No. I found it was impossible to do my tool chest. I went through everything i had in there. Nothing worked. I tried my hand at every position possible skinned every knuckle didn't work. I finally figured out i was in the depths of depression on this project. I went next door neighbor. And she said. Strange-looking device. What's it called. A faucet wrench. What did the job literally in seconds. If i'd only known about. That tool. Now i find it when i go to home improvement stores i usually go to get something i want. But i never leave it that simple. I always want to wander and i'll or two and see what's there. What tool there is not because i think i wanted or needed that moment. But sometimes i discover i see something it solves a problem that's been nagging for a long time. But it's become aware what is available. Because i know there's going to be some other project down the road. What i'm going to want to try to do something and it would be so much better and so much easier. If i only had the right tool and knew it existed. So sometimes i get something i know i need other times i'm just informing myself to meet a future need. You need to know what tools are available for you when you find yourself flung down into one of those valleys. And you're realize that those tools would serve you well when you were on the uplands. May not be sufficient. So we need. The turn to tools. Tools of the spirit so to speak. And not just the ones that have already work and not just the ones that look easiest. All the resources which are available to us. Becoming a where along the way of what is available not just for current needs. But also. For future needs. You know more do-it-yourself projects have been messed up. By trying to employ the wrong tools simply because they were available or familiar. Denver anything else. You don't want to do that with your life. In our understanding. Vistana calls us to be aware. Of the many pans of understanding within the religious and spiritual world that the tools of this trade is it worth not just the ones were familiar with not just the ones we agree with not the ones we know how to use not the ones just the ones easily available. But also the ones. The go beyond serving our current needs in our current prejudices. When times get tough. We may be able to rise above it. 2 resources of our own past experience. But we also may not have the resources from past experience to meet future needs. By turning to the great depository of human wisdom we equip ourselves to meet unforeseen circumstances. As well as the forest scene ones. And with that. A big caveat. When we exclude any tradition. Which has risen out of the human experience of trial and tribulation inspiration and redemption. We automatically maybe short-changing our own future. Equip your toolbox with as many tools as you can. Who knows what you're going to need in the next valley. You travel. Years ago but i can get that summer home of ours. My parents decided with the arrival of my next younger brother it was time to put a little edition outback. I'm not sure if the weather was a matter of they wanted to keep him uncorrupted by also waterboys. Or they want to make sure we didn't awaken him or he didn't awaken osco whatever. Make plans for very simple extension of the building. It would require some excavation of a hillside. Well they assembled all kinds of tools. Squabbles. Text spades. Hose. Malls. Pry bars. Wheelbarrows. You name it anything short of dynamite i think. But after several weekends of work of my father and my mother my brother and myself. We had barely made a dent in that hillside. Talk about being discouraged. Play my father decided that he would hire one of the laborers from the railroad. Come out and work with us for weekend. Installing was damiano game. And pepe looked at what we had because you got everything we need. We get to work tonight now. And then we started the work. And as soon as we started the work pepe suddenly stood back and stared at us. And then quietly said. Yeah maybe if you did this it would be easier. And sure enough with pappy's guidance we began to use the tools more efficiently. We wouldn't have known what to do with he showed us what to use how to use them. And some others we probably would have used all day he said you don't need to use those that's a waste of time. So some things that we had never known about became invaluable. And the things we made assumptions on. What is put aside. By the end of the weekend. The excavation was completed. Thanks to pepe's. Teaching us. As a religious tradition. The focus is more on process than a destination or content. All role in providing shared lessons should be obvious. Reaching out from our individualism to community. We begin and essential transaction religion for us. The binding of people together. Into. Ss staining enhancing relationships. Sure lessons about the tools of life require two things. Knowledgeable teachers. And willing open students. And each of us. We'll have to serve both rolls. Each of us has lived out some reality which has not been experienced by anyone else in this congregation. Each of us has found some way of using the tools of life. Which have not been found by anyone else in this community. That may be the truest meaning. Of individualism. Recognising how each of us has traveled a unique password alive. So we bring something special to community. Something which we can teach to others. At the same time because we have traveled as individuals accumulating our own experiences we have not yet experienced everything. Encountered everything had to use every resource and cool at our disposal. This then is our call to be students. The limits of our experience. Which an honesty we have to admit. Invites us to learn what others have the teach. We have these groups here in the church called covenant groups small group shared ministries to one another. And these are prime examples of shared lessons. But our rule is a community is to provide a safe affirming opportunity. Which fosters honest open sharing. Who knows when you are i will need the wisdom and the understanding of others. To help us see beyond our current challenges. Who knows when you are i will be able to check companion someone. Out of their space of crisis with our knowledge and experience. Not being able to predict. Needs or lessons into the future. What we can do is to make time and space in our lives to be ready to either be student. Or teacher. This however i can predict. Each of us one connors sometime in our lives. 1 sec shared lessons. Could make. All the difference. Which means we need to remember. We need to honor that we are primarily a community of support. Frost the highest values of the universe are expressed in relationships. As we connect to one another. Weaving a web of meaning between individual lives so that nothing is ever separate alienated unsupported. We replicate the physical and spiritual worlds. Which weary perceive as inclusive. And unified. When in the valleys of our lives we cannot see the horizon. We then can find that we see the horizon. Reflected in someone else's eyes. Sometimes that's all takes. To help us see our way up in out of the situation. To know that others can see better days others have been where we are that others care about how we are doing. Looking to others when we cannot see for ourselves. And being there for others. When they need to see through our eyes. All of the vaunted principles all of the reverential worship all the heated discussion all the social witness will mean little if we are not here for each other. The spirit of our covenant over there calls us cuz this kind of holy work of making sure that no one. Standing in her or his valley of life. Needs to feel alone. Has any community of burn razors could tell you. You can have all the tools in the world and know how to use them. But without the help and support of others. All you have is a big pile of lumber. And a big problem. Ultimately ours is a religion that will never promise you life without any problems. We cannot guarantee that this creed or this prayer this worship will make everything pleasant. Perfect easy. Life is not like that. But when your time of need comes. I hope you will see this church community. As a resource. And because now is the time of need for someone. I hope you will be a resource. For that kind of church. This religion. A religion of common tools shared lessons. And a community. Child support.

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veil.mp3

To readings this morning. Both of them about the issue of. Spiritual connectedness. The first from the spirit who is known as rickety. What do you think all those past lives are for. To learn and remember. When we move on in synthesis with our true identity. We carry all the past with us. The future can't be the future without a past. The present contains the future and the past it is the living interface with past and future. It is momentary. It is instantaneous it has no substance of it all of its own by the time you speak of the present. It is already past. If you were to truly live in the now in the moment. You have nothing to say to her feel it would be like trying to stand at the border between two countries. Can you do that and not hang out into one or both. Or if you could you would be like jana's man without a country. All dressed up and nowhere to be. So learn to balance. Grief is the recognition that we have to surrender to the past. Something we wish were in the present and future. When we find balance we can stop grieving. Because then we will lose no more. We keep grieving until we can do that. Let go of what belongs in the past and takes on what one form the future. For example in my license you there's a lot that belongs in memory and some that belongs and presents and some that belongs in vision. Getting them straight is the challenge. Then you can remember fondly. But not sadly all those cute things i did. And you keep alive the things of substance i was about. And you can share the dreams of the future i had. That's all. You still have those things if you put them in perspective. In fact if you don't. You don't have them they have you and you are stopped on your own journey. Which in this case is our journey as well. So get with the program. How many of you know edgar cayce. Edgar cayce was this amazing. Sleeping prophet a man of trans and inside and vision. And. One thing he. Spoken trance was this with sounds very much. Lakewood rickety was saying. You can never lose anything that ray belongs to you. And you can't keep that which belongs to someone else. He was challenged at one point to talk about. What it means to be psychic. Cuz he had these psychic powers of speaking in trance. Can you give this address years ago and this is a piece of it. Unfortunately we've come to think of psychic. Is something very unusual. Especially since the dictionary gives his one definition of psychic the following. Having abnormal powers especially the power of automatic writing or conversing in a trance. If we understood the real meaning of psychic forces however. We would have a different conception. As the significance of developing such powers within ourselves. Whether we wish to acknowledge it or not. All of us have psychic forces. Whether we want to develop them or not is a different question. When people go about to develop any special ability or faculty. We know they go into the training with that object in view. One training for the price fight ring at certain things that must be done. In order to develop the ability to use some portion of the function of the physical body specific preparations must be made. 1 developing the voice trains that special ability or faculty. Certain rules must be followed in order to sing. Where to play the piano or the violin. What is that a faculty which goes through the process of being trained. Is it simply a portion of the physical body. As we begin to develop such faculties or abilities layton within every individual. What is the discernment of color. Or the differentiation of how to apply individualize for others something we've seen in nature. These faculties partake of more than just the ability. The teach the handout a draw across the palate the canvas or a piece of paper. Something within is being expressed. What gives that expression. Are psychic forces. Let me give you just what psychic means and say how it should be properly used. Do not think that every person you hear spoken of as psychic has something very peculiar about him. For you are afflicted with the same condition. You are just as peculiar as he possibly more so. Webster gives this primary definition of psychic or psycho. Oliver pretending to the human soul pertaining to the libyan principal in man sometimes pertaining to the human soul in relation to sense or appetite for the outer visible world is distinct from the spiritual or the rational faculties. And the second definition is. All for pertaining to the mind the metal contrasted with the physical body. Theoharis too and developing of the ability to see and appreciate the beautiful. The pure and the lovely and everything and everybody we contact. Everything within the scope of what affects our body mind and heart. We're developing us the abilities to be in closer to newman with the infinite. And that is developing our psychic abilities within. The answer comes to each one of us as to whether these abilities are worth developing or not. If we have the proper conception was psychic means. Then we know it is a faculty which exists. Has existed. And is ours by birthright. Because we are sons and daughters. Of the infinite. Words from. Edgar cayce. How many remember that movie at that music was from. The day the earth stood still. The emissaries come to bring messages. Peace and togetherness and the only way they can get the earth's attention is they stop it. From spinning. Everything stops until i realize how crucial that is. The earth doesn't stop spinning. This strange little planet we live on. Keep spinning. Days passing in tonight in today. And there it sets out in the far reaches of. An obscure galaxy. Tilted on its axis. Moving through space. Causing little quirk emotions. Causing things like seasons. Like comings and goings. No self-righteous planet standing straight is axis whatever put up with. If we're tilted. Just enough can't. To give us difference. Play modern physics is correct. That the whole is mirrored in every part of the whole. Tennis not just our planet whose axis is tilted. But the whole is tilted. The universe b3. Nothing flowing in linearity. But rather uphold sing up and down across time. From the smallest subatomic particle. Pulsing into being. To the whole creation pulsing outward and inward within its majesty. Comings and goings. Seasons is short. As a bit of time we cannot even measure. And his grand is all times summed up. But what we know is this plan. What we know is this space. What we know is the time scale. That matches our bodily clocks of. Birth. And death. Comings and goings. And that tilted little planet in which we live this out on. Provides us with certain moments. The human being since the earliest days of their existence. Have noticed. They've noticed that there's a time in the spring. With the death of winner. Is somehow castaway. Because that will we greenness of spring. No becomes reality. And there's a time when the earth seems absolutely totally completely alive. Somewhere in the midst of summer. It is we are so insignificant everything else just bursting everywhere in growing and thriving. Enter the time in the midst of winter. Where the skeletal remains of what has been alive is all that is left. And we look out upon a world that seemingly. Is death itself. And then there's this time of. This time of year created on this little tilting planet. In which. All those polarities. Seem to shrink down. Yes the leaves are no longer as green. Orgreen at all. Summer become red summer become yellow orange. Song just dropped away still green. Each day each gustav win. Takes another bunch of leaves. From the trees and puts them on the ground. And we can feel that stillness. That seeming death of winter coming. But at the same time. If we were to go out there. Out there to the weeds in the trees. And the grasses. And the plants. Even as the leaves are dropping. If we look where they dropped from. We would see the bug in the node. Of another season. A promise. Coming. We would see off of all the plants. The various seeds dropping into soil. Not yet growing not yet alive. But promising. It's in this time of year. Life. And death. Rather been being at 1 poor the other seems to be somewhere very close together. And the ancients music. They knew this as passionate as anyting that at this time at this time in the year. In the autumn wherever they were on this planet wherever that autumn selling a calendar. Life and death were not as separate. As other times. The veil that separates the two that seems so absolute most of the year. Becomes more permeable. More sheer. Seeing through. And they sense that at this time of year. When life and death were in the mud closer balance. Spirits of all that had been. The comeback can be among us. To walk. To talk. To be sensed. That's what all these holidays are about at this point. In the air. Is that sense that somehow for a little while. All the pretense and barriers of separation dualism that we create. Gone. And other possibilities remain. You know it was only in the last two thousand years or so. And especially the last thousand years or so of western christian history been this reality. Was seeing if something bad. All we've got to watch out for the spirits they're coming. Elsewhere. And before that. This was one of the most welcome time of the year. This was where the spirits walk among us. And we walked among them. We sensed what they had to say. We celebrated with special foods and special alters and music and dancing and all the best that humanity has. We look through that thin veil. Inside wow. Enter those who wanted to. And those who dare to. Realize it didn't have to be only at this time of year. They realize that what was being offered. On any time of the year was the ability. To look through. The lens of hope and memory. And contact with everything that ever has been. And see wider worlds. And greater understanding. Frederick casey was talking about. We all have that ability and some choose to use it. To make contact to listen carefully it when things seem to be whispering in our ears which we did not speak and there's no one around us. To listen. Not everyone would choose to go that route. And i'm not suggesting that we all become mystics and psychics and sears. Think about a world where everyone was an interesting world. I knew you were going to say that you know that. And maybe a few would see futures that would be so grand. And so possible they don't be scared that you weren't cheating them. No not everyone is going to become a psychic or mystic garcia. Not everyone's going to be a medium. Not everyone is going to reach out in that way. But everyone will to some measure. Just some of that. Everyone will to some measure. Take times like this in the year and realize that there are things whispered on the wind. There are feelings. Felton the depths of time. Their understandings with come without prelude. We know not whence. That speaks of powerfully to us. We have. Pay attention. And that to me is the challenge. Of this time of year. Not the costuming in the partying and. Even the dark chocolate now we're going to go there. But the idea that we can for a short. of time. In the most childlike fashion. Let go of all the pretenses and walls we have created to keep alive very secure and neat and full of boundaries. Incense. Ultimately it isn't. There's a permeability. There's a plasticity. There's a flow. That we try to keep out. Wood linear time. But which is there. 90s. Song invitation at this time of year. Maybe the most profoundly religious invitation i can make to you. And you will choose how you will respond to it. I invite you to go out to somewhere near you. Where you live. And find one of those branches. One of those branches reaching out of a tree that back in the summer days gave you shade. Kvue coolness. Gave you joy it looking at it out to one of those branches which even a week or so ago gave you a caller. And now gives you leaves on the ground go out to one of those branches that reach out of life itself. And look. Look at that branch. Which now at this time of year has shed its leaves. Call theron look at that branch and see all those notes and all those bugs that are there. And while looking at it. Ask what is budding. In you. In this season. Where the veil is thin. And you just might see a future. You never thought possible.

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Track01.mp3

I am your friend and my love for you goes to the. There is nothing i can give you what you have not got. But there is much very much that while i cannot give it. You can take. To us unless i rest in today. Take heaven. In the future with this. Present little cassidy. Take peace. The gloom of the world shadow behind. Is joy. There is radiance and glory in the darkness which we. Which could we but see. And to see we have only to look. I beseech you. Tulip. Life is so generous a giver but we judging its gifts by the. 5 inch covering. Cast them away as ugly or heavy or hard. Remember. Covering. And you will find beneath it. A living. Remove the covering. This living splendor will be woven of love by wisdom. With power. Welcoming gasket. To you everything we call a trial. Sorrow or a duty believe me that angel's hand is there. The gift and the wonder of an overshadowing presents is there too. Be not content with them as joyce they to conceal even diviner gifts. Life is so full of meaning and purpose so full of beauty beneath is covering. Spell you will find earth the cloaks your heaven. Coricidin. Reclaim it. That is all. The courage you have. And the knowledge that we are all pilgrims together. Wendy's crew unknown country. On our way home. And so at this time i greet you not quite as the world sends greetings but with the profoundest steam. And with the prayer. That for you now and forever. The day drinks. And the shadows. Play away. Let it shine through our love and our kids. 12 china. Festivals of lights in almost every direction. In the northern hemisphere here. Combined with. Very special holidays and many of our traditions. Hanukkah christmas the winter solstice. Kwanzaa. Mostly the winter solstice in a very dependable kind of way. If we were primitives. Approaching this darkest day longest night of the year. We would perform rituals. To assure that the suns would start returning. Now we have computers and weather man who can tell us exactly the moment. Winter solstice. And so we don't have to calls for rituals. We can continue to shop. The winter solstice is especially since one of the lessons from. Sorry i understand from our ability to measure. Actually it's something that i have heard bits and pieces out for the last. Ten years or so as science has been willing to say. What they've discovered. Which is. Set the universe. Is mostly. But this late person's understanding is that the universe. Is mostly. It's my point today. Said that boy. That nothing with all of us confront was we confronted us. People. Tuition. As the darkness of this time of year that voice at darkness. Is an opportunity for shining. And that's shining. Is an opportunity. For imagination. In the space of nothing. What we have. Ability. Create. The ability to say as so many have said. This is what we shall celebrate. This time of year. One of the ways that. Yes one of the ways that. Post-modernism has been described as. we live in. Where there are no super sources it is it's kind of like the story of a young person. Who left their village. Before they left. New. So whatever miserable they learned in the village that was the ritual they learn. However they greeted the sun however they are however they celebrated harvest was the only thing. That this person knew. That was pre-modern time. Some of us grew up in situations like that we're all we knew. Was what we had the phrase i like about it. You can't miss what you can't measure. This young person could not measure anything outside of their village. The song person decided to get up and take a journey. Call vystar perhaps. Decides to get out and take a journey and discovers elitches that celebrates in different ways. So i think our unitarian universalist kids are more prepared for this transition than most. Google open systems that say this is the one and only way. Unless you do this way. You will be cursed or burn. Big box store or something like that. But many of us. In reconciling our lives. We have to start looking at our family's objectively we had to say while the world may not be. I thought it was just plainly and there was no other way. Method which was done by a linguist at the university of arkansas. Citadel of higher learning.

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trulygreat.mp3

Today's service included a section of the i have a dream speech by martin. The king. We'll be hearing that in just a moment. And then that was followed by a reading. Poem i think continually of those by poet stephen spender. And now the readings and then the sermon. Entitled. Those who were truly great. Tribute to martin luther king. And others. Inspired us. Weather live. Freedom reigns. Reminder mounts. Text freedom ring from the heisman allegheny. Let freedom ring. Not on today. Let freedom ring from stone mountain. Freedom ring from every hill and malone hill mississippi. Average speed. We will be able to. Chocolate. I'm sending the world. Free at last. Automotive. I think continually of those. By stephen spender. I think continually of those who were truly great. Who from the womb remember the souls history. 2/4 of light with h or sons. And listen singing. Who's lovely ambition was it their lips still touch with fire. Should tell the spirit clothes from head to foot in song. Arrow hoarded from the spring branch has the desire is falling across their bodies like blossom. What is precious is never to forget. The central the light of the blood drawn from age with springs. Breaking through rocks and worlds before earth. Never denied pleasure in the simple morning light north grave evening to manfred. Never to allow gradually the traffic to smother with noise and fog the flowering of the spirit. Near the snow near the sun in the highest fields. See how these names are faded by the waving grass. And by the streamers of white cloud and whispers of wind in the listening sky. The names of those who in their lives fought for life. Who wore their hearts to fire center. Born of the sun. They traveled a short while toward the sun. And left the vivid air. Signed with their honour. I wonder if we had dr. king here today physically. What he would say if we ask him what er we ought to talk about. On this sunday. I'll be bored enough to conjecture. That he would beg us. Not to do a biographical sermon. I suspect he wouldn't want us to tell about. Who he was and where he grew up in his preacher father and all that. I think he want to talk about something else. He wanted to talk about probably some issue. Some calls. Some need. Some hope. Good morning ross to engage what he would be engaged with. So since i want an honor what i think would be his wish. Because i think it's to wish of all truly great people. The truly great never one other people. The talk about sam. The pedigree. Love to be talked about. But the truly great. Don't want that kind of focus. Because they offer something they know is not contained. In the transitory realities of who they happen to be at that moment. The life they're living out. A life in this world at that time. Is only a reflection of something larger and more important. Qualities about them that are not contained. In either fame. Warren physical characteristics of race or cultural characteristics of nationality. Those who were truly great. Have a great miss about them. And they would like us probably to speak about the greatness that is not about them. But round about them. The greatness which is summed up in qualities. Of being alive. So i wanna. Explore what i think are five qualities. Of those who are truly great. Five qualities that we would say yeah. We think about dr. king that's what we're talking about a white think about muhammad that's what we're talkin about we talkin about jesus or the buddha or mother or anyone that might be one of those people you just remembered. A certain qualities. We're talking about. The first one. I think his identity. Those who are truly great. Have a very clear sense of identity. They know who they are. And you sense that if you ever see them or meet them. These are the kind of people like gandhi for example that if you were to walk into a room where gandhi was and you knew gandhi was going to be there but you would never seen it before you never seen a picture of him. People said you walk in the room and you knew who he was right away. There was a presence and identity about them. They were just really there. They weren't spending lots of energies on trying to put together some kind of persona. They weren't doing it by how they dressed. Haitians they had. They were just so thoroughly themselves there that it just flowed out of them. But there's another says the truly great have an identity. When we speak about dr. king for example we talked about how he identified with the struggles. A black people. Poor people. Are oppressed people. Who is topeka bottle gandhi. We talked about how he identified. With the needs of the lowest caste of his society. When we speak about muhammad for example we talked about how he identified with the struggles. The arab world to find its own sense of identity. Do we speak with the everyday person in a land of occupation and religious oppression. When we talk about the buddha. We say he identified with the essential human experience of suffering and the connection of all existence around that recognition. Those who are truly great. Not only had a sense of personal identity. But they identify with something infinitely larger. Turn them all their own selves. Each of them also. Had a vision. They weren't just stuck in the here-and-now and the already. There were struggling with the not yet. Subdivision of how life could be. Of how human beings could relate to each other a vision that said the past is prologue to what is yet to come and here's what i'm seeing. I'm seeing possibilities. Far beyond the present realities. I'm envisioning a world that sounds like the way we wanted to be. I see a world of equality. I see a world of connectedness. I see a world of acceptance. These were people who had the vision to see that all existence is infused with potential. And that potential. Once released. Can move us to places we had never even imagined but they in their visioning. Imagined. But they also had a second quality of vision in that was that not only they see how the world was going to be. They saw how every person in it. Could be. People who met with these great people. Often reported the transforming experience that that was. They came into the presence of the truly great and the truly great. only had a vision for the all. They had a vision for the each. That these people would look into the faces in the eyes of the common everyday person and leave them feeling like they no longer wear, nor everyday. They had a vision. For what was possible. Each and every person. And they were able to transmit it. They were truly great. only for where they saw others going. Where they saw each one of us going. The quality of vision. They also had a sense of purpose. They saw that they had a role to play. A strong feeling aurora play a strong no matter what. The truly great weren't just in it for the easy times. They were in it for all times they saw that their lives unfolding. In whatever ways they unfolded. Had purpose and meaning to it. If they followed. The call that life was given to them. They found there was meaning to be there. If they would truly be there. Often we think about as we focus lives. They had a role play. And they were going to play it. But they never saw it. As a rule that was only there's. They knew that every person. Had a purpose. Those are truly great never have the us-versus-them mentality but rather were all in this together we all have a purpose to play. We all at all the stages of our lives have purposes the play we all at oliver stations are eliza purpose to play. And soda each and every pushing the truly great said. Find your place in the movement. Find your purpose and what's unfolding. Find your definition of what you can assist with. That's your purpose. When you are living out your purpose you are living. Not everyone can be in the front of the march. But snow march unless they're others. Enlai. Clear sense that not only was their purpose in their lives. But they saw and help others see. The purpose in their lives. Song called to address thousands in washington. Other is called to address ptas and peoria. Father's address to speak the kind words on the streets of kansas city. Others called simply to write a letter to the editor in eugene. Alwin purpose. All drawn-out word. They also had a sense of proportion. But huhot understand what was important. And what was trivial. How to separate out. What was it you wanted to put your energies to. And what it was that didn't really matter. Tell we are going to talk about my god how much they got done. Well one of the reasons i got so much done was they didn't spend so much time doing stuff that didn't need doing. Throw one of the stories we get out of the christian tradition. Packets multiple stories. On the way jesus the disciples are going the lawn and the disciples keep getting worried where we going to sleep tonight. Where we going to eat what are me no food for all these people and what keeps coming back. Custom jesus in the story but we hear it from all kinds of other different traditions as well the truly great. Was a truly great say stop worrying about that little stuff it'll take care of itself. Worry about the pigs.. Khordadian proportion. And so we have someone like dr. king. Who understands that you have to put it in proportion. Have to know where to put the efforts and where to put the energy to focus things in so you make an impact rather than to spread it all over the work and not to worry about all the details. But he also taught others how to put things in proportion. He taught people how to make the choice. The go to birmingham. The montgomery. The selma because that was a higher priority. Sitting home and complaining. He taught people about how to go on marches of peace and marcus for economic equality and mark has a racial equality because that was more important. They just sitting home. And worrying about whether the vcr could be program. Decide what put it in proportion. If you take care of the big things. The little things will follow. And they all always reminded us. You know that. You just forgot. Coded into proportion. And finally they all had a deep. Deep sense of appreciation. For them it was never about them. It was about that vision out there in which they were focused. With an understanding that they couldn't be out there in front. Unless there was a lot in the back supporting them. You can't be the king of the hill was a queen of the mound or whatever. Unless others have built mounds in heels for you. And so through all the speeches of all those who would say were truly great. Are all the conversations with those personal people we hoarders toy grade. We hear the same thing coming. Yeah i did that but i was inspired by so-and-so and i was helped by so-and-so and i couldn't have done it with this person i could have done it with that person. Deep in the core of the truly great. Is understanding that they are simply a part of a lineage that close to them and through them now. But they must appreciate or they will not really have it. A sense that they belong in a flow of others for which they must be appreciative. Or they will have lost it. And deep in the core of any truly great. Is the concept ultimately have an appreciation for whatever they say transcends their own situation. Appreciation for the divine from god for autumn on for all for nature for the world for the universe for nature flooring for whatever. Unappreciation. Humble appreciation. For all that. Which sustains and supports. You hear the speeches. You read the testimonies. And you hear it over and over again the truly great. We're truly. Thankful. And they shared that vision. And that understanding with all of us. Darren the core of greatness. Is always a humility. And an appreciation. Thankfulness. So the truly great. Carry these qualities about them. That sense of identity. A real sense of vision. Sense of purpose in proportion and a deep appreciation. None of that is foreign to us. Each of us russell's with our own identity. Each of us to a greater or lesser extent has some vision we have some sense of purpose. We put things more heroes in the proper proportion. We remember to say thank you now and then. So what made them. Truly great. Probably because they in their spiritual evolution. And their growth in the spiritual complexity had found a way to not spend so much energy. I'm deciding these things. So they can spend so much energy on being these things. Define a way to travel down the path of life. Making sure the energy was spent. On the beneficial side of the equation. And not on the other. And then they all the sounds turn to each and everyone of us and said. And you. Could do. The same. You. Could do. The same. You could be truly great. As who you are. Whenever you remember how you spend your energies. When you spend them. To not only know yourself. But identify with others. When you have a vision not only for yourself. Crackle activation for others when you sent your purpose in connection to others when you're put into proportion would you want in relation to what is through for the whole when you appreciate not only that specific but also the collective. When you understand yourself as part of the larger picture. Then you. In your life. Are also one of the truly greg. So this sunday. We acknowledge one. Who was truly great. Because we too. Would like to be truly great. In some of these same way. May we find in his inspiration. Our aspiration. To that greatness.