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151025_vt_participation-faith-practice.mp3

Welcome to the october 25th service at the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by worship associate victoria taylor. With contributions from uuc member stick balvin and frank and politano. The theme of the reflections is participation as a face practice. I've asked frank napolitano and dick bauman to share with us some reflections that they have had on this issue of participation as a faith practice. I'd like to invite dick up to speak now. My wife paid and i came to this congregation about 10 years ago. We had them on for the presbyterian church. In setauket new york for about 27 years. Northside presbyterian church. Here in blacksburg. For 10 years. We left northside because our son eric who is that. And his partner were moving to blacksburg and we could not reconcile with the presbyterian churches. Prohibition of ordination. Non celibate gay. People to ministry. Or the election of kate office. Also after hearing fill orchard marcus pork speak at the smith's fletcher's in blacksburg presbyterian church. And reading works by john dominic crossan and other members of the jesus seminar. I am some thoughtful reflection. I could no longer believe or accept. The creed. Dogma and doctrine. The open and welcoming doors of this congregation. Those are the reasons we came to uuc. But we stayed because of the love and support. We received here. The first sentence is gotpicz book. The road less traveled. Is short. And to the point. Life is difficult. We all endure pain and loss in our lives. But we also do a lot of enjoy. Has an undiagnosed illness. And died suddenly and unexpectedly. September 2008. Eric. Our son had suffered from. Amyotrophic. Lateral sclerosis. Lou gehrig's disease. 4/8 years. Anti hit in march. 2000. This congregation responded with wonderful. Instructions. Compassion. I'm so summons for my family and me. After each loss. So many car. Somebody acts of sympathy and support. So much food for the body. Conspiracy. After eric steph chris brownlee are minister at the time. Call me from the airport on her way to her son's wedding in texas. Sure sure me. But i could reach her by. Cell phone. But weekend. If i need. In the years since i've received many blessings. From his congregation. I've had opportunities to serve and be sore. As a congregation. We are blessed. To have money. And dedicated. Numbers in french. Who keep his congregation. Support structure. Alive. A girl. Church is not. Spectator sport. We have a wonderful set. And a host of volunteers. Who do the work. The uuc. We all have opportunities to offer service here. Andre depend on our members. And friends to fill committee rules. Give of their time and talents to keep us strong. In our service. Beloved community. Bands to the larger community beyond our torch. What do we find here. What is it that draws us back. How do we respond in gratitude. I'm on five committees. Partly because. Retired. And have some time. But primarily. Because i care. About issues. Like social justice. Land stewardship. And. I love this place and its people. I want to see it through.. And be effective. Let's work of cert. We all get tired. We all have other obligations. Corn. But putting our faith. It was practice. Closest to take part. In the work of our faithful. I am frank napolitano. When victoria asked me to think about participation as a faith practice. I began considering the question of what exactly our faith is. And what we can participate in while we're practicing it. That shouldn't be too hard i thought. The purpose of our faith is to form the bonds of community. Plus it's important to take part in a lot of social action in order for our community to do something good for the world around us. Theology in 30 seconds by frank napolitana. But last week reverend robert latham tore up my simple recipe for you you living. And i'm grateful to him for inciting a series of questions and answers within me. About what we are doing when we practice our faith in the world. Early in his sermon rev latham said. The purpose of religion is not to create community. Nor is the purpose of religion. To create social action programs. At first. I flat-out disagreed. Of course that's the purpose of religion i thought. If you don't believe in the battle between eternal salvation and damnation. And what else is there. My results results started to falter though when a few minutes later he said. Well community is vital in our movement. Community for the sake of itself. Is no stronger than the fragility of the egos involved. And can be nothing more than an embracing haven. For frustrated liberals. Busted. I know all too well how easy it is for an ego because of its fragility. To become enamored with itself as it's supposedly serves the needs of a community. And the frustrated liberal side of that ego just loves to proclaim in this hotbed of evangelicalism we're doing good things to. After cooling down a bit i thought. Boy. This frustrated liberal in his ego really feed off each other. Fine i can see the. I may be just a frustrated liberal but the small amount of work that i do in my community says something. About the way i practice my. Again though. Reverend latham steps up. Challenge. In a good way. Even though reverend latham offers that social action is the imperative arm of the religious community. He also cautions that we shouldn't think of our communities. Think of that as our community soul purpose. Instead social action serves the larger purpose. A transforming enough of the individuals in that society. Into the image. Of its own answers. To the compelling questions. With the end result. That its own conscience prevails in the social order. When you said that i'm sure i wasn't the only person. Who's ears perked up. Was he saying that our job when publicly living our faith. Is to evangelize. To make as many people as possible believe what we believe. Here's where the tensions between service of the community. And service of one's ego really came to a head for me. Because while many see proselytizing as an act of charity i see it as one of aggression. One of the reasons that unitarian-universalism appeal to me. Was that nobody was pressuring me to adhere to a certain way of life or a certain set of beliefs. For example there are several groups in our congregation who do wonderful things that i should learn more about. But they don't try to convince me that their way of seeing the world is the right one. In fact our congregations add-on npr touts us as a community of faith without dogma. Or something like that. If we have no set creed. Then how can we expect our public expressions of faith. 2 remake each other and the world in our own image. The only answer i have at this point is temporary. And it still feels more like. Question in the form of a statement. The foundation of unitarian unitarian universalism rest for me. And its first principal. Regarding the inherent worth and dignity of every human being. And to be honest i wasn't aware of that first principle before hearing dave levacy repeated throughout our ministerial search committee's deliberations. The phrase stuck with me ever since and i'll always be grateful today for that. Now obviously other people feel the same way about our first principle or it wouldn't be our first principle. And as first principles go it's a darn good one. A compass that we can use the guide our actions as you use. Is what i'm doing on some level at least. Upholding or affirming the inherent worth and dignity of every human being. If i can answer yes then maybe i'm practicing my face. Great. But what about reverend reverend latham's assertion that we need to convince the world. That our view of reality is the right one. Still a tough one for me. In attempting to answer this question i take heart that reverend latham isn't trying to advocate that we make everyone exactly like us in a world with their where there are more questions than answers and where everyone brings quinoa to the potluck. Instead he insists that our communities view of reality. Transcends differences and bonds the community in mutual allegiance. Okay. Now the cylinders are firing together. If the way i participate in my face community. Transcends differences we are within and beyond that community. By affirming the inherent worth and dignity of every human being. Then maybe. Maybe i'm doing something right. So donating our food donating food at our it's scary to be hungry events. In food drive today at noon at university plaza kroger. That might not end hunger in the world. And donating to the montgomery county christmas store or meeting to discuss access to healthcare. Check your orders of service. Isn't going to change the injustice is of the world. But it just might do something else. Perhaps such work can do something good in the short run. All while declaring to the world. But our belief that another person suffering. Is not very far from our own. And that whatever community we belong to it is our obligation to address the world's problems by asserting our common humanity. And our responsibilities to each other. These aren't definitive solutions to rev latham's challenges but maybe they provide a way forward. Press to practice ruu faith. With each other and with the world. Thank you frank and deck. One of the. Reasons this interested me is because i think about. Then in order to participate. One really must know oneself. And what one believes in and what one stands for. Which is part of why i invited. Dick to share that reflection which he wrote about 5 years ago and it really struck me that he lived in examined life and participate in his faith as an examined individual. I love that it's scary to be hungry has become one of our congregations tradition. It's a collective action which perfectly demonstrates our principles and values. It is an examined practice. Morphing a hallmark kind of holiday into an expression of service intergenerational participation and contribution. This action each asks each of us in a small way to be an individual and yet to participate in something bigger. The children express themselves through their costumes and by bravely approaching the grown-ups. For no material gain of their own. And then you as the grown-ups chose your participation whether it was financial or in-kind and then we celebrated together in music and fellowship. That's what we strive for is a congregation. It doesn't get much better than that. Earlier this month dara challenged us. By asking. How can a rich sense of individuality be nurtured which at the same time enables one to participate in something greater than oneself. And then the word participate. What about it. What does that require from us. Often the mere mention of participation seems intimidating requiring able bodies or empty schedules and full bank accounts. I know a few individuals who have all three of those so that must not be the essence. I do know that participation is necessary. And that is humans not only are we social being. Biologically incapable of living without community but also participation serves our spirit. Earlier in the reading by mark morrison read we stated. Alone our vision is too narrow to see all that must be seen. Our strength to limited to all that must be done. But we are human beings not human doings. So how do you beat a being and keep doing. I'm going to assert that individuality is identified by this living and examined life. In order for participation to be voluntary and meaningful. You can't do it for doing steak. But for your own sake. To understanding your own self. And what is important to you. Participation therefore becomes voluntary and meaningful. I knowing your history you can participate in the present. I looking for your own strength. It becomes obvious where they are needed. By trying to find your own voice. The right questions get asked. By learning your mind it becomes easier to listen. By celebrating your own personal gifts. You can contribute with joy. By understanding your own limits. Duties then become opportunities. By living within one's values in justices require writing. We also must trust ourselves. We must trust our search. My celebration our understanding of our own self. And trust that our decisions are sound and that we are up to the challenge of participating. Each one of us brings something different to our beloved community. Our strengths are gifts our talents are vulnerabilities are fears. Our community is rich for the individuality and variability of its members. We all bring our open minds and our loving hearts. Give thanks. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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140622_do_bless-mess.mp3

Welcome to the june 22nd service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by our set hope minister reverend arrowland. Honor sermon is title. Bless this mess. The podcast begins with the reading and then a reflection by worship associate ellen plummer. Revved era then. Shares of reading followed by her servant and the benediction. Are reading this morning. Is consistent with our theme of today service bless this mess. And the reading is by richard gilbert. Life is always. Unfinished business. In the midst of the whirling day. In the hectic rush. To be doing. In the frantic pace of life. Pause. Here. For a moment. Catch your breath. Relax your body. Loosen. Your grip. On life. Consider that our lives are always unfinished business. Imagine that the picture of our being is never. Complete. Allow your life to be a work in progress. Do not hurry. To mold the masterpiece. Do not rush. To finish the picture. Do not be impatient. To complete the drawing. From beckoning birth. To donning death we are in process. And always. Always. There is more. To be done. Do not. Let the incompleteness way on your spirit. Do not despair. The imperfection marks your everyday. Do not fear that we are still in the making. Let us instead be grateful that the world is still to be created. Let us give thanks that we can be more. Then we are. Let us celebrate the power. Of the incomplete. For life is always. Unfinished business. It's my distinct privilege to serve as a worship associate. It's a real honour and it's humbling. I'm really honored. And was surprised. Vdara asked me to share my thoughts with you in the context of the topic of our service this morning which is bless this mess. They were told me that when she decided to preach about bless this mess she thought of me. Right. She assures me that she thought of me because of conversations. The deep theological important conversations that she and i have had regarding life. And it's a sort of gifts and challenges. I'm not so sure. Any given day i here i here and use the word mess. That's what i'm being polite. Many many times. I have created a mess i have to respond to a mess i am a mess it's a mess what a mess. You got the idea. Message abound. I'm honored that you would think of me when you think of. The mess. Nothing personal right. So because so many of us like like many of you i'm academically trained which means that we hyper analyze words and their meanings and we frequently fight about them. Where's our probe. Serious. He's very familiar with the fighting that goes on among. Among folks about words and their meanings. Maybe it's just me. Bless this mess made me wonder. Just what is bless. And just what is mess. And what does it mean when we use these words together. So. As someone who lives. In an academical village. It's a troubling affliction. It's being. Academically trained i tell you. I decided to engage. And some high-level research. With carefully crafted research questions. Clearly for this assignment i needed to talk with friends and colleagues and ask them their thoughts on the words in topic bless this mess. Lots of. Lots of opportunities to do. One of my key. If unlikely theological inspirations and informants turned out to me by beloved other half. Let's. When asked. What is the first thing you think of when i say bless this mess. Said without hesitation. Cross stitch. Stitch i said. To myself. Bless this mess is about making beautiful. Meet and tidy stitches out of gloriously colored threads and making a gift of one's patience and creativity. Uncharacteristically lovely thought. For my beloved other half. Nope. Does she i said cross-stitch because bless this mess sounds like an overused phrase you'd find on one of those cross-stitch cheap frames so-called country decorations that you can pick up on the exit stopped by one of the exit stopped on i-81. It's trite it's overused silly pollyanna just dumb. Research. Adjust. My dear friend and a. I was up in charlottesville working for a school that shall remain unnamed up the street there a little way. When i asked anda. First comes to mind when i say the words bless this mess. She thought for a moment and she said. Chaos. Now we were getting some. I too have been inspired by the words bless this mess to think about chaos. And specifically. To reacquaint myself with chaos theory as expressed in ml book. And tell siri is the notion that. Order can be perceived and achieved from the apparent randomness of phenomenon. Phenomena. In mathematics. Nature physics another arenas. My research concluded. I turned to the work of an lamott. And her book. Called help. Thanks. Wow. In which she articulates your thoughts about prayer. Help thanks. And wow might be other words we might use. To think about. Bless this mess. In my own life. Especially in the past few years. I continue to work on discerning. The blesses the blessings from the message. Blessings from the message. I'm just earning my need for help. Discerning my need for help. The humility of thanks. And the wonder of wow. Wow. I have experienced the power of that which is larger than me and us. And i have discovered a yearning a curiosity and hunger. To explore. Would have been blessings for me. Did emerge. From messes. I have witnessed. The results. A big. Traumatic. Messes. And i've borne witness. On how these messes. Have impacted. The lives of others. And change my own life. And i have witnessed. And i'm sure participated in the creation of what i'll call misdemeanor messes. Daily temporary message that after a few cuss words in a paper towel or quickly forgotten. Help. I need a paper towel. Thanks. For the paper towel. Wow. Thank god for the people who invented paper towels. For me what's this message about thriving. Driving in the unpredictable sometimes overwhelming chaos that is our lives. It's hard. It's unsolvable. It's terrifying. It's soft. Loving. Rewarding. And all of it. Is holy. What's this message holi. And sacred. If. I allow it to. My experiences as a partner in the recovery efforts after the shootings at virginia tech. Are holy. That episode was and remains a catastrophic. It has resulted in some of my most cherished. Memories and relationship. When my father died unexpectedly while we were hiking up a mountain trail. I found myself praying. Hard. I didn't even know i prayed. I'm even know i did that. Praying hard hard. Standing on the side of the mountain. Bonners in people like you i was blessed. Fancy white by folk strangers who took care of me and liz and our friends linda and tom. And my dad. All around the mountain. Praying praying praying looking up into the trees i'll never forget it. I was praying for him. For my dad for myself and for the mess we were in. And i prayed. After he'd been unconscious for at least 45 minutes. That. The first responders who appeared with portable. Defibulators. Would not. Revive him. Please dear god. Please do not resuscitate this man please do not resuscitate this man. He will be miserable and grumpy and mad as hell if you succeed in resuscitate. Trust me. At which point loose said to me you know you just said that out loud right. For me in addition to being about the heavy. Duty. Catastrophic traumas. What's this message about the holiness of the profane. Detroit. The overused silly. Pollyanna cross-stitch slogan. And in my world. The sacredness of the cross-stitch slogan is enhanced. Bye. The foes theater frame. And the way it's crooked. On the wall never quite. Hangs. Straight. Bless this mess is reminding myself to seek the humor. Humility and gifs. Of the mess. And the chaos. And the hurt. And the love. To bless it all. Myself and others. Regularly. To pray. Help. Thanks. Wow. When the cross-stitch sampler reading bless this mess. Appears at the truck stop. On i-81. When i think a worship associate this morning on plumber for sharing her thoughts. Morning with our congregation. Reading this morning comes from john o'donohue i'm a book called beauty. The invisible embrace. Many people are addicted to perfection. And in their pursuit of the ideal they have no patience with vulnerability. Every poet would like to write the ideal poem. No they never achieved this. Sometimes it glimmers through their best work still. Ironically the very beyond miss of the idea of perfection. It's often the touch of presents that renders the work itself. Luminous. The beauty of the ideal awakens of passion and an urgency that brings out the best in the person and calls forth the dream of excellence. The beauty of the true ideal is its hospitality. Towards woundedness. Weakness. Failure and fallback. It's so many people are infected with the virus of perfection. They cannot rest they allow themselves no even till they come close to the cleanse domain of perfection. This false notion of perfection does damage and put slides under great strain. It is a wonderful day in a life when one is finally able to stand before the long deep mirror of one's own reflection. Envue oneself with appreciation. Acceptance. Forgiveness. On that day when breakthrough the falsity of images and expectations would have blinded one spirit. One can only learn to see who one is when one learns to view oneself. With the most intimate. And forgiving. Compassion. So you heard this morning of course the theme is bless this mess. Anel ensured with us many insights on the dimensions of blessing. And the messiness of life. This morning i want to share with you. Has any story that i actually shared with a group of folks that gathered not long ago in meditation here in the sanctuary during our six-week meditation class. The foursome of you this story might be familiar. And four other this might be a new one. This is a zen story. And it goes like this there was once a priest who was charged with tending flora pending a lovely garden in a very esteemed. And world-renowned temple. And he been given this piece of been given this particular job because he loves flowers feel of 210 growing things he loves trees and shrubs. And next to the temple. There was a smaller temple. And in that temple of the very old. Zen master. And one day when the priest was expecting some very special guests he took some extra care with his garden duties. He pulled the weeds any trim the bushes and he made little changes here and there has been a great deal of time and attention doing this and he carefully arranged all of the dry autumn leaves. And auntie works the old master. In the temple next door. Looked over. At the wall that separated these two temples and their gardens from each other. And when he was finished with priests that it works so hard he stepped back. And he admired the pristine beautiful. Perfect quality of his work. And he said isn't it beautiful. And he called out to the old master isn't it beautiful master take a look at this tremendous garden. And the master peered over the wall. Yes he replied. But there is something missing. Help me over this wall and i will help you make it right. So. After hesitating the priest went ahead and he lifted the old fellow over the wall and he set him down. And the mascot looked around and he walked slowly through the whole garden. And you found a tree right in the center of the garden he walked up to it. He put his hands on the trunk of the tree and he took it. And down came. A bunch of leaves. There he said. You can put me back now. That's basically the story. And it's total. There's a lot of ways to take this story. What a heartless thing for that masters have done. After all that preening and trimming some of you were gardeners might appreciate how troubling that might have been. But was it really heartless. One of the teachings in the story is about imperfection. The imperfection that just occurs in our lives it's the stray leaves that fall. Literally metaphorically. It's a straight leaves that are beyond our control our ability to manage and it's also the unknown responses of people in our world that affect us like the zen master. Who went ahead and took that tree. Even though he knew how hard his neighborhood works. Today we're talking this morning were talking about when life spills outside of the tidy frames. That we might create in our minds. We're talkin about nonlinear. Unpredictable. Full of potholes and sometimes lemons. That kind of life. The nesting house. And i live with a whole bunch of things that we can't control. And preparing the service this morning i came across and i notice in my inbox from a colleague it arrived just right on time and the notice said relax. Nothing is in your control. And of course that made that made me laugh. Chris we humans think that there's a lot we can control we hope. Lately we hope that we can control just about everything and we get pretty concerned and even despair sometimes when we start to realize that actually there are a great many things that we cannot control. We know that life is highly linear even though we crave and urine it to be. And even those of us who identify a speaker's still on for answers and the stability that provides in this nasty. Messy kind of world. And especially those of us who are prone to reason and over-analysis will often try to think ourselves out of a math. You know what's interesting sometimes when i speak with people who are journeying deeply through grief. Who know about the stages of grief. Folks often try to think themselves through the stages of grief. And then end up bulking at those stages of grief. Because in fact the lived experience of a grief journey is much more like labyrinth. And much less like checklist. And those of you who have journeyed through foundry. Know that. Is ellen alluded to this morning there's all sorts of different kinds of masses. We live in a society that actually prizes organization. But this morning i want to talk to you a little bit about disorganization. And i wonder how you are with disorganization and with chaos and how you greet the messiness of life. How do you respond in your life. When life throws you a curveball. There can be two assumptions i think when people hear. Bless this mess. And one is either that we should jump very positively to this pollyanna sort of approach. We should just say let's find the positives in this. And then there's another kind of swing to the extreme when people here bless this mess and that is we should just surrender we should just let it all go we should dismiss any confusion we might feel in the messy time. Both of these are tremendous extremes and of course not really possible for most of us. So it's no wonder that buddhism which is the tradition out of which the zen story should with you this morning no wonder that buddhism has a lot to say about the middle way between these kinds of two extremes. A middle way that allows us to sit with the fullness of our lives experiencing the joy and a challenge without pressuring ourself towards one sort of response or another. And yet buddhism is not the only world religious tradition that has something to say about the messiness of life. In your order of worship this morning there's a censoring quote and that's entering quote comes out of judaism. Inspire rabbi in it says. We must keep two pieces of paper in our pockets at all time. One that says i am a speck of dust. Any other that says the world was created for me. So when one way another way to put this as we are to think on the one hand. That. It's all about us. And then on the other hand. It's not really about us. That means on the one hand we are able to use our facilities of will and engagement to change our reality. With the center of everything. And on the other hand. We cannot control so very much and we are not the center of everything nor is our human will all-powerful. So this morning in the context of our worship service. We are neither set me another damning the messy places in our lives and saying gosh those are awful and we shouldn't we should sweep them under the rug. But we're not simply celebrating than either instead we are acknowledging. The innate untidy quality. The messiness of our lives and we're allowing ourselves to go more deeply into exploration. I think in the united states a lot of us to wrestle with untidiness and disorganization and and messina's and it has a theological reason. It's because in the west we are the inheritors of a christian. Theological idea and that is that cleanliness is next to godliness. You all know this one right. This idea that cleanliness is next to godliness order is better than disorder and perfection is more holy than imperfection. So we get stuck. We got stuck thinking about blessing this mess. And even talking about the mess and even being vulnerable about the messy stuff of life cuz it's not hiding and it doesn't look so pretty. I know that a lot of folks. Play some folks rather that i talked to her in a pretty messy place and their lives and want to talk about it can fall into a trap of the power of positive thinking. There's a wonderful idea that our words and our sl talk create how we engage with the world and there is nothing wrong with positivity. And orienting ourselves to an appreciation of a good. For that can bring joy and pleasure. But one of the things that can happen is that people can try to coerce themselves. Into the power of positive thinking automatically seeking the blessing using that word carefully right now trying to speak what they think might be the blessing the positive and trying to reach. Towards it. Even in a stick of pain and sorrow. And of course that just makes things harder. There's nothing more alienating for oneself. Then trying to tell oneself or being told by others to put on a happy face. When that's the last thing that feels authentic. Tell you a very short anecdote about how sometimes we can skip through things working too hard to convince ourselves to be positive. A long while back i was on my way to a conference and. I was a colleague and we got pretty lost on some country roads. We couldn't find our way back. It was fun on the country roads and then we realized we were getting really late for a conference. Not feeling of lateness groot anxiety grew to frustration and then we realize we are really lost here. To stop by the side of the road and i was diligently oh so diligently consulting my map. Trying to figure out where we had gone wrong. She got out her direction and also a cell phone. And tried to call forth the gps so we could find our way. But the gps wasn't working. And i was turning the map around and around and around. And finally an exasperation we pulled over. I looked up and there was a very small sign and it said highway entrance. Which is just what we had been looking for. We had been spending about a half hour working so hard to find our way through. That we didn't pause and just look at right where we were. Surprisingly the sign that was leading us back home or rather to our destination was actually right in front of us. Now doesn't always work out that way in the messiness of life. But sometimes it is that when we course ourselves into jumping right for the positive before just acknowledging the fullness of right where we are we can actually miss. The deep blessings and signs in our life that are right before us. The from moment i want to go back to this idea of messiness. But in the material world. As i mentioned before in the united states were pretty preoccupied often with order. And we get scared sometimes by disorder. I'll tell you on the big stand of a well-ordered kitchen and a well-ordered office and i like faces why i feel like i'm free to create. Yet my husband has a very different threshold for order. Enough. In a while back the new york times ran an article called say yes to mask. And in this case that the writer was challenging all the readership. Ashley look at the yesness in the mask. He said it's interesting because now are you in the united states the high cost of home organizing products can be traced to our desire for order. And in fact this is a really big booming business so in 2009 in the us people were projected to spend 7.6 billion dollars and home organizing systems. In january is get organized month. Organized by the national association of professional organizers who knew who knew there was such a thing. They have 4000 members. But the article some if you want to know what they're doing right. The article also talks about this nice atmosphere emerging i'm anti clutter organizing movement. Urging us to embrace disorder. Bosom. There's a rabbi that i appreciate the writing because she writes about the sacred nastiness and you talk about standing in the doorway of his fifteen-year-old daughter's room. At first he's really concerned because this is a really messy disorganized room. But then he says one day i'm standing there in the doorway and i think it's all out of control and my wife dana is freaking out and suddenly is she in my daughter's room the piles of the dresses that she wore. Including the one she wore to her first dance. An earring that she would her burn that's that. But she's so trusting that her journal is wide open on the floor. And there's a photo booth pictures of her friends that are strewn out all over everywhere. He says he turns with wife and said oh my god. Her cup. Overfloweth. He was searching for swing meaning there. An interesting laid off because different people engage with messiness physical messiness differently and actually can continue contribute to separation and divorce and in our. In our country. I read a study where it was done. 160 couples representing a cross-section of genders and races and income. Those would split up with a partner one and 12 said they done so over struggle involving a partner's idea math. So it's an interesting seeing how we each approached messiness and one strategy. For sharing households with people who have different ideas of chaos and order. August article suggested to ashley designate some rooms in the house and some spaces that are devoted to clutter. The chaos and some that are devoted to organization. And that way everyone in the household has accessed. To both. Maybe some of this is resonant for you and your. In your own life. Not making funny that i focus for a little while now in the material mass. Perhaps it's not so very different. From the ways that different people even in the same household face chaos and crisis. And i just ordered messiness. When we face life more profound experiences. There's a theater educator who is a friend of mine who i got to know in california. And he. He's a lover of life he's also a survivor of torture. From columbia. And he wrote a book around one line that became very important to him. And that line was the blessing is next to the wound. The blessing is next to the wound. And so this morning i wonder what it might mean to discover and find blessing alongside the messiness in our human lives. I am going to share with you as we move towards closure one more anecdote for my own. Life about. Swordsman blessing. From next to wound. The several years ago i was facing. in my own life. Which felt very bleak. And i was facing the potential of losing someone very dear to me. Who it seems was. In the process of dying. What time the world started to feel very surreal to me. I have the sense of a heightened awareness of life. But that i had to dance with what felt like the most banal things on earth. Like going to get a cup of coffee or going to the grocery store. While the mets of while i knew that someone that i cared for. Was in the process of dying. And during that time i started to gravitate towards the absurdism. life. The absurdist and the surrealist and literature and art who have a way of bending things. I'm in communicating about when reality feels distorted. And not quite the way we think. And i also grew to find an appreciation for the work of frida kahlo who might be someone that people here know and appreciate. Frida kahlo of course with someone who faced chronic pain in her life. But none-the-less continued to paint and draw her experiences with vivid richness that did not whitewash the despair and suffering she's but communicated the vibrancy and the fullness of her loving relationship all she held dear. Entering this time in my life i really felt profoundly moved by her work would often go and look at her work in museums and bring home books of her artistry. It was a poignant time in my life because even though the world was surreal my sense of what mattered most also became very heightened. I started to be present to the deepest blessings i could name in life namely. Art. Human kindness. Love and resilience. And all of those started to occur to me can forward to me vividly even in the face of despair and sadness. The words blast. Means to make holy. You can also be a word that we enter to. Appreciate. Or we can also use word blessed to name when we add good into the world. We can be a blessing. It would be years before i could name a blessings next to the wound at that time during my life. Yet to finding blessings amid the woundedness was also part of my own healing journey and a journey of hope. Today i don't think jessica anyone jump to trying to course from cells to find the positive. Sometimes we can be too stressed to black. Sometimes we can't see the blessing next to the wound. Blessings are not tools of corazon. But neither is blessing cheap or sakran. Because blessing actually derived from when people used to sprinkle blood on animal sacrifices blood which is a source of life. Resilience. Which we need. And so the way that we talk about blessing is when we talk about the proclamation of that which is worthy. In life's chaos. Play begin by talking about the way in which. Surrender and control our present and buddhism and judaism. I want to close this worship service this morning by also lifting up the words iran hope neighbor. Cuz a christian theologian. Whose words might be familiar to any of you that are familiar with a 12-step program. I don't neighbor is. The originator of a prayer it actually trace back later than just him but he's well-known for the sprayer. And a prayer some of you might know you can say it with me if you know it. Godbrand has to accept. The things we cannot change. The courage to change the things we can. And the wisdom. To know the. And so it is an all of the world's religious traditions and emphasis on allowing an acknowledgement of our human agency and the things that we can't control. And somewhere in there we can find a sense of relief and liberation. We can find ourselves present that which is beyond us. The sufi poet rumi says. Dance when you're broken open. Dance when you p*** the bandage off. Dance in the middle of the fighting dance in your blood. Dance when you are perfectly. Until when lex pills outside of the frames that we've constructed may we open ourselves. To a more expanded appreciation of life full notes and its depths. My hope for you today is that wherever you are on your path. Whether you feel easily able to blast the mess. Whether you feel like the blessings are right now just a little bit far from you. May you open yourself right where you are. To life's journey. And maybe be dancers all. Let us recall that even in the mast. There's always the ability to dance. Blessed be eyeshadow and amon. Friends let us go forth knowing. That hard times require furious dancing. May you go forth finding your way. May you bless the mess. And may you go forth and peace until we are with one another again. Blessed be and ahmed. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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130324_uuclpcm_pastoral-care.mp3

Welcome to the march 24th service at the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. Because of an unexpected snow the started around 7:30 this morning. The service was officially called off but only 40 minutes before the scheduled starting time. The service was held anyway with a reduced attendance among both the congregation and the planned presenters. The sermon title is testimony and sermonizing. And the presenters were to be the twelve members of the uuc pastoral care ministers. Plus rev alex. Only two of the pastoral care ministers. Set the alarm contemn pickering. Participated in the service. The podcast begins with a reading by rev alex. So a later reference to cynthia's husband dick. Being beat up by the hokey bird requires explanation. Duke had a bike accident which led to broken bones and numerous hospital visits. Mornings reading. It's a piece that darla bray how many of you know darla gray wonderful. Darla unsolicited sent this out to all of the members of the lay pastoral care ministry team. This past week thinking that it might be of use to them. Pondered what they were going to do from the pulpit this morning so i share a reading with you now. A written by rachel naomi remen. The title of the reading is serving as different from helping and fixing. In recent years the question how can i help us become meaningful too many people. But perhaps there is a deeper question we might consider. Perhaps the real question is not how can i help. But how can i serve. Serving as different from helping. Helping a spaced on an equality it is not a relationship between a.. When you help you use your own strength to help those of lesser strength. If i'm a tentative what's going on inside of me when i'm helping. I find that i'm always helping someone who's not as strong as i am. Who is needier than i am. People feel this inequality. When we help we may inadvertently take away from people more than we could ever give them. We may diminish their self-esteem their sense of worth integrity and wholeness. When i helped i am very aware of my own strength. But we don't serve with our strength. We serve with ourselves. We draw from all of our experiences. Our limitations serve our wounds serve. Even art darkness conserve. The wholeness and serves the wholeness and others in the wholeness in life. The wholeness in you is the same as the wholeness in me. Service is a relationship between equals. Helping encourage debt when you help someone they owe you. But serving like healing is mutual. There is no debt. I am served as the person i am serving. When i help i have a feeling of satisfaction. When i survived have a feeling of gratitude. These are two very different things. Serving is also different from fixing. When i fix a person i perceive them is broken. And their brokenness requires me to act. When i fix i do not see the wholeness in the other person or trust the integrity of life in them. When i serve icy and trust that holness. It is what i am responding to and collaborating with. There's a distance between ourselves and whatever or whomever we are fixing. Fixing as a form of judgment all judgment creates distance that disconnection and experience of difference. I'm fixing the risen in a quality of expertise that can easily become a moral distance. We cannot serve at a distance we can only serve that twitch. Profoundly connected. That which we are willing to touch. This is mother teresa's basic message. We serve life not because it is broken. But because it is holy. Morning service. About. Your lee haskell care ministry. Is all about how they are of service. To this congregation. Not helping it or fixing it. But rather simply being with it. So. Play pastoral care as alex has mentioned is about. Non-judgemental and confidential. A relationship with someone in the congregation. When we. Used to be a family-centered pastoral care. I'm congregation we often shared things that happened with one another and in great detail and now that we're moving. Both into a program church. But also into lay pastoral care there's a lot less sharing of those details. That doesn't mean we don't care for one another it's just. That the person who is receiving bypassed repair services. It's their business about what they share and what happens to them it's not the whole congregations business. If they choose to share it. That's their prerogative. So the absence of light pastoral care that alex was referring to is listening presents. And. We had several testimonials set up for this morning. And sharon anderson is not here and she was going to speak to a listening presents. But because sharon has shared what's happened in her life in the last year. And was going to share this morning i know it's alright to say this. Last week as you recall. She said in our sorrow so it was the one weekend of her story of her son's death who lived with her. Jim was in his early forties. One year anniversary. And sharon received late pastoral care for several months. One of us met with her weekly and listen to her as she went through the process of. Wondering and. Looking at herself and did she contribute as much as she could to his life. And. Trying to come to some. Comfortable resolution. With moving on. And i think one of the things that sharon would say this morning. I'm to you is. I'm alright living with ambiguity that's why i met you you. So that's part of sharon's journey and it was very meaningful for her to have one of us with her. Another thing we do is. Try to make contact with anybody that we know is going into the hospital. And has a journey in the hospital and stephanie's going to talk about late astrocare in relationship to that. Do you want to come up or do you want to have a microphone. Last year about this time i ended up unexpectedly. In the hospital and. With with ian. Very short time. Cynthia. Appeared in my room. I was i was confused and. Pretty pretty i think pretty scared. Looking back on. And i was having trouble breathing and it was it was just all too much. But there was cynthia. She didn't she didn't come in with. You know like a lot of of. Prescriptions for what i should do or not do she simply. Was there. And for a few days she was there in and out and then johnny came in and said what would you really like. And i said gosh i like a chocolate malt. And he went down and so i got. Chocolate malts now that. A chocolate malt may not seem like. Very much but it was. So. Comforting just to have. Their presence. And to not have to. And then i had to have some tasks that work. Absolutely. Terrifying. And cynthia. Again not telling me everything was going to be fine just. Was there quietly. With me through the. And. Sometimes. I did have a. What does this mean what's that. And she's. Nurse. She went with me up. Uva it was. It was really. It made that the journey that was not a journey of. And now i'm fine. Why we wear eyewear on the hospital. Thing cuz you know. It got beat up by this big gum. Hokie bird. And. When we were in the hospital at montgomery with his fractured. Vertebrae in his neck. A vape astrocare person arrived. And i'm famous support. And when i knew that he was going to be flown to uva. I said well i'll just drive up and. And the like paso care person looked at me and he said no you won't. So he drove me to uva and spent the night. And. Money was sure that i would have some additional support there. Then he laughed. It's in the time of crisis you don't really sometimes know what it is you need and i didn't know. And i didn't know that i needed to let down and be with somebody that i could be comfortable with and trust and that was johnny who went with me that day. We also have some people in the hospital who who need to go to the hospital at don't let us know about it and sometimes when we hear about it then we just make a telephone call and offer some support. And that happened recently to someone in our congregation. And she said oh my gosh i didn't know this was all available to me and that you would care about me while i was. Away and gone. So that happens. We have a few people who are just on an ongoing support that they checked in with us periodically and one of the associates meets with them. We have the same person who meets with them over a. of time but it's an occasional check-in. And we've recently started visiting program. And rita carolyn lying as a receptor recipient of that visiting and she was going to talk today too. She has an associate who visits her once or twice a month just as a friendship visit. Because she doesn't get out as much. And need some more socializing then she has at home and we have a list of eight people that we're currently seeing in that. Regard. And are you seeing anybody yet. He's going to and he's going to be seeing a couple in the congregation. And. Where. Making some contact with people that are in nursing home some people once we've contacted them say. I have all the social life i need and that's okay and that's fine but we need to make that contact. And. The same list of people who we thought were vulnerable people or who had less mobility we contacted 11 that other them who we. New lost electricity during derecho. And so we would check in with him every day or two to see if things were okay or encouraged them to get into a situation that was more comfortable for them. The other thing we do is we make contact with everybody who expresses his sorrow on sunday mornings and you know those come out in announcements to us but we make contact with each of those people and see if there's any follow-up. Hearing that we can do with them. So what about accessing how do you access lay pastoral care. Referrals need to be direct and other words it shouldn't be my friend needs this but won't come and ask you it's much better if the friend can come and ask us. So we really encourage you to ask people on one-on-one to come directly to us. And that's. To encourage a person's own independence and their own sense of self. Of asking. You use have a really hard time asking in this week. Network with other. Lay pastoral care programs. People getting. Asking for care is a major issue. In fact i talked to her like pastoral care. Minister and she said facebook is the way that she makes contact with people on their facebook page if. They're expressing some concerns i don't know that we're going to go that route or not. The other way to access us is through one of the. Staff. Alex does sometimes refer people to us or asks us to follow up. With somebody. Karen hager lifespan faith development. I'm sometimes asks us to follow up with somebody as does lisa even lor. Administrator. Anonymously you can fill out one of these forms around the table back there. I'm saying that you would like. Someone to make some contact with you. Because you're in life transition and you'd like someone to talk to. You are. And it can be a short-term or long-term. Experience and we'll determine that after we talked to you this goes into a locked box which is backed by between alex and parents office back there nobody is used this referral source. In the one-year we've been functioning. Or. You can see any of the associates and they won't. Or any of the two basila taters nancy gardner and myself and we all have a blue ribbon. Are name tag that has the initials lay pastoral care ministry. So you can identify us. If you contact an associate they will. Send your. I'm name and your interest. To either nancy or i and then we will make contact with you and then we will decide what associate with alex what associate is the best. Connection with you. We've had in this year tried to have more visibility we did it service a year ago we've done this service. I'm we put announcements periodically in the newsletter. And we had to balance how much reaching out do we do or do we just let people initiate on their own and so we're pulling back a little bit and not initiating quite as much as we did maybe 6 months ago. We have monthly training meetings called synergy and i wanted some of the associates to see if they wanted to talk about any of the good synergy meetings they remember. And if you want to say something. There been several speakers from outside who have expertise in various areas. Come to our meetings any idea is to. Provide some background information for those of us like pastoral care. A committee to help us understand more about things that we might be dealing with when we're talkin. With people that are seeking support. And the one that the 56 in my mind was a lady from i don't remember the agency in the new river valley but she is an expert on alcoholism. And she was really a. She was really a powerful and forceful. Speaker she knew very much about what she was talking about. I helped us understand all.. Different types of manifestations that the people might exhibit. When they're dealing with issues i having to do with alcohol and so i thought it was. It was a very helpful learning experience. And. The kind of thing that will help us probably be a little bit more empathetic with people. Should we ever. Encounter that kind of situation. Lot of work it with thumb. Keeping ourselves healthy and managing stress and. Being centered. And alex is president most of our synergy meetings. We do some chickens with each other we share what's going on in anybody that were matched with that by name. Congregants have been given a number because i just confidential. But we share. How it's going in terms of our relationship with people that were seen. Thank you all. Real quickly and i realize the blizzard is happening all around us isn't it amazing. This group of people good folk. Who's here for you to be with you to serve you as you have need. Not to fix you not to help you not to mend you. But simply to be with you in a way that works for you against the challenges of your life. And that is what makes a congregation capable of being bigger. Is having a group of people. Who can share with folk in the sorrows of life not towards helping fixing or mending. But simply choices towards being with them. I was in waynesboro this past tuesday. With our you use up there in waynesboro virginia. And the very first question it was put to me was i hear that you guys have a lay pastoral care ministry team in place. How has it worked. And they ask that question waynesboro virginia with a hundred people wanting to know how they could be the 200 that you are here in blacksburg. Be mindful of this resource. Capitals you have made. And one of the most difficult places in my life when i had lost someone to death it was very near and dear to me it was a lie pastoral care minister this was before i went into ministry. Who sat with me and cried with me and held my hand and patted me on the back. When i didn't want anyone else to know about it it was just too painful. Bashar. And this is what they're here for this is their call. This is their gift to all of us. So celebrate it tap it use it. And encourage others to be mindful and heartful around at all. Thank you for being here on a blizzard. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website. At you your cnrv. org.

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150614_do_beyond-shame.mp3

Welcome to the june 14th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today it's that by her settled minister. Reverend arrowland. Enter sermon is titled beyond shame. The podcast begins with two readings. Connection is why we're here. It gives purpose and meaning to our lives. Power that connection holes in our lives was confirmed when the main concern about connection emerge. At the fear of disconnection. The fear that something we have done. Or something we have failed it to you something about who we are or where we come from has somehow made us unlovable. And unworthy. Connection. Second reading also comes from brene brown who is a researcher. After doing this work or over the last 12 years and watching scarcity. Ride. Roughshod over families organizations and communities. I'd say the one thing we have in common. Is that were sick of feeling afraid. We want. Greatly. We are tired. Of a national conversation centering on what should we fear. And who should we blame. We all want to be brave. Therein lies the readings for this morning. With many of you might be aware the title of our worship service this morning as beyond shane. I think it's somewhat of an ambitious title. Because to be quite honest seems hard to talk about. Let alone going beyond shane. Let's talk about creativity let's talk about joy let's talk about hope yes let's talk about justice. That sounds pretty good. Right pretty juicy. But let's talk about shane. Not so much. Who wants to talk about shane. If it's too loud for you all. Was ok google wants to talk about shame right. Well it turns out lots of pee. Lots and lots and lots of people. Want to. Need to. Talk about shane. When brene brown a well-known researcher and secret launched a tedx talk. In houston in the year 2010. Racine with shame. And the youtube. That was launched afterwards the youtube of her presentation went viral. Really quickly. It was clicked on download if you are watching it streaming it talking about it. Can i first heard about brene brown's tedx lecture when i was in seminary. About 6 years ago. And it was i'll tell you it's like one of those it topics like everyone wanted to talk about have you heard it have you listened to it do you know about brene brown. And i didn't. But i learned. And my question is do any of you know about brene brown. Very good. Will today's service and indeed today's sermon is really rooted in and inspired by brene brown's work. And. Pretty soon after she did the ted talk she was asked to visit. Universities she was asked to visit fortune 500 companies and she tells a really interesting anecdote cuz her presentation had been about shane but when she got the phone call hey will you come will you share your information they would often say things like come talk to us but don't talk to us about. Talk to us about creativity joy innovation. But herein lies the power of her work i think. And our power as community talking about shane. I think the power of talking about shame is that shame is bound up. With a few of the very most important. Essential dimensions of our human lives shame is bound up. And how we connect. Whether we feel belonging. How we can grow in our relationship and why it is that we can't. And also shame is bound up. And how we can innovate. How we can change. How we can adapt. And also why we don't. It turns out that shane has a lot to do with whether and how we are able to test new ways embark on new courses reach out towards innovation whether it be in our schools our workplaces or indeed even in our congregations. So why talk about shane. I was to give kind of the thesis of the sermon i'm sharing with you today it would be this. Why talk about shame. Because shane. Has a tricky way. I'm shutting down life possibility. And getting familiar with how shame operates. Is our way back towards. Individually. Collectively. Socially. Instead of having shame about not talking about shame cuz i don't want to do that at all. Stead of keeping shame upon shame about how we don't talk about shame rather we can start to understand how does she work in a sand in the world. And in doing that i do think there is a key to unlocking new possibilities and how we are with one another. Youtube brene brown's work in researching over many many years over a decade about how shame operates in people's life we know a few things. We know that everybody. Feel shame. At least if you have the capacity. Capacity for empathy. That means that i felt it. That means that you fell. That means that we. Have felt it. And since it's so common right that we all feel it it would be really great if when were born were given a set of operating instructions right here's how shame works. Get familiar with it. Then you can figure it out. Right but just like all these big important areas of our life. It didn't come with operating instructions. Didn't come with owner's manuals here's my guide shame here's my guide to working with shame and our nation and our in our communities. Here's the thing congregation i do think that. Because we didn't get. Owner's manual operating instructions. Return. 2. Various resources. Return to religion. Return to psychology. We might turn to business all these different fields we have for making sense and meaning and understanding what what are the ways we should operate. In our lives. So religion. Is an orientation to looking at ourselves and our relationship to meaning and the sacred. An ethics and behavior. In psychology is some of you-know-who or psychologist yourself is a process of looking at the relationship between the south and that in our minds. Also our relationships. Business gives us information about the marketing of goods. Which of these are kind of schools of thought places return operating instructions where do we go for the information where do we go for some guideposts how to operate. For longtime religion has been bound up with ethics how we act our behavior. Why we do things. As many of you know. In a christian tradition there are many different strands of theology. And one traditional form of theology that emerged over the centuries. Was this divide between the body. And spirit. And this one strand which is not the whole strand of christian theology but in this one strand of christian theology there was divided between body and spirit. The body was bad. So you may recall this kind of. Term. Cover your shame. You all heard that cover your shame. Meaning cover the private parts of your body. Also meaning those parts are actually shameful bad and wrong. Now talking about the body is a whole nother sermon. Whole nother topic. But what i want to say to you today. It's really about the shame peace and the way we think about in our culture. Shame. I will say to you that unitarian universalist we tend to be explicitly body-positive which means each one of us we have bodies that's good it's really good it's great. We also teach that those bodies are sacred. To be respected and to be cared for. Again there's a whole nother sermon about bob. What i want to say today is more about shame. And also to say that. When we think about shane we often think about that which needs to be covered. Covered up. Kept close kept a secret. Because it's wrong. And dad. In our tradition as unitarian universalist we also have principles. And one is the inherent worth and dignity of every person. One of the greatest things that hinders. Our access to our own understanding of our worth and actually our ability to recognize another person's worth. Is shane. And due to brene brown's work we actually know that. Shane. Has a lot to do with a sense of worthiness. I'm going to see a little bit more about that connection in a minute. But i will say i do think that shame. Is it national obstacle. Hiding in plain sight. It creates barriers everywhere. Barriers to fostering a sense of belonging between us. Barriers to having important national conversations. I agree with brene brown that says one of the things that when she says one of the things that's hindering us that having a real meaningful conversation about race in this country. It's because when we start to talk about race we have to talk about privilege. We talked about privilege. People well up with shane. Also the reason why we have a really hard time talking about mental illness. Shame. Fear. Worries about being vulnerable worries about being exposed these are just a few areas. But here's the thing when we get to know how shame operate we can more easily access i think a world of new meaningful connections relationships. Open to innovative new ways and move meaningful conversation where people are seen and heard even when they're different and have that the value. Do here. Our few basics about shame. All out brene brown. I'm going to recommend if you have curiosity about some of these ideas go ahead and google brene brown ted talk. There are two that are big sources for the sermon and and my talking with you about this today her first one was out shane. And it came out in. 2000. 10. And the second one is called listening to shame. It came out two years later. So here's some basics about shame. See if you recognize these. Shame has two voices. Voice one. Never good enough. Voice to. Who-do-you-think-you-are. Even recognizes voices. I won't look. Here's here's another example. I'm sorry. I made a mistake. That's guilt. I'm sorry. I made a mistake. I'm sorry i am a mistake. That shame. Brene brown talks about in her research awareness that shame is correlated to addiction aggression. Suicide. But guilt. Is inversely. Belated. She also says that. Shame have a gender organization. And i'm not saying that the way she hurts her research map is as long as gender binary assoc. Studies women and she studied man. Trans experience is not in her research as far as i know which is why i'm not talking about it right now it's not in my fingertip. But i will share with you. The way she says jane at shame has gender organization. Women experience shame. In a few areas and here's what shame looks like. Seamus i must do it all. I must do it perfectly never let them see you sweat. Shame is a web of unattainable conflicting and competing expectations about who you are supposed to be. She says it's like a straight jack. From then she says she was organized in her research she sees sheamus organized. Really around one way. One very clear. Powerful way. Do not be perceived. As week. Cannot be found. Invite you to sit with that think about. What occurs to you about that. Brene brown started studying women she was compiling lots of stories and she started to say that the stories were like data with soul. She wrote a book and she published a theory and then at a book signing she was approached by a man who said all my daughters and my wife are buying up your book. But they don't ever want to see me. Off my strong white horse. What about shane from. She hadn't been studying then and then she started. It turns out from brene brown's research and i really think the reason why i and other ministers in training when i was in sumner got so excited because it made so much sense it was like yes yes we see this yes we know that by talking and being with other people it turns out brene brown says that vulnerability. Is a huge part of trying to understand housing operate. And for the threes and renee talks about. The need to start telling our stories. And she also says that vulnerability. Is actually the key to courage. She gives this kind of talks incorporation where the kid icarus is not necessarily always seen as vulnerable. She talks about how important it is to tell our stories and how risky it can be. In her research. Can a little bit later after that first ted talk. She talked about how she started separating. The stories that she was receiving. She started separating them this time not by gender. Really into two main pools. 1 pool were those who. Really had a sense of belonging. A sense of connection. And the other pool. We're people that long 24. She started to go towards this group that really she could tell as she sat with her stories had a sense of belonging. She wondered what brought them together what made that one pool. Well it turns out through her research she says that pull those people they believe themselves. I've being of worth. They believe themselves to be capable. A belonging in. The other pool they were really struggling with it. If you want even more deeply okay so what's that about. If she does and she started to look at the actual story the actual thinks you could glean and she had this whole research methodology about it but basically what she saw was that these people. The courage. They were demonstrating was the courage of risking vulnerability these were the people that would do things like say i love you. These are people that would risk vulnerability without guarantee. About. To call these people could have wholehearted. They were able to be fully at themselves it was risky it was uncomfortable it wasn't easy to do those things but they were living is whole-hearted people and she called that. Courage. She writes about wholehearted living and. Pink regis invulnerability as a source for leadership. As a source for innovation. And as a source for parenting. Maybe sound welling good. But i want to give you just a example of where i. I started to really connect personally. With what brene brown was talking about. And it was back when i was in seminary. I was in class. No one really knew each other very well. And how to seminary buddy. Who started sharing. About his life. About the spiritual scarring he had. But the spiritual scarring he'd experienced. Do the physical abuse. From the priest. When he was a child. He didn't know. Us very well. I didn't know him very well before. The in that sharing by his sharing. I felt the stature. In the room grow. I don't know if you felt trust. I'm not in his head but he was willing to share. Risk vulnerability. And that was a very formative moment. Formative not just for him i think but for everybody in the room. I don't know how easy or hard it was for. But i know that he did. And i know the after that he became a leader among us. Because he wrestler. I'm reminded about how brene brown and talking to her. Ted audience. Says about the ted talks people know what the ted talks. She said actually this is a failure convention. Because in order to succeed in order to leave live courageously you have to try and try and try an experiment and fail. Sale. And often we don't want to hear. I really like that she said that. She makes it thinkable. It's okay to be vulnerable. Actually it's important. To get vulnerable. It doesn't mean it's easy. So today when asked you when was the time in your life. That you felt. Vulnerable. When did you risk vulnerability. And. What message did you make. On that experience when you risked vulnerable. Here's one really short one from my life. Cuz i can't ask you to do it if i don't do it. Risk boner ability. I remember one of the earliest times i can really really remember risking vulnerability consciously was when i was new in a public school. High school i had just come from a private school private school that was. Countercultural. Kind of a happy school. We were able to learn. And grow their conversation we had 121 they weren't really professors but kind of mentor coaches that helped us learn. I love learning i thought it was cool. Tell of learning went to public school satin english class english professor said how's the essay going everyone. Sarah says i want to share i'm so excited about this fa i don't remember what all i said but i said something about how excited i was to create this essay. And the person next to me scoff. Wow i thought. The norm here. I'm learning the norm here. The norm is learnings not cool. Learning doesn't make you quote makes you stand out. I started really studying is teenagers do what may. Cool. I learned there risking vulnerability. Anaconda stop list. I'm not still high school. These are important thinking about what are the norms that have shaped how we've come to understand who we are when we risk vulnerability and what norms will we set. In our congregation and in our society what norms will we set about what it means to risk vulnerability to be honest. True to be authentic and will be applied that as a way to innovation back down. And say no we're going to. We're going to hide ourselves away. We're not going to risk change and discomfort. Really rich conversation. I invite you to think about today your own relationship to shame. How it shows up in your conversations with others. In the in your work life and your home life until you are together as you listen to each other and big groups and small groups and our congregation. I think that this whole conversation about shane. Is integral to our working for just. Because if we cannot be vulnerable together if we cannot listen to one another stories and check ourselves in the way shame is operative it is very hard to go out into the world. Create event take justice with others. An actual actualize our dreams of a more hopeful world. I do believe in unitarian universalism. In the inherent worth and dignity of every person. I don't think looking at shane is easy. But i do believe we are capable of starting to look at it. Make me revelations about herself.. My hope for you. Is that you will find ways in your life to become wholehearted. That we will as a community become wholehearted people. Willing to speak up. Willing to share directly. Willing to listen to each other and to each other stories. We have an opportunity to understand how shame operates. To meet at differently in our lives. Let us not dismiss chain. But listen to. Let us learn about it. 4 beyonce. Is that land of authentic. Is that land of authentic leadership. Is that land of innovation. Creativity. Joy. Belonging. Lettuce head. Amen. And blessed be. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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160904_dr_labor.mp3

Welcome to the september 4th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by rev on rollins. And the seam of the service is stories and songs related to labor day. Which is tomorrow. There are three songs during the service. Residents introduction to the songs are included. Look for copyright purposes. The song some cells are not. We're going to sing. If i had a hammer some quick background that you may or may not know. Hammer was written in 1949 during a music publishing gathering meeting. With lee hayes and pete seeger the myth is on how true it is but they were bored. And as other people were doing so you know some pretty high arrangements they started passing a sheet of paper back and forth that had lyrics they thought were much better than the ones that were being put together by the publishing company. So it was complete somewhere around 1951 or 52. An activist named libby frank. Lobby both of the original writers to make sure that women got in there too. So you'll see a point where sisters are a part of of this it was not always so. Again remember that. The contacts with time. Cigarette lighter got called before at the as you may know what is it the activities. All american. Look at you thank you very much. And when they did so they pulled out when i had a hammer to prove to him he was a communist. So you got the last laugh because he live till 94 he died band tricep january 27th 2014. So people were still singing it then it has become one of the most recorded songs of all time. What are the challenges to offer to you and maybe some homework. And if you already do this and celebrate that. But. We're like two. You think about is. Seeing folks. At work. As opposed to ordering something and think and then just leaving but who's on the other side of the counter. Or who is delivering that mail or whatever it is to begin to see. In terms of what i'll call invisible labor movement that is the world why it goes through all ages and all categories so. If nothing else this morning maybe just tweak that piece of you. That begins to be aware. The folks around you especially workers. 40-hour week has been recorded a fair amount in the last 20 years since it was written i believe it was kenny loggins don schlitz and i have forgotten mr. silver's or miss silver's first name. Anyway 40-hour week. There are people in this country who work hard everyday. Not for fame or fortune do they strive. But it's the fruits of your labor that are worth more than their pay. And it's time a few of them are recognized. Hello detroit auto workers. Let me just thank you for your time you're working 40 hours a week just to send it on down the line. Hello pittsburgh steel workers let me thank you for your time. Your 40-hour week just to send it on down the line. This is for the one who swings the hammer. Driving home the nail. Or the one behind the counter. Bringing up the sale or the one who fights the fire the one who brings the mail. For everyone who works behind the scenes. You can see him every morning. Plants in the fields and the city streets in the quiet country town. Working together like spokes in a wheel. The cheapest country turning around. So hello farmer in kansas. Hello west virginia coal miner. This is for the one who drives the big rig up and down the road or the one that's in the warehouse bringing in the load. Or the waitress. Mechanic. Police officer on patrol. For everyone who works behind the scenes. Spirit you can't replace with no machine. Say hello america let me thank you for your time. Think about which side are you on. Was written by flora treestand 1931 her husband sandra's. Was a harlan county organizer for the united mine workers. Workers ways the long and sometimes violent strike against the mine odors who engage local law enforcement as well as higher security. To intimidate the members and their families. That's a peach at the strike. Sheriff jh blair and his men illegally entered reese's home to arrest your husband. Who had moments before escaped. Blair none-the-less intimidator florence and her children legend has it that after the men left she borrowed the melody of a traditional him and felt led to write the lyrics. The which side are you on. She was in her 70s when she recorded the version we're about to here. Her voice is frail. Range is limited. But it's also the voice of the mountains. It's the voice of the coal fields. It's the voice of the proud. Let's listen to. 436 which side are you on. Folks keep it really quick but. But asked you and the others to help me out to do this. What happens when i say labor day in and please not mattress sales and. Potato salad let's not go there. Talk to me a little bit about what labor day conjures up for you either in your experience those around you maybe a national or even global what happens when i say labor day and we will get the mic to you. My bad was a union man. He was a plumber construction plumber built lots of schools and hospitals and things like that. Went to work every morning came back smell a little like pipe dope and i. Appreciate that smells fill. I remember one time he was wearing a button that said. Beat koehler don't buy. And we asked him you know. What was all that about and it turned out that coler1 a big suppliers of. Plumbing things. Had the way they treated their workers. And the way they pay their workers was something that all of the union plumbers. We're supporting to help. And. Probably that companies changed or maybe all of them have gotten just as bad. But anyway i still go into lowe's or someplace like that and i see something on sale for kohler. I think to myself now be color don't buy. What is a great segue cuz my dad was also a plumber local union 555 in harrisburg pennsylvania. And there was a lot of solidarity and her family my dad really believed in solidarity. So that when diys market meat packers went out. So did we. And that was a long long battle and actually the meat packers never got back into weis markets. And my dad never stepped into a weis market again. And in our family i remember the first time i was like. Oh my god i got to go to weis because i really need something i felt so guilty and i never told my dad that i went into a weis market either not till the day died but there was a lot of belief in the unions and in the value of labor in the value of solidarity and labor. My dad dumb. Around the time. I was born with. Working at uc at teaching at ucla. They had a california. Loyalty oath. And he doesn't sign it and. He didn't work it. Ucla anymore. But we happen to be talking about it. A few weeks ago. Picture of my dad and i. And. It turned out. Oh that he said oh well i knew i could get another job. Pretty easily so it would always. Grown-up the year of somebody think. Totally idealistic. And then for me. I remember being work working on labor day. I was working on hospital sweat you know hospital so you work on labor day. And i realized i worked three labor day it's in the row. You know but. Didn't really know what that meant. The other self. There are varying degrees of react. To labor problems. Everything from wage slavery conditions where people do absolutely nothing to help themselves. Two violent reactions. We're unions. Are union members. Reaction of violent reaction. Get there. Way. That way. And what comes to mind is. Religious leadership that. Tender define how. What's basque. For example christ. Turn the other cheek or gandhi. Reaction. Are going to the salt mines. Things like that. And i think it's worth contemplation to figure out. What's the best reaction. In the long run. And. One thing that i've noticed. Is that if you act out of love. There's a. Dairy queen. Very. Sober. Understanding about how to. Mercy. That is. Very very wise. And if you have love in your heart. You can. Very quickly. Respond to a variety of different. Problem. That allow you to see how. How best to. Okay i just want to come out several of us have my dad did this my dad did that and my dad was a really. Hard worker to but i don't want to forget about all the work that my mom did that there was very little credit for because she ended up. Following my dad wherever he got a new job and my mother my parents were danish immigrants and my mother was a. A trained nurse but in this country every state that we moved who she had to pass a new exam to be a registered nurse in that state. And so she finally gave up and she did a lot of work just. As an assistant in nursing homes and so forth and a lot of work at home and so i just went to. Just remind everyone about all the work that that women have done over the decades and now. A lot of women are in uno. The workplace. But there's been a lot of labor done. Outside of the workplaces. What halfway today is. That's so much a sermon but a series of stories about laborers. One original and one borrowed. My aim here is to celebrate the union and the non-union workers. The worker that across time and place. Takes pride in pulling his or her weight. Earning a fair living. And a job well done. Let me tell you about the worker hood that was and still is my model for the good worker that would be the late elmo percy rollins. My adoptive father. Climber of electric poles. Choir of souls part of the choir of souls. I have left the world a better place by the sweat. Little bit of background. My old man died about 20 years ago and to tell the truth. There wasn't much left to bury for what 45 years of hard labor couldn't exact. Alcohol and tobacco shirley did. Elmo was born. Anime girl farm just eight years before the stock market crash of 1929. Plus the country and the world into the deepest economic depression. Of the 20th century. He was working the lands and doing odd jobs at age 7. He left school after the eighth grade. And did more hard labor until upping with the merchant marine and navy in 1939 a portentous year. E-services deck gunner trying to repeal dive-bombers and u-boats in the north atlantic. Until the allies finally made it to berlin. My dad came home. Married my mom. Found a job clearing brush for electric lines and rose to foreman before retiring in 1980. Is body rest and hillside grave not two miles from the little brick school. Where you learn to read and write. I-57. 170 lb i know pretty early i was adopted you got. At 57 150-lb it looked like a really good retired bar brawler but he was. Armed with the chief saturday morning squirrel rifle you wouldn't know that he was a midshipman who survived to north atlantic sinking. But he was. And if you saw him perched high atop your power pole at 2 a.m. because yet another storm. Just left you with yet another blackout. You wouldn't know that he was a proud member of his local chapter. The international brotherhood of electrical workers. You wouldn't know that but it was. My dad mow to his friends. Was a union guy. Not an activist. Not a shop boss just a union guy. I never read steinbeck. Never heard of joe hill or eugene debs. Her mother jones. What he knew was he and his fellow unionist work hard as they could sacrifice too much. Just so they could keep the lights burning for the rest of us. My old man was a gorilla giver i want to talk about that school thing you did. The first. Little bit of. Set up. Some of you have no doubt read barbara ice. Ehrenreich 2001 nickel-and-dimed. I'm not getting by in america. It was her first person. Undercover account of life at base pay. Ehrenreich takes a series of mostly minimum wage jobs. Waitress. Hotel maid. House cleaner. Nursing homemade and walmart associate. Jobs where you wear your name on your shirt. And there's no benefit. She continues to ride him because all of these jobs are taxing the pay is always low. Not far into the book the reader catches on that ehrenreich and her fellow laborers. Are commodity. He said an often solace. Unbridled cabot's capitalism. Most of us in the room no only in abstract terms. Terrible sentence let me read one more time. Suffer in the book ehrenreich and her fellow laborers and she's also she's enrolling these jobs. Realize their commodities and a solas and unbridled capitalism. It's painful to read. Barbara ehrenreich book. But itself. For the first. 10 years of his just getting by work-life. This was my dad story. He often joked that he triple his salary when he joined the us navy and i think about that. The years of struggle left him with a profound sensitivity to low-income labor's like those in nickel and dimed. Case in point. He never that met a waitress. He didn't call sweetheart. Our waiter he didn't call buddy. After the meal he would stack the plates and glasses to make life a tad easier for whoever would be bussing that table. And even when our family cash flow is that an arab the always over tip. Where the service was good or lousy. He said everybody has a bad day and nobody ever got rich waiting tables. See the workers they weren't players in elmo's world. Like this. 40 hours. He saw people. Just foodservice taking his order know this was a friend just the kid pumping is gas it goes back a few years. No it was a brother. For him they were for groundnut background they were persons of worth. No matter their station no matter their status. And he's a model for me something i can only call gorilla giving. Is spiritual practice it never use those words. Is spiritual practice. I've treating his fellow workers as partner. And the universal struggle. To get a day's pay. A day's work. Everybody was a union worker. My old man's world. Every first monday in september come rainshine or triple-digit skeet. My dad would rise early and drive the 20 miles to help cook soup beans. At the big american legion post 371 labor day dinner. Thanks soup coleslaw cornbread sweet tea enough pies and cakes and put the collective glucose level in too deep space. A color guard presented the flag every year one of the women's auxiliary sang the national anthem some local clergy protestant of course. Offered up a prayer and then we invite in the caloric onslaught. The meanwhile. Meanwhile after-hours of heat. Over those huge bean pots. The working stiff cooks figured it was time to rest. Some headed for the horseshoe pits. Some for the poker table. Some for family and friends they didn't see all that often. Prefer elmo it was a little circle of big war vet. Brother unionist. Gathered around a shape together under shade tree talking and cussing and smoking and drinking blue ribbon. These bonds extended beyond work. Because these men bowl together. They fished and they hunted together. They help string each other expenses they worked on each other's cars they dug each other's wells. They volunteered for the same civic groups fire department. And when the time came. They went to each other's funeral. The sections called seeing deeply. Elaine bunny. Enjoy. Three more story. So what i just told you is that this is my father's labor day. We're going to come back to the old man before i wrap up but first i want to say a little bit more. About his worldview. In which all who labor are family. And if a no other way are joined by their contributions to the greater good. The stories come from one of my favorite storytellers. Progressive christian teacher and author barbara brown taylor. Since it's not long after moving to a small town. Taylor saw all around her workers who were using their jobs to make the world a better place. Some with words. Some with these. Someone's spirit. Miss you right. The day i moved to a small appalachian town i walked from the church. To the post office for i came up with a quarter short. On a book of stamps. Don't worry the pretty clerks are behind the counter just bring it back before we close at 5. Her name tag said elaine. When i brought the quarterback to my sister. I told her my name. But she already knew it. 18 years later i have learned to stand patiently in line as you laying greets all her cuz. She continues last week white haired woman lingered at the counter. Speaking of things that had nothing to do with the u.s. mail. There were six of us behind her. But elaine never rushed that woman never stops smiling. And when my turn came i raised my eyebrows i stood my package across the counter. She lost someone close to her a while back. Elaine said in a low voice only i could hear. But i don't mind i like to hear in her stories. Plus i learned a long time ago that people aren't going to shut up until they have said what they want to say. Bunny works at the laundromat across the street. When the water in my well is running low she's sometimes help me with the sheets for a dollar a pound. Other times we stand around talking as we watch clothes go round and round the dryers. This is how i learn. The bunny put up the posters with the face of a beat-up woman on them. Right above the telephone number of a shelter for women fleeing abuse. She knows all about that she's. Bunny lets other people put up posters too but only if the science are in spanish as well as english. She says one customer calls every week to ask when the mexicans will be there because they make her uncomfortable. I know it's mean beth buddy said. But the man who comes with her has one leg. I thought about telling her that there probably some people in my laundromat right now who will be uncomfortable. With that. So when she calls now i just tell her that mexicans are here all the time. George drive a school bus. Is it again barbara speaking. Which is not how i know him because he also drives the college van when i take my religious my religion students. On field trips. These are just two of the three jobs he works since the economy tanked and his retirement disappeared. Before that he was a new york city cop which explains. Boethius natural authority. And his accent. Some drivers snooze in the van while students explore a monastery or museum but not george. I love learning new things he says lock the door is putting the keys in his pocket on the drive home. Well everyone else is conked out. George never takes his eyes off the road. It's hard to believe he's in the 70s. Once he has delivered us safely home. His shoulder saga little while he says goodnight to the students who stumble half-asleep off the van. You see george loves people. And he let them know. Brown brown insta stories with reflection that echoes my dad's core belief. In a universal sisterhood and brotherhood of workers. She writes. I'm trying to decide. Where the faith is in these stories and why they matter so much to me. Perhaps is archbishop william temple once said. It's a great mistake to think that god is chiefly interested in religion. What may matter more she writes. Are the everyday ways we rise to our work. Serving one another with gladness. And singleness of heart. Great fright singleness of her. So that the life we share goes on working not for any of stallone. But for all of us together. My friends this is the point. Our shared labor. Paid or unpaid. Temporary. Volunteer. White collar or blue parrot grill caregiver fill in the blank as you will. All of us are what holds this crazy and bruised world together. By our labor. By our labor. So. This was the message of flores reese's hunting. Which side are you on. We're in it together. This was the message of hayes and seegers if i had a hammer we're in it together. And the borrowed gospel hymn we're about to sing. We shall not be moved. Yes. Rihanna together. So in the end. But we celebrate this labor day is their common humanity in the shape of our common worth. I can't say for sure what my. Old man with making such heavy thoughts of these. Chances are he found that frown he reserved for my college way. It was a look what you did you just cut it off. That was that. Didn't want to hear from the college boy. Chances are he frowned that frown. Then change the subject to our beloved reds. For motorcycles. The cars. And if i had stopped by. Open evening. He on that special ian that also meant the day was over. Let me look at the clock. They say it's bedtime. Cuz he has to get up and go to work in the morrow in the morning. That's my old man's labor day. Little background on we shall not be moved. This piece. Began almost certainly. As either a. Folk song. Or came out of the african-american experience of slavery i'm not quite sure it's one of those things you can't quite trace it down. It was a adopted somewhere in the 1920s by gospel writers. Who took the lyrics and talked about i shall not be moved which comes from jeremiah i'm not sure where is perfect scripture. At talks about coming out of that experience. And. Speaking to jesus as lord and saviour i will i shall not be moved. It was that version. Somewhere in the late thirties early forties it became something different we shall not be moved. Seager and others picked up and there are as many versus as people in this room right now it's like a dylan song it just goes on and on. And the thing is you can add to it. That's what's happened here with the version you were going to sing. We shall not be moved. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

140302_do_doubt-faith.mp3

Welcome to the march 2nd service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by are settled minister. Reverend arrowland. The title of her sermon. Stout. And face. Our first reading this morning. Comes from terry tempest williams and a book called. Leap. Here is the reading. This is my living faith. Active faith a face of. Verbs. The question. Explore experiment. Experience. Walk. Run dance play. Eatlove learn dare. Touch now. Listen to speak. Right. Read. Draw. Provoke. Remote. Scream. Send. Repent. Cry. Neo. Pray. Bow. Rides. Stand. Look. Laugh. Create. Cajole. Confront. Profound. Walk-back. Walk forward. Circle. Hide. Our second reading this morning. Comes from another writer named edward teller. When you get to the end of the light. That you know. And it's time to step into the darkness of the unknown. Faith is knowing that one of two things. Shall happen. Either you will be given something solid. To stand on. Or you will be taught. How. Fly. So this morning. We're talking about. Doubt. And safe. And there's a whole bunch of. Really tricky reasons. Why this is very hard. To talk about doubt. And she talked about faith. It's tricky because i want to say that very often doubt and faith. Are talked about or imagined as if they were to sort of wrestlers. Indifferent ends. Of a wrestling ring. And they're duking it out. On the stage of religion. Or the stage and spirituality or in our human heart. So it's. And doubt and then ding ding ding. And a2 come out. And who will win will it be face. Or will it be. Doubt. This morning i'm not going to talk about faith and doubt. As if these are two diametrically opposed and sworn enemies. Duking it out like gladiators. I'm also not going to suggest that these two faced endowed are like two sweet. Folk singers playing cumbia joyfully harmoniously in our heart. Although i like sweet folk songs and i don't particularly mind the song kumbaya. Paul tillich is a theologian and he says that. Doubts is an element of faith. And this morning i'm going to say that i agree. With him and with this statement. How to get it what that really means and why it actually matters and is relevant to our lives takes a little bit of doing it takes a little bit of him packing. Because as i said faith and doubt these are tricky terms. Here are some of the tricky. Pieces the barriers that we space when we start to talk about face. And doubt. As unitarian universalist we've known generally speaking to be rather skeptical. And particularly skeptical about absolute. Truth. Capital a. Capital t. We speak often together about life's journey with its twists and turns and we often say that revelation. By which we might mean knowledge is not steal. It's not done. Knowledge is ever arriving through our insight through discoveries to our uses of science and reason and literature and critique. So we talked about this journey of life twisting and turning knowledge ever unfolding before us. Life is not static. Moving. And we honor personal inquiry. And we say we honor. Be. Free and responsible search for truth in. I want to deeply affirm. These strange in our shared living tradition unitarian universalism. I want to see that there can be a profound freedom. Any idea of seeking. And that seeking acquiring new knowledge and insights. Speaking is a good. In of itself. Some of you were involved with education as professors are teachers probably have a similar sense there is a good. Just about. Learning. It helps us to grow. So especially if we've come into unitarian universalist congregation from a face tradition or background where we were not encouraged to be curious and can feel very refreshing. This emphasis explicitly on speaking and questioning. And again this is to be celebrated and valued. Morning i want to lift up a little bit of a paradox. Life is filled with. Paradox. And here is one of them. Hard places in our lives. No matter how much we enjoyed speaking and questioning. We human beings often crave and abiding sense of knowing this. In a complex world particularly when life is very challenging. And we know what those challenges are in our lives and very real waves. No matter how much we value the questioning. I believe. And i'm aware. That we humans often longed for surety. We often long to reach out to something that feels true. Which grounds us and which gives us a sense of. Reassurance. Social since we put this paradox that i'm talking about is this we tend to be skeptical. Absher idiot self. But we also crave it. And we often even need it a little bit. As part of the recipe. In our own right. So there's some trouble already. With faith and doubt. Because we're skeptical often. Of surety but we often do long for some chance of it. Here are a few other tricky pieces without even speaking about faith and doubt. When we start speaking about faith and don't we run into a little bit of a language barrier. That's because like god and truth. Faith and doubt. Ar. Human languages and that's part of our human language their codes. Codes for things that are hard. To describe. And somewhat ineffable. And these terms facing doubt. Like god and truth. Are pretty loaded. They're loaded with all sorts of cultural and religious and spiritual associations we bring and we don't all bring the same association. If these gets wrapped up in some really interesting cultural clothes. They just wrapped up in language like blind faith. He will have heard the term. Blind faith. And this is this idea of total acquiescence without using personal knowledge. Sometimes it evokes a sense of subservient. Blind faith. Not really using. Our reason or are forethought. That's one association. You may have other associate. With this word. Some of us might think of this word space as was kind of litmus test for commitment. Or. Our devotion to a creed or to an inch. Tution or this kind of. Rubric for our sense of piety. And for some of us to stephen talking about face. Makes us want to scratch our heads and say i don't really identify with the premise of. That word. This morning as we talk together about faith and doubt. I welcome you to bring. Your doubts. And your face. Whatever that means to you. This morning i want to celebrate. Actually both face. And doubt. And i said these are very tricky terms to let me be very clear about how i'm using them. This morning. Doubt is often affiliated with reason. And faith with the unknown the unseen. Doubt arises from questions born of what we. Don't know and our fears. And don't cause us to hesitate in fact that's actually the roots of the word doubt it comes from. Hesitate. Doubt lisa's austin into perplexing but important depth of inquiry about our own life. And doubts assistants are reason and experience and skepticism. Which i spoke a little bit about earlier. When were looking at or doubts we often use what we know. And try to apply them to what we don't know. Hey. Is what happens when the sidewalk. Meaning what happens when the ground on which we've been moving with surety. Face springs app. Or grows up slowly however tenuous or however security. Right there in the valley. Of our unknowing. To get at this a little bit of a different way. I'll say maybe there's two voices. Is doubt we're speaking doubt would say wait. Like i said it's based on the word. To hesitate. And sometimes in life is really challenging that will say. You really simply cannot. Go on. Maybe some of you and heard the voice of doubt. I know that i have. The voice of faith sounds a little bit different. The voice of faith says. You can. And. Somehow. You will. Faith allows us to keep on choosing life. Facing its fullness with all we have. And the root of the word faith derives from. The word. Confidence. Now we get to the very last roadblock. But i think really trips us up. As religious liberals as seekers when we get to talking about faith and doubt. And that is not because they're often set on different sides of an equation. And it's not because. These words are tricky even though they are i'm going to suggest the big major roadblock that we get. To when we start talking about faith and doubt. Is the burden we experience. Having to be overly encumbered by discerning the specific object. Ivar face. We get stuck when we try to talk about face and doubt cuz we get stucked on naming and maybe feeling like we must agree about the object. Of faith. Whether it is god or higher power or great mystery or goddess. Or the pantheon of theological possibility. Or what did shoes often call in the mystic traditions ins off. The void in which all possibilities are generator. All of these objects of faith that we might point you. Are good and rich. And we could spend a lot of time talking about the objects of our face and wrestling with what the heck the object of our faith might be and that is good and worthy to. But this morning. I'm going to invite us to set aside. Are need to 68. And pinned down the specific object. Of our faith so that we can talk. A little bit more globally about faith and doubt themselves. Are you with me. So of course i'm not asking you to actually set aside an object of face. Your life. But you just allow it to be secondary right now as you listen. So it turns out that because language is so hard and all the roadblocks i just talked about about faith and doubt. It turns out that the best way is to really get into faith and doubt and explore the meaning for of this in our lives is really for story. So this morning i went to lift up a few stories. And each of these stories. I'm inviting you to listen closely because faith and doubt play a unique role. One of my points morning is that. Faith. Takes several different forms. Faith need not be considered just one thing. In our lives. So listen to the stories and consider how. Face and jaw are woven together and see where you might land with respect to these three forms that i'm going to be talking about. The first story i want to share with you comes from a film called and god grew tired of us. Anyone seen that film. God grew tired of us. Okay. So this is a film that was created in 2006 it's a documentary. It tells the story of the lost boys of sudan. This is a group of about twenty-five thousand young men who fled the wars in sudan. Since the 1980s and have since found their way. To the united states. And in the film the boys tell their heartbreaking. Truly heartbreaking. I'm and challenging journey of wandering through sub-sahara africa. Trying to find safety. In the film god grew tired of us is so named because one of the boys. Mentions that he thinks that god might have grown tired of people with all their fighting. And he thought maybe this accounted for all of the horrors. That he saw. But finally after he arrives to safety in the united states. One particular boy said. I thought i could not go on. But when i felt this way i. Pray to god and i surrendered my fears to god and by the grace of god. I made it. This person's biology might be very different from your own. It might not be like yours. Because of the frightening traumas but this boy says he wonders if he might just give into his own sense of despair but time and time again he finds the prince and his conception. Of god. He praised his conception of god and how this ends. In the in the end. That god is holding him in love. This man was not this boy was not without his doubt. He doubted a whole lot he wondered if god had forgotten them. But in the end he found the sense of strength. And even briefly this sense of sanctuary from his fears. This blend of faith and doubt. Might be hard for you to wrap your mind around. If you do not have a sense of a loving god. Actively looking out for human being. Active in human affairs. Intervene. In humidifier. Whether or not this boy can understand. Why. What was happening what's happening. He had a sense and this is the first form. Absolute. And i start with this as the more challenging one often for religious liberals the sense of absolute. Face. It might be the hardest one for some of us to relate to. Yet there also might be folks in this room. Do feel a sense. Of absolute faith. It gives a sense of comfort and surety. I'll tell you that when i was at hospital chaplain i prayed and i meditated with many people. Who did have the sense of. Absolute's. Chase. They called me to be with them when they had doubts and they needed to rekindle their face. I'll tell you that i don't have personally. I know some folks are distracted. We're hearing some. Thank you for attending to those back there. I'll tell you that i do not personally have a sense myself of this absolute. Face. But i do value that which brings sustaining strength. Heart. I myself am a faithful agnostic. So i opened a wide-open sense of possibility for that which brings hope. And sustenance. I wonder how you relate with the sense of. Absolute's. That's form number one. Here's form number 2. Another way that face can take a form. Is there another wonderful film and this one is called keeping the face. The people seen the film keeping the face. All right so this is like humorous film it's a wonderful film in my personal opinion it's about a rabbi and a catholic priest who fall in love with the same. Woman. It is a funny film. And there's a moment in the film in which the rabbi. Realizes that she's been keeping a part of his life very separate from his congregation. He's been seeing a woman. Who is not jewish. And for this congregation that's very frowned upon if not completely. Against the rules. And in the end after a lot of doubting and questioning. He decides to tell his congregation. Honestly. About his love. But this person. And he says to them essentially. What i realized congregation is good i did not have enough faith in you. Enough face that you would understand and appreciate. The depth of my love for this person. It's a very touching moment. But the rabbi struggles not with his sense of god or even spirituality so much but what but with his own fears about what kind of biases live in the hearts and minds of his people. And he asked them to meet him on a higher plane of understanding meeting one another with face grown. From human recognition and human love. For the rabbi this face is grown in the face of risk. It's born of doubts and then grown into sort of a bold confidence. It's based on what he knows to be right and to be true. This kind of space is what i would call face born of moral conviction. In stave born of moral conviction there's often a. of questioning wondering what is right what is true landing with son sons of clarity. And then. Leaping forward. And in this kind of state failure is not really failure. Because it moves the person closer along their own path in a morally grounded way. It's powerful because animals wrestling with one's own conscience. And then this conscience becomes the ground. Of faith itself. So that's the second form of faith. Face born of moral conviction. Here's the very last form of faith i'll talk about this morning. I'm not going to say that these are the only forms of facebook these are the frequently found forms of faith in our lives. This last one i'll say. Is the form that i actually see being most common. In our daily lives. And i'm going to call it little steps. Faith. And i don't mean for it to be belittling. Just because i'm using that diminutive form little. In baby steps face faces grown out of unsure t. Often when the way is not clear. It is not perhaps as robust as absolute faith or face born of moral conviction. But it is no it is also very powerful. And it transforms us. Here's the story i'll tell you so you can kind of remember. This sense of little steps face. Once there was a boy. And he took a boat out. From harbor. And he took that boat out and he wandered far far out to sea. And he was napping lazily in the sun. And all of a sudden he woke. And he was far far from the land. He could barely see the land. I miss you. So he was dismayed and he even started to panic a little bit there in his boat. He tried to row but it seems that he was drifting further and further. So he didn't know what to do. And time seemed to stand still for this boy. And then since he had no water and he had no food and he didn't know what to do. It dawned on him and he knew what he would do. We threw his feet over the side of the boat. And he's himself into the water. And then. He realized his feet touch the ground. And he walked his boat back to shore. I think there are times when we all feel that our boat has drifted out to sea. And that there's no way back. And we're scared and we're unsure. And sometimes we have to take a rest and we get to the edge of our known possibilities. And only then can we take the next step because we must. And only then can we be surprised. By what we didn't know was possible. This is little steps. Now this isn't an allegory to say that the sand is god or mystery although it could be. It's not an allegory to say that it was an easy walk back to shore for this boy. Could have been slow and it could have been exhausting. Unclipping slogging through the water as he went. But he did find an unexpected blessing. The ground beneath his feet. Once he stepped in and took a rest. I wonder for you what forms your faith cakes. And instead of looking at faith in doubt as to wrestlers duking it out. I wonder whether faith and doubt are actually more like two hands. Holding our spirits especially when we are tender and when the way is unclear. I wonder if doubt speaks to our human vulnerability and fragility and face. Recalls as to our resilience and our durability. I think that both. Arche in our lives. I wonder how you would explore faith. And doubt. And their intersections in your life. The object of faith. Did god be at love be at the journey of life. Human karen kindness that is yours to discern. I wonder. What you have confidence in. What you have faith in what has been your journey of faith. What do you craft for in your face that when you face uncertainty. What do you keep your face with. Whether you find yourself. Exploring space and it arriving to slowly or quickly. Weather experience faith like a sturdy boat. Whether you're practicing stepping out of. The sturdy boat. To see what comes next. May you cherish your face. And your doubts. They are journey of faith galaxy included awakening us sense of possibility. And even glimmers. Abiding. Hope. Blessed be. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

130707_ji_poetry.mp3

Welcome to the july 7th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. Today's service is titled. Poems that illuminate our lives. John denver and stephanie gilmore let the service. And then 14 others shared poems with us. Do before we take the offering and like to. Stop apropos for the weather we've had. I'm up late but i'm. Rain on the roof. Brandon roof lasts only a second then. Several hours later you wonder where the time has gone. What's time in conversation or the crispy edge of learning someone's laughter. Sharing our stories we slowly circling the thermals of the wood stove. Wondering what a life without such moments would be. The owls fly patrol is a century cat sprawl outside the door. Night wants to talk along the ridge send words out into the black. Adam bello into the ring parading around the moon. Laying here we listen to this. Playful banter. Eavesdropping on an external exchange. With a giddiness of children at a slumber party. What we what we have put in the order of service are the words poems that illuminate our lives. And that i think means many different things to many different people i think about the way. Poetry can help me. See differently things i do. Often and. Sometimes we're almost by road. Poems can help me stop and think about what i'm doing. I have. One of the things i do a lot of is i chop onions i like to cook. And i have two poems about onions. The first one is by william matthews. How easily happiness begins by dicing onions. A lump of sweet butter slithers and swirls across the floor of the site a pan. Especially if it's aaron path. Crosses a tiny fleck of olive oil. Then a tumble of onions. This could mean soup or risotto or chutney. From the sanskrit chatne. To lick. Slowly the onions grow limp and then nacreous. And then what cookbooks call clear. Though if they were eyes you could see clearly the cataracts in them. It's true you can it can make you weak to peel them to unfurl and tuti's from the tot ball. First. The brittle caramel-colored and decrepit. Papery outside layer. The least recent. The radisson onion wrapped around its growing body. For there's nothing to an onion but skin. And it's true you can go on weeping as you go on in. Through the moist middle skins. The sweetest and thickest. And you can go on into the core. To the bud light. Bud like. Acrid. Fibrous skins densely clustered there. Stocky and incomplete. And these are the most pungent. Like the nuggets of nightmare. And rage. And murmuri animal comfort. Then infant humans. This. Is the best domestic /. You sit down to eat. With a rumor of onions still on your twice washed hands. And lift to your mouth. I can tell the story about loam. And usual endurance. It's there when you clean up and rinse the wine glasses. And make a joke. And you leave the menu test with a b. On the light switch later. When you climb the stairs. And one more this by naomi. Shihab nye and i hope i'm not mispronouncing. This is called the traveling onion and its prefaced with this. Little blurb from the better living cookbook. It is believed that the onion originally came from india. In egypt it was an object of worship. Why i haven't been able to find out. From egypt. The onion android grease and auntie edilee vance. Into all of you. The traveling onion. When i think how far the onion has traveled just to enter my stew today. I could kneel and praise all small forgotten miracle. Crackly paper. Peeling on the drainboard. Curly layers in smooth greymon. The way knife andrews onion and onion falls apart on the chopping block. A history review. And i would never spoil the onion for causing tears. It is right. A fall. For something. Small. Howitt meal we sit to eat. Commenting on texture of meat are herbal aroma. But never on the translucence of onion. Now lamp now divided. Or it's traditionally honorable career. For the sake of others. Disappeared. All right so i'll begin and then the last little bookkeeping thing is. As i finish reading then i'm going to say dictates name and then he's going to come up and then he's going to say. Next person's name. Is turtles all the way down. Okay. So couple silly poems. Negative space. Lounges on my white loveseat. But for the blinking of the eyes i fear i would be sucked into the black hole. Hear my living room. This emptiness is new to me this boy to curious change my everyday routine. I better get used to it this darkness promises. Tri-city companion for sometime to come. Steeling myself i set my swirling emotions aside. Sit next to the shadow. To the beat of my heart and the thumping tail. I graciously accept exchange of my smile for a big wet. Organize leaves. Do you ever wonder about this lonely leaves that never seem to fall. We do call the season fall for reason and is now definitely winter. Maven to be spring. Yet there they are. Hang on for dear life. Twirling in the wind whispering illusions of grandeur to whomever will listen. Naidu. The best name you do seasonal stragglers. I can't quite figure out why the hang on when they die. And it does look like they're dead. Unless. Not really dead simply on strike. Yes. Perhaps these are organized leaves onion trees. What could they want. More woods shorter workday. They're quiet demands i can understand unintelligible to mount reindeer. I listened anyway. Wishing them all the best before they finally fall enjoying the rest of their friends. Forest floor. Dick case. I've got a couple of short ones. And as i said before. From up here. I believe i speak to spirits. But i say i believe because i can't prove it. Morton. And. There is one spirit that i talked to her name is i call her thilaka. And she's. Playful i guess it's the best way to describe her. And this poem. Is just utter nonsense. The wind blows rough when the seas are blue. What in the world came over you. True the test in the wind blowing trees. I see fox holes below the knees. That's it. The second one is not it's not standard poetry but it's but this is by spirit called jonathan. And it is just the use of metaphors so nice that i really like it i think it's called i think it's poetry to me. The essence of creativity comes from a heart of love. Listen to the waterfall. And know that water comes. Falls and then goes. Here fine fulfillment. Your waterfall passes through life and becomes one with it. Bruh moment. You are more than you know. You are passing through a place called time. Pick up the brushes and paints at your feet. Paint and then toss them aside. What joy to know. But there is an endless supply. A paints and brushes. Hi i'm an one of the new people here. When my husband said he wanted to come this morning to know what the poetry reading i need italy had to go online to pull one of my. Holmes out to share with you. This was written for a friend of mine named boy robbie who felt that she had found her spirit guide in the eagle that was having a hard time. Knowing how to follow her spirit guy. It's called i hear your call. I hear your call and look up high above me. Searching. Searching for you in the cloudless sky. But the sun is so bright it blinds my eyes. I hear your call and look across the hill. Amongst the trees i run. Searching with purpose driven. But the forest so sick my quest. Stays hidden. I hear your call and look for you in the valley. I wonder while i wonder. Listening for you near the river. But the water stills me. Inbiz me to sit closer. I hear your call once more and i looked inward. My mind now open from the sky. My body now strong from the trail. My spirit now flowing from the river. And i find you here deep within my soul. Your call has begun to make me whole. My growth begins when i follow your sacred cry. It matter not where it sends me to search. When you call me that is where i will go. It is a journey that teaches with certain mystique. Define what you are giving simply i must go. It is our spirits bound together that i follow. The truncated. Quotation by dictates goes like this. Belief in something you hold to be true. What can i prove. This poem is by bertolt brecht. One of my literary heroes. Hidden his play galileo for instance. He has the pope. Pacing up and down before they close the door. Behind which. The inquisition. Is inquiring into galileo's heresies. The papal. Astronomer comes out in the pope says well. And the astronomers says. Holy father he has destroyed the heavens it is up to you to put them back together. This poem by brecht is about hell. Contemplating hell. Contemplating hell as i once heard it. My brother shelly found it to be a place. Much like the city of london. I who do not live in london but in los angeles fine. Contemplating hell. That it must be even more like force angeles. Also in hell i do not doubt it. There exists these oakland gardens. Which flowers is largest trees. Wilting of course very quickly. If they are not watered with very expensive water. And fruit markets with great heaps of fruit. Which nonetheless does that sneezes sent no taste. And endless trains about hose wider than their own shadows. Switzerland foolish thoughts. Shimmering veil vehicles in which rosie people coming from nowhere though nowhere. And how is it is designed for happiness standing empty even when inhabited. Even the houses in hell or not all ugly. But concern about being thrown into the street consumes. The inhabitants of the villas no less. Then the inhabitants. He. Was an exile from hitler's germany. Lonesome screen place in hollywood. Was hauled up before the house on american affairs committee. If you haven't heard about it i'll tell about you and coffee hour. Gave them a lecture. Went home to germany discovered that communist germany was also not to estate. Anti. Hi i'm chelsea. very loud. Okay. I'm visiting my madre and she said in this is andrew. We're in ohio for the most part now. And. I mean read a couple of shorter poems that i wrote the spring. And andrews going to play some guitar. With me because. I think it's in the service. Hemisphere. But i in my porch across the screen my professor believed in a lot of experimentation with multiple media medium. And. We would do poetry with. Musically worked with a music class and. Would do stuff like that and we also wrote screen. Play i guess stuff for inside people's for my co2 department performance. That is very. Interesting and kind of. When andrew suggested this is like short. You belong to the cobwebs. Collecting beneath the coffee table. Upright pillbug for legs. Failing against articulations of rigor mortis in. Did you slide the staples into her got yourself. Disjunct mind. Bend your ear in mirror. For i have seen a skewer to looser than yours. And please let me twist you into place with my fingernails. She tells her story with her hands. In the early afternoon they have forgotten how to speak. And her fingertips can only leave lonely speckled trails in the fading weights of whales. Baker esta are like an eight-year-old son sing gently as a mouse's lullaby. They scurried through the faces of others whose eyes are shut and whose ears are filled with the brain of trumpets. No one can see the swan and no one wants to hear her. She tells her story with her hands but usually people forget to look up. So she tells her story to the sky with a crescent moon tears. But still her hands are itching. Her empty palms watch beach balls ricochet off the alligator scales the skins of others. Sometimes they deflate. Her hands are bursting to grab the spinning colors. The sky purple under the abusive grass bedtime and her hands grow more restless. They pierce through the flowering clouds. Bubbling steam left behind. Ben logan. This. It's a family poem. It's about the brevity of life. It's about. 2 to 3 minutes long. A tragedy. By my grandfather. John a logan. Father dobson on the noble dog. Thick and soft with his fine hair. When boys went to the fishing hole. You define rover. Always there. Head and the idle hours they taught him. Mini cute. Cunning tricks. Hannah mando's most delightful. Was the one. To swim. Four sticks. Father dobson was decided that to get some fish. Tri tri. Andy would bring home the bacon. Jorgito the reason why. So. His lines and poles provided. And for fear they would not buy. He slept. Into his pants pocket. A few sticks. Hub dynamo. So down the creaky started in his heart. There was the song. Hand behind him grow rover. Prodigy. Quiet the alarm. On the bank you took his station. And soon found a long straight stick. And with slow deliberation. Dynamite. To it. Pics. Now the fusi quickly lighted. And then with wide and gentle sweep. Through the muddy sparkling missive. To the middle of the creek. Now hold rover standing by him saw it as it left his hand. Ended once he spraying and seized it. Started swimming to the land. Farmer dobson froze with her and with fright is blood congealed with a scream of. Go back rover. Started out through the cornfield. The old rover saw his master running like a man insane. And no doubt at all he thought it. Apart of. Funny game. Go back rover. Lord have mercy want that fool dog ever stop. Call back rover good dog drop it. God i am about the flop. On camera over most delighted. Until you heard of mighty roar. Farmer.. Exhausted. Good old rover. Was no more. Thank you. Dick dowling. Not requiem.for rover. I have to apologize in advance for my voice. I'm sounds a little like diane rehm. I'll try to get through this as best i can. This is a poem by mary oliver. Who's been described as the unofficial poet laureate of you use. I heard poem wild geese. It's in the back of our hymnal. This is titled what is there beyond knowing. What is there beyond knowing that keeps calling to me. I can't turn than any direction but it's there. I don't mean the leaves grip and shine even the thrushes silk song. But the far-off fire support example of the stars. Heaven's smoothie turning theater of lights. Or the wind playful with express. Or time that's always rushing forward. Or standing still in the same. What shall i say moment. No i could put into a pack. Pacific work bread and cheese. And carry it on one shoulder. Important and honorable. But so small. Well everything else continues i've explained. An unexplainable. How wonderful day is to follow a fart quietly. To its logical end. I've done this a few times. But mostly. I just stand in the dark field in the middle of the world. Breathing in and out. Wife so far doesn't have any other name but breath and light. Wind and rain. If there's a temple i haven't found it yet. I certainly can want drifting. In my heaven of the grass and the wheat. Frank threatens marino. I've got the. Two kinds of phones. My poems in somebody else's. My poems were written long before i found out about this somebody else. The first one is. Grape grape. Hanging on a vine. Waiting to be picked and made into wine. But if no one should ever come. They'll just sit there in the sun. And with all its rays of blazing. They'll turn out. To be a race. The second one will give you a sense of the time when this came out because. This was the time that the product at the market. Sugar sugar. You love the coffee you're puttin. But what will you do when they start using. Saccharine. After i gave those. In school. I was told i was plagiarizing. How's plays rising a man named. Ogden nash. I had never heard of ogden nash at that point. Ogden nash died in 1971 he was honored in 2002 by the us postal service is part of the literary arts series they put on a stamp. Of ogden nash. The stamp that ended up with the two kinds of notoriety one it was the first time the word sex. Had ever been on a postage stamp anywhere in the world. The second one was that it included. To complete. Blinds of 6. Of ogden nash's poetry on the postage stamp this is a very large enlargement. These are the six poems. The turtle. The turtle lives twix plated decks. Which practically concealed its x that's where the word is. I think it's clever of the turtle. In such a fix to be so fertile. The cow. The cow is of the bovine ilk. One end is moo. The other. Milk. Crossing the border. Sending nescens begins. And middle-aged ends. The day your descendants. Outnumber your friends. The camel. The camel has a single hump. The dromedary to. Or else the other way around. I'm never sure are you. The kitten. The trouble with the kitten is that. Eventually it becomes a cat. And this was one of his limericks. An elderly bride of port jervis. Was quite understandably nervous. Sensor apple-cheeked groom. With three wives in the tomb. Kept ensuring her during the service. And one of my favorites. Which did not make the postage stamp. And you'll understand for obvious reasons. This one was written in 1938 by ogden nash. Call the politician. Behold the politician. Self-preservation is his ambition. He thrives in the dlc. Where he was sent by you and me. Weather elected or appointed. He considers himself. The lord's anointed. And indeed the ointment lingers on him so thick. You can't get your fingers on him. He has developed a sixth sense. About living at the public expense. Because in private competition. He would encounter. Malnutrition. He has many profitable hobbies. Not the least of which. Is lobbies. He would not sell his grandmother for a quarter. If he suspect. The presence of a reporter. He gains votes ever and a new. By taking money from everybody. And giving it to the few. Well explaining. That every penny. Was extracted from the few. To be given to the many. Some politicians are republican. Some democratic. And their feud is dramatic. But except for the name. They're exactly the same. George lally. I'm nice i'm good poems. Some of you might need a break from poetry though. I'm here for you. I posted this on facebook recently. It's called aren't we all people bibbers. Subtitle. An appeal to facebook friends. Unexpected kind words from a stranger. Your plan for the weekend or fine. The best place around here for thai. Remember where you used to dine. When will you go on vacation. Did you finally make out a will. How is your diet preceding. What do you do for a thrill. What are you see on your walk today what memory popped into your head. Who is that first grade pal. What was it your dad always said. Tell me. Who has you jumping for joy. What has you wringing your hands. Tell me. Who has you chuckling out loud. And what has you pee in your pants. Listen remember your mother's words. Now tell me. What is it she said. You know of course. That remembering. Will make her a little less dead. Don't post that link instead. You needn't cease posting quotations. Amuse me. Once in awhile. But it's your own observations. Your stuff. That most makes me smile. Your cars is in links are nice friend but. Please give me a helping of you. I'll have a slice of your life please. Your words please. Please how do you do. And next is in gardner. The poem has to do with alphabet soup which is the title of it. Written by stephanie salter. Probably never heard of her i don't think i have either. She was a student. When i was at purdue and this was in the student newspaper one day and. Just tickled me so. I tore it out and as the copy began to get a little warm and faded. I made a copy of it not to give you some idea of how long ago that was i made a copy of it. By typing it. That wasn't a machine to make a copy of it and i noticed it this typewriter apparently didn't have a spell check but i'll try to get over it. Alphabet soup. Alphabet soup is just what you make of it. If your name is marvin and and i'm close by. It's the beginning of your name. Your name is walter. Been at same thing floating by. The beginning of your name to. If your name is frank but you can't find any apps. Then you can just accidentally cut the last of the three noodles of the e off with your spoon. Athen frid say. Then you play a little game and say if i can find all three of her initials. Then i'll marry her. But your first spoonful has a carrot the green bean. Prodigy. Wow such great. Luck. G is one of the three. Next time your spoon comes up with cut up noodles. And an r. Zoe. Two in a row. Only the k. You stirring you dig. And you play with the orange soup there's one now. It's only an axe. You start to worry i know there's a k in here you say is that. No it's another ex. Every spoonful. Brings disappointment. Finally all the vegetables and noodles and little bits of beef or gone. Only soup. And okay. You stare at the ball. No k. Then you remember you're 20 years old and you say what the hell does alphabet soup have to do with marriage anyway so you laugh. And drink the rest and when you throw the can out. You look at the bottom. Just to see if maybe. Hey got stuck inside. Next is nicole early. I have two phones. The first one is called the butterfly. The wings remain spread in the uncertain angela flight. As the wind from a passing car sends it see-sawing back and forth. The apps black-suited pallbearers trickle out. Under the sun-scorched pavement. The vein stretch across the wings dividing the oranges and yellows. Indocin rectangles of stained glass. Its legs are folded solemnly. Across the hollow chest. Advance to and tug. Devouring and perfect worship. The next one is a little more lighthearted. It's called cheshire. Do i make you nervous because the devil's in the lines of my asymmetry. Like icebergs off the coast of ohio. Oak trees in the oceans of australia. The hymn to the last that you can't hear. More than the one that you do. Or the fact that you really don't know why i'm smiling. Bill clarkson. I would like to. Dedicate this poem to my daughter-in-law who spoils for dogs rotten. Some years ago she decided to go to work which meant. Surely have to leave her two dogs in the house all day long. No sooner would they leave till they would set up incessant barking and howling. And the neighbors were almost on the verge of starting a petition to ask him to leave. When i interceded. And wrote a letter to jill bowen. Wright's veterinary column for the newspaper. She devoted a whole column to this. And my daughter-in-law put it into practice and it worked. Incidentally. These are the same psychological techniques. We use eat september when kids start the first grade and have school phobia. Same dynamics different animal. The time of this point is. Another reason why i don't keep a gun in the house. It's by billy collins who is this. Forma. Port laureate under the reign of. Bill clinton. The neighbors dog will not stop barking. His barking the same high rhythmic bark that he barks every time they leave the house. They must switch him on the way out. The neighbors dog will not stop barking. I close all the windows in the house and put on a beethoven symphony full-blast. But i can still hear him muffled under the music. Parking. Barking barking. And i can see him sitting in the orchestra. Is headrace confidently. As if beethoven had included apart. For barking dog. And the record finally ends he is still barking. Sitting there in the oboe section barking. His eyes fixed on the conductor who is in treating him with his baton. Are the other musicians listen and respectful silence. Do the famous barking dog solo. That endless coda that first established beethoven. It's an innovative genius. Mine was frank matthews and i'm writing a cookbook. And i love onion. This is very short poem. My honored guest by frank matthews. Sit down. I've been baking bread. Can you smell it. Can you almost. A spice. Denny's. I need a preface this by saying that. That was my husband previously who says i can't ride a decent poem. So i'm going to read somebody else's. And being english major i was going to. Read something by emily dickinson but. Seems like the. Paper monster in my office gobbled up that book and i can't find it. And so i brought something by. Shel silverstein instead. The. The poet who wrote while he wrote things for her children but obviously they're good for adults as well. Installments of a poem about imagination. And be grateful that you are not. Really small. It's called 1 in tall. If you were only one inch tall. You'd ride a worm to school. Did teardrop of a crime aunt would be your swimming pool. A crumble cake would be a feast. At last. You 7 days at least. A flea would be a frightening beast. If you are one inch tall. If you were only one inch tall. You walked beneath the door. And it would take about a month. Tukol. Get down to the store. A bit of fluff. Would be your bed. You'd swing upon a spider's thread. And we're a symbol. On your head. If you were one inch tall. You serve across. The kitchen sink upon a stick of gum. You couldn't have your mama. You just have to hug her some. You'd run from people's feet in fright. To move a pain would take all night. This poem took. 14 years to write. Cuz i'm just one install. This is a. Book of poetry by ogden nash. And i met him later. So i'll tell you about that after i read this. A word to husband. To keep your marriage brimming with love and loving cup. Whenever you are wrong admit it whenever you're right shut up. Affection this is reflection on car caution. Affection is a noble quality leaves to generosity and jollity. It also leads to breach of promise. If you go around lavishing it on there that mamas. What do you do when you weather the girl all legal and lawful when she goes around saying she looks awful. When she makes debra kotori my remarks about her format and claims that her hair looks like a doormat. When she swears the complexion of witcher so van. Looks like the bottom of a dried-up pond. When she for whom your affection is not the least like plato's. Compares her waist to a badly tied sack of potatoes. Why won't they believe it's a reason they find themselves and mother of your children. Is because you were saying of all the looks in the world their looks are the nicest. Why must we continue. To be said thus constantly ordeal than crisis. I think it's high time. These hoity-toity ladies are made to realize. The one i a on their face in their ankles in their waist. They are there by insultingly impugning. Their tasteful husbands impeccable. Taste. Of all the things i would rather. Is to be my daughter's father. Oh i've got to read this. Isabel met an enormous bear. Isabel isabel didn't care the bear was hungry the bear was ravenous. The bear's big mouth was cruel and cavernous. The bears said isabel glad to meet you. How do isabel now i'll eat you. Isabel isabel didn't worry. Isabelle didn't scream or scurry. She washed her hands and she straightened her hair up. Then isabel isabel quietly ate the bear up. I wanted to tell you about meeting this guy. I went to northwestern and we had him to dinner. And he seemed so funny. Anime him he was an absolute cipher. He had nothing to say. He must pour all his. Individual war. And just serviced it there and go blues. Respiratory. It was truly fascinating. But i didn't meet him. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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150405_do_renewing.mp3

Welcome to the april 5th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by our saddled minister reverend arrowland. Assisted by our director of lifespan faith development. Karen hager. The theme of the service is the blessing of life renewing. Today we celebrate with one another the gifts of the springtime. We'll honor easter and explore a larger theme of renewal. What it means to find energy and new life. A sense of hopefulness and possibility especially following along and chilly winter which we had here. Mets spring give us opportunities to reconnect. With that which sustains us and inspires us for the journey of our human living. Come one and i'll let us celebrate the spring. And its possibilities of new life. And growth this morning. And i want to share with you just a few words about easter and the spirit of the spring festival. Tell you a little story. The what helps with the theme of our time together this is a story for all ages. First let me share with you just a little bit about easter itself. As many of you know. Easter. Is a time when many christians celebrate. The story of. Coup. Celebrate the story of jesus. Now jesus was a wise teacher a teacher of love. A jewish teacher of love. And an easter story. Jesus was actually. Killed for the kinds of teaching that you offer. At his community. And his followers at that time were very very sad. Because they had lost their beloved teacher and their leader. Easter for christians telling lucas is on the story and celebrates the story of when jesus's followers. Went to visit a place. Where they thought that their beloved teacher. Was buried. And when they went to that place they found that their teacher was gone. But instead of being sad. They believe actually that jesus their teacher was given a new sort of life. Only a different sort of life. A life in heaven. Now as unitarian universalist at easter time. We tend to celebrate. The life that jesus led as a human being. Is a teacher of courage and hope. Love and justice. It was pretty brave as the stories tell us brave of jesus. To offer his teachings of love and hope. Working with people that weren't always receive in the kind of care and attention that they need it. Jesus was a teacher like many other teachers throughout history. Fashoda path of how to live with courage. And with hope. Even in hard times. No this morning we also want to recognize. Many folks don't celebrate easter. And instead celebrate other religious and cultural festivals. Right around now. This evening will be the third night. Of a jewish celebration in ritual practice called anyone know. Passover. That's right. It's a jewish festival of freedom and liberation. Which recalls the story of the jewish people escaping from slavery in egypt long ago. Now one important leader in that story is the teacher of moses. Who helps the people become inspired on their journey. Is they leave bondage. At cedars or special ritual meals jewish people retell the stories of their ancestors seeking freedom and this is a very important time to remember one's own. Jewish roots. To feel grateful for life. And hopeful sends a recommitment to the causes of justice and freedom. For all people. Also. A few weeks ago right around march. 21st. It was the vernal. Equinox. The time when the sun crosses the equator the celestial equator making night and day the very same amount of time. And at this time persian family. Join together. To celebrate the rituals of noruz. A festival of springtime. Celebration of hope and renewal it's the iranian new year. Lots of celebrating. And feasting. That is a secular holiday for many many many people but that nowruz holiday has its roots in zoroastrian. And at the same time that persians are celebrating the new year with noruz. Pagans are celebrating the arrival of spring. By honoring the festival of ostara. Telling stories about a dramatic goddess named extra. Or rooster. A goddess of spring and 4th. So folks what i'm getting at here. Is spring is next sighting time. There's a lot happening in springtime. Let me tell you why i think this is so. In north america it's an exciting time because these festivals distinct and different with their own symbols and stories. Quintez towards the fact that just like the earth warming up after a long winter we as a people are waking up again. We have an opportunity as springtime arrive. To warm ourselves into a sense of. New life. New hope. And so today our service is about renewal. Renewal means returning to life. After a period of hibernation. A pause or arrest. I wonder. What might be stirring. Or waking up. In you. Right now. We can invite you today to explore this idea of renewal and a lot of kind of. Fun we hope and interactive enriching ways. In a little bit we're going to invite you all to journey out and visit some different worship stations and will spend about 30 minutes flooring those worship stations and we're going to gather back together. It's going to be a little bit of creative chaos. But will explain a little bit more about it. This morning before we. Go off to worship stations and do a few other things this morning. I want to tell you a little story that i hope will make this renewal idea a little bit more real. So here's a very short story for you. I'm going to need some help telling the story. The first of all good i see some people hands raised wonderful thank you. I wonder if those people raising your hands can you stand up just right where you are. Yep and can you make a sound like a like a bee buzzing. Very nicely done can everyone can echo that buzzing sound. Thank you for showing us how it's done now here's something else when invite you all to say. I don't know if any of you have ever felt this way but someone in our story today sometimes feels a little bored. And and he said things like. Okay can everyone echo.dot yeah that's great. And then can people say boring. All right be good okay here we go so. There once was a time when a young boy. Name dan complain to his mother. Is it winter mom has been way way way too long. When will it ever be summer time. Ac dan couldn't wait for summer time. Because that was when he got to go visit his cousins who lived out at the beach. Now his mother is that you know dan i hate to tell you this. But you know it's still winter it's not even spring yet. There's still a long way to go before it's time for summer and the beach. And dan said. First he yawned. And then he said. She said the mother said okay danny carey you know what i'm working in the kitchen go ask your grandfather what you should do he might have some ideas for you. So. Damn didn't always feel comfortable around his grandfather. He wasn't always sure what his grandfather was thinking about cuz it's grandfather was often pretty quiet. Dan was worried that sometimes he might be bothering his grandfather with all of his ideas and questions. Grandfather seems a little bit sad since his grandmother had died. And the truth was that dan felt pretty sad too. He missed his grandmother. I thought about her everyday. And sometimes dan talked to his mom about his sad feelings. And they would look at pictures together and they would remember all of the wonderful things that dan's grandmother did. Like play the piano. Like sing off-key. Like make a really tasty pumpkin pie. So anyway. Dan went over into the living room this wintry day. And check in with his grandfather. His grandfather was listening to some music in the living room. Well what is it grandfather asked. Well then said it's just that i'm so bored everything seems so boring. And can we yawn. Yeah and his grandfather said you know what down. I know that waiting is hard. I know that waiting is hard but look outside. See the snow covered trees can't you can't see it now but the animals are resting. And they're storing up all their energy for springtime. Don't forget about the springtime dan he said. It'll be here. It'll be here any day now. I want you to look for signs of spring and when it comes i'm going to show you an incredible surprise. And with that. Grandfather fell fast asleep. And damn thought to himself. Boring. And yonder. You know what grandfather have said to dan and actually stuck with him and so everyday for a week he would run outside to the porch and he would look for signs of spring. And then suddenly one day he saw it. Does someone here. Flowers. Judy has flour. But one of the creator's please bring down the flowers that. Sharing with us. And what dancehall wear these beautiful yellow flowers. Just like this. And if you don't mind. Places on the table for us this morning that would be. And here were these beautiful yellow flowers peeking up from the porch. And he said grandfather grandfather wake up it is here it is finally springtime let's go what's my surprise. And the grandfather scratched his head and he said okay. It's time. And dan's mother his grandfather went and they got a jug of water with sugar in it does someone have the sugar water. Thank you wayne can you come put on the show. And then mom and grandfather and dan trek out into the field far from their house and their damn saw something that looks kind of interesting it was a chest of drawers that's what it looked like. And a shelf. Sort of boring like that like maybe there was something actually interesting that was about to go on. And mom and grandfather started to tap that trust. Chores. And all of a sudden. They heard it. And it was a buzz. That's right. Goodbye. There were bees in there there were actual bees in there and grandfather smiled and looked a little relieved and he put down a bowl of sugar water. They all watched the bees came slowly out and took some of the sugar water and went back into their hive. Come over here dan said and come over here grandfather said to dan truth be told dan was a little bit scared cuz he's a little bit nervous about getting stung. By those bees. But he did it anyway. And grandfather said look the bees have been slumbering. And during the winter time some of the bees have died. But still others renee. And they're weak right now because they've been slumbering inside. We need to help them through this time. So they can buzz about and grow stronger in the springtime. And do their job of going from flower to flower sharing nectar. And then making some honey for us. So damn scared at the sugar water. And grandfather said you know the sugar water is going to tide them over. Until there's a really strong flowers out able to offer their nectar. Look down he said it's an important job but i'm going to teach you something. If you want to learn how to keep these things. Suddenly. Look at his grandfather in a whole new way. He felt like he grew a little bit taller. Being asked for this important job. And dan said grandfather i would like to learn how to keep. And they all smiled. That night when dan went to sleep at night he heard the bees buzzing softly in his dream. His dreams went. And every day since then and spring he would go out with his grandfather to watch about to watch the b is to learn their ways and he learned a whole lot just by watching those bees. When summer rolls around and was curious what would happen with those bees. He's getting ready to go to the beach and off he went and he was a little bit sad cuz he wanted to know just how are those bees going to do without me. And much later they are at the beach with his cousins dan came in his hair was wet from swimming in the salty water he walked into his cousin's living room and there was a package. And he opened the package and inside with something special to someone have the jar of honey. Would you be willing to bring down that drive honey and place it on our table. And here was a delicious jar of honey. Dan opened it. Thank you very much. And when he opened it. He put his finger in and he took a big taste of that honey. And he said this is honey is really delicious. And there was a card from grandfather enthralled handwriting and it said. From your bees. When dan tasted that honey he felt like this honey tasted like spring. Like it tasted like new life return. And he was so glad. That he had learned how to keep those bees with his. So as i mentioned. The next part of our worship service today is going to be highly interactive. And there's going to be many invitations for you to deepen your experience. Capping the buzz of renewal of springtime can we just have a buzz again. There are so many ways that we can renew ourselves. And remember and reconnect. With that sense of buzz that brings us alive. In your order of worship there aren't there's a list of worship stations. There are several different ones you can visit one or you can visit as many as you like. All are designed for all ages. Thank you to all of the helpers that will be assisting at the station. You can read a little bit more about each one but we have renewing through music and song. You can stick around in here for renewing your music and song we have renewing through creating making sculptures of what new life looks like. We have renewing through service helping create easter spring bunny bags for people at radford rehab hospital. We also have. Place where you can shed and let go of what you need to leave behind so that you can step into spring with new growth. We also have a worship station that invites you to reflect on metamorphosis and the journey of a butterfly and transformation. Play with some images and create your own story of your own growing journey. We also have a worship station right in the back patio for folks at 1 explore outside a little bit. And maybe experience a walking meditation or a noticing sort of meditation. And i think i got all of them and if i missed any not to fear of course and we also have i'm renewing through poetry. Creating springtime haiku. So. Feel free to meander. Feel free to pick a few different station. We will call you back in about 30 minutes with the sound of a singing bowl and we might start stringing to bring everyone back. And so without further ado. Let us go forth renewing our self together embracing creative chaos. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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130908_do_thirst.mp3

Welcome to the september 8th service of the unitarian universalist congregation. In blacksburg virginia. The service today. Is led by our settled minister. Reverend roo.. Preserving is titled thirst for living waters. The podcast begins with her opening words and closes with the benediction. Are opening words this morning. Are where rivers. Meet and merge. We come together this morning where many rivers meet and merge. With sweetwater from many journeys. With pebbles and stones from many places. We have gathered. Gathered as a community of memory and hope. We honor. Purlife many varied pathways. Which have let us hear. To this place. To tend our common flame. Of love. I have a question for you all this morning. I'm curious. Have you ever seen. Water. Burst forth. Summer rock. Anyone. Me neither. I've never seen that. But there is a story. It's a rather famous story. It's a story about a man named moses. Who wanders with his people. In the wilderness. Tired and hungry and lacking and hope the people in the story are looking for some sort of sign that they are going in the right direction. They're not just looking for any old sign actually they're looking for water real water. That will quench their thirst on their journey. Now this man as the story goes has a special relationship with. His god. When he's in trouble he can ask his god for assistance. And so he does. And god says striker rock. And the water will burst forth. People thirst for hydration will be quenched. So will their hopelessness. They will believe once again in the power of possibility their hearts and their hopes will be renewed. And also they can then fill up their cups with h2o. Is unitarian universalist we draw upon many text including the text that shape our lives. I lift up the story which is actually referenced in the hebrew bible and a few different places i lifted up this morning to highlight. Perhaps what it means to thirst. Have spiritual. Thirst. And also to suggest the ways in which our faith tradition on our own spiritual and religious home is in many ways about. Boosting. Together. And meeting. Thirst. Now let's talk about thirst and hunger for a moment. Perhaps you recall via catchphrase from a very popular marketing message. Related to a candy bar. The candy bar snickers. And that marketing message maybe some of you recall was. Snickers satisfies the hunger inside you. Anyone remember that i'm hearing some people laugh yep. Does it does it really satisfy the hunger inside. Not quite. Or maybe for some of you. But we know that candy bars are filled with all sorts of sugars and preservatives which 10 to addicted as to help us crave and want more and more. No i'm not. Knocking candy bars and if you must know my favorite is dark chocolate. But my point. Is this. In our society we are often encouraged to turn towards consumer goods. Ebay electronics or food. Or encourage towards behaviors such as shopping. To fill ourselves to speciate ourselves. Now we may be hungry. Rumbling stomach kind of hungry. We may also thirst or gatorade or mountain dew or water. But today i want to speak together with you about something other than the actual compound. One oxygen two hydrogen. For i believe that in the twenty-first century we also especially as religious liberal. Thirst for something that is not in a can. And not available in kroger. Or even from our tap. We thirst for something. More. I believe that we thirst often for living waters. A wellspring of living waters the kind of waters that recall us to life itself. To connection. Meaning. Joy. Too deep. Richness and realness that is beyond price tag and beyond. Plumbing. Living waters. Living waters of memory and hope. That connect us to the past. To the present and the future. Living waters of celebration of beauty. And poetry. That recall up to what matters most. Living water which as zalman schachter-shalomi. Right recalls us back to our sense of re-enchantment. With the world. Too often i know folks feel. Disconnected. Isolated. Go numb before the clicking of the computer and the screens. Feel overwhelmed by all the challenges and the dangers that face us in our world. And so it is that we long. And we thirst. For fresh waters. Living waters. For the rush of remembrance. That says yes. Yes. That. Is what life is about. Back from minute to. That picture of moses in the desert with the rock. In that story i wonder what the people must have thought as the waters poured forth. Maybe they felt relief. Maybe some of them rubbed their eyes in disbelief. I know that i would. And perhaps after filling their cup with this miraculous water maybe the people then felt a deep. Sense of gratitude. We can really only imagine. And think back into a story like that. I opened by saying that i have never seen rock. Core fourth water. But i have seen people lift one another out of despair. I've never seen alabaster split down the center to reveal a gushing river. But i have seen a person about to end their life. On the streets of san francisco. And i have seen strange rush to him. To bring him ease and comfort and solace. So i've never seen a piece of granite place. In 2050 pieces and ushering for a mighty stream but i have seen people committed to economic justice launched campaigns for diggity on the job. For workers rights for labor contracts that allow people to feed their family and clench their actual first. For h2o. I have never seen a knob of tough. Hard. Docile. Issue a glimmering well. But i have seen time and time again. Hard-heartedness. Now. Suddenly. In the stage of unexpected. Kindness. Maybe you have to. Perhaps then it is that. That miracles. Abound. If we both look for them. I wonder. How would you clean your human power. To be a bearer of water so to speak. In life wilderness. How are we each capable of action that heals and restores hopefulness. Today is ingathering sunday. The time when we get to celebrate our spiritual and. Religious liberal home. Uuc. Though this is indeed a spectacularly beautiful building that we are privileged. To worship in together. A congregation really is a people. A called-out called up and forward kind of people. The poet and lamont who is not unitarian-universalist but is indeed a religious liberal says of her own church. I go to church to be with people who follow a light larger. Then the glimmer of their own candle. And so this poet reminds us. Of the power. Of our coming together. The word religion actually comes from the latin. Which means to bind together. When we come together in congregational life we acknowledge our inherent. Relatedness. The unity that is made up of our diverse trans so beautifully clear to us and our merging of the water service. By coming together and merging our pads here in our common religious and spiritual home of uuc. The waters. These waters. Become symbolic of those living waters. Which contain our own stories but also more than our own stories alone. Living water is made sacred by the meanings we bring. And sure when we enter this place when each decide to contribute. Just a little. Just a little. And drop by drop dream by stream we discover surprisingly. Perhaps with wonder. Larger holness. That we. Are capable. Of creating together. I want to share with you that the water that i brought this morning is from the pacific. I also brought some water for my own new home in the new river valley to merge with all of you. Much of the water that is present in this bowl probably comes from the new river. Because it was provided to folks who didn't happen to be able to bring water from a special place when they came here. I have in my short time here come to know that the namesake. Of our valley is a bit of a misnomer. The new river is apparently geologically one of the oldest rivers. Geologist and hydrologist remind us that rivers are resilient. They traversed many landscapes. They cut deeply through mountains they are home. Too many organisms. To the river water many of you have added your reflections on your own life path. Over the summer months. Others of you have brought water from your travels or from home taps or local ponds or wherever it is that has meaning for you and so those stories have been merged here. It's no mistake that we take the element of water. As the foundation for our ritual today. It is a ritual perhaps most widely observed. In our unitarian universalist congregation more so perhaps. Even in the celebration of christmas. Do i have to tell you this practice this merging of the waters. Known by many names but practice. I'll need a lot of places across our movement. Arrived pretty recently on the scene. It started in the 1980s. We human being. We're about 50 to 70% water. Depending on who you check with. On a globe that's nearly 70% water. When water moves through the circulatory system of our ecosystem. It evaporates and return. And so it connects us to time beyond time. Seasons beyond seasons. When we stand at the rim of a lake. Orgy's out at a c. Or stick our toes in the flowing water on the banks of the new river. Sometimes we are suddenly caught by an awareness of. Being human. Inside the natural world. Of which we are apart. When are transcendentalist forebears like ralph waldo emerson and henry david thoreau looked at the natural world many of them felt expensive transcendent beauty. We might feel that today. The element of water in our water servant. Connects us to that elemental feeling. Of being alive. And belonging to a natural world. To the natural. And not the fabricated. World. I mean that world that is alive with sounds and smells a world alive with critters that buzz and growl. A world that speaks its own kind of special language. It's a language i believe that we begin to recognize when we slow down. When we appreciate it. When we hear it. It's the language that harkins us back. To the living waters. Ruben alvarez is a contemporary co poet. What that means is he's a theologian that finds his sense of theology best expressed through poetry. He's brazilian. But in this respect of being a co poet he's a lot like our transcendentalist. Forbearers. He has a lot to say about being human in the world our relationship with the larger hole. He says this. Today there are no reasons for optimism. Today it is only possible to have hope. Hope is opposed to optimism. Optimism exists when it's spring outside and it is spring inside. Hope exists when it is drought outside and there are still fountains of water bubbling from the heart. Optimism is joy because of something human. Hope is joy in spite of. It's a divine thing. Optimism is having roots in time. Is having roots in eternity. Optimism is fed by big things. Without them optimism dies. Hope is that by small thing. Hope blooms. In small things. I would add to ruben alvarez this. I believe that hope grows. Bit-by-bit drop by drop our hope. Matters. Not innocent and naive sort of hope. But i hope that is grounded in a love of life. Love. Is a powerful force. A connecting forced. A binding force. Love is a force that like water can move. Mountains. When we are filled with re-enchantment. We remember what we love and why we love. And then we are poised to champion what brings forth life we are poised then to also look around and see. We are not alone. We are all connected. We are connected to all who gaze into the river. Who dip their cups in who lift up some and say here. Here is my part come come with me let us bring our cups together and see that there is so much more. So. Let all who are thirsty come. And fine. One another. Let us celebrate the wholeness that is made from our many pav and the living waters. Which merge and energize and shape our own spiritual home. Like the natural world met our diversity. Enrich and support. The flourishing of life. And moreover. May our relatedness in the project of life. Triumph. Over our illusion of separateness. Friends let us be in the practice of looking for and naming. The miracles. Refine. It may not be water shooting from a rock. But then again. You never know. Blessed be. Oh man. Akshay. In honor of the living waters which renew restore us connect us. Let us appreciate our wolven this together. Integrator fabric of life. May we journey forward. From this place with renewed hearts. With care for one another and appreciation for the web of life. Goforth. Go thirsty. Go hungry. And let us fill our cups together again. And again and again. Blessed be. Almond. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

160605_do_flower.mp3

Welcome to the june 5th service at the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is lead by our settled minister. Reverend darrell roland. Assisted by worship associates jim kern and ali neff. Today is our annual multi-generational flower service. Good morning. How absolutely wonderful it is to be with one another today. Welcome welcome one and all to the unitarian universalist congregation here in blacksburg my name is reverend daryl and i am delighted to be joined and worship leadership this morning with ali ness and jim current worship associates and a few other worship associates that will be sharing their helping hands victoria taylor and zane mahone among others. The flower service has everything to do with celebration of diversity and individuality. So this morning we also welcome now on a lynette and jim current to share with us an opening reading celebrating. The flower festival. Today is a new day. Truly an hour of hope and joy and gladness. Let us be thankful for the persistence of flowers. And open ourselves to their long wisdom. Often they grow in spite of terrible winters. And miserable summers. Strange beauty greets us in unexpected places as if there is a particular grace that is stronger than our carelessness and indifference. Open me tender gardens with love and care. The reward can be greater than the effort. It is most wise to combine flowers and children. In a day of celebration. For flowers and children ever speak to us. Of wonders in glory is yet to be. I've hopes fulfilled if we tend our garden. And our homes with patience and wisdom and love. And then so it is this morning that we celebrate with great joy the annual unitarian ritual called the flower festival. Dispensable is honored and celebrated and so many of our unitarian universalist congregation to across the country and internationally. And i'm going to share with you a bit about this festival this morning. These words draw from the unitarian universalist association history of this day. Unitarian universalist flower festival service was created by dr. norbit norbit. Chop hack. And he was alive from 1870 to 1942 he was the founder along with his wife margie of the unitarian church in prague. How many of you knew that there was a unitarian church in prague. Yeah a good thing to remember our roots are wide and they are deep. So norbert i introduced the festival to his church on june 4th 1923 and it was a ritual of togetherness. Coming forward. Honoring what it meant to be together. It was a festival of togetherness and hope and return to his surroundings which was a beautiful countryside environment not altogether unlike. Right where we are. For his inspiration. So he decided to create a simple servant with an elemental ritual drawing from the beauty of nature. Using. Flower. Anyone's got flowers in your hands and you just looked them up for a minute. Yeah. Yeah thank you very much. Two on the very last sunday before the summer recess of their unitarian church in prague the children and the adults. Came together and participated in this absolutely colorful and inspired ritual which gives concrete expression to the human and humanity affirming principles of our shared tradition unitarian and universalist. The idea was to have each person unique. As a flower. Bring simply again. Of a soundflower and bring it into the worship service. And then by the end of the service. Everyone who was there would leave with a different flower. A gift freely given and then received. Leaving with a special flower unlike the one they had come in with. Each flower is a study in color and beauty. Fragility and strength. Not unlike. As human beings. The flowers that symbolize. And continue to symbolize the diversity of our human lives. The unity of our common human family. I'm deeply cherishing what make. Each person even when they are and especially when they are different a different sort of flower then.. What makes that. Deeply special. And something to be celebrated. When the nazis took control of prague in 1940. They found doctor topics. Gospel of the inherent worth and dignity and beauty of every person to be as the nazi records show too dangerous. For the reich. For him to be allowed to live. And so he was sent to dachau. And he was killed. What we know from his writings even while he was in a camp. That his hope for the world. Indoors. And it's writing speak. Powerfully and beautifully ^ human resilience and what is. Hyatt. In the human spirit. In 1940 during a tour in the united states his wife margiela who was a unitarian minister in her own right came and she brought the flower fest. From prague to the united states. When world war ii broke out the family was separated and larger couldn't get back to europe she stayed. And it was not until the war was over that she found out about her husband's death. Nevertheless. And maybe even perhaps. Because of some of the. Deeply troubling and painful dimensions of the story the flower festival itself. It's not superficial at all. It is indeed meaningful and powerful to lift up human diversity. Human beauty and to affirm our common humanity. These are the things that we celebrate. At the time of the flower festival end. I'd like to share with you just a few words so you can catch some of the words that he wrote. He would say a proverb as he consecrated the flowers when they were brought forward and this is what he wrote. Infinite spirit of life. We asked by blessing upon the sign messengers of. Fellowship in love may they remind us amid the diversity of knowledge enough gifts. To be one. And desire and affection. May they remind us of the value of comradeship. I'm doing and sharing alike. May we cherish friendship. Of one of the most precious gifts. May we not let awareness of one another's talents discourage us. North sully our relationship but may we realize that whatever we can do great or small. The efforts of all of us are needed. To do the good work. In this world. And so it is this morning. That we celebrate the hopeful power. It is the flower festival. And i wonder this morning what brings you hope. What brings you. Think on that question for a minute and i'm going to ask just a few of you at any age. To share one thing. It brings you. Acts of kindness. Shekinah. The children. Babies new babies new baby. The work of u unc. The work of you you and sadie going to stay with. Gay men suits this is. Social action committee that works around the world with various organizations. To solve problems. That they could not solve loan. Will take one more christine will take two more right here. Family. Family thank you. Your ministry with us and in the ua. And our ministry together. As many of you know. I will not be your minister next year. And i will be here until june 19th when i. In the last and leading worship and then i will go off with her amazing posse 16 to general assembly. Which i am really looking forward to and i know so many are. General assembly's our annual really large gathering of unitarian universalist that will be occurring in columbus ohio. Angel ip and micah and i will be returning west. Where we came from. But as we're talking about joy and dumb hope today i want to share with you. That when i answered the call to be your minister. I came with. Great hope. And with great joy. And i. Take my leave of you with great. And with great show. 4 arminta street. It is an honor for me to be your minister. And you each one of you that has shared either with me when the context of worship your thoughts your big question the wrestling of your spiritual lives and journeys. Especially. The children who share and speak. Their questions and ideas give me great hope and every sunday morning and every day of every week that i have been here you have filled me up and restored my home. So i want to say that i have. Great hope because of you. I invite you to keep thinking about. Poop in your own line. What makes you hopeful what brings you hope. What you celebrate with great joy. Remember how we have been talking with one another today about hope. Well today we will hear. Tube. Reflections briefly from to worship our worship associate today reflecting on. What brings them hope and afterwards we will conclude our services morning by the exchanging and completion of the flower festival ritual. I welcomed forward now tim curran to share with us. A reflection. Somewhere in the bible it says three things last forever. Faith hope and love. And the greatest of these is love. I can get behind that love is very powerful love is unstoppable. But today. This morning. Let's give hope it's due. Clearly we all have some hope or we wouldn't be here this. We wouldn't bother to get out of bed. But who knows where we got it. With everything going on the news today. Ice caps melting mosquitoes bring us new diseases. We can pick from a laundry list of worries. But we keep on keepin on. We still hope for the best. Hope. Where do we find it. I can think of two places where i find it. The first. Is it my children. In our. Back from when they were toddlers. With boundless energy and unflappable optimism. Until today when my kids are. Wait for it. Teenagers. Arguably less boundless. And considerably more flagyl. If that's weird. But they will surprise me at every turn. My daughter had me proofreading essay for a couple of weeks back. It described her experience at virginia's high school mock general assembly. That's a program where young people from high schools across the state gather to model our state's general assembly. They put forward legislation they debate its merits and they vote on it. She wrote in her essay. That the opinions were many and varied. But three discussion and compromise they were able to pass meaningful legislation. Go figure. She said it stimulated her interest in the process and she wants to learn more. What's more is that she said to me. That sounds totally corny. But it's really true. If that doesn't give us some hope i don't know what will. The second place. Probably won't surprise anybody anybody who knows me very well. Music. Whether it's an uplifting song. I got a feeling a feeling deep inside oh yeah. Or something maybe inspire some positive action. Yes bring your own backyard in your own hometown. Or even without words i've heard music here. That just made my heart soar. The fact that people have the inspiration and ability to convey these ideas and emotions. That gives me hope. What i recognize in this. The commonality. Is that like love. Hope. Perpetuates itself. I hear hope in the voices of my children. Or in a piece of music. And it gives me hope. Maybe you'll hear the hope in my voice this morning. And we'll give you a little bit of hope. Hope so. Imagining hope i mean really picturing it. And imagining where it could take you. Means that you really have to think about the things that tempt you to be hopeless. Finding hope means feeling out the weak spots. Where your trust that everything is going to be okay. Starting to fail you. Hoping means you have to to echo the words of ralph ellison on the blues. Finger the jagged grain of hopelessness. To fill it out and to understand why it is a shape it is. Hope answers. That jagged this. I've been feeling hopeful about something lately and i'm grateful that i've been able to do a little bit of research and writing about it. That through my work in africana studies at virginia tech has really inspired me. I can't wait to share it with you. I'll talk about where that comes from in just a minute but first i want to explain what kind of dragon is. What kinds of fears. This new hope is a. I'm concerned about racial profiling across the us and throughout the world where people from the global south. Particularly black and brown people. Have migrated or are migrating. Profiling is a practice in which police shop owners and others with a little more power in society. Imagine that they can tell what kind of person is likely to endanger the community. It relies on racist assumption that some people are inclined to commit. Crying because they are people of color. And that this is an adequate reason to stop question and even arrest them. Despite their constitutional rights. It happened with oscar grant in my old neighborhood in oakland it happened many times and my subsequent neighborhoods in the mississippi delta and durham. Happens here in blacksburg to. Where my colleagues of color at the university have been stopped and asked. For their ideas on the way. To or from their own faculty offices. I worry most about what profiling can do to young people in our communities who must always be second-guessing. How they are standing. Holding their posture. Putting their hands in view or even what kind of car they're driving or shoes they are wearing. Unlike legal routes to policing profiling depends on an unspoken set of assumptions. That discipline the ways that targeted people are able. Express themselves. My undergraduate students of color at the four universities where i've taught. Tell me that they have experienced profiling many times. They're careful to always carry their student id with them and to hand it over with their driver's license. So they appear to be an exception to the rules racism assumed. True. I'm always concerned about the safety of my son serene. As he grows up from a chubby cheeks toddler into a tall brown young man. I will tell him to keep his hands out of his pockets. At the grocery store. To always carry his student id. To show deference to authority. To always avoid even playing with toy guns of any kind. So the education start. The jagged grain of institutional racism. But i am also really hopeful. I am hopeful because i'm witnessing a non-violent movement. The black lives matter movement. Lombards levi women of color mother's community leaders church people school teachers. In inner-city neighborhoods. They have managed to using only the power of their own communication. And the community wisdom that comes from centuries of organizing action. In the face of structural racism. Change the discourses surrounding racial profiling in arkansas. It's actually happening before our eyes. It's really exciting. Eyewitness says they bring these problems into the international spotlight. And persist in keeping public attention focused on the issue. I'm hopeful because i have seen this movement locate a space of creativity. Solidarity and power from within when so many routes from without our clothes. I am hopeful because when i talked with my peers in blacksburg. And about the world we're making for the next generation. They're beginning to use the language of critique to think about structural inequality. And two-way what they can do to ensure a safe and equal community life. I see people who may not have done so before. Witnessing. And considering the weight of these problems. And this is unfolding thanks to the powerful voices of women. Who's working wisdom are so often hidden. Making the jagged grainless jagged. Evening it out. Putting a different kind of power into the hands of our children. I'm making power out of nothing. By trusting that community activism can manifest serious social change in our time. And i hoping. I invite you all to. Sitter what it is that you are hopeful. About. What brings you hope. In your life. In these times. It is now time for us. To share in our flower exchange this morning. And. As music plays and accompanies us in this. Ritual i invite you to consider. The time that you feel moved to come forward. Consider the incredible. Display beauty. Before us. Symbolic of human beauty and diversity. Select the flower different from the one you came in with. We will take turns doing this if you are more comfortable not rising and moving you can sit back and people will fill baskets. And circulate baskets of flowers so you may also choose. Choose. Let us share in this unique unitarian universalist. Universalist ritual of oneness and hope. Thanks be to all of the many helpers who will assist us. And are embracing. The richness of creative chaos this morning. Dear beloved community hopefully in your hands you have a blossom does anyone not have a blossom. Raise your hands if you need a blossom. Everyone scotland. I invite you as we turn our service towards conclusion to take a. A quick moment to look deeply at the flower in your hands. Notice its color its texture. Its shape and its size. Notice perhaps if you know such things it's type. And maybe run it against your hands or your cheek. Come into deepening appreciation for a gift. Freely given and shared with you this morning. Gifts brought by. Another person. Known or unknown to you. Let us give the greatest of things. For human life. And the natural world that sustains us all. Let us dedicate ourselves anew. The aspiration and possibilities of. Deepest source. Of our lives. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

130602_flower-communion.mp3

Welcome to the june 2nd service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. Today service has two parts. This podcast is a brief homily an overview of our annual flower communion. Led by rev alex. A separate podcast is the presentation of the uuc annual volunteer service awards. Two readings for you this morning as we prepare to celebrate flower communion with one another. The first from my favorite conservative. David brooks the columnist who writes for the new york times. Excerpts from his column that was printed in the new york times on may 20th. Intitle what are words tell us. About two years ago the folks at google released a database of 5.2 million books published between 1500 and 2008. You can type a search word into the database and find out how frequently different words were used to different ethics. The database doesn't tell you how the words were used it just tells you how frequently they were used still results can reveal interesting cultural shifts. I'd like to tell a story about the last half-century based on studies done with this search engine the first element is the story and rising individualism. A study by twins campbell and gentile found that between 1960 and 2008. Individualistic words and prices increasingly overshadowed communal words and phrases. That is to say over those 48 years. Words and phrases like personalized self. Stand-out unique. I come first and i can do it myself or used more frequently. Communal words and phrases like community collective tribe share united band together and common good receded. The second element of the story is demoralization. A study by casimir and casimir found that general moral terms like virtue. Decency and conscience. Were useless frequently over the course of the 20th century. Words associated with moral excellence like honesty patience and compassion. Were used much less frequently. The cast of ears identify 50 words associated with moral virtue and found that 74% of these words were used less frequently as the centre progress. Certain types of virtues were especially hard-hit. Usage of courage words like bravery and fortitude fell by 66%. Usage of gratitude words like thankfulness and appreciation. Dropped by 49%. Usage of humility words like modesty and humbleness. Dropped by 52%. Usage of compassion words like kindness and helpfulness. Dropped by 56%. Meanwhile usage of words associated with the ability to deliver like discipline and dependability. Rose over the century. That's just the usage of words associated with fairness. Because a point out that these sorts of virtues are more relevant to economic production and exchange. Daniel klein of george mason university is conducted one of the broadest studies with the google search engine. He found further evidence of the two elements i've mentioned. On the subject of individualization he found that the word preferences was barely used until about 1930 but usage has surged since. On the general subject of demoralization he finds a long decline of usage and turns like face. Wisdom w evil and prudence. And a sharp rise in what you might call social science terms. Like subjectivity normative psychology and information. Klein as the third element to our story which he calls government mentalization. Words having to do with experts have shown a steady rise. So have prices like run the country economic justice nationalism. Priorities right-wing and left-wing. The implication is that politics and government have become more prevalent. Yoga story i'd like to tell us this. Over the past half-century society has become more individualistic. I should just become more individualistic it is also become less morally aware. Because social and moral fabrics are inextricably linked. The atomization and demoralization of society of led to certain forms of social breakdown. Which government has tried to address sometimes successfully but more often impotently. This story is true should cause discomfort on right and left. Conservative sometimes argue that if we could just reduce government. To the size it was back into the 1950s in american would be. Byron and free again. But the underlying sociology and moral culture is just not there anymore. Government could be smaller when the social fabric was more tightly knit. It's called small government will have different and more cataclysmic effects today when it was not. Liberal sometimes argue that our main problems come from the top. A self-dealing elite the oligarchic bankers but the evidence suggests that the individual is on the demoralization or pervasive up-and-down society. And maybe even more pervasive at the bottom. Liberals also sometimes talk as if our problems are fundamentally economic. And can't be addressed politically through redistribution but maybe the root of the problem is also cultural. The social and moral trim swamp the proposed redistricting. Remedies. Descendants the first piece of this morning's reading and now for something a little bit lighter this from a colleague sent out to all of us who are entrance. Here this week. Colleague identified an anonymous uu congregation rights. Is this a thing. The last month has been eventful and his colleague by the way is just leaving it to your antrum. The last month has been eventful a wealthy pillar dying abeloff staff member resigning. A confrontation with a difficult member exploding at the annual meeting you're having one right after the service. And a big budget shortfall it reminds me of what therapist called doorknob revelations. You know the thing the client reveals seconds before he or she is walking out the door often with hand on knob. Thanks so much. see you next week and i'm getting divorced. A very brief homily this morning that i hope. Will get it the essence of like this communion service that centers on flowers is all about. Most of you here have heard of how its origins. Is grounded at the experience of unitarian minister and central europe who was. Persecuted by the nazis. And his congregation sensing that things were not going well for them. But they were soon to be under. The direct. Observation of the nazis and would be persecuted for what they were. Did what they could. Turn. Turn and come round right. And i did that by celebrating communion with one another. Through the bringing together and sharing a flowers. Not imagine realizing that your minister if not you as a member of a congregation. It's getting ready to be picked up and shipped off to a concentration camp. And you're going to show courage in the face of that persecution. And say there is still goodness. There is still value there is still wonder to be had in this life in which i share. Powerful stuff. Powerful. This past week. I almost came unglued. Best friend's husband 68 years old. Woke her up in the morning instead of can't breathe. 30 minutes later he was dead. His funeral friday. Broke my heart. I don't do well seeing people i've been playing cards with. Put in the ground. Best. Enthusiastic. Manifestation of what it is to be. Fifty-two-year-old gaba.. In greensboro. Suddenly and unexpectedly. This guy who everyone thought of as a kid. 4 years old retarded. Muscular dystrophy. Would walk into that congregation down there. Greensboro week after week in that congregation. Serious challenges before. And he'd come in the door and he was sort of hunched over like this dick stick out his hand. Have you looked at you at. And if you were a good man used. Bruce bruce bruce. And that's all he ever said. But you said it with. Love. And we celebrated his. It was heartbreaking for me to be back with the. Congregation. But i love that i work with. And to see them in such a. State. Done with. There's suffering. And i don't know what to do. Regain the strength. Share that. You this morning. You get ready to. Celebrate the wonder. Here in this beautiful billy. Shut down there yesterday.. Start. It doesn't have a lot of light. And i found myself yearning to be back. This sanctuary. Entropy of the wonder of what you. And you need. Have that in mind this morning all of that rich complexity of what you are is unitarian universalist. Connected to a horrible experience or brothers and sisters back in the 1930s or under persecution. Connected to the horrors of my friend who lost her husband this week. Connected to the challenges that are before assist. Navigation donuts center. Carolina. You are blessed and you are also human. And like all of these things you have things that weigh on you. The cause you to be anxious to cause you to be worried that cause you to be uncertain about what may lie ahead. And yet you know because you. Feel the truth of what. You are gifted. You're full of wonder and you. So it is i hope with deep internal paradox. But you will come forward this morning and take a flower from the stable. And i hope that issue take a flower from this table. As you bear witness to your hope that the state of ours will keep providing meaning not only to you but to everyone who encounters it. No matter how difficult the human experience because that is what we're about. We're about providing hope and the worst of the. Experience. I hope that you will look around the face of your before you this morning as you take your flower. And affirm them and what they do to minister to you. And also through what you share of your own eyes to them. Make commitment to them. To be of service to them also. This is a very simple act. By god nothing does more to get at the sa. What we are is unitarian. It is in that business of the eye to eye connection. The calling out of each other's names. The bruce torres fit so beautifully for the ten years i knew him down in greensboro. But we do best by one another. And that's what you're doing here with communion. You're coming before all assembled. To take a flower from this congregations table. To acknowledge your gratitude for what the congregation means to you. And also to affirm your commitment. It is a beautiful sacred holy practice. Would you mind being something about 4,000. So i invite you into it this morning with gratitude for all of what you are. Our practice will be to move from this side of the room first. Tell me about the table and then just circling back around. The section first. Resection second. Resection third. The section 4. Then again do what you can to make eye contact with one another. And as people are participating in the communion i invite you to stay in silence. To be attentive to those matters that are working within you. And to not being idle chatter with one another. Gerald will be providing wonderful music for us as we do the communion. Let us now sharing communion with one another. That if you would setting us off. Your wonderful unitarian universalist of the new river valley. A flower from this place. Lawson brother mount laurel. A flower communion has concluded it is unique and all of my 20 years of doing these things i've never seen one where the flowers. Just kept x. You did it so well that you ever be mindful of the communion in which you share. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

160522_yruu-bridging.mp3

Welcome to the may 22nd service at the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service a day is led by the why are you you. Do you see high school-aged youth group. Today is the annual you why are you you bridging service. In which the for high school seniors. Our bridge. Out of the why are you you. Welcome to the yoshi this morning i'm emily crane i'm a senior at blacksburg high school i'm also senior high school. I want to introduce ourselves this is our youth group for this year. My name is sylvan and i'm a freshman at blacksburg. High school. My name is charlie and i'm also a freshman at blacksburg high school. I'm your tatum and i'm a sophomore at baxter high school. I'm taylor and i just graduated blacksburg high school. I'm lizzy and i miss. Hyomax number south high school. I'm holly and i'm a sophomore blacksburg high school. I'm gauge and i'm a junior blacksburg high school. I'm bed and i'm a junior at blacksburg high school. I'm riley i'm a freshman at radford high. I'm sarah and i'm a junior at red face. I'm luna and i just graduated from blacksburg high school. Okay since our theme for this month is transformation. And the seniors are going through a huge transformation. We are going to ask the youth. For the story of all ages to give some advice for the. On seniors and. So if you. Have any advice you can raise your hand in holly and lizzie will give you a mic. For the kids. In order to succeed in your. In order to succeed you have to believe in yourself. There are a lot of serious decisions. In life. But don't forget to have fun. Now we're going to be collecting the cards that you wrote. To the. Set aside some time alone without media notebooks tv. Radio phone to recognize how you feel and what you think. Call home but not too often. Save your life and take it one day at a time. Get ready to change grow and become a better person find the people who support you the most. Cheap challenges like new adventures. So can every moment and write them down so you. Trust your gut your right. Life's too short eat. Don't spend more than you have. Tend your spirit grow your joy. Football today. The other cars will be given to the seniors. Alright. So. I was asked to talk about. Transformation and as per. Tradition. I was not able to write anything down i tried to. Think of what i wanted to say. And nothing really i couldn't put into words. So we'll see how this. First off. I'll be going to take him to fall i'll be. Way out of town. I was majoring in multimedia journalism so. As my plan for future. Looking back. At. How. Do you see has been. A part of my life. I'm looking into. The transformation. That has gone on for me. I i came here since i was a little little kid. As i'm sure some of you remember me. Running around in. Being annoying. And as yours are gone by i've still been involved here. I've been to the i come to the christmas services and i. Come to youth group but my attendance in actual. Sunday services have dropped off. Mostly because i'm still asleep. And. It's hard for me to put into words what. Do you see has meant for me. Because. How it impacts my life isn't. Easy to. Verbalize. The people here. Have been supported for me but i don't really know them as well as i should. They've been. Helpful in a giving advice and they have been great to talk to you but i don't. Really know these people. And as i go as i went from going from this little boy. To this annoying preteen to this young team to this. Adult now. It's been a constant here where i know i can come here and i know i can talk to people and they will be interested in. What i have to say. And. You don't find that everywhere. You don't find that out in the real world as often as maybe you should. It's over that transformation for me. Has helped me grow up to be this adult. That. Cherishes and appreciates. Other people in my life who i want to be interested in them. So they can feel that same kind of. Attention and same kind of. Yeah just attention to that. To what they have to say. And so i think you guys for offering that to me. And i regret not getting to know more of you more. I will still remember drinking coffee here for the first time because i wanted people to talk to me. Coffee was. It was that was my first time drinking coffee and it was not good i was i said why do people drink this like is that what you want to talk like i just want to drink the coffee like that was my twelve-year-old back then. And. It has been. Youth group has been. Something that i have. Always look forward to i didn't i didn't i wasn't part of youth group my sophomore year of high school. Because i had. I was in the running to symphony and their rehearsals ran till 5 and youth group start at 6 and i was exhausted and i just i couldn't. Make it here. But as i jump back in junior and senior year. The community behind you as well. Help me and they were there for me and they are a great group of people as well. And you guys contribute to all that we can do you help us. I go on on concentrix and. All kinds of things like that and. I have to thank you for that as well because those experiences are also. Huge for this youth group as well. Thank you guys. I'm luna and next year i'll be taking a gap year in switzerland and then following that i'll be going to. Not sure where but. So transformation is one of those words that. I can give you synonyms for. But i couldn't really tell you what it say in the dictionary so. The brightside writing i consulted google. She had exactly what it meant. And i found a thorough or dramatic change in for more. And they're also the ones about five minutes and physics but i didn't think they'd fit quite as well so when i think about my own transformation. Seems pretty apparent. We can't back at who i was like 24 years ago. I've changed so much. But. That's not really me anymore. I've already changed in the past like 3. Play start speaking. I think we're only ourselves in the moment. And then once that passes were able to change into someone new and i think that's so cool. With each new day comes new interactions and experiences. That help. To shape us into new people. And i'm so grateful to have been changed by the people behind me. And all the members from previous years. The advisers i've been lucky enough to have and its congregation. Curbing sun x-wing. I've learned to be compassionate to lead. Try new things. Today. Kind of really weird and not worry about it until love wholeheartedly. I don't think i could be more prepared for what lies ahead of me. Except for maybe you knowing what i want to study in college and what i want to do with my life but other than that i'm ready so thank you so much for helping me change into the person i am today. Hello everyone. I'm taylor i'm going to emory & henry in the fall. I'm going to study psychology. I just recently graduated i started attending why are you you the beginning of my junior year and that was a huge adjustment. Growing up i had no religious background and it never really bothered me until i had all these questions and no answers. My junior year i met some of the most influential people from youth group. Delete the leaders were exactly what i needed. A friendly face with helpful guidance. As i move onto my senior year i began to expand my views and faith on to other religions. Although the congregation with my stepping stone in my journey. I began to find the answers to the questions i had. Well learning a lot about being a good leader. I develop social i develop good social skills that i will take with me. I've learned to remember my values and apply them to everything i'm passionate about. As i think about my stepping stone i'd like to think hank for getting me out of my comfort zone and showing me why are you you. I'd also like to thank the members of youth group for fun. Memories. I'd also like to thank the advisors for giving me someone to talk to. Thank you. Hi i'm emily and i was a senior at blacksburg high school i graduated 2 days ago. And i collide why are you you with henry. And i'll be attending george mason university next year to study clarinet formance and photography. I've been giving to the you see you since i was six years old. After moving to willis virginia i found myself in a more religious environments and have been president present in west hartford. English religious and my classmates i was teased a lot about not going to church. Because of this my mom sounded you you and it turned out to be one of most important parts of my life. One of my first impressions of the year was how welcoming it was. My first day third grade re class was refreshing to have no one expecting anyone to be just one thing. I continue to going to the uuid when i started high school i joined the y r u u. On the trip to boston mountain khan and other yru adventures i made life on lifelong friends have taught me invaluable lessons. One of my favorite things about the uu is how accepting it is. Their sums it up very well in the beginning of each service with her welcoming words. Inviting people regardless of their religious sexual orientation skin color etc and do our congregation. It is because of this remarkable and beautiful acceptance that my mom will be marrying was in a couple of weeks here at the church. In addition to facilitating happy occasions buu provides unwavering support to those its hardships in their life. My freshman year my mom and her girlfriend at a time c.j. had a baby girl named emma jo. She was born about three and a half months early and consequentially had an unstable medical situation. I remember members of the uu helping my family by bringing us dinner. Staying with me and my sisters or my mom went to visit the hospital to see him a gemini c j. Being there for moral support. These acts help my family gets through that incredibly hard time. Who makes all this possible to tighten at community at the yu-gi-oh. The friends i've made through the wire you have changed my life and shaped who i am today. Between are loggins and coffee houses yearly trips church services and weekly why are you you meeting. Picture lee become a family. These people have helped me get through my high school years and will no doubt continue to do so in your stack. The sturgeon is members have become some of the most important and influential people in my life. Go take a lifetime to say thank you for all the congregation is giving me and i will never forget. Now the non bridging uther going to speak a little bit about the seniors. But i have. Somewhere. I just wrote a little bit. Well i'm riley. The people in this youth group have been some of the most accepting and unique people i've ever met. Especially the seniors. Each of the seniors have made a mark on my life that no one else could. Even if they don't know it each of them will always hold a special place in my heart. It's going to be hard to see them go but i know each of them. Are going to lead amazing lives in touch many people souls. Okay hi i'm certain i have a tradition of writing these peaches the morning of the ceremony. I'm also not good at. Speaking so they're with me. This group of bridging seniors has made a huge impact on me on first of all. Luna i didn't really know her until this year. Really incredibly driven and very accepting and she's also deathly afraid of caterpillars. And just a person who always brings positive energy emily is an incredibly. An incredible leader and nothing would have been possible without her this year. She balances herself by being able to joke around with us and also be the leader which is something that not a lot of people can do. Henry. I've grown up with an ari with henry and he's always been very sarcastic and funny. But what you also he is very persistent which you can tell when you. Hearandplay botello earlier and stuffy. Resume playing that for a lot. Really long time. And also taylor is in a credible speaker and she's one of the kindest people i know. I only she only came to the youth group virginia gear but she is just someone who spreads a positive light on everyone around her. And. I'm just going to miss each and everyone. So. This was supposed to be bad transformations but i didn't really focus on that because i really wanted to talk about the people who are. Leaving. Luna. In a world where too many people talk without saying anything it's very refreshing to meet someone who is who never talks unless they've something this important to say. You're a wonderful friend very supportive mentor. Thank you for all that you do. Have fun in switzerland. Beautiful caterpillar and turn into a butterfly. Henry. Although you've only been here for a year and you look a lot like hank my good friends and i'm pretty sure your skin wearing alien you've been a nice allen. How do i can't imagine youth group without you your sarcasm and wit. I guess that's what trolleys for. I wish you the best of the rest of your journey. Have fun at tech. Just know you can always come back. In fact you could probably walk here. I would say i look forward to watching you interview all the sports people. But i don't watch sports. Emily. I've noticed a trend in the leadership of you youth. There's the subservient majority. The goofy vice-president and the stressed-out overworked responsible one. While organizing teenage do you use may just be the hardest job on earth. At least you know you were prepared for anything. Your wonderful friends a terribly fun gossip. Incredible leader. Thank you for all the work you have done and i look forward to seeing you playing all the greatest orchestras. Taylor. You sometime somehow. Themes of the best attributes of a saw. You have henry's jokes. Munis thoughtfulness and emily's leadership. But you are so much more than that though. You coming to youth group and you talk about the worst part of your weeks. And i can't help but admire you. No matter what happens to you. No matter how hard life hits you. Just get back up with a smile on your face. I can't even speak in front of people without crying. But you seem to make it through life with y'all with the green. Hello. So. Chicago. A message to eve senior. Luna. When is always there to laugh at you when you make a good joke. And can turn any bad day into a good one. Keep spreading your joy on your travels next year. Henry. Henry has an unrelenting optimistic spirit and charisma. He has. Always been able to put a smile on your face. I'm sure wherever you'll use your unique sarcasm to make people smile. Taylor. Tails compassion and creativity enlighten those around to her open heart drive you in and makes you feel makes you believe. That everything you feel is okay. Keep including people the world is a kind of place with you in it. Emily. Emily offers or help in almost any situation. Or energy transforms the room and makes us feel like we're capable of anything. You are the glue that held us together this year thank you for your outstanding leadership. Hi i'm george tatum. And i just a couple things about use the seniors are amazing group of four people and i just came to this youth group this year. Beforehand and never really done any. Youth group type thing but they've really been extremely welcoming. And for my best friend. Until luna. You're definitely one of most calm and quiet people youth group while others are bouncing off the walls or bouncing each other off the walls. You always stay quiet and calm and welcoming and. Always there to have a conversation. Or just to listen. I'm always impressed voice command talking about your scholarships or your homework that you've been doing whatever and you just. You really put yourself into everything you do wholeheartedly. And it's very impressive and i admire that about you. I hope you have a great time in switzerland stay warm. And i said i'm just tired your. Presently she's group and you become. Taylor. You're one of the most fun and compassionate and kind people i know. Am i first came here i remember thinking you it was energetic person in the room. You always come in without senior staff and a smile on your face even when. That week or your life's not going to where you want to. And you always. Mad at you go through these hardships with grace. And. Have a great capacity for sharing your troubles with others and asking for help assisting something a lot of people have trouble with. And so i need a great friend. Henry. Who i also just had this year. Taught me many things. About him i would never know what a dab. A whip. A nae nae. Or any other strange popular movements are. He's a lot of fun to talk with make jokes with goof off with. He also has very good at helping people with fake snowballs. As i found out. And he probably has the only other hair that can second line. And that emily. Who i probably know the best out of the four. She's the only reason that i'm here she was one that. You guys are great to him here in the first place she. Said hey you should try youth group because it's a really great place and she was right. My my favorite things about her is that. Emily will always say. Wayback and what she is feeling and thinking. Something i am not always capable of doing a lot of time sitting a lot of us mold our personalities. Two people around us to fit in or get along. And i think that's a good thing it definitely helps with you know. Commingling with each other and you know it helps with. Tyler dependents but i think a lot of time sometimes we change our personality from person-to-person and sometimes we lose sight of who we really are. And emily is amazing in that she's always totally honest with yourself and everyone around here. And one thing i love most about her and she just expresses herself and weighs the. Eye-fi really. I know where i live. Jimmy moore. I very sad to say. Goodbye to everyone's conversation i wish them the best in their couch. Let us remember the milestones of life in the apartment transformations of our journeys. Thanks and appreciation for this congregation and why are you you we conclude your service. Go in peace until we are together again. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

160612_goodbye-dara.mp3

So as you know rivera's leaving us sadly. I just wanted to say a few words and we have something for her. Rivera how wonderful it's been to be a member of this congregation and serve on the board during your tenure here has been really wonderful. Thank you for being so supportive to all of us and visionary. You've often told us that you're in incrementalist. And look how far we've come just a little bit at a time. Since you've been here. Thank you for helping us support each other. We have so enjoyed you pee. And watching micah grow and change in front of our eyes. And we look forward very much to hearing about your new adventures email send us a line every once in awhile let us know what you're doing would love to hear from you. And so with that we want to present the gift. Vdara. The comedian estres. We have jane benson and it smell burning. And this is a painting that represents we fill our congregation. The painting is by. By bonnie marino so this is bonnie's original work. And. To me it always. Speaks of the new river valley so we hope that. Or if they're in our family will enjoy that and take that with us to remember us by. There are we cursed want you to take that with you to remember us but i'll so you can take that but we wanted something here to remember you by. And so we're putting a paver in our memorial garden. And in your honor and it will say. The rev rev arrowland with gratitude for her ministry to uuc. Standing on the side of love. From august 1st 2013 to june 30th 2016. Others will have an opportunity to speak if they want to say something to rub there as well during our potluck afterwards we hope everybody will stay and if you forgot to bring something i saw lots of your kroger this morning but just common enjoy the abundance of food thank you. I'm ellen plummer. And it's my delight to launch our gratitude speaking. This afternoon. I have had the distinct pleasure of serving on a number of committees i don't think you can buu without having committee work as part of our. Our shared ministry. And a great. Importance to me and i have. Much gratitude for being part of a group of us who serve. The congregation and beyond as worship associates. And that's a program that's been a part of his congregation history over the last several years and has really been like the phoenix. Resurrected. And rethought and attended to. By dara and darrell we are. So grateful to you for bringing many of the gifts but one of them especially for me and for those of us who serve as worship associates and from the congregation who is benefited from this community. Of of worship. Associates and worshippers together we are grateful to you. For the gifts of your patience and your guidance your coaching. And you're teaching so we are very very very grateful to you. For that shared ministry that we have. Enjoyed so well. Together so thank you.. Thera. What a richness you have brought to lay pastoral care ministry team. You've offered your sincerity. Compassion. Honesty. Integrity and you're honoring of others to this ministry. Ltcm has truly become a shared ministry as you mentored us in being partners. And as we stepped up. The challenge. You have led by example to build community. Deepen. Deepening our relationships with one another while all the while respecting each of our strengths. And encouraging strong interpersonal boundaries. Our model has been to see others as weak equals as you see the team. You called us to be in direct in our communication with one another. And not triangulate people. Often you said. Let people tell their own stories. You offered critical feedback with warped. And karen. You have guided our work and encouraged us to take a lead and planning. And streamlining our procedures. You've been very creative and leading us to develop the lpcm annual fee february sunday service. From various perspectives. Congregants voices. Team members voices and are reflected voices. You have invited us into deeper more constant. Reverent relationships with one another. And with the congregation. And this is truly ministry. You've been a wealth of resources for us. Drawing from a deep well of wisdom. From your experiences and explorations. Sometimes it's a book such as the art of listening in a healing way. Or reading from pema. Sean gunn. Or with a pebble in our hands. Tapping into our critical silent voices and then reflecting on this. Such insights have helped us recognize other struggles. When we offer intense listening. Trip abroad support as people seek their own path. You have even provided us with inspirational readings for meetings into the future. Such a jerk. Giving nature and your leadership. Matches for confidential listening or social friendly visits only occur after an active discussion and agreement. Mutual decision making. With you and the facilitators. You have encouraged us to ask questions contribute our ideas. + 2. And to ask you why you suggested a particular direction. Nrt monthly meetings you encouraged us to reveal our responses to congregants conversations being honest with ourselves. This has been a time when we can pose concerns and drawn other team members experiences. Dara you will be missed very much. Lpn. Lpcm has a strong foundation. We will continue to grow and strengthen our ministry. Because of our work together. We now know best practices. Your voice will be with us as we continue our service. Our future ministers will be grateful. And we will take what you have given us into a bright future as a beloved community. Thank you. I'm frank napolitano and i was on. The search committee that brought dara. 2r. Family brought dara and her family to our family. I was asked to speak. Just a few minutes ago so i apologize in advance for speaking extempore. We are going to have a meeting of the search committee's. July 7th or something like. And it's to talk about. You know what we learned as we were doing the search committee. And what we learned is that it's a heck of a lot. Very very. Hard. Work. And. As everybody in this room knows not always does hard work turn into good results. I'm sure i speak for all of us when we say that the hard work of the search committee. Yielded results beyond what we could have hoped for and bringing.. And her family here. Does that mean you want me to stop. It's a very very long process and it's a very it's not only outward-looking it's inward-looking and seeing what we want as a congregation and what. In the direction that we want to go. As a group and. We had diarrhea on our list the whole time but she was almost one of those we know somebody. Better we know somebody else's guy. And she said yes to us. And so we. Pinched ourselves the whole time. And we're extraordinarily grateful. For all that she's done for us over the past 3 years. And just to give one personal example of what she's done i'd say that. Dara has really challenged me. With. Loving kindness. And. What i mean by that is. I would see sarah i would come up to where i would say hello and you guys probably know this she has a way of. Of. Looking at you. And saying that end in just with a very very kind honest and welcoming look. Saying. No facades. I'm here for you. I want to know how you are. And i want to share this moment with you. And it's. And amazingly. Opening experience. And it's something that i've. Been grateful for to have experienced repeatedly over the last 3 years. And pete has been wonderful i've had the opportunity to see pete on the ru campus and i've loved to see i've loved seeing mike groh. And i can't wait to see more pictures but i really do feel that we have been blessed and fortunate. Over the past. 3 years to be able to work with the old-line family. And. I just hope that the search committee. Get as lucky as we did. Ndot landing such an amazing person. Doterra thank you so much. Well. Working with sarah the last three years has been such a blessing to me i have enjoyed it immensely we have a multi-faceted relationship in that she's my minister. She's my supervisor and she's my friend. And all three of those losing that makes. Sad. But i'm working with her has been a joy i love her. Compassion her. Spiritual. Energy her poise and beyond her years. And just how generous and warm and. Her ability to not let things fizzle her. There's times i feel like i've got so much to do and i know she has more than i have to do. But she comes in and. Everything is peaceful she keeps me. Settled. So that i don't get all frazzled and how can i get this all done i don't have time. Like everything gets done take a breath and i'll and i admire her ability. If. Odds were anybody has done something that she might think it should be done a little differently. She never says oh that's not a good approach or. Whatever she says we'll have you thought about and. And appreciates what. You have offered but might have a better way to do it or a little addition to it and so i always feel whatever i have offered is appreciated. And welcomed and it's just. It's been a great joy and. I'm i wish we had more time with you but i'm glad that your life it's working out and i'm i'm envious of those students at mills college that will have you as their minister cuz you will be fabulous. And dumb. I just wish you all the luck and i'm grateful that. Even though it wasn't long enough we had we had you for 3 years. Benson. Thank you darra. And mica is in another. There are so many things about there's work and pete thank you for your. For your support i know all these things are always. A collaborative effort with. Great thing happens. And. Lift one thing up and eros words. That i really appreciate about her work. Which was the. The sense of higher purpose and meaning that she brings. Every event. To this event i think this event is different. Because of darris influence. I know we're going to carry that forward to. That's that's something that's been inspirational for me personally. And. Singapore. With others as well as. The other thing is she has this amazing ability of encouragement that is. Extend steven letting go of things that that are not crucial i remember one of our early meetings we were struggling over something that. We were some of the ambivalent about on the connections committee. And their acai. Kind permission let us go ahead and say we can let go of that embrace. Some other things that are. They're more central so it's. It's not just cheerleading it's it says you talked about today i feel somewhat redundant even saying this because her sermon today captured so much of. Of what she's brought to us. We're going to hang on to that. As you go forward to i know those. Find. Kind of spirit that you bring you brought to us. Will be with others to and. That heart and soul. I'm not reconcile to. Perhaps i shouldn't be saying. Jane aston de. I feel like i should based on the quality of. Experience. An example being that i'm the chair of the worship services committee. And i often ask myself. How did this happen. I'm the person who feels so comfortable to be on the edge of the fire in that amberglow ready to exit into the safety of the forest. How did dara get me to come into the light. So. I thought about that a lot. And i. See it with all of us that so many people have. Said to her you make us feel safe. And it feel like. If there has a superpower then her superpower is to create these spaces. And then encourage us to enter into them. She doesn't ask us to take on the whole. Wide world. Just the space that's right in front of us. And i feel like. By trying man to this position. I'm more. Then i was before i met her. And i feel like us as a congregation are more as a congregation. That she's call us into that light. We're we're next to the fire. And we could recognize that fullness of who we are. So. I deeply m. Calling me next.. Adara. For this but i'm we have the opera. Lisa and i to meet all of. And when we met during. I kind of feel like i should. Stop. When we talked. Talking with her and i said to her. Do you have kids and then followed with are you planning to have kids. And i came back from that going. It's evidently been a long time since i've interviewed somebody cuz you can't ask that. But she very graciously answered the question and of course it's not a prerequisite for our minister but it's always so telling for my part. Blfd to know that if you got a child. Growing up in this program you probably have a vested interest in this part of the program. And so. We've enjoyed. I know he's unhappy we've enjoyed seeing him grow up for almost 2 years. I look forward to the photo still too, sure. And. Does he leave you have left an imprint hear their things are going to leave they're going to stay on after you and i guess one that really comes to my mind as yru bridging. Because there are elements of that if you all have seen it the last couple of years they come frontera. And those are going to stay i know on after you go because they were just so loved. Everybody said thank you. Well i kind of wanted to follow up on what david said i'm jane and i'm a worship associate. About. And if we didn't know. Dara so well and know that she has this. Pure heart and always just you know sincere and never would fully one we i might think. That she somehow figured out how to get me to do stuff that are really uncomfortable. Because she is really good at it let me tell you and not many people are. But i remember one of my first experience has this happened over. Time several times but one of my first experiences was. I was just sure. That the best thing to do was for the worship associate not to stay on the stage but just come down and and you know when it was time for the. For the sermon and listening that way and it was just terribly distracting. For someone to be up there behind her. And i'm always very sure these. Very sure that my my opinion is the right one. So. When we were talking about i said yeah and i'll just go down there and you know of course instead of saying. No no i really want you to. Stay up here. Which of course would not at work. She says. Oh okay okay sure sure that's that's just fine if that's what you feel comfortable doing it. Yes yes. Another way to think about this would be. And in her wonderful kind and gentle way she pointed out that there could actually be another point of view. And it made sense to me and then of course after the service. Bobby littlefield came up to me and she said. It always means so much to me when one of the members of our congregation is up there. With her. So anyway. I'm i know you will carry this with you this ability to very gently talk people into spreading their wings and trying. To imagine that they might be wrong once in awhile. It's inspiring hearing everyone. Add there. Voices 22 what you've meant to us. So i i want 22i. I feel like you embody. Walking the walk. And. I've seen in in working with you. Which has been a great joy. That you have in many many. A million of small ways. Done what you. Hope to do as far as what you know telling us about. How we should be together. And you have exemplified that for me. A million ways. And i appreciate that. Committee meetings are a joy when your. Sorta guiding us. But i also appreciate the bridges you've made within the community. I think that's. Then a wonderful thing. Your legacy. And. Thank you so much i say i tell you often that you're a gem. And i. Have that. Image of you in my heart. But thank you. Hi dara hello. I want to. For everyone. I remember. My earliest memory of you is when you came to my house for dinner. I didn't exactly know who you were at first other than. You are the new minister of our church. We never had one to our house before which meant that you were. So. I remember that. I called you over to the couch. Definitely. We're having dinner. But i was like come work with me. About planning our spring virginia survey. And i'm the type of person. That when i get excited about something. I have like a million ideas but no rational way to put them into existence. Can you somehow find a way to take. A mess of ideas and put them into something realistic and that can be. Meaningful. So thank you for. Dora finds a way. You like the navigator. On a highway she always finds on-ramp. Since you tells us where they are. And which ones to take. Thank you for that. For making me feel welcome. Black like a lot of you i always like. Daris. Sermons frontier speaking. And i like. Put a lot of. Of her own experiences. And know what you are saying. And then. Recently the last few months i thought. She was able. To change her mind and in her view. Toward me that. She opened up and just. Maybe listen. To who i was. And. I feel very. Well i'm glad about that. Thank you. That's right i think we all have the tendency to 10. Lingering. But i think you know. Set up spoken. All across.

uucnrv_org

140914_mk_unfrozen.mp3

Welcome to the september 14th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by rev market keller. Andrew surman is titled unfrozen. The podcast begins with an introduction of reverend killer. My worship associate frank napolitano. We welcome again reverend marty keller as guest minister in our pulpit this morning. She is privileged and proud to be reverend eras official mentor. She has been a parish and community minister here in the southern region of the uua for the past 17 years. Serving congregations in mississippi in georgia. Most recently in atlanta. Currently she is the affiliated minister with the uu women's federation as well as a contributing and consulting member minister. For congregations across the country. She's a nonfiction writer and a published poet. Today she is speaking about films in values. Her first degree was in cultural reporting and criticism from the university of california. At berkeley. For more than 28 years she was a film and theater critic and commentator for daily weekly and monthly publications. In the san francisco bay area. See more movies than she would care to count. Some of which she still remembers. Trevor martin. So i'm going to share with you a poem. If. For girls. How many of you women of my age might have heard this poem growing up. Okay. Ycp mcavoy. If you can hear the whispering about you and never yield to deal in whispers to. If you can bravely smile when loved ones doubt you. And never doubt intern what loved ones do. If you can keep a sweet and gentle spirit. In spite of fame or fortune rancor place. Enzo you win your goal. Are only near it. Can win with poise and love with equal grace. If you can lock your heart on confidences never needlessly intern confide. If you can put behind you all your pretenses of mock. Humility and foolish pride. If you can keep that simple homely virtue of walking right with god. Then have no fear that anything and all the world can hurt you. And which is more. You'll be a woman dear. If memory serves me which is. Not as often as it once did. The daintily illustrated woolworths framed copy of the poem if for girls. That my mother gifted me with some time in later childhood. Had formerly been a gift to her from her own mother. This maudlin feminization of the equally gender stifling if for boys. Written by rodger kipling was made popular in the 1950s. By the advice columnist dear abby. Furthering its reach into the homes of millions of mid-century preteen girls. And their families. Now one poem urging the 10 or 11 year old i was to keep a sweet and gentle spirit. And reminding me that dreaming read aspirations leads to disaster does not female oppression make. But the word certainly stuck. No app into a childhood filled with saturday movie matinees watching disney animated films. Technicolor wonders unfailingly and unflinchingly fixated on the someday my prince will come theme. A princesses or would be princesses waiting for that magical kiss. Which would free them and sweep them up into the world of male dependent security. And royal status. Snow white. Sleeping beauty. Cinderella. And the message was delivered. But not i might say dutifully followed as i moved with my whole massive cohort of boomers. Into the gender transforming and then the gender-bending years of the late 1960s and beyond. But not without highly conflicted and confused feelings. About what it was to be a girl. Growing in to a woman. This string of disney princess movies which as one film critic pointed out last year is now a massive empire. With films like the little mermaid perpetuating that giving it all up for romantic love trajectory. She trades her voice and her passions for the love of a man. With few exceptions these pink costume princesses have stayed within the lines. Of the most conventional and most stereotypic female behavior. Provoking a persistent backlash i would say with articles and books asking what's wrong with cinderella. And petition campaign urging disney to rethink. Andre imagine these over simplified mono dimensional and mostly why defied characters. That seemed at the least the seed into limiting their horizons of young girls. And worse triggering body fixations that lead to a disproportionate concerned with physical appearance. Labor day and the official start of the football season and i'm sorry about your loss yesterday. You better believe i. Found out whether you lost or not. Signal the end of summer and the end of the much depended upon summer viewing movie viewing season. Ordinarily hollywood sets its box off its sights on what is segmented as the young male audience. By bringing out its multimillion-dollar techno amazing action films. And this year. Was no exception. No question that disney's guardians of the galaxy superhero film based on marvel's comic team was the major blockbuster. Yep maleficent. A sleeper hit starring angelina jolie about the backstory of the villain of the sleeping beauty fairy tale. Outperform all of the other big boy sound. I just want to call him big boy sound. X-men. Days of future past dawn of the planet of the apes. And the amazing spider-man 2 in theaters. Not only did maleficent start very strong memorial day weekend the most competitive time for summer movies we are told. But stayed strong spending eight weeks in the top 10. It may well be called the stealth hit of the summer one entertainment reporter noted. Because it is a female audience and female-driven narrative. About a villain and mother figure maleficent who we really want to succeed. As one blogger observe it turns a familiar fairytale with that too familiar sweet take away about rescues and happy endings. Into a powerful new myth. Which explores what happens when women are robbed of their power. Not very nice. Female protagonist are cropping up more on the big-screen these days making a dance. A dent in the ratio of three-to-one male characters in family films. Showing themselves to be less one-dimensional less pastel. Darker more complex. Movies like the hunger games series and divergent and the fault in our stars. And then. There's frozen. So this latest princess populated movie is the biggest drawing animation film ever. Amber with over 1.27 billion dollars in box office and dvd and streaming sales. Directed by jennifer li the first-ever female of this genre of disney movies. Frozen is a plea described by new york times film critic stephen holden as featuring. A beautiful but withdrawn. Princess with destructive freezing powers she can't control and later won't. An adorable snowman with buck teeth and a carrot for a nose. The lively attracted to situations where he just might melt away. Andy picture picture perfect prince who turns out to be a cab and the perky and infatuated younger sister princess. Who comes to her senses sooner than later. All of them moving forward a plot. As holden has written where treacly kissy-kissy endings are not enough anymore. The princess in the story has to show her mettle he rides and earn. Her happily ever stripes. In an unconventional. But welcome way. Yes he's quick to point out that in this film story love is still the solution to everything. Even if it turns on sisterly. Instead of sexual affection. Now parenthetically the original snow queen tale written in 1844 by hans christian andersen on which the scrupulously secular frozen was based. Is a far more convoluted story of two siblings and their temperatures. It's filled with christian symbolism. References to the lord's prayer. Passages. From matthew and the redemptive moral about salvation through the power of jesus is love. However the right nose happened hit. For girls and boys and others. Including an enthusiastic glbtq audience. Frozen has not only been box office magic that has. Like so many other studio films created an ever-expanding sub-industry of related dolls and games and fashion merchandising. Filling the entire backs of box bookstores. And the coffers of mail-order houses. But nothing has been more lucrative. Or long-lasting then the popularity of it soundtrack. 12 weeks is number one on the billboard chart 1.4 million album sold. And most astonishing let it go a single from the movie was voted the oscar-winning song of the year and 2013. It has hit almost two million dollars in sales with no signs at all. A fading away. Well i'm not in general in early repeat moviegoer because they're so many other movies to stay another distraction. But in the case of frozen i saw it twice. In a few weeks. The first time at a nearly empty weekday afternoon sing-along screening. Where was just me and a temporarily mute cluster of homeschoolers. Enchanted by the visuals and the clever language i watched it a second time with adult friends who ordinarily stick with sci-fi star trek star wars and the like. They were equally engrossed and uplifted with the soundtrack. Playing an integral role. So why the appeal. Why the appeal. In what is an increasingly use crowdsourcing focus group for sermon riders or what we are effectively calling sermonator. I posted the question on facebook of course. Why do our daughters and granddaughters like frozen so much. Now not unexpectedly my oldest son shot back the question well why not boys as well. As the father of a three-year-old he wanted to weigh in that he believes frozen's impact on boys. Is more relevant to girls and its direct impact on girls. Because of the ways boys relate and take cues from the female characters. Point well-taken. What's the girls. In addition to great interest in and longing for the hairstyles and the dresses that they see on the princesses anna and elsa. They are attracted to honest loving spirit and elsa's independence. The sisters as two strong leads when many of the cartoons out there still feature male superheroes. The freedom to act. That they see in elsa the ice princess once she flees the palace and makes her way up the steep and foreboding mountain. Now for the parents and grandparents of the girls who are watching frozen over. And over and over again the lessons aryan or about not buying into the old fairy tail dream of girl meets guy and they fall in love immediately and forever. They're about following a complicated sibling relationship. They're about the gifts and the challenges of innate power. Real sisters. Real girls. Well perhaps not quite. The lyrics to the hit single let it go which have been translated into at least 25 languages by now have been analyzed by some as being essentially feminist. Feminist. In the spirit of simone de beauvoir for whom independence and freedom were the ultimate goals. In the song elsa moves from being that good girl you always have to be. To a girl with no right. No wrong no rules. The perfect girl gone the storm raging which does not bother her anyway. Alone in an ice palace. An existentialist heroin bordering on a morality. The stuff of a really good song. And a really good story. Afar and in some ways dangerous cry from those other princesses of movie lore. Now of course. Frozen is fiction. And the sister princesses total fantasy. The impact this film and the characters are in they eventually have on flesh-and-blood girls and boys that view it is as yet. If ever to be really known. In a media saturated world one in which my 18 month old granddaughter and my three-year-old grandson are pretty much plugged into twin ipads at family meals. She still is in chanted by the frozen animation and songs he having moved back or onto the lion king by the way. The impact of these motion pictures motion pictures. Cannot be underestimated. The values they do or do not lift up. The gender roles and limitations they do or do not. Portray. In the meantime. In the meantime out in the real world. Girls in our culture and beyond we can be hardened by the first time ever sports illustrated cover story about a girl. Who was a blossoming baseball star monet davis the thirteen-year-old pitching wiz who captured national attention at the little league world series this summer. While her team was ultimately eliminated she was the star player nonetheless with her blazing fastball in her waist-length braids and her towering height more than three inches taller than the average 12 year old boy. Her fluid motion her hard-throwing her flexibility. Her poise all won over the hearts of the crowd. These natural gifts. And hard work and the media attention she has received may not however improve the odds of her going on. Givens a blatant scarcity of girls playing even high school baseball. Only around 1,200 nationwide. Versus almost 500,000 boys. And the lack of baseball teams that are made up. Sole of girls. Nonetheless. There she was out on that mound healthy and strong and gloriously on frozen. From any other of our girls today. The spotlight still never shines. And body shame. Prevails. In her book mad sad and bad. Lisa epigenomics wrote about the extreme dangers of idealized images of glamorous womanhood. Created by the entertainment and the fashion and the diet industries all three worth billions what she says have combined. To create a situation where fat is 4 many girls. A nearer and greater than war. While finn is perfection a dream theater in which all problems. Like in a good fairy tail all problems. Will magically vanish. Within our girls are sold. Comes true love. Unhappiness. And the fairy godmothers for the contemporary cinderella carry slimming potions rather than a wand. Before her tragic early death the real life princess diana confessed her own body punishments. Anorexia. Self-starvation bulimia cutting. There are 14 million hits a year on the internet about anorexia. There are pro-ana sites thinspiration sites. That celebrate drastically lost weight. Describe fasting states. How to keep the condition secret from your parents. How to hide unwanted food. In real life. And in real-time one out of every 50 adolescent girls in is anorexic. As was i. 20% of the girls and women with this eating disorder will die. But at the same time child and teen obesity levels sore with every third child. Every 4th adolescent is massively overweight. Girls incorporated in organization that focuses on the well-being of our young females issues and annual report about their status. This year's report. As in other years describe. Idealize body standards low self-esteem depression girls are still vulnerable to unwanted sex. An unwanted pregnancy although the teen pregnancy rates are really falling. And dating violence. Our unitarian universalist values are etched. In our 7 principles. They support the inherent worth and dignity of all people. Which means all genders. And justice and compassion in human relations. Which would include equity and status and standing with a commitment to seeing each other as full human beings. And a free and responsible search for truth and meaning. Which would ask us to examine the false pictures. And the distortions that cause girls on the way to becoming women. So much. Stress. And so much. Distress. So what we would we wish for our girls. What would we wish for them. Empowered enabled. Embolden girls. And their families. With a focus in energy to engage wholeheartedly. An authentically in their own lives. In their community. And in the larger world in which there are too many other girls. Who's kidnapping. Antabuse. And forced marriage. And for childbearing merit our urgent attention as well. Who deserve to be as fully. Andaz wondrously unfrozen. I close with an updated one of the many versions of if for girls. This one written by gail baker stanton. If you can trust yourself though others doubt you. And conquer fears that limit what you dare. So you can freely give to those about you the skills and talents that are yours to share. If you can take the resources that surround you. And use them in the way you feel you should. You'll be a woman. And all of those around you. Will be the rich. For your woman. May it be so this. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

160214_do_love-digital.mp3

Welcome to the february 14th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service a day is led by a settled minister. Reverend arrowland. And the title of her sermon is love and direction in digital times. The podcast begins with a pastoral prayer. I invite you now to join with one another and myself. Inexperience of. Prayerful reflection. And this morning i invite us. To share in a prayerful. Meditative experience. You are. Words as well. The words i will ask you to lift up this morning are very simple. The words are in. This. I try that together. In. This. There is a larger love. Nail archer love. Hold all we love. All those who are fearful and worried. In. This love. All of those who are. Hopeful and. Joyful. In. Those well-known to us and those who are stranger. In. This. The indebted. And the debt free. In. Let's. The brokenhearted. And the weary. In. This. Those in process of recovery and those not yet in processes of. Recovery. That's law. Those who would seek hope this day and in the days ahead. The very young. And the very old. In this life. Civilian. Casualties in afghanistan and those displaced due to war and conflict. Like those fleeing from syria. In this love. The teeming. Beautiful blue-green planet with all of the creatures we need and scaled. In. This love. And now i invite you to your congregation. The quietly bring to your heart and mind others you would like to be held in this love. Think through those named lift them out and in. And if you'd like to whisper them aloud right now. He may do so. And let us say. In. This. But the larger love this taken. Each tall let us remember. That we are held. Love that connects. In the sacred. Web of. Mourning our topic for our. Worship service is. Love and. Directions. In. Digital toy. And i don't have a reading for us this morning i've decided to incorporate the reading into the message that i want to share with you. Love. Because indeed. It's valentine's day. And direction because direction is our monthlong demon worship. And digital times. Because. Wow. Those are the times we are living in. Digital timer. Wonder if any of you. Can remember the very first time that you saw. A computer. Can you remember the very first time yeah lots of him. But very first time you saw a computer. And i can still feed i can still see in my mind's eye the very first time i saw a computer it was this big bock cibm. Aunt in my grade school. And there's only one of them. And it had green letters. We got so many generations here in this room that i'm going to guess there will be people here in this room who remember personally a time before there weren't. Any personal computers. Yeah okay yeah. And they'll be some people who remember when a computer actually would take up a whole room or whole building. Yeah. There's people here remember that too. And maybe there are some of you who then also remember when there were computers and there were black screens and they had either green letters or orange letters and a blinking box. Cursor. Yeah. And maybe some of you will remember those long reams of paper. That would spit out from the computers. Yeah. And then of course in one's own lifetimes here. We've got desktops that appeared with a mouse that was connect. And then we had laptops appear. And then we had tablets appear and smartphones. We talked about computers and what about phones. Write this likely be people in this room who remember having rotary phone. Free rotary phones. The kranks. And there's likely people who remember when they were party lines lines that were for whole neighborhood right it really wait your turn. Yep. And there's likely to be people could remember having a very long sort of cord attached to their phone that they would take the other parts of the house so they could get a little privacy. Yep. And then of course what we had those big big chunky phones that were the first versions of the mobile phones. Yeah.. Cumbersome. And then the flip phones. Right. And then now we have phones that are just about the size of a jumbo index card there are smartphones right and then their phones the apple created that just. Have it right here. On your. Rest. What time are we living in. We're living in these digital times. I typically ask us and worship to silence our phones would have put your phones on the most worshipful setting. But right now today i'm going to ask you actually not everyone has a cell phone and that's fine. If you have a cell phone i'm an invite you to actually bring it out. And hold it in your hand go ahead and find your phone. Take a good look at that phone in your hand for a moment. Just hold it there in your hand. Looking at it. This morning if you've got an undelivered communication. That you know. You need to send and i don't mean to work. Sort of detail i mean something about an important relationship in your life. You got an undelivered communication. I invite you to make that communication. If you got an undelivered text message. That you want to send communicating your care to someone. Could even bite you to do it right now. Go ahead and you have my permission to text for a minute. In worship. You got someone in your life. A friend and neighbor a sibling your partner a friend you haven't communicated with someone you know you've been meaning to say something to. Go ahead and text them. And you might even tell them why you're texting. That your minister asked you. In a few moments when i asked you to. Put your phones down. And if you haven't yet finished. Go ahead and finish after worship service. But you do it today. Do deliver this important communication to someone you. Carrabelle. Something you've been meaning to say. This morning i want to think through with you what are the blessings and challenges. A living with love and finding our direction as human beings in digital. X. We know we're connected by hyperspeed connection. Technology. Is technology taking us where we want to go are we taking our. Technology where we want. To go. As individuals and as a society. What direction are we moving in as we approach the technology. In our hands. Out of love. Play into our lives as we speak meaningful connections and relationships in this world of hyper-connectivity. I want to share with you that just a few days ago. A dear mentor of mine passed from this life. And he was not only a mentor to me he was a mentor to. Thousands of. And i do mean thousand. His name was ibrahim ferrer jose. And he had working knowledge of 17 languages. And a razor-sharp wit and humor. But moreover had one of the biggest most embracing courageous hearts. Of anyone i have ever experienced. I was blessed to study with him at starr king school for the ministry where he. Taught and. Was a dean and held many different positions there over the course of more than 15 years. He also worked at howard university. His gift to the world. Are very many. And. Power of his teachings were. Often about recovery and reconnection with our own human sense of wholeness. Understanding that we are. Rich and diverse people even in our own life story. And he taught about how it is more than okay. To have so many different strands. As part of our own human identities. He taught about religious pluralism. And the wisdom in each distinct religious and spiritual tradition not by. Collapsing them all together to create some kind of nebulous universalizing gray goo. But really about honoring the real distinct richness of each. Religious and spiritual tradition and doing the hard historical and scholarly and imaginative work to know that the ways that those actually have interrelated at throughout time in history. And then he had this. Wildly devotional heart. Gives the sufi mystic. Muslim who felt very at home also in hindu communities and praying and being part of jewish communities he had a son sandwich a mystical connection with a sense of oneness. Could. Bring people together in a communion that which is most sacred and most universal. He was a teacher of great love. I could go on and on today about ibrahim ferrer jose may his memory be for blessing. But the reason i particulate lift him up today. Is because not just. If you was here wonderful. Teacher that continues to teach on even if he is passed. From this life. But rather because he was wildly prolific. On facebook. Please use the internet as a key strategic. Tool in the ways that he taught. He pioneered online learning and theological and spiritual education. And heath created all sorts of small images that would go out on the internet communicating something important about religious multi-religious scholarship. And. He was really big on lifting up. Marginalized voices and experiences those who have been forgotten left out. Of major conversation. Either about that which is political or that which is spiritual or that which is religious. He was a post-modern 21st century prophet. Very adapt and comfortable at the internet. And i'm. I think the reason it was such a good match. This is my own music. I never asked him and i should have. But one of the reasons i think that he was so adept and interested in using the internet was because the internet is. Vast and fast the same way his imagination. Could make connections and draw richly from so many bodies of discourse in there. The thing that i do believe made ibrahim such a wonderful prolific and influential teacher of how to use the online world. Was that. Is also very detailed. Very interested in contacts. And one of the challenges with engaging in the online world is it's very easy. With a quick dance with the fingertips to go from here to there. I'm here. To there without really sitting with contacts. And without really thinking about the human being. That may be on the other side of the screen or help originated the words. That we're reading. Abraham made it a point to talk about contacts. Anna spiritual. Practice. Of. Bringing once care and attention. To knowledge. Morning i went to offer us all a blessing that i do believe would bring a smile to dr. ibrahim ferrer jose and perhaps will bring a smile to your. Faces as well some of you. The blessing from a celtic christian poet and teacher from his book blessings for the fast. Paste and the cyber spaced. Blessed be gravity. The allurement binding us. Blessed be the earth. Which holds us and molds us. Blessed be dancing molecules electrons and quarks. Blessed be speech song story the voices of the earth. Blessed be electricity which lights up our stories. Blessed be the internet. And virtual reality. Blessed be the television and the alpha state of relaxing. Blessing be email. And the instant written word. Blessed be the cell phone that can rescue us in trouble. Blessed be creations natural and human that bring us. Closer to the source. Of all. Blessing. Now for some of us. We might already think of technology as a blessing. But for many of us we might think of it as anything. But that. I wonder what it means to engage with technology. As a blessing. As a blessing if we approach it as a window to new conversation. Meaningful exchanges if we connect it. With our passions in our hopes guided by love and clarity about what matters most. But i would guess that most of the time. This is not. I suspect he'll most of us are thinking about. In fact i suspect that most of us don't even really step back and think about how we are thinking about. Technology. Become such a part of our everyday lives. In some ways i think that we become disconnected to our own thoughts and feelings our own critical musings on our relationship to how we engage with. Technology and digital time. Whether were using it for love whether we're using it because we must. Today i want to think through this with you because if there ever was an area to explore our relationship to the sacred and the profane. It just might be. These pieces of. Technology. For with the press of a button we can power on. Access seemingly to the whole universe. We can find information we can. Read about someone blogging off the shores of australia telling us about starfish. In the great barrier reef. We can read. Someone a soldier stationed in afghanistan talking about the challenges of serving on the front lines. We can comment about a myriad of different thing. All from the comfort relative comfort of wherever we are in steaming. Anonymous face. Just by turning on our power switch. Now in some ways we're not all that different from everyone else was live through different periods of rapid industrialization. There were of course the steamship that close the gap. On waters separating great land masses. And then there were airplanes the connected people and may travel so much more simple and quick. In terms of communications we had the gutenberg. Press and the gutenberg bible and we have. The telegraph and then we had the radio all increasingly pieces of technology that would open and share information more widely. No doubt some of you may remember the critical moments is technologies at up. There's both innings excitement. And there's also of corson overwhelmed. How will we be with the access how will we be with the power. It's now right here. At our fingertips. I want to share that i've had the wonderful experience of marrying many a couple who met. Online. Looking for each other across a crowded universe. They found each other through the to love technology. I think communities use technologies in ways that that blossom and further the mission in the hope some goals of that community. I know especially for those and disability communities for example for whom ability as a particular challenge technology has been a liberatore experience because all of a sudden barriers to access and participation dissolve and you can participate right there in your bedroom. In your office in your kitchen. Technology. Is it powerful. Potent. And yet for some. It is also as a substance powerful and potent. We know that people develop addiction to going online get lost in the world the digital and virtual world and that real-time relationships of meaning suffer. And even if you're someone that doesn't really wrestle with the internet and technology is a substance that challenges your ability to. Make distinctions between time spent in online and time spent with those you love most people do report a sense of being just overwhelmed. On occasion. By so much information. How can we pay attention. To what are we pay attention to. In digital time. Jose ortega says tell me to what you pay attention and i will tell you who. You are. We know that the internet can be distracting. We also know that the internet can be a source of great. D perkins. Today i want to invite you to consider. Take a self in venturi of your own relationship. To the technologies you use. How goes it with your relationship to. I want to share with you a quick story. It's a story which i. Truly hope will help us to remember that the internet is not placed. To forget our humanity. But instead is a place to grow. Our humanity. Not a tool. With which we recklessly forget empathy. The human experience but a place in which we actually just met recharge. And reconnect. With cumin and the. Stories about lindy west. Anyone know already the story about lindy west. Lindy west is a writer and she often writes about feminist topic and she writes about women in the world of video gaming. And all sorts of things related to. Emerging technologies and women's experiences and she's right about what it means to not fulfill the typical portrait of a thin and traditionally beautiful woman what it means to be a larger size woman in the world to read about a lot of different topics. She wrote an article one day about. Jokes that were being made about ray. She said jokes that are being made about rape or being made. All the time in comedy called. And basically she said it's not funny. She received a lot of rebukes for what she wrote. She says lindy west says that she gets rude remarks about what she rides. All the time. Online. But after writing this one article something different happened. Her father had recently died of cancer. And. I want to share with you just briefly. Some words that she has to share about her father. She said my dad was special. The only thing he valued more than went with kindness. He was a writer and an admin and a magnificent baritone. I can genuinely genuinely say that i've never met anyone else so universally beloved. Nor do i expect to again. I love him so so. She lost her father due to cancer. And then she opened her computer and was looking through different comments and everything it was on her desktop she saw that somebody some stranger. The taken her father's name. And used it as an alias. To tweet and communicate. Pretty cool things. About what she was writing. Your father's name was appearing over and over again. Even though. He had died. And she stopped what she was doing the normal you know people say don't read the comments and people say let's not respond you know sticks and stones for the thing but. Because she was in the prostate and she just lost her father. I couldn't just ignore it. And instead what she did was she decided to post an article addressing exactly has she fell. She got vulnerable. And she said how painful it was. But this was going on. And she wrote the following. She said there's a term for this brand of gratuitous online cruelty. We'll call it internet trolling. Trolling as recreational abuse usually anonymous intended to waste subject time or get a rise out of them or frustrate or frighten them into silence. Sometimes it's relatively innocuous or juvenile. But particularly when the subject is for example young woman frequently can cross a line. Sometimes even to bonafide dangerous stalking and harassment. And even this is more of what she writes an oculus harassment when it's coming up at you and math from hundreds or even thousands of users a day. It stops feeling an oculus. Very quickly. Instead of a silencing tactic. The message seems to be you're outnumbered. The messages. when you're gone. The volume and intensity of harassment vastly magnified for women of color and trans women and disabled women and larger women and basically anyone from a marginalized background. So that day when someone just write decided to take her father's name and use it to communicate. Cruel little comments to her. She couldn't ignore it. And she wrote this article. Talking about her experience and why it mattered to her. And the next day she woke up to find it very interesting email. This is the email that she received. Hey lindy. I don't know why you're even when i started trolling you. It wasn't because of your stance on rape jokes. I don't find them funny either. I think my anger towards you stems from your happiness with your own being. It offended me because it served to highlight my own unhappiness with myself. I've emailed you now through to other gmail accounts just to spend you idiotic insults. And i apologize for that. I created. This accounts in this account and i have deleted them both. I can't say how i can't say sorry enough. It was the lowest thing i've ever done. When you included it in your latest article it finally hit me. There is a living breathing human being who is reading this. I am attacking someone who never harmed me in any way. And for no reason whatsoever. I am done being a troll. Again i apologize. I made a donation in memory to your dad. I wish you the best. And he had donated $50 to the seattle cancer care alliance with her father had been treated for. In a little bit later. She enlisted some help from some other folks. And she actually was able to talk with this person. On the phone. And the person. Had actually had an incredible change. He was no longer trolling as he mentioned. But he'd actually become a teacher. And every day he said if you watched his students harass and be cruel to each other. Each time he felt a deep sense of remorse and he helped he hoped that his work being a teacher was in some way healing and mental mending some of the farm. But he had. I'm participating in creating online. Wendy's stories interesting for me and one of the things that i take home from her story and she talked and she uses this word she says we must remember there is a sentient being. On the internet. In the internet but on the other side of our. Communication. She says internet trolls are not in fact monsters they are human being. And i don't believe that their attempts to dehumanize me can be counteracted by dehumanizing then. The only thing that fights dehumanization is increased humanization. Of me. Of them of marginalized groups and general of the internet as a whole. What she reminds me of what dr. ibrahim ferrer jose reminds me of is that the internet. Is no place to forget our humanity. But it is a place to grow it. And we each one of us have a responsibility. And thinking about how we will approach the power in our hands. For just like the power of speech. The power to communicate online is a creative power or a destructive. A recent study showed that when people are on communicating with one another and they read the comments on a particular comment on a particular topic. The vitriol or uncivil any of the comments. Slap effect people thinking not just about the topic but about their own point of view the more. Vitriolic that ret the speaking so just be on the comments is the more people grow entrenched in their. And polarized. We don't need studies to tell us this but it's starting to be studied which tells me that we all as a society and its culture need to grow ever more invested. Talking about how we will choose our relationship. To technology. As i mentioned we're in lent. Our christian neighbors. And i'm. Faith neighbors are lent. And it's a time when people tend to consider what one can let go of. When can give up. Time to think about what brings us closer to the sacred. Some folks think about giving up sweets or giving up drinking. Some folks think about taking us. Hiatus from technology. Taking an internet fast. For a couple hours each week. For even a day each week. To consider restoring one's own rhythm. And 17 relationship to technology. I invite you to stay to consider how you will. Carry your own power and your own experience with technology. How can you carry the blessing of loving life. Wherever you are. Especially as you enter the virtual world. Technology is powerful. But it's not more powerful. Then our human hearts and our human minds. Let us be thoughtful. About how we will relate to. Power. In our hands. I closed with this poem by rebecca and parker. Your gifts. Whatever you discover them to be. Can be used to bless or curse the world. The mind's power the strength of hands the reaches of the heart. The gift of speaking listening. Imagine. Seeing. Waiting. Any of these can be used to serve and feed the hungry. Bind up wounds. Welcome the stranger. Praise what is sacred do the work of justice or offer love. And any of these can be used to draw down the prison door. Cornbread abandon the poor. Obscure what is holi. Comply with injustice. Or withhold love. We must answer. This question. What will you do. With your gifts. Choose to bless the world. The choice to bless the world's more than an act of will. I'm moving forward into the world with the intention to do good. It is an act of recognition. Confession of surprise. Grateful and acknowledgement that in the midst of a broken world unspeakable beauty grayson mystery abide. There is an embrace of kindness that encompasses all life. Even yours. And while there is injustice or evil. They're also move the holy disturbance of benevolent rage or revolutionary love. Protesting. Urging. Insisting that that which is sacred will not be defiled. Those who bless the world. Live their life as a gesture of thanks. For this beauty and this range. The choice to bless the world can take you into solitude. The search for the sources of power and grace. Native wisdom healing and liberation. But more the choice will draw you into community. The endeavor shared. The heritage passed on. The companionship of struggle and the importance of keeping faith. The life of ritual and praised the comfort of human friendship. The company of earth. It's chorus of life. Welcoming you. None of us alone can save the world. But together. That is another possibility. Blessed be. And. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website. At uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

141012_cb_god-when-i-need-her.mp3

Welcome to the october 12th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by a minister america. Reverend christine brownlee. Her sermon is title. Where is god when i need her. I sent my soul to the invisible. Some letter of that. Afterlife to spell. And by-and-by. My soul return to me and answered. I. Myself. And heaven. And hell. Where is god when i need her. Well first of all i want you to understand something about. My vision of god. When i was at seminary. I brite divinity school. Go tcu. Had a teacher. Who felt that. We needed to embrace. The feminine aspect. Of the divine. And this really broke through to me. In an important way because. Like perhaps some of you. I was raised in a family where my father. Had an unpredictable temper. And so for me to imagine. The divine. As. Strictly mail. Was very difficult. In fact. Sometimes impossible. So i like to use both gender terms. Him. Sheehy. For the divine. Feeling that for me. That works a little better. You know i moved to radford. And one of the things that i do need this new community as i serve as the hospital chaplain. When the regular chaplain. The reverend jonathan webster. A wonderful person and excellent chaplin. Need to take some time off. I've had training as a chaplain. And generally the religious needs that i encountered. Are easily accommodated i'll get a phone call please come. And i'll hustle over to the hospital put on my caller. Hustle over to the hospital. And. Try to. Pastor in the best sense of that word. Try to be with people. Who may be in a very difficult situation. And pretty generally what this is is a family member has reached the end of life. They're going to be transferred over to the hospital in roanoke. And my job is to. Consola family. To help them space what is coming next and they know what's coming next. Pretty generally. And to assure them that everything will continue to be done. Within reason. To protect. The life. Of this dear person. One afternoon i received a call. They needed me to come right away. Usually they tell me before i get there what's going on but this time they didn't they suggest, and we'll talk to you when you get here. That. Was a little concerning. I had a pretty good idea that whatever was waiting for me. Was not the 20-minute visit. And a prayer. And i hope that. Explain expression of hope. There was something more serious going on here. And. So i got to the hospital and went over to the nurse's desk and i introduced myself and one of the nurses came out and took me down the hall. Away from everyone. She said how much do you know. Nothing. I don't know anything. Feel me in. The person who had we requested my presence. What's a woman. In her late 30s. Who had. Had a terrible automobile accident. Because she was drunk. And while she survived with only a few. Bumps and bruises. Her four-year-old daughter. Died. From injuries. In the accident. And because this accident took place while she was drunk. She was now facing. A healthy. Prison center. Well i thought what am i supposed to do now. This seems pretty. Open and shut. She did it. She know she did it. What do you need me for. Well they said. She needs to know that someone cares about her. Everyone in her family has turned their back on her. And we feel she needs someone. Who will care for her not like her. Not love her. Not feel sorry for her none of that. Care for her. So. They took me into this large room where she in a lot of other patients were. And introduced me to her. She was a much bigger person than i was. And frankly she was a little on the fatty side. She been crying and crying and crying. And she's holding me. And sniffling all over me and i said. We need to find a quiet place where we can be together. So i asked her what happened. I wanted to hear her story. And she said well. My boyfriend and i had a fight. And he left. And there wasn't any booze in the house. And i really needed a drink. Pretty much sums it up. Her four-year-old daughter have been put on life support for days the grandparents were the ones who ended it. She was furious that she was not consulted i don't blame her. But i thought. What am i to do. How do i. Reach out to a person. Like this. Having created her own terrible tragedy. She said to me yeah they put her on life support they couldn't do anything for her so they pulled the plug. My parents did that. My parents. They wouldn't let me near her i didn't even get to see her i didn't get to say goodbye. I know i'm going to jail. The cops have already told me that. I know that i did something wrong. I've been in jail before and i'm not scared of that but i'm scared of god. I'm scared that god's going to put me in hell because i killed my baby and i feel like i'm already in hell. This ain't never going to go away. For as long as i lived. I'll live with this. And she began to cry. I was overwhelmed. I was overwhelmed with. Aching for the suffering of the child. The grandparents. Angry how could a mother be so careless. Care so little for her child who is not even in a car seat. Grease for the grandparents who lost his child. And to be honest. Sorry for myself. Trying to. Think of what a pastoral presence could offer to someone who has done something so tragically irresponsible. And so i began to pray. Dear mother of all i prayed. Give me the words. That this woman needs to hear now. Give me the courage. To say what needs to be said. Help me to find. Strength. And the wisdom. And even the compassion. To care for this woman. And a voice replied. Remember dr. lester. Who the heck is dr. lester. Dr. lester. Was one of my professors at brite divinity school. And his specialty was helping you understand how to deal with people. Who had done bad things. And who needed to face the facts. And to be. Compassionate fubus pastoral care. But his version of pastoral care was not. They're there everything's going to be alright. His version of pastoral care was. You got a face. What you have done. And go on. He was a small man. But he had the heart of a liar. And i begin. 2. Focus. Eye dr. lester. Ask him. To help me. He said our obligation is ministers was to help people see the truth. Of their lives. How many of us really want to do something like that. Face the truth of our lives we want to think of ourselves. As very good people as kind as generous. Whatever. And we don't want to look at this other side of ourselves. That is there. And that comes out every once in awhile. But we all have it. And we all know it. We've all taken risks. That were unwise i can remember myself. After one of the lovely wine-and-cheese parties that we had some years ago. Getting in my car and thinking to myself is this a good idea it is snowing. For sure it's a good idea how do you grow up in minnesota. You know how to drive in the snow. And i did. And i did drive in the snow. And i was lucky. Because the two times my car lost traction. I was able to. Stay on the road. It was a dumb thing to do. And i never did it again. But we all make. Poor choices. And we all have to face that reality about ourselves. Your obligation is a minister was to help people see the truth of their lives and the consequences of their actions no matter how painful that might be because that is the only way. It lasting change can happen. And to him. To dr. lester. That what that was what many religions call. Salvation. When you see. Truthfully who you are. The whole bowlful of it. And you own it. And you live with it. I handed my. Lovely lady and she was trying to be. I truthfully lovely person she was thanking me for coming she was telling me she was sorry. I tried to. Pandora the box of tissues and i said. Yes i can understand why you feel that you might be headed for hell. It seems to me. But in fact you already there. You killed your daughter. You brought terrible grief to your family that's going to remain with them. For the rest of their lives. You're headed for court. And the judge is already told you he's going to throw the book at you you're going to get the biggest sentence he can give you. What is sad. And sorry state of life this is for you and the people who love you and who loved your daughter. And this isn't going to go away is it. Typing those words i thought wow. That sounds pretty harsh chris. Is that truly the best thing you could come up with but. Then i remembered that. She stopped crying. And she kind of pulled herself up. And she looked me square in the eye. And she said to me. You're right. You write this mess isn't going to go away. Maybe never. I have to face this. Nobody can fix this. My babies in heaven and that's good. She isn't suffering. My family told me that they're done with me. My brother said he never wants to see my ugly face again. I can't blame him. I've been nothing but trouble for a long time. She looked at the floor and said to me can we pray. Oh sure i said. You pray she said. You ask god to forgive me. Well why would i do that. Don't you think it would mean more to you and to god if you did that if you ask for forgiveness. I can't she said. But i will if you'll start. Okay. I can start. Mother father died. We come to you today with hearts that are broken. And filled with pain. The precious life is benoit. Because of careless actions and bad choices and we know there is nothing that we can do to change what is in the past. And we can't expect the people who are going to suffer. And grieve because of this mother's actions. I never be able to forgive her. But you have promised that if we acknowledge our wrongdoings and turn to you. That we will be healed. We will be renewed in love and hope. Now this might not be exactly how i see it. But i wasn't the person who needed the prayer. She did. And so. I gave her. Prayer that i hoped. Would lift her up. And suddenly there was a voice another voice. Her voice. And she said. Oh god i am so sorry for how i have lived. Please forgive me. Please be with me when i go to jail. I am so scared. I know that my family hates me and i don't blame them. I have cost a lot of hurt. And i feel bad about that. Forgive me. Amin. To me those words meant. It she had found a place in herself. That she could. Trust. To help her get back on the right path. Even though that pass was going to be difficult. She knew. Why she was going where she was going there was no more denial for her. She had to face the truth of herself. And from that point. Step by step by step-by-step make decisions. Maybe you have not been in precisely this place. In life. And maybe for you. The idea that god is going to forgive you. Has. Little or no relevance. But i think we all. Come to moments. When we know. We have failed as human beings. We have been angry. Where anger was not necessarily the best choice of emotions. We have been deceptive. Because we wanted to protect ourselves and hide something from others. We have. Said words. And done things. That we have regretted. Just as this woman. Came to a point of regret. And remorse. Hand. I think. Some understanding. Of her own life. Her own choices. Her own self. And that really is what pastor will cares about it's not about what i believe. It's about. What the person in need. Believes. And hopes for. So we hug. And when i looked in her eyes. It was a difference. She was able to look at me. As an adult to an adult. Thank you she said. Thank you so much. No one has ever really treated me like i was a person. I left wishing her all the best. A few days later i saw her mugshot on the morning news. It has been taken when the cops first brought her into the hospital in. She is crying in this picture she is plainly terrified. I know that she was given 20 years. A long sentence. And i think probably many people feel that. That was a fair sentence. But every now and then i find myself thinking about her. How was it. Did she came to be the person she turned out to be. What had pulled her into a life. Of addiction. And. Bad choices where was the father of that little girl. Why was there no one to protect her. Heather ever been someone a relative a neighbor a teacher. Who could have been the role model. For this mother. As she was struggling to parent this child. Obviously i'll never know. But the questions. Are still worth asking. And how often. How easy is it for me for any of us. To take a path that we know. Could well lead us to a bad outcome. We've taken a risk. But we knew. Might change our life. Forever. In ways that we would not want. I remember almost killing myself jaywalking in new york city. And taking someone else with me. And i thought the cab driver was going to get out of the cab. And smacked us both. We were both running across the street. And we just collided. And she fell down and i stopped by to pick her up because there was a taxi coming. Was that a good choice. I could have. Done terrible injury to myself to her. But i was in a hurry. I needed to be someplace. That's all i was thinking about. This woman. With her problems was thinking about what. Getting high. And i think to myself how many people do any of us know in this community in this congregation right here. Who live that kind of life. And i imagine that the percentage is pretty small. We are. In some ways a very sheltered community. Our friends don't do things like that. And we tend to look. Down can i say. And people in her condition. Where did she go for help. Does she know. And how do we recognize that we are part of the problem. We're not responsible for everyone but when we see someone doing. Things that are hurtful and dangerous do we intervene or do we say oh that's their business. I don't want to get involved. He's a complicated problems complicated issues and i don't have answers i watched some of my students at redford and i think. Oh my gosh. Where do we go with this kind of thing. It's messy. It's messy. We need to understand. That we have a place in this tragedy. We need to understand that there are people in our communities. Who lives in a very different from ours. And who need. Help. And that is why. I ask god for help. Eva marie's. God the god who cares the god who forgives. The guy who is a grandmother and says don't do that. The guy who says to the little girl who goes to look at the truck. With all that pointy stuff on it. And that another word did i learn a lesson. Oh yeah. This woman learned a lesson. And she's going to be living that lesson for the next 20 years. A child died because. Of her carelessness. And she owned it. She owned it. That was remarkable. The next time i am inclined to judge someone i don't know very well or maybe even someone i do know well. And say well you know. I don't think i'd make that choice. Am i put my arm around him and say you know. Could we look at this together. Can i intervene. In a loving way. Perhaps. Perhaps. But. To do nothing. Easter eggs. True catastrophe. Where perhaps. We can be an agent. For hope and healing. And learning. Learning the realities of life that. We don't usually get to see. But are there. And that affect us. Augustine. Maybe so. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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150517_do_creating-future.mp3

Welcome cousin a17 service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by are settled minister. Reverend arrowland. And the title of her homily is creating a beloved future. The service also included reports. From four groups on university initiatives. Members of the strategic planning committee discussed plans over the coming year of revisiting our mission statement and vision. Members of the social justice steering committee. Brought us up-to-date on their work. A representative from the international partnership church committee. Call russ about plans to find a partner church. And we heard from coffee 16 about a plan to have a large contingent of uuc members and friends. Going to the 2016 uu general assembly in columbus ohio. Links to their presentations are on the sermon archive page. Your congregation is know the theme of our sunday services morning. Is a celebration. Aku we are. And who we are becoming. As beloved. Community. A few years ago there was a fellow unitarian universalist. Minister of mine has amos fred meyer. And she wrote an article. That garnered a lot of attention at the time. In the name of that article was. The end of icharts. Actually based on a lecture that he had given at something called the berry street. I'll lecture series at lecture series in our movement and it happens every year and it's to lift up new innovative ideas and unitarian-universalism that as clergy people we should be paying attention to and perhaps as my folks and members of our congregation might be inspiring to us to think about how they can help deepen our experience. I've living in as unitarian universalist. So this pieces of that article and his lecture this lecture that he gave called the end of archer. What about the possibility. I'll put more over at the necessity. Of moving away from what she called. Ichurch. Like with a little eye. Iphone. And in fact he basically said that. If it is at unitarian-universalism is to survive and thrive and actually meet the needs of today's people and tomorrow's people. We need to move away from the thing that you called my church. Let me try to share with you just a little bit about this idea of what i church is. In broad strokes church little i church. Is the church of the face community. That reflects that religious and spiritual orientation to individualism. Now all the times we have unitarian universalist. Tend to talk a lot about the individual. And we celebrate this as part of our legacy we celebrated sometimes tracing is back. To ralph waldo emerson. Lots of folks know ralph waldo emerson. You know that he was once a unitarian minister. And he left his parish life to serving him or broadway writing and thinking and speaking and inspiring all sorts of people that then became known as transcendentalist. 2. Betrays our idea about prizing individualism we we think about that sometimes in terms of going back to the trenton transcendentalist maybe like. Ralph waldo emerson. For example he wrote. No law can be sacred to me. But that of my nature. He also wrote trust thyself. Every heart. Vibrates to that iron string. So we can hear the ring of autonomy. In emerson thought. Honoring the nature of the south. And the cell's unique relationship to the universe. However i would suggest that if we only hear the ring of individualism. That's a little bit of a gloss on emerson's actual. And actually on our transcendentalist heritage in our legacy. Because well he another transcendentalist road of using one's own interior sense to connect with that which is larger. They were also deeply engaged in broadening sources of inspiration. And insight. And so many transcendentalists were actually deeply involved in social reform. In social work and social innovation and experimentation to make the world a better place. So that would include people like bronson alcott and elizabeth peabody who are pioneering education for young people. And kindergarteners in the united states. In fact we have in munger transcendentalist and others in our faith bear. People can work connecting their face identity. With a real need to make educational. Perform. In their time. So this morning we heard some of your voice your. Concerns about the state. An education in this country. And i hear our faith forebears kind of ballet. Smiling. And yes. Yes this moves. Let's move the heart. We also people in our transcendentalist legacy like margaret fuller with working on women's rights and we have people like theodore parker who was a was a very well-known transcendentalist in his time and he was an abolitionist. I believe it or not there are stories about him. And i'm not. Condoning this behavior. But. They're stories about him that he preached. And he had a gun. In his desk and some people can say at his pulpit i don't think that was true i don't know. But in one hand he was advocating that all people should be free and on the other hand he would have his revolver to protect the slaves that were trying to make a break for freedom. Pretty controversial. But that was stamps that he made as someone interested in social reform and making a stamps for the liberation of fellow human beings in his time. Anyway my point this morning is that we might not want to think just that the transcendentalist were only about this small sense of i rather they were really about a sense of we that extended beyond the eye but still acknowledge. Individuality. In fact individuality is a great thing. Individuality is a wonderful thing. Individualism that notion that the individual exists all by oneself. Is purely self-referential. Such a great thing. We can see doesn't plan our larger culture. And indeed the gloss on emerson thought that can sometimes happen plus the rent and individualism of our dominant culture. Can sometimes make and this was fred meyers case and i'm intrigued by it he says it can kind of make fresas unitarian-universalist sometime. Achilles heel. When we can sleep individuality with individualism here's some words from fred meyer he says. Emersonian individualism has become part of an american story of core. Think of the little eye that place in front of the name of apple product. Some say d i means internet others explained that the little ice stands for individual. This is your personal piece of technology to be used for whatever purpose you want. Many of us were drawn to unitarian universalism because it seemed to be the church of emersonian individual is. We are the. Ichurch. That's what he says. And yet. Here's a little bit more of what he writes. For all of its appeal and influence in american culture individualism is not system. Individualism will not serve a greater good a principle to which we unitarian-universalist have also committed ourselves. There is little to nothing about the ideology and theology of individualism. Encourages people to work and live together. To create and support institutions that serve common aspiration and beloved prince. That's the end of the pieces of mirror writing that i want to share with you this morning. So i hope that you're starting to see. What mirror is getting at and which i'm trying to explore with you this morning this sense of i cherish. The eye church of the church of the faith community that weren't that places the individual first and foremost alone. Church is the church of me. The same way each person has an iphone each person has their own version of a nightshirt. The church that's for me and about me. Now please hear me very clearly this morning and there is nothing wrong. With having a church that meets one's needs. And affirmed one's help. Nothing at all in fact it is incredibly important. Once again there is nothing wrong with. Individuality. We prize that we honor that. But mere articulated in 2012 and i agree that. And this is a quote from him to build. Beloved community. Unitarian universalism needs a new narrative. Several years ago that you started talking about this and i've been thinking about this and. Here's what i think the real good news is i agree we need a new narrative it's not just like an aye-aye unitarian universalist narrative. But we don't need to make that narrative up purely out of scratch. Because rather the universalist wing of our history. And the notion of. Covenant as a set of promises and relationships that bring us into meaningful community with others. Can actually become the sense of a wii church but not just a weedeater. An embracing we that becomes not just about our own self-interest but where our values and our physiologies of welcome and hope. And inclusion and dignity for all people. Meet with the world within and beyond our walls. Beyond i mean those already we consider within our faith communities. Miracle the end of i-20. Actually a movement towards beloved. And i think that we can talk about beloved. Community in many ways. The reverend shirley strong as dean of students at the california institute of integral studies. She writes this about beloved community she writes. I understand the beloved community term. Demeaning inclusive interrelated society. Based on love compassion. Responsibility shared power of respect for all peoples and places and things. A society that radically transformed individuals. Andre structures institution. Here's what i would say about beloved can you. It is the hope. That we as human beings urine for. Igg4 and feel so for filled when we party. Tamia beloved community it's about a larger sense of human community in which all life can flourish without exploitation. Without abuse without unnecessary suffering. In which justice and compassion make real spaces. For each person. To unfold the fullness. Of who they are. And express their unique gifts and be known in the world. When no-one is relegated to a second-class. Status. Not as a human being. Question about moving from a church to beloved community that's one idea i just want to share with you today i don't want to share with you just one more notion. Once upon a time clergy were encouraged to think of membership in this way it was you know it's spire folks to connect. Help folks to. Feel and develop a sense of belonging. A real sense of belonging. And then retain members so that the congregation continues to grow. Actually don't think there's anything wrong. With all that. It's a marvelous thing as a healing and it's a full sword of thing a necessary thing for people to find an affirming community where we are known where we are recognized where we are appreciated this is. Fantastic this is one big reason. That congregation said. But let's not stop there. Dream that we can realize beloved community by only hanging out with. The people we perceived to be just like us. Whatever that may mean to you. So here's the other notion the other notion this these days is that the role of faith community is to create not just a circle of community. Place of belonging yes that but also the ideas to help people connect. With that which is spiritually renewing. And equip people. Support people in going out and doing the good work of the world. And making the face community a hub of inspiration. Outward-facing action in the world and in living. It's as if my it says my face colleague my do you call a greg stewart says. Go out into the world. And then come back and share with us. Count that has informed your face. So today i want to speak with you about the attorney i believe we are already on. One in which removing more from an inward facing congregation and we are. So good at caring for one another. And we are using now. The goodness that we know about how to care for one another. And facing it more and more and more powerful outward. Sending out our care and our sense of radically inclusive love out into the world where the journey dear congregation i believe of becoming. I'm moving from amor inward-facing to more outward-facing congregation. And again this doesn't mean that we seastar nurturing community we don't see this being a house where people are in gathered and cared for rather we are also reaching more and more boldly forward into the world. We're taking care of that we do not become only a reinforcing mutual affirmation. Community or society but rather that we extend our stuff out words. And meet the world grounded and a renewed sense of who we are. Why we care. And what we have to offer. Maybe. We have funds to offer. We've been giving away half of our plate every single sunday. Maybe we have the ability to be a really good partner. Some other faith communities. And organizations naruto. Maybe we are able to create with one another something entirely new. That are larger community actually needs. And your install. Baby. Baby. In biblical tales there's a story about a fable. Nutritious. Substance sustaining spiritual goodness called. Mana. Manna from heaven. He probably heard about mana. It nourishes the stories that nourishes the people in the desert it revives the weary it comes from heaven it melt in the sun and it floats in the wind and it's formed from the tamarisk tree bark and. Stories say that it exudes this beautiful. In the story the people subsist on manna for 40 years. A really long time. But the man has ceases to arrive to the people every time they stop. Every time they get settled. I don't think that we need manna from heaven. But rather we need to create opportunities for all to eat. And all to take care of ourselves. I do think mana reminds us of the possibilities of unexpected reesha sports-obsessed anna. And today when it suggests. That beloved community is no destination. But rather a process in which we discover together again and again what we can be when we reach out for new canaan. New possibilities. In this process amana is a sense of growth. The man has no sense of well-being. The development that we experienced when we stretch when we discover a new allies. New partnerships when we reach on towards a society in which all people matter and have an opportunity to unfold the gifts of their lines. The manor. Is what we make. When we participate in beloved can you. I believe most people want a part of something beautiful. I believe most people want to partake in something powerful. I believe most people want to feel that one's own life matters and that moreover life. South. Is meaningful. Because it is. We are at when we plant a tree for the future. We expressed a hope for the future and today we are going to dedicate a tree. When we dedicated tree we recognize that what is now is not the shape. What will be to. That there is a possibility that will be realized bit-by-bit and that eventually a gift will come to flourish. The shape of which we cannot even really magic. Right now. Beloved community. There is so much. Goodness. Going on. In this place. We have a group looking at legacy. How this liberal religious home can be strong and sturdy for generations to come. And there are so many amazing efforts going on in this congregation. Slowly moving us in really exciting ways to more outward-facing stance in the world. And this morning. I want you to cure a little bit more about some of these. I want a gift back to you as a celebration. Some of the truly beloved community sorts of work that is unfolding in this congregation. And then i'm going to invite us to bless. A tree that has been donated by some of our youngest ones. Let us remember this morning. That together we are growing. A beloved sort of. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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130505_tales-two.mp3

Welcome to the may 5th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. Today's sermon. Delivery by reverend alex. Is titled tail to curl your hair. Part 2. This morning's reading is from this personal bible of mine this book entitled the power of myth. But i've used with you consistently throughout our infant together. The peace of this conversation between joseph campbell and bill moyers that i want to share with you this morning. Happens after the two of them have had a long piece of conversation. About how the ultimate end of all religious community done well is to help an individual go inward. Okay. And part of what campbell says in preface to this piece of conversation i'm going to share with you. Is that. The human tendency the human inability to do anything other than dualities. Keeps us from being really easy about going inward. Because we're constantly seeing the world in terms of good bad. Evil not so evil right wrong republican-democrat any number if you alitiz. And out of that tennessee to want to go to one extreme or the other we have a hard time. Centering ourselves going in work. So about a four-minute reading do what you can to relax into it. I think it important that you hear this. Okay. And i'm not going to mention who saying what i think it flows well enough that you can just go with it okay. Life is and it's very essence in character a terrible mystery. This whole business of living by killing and eating. But it is a childish attitude to say no to life with all of its pains. To say that this is something that should not have been. Zorba says. Trouble life is trouble. Only death is no trouble. People ask me do you have optimism about the world and i say yes it's great just the way it is. And you are not going to fix it up. Nobody has ever made it any better. It is never going to be any better. This is yet so take it or leave it. You are not going to correct or improve it. Doesn't that lead to a rather passive attitude in the face of evil. You yourself are participating in the evil. Are you are not alive. Whatever you do is evil for somebody. This is one of the ironies of the whole creation. What about this idea of good and evil in mythology of life is a conflict between the forces of darkness. And the forces of light. That is a soro astronaut idea which is come over into judaism and christianity. And other traditions good and evil are relative to the position in which you are standing. What is good for one is evil for the other. And you play your part not withdrawing from the world when you realize how horrible it is. But seeing that this horror is simply the foreground. Bubble wonder. Mysterium tremendum assassination. All life is sorrowful is the first buddhist saying and so it is. It wouldn't be life if there were not temporality involved which is sorrow. Lost lost lost. You've got to say yes to life and see it as magnificent this way. For this is surely the way god intended it. Do you really believe that. It is joyful justice it is i don't believe there was anybody who intended it but this is the way it is. The ends of things are always painful. The pain is part of their being a world at all. But if you accepted that as an ultimate conclusion you wouldn't try to form any laws or fight any battles are. I didn't say that. Isn't that the logical conclusion to draw from accepting everything as it is. That is not the necessary conclusion to draw. You could say i will participate in this life. I will join the army i will go to war and so forth. I will do the best i can. I will participate in the game. It is a wonderful wonderful opera. Except that it hurts. Affirmation is difficult we always affirm with conditions. I affirm the world on condition that it gets to be the way santa claus told me it oughta be. But affirming it the way it is that's the hard thing. The hero is the one who comes to participate in life coronavirus lee and decently in the way of nature not in the way of personal rancor disappointment our revenge. The hero's spirit of action is not the transcendent the here. Now in the field of time. Of good and evil. What's the pairs of opposites. Whenever one moves out of the transcendent one comes into a field of opposites. What has eaten of the tree of knowledge not only of good and evil. But of male and female of right and wrong of this and that and of light and dark. Everything in the field of time is dual. Past and future dead and alive. Being and non-being. Heraclitus said that fer god all things are good and right and just but for man. Some things are right and others are not. When you are a man you were in the field of time and decisions. One of the problems of life is to live with the realization of both terms. To say i know the center and i know that good and evil. Are simply temporal aberrations and that in god's view. There is no difference. That is the idea and the upanishads. Not female not yet male is it neither is it neuter. What everybody assumes. Through that body it is served. That is right. So jesus says judge not that you may not be judged. That is to say put yourself back in the position of paradise. Before you thought in terms of good and evil. You don't hear this much from the pulpit. But one of the great challenges of life is to say. Yay. Did that person or that act. Or that condition. Which in your mind is most abominable. Listen to this morning's reading. Everybody sunday school out on the great lawn and kids following over there in the grass. With their teachers. It's a good thing to say. If you were here last week you heard me do this. Somewhat disjointed engagement of you i was feeling the pressure of time and having to edit as i talk. What is somewhat disjointed engagement of you about what i understand to be the macro tales that would curl your hair about what we are supposed tradition. If i had to drive it down into just one sentence of what i preach last sunday. I would remind you that what i preached was at the unitarian universalist association of congregations. Has ever more evidence that it is in serious trouble. Ns2 of its board members spoke from the pulpit in charlotte saturday a week ago at this regents this district. Annual meeting there. Rome is burning. And they said that they cause of declines and annual programs on giving an attendance and in membership. In the vast majority of our churches. And i sent this to you because you are hopeful exciting counterpoint. The what's happening elsewhere across the unitarian universal. Dissociation. You are a congregation that is thriving. You're getting more of your attending more you're growing and membership more you have more and more programs of inward focus as well as outward focus. And you've just called a jewel of a colleague in here to be your settled minister. Melt. What i said to you last sunday. What status i understand that one of the reasons that it is so different here in blacksburg. From what it is elsewhere within unitarian universalism. Is that you have uncanny gift. Towards being able to look at the darkness in this life and which you share. Without recoiling from it in fear and shutting down on the grade end of religious community. You all heard me preach that last week didn't you my son used to tell me that i would do well to preach a sermon in three sentences and call it quits. So. Barrett was last week sermon in three or four or five sentences. Do many people if not most people if asked to describe what the grade end of religious community is or the great end of religion is. Would mention words like transcendence or enlightenment or ultimacy. What i want to suggest to you this morning is that while those are worthy goals of any religious tradition. There's one step further that a person if they're lucky can get to end their life. And it is that place of being centered. Of realizing that it's not just an enlightenment not enlightenment it's not just ultimacy not ultimacy it's not transcendence and blindness there's something that goes beyond that this thing of which joseph campbell spoken the reading that i just shared with you. It is this business of being grounded. Of realizing that good evil ultimacy not evil. Not ultimacy it's all part of one great all-encompassing ground of being. And what is ultimacy for me is not ultimacy for someone else. And what is good for me is not good for someone else. And here we stand in the middle of it all. Trying to get to some sense of worth of meaning of purpose of recent for being. In that place that feels so full of ambiguity. Now you unitarian universalist here in blacksburg. And i get to sing your praises now for the rest of the centrum you've done the hard work of antrim. I get to just praise you now. This great thing that you have. Cuz i know it is you have a willingness and ability. A relative comfort. In saying we're hearing a situation described as good as good and bad or evil and good. Or not okay and okay. And you as a people grounded and some larger sense of this field of being that holds that all. You keep reminding yourself. That it is not a dualistic world in which you live. Rather it is a world of one being which has manifestations that feel different to any one of us at any given point in time. To do that you have to be able to look and word. You have to be able to look the lawn beyond the surface stuff is coming at you the stuff that says something is really bad. And you have to. Wrestle with wyatt is that you understand it to be something more than that. Campbell says that when you get to the point of being centered the most abominable thing. Becomes a manifestation of god. And i want to suggest to you that whether you've owned it or not. There is a capability here in this congregation that calls itself uuc. To do that very thing. When i put the model of traxxas up here on the board and the folk from greensboro will remember the whole time i was in greensboro the colored pieces of cardboard on the wall i use them wherever i go. The blue the green the red and i talked to you about all religious community doing well by itself. Moves people from a place of equilibrium. Into some sort of action which invariably kicks up discomfort for them. That was the red piece of board that hung on this wall for so long. This business of discomfort as a necessary piece of what it is to be religious. It lewd so many understand age. We don't want to think that anything that what we are is a religious community could have an element of discomfort to it. And yet every piece of wisdom literature from every one of the world's major religions. Will tell you without end. But if you want to get beyond the surface. If you truly want to know what god is. You must have the experience of discomfort. Adam and eve did not get to stay in the garden. They got kicked out. And it felt bad. Jesus didn't get to just lift himself up into the heavens. He had to be crucified. Example after example not just from the judeo-christian tradition but from all of the world. Cristal of the world's religious traditions. But this is the way tuesday. More holistic religious understanding. That you have to move through the discomfort. And once you've moved through it. Then you begin to get a real. Perception. Of what it is. To be religious. And what it is to be religious. And this is pure uu theology is as campbell put it. To view the most abominable. Entity. As a manifestation of god in your life. Now this business. Going through some sort of practice. That helps a person feel discomfort towards having a better understanding of the divine. Is something that in a congregation. Happens on multiple levels. Two most important. Or within the individual. And the other within the congregation as a sister. As a group of people who function together. It was. Very gratifying for me in the first year of interim here with you. For you to have moments of extreme discomfort and to be with you as you work your way through them. Some of you will remember the resignation of our former directors music. Some of you will remember the resignation. Of the man who is going to be president this year. Some of you will remember. Debates that broke out amongst you about whether or not we had bullying on our playground here. Some of you will remember that we had debates about whether or not yelling at each other here on this property was an okay thing to do. Some of you will remember that you had very direct and somewhat uncomfortable appeals from your leadership. To reach into your pockets and give more. All places of discomfort. And you as individuals and congregation could have responded in different ways. You could have responded and fear. Instead this cannot be we are religious community we do not have discomfort here. Or you could have done as you did so wisely. And say to one another we have discomfort because something is divine. That is happening amongst us now in the centrum.. That will help us better discern. How it is to be more of the godly righteousness into our future together. And if you think back to each one of these instances that i talked about about what you are is a congregation at large. You worked your way through the darkness. And it was in every instance board members how many of you were uncomfortable in the experience of these things our leaders in the congregation. Oh come on only three of you felt discomfort about any of these things. Many many more of you did choir did you feel discomfort when your director then stick those hands up please. Religious community in the 21st century and the united states of america by and large. Doesn't want to own this ancient wisdom. They want to think that platitudes can be thrown out at the crowd and platitudes will keep us all smiling and all will be right with the world and that just ain't how it is. Now all of you is individuals. I've also delighted me as you have shared with me about your own personal struggles in this regard. But i'm thinking of the numbers of you who have come and told me that you were struggling with addictions. I'm thinking of the numbers of you who have come and told me that you were struggling with unhappy relationships either with another significant person. Or a job. Or an extended family relationship i'm thinking of the numbers of you who've told me that you're dealing with mental health challenges and emotional health challenges. All part and parcel of the complexity and wonder if what you are is a congregation. And to your praise. Again and again individually you face these places of discomfort and you realize in the moment of discomfort i don't need to pull back from this. Rather i need to go down deeper into it and learn more about myself and what i am is a part of a larger system. The congregation. Towards getting ever more comfortable. In this ground of being the campbell describes as being composed of people. Who look at the most abominable. And recognize that there's god in it. My favorite personal moment in this regard. What's when rita carolyn lange stick a hand up there old woman. Been a unitarian universalist for more deck page that i have fingers all those. Oh come on that was a good one. Rita carolyn lion walks up to me and eli's one day and does this. We're making you fat. Which cost me. In my endeavor to be more religious to have to go home and strip and stand in front of the. Full length mirror. Wasn't happy moment for me she was right. I have begun to bulge since being up here with you the people in greensboro took better care of me with the food that you people do. Bad joke. Food has been wonderful but listen in that wacky piece of humor that i just shared with you was real. For me to stand in front of the mirror naked. And see my own expanding belly hanging over. It did not feel good. And there was a piece of me and this is the reality of what we all are in our defensive beings. That wanted to relax. Sweet wonderful direct rita carolyn lange. For having pointed out. My own reality. Do you get that. There was a piece of me that wanted to be grouchy with rita carolyn. For pointing out the truth of my own being. You just laughed as i told you this. My understanding is that one of your other greatest gifts. Is that you have this commingling of humor. And forgiveness about you. And all of the places of discomfort within. And god knows i've prepared to leave you at the end of june. My continual chat. Towards bringing blessings your way that will stay with you into all of what lies ahead. Is that this. Humor and this ability to forgive. Will never depart you as a congregation. It has served you so well in this. Come together i'm thinking marquita hill as i look at it right now not written into the sermon notes this morning. Marquita hill having to deal with the reality of me being late. Then getting back to her about what we were going to preaching a sermon from this pulpit. Marquita hill feeling discomfort. For the challenge of being in a relationship with me. And forgiving and laughing and going on about what it was that we were in life together. Are larger face. This thing that we are as a faith. Community across north america. And still a little bit in western europe. A lot out in the philippines how many of you realize that the largest piece of what we are outside of north america is in the philippines did you know this. Well it is. Are unitarian-universalism. Just caught up in this very difficult place. Of having to wrestle with its own darkness that so much before it right now. You heard me preach back to you what i heard down at that annual meeting in charlotte from two of our most respected members of our national board. If any of you read your uworld that came to you electronically not more than a day or two after i preached to you last sunday. You would have heard a different take on it in the uu world. The usual world just for climbing to all of our adherents across the land at everything within what we are is flat. National board members in charlotte. Saying we're in sharp decline. Our national publication saying that everything is just flat. Cats the polarity of the viewpoints. Okay. Two different takes on everything. You were so wise people can hold it all. And you can find the center. And that greater ground is being. There's a wisdom here in your ability to do that. Back when i came here and i invited all of you to come in and talk with me one-on-one. 183 of you made appointments with me in that first six weeks of intake interviews. And out of those intake interview she'll remember that you told me various things that you understood were true here. You told me that electronic communication was as much a bein as it was blessing. You told me that you didn't know how to go deeper into conversation. You told me that there was a tyranny of the minority. I was looking at this before preaching this morning i was remembering what i told you last sunday of what about what reverend jake morrell said down in charlotte he said that we were all wrestling with the heckler's veto. And unitarian-universalism across the land. You told me that newcomers had trouble disconnecting here you told me that there was too much dysfunction and what you are. You told me that you love to project rather than to go inward. You told me that friends and members you couldn't discern the difference you told me that everything in here was either right or wrong good or evil there was no middle ground you told me there was a big upstairs-downstairs divide. And you told me most importantly that you were conflict avoidance. There's that humor again. There's that forgiveness there's that insight into your own wonder. You know now. That these things. Wall of concern to you or just part of that great common ground of being with what you're going to do so well. Because you understand. That while some may feel abominable to you in any moment. But they are manifestations of your congregational divinity. And you have about you the wisdom the wherewithal in the practices. To ensure that any discomfort that gets picked up out of there being. You can work your way through. I had a moment of. Fear this week i was in the car i was listening to an npr interview. With the new google futuristic any of you hear this interview. Oh sweet jesus it was scary. It was scary. Man is telling and i'm forgetting who the interviewer was. Just as matter-of-factly as could be. Set the new google glasses and how many of you have familiarity with the google glasses. Google answers you put them on you got a computer screen right in front of your eyes so that you can talk to rodger and see what's on your computer screen all at the same time. This man tells his interviewer. That by 2030. We will all have injected into our bloodstream. The mini microchips. That will allow these. Views on the world that the internet. To be part of our field of vision. 24/7. Oh boy. Yeah it's a tough one to adore doesn't it. And i'm thinking to myself g dear goodness what that will do for the world of preaching. Trying to get people's attention. Bother doing 57 different things some of which are really sleazy because there would be the point addict in the congregation. Who is doing p*** while i pretty. That's right. Good people. It's. Cautionary moment for what we are. Because again the culture. Who's ever more focused on providing us with. Distraction entertainment. Devices. That keep us. From being able to. Find ourselves. And religious community is always. Not necessarily about ultimacy transcendence or enlightenment but rather about. People. Finding them. And you've got good take on this. And you need to keep looking. At everything that comes down the pike. For the next 20 30 50 100 years here out of this congregation. And you need to keep bringing your wisdom in. Compassion. Your good heart to bear on it. To discern whether or not it is keeping you from that holy work is coming into wholeness with. You do want to be able to find your. You do not want to be so hidden from yourself that you know not who you are. One of my favorite moments repeatedly in the central. With you. Has been when someone who is upset with the discomfort or feeling great-aunts about. Discomfort. Will either say to me directly or say to another person. Is stirring the pot again. He's stirring the pot again. And several people have told me that they heard me say when i came to be interviewed for the position here that was going to come up here and just stir the pot. Because that's what a minister's do. But i recall what i suggested to you. In the intake interviews i had with you was that there would be stuff that felt as if it were. Stirring. Apod. Out of the entrance call to help you move into the places that discomfort. Yourself. But i also said and this never remembered more than two times two of you hit for held onto this. I also said to you. Set a key piece of what the interim was supposed to do if they did their job well. Was to hold all of your feets. I don't want to tell you again it has been so humbling to work with you. Because. You have let me keep putting a speed of yours. Close to the. And you have wrestled. With how it is but it feels warm for a moment and then it be. Uncomfortable. And that is not something that i impose upon you. It is something that you have is gift of what you are and you're being both individually. As. Salon this morning and which we wrestle. And celebrate. Russell wilson celebrate. Some of this micro nature of what you are as a congregation. I remind you that your gifts are great. Your practice is good. And your heart ever capable of holding all that comes through that door. Be good and ensuring that much comes through that door. So that this faith of ours this unitarian universalism. Can continue to thrive beyond anyone's wildest imagination. Here in the new river valley. It is good and wonderful being that you. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website. Uuc and rv. org.

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151101_do_journey.mp3

Welcome to the november 1st service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by her settled minister. Reverend arrowland. And her sermon is titled. The journey that connects. Chain aronson is a worship associate for the service. Our first reading of this morning comes from lewis carroll from. Alice in wonderland. I wonder if i've been changed in the night. Let me think. Was i the same when i got up this morning. I almost think i can remember feeling a little difference. But if i'm not the same the next question is who in the world am i. That's the great puzzle. Our second reading it this morning comes from gary kowalski who's a unitarian universalist minister. He wrote a book called science in the search for god. And i invite you to. Open your ears to receive the slightly longer reading this morning. Color perception. Is a complex process of interaction. What a scientist has tried to demonstrate an artist in his painting. It's how each point of color inter relates with those that surround it. Each reciprocally impact. All of the others. The artist finished painting strikes many observers as being perhaps rather stiff. Anna mobile. But if we could imagine them instead in motion. All these points like a movie. Or like the world itself. The waves lapping on the beach. The picnickers promenading daily through the park each. Corpus callosum muscle of light constantly changing hue in relation to all of its companions. Then we should have a very good analogy. To the model of the year. Posited by process.. Process. Philosophy holds that materialism is mistaken. Our universe is not an assortment of life left particles. But rather and an ensemble of interrelated and dynamic happenings. Each of these events from the energy that maintains the simple chemical bond. The complex flow of information through a termite mound or a coral reef. Is in constant change. In constant interaction. With all of the others. If you try to pick one piece of the universe to study and isolation. You'll discover pretty soon. But it's connected to everything else. A chimpanzee for example. Cannot be understood by separating the infant from its mother to see what happens. Every organism exists within a network of relationships. Relationship between parent and offspring predator and prey population and food supply that enable it to live. And which intern touches and transfer. I am an event. You are an event. So is a bear a rainforest and the winding double-helix within us all. All active participants within the bigger picture. And in process.. Process. Philosophers call that big picture. God. Open the sermon. But i prepared for you today with a very short story. There was one late afternoon. And it was in fall. And i was about 9 years old. And i remember it being in the living room at my family's home in philadelphia and an unexpected package had arrived. And the label. I was decorated. To my nine-year-old eyes that look more colorful. The normal and it turned out that that package should come all the way. From germany. So my father unwrapped the outer envelope of the package and inside there was more plastic and he went through all that plastic and layer after layer of plastic it seems was falling on the floor. One after another until out into his hand. Spell a piece of. Cement. And this is funny i thought to myself why would our cousins who work from virginia and temporarily living do the business in germany at the time why would they send us pieces. Cement. But it wasn't just any piece of cement as some of you. Can imagine instead rather this was a piece of the berlin wall. Who could have guessed. That this wall that was erected two separate west berlin from east berlin. That was standing from 1961 to 1989 who could gas. Eventually. It would come down. The people would approach that wall with their bare hands climb. To make that crumbling happen and take-home pieces and send it across the world saying look. It happened. Change. Happened. At the time i remember my family tried to explain to me my nine-year-old self howell wall have been built to keep people and ideas separated and the despair that ensued and the loss of life that ensued. My cousins with thousands of other people had dug into that wall. And then more than 4000 miles away from berlin. There i was. Holding a piece of history. I tell the story this morning for few reasons. And one is because i believe that now. Right now in the 21st century this fall right now in the history of the world it is important to tell the stories about the breaking down. Of walls. Stories that remind us that it happens. Stories that remind us of change that. Even after a long time. Even when people think there is no change in sight. Even when some have kind of adjusted to the inevitability of the steaming non change it happens. None the less we know. Change. Happens. I also tell the story this morning because this morning i went to open up our monthlong conversation around journeys and invite each one of you to really consider where you are on the journey of your own very significant living. And where we are as a congregation. On our own very significant journey of our living together. That morning at that afternoon rather when i was 9 years old it was one of the very first times that i can remember understanding that my own story. Just might be related to a larger. Human story. It might be obvious and some ways that we say change happens. Right we're always changing. And we know this. Perhaps more less dramatic than the falling of the berlin wall we can look outside these beautiful windows and see that the leaves. Are changing. They're changing color perhaps reminds us that just like these leaves. We. Are changing. 2. Maybe we can tell about the changes in our own lives. By our physical bodies. Maybe we can change we can. Seachange coming when we think about how our minds are. Maybe we can see change in our lives when we watch baseball players around the bases on television. Whether they're the mets or the royals and we might sink price off gas if i had to be one of those baseball players right now we'd all be in trouble because i would be completely out of breath i'm not as fit as those young ones. Some people might. Look around the world say yeah changing relative to where someone else or my perception of where someone else in life. When you got a young one as i do. Change doesn't seem abstract at all. Sometimes i think i can see it my hand my son's hands growing. Or maybe his hair actually growing. I can certainly see his teeth coming in. Someone was telling me recently that they have an older parent who looks in the mirror catches a glimpse of themselves and thinks who's that. They're changing. At least external. Do changes happen. In big ways and small ways. Sometimes imperceptibly we change. I wonder right now where you would say you are. On the trajectory of your life journey. Where are you right now. And i don't mean age-wise. Per say i mean if your life was a musical score what phrase do you think you're in. If you are a hiker on a path what juncture. Are you at right now. Perhaps you're at a fork in a road. Perhaps you are thirsty for a new challenge. Maybe you are weary. Deeply tired. And looking for some refuge and rest. Maybe your healing from a big transition. Maybe you're facing a joyful newsfeed change and you're living into what that really means for you now. In the world's religious traditions. From hinduism to those found in that hellenistic. in ancient greece. There are stories about journey's. If you're a fan of literature or mythology if you're aware at all of joseph campbell's work your you'll know that there are. Lots of i'm still driving quiring into the hero's journey. There are variations on the hero's journey. Someone who looks for treasure. Someone who looks for a communion with a greater spiritual sense. Someone who goes seeking self-knowledge. How would you describe. Your journey as you understand it right now. And nearly all good tv shows and films there's always a journey of some sort. People are searching people are seeking. To make new friends. They're tested by life. And hope is when we. Watch our favorite tv shows or we watch our favorite phillips right happens. On that journey right it's called character development. And if something didn't happen to the person. We might feel when we're watching tv or watching some we might feel a little shortchanged like. What was the point. The journey. Changes us. Attorney. It's supposed to. The journey is about. Transforming. I'm reminded of this. Quote by donald miller who wrote a million miles and a thousand years what i learned by editing my life. And this is from him he writes. If a point in life is the same as the point of a good story. The point of life. Is character transformation. If i got any comfort as i set out on my first sport story. It was that nearly every story the protagonist is transformed. He's a jerk at the beginning. And he's nice at the end. Or a coward at the beginning and pray that the end. If the character doesn't change the story hasn't happened yet. If the character doesn't change. The story hasn't happened yet. And if the story is derived from real life. Its story is just a condensed version of life than life itself. Maybe designed to change at. So that we evolved from one kind of person. To another. I wonder when you look at the course of your own life. What has. Changed you. It doesn't mean that it's for the good or the bad. Or that you have to judge it all but when you think about the course of your life. I ask you today to think about 3 right now. Three key events or encounters. Altered the course. Of your life. Transformed you in some way. I know you've got more than three. But think about 3. Now. What meanings do you make. Of those three experience. Now. Imagine that there is more. To your story. No matter how old you are. No matter. Your life church. Imagine that there is yet. This is a poem from halala didn't rumi. Unfold your own myth. Who gets up early to discover the moment the light begins. Who finds us here circling bewildered like adams. Who comes to a spring thirsty and sees the moon reflected in it. Who like jacob blind with grief and age smells the shirt of his lost son and concede again. Who let the bucket down and brings up a flowing profit. Or like moses goes for fire and fines what burns inside the sunrise. Jesus slips into a house to escape the enemies and open the door. To another world. Solomon cuts open efficient there's a golden ring. Omar storms into kill the prophet and leaves with blessing. Chase a deer. And end up everywhere. An oyster opens his mouth to swallow one drop now there's a pearl. A vagrant wanders empty ruins suddenly he's wealthy. But don't be satisfied with stories. How things have gone for others. Unfold your own myth. Without complicated explanation. So that everyone will understand the passage. We. Have opened. You. A little bit earlier this morning. I mentioned process theology. And the reason i wanted to. Explore a little bit process theology with you this morning. Is because process biology. And is this a new term for people process theology. Princess bialigy has been deeply influential in liberal christianity and also and unitarian universalism. It's. Father was alfred north whitehead. He did a lot of thinking about the word god. And innovations in science. Process theology is rather mathematical in a way that i won't get into today. But essentially process theology was thinking about the universe as ever-growing. Ever-changing and dynamic. And the idea that we as human beings are ever-changing rowing and dynamic and what if god. Was ever changing growing and dynamic. Process theology has us thinking about growing. How it is the stuff of life itself. We can all get stuck in our own ways of seeing our lives journeys seeing the journeys of others around us and process theology. Remind us to be awake. To an ever-evolving. Dynamic process of uncovering and becoming more and more of who we are. I'm reminded that when we don't pause and think about the meanings of our journeys. Sometimes we can get stuck in our unexamined stories sometimes our static stories about who and what we are. So when we think about journey's and tandem with process theology we can think about the fact that we are co-creators. With all that is larger than ourselves. And we can think about the choices we make and the meanings we make. Along our life journeys. Process theology i think can be neatly summed up in this quote by heraclitus who says no man ever steps in the same river twice. It's not the same river. And he's not the same man. Whether you are a theist or not. This idea about process theology. Allows us to examine our world. As changeable. Given that we are changeable. Given that we are changing. I invite you to think about where you hope. Your journey in this next chapter of each one of your lives logo. A while back we heard from reverend robert latham. Who shared with us a little bit about tracing back the purpose of religion and thinking about who we yet might be. I want us to continue to explore our own journey of our collective story as unitarian universalist at the unitarian universalist congregation here in blacksburg. And we are embarking on a very exciting process. Of a reforming our vision. Intermission. Who we are in a changing world. It's sad that every five years congregations need to explore their vision and their mission. And their covenant. And we might think well why if we've already done that. Do we do it again. Any answer is because we are change. And the world is changing around us. So i hope each one of you will stay tuned for an exciting way to participate and share your thoughts as we renew our vision and our mission and our covenant this year. As we journey together in our year of living bravely. You're going to be hearing a lot more from the strategic planning group. Probably the board and probably the committee on ministries about ways to get together and share your thoughts. Wine zinc to conclusion this morning. I want to say that i do believe one of the big questions right now in our day and time. In our individual lives but in the larger human story. Is how will we be. In a changing world. Let us go forward. Exploring who we are. And who we are yet. Giving great thanks for the journey of our living. Exploring together all that is possible. When we journey with great heart. And with courage. Blessed be. And. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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160821_dl_posse16.mp3

Welcome to the august 21st service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The theme of today's service is. Reflections on new you a general assembly by posse 16. Presenters are worship associate david lolly and for other attendees. Good morning i'm really delighted to have this opportunity to share with you some of what we experienced did ga and columbus general assembly. We're going to start out with my brother george. The. I guess i'm the other lally most of the time and he's going to give. Although on the order of service it says history and background of ga it's actually the history and background of posse 16r involvement. In going to jga. And then we'll have a. Four different. Members of the congregation who went to. G.i. for different members of pain c16 i tried to find a spread in the age group generational spread including my brother george is probably about 70 years and age difference though. And. Sorry i hope i didn't reveal too much. End. Hopefully you'll probably get some redundancy. Across-the-board i would say it exceeded expectations is quite a few people who were part of posse 16 that weren't able to be here today quite a few of them shared with me there. Reflections are comments about their experiences i tried to incorporate them into my reflection so hopefully i didn't take too much license with that. So we're going to start out with george lally. Sowell sheriff. History and background posse 6. Well welcome to the unitarian universalist church of lolly. I mean there are three of us on the program today. I haven't told you yet about the drug so gladly relatives who will be. Moving down this way as soon as i get off probation sober up and so far. Before my regular prepared remarks. I want to say we had a great time. Add to general assembly. And one of the highlights was a congregate meal that we had wear. Almost three-quarters of us quarters of us were able to get together and have a. A nice meal in italian restaurant with adara. And that will henceforth. Be known as darris last supper. So. Innocence parsi 16 began with the unitarian universalist general assembly in providence rhode island. And 2014. I send it along with five other. Adult uuc congregants. 2 youth. Reverend dara. And we all found ga to be enriching inspiring and motivating. It was my first gan for me. Connecting with our broader denomination. Seeing and hearing our faith leaders and learning of exciting initiatives elsewhere. Was a transformative. Experience. In providence we also learned that two years heads. And 2016. The general assembly would be in columbus ohio. Almost in our backyard so to speak. So it took only a small leap of imagination to put these two things together and ask. If ye can be so inspiring and energizing for us. And if it will be so near. Why can't we send a large contingent. Perhaps thirty or more people to columbus. When i shared this brainstorm with my fellow providence attendees including reb dara. They were unanimously enthusiastic. And supportive. We invented a name for this imagine group. Call b posse 16. Based on the premise that even if something doesn't exist if you name it. Exist. And we built off his at. So we put together a formal proposal that was endorsed by ruc executive board. And strongly supported by you as well. With what approval. We set up a budget line. A lockbox so to speak. To retain the funds. That we subsequently gathered from your generous support. Of the project and from uua grants. Which. Karen hager was so. Diligent. And fighting for us. As a result we were able to subsidize 12 youth attendees. And they're adults sponsors. In total. 32 of us comprise the posse. That the attendees would enjoy the general assembly was never in doubt. But that was not. Is not. Sufficient justification for the effort. From the outset we projected more substantive goals. To inspire in participants a deeper engagement in unitarian universalism. To bring back to our congregation new energy. Fresh ideas and solutions. Two common challenges. To support leadership development. An adult. And youth attendees. To create new channels of communication and strengthen relationships between our. Several generations. Into dust we've our beloved community. More closely together. To bring the life. To bring to life in the participants. The fact that ours is a global religious movement. To encourage participation of families as families. And finally to help solidify a unitarian universalist identity in our youth. Did we accomplish some of these things. Yes. Wish i was on expectations unmet. Possibly. Awesome still pending. Most assuredly. So today i propose that in addition to celebrating the posses return. That we ask ourselves. How were we affected. What have we done. What we made what we have done what we may not have done. And what do we hope and expect to do to utilize and build on our wonderful. Posse 16. And i will hear from carrollton. So for the day i've changed my name to carol lally. All right well i didn't realize i was going first but here i go i'm glad this is a very forgiving audience and loving onions cuz look at my notes are like scribbled on and crossed out and. Still trying to decide what to say it's just really hard to. Come up with just a short blurb of this experience it obviously meant a lot to many of us. But i'll just. Here i go. This is my second ga the first time i went to portland oregon with christine reed in 2007. Shortly after the shootings at virginia tech. And shortly before my first round is present of our congregation with my husband jim. I remember attending workshops on peace and literally breaking down in the room with tears streaming down my face about the loss of peace in our idyllic collegetown after a mass shooting. A random stranger. Who the uu clergy put her arms around me and comforted me. During the portland gaa as with this one i carried the banner in the opening parade. In route to portland my flight was delayed again and again. I sat in chicago o'hare. Glancing around me. Noticing the huge group of you use from all over heading west. They were pretty apparent in their birkenstocks chalice necklaces social action t-shirts and colorful scarves. When i finally arrived in portland 3 hours late and very stressed. I barely had time to make it to the convention center and grab our banner to walk in the opening parade. I marched open mouth and awe. With tears in my eyes looking up proudly at our beautiful banner. Animes it's so many different congregations represented from all over the country. Many folks about time sorry blacksburg banner and express condolences at the recent tragedy in our community. When i was asked of again upcoming president. To carry the banner for the second time in columbus ohio it was a very different feeling and banner prayed for me. This time i was surrounded by many of our high school and middle school youth 12 of them all of us wearing our bright red t-shirts designed by george lally. To this time their youthful energy was infectious. And we marched proudly representing this our beloved congregation to a rousing uu hymns sung by over 3,000 unitarian-universalist from all over the country. That place was rocking. The big thing of ga this year was social justice. I attended several workshops on this topic. When was in the black lives matter track. Their young people were talking about the black lives matter convening movement. They described how important it was for congregations to open up. Shut their doors to black only space. This is an interesting concept to me but as they put it there are many spaces where they feel like are mostly white spaces so they want to have some black only space where they can just relax. Be themselves and not have to explain themselves. I also went to a social justice workshop led by the church of all people in columbus ohio. This is a movement from the united church of christ it's an interfaith movement and they do so much there in columbus. They feed people they have they closed people they have just a huge movements of clothes and food and school supplies. For some of the poor folks are in columbus. And the man that was talking with the unitarian universalist who would actually belong to a different congregation but would go and help out with this this movement. He was retired so we did it quite often. But one of the things he said is it's really important we do social justice work to build up relationships with the people you're working with. One of his examples was that they decided they wanted have a church for the homeless people in columbus. So they decide to have it in a park near the homeless congregated. And they went and they literally asked the homeless like what's important to you what do you want and the people said well every time someone comes to try to feed us and give us a meal they make us pray first. And i said you know we're really hungry weren't you know we haven't eaten in a while we're homeless and we would like to be able to eat first. And said i said wow you know that's a great idea and saturday set out food and let everybody come and eat and you didn't have to stay for worship if you didn't have if you didn't want to be you know it was just. It just was something that the people who had been people didn't realize but when they asked the homeless there. Another perspective has changed. So. Another workshop i went to izzie you addictions ministry and this is a group of people there not really under the ua but they they work on the issue of addiction within the unitarian universalist congregation. This is really interesting to me because so many of the addiction protocols that you hear about or the 12-step which is very christian-based. And you know i know people that have felt uncomfortable in that environment because they don't have those kind of values. And so thinking about possibly opening our end space to some sort of addiction ministry. It's very exciting to me that maybe is more multi-denominational. So i headed back to gan columbus looking for inspiration for our congregation to my and myself as this year ahead as president of this beloved community. If the troop passing of the presidential torch is iran's with molly lazar. After spending full days and workshop we spent nights line on our pjs processing the day and talking about ideas for this congregation. I felt that energy and inspiration again and again both and workshops meaningful worship and random conversations in the halls and the elevators and over meals with other folks of the posse 16. Answer the question to me is how can we do social justice in a multi-generational hands-on way in our community and make this community even more vibrant and powerful than it already is what do we want to be known for as you see and rv. Why do we want the community to css thank you. I will hear from the next lally been lately. Hello. I'm balali. Other one of the lolis. All. Laniakea leader of the teen youth group this year with sarah kern. Going to ga was a really great experience for me and so i just thought i would share some of my experiences with a congregation. Is really excited to hang out with some of the other you use. Everyday we had youth-led seminars where all the youth came. One of my favorite seminars was a youth group game seminar where they taught us new games that we can play in our youth group this year. Also attended a black lives matter seminar. With a co-founder alicia garza and the kingpin campaign director. For the standing on side of love caitlin breedlove. Spoke about the importance of everyone getting involved. We wanted to get going. Wanted to get going to the to end state violence against black people. How did the session my dad and i went up to caitlin and spoke with her to discuss the idea of connecting the teen youth group with standing on the side of love. In order to explore social justice values. The city of columbus in our lodging was pretty sweet too. My dad and i just enjoyed deliciously food nightly conversations up the cool found in the plaza of the nationwide insurance building. And the hotel room pretty luxurious to. One day when you're taking a break in our hotel room my dad and i noticed out the window that there was a westboro baptist church protesters with hateful signs protesting the uuc. Support of transsexuals. We saw a group of uuc counter-protesters come out and meet them. And we decided to go down and take a closer look. We got down there we discovered that there was a large crowd. Next to the small group of protesters. And they were chanting we love you. The year angels surrounded the protesters and i'm actually they gave up and left. Ga was definitely a really fun time and i learned a lot. Allowed to go next year if i can. Now we'll hear from kelsey crane. So yes i'm chelsea wiley today. I love all of you but still speaking in front of you makes me nervous i'd rather be singing they're going to be out later. Excuse my scripted. This year's uga was the first general assembly that i has attended. I tried it mentioned in previous years that i was kind of thought you know. It sounded like a lot of boring meetings. With boring policy discussions and stuff that wouldn't really affect me or i didn't think our congregation but. That was completely wrong so that's what jay was not there a lot of parts of gia that we're not only very interesting but moving and inspiring. At the opportunity to attend thought-provoking workshops and meet dozens if you use from all over the country. I even attended some of those boring meetings and found out that they were anything but boring. The session where delegates debated whether or not we should divest was like one of the most. Intense and heated debates have ever seen but the same time there was just a level of respect for everyone that i really it was is tangible and i really appreciated. The blaine one part of the debate was getting really kind of pants that we all took a break and staying together till likes recenter the group and i thought that was amazing just spit other people do that. Inside song with you throughout the entire. 34-day convention not just at the workshop i attended there was entitled choral singing the pasta justice inclusion in love. Great seminar that was used all the time i'm almost every evening there were optional singing groups and then worship every morning there was singing it was everywhere and it's beautiful. Most remarkable for me was in the opening ceremony that carol is talking about where we did the banners and so if you haven't been every congregation brings their banner likely cars. Add to list.. Our banner is gorgeous and i never thought. Oh i everyone else has banners thought it was something beautiful that was there but during the opening ceremony everyone groups of people were bringing their banners and they came in like from our back door is like and we're coming through all the aisles in this huge room in the convention center and while they were processing they would like to surf in teen. Figures like all around the rim and we were all singing. Kim's especially like the ones that we didn't know so much who sang like spirit of life and rejoice in command i think that was the first one cuz there's trying to come in i breathe in peace. Inroads in the wintertime a lot of the ones that we do a lot and it's very moving to be with all these thousands of other people who also find joy in these same words and in the same notes. And this first experience at my first general assembly i was surrounded by people who are creating love and joy with their voices and it reminded me of how i felt when i was in middle school and i first started coming here. I felt like i'd found a community and then it was expanded it expanded thousandfold it was just. Again a smaller park finding its hole is enveloped in a bubble of communal celebration that we can move through our lives both together and separately looking for truth and beauty in the world and it was really wonderful. Later in this opening ceremony we learned a song i hadn't heard before it was called. Peace. Salaam shalom. And the song although it's like very simple it's distinctly expresses the essence of our religions inclusive nature and love for all people and i'd like to. To teach it to you right now. So there's three words. Peace. Salon. Shalom. Of course this is just peace. In english arabic and hebrew write the lowest we have the inclusive nature. So if i cavity. Piezo sorry i'll sing it first and then we'll sing it together cuz you don't know how it goes or if you were there and you want to join me when you can do that. Piesanos pizza longfellow. He is solemn. Salaam shalom okay let's get together twice all the way through. Tso longfellow. People on cello. Salaam shalom. Peace salaam shalom again. People i'm shallow. The song shallow. People i'm shallow and i was going to do around by since time and hesitancy so maybe we'll revisit this another day when we're more familiar because the harmonies that they create i feel really expresses the harmony that were looking for being our differences and in our unity both together so we'll do that some other time. Thank you guys. Thank you chelsea. And welcome to the clan. Play the punk band the ramones you know. I don't actually have to be a ramon. So about five different people six people sent me their comments who couldn't be here they included lisa a fanilow mark benson rachel crane leslie howard alan moore and karen hager i took some great liberty and trying to even though they're my own reflection make sure that i covered some of the salient points that they brought up that were most important to them. I'm a main role at general assembly. My main role at general assembly was to chaperone three of our team youth that were attending the event. This alone made the trip worthwhile. I work with the teams of our congregation for almost 9 years now and as usual i was left with the feeling. That they might just represent what is best about us. But attending the general assembly also enriched me personally. Instead my imagination is chair of the worship services. Three scenes that i found particularly moving. They become an integral part of the ongoing conversation. In my heart in my. First is the importance of living our values. The reverend william barber is moving speech about the moral imperative of ending poverty and injustice was the most inspiring talk i've heard in a long time. Using both moral and constitutional arguments he clearly swept aside any justification i may have had for not acting on my values. It left me feeling like. Poverty is both immoral and solvable. And doing nothing no longer seem like an option. It's always struggle with the question. How do i use my gifts. In the most impactful way. And is chair of the worship services committee i thought. We did such a great job last year or year of living bravely. In defining our collective values. And now i wonder. Can we discover our collective will to bring them to fruition. The second thing that stirred my heart and mind was the importance of listening. Several sessions i attended including interfaith conversations with the quran standing on the side of love black lives matter and spirituality of hip-hop on the my favorites. They reminded me once again of the importance of listening. Krista tippett. The featured speaker at this year's where lecture. Reminding reminded us that listening is an act of love. She said. Listening is not primarily about being quiet is primarily about being present. It involves the kind of chosen self-imposed vulnerability. A willingness to be surprised. To let go of assumptions and take in ambiguity. The listener wants to understand the humanity behind the words of the other impatiently summons one's own best self. And one. One's own best words and questions. This was a great personal lesson for me. Not everything i experienced. Iga was warm and fuzzy it x ga seems like a cacophony of clamoring voices all self-assured with the verisimilitude of their own righteousness. But this lesson about listening as a spiritual practice. Brought me back and encouraged me is brene brown would say to lean into my discomfort. And to dare greatly. The third game and undoubtedly the one that moved me the most. Is the audacious and transformative power of love. Krista tippett called love. The elemental experience. We all desire and seek most in our days to give and receive and she encouraged encouraged up to. Dr2 name what were attempting to claim and embody that we dare to call this in public love. Dare to insist that love can be a public good. She said. But we done with this word love what we've done with this thing this possibility this essential bond this act. We've made it private contingent in family when its audacity is in its potential to cross tribal line. We've lived it as a feeling when it's a way of being. I was fortunate to have witnessed this way of being. When it serves hundreds of unitarians read the members of the westboro church protest. They're coming to protest our acceptance of people who identify as lbgtq. And carry their absurd signs about us eating our babies or something ridiculous like that. Initially i thought it would be best to just ignore them. But as i was walking to the main hall to my hotel room i heard singing. They're at the foot of the escalator the uu angels were preparing for the encounter around allenmore was among them. I could feel that something significant was about to happen. Hi first. I first observed the encounter for my 10th floor hotel room i could see a dozen or so members of the westboro church trying to find purchase on the corner in front of the convention center. And then here came our angel. Who seem to surround and envelop them and all the while singing love songs to them. Several times the wc members trying to escape this love assault but the uu angels would just flow around them and capture them again within their embrace. It didn't last very long after while let you seem like these ways of love just wash them down the street. And i thought to myself wow. Love really is the doctrine of our faith. Thank you. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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161009_dr_johhny-cash-for-president.mp3

Welcome to the october 9th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service is led by our reverend on rollins. And his messages title. Johnny cash for president 2016. For copyright reasons we cannot include the three songs. In our podcast. But on a sermon archive page there are links to them. Worship associate rhonda johnson read the words accompanying the meditation. Good ideas for a sermon build around cash really happened around 2003. And that was also the era where. He was being recorded. Some very basic instruments doing some sometimes classic sometimes very biting. Music. Hurt someone who's seen the video and heard the song it is strong stuff. It comes from nine inch nails original cast song. But the folks who produced him and engineered with him. Suggested that song so you get a chance check that out it's powerful stuff. 2384 called at titled little big man. It appeared in that liberal rag mother jones of course. It was written by charles bowden. And it's a little bit dated but. Anybody remember dennis kucinich. Yeah. Look it up whippersnappers he's worth it. Percentage was a guy who is representative district over from where i live for a while outside of cleveland. And. Sentence with like no nonsense he suits off-the-rack was one of the ways people describe him and he eventually said that was true. Percentage also held a lottery. For what. And that worked out too so i don't know if the guys just west. So then it's no longer in congress but one example for those of us who believe and wounded warriors and moorhead to take the war language out wounded leaders. People who have had a few bruises and maybe more than a few bruises. And know something about what it is to lead. From the heart. So little bit about the senate's here and it's snowing but the little bit dated play along. Candidates with no chance of winning. Are the invisible women and men of our culture. Ferguson teaching artist this means he is not how weird things they got that reference the official liberal lead in this movie. Ahsoka senate she is resigned to being a pointless nuisance. To willie nelson is making ads and will perform fundraising concert with ani difranco. Percentage has raised $1000000 via the internet. What is average donor give $77. And most americans have never heard of them. He's a vegan of course no vegan can be elected president. He's dabbled in various spiritual venues in of course no-one sprinkle with the fairy dust of the new age belief can be elected president. United states harbors a long list of nose. No one who is not a christian. And again 2003 it was written who is black or brown. We're past that one. Nafta newtro do not be there who is somebody who is poor. Somebody who opposes war and wants to cut the pentagon budget. Someone who is too short. Someone who is overweight. Someone who wants to increase the budget for social services many times over who endorses total gun control. Who likes to drink. Has committed adultery maybe smoke dope and admit it. No one is ever sought out psychiatric care. Shirley could be our president. Then he concludes. No one can be elected president. Who is battered enough by life. To be qualified to be president. Meditation timer rhonda's going to rita's i place a little bit of background. Music for you. And i want you to think about. Leadership that's part of what i want to talk about this morning is his leadership that's certainly part of it. But also the idea that cash model. being able to wear your darkness on the outside as well as inside someone who was not apologetic. About being who he was this was consistent not just you know politics here too. Make reverence for this was consistent. Across this life. So where are those points in your life where you acknowledge that you. Hurt and ben and ben hur. And yet are able to carry on able to rise above able to make amends whatever it is. So you own both parts of us. It's where we headed this morning. Rent-a-center into a time of meditation contemplation and prayer feel the earth beneath your feet as it supports you. Feel the love of this community as it surrounds and enfold you. Feel your breath as it flows in and out of your body. Listen to your heartbeat. Listen to your heart. How is it with your heart does your heart feel whole shielded by intellect cocooned by reason. Closed to feeling. Or is it broken. Fragile to the touch brimming with the pain of loss. Or has your heart been broken and healed so many times. That it now lies open to the world. None of us has an unblemished heart. Not one to let us give thanks for the broken places in our hearts. And in our lives. Where does only through such brokenness that we may truly touch one another. And only through touching one another that the world may be healed. Let us give thanks for the brokenness that we share. Between roughly 1964 and 1969. I awaken to the smells of bacon. Eggs. An unfiltered camels. And the songs of johnny cash. Hey porter. Cry cry cry. Folsom prison blues. I walk the line. My father and his perennial white t-shirt and work pants. Wake me to join him for another early breakfast. This is our guy time. My mother grabbed the last few winks of sleep before. Pushing me to go to church. And as usual are johnny cash's with us my dad and me. Our weekly hour of male bonding. Over the course of those five years with a guy time my musical tastes with migrated far beyond the confines of my father's country collection. What artist. What artist with consistently bridge the proverbial gap between hank and hendrix. That would be johnny cash. 2 rockabilly for the cuffee purest. To country for the most rock aficionados. The self-styled black men in black. Could reach us both. It hard living wwii gunner. With a tough job. A drinking problem. And a gangly kid who was even then appreciative of life's shadowside. From my old man johnny cash's music was authentic it was true it was credible. And for me. Cassius music was a rebellious mit's misfits unapologetic look. It lies hardside. That place where our character. Compassion to. Looking back at johnny cash but i like to introduce into this discussion a second topic one that at first glance. Has nothing to do with johnny cash. That would be hot high office. You may have heard. It's going to be a presidential election next month. After two years of drama. Sleight of hand. An unbridled vitriol. I for one will be glad to see this particular campaign run at shameful course and be put the bed. To forgive the skepticism. But the real loser in this process as i see it maybe what's left. If our collective political hope. I'm sorry hopefulness. I say that again. The real glycerin this process may be what's left of our collective political hopefuls. Our trust that even if the candidates themselves are skunks. The way we choose our president. Is still salvageable. I'm not sure about that. Speaking for myself it's not that i enjoy political pessimism i want to feel hopeful about my l i want to feel the certainty of conviction. Behind this heightened patriotism patriotism. On display. The left and the right and what's left of the center i want to be beyond. And i want to feel part of a great moment. Had a great time. I want to be hopeful. But i don't feel so hopeful right now. And i know i'm not alone. So. If this orwellian cynicism continues right after. November. I may have to go the right en route. Undaunted by certain practical realities. If i can identify no standing candidate whose vision for america still serves maestoso i'm voting for the ultimate write-in candidate mr. johnny cash. The fairview for purpose oriole left-brain. Myers-briggs thinking types my suggested johnny cash is not an appropriate choice for president. Given that a is show no recent interest in the job and be he is dead as a carp. Maybe problems. Setting these aside. You may be wondering why anybody. Rapala johnny cash. As presidential material. Two reasons first that wild child turn weary old man. Know that if there's a purpose behind this crap shoot we call li. It's the growing honorable soul. As. Based not just on his music but his life and how he parlayed that fame into service. He knew that the purpose. Of an honorable society. Isn't sure that everybody. I mean everybody. Has a fair shot. A growing a soul. These qualities alone may not. Qualify cash for a run at the white house but in my book is a pretty good start. Johnny cash has always been a little bit. Distance. More like the other way around. Bennett somewhat distant from religious liberals. Well he may have well you may have commanded our respect for his open struggles and willingness to take on social issues. Most of us they think at least in his heyday gravitated to the more hopeful lyrics. The music. Play sigur. Holly near. Joan baez. Peter paul and mary his contemporaries by the way. I compared to those artists. Cash was grittier he was more rural. It was harder to peg. Nascar results. Many of us. Still haven't had. Much exposure to johnny cash. We're like those country purest whodid him to rock. The rock aficionados who thought him to country. Maybe we're not sure what to do with johnny cash. Even in death. So i want to see just what we do is listen to him. If i permitted we consider some of the many subplots of cash's life. But let me provide non-fans with just enough contacts to appreciate the three pieces you're going to hear. Cash was born 22 arkansas sharecroppers at the height of the decibel days. His mother was an evangelical and his father converted after the death of their oldest son. Cast crew of picking cotton. Listen to woody guthrie song sung by migrant farm workers. He later swept floors in an auto plant served in the air force. He was married twice fathered five children. He was jailed seven times. Most unrelated to a 9-year addiction to narcotics and alcohol. Contrary to popular belief he was never incarcerated in a state or federal prison. But he was acquainted with a few local who scouts across the year. He wrote 400 songs. Do we know of. 100 of them making it into the country top 40. Rock 40 top 40 or both. Is the only person ever to be inducted into the rock country and songwriter. Hall of fame. He collaborated with the likes of elvis presley jerry lee lewis. Carl perkins. Roy orbison willie nelson. Waylon jennings. Kris kristofferson. Dylan. Shel silverstein. And you too. Animated short film about the life of jesus he hosted his own music show. Wrote a book. Appeared in four movies. Just before his death the video of his cover of nine inch nails song hurt. Was nominated for 9 mtv music awards. Influence by his second wife june carter cash and likewise amazing human being and are primary heir to the carter family musical legacy. He became an evangelical christian. Over the course of his adult life cash personally correspondent with hundreds of prison inmates. He helped fund mental health programs. Autism research. Programs for battered spouses. Cancer research. Native american causes. The ywca animal protection programs. Every search for burn victims. And that's just a few folks. Can suffer from a misdiagnosed nervous disorder and severe diabetes. June carter cash died in may of 2003. Johnny cash died that next september. And now the music. Is solidarity with the working woman and man. Is it worthy criterion for high office. Then the song about the hironny. How to qualify for cash hands down. It's an homage to those who put food on their families tables with their sweat. It's the story of a laborer who at the end of a long and exhausting factory career. Plots to end his work life. By punching the overbearing supervisor that has haunted his days. And his knights. I hope we are unsettled by. Peace about the fisted revenge. On the other hand i hope we're even more unsettled by some other things. Listen for the story of the worker. Native an immigrant. Documented and undocumented. Who was and is the very backbone of capitalist systems the world over. Think of the right-to-work laws that have yet today for hibbett workers from organizing for better wages and better conditions. Consider the racism the homophobia. The sexual harassment that still haunt the american workplace. Think southeast asia workshops. Sweatshops. Jobs lost international trade agreements. Souls the world over. Who toil under economic depression. Far more damaging. But any says. Cash alienated a large portion of his country audience when he protest against the vietnam war. And supported the civil rights movement. Next song we're going to here. What is truth. Is this blunt condemnation of his own generation. Is hook line suggest that behind the turmoil and the protests of the 1960s. Was a question. And i can't say for sure but maybe for cash it was the question. What is truth. The only computers can decide where they want to start to suppose. Like ketchup. I'm not sure it's entirely true it could be partly apocryphal. But. Found the cash had. Oh that's not very spare sound. Some would say very boring sound after a while. But that story is it came from. Some alcohol been consumed at a recording. Studio. And they're supposed to be a steel guitar player in a few know about the instrument it's really. Diverse but want to think is often done is to fill between lyrics this nice little musical thing between the end of one lyrics construction newly recline. And the story was that steel player was all lined up and prepaid and use the money for different purposes shall we say. And i never made it to the recording studio. So they had that spare sound where the electric guitar player had to made all that kerplunk. Bay rhythmic wave playing guitar. That was to fill in around all those spaces that were created because of steel qatar wasn't there. And cassius sorry that wasn't all that bad so. That's the sound. Lisa powers given to me. Cache valley kinship and a burden for prisoners. But let him to perform dozens of concerts behind gray walls. Not long after quitting his drug use to record his first live album johnny cash at folsom prison. When asked why he chose prison as a contact for that recording. Just said. Prisoners are the greatest audience that an entertainer can perform for. Cuz we bring them a ray of sunshine in their dungeon. And we're not ashamed to respond and show they're not ashamed esponda show their appreciation. The culture of 1,000 years is shattered. With the clanging of a tseldora beyond behind you. Is sit on this again was this was in the area. You sit on your cold steel mattress bunk. You watch a cockroach crawl out from underneath the filthy commode. But you don't kill it. Because you envy that cockroach. As a crawlersout ender that cell door. And then you realize your accomplishment for the day is a mathematical deduction. You're positive this and this alone. There are nine vertical. And 16 horizontal bars. Pocket door. Do cashews prison as a metaphor for life shadowside. Imprisonment by poverty. Imprisonment by depression. Play addiction. Or greed or prejudice. Or loneliness. Systemic evil. Cast extended the metaphor to the clothing. Choosing to wear only black for his public appearances. He made it clear that he wore black as an expression of grief and solidarity. Grief for those left behind. Solidarity with their struggles. If a lesser person had don black in so public a manner. We might consider that right. Maybe even silly. Johnny cash porter law when he did it seem like a natural expression of his soul and a protest. The things as they are. History tells us the entire nations rise or fall. In direct proportion to the character of their leaders. I believe the good nations morally good nation. Have down front. A woman or a man in black. Somebody who knows what it is to suffer and muddle through. And persevere. Somebody with the humility that comes only a grievous mistake. And the indomitable will. To make them right. Someone who is steadfastly hopeful. And yet acquainted with life shadowscythe. Someone who's passed is not so clean. Someone whose wounds. Never quite heal. Is every two not long before his death. Gas was asked about his many songs that describe the hard life. Reply. You can't let people delegate to you what you should do. When it's coming from way in here he said tapping his heart. I wouldn't let anybody influence me into thinking that i was doing the wrong thing by singing about death and hell and drugs. I've always done that. And i always will. Remember some leaders for what they did. Song for what they overcame. Others for what they left behind. Every now and then we come across somebody we remember for all three. Somebody worthy of our trust. Maybe even or hopefulness. Somebody we could look at and say we're proud that you lead us. So we miss you johnny cash may you and june rest in the arms of the god you love so much. An old come january be sure to wear that black preachers frock of yours when they swear you in over in d.c. cuz washington's always windy. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

131124_yruu_pressure.mp3

Welcome to the november 24th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. Today's service is led by the congregations high school age youth group. The why are you you. The title of their presentation is pressure. And several members of the group share their thoughts. The podcast begins with an original song. Why why are you you member grace ross. Lens with the yru you leading the congregation in a song. I'm going to play a song that i wrote. And it's kind of has to do with pressure. Whatever. It's called. I think to you you forgot i think. Earlier i asked everybody to write their how they feel about individual pressure on a card. And. Now i'm going to individually pick some of those and read them to the congregation. Yeah. All shuffle am up. The pressure is rising. Pressure for me comes from the outside then seeps into me. It is up to me what i do with it sometimes i can handle it fine sometimes it blows up and overwhelms me. Sometimes it gets me off my butt to do something wonderful. Holding my shoe. Pressure means having to manage stress but also learning to focus on the task at hand. As a meteorologist high pressure means sunny weather. I feel you in the back steve. This one just says getting lost in disney world so that must have been stressful. Pressure is to love honestly to teach with passion to be the best parent to my children to listen and hear others to leave the world a better place than i found it. Pressure something that can be turned into motivation. Also says pressure equals motivation if i didn't feel a certain amount of pressure than i would be inclined to lay around everyday. Pressure fuels most of my best accomplishments it is the wind in my sails that i i know that's yours. A little overwhelmed but choosing joy. A sense of urgency life passing by so quickly though i've lived a fairly full life i have so many more things i want to do i worried that i will run out of time. I worried that the book inside me will never get written okay it's pretty much written i worry it won't get published. When i was little i used to have problems with peer pressure. Now that i'm 70 i have problems with peer pressure. Weight on my shoulders anxiety expectations of others to perform. Pressure is to keep being productive enough to continue to support all those who. Rely on me. I feel pressure to read these cuz these people. Ain't nobody tell me what to do okay. Okay. Pressure is unfulfilled expectations that i feel bad about. Right now i'm retired and feel little pressure but before i stopped working i felt pressure most of the time pressure to be meet the deadlines at work to have. Good. 2. What is a side to have good times with my children to keep the house. Clean to do it all. Other people's expectations of me on my purse. Perception of what they expect. Meeting all that's expected of me. Personal pressure is. I don't think the word. It says he gruu alino aggravating personal pressure is. Aggravating annoying and stressful. I deal with pressure through art poetry meditation worship and. Theology this one has a picture that pressure equals i think that's supposed to say stress but it says street. There's a picture of that. Like the picture nice touch. Pretty relaxed retired trying to keep my mind and body functioning at a reasonable level with enough self-inflicted pressure to move forward and stay involved in some meaningful activities. Pressure feeling like you have a lot to do and it is overwhelming. This one has a little guy with a broken balloon that says too much pressure. After processing. It's a cute drawing. Pressure equals anxiety. Pressure to maintain. Fullness of mind in the state of being which can be controlled. Alright everybody. Thank you for your participation. Okay. So my speeches like going to be nothing compared to the stages that was really cool. So i'm smoothly focusing on the precious like us high school students. Everybody at some point has pressure put on them usually more than one thing pressuring them at a time. It could be about work or school friends or family social media anyting. These days so much pressure is put on teenagers wanting to get good grades and get into college. Or impress your friends and not let down your family. It gets really stressful and sometimes it's too much to take. We have the pressure to be perfect. Musician high school it's one thing after another and we never get a break. I need to set good examples and be on top of all of our work and deal with ideally jama. It's a lot to work with and can get to be a lot. A lot of pressure to do everything correctly and a lot of what we do and utis affect the rest of our lives like sats and college applications. It's a stressful time there's a lot put on us to be the best you can be a lot of us up here right now. Going through that. How are you doing. Thomas. My mom's here. Mine is a lot to do with them at least you about high school pressure cuz i'm assuming you guys came here to listen to high schoolers talk. I think. Pressure has a lot to do with the. Kind of the molded together aspects of time and how many choices and possibilities that we have. The best quote that i can find about this was a quote from the lovesong of j alfred prufrock by ts eliot and it's. Times for 100 in decisions and 4/100 visions and revisions for decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse. I think that. Without all these choices that we have in our lives not necessarily conscious choices but all the possibilities that we have we wouldn't have all this pressure if we knew. Exactly what we're going to do if we only had one pass that for us and we can only make one decision. The certain decision every day we wouldn't have as much prep. So i'm going to talk to you about my biggest pressure with his with his math class. Okay guys. Minecraft army. Put all the kinds of pressures together put together social pressure educational pressure familial pressure internal. Pressure for my teachers and. I used to be really good at math. But. My normal day in math. I have the same as i walk into mass. i'm walking with my friend. I first had the social pressure of. When i should stop talking to them and when i should go to class. Which seems like not a big deal but it's hard for me. And then i walk into class and i sit down and i can't decide. You can choose between. What do you should be silent like the teacher wants you to or rather you should talk to your friend. I'm again. seems like not a big deal but. It makes you anxious i don't know if you guys remember from high school but kind of having to take that stuff or you don't pay attention your friends and you ignore them. That's actually kind of a big deal they don't really care in the long run but it feels like this horrible like. My gosh would have hate me for this. So that's the first pressure math class. And then it goes onto should i answer a question that the teacher asks i think i know the answer but if you don't know that. What if you get it wrong what if people think you're stupid what if. I mean if you get it right what if. You got some of the wrong and should you ask questions what are the questions are stupid. I used to be really good at math but i have all these anxiety about now because i'm having a really hard time in it and. Again with that i'm worried about getting good grades in this class and. Having my teacher be proud of makes me someone that i really looked up to for a long time i had last year. And whether i should i need to do better in this class cuz i mean it again my mom she. Obviously to get good grades and i want to get good grades as well to know. Into the college and things like that so. It may not seem like a lot one class but this class everyday i feel so much pressure from it. So please. If your children having a hard time in math. Hope mountain tell him it's okay i'm not they're not the only ones thank you guys. Hey guys when megan. I'm very new to the you so. Now i'm just real talk to you about pressure and. So frustrating was physicist can be known as the ratio force to the area over which forces. Now we are not physicists. But pressured us is more like a feeling it's this constant weight. Outer shoulders that sometimes we can't. Get over it. It's burning but. Hema long-run it helps us grow. I just want to leave at 3 to little excerpt from this poem. Coincidentally it's called under pressure. Too much pressure under the sky. Too much pressure to the ground but don't forget to move. Don't forget when you danced with lee and heavy rain. Too much pressure and time. Too much pressure to stand. But don't forget to enjoy. Don't forget when you just relax your shadow and lush meadow. Too much pressure feel the air too much pressure in the room. But don't forget to breathe. Don't forget. When you said gratefully on a cup of coffee. Too much pressure over your shoulder. Too much pressure on your hand. But don't get sapphire. Don't forget when you're burned with your mouth imagination. Now pressure is something that. We can always escape and. It's part of life. We. Always have to deal with it i know that i definitely will pressure through. School i'm recovering from an injury right now. Have a lot of social pressures and a lot of pressures to get into the college. And to live up to expectations that people are constantly putting on me. But today i just want. To challenge everyone here i just want to challenge you. Find a smile today so just kind of. Step back and. Take a break from all the pressures. Hello. Life is full of pressure we experience pressure. All through our lives everyday. But. As a high-school student i feel like as all high school students i feel like we all experienced pressure. That is. A little bit different. From. Kind of pressure cuz it's like we don't we don't all have jobs we have. School and we have this. Weird situation where we are. Preparing end. Like planning. Far future which is. Really stressful. And we have to like. We have to make sure we do every single thing right cuz. If you make one wrong decision. We could possibly screw the rest of our lives up which is so stressful. So my normal day. Starts off i wake up. My alarm. Pee in the shower. Get out of the shower. I get dressed i eat breakfast. I drive to school. I might feel pressure like i need to get to school on time or i. Did eat healthy liver. The chiropractor. But the real pressure for me starts when i get out of my car at school. Or if i'm going to some other thing in the morning. But usually don't do i guess. I feel so much better in school because. We have everybody around me. I feel like is looking at me in like. Judging me and scrutinizing me about every single little movement i do. And then i have my teachers expecting that i'd work hard on the stuff cuz they assigned to me. Can i have my parents i know are hoping that i am working hard. And. And then i have my future self like looking at me. And zhang you better work hard right now because if you don't. I am going to be mad at you. No i i talked to a bunch of underclassmen. Middle-schoolers sometimes. And they always say oh but yeah you're a senior it must be really fun and uvm no it's really not it's actually the hardest here so far and everybody's everything like. They always think that's going to be easier. No it's not. Applying finding colleges that you want to apply to and then actually applying to them. And getting ever getting a teacher's right. Recommendations for you. It's not fun. Unfortunately like. None of us can really. Get away from this kind of pressure though. Cuz. The habitat society is like. Given to us. Kind of makes us want to stick with the the norm of. Getting a good job getting money and. Making. Having that make us happy. So we can't really get away from this pressure that is on all of our lives. So we have to like come up with ways to. To deal with the pressure. And will. As humans we we do all. All kinds of different things you listen to music read books. Drink. Some people turn to violence unfortunately. But we all just have to come up. Some people meditate. You have to come up with ways to deal with this pressure and. I know i've come up with ways to deal with pressure. I usually just. Either listen to music or if i'm really under pressure. Sometimes this happened actually. Mighty. I was asked to do a video for a. Teacher out of school. And. So we did a day of filming. And i i just couldn't handle it if so. Like that the students i was never supposed to be in the video where really. Unorganized and i couldn't i keep them onto on task. And. So afterwards. A couple days i took the video footage that i had and put on a computer. And then a couple days later. The teacher asked for the footage we did make it into an actual edited movie. And. I look for the footage and someone had deleted it off of computer. So i was really stressed out and i had to go tell the teacher that i had lost a hold like a hole. Day of his class. Because someone deleted off the computer and i felt awful so i actually just laid down in the classroom on the floor. Close my eyes. And i imagine myself in a different place. I like i just laid there and my teacher comes into. The room is in 3 parts and then he comes into this part of the part of the room that i'm in. Are you okay cuz i was on the ground like that. Look looking dead. And i was like yeah and i got up and went. Told the teacher i didn't have any of this footage. Leslie stressful. Thought i'd share that with you. So yeah we all have to figure out ways to deal with stress. And i feel like that's a big part. Our lives. How we how we go trailer lights. First of all i apologize cuz mine just rambles and rambles and. Islamabad rider. So. Basically. First i'm going to just say this was a really hard one to write about. And i didn't actually start thinking about it until like. Do 3 weeks ago when it all started to come together. In my head. But. I was actually at a high school swim practice. And i was looking around and i noticed that. Everyone was kind of getting praised by the coach about improvement. Being faster having better technique. And i noticed that i wasn't. Getting any kind of praise and i was just kind of getting beat down on. Boston was getting out of buildup. It really just kind of made me feel bad about that. End. End up happening is i kept thinking it's just in my head i'm just you know. Isolated scenarios. End. About a week or two i kept looking around and i kept notice everyone's getting filled up but me. And i realized that. I was being kind. A lot on all my strokes. Then i noticed. Maybe one second dropping your half second dropping. Then it was three seconds dropping. 5 seconds dropping in 10 seconds. And i was taking that. Need for. That kind of need for praise. It's making it faster. And soother. Technique. End. Not until like last week. Did i actually realized. That the entire time. The coach nail. That i was seeing everyone else getting praise. Not seeing myself get praised and taking it out in my stroke. And. He kind of looked at me and. I guess they realized that. He was. He was making me. Somebody. By not breathing me. Envive making me. Need feel like i needed to earn it. Okay well. I was debating on what to write about and i considered all the normal options. Peer pressure or parent pressure or social pressure. But. I decided that. The person who's putting the most pressure on me is actually myself. And. Okay. Let's go back to the cliche saying. Is all your friends jumped off a bridge would you. Well i don't know maybe but the why would i jump off. Is it because all my friends are doing it and i think that i'll do that they'll judge me badly if i don't jump off. Or is it because i see that all of them are able to jump off. And i feel like i need to make myself worthy that i need to be equal to them. And i decided that i don't know i'm a person who doesn't really care what others think about me i mean. I want myself to be happy i want myself to be. Able to be looked at well by others but i don't care about. Their acceptance or their judgment. So. It's definitely the latter one for me i want to. Bi pressure myself to be as good as everyone else. And i i want to be smart as smart as possible. That's why i pressure myself to keep learning and getting good grades. Not because my parents have threatened to ground me if i don't. I want to be healthy and look my best. That's why i exercise not be as social media pressures girls into staying thin. And that's fine everyone needs a bit of pressure from the cells to keep being motivated. Keeping active and just keep doing the best that they can. But. Play the point where it can become too much. And. For instance you press yourself into getting an a instead of abby because you'll feel stupid otherwise. You precious off the diet because if you gain weight. You'll feel fat not because you're overweight just because your image of yourself you'll think that you're not good enough. And this kind of pressure is the bad kind of pressure. And ultimately it doesn't come from the social media or your friends or your parents it comes from yourself. So yes maybe people are pressuring me to do something. But if i'm not pressuring myself to be accepted by them to be liked by them to be apart. Of things that they can do. Then i would then their pressure would have no effect on me. The next time that you feel pressured just ask yourself where it really comes from. And you might be surprised at the answer. Okay so outside of high school and your home. Pressure also comes from the internet and social media. I'm sorry i do sort of like a survey and kind of do it info. For some of you who might not know what. Terms are like social media sasso. For the first time. Show of hands who uses facebook. Okay that's why a lot of people you say so. So i will sophistic over 1.2 billion people in the world use. And so i'm one of those people and. So and then. Like. It was generation. We all feel pressure to. Know what these. Social media's are in like. Look like know what the term from these terms that come from the social medias. But then there's also. Some people that might not really care about. Really knowing any of this and lie. Having measles minutes for example my grandparents a while ago and. We are showing that a picture of me on my facebook account. And we were there just wondering like. How we're doing were like well if you had a facebook you can know that instantly if you look at it. And they're like well we don't really want to. Get started in that and we don't want that new concept. The pressure of having to learn all that we don't really care and so. I thought that was. I got example n. So. Am i. I got a facebook only because. The peer pressure but only because everyone else had a facebook and all my friends were getting it on. I guess it's the cool thing that is so i'll get a facebook. So the next one who has a twitter. That sucks. And that's. But also shows with this certificate only 5.5 million people. In the world use it. Might not know what it is it's a text-based social media where you have only. 140 characters to send out what you feel or anything you like. And. Those are called tweets. So i wasn't. Right on twitter as some people were like i didn't get it right when it came out as a bit later on that one. With twitter it's. They comes with like. So i guess it wasn't pressured to getting it at first but once i got it there's a lot of pressure that comes with twitter whether to one of the main ones is. On twitter once some snooze like breakthrough it takes about 10 minutes for that news become old do you have a pressure of knowing that news before everyone else says. Relating to twitter this is a little tougher who's knows what a hashtag is. Okay. So again for those who don't know the hashtag hashtag is basically a number symbol. And it first started on twitter and now it's used over 18 social media's. And basically what it does is it sends you to a discussion page. Where you can. Look at what everyone else has said about that hashtag. And if enough people have said about it then it becomes. Trending. So i feel pressure. On twitter you don't really see a single post or tweet. Without a hashtag in it so if you don't put a house on it you feel. Plain or boring. So. Christmas is coming around i kind of related this to. Like a christmas tree you don't usually see your christmas tree in someone's house. That's not decorated. You still decorate it because. Everyone else decorates their christmas tree. So. You want to be like everyone else. So finally who really cares about any of this stuff like who cares. Really about 9 any of this. If you're a parent. You might care because. If your children are. Into the social media you're pressured into knowing the social media as well so you can keep an eye on what they're doing in the internet. When i asked for a facebook my parents decided that it would be a good idea for them to learn about it too and to even get it like. Before me. See what it was about. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have actually like guidance that it's like. Degeneration wasn't. 1st lake. All of us weren't voice. Since that first so. Are sermon. Closed-end we usually. It's our custom to finish. By singing wagon wheel. So. And if you know. Totally sing along. Do an alumni alumni and advisers can come up. If they would please i think we only have one alarm here no to cuz. Pandas. I made it down the code 717. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

140921_mk_wilderness.mp3

Welcome to the september 21st service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by rev marty keller. Henry sermon is titled wilderness. The podcast begins with an introduction of reverend keller. I worship associate ellen plummer. I wanted to just briefly stay. That rev marty is a poet. When activists in a minister who serves as an inspiration. Too many women and men. Marty embraces and lives the principles and tenants. We hold dear. As unitarian universalist. She walks the talk. We've had the pleasure of marty's company and guidance. These past three weeks. And today she's bringing our attention to the sacredness. Of the wilderness. Like to have you join me in a meditation. I would like like you if you're willing to close your eyes. And imagine yourself next wednesday or. Thursday afternoon or friday participating. Intosh leak. Which is part of the jewish new year. It means casting away. So i know you have creeks and rivers cuz i visited some of them while i'm here. But any amount of running water would do. And i'm going to read from you. Something that was written just recently by rabbi marshall faulk some words. When you go to the water you bring with you crumbs doesn't matter if it's gluten-free or sourdough or whatever you want. Or small stones. And before you cast your stones into the running water. This is what you might remember or say. We cast into the depths. Our failures and regrets. Reflections of our imperfect selves flow away. What can we bear. With what can we bear to part. We up turn the darkness. Bring what is buried to light. What hurts still lodge. What wounds are yet to heal. We empty our hands we release the remnants of our shame. We let go of fear and despair that have dug their home in us. Open hands. Open heart. The year closeout. The year lowe's in. You may open your eyes. Maybe so. So before my sermon i'm just going to read a little bit more from this wonderful book things trees know. By douglas wood who actually is a naturalist a hiker. As well as an author. Of all the teachers i have known i have fun found none greater than trees. Having a rough time. Trouble coping with all that life throwing at you. Storms drought. Hardship loss. Need a little inspiration. Some advice. Go sit under a tree. An old one gnarled with missing limbs and twists and turns and not holes. Still haven't got it. B simone. Lay your head against a great rude and fall asleep. To the lullaby of the wind through leaves or needles. Wake up to the side of a blue sky or clouds. Or sun or moon through a tracery of branches. If your troubles remain try the same thing tomorrow and as often as you can. You will find a generous measure of wisdom and a piece. It worked for buddha after all and for countless secrets of many cultures and many times. Reach for the light reach for where you're rooted. Survive and indoor grow. Through whatever hardship comes your way. Stay rooted and strive even if you never grabs your gold what tree actually reaches the sun. You will attain something greater. Your true self. You will fulfill yourself. And somehow add something of value and beauty to the world. And how long should you go on doing this. Only four. As long. As you live. Clearance of reading. So being a visiting minister here for a short while has made clear for me my priorities and making myself at home. In a new to me town if just for a few days at a time first. I try to find a place to drink good coffee and people watch. Hopefully one that his wife i'd. Second i look for routes to safely take walks by myself getting those 10,000 fitbit steps in. And if there are lovely well-tended gardens and you have them all over here. Filled with all manner of roses and hostas and. Black-eyed susans are they brown-eyed susans and an unexpected stand of apples. And a variety of architecture. So much the better. Answered. Answered i search for wilderness. So i'm grateful for the congregants have helped me find my way to brown's farm. It's rolling pasture it's gliding hawks. Permanently i understand protected now from subdivisions and soccer fields. Not without controversy. For a saturday afternoon drive last weekend to new river where i learned there's possible bass fishing. And friday night undergraduate beer parties. Saw the evidence. But also secluded things from which you can just. Watch. This long stream meander. Or rush. According to the rapids. To be for a little while each day a transcendentalist. And eco-feminist. Participating at least spiritually in the reweaving. Of the world. For me also to be a jewish person in nature which does defy some old stereotypes and self-concept. Among those of us who are just one. Or maybe two generations maybe three now away from those walled-off cobbled ghettos. And the teeming tenements. From great-grandfather's who spent hours david yang. Swaying back and forth reciting prayers and cramp schewels. Little houses of worship or huddle literally huddled over their hebrew bibles and their talmud. Engrossed in scripture day in and day out. This next week begins the days of all in the jewish swords of our faith tradition which is the time of introspection. Of soul-searching of seeking and accepting forgiveness for transgressions. For casting away sins yes casting away sins. Those wounds of the past year. And then beginning again. In love. For those among us who either grew up within judaism and have moved away entirely. Or like most of us still retain and observe some of the usual practices and holidays. The high holy days may be filled with memories of being confined. Confined within a synagogue indoors for many many. Hours during rosh hashanah. Which is the birthday of the world and then a week later. Yom kippur the day of repentance. A lot of squirming. A lot of. Touching. Now my husband who grew up reform jewish had it really easy his mom only made him stay for half the morning. Rosh hashanah and then they can go eat and then yom kippur. He fasted know you have to listen carefully. From breakfast. To lunch. But that's not usually so. Rabbi my cummins father founder of toritrack. Promoting the connection between judaism and nature. Tell us a very different story about the celebration of the jewish new year's. Especially a day in september of 1996. When is he writes in his book wild face. He was camping snugly against the cliffs of a canyon. In the desert mountains above the israeli city of elliot. Wrapped in the early morning cold in his college. His prayer shawl. He listened to the birds. For his inspiration. Describing it as feeling fully exposed. Far from humans he remembers his heart. Shut its burdens. And his prayers of atonement and teshuvah which means turning towards the good. Turning your life around slowed they slowed. It was a superb rosh hashanah he writes. A lifetime hiker and camper suffocated from books and buildings. He had returned to the source. Of his first spiritual feelings. To the wilderness. Yet as a rabbi in training he felt torn between his need to be out of doors to have a deep. Interrupt experience. Of all and wonder. And his conflicted and conflicting commitment is a constant and direct study of holy books. Unconventional temple rituals. Would he be a wilderness jew or a religious jew. Either or. We're both end. We have to move past the notion that the god of judaism is strictly a god of history. Not a god in nature. Which amounts to ignoring all of the roots of present-day jewish worship in early pagan festival. Which were timed with the cycle of the seasons. It also meant dismissing the biblical god who where did god appeared high places and burning bushes in the winds and the firmament. He had to overcome a stereotype that even secular jews are wilderness rejects. Think woody allen ever on the grass. Think billy crystal remember billy crystal on that horse at the dude ranch. He had to overcome the stereotype and its internalised for us. That jewish things are done only in a city and under a roof. The assumption that all wisdom comes from books and insights from a mind that need never be exposed to the fresh air. To natural places or to any other living things. This sense of the outdoors has not much to offer is of course not restricted to judaism and the jewish people. Our own unitarian universalist faith tradition has carried with it at times. The climb a bias. Towards pursuing and parsing sacred words. Weather from religious text. Or worldly literature. Or reports on public radio. And indifference towards or even disparagement of what i become two of the key sources of our faith. The direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder. That removes us to a renewal of the spirit. An openness to the forces which create and uphold life that is our first source. And the 6th or the spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions. Which instruct us to live with the rhythms of nature. Dismissing those who would challenge and exclusively intellectual religious life. Literally internal life. Interior life. It's an ocean of is it a wilderness religion or a rational and biblical religion has been with us for a long long time. Starting with henry david thoreau. And others in his circles of new england transcendentalist whose nature seeking mysticism has waxed and waned as threads of our living tradition. So if my growing years and unitarianism or anywhere near the norm thoreau was not there. At least not on sundays. While there was a piece of driftwood on the author and one of my childhood congregations. Are hymnal readings contained only one from thoreau. Rarely referred to. And my father and brothers fled the windowless sanctuary most weeks for their own worship in the salt flats. Or one woods or another counting birds. Finding spirits. In the wild. Walden the book and the pond it was named after had gone missing as had the words and voices of the other liberal religious clergy and philosophers who were captivated by the notion of divinity being inside and all around us. Knowable in the leaves of grass. Andalou pinemeadow in a starry sky. Throw died of tuberculosis at the age of 44. May 6th 1862 in concord massachusetts eight years only eight years after writing walden. He'd been battling the disease for many years he was christian a unitarian with family ties to the concord congregation. But he had long since since deliberately disconnected from any church membership. Before others including 20 some unitarian ministers found themselves also under increasing attack for their shift. And sensibilities and beliefs. Reverend barry andrews who's one of our primary thorough scholars in a sermon written on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the publication of walden. Spoke about this work and others by his fellow transcendentalist as a form of modern-day scripture. Modern-day scripture and alternative to the truth in biblical text to which the liberal protestant. But still exclusively christian unitarians are there time still at here. Thoreau and other young challengers of a very young unitarianism. Critique what they saw as too much focus on what they termed lifeless things. You want to hear a quote from him about lifeless unitarianism. It's nasty. It's a religion of dry bones and the thin porridge of pale negations. Ouch you can all stay at out. Andrew's tells us that thorough in his fellow transcendentalist were often scolded for their religious views they were considered to pantheistic worshipping the spirit that revealed itself in and through nature shocking some by their elevation of buddha and interest in other forms of eastern religion. Critiqued and marginalised on one hand for the rejection of what might indeed have been called a unitarian creed. And on the other for what was seen as a romantic rejection of the new secular scientific methodology thorough and his colleagues found themselves largely ignored. If not actively shunned. 4 years very under stell us more conservative unitarian sought to exclude transcendentalist and their teachings and their writings. On the basis of their rejection of or more accurately their religious expansion beyond christianity. Even while the philosophy of transcendentalism gained acceptance even adherence. So within a short time fewer and fewer unitarian. Identified themselves. As being within the transcendentalist fold. However since the beginnings of the ecology movement and then what has been called the spiritual revitalization movement starting in the 1980s. Heavily influenced by earth-centered and stamina spirituality i might say. A new transcendentalism and mysticism. A theology of interdependence and eminence which means. The spirit in the light within you has been steadily growing within you you isn't you ism described in one associational study as a slightly updated version of the rose transcendentalism now more than a quarter of unitarian universalist when act when asked identify this way. One-quarter of us really consider ourselves transcendental. How many of you might. Consider yourself. As we rediscovered walden and its author we delve as we delve once more into this source of our living faith. Barry andrews rides that there is a natural congruence between unitarian-universalism and transcendentalism a source of unique and authentically you use spirituality. With this possibility of a rich deep inner life. And a stronger sense for some of us as religious. As a religious identity in other words we can put words to what we believe. And call ourselves unitarian universal. So all of this is a framework for what has been a summer for me of living part of the time i kind of wilderness jewish and thorough leaning life. Yeah. Especially learning lessons about the value and practice of spiritual resilience for my experiences in nature. Which in some ways has taken me back. cole to my childhood. Where i escape the constant storms in our cramped home. And the dark corners of our neighborhood. By spending some part of most days in the modest woods behind the houses across the street. It was a small remnant of eastern piedmont forest with a grove of white birch and beach. And red oak and maple trees. But for me it was a haven sometimes slippery with patches of poison ivy with biting insects with birth and nettles. But despite the slide and even delicious dangers it made me feel. Safe and secure. There were jack-in-the-pulpits like companion me this is where i could find my strength. Font feel totally myself. Totally myself. And feel totally connected. Well i doubt if my words are still there the acreage is now too valuable in that area for me to believe that it has been spared. The backhoe and the grading. And you know what i think i don't want to know. But since june i've been one of a number of artists and musicians in the mycase poets. We're part of a series of performances taking place. In parks and prisoners across the country. To recognize the 50th anniversary of the national wilderness. Yay. Protecting at least a modest portion of our public wildland some 100 million acres. Allowing them to remain mostly untouched natural and free past an 1864. Now what nice soothing 1964 1964 what else passed in 1964. The voting rights act the civil rights act so. The wilderness was freed in 1964. And a lot of other people were freed and 19. 54 and a lot of people think it was not a coincidence. This landmark law is stablished a preservation system intended to save areas where in the language of this act. Earth and its community of liber untrammeled. Bye man excuse me women this would not an inclusive language piece of legislation. We're humans are visitors who do not remain where their outstanding opportunities this is written into the law for solitude. And where there might be ecologically geological and other features of scientific educational or historical value. Making at least a dent a dent in the damage caused by our ongoing american manifest destiny. The human territorialism angry that supports thousands of species into extinction. That has desecrated soul many of our naturally holy places. No most of this rescued land is in the west. Especially alaska but there are few areas in my home state in north georgia in the okefenokee swamp. And here in virginia in the blue ridge mountains and the shenandoah valley. My poet-in-residence setting deciding which i hiked. And sad on rocks overlooking an old creek bed. Learned history from a naturalist scribbled notes and versus snap smartphone pictures. It's not an official federal wilderness it's a city-owned second and even first growth forest. 200 year old trees. 200 year old tree. But somehow and summit miraculously escaped over plowing and clear cutting. It's a protected urban wild space that has seen its share of bloodshed. And hardship. A place where muscogee creek native people were led away to oklahoma. Where a civil war battle was fought leaving 2000 union soldiers dead. And wherefore too many years human waste was poured into its waters. It's a place of ghosts and tears where you can still look for arrowheads. And you can spot bullets. Stunning and its endurance its resilience despite the chainsaws and the sewage dumping and the mounds of old tires and garbage and plastic bottles that blanket the creek banks. And the invasive plants the english ivy and privet and chinaberry trees that were brought here for decoration. 440 roshan control dozens of species that are literally smothering the native plants. The plants that have persevered even regenerated in the living soil of a nearly extinct forest. I've learned about and come to appreciate the flexibility of what might just be seen a slog even deformed trees chipped away by beavers. Blackened by lightning wounded by axes. Badly bent by winds. Killing themselves. Finding the essential light. Sending out trailers. Self creating. They're on new growth. The weary coyotes who still pretty patrol their territory leaving there on the skippable tracks. The frogs and the toads and the herons at find the remaining clear running water. The almost hidden springs. The watchful resident birds in the migrating warblers who still nest and rest from their long journeys there. Despite human incursion and degradation and carelessness. Last sunday's roanoke times an issue with front-page stories about nfl bad news. And al-qaeda terrorist hell. Excel there was an article about invasive plants. And you are near by buffalo mountain wilderness area. Japanese meadowsweet and spirea that threatened the native purple blazing stars and the blue stern grasses. And the other millions of year-old plants that have called this ecosystem home. Reminding us that no matter how tenacious. These species can only survive so long before they are overrun. And overwhelmed. Besides this remarkable environmental education this month-long nature study as a poet in the wilderness i have been persuaded in the words of novelist tina welling. That the practice as she puts it of writing wild. Writing wild shows us the interconnectedness between the earth creative energy and our own personal creative energy. Which has been to me. And incredible spiritual gift. I have relearn something so basic about resilience from this time and this place. How living things want to live. How was centuries-old tree a lucky accident of survival can generate and sustain new life. How limbs may flexibly bend and not break. But even when lambs break life can refashion itself. Gaping holes can shelter magnificent mushrooms. Dreams can change course in an afternoon. To survive. Much of this can happen without us. And some of it has to happen with our lovering your trends. As we pull out which never have been taken root. Clean up. Walk. Gently and speak softly. To take only our rightful place. Just think in terms of thousands of years cast. And thousands of years handsome. From my summer in the wilderness i have learned in a much deeper way as one feminist philosopher has observed. That the earth is indeed sacred onto itself. That her forest and her rivers and different creatures have intrinsic value. That our fates are intertwined. And that there was an urgent and abiding need for our compassionate stewardship. What we will gain is inspiration. What we will gain. Is wisdom. What we will gain is the experience of the holy web. Of all existence. And what we will surely gain. Is all. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website. At uuc and rv. org.

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131222_do_light-darkness.mp3

Welcome to the december 22nd service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by are settled minister. Reverend roland. Bercermin is titled. Blessings of light and darkness. Our first reading this morning. Comes from victoria safford. The moment of magic. Now is the moment of magic. When the whole round earth turns again. Toward the sun. And here's a blessing. The days will be longer and brighter now. Even before the winter settles in. To chill us. Now 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 illuminated by the lights of the menorah. Suddenly ablaze with the lights of the kenora. And the whole world is glad and loud with winter singing. Now is the moment of magic. When an eastern star back in the ignorant towards an unknown goal. And here's a blessing. They find nothing in the end but an ordinary baby. Born at midnight. Born in poverty. And the babies cry like bells ringing makes people wonder as they wander through their lives. What human love. My really look like. Sounds like. Feel like. Now is the moment of magic. And here's a blessing. We already possess all 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. There's a second reading this morning. It's called how the light. Comes in. By jan richardson. She writes i cannot tell you how the light comes in. What i know is that it is more ancient than imagining. That it travels across miss downing expanse to reach us. That it loves searching out what is hidden. What is lost. What is forgotten. Or in peril. Or in pain. That it has a fondness for the body. For finding its way toward flash. For tracing the edges of form. For shining forth through the eye. The hand. The heart. I cannot tell you how the light gets in. But that it does. That it will. That it works its way into the dark deep that unfolds you. Though it may seem long ages in coming. Or arrived and shape you did not foresee. And so wet. And so maybe this day turn ourselves towards it. Maybe lift our faces to let it find us. Maybe band our bodies to follow the ark. That it makes. May we open and open more and open still. To the blessed light. That. How many folks have a favorite season. It might be the season of winter. The season of spring or the season of summer or fall. For me i'll tell you it has always been summertime. I grew up outside of philadelphia. And i remember many many warm summer nights. Looking at fireflies. And eating ice cream. On long lazy summer days. Maybe there are some here who really enjoy. Summertime. Anyone here of greeley. Appreciative and big fan of summertime. And later when i lived in northern california summer was a more chili time than i'd remembered growing up on the east coast. It's not as warm in northern california during the summer time not as warm as blacksburg and as summer or philadelphia in the summer. But there is a distinct beauty that experienced in the san francisco bay off of the ocean rolling in. And i love new york city. Even in august when he keeps rising off of the pavement. And the subways are a little bit smelly. And things were a little bit sticky. But it's still summer in the city. And i love the bright beaches of mexico. And the sun-drenched piazza's in italy. I think you catch when i'm going here. I really enjoy the sunshine. Will tell you that it took for me a very long time to actually appreciate the rich gifts. That arrived with the winter season. I wonder what your favorite season. Might be. 84 summits winter. As we heard earlier we heard a poem. By victoria stafford who's one of my colleagues she says now is the moment. She's not talking necessarily about fairy dust. Sort of magic. But rather a particular. Moving. Magic in a season. As we heard she writes when people are beaten down and broken with nothing left but misery and candles and their own clear voices. The kindle these tiny lights. And they whisper secret music. And suddenly the dark universe is illuminated by the lights of the menorah and the lights of the kenora. And the whole world she writes is. Glad. And allowed. With winter singing. And she writes all about these blessings that we heard. There's a blessing she says we find nothing in the end but an ordinary baby. Born at midnight born in poverty. And a baby's cry like bells ringing makes people wonder. As they wander through their lives what human-like love might really look like. Feel like. She also offers another blessing she says we already possess all of the gifts. We've already received all of our presents. Ears to hear. Music. Eyes to behold lights. Hands to build true peace on earth to hold each other tight or in love. Those are words from victorious alfred and i think maybe her favorite season. Just might be winter. Despite its boisterous energy. Of shopping and cooking. Which some of us engaging at this time of year. There is a quiet experience. Of winter. That we mark by singing and storytelling and lighting of candles. And in doing so we actually invite in. The magic. That is this winter season. Or maybe you don't go in for a particularly commercial. Sort of holiday season. The national retail federation estimates that this year folks will spend on average about. $740. Per person. Which means about 601 billion. Dollars on holidays. Surely it is not shopping. It defines the magic. Of this season. Rather than magic has to do with the blessings of light and darkness. That recall us to the mystery and possibilities of our life here on earth. A few evenings ago. Some gathers for a winter meditation. Evening with me right here in the sanctuary. This was a time to gently ease ourselves into the holiday season through meditation. As last night. Here was a solstice celebration that was organized by arcadian group. Cups the covenant of unitarian universalist pagans. Raise your hand if you attended that solstice celebration last. This week we honor the. when our precious blue green earth. Farthest from the sun. And then slowly took back. To the sun's life-giving rays. For millennia at least in the western hemisphere this is been a time for inward-looking. Well also. Honoring the return of the sun's light. Those nourishing raised without which. Earthwise. And grows itself. Would not be possible. It's a rather vital sort of relationship. That we human beings have with the sun. Perhaps you've seen some dystopian films or dystopian books. Which depict a rather bleak world. Indeed. Without the sun to warm her faces. Or to initiate that blessed. Chain of photosynthesis which creates food for all of our creatures from the tiniest photo plankton. To the grand and towering. Redwood trees. We need the sun. And sometimes we forget that we do. Because we can flip on a switch. On our electric lamps and have. Crisp white light anytime we wish. So we might just forget sometimes the blessing that is the sun. And that without the sun's rays we would simply perish. Today i've used the word blessing. Quite a lot. And it shows up in our readings that we heard two. Blessing is a term that we often those who gather inside of unitarian universalist religious and spiritual communities this term blessing. Is one that we often wrestle with. What's a blessing. What does that mean. Who bestows it. And what is its power. I would say that a blessing is powerful. With it we bestow our greatest appreciation. To bless or to name with gratitude. We bless using the power of our human language. And we receive a blessing when we listen and hear and acknowledge and appreciation by another. Bless something is intact then a radical recognition and appreciation. It actually derives from words which mean to praise. And to worship. Traditionally many cultures and religious traditions. Having experienced a blessing. Blessings are often offered at very auspicious times. I might be a blessing for special events like milestones in the life of a person or a community. But there might also be blessing. For thus creating and acknowledging a special nature of things that happen every single day. There might be blessings for the testing of a piece of fruit. The mighty blessings for trying something new. There might be blessings for a community that have undergone. A hurdle. Accomplish something together. It might be a blessing when one reads a neighbor or a friend. Or family member. In biblical passages wearied mayer people be blessed. May you be a blessing. In islam people greet one another with a blessing assalamualaikum. And it's received and said back off so alaikum salam. From ancient germanic paganism to hinduism blessing and ritual practices of blessing just abound. In so many ways. Perhaps the sun cannot particularly appreciate our blessings. Per se. But the blessing of something actually does something to the blesser. It makes one glad. It makes one capable of acknowledging goodness and strengthening one's heart. So the sun offers us a blessing of light. And we may honor our intrinsic relationship with the sun's light weenie bless it back. But what i wonder about darkness. What about blessing the absence of the sun's light. Darkness is tricky. For many in our dominant cultural understanding. Darkness particularly in christian traditions has long been associated. With evil. With ill. With ominous doing. Consider the culturally normative language we often hear associated with darkness. The dark force. The shadow side. Some of these sound perhaps sinister. Certainly they sound less advantageous than the light side. Or. The brightside. Theologically speaking goodness has long been associated in christian thought with. Light. And darkness with that which is bad and not to be trusted. In a book called the crimson black christian traditions on black and blackness. I think her name robert robert hood points out the ways that this thinking has actually been used to subtly support. And even propagate racism. Meaning perceiving everything associated with darkness as negative and everything associated with white as beautiful. He highlight stories and paintings and films the often. The pratt portrays subtly and not-so-subtly the culturally acceptable ways of equating darkness. With evil. I want to suggest that winter time actually becomes a unique opportunity. An occasion for us to disentangle ourselves. From the cultural obsession with that which brings light alone being positive. And to remember the intrinsic blessing that is darkness itself. I'ma longest night of the year we can recall ourselves. The gift of darkness itself and perhaps. Ethan shoes to bless. The darkness. On the darkest nights of winter we might pause to reconsider our own approach to darkness. Years ago many years ago i took a trip to australia. And i was with my younger sister who is 10 years my junior. She was a teenager and i was in my twenties. And we went on a night hike it started at midnight. And we went through the humid. Forest. The tropical forest. My sister. She was enthralled by the night hike. She bounded forward with her flashlight dangling from her wrist and she was not very concerned. About what was being illuminated by the flashlight she just didn't care. She was having the time of her life. Curing it massive spider webs and following the sounds of creatures and critters chirping in twittering nearby. I. On the other hand. Head research the area. Very well. And i knew that it was home to spiders the size of my hand. And various insects who with one pinch could actually begin a process of paralysis of one's legs. So my sister john to the head leading the procession urging the tour guide in our procession on and on deeper into the forest joking and laughing. And i'll tell you there's nothing wrong with being armed. With research. But i simply could not abandon myself to the night adventure with the ease and the joy that she could. I had yet to surrender myself to a playful adventure in the dark. I was actually wishing that i could just adjust my headlamp a little bit more and find the best escape route for us. So truth be told at the beginning of the hike i just wanted. Grab my sister and pin her back. But by the end when we emerged i had realized something very important. The quality of adventure. That quality of surrendering into the unknown. And embracing the darkness of possibility that which cannot be seen. Necessarily with the eye. Was not something that i wanted to give up. I was unsettled by the darkness about forest because i had not. Yet cultivated my own night vision. I wonder for you what is your approach to the darkness. To the unknown. In this season we can choose to go out into the darkness. And you that which would be typically hidden from our view when the sun is out. We can also choose to allow and invite in the presence of darkness. Helping us to appreciate the things we just could not see in the bright light of day. Christmas lights. Candlelight. A dreamy skyscape. Skies. Escape. Filled with stars. So the gifts of the winter time become an opportunity for us to play around a little bit in the dark. Easing our way into it. When we light candles this season. Is there a 9 on the menorah or seven on the kwanzaa kinara. Or the four or the five candles. On the advent wreath. When we light candles in our home when we laid our flaming chalice we are reminded of the blessings of both light and darkness. My hope for you this holiday season is that you will explore a little bit and you're on waze. The blessings are both lightness and darkness. No matter where we choose to spend our time this holiday season how we may celebrate the holidays. We do. Some central things. We rest. We eat. We stood in the darkness and we light candles. I wonder could it be. That this is exactly a season for us to bless the darkness. As a particular closing blessing this morning. I'd like to share these words. For the solstice written by rebecca parker. At this winter's turning of the year. Let us go gently for once into the night. Extreme drenched glittering stillness a haven for our souls. There is something beyond the dull brightness of midday. Fluorescent and buzzing. There is something to praise beyond the sun. Triumphing over the intricacies of shadowed moonlight. Bring in the old. Beautiful realm. Holy night. Echoing with ancient voices. Wrestling with intimacy is passion luminous with stars. Cradled in darkness. Be restored to the embrace of mystery. Glory waits here. Let it kindle. Your joy. May you light many candles. Nail embraced the gifts of dark. And light both. In this winter season. May this be so. Blessed be. And. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website. At user cnrv. org.

uucnrv_org

140629_vt_connectivity.mp3

Welcome to the june 29th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by worship associate. Victoria taylor. The theme of the service is conductivity. The podcast begins with victoria and fighting for members to share reflections. Alan moore. Julia lewis. Bill patterson and felicia escobar. Victoria's any shares of reading. Followed by her leading the congregation in a conductivity exercise. This. Topic of today's service is connectivity and connection. And our affirmation is one of the central key points to that all of us come with those intentions. Often we focus in our conversation on what we get out of our participation in worship. Our participation and service in our community. But today i have asked several of our friends and members to actually share with you. What they bring to the community. So i'm with. Those people that have prepared things to please stand in a mike will be given to you. Well today is specially i bring. Confusion. Misunderstood the. What victoria had asked of me i'd actually wrote. A haiku about. What i. Don't understand the assignment. What i'd like to say about what i bring. Community. Bring a sense of appreciation. Because i recognized. Everyone of you are a. Beautiful. Gift of the universe. Tender love. My haiku about what i. Xperience cheer. Moved by the music. Seven principles wisdom. Broken heart healing. Thank you alan. Okay iamjorgeluis. In 2004 when i learned there was a u u congregation in blacksburg. I was anxious. To attend. Throughout my. Live i have been a methodist. But didn't believe. What i was taught. I was the pianos pianos for sale. For several methodist congregations. And i really loved doing that. My first sunday here i felt liberated. I liked. The friendliness. Intolerance. Congregants. As for what i bring to this community. I really can't think of any. Except. I am a coffee maker. One saturday a month. And i saw a fuel card. For one sunday a month for a kroger and food lion. And also. Uptown breakfast on monday at panera bread. Yuyu girls. A very interest. Thank you julia and you're willing it's in your eighties to where you use for action shirt that's quite a statement. Thank you so much. Bill paterson. I bring to you usually an rv and open mostly. Healthsense of humor about those things. But mainly i bring. Hey lover music. Thank you val. I'm felicia at the corner again and i i bring. A very. Body and broad knowledge of science. And sometimes very deep. Very narrow. Deep spots. And i bring. A sense of wonder and compassion. And. And my voice. Thank you felicia. So each of you know what you bring. And you might want to spend a few minutes thinking about that and you'll have an opportunity later in the service. So that's the theme. I'd like to know. Read a quote. From martin luther king jr from. Something he wrote on christmas 1967. It really boils down to this. That all life is interrelated. We are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality. Tied together in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. We are made to live together because of the interrelated structure of reality. Before you finish eating breakfast in the morning you've depended on more than half the world. This is the way the universe is structured. This is an interrelated quality. We are going to have peace on earth until we recognize the basic fact. Of the interrelated structure of all reality. And then i followed that up with the buckminster fuller. Facebook. At great length about the interrelated. Of all reality. It went when he said i live on earth at the present. And i don't know what i am. I know i'm not a category. I am not a thing. A noun. I think to be a verb and evolutionary process. An integral function of the universe. So good morning. It's a true privilege to be here before you. It's a different perspective seeing your faces from here. Each one of your uniquely beautiful faces. Today as i've observed your worship without knowing any details or circumstances. I know that some of you were here enjoy. I know that some of you were here with grief. Some of you retired. Some of you were restless. Some of your proud. Are confused. Work cited. Each one of you brings a unique perspective. Unique gifts and unique traits. As rumi said and we sang in our opening hymn. Come come whoever you are. Wanderer worshipper lover of leaving. Even so. All of you chose to leave your homes this morning and to join us here. So today the service fizz hour. Is only like this because you're here. Aristotle put forth the idea that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Creating the study of synergy to explain this physical phenomenon. Buckminster fuller applied the principles of synergy to human behavior. He observed that humans co-exist in a dynamic state. And developed geometric equation showing that combined human action is favored over the difference of individual component actions. And isn't that true of this our beloved community. Each of you comes to this place and contributes to us your personal story. And us we are richer for it. So i look at you all today. In a wonderful color mosaic action verbs. What is your verb today who are you. It might not be who you were yesterday or who you wish you were or who you wanted to be. Today's story who are you today. And guess what it's perfect. For today. To think about when one or two words what's your verb. Or your noun. Tell your adjectives. Got it. You might you work all given the slip of paper when you came in. So we see if we're going to create a display of our synergy. We're going to create a kinesthetic demonstration of our interrelated quality. Write those words on your paper whatever came to you just write it no correct answer. No one's going to know. Julia has a blue paper and it's in the left corner and she's oh my goodness you know it's whatever. So when my paper i might write joyful. Alright mother. Or acupuncturist or lay leader. Or perhaps you like buckminster fuller a reverb. He might be a gerund you might be an adjectives. However you occur for yourself today right now write that down. If you don't have a paper there. The ashes wiki. Alright. Now. The isle. There are some stupid. Learn i want you to make a ring. Out of your. Verb you can put it on the inside or the outside. I don't really mind. Stop. I forgot you can't attach them if they're all stapled alright i already had done mine operation and you might have to unstable what you already stapled but we are unitarians and we accept mistake. One step forward might be necessary for three or four steps forward. I forgive you. And i hope you forgive me. For making a mistake. Alright so each row should have a little bit of a chain. Alright. And. I just realized we're going to need some connecting ones too. So then if you have three or four turn to the aisle behind you and join your three or four with the aisle behind you three or four. So if you get the idea we're going to all be together. Frank. Yeah after you finish some come to the bring the change to the middle so we can make it into a circle here in the middle. Let's bring all the small change to the middle and then a few of you can work on connecting those into a circle. A lien will help thank you. How many unitarians does it take to make a paper chain. As many as it takes how about that. Tight ends are good that would you know by chance work. Remember this is a display of the kinesthetic interrelated quality today so today is have side chains. Can i have a couple other people let's make a circle despite their spine maybe give a little bit of it to julia can you hold that up. And. If you could. Holden solstice circle. That be great. Thank you. Alright so this is our synergy. This is our perfect mingling of story. I've guessed of contribution of aspirations of experiences and ideas. This is who we are right now on this day. It takes all of us whoever we are to create this community. This is a beautiful thing. Give thanks and ahmed. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

130217_ao_song-dance.mp3

Welcome to the february 17th service at the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. Today sermon title experiencing uu first principle in song-and-dance. It's a liver by congregation member amada lowland. Worship associate sharon day introduces amato. They talk back after the sermon is included in the podcast. Some of you have matt. Amado olin some of you have just heard him sing. Before he bleeds us. The selected reading and proceeded to tell us his thoughts on music dance and the first principle i'm going to ask him to give us a little background. He's not a musician i don't think. Indicted. Well we're all musicians aren't we i mean if you look at my resume i suppose it might indicate that i am actually musician but high. My name is mark. And.. Well let's see what do you mean what it what do you want to know about me at one point in the deep dark past i got a degree in philosophy. And because. I don't learn easily from my mistakes i went back and got a degree in music. While i was there getting my degree in music i was kind of finally exposed to jazz and sort of got it for the first time prior to that i was listening to prague rock. Any. Fans of rush and or queen in the congregation please represents. Thank you alright there you go. And.. So i worked for a while as a. Musical instrument salesman and. Started my fledgling career as a jazz or blues vocalist. Finally learning from my mistakes i decided to get a career in computers so i went off and got to start the job in that. that would finance my music career it's a pretty good plan and. Edit your now it's going to pay off. At present i am a web designer for virginia tech in the office of international research education to end development and i continue to. Developers musician. I'm doing a lot of jazz these days and have recently has i'll be talking about been exposed to. A weird kind of method of. Group singing. That's a spontaneous and arises just from. What's happening in the moment it's an interesting thing that i'm working on that. I won't really be telling you about today but i do hope to show you at some point in the future. I don't know that's me honey is that me. Pretty clothes okay. Nice to meet you. Oh and now i'm supposed to be something. So i thought. That this other whitman thing which. We will will not read responsibly but it was something else that i considered. A reading responsibly today and i thought it would be a good. Last minute pick. So it's number essex 45 here. Something about walt whitman. Just seems to work with the topic that i have to talk with you about today and so he wrote this song on the open of the open road. Hirota. A foot. Light-hearted i take to the open road healthy free the world before me. Henceforth i asked not good fortune. I myself am good fortune. Strong confident content. I travel the open road. I inhale deep drops of space the east and the west of mine on the north and the south or mine. All seems beautiful to me. I can repeat over to men and women. You have done such good to me. I would do the same to you. Whoever you are come travel with me. However sweet bees laid up stores however convenient this dwelling we cannot remain here. However shelter dysport. And however calm these waters we must not anchor here. Together. The inducements shall be greater. We shall sail pathless and wild seas. We will go where winds blow. Wavedash. And the yankee clipper speeds by under full sail. Forward. After the great companions. And to belong to them. They too are on the road. Onward to that which is endless. As it was beginning less. To undergo much tramps of days. Rest supply. To see nothing anywhere but what may reach it and pass it. To look up or down no road but it stretches and waits for you. To know the universe itself. As a road as many roads. As roads for traveling souls. Well. My friends thank you. For this chance to share with you this story that i've been so very full of. For the past year-and-a-half. What i've got for you today is a story about a guy who takes a journey. Find something that for a while at least he feels. Changes everything. Can't tease me like that you've got to give me the whole cord. 41. He feels changes everything. For the better. And the reason that i'm so passionate about this story is not because of some. Cult-of-personality hero-worship. Of a famous person who figures prominently in this story. North because i'm the guy who goes on the journey. My earnest hope. For the longest time has been that if i could tell you what i saw. How i came to see it. That you might see it too or at least some pale reflection of it. More than anything. I would like for others. Especially you. My friends invest faith community. To be able to see what i saw. Find what i found in this moment that i consider an epiphany for me. They'll already have used the word epiphany and i probably sound to you like i'm about i'm all full of religious fervor. About to witness to you about my story of how i was born again. I know that we've got plurality of belief. And this room. Not everyone here is of the same mind about what's going on ultimately in the universe. Some of you like me. Have steadfastly secular humanist. Point of view. And perhaps some of you are already kind of settling into exercise your patience and your tolerance to listen to some yahoo spout woo for the next 20 minutes. And if this is you if a mental smirk is lurking behind a play poker face that you've got on. First of all i'm thankful for your tolerance. I mean tolerance is a big deal in this room right it's a high value of ours and. But you're exercising at least that. Is is a is a good thing. But while i messaged today is for everyone. It's addressed to you. Is secular humanist people who are like me because cuz i'm you. Because like you. I can see that the seven principles that we list in the beginning of the hymnal. They make logical sense in their own right and they don't need some kind of supernatural reinforcement. But even so. I came to have this experience this one i'm about to describe. And not once in my journey that i have to swallow an idea that was offensive to my rationality. And yet i had an experience so profound. Did i may lack secular language to describe it adequately. But here i go trying. For those of you who don't know. The journey that i'm talking about took place from august 28th through september 2nd of 2011. I went to a place called the omega institute. In rhinebeck new york which is near poughkeepsie that's about halfway between new york city and albany. Got to get a general idea for where that is. I went for a workshop led by a grammy-winning vocalist that i very much admired. I can't start my story there because i really have to tell you about who. The protagonist was at the time who it was it was going on the journey. And in the interest of time as i. Worked on. This presentation i discovered that. I really am going to need to trim the story down to bare essentials. I don't have is some keywords to try to get this idea across to you as. I might have hope that only got 4 pieces of paper up here. So. Here's what's essential to know. For the story. The first thing you need to know is that at the time that i left on this journey i was doing a lot of work on myself. It came to light a few months before. I left for this workshop. That for most of my adult life i have been carrying certain kinds of problems with me there nothing remarkable. Some of the same sort of stuff that we all got. It just so happened that a few months prior to this vacation that i took. Something's happened that. I kind of made it evident that it was time for me to seek. Professional counselor. And sit down and talk about what was going on. Weave. Let's see where am i here. Yeah it's not like i was carrying things that really had a bunch of serious consequences for me. But. It was. Certainly every once awhile there be an episode that was not pleasant for me or anybody who's immediately. In my space so it was. Time to sit and talk with somebody about that. I found a guy that i like working with and what we talked about a lot. We've come to call emotional regulation. And that's not all we're trying to control our emotions. Because. That's impossible. But it's more about being. More conscious of the emotions that you are experiencing. And. About being. Having a better understanding of what it is that you're supposed to do when you're in. The frozen powerfully uncomfortable emotions. Which is. Really. Not much except notice them and feel them. Those working on that i was trying to process that and i was trying out new things and my social interactions in the way that i was going through the world. So the next thing you need to know is about the place. Where this workshop was being held at a place called the omega institute. Which i highly recommend you look up there at eomega. org i believe google it you'll find it i'm sure. Institute is a place where they give a lot of workshops and seminars that have to do with things like higher consciousness in your awareness lots of yoga classes a lot of the ecology classes. A lot of spiritual thinking and lot of stuff that again a good secular humanist. You can have a little bit of struggle to accept. The workshop was being held there. A lot of the people there. Weren't necessarily people who are normal attendees of that kind of workshop. A lot of the people. There were musicians who were just going because this was an interesting musical workshop to go to but some of the people who were there were. Omega institute regulars that we're taking the seminar because it seems like an interesting thing to do. The reason that that's relevant is because. Some of the people who were there were an important part of what happens to me while i was there. The next thing you need to know is that one of the things that i carried with me into this. A week-long workshop with a bit of idol worship. I mean. This is a guy. Okay.. I promised myself i would try not to mention his name but i'm not sure that i can't. So the guy who was putting on the workshop his name is bobby mcferrin. Anyone remember him. Okay. If you don't don't worry. And why is this a big deal to me bro. From my perspective as a musician. This was a guy who could do anything. With his voice i mean. He's got an incredible capability for what it is cds. Able to do. He's written. Music that i've been in deep all of. He's had music videos on music television music television used to play music. For anyone who doesn't know. He knows robin williams personally. He's won grammys. One of the grammys he was presented the presenter at the time was his idol miles davis i mean. I didn't know how to process that i'm going to meet this guy. I was more nervous about that than i am right now. And the last thing you need to know about the journey that i went on. Is. About the timing of the journey that i went on. Does anybody remember a hurricane or by the time it passed through here a tropical storm. That was in late august of 2011. Well that. That was the hurricane that took a freakish turn and kind of hit somewhere south of virginia went up virginia in this area we didn't have many effects except for a day of high winds but then it continued on up and landed right on. The southern tea with my new york city on the southern tier of new york state. That hit. The day i was supposed to leave. Until i had a tough time deciding am i supposed to chase the storm or try to get out ahead of it. As it turns out i decided to follow the storm. And i was following its so closely. That's why i was halfway through pennsylvania. I was actually catching up with it. And the winds were scary enough that i decided well it's time to take a 2-hour lunch and give the storm a chance to get on ahead of me. Turns out to be a good thing without i follow the storm is closely as i had because. If i had arrived. At the omega institute any later. The water continuing to accumulate from the storm actually made the roads more impassable as time went on. So. Actually. It was lucky that i got there when i did because a lot of people couldn't in the immediate aftermath and people continue to trickle in. About the next 36 hours. So these were the things i carried with me into this week-long workshop. Hell i'm flawed i'm. Broken i'm working on myself there's things that i. That i. Feel that in my interactions with other people i. I'm going to meet party. What you held to get here. And. Are people going to like me and my going to. Radiate this vibe. Oh he's trouble don't go near him he's. Yeah but it was real. You know it was. Nope nobody's going to like me. And let's see what else oh and of course a bunch of vocalist doing a workshop thing. How is there going to be competition is it going to be all week. Stand out above the rest and audition to be on bobby's next tour or some ridiculous fantasy like that at all sorts of things that i didn't know about what it is that i just got myself into. The first night that i was there. There was an orientation. And i'm bringing the stuff with me and. And so i've i entered into the the biggest building on the campus where they. I had the orientation of the main building on campus where most of the. Workshop was being held. And. Looked around for you know a place to sit and right away what a blessing this was. A group of about 45 people. Said.. You look like you're one of the musician type come on over here and sit with us. So right there as i went and sat with them. I did the first thing that i tried differently. Little. Social experiment on them but with me. I said you know what. I'm going to pay attention to. I'm going to learn these peoples names. But not just. Superficially oh hey good for me i remember your name in your name and your name. I'm going to learn something about them. And where they're from. Or learn what they do. I'm going to learn. Something. From what they're doing back home something that may be important to them. And that's relevant because that started. The process for me that over the next couple of days. Really started to feel good and interesting ways ways that came to a head a couple of days later. I need to skip ahead at this point in the story 2. One of the many people that i met. While i was at this. Week-long workshop at the united center. In a mini of the people. That i met. Who are successful in drawing me out and kind of. Understanding where i was and what it is that i was working on. But this guy in particular. Set a couple of things that relate specifically to the revelation that i had. I think it was the next day at that point. His name is michael. I met him over lunch. He was just sitting. Shirt off hat on beard this long. And enjoying his lunch too and as was my habitat the time i think it would you mind if i join you. Absolutely not come sit down. He. We talked a little beds and i mentioned about emotional regulation and he said oh you know. I'm a videographer i work for the mega inn. I got a chance to see a lot of the instructors who come through here say a bunch of different things about a bunch of different things. I need some tips for me about breathing exercises. Which is the breathe right about now. But one of the things that he said. I don't remember exactly what it was that i said that caused him to say this but he said do you know what an interesting thing that one of the teachers said around here is. The way. That we do. Anyting. Is the way that we do everything. I think about what it is that you may have meant by that. The approach that you take two. Eating a plate of lunch. Can i you've got engaged in that act somehow the foods got to get from there to here. And the way that you do that. Has something to do with the way that you. Enter into a room full of strangers. Meet a stranger for the first time. Meet a friend that you haven't seen in a month. Sting. Dance. Enter into conflict resolve conflict. Something about you and the way that you approach your life. Is in common between all these different. Activities and if you don't have a. Visceral sense for the truth of that kind of. Asportation that i'm making well. I guess. I'm just going to have to say that it seems true for me. And try it out. See whether or not as you go through your life. The way that you. Eat lunch have something to do with the way you make the bed. Sloppily in my case. So. Have to skip ahead again. I think it was on that same day that one of our instructors. Said we're going to do is we instructors up here i just going to sing something this rhythmic. And we don't want you to worry about anything we just want you to dance. But. We don't mean dance dance i mean. And at this point bobby mcferrin stands up and he says no we don't mean this. Cuz that means got rhythm. Is it what we want you to do is move how you move that's all we want. We're just going to make this music and we just want you to. To move in and. So it seemed to be playing along the same theme. The approach that you. Take-two just moving how you move right now. That's all we want to see your in a judgement-free zone go for it. And what for. That was cool. Not highly recommended get yourself into a judgement-free zone. Nobody watching you windows all drown. Turn on some good music that you like. And dance around like fool. It's a it's a worthwhile thing to do and i'm hoping to do some more of it. You don't get to watch. That's all the setup that that i have time for now i think finally i get to tell you. What actually happened. Every day around 9 a.m.. We would go into the same there was about 180 of us singers in the class just give you an idea for. For what. Room look like. Probably room about this size. Stage area. Chairs or leo easily removable chairs are around. Usually the warm-ups one of the instructors every morning at 9 a.m. would lead us and worry about so they were usually things like breathing exercises or maybe they were intonation drills vocal exercises. One morning one of the instructors taught us gospel song he written. This morning that same instructor. Cool the day previous had said we just want you to move how you move. Said are we today we just want to get your heart pounding we just want to get your blood flowing we just want to get your lungs working. Today i'm just going to play you three recordings. Three pieces of music and we just want you to move how you move. And that'll get us started for today. Play the music and. I didn't regard it as. Would be real smooth transition if i tried to play you any of the tunes right now but tub. Patti austin has got a cover of the song you gotta be. Another thing that i suggest that you look up cuz. She has a real good cover of it. Bachi for a while. I was invested in that fact i was. Alright i am going to move how i move and i was moving. I was paying attention and i was enjoying it. This feels like me. I was working at hard. And after a few minutes of that. The first good thing happened. I eased off. I said you know what. To work this hard. This is cool i can relax i'm still moving the way i move if i eat soft and relaxing. And something about that active easing off. Made it possible for me to pay attention to what was going on around. And to see the other people who were in the room. Moving the way they move. I'm trying to remember just how quickly a dawned on me how just just how beautiful that is. I was concerned at this point that i wasn't going to be able to recapture the. I'm finding that i was very wrong. Everywhere i looked. In this room full of 180. People that were people. I knew each doing their own move the way they move some people were. Some people were in. Flowing. Movement some people were staying right where they were some people were moving around the room. Some people got into circles with other people and we're dancing socially and we're having a good time with their new friends and some people were deeply involved in their own stuff. But everybody was moving. The way they move. Was wearing. They're essential. Uniqueness. Right out there for me to see. Was displaying their inherent worth and dignity. In a way that hit me. I saw it. That i think is really all there is to say about the moment of epiphany that i had. I don't know if it has given you any kind of. Flavor as to what it is that i experience that day but. As i process that. Experience in the following. Hours and days i came to a couple of different conclusions. Still processing it and it's still stuff that i'm working with. First of all about my idle worship for a bobby mcferrin. He had already done a few things that kind of made him. Normal human being in my mind but. What this experience helped make me realize. Was that tough this elevated position. That i had this guy on. I don't have to take him down from that. And this elevated position that i have me in. Thinking i'm pretty hot stuff. I have to take me down from that elevated position. The deal is. Every. Person. I meet. Is up in that same elevated position. All. Awesome. I believe this. I have seen the lights. It sounds flip but. I'm really coming to the conclusion that if each and every person that i meet if i. I'm not able to see. The way that they are. Deeply. Unique. Awesome. I just don't know them well enough yet. And yes it's true there are some people that i'm going to meet whose inherent worth and dignity. Is not exactly on the surface. That maybe they've come through too much. Maybe they've come through too much pain in their life or they're experiencing too much pain right now for the real to be fully realizing. Their awesomeness their inherent worth and dignity. And i've come up with a guiding phrase for that as well. Something i'm trying to keep in mind love. Your friends. Hard. Love your enemies. Even harder and from a greater distance. What is true. There's nothing that says that you have to volunteer to put yourself in the path of somebody who you are right now incapable of get along getting along with. But. They still got them here at worth and dignity. They're still deserving of your love. And they still. To be afforded an opportunity. To realize. Their innate awesomeness. What else what i got i'm getting close guys. Including story. I went to the same workshop again into in 2012. And they're holding it again in 2013 i hope to go. I didn't have the same kind of revelatory experience this last time that i went. Although i did work just as hard and brew in other ways. But i wanted to tell you a story about a woman i named met name rose. This year at the workshop they broke it up into little chunks. So some people could go home early if they didn't stay for the whole thing. And at the end of the first chunk of the faculty gave a performance and at that performance i found myself sitting next to somebody and i was practicing some of the same stuff that i'm. Really trying to make more of a habit in my in my. Normal life. Of getting to know people then getting to know what's important them so rose was there and i asked what what brought you to a bobby mcferrin workshop and she said well it was. Really this one particular song. And i said. I had already gotten to know the rose was an administrator for presbyterian church i think it was presbyterian some flavor of love. Boston. And i said really. That particular song. That's so that strange can presbyterians get with that and she said well i can get with that so then you can be my friend then. Answer the faculty gave this great performance and they left the stage and we the. Both probably some 200 others called for an encore. And when a roomful of singers calls for an encore. Roomful of singers have just been practicing and probably methods of spontaneously coming up with song. Call sprint on farwell. Suffice to say the faculty. Onerous without request in for the faculty members. Came out. And they asked for a note. And they were given the note and they started singing. That very song. But i tell you i'm sitting here next to rose. I felt every neuron in her brain. Fire off with the. With the. Realization of the seeming coincidence of the song being sung. And it sounded a little something like this. I was concerned that my thing was going to go way way along. so he's been moving right along today and sharon tells me that there is time for talkback. I was concerned that i. Didn't wrap it up real nice so if anybody's got any things that they like to say or any questions for me. If not we can sing to him and go home. Thanks for your authentic sharing. Harder than i thought. Hi i'm alison galway and i just wanted to say that i really appreciate you expect sharing your experience i had an experience similar to that in early 1990 and it was on a weekend in a workshop. And i was able to see through my defenses. At the real person i was looking at instead of the surface i constructed and to defend myself against. And that change enabled me to meet art and. Enjoy the real art. As opposed to. So many times in the months since i. Find myself slipping back into the old habits when i'm in pain when i'm in fear. Just just the normal way of. Defending myself and not. Paying attention to other people that's it such an easy habit to be back into. Such a great thing to have the chance to remind myself off as i try to share it. The weird microphone microphone you know i know i know your story was about your journey. But i kept going back to the fact that you were meeting bobby mcferrin and and i think that's so exciting my mother had season tickets to the san francisco symphony until she was about 80 and it just the trip into the city was. Too much. I'll never forget the day. That she went and then she went to the matinees but she came home. From. A matinee at the san francisco symphony where bobby mcferrin had sat on the stage. And and then found it around and did his end end. And did his music with the symphony. Did his vocalizing and she called and she was so excited my mother was not and effusive. Bubbly person she was very contained she was she was so excited and then for christmas we all got the wonderful recording of bobby mcferrin. I'm at chick corea doing the mozart. Anyway so self. And and thank you for sharing yourself. But i kept thinking about bobby mcferrin while the mic is traveling over there i'll try to share one real quick real quick. Bobby is one together dude. He has said he's got a lot of the. A lot of what it takes about being human and being a good human down pretty well and he tells the story about. Concert from somebody says to him thank you. But what's really meaningful to him he told a story about after one concert a little old lady. Stood up and said. I just have to tell you. I feel so good right now and he said that more than any compliments about his technical proficiency. Is really what matters doing. Is his ability to make people feel good with his art. For general information bobby mcferrin will be appearing at the jefferson center i believe it's in april. I'm in seat s111 and f112. I also have tickets. I was the administrator at a church church in atlanta for a few quite a few years and one of the things our ministers said. Is so true and i was so reminded of it this morning hearing you speak. And he said that. That strangely enough he has found that if the more. He talks. Personally about his personal experience or feeling. The more people in the audience are likely to identify with him. And i think that's very true and i found that to be so true this morning. Because you took the chance to really really talk to us from your heart. I think more of us. Really felt. Some of the similar have felt some similar things and really connected. It's going to be difficult for me to know and the hours and weeks to follow weather. I succeeded in what i hope to do or if i was just enormously self-indulgent up here. My husband and i talked a lot about the things that you were sharing and i personally connected. To what you were saying. When i reflect upon being with my family. I think a lot of times. We. Forget our immediate families gifts. And can easily become irritated just being around them for an extended. of time. But. Realizing that they are beautiful people and they do create their own music so thank you for sharing what you shared because that is something that. I continue to work on and. I realize the importance of. And i thought you were very brave to share what you shared to. Thank you they were some part of me that couldn't not share it. So. I guess i had to jump off the cliff. Amount of that was a truly amazing and inspiring story i want to add my thanks to those who've spoken before. I also on another note want to say that we have a pair of tickets the bobby mcferrin concert and unfortunately i will be out of town. So they are available to anyone that might like them and we hope. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

150426_do_forgiveness-dilemma.mp3

Welcome to the april 26th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service a day is led by ourselves minister reverend arrowland. Assisted by worship associate jane aronson. The title of the sermon is the forgiveness. There are two readings this morning. The first is called for presence by john o'donohue. Awaken to the mystery of being here. And enter the quiet immensity of your own presence. Have joy and peace in the temple of your senses. Receive encouragement when new frontiers beckon. Respond to the call of your gift. And the courage to follow its path. Let the flame of anger for you of all falsity. May worms of heart keep your presence of flame. My anxiety never linger about you. May your outer dignity. Mirror an interdicted t of soul. Take time to celebrate the quiet miracles that seek no attention. Be consoled in the secret symmetry of your soul. May you experience each day as a sacred gift. Woven around the heart of wonder. The second reading is an excerpt. By nancy barrett. Checkered neo. From clearing the wellspring. The natural world has a rhythm of letting go. The prairies burned so stronger grasses can grow. The leaves fall to make compost for new growth. Waves wash in and out creating beautiful patterns in the sand on the beach. Nature is always living dying and resurrecting. One day as i was sitting in my office i looked out the window and caught a glimpse of this dynamic. Dead berries were clinging to a tree's branches while new leaves were emerging. I was reminded once again. But letting go of one part of life. Or way of being always opens up. Opens us up to another. When we let go of what no longer serves us. We're no longer fits. We make room for something new that lives. Nature has not forgotten this grace-filled process. Letting go can be difficult even painful. But it can also be freeing. Letting go is a practice of faith. A beginning of hope. This morning i want to tell you a story. It's an old. Story. And here's a spoiler alert. About the story. It's one in which no one comes out looking very good. So hold on to your hats. It's a story about an intrepid leader who might be familiar to some of you that intrepid leader's name was moses. Moses was entrusted to lead as the stories say i people from exile. Into freedom. The pretty big task. 4 l. Poor moses. You can imagine the weight that might have felt. And his heart. With this big task leading these people from exile to freedom. 21-day at the story goes moses goes up to mount sinai. To get a message from his god. And his god write these words on these two tablets. The commandments the ten. Commandments. And it's not an email. It's not instantaneous communication. It takes a while. 640 days. This is a lot longer than moses's people were expecting him until they get pretty antsy while they're waiting. What the heck is he doing up there. Why is it taking so long. They got some fancy they don't know what to do and moses's brother named aaron kind of takes the reins but he's a little antsy too because he doesn't know what to do. Do we have the people make a golden calf. And the people worship it. And maybe worshipping the golden calf keeps people's minds occupied. Or maybe it keeps their hope alive we don't really know. Stores open 24 tatian as many stories are you can come take your pick about what you think about the golden calf. Summit moses back on the mountain after those 40 days against the communication these transmissions on the tablet and he's really excited to show his people he's so excited that in a text you can read he thinks he hear the song on the way down from the mountain he thinks the people are swinging with praise like they're so excited they can't wait for him to show up again and help them find direction. Except that's not the song that here. When it goes back down the mountain he finds that the people are singing a song to the golden calf. The false idol. Moses is pretty disappointed. And so is god and not just as disappointed pretty angry. Now even though moses is angry and disappointed he manages to have some interesting conversation with his god where he says please basically don't forsake us all forever and ever. But moses is really mad and he can't help it and what he does he actually breaks those tablets. It is clean breaks them. This is a rough story. Cuz that's not it moses gets so mad that he breaks the tablets and then he also calls for the levites there. To raise up their arms and swords. A fight and kill all those that have been worshiping that golden. And many many people were killed. I told you no one ends up looking good in the story right give you a spoiler alert. To god ask moses here's what i'm going to ask you to do mosasaur going to prepare two more tablet we're going to try this again. You're the repair the ones that you broke an anger and moses does this he makes two more tablets he goes back up that mountain again he retraced his steps. 4 round to. It's at this time at the brokenhearted sort of moses. I'm moses that is just presided over some really terrible things. I moses's become really disappointed. Maybe not just with everyone around him maybe also with himself we don't know. What happens next as god appears in the cloud. And god actually has a little bit of change of heart. God says that god will be slower to anger this time. And god writes on those tablets once again. And moses actually browse down before god and says please continue to be merciful. Please stay with us. And so this time when moses was back down the mountains with those refresh. New tablets. He returns the story says to his people and his face is red. I said that this is a story and that is up to interpretation. As all stories are. But today i want to suggest that by way of metaphor and analogy. That moses. And the people. And moses is god every single person in the story. They all make. Mistakes. Not only did they get mad which i wouldn't say is necessarily a mistake. But every single one of them acts in ways that are harmful. And perpetuate harm. And those i would say our. Mistakes some of them even egregious. Everyone in the story also performs course correction. Moses goes back up that mountain. Round two. And god who wanted to initially punish the people actually listens to moses and what moses is saying and moses helps change god's mind. And the people who fought one another and actually killed each other. They know that they can't go on this way. But they need some. New sort of direction. Now it's going to turn universalist we have no one's sacred-texts we interpret and find insights by wrestling with all sorts of different stories but this is a classic. 1. Which is why i brought it here for us today. I think we know that things in life can be a little bit like the disaster and the revelations story at mount sinai. Things don't always go as we have planned. Or we have hoped. Sometimes. We don't look so good. This morning's sermon is called the forgiveness dilemma. And we're going to explore a little bit about what we do when we missed the mark. What do we do when we wronged each other. Some of this is easier to think about when i missed ups when there's slight. But sometimes the wounds are very deep. And i recognized. Sometimes the wounds are very deep. Sometimes the missteps are more than missteps. Sometimes. The wounds are deep. And true. And pervasive. I offered a spoiler alert and now i'm going to tell you a disclaimer. I'm not going to stand up here this morning and extol you. Forgive. Right now. Every time. I won't do it because i'm aware. Are the many ways in which sometimes theological misinterpretation has backfired. Upon the actual forgiveness dilemmas in our lives. Sometimes theology is interpreted ways that try to do this try to coerce people to forgive like. You really ought to forget. Like something's really bad and wrong and shameful if. Not for. Or you must apologize. Quickly. And if you don't there's something wrong with you. Not going to say that. Innokin encouraged. So let us suspend those concerns for a moment. Because i believe it's core forgiveness actually has a great deal to do. With anger. And anger also gets a bad rap. But the thing about anger is that we know sometimes it can provide important information for. It can help us to know when there's danger. Real or perceived. And anger. Though it can be unpleasant. It's not really. Always bad. Earlier we heard words by the celtic priests and poet that jane aronson read for us words by john o'donohue who says that the anger is the flame that frees you from all falls to. So anger can. Serve an important role. Let's liberate anger from it's all together. Inherently bad rap. But. It is what we will do with our anger. How we behave in the actions that we take when we are angry because we all get angry at some time. It's what we do as a consequence of our anger how we use it. Or fail to recognize its motions in our lives that can sometimes get us into some dilemmas with forgiveness. Forgiveness of ourselves. Which tends to be one of the most. Very hard. Of all the forgiveness dilemmas. But also the forgiveness dilemmas we have with other. Want to ask you right now. Whether you think your person that has a pretty easy time with forgiveness. Or whether forgiveness is something that comes a little bit more challenging to. And you might be thinking well it depends. On what does it depend. If forgiveness is about anger it's also about our indwelling senses of justice. Fairness. Forgiveness dilemmas dilemmas about what forgiveness means and how it ought to look like and whether one should or shouldn't forgiven all the dilemmas that we have about forgiveness on large scales and small scales. They arrived because we've been wronged and somewhere we perceive we've been wronged in some way or we wronged another. And we're not sure what to do. We don't know whether we should allow it to pass. Or whether we should hold on to it like a grudge. Sometimes we imagine there's a sense of power that we can have by sitting on and claiming our grudges. We don't know if we should treat the person differently now. We're not sure what consequences should in-soo and how we should. Be or exercise or participate in those consequences we don't know what is the chest. The trouble. Friends with. Is not the unforgiveness is shameful in. It's not that everyone ought to forgive every single grievance or crime or wrong or misstep. But rather part of the forgiveness to learn that have to do with looking at what life can become. When unforgiveness. Consumed. What happens when unforgiveness. Consumes us as individuals or as a culture. Perhaps you know how tiring it can be to hold onto a grudge. It can be really exhausting. They can weigh you down. It might rob you of your ability to be happy. I think it can be hard. When some of us get so encumbered by the stones of unforgiveness that we might carry that we feel so weighted down some of us cannot feel a freedom tool. More fully. That's a real forgiveness. In a book called stuck mark rib riggs observes that when we get entrenched in revenge or holding grudges or grievances. We can easily end up becoming defined. By the offensive style. And when this happens we can even become the offense itself. Early on one of my most inspiring teachers about forgiveness dilemmas was a teacher named robert meister who teaches at the university of california santa cruz. You worked on the truth and reconciliation commission in apartheid south africa. And you talk about the ways in which a large-scale. A whole community can become define. By defense can become the offense and participate in a cycle of revenge and vengeance that never ends. Weather tunnel large-scale or small-scale. When there are wounds that lock us into a revenge cycle wounds that penetrate too deep it's possible that the stone of unforgiveness. You actually become like a worm in our hearts. And it can grow a little rotten. Perhaps some of you know what i'm talking about personally. Probably some of you can kind of conceive of this in an abstract way. Either case i think it's important for a whole culture our whole culture. Not wrestles with forgiveness dilemmas. Michael henderson right about political freaknik forgiveness and personal forgiveness. In either case he suggests. For future to be possible. It becomes necessary to break the chains of hate. And this is why so often the world's religious traditions invite us to grapple. With an enter pads africa. Come september in the united states the jewish high holy days. Our supper profound days at looking closely. With heart has hardened. Either against self another or sense of god. That which is larger. Forgiveness practices include asking for forgiveness of others. And. Accepting forgiveness from others. Christian teachings often focus on forgiving the person. Who has wronged you. Some of you might. Feel comforted by some of these teachings and some of you might have felt in your life deeply challenged by these teacher. Universalist approaches appeal to a sense of a god's great love and compassion for all people. Well troubling the universalists trouble the notion of a redemptive sort of. Suffering. Universe listen our heritage trouble the notion that actually suffering is noble. They don't really accept that. More in line with the buddhist the universal stay suffering is. And how shall we be with that reality. Some of you might know the work of desmond tutu. Who of course i was a spiritual inspiration. And bright light that helps the truth and reconciliation process he's in apartheid south africa. And his book was called no future without forgiveness. Both he and the dalai lama do not teach that stuff for ringgit. But they don't they don't teach that we are better spiritual. For having suffered. But nor do they teach about holding. Grudges and getting locked in a vengeance sort of cycle. Instead they they teach about the practice of forgiveness as a way to. Can you forward lice. Itself. And neither the dalai lama nor desmond tutu stop working actively against oppression. Justin and justice. I wonder for you today. What's your dilemma. About forgive. Where are you really challenged. About the whole. Notion or practice africa. I asked you this because of the quote by c.s. lewis yes lewis rights. Everyone says forgiveness with a lovely idea. Until they have something to. There's nothing easy. About high-stakes. Sometimes when i chat with folks about forgiveness as i did before this sunday morning service talk to some of you people bring to mine and share with me examples of tremendous and extreme high-stakes forgiveness. The amish community for example who forgave the gunman. Who shot and killed. 5 school girls and wounded several more in a one-room classroom in lancaster pennsylvania in 2000. Or stephanie casterly. How many years later forgave the stranger who killed her mother. When stephanie was only 20 years old. The stories can be deeply inspiring. And the forgiveness project is a whole online resource where you can read about. Inspiring stories of forgiveness between people who have suffered. Deeply for whom forgiveness was not inevitable. And not easy. I commend the site to you. If you're seeking inspiring stories of what forgiveness can. But there's something about these stories. But i actually want to trouble this. It's not the liberation. That people have found. On both sides of incredible wrong. It's not the journey of the hard and our work. Any eventual healing. Not that. But i want to back away from the notion this morning that forgiveness and these examples is so inspiring. Replace the notion of forgiveness high on a pedestal. So high that we can't reach. When people hear such stories here's what i often hear from them right afterwards. They say. It was incredible. Inconceivable. I could never. So today i went in. Consider with you what does mix forgiveness. What does meg forgiveness imaginable. And what are the barriers that make forgiveness. Emma. There is a quote at the top of your service. It says when we forgive we let go. Of our emotional attachment to what has happened. But we do not forget or excuse the wrong that was done or the pain that was caused. Sometimes we are able to go to the person who's hurt us an offer them our forgiveness. Many more times forgiveness is something we do in our own hearts. Without engaging the other person face-to-face. Either way. Forgiving one another has no predictable outcome. It does not always lead to reconciliation. It does not always make a difference in the other person's life. What it can do is transform the person who was found. The courage to forgive. There's a great deal of myths and mythology walking around about forget. One is that one must forgive. Another is that it's easy. Another is that it's inevitable. And still another. Conflates forgiveness with reconciliation. When the two. Are related but differ. If i wanted our way to conclusion this morning i want to. Think with you about a very brief scenario that you all might have experienced yourself i wonder if you've ever seen this occur in a classroom. When kids steals another kids toy. Anyone seen us ever. It happens often right. And went in the child that got the toys stolen is really upset and a teacher or the parent or the authority figure comes over and tells the toy takers say you're sorry. And kind of grudgingly more soda make this whole thing go away less out of a sense of true remorse the person says sorry. And the teacher nas entrance to the other child and says they are sorry to. Or deleting sort of wait what do you say. Safari. Okay. Neither child is particularly satiated by this experience right and let's be honest neither or the adults relay. And here's why i think these children have just been initiated into a gloss. That coats over the real dilemma about forgiveness. Don't get me wrong learning how to give and receive apologies it's really important. I'm sorry it's a great thing to say when you mean it. But the memorization of the sort of prescribed words. They don't allow people to feel the emotional attachment and potentially the release of that attachment. And then choose a way forward of meaning. When we don't do that. We're not teaching our children or ourselves how to really live with the true dilemmas and possibilities. And potential healing. We're demonstrating for kids in each other a kind of transactional sort of forgiveness model that's not. Really about the heart work. Mary detweiler says forgiveness. If a heart can. Condition of our hearts. And that can take some time. I want to expand our notion this morning as forgiveness based on married that liars work. Here's the definition of forgiveness that she gives. First what forgiveness is not. Forgiveness is not forgetting. It's not excusing the wrong that has been done. Does not tolerating the wrong that was done. Or denying it. It is not refusing to take the wrong seriously. It's not pretending that we were not hurt. It's not erasing the need for consequences. It's not quick. It's not necessarily easy. And it's not a magic bomb that takes away feelings of hurt and anger. And it's not the same as reconciliation. I can forgive someone. And she's not to re-enter relationship with that person. But here's what. Forgiveness is. A choice. Surrendering our right to get even. A free gift. Given with no strings attached. Is canceling the dat. Being merciful being gracious. Letting go of bitterness. Heartland. It's permanent. Can't forgive someone. And then take it back. It's an essential ingredient for the healing of deep wounds. And in these cases it is often far more beneficial to for the for the forgiver than even the forgiven. Mary. whether talks about forgiveness as an art. A practical sort of. Morning folks i think. That each one of us wrestles with some sort of forgiveness dilemmas. And i hope in the context of our worship service we've opened up some spaces for you to start to think about. Forgiveness. And where you are on your wrestling and your path with your unique. Forgiveness dilemmas. I hope that you might practice with low stakes. Sort of forgiveness dilemmas. The sort of pebbles when someone cuts you off in the road. Someone doesn't call you and tell you that the meetings changing your crosstown and there's supposed to be somewhere else and you. Forgive them. Little low-stakes for pebbles. They can wind up heavy and our shoes and wait us down if we don't release them i hope you can practice with the pebbles. And some of you i know have boulders. Challenges that are too deep and strong and immediate and profound and hurtful. That you can't really let go of them and. As you lay down your rocks whatever their size may you grow free of resentment. And growing more free may you cease creating and living into a present sort of hell made by a vengeance cycle. And as you get free from this may you as the poet we heard from earlier today. May you be invited to experience each day. As a sacred sword of gif. Woven around of heart. May you go forward. With courage. Hope. In your forgiveness pants. Blessed bee and lemon. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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140803_ao_voice-exchange.mp3

Welcome to the august 3rd service at the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by voice exchange. Which is composed of uuc member a lot of oland. Plus tanya ferguson and paris kern. The podcast begins with an introduction by worship associate ellen plummer. And then has music and commentator by the members of the group. For several numbers. The three members using hand bikes religion groups in different parts of the room which is not captured by our moana recording and the imperfect balance at times among the mike's. Not all the music is included because of recording problems. What a privilege and a joy it is to be with you this morning i'm ellen plummer. Welcome to the unitarian universalist congregation of the new river valley. It's my privilege to serve as this morning's worship associate. Our service today is dedicated to the joy and exuberance. And. Power of making music. And sound and lovely. Lovely sound. Our service today is called singing in the spirit. Our guests and one of our own. Will be leading us in exploring how using our voices. To make music together can truly be. Transformational. To help us along this journey. Are opening him is not. In our grade hymnal. Nor. Is it in. Patil hymnal. It is in fact. In our hearts. Voice exchange will be leading us in an improvisational call and response. Please rise. As you are able and join us in this experience this morning. So yes y'all know me already. But when we. Practice. And that's one of us. Things are named to the room. And the room sings the name back to them. Similar to the way that they sang it. So you may have met me. But i'm not sure that you've ever met. Good morning my name is. Tongue. Recovering from laryngitis. Joellen had the bright idea of saying that we might be a little bit of head of schedule so it might be an appropriate time for us to tell you a little bit about. What voice exchange is and what it is that we're doing today. Voice exchange so few years ago as all of you know. Painfully well because i can't shut up about it. I went to a a. Week-long singing retreat that was focused on improvisation. Not the name drop but y'all heard me talk about bobby mcferrin before and i met this lovely person all the way to yes that one. At that first one. And i've been going back and. Really deepening my practice as a musician. Spend. And after. Last year or perhaps the year before. My wife had the brilliant idea of. Why don't you just go up to where this is happening every month. And you know get your fix. So i called up to dc and said. What's happening every month and the people that i contacted said well we were just thinking about starting one. So i got involved in sort of spearheading. This monthly gathering in the dc area. Where we get together. Make stuff up. So after a while of getting together with some friends that we found from the area. Some of us. Who kept showing up decided to call ourselves voice exchange. And we do a few different things we do. Community singing events where we get people together and we leave them in. Spontaneous song. Such as you've been enjoying so far today. Do church services. Primarily so far at uu churches but you know. Whatever and. We do fine. We're doing. Making music. Particular way. Still loves. Still love my jazz. But doing music in this particular way. Has ways of deepening our experiences human beings. Helping us get in touch with. One another. With one another's unique voice. Literally end. Metaphorically. And it's that aspect. Of. W hope to bring. So as eastview today what we're doing we've got a few impressions that we hope health connect. What it is that we're doing just making music just singing. With what it is that we're doing here on sunday morning with. If we dare call it that in a uu universe. Worship. That's out. My role today is to bring to you some science because like you. I met you you and i like my personal way of. Attempting to understand the world the universe and i'm living through. Is. I don't check my brain at the door. Needs to. Work for me on intellectual level as well as a. Whatever this is level howu level hazard. Richardson was wants to say. So. But i can't proceed onto my story without reacting to what's in the room at the moment. I'm sure most everyone here who is acquainted with me at all. Knows me to be. Hey. Somewhat fun-loving mischievous light-hearted. Kind of person. So it is not. Lightly. That. We come together to sing a song of contemplation. Of. Joy for the life of. Beloved person who live their life well. And is no longer with us. We're all. Cognizant. At most times in our life that. We've only got a set amount of time on the planet. So what do we do with it. In our case we do. Just to acknowledge. That before i kind of charge on to science. Science. Why is the singing stuff that we're doing together something that is perhaps. Worth talking about in terms of deepening our experience as human being. It's all very willian singing together isn't that nice. There's science behind. Do the first city i want to tell you about and i'm not going to be very good at coding specific sources and doing everything that i'm supposed to. But. We're going to talk about choirs. People singing prepared music. They did a study on members of in the choir. And they discovered that not only was their heart rates slowing down which they expected to find. But probably because everybody was breathing at prescribed times in the music so that they could sing their phrases properly. They actually found. That the harp. Beats the heart rates of the people in the choir actually started to synchronize. Active singing together actually gets our bodies. Starts to be in biorhythm with y. That matter is that meaningful is that. Cosmic. What's a pretty cool metaphor. But this this i find particularly impactful. Another study done by a couple of evolutionary psychology. Studied some kindergarteners. Better control group that just played together with normal levels of activity. And then they have the experiment experimental group which in addition to playing together also sang songs and dance together. And then the device the game where somebody had to carry marbles. From one end of the room to another using a special little implement that was guaranteed to make you lose your marbles. So as the children were carrying their marbles across 11 of them. Drop their marbles. The kids who had worked in the group that had song and dance together. Trudermark propensity to stop what they were doing. And help their friends. Even when they didn't stop what they were doing and help their friends. They felt the need to spontaneously explain oh i can't help her right now i have to. Implying that they felt some obligation. To help their friends. We find this in our work together we find this in our team building exercises we find this with one another. Singing with one another. Hacks our brains. Into being better functioning people with one another. That's one of the. Exciting about. Maybe just maybe. Tools that we can use. To heal relationship. Throughout the world. On the tivo. I've always been singing. I was singing before i do there requires. I was. I was just singing. Live my life and have my. When i sing my whole. Body. Gets involved. I can't really help it. A people have pointed out to me that. Once i start singing. My arms in my hands. Kind of thing. I'm not doing an a. And it seems to help me. Singing my beauty. Creative endeavor. Embarked. And it brought me. Everything. In washington. I see where i live. Improv eunos. Improv comedy stuff. I do some acting. Little singing. Cabaret singer. But it all started. I had so many people. Approach means that. I firmly believe that everyone. Pantsing. Not. Not everyone's going to sound like oh you know barbra streisand. But. Everybody can sing you can sing what you can say. And that is awesome. The great thing about. What i get to do. With these people. Is that it also gives me the power of being. Hozier. Which i never thought. I would be able to do. Because. I don't read music. I just kind of. Feel my way through. So. If. Improbable bring you. Improbable. Life really is in prague. So. If you can. Come up with something creative. In the moment. For you. That's all it needs. If you find a community. They'll be people who will support you. And you will all make each other. That's something that i've learned through doing all of these. Improvisation. Activities. I want. I just encourage. Every 12. Find that thing that. Brings out there. Creative. That is good for you that is healthy. It's as good as medication. And. In most. And that's what it's. Brought to me. Thank you so much for. Having us in welcoming us. Into you. Congregation. I think i'm just going to. Make up a little song. With their with. And i may have to abandon my shoes. Do do do. Dude. Two dudes. Dot-dot......... Tonton tonton tonton. So is tanya said life is an improvisation. And this morning this for me is going to be a real improvisation quiz what i usually count on. May or may not be there when i ask. What today. So my name is paris i am a quaker. And as you may know because don't see a whole lot except for the ones that do come from other traditions and they just have to sing so they get together usually 15 minutes before the actual service. I need a little singing. And then everybody gets nice and quiet. They're not against singing but we don't have any penny set. Sing. For me what happens when we do this type of singing together all singing with this type of thing in particular. There needs to be. A very deep listening. That happens. Because you don't know. Where your pals are going to be going next. And if you're going to go along and ride with them. You have to be with them. You can't just sing your part and say. I know my alto part here i go. Right and then you have one person telling you if you're going too fast to slow but beyond that you don't. Really. Cast be listening to your buddies to. But in this. You really have to. And i think that's one of the aspects that makes this. So powerful. And so useful as a community building. And relationship-building exercise. Because. Half of being with somebody else or somebody else's. Is the ability to hear what they're saying and really. Not just hear the noise but hear the intent. And. The projection of their thought. So when we're working together we're not only thinking about. What's actually happening the moment. But we're trying to read. Their future intentions as well. And. Anticipate and be ready to jump. In the direction that we think they may be going and ready to abandon that at any moment in order. What is a leading. That print thing. I'm going to lead a very short. Little circle song with you now. And out of that ride like us to do. Things that we do. That we learn from the bobby mcferrin. Omega. Is something called a soul cord. And. I like the word because it gets. Chords with a ch and chords with the co involved. And what it is we're all going to start on unison. A note in your. If your guy you don't have to sing the note i'm singing to stay the same note an octave down or even two down. Or if you like you can sing it about but. A unison note. And you hold that note. For three rounds of breath so you sing for as long as you can. Sing for as long as you can you take. Sing for long if you can take another breath. After you do that three times. Listen to the room. A note. That you sync. Would be complementary. That's something that's going to soar above everybody else is that something that's just going to slide right in the chairs are all. Arranged really nicely none of sticking out. In anyway but they all go together. So you find a no. And if somebody else finds note that we create a chord. Can you hold that note 4. Two or three breasts and you might. Hear another note and you go for that. An eagle for another note. And then this miracle happen. And you know it's a miracle because there aren't any groups still singing a court anywhere in the united states they all managed to stop. Spontaneously. At some point. And it's usually inappropriate. We won't be here at 1:30 still seeing the court i guarantee. So when you get this is where the listening and the really listening to what. The room what. The fellows. Your fellows in the room are going towards neal feel. It coming back to a unison. Through being unison. And you'll feel. When it's just. Goes into silence we hold that silence from moment. I meant the. Normally this isn't normally when we're singing together we encourage people to practice being creative with your eyes open. This is one of those circumstances where. If you feel comfortable if you feel so moved. Practice this with your eyes closed and that's fine i'm going to go ahead and keep my eyes open so you're safe with me i've. And the other things that i normally say before we begin. Is. See you on the. Who. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website. Uuc and rv. org.

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150621_do_fathering.mp3

Welcome to the june 21st service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by are settled minister. Reverend arrowland. Henry sermon is titled. Fierce and fragile fathering. A father would service. The podcast end with reflections by two fathers. Peter rowland and frank de politano. So today is father's day. And we know like father's day just like mother's day just like valentine's day. Father's day is not. Necessarily. Straightforward. These holidays if we know they can be a little bit complicated. First time maybe not particularly celebrated for others celebrated in the highest sense. For many here i recognize that father's day is a cause for appreciation and celebration and memory. And i also am aware that. Not all of you necessarily. Feel particularly joyful. At the time of father's day so no matter your relationship to your father. No matter what your relationship to yourself as a father. No matter your relationship to father's day. All are welcome here. Want to share with you all that. When i was young there was a ritual. That my father and i had. And i say it was a ritual. Because we did it. Every other weekend. Without fail. And in some ways it was perhaps unexpectedly sacred. Even though i don't think we would have called it a ritual at the time. Here's the ritual we would do. We would drive. The new jersey turnpike. Not sound like fun. At the time when i was a child my parents live in two different states. And i would be a passenger. Not from philadelphia to connecticut every other weekend with my father along the new jersey turnpike. We would essentially go half i would go halfway with each parent. And then we would do a kids swat. And i get in the car and go with a different parents cuz my parents were divorced. And both really were devoted. To being parents. And this was the way they had figured out. How to do it and it's only with an adult mind that i see. What a pain that must have been. But i also honor at their deep devotion. For this hardly practical but apparently the best workable option. They could have developed at the time. So i would be a kid a long-ass drive with my father. Actually pretty special time when i would observe my own father closely. I have no idea if he was watching. But i was watching. So we'd go on this drive and we place on at the vince lombardi pitstop. Anyone been to the vince lombardi pitstop our people know yeah. That was a key part of my childhood the vince lombardi pitstop things you didn't know about your minister. And then i get in the car and go with my mom to connecticut so i live in two worlds at that time the world was my mother the world at my father and we would have these long protected times in the car together and touring you drive that look out the window and then i'd watch my father who was watching. The road. And he turn on the radio sometimes. And you start singing. And when i became a teenager this with absolutely mortify me. But i think even before i was a teenager i actually was glad that the music was on. I was glad that my father found a way to sing through this really long drive and. I can still remember that sense of being a kid and thinking that my parents were a total mystery to me. That is what they lived in the sport of adult world and me and my kid world and i was. Curious about the rim between worlds i was curious about what happened in that grown-up land over there. But when we were singing. When my dad was singing and i got to kind of humming along. That kind of happened. Suddenly we were in a shared sort of world he and i. Maybe my father sang on those drives to close the spaces in our silence. Maybe he sang to entertain himself to keep himself awake after a long week of working. Maybe he just likes the songs that would come on the radio i don't really know why he's saying only that. Did. And i do know when you hear a song you like it's hard not to sing along. He sang jim croce. And all sorts of motown songs. Here's some of the lines from one of the jim croce songs. Like the pine trees lining the winding road. I got a name. I got a name. Like the singing bird and the croaking toad toad. I've got a name. I've got a name. And i carry it with me like my daddy did. But i'm living the dream he kept hid. Moving me down the highway. Rolling me down the highway. Moving heads so life won't pass me by. Like the north wind whistling down the sky i've got a song. I got it song. Like the whip-poor-will and the babies cry. I've got a song. I've got a song. And i carry it with me. And i sing it loud. If it gets me nowhere. I'll go there proud. Moving me down the highway. Rolling me down the highway. Moving ahead so life won't pass me by. And i'm going to go there. Free. Like the fool i am and i'll always be i've got a dream i've got a dream. They can change their minds but they can't change me i've got a dream i've got a dream. I know i could share it if you want me to. If you're going my way. I'll go with you. Moving me down the highway rolling down the highway moving heads to life. Won't pass me by. Moving me down the highway rolling down the highway moving heads to life. Anyone know those lines. Jim croce. Chicken nesting in your head too. Me too but i decided to spare you my acapella singing in that version. You know on those drive with my father going to new jersey i felt like we were going somewhere. Like we were moving on down the highway. Moving ahead so life didn't pass by. Like i said i don't know what my father would say about these drives i have can only guess that it was tiring but they sure did make a lasting impression one so powerful that i'm sharing it with you here this morning on a sunday morning. Does trying for the times we were in the same state. And just being in the same space made a big. Difference. To a little child. Many years later my father survived the stroke and he lost his abilities to read and to write and to speak. And yet. He survived and he lived a powerful sort of his own ministry offering authentic joy and friendship. In conversation. He might have met him he comes to stay with pete now and again and you probably met him here. My dad he has survived a lot. And he brings joy to all he does. Today i sometimes find myself singing lullabies to my own child. That were the same ones my father sang to me. Over the years my father tried his best he could to keep. His eye on the road. For his kids. And he still does. Like many my own family is very complicated. There's a lot of join my family and there's a lot of people in my family. Got a lot of different father songs word of moments that originated not just with the father song. Jim croce in the in the car with my father but i've got a former stepfather who's in my life. He's a musician. He became less for me like a father and more like an uncle. And he loves music. Let's music of a different kind than my biological father. I have memories of him singing david bowie songs. He's got his own daughter. I also have a current stepfather. He likes different music. Avant-garde jazz in 1970s part of pop. And he was a social service worker and would come home from long days and turn on the jazz and sip tea and that's how he eased back into his home life. He has his own show. But it's also in my life. And then we're at the pristine images of fatherhood from the 1970s television shows and storybook. Imagery of fatherhood are just like motherhood in that their affection. Instead what we have is a world of fears and the fragile. Human beings being father ready.or.not with life as it unfolds hardly straightforward life. Clear and life ambiguous and life messi and you. No. So made today than before all the dads. Pearson fragile fathers. Men who are trying their best to are separated from their children because they are behind bars. Or maybe they are separated by geography and they are seeking work. Or maybe they're in recovery or maybe they're fleeing political repression maybe there are dad too long to be reunited with their children and just don't know how and whether it's possible. Let us think about. Dad-to-be came dads even be caught even though they weren't ready and those that were ready with open hands yearning for that role in their lives. Let us remember families with two dads. Let us remember all of those who said yes i will play a fathering role. We have a world in which. Fathers are needed fierce and fabulous we have father songs. In many different keys. Many different variations. In a bit we are going to hear words from two fathers. From this congregation sharing their own proverbial i would say father songs or. Reflections on what they've learned and what they're learning about what's bothering means to them. Before we hear from them i want to share with you this last anecdote. About one month ago i was. At home working on a sermon that i was planning to share with you all. And heard laughter and conversation. A little bit of screeching. Down the hallway. And then i heard pete my husband. From the other room say two are the nine-month-old keep said thank you. Mega. For participating in this diaper change. I did that too i was just checking in cycling i couldn't stop. What. Remain with me. What's a sense of pete's on respect. And good-natured humor humor for our child. Clearly our child wanted to be anywhere but right on his back getting his diaper changed. It keeps words they touched me with their humor and their respect for this little being. Huma diaper change was to be quite honest just the worst thing that could ever happen. And i know from experience that it is not hard to get him down for the diaper changed a little bit like kind of lasso a bucking bronco. Course you could blame my other so much to do and see in the world. But here was this father. Down the hallway saying thank you for participating my child in the diaper change. He noticed my coz unlikely cooperation for a moment and he thanked him. Thanked him for participate. But thank you. When people put my go to sleep i hear keith boy singing his songs like simon and garfunkel. Like amazing grace and i can't help thinking that these our father song moments for them they will become part of my cup heart of his memories and he'll notice his father maybe. Maybe watching him closely. And maybe. Pete won't even notice that he's being watched. Let us think today about all the fathers. And all your songs. Songs of hope and frustration hidden pain and fear. Triumph setbacks disappointments promises and well-deserved. Pride whether you are proud of your fathering or you have heartbreak around your experience with this or whether it lives somewhere in between may you claim your song. Maybe remember all of the streams. In which these father songs. Words. And me. Thank you. For fathering. Can invite forward now peter olanta share his own reflection. Followed then by frank napolitano. On fathering. I've written many things but attempting to put my thoughts. Feelings and learnings of being a new father. It's one of the more difficult topics i've attempted to put into words. And not just because i haven't slept tonight and have fun. A little bit. Is it i've been attempting to avoid the cliche. That it changes everything. But my life is most certainly different than what it was. Initially it was holding an incredibly small and fragile little being. Holding it against my chest. So that it could absorb my heat. So they could learn white heat. It should be. Holding him. Holding. Little michael. I spent the first couple of weeks staying up all night. Holding him. So that he. Sleep. Michael would wake up unless held. And his sleep was far more important than my sleep. I we. We're being initiated into the realm of parenthood. Not some set of classes to apply not some eternal wisdom bestowed magically upon parents. With the birth of their child. No the first-hand experiencing and realization of there is no. 1 passenger. Sometimes no path. And more importantly that we can really only suggest. A way forward. Because micah has his own unique set of needs. And so we danced with him. Through life. We might. Think of ourselves as the choreographers. Attempting to lay it out. For him teaching him guiding him. But he certainly has his own ideas of what steps to be taken. His own desires needs abilities and challenges that no book. No preconceived ideas have my own on what fatherhood is no dreams of ours can account for. For anticipate. And so is mike has grown we've done our best. To observe him. To let him lead where we can. He doesn't run the show. I still wipe his nose even though he hates it with a passion. But i at least try to make the wiping of that nose. Is lease intrusive. As i can. We try to figure out which toys are his favorites. We try to follow his glance. And see what interests him. And then we do our best to let him explore those interests. And then there are those mornings where i can. I can barely remain upright from lack of sleep. My best is simply to keep micah safe while he entertains himself. And it's not that i exist to entertain him and i drag him around as i do my best to attend to the rest of life. Balancing the needs of job housewife and child. As he's grown so has his range of emotions interactions communication. Initially even though he has. Always been observant and engaged. His range of communication. Initially was mostly limited to cries for food. And cuddling up next to us. But now he giggles. Play babel. Flirts eyes and he still cries. But the thing that touches me most. That's when he crawls over and holds his arms out wide. To be picked up. To be held and loved. And then he choose on the rim of my hat. Reverend are asked me to reflect upon what i have learned and what i am still learning as a father. It's a little humbling to realize that i haven't learned enough in nine years to fill 5 minutes of time. But i've compiled a very short and sometimes scatological list that might be helpful. 1. Our children. Need us. Crouched in a corner while conducting a telephone reference check. Hiding under the covers at 5 a.m. on a saturday. In the bathroom and frankly not very open to new ideas. No matter how important or personal we regard the task at hand. Our children. Meet us. But i need to get work done i've said or i need to sleep. Or i need to nevermind. Regardless. Of how true all of those things may be off and at the same time. My children have reminded me about the differences. Between wants and needs. Yes there will be times when the report do the day the next day needs to trump the afternoon outing to the frog pond. But oftentimes there was a real and true need. And it's not the one that my child is expressing. In the situations that i've just described the real needs were. I don't know how to resolve this conflict with my friend. And i need your help. I'm worried about meeting my new teacher tomorrow. And i need your reassurance. And. I know that you're getting ready to travel to a conference. And i just need to be with you. 2. Get used to looking in the mirror. Much of the time i'm in love with the things that my kids do. But there are other times when they make my blood pressure rise. For instance when i come home from work and neither kid looks up from their ipod. The dog loves it but the kids snow. What's my inner curmudgeon comes out. And starts off with these these kids today speech. But then i remember those times when i know that i should be playing my kids. But i find myself deliberately starting to read another news article on my phone. Or checking facebook. Or twitter. Or my email. Or my other email. But when i reprimand my daughter or when i reprimand her for saying hold on when i asked her to put on her pajamas. But then i order those same words when my son asked me to help him with his legos. Number three. Say bye-bye to the ego. There have been times when i've walked into work under arrested and undershave. Because of an all-night diaper fest. And i've said or done something really embarrassing in front of my students. I've also stopped and said. So many of my colleagues have published books by this point in their career. What have i been doing. But the better questions might be. Did i ever plan on dancing to taylor swift in front of every parent in the school district. Haven't considered painting my toenails pink in order my to teach my kids about gender expectations. And then posting a picture of those toenails on facebook. Did i ever think i would be apologizing to a cop. Because the daddy and daughter sing-along rocked a little too hard while cruising through a school zone. Public safety issues aside. It's just plain fun to be goofy. But it's also an opportunity to make memories. For all of us. It sounds morbid but when i go to that big faculty lounge in the sky. I don't want my kids to say do you remember that book he wrote. Me neither. No i want them to say remember when he did that. He really loved us. So. If that's what i've learned as a father than what am i still learning. I've had enough therapist in my life to fill out a major league roster. And the best advice i've received is that we have to learn life's most important lessons over. And over again. So i really can't distinguish between the things that i've learned and those that i'm still learning. There have been times when i've chosen to be generous instead of selfie. With my time. Just that there have been times when i provided really good examples for my children to follow. As well as those times when. Well i'm. Just glad to say that. I've got nicole at their mom. I have a feeling that i'm going to be relearning how to balance all of those things. Understanding what's needed of me. Realizing my kids can reflect much of my personality good and bad. And letting go of my ego. I'm blessed to be faced with such difficult tasks. Just as i am blessed to be a dad. Thank you to the. Your father's reflecting here this morning. Dad's among us. May this day be yours. May we as a community. Forward all of those fearsome fragile. The step into the fathering roll. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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150329_sg_teaching-morality.mp3

Welcome for the march 29th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The theme of today's service. Is guiding moral choices. Stephanie gilmore is the worship leader. In frank the politano is a worship associate. The podcast begins with an introduction by stephanie. Followed by comments about teaching moral values from karen hager. I director of lifespan faith development. The podcast ends with reflections. But arthur snow. Amy bruton bocce. Anne frank. This morning service will explore questions. Related to the month liturgical theme. Which is knowing. We'll examine those beliefs we hold dear. And wish our children to learn and live. We will hear various viewpoints. On how our children learn moral values. A little later in the service. Will hear about the new york times article. Choir children don't think there are moral facts. And that is what prompted the questions and discussion. That have resulted in this service. So in a few moments we're going to sing the kids out the class and when we do the adults are going to have a conversation about teaching about morals. Morals are those rules that society sets up that says the certain things are right and certain things are wrong. Like for example to shut off the answer here is stealing okay. No we all know stealing is not okay and we start learning that from the time were probably able to crawl and take our. Families things away we start learning it's not okay to take something that doesn't belong to you. Now i'm a visual person. I'd like to draw. I make quilts since i work with color a lot and so there's an expression i use quite a bit. And that is that. Things are rarely black or white. And what that means is that if you look at a light spectrum on one end is white. And white reflects light so it's actually a combination of all the colors. And on the other end is black. Black absorbs light in sexually the absence of all color. But you know most things in art. Are a color in between their rarely truly black or white their shade of some color and it's the same with these big moral questions. They're often nuances. About what's right and what's wrong even though we have absolutely certain things are certain things are right and certain things are wrong their nuances. And we often hear in class and in adult class will talk about those nuances. So we just said stealing's wrong right. If your family is starving and the only way you can feed them is to steal a loaf of bread is that okay. Do you hear all the different answers. Yeah and it's that's the interesting part about morals. Is that when you start talking about all the nuances in the what ifs and is it okay in this particular circumstance. As we talked as we learn about these different morals and how we view them how we. Answer the what if questions. And most particular how we act. Based on what we believe that's really who makes us up is people right. So how we believe morally. It's who we become as people. And we're going to go in just a minute but before we do so that we can help inform the adult conversation i want to ask a question. Of those of you who are still in school. And for this the sake of this with lee college out of it. But if you're in preschool. Elementary school middle school or high school. Raise your hand if you've ever had a conversation at school about whether something was morally right or wrong. We've already sung our children out. To their religious education classes. And as we as we do. So as as as they're getting started. We trust that they will be learning. And exploring today. Things that will help them to live as good people. We entrust them to these classes and groups. Knowing that our unitarian universalist values underlie all that they're learning. And we hope that the classes will help us. As parents and grandparents. As aunts and uncles and mentors and friends. A children. With a very special responsibility that we have that of helping the youth we love. Learn to live ly the worth. Teaching moral truths or moral values is a sacred trust. To begin our exploration. Today of how children learn values to guide them. Please take a minute and write on the colored index card that was in your order of service. Y'all have an index card. Take just a minute and write on there. 1. One value or truth or precept. That you would like your children. Our children. In your care children in your care to learn. Just one. And the archers have extra cards. And some pencils if you need them. Now we'll collect these cards as we collect the offering a little later in the service. So just take a minute and right. K. Frank and i are going to read. A sampling of these cards we're not going to read them all. Because. We figure you might have other. To do. But. We will we will use these and some way and other service. Steve's don't just go. So. Thank you for writing. Work hard. To speak the truth. But be kind. And doing so. Do the best you can. No one ever can tell you what that is. Kindness. Kindness. Kindness. Compassion. The other values flow from. Tolerance. A simple life in harmony with the world around us is something of value. Not materialistic. Respect all. Always be kind. Offense. We are all members of one human fan. One more each. And then. Of what's. You have the right to. That every person and creature on this earth. Is worthy of dignity and respect. The challenge. Is. Defined in ourselves. And in our institution. Schools are associations. Are churches and temples. The means for helping children. To learn moral values. And. Not all of us are are exactly sure what we should be teaching our children. Perhaps we're not sure how we should be teaching. These important. Many of us turn to religion. In our unitarian universalist faith. We acknowledge many sources of truth. Grounded and strong statements of values and beliefs. In our face. We're encouraged to find our own path. As stephanie said at the beginning of service much of what we have been talking about today is prompted by an op-ed piece in the new york times. Titles why our children don't think there are moral facts. And so we have three reflections. Not necessarily responding to that article per se but three reflections on teaching children moral facts. So the first i would like to welcome arthur snoke. Mine is going to be more of a reflection on the article itself and you heard the title it's written down and just think about the concept of moral facts because that was. In a sense it was the author's intent to have something into. Chair with us. I found the article interesting. As did many other readers because they were over 1,000. Printed comments on it. Of course read the wall great detail. But i did look at the 21 that the new york times had picked. As as as 123 felt were most significant or by whatever criterion that use. And i was surprised to find that most of them were critical. After reading the article i agreed with many of the criticisms. But i still think that the article is provocative and. Relevant to this month's theme because we has you know that there has put us up now with month with monthly themes. And this one is knowing and it came out on march 2nd the article right after the first service and that was. I put those things together and made the suggestion that this could be a basis for our. Then i'm entitled service for this to today. And. But i also and also we had found and that red dara shared with the worship service committee that there were many suggestions of sermon topics. And a lot of them actually dealt with issues that we're not we're related to this and where they did the kind of cards. That dumb people handed in chester earlier. Children learn from. Family. School. Religious education classes and piers. And the article was written by a philosopher of religion and he starts with a discussion about how critical thinking is taught. In school in second grade his son's class it's a time. Specifically he is concerned about. The definitions of fact. An opinion. That the common core. Had to insisted that the students learn and that they should. Categorize all statements. You have buy one or the other. Andy definition said he work from. Fact. Something that is true about a subject. And can be tested or proven. Something that is true about a subject and can be tested or proven. At the fact. Opinion. What somebody thinks feels or believes. So students are being asked then to. Take a take a statement and tell which is it fact or opinion. And he relates a conversation that he had with his son soon after reading those things in the. In the classroom. And he said to his son i believe george washington was the first president. Is that a fact or a belief. The child said fact because it is true. To which the author replied that he believed it. So by the definitions it should be an opinion. The child was understandably puzzled. When i talk about this example with my wife she said that her education history teacher. I told her that small children are taught patriotism. An older children are taught. Are taught history. I doubt that anything at the having to parse such statements about george washington first president. As being fact or opinion was ever taught. But this was 50 years ago before the common core realize. The author cites several examples of statements. That the great minds categorized as opinion. Including among is the copying homework. Assignment is wrong. He goes on to suggest that plagiarism in college. Me and part result from this instilled mindset. Copying is wrong it's only an opinion. The author then says that this statement about cheating should be taught as a moral fact so we come back to his title again. And also the reason for a lot of the critical comments. That's such. Statement about cheating should be taught as a moral fact. And that. That that reflects his feelings about that moral facts are not being caught and should be. No that's not cheating. Is neither to me. Neither a fact or an opinion. Not cheating is. Not cheating on test is it cultural value that should be taught as such. And should be adhered to. I do not think. Moral fact is a useful concept. From from their definition of fact. How can a moral fact be tested or proven. Should morality for sabaton in the school. How does the great minds define belief. If you feel a need to have a choice i suggest. Having to choose between fact and belief. And i've corson being a. Teacher myself will provide you definitions for these. That a fact. Is objectively true and a belief is subjective lee true. The fact is objectively true of belief is subjectively true. Well. Start player. I told my wife that opinion based on the definition of are given as useless. She said the truth. This she said that there should be some way to teach young children. That what they see on tv ads are not necessarily facts. I asked her what it should be called. She said propaganda. And now let us hear from the parent of young from a parent of young children. Amy pruden bocce will share her thoughts about her children's moral development. Okay so. I was asked today to provide. Some perspective on the concept of moral facts. In the concept of in the context of teaching our children. So i am the mother of. To sweet children ryan age 8. And tania age. And you may see them up here sometimes on sundays. Singing or rather probably lip-syncing with the children's choir. So as i begin to prepare what on earth i was going to say today. I took the opportunity to ask tanya and ryan each a few questions. And i was pretty relieved at their answers. So i asked ryan so. Is there such thing as right and wrong. And without hesitation he answered yes. So then i asked him to give me. An example of something that was wrong. And. He said it's wrong to hit people. Well except for when it's friday at taekwondo and they do sparring and then it's okay because you're wearing protective gear. So i then quizzed him on a few things like. How to kill people no course not. Is it okay to copy someone else's school work. No. Is it okay to lie. No. Why. Well it wouldn't be your own work. Okay well that that's a simple answer. Right. And i ask tanya similar question. Is it okay to do your friends work for them at school. No. Why. And i was pretty impressed for a five-year-old her reasoning she said well. Because then they won't be the ones learning. I felt like within my family unit. There was not evidence of rampant ignorance is moral truth. So i was happy about that. But then the answered to the next question was really interested. So i said wow and i'm so proud of you for knowing the answers to these important questions so. How did you learn this and. And who taught you. And they both were in agreement there that. No nobody taught us this we'd be just kind of know that. So i thought that was pretty telling. And you know i would have liked for them to say oh because you taught us mommy and you're so wonderful. So then you start to wonder what i go. Did you know. What purpose do we really serve as parents and are we really a teething anything. So. The important thing i think. Seems to be. You know. Let me backup. So. I think that they're in a good place. And assuming i'm not screwing up to bad and possibly i am playing some role. I'll share a little bit of philosophy so this may or may not be working but this is this is some perspective. So i actually agree that it's not so much about teaching our children. But about something that's actually much more difficult. Demonstrating. So sure it's it's probably good to have a good consistent message like you know because i'm two others use kind words. But what good is that going to be if we don't practice. We preach. So this to me honestly has been. The single most difficult thing as a parent. And. Honestly i don't think i was fully aware of the true depths of the darkness of my soul. Until i began the process of raising children. Ashura personal example. When ryan was about 3. We were informed by his preschool teachers. The most devastating of news. Something no parent ever wants to hear. That our child. Was not normal. So what was not normal about him. We were told that he lacked focus. That he was anxious all the time. And really wasn't doing great and being empathetic. Towards the other preschoolers. Okay so. Maybe most of you out there were thinking this is not a big deal but in our minds that was really the end of the world like. Our child is not normal how could this be where did we go wrong. You know how could our child be anxious and lacks focus and what's up with this empathy thing and. Honestly we spent a couple years in crisis we went to doctors we were. Specialist we we did everything we could think of. And we learned a lot. But one of our major epiphanies happened when we kind of looked in the mirror and realized. Wait a minute. How focused are we at home. Do we perhaps. Display a bit of anxiety. Do we take time to pause and listen to our children. And from that day on i made a personal vow. 2 never released almost never. Be in a hurry around my children. If we're late we're late. It's just not worth all the stress. Worrying about. So we took a lot of time like stopping focusing make. Eye contact listen. Be present all these basic things that apparently we had missed out on in life. And thank god for our children to teach us. As i would say. Whenever you get a chance. Allow kids to reason and learn for themselves. I'm sure it's good. They have a consistent message of things like be kind. And cher. Clean up your mess. But i don't think lectures get us. Very far. I think we can all agree that lectures are pretty boring. And there's really nothing like hands-on learning and concluding things for yourself. And this makes a lot of sense in theory but again very tricky and practice. So for example the other day tanya spilled her milk. And it was a crisis. Lots of tears and you know what do i do do i run in and say i made this big mess why did you do that clean it up. Right. I mean what's that going to achieve. In fact that would kind of be an insult to her intelligence i think she realizes that it sucks pretty bad when you spill your milk and. You know. Instead. Take a deep breath. Pause. You let her assess the situation and think about it. And emphasize with her. He'll take the opportunity opportunity for learning. And say tanya you spilled her milk i'm really sorry about that. And listen. Right. And then if you get the opportunity you can say well how how did that happen. Right nowell. You know i was up out of my seat and being hyper at the table at cetera right let her realize that. And then hopefully you know what are you going to do about it. And hopefully you know she'll realize that. She should clean it up. So if all goes well. She'll recognize where she went wrong. And most importantly that's her responsibility. To fix things. And it doesn't always work beautiful. There's a lot of ego and pride at this age. But at the same time there's nothing like the self-awareness and self-confidence that is built in solving problems for yourself. So getting back to the moral truth contacts. I think children do fortunately pick these things up. The environment and nurturing. Certainly play a role. But there's a key window of opportunity in our young children. Where they have tremendous awareness. An observation about the world. And they are definitely hardwired about this fairness issue. And i feel like i wish i had a nickel every time my kids said that's not fair. But the trick is to hopefully guide them through. And move beyond worrying just about what is not fair towards them personally. But what is not fair. Two others. To their friends. To their siblings to their teachers and parents that are people too. What is not fair in the world today. What responsibilities they have. And what they can do about it. And our jobs as parents in this endeavor. To quote. Gandhi. I think is to. Be the change that you want to see in the world. And i would extend this. To living the vision that represents our dreams for our children. And living the morals that we want them to embrace. And i also think it's important not to sugarcoat things. To be honest about how hard it can be. To do the right thing. I think an important aspect of this is admitting. When we are wrong. And talking through our own struggles. Being good and doing the right thing is not always easy. And it is not always even easy to know what the right thing is. Doing the right thing is a choice. Not a once and for all toys. Not even a daily choice. But an active. Every moment choice. And a quote one other great philosopher. Of our age or at least of our children's time and our children that are in fourth and fifth grade re. They're learning about the great albus dumbledore. And he said that there comes a time when. We will have to choose between. What is right. And what is easy. Last one. I'm grateful to stephanie for sending me justin mcbrayer's article. That we've been talkin about. The article annoyed me. By saying that our public schools teach children that quote there are no moral facts and if there are no moral facts than there are no moral truths. These kids today. The age-old argument. I don't know exactly what age. It hits when you start saying that these kids today thing. But it's been going on for about 2,000 years and. I don't know i just. It's not worth it not worth going into. So my first instinct was to criticize every weakness and his argument arguing the differences between facts values beliefs conclusions etc. However since it's a fact that i only have 3 minutes. That i value your attention. And i believe that amy and arthur did a better job than i ever could. I won't put you through that. Sure there are differences between facts and opinions. And i want to help my children know them. For example it's a fact that the yankees have won more than triple the amount of world series championships. Has the red sox. But it's my opinion that any data supporting the yankees is irrelevant. The binary of facts versus opinions just isn't useful to a discussion about morality. Instead i try to impart in my kids would i see as the moral wisdom that connects many of the great religious and philosophical traditions. Moral wisdom whether it's in the form of the golden rule the brahma viharas kant's categorical imperative for whatever. Transcends dogma or philosophical boundaries. The ideas i try to teach my children build off of many of these ideas. All the lessons focus on individual actions. And they're simple bordering on cliches. Be a living example of love. Compassion. Patience and forgiveness. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Consider another person's feelings before you speak or act. Put yourself in another person's shoes before you judge them. Or better yet don't judge them at all since you don't know what painful experiences have led them to act in the way they do. Are the moral lessons i try to instill in my children infallible. Sadly. No. Since since no such wisdom could ever account for every conceivable circumstance we find ourselves in. As an aside i suppose that's why we have the seven principles and not the seven laws of unitarian universalism. But no matter what tradition we identify with the world will challenge us. I've always told my children never to hurt anyone. But when i learned a few years ago that navy seals killed osama bin laden i was glad. And my daughter could tell. I'm not especially proud of it. I also believe that everyone even someone like bin laden can change. But i know that given the degree of violence and suffering in this world. Such a belief isn't always realistic. Maybe when she's older i'll tell her what i really think. That we all share some responsibility for the violence and injustice has of the world. And that we all bear the burden of counteracting those things. Given the severity of the world's problems and thousands of years of religious and philosophical attempts to solve them. It's no wonder that an op-ed piece in. A few 3-minute reflections. Haven't moved the ball any further. But perhaps the difficulty i have. And this was the most difficult reflection i've written. Talking about morality is an important component of teaching morality. If i can teach my kids. To base their actions on love. Compassion. Patience and forgiveness. All the while accepting the unpredictability of the world. And the limits of their own knowledge. Then maybe they'll be in a good place to pick up where i leave off. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website. At uuc an rv. org.

uucnrv_org

161023_rj_yiuu.mp3

Welcome to the october 23rd service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service a day is layla. Buy worship associate steve ramirez and rhonda johnson. And the topic is. How are you you. The podcast begins with an answer to that question. Given by karen hager on behalf of the children. This is followed by introduction by steve of three members who gave their responses. Stephanie gilmore. Sheila wynette. Anne-ellen plumber. The podcast closes with two further reflections by members of the audience. Ellen references a poster prepared saturday evening by the children while the adults were upstairs attending our annual service auction. A link to a photo of that poster is on our thurman archive page. We're going to be talking today about how social action is really important part of our identities as unitarian universalist. And i want all the adults here to know that that's true for the kids as well. So probably you aren't aware we have a lot of kids who are social active. And we tried to do projects through the year that show them that they actually can make a difference to others in the world. So this morning i want to talk to you a little bit about. What we're doing right now. Because one of our big social action project. Coming up next weekend. And as i mentioned dumbledore's army is working on the hunger for crack. Is one of the most important horcrux fights that we do through the year. And so i thought i'd take our time this morning. To tell you why. It's so important and so maybe tell you a little bit more about it. I'm there sis measurement the people who study the issue of hunger use. And it's called food insecurity. And what that is it measures whether or not every member of the household has enough nutritional food. In order for every person to be able to live an active and healthy life. And your people who are food insecure are not necessarily food-insecure through the whole year sometimes circumstances mean. Food insecurity happens in a fan. For example it can be a trade-off. A supplying basic needs. Do you buy nutritional food or do you pay a medical bill. If you just had something happened the accident or something happened to pay the housing bill. If you wonder how big this problem is a food insecurity. About a million people. In virginia. Blippi. Food insecure at some time during the year and 300,000 of them. About 15% of montgomery county residents and about 19% of radford. So it's a big problem. And there are several different organizations that do work. To try to help with this issue but the one that we partner with the most years the interfaith food pantry here in blacksburg. And you all may not be aware of it but we don't support them through donations were actually wanted the 16. Ministry church. For the interfaith food pantry so we actually. Support. People. And through food donations and collections. And we make that food pantries possible in part. So. As i said next weekend we have one of our major projects called it scary to be hungry. Now. Reason i'm telling you about it is cuz i don't care how old you are you can help with. Next weekend here's what i want you to do. On sat on sunday. I want all the kids to come here in costume. Where you halloween costume. And i want all the adults who by the way you welcome, costume. But i want all the adults. To bring food. Bring canned goods bring non-perishable food all the stuff the food pantry needs. And at this time next week. The kids are going to trick-or-treat for the food. Okay. And then when they go to class dumbledore's army is going to sort that food. And they're going to get it ready to go to the food pantry and the adults are going to be asked to generously. The food pantry through the offering. And i want y'all to know. That this congregation is so generous. Did the last 2 years you have made. The director of the food pantry cry. Through your check. She said the wheels made it possible to get both turkeys and him. For their families. So. It does not stop there however. Because as soon as we leave here. Groups of people start going over to the kroger on university. And we mayonnaise we solicit food donations for 4 hours 12 to 4 so people come over and they work a 10-hour shift. Kids you staying costume cuz let me tell you the adults are important. The kids are the ones that get the donations every single year it is the kids to get it for the little little tiny ones that are cute costumes. To the middle schoolers have been doing this for years. And those kids know how to get to nation. Italian. As an aside i'll tell you a funny story. And i went over to kroger. Not all that long ago on a sunday and there were group of college kids that we're doing a donation for i don't know what cuz they never talk to us. They were all there. Looking at their cell phones. And they had a teeny tiny little bit of donations cuz they weren't working at our kids work at. Are kids that everybody going in and out of those doors they tell him what they're collecting for and they get donations to the tune of are you ready about $3,000 worth of groceries a year. And then we have a little group that goes over to the food pantry after we're done. We drive up a pickup truck and an suv full food. We walk in we are the super first collection of the year the food pantry shelves in the warehouse are completely empty. When we leave there completely full. And you know what. Kids look at that. They know they just made a difference to people. So please. Do support it's very generously next week i want you all to hell. Because no matter how old you are you can be part of this. And let's chill one more time what it is for you you. There are many ways to practice unitarian-universalism and demonstrate our principles in our daily lives. Some practice their faith by serving as lay leaders or staff members here at uuc. Some care for the earth by working in our gardens or for our green sanctuary efforts. Some coordinate social actions projects. Or marches oregon voters registered. Some beautiful music and write poetry that touches our hearts and minds. Some engaged in spiritual practices of yoga meditation and both individually and with others. There are many ways to practice unitarian-universalism out in the world. And today we will hear from. Stephanie gilmore. Sheila win. Anne-ellen plumber. And how they live their ruu values. By serving our community. I thought about this quest. This. How how am i are you you and i. I have a lot of trouble with it because. I don't know and i'll say this again. I don't know if what i do is because i'm a unitarian. Universalist. Or if i'm a unitarian universalist. Because i'm drawn to do. These things but i'll. A bit more about that. It's my belief that most if not all people deserve to live as fully and healthily as possible. And that because we're all connected in the web of life. My actions might have some perhaps mall. But real effect on their success or lack of it. I was not raised as a unitarian universalist. We attended the episcopal church in town. And we were not fervent members. I don't remember many discussions about religious belief at home. Yeah the moral lessons we're clear and strong. I remember my father especially living his beliefs that civic engagement was required of us as human beings. But we had a moral duty to be involved in and engaged in. How our communities fared. And that what we shared as human beings. Was more important the differences of ethnicity or culture or gender or circumstance. It was no accident then that i found myself eventually drawn to public health work. Auntie unitarianism. Coming to the wine and the first third of my life. And the other somewhat later. Until i retired in 2004 i work for county and state health departments. To develop programs and policies. Addressing the broad range of life issues. That cluster under the public health umbrella. And i found great satisfaction. And helping to shape legislation. That would create lasting change. To help large groups of people. In the first church i experienced as a religious home. The first unitarian church in oakland california. I found a set of beliefs consonant with mine. As well as a group of people. Trying to live according to these beliefs. Trying their best. To change the world right outside their doors. The very poor. Very black. Very disaffected western edge of oakland. That was left in the wake of decades of urban renewal. And freeway construction. And white flight. I had 10 instructive and happy years there. At the end of my working life. After spending five years establishing a women's health policy office in missouri. I retired and moved here. Chasing the promise of grandchildren. As wonderfully fulfilling. As granny aching and involvement in the life of this congregation proved. I missed the kind of work i had spent 30 years doing. Fortunately. Bobby littlefield. She introduced me to an organization that seeks to enact policies legislation budgets things like that. That affect the lives of virginia's poor and disadvantaged. The virginia interfaith center for public policy orthocenter. The work of the center is done through small chapters such as ours here in the new river valley. That enlist local face communities in our work. We develop working relationships with our area delegates and senators. Sometimes that's easier than others. And we extend our reach through coalitions with like-minded local agencies and nonprofits. Our congregation is a contributing member and has been for some years. Of of the center. Together with satyr leaders in richmond. We seek to give voice to those usually voice within the halls of power. The sitter reminds our representatives. That the decisions they make in setting budget and enacting bills are moral decision. Our local chapter of the satyr sponsors activities. Such as the interfaith worship service at asbury united methodist. Church last spring. Some of you remember that. That was a interfaith worship service for. And we sponsor forums such as the one that's coming up here. And november. On opioid and heroin. You said to be. We tracked specific bills and we advocate for or against them. We write letters to the editor i'm looking back at dick. Baughman who is a master. Letter to the editor writer once a year we join others from all over the state and richmond. To meet face-to-face with our representatives. To share with them are positions on issues. In all of this work there is room for you. And i'm. I keep saying i'm going to set up a table out there and coffee hour. And have brochures and information. And i will i'll get around to. It's there really is there's room for all of you. This year we're focusing. Heavily. Continuing. To try to convince. Our general assembly. But it would make good sense to draw down federal medicaid dollars. To expand. Access2care. 4. V. Up to 400,000 people in this state who don't have. Healthcare. So. And all of this this work there's room for you. So. Back to my original question do i do i volunteer with the schnatter because i met you you. Or am i a u u. Because it's beliefs support that kind of action i really don't know. But the influence is certainly go back and forth. Both ways. I certainly feel fortunate. That in the last years of my life that's the last year's i don't know how you say that but i'm not going to live 20 more years okay but in the last years of my life i have found in one place here. A religious home. A way to live those moral lessons from. So long ago. And an opportunity for making the kind of systemic change. That i find. And oh and wonderful. Good morning i'm sheila wynette. I've lived in blacksburg for. 37 years. But i've actually only been coming to you you as a regular. Participate from the last 2 years about. And very soon after i started coming you had one of your activity. Fairs where there were tables all around. And. Maybe not surprisingly as in. Old style 60s former social worker i'm very quickly hooked up with the community service committee. Because it seems like to me that its mission and the things that it was doing. Not only spoke to me prince. Personally. But also really spoke directly to. Congregational affirmation in which we say that one of our things is to serve the needs of others. And so i thought that the connections that the community service committee made with local needs. Really was a very direct expression of that. Not too soon after that pauletta koppenhaver who is our fearless leader. I asked if i would take over kind of being the point person so to speak. For our participation with the interfaith food pantry. So karen and i did not. Talk about this beforehand friend it's very nice but she that she spoke about that in her remarks earlier. That the. Congregation has been involved with the interfaith. Food pantry so many years debbie keaton was formerly the. Point person for lack of a better term and so i took over her job. But let me tell you a little bit about the interfaith. Pantry. First of all you may not know because i certainly didn't even though i've lived here since 1979 that it's been in existence since 1987. It started with a very small space donated by the blacksburg. Baptist church downtown and during its first month if served 19 people. Now. Fast forward. These many years. In line with again what karen said. The director says and these numbers are little bit old they serve about 950. People a month. Which is a lot. So it does reinforce again with karen was saying about food insecurity. For many of the 20 many of the years that the pantry has been in existence. It's cade in the blacksburg. Baptist church. But several years ago if it's got its first dedicated space. Designed specifically to be a food pantry and that is located behind. When i i still call the old. St. mary's catholic church although i know it's no longer than and now belongs to the united methodist church. And. The new you for all of those years has not only supported it financially. But also. Once a month on the far fourth friday of every month. We provide volunteers. Who work at the. Pantry. We are job as volunteers is to. Guide each client has me go around and make sure that they get a full range. A package and fresh. Food meats. Vegetables. And most all of those donations. Time. By the volunteers. As well as every piece of food. That is in. The pantry is done through volunteering. There is not one paid. Which to me is remarkable. In that would sell for more remarkable when you think of how many years. That has been ongoing. And i will not spend a whole lot more time on that. But i would say that's for me. My personal participation as a volunteer as well as being the official you you nudes. Who sends out emails saying please this month who can volunteer or. Are our memories are very generous with their time but i will reiterate what stephanie said is that there's room for all of you we are always in need of volunteers. Volunteers work on the 4th for us work on the fourth friday of every month. Usually for at 9:30 in the morning until about noon. It is not. The proverbial rocket science. Anybody can do it if i can do it you can do it. And if you're interested in volunteering please touch base with me or send me an email. But that's my. Way of. Then you you i'm not as. Elegant is. Stephanie is butt. That's that's why. Thank you. Good morning. I'm ellen plummer. So our conversation this morning is about how. We are you you. And you've heard this refrain already this morning and i don't know if the stuff i do is because i'm you you. Or if i'm you you because of the stuff that i do. And i believe at this juncture for me it's all integrated and. I want to share to readings. That speak to me about this space of being. And living you you. I am only one. But still. I am one. I cannot do everything. But still. I can do. Something. And because i cannot do everything. I will not refuse to do. The something. That i can do. Those words are by edward everett. Hell. Adrienne rich. Right. My heart is moved by all i cannot save. So much. Has been destroyed. I have to cast my lot. With those who. Age. After age. Perversely. With no extraordinary power. Reconstitute. The world. So this business is of being that you you. Living uu. I try not to think too much about audrey enriches words because that has huruva sisyphus ian. Will you ever get the rock to the top of the hill. Serta feel to it. But it is true that our work is never done. And one of the pieces that draws me to our movement and our faith and our being together. Is. That we hold true. That truth. Is forever unfold. It is never fit finish. It is in fact at its very core. Sisyphus ian. In that we are pursuing it. Together and individually. Add a return. So i think there are ways in which i try to think and be. In that vein. In very pedestrian moments. As well as in the more awesome moments. That we are all called to attend to and be a part of. I think about my. Education. My work. The ways in which i've contributed. Both as an employee as a volunteer and everything in between. And the words that come tumbling tin to my head include things like social work. Organizing. Teaching. Serving and then i get to the more pedestrian. Cajoling. New jing. Reminding. Agenda writing. Like that right and so the truth is that all of those things are important and necessary and a part of the work. That. We all engage into. Reconstitute. The world. And. The work that we. Must do. When were called to do so i had a conversation last. Earlier this week. With a young woman. He was a student at. Montana state. And it took us two weeks to get orchestrated cuz we kept messing up the time slot right and she's a student and i would call her and she was. Otherwise occupied and she would call me and i would be in bed asleep. But we finally connected and i said to her alicia how did you what are you doing calling me and she's a real i read your name. In an article. About. Sexual assault legislation in the commonwealth of virginia. But i thought wow that's a. Can i hire you i mean she she was really intent on. And is very intent. I'm doing work in the state of montana to make campuses safer for survivors of. A violence. And she had done a google search which of course frightens me know and as to what might be out. That has my name is o seated with it but. That's a matter for another day. Until she found my name because of the work that i did a couple of years ago i spent a fair amount of time in richmond working with colleagues from higher education across the commonwealth on. Legislation that was that was. Trying to address the problem of sexual violence on our campuses. How do you make to this young woman and i were on the phone for quite some time and i was telling her the pluses and minuses and organizing in the one thing another. And. To the spirit of i am only one. And i cannot do everything. I will do the one thing i can i said to her. Alicia. You're 20 you're a sophomore. I'm 56 i am not a sophomore. Anymore. I can only be a feminist activists on mondays wednesdays and fridays. So i'm counting on you to pick up the tuesdays in the thursdays. And i'm only half kidding about. So it feels to me that part of our work is to bring in additional people. Who can do the tuesdays and thursdays. Because we are only one person and we must do what we can do but we can't do it all. Now is the firstborn bossy redhead that's really hard for me to swallow. But i i do believe that that's in fact true and that part of our work. Is to pull those pieces. Together. Several years ago it occurred to me. Again just because the universe has. Plans for me that i had no idea what they were until they start to unfold but i work for an institution. The motto of which is. Prosum. Boot prosum ut prosi um. Latin for that i may serve. And. I did not take the job at virginia tech because of the model i don't even know what them aw nevermind is whole hokeeper business and we won't even talk about maroon and orange. Show. It wasn't until. A handful of years ago that i realize the degree to which. That. Motto. Speaks. To me and to my heart. And to my politics and to my role as an educator as an administrator as a nudge as an agenda writer. And that that. That model which was created back in the day when the institution was a military institution so the notion of service. Had. Context. And has morphed over the years into a broader context. In part because of people many of us here who have pushed the edge of that. That i may serve. So it includes our work. On an individual basis on a collective basis. I don't think the cadets who created prosim. Motto orbited that in were thinking about those of us who were doing union on union organizing. Okay. But there are many of us across the campus and beyond all over the world who have embraced this notion of service. And for me it's very much a part and integrated in the work that i do. In my social action in my justice work. In my hopefully my everyday work. I. How am i a u u i. Try. One of the things i appreciate about being together with you all as you use. And i'm familiar with 34 concrete 3 congregation. Is that i. Rely on my fellow. Journey. My fellow pilgrims. 2. Help me exercise my face muscles. Because those muscles are ones that are not immediately accessible to me. And. I find that our community is a really. Rich place. In which to do individual conversations as well as collective action. And group conversations. That help me exercise muscles that i don't exercise anywhere. At work at home in my own reading etc. And took no pressure. So there's a way in which together. We can continue to work on the ways that we live our principles. At the boat. That the pedestrian as well as the sort of awesome levels. That we. Make sure that we've got all the days of the weeks covered. Right so if you're in charge of monday-wednesday-friday find somebody to take care of tuesday and thursday. And i want to lift up a. A gift again that the universe provided. Last night which is this poster. This poster this artwork with. Crafted and put together and created by the. Kids who were downstairs last night while we were all here spending money. And making money. And. They pulled together they drew pictures they identify the values in the principles that they wanted to lift up and decorate and sore spend some time with. Coloring and whatnot. And it's. You use superheroes right which was our our theme for our auction. And it says open mind beloved community. Peace. Friends love compassion. Respect. Helping hands loving hearts. Web of life. And this to me. Which occurrence by the way are going to donate to us. As a community. This is created. By our children downstairs. And i'm hoping that they're going to take care of monday tuesday wednesday thursday friday saturday and sunday. So the rest of us can all continue to do auctions in other things. Thank you. We have a few minutes and. We talked. Over the last several weeks run and i have touch bases a couple of times about how astonished. We are that as. Hyper educated and opinionated and strong and confident we are collectively the congregation. How when push comes to shove and we asked you to come up to the pulpit everybody suddenly goes introverted and shy. So. We would like to hear from a couple of you this morning about how you do you you. How are you you you. And what inspiration do you draw. From being together or from. Are written work or. However. Any takers. You're a rockstar. Courtney robertson i'm not actually you yet high. We ended up here because my. Happy little seven-year-old daughter and her little dinosaur t-shirt one day look down and. Sally said that. Suicide that the dinosaurs didn't really exist if the earth was only 4000 years old and. Until i decide that she needs medication that. But i would like to talk about. This compulsion toward social activism and in particular my work with girls on the run of the roanoke valley that doesn't actually exist in the new river valley yet we haven't adequately saturated our markets yet so we can expand our. Are markets our community. Such that we can expand but i like to give you some information about my work. Because i feel like it's a really. Wonderful program and i've got this microphone here yay. So girls on the run i want to take you back for a moment to think about. This moments in in my life where i am. In this. Huge echo chamber of a room. And they're screaming and shouting all around me and people are moving and i'm trying to move with him and i'm trying to help and i'm and i'm. Trying so hard to do the right thing but when the ball comes and i hit it it's eyes over my head. Cute girl who's standing next to me transmuter god courtney can you do anything right. And the fact of it is that i really couldn't like it was mean the way she addressed me but i was horribly unfortunate event gym class and at that point i realize he know i'm not good at this so i should just stop. And i should just not be involved in this and fitness is really something for the girls who want to be models and want to be pretty and i. That's not really my thing however. The problem is that a lot of girls. Child not maybe the same experience but frightening least similar experiences and they give up on so many components of their life maybe not physical fitness but they give up on speaking up in class asking a question if they don't understand the concept. They give up on on taking care of themselves by myself started smoking because i needed some way to look cool so i'm the one smoking and wearing black and ready. it was so bad being insufferable but meanwhile i'm. I'm not happy like this i i still. Wants. To run and and feel healthy. And so ironically and in-laws glory have to be perfect at everything i did start running again because again you have to be perfect at everything and we all had our little running program for the we went to in this thing was i started feeling better i started feeling healthy i started being able to run farther i start being able to run faster. I'm actually now the. I've won the roanoke non ultra trail series is the top female 43 years. But alongside that after i started realizing that i thought i couldn't do i really could do. So now in my work as an attorney when when. Prosecutor says well obviously an attempt is a lesser-included offense. I can see wolves. No i think you were wrong and i'm right. And i have that confidence to believe that just because someone says something to me. Against me doesn't mean that it's necessarily true which is really helpful. Really helpful believed to have went when you're a lawyer but really as a person. Having that confidence in your own values in your own belief to actually stand up for it for those beliefs is. Just a critical component of being your own self. Girls on the run addresses that just run on. It starts the curriculum is over 12 weeks we do it after school we can adjust it to fit people schedule some some schools do it before school like around 6:30. But we start by addressing the self the girls identify their own values they talked about what means what means something to them then they go on and address how they how they talk about this values communicating with their relationships how they build friendships they build friendships with people that maybe are outside of their cliques that they normally setup. Prompted the lunchroom. Learn and discuss how they can apply those values into their community they learn their own value within their community and they design and execute their own community service project. And son and meanwhile there is girls on the run to their training for a 5k and they're actually literally. Finding their own strength as they're able to run faster and longer and there may be able to do to my supposed to 1-mile and proving in this very physical and literal way that they can do more than they thought. So i want that here that's what i want right now in roanoke but we need volunteers we need money girls on the run roanoke valley, it's our.org i'm sorry it's on it's on the internet give us a ring. Thank you. Awesome. I think she said okay but y'all think. Emergency plumber. I was just thinking about it a little bit and. When. My parents were living in keene new hampshire. There was. And they were members of the unitarian church there. Redfoo. Okay so i would join them to go to. Church service. Occasionally on sundays. Usually i was a little too busy. Coping with a hangover. Or. Maybe drinking a little bit in order to deal with the hangover on a sunday morning so it's pretty rare that i would join. And where i'm going with this is my i don't i i am not worried about my anonymity. Okay. When i got sober. And i got sober. In. Wherever we were in new hampshire. I went to a service one time. And rats who got up and was giving her sermon. And i would have been. Nearby then i was kind of bright-eyed and bushy-tailed at 9 in the morning on a sunday morning kind of ran the kind of bored kind of looking for something to do so i would go to service. Services white more often. I connected. There was a connection between the spiritual aspect. Of what we as unitarians do and as a fellowship. As. The goals as you get sober and you need the help of a and i'm not saying that's the only answer to all i'm just saying that for me. Grabs who gave a sermon and i went up to read episodes. You just talked to me in a way that i can identify with. Through the 12 steps of alcoholics anonymous. It was like. Black and white. You know. Faces yet really i said. You took some of this stuff out of the big book. I don't even have a big butt. I gave her mine. So you can put this on yourself. Process was it that i got married. I had my child. We divorced. And on and on goes with life. But as. And i'm not a member. Official of this congregation. I tried to join the one in clemson but i bounced around quite a bit. But the whole concept behind. Working together as a community. Working towards some values all having are different kinds of values are different goals are different whatever's. Smart. Black white. Whatever. Doesn't matter. Is so spiritual incense. That the only thing that's kept me sober. Is a spiritual connection i have to not only. The concepts of the uu. But as a concept. Alcoholics anonymous. So that's the only way that i can i can it's cool it's very cool to me. So. To me it's all about the spirituality. And that's how i. Myself as a yo-yo. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia for more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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140413_do_passover.mp3

Welcome to the april 13th service at the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today. Is led by our settled minister reverend arrowland. The title of her sermon is. Crossing the sea. Passover stories for living. The podcast begins with a reflection by worship associate victoria taylor. So a passover seder it's a ritual meal. Each bring for centuries jewish families have gathered on the 1st. Evening of the eight days set aside to honor moses and the exodus from egypt as narrated in the first book of the torah. Jesus gathered with his chosen family for seder. Because holy communion is in fact a passover derivative. This ritual consists of 15 separate parts. Special prayers torah readings discussion festive songs props and delicious foods. Now as the email or mother of the house. These days leading up to cedar are usually occupied with matters of a more direct nature. Cleaning reading recipes delegating dishes counting flatware and securing foods that are not easily found in the new river valley. And of course remembering to make the her osis. When the actual se2 ritual begins. It actually takes me a bit to kind of settle down. I'm wondering if the meat will be overcooked if the non-jewish guests will be able to follow along and not get bored and i also worry about my terrible hebrew language skill. The beginning of this tale is pretty but now. Our ancestors were slaves in egypt. Every year the same story. As well when i say these words i remember that about 30 million people still live in bondage today. In 2014. So what makes this fish story so special. Then the candles are lit. Our hands are washed and gratitude. For the miracle of springtime is express. And we begin to engage in the four question. I start to settle down and leave the tiktok world behind. And i enter into a more focused place. I begin to wonder why truly is this story so important. This story that has become so important that jewish people have practice this ritual often in secret. Or without the resources that i enjoyed for thousands of years all over the world. Then by the recitation of the plagues. Dip my pinky in the mine and recite. Dumb. Blood. Safari. Frog. Taneem. Lice. Aurora. Insect. Devere. Illness. 13. Murad. He'll are locusts. Tool set. Darkness better. Death. I'm fully engaged. It gets. Every. I realized that the passover seder. Is a multi-sensory journey into the past. As well as a joyous celebration of the present. The format encourages inquiry and dialogue between the generations. The story is one of courage. It's a story of space and of community. It's of people taking risk. And standing up for what is right. I'm just. This ritual meal is a reminder that big things are accomplished in small increments. And that it and we are all enough. And then i realize that this is not just a jewish story. It's everyone's story. But the passover story is just the one. I'm deeply appreciative. Victoria view our willingness to share a little bit of your own experience and your family celebration with our congregation this morning. I'll offer us this reading. For passover. And this is a reading that comes from the mishkan tefila which is a reformed. Adore. Prayer book. It's attributed or inspired by. Michael walter. And i was reminded of this reading. By david burr. Who shared it. The board. Past week. I was recalled how. Beautiful and moving is this reading. I hope you will find so as well. Standing on the parted shore of history. We still believe what we were taught. Before we ever stood at sinai foot. That wherever we go. It is eternally egypt. That there is a better place. A promised land. But the winding way to that promise. Passes through the wilderness. That there is no way to get from here to there. Except by joining hands. And marching. Together. This morning as you know we're talking about passover. Which is rooted in the story of exodus. The second book of the torah which is the first. Five books of the hebrew bible. In this epic story the story of exodus at spence 40 chapters. Don't worry we're not going to read all the chapters morning. A aside from being made particularly famous by that famous charlton heston film. That many people think of when you think of exodus. Aside from that of course exodus is one of the most celebrated events in the hebrew bible. So the narrative itself spans from the bondage of the people in egypt. Through their hard-won escape. And their liberation as they moved through their journey. In the wilderness. And they cross the red seas. And then they received the revelation of their god at mount sinai. Jewish people. And other celebrate passover or pesach. This year starting tomorrow evening monday april 14th and it goes through the evening of a tuesday april 22nd. During this time as we heard victoria reference a little bit jewish families tend to be pretty busy if they're observing they might rid the house of breadcrumbs. In honor of the time that the people did not have in the story to actually add levin to their bread and wait for it to rise. Some jewish families like my own take this as an opportunity to just do a lot of spring cleaning. Cancel. These are some of the practices there will be stories shared at the passover seder meal and symbolic foods. As we experience this morning. Which of these elements holbrook awesome piece. Of the story that's passed down in the legends and the teachings that are passed down over the years. Morning has been caged together as unitarian universalist. I wonder what the. Teachings and the meanings of passover. Might be for each one of us. Here. What's the stories help us consider. In our lives today. Answer this question i think we'll need to recount just a few of the high point. In the in the biblical story. So we're going to review this together a little bit more for some of you this might be the first time you really heard the story a little bit more and that's. According to the biblical text. Jacob and leah. And their family lived in canaan. And there was a great famine in the land. And like so many who leave their home places due to economic hardship. Seeking a better way of life in a new unfamiliar land. That family left. They left canaan. And they go journey to egypt. And they settled down there in egypt. And it works for them. And it works for them for quite a long time meaning that they create a life there they become part of the economy there they raised their children they start to feel at home in the land of egypt. And this goes on there very comfortable. But then as the story goes there's a change in power. Answer the new pharaoh comes in. And the stereo does not look so favorably. Upon the jewish people. He sees them rather as other not part of society more alien sort of people. And he sees the potential there. For economic exploitation. And so he decided to institute. The policy of genocide. Which is really a policy of infanticide. Meaning that the first born. Hot sun all new unside all newborn to ash nails. Articles. Upon birth. He's trying to reduce. Their numbers. Do the pharaoh once slave labor for his mighty mighty empire. And yet as you read the story is not everybody. Compliance. Notably there are two hebrew midwives shiphrah and puah who rescue. The children. And there's one child in particular. Anyone remember of the child in particular them.to name who saved. Moses. Course. So moses also known as moshay his mother sends him down as the story goes a river in a basket he's saved. And he's actually taken into the house of pharaoh raised by the pharaoh's daughter. So he starts to lead as a young person very assimilated life in the high court of the pharaoh. As moshe as moses grows up he starts looking around at the world that he's living in and we can kind of blind that world in lines of exodus. 1:14 these are some of the conditions he saw. They made their lives bitter with. Horse labor in brick-and-mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields. And although her sleeper the egyptians work them ruthlessly. So moses grows up and one day. He sees an overseeder seer. Beating. A jewish person. Any totally over sea. Suddenly with the threat of being informed upon moses leaves. Egypt in exile and he becomes a political refugee. Energy on. And while he's there. He gets married. And while he's there he also has a vision story goes he has a vision of the burning bush and he has this radical transformation encounter with his god and he's recalled to his. Purpose. He's recalled to his people. Until he returns. So he goes back to egypt along with his brother aaron and his sister miriam and he tells the pharaoh. Let my people go. Hotline that we sang. It's very familiar to many of us. But the pharaoh doesn't listen. And he doesn't relent. So the people decide to strike. And in response to that the pharaoh tightens his grip on the people. And the people don't really know what to do except cry out to god their god and so god starts to send plagues. To egypt as a message to stop enslaving the people. But as the story goes. Del cerro did not yield. And it seems like he's going to pause a little bit and his persecution when his own son. Is actually killed by one of the plagues but he's still actually does not stop. It's so what are the people do. They leave. They leave quickly. They leave before there's time for the bread to rise. And so pharaoh trails them to the red sea what is now called the red sea. And in a text and inwood called the midrashic commentary the ways in which people have commented on these texts over the years i think there's a very intriguing moment that i'd like to lift up for us. Today was very intriguing moment and they stories right there at the shores of the red sea. Apparently the jewish tribes are not sure what to do. They're running for their freedom here is a huge watery obstacle. Who should go first. Into the sea. And there's a lot of back-and-forth but. The tribe. I don't want to. Do you want to go that sort of. What should we do here. And finally there's one sean. Who walks into the water. It's lily others begin to enter as well. And then as the story goes the water's part and divide allowing the juice to cross. Into their freedom. Over the safety. Even though it's the safety of just more unknown. They're able to move through. And get beyond. When they arrived on the shores of. Freedom. It said that moses is rather unsung sister miriam. Lifts up her voice in song. And there's dancing and there is singing and there's the sweet relief of having made it. Thus far. These are the kinds of stories that are told at this passover. Time. Is a lot of richness in these stories these i think and i wonder. Which parts you might identify with. More closely. There's a lot of characters in these stories might speak to you. The stories the stories of liberation freedom. Persisting and moving into liberation from bondage. Has had a deep influence. I'm not just in jewish community of course but around the world. There are christians who really celebrate in honor these stories. The stories have become very powerful for example. An african gospel music. In secular movement for civil and human rights. There's archetypes of persistence. Archetypes help. When we listen perhaps rastafarian music. Hear the exodus stories. Spoken about. I wonder for yourself what you find any stories. I will say that i believe stores are unimportant reflective tool they help us reflect on our own lives help us see something and do something meaningful. A passover as victoria alluded to there's a practice of children asking for questions. That helped everyone at the seder meal. Unpack the meanings of the stories. Inspired by that i want to share with you this morning what i would call. The four teachings of passover. That i would like to share. With you. Here's the first meeting that i make this passover season the first pitch. Number one. Liberation. Is costly. It doesn't happen overnight. Rather it is hard one. With many twists and. Egypt in hebrew means mix rahim which is actually a word that means place of narrowness. Or narrow strait. So the people are journeying from a place of narrowness. Will land of self-determination and more expansiveness. Their journey towards freedom was not straightforward. And it was not accomplished overnight. In egypt it was probably. Pooping easier for some people. To stick around. And just see what happened. To give up. Turning enslaved. But for others in the story is there were many points where they just kept going. Taking one more step and one more step. Not knowing. The outcome not knowing what would happen. Liberation. Costly. It's not always convenient. But it is necessary. And it is its own reward. In the biblical story is there was a new generation born out there in the wilderness. It was a generation that had never felt the bitterness of enslavement. So. Stories and teachings remind us that we need to remember again and again and again. About how hard one. Freedom is. That we might not take it for granted. In our online. So passover becomes a time for us to look at our own lives. At places of narrowness. I wonder where you and your own life. Experience the narrowness. What might you need to be liberated from. In order to live a more expansive and honesty. What do you need to liberate your own self from. To move from a sense of narrowness. Into a more deep. .. Of whole living. Perhaps at the narrowness. That you're participating in in some way shape or form at work. Or in your relationship. I also invited us not to think about enslavement just metaphorically. Or just introspectively. According to the washington post a new report from the walk free foundation out of australia counts that there are. 29.8 million. People. Living as slaves. Real flame. Right now around the world. And as the post reports this is not some softened by modern standards definition of slavery. Rather there are indeed 30 million people. Living as forced laborers fourth prostitutes. Child soldiers. Child brides. Is forced marriages. In all of these different ways being treated as property as someone's shadow rather than as a human being. Walk free this organization they investigated 162 countries and found slaves. Every. Single one. Including our country. So right here in the united states there's an estimated 60000. People. Enslaved. In from december 7th and 2007 to december 31st in 2012. The national human trafficking hotline which take some calls when people are calling to report a suspected case. Of human bondage they said that they received in that span of time i mentioned an increase in calls at 250 9%. The two main kinds of trafficking in this country are sex trafficking. And then labor trafficking. And as we might imagine just won't be news to many of you but i'll just share just two more statistics here. Women were referenced as victims. In 85% of sex trafficking. And then. Were lifted up in 40% of labor trafficking. So human trafficking in our very own country affects both men and women and very substantial ways. I would say that this is one of the most pernicious sides. Of the global economic crisis. And it's been felt by so many. But the new river valley justice initiative has been doing some really good work on this and some of you were already connected with that effort. And if you want to find out a little bit more about human trafficking and what is being done about it how you can get involved in our community i invite you to find out more about the new river valley justice initiative and we'll make sure that there's some posters on our social justice and community connections board for you to learn a little bit more about this. The second teaching that i want to share with you this morning the second passover teaching. Has asked for turning to that moment that i mentioned before on the skis of the red sea. Right there at the foot. Of the red sea. It was i mentioned the people were escaping from egypt. They end up on the shores of the red sea and the don't know what to do. Who should go in who should go first what should happen now the way is not clear what is the best way through. And what's very interesting to me about the midrash and the stories. Meanings made about that moment. Is that it's not until 1 actually steps into the water. Risk. Getting wet. That the seas begin to part. And that perhaps more help. Comes available. More succinctly put what's the second passover teaching this morning to share with you. You can't move through it if you don't begin. Wade in the water. We are transformed we are saved from what ails us. By our own participation and not by our trepidation. A lot of us here might think about in our own lives perhaps some ways that we're kind of dancing at the shores. Dancing at the shores perhaps it's some place in our own life. Kind of wondering ringing hand what's next what's to do wet how do i move through this how do i move forward and if we look at the teachings of the stories that people had to get wet. They had to make a move. They had to risk. Vulnerability. And risk of the unknown. And i think there is. A lot of richness. I wonder. What you are facing when you stand at the shores of your own life. Then i encourage you to enter the water. Now that we might not just think about these things solo for our own personal introspection. Important as that is but match it with some engagement in the world i want to share with you one way to wade in the water. Beyond ourselves. If you are someone that cares deeply about marriage equality. I want to share with you that on monday may 12th. Coming up next month there's a very important time. Monday may 12th is the day right before. The three judges from the fourth district court of appeals will hold a hearing. Regarding the future of marriage equality. As some of you might know a federal judge not long ago in virginia ruled that our state's gay marriage ban was unconstitutional. And what's happening right now is that is being appealed. So there's a fight going on about that. And in line with other marriage equality battles and other states it's getting heated. And things are starting to potentially shift. And it appears that if the judges allow the virginia. Court ruling to stand they are likely to strike down existing marriage fans in the carolinas. In west virginia. Until that hearing is scheduled for the 13th. So along with different faith communities across the country. Come the day before may 12th at 2 p.m.. Many of us will be gathering with other face neighbors and community folks. At very close to the christiansburg courthouse. We will sing and we will eat cookies. And we will talk about love and tell testimonials and then a love letter will be delivered to our county clerk. Letting our county clerk know that we stand susie astic lee for the day when any loving couple can get married in our state and across the. Any loving couple can marry the person of their dreams and be afforded the rights and privileges therein. I hope that some of you will indeed be part of that action at 2 p.m. on may 12th. Monday may 12th and you'll be hearing a lot more about that. In fact i've invited reverend robin gorsline. From space voices virginia. These voices for equality virginia to come and preach. On may 4th to help connect our congregation to the larger movement. I hope some of you will stay tuned and hear from robin. Threatened. Passover teaching that i want to share with you briefly this morning. Is that human life. Is valuable. Pursuing equity self-determination and justice. It's part of. Doing and preserving our human dignity. In stories of passover. This is really highlighted. And the way that it's highlighted. Is actually with the highest honor in the context of the scriptures there. Because the freedom the march for freedom and human dignity is actually blessed by god. Now not everyone here has the same conception of god. Feel comfortable with god talk but i think there's something relevant. About noting in the in the scriptures there in the tax. This is so important. The god blesses. God says i'm a part of this i'm on your side. I'm on the side of liberation. And this is deeply influential for the civil rights movement. For example for la the gospel music that we associate with change. The sense that not only are the people doing this but a larger sense of love and abiding strength is with the people. Powerful palpable. So regardless of how you conceive of god invite us to think about this morning about the power that is with us. When we rest. For homeless and when we risk. Freedom. What sustains you. In your journey. Is it this community. Is it your own eternal. Internal voice of love and hope. I will share with you that there is more love available. And sometimes it is in risking that we find. The strength we did not know we have. For love abides. And is a continuance corsets. Finally i want to share. The last 1/4 i said there were four teaching. So this is the very last one. The fourth and last passover teaching i want to share with you this morning. Is that celebration. Is important. Celebration. Is vital. In our journey is for change making for justice. For personal and collective holness. Moses and miriam are both two characters that are featured in these. Passover tails. Enemy hebrew bible there's actually handful of stories about miriam. But over the years jewish women have developed their own teachings and curiosities about miriam about her life what she represent. And i started filling in the gaps about what was not known about her from the tax. And i started really highlighting how she played on the shores of freedom. How she actually. She actually played her tambourine. Play the tambourine. On the shores of freedom. After this long arduous journey facing the unknown. Everyone else perhaps was kind of lying on the shores catching their breath and she's the one who raises up the tambourine. And she said let's dance. People let's dance. Let's sing let's remember the fullness of who we are. And in doing so the people that said they joined her. And it started singing and dancing. And life with renewed. What are the ways these days in contemporary times that miriam's contribution is remembered as it's some people actually place on their stator plate a goblet of water. Enough to symbolize the image of miriam's well. Port said in some of the midrash that miriam was actually present as a sustaining spiritual and joyful force. All along the way. Reminding people about spiritual nutrition. About prayer about meditation and about praise. About celebration. I'm really intrigued myself by these stories told about miriam because i think it's so important. What she lives up to our awareness. When i think about marianne and her tambourine playing on the shores of freedom. I'm reminded of all of those on an unsure path. Who weary and exhausted. Arrived on the shores of a tenuous and very treasured. Future. Washed up in the borderlands. People are still people capable of joy and resilience. Her tambourine players with a profound sweetness. It's that kind of sweetness born of both hard memories and hope both. She's filled with a sense of thanksgiving. For this precious. Deliverance. When i think about the tambourine and miriam i'm reminded of all of those who have come before. Along with all of those who turney together right now in the present and those who will come yet again in the future. Hopefully. With both of the blessings and the challenges. We will face the new terrain ahead with our own rich. Bright and deep. Music. Next sunday we will be celebrating easter. His story is it a lot of ways connect with the passover story linked by that person of cheeses. That jewish teacher who developed followers who then became the earliest. Christian. In this time of springtime navy honor all of the freedom stories. Distinct yet connected. Let us recall each one of us and how we are linked. With one another. As we cross together. Towards the ski. 14. Blessed be. And amin. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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131027_do_eternity.mp3

Welcome to the october 27th service at the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by our settled minister reverend our oland. Her sermon is titled casting fourth light. Considering eternity. The podcast begins with some introductory comments. Followed by two readings and it closes with her sermon. This morning. We adults are going to be talking today about. The blessings of. Are human relationship. We'll be exploring together and worship today the seasonal trend traditions of dia de los muertos and the pre-christian pagan festival. Of shaolin. Together these two dia de los muertos and samhain which has many different ways of pronunciation. Bring us into focus. Making us aware of earth cycles of life and of death. We have arrived here into the end of october. We experiencing we are advancing the shifting of light in the afternoons. To the darkness of evenings. We are watching the leaves change around us. The pre-christian wisdom and folk traditions of the earth south and north. Combined as samhain and dia de los muertos or the day of the dead. In the north and the south in different countries and different places in different cultures and in different ways. People choose to light candles. Speaking of their beloved dead. And honoring. The lives of those who have gone before. With alters. Personal altars. Collective altars. People in the north and the south get together. Sharing stories. Change songs sharing poems. This is one way. Of greeting of the reality of death and honoring. Those. Even those for whom we still feel a cute lost. This morning. We pause and our congregation are unitarian universalist congregation. We pause to celebrate with intentionality. The lives of those who we love. Who have died. We offer our memories we offer our love. We acknowledge that both morning and celebration entwine. In comfortable ways and in uncomfortable and mysterious ways. And so it is that we come together and if we explore the topic together this morning. Images of those who we love and those who we hold dear and remember may rise to the surface of our mind's eye or our imaginations. I invite as not to be fearful of tears. A real tears of sadness or tears of joy if they arrive. For one of the gifts and challenges of this very season this end of october beginning of november is that we welcome. We welcome the fullness of our feelings as we celebrate and honor those we love who have passed on from life with us. In the traditions of the north and the south by casting light into darkness. We honor the lights of the spirits that live with us. We also recognise the cycling earth cycling of birth and death. We remember that we are the stuff of the earth. We are creatures of the earth not distinct. And also separate as we might often like to believe. This morning and worship we're not going to be sharing our sorrows as we typically do here. But we will be doing something else together which is sharing a ritual of remembrance. It is befitting samhain and dia de los muertos. I'll invite those who are gathered to participate in this ritual of remembrance in two ways. Two different times. I'll invite you during the offertory as the music player to come forward. And to take some time for yourself at one of these to alter spaces. You can also come forward during the special music that will cure together. This morning. Invite you to come forward. And if you still feel moved. You can pick up a stone from the altar in the balls. And place it on the altar. Those of you who have already brought images photographs of mementos of those who are you you are remembering this day are welcome to bring them forward. We also have small bits of paper in which you can write notes or the names of loved ones that you are remembering this day. We also have candles so you can come forward and light a flame. You are someone who actually celebrates this day and have for many years or someone for whom the spiritual calls and speaks to you deeply and some new ways you're also welcome to take a small candle with you home. From worship today so that you can set up your own personal altar. Our first reading this morning is from the greek philosopher plato. He wrote the souls of people. On their way to earth life. Pass through a room full of lights. Each takes a taper. Austin only a spark. The guided and the gym country. Ibisworld. But some tools by rare fortune are detained longer. And have time to grab a handful of tapers. Which they weave into a torch. These are the torchbearers of humanity. It's poets and seers and saints. Who lead and lift the race out of darkness towards the light. They are the lawgivers the savior's the lightbringer's the wayshowers the truth-tellers and without them. Humanity would lose its way. In the dark. Our second reading this morning is from a day of the dead story. By isabel hernandez. She right i remember in my heart and in my mind those good old days of november. When i was a child. Without my abuelita. Grandmother. Commemorate our loved ones who have passed away. Beginning october 1st i would ask evelita. When will we have to go to the market to buy the papel picado. The paper with the cutout fragments. I believe that how many days till we get to go to the cemetery i would ask when are you going to set the table. For the offering. And she would patiently respond very soon sweetheart remember that first we have to get ready for their visit. There are most important visitors. And we have to welcome them with a very clean. An organized home. I thoroughly enjoyed those afternoons when we would go to the market. To buy everything we needed for the holiday. By that time things would be packed for the day of the dead at the market i remember that just before. As is now there were flowers sold everywhere. There were stands for everything. Candles black ceramic candlesticks the fruits of the season. Squash sugarcane bananas. The bakery is prepared pan de muerto. Day of the dead bread and other special types of bread. As offering. There were pink donuts. A type of bread symbolizing the cycle of life and death. We would place what we had brought the market on the altar. And i'd candles 14 grandpa another big one for mother and for aunt margarita. My grandmother said that their lightwood guide their souls were houses. And each one had their own candle. Because there was something special to remember that each one of them. And we take out pictures of our dearly departed and hang them on the altar. And i couldn't forget the glass of water and the little plate of salt. They say it is to relieve the thirst. Of the souls that return. The chris days of late fall. Have arrived. And we experience the evenings darkening as i mentioned earlier. Here we are at halloween. This week coming up. October 31st. In a spanish-speaking world. It is dia de los muertos the day of the dead. In christian tradition it is hollow mask with all hallows eve all saints day all souls day. In pre-christian and contemporary pagan traditions as i mentioned this is. Sauerwein. Or the witches new year. Some of you may practice this year. It is a time that celebrates the ending of the harvest season. All of the different traditions take place between this rich. october 31st and november 2nd. The traditions mixed together historically they mixed together culturally and they mixed together practically. Any tradition people have practices of kindling flames of memory flames of hope. Death is scarcely easy for us to speak about. Intercultural. Speaking about jesse's risky and it's taboo. It often brushes against our sense of invulnerability. That our culture off and encourages us sometimes even perhaps requires us. Well that is surely a part of life. It is hard for our minds and our hearts to fully comprehend it. Maybe it is indeed beyond human comprehension. Yet if we watched the earth for clues autumn is a season that reminds us of deaths presents. Mixing morning and celebration. Reverend forest church a unitarian minister who's now. Departed. Chad wants quite provocatively that religion is our human response. Took the reality that we are born and then we will die. We know that in various traditions sometimes death appears anthropomorphically. A messenger. Macron. A goddess. And these myths evidence to ask human meaning-making journey grappling with the reality of life and death. Yes death is hard. It is important that we acknowledge it together. That we knowledge it here perhaps because it is that there are so few places to collectively and communally acknowledge the presence of death in the face of life. Ultimately i do think that death really challenged us. Because of how deeply we love. And how complex our process these are as human beings navigating law. For some of us here today lighting candles and talk of death is hardly abstract. It is closed. We are intimately aware of recent losses. Or perhaps i'm right here in this room are negotiating and confronting the reality of death right now. For others of us we reach back in our minds and we looked forward. The memory of loved ones who have now. Been gone from physical life with us for many years. All of this is present here with us this morning. So this morning alan.. The season is often equated with that. Parade for children in costumes. Dressing our homes to welcome young ones were coming in and expecting suites at the door. There is a deeper meaning. To this time to the season and that's what we're talking about today. Part of dia de los muertos was allowing a space where it is culturally understood that humans do not have to encounter death alone. We have a collective appreciation for the fullness of life and the each one of us has to navigate the very complex journey. I've death. If we were in mexico or any one of the spanish-speaking and portuguese-speaking places we might bring picnics to the grave sites of our loved ones. We might make their favorite food. We might sting and hold vigil at the gravesite for many many hours maybe even many days. When the christians colonized mexico the catholic. Religious traditions mixed with the indigenous ways and the wisdom admits there to create a vibrant festival known as dia de los muertos. Back in the 12th century christian europe. Town criers would dress in their mourning clothes and they would ring bells. Help people to remember the souls of those who have. Departed. And later in christian europe. In the fifteenth century people would bring soul cakes that's what they were called soul cakes to the door to everyone who had a christian soul. Today we can see in some of the practices that celebrate dia de los muertos some of the residues of these old practices in europe. Like halloween dealer smartest breeds darkness of death with a celebration of sweetness. And that can sometimes seem to clash with some of the ways that we would typically. Approach staff. This is the time of year when christian and pagan and wiccan. And diverse strands all come together. To honor the cycle of life. Some of us have many different ideas about what it is that happen. After people leave physically this earth. Hagen's understand a wheel of life. And are closely connected to earth prophecies. This in pagan tradition and in wiccan tradition is a very significant holiday. Starhawk is one of the many leading thinkers who writes about taking tradition. I come from san francisco where. Starhawk actually teaches and offers workshops and each year there's a sizable collection of people who gather. To identify with dia de los muertos who often identify as pagan and to our secular folks just looking for a way to celebrate. And honor life-and-death together. The season challenges us because we might not be accommodated already to the reality of death. How could we be. So for some these traditions are uncomfortable. Invite us to lean into those places of discomfort. I'll share with you that i took a walk recently. Out to pandapas pond. It was cold and ask i was darkening. And then the last silver light of the sunset. I could barely see the pond. I had to squint. Things that had been clear just a moment ago. We're no longer clear i couldn't make out the mountains the rim of a lake the outlines of the trees. And i was wondering about starhawk. And i was wondering about dia de los muertos. About the day of the dead about all souls day. And i was reminded. That pagans teach about the spinning of the veil. This is a time when perhaps the veil between life as we know it. In life that we cannot quite comprehend is in. Maybe it requires us to pier a little bit. Maybe it is a time for us to embrace both mystery. And magic. I wonder. How can we be so sure. About what comes next. How can we be so sure that loved one's breath is not on the wind. Against our shoulders. In the whisper in our own spirits. In the call inside of our own hearts how can we be so sure. But their spirit is not present in song and dance. Remember to buy flowers. How can we be so sure. That's the question. And this time. The call of the season then asked us to linger. To peer into the darkness. To light our candles. To linger with our love over those with passed from this life honor and yes the bitterness. Which is real but also the sweetness of their life. In the ways that it is text around. That we might all be warmed by the candlelight. Have our shared memories. Cormoran is perhaps one of the most. Human of all faculties. It's not always romantic and it's not always pretty. How splendid it is when we come together to light our candles with one another. Joanna macy is a buddhist. A neko buddhist and she talks also as starhawk does about the fullness of life what we can learn from earth's seasons and cycles. She talks about a sense of deep time. She says this. Deep time. Is about the vast unbroken chain of life that connects us back to the great. Flaring forth. And forward to the future. As being to claim onto life. Inspiring our actions for the healing of our earth. Present time. She says it is a cycle. This is a time for deep time. To acknowledge death. In our life. And the lost that it has. Is risky. But joanna macy that buddhist philosopher and writer i just mention. She writes that the heart. They can break open can contain the whole universe. The heart that can be broken open can contain. The whole universe. We come here with many different ways of understanding lost and life. Some believe that when the body dies there is no more. Others that the breath of life what the greeks called puma. Is bound with our bodies and when the body dies. The spirit lives on. Others here understand a karmic sense. But those who passed from life returning a new form. That our bodies are merely physical that's hold for spiritual. For spirits and souls which indir. Eternally. Some speak about what comes next in terms of. God or goddess. There are so many different ways. That we understand. Or seek to explain what we think we know. About death. Today i want us to make space for the silence beyond all words. Peering into the darkness beyond our understanding. Connecting with the truth that we know each one of us lives in our own heart. As we worship together this day. May we remember to say thank you. And keep breathing. May we offer our forgiveness and our compassion for selves. As we honor loved ones as we celebrate their lives. As we honor the light candle. That remains with us even in the knowledge in their death. May the season be one of actual celebration. Let us be connected with life abundant blessing. Let us journey forward in love and hope. Let us remember to kindle are tapers. On the way. Blessed be. And amin. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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141102_ess-cuups_samhain.mp3

Welcome to the november 2nd service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by members of the uuc or spirit sisters. Handcuffs. The seam of the service is samhain celebration. Honoring our beloved dead. The worship associate is victoria taylor. We're now going to move into the ceremony part portion of today's. Service. In the pagan tradition it is customary to create a sacred and safe space for every ceremony or ritual. In these in this. Creating a safe space is called often called casting a circle. And in that part of the ritual we drawn the. Protection of our ancestors the protection of the spirits of the land the influences. Of the four directions. And. Of our community so i want you for a bit. To imagine that we are in a circle. And that we are safe. And we are with those who love and support us. And that all the energy about us the rocks the trees. The mountains the rivers are all here. Because. We are all a part of it and we are all safe and sacred to go. At this darkening time of year our thoughts turn. Things past. T'life retreating. To those who are no longer with us. Images come to our minds of dear companions who wants graced our lives. Who loved loved ones whom we miss. Persons who made his lives made an impact on us. On all of our lives. Those. Who were here contributing. Caring and are now gone. Our memories. Bring both joy and sadness. Let's not push these feelings away. For recollections attest to the enduring importance of these friends. This love and our memories. Maybe he's brave and lovely spirits live again in our tender thoughts and prove the depth and distance are powerless to sever the bonds that truly connect loving hearts. It's traditional to greet death. And the memory of those we have loved with silence. Instead today i asked that we speak of those put we have loved and lost. We will pass the microphone and if you wish. Name one person. Who memory you wish to honor here today. After the name is spoken i asked if the congregation join in that remembrance. By repeating the name and saying that that person is remembered here. Are dead. Are never dead because the power of human memory tryon steven over death. Let us join together and remembering. So i'm going to start and i'd like us to remember wayne and then all of you together will. Confirm him by saying wayne is remembered. And if you could hand whitney the microphone show. Do the next one and pass it or loan to the whole congregation. You course you're welcome to pass but. Suzanne. Zan is remembered. Virginia. Virginia is remembered. Kitty. Kenny is remembered. Lynn. Lynn is remembered. Nicholas. Nicholas has remembered. Richard. Rich's remembered. Susan. Susan is remembered. Gary. Gary is remembered. Joyce. Joyce's remembered. Agnes. Agnes's remember. Remember. Headache. Headies remembered. Brogan. Brogan is remembered. Ralph. Ralph is remembered. Doris. Doris is remembered. Reverend jen. Reverend jen is remembers. Goldie. Goldie is remembered. Gale. Gayle is remembered. Gurnee. Gurnee is remembered. Claude. Blood is remembered. Loretta. Loretta is remembered. William. William is remembered. Jay. Jay is remembered. Jim. Jim is remembered. Kenzie. Kenzie is remember. Lloyd. Lloyd is remembered. Betty. Betty is remember. Suzanne. Suzanne is remembers. Andrew. Andrew is remembered. Margaret. Margaret is remembered. Garrett. Jared is remember. Alice. Alice's remembered. Mitchell. Mitchell is remembered. Marion. Marion is remembered. John. John is remembered. Tom. Tom is remembered. Morton is remembered. Morton is remember. Gene. Misremembered. Joseph. Dessa is remembered. Clyde. Clyde is remembered. Connie. Connie is remember. Rachel. Rachel is remember. Dorothy. Dorothy is remembered. Francis. Frances is remembered. Lynn. Vienna is remember. Gotti. Daddy is remember. Dick. Dick is remembered. Janet. Janet is remember. Calendar. Is remembered. Mary. Mary is remember. Florence. Lawrence's remember. Paul. Call is remember. Rob. Rob is remember. Rhoda. Rhoda is remember. Iona. Iona is remembered. Peg. Peg is remembered. Carolyn. Carolyn is remember. Rachel. Rachel is remember. Wayne. Wayne is. Gene. Elsa. Elsie is remember. Luna. Luna is remember. Tim. Tim is remember. John. John is remember. Alphonse. Bob. Athol murray. Echo marie is remember. Barry. Marius remember. Jean and james. Dean and james are remember. 3 yen. Sweden. Eddie. Eddie is remember. Art. Ours is remember. Reuben. Ruben is remember. Leslie. Leslie is remember. Robert. Robert is remember. Hear it. Hubert is. Our beloved community is made up not just of the people sitting in front of us. But of all of the people in spirits and love that has brought us here together. And today and remembering even the saddest thing. Let us remember also the joy that they promise. And now we released the grip of memory. Los. And the past. And prepare to walk forward with the love and blessings that have been given to us. By those we remember today. Join me in one last thank you to those whose memory we have shared today. And for those whose memory are known in the hearts of our beloved community. Even if their names are unspoken. Please join me in saying thank you and goodbye. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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150125_morriss_gifts.mp3

Welcome to the january 25th service at the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by the reference mackinac and bob morris. Their sermon is titled. Gifts for the liberal spirit. The podcast begins with introduction of our guest ministers. Buy worship associate victoria taylor. Are settled minister reverend aerolon is not in the pulpit today but we have two guests that i'm so so please sharing with you this morning. It is the reverend machina and bob morris and they are retired uu ministers and they live in forest virginia which is near lynchburg. It's actually where thomas jefferson summer home was. A good place for unitarian and they're active members of the lynchburg unitarian universalist congregation. My kind of served served congregations in virginia and delaware as well as serving as director of the uu are department in boston. Absurd congregations in pennsylvania and massachusetts. And together they were co ministers of the unitarian universalist church of cheyenne wyoming. Before retiring to virginia. They live in the country on a small farm with three horses two dogs two cats and a large organic garden. Are responsive reading today is taken from our unitarian universalist association statement of principles and purposes. And this statement as many of you know my know was adopted back in 1985 after three years of study and reflection. Iuu congregations all across the country. Everybody had a voice. Now this portion of the principles and purposes speaks. As victorious already said to the variety of sources from which we may gain insights knowledge and vision and we are very glad to see that it's on the inside of a cover of your order of service every week for you to look at and now after the wonderful children story with victoria is come to life in really new ways. So we can chat bite you to join now in this as an antiphonal reading. You'll find the words on the insert also when you order of service what this means is this half of the room. Will follow bob and you will use the words in the regular. The first set and then those the words in italics. Follow me and we'll to go back and forth. The living tradition we share bras from many sources. Direct experiences that trend sending mystery and wonder. Affirmed in all cultures. Which moves us to a renewal of the spirit. And an openness. To the forces. Create. And uphold slime. Words and deeds of prophetic women and men the challengers to confront powers and structures of evil with justice compassion and the transforming power of love. Wisdom from the world's religions. That inspires us to our ethical and spiritual life. Jewish and christian teachings that call us to respond to god's love. I loving our neighbors as ourselves. Human is teaching. The council has the heat the guidance of reason. And the results of science. And warned us against the idolatry of the mind and spirit. Spiritual teachings of earth center traditions that celebrate the sacred circle of life. And instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature. It was 4 a.m. on a summer morning many many years ago. My mother my twin sister and i had just arrived at the stable where i boarded my horse. We had gotten a call about 20 minutes earlier that my mare who was very pregnant had begun to foal. No geisha poe had never had a full before and neither had we so the occasion was very special for us all. The veterinarian was there as were several of the hunt club staff. The fall was already safely delivered in lying on the straw behind my mayor. The mayor was lying flat out with her head facing away from him. She looked exhausted. She raised her head and took a couple of deep breaths and slowly slowly she got up. But she was still facing away from the fall. The vet suggested to my sister that she go into the stall and turn geisha pose had so she could see what she had. Sally get this gently spaghetti was so tired instead of fixing on the wondrous new creature behind her she just let her head swing back and she just stood there. I had a hunch she must have just thought she had a really bad attack of colic and was glad it was all over. Turner again. The vet suggested and this time make sure she sees the fall. Sally did as he suggested and this time geisha posar her cold for the first time. Her eyes widened. Her head came up. And her sense of all and wonder was palpable. She began making very low gentle noises in her throat as she turned and walked toward her new son. It was a profound moment for us all. A very direct experience of transcending mystery and wonder of life. No i was not unitarian universalist at that time but i did know that this was a very sacred time. The moment of birth. Is a window open to the sky of the eternal. There was a luminosity present surrounding mare and foal as they touch noses for the first time. There was a beauty and a glory and the love that went far beyond any words. I know the each and everyone here present today has experienced moments of such transcended mystery and wonder. Many many of us can quickly visualize a place in nature. Baby in the mountains at a lake. On a beach or in a forest. Where we felt that sense of universal connection and experience the sacred kind of luminosity. For other such an experience may have occurred in a relationship. Or the time of a bird. Or in the creation of a work of art or some other unexpected time. Sam kiehn theologian and philosopher suggested wonder begins with the element of surprise. Because of the suddenness with which it happens. Wonder reduces us momentarily to silence. Wonder leave the speechless. We may catch our breath and then find ourselves breathing more deeply and intentionally. Time stops and you and meeting stops. And we had a restraining of eternity. As keen reminds us wonder is the foundation of values because of wandering encounter is the basis of a non-utilitarian approach. Two things and two persons. Wonder cosworth contemplation and the receptive passivity to the experience. As unitarian universalist ours is a face that has chosen transcendent wonder and mystery as one of his foundation blocks. Now normally what i think my foundation block i think it's something theory concrete. Secure strong and solid something something whose strength comes from its denseness and solidity. Many religions are built upon the foundation blocks that fit that description. The blocks are often the interpretations of the founders of that particular religious path. And these blocks baby creed's or dogma. Or often are presented as special revelations. They are seen as ultimate truth with a capital p. And not to be questioned. These inflexible yet very secure foundation blocks and shape the growth and development of that particular religious community or denomination. We however we not just one but currently six sources. For our living tradition. Our principles and purpose itself is a living document. It's a document we've already changed adding the six stores. It's a document which will continue to be studied and reflected upon in order to ensure that it is reflective of our ever-widening appreciation a ways and which we may gain. And gather profound insights. Not meant as a creed or a dogma but rather as an expression of values and vision for the ways in which to live our lives and follow our individual share journeys. The very first source we list our primary foundation block is the direct experience of that transcending wonder. Mystery and wonder affirmed in all cultures. Which boobs off to a renewal of the spirit. An openness to the forces which creating uphold life. Direct experience means you experience in my experience. Not the articulated experience of some high church leader. It means we honor the experiences which each of us have which is transcendence and sacred for us. No one mediates between the experience and ask it is our experience. The contemplate. To reflect upon and to be nurtured by. The second source b-list is words and deeds of prophetic women and men that challenge us to confront the powers and structures of evil with justice compassion and the transforming power of love. We all have heroines and heroes. Famous and not so well-known whose lies and teachings offer us insight and inspiration. We hear their stories or maybe we have the privilege of watching them in action and we want to model our lives after the years. Fisher missy beacons of hope possibility courage and creativity. They have been willing to put their beliefs out there. To live from the depths of their souls and offer what they could to help the world become better place. People like clara barton susan b anthony martin luther king jr. and gandhi. And mother teresa all come quickly to mind. Their actions changed the course of human history. There are unitarian-universalist throughout the history of our liberal faith of congregations across the country who have stood up with furry and has spoken out and engaged in civicaction's the office respect and equality for all. There are members and friends of this congregation who are doing this each and every day. It is not easy and it's not always safe or secure. But it enlarges our hearts and our minds. And opens our spirits and unexpected ways. It is a source. Of our liberal living tradition. I think of a teenager named scott who is a member of our uu church and cheyenne wyoming. Scott has grown up in these our church and was an active member of the youth group. When he was a sophomore in high school he came out to his family and friends. He shared with them that he was gay. Although his mother was very supportive his father had a very very hard time accepting this. Scott's support cummings uu friends both in our church and in the uu youth conference is held in our mountain desert district. Shot and another gay friend from his high school decided to try to start a gay-straight alliance at their public high school. And this was a big step. A courageous step. Especially in wyoming. Lasted four years before matthew shepard had been murdered as a hate crime in laramie wyoming. Got his friend found a teacher who agreed to be the faculty sponsor. And the school administration approved the group. To the surprise of many of us i will say. The first day the group was to meet many of us from the church had our cell phones right next to us. In case there were any problems. Extra police were present at the school. There had been some negative letters to the editor in the local newspaper is new circulated about this new group at the high school. However scott and his friend and supportive faculty did not back down. The meeting was a huge. With over 40 gay and straight teens attending. It was a turning point for the high school there in cheyenne opening doors of understanding and respect. Scott will always be a unitarian universal. Hero in my eyes. So who are the people who have inspired your life. How is your sense of the meaning and purpose of life become clear buy beer words and deeds. Ours is a living tradition illumined by the life journey's of courageous women and men. The next source we list is wisdom from the world's religions. That inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life. I know there are a lot of folks who acknowledged that there is wisdom to be found in the other religions of the world. Unfortunately many times the attitude with which this wisdom is treated is. Condescending. Reluctant acknowledgement that. They have managed to. Find a portion of our truth. What i love about being a unitarian universalist is that the ethical wisdom and spiritual depth. From any source. Can become a profound part of my truth. If i am willing to be disciplined enough. To fully understand it. If i'm attracted by the serenity of someone who is master of form of meditation. Or who seems to have up unusually profound grass. Of the intricacies of the dharma. I am free to pursue that spiritual practice or line of study without diminishing in anyway my sense of connection with unitarian universalism. Is sufi dance. Or chantel where native american practices enhance my experience of the sacred. I can embrace them and thereby in rich. Rather than diminish. My religious experience. As a unitarian universalist. Why we need to be mindful of cultural misappropriation. I think the main concern here is that many spiritual practices required discipline study and practice. Before one begins to understand them at a level at which they yield significant fruits. We do ourselves no favor if we think we know all about buddhist meditation because what we've read a pamphlet on it once and try it for a whole week before we decided that. It really didn't have anything to operas. My own experiences at. The balance and perspective i get from being in a religious community with diverse theological beliefs. Outweighs the benefits i received from worshipping in a more, genius religious community. Which i did when i was throwing up. While i hope that the whole world eventually embraces what i see as koruu value. Such as respect for all people. I see no need for everyone to identify with being a unitarian universalist in order for us to get there. I'm personally grateful. To those who have dedicated their lives to the mastery of one tradition. Were they often provide me with insight. I'm. I would not discern on my own without their shared with them. This is true of all traditions and it includes the next source we live. Jewish and christian teachings the call us to respond to god's love. By loving our neighbors as ourselves. Calling particular attention to jewish and christian teaching as opposed to the teachings of the other great religious traditions is undoubtedly a reflection of both our history. And an acknowledgement of the significance of these religious traditions. In the culture in which unitarian-universalism took its current form. Both the unitarian. And the universalist branches of our faith. Began with an attempt to be a pure. Form of christianity. Often including an acknowledgement that jesus was a jewish rabbi. More intent on bringing about. A new understanding of his religion. Then on forming a new one. Today there are still strong movement within unitarian universalism. For jewish awareness. There's a group that meets every year at ga. And our usual christian fellowship. Opposed. Who experience themselves as both either jewish or christian you use. Again the emphasis here is most often on taking the practices and teachings of judaism or of jesus. Seriously. Observing rosh hashanah or yom kippur. Involved more than attending religious services. How many of us. Actually take the time to inventory our lives. And restore a right relationship with anyone. With whom we have experienced discord. And do that at least. Once a year. How many of us experienced as a precondition for enjoying the communion of a blessed meal together. The task. Of resolving disputes. With the other people. Who. Will be attending that meal. So that we can be in real communion. What are the important aspects of a religious ceremony and ritual is it at bills into the structures of our daily living. The opportunity. And the obligation. To do those things that are important. Boost for the psychological and societal health. For many folks who experience themselves as either jewish. Or christian you use. Their practice of that faith tradition within their unitarian-universalist identity. Is not so much a function of some metaphysical belief system. As it is a way of building in the discipline it takes. Actually live out a face. That helps them. Make the world the kind of place they want it to be. And to ensure that they are doing their part. To make that happen. Now the next source we list is. Humanist teachings that counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science. And warned us against idolatries of the mind and spirit. The use of reason has been a hallmark. Other development of our faith. Do if i see any conflict between science and religion. Quite the contrary authentic religion is invariably enhanced by the use of reason and observations of science. In the deep understanding of the philosophy of thought. And the scientific process. Help us to understand. There are often mysteries in life that will probably always be beyond the reach of. Either the scientific responses. Process. Whelmed. Be more easily accessed by a different way of knowing then by rational deduction. It is always struck me as a bit ironic that while correctly warning us against those idolatries of the mind and spirit associated with many. Traditional face. Some folks. Seem to have failed to recognize that an excessive reliance on rationality. Can itself. Become a form of idolatry. I'll have to admit that as. A philosophy a psychology major at hampden sydney who went on to develop the mind. My understanding of the mind as a therapist for many years before entering the ministry. I developed what i regard as a healthy skepticism towards most anyone who claims a special way of knowing. That is not readily apparent to me. And yet i deeply value any experience that others have. Which enables them to live. Creative wise. Filled with love. When i encounter folks in a yugioh congregation who have a philosophical or theological mindset that is very different from my own. I've made it a habit to respond with something like. Interesting. Tell me how that way of understanding life. Helps you the be the type of person you want to be. As opposed to. Something like. Well that's a dumbwaiter. We can live creatively in a caring community. With widely differing views. Is what i value most. About inner therrien. The six source of our living tradition is spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions that celebrate the sacred circle of life and instructors. 11 harmony with the rhythms of nature. I remember well the heated debate. At general assembly in 1996 over whether or not the source was really needed. Didn't our first source kind of cover it. Some people said yes but others believe the earth centered traditions needed to be included and honored as a separate source. All of us all of us here this morning have ancestors way way way way way way back who probably followed or senate spiritual traditions. All of us are descended from indigenous people who were indigenous to some part of the planet. An ancient indigenous people celebrated the sacred circle of life. And try to understand the flow of the season. And the rhythms of nature. We are human beings made of earth air and water. We actually slow more with a turning and rhythms of the seasons then we and our modern-day awareness are often aware. You become mindful of the rhythms of the earth is restorative. The feel the earth under our feet is good for the body mind and soul. Earth centered spiritual traditions invite and awareness at the samsung. Energy and living spirit in all parts of creation. And this is experienced as expressed by scientists and philosophers as well. John ruskin naturalist and writer expresses it this way. There is a religion in everything around us. A calm and holy religion. Any unbreathing things in nature it is a meek and blessed influence. Stealing in as it were unaware upon the heart. He comes quickly and without excitement. It is untrammeled by creed's. It is written on the arts kai. It looks out from every star. It is the poetry of nature. It is that which uplifts. Spirit within us. Our liberal faith offers us gift the gift of many sources of insight inspiration understanding and support for our life journeys. Which one or ones of these sources are most important to you currently. As you think back over your life journey how many of these have you used along the way. I have a hunch that many of us have used most if not all of them. We are religious people who know in our hearts minds and souls that we are in rich. By being in community with folks who have many different spiritual and theological viewpoints in perspective. We are able to see more clearly. Feel more deeply and act more courageously as we keep ourselves open. To a wide variety of ways in which life's truths are made it evident. We are people committed to claiming the growing light of knowledge and understanding. So may it be. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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151129_dj_debt.mp3

Welcome to the november 29th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. Today's service is met by don johnson. Later america's of the st louis ethical culture society. His sermon is titled always in debt. The podcast begins with an introduction of god. I worship associate victoria taylor. This is followed first by several readings by uuc member franklin moreno. And then don zimmerman. It is my pleasure this morning to introduce to don johnson. Don johnson has served our congregation before he currently lives in patrick county virginia and his wife beverly i'd like to welcome as well. Don served as a senior leader at the new york city society for ethical culture and later as a leader of the st louis ethical. Society. Prior to that he was dean of religious life and chaplaincy at stephens college in columbia missouri. Earlier religious leadership was at the united methodist clergy. Is a member of the iowa conference. He retired in 2005 and is a l emeritus of the st louis ethical society and we're really happy to have him. Here today to share some words with us. I'd like to invite franklin moreno who's probably familiar to most of you. To begin with some readings. Who built the seventh hours of thieves. The books are filled with the names of kings. Was it kings who all the craggy blocks of stone. In the evening. When the chinese wall was finished. Where did the masons go. Bertolt brecht. Tradition may be defined as an extension of the franchise. Tradition means giving votes to the most obscure of all classes. Our ancestors. It is the. The democracy of the dead. Tradition refuses to submit to the small and arrogant. Oligarchy of those who merely happened to be walking about. All democrats. Object to people being disqualified. By the accident of birth. Tradition objects. To their being disqualified by death. Gah chesterton. Orthodoxy. We will never find a tradition that was not at one time or another invented. To live with tradition. Is to learn. To live with this inauthenticity. If anything is dead today. It is the death. Of the past. Markel lilah. The invention of tradition. By erik hobson. And terence ranger. We now begin to see what is lost in a culture which narrows its concerns to the self. The fulfillment of its desires and the expression of its feelings. What is lost is a meaningful cosmos. A public world. A sense of the past. Innocence of the future. The key is communities of memories. That retain. In the face of the erosive pressures of radical individualism. Larger meaning. And broader commitment. The memory is rooted in fundamental events. But it includes the shared experience. People through time. We caught it we cannot abandon these communities and practices. Without denying our own identity. For we are not unencumbered selves. But we can indeed we must. Reform. Rethink. Adapt our cherished traditions and our practices. In ways faithful to their core meanings. And our circumstance. Robert. Bella. Nobel laureate lectures. 1982. Before i fall. Do you have considered all the facts. Wendell berry. Could it be the major cause of this wiley perceived crisis in value. Is the neglect of heroes. As a result of historical ignorance. Too many young americans and many not-so-young. Are left with no heroes against him to measure their own values. Little less sinister way young americans. May simply make do. With short-term pop heroes. And they're often questionable values. One consequence of moving removing the warts of american history. Is that the young people become cynical. When they must later face. Some unsavory american action. Values are hard to teach. Without knowledge of history. Fred m heckinger. The new york times. April 28th. 1987. The worst possible thing you can do when you're down in the dumps. Vaporous with victimized self-righteousness. Or board. It's a take a walk with dying friends. They will ruin everything for you. Friends like this may not even think of themselves as dying. Although they clearly are. According to recent scans. And gentle doctors. But no. They see themselves as fully alive. They are living and doing as much as they can. As well as they can. For as long as they can. They ruin your multitasking high. The bath of adulation rumination and judgment you wallowing. Without the decency to come out and just say anything. They bust you. By being grateful for the day. Well you are obsessed. With house in your eyelashes have become. And how wide your bottom. And lamont. My predominant feeling is one of gratitude. I have loved and been loved. I have given much. And i have been giving something in return. I have read and travelled and thought and written. I have had an intercourse with the world. The special intercourse of writers and readers. Above all. I have been a sentient being. A thinking animal. On this beautiful planet. And that in itself. Has been an enormous privilege. And adventure. Oliver sacks. Good morning. Always good to be back with this congregation i appreciate it very much. Every opportunity i have to be involved here. And i want to begin with with the words from a poet. Robert hayden. African american poet. And his poem those winter. Sundays. Sundays to. My father got up early. And put his clothes on. And the blue black. Cold. Then with crack. Crayons. The 8th. From labor in the weekday weather. Made bank. Fires. Blaze. No one. Ever thanked him. I'd wake and hear the cold splintering. Breaking when the rooms. Or wormhead call me. And slowly i would rise. Andres. Feeling the chronic angers. How's that house. Speaking indifferently to him. Who had driven out the cold. And polished my good shoes as well. What did i know. What did i know. Evolved austere. And lonely. Office. What i would like to do today is to encourage us. To have a recognition within us of how much we all owe. To the past. 2 history. Or rather to those who have made. While it's true that the past should have a say in our lives. On the other hand. It is a prayer appropriate to say it not to have a veto power. And being able somehow to find the appropriate balance. Between valuing the past. And not being chained to it. Is where we find ourselves in today's world. The particular sorrow of our age. Seems to be almost. Total inability to see the past. As having any valid. We have the reactionaries who say that they represent the past. Well it's clear they often don't know or understand. The past. And yet safe to use it to validate. Their own. Sense of what should happen. That can even lead to a sense of state terrorism and the infringement on freedoms we thought we had one. The long ago. There are also those who just say. Especially two groups of people who have suffered the most. Just. Get over it. Especially when one brings up the history and treatment. A people of color in this country. Whether it be our treatment of native americans. Whose land was stolen and their culture. Almost totally destroyed. Or the slavery and stealing of both the labor. And the family structure. Of african-americans. We should just move on from those realities. Some people say. Get plenty of racism exist today. There for us to see everyday. Many thought when president obama was elected that signal. That racism was getting much better. That we were making some progress. However it was our own ignorance about the depths. Of the problem that enabled us to think. It was. Only now and the past. Instead. Is election caused racist to spew some of the most vile. Hate-filled vitriol. We have ever witnessed. For something to be in the past. It has to first stop being in the present. And the reality is for black people. There is no safe protection. Or total equality within this system. Until black people are safe in the streets and their homes and their vehicles. And receive justice in the courts. People will not begin to heal you cannot forget a past. That is still. Present. This would be like saying to rape victim. To get over it. And then tell that rape victim she needs to be around the perpetrator. And trust him to not do her harm. Again. She already knows what he's capable of. And she knows she is not. All that argument of getting over it does is. Invalidate the experience and struggle. Every person who has been oppressed. In this country institutionally. Faces every time they walk out their door. Or into it deeply racist. We also have the people who want to talk about the new and improved. Who act as if we really have no tradition or heritage. Whose idea of heroes are only those were the right latest celebrities. Or who have thought there's no need to remember anything from the past. You see these videos now and then and you. Hear about questions asking history classes where. It becomes clear people no longer or learning. Remembering. Reminiscing about the history that's a part of our own culture. The truth it seems to me lies somewhere between all of these. Different. Stance. So suppose you were asked the question. Are you in debt. Beyond your ability. To repay. When i became a united methodist minister in the ordination ceremony. John wesley's words were still used and you were asked the question. Are you in debt. So what's to be embarrassed. And you had to be able to answer no many of us. Simply. Didn't he had no idea how to be embarrassed i guess. Because we were deeply in debt at that point in our lives. But the question can be asked about every one of us are you and debt beyond your ability to pay. And to repay. And i would answer. I sure am. I owe everybody. The cultured. The croods. The wise. And the foolish. We are always. And that. We are born knowing so much to others we can never get clear. Other obligations. The whole dream is false. And the goal unattainable. No matter how long we live or how rich we get. We can never get out of debt. Even in the world of music. I read an article quite some time ago by bernard holland. And critics notebook in the new york times. And which implied the significance of today's top of this topic even. Permutation. He wrote. Indeed. Using music. Can be an almost moral at. The distance between. It on the music stand. And our fingers on the instrument is perhaps measured by more than inches. For the printed page can tell us who we are as musicians. And who we are not. It reminds us that music does not belong to the momentary makers. Of it. I'd rather. But they have come to serve it. Used wisely positively. It confirms honesty. And admonishes the wicked. Marking off the boundaries between personal desire. And a wider responsibility. Outside ourselves. So certainly clear today that many do not yet since. Enough debt. Or even to those who are part. Iavarone brothers. Whereas this lack of knowledge may exacerbate the problem there's a deeper more profound issue. Below the surface of our lack of factual. Information. People who understand and in some way. Are always curious about the past. As they are about the present. Are those who are most likely. Take care about us. Isaac newton said. If i have seen a little further it is by standing on the shoulder of giants. A recognition. That he owed much. 2000 compass. Or the native american writer linda hogan has said. I'm beginning to listen in a deeper way. Suddenly. All my ancestors. Are behind me. Be still. They say. Watch. And listen. You are the result. Of the love. Bill hoenig who was at one time the superintendent of california. Public instruction. Cabinet. Has written these words. I have a friend who teaches a class. In nineteenth-century english literature. The freshman. The theory of the course was to use literature. As a way of saying to young people. Here are some standards of personal and ethical behavior. Moral ideas that you should at least look at. And then decide. How you want to live here. Her problem was that most of those students would not accept the validity of any outside standard. They had gone through a high school education that has grange in them a kind of ethical relativism that said everything's of equal weight. Everything's. Both an option or not an option. And therefore. They could not look at some standard for example pride and prejudice. For some help and deciding. What is. True nobility. So that's what robert bello. Was referring to when he talked about radical individualism a few years ago. That there are no outside standards. Worthwhile. Where someone believes there are no tration traditions no wisdom of the past. But in reality. That is. Cultural. Suicide. If we do not pass our ideas down to the new generation. Then these ideas disappear. Disappearing all the things. That we have our jeopardy. It's no wonder that neil postman who wrote the book a few years ago called. Amusing ourselves to death. What orwell feared were those. Who would ban books. What huxley fear. Was that there would be no reason to ban a book. Or there would be no one. Who wanted to read one anyway. Orwell. Feared we would become a captive culture. Huxley feared. We would become. A trivial. Huxley's vision. Seems at this moment. Closer. When daniel boorstin. What is the librarian of congress. And funds were being thought. Cut for the library of congress and other. Parts of the. Government in relationship to knowledge. They went before a house appropriations. Asking them to restore the money to the library's budget. And he said. Knowledge. Is not simply another commodity. On the contrary knowledge. Is never used up. It increases by diffusion. And grows by dispersion. Knowledge and information cannot be quantitatively assess. As a percentage. Of the gross national product. Any willful cut in our resources of knowledge. Is an act. Of self-destruction. There was a time i remember. Back in the 1964 election. But also in more recent elections. When the. Viewpoints the worldview of some example in the tea party. I've had these kinds of signs on their bumper sticker that say. I made it to write builder there please uncle sam i would rather do it myself. Did these people realize what they were saying. I've had people say that to me and i said then i assume you don't want ever go on the blue ridge parkway. Are you just wanting nor that's cuz you don't want to be indebted to the federal government at all. Did they ever count up to things they receive from society at all. No person can be made. Can be claimed they are totally self made. The reality is that we feared that. At least that kind of debt. And maybe are far to open. Two other kinds of dough. We want to be known as self-made persons. We want others to see us as a people of new ideas. And yet we are plagiarist. Concerning most of our inner resource. When we accept our status as debtors. Are false pride is destroyed. We no longer think then. I am totally. We may become aware of gifts. That we too may offer. For we are all needy givers. And gifted. Our hands wendell berry said and our hearts. Maybe open to receive and to give. Rather than be clutched. To take. No not all these debts. Come from major sacrifices sometimes. They come from small acts of kindness. That people. Act out towards each other. And we may do so as well. And it creates a kind of wonder. I remember reading just recently. People may forget what you said. Or what you did. They will not forget. How you made them feel. Oscar wilde as a wonderful piece. And when she talks about touching event i want to share that with you this morning. He was in debtors prison. And he was being brought. From the debtors prison to the bankruptcy. Being carried. But their arms locked in his. 2 police. And it was a long corridor with a crowd of people. And. You noticed one particular man in the quarter. Who before this whole crowd. Wow. He was walking by being led to the courtroom. With a sweet and simple action. Raised his hat. To the handcuffed. Oscar. And bowed his head. He later wrote. About the significance of this event. Men have gone to heaven for smaller things than that. It was in this spirit and with this boat of love that the saints note down to wash the feet of the poor. Or stoop to kiss the leper. On the cheek. I have never said a single word to him. About what he did. I do not know to the present moment. Whether he is even aware. That i was even conscious of his action. Is not a thing for which one can render. Formal thanks informal words. But i stored in the treasure house. Of my heart. I keep it there as a secret death. That i am glad to think i can never possibly. Repay. When wisdom has been profitless to me. When philosophy has been barren to me. When proverbs and the phrases of those who sought to give me consolation. Or as dust and ashes in my mouth. The memory of that one. Little. Lovely. Silent act. I love. Has unsealed for me all the wells. A pity. And brought me out of the bitterness. I've only exile. And a harmony. With the wounded. The broken. And the great hall. So sometimes it is a small random kinds of kindnesses. That come about. That make a significant difference in our own life and those are memories to those are past history that can stay within our phone. Sometimes. The gift is not so little sometimes the gift. Is a gift that risks one owns future. Since this is a uu congregation. Maybe a number of you know. The name mike. The name michael servetus. Michael servetus was a doctor and a forerunner of you entering universal. Who wrote a book back in the 16th century. Denying the trinity. And was burned at the stake. On october 27th. 15. 55. There have been many. Who have. Taken such actions of sacrifice. Tell him we are dead it. People like thomas paine. Harriet tubman. Anne frank. Martin luther king or that small little six-year-old girl in arkansas. Ruby bridges. Who attended the school. When she was at very young child and none of the other students. All white. We're allowed to come to school by their parents. We have a picture at home. Ever going into that school building. With two secret service agents. Nextdoor. Waka korean ashy day after day after day. Walk through that building. In a way that was a sacrifice. For many. I'd like to remind us all of our dependence upon the labor of others. Years ago. When the san francisco opera house. Was built when it was finished. And opening night took place. The first few rows. Of the audience. Had been reserved for the construction workers. Who had built. That opera house. I remember when i was a chaplain at a college in the new building was being built on a campus i remembered that event. What happened in san francisco opera house that somebody had the vision understand. These people who made never ever attend this place again. Should be are most welcome guest. Because it was their labors. That created. That opera. I looked out and i saw that building. And. Remembering that event i wrote the president was a college and said i hope when that buildings done. We will also. Have an event there to which those workers. Are invited. Well it didn't happen. But at least i tried. Protesters at the university of missouri have taken to wearing a t-shirt. That. Helps us know if we didn't know before reminds us if we did. That the university of missouri's early buildings. Of 1837 were built. With black labor. Justice the white house. Was built. Buy black labor. And the t-shirt they wear says. 1837. Was built upon my black. Recalling the slave ancestors. Who work physically building the university. While they the black students of today. We're still facing. Institutional. So it reminds me again.. Those who in some way or another have been. Conscious of and deeply involved in making sure. That we recognize how much we owe to everybody. Carl sandburg. States as well. In a poem entitled ready to kill. 10 minutes now i've been looking at this. I have gone by here before and wondered about it. This is a bronze memorial of a famous general. Riding horseback. With a flag and a sword and a revolver on him. I want to smash the whole thing into a pile of junk. To be hauled away to the scrap yard. I put it straight to you. After the farmer. The miner the shopkins the factory han the firemen and the teamster. Have all been remembered with bronze memorials. Shaping them on the job of getting all of us something to eat and something to wear. When they stack of fuse silhouettes against the sky here in the park and show the real huskies. That are doing the work of the world. And feeding people instead of butchering them. Then. Maybe. I will stand here and look easy at this general of the army. Holding a flag. And the air. Riding like hell on horseback. Ready to kill anybody that gets in his way. Ready to run the red blood and slush the boughs. Of man. All over. The sweet new grass. The other person who i think had a deep devotion. To trying to help a c. How much will y'all. Everybody who in some way. Has been apart of. Are having what we have. The laborers who built to spill. People who threw out our days everyday in some way. Are helping. Austin rv. And that person was. Studs terkel. Many of you may be of read some of his work. Heard him on the radio who's. The great radio shows for many years. But he put it in the pros language of interviews and his tummy best book entitled. Working. And working was about interviews. With people from all walks of life some of them were famous people. And people were eager to read those are here about it's a well-known person. But the most dynamic. Truth-telling kinds of experiences. Shared through those interviews. Are those by common people. And he wrote. This book. Being about work. Is by its very nature. About violence. To the spirit. As well as to the body. It is about ulcers. As well as accidents. About shouting matches as well as about. Best buy. About nervous breakdowns. It is above all. About daily. Humiliation. The scars brought home to the supper table. And the tv set. Have touched and scarred the soul. Of our society. It is about a search to. For daily meaning as well as daily bread. For recognition as well as cash. And short for life. Rather than a monday through friday. Sort of dying. And one of the people he interviewed was an editor. By the name of nora watson. And she said in the interview. I think most of us are looking for a calling. Not just a job. Most of us like the assembly line worker have jobs that are too small. For our spirit. Jobs. Are not big enough. Jennifer went on to add. I'm constantly astonished by the extraordinary,. And dreams. Of ordinary people. No matter how but will during the times. Those we call common. Hardware of the sense of personal words. Or more often. A lack of it. And the works. So what i'm really saying today is that in some way. Everyone of us here. Needs to recognize. We are a charity. That we are always in that. Two others. That on this earth. The more we have. And the longer we live. The more we owe. People who help the most have at the root of their own character. I sense of owing to others more than they could ever pay. A parent's love. A friend's love. A teacher sharing. Cannot be paid back. Only passed on. Our situation. Both in our personal life and our public life. There's as this excerpt affection says that i'm closing with. It's from a book by herbert are the conversion of chaplain cohen. I'm not sure what her book. It's about a young man who's getting away to go off. To college. Panda. He's leaving behind. Is anunnaki. Will taking care of it. Had. The book says. David looked at his aunt and uncle uncle. She with hands chapped and hard from selling fruit and vegetables. Outdoors and all kinds of weather. The face ready and round. And invariably smiling. The heavy body more accustomed to a half-dozen. Sweaters at one time than a single coat. The hair that cover of moonlight. Now. But the art dark. But the dark eyes. Still bright. He the uncle. With a slight wiry body strong and bent. From lifting. Too many. Carts. Too many containers too many crates for too many years. The wind wind burn skin the swarthy face. Impassive except for the ride mouth. The childless couple who had taken in david into their home. At the age of 7. And yet refuse to ever be called mama and papa. By him. For fear that he would forget his real parents. All this he saw as he was getting ready to get on the train. And he says. To them. How can i ever begin to repay you too. For what you've done for. Uncle asher spoke gently. David there's a saying. The love of parents. Goes to their children. But the love of these children. Goes to their child. That's not so david said i will always be trying to and hat dvorak. Interrupt him david. What your uncle's. Your uncle asher means. Is that a parent's love. Isn't to be paid back. It can only be passed on. So the. Final conclusion of being a person who recognizes. The debt you owe. That you'll never be able to repay. The task becomes clear. The character becomes molded. By the idea. We are here. On. What we have. So. We are always. And that. And service to others. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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150712_kd-sk_breathe.mp3

Welcome to the july 12th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The sermon today is delivered by reverend karen day. And sequoia cantarra. That is titled come breeze with me. The podcast begins with words from karen. And closest with music led by sequoia. My goodness. Noticing the breath. Throughout our time together. Felt the way it got disturbed and shaken up when we were greeting each other. And then. Settled back in. The wave when claire. Blew out her. Stick. I saw that puff of smoke. The way each pause. Build me up again. The way each song. Cracked me open. The stuff i didn't even know was down there. Tears. And a smile. That's what i was hoping for. Just a reminder of how simple it is. Brands. When we just. Breathe together. Still together. For me at home it's hard i got to turn off that. Noisy chatter anything up here. The hair feels easy. Today. Those bubbles. Remind me of the spaciousness of brass. Each moment is that big and why. Try it. It's true. All the wise ones have taught us throughout. The ages. This is what we need. Really. That one about. Yeah does anybody have a little of that going on. Wow i don't know if that really was. But for now. Put this moment let's just pretend. That's enough. Let's pretend we don't have to do anything. We don't have to know. Anyting. And. I not alone. In case you don't want to take my word for it. I found an expert. Verify that this is. Pema chodron. Wonderful buddhist teacher. Suggest. The pause practice. The practice of taking three conscious breath. At any moment. When we noticed that were stuck. Is a simple but powerful practice. That each of us can do. Everyday. At any given moment. Pause practice can transform. Each day of your life. It creates an open doorway. To the sacredness. Of the place in which you find yourself. The vastness. Stillness. And magic of the place. Will dawn upon you. If you let your mind relax. And dropped for just a few breaths. The storyline that you're working so hard to maintain. If you pause just long enough. You can reconnect. With exactly where you are. With the immediacy of your experience. When you waking up in the morning and you aren't even out of bed yet even if you're running late. You could just look out. And drop the storyline. And take. 3. Conscious. Just be where you are. When you're washing up or making your coffee or tea or brushing your teeth. Or sitting and listening. Just create a gap in your disc cursive mind. Take three conscious breath. Just pause. Let it be a contrast to being all caught up. Let it be like. Popping a bubble. Let it be one moment in time. And then go on. That's what she recommends. And i've been trying it this week and i discovered that. It's a little harder than i thought it would be to take. 3 brass. Without. Sometimes i have to like stop and start again. So. Let's practice. You don't have to breathe when i breathe. But we're just going to pop. And take three breaths. And if you have to start again will give a little. Did anything pop up. And that. Space and that paws say a word what popped up. Peace. Melody. Jamie. Other words. Familiar. I'm going to try another practice. A song track. So we're going to sing a song that's. In the amount that we're going to. Kind of singing without him knowing that has a few parts. So i'd like to just teach you the main part first. And have us also got together a few times. And. Then we'll do it will just take each part one part at a time. So the words are when i breathe in. I breathe in peace. And when i breathe out. I breathe out love. And there's there's one part that's just breathe in breathe out. Breathe in breathe out. So we'll start with. When i breathe. When i dream. Audrey vingi's whenever he died. Abreva. Ibiza. I breathe out love. That part and then was going to hyper that comes into kind of an echo. To the when i breathe in. I'll give you a demonstration. Whenever you eating. So is there you can do an octave lower. Hiesinger just adventurous you can. Had jumped in on on the high part and i'll hold that one. Down as we're coming along. So. Let's do. How about all of you folks for now just do the main part i just talked to. To give us a point of reference for the high part and then everyone else just give it a shot. With me on on the higher part okay. Whenever you think. Aubrey vingi's whenever you.. Thank you. So if you can see there's a little bit of a trick to it's almost feels kind of syncopated there's just a little more space. In there then maybe our our intuition wants to. Put us there. I just wanted to offer a little bit for you to about my my breath. Practice. Kind of how that informs my singing. And we can maybe try to throw a little bit of that in. With the song. So. I started to practice overtime is that the full inhalation and the full exhalation. And i'm kind of waiting to hear and feel the space a full end. Of the beach. It kind of. Has this extra little part that if we don't cry. Fulfil our breath can. Can go away and get short. And also. That a lot of the songs like like the medicine buddha mantra that. Or actually. Coming into. Practice. For themselves. The whole song. Become the practice. A way of feeling. The breath moving in and weave. Out of my body. Simultaneously. Any kind of you know just. Syncing to it and kind of move with it even if you weren't fully dancing. I want to try the snapping with this song. It kind of helps us. Hold that. Emily start to do the. The breathing. Breathe out. You know just keeps going it seems like it can't be that long. So it is. So i think what we can do is just practice. Just breathe in breathe out to. Together before we start. The song. And then once we do star i'll just invite those of you who have a lower voice or. Prefer to hold that kind of drone. You can just jump onto that. Part. And. Looking all do it together now so you. Know what that sounds like. And it's and see if you can kind of hold this. Open spaces. That were in right now. Noticing yourself breathing in and breathing out while. And not to think about it cuz it just thinking about breathing and thinking about the words and it kind of it'll get jumbled but just. Try to desoto notice yourself. And be able to feel the breath in your body. So we can practice with the breathe in breathe out. I just kind of feel go slow. I'll go slower than we think. Animal ad and karen's going to lead. The group of you and it could be anyone. Who's who's singing this. When i breathe in that part. I just have some volunteers so we know a section that we have on the higher part. Who. So comfortable tayna. Holding on the higher. Sexing with me. Alright well that's a small. Does modest-sized group. So if anyone you know feels like joining us please do but so then the rest of you can. Can follow karen and ortega. Drone parts. Okay let's just try the. Breathe in breathe out and it's all the same note. And i'm going to try to just. And just hold that pace. 3. 3. Please. 3. 3d. 3. Frieza. 3d. 3. Please. When i breathe. Abreva. I breathe out. Abreva. Abreva. Audrey. love do we go whenever you. Whenever you. 3d. Adidas. Okay. Let's go let's do it one more time. And think on this when i breathe in its kind of. That those little notes are close together. And they're kind of almost stuck onto that that first breeze. When i when i can breathe and it's. When i breathe it and it's all right before the beat. Turn to to overlap these two parts. When i breathe in. Abreva. I breathe out. I breathe in. Dreezy. 33. Everyone breathe in breathe out. 3. 3. Listen. Are you breathing just a little. And calling it a life. Let us keep breathing. Let us keep breathing together. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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151220_do_solstice.mp3

Welcome to the december 20th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by a settled minister. Reverend arrowland. A sermon is titled. Entering the winter solstice 2015. The podcast begins with a pastoral prayer. I invite you now to. Join together in with me. In an experience of prayerful. Reflection. Spirit of. Hope. Spirit of life. Sacred source of being. No invite. Many names. Allow us this winter j. To open ourselves. Twin experience. Compassion. Allowing us. To be with compassion and offer. Compassion. Two others. Maybe be gentle with ourselves. May we bring into our hearts and minds. Those in our own community and those. Beyond these walls indeed around the globe. Poor struggling. But the impacts of violence. Food scarcity. We're feeling the impact. I'm a warming. World. Let us hold in our hearts and minds this day. All those who are in need. Of strength and courage. Spirit. Of life. Spirit of. Love. Awaken in us. The promise of life. And love renewing itself. Let us be agents. Have a good day. Everyday. Everyday. This morning are reading is a poem for the occasion of solstice. By rebecca ann parker. Winter solstice. Perhaps. For a moment. The typewriters will stop. The wheel stopped rolling. The computers desist from computing. And a hush. Well fall over the city. For an instant. In the stillness. The chiming of the celestial spheres will be heard. As the earth. Hanes. Poised. In a crystalline darkness. And then. Gracefully. Let there be a season when holiness is hurt. And the splendor of living. Is revealed. Stunned to stillness by beauty we remember who we are and why we are here. There are inexplicable mysteries. We are not alone. In the universe there moves a wild one. Who's gestures alter earth's axis. Towards love. In the immense darkness everything spins with joy. The cosmos and folds apps. We are caught in a web of stars. Cradled in a swaying and brace. Rock. By the holy night. Babes. In the universe. Let this be the time we wake to life. Like spring. Wait in the moment. Of what. Therein lies the reading. This morning we are talking about and we are celebrating the occasion of the winter solstice. And let me start by saying that i'm so glad to be back with you all. Together. I know that their head there was a wonderful multi-generational. Christmas experience and i had planned to be in the pulpit and i was taken away by a family emergency which some of you may know. It's been a challenging winter i'll tell you from my own dear family we have. Experienced loss i was called away so that i could be with my grandmother who passed from this life. It was good for me to be there it was hard for me to be there as anyone knows who has been with a loved one at the end of life what. Tender time. Just yesterday we held a memorial service for a long time dear member of this congregation named gil lang some of you. We're here. At that memorial people spoke of sadness. They also spoke of deep joy celebrating the rich gifts of gil's wife and all that he did to create. And maintain and steward this building. And this. In this time of winter solstice we get to sit with. All of the mixer. It is. The unknown. That is the mystery. That is that which is joyful woven with sorrow. Solstice. Christmas. These winter holidays what a deep. Rich vocativ time for so many. In two days on december 22nd it will be the winter solstice. A 2015. That's where we are. Right now. For us in the northern hemisphere the winter solstice marks the shortest day and the longest night. And meanwhile in the southern hemisphere it's the opposite of some of you know. It has. The longest inside it has exactly the opposite. That we are experiencing today. For us in the north during the winter solstice we are present. To the experience of what has been historically. Call the standing still of the sun. Correspond doesn't actually stand still but it appears that way until we slip into. A dark. So to speak. A lot of times in our hemisphere in the northern hemisphere. Lotsa folks take this as a time to kind of sit with and enter more deeply. Into the unknowing this the darkness praying. As we think about the return of the son sometimes people take an opportunity to think about what. It no longer serves. And what you want to welcome inn. In the new year. So this morning i want to invite you to sit. Right now even though we're in the daytime it doesn't seem like a particularly dark time right now. But i invite you to go ahead. On this occasion of the winter solstice. And to think about what is it. That you are ready to release. That no longer serves you. That you're ready to shed. And what is it that you are ready to welcome. Into the new year. Appreciate. The winter solstice is a time to consider that which we are ready to relinquish. And that which we are ready to invite in to help guide us into a bright new year. And i've been musing on this myself. Musing on the joys and sorrows of life musing on what it means to let go of fear and welcome inn. I've been thinking a lot. About that i've been thinking about that with respect to our shared tradition unitarian universalism. What does it mean to be unitarian universalist. What can our movement shed and what can our movement bring forth into a new year. What can we give to an aching world. I will share a little bit more about that. Just a few minutes. Right now what i want to speak with you about is a wrestling that i have. I want to be honest with you about wrestling that i have in this time of year the winter solstice. And it has to do with language and it has to do with imagination. And how language and imagination shape the ways we engaged together in the world. The winter solstice can sometimes have us thinking about a dichotomy. Light. And dark. Dark. And light. Darkness as a color itself. And as a metaphor export of symbol. Is sometimes given up pretty bad reputation. I had a theology professor in seminary who showed it this way he drew on one side a list into positive. One side it said negative. And on the positive side it said. Lights. White. Christianity. Angel. And on the negative side it said negative. Dark. Heathen. Winter. Moon. His point was not too convinced of the truth of those dichotomies but rather to think about the ways in which those dichotomies live in our larger western philosophical and theological imaginations writ large. I don't describe to those two distinctions in that manner and probably i'm guessing many of you do not either. But the point is that we exist and because we have a history that is included racism colonialism and imperialism. The way in which religions have picked up. And used on those metaphors being has been influenced by those metaphors we still have in our kind of metal story in the last these kinds of two. Polarity. This dichotomy and thinking. In order to disrupt this dichotomy in thinking that there's something innately bad about the dark. And if something innately good about the lights. I like to join with others and thinking about the solstices a time when we can really celebrate. The gifts of. Darkness itself. We can think about what it means. For our lives when we're not sure what happened. When the way is not always clear and instead of running as fast as we can towards the brightest light we cannot fast as we can even though we might want to. To embrace the gift. Found in journeying in the dark. There's a poet who gets us a little bit beyond the dichotomy is and i want to share with you poem that he has today. Roque that bohemian austrian poet. Brings us closer to embracing the dark and not equating it with death. Or that which is bad or wrong. But in fact he equates it with birth and origin. This is roku. You darkness. Then i come from. I love you. More than all the fires that since the world. For the fire makes a circle of light for everyone. And then no one outside learns of you. But the darkness pulls everything in. Shapes and fire. Animals and myself. How easily it gathers them. Powers. And it is possible a great presence isn't moving near me. I have faith. In. Knights. Having faith. In night. Is something. It can be hard. We might wrestle with what does it mean to feel a sense of face. In. Night. How can we accept. Hope and optimism. When the way is not clear. And when it seems. Things are dark. Perhaps in some metaphorical way this morning i want to encourage us to pilgrimage. Into darkness and especially considerate pilgrimage into darkness on the occasion of the winter solstice 2015. We live in. Challenging times times that challenged our hearts and test our spirits sometimes i've heard people say these are dark times. And it's interesting how that evokes all those things on that negative column right he's into that dichotomy it's hard to break loose of this dichotomous thinking and how it shapes our popular culture and our language. There's another quote by dr. jack boozer who's a well-known theologian that i think about right about now in this time of the season he says in this strange season. When we are suspended between realization and expectation. May we be found honest about the darkness. And more perceptive. Of the light. In stories. About this season we hear stories about jesus's birth. We were count the pilgrimage taken by wiseman to see the new babe. We have the stories of jesus's parents looking for refuge stories of people looking for hope. In trying times. In 2015. We are in. Trying. Just a short while ago we held a winter meditation right here at you used me. And at the end we sat in silence by candlelight we held lanterns on our laps and then people processed out through alarms hall and they put their lanterns out along the wall in the back. There was a very sweet moment that i think i will always remember personally after everyone at kendall their lamps and set them out. We stopped and we took in the lights that we had created and then we stepped off the porch and we looked up. And right there. In the clarity of the dark knight. We saw a sky filled with stars. I needed to stay little more to conclude that evening for in my heart i knew that the stars in the darkness where the benediction. That is that the universe could speak for itself with us. What i recall also was looking at the candles lit and thinking. That in a way we were reflecting the light of the stars. Could it be in the long dark night that we both appreciate. And notice the distinction that darkness brings forward and then are more perceptive. Of our ability to mirror and echo the light of the stars. What i'm saying is not altogether simple it can all be reduced to well hard time show us who we really are. But hard times invite us to get to know. What we can call forth from our cell. When we are unafraid to enter into the darkness. Unafraid to experience our own light. Magic can be made. In today's world we often hear. Particular strands of fundamentalist. Tell us that we are at the end of times. The ton how we're at the end of times and apocalypse is coming until everyone must somehow secure our souls. We know that there are extremists crusaders bent on making the end times approach even closer. For they believe that they are doing the work of god. Maybe feel they are guided by god's plan for themselves and for all of us. In unitarian-universalism we focus on this world. What we can do with our head in her heart and our hands to make a more just world. One befitting human dignity and interconnection. So let me say then today i do not believe. That we are living in and. Rather we are living in hard. I do not believe that god has had it up to here with us and it's all going to end. Rather i do believe that now is a time we must call out. And call out ever louder for what it is we love. These are words by jen richardson. Blessing for when the world is ending. Look. The world is always ending somewhere. Somewhere the sun has come crashing down somewhere it is gone completely dark. Somewhere it has ended with the gun the knife. Somewhere it is ended with a slammed door the shattered hope. Somewhere it is ended with the other quiet that follows the news from the phone. The television the hospital room. Somewhere. It is ended with a tenderness that will break. Your heart. But listen. This blessing means to be anything about morrow's. It is not come to cause despair. It is simply here because there is nothing a blessing is better suited for than an ending. Nothing that cries out more for a blessing than when a world is falling apart. This blessing will not fix you. Will not mend you will not give you false comfort. It will not talk to you about one door opening when another closes. It will simply sit itself beside you. Among the shards. And gently. Turn your face towards the direction. From which the light will come. Gathering itself about you. As the world begins. Solstice is often. Considered the sun's birthday. When we celebrate when christians in particular celebrate the arrival of the baby jesus. We talked about the world beginning again. We are reminded of the freshness of new life. And perhaps along with the promise of the teacher jesus. When we see children we think perhaps this babe. Will grow up. Remind humanity of goodness and love. Service courage and. Could it be that in our young ones but indeed also in ourselves. The world can begin. I want a conclusion this morning i would like to read to you. Pronounce you. Matthew five through seven. Now when jesus saw the crowds he went up on the mountainside and he sat down. His disciples came to him and he began to teach them. He said. Blessed are the poor in spirit. For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart for they will see god. Blessed are the peacemakers. For they will become. The children. So many of the world's religious traditions point out. The good lie. Call us to remember. The good wife. There was a general named omar bradley with the former chairperson of the joint chiefs of staff and he said this. We've grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the sermon on the mount. The world is a cheetah brilliance without wisdom power without conscience. Our world is the world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war than we know about peace more about killing it than we know about living. On this winter solstice as we think about creating the world anew. Let us think about calling forth. What we know about living. We know so much. About the good life. And our voices are needed. I want to share with you. That on wednesday this coming up wednesday. We will be anchoring we usually will be anchoring an interface and community at demonstration peaceful demonstration. Fort multi-religious solidarity. Multi religious tolerance and for religious freedom. Will be standing out in the public square holding up sign that sing to the world what we know about life. Which is that we are all can. Which is that when one group is targeted for their religious practices as those who are muslim are being targeted we are all denigrated. We stand up in the public square the counter. Islamophobia to champion the good that we know. I want to share with you that i know it's a busy season some of you out would like to join some of you would like to join and won't be able to join and for some of you it's not your cup of tea but if you feel so moved. Come sing with us out in the public square stand with us for the real. We creation of a world in which all matter all are connected. And human dignity is respected. Starflyer's out in the forum we will gather it down at the intersection of college avenue and north main street in downtown blacksburg. If you are so inclined please do pick up a flyer share it with other people and i will be out there holding signs having some hot chocolate. And the word has gone out lisa vannulo has sent it out through facebook and email. I have heard already there are many who will be able to make it but work here today. I want to share with you the out and you are home today there are some posters. That are blank. And you're welcome to go ahead and make a poster even if you can't lift it up you can make one. People will bring it for you. So consider if you'd like to go ahead and take this one simple positive action. Singing out. What would the good is that we know in the world right now. What time thank you. 2 p.m.. 2 p.m. wednesday december 23rd right downtown in blacksburg and you can pick up flyers that look like this. Bright. Outside. It should be a good time. You know to get a clear picture of the night sky. We must go out where it is not whitewashed. With extraneous citylight. Darkness is desirable indeed to see the detail of the night sky. So this winter solstice in 2015. Maybe light our candles and journey out into the night. I'm afraid of the dark i'm afraid to reflect back with our very lives. The light of the stars. Let us make good pilgrimage into the long dark night. Finding their i renewed sense of our own moral clarity and courage of conviction. Let us be unafraid. To live and sing forth the good that we know. Now is the time. For the resurgence of light is possible in the hearts of humanity which is to say. Blessed be. Ad hominem. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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130106_cong-convers.mp3

Welcome to the january 6th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. Today service. Titled a new year's celebration of congregational democracy. Begins with readings and a sermon by reverend alex. And then becomes a congregational conversation with questions by members and friends in the audience and answers by rev alex and the congregations presidential troika. I have two readings to share with you this morning. December 17th issue. Of newsweek its last next-to-last issue and print. Version. And it's from the opening piece entitled new spoofs by ken. Separate. And the title of the piece isn't titled army of angry shrinks. Couple of paragraphs. The board of trustees for the american psychiatric association just approved version 5. Of the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. Known as the dsm. The latest revision was unusually public and came after several years. Of open disagreement among the country's leading psychiatrist. This drama is perhaps understandable the sprinks after all were assigned the most unruly task and all of science. To determine what is normal. The writing last week in psychology today. Alan francis. Chair of the dsm. 4. Task force. Wrote that the approval of dsm-5 was the saddest day in his long career because it included changes that seem clearly unsafe and scientifically unsound. He and others lamented what they saw as the pathologist station. Of every human quirk and itch arguing the dsm had for overstepped its mandate. Robert spitzer the lead editor for dsm 3. Was. What bonkers upon learning that the politburo of experts task within the main deliberations. It's signed a promise not to spill any beans about the process. Not to colleagues not to the public not to depress. Both former editors joined a long list of professional signing petitions. Against approval of the document and both were part of a chorus of piers in the public. Who worried that the dsm-5 authors were in bed with the pharmaceutical industry. Deciding just what is and is not normal. Is part of the daily routine. For all physicians. And the author goes on to say. But if the product isn't perfect talking about this dsm-5. The psychiatrist grit should be commended. Stared long at the blur of human behavior in an attempt to separated into. Comprehensible pieces. Their obsessive insistence that the hopeless endeavor must go on. Against all odds. Version after version. When anyone else would have jumpship long ago. Connects them finally back to their roots. And then on the back of a christmas letter sent to me. Vian elementary school psychologist friend of mine practicing in north carolina. Her christmas letter. Poem offering from tracey thorn. She rewrote the letter after sandy hook. As she sent this out saying that she hope that all of us who hurt it. This joy song from tracey thorn. Current album tinsel and lights would be. Reminded of why it is that we still celebrate the season. Despite the tragedies that come our way. So from tracey thorn in her song tinsel and lights. When someone very dear cause you with the words that everything's all clear. That's what you want to hear. But you know it might be different in the new year. That's why that's why we hang light so high. You loved it as a kid but now you need it more than you ever did. It's because of the dark. You see the beauty and the spark. That's why that's why the carols make us. The temple on the tree yes i see the holly on the door like before. The candles in the gloom like the room. The sally army band. Yes i understand. So like the winter fires. And watches the flames grow higher. We'll gather up our fears and face down all the coming years. And all that they destroy. And in their face. Will throw. Choi. That's why we hang the light so high. And gaze at the glow of silver birches in the snow. Because of the dark we see the beauty in the spark. We must be alright. If we can make. Listen to this one. To my delight two summers ago i went up to philadelphia to. Two full days in the nation. New constitutional center on the north end of the mall independence mall in philadelphia. Have any of you been in this building it at. It's a repository of the tremendous amount of information about how our u.s. con. And how this nation as a struggling democracy. Survive to become what we are today. I recommend this institution to you all it works equally well for a kid. And a scholar. It has opportunity it has been you under its roof. For a disney like experience of how the cost. And came to be as well as for a studied. Opportunity about holocaust. What jumped out at me most as a unitarian universalist minister in the building spending time and study. Was just how many framers of our constitution and leaders in the nation's coming into. Democratic forum. We're of unitarian persuasion. We dominated in many regards. In the groups that made important decisions about how i constitution. Become about. And how we would govern ourselves. And of particular note to me as a parish minister coming close to 20 years of service in the unitarian universalist setting. And still wracked with grave concerns about how i congregations function. What's this whole business of representative democracy. This whole business of being a mass of people. Who elect certain leaders and call certain ministers. To guide the whole group. I was. Delighted to see in this building in philadelphia that everyone who was a writer of our constitution agreed before they sit down to write the document. To read the same group of books. There's this lovely little room up there and the center where you can go and you can pull down. Each of the books that the framers of the constitution. All agreed to read and study. Before they set down to do their work together. Okay but all of that being said. The center is also full of how messy. And convoluted. And political. And full of fraught the whole process was. These good men there were no women involved in the process. The time. Came together studied well-read and of good intent and good heart. Understanding that there were taking. I'm in distress. On behalf not only of themselves but a large body of people across this newly-founded nation. It was still a very difficult messy arduous process. Full of not only debate but. It is this constitution. Center. Newly built there on the mall in philadelphia a wonderful life. Saturday for all of. To go and be reminded. Of how difficult to process the leaders of. Before the nation. Unitarian universalist clergy person that i am i took great comfort in that because i have yet. Congregation. Square. A congregation does not mirror. The unitarian challenges that were inherited. Coming together. Touche. Every single congregation all eight of them now that i have worked with in my short relative. Short tenure. Unitarian. Has been beset with people who are of great. Great compassion. Brightheart. Great intellect. And are studied in every regard and yet the process of. Socratic in our governance. Has led eyes into not only debate with one another. But also argument. B. And any number of complications. Just as was the case with the. Do multiple books and they're all over the place document how this is played out in our history. Of particular amusement to me right now is this book. The incredible story of ephraim new thai unitarian pioneer. And the nineteenth-century given to me to re-buy maryland coupon i need to return it to her but she loaned it to me it's an account of a young minister. Middle of the nineteenth century who is. Passionate about his unitarianism. And comes out of massachusetts. He gets ordained after going to harvard divinity school gets installed and his first congregation in eastern massachusetts. And within months of his installation as the new minister there. He preaches a sermon on the evils of drinking. Which causes a group of people to rise up in distress that he would say bad things about one of their favorite pastimes. He follows that in a short amount of time with a fiery sermon on the evils of slavery. Which causes more people in the congregation to get upset because part of their shipping industry make significant money on the movement of slaves across the atlantic. He follows that with a third big sermon on the merits of the nation going to war. Bide after fight after fight breaks out within his congregation. And you know what happens he gets fired and he gets shipped out to the midwest where he finds this very. Mall. Congregation to serve this very small group of unitarians. In missouri. Okay. And there in missouri. Or i'm rather not in missouri but in kansas on the very edge of the nation where slavery is a very big issue. He does the same thing and he preaches his sermons against alcohol. Slavery. And on the merits of the nation going to war over the issue of slavery. And out there he gets shot his congregation's building gets burned. People come and go for the congregation he found the university of kansas. At all sorts of incredible things happen. But it is full of fraud upset. Discourse debate. The same old story has happened with the framers. Now. Giving it on your interim minister. I'm particularly aware in this 19th month of my term with you soon to end. Of how it is that there is a general angst amongst you now. And this congregation. About some of the. Tensions that have arisen within you out of your attempts to be of democratic governance. And to change from what you work. What you might become. And i wish i could tell you with some certainty. How healthy. Your levels of 10. Pens are with. And your. You're in blacksburg right now but i. All i can do is offer you some general commentary. And i want to begin first by mentioning this book the argument culture by deborah tannen. It's almost 50 years old now how many of you have read this. Is this all of you who have read this. Okay we need to order about two dozen copies of this i will cost that to happen and i'll be available for loan for you to look at. This is one of the most important books published in the late 1990s. Canon points out that from her perspective. This nation of ours and its democratic practice. Has moved to a point of polarized engagement on matters of different. Opinion now. That is outside what used to be our historical norm. She questions whether or not we have the capability anymore. To disagree and love now that is my language not hers but she uses language. Synonymous. Paints this beautiful picture. Of how it is that our country has thrived. Most of its history. On people being able to. Shutdown. Disagree. Heatedly with one another. But to do it and love and out of an understanding. That you could disagree. Without. Liking. And that you could keep coming to. Table with differ. Perspective. And it in that practice of coming of differ. Perspective. Not only you was going to sit. The culture witcher. We're apart with. Build a congregation. Theater community orbi. Patterns poem and writing this book. To remind all of her readers. Set this practice. This ring in love. Of sitting at a table or being part of a congregation. And being expressive of different. Opinions. Was of paramount. Cern. To the health. Democracy. And also the culture. Congregation. To one extent or another be that unitarian-universalist or otherwise. Or always about something that has to do. With the governance. The group always has an ethos about it. A mood a spirit away of being. And that. Spirit plays out. More often than not and energy that's directed. Congregation. Leadership. The minister. Or the elected leadership. And my understanding. Is that for a congregation. Thrive. There must be a very well understood. Strong. Loftus. A disagreeing together in love. And this. Could not be more. For any congregation. Danna unitarian universalist congregation where we are without creed. We are without. Set the ology. We are with very practice. We are doing all possible we say to draw diversity to this place. And yet in the expression. Diversity. It's always the. And especially the challenge. If you are a part of the government. Are you guys. Are on the edge. Of trying to become something bigger than what you've. And the past. What's interesting for me to hear devin. So this morning devon skinner at the back of the room. With the congregation a bigger toy. This morning the lady newest. With your bigness. Comes. Greater challenge. In this practice of being together of diversity. In. To the extent. That you can do this well. Congregation. Thrive. Into this. And on any given day. Some of you will be aware of certain. Susan the congregation. And the vast majority of you will not. But on another day another subset of you will be aware of another. And the vast majority of the other stuff you will not. But always to the extent that. Can carry this large or understanding. That it is. Part. Parcel. Diversity. Dennis will be felt. You will thrive as a congregation. If you hold that understanding. And have a love that is in campo. And of those. Sitcom with adam. It is this ephemeral eternal verity that argo spoke about in our response of reading this morning. This. Expression of love that. The difference. And how the democracy. The people who set this. Country of ourselves. Constitution. We're of immense goodwill towards one another. And towards the people they serve. Each congregation. Stew keep examining how it is. And those regards. And it's daily practice. Given you. This large. Ephemeral overview of what i understand. Be important about democracy. In this congregation. This morning. I wanted this time to invite our three presidents. Past present and future to come forward and occupy the three chairs at the front of the room. Poor lorraine did not get talk with about this before. Be invited forward. Jim flowers coming up first. President current. Lauren blakemore president-elect. Darryl clouse president passed. I want you as a congregation to ponder what i've just said to you. Enter post questions to this 3 regarding. Whatever it is it is of concern to you about your democratic governance at this point in time. Yes it's wide-open. No one has a question for any of the three. Hot dog here they, will start with david warner. And then jane and then robbed. Ebay. What's going on with determining the alcohol policy in the congregation. Question has been raised about an alcohol policy is it going to get a minister fired. I'm glad you asked david. We had a very energetic group. Work hard on this issue over the past two or three months actually examining alcohol policies from lots of other congregations. And other organizations that have to deal with what do you do when there's alcohol in the building. And they have created for us with lots of revisions. Affresh alcohol policy which is before the board and will be voted on this thursday night at the board meeting. It's not available yet online but it will be shortly as soon as the board is considered it if anybody wants to talk about it specifically we can make it available to your right away it's not secret. Yes we do. But in a very careful in and and measured way with high sensitivity to two things are yous. And. Impaired people. And tell everybody what underlies all of your considerations about boundary setting. Policy development. I have no idea what you mean by that. What was your utmost concern in the development of the new policy. Most concern i think and then invite the others in on this than anything the board does is to engage as many people as possible and that this be a board decision not a small group or individual decision or an executive fiat of any kind. Because we're going to the congregation is in fact organized as. A policy-setting board driven organization the boards elected by the congregation everybody's in. So can i press you on this at the risk of making you uncomfortable. More uncomfortable. You just described a beautiful practice it was not a triage of people that set a new policy and place you engaged all sorts of people in the developing of the new policy. What was of utmost concern what caused you to do the work. What cause you to say we might need to do something about the alcohol policy. I think we. I believe we. Drug got some concern about the. Use of alcohol in proximity to young children. And the sense that we ought to sit. Quadricep parameters on that. I thought the. That's why i understanding to is that you guys were concerned for the safety of our kids weren't. I mean that. what's the big concern was that our kids forsyth. Right in but also to give people who are adults. Clear understanding of how they can behave as a group. To reasonably assure the safety of the kids so that they don't have to make it up as they go along. Thank you sir i'll let me at the wrist. Again vacuum someone uncomfortable which i seem to like to do. I want to get the co-chair of the lake hospital administrator rights please. Set the alarm set. Tell everyone what the expert on alcoholism had to say to the light pastoral care ministries. About to. Presents in a church community. What what did pat tell us about alcohol we recently had a person come and talk to her later. I'm pastoral care group. About. About alcohol abuse. And pat said that comes from community services. Cat said. Any use of alcohol has wide potential for abuse. And her grapefruit her biggest concern was for the well-being of anyone coming into the building with the substance. Correct right. Okay. Thank you. Again everybody catch that even is a policy develops differing diverse attitudes will pop out. And there will always be tensions. Set the affair to say that tensions were felt that his cat told us this thing. Jim darrell lovin you had tension. A few. Actually. The group that was working on it did such a good job of communicating with lots of other people. That. I personally have not felt any terrible tension with regard to it. Other than to go back and say are we using the right legal words here are we going to get ourselves in trouble with language. Thank you sir. You had a question. Microphone. It's my understanding that one of the reasons one of the main driving reasons for going to a new organizational structure with a lot of councils and things like that. Was because we were growing. And that the old model of the minister making a lot of decisions the board making a lot of decisions just wasn't going to work as we got bigger the board would be bogged down in a lot of little things and not be able to set general policies. So we're going to a policy based thing. At the same time however work. Probably at the small end of congregations that have this kind of thing going on. As we grow and if we got ourselves up to. 300 400 500 people like that this is what we need to have but at the moment given that there's like seven councils and another account swollen and committees and all that kind of stuff is there going to be some problem of being a little shorthanded for covering all of the things that we're trying to cover. Dr.dre. Well cynthia is raising her hand but we have an excellent leadership development committee which i am privileged to sit on as a board member. But the leadership development committee have put together a great packet to to help identify members of the congregation who may be willing to step up and. And help out with some of the tasks. They're already existing and will come into existence cynthia did you want to add to that i saw you jump. Almonaster i'm going to ask us to keep the pressure on the president. Boring. Newcastle modelist implemented. Jim says he has an answer to this. Okay great. As a practical matter the one thing that people hate. Is long meetings. That. Dover minutiae. And and and that they have to meet all the time. And by dividing all this stuff up into smaller groups the individual personal commitment in time and energy for anybody will be spread over a larger number of people. May we be a little bit short. Probably not most of this is reorganization of stuff that's already in place we have committee chairs and committee members. Lumping them in the councils of that that are related to each other in a logical way. And doing a bunch of bored work before its board time so each one of those little groups. Doesn't have to spend as much time. Actually in the governance process but can be spending time in the do-it process. Leaving the boards be policy-driven in the congregation to elect a board in. And so on. I haven't been able to attend it as often as i would like lately but the. The last two or three. Sermons that i've been to our services that i've been to there hasn't been a talk back. And i was unclear whether a policy had been made about that and wanted to express my deep concern. Because for me it's the most important issue. It did it at that i have. With the church because that's. For the congregation. Ghetto ife assefa minister makes an opinion. The congregations have a chance in. The service. Not after but in the service. Because not everybody's going to be. After. And it gives it less of a voice to the people which is. Distinguishing characteristic of unitarianism for me. I'm glad you raised. I happen to agree with you. But. Yummy. Structure we're moving into. We have shared leadership. Should buy the leg elected leadership and the minister. And the conduct of the service is the responsibility the minister. So it is the minister's choice. Alex has chosen one path. Eddie tries to compensate for that laws in other ways. But. Like you i put i really enjoyed the talkback. We have another minister coming in. And it'll be. Open issue again. But it's the minister's decision. The minister. Is responsible for the service. But if i may ask. What are the important task for measure entering with model. How your worship might look in different ways. If you'll recall we did the talk back to the first year of the antrum and it's the second year that has been. Without the talkback. Fwiw the majority of my colleagues and this profession would prefer that it not be part of the service where everyone is constrained to be party to it. They would prefer to allow people the option of removing themselves from the discussion if they don't want to. Next question. Which way. I'm sorry jon. Pass it over to john please. Thank you. So on. So i can put you on the spot so then what would that look like would it be. I got a closing bell and then people could the coffee hour but then people could then congregate a little closer to the front. But where i become uncomfortable with it as when i realized people around here. We're not enjoying it and i would like to. Other. Questions. Nancy and then mike. And then cynthia. And i think this'll probably. Do what we can in our allotted time for worship. I have a question that's not specifically about you know it's kind of a philosophical question so i hope that's acceptable but i know how you like surprises so this is a little surprised. I would like to ask if anyone has an opinion on why is it difficult. To disagree with love it's it's a question i wonder about a lot like what is it we are afraid of. Okay president's if you would please. That's above my pay grade. I'll give you a cheap answer. I think all of us want to be right. And so we tend to look for agreement with our position. And then we stick with it too long. And gus what is it the most often happens when we don't get our way in this you use setting here in blacksburg. I have an answer to. I'm for the women maybe you may not always want to be right but it's more emotional. To disagree. That it's not always done in a loving way when you feel like somebody wants to be right. What time it is overriding you. So. That's my personal thing. I think an interesting challenges that end in certain organizations where the democracy thing is attempted to be played out. You sort of have to disagree in love because you don't have an option to jump ship. In an organization like this if you decide that you are too far out of line with what you perceive to be some dominant majority the simple thing to do is just not show up. And that's that's sad. But it is an easy thing to do and there are lots of options up and down the road as we all know. So we have a set of challenges that are that are a little bit different. You know we don't get to move to canada if we don't want to go to war kind of thing. And listen guys this is where it's important for you as a congregation to remember marriage is the metaphor for good. Congregational relationship. If you're in a marriage you show up again and again even when you're disagreeing. Because you love one another. And that's what congregations have to develop the practice of it. Thrive. Mikey renee. Thank you. Panda setup for this has almost been too good but. Making a comment but also an announcement. I'm having another from alexa casey. It's been a year-and-a-half transition you know there's been a lot of struggle. Good and bad that you made us stronger and and its ongoing and i think the conversations are ongoing. Alexa asked me to read this letter and i'm not going to read the whole thing cuz it's too long. But i'm going to try to. Understand i'm paraphrasing alexa but anyway. She says. If we believe in focus on our differences it will have a conflict and we will have conflict in fight with one another i know it is best way for our community to work is to listen support and be loving to one another. Especially if we disagree or feel upset with each other's cues. We need to ask why or how can i help. And if we can't ask how can i help as a community are we willing to look further and assess why am i not willing to help or what makes it difficult for me to see through someone else's eyes. I love this community and all of its potential for a greater understanding i look forward to sharing with you and continue to build community together. We do not need walls we need understanding and love. I look forward to discussing issues with all of you and being able to see through your eyes. Yet knowing there is no known. Only different ideas are places that we all visit. We build our community with love and support and this is what we will all have to offer one another. The beauty of our you use is diversity of thought and weekend. Excuse me. Beauty view you is. The diversity of thought that we can have and still recognize. And converse. We are all of it. We have community here is not something we need to become. It is something we already have here. Now all those lines. Alexa is organizing and conversation. Call choices in challenges in the uu community. This is going to be held sunday february 3rd at the blacksburg library everyone is invited will be informal and conversational my wife kathy and i enjoy nema corridor. Supporting alexa in this effort. And it's going to be about. What we talked about alex set it up very nicely this morning. At any given time through this process their been small group. Intensely involved intensely. Emotional. Engaged and. And not people that felt strongly about. Their particular issues and what they. What they had to get done and that sort of thing. And at every given time there's a large group of other people who aren't aware that even that tension is going on. And that that happens in very different locations under the hint. But anyway so this conversation is going to be about those things and how we can take. The organizational work has been done very nicely and very effectively by this group of leadership what we want to visit is the emotional underpinning of that and who we going to be. Emotionally and spiritually to the community have to go for it. President's response my-cast no question. He just. Politicked on behalf of a. Different way of doing something perhaps. Any response to mike's politicking. Well mike's frida politic were unitarians. So i mean i-10 and inner to feel free as a as a leadership group the board decided sometime back. To institute regular. Congregational conversations one of which is scheduled for this morning after we all get coffee and come back in here. Yeah with the hope that things could be raised. At a time when people had an easy option to either attend or not attend. So we we we will continue those. Conversations beginning with today. I i think the the big issue is if you got if you got something. Get it out on the table because. Small number of people talking to each other. Rather than talking to the whole congregation. Doesn't usually help in a political context. So let me remind you all because i need to bring us to a close before we provide that opportunity for congregational conversation. Not a problem i talked about hear new day out front of my talked about here. The nation divides itself over the matter of slavery. The nation has to make a decision about whether or not it's going to allow slavery to be a continued piece of what it's about. When it decides that it is not. The nation divides itself into conflicted pieces. This same. Tendency towards having to make a decision. That sets a boundary. Will play out again and again here in the life of the congregation. And everyone will not stay there will be people who will leave the congregation out of distress for the boundary setting that occurs within it. The congregation will thrive however. To the extent that the leadership. And the congregants. Can continue to be expressive of love towards one another. Despite. The difference. But democracy always. When done well. Brings about differences. And the great religious. Eternal verity of which argyle spoke. It's the shared hope that there will be a love big enough to overcome all this. We're going to come back to other questions after we close. I need to close your now and notice i'm doing boundary sitting here right now. I have to closure now because parents with children. Need to be released towards getting their children and safeguarding them now that sunday school is over. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

140817_do_beyond-binary-thinking.mp3

Welcome to the august 17th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by are settled minister. Reverend arrowland. And her sermon is titled. Beyond binary thinking. Are reading this morning it's a bit long for reading. Play invite you to just open your ears. And receive these words. By margaret wheatley. The reading begins. As we work together to restore hope to the future. We need to include a new and strange. Ally. Our willingness to be disturbed. Our willingness to have our beliefs and our ideas challenge by what others think. No one person. Or perspective can give us all the answers we need to the problems of our day. Paradoxically we can only find those answers by admitting that we don't know. We have to be willing to let go of our certainty and expect ourselves to be confused. For a time. We weren't trained to admit that we don't know. Most of us were taught to sound certain and confident. The state our opinion as if it were true. We haven't been rewarded for being confused. Or for asking more questions. Been getting quick answers. We've also spent many years listening to others mainly to determine whether we agree or disagree with them. We don't have time or interest to sit and listen to those who think differently than we do. But the world is now. Quite perplexing. We no longer live in those sweet slow days when life felt predictable when we actually knew what to do next. We live in a complex world. We don't often know what's going on. We won't be able to understand its complexity. Unless we spend a bit more time not. Knowing. It is very difficult for us to give up our certainties. Our positions are beliefs are explanations he's helped define us. They lie at the heart. Of our personal identity. Yet i believe. We will succeed in changing this world only if we can think and work together in new ways. Curiosity is what we need. We don't have to let go of what we believe. But we do need to become curious about what someone else believes. We do need to acknowledge that their way of interpreting the world. Just might be. Essential. To our survival. Therein and the reading. By margaret wheatley. Margaret wheatley writes a lot about the power. A transformative conversation. Her words came to me because today will be talkin about. Moving beyond. Binary thinking. I don't know how many of you like to organize things. Is there any is there anybody here who really likes to put things in boxes and organize things like their closet. Okay. All right we got to work for anyone here from pace organizing things would rather everything just on the okay. We've talked about nasty mission organization before. Yep so i was organizing my closet not too long ago and i was putting items into storage. And i was marking them with a pen. Until i was marking summer clothes and i was marking winter clothes. Because it's just that time of year. It can be really good. Label objects. To organize things. Not so good to label people though. It's hard to escape i think how polarizing. Our world has become. At least it can seem that way. And i've been thinking a lot about how we human being. You have this tendency towards. Categorizing others in our thinking. And what this does to us into our human spirit. I would guess that hardly any of us would appreciate the labels that other people. Wood stick on to us. I think there's something deeply unsettling. About being labeled and being treated as other. Then the complex person. That we all really are. And i wonder if you've ever had labels place. On you. I'm guessing most people at some point in your life have. I want you to think about a label maybe that someone put on you that didn't really sit. But you didn't really like. And imagine that someone put that. That label on you literally on you on your forehead without a sticky tab. And then imagine if you will for a moment. Peeling up peeling off that sticky tab. Balling up and throwing it. In the trash. And taking out your own marker and your own sticky tab. And writing some labels that you authorized. From the scriptures that you would offer yourself to describe who you are. Your identity. What's a you place that on your head. I wonder what descriptors. What label is what. Adjectives you might put. On yourself. That you would willingly wear. In the world. I've been thinking a lot about those shooting of the unarmed young man michael brown and ferguson. And i've been wondering what the policeman thought he saw. And this college-bound young man. And i wonder what this young man and his friends saw and the police officer when the car halted to a sudden stop before them. I just wonder. As i said i bet we could all think about some labels we would willingly share we would willingly wear. And willingly choose but. None of us want anyone is fixing labels. Mental sticky pads. Unto us. But we didn't authorize with assumptions and projections that ping test. Some other than who we really are. But unfortunately what's also true is that we humans are really good best. We do it all the time. Affixing labels i mean to other people. And i think we often do it because we live in a culture. Dawson encouraged us to do this very thing to fix mental sticky tabs. On each other. Is any of you know the television news media is a very powerful source shaping and reinforcing. Our proclivity toward labeling. So we see the major networks featuring pundits and politicians were bent on labeling each other mostly to political sides left. Right. Right left. And then displaying for us this dramatic fight. And you know what i'm talking about you've probably seen it on television it's nasty interrupting it's name-calling it's sliding each other it's the mudslinging that we become so familiar with. An equally we see the drama on television on real life police shows. We're police officers will roundup folks often people of color. And his high-octane chases and takedowns. And i'm sure you've seen it the shots at the scuffles on the street and anywhere america with lights blazing and there's edited music and it all seems like a fictitious action movie. So these labels. Write laugh. Black white to muslim me us them. They're all around us. In binary thinking has become i think i very normal way. That we are used to seeing humans relate to each other on tv and in public discourse. Binary thinking today i'm using that term to suggest binary meaning two sides. Only about two sides. Play some people's ideas into two different boxes. Leslie know people are not close. We are very complex. And often we defy. The simple binary. As one contemporary philosopher it's interesting that we had seemed to stop speaking to understand but rather to move in skate our opinions we now seem to care more deeply about refining our argument for our side rather than looking deeply at the issues at hand. I wonder if. We're fearful that we can't really childish problems in our midst so it's easier and more convenient for us tightness retreat back to our camps. And divide. And then assume what is becoming really a chronic and insidious posture a combat. It seems like the complexity of the challenges before us never seemed to really take center stage. Now at its very worst. This kind of buying arie thinking. This kind of binary labeling of each other leads to real fights for the deaf. Between two people or two peoples. To see one another. As anime. We know that this is occurring in our world. What's interesting to me is that instead of recalling the complexity of our lives and our neighbors. Just about anyone can believe and start to participate in binary sort of thinking and we can start to lead kind of. Binary sort of lives. But what's also interesting is that in a recent pew study on religion on political life in america. It showed that most people in the united states on average. The average everyday person in the united states. It's not a polarized as tv would make it scream. Tv has made a mirror of sorts through which i think we are getting a distorted sense. I've truly average people in in the united states. Really are and how we really care to relate to each other. Because ectv is focused on the good fight. But most of us are interested in the good life. I wonder if we might take a binary break for just a minute. This morning. So that this feels less abstract. I'm going to ask you for a minute. Someone asked you. To choose just one descriptor they said you must have just one descriptor one label. What would you choose for these questions. 1. How would you describe your spiritual. Identity. Or your religious identity. Could you find one word. What about your nationality. About your race. What about your gender. What about your political perspective. I'm guessing that maybe for some of you there was one word that could come up for some of them and i know i gave those question. Pretty quickly. But i'm going to guess for a lot of folks you can't just do it in one word. And that's because we are not just binary being. We are hybrid people. Formed as many different sorts of identities. And ideas. It seems that were actually better able to describe ourselves and be understood by others when we tell our stories. The by simply using one word. When label when adjectives. This morning on a lift up that sometimes i think in our in our culture we forget. Just how much complexity there really is. We forget for example that there are jewish palestinians and palestinian jews we forget there are christian palestinians and moreover that summer married and summer in the same family we forget that all not all jewish people are in agreement with the politics of the policies of the state of israel we forget that most muslims are not religious extremist. And that political liberals. I got mono monolithic. But very instead and ideas and perspectives equally we forget that political conservative are not one monolithic entity. There are fiscally conservative. But socially liberal. Conservatives. There are socially conservative. But physically liberal. I said that one already. My point is this morning. That we could put in if we really started listening to each other. We could probably put in a lot of different adjectives that would describe in more nuanced. The real perspective. Of the individuals in our midst. Many years ago i was in new york city. I was working as a journalist it was before i was a minister. And a knot city my experience was that we were encouraged not to smile at the person next to us. I'm on the train or on the sidewalk. Because in the morning hours everyone is very busy. Getting to where we needed to go. Getting their kids to school excetera. And the route that i would take i would always take the same subway. To the npr affiliate in york city. And it was filled with summer people. All committed to getting to work on time and reading the newspaper. And one time i remember we got stuck. We got stuck in there wasn't an electronic glitch. In the subway system. And for the next 12 minutes people started talking to each. Beside the laughing started choking kind of problem solving. Telling stories. And i'll tell you that when the lights came back on. And the train started to roll again i was actually pretty sad. Because for a moment it seemed we were forced into the recognition that we were going nowhere if not together. And we might as well get to know each other. I think we have reached it. An electrical glitch in this country. And we are going nowhere if not together. And yes we all may as well get to know each other. But today i'm not really suggesting getting to know each other in a pollyanna sort of fashion just for getting to know each other's sake. Although that would be okay. But rather i suggest it because we need to create some. Constructive stabs at the puzzle. Of life before us. And because binary thinking this labeling this other ring the separation into quick camps. And calling it a dende. Isn't working. I think now more than ever we need the creativity of coming together. To solve the collective problems challenging all of us. I've been thinking about buying aries clearly and one of the questions i was asking myself and you might wonder is there any good to come of binary thinking i mean if we're so good at it. And so easily encourage did you it must serve some sort of purpose. And indeed there are people that have thought this through including. Psychologist and evolutionary biologist and neurologist and organization development theorist and. Here's what some of them say. Evolution has selected and confirmed the neural machinery. It supports instinctive good and bad binary thinking. Largely because of its survival value. So it turns out that our human proclivity we might say to discern. This is good. This is bad. It's not necessarily a bad thing biologically speaking from an evolutionary perspective. Get the same thinkers also say. Well we all possess the potential for an archaic emotional reaction. It is not always helpful to be possessed by them. Often our survival is not extinct. An instantaneous reaction can get us. Trouble. What they're saying here i think is that even though we may be wired. Our brains may be wired to discern right from wrong good from bad and some binary thinking. Intuitively. And have us. Feel a rush of corresponding emotion. And maybe label things along binary line when it comes to actually living in the modern world. Are snap judgment and snap emotional reaction. We really do us much good. Rather they agree the theorists agree that. This restricts our actual freedom to know one another. And create meaningful possibilities. In the face of the challenges before us. So the end of the day in the modern world. I would say binary thinking doesn't do us much good. I'm not saying today that we shouldn't have discernment between right. And wrong. But i am saying that when we categorize people. And ideas automatically into camps. We do not move ourselves any closer closer. The moral and ethical action. I think friends that. Our country and sometimes we all are tiring ourselves out. Fighting with one another. In these binary camps. Calling for two sides. Calling for endless competition it's tiring. Does chronic practice of warfare. I don't think we tend to see it this way in our average daily lives but. This conditioning is starting to infiltrate things i'm going to share with you just to quikstories. Recently i was speaking to unitarian universalist doesn't go here goes to another congregation. Play identify with a political liberal. And she told me that a conversation with her brother-in-law. See if you can relate to the story at all you may not. She said something off handed in a conversation. And i suppose according to her she said that she realized it was fairly judgemental. About political conservatives. And her brother-in-law heard it. And he told her later how much it hurt her. Did she really think that he was all those things that she had said. He self-identifies as a political conservative as i said. She told me she was struggling really bad how bad she felt. About it she didn't realize how much pain it had caused him. She is disturbed and was disturbed about how different their political opinions are. But she didn't really intend. To hurt him. Not at all. This goes on and families of course. It goes on and congregation. 2. Can some of you relate to that story. I see some heads. Now the time in our history when we can start to break down some of the binary thinking that we carry inside. And the binary living that we can so easily play out with one another. How do we do this. Well there might be some unlearning that we have to do. To move beyond our own binary thinking we might have to unlearn some of the assumptions that we carry. Just one more story as i said i would share with you today about breaking down. Is binary. Once there were two people who decided to attend of dialog group. It was sponsored by republic talk america. And the project had two speakers a diverse array of speakers one was a speaker from the nra. Another one was a. A few different left with a left-leaning speakers from a diversity of perspectives. At one point in the dialog people were asked to reflect on when they had formed opinion. The first time they were aware of forming an opinion. About the other side. The two people told stories. And interesting lena they both told stories about their opinion forming. Right in their late teens. One voice of story about a time when he arose in a group. And he said that he supported a war. And he remembers being booed and hissed by the group and being told to sit down. And being told that he was stupid. And backwards. And he never forgot it. And in that moment he said he formed an opinion about the left. As being mean spirited. And very judgemental. And then there was this other person who told a story about the same time in life. In his own life and he said. He remembers that he stood up and he voiced. I'm his his. Criticism of a war. And he was told that he was weak. And then he threatened afterwards physically threatened. By someone who had been in the room. And he said at that moment in his life. He formed an opinion of the right. But the right is all destructive. Without empathy and very scary. I think the age of these two people is very significant. Because i'm memories made at this time and childhood and teen development make lasting and strong cognitive impressions. And i wonder for you. When did hugh. Start to form an opinion. About any group that you think of as being really other. Then yourself. And i asked you to just honestly reflect on this cuz you're not going to have to share it in a big group. Just think about when did you. Learn to think about any group you consider really other than yourself. Bernie glassman zen peacemaker. And he said something very interesting i think about differences. He says the only thing we have in common is our differences. And when we understand that we discover our oneness. Most of us have had the experience of listening to someone and realizing how different they are from us. We don't share any of their opinions or their values or experiences but surprisingly at the end of listening to them we feel more. Connected. Marjorie wheatley who provided are reading this morning. Suggests us that reclaiming the power of. Human conversation. Which actually surprised us. In which we learn something new about the other. Is actually the way forward. Into our future. She suggested the power and asking questions of one another helps with reclaim our thinking ground. Meaning our ability to sit with and really think through the challenges in our next. I wonder about this challenge i've really speaking to one another and listening deeply even and especially when we encounter differences. How can we really start to break down binary thinking. Here's one thing i think we can do. In our schools and our workplaces in our congregation were family systems. Every time we took charge personally. Buy a prestige person's stamps and we feel that rising feeling whatever it is for you that fight or flight that anger that fear that frustration we can use our big mammalian. 21st century brains. And instead of challenging or posturing. We can ask a question. We can seek to understand. Which does not mean that we need to agree. But we can ask a question that really designed out of curiosity to learn something new. We can ask why is this important to the other person we could learn instead of presuming that we already know why something matters to our neighbor. This all boils down to this. Spiritual practice. I'm getting really curious. And what's funny is that it actually isn't so risky. After all. Making real space for differences. Getting really curious in a conversation. It doesn't really ask too much of us after all it doesn't require that we give up our own cherished ideas and perspectives it doesn't mean that you have to relinquish any feature of your own identity that is so hard one and deeply matters to you know. It just means getting really curious about someone else. The idea that we might learn something we didn't know before. About another person. And this i think might be really good. For our spiritual and emotional well-being as individuals as families as a country. Disengaging with difference and getting real curious about it. Here's another thing we can do. This year at uuc and our congregation our overarching theme is 90 voices. When home. Interfaith community get stuff for going to practice 106 flooring the pluralism right here already. Those in our lives and in our unitarian universalist movement and there are a variety of adult religious exploration classes that you can sign up for. And they're all based around a new series of books. Supplemented with supplementing with a few things that weren't there. That came out recently from one of our unitarian universalist publishing houses skinner press. So you'll find you you jewish voices uu buddhist voices lgbtq voices and unitarian universalist. Christian voices. And unitarian-universalism will be looking at class and unitarian-universalism and will be looking at race and unitarian universalism and we will not do everything. In one year. But we will start conversation. I invite you to look at those and think about. What causes the most people. Is it because you identify in one of those ways great. Is it because it stretches you to think about the pluralism of voices from that perspective. I invite you to stretch into your comfort zone. You can't make the classes you can still read the books. Elsa want to share with you that right here. And our unitarian universalist home. You can start hearing a lot more about the exciting social justice effort. Of the social justice steering campaign that is launching a very exciting listening project a listening campaign. And they'll be inviting members of our congregation to share how justice issues impact your own life. Your heart. Your families. And your work places. And that will eventually help us as a congregation destroying the future forward however really going to focus our. Structural social change efforts but it's going to start with conversations right here. The power and practice of our own conversations. Learning new things discovering new things about each other. Stretching ourselves to discover something new about ourselves and something new perhaps about our neighbors. They closed this morning i want to offer you. A curious observation about differences. Differences are. Differences do not always need to divide. Say that again differences are. Differences do not always need to divide. When we allow ourselves the freedom to name and explore the real differences within our family breakdown binary thinking and the power that it has over our lives and over our communities and when we do this to knows what we will find. Maybe we'll find things we share. Maybe we'll discover the ways we need to work together in common cause. And if we branch out and explore these conversations beyond our congregation as i surely hope we will who knows what we will discover with our neighbors beyond these walls. In the spring it is my earnest hope that after having fluoride pluralism within the explorer pluralism without. And i hope to have a public interface series of dialogues with some space leaders and faith neighbors and we'll have it here that's open to everyone. That's in the works for the spring. Our needs are often basic. And our needs are often shared. Our perspectives are often buried in divers. But friends we are in the subway. And we can find our way out. We must start being learning communities again. Allowing ourselves to be curious. Capable. Even as adults. Especially as adults discovering a new truth about our neighbors and ourselves. And when we do this we will become free. We will cease to become captains of our fears. And we will open to a future with hope for that which is possible. Halal adentro me a muslim sufi poet and scholar says. Out beyond the ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I will meet you there. Latest br practice. And may this be our prayer. Blessed be and on. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website. Uuc and rv. org.

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140209_kh_faith-formation.mp3

Welcome to the february 9th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The podcast begins with an introduction by worship associate allen plumber. Which is followed by a reflection. So you see member did kate's. Then. Karen hager uuc director of lifespan faith development. Speaks on faith formation. This morning. Is an opportunity for us to weave together. Several threads. And it was really really fun for me. To brainstorm. And cook. Today's service and scheme. And chuckle. And. Break bread with karen. This week. The theme. Of armor. Services this month is the theme of caring. And today we're dedicating time to care about. Are religious education. Ar. Lifespan faith development. And the degree to which we dedicate ourselves. To creating spaces in which we can learn. And challenge. And develop our own theology. Or absence thereof. In that spirit. Karen. Ask. The capes if you would take a few minutes to reflect with you. On. His role with us as a leader. The beneficiary. And also one who gives a great gifts. In. Religious education lifespan. Lifespan faith development i can't get my head around that's too many words. Got too much education to figure that one out. So like to welcome dick. This morning and ask him. To share with you some thoughts. About. His work and his. Journey. In this particular. Area of work and that we care deeply about in this congregation. Before i speak about last lifespan faith development i'd like to say that yesterday morning this time i was in raleigh. And. Somebody asked me how many people were there in the crowd and i don't know i was in such a sea of you use that i just couldn't i couldn't tell how big it was i just know that there was a lot of us. And unlike the speakers at the two-hour service we had on friday night. I have never been arrested. I guess i joined the congregation here in 2007. Because i was a leader co-leader with small adult group. And we're looking for a home. And i wanted to find out more about the congregation that was welcoming us. And that is how i came to be a member here. High in 2008 i guess i started teaching middle school religious education and i picked middle school because they're old enough to think about it that but they're not old enough to. They're not like us. And i was i had the deer-in-the-headlights look. And it really impressed me that i had that look and i will never forget holly lesko who was the head of the. I guess you was a senior teacher that year and how much i relied on her. The next year it got a little easier and i noted that it got easier or not so i figured there was a reason why that was. I had figured that i would spend about three years teaching and then the joint the religious education committee for about another three years and call it quits. After two years i join the religious education committee for. Well we didn't have adult. Ari at that time. And so i joined that. And i'm still teaching middle school. I enjoy it. Because i'm really value that. Experience that i've got i know how valuable it is. I realized how valuable also was to. Be an active teacher and beyond the religious education committee. And so. I'm kind of stuck with it. Right now i'm the. Chair of the adult religious education committee. Which also puts me on the lifespan faith development. Council. I am still a middle school teacher. I am a senior high why are you you would visor. And so i've seen a lot of i've been middle school youth advisor as well. I've seen a lot of different aspects of things. And i feel that the. Culmination of all that. Is what we're doing right now middle school nets the twilight zone because we're putting the other all the good things that we've learned. And if you have a chance. And you want to do it. Get with the instructor for the day in their back andrew may and just sit in on one of those twilight zone episodes they're just really fun. There i mean that you have to keep your mouth shut as an adult but i mean those things that we get to live all over again and it's wonderful and it's really good to see. The other opinions what the kids think about it. I hope they enjoy it as much as we do. And i have really learned a lot i know who pete seeger is. And why he's important. Paul newman and others i just. I can't tell you how much i have learned and done things that i would never have done otherwise. Had i not been involved with it. And i thank all of you for being the way you are. And for being part of that environment that i was in over the weekend. It was it was great it really was. I've had it up to here with liberal rhetoric have but. At least i know that deep down all of you are willing to listen even though you're willing also to see your peace. Thank you deck paint there's some folks who would say that. All that liberal rhetoric is in fact the twilight zone. It's my delight. To just take a quick minute. Before karen. Talk to you this morning. To tell you that is a congregant i've really appreciated karen. And her leadership. And especially her creativity. I think one of the important skills and talents that karen brings to us as a congregant and as a leader. Is her ability to draw. From everyday pop culture. Which some of us would also call the twilight zone. And weave it into. Teachable. Moments. Weave it into curriculum use. Tools. In the pedagogy of challenging us in challenging our theology. I hope i don't steal karen sundar but i i i know that she shared with me a story that i think is really important and has been important to me to remember. Especially with our young people. Our young people are frequently in the minardi. In terms of their religious beliefs in terms of their values. I'm particularly in our communities in our surrounding areas they're in the minority in their schools and in sometimes in their families. And sometimes their teams etcetera etcetera. And if we can provide them with vocabulary while they're here. If we can help them talk to their peers about why they disagree. Or why they agree with particular. Concepts or values or opinions. We are doing. A great service it is incredibly important ministry. With our young people in particular. And one tool by which we can do that is to use pop culture is to use the movie they're watching in to use the movies were watching. As a tool and a mechanism by which. To have conversations. About. Big questions. So i am grateful for karen's commitment. To us as a congregation to our young people and for her spunk and her creativity and weaving those pieces together. For us. Karen. Your students. Helen asked me to talk a little bit about why were you pop culture. And one of the reasons of course is it for the kids to her a little bit older who are familiar with pop culture it's a way to keep and. Keep their attention to get it in first place in the keep it's that you can actually teach them something. But the stories that she mentioned actually. Example actually came to me from a member of the youth caucus general assembly last summer. And this is a high school student who lives in a very conservative town in his liberal viewpoint is very much of the minority. And he said the pop culture allowed him. To talk to his friends about social issues he thought were really important but then he might not feel comfortable bringing up otherwise. So he can feel like he could directly bring up class disparity that he could do it in the context of the hunger games. And he didn't feel like he could directly say what he felt about marriage equality. But he could do it in the context of macklemore and lewis the song same love. And so i thought i would give you an example of how we actually use pop culture to teach today. So how many here familiar with harry potter have read the book cmovies. K. But then harry potter there's a group of characters that are known as dementors. Dementors are faceless soul.. Very scary being. And they literally try to suck the life out of you. And the way that you calm down a dementor is by creating a patronus. Now each person creates their own patronus but a patronus may not be unique to an individual so people can share have the same type of petronas. But the way that you direct your patronus. Is by tapping into sometime that you have felt intense joy in your life. Gift identify that which brings you joy. It could be a person place an event. You tap into the memory of what it was like to experience that intense joy and you feel it throughout your entire being. And you take all of that positive energy and you swirl it together and you hurl it against the dementor and that causes of dementia. The harry potter books say this is really advanced magic. And a lot of wizards never learn how to do it. But if you have dementors in your life it's probably a good idea to try to master it. And so we have real-world dementors. We have those things in our lives that cause us to feel depression or anger. Or fear or anxiety. And one way that you can learn to combat those feelings by tapping into that which brings you great joy. And focusing on the joy verses. The dementor. So i'm going to ask you all as practice today. I ask you all to hold in your mind. Something that the dimension your life in this does not have to be big and catastrophic. Just something that is causing the feelings of anxiety. Depression fear. Think what that is. And hold that out right here. But that right out here. I now consider what it is in your life that brings you great joy. They said a person and event a passion that you have. But consider what that is a bring. Joy to your life. And remember a time that you have felt that joy. And allow yourself to feel that joy. Through your entire body let of course through your body. Your heart. Your mind your spirit. And it just a moment we are going to take all of that positive energy and swirl it around and throw it against the dementor and when we do we're going to say expecto patronus. Okay. The fuel that choice for your whole being. Your heart your mind your body your spirit. Swirl all of that positive energy throw it against the dementor and say expecto patronus. That's pathetic. I'm going to tell you a small group of 4th and 5th graders can get easily triple-a by. It is probably helpful one of our teachers did dress-up is a dementor. Probably help. But if you're going to get rid of the dementors you got to do this with some passion so let's try this again. Tap into that joy see you at all the way through your heart your mind your body your still your spirit. Swirl it together throw it against the dimension say expecto patronum. See i told you we've been plotting and scheming. Panera harper's lots of wizards. I'm curious before i start speaking has anybody ever heard of faith formation 2020. That's what i expected i first heard about faith formation 2020. At the laredo fall conference in 2012 in laredo stands for the liberal religious educators association my professional organization. So the liberal religious educators association. And i was introduced to the topic at that fall conference and then it general assembly the following summer. This formation 2020 is a pew study that was commissioned by the catholic church. And it took a look at how people view religion and worship today and how those views have changed over the last few decades and what it's going to mean for future. And they have some really interesting findings from the survey they found that there was a decrease in people. Feeling affiliated with particular religion. And while there was a decrease in people considering themselves religious there was an increase in people considering themselves to be spiritual. And what was also playing into people's views on worship was how much the family itself has changed. Because we get married later now we have children later now we have less children. And there's an increase in same-sex couples and biracial couples there's an increase in the number of families that have multiple ethnicity and religious beliefs within the family itself. And all that plays a factor in how we view worship. Add onto that the baby boomers raging. And in the last decade in particular digital media and the internet have exploded. Now. Some of you who are long-time you use will recognize couple of those things. Sound like the boat pretty well for unitarian universalism. Because this whole diversity thing. Is actually part of who we are we are dent afire ourselves as being we not only accept the varsity we embrace it. And i would think it's probably fair to say that a. Majority of our congregants will consider themselves to be more spiritual and less religious. So it's not really surprising that the uua. Wanted to focus on the study. And put together a task force called the 21st century faith formation task force to take a look at what it meant for you use. And how we would go about. Meeting divide diverse religious and spiritual needs of all of our congregants. Does they are diverse one size does not fit all. And they took a look at. What technologies will we use what resources we might access how would we go about reaching people and engaging them. And came out with the idea. That each congregation should form a lifelong faith formation network. And they put together this envisioning statement. A lifelong faith formation network. It's a way to provide faith formation for everyone. Anytime anywhere. Twenty-four hours a day. Seven days a week 365 days a year. Pretty lofty goal. Luckily for us they didn't stop there. And just say go do it. They actually provided some guidelines on how a congregation might do that. Going to be. Available 24 hours a day you're going to have to have a virtual presence right. And some of the worship opportunities are going to be face-to-face and summer going to be virtual but they aren't going to be it's just about one hour here every sunday morning. That's no longer going to be enough. Some of the opportunities that they suggested we as a congregation start supplying our congregants. Where opportunities that were on your own. Some that were mentor. Summit was small group some that were large group some you could do at home in front of your computer. Some that we're here within the church community and some that we're out in the world at large. Now let me give you a little bit of personal contacts for hearing this information because i began here at three-and-a-half years ago as director of religious education and that man i have the kids. So i had him from birth. Erase grade. And we were doing shortly after that gathering information for our search for settled minister and they're all these cottage meeting till and i know that i heard. A lot of people say. We do all this stuff really good for kids. You know we have these goals were we. Are turning out kids that have religious literacy. There are exposed to our christian judeo heritage and also world religions. That we encourage a social conscience in that we give an opportunity to explore how they feel about the concept of god. We don't do that for adults. And we we want that here. And in july 2012 the leadership of this church decided that that's how we were going to move his congregation and they changed us from an re-program to a lifespan faith development program. Lifespan face development speak term but what it really means is that you use. View our spiritual journey as a lifelong process. And the llc program is all of his classes and activities events. Better in support of each congregants personal journey. And so for me i was handed this in july 2012. And you know nobody here including the really knew what we were supposed to do to move from re2 lifespan we just wanted to do it. And then in october i went and i heard about faith formation 2020. And about lifelong face. Formation networks. And it was terrific timing for me because i had been in the position long enough to understand what life span was. And. Where are challenges probably were but i hadn't been here long enough to do any work. Add its hold me. How to put together a plan to put me probably a year ahead to figuring out which likely are password for this congregation. So. The lifelong. This formation network's next look to the ua curriculum vision a committee. For some guidance on how we would go about. Creating a plan. And the curriculum visioning committee. I recommended that there were four strands that we needed to focus on for congregants and for anybody who's ever been involved in re this will not be news to you because it's something we had for the children for a long time. And that what they said that we needed to provide opportunities to help our congregants in their ethical development their spiritual development. Their development of the uu identity. Interface development. And face development naturally comes out of the first three. So if you're helping a person to develop ethically and spiritually and to deepen their identity as a uuu will naturally develop their face. And they further said that we needed to look at those four strands in every age group that we had in the church we need to look at children youth which is defined as middle school and high school here. And adult and multi-generational opportunities. And within each one of those four groups. We needed to provide small group large group. And virtual. Opportunities for worship. And they put it all off on this really cool matrix. So that we could go back and we can fill it out weekend. We could put together plan for the future. Let me stress you this is not a matrix i go in my office and fill out and figure out how we do this this is something the entire congregation does. And when you do it you discovered that a lot of the different areas of our congregation start coming together in support of faith formation. And said many times everything we do here is ministry. And everything we do here contributes to the formation of faith. Now if we were to sit down as a group and start filling this matrix out. Hopefully we would not have a blank page. Because there are things we do really really well here already. That are part of supplying that. And a big portion of what we do really well as in the children side. She's had a really strong program for many many years here. I don't know if you all are aware of the current registration numbers. We've 141 unique children and youth as of last sunday. Registered in this program. Put on a contact that's about double what it was when i started three-and-a-half years ago. And about a quarter to a third of those kids are actually involved in a second program here so if you look at the number of slots. Lifespan development slots given over to children and youth it's somewhere between 180 and 185 spots. Cute. And that incidentally is not a surprise to anyone with a child downstairs because i can tell you. The whole month of september what i heard outside of the k1 room was people kind of staggering out with that dazed look on their facebook. Surprise this year. We knew we had this great big preschool class last year but we assumed it was like other years where 50% of those kids were three and 50% of those kids were for. And nope surprise 85% of them are going into kindergarten this year. Sork one class began the fall with 22 kids enrolled in it. However. Can i tell you that is not our largest class. Our largest class in middle school class. And that makes us very very unique among uu congregation. Because normally. We lose them in middle school. Is she now the kids start getting one more say in whether or not the get-go here and ballora sleeping in is a whole lot better than coming here. A potentially being bored for an hour. That's a big thing with me because i just don't see any reason world our kids need come here before. So. This was brought to me as a problem by dick cates right after i came here. Its director flex avari. And. He identified our curriculum choices were not all that good. They did just weren't good ones out there. There are couple that really good the neighbouring face one that we did last year with the kids go and visit other churches is great. 20 ology is good. But there was a lack of other curriculum. And for me and i believe dick. I had a paradigm shift when we did the simpsons. I don't know what that is. There's a book that was written called the gospel according to the simpsons. Is author took a look at all the theological references in the simpsons and apparently according to researchers. They have more in the simpsons like any other show on tv. And so this author wrote a very christian-based book. That was about these theological differences in a teaching guide came out of it. And it was. Pretty much unusable for you yukon. We literally use the name and the idea. But we created our own version of the gospel according to simpsons. A curriculum by the way that was offered out to other congregations and i lost track it's somewhere between 50 and 60 congregations that he requested it and i know for a fact it is being used today this year today as we speak. In at least 20 congregations around the country. Are cricket. So here's what we discovered we we had this curriculum where the kids came and they watched an episode of the simpsons and they talked about the religious idea that was located in it. And we discovered that our tenants went through the roof. Because. It was fun. Men who would want to come here and watch the simpsons right. But also the discussions that came out of it were great i mean you guys would not believe some of the conversations that come out of that class they're incredible. Dick's right if you get an opportunity. Touch base with one of the teachers and asked sit in on a class and sunday you will be amazed at the level conversation. And that had a big carrot on shift for me cuz i realized i no longer should i be accepting that we're going to lose kids in middle school. No longer should i accept that we're only going to get this percentage of kids registered showing up every sunday. And it informs how. We look at all of curriculum. And it's a big big effort puts against having curriculum and when we can't find it already done we're filling it in with original curriculum. And that's something we do here really really well. Now beyond curriculum. Rre program. Has a full social action contingent. It suites we partner with the community service team so that we have a full programme of social action projects through. The year. And we are turning out socially conscious kids. Why are cysts greater will. When he wants to do a toy drive for carilion hospital. Brought it here because he said. Here there are adults it'll help me get it done. Why my own son went to the interfaith food pantry for halloween food drive. Collected food help stock the shelves and donated his own money. Saying that. If people don't have enough to eat they could die. Sit down with. Why are you you kids and you will find that a huge percentage of them volunteer their time in some organization they feel passionate about. We are turning out socially conscious kids in the congregation of the whole ship feel really really good about that. But what can we do for the future. Imagine. If you would. That. All of this opportunities for children are also available for adults. So. That we have those things to find for kids for the curriculum that we are covering we are helping in their support of their uu identity and helping and making them literate in both our judeo-christian heritage and world religions and we're helping to give them a place where they can talk about. The concept of god and all of those opportunities are here for adults well. And imagine we over license virtual opportunities for example. We've had kids as far away as west virginia. Atenas congregation. That's pretty difficult if you live in west virginia to get here on sunday night for why are you you. But imagine that that person could skype in. And become a part. Of the conversation. We have this really great. Adult book group that meets on at lunchtime once a week and they stay like read a book about our face and they talk about it and i know i've heard from some of you you would like to go. But you can't because you work. Imagine you could skype in. And do it on your lunch hour work. Or imagine we had a blog with a synopsis of today's discussion and through the week you could put your own opinion in and share your viewpoint. So did our community of that book group goes beyond just a face-to-face. And goes out available to all of the congregation on your own time. We'll start to see. As each of the different groups are coming together in support of faith formation. That. We we start supporting it in different ways so if you if you can imagine for example in re curriculum to gear towards a certain age group. The social action bass. Which i can tell you is planned for next year. Now. Imagine that we put activities together for the entire congregation that are in support of that. Pretty one. And imagine that one of them. Partnering with social action here. Is a multi-generational social action i. Where you can come once a month and you can be in support of a particular social action project is supporting what the kids are doing an rv as well. Something big something that's important to the congregants here. Imagine that we have that available as a monthly. Get together but we also have it available virtually in some way. A way for you to participate virtually. And imagine that we then also take a look at what our congregants needs are what might keep them from being here and we look at how we can support it. So we might stay for example that appearance really want something. That they can do with a big wide range kid. They want all their kids to go to come. And so we intentionally would create something that would be. Okay for a big large group including all of the people that don't have kids. Who like to be around them. I would like to get to know the families better. We provide childcare for the really little ones that just too little to be part of it yet. And maybe we say well you know what one of the obstacles is that it's really hard to come home from work friday night feature kids and get here. Maybe we start providing dinner. Do i hear a hallelujah. So now friday night. Maybe becomes destination night at you you say families. And for those. Families of all types not just those with kids. That's the one really great thing about church. If you get to know. People from a different generation. Places you get to do that. We have this really successful buddy project. A christmas. The parrot up adults and children. And i know i've talked to. People on both sides that just thought that was wonderful and they do have new buddies now. And i have to tell you you all are messed up. Specifically with you in mind. Knowing you'd make a good match with your buddy. We hope to have more of that. And to be able to. Provide this opportunity so that. We can be supporting everyone in their ethical. Spiritual. Uu identity development. And helping to form their faith thank you can probably imagine if you go to some multi-generational social action might like that. But definitely ethical development. Probably spiritual development. Most definitely is in support of you as that you you because social consciousness is a huge part of our identity as you use. And from that i think you're going to find your face being form. Find it strengthened. Now i have put in your order service. A copy of the soul matrix. And on the back is a more detailed explanation of what each of the strands are. I would invite you all to take this home and consider your part. In the congregation whether you're part of a committee. Or whether you simply come here right now sunday mornings. To think about what we are currently doing. And what we might do in the future because i really do hope we as a congregation sit down at some point. In the near future and start to make a plan together for how we would. Help to support. Everyone's journey. Anytime anywhere. I think i lost people anytime anywhere. And stuff you think about. What it is the. You would like to see what's your wishlist. What would help you in your face formation. Bring those ideas back. Because. One of the things that should be happening is if you volunteer your time here. It should be. Helping to strengthen you as well. You know people don't come to church to be on committees. They come here for their own spiritual journey. And you would hope that whatever you're doing here is providing the same type of experience the dick described earlier. That while he's feeding others and he's helping to strengthen others journey. He's also strengthening his own journey. So i'll ask you all to just take that home and consider what your part might be in it. What you would like to see in it. And be part of this journey as we move forward i think it's going to be a really really fun one. And i'm looking forward to being on it with you. Thank you. Karen i don't know what you're talkin about i have course come to church to be on the committee. Karen i accept your challenge and i hope others do as well i look forward to working with you and others. Filling in all the little nuggets of the matrix. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website. At uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

150816_do_joy.mp3

Welcome to the august 16th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by are settled minister. Reverend arrowland. And her servant is titled. Sustaining joy. Our first reading this morning is by the poet. David white. Someone who is no stranger to. Pain and suffering but also joy and celebration. Joy is a form of deep intentionality and self. Forgetting. The bodily alchemy of what lies inside us in communion with what formerly. Themed outside. But is now neither. But become a living frontier. A voice speaking between us and the world dance. Laughter affection. Skin touching skin song. Music in the kitchen. The sheer beauty of the world. Inhabited as an edge between what we previously thought was us. And what we previously thought. Was other. Then. Our second reading this morning comes from another poet. Wendell berry. It was many of you know found inspiration. An abiding joy. In the natural landscape. When despair. For the world. Grows in me. And i wake. In the night at the least sound. In fear of what my life and my children's lives maybe. I go. And lie down. Where the wood drake rests in his beauty. On the water. In the green heron. I come into the. A while. Could you not text their lives with forethought of. Come into the presence of still water. And i feel above me the day blind stars. Waiting with their life. 4 time. Arrest. In the grace of the world. Therein lies the readings. Jared can we get an ode to joy. This is what we're talking about thank you chad this is what we're talking about this morning we're talking about july. I've said i'm joy to be back here. Together. With you and. As you know i was in california with my family my young son and my husband for several weeks. And we were traveling not at the speed of light. Which would be pretty amazing if i could do that but i can't. But we weren't even traveling like at the speed of technology either. We were traveling it what i would call. Shirley. Sort of speed. Slower speed. Perhaps the meandering sort of speed i mean it's speed that's different than my wired. Sort of speed when i'm plugged in. Wonder if you know what i mean it's a plugged in. Know when you got your communicating. Instantaneously. For the blessings and challenges of the intern. Now don't get me wrong because i'm not a luddite and i do appreciate technology i appreciate it as a tool. But it was really wonderful for me. To move at a creaturely. Sort of speed. Slower. End-of-summer had me thinking less about the rhythm of the 24-hour sort of news cycle. They were all exposed to when we turn on our tvs. I'm on our radios. I got me thinking about what it means to shed some of the hyperactivity that goes along with our hyper-connectivity. 19 creaturely. Summertime. Summertime and i mean. Handles. And sandy feet. Face is warm from the sunlight. Swinging. Walking. Shifting into slow. The motion of the river. How's everything and dropping water from their edges while skimming those clear surfaces. Creaturely. Being aware of other creatures. Like underneath the water the fish gliding. And. Barefeet exploring slippery rock. Golf. And tennis and cold drinks and warm nights after work. Ice cube. Wandering and hills and. Cooling down in movie theaters. Moving. Lyft. Planning. Pausing. Recovering restoring. Pacing. Tying. I didn't do every single one of these. But i think maybe some of you. And here we are together at the end of august. Winter in blacksburg is so many of you know the rhythm of our town. The students have come back. Classes beginning teachers are already working some of had a seriously restorative break and others not so much because they've been working all summer long. But summertime. We're creatures. Summer sun. Has baked us. We're living. Work. Warmer time. We can dress it up with our cars and our clothes but we're still. Creatures. And i mean that in the very best sense of the word where animals. More distinct animals. You need a lot of basics. Some people know maslow's. A theory of the basics of human needs the basic things we need and how we can grow and develop once our basic practical human needs are not. I believe in the base. That we need them. Food water clothing. But though it's not often talked about. It's a fundamental part i think. Of what we human being. Desire. And that we require. I've been thinking a lot about joy with you and this is not the first time we spoke about joy that i realize wasn't going to service about joy. Since i first arrived here. Miss a little bit more about that in a minute i want to share with you that over the past month i've been reading an interesting book. I find it interesting. I'm by jennifer senior to book some of you might also know about cub the modern paradox of pant parenting all joy. No fun. Has anyone else heard of this book before. Just came out recently. Let me say this about that i do find parenthood fun. But i think it's an interesting notion modern parenting. No fun and apprentice is in brief. That much has changed. Changed in child-rearing over the past several decades in the us. Today caring for a child's emotional. At well-being plays a huge role in parenting. Both in its practices and its pressures in a way that's different. Then several generations before. This particular writer is getting it dis. Is changing diapers. Fun. Not too. Right. But when parents of young children are asked about whether parenting. Bring. Sure. Tooth airlines. It turns out the overwhelming answer is yes. This doesn't mean that folks who don't have children are any less joyful. In fact they report lots of joy and also apparently more fun. 2. But rather than. The point is here. To really look at how. The way in which parents reflect on differences between fun and joy. Is one powerful way for us to see that sheila and fun are qualitatively different in some ways that we might not typically realizing our culture. I'm a fan of fun. Final score. An important. Fun is great. But fun can also. Troy joy. Let me give you an example i'm a group of kids let's say who aren't have fun by loading up water balloons and finding the closest balcony and dropping them on people that are getting ready to go to work. That might be fun joy connection multi-generational welcome in reality right. Not so much. We can have fun like go to a carnival without necessarily knowing joy. So today i went to think what you a little bit about what is. Troy. Here's what icing. I think joy is a spiritual. A felt sense that is both deep and light. Condition. Of the spirit in which true connection with. Beating heart. Of life itself. And the universe. Which song name. Or mister. Is felt in a liberating restorative. Meaningful way. I know joy when i see my child. Swing on the swing set. Playground. Really quite remarkable. I'm envious of how much joy. Defining on the swing it's help me remember why i got to get on that swing and remember. What that was. I see there of sons of. Right now. A being taken blissfully off-guard a sense of soaring. Taking flight breaking forth. What is joy. It's not necessarily pleasure though it can be it's not necessarily fun as i said though it can be joy is not necessarily individual. Do it can be deeply felt in one's own soul. Chole. Wellspring of appreciation. Mixed with wonder. Not just for a thing. But for that which is larger. In buddhism joy plays a very important role. Joys of state of relationship. Clarity. About life. Beyond hayes of our illusions. This also appears in hinduism as well joy. Is a playful dance. But the humans and the gods do within this multi-layered. Reality that includes destruction and recreation and mystery and tumultuous sorts of change. Experiencing joy. I think it's a way that we honor license. 42 live in a joyless existence it's not only treasury but in fact it's a denial. Under god. I mean the good that is right here. And right now. When we sing that buddhist meditation meditation with one another. We say. May you know joy. We don't say. May you have a special joy latte. With your name on it. We do not say may you have a better more shiny joy. Then your coworker. We don't say may you have an individually packaged joy that is just the way you would like it that delivers the exact amount of joy that is appropriate for you in this space and time. No. We say it may you know joy. What i'm getting at with you this morning is that perhaps joy. Like that word god. And what lies. When we use language what lies beyond our language when people say that word god. Baby joy is bigger and wider and deeper than our human minds can master and control. Perhaps what we can do with apprehend we can spend. We can experience we can ignore ology. And welcome. Maybe we can sustain. July. Joy itself as a source. By noticing what helps us. To know joy. More deeply. What helps you. No. In your mind. Think of a completion to this. Sentence. I know joy when. Think of the completion to this then. I will know joy when. I wonder what would happen. If we. And by we i mean each one of us and a larger we of our culture i wonder what would happen if we. Placed joy. At the center of our calculus. Regarding household. Actually real joy is spiritual connectedness to self. The others to the larger hole. I wonder how practically speaking honoring joy could carry us. Culturally. More deeply to a world of riches. I mean real richness. You know. That world beyond dollars. Beyond diamonds. Not that everyone here has. The diamond. It turns out that in popular culture. But not just in popular culture also in religious and spiritual scholarship. Chamoy. Has fizzled. And i don't mean that people are joyful and happy. In religious and spiritual scholarship what i mean is actually turns out joy as a topic. Has actually disappeared. People for the past decade have been talking a lot about. Theologies of suffering. And theologies of evil which is important to talk about. But today i wonder about what about theologies of joy. I'm not the only one that's noticed this and i'm a little concerned. Curious about it last year at yale divinity school brought together several distinguished. Theological scholars to better explore how it is and why it is joy. Isotopic has disappeared from theological conversation. I wonder. What if into this world we are to bring. And cultivate joy. Not to escape the pain of the world not that. But rather to help direct us towards its mending. Could it be that we are 216 july. Bring it. Sing it. Open it. Allow for. Make a place for. Control i lead us to healing the world ending. Joy and silence. Joy in service. Joy and laughter. Joy and lingering. Joy and loving. Joy and organizing for justice joy and teaching. Joy and living. Joy and honoring. Sharing. The joy. That we can create together. Reminded by lines from 13th century poet halala dan rooney also known as the mevlana. Sufi scholar and mystic and poet. And he wrote. Dance. When you're broken often. Dance when you've torn the bandage off. Dancing fighting. Dance when you're. Want to say. A little. A few last words right now. And welcome joy in. By not using too many words. I want to share with you a chance practice. Joyful. Evocative icing. Prayer and. Champ practice that i learned. From rob's almond schachter-shalomi. Who passed. From this earth last year he's a. Hasidic rabbi who helped found the renewal movement infusing. Contemporary judaism with a sense of joy. And i'm. When i think about ribs almond. In the short time that i was able to kind of sit at his knee so to speak. All when i was in boulder colorado. His joyfulness. Reminded me a lot of mother teresa's saying that a joyful hearts. Is the normal result of a heart burning. With. Live. And i also. Blessed be his memory went to lift up that there was a sweet smile. That rubs almond wood have when he taught. He was a close friend of the dalai lama and. I think some of you probably seen that sweet smile. But also is visible on the dalai lama's face. Also in spiritual teacher tick not han people who have known suffering. And none the less. Are incredibly joy. Can access to. Okay i said i was going to say less words and teach. Cancel let me do that. Here's a chance. Garrison help us with this. I'm going to say a few lines and i'm hoping that you i would invite you to sing a response line the line is very simple. The line is. Hallelujah. I'm going to invite us to take our time. Not to russia. This is a way of using our words. A name and sing gratitude to the stars and skies and say. Hallelujah. For all trees and tall steve burns. Hallelujah. For creeping things and. Wing it burns. The peoples of the earth and the representatives of the elected officials to all of them. Fireman and social worker. Verizon hail and common fog. The great big whales and guppies too. Free young. Men and babies. Hallelujah. Or older folks and little kids. Oral traditions of hope and courage. For the presence in our lives of music and art. Or new ideas and wisdom to. For the gift of time that is ours to share. For the possibilities of breathing joy. Yeah. As the poet david wyatt says inside everyone. Is a great shout. Joy. Waiting. Let us go from this place connected. To joy. Let us help it be stout. Known recalled appreciated in short let us. Bring it. Let us clean it. Let us. Sad. By its fountain. Forever. I'm in. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in. Virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website. Uuc and rv. org. Our first reading this morning is by the poet. David white. Someone who is no stranger to. Pain and suffering but also joy and celebration. Joy as a form of deep intentionality and self. Forgetting. The bodily alchemy of what lies inside us in communion with what formerly. Seemed outside. But is now neither. But become a living frontier. Avoid speaking between us and the world dance. Laughter affection. Skin touching skin song. Music in the kitchen. The sheer beauty of the world. Inhabited as an edge between what we previously thought was us. And what we previously thought. Was other. Then. Our second reading this morning comes from another poet. Wendell berry. It was many of you know found inspiration. An abiding joy. In the natural landscape. When despair. For the world. Grows in me. And i wake. In the night at the least sound. In fear of what my life and my children's lives maybe. I go. And lie down. Where the wood drake rests in his beauty. On the water. In the green heron. I come into the. A while. Could you not tax their lives with forethought of. I come into the presence of still water. And i feel above me the day blind stars. Waiting with their life. 4 time. I wrapped. In the grace of the world. Therein lies the readings. Jared can we get an ode to joy. This is what we're talking about thank you chad this is what we're talkin about this morning were talking about july. I've said i'm joy to be back here. Together. With you and. As you know i was in california with my family my young son and my husband for several weeks. And we were traveling not at the speed of light. Which would be pretty amazing if i could do that but i can't. But we weren't even traveling like at the speed of technology either. We were traveling it what i would call. Shirley. Sort of speed. Slower speed. Perhaps the meandering sort of speed i mean it's speed that's different than my wired. Tortoise speed when i'm plugged in. Wonder if you know what i mean it's a plugged in. Know when you got your communicating. Instantaneously. For the blessings and challenges of the intern. Now don't get me wrong because i'm not a luddite and i do appreciate technology i appreciate it as a tool. But it was really wonderful for me. To move at a creaturely. Sort of speed. Slower. End-of-summer had me thinking less about the rhythm of the 24-hour sort of news cycle. They were all exposed to when we turn on our tvs. On our radios. I got me thinking about what it means to shed some of the hyperactivity that goes along with our hyper-connectivity. 19 creaturely. Summertime. Summertime and i mean. Sandals. Insanity feet. Face is warm from the sunlight. Swinging. Walking. Shifting into slow. The motion of the river. How's everything and dropping water from their edges while skimming those clear surfaces. Creaturely. Being aware of other creatures. Like underneath the water the fish gliding. And. Barefeet exploring slippery rock. Golf. And tennis and cold drinks and warm nights after work. Ice cube. Wandering and hills and. Cooling down in movie theaters. Moving. Lyft. Planning. Pausing. Recovering restoring. Hastings. Tying. I didn't do every single one of these. But i think maybe some of you. And here we are together at the end of august. Winter in blacksburg is so many of you know the rhythm of our town. The students have come back. Classes beginning teachers are already working some of had a seriously restorative break and others not so much because they've been working all summer long. But summertime. We're creatures. Summer sun. Has baked us. We're living. Work. Warmer time. We can dress it up with our cars and our clothes but we're still. Creatures. And i mean that in the very best sense of the word where animals. More distinct animals. You need a lot of basics. Some people know maslow's. A theory of the basics of human needs the basic things we need and how we can grow and develop once our basic practical human needs are not. I believe in the base. That we need. Food water clothing. But though it's not often talked about. It's a fundamental part i think. Of what we human being. Desire. And that we require. I've been thinking a lot about joy with you and this is not the first time we've spoken about joy but i realize we haven't done a service about joy. Since i first arrived here. Miss a little bit more about that in a minute i want to share with you that over the past month i've been reading an interesting book. I find it interesting. I'm by jennifer senior to book some of you might also know about cubs the modern paradox of tantric parenting all joy. No fun. Has anyone else heard of this book before. Just came out recently. Let me say this about that i do find parenthood fun. But i think it's an interesting notion modern parenting. No fun and apprentice is in brief. That much has changed. Changed and child-rearing over the past several decades in the us. Today caring for a child's emotional. At well-being plays a huge role in parenting. Both in its practices and its pressures in a way that's different. Then several generations before. This particular writer is getting it dis. Is changing diapers. Fun. Not tip. Right. But when parents of young children are asked about whether parenting. Bring. Sure. Tooth airlines. It turns out the overwhelming answer is yeah. This doesn't mean that folks who don't have children are any less joyful. In fact they report lots of joy and also apparently more fun. 2. But rather than. The point is here. To really look at how. The way in which parents reflect on differences between fun and joy. Is one powerful way for us to see that she loy and fun are qualitatively different in some ways that we might not typically realize in our culture. I'm a fan of fun. Fun is good. An important. Fun is great. But fun can also. Troy joy. Let me give you an example i'm a group of kids let's say who i'm have fun by loading up water balloons and finding the closest balcony and dropping them on people that are getting ready to go to work. That might be fun joy connection multi-generational welcome in reality right. Not so much. We can have fun like go to a carnival without necessarily knowing joy. So today i went to think what you a little bit about what is. Troy. Here's what icing. I think joy is a spiritual. A felt sense that is both deep and light. Condition. Of the spirit in which true connection with. Beating heart. Of life itself. And the universe. Which song name. Or mister. Is felt in a liberating restorative. Meaningful way. I know joy when i see my child. Swing on the swing set. Playground. Really quite remarkable. I'm envious of how much joy. Defining on the swing it's helped me remember why i got to get on that swing and remember. What that was. I see there's a sense of. Right now. Are being taken blissfully off-guard a sense of soaring. Taking flight breaking forth. What is joy. It's not necessarily pleasure though it can be it's not necessarily fun as i said though it can be joy is not necessarily individual. Do it can be deeply felt in one's own soul. July. It's the wellspring of appreciation. Mixed with wonder. Not just for a thing. But for that which is larger. In buddhism joy plays a very important role. Joys of state of relationship. Clarity. About life. Beyond hayes of our illusions. This also appears in hinduism as well july. Is a playful dance. But the humans and the gods do within this multi-layered. Reality that includes destruction and recreation and mystery and tumultuous sorts of change. Experiencing joy. I think it's a way that we honor lights. 42 live in a joyless existence it's not only treasury but in fact it's a denial. Under god. I mean the good that is right here. And right now. When we sing that buddhist meditation meditation with one another. We say. May you know joy. We don't say. May you have a special joy latte. With your name on it. We do not say may you have a better more shiny joy. Then your coworker. We don't stay may you have an individually packaged joy that is just the way you would like it that delivers the exact amount of joy that is appropriate for you in this basement i. No. We say it may you know joy. What i'm getting at with you this morning is that perhaps joy. Like that word god. And what lies. When we use language what lies beyond our language when people say that word god. Baby joy is bigger and wider and deeper than our human minds can master and control. Perhaps what we can do with apprehend we can sense. We can experience we can ignore ology. And welcome. Maybe we can sustain. July. Joy itself as a source. By noticing what helps us. To know joy. More deeply. What helps you. No. In your mind. Think of a completion to this. Sentence. I know joy when. Think of a completion to this then. I will know joy when. I wonder what would happen. If we. And by we i mean each one of us and a larger we of our culture i wonder what would happen if we. Placed joy. At the center of our calculus. Regarding how to live. Actually real joy is spiritual connectedness to self. The others to the larger hole. I wonder how practically speaking honoring joy could carry us. Culturally. More deeply to a world of riches. I mean real richness. You know. That world beyond dollars. Beyond diamonds. Not that everyone here has tons of diamond. It turns out that in popular culture. But not just in popular culture also in religious and spiritual scholarship. Chamoy. Has fizzled. And i don't mean that people are joyful and happy. In religious and spiritual scholarship what i mean is actually turns out joy as a topic. Has actually disappeared. People for the past decade have been talking a lot about. Theologies of suffering. And theology is of evil which is important to talk about. But today i wonder about what about theologies of joy. I'm not the only one that's noticed this and i'm a little concerned. Curious about it last year at yale divinity school brought together several distinguished. Theological scholars to better explore how it is and why it isn't joy. At the topic has disappeared from theological conversation. I wonder. What if into this world we are to bring. And cultivate joy. Not to escape the pain of the world not that. But rather to help direct us towards its mending. Could it be that we are 216 july. Bring it. Left. Sing it. Open it. Allow for. Make a place for. Control i lead us to healing the world ending. Joy and silence. Joy in service. Joy and laughter. Joy and lingering. Joy and loving. Joy and organizing for justice joy and teaching. Joy and living. Joy and honoring. Sharing. The joy. That we can create together. Reminded by lines from 13th century poet halala dan rooney also known as the mevlana. Sofia scholar and mystic and poet. And he wrote. Dance. When you're broken often. Dance when you've torn the bandage off. Dancing fighting. Dance when you're. Want to say. Well a few last words right now. And welcome joy in. By not using too many words. I want to share with you a chance practice. Joyful. Evocative i think. Prayer and. Champ practice that i learned. From rob's almond schachter-shalomi. Who passed. From this earth last year he's a. Team hasidic rabbi who helped found the renewal movement infusing. Contemporary judaism with a sense of joy. And i'm. When i think about ribs almond. In the short time that i was able to kind of sit at his knee so to speak. All when i was in boulder colorado. His joyfulness. Reminded me a lot of mother teresa's saying that a joyful heart. Is the normal result of a heart burning. With. Live. And i also. Blessed be his memory went to lift up that there was a sweet smile. That rubs almond wood have when he taught. He was a close friend of the dalai lama and. I think some of you probably seen that sweet smile. But also is visible on the dalai lama's face. Also in spiritual teacher tick not han people who have known suffering. And nonetheless. Are incredibly joy. Can access joy. Okay i said i was going to say less words and teach. Cancel let me do that. Here's a chance. Keratin help us with this. I'm going to say a few lines and i'm hoping that you i would invite you to sing a response line the line is very simple. The line is. Hallelujah. I'm going to invite us to take our time. Not to russia. This is a way of using our words. A name and sing gratitude to the stars and skies and say. Hallelujah. Pharrell trees and tall steve burns. Hallelujah. For creeping things and. Wing it burns. The peoples of the earth and the representatives of the elected officials to all of them. Fireman and social worker. For iceland hail and common fog. The great big whales and guppies too. Free young. Men and babies. Hallelujah. Or older folks and little kids. Oral traditions of hope and courage. For the presence in our lives of music and art. Renew ideas and wisdom to. For the gift of time that is ours to share. For the possibilities of breathing joy. As the poet david wyatt says inside everyone. Is a great shout. Joy. Waiting. Let us go from this place connected. To joy. Let us help it be stout. Known recalled appreciated in short let us. Bring it. Let us just ain't it. Lettuce. Sad. By its fountain. Forever. I'm in. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website. Uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

150913_do_common-ground.mp3

Welcome cuz it's september 13th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by ourselves minister. Reverend airoli. And her sermon is titled. Dynamic common ground. The podcast begins with introductory comments by worship associate earl irwin. Add a reflection by uuc member judy snow. These words are from ask big questions. The hello program designed to start dialogue to help us understand others and ourselves. It's the late summer. The early autumn. We're coming back from vacation. Going back to school. Starting a new season. On the jewish calendar. This is the season of the high holidays of rosh hashanah and yom kippur. For all of us. It's a chance to begin anew. It's a time to review our harvest. Our accomplishments. Our failures. Our successes and our mistakes. The past year. We have the chance to learn from them. However we have fallen short of the life we could be living. However we have become inspired to do better in the coming year. The beginning of the year invites us to start again. I began to reconsider my life says marge piercy. What is the yield of my impatience. What is the fruit. Of my resolve. The image she leaves throughout the poem. Is ava gardner and harvest time. This is a moment to review the harvest. To see what his grown. And what has failed. It is a time to plant for next year. And she was tradition the process of reviewing our lives. And resolving to do better is called t'shuvah. Which literally means. Return. This is a time for us to return to ourselves. Our family and our friends. And she does things that are most important to us. It's a time to confront difficult conversations. With others. And with ourselves. That we know we need to have. But we're which were too often. Afraid to have. What will you do better this year. Morning in lieu of a reading. I've invited judy snoke to share brief reflections on her experience of the high holidays. When i was a child we attended a reform jewish synagogue. Yom kippur and russia shawna where the most important days of the year. They began with a fast on the day of atonement. And ended. With. Honey and apples. At the end of the new year's celebration. We attended three hours of service on the day of atonement. With prayers and music. And the central roman. Of the service was a contemplation. Anavar sins. The prayer was. For the sandwich we have committed under duress. Willingly. For the sandwich we have committed knowingly or unknowingly. For the sandwich we have committed. His speech or silence. For the sin which we have committed. Osemele. Are secretly. The list is long. It includes. Deception ridicule. Hard-heartedness. Gluttony. Zuri. Arrogance. Gossip. Pry. Passing judgement. Great scheming. Begrudging. Quality. In a dazzling and war. And for these sins. God of pardon. Forgive us. And atone for us. Finally. We ask god to inscribe our names. In the book of life for another year. Nothing more. What stays with me is that the list goes beyond the first. Ten commandments. And touches on the traits. Which underlined. Family and community. Anchor lorwin and judy snow for opening this morning our conversation together. About the high holidays. This morning and did we come together and we honor the jewish. High holidays which began as you've heard with rosh hashanah which is the jewish new year. Celebration observation of that occasion begins this evening at sundown and will conclude on. Tuesday. And part of the high holidays of course yom kippur. Day of atonement or as i like to be reminded day of at. Onemint. Which begins the sunset of tuesday the 22nd of this month and ends on wednesday. The 23rd. Earlier this morning earl read for us some words that echoed back the question of the poet's marge piercy who whose voice was part of our responsive reading this morning. And judy of course remembers the important practices she experienced in synagogue a version of which i to experience. Stingrays both jewish and unitarian universalism. Unitarian universalist. That is the practice of the high holidays being a very important time of introspection. Taking an inventory. How one has acted over the past year. Before 1 starts afresh and the gates as they stay open. For the new year. Unitarian universalist we honor the wisdom of the world religious traditions. And we also value our historical roots as unitarian universalist than our own heritage. Which traces back to both jewish and christian sources. Of course today now we say we have a big sort of 10. A pluralistic people we are we say come come whoever you are ours is no caravan of despair. And those words come from halala din rumi who is a sufi. Muslim scholar. Poet teacher writer. Many many many centuries ago. And so it is today that we join with. Jewish communities and also pluralistic unitarian universalist communities and think about the high holidays. And its meaning for us. I actually think it's a neat thing to start a new year in this way. Taking a critical inventory of oneself. Now of course it's unitarian-universalist we tend to really wrestle with the notion of sin. What is sin. Who decides what sin is. Some of us carry a lot of connotations about that word were allergic to that word. Unitarian universalism and how we engage with that word sin. Is actually entirely different service. Different sermon. But for today what i want us to keep in mind it's the notion that at the time of the high holidays we do an inventory. That allows us to think about ways in which we might have missed the mark. How have we missed the mark in the past year. Who are words are deeds are action. What i. Appreciate about the high holidays is that some people carries some guilt around the high holidays but i believe it's real power. Is. The power of looking critically and honestly. And in the power that we can reform in ourselves when we take reparative restored adaction. And this is also the task of the high holidays. To look inside where have i missed the mark and then take repairing restored adaction. During this time sometimes people call up their friends there. Boss their mother their father. They will talk to their spouse their children they will stay. I want to tell you i realized this was on my heart. Taking. Repairing restorative action. Whole communities do this. I'll tell you that i'm. I haven't actually received too many. Atonement call. But i will tell you briefly the story of one. This is al. Several years ago is living in boulder colorado have friends and we actually met in jewish community she was really intrigued by unitarian universalist. And i was intrigued by her on observance. In a different way than i observed jewish practice and. We had a disagreement. And i think feelings were hurt on both sides. And. Many months passed and then i got to call and it was. On rosh hashanah. And the phone rang and she said. I'm calling because i realized. I want to say i'm so. And i'll tell you my first thought was not the highest thought. I'll be honest with you my first thought was she's calling because of the high holidays. And then i thought she's calling because. The high holidays. She did an inventory in and of herself remembered this. Less than positive interaction and she wanted. Tell me. That she was very. And i was so grateful. Her doing that inspired me to go even deeper in my own inventory and i searched my heart could i make a call like that. And i realized. Just like everyone. We are all fallible of course there was someone. And so i made a call to a family member and i said this is on my heart. I want to tell you i'm so sorry. That when we had this interaction at the last family gathering. I left with a sense that things weren't quite right between. And here's what i've been thinking. That particular family member isn't jewish. So i don't think that their first thought was calling because it's a high holiday. But this is kind of chain of events that we seek to when we do these things in our lives one good interaction be getting another one. Whole communities repairing and restoring their relationships with one another or trying to. The idea is as a jewish scholar rabbi who i really appreciate michael strathfield says. We begin again. We begin again in the idea isn't just that we go into the new year same old person. But rather we go. Into the new year as a. Better purse. Then we were. And why could this not be the case. Clearly there are ways in which each one of us probably when we do a critical inventory of our lives. In some ways miss omar. In the past year. So today i asked. You the same brave question that earl shared with us which was coming out of the question marge piercy poses and the hillel program poses. What can you do better. Really think about it what can you do better. Now this morning i also mentioned that we'll be talkin about. Common ground. The dynamic of common ground how do we form common ground and i actually don't think the teachings and practices of the high holidays are that different. Actually or dissimilar from a search for common ground. When we search for common ground we also have to do a critical inventory about what we're bringing into a conversation. And oftentimes we have to wrestle with. How we are relating to each other. As we search and seek for common ground. I believe that. Each one of us. Is hungry for knowledge. Knowledge about life. Knowledge about what we are doing here with our lives. Knowledge about what comes now. Knowledge about how to do it. Better. Whatever it is. I think we religious liberals are hardy bunch we want to figure this stuff out we when i get into meaningful rich conversation. And at our best as religious liberals not just unitarian universalist but. Anybody who identifies with a strand of liberal religious inquiry i think want to dig deeply get to know people across the boundaries of differ. At our best we are honest. Thoughtful and curious. When we meet. People that are different or think differently than us. At our worst. Justin for taking a critical inventory of ourselves. I'd say and i worst i think. In liberal religion people that find themselves in liberal religion at our worst we get uncomfortable with the. And in our discomfort. We actually say things like. World to sing. It's that yearning for common ground that makes us say it but it's a glossy cover all the same. Cuz we want it to be so. I think also at our worst when we're not as strong and vibrant and really engaged. Inauthentic communication learning about difference and owning up to our own perspective when we're not doing that we can also flip into something that i would call moral relativism. Which is like mush oatmeal. Because it basically says oh yeah oh you know whatever. Whatever. We have more to say each one of us and as a community in a chaotic. Beautiful and bewildering world we have more to say then. And did we have a rich line of people who have stood up and said what they think and believe we also have a rich tradition of having the courage. Of entering into the public square and really engaging with people who have different ideas. I want to lift up today for you i'm. The work that really inspires the service this morning. And the work itself is a conversation that you can actually access online. And it's a conversation between cornel west. And robert george. Cornel west. As many of you know. Is a is a scholar. A teacher. An activist he has taught at princeton. Perverted currently teaches at union theological seminary in new york. He is a blazing passionate at african american scholar who also has. A real grasp on. Classical dialogue. The teachings and western philosophy on classical dialogue and he's a known. Radical progressive folks know cornel west. Okay and robert george. Is also a professor from princeton university whose background is very. He lives on the other side of the political spectrum. He is a catholic. Cornel west has a christian socialist. Robert george is a catholic and he has written extensively about natural law. He's written about bioethics. And he frequently goes as a student stay it's okay professor you're not around because you're over at the vatican. Talking to. Do people know robert george. Okay maybe not so much. So here are these to build pillars of philosophy theology. Dialogue. Critical issues that are often very inflammatory when we just tune into the dominant media but yours what they do they go out and they talked to whole community together. And they talk about their search for,. After 13 years of knowing each other a point on west says of robert george that he doesn't sit across the table from from this person and sit and thinks himself a conservative. No he thinks this is my brother. And what's he going to talk about today. I want to lift up a few pieces that they have shared it when they go out and they talk to people on the search for common ground. And hopefully will be instructive for us as we speak. To reach out and engage powerful. With difference. When we get courageous. About being with different be in our families. Bia and small dialogue circles that happened here being out in the larger world. There's some principles that they say. The first principle. Is that both cornel west and robert george. Are deeply committed. To the search. 4 comment. They're both deeply committed to the speaking of truth-seeking of wisdom they're both invested not necessarily in arriving there and planting a flag in the journey. Towards. Towards wisdom. And this is very resonant with unitarian universalist one of our principles is the search. For truth and meaning. So cornel west and robert george say they are both committed to the searching. For truth which necessarily involves others. They also talk about civility. First principles seeking common ground stability. We will not yell at each other. Interesting commentary in this day and age that these two pillars start right there. Sounds simple but we know it's not when we turn on the. The next one. Ducktales with the high holidays. It has to do. With adopting a stance. Salability. Both of these gentlemen say that when they enter into the search for common ground in a dialog practice. They think about their cumin salability. The notion that. They could be wrong. And when we as individuals adopt the sense of human salability. Here's what it does to us. We enter into a conversation. If i enter into conversation with mary and i think i could be wrong. She could be wrong. There might be things that each one of us don't know i'm going to start with myself maybe there's something i can learn. Ivan have intellectual. Humility. This is the second principle they talk. Civility and intellectual humility. It is not the same as intellectual self-degradation i have nothing at all to bring to this. I know nothing at all not that. But his sense of intellectual humility is it possible that i will arrive at this conversation and learn something i did not yet know. Will it be great if we saw this in television. Modeled for. Adopting this kind of self-critical attitude this is what robert george says orient us not to the prize of winning. Point or an argument. What's the prize of seeking truth. And seeking wisdom. Adopting the stance of self-criticism helps us from falling in love. With our own opinions and putting opinion instead of truth. Seeking common ground this way when truth matters more and opinion. When truth-seeking truth matters more than opinion i don't need to feel vindicated. Instead i need to be expanding my perspective even if that helps me more clearly understand my own pointed. Adopting this intellectual humility. Both west and out. At george state that this helps us from falling into partisanship. There's so much richness and is interchange between these two men on the athletes by daniel o'dell help lift up the link into our facebook page so some of you can watch these two men share their thoughts and ideas. Today but i would like to conclude by saying. Is that. It is possible. For each one of us. Practice seeking common ground. Taking the time. To speak. Common ground not just. To try to arrive at common ground there by shutting down diversity. Of opinions and purse. Both gentlemen remind me that in this day and age it to be really easy. As individuals as communities when we find people with affinity. Gordon ourselves off. And talk just to ourselves. The challenge is that then we have a world or at least a u.s. society filled with several echo chambers. In which each echo chamber gets louder more sure that they are right and there could never be another sort of perspective. In this process i agree with both of the gentleman i can talking about today i agreed that then art democracy. Nr2 dialog. Opportunities are lost. I challenge at. I challenged us to be courageous. In speaking our minds. And then listening. For what another has to say. Without collapsing and feeling like we must take on everything that the other side. But also being open with intellectual humility to expand and grow our own perspectives. At this time. At this new year i do believe the time is ripe. For us as individuals a congregation as a whole society to really start speaking. Common. Ground. Our future. Depends on it. Let us go forward. Living courageously. Seeking common ground. Blessed be. And. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

160110_do_religious-imagination.mp3

Welcome to the january 10th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by her settled minister. Reverend darrell roland. And her sermon is titled brave new world. Religious imagination in the 21st century. The podcast begins with a pastoral prayer. Which is followed by two readings and her sermon. I invite you now to join with one another and with me. Inexperience of prayerful. Reflection. Would have taken opportunity. To power down. To connect breath. Body. Spirit. Dear deep and abiding sources of love and hope. Known by. Many different names. We come together. To remember that which is. Most. Were they. And important in our lives. Spirit of a biotin courage. Help us go easy. On ourselves this year. Hinder our hearts that we might also go easy. Those whom we love. And those who we don't know. But share. Our workplaces. Communities. Cities towns. Country and world with. Let us extend today our care and compassion in ever-widening circles to embrace all those places. Weather is suffering. And fear. Let us remember the good. That is love and kindness. Help us. To be good helpers. Help us to sow the seeds of the change. That we crave. Help us to care for it one another. And a beautiful. And deeply challenging world. Blessed be. And ahmed. To readings this morning. First reading of spy. Rev dr. howard thurman. Spiritual mentor to the reverend dr. martin luther king. There is something in everyone of you. That waits and listens for the sound of the genuine. In yourself. It is the only true god you will ever have. And if you cannot hear it. You will all your life. Spend your day is on the ends of strange that someone. Elf. Second reading from an author named jeff chang from his recent book who we be a cultural history of. Lace in post-civil rights america. When we talk about social change we privileged events they former story. About how history thrust forward. We alter our language to fit this world view. Politics is hard. Tangible like the earth. Culture is soft. Slippery like water. But what if we thought of change not just with a chain of events. And said what if we thought of change also as a process that like the ocean itself. Never stops moving. We would have to acknowledge that there is a vast world out there whose substance and drift. Do not always coherent the big event. But within which invisible forces are pushing back and forth creating meanings and movements all the time. Here is where artists and those who work in play at the culture enter. They are people to see what cannot yet be seen. The hear the unheard. To tell the untold. They make change feel not just possible but inevitable. Every moment as major social change requires a collective leap. Of imagination. Change presents itself not only in on taneous and organized expressions of unrest and risk. But an explosions of. Now. Creativity. I don't know how many of you might have ever been to yosemite valley. In california. Funniest joke you've ever been to yosemite. Okay. And maybe you've seen yosemite if you've never been there self and some photographs by ansel adams. Also if you. Have screensavers on your computer. Sometimes there's already pre-programmed images. Computerized version. Yosemite valley. El capitan is a mountain in that valley and from its base to its summit. About 3,000 feet. I would be very impressed if some of you climb that mountain i'm sure maybe some people here how. It's one of the most favorite places in the world for rock climbers and four base jumpers. And i'm at capitan i understand is also now the name of a new operating system. That math has. Lunch. This program. On the mac. It's new. But the mountain. Is very old. Back to the mountains been around shaped by glacial forces. That really fostered and started to grow that mountain between 1.3 and 1 million years ago. And there's a few different types of rocks that make up that amazing addison it's mostly granite. That mountain el capitan it got its name in 1851. But we've been standing when the very first. Human ancestors are gophers. Human ancestors. Where in these lands. The lands that now we're part of. United states. Has been around for a long time we might think that it's permanent. And their seemingly forever. Annapolis rather knew because it was born in 1976. But that mountain. And the name of the maac program operating system. They're both likely to be in permanent. Perhaps one more little transient than the other. We just don't know how long. Things will last. And the notion of impermanent. 15. The idea that things don't always stay the same. Is something that we unitarian universalist. Tend to wrestle and i would think russell pretty well with. The knowledge that. Machining permanent. Actually can be quite. Impermanence. And this is something that we share with buddhism which is i think why a lot of unitarian universalist also gravitate towards buddhism in a lot of speakers today gravitate towards buddhism how will we be with. That which is impermanence. Even of the things that seemed once so very clear and always andy. Today i'm going to go back to this idea of. Impermanence impermanence. I want to briefly tell you a story about a very interesting person and our unitarian universalist history who did a lot of thinking and not perhaps about el capitan and math. But really did some wrestling with the book called the transient. And the permanence. The person's name was theodore parker. Just born in 1810 in less lexington massachusetts and he was raised in a white. Working class portage family. He didn't have a very easy life in fact he had siblings many siblings who died. And his mother died when he was 11 years old so atoms of loss and being with the. Transient. Nature of life with very much in his heart and mind as he grew up. He was a really smart person. One of his goals was to become acquainted with the literature of every known language and soaking mastered reading skill in some. 20 languages. By the time he was. 27. He when you read accounts of his life people described him as a teenager is very emotional and very poetic. They also described him as rogus. Which of the word you don't really often hear very much these days. Roguish. And they also called him witty. Peter parker grew up to be incredibly well-regarded and well-known minister. In unitarian. Ism anondida still celebrated. In unitarian-universalism he's known primarily for two things. Although there's a lot to him and some of the unsung information about having to lift up today but he's known very well for one being the person who originally put that framing language together the ark. Of the moral universe. But it bends towards justice. He actually said it more this way my eye can see but little ways but from where i see. I see that the arc of the moral universe then towards jeff. Those words were picked up and adopted by. Rev dr martin luther king and also then picked up and adapted by barack obama to. Peter parker is also very well known to be an abolitionist in history he was a minister known to have a gun in his desk. And the reason he had a gun in his desk because he was willing and committed to provide cover for escaping slaves. He lived in dangerous times and volatile times he lived in times when. There's a lot of change and turmoil around slavery. About expansion of what was then america and and expansion colonial project that was still. Unfolding. Peter parker was also star in his day. So when he preached there when he grew up and preached and boston. Wrong for people under the people would come and listen to him. And of course there wasn't tv and radio back then but he was often trying to interpret. His the issues of his day. I imagine it a little bit this way he'd be out star of the ted talk. Today. But of course this is before there were ted talks. He was invited out back. it was an honor and it still is to be invited to be the minister the unitarian universalist minister that goes and preaches the ordination sermon of the new leaf. Ordained minister. And in 1841 theodore parker was invited to give an address at someone's ordination. What he offered that day became something called. The transient and the permanence. And it's full name the full name of that sherman with a discourse on the transient and permanent in christianity. In that work. What peter parker was really wrestling with and important to note that he was. Liberal christian. He was a unitarian liberal christian at that time. Which was really wrong playing with was what is. Transient in christianity and what is. Eternal what is durable what is forever. And what she ended up saying was the doctrines and creeds indeed some of the trappings of the institution of christianity to those were transient. But for hanson. What you thought was what was eternal. What was prominent was. God. Specifically a god of. Love. And also love and care for their neighbor. For him he's a permanent those are the permanent good good for all seasons. Now it's interesting because i'm parker live in a very different age. He was a religious liberal with no qualms about calling out for an enduring truth as he saw it. And he thought is actually being pretty important. Course i thought he was living at a time of great debate book theological social and political. And he said we can get immersed in the cramping but let us not forget. What we ought to be more deeply committed to the. Clements. For him the permanent in. Christianity just a little bit of parker so you can get a flavor and how he spoke. He said all this is very simple when talking about the permanent a little child could understand it. Very beautiful the lofty as mine and find nothing so lovely try it by reason by conscience and faith. Things highest in man's nature. We see no redundant we feel no deficiency. Examine the particular duties and enjoying humility reverence sobriety gentleness. Charity. Forgiveness. Fortitude resignation. Faison active love. Try the whole extent of christianity so well summed up in the command. Thou shalt love thy god with all thy heart and with all thy soul and with all thy mind about shalt love thy neighbor. As myself. And is there anything there in. Interesting to me because peter parker is today celebrated as one of the most powerful voices for social justice arising from our movement. In today's world. It's interesting because i find that unitarian universalist. Preoccupied particularly with a question of what's eternal and what's permanent. And we have a wide-ranging assortment of the ways that we talked about think about love. And i'm sorry talk about think about god. And fine guidance. Not everyone here would be particularly congruent with. Peter parker zone theology. And some of you would be very motivated. By his liberal christian theology. We have a large spectrum of. Religious and spiritual. And theological disposition. The largest. Metal-air it's arguable i think that. Peter parker's emphasis on the eternal and on the permanent press a has ashley from up parents. From unitarian universalism. And still i think that it's valuable. What he's done to establish our justice speaking heritage. Rosemary bremec now it's who is now the president of starr king school for the ministry she puts all of this in an interesting way she says. He did much peter parker at his own struggle to understand god. That's making him much a unitarian heretic in our current age. As he was in his own. I think that. Many of us at unitarian universalist today we're skeptical about the notion of a capital t. Sword of truth. But we tend to hold. Is another positive orientation to change itself. To the impermanence of life. We have a willingness to as paul razor who the contemporary at unitarian universalist dollars plus have face. In uncertainty. Both grow our own sense of. In a context of uncertainty and also have and have faith that uncertainty just is. This reminds me of a message offered by pema chodron who's. Buddhist teacher that somebody might be aware of. And she writes about living beautifully. With uncertainty and change. She says it's possible to live beautifully even when the ground is shaking. Peter parker. Different words said back. The ground is always. What i wonder do you think. About. Transient. Annapurna. What's transient in your lives. What do you call das. Permanent or enduring or. Valuable. In any season of life. What's transient. I'll tell you that i rather appreciate that are parker's talk about the transient and the permanent and the work that i have done the adaptive work that i have done in some ways is to parker's emphasis on the transient and the permanent adapted through a contemplatively. Lens. As a modern-day practice let me tell you what i mean. I do think there's a way in which and our harriet busy lives are overwhelming live. There's a way in which we can sit with this question. Transient and permanent. To help us make some choices about. What is valuable for our time and energy and what is more distracting for our time and energy. I'm going to give us a few examples and really going to bring it down. Twitch most basic liar here not to beachwood. It's like that let's say you got a family member. Aunt martha. And she's being rude. Again. Maybe not rudeness. U-haul does transient. Because what maybe is more permanent is that your relationship to aunt martha is important. And you love her. Rudeness. On the phone. Or the last family gathering. Commitment to the love. House of the core relationship. Permanent. Another example. Or house my spouse and i take turns making dinner. And. Comply make dinner and sometimes he makes dinner but when it gets really busy as it did a few months ago right before the holidays. I need dinner three nights in a row. And i noticed it because i don't know if have to make dinner three nights in a row. Usually it's our arrangement works out. My frustration. How busy that particular week was and how i had to really make dinner three nights in a row. Frustrating. But transient. Permanent. My appreciation of our teamwork. That week. Teamwork man. Me making dinner three nights in a row. As long as it's not the whole month. So. Transient and permanent. Think about it. I think rebecca rebecca i think theodore parker would be really glad to know that we today is unitarian universalist. Don't think about what transient and went permanent. No course for peter parker he use the prison permanent and his spiritual and moral anchor for how he did his living in the world. He was sure that love endures he was sure that love thy neighbor as thyself is good. All season and he. Let it guide him. What do you think about to be some sort of enduring wisdom. That we share and grow. In this complex time. What remains is a really live question. I'll tell you in religious and spiritual communities across the united states right now particularly on the heels of a recent study on november. Two months ago in 2015 the pew study on the landscape of religious life in america. Did a survey of 35,000 adults a relatively large population sample and what it showed was actually a decline in those who identify themselves as christian. And it showed a growth. A growing minority. Who identify as being unaffiliated. Today this is from the pew study about 70% of the people in the us are christian. And 5.9% are jewish muslim-hindu buddhist. And connected with other. Traditions including unitarian-universalism. To all together. Christianity seems to be on the decline when you look at how people are reporting their affiliation with house of worship lunch then. But on the mine in the minority but on the rise of those were unaffiliated in that unaffiliated group. Also could interfere agnostic. An interesting me enough when you get more into the data you can see that people are also in that group that's unaffiliated which is called the nuns because they checked none-of-the-above when they're asked to affiliated. I was so not the nuns has but the nones has the nuns taking it that.. Many of those people also report dental. Belief in god. Amazon. And a desire to grow spiritually. So we got atheist agnostic. Humanist we've also got lots of people that were unaffiliated but we. Believe in god and whenever relationship with god. And we got people. Saying they want to explore their spirituality. What do you think is important and why i bring it forward for worship and anna sermon today is that i believe what the research is showing about the landscape of religious life in america better understand the yearnings of people in today's world. And also hold a larger frame of reference. For some of the polarizing vitriol. That we see. Politically it's socially and religiously. Religion is not the only factor of course but. An extreme minority in the united states is now employing narratives of. Purity. In order to maintain a sense of power. We see this in the championing of racial purity. And in christian fringe groups were taking stanford like in oregon. We see this in the antiinmigrante auntie woman auntie pluralism sorts of narratives in the media and politics. We see this when people say there's a war on christmas. We see this narrative. When people say the world is being attacked by an assault on christian values. The responsiveness narrative is that we must cordon off and clarify who and what is christian we must wolof the others. And returned with fictive memory. Superior sort of time. And in this narrative freedom is couches a freedom to promote purity. Exercise the power to defend and. Purity. You'll know what i'm talking about. You've seen and heard this growing narrative. But there's at least another powerful narrative. And it is not of polarization and it is not a. Purity. But it is rather of pluralism. And valuing the secret worth and connection of all peoples. And this narrative to is powerful and i joined today with folks like eboo patel or very vocal about this and think that narrative to is america. Eboo patel who wrote sacred ground pluralism prejudice and the promise of america argues that actually the story in the united states. Is one of. Pluralism and it smelling your story though it has been very hard one. And i want to sing out for you today that you might be able to carry this with you and your. Mines and in your heart this piece of the story of pluralism religious. Cultural pluralism that is a key part of the united states. Because it was a rather unsung piece of history that you do patel lifts up. There is a document. Called the. I get you the right words the flushing remonstrance. A fifth of 1657. Who here has heard of that before. Me neither not until i started listening more deeply and learning about. Eboo patel but he says instead of this being kind of an archaic part of our history even know this stuff. He traces this as one of the earliest articulations of religious freedom in america. And it goes the shortened story which i'll give you today just goes like this it was in the 17th century. In a place that is now called new york but was then called new amsterdam. There was a dutch director of that area band all quakers. He said quakers are dangerous. Quakers are seducers. It was a fine for harboring quakers then. And a quaker was actually tortured. There was also at that time at town clerk in a part of. Flushing is what it's know now it wasn't called that particular. That name was attached to the village but it wasn't called. Flushing queens. Then. There was a town clerk and his name was edward hart. And that part of the town was a very religiously and culturally diverse area. And that clerk edward hart got together with other townspeople i started a petition. What's fascinating is the petition that they created. Ended up basically being a forerunner to the first amendment of our constitution and it sometimes referred to as the magna carta. Of the new world. The flushing remonstrance of 1657 did not just speak about quakers. And it didn't just speak about right. There were lines about the dignity of all. Human beings. Coming as we do from the same ancestor. The language is fascinating and it is beautiful and you can actually see how this provided a speed. For religious freedom. In this country. Over the. Reagan vacation that my own family took between christmas. And that new year's. He and micah and i went to the former site of the world trade centers. Weathers now on memorial. Some people been to that memorial before. People some people said to me they really want to go. This is our first time there. It was a tremendous place. Is that. The memorial park. And set within the footprint of the original twin towers there are massive squares. And there are the largest man-made waterfalls in the country. Right there where water. Coors down into those. Two huge squares. The names of every single person who died in the terror attacks of february 26th 1993 and september 11th. 2001 honored and bronze. Around those twin memorial pools. And i'll tell you so. When i went. I found it to be completely overwhelming. The waterfalls are. Massive. And you cannot see where all of the water goes. If it disappears down and down and down. But i tell you when i was there. I didn't want to look now. I wanted to look. For all along the rims of those squares were people. So many people. Talking. Laughing. Praying. Thinking taking photographs lighting candles offering flowers holding signs even though there was a slight rainfall. Remember this. Is the future. Which is also not so very new then. It is people. Many varied moved by the human heart by care for those they love and respect for each other this to. Moreover this is. This is what it's worth celebrating this is what is worth standing for all it is very important that this reality of. Religious and cultural pluralism not be erased. Not by the shouting and not by the hate this to is america. And who we imagine ourselves to be is who we are and who we will yet become. This reminded me much of either patel who has devoted so much time. Towards interfaith work. And aside from simply being good to work with others across lines of. Faith and cultural difference lined with sometimes seem to divide. Eboo patel also shares. Interfaith work. It actually helps make our society safer. He relies on a great deal of social research which i won't draw forth from you today but i do commend his recent work to use sacred ground for work my eva patel. Who has addressed unitarian universalist that are general assembly several years ago and it's connected to unitarian-universalism by a lot of interesting relationship he draws on social research to show the way. Interfaith work building bridges i've relationship. Knowledge and appreciative knowing about other people's faith traditions and doing stuff together. Help make us safer. Any drawers on some research out of brown university and here's a quote from some of that. Reflections on this research. Why do some cities in india explode into inter-religious violence and others remain calm in similar circumstances. The answer is simple cities that have what he calls networks of engagement. Civic associations that bridge social capital. And in this you talking about the social capital grown in little groups of people in homo genius religious communities building bridges between all of his different homogeneous group building those sorts of bridges and relationship help people to know each other it diffuses tension. He says america is among the most religiously diverse countries in human history and by far the most richest religiously devout nation in the last. How are we doing when it comes to our bridging. Want to share with you that this year we're going to be in some exploratory conversations with the islamic society of the new river valley about ways that we can partner together and we're also i want to share with you this is still just in the works i'm in conversation with some of our christian. Religious leaders in town who are the ecumenical association i'm primarily composed of christian ministers take turns hosting one another and their houses of worship for lent. And i was asking you do you all looking to turn universal coverage. And yes we do. Tell me more. We're going to be exploring ways that we can build bridges come into more deepening relationship with one another. I talked earlier this morning about el capitan. But beautiful. Beautiful mountain. And also about mac. The operating system. We don't know. What is permanent. What is here to stay and what will fade. But we can offer. Our thoughts and perspective about what we believe to be incredibly important. As we live in a time of shaky ground. And every. Era is a time of shaky ground. Here's what i think we can do. We can strengthen our own spiritual practices to remain open and able. To excessive very best of us when the going gets tough. We can prepare our young people. Life in a religiously plural world. We can prepare our children and ourselves to engage with difference in ways that dignify and do not degrade us all. This i want to say is the new sacred compact of citizenship but when i learned about that early running straub's in the 1600s i know it is not new. Rather it is very old. What yet we must revive and claim the living history of religious pluralism in america hold it close to our hearts and teach it widely. There's a dystopic novel that the classic the brave new world brave new world by aldous huxley. In-n-out world everyone's all the same. Impurity is primary. But we don't need to be headed. Tonight brave new world. We can be headed to a brave new world of imagination and creativity and hope. When we teach and learn about religious and cultural pluralism. So when we learn something new. When we check our own biases. When we have the courage to interrupt a racist joke or a sexist joke with compassion and with clarity when we decide to be vocal about who and what we are in the world when we ground ourselves and our. Unitarian universalist faith and our values we participate in shaping the religious imagination. In our day needs for the next. Day & age. In closing i want to share with you this. Imagine. Religious literacy taught. Everywhere. Imagine people telling their interfaith stories. Imagine people. Converting not from secularism to a new strand of religion but rather converting from fear and hate from alienation to a deepening knowledge love and connection. Imagine a people grounded and their respective religions and enriched by knowing one another and working together ceiling up. By their face and delete up for all the good done together imagine the nuns. To feel connected. Not just to facebook and twitter but good sense of meaning and purpose and feeling like they matter. Because they do. Imagine. Everyone feeling that the world is large but their own lives are not anonymous and alien. Rather their lives are known about and cared for. Imagine. I religiously plural america. In which belonging is possible. Blessed be. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website. Uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

160410_do_being-mortal.mp3

Welcome to the april 10th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service a day is led by her settled minister. Reverend arrowland. At her sermon is titled. Being mortal. And the guest house. After rev darris pastoral prayer. Isabel 30 gives an introduction to the university memorial garden. And bobby littlefield shares a reflection. Invite you now to join with one another and myself. Inexperience of prayerful. Reflection. Spirit of abiding hope. Spirit of love. Spirit of life. Help us now to gentle ourselves. To allow loves wisdom. To be our guide. Help us to extend compassion. To ourselves. And to those seated. To us. Help us to remember that though the way is not always clear. We need not journey. Alone. Allow us to hold a space this day a space of remembrance. For those dear loved ones who have passed. And this life. Those close to us. Those were never truly gone for they are always. Let us remember this days we will remember all month long and. All months in all seasons those. Who. Past. Who died. As they were. Shot right here. At the campus of. Can you talk. So many years ago we remember them. Let us remember. All of those. Who company those. Who faced tragedy. Let us remember the strong and resilient communities. Strong. And resilient communities that keep going lifting forward all that we hold dear. All the goodness that we know and love. Help us to remember this day also all of those communities beyond our own. Which have been impacted by unnecessary violence due to war. Due to gun violence. Let us remember those international communities. Too many to name. Currently traumatized by such violence. Sacred source of love and homeless help us then to remember the strength of the human heart. Help us to remember the good that is done. The each small good builds upon another. Until we are original ending chorus of hope. And hopefully. Help us to remember how very important. Each one of us are. In the web of life. Tender hearts. That though they might break open again and again they are made whole again and again. Trucare. And through love. Spirit of life. We give great thanks this day. For the opportunity. To enter into the mystery. That is life. And with gratitude then. I do say. Blessed be. And. This morning our services title of being mortal. And the guests. Count. And i'd like to welcome forward isabel bernie who will share with us some words about our own memorial garden. Which is right back in our grounds here sharing with us some of the meaning and the unique history of this very special place. Thank you isabel. Last week we heard from abdara the idea that when someone touches a person or place. It changes that thing. She's the oldest tration of the difference between a grass cutter and a gardener. And how we leave a legacy for those who come after us. We all benefit from the differences those who came before us. And what they made. And so the memorial garden is a place to honor and remember those people. The idea for a garden starts with a meeting of four of us in back in 2000. Last week dara asked us how many of us remembered herschel heeler. And i want to ask now how many of us remember jerry anderson. Raise your hand. Jerry got four of us together to explore the idea of a place to honor those who have gone before us. Arthur snoke goldie terrell. Jerry anderson and i formed a committee to work on that. We queried other uu congregations about their memorial gardens. And we visited several walls and gardens in christian churches in our area. And we gathered information from the web. Now you probably know the committee work is often done at a glacial pace. And so three years later and 2003 gave a sermon to the congregation explaining but a memorial garden was. And why we should establish one. We got a sample of a columbarium module about that big and. Weighed 50 lb and the congregation then express general interest in the concept. And then the next year the board approved a designated fun for the memorial garden. Several people had inquired about making contributions. And one member offered to match any contribution up to $2,500. And that was jerry anderson. He wanted to remain anonymous but. It is a example of the legacy he left to us. About that time we began negotiating with the grossest to buy the property the six acres. Expanded our land. And so the memorial committee suspended its work for a time. Because with a purchase of that gross edition the congregation began in earnest to look. For expanding our been watford expanding our building. So with the building expansion design and the capital campaign underway we were asked to suspend our memorial garden work. It was important not to have any competing fundraising project file the capital campaign was underway. And we didn't know how the final design would use the land. However we did get the building task force and the architect. To include. I'm a memorial garden above the parking lots and the official site plan that was submitted to the town and that was approved. So. In 2008 the memorial garden committee was reconstituted with the original members and some additional folks. Lori tolliver jones who's a friend of the congregation and a landscape architect. Agreed to design the garden. And we agreed to use the berm area above the original building and that is out of the footprint of any proposed future expansion. Has the committee was working with ori we realized there were a lot of plantings and other gifts that have been given to the congregation over the years. Bonnie marino designed book of treasures. Here's the book of treasures. That. Spearheaded the work to collect the records and and record our gifts. And she look at this book it has all kinds of things inside like the offering baskets were passed today. There's pictures of who made them in the history of how it came to be about and there are lots of here's our singing bowl and there are lots of memorial plantings and other things. Here's a picture that jerry anderson's. Daughter made for us hangover on that wall so it's a really interesting book. There are three copies and they're in our library hope that you'll check those out when you have a chance. So our committee if expanded. To include not only the memorial garden. But any memorial that was given. To the church in. For someone's memory. So. In april of 2010. The committee was given board approval to raise $10,000 for the construction of the moore memorial garden. And it began that august. Scott myers over saw the construction. Richard reid dedicated love labor to the side. Mija we sold niches and pavers. To raise money. And a few out right donations roster received. And in 2013 the garden was dedicated. Last year two more columbaria where i added because the original 16 modules were all sold out except for one. And we knew we needed more space. This time the construction was mostly volunteer labor and that was overseen by dick fluke. But several people help. Including dean mug. Michael bryant tim pickering george lally bob simpson dale norton and susan baker. Now there's always a danger and naming people because i probably have left someone out because we had really a lot of. Volunteer help. So i apologize if i. Have not named your name but many many folks helped. Especially dick bauman and bobby littlefield and tim pickering who have been active members of the committee through the years. So we have more niches to sell. And people can always purchase a paver. These are honor folks. Who have. I died or just to honor someone who's living wait there a couple papers there with names of people who. Alive and well. I hope you'll take a stroll up to the garden and look at the paper pavers. Admire the view and rest your soul. I don't know how many of those present are where that isabel. Has actually been a guiding light for the entire new river valley. Making information available to anyone or any group. That wants to know about the avenues. Available for navigating the complexities that. Head of family upon. The death of a family member. And many of these actually. Put an unnecessary financial strain on a family when they are most vulnerable and so she is not that's not just been the guiding light here. 4. Remembering end of life. Matters and those who have been dear to us but actually she is. I think maybe you had a role in the whole state i think she told me she sometimes. Testifies are goes up to richmond to. Offers some really important information about this. Very spiritual time when we end our lives and how we can go about it without. Becoming victims. Financial. Folks who prey upon us. So anyway isabel was the one who invited me to join the memorial. Garden committee i think that's what it was called at the time. And that was after the garden was. In the process of construction after many many years of planning and working and it was time for a new focus for the committee. Instead of. Dreaming about what maybe and raising funds it was now time with the garden busy and construction to consider protecting it. As i very. Spiritual place for remembering. And. So i first volunteered during the middle of construction to work on the policy manual very fitting. Job since i had just. Completed work only a few years. Before that. On the policy manual for the new river valley. Hospice that was the first hospice in this area all-volunteer until it was necessary to become medicare-certified and also state license. I was in the mood for that and. I don't know i don't know how many of senior policy manual but bonnie marino did a magnificent job of making the. A beautiful item for us to review if we're interested in. And actually. Using the garden as a resting place for. Ashes of any of our family members are for ourselves. Gemini. In the beginning decided that we would purchase a niche in the columbarium for the very sentimental reason that the garden needed money in order to complete the. Second and the third columbarium they're kind of expensive it turns out. And we found okay about that and. Then i became committee chair so that isabel could focus on many other things that she was doing both in the community and. Ross. And at that point. I got some really special help from the court court. Not court-appointed but the what do we got what do we have that appoints people are. Board appointed are blurred appointed. Members of the committee. So maybe you know where don't know that on the committee there are five members. And bauman what became the contact person. 4. Folks interested in finding out more about how to use the garden personally. Oh and tim pickering is the person who assist with columbarium. Installations arthur snow carries on as he has for a long time. As financial and website manager and then we're lucky to have a top-notch gardener who charges us practically nothing susan baker for overseeing the garden as it actually a very special place. And she gives it all kinds of care of that. Above. Miniature rather gardening responsibilities. With us. But you know what as time passed i became aware of another reason for wanting to have a place and an actual place for my. Ashes. This may not apply so much to jim but. I have never had a special. Play sabrina burns in my life. I went to 17 different schools stepped off and i moved throughout my lifetime no one. Play scan i think of other than this one. As. Very special for contemplating. My life and what it has meant to me and to others. It's a spiritual home. Watched. I've learned how to be first of all learn how to be a member of a community. Overhears. Many years time. And also i've seen my friends and their children go through different passages of life stages. So it's very fitting that. If the memorial gardens. Will continue as my place and my family's place. For reflection about. How we live. And i finally have. A special place. Under the stars at night time and. Under the sun. Shining light during the day. For remembering. Thank you. There's a book that i know many of you have already read. Or know about. And it's this book. By atul gawande called being mortal. Either those of you here that i've read this book. I must say there was about one week when i think. Just about everyone i saw that you usually said rezadeira have you read this book this book this book. And then i have my mother-in-law attends aucc congregation. Unitarian. United church of christ. Sometimes called unitarians considering christ. She's part of that you used at ucc over in a buffalo new york she called me up and she said have you read this our minister just preached on this you need to read this i'm sending it to you and the next day it arrives on my doorstep so. To her and to you i will say that i read it. With gladness. Put the end of his book being mortal. A medical doctor atul gawande describes a very moving ritual. By which he takes the body of his father who is died to the ganges river. Overall atul those of you who know about him he writes about why people age. Why do we age this. Being mortal why do we age. And also about the one thing he says that they didn't teach him in medical school. And that's immortality. Any ends up saying of the medical establishment itself. This is a quote from him he says we've been wrong about what our job is in medicine. We think our job is to ensure health and survival. But really it's larger than that. It's to enable well-being. This morning we're continuing our monthlong seemeth afterlife. And next. Adam anyways i want to tell you dear congregation this team of afterlife and next that were exploring all april long it's an outgrowth of some of the question that some of you wrote down when we didn't with call the question box sunday last year we did one in people wrote down their birding spiritual and theological questions and those were received. And i responded to some of them without planning just you know reading and responding. There was a great deal more of those cards and questions that i didn't get to respond to because we only have so much time on one sunday morning. When i went back and i looked through all of the cards that we didn't yet get to i found over and over again. People's burning spiritual and theological questions having everything to do. With death. And with afterlife. That mysterious terrain. That area of deep unknowingness. That we don't always consciously address in our waking lives but none the less clearly sits in our human hearts. And in our minds that wondering what happens to us. Next. Next sunday i can tell you're going to be talking a lot more about that part of afterlife and next this morning were talking a bit more about dying. And. Dad. We're going to be thinking today about what it means to live within the limits of our material bodies. What it means to grapple with. Death and the impermanence of our very lives. So i'd like to share with you from the last chapter. Of his book being mortal. An excerpt. And it's a little bit longer this is the reading this morning. Please open your ears. And your hearts and minds to receive these words this is our reading this morning. My father came to his end never having to sacrifice his loyalties or who he was. And for that i am grateful. He was clear about his wishes. Even after his death. He left instructions for my mother and my sister and me. He wanted us to cremate his body. And spread the ashes in three places that were important to him. In athens. The village where he'd grown up. And on the ganges river. Which is sacred to all hindus. According to hindu mythology when a person remains touched the great river he or she. Is assured. Eternal salvation. So for millennia. Families have brought the ashes of their loved ones to the ganges. And spread them upon its water. A few months after my father's death. We therefore followed in those footsteps. We traveled to varanasi that ancient city of temples on the banks of the ganges. Which dates back to the 12th century. Bc. Waking before the sun rose we walked out onto the gates. The walls of steep steep steps line in the banks of the masses bever. Which secured ahead of time the services of a holy man. And he guided us onto a small wooden boat with a rower. Who pulled us into the pre-dawn river. The air was crisp and chilly. Shroud of white fog hung over the city of spires and the water. The temple guro saying mantras broadcast over staticy speakers. Annistown drifted across the river to the early bathers. As the oldest male in the family i was called upon to assist the ritual. Which required my father to receive moksha. Liberation. From the endless cycle of death and rebirth to ascend to nirvana. The holy man twisted a ring of twine on the fourth finger of my right hand. He had me hold the palm-sized brass or in the contained my father's ashes and sprinkle it. Sprinkle medicinal medicinal flowers and morsels of food. Right nut. Current rock sugar. Turmeric. And then he had the other members of the family do the same. We burned incense. Then he told me. To throw the urns dusty content over my right shoulder into the river. Followed by the urn itself. Don't look he admonished me in english. And i didn't. It's hard to raise a good hindu. In a small town ohio. No matter how much my parents tried. I was not much of a libra any ideas of god's controlling people's fates. And i did not suppose that anything we were doing was going to offer my father a special place in a man any afterworld. The ganges might have been sacred to one of the world's largest religions but to me the doctor it was more notable as one of the world's most polluted rivers. Thanks in part to all of the incompletely cremated bodies that had been thrown into it. Yet when i was asked. It's part of the ritual to take three sips of river water. I knew that i would do so. I had looked up the bacterial count on a website beforehand. And i'd pre-medicated myself with the appropriate antibiotics. Even show i develop giardia. Having forgotten to consider the possibility of parasites. Yet i was intensely moved and grateful to have. Gotten to do my part. 41 my father wanted it. And my mother and my sister did to. Moreover though i didn't feel my dad was anywhere in that cup of half gray powdery ash. I felt that we connected him to something. Bigger than ourselves. In a place where people had been performing these rituals. For so long. When i was a child to lessons my father taught me had been about perseverance. Never to accept limitations that stood in my way. As an adult watching him in his final years i also stopped saw how to come to terms with limits. The couldn't possibly be wished away. When to shift from pushing against limits to making the best of them is not often readily apparent. But it's clear that there are times when the cost of pushing exceeds its value. Part of the way that my father handled the limits effaced. Was by looking at them without illusion. The word circumstances sometimes got him down. He never pretended they were better than they were. He always understood that life is short and one's place in the world is small. But he also saw himself in a link of a chain of history. Floating down that swollen river. I could not help sensing the hands of the many generations connected across time. And bringing us there my father had help us to see. That he was part of a story. Going back. Thousands of years. And so are we. We headed back. Towards the. Who's the author of. Being mortal shares with us his own personal story. Of being somewhat trepidatious about the specificity of the rituals but none the less. Fighting himself. Deeply connected. To the ritual and its meaning connecting generations across. Place and time. He reminds us that in most spiritual and religious traditions there are prescribed practices. For what occurs at the time of death. I was blessed to learn from a particular teacher pastoral care name. Margaret cornfield who points out that in so many communities and cultures. That are steep and communal rituals for. Your dad. There is a sense in which death is truly a part of our life cycle. And that when one when a loved one dies. The loved ones remaining are eased from our senses of isolation. By these practices. The help all those who are grieving. Help us to feel as a tool called sensing the hands of the many generations. Connected across time. In judaism for example. Sahara is the washing. At the body. The careful slow. Intimate washing. Antibody. The person who has died. Before that body is wrapped into a very simple shroud. And mirrors are covered to remind people that this indeed is a time of drawing together. That i'm not to be distracted. Buy vanities or distractions from the external world that really drawing inward with care. To focus on that which is most important. And people will come together to sit shiva. A special week of just being together surrounding the family and love and care. In islam to there's a. The diligent carrying careful practice. Of washing. The body of the person has died rapping. The body in a shroud. These are these known practice. That helped us to know as a. Human people. The death itself. It's not. In and out of itself. The practices. Help normalize and some ways. The sense in which. Dad. Is indeed part of our human life cycle and these practices indy can help us. At a time when emotions are running high and grease and disorientation is deep and pervasive what. To do. What. To do. A dear friend of mine who died recently. We often speak very moving lie to me of his role. Important role that he played in his faith community. Is being one of the people that would come to wash. Bodies of those who have died. And you would tell me about how important was. Intimacy instead of removal and distance. From the person who had died. What it was like. To be with this person. And the end for him he would explain to me how being with the person at this time how to in that most human dance of being with and letting go. Being with. And letting go helping 12 ever more fully understand that someone has left their material form. I was always very moved. I have sharing about this. One of the reasons that i think this book being mortal has become so well-received by so many of you said to me reverend arabi read it have you read it and why i just been hearing about it on npr in all sorts of places is because i do believe that in our western. Culture. The aging process and death itself. Had become largely a medical event. And unless you are a doctor. Or a nurse. That medical event can seem very foreign. And even as this book describes even if you are a doctor. Or nurse. That. Experience as a medical event can still see mall to foreign. Innisbrook. Atul writes about the evolution of nursing homes. The improvements over the years in assisted living communities and retirement communities. Well rather the improvements that these were meant to be but some of the challenges that are still present. If people figure out. What they will do as they age. Far too many retirement communities and assisted living communities. Remain infantilizing. And take away the elements of choice for the residence. He also speaks movingly centres which are quite different which i know many of you have also experienced. Which presidents have lots of freedom to choose. Their activities the quality of their care. People have privacy and architecture allows people some freedom of socializing and mobility. At will has a very interesting comment in this book that if you are have children and in particular if you have a daughter. Your chances of. Remaining a private home radically in. He talks a lot about what options might be available with challenges might be available to people who do not remain in their homes at the end of their lives. But today and worship we're not talking for say about all the different options. One has a stage. Staying in place or moving. What i want to talk to you all today about is our orientation. Are very orientation. To being mortal. What it means to know. That being mortal means that we will. I know that so many of you even in my own family are up against hard choices. Choices like when is it the right time to move someone or move yourself into an assisted-care environment when is the right time to take away the keys from your parent or when is the right time if your parent to give your checkbook away to your child. The practicalities of the sort of choices the issues that arise are all related to our self autonomy. Interdependence. Our dignity. What matters most. But the immortal itself. It's one of those foundational realities. That we rarely. Do take the time to consider. And when we take the time to consider i do believe it can help us to ease some of our own personal. And social anxiety. For the reality as we know is that no matter our age or our stage in life. Death can come. It just can. And it just does. It may be wildly unfair. Or untimely. Or it may seem to arrive. Adjust the time we would choose. If we got to choose. After a long and meaningful. Vibrant life. Death. Mysterious just like bird. Is truly baffled. These are words from. Halala did mifflin narumi. The guest house. This being human. Is the guest house. Every morning a new arrival. Joy. Depression. I mean. Some momentary awareness comes as an unexpected visitor. Welcome and entertain them all. Even if they are a crowd of sorrows. Who violently sweep your house empty of its furniture still. Treat each guest honorably. He may be clearing you out for some new delight. The dark thought the shame the malice. Meet them at the door laughing and invite them in. Be grateful for whatever comes because each ascent. As a guide. From the beyond. This poem reminds me that in our living. We are each a guesthouse of sorts. So many sweeping thoughts and feelings so many guests of our experiences arriving. Hurting even if we live. I appreciate. Rumi's emphasis on gratitude then. For the impermanence of being guest and house. Personhood. A gentle reminder for the living and the dying that we ever exist in a state. Of otter impermanence. As so many of you now. Death is not always. Etta candy. And life. It's not always beauty. I alternate goal. Rape at will go on.. After all is not a good death. But a good life. To the very end. A way of turning towards closing this morning i want to share with you. Some of my first experiences with death. As an invitation for you to begin to recognize your own thoughts and feelings. About death. Your own. And the death of those who you had love. The very first person that i really remember dying. Was a friend of mine who died in high school. Her death was sudden. And it was untimely. And we were in shock. Her family and closest friends invited us. All from high school everyone who knew her. To go up to a mountain at sunset. This was a real favorite place for the high schoolers to go. It was a place where people went. Eat. Party. They went there to make out. All sorts of things happened up on that mountain and in retrospect i think it was a beautiful thing. But they invited us to go to that one very spot where the fullness of all parts of life. Could actually be felt. Right there where the fullness of the sky was present and also the sea. We watched the sky and the water that afternoon and people shared words and a song and then there was this thailand's that i will never forget. Hundreds of high-schoolers all being silent together. All of us up there on this mountain. A profound acknowledgement of life's immensity in mystery and moreover. We were offered this unexpected sense of sweetness. Because we were. Together. Nothing you see could take away the pain of her loss far too early. Cuz i've already sad. But next to that pain for those of us remaining was this acknowledgment that not only did she exemplify beauty but that somehow we were all part of a larger. Beauty far bigger than any single one of us alone. Remembering that we were part of such beauty certainly did help us. Ease the pain and it made us. All closer. The choice to honor her life in that manner made it possible for us all to journey forward to begin life again and again as a whole community. When is share with you just one other experience today. About a decade later. A decade later i found myself in the emergency room. And later the intensive care unit with my father. He was in a coma. He was in that coma for two weeks. After a very sudden stroke for which there had been known medical reasons. We found ourselves sitting there in the intensive care unit with him at bedside and the medical staff kept saying he's in the woods. Even the woods they would say. And i'll tell you that. At 21. It confused the heck out of me. Here we were in this house of medicine with the professionals that could tell us exactly. What was happening with my father and they were just themselves the language of metaphor he's in the woods. And now i know what they mean. What they meant was that they did not. He was in a place and they did not know. If he would make it back. Now during this time my father did something. But i will not forget. He made a motion. Over and over again. He looked like he. Checking his watch. And smoothing back his. My father was a doer. I give her a time and dedicated service he work and he volunteered. Not only did he raised three children but he was often volunteering at our unitarian universalist congregation and doing so many other things. As i watched him make these motions. I had no idea what he was. But as i sat with him more for longer periods of time with little else to do. Except stare at the clock myself. I realized in fact that he just might be expressing what was actually. Occurring. Expressing. Is it time. My father awoke from that coma. He survived corsa very changed man as many of you know he lost his abilities to read and write and speak. And it's been continually on a journey of. Restoring himself. And regaining some skills. He's very persistent. He is a wonderful human being we often call him the mayor of his town. Because he so loves to make connections with new people. But for years and years i would go back until i was a chaplain i would go back to my memories of his communications. Looking at the watch. Pulling back his hair. And until i was a chaplain i was really perplexed by that. Perplex wondering did i get it right was he what was he doing. And now i know as a chaplain and some of you might know from your work and hospice. My father was probably in a version of what's called near-death awareness. When i read you just a little piece about near-death awareness. Comes from the hospice. I'm out of ann arbor. Near death awareness is a special communication of the dying. It happens. I'm towards the ending of one's life. Signs for near-death awareness include when people speak to people and see places that are not visible to you. When people start talking aloud about people who have died before then. When people described seeing spiritual beings or bright lights or animals or something symbolic to them. When people make out of character statements gestures or request. When people start to describe it of the world of peace and beauty. When people tell you exactly when they will die. When people make hand gestures reach out for or whole dancing objects or wave to unseen being. When people start to talk about a trip packing luggage or buying tick. Now just be clear. A lot of this communication. Starts to take place when someone is really towards the ending of their life and i can tell you is that. Chaplain and sitting with people i i've experienced this many times different version. When someone who's on the process of leaving this life. Starts to make that transition. And starts to communicate in ways that might not always be totally clear to those who are not in that same process. It doesn't happen for everyone but this is just one of those facets of the dying process that so rarely gets. Talked about and can help by demystifying some of this experience. Here's with the ann arbor hospice has to say. If you're with a loved one who's dying it starts to sharon this way here are things you can do. Listen. Don't contradict. Don't explain. Or correct. Or argue. The present with the. Simply sit at their bedside and be open to their attempts to communicate. Listen attentively and sensitively and acknowledge. Experience. Go beyond the details to the story to connect to the feeling. That are being share. Ask gentle questions about what they are saying or doing. Allow the person. To share this experience with you. Without judgement. And without coercion. Not long after my own father awoke from his coma. I happened to be with my best friend whose father was dying. I remember how callously the medical staff happened to and not all medical staff are like this. But i do remember how callously. My friend was told that her father was going to die. I also then remember us going into the room where he was taking his last breath. And it's all sitting together quietly. In this case her father was not exhibiting. Any near-death awareness communicate. We were simply together because his life support. Have been taken off. When her father breathed his last breath in the room it was silent. And there was a tremendous. Powerful. Palpable sense. Apiece. That came to be with us all. His death was untimely. And nothing could ever stop or will ever stop that missing. Or the sadness that he is no longer present with. But. That he was without pain. At the ending of his wife. But he was with his daughter. Holding her hand. And that i. Was right next to her. Her best friend. Rubbing her back. All of us love. Into this next stage. I believe was a help. To him. To her. Tumi. There is so much that we could talk about with respect to the ending of life. The process that is. Dying. And the process that is preparing before we are dying. For that last chapter of our lives. In our unitarian universalist tradition we hold the importance of the inherent worth and dignity of every person. Each one of us here is unique. And each one of us is bound to have. Preferences. Different hoes. A different sense of what matters most. I do believe that we all benefit by growing ever more courageous. And our willingness to think about our own hopes and fears. With respect to dying at south. My hope is that lions and covering and talking about what it is to be mortal. And what it is to be with all that death and dying conscious and evokes for us. We might actually come into a more deeper understanding for what matters. To us. And be ever more clear with those we loved about what are those we love. About what our hopes are. That is part of our human life cycle. Maybe love. Living our lives well enough. To think. Upon what sorts of death we would hope for. And make those note hopes known for those who love us. Let us also honor this day. Those we love. That died. But as honor. They're living. Two are living. Wow. Blessed be. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in. Virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website. Uuc and rv. org.

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161002_dr_grandmother.mp3

Welcome to the october 2nd service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service is led by our rev. rollins. And his message. Title. Letters to grandmother. The podcast begins with karen hagar's story for all ages about her. So in a little while it's going to be talking about the wisdom that's handed down through the generations. Like the kind of grandparents. Castle under the grandchildren so i thought i'd tell you a little bit but my grandparents this morning. And specifically these are my mother's parents cuz if they're the ones that i was close to. And that's the true story i swear. My sister when she was little thought my grandpa was jesus. Alaska let me tell you the facts. He was born on christmas eve. Use a carpenter in fisherman. His mother's name was mary and his father's name is jose. Vulture. He was very kind and gentle man any love kids and said she put all the p. Together and she decided he had to be changed. So now on the other end of the spectrum we have my grandma. My grandma was she was feisty that's a nice midwestern word means ornery. She was feisty till she died. And she wouldn't be a hundred and my mom used to say that god wasn't quite 3 with her yet. But i loved her she was very good to me and i was close to both of them and i was lucky enough to live in the same little town that they did. Till i was almost 12 so i was pretty close to them and they passed on a lot of things that i still uses an adult. My grandpa's big gardner lot of you know i'm a gardener. Just passed right down to me he taught my mom my mom taught me. Every summer when i husk corn and i string beans and a shell peas. I'm channeling my grandma cuz she's the one that told me how to do all this thing. And i'm going to share with you a little story my grandma told me when i was young because. She also said that though you're supposed to listen to your elders it's okay to question why you're asking cuz sometimes they don't really have a reason for why they're passing this. So her story went like this there was a girl who was learning to cook. Her mother was teaching her. And that day the lesson happen to be how to make a roast. And so her mother taught her how to season the meat and had. String on it. Right before she put it into the roasting pan stick a sharp knife and she cut off a little bit off each end. And the girl said mom why did why you do that why do you cut the end off. And she said you know. I don't really know. My mother taught me how to do it. So they went to the grandmother. She said grandma mom teach me how to make a roast. Why do you cut the ends off each end and she says what. I don't rightly know. That's how my mother taught me how to do it. And so they went to the great grandmother. And great grandma is getting on in years and she lives down in old folks on that's what my grandma used to say no folk so. Add. She's seen of getting on in years have been pretty older eyesight's failing her during your hearing is failing. And. Her memory is not as good as it can be everyday but. You know is she still the one everybody goes to the fountain of knowledge in his family and. Girl says grandma. Mom teach me how to make a roast why do you cut the ends off u10. And a great-grandmother says cuz that's the only way it'll be in the pan. I invite you to speak aloud in this room. Of the spirit. The names of your grandmother's. Living or deceased. Let those names first form in your minds. And then within your hearts. Then if you choose upon your lips. Be the names beloved or be those names heavy to speak. This room and this people will hold you fast. Either way. So. Settlement b. Continue the quiet as i read these words from shaft. I take. In the struggles we choose for ourselves. In the ways we move forward in our lives. Bring our world forward with us. It's right to remember the names of those who gave us strength. In this choice of living. It's right to name the power of those. Hard live lives. They too were strengthened by. What a gun before. They too were drawn on by the vision of what might be. Those who lived before us. They have not vanished into the dust. They have not disappeared. You still with us. The lies they live. Holding steady. The words remind us. Call us back to ourselves. Their courage evokes our own. We the living. We carry them with us. We are their voices. Where their hands. Where their hearts. We take him with us. Then with them choose the deeper path living. Morning there will be no mike passed for this part ask you simply too. Utter the names of your grandmother's if that's what you wish to do. So use this time as you will. Under those names. Blessed be the memory of these who came before. For the. Last two weeks after i talked with you all a lot about family stuff both. 101 and groups. From the pulpit. I'm not sure what to make of that i'm not the most psychoanalytic guy. Anymore. But anyway if you're tired of hearing about family ps1 today a little bit next week with johnny cash and we're good after that. By the way if you're coming please wear black next week. Poem for a by hunt hawkins adapted on hawkins it's professor at the university of florida. And the pretty good poet and writer. He writes. In the office diner on the florida panhandle. Stocky white haired woman with a plastic nameplate. Mildred. Gently turns my burger and i fall into grief. I remember the long long trips to my grandma visit my aunt alma who put up quarts of peaches. And my grandmother gladys with her pieced quilts. You know many of those game names are gone. Gertrude. Myrtle. Agnes. Bernice. Hortense. Edna. Doris. And hilda. These were wide women. They were cotton clothes they were early risers. You had to move your mouth to say their names. Well when did we stop being good saxons. When do we start being good anglo's when do we stop just saying their names. And you can send those well all i can say is good luck to the rest of you. Good luck kimberly. Cheryl. Heather and amy. Good luck april and melanie and becky and kelly. I hope it all goes well for you. For a moment. Let us mourn. For now is the time to say goodbye to florence. And muriel. And ethel. And thelma. Goodbye mini. Ada. Bertha and edith. I barely knew the grandmother's that came with the deal when i was born into one family and taken home by another. Grandma cammack was old before her time she was battered of body. By the time i showed up there wasn't much left. Grandma forrest. Suffer to relentless depression in silence. She eventually took her own life on the bright easter morning. And then for all that pain. For all that pain there was goldie newland news. Bye-bye a lot my mark maternal biological grandmother spray not the right order. In 1980 at the advice of pastoral counselor i'd gone looking for my mom. It wasn't hard to find her after leaving west virginia. Sometime in the fifties the two of them my grandmother and my mother had lived their lives just 12 miles away from a small ohio town where i was raised. By the way my mother was offering bragg. When the people would start cutting on west virginia ohioans week you know the river somehow it magically changes culture but it doesn't. And she what she made it very clear she never had to use an outhouse until she got through ohio. But i knocked on the door of their modest rental house. Short stocky white haired woman greeted me she was goldie my biological grandma. She recognize me. She hugged me with trembling arms and asked me inside for they had kept a journal of the various things that i had done. Knox county juvenile court probably. Never thought about that when i spit that out loud she recognized me and hug me and showed me the scrapbook of newspaper clippings and photos. But she and my mother had created. Follow me. The sports church scouts. At least one reference to an unnamed adolescent that might have appeared. And aforementioned juvenile courts. My mother was away. She was visiting a cousin in columbus should be back in 2 days. Now would i like some sweet tea. Goldie newland was my buddy. She was my buddy until she died in 1995 so coming to dementia and a lifetime of hard work. And over the course of 10 years or so. Dementia. Course of 10 years. Sorry folks. Over the course of 10 years. We exchange letters i wrote many more than she. And i think it would letter-writing as a lost art and i know it is. But somehow there's something about waiting for that card to come or that letter to commit a certain sense of christmas every time. I thought you and i were exchanged there was. That kind of a communication. So golden i were among the lucky ones. Ours will not without a complicated intergenerational relationship we found each other as grown-ups. This morning maybe your was your relationship was or is complicated. So was i go through what i'm going to. Share with you. You're not alone. People are people family's or families and as that sage whippy goldberg observed. Normal is a setting on a washing machine. So what follows then are excerpts from my grandmother. Season with some poetry i'm pretty sure she would appreciate it. And i offer these letters and witness to the steely gentle legacy. She left her kin. But also could prompt you all. Parents. Grandparents. Children grandchildren to be mindful of each other be mindful of the living narrative that is yours too fast down. And surely there are some horseys like there are mine on the other hand so amazing soles and they would have been lost where it not for my grandmother being so intentional. Dear grandmother. 24 years after the adoption i came looking for my mother and it was you who answered the door. What was it for you grandmother. What was it to be reading the newspaper one summer morning. To hear a knock on the door. And find out a neighbor norcross down friend nor even that plastic preacher from the plastic church down the street it's so you so love to hate. Did you hear as i did. The voices of the generation says they rejoiced in our reunions. Me. I remember crying. I remember crying for joy grandmother i remember seeing is like mayon. And that was a homecoming. Did my mother tell you that i wrote a poem about that day i call it packed. My grandmother smiles at me from the rented porch of the rented house on the wrong side of town. And i cry softly as she tells me of those generations that made us kin. The miners. The widows. The hellions in the saints too many to count. She tells me of bygone days lived in the virginia and west virginia mountains. The old love. Spring sauce. I swear this day we are of one flesh grandmother. One flesh one blood. You and me. Now i know what you're thinking. Potato poem if it don't rhyme. If robert service didn't write its own to get the reference look him up and it ain't worth telling. But look here came from the heart take it for what it is grandma came from the heart. This is grace butcher's wonderful poem athlete growing old. The caution is creeping in. Steve. The staff is hesitant from years of pain. Soft crunch ben's the body over. And straightens it. Skin loosens everything moves closer to the ground. The overcome the softening. The yearning toward warm. Chi exercises. She makes your muscles move. And she runs in the snow. And what did she tell herself what does she ask yourself. What would you do if you were not afraid. And then she listens for the answer. I tries to be like that person who speaks who lives. Just outside all her boundaries. And constantly calls her. Come over. Come on over. Dear grandmother you're my favorite liar. What a good storyteller you are. I never grow weary of the stories the places you've been the faces you seen the fibs you made up. That's some life you got going. And there's no quit is there. I mean is there a single fleeting moment when you wonder if your best days are behind you. Appellate moxie or hutzpah nerve sas. You got it grandmother. And i watch his life draws its inevitable age lines in the sand only to see you cross them at every chance. Hardship and poverty. Disappointment depression. Chronic bad back. Try as they will they have yet to rust your spirits. So tell me your fibs. Tell me the dusty old stories anytime. Mood hits you. Let me see through your eye. Life's outrageous comedy. And tragedy. Show me how to grow old. And what's remember. And what the finally released. Teach me faith. Strength. I'm purpose. At every age. Tell me a story grandmother. This is a. Phone call a letter from elvira. Written by betty sanders betty sellers. I saw your picture in the local news. I sent you look like a nice lady i am writing you to find me a princely widower. One who will appreciate my free college mine. The delicate lace of my crochet. The gourmet taste of my cuisine. He would need a house. French provincial would be nice. Grey or maybe a forest green. A dog but not one of them boxers. I don't like the way they look at me. They look at me like the methodist here in baysville. Again i don't ride on my. The preacher said i was reaching too high and who would want to marry me anyhow. Some of that marin drugs he said the mafia you know. And some of them are just perverts. Did i say the board of education is worse. Cuz they say i'm too old to be teaching their children. And you know that's not right. So i can close my picture and my telephone number have him call anytime. I'll be here i remain very sincerely elvira wade. Your grandmother i walk through the park and i see. Couples strolling and sitting together. Old couple. Strolling and sitting together. Folks whose love has indoor and triumph. Overall life could throw at them. Folks who have loved one another long after the simple shine of romance worth in. Folks who were lucky enough to still have each other. And i see those couples. And i wonder if you're ever lonely for a man. I know when you go into to be called that tough old broad mode. Tobu list multiple reasons for not having some man in the way. They don't smell or talk or think clean. And i've heard you say on more than one occasion how much you enjoy the shopping but you ain't about to go buying your age. But i still wonder. I wonder sometimes if you just miss being courted. I mean well somebody worth putting on the blue dress. Somebody who will shave real close just for you. Someone who's known your times. Dance to your music. Someone who's not afraid of a tough old broad with a soft young hearts. Someone who might go to the park with you. Just to sit. Mistral. To look your grandmother i hate dancing. I got your sensitive skin so i can't shave. And i've only studied the big war you lived it. But if you have a mind to practice courting again give me a call. I'll be your practice dummy if you ever want to get back in the game. Peter jennings you recall. Died of cancer heat. Poster many years the anchor on abc. This is from marie kennedy robbins. Title dear paul newman. After all these years paul it's over between you and me. I got a younger man and i see him five times a week and he brings me the world. I worried a lot about your racing and then fast cars your beer-drinking the fact the color of your eyes is fading a little with age. Memorize always reminded me of ed kuzelka who sitting next to me in american history when you and ed turn them baby blues on me it sure made my pilot light blaze up. The fall baby it's been fun. And i'll never forget that spaghetti sauce. But i gotta move on. Cuz i'm the same age as you now. Put in the dark that peter jennings will never notice. Dear grandmother. Spoken with my mother and it seems you've been working on the topic of my last letter namely courtship. I hear tell you came across the slightly younger mr. perkins last week while doing your laundry. And i hear you've got a date to the senior citizens big spring dance. Furthermore. Word is that you've been checking out the new perfumes over lewis's drugstore when you go to pick up your prescription. And to top it all off you took your blue dress to the cleaners last week. Grandmother i'm glad for you. I'm glad for you but i'm worried about your younger charge. Don't get me wrong romance as blossom and stranger confines and soapsuds and lent. What does the brother perkins know what he's in for. To look here just do us all a favor and go easy on him. Come the night of the dance spare him at least until you've had a chance to get she did this to. A less than at least until he's had a chance to had to run to have a run at the punch that you almost always spike. Long way to get there but. And spare him your speech about how the bible got it wrong about that men over women thing cut him some slack. Just emailed turn out to be a keeper you never know. This is when the ambulance came written by robert morgan. The ambulance came for grandma that day and easter snow. I watch them lift the stretcher through the kitchen door. One attendant student mud by the steps where we through the dishwasher and leftovers for the chickens. I saw a piece of cabbage stick on his shoe. Another wet droplet of rain on his glasses. Grandma had set wrapped in the corner for weeks for testing or health before. Finally streaming. And making us take her to be seen. Later on her head was shaved and saw it open and charlotte. The yield of the necks and egg size tumor. The tracks were they back across the yard or still legible. As the green seep back into the stubble over the cesspool. And that winner she had taken me to rake leaves for cal bedding. With a fork stick in the woods. High above barn. And i remember how naked the ground looked. Where is she gathered its cover and two sacks. And how the driver curse that scoring the torn roads over the mountain. When he slammed the spider door on her 70 years. Staying home. Their grandmother how strange it was to see you. In the hospital bed. Used to say it was like seeing a cow in church. It wasn't right. I'm not accustomed to thinking of you as a mere mortal. Somebody susceptible to the same life. As the rest of us. And i am by no means accustomed to the idea of life without you. As i told you i had visited my church folk in the same hospital. I've held their spotted hands and done what i could to help them face desk mystery. I spoken with your families. And i watch the shock. In denial. And then grief port force. This time it was your hand i was holding. It was my turn to be ski. Of course they tell me you're one lousy patient. You've offered to teach the cook's out of cook and the orderlies how to clean. You've looked your rich doctors in the eye and told him it's nothing short of sin. The charger body good spending money for sticking with needles. Here's what i think grandma give him hell. Fighting cuz all your way back to health. And waking granite me when the dock leaves anyway. But just between us. Just between you and me. I know there are them nights when you're just whistling past the graveyard. Everybody gets scared. Grandma your everybody. Swift be scared together. This is patty tanis. Post hummus. Scatter my ashes in the garden so i can be near my love. Say a few gentle song. Play a few honest words sing a gentle song. Join hands in a circle if. Please tell some stories about me making you laugh. I love to make. When i've had time to settle and has green gathers into buds. Remember i love blossoms bursting forth in. As a seasoned ripens remember my persistent passion. And if you come in my garden. On an august afternoon. Pluck a bright red glow. Let the juice run down your chin but the seeds stick to your cheek. And when i'm dead i want folks to smile and say that patty she sure was one good tomato. Your grandmother this is the letter you'll never read. It's just for me. Difficult as the surgery was i was grateful for the few years through years of good health. It added to your life. And you live those life 2. Sometimes to the chagrin of my mother such as when you were successfully tempted by my brother to try marijuana at age 83. True story. All i can do is think back and say what a piece of work you were goldie. What a piece of work. The alzheimer's came on and eventually took you away. Still we took you out to eat as long as possible. We told you all the town gossip. Before. You were a good sport b after the end. And i'm proud of you i'm proud that decades ago you decided to donate your body to research. Now you say. Thought university hospital had seen more angles of your body than you had so why not give it back. You wanted no service. And that's what you got. In death as in life. We tried to work with. So you were scandinavian hillbilly born on saint patrick's day. An outsider would say you live the mighty hard life and died in a government-funded nursing home. But none of that. None of that begins to describe the undaunted saw. So. That shone for as long as. So. Long as i live you will be the stout woman who is forever smiling at me from the rented porch on the wrong side of town. God's rest grandmother. I love you. I forgot the name of the therapist that famously told all new clients. Will get whatever brings you in. The first tell me about your grandmother. Tell me the good. Tell me the bad. Take your time. Make a list. Cuz that way i'll know where you came. Grandparents and grandkids i can't pretend to know the texture. Of your cross-generational relationships. People are people families are families. Normal to setting. Tunnel washing. All i know for sure. It's what meeting my grandmother taught me. For better or for worse. Don't worry come from support. Philosophies. So. That much i know. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting. Located in blah. Virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website. Uuc and rv. org.

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160814_dr_liberal-religion.mp3

Welcome to the august 14th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by an interim minister. Reverend on rollins. Reverend dawn's message today is titled top 10 reasons. Liberal religion still matters. Couple of readings and only give you some homework. Minnesota preseason silence. I'm going to talk about our tradition and i want you to think about what brought you. And what kept you. You're visiting of course it's half of that. But if you've decided that this. In. Very much so or just kind of is your spiritual home. Then i'll ask you think about that my pastor mike around a little bit. So we can get hear from you too. So enjoy your tension is 10:30 so figure a little long will do her best to get this. First a couple of readings before you come into the silence. In response to the question. Who are unitarian universalists. We are friendly people if you aren't friendly than out you go. We believe i'm being sincere even if we have to fake it. We are very certain about our doubts. I don't know all the answers but we're proud of our humility. We believe in being optimistic anyone who won't look on the bright side depresses us. We are course not competitive and fact more. Thanks. More not competitive than anybody else okay. We believe in equality. Everyone of us as good as the next person chances are a lot better. The organization is run democratically because the president absolutely insist on it. But of course you know it was common dogmatism is absolutely forbidden here. We're laughing because we recognize some of this stuff come on. True. Again the homework would be why did you come. Where did you stay. Before that i'm sorry i can't run down the the author. The reading my share with you now previous trading with helen gordon. Your response is and i am a unitarian. I am a man. I'm a woman. I'm a boy i'm a girl i am all points in between. And i am a unitarian universalist. I'm young i'm old i'm middle-aged. I'm married i'm single i'm divorced. Schrade i'm by i'm a lesbian again i could be all over the place because i am all over the place and. Family. Black and white. I'm college graduate i'm a high-school dropout. I'm a white-collar worker and a blue collar worker i am retired and i am unemployed. Below abiding citizen who has never received anything more than a parking ticket. And i am a murderer waiting on death row. I'm a marine. I'm a pacifist. I'm a conscientious objector. I support a strong defense policy. I'm a millionaire and i slept in my car last night. I smoke. I'm a non-smoker i drink socially i'm an alcoholic. I'm a vegetarian and i think a good steak. And i am and you are many other things. Some by choice. Some by chance. I am part of a common destiny it is your destiny we share it. So we are part of humanities family. And. We are unitarian. Universal. She would enter the silence reflect upon the two. The folks who helped out with the microphones are going to be coming to you. If you would very priestly. Just respond to one or both doesn't matter why did you come why do you say raise your hand please and will come to you with the microphone. Timing guys. My name is a john denver and. I've always been here in spirit i just sent know the name of the church. Chance i'm glad that i found this place. No bill patterson. I came because. Of the people. Many years ago. I joined because. And i'm here this morning. Because of the people and i'm very curious person. My name is margo walter and i came here because i was looking for a welcoming group of people. And i stayed because. What i found here was total total acceptance. Whose congregation. Who i am and who i want to be. Hi felicia it's corn ik me to get an alternative. Religious education my son and i stayed because. Of the open discussion of difficult social issues. I'm water. i came having nothing to do with unitarianism but when susie first moved to virginia and 75 i was asked to help with a nature program. And until then i had not been aware that there was such a. Non-dogmatic non credo spiritual community and that's why i stayed. I'm at heart and i. Cuz i met a unitarian universalist minister in. 2000. The energy. And vitality. And. Overall beauty. Of the person. She was wonderful. And i stayed because. Everyone that i've met here. I am chelsea again. I came because. I was 11 and my mom made me come but she was five and i was 11. And we're being told by our. Other. We're going to hell. Believe in god and cinnamon on side okay well. Because we can go to church just like okay well we need to go to a church i found in the middle school. Re class where i was put into an a. Would you give me people would actually talk about things behind things like god or not god or just how we value how we create a value system and i didn't know at the time but that was actually important to me and. 12 years later it's still very. That i can have a kind of open honest. About those things and that's why i'm still here. I'm peter lazar. More generally can you turn into my came because. I was introduced to that. Team protein program young adult. Sorry the teen program the why are you you. And i always felt like an outsider until then and in my high school reagan got 80% of the mock election votes and i think lyndon larouche got like 10%. The finally i was at a place where people share similar values and that's the reason i've stayed throughout my life i would have never moved my met my wife molly in the unitarian church and it would have never moved to a place without. A wonderful accepting congregation. Fly cars. I'm doug pfeiffer i was a born into a unitarian family also third-generation. I know of so there was my initial choice. My own individual family stopped going when i was in in grade school in when i start high school i decide to start going. On my own. Just because i like the place for where i socialist. World world. Discussed openly. Gardena torrance. We've lived. And i guess i like it because of the. The toleration of different beliefs fits well with my own diagnostic. Reviews on. To have a way. To talk about moral issues without having an underpinning of. Pacific doctrinal. Issues better i don't. Do the dallas speak now big last. I'm alan i came for the music. It was the best thing i remembered from my mom dragging me around it. I stayed for the community. And now i'm staying for the metamorphosis. Thank you folks is always a lot more wisdom out there than there ever is up here so i appreciate you sharing. It's a quick note i won't be staying for much of the potluck and here's why it matters. Yesterday i. Officiated at a wedding. It came in pretty late this week. I did so in your name. I hope that up. Not just because you're a minister because i am as best i can be in part the face. Have your congregation to the. So young couple got a good start yesterday and that's not just me that's you too. After the service today i will officiate. 4. A family who has had sudden loss. And i. Grapery. And again. That's you at work. Ministry that we do together. And it matter. We forget sometimes all the good things that. Because you and i. Imagine for a moment that you remember of nora unitarian universalist church hanska minnesota. One of our few. Truly real camera geishas to survive into this century. It's october. And all hands on deck. As ignoring family gears up for its century plus. Old horse. Old holds barred. Noho sports i should have written their norwegian mardi gras complete with lefse chrome kaka rosettes and that vile lyle sly saturated concoction known as. Lutefisk. Proof again there may not be no god. If you're a grown up. If you're a grown-up you are cooking your setting up tables or your tidying up. If you're a teenager you're cooking setting up tables or tidying up. And if you're a kid well you pretty much are learning how to cook. Set tables tidy up. No matter your standing at norwich shirts once you hit the parking lot you are expected to roll up your sleeves and help people prepare for the onslaught. I'm hungry lutheran's. Catholic. And fellow heathen who wouldn't miss a true norwegian spread for the second coming. It's a lot of work. It's a lot of work to make s'more to happen. Patience is tried. Baskets or. And why do our faithful sister and brothers put themselves through all this. Because they still believe. Some 130 years after fate sent them their first generation preacher who was not a unitary and a liberal lutheran they didn't know that until he was getting started. They do this cuz they still believe that they have a place in the world. That if they cease to be. The world would be a little bit solemn. Little bit more solemn. They're about tradition looking after each other but i also stand by the stubborn conviction that we still have something to say they're on the prairie. And they're right. I know these things because i was their minister for 4 years. Which leads me to what i want to talk about this morning friends these fellowships these churches of ours these institutions we should own that baby boomers it's an institution. They still matter. They matter because they remain worthy is flawed vehicles for some some timeless. Life-giving ideas. Ideas like theology should work from the inside out. Not the other way around. Ideas like authentic community and riches are lies and challenges us to be better today why is there today and we were yesterday. Ideas like human dignity. Planetary wellness. These have no voice. No hands. Other than ours. So what a halfway this morning is a brush-up on fly in an age of religious gang wars. Our voice remains relative. Before that let me turn to one of my icons and. Spiritual guides david letterman i'm not kidding. And. We're going to borrow from him the top 10. This time about why our tradition still matters. Number 10. Liberal religion matters because it was designed to be open-ended. We do not freeze these concepts of howlett and concepts of holiness in a distant age and a particular story. We exist in contrast. To those traditions that fine. Truth only in some golden age. Bill abraham. Jesus. Muhammad. Liberal religion posits that the spiritual quest is an open-ended. Dynamic undertaking. By our lights religion is supposed to change its supposed to scare us it's supposed. The bond us as we are scared. Liberal religion. Still matters because it defies time-bound answer. Number nine. Local religion and still matters because it insist that reason and spirituality be on speaking terms. Well i given religious playing with stan the secure the scrutiny of reason we want to know. What does scholarship tell us about the nature of scripture we want to know. And what is the most likely theory about the origins of life. What is religion in a post-modern are out these are the questions on our hearts and our minds. These are reasonable. Quest. The religion matters because it holds that many things once considered acts of god. Epic unexplainable. By evidence-based means. Think about it folks if judaism brings to the religious table wisdom and prophetic witness. If roman catholicism as to the mix ritual and tradition. If protestantism. Celebrate story and parable. And if eastern traditions point us toward the inward journey. It's the religion. It adds to the mix a firm insistence. That reasoning form faith. This is our shiny contribution. This is our gift. To the religious discussion. Of the day. Number 8. Liberal religion still matters because it teaches that sex and sexuality are normal expressions of the soul. Folks is not our fault that the first sex educators and white america where the puritans. Puritans with those dualistic morals. And a hella deep dismay of what they called the sins of the flesh. But we continue to offer up a religious alternative. That moves the discussion beyond abstinence-only programs in the maddeningly resilient fear and loathing of bisexuals lesbian guide gay men transgender folk queer folk and anybody else who doesn't happen to love and lust with the right person in the right way. We believe kids. Youth and adults. I don't know how their bodies work. We believe in teaching in the sex and sexual expression are basic to holman human wholeness. We believe that age appropriate. Consensual and respectful sex. Trump's ignorance. Sexual dysphoria and unwanted pregnancy. Every time. Every time. Liberalism matters because it treats us as whole person. Body include. Number 7. Liberal religion still matters because at its best. It doesn't suffer lightly the human urge to make idols. The worship of the temporal in order to lessen our anxieties. Here's a newsflash life is scary. Bodies wear out. Mine's become burdens. Spirits become stale. Stuff you never imagined would happen. Happened. And we are in pain and sorrow as much as we are in love and lights. Send the end. To be able to deal with uncertainty. To be spiritual alive. Spiritually alive. Means that we make peace over and over again. But the fact that suffering and death are the price we pay for the privilege of having pass. Through. So there's a fierceness. When we have the moxie to stand up. And apply this deal with this essex natural existential reality. And like the poet dane a he's putting his wonderful poem that we heard last week parable of the trapeze. It's scary when we see our aliveness coming to get us. Our religion has something to say about all this. Here i want to add that in my 25 years with our people i've seen entire worlds brought low. I have been party to nightmares that have become true. Hearts and lusion laid bare. But i've also watched some of those same people free themselves from addiction. Left long-dead relationships they faced illness they chased down dreams. And in every case there was the casting off of idols. Letting go of here comes. People places and things. Better elevated the idle idle stay. Things that everybody thought would want save them. No longer are going to save them. Americ maybe never would. So this spiritual bravery is distilled into the one word sermon of our iconoclastic way of life. It is simply liv. Hugo. Live. Search edition still matters because it calls us to look at our idols. Number 6. And this again by the way focus is us at our best right. Bright okay so suscitar vets. Liberalism matters cuz it does not burden children with the concept of original sin. And these rooms of worship and learning whole generations comes together we sing we laugh we share a story another activity silence. And in these countless small race. We tell our kids that they are unique. And they're okay just as they are. We tell him they're bright and they're fun to be around even when they're not all that bright not all that much fun to be around. What we don't tell him is this. We don't tell him to somehow they are stained by original sin and stand in need of deliverance. New york kids at our best. Learn about religions including their own. They learned about nature. About history. About kindness and respect about the things of the spirit. They learn that they are acceptable as is so the bottom line. The bottom line is our kids will face just as many trials and tribulations. With those kids who are at this very moment. Being taught that jesus died for their sins. But our great covenant with our kids. Is it not a single one will leave our embrace thinking that she or he is anything other than a good person. There is no discussion on this point there are no exception. Number 5. Liberal religion still matters because at its best. Diversity of belief is not just tolerated. It's the norm. On any given sunday depending on the local context. A visit to religiously liberal congregation might land you next to a christian and atheist a pagan a theist a humanistic buddhist and muslim a jew hindu or anybody else. Especially those who don't want any label at all thank you very much. So when we're cooking. When we are the people on our website. And in our literature. And in our mission statements. We can stand in our individual truce and let somebody else do the same. Two very cheesy jokes to illustrate the point. A visitor to a year you congregation set through the sermon with growing incredulity at the radical ideas being spouted. After the service one of the greeters followed up with her it was a mistake so what did you think of our minister. Nearly spitting her word she replied why i can't believe half the things she said came the answer then you're going to fit right in. Second lame attempt at humor. Iuu died into his astonishment discovered that there was indeed an afterlife. Angel in charge of assigning souls to heaven or hell told him because you were a doubter and a troublemaker you were will enter hell for all eternity which in your case of means there's nobody to argue with. We laughed because we see ourselves. We forget our great at door great peril that are historical role to bring diversity to bland sameness. We cannot forget that roll. That's another reason we still matter. Number for. Liberal religion still matters because it's pulpit is free. I am not bound by any hierarchy. Scripture or tradition. Most any given sunday i say stop something that would likely get me shot stuff and door mounted if spoken from some pulpits in this country. But not in this tradition. And this freedom comes to me as a result of a long line of women and men. Serving a long line of congregation. Under the rubric. Butterfree religion requires a free pulpit. But to be sure tradition of a free pulpit exist as part of our covenant relationship. Its relationship of mutual respect. Earned trust. But in the end there is no theological litmus test to which my colleagues and i must submit. So sadly. Not every clergy person enjoys that freedom to grow both his preacher and human being. I never take that privilege for granted. Number three. Liberalism matters because it's heroes famous and otherwise still inspire. I used to work heroes for both genders. We have no single champion no jesus no loud so no mother mary we have no central story there's no burning bush there's nobody treat no resurrection. What we have. Is a long history of those who dared insist on freedom of conscience. An equality. That compassion. I didn't always get it right anymore than we. But they didn't give up. We should follow that exam. Indulge me here i want to call the roll of my favorite unitarian universalist people who stalin challenge me most from beyond the grave. Susan be one of my favorites. Abigail adams elizabeth cady stanton. John dewey. Florence nightingale horace mann one of my favorites. Jane addams. Sam longfellow margaret fuller another favor. Horace greeley who could not keep his mouth shut or his pain. Away from the from favor. Julia ward howe. Walt whitman. Fannie farmer. Charles dickens beatrix potter pt barnum. Herman melville margaret sanger hadley stevenson what not to have him in the. President's office at one point. Rod serling. Pete seeger paul newman may sarton. Malvina reynolds and we're just getting started these are our people. This is our tribe. Not to be dragged out when somebody ask who we are but two remembered like a shopworn stone. These are our people. Not a shrinking violet in the lot. Some took on the mantle of the hebrew prophets. Tackling everything from slavery to suffrage. Others push the boundaries of their craft during to put before their critics. Division. Creativity. And every one of them can be held out held up as a champion for our traditions. Indeed i have met some of my most cherished spiritual guide. In our congregations. The people i have served. The people who rise above. The people who extend grace when hatred is called for. People who have patience. The challenge injustice. These are people. So no religion worth its salt should rely on its past. For its present and future. But we deprive ourselves of an essential source of inspiration. With their chosen ignorance. Of her own history. The religion matters because of that pantheon of trustworthy sojourner. Past. Number to local religion matters because it serves as a counterbalance to those who want to impose their brand of religion. On our courtrooms. In a classroom. Bedrooms. Are laboratories or hospitals. And governments. Someone the radical religious right seem to think that their god has some big plans for the country in the world. Few of which allow for the primacy of individual conscience. And even in this modern era. Remain preachers and lobbyists who literally eyes prostatitis and organized in the name of some very dubious theology. I was taught there is no liberal theology and no conservative theology there is only good and bad theology. But the real rub comes when that theology is put in the mouth. Of the nation's founders and taken as governmental gospel. It's not that all religious liberals are pro-choice democrats and greens who. Support gender-free restrooms and watch bill maher. Let me underline this fact as you do not have to be a political liberal to be a religious liberal. We need to deal with that. Olivia to meet one who does not share the bedrock belief that religious freedom is necessary to democracy. On that we always agree. So. Liberalism matters because is a safeguard for the right of conscience. And number one. Liberal religion matters because it demands that we tend our own souls and each other. Straight up. We misjudge and misrepresent our denomination if we talked about it as though like the tin man. It's all head and no heart. That is not being in touch with who we are. Not our history not where we want to go. We get it right our congregations help us get from this sunday to next sunday. We come from any reason. Perhaps most importantly to seek more grace and peace and courage. We come from sunday to sunday seeking. And open. And ready to contribute. All around when we get it right by the way. All around us are folks who hunger for that transcending mind-blowing power that some call god. And they do not come by there glimpses of holiness by sitting on the spiritual sidelines. The folks who have inspired me and they pray they meditate they read they walk they tell dirty jokes. And they think their way. Think they're way to love and goodness to. Folks who have mentored me i'm talking about our congregations now not colleagues. They have often connected with nature. They march in that raise hell with the status quo. They talk respond to take responsibility for the state of their own souls and stretch them intentionally. With intentionality. But despite our best efforts. And faithfulness to our spiritual practices. Everybody's tank runs dry now and then. Sometimes now and then as years. Which is part of why we come together to stop the busy stuff. Define the quiet of the heart. In these moments we store up strength to go do what needs to be done. In these moments we may silently grieve or rage or pics pitch x extension existential fits. At the way things have turned out in our lives. But then again sometimes we use that. Silence to celebrate. And be grateful. Maybe we chase down a dream or just savor the moments we going to spend together right here. So done well. The liberal church is a place and brace to be embraced by folks with small egos big shoulders soft eyes. And to come to ground. So liberalism still matters because it teaches us. To go deeper. Not settle for the silly. And offers at the community in which to do just that. Fall is coming on up in hanska minnesota. Smorgasbord. Soon start up again. Those sisters and brothers in the faith will be working all week in preparation for their hungry guests. They'll be cooking. Setting tables. Ready to tidy up. They do it all in the name of a religion that is their inheritance. It's precious. And it's rare. It is not eagle bound they do not say they're better than anybody else. And they mean. But they are committed. To their tradition. They're gross. Each other. So if i could i would bottle the spirit with which they practice their ancestors faith how they live it and support it and share it. They are a living example. A holy hubris. And clarity of mission. The nomination too often. Too wordy. So in love with complexity. Self-exiled from its own history and theology. A goodly number of those spoke know who they are. And why they're there. And it comes in the shape of a heart. So these are my heroes up there. Ludovice notwithstanding. We are not in church to be with people who want to sing the same music or rally for the same cause or attend the same retreats. We are in church to learn to love better and learning to love better can only happen when we love past our disappointment. Then return to a place of acceptance. And affirmation. This is true in our personal lies in our work lives. Let it be so in our church lies for this is their deep spiritual practice. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

151122_yruu_personal-journies.mp3

Welcome to the november 22nd service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. Today's service is led by the congregations high school-aged youth group. The why are you you. The seam of the service is personal journeys. The podcast begins with an interactive activity. Which is followed by personal reflections by several of the group. Hello my name is taylor. We're going to be doing interactive activity. So if you look in your program you should have a index card and around there should be little pencils. If you do not have an indexed index card. We'll pass them around so. Raise your hand. All right as you are getting your index cards. I would like you to think about your own personal journeys. Was there a time / event that is influence the course of your life. If you would like to share write it down. And we'll pick some up right and write it down and pass it to the center. And then luna and i will pick. Them up and share a few. So what you're writing on the index card was either a time or an event that is influence the course of your life. It could be a person. A timer event. Or or could be both. So we will read some allowed. Dropping out of college for 6 years. The transition from traditional. This one has two it says number one is. Birth of children. How much us decision to move for a job. Family unhappy about moon. Eventually much happier living here. Cancer and living past cancer. When i left home at. Moving to bloxburg in 1996. Peace corps volunteer in the. Meeting taylor st lawrence yurok bay. Choosing to become a teacher. A summer camp in high school that opened my eyes to a world beyond what i saw during my regular life. Looking into. Of course taken in college alcoholism and family and the biology of alcoholism. For hearing you you member. Being chosen rather randomly for a job i love. Getting sober. Smiley face. Thank you for everyone who decided. To share. We love all of you. Okay. I'm not going to tell you guys about my personal journey today. I'm going to tell a story about or tell two stories actually. Looking back on my speech right now. I realize that i've left out some very important parts of their lives. These are the difficult. The difficult difficult journey that. It's two people have led so far and i want everybody to know that they're not they're not. They're not all these people are not all what this says they're very happy people. And the really wonderful to. So they both came up with fake names so i can tell their stories anonymously. Cassidy a relatively new friend of mine and a sophomore radford. She's been battling depression for some years now. When i asked her how long it's been she told me since second grade. In second grade my biggest problems with my little sister coloring on my toys. Cassidy told me before depression she was quiet and kind of kept to herself. Who's overall happy. But after her friends left her everything started falling apart. Her grandmother died and her father lost his job which she says change them. All of this happening at once overwhelmed her and put her on a long path of severe anxiety and depression. Years went by and nothing changed until an eighth grade and it got the best of her. She harms herself. It was a tiniest cut you could ever make and i thought i would never do it again but i got addicted. Was only pain i could control. It helps with my anxiety. I never really stopped. We have only been friends for a couple years now and i think that she seems better. The cassidy disagrees. She says when he has anxiety and depression it's really hard to move forward. Anxiety tells her that she has to do her absolute best for the people around her but her depression tells her to not do anything in and it holds her back behind everybody else. Cassidy told me she tries to get over it but everything gets worse. Nothing ever changes no matter how hard i try and never does. Somehow through everything she's gone through she still tries to find the positivity in the world. She knows it'll get better after high school and it this is all temporary. We both can't wait for that day to come. Colin has a very different life so far but equally it's difficult i believe. Animal elementary school his parents separated. After while his single mom couldn't afford to live in north carolina anymore so they moved to radford where family was around. Hear colin started 7th grade. He says he was my gnarly bully people spread rumors about how he was gay and he didn't even know what he wasn't self. But you didn't let it get to him. He believes that middle school is harder than high school cuz no one has a filter on their words or their actions. Call never told his mom was happening at school. Use force to be a happy one. Closest mother and older brother hated that they had to move. Consult seattle holds the house. Together. As a freshman he became sick. Showing signs of crohn's disease. His mother told him if it had happened again to tell her. Transfer away for a little while then they came back and he didn't tell his mom. Colin says there's too much stress on her and he didn't want to add to the pressure. He didn't tell his friends either he didn't want to be the sick kid that everyone felt sorry for him.. Colin told me he was a hypochondriac as a child and he thought that it was only one of those scares so we tried to deal with deal with it by with but. Deal with it himself but things just got worse. After a few after few weeks his family and friends begin to really notice what was going on. So you went to a doctor. Just diagnosed with crohn's disease. He describes it to people as disease where your body attacks itself even the good stuff. Is colin ever gets a cold his body goes in hyperdrive and gets rid of the cold but keeps going which makes him more sick. There's no cure. Colin is a very energetic person is friends with his friends with as many people as he can be he tells me the best way to describe himself with crohn's if he throws up his life on everybody literally and figuratively. Both of these stories are very different. But when i asked how it is made them a better person they both responded in one way or another that is made them incredibly empathetic for other people going through rough stuff. And even though this part of the journey sucks it could always be worse and one day they will get through it and everything will be okay. Hello. Hello. Go right into it. What is a journey. I think of a journey i think i'm new experiences. Last summer my family and i took a trip to europe. East newport. East new place i visited change my perspective of the world and myself. Iceland our first stop. Blue my mind. I was so fulfilled by the culture and seeing the beautiful landscape and icelandic women. That i would have still been happy if i skip the rest of the strip. Going to new places is in my opinion the best way to gain new experiences. It's not as much fun to take a journey and gaining new experiences without someone to. Share it with. As they say it as they say the best part of life's journey is whom you get to share it with. Even though we are on our own path it's our family friends and community that support us and it's virus along the way. During this next week when you gather for thanksgiving remember to be thankful for the people you are sharing your journey with. In terms of my own personal journey. I believe at this point my life i have not fully developed an idea what this means. Perhaps some of you. Haven't yet either. So i googled it. I discovered that the dalai lama wrote a book called my personal journey. And i would like to leave you with a quote from it. The dalai lama when asked what surprise to most about humanity said. Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present. Throughout the result being that he does not live in the present or the future. He lives as if he's never going to die. And then dies having never really lived. This suggests me. This suggests that no matter the journey seize the day carpe diem. Thank you. So when i was thinking about talking about a journey. I was faced with the thought of. How in the world can i talk about attorney i'm still in high school. I thought about all the different experiences i've had through my life. A couple of things that could be defined as a journey. Me there's a time when i went from public school elementary. Tell private montessori school for three years and then back to public school and the seesaw. A friendship that happened with that. Or the time i got really sick freshman year. And had the really fun journey. A recovering and try to stay on top of my schoolwork at the same time. However i think about recent experiences in the dryer that i've been going through. Is the college application process. It's one heck of a journey. The whole process for me. Started before junior year when i visit my first college with my mom. Panera is it a bunch of different colleges that summer than you had all the time in the world. To figure out what i wanted to major and what type of college i wanted to go to where the best foot would be most different aspects that one considers. Can you wear to continuing education. A nausea feel like it happen. 2 months ago. I was going to senior year and i've applied for colleges none of them anything like the ones i visited a year-and-a-half ago. Both my idea what i want to major in this change and the type of school that i want to go to is changed. I've gone from thinking that jelly would be my main focus to wanting to major in sports journalism and communications. Because that my colleges of change from small liberal arts colleges in pennsylvania and maryland to james madison in unc chapel hill just because they have such amazing pina kitchens department. I got to stay at the whole process of changing my goals from cello to. Communications for college major. I realize that i want tell her to be part of my future. This journey has been hard for me because i've had to really think about what i want to do. After i leave high school. I got to choose between music something i know really really well and i've done for 12 or 13 years. In journalism something that i'm interested in. But i'm only starting to do i'm not that good at it i just started. As i saw the real process and journey of applying to colleges it naturally just. Process of applying me me realize that journalism was the area stated i wanted focus on. And that was okay and maybe come to this realization. Naturally i felt comfortable with it. Soul journey something that no seniors. Dread or tell horror stories about. They can be a pain with all that. Thousands of essays and applications to fill out but for me it's processing journey has helped me figure out what i want to do when i make the next. Lol my name is taylor i'm a senior at blacksburg high i just recently turned 18 years old. That was the day i became an adult. Today i'm here to tell you about my personal journey. The summer after my junior year my life took a turn for the worse. The longest time i never thought it would go away. I pushed away from my friends and started carrying away. About things that did matter. And got involved with things that didn't. My parents decide to separate and that putting even more strain on my life. That was the day i hit my lowest. Although i'm very grateful for my parents and i'm glad they're here with my support. Traveling with my mom this summer and bonding with her opening my eyes how badly i treated my friends. And how much i've changed. I told them that i would no longer i told them they were no longer important and i didn't need them. Most people would not put up with the way i acted. That was the day i needed to change. As my senior year began i turn my life around. I started working on my relationships with my family. And friends developing better ties. Because i realized that this is it. This is my senior year. I'm very. I'm very thankful that i got my friends back and i'm even more thankful that they accepted me back. You know the saying i wouldn't be here today if it wasn't for them. Well i didn't want to be that person anymore. I have no one to thank for other than my friends. I realize that they were my friends for life and how meeting them with something that doesn't just happen. We became inseparable. They constantly encourage me with basketball even though they call it sportball. Because. They have no idea anything that has to do with sports. It means the world to me. They. Mean the world to me. Constantly having someone there. Are you is a wonderful feeling and this is why my speeches about my friends. So take a minute now and just think about someone who has greatly influenced you. Can i ask the class of 2016 to please stand. Are you all right you are. Friday may 20th 2016 at 7 we walk across that stage together and expand into different branches of our lives. So here's to us. Here's to the future and all the possibilities that life will bring us. Take on life love. Responsibility to connect with each other years down the road and to share with each other so off. Or every so often. Our lives begin and for that i am ready. Hello. My name is max lawrence. I'm 15 years old. And. I'm gay. When i was a kid. My parents took me to virginia tech to see two same-sex couples getting married. Sometime during this i realized there was a man marrying another man. And a woman marry another woman instead of two traditional marriages. I've been stood up and loudly said to my family. Boys can marry boys. My grandson was hilarious. I was three. Then on the last day of 6th grade i was asked who i liked during recess. I was reluctant because i really didn't like anyone. Afterwhile stalling and trying to change the subject. I told them the first name that came to mind. Later that day i was told that she would date me but only for the day. I was confused but i just let it happen. Really lucky there. One night during 8th grade and what i can only imagine was about hormonal madness. I asked a girl out. We dated for a while. But very quickly i realized i didn't have very deep feelings for. I broke up with her one day in spanish and went back to my uneventful life. Only now i wasn't so sure of myself. I always said and thought that it was certainly possible i was gay. I never really thought that much about it. Everyone assumes everyone is straight including themselves. Oh i save a third-year i wrote my friend's number on my hand so we could chat for the summer. Then another one of my friends saw it and teased me about getting a girl's number. I was feeling rather hippie-ish that day so i said don't assume i'm straight. My friend then asked well then what can i assume. I didn't respond. I don't only look down and thought about it. I had no response. But she took it in a very different way than i meant it. During lunch that day everyone was talking about it. I didn't really have anything to say. I wasn't sure what i was. But everyone else was. I spent that summer trying to be sure and come up came across the conclusion that i was in fact guy. At least common phobia. In past years. Had to come out more times than i would like to count. But it didn't really change much. Someone say my journey is over. In that regard. I found out. I came out. And i survived. Dragon. I would say that this particular journey. Never really ends. Thank you. Hi my name is george tatum and i do not have a written speech. Because it's been a hectic weekend i do not write 1. But. I'll keep a pretty short when i was three and a half i was diagnosed with eosinophilic esophagitis. Which is a tongue twister. And it's a. Condition that involves a lot of severe allergies and consequently i have a feeding tube. And the best description for never heard was a chronic inconvenience which is what it is. And. My story is not about my struggles of that because to be totally honest with you i don't think it's been that much of a struggle i think it's actually. It's been a lot of silver linings to it. But. But i'd like to say is about suffering and happiness. And. But i was in the hospital and i was for. I'm getting my feeding tube in. There was. I'm a little kid next me i don't remember his name in the bed and he was in a wheelchair i don't know why. But i remember he and i would play with legos on the bed i was in the hospital for 5 days. And he's to pop wheelies in his wheelchair and the nurses would get mad he was just a really. Really wonderful person i had a lot of energy and just really made this day a lot more bearable. And. Throughout my life i've had several different operations and i've seen you do any waiting rooms other kids with different diseases and different disorders in. Different versions of suffering. And when i was hearing my first got on my parents say you know well george you know it could be a lot worse you know there's a lot of other kids who have. Things that are the million times worse. Kids the cat talked the whole autism spectrum. There's quite a few things that could be interpreted as worse than my condition. But what kind of puzzled me about this was that i would go into these waiting rooms and i was cds at the kids you have these your allegedly worse conditions and they they smile a lot of times are doing crossword puzzles they were coloring whatever they are living their lives just like i wasn't just like you all do. And then the other side of this kind of spectrum is it i would go to school or other places and one of the i think silver linings of having my condition is that. What other kids might get upset about certain things whether they are lost a pencil or what-have-you in an elementary school. It didn't seem quite a significant to me. Just because you know i have been doing other things my condition it just it didn't register is quite as big of a blow. But my journey is one of revelation. And that that i realize. That their suffering. Was just as great and losing a pencil as mine was and having allergies or another kids was and having autism it did not matter the cause of the suffering. It just matters how much it hurt. And likewise the same goes for happiness. And so what my kind of. Moral or messages is that when we look around the world and feel sorry for ourselves or feel sorry for others i think she keep in mind that. Suffering is not something that can be determined by its cause only by its painted self and likewise with joy. And so i think that's something that has remembered i think the world would be a much happier and better place. Thank you. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

140223_do_ecological-theologies.mp3

Welcome to the february 23rd service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by are settled minister reverend arrowland. The title of her sermon is. Universe and web. Perils in properties of ecological theology. This morning we're talking about. The planets. And ecology. And we're talking about theology. Sometimes when we get to talking with one another about the state of the planet they can have a pretty solemn. Fealty. I hope today is that we have both a salomon a joyful spirit. For indeed there's a great deal to be joyful about. And there is a great deal to be solemn about and those are woven. Together in our lives. This morning as i said we're talking about this beautiful. Precious. Shining. Blue green planet. That we find ourselves on. And when we talked about planet and theology. I can sometimes get a little abstract. Before we get abstract. I'd like to bring it home into our personal experiences. This morning i want to ask you each one of you. About a place. That you might know. A place that is very special to you. And outdoors natural place. That has been significant to you in your lives. So it might be the summer camp where you had your first kiss. Maybe the place where you learn to sail a boat. It might be that one quiet place that you walk to as end of your street. In the afternoons. Maybe it's a spot on these mountains. Maybe it's the retreat center called the mountain. In. Highlands north carolina whenever unitarian universalist. Retreat center. Y'all have a picture of a special place. I can see that many of you do. I asked you to think about what makes the spot special. Why is it specialty. There's a sense i think about these places that they're actually part of us. Part of our life stories. I believe i've spoken to you all about one of my own special places before. Place called star island off the coast of maine and new hampshire which is one of our other unitarian universalist summer camps that we share with united church of christ. And when i think about this place located on the series small island way out in the ocean. I think about this place it recalls to me. He's a being alive. Unencumbered. Dazzled by the ocean. By its vastness and by the salt coming off of the waves. When i actually can put myself there. I feel like i'm there. If only for a moment. I think that these places and whatever your place is i think that these places. They will call us to something deep inside of ourselves. And that place inside ourselves and these natural places are irreplaceable. And the curious thing is somewhere actually not in these places are not being asked by someone to imagine these places. Or are not actively thinking about these places it's really hard to forget about them. We got really busy in our lives. And we have to eat an egg dinner and we take kids to school and we're watching grandkids and we're making doctor's appointments and we're filling our cars with gas to get to places we need to go to and we can forget all about the sensations of what these kinds of special places evoque inside of us. But i hope that when we get to thinking about them. We start to recall just how dire. He'll really dear. These places have been to us in our lives. How we been shaped by them. And dipping matter. I want to share with you a little bit more about my own personal experience about a place of meaning to me out in the natural world. I'll share with you that back when i was in college. In california i had a life-altering experience. And it didn't have to do with drugs. I have this blessed opportunity to take three months worth of my classes as an undergraduate. Backpacking. Out in the california wilderness all along the northern california coast right up towards at the oregon border. I spent three months with about 13 other students into professors very intrepid courageous professors. And we spend our time reading about nature philosophy and religion. That was the purpose of this program called sierra institute we studied nature philosophy and religion but we did it in context. And so we were out there reading emerson and thoreau. And we were doing that next to these mountain streams. And we were reading these works of environmental philosophers and ecologist will be cooked on a campfire. Tickled stories. And we slept. With the moon rising above our heads right underneath the stars. And we woke up very early with the sun. And we lived very simply all those months. We also learn about the indigenous history of the landscapes we are traveling and we got to talk to local. Soaps that were working on environmental issues pretty close to the land. I'm for me i'll tell you it was a lot like. My idea of heaven. And maybe for some of you that sounds like your idea of a nice time well spent like heaven. And maybe for some of you you had experiences that are somewhat similar or somewhat kindred. I maybe for some of you this this sounds like anything but heaven. Sounds like a nightmare actually no running water no showers camp food 3 months. I'll tell you though that for me at that time in my life when i was at 18 years old. My 18 year old child open to a new sense of confidence. A purpose. They're in the peace and the fierceness. Of the wilderness. Their planetary concerns were not abstract. It was there along with some fellow students that we happen to attempt. A water crossing. Over a rushing river that was almost fatal. And i learned at that time to adapt to a different way of entering the world. Not really on my own terms. But rather in the terms of life and i actually couldn't really control. But could only thoughtfully coexist within. In desoto school of japanese zen. There's a saying from this gunmaster doujin. And it's one that turns artifical conception or western conceptions of the human mind. On its head. And the saying is. Whoever told people that mine. Means thought. Pinion. Ideas and concepts. Mind means trees. Fence post tiles in grasses. I sure will. This with you this morning because in the esoteric sort of way this zen master flips around the idea that are discreet. And our rational and are very imaginative human minds. No. Sometimes i understand that we can become very focused on the world inside of our own minds and forget. About the world. That is larger than our own mind. This is the sense that perhaps it's not really. All about us. Which is a hard thing to remember. It's not really. All about us. Because in daily life it really feels often like it is all about. Is natural places that i've been asking you to think about this morning. These natural places. A personal meaning that i think touch us. But our human touch. Also has an effect on them. We have really powerful old and ancient stories about the power of human agency. And they reveal that are touched. Is sometimes a lot more powerful than we might even realize. This morning i would ask them if you if you remember. The myth the greek myth of king midas. Remember the greek myth of king midas. What is king midas known for. Turning things to go with the touch of his hand. Just remember that story for a minute. So when's there was this great king midas and he was king of a fantastic capital. And he was very well known for his. Christine rose garden. And he loved all the pleasures of life. He loved nothing more than to stroll and beautiful manicured garden. And taking the view and smell roses. He was favored in the greek pantheon by one god in particular that was the god dionysus. God of grape harvest and food and debauchery and drink. Also known as bacchus in roman mythology. And isaac had quite a band of followers they really enjoyed gallivanting with one another partying late into the night. And when i after a night of particular debauchery one of the followers of dionysus passes out. In the rose garden of midas. Midas could have been angry when he found this party or snoozing in his rose garden. But as it was he was quite forgiving. He said that person could recoup themselves for a few days five to be exact. And later dionysius went out to search for his missing follower. And he sounds that follower in the rose garden with midas. And ionizer said might as think you for being so gracious and forgiving i will grant you. One wish. And midas thinks about it and he says i know just what it is. I'd like everything that i touch. To turn. Gold. The dinosaur said okay. So be it. He was a god so could do that sort of thing. Well might as well get thrilled with this new gift through his beloved rose garden and one by one he touched every petal and stem on all of the roses and wallah as he did so. They turn to gold. Any tops all the grasses of the lawn. And he ran his hands over them and as he did so while la. They turned to gold. Any touch the stone pathways and he touched the banisters umbrella. They also turned to gold. But there was just one problem. When he went to try to eat food. The food turn to gold. Not very appetizing. And then when he went to philip glass for something to drink. That to turn to gold. In desperation might have ran out into his rose garden where he saw his daughter looking out at the view and he said oh daughter. And she said yes father and turned around and he said you'll never believe and he reached out and touched her hands. Of course midas was devastated. And he pleaded to dionysus for help. And dionysus said i hear you you cannot undo what has been done but you may go to the head of the river there and you may amherst your hands in the river and it will wash away the power of your wish. It's a midas went to the river and washed his hands. Clean. And it carried away is golden touch. Later on. Midas became a devotee of pan. God of the woods god of music god of wildness and wilderness. There are. Chords. Many meanings that we can make up the story this morning. Clearly midas was short-sighted. And asking for this power of a golden touch. He was greedy. And after the death of his daughter in particular he hated his wealth. And you wanted to give it all back give it all away. Midas is not satisfied by the power that he had the power to create loving relationship with his daughter the power to grow and cultivate roses. He wasn't satisfied with that he wanted more he wanted the power. Turn everything into gold. Too bad for midas. He learned. Several different kinds of lessons i think. My point is this morning with you. Is that we each have power. And the question is what kind of touch. Will we bring. To the world. Often times when we start talking about ecology and care for the earth. There is dissent. An aware that some of you have indeed felt this way because you shared it with me. There is a sense of great yearning and there's also a sense of futility. It's so big. This earth. And the problems facing us are so huge. What are we supposed to do. And maybe we even get tired of scratching our heads and looking at one another and saying what are we to do. Let's be honest perhaps some of us even. Give up. We don't give up caring. But maybe we give up wondering what to do with art. And it's okay to acknowledge that some people just feel apathetic to be. I'm going to tell you this morning is that the reason one of the reasons i think talking about climate change. And what it means to care for our earth is tiring and even exhausting. I'm going to tell you why i think that is. I don't think it's because of problems are so damned. We feel powerless or paralyzed to stop them even though we may feel that way. I don't think it's because we glaze over when facts and figures are spouted at as about the impacts of global warming. Do we now. I actually think it's because culturally. Conversations about climate change. Evoke in us as a society and perhaps even as individuals. Personally i sense of shame. A sense of grief. But today i want to say we're not in the business of the shame game. Bringing up climate change and global warming need not lead us to personal or collective census of shame. There are very few ways that a modern family. Cashews to disengage. All the way all together with gasoline. There are very few ways that most modern families could choose never to take another airplane flight. If they have enough money to take an airplane. Shame about climate change actually stunts our ability to reconnect more deeply with life. And with its possibilities. And enjoy it fully and proudly. Stands for what it is that we love. This beautiful. Bluegreen. Precious planet. Responsibility is often a loaded word and it is a very important one. And i know that many already feel profoundly encumbered. In our own lives by a sense of responsibility. And too often we don't want to face anymore. Responsibility also suggest you this morning can be broken down. To response. And ability. Response and ability. And each one of us indeed had a power. To respond. We are evil. To respond. Today and asking what kind of touch will we bring to our lives and the power of that touch will it be gold. Or will it maybe be green. No doubt many of you here this morning already heard and been familiar with the term gaia. This notion that our earth our earth home is woven together of organic and inorganic materials. The interact in the shelf. Regulating sort of system. It's named guy also comes from greek mythology. But the story of gaia is pretty different than the story of king midas. Mythologically speaking gaya is the story of the personification of earth identified as a woman. As a great mother. Tuber the earth in the universe. And in roman mythology her name is tara. It looks familiar to some of you here than gaia this idea of gaia. From that maybe not. Gaius theologies. And here's the more abstract part. Gaia theology focus on this nation that the earth. Could be imagined as a deputy herself. Or imagining that earth itself is alive and sacred. In creative. This idea of gaia hypothesis coyote ologies been around actually for a while. Because the gaia hypothesis in science has been around since the 1970s when it was introduced by james lovelock and a microbiologist named lynn margulis. This idea is that the earth is connected all parts connected. Apart self-regulating. Perhaps innately intelligent perhaps creative. Happened out with its own sense of the sacred. Perhaps even conceived of. As a god-like being unto itself. No maybe this idea resonates for some of you. And maybe it sounds pretty distasteful for some of you. This morning i went to lift up some of the ways that different thinkers have been conceiving. Of the sacredness of our earth home. Rosemary radford ruether is a liberal religious scholar and she wrote a very interesting book a while back. It's called gaia and god and ecofeminism theology of earth's healing. In it she asked whether this sense of gaia. Has ever met the sense of a monotheistic western god. She wonders if gaia and god are even on speaking terms with one another. And she asked about the ways in which the destruction of our planet has actually sometimes been sanctified. By religion. And she asked why has this been so. And she challenges us to think about ways of understanding. Biology and ecology and new. She argues that we need to reconcile ourselves of the people with a new kind of consciousness. A new shambhala kind of culture. And a sense of deepening connection with the earth and its spirituality. I want to say that. Even we who could be deeply moved for care of the earth. We sometimes you're in to help the planet hero for the future of all life and frequently we just get stuck. Pictures of very interesting idea. That's been moving me and so i want to share it with you. Kathleen dean moore says that climate change. It's not really about climate change. She says it's about a failure of reverence. And so it is she says it's not a political issue. But a moral one. And that is why people are safe from many many many different theological backgrounds. For many many different houses of worship have been coming together have started to come together to speak up for the earth. The earth that we love. I just speak about it with a language of reverence. There are many who have taken up this call. Not just unitarian universalist. But also evangelical christians. And episcopalians. And baptists and catholics and jews and united methodist and muslims and buddhists and catholics. And people from the united church of christ. All starting to speak with a language of reverent about our planet. About what it means to ensure that our planet continues to be home long after we're gone. This morning there's a lot of different dimensions and directions to go in this conversation. But i want to remind us that as unitarian universalist. We hold often. That the world itself is infused with a sense of the sacred. And the each one of us participate. In the sacred with one another. Invite us to remember that we can respond. And here are some practical ways we can. We can have our feelings. We can have our feelings of grief. We can have our feelings of joy. And from that experience of grief we can actually start to connect with one another moved by our love for the planet. As for the real children alive right now you will also have who also have children. Who need the same earthly delights that we ourselves have enjoyed. Like food. Comes from the earth. Clean air. Clean water. And rivers to swim in. To refreshen. Renew the spirit and body. So we can have our feelings that's number one. Number to we can. Inhabit our time a little bit differently. We can each year in our busy lives commit to learning one new piece of information. About climate change and making at least one personal change. And we can take the time to walk and visit the places of personal places that we love so deeply. And we can honor the time that we do this. As important. And as and as. Being as important as the time that we spent checking are blackberries and our emails. We can take our children and our grandchildren and our broken hearted friends or our own concerns out into the peace of wild thing. That we can remember our own wild nature. And be lost and be found in a space that's much grander. Then ourselves. The third thing we can do. Is we can go home. We can be motivated by our love and reverence not shame not alienation that chronic volunteerism the complete saga. We can be motivated by our joy and our love for this planet. To start to address climate change and look around to see how climate change. Can be affected here in our local community. And then it national level. And we can even go home a little bit more. By supporting those that are reviving. The green sanctuary movement right here in our own congregation. We got two members of our congregation are actively helping us to renew our green sanctuary efforts making sure that our congregational home the way we operate our practices reflect our deepest held values. If we do these things. When we do these things. We are leaving behind what the celtic and gaelic called karen's. Those are those rock nouns. The indicate when you're on a hiking path. Where to go next. When we do these things we're letting the folks will come long after us know which way to go. Friends may the beauty of the earth be with us. May we do what is at our fingertips to ensure. Star planet becomes worthy a worthy homeplace for all that will come after us. May we work all our own power of human touch. Pretend life and its fullness and our own backyards in our own communities and our families. May i touch be bold. Maybe thoughtful. Maddie powerful. Perhaps may it be green. Blessed be. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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131020_do_generations-collide.mp3

Welcome to the october 20th service at the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is night by are settled minister. Reverend roland. Her sermon is titled do generations collide. The podcast begins with two readings and closes with your benediction. Our first reading this morning. Come from the fourth turning. By historians william strauss and neil howe. Of all the cycles known to man or person. The one we all know best. Is the human life cycle. Biologically and socially a full human life. Is divided into four phases. Childhood. Young adulthood. Midlife. Elderhood. Each phase of life is the same length as the others. Capable of holding one generation at a time. Degeneration of the aggregate of all people born roughly. The span of a phase of life who share a common location in history. History then creates generations. Generations create history. The symbiosis between life and time. Explain why one is seasonal. And so the other must also be. Our second reading this morning is from i and thou. By martin buber. Even as a melody is not composed of tones noraverse of words. North statue of lines. When was poland hair to turn a unity into a multiplicity. And so it is with the human being. Who am i say you. If i face the human being as my vow. And say the primary word i vow to that person. That person is not a thing among thing. It is not consist of thing. I become true my relation to the dow. As i become i. I say the how. Real living. Is encountering. When we are born. When we first arrived here. As human being. There's something that happens administrative lee. Among the very first thing. And that is that we are assigned a name of course. But also a birthdate. And a birth year. To the very second it is possible. For us to record upon are formed. When it is precisely. They each one of us gets here. Nrql hymnal. But we're not singing it today there is a song and it's by sweet honey in the rock. And the lyrics read for each child that's born a morning star rises and sings the universe who we are. Explain that folks are familiar with. Some. And so it is that we arrived into the world. But we do not arrive of course into a vacuum. We arrived as our human selves here in a conversation. That's already been unfolding. To a conversation that's in progress to an earth that's already tilting and a world in flux. So here it is that we are we arrive. In a society already engaging in celebration. And already. Enmeshed in conflict. For each child that's born a morning star rises and sings to the universe who we are. Free child that's born. Shantanu part is played in the ongoing drama that is human life. And so we can say that all of our individual human lives all the parts that we play our individual and unique and distinct. Yet clearly we also arrived in any given period with. Piers in our peer group. With others born near the same administrative date. And administrative year. So the question this morning is due generations. Collide. Or. Do they add with one another to the chorus of life itself. That is to say do we sing as generations together. Let me put it another way to you this morning. Nearly all presidents and historians do it. Musicians like the who. And authors like gloria steinem. And poets like allen ginsberg do it. What do they do. They talk about their generation. Try this morning that's what we're doing. We're talking about our generations. And so. What is a generation. Actually turns out to be a very interesting question. William strauss and neil how who wrote that very first reading that i shared with you this morning. They've written several books on the history of generational personas. Trying to understand the wider map throughout history. In which different generations have common played their part. They have two books at 1 called the fourth turning. And the other called generations the history of america's future. 1584 to 2069. And those of those books largely inspire the sermon that i'm sharing with you this morning. We might say that we have many generations right here in this congregation. And i know our theme of voting for prom king and queen highlighted a few different potential couples from different generations. Today our human lifetime is about 80 to 100 years old. And there is a common understanding that there are four phases of our human development as we heard in the reading. And each phase is about 20 years there's childhood. There's a young adulthood. There's middle life. And elder age. People like to argue a lot about what makes a generation what count as one generation. Today again i'm going to use the framework set forth by william strauss and neil howe. And given their framework it's 12 think that there are about. 6th generation. Active in life together. Both in society and. In our congregation. According to this model that i'm going to share with you today. A social generation shares a few things. First they share an age location in history. And they occupy roughly the same phase of life. When key historical moment occur. And the impact of those defining moments shape a climate. For certain beliefs certain practices and certain values that are such a shape. One's generational persona. Are you all with me on this. Okay. The challenge of course is that these are going to be generalizations. And we're all individuals that greatly differ. But what these folks suggest is that when we look at the aggregate experience certain patterns emerge. I'm going to give you an example. Do any of you recall back on may 1st 2011. When osama bin laden. With count. There were many different reactions across the land. And for some it was particularly surprising to see that college students were celebrating. Spontaneously. They were throwing many of them impromptu parties and they were crying and they were dancing with. Relief. Some of you remember this. After the initial reports of the celebrations in the news it became more widely understood. That the college students in 2011 had been mere children. Or we're just coming at age. When the twin towers fell. And so their childhood and their coming-of-age was filled by media saturation reports of code orange alert. And the threats of bin laden and al-qaeda. Surely the capture of bin laden and the tragedy of september 11th 2001 made a big impression on all of us. Perhaps that made. Particularly deep impression. Upon a generation that we now call millennials. Because they were just kids. They knew not. Now i'd like to share with you a bit about how the story ends strauss and how steve is social personas of the generation. When they do this when they. Lineup these categories. You'll see that each generation has strengths and challenges gifts and blessings. Particular values and perhaps perceptions. As i was alluding to earlier few human beings like to be put into a box. And those who partake of unitarian-universalism particularly do not like boxes. So i've given you now to generalization alerts. Do bring your skepticism do bring your curiosity as we explore this more deeply together this morning. You may or may not identify with your generation in particular what these historians have to say or with society's diamond dominance story. Prevailing story about what your generation has been all about. But again the theory suggests that there are aggregate patterns. The other significant thing about this model is that as these two historians set out to nap generational personas they noticed and this is quite. Interesting. They noticed that there are cycles. They looked at generational biographies of individuals and then his whole group being born at the same time. And they said in the book the fourth turning. But there's a fourfold cycle of generational types. Reoccurring moods. That happened. Throughout the history of the united states. It's interesting. I think. They offer that there are cycles to how different generations interact with history. Because we human beings create history. And history also creates us. So. To make this more plausible and more understandable. I want invite us this morning to do a little bit of a roll call. Where do a roll-call of the generations don't worry you're not going to have to identify your actual age. I know some people don't like to do that others do. But let's say. Please raise your hand if you were born between 1901. In 1924. These are the elders. Among us. Hey so maybe no one here identifies matt age range. Let me speak still share a little bit about that age range because it impacts the rest of our historical understanding of the generational cycles. If there was anyone in the room had raised their hand and and there are indeed those still living who are in this age range. Those folks would be of the gi generation. The gi generation was born into world war 1 and it's aftermath. This was known and is known as a specific generation. Hero generation in this model. They value the social persona the generations value public harmony. And cooperative social discipline. These folks were born into world war 1 and the roaring twenties. And by adulthood. This is heidi was unraveling. They enter the crisis years of the great depression and then. Fought bravely so in world war ii. So by midlife this gi generation. We're able to benefit from the gi bill. Institution-building was high. These folks did things like build suburbs create model cities. When this generation looks at younger generations like their children. Sometimes it can be hard for them to understand why the younger generations don't cease their youth. With the same determinism and optimism. And collective hope. That this generation recalled from when they were younger. What's interesting about this is that in this model it said that the generational persona of the gi. Share many of the very same characteristics as the millennial. Generation. That is now coming into their 20s. Okay. Please raise your hand for our next role call if you were born between 1925. And 1942. Alright look around at your cohorts there. Okay great. Put your hands down. So if you raise your hand are second roll-call you are of in this model the silent generation. But you've got another name to. And that name in this model is the lucky few. The silent generation were children during the great depression. And appearance the start of world war ii. You may recall that. You never call wwii but you were likely too young to actually participate. As you came of age and then later entered your middle life-years you experience some of the high tide of the post-war boom. You are known to have in this model a persona a generational persona that is adaptive. You are said to be of an artist generation mixing and matching. The benefit and conflicting messages that you've gotten from different generations. Why because history has sandwich q between the stalwart elders of the gi generation and the passionate. Idealistic boomers. It's sad. That your generation that's the lucky few. And the silent generation. Became risk-adverse professionals. And also rock and rollers. And all and also civil rights advocate. This generation is known for the relatively comfortable affluence experienced in elderhood. Apparently this generation also has a reputation for a hip style. And also for. Indecision. Here's the part about the generational cycles. If you have the silent generation or the lucky few generation. Know that the children born between 2005. And now. It is sad will be a generation like yours. Onto. The baby boom generation. If you were born between 1943 and 1960. Razor. Alright look around at each other. And you can put your hands down. So if you raise your hand at this point you're a boomer. And you probably know it. Everybody knows about your generation. And unlike other generations boomers cannot to mind so much identification with their generation. You were born at boone time. An area in an era of relative social cohesion. In your coming age years this generation rebelled against the social standardization. Of the generations that had come before. So those in the boomer generation may recall things such as the birmingham bus boycott the early days of the civil rights movement flower children black panthers the weathermen we could go on and on and if i opened up this room i'm sure we could generate a lot of things that you were called. In 1980s some of you became young urban professionals. And i midlife this generation was invested in battles around. Culture culture wars. And. What's meaningful. This model that i'm sharing with you all today let's up your generation as an idealist generation. Or a profit generation. You're known for your coming-of-age fire. And your values oriented eldership. Next up we have. Those born between 1961 and 1981. Alright look around. If you raise your hand for this role call you are a generation x. What is also known as the thirteenth generation i'll show this is also the generation that i fall within. For the generation. Call generation axe you may recall things in your childhood. And as your friend in your coming-of-age. such as the fall of the berlin wall. You may also remember star wars either the movie or the defense program. You were born during a time of upheaval in social ideals. Our generation has been compared and contrasted with the boomers. As we enter now in midlife were said to face life challenges with a pragmatism. We face let's challenge with a padma tourism as we enter into this historical period of social crisis and this is contrasted sometimes with the idealism. Of the generation that came before the boomers. Now i'm going to ask you to raise your hand if you are between 1982 if you're born between 1982 and 2004. Take a look around. All right if you okay you can put your hands down. If you raise your hand for this role call. You were of the millennial generation. I've spoken a little bit about the ways that you're said to mirror the gi generation. You're said to be a hero generation. Because of your historical location. Now. I would roll call. All of those born between 2005 and the present but they're mostly downstairs. The tears with shed in this model about the social persona. Of the young ones downstairs. It is said that they will be an adaptive artist generation. Similar to the silent generation. That they faced our crisis. today. A crisis. with financial. Challenges with climate change with the war on terror. And like the silent generation before then they will be adaptable. They will seek to blend the known with new information. And try to make their way forward. It's a fun thing to do i think. To lift up the generational personas prison. Now it's often perceived in society that generations compete. With one another. But what's interesting about the stress how model. Is that. 3.2 cycles. And we can start to understand perhaps if we entertain this model that we are ever more connected. Then we think. And related. Then we think. Instead of a linear march of different generations through time which arrive every twenty years or so the social persona generations moves in cycles. Because history moves in cycles. One way of looking at it. I think it's a good one. Helpful one. There's another pervasive way of looking at the generations and that is through clash point. Ways in which it said the generations class. With one another. Most of the writing and thinking about generational clash points that significant to note ashley come from looking at the workplace environment. There's about four generations active in the workplace right now. Interesting is that there are subtle and not-so-subtle ways in which people that talk about clash of clans observe a sense of scarcity. There's some scarcity between the generations there's not enough space there's not enough time there's not enough jobs there's a scarcity. Here are just a few workplace clash points and just see if you recognize some of these as well. In the realm of career. Those born between 1945. At those born after 1940. In the realm of career those born before. 19:45. It said in this way of thinking value most building a legacy. In the realm of career boomers are said to want to build a stellar. Generation xers want to build a portable. And millennials went to build parallel. Careers. In the realm of rewards when we think about. Class points. Before those born before 1945. Want as a reward in the workplace the satisfaction of a job well done. Boomers that said went money and recognition and the title and a corner office. Generations of sad want freedom. As the ultimate reward. And the millennials want work that is meaningful to me. Here's the last one i'll lift up. In terms of thinking about flashpoints with the generations in the workplace in the realm of balance. Those born before 1945. Play they want support. In shifting the balance. Support me in shifting. The balance. Boomers say. Help me balance everyone else and i will find meaning myself. Generations say with work-life balance give me balance now not when i'm 65. And the millennials say. Work is not everything. I need flexibility so i can handle all of my activity. There's a lot of different flashpoints. I wanted to lift those up in case any of you. Are familiar with those kinds of thinking those strands of thinking already. But what is a conversation about historical generational personas. And clash points have to do with us. In congregational life here. I want to suggest that we each individually come with our on lens. But today i'm also suggesting that our lenses are shaped. Perhaps by our social. Generational persona. The personas aren't better or worse. They're just different. Whether it's at work or around the holiday dinner table with the whole family or even edit event and congregational life. Or coffee hour. Sometimes i guess i can feel to sound like a collision. We have a multi-generational. Challenge. But we also have a tremendous multi-generational opportunity. I'll tell you that between clash points and the cyclical model of the strauss hauer generational theory. I choose the generational cyclical theory. Why because it disrupts the pervasive ideas heated by only looking at economic opportunity. And generational thinking. Let me look only economic opportunity. We see lots of arguments that say generations must compete or collide. But i want to suggest that we might be able to connect. And honor our relatedness instead of seeing ourselves as competitors. Ageism is a real problem. Ageism was originally coined to apply to the realities of prejudice facing elders. Now today we use a trim ageism to reflect the understanding that sometimes people see one another's as categories as groups and make assumptions and then deny access resources and participation to groups because they are of a certain age. I would say what we doing congregational life is counter cultural. In a healthy way. In a life restoring life-giving way. It doesn't mean it's easy. Sometimes it's messy. But we together have a chance to practice how will be as multi-generational community. Sometimes it can be easy to think that we are on a generational. Traffic pattern. We're driving down the street and we as generations play get out of my way. Generations that aren't mine you're in my way. But what if what is it like when we redefine. Our way. That we're all going together. Moving forward. Back in 1923. Ethicist martin buber wrote about relationship. And you wrote about existence. He said there were two primary ways of relating. We can relate to one another as i it. Meaning self an object. Which is really easy to do. But we can also relate to one another as i vow. That vow indicates that the person before us. Has a spark of the divine within. And through our relationship we are more closely connected to the wholeness. That is life itself. We heard martin buber speak about this. In our first reading. The question is if we journey together as vibrant. Multi-generational community. Committed to traveling our way. With all of us. How can we practice. I valley. And not i eating. A few weeks ago karen hager director of lifespan fits development here shared widely circulating letter. It's a letter that talks about. Appreciating the fact that parents of young children come to church. Some of you heard that letter. Here's one excerpt. This letter was written by jamie bruce off she says to parents you're doing something really important. I know it's not easy you come with your arms overflowing and i know you came to church already tired but what you're doing is so important when you're here this place is filled with joyful noise. Please know that your family with all this noise and struggle commotion and joy are not simply tolerated. But you are a vital part of the community. Gather during worship. If we moved as a community with ivao wing instead of i it ain't then we celebrate. Exactly the spirit. And this kind of letter. What about valuing instead of i eating with respect to young adult. Do you use ai office of growth strategies have some reminders for folks and older generation about how to tie a bow with young adult. It's pretty simple. Introduce yourself make friends. Be interested reachout. Perhaps it coffee time instead of saying. Young adult. How old are you. You might say instead what did you think of curtis today. No one likes to be approached just because of the perceived age that they may be. But you might be able to enjoy an authentic conversation. Instead of saying are you new here you might say i don't think we've met yet my name is. And maybe instead of saying let me introduce you to the one other adult that we have here. At this congregation. Which is not the case here. But this is how those conversations sometimes go. You could say let me introduce you to my friend. Let us recall in lettuce packs. And what about for the elder generations. Particularly those in their very last phases of life. Interesting but it's remarkably similar. Again the practices are remembering. I've owling instead of i hitting. Approaching one another as full human beings finding ways to engage in stories. And getting the perspectives of elders who are now in a period of staging and being able to share wisdom. Another is to recall that just because folks aren't here in the congregation on sunday morning they might still be here with us in spirit. And so it is that we. Put our ancestors sometimes and making sure that people are being visited. And accompanied. We also might attend to the congregation to making sure that caregivers to those who are caring for those in their last days of life have resources. Listening ears places to go when they're unsure how best to support their parents independence. Many more ways to explore ivao instead of i it. But these are just a few i wanted to lift up this morning. As i said i think it's easy for us to exist as if we're in a generational traffic jam. I'm on the road it's late i'm trying to get where i want to get to. But let us remember the way that we can share together. There's one last hamill left at this morning and i feel hymnal. Called we are the ones we've been waiting for. And actually we're not going to sing that one. But i encourage you to take a look at it. We'll sing it in future services. But the ideas we are the ones we are the ones we are the ones we've been waiting for. These are hard times and alice walker reminds us that hard times require. Serious dancing. And so it is that we need to dance and sing and play our parts with one another. It is good to be together. It is so very good. To be together. In the name of the generations which come before. And those which have come after. May we stand for the possibility. I'm learning how to beat multi-generational community. May we be courageous is ours. Let us be visionary and courageous and how we will dance with one another. May this be so. Blessed be. Let us offer thanksgiving for our ever-widening circles of community which hold all of the generations. Let us go forth dancing seriously. Singing together all the way. Until we shall meet again. Blessed be and. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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160918_dr_god-baseball.mp3

Welcome to the september 18th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by a reverend on rollins. And his message is title. Why god is a baseball fan. The podcast begins with the story for all ages read by rev don and closes with a benediction delivery by worship associate or irwin. Two-story and benediction revolve around baseball. During the second world war many major league baseball players serve in the army. In 1943. The all-american girls professional baseball league was formed the enjoyment of people still at home. Many of those people were fighting the enemy to they were factory workers who build ships. Planes and guns for the american soldiers get along with league games the women's teams played exhibitions at army training camps. Visited military hospitals and sold war bonds. Among the team names were the peaches. The blue sox. The bells the comets. Chicks. Lassie. And daisies. League last until 1944 1954 with teams in illinois indiana wisconsin michigan and minnesota the whole upper midwest really. It was not unusual for families like the one in this story to welcome to love one's home from the war with signs if they hung in the window rather than outside their homes. They kept the signs out of you the neighbors eventually with loved one eventually because of their loved ones who were either not home yet or were killed in battle. Rather ominous introduction because if you will come on down anybody wants to hear a story let's do it. Regis story about baseball. Throw the ball mama said i threw it into her glove no mama told me make me reach for it. Make me jump. So i threw the ball just over mom's head. She reads been caught if i threw the ball again this time high over her head she jumped and caught it. We played a long time and then we said on the steps and mom held my hand she looked at me and said i need a job while dad's away i need to work. I bet it was wartime and dad was in the army fighting for the country and then mama said i need your help practicing baseball because i hope to get a job playing in the women's league. What kind of job is that i wondered. Before the war dad truck i drove a truck for a milk company. Each morning he brought milk from farms to a plant where it was poured into bottles now that's a job i thought. Baseball is just a game. That night at sunday dinner grandpa told me i fought in the last war and he showed me his metal. I think grandma said you told amy last night about the warrant your metal well i did fight and i did win a metal a pointed to an old picture. He's showing that to me last night too. After dinner we listen to the news of the war on the radio we listen to the jack benny show dad's favorite i wondered if that was listing somewhere to. The next morning we waited the grandpa's car to the large baseball stadium. Grandma grandpa and i sit in the stands and mama went out on the field. There were a lot of women there they stood in a line a man with a bad hit a ball to them if a woman missed the ball the man said thank you and then pointed at the gate by the farm byfield that woman didn't make the team. Find it was my mom's turn. The man hit the ball over mama's head just like i threw it to her when we practice. Marguerite with the ball and she caught it. Then she went to the back of the line. Eastside was mama's turn she caught the ball. Vit b. When the man said to the women who were left mama's wong twice and missed and then she hit the ball on the ground right back to the man it wasn't a good here. I was afraid the man would say thank you and point to the exit. But he didn't he told mom to come back the next day. Do you see her hitting. The next week grandma and grandpa took me to one of moms games or team was in the field the ball was hit high over mama's head this time and she jumped and reached out. And i jumped and read stuff too and then mama caught the ball. What is mama turned to hit i stood the picture through the vault at mamas wonderbat i swung too and they hit grandpa's bag of peanuts. Yes. Peanuts flew everywhere when i looked under the field mama was standing on second base. She had hit a double. And grandpa change the seat. Amy moves around too much he whispered to grandma amy is playing baseball along with her mama grandma said. When the game is over i ran them on the we won i shouted mama hugs and kiss me. And we were so happy. You see the game. She did. I went to lots of mama's games but the only only the ones that were nearby. Mama travel with her team but to faraway places. I stayed home and drew pictures i love to draw. And after each game people crowded around mama they asked her to sign pieces of paper and baseball. And then one day when i got home. I asked mama to sign a baseball for me. You don't need my autograph she said oh yes i do i told her i want it because you're a great baseball football player and because you are my mother. That winter whenever the ground was clear of snow and ice mom and i went outside we wore winter coats. I were willing gloves. Mama wore her baseball glove. Then mama gave me a baseball and told me throw the ball make me reach for it to make me jump. She practice whenever she could. Baseball is my job she told me. I want to be good at. It was my job to helper. And then one morning the next fall. Come with me she said i have a surprise for you. Are grandma and grandpa coming to know mama said just you and me and we're going to the bus station. While we walked i asked mine are you taking me to a faraway game. She didn't answer. She just smiled. And when we got to the station we waited. Then a bus stopped and lots of people got off. Some of them were soldiers. What do you think happened. Going to see your dad. And then i saw him my dad was getting off the bus. Mom and i ran to him we hugged and kissed him mama touched his cheek and said you look so handsome in your uniform. Dad smiled and said and you look so pretty and yours. We came home grandma and grandpa met at the front door grandpa wore his uniform in his metal and inside with a big welcome home welcome home sign and a cake. And after we celebrated ate all that cake i took dad's hand and now i have a surprise for you. You do dad said. My grandpa and grandpa looked at me and asked what surprise do you have. I didn't answer. I didn't answer i told dad to sit in his favorite chair i went to my room and brought out my drawings they were of mama playing baseball. These are great dad said. Mom is a great bass player baseball player i said. When i turned on the radio on sunday night. I said i'm dad's laugh. And we all listen and laughed at my dad's favorite program. Jack benny show. The war was over. My dad was home. The message here is that sometimes can we play games. It's more important than we think. And in this case there had not been many women baseball player. And during this period there were many. And today there are more than ever. So. Think about. Sports how much you love it and if there's something else going on that you might think about. You do like soccer ball. We'll talk about that thanks for listening have a good morning. We have just enough time to let you weigh in. If the folks on the microphones would help us out here i'll take one. Try not to pontificate or get too negative about the word guy. Last week was first principal this week's god i'm going with easy stuff. Alright if you would like to speak please raise your hand in the folks here will help us out. It's a. The tricky word for me. Growing up catholic. Cuz there was a specific image kind of. Supplied by. But i've kind of grown to now when i hear it i got it. Force my mind to say okay. Think about this in the way i think about god which is. Have a broader. Encompassing thing. Nada personal. Sort of. Vengeful. Good morning. September 23rd 2003 at about 4:30 in the afternoon. It was about that time. I don't know dan d'arcy computer. And. I think google. Alcoholics anonymous in vermont. In brattleboro vermont. And how'd it go back. Beer my belly. And as if anybody knows of a 12-step program. Babe. Discuss. The religious connotation but it's not a religious program. The spiritual program. Pretty much like. Unitarian program ends. Many many many times. I've related with unitarian nism. Through my 12-step programs. They talk about god it's a higher. Or higher power. Well i can never ever explain what drove my fingers. The google alcoholics anonymous. Vermont. So when i have a. Theory of. God is my understand. There's something that drove me to do that. That i can explain. And i don't try to nor do i try and search it all i do know is that there is a power greater than myself. Whom i choose to call god. But that's my choice. And there's a spiritual. Spiritual peace behind that. That drives us all perhaps. And we just try and figure that out. And so that's my understanding of. The word god is not anyone. It's the open stained glass and yet with something driven bhai. I think of dylan thomas's line the force that through the green fuse drives. The flower. I have that. I like to identify with stephen hawking's words whereby he says that. Got2b represent. The forces that control the universe. And. I'm sorry along with george george carlin also that the hippies beliefs of god is not something. Man with a. Flowing beard and then white robes or whatever am i. I talked to god daily at but got all the other sesame straighten up and fly right or i'll kick your butt. Righty. Get a hand here. Looking out the window in front of me i'm looking at the sky that. I'm tired too. Picture on a daily basis is just infinite. If i traveled at the speed of light that direction forever out never reach. Appoint. That would be an ending. But at the same time. These trees out here. And seems people in here. Fragile ecosystem. Incredibly ephemeral ending can only survive through. Cooperation and then luck. And so. Combination of. Infinity but also. A fragile clothes. One more. Two more. I'm south leonard i figured something out my spirituality wichita. When. You love. An act of faith rule of. To dress. The issues that are round you like say that. There's someone that needs help. In any capacity. Aynax out of faith. Eventually. You are helped on. In a like fashion. Through serendipity. And. That. Given take wood pro quo. Happen. Spiritual world. Which is the essence. I found that have. Over and over and over again. And once you get that. That engine started. And. That is. I think that's the. Elude. And of course. Love is as. It's not a mechanical. But it is. An emotional. Really short io this congregation awful lot because when i came here. I was a mess. Indicates approached me about a course in miracles and i went huh. And i took it. And i'm still working with that but there's. Two things in that course it helped me alot. First of all i hate to see people get tripped up on the word god. All the different labels and and and stumbling blocks. But the court said and i'm going to try to quote it. There cannot be a universal theology. But there has to be is a universal experience. And that's what makes us all one big family. Regardless of all the different names and theologies people put to god. And that helped me a lot. Pretty much stuff right there folks have a good sunday. Thank you folks thank you for have the discipline when i open up the microphone. And part of my reasoning is that. Many congregations can go a lot into a long time and not appreciate the real diversity among them. It's a part of my goal when we do that is to be able to. But you speak and let you be heard. Play other folk. Friends neighbors and fellow diamond die-hards we gather on the eve of baseball's holiest of seasons. The playoffs are askance 17 days away but who's counting the league championships will blessedly follow. Become october 25th the finance of the fanatical facebook will herald the beginning of that 103 year-old slice of americana called. The world sissy lala be praised. I am a fan of baseball. I can't remember otherwise. I tell you straight up. On a hot and sticky summer day. I close my eyes and i concentrate. And i still feel the scratchy wool at my ill-fitting. First lego major league uniform little league uniform. I can smell the saddle soap buy to my glove. And although i decidedly less pleasurable amory. I conjure up the time when bt davis called me out at first base more on that as i recall. I had just bang the clean. T-ball triple off the left-field fence at oakview elementary school ball diamond. A feat that was somewhat diminished by the fact that i honest-to-god. Ran the bases in reverse. House in 3rd 2nd and 1st. Bt was the umpire that day and he was nearly in tears. Not from laughter he said it just broke is hard to be the one to teach me how to count. And did you could be looking at the only human brain being that ever hit a reverse triple. But you know that's baseball for you. Always something you didn't see coming. Which is why god is a baseball. Perhaps you've heard about a school of thought known as process theology. Pioneered by theologian alfred north whitehead refined by thinkers such as harley charles hartshorne. John bacab katherine keller. The premise is that god is an ancient but still useful way of describing an ever-changing universe. So definition. That sets aside the question of whether god is natural or supernatural or anyting. And instead. Imagine god imagines god. As the creative exchange. Ground of all being. Or just playing experience of being a part of it all. Although there are differences among those theologians god is generally understood as a verb not a noun. Dynamic not static. Within and between. Not aloof. Separate. Equipped. Homely example is in order. I'm in the checkout line last week. Buy more canned vegetables and i should probably. And my large bulbous head is busy as usual. And ahead of me is a young mom with her baby face in my way. The child makes eye contact. And then smiles. And all of a sudden i am present. And i am quiet. And i am grateful for an unexpected but sorely needed reminder there is more to life. Then i pretend. Setting aside the very real possibility that chili was simply passing gas. The process theologian breaks in looks at that exchange. Not as brain chemicals to bring chemicals. But an unbeaten transaction. Between souls. And the course of that creative moment they tell us that god is made manifest. We talk about god is love god really is love. So as you can imagine. Process theology is coming in for a blistering criticism among the orthodox. It's a small oh by the way especially given most. Not all. Process the illusion see jesus as fully human. And in many ways these folks collapse the first and third persons of the trinity. Into what. Which of course brings back the baseball. When i say god attends baseball games what i'm really saying is that baseball is for some of us a spiritual discipline. Practice on a diamond-shaped chapel. Where the unpredictable may appear at any moment. Wanted. One hit one strikeout one error at a time. For us a trip to the ballpark is really what the recently deceased wp can sell a called a visit to the field of dreams. I'm going to miss him by the way if you don't know that name it's worth. Looking them up wp kinsella with a k. Baseball and sacred time. I believe that the spiritual experience is a transcendent moment. Captured in memory. And it's captured in normal time what the greeks called kronos or kronos. Nxcess suspended for kairos. Which is secret is you got chrono says regular time kairos is sacred. Baby smiles. Time stops. Guy smiles back. I'm present in the moment. And it's only for a few seconds we know something out of the ordinary just made a house call. In the moment is imprinted in memory. So i tell you about it. And i get warm and fuzzy as i do it. A story to illustrate this lifting of the veil of time. Reinhold niebuhr. An influential american theologian from the last century. Decided to take his famous german american colleague paul tillich. To a baseball game. After several innings deliquia still having trouble getting the knack of the game. Service play progress. Miraculous twin killing double-play was started by the home team's shortstop. Fans throughout the stands roared with approval and applause. Puzzle by such an overwhelming response to a play that had not seen the ball head over the fence. Nor even out of the infield till it turns in uber. Explanation. Never took a few attempts to explain the play in baseball terms. And then it dawned on him who he was talking to. Sweeper theologically and said simply. It's a kairos paulus. It's a cairo. So kairos is a theologians way of saying that something and it's built for surprise and all and creativity and without which our souls grow stale and our hearts become heavy. Which of course texas back to baseball. Baseball fans. Baseball fans. Because chaos can happen at any time between those two talk lines and a fixed fence. The masterfully pissed game. The run saving over-the-shoulder catch the line drive the steel the squeeze the manager haranguing the umpire over a called third strike we have just enough time for the story off text. Your baltimore orioles member earl weaver anybody. Earl was less than your sweetheart kind of a manager. He got thrown out of the game before they ever started the game what happens as double header the first game. Weaver's all over the alps and find against the heave and he's throwing basis as usual not that kind of stuff goes back inside smoked a few cigarettes comes back out the second game is about to start he takes the lineup card for usual to the empire besides we give the same empire some mouth at that point he is the first and only manager i know other got thrown out of the game while presenting their lineup card. That is some moxie. These things are not plans. They remind us of life baseball fan. Remind us the chaos is always. Close. And then i asked what's a guy who weighs more than hitting is. Weighs more than his batting average doing hit that hitting that opposite field. Walk-off grand slam. We didn't see it coming. So. Most fans and i love this game because even after years of practice and repetition nothing can be guaranteed about what's really going to happen. The unexpected god in process terms. But isn't that holy exchange. The process book say that is god. And that's what the ancients were trying to tell us when they wrote it down and codified it before all that there was the simple exchange. Folks couldn't explain. And yet could not do without. Back to that baseball thing again the unexpected god intervenes. And the next thing we know we're hi-5 and total strangers were spilling warm beverages on the family in front of us. Cuz we are lost met transcendent moments. In the case of a live sports and we also have come. We also have come to that moment hoping to share a transcendence. Time together. And we do it in community. We have a palpable connection to the temple to park. Or the players. To borrow against we can sell it any game becomes important when you know and love the players. Or that simple comforting sense of belonging to a tribe whose language and rituals. And symbols are familiar. There is a very public connection. And process theology. Another example. Pull up donald hall innsbrook fathers playing catch with sons. Essays on sports. The parentheses mostly baseball. How describe circle the 1950s baseball's capacity for the tribal bonds. And by the way if baseball's making a goofy just insert whatever works for you. But here's what happens with with ha. He says baseball connects americans with one another not only through bleacher friendships. And neighbor loyalties but most importantly across generations. When you are a small you may not discuss politics or union dues or profit margins with your father's cigar-smoking friends. Why your dad is gone out for a six pack. But you might discuss baseball. It is all you have in common. Because your father's friend does not wish to discuss the assistant principal from last week. Or alice bisbee morgan who sits next to you. About the seasons moment you know as much as he does. Both of you shake your head over lefties wildness. Or the rookie who was called out last saturday when he tried to steal home. With two outs in the ninth inning. And down by a run. Don't get lost in the baseball comparison. It has to do. With the spirit. Surprised. A former mayor of new york city mario cuomo put his own spin on the power of team sports to create religion like myth. A narrative seawright's. Baseball is a community activity you need all nine players helping one another. He writes i love the bundt place i love the idea of the sacrifice. Even the word is good. Giving yourself up and for the good of the whole. He continues that is jeremiah. That's thousands of years of wisdom you find your own good and the good of the whole. You find your own individual fulfillment. In the success of the community. And then. Includes the bible tried to do that and didn't teach you but baseball did. Suppose we could argue over whether baseball or the jewish scriptures make for better community. But the takeaway is the god of process theology works magic on the grand as well. Best personal scales. Have you ever been to a good and rowdy protest. Have you ever marched down the street. With people you know and love. Have you ever set. In the evening and watch the sunset. Somebody you loved. There is a connection to process theology school. Sabrett's. I get it that big league baseball ain't for everybody. If sometimes applauding game rife with apocracy right commercialism. And scandals. Even if you love it sooner or later you know it's going to break your heart and you're going to cuss at your tv. It's just going to happen. But in the end. I am not trying to make it into baseball fan. I'm apart of the great unwashed. But not everybody should. The point here is that there is a way to think about god that's as old as mystery itself. And yet as relevant as a fourth-generation process theologians who talked to us a metaphysical terms. The point is this. The more open we are to life splendid. Feats of magic. The more we are open to those feats. Big and small. The more senator lives. And the richer the memories we hold against the hard time. That would have been a decent ending i think but then i would be in violation of the official mandate when it comes to uu minister. And baseball survey. You gotta read the last part of the quote. The speech. The testimony any guesses. The faithful answer. So. From the movie inspired by wp cancellous book on shoeless joe jackson. Field of dreams. Here is susan sarandon sandy subway. Southern temptress. Temperature. Turn t-motor glazing over like a pentecostal as she witness for the only church that she can trust. I believe in the church of baseball. I tried all the major religions and most of the minor ones i have worship buddha allah brahma vishnu shiva trees mushrooms and isadora duncan anybody get the reference. Anybody get the reference tells what it is. She wasn't amazing dance. Yes. Sup. And then she continues i know things. For instance there 108 beads in the catholic rosary there 108 stitches in a baseball. When i learned that i gave jesus a chance but it just didn't work out between us. The lord made too much guilt on me. I prefer metaphysics metaphysics to theology you see there's no guilt in baseball. So i've tried them all i really have. The only church that truly feeds the soul day in and day out. Is the church of baseball are there amen. And lastly after the last week. I came across a great joke too late to work it in but here's a non-core a second on car for you. Hazel and dorothy were longtime friends who grew up playing and then listening to baseball on the radio. Hazel died first. But soon after became began visiting her baseball buddy and comforting dreams. It helped therese for loss. But things took a sobering turn the night hazel appear to dorothy as before but instead of kind words began by saying dorothy i got good news and i got bad news. First the good there is heaven and there is baseball in heaven. And then the bad news you're starting to shortstop tonight. This morning's benediction is adapted from elizabeth parishes. Baseball prayer. Spirit of baseball. I've sunny days and endless summers. Old spirit of hope and humor. Be with us always. Even in our offseason. Remind us to keep our time open ended. To not rush our place. Or. Photos of others. Teach us to relish our food. And not to focus too much. On the scoreboard. And especially. Val preserving eternal spirit. Help us to remember. That it's never over till it's over. That always. There's hope. Down to the last play of the game. May we go out knowing that we have played our best. That we'd given to others. Enjoyment and good memories. And that. Who knows. There might just be another field for us. Sometime. Somewhere. Elf. Go in peace. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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131110_do_instalation.mp3

Welcome to the november 10th service at the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. Today is the installation service. The reverend roland as auuc settled minister. Several individuals participating. Including ministers from as far away as california. The podcast contains most of the spoken words during the service. Order a service which list all the participants. Can be accessed via a link from the services page. Also on this page are links to photos into a short video. Those taken by an hall. Welcome this special day it's not every congregation that has such an accomplished jazz pianist welcomed us. As i said welcome cuz this is a special day as we install are settled minister reverend dara olandt. This congregation has had one full-time called settle minister and its history. So this is indeed a historic occasion for us. Today is a celebration of our congregation it's past present and its future. Dara rolins was fellowship by the ministerial fellowship committee of the unitarian universalist association in december 2011 and ordained to the ministry in may 2012. We are pleased to formalize our partnership with our new minister and with one another on this bright day. Our unitarian universalist tradition is covenant o. The covenant is to come together. It matters what we agree to and promised one another. We covenant as a way of naming our responsibilities to one another. And our aspirations. Today we will make visible our covenant between our congregation and settled minister. People have come from blacksburg from california from colorado from washington dc. From around the state of virginia and from neighboring states to be with us here today. Present our guest unitarian universalist clergy and religious leaders from different traditions. Presents are children youth and adults. Welcome all. Welcome friends to the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg. What a blessing of the number of children and youth you all have here you are very lucky. I am not grayson walker nor am i marty color my name is kathy ryan star and i. Come to share that ratio was not able to be here but sends her wishes to you all as you covenant with reverend era and teixeira blessing from the reverend marty color who had a death in her family and is so sorry that she wasn't able to be here this morning. Everybody says i am unable to be here in body but i am here in great joy and high spirits for the installation of this immensely gifted and capable minister. She writes it is my honor and privilege to be there is official mentor as she works toward final fellowship in uu professional ministry. As well as a colleague and you use for jewish awareness. A group within our association of congregations which lifts up. This source of our living tradition as both a religious and cultural touchstone. It is these bonds that form the basis for this blessing. And hebrew. Haha. In the words of rabbi marshall faulk. A special kind of utterance. That can turn a moment. Into an event. And events such as today into a radiant moment in time. So with a sense of immense pride and promise marty wright's i offer a blessing on dara's particular and powerful ministry. With this very fortunate. Congregation. May you find times and ways to stop. And admire what you have in her. Bright brilliance. Ducks. Prophetic vision. Deep empathy. And a commitment to insight. And intention. May you be blessed. May you discover and cherish the creativity and energy and wisdom indera. May you be blessed. May you learn together with humility and pleasure. And teach each other what you know. With love. May you be blessed. May you look for the harmonies. And forgive the disconnects. May you be blessed. May you cherish the respect and caring in your covenanted relationship. May you. Be. Bless. And in the words of the late cantor debbie friedman. May the source of strength that dwells deep within all of us. Help us find the courage to make our lives. A blessing. This day. And always. My name is peter allen. Husband. Afdera. And i've been asked to say. A few words from. The family. On the extended family. Which sarah has quite the tribe. So. Sarah. Be happy. Be happy. Live in joy. It is all per. This is all pro. Perfectly imperfect. But it is. Congregation. We have to have a little chat. We both love dara. And i'm actually a new member of this congregation so i am doubly divided here. We all love dara. And dara. Has only so much time for all of us. We can be. Jealous lovers quarrel. Or we can come together. And support dara. Imbalance. And send her off with love. And blessings. When she is. Not with us. So sarah. I want you to know. The our family. The greater family and friends and everyone that loves. Blesses you. As we enter deeper into the service i offer three readings. To frame our time together. The first by poet william stafford. A ritual to read to each other. If you don't know the kind of person i am. And i don't know the kind of person you are. A pattern that others made may prevail in the world. And following the wrong god home. We may miss our star. For there is many a small betrayal in the mind. A shrug that let the fragile sequence. Break. Sending with shouts the horrible errors of childhood storming out to play through the broken dyke. And as elephants parade. Holding each elephant's tale. But if one wanders. The circus won't find the park. I call it cruel. And maybe the root of all cruelty to know what occurs. But not recognized. Fact. And so i appeal to a voice. Do something shadowy a remote important region and all who talk. The we could fool each other. We should consider less the parade of our mutual life get lost. In the dark. For it is important. People that a week. People. Be. Awake. Or breaking line may discourage them back to sleep. The signals we give yes or no or maybe should be clear. The darkness around us. Our second reading comes from m scott peck in his book the different drum. Community making and. We human beings have often been referred to as social animals. But we are not yet community creatures. We are impelled to relate with each other for our survival. But we don't yet relate with the inclusivity. Realism. Self-awareness. Vulnerability commitments openness freedom equality and love of genuine community. It is no longer enough to be simply social animals. Cocktail parties and brawling with each other in business and over boundaries. It is our task. Are essential. Central. Crucial task. To transform ourselves from mere social creatures. Into community. Creatures. It is the only way that evolution will be able. To proceed. And our third meeting comes from the unitarian universalist minister reverend mark morrison read who is preaching in my congregation at all souls as we sit here. The central task of the religious community. Is to unveil the bonds that bind each. To all. There is a connectedness. A relationship discovered emits. Particulars of our own lives. And the lives of others. Once felt. It inspires us to act. For justice. It is the church that assures us that we are not struggling for justice on our own. But as members of a larger community. The religious community is essential. We're alone our vision is too narrow to see all that must be done. And our strength too limited to do all that must be. Together. Our vision widens and our strength. Is renewed. Our installation today. It's about waking the vision. Beloved community. As i was sitting. Hang out the window. Looking at the. The breeze in the trees. I'm also reminded of. The terrible typhoon. In the philippines. Set test. Potentially claimed the lives of over 10,000. And that would be mindful. Meditation is about. Creating space. Creating space. Thoughts. Today i'd like to take you through. 11 kindness meditation. I met him at at. And it goes like this. Will do this call andre. So it starts out. May i be safe. May i be well. May i know joy. May i be free. Alright let's take it through all together. May i. Now take a look at. Around you. Now we'll do it one more time. May you be safe. With you instead of i. May you be safe. May you be. And now all of us. Together here today. May we be safe. May we be safe. And now expanding our circle of concerned even further. As far as the philippines. To all those. The interdependent web. May all be safe. Take a couple of minutes to let all that. Finding myself room because i kind of move around and walk around so i need to find nick myself little bit of space here. It is such an honor and a privilege to be here today. It turns out i have multiple incredibly beautiful connections to this congregation. First of all ethel marie underhill is a member of my congregation. And her heart so much of her heart is still here it's just so beautiful to know that that we have that connection together. And also as luck would have it stephanie gilmore and i are friends from 20 years back. And she took me in at a time in my life when i sorely needed. Care. And i moved in for a month and stayed a year. And she really healed me back to life and my young adulthood so. Just let the gift to see you in your home. Of course my dear dara. There was my internet boulder valley unitarian universalist fellowship a few years ago. Anyone short internship year. She left a legacy both in my heart and in our congregation. She helped us move from that pastorul to program model. In one particular area that is still so beautifully run and helps my ministry tremendously. She took us from an old pastoral care caring committee model. Tomorrow that is now neighborhood base. And so i have a care a caring network that goes out. And not only provides for the immediate needs of people in the congregation but also provide social. Opportunities for people because our conversations more and more regionally-based. And that is one of the most successful and beautiful transformations we've had in my ministry so i thank you so much for that. But equally as important but i saw vera was with us but her capacity to open up conversations. Powerfleet intimate conversations. On topics that people would have a very hard time talking about. Topics like race. Topics like. Theological oppression. Wounds that we bring from our old traditions. She did that for us. And helped us be on the road to developing our cells which is a continual process. Into a true beloved community. So you have been a gift. And you have found yourself quite a minister here. If you don't know the kind of person i am and i don't know the kind of person you are. We might follow the wrong god home. And miss our star. With whom do you share your greatest joys. In life. Where do you go. When you are broken hearted. These words from william stafford which stafford which has been known to me are some of sarah's favorites. They speak to us. A perhaps a universal desire. To feel fully known. Fully. Scene. And to also see the other. Intermutual opening of the heart. And it also speaks to us about what befalls us. When we miss the opportunity to do so. We might follow the wrong god home. And miss our star. And what a tragedy it is when in our botched efforts to truly see each other's gifts. And each other's frailties. We end up far afield from where we intended to be. It's kind of true community where gifts are. Freely given and received were frailties. Are allowed to be shared where the imperfections of our lives are welcome. This kind of true community which we might call beloved community. It's open vulnerable. Free. And self-aware. This kind of community. Is hard to come by. Because so often. We miss those opportunities. To see each other's gifts. And to allow ourselves. To be seen. But when it arrives. When it arrives it is truly a gift. And if you have ever tasted it in your life. You will have a hard time going back. What amscot petcalls pseudo communities. You might know them. He brought about the notebook called a world waiting to be born. A pseudo community he says. If my group defines itself as community. What is really living by a set of manners. And pretenses. They can create a smoothly functioning dinner party. But not really much else. Difference is glossed over. Disagreements are ignored. Niceties and generalizations abound. Sound familiar to anybody ever been in a group like that. The round. Mata might be interesting for a while and pleasant. But they don't create anything that captures the imagination for a very long time. Getting some true community from pseudo community to true community or what i would call beloved community. Is a journey. Impact describes it in stages. He says over time these types of groups that last. When they start to last for a while at some point difference is can no longer be ignored. Impact caused the next stage of community the stage of chaos. Because if the theme of pseudo community is covering up difference. The predominant theme in the next stage when you can no longer ignore difference. Is there try to obliterate those differences. And this is down by group members when they try to fix each other convert each other. Or argue for simplistic organizational norms. So we can all be the same weekend. Just. Convert each other so we all become like us. It's messy and uncomfortable it's irritating and infuriating. It can be thoughtless rapid-fire and often noisy with win lose propositions all along the way. Noah groups may stumble through this one form the pseudo community and stumble through the chaos. It takes a level of intentionality to get to the next form of community building. One needs to become aware. Of oneself. Impact causes nxstage emptiness. Because members in the group need to work to empty themselves. Of their preconceived notions. Of everything that stands between them. Inter-community. When self-reflection comes in versus other-oriented fixing of community. Tyrone reactive responses to life need to be examined. Our prejudices are snap judgement. Fix expectations. The urge to be right. The fear of looking like a fool or the need to control. Ever felt any of those things yourself. And even on a more personal and deeper level. Hidden grief. Even hatred. And terrors and fears must be confessed. Made public. Before individuals can be truly present. To that group. Yeah. This is like really hard work to get here. Really hard work. It takes risk. And it takes courage. And it may feel at moments. Relieving. And it moments like you're going to die and not make it through. During this stage. Pack asserts that you're off and moving forward and then retreat. Give me and then retreating again. As people learn to be present to each other in a new way. And then retreat to old patterns. But finally my friends. It starts. Stick. Someone. Will be brave enough to share something from their heart. And instead of pushback. They will be a welcome. Thoughtful silence. Allowing space. For that next person. To take that old. Risk. And the next. And the next. You can't really. Make this happen in any. Circular way. This is my moments of grace. Come in. When each individual's own work and self-reflection. Their own monitoring of the things that are. Effective and productive for commuting the things that are not. Somehow all come together. This moment of grace. The change is palpable. A spirit of peace. Pervades. Texas. There is more silence. And yet more of worth get said. And it is like. Music. That's the hope. That's the dream of beloved community. And if you've ever tasted it. You know you don't want to go back. To the other form. And it is in this place. That we moved from being merely social animals. The community creatures. Committed to the spiritual journey of community. That has openness inclusivity vulnerability. And when that transformation does occur. The sense of grace is palpable. Exhausted from this place of true community. That a deeper calling for social justice can naturally emerge. Because if we hide our brokenness from each other. And don't risk to share our dreams. We will surely follow the wrong god home. It might be a star. But it won't be our star. Like many congregations. My fellowship has a strong desire to create change. In the world. If you look at our website you'll see a worthy set of activities causes and. Services that we provide. We walk for hunger. Mickey the homeless or tutoring opportunities. I'm imagining you have some of those things amongst you as well. And they are good. Because they help heal. The pain in the. In the world around us. But it was only when we started sharing our own broken heartedness with each other. That we began to find our star. We use the process of 12 ones like the reverend linda vance and share the few folks here yesterday. With their first time through about 6 years ago they talked about 100 people on the competition one-on-one my members to member-to-member. But 100 people. And let them when they started hearing what people's concerns onto work on an issue of improving healthcare access for children. It was a worthy star. Which by the end of their. Work included. I'm bringing lots of more resources to our school districts in order to decrease the gap between eligible children for these healthcare programs and enroll children. And we felt really good about our work. It was a worthy star but i tell you it was not our star. Because we couldn't find enough people in our own congregation to testify about the pain of that gap. So we did something beautiful. But it was not our god we were following home. It's about 3 years ago about. After another round of these intensive 12-14 we really began to talk to each other in the congregation once again. Going deeper. My community organizing committee came to me. And said we have found another issue to work on. But we want to know we have your support. Before. We go there. The issue that they had discovered. With mental health. Opening up that conversation. In my congregation. Has the most been the most deeply. Informative work i have done in my minutes. Deeply-held private pain. Tucked safely away. In the most from the most polite chatter that one finds a coffee hour in the studio communities of our lives. Now they had a place. Bhasin. And shared. In one worship service early on i asked how many people had been impacted by mental health. In their lives by themselves or others in virtually every hand went up. And we all felt so much less alone. Because of it. Finally. There was a place for. To be seen. Infamous boulder. Their lives. Routine check-ins at our meetings like board meetings and worship committee meeting. Went from the usual got a lot of work to do the kids when the band contest contest next week. Two i'm trying out a new antidepressant and it is a long tiring road. And this week we're launching a spiritual support group offering a place. To go in our neck of the woods for mental health service. Port. But side-by-side by this. With his life-giving shearing. Is also an organizing effort. And the difference from that is that why the sharing is so good for the heart. And so needed to reduce the isolation. The organizing is what brings hope. Even people in my congregation and there are many of them including one of my staff people. It says they could never because their own pain is so deep they could never show up for one of our organizing events. They feel uplifted because they know there are people in our congregation. We're looking to make the institutional change. So that fewer people need to suffer in the. So our congregation went out and met people outside of the community outside of our congregation. People who knew about mental health the work of natural health. They met with our county supervisor said that with mental health professionals and met with client. They met with every therapist i knew. And they learned about the ins-and-outs and they realized. They're one of the biggest issues is access to mental health. And so they went and they found out that the county next to ours had five navigators five staff positions. That helped someone before a crisis. Find a way into into the mental health system. An hour county had one. So that's what they've been working on increasing this access. Mental health. And it provides hope. And it provides dignity. And by the way for people in their own place. Of being seen and wanting. To see others. To also have a place to move that energy. Towards the greater good. Is been the most incredible gift. But i have seen my ministry here. And it and it is something that i believe could only have happened. Because we care to take some risks. To be a beloved community together. That's the possibility before you. Westerra as your minister. You can count on her. To ask. Hard question. And you can count on her. To be with you. No matter what. Thumbs up. And what is she. You can count on her. To be the loving presence. That a community needs. I moved from the place. Pleasantry. To the place of fierce. Bowl. Love. I wish you all the best. This incredible journey. An opportunity you have. We gather this morning to install dara along as the second minister of this congregation. And in the spirit of mutual concern. To rededicate ourselves to the values of this religious community. And the liberal religious tradition of which it is a part. Dara. At the conclusion of the formal search process. Following 11 years of settled ministry and two years of interim we have called you. We have called you to live among us to make our concerns your concerns. And to lead us as you are enabled. In the paths of compassion. Spiritual growth. Justice seeking and generosity. Mindful of the great traditions of our heritage and this congregation. And mindful of its vast promise. We look to you for moral clarity. For religious insight and for spiritual leadership. We would have you speak the truth to us in freedom without fear of favor of persons or position. To minister to us alike in our joys. And in our sorrows. To lead with bold hope and vision. With humor and wisdom. And to set forth by both words and deeds and upstanding way of life. Do you accept the invitation of this congregation to do its ministry. I do. Informal recognition of our election of dora along and her acceptance. I asked the members of the congregation to rise and stay with me. We the members of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. As minister of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg. For our part we choose the work of compassion and honesty. We offer you a free pulpit. The cooperation of our hearts and hands. Irresolute goodwill. As we submerge ourselves in the tasks of ministry together. It is with joy. True joy and a deep sense of responsibility. That i take up the ministry to which you have called me. I pledged myself. So far as the power in me lies. To maintain the freedom of the pulpit. To speak the truth in love. Both publicly and privately. To approach our ministry together. With creativity. To listen and discern direction together with you. And to do well the work that is real. Worship. Religious education. Council. Service and administration for the renewal. And the consecration. Of all life. Enter promote compassion. Hope and. Humor. And generosity among all people. My joy to be with you. In 1996 the congregation called reverend rudy kelsey to be our part-time minister. And to commemorate that installation bonnie marina was asked to make a stole. The still is a pure silk. It's a pure silk and it's hand-painted. With acrylic and it's hand-quilted by bonnie. And the still depicts the new river valley. And our banner over there was made a year later using that thing. And the logo that we use on our website and our other publications is all taken from this theme. The still was transferred to christine brownlee as she was installed as our first full-time sells minister. And now we pass it on to rev era as our full-time so minister. So derrame you wear it. During a long and protective time with us. Come on back there. You go right there for me okay. How you doing. Okay. It's not my honor to. I'll see you at church. What a beautiful day. A long-awaited fulfillment of a calling. It's just that the lights be able to be here to share this. And i have four charges for you today tara. The first charge to you is love. Love your people. Love their enthusiasm their creativity their engagements. Love their searching and their questions. Love the pain in the promise. That they have. Love their quirkiness and their frailties. And love those things that drive you crazy as well. Because every ministry has things that drive them crazy. Love them because there is no better better way to minister than from that foundation. And love them because you'll sleep better at night if you do. Love. My first. My second one is weight. There's almost nothing in the world that cannot wait. For a couple of deep breaths. Or even until morning for you to hit the send button. Never underestimate the value of a paws. Be a few moments or even a few days. It will enable more of you to be present. In your whole body. To whatever is before you. And it can be the difference between grounded. Centered action. And frantic reaction. Wait. No one can set the pace of your life. But you. My surcharge feud era is don't wait don't wait until the pledge drive is over or until after the annual meeting or until after the new hire or the ministers here can name their other after that they've given themselves. Don't wait until after all of these things to do the things that bring you joy and he's. Don't wait. For so many of us congregational congregational life is so enlivening. And so engaging. That we put off tending to those other parts of ourselves. That lie outside of our professional calling. Until sometimes. Forget what they really are. Don't wait there. Don't wait wait to read a book that's not about a sermon. Don't wait to explore the caves out here. Don't wait to spend time with pete. Don't wait to engage your inner artist. Don't wait to call a friend. My second charges don't wait. You have but one beautiful precious life and it deserves joy. And finally. Stay. Connected. They connected to your own heart and stay connected to friends and colleagues. Beautiful blacksburg is more than a stone's throw away from just about anywhere else. So it might be harder for you to ford's the kinds of friendships and relationships with new colleagues in this region. Order stayconnected from colleagues. But make the time. Your colleagues may be the only people who fully understand what befalls you. They will know when their bones the kind of joy you will feel. Uninspiring sunday. Advice of sorrow and confusion that can come when a beloved member tells you they're leaving the church. Steak. Love. Wait. Don't wait. And stay connected. You have so many gifts. To offer. This beloved congregation. Unitarian universalism. And the world. Do so with joy. Straight to be with you all. I'm one of yours older colleagues. And i started my ministry a little bit younger than she is starting her settled ministry when i came to serve. The congregation in san jose california. And i've done all of my years of ministry there in california. And it was there that i had the opportunity while i was serving as the senior minister and executive director of the unitarian universalist legislative ministry in california. But i got to see the kind of talent and gift and entrepreneurial energy and spirit and willingness to go to far-flung regions in california. To working very conservative areas with a a kind-hearted discipline spirit and a creative energy that dara brings. So it's really it's really wonderful to be invited to come all the way to virginia i've never been to blacksburg before. It was a gorgeous drive down here and i can see why people may have come from all different parts of the planet to be here at the university. And some who come just never leave. You may be in a remote area. But you have. Threads of connection. The go out really across the planet. By virtue. Of the institution that is here. Is your major employer. One of the things that i felt to sitting next to dara during installation was. I don't know a sense of chill about what it means to start. Is a young person. With a congregation. It said that. Great congregations grow great ministers. And great ministers grow great congregations. And you guys have the opportunity to do that. And there's something about when you step into that space. With each other. That you have no idea. What's really coming down the road. In my own congregation we had the unfortunate. That experience of a fire. Hi you never know exactly what's coming in your direction sometimes there's great blessings and as you know well here in blacksburg sometimes there are great tragedies. And during the process of growing and healing out of the experience that we had one day somebody put a cartoon on my door. And it was a picture of moses holding a fire extinguisher. And it says moses almost blows the job interview. And i have carried that. Through many many many years of my life because i think profound callings don't always come to you and comfortable time. And what is that job interview. Dara has interviewed to be your minister. And you in a way have been interviewed by her before she decided. To come here. But what is this larger interview that we are in the midst of right now. In california. Where 90% of the snowpack is threatened. By the amount of carbon that's. Piling up in our atmosphere. We feel profoundly. What a game-changing moment climate change is. As we look. Across the landscape at the institutions that we have both faith communities and governmental institutions the private sector we look around in wonder. Do we have the capacity to move and make changes at the rate that we need to. When we see the polarisation in washington dc. When we see the kinds of things that we need to step forward to toward one another to actually listen to know ourselves and to know each other. We know that we are. Experiencing a calling. A job interview a time and a place. That is truly profound. One day i was on my way to general assembly. And i ran into colleague who had started his ministry in the san jose church where i started mine. 50 years prior. He had just finished 50 years in ministry and i sat with him on the plane to the next leg. Of the journey the general assembly in. And i asked him to tell me stories about his ministry. Well he was 26 years old and during his candidate and we can do you preach on one sunday you meet everyone and eat a lot in between. And then you preach again. The bomb. Was dropped in japan. On hiroshima. He was 26 years old. All of a sudden he his ministry. That congregation. The whole nation in the whole world was in a new landscape. I think we are in a moment of change that is about an amazing new landscape. And i love. The collection for just catalyze. We have to be connected to one another and community and in service. And we also have to. Develop. The capacity the depths. The perseverance. To be involved in real change. At a time of amazing opportunity. Scariness. Add an opportunity to read an article a couple years ago in the new york times. And it was about. A couple of. A couple of educators. When was serving a largely low-income community one high-income community and they were both struggling to understand what it was that. Allowed young people to succeed when they made it into college and which ones dropped out. And they found it wasn't so much about the best idea the best iq. It was about character. And in one of the character traits that they described was grit. Was the ability to cut a make mistakes to fill. To fall short of your expectations and they just give you. Get right up. Get back on it. Keep your eye on the prize. And keep moving forward. They also had traces of. Cast of curiosity of optimism. And i thought about that and i thought you know i think that. About. What we need in our faith communities as well. It's not so much always the most brilliant idea although ideas are certain import. But oftentimes it's about what the character is not only of our ministers. Butter institution. So my charge to you is to be characters. What's a half character. I know you turn universals are full of character. I've worked with many. But they have character as a congregation. To have this. To have curiosity to have optimism. And to have grit. To be willing to show up in the good times and the bad times. To not miss the job interview. To take care of an amazing minister that is here to journey with you. And to be responsible and sharing that ministry with her. You have so much. Opportunity here. To make a difference. In your own life. And your children's lives. In the lives of many who will come. Generations after you. With ministers wearing that stole. And with other people sitting in the. Maybe. A bowl. Creative. Ingredi. Extinguish our chalice but not the light of love the energy of action. Together. May we all go for. Knowing that each one of us is part. And parcel of the shared ministries. Forms of congregation. Maybe i'm doing a service. Our beginning. Courageously create. With one another. You share with one another. So there are shared. Recipe. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

130303_logos-mythos.mp3

Welcome to the march 3rd service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. Today's sermon. Delivered by rev alex. It's titled logos and mythos. To ratings this morning both relatively brief both grounded back in that very first. A sermon in which i brought out this understanding on the part of this. 20th century. Unitarian theologian by the name of james luther adams and there's phenomenal study of him that's happened in this congregation. Since i came here just been honorable study. But adam said that for a congregation. Realize it. Potential. It had to be at two different pieces of work. When was the stuff of intimacy about how it is. People get along and are with each other. And also it had to be concerned with the stuff of ultimacy which most people refer to as god or the divine. Beyond. Okay. Now they're all sorts of commentators in our time and there's become ever more prolific. Since the advent of the social media. Who are saying. That we have become so focused on the intimacy piece. Which many refer to as the logo space. The stuff of the legal agreements that we have with one another about how we're going to get along. That we are losing evermore. Cassidy to see the ultimate. Does that make sense. And one of the most profound commentators on this perception. The culture may be losing. Its ability to see god. Is this woman named karen armstrong. And many of you will be familiar with her work she's written. I've been very well received. And the one i'm going to share with you from this morning is her 2000 book the battle for ghana history of fundamentalism. From the preface to that book karen armstrong says this. And she uses the language by the way of mythos to refer to that overarching ultimacy. The stuff of god. Excuse the language of logos. The stuff of all of the agreements that exist. People. Regarding their intimacy with one another. She says we tend to assume that the people. Of the past were more or less like us but in fact their spiritual lives were rather different. That particular they evolved to ways of thinking speaking and acquiring knowledge. Which scholars have called miss ocean logos. Both were essential they were regarded as complimentary ways of arriving at truth. Each had its special area. Meth was regarded as primary it was concerned with what was thought. Timeless. And constant in our existence. Myth looks back to the origins of life to the foundation. Culture. Enter the deepest levels of the human mind. Miss was not concerned with practical matters but. Meaning. Logos. Equally important. Logos with the rational pragmatic and scientific thought. Been enabled men and women. The function well in the world. We are very familiar with logos. Which is the basis of our society. Unlike miss logos must relate exactly to fax and correspond. External realities. If it is to be effective. It must work efficiently in the mundane world. We use this logical discursive reasoning when we have to make things happen. Get something done. Or persuade other people to adopt. Take your course of action. Logo sis practical. Unlike myth which looks back. Beginnings. The foundations. Logos fortress ahead and tries to find something new. To elaborate on old inside tachevah greater control over our environment. Discover something fresh and invent something novel. In the pre-modern world. Mythos and logos were regarded as indispensable. Each would be impoverished without the other. But unless we find some significance in our lives. We mortal men and women fall very easily into. Spare. The mythos of a society. Provided people with a context that made sense of their day-to-day lives. It directed their attention. To the eternal and the universal. It was also rooted in what. Call the unconscious. Second reading from rumi this mystic. Sufi islamic poet that i'm so fond of. Who wrote much about. Ultimus. About missoes. About the stuff with the divine. He writes an appointment some of you will recognize immediately. This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival. The joy. Depression. Amina's. Some momentary awareness. Comes with an unexpected visitor. Welcome and entertain them all. Even if they're a crowd of sorrows who violent. Sneaker house. Empty of its furniture. Still treat each guest honorably. You may be clearing you out for some new delight. The dark thought. The shame. The malice. Meet them at the door laughing. And invite them in. Be grateful for whoever comes because. Set. A guide from beyond. This morning's reading. Skyrim. Remind me each time that i read that poem of hell it is that on any given day. I need to be ready to greet whatever. With hospitality and with some measure of enthusiasm. Remy reminding me that it is a gift from that which is beyond me. It is a gift from some greater consciousness something that others might call god. Something that is beyond my conscious understanding that is of the unconscious. I said you earlier i had planned to ground this sermon 4 weeks ago. In the experience of lincoln film spielberg's lincoln which i can't be too enthusiastic about and highly recommend to you all. But as things progress between first thinking about lenita preaching today and getting here this morning. The stories kept shifting. And by last weekend. On this morning. Last weekend when i sat listening to chris brownlee. Here in this full pit for which i was so thankful. Your minister emeritus back before you. I knew that i needed to start with a story of how it was saturday a week ago. That i participated in i officiated at the memorial service. Virginia tech junior. Who grievously was killed in a car accident on christmas day. She actually didn't die until the 27th. But. Out of some invitation that came my way from the dean of students. I came into relationship. This woman's family. Her survivors are community of biolage. Friends and family. As well as those. And what i was going to do initially was she. Remind you all of how it is that on any given day. Anyone of us could have the experience of natalie marshall. We can wake up on christmas day. We can have the auto accident we can be dead. And that is the ultimacy. That is the most profound ultimacy of what it is to be human. And i suspect that any single person who hold on to that awareness. We share is finite. Will have some higher sense of appreciation. For the joys of the moment. The wonders of the moment. Here we are safe. Secure. Comfort. Glad to be in one another. Companies. For that we. Should be glad. And so i was going to run with that as i began the sermon today. But on tuesday something happened out of my personal i said i want to share with you this morning. On tuesday i sat down to dinner. And monday last week event. Way too long for me it had gone on and on for about 16 hours and i was weary of all of you. I wanted nothing more to do with anybody who is uu in the new river valley virginia. And on tuesday it kept coming so by the time i got back to my place of residence. At 4 in the afternoon and was thankful to have meal prepared for me. Wish i could sit down and enjoy. Set down at about 5:30 to begin eating that meal and heard my phone start ringing. I said to the people who wrote the table i'll be damned if i'm going to go look to see who's calling me i'm sure it's one of those congress. With some. Trouble the sarasota. I said it can wait till i finish dinner. So i waited till i finish dinner and i went back through and to my surprise it was none of you rather it was all of my biological family. Yeah it was about my mom if you haven't heard about my mom my mom is a nutcase. Just wanted her life and i say that with deep love and affection. And where she in her right mind she would laugh at that. But here's what she did this past tuesday two years past. The first of a series of strokes that are come away. This past tuesday at about 5:30 p.m. on my father was. Preparing dinner for her. And this lovely. You know all level of care retirement community that right there and they're still in the independent living place. She goes barreling out of the front door of their apartment. Restaurant. Icampus screaming. He's trying to kill me. Why is trying to kill me he has a knife. And she went and banged on the neighbor's door and then she went tearing across the lawn and she bang on the doors of the campus police. And then she ran to the assisted living unit and ran through it screaming that she was being held by this man her husband. And actually ran. The community this crossroads retirement community in central north carolina where she and my father live. They all responded. And the first response on the part of her neighbor was to call the police and report to the police. Denver neighbor was screaming. Who's being murdered. So the police show up in short order. Any assisted living facility they called. 911 to get an ambulance about to go to the hospital. And then the property manager for all of the retirement community shows up in my mother assaults him. She picks up a stick and big. Debate on bill and bill is. Console. But. Bar 7. When i finally got up to go look. The song. Mama was found. Nd. The local hospital. Having been carted they're not only by the paramedics to arrive but also by the police. And my father was. Fleet week discombobulated. Completely ripped to shreds that this woman who had once known to be all of what he lived for. Turn on him the way that she did. And be running through a community saying that he was in. It cost me as you might expect. To cancel the ladder part of what i have planned for. Go down the mountain to meet with everybody down there and to make sure that what needed to be done for mom was being done for mom and i'm happy to report. That it went well. What i had to do there. But i share the story with you this morning not just to put my personal stuff in front of you. But to get you all to bear in mind of how it is. So hit the nail on the head. On any given day. As we try to do community theater. Congregation in blacksburg. Or in the retirement community down in central north carolina where my folks are residing. Or in this country be at now or back during the time of lincoln. The civil war. There is always this. Credible bit. Of what we are is a people being pulled and tugged. Both by the mythos. And by the logos. Mama i found out the morning after this event on tuesday and i had never heard this story before in my life. One of her sister-in-law's called me to make sure i knew the story. My mother was chased down the streets of glenvar virginia. The young girl by her drunk father. Who was carrying a knife trying to. I've never heard that story before my mother 80 years old. The mythos of that is still with her obviously. She perceives herself to be chased. And she runs through a community. And the community with its commitment. Careful. Any and all who were part of it. Did exactly what any good community. They called the police. I called the medical specialist. They restrained her. And i said this is what we need to do to provide for the good care not only a few but for all here in this place. That we call home. Congregations. Have always and will always struggle. With what it is to be of concern for the altima see those things that are larger than our ability. Fully comprehend or understand them. And also for the stuff of the enemy suits that we live within community with one another. The stuff of myth ocean logos. And all good congregation. Have to become very pretty. About how it is that they. Honor one another in the search for the mythos the larger meaning. Well you also share in the commitments for safety for. This business. Crafting what it is that you'll do. To honor both the mythos and logos. Is elusive. And it's very much a part of what you've been wrestling with here in all of the centrum. You have done incredible work with getting at the logos. You have developed. Board covenants that state what you're about. You have developed covenant to write relationship that are long and expensive that you'll find on your website. You have hanging on the wall out there in the fourier. A basic covenant that you crafted. Your past. And yeah. Again and again and again throughout the centrum. We have heard. That whatever it is that we're about as a people of miss us. This being cramped. Are restrained or inappropriately dealt with. Out of what we are isn't. Full of logos. And i say this to you this morning with love. Still the challenge. Very much. For you. As you get ready. Very close. Including the center. With me and i suspect it will. Long interior. I struggled through all of this last 4 weeks to come up with a thing that i might could do. That would stick in your head's too. Pondered deeper and more thoughtfully. What it is to be a people of both mythos and logos. And i went around i asked you. Person after. What is it. To understand. Binds you together appropriately in your search for mythos. And also holzschuh to accountability. Each other. In the realm of logos. Number one thing that i heard more often than not was the golden rule. Do some of you remember having said that to me. Many of you did. You told me that you understood the golden rule was what kept you together. This morning. I want to show you a quilt. Did i have you noticed this up here. This quilt was crafted by a woman. Acres. In floyd county virginia. Andar lobrace property. Darla gray raise your hand if you would please. Darla gray either owns the property or lives right next to the property where this quilt was crafted i know about it was because it was one of my mother's relatives. This thing was crafted in about 1910 as best we can figure out. It is composed of a multitude of diverse pieces of fabric. And each and everyone is beautiful ending of it. Downright. But the quilt becomes the powerful thing that it is. Because they have all been stitched together. Common shape. On this beautiful yellow gold background. And ice i kept hearing you tell me that it was the golden rule that kept you together. I wanted this quilt to be the visual for you this morning. And i remind you here this morning that each of you. You are as beautiful as any piece of this fabric here. You're all different your diverse you're unique. But what makes you powerful is congregation. This quilt 100 years old and it's still a beauty and of warrants and of pleasure. What makes you powerful is congregation. Is your ability and your willingness. To be quilted together. Into some great cominform. The news of more purpose than anyone of you. Alone. This is what you all need to bear in mind. You're here in congregation not just to be some startlingly beautiful individual piece of fabric. You're here in congregation to be quilted together. And that quilting together is not easy. This. Clerical collar that i have on this morning. The very first time i wore it. Ward and baltimore maryland at a meeting of unitarian universalist clergy about 1996. One of my congregants showed up that sunday at this meeting i stood at the door greeting everyone in the clerical collar. The congregation. Reacted with. Great horror and distress. That any unitarian universalist clergyperson would be seen anywhere much less of the uu church. With a clerical collar on. And promptly left the premises. Call the church treasurer the next day resigned his membership in the congregation. And withdrew his pledge. I share that with you because the work of congregation. This stitching all of the diversity together. In a beautiful common form. That has some important piece of understanding that underlies that all golden rule or whatever. It can only be done with some authority claimed by somebody someway somehow. And when that authority is claimed to begin to stitch this together. To create the pattern in which all of the diverse pieces of fabric will relate. It invariably kicks up some of what i just described. What's my experience when first i wore this color. 27 almost 20 years ago. You guys. Are wrestling with this now. And again you have developed copious amounts of language. About your logos. I was in a meeting of the executive. Cancel the executive committee wednesday before last. And i had a wonderful moment with you. And i'm going to point the president-elect. When should i go to look at one another and one email was sent referenced after another email and i looked at lorain and said i don't know which one anyone's talking about anymore. There are so many emails at play. About how it is congregations going to relate to one another that i can't keep them all straight in my head anymore. There are literally thousands of them floating around amongst you now literally thousands i have 22,000 email from you people. In less than two years. That's a bunch. We've got to come to some agreement with one another. About how does that work community struggling with the divine. But live together. And there have to be rules of living. The most profound that have been put before me that i share with you at this time as i begin to close on today sermon making. Are the stuff of the four agreements. How many of you have heard of the four agreements so show of hands if you would if you've heard of them. Only a few of you i'm going to have lisa forward you. An email synopsis of these. Maybe i want. But listen geist's this wonderful four agreements and there have been groups of you would have been talking about this in the entry which is one of the reasons i pulled these out. This. Fabric that binds you all together. The stuff with the logos. The patterning. It brings all of the diversity together in a common. Purpose. Like the quilts here. You got to get to something that's really simple. And it may be that the golden rule is enough for you that you just need to all. Romani one another. Are we of the golden rule and how relating to one another now. But i want to suggest that there are four others that are worth knowing about an issue these four simple agreements. By don miguel angel ruiz. A mexican american. He rides and he's been written about with these four agreements all over the place they are be of integrity with your word. And i'll leave it to you to wrestle with what integrity means. He also says don't take anything personally. Do not understand when the. Neighbor calls. The police. The report out. Saying. Murdered. Don't taste out of some attack. Yourself. Don't make assumptions. So your husband coming out of the kitchen with something in his hand even if you had two strokes don't assume that he's out to kill you. And do your best. Those were the four. Suggest you that a congregation that has. Absorb those four and is living those four. And it's constantly reminding everyone in the crown to live those for. Is going to realize the fullness of their potential. Again you are a gifted gifted people. With great compassion in braveheart. And you do well. Carry the basic piece. Golden rule four agreements. And to all that you're going to do from here on out. To realize. The fullness of your potential which is not to just be a bunch of loose. Pieces of fabric. But rather to be something that's beautifully quilted together. Address of warmth and comfort. Something other than. May all that is holy be with you in this effort. That you realized much success. May you be lighthouse congregation. Vegetarian universalist. Throughout the land. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

141221_kd-do_primordial-light.mp3

Welcome to the december 21st service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by reverend karen day. Filling in for r72 minister reverend arrowland who is hill. The podcast begins for the reading by reverend karen. Followed by a solstice reflection by uuc member darla pray. Reverend karen then present reverend darrell sermon titled in dark winter primordial light. Our readings are from victoria safford who is a poet and unitarian universalist author. Now is the moment of magic. When the whole round earth turns again toward the sun. And here's a blessing. The days will be longer and brighter now. Even before the winter settles in to chill us. Now 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 illuminated by the lights of the menorah. Suddenly ablaze with the lights of the kinara. And the whole world is glad and loud with winter singing. Now. The moment of magic. When an eastern star beckons the ignorant. Toward an unknown goal. And here's a blessing. Define nothing in the end but. An ordinary baby. Born at midnight. Born in poverty. And the babies cry like bells ringing. Makes people wonder. As they wander through their lives. 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 all 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 tight in love. Lettuce carry that. Moment of magic into this moment of silence. If you keep listening to keep singing. Good morning i'm darla prey. And i've been spending the last week. Thinking about solstice and past solstices and. Past christmases that i celebrated as a child. Solstice. Is the longest night of the year. We are invited to slip into the sweet darkness. The silence. The peace. And the beautiful is somewhat bleak. Winterscapes that grace our lives in winter. Some of us find this comforting. Others are affected by memories. Or seasonal affective disorder. Are other triggers about the holiday. Some of us are negatively affected. Then again some of us are simply overwhelmed. By an increasingly materialistic culture driven by greed. It seems paradoxical to experience more darkness. More deep introspection that we are called to do it solstice. At the same time we're call to engage. In a very bright. Shiny noisy. And stressful. Holiday frenzy. In the past i felt this tension. Between the intuitive journey inwards. And the interruptions that the noise all around. Now solstice is much more peaceful. Yes they're still the work of creating joyful gatherings. But i do it more as a gift. But i choose to give rather than expectations of the season. Some of us just as i have. Develop alternative traditions. Or chosen only those traditions from the past that serve as well. For me simply going out into nature. Observing the silence. Silence that requires nothing. Creatures that ask nothing of me. A nature that takes care of herself. This is meaningful. And savoring the darkness is critical. To me for maintaining my equilibrium. During this time. Sharing this auspicious day with you when the position between the sun and the earth shifts. The longest night of the year has ended. And daylight starts increasing. Is my pleasure. Although we are in deep winter together we find reassurance. That would be today. More light will shine. We have urine for this day. When we would welcome the return of the sun. A growth. New energy and new life. As humans we rely on philosophies and religions therapies. To help eliminate any stress and anxiety. In an effort to avoid the dark and seek the light. Throughout all time. Light and dark. Both necessary. Control our circadian rhythm. Affecting us in mysterious ways. We struggled to make do with less sleep. We fill our knights with blue light. Relax. We live under artificial light and we feel the effects. What if we allowed ourselves to relax into the dark. To the warm embrace of the dark. As of bears nuggles down with her cubs in the earth. Into a place where we release the past year's successes and failures. And create new dreams and intentions. I am reminded that in ancient times in many areas of the world. The returning son inspired celebrations and rituals. That have coalesced into a general winter holiday. That comprise today's diverse religious practices and rituals. The integration of pagan practices with mainstream religions has made them rich. And symbolism and mystery. In fact my own spiritual journey started with a religion that contained elements. Of mystery and paganism. But. I didn't realize it at the time. I'm not a catholic but once i left the church of my youth. I would go to st. mary's in norfolk. And. Go to midnight mass. And something about the ritual. The mystery. The reverence for mary a manifestation of the great mother. While sitting in the company of other speakers. Gave me peace. What drew me to amor earth-centered religion. Our tradition. Was imagining these ancient peoples and their simplicity. And they all they felt in observing the movement of the light in the sky. I'm relating this movement to the changing of the seasons. To death and rebirth. The long nights were mysterious. A time to go inside. To retreat. Andres. And wait where it was safe. Until morning. What a relief it must have been. To have gotten safely through another night. And to see that yes. Once again the life-giving son had returned. The sun has been personified and as reborn in many cultures. And the form of goddesses god's kings queen. Messiah's and avatars. At the core of the solstice celebration. And other religious celebrations at this time of year. Is the concept that light is reborn and that rebirth overcomes death. In the never-ending cycle. I've life death and rebirth. Jame solstice is a time for unity among us. Time to celebrate the light. However we understand it. And by whatever name we know it. As a woman coming into my elder years. If i should sit on father christmas lap. I would wish for wisdom. At winter solstice. Wisdom to appreciate my contributions and to accept my limitations. You know my world in a world. Anita peace justice and healing. For wisdom to belong to myself. And be free. And as the wise raven does. Continue my search for the light. Well i know reverend are wishes that she were here with us instead of home in bed and i do too. But i'm going to do my best to share her words with you. The candles are lit. In kwanzaa coronavirus in hanukkah menorahs. In advent wreaths and yuletide logs. It is the time of darkest winter. When many religious traditions. Mark the winter. With merriment. Reflection song simple gift-giving. Myth and story. And of course the lighting of candles. Has darla alluded to solstice is celebrated in diverse ways. From japan to scandinavia to egypt. People all over the world have noted the diminishing of the light. And developed responses. In prayer ritual. Buy individual and collective spiritual practices. Truth be told i was not always one for the celebrating of the winter solstice. When i was young it seemed abstract to me. Winter mount snow days and cozy indoor time. Growing up. I celebrated both christmas and hanukkah but the roots of these historical celebrations. Which is this. To unravel. Most simply put. As a child i just like the lights. Lights on the trees lights in the windows. Candles in the menorah and candles lit in the christmas eve service. At our unitarian universalist church in pennsylvania. As a young woman the light seemed to offer a clear bright message. We are home. Though it is dark and cold we are here. We are home. Even when we begin to unravel these holiday celebrations to their roots. Or we try. One of the messages that still shines out for me in midwinter. Is still the affirming call of the earth's people. We are home. The ancient germanic peoples of the north. And those who still live in scandinavian countries the winter solstice is not so abstract. As darkness draws around small communities bonfires and storytelling. Our ways to survive the chill of winter. A way of saying we are home together. Even as trees gobert. And the ground is frozen beneath the feet. You'll mean squeal. Which reminds us of our turning of a planet and the turning of our own lives. In pagan traditions this is a time of going inward. Delving into the home inside. And musing on the wisdom found in darkness. And then turning outward. With appreciation for the fruits of that inward journey. So let's come home to ourselves at the solstice time. What quiet knowingness maybe revealing itself to you. In this coming year what would you like to bring forward. Into this home that you share with your fellow travelers. What do you want to bring forward into the world. For what would you light your candle. In the last days of 2014. If you ever looked upon a fire. You know how magical it can be. Home hearth. Bonfires have all been connected. With sustenance. As we humans rely on the element of fire to warm our bodies. Heat our food and our drinks. For most of us the elements of fire and the regular presence of heat. Comes up through our stovetops. And through the furnaces. But winter solstice. Teaches us not to take light itself for granted. In fact this is why some people today have started observing the solstice. By spending a whole day and night using only only candlelight. This morning we honored a pagan tradition. Of casting a circle and honoring the four directions. In the center. We let a familiar cup of light. The chalice. A symbol found in nearly all unitarian universalist congregation. This is a familiar cup of light. That also has a simple and clear story. It is a story whose message is also. We are home. We are here. During wwii the newly-formed unitarian service committee in boston. Add a group in portugal established to help secure safe passage. For religious refugees fleeing from europe. To attain legal papers for those fleeing. The group needed a symbol. That would mark the papers with a professional-looking seal. They also needed a symbol that would identify them as a safe house. In 1941 hans-georg was it an obliging artist who developed the symbol of the flaming chalice. It was a goblet. Which contained a single flame. The chalice was placed on official papers. And lore has it. That the chalice was also placed in the windows of the office so people could find it easily. Today the chalice is a primary symbol and unitarian universalism. There are very few symbols commonly found all across ruu communities but this is b1. It is a flame of religious freedom. Of welcome. A symbol of service and working together. Today it means different things to different people and communities. One feminist writer calls it symbolic of the partnership way. Of being in community. Considering the chalice i often say that the cup represents the circle of community. And the single flame the light within each person. As unitarian universalist the chalice and its legacy is ours to 10. And to live by. The reminds us to beekeepers of hope. And protectors of religious freedom. Here at uuc when we light our childless we call it our flame of community. When we light this chalice each morning and worship. It is a way of saying. We are home. We are here. Welcome. And come in together. To the spiritual and religious home. Considered in this contacts the cup of light. Reminds us of the possibility of light. Even in the darkest. Since you use value religious freedom. And diverse religious expression. It's no wonder that we celebrate the winter solstice. Here in the us it can be easy to think about the winter holidays hanukkah christmas santa lucia. And the pagan solstice as distinct and separate. While each has its own traditions and lore these festivals are connected through the lens of history. Over the years there's been a mixing and blending an overlapping of customs. Today are rich religious and spiritual lives include many. Influences. Because we're talking about the mixing and blending of customs i'd like to share with you some of the rather surprising ways that unitarians and unitarian universalist. Have historically influenced. But the celebrations of christmas and the neo-pagan yule. Pagans have been practicing honoring winter solstice festivals since before written record. The earliest followers of the rabbi or teacher jesus. We're fellow jews. Who did not focus on miracle birth stories. The miracle stories of jesus birth will come later. After his death. When rome embraced christianity the pagan festival saturnalia was subsumed into christianity. A focus was placed upon the birth of the teacher jesus. And the result was the celebration of christmas. It is not until rather late 4th century that jesus birth. Begins to be celebrated on the 25th of. December. Which coincided with the popular pagan festival of saturnalia. Flash-forward centuries later to the 18s. When the pagan roots of christmas we're not lost on victorian england or puritan new england. Historically speaking there was a perception that. Merrymaking. And debauchery suo practices lingered on and christmastide celebrations it was hedonistic. It ought to be done away with. Because christmas celebrations were frowned upon by the dominant church they were becoming far less popular. You may recall last week we heard the story of a christmas carol. And indeed it was charles dickens. Who was connected with english unitarianism. And in large part the success of his book that we popularized and revived christmas celebrations for years to come. Dickens cast christmas as a more secular celebration. A time for honoring family. Sharing goodwill. And performing charitable acts. The notion that we can change the world with our actions and that one good deed begets another. We're prominent and unitarian thinking of the day. Which highlighted good works. Salvation by character. Meaning that character-building was a godly spiritual. Dickens wrote to his unitarian friend praising unitarianism and touting its influence in his life and writing. At the time he was friendly with unitarian luminaries in the us like william ellery channing. We're pushing the boundaries of liberal christianity. Sometimes this. Story is told as the way unitarian save christmas. Well i don't know about all that. But unitarian certainly played a big role in reviving spaces. For the holiday to be celebrated. Both in europe and in the us. Many of the practices that we associate with christmas time including the indoor christmas tree. Got a boost from unitarian. But the christmas tree story is one for another day. Now he also mentioned that unitarian-universalism helped to revive neo-pagan practices. The story of how unitarian-universalism. Did that starts in the 1970s. With the cultural influence of feminism. By the 1970s there was a desire to create ever more spaces for women spirituality. Not just in unitarian-universalism of course but certainly within it. Women began speaking about feminism and spirituality. And became committed to reviving earth honoring pre-christian traditions. Play the 1980s paganism was finding. A place to come home to. With the larger movement of unitarian universalism. Marco adler became a well-known author. In the u.s. her work was published by beacon press. One of ruu publishing houses. Adler who died just recently this past summer. Was unitarian universalist wiccan. Her writing was engaging and approachable. And found a large audience. It was due to adler and other prominent uu women riders. The pagan and earth honoring spirituality. Game visibility. Not only in our movement but in broader us call. In 1993 due to organizing efforts mostly of women but not only women. Significant earth-centered and pagan poetry and source material. Was included in the diverse collection of worship. Material found in our graham no. The singing the living tradition. Today many you use first encounter earth honoring tradition. And explore the roles of goddesses in world traditions. Do the uu religious education curriculum. Like cakes for the queen of heaven. Or rise up and call her name. The infusion of neo-pagan stories and practices has influence not only you. Unitarian universalist women of course but also many men. Many adults and children have become reacquainted. With a heritage of pre-christian. Pagan practices. Through our faith. Which is viewed as welcoming a welcoming home for pagans of many stripes seeking experience together. No matter how you may choose to honor the winter holidays. All celebrations of the season 10 to emphasize light. In this time of dark. By the light of candles we mark out. Sacred time. A time distinct from the busy working supplies. Army winter solstice has indeed become a homecoming. A time of mulling over the richness of learning and experiences over the past year. Listing in the dark. For what may light the way forward in the year had. This winter solstice. I encourage us to not resist the wisdom found in the dark. For the darkness is a gift to us. From the rhythm of the natural world. We are simple being. On a planet horling. Imperceptibly. But nonetheless whirling. Let us slow down. To listen. To make perceptible. The subtle shifting within. Let the season be a time of reconnection with our earthly home. And it's essential elements. It is clear that we who are of the earth need evermore reminders. Ivar vital relation. To what. Finally as we embrace the darkness and wait for the light to return. I'm reminded of a jewish teaching. When did i rather like for hanukkah and winter solstice. It is how in times of darkness. The light is reborn in us. The teaching says on hanukkah. We are giving part of the oregon news. The primordial light. Which has been hidden away since the moment of creation. This is the light of the first day of creation. Before the sun and moon and stars were created. Not literal light. But a kind of spiritual or metaphysical light. The light of expanded consciousness. With this light you could see from one end of the earth to the other. And with this light. We can do other holy lights. The souls within each of us. May you enter the darkness. May you listen within. May you know joy. If you kindle a flame may set it in your home. As a reminder of the primordial light in you. Lni saw. Blessed be and ironman. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website. Uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

130602_volunteer-recognition.mp3

I have the. Privileged today of also having another role. Why do i get to present the first two awards today because. Today is also the day that we presented words to some of our volunteers in our congregation and. Lifespan faith development. Has actually chosen to people this year to receive our volunteer of the year award. And i do want to draw your attention to this in your order of service this is a list of just our primary volunteers this year these are the people that that were teachers. Advisors in youth group. Or sat on a committee it's a lot of people that takes to make this program running and folks and still looking for a couple of teachers for fall so i hope it's somebody will volunteer and come join because it's a wonderful opportunity to give back to the community. All of our teachers do a wonderful job. And. This year we actually had a class that kind of called our teachers and going above and beyond and that was the neighboring faith curriculum. Neighboring faces for middle school if. Without exception when i talk to people who have left. As you use. Who has gone through already in the past and who took this class has the one they always remember because it's where they got to go visit other denominations churches. I'll learn about different theological beliefs. And it stays with people my husband took it when he was growing up as a you you and he recalls it as being the best part of ari. I'd like to particularly recognize kerry sangster. Kerry sangster. Just went above and beyond. Prepping for this particular class. Arranging for the visit to the mosque to learn more about the muslim faith. Having the mormon missionaries come here. In addition to that carry really gives back to the church and so many ways she's. Been instrumental in getting a spiral scouts chapter established here. Which is an alternative for those who don't know it's not ternative form to scouting that's all inclusive. And she's also been a key organizer of our very large parent covenant group. Unfortunately carrie could not be with us here today because she is enjoying some very well deserved family time in washington dc. But we would like to know she's going to listen to the podcast. So i would like you all to please acknowledge carry this in the car. I also am a little concerned my second award recipient is not here here. Is he coming. Oh good yes. Well we are lifespan program and we are looking at a volunteer they truly encompasses lifespan volunteer efforts because. John was a coca-cola tater this year for a coming-of-age program. That pairs ethan ninth-graders with minter's. He also. During his training as an ell teacher for middle school and he filled in at the last minute to finish out our fourth and fifth grade al classes a teacher. Also how many years you know this but what's the person who took charge of the child the children's program for the auction. He also donated his time to us during spring teacher training by coming into talking about adhd children. And how better to teach those children. And fall that isn't enough when we need his healthy volunteers in the nursery. And he's usually accompanied by this little helper over here river. And she always brings a smile to everyone's face to john we thank you very much. Thanks to everyone. Turn the particular but also everyone who came before her but i just think that the. The lifespan what is what it has been and what is becoming is just an amazing gift and so thank you for everything you've been doing. And it's great to hear. When the things isn't edition is. Hearing with the kids are doing downstairs and i think that's a wonderful gift so i know. Girl you have a wonderful awards. I have a wonderful gift. The young. The great blessing of completing the third year of the presidency is you have the opportunity to. Give the wards. Do congregants who are outstanding for us. It is a privilege. The first one i'm going to give this morning is for extraordinary service to our community. And i have chosen to define community in the broader sense. The recipient of this award serves. The rudder. New river valley community. In many many ways. But perhaps the most. Powerfully now as the. Founder and guiding spirit behind. The. Funeral consumers alliance. But within our congregation this person has also serve. In so many ways that you all know her. She is our institutional memory. And in many ways our institutional conscience. But i think the most notable thing that has occurred. This last year. Was the time when the search committee chairmanship fell vacant. And isabel bernie step forward to fill that role. She has read that committee to a very successful. Search. And is this year's recipient of the extraordinary service to our community award. Darrell if you would come forward please and present. Our wonderful award for. The recipient for this award is not here. He is away doing what he does very often in the community working with the boy scouts. But he also contributed enormously to us. This is dan brown. 15 years. Dan has been the building and grounds. Committee. And most of its members most with membership. We now have. Try to mature and move a bit beyond we now have. Substituting. Boudin. A sexton. A facilities manager. We've hired a cleaning service. We now have a very active landscape committee. And we have a very active building and grounds committee. And then still continues to work with us. It's been 15 years of. Quiet. Often unrecognized service. And. With this modest plaque we want to recognize that service. And express our appreciation. Kind of a period of bounty and i i want to share one of the pleasures for me. Was. Recognizing that there were multiple nominees for. Each of the rewards of the awards that we are giving. Which i think speaks very well for the congregation. This is a series of awards. Comes in two parts. The first. I would like to give to. Directv neisjunk flowers. Jim came into this role following me. But he had had. No preparation for it. But he brought. A good decision. Everclear. I'd like to just run down a few of the accomplishments. Jim has. Managed during his time. First you maintain the organization. And that's attached. Second he worked with alex to complete the goals of the second year of the interim ministry. And that. Was not an inconsiderable. He provided the stability. That was essential for the search committee. Is it went forward. Presenting us to others. It is his stability. That helped us. He presided over the hiring of. Ella our marvelous new choir director. And presided over a congregation i could hire with oscillot yzma. Small way. Replace dan brown. He provided the leadership. That undergirded dick's looks very successful. Campaign. We're still with you. End. Not least he led the development of our new government. Could not have enjoyed serving with a better person. You could not represent a better present. Thank you jim. The second part of this award. Again for extraordinary service to our congregation. Is more of a group award. We have in the last 2 years experience significant growth. In both our membership. Stewardship. N & r. Service to our community. I think a lot of that growth will you can contribute attributed to many things. Many many factor. But i believe a driving force. Has been the development. Of a superior. Children's. Religious education. It has brought a youngerelement into our congregation. And helped us grow. That's do it for us to the work of all those volunteers that were recognized earlier. And. Do the leadership provided. By karen hager. But i would like to single out for particular. Extraordinary service given to us by the children. Religious education committee. In a period of turmoil they provided stability. And leadership. That allowed the program to continue to grow. So i wished we share this award. Committee. Nfh that forward please. If you're here. Rachel crain. Jamie decatur. That's lyman. An amy bruton bag spectre.

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140706_do_spiritual-materialism.mp3

Welcome to the july 6th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by are settled minister. Reverend arrowland. Better sermon is titled. Spirit on sale. Materialism in our times. Hard to reading this morning come from chung-hoon poche. Whose writings on spiritual materialism. Are an inspiration for today's service. Reading number one. Real fearlessness is the product of tenderness. It comes from letting the world tickle your heart. Your raw and beautiful hearts. You are willing to open up without resistance. Or shyness and face the world. You're willing to show your heart. With others. Second reading from the same source. We do not have to be ashamed of what we are. The sentient beings we have wonderful backgrounds. These backgrounds may not be particularly enlightened. Or peaceful or intelligent. Nevertheless we have good soil enough to cultivate. We can plant anything. In it. So as i mentioned i'm recently to return from the uua general assembly. Along with many good folks in this congregation who were able to make it. And this is clear the theme was love reaches out. So perhaps it is. Pretty fitting them that. The esteemed guests for the where lecture which happens every year at general assembly. Was invited to be given by sister. Simone campbell. A roman catholic nun who's also a lawyer and an activist. Energy the famed voice for compassionate public policy. So just so you have a sense of the where lecture and what an esteemed role it is to be invited to speak. Some of the past where lecturers over the years might be familiar to some of you in this room. They include. Rev dr martin luther king jr.. Include saul alinsky. Jesse jackson was invited to speak. Kurt vonnegut was invited to speak to me of kurt vonnegut fans hear some. That would have been a really fun when i miss that one. That was many many years ago. And mary oliver in this is justin. Few of the handful of. I'm real luminaries and politics face. At literature. I have been invited to address the gathered body of the unitarian universalist and usually go on our website at the uua.org and you can look through and see who the others have been and sometimes you can. Look at podcast. And youtube videos. And transcripts. Curious at stoke what kurt vonnegut or jesse jackson or martin luther king might have said to a huge group of unitarian universalist. So this year's i mentioned it was sister simone. And she jumped national attention when she led the nuns on the bus. In 2012 and 2013 do people this ringing bells for some people. Okay so the nuns on the bus they went across country raising visibility as important social justice issues and faith. In 2012 they journeyed all across. Country raising public awareness about the way in which the nuns were working with those experience. Experiencing poverty. And what they knew would be the impacts if there were dire cuts in the social services network. Indeed there were some. In 2013 the nuns on the bus focused on immigration. So sister simone she's spoken on 60 minutes since you spoken on the colbert report and all of these exciting places it was a joy to be in her presence with tons of other people listening to the message that she wanted to give on this particular weekend of the uu a gathering. Messages stuck with me which is why this morning going to weave them together into our talk about spiritual. Materialism. Sister simone shared a story that she was once stopped by a reporter. And the reporter said to her you know sister simone. It seems like every time that there is trouble. You walk right towards it. A lot of people would turn around and run away from trouble and you walk. Right. Towards. And her message was really her hope. For us as unitarian universalist. That we walk. Towards. Trouble. And her suggestion reminds me that the personal personal and social transformation. Are not separate. Nor do they happen in the safe places. The comfort zone. But rather when we walk towards the edges of what feels most familiar and safe. Comfortable to us. When we risk. Becoming transformed. And transforming the world. That's where personal and social transformation. Come together. That is where spiritual growth. Really happened. To put it succinctly. Today's sermon is really about this. Spiritual life and spiritual growth our spiritual lies in our spiritual growth. It must not lead only in word. But outward. Why. Because love reaches out. Spiritual life can't be just about our individual or our personal transformation. Because it's interdependent with social transformation. That's because we're already embedded. In society. Formed by and through our relationship. The spiritual growth means drawing the circles wide and wider still. Pushing ourselves. From out beyond our safety zones our comfort zones. Easy i think to get trapped inside track by our dreams of individuality. We are individuals we are unique and distinct and different. And yet we are interdependent interconnected and we do know this to. Sometimes we just forget about it. The shared world is the one that we live in. That's why the teachers from buda to jesus emphasized the reality of our being this in the world. They taught about love that reaches out. Which guides us to understand that the eyes that sometimes we cling to so very tightly. Is so deeply connected to the wii. And that we are capable. Of more than we think. That we are. So what is this really have to do. Spiritual materialism. Which was the advertised the topic of today. Some here might guess it's spiritual materialism includes all of those material goods. App for sale that purport to help us grow on our spiritual journeys. Perhaps you know what i'm talking about these spiritual paraphernalia or the accoutrements. That we might find the candles and the yoga mat. And the meditation cds do people have these things. I do go out myself. There's nothing wrong with them i'm going to say right away. But the thing is these are the cadre of goods that are often sold to us. And eagerly consumed by many of us. I'm not going to suggest this morning that anyone needs to burn their yoga mats. Or get rid of their meditation cds. In fact we are of course we're exposed to about 252 3,000 commercial ads per year and not all of them are about spiritual growth. But some of them are. So we can think the spiritual materialism. Is a check on some of these consumer goods that purport to help us on our spiritual growth dreams. The truth is that spiritual materialism. Is a little bit deeper. Spiritual materialism can be embedded in the ways that we approach. These consumer. But it's actually not. Unchecked spiritual consumerism. Which would have us focusing on the accumulation of all those good. Spiritual materialism is a little bit deeper. It has a thinking about what can lie beneath our preoccupation. Which spiritual consumerism. What can drive this need. Spiritual consumerism is just one aspect a manifestation of the deeper illness itself. You almost that i'm talking about is spiritual materialism. Okay so this is a little cumbersome. Okay well what is that spiritual materialism. The definition of pretty simple. Spiritual materialism is strengthening our egocentricity. Through spiritual. Strengthening our egocentricity through spiritual. As i mentioned no one needs to run out and get rid of all of your wonderful accoutrements at home. But when trungpa rinpoche was first talking about spiritual materialism to buddhist came. Tutti channel last in the 70s. He was speaking largely to people who were spiritual speakers. Any jokingly said you know you can run away to the highest mountain. You can live life as an ascetic get rid of everything you own. You can also continue to drive your car and work in your place of business. Either way. Spiritual materialism. Can be at play. It can be at playing an ashram as much as it can be at play in the isle of whole foods. Which is a fancy grocery store that they have in california i don't know if they have it here. Yes you do. Right so spiritual materialism can be at play just about anywhere. At any time. The inclination toward spiritual materialism are laying in our systems but so is the ground for cultivating something more real something more substantial. Something more healing and more true. In the classic view with spiritual materialism. There's a big sneaky sort of trouble. And the big sneaky sort of trouble. Is that we can become obsessed with our own process of endless self and. We can get charmed. Ever so charmed by our own egos. Short we can get stuck with something called the nurses. Some of you might recall the mess the greek myth of narcissus. In greek mythology narcissus stares and stares at his own reflection at the image of his own reflection. Pool. And he's so entranced by his own reflection that. He falls in. In other versions there's some other ways that he needs his end but the point is we can fall into the narcissist. Crap. This is not personal. This is universal. Human beings we can get ever so charmed by our own egos. So the real challenge here that trunk post pointing to. Is that our ego and this is a quote our ego is able to convert everything. Over to its own used even spirituality. So it's really easy for us sometimes to be caught up. With the idea that our spiritual journey begins and ends just with ourselves. And go deeper and deeper and deeper. Trungpa rinpoche when it's so far as to describe three lords. Spiritual materialism that enchant our ego. He called them the lords of form the lord of speech and the lord of mind. So with the lord a form we can get pretty obsessed and distracted with our need for. Personal. Security and physical comfort. With the lord of speech he meant that we can get pretty distracted by the use of our intellect. Reducing everything to isms and ideologies. Christianity buddhist and taoism all of these sort of philosophy as we can create idols of them. Obsessed with using our mental prowess. To make sense and reason of them. And then he said the lord is a mine. By that he meant that the lord's that. Are ego gratification sometimes when we experienced moments of bliss while in meditation. Or. When we have experiences on drugs. Bc ceterix pyramids with consciousness that can sometimes lead us to open. The clothes and end up just where we started. Down the rabbit hole with our own inward journey never looking out. Never casting wide are circle. So before the sound so dismal the picture i'm painting. It's clear that at least in tempo triple shay's i'm teaching. And a buddhist teacher. The really the idea is to slowly become aware of our propensity of human beings. For spiritual materialism. The propensity of us to get charmed by these three lords and go down the rabbit hole and forget that were in the world with other people. I call that spiritual growth. So basically there is a an anecdote that shares that really as we become aware of these are three lords spiritual materialism. It says if the clouds move away. And what is revealed is a beautiful son. It's casting its light. Because this is also who we are. When we slowly allowed the. Torsion in the clouds to move away. We can shine ever more brightly than we thought that we could. So i want to share with you because this might be a little cumbersome the spiritual materialism conversation. I want to come to bring it into just three main points that i want you to try to remember if you think about what is spiritual materialism. Essentially it has to do with when we become enchanted with our ego. And call that spiritual growth. Point number one. Is it spiritual growth is actually not for the faint of heart. It doesn't begin and it doesn't end with our egos phelps. Rather it begins right at the edge of our comfort zones. And asked us to move beyond those places of comfort. That limit us. The places that can often feel good. Where we feel at rest. This means of spiritual growth is. Hard sometimes. But the challenges for our own growth. Number two. Nothing is very interesting one for unitarian universalist. We should forget spiritual collecting. For its own sake. In the endless searching for wisdom in mining if that search leaves us only to a door the gaze of our own navels. And fall in love with ourselves. We've become chat. In a narcissist trap. So instead of collecting just for the sake of collecting. Different in states. And teachings and wisdom. We are instead he suggests to study and practice the arts of giving. Giving. Expecting nothing in return. This is a freedom beyond measure. When we are freed for my tit-for-tat relations were able to participate in the world with a sense of more unbounded ness. And austin it deep joy. In cutting through spiritual materialism which was the seminal book that put out these ideas. Back in the 1970s. Trungpa rinpoche tells a story of a way in which. Each one of us has a room. And that room is has whitewashed walls. Christine wood floors. There's not very much in that room. But there is a light. Hanging from the ceiling. Illuminating this room. There's one object. In that room. And it is truly beautiful. And the way that we know that the object is truly beautiful as because we spend time with it. And we. Then he says sometimes something happen. When people go on a spiritual safari. They start to put more and more objects. In that room. It's been less and less time with each of those objects. And the danger here is twofold. One thinking that spiritual resources. And wisdom traditions are in fact. Static objects. That you just put in. Into. Our rooms get so crowded we sometimes can't find what it is that we're looking for. We get so overwhelmed and so confused. The point was not. To resist being a spiritual. He came to the west. Teach about buddhism. The idea was not to resist looking far and wide for meaning and depth. That was not employ. Point was to start to understand that wisdom traditions seeking spiritual knowledge and spiritual quote they come out of. Living tradition. And it behooves us to spend time with those. And our own. What does it mean stop speaking stop question. But it might need to slow down a little bit. And build a more authentic meaningful relationship. With a source tradition. That feels so deeply meaningful. Given this there are few things that we can do as unitarian universalist on our own. Spiritual path. And i know that there are many folks here who draw insights and practices from different religion. Addition that is good. And fine and necessary. But in light of the conversation about spiritual materialism here are a few things we can do. When we engage with religious and spiritual traditions outside of our own. We can remember that those stories and practices are connected with culture. Living traditions. And we can become aware of the privilege. And power dynamics. Embedded in engaging with these sorts of sources. When we to do this is that we can do our best to appreciate and named the context. The origin. Of the of the traditions. Insource materials. We can also take a courageous look at our own hearts and think about who and what is being served. We engage with these. Spiritual so. And finally we can really prioritize relationship. Real relationships of meaning. I need to ality with people who share and teach. Their own religious and spiritual. Again i remind us. The tongue parental she did not say do not quest spiritually. At all. Did not say wall yourself off. But rather said let's be aware of one another. And a living traditions that we carry. It turns out that spiritual materialism is all about me. And i. Making me feel better making us feel better making me feel secure. Packing packing packing all these things that make one feel more and more secure. But spiritual growth. Has to do with slowly. Taking away the clouds of distortion. Becoming more mindful of the ground that we stand on and who we are in relationship with. Cast in our circle. Wider and wider and wider still. Earlier i mentioned jesus and buddha. Those two spiritual teachers that we highlight and lift up. They started their ministries on the borderlands. We're shift. Change was taking place. They intentionally left their comfort zones for the ministry of personal and social. Transformation. Which necessarily happens right at the places where we break the barriers inside of ourselves. In between ourselves. And others. Part of this conversation really has to do with. Humility. I sent the taking trusock of oneself and one's relationship with others in the world. And then allowing once in word journey. To reach back out. In powerful. Creatis. Risky sort of love. The steam this july rather our theme is growing. So i asked you today i wonder if there are places where you might walk towards. Your zones of discomfort. Where would you walk to. What places of unknowingness. Could you risk unexpected sort of grow. Earlier this morning i talked about the actions of immediate witness. The people the delegates at general assembly said they felt passionate about one of our denominations take seriously. I want to share with you another deep highlight from general assembly. Talking about love reaching out. General assembly this year as every year there is a. For every several years there is a congregational study action issue that are denomination commits 4 years of study to. Ticks that really seriously. And there's a lot of emphasis throughout months of planning and proposals and debates about what this. Congregational study action should be. I want to share with you what it was decided and voted upon. General assembly this year. This year the congregational study action issue for the next four years. Is inviting unitarian-universalist across our country to challenge extreme and inequalities. That is now pervasive in our. Just as prior generations led movements to fight for the abolition of slavery. And she can fully inclusive civil rights for all unitarian universalist. Are committing themselves to really looking. At class. Poverty and structural inequality. The profound statement. And it passed. With lots and lots. Support. Well wonder together with you and the weeks and months and years ahead how we might engage. With addressing in a quality structural inequalities. Why not because social justice is a fun activity. That makes us feel really good though it may but because love reaches out. And that is who we are called to be together. I want to share with you. That i living that our tradition unitarian universalism is a living one. Some of this life-saving messages include that all matter and we are all in it together. And radical love. Guides our way as we embrace new insights and learning and a process of growth. I believe it is in our power. As we look inward and look beyond ourselves. The move beyond. The enchantments of spiritual materialism. So again this morning i want to ask you again. Odd question what makes you. Uncomfortable. Could there be a seed of transformation yet germinating right there. What are the possibilities that come from living from the edge of your comfort zone from. Our comfort zones. Where might we walk together towards. Trouble. Enclosing i'll share with you that this summer i'm doing something new. I'm becoming a mother. And i've been to the highlands of chiapas to work with indigenous farmers trying to save their land and i have. So that police blockade to support the ability of undocumented immigrant families to stay with one another. And also though i'm the gaming board gaming is not my favorite hobby. I have agreed to allow my husband to coax me into playing a 4-hour board game and i liked it either a comfort zone edges i have done all these things but i have never. Delivered a child. Into the world. So let me tell you i'm right at the edge of my comfort zone. This summer may we together break the barriers. Maybe live fresh and practice at the edge of our comfort zones. And next year so i hope we will begin to engage with a congregational discovery of our mission and our vision in new and fresh and exciting ways remembering that love calls us out. That love reaches out. But i think together big about who we can be. May you reach out and love the summer. Maybe stretched. May you find some trouble. To walk towards. Blessed bi chay. And i'm in. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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140907_mk_sisterhoods.mp3

Welcome to the september 7th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today. Is led by rev marty keller. And her sermon is titled. Prophetic sisterhood. The podcast begins with an introduction to reverend keller. Buy worship associate victoria taylor. And now it is my great privilege to formally introduce you to marty keller. Marty keller is it community. Minister affiliated with the unitarian universalist women's federation and an independent consultant on congregational ministry. She's been both the parish and community minister serving congregations in the mid-south since 1998. And is endorsed by the humanist society as a humanist celebrant. She serves on the coalition council for the religious coalition of reproductive choice and ministerial leadership network of the unitarian universalist service committee. She's also read darren's mentor. And it's living with her family in atlanta. She's a formal journalist and has recently published essays and works of poetry. It is a great joy and honor to introduce to you my van marty. I just want to say how delighted i am to be with you and how super delighted i am to be rubbed eras mentor. You know you've got someone wonderful don't you. And she happens to be female and the light in the middle of the previous settled minister was female so congratulations to you for having women ministers because you feel they're the most qualified and fit for your congregation. Just saying and. And congratulations to you for mostly having because we fit for your needs mostly women ministers who will be spelling rev tara we have one of mel hoover who's an amazing colleague is going to be the exception but i'm saying that because i'm talking about women in ministry today. And not to scold you you don't need scolding but to tell you to remind you fitting with the theme of this month how awesome got it. Awesome we are in the spirit of all and wonder that one of our principles is recognizing the profits among us and many of them have been women so the theme is being switched a little bit tweaked a little bit because rabdare i wanted me to speak a couple of times about women in our movement and who are. Awesome. Okay. I'm going to start with a reading from the lyrics of a song by unitarian universalist composer carroll esler iglehart. And it's called standing before us. Standing before us making us strong. Lending their wisdom to help us along. Sharing a vision. Sharing a dream. Touching our thoughts. Touching our lives. Like a deep flowing stream. There's a story there's a story that is often told among the women in our uu ministry about the prophetic. Sisterhood how many of you have heard. Story. What's okay. Sweeping. As the entering wedge of ordained female ministers in our movement. Sweeping across the heartland of america founding small but hardy churches. Preaching and tending to their brave little flock. Making change and then like an ancestral tribe. Disappearing. Disappearing leaving the landscape of our liberal faith movement followed by nearly three-quarters of a century. When once again unitarian and universalist ministers were almost exclusively both white. And mail i guess when they came in what when did women come into our movement. After the civil war so was after the civil war. When i was through studying to be an ordained uu minister like many other of us waiting until what i could politely call midlife. I read about these four bears in fact i wrote a religious education curriculum about them for the congregation where i served my internship. I learned their names and i learned their locations and the names of the churches they served even passed around 3 by five-lined no card so the women in the pews. Letting them read their biographies allowed and these days we would probably what. Tweet them and you would read them. So that they would also know these stories and remember them deeply remember them. So i want to tell you if my talk this morning sounds at all self-serving. It is truly not meant to be. It's meant to be a focus on the history and the role of professional female ministers. The functions and the influence that they have had that we have had. Especially in the realms of worship and justice. So that we are all aware. So that we all perhaps we'll be awestruck. So we don't forget about what they contributed and also the stained glass ceiling. That they have found. That we still find. Historian cynthia grant tucker in an essay she wrote about 20 years ago and then presented at an annual meeting of uu ministers. 1998 1998 said that you you can boast as we often do about ourselves. For good reason. That for almost 100 years before we came became one religious body. The unitarian universalist became the unitarian universalist. Are churches of origin led the way and accepting women as clergy with full denominational endorsement. The first was olympia brown who was extended ministerial fellowship by the lawrence association of the universalist in 1863. And then the unitarians followed in 1871. That we were among the first if not the first to ordain to recognize women as professional religious leaders would seem logical. Logical a natural extension of our heretical position in the van christian pantheon. After all we had broken with orthodoxy in so many arenas already. Rejecting the calvinist doctrine that is cynthia tucker rides emphasizes human depravity and restricted salvation to the predestined. We questioned the literalness of every line of scripture. We said the bible was indeed fallible and we argued against the notion that jesus death on the cross was the final act of atonement for every sin in perpetuity. You know that's how we. Made ourselves known as been kind of different christians. This willingness and we still are. This willingness to take on sacred theological cows also created within unitarian and universalist them and aversion to dogmatic rule. Oh you don't know that do you. An ecclesiastical hierarchies which led to building their societies and their congregations and denominational body. I'm simple covenants it made all members equal priesthood and profited of all believers. And their congregations self-governing. That's pretty much a feminist principle. Therefore it was perhaps natural that we would be among the first protestant groups to ordain women. But also disturbing that we did so as cynthia tucker says with so little enthusiasm and with so little support. No matter how bold we were in taking the huge theological issues of sin and salvation. And the supernatural status of jesus and the premise of blood atonement. We were or at least ruu fathers with we're squeamish. About tampering with the sexes traditional roles. And especially the prospect of females entering the churches is inner sanctum. Like the temple in jerusalem where women were allowed only on the outer edges and the man. How to access. To the place of the most holy. Cg tucker tells us that seminaries were slow to allow women to enter and women who did enter the program soon learned there was no guarantee. The churches would call them or they would have access to the tangible. And the intangible institutional networks that would foster them. That would help them succeed. And lest we think it was only the men in our mostly forward-looking tradition who were resistant to acting women to the ministerial ranks. It was the women also. Who were most reluctant to leave their lay supporting roles. As active an admirable. As they were. So i want to say to the women we do it too. Each other. And we did it then. Judith sargent murray whose husband had found an america's first universalist church in 1779. With often provokes remind what she called the hottie sex. Get their own theological argument that god had created all people as equal meant that they were therefore entitled to use their abilities as god meant them to not as men dictated. Unitarian julia ward howe known to most of you i hope we're being the composer of the. Battle hymn of the republic. And the creator or co-creator of mother's day. Which was originally meant to be a day of peace and justice. Was known to lecture the men and the women in her own denomination about the hypocrisy of claiming to be a free and democratic church. When they would not open the pulpits to all who were qualified to preach. Mary graves one of her own pioneer women ministers explain to her own decision to see coordination that wants a self-respecting devoted church woman realized that she had already been doing a minister's job and doing it well. With the help of a minister's wife. It was as she said only a matter of time before she would want her work to be recognized. By having to call it by its proper name. And being rewarded monetarily. So her chance came and the chance for justin of others when denominational leaders began to plan for westward and rural expansion. I'll supply the comfort and cozy circle. I would have been mostly a new england or at least an east coast tradition. View of the man wanted to give up their established congregations uproot their families and live on frontier wages. To carry the good news about are truly saving face. And to literally build new churches. And so they did the group of women who would come to be called i had to either the iowa sisterhood or the prophetic sisterhood. Moving into uncharted liberal religious waters or more accurately huge expanses of the prairie. To illinois and nebraska and iowa. And michigan where for example the reverend ida beholden often drove her horse and carts forty or more miles a day over rough terrain 210 to her passel of churches there she wrote. These women besides getting the toughest roughest and least coveted assignment. Face various critique. Including accusations from their fellow religious liberals at these pioneer women who took it upon themselves to preach and lead worship and plant churches we're working and living outside the spears. Not having this is a quote it's a physical and emotional constitution to whether the rigors of church life and politics. You can do if you want. Forecast. Can the gray delicacies and sensitivities of women this is another quote bear the buffets and frowns. The criticisms often harsh and unfeeling one male minister ask doubtfully. Can a female minister preserve her. Good nature. Her self-possession her cheerfulness. Despite the crosses incident to all public positions and which are most bitter. Nature will settle that question he wrote. You can hit us again. Others men and women defended against his portrait calling for fostering within unitarian universalism. Simply a more human ministry male and female. Less harsh. And more balanced. In reality the early women in our movement found it difficult in most cases to combine marriage and ministry. And in large part the churches a surd. We're a result of either being married into them. Organizing one themselves. Accepting one that was on such shaky financial ground that no male minister would take it. Once in these congregations however membership figures and treasures reports. And personal tributes in archives record abundance support at the grassroots. For the women who did persevere. They not only persevered they flourished in many respects using sermons and liturgy to speak of the values that strengthen family and home. And community. Making worshipping ritual language more gender-inclusive. Committed to a ministry that went beyond the traditional focus on the sunday morning pulpit. Devoting themselves to sunday schools and adult study groups and filling their buildings with activity. Making the word churchome much more meaningful these were homes for the people. Creating warm loving faith communities for people. Who's more progressive religious beliefs and ethics made them feel isolated in the wilderness not that any of you have ever felt that way. Partnering with leg women and man to further the cause of the social reform. They did prison and workhouse reform care of orphans and widows publication education. Suffrage. And alcohol abuse. So that was what was happening they went out to these god-awful places on the prairie. They founded these wonderful congregation. And they were successful. So then what happened. Ironically just want to start the same if women's ministry had the momentum to enter the 20th century and flourish. Their movement suddenly came to a halt. For several reasons 12 of them have nothing to do with the men in ministry so you can do outside forces. And the other one does. So there was evangelical competition from any of the other churches in the communities where unitarian and universalist women work. So there were more opportunities for people to go different places. And two congregations which people in the towns thought were more respectable. So they're there numbers trickle-down. But perhaps the most devastating development with the cultural trend to counter some saw as an alarming effeminate trend in american society. With a full-scale crusade to restore what was billed as toughness. And virility in church life. This friend did not bypass our unitarian and universalist professional movement with discussions of how to promote more businesslike masculine conduct. Traditions of annual exclusively male ministerial retreats. And aggressively promoted unitarians laymen's league. And the men and religion forward movement urging more muscular sermons. As one of the women ministers at the turn of the 20th century observe the church evicted is best female talent out of what at least some saw even then as a warped. Vision. A vigorous religion. These driven out unitarian and universalist women at least some of them became social workers and reformers they got out the vote they started health centers. They started schools for black. Children. Certainly they continue to contribute to the liberal religious movement as did their sisters. But their public prophetic voices had largely been silenced. And their ministry mostly. Repeal. And there we are in the beginning of the twentieth century with not one new ordained female unitarian or universalist men. How many of you knew that. This is the unitarianism i was brought to is a very small small child one that on one hand was bold and outspoken and rigorously intellectual upstairs. Where they listen to sermons and lectures and downstairs with its sunday schools that were creative and nurturing and filled with stories and myths from all kinds of cultures. Just upstairs downstairs with also unfortunately a male and female split. I never saw a female in the pulpit growing up. Never one. I never want someone preach as i became a team. Given opportunity to leave youth worship in the smaller chapel i never was seeing saw one when i was a young adult the mother of young children. I never saw a female in the pulpit. I was not even aware that women that ministers have ever been apart of unitarian liberal faith tradition. That let alone this might be my path. Some 40 years has. With the sixties in the second wave of the feminist movement there was a renewal finally of women and the uu ministry. But when they do you women's federation published a survey on the status of women in ministry in 1974. Of the 750 clergy and what was called ministerial fellowship. Only 40 were women. And 5 at pulpits at all. 1974. In the past 40-plus years of status of professional women within you you has improved enormously especially in numbers. I am sure many of you have heard that 51%. Of the people that are in are you arguing ministry or female now. So we can applaud because i haven't been working but. This is a big butt. We tend not to be called to the large congregations. Or to the highest ranks of our administrative authority while recently other mainline to liberal denominations have elected women as head. Of their associations the unitarian universalist association has yet to have a female in the role of president. Are you did that on your own. For me the matter of women in ministry and women's rights are not unrelated. We can be rightfully proud of the stands are religious association have taken. The long history of involvement in women's issues from susan b anthony and the leadership in the suffrage movement of the 1850s. To work on the unfortunately failed equal rights movement. To our early and adam and support of reproductive choice and now what we are calling and seeing as a broader and deeper reproductive justice movement you can applaud again yes or not. Not but. What i am inviting us all to consider is that the fabric of this religious movement and the positions we take should be interconnected that if we are asking for barriers to be removed in the world at large that women's voices be heard that their lives be honored then we need to do so in our own institutions. Promoting holness and nurturance and relationship. Says marjorie lemon. Feminism is not an issue it's a whole thing by that i mean that is not an issue the way that the era or abortion or energy or the environment is an issue it is an overall category which includes the positive creative side. The feminist vision is not a fairytale. But a reality-based possibility affecting every aspect of thinking. A being of doing. May we yet and always be all inspired by the women who went before us. And the women which they still touch. On thoughts. And in our lives. May it be so. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website. At uuc an rv. org.

uucnrv_org

151115_do_reproductive-justice.mp3

Welcome to the november 15th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. Is service a day is led by a settled minister. Reverend arrowland. Enter sherman is titled. Reproductive justice and unitarian universalism. The podcast begins with greetings. From melinda brent. A planned parenthood community health educator. We have a special joy here this morning which is that we will be joined here and worship and also after worship for a brief meet-and-greet get to know one another a little better with melinda britt. Who works with planned parenthood. And i'm going invite melinda to come forward and share a little bit about what brings her to the work that she does with planned parenthood and afterwards after the service we will have this meet-and-greet time and anyone who would like to conchata little bit more with melinda about her work about your perspective on some of the things that she's going to be talking about something i'm going to be talking about this morning and i also when i give a big shout of joyous thanks to the women from the women's breakfast who i understand prepared some special treat for this meet-and-greet so can we just give a warm round of applause for the special treat after worship this morning. I welcome you forward melinda to share a little bit more and offer greetings to the congregation. Good morning and thank you for inviting me to be here today as sarah says my name is melinda brett and i am the new community health educator for planned parenthood and the roanoke and new river valley areas. I understand that you all have been working on the theme of journeys these past few weeks and it is a pleasure a real pleasure to be able to share a bit of my journey with you today. About a year ago i was not working at planned parenthood i was living abroad in honduras as a volunteer and why was there i had the opportunity to do human rights workshops for women working in rural communities. And i was amazed by how important this information really was to the women there. I am mature too many women. Who had no or little understanding of the right to have a voice. The right to make decisions. Their right to have an education and even the right to their own bodies. I'm at too many young girls who had dropped out of school. I have been forced to drop out of school. And we're having their second third sometimes even fourth pregnancy before the age of 16. And i met i am sorry i heard too many stories. Of women and the violence that they had encountered an even worse the passive mentality towards that abuse that's been generations one of the stories that i can never forget is when i was talking with woman after workshop and she said you know. I went to my mother one time to tell her that my father had. Been molesting me. And my mother's response was. My father did the same to me. And my mother's mother had the same experience. And probably her mother too. Ics la vida that's just the way it is. And our sexual and reproductive rights only violated in honduras. Absolutely not i'm headed the reason why i'm so grateful to be here with y'all today to discuss reproductive justice with you because it is an issue that is. Both very real here and united states as well as everywhere around the world. I don't mention honduras because i think that we have progressed so much farther than our hundred brothers and sisters but rather because it has led me to where i am right now in the movement. And the realization that there is so much more work to be done is the same realization that led me to on planned parenthood. This year i join the planned parenthood team staff. As a member of their health center. It was there that i came to know firsthand the many wonderful services that planned parenthood provides including contraception testing and treatment for stis. Life-saving cancer screenings for people as well as counseling and resources 2mnext wearing their pregnancy options. And it was at the house center that i really embodied the planned parenthood mantra which is to care no matter what. I can tell you that caring for and providing information to patients and a space that was truly judgement-free was one of the most rewarding part of my experience at the house center. This past fall i started a new phase of my journey with planned parenthood when i became a part of the planned parenthood education programming. With planned parenthood many people may not realize this but we are not only a trusted health care provider but we are also an advocate and an educator in the community and. As an advocate what we do is we support common-sense policies that protect. Reproductive rights as well as create better accessibility to information and resources to women and men alike in our community. And as educators we are always looking for ways to improve education found in our communities particularly the sexuality education of our young people. I know that unitarian-universalism tradition appreciates and understands the importance of that comprehensive sexuality education because of the lasting difference that you all have made through your al program our whole lives program. And. My hope. Is that together we can work in partnership to make a difference. In the new river valley and beyond. My challenge. Are you all today. Is to be unsatisfied. Beyond satisfied with the current sexuality education that is offered in our school system. Beyond satisfied with the misinformation and the lack of resources to women and then in our community. Don't speak intent like so many of proponents of sexual new picture b don't be content with that's just the way it is. Because we can do better and we can change it. Princeton let's reduce the rate of teenage pregnancies and the spread of sexually transmitted infections by introducing a better evidence-based curriculum that combines a couple of these standard lessons in anatomy with social and emotional learning. Learning. That trains are students in self and social awareness. But enables them to be negotiators and communicators and their relationships. Learning that without fear or shaming tactics allows students to be better decision-makers intact responsibly. I think about this special education would also be incomplete if it were not for a parent or trusted adult component in that i planned parenthood and i hope that we share this vision we want parents and trust adults to be the primary sexuality educators of their children and we want to open up the arena of the avenues of communication between students and trusted adults in their lives about these issues issues that for some reason are still considered so taboo and yet or so pertinent to our lies and who we are. In the new river valley we have been asking for better sexuality education for quite some time. And there's no better time than now to actually make that happen. And i'm so humbled. To know the. Amazing historical relationship that the unitarian-universalism tradition has in the reproductive justice movement and while we share in this history we know that there is plenty more in the making. So thank you for inviting me into the conversation say i look forward to meeting with many of you afterwards thank you for sharing half of the plate this morning with planned parenthood intermission and thank you for continuing your wonderful work for reproductive justice. There's so much to be sad about planned parenthood. And many of that was said so eloquently by it melinda. He thinks i just want to underscore. Ended temperature hood provides accessible high-quality health services to patients in the form of life-saving cancer treatments. Birth control sti. Testing and treatment breast health services pap smears and much much more. Services include. Attending to the needs of women but not just women. Also man. Also children. So i hope that you will give generously as you may feel moved to do so this morning. As the baskets cast. Please do give generously. Those who are feeling moved to do so please do come forward to kindle the flame of memory or of hope. You may also simply sit back and receive the gift of music this morning. We do these things together. Are reading this morning comes from victoria safford. A unitarian universalist minister now and buy her moving poetry. Walking towards morning. You know we do it everyday. Everyday we go out blinking into the glare of our freedom. Into the wilderness of our work and the world making naps as we go. Looking for signs. That we are on the right path. And on some good days. We walk right out of our oppressions. Those things that process down from the outside or as often. From the inside. We shake off the shackles of fear. Prejudice. Timidity. Close-mindedness selfishness. Self-righteousness. And claim our freedom outright. Terrifying as it is. Our freedom to be human and humane. Every morning. Everyday. We leave our houses not knowing if it will be for the last time. And we decide what we'll take with us. What will carry. How much integrity. How much truth-telling how much compassion in case someone along the way may need it. How much arrogance. How much anger. How much humor how much willingness to be changed or 2 chainz. To grow and to be grown. How much. Faith and hope. How much love and gratitude you pack these with you with your lunch and medications. You are datebooks and your papers. Everyday. We gather what we think we'll need. Pick up what we love and all that we've so far believe. Put on our history shoulder our experience and memory. Take inventory of our blessings. And. We start walking. Towards morning. This morning and we're so if we're talking about unitarian-universalism and reproductive justice. And i'll tell you that when i first started thinking of today's worship i immediately thought of lines from him that's in our graves hymnal. And it's called where are my free spirit onward leads. The words in that him are about our connection as human beings with all that is. Our relationship to other human. Beings in the human family. It's about the precious nature of our relatively brief human live when considered from the perspective of the universe. That him help us to remember how magnificent our lives are. How they can be. Also how tender. And absolutely overwhelming. Our experiences in the world can be. Advance auto classic of sorts and we sing it earlier this month. And it's ideas are very important for today's top. Yet if i. Could and in fact i'd like to. Rename the sermon this morning. I would call it walking towards morning. In honor of the reading that we heard this morning those words by victoria safford. Which are about the intimate nature of our lives a real lives that we lead. That are hard. And that are hopeful. In which we gather ourselves. And we walk. Towards. Morning. I would reading the sermon walking towards morning and honor of the deeper themes of today's topic which i will say is not an easy one. To talk about. I myself meditated and prayed on today's being a great. Deal. More snow i would say. Then. Perhaps normal for me. This morning were talking about unitarian universalism and reproductive justice. In a month where we're talking about journey in a year when we're talking about our year of living bravely. When i took stock of all of these things. And the fact that just a few years back at unitarian universalist general assembly called us as a movement to grapple with reproductive justice. I realized a truth that i had. Quite realize before. In fact. I had never preached a sermon. On reproductive. Justin. I preached on a lot of hard topics. I call us as a community to russell with a lot of hard topics so i. Kids think about the reason i've never. Preached a sermon on this topic and. I realized one answer is because it's hard. But that's not the only reason. I think one of the challenges i have. About this topic is that i have such a deep respect and reverence. 4. Every woman i have known. Who has chosen. To have an abortion and have the access to do so. Moreover i have such deep reverence and respect for the private difficult. Profound journey of wrestling questioning meaning-making and choosing. That goes on in the private lives of women and families. I realize also that i had a somewhat unexamined assumption. I realize that i have been laboring chris lander a. Private quiet unexamined assumption that somehow the fact that i have often sat with women who are discerning whether or not abortion is a choice that they will make. Or i've sat with women who are. I'm feeling and thinking about what it has meant to have an abortion. But somehow. Doing those things in private or in smaller settings closed settings. In some ways supported. The protection of a woman's right to choose and have supported reproductive justice no doubt that presence is part of it. But it is insufficient. I am reminded by a quote by audre lorde silence will not. Protect us. She's got another quote on the top of your order of service. That i will refer to a little bit later. It has to do with us not living single issue lies. Talks about how there can't have a single-issue struggle because we don't lead single issue live. For all these reasons i feel called to speak more clearly about unitarian universalism and reproductive justice. And indeed there is a great amount in our tradition to celebrate. To be proud of. For our religious and spiritual tradition the one that we share unitarian-universalism has been deeply involved in the movement for reproductive choice and reproductive justice for over 50 years. Miniature with you just a few key ways that our movement. Has been apart. Our religious and spiritual movement has played an important role here in the united states in the larger movement for reproductive justice. It was very shortly after the unitarians and the universe was merged together to separate religious traditions with their own history merged in 1961 and just two years later after merging together. In 1963. At the unitarian now unitarian universalist general assembly we made our first public statement supporting a woman's right to choose. Many unitarian universalist were also involved in an active clergy control consultation service on abortion at that time this was an interfaith network that helped women get counseling and actually access to safe abortions even though abortion at that time were illegal. We can also say for shorthand that roe versus wade was actually brewed in the basement of the unitarian universalist congregation. Forum at this landmark case there were the lawyers that put together that case approach the unitarian universalist congregation texas because that congregation was known for its being on the cutting edge of social reform. And the lawyers that worked on that case talk a lot with women in the congregation and they do great support from that congregations organized women's alliance. There's also a highlight that in 1967. Way back in 1967 was the first time r r group of liberal religious educators got together and said hey we need a program to help our people learn more about. Sexual their own sexuality. Explore their unitarian universalist values and also. This program should be fruit for our kids to and so that was the beginning of. About your sexuality aysu did anyone go through a wire. Some people. Doesn't my family group unitarian universalist and they went through a ys today we call it owl our whole lives. This is a lifespan sexuality education program that has developmentally appropriate. And sex positive education for people at all different stand from our youngest ones in kindergarten to adult. Talking not just about sexuality but also how people express sexuality what it means to be in relationship of sexual health and how to be affirmed in one's own sexual healthy living. There's a lot more to be said about highlights but in 2012. Ar. Unitarian universalist general assembly. Created reproductive justice as its next congregational study action issue. And there's a statement of conscience. But i want people to be aware of just so you know that our unitarian universalist national movement has come out really publicly. About i'm wanting to be part of continued to be part of in championing the reproductive justice movement and if you'd like to read that statement of conscience more in-depth there's a. Kopi ini larkhall that you can look at. Some of you might be sitting there thinking well i know that unitarian universalist. Have participated. Pop perhaps and reproductive rights and now reproductive justice that really why are we talkin about this in a worship service. The rest of what i want to share with you this morning i hope it's a beginning to that to answer that question. How to give life how to sustain life. How to make ethical choices about our lives. Part of our core human experience. We human beings live very complex lives. In a very complicated world. And what we know is that those lives are not linear. Rather there are twists and turns. And forgive me please this morning for perhaps a relatively. Craft metaphor we might imagine that we are drivers. Facing all sorts and all manner of weather. We don't all start in the same sort of cart we don't all travel the same sort of journey. And the bumps. Any accident. And the relationships made along the way are different for each one. Many of us end up on a different journey or encounter a bend in the road that we did not expect. That we did not expect when we first set out and given our life contacts. The ones that we inherit. The ones that unfold before us forged by events and our response to the event and the dynamic interplay. We humans grapple with what we will do. We grapple with our core and these are fundamental spiritual and theological questions we restful what it with what is in our hands. What is out of our hands. What constraints are real. What limitations are imagined. What will we decide and why. And sometimes your congregation as so many of you know. We weigh. Everything. That we hold dear. These kinds of questions. Are fundamental to one's journey of faith. One's sense of connection to life itself and to that which is larger which some call god or the sacred. Is there ever was a topic that challenges us as human beings were regarding what our lives are about what is in our control or out of it where the holy is not as an abstract topic but literally where the theological rubber meets the road. It is right here. In the terrain of our reproductive. Why. What happened. When we find ourselves at a crossroads. It is precisely at the crossroads these kinds of crossroad. The people russell most deeply for meaning. For guidance. Turn to faith communities turn to religious teaching wisdom turn to valued friend turn to professionals turn inward to try to hear that still small. Voice. That voice that sometimes brings clarity helps guide the path forward. In crossroads of all types. People negotiate fear and worry anxiety and pressures. Often come into moral challenges with multiple things. Relationship. Commitments that they hold dear. And at this crossroads. Simplistic advice is not help. Some of you know this very well. It's not helpful not at all. And i would also say today that oversimplifying theologies. Can also be incredibly painful. And i'll say more about that in just a minute. Unitarian universalist do not all agree. On when life. Begin. But we do have. Theological consensus. Express and our principles. We have a field logical and spiritual consensus on sacred sexuality. The sexuality human sexuality is a sacred and powerful gift with opportunities to grow in intimacy. That one violated sacred sexuality is a source of the pain. We celebrate the complexity. Of human beings and our sacred sexuality. We also have a consensus on inherent worth and dignity. We are tentative to sacred discernment to free will. The lived reality of human being rather than a dogma or creed. We recognize the sacredness of each person. And from this i think. Launches our commitment to justice. Our commitment to beloved community. To look at power privilege oppression and love. We also have a deep reverence for life. That sense that we draw from that transcending mystery and wonder affirmed in all cultures that moves us to a renewal of the spirit these things are printed as part of our principal. And our sources. Unitarian universalist we believe that we are part of life not owners of it and we are called to make responsible to be responsible and wise participants in the web of life stewards of its power and resources. We also talked about the right of conscience. All people of all genders are moral agents. Possessing dignity. And the freedom of conscience. Conscience the capacity to make decisions. And of course there is two. I want to share with you not many stupid. Just really too. And these in particular. 1 + 3. One in three women will have an abortion in the united states before the age of 45. 1 + 3. And as my colleague points out that is not one and three uneducated women. That is not 13 poor women. That is not one in three black or white women that is 1 + 3. I. Have not had an abortion. I'm also not yet 45. I have had two pregnancies. One wish. Completed a miscarriage before 5 weeks. And one which resulted in the birth of my child. And i share that with you today because i want you to know my personal frame of reference. My personal frame of reference is also shaped by having served as a chaplain accompany women who have recently come through an abortion procedure. And i will share a little bit more just a little bit more about that today. Here is the other one and three sort of the statistics. About 1 and 3 or about 14 depending on the sources you're looking at. Women experience being in a physically abusive relationship. 1 and 3 or 1 and 4. Now i want to make it clear this morning i am not. Saying. That we're suggesting here that being in a physically abusive relationship is the only reason a woman might choose to have an abortion. Not at all. There are many reasons. However we might think about it this way. In a room about 150 people. Here this morning if we imagine it half of those people let's say our women. That's not 75. You can check my mail. And if we did a third of that. That would be about 25 women. That means that at least about 25 women here. Have nots. Or will have. An abortion. By the age of 45. In about the same number will have experience. At some point in the course of their lifetime. Being in a physically abusive relationship. At the top of your order of service is a quote by audre lorde. It says we are not single-issue people because we do not lead single issue lies. That quote has become very important to what is now called the reproductive. Justice movement. The reproductive justice movement is led by and has been articulated predominantly by women of color. And poor women. He was started to articulate the way in which the conversation. And the activism in the organizing and the affirmation of reproductive rights must talk more about. Not just right and not just choice but access. But there is no choice where there is no accident. The reproductive justice movement has called us to thinking intersectional ways not just about preserving and protecting a woman's right to an abortion not even access just to abortion although that's very important. But also to expand the conversation about the multiple considerations and factors that play into constituting healthy families and healthy communities. Reproductive justice now includes looking at a living wage for families and includes bringing attention to comprehensive sexuality education making that more possible more expensive accessible in public spaces by public schools which melinda spoke with us a little bit about planned parenthood's effort in that direction. It's also about looking at education at self educational opportunity and access to comprehensive. Reproductive health. Including contraception. Including cancer screenings excetera and how these and particulate impact communities of color. I want to encourage you all if you're curious about reproductive justice and how it's related to but different from reproductive right. To look up an organization called sister song. Sistersong is one of the most vocal groups. Coalitions of women of color that are leading the charge on reproductive justice and the uui has now been drawing a lot. On that work and it sees itself in partnership with sister song. I guess i also want to say. That. This whole topic is not fat women. Stop trans women. About men. Children. Our whole lives. That's what we're talkin about. I told you that i served as a chaplain. And in that time i had the opportunity to support and walk with several women coming through abortions and those who faced significant reproductive loss or change. Their stories are theirs alone to tell. But i want to. Share with you. A few reflection side hat. Myself and some learning. Bear with me please while i tell you about this first and how it connects. There is a beautiful place. Off of the coast of northern california. Way out past san francisco. And if you pull off the road you will find yourself. In. A magnificent grove of redwood trees. And underneath these redwood trees there are ferns and the ground is soft and it is dark. And when the cloud cover is not too heavy the light streams in and the places. Particularly quiet and it looks almost like a digitally enhanced photograph. It's colors are so very vivid it's a place of stillness when you first glimpsed it but when you look a little closer you can see how active are all the insect and creatures making that small ecosystem ecosystem thrive and grow. When i stand in the midst of those redwood i feel a sense of awe and wonder. I've seen others there. I've seen children playing i've seen people praying. I think someone getting married there. I who am. Faithfully agnostic. Feel the presence of god there. So very deeply. The very first time i went to that grove of redwood trees i was serving as a chaplain. And a few days. Before my. First visit to that grove of redwood trees. I was asked by my supervisor. Whether i would meet with him to talk about a special assignment. I was serving as that time as a chaplain on a team that included religious professionals from multiple religious traditions.. Protestant. There was a humanist. There was a jew with serving on the team has a diverse group of people i was the unitarian universalist we were training so that we would be able to collectively attend to any religious or spiritual needs if we were called upon. Religious cross training. Like that. So i was surprised that i would be asked. She respond to a special assignment what was this what was the special assignment. And my supervisor told me they had received several calls that you're from an affiliated health center. They needed a chaplain at a clinic which provided many services including. Providing safe abortions. And he said honestly he thought that i would be the best choice because i was a unitarian universalist. I need to share with you that we are not the only religious boys affirming reproductive justice and particular woman's right to choose. There are many there's a whole coalition. Call the. Religious coalition for reproductive rights. Faith voice is allowed there are so many resources. But when he called me. To talk with him. And looked me in the eye and said i think you'd be the best choice. I knew what he meant. I knew what he meant because he was aware of the explicit way in which unitarian universalist are known. To be a supportive presence in the reproductive justice movement. It didn't have much to do with me particularly dara i mean it might have but really it was because i wasn't you you. So of course i said. I headed down to the clinic that day and it would not be the very first time. I would make several trips to that clinic during time i serve that residency. And i had many conversations. The one that i want to share with you about this morning. Stays with me because perhaps it was my first visit. And because of the personal space it was not. The abortion. For me. The i struggled with it was instead. The theological conundrum that this particular woman found herself in. When i visited the woman whose name i will not share wechat mostly in silence. She shared with me that god felt very far away from her. She asked me if i thought that god had turned. Got back on her. I told her i. Did not think so. I knew because the doctors have prepared me that. This women this woman. Her journey included wrestling with the fact that. There was a fetus that would not be able to exist outside of her womb. And in fact. The abortion procedure that she had just come through with medically indicated for her own health and survival. We sat in silence and she shared this a little bit more she was catholic. She took her relationship with faith in god very seriously. As i sat with her on kind of the cliff as she was facing. A chance of spiritual disconnect and deep. Despair. I wanted to say. Anything. I wanted to say i have court. God. Love you. I wanted to say nothing. Is outside. I wanted to say. Fire that.. Fire that god tells you that you are left than worthy right now. Less than worthy of love and care. Of course though. I said. None of these. I sat with her. I sat next to her. We were facing a wall. That also was a cliff. Of unknowing. I wanted to feed her all of the strain. Hope and courage that is inside of our unitarian-universalism universalist history and theology for when we speak about god we speak about a god of love. I love that transcends borders but again that was not for me to do. What i was called to do was to sit with her. And accompany her and enter as far as i could her framework of the world. And then told out. I asked her when she felt that she had been close to god i asked her how she likes to communicate with god. And she said it was through prayer she said will you pray for me yet. And we prayed. I told her i did believe that a facebook connection with. With god was still possible. I did tell her after a while. I do believe. That god. Love us. Even in our broken places. Even when we are unsure. And i gave her a flame. You see that chester. It was about walking towards. Morning. Theologies that have us wrestle with perfection they always leave us feeling less than. But we humans are unfinished. We are always a work-in-progress i live are beautiful and inconveniently messi. Physiology of love inside of unitarian universalism is strong and deep. The theology of love says love is universal. Love is unequivocal. Love is. Possible. If i wind my way to. Inclusion. I want to share with you that. When i reflect on those experiences. What i know is this. God is not just in the redwood for. God was in that clinic. God is with us in the broken places. God is with us. In. A question. God's warehouse. Is. And god is where we ask. It says mr. rogers says. The meme going around the internet right now. He was told by minister who was told by his mother that when you're faced with all the challenging news in the world look for the helpers. You will find them. I give thanks to stay for this holy. Nessie mystery and is my word god. Challenged you this morning. I asked it not to. And you might think about that this way. There are words. In a very popular song by leonard cohen. Ring the bells that still can ring. Forget your perfect offering. There is a crack in every. That's how the light gets. No doubt some of you are sitting here who have. Countered. Reproductive loss and. Perhaps. Experiencing an abortion yourself. Accompanying someone you loved. Put had. An abortion. You may not need me to say this this morning. But in case you do. No one has the right. To make you feel inferior. Or less than. You are loved. May be strengthened for the journey of your. Living. May not living be so bright. For all of those who have encountered reproductive loss. May your memory of your loved one. Big deeply-held. If there is a beloved name. Remind me that name be written on the stars. Our part of the universe. May we work all that it is ever possible to walk with one another towards morning. Let us celebrate that the broken places are have a light. Geffen. Let us all walk with one another. In the journey for reproductive justice. For dignity and respect and access. For all women. All families. Let us go forward. Blessed be. And amin. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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141026_kd_reluctant-rebel.mp3

Welcome to the october 26th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by reverend karen day. And her sermon is titled. Notes from a reluctant rebel. Before i reading i want to start with a quote by david robinson who has. One of our unitarian universalist historians. And he says about us. As rebels against established ways of thinking. Unitarian and universalist. Have always had a distinctly. Anti historical temperament. Sometimes it's hard for us to look back. And yet even today. As he greeted each other. We're looking back to the little house. Not far from here. It's good to remember. Until we're going back aways for the reading. Are universalists than unitarian ancestors. Scoured the bible. To try to find the troops. That. Where are buried there. Universalist. Found for them the truth that there was no eternal damnation. Written in the bible. And unitarians found the truth that god is one. And so here's another. Interesting story. That tells me something about rebels. From that place jesus went off to the district of tyre. He entered a house. And he wanted no one to know about it. But he could not escape notice. Soon a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit heard about him. She came and she fell at his feet. The woman was a greek. A syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to drive the demon out of her daughter. He said to her. Let the children be fed first. For it is not right to take the food of the children and throw it to the dogs. She. Reply to him. She said. Lorde. Even the dogs under the table. Deserve the children's scraps. Then he said to her. For saying this you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter. And when the woman went home. She found the child lying in bed. And the demon. Gone. For me that. Syrophoenician woman is the kind of rebel who stands up. In the face of authority. And speaks her truth. Can imagine how hard that must have been. To have heard those words. That her child was like a dog. And to speak back. Against that. I'd love to be that person. But. I can't say that i have been. I look back to the year 1969. And of course there was rebellion everywhere. And i was in kansas city missouri. The royals. Impact club. I had my red vest. My red culottes. My saddle shoes and white socks. And i was part of the large group. Bb victory barbara varsity victory varsity van horn high. But it seemed like that was the only. Cheer we ever cheered. Whatever the cheerleader said we gave it back to them. And after a while. Undecided. I'm going to rebound. But. Of course you couldn't really you know sit among that sea of red and say something different so. I quit. That was my rebellion. And i found a few friends and we sat. On the other side. Away from the sea of red. And we found our own chairs. We're big big and were bad bad and what boss bossco ss box. Or or my favorite and probably most meaningful. Hey hello. I'm kind of ashamed at home and i was talking to mccabe and this was. Like the one act of rebellion that i can come up with in my life. And he reminded me that. Still in a small way. I was finding my voice. And even though i was too afraid. To challenge my teachers. And too afraid to question my parents conservative political views. I found a small way. To say what i had to say. No one else really had to listen. But. It was a step. And we unitarian universalist have so many people. Who have gone before us and have stood up. And spoken their truth. Found their voice and spoken out. John murray. Was in england. And was a methodist. And he looked at the bible and decided. That eternal damnation wasn't there. Kid heard james rally speaking that and so. He was a preacher he started to preach that to. Universal salvation all souls will be saved. He didn't have to speak against anyone. He maybe he didn't even think he was speaking against anyone but the methodist quickly excommunicated him. And he. Ended up in debtors prison. And decided that he would never preach again. That was enough for him of finding his own voice. Until he. Was sent to the united states. And i'm thinking was that you the united states then i think this was about 1770 so i'm not sure.. Anyway he came to new jersey. And it was meant by thomas potter. And thomas potter saw something in john murray. And said you have a message. For me and my neighbors. And john murray said no i don't preach anymore i have nothing to say. And thomas potter said. Well how about this. If your boat doesn't get off of that sandbar by sunday will you preach to us. He said okay. Well the boats. Didn't leave. The winds didn't change. Until sunday afternoon. So john mariah got up. And spoke his message. Two people who hurt him. Who believed him. Who honored what he. What his voice his truth was. And then the wind changed and he sailed away. And we call him the father of universalism. In the united states. Because he went onto to found. Congregations and to inspire others to found congregation. So he's one of those folks who found their voice. But another one and she's one of my favorites. So i might have talked about her before but she's hannah jewett powell. How many have heard of hannah. Okay. She was ordained as a universalist minister in 1899. And she was in maine. She was a woman who is born very poor but she managed to get an education and to go to divinity school. And. Then the universalist assigned her to several parishes. The most exciting was the seacoast mission. Where she captain's the sunbeam. And went out to four islands. And preached. Married people buried people intended to. The folks who needed. Pastoral care. She did that until she was 55 which seems like. It might be a good. Time to. Start taking it easy but then the universal is. Women's missionary society. Said how about going to north carolina. Cold mountain. Had this tiny universalist congregation among a logging. Camp. And so they sent her. On a train. 2. Canton near canton in the mountains of north carolina. I can't imagine what that trip must have been like. And when she got off the train she was met by uncle baloo and his wagon. And he gave her a list of. Reasons of scriptural reasons why women should not preach. So she rode with him up to cold mountain. And that night before she preached. She found her own list of scriptural reasons of women preaching. And that's what she spoke on the next day. And it ended up that he asked her to bury him when he died.

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150830_do_water.mp3

Welcome to the august 30th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today. Is our annual ingathering water service. And is led by a set of minister reverend arrowland. Does a story about a drop of water. One drop of water. And his name was higgins. Higgins the drop of water. So once upon a time there was a strap of water and his name was higgins. But he was no ordinary drop of water. I'm not exactly sure what an ordinary drop of water. But he wasn't. An ordinary drop. He was a drop with a dream. Higgins lived in a valley where it had not rained. In a very very very long time. And he could tell because when he looked out to where the green grass should be the grass was a burnt orange dusty sort of color. And all of the beautiful flowers. We're wilting. And all the trees were starting to droop. But higgins that drop of water with a dream he had a dream that one day. That valley would be bright green again. And all the flowers that were wilting with lyft. They're bright. Colorful heads and sway in the breeze. And his dream was it all of the trees that look so droopy. Would once again become strong and ruin it. The problem was that higgins was just one drop. Any thought what can i do. I'm just one drop. One day you can decide to travel all across the land and tell everyone about his dream. Do all the other drops listened very politely. But no one really believed that his dream would come true. Higgins said when you get your head out of those clouds. You cannot spend your whole life. Dreaming. But higgins decided. Something to make this dream come true. So he began to think and think and think any scott's his little drop. Head. And he thought. What am i going to do. And then one day he saw a rusty old bucket. And he got a bright idea. You know he thought it's enough drops just like me hopped on into this bucket there would be enough water to sprinkle on a few flowers to help them grow. Anime might become beautiful once again. I'm so pickens went around and he told everyone he was really excited. He was so excited maybe some of you thought you had a really good idea you just wanted to share with everyone. Well that's what was happening for higgins and he went around and he said let's all get together. But most of the other drop said that higgins is nothing but a dreamer. Ben higgins decide he had to do something. He had to do something to convince everyone that he was right so he said to them. I don't know about you. But i'm going to hop into this bucket. And i hope some of you will join me. And then there might be enough water to help at least some flowers grow beautiful again. So higgins. Backed up. He took a. Running start. And he hopped up high in the air. And then he landed for plunk. Either that bucket. What was he. Just a drop. In the bucket. For a long time higgins pretty lonely there in that bucket. It seems like no one else was going to join him but after a while some of the other drops could see that the grass was dying on the hillsides and the flowers were wilting in the trees were drooping in. They arrived at the idea that got something really must be done. The suddenly one other drop shouted i'm going. Into that bucket with higgins. Any luck through the air. And then he landed. Kerplunk. In the bucket. And then two other brasfield wait wait wait for us we're coming to. And they ran and they hopped into the air and kerplunk kerplunk. They landed right in that bucket. And then you know what happens. Another drop saw this and i said we're going to. And it jumps high in the air and drop drop drop top on kerplunk kerplunk kerplunk. Kerplunk. However many that is. They were in the bucket. It's true that bucket was completely filled with water. But there were still more drops that wanted to come join so. You know they did they found another bucket. Before long there were two buckets of water. And then there were three and four and then tens and then hundreds hundreds of buckets. Thousand. And then if a story goes along came a powerful breeze that one. Can we make that sound again are powerful breeze that went. And it poured over all of the bucket. All of the water flow together to make a mighty stream. And everywhere water float. And it turns the grass is green. And the flowers bloomed in the trees too tall once again. And all of this happened because he gives had a dream. And his dream came true. Because even though he knew that he was just a drop in the bucket. Enough drops in the bucket make a bucket full. And when there are enough buckets with the wind. Blowing behind them. Then justice. Will roll down like water. And righteousness. Like a mighty. In honor of the celebration of our ingathering water service together. I'd like us to try on. Champs. And jared's going to help us with. And then we're going to move right into the pouring and exchanging of water. And i'll share a little bit more about why we do that and how we're going to do that. Today we're going to embrace some creative chaos. As we do our sharing imploring this. So i'm invite bill out to come help us with this chance. And jared maybe you can go ahead and play. A little bit of an introduction the words that will be using or printed in your orders for. We are sweet.. We are the storm winds that blow away creed. We are the new world. A river rising to reclaim. Again together we'll see how it wells up inside of us. We are sweet. We are the news. Weed seed. We all the song when we go to bring. River rock. Why is it that we exchange water with one another. During our ingathering waterfest. Well this sunday we join with hundreds of other at unitarian universalist. Congregations across the country and doing this water service. The ritual began in 1980 at the unitarian universalist women and religion convocation. And over years that have become part of our living tradition and worship experience in different ways each year. Symbolism. Of our exchanging water and merging our water is simple. But potent. It's about honoring our individuality. And the unity that is formed when we come together. Partaking in this ritual together helps us remember how deeply we are connected in the web of life. And how when we come together what we make together in this congregational home is formed by the life experiences. Joyce. Challenges. Gift. The each one of you bring and share. And together we grow a vibrant. As some of you i'm guessing remember to bring water. Some of you are remembering that just now you forgot to bring water. Some of you brought water from travels, have you brought water from home. Some of you are carrying now in your hand from water that has been picked up for you from the new river. Invite you to think about the water that you have with. And how your summer time. Think about. Any symbolism personally that the water in your hand might have for you. If you brought water from a particular place no doubt there's a little story. Or meaning that you have. That goes with that water. If you have water that you picked up this morning on your way and i'll remind you that that water does come from the new river and ancient. River. In our lands. And rivers just like our lives are filled with twists and turns smooth patches and bumpy. Patches turbulence. Clarity. So if you have water in your hand from the new river think about where your life journey. Has been over the course of this summer. And then at the appointed time which is coming really soon. I'm going to invite you to go ahead and pick a well in this room. There are few different wells setup. And you're going to be invited to come in. Come forward. Poirier water into one of the wells. And share with those who gathered nearby the story or meaning of your water. I want to thank you in advance those of you that are already water stewards that are going to be set up at each while helping to make this. I also recognize that not everyone is going to feel he's with mobility and getting to a well. So we do have a roving well. That will come to you and i believe ashley. Has the roving well. And her that family over there yes or going to be bringing a well to those who are going to remain seated. Jared's going to play a little bit of movement music for us as we do this together. Will spend a good amount of time this morning doing that i will call us back. I'm at the appointed time and then we will merge the waters into the one bowl here. This is the common ball so this is not a well per say. All of the other spaces are wells there's one here. There's one here and there. And there's one back there. And one right here. So now without further ado. Please go ahead and brace the creative chaos. Find a well nearest you pour your water and share with those around you where that water has come from how your summer has been and if you want to pour in silence you can also do that too. Let us do this together now. Rio sweetwater. We are the storm winds that blow away greed we than you world we bring to buy. May the life journey's represented here. Beyond earth. And be respected. May this unity. From our diversity. Remind us of the strength of humankind and human. Kinship. Let water remind us of our connections. With the entirety. Of the web of life. At this moment i poor. An empty. To join our many waters merged. Maybe empty picture. Remind us. Of those for whom literal water. Is scarce. Let this empty. Remind us to work for water justice. The preservation of water as a light source for all. I invite you to think now about the common bowl this white bowl here. And allow invite you to allow yourself to consider that you just. Might be home. Home and yourself. Home here. Ennis beloved community. Home here on planet earth. Let us remember that each one of us matters. That when we share we can do so much more. Then we can ever do when we're apart. That connection is sacred. That it is. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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130922_do_deepening_welcome.mp3

Welcome to the september 22nd service at the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by are settled minister. Reverend roland. Her sermon is titled. Deepening the welcome. Rezdora is assisted by uuc member casey arsenault. Who reads the opening words and share as a reflection. The podcast starts with the opening words. Which are followed by a reading. Casey's reflection. I'm the sermon. Did you know this is a gay church. The opening words this morning are by victoria safford in this is. An essay called any other questions. People ask me sometimes is this a gay church. It's a privilege to answer ours is absolutely gladly hopefully and humbly gaily a gay church. A gay tradition. Where everyone including heterosexual members and friends is welcome. Where everyone is needed for everyone's experiences cherished as a sacred text. Because no one's experience of living or loving can be comprehensive. Because each of us holds clues the others need. About how to live with dignity and joy. Every human person. And none of us knows enough about that yet to be considered whole. It is absolutely a gay church. Even as ours is a gay world. If you would look around gay church straight church peoples church. A human congregation made holy by the holy hopes and fears and dreams. All who wish to come. Come in we say. Come out. Come in. We're all in this together. I will not speak of tolerance. With its prettiest clenched teeth and bitter resignation. I will not speak about acceptance of other people. And some other kind of lifestyle. I can only look in laughing wonder a human life in all its incarnations. I can taste only in passing the breath of a spirit of life on my mouth. And understand our common longing to breathe in deep gulps of it. I cannot think of being anybody else is a lie. Steven. Because even that. Implies some degree of separation. Some degree of safety for some of us. Not all. We are allied with no one. And with nothing but love. The larger love transcending all our understanding. Within which all the different differing. Gorgeously various variant. Beautifully deviant aspects of ourselves are bound inelegant unity. I know that on some sad and disappointing days. These words describe the church that yet shelby. And not the church that is. I know i know. But i know two. Got to answer is an act of creation. To answer this question and some others is a privilege. A prophetic imperative a joy a duty. And a holy sacrament. Come let us worship together. This morning's reading is by rosemary brain mcnatt. It's from an anthology. African-american unitarian universalist voices called been in the storm too long. Either words from rosemary bray mcnatt. Why are we still talking about inclusivity. And diversity. When we have done so little to make them real. Why are we still looking pained by the lack of diversity in the denomination. Because diversity inclusivity is terribly hard. Terribly uncomfortable definitely unsettling and often quite frustrating. What i know about inclusivity crossing from culture to culture. Learning the language of diversity. Is that it is the work of a lifetime. It is hard to accept people who are not like you. Who don't talk the way you do or believe things you believe or dress or vote as you do. It's even harder to appreciate them for the things about them that are not like you. To find them increasing interesting and fun. To enjoy the learning that is part of the experience and to acknowledge finally that you may have to agree to disagree. The truth is this if there is no justice there will be no peace. We can read thoreau and emerson to one another. We can quote quote real k and alice walker and howard thurman. And think good and noble thoughts about ourselves. But if we cannot bring justice into the small circle of our own individual lives. We cannot hope to bring justice to the world. And if we do not bring justice to the world. None of us is safe. And none of us will survive. Nothing there is nothing that unitarian-universalist you to do need to do that is more important. Then making justice real. Here where we are. Hard as diversity is. It is our most important task. Barron's the reading this morning. Live dera ask me. To prepare a reflection. On our team of welcoming. And she also said make it personal. So i have done that. This is highly personal but i also know it's safe for me to say these words here because we are a gay church. When when rubbed are asked me to prepare this reflection the first thought i had was parenting. My own daughter robin and some of you know about her. And other responsibilities that we all have for our children. And young adults in our town or region in the wider world. So i'm going to be using the term parent and terms parent and parenting here in an expanded way because not everybody here is a. Biological parent. This will include. Anyone who is a conduit and catalyst. For the self-actualization of another person. And we can all be in that role whether or not work biological parents. I'm not particularly an expert in child development i i thought i was when i had a child. I wasn't. But i can draw my own experience of being a mother of an exceptional daughter. And then i'm going to try to elaborate on those ideas in terms of our uu community and a wider world. Parenting is a kind of dance. Between two or more individuals who share the same space. With a developing human being. In a delicate and fluid balancing of self and other. Parenting is not only about being a biological parent but can involve being a mentor. To all the young people that we encounter. And also in the initiatives in the worldview that we support if you look at the role of parenting in it. It is larger sense. At its best parenting should involve modeling the behaviors we like to see. In all children as they grow into adulthood. And in everyone at any stage of life. This was the thing that was surprising to me about being a parent because this wasn't in any of the books. Did i have to be on my best behavior. I hadn't realized that. That i was being watched. Someone is learning from me. So the personal part of this begins when my daughter robin was about 20. She called me in the middle of the night but she still does woke me up about 3 in the morning. And she said. Hi mama i have a girlfriend. Am i said that's great i'm glad you have friends. She said no i have a girlfriend. And. This did not phase me because i met you you. And i said i'm glad you have that relationship in your life. And then i asked this is some sort of emergency that you have to call me at 3 in the morning will you still have a girlfriend tomorrow. She said yeah she would. And then she said oh my girlfriend is black. My girlfriend is black. And i said. Is she kind to you. And robin said that she was and i told her i'm happy for you. And that relationship lasted for about a year and then rob and sorta got her own individuality and. Felt that she was straight and she remains friends with this this woman who was her girlfriend. Robinow self-identifies as queer. And i want to tell you. Used in the right context that is an okay word to use. My daughter educated be a mist. It's a political term in a sense of my daughter mean she's open to possibilities. Now here is a very critical theory definition of the word queer. So this is kind of complicated. Answer just come to be understood and cultural siri. Queer theory challenges either or essentialist notions of homosexuality and heterosexuality within the mainstream discourse. Which. In this culture is binary you are busy or you were that. The queer theory opens opens out the possibilities. It said it posits and understanding of sexuality that emphasizes shifting boundaries ambivalence has cultural constructions. The change depending on historical cultural context. So if you were going to study queer theory. At university you would be doing that. But. Seriously. It's a cultural and subcultural context that caused so much misery to people. We're not typical and their sexual orientations and gender identities. After my daughter shared with me that she had a girlfriend. I immediately joined pflag. Which is a wonderful organization parents family and friends of lesbians and gays. And quest. People. Oh and that remains very important. Organization support organization. And i was already a member of the uu and i found. Here and still find here a safe and welcoming community. I discover that willing one becomes apparent when was examine one's ethics and values and stripe. To be the best self we can swear children. So they can incorporate into their own psyches what is a compassionate and inclusive approach. The wife. You're doing that we have to ask a very hard questions because when we have children we get what we get. We don't necessarily. We cannot. Mold our children in into. The beatings that we would like them to be. And that was a surprise for me that i had to be my best self i hadn't realized that that wasn't in any of the books. I believe that we should try to grow into our best selves in all our relationships. When my daughter was born i asked the question who is this person. And i'm still asking that question because she's growing and changing and we're all growing and changing. So i think it's important that we ask respectfully who is this person. With anybody that we meet and kind of satisfied or expectations and as much as possible set aside our cultural context. Every person is a miracle. My daughter robin it's a miracle in all her specificity. Specificity. Tupperware. And she's giving me the opportunity to try to be my best self. In its own way this church gives us all the opportunity to try to be our best selves and we are about cells when we. Come together in community i think. I continue to ask a question who is this as my daughter interest inter. Adulthood. The excellence many many of us tried to bring to parenting can widen into shaping all of our relationships and also the causes to which we may devote our time and service. I wish i had known about this church when i was raising my daughter. Because that would have thought that would have a firm to my own values. That would have supported me. It would have been ham smite my parenting i still think this church is a well-kept secret. Robin had a very intense multi-cultural experience i was teaching at virginia tech when she was small. And she has had caregivers. From thailand from china from india from nigeria from denmark and an african american man. So i think she from that experience that multi-cultural experience she also learned how to ask who is this. When she meets a new person. One asking my pride to live by is do not be judgemental that is not easy to do. My mother used to tell me when i was an adult what you should do is. And i learned from that not to say that. My daughter's life choices sometimes have scared me and they still scare me. She has a degree from a great small liberal arts college but she is presently a dj in a large. Gay nightclub in minneapolis. It's amazing. she still calls me at 3 in the morning. As a parent i give her advice when asked but mostly i just listened and i support what is positive. And her work do scare me it's in a dangerous area but she is. She loves music and that's what she's doing. Here the uuc i found affirmation for my values including respecting all people as individuals. With often complex identities as beautiful and intricate as snowflakes. And you're something very important we live in a small liberal enclave in a in a region that is conservative. Intends to be fundamentalist. And i think sometimes we don't realize. Just. What are larger context is. Young people can come into crisis when they. Confront a conflict. With. The values of the family of the church of the school in the regional culture. The conflicts between those things and the. Unique self that they are. This church can be a sanctuary for lgbtq and questioning people. What we offer is the unique setting where for example a christian worldview doesn't have to be in destruction with atypical identities. The reality is it a typical people. Often face bullying and rejection by families churches. Schools in local cultures. There is a high rate of suicide. Among such young people. So i think we here can all be in the role of welcoming parents. If we try to know and support young people in any people we encounter is having a right to be who they really are. The sanctuaries of the uuc in a pflag can literally save lives. As we join hands and realize that no one has to navigate life journeys in isolation. It's easy. To be welcoming. Two people that we like. It's easier. To be peak it's easy to be welcoming to people we think. We might like. It's often much more challenging. To be welcoming to people that we met. For whatever reason find difference. Because welcoming someone. Is intensely linked to our social. Location. A person's social location. Is the context of life. That we find ourselves in. For example. My gender presentation is as a woman. I am college and seminary educated i am a heterosexual. I have white skin. I'm working and middle-class i'm a person of russian and italian descent. I'm a unitarian universalist minister. There are many more items that i could add to this list in my own social location. These are factors that shape whether our choose or not. My orientation to the world. How i interpret. The world. Why do i lift this up this morning. This morning in the service with the deepening the welcome. Well it's because identifying our own social locations. Is actually critical to helping us understand and examine our prejudices and our predispositions. Why is this. Because we human beings often take our own experience. As being normative. I used to not think twice. About the saturation of our media with images of heterosexuality. That was too until i found myself in university towns like santa cruz california or berkeley california where heterosexuality is not the majority and certainly wasn't taken for granted. In my own course work it out oppressive systems and listening to others stories that oppression due to sexual orientation or skin color or gender or ethnicity language or ancestry. I was abruptly awakened. To the heteronormativity. Of our us culture. That means that from the moment that i wake up in the morning each and every day when i glanced at the ads in the newspaper. Or let's say when i watch tv or images that greet me in the on the magazine's when i'm. Waiting to check out at the grocery store or when i flip on the radio and listen as i'm driving my car down main street. I will. Undoubtedly. Here. About or see folks who are in hetero relationships. Relationships that look more or less like my own. I can count on seeing these. The for many years i've never needed to count on seeing them. These images. Are just the society norm. They're ubiquitous. They're everywhere. Like water to a fish. Now one can say well this is just the way it is. As if it were simply the only. Way it could be. But another way to see it is that these are actually a series of unearned privileges. Did i get. As a heterosexual person. Living in a heteronormative. Kind of society. Sao stand scholar peggy mcintosh. Call these accumulated sort of privileges like a waitlist invisible knapsack. Each day some but not all get an invisible knapsack of sorts. She calls these special provisions naps and passports codebook visas. Clothes pools blank checks. Originally when peggy mcintosh wrote this essay unpacking the invisible knapsack. It was in 1988. And she was actually describing of the ways in which people with white skin prep are the recipients of some unearned social privileges. The practical benefits of which. Most white folks are relatively unconscious have. And it's time that essay in 1988 with controversial. Today it's become a classic. Among consciousness-raising tools that help individuals and institutions uproot racism. From within. This list the 1988 list is a very interesting one and if you're not familiar with it i encourage you to check it out. But today i want to draw attention to the fact that over the years this list has actually been expanded. And reinterpreted a new to help people reflect on how to row normativity. Those social norms that provide privileges to those who are straight. And deny those who are somehow construed as other. Then a straight norm. Here's some of those things that writers from earlham college have been able to place on this list. I benefit from a culture that privileges heteronormativity if as a heterosexual person i can be. Pretty sure that the people i work with will be comfortable. With my sexual orientation. If i am a student. I am never asked to speak for everyone who is heterosexual. I do not have to fear revealing my sexual orientation to friends or family. It's assumed. I can easily find a religious community that will not exclude me. For being. Heterosexual. I do not have to worry about telling folks about my sexuality. I can go for months without being called straight. I'm not asked to think about why i am straight. I can benefit from hundreds of legal and financial benefits that are offered only to a married couple. I do not fear losing a job a child a friend of family member or my life. Due to my sexual orientation. People do not question my parenting ability. Due to my sexual orientation. There are hundreds. I heard some laughter here in the room as we went through that list and perhaps some of you here can relate to some of these privileges. And if you do not identify as heterosexual then it's likely you're already aware in some ways of this knapsack of invisible. Privileges that are available to some and not to others. Privileges is a hard word for some. Privileges give some a sense of ease and comfort. But today i want a question privileges of this tort. Whose benefit. Are they really in. No matter where we fall in the spectrum of gender expression. No matter whom you are loved. you are called into having a loving relationship with. The cultural norms restricting who people love and how gender ought to be expressed. Do not i want to suggest serve. Anyone. Transgender activist and author leslie feinberg writes this about trans experience. When our lives are suppressed. Everyone is denied an understanding of the rich diversity of sex and gender expression and experience that exist in our human society. Our society. Are pleasant. Polite. Society. Often calls for each one of us to fill a defined and an understandable roll. And that pleasant society can often wield power like a cudgel. Going back uncounted years the powerful had jockey with each other with each other climb the ladder on the backs of others to reach the highest wrong and then perhaps chicks at the hands of others those underneath trying to get up. And get over them. In some ways we are all inheritors of this sort of legacy around power. Our workplaces have rules of dress rules of obedience and rules of conformity. At one end of the spectrum. These will help us. With efficiency. But at the other end they constrain individually. And asap what is normal. To be those at the top. Friends we might wish it to be otherwise and we may work for it to be otherwise. But a truth is that we bring those judgments and those in justices. Here. Sometimes. We bring them everywhere we go. Unless we are in the hobbit. I've really checking. Our assumptions. We judge people daily and act an unconscious and conscious ways. There are a lot of cultural assumptions running rampant which gives folks messages about who sets and who doesn't fit wear. There's a business saying that first impressions are everything within 20 seconds of meeting someone many people decided to like or dislike the other person and that makes or breaks a deal. What i'm saying is well it might not be just. It is hard to not engage in those kind of behavior. French philosopher simone de beauvoir says we don't see things the way they are we see things the way we are. When you look at me. What do you see. Do you judge me by my looks by my actions. Or by my words. When others see you. What do you want them to see in you. How would you like folks to judge you. Emmanuel evanoff was a lithuanian in french ethicist. Who was no stranger to damage and cultural assumptions. And the power the real power these had to shape human life. He spent most of his time as a prisoner of war in a german prison camp during world war ii. And he was concerned both with human freedom and human responsibility. Much of the writing that he did confront the encounter between the south. And the other. And he argued for the importance of people meeting one another with awareness of our propensity to project. And see the other. Either as ourselves or as the projection of our fears. Let me know if this pretty interesting on this point and i just want to lift up some of his actual words for you today. He said to approach. The other in conversation. Is to welcome his expression. Levi nasus using of the djinns are expressions that were typical in his day so he says to approach the other and conversations to welcome his expression. In which at least each instant he the other overflows with the idea of thought would carry away from it. It is therefore to receive the other beyond the capacity of the eye. Which means exactly to have an idea of infinity. But this also means to be taught. The relationship with the other or conversation. Is a non-allergic real relation. It is an ethical relation. But inasmuch as it is welcome to this conversation is also a teaching. Teaching is not reducible. It comes from the exterior and it brings to me more than i can contain. And it's nonviolent transitivity. They're very epiphany of the face is produced. That was a lot of texts from lebanon. But what he gets us too. Is that when we meet one another it is vital that we consider where we are and where the other begins. Or there's a whole world behind the others face. Edward saeed is it was a palestinian theorist and scholar. He developed this idea of the other to talk about the ways in which imperialism and colonialism has construed whole groups of people as other. Then a norm than a western norm. This morning i wonder. If you and your own life have ever been treated as the other. In your workplace. Senior school. In your lives or in society. I wonder how you felt. History often dean's. Those who are the other. But all of us as human beings have a propensity. To engage in other ring. In ways that damage human relationships and individual lives. That's because our social locations impact the ways we see the world. Any assumptions that we hold when we encounter one another. It is clearer than that we all have a responsibility to become more aware. Of our assumptions and our projections lest we miss the real human being. Different from us. But no less valuable. Who is standing right before us. That is what loving us means when the epiphany of the face of the other truly arrived. It's an epiphany. When we are able to encounter one another. And acknowledge difference. And acknowledge common humanity at the same time. There are some. Who might wonder why this is a worthy topic. I'm worship. And i must tell you that in my short time here in the new river valley. I've come to learn that our valley like the rest of the country. Have a long way to go. Before all people have the freedom to express diverse gender identities without stigma or without fear. I've also come to understand that religious and spiritual home places for folks who identify as lgbtq. Are few and far between. Spc alluded to. It's an unfortunate fact and so many of us are aware here that many spiritual and religious homes close doors or give very chilly reception. To those who are somehow construed as other from a heterosexual norm. We might celebrate that the pope. And other religious communities are starting to really wake up and do things a little differently amen. So it is good and it is positive to celebrate the change in this country. It is slow but it is clear. Crossing boundaries of faith & politics people are beginning to come together to champion civil rights for people who identify as lgbtq. And. But. The journey continues. Rev dr martin luther king reminds us of this. Power without love. Is reckless and abusive. And love. Without power is sentimental. And anemic. Power at its best is love influencing the demands of justice. And justice at its best. Is power correcting everything. That stands against love. Sometimes of unitarian universalist we might hear that i love talk. Sounds sentimental. Porsche akron. But king reminds us that justice work is correcting that which stands against love. This means that our love talk. It's life-saving. When one person's humanity and opportunity to live and love authentically is diminished. So are each and everyone of us. That is hardly an empty sort of platitude. But rather it is at the very heart of unitarian-universalism itself. When we speak about the inherent worth and dignity of all people and the interconnected web of life. Now i'm going to go back to privilege for just a moment. All too often our churches are congregation. Offer a warm welcome. To those who already understand or are closely related to our social locations. We leave it upon the people entering our doors often to either get it. Or not. And those who don't. Normally end up. Not coming back. And then we sometimes wonder why aren't we as diverse. As we wish ourselves to be. We made an honest and good-natured attempt to be welcoming yet that wasn't enough. Is that are false. Yes and no. Sometimes it can be the symptom of our privilege. Many of those in these walls will identify as educated and middle-class these are two categories that convey to us a range of opportunities. And connections. Subtle and not-so-subtle advantages. But it's also true that not all in these in this hall identify as such. Sometimes we unitarian-universalist can tell ourselves a story about who we all are. Which actually eclipses and renders invisible the real diversity. It's already here. Prison. In the lives of people. Sitting in our pews. Whose responsibility is it to deepen the welcome. How do we know when we are succeeding. Could it be that this is work for all of us. To consider. I do believe that congregational life gets to be a very special. Place of practice. Where we practice growing our spirits. Where we practice being called out and forward to engaging our lives beyond these walls. Beloved community means practicing asset. Right here. Right now. So that we can do that community and join that community in our town & beyond our town limits. Like many other religious and spiritual traditions are death is in how we practice. That includes how we speak. But it is not end as speechifying alone. That means that we can sing about ideals of diversity. But we must also recognize that sometimes practical realities mean that we fall short. Of our hopes. Welcoming is not all about worms and fuzziness. Though sometimes it is and it ought to be. But being intentionally welcoming congregation. Actually takes a clear and demanding commitment. It takes vision and courage to say yes we want to be a congregation that welcomes all people and we value diversity. Now thankfully our congregation shows many years ago to being intentionally welcoming congregation. And it is important to celebrate this commitment. I'm curious to know if there are folks sure this morning that participated in making sure that this church became and intentionally welcoming congregation to folks identify as lgbt cue by doing the welcoming congregations program years ago. You were someone who helped make that happen please raise your hand. And make a joyful noise. Alright so that means we're well on our way. The question is what can we do now in 2013. One we can become aware of our own social locations and how social locations impacts the assumptions that we make about one another. We can practice unlearning some of the assumptions that we make harry. 2. We can do our homework. As i mentioned years ago uuc went through a welcoming congregation program and we just celebrated all of the good folks who made that happen. Some of that work is evidence here by the splat says we are. A welcome. Congregation. Which i found in our library. But the words are also out on the. The large sign when you enter those words appear. So certainly there is desire to continuing to continue this welcoming work. Now deepening the welcome is actually something that our unitarian universalist association. Ashley suggest that congregations who has completed the program at one time. Revisit every 5 years. That means we're ready. When we re engage with welcoming work we begin to think in new and creative ways about. How we might support lgbtq folks here and in the world. For example. We have the opportunity as a congregation to join interweave continental. A unitarian universalist network. And one of their initiatives is helping congregations raise funds so that transgender youth can go to a camp at summer camp. And be with other trans youth. There's also an opportunity through interweave to do things like provide affirming materials to lgbtq unitarian universalist behind bars. Those were the prisons and i'm looking for information unitarian universalist information geared for volkswagen 25 lgbtq. These are just some of the ideas available for deepening the welcome. Our congregation already provides a place for pflag and some of you here are members of that good group. We can strengthen relationships there. There are so many ways that we can bolster the welcome for. Lgbtq folks in this town and in our walls. So. Over the next several months you use she will offer many opportunities to get involved with deepening the welcome. This is one of three services. The next service will be on october 13th and then on november 17th dealing with this theme of deepening of the welcome. I encourage you to look out for ways to get involved there will be conversations film screenings and events. Perhaps you'll want to join or even helped to lead some of these deepening the welcome event. So please look out for ways to get connected. And i know some of you already here have expressed to me your deep longing to renew and revive and bolster this work. You you educators leila ibrahim and sherry prudhomme say this about our tradition. Unitarian universalist. Universalism means it is a blessing each one of us was born. It matters what we do with our lives. And we don't have to do it alone. If we religious liberals are to be lively and are to be relevant today. We must wait for the calling of our times. If we human beings are to be human beings being together in a justice center journey let us listen closely. To the calls for justice in our midst. And then. Let us answer with holy boldness. We are standing on the side. I've loved. Made us ever be so. Blessed be. And. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website. Uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

160313_dj_reality-uncertainty.mp3

Welcome to the march 13th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service a day is led by don johnson. L america's. Other saint louis eskel culture society. His sermon is titled. Embracing life's reality. I meant the gift of uncertainty. Don's wife beverly collier. Did the reading. Jane aronson is worship associate for today's service. Good morning. It's always great to be back with this wonderful congregation and the drive here was very beautiful from. Patrick county we can see that spring is budding here a little earlier than it is for us so is really a pleasure to be here. And feel free to follow along with the little insert so that you can get the full message of our readings. The gods have hitting. Hidden what we keep that what keeps us alive. He soared 60 bce works and days. Is the best joke there is that we are here and fools. That we are soul sprinkled at random like salt into time and dissolved here. The joke part is that we forget it. We struggle and grope and hurt ourselves until we learn the use of things. And this is the truth. Offense this is true i think spiritual as well as material things. Life requires a new and higher meaning when we perceive that it is the price humanity must pay. One invaluable good. We feel a need to make sense of it. It plunges us into controversy the unknown. An inquiry. Annie dillard holy the firm. To be a good human being is to have a kind of openness to the world. An ability to trust on certain things beyond our own control. Can lead you to be shattered and very extreme circumstances for which you were not to blame. That says something very important about the human condition of the ethical life. That it is based on a trust in the uncertain. And on a willingness to be exposed. It's based on being more like a plant than like a jewel. Something rather fragile. But whose very particular beauty is inseparable. From its fragility. Martha nussbaum. To invent fables about a world other than this one has no meaning at all. Unless an instinctive slander detraction and suspicion against. Life has gained the upper hand in us. And that case. Revenge ourselves against lies with a better life idea. But then what should be ones reaction when faced with the real. Are we condemned to a bleakley pessimistic outlook on life. Nothing could be more foreign then pessimism in the face of this dilemma. The healthy reaction to the real is joy to embrace life. That occurs when one lays aside all mediation between oneself and the real. An unconditional allegiance to the simple and unadorned experience of the real. Existence for us is in a miracle. It remains to be said that the intervention of joy is forever mysterious impenetrable. In the final analysis nothing has change for them. And they understand no more than before. They have no new argument to invoke in favor of existence. They're still perfectly incapable of saying why and for what they are living. And yet from this moment forth they value life. As indisputable and externally desirable. This is the mystery inherent in this zest for life. Clement roche joyful cruelty. I would love to live. Like a river flows carried by the surprise of its own unfolding. Fluent by john o'donohue. No meaning but what we find here. No purpose but what we make. Gregory or. This is what was bequeathed us. Grief will come to you. Grip and cleaning all you want it makes no difference. Catastrophe is just willing to happen. Lost. You can be certain of it. Flow and swirl the world. Carried along as if by dark current. All you can do is keep swimming. All you can do is keep singing. Gregory or grief will come to you. I don't know exactly what a prayer is. I do know how to pay attention. How to fall down into the grass. How to kneel down in the grass. How to be idle and blessed. Had a stroll to the field. Which is what i've been doing all day. Tell me. What else should i have done. Doesn't everything die at last and too soon. Tell me. What is it you plan to do. With your one wild and precious life. From the summer day mary oliver. Thank you. Good morning. Always good to be here. Because of the time change today. Or up and traveling a little. Earlier two for the one and a half hour drive to get here. But i noticed the clock hasn't been changed yourself. That means i have an extra hour maybe. Just kidding. I was told when i talked with your minister this week or last week. That the theme for the month here. Is to consider the issues of fate. Clock. And destiny. With faith. I have to say i disagree. With the idea of an inevitability. But i do find some value in considering how. The character traits in cytus. And the foibles that are within us. Are often reflected. As. We live our lives now. Tumi luck is not a handy tool for getting what we want. But rather it seeks to convey how. Coincidence and happen happened stance. Do play a role in our individual. Android 5. Destiny. 1/3 of those three themes. Should not be viewed in my understanding of it is some. Already planned purpose laid out for your life. But rather the combination and the fruition. Of all the factors factors brought together in your life. It is for me a problematic term often. Based on how it's been used. Awesome for us to deny the consequences for our own decisions. An action. I think we can look at it in terms of the roots of our own. Nation. The idea that manifest. Destiny. Grove us. To carry out the acts that we did. In the founding of our own country. Embracing life's reality and the gift of uncertainty. It's the title for my talk today. We're dealing here with ultimate kinds of questions that have been discussed for millennia. For us the question becomes very personal. How does one's own personal philosophy or belief. Deal with life's questions. What is any bridge. Do we in our personal understanding build between reality. And meaning. The first of all let me just say that. The question i first of all want to ask is. Can we just go on with the idea. That all is well. And wife. I think. Sometimes this can be. The cruelest philosophy in the midst of life. Reality. That the denial of the true existence of reality. Does not help. Does not give us a sense. Of the meaning or how to use the life we. To pretend. There is a world of uninterrupted bliss. Is harder and harder for any of us. Except as an idea. When we're dealing with the struggles of realities. Of life itself. It is somewhat. What somebody has called. If you buy into the idea that everything is well. That there is a reason for everything. What someone is called this this as being the negative power. Appositive. On the other hand we might need. Some positive power. And negative thinking. Denial of reality is no answer. We extend our. Denial to our own personal lives. 2 hour. Institutionalized to our cities. To our relationship to the earth. Everytime we deny the reality of those. We only continued. And in fact enhance in a negative way. The reality that stare. Are denial has led to an explosion of denial. That demoralizes because it's almost invisible. We simply choose not to see the damage. And the suffering all around us. And by doing so we increase. The suffering. Frozen ourselves and others. One of the most. Difficult parts of suffering is when it is done. In silence. When there is no voice for. I've come in more recent years to become aware for example. How many women. Have faced some kind of physical or sexual abuse. Interlocks. 1 out of 5. And it happens to some men as well. But the fact that it's been a kind of silence. Suffering. Has made it even worse. The inability to be able to share. And to talk. And to express this kind of. Pain. And history in one's life. Makes the suffering. Even worse. So the idea of the denial of all these things. Two-face. Is simply i think a way that makes. Life more difficult. If one gives still virgins or philosophers half a chance i think. Many will devise an approach to reality and the world. Which in fact. Turns people away. They will replace its actuality. Was some. Ideal. That's supposedly expresses a higher truth. But in reality leads to further denial. Of the reality of life. I prefer attempts to bring humanity. Face-to-face with the brutally chaotic. And the nature. Ethereal. It's disorder. And it's the lack of certain meaning or planned purpose. Already written out for us. If your life ends up having meaning it's because you have made. The meaning it is your life is your meeting if it ends up having purpose it's because you found some purpose in it. And it has a personal. Ring. Everything involved. One of the most profound thinkers in philosophy and. The last several decades. Is a french philosopher by the name of. Clement rose. Who wrote a book with the strange title. Joyful. Cruelty. When i saw that title years ago i was very. Disturbing question why anybody would use those two words. Together. Now when he talks about cruelties talkin about reality and there are parts of it that are cool. He believes most. Philosophical systems that. Are out there for people to grab onto. Always overstep the boundaries of the known. That they always construct schemes. Which caused us to lose sight. Of the railway. Contemporary popular saying. We've all heard is. Put in the simple terms. An optimist. Believes this is the best of all possible. World. The pessimist. Fears the optimist. Maybe right. In voltaire's. Volume candide. We learn of the philosopher in the book by the name of doctor. Pangloss. Who always states no matter what happens. And the life of people. A state with certainty that this is the best. Of all possible. World. Well the main character in the book. Candide. Experience is enough of life's tragic. That he begins to. Question. This idea this is the best. Possible. Powerball. And it leads him. Finally. The recognition there are no answers. There is much unknown. That we live with uncertainty. And that in fact. We simply should cultivate. Our own little car. Voltaire had no sympathy for a loser e certainties. And false optimus. Nor did the unitarian universalist john dewey. Educator. And. Writer of many books that relate to face. He says. The individual whose pursuit of the good is colored by honest recognition. Other existing and threatening evils. Is almost always charged with being a pessimist. With cynical the light dwelling upon what is. Morbid or base or started. At is urged often to quit this and to be an optimist. Meaning too often. To conceal from himself. And others. The reality of evil. Optimism is rights. Does conceive is a combination of building rosie colored castles in the air. And hiding ostrich-like. From actual. Of course he says. Hope and aspiration belief in the supremacy of good in spite of all the evil belief in the reliability of good and spite of all the obstacles. Are necessary aspirations. In the life of virtue. But this is very different. Pueblo sentimental refusal. To look at the realities of the situation. Just as they are. In fact. A certain intellectual pessimism. In the sense of a steadfast willingness. 2 under uncover. Sore points in life. Is to acknowledge and search. Or reality. That leads away. From a banana scism certainty. That would impose. One's views. On others. So let me address the topic with two basic principles that can be stated. Fairly quickly. The first is the principle of sufficient reality. Reality is composed of this world of which we on occasion. Have a certain amount of perception. There's a lot about the world. The world's in fact. And which we almost never. Having a percept. Reality will never ever. Be delivered up entirely. Two comprehension. We will never ever understand it all. Because it does not convey with certainty. It's nature and meaning. Has to have a large element. A question. So what happens to austin is people choose or grab up on some. Idea that will give them a kind of. Easy out. And i sometimes wonder if the reason. Groups like. Unitarian universalist store. Ethical culture which my own background is in. Or humanism in general don't have more people who. Become members of those groups. Is because. They choose a way of openness. That involves the reality. Struggle. A lot of people don't want to deal with. To refuse to distance. Oneself from the real. Is a terrible. Affliction. It makes one sees things. As they are. And it is not always. And that includes the painful and the tragic nature. We see all around us the human faculty. Come live with illusions. And the basic point that rosie makes in his work. Is that being here. Is that reality life as it is is enough. It's efficient. We have this existence we have this life we do not need. Just have it filled totally with recent. Cuz it isn't going to be. We're going to have to learn. To live with some in certainty. And therefore life. Spakes. For itself. It brings us. Qualms. Problems to deal with. Questions every day. But that's how i life is. And he would say. That is enough. The second idea. Is. The principle of uncertainty. Even much morality fights against the real. Play-doh for example. Constantly. Represents as unworthy of human beings. The acceptance of the real of what's the material. And. Calls people. To think only in terms of the ideal. He finds unworthy the task of finding satisfaction. In the sensual. And the perishable. My own busey's the task is not to arrive at a certain truth. A certainty. But to succeed. And remaining at the level of the least. Are. Tell the major task maybe to unlearn. Much of what we've been. So the words of the composer john cage. Are these simple. Know why. Just here. Or the words of george lucas. There is no. Why. We are. Life. It's beyond. To believe that the knowledge. One can have of reality is more important than the richness of life itself. Is the chase after shadows. The idea that certain day can be grass. And its totality actually keeps us. Awesome from living the potential. That are ours in life. In 500 bce. Before the common era. Parmenides. Represented that kind of thought. Here is his prayer. Grant me the gods. But at least one certainty. Even if it be a logs breath. On which to lie. On which to ride upon the sea of uncertainty. Take away everything that comes. To be everything watch. Colorful blossoming illusory everything that charms and there's a live take all these for yourself. But give me one. Certainty. Well it is a prayer offered. But it is not to be. Khmer uncertainty is what keeps ideas intriguing and alive. And it will in the end triumph over any idea. Of an absolute. Truce. The same for all of. The world. Is enough. We will have to do. Without meaning. Not in the sense of finding it for excel. But in terms of seeing it as something written large. Across in the sky for all of us. Carlo robelli italian says. Human beings often cling to their certainty. Prepare their therapy opinions will be proven false. But a certainty that cannot be called in question. It's not a certainty. Charlotte certain days are those that survive. To accept questioning. As the foundation. For our boys. Toward knowledge. We must be humble enough to accept. That today's truth. Maybe tomorrow. The rapping together. Oven unbending acceptance of life as it is including its tragic and cruel nature. Is often there. With. A link to joyful. To the joyful. Is what intrigues me. This joyfulness. Results in an affirmation of the jubilant character. Assistance in general sort of. Blank check. Granted to everything. Inexpressible. It always engaged with surreal. Joy. Rosie says. Can do without a reason. For being. Driving here today we saw a woman with. Crusade for children walking down the street. And in front. The other children. Was a young girl of maybe four. She was. Hopping and jumping along the sidewalk. In front of the rest of the family you saw this natural kind of joy there. If you stopped her and you said to her. Tell me why are why are you happy why are you feeling joyful. She might not know the answer. She not my might not be able to say. Cuz a disorder disorder is. It is. Something with ennis. That is possibly there to exist. Without our always. Having a reason. Think about all this for yourself. In spite of all the loss and grief connected to love. Would you rather live without love. And wife itself with all that it entails. As yet ultimately a gift. I treasure. Joy consist. And living. And realizing that the world exist. And that one is a part of it. Joy is a plenitude which suffice is unto itself. And needs no external support or reasoning. In order to be. It is a unconditional allegiance. The simple. Reality. That we may choose to live it. Foley. And passionately. And i y. Joy and just only in. And by the kind of parrot sedaka paradoxical agreement. With the tragic. No sorrow. No joy. How do you even know. One without the. The way out. Is making you. All the best that life has to offer. There was a parable. That gives a very good example of the history of religions. And the way in which. Religions borrowed from each other. This is a quote parable that one time martin luther king used. Who he got from gandhi. Who he got this parable. Pinto story. Who got that that parable from early christianity that got that parable hit from hinduism and you can link for thousands of years. This brief. The parable is this. A person walks along. Living life just moving along going somewhere. And all the sudden in the story in the parable a dragon. Comes out. And. Comes after the first. The person. Runs. But. Not realizing it. Falls into a deep. But in the hole on the way down. There is a tree which is able to grab hold of. He holds the tree. Even though he is in that precarious. But then he noticed. He notices there are rats. Eating at the foundation. And he realizes just. Apparel. The situation is. But then he also notices. A honeycomb. And they're hanging in that hole as a parable of life itself. He reaches up. And grab some of the honeycomb. And eat. And taste. That wonders. Now that has been around for thousands of years. Two different religious tradition. All are which pointing to us. Look life is not all that good all the time. And you in fact are going to come across. Dangerous situation you're going to get to the point where even your own reality. It's beginning to be question you know i should get older that's an issue. I noticed. Post the other day on facebook that said. It's amazing. How old the people who are my age book. Or there's the story of the woman who goes to the dentist. And she never been to him before and she noticed the name and it was. Dr. donohue. And she said. Dr. donohue. In my graduating class school. So she ever in the middle of the. Time she's in with the examination she says. How are you. Will you connected with. Such-and-such a high school. She said well. I was there too. Are they were same graduating. He said. What did you teach. So the reality is there if you haven't felt it yet you will at some point. That parable leave me to share a story. From lauren isley the great paleontologists if you've never read a book 5-hour knisley. I ordered you to do so. His books now or. 40 years old prom. They are filled. Was wondering. Stories. And examples from his wife. And elijah. He has one particular story that is probably my favorite of all of his. It's called the judgment of the birds. And it's from a book called the immense journey. He had gone on a walk. He got tired. He set down. To take a little rest. And he fell asleep. When he woke up. He could see. And here. Some things going. This is what he said. I was aware of some commotion and outcry. In the clearing ahead. The light was slanting down through the pines in such a way that the glade was let. Like some vast cathedral. I could see there on the extended branch. That had most of the glade from me. An enormous. Raven. With a red. And squirming nestling. Nsp. The sound i heard was the outrage cries. Of the nestlings parents. Who flew help us way around. In circles. This week black monster was indifferent to them. He gulped. Weathered his beak on the dead branch moment. And sat still. Up to that point. The little tragedy had followed the usual pattern. But suddenly out of all that area of woodland. Assault. Sound. Of complaint. Sing to rise. Into the glade. Fluttered small birds of a dozen varieties. Drawn by the anguish outcries. Of the parents. No one. Dared attack. The raven. But they cried there. In some instinctive. Common misery. The glades filled with airsoft wrestling. And their cries. They fluttered as though to point their wings at the murderer. There was a damn intangible at ethic. That he had seemed to violate. That they knew. He was a bird of death. And the blackbird at the heart of life. Set their glistening in the common light. Formidable. Unmoving. Unperturbed. Intouch. Define died. It was then i saw the judgement. It was a judgment of life against death. I will never see it again so forcefully presented i will never hear it again and note so tragically prolong. For in the midst of protest. There. And that query. The crystal note. Other song sparrow. Left it. Hesitantly. In the bush. And the hush. And finally. After painful fluttering. Another took the song. And then another. And then another. The song passing from one bird. To the next. Doubtful at first so some evil thing we're being sole forgotten. Then suddenly they took heart. And sang joyously together as both birds. Are known to sing. They saying because life is sweet and sunlight. Beautiful. They sang under the brooding the shadow of the raven. In simple truth. They were the singers of life. And not of death. I closed with this poem from mysteries. Yes by mary oliver. Truly we live with mysteries. Too marvelous to be understood. Call grass. Can be nourishing in the mouth. Of the lamb. Call rivers and stones. Are forever in allegiance with gravity. While we ourselves dream of rising. How to hands. Touch. And the bonds will never be broken. People come. From delight. Or from the scars of damage. To the comfort of a poem. Let me keep my distance always. From those who think. They have the answers. Let me keep. Company. Always. With those who say. Look. And laugh and astonish. Annabelle. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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130728_rg_living-fiction.mp3

Welcome to the july 28th service at the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The sermon. Living fiction. House of pot working for you. What's delivered by the reverend russell gregory. A longtime friend of the congregation. Convener stephanie gilmore introduced member morton nadler. Who interned introduced russell. The podcast ends was a dialogue between members of the congregation and russell. The first time. I encountered. Professor doctor. A long string of. Affiliation religious affiliation special gregory. Was that a meeting at radford university. During women's week. They only give women the week in redford. He gave a talk. On. The influence of sexist language. It's not a question of political correctness. How you speak influences the way you think. And this was a very interesting concept. At the time i was. The chair and sole member of the program committee. And so i thought he would be a welcome addition. Over the years. He has spoken many times here. And. Sometimes has competed with c. New age churches with his guitar. And. I remember very well the first topic i asked him to speak it to give a sermon on. How can you pray. When there's nobody to pay nobody there to pray to. And that i don't remember how we answer that. Probably. In his usual way he spoke entirely off-topic. So now. Russell. I now remember that. Mark. What i remember about that is that how excited i was. About that topic. I thought it was a wonderful. Topics for me to think about. And i don't remember what i said either. Well i'm. I feel very at home today i love david wilcock david wilcock is my favorite therapist. Next to someone. Anytime you get a chance to go here david wilcox you out too because. It really is therapeutic. I'm going to sing a song that's a blues i i asked for bono to be here himself with you too. I also asked for a special favor that he would bring b.b. king. Bass. They didn't they just called me. And they didn't. They didn't. Know that the time change so much so they'll be here in a couple hours. If you want to come back. I won't be here but. I don't know why you'd want to see b.b. king and you too you know. But i want to try to sing a song that. Bono has a special talent of writing songs for particular people he. He wrote a song once for johnny cash. And had him do it and he wrote this song really for b.b. king and so. I'm going to check traffic. Sing like b.b. king not. If i can. Yay. Before love came to town where when love comes to town going to jump at train when love comes to town i'm going to catch that flame maybe i was wrong to ever let you down but i did what i did before love came to town. There you go. Well by no thanks you and b.b. king.. I have some copies i paid twenty-five copies that's all i ran off if you want to see some of these quotes that i. Read today i may not end up speaking i may just. Do a reading for you today but if you're interested in. Some of these quotes from james hillman book. Healing fictions. Although i really thought. That i proof read them better. I forgot to do it backwards and so there are some mistakes there. Everything i say today to you it's fiction. It's part of a story. Which i'm apart of. And which i reflected on for today. But i'll even offer that story and what i have to say is i speak to you today. Cuz i never know. What i'm going to say. Some of what i say will point to the truth. I know i'm sorry. Heart. Some of what i say will point to truth. I don't know if it's the truth. But none of it is finally. True. It is i hope a good story. Margaret atwood the canadian author once said. When you're in the middle of a story. It isn't a story at all but a confusion. It's only afterwards that it becomes anything like a story at all. When you're telling it. To yourself. Parker someone else. Although what i'm going to be talking about today or reading to you is from a book by james hillman who is one of my mentors. But i really want you to think about is the story that you're. Telling. The store that you're living. Again only becomes the story. When you tell it. Salemi. Throw up some quotes and in the middle of these maybe i'll. Get an idea. But first. Let's make our vocal cords like a swamp. I was told that's what i should do. A plot. Is a narrative of events the emphasis falling on causality. The king died and then the queen died is a story. The king died and the queen died of grief. Is a plot. Especially if it's hamlet. Sorry. I'm taking away from james he's going to. He's coming to. A story answers what happened next a plot tells us why. To plot is to move from asking the question and then what happened. To the question of. Why did it happen. In our kinds of fiction. The plots are our theories. They are the ways in which we put the intentions of human nature together. So that we can understand the why. Between the sequence of events. In a story. James hillman says that's why. Freud road case histories. To tell the story. And i i think from my reading of fraud which is very very limited. As long as he stayed with the stories. He was. A marvelous healer. It's when he got two scientific. Theories and trying to make his view scientific. But he lost some of his. Power. A colleague once told me about a new patient walking out on her when she challenged the somatic mode. Of the patients story. The patient presented himself as a rather sick case having more or less steadily been in therapy for 15 of his 36 years. Things is not much changed alcohol homosexuality depression money worries and had tried many kinds of therapy. My colleague said. For me. You are a new case. And i don't accept that you are as sick as you believe you are let's begin right now. By refusing his web of constructions. She also cut him off from his supporting fiction. He did not return. It's tori still made sense to him and incurable. But still a dues-paying member of the therapeutic traffic. He wanted analysis and the analyst. To fit into his store. Now i have my confession. Although i won't name names. I. I too went to therapy for a long time suffering from depression and of course i blamed it on my family history. Cuz my father's family was known for its depression. And eventually i discovered. It was a soul. That. Set my bliss. Was not my concern. That my soul was not. What drove me it it was my talents and gifts and the rules that were laid down to me by others and always trying to please. The other. And. It had its effect on me. It took me down. Now i went to a therapist through much of this. And it seems to me. I was a victim of his. Series. Oh he had. His behavioral way of looking at me and he had his ways of extra jesting other behavior but he really wasn't interested in. My story. And in fact it was worse than that. He believed my story. But i was. A poor guilty messed-up person. And he was able to say yes you are. Anybody raised southern baptist is a really messed-up person. Well i don't really dispute that. But it wasn't really. My story. Now. I hadn't experienced much like this person in this story. Except. I got better. I went to another person finally. And i went in the very first time and i said this is what it's all about. She said no it's not. I said excuse me. I'm the patient here i told you what it's all about she said that's not what it's all about. She was challenging my theme. And i said well what do you think it's all about. And she said what i think. It's that you got some things inside of you that you need to get out your story needs to be heard you need to get back with your soul and let's get to work. I got a lot of help from that purse. A lot of hair. I'm back to my readings. Continue i know i have i have a lot of time. But i'm going to try to get through in a. Because i died rather. Here responses. And answer question. Cuz that's when i lie. The best. James hillman says my point in this section is already been made in that same article by barry that he quoted earlier. The way we tell our story is the way we form our therapy. The way we imagine our lives is the way we're going to go on living our lives. For the manner in which we tell ourselves what is going on is the genre. Through which events become experiences. There are no bear events plain facts. Simple data. We are interpreters. We are storytellers. And the story that means most of us is our own story. And yet. And yet. Authenticity. That's a good unitarian word in it. Authenticity is the perpetual dismemberment of being and not being a cell. A being that is always in many parts like a dream with a full cast. We all have identity crises because a single identity is a delusion of the monotheistic mine that would defeat. Dionysius at all costs. Dionysius is this life urge the song. Fully. Uncovered. We all have dispersed consciousness to all of our body parts. Wandering wounds in hysterics. Authenticity is in the illusion. Playing it seeing through it from within as we play it like an actor who sees through his mask. And can only send this way. Start sound shakespearean doesn't it. The world's a stage. We are but. Actors of on it. I like this quote in hillman. Because it reminds me of the health of buddhism. Which tells this. We don't have a self. That is. In many ways. We are apart of the hoe that's one place where we don't have a cell. That one we just become ourselves we cut ourselves off from everyone else. And we lose that wisdom. But he also means and it a different way it's like heraclitus says every time we step into the new river it's a new river. It's your river. But it also means that in every moment of our lives. We have a new cell. And then every moment of our lives. We have a new story. If will. Allow ourselves authenticity to. Kind of. Pema chodron said. Give up our story. And write a new one. Give up our story. And write a new one. I spent the last. Seven or eight years. Rewriting. Again and again and again my story. Sometimes i go back to the old versions. Stock. And then some days i rewrite a new version. And that does become. My new life. I had a person. A very special person say to me once. Change your thoughts. You change your life. The same thing about stories. If you reframe your story. You reframe. Your life. Buddhism also has this concept of detachment. And of course the uneducated in the western world that like especially christians. Who like to say buddhist don't care about life because they're detached. Like there's some kind of floating balloon full of helium. Am i talk like this. Detachment to me means to be very aware. To be aware of everything that's a rising and every moment. It's been the most important lesson to me as i. Sometimes when angry. And then sometimes almost angry and catching it earlier and earlier because i was. Detached. I was observing myself. I was telling my story. From a different perspective. Or it reminds me of. Fairy tales. I'm a real fan of. Fairy tales. Real fan of the book. Women who run with the wolves. Even though i'm not a woman someone asked me once why did you read that. I said yan. You know. I have some woman in me. Not only that it's a good book. Only that. It changed my life. Why not read a book it will change your. But fairy tales. Remind me again and again. That happily-ever-after. When our story finally becomes happily-ever-after is after a lot. I'm horrible things have happened. We've been chewed up and spit out in the animals i'm coming remembered us and giving us more advice which we haven't taken and we get eaten up again or we fail. But we get up and are remembered. And go on our way. I also have a theory that. Let the. Woman that is always. Rescued. Is not this picture of. A woman who needs to be rescued. It is finally. The mail. Rescuing the female that has been locked up. My patriarchal society. And it's about women. Finding. The. Gumption. And you don't have to believe me. Believe carol gilligan. And her buck. In a different voice. Each psychotherapeutic analysis contains a question. Either initiated by the patients. Or one that i begin to puzzle over about the patient. I wonder what the patient wants. What she's doing here. Besides what we've tried to formulate just as the patient tries to get at what he or she is really coming for. And this question does not occur on the first day what is. The question of your life. It reoccurs sometimes deliberately. And sometimes very consciously. The answers to this question of our lives is never straightforward as the ones we reading books that say the patient wants to be loved or cured or find a symptom or to save or better a relationship to develop full potential you love those case histories. There ended. But for those of us. An analysis. Those questions come up. Serendipitously. Nor are the ones of the therapist to help to be intimate to make money to inquire into psychic to resolve his or her own complexes simply all the question involves. For what i want and the patient ones. Is entangled by another factor. Like a thread pulling back a reflective. Hesitancy which keeps one's assertions. About 11 really once. From finding direct speech. Many times we find ourselves saying that's not quite it. That's not it at all. I have come to think it is the uncertainty. That i and the patient share. Is really why were there. It is this third factor. Why are we here. And we don't know why. That keeps our aims changing and riddling. And presses the question. And continuously refuses to answer. Okay i just have a few more and then i'm going to do a commercial. That's what this is all about today. Is a commercial. Good to see you. We grow around them live this is a tough thing for me to learn from our weak spots. So any fantasy of cure that loses this sense of organic inferiority. This localization and a bodily images. Also loses. In a letter to lou salome. Adler said mikey is a name for the life potential of an inferior creature. It would seem that to feel a sense of so at all is to feel inferior. The old search for the bodily localization of the soul is now by means of adler. Given another meaning. Onesole. Is ones place. Of least resistance. The locus of least resistance is of course precisely where resistance. Gathers and defense. Where we are most sensitive. We are most stubborn. Where we are most exposed. Wake spend most efforts to conceal. Adler's theory of organ inferiority implies that we get closest to so when we work closely with its defenses. The therapeutic tasks. It's not so much breaking down defenses. And overcoming resistances. As it is one of rediscovering the necessity of these maneuvers. Which are the psyches very responses to its weakness. So is made out of its own defenses. Know what the. Means to me. Is. To be detached and to every time i ask myself when any emotion shows up. What hooked me. Why do i have that feeling. That feeling is real. But what. Is its. Origin nation. The commercial break. Almost as if. Swamp time. Anybody else. Almost as if planned. I was picking up a gentleman from the airport last tuesday night and i thought well wouldn't be a good time to go to the big town. You know he was coming into roanoke and i was going to go to the big town. Well i didn't want to just wander around for five or six hours so i decided that go to the movies. You know. And i looked at the grandin. And i'd already seen. Tonto and the weenie tone lone ranger. So i didn't want to go see it again. But i saw this movie that. Marion. Call. Stories we tell. And i said. Well even though i'm going to read all these readings that i should never read. Like a paper at it and convince and i hated conventions because you go to them and people read these dense articles and you're supposed to sit there and go. Yes. Well i could do that but i couldn't understand what they were saying but i could at least make cow noises. That's what i've done to you today. Read somebody's dense things what. I went to see this movie stories we tell cuz it seems so interesting. It was five years in the making. And it's the story that i like it it's really the story of sarah polley. Who wants to find out. Some of the hidden parts of the story of her life. Although the movie seems to be focused upon her mother. Who was the canadian actress. Who was a woman full of life. Who died young from cancer. She was really searching for her own story and so. Over a period of five years she interviewed. Her half-brothers from her mother's first marriage. Her brothers and sister from. Her parents. Well that's not quite right. The people she thought were her parents. And then she interviewed. Her father. Who. Had. An affair with her mother when she was acting. In montreal they lived in toronto. And i remember the part where i almost stood up and and of course i'm telling you to go see stories we tell. Fascinate. Search. 4-story. Her real father. At one point. He's a producer he understands drama he understands movies he understands all that she says you're angry about how i'm doing this movie aren't you he says i sure am. My story is the only story. This should be about me and your mother and that's the real story. And i just almost it up and said excuse me sir. If i would have said that i would have thought i was in a woody allen film or he was going to turn and look at me and say yes. I was going to say no yours is not. The only store. It's an interesting part. App store. The quote that i read at the very first of this from. Margaret atwell. Came from that. Movie. I think the other quote that came from that movies at. Spokesman. From where my favorite poet pablo neruda. Came from her very hard. Love is so short. Forgetting. Set alarm. We have so many blissful moments that. Are so short in our life. Sometimes forgetting is so long and that's negative. It takes a long time to get up. But sometimes i think forgetting is so long as good. Because. Our story. Has to. Slowly. We are in our own lives both the author. And the main character in our story. Yet an author. Nose. That the story takes on its on live. And my problem has been that i knew what my story was going to be. And it better be that way and it didn't. Go the way i wanted it to. And yeah there's an author. The poetry. I have an idea. And i know where it's going to go. And i don't know one time. It's gone there. Can we get that loose about our own life stories. Can we just see how it plays out. And in the telling. Got a little understanding of. And another telling up. Get another understanding. I have a person that i used to be very close to that would say. You keep changing the parts of your story to suit you. Do you know the make it make sense for you. Can i go now. I keep reading and learning and experiencing. And that changes. My story. If we try to control our story if we make it try to fit some design. We keep it from what it is. An imaginative. Experience. But we also keep it from. Is we keep it from getting too literal. Our culture. And our world. Has got a. Epidemic. I've literally ism. And that's why the arts and imagination. And learning about. The life and our story is so important. Can we from time-to-time as difficult as it is. Do as pema chodron suggest. Get rid of our story. And just let it unfold and all its uniqueness. And archetype of glory. If we can find our soul. In our weakness. I think. If you're into new testament paul said something like that when i am weak. I'm strong. When i go to my weakest points. I find out. The truist park. Of my story. That's all that lying i can do right. We have about 5 minutes. If you'd like to. Respond or throw things in the floor. Anybody want to say anything. There's someone here. I was hoping somebody else would would beat me to the punch. But but now i got the microphone. But scares me i mean i didn't punch you. Go ahead. I've several times tried to write my story. And. I can't even get started because. It's already changed just like you said you know i'm glad to. Sweetie i'm not the only one like this but being lazy i don't really pursue it and i saw i don't. I don't really try hard enough maybe. But i know what would happen in just like you've written several versions of what have you and call them. That's what it would happen to me and so being lazy i just say or the heck with it. It's not worth it. Anyway. As you can see i got a good sense of humor about it and that keeps me going well. You know i like to use a bigger word than lazy i like to say that i'm. Undisciplined. I know it sounds more erudite. And yet. You know what you. If i weren't so undisciplined you just gave me an idea for a novel that basically keeps starting. For about 200 pages you know. You get through about 3 or 4 pages 7 to say it but you know. This happened me yesterday so. That's not what i feel anymore and just keep going. And. You might even become a buddhist by doing that. Get in touch with your all yourselves. You want to say something. You look. Yeah. You just look ready. You don't. Okay. The story that has been evolving hey thanks. Well this is excellent why you were talking that i've been telling myself. Myself that had evolved slowly just did a huge shift and my whole story looked. Totally different. You know now then from 15 minutes ago and it was just. Very energizing. That's all to see myself today. Different life. It showed. That's why i. When my father-in-law died in. September 10th 2001 very. Difficult day to have. We didn't find him. Still at night. We published. He had been writing not his story. But his stories or maybe his vignettes. Or whatever you want to call him. And for i had a couple of weeks repair because nobody could get to the funeral. Because there weren't any planes flying so. So i got all these things together. And i published several hundred page. Book of his stories. Now. I have done a little of that. I myself. And i realized my daughter my grandchildren have no idea. Of. Even talkin about. These things inside. You know where i lived and what was like being a kid and what. And all this kind of stuff now. But i've written little story. They don't try to go very hard mason lick your case studies like freud that you mentioned or something. How do you respond to that as a way to deal with this. Issue cuz i. I haven't done it for a while. I got. Hung up in ancestors. Letters from the civil war. Which ultimately very unsatisfying to deal with and i. Didn't know where i was going but. That's why i drop that other one. Maybe i should go back. Well. What you do you know what you'll discover but i have two two lies to a share with you. One is and i think this. Speaks more than you there is this. I don't know if he's still living a japanese gentleman who like to write what he called palm of the hand stories. You know sometimes we think we have to do these. Great long stories. And he would write just one. Not even an episode just one moment. And in a story. And it would be so beautiful. Any vodka. That's that's the other thing about story it's. Evocative. I mean. Innocence. I feel like reading all this stuff and just making comments has. Is blob. If it evokes. So part of it is. Yeah go back to it or or or. My problem is i edit while i ride down. The other thing is. That's right it tells you it always. I know it always tells me my sentences are way too long and i. Yeah yeah well you got to watch that. There's a website called. He's my friend. Damn you. Work. Autocorrect thank you it's. And i believe in it. The other thing is one of the one of the students of. James hillman. Whose name i can't remember right now. Says you know a lot of people always try to find the meaning. Meaning of poetry the meaning of what they write the meaning of dreams. And his advice. Don't try to do that. Just read the story read the dream tells a dream. Tell the story. And it will tell you. What you mean or it will help you. I find any kind of. Riding. Particularly stories. Poetry anything that's it. Mini boat. Answers anythink. Your question yes. Good morning russ. Good morning. Missing you. Now if i remember right. You are kind of born and raised in flyover country. In flyover country. Oklahoma or someplace like that and i'll tell you this. I went out there to help my mother move. I was scared. It was a week after the mortone at tornado. And i mean. It's k. Well i want. I'm i grew up. Empowered in. In the missouri ozarks. A lot of folks here were. Marvelous storyteller. And need to tell funny stories sad stories you could lie like no one else could lie. And you're quite entertaining. But. There was something quite. Suspicious about authenticity. In the type of authenticity that you're talking about. Those folks. I've never heard of heidegger. And we've been very very uncomfortable with the idea of the sort of. Intentional. Reflection. That you addressed. And to them authenticity would have been something altogether different it's almost as if. You are losing yourself and just doing what you're supposed to do. And it's some levels this almost struck me in haisai. After i done off college and got smart. Being a candle at the buddhist were talking about when you were saying. Just concentrate on your day-to-day tasks. And if you do it deeply enough. Thanks, take care of yourself. So. When i look at at storytelling. I always feel especially. Storytelling of thee. Autobiographical nature i always feel. Deeply conflicted. Almost in a woody allen kind of way. Bad i want hand i can certainly understand. The value of that. In depth. Reflection. That. Some folks believe is necessary for authenticity. How to say other time i feel that. Well maybe it's just time to get over oneself. And concentrate on the. Day today. Go ahead. For someone over here and then. I'll come back and then we'll be. Right back here in the corner. To quick fix least one of which i think would be relevant there to a couple days ago i was listening to the fleetwood mac song landslide. Have a powerful song and there's a line in it i've been afraid of changing because i built my life around you. And i had this thought. That you could be. The word you there. Could be your previous conception of yourself. Rather than someone else. That's one thing the other one is on. Daniel kahneman. Talks about. Conceiving of two selves. The experiencing self and the remembering self. And the remembering self is the one that tells the stories of i did this 2 weeks ago and the. I'm going to do this in two weeks and the. Experiencing self is the one that. Has to do whatever the rendering self-made it do. It's the one that hears the sounds of what i'm saying right now without. Constructing a mint ideas. So i just think there's two things might be. Sort of helpful. Are part of how i i sort of. Think about this. There's this back-and-forth. I've sort of the experience remember again they're both they both exist. How use as words. Just a reflection dry good. I think i really awful early. Wood wood sign with mine missouri folks wear. Let's just swap stories. Not talk about authenticity. I hear. I hear. With what i've read today and i hearing what we say that we. That really what i should have done is just tell stories today. Because all these. Words. We start taking literally and we have to define this and that and the story. See it's like a. Pill that has all these. Pieces in it. Sometimes arise and. And and help us and then the story will sink back down and then our story will come back up. And. As the great teacher once said at the end of. Best lecture. Maybe. Yeah. Is that is experiencing remembering triggered something for me is that i think almost all parents will have this experience if they haven't already. Is it there will be an event in the past and you know what happened and you talked about it and then your kid will have a very different memory. And you know that's not correct. However the next generation is only going to hear there's. It's all correct. Well. I've never heard russell gregory before i never met him until this morning. And. That was wonderful thank you so much. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

140309_do_uu-women.mp3

Welcome to the march 9th service at the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by are settled minister. Reverend arrowland. The title of her sermon is her stories. Voices from yo-yo women's history. Are reading this morning comes from a unitarian educator. From the past. Her name is ella lyman cabot. She wrote during the early 1900's. She taught young ones in religious education. These are words to her students. I believe their words for all ages. She writes. I have tried to show. A glimpse of the universe. When we try to see it. Not just as getting up in the morning and going to bed at night. But as an amazingly complicated. Thrilling. Tragic rejoicing world. That is calling to. It has it's immensely long history. Who's beginning no humans saw. It's engrossing presents. And its future. For which we are all in our own minoot. But exigent way. Responsible for. Each of us starts from our own center of family. In friends. But we cannot go any distance. Without finding ourselves linked. Carnations and people 3000 miles away. Morning we are celebrating international women's day. Yes we are. I'm out most of us are relatively familiar with the us holiday spectrum. Right we've got labor day and we've got memorial day and martin luther king jay we could probably all name the holidays that were familiar with. These are very many good and worthy and important holidays that we celebrate here in the us. But let's say that march 8th which was yesterday. International women's day is not one of the most well-known holidays. In fact it's not even a national holiday in our country. We got some fans of this holiday here. So now maybe there are some of you here who actually have been celebrating this holiday maybe for many years may be marking it in your own life and some way. Or maybe you were like me and it took me many years to even learn about the international women's day holiday. And you didn't have a particular ritual of observance or a particular holiday practice that you associate with this holiday. Maybe you only came to learn about this holiday as an adult. So. Given the fact that this holiday has a relatively marginal status in our country. We might wonder. Why would we celebrate it. In worship. And i would say that's exactly why. Internationalwomensday might not be widely recognized or appreciated here in the united states. But it is celebrated with a national holiday status in over 30 countries. Around the world. So on this day in russia actually. Mothers and daughters and grandmothers and aunts will receive letters. And cards and flowers from loved ones. In a way that might be somewhat familiar to us from our practices around mother's day here in the united states. People will speak about reproductive right and woman's body is in places around the world. In china and cambodia. In vietnam and lithuania. Brazil and angola. In burkina faso in africa. Just to name a few. All of these countries that i've named have very robust national practices of honoring international women's day. So becomes a time to promote issues that impact women's lives most deeply. Sexual violence and displacement from war. Holiday as some of you might know has been around for awhile it's been around since the early 1900's the same timeframe that originates the words of the woman that i shared when she was saying i want to show you a glimpse of. Universe that does more than just getting up. In the morning and going to bed at night. Those words that i shared with you in our reading. So this holiday has been around since the early 1900s. And at that time it was really focused on women workers. Becoming visible in public and talking about women's lives and women's issues. Which of course we're really about family. Issues. Which meant that they impacted everybody. Of all genders. Not just women. Is kari hagar. Have mentioned in her for all ages wonderbox this morning if we wanted to play you you bingo. And list out all of these names from ruu history we could name quite a few women that were part of the suffrage movement part of the movement for voting rights. We could name unitarian universalist. Like susan b anthony. We could name elizabeth cady stanton. We could name abigail adams. International women's day comes out of a movement for women's rights but it's become a holiday about so much more. Play the importance of this holiday that's relevant to us in some more contemporary context. I want to share with you and this might be news to salmon known to others that in 2010 there was the first. International unitarian universalist women's convocation. And it was held in texas. Of all places. And it was held this very weekend right around this very week. It was the first major gathering of unitarian universalist. Women and the first to really reach out to international women. And then another one was held in 2012. And that one was held in transylvania. Which has some roots. In our movement. So there is this massive widespread effort to bring together unitarian universalist women. The talk with one another about what it is to build a movement a movement that uplift all people and all genders. I want to share with you that from me international women's day march 8th yesterday. Has really become a time to look back into unitarian universalist women's history. Unearth some of the voices. That we don't typically hear. This morning as we continue on here in our congregation with a month-long theme of awakening. I want to invite us no matter our gender. To wonder and becomes furious with one another. About the significance of those who have come before. I wonder if we can start to imagine how the past. Might awaken us. To new understandings about how we live today. What do these voices call us to. Right here. In our life places and in our time. What some folks. Love history just for history's sake. And i'm one of those people. Maybe you're one of those people raise your hand if you love history just for history today. It's okay if you don't raise me. Okay so we've got about half and some people just. Kid history. Did robin not crack open a history book and for good reason because often history is going to be dry and dusty and boring and not altogether relevant. Are there people who feel that way we're willing to identify themselves. Alright i saw a few creative hands. So the truth is we feel all sorts of ways about history depending on how we'd engage with it in our past and what are natural inclinations are. This morning i'm going to look out just two voices from unitarian universalist women's history. Will hear a little bit about these women. Each in her own time these to lay leaders. We're speaking to live into a larger. Purpose. And awaken new possibilities in the society in which they lived in. Their stories are a lot like our stories in some ways and different in some ways. I asked you to listen for in their story is moments of triumph. In moments of challenge. Cuz there's both. So let's see if these voices have some residents for us today. The first voice that i lift up. Is i have a photo for you here so you have a visual. The first one invoice alyssa today is lydia maria francis child. And i'm going to read to you a few words from one of her more controversial work. Lydia maria francis child reader. I beseech you not to throw down this volume. As soon as you have glanced at the title. Read it if you are prejudices will allow for the very truth steak. If i have the most trifling claims upon your goodwill. For an h amusement. Kill yourself. Or for the benefit of your children. Read it for my sake. Read it if it be merely to find a fresh occasion. Kashmir at the vulgarity of the cause. Read it for sheer curiosity to see what a woman. Who had much better attend to her household concerns. Will say upon such a subject. I will share with you. More about this controversial book. And where those words come from in just a moment. But first i want to tell you that lydia maria francis child. Was once a very well-known household name. She was a prolific writer. And she wrote a song that i'm sure many of us know here in this room. It goes over the river and through the woods. House we go that's her. That's one of her most well-known. Song. And one of her biographers notes that you can listen to the romantic winter imagery in that song and imagine that she had a very romantic at childhood in new england but in fact she grew up rather lonely. And survived from very cold. And brutal new england winters. But maria grew up and this is how she liked to be called maria she published what has been considered the very first north american historical novel. And she was the editor of a very popular young people's magazine. Call the juvenile miscellany. So for many many years she enjoyed just wonderful success as a writer. He was one of the most prominent writers of her century. But in 1833 maria's literary career took. At incredible turn. That year she published of 230 page anti-slavery treatise called an appeal to that class of americans called african. And it was published to incredible outrage. She lost friends. And she lost fame. But it did catalyze a growing interest in the abolition movement. And in her writing she writes that. This is a national level and it requires a moral national remedy. And she doesn't absolve her fellow northerners from being implicated in the evils of slavery. Instead she writes to now adjust. The comfortable. Here's just a little bit more from her. She says let us not. Let us no longer act upon the narrow-minded idea. We must always continue to do wrong. Because we have so long been in the habit of doing it. Well we bestow our earnest disapprobation on the system of slavery let us not flatter ourselves that we are in reality any better than our brethren of the south. Thanks to our spoon climate and the early exertions of the excellent society of friends. The form of slavery does not exist among us. But the very spirit of the hateful and miss to this thing. Is here. In all of its strength. So as i mentioned upon publishing this work maria lost friends. She lost the editorship of her magazine. And she was ridiculed. If she didn't live a life of rich service. And she spoke clearly about what she believes she became an independent religious scholar. She deeply believes that human beings have the ability to change the world around us. She wrote back. 27 years before the civil war. So the world that she dreams about with a long time and coming. I'll also try to humanize her little bit by telling you that she was married. And her husband was passionate lawyer who fell into a great deal of debt. I'm so her literary career floated them offense with financial difficulty. So when she lost her editorship and no longer it was able to be published they had a severe impact on her family's life. Very easy for us to champion and put on pedestal these kinds of people. But i think it's important that we also acknowledge the trials and tribulations of their humanity. The second voice in the last voice that i lift up this morning is a voice that karen lifted up for our young ones too. This is. Princess ellen watkins harper. Here's another picture. Frances ellen watkins harper was an african american poet and a teacher. She was born in 1825 to free parents in maryland. Curt's scenario her situation is anomaly. In history. For she was one of the first african-american authors to publish a novel in the united states. He was a free black. Published author who is financially sound and independent unto herself. Use all of the access and resources that she had to sing out for change. She became a prolific anti-slavery speaker. Choose a member of the unitarian church in philadelphia. She donated much of her time. An income. Two on the anti-slavery movement. She was also married but she had she buried her husband. Shortly after they were married. She became a single mom. And she decided to travel the preaching and teaching circuit. Pretty rare thing to do for a woman of her time specially one of color. She had to juggle childcare as she was speaking all over the country. And this is a very brief snapshot. An excerpt of speech she gave at the chicago fair to the world congress of representative women. He can hear in this some of her poetry. She says today. Women holding their hands influence an opportunity. And with these dave already open doors which have been closed to others. But oh women of america. Into your hands. God press one of the most sublimest opportunities that ever came into the hands of the women of any race or any people. It is yours to create a healthy public. Demand justice. Simple justice. As the right of every race. Brand with everlasting infamy the lawless and brutal cowardice that lynch's and burns and tortures our own countrymen. Let the hearts of the world women. Respond to the song the herald angels sing of peace on earth. Goodwill to men. Let them throb as one heart. United by the grand and holy purpose of lifting up the human race. And humanity will breathe free air. And the world will grow brighter. With such a purpose eden would spring up on our path. And paradise be around our way. I think you can hear in those lines her deep passion. And her eloquence. As i mentioned. She was relatively well-known in her time. And her circumstances were very unusual. He spoke to the mixed-race audiences. But no doubt she received both aggression. And praise. Only did she bury her husband her daughter died before her. And she passed only nine years before women attain the right to vote. Frances ellen watkins harper and lydia maria francis child. What to do women have in common other than. Very long names. Both of them were writing and speaking at the same time and using to the best of their ability their voices. Call out for a larger purpose. They were also people who love deeply. And i also felt the all-too-human tugs of multiple kinds of responsibilities. Vying for their limited attention. A juggle complex family obligations. And their own personal your name. To live in the world. Time and time again just like us they had to choose where to place their energy. How to define. For themselves what was most important. These days it has been noted that it's pretty hard to find gyros. And she rose. And that's because the internet and the 24-hour news cycle make us very privy to all the sordid details of our political figures lives and our movie stars lives and our sports figures live. But no doubt there remains a yearning to seek and find examples of lives well-lived. And so often it is that people turn to religion. For those examples. What would jesus do. What did the buddha. One very important element of religious tradition. Provide examples of lives well-lived. To remind us to awaken within us our own inner wisdom that we might remember how best to live. In our complex times and in our complex lives. So this morning i want to welcome. The river of human exemplary. Who have reminded as of what is possible. When we search for the deepest. Meaning in our lives. Many religions have ways of ritual lysing and remembering. The voices that have gone before and so i do believe that internationalwomensday can become a time when we make a ritual of reading together. Voices from the past that inspire our present. Ending closing this morning. I want invite you to consider. Whether there are examples that you can identify in your own line. Bj people from the past or people from the present. People known to you or people you've admired from afar who helps you on your journey. Particularly around your spiritual growth. And development. And that you to bring one or two of these people to mind and andy pretty specific. This is a version of what would jesus do. But also inviting you to add a leader that's important and meaningful and relevant to you and your life. Today and in particular this week i'll invite you to bring forward. This person into your mind. Particularly as you faced challenges be they large or small. Ask what wisdom this force brings to you. At the. The way of calling on our spiritual ancestors. Perhaps the coffee hour you might want to share with someone. Who you are exemplar tsar and if you'd like to share with me i'm happy to hear who those people are. It have been for you. I want us to honor. With one another. The lights. The continue to kindle arland flames in these contemporary time. Let us go forward knowing that we are indeed connected to one another. Profoundly for the past. The present and the future. Let us also remember that we cannot go any distance from our circle of friends and family. Without being linked. To those 3000 miles away. Blessed be. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

150104_do_patience.mp3

Welcome to the january 4th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by i settled minister. Reverend arrowland. And her servant is titled. Patience. Fearlessness and forbearance. We have two readings this morning. And the first is from real kids book. Letters to a young poet. What's the book that might be familiar to some of you. From letters to a young poet. I beg you. To have patience. With everything that is unresolved in your heart. And to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don't search for the answers which could not be given to you now. Because he would not be able to live them. And the point is to live. Everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps then someday far in the future. You will gradually without even noticing it. Live your way. To the answer. Their second reading this morning comes from a book that might be familiar to some of you ecclesiastes. And it's called a time for everything. For everything. There is a season. Time for every activity. Under heaven. Time to boil for a time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down. And a time. Two bills app. A time to cry a time to laugh. The time to grieve. And a time. Dance. Time to scatter stones. The time. To gather stones together. The time to embrace. And a time to turn away from embracing. A time to search. At a time. Quit. Searching. The time to keep. And a time to throw away. The time to tear. And a time to mend. A time. To be quiet. And a time to speak. A time to love and a time. Hate. A time for war. And a time for peace. I wonder when you hear that those words look lazy ass use as some of you don't also hear the sung version from the 1960s. There is a time for everything. Under the. Heaven. Well. It is so very good to see you all in the bright new fresh days of 2015 so happy new year. Once again. And i hope for many of you it feels like a happy new year. In this month of january as i mentioned we're going to be exploring together the seam of. Patience. I want to share with you i don't come up with these themes just on a whim. Actually work in creative collaboration with the worship services committee and worship associates we talked about liturgy which is what we do on sunday mornings that's the pattern of how we worship together we talked about different steam that allows to dive more deeply into religious and spiritual topics. And so patients with one that i remember lots of folks circled. I said yes let's let's go there. Let's look at patients. An elsa want to lift that up just because i'm down the track we're going to have somewhere opening for people to participate and worship services committee and become worship associates and if you're someone that wants to devote a little bit of your time to moraine corey reflection spiritual growth and development i welcome you to consider that's an opportunity you might want to sign up for. Apply for. So patient here we are. It said that patience is a virtue. And i wonder is it. Is it a virtue. And is it is a virtue what does that mean for the good of our lives for our actual. Practical lies this year. And it turns out that patients of course is featured prominently in your lie all of the world's religious traditions. It's really a key at virtue which means highest moral excellence or highest moral quality of good. It's featured in both jewish and christian teaching but it also shows up all over the place in hinduism and buddhism and taoism and islam. All of this world religious traditions have us focusing on. Patience. And before i go any further i want to talk free with you a little bit this morning about this word virtue. Because i don't think we say that word very often that word. Virtue. Becomes old. It sounds very dated maybe to some of us that sounds a little tiny. Virtue. Enrico and greco-roman classical usage virtues were these eternal states they were absolute they were kind of idealized qualities that one might strive towards eternal unchanging they were good for all seasons of our lives for all times. Christianity is some of you might be aware there are something called cardinal virtues. Those are prudence. Justice temperance. Courage. And the puritans in this country they named their children after virtues. Write some of you might recall they named their children chastity. They names are children hope. They named their children face. And benjamin franklin a luminary of course in our us history he grew up in a puritan household. The value this kind of virtue words and he decided as they grew up he wanted to do it really addressing it like 13 different virtues that he would try to live up to. And among them there were just a few on his list i won't share all 13 this morning you can look them up but on his list for sincerity. Tranquility. Moderation. And. The virtues are something that we might think about striving towards some absolute ideal. We might also think when we think of virtues that the kind of problematic because do people use virtues to then judge themselves and other people. And can it sometimes seem like we'll virtues. Can help people be a little self-righteous. Or maybe virtues arlo unsavory. But i'll tell you this morning. I'm actually rather intrigued. By virtues. And i'll tell you why it's not as some heavy-handed way to judge ourselves or another person. But rather i'm intrigued by virtues kind of ancient ability. To help human beings focus direct and guide our spiritual growth. And development. I'm really intrigued in the ways that many religious traditions the virtues as moral attributes that are firm. And clear. Qualities to work towards. To wrestle with. To aspire to. At any age. So maybe the question. Might not be what's so wrong and bad about virtues. But how can we really approach virtues in a way that is constructive for our own spiritual growth and development as unitarian universalist in the here and now. And i'm reminded of something called the jewish path of mussar. Which works with certain spiritual qualities taking them very deliberately one-by-one one at a time. Qualities like patience. And one examines one's relationship just two patients. And meditates on this idea of patients through text. And through teaching and actually partners with someone else to talk about the role of this quality in one's life. Wrestle with this quality. And when the corporated into one's prayer life. Or meditation. Working. I like that. I like that a lot. And i wonder for us as unitarian universalist. What opportunities are in store for us. If we spend just a little bit more time with the notion of virtues and aren't so quick. Just to dismiss them. Outright that we might have some. Because here's what i think about patience. I think just like the ancients. We got impatient. I wonder if there's anyone here who has never in their life. Gotten impatient. And i won't ask you to out yourself although i saw someone try to raise their hand. I think we're really quick of course to anger or slip into frustration we want things the way we want them and we want to control the timeline in which they arrived into our lives. Aunt thinks can't come soon enough right. If you've ever been to the dmv. You know what i'm talking about right. How hard it can be to wait wait your turn wait your number you know i think maybe as an adult's it's not that we get so very good at patients becoming more patients we just get better at pretending. That we really are. So let's be honest here this morning most of us vessel. With patience. Patience tries us again and again. But it's interesting if we think about how we typically talk to your children about patience. We talked to them a lot about waiting. We talked to them about how it's a necessary quality if we're to share the planet and our resources and a classroom for example or homes with each other. Teachers give rewards for patience for waiting patiently. Patient seems to be something that we remember to be good about teaching our children. But what about adults. So this morning i invite us to go deeply into considering how patient appears or fails to appear in our own lives. When i asked you not to think about your life. What is your relationship. Two patients. The easy for you. Is it really hard for. What happens to you what happens to your body. When you get impatient. And then what do you do. Do you act hastily. Do you snap at someone. In your life. Do you. Can a bite back your tongue and then sit on all those feelings till they well up inside and come out really suddenly. Do you give yourself a really hard time. When you get impatient. Getting clues to our patterns each one of us of how we react. When we become impatient as a very first step and working. I'm more deeply developing and honing. Ice kill a patient's. Patience it turns out as a superpower. For adults too. Which means that we have to practice it. And i say the superpower kind of tongue-in-cheek but i actually mean it because it is a superpower. Because we have the capacity in ourselves. But we have to learn how to harness it. And when we do harness it. It can actually transform our lives. And the lives of those around us. Earlier we heard in our readings. A piece of pie piece of advice from the poetry okay who said. I beg you to be patient with all that might be unresolved. In your heart. I appreciate real kids words because he encourages us to pick a very long view. To develop a love of the questions themselves when were sitting on a really big unresolved question. Invites us to consider that patients just might be a pathway and that if we don't follow it. If we don't allow ourselves to live into the questions at hand. We might skip some steps. We might miss out. He suggested we might just live the questions and imagine that slowly the answer will arrive to us and its own good time. And i think rookie is pretty good medicine. For those of us working through pretty big life transitions and life. But let's be honest again because i think rocky is really tough. He asks a lot of us. Love the question. Not so easy to do. Love the question. I know that this is not always possible. Because a lot of times when we're waiting on something. We get stymied by fear. Some of us are waiting on really big kinds of questions were waiting on questions related to jobs and moves were waiting on questions as medical diagnosis we're waiting to hear back from someone that we might have offered a communication to. And we're not sure what we're going to receive back. I'm peeing in that unknown place. It's pretty scary. Most of us find it pretty scary. Anything about being in that place that's what i think it happened is that we get pretty disempowered. By our fear. Sometimes things feel so scary fear takes over the show. Fear becomes the dominant voice. So this morning. The name of our service is patient fearlessness and forbearance. I've already talked a little bit about patience and now i want to talk about fearlessness. Which actually would say today is not really the absence of fear. But the lessening of fears power. When it is present in our lives. The lessening of fears. Power when it shows up while we wait. While we're uncertain. And so to make this a little less abstract i want to tell you a very short story. I was a chaplain in a hospital. Several years ago and i had the opportunity. To do a whole lot of waiting. In fact that was really just my job. Was to wait. And it doesn't sound like much. But actually was. Just. Waiting. With people who were also just. And i got to talking to young man in his very early. Who has chronic syndrome that. I meant there was chronic pain. In his life that would come up. Down. And we talked a little bit about fear. And i'm. He said the thing that scared of the most was he wasn't sure when the pain would come back. We felt like he always had to kind of be on guard even in the times where there wasn't pain cuz it just come flying back. Little bit about other fears cuz that one was really up for him but we talked about other fears and he said yeah i'm also afraid a little bit of flying. And i'm also a little bit fearful of failing in. And i told him how i really didn't think he was the only one. With those two fears either. And we talked about how it can take a lot of energy to try to have patient. Try to have patience with yourself. I can take a lot of energy to try not to be so scared. When you already don't feel like you have a lot of energy. That's a setup for even more frustration. Angry. talking further and further and i told him you know when i was training to be a minister one thing they asked us to do with everyday try something that scared of. And i'm i had forgotten that and he made me remember every day we had to practice doing something that really scared of something big something small. I had a hard time with that. And i remember telling you that one thing that helped me was i read a book by another you minister called love meets the dragons. It was all about welcoming in these dragons of fear. And having them accompany us. In our big. Journey of life. And i mentioned some of my dragons and he mentioned a few more of his dragons. He knew right away. About the dragons. And i said you know part of the trick is saying fear this dragon come on with me. You here anyway. Come on with me we'll go together. But you don't get to run the show. Cuz there's others here. There's others players and you don't always get to play on the center of the stage. We talk a lot. About trying to slay the dragons and how tiring that could be and how we just going to welcome this dragons right on in. It's about making ourselves more familiar with our fears. Because acknowledging their presence sometimes help us feel more empowered. And more whole and helps that while we wait. Helps us to not be so high jack. By fear itself and not so judgmental of ourselves or others when fear starts to show up. It said that patience is really not just waiting it's how we act and how we behave. While we are waiting. So when we practice meeting our dragons right at the door. That's something that helps us act a little differently. Those poor souls into others while we wait. So now we've talked about patience. And we talked a bit about fearlessness. And now i want to say a few words about forbearance. Because forbearance also sounds like a little old. Write forbearance how often do you say that unless you're paying back loans. So what is forbearance and how does it relate to these other three forbearance isn't as upset as an old word it's like virtue. It means knowing what you will do. But waiting for the right time. Forbearance is a purposeful choice to wait on something. It's what patience allows us to do. Forbearance has a very sort of purposeful decision-making. Waiting until the time is just right. I'm thinking about timing and forbearance. I got to thinking about a piece of advice and i was given and the congregation was given right when i arrive to be your settlement of sturm. It was offered by my colleague and friend lydia ferrante roseberry. Other piece of advice was pretty simple about timing. It was really about forbearance. Her advice was wait. Don't wait. Wait. Wait. Listen. Really listen. So what's being sad. Wait. Before speaking. Wait. So you've heard what people have to say. Wait. Before you send that email. You know that email. Whatever that email might be. And don't wait. Don't wait. To share your joy. Don't wait. To help point towards a vision. And help others point together towards a vision. Don't wait to celebrate. Don't wait. To be grateful. Don't we. So i offer this to you in the new year. Also that you might wait. Don't wait. And consider what season. Your life or the peace of your life that you're working on when you're making a choice might be in. What time is your time. Is the time to sell is it a time to reap. The time to build. Is it time to break down what season is it for you. Today my message. Is really simple. Patience is possible. It really is. And we forget how good we can be at it. We just need to remember. And remind ourselves. Emily practice our own superpower of patience. It's amazing how it affects other people. Other people notice. And they get more patient with us too. To get more patient maybe with themselves. My last thought today that i want to share with you is that i'm aware. Not just in uu congregation. But especially in your your congregation. There are so many folks devoted to so many things with such great passion. And i love this. And i'm one of those passionate people i come on my dad's side i from a sicilian background. We are not a people known for patience. Rich people don't for passion. But i have to say i think patience and passion go together. Answer for those of you that might passionately find yourself overextended doing too many things. Wearing yourself too far too thin. I invite you to consider a line that was shared with me recently. Which is that if you feel like you're burning out. Don't live as if your life is on fire. If you feel like you're burning out cuz they're spread too thin don't live as if your life was on fire. The kind of fire that. It's cheating you and burning you down. We want to fire as a slow-burning amber that gives us gifts as and renews us so we can do all of our passionate projects in the world. Monkeys that the help for you and the days ahead in the new year i want to offer that to you. Dear ones may you muster courage for patients in the periods that you must wait. May you remember to wait. And don't wait. May you lean into. Your own timing. And leave a space for the possibility that you are actually right on time. For your own life. I hope for you this year is that you may deepen and grow into your superpower of patience. I wonder if you might tell someone you love that you are working on this superpower. And asked them to be patient with you. And then may you be as patient with them as you can possibly be. Let us practice. Engaging with this. Virtue. Together. Blessed be. And ahmed. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website. Uuc and rv. org.

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140427_kd_soil-soul.mp3

Welcome to the april 27th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by reverend karen day. Bercermin is titled. Treat the soil feed the soul. The podcast begins with a reading by worship associate frank de politano. In his book soil in sacrament. Fred benson describes his work starting a community garden in rural north carolina. And balancing his theological ideals. Carrie is walking the land with donnie a traditional farmer. And considering his sacred work. In genesis he says the first command god gave to adam was to ovid. And shemar the fertile soil. Those words have mistakenly been translated as till. And keep. It is important that we get them right. These two verbs freighted with biblical meaning. For they outline the first human job description. The clues come from looking at how the verbs are used elsewhere in the bible. Avadh. Connotes service. The kind a subordinate. Would render to omastar. Either divine or human. God tells pharaoh to let my people go that they may avadh me. That kind of service we can imply is analogous to the kind of service do to the soil. Johnny step down. He grabbed a handful of soil and squeezed it. Smelled it. Rolling around in his fingers. Just when i thought he might put it in his mouth and taste it he snorted and let it fall like chaff from his hands. Then he shook his head. Shemar means to watch. Keep or preserve. The verb carries legal connotation as well. Suggesting the metaphor of a binding contract. The land is not just a natural resource. It is a living entity worthy of our deference and servitude. Our watchfulness. And our best attempts at preservation. The longer donnie poked around and shook his head the more puzzled i became. Johnny believed that you had to find good soil to farm. But i sought the opposite way. You start with what's at hand. By adding compost in green menorahs and other soil. Cannabis oil food. You improve it. You avoid the soil by giving more to it than you take away. And then you should merit that is you stand back. And watch and allow yourself to be amazed at god's mystery. Unfolding. Before you. And the next reading is white flowers. By mary oliver. Last night in the fields i lay down in the darkness to think about death. But instead i fell asleep. As if in a vast and sloping room filled with those. Those white flowers that open all summer sticky. An untidy in the warm fields. And when i woke. The morning light was just. Slipping in front of the stars. And i was covered in blossoms. I don't know how it happened. I don't know if my body went diving down under the sugary vines. In some sleep. Sharpened affinity. With the depth. Or whether that green energy rose like a wave and curled over me claiming me and it's husky arms. I push them away but i didn't rise. Never in my life have i felt. So plush. Or so. Slippery. Orso resplendently empty. Never in my life. Have i felt myself so near. That porous line where my own body. Was done where. And the roots and the stems and the flowers. Began. So are two readings i think take us to those two different worlds. The one where we have the directive. On the surface to serve to watch. And then the one where we just. Lie down. And let go of the line between our body. And what's underneath. The land of the dead. So the story says we can live it all above and below. But. I don't know i find that kind of tricky. Maybe it's easy for you. So for me i thought well maybe compost. Could be a guy. I was just teaching the kindergarteners at floyd elementary. About compost with our school garden lessons a few weeks ago. And that's about the level that i understand compost. So i'm sure you know. Many elements and details. But we'll just go for the basics. And it was expressed by the kindergarteners when. When they took some food scraps. With hardly any. And threw that in the pot and then found some dirt and threw that in and then some leaves and we tore up some newspaper. And we said. Just throw it in the pot and let it alright. Into compost do. So what's it like to throw it all in the pot. And let it ride how is that any different from trash. Throwing it in the trash. A couple weeks later. We took the kids out to the beds and they had planned it a few weeks before. So we lucked and yes. There was some little sprouts of radishes. And if you look really closely some carrots starting to. Prick up beneath the soil. And some lettuce and one of the beds only. So i asked them. What do you think is making this lettuce come up. And one little boy set to. We talked about feeding the soil. And that the soil gets hungry just like we do. The soil needs to be fed. As fred bahnson said we need to give the soil more than we take. So to see a little bit more about campos. I went down the road here. Glade road growing. Have you ever been there. There's this wonderful farm at the end of the road. You should go by and look at it. And they're making their own big compost heap it. That jp was very proud of because they only put vegetable. Scraps in it they only put things that come from their own organic garden. And then cover it up. With the layers. And let it sit. But that's not enough for him that's not enough to feed his soil. So he also gets compost from pme compost. Which cells is amazing rich dark compost that you can get. No actually this is the compost from jp. See what you think. At at glade road growing it reminded me that you know compost isn't just a backyard thing. This land. Scratches out. Community. And if we're going to compost. We kind of have to do it together. So plenty. Since i last saw you has acquired and started a farm. An elephant curve road. And it's quite a story.. That we don't have time to go into. But. We're starting to plant. And to feed the soil there. Amber using pme compost. But we imagine that farm is something more. Guess we'll feed the soil but what our job is. Is to nourish community. And to feed hungry neighbors by growing and sharing food. Now fred reminded us that. The grove food. You got to grow soil. To feed ourselves. We got to feed the soil. So. Wonder how come we. Throw those food scraps in the trash sometimes. So i'm too busy. Mccabe's not around to take it out to the pile. So maybe he won't notice if i did. Hard to stay faithful. It's hard to imagine serving maxwell. As i would serve. Who do i serve. And how could composting. Feed my soul. Okay i know what i'm supposed to do. I know it's a good idea to get out there. And in fact. For some of you. With this spring. I bet you've been out in your gardens already. You've had your hands in the dirt. You felt the sun on your faces. And that in itself is enough isn't it. It feeds you. It nourishes. But some of us are lazy. We don't really get out there. I might. Walk around and look at the little flowers and pick a few flowers. But then i move on. I might go out and lie down in the grass. For 5 minutes. And then i move on. How can i compost what's inside of me. Thomas more the writer who says. We can compost. Inside of us the past are memories. With stories. And dream. With those stories that we share with each other. Because you know if we don't share them. Kind of like throwing them in the trash. With that. Been that cover on top. And you just like. Keep the cover on. And hope that nothing happens and more and more gets stuffed in there and then you kind of have to sit on the cover and hope that nothing happens and. You start to. Asap frozen feeling. That's frozen look. A couple winters ago at plenty we were sharing soup. In one of our. Elders homes and. Some high school students came to. And the women started talking about. When they admit there has. Right after world war ii. How exciting it was to. Go out with them but of course they couldn't go alone so they had to go with someone else and there had to be a chaperone and. One of the most fun things was to go to the pie auction. Where the woman would bring a pie all the girls bring their pie and all the boys. Would bid on the pies. And then if you won the bid you got to eat. With the girl who brought that pie. And a high-schooler spot that was a great idea. Immediately wanted to go try it. Just sharing their story share the joy. But i also knew that. Privately one of those women had told me other stories that were composting in her. About her grandson suicide. And her daughter's mental illness. Till she let them bubble up. She let herself share them. Last week i celebrated my 60th birthday. And i had some of my oldest friends there. Now for some of you maybe that would be. High schooler. Grade school. Well for me. I looked around and i noticed the two friends but i had invited. I known for 30 years. So since i was 30. And got me to thinking well. What happened before that. People had come and gone through my life. But i've been so busy sitting on my trash can. And not sharing anything from inside of me. That. We didn't hold on. We didn't watch. We didn't david and shemar. Each other. I'm so they scattered. We all come to some time in our life when the earth. Start shaking and it opens up. And for me i was very young when that happened. And it seemed like we were supposed to shut it off. And sit on it. And stay frozen. And it took me till i was thirty to find out. You know that wasn't really. The richest way to live. My soil wasn't getting. Black and rich and juicy. Was getting kind of clotted. Crusty. But starting with those friends 30 years ago. It began. I could. Turn. What used to be in the trash. Turn that soil. I could start. Serve life. All of life. Above and below. I know that's happened to you. Whether it's staph. Or illness or losing a job. What do you've been abused. Or betray. The earth opened up. Can you live down below and live above. Can you turn the compost. Maybe even just a little bit. Give it a stir. Let it alright. Into compost. Do. Why don't we do that. Well i know for me. I want to be speedy. How can i sue mar how can i watch. When i have to go on to the next thing. Composting takes a long time. If you just want to get rid of it put it in the trash. Of course. You're not really getting rid of it but. You can try. So take some time. Rabbit shemar. But the other thing is. I'm afraid. I'm afraid when i lie down on the earth. And feel the rumble and think about death. Federal suck me up. Take me down and that porous line and my body. Will be lost. I won't be able to come up and pick the flowers again. I can't do it alone. We said for all that is our lives we give our praise and thanks. I don't think we can do that alone friend. We need each other. To have the courage. To overcome that fear. To greet each other. Say it's okay. It's different. But you can pass through. You can cross over. You can live it all. So may we slow. Into watch. Into tomorrow. And may we encourage each other feed each other. Into ava. For we are serving life. May we live above and below listening and watching. Sharing and feeding. Being grateful for all. That is our life. May it be. Today here it feels possible. On a busy monday not so. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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140810_do_beauty-builders.mp3

Welcome to the august 10th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by are settled minister reverend arrowland. And her servant is titled the beauty builders. Our first reading this morning. From. Kenneth patton a unitarian universalist minister. In his book called the sense of life. We are all seeing. All persons. Full in spanish. Good and bewildered. Sly and honest. Brighton. And less frightened. Killer and slain. The rapture and the enraptured. Youth and age. Male and female. We are all things. Tree and flower moss and grass. Mammal and reptile. Bird and insect. Our fellowship. Reaches through the earth. We are river and stone. Sand and mountain. Fire and wind. Comet. And star. And our second reading this morning comes from a book called notes on the need for beauty. By jay ruth handler. Beauty breaks us open and reconnects us to the hearts of others. The soul of the world. Depends our connections with the places we live and dream about. The people we love. Animals and plants and trees and rivers. Beauty opens the door to creativity and wisdom. Perhaps we trivialize beauty because we know. It is powerful. Beauty stops us in our tracks. Pictures outside of ourselves the same time it brings us into ourselves. Often we are jaded. Because we have not tasted. It's true sweetness. We live cut off from the beauty of the living earth. Cut off from the beauty inside of us. How can we know what real sweetness is. When we live in a time and a place that has moved. So far away. From what is essential. So our readings today. Speak to us about not being cut off. From a sense of. Beauty. In our lives. I hope you this morning that you might have already tasted in some ways. Samsbeauty. Perhaps it is in the form of the experience of music. This morning. Perhaps it is in the form of greeting faces dear to you. To be cut off from beauty is to be cut off from an essential part. Of ourselves and the power of life itself so. Today. We're going to be talking about stories. A beauty builder. Beauty shapers. And i hope as we continue on a little bit further this morning together will start to understand with me. What is meant by being a beauty builder. And i beauty. Shaper. We're going to tell some stories and speaking of stories i want to share with you one of my most favorite stories from when i was. A young one child. One of my most favorite stories was an english story called the secret garden. Other people here who remember the story the secret garden. Yeah it's it was published in the early 1900s and turned into a broadway musical. And several television shows and. Film versions have been created. So some of you know the story by frances hodgson burnett. You might recall the in that story there's a a girl named mary. And mary lives in this desolate old mansion. A lonely. And she finds on the ground i'm abandoned garden. And she hunts around for the key to this garden. I'm finally she finds it and she opens the door. To the lost. Abandoned world that is in need of repair and mending and care. It's been abandoned so no one's been there for a very long time. So the trees look baron broken. And there's very little color. Anything you might remember that mary those of you who remember the story and it's typing new for those of you who've never heard the story before. But mary has been told by others that she's got kind of an ugly disposition. Not that she's physically unattractive but rather there's something ugly about the way she carries herself in the world. She told she has a chip on her shoulder. And she seems a little bit snobby to some people. But the truth is she's really just a simple lonely grieving child. Because her parents died in a cholera epidemic in india. And so her defense even while she really wants to connect with people her defenses to kind of put them off. I don't know if you've ever known anyone like that. But sometimes we humans can be just that way. So she befriends mary she befriends her cousin colin. And colin is ill and he wrestles with his own self esteem. It's fairly low because colin was born with a condition that alters his spine a little bit. He sits differently on moves differently than other children and his perception is that he's been asked kind of be set aside. Because of this difference. He's worried that he's been hidden away because of this difference. To both of these two people marrying colin is young once they're cut off. From connection. The cut-off from joy. But they meet one another and marry tell colin about this really cool guardin. That they should check out together. And so they start. To slowly rehabilitate the garden and as they rehabilitate the garden. They start to rehabilitate. Themselves. And to their surprise they find that videos all this crap. Baron looking soil. Are actually sprouts of new life. Waiting to blossom. Two ultimate ladies two kids build a sanctuary. It's a sanctuary for gazing at the trees for playing. The garden is no longer hidden. And it's no longer bear. A blossom and fruit. During the summer and during the spring. Is to find a new life and they spread their joy. And they share this beauty. With others. This beauty of their connection and a rehabilitating this garden. This beauty transforms their lives. This morning. As i've said we're talking about. Beauty. But it's not their skin deep kind of beauty that i want to talk with you about this morning it's not even the beauty that might be talked about when we talk about the complexity of our own physical body. We're talking about a different sort of beauty. When talking about beauty it can become very easy to become fixated on a sense of beauty as attractiveness or beauty as just about the suzuki. The each one of us hold. It's easy to talk about beauty as that which is pleasing to the eye that's our dominant conception of talking about. Beauty. And it's easy to understand why because. As we know there is a nelson industry devoted just to marketing a sense of that which is beautiful. To us. I think you all know much about this we know that there's all sorts of images communicated to us through commercials and magazines about that witches. Beautiful. I'll share with you as i was thinking about the sermon this morning and doing a little research i found that the cosmetics industry alone. Will bring in a revenue of 58.9 billion dollars. This year. Cosmetics industry of course. Based upon helping us to adorn ourselves and also taken images of beauty and try to. Match them onto our bodies. I want list for you this morning all the ways at the marketing of beauty images can distort. Our understanding of what is authentic beauty. They can and they do. I think that most of us here now. The authentic beauty lies not. In the covers of magazine pages. Or in a box of hair dye. Or in a tube of teeth whitening gel. That we might find at the drugstore. But in this context. To reclaim. Beauty. To reclaim an authentic sense of what is. Beautiful. Is actually a fairly radical. Meaning bringing us back to the roots. Everything. The chute. Of things that can bring forth new life. So this morning when i'm talking about beauty. I'm talking about the kind of breath. Taking beauty that stirs our hearts. It is hard to put language to because of its startling ability to wake us up. And help us remember what is most beautiful and true about our lives. And who we. Really are. It's the kind of living beauty that those two marion collins found. Explored and co-created together with the secret garden. It's kind of beauty that are two readings point as to this morning. I'm going to make a very strident claim this morning. I'm going to tell you that i believe our very lives. Depend on beauty. At the top of your order of service today there's a quote by sufi muslim scholar and poet. Rumi. And it says let the beauty we love be what we do. There are a hundred ways to kneel and kiss. The ground. Today we're talking about the kind of beauty that helps us. Recall what it is we most. Deeply loved. And i want to tell you why i think it is so very important. Two name and talk and claim our own sense of what is beautiful. It is because of what. You you author rebecca parker writes about when she says. We do not kill what we love. We do not kill what we love and what we call beautiful. Rather we choose to preserve it cherishes respect it. Have reverence for it. We champion at we sing about it we bless it with our very lives. Kind of beauty that i'm talking about. Ruth chandler says. Is really about a quality of being. It's about the radiance and energy of the struggle that moves through and into our being. The other reason i think our lives are very lives depend on beauty is because as we know we live in an aching. Time a challenging challenging time. When we turn on the news i think many of us feel that our hearts are breaking. But beauty restores our hearts. Beauty and fact might just be the remedy to despair and isolation that we might feel. And help us discern a response when we wonder how we should respond. 2018 world. Today i want to share with you just a few examples. And beauty. Things that i would call. Beautiful. And i will wonder. What you would call beautiful. And what stories you might tell. About beauty builders. And beauty shapers. The very first story i went to lift up. Is a story that is a true story the story of the beauty of overcoming fear. Somebody know i was on a vacation recently and during that. of time there was this escalation. In the middle east. It was fierce and it continues to be fears. And russia was making new in croatian. Intuit ukraine territories. Children at the you at the us mexico border i took in all this news i had a little more time and i typically have in my life to really research unspoken. All the news of the day and i'm sure all of you have been aware. Responding in your hearts and minds to what has been taking place in the world. Either very challenging. I'm at the same in the same cuz we can half the all these news pieces were coming out there was another piece of news. That really caught my attention. And that was the news about what happened at the unitarian universalist congregation in new orleans. Some of you might be where it's a story. It was covered in the la times and on the rachel maddow show. It's been picked up and covered and talked about cinema across the country on sunday morning july 20th members of the first unitarian universalist church of new orleans. Warren worship. Just as we are right now. And my colleague. Reverend deanna vandiver was leading worship in the sanctuary sanctuary just like ours. And the congregation was in the midst of acknowledging the death of a longtime beloved member. They were entering into an experience of. Purple. Meditation and quiet. And suddenly there was an unexpected voice that called out. And it said that the congregation was going to hell. And it began to shout and there was a group of people that rose and they unbuttoned their shirt. And it revealed that a group of people had come wearing a particular t-shirt with their message. This was a group of people that is a strident anti-abortion group. They had come to expressly disrupt the worship service that day. And that anti portion group is tentatively connected with the same group whose members shot and killed. Dr tiller on may 31st 2009. Dr. keller as some of you might be aware. Has been a doctor and an outspoken advocate for women's reproductive life. And health. He was shot in his church. In 2009. Severe on july 20th in new orleans at the uu congregation. These people began to shout and hurl very angry words at the congregation. And it appears with congregation was a particular target because they had opened their doors. Hospitality that open their doors to a clinic. Just a few blocks away but was providing abortion when that clinic wanted to hold their opening celebration and needed a spot the unitarian universalist congregation. Open their doors. True that day in the sanctuary undoubtedly there was shocked. There was fear. And people were surprised at the vitriol that they were experiencing. And my colleague said from the pulpit and a very gentle way those who would like to stay. And worship are more than welcome to do so. And those who do not wish to stay and worship. We kindly encourage you to take your leave. Now what happened next. Because we're talking about beauty today what happened next is what i find truly astounding. In the congregation there was a group of youths of young people who had come for a social justice training. With the unitarian universalist college of social justice. They have been learning all the week before about spirituality and social change. And loving responses. And what did they do. Well spontaneously they stood. And they took hands. And they began to sing. And they sang circle round for freedom. Circle round 4-piece. For all of us in prison circle for release. And this is the song that most people in the congregation new and the congregation just started singing. There was an eyewitness account and i want to share with you just a few words from this. This person's name is steven. And he wrote about his experience that day on sunday he says those brilliant youth leaders in their infinite wisdom. I'm riding the wave of justice and solidarity from the week before join hands and let us in singing. They continued for a while. And few of us peacefully squirted. The insurgents outside. Meanwhile i scored its require members of the infringing group back to their seats. Agreeing to engage in civil dialogue with them after the service. On the condition that they remain respectful for the remainder of it. This is the tide of love. Which so much more which is so much more powerful than fear so much stronger than hatred. Firmly and gently pushing the disturbance out onto the sidewalk. We're continuing its demonstrations safely outside of our worship set space. Please see the most disruptive people were squirted. And there were efforts made for civil dialogue. And the worship service continued in the spirit in which it had begun. There's a lot more to say about this incident but i believe that the reason it's gotten so much coverage. Is because none of sensationalism. But because of the loving response of the congregation itself. The congregation learn something about who they really are that day. But they're capable not a matching harsh word for harsh word. But rather for holding one another. And those that are different. In love and respect. No doubt the story challenges us in anyway. But i've been talking with many unitarian universalist who told them. Told me. They've never been more proud to be unitarian universalist. Then when hearing about the story. And saudi men are you i was conversing with said he felt no more proud of you you. Then when he heard of the christ-like response. Of the youth in new orleans. When their own sacred space was entered in this fashion. True beauty. True beauty this we recognize when we look at images. From the civil rights movement when people chose not to interact with one another. Exchanging ugly word for ugly word but rather to sing. The hold hands. To demonstrate and become. Spontaneously or plans in the moment. To become. The love and the beauty that we still awake to see in the world. We joined with many other faith traditions. Including christians and muslims and jews. I'm practicing being the world that we so ache. And long. To behold and participate in. In our hymnal wasting him called that goes speak not. Afar for beauty. Low it grows in. Duet grasses. And our feet. Perhaps beauty is indeed a loving and clear response. In the face of hatred and fear. So my point today which i hope is clear with the story is not to vilify. The group that entered and disrupted the service but rather to lift up but is possible when a people so grounded. And they're loving faith. Meet intimidation with honor and dignity of grace. The president of our unitarian universalist association reverend peter morales he says you know what interesting we get asked what do you use believe that maybe that's not really the best question. Bread that love beyond belief. Maybe i think i wonder. Maybe were drawn together not by what we believe. But by what we love. The beauty that we love. And this becomes the ground advice coming together with our face neighbors to work together in common cause. When we name. The beauty that we all love. Two more very brief stories. Butt lift up. Beauty builders and beauty shapers. This next one i want to share with you is the simple beauty of human kindness. Many years ago my husband and i pizza's here this morning. We are on a ski trip. We're going to tahoe and it was snowing. We had a friend with us in the car and we were listening to music we were telling stories passing the time and there was a huge huge blizzard. And that night we passed many cars ad from stranded on the side of the road i imagine you've had experiences like this as well. In the snowy times andes mountains. So we were anxious to get to our lodge in our destination. But keith's. And he's pretty humble so he says he only did this. 4 *. I say that he must be fatigued. Because of all the hard work he accomplished. And he did it more like six or eight times. But we stopped. And we stopped. And we stopped again pete pulled over the car again. And again and again. He pulled over the car put on his gloves. Shut the door and went on through the snow to tap on. Doors. And the windows of the cars that have been pulled over. And my friend remarks on this. My friend said once twice i can understand we are stopping every. And we were. And we did. Keep decision to pause every time and pull over made an impression on me. This is the beauty of basic human kindness present when we stop. And we pause. We pause to see what is needed. Reminds me of that anyone anywhere can be a bringer of beauty. We can be beauty builders beauty growers by simply recalling that in daily life. Offering a kind word or a kind action. Can literally. Change someone's life. Or i can change their evening. Or i can get them to their next place of refuge. That's the beauty of simple human kindness. I told you a story about the beauty of love overcoming fear that was the story of the beauty of simple human kindness. I'm going to close this morning was sharing it with you just one more. This is the kind of beauty that restores our human heart. That breakthrough to us giving us a sense of hope even in the most. Desolate. The story is also a true story. As you can tell they're all. Stories that the secret garden one this morning. There's a writer named jung chang who grew up and now it's china. She now writes from her home in england she's an academic she's a creative author. And she explains that in the early days of her childhood her family was sent from a drab cement compound. In china. To a beautiful old apartment at the very top floor of a three-story house. And this is a quote about what she says when they're transferred into this house. From her experience growing up in now as china she says in those days beauty was so despised that my family was sent to this lovely house as a punishment. The main floor was big and rectangular with a parquet floor. Three sides were glass which made it brilliantly light. And on a clear day offered a panoramic view. The distance snowy mountains. On a calm night lying in bed. With the moon light filtering through the windows. And the shadow of a tall paper mulberry tree dancing on the wall. I was filled with joy. Like so many stories of living under and bearably. Brutal conditions. Change story names the way in which. Beauty. Became a humanizing. Healing sort of experience awakening and in her this sense of joy that broke through her despair. Challenging. Situation she and her family were facing. So it is that beauty itself natural beauty and our human ability to recognize beauty and respond to that beauty. Reminds us that we are more than objects we are not objects that we are subject human people with hearts and senses. Licking cats. A fleeting taste of the infant. M&m beauty helps us. Of the infinites. And we feel it. And we remember it and we know it then we remember who we really are. Human beings capable. I've being beauty. And naming beauty. Those are the three stories that i wanted to share with you today and again i wonder. What are the beauty store is he would name. Who are the beauty builders and beauty shapers that stick in your mind and renew your heart. In the secret garden. The main character mary she had a hunt for that key. Did hunt for the key to open up that garden. I think many of us are hunting. For the key. Hunting for the way forward. Away towards beauty in the midst of pain and then it's suffering that we know is occurring. I talked to you this morning about the secret garden which was a walled garden. And sometimes when we hear the word paradise. We think of paradise as a garden. A garden that's hard to get to. Perhaps walled off from us because paradise is talked about. As something off and that. We only might experience here after. Here after death. But i wonder about paradise in the present. And along with so many other people of different faiths traditions there is an emerging conversation about what it means to think of paradise not so much as the hereafter. But as creating the possibilities of what we call paradise. Right here and right now in our time. Perhaps it is then that the key to paradise is not death. But rather. Life. And i'm figuring out that which we call beauty. Intending this garden. This garden right here and right now. I've mentioned to you that beauty building and beauty restoring beauty growing as a remedy for despair. When we participate in bringing beauty forward in the world. We add some back. And we proclaim who we really are. There are opportunities for us to be bringers. Of paradise. And seekers and growers of beauty at every turn. Now i do think is a time for us to be in the habit of naming and claiming. The beauty that we love. What is the beauty that you love. How can you bring that beauty into the world. Let us join together with all of your beauty builders and beauty growers in the world. May the beauty that we love be what we do. Let now be a time when we throw open. The gates to the garden. Blessed be i say. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

150517_social-justice.mp3

Thank you i want to welcome forward now members of the social justice steering committee who will share with you a little bit about the next steps unfolding in the realm of social justice work. On behalf of the congregation will the social justice books please come forward. I'm barbara taylor and in the fall of 2013. Several members of the uc individually approached reverend are about their beliefs. That the uuc should be involved as a congregation in social justice. A social justice silence was held that november to explore together the next iteration of organized social justice ministry at uuc. About 50 people attended. From the beginning we focused on trying to find a way to live ruu values by creating structural change. As distinguished from the important service work of the community service team. At the summons we participated in short interviews of each other which presaged the listening campaign to come. A few people indicated their interest in participating in a steering committee for social justice. And in the spring of 2014 the steering committee invited interested people to be listeners in our campaign and how the training session. Come fall we began signing up folks who wanted to have their social justice concerns heard. From january on we met many times to review what congregants told us about their social justice concerns. With particular attention to what touch them personally. We trained 16 listeners to interview use and hear their concerns and stories. These trainees then interviewed 60 members of his congregation. The steering committee over the winter read and discussed every single interview. We dissected and analyzed every person's concerns. And at this time we wish to extend to these listeners and interviewees our heartfelt thanks. Participating in this project. Following the completion of our listening campaign. We review the summaries of those kind of. Conversations to find the common threads. That would lead to a social justice focus. For our congregation. There were several problem areas that stood out. Inequality of wealth. Women's rights. And mental health. We have chosen mental health as our focus for congregational action in the next year. We used an organ organizing frame. To hone in on this focus. And our service papac on may 3rd mental health and wellness. Demonstrated the connection to our congregation. That we have to this issue. I'm moving testimonial by our present president margo walter. And the interchange between the congregation and the panel. Spoke. Clearly to the help. Heartfelt concern. We have for the impact of mental health issues on our lives. When we were asked to stand if we. A family member or someone dear to us was affected by mental illness. Nearly the entire congregation stood. We hope and trust that we can join in the effort. Read. Relive the possibility. Relieves gizmag relieve the possibility and remove some of the burdens mental health issues in pose. Going forward the social justice steering committee will continue to investigate how we might work on the problems associated with mental illness. Not only at the local level but at the county and state level as well. We will delve deeply. Deeper into what areas need to be addressed. And how we can collaborate with other mental health agencies and faith groups. To identify a specific area where a structural change. Can be made. Once this has been determined we will begin working to make this happen. It said earlier mental illness and the stigma attached. Affects us all. And if we is a congregation and as a community can find a way. To alleviate even a little of the suffering it causes. It will be well worth the effort. Please stay tuned. And engage because we will need your help as we move closer to our goal of social justice for all. And yesterday the steering committee hosted a day of training for faith rooted organizing and this was presented by reverend sonya. We had 32 attendees who represented agencies and organizations around the new river valley. Reverend y'all was very informative and inspiring. And you know it is a good conference when nobody sneaks out at lunch time so we are now ready to go forward on our social justice spiritual journey. Thank you. Thank you.

uucnrv_org

150802_ess_lammos.mp3

Welcome cuz the august 2nd service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is lead a worship associate victoria taylor. Representing purspirit sisters. And a seam islamist celebration. The podcast begins was a reflection on llamas. Remember jar labret. Mama's. Lamas is the feast of bread. It occurs on august 1st. And it's one of the ancient celtic harvest festivals. Celebrate first fruiting. And first harvest of the growing season. Also known as lughnasadh. Between the seeds of grain ripen. And the first corn is cut. It's a signifier that harvest is upon us. And we began our preparations for autumn's final harvest. And we create stores for the winter. These first grains were baked into bread. And other ripening fruits and vegetables were prepared for a great feast. It was kind of known as kind of like the first. Green. Bread sacrifice. Like other festivals based upon agriculture and seasonal cycles. Mama's honors the natural cycles. Of the earth. We observe and make connections between the seasonal cycle of seed plant fruit. Going to see it again. With a cycle of birth life death. And rebirth of all creatures. Mama's just as many modern festivals. And holidays. I rooted in ancient times and the worship of deities on humans dependent. To bless their crops. And ensure a bountiful harvest. On this day we honor correct. A goddess. We honor women who created agriculture. In ancient times all-grain was. Refer to ask corn. With a k. And this word comes from corre. There was also another many other names for kure in ancient times. To the romans she was series. From which we derive the word cereal. Legends also tell us a blue. An irish god. A master of arts and crafts. Who dedicated this festival to his stepmother. Tile 2. Declared a great for us. So that the land could be cultivated. Lucite entrance into the great feast of the gods of tyra. He learn many skills. The practice persistence until he was allowed a place at the table. So while we celebrate the harvest we honor corre. I remember the sacrifice of tile 2. Declared the plains of ireland. And the perseverance of blue. Who knocked until he was given a place at the table. So what does lomas mean to us today. We perform the rituals associated with planting growing and harvesting grain. We educate ourselves about nutritious whole grains. The cranes that satisfies. Versus green products that are empty and do not satisfy. We bake bread. We break bread together. We express our thanks and gratitude for the food on their tables. Some of us go into the hills and create bonfires. Some make pilgrimages. Pilgrimages to sacred sites. We celebrate the fresh fruits of summer. But there is more to lamas. After the harvest lomas gives us an opportunity. For rest and quiet reflection. To examine our inner lives. Making bread requires transformation. Transformation of the grain by grinding it in flour. And naked and spread. Which is transformed again. When it is used by a anis. To sustain us. We may have attained a place at the table. Ambria to satisfy our bodies hunger. But this is also a chance to think about seeds of change. Seeds of change we plant. Nurture and bring to fruition. Disease that can transform us. And move us closer to realizing our goals. And our dreams and our deepest desires. Are we taking the harvest of all of our experiences. And lessons learned during the past year and transforming them into wisdom and food for our souls. My hope for this lamas is that we will give thanks. And enjoy the harvest of food for body and soul. An intern share those fruits. The fruits of our lives with others so that they may also have a place at the table. Thank you. The sharing bread ritual is designed to celebrate the harvest and the spirit of community. We're going to pass bread. Through the congregation. Take a piece of bread for yourself. And as you eat the simple bread remember that this gray and once swayed in the wind. This grain was made in soil. Made from rock of the earth. And the remnants of plants and animals that lived long ago and some not so long ago. This grain was watered with rain this bread contains the rushing waters of the rivers and the ocean. This grain is filled with the fiery energy of the sun. The heat of the oven. And the work of many hands. As aggrandize it transforms to bread. And brings us life. Throughout the year. We bless this bread. And it is it blesses us in return and we are thankful for the gifts of the harvest. So what we're going to do is pass. The bread. To each other and as you pass and give it to your neighbor bless them with spy saying may you reap the blessings of the harvest. Let's take a moment in silent reflection on what it was like to be blessed and to bless our neighbors. What a lovely ritual. What a lovely and meaningful ritual. Bass in simplest of. Of elements of bread and of neighbors and it's sharing. And look at how much abundance we have. There's so much in our lives so much to be grateful for. During this time of year the weather is mild. The hours of sunlight long and fresh food is plenty. There is so much to do so many people to see so much to learn so much beauty the world is such an abundant place. Thanks so much. So much i want so much i need. So much i don't know so much i don't have. Just world we live in. Through so much. There's so much. Disparity so much violence so much need. It's a terrible world. There's so much. It isn't even a question of whether the glass is half-empty or half-full it is just full. It's full of so many things clamoring for my attention. Families clients repairs bills desires duties celebrations obligations causes. This richness and fullness can boggle the mind leading to overwhelm and feeling seven adequacy. I can't do everything about everything. But what i can do. Is to be grateful. I can notice my blessings. And i can express my thanks. Gratitude practices enable us to cut through this overwhelm. And to begin to focus on what is important to us. What is present. And what is available to us right now. While preparing for the service i did some research on percival chubb as i mentioned earlier. And he wrote an essay entitled the reinterpretation of thanksgiving. And in that very humanist. Peace. He recognized that the expression of gratitude is actually a very essential a part of civilized society. He recognized that because of. Industrialization we have become so dependent on the efforts of each other. That without gratitude we couldn't support the social fabric. And the common good and the the very fabric of our material and social relation is. And i just love that modern take. On something that we think is so. Ancient. Gratitude. So in my life gratitude practices serve as a way to focus. I'm what is present and what is important. A daily gratitude practice has enabled me to look for abundance rather than to look for scarcity. Sometimes the gratitudes are very small i got a free pastry at panera. The moon looks nice tonight. But i have learned as i cultivate my. Gratitude's there's an abundance snowball. As i look past my resentments and face those feelings of injustice. I noticed the miraculous people in my life the beauty of our valley. And begin to celebrate my own accomplishments. Through these acknowledgements i have more clarity about what i can contribute and what i can't. About what brings me energy enjoy and what and who don't. And how and where i can make a difference. This is a good thing. Give thanks. I have learned that abundance takes many forms we each have so many gifts and so much to offer. We incorporate several gratitude practices into our sharing here at the uuc. For example the sharing of joy's allows us to mark the celebratory events in our friends and neighbors live. We acknowledge our gifts of time talent and money during our offering affirmation. This practice celebrate each and every one of our contributions. We each have so much. And we have a relatively new practice of the half-plate sheeran. Each week we celebrate their shared abundance and experience the joy of giving. We have so much. Thank you. And today we have broken and shared bread together. With lots left over. Thank you. As mr chubb wrote in 1912. Gratitude is a form of joy. It's office is to liberate to purify and intensify the sentiment of our thankfulness. So that it may irrigate the dry soil of our lives. Two new fruitfulness. And a benefit. Benefit. Beneficent action. Thank you. So now i'd like to give you each one of you an opportunity to share about your experience of the ritual or a reflection on abundance or gratitude. So if you have something to share please raise your hand and a mike will be. I just had a birthday but i'm grateful for the abundance. I'm stephanie gilmore and i used to try in the middle of everything else i was doing when my kids were young. I used to try to bake bread. And every time i managed to 2. Put together two or three hours that i didn't have to be somewhere else. When i could actually do the. The process of bacon. Brad. I felt. Like such. A good person and such a good mother. And i felt and i don't know that i'd better mother for baking bread. But i felt connected. Yeah what he has had to do that. But i felt connected. 2. Grandmothers who baked bread. 2. One grandfather who was a farmer. And i also used to remember i'm. I want. Go on too long. I also remembered as i did that. A summer or two on my grandparents farm in southeastern iowa. When they were this was before hogs and soybean. Took over as the only crop sandy. And they were raising grain and i'm sorry i don't know what it was. But i was there when they were threshing. And the pressure would put. The grain into big. Truck. Truck. Trailers. And i would ride in there. At the grasshopper. I would ride around the fields as the grain was harvest. And it was. Also for me baking bread. And eating homemade bread. Step to the people who made it. Today. Thank you. Casey. I'm casey arsenault. I have a vegetable garden in my backyard it's the second year for the vegetable garden it's an organic garden. And the corn is tasseling right now which i think is just. Beautiful. But it's a small garden it really is. Student growing corn the reason i grow the corn is that. I was able to obtain some non-gmo seeds. It's a native american variety supposedly at opie and thousands of years old. So i am growing corn to what. Maybe illegal. Illegally save seeds so at least i can i can keep this train going. And i'm grateful for that opportunity and it makes me feel virtuous. Keep him this corn alive. The other thing i wanted to say is that those of you who know me know that i have a strong feeling for. Animals in for particular for the wildlife that are so pressured. In a suburban environment. So. Be careful what you wish for. Because couple of weeks ago a bear invaded my home garden. Which my yard is so hospitable for the wildlife it has shade i provide water and apparently i provide vegetables. I didn't see the bear. But it left a bear size hole in the netting and it left me a present on the lawn. So for that reason i'm pretty sure it was a bear. An 8-ball a migraine tomatoes and didn't touch anything else. I have no tomatoes this year but you know just be careful what you wish for. I'm sad i have an infinite amount of gratitude. Sakura. I have a mental illness and i'm grateful for the therapy team that i have. The medicine that i take which makes me. Fortunately not mentally ill and must understand us. And i have a new apartment which is palatial and. Just. Just incredible to live in. I've got wonderful friends. Left and right. And. A very good father who makes my life wonderful. And. It's a joy to be alive and to be. I'm not homeless which i could be to not be. Bog down by mental illness which i could be. I live in normal essentially middle-class life. I do the work that i want to do i enjoy my life is i want to enjoy it. And it's a modern-day miracle. Presby thank you sis. Hi i'm brian just mentioned. Sharing. Attitudes during the day and. I would have a quote or one of our family friends. Synonym for dinner one night. And it did something called. Highlight of the day or something like that but it was basically. Something that you were thankful for really enjoyed in the day so just made me think about that and was something that we kind of picked up as well. Doing a dinner time hey what was your highlight of your day or gratitude of the day. Busby. Live a bear story 2. Casey. Telling her story. Encourage me to tell my bill paterson. And i live in i live in the boonies of floyd county. So you might think will bears in no big deal there in probably they're not. But i live there for 15 years. I've heard about bears. In the area or a bear i don't. Uno switch. How many there are. Well i took a walk the other evening after supper and. As i was coming back down bethlehem church road and which i live. All the sudden there was a bear. It's the first one i've seen. The whole time i've been in floyd county 15 years. I never in fact it's the first bear i've seen in a long time and i cannot remember the last time i saw a bear. Or where it was i've seen him i've seen bears i remember seeing bears. You know here and there but i cannot remember the last time i saw one. And i have been ever since i've been hearing about the bear. In my area i've been somehow or other maybe perversely wanting to see the bear. Well i've seen it now and i. And fortunately. Took off it didn't didn't like my parents eyes pose. Although i was quite happy to see it. So i'm. There's a bears in people people in the you know the bear went over the mountain you know. And we met the bear and it is us right. Thank you val for that story is anyone else have a experience of gratitude or abundance they would like to share this morning. Hi my name is rebecca. And it's been a busy month for me. I work in a very busy practice as a midwife and. July was one of our busiest months so far. This year and so. We work 24-hour shifts and. I met my record of six babies in one 24-hour session. So i was exhausted as were many of my family's but as i went from family to family and baby2baby. It was an abundance of the new life but also i felt gratitude that everyone was safe and healthy that day. And it has been a year since i've been that practice it it was. Very crown daemonheim kratts grateful. But that was pihera anniversary of being there and that there's been such a thunder my life. Thank you rebecca. In the back. I too have a small garden but i have a. An abundance of green tomatoes and and no bear. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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160207_do_rose-wintertime.mp3

Welcome to the february 7th service at the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by are settled minister reverend aeronet. And the theme for the service is a rose in the wintertime. Contributing to the service are members of the union seal a pastoral care ministry. Cynthia luke and barbara taylor. As well as you you see member ben logan. The podcast begins with a pastoral prayer. I invite you now to join with one another in myself. In an experience of prayerful. Reflection. Spirit of love. Spirit of courage. We come together this day. Behold all of those hurting in our heart. We come together and express our love and care. For those within and beyond our walls you are in need of solace support. We remember that in times like these. It is so very good. Happy together. Spirit of love tenderize to our own experience. And help awaken and asking appreciation for the. Experience. That lives in another's heart. Spirit of love to stay help us to remember the beauty. That we know and cherish. Help us to promote this with the very testament of our own living. As we grieve let us also celebrate. That which makes life worth. Living. Add lettuce promote these things. By our action. And i work. Indwelling source of love and hope help us to not be quick to lash out. To those we love and those are known to us. Help us also not to hideaway are feeling. Help us grow strong and courageous in giving voice to that which needs voicing and allowing ourselves. Spaces of silence. Quiet. For that is. May we speak. And that which is most. Truthful. The best we know. Of the human heart. Let us extend our care to all of those. In the precious. Web of life. Tribute. To the healing. Of the center. + 50. And. This morning and our worship service are seen as rose and winter time as i think you probably already started c. The idea is that each one of us by caring deeply for another has the opportunity to bring. Roses in winter time. Maybe some of you have been moved in your own heart or life experience by receiving a rose in winter time the gift of. Caring maybe unexpected caring that arrived right when you had needed it. This morning i would like to lift up in this annual service a rose in winter time. Really like to lift up the hearing ministries of our congregation. You're going to be hearing in just a few moments from cynthia luke. Who is the. Facilitator of our lay pastoral care ministry also be hearing briefly from ben logan who will share with you all some of his experience with the lay pastoral care ministry in this congregation. I want to say to you three things about the caring ministry of this congregation. There are three main pieces. Number one in the caring ministry this congregation is your minister i'm available to be with small groups and to be with individuals when you are at time of critical transition. Crisis. Stress. People are welcome to make appointments with me by contacting me and i look forward to responding to you. As i hear about urgent and emergent pastoral needs from our lay pastoral care team and the other ways that i hear about it when people kind of share information in the congregation with me. I look forward to making visits to you and your home. Visited with somebody when your home's already hospital visits etc. So as a minister i am one point. In the caring ministry 11-piece of the caring ministry. We also have another piece of the formal caring ministry and that's the lady pastoral care associates. Delay pastoral care associates. Do a ministry of presence. That means that the lie pastoral care ministry associates are available to convey with people as they are wrestling with meaning-making and need someone to just listen as they unfold whatever it is that is occurring in your life if you need a witness or someone to hold your hand. Not to tell you what to do not to fix things not to provide verbal intervention but really just to listen. In a non-judgmental and supportive fashion. That's what the lay pastoral care ministry. Is about a little bit more from cynthia luke about. The third part of the caring ministry is the informal part. And i would like to name this cuz i think it's a really important part of what happens in a strong congregational life. The informal caring network. Is the caring that already just happen. The caring that you all do with each other when you're in small groups circle suppers when you're in religious education classes when you're grabbing a cup of coffee or tea and you learned that someone struggling and you just listen. Or you show up in another important way. That's the informal network and that's to be named as a good. We got the minister we got the lay pastoral care team and we've got the. Informal network. And i just remembered that i missed one other. Credibly important piece. I do apologize. We have our. Caring group are caring committee that provide practical care. So this is a formal part of our network when people need rise or meals that sort of thing. Are carrying team. Can become aware of those needs and respond by providing practical support. These are all the different ways that are caring ministry comes together to serve the good of the whole of our beloved community. Before saying anymore i want to take a moment to acknowledge right now those who serve presently in ale pastoral care ministry. If your present please stand lay pastoral care associates bridgette flowers. Andrea kelso. He's not here. Cynthia luke. Chain mahone. Linda pfeiffer is not here barber taylor. Take a look these are some of the lay past rural carrier associate that work closely with me and with all of you to accompany people in a non-judgmental supportive listening present. At times of need. If you are now someone who's not presently serving this year but you've served in years past on the way past real care ministry team can you please stand to be acknowledged. You know who you are. Let us please give these folks around of applause. If you are someone that has served as part of the practical care ministry on providing meals or rides and times of need can we have you please stand and the two captains of that group the stand to. That would be great. If i polished. Polly stimpson. Yeah. And judy fur. Kitties are some of the folks and make it possible to attend to practical concerns in times of need can we please give those folks. Rattlesnake. Here the last things i want to say to you this morning before turning it over to hear more from those four active lay leaders in this program. Folks as we know. Life is precious. If nothing else this is one of the things that the events of the past week have yet reminded us that. Is a buddhist teacher named jack kornfield who brings awareness to what matters most. And at the end of life. He talks about. The things that really matter. Did i love well. Did i love well. The question the people often ask. At the end of their lives not that i publish the best book did i live in a fancy house did i build something. Did i love wow. But things nor life he says that matter most are not plantastica grande. They are the moment when we touch another. When we are there in the most attentive or caring way. This is simply an. The most profound intimacy it's the love that we all look for. Did i love well. Did i live. Fully. And that i learn to let go. I believe the caring ministry of a congregation. Incredibly important. One of the most important things that we. Is my deep joy each month to meet with members of the lay pastoral care. Ministry team who work on a very simple but very demanding spiritual. That discipline is showing up. Listening. Without judgement. Anna company. It's hard to do. Sounds simple but it's hard to do. Show up. Listen without judgement. Anna company. Meaning share a piece of the road with someone else. Not yet in the middle of the road and start pointing out where the next turns are. Just. Accompanying someone right where they are. On the road. Some people may think that what is this why would i just want to come and talk to someone they're not going to tell me things are offer me guidance yet there's a lot of places where that can happen. But this isn't that. This is an opportunity to be in a very simple and profound relationship. In which the focus is on the person who wants to talk. And the other person is equal in all ways. Except for the focus of attention. The lake hospital care associate enters into this relationship knowing that it might be short or it might be long. But the focus attention doesn't need to be on then. The focus is on the person who wants to share it needs to release needs to verbalize. And have it not be done alone. This is different than what happens with friends and family members because friends and family members are really invested. Right. Sometimes really hard as friends and family members to really just listen and let someone unfold without judgment exactly what they need to stay and hold them in there and folding fullness cuz you really care you want to get in there and fix that you wanted to be better you wanted to be different. Some of you have spaciousness like that and some of your clothes internet relationships that's wonderful. But this is something we formally offer in the congregation. You have something on your heart. You just need to talk. And you want someone to walk with. Before we go into the details. I want you all to be able to experience just a little bit of what the lay pastoral care associates. They're working right now from a book. Called the art of listening. And healing way. And. I want to share with you a few quotes from that. And invite you to sit. Quietly. Receiving these words. So can i invite barbara taylor. Angie mahone please come forward. And. What invite you to do now. Is to simply receive now the teaching. But some of the lay pastoral care associates are sitting with as they trained to be really good lay pastoral care associates. Just listen to these words. Experienced pilots in between. Then you'll have an opportunity here a little bit more about the program. So. Oh the comfort. The inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person. Having neither to weigh thoughts. Nor to measure words. To pour them all out. Just as it is. Chaff and green together. Knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them keeping what is worth keeping and then. With the breath of kindness blow the rest away. Surrenders. You release your own will so you can follow the lead of the others will. As it relates to the communication between you. This surrender includes letting go of the need to insert your ego however subtly into this experience. No one is so rich that he does not need another's help. No one is so poor. Is not to be useful in some way to his fellow man. And the disposition to ask assistance for mothers with confidence. And to grant it with kindness. Is part of our very nature. Your surrender may also mean holding back on the impulse to share your own experience. Even though the other person's story may resonate closely with yours. Healing listening ask you to stay out of the way. So that what is most healing for another has the best possible chance of appearing and then growing. It involves a mutual invitation. To trust in the support. That holds both of you. As you open together to the mystery of life as it flows. There are moments when silence prolonged and unbroken. More expressive maybe that all the words ever spoken. It is when the heart has an instinct. Of what. In the heart of another is passing. As much as possible. Be the slave not the king. Allow yourself to be struck. Be the ball not the bat. Rumi. Cynthia luke will you please come forward. Sometimes each of us needs more than words of encouragement or a hug from a friend. Lay pastoral care associates our volunteers from our congregation who are selected. Trained and supervised. On a consistent basis. Fire minister. Reverend darrell roland. Each team member has been trained in compassionate listening and caring presence. Andaz. Formally commissioned or recognized by the congregation. For being part of this important shared ministry. Associates are available for those who would welcome a visit. Or who are experiencing difficult circumstances. Or are encountering a time of transition and which they could use some confidential. Non-judgemental ongoing support. The purpose is to provide the sustaining ministry of hope. And caring. So the congregation congregants need not suffer or struggle alone through life's hard times. By listening to another. One is able often to find their own direction. Lpcm associates may visit congregants or ill at home or in the hospital. Support those going through major life transitions or crises. Maintain contact with those unable to attend ucc due to illness or disability. Support family and friends who involved and caregiving. And comfort the bereaved. Lpm calls these more social monthly support. As friendly visits. Lpcm provides an important branch of our caring network as. Dara has explained. The program started in april of 2012 and is accessible to all congregants at ucc. They're also talked about the caring support groups and we access those. By calling either judy fur or polly stimpson. Often people need to be encouraged to think about transportation and meals. Why does uuc have the lady pastor care ministry. Trained lay members for finding compassionate listening presents builds a more loving and vital community. Caring for each other and a conscious way is important to the life of the congregation. One congregate said. Sometimes all that is needed is a physical presence of a caring person. Knowing that you're not alone. They gave me the courage to do the impossible. To weather the grief and survive and i'm eternally thankful. The members of lpcm. Find the time shared with congregant is a blessing to both people in the relationship. Another person said. But it's been wonderful about lpcm assistance is that i have not needed to worry about these feelings or fears. I can complain and whine and admit that i'm frightened and they take it in stride. What a fine way our congregation has found to minister to each other and i'm in bensley grateful. Escudero said she often meets with people in their homes or at the congregation and makes hospital visits. Working together. We have formed a robust. Pastoral care ministry serving this community. The purpose of rucc pastoral care network. Is to ensure. That those in need of accompaniment and support. Have ongoing opportunities for connection when it is needed and appreciated. We know that it takes bravery on your part to request help. It means admitting that we are vulnerable. And may not be able alone. To work out the stressful or complicated situations. Another congregants said sometimes it's hard to ask for or accept help. We think we should be strong enough not to need anything from anyone. But we all need someone to be for with us. At some point even if it's just to listen as we sort through our thoughts and feelings. As i went through one of the most difficult times in my life it was a lifesaver to have a program like this someone else said. If you would like to learn more or request to be matched with an lpcm associate. You can email lpcm at uuc an rv. org. You may contact era directly. At minister at uuc an rv. org or leave a confidential voice message for her. On the on the telephone. Each associate or uuc staff member may also be approached. They will bring the request. To myself and toderas attention. And you can find out. Who we are. By noticing. Honor name tags. That it says lpcm. So look it up. Thank you. I laughed and very important word comes this morning from ben logan who will share with us. Personal reflection on the impact of this program in his life benefiel come forward. Insure with us thing. Hello there. Maybe i'll try to inject a little bit of humor. Into some serious issues with my family. A penny. If anyone has known me for a few years they probably. See me react with. Great hostility. And this. Is fear of being manipulated. And that's true whether i work for you really. Andy rard or maybe i've worked maybe i've done volunteer work with the uu and planted one or two or three trees and the. Ron plays because i really thought that's where they should go. Or maybe. Baby blood with me at a beautiful community like shadow lake village. I've always. Been capable. Spoiling everyone. And no one's were mystified that i have been. I tried. Define censored of wisdom about these things. Some magic bullet. There has not been. But a year-and-a-half ago i came back from latin america. And it was great victory for me. To go. I stayed for a month with my sister and brother-in-law. Yeah. On their farm which was where i was raised. And it was beautiful. I know that. My brother-in-law terry was in. Extremely patient man. I'm married to. A female version of myself. At how they got along together for 42 years is a complete mystery to me. Just a couple months. After i left. The farm. My. Dear brother-in-law terry. Diagnosed with. Stage 4 pancreatic cancer. He was given six months. He did not even make sick. Months. I was bewildered. I wanted so much to. Go home and be with my family. And from my family guy encounter the same kind of. Hostility. And the fear of. Manipulation. Did i myself at express. So where did i turn to i. Compliment unhealthy family situation but i need a healthy family. I've been a member here for over ten years and. This is my healthy family. And with the resources of lay pastoral care. I was able. To just talk. And know that i was being listened to. I didn't need it i deep inside i just needed to know that. It was fine for me to be me that no miracles were directly expected. It's been. Almost a year since my. Brother-in-law has died. My sister-in-law is my sister is still in great pain. Emotionally and medically. And. Talking with her condition. Bagby. A little ornery. But. Because of leap astrocare. I know that. I have health. Here. Dad. I don't have to have. Elsewhere in my life. That reason for these reasons i recommend. Play pastoral care if you. Have a pain in your heart or on your mind. Please turn turn to the resources. That you find here. I thank you. May there be roses. May there be ever roses and when. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

140323_do_g-d.mp3

Welcome to the march 23rd service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by are settled minister. Reverend arrowland. The title of her sermon is how do you spell god. Or. The great god sermon. The podcast begins with a reflection by worship associate frank napolitano. And since the. Theme of the service today is god and god talk i was asked to share personal reflection. With all of you on what the concept of god mean. For me. The concept of god has different intellectual connotations and emotional resonances. For almost anyone. Ranging from positive things. Like parents. Friend. Guardian. Advocate. Savior or spirit of life. 2 - 1. Like judge. Bully. Political bludgeon. Justifier. Or antiquated explanation. For the inexplicable. There are also the neutral connotations. God for some of us means nothing. And has no bearing on our ethics worldview or happiness. I've conceived of god and all of these lights. But i'd like to share only the ones that have resonated strongly in my life today. Like many here i was raised catholic. And taught about the trinity of the father son and holy spirit. Of these three persons the father has always been the one who has held most most significance for me. Like some of you perhaps. I have longed for a stable protector and guide. As a child i would chuckle during mass. At the promise of being held in the bosom of abraham. But as an adult. Even one who identifies readily as auu i still find myself yearning for the refuge. That only a divine parent can offer. As a parent now i find myself invoking that protector every time i see my family walk out the door. And i say goodbye and god bless. The world's uncertainties are easier to face sometimes. Under the shelter of a protector. Shelters of course can provide shadow. As well as protection. And they sometimes block that which can be most beneficial to us. I joined our congregation because of my ambivalence toward a divine figure. It's easy for me to thank god for the blessings i could have experienced. But it's hard to reconcile god's place in the world so full of suffering and injustice. I am also deeply uncomfortable with any conception of god or spirituality that excludes people. Damning one group while saving others. Moreover i chafe at the idea of god as a moralistic judge. The god of my childhood was such a voice. Sounding in my head a bit like charlton heston. God's voice express disapproval of my thoughts and actions. As i've grown older i've come to recognize that voice. Which sounds a bit more like my own now. As my own conscience. And i began to honor those moments when it tells me i've done the right thing. Not just the wrong thing. This conscience by the way is still very much informed by the morals i learned from. Catholicism. The golden rule turn the other cheek. Etc. But i see these moral precepts as guidelines for all humanity now. Precept shared not only by the world's major religions. But by atheism secular ethics and philosophy. And though i love this community. I've always felt a bit hesitant to talk about god here. I suppose it's partly because of the professor in me doesn't want to seem superstitious or irrational. I also know that many of us think and feel very differently about the topic and i don't want to impose my own ideas on them. I do wonder though. What types of conversations we could have. If we were to discuss the concept of god more often. What would be an acceptable level of god talk for our congregation. Perhaps we might be surprised. At the myriad definition of god or the gods shared in this room. Perhaps a discussion of god. Whether we believe in one or not. Would allow us to be more open. Honest. And vulnerable with each other. Allowing members of our beloved community. To share what resonates most deeply in our spiritual lives. Our first reading this morning comes from a unitarian universalist poet. Her name is nancy schaefer. It's called that which holds. All. Because she wanted everyone to feel included in her prayer. She said right at the beginning several names for the holy. Spirit she said only one mystery god. But then thinking that there weren't enough ways of addressing that which cannot be fully addressed. She added particularities. Saying spirit of life. Spirit of love. Ancient holy one. Mystery we will not ever foligno gracious god and also spirit of this earth. Goddess terra. Gaia. Val. And then tongue loosened she fell into meaning superlatives as well most creative one. Greatest source closest. Hope. Even those superlatives for the secret seem to her probably redundant but then she couldn't stop one who made the stars she said though she knew that technically a number of those present didn't believe the stars had been made by anyone or thing. Just luckily happened. One who is an entire ocean of compassion she said. And no one laughed. That which has been present from the very beginning she said. And the room was silent. And then though she hadn't imagined it this way others began to offer names. Peace sad one. One my mother new said another. Ancestors that are 3rd. Wind rain. Breath. That one near the back. Refuge. That witch. Holds. The child said water. Someone said kuan-yin. And then womb. Witness. Great kindness great eagle eternal stillness. And then there wasn't any need to say the things. She thought would have been important to say. And everyone chat hushed. Until someone said. Amen. The second reading this morning comes from the same author. Unitarian universalist nancy schaefer. Write a teacher course on god. She writes if i were to teach a course on god i would begin with a plate of persimmons. Sweet and chris. The kind of ones that are more orange than red. The heart. What ones that i eat november morning hot on cereal with almonds. I would slice those persimmons very gently. Across their very fat centers. And i would hold them. And i would say see the starship. And i would offer them. So they all might wonder. I would slice bosc pears straight down there middle so that the threads. Ivh stanwood tres wistfully down that rounded place where the very dark seeds. Lie. Tear shaped. And wax. In white flash. I would hold these have silently forward. Their bottom smooth in the palms of my hands. I would teach god with a plate of pomegranates both before they were opened but also afterwards. And i would bring wet washcloths. And we would bury our faces and we would. All that luminescent. Purple red those clearbright kernels. Didn't all those little rose on small and tumbling hills. And all of that juice. So easily broken sweeten puckery all at once we would say nothing. I would. This way. With plates of fruit. And a knife. And many washcloths. With my eyes very large. Oh my mouth mostly silent. So that all. So this morning as you know we're talkin about god talk. Meaning how we do or how we do not use language to speak about god. I was speaking with a colleague about the theme for this sunday our topic. And my colleagues said to me with. Incredulousness oh god. You're talkin about god. I'm always imagining the theme for jaws music. Well of course we can talk about god we can talk about love we can talk about sexuality we can talk about money we can talk about hope. We can talk about courage we can talk about. Because we talked about it all here. That is what congregational life is really about. It's about exploring likes meaning of wrestling with the big kinds of questions. Daring to have conversations that matter that make a difference. But i'll tell you what i won't be doing today. I will not be answering or even delving very deeply at all into the question does god exist. And here's why. Because awesome that question does god exist. Is right where the conversations begin. It is often where they very quickly end. Because starting with the question does god exist. I would say is really like beginning in the middle much like starting an epic like lord of the ring or warranties you know i'm 30 minutes in or at page 200. This is to say that that question does god exist how and why and where does god exist. Really must depend on what we humans mean when we say that word. A while back i had a conversation with a unitarian universalist woman long-time you you and she was raised christian but now she identifies most closely with being buddhist and unitarian universalist. And she said to me you know. I can handle talk. About god little g. But god big j. I don't think. I can handle talk about truth little t. But truth big t. And so it is that this morning might i love swimming absolutely inspired by her reflections on how do you spell god if you are going to spell god and what does that mean. For each one of us. And her words really stuck with me because i'll tell you that i think her i'm cut her discomfort with the big g and the big t. Really have to do a lot with what seems to be a very pervasive discomfort in our unitarian universalist congregation with a sense of absolutes. We tend to be a people pretty discomforted with the idea of there being one way. And only one way. Rather as a people we say that there are many ways. We sang a song earlier today with some of you might wrestle with the language. Bring many names. And there are many names and images for god and our opening him this morning. But if unitarian-universalist we tend to say that there is no one description for god no one prescription for face. The truth i think is that in this room there are likely to be those for whom god that were. Is incredibly important. And names are very meaningful and intimate and personal relationship. And in this room there's also going to be people for whom that word god is extraordinary painful. It has been very difficult. And in this room there's also going to be people that are rather ambivalent. About this word god could really take it or leave it. But perhaps those people do. Experience what could be named as sacred. And a connection with the larger whole either through relationship or through ritual or through music or through poetry. Or when pondering science or when thinking about when the trail of knowingness weeds out beyond. The things that we are familiar with. So no matter where you are with your conception of god this morning. With your thoughts on this word god. I want to invite you in. I welcome you to bring your skepticism bring your doubts. Bring your life experience bring what you have come to know. Because another truth is that no matter how we might think about god or god talk it certainly abounds. No matter how you spell it. It is perhaps one of the most controversial. Little big words in our language are english language. God talk abounds we know it's on our money. In god we trust. It's in our national pledge of allegiance one nation under god. Parents often tell me that whether or not that word god is used in their household the kids are talking about it on the playground. And if they're unitarian-universalist kids they might just wander in and have a lot of question. About this word god. And it might be harder to respond then for some of their friends who might have a much more simple or concise definition of god. We know that politicians invoke god. We know that god talk. How god is talked about. Disconnect people. In separate peace. I know that some of you sit around tables with your family members at mealtimes when an extended family gathers together and at that table are many different perspectives. About god and god talk. And sometimes it can get very trick. God talk is nothing if not complicated. And filled with. I would say that there's two main barriers to our talking about god. Whenever we're not talking about. Whether god exists were talking about god talk itself. Start to main barriers i would say and one is the assumptions that we make. Tell you an anecdote about some assumptions people make. There's a story about a rabbi. And the rabbi in a town once approached a self-described atheist and he said. Tell me about the god that you don't believe in. Because it's likely that i don't believe in him either. And it turned out that the god in that person's mind was. Kind of severe god. Who controlled all and who was punitively setting people up either for success or failure. According to just some win. Here's another little anecdote about assumptions. When i was in seminary i had a fantastic at t-shirt with christian. And she described to me a personal struggle she had against the assumption of the apartment. God. The apartment guide went like this there are three floors in the apartment. And gods on top. It happen. And i'm the middle floor is purgatory. In the bottom you can guess what it is. How. And god is in this white throne at the top he's a white father figure and he's controls the button. On the elevator who goes up and who gets to go down. And all of this happens in the apartment building that is static and unchanging. And her point was that actually her own conception of god actually a lot more complicated than all that. But that people often when i heard she was a christian minister just assumed. But she was a champion for this apartment. God. So you can see the course that assumption. Are rampant when people talk. And use the word god. Another pretty big barriers are human language. The fact that what we have at our disposal are human words. Words are powerful they create word world. But words are often sometimes. Weird sometimes lack in all we might wish to describe and mean. I'm going to ask you this morning about you are experienced personally with this word god when was. The first time you heard. This word. God. I'm actually not talking about the first time you might have had a godsend. Or a sense of being connected to the larger or. Felt deeply in some way connected to the natural world and actually asking right now about when you first became aware of that word. And what kind of tations did it have for you. The poet anne lamott. She's a religious liberal she's not a u u. But she does write about her childhood religious education. And she writes that she would say her prayers before bedtime. She would say the lord's prayer which i'm going to get some folks in this room now. She would say. My father who art in heaven. Howard be thy name i wonder if anyone is familiar familiar with howard. I didn't grow up with howard myself but i grew up you you in jewish but i'd appreciate how are child imaginations translate things and i'll think here's words. And i'll tell you that i might be a little bit of a digression that when i was growing up in a unitarian universalist congregation we would sing the children out to class. Similar to how we do here. But we would sing go now and please go now in peace and the kids would think. Goa cream cheese goa cream cheese. And when i was growing up attending a jewish synagogue we would say a prayer that went he named a tofu. Covid-19 matovu ojala hella calico. And we would say motto i dropped a hammer on my shoe what a stupid thing to do. Spell children find all sorts of ways of translating the information they're getting in creating imagery in their mind. Buttermore bezel residence for the childhood imagination. Nickelback to the god please for just a second and tell you that when i was growing up as a unitarian universalist and if that are humanist congregation. We had an atheist and agnostic minister. And i'll tell you that god was conspicuously absent. Name. It wasn't spelled. At all. And in religious education we learned about the world's religious traditions. I got the sense that god is something that other people. But not us. Nelson span over the past 30 plus years there's been a huge shift in the theological access of our shared unitarian universalist tradition. There is far more talk of god. Also of embracing pluralism. I'm anyways of speaking about spiritual life. Are very much embraced today including talk about god and many different ways. I want to go back there was an essay. Call the curious. Return of god. In which the author suggested the after the cultural revolution of the 1960s and 1970s. There was newgrounds that was opening up around god.. And through the nineties and with the intranet newground to talk about god talk and imagine god differently. Has become much more common. Is much more widely available. So in this postmodern moment that were in. There seems to be a lot of different ways. The people still able to talk about. God. The weather you grew up. In a traditional house of worship or not as i said culturally it's hard to escape. The reality of god. But what's not as widely acknowledged it's actually how god has been spelled. Literally. In so many different ways for millennia. This is not a new idea there has never been with one way of course. Spelling god. In the hebrew bible the most frequently found name for god. Is the hebrew letters you'd hey. Bob hey. It's called the tetragrammaton. And it's used actually to indicate. The name beyond all names. And other names if you go through the hebrew bible that you'll crl. Adonai. Confused in prayer. Yeah. Yahweh hashem el shaddai. Shalom. And shekinah. Which is a feminine divine. And islam there are traditionally considered 99 names for allah. Found in the quran. And the sooner the path of practices set forth by the prophet muhammad. This 99 also suggest an idea of infinity. That there are more names. For the holy than can ever be counted. Some of you might be familiar with the poet. Sufi poet rumi who calls god the love it. In christian traditions theo's in correios. And patera. Are all prominent along with several particularly singular names for god that are found in the hebrew bible. In hinduism. From braman tecali to veerashaiva to shakti there are hundreds of gods and god names. Makhachev yacca is a. Is a poet. The ancient poet. In the hindu tradition. Where she grew up with filled with jasmine. So in her poetry as you read it you see her say lord. White. Jasmine. That's the language that she. A while back i was at a sufis dhikr. That's a prayer practice. Rooted in the tradition of islam. And there was a circle of beads that we were passing around the circle. The beads would come to each one of us. And a shake instructed us to touch the bead as it passed through our hands. And we were to say allah. And we did this 99 times. And i'll tell you it really impressed upon me. Personally the beauty of this idea that there are many names. For god and the secret. I'm going to tell you a little bit more about my own story with god talk. And i'm going to share with you a few of the main ways that god talk. Occurs in our culture. And you might see where you feel most resonant. As i shared with you already i was raised unitarian universalist and a very reformed you do it household. And it wasn't until seminary actually that i learned about this. Jewish practice. Of. Spelling god. Hyphen. Be. G hyphen d. The hyphen standing for all that cannot be expressed in our human language. Is very similar to what the theologian. Kelly talks about when he says that we human beings must rely on some ballet klingler. 2.2 alternate meaning. Words are symbolic language. So i was growing up jewish and you you and i'll tell you that mostly when i was studying as a young one the hebrew bible god occurred to me as kind of a literary character. Come interesting you know the stories say that god spoke to the people god hides god gets mad. God bestows generosity. God's face is always a little bit hidden. And that idea has stuck with me. But i'll tell you it didn't really have much to do with my own personal life. Stop.. It wasn't until i lost loved ones in my own life. Until i wrestled with loss and loneliness and faced things that were really hard beyond my human control. That i started to realize that despite being raised unitarian-universalist into wish. With moral lesson atheist. Perspective. I had still imbibed a sense of expectation. About a god that i didn't know i believed. I still have the sense that god should net out justice should intervene should make it better should make it different. And i'll tell you in those years that it was very confusing for me. You may have heard the idea that there are no atheists. In foxholes. I was in a foxhole and i couldn't figure out. Why. I was so broken hearted. If i was an atheist. No it's not true that there are no atheists. In foxhole. There are. Literally and figuratively. There are many good people serving in our armed forces for example identify. I'm just hearing that metaphorically when i was in my own foxhole. My atheism gradually shifted towards agnostic. And in some ways i went to seminary to spend more time with this god that i didn't know. And wasn't sure that i believed in. And it was there that i began to truly understand how many different forms of god talk. There are. And the people have been talking about god and god talk for millennia. Trying to name the ineffable the mysterious 22. Point towards. Together. I learned there. That all see ology. Is really. Autobiography. That means that our own stories matter very much. In the kinds of god talk. That we would use. The kinds of god talk right slack. Are related to our own life story. Our own meaning-making journey is and i began to see adults really grapple with the childhood imaginations and language they had been given. Starting to break it apart. Starting to reconstitute new god language. Or let all god language. Be put aside. Gradually after i studied all this god-talk something else happened to me which is that i stop being so interested in how to spell god and i became a lot more interested and how. Sacred presence. Is made manifest. In our human lives and in our human heart. Today as your minister i'll tell you that i'm a faithful agnostic. News comes from the word meaning knowledge. When i say agnostic i mean that i understand there is a neurosis or a knowledge that is beyond my own human comprehend. I also have a boxy or hindu devotional heart. Meaning that i enjoyed connecting with the sense of for all that i cannot control. And sometimes i also makes me tremble. And also share with you that i hold a space for the insights that come in quiet reflection. Personal prayer and meditation. I am a religious pluralism. Understanding that there are many names. Many languages. And on the unitarian universalist. Because i understand that there is a oneness that connects. And that love is available. As a deeply connecting for. And that some of my own story. About god talk. Each one of you has a different store. About god.. Going to share with you now a few of the main ways that people talk about god talk. Invite you to consider which ones fuel resident to you. Maybe there many. Maybe there's just a few. So when is monotheism. You know what that is. It points to the understanding of when god. Theo's. Does polytheism. Which points to the understanding that there are many gods. Chino's theism which points to the appreciation that there is one god with the possibility that there are other gods. To be acknowledged. Does pantheism. The points to the idea that the divine. Either as. God or cosmos really encompasses all. There's also a sense of pain and theism. That points to the idea that the divine either as god or as many gods or as an animating force is interspersed with in everything. But is also beyond. Every. That's pantheism. And then there's atheism. The points to the idea that there is no god or gods or god body. And then there's agnosticism. Agnosticism points to the idea that full knowledge of god is at gnosis beyond our human comprehend. So they're a couple ways it's not an exhaustive list. But these are many of the ways that people have used god talk. Over. Centuries and centuries. There are four more ways that are prominent for talking about and imagining god that i'll share with you this morning. When is the idea of a cosmic god. This is the god beyond human space and time. This is the god of the universe the planets. And the stars. This. Sense of the cosmic god goes by many names mystery. Wholeness. There's also. The personal god. Did the god made living in a real and known to humans and our individual life. To personal conversation and reflection. It might manifest as the still small voice. In islam there's a teaching that this idea the personal god is a facet of all of that is. Closest are jugular vein. Does that idea that the anthropomorphic conceptions of god. That's what we song about this morning bring many names mother god. Father god. Aging god. This is the idea that when we talk about god we can imagine anthropomorphics human-like qualities that we either wants you take on and model or we want to resist. Attached to this is the idea that each one of us is a part of god reflecting god that we had the stamp of god in us. Which one. Finally there's an idea process theology. That's the idea that god is a verb. The god is active and real insofar as we are all growing and changing. And learning that god can be apprehended through relationship. Through growing universe. It's about growing lines. Victoria safford calls this. The god. God that knows how to grow. Thought process. Now what i'm. Deeply aware of is that for most folks to resist or do you not like god talk it's for pretty good reason it's because. They encountered a version of god and which there was no wiggle room. No breathing room. And it's important that we acknowledge that. For some in this room god. That word is homecoming. And for others in this room. It feels. Very scary. Or just distasteful. But here's the thing. We don't need to agree. Even on our god talk. What's important is that we are courageous enough. Twit x allow there to be spaces. For god's sake. To be in our. This idea means that we stretch ourselves to really listen deeply to another sharing. An acknowledged that it might not be our. Primary true. But it's okay. To allow someone else to share deeply about. That's true whether god talk feels good to you or whether it does. Here is my real main points. God grammar. It doesn't really matter. How you spell god. It's not nearly as important as what is written on your human heart. What is the language. What is written and named in your human heart. How many names for god. How many names that are not god. Is it love. What lives in your human heart. That has most deep and resonant meaning. Overall as a faith community i welcomed us to engage with some flexibility. Around this word god. Let us be gentle with ourselves explore our own gods hawk story let us be gentle with ourselves as we listen another into speech about what god talk means for them. As i stared with our young ones this morning there's a pissy and concise statement about unitarian-universalism it was written by leila ibrahim and sherry prudhomme these are religious educators out west. And they write it is a blessing that each one of us is born. It matters what we do with our lives. Each one of us knows about god is a piece of the truth. And we don't have to do it alone. Those are words i have on a magnet on my refrigerator. They remind me of that truth as unitarian universalist we understand is pershall. Because each one of us are part of the puzzle of existence. Enclosing. For those of you that are so inclined. I'm going to invite you into a practice over the next week of playing with your god talk. So for those of you who are inclined and i recognize that might not be everyone and that's just. Fine. There's a story in the hebrew bible about jacob who rests his head on a rock. He goes to sleep and he dreams of a ladder on which the angels play up and down. And when he awakes. He says god was in this place. And i did not know it. God was in this place and i did not know it. I'm going to invite you those of you who are inclined to. Experiment with what i would call a jacob practice. Over the next week. As you go through your life. As you move through your days i invite you to stink. This word god. When you see your children. And when you go to work when you see your coworkers. Think. God. And when you walk through that. Wherever you live and you see the birds. Think yourself. God. And when you're driving down the street and you're really frustrated because it's taking you a long time and you just want to that person front of you to move. Think to yourself. God. And see what happens. You just might find yourself laughing unexpectedly. You might find yourself shaking your head no i never liked that word anyway. You might find yourself having some sort of change of heart. So you might play with this. This idea of god talk. And how you use that word in your own mind. Enclosing i'm going to share with you. Words by e.e. cummings and we know how ee cummings is with punctuation and grammar. Cummings writes i think you. God for this most. Amazing day. For the leaping greenly spirits of trees. And a blue true dream of sky. And for everything which is natural. Which is infinite. Which is yes. I have died and alive again today and this is the sun's birthday. It is the birthday of life and love and wings. End of the gay great happening. Eliminative lee earth. How should tasting touching hearing steve seeing breathing. Any lifted from the all know of nothing human. Nearly being doubt. Unimaginable you. Now that years of my ears awake. And now the eyes of my eyes. Are open. May you go forward. In your journey exploring god talk. Or not. Let us journey together. In hope and courage. Amen. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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130901_do_awe.mp3

Welcome to the september 1st service at the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today. Is led by rev. roland. Her sermon is titled. Season of transformation. Days of all. This morning. We'll be exploring together the timely teaching. Of the jewish high holidays. We take us are launching point. That pie holiday festival that begins later this week from september 4th. September 6th. Last month we saw the conclusion of the muslim holiday the hyatt. The holiday and holy week. Month. Of ramadan. It is time marked by introspection. Often by fasting. Indeed the jewish high holidays are also marked by periods of introspection and also faster. I'm going to invite now jim flowers. Forward. And blow the shofar for us. The shofar rings. As we just heard it. To awaken us. To tend our souls. It sounds to open the gates of our hearts. Recalling us to the work of repairing. And renewing our own connections to self. Other and society. Return. Reflect. Renew. This morning let us settle into these questions. What might we learn about ourselves from the jewish high holidays. How does this. offer us gather here in our unitarian universalist context. A secret opportunity for introspection. For renewal. For transformation. Come. Let us worship. Together. When i call on the light of. Soul. I come home. And so it is that in many ways that is one of the great messages. Of the jewish high holidays. Anna's perhaps relevant to us here. That there is always an opportunity to turn inward. To turn homeward. And to see what is present there. Earlier we heard due to the wonderful gifts and jim flowers. The sounding of the rams horn. That shofar sound. It's an earthy yet. Iroquois. Sound. And it's often described actually as a wake-up. A wake-up call of sorts like an alarm clock. What it says is wake up. It's that time again. It's that time again to turn inward. Return and return again. To the land of our souls. The lands of our spirit. It calls as i said earlier to the work of repairing and mending our connections within and our connections without. In jewish tradition rosh hashanah is also known as. As a day of remembering. It's a birthday of sorts. It's an occasion commemorating in jewish tradition the creation of the world. Which is a pretty big birthday. Indeed. It's so it becomes an occasion for the magic and the mysteries of what it means to be part of this. Much larger richer. Fabric of life. But the question remains. And i thought about it. At great length before the sermon. The question remains why should we as unitarian universalist. Find ourselves interested in the jewish high holidays. In the days of awe. Why would this be. We recognize that indeed some folks to have at jewish practices in our lives or come from a jewish heritage as indeed i myself to. We acknowledge the pluralism that is part of unitarian universalism. And our route. Inside and arising from jewish and christian traditions among others. But still what is it really that is most relevant. To us. In a complex. Complex and baffling world. What's relevant about the jewish high holidays. The days of awe that. that stretches from rosh hashanah yom kippur. Invites us all into a period of deep reflection. And renewal. These days i want to say this morning have much to teach us i think as unitarian universalist. Or those who partake of unitarian universalism. Why. Well because as unitarian universalist we're no strangers. 2 exploring life with an inquiring mind. Like socrates. We come generally to know that an unexamined life may not be most deeply enriching or worth living. That is there something about inquiry. That is vital. That is life. That helps us to grow. And so it is that this is a season. Of inquiry. When i was growing up and a multi-faith at family one side was jewish the other side was going to turn universalist. And i'll tell you that i did not know anything at all about this seasonal. Element. Of the jewish high holidays. Certainly it was left out from the very reformed jewish education that i got. Is it true that out though there is tremendous richness. To understanding the high holidays. And their unique. Seasonal spiritual cycles. As we know now the shofar that we just heard was a telling sign. I'm telling sign letting us know it's time it is the jewish high holidays. But you know. It's interesting because the shofar actually sounds in jewish communities not just at the beginning of the high holidays. But the whole month. Beating up to. The jewish high holidays. Which accepting shabbat. So why is this. This is because i'm jewish traditions rosh hashanah is located in a much longer seasonal and spiritual cycle. Rosh hashanah and yom kippur and the 10 days in between them. I known as the days of awe. And from there the story thickens. The days of all are part of a whole season. Dedicated to the possibilities of transforming. Before folks in the jewish tradition arrived. This particular place and their liturgical cycle there's actually a whole month of preparation. And it's called elul. What i'm saying is that people begin to get ready. They begin to get ready. For the deep spiritual looking and introspection. But then arrive. During the holiday season. Later after that after this season dedicated to soul-searching and healing. Arrives a season of joy. That season arrives. Cuz people have. Done a lot of inner looking and are ready to enjoy the fruit. Of that labor. I believe as unitarian universalist this seasonally based understanding of the jewish high holidays offers us actually a very special opportunity. No matter how differently we may describe our own religious or spiritual pads. Our traditions are a practices. No matter what distinct feel logical frames of reference we carry with us. Or those we resist when we come in the door. I believe the days of all can be relevant to us. For all of us indeed can have an opportunity to engage in the process of doing our. Laundry. Our spiritual. Laundry. What is spiritual. I once knew a religious educator a liberal religious educator and argue itarian universalist church. When she wanted to educate young folks. Ivy young ones in the re-program about the jewish high holidays she would. Burst through the doors of the sanctuary. And on her back with a backpack that was covered in brightly colored plastic. And she would get out the long up. The long part of the vacuum cleaner and she begin to. Run around the sanctuary with the vacuum cleaner. And she said don't you know that sometimes our hearts are full of crud. Our hearts are so full of crowd we can't make new places of welcome inside. Don't you know that sometimes maybe our souls and spirits feel that way too. And don't you know wouldn't it be great if we could just run around with our credomatic vacuum cleaner. And clean out all the creds. I love. That she has that story in that. To share with our children. And i think it helps us as adults. Kind of understand with this holiday season is about. How does that sound to you all to have a credit omatic vacuum cleaner. I'm okay right baby. Doesn't that sound so very well efficient. No. But of course as adults we know that it's not that easy. Nor that fast. We know that brushing off the dust from our hearts in the crud from our souls or our spirit. If we can even wrap our minds. Around what that means. We know that i can take time. That it can take care. That it takes. And this my friends is what the days of all and the season of transforming is really all about. Patient. Remember how i was describing the days of oz a whole. for introspection. And how this is part of a longer season of transformation. The point is this. That work of holding up the mirror of personal self-reflection. And it takes our courage. And it takes our compassion. And if you're anything like me. These are qualities that actually take some cultivation. They're not readily available. Always at the flick of a switch. Anna credomatic. As unitarian universalist we can sometimes rejoice. I just hadn't entered and arrived into a religious community that feels like it fits that in some ways. Sometimes it takes a lot of work just to get here. Just to get here. Define a liberal religious. And that is good. And that is worth call for a celebration. And at the same time. This season offers us an invitation for the dab. Of spiritual inquiry. Which has its reward. Can lead us further into our capacity. For growing our own moral courage. And to transforming the world. Specifically inside of the days of awe and the season of transformation there are three spears. That were encouraged to reflect on. Those fears are number one first. Our relationship to what we know as our deepest selves. Which sunday. Soul. Sunday. Spirit. Chimay call center. And you might have other words. But the first spear of looking inward is about what we know is our deepest selves. Number two. We are to examine our interpersonal relationship. Including folks in our intimate circle. And the wider circles of which we are part. Including local and regional and nash. And global communities. Number one inside. Number to our relationship. In our lives. Number three. We're encouraged to explore our relationship with that. That which is greater than ourselves. The source of our lives. Those are the three spheres. It's a tall order. That's a lot. And we need not rush. In fact i think it's paramount that we take our time. To move through these fears and meet ourselves honestly. It's some deep work. In the deep work. Call dustin make a clearing in our hearts. To meet our own sources of wisdom. Helping us. Through the. Kind of deep and rich in. Now it's a very busy time as people move back to school. And schedules are filling up. And you know what it is that the rhythm of fall brings to your lives. And so it seems. An unfortunate time to be reminded to tent where in our spiritual lives. Because people are really busy. But i think that's the point. I think that's exactly why this season of transforming arrives just now. It's like a wake up call. As we begin to move towards your fall schedule. Think deeply on these three spears of life. See what comes up for you. This is the process of engaging one's own spiritual laundry. To help you you may ask yourself. What is coming up for me. You may listen. Deeply to yourself. And then you may release that witch is not serving you. This is part of that spiritual laundering. Now perhaps you're really adept at doing laundry. And like all metaphors this one really does have its limit right. It helps us just prob'ly little bit more deeply into the meanings and the teachings of this season. Frequently this. of the jewish high holidays is called a. of atonement. But i've also heard it written at 1 minute. And so it is when we do our spiritual laundry we grow. Deeper connect. To the oneness. Wednesday year in my own family. All of us would call into work or to school or wherever it was that we were scheduled to be i was talking about the scheduling of fall well wherever we were scheduled to be. Once a year we would call in. We would untangle ourselves from our commitment. We would be sketch. And on the special day also known as russia shawna. We had a practice of going to the beach. And growing up in northern california the beach was fairly easy to get to. And it wasn't that i never went on any other day. But this was the special day that my mother and my sister and i were all given clearance to do so. We would john's out to point reyes. A rolling landscape of pastures ending in sand dunes at the scene a titan scene of the foot of the pacific ocean. Is a beautiful landscape. And my mother would invite us to bring paint brushes and picnic stuff. And it was a day that was dedicated to being out near the tunnel tunnels of the waves. We would chat together we would rest together and though i was never told to do it i realize we were doing spiritual laundry. By the beach. We were thinking deeply about those three spheres of life. This was my mother's idea. Because she had never found a connection to judaism. She found most life-giving for herself. This is what shoal satisfying observance look like for her. She was raised jewish and she was trying to find a way to share juniette judaism with us for children. I didn't mind at all because what high schooler does not like to get out of school to go to the beach. Yeah overtime i grew up in my appreciation. For this practice when i was younger i'm not sure that anyone in my family could have guessed how closely related are custom of being at the beach and the water that day actually has to some of the more. Storical practices. Related the high holy days. On russia shawna there's a practice called poshly. It means 2 cast. Away. And so it was and it used to be that people would bring bread crumbs in the pockets. And folks with pastor breadcrumbs off into the running water. Thereby releasing that which no longer serves them. This was an order to make a clearing for. Spaceship. Sweet. New year. So in a few moments i'm going to invite you. To do your own pashley. Which means 2 castaway. You're going to be welcomed in a minute to find your. Paper that looks a little bit like this. And you should have a pencil that was given to you when you arrived here. This morning. Can you play go ahead and. Grab those materials now. To do the practice i'm going to invite you. Just take a moment and think of anything that you are ready to release. To make 4s. Sweet. And spacious. New year. Anything that's ready to be released from your own life. You will know what those things are. So take a deep breath. Go within. See what comes up and go ahead and write any items you'd like to release. If you need more paper feel free to just rip rip rip and rap. Okay and then baskets will be passed for your casting away. Let us do this now. In jewish tradition. Castoffs. I received by running water. Which returns that. Cast off to the earth. This morning we've gathered our cast-offs here. Water will be poured upon them and they will return to the earth. Namaste. There is a rabbi who is offered these words. She said what will this new heart be like we wonder. Will this purified heart change the persons that we are. Will the very structure of our lives changes our spirits are renewed. Every stand at the threshold of a new year. We pray for the valor to face uncertainty. The courage to change what truly needs changing. Anastase to welcome the new. Spirit within us. Those are words from rabbi lila gal burner. And so it is that i wish all of us. Sweet. Sweets new year. After the service all are welcome to enjoy dipping apples and honey. Which is another custom related to the jewish high holidays. I welcomed us now to actually do our benediction before the postlude. So please rise. As you're willing and able. Friends let us take hearts let us take hands let us connect with one another. Being aware that the journey of doing spiritual laundry goes on and on. And yet. May this be a sweet new year. May you remember it is always possible to look within. The cast off that witch. Not serve. Maybe remember that the breath of life connects each to all. Let us go for. Blessed be. And almond. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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130127_state-of-congregation.mp3

Welcome to the january 27th service at the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. Today's sermon. Title the state of the congregation. It's a lizard by reverend alex. I have a two readings that i'm going to share with you this morning. One is a bit longer than is typical for me and a sermon making event but i think what i'm sharing here. It's worth. Your hearing. And it's also a peace that i've had lee savannah low our administrator who works so hard on all of our behalf. Make a class setup there are going to be 24 sets of this piece that i'm sharing. From. That you can look at if you want after today service and i'll tell you what the very close at today service i think he may want to do that. The piece is from bill moyers book great ideas. 1989 publication date. I fell into it for this morning service. Just on thursday when i happened to walk past a conversation with some people. And they were passionately discussing boyer's. And that energy stayed with me throughout the day and i found myself going back and all of his stuff as i prepare for this morning. This piece. Is an account of a conversation that he had with f forrester church. Now for those of you who don't know a lot about our history. F forrester church. Is probably the most renowned unitarian-universalist clergyperson of the last 30 or 40 years. And shirts just died in 2010. He has been of unending resource for me and my work is ruu clergyperson. And i hope maybe a resource to you as a congregation. In the challenge is soda before you. So here are moyers and church talkin in october of 1988. Church says. You know our profound moral nature leads as spontaneously to judgmental behavior as it does to merciful and compassionate behavior. Moyer's says what do you mean. Church response. We tend to judge another's evil into think that by virtue of having judged it vigorously that we are there for good. Moral can mean not the person is moral but the person is simply driven by moral concerns. That can lead to judgmental behavior. If we're going to work together if we're going to acknowledge this complex interdependent web. A being of which we are apart. We must move from judgemental morality. Passionate. Tactful. Uncooperative morality. In the seven deadly virtues moyer says which was churches book. You said that the devil almost always appears in drag. In what sense. And church response. The devil is evil in disguise particularly and the guys have goodness. What has to be particularly careful. In celebrating virtues because virtues particularly great virtues. Can vale great evil. There are terrorists for truth in god and love and faith all over the world today. It's a very bright light is shining on you. You can bask in that light and think that you were eliminated by it. But often what you forget is that you're also potentially casting. A very great shadow. In this day. We're much less likely to do harm in the world either to our loved ones or to our neighbors. Because of our sins which were often very aware of. I'm quite ashamed of. Then we are because of our virtues. Moira says there's a line in the 10th chapter of romans. It warns against zeal without understanding. Church response that's right. When a person wraps him or herself in a virtue. That person is dangerous not only to him or herself. But also to us because we respect the virtue. And we are likely to follow a person who is wearing one. But that person may be leading us down the wrong road. Moyer says you say we are all sinners. Church says. Yes. We're sinners. I'm one liberal who doesn't have any trouble with the notion of sin. As long as we're open about sans and confess them as well and honestly as we can. And forgive other people for theirs. Then we can begin to live together as senators or also gifted. With a tremendous potential for good in this world. The kingdom of god is within us. That preposition in toast in the greek which we translated with n. Also means between and among. So the commonwealth of god is within us. And between us. And among us. If we will just not block it. One of the ways i think we block it is with judgmental behavior. And a celebration of our own virtue. We blame our enemy whether it be our spouse or child our parents. For being an effect evil. When we are good. Now if you would before i share the next reading. I want you. Turn 2188 in your handle. Number 188 is. Rumi. Rumi the great muslim sufi poet. And if we could singing it acapella. And i want you to catch the language and i'm going to need lots of help because you know i do not carry a tune well. Call whoever. Wanderer worshipper lover of leaving. Again, one more time. Calm calm. Wanderer worshipper. Come yet so i can call. Before you close your handles. Ask yourself what the heck does he mean with that. Lover of leaving line. And then listen to this piece. Moyers is interviewing coleman barks. Coleman barks the great translator of room in our time. This from warriors book the language of life. But here is a roommate peace as coleman barks translates it. And then i'm going to share with you just one brief piece. That bark says afterwards two more years about why thanks. Particular poem. Is so important. A friend remarks to the prophet. Why is it i get screwed and business deals. It's like a spell. I become distracted by business talk and make wrong decisions. Mohammad replies. Stipulate with every transaction that you need. 3 days to make sure. Deliberation. It's one of the qualities of god. Throw a dog a bit of something he sniffs to see if he wants it. Be that careful. Myth with your wisdom nose. Get clear. Then decide. The universe came into being gradually over 6 days. God could have just commanded be. Little by little a person reaches 40 + 50 + 60. And feels more complete. God could have thrown full-blown profits flying through the cosmos. In an instant. Jesus said one word. And a deadman setup. But creation usually unfolds like calm breakers. Constant slow movement teaches us to keep working. Like a small creek that stays clear. But doesn't stagnate but finds a way through numerous details deliberately. Deliberation is born of joy. Like a bird from an egg. Birds don't resemble eggs. Think how different the hatching out is. A white leather a snake egg. A sparrow's egg. Equip seed an apple seed. Very different things look similar at one stage. These leaves are bodily personalities. Same identical. But the globe of soul fruit we make. Each is elaborately unique. Some warriors says to barks. So there's the ruby of ecstasy the remi of practicality and deliberation. And the roommate of laughter. He has a great sense of humor. And barks responds. I think for roommate joy is primary. To some people the world seems filled with grief but remy would say. I think those the world is primarily graceful a gift sure we die but what have we lost a die. We keep dying to old selves and emerging at the new places through our grief. So there is an uproarious. Hilarious undercurrent. In everything. Listen to this morning's reading. Two weeks ago when i was last in this pulpit before you in again always a privilege. To be able to speak to you. I shared the story of how it was that just under 20 years ago i got shipped off to mexico. With a group of 13 other clergy persons the vast majority of them were unitarian. Universalist that i use the sweet and poignant story 2 weeks ago to tell you how it was. Been in this orphanage in which we work this casa misericordia. That. These kids would come to the serving line. And i would be offered the beans in the tortillas and this one particular day offered chicken and child after child said no not for me but for my brother or sister behind me. A story of tremendous poignancy a story of what it is to be up concern for the common good and to sacrifice one's. Own well-being. On behalf of another. There were other facets to that you you experienced in mexico and i want to share one this morning with you. The group of 14 clergy persons all of whom were middle-aged okay we were all 35 i think i was. 39 at the time. So there was a group of us about that age and some i think his oldest 5152. We get down there and we're putting these impossible living situations no running water no electricity told to check our beds every night for. Scorpions to make sure there's no scorpion where we're sleeping. We're in cardboard boxes were eating on $0.41 a day and there is no place to wash your clothing. And you're down there for 30 some days doing this living in a dump. Okay. So it was challenging and we paid $6,000 for the privilege. Okay. Plus airfare. Okay. So this war on people's nerves. And then we got told because we were submitting ourselves to an authority in this experience. We got told that not only were going to be with these orphans in the. but we're also going to work with the catholic sells out of the local catholic church. And we're also going to work with a group of nuts has 14 clergy the majority of them were you use. It didn't set well with everybody. Then we got told and on top of all of that some of us were going to go work in the only mental hospital in juarez. Well i cannot tell you how. Indescribably filthy this facility watch. There was absolutely no sanitation at all. N1000 people locked up together and you're plopped into the middle of it to provide food. And some minimal cleaning. It wore on people's nerves. And then on top of that. We were told that we were going to be let go with the local communist cell. For a day. And just to be sure and doc if we saw police coming. Okay the communist cell not legal there in juarez. Now this went on day after day after day. Until one morning when we did check in with each other. One of my colleagues who was really feeling challenged in the letting go. And yielding to the authority that was imposing all of this upon us. In the check encircle 6 a.m. in the morning bitter-cold in juarez. Richest down on the ground. And picks up a boulder that was near his feet in the boulder was about as big as a good round of bread. He picks it up turns towards one of the leaders and says. I'd like. Crush your head and with this rock. And we laugh about it here this morning. But that pushed buttons in that group. Because all of us realize they are standing on the hillside by the dump in juarez on that cold january morning. But our beloved colleague. Then this guy unitarian-universalist and dear close friend of mine to this day. Across the line. And that we needed to do something to engage him. On where he was in his emotional response. To a human experience that was being imposed. And so we said that morning. We have to stop. And we have to be with our beloved brother. Who is so full of violet energy. Towards someone who leads us. Now this experience in mexico. This. Movement to over. Overly large emotional response that was a violent nature. 2 imposed upon us authority. Is something that i have seen play out again and again and again. In my just over 40 years of having some association with unitarian universalism. I'll never forget in 1977 living in charleston south carolina. In my first experience of a large unitarian universalist congregation. There may have been 50 people showing up for sunday morning worship down there back then. But the congregation had like 300 members okay. So the congregation hires this young hotshot guy by the name of george xo the rev dr george xo. To come down to charleston 2br clergyperson. And george comes down there he. Teaches me my first introduction to yuna. Tarian universalism. Glass. And george is a bible-thumping pulpit beating liberal the likes of which you've never seen. And george gets down there and good allstate conservative we've been doing it this way for 300 years charleston. And says to those people we're going to do outreach to our gay brothers and sisters here in the lowcountry of south carolina and everyone sat in the pews like you do whenever i appreciate you how y'all know i'd your head and you're thinking what a bunch of hooey. You do this again and again. Everyone in charleston south carolina and you know what george did next. George decided that the best place to meet his gay. Male brothers was to go out at the rest area on interstate. 28th at least into charleston. And hand out little pamphlets inviting people who might be gay to come to the unitarian universalist church of charleston. George got fired. And went on to go to the congregation in myrtle beach all souls unitarian universalist. And helped lead that congregation into a great uproar. And then went to beckley west virginia. And helped lead the group of unitarian universalist air into a great uproar. And again and again george. I called authorities working with congregants. Woodtai proposing. Liberal action. Out of a very profound personal theology and i am a fan of dr. jorge xo2 this day is still living right over here in west virginia and i hope before the close of the centrum to have him in here to a dress shoe. But george would say we need to do. And he would get a group of followers from the congregations that his serve. To join him in an effort. Which would inevitably lead. Some significant uproar. In california. In the 1970s late seventies and eighties i had opportunity to visit. Multiple uu congregation doubt there is a result of what i was doing to make a living. I would go to these fellowships all over california and in particular in the bay area. And i would walk into their worship halls on a sunday morning and i made mention of this and worship committee meeting here this past week. And i would find a group of people no more than 30 or 40 big seated around a speaker who was delivering some sort of awfully boring college lecture. And all of the folk in the seats would have a cup of coffee. And at least half of them would be smoking a cigarette. So you would walk into these places and the air would be full of cigarette smoke. And i watched over the 80s as i did this travel throughout california and visited issue congregation. As these groups fought it out amongst themselves about whether or not there was need for them. To set boundaries around smoking. In a worship space. And as you know. You know that there were voices saying. You cannot deprive us of that personal right. I have the right. Smoking this. And yet here it is 2013 and you can't find thank god. A smoker in a worship service and unitarian-universalism anywhere of which i'm aware. We all understand now in 2013. That smoking is not something we want done where we worship together. I happened. Purely by chance to watch an old episode of mary tyler moore this week. Wanting to amuse myself to cause myself to smile. And to lighten my own load. And this just happened to be a mary tyler moore. Where she and rhoda do you remember rotor her wonderful jewish roommate from upstairs. She and rhoda decided that since mary is so young and dumb and knows nothing about television production that they should go take a course at the local college. So they enroll in a television journalism course at the local college. And lo and behold guess what the teacher does towards mary. He makes a move on her. And he kisses her. And he asked her out and in 1971 mary tyler moore. Guess what that was. That was good. The whole the whole episode is about how mary tyler moore is so pleased and excited. That the teacher has moved towards her can you imagine in 2013 those of you who are professor ceratac. Making a move on one of your students. The commonwealth the community. This thing that is larger than any one of us as individuals. Is it a constant state of transition. From what we have been. To a better place. Because we are a people of morality. And ever want to get better and better. And how we are in relationship. One another. And that movement. Inevitably involve boundary setting. And the change of norms. Add and unitarian universalist settings. Where we are inviting. Wanderer. Worshiper. Lover of leaving to join us week after week. The transition. It's especially full of potential. Tubi. Unruly. Convoluted. Ambiguous. And troubling. I want. To do a footnote here. Before i go further with the sermon. The rumi language. Wanderer. Worshiper. Lover of leaving. As i understand it. Does as succinct and find a job of putting archetypal description. On what people are in a congregation is any source i know. There are and you know what you hear here all the time there are people who are just using this as a way station. As they go from one face practice to another. How many of you have heard people say that unitarian-universalism all the time draws people. Or just checking things out there shopping for a church have you heard this. These are the wanderers of which rumi makes notes. The worshippers are those of us who have made some commitment to this face. I for instance i'm very happy that i'm into a 40th year of association with unitarian. Universalism and i know no matter how much it changes. Between now and the time i die i'll go to my grave at unitarian universalist. I'm the worshipper i worship this thing that we are i don't want to wander from it i want to be part of it and all that it is. And then we have the lovers of leaving this third archetypal. Congregate type. These are the good souls as i understand them who come here. And to have a great challenges with authority. They come here thinking. That we're open to anything and everything. We are the place where it's all about that first principle. The inherent right of each individual to be all that god meant for them to be. Without any consideration of that other piece of our principles. Which makes reference to the interdependent web of which we're all apart. This third archetypal energy. This lover of leaving. It's the person who comes here. And wants to be part of what we are but constantly finds out of what we are. Community. Reason to abruptly leave. And you've seen this play out again and again. In california in the 80s. They were wrestling with this business of smoking and their fellowship settings. When they began to move towards no-smoking boundary setting. Person after. Person left. This is the nature. A church community. To have these three are teipel introduced at play. And all of what we are and for it never. 2nd. No i can't think. A better reflective resource for you as a congregation issue struggle with all of this wisdom. That is at play with you now in a very conflicted way. There are people in this congregation out of boundary setting that is happening here now that are not happy with what. .. The best resource that i know of is the african-american experience. This land. The african-american experience is one. Of three centuries of oppression and injustice being exhibited towards them. You talk about authority being imposed upon people. In a way that was not appropriate. And what did the african-american community do over the bulk of those three centuries and its largest part. Number one it took a long view. It said that this challenge of injustice that's before us is not going to be solved. Tomorrow. It's going to take a long time. And it also. Allow for the ambiguous nature of all that it was experiencing. African american leader after african american leader preaching to congregants across this country. That we do not understand what is happening to us it is unjust and yet we know that god is at play in it. That there is some larger good that is happening here as theodore parker put it back at the end of the 19th century. That the arc of justice is long but it always bends towards justice. The arc of the universe is long. But it always bends towards justice. Martin luther king jr. picking up that languages. Talk after talk that he did around the country. We do not. Resolved injustice that we might be living. Just like that. We. Live. Together over long periods of time. Thornton justice is being fully address. And the nature of the injustice is always ambiguous. And here's the third great teaching of the african america. Experience. If we're going to do well with all of the mess of injustice. We must have a sense of humor about it. We must smile. We must laugh. We must be lighthearted. In our response. Ethan to injustice. 3 things. Take the long view. Affirm the ambiguous. Call it the mystery of god or the mystery of the universe. And have a sense of humor about you. Warriors. In this conversation that he has with. F forrester church. And i didn't reach you all of what senate. Masterpiece. They get into what. F forrester church thinks it's most important in the unitarian universalist setting. You know what he says it is. He says it is a theology of laughter. He quotes gk chesterson. Who used to say that you know why angels fly. Do you guys know why angels fly. Angels fly because they are. White of being. Warriors. Barc's. Rumi. F forrester church. All suggesting. And these conversations that i played parts of you for this morning. That is there is good religious practice. And play. There is some lightness of being in what. Been talked and lived out. And if there is not lightness of being. Then you know something is askew. If there is the wrapping up in virtue b the bible the flag or the our first principle. If you hear a unitarian universalist standing around talking about. The first principle. And they're not balancing that with some humor and some. To the seventh principle the interdependent web of all being. The need for there to be congregation. Then something is a mess. This particular congregation. In this january 2013. You're deep into conversation and potential conflict with yourself. About how it is that you have policies. Contracts. Practices. And fiduciary responsibilities to one another. This is the stuff of legality of my. Yourselves. You have in the time that i've been here. Not written a new policy. You have however. Gotten into policy that you had on the books. Enough particular note in your deliberations with one another is this policy. About whether or not there is ever. An okay for one person to be violent towards another here on this property. And my worldview. Violence can be physical. It can be verbal. They can beat emotional. And this congregation. Is to it. Reddit. Wrestling with all facets. Of how it is that you as a people of faith. Are going to be focused not only on an individual's right to say whatever they think and feel. But also on the individual's responsibility if they are to be part of what you are is a congregation. To honor that commitment to be part of the interdependent web. And to treat all of you here with respect and deference. F forrester church brought out in the conversation with moyers that that. Preposition. I got that. Root meaning of the word entos. Which underlies interdependence. It doesn't just mean between us. It also means among us. And interdependence. This call to be something bigger than just an individual. This call to be part of a congregation. Calls everyone out to these three pieces. But the african-american community have so well demonstrated for us over there history. This need to have the longview. To honor and celebrate the ambiguous. And to also have the sense of humor. But interdependence also calls us out. Too hard. Boundary setting. To fiduciary concerns this is the language that used in the board. Bill moyers. Ask. F forrester church. What his take is a minister is on this need to draw a line to make a decision. The setup boundary about behaviors in the religious community. And church responds that his greatest fear is a minister. Is the person who is a hundred percent certain that they're right. Okay this is the person whose wrapping themselves up in the virtue of the first principle and say i know that this is unjust and that there's something wrong here. That's his biggest fear. And then church says but i have a fear that's almost as large. And that fear is the large part of my congregation. That is 60% certain that something is not right. But are afraid to speak. Because that 40% possibility that they might be wrong. Keeps their mouth shut. Church says. The moyers. The great challenge for him at the unitarian universalist minister at all souls unitarian. The new york city 1988. This to get that 60%. To take the leap of faith. In their ambiguous uncertainty to say. We believe that smoking in the sanctuary is a bad thing it needs. Stop. We believe that another person hitting another person physically on the property is a bad thing it needs to stop. We believe. But someone speaking badly of another. The meaning of. Behind them behind their backs. It's not a good thing in italy. Stop. Someone's phone is ringing. Got it. Musical accompaniment. This. Challenge of interdependence. This need is a congregation. To be more than just a celebration of individuality but to also be up in. Dependence. The define yourselves as a group. Is always at the center of what it is. To be coming into your own. I have i get really annoyed you read all this email that's floating around here now and people are talking about how this is all about. Pastrova programmatic transitions here in this congregation. That's not what this is about here. Good people. This is about you guys. Coming together. And being of your good thinking self. And finding the courage. Even though you're not a hundred percent certain about things you're only 60 or 70% certain about things. To make decisions about things that set boundaries. And you're setting boundaries not to discourage people but to empower people. That's the great wonder of boundary setting and all of uhuru in therapeutic. Professor. Snow this. It is in boundary setting that one games power. Women know this. It was only when women like mary tyler moore begin to say to college professors you can't kiss me because i'm your student. That mary tyler moore began to claim her power that women began to claim their power. This business about resetting. Is empowering. But the empowering invariably leads. To upset. And i've had this praxis model before you throughout the entire antrum. You cannot do the boundary setting necessary for empowerment. Without there being upset. And you'll notice how battered this piece of red paper is here this morning. It's been up on the wall for five times you're on a sunday it's pouring it's ripped its battered. This is what that transition work does. But by god once you begin to do it you move into this final stage. And this is the first stage of great theological and philosophical awakening and grove. This is when you begin to learn why it's good. Decided college professors you can't kiss your students. This is when you begin to learn why it's good that you don't want people smoking in a sanctuary on sunday morning. This is why you this is where you begin to understand that you don't want any violence of any sort here on this property be at physical. Or verbal or emotional. Your work. And you are a. Powerful and wonderful congregation. Look around at yourselves you are good people. And you are informed people and you are study people and you are. Passionate. Your work. In this last piece of information you lay a steady foundation for the arrival of the settled minister here. Sometime this summer. Your work is to shore up your understanding that what you've been doing. In the boundary setting that's been at play here. Has been good for you despite any dissonance it is kicked up. And your work will be served well. If you keep reminding ourselves of those three are typos congregate types. Some will come and go because it's their nature they want to check out many religions. Some will stay because they find wonderful sense of empowerment here they will be the worshippers. And some will be the lovers of leaving. Who asked you say. Some things are not okay here. Will need out of their own authority issues to go. This is the nature of religious community done well. And you could people despite all of your doubts. Despite the 40% of you that wonders whether or not you're doing well enough. You're doing great stuff. And you need. Keep doing. And you need to keep. Destroying yourself. Next sunday. I'm up ending what i had planned so lusa the. Sherman description that ran in the january newsletter going to have to trash it. I'm going to pull in another one surprise for you. But i want to address some questions next sunday and here's what i already have on my list for next sunday. I want to put before you what i understand to be the differences between mediation. And conflict management. I want to put before you what i think or the possible changes. That are sure to move this congregation through a cycle of ops. In a healthier way. I want to address the question why is it all my fault that was supposed to be a joke. I want to address the question what does it mean to forgive. I want to address the question what does it mean to reconcile. I want to address the question what is mobbing have any of you heard this term being battered around as some of you already heard it's being battered in the community right now. But i also want to address the question is it sometimes good for people to separate from a. All of this coming your way next sunday thank you for all that you are as a people of faith. In this unitarian universalist congregation. Amen. Hey man. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website. Uuc and rv. org.

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151011_do_covenant-II.mp3

Welcome to the october 11th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service a day is led by our settled minister. Reverend aeroline. And worship associate ellen plummer. Rezadeira sermon is titled who's covenant part 2. Interdependence. I would have welcomed forward island plummer. To share with us a personal. Reflection. On the themes of the worship service. Are themes. Include pain during the. Questions of i. And we and us. And. Also the. The imagining how covenant. Might be both noun and verb. And i. Will point this morning too. Our very own natalie gibbs who. Was. Front and center of the newspaper how many folks still read like a paper newspaper. Okay. So. And what accompanies this wonderful story about natalie and her ukulele club. Who's going to be working next friday at the at the mosque. Saturday. Is in fact a printed copy of the covenant. Covenant. But natalie. Articulates with her students. How did going to be in relationship with one another how they're going to care for the instruments that they are responsible for these so itty bitty. Ukuleles. And i was just. Stunts this morning. To realize how. Both easy and complicated and rich. The notion of covenant. Canby. For all of us. Pondering i and we feels to me like a central theological question for me is a uu. In our own hall hang a small poster with the words imagine a church. Were people of many religions worship. As one safe. The beauty and gift of traveling to you you journey is the opportunity to be in community with many people. Who's ways of being in the world are shaped by varied and differing experiences. And ideas and theologies. Different ideas about the holy. About the divine. And about the sacred. Different ideas to about how to practice and behave in ways that on a good day. Channel our best selves. And on an even better day. Channel the divine and the sacred. This is not easy. It's not easy being divine while sitting in a meeting or making copies or organizing an event or even organizing a worship service. And yet. And yet. It is he's very activities and many others that bring us together. As community. The bring those of us who our eyes. Eyes into the community of us and we. Do you you practice of creating covenant is one way in which we can negotiate being together as a community. Embracing our array of beliefs and experiences. And still get the coffee made and make them and have the meeting be productive. Even better. Covenant is an instrument by which we can express in practice the best of ourselves. With each other and with our communities whether local or global. A covenant is an expression of promises of assurances of expectations and like most things articulating and living a covenant takes practice. It takes practice because. Say out loud. And usually write down. Our aspirations and our hopes. To promise to do our best to live those aspirations and hopes. And covenant making requires that we wrestle with and overcome the voice in our head that says. Oh my god. Don't say that out loud. What if you can't live up to that. Or worse you liar. You don't really believe in the inherent worth of every individual why just yesterday you were having quite evil thoughts about a number of your colleagues. Those voices are exactly why the art of covenant making is useful. And productive. And sacred. I moved to mention. But i struggle with the most fundamental of covenants. The promises i make. And continue to break. With myself. I wonder to what degree i can bring the ideas and practice of covenant. To the self-reflection and aspirations i have. For myself. This is clearly a work in progress. Practicing covenant making is the art of making and remaking promises and negotiating and renegotiating the eye and the wii. Beactive thinking about and expressing how i would like to behave and how i hope others will behave. Raises consciousness and awareness. And challenges of stone assumptions about ourselves and about each other. At its best. Covenant is an expression of respect. Hope. Aspiration and love. In addition to supporting our desire to get the coffee made and the meeting. Be accomplished. Being covenant with the other eyes. And self. Is an expression of hope and love and commitment. To we. This sacred work imagining of faith. In which beloved community is expressed. In the promises. The covenant. We make art with ourselves. With each other. And with the communities with which we want to live in love. This is sacred war. Dear beloved community this whole service is part 2. Of a conversation. The ellen has richly opened for us once again. Conversation that was started last sunday about. Covenant. About how we will live the dance of the self in life with. Other people. And this morning we're going to stay. A song that i spoke about last last. Sunday. Which is a wonderful favorite him both of myself but i think also this congregation. Blue boat home. You know what's interesting i think there are few reasons why that is a favorite of our congregation and evokes a powerful image of. A people bound together. Simply because they inhabit. This beautiful blue-green planet at the very same time. We talked a lot about the interconnected web of life. And i wonder this morning when you feel most authentically for yourself. The interconnected web. When was the last time you felt. Part of the. Connected. Web of all life. This morning i want to invite us i want to challenge us a little bit to think about. What are participation in our affirmation are expression of the interconnected web of life what that really means. Would it really calls of us. Asks of us. I wonder. Who we are and who we might be as a people. When we really acknowledge the promises and the perils. Of. Interdependence. Of this web of life. I wonder when you think about the web of life. Who you feel. Most connect. Two when you think about where you are in this vast web. The nexus point that you occupy in as large matrix of the universe when you think about right where you are who or what in that web do you feel closest. And who or what in that web you feel farthest from. When i ask people these questions often that's helmet you know when the web of life. I feel most deeply connected when i'm out in. Nature. When i'm with my family and with my friends i feel. Most deeply connected to the web. And i often hear from people when they think about will who's who or what it feels the farthest away in that web most remote most. Distance it's. People who won imagines to be very. From oneself. People whose stories we might not know people who push our buttons maybe people who are. Harder to engage with. Or whom we just don't see very often. I mean to be. In the web. Up life. As i talked about before covenants and unitarian-universalism the practice of articulating how is we want to journey together and last week for those of you who weren't here i talked a little bit about how covenant can feel kind of archaic. Two people that word covenant. Do we go around talking about covenant everyday. Probably not and some people often think back to ancient times think particularly about jewish and christian teachings on covenant and called mine and it's a covenant meaning god on high who gives people a set of commandments set of rules developed a special relationship and that when we pick out covenant. We trace it back and couldn't find that written on one ancient and holy. Text. Some of the connotations people brings talking about cousin. But i talked about how. Attorney in universal ism. We don't understand that covenant is found on one. Holy and sacred. Tablet. But rather covenant is something that we constitute. Between one another. I talked about it as a way of. Growing archillect. Power. Not power over but lateral power power shared between one another when people really think about. What is it that i want to promise and service of our shared life how will we walk together what do i feel like i need in order to walk with these people what are we walking together for. I think when we think about the web of lies. The beautiful blue boat home. It's a beautiful image. Evocative. It's also it's challenging. Today i want to lift up that there are all sorts of covenants. There are the covenants that are explicit. That are written down. That are named. That are shared. And then there are. The sets of expectations and promises we engage with one another without ever saying. The words. Both are very powerful. Implicit confidence and explicit. Covenant. I do want to lift up this morning. One thing that is challenging. Is when groups of people journey with one another and don't make their covenants explicit. Because then what happened. Is the implicit covenants the unexpressed the practice covenant hold sway and this is what's hard about it. It creates norms and expectations that are unexpectedly mysterious. Here's what i mean by that i wonder if any of you have ever been a newcomer to a group. And you felt like you're glad to be there but you didn't know the secret handshake. Said he wouldn't relate to this. Doesn't have to be right here happens all over the place while you're trying to sneak out what are the norms and expectations what's expected of me how are we what are we doing together i got to figure it out the cause of a lot of stress for people. It also doesn't create clearest on ramps. For people to grow. Build. Community and get really clear. About how they want to be together. It's great when cousin has become explicit because then when you people come they know what they want to sign on for and a community has an articulation that they can return to say. This is what we are about. This is what we said we were going to try to do together and how we would walk with one another. Last sunday i used the metaphor kind of a vr analogy rather of the valve that is a minister you know i often work with couples that are getting married and me. We talked about the vowels. Martin buber is an ethicist that says we are promised making. Thomas breaking promise renewing people. Val. It's something to live up to. We don't always do it. Perfect. But hopefully we can return to the promises we make. And a valves that we constitute at our highest moment so that we can see what is the foundation of our relationship why did we say was most important how come i call each other back to covenant. Because we all will mess up some. We sing on sunday morning if that goes come come whoever you are ours of the caravan of despair, yet again come. There's a piece. Of that poem from rumi that we don't include butts really important. It says. If you've broken your vows a thousand times. Calm yet again. I want to share with you a few anecdotes about covenant ask you to think about what are the covenants implicit explicit that you were living in two in your live and i did promise i would say a few words about the history of covenant. In our congregational life so i'm going to do that first for just a few moments. I want to walk us right back to you when i'm going to do this i'm pretty quick short order cuz i don't imagine everyone's is energized by digging into our unitarian universalist institutional history the way i am although i get so excited when everyone else is interested too. Understand where this comes from in our tradition. Way back in the 1600s. 1630 to be exact. John winthrop who would later become the first governor of massachusetts. He gave a speech to a bunch of soggy and hungry and probably seasick. Purity. Who he was sailing with. My colleague victoria stafford says those folks had high and pious hopes. When they were on the arabella. Going towards a license to england and he said this to those people. Now the only way to avoid shipwreck. And to provide for our posterity. It's a follow the council of micah. To do justly to love mercy. To walk humbly with our god. We must be willing to abridge ourselves of our superfluities. For the supply of other necessities. We must uphold a familiar commerce together and i'll meekness gentleness patience. And liberality. We must delight in each other make each other's conditions our own. Rejoice together mourn together. Labor and suffer together. Always hiding before our eyes are commission and community in the work our community as members of the same body. And so shall we keep the. In the spirit. Bonds. So shall we keep the unity of the spirit. In the bonds of peace. Sarah vowell who is. Actress. Comedian. Read a book about the journey of the pilgrim and the tourney the puritans. The first congregational. Herein. New england. And call the wordy shipmates. But i appreciate that sarah vowels treatment of this rich and complex history she doesn't just write the puritans off. Pretty important in the 21st century. name all the complexity. The problematic history. That is involved with the arrival the puritans. Shorts. We know that there was. Hey google. Experience. Devastating experience of indigenous people when the puritans arrived. Puritans indeed thought they had a special covenant with god. They were charged to create a city on hill. Didn't per se. Negate the inherent worth of. The indigenous folks as they understood rather their theology and this is interesting. Really stated. That they felt that it was because of sin. That they didn't. The benefit. Of the winning side of history. That is to say there was something sinful about these indigenous folks and therefore they needed to either be converted. Or. Annihilated. If you are a person of indigenous heritage this conversation is really really hard. Even to just have it lifted up in a worship service. And so as i continue speaking. And wind are we a little bit to conclusions today when invite alan plummer to please kendall for us a special flame in recognition of indigenous peoples day that will be celebrated this monday instead of columbus day honoring the. Experience of devastation. That lives in history of this country but also the hope and resilience currently found in vibrant indigenous communities that continue on. Want to go back to john winthrop for just a minute. Problematic as we said those puritans are. Right no friends to indigenous folks. Also not too much inspired by women's freedom. Write nathaniel hawthorne the adults respect we know all of the troubling parts of the puritan. Here's what they also brought. They brought a sense of congregational polity. When the puritans arrived they said we want to gather together and create our own congregation. They were not fully separatists from the church of england the way the pilgrims were. Theologically they were still very much aligned with a theology. Church of england but. Formatively how they wanted to be in organizational life they said. We want us to have a congregation. The power invested in the congregation. Not a hierarchy telling us what to do. In truth the elders of those early churches that became known as the free churches the elders held a lot of flat lot of power. Conrad right as historian our movement said you know we might not want to just say that. This is my synopsis q b in a little bit more scholarly tell but basically he said you know we might not want to say you know the puritans showed us how to do democracy but what they did do was give us basic institutions in which we could breathe. Breathe democracy into those insta. Unitarian universalism retains a congregational polity. In line with a congregationalist. Holiday new way of organizing an ecclesiastic church body together we retain that along with many other denomination. Let's see the power as invested by those who have gathered in the congregation. John winthrop. On the arabella was asking some pretty primary quest. Of the people gathered. How will we be together folks. How will we travel together folks. What shared. Towards what good. He said the same kinds of questions we want to ask. About the covenants we make and live into. Concluding antidote. An anecdote. I want my way to conclusion here. How to do with a family that i know. Mom and dad. Two kids 8 and 6. They're busy. The really really. The eight-year-old feels like he doesn't get enough air time in the fan. Six-year-old feels chronically bullied by the eight-year-old. Parents. They end up. Please invoice at their kids in a way that they wish they didn't do all that. They all spent way more time on their cell phones kind of escaping the family dynamics then they wish they'd. The parents realize that. Then they got married which seems like so many years ago they made a vow to each other. But they never made a vow to or with their. Children. The family decided to take a big step back. And what they did is they made a family covenant. Any closing this is the covenant i want to share with you. They're cutting it together as a family that i feel pretty deeply inspired by. Family. Decided to make a covenant together. And they did it at a time of relative peace. They did it in the holidays. And i'm. This is a covenant that they created everyone got to say. What they wanted to say about how the family would be together. We the color landon. Aims to create a home in which. Each person is valued. We will do this by holding each other's well-being in our thoughts and heart. Because of this covenant we will try to be respectful of each other. And that means using the power of our words thoughtfully. We will share airtime allowing each person to be heard. We agreed each do our part to take good care of our home so we have a safe clean environment to live in. Because we care about one another. What other family members make requests. We vow to listen. Even if we end up disagreeing. At least hear the other person out. This way we will be a family and whichever one feels like account. The kids will grow up and remember what it felt like to create a cousin. Will the family. Keep that covenant the letter of their vows ever. You can hear the eight-year-old perhaps time hallway scene. You said you'd listen to me. Turn our covenant. You can maybe hear the dad's thing. You're right. But we also said in that covenant that we would listen to each other. So i'm going to listen to you. And then i ask that you listen. Calling each other back into. Let us go forward. Thinking about the covenants we make with one another. Thinking about how we can draw the circle wide and wider still. Marge piercy. Says that it starts like this. It starts when we say we. And we know who we need. And everyday. We mean one more. Blessed be. And. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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130825_do_joy.mp3

Welcome to the august 25th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today. Did the first service to be led by our new settled minister. Reverend daryl coley. Her sermon is titled beginning enjoy. The podcast begins with opening words by rev darra. Followed by first a reading done by uuc president marine blakemore. And then rev dara's sermon. Are opening words this morning. Are by mali sumia. To be joyful in the universe is a brave. And reckless app. The courage for joy springs not from the certainty. I've human experience. But the surprise. Our astonishment at being loved. Are bold willingness to love in return. These wonders promise the possibilities of joyfulness. No matter how often or how harshly love sometimes seems to be lost. And therefore. Despite the world's sorrows. We give thanks. For our love. For our joy. And for the continued courage to be happily surprised. Come. Let us worship. Together. This morning. From the book of qualities by j ruth gendler. Joy drink pure water. She has sat with the dying and attended many births. She denies nothing. She is in love with life all of it the sun and the rain. And the rainbow. She rides horses at half moon bay under the october moon. She climbs mountains she sings in the hills. She jumped from the hot spring to the coldstream. Without hesitation. Although joy spontaneous. She is immensely patient. She does not need to rush. She knows there are obstacles. On every path. And every moment is the perfect moment. She's not concerned with success or failure. Or how to make things permanent. At times. Joy is elusive. She seems to disappear as we approach her. I see her standing on a ridge covered with oak trees. And suddenly the distance between us seems enormous. I'm overwhelmed. And wonder if the effort to reach her is worth it. If she waits for us. Her desire to walk with us. Is as great as our longing to accompany her. Once a year. Right around october. A great big hash. Of new mexico. Blue sky. Opens up. And filled with brightly colored. Balloons. Hot air balloons. Balloons in yellow and red. Purple and blue some with polka dots and others with zigzag sort of design float. Together. Filling the sky. People say. As they walk and they move around on the ground their heads. Tilted app. Dazzle. Joy. It can come to us this way. In dazzling doses. Witness the image of the sky filled with thousands of brightly colored balloons. Yet as many of us know. It does not hardly. Ever arrived on a schedule. Instead joy comes to us unbidden. Unplanned. Sneaking through a smile perhaps or erupting full-force as laughter that ripples through a crowd as some of the laughter has rippled here today. I mean to suggest that we can plan for hap's to go to a balloon show. But you can never really plan for that feeling of the head tilted up taking in the wonder. Of tremendous color. Today is a special day. It is our first together. On our journey together as settled minister and congregation. And as i was thinking about this splendid day with all of you i was reminded of this image of wonderment and the balloons. Rising into the air. Listing skyward as part of the albuquerque hot air balloon show the siesta as it's now called are there those here in the room have ever been to the albuquerque hot air balloon show. Some good good good. I tell you i think that joy sometimes get the simplistic rap. And let me say what i mean by that some may think of joy as. Leading. Temporal and therefore not really worthy of our theological or spiritual reflection. People might think joy. Superficial. Is there anything theologically deepening. That can be said for joy. Clearly i think that there is. When i think about beginning our journey together i really wanted to begin a conversation about joy. And how it lives with us how it moves through us elevates us and can inspire us. And it's not just because i'm joyful to be here with you this morning because indeed i am. But julie i think need to be recovered. Fanjoy simplistic rap. Joy arrives by so many ways as we heard in the readings this morning as we heard and all of those that we're all of those ideas and personal reflections that were shared. Joy arrives sometimes tenderly. Sometimes bittersweet. In the midst of sadness and grief. Joy arrives joy arrives when we open ourselves to its visiting and make a place for its welcome in our lives joy arrives miraculously sometimes it seems in the blessing that is right next to. The wound. The image of balloons filling the skies reminds us that. Joy brings with it inspiration. That can restore our hearts. Joy itself like the image of a balloon lifted in air has much to do with a sense of freedom. And liberation. Joy's connection with freedom and liberation i'm going to return to that in just a few moments. But i would also share with you that not long ago i found myself asked to be a facilitator along with many other unitarian universalist lay folks and ministers and we were asked to have conversations across this wide landscape of the united states chatting with people about unitarian universalism are shared religious tradition. Do you you asked us as part of the gathered here effort to speak with folks in one-to-one conversation and learn what is it. About unitarian universalism. That allows a sense of freedom of liberation of hope what is working. About unitarian-universalism we ask questions like. When was the last time you felt proud of your congregation. And so i did a lot of listening. And a lot of being dazzled. And some of the responses were surprising. And somewhere familiar. What i heard over and over again was the power of coming together in small groups for deepening reflection. And sharing. I heard over and over again we want to connect our values as unitarian-universalist with making an impact. In the public square. We want to connect. And we want to make a difference. And then i also heard people say things which echoed back to some of the liberatore feelings that are face for bears. Felt in many many years past. And that was a sense of theological freedom. Theological liberation. And i want to share with you just i'm. Q words. That come to us from many years ago. When one of our faith forebears elizabeth cady stanton. Found for herself. The liberatori reality that can be unitarian-universalism i share these words with you. This morning because i hope that you can hear her echo. From the voices and pages of history echo for us today. Some of what we might experience inside. I've unitarian-universalism. Elizabeth cady stanton. In 1815. Wrote about her journey from calvinism she was a christian she journeyed from calvinism with its with its creed and it's severe teaching she experienced women severe around. Son being damned to hell. And strict behavior one must follow in order to have salvation. Elizabeth cady stanton. Call desert apartments free of woe. Pageantry of well that's what she said when she wrote in her in her autobiography. She said her dreams were haunted by the theological ideas that she had grown up with. In calvinism. She says in this is david i think. How many times have i stolen out of bed. Shivering on the stairs. Where the hall lamp and the sounds of the voices in the parlor. Would mitigate my terror as my dreams filled with this these theological ideas. This pattern pageantry of woe. You can imagine. Our faith for bear sitting on the stairs. Struggling with these theological ideas that she had grown up with. And then she describes her finding of a liberal religious tradition. And she says. Slowly. I began to see and wander through an intellectual labyrinth. And suddenly everything up that i looked at was from a new standpoint. And i grew more happy. Day by day. An entirely new life opened up before me. The old bondage of fear. Of the visible and the invisible was broken. I was no longer subjected to a terrifying absolute authority. And i rejoiced. In the dawn of a new day of freedom. And thought and an action. Liberal religion with its wide possibilities. Had this effect of liberation. On elizabeth cady stanton who is one of our more unsung face forebears. I wanted to honor her and lift up her voice for a reflection this morning. Perhaps you are finding your way toward the theological liberation inside of unitarian universalism. Back to the sons of balloons. Balloons remind us of that which is freeing. And that which is hardening. And the beauty that we love. As a minister joining with you i will ask you again and again what is the beauty. That you love. What is the beauty that this congregation loves. And let us move towards it. And let us increase that beauty together. I'll ask you who are we now. And who are we becoming. And what might we offer. In this new river valley. Over the years i hope that we will clarify together are renewed sense of mission. And vision. That calls as up and forward. Just like the balloons lifting into into flight. And dazzling. That we and all might say wow. That we might be dazzled by our coming together and living our bold purpose in the world. Now i've got to be honest with you. I have never been to the albuquerque hot air balloon show but i know that some of you have been. And many years ago before i was a minister i worked off a brief while at a museum design and fabrication firm. We produce museum exhibits including narrative and interpretive signs and symbols that would. How people make meaning of history. And back then one of our clients was. You guessed it the albuquerque hot air balloon show. And so i recall sitting in a rather uninspiring boardroom. And i'll be honest with you i was. Ford. Even with vibrant images like the balloon show up on boards that were propped around us folks were launching into the details of how the balloon show operates and talking about how can we move a people to come and appreciate how can we grow the success of this event. And it was all pretty nothing both details and the energy in the room just. Just started to leave. And then one of the presenters just paused and he said. With a bright gleam. Amazing. In his breaking with the script. Allowed new energy to come into the room. Is eternally best spirit of the thing with present. And we were paying attention. At that time i understood something new. About joy. That joy is shared. That julia grows and to be authentic. It must sometimes allow us to break. With the script. That we might unfold. The reality of how we feel. In the moment. Balloons launched by the thousands reminds us of freedom and joy and limitless beauty. I don't recall what it was but the design team came up with that jay. To help convey that feeling or promote the event although it made an impression on me and here i am sharing it with you this morning. But i do recall the palpability. I'm joy in the room. Sometimes we do have to break the script. And make a leap. 4life. And for love. I wonder where in your own life. You might feel a need to break the script. And make a leap. Or staff. For life and for love. Today we are in transition. I want a name for us that transitions can be exciting. Joyful. They can also be challenging and confusing. A whole wellspring of feelings might arrive within us at times of transition. This morning i want to begin with inviting joy. To be a partner. On our journey together. That we might. Laugh. And create. Together. The dalai lama. Was asked once about humor. Any said schumer has a way of opening us up to receive new truth. And so it is that i think that laughter and humor and fun. And the welcoming of joy. Give our spirits playful and creative freedom to breathe. By way of experiencing play enjoy. I want to share it when brief practice with you. See if you might experiment together a little bit this morning. For some this will feel easy and others that might feel challenging or a little different. This practice i'll share with you today comes from an experience i had not long ago as a minister and ministers meeting. We were talking about minister stuff. And we had to come to some decisions as unitarian universalist ministers you can imagine how many diverse viewpoints might be in the room. How many different ways of knowing and being. And all of a sudden there was a moment of tension. And everyone could feel it. And our trainer larry peers with so many years of experience working with clergy. How to breathe. And he invited us to do this practice i'm going to share with you that it might perhaps be helpful for you and the journey ahead. I'm not suggesting there's tension in this room. But whatever you're holding whatever you were sitting with i invite you to try this on. Gently bring your hands together. And create for yourself. Around ball of energy. Gather together the energy that feels real to you. And hold it. And feel it. And then slowly very slowly. On the count of eight. Bring your hands up. 1. 2. 5. Sex. 7. It works for some of us when the ministers meeting. Maybe it will work for you. Thankfully joy is not something that we need to work hard at. Joy is not something we need to put on our to-do list. Instead we might just practice ways of allowing joy. To enter. And when it enters lean into it. In our lives. On our journey forward maybe lean into joy. When it arrives. In big ways and in small ways. May we in this bewildering and beautiful world sometimes pause. And allow joy to whisper to us. May we. Occasionally pause. Take a breath for beauty. Appreciate it. And then journey forward and creating. May we repeat this cycle. As fall comes to us. My wish for you this day is that july. Might greet you on your own journey. That you might be drawn ever more deeply into the rich. Hearts of life. I am glad. To be with you. Joyful. May joy be with us. Again and again. Blessed be. And almond. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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160619_do_future-promise.mp3

Welcome cuz it's june 19th service at the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service a day which is father's day. Is led by our settled minister reverend arrowland. I heard sermon is titled. Waking the futures promise. Rest are also shares a reflection on last week's massacre in orlando. And worship associate earlier windshear as a reflection on father's day. This morning it is father's day. It is also my final sunday in the pulpit with you as you are. Settled minister. How very good. Our journey has been with one another. And i want to acknowledge the fullness of feelings that are present here likely in this room this morning. Not only because it's my last sunday's you're settled minister. Given the fullness of the dance in the world but also because it is my last sunday with you as you're settled minister. Last sunday you heard a bit for me about. Highlights from our journey of ministry together and in that sermon i shared with you all that it was one of the deepest greatest joys of my life. When you called. And asked me to be your minister. Yes you said. Which is you. Yes i said. I choose. I will never be sorry for having said yes. I will always be glad for are deepening journey together. And today in the course of our sunday morning going to talk more about three moons what we carry with us. What we leave behind all encouraged you to be thinking about waking up your own dreams for your life. For the world at large and for this beloved community. Because it is father's day i want to share these words. So eloquently written by my colleague reverend kirk loadman copeland. A father's day prayer. Let us praise those fathers. You have striven to balance the demands of work. Marriage. Children. With an honest awareness of both joy and sacrifice. Let us praise those fathers who lacking a good model for a father. Have worked to become. A good father. Let us praise those fathers who buy their own account we're not always there for their children. But who continue to offer those children now grown. Their love and support. Let us pray for those fathers who have been wounded by the neglect. And hostility. Of their children. Let us praise those fathers who despite divorce have remained in their child's life. Let us praise those fathers whose children are adopted. And his love and support has offered healing. But as praise those fathers who as stepfathers freely chose the obligation of fatherhood and earned their stepchildren love and respect. Let us praise those fathers who have lost. A child to death. And continue to hold. That child in their heart. Let us pray that those men who have no children. But who cares the next generation. As their own. Let us pray as those men who have fathered us in their roles as mentors and guides. Let us praise those men who are about to become fathers may they openly the light in their children. And let us praise those fathers who have died. But we live on in our memory and his love continues. Dinner dress. Do you recognize that father's day just like mother's day conjures all sorts of. Feelings from. Deep joy and appreciation for the opportunity to honor the fathers and father figures in our lives to a sense of ambiguity why did we even. Have father's day. The folks who deeply wrestle with what comes forward in our hearts and minds at this time. So let us again just welcomed in the fullness of all that can be conjured forward in our hearts and minds. And today i asked you to consider. Who has fathered you. Who has fathered you and your lives. To buy their influence has shaped you. Positively in your journey of living. Why would you say they have bothered you how would you say they have fathered you. Think about what you carry forward. From the people in your life. Who have fathered. And to those celebrating. Happy father's day. This morning we take care to open a space nor worship for the particular honoring and remembering of those who died. Due to the mass shooting in orlando very early last sunday morning. We recognize and holding a space that there are a great many feelings. Present in a. And asked each one of us today as we bring our thoughts. To orlando. To the widespread epidemic of gun violence in our country. Many are morally outraged. Some are numb. Some don't have any words whatsoever to. Name the feelings that they're having. As we open the space kind of remembrance i want to acknowledge. As a community that those among us who identify as lgbt cue or i might in particular feel. Profound sense of loss fear and tenderness lettuce especially hold them this day and in the weeks ahead. In our loving care. I also remind us that. As our country moves to metabolize if it is even possible to metabolize this loss. And the loss is compounded by. All of the more losses that our communities and that this community indeed has experienced overtime. Do you want to knowledge of so many of you know the rise and the rhetoric of fear and hatred. Remind us that we as unitarian universalist. Can live our values by intervening other ring and hate monde mongering that can occur. Let us also then send our care and bob's in love and respect to our muslim brothers sisters and cousins were right now in their holiest month. Of ramadan. Let us remember that our. Dignity health. And our liberation. And i live are so very deeply bound with one another's. Before they're adapted. Hannah writing by my collie keep khan. Which was adapted again by reverend don. Sky gel cooley and once again adapted by me for our purposes today. Today and forever we grieve the loss of life. We grieve for their family as we grieve for their son's we grieve for coworkers. I grieve for those who were there and. Those who. Were there and feel both lucky and guilty that they survived while others died. We grieve for those directly and indirectly affected by this violence for the lgbtq community in for the latinx community who have been reminded. Who they are and who they love makes them target for so many ins country. We grieve for those were reminded of other lawsuits the parents and. Family is a newtown connecticut columbine colorado blacksburg. Virginia. The church members of congregations in charleston south carolina and knoxville tennessee. And so many more places. All those we remember who knows someone who has been lost. D12 ass shooting until the rise of emotion. We grieve for police officers and safety officials for first responders who are trained in how to respond to that shooting to try to keep the wounded alive. Who had to tell family members that someone they loved head. Died or been hurt. We grieve for the reporters who tried to tell the story while witnessing and listening to horrific details. We grieve for parents who must explain this tragedy to children. We grieve for a planet that forgets that leading a. Deleting tenets of every major religion in the world. Others as you would like to be treated. We grieve. Because of violence is all too common. All-too-familiar. All 2. Tragic. We grieve for those who will die and those who lose loved ones in the next shooting. And the next. And the next. And the next. And the next. It's how we define. That they must.. Until we at. The depths of our grief can kill dark and scary and the way through is unclear and we don't know what to do and so we pray. And we like candles and we sing songs i mean name the names. And we hold one another in loving care and we pray that each one of us connect to become a little more humane a little more compassionate a little more willing to come together to be part of a solution. We pray that we never forget. We pledge to remember. We pledged to be part of the solution however many solutions it takes. This day. Then we pray with our actions. For only we can pay cash. And service at the future. Blessed be and i'm in. And i want to invite you all to consider taking actions morning. Following our service there's a takeaction table. Created by those who said. Yes lighting candles yes naming names but let's take. There is something tremendously powerful about taking action together. As a people of. I invite you if you're so moved to please go. To the action table and take action. Morning we light a candle. Candle of memories at candle of hope. We light a candle. So that we remember. That love wins. On father's day. A road trip. For women who have not travel together previously. We pull into the gas station and before the driver hops out to fill the tank she reaches toward the glove compartment. As if she's on automatic pilot the woman riding shotgun completes the action for her own prince the box store extraction notebook and pen and without further inspection she studies indicators on the dashboard and begins making notes. The driver sets about the task of filling the tank. And then when she finishes. She calls out numbers to her front seat passenger. The woman beside me in the backseat chuckles and shakes her head perplex. Laughing. Why are you doing that i asked the driver. In response she expands upon gas mileage and engine performance. No i know what you're doing i interrupt i'm just asking why you're doing it. The driver blinks her eyes at me as though she can't believe i'm asking that question. Finally she says well at because it's what my father always did. Yes pipes up though. Front seat passenger. How do you think i knew what to do without being asked. Or told something my father always did. Well that's the backseat companion. It's something my father always did too and that's why i don't do it. Exactly i proclaim my father insisted it be done by whomever was riding in the front seat. With him and as soon as i had a choice about doing it for my own vehicle. I stopped. We philosophize about this for the next few miles as we drive away from the gas station. 1 practice. Perpetuated by for well-meaning fathers. Who likely hoped to impress the practice upon for offspring. The lesson took what's 2. And was soundly rejected by two more. And yet all four of us have been living rather successful adult life. Any differences between our lives likely cannot be correlated with whether or not we meticulously record our mileage and gasoline performance. Which only goes to show. What. Bad as parents we tried to impart life wisdoms to our children. We try to give them the tools they will need to navigate the world. And those wisdom. We either be accepted and adopted. Or they won't. That is awesome spring we are free to sort through what our parents have given us. The helpful the meaningless. And sometimes the harmful. And choose what we will take with us into our adult lives. Much the same way we may have chosen to become unitarian universalist. On this day of commemorating fathers. We have the opportunity to reflect how our lives have benefited. From what our parents have given us. Even if it was given and invert inlay or circuitously. We can be grateful for the life lessons. We choose to take with us. Into the future. Dear beloved community. In your orders of service you have a small square. And on that small square is a poem it's by langston hughes. Let this be a gift. Let this be a gift to you each one and as a whole community today and let us share these words together. But if speak is words together now to you by langston hughes. Henry. Learn about the world. Outside our world but here in the hat. Our problem. To dream of vast horizons above the school. Unfettered free halloween. Ou four agreements to. How about we make our world a new. I really like you. If there was but one line to share with you this morning. It would be indeed those words. Those lines are also printed on the top of your order of service i reach out my dreams. It's father's day if we said. And it's also my final sunday. As you are settled minister here with you in your beautiful thanks. In the loving care. Of this gathered community i have been formed and forge. Throughout a distinct portion of my very own line. And i have been so very privileged. To accompany those of you who have shared your lying. You are spiritual journeys with. It's hard for me to even speak today. To give words to that which is unexplainable which is the interconnection. The deep interconnection of human beings and what it can mean. The journey forward together with. Purpose. And with promise. You invited me to be part of your journey. As i said three years ago you asked me to be your settled minister i said yes. And we opened a next chapter in this congregation future. When i go. Another chapter will open. It will just be the continued unfolding of attorney you are all. Ready on as individuals and as a congregation and so today is about you and i of course it's not just about you and i it's about the dreams that brought us here. And the dreams that we will carry forward with us. We'll talk a little bit about dreams and learnings and how they're handed down and carried forward because. It's father's day. We shared an. I think it's important that we think about dreams right about now. I'll tell you that my own grandfather. Ladon died. When i was very young and so my memories of him. I not very sharp and clear there more fuzzy and held together. My photographs. But here are some things about him. He had dark. Wavy hair. The parents were from sicily italy. People say he was good looking. Like my dad who's here. It's good looking. Nicholas nicholas nicholas don was trained by his father to be a carpenter and. Even though he was not able to study as much as he would have liked to in his life and pursue higher and higher education i understand that you would frequently be found with a book. Thoughtful and intelligent are few the words that were used to describe him. Recently i asked my own father who's visiting who my grandfather's. Heroes might have been. Whether he knew who his father's heroes might have been and a little bit about. His dreams. And my father thought for a moment. And then he said. The musician. The musicians in big band music. Those were his hero. But why i asked. And he thought for a moment and he said music and. Dancing. This was social life this was a reminder of joy. I like to think about my own grandfather. Listening to the big band music tapping his feet maybe or nodding his head maybe a younger man. Maybe losing himself. In music for a while. I like to do that. Maybe some of you like to do that sometimes just lose yourself. Instamusic. Through the resources resets of the time i still feel connected to my own grandfather though we didn't share it much actual. Time in our lifetimes together. This father's day and probably because it is as each of you know the fact that i am moving with my family. I've been thinking a lot about what state. And what remains. What is carried forward. What influences us what influence we have and what we let go of. We are each each single. One of us. Orig mix of past and present. Each one of us formed through. That mysterious. Self that we are. Our life experiences. The world at large how it shapes us and the meaning that we make of our lives in the world at any given time. These times are challenging ones. But every generation has had their challenges and every generation has had their own dreams. I asked my father a little bit about he could even think of what the dreams of my grandfather his father might have been. Any told me a story about. Once upon a time knowing that my grandfather when he was younger went to the jersey shore. I was looking for a place to stay and came up against the fact that there was a hotel that didn't let italians in. When pressed about it my father said you know maybe one of his dreams was. To enter into an american dream. To be part of the larger american story. And i think about. I asked my father then what about your dreams. And he said when i was young i wanted to be a baseball player. Each generation their own dreams each phase in our life our own dreams. I wonder what your dreams have been your dreams of your younger self. Your dreams for your own life right now. And i wonder about the collective dreams of this incredible beloved community going forward. You all have developed a tremendous mission. And i believe next year your journey will be to grow your dreams and service of how you can live that mission ever more fully. What will you carry from your own life. What will you carry from your journey in this collective life to birth new dreams for the future. I want to share with you something that i have deeply valued about this congregation. And i know it. Because it's something that i believe i've actually inherited from my own family. Including my father and my stepmother. And that is what is called a growth mindset. You might have heard this language before. Does language about a growth mindset and a fixed mindset and that language comes from carol dweck who's a psychologist at stanford university. 6. Mine is a fixed mindset. Is when a person or dare i say a community. Hold the belief that one's intelligence or 16s and character and creativity are all static towards of givens. And that. When things go well it's an affirmation of one's innate success but there's a deep emphasis on succeeding always and failure as experienced as a. Really challenging sort of experience. One must strive for success and when meth avoid failure at all cost that's some of the fixed mindset are you with me little bit. Fixed mindset. Things are fixed. Success is important. And if there are failures or change of along the way it reflects badly or poorly. Growth mindset on the other hand. Is the notion that we are growing and that challenges before us new experiences help us learn more about what we can do to adapt. What we can do to experiment. What we can do to learn more about our growing sports with edges. Growth mindset. Is a powerful thing. Growth mindset. Is a culture that says yeah. Yes to experimentation yes to learning. Yes to unexpected things that occur in the past and growing and reflecting. I have enjoyed being a minister with you largely because this congregation has a growth. Mine. A mind a mindset characterized not by this is how we always done it this is how we've always been again never be any other way. Not. But rather this is what we've learned. Where we're headed this is what we think this is what we hope. Here are the cause of the world that we want to respond to here's what we want to say yes to a growth mindset. And i'm a growth mindset kind of person or i try to be like steve ingrained in me. Try to be because that's. What i've inherited and that's what i want to carry with me. And i hope that you will continue to carry forward you our growth mindset. In your own individual lives and as a beloved community as you embrace and welcome your next. Ministers. Your instrument aster and your neck. Settled minister. One of my big gratitude. It might be somewhat invisible to you all. Not knowing perhaps how. About this about me is. How deeply influenced. The ministry has been able to share with you has been because of my. Minister family is incredibly important. Today because not only that father's day but because we're talking about growth mindset. Hopes carried and dreams going forward i want to acknowledge the contribution that pete has provided not only to myself and i'd only to my son micah actually to the congregation. By being the backbone of support that is free to me. Administer with you. Twenty-four hours a day. A whole family. And i speak on behalf of pete in micah. His valued so much. The ministry that we've shared. And i wholeheartedly. On behalf of our family. Thank you for the care that you should. The respect and kindness. You're deep understanding for knowing that even though we are sad and some if not all of you are sad. Why your understanding why it is. That we must go because it's the right choice. For our family each one of them. And our wish for you. Is that you continue to grow. And live. The dreams of this beloved. Community. I will miss you beyond measure. I will carry you with me in. My heart. This morning i asked you to think a little bit now. About your helps for the. Not just congregation. But your hopes for the world. Your dreams. What do you dream. It's a real question. Not justa. In this world a beauty and tragedy what do you do. The thing about being human is sometimes especially. In the chaotic and fast-moving world we can forget how powerful we are. And how deeply we kitten package. My hope for you is that you remember how powerful you are and if you doubt your own power. Just think about the last time. You were grumpy at someone. You said something or did something that made someone in your life or your work or home grumpy too. How easy it is to affect each. And think about the last time. Someone is grumpy with you. And how that affected your day. In a microcosm i asked you to think on this because we can forget just how deeply we can influence. Dear beloved community as a unitarian universalist. Congregation. Poison this vibrant and challenging 21st century. My hope is that you will not forget your own power. One person makes a big difference a whole congregation. Makes a huge difference. I'm one of the things that is consistently brought me a live as your minister while i've been here. Is the opportunity to serve in a place that sell calls out for and desperately need. Liberal religious. As you go forward living the dreams of your mission as a congregation. Do not forget that there are those who long to be with you. I know. People long to be here because they come into my office. Almost every week i've been here saying i didn't know about unitarian universal. It just didn't know. And i wish i had known. If you go forward as a congregation make space. For those people who long. Kallang to participate with you. In a shared dream. Of growing not only a congregation but a world that affirms all people. That values interconnection. And individuality. So don't doubt your power. And continue to open to those who long to be with you. I wish that i could take you. I wish that i could text you. California. I wish you many ways but today was not goodbye. But it is. And you are work. And your lives here. Are necessary. Invaluable. Please do. Because satisfaction of your spirit. Please do. Honor your. Religious and spiritual lives. Making space for silence and meditation. Chong and reflection. Like handles singsong. Take action. Talk. T'god. We talked about god. Or wrestle with. God. And why it troubles you. What it isn't. And why that truck. Find what is holy and rest there awhile. Do. 2. Do kick the satisfaction. Have your spirit. And. Please. Remain. Just a little bit. Unsatisfied. Not with each other. Or your next minister. But remain unsatisfied. With the world as it is. Remain unsatisfied in the ways that help you reach out and make a differ. Individually and collectively. I do believe. That the united states is now calling out for a people react rounded and reconnected to the common good and spiritually alive enough. And a weak enough not to give in to despair. And complacency but to help wake up the dream of america for all people again. There is as many of you know a conversation about who's america. Whose dream it is whether it's a dream just for some. With the right skin color the right religion the right access to traditional political power. Rite aid. The right gender. And. There has been a conversation about the dream. An america that is about all of us. About all religions all gender expression. All social and economic. Backgrounds. Help. Help. Earthquake. The dream for everyone. And know that you are not alone i'll be waking the dream with you. I think about my grandfather tapping his foot to the music that brought him joy. Made him smile. I think about my father. Watching baseball games watching the men run the bases i think about my own child learning to speak. Betsy will add his voice to the chorus of life that started before he was born and posting his own song. No i will not be here with you each sunday and day after day to watch you sing. To watch you live into your growth and growing mindset. I know you will. And i know that you took one of you will continue to add your music. To the larger society and this congregation will sing and sing. 4shared dream. My prayer today is that we all choose well. Our actions are words and our dreams. My prayer is that we call one another into dreams which restore our shared humanity. And that we pick up right where we. Are each one of you and. Me too. And that we play the part that is on. As i said dear uuc. I wish i could take you in. And we have played very good music. You will play at more music and learn some new notes to and so will i. In the words of e.e. cummings which i referenced earlier. I will. Carrie. In my heart. And now you. Wake up you're cute. Uuc. And i will.. You're having me as your. Blessed be. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website. Uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

140202_do_rose-wintertime.mp3

Welcome to the february 2nd service at the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The podcast begins with a reading by nancy gardner. Which is followed by some comments by cynthia luke. Are settled minister reverend arrowland. Then delivers a sermon title a rose in winter time. I'm nancy gardner. And i have been asked to read this poem. Written by our very own linda pfeiffer. Linda is one of. Are lay pastoral group. And she wrote this poem. Which all of us came to realize really. Reflects on what. We offer. As lay pastoral care associates. It is called like a sponge. I'm here with you. Quiet. Just listening. Deep breaths. Shoulders dropped. Isoft. And deep enough that you could almost fall into them. Low energy but not unproductive. Just listening. Where to begin. Is there a beginning. Not important. The first raindrops. On the windshield. The words begin to flow. Patterning down unevenly. And a small steady trickle. Like a sponge. I absorbed them. Expanding. To hold as much as you want to release. Your shield is in place to rounding you. Perhaps lowered now. Just a little. Why not choose family members to listen. But they are perhaps too close. And one wants to protect them from worry. Printer willing. But they may try to repair. Offering suggestions. It feels like pressure. And they have their own stories to tell. Getting in the way and sending yours off track. The shield stays up most times guarding the pain. And what about the worry and pain covered up but festering. There needs to be a way to release. To let some of this go. In a safe place. It's hard lowering the shield. Constructed carefully for guard duty. But we're here now. Breathing together. Isoft. Feel safe. And release whatever you can. Like a sponge. I hold as much as you can give. And when we depart. I will let it all go. And refresh. I will be here with you again. My promise. For whatever you wish to say. I am listening. So what is lay pastoral care. Sometimes each of us needs more than words of encouragement. Or a hug from a friend. Play pastoral care associates our volunteers from our congregation who are selected. Trained and supervised. On a consistent basis by our minister rev dara. Each team member. Has been trained and compassionate listening and a caring presence. Associates are available for those who would welcome a visit. Or who are experiencing difficult circumstances. Or who are encountering a time of transition. In which they could use some confidential non-judgemental ongoing support. The purpose is to provide a sustaining ministry of hope. And caring. So the congregants need not suffer. Or struggle alone through life's hard times. Lape astrocare many ministry associates may. Visit congregants who are ill at home. Or in the hospital. Support those going through major life transition or crisis. Maintain contact with those unable to attend ucc due to illness or disability. Support family and friends. Who are involved in caregiving. And comfort the bereaved. Lpcm provides an important branch of rucc caring network. This program started in april of. 2012 with 10 associates and three facilitators. And we were formally recognized or commissioned by this congregation for being part of this. Important shared ministry. They are visible to you by wearing a blue. Ribbon on their name tag. The service is accessible to all congregants at ucc. Usually the congregate. Initiate the contact. Sometimes such a service is offered through the facilitators. Why does ucc have lake air. Pastoral ministry. Trained members providing compassionate and listening presents. Build a more loving and vital community. Caring for each other and a conscious way is important to the life of the congregation. The members of the lady pastoral care team find that time shared with congregants. Is a benefit and blessing to both people in the relationship. Our minister often meets with people at their homes or in the congregation and makes hospital visits. Working together on minister and lpcm. Form a robust pastoral care ministry serving our community. The purpose of rucc pastoral care network is to ensure that those in need of accompaniment and support. Have ongoing opportunities for connection when it is needed and appreciated. Both poly stimpson and judy fur. Offer. A service of transportation and finding meals for people when they are needed. There's information on the ucc website under about us. And on the bulletin board in the kiosk and you are tall. If you would like to learn more or request to be matched with an lpcm associate. Please email lpcm. At you you see an rv or a minister directly. Or leave a confidential voice message. I'm on the congregational. Phone. Answering machine. We will be recruiting and training new associate team members this spring. And if you are interested contact nancy gardner. Myself or reb dara. Earlier we staying. These words together. Earlier and worship we sang come dream a dream with me. Did i might know your mind. And i'll bring you hope. When hope is hard to find. I'll bring a song of love. And a rose. In the winter time. I'll tell you that. As we approached spraying i'm not a gardener. By my own nature. Some people have this gift of a green thumb everything they touch just. Turns into beautiful color. And grows steadily from the ground. I'm not one of those folks even though i do indeed enjoy gardening myself. You can hear when i talk about gardening me all i have for people with a good green thumb. But here we are in february in these deep days of winter. And most of us no matter whether we have greenthumb's or not greenthumb we're all bereft. Of beautiful blooming gardens. Except the ones that we can dream about. And quite recently as i was dreaming about roses and gardens i decided to look for q-tip cuz i have to educate myself that had attended garden. And i looked for a few tips about how to tend roses. During winter time. And the chips i'll tell you mostly had to do with the need to clear away debris. And make a warm haven. For the chutes to survive the frost. And thrive, the summertime. When they're blessed with the rays of the sun shine. And being that i'm someone that's far better with metaphors than i am with actual gardens the cultivation of actual roses i really started to give this all some thought. And i got to thinking that it might not be a bad way to begin this month-long theme of caring. By taking some effort and time. To think about the soil. Around the roots of our beloved community. That we might imagine ways to nurture those shoots. For it. The days and months ahead. No roses in wintertime evoke this image of hope and beauty. Even in the midst of a very bleak. Winter. And so carolyn mcdade's him which opened us this morning and to worship reminds us that five acts of singing and dreaming. Walking together. Sharing acts of beauty we might get to know one another more deeply. We might be able to bring one another hope. Perhaps. When it is very hard to find. We might be able to bring one another roses. In wintertime. This morning i want to share with you a little bit more. About. One of my own winters in life one of my own deep winters. . of isolation fear anxiety. Of loneliness. What a my deepest winters actually came during summer time. I shared with you a little bit about it before but i'll share with you just a little bit more today. I'll also share with you about an unexpected. An unexpected rose that came in the form of. Congregational community care. You've heard me perhaps speak about when i was 21 and my father experienced a very debilitating stroke. Before the stroke my father was a very vibrant. Tearing a very intellectual man. He was a very talented writer. In his life he was a social worker and then he became vice-president of the visiting nurses association of greater philadelphia for many years. He then became a nonprofit consultant. He did a great deal of good in his working life and his social life. In his community life. How does a kid my dad taught me how to play baseball. How to catch the ball. That was a big thing we worked on. And we went to see plays with one another. At the time of a stroke my father was in his fifties. He had no known medical wrist risk factors. Hiiraan. He ate. He didn't smoke. And when a blood clot exploded. And damaged portions of his brain. The doctors. Maddeningly it seemed scratch their heads. And they could give us no explanation. There was no reasonable. Explanation. None of my family of course would have ever chosen this to happen. And this experience. Like most sudden traumas torah massive and unexpected whole. In the fabric of my family. And also in my own face. In life. In meaning. In hope. And very luckily my family was actually sustained by the love and the care and support. Of the mainline unitarian universalist congregation. In devon pennsylvania. My father had been a very active member for there for many years and this congregation you my family very very well. My brother's could be seen running about gallivanting through the halls during their version of coffee hour. And i get i had kept connected over the years as i moved throughout my life past awkward teen and then college and then beyond. So just about. 15 years ago. When this happened. And my family's life took on a sudden. Sudden different change. We thought that we were riding this tilting access a change and not the good kind of change. We were met in a way that deeply surprised me by the steady hands. Of our congregation. And i'll tell you it would have been absolutely. Inconceivable and unimaginable. Before then. I'm going to tell you what the support looks like. Here's what it looks like. Someone brought a bag of quarters to the hospital. In case we should need to use the payphone. This was in the days before there were cell phones. Meals were packed into our fridge. Rides were provided. Companions were at my father's side while he rested in the coma. Which he gradually and thankfully awoke from. At the time of my father's stroke i was actually studying as a student in spain. I was very far away. And as soon as i got the news i was on the next plane. It was two members of our congregation who picked me up from the airport all those years ago. Two members of the congregation they asked no questions. Who drove me quickly to the hospital. I'll tell you that i don't actually remember their names. But i remember that they were somehow kindred. That they were not strangers. They allowed me to sit quietly. An expectant silence on the way to the hospital. They simply just allowed me not to be alone. And this remains for me a very strong and a very powerful reminder. Of what accompaniments. Can look like. Can feel like. In the face of this experience my family and i learned very very quickly just how closely greece and gratitude. Can be deeply entwined. For in the face of these in measurable losses that we experienced. We were actually found by the gentle care. Bestop thoughtful and gracious act of community. The latin for our word community. Actually comes from a combination of two terms. Together with. And gifts. Community religious and spiritual community. Is a place where we come together to offer and pender are gifts with one another. In the service of something. Something that is beyond. Any single singular. One of us. Years later i came to know that the kind of care my own family received was actually part of the share that care organized model of caring which some of you may be familiar with. Already here. I want to share with you that i come from a family i was raised in that family. That was a we can do it ourselves. My family. That means we were much more at ease with giving help then receiving help. I wouldn't say it was really pride that. Would keep us from receiving help but we just didn't see ourselves that way. If you know what i mean. You don't fuss you take responsibility you do what needs to be done. We can do it ourselves. Maybe you to know this we can do it ourselves. Kind of. Personality. Orientation to life. In many ways we can think of ourselves as we can do it ourselves kind of creatures and a we do it ourselves kind of world. I can do it myself mom. Perhaps we've heard those words before perhaps we said those words before i can do it myself dad. Caregiver. Perhaps some of us here. Actually never had a. Mom or dad or caregiver we actually felt that we had to say that to maybe we actually always felt that we had to do it ourselves. That's true too. Perhaps this we can do it ourselves as a source of pride. Of esteem or simply you know just the way that it is we can do it ourselves. Regardless of whether we really strongly to find that or not for ourselves. And the idea of doing it ourselves indeed deeply ingrained in our human being. The way that we are in the world. For most of us this is incredibly important and not be minimized because i would say that self definition. And the power to choose. Has everything to do with our dignity. We need we need to feel. That we can choose and self define. Are online. And also help. Enters our lives if we want. Help. To enter eyelids. This emphasis on self-definition on dignity on i can do it myself is incredibly important. But there's another truth. Which is even if we might say and value deeply self-reliance. We are also already bound in the web of life with one another. We may point to examples of our own independence but we can easily point two examples of interdependence. Some roads built by others that we need to drive. The childcare for the care of a child of a single parent so that parent can go to work. To the sewage and the water that's treated in municipal treatment centers. To the traffic lights that helped all of us share the road safely there are so many examples. In which others need us and we need others. Examples of independence and interdependence abound. As unitarian universalist we talked a lot about the inherent worth and dignity of every person. And a huge part of that is the power of self-definition and the power to choose what is true for oneself. Choosing is vital for our quality of life we want to choose how we. Talk and speak about the holy and sacred we want to choose how we exercise our rights of conscience. But what happens sometimes in life when things occur that we do not choose. Because we know this happens to. And when this happens things that we do not choose. It is very hard. There's a person in this room. Who has not had something occur in their lives. Which they did not choose. It just had. Sometimes we don't get. And this really gets our sense of both our human power. In our sense of powerlessness. And the vast territory. That lives in between. Nothing can take away the pain of not having been able to. Nothing can take away the profound wounds that we carry. The losses that we know. The burden. The deep burdens that live in our hearts. But roses. Rose's remind us. The beauty. That remains despite the harsh hardships. That we face. Rose's remind us of the prevalence. Of the human kindness which is still possible. Even and especially. In the midst of. Tremendous suffering. Roses. Roses in the winter time. Help us. During our own journey. Strengthen our spirits for the parts of the journey which are truly only ours to live. There's a writer named steve. My bully and he writes. But i kind of gesture. Can reach a wound that only compassion can. This morning i invite you to consider what is easier for you. Giving help. Or receiving house. We know that receiving help is not always easy. And i'm going to guess that's the one that is. The one that people most often struggle with. There's a lot of personal and cultural baggage about receiving help. We're encouraged in our cultural of individualism. Polar own selves up by our bootstraps. No matter whether you have boots or not whether you have boots taken from you whether you are literally tired and too exhausted to actually find those boots. We all wrestle in very human ways. And there are surely disaster stories that help gone awry. When people give the kind of help that is really power over one another. When people give the kind of help that is directive. Bitstrips another other choice and other dignity. Kind of help. That's the kind of help that we all could do without. As we heard in the shel silverstein poem. So when did we acknowledge this morning that giving cara. And receiving karen support is indeed a delicate act. Not everyone wants help not not everyone has the same ideas about what help looks like. Listening for the stealth expressed needs of a person. Or accompanying someone as they begin to fine. What does self. Breast. Needs really are. That's an important kind. This morning we've heard some of the ways that we have a formal. Caring network available. I'll say that one of the gifts. Congregational life is that we form together with one another a web of care. That includes all of the informal ways you all bring one another roses all the time. Buy phone calls. Buy friendships. By gathering together in small groups. Self-organized. There's also a portion of the web of carrot that is the formal. Caring side and these support. One another. And the formal caring side includes myself as your minister. Able to meet with you. When we have conversations when our paths cross. When people make appointments with me. When i'm aware that there is something in your life and i reach out to you. To check in with you. When i greet you and see you in hospitals and home visits. All of that is possible and part of the formal. Caring that happens. There are some ways to administer. Can be of service in a way that lay pastoral care associates. Cannot. And we also have the lay pastoral care associates program this robust. Group of folks that gather together and reflect about what it means to listen in non-judgemental and healing ways. You've heard cynthia luke speak about that. There are many ways for you to connect. I participate in this web of care. That includes phone calls emails. And just nagging me. Drink coffee hour or another time. Working in touch with one of our facilitators of the lake hospital. My point. This morning is this. A web of care has to do with the whole growing organism. That is a congregation. And each one of us participate in that and weighs big. I hope. Very much that each one of you. Becomes a bearer of many roses. And a receiver. Of many roses. During the winters that you mean. May we go forth supporting. The web of care. Knowing that each is connected. Blessed be. Akshay. Shalom. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

160731_cs_beauty.mp3

Welcome to the july 31st service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by guest minister. Reverend dr. cassie stivers. The title of her sermon is making beauty. A human necessity. Worship associate irwin introduces rev kathy. Welcome to the unitarian universalist congregation of the new river valley. We extend a special welcome this morning to our guest minister. Rev dr kathy stivers. Reverend kathy is a uu community minister ordained by and affiliated with the unitarian universalist community church. In glennallen which is just west of richmond. For more than a decade she was the chaplain at the brook road campus of the children's hospital of richmond at vcu. She recently left that position to devote more time to her writing. On the timeless aspects of indigenous cosmology. That can inform and transform us in the 21st century. Good morning it is a pleasure to be here with you this morning and it was a pleasure to drive here always a pleasure to come back to blacksburg so. Thank you for for having me. Will share two readings with you while one reading and one response if you're going to help me on the second one. This first one. Is a poem by naomi shihab nye and the title of it is daily. And i'm going to invite you to close your eyes while you listen to this. So that you are you may be better able to see the beauty. Of this poem while you also hear its beauty. So close your eyes. These shriveled seeds we plant. Corn kernel. Dried bean. Poke into loosen soil. Cover over with measured fingertips. These t-shirts we fold into perfect white squares. These tortillas we slice and fry to crisp strips. This rich eggs scrambled in a gray clay bowl. This bed. Who's covers i straighten. Smoothing edges till blue quilt fits brown blanket. And nothing hangs out. This envelope i address. So the name balance is like a cloud in the center of the sky. This page i type and re-type. This table i dust till this guard wood shines. This bundle of clothes i wash and hang and wash again. Like flags we share. A country so close no one needs to name it. The days are nouns. Touch them. The hands. Are churches that worship the world. We open your eyes. You need to because you're going to join me in the second rating. And this is a responsive reading. It's by the dna indians. Dna with you're probably more familiar with the term navajo which was the name given to them not by themselves it was given to them by their conquerors and it's not a nice name. They call themselves dna. So the dna indians this is their one of their many chance. Illustrated responsively responsibly responsively responsibly. And i'll read the knot v part and you can follow along in the bold. Beauty is before me. And beauty behind me. Love me. I'm surrounded by it. In my youth. I am aware of it. And beauty it is begun. Beauty is beautiful for me. Beauty is behind me. Food around me. Do you know the song. You do now. Join me. Beauty is before me. Beauty. Dude around me. Beauty is before me. Beauty is behind me. Find bi-lo thanks for not following my bubu. Alright. See now we're all in it together here. Thank you for the beauty we just made. I'm working on a book these days on what it means to be fully human. In the 21st century. Tapping into the knowledge of the ancient wisdom keepers. Are the indigenous people. And what i continue to learn from them. Is that there are timeless. Ways of being fully human. That are every bit as appropriate today. Now as they were thousands and thousands of years ago. And perhaps. Maybe more so. Because of the serious environmental and humanitarian. Crisis we face today. After centuries of protecting the sacred wisdom from obliteration by conquering people's. These wisdom keepers are now allowing this critical information to be shared. Planet why. And there's two reasons for that. The first one not-so-good reason that is. This the condition of the planet. Planet is in dire shape. Because we humans most of us have forgotten. Her we have forgotten who mother earth is and that's because we have forgotten who we are as. 4 humans. And so everyone's help is needed. So that's kind of a down reason is. We're needed it's desperate. The better news and the better reason for the wisdom keepers sharing this. Wisdom with everyone now is. The human race is now ready. For that wisdom more people collectively are ready to hear that and understand it. The collective consciousness of humans is now entering into a new.. Of spiritual evolution. That many many more people around the globe have increased their levels of awareness and understanding to be able to make meaning out of this ancient wisdom in ways that we simply weren't able to do before. So as we are on the cusp. Of number one potentially a point of no return environmentally speaking. But also number to an awakening of the human species. The purpose of the book that i'm writing is to provide specific practices and ways of being in the world. For humans in the 21st century. Who are now primed and ready to receive. And use this ancient wisdom. One of those practices is. To beautify. Or to make beauty. And this is one of most fun and one of most easy and so i appreciate the opportunity to talk about it today cuz it's the first one i've written. So here we go. Well in order to make beauty we need to know beauty. So if we look up the etymology or the original root meaning of the word beauty we find that its earliest meaning is from the root word meaning. To do. Perform. To show favor. Revere. Just listen to how rich those words are about beauty. To do perform to show favor and revere. And this word beauty may also have some relationship with the root word meaning blessed. It just gets better doesn't it. So both of these root words to how action-oriented. Beautifying is and also to what a gift it is to receive. To receive beauty. Is to be blessed. The dna reading conveys what it feels like to receive the gift of beauty. And didn't we receive that gift as we read responsibly together and sang together. So. This is this is what the dna are talking about it's all around us and we can recognize it. To know beauty is to recognize that it is all around us. And to be grateful for the gift of it. The dna chant gives voice to the ancient human instinct about beauty. It points to how we are connected to the universe. True beauty. So much. That we really can't get away from. As if we wanted to but we really can't get away from beauty. Because it's it connects us. Beauty is everywhere. Before us. Behind us above us below us all around us. The chant also identify as how natural it is to recognize beauty how intuitive a thing it is to notice it. The champ says in my youth i'm aware of it. We all noticed children. And then beauty companions us through our whole lives. Guiding us even into old age and even beyond this life. It is in our beginning and in our ending it is every step of the way in between. It's with us everywhere always. And further it not only surrounds us and accompanies us. It is us. We are beautiful creations. And that's why it's possible for us to make beauty. Because we are beautiful. If you know beauty when you see it. Hear it. Tasted smell it sunset. It's because you the beholder are beautiful. In other words. It takes one to know one. Did y'all ever use that. Saying. But not maybe in a nice way like i did when i was a kid. So when somebody call me a bad name and i go i'll takes one to know one which was which is true and this is how it comes through with this to. If you recognize beauty it's because you are. You're seeing it to your beautiful then. Unfortunately there are times when beauty seems to go dormant during certain times in our lives. In our western culture we're typically uninhibited by the beauty we experience and creative children. And this is also true and we become elders. As children we all know any better than to be our natural selves. And his elders. We remember and revive our natural selves because we've got nothing to lose now but ourselves. But in between those two ages for most of our adulthood. In our culture. That's when our confidence in beauty making fades. As the premium on productivity and success take over and they kind of squelched the artist in it. And it is in these years that the many messages that we received along the way. Met someone told us along the way will you can't sing you can't carry a tune and so we believe that so now we save i can't carry a tune. Or. I can't draw i'm not an artist or you're not as artistic as so-and-so or the worst. You're not going to make a living making art. So all these negative beliefs statements these beauty killing beliefs. Take hold. In those adult middle adult years. And we wear them through most of that time. And i'll give you an example of how true i have found this to be. During my chaplain two years at children's hospital i held one of the things that i did was a weekly support group for families. Whose children with special needs were enrolled in a day patient program for their feeding problem. And it was a daily. 5 days a week. 4/8 weeks. 8:30 to 2. For three feedings a day very intensive and progressive feeding therapy. As you can imagine very very stressful and very demanding on the families. So i met with the parents for an hour a week. And that was their hour to get away child care was provided and it was their one hour that they did not have to think about or worry about their child special needs it was their hour we call it comfort hour. It was sore like recreation therapy. And it was that was just their time. And we often did craps. A lunch together and different things but we offer did crafts. End. Too often i had parents apologize upfront when i told him what we were doing oh i'm not artistic. And i would say. Right back to them. Wilmot. My goal is our is to make a liar out of you. And i will tell you that over a span of more than a decade i had a 100% success rate on that goal. The greater their preliminary apologies. The broader their smiles as they left the room with their creations in hand. So everybody is an art. There are no exceptions. If you're human being. You're a beauty maker. .. And another way to prove this is our anatomy our anatomy proves that we have all the tools. In our anatomy to make beauty we're built just right for it. There's an african saying that goes if you can walk. You can dance. If you can talk. You can sing. A mayan understanding that is is that the whole he's in creating human beings and their creation stories. The creator these these holies gave us the special gifts. Thumbs. And tongue. Because they knew. How much beauty you could be made. With your thumbs. And your tongue. The holiest did not even grant that much for themselves they said this is such this is so important. We're going to put that include that into the human beings makeup. So that they can make beauty for us. And we'll just sit back and enjoy all the beauty they make for us. So the beauty that human beings make. With the possibilities of thumbs. And tongue. Feeds the holies. Everybody wins. Right. So i'm just think about how much you can do with your thumbs or if you have to think of it the other way what couldn't you do without your thumbs. How much beauty we can make with our thumbs in our tongue and speaking and singing. And so the guys had it right i mean we're fed by beauty so they big they got this. So thumbs and tongs part of our anatomy here's more anatomy. You're familiar with the phrase we are god's hands. There was a song about it back in the 90s jewel wrote the song we are god's hands. And i can't tell you how many times i've incorporated that concept into hospital patients. Pre-surgery prayers. Dear god may the hands of the surgery team. Be your hands. So we we are co-creators with our hands in our thumbs. In the poem that i read to you with your eyes closed. Her poem of the beauty within daily life she writes the hands are churches that worship the world. Now they're other parts of our bodies other than our hands and feet and thumbs and tongues that make beauty. As a pediatric chap when i spent time with children who could not use their thumbs or tongues or hands or feet or many other parts of their body. But they could smile. And the smile is one of most beautiful. Beauty making things that you can experience right. And their eyes could twinkle so they. If you just. New you know spend time with him you could tell in the ways in their own ways that they were making beauty so. We're wired for inside and out we've got all the tools for we've got the body for it we are beauty makers. There is no doubt about our innate ability and desire to make beauty. It's so easy and natural for us we may not even realize the beauty we make with a simple acts that we do. Such a simple acts such as those that were described in a poem again back in the 90s and you may be familiar with that. The poems called how to be an artist. Rav4 miliar with that. Buy sark. Her name is susan ariel rainbow kennedy. So she just abbreviated sark. So here's some examples here's what she wrote in her poem. Learn to watch snails. Plant impossible gardens. Invite someone dangerous to tea. Make little signs that say yes and post them all over your house. Take lots of naps. Look forward to your dreams. Cry during movies. Swing as high as you can on a swing set. By moonlight. Laugh-a-lot. Celebrate every gorgeous moment. Now who hasn't done at least a couple of these. And your lifetime right. So how to use a nice poem are all forms. A beauty making. Here are a few more. Give money away. Do it now the money will follow. Believe in magic. Giggle with children. Listen to old people. Bless yourself. Play. Build a fort with blankets. Hug trees. Write love letters. Often the most beautiful things are quite simple and i will tell you if you could see what i see now as i'm reading those list. The smiles are just. Popping up all over. See you were making beauty here you got it in you. Often the most beautiful things are quite simple. And sometime so obvious and ordinary that their beauty surprises us. Remember those exquisite descriptions of those daily tasks. A nice poem. Distribute seeds we plant. Dirt over them. T-shirts we fold. The bed. Covers i straighten them out the envelope i address. Waco's beautiful. Simultaneously. Naomi saw and made beauty. In the mundane chores of life. Who knew that dustin your furniture was an artistic venture. Who knew what masterpiece awaited in a yet on addressed envelope. She did. What a gift she's giving us. I don't know about you but my laundry folding and bed-making will never be the same. The word art. Comes from the original word meaning. Join. Fit together. So what artist is one who joins or fits things together. In the literal sense this takes place when we create or build things material. We're combining materials together. To form a beautiful product. A song. A painting. Display. A garment. A home. A bouquet. The woman who brought this up here i said these are from. Collection from my yard and and was sort of apologize. And i said oh no. Oh no. That's beautiful that's beautiful. In a figurative sense. Art refers to how making beauty actually reveals how interconnected everything and everyone is. Beauty joins us together. Making beauty binds and unites us. And indeed it saves us. I remember time in my young adulthood when i was terribly saddened by something that happened. It was some type of calamity that caused great harm. Too many people and it was in the news for a while. You were in that day. We heard one of those sorrows. There's lots in the news often. About calamities and harm to people. And this was one of those before seemed to become common. Well even though i wasn't directly affected by what happened i was certainly participating in the collective grief that followed. And i just didn't know what to do with that grief i carried it for a while and then it just seemed like it was winning. So i called my mother what are you do you call your mother. And i told her about it and i sought her advice and her mothering and she told me. Do something with your hands. She goes i'm telling you bake some bread do some cross-stitch. Plant something play an instrument. Just do something with your hands. I've always found it to be very grounding and soothing and situations like this when you know you can't fix. What is happening. Just do something with your hands. And i've never forgotten this advice i've followed it many times i know now that it was all about making beauty. You make beautycounter. The absence of. In the world. Sometimes the beauty we make is a healing response to pain. The beauty we make says suffering is not the last or the only way. It proclaims that there is never a time when beauty making isn't appropriate. And it really is it universal thing. The times i've had follow my mother's advice i distinctly remember thinking. Right now i'm in good company with everyone else around the world. Making bread. And that helped me. My hands are making bread. Millions of other pairs of hands around the world are making bread. We're keeping the world going. And that's our charge. My friends keep the world going with our beauty. Making beauty is one of the easiest most natural and most fun ways of doing so. We got all we need in us. Around us. To be artists. Just look around this room look at each other look around this beautiful room look out there look out there there is beauty. Everywhere. Everywhere. And here. Wherever two or more are gathered. There's an artist guild. Let's make beauty. Our lives depend on it all lives depend on it the planet depends on at the cosmos. And all the whole east depend on it. Celeste. Onto. As we leave this place. Let us follow roomies imperative. Let the beauty we love. Be what we do. Going forth let us practice hundreds and hundreds of ways to make beauty. Let us witness the thousands and thousands of forms of beauty all around us. Obob assembly louis. Inside of us. Attitude we meet again. May the beauty we have within us and the beauty all around us saturate. Oh that is our life. Maybe so. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

130818_dj_uncertainty.mp3

Welcome to the august 18th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by don johnson. Ethical culture society leader. His sermon is titled the sacred restlessness of uncertainty. Don's wife beverly collier did the reading. The podcast ends with a discussion between don and members of the audience. Sharon day is a worship associate for today's service. This morning we are very pleased to welcome beverly collier. Who will do our reading. Who will provide a sermon this morning. They made the trip over from patrick county in the fog in. At the early early hour probably seven they had to leave her maybe even earlier. So. The shining eyes and shining faces we are very appreciative of. Many of you may remember don johnson. He was one of our speakers when reverend brownlee christine brownlee was on sabbatical and. Been faithfully accompanied him at the early hours then to. So please welcome beverly who will do our reading. Thank you. It's really great to be here this morning i really do wish we live. Closer. You can follow along the readings in your little insert here. The first reading comes from don't believe everything you think sometime thomas kita. The six basic mistakes we make in thinking. We prefer stories to statistics. We seek to confirm not to question our ideas. We rarely appreciate the role of chance and coincidence and shaping events. We sometimes miss perceive the world around us. We tend to oversimplify i thinking. And we have faulty memories. Are the second reading comes from. James p cars in the religious case against belief. And it's a review of the holy restlessness by pico iver. It's not answers that pull many people into the religious life. It is questions. The person who lives deeply and enduring lie with and within a religion. Often finds that she is surrounded by ever more doubts as she goes on. The religious impulse is almost always fired by a kind of holy restlessness. As if each time the traveler essenza peak. She sees nothing but the larger peaks that now confront her. Our knowledge. As isaac. But she does singer put it is a little island and a great ocean of non knowledge. I have to acknowledge how much will always lie beyond my reckoning. And in that very space of unknowing. My hunger maybe quickened. And the last reading is from fitzwilliam. Billy ray america's from the ethical side society of baltimore. I believe in cultivating opposite but complementary views of life. And i believe in meeting life's challenges with contradictory strategies. I believe in reckoning with the ultimate meaningless of our existence. Even as we fall in love with the miracle of being alive. I believe in working passionately to make our lives count. While never losing sight of our insignificance. I believe in caring deeply and being beyond caring. It is by encompassing these opposites by being involved and vulnerable. But samuel tangis lee transcendent and detached. But our lives are graced. Buy resilience and joy. And now let's try a little harder to welcome don johnson a leader in. Of ethical society. And well-known throughout the country. Grandfather of seven soon-to-be grandfather of eight. Don johnson. Thank you. I first want to. Say how good it is to be back here it's been. Probably four years. Maybe longer since i've been here. And i want to begin by first of all congratulating you as a congregation and revered era. Or the common journey that you are. Entering and beginning as of. This month and. Big celebration next week. Hoping and. I'm confident that. The time together you will have will. Big red bows for you and. Truth. Set a traveler. Is your breath. A wind. Eyeshadow. A phantom. Long have i pursued it. But never. Have i touched the hem. Wiggly in fact find russo friendly. The poetry i read time came from stephen crane who's best known for novels especially. The red badge of courage by who also wrote poetry. And it almost always. Reflex. Adeeb sensibility. Most often about the tribe subjects of truce. Uncertainty. For example. Here's. A couple of more of his often brief poems. I was in the darkness. I could not see my words. Nor could nor the wishes of my heart. Then suddenly there was a great light. Let me into the darkness. Or this one. The wayfarer perceiving the pathway to truth was struck with astonishment. It was. Quickway grown with weeds. He said. I see that none has passed here in a long time. Later he saw that each. Weed. Was a singular. Knife. Well. Hey mambo dead-last. Doubtless. There are other road. Today i want to talk about the sacred restlessness and uncertainty. And i want to begin by first mentioning that i've been a leader in ethical culture now for about 25 years. The movement that was started in 1876 by felix adler in new york city. That sees ethics as the center of the religious journey. Rather than theology. Or faith. A central. This means for us and ethical culture we say deed. Above creed. The fulfillment of each individual's greatest potential to be there self. Matters a great deal. There is an understanding and practice of a group ethic. And an opportunity and obligation. To make the world a better place. And a reverend. For the natural world. There's also entails a recognition that our truce. Are always tentative. And therefore open to gross. Android. When i went to the new york society for ethical culture 1986. Has the senior leader. One young female staff member there who is catholic in background and who'd worked as a society. For several years. And who was also a religion graduate of fordham university. Will seriously consider. Training. To be a leader and ethical culture. Before she made that decision she went back to her former religion professor at fordham. To discuss this possibility on mention she was considering. Becoming a leader and training. An ethical culture. His definition of ethical culture. Was that it was a religion. Of definitely. Maybe. While less than a positive term to him. It seemed then and seems to me now. To be a positive description of boss much of ethical culture and much of unitarian thought and prayer. To me that's recognition of uncertainty. Is necessary. To protect us from a world of disastrous conflict. And religious tyranny. Yet our uncertainty should not paralyzed paralyzed us from acting. On the best current college we have. That would help. Make the world a better place. Ross in all weathers. It is this definitely maybe. I wish to talk about. Unfortunately in our culture today we have what is called a six-pack of problems. That way it began the readings that you heard earlier today. That leaves many of us unconsciously all of us at some points. To unconsciously accept false ideas and to assume. We possess. The truth. These ideas are often deeply ingrained in us. An emotionally laden. And because of that the six. Ideas that are mentioned in that reading. Can help us think more carefully. About. Believing what we think. We tend to prefer stories to statistics. I can remember some years back. There was a lot of. Uproar by people who were concerned that too much of the american budget. Was going for foreign aid. Survey was done. And it asked them. Well how much. Of the. U.s. budget do you think should go to forney. And people said well no more than 5%. Well the reality is it was less than 2%. And yet they had this assumption from all these stories and anecdotes that they'd heard. That we were spending far more. On foreign aid they thought it was something like twenty 25%. Of our budget. I remember and still do. Hear people talking about global warming. And in spite of what information seems to be out there though so it will. Yeah we've had a pretty cool summer that does in that idea of global warming doesn't it i mean. Things have gone really nice and cool this idea of the world getting warmer and are having lived if having to live differently it certainly just. A bunch of baloo from somebody and really doesn't. Have any reality even though. Over 99% of scientists in the field that deal with this would say. Global warning warming. Is a fact. It is happening now. Facts do not cease to exist. Simply because they are ignored. How often have you heard somebody talk about food stamps in a negative way. For example he'll sakes well i know what case of a person who could have been working and they were getting food stamps. We need to cut food stamps. Do you know there are 5,000 active duty military families who receive food stamps. Now. This assumption there's anecdotal idea. That i heard something or i experienced something. And then it leads us to a conclusion that's false. Is a common possibility. Secondly we seek to confirm not to question our ideas. This i think it's probably. The biggest of the six. We look for information that confirms what we already believe. Liberal. Conservative. Fundamentalist. Left-winger. We all tend to go to those sources. That affirm. Thinking. We already have within us. If you're like me you receive all kinds of emails. Santa nausea nausea from one person to another to another. Sharing some new revelation of truth proving. What they had already decided was true. And now are sending it to you. To convert you to this viewpoint. Of theirs by this new proof. They just sent you. I make a habit of asking for sources. And factual data. Tabac up these claims. I often shake out the original text that they referred to. That lays out the falsity of these claims. And forward them back to the person who sent this. Kumi. Whether we're talking about. This was a christian nation from its beginning. 2. See here's proof that obama has birth certificate is a fake and he's really not one of us. 2. Death panels in the healthcare. Package. And this is this. Yes using things in such a way to confirm what we've already been convinced of. Probably. What does it's the most damage and learning new ideas. As a good friend of mine and fact one who's here today. Wrote recently to someone in an email. Ignorance prejudice and the impulse to seize any alleged facts. To support in an inclination that in practice. Cannot be altered by any facts. Is not the monopoly of any group anywhere. Along the political spectrum. Because we are all people. We all suffer from an incomplete grasp of reality. And are far from perfect when it comes to assessing with logical rigor. The structure of arguments whose content. Is emotionally sensitive. To us. It is all too common. And far too easy. Domestic rationalization. 4 rational. Justification. Third. And those problems mention was that we rarely appreciate the role of chance. And coincidence in shaping events. Most people tend to think of a state. Some plan some purpose. Already outlined. Destined for them and everything that happens it's in that. Decorated it said when i was in seminary. Southern baptist seminary new orleans. There was a student who went to use a phone. Phone booth. And happened to find a large sum of money. Somebody had left. And his response was to tell us when he came back. This was god's will for him to have this money. Normally when we get into this kind of way of thinking we're doing it because it's clearly to our own benefit. And in fact i saw as a former fundamentalist. The superstitious mindset at work in the lives of many people and in many experiences. Often to their detriment and to the detriment of others. I know people who will pray that god will give them a parking spot right in front of the building they want to go to. How god doesn't have time to deal. The map with the mount airy's children in the world because he has to be errand boy. For people who have this assumption their life plan as workout. And gods just feeding it to the. Whatever purpose is in our lives. We helped create. Along with chance. And quonset. Sometimes we must perceive the world around us. What is the nature of other species. How to man and women differ and how are they alike. When does age difference. Matter. Are we open to the rich variety of cultures in the world. Or how about the perceptions. A children. One fairly recent study a new book. Call the philosophical baby by alison gopnik. Argues quite convincingly. That the external conscious consciousness of young children is like a lantern. Play try everything. Whereas an adult is much more likely. Just be focused and have a spotlight. Do children see the world differently. When do young. Then we do as adults. And most of you have probably. Heard the story the study that was done where they had a basketball game going on. And. People were watching the basketball game. And during the game somebody dressed as a gorilla came walking across through the. The area where the game was going on i don't stand it to be watching the game. They can tell you the score. They missed. What the children saw. Which was a gorilla. Walking across the floor. We tend to oversimplify our thinking i remember hearing somebody say. All indians walk single file. At least the one i saw did. We tend to take ideas. And simplify them make some so simplistic. Because again it confirms rather questions. But we are. Bertrand russell road that the essence. Of the liberal outlook lies not in what opinions are held. But in how they are held. Instead of being held dogmatically. They are held. Tentatively. And with a consciousness that new evidence. May at any moment. Lead to their abandoned. He went on to say man is a credulous animal and must believe something. And the absence of good grounds for belief. He will be satisfied with bad one. Fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves. Voltaire quotes. Doubt is uncomfortable. Certainty. Is ridiculous. And finally we have faulty memories in her fascinating book i can't remember what i forgot. Sue halpern. Writes about memory loss and the efforts of scientists. Thunder stand it. Jimmy fortune experiments i did and which. They asked the cambridge psychological society. Members. To reconstruct a meeting of that group that had taken place two weeks before. The average member who is there. Was barely able to recall. 8%. At what it happened. And almost half of this was incorrect. It was peppered with a recollection of events that had never occurred there. Or head. Occurred at a different time and a different meeting. Such paltry power of retrieval is not. Surprising. Not just about i can't remember that name anymore. Co-sleeper that. Memory is not an archive. Nor does it record in real time. Halpern says it lives in the brain and chemical traces the traces can feed. And they can be augmented depending on one's experience and observation. The intensity of an experience. Make sharpen the memory of it. While making it even less. Acura. The body is flooded in such moments. Of extreme stress. With damaging amounts. Of cortisone. Cortisol. Which causes causing communication-related by neurotransmitters. And other chemicals in the brain to break down. So it's not just about aging it's about much more than that when we talk about false. And in fact halpern tells a very fascinating story. I'm an australian forensics expert by the name of donald thompson who was a guest on the television show. In australia devoted. To exploring the unreliability. Of eyewitness testimony. Not long afterwards he was summoned to a police precincts. Put in a lineup. Anodyne identified by a woman as the man. Who had raped her. She was under tremendous stress. Though he had an incontrovertible alibi. He was on national television at the time this happened. And thousands of people. Hundreds of thousands of people had seen him at that exact time on tv he was still charged with the crime on the basis. Of her unwavering eyewitness. Later on. An investigator. Studying this. Discovered that the woman's television had been on at the time of the assault. That it became clear that in the midst of her trauma. The woman had conflated thompson's face. Without of the rifle. Memory failure. Faulty memory. Is not something intentional is something that happens to us. Especially in those moments that are. That are extremely significant to us. When people are fanatically dedicated to political or religious face. Or any other kind of dogmas argos. It's always because these dogmas are goes. Rn.. Robert pirsig and his wonderful book. Zen and the art of motorcycle. There been some recent studies that also talked about the issue of tolerance and ambiguity and. Although it's clear that religious phase. Conversion of variety of benefits. Being part of a community of. Fellow believers like you are here. Has been showed the boost most mental. And physical health. It's good for you. Housewives. But some people who are doing these studies are beginning to ask what are the cost of this. New research suggests one disturbing answer. Thoughts of faith and god apparently spur people to view the world. And more black or white. Terms. I just published study. Finds exposure to christian concepts are imagery. Increases 1in tolerance for ambiguity. The more you are deeply embedded in a religious faith. The more likely. That you could increase your intolerance. Towards. The ambiguous. This was supported in the experiments they did i want to mention two quick. One featured 65 people who seemingly were. Common neutral people about religion there didn't seem to be one group. One way inn. Hello group another. And they had these 65 people to some word comprehension. The only difference is they gave half of the group. Simple sentences. That include religion related words. Such a space. Church. Heaven. Prayer. The other half. Didn't have those. After they finished that. Exercise. They had people complete a 20-item survey. Designed to measure their tolerance for the amp for the ambiguous. Participants were asked their levels agreements with statements like. There is a right way and a wrong way to do almost everything. Or it bothers me when i'm unable to follow another person's train of thought. And they answered these five questions measuring their underlying level of religiousness. Those would work with the religious words. And the word comprehension section. Generally perceived less ambiguity. And we're more likely to agree. With statements. That were. Not. Ambiguous. Perhaps the most striking experiment is one where they this was in austria this particular. Different areas of the world. They did it where half the group 81 people. I can't have half their can you there's a nice one extra. Half the group. Or interviewed in a cathedral. Where. The other half. Or interviewed in the civic square. They filled out a questionnaire measuring the tolerance for ambiguity among this group. And their underlying religiosity. The results were that while there was no difference. And the religious authority between the two groups. People who were approached at the cathedral. And asked to fill out the survey reported more. Ambiguity. Intolerance. Then let those. Who took it in the civic square. That may raise the question. About using religious institutions. As voting places. One obvious question raised by this effect is. Was this true only of christianity and at least one study. Found a correlation between. An intolerance towards ambiguity. And religious ocity among muslims indian muslims and hindus. And if this thesis is right any faith that divides people or actions into the good and the bad. Will presumably have the same effect. So as important as a. Community of faith community is two people it's extremely important that they be careful. That they don't let that. Begin to close their minds. To the fact of other realities. This research suggested that religion. Awesome can be linked with moral rigidity. Will you see it. All the time. And politic. The attitude no doubt gives people structure in their lives and contributes to their well-being. But it's also a plausible route to prejudice. And general close-mindedness on the other hand. Listen to emerson. October 8th 1824. It is a striking feature of our condition. That weasel hardly arrive at truth. We were sent into this world not for the discovery of truth. But for the education of our minds. And our faculties are best exercise. By doubts. Not by facts. I would be remiss if i failed to mention. A whole group of other uncertainties that exist in our lives. I don't have to do with. What we think. But rather the lies we live. The existential uncertainties. About the links and quality of our lives. About our mortality. About our finiteness. I learned this when i was actually scheduled. To deliver earlier form of this talk. Here to this congregation three-and-a-half years ago. And i had a mini-stroke. And from that mini-stroke. Which lasts. In 15-20 minutes. From the follow-up to that mini-stroke. It became clear to me they were major health issues that i've been living with all my life. That i was not aware of. It's like the person who went into the barn. Spent the whole evening there and was drinking you got to the end of the night. The bartender said okay last call and he ordered one more. Panda. Bartender said that's it may said no i want another one i just kept pushing kept pushing kept pushing. Finally the bartender called the bouncer. Hey came pick the person up by. The back of his belts and grab him. By the collar. Documents room outside. The next night the man comes back in again. And the bartender says. Understand. I told you that's all. Why didn't you believe me i just go. He said what. You told it to me he's explained it to me. Well that event three-and-a-half years ago splain to me in a newer way. How sacred life is and how uncertain. Our lives are i mean the. The joys and sorrows talked about this morning. The moments that we shared here with each other. Are clear indications of how much uncertainty. Both good and bad. Exist in our lives. Are certain days are few and far between. By the momentary or in the future long in the future. What couple who marries ever thinks that relationship will end. Get divorce. Hadith. Our common reality. It is not that long ago that people saw their career path. As certain for all their working years. Where their place of living was permanent. For all their life. Where their beliefs and practices. We're on change. And these uncertainties. Are clear to us now. Just because you started out as an engineer doesn't mean you can always stay on the engineer. They're people who choose second careers with. Friends who work for the state department. They have a winery in patrick county they knew nothing about wine but they have they have a vineyard. And grow grapes for chateau morrisette. They didn't have any idea that's what they would end up doing but. They retired from the state park. Traveling all over the world. To a different occupation. So what happens all the time we live with uncertainties what we have to be careful about is that those uncertainties do not paralyzes. From living life at its fullest. Causing a restlessness even. And worried that it would impede growth. And tranquility. But it doesn't need to. Adventures of mortality and change and uncertainty. Or even welcomed. As a means to living life deeper. And more precious lee. That's all.. As bertrand russell road. To teach how to live with uncertainty yet without being paralyzed by hesitation. Yes perhaps the chief thing. That philosophy. Aj cronin road. Worry never rob's tomorrow of its sorrow. But only saps today. Of its strength. Worried. Isn't anime. Who is often expressed as well and i want to. Read these. Two favorites of mine first by robert bly. Entitled wanting sumptuous. Haven't. No-one grumbles among the oyster clans. And lobsters play their bone guitars. All summer. Only we. With our opposable thumbs. 1 heaven to be. And god. Tacoma cab. There is no end to our grumbling. We want comfortable. And sumptuous. Heaven. But the heron. Standing on one leg in the bog. Drinks his dark rum. All day. And is content. The other is from wendell berry the peace of wild things. When does spare for the world grows in me and i wake in the night at the least sound. And fear of what my life. And my children's lives maybe. I go and lie down where the wood drake. Rest in his beauty on the water. And the great heron. I come into the presence of wild things. Who do not tax their lives. With forethought of grief. I come into the presence of stillwater. And i feel above me that they blind stars. Waiting with their light. Prayer time. I rest in the grace of the world. And i'm free. Uncertainty is not our enemy. What truly matters is an attitude encapsulated. And following the virtues of happiness of reason of reverence and hope. Ability to see life in these ways to cherish. Happiness and joy to respect reason to revere dignity and the hope and work for a better future. May we is the title of this address suggest. Find ourselves ever in pursuit of new information. Always wear. That whatever truth. We have. Is tentative. And open to further illumination. All the wobble searching with an intense. Curiosity. And acting devotedly. Based. On what will you do now. So yes. I am a proponent of a sacred restlessness. Of uncertainty. Other religion of. Definitely. Maybe. This. Holy restlessness of uncertainty. Is indeed. Are religious. We will have a few moments for discussion. And questions and remarks. Not too long but i didn't buy anyone who has a burning. Mead or. You. Would like to join us in conversation. To raise her hand and will bring you a mic so we can hear what you have to say. If you choose side your samples from a cathedral square and from a square in front of a civic center aren't you skewing your groups toward one that is probably. Overly overly religious and thus. Expectant. A lack of ambiguity versus a group in the civil on area. That is dealing with civil law which is by definition someone ambiguous. Well i think before they did this they checked and got found out enough about the participants to know that there really was. Not major differences of religiosity among them. So that the. The only. It was a controlled environment other than. The positions people were put in. No i have not studied i'm not saying that research enough. To be able to talk more about it but. The the austrian study that was done. Was intended to see. Does it make a difference if people are setting. And civic square. Or a religious setting. When they're given a series of. Things to answer they thought it did. I can't. Biggby on that. They weren't the same set of people though. You didn't have. Say for instance 80 people that were put in a. Citysquare and then 80 people that same 80 people that were put in a. What was it that. The church square. Or do you know. You're saying they should have had them. No i don't think they put everybody in both settings. This is back to what you were saying about stories i have seen such enormous damage done. With. But the the shaping and telling of stories thinking about public policy work. If i did for a while. And. The welfare queen. Stories like that just just enormous lee. Damaging. There were times in trying to shape information. In a way that policymakers. Could get. We had to resort. Stories anecdotes about real people's lives. Brought the the statistics. Down. Down to earth. Just just a comment but i'm i'm i'm not in disagreement. You said about stories. So it was clear that they would not have been. As sensitive on those issues. If there had not been some. Anecdotal information put within that. Policy. Hi i'm i wanted to say something about. The. You know the uncertainty. Global warming since you brought it up if. One person like me i think the science is real but i think there is a great deal of uncertainty even in this it's actually 97 per-cent is the number i've read of climate scientist. But i've read the original study and how they did it. And there's a lot of uncertainty even in. That agreement. But i think what it comes down to is that. The two sides of the issue want the best for the future what the best for people. And. It's what you think is the best i think a planet. With global warming is going to. Be a nasty place and they're going to be big problems. But there are people who think that a planet where we don't. Pursue economic growth to its. You know. It's the most important thing for our children four grandchildren economic growth is is all what it's about. And. So it's not that. You know it's just that. The uncertainty can be taken. In different ways and i i just you know i think that. We have to be very concerned about the physical world and nature and. Take take care of it and that. The precautionary principle i don't know have you heard this precautionary principle is that. If y'all come it's so bad then we even if there's uncertainty we have to actually. We can't not act. One last cry. It seems to me that. Underlying. All of all of this discussion is the matter of pride. Some of us are proud that we're on we're not certain things. And some of us are proud that we are. I think that's a big factor. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website. Uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

131207_morton.mp3

Welcome all to the unitarian universalist. Congregation this afternoon. Will continue to welcome those who join us coming in through the doors. We are gathered here. This afternoon. By the ending of a unique and special person's life. We're gathered here. For our care. And our memory. And our love. For morton nadler. A human life is sacred. It is a valium. It is sacred and it's being born. It is sacred and its living. And it is sacred. And it's dying. And so it is that joy and sorrow. Both in life are present with us here today. As deaf gathers us here. As a community of care. And remembrance. Going to light our chalice. Are chalice here this afternoon. Is it for the memory and life of martin nadler. We light this chalice our congregation. The congregation that was mortonsberry dear community for so many years. Where he met isabel bernie. Lighting our chalice with morning this afternoon we we light this chalice. As a flame for justice. And a flame that burns with recognition. Of the power. Of life itself. Power which has the capacity to transform. And light which has the capacity like a human life. To glow and connect. And illuminate. For the power. But it has to touch many. Morton is a man to remember. A man who lived a very rich life. A life of many chapters. Today we mourn. And mourn we must. It was also be a time of affirming and honoring and celebrating. The person of morton. And the gift. Of his life. So let this be a time of sharing sorrow yes. But a time of honoring his gift. His devotion to justice his right intellect. And his strong courage. I've conviction. In doing so we also honor. The way is that morton's life has touched our own. And indeed continues to touch our lives. Even in death. By our presence here this afternoon be. Pay our respect. To morton and his memory. We also come together to share our respect. In our care and our love for morton's family. As most intimate circle of friends. Who knew martin most deeply who are affected by this loss most intimately. In times like these. It is good. To be together. Each one of you has had different relationships with martin. And each one of you will experience this loss. In your own way. There are many feelings and many thought present with us here today. And so it is that setting aside this. Time to be together in the physical company of each other's love and care. Provides us all a reminder. Let the journey through grief. And also the recovery. From los. Need not ever happen. Alone. This afternoon we will hear words that have been elected by morton. And by isabel. Also by family members and friends. We will hear some remembrance. Given by friends and family. There will also be a time for the lighting of. Candles in the placing of stones. I need two places. There will also be a very brief time when some will be invited to speak directly from your heart. And storing and sharing memories will continue after service. And people are all invited to participate in the pop-up museum. That the family has so beautifully put together. Annie laura's hall. And so it is that we have come together. This afternoon. Two-face morton's death. To celebrate martin's life. To show i love and support for morton's family and friends. Let us take a time now. To experience. A creative. Quiet reflection. I invite you to take a bath. Settle into your seats. Connecting with the breath of life. That sustains and connects all. May the states and the philosophies that sustain us separately. Meet now in this place. That which is most human. And most universal. In our sorrow in our grief in our celebrations. Let us taste. A river of. Sacredness. Rooted in our appreciation. For the power. Of human life. Make her edge. Wisdom and thanksgiving come to each. Courage to face this death. Wisdom to speak openly and honestly. Of our lost. And gratitude. For the shining bright. Unique life. Little hands and our hearts remain open. Empowering us to let go of what needs to be released. Through our tears. Through our words. And through our silence. Let us experience the silence together. There are two readings. That we have this afternoon. The first reading. Is by felix adler founder of ethical culture. Those whom we love. Those whom we love are not given to us for our joy and our happiness. Alone. They quicken and as the seeds of better thought. They help us to estimate the things in life that are worth. Leaving for. To distinguish life gold. From its near tinsel and dross. And this influence. Say is when those who we love. Are taken from us. Let us live while we live. For the things that are good. And true. And lasting. And let the memory of our loved one. Help us. To do this. For those we love can never be taken from us. Inspirit. They are with us. Forever. Silence. Invisible. But real presences. In our households. In our hearts. Always. Our second reading comes from the dedication. Of the free. By robert ingersoll. We have no falsehoods to defend. We want the fact. Our forces are thought we do not spend in vain attacked. We will never meeting we try to save some. Fair and pleasing lie. We will not be fooled by fabled nursed. Our hearts by ernest thoughts are schooled. To bear the worst. And we can stand erect and dare all things all facts that really are. We have no gods to serve or fear no hell to shun no devil with malicious lear. When life is done. And endless sleep may close our eyes asleep with me which neither dreams nor size. We have no master. In this land. No king and air. Without a manacle. We stand. Without a prayer without fear of coming night. We speak the truth. We love. We do not bow before i guess. A vague unknown. As senseless forced we do not last. In solemn tone. When even when evil comes we do not curse or think. Because of our no wars. Novo's. We waste no time and useless dread and trembling fear the present lives the past is dead. And here we are all welcome guest at life greatest feast. We need not help from ghost or priest. The hands that help are far better than the lips that pray. Love is the. Ever gleaming star. That leads the way. The shines innovid worlds of bliss. But on a paradise. In this. I invite now george lally to come forward in. Share with us for small remembrance. Afternoon. In september of 1926 in brooklyn new york. A nice middle-class jewish lady got up one morning and took her five-year-old son mandel. Manny. To register for kindergarten. When it was standing in the school office the principal asked the mother. So what is this boy's name. Before she could answer. Boy climbed up on a chair looked at the principal and declared. My name is morton nadler. To avoid embarrassment boys timid mother said nothing. And so it was the little boy who disliked his name gave himself a new one. I have heard the story several times with some variations. There might be some exaggeration in it. It could even be apocryphal. But it captures for me something about morton adler. He was spunky. He was outspoken. He was unafraid. He was self-directed. Now fast-forward 10 years it is the summer of 1936. The boy who made himself into morton. It sent to a summer camp. Zionist summer camp. Quite precocious for his age and in his words and opinionated loner. Morton had read a lot about politics already including a biography of socialist leader eugene the debs. In time he came to the attention of a camp counselor. Who cape corporately gave him several tracks. From the communist youth league. Including one which suggested that per state of israel to be formed. The palestinian people would have to be treated much as american indians had been treated. Morton told me that no later told me that no political party or entity at that time was sympathetic to the palestinian cause. Accept the communist. And this was the critical factor. And his joining. The communist youth league. He was not alone. During the 1930s numerous left-leaning idealist were attracted to the egalitarians. Social justice rhetoric. Of the communist party. This ultimately led morton 727 and newly married. To lead the us and emigrate to czechoslovakia where he remained for 11 years. And where. As i understand he obtained his ph.d. Morton told me on several occasions that he. Became disillusioned gradually and disaffected and by the time of the 1956 hungarian uprising. He was trying to find a way to escape from behind the iron curtain. His chance came in 1959 when he obtained permission. 210 to professional conference in india. He never returned. By this time separated from his wife. He remained in india for 15 months until he could contrive to get to europe. And eventually to france. Where he remained for a zionist and the better part of two decades past longer. He married a second time and raised two daughters. In the 1970s. Eventually overcoming fbi objections. He was. He's quite. Proud of the fact that jehovah knew his name. Morton was allowed to come to the u.s. for professional conferences it eventually to take a post at virginia tech. It was at tech that someone told him about a church for atheist quote on quote. He said to me i had finally found the place where i belong. Now we're divorced a second time he began courting a widow named isabella burning. When morton and i discussed my speaking someday at his memorial service he said. Be sure to tell them. That isabel is the best thing. That ever happened. Morton had his flaws. One evening when he and i were out to dinner. As i was speaking about my large family. He said ruefully. I have never been a family man. There was a silence as i. Contemplated his. Pained expression. And consider what i might say to help him feel better. Find me i said. You share that fault with einstein. I like that comparison he said. With that familiar twinkle in his eye. So it worked. Morton love isabel for many reasons. But one of them i'm convinced it said she helped him to be a better family man. In the psychoanalytic tradition the psychotherapist lends his ego or becomes an auxiliary ego. To support and assist his clients reality testing. Interpersonal awareness and empathy. I submit to you. That this man we loved. For all his brilliance had difficulty with emotional intelligence. And that isabel. Lovingly and patiently. Usually. Served as his auxiliary ego. Helping him to deal better with others. I remember on more than one occasion his saying to me. Isabel says i should apologize. Are isabel says i was rude to you. So who was warren adler. He was. Outspoken. Curmudgeonly. Irreverent. He did not suffer fools gladly. He was intellectually brilliant. A lover of books and ideas. And inquisitive until the day he died. He was a spunky precocious child. I noticed while communist who had the courage to say i was wrong. He wasn't emigres. To france. A repatriated american. A 30-year uuc member who held. Virtually every posted leadership. He was a lifelong fighter for social justice. Husband. My father. A friend. We will miss him. I invite forward doctor bill hendrix to share personal remembrance. I'm bill hendrix. I was morton's friend. I want to tell you about that french. 2 days before martin died to the hospice director called me at work and told me he would probably die soon. I would like to see me. As i drove to his house after work i wondered. What do i tell morton on his deathbed. That he won't reject. Ice akron sentimentality. I chose the direct and honest to pros. That he always. I open with morton. You are not long for this world. He nodded. But his eyes they close. As if it was too much effort. They keep them open. Then i took a deep breath and said more than last week you asked me to speak at your funeral. He raised his eyebrows. Definitely intrigued. Then i told him. I'm going to tell you what i plan to say at your funeral. He raises eyebrows again and lifted his head slightly. Very interested indeed. I told him most above what i was i'm about to share with you. After i finished. As i was about to leave. I put my hand on his shoulder. Instead. Goodbye my friend. He responded by tightening his facial muscles. As if he were about to shed a tear. Just for an instant. Then. His face relaxed. Any went back to sleep. It was a moment of pathos in the closeness. Then i will never. Many years ago. As he was leaving exam room and my medical office i'm country club drive. He said. Let's get together sometime. He was direct. And show that he was not intimidated by my white coat. And medical persona. In fact he was not intimidated by anybody's coach or persona. So we met for lunch. And began a monthly conversation. Over lunch that mast lasted. Many years. Original common interest. What is the scientific study of consciousness. We started by reading the same book. Or unconsciousness. Tyrese carter we were both intrigued by research showing. That the brain showed firing of motor neurons beginning before the septic made a conscious decision to raise an arm. That discussion led from science. The philosophy. A discussion of the implications of this research for the popular belief in free will. Which we thought was significantly undermine. By this research. This is one example. Of his amazingly wide intellectual bandwidth. Is interest and knowledge in science philosophy. And history. That informed his always intelligent comments. That often made me rethink. My own opinion. Other books we read in common where the god delusion by richard dawkins and mark twain's religion. Morton as you heard was an atheist. Who thought agnostics. Like me. We're really cowardly atheist. But he did not accuse me of being a coward when i told him that his certainty was inconsistent with the mystery and surprises that his beloved science regularly delivers. After all i argued. We don't know anything but 95% of the matter and energy in the universe. He remained unconvinced. But i felt that he respected my perspective as a reasonable one. And this way. He stimulated me. To think more. Clearly. And to grow. Intellectual. Adventurous thing as he was intellectually. Morning was much more. Then an armchair philosopher and academic. As you just heard. He was committed to social justice. From the age of 15. The 92 and showed it an action. Some of which came at a great. Personal cost. He became passionate. About the plight of the palestinians during a summer camp as a teenager. The only organization to seem to care about them with the communist party. Out of that idea. He joined the communist party. Atlanta eventually tune engineering job in communist check with spock here and your attraction by the fbi. Avast us passport. After the failed hungarian revolution dissolutions him he left the communist party. He worked for years as a computer engineer in france before being able to return to the us. Amazingly to me. This experience did not make him. Cynical. He has continued to work for the palestinian cause up until just a year ago. By organizing discussion groups. And online group. Talking to congressional staff members writing letters to the editor. And informing friends like me. With a good book about the history of the us mideast policy quicksand. And this in his late 80s. I thought this was amazing it indicated that he had the capacity to learn from experience. And to this day the course of idealism. Despite severe disappointment. He had high expectations. And he did not. Hesitate to let you know if you did not meet them. I will never forget driving to a restaurant with him one day. I came to an intersection with a yellow light. And pushed on the accelerator to get through the intersection. Before the light turned red. Have any of you done that. Well after morton made a comment about what's my rush. I stopped doing it. So i think of him whenever i see a yellow light now. And i stopped if there's any doubt. That i can get through without accelerating. So mom has many other crunch contributions to my life. His made me a safer driver. And his made me a better doctor. As my patient you can imagine his tendency to ask questions. To push the limits of medical knowledge. As i help. Hampton managers medical problems. My favorite question from him would be something he'd heard on npr's people's pharmacy. But i never heard of. I'd look it up. Learn something. And give him the okay to try it. Sometimes that works like a herb for his painful peripheral neuropathy that help more. Can any prescription medicine that he took. That directive. And high expectations sometimes had an intimidating impact on the recipient. I remember wanting to crawl under the table at the restaurant one day. As you pointed out to the poorly-paid. Overworked waitress. That the menu didn't have what he expected on it. And that the food didn't taste right. I know don't take it back i'll eat it regardless. When i pointed out how that must have made the waitress feel. He stop that behavior at least in my presents. He recognized that he had difficulty with empathy. As you'd heard. And at one point he asked me if i agreed with him that he had a form of asperger syndrome. Of course i told him it's certainly not. But i was touched by his inside. His concern. And his desire to become a better person. Himself. He was an iconoclast. But he was not an island. We often talked about his experiences with the unitarian congregation. That honors him today. After hearing about his not likely not liking the rituals in the service. Not liking the trend toward spirituality. Not liking theology. I asked him. Morton. Why do you keep going. He replied. That is my. Community. In that answer i could see. How this unitarian community. Accepted his contrarian opinions. Without judgement. Provided a forum in which he could discuss issues and ideas about which he was passionate. And provided him with support and the opportunity. Support others in their journey through life. I have learned to respect this unitarian congregation. His community. From afar. And have learned from him. Anu. The value of community. As he has experience. You. I feel gratitude towards morton from many things. Behind the list is the opportunity he gave me. To get to know his wife isabel. A fascinating. Intelligent. Compassionate. And compass. Individual in her own right. I've enjoyed her contributions to our conversations about novels politics. And medical topics over the simple lunches. She prepared in their home. I have also enjoyed seeing how she interacted with morton. She had a knack. For making a point different from his. Carrying his rebuttal. And then waiting patiently. For him to come around to accept. If not to agree with. Her point of view. She has done many things in support of him. Calling the plumber. Keeping track of his appointments. Driving him to meetings and doctor visits. And providing healthy meals. I learned from watching her. That love. Is more than saying i love you. Love is more powerful express. In action. I'm isabelle isn't inspiring example to me. A bat. Profound. Friends get together. Friends challenge each other. Friends show they care. Ben's respect each other and do not judge each other. Friends. Feel better after being together than before. Friends share common interest. Friends share their actions and thoughts with. Friends help each other to grow. To be more of who they want. Tubi. Morton. Was a good friend. I. And we. We'll miss him. Hi. I'm elizabeth bernie and i'm one of martin's daughters. He would have loved that declaration because i said it very infrequently. I've never been able to define our relationship. With one word like father. To me he was something very different. To me he was pop. Or poppy. Or kapaa. But mostly. He was just a profoundly important person in my life. He was one of my dearest friends. My favorite intellectual sparring partner. And one of a pair of people that i most wanted to tell my happiest news 2. The guardian newspaper in the uk has been doing a series on how to believe. The latest installments have been on my favorite philosopher bertrand russell. When is series started a few weeks ago. My first inclination was to send the link to pop. We did that sort of thing frequently. Sending links to articles on politics religion or science that we thought the other one. Would enjoy. Sometimes an email conversation would ensue. Sometimes a lively discussion on our weekly wednesday night funk. The most robust discussions were when we were together face-to-face. Oh that man could make me laugh. He was a massive know-it-all. Who honestly did not take life as seriously as most thought. He loved verbally poking people to engage them. Sometimes it was to start a discussion. Other times it was to make you think differently about an idea. But with us it was frequently at ease. We teased each other a lot. He would make long declarations where he would tell me something that i did not know or he thought that i should know. It was always interesting but at the end. I would smile and say. So pop how do you know so much about that subject. He would often say he read about it or he took a class in college. And i would just smile. And laugh. And say you know pop i took geology in college. It does not make me a geologist. I would laugh he would laugh. That was us. We truly loved each other's company. And though we are very different in many ways we understood each other very much. There was always respect admiration and deep affection between us. The part of morton did i most enjoyed was occasionally not the most globally well-liked. Papa's opinionated. Direct socially awkward. And could be dismissive of that which did not mentally stimulate him. He was an acquired taste. And though some may not have appreciated his charms. He was very hard to not respect. Morton was complex. He could easily compare convey his opinions. But sometimes he found expressing his feelings more difficult. His mind was constantly full of thoughts and curiosity. As such his ability to express emotions often came out awkward. That's not to say pop did not have feelings or emotions he had them as much as anyone. However the way he expressed them was often subtle. From martin. Or it was unsaid to people who truly wanted to hear it. As such martin's relationship with daughters. Was sometimes complicated. During our frequent shots he would tell me how much she admired his daughters for their various attributes. Many of those attributes were ones that he shared with them. Papi admired aurora's. Need to understand the world. Her strength. And her ability to persevere in difficult situations. Ursula. Shares his curiosity and adventurous spirit. Do they express it differently. Both have a tenacious zest for life. Pop was so logical and pragmatic. That he was uncomfortable with intense emotions. He had no idea how to react to them. Leonor will not believe this. But pop truly respected her ability to love completely and to feel emotions intensely. He often stated how he admired both leonor and adrian. For there. Because they both were amazing mother's. Who cultivated. Beautiful loving capable children. Though he did not frequently express it he loved each of his daughters. Barry. Very much. Morton could see value in necessity of love. He could see it in the devotion that he had for my mother. He adored her. I often thought that if mom left first the fire in his life. Would have greatly diminished. I don't know if you would have enjoyed living as much without her. In the last year of his life. Pop would often look me in the eyes and tell me how sorry he was. That i would once again lose a father. He would cry. And i would try to laugh and tell him that i would never lose him because you would always be with me. I believe that. He did not. I kept telling him that you know pop when you die. You may not be here anymore but you will always be in the hearts of others. He didn't believe that either. One day i hope i will find another soul who will as intellectually amuse me as he did. I will miss him always. Continue to love him for family. And be grateful for every minute i had him in my life. I am a better person because. He was a one-of-a-kind. And the most interesting man i have ever met. Morton nadler. Has meant so much in so many different ways to all of those who have gathered here. And it is through the telling of stories the sharing of memories that the many meanings of his life come forward. Who's also. A chaplain hospice chaplain at one point no stranger to the joys and sorrows of life. And also wasn't celebrate who officiated many weddings. Morton was aware of the fullness of life. And so are we now aware of the fullness of life. Carenow. Let us take a moment of silence. And after that silence. Jared will play music and all of those who are here who wish to do so are welcome to come forward. Lighting a candle of memory or placing a stone on the tables that we have here. You are also. Welcome to just remain in your seat. With your thoughts. Your heart open experiencing the music that we will have. Next. Let us take this moment of silence and then the music will play. We have created a time. In our service honoring morton nadler's life. To hear words share silence and hear from those. Whose memories are deep. Unreveal facets of martin's life. We recognize that there are many here who have anecdotes and stories things that you would like to share with the family. With one another. After our service there will be more time. To share from your heart. Inside the service we've created a brief time i've reserved a few candles here. And i will invite those who wish to come forward to speak briefly. And when the candles in this bowl arlette. Our service will be coming to a close and we will then sing morton's most favorite hymn. Together. The first person who will open this time for us sharing directly. From their heart. Is a dear friend of isabel's i invite forward now. jane getty. To come forward. Ditto to everything that everyone. Before said about morton i think. All of us in um. Very well or a little bit. Saw those same qualities in him. A couple of things that i'd like to add to that. Although morton obviously had a lifelong concern. An empathy for the palestinian people. I got to know him. More closely on the local level. And i would like to. Honor his or gif. Mention of his. Service to our community. When i returned from a year in austria. The toms creek sewer. Debate was still raging in our town. Morton. Was very involved one of the early members of citizens first. And throughout the years that i knew him. There were no borders to his concern he was concerned about issues on the local level. The national level. The international level. But i think the common denominator with. With every. Thing that he was involved in. Was an absolute. Sincere. Hungry. And honest intellect. I always enjoyed being around morton because he always made me think. And most most of us are too polite. We are uncomfortable when there's a little debate going on. But morton did not enjoy. Those easy. Times of consensus. He would. Rattle things up a little bit with a comment or a question. And that's one quality about morton that i will always miss. He was a lion of liberalism. He really had such a good heart. And. Was devoted. Two causes of justice. Throughout his life. But on a personal level. It was that. Those times that. When i can remember being in the living room at a social gathering where. Hit on the last few years. Where morton was getting older. And. I think all morton has fallen asleep. His eyes would be closed and he barely be moving in the conversation would go on for 10 minutes. And then all of a sudden morton would lift his head. And make a comment that was the most brilliant insightful thing anybody has said in the last 20 minutes. So he was never mentally asleep at the switch ever. I will miss that man. I think of a mary oliver poem. When death comes. And that poem concludes with this stanza. When it's over. I don't want to wonder if i've made of my life. Something particular and real. I don't want to find myself sighing. And frightened. A full of argument. I don't want to end up. Simply having visited. This world. Thank you morton. But not just visiting but being part of our world and making it better. Thank you. Each one for having said what you have. Thank you isabel for having given us heart.. Country i forget who the first speaker was to say that he had difficulty with emotional intelligence. You know what's really good to have the truth said. It helps. I remember dad. When i told him i was starting. I psychotherapy which actually became of psychoanalysis. Telling me. That is one of the hardest things to do in life. You know going through your. Oedipus complex. And i. Those words are in my heart. I got that was a good knowledge mint. Elizabeth thank you for saying he admired us respected us and loved us. We. It wasn't easy to get. So it's taking a while to work through. All that. But you will see over there that he truly was a family man. I disagree he was truly a family man he really took amazing care of us. As best he could he work. Really hard and gave us. Tons of things. Anna. Difficult situation. Some of you may have heard. His first and second marriages. I wear a bit of a mess. And he has seven daughters and all. He generated two with the first marriage three with the second on the eldest amore salon right there. And two more he inherited. But also want to say. Find the last comment. Well i. How to dream a month before he died and it's drawn over there. But that's it there's tons more to say but. Thank you. Is there anyone else would like to come forward and speak briefly sharing with us what is on your heart. At this time. And then murray to share with the family. Before it's. We have three more candles. Martin was challenging. In all senses of that work. But the one. Definition for that. That i remember the most. Is it he challenged all of us. Not just in this community. But in the larger community. To question things. To try to make them better. And i think the best legacy. And the best tribute. We can do for morton. Is to keep hearing. Those challenges. He was always bringing to us. I continue to challenge ourselves. Has this community and its the larger community. To make a difference in this world. Now. Brittany and i shared a deep concern. Without jewish roots for the palestinians. And i'm will be forever grateful to morton nadler. He was and is a prophet. Morton is. A prophet. And we hope his words keep bringing in our hearts and our minds. As we continue our journey. Remembering. Morton. The profit. Hello. Morton wasn't my grandfather. By blood. But throughout my entire life. He was. The only grandfather that i knew. And. I always considered him as such. I think. The way that he touched me the most of my life. Was growing up by. Was under a lot of pressure the same that. Any adolescent goes through in high school. You know. The pressure to fit in. Be cool. All that but. One thing i will always remember. He would always give me. Books and. Ideas. That encouraged my own. Natural interest in. Science and the arts and. I always remember. She made he made me think that. These things were. They were important in life and indeed they could be cool as well. And. I'll never forget all the things that. He showed me and he open my. My mind to new experiences and. I have to say he. Also changed my. My views on. Certain aspects of the way i see the world. I hope i can. Always remember the things that he. Taught me in. Using my own life. Be our last one here. Thank you. I just wanted to say a word about morton's being a humanist minister. And he. Was the one who married my son. At the unitarian universalist camp in north carolina. He knew benji when he was just a little kid. And he used to patting on his head.. Beautiful curls. That always bothered benji not feeding me like a grownup patting me on the head didn't like that. Morton was the first one he thought about when they decided to get married. And because he was in unitarian and. Benzino's wife. Met at campus counselors and. They've been going forever so that. The whole unit tearing connection was very important to him. And we were privileged. Staff morton carry out the ceremony. There are so many stories and so many memories to be shared. And following our service all are welcome to share with one another to share deeply with the family to visit the pop-up museum. That has been created. Let us know rise and body rise and spirit and sing together morton's favorite hymn number 139. Wonders yet the world shall witness. Let us go forth from this place holding in our hearts and our memories and our minds the rich gift that have been brought to us by the light and life of morton. Nadler. Morton love this idea that we live by our devotions. Which are liberal religious thinkers james luther adam said. So let us go forth. Evermore richly devoted. To our lives and the good that each one of us can do. In the world. May the severed be so. Blessed be ha-shem a shalom salam. I mean. Let us go.

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130331_easter.mp3

Welcome to the march 31st service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. Today's intergenerational service has an easter theme. The podcast begins with karen hager. The director of lifespan faith development. Tell me the easter story. With the help of the children. Reverend alex dent speaks. The title of his sermon is act of communion. And the podcast closes with reverend alex leading the congregation in a unitarian communion. Tigerdirect. I am here today to tell you the story of easter. So if you wonder is unitarian universalist why we talk about the story of easter it's because we haven't you do christian. Heritage and easter is a christian holiday. Christians actually celebrate a whole season. Events that lead up to easter and i'm going to try to explain this to you the meaning of those as we go along in this. Easterday season actually starts about 46 days. Before easter it's with ash wednesday. If those of you celebrate mardi gras celebrate fat tuesday well that's the day before ash wednesday at marks the end before the beginning of lent. And i'm sure many of you know people who observe lent. Lot of catholics don't eat meat on fridays and. Some people give up chocolate or they give up something else they love and some people just use it as a time. For introspection and prayers so that they can better receive the message of jesus because. This is a story about jesus. And jesus is a teacher who lived about 2,000 years ago. And just like christmas is the story of jesus's birth. This is a story about jesus's death. However it's important to know the christians don't celebrate jesus's death they celebrate what happened after g. And so i'm going to need some help in telling the story i need twelve volunteers take an egg hold onto it until i tell you to open it. So don't open the eggs until i i asked you to this going to be a number on every egg. Okay who has number one. Naked youtube can you open it up there's going to be something in that either a picture or some something else to tell me what it is. A bible. Everything that we know about jesus comes from four books of the bible matthew mark luke and john. And i know that the bible looks like one big book. But it's actually collection of books that are written by different authors at different times. And it's important to know that the first book about jesus was actually not even written until 30 years after he died. And the four books about jesus don't agree on everything. But i'm going to take parts tomorrow for books as i tell the story he's got number two. What is adela. Palestine. Jesus travels around a little country of palestine teaching. And he had a message. That was really radical for the time seems simple to us but it was very radical. And that was the god loves everyone. Regardless if you were rich or poor. If you were sick or well or male or female. God loves you. And people would gather to hear jesus's message. And. The more he talked. The bigger the crowd scott. Now the time palestine was ruled by the romans. And their governor pontius pilate was a really cruel man. And the romans did not like this messages i said it was really radical they didn't want this message out there and they got very very nervous. About jesus spreading this message. They considered him a really dangerous troublemaker. And the bigger the crowds got the more nervous they got no particular got nervous because some of the jews started saying that jesus was the messiah. And the messiah was a scrape person that they were looking to come. To save them from the roman rule and bring peace. To the area. So jesus had been traveling around teaching for about three years and he decided to undertake. A public ministry in jerusalem. And he spent 40 days fasting and praying in preparation for that ministry and that's that. known as what. Okay. And he knew that this was going to be a really dangerous journey because the romans hated him. But he thought that his message was so important it was worth putting his life on the line. Is that number three. Okay what is it well. A palm leaf. Jesus travel to jerusalem with 12 of his friends called his disciples. Add. They went there during passover. So jerusalem was filled with jews that were there for passover. And when everybody heard that the jesus was going to come to jerusalem the whole city went wild with excitement. And palm sunday that the christians commemorate that's the day that jesus entered russula. One week before easter. And. The reason it's palms is because when he came into jerusalem people put down their coats and leafy branches. For this donkey to try to cross in the nsa's like we would roll out a red carpet for somebody important. Number for. You got that one. Davis is picking a silver coins. Unbeknownst to jesus one of his disciples man named judas betrayed him. And he offered to lead the romans to jesus in return for 30 pieces of silver. Jesus spent that whole week all the way up till thursday evening. Preaching in the temple telling a story gathering big crowds. And thursday night which is known as good thursday. Thursday night commemorates the last supper. The last supper is the last meal that he shared with his disciples and. He was really really sad. When he was there because he had a feeling he was going to be killed. And who's got number five. Number 5. A piece of bread and who is number 6. Number 6. What is it. A great piece of bread and a great. At the last supper. Jesus broke a hunk of bread. And he passed it to his disciples and he told them to think of it like that was his body. And to think of him when they ate it and he passed a cup of wine and he said. Consider this as it's my blood. And think of me when you drink it. Who has the next one number seven. Number 7. Praying hands. Jesus told his disciples. He was going to have to leave them soon. And he told them when he left them that they should love each other the way that he had loved them. And after the meal. He and the 11th disciples went to a quiet place to pray called the garden of gethsemane. And they were there and they were praying. When all of a sudden. They saw lanterns coming at them from out of the darkness and they heard footsteps. And it was judas. Bringing the roman soldiers. Jesus. And they captured jesus and they arrested him and took him away. And who has number. Piece of purple cloth. So the soldiers took jesus to the high court pontius pilate sentenced him to death. They dressed him up in a purple robe and they put a crown of thorns on his head and they mocked him and they called him the king of jews. Who's number 9. The cross. Jesus was sentenced to die by hanging on a cross that's how the romans kill people in those days and it was a really cruel form of death. Call crucifixion. So they. He had to hang on this cross and he died and the day that he died is commemorated by christians is good friday. And who has number. Tenable erupt. Iraq. So a friend of jesus. Took his body. And took it to a whole carved out of rock that was sorta like a cave. And he wrapped his body in a linen cloth and he put in the cave and he rolled a heavy stone in front of it to seal it off like a tomb. Now the rest of his disciples i'll scatter they were all very scared they all thought. You know i the romans are going to come for them their third lives are in danger too. And they weren't completely sad. And they were completely. Hopeless because they're messenger of hope it just been killed. Are the romans and so how are they going to go on. Who's number 11. What is it. It's empty. Empty. So three days after jesus died. A group of women who were his friends. Went to the tomb. And they were bringing spices to annoy his body with an egg they wandered on the way you know how we going to roll this heavy stone away from the tomb. And they worried about that and when they got there. They discovered the stone has been rolled away in the tomb was empty. Jesus's body was gone. They were very frightened and they ran away. Now at this point in the first book that's about jesus a book of mark that's where the story ends. And later on they added a section that said that jesus. Appear to a woman head once healed. And also appear to his 11th disciples and then ascended to heaven. The other books say that he appeared to the disciples but they don't say anything about ascending to heaven. There's a word that's called resurrection. And that means to come back to life from death and some christians believe that jesus was resurrected. Who is number 12. Okay what is it. Hope and love. The most you use don't believe that jesus was literally brought back to life. But they think that what what happened is that the empty tomb gave his followers hope. And. Constant to think that if he was able to transcend death. His message could live on past him. And so his message of love begin to spread. So much so the two thousand years later we're still talking about it. Here today. And regardless of what your beliefs are whether you believe that jesus really did rise from the dead or whether his message simply lived on. It doesn't really matter because the message is for everybody the messages is the transformations possible through love. And it's no coincidence that easter happens during spring because the whole world is reborn in spring we see all the new plants coming up. I bet you a bunch of you hunted for eggs this morning and they yank itself as a symbol of life. So. The message is. No matter how bad things are in your life. Transformation is possible. If you focus on love. Happy easter. Underneath that judeo-christians story is the rabbit. Many of you may not be conscious of this members of our earth spirit sisters maybe i understand you had a full moon ritual in this building. Not more than what a week or so ago how long ago was it somebody. About 4 days ago. And 4 time in memorial. People have been gathering in the light of the springs full moon. To celebrate. And what they've been celebrating is they've been celebrating some core human understanding. That with enough love. Transformation can take place. With enough love winter can become spring with enough love. Rabbits can make babies. Right. And you've all heard the old phrase their breeding like rabbits haven't you. Have you heard this. Do you know the core science that are not that old phrase about their breeding like rabbits somebody the room who knows it what is very special about rabbits and their breeding. Nobody knows it. Andrew living up in floyd county raising rabbits what do we know about rabbits and their breeding. A rabbit sybreed according to the fibonacci sequence. I don't know what it's talking about. There there is a mathematical progression to it that tells you how many rabbits you'll have. Okay i didn't know that but. Are are the old biology teacher guys and here's what you need to know about rabbits. Rabbits can be pregnant. And get pregnant on top of being pregnant. Now that you know this. Rabbits can be carrying a brood and be impregnated yet again even while before they delivered that. That brew that they're carrying. Okay. Now the reason i tell you this. The reason i tell you this is because you as a congregation. In antrim time with me. Or like a rabbit. You are pregnant with the possibility of the intra minister. Even as you impregnate yourselves. I see the roll dice and i can't believe it. Spiritual next brood. No she doesn't but i'll tell her i told her this. But what i want you to remember good people. And if you'd heard maya angelou this morning being interviewed on npr did any of you hear that interview. Why aren't you angelo telling the story of how was that she was born into difficult circumstances in san francisco. She was a streetcar conductor and then she was a. A dancer and a strip joint and she did all sorts of other things before she became a respected person she did. She's had a life that was surrounded with people like karen. Who understood that with enough love comes the possibility of transformation. Congregations at their core when they're doing the work of congregation well. Live continuously and the understanding. That you are choosing to be here individual after individual child after child. Out of some shared understanding that no matter the circumstance be at winner b pregnancy be at being a striptease. Dancer. There's the possibility of transformation and a better be coming. Out of the love that's around you. And i remind you of this as i go further and remind you. That the possibility of transformation can be done individually. It can be done in a committed relationship like in a marriage. Or in a parent to a child. It can be done as staff where you're working together and the more people you lairon to the possibility the more challenging it becomes. It's easiest to do it by yourself we think. Easier to do it in the nuclear family a little bit harder to do it in a congregation harder. Gomery county the state of virginia the united states in the world. But always human beings who have held the promise of what we are so species. Have remembered. That we can choose. To believe and to be part of an effort. Bigger than ourselves are bigger than our immediate family. To act towards transformation that is guided out of love. And when you have that going on you can fail again and again and again and be reversed. You can have your own personal winter. And a new spring that follows it. And that has always been the hope in the promise. Of all of the great spring festival. Bj the pagan celebrations of rabbits that could breed like rabbits. Are of christian judeo understandings of jesus and all that happened around him. Are we going to do communion here now. And what i want to encourage you to do is to come to the stable and on this table you'll see the offering that you gathered this morning. Support of this congregation. You'll also see the old judeo-christians bread and grape juice. You'll see jellybeans for whatever meaning you want to put onto those. And you'll see these processed in a facility that also processed peanuts. Everybody got that. Little marshmallow candies that are like the flowers of spring. And then to you'll see rocks from our memorial garden. Up on the hill where we remember all of those who've gone from us already. I encourage you to come by this table we're going to move from this side of the room around. We're going to pass into lines. And i invite you to protective what's on your table this is your congregation. Table. And as you do it to look at the people around here and to realize that you are choosing. You are choosing. To be part of an effort. Took birth transformation out of love despite all of the challenges in our being. Both individually ankle. That's what good communions always about a 9-volt you into that practice today with joy. And was celebration for all the wonders of what you are. We now for taking communion. And again if we could decide of the room first towards the back and all around and it will do the section next. Enjoyed if you would some nice soft music while we're doing this thank you. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website. At uuc and rv. org.

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150705_ji-vt_poetry.mp3

Welcome to the july 5th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. Today's service is our annual poetry service. And is led by uuc member john denver. And worship associate victoria taylor. Prior to the service members and friends who wanted to read poems. Added their names to a list. So john's going to get the list of those of you who have so graciously volunteered to share your words with us this morning. If you did not sign up you are still welcome to. Share this morning. We have plenty of time. First stop is dick luke. And then the. As you're done sharing. Then dick is going to model this but then you just read out the name of the next person to follow. I guess i kept forgetting here early. The first one. I'd like to read a poem by nikki giovanni think she needs no introduction to this community. Here. Book called. Chasing utopia she printed in 2013. Just called the giggle bank. The port was having a typical day too much to do with too little time to do it in yet. She was excited. Today she would have a christmas / birthday dinner with friends. True she would have to share the occasion but he'll. Poetry isn't about sharing what is. She was up early because she knew she would need an app in order to stay alert. The poet is a great napper. Harley recommends it. She was off first things to the giggle bank. She invented the chemical bank. Since before the sadness. Because this was a special day she nor any thoughts other than happy ones. To be on the safe side she decided to make a substantial withdrawal. To giggle bank requiring appointment. It supports dead through town she was willing to risk a ticket because she just couldn't be late. Can be difficult to get an appointment with the vehicle ferry. Since so many people always want to see her. The poet had to pull a few strings to be seen in such nordis. Remember the giggle fairy from younger days. But they had not seen each other in a while. Your mother left you a bunch of giggles the potholder. For the part was told. Probably a year's worth or so. You never did come back to ask us after. She went on her journey to the sky. I was sad to the poet. Eagle ferry was having none of that well. We know that you went to the wine bag very often and made many withdrawals. Yes support confessed. And many silly phone calls in the middle of night. Seeking a comforting voice. Can you come to us kickoff very sternly stated. You could have saved you some embarrassment. Yes to park knowledge. I'm working very hard to set things right. That's why this evening is so important to me. I asked if the administrator has been in for withdrawal. You know we cannot answer that question. Necromancer of her wonderful husband has or has not been in. We are secure bank you know. Support appreciated the tip. Then maybe i should get enough for the car for the eat dinner. Where you going to dinner. About an hour and a half maybe 2 hours for dinner. Hour-and-a-half back. I think maybe five hours of giggles should do is proud. Well here you are and don't forget. You must not leave any giggles just lying around. Are you still having that sale. Purvi giggle i used i get to back from the bank. Yes of course. Even though you haven't been in that is still the arrangement we made with your grandmother. What a laugher she was. There were times we would have been out of giggles had not been for your grandmother. Always found a reason to race a smile. We were hoping you might but never mind. I'm glad you came enjoy the evening. The poet hurried home to quickly nap shower dress and eat a bit. She wanted champagne for the drive knew she must be to keep everything on an even keel. And what a lovely night. The drive down with just about as expected time until the driver got lost but not for long. The music wizard. The wine wonderful the service in the company beyond compare. Dinner is not over at 9 but further at 11. And there was still two hours more less to home. Then the unexpected happened. Everyone had been laughing and giggling having such a good time that no one realized. Giggles has run out. Port should have won the table but just so busy laughing she forgot. The port knew what would happen. Administrator would crash on the way home. The wonderful husband we're also laugh but is very protective the administrator. Would not have allowed himself to sleep. The director special program never slept when she was out. That only left the poet and the administrator. Someone had to close their eyes until more giggles could be obtained. Administrator ian blank. We are heading her wonderful husband slap. The riding sideways like that would give bad dream so she set up and drifted away. A poet was incheon airport was under the impression she was the only one who could sleep sitting up. Here we have the administrator doing it. Probably was. Trust administrator showed when she closed her eyes. She and her wonderful husband. She entrusted her wonderful husband to the director. And the portnoy they would do everything in their power to make him comfortable. Brass he wasn't at the only man in the group. Pull up the only one. Poet so there was outrage. Demonstrator leaned back and drifted deeper into a comfortable safe place. The fattest highest compliments which one will do many things with people. But sleeping in their presence is a sign of true friendship. Couple were taken home first administrator woken her wonderful husband safeco squirted into the house. Different the lights to say goodnight. Supporting director then dropped off. His support was taking off her clothes to air and hang up. She has she was her habit check her pockets and they're to her surprise or a couple leftover giggles. Remember now that she has scooped up some when she's gone to the ladies room ohwow. Have they been brought forth. Forward the administrator would have been allowed to stay awake and giggle on the way home. Procore support justified. Dinner has been two hours longer than expected to know than plenty of giggles to go around. But still she should have remembered. Deported mice for sale. I wonder. I said to come her way of life between the two of them how i can make this up. Then she saw it and thought. Didn't realize there was nothing she could do. It was a perfect evening everyone was happy so the bullet did a wise thing. Supposed to giggles under her pillow and danced and giggle. All through the night in her dreams. Huey lewis is max. Okay folks please bear with me because so. Since i have developed this eye disease my reading is compromised. But i will be reading the annabel lee by. Edgar allan poe and this was the last poem that he wrote. It was many. And many a year ago. In a kingdom by the sea. Little mermaid there lived whom you might may know. By the name of annabel lee. And and this maiden. She lived with no other thought. Then to love and be loved by me. I was a child and she was a child. In this kingdom by the sea. But we loved with a love. That was more than love. I am i annabel lee. With a love that the. Oh. Wang. Sarah sarah. Of heaven. Cover. Her and me. And this was. The reason. That long ago. In the kingdom by the sea. A wind blew out. Of a cloud chilling. My beautiful annabel lee. So that her. Highborn. Kinsman came. And bore her away from me. To shut her up. In a supper cure. In this kingdom by the sea. The angels not half. So happy in heaven. Envying her and me. Yes. That was the reason. Ameno. In this kingdom by the sea. That the wind came out. I'll be clouds by night. Chilling and killing my annabel lee. But our love it was. Strong. By the far that the love. Homely. Lowe's. Who were older. Then we. Money. Far wiser than we. And neither the angels in heaven above. Nor the. Demons down under the sea. Can ever. Dissever my soul. From the soul. Of the beautiful annabel lee. For the moon never beams. Without bringing me dreams. Of the beautiful annabel lee. And the stars never rise. But i feel. The bright eyes of the beautiful annabel lee. And i'm so. All the nights. Overnight. Todd i lie down by the side. Of my darling. My darling. My life. And my bride. In her supper. They're by the scene. One more line. In her. Tomb. By the sounding sea. He wrote this. As a memoir to his wife. Virginia who had passed away with. Tuberculosis. Tickets. Okay. My father was a poet and a musician and a photographer. His brother was the one that got the art. How the paint brush. Skill. But he. Spent a little bit too much time. I'd say. In the ada doleful department. And one day he saw a. They were playing a lot. And they'd shoved over this big huge oak tree. And he took a picture of it and wrote a poem about it and that's. What does poem is about. They filled a mighty oak today. Let's studance a stately splendor 100 years of gifts demand. Yet not one. The tits defender. It broke the mornings glistening raise. The colors never-ending and how's the robins hidden nest with blackbird voices blended. No longer will it set the stage for blue jays game lyrics raging. Nor mockingbirds no longer singing. At daylight saging daily aging. And now it lies with battered trunk with roots nearly unearthed and ended. A giant with its severed limbs it's broken. Broken banded. Lyle only there in despair your earthly visual keep amid this stricken solitude. You'll hear an angel weep. Come on up here. You're next. Thanks it goes my mom would really like that. So i got some short ones i'll start with the silly. So imagine is the dead of winter. And all the leaves are gone. Except for those last. View. Ever wonder about this. Lonely leaves and never seem to fall. Would you call the season fall for a reason and is now definitely winter maiden to be spring. Yeah there they are hanging on for dear life. Twirling in the wind. Whispering illusions of grandeur to whomever will listen and i do. They fascinate me these seasonal stragglers i. I can't quite figure out why they hang on when they died and it does look like they're dead. Unless. They are really dead simply on strike. Yes. Perhaps these are organized leaves on union trees. What could they want more woods shorter workday. The quiet demands i can't understand unintelligible to my untrained ear. But it wasn't anyway. Wishing them all the best before they finally fall and join the rest of their friends in this forest. Different tack. Startled by light splash of spray on my face. Slowly turn the sheets and prepare to come about gently centering my thoughts on the wind. Feeling myself. Others may sit formerly in silence. Not me. I prefer to take a different tack. Give me augustine breeze and some following seas and i'll happily chase enlightenment all afternoon long. Holding the tiller tie-dye help the loving jenny's slither over the deck. Has the bow quickly crosses the wind. The wind. She's a patient teacher full of life's lessons if. And when i take the time to listen. And has her dutiful student i take careful note of she's suddenly shifts. Gather strength. Falling off and releasing the sheets just so i'd take advantage of the new situation by altering my course ever-so-slightly. As with life. This turbulent air is a constant but gentle reminder of how little we actually. Control. Are the benefits of staying mindful enough to adjust. Tour fluid surroundings. The wind. Playful partner a nice smile. How they catch us both taking a deep breath. Have you continued or quiet meditation. And then last rain on the roof. Rain on the roof lasts only a second. Then. Several hours later you wonder where the time has gone. But what's time in conversation with a crisp edge of learning songs laughter. Sharing our stories we. Slowly circle on the thermals of the wood stove. Wondering what a life without such moments would be. The owls fly patrol is a sentry cat sproul outside the door. The night wants to talk along the ridge. Send words out into the black. Put them bello into the ring parading around the moon. Laying here we listen to this playful banter. Eavesdropping on the nocturnal exchange with the giddiness. Children at a slumber party. Stephanie. I have. I have two poems. And this first one. Towels of an experience that i actually had or. Experience i had many times. As i was growing up. Something from my past. It's by david tomas martinez. And it's called us versus them. My childhood was not an anxious place. Although i lay in my bed awake. Coming my sheets like beads. Wondering when the sun imploded. Would the russian astronauts be okay. They in there. Split next with their space dogs. David chase their own tail around this water bowl we call earth. When i was a child. In elementary school. We practice the type of protection called. And cover. Where we huddled under desks in case of a nuclear attack by the russians. They were communist. Had the bomb and were evil. Reagan. From the small grave. The tv. In the sixties. Nixon said the same thing. And the panthers countered with. No the viet cong never called me niger. With their picks. Lycon clenched fists. With their afros like the plume of an atom bomb. They scared white. And black folks. It is 2014. And america is still scared. Of the russian. Now the american dream is to be free debt free. Which i am not. Nor may ever be. But at least. I'm no longer afraid of the. And for a change-of-pace and mood this is a ws merwin. The veil of may. And this is about. My favorite time. My favorite season. No more than a week. And the leaves have all come out on the ash trees. Now they are more than half open on the ancient walnuts. Standing alone in the field. Reaching up to the mute amazement of age. They have uncurled on the oaks. From hands small as the eyelids of birds. And the morning light shines through them. And weights. Well the hawthorne gleams white. Against the green. In the shadow. In a moment the river has disappeared down in the valley. The curb of sky. Gliding slowly from before. Not seeming to move. It will not be seen again now awhile. From this place on the ridge. But over it the summer will flow and not seem to be moving. George lally. Well as i gaze out at this. Sea of smiling faces. We would have packing in for poetry don't we. I understand siri. That. The. A small minority of people who read poetry and listen to it. Will soon be exceeded by the number of people like me who write it. The fact. That. Idea gave rise to a. A couple of lines in a poem i wrote some years ago or i said have you heard the rumors. We are surfeited with poets and starving for consumers. So. For two reasons i would say my hat is off to you. Second reason is. Beyond the gratitude. Is. I want to call hannah's reason. My niece hannah. Took a course on poetry. About a year ago. And. She chose me of all people tried a poem about. And. I don't remember the whole thing i have to get a copy but she said uncle george has. Salt and pepper mustache and he always wears a hat. I wonder what his hair looks like. So that's the second reason i took it off. I have. Boy start. Before. We started today i brazenly left. Copies. Out there 3101. Got two phones and i'm gone. The first versus short one that i wrote about 10 years ago. And the second one is somewhat longer. The first one is called villa. It's time. I've learned enough. I'm going from the world while to my imagined villa. I cannot wait to see it. Queen anne's lace. And careless daisies. Will smile as i passed. On a hill. Happy ruminants. Deep peace. In heaven of grass. I do. I write a lot of light poetry. Dad. Unlock more relaxed when i read the light stuff. So. Anyway. The second one is called peacock meadow. Named after our peacock meadow underground. Don't peacock made metal april 14th. 2014. Jay leno's gone. From television daddy is. And david letterman will call it quits next year. Each year on oscar night all the distinguish stars pay a little tribute to all the extinguished stars. This year. Sid caesar made the list. That hurt. Sid took a piece of my childhood with him. By the way does anyone remember imogene coca. Still living. Jimmy carter. Mick jagger. And a playboy bunny turn sexy feminist. Turn aging sage. Seek transit gloria. No one wants to die. We do what we can to take our minds off of it. Some people get religion. Some drink. Some get tattoos. Are some folks get an obsession. Call it a ministry if you will. To build something. I'll meditation path. Passes along the top of this field. We called the peacock meadow. Dr. gross who sold us the land. Used to raise peacocks here. He made lots of improvements. Fencing raised beds. A little fish pond. The fencing is gone. Some of it we tore down. You can still see where the fish pond was. The path turns left here and down and around. We cleared a lot of brush in this stretch. Now we're walking west along the bottom of the meadow. I spent several thousand hours in the 90s. Landscaping a 6,000 square-foot yard in warwick rhode island. Pat's patio deck. Fencing. Flower beds. The neighbors love that yard. When i left. The new owner toradol up. I've heard that after dr. gross sold the land he was in assisted living. No one seems to know if he's still living. Assisted or otherwise. Did he have children who knows. He was a poultry scientist who raised exotic funneh as a hobby. It must have hurt. To see it all go. When is real 21 children. And grandchildren. Adjust a photo image. Two great-grandchildren. The next-generation probably won't know your name. Unless you're a linkedin oregon d. Most young people had never heard of sid something-or-other. Who was accorded a few seconds. Tv time. Walking uphill. In a southerly direction. The past brings us to the council circle on our right. It is 25 ft in diameter. With eight rustic benches arrayed around a fire pit. Curiously. 80% of our congregation have never set foot here. What is probably 80% of our six acres. For some odd reason i am determined to change that. Hence this path circumnavigating. The property. April 17th 2014. Is. Was. The 100. 63rd. Birthday. Anna garland spencer. Born in attleboro mass in 1851. If unitarian-universalist had saints. She would be my nominee. First woman ordained as a minister in rhode island. She was the founding editor. Abdel street chapel in providence. She was a devoted social activist. Proponent of child labor laws. Social work educator. And prominent in the women's suffrage movement. She was the first woman associate leader of the new york ethical culture society. And one of the founders of the n-double-acp. At her death in 1931. She was a national figure. And one of the five or ten most famous women of her time. Today nobody. Almost. No surname. As we passed the council circle on your right is a small. 12 x 20 ft green picnic shelter. Originally doctor grossest large tool shed. An earlier effort to entice people to use these upper browns its walls were cut down to half walls opening it up. As a picnic shelter. Passing that we walk through a little grove of pines. Super short what'd stretching emerge behind the rustic labyrinth. Lovingly built of field stones and milky quartz by some of our members. Continuing on we pass through another small wooded area. Animerge on a hill. Looking out over iu you see meeting house. And the mountains beyond. Immediately in front of us and below is our memorial garden. A simple circular space. Beautifully landscaped. And containing the ashes of some of our members who have died. I am bothered that people don't say die anymore. I guess that was too. Uncomfortable. So they started saying. Oh mrs. walker. Passed away. Then i guess away had too much bite to it. So that you started saying passed on. Now they've ditched it on and they simply say mr. smith passed. I find that a bit annoying. I want to say i didn't see him pass was he driving or walking did he wave. I'm working on accepting my immortality. But it's easy to get grumpy about it. Thank you. Bill paterson. I finally put these two little poems on paper this morning. Although i've been thinking about him. The topic. A while. Hate. Red. Black. Stars. Bars. Cross. Blood. Scan. Pain. Separation. Kate. Dylan. Love. Indoors all. Bares all. Is all. God. Makes the world go round. All we need is love. Love is the doctrine of our faith. Love your enemies. Love your neighbor. As yourself. Love. Dylan. Isabel burning. I have to have. Related to my. Theme of interest. The first is attributed to a native american but an anonymous one. You should ask what good are dead leaves. And i will tell you. I nourish the sorcerer's. You shall ask. What reason is there for winter. And i will tell you to bring about new leaves. You shall ask. Why are the leaves so green. And i will tell you because they are rich with life. You shall ask. Lima summer end. And i will tell you so that leaves will die. Next one's called dying to bear and it's by susan mccain. Bury me bear if you bury me at all. But no that's not me bearing my all. My all will be bare of bones and tears. My all will be bear of pain and fears. So there's no harm in what remains. Returning to dust. As maybe somewhat plain. My face says playing is the way to live. But i've never lived up to that way to give. My soul solo. From worldly desires. So bury me plain or set me afire. Scatter the ashes or send me to ground. Sing me a song or don't make a sound. I'd rather they member my love of books. Then a costly funeral all about looks. And maybe some friends will say a few words or maybe their silence will be what is heard. Not much to say at the end of it all. Focus on living the way that were called. Comfort my dear ones and help them go on life seems too short for grief to be long. Life seems about more than dying to bear. Death puts an end to those types of cares. The cost of a coffin can bankrupt us all. Save the velvet i won't need a paul. Take my favorite clothes to a needy soul. Shroud me enough but my body's too old for a little skin to offend as my gown. For decency to hinder my laying down. So barry meet there if you bury me at all. But no that's not me bearing my all. Frank matthews. Then after frank if anyone has a poem that they've been holding clutching. Not wanting to let go. You can let it go. So. I love the powers of observation. And sight. Smells. And i wonder how many people notice. Across. When she read that edgar allan poe poem. Hark the raven. Anyhow. The nature of my summer garden. How does my garden grow. Cabbage rescue. Beginning to head. Big blooming roses. Amazingly fragrant. Tomatoes getting there. A blue jays screeching in my cherry tree. Attacking. Genevieve japanese beetles. The rain. Pounding on my metal roof as i lay my head upon my pillow. The grass is getting tall. I'll get to it. Eventually. Yes my garden grows. I'm going to share a poem that stephanie brought to my attention this morning. It comes from the common meditation for all souls from also. Souls unitarian church. It was in her daily feed this morning it was written by longfellow. Come read to me some poem some simple and heartfelt lay that she'll sue this restless feeling and banish the thoughts of day. Read from some humbler poet who songs gushed from the heart. A showers from the clouds of summer or tears from the eyelids start. Who threw long days of labor and knights devoid of he's still hurt his music in his soul the music of wondrous melodies. Such songs have power to quiet the restless pulse of care. And come like the benediction that follows after a prayer. This is a poem by robert hunter. And it was. Turned into a song by jerry garcia. Write up. It's called. Eyes of the world. Right outside this lazy summer home. You ain't got no time to call your soul a critic. No right outside the lazy gates of winter summer home. Wondering where the nut nuthatch winters. Wings the mile-long just carried the bird away. Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world. The heart has its beaches its homeland and thoughts of its own. Wake now discover that you are the song that the morning brings. But the heart has its seasons it's evenings and songs of its own. There comes a redeemer and he slowly to fades away. There follows his wagon behind him that's loaded with clay. And the seeds that were silent i'll burst into bloom and decay. And night comes so quiet it's close on the heels of the day. Sometimes we live no particular way but our own. Sometimes we visit your country and live in your home. Sometimes we ride on your horses. Sometimes we walk alone. Sometimes the songs that we here are just songs of your own. And if you'll indulge me. Wake up to find out that you are the eyes of the world. The heart has its beaches its homeland and thoughts of its own. Wake now discover that you are the song that the morning brings. But the heart has its reasons it's evenings and songs of its own. With a nod to decloak we happen to bring the same book. Nikki giovanni. Friends who know that i don't know roanoke very much. Took me to visit. On friday that may sound strange to a lot of the other used to roanoke. But i've never been up to the star. And i was googling to find out how to get there so this problem really caught my eye. Blues for roanoke. We sit like sally walker in a circle trying to spend something wonderful. On this loom hoping maybe a magic dwarf will come to show us where the gold is. We sit in here together. Not in a square a rectangle. But the triangle between right wrong and really who cares. Facebook says i have friends. Friends say strange things avoiding my face. There is a star. Which is not me though it should be on a hill it shines on henry street. Where duke ellington played. Where you at. King cole sang we're dancers dance the blues away. The segregation blues. You can't go here or come there blues. The evil blues played on a stolen banjo. The railroad blues that strums alliance while the pullman porters. Call george buy some. Called honey buy some. Call daddy buy some. Call grandpa. Played with the coming twins and dance the blues away. We sit in a circle. And that story that keeps us warm seeds are heart. Makes us know this star city is mine. That star at that mountain shines for me. Acme. On me. Doo-wop doo-wop. I got the roanoke blues and i'm feeling fine. And for those of you who know how much i love to read and write you won't be surprised that this last one. It's called i wish i could live. Parentheses in a book. For charles a smith jr. I wish i could live in a book all wrapped up in my fairy godmothers arms or sitting with my kay's mother baking dinosaur eggs. If i lived in a book i could fly with alibaba. And even though it's not right to steal. The forty thieves are pretty cool. Maybe there would be a book about me. One day. Just a little girl being brave in a world where water is in short supply. But everybody has a gun. I don't think that's a good idea. I'd rather be in a book making biscuits on the frontier. Running with the wind following very lightly on the laughter of the prairie dogs. That would be so nice i think living in a book. Since the invitation is open i think i'll go ahead and inflict upon you a bit of doggerel that i wrote. Some years ago as lyrics to a song. But i wrote. It's entitled. Bad mojo karma. I pretend to work. They pretend to pay. I pretend not to care that it seems to be the only way. But still i wonder. Yeah i wonder. When's some bad mojo karma's going to come back around. Then i go out at night. Sing my song. Drink my wine. I come home to my woman and i'm rarely on time. And still i wonder yeah. I wonder when some bad mojo karma. Going to come back around. I've tried so many times to dismiss. And explain all this heartache and pain. But i've got a strange foreboding these days. I feel so sure all the time someday soon i'm going to get mine. I do my best in all that i do. I don't wait for no credit. Cuz i ain't no fool. Still i wonder yeah. I wonder when some good juju 7. I got a roll back around. It's true i can't seem to refuse when a friend. Needs a hand and asks me to do what i can. So i try. To help them each time. So sad to report. Still. Coming up short. I put 100 and 10%. Everything that i do. To my friends. To my music. My woman. Hey even to the boss man 2. But still i wonder yeah. I wonder why. Could you do 7. How can i come back around. I got some bad. Mojo karma. Going to come back around. Thank you. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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131006_do_time.mp3

Welcome to the october 6th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service a day is led by our settled minister. Rev. roland. Her sermon is titled. Time keeps slipping into the future. The podcast begins with two readings and closes with her benediction. This morning i offer has two readings. Reading one. By hannah arendt. From the life of the mind. A time with region. An eternal present incomplete. Quiet. Lying beyond human clocks and calendar all together. The quiet. Of the now. In the world. In the time pressed time tossed existence of man. Dismal. None time-space. In the heart. Of time. The second reading. Is from the incredibly serious. Work regarding time. Call the dow of pooh. Are busy backson religions sciences and business ethics have tried their hardest. To convince us that there is a great reward. Waiting for us somewhere. And that all we have to do is spend our lives working like lunatics to catch up with it. Whether it's up in the sky behind the next molecule or in the executive suite. It's somehow always farther along than we are. Just down the road on the other side of the world. Past the moon. Beyond the stars. I think i've been thinking about time. Because i'm just getting oriented to a new area. The new office. A new rhythm of life here in blacksburg. And here together with you. This morning. We're kicking off our monthlong theme of remembering and we're talking together about. Time. How do we want to relate to the time. That we have. Together. How do you say i wonder want to relate. To the time. The each one of you have. You know i'm means of measuring time has been changing. Throughout history. First we humans measure time by the sun and the moon and the stars which we've talked a lot about this morning already. Village time was determined by when the sun rose and when the sunset. The first civilizations developed sundials and water clocks. An hour glasses. Some of you may have our glasses that you can tip in the sand comes out. Anyone have our glasses at their homes here people do. And later of course if we track and big arch the human history of measuring time. Time. Bell sang from church towers to help people know when things are happening. And literally someone would have to ring that bell and everyone would have to listen for the common sounds of bells ringing to indicate yes this is an important. Time. And then mechanical clock clock with gears and levers came on the scene. At first those were in very large powers but eventually they shrunk. From the towers the size of something people could put on their wrist wrist watch. Today scientist measure time by the use of atomic clocks. Using the vibration of atoms. Today as we know the cell phones that we carry are not only timekeepers. But the town criers so to speak. That we carry with us they give us up-to-date information not just from the town where we live but from all over the world. All of these changes in measuring time. Have changed how we human beings relate to time. Many more of us i would guess here in this room. Wake up to a ring from our digital alarm clock or on our phones then we wake to the sound of a rooster for example. Although i know some of you to live in the country with roosters. Our increasing ability is to track time ever more precisely. Has shifted our fundamental approach to how it is that we were. How it is that we communicate with one another. What we think as a human culture about time. And our language is revealing. We make time spend time maximize time cut time. We are very busy. Doing these kinds of things with time. And we have been since the industrial revolution. The nineteenth-century industrial age. Brought forward the rise of factories and factory clocks which needed no human oversight to keep time no humans to twist and turn the levers and gears. Time itself began to become modified. Time is money. Money. It's time. We're familiar with this way of speaking together about time. Prior to the industrial revolution of course. Craftspeople were paid by product. A desk. Teapot. And they worked at their own rhythm and pace. Is there skill and energy. Demanded. But with the industrial age the factory began to tally those hours on a factory line. As i said labor itself began to become modified. People were not expected to keep up pace with machines. And we know that that led to overwork. And unsafe labor conditions. So the labor movement emerged to interrupt the patterns of exploitation. By calling for a standard work day and also for weekend so that people could rest and renew renew themselves. They were keeping a watch so to speak. On how expectations for human life. Was becoming based upon the rhythm of machines. And the way in which human greed interacted with the capacity of machined to place human life at risk. And especially children's life at rest. All of us i think. No it. We know that the technological and information revolution today is as significant. For human life as was the industrial revolution of the 19th century. We all i think feel the impact of it. We live in a time of rapid changes in the way that we live. The way that we work. The ways that we play. Rest. Care for ourselves and care for our loved ones. We got facebook. Twitter. Doodle. You name it. If we were to just pop up the names of various applications together in this room we could go probably on and on. With some people being able to lunch out many new names of new applications and other scratching your head saying i don't even know really what an application is but together. We could launch for the whole litany of new applications. And features from the digital world the technological revolution that is shaping our lives. The thing is friends. But today we do what we human beings do. In hyperdrive. Because we have the capacity to do so. We have so much capacity. In one way this creative capacity to generate more to do more. Has ramped up possibility. The question is can we keep up. Do we really wish to. What is lost and what is gained if we hit the pause. Button. Wait. Is there even a pause button. Today is a technology feeds what writer tim creator called the busyness trap. Dizziness he says serves as a kind of existential reassurance. Hedge against our emptiness. Obviously your life cannot possibly be silly or trivial or meaningless if you are so. Busy. He says everyone he knows is too busy to be together. Significantly he knows that he did not hear the words too busy from folks working three jobs are taking buses across town to get from work to the doctor's office these people. Cenotes and i think it's rather interesting he says these folks are tired. You suggest that there's actually a class element to this too busy phenomenon. Steven suggests that folks demand business dizziness from one another as proof of one's worth. And neat meaning does anyone recognize this. So maybe some here know the too busy phenomena maybe some of you here actually buck. This with every step. Of your being. In his very insightful work. The dow of pooh from which our second reading arrive today. Benjamin hoff describes a funny anecdote. About an interesting character he calls. The backson. This is a quote from the doll 2. Where did he go. That is. How is it you know. But there's no rest for the backson. I think i see one now pacing back and forth. Jingling lose coins in his pocket. Nervously glancing at his watch. He makes you feel tired just looking at him. The chronic baxton always seems to have to be going somewhere. Busy dachshund. Busy back soon. Is always on the run. Leaving notes clutch as gone out. Backstrom. Busy back soon. Easy the busy back soon is always going somewhere always somewhere he hasn't been before. Anywhere but where he is. The busy dachshund. Is caught in the busyness trap. The dizzy batson phenomena can be actually traced to the. Puritan and protestant work ethic which did see the rise of industrious nature as being a requisite for god's favor. For a reward that would come later. Any afterlife. The big reward later. Is called an ad out of poo. The unreachable jar of honey. I'm going to share with you bear with me just a little bit more from the dallas poo about the unreachable jar of honey. Who shares an awful dream with the author. Of this book he says. I found a jar of honey. What's awful about that. The author asks. Well it kept moving said poo. Whenever i reached for it this job hunting would go someplace else. A nightmare. The author said. Lots of people have dreams like that. The author noted reassuringly. You mean about unreachable jars of honey. About the same sort of thing the author said. That's not unusual. The odd thing though is that some people live like that. Why. Ask pooh. Why. Indeed. Busybox and cultures time as linear. It's a race towards the unreachable jar of honey. And we humans we internalize the pressures that we placed on our wrists and in our pockets. We become culturally accommodated to the unreachable jar of honey. And we worry. Even subconsciously. When we are not resetting. Towards it. And so it is that this send combined with the faster technology. Means that we've got a lot. Of breathless folks. With spiked anxiety and stress levels. Running around. I want invite everyone to just breathe. I'm pausing just to breathe right now. What's some of what drove i think and called. Throw out into walden pond. Back when the industrial revolution hit that industrial revolution of the 19th century. There was a young manning in particular named henry david thoreau protege of the essayist emerson. Who was unsure about the march of time. As defined then by the marketplace. So he went out to walden pond. And he started to write and reflect about his unease regarding the industrial revolution. He suggests it's a mixed bag. This is a quote from him. Why should we live in such a hurry. And in such a waste of life. We are determined to be starved before we are hungry. Men say now that is stitch in time saves nine and so they take a thousand stitches today. To save 9 tomorrow. The road first for the good life. And he found it by simplifying. But his wife is often been on been misunderstood as the life only of a quiet. Monastic. Contemplating the water in the forest divorced from the world of everyday industrious life. That's not quite accurate. Because while he's known for his poetry at walden pond he also spent time in jail for his protest of the mexican-american war. And his work this civil disobedience actually inspired both gandhi and leader. Rev dr martin luther king jr.. He was deeply engaged in what was happening in the world. Sometimes when i speak with folks who wrestle with their own backson nature busy back soon kind of nature and the busyness trap. Who also care deeply for the world. I hear sometimes a pool between being people who are being. And being people who are doing things. It's true that when we know what it is we value most. We can better choose how we live in time accordingly. I think it's a wonderful thing to start to imagine time differently. But i acknowledge that that doesn't mean it's easy for us to shift our patterns. Despite the marvelous views from clients. Myths of ages or the muessing of sages still for human beings are actual live relationships to time deeply challenges. We feel the pressure when we feel time slipping. What are we to do. What is it that we human beings are to do. Recently i heard that because of chronic multitasking there are now retreats for professionals with a check-in station. Where you can check in your phone and your electronic devices. And it's hard lines for these camps are disconnect. To reconnect. There's another one called campground it. It's funny because there's actually an ancient. Digital detox. And it's called sabbath. It's what abraham joshua heschel called a sanctuary in time. A place that is that's maiden time to dwell differently. Without work. With only rest and breathing. In jewish teachings and later and christian teachings this was a day of rest.. And it was given to the people. By god. It was a day prescribed. For nowhere. Only slowing down. Regardless of how you conceive of that word god. It is true that many religious traditions speak of such a time. A time set aside for a difference word equality. A different sort of connection to time itself that we actually experienced differently. From the burning of stages and indigenous ceremonies. To the ritual calling of the directions. To the ringing of church bells. To the ritual washing of hands and face and body which begin the prayers and islam religious and spiritual communities have developed ways of remembering. How to be inside time differently. Not connected to productivity. Not connected to busyness. These are times when we were called experience of what it is to just be human. Simply being alive. For the very steak. I'm being alive. You may have heard the line as the crow flies. Typically that means the. Most rebecca distance between two points let's play. The crow is actually associated with the greek sense of time called kronos. Chronos indicates that sense of direct linear time. But the greeks had another way of talking about time. It was called kara's. Carrows is that feeling of timelessness within time. God. Or that sense of sacred time which is experienced. Non-linearly. Carrows time that word is an ancient recognition. Of the necessity of what author waverly fitzgerald call slow time. Often times our mind keep on slipping into the future try as we might practices of mindful meditation which are very good. Try as we might through practices at slowing down rock rocking on the porch or walking more slowly it's hard because our minds off intend to keep slipping into the future. We wind up rehearsing the past or preparing for the future and the present is very hard for us to grasp. The present. It's gone. It's gone. It's gone. Hannah arendt called this. A slippery quality. The present. She actually sees time as everlasting. Change. The present tense of slippery. Sandwiched between our human perceptions of past and what will yet be. And we tend to hook ourselves on those kinds of tenses and even the physicist remind us that our human distinctions between past and present and future are sophisticated. Illusions. I want to remind us again of those words that we heard earlier by hannah arendt. She says a timeless region. An eternal present in complete quiet. Lying beyond human clocks and calendar all together. The quiet of the now in the world in the time pressed time tossed existence of man. Dismal non x space. In the heart of time. Today i want to suggest to you that experiencing small. Non time-space in the heart of time. Is something we need to practice moving through the 21st century. I would say that our lives depend on it. And the well-being of our world depends upon it. Now that might sound a little abstract. How do we find these small 99 times faces in the heart of time. But the thing is we already know how to do it. Waverly fitzgerald that author who wrote slow time. Talks about singing moments. Many of us had already had these kinds of singing moment. They are. Sometimes experienced as connecting us with a sense of timelessness. Someone describe climbing through. The rocky pads in the sierra wilderness and says each day was chock-full of true and beautiful moments that still glowed in the mind after a decade or more. That experience of walking in the high sierras for this person with a singing experience at singing moments. There is a correlation between memory and slowness. And fastness and forgetfulness. So the singing moments remind us of the stream of time. And the gift that is our human participation within it. These singing moments have that caro's quality that i spoke about. I wonder if you can recall. A recent time when you maybe had. A sense of timelessness. Ash singing. Moments. A time when you weren't focused on the present you didn't notice i'm actually. That's the kind of singing moment that i mean. This morning i will suggest to you that these singing moments help us savor the world. Which means we get to save. The world. Just a little bit. For ourselves. And for one another. One thing is clear. We need to be favoring the singing moments. When we are born we have the gift of being. Being human in a physical form. In a place within a dream. Uptime. Time is a precious resource it is made so by what we declare we wish to save. Favor. Sing. I do not myself understand time as a precious resource. Defined by what the marketplace demands. It is that the time is how we spend our love. Superhot. Really it matters not. How we measure time. Not so much even what we do with time. But how we will allow ourselves for the remembrance of singing moments. In the stream of time with henry david thoreau says we go ice fishing. In. May sometimes we make the slow choice. Maybe find ways to shift our approach to life. Valuing slow time. May you sit. 46 fittings shake. May you rest for resting sake. May you read for meeting sake. May you love. Or loving. And maybe on occasion find we just may return to a childlike poo like awareness of things. Enjoying life around us. Perhaps we will find together in the process that sometimes upon occasion. Our very lives. Sing. May this ever be so. Blessed be and amin. Frozen let it go forth with one another. Knowing the precious nature of time. Experiencing perhaps lo moments. Experiencing perhaps singing. Moments. May you go forth. Singing your way. Until we meet. Once again blessed be. And ahmed. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

160724_kb_religious.mp3

Welcome to the july 24th service at the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service a day is led by guest minister reverend kirk fallon. And his servant is titled on being religious. Rev alan is introduced by worship associate jim kern. And a question-and-answer exchange. Follows his sermon. Raspberry and references a handout he shared with the congregation. A copy of that handout can be downloaded from the sermon archive page. First i'd like to welcome our guests minister. Bradford fallon. Referred was ordained in 1983 at the fulton community church in lexington massachusetts. She's serving you congregations in meadville pennsylvania in roanoke virginia. Lynchburg and most recently in harrisonburg. And we welcome him to the pulpit this morning. Good morning everyone it's wonderful to be with you as i was telling jim and eleanor earlier that i've actually. Been here a few times before but it goes back to when you were in the house. So. That goes back a few years. Because i came to roanoke in 1987. And i came over here a couple of times for. To fill the pulpit. Anyway it's honor and pleasure to be with you. I'm going to share some some couple of readings with you the first batch is just some very quickly red. Quotes of from whomever i'm not going to acknowledge who they are but religion. Religion is the consciousness of the highest social value. Religion may be defined as the natural belief in a power or powers beyond our control. And upon whom we feel ourselves dependents. Religion is the mind and will of god existing as god exists objectively outside of men and a people superior to all men exacting from man the obedient dubai the creature to the creator. Religion is a feeling adjustments. To the deeper things of life into the larger reality that encompasses the personal life. Nobody is anything except as he joins himself to something you cannot behold unless you join a whole this i believe is religion. The sense of outgoing to the whole universe and its process towards the. Quality of deity is religion. Religion this is serious and social attitude of individuals our communities for the power or powers. Which they conceived as having ultimate control over their interest in destiny. Religion is what the individual does with his own solitariness. Consciously. Accepted system of make believe. Religion is a strictly collective term in the collection it stands for is not even of the kind illustrated in textbooks or logic. It is not the unity of a regiment or assembly but that of any miscellaneous aggregate. Any activity pursued in behalf of an idea and against obstacles and inspite of threats of personal loss. Because of conviction of its general enduring value is religious in quality. Religion is a search for a value underlying all things and as such is the most comprehensive of all the possible philosophies of life. Religion is devoted and loyal commitment to the best that reason and insight can discover. The liberal understands what loyalty to the best means as the. Authoritarian never can. I'm finally a man's religion is what he thinks about his relation to the universe. Or rather and what he feels about this. Or better it is what he does about this relation. Or best it is how he at. I got a couple of. Hopefully non-threatening questions just to ask if it were a show of hands. Yeah in the spirit of our third principal. That. The encouragement to acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth within our congregation. The clippers question is who have you in this room and please. Participate. View in this room would consider yourself to be religious just give me a show of hands. Maybe 20-25 people. Alright and overview who just raise your hands. How many of you would say that your sense of being religious is grounded in a sense of there being a transcendent power. God or a universal. Force or divinity or some other creative entity within the universe with which you feel a connection. How many of you. So fewer than the 25 but still probably maybe about. To have a hand out here for you also the. Give us some cheap now it's a little bit inside talk. When i'm going to be talking about this morning i really not. He's earned some thoughts and i've had for many many years of my life literally decade. But i've never really subtle spoken it of them really in a public forum.. Or so. Bear with me thank you. My academic background. Some of you know is that i studied. Physical and cultural anthropology at uva and a master's program and. Did not opt for the thesis part but the. That established for me a way of looking at the world and approaching the world in a way that. I found very useful for me. And then i studied the world religions at uva or well at harvard divinity when i was there for my. Mydegree master of divinity. But i'm also traveled the world extensively. Ann and certainly have been at interface with various different cultures and. Religious identities and belief system as well as. Done a lot of personal exploration for myself as. To what it means to be religious. But the use of the words religious. And being religious. For me has been problematic because it had a garages people. Human beings like we were apples and oranges. Those who are religious are apples and those who aren't religious are oranges. And who or what is deciding how to make those distinction into what ends. And what purpose i find elusive. Hazard quotations on what religion is and what our little exercise am i asking you about who feels. He or she is religious in this room. And that there was actually. Aldo's. 25 people who said they felt they were religious. Not all twenty-five of them identified with a sense of there being. A larger entity or force within the universe to which. They grounded their it within which they grounded their sense of being religious. So great there again there's there was a sense that okay. Well those twenty-five people thought they were being religious than they must all be religious in the same way but that's not. I didn't happen. And is all those quotations showed i defy anyone to sort of say they all sounded exactly alike. Because they don't. And that's so true i think when you talk about what it means to be religious. In general. Yet people tend to throw these terms around as if somehow they have this universal definition. And this particular use my people when they're trying to establish their own sense of being religious as being the true sense of what it needs to be religious as opposed to this person or this group of this whatever. So there again the definitions are used as if there's this universal understanding of them but it really has very self-serving purposes and that is. Two separate individual or group away from other people as somehow not. Being something that i am or my group is. And there again when you start to really look at how that's being used it's being used as a way is dividing human beings rather than. Anyway i'm looking at human beings for a more universal. Perspective so question seriously question this arbitrary. Yousef abstractions and boundaries. For the fact that they have no universal value at least to me. To me they only serve to fabricate a subspecies of human being. We are not apples though we are not oranges though. We are not simply. Some some different type of human beings as opposed to other humans. We are all human beings. And we are one human species i think this is too me critically when we start thinking about what it means to be religious. We are not simply the religious and they're not religious. I asked human beings as a species. Search for me what that brought me to was. All right well it if i find these terms to be somewhat unhelpful. A being religious and not being religious what do i do with that because i just doesn't work for me. So i concluded for myself that either were all religious. Or. None of us are religious. That is a human species and we're going to have these sort of arbitrary distinctions about whose religious and who's not religious and have us not agree how are using those terms and that making those distinction. Which is kind of useless and pointless. Then we either have to accept that either we're all religious or not really. Search for me i concluded. That we are all. And when i share this with my friends at this point they often would sort of feel like i've got a screw loose. Particularly particularly with friends who really do not like to be called. Barton identified as being religious. Just don't like. So it is a maybe happening for some of you right now for me to say that we are all religious as human beings. But for me that i hate. Concluded that to be religious is really trying to say something. Something about. Belief system. And something about our being human. Something that is integral and inherent to our being human. So basically what i determined was that. To be human. It is to be religious. And that's. Part of what we are at. Species. Are there again my anthropological observation as a tool. For my way of looking at humanity and our place in it and this is also is what really led me to become a unitarian universalist minister. It allowed me to ask myself what it must have been like. For the first. Human-like. Beings on this planet. Do have the consciousness and the self-awareness. That we take for granted in our being human. But at some point in our human evolution. We develop this capacity. To have this self-awareness to have this self-consciousness. In a way that is not apparent. To that extent with any other species that we know of them. But we can only speculate how this evolve. And of course we have no real way of knowing that. But. The thought process. Solutionary unfolding. Is significant in terms of who we are as human being. And especially. Before the advent of language. They're still had to be some kind of. Reaction. To this. Capacity to be able to be self-aware. And to be a have a sense of self. Awareness whistling self-consciousness with oneself. So. I like to imagine. What it must have been like. For those early. Human free human beings in our evolution. Suddenly through some kind of mutation. Develop this ability to be self-aware of the universe. Of our being in there and and the place be. That didn't the place we found ourselves as human beings. And in particular. Being able to be suddenly aware of the fact. That. You're going to die. I seriously doubt from most life-forms that. They're aware of the fact. That their existence. Is going to end up in death. For us as human beings. We are very conscious of the fact that we're going. Die. That's that our life is not. Permanent. Having that kind of awareness must have been pretty. Found. Transforming. Perhaps frightening and perhaps. Debilitating. Kind of like to think of. Kafka's metamorphosis really writes about the man who sails man who wakes up and. Send me the cockroach or some other huge insect. This is sort of in reverse if you put yourself in the mind of a cockroach. And suddenly the next day you wake up and you are fully aware of the universe and your place in it then. You do and you and you know that you're going to die. What would that do to you. Am i purely speculative theory and that's the best i think we can even do. Is that those early human beings who had this capacity. We're not just simply going non-functional in other words going mad or crazy or dying or whatever is simply because. Knowing that you're going to die what's the point. Full of fear. But it's some point. In that evolutionary process some capacity within us as human beings as allowed us. To be able to live. And survive even though we're know where we know we're going to die. It seems almost. Why how can this possibly be. And as with anything that happens in in natural selection to the process of evolution. Is that something had to be selected for within these early human beings that allowed. Do we continue to evolve as a species. That we allowed us to become what we are and be able to live even though we know we're going to die. And i think that thing is. Fait. That faith is as fundamental to our being human. As hunger is to our being human. That these are things that are part of what it takes for us to survive. Are there again we tend to use the word faith as synonymous. With the word religion. But as i mentioned in the handout religion is not just what we human being create to culture. To sustain this inherent necessity for ark survival. Faith is not something exclusive to some human being. And not to others. It is really an essential condition of our being human. Faith without any definition. It just is it's like trying to define something that is fundamental to our being as as human beings without having to give it a definition. That that separates it from other. Human being. Faith is something we all have. For my understanding religion is what gives faith. The means to fulfill its function foster our survival as human beings. In other words religion is what. Allows faith to be sustained within us. As human beings. How to be able to survive. Just ask. Hunger. Gives us that impulse to need. Stewie. Food is what we feed. Are cells in order to. Survive. Faceandlms is hunger. Food is religion. So basically there again with my. Unique understanding i think of what it means to be religious and and to have faith. And if i have to take this idea that religion is something we all are religious we are all religious being. What is religion and. For myself i came to the understanding that say that religion is basically 6. Fundamental question. That. Each of us as human beings to whatever capacity we can. Have to answer for ourselves even if that answer is. I don't know. I know six fundamental questions at that i have listed there for you. How was the universe created. How did life come to be how did human beings fit in the picture. What is your responsibility as an individual human being. Why do we die and what happens after we. For me what that. Hold is that. In our being human. That we. Find answers to those questions. In some way or another. That this is what gives our faith. Straight if you would to be able to continue to live. Has human being so we find ways to answer these questions. In ways that that sustain our sense of face within us. Even as i said even if those answers are. I don't know. And i think. That happens a lot in unitarian universalist community. And hopefully. Sometimes that is the answer. That we have for these things. But. So then the question is will what about these. Religions. Christianity judaism buddhism. Aslam whatever bhai any other kind of organized religious entity that we most often associate the word religion and being religious with. What about them well. I like to just sort of imagine that if you sat down and you answered those six questions. And then you went on. You want around. Preaching these wherever you went. The answers 26. And you found a bunch of people who responded to you inside yeah sounds good to me. you got followers. You got an organized religion. I think it can be reduced to that to the to the extent to which. If we look at organized religions that we called religion. That's basically how they came to be. They were giving answers to these questions. The people needed answers to. And it was it easy to latch onto the two answers that are basically predetermined for you. So feel free to start your own religion just answer these questions and taking it on the road and i and i guarantee you're going to find some followers. Anybody remember those movie life of brian. I remember the street preachers and if you haven't seen that anyone you want a nice. I insightful satirical commentary on religion and organized religion if it's a great movies monty python. But it's. But. The idea that. Creating our own religion is what we do. Because we need to. Is obviously very central to what it means to be a unitarian universalist. I take issue with people who. Who call unitarian universalism a religion unto itself because i don't think unitarian-universalism is answering all those six questions. For us in the specific way that we all just so latched onto. Instead it's giving us. Some an arena if you would to cultivate. Answers to those questions for ourselves. But and this is critical to what it is to be in the unitarian universalist community. We have these seven principle. Listen to seven principles are not what unitarian universalist necessary believe. Guess we've all heard the joke but i'll stay it again if you haven't. When asked what do unitarian universalist believe the answer is i don't know i haven't talked to all of them yet. It we are representational we are representative of what reality is what it does come to really understanding what religion is. What are seven principles. Are critical in helping giving us the tools. Hoping this given us a focus giving us. Some guidelines. That reference in your your hand out to what it means. What the principles mean and how they are value. For us in among us and how we put them to use that they not only. Hold us together to some extent as a community. But they also give us. Guidance on how to answer the seven question. The six questions. In ways. That challenger. That make us think about these things and then in trying to give some. Some answer to those 76 questions in the same way and that's particularly true of the questions three and four how do human beings fit in the picture. And what is your responsibility as an individual human being. I think it's very much. What we are here for in our unitarian versus communities is to. Help us. Put some some substance on on what those questions are asking about and in doing so giving us strengthen our sense. Faced our individual sense and inherent faith that's within us. And how we live out our lives as human beings. So we have to be really i think sometimes are you you principles cuz hannah gets old to get pushed off to the side like wow those are nice. But i think their remarkable and what they offer us is. Tools and helping us cultivate what it means to be religious. And if i leave you with nothing else today that's a value i hope. That. What. Happens for everyone is that when you hear that word about being those words of being religious. Or somebody's religious and somebody isn't question. Particularly when you have your own sense for yourself what it means to be religious that is. Nothing like that person is trying to tell you that it is. It is not something that unique. To some people and not to others. That we all are trying to give meaning to our existence on this planet. Cuz if we don't if we don't have that sense of faith. I'd like to do become kind of pointless and purposeless and. Why not just say you won't let go. Why do i want to live. Don't we don't. Try to find something that sustains us and guides. And strengthens our faith. In a way.. I'm going to get us just a couple of minutes here cuz we're almost done with time already but. Anybody has some comments thoughts questions whatever i'm very much welcome and i'm very. Comfortable with that especially if you say you're right you got. More than one screw loose. That's not quite all right. I noticed you ask the questions what and i knows what questions are questions about ideas. And i also. I suggest that you ask why questions which. Underlie. The questions of mechanics. Why questions get into the deeper mechanics of. The questions. Religion. And i. No thank you. Can you can it possibly be that are inherent within the what question is the why question or. I like. I like that emphasis. In one sense i think what what you have just done or tried to do is to remove. The words faith and religion. From from our. Discuss abilities. Because if. Everyone has faith then we can't discuss faith or not. So we need another word for that cuz that's. Something that we need to discuss. In terms of what we think is faith and. Not faith know that word doesn't work anymore according to you. The same with religion. I certainly. There are many many things that we think of as religion in the old sense which is no longer valid since we're all religious and yet i believe that those who. Believe in a higher power and those of us that don't need a a language to discuss that difference. Well and hear what you're saying but i am not saying that the word faith and religion are irrelevant facts to the contrary what i'm trying to say is that. They are extremely important words that we need to own and explore what they mean because they are not something that's exclusive. To certain groups that are that person has faith in that person who doesn't. I just want to be able to have exactly what you're talkin about have that discussion so that when people talk about. Being religious and i-20. I don't believe in a higher power but i'm religious to that discussion can happen because i'm saying you know. I'm human and that ended my my my purpose is to hopefully encourage dialogue not discourage it. It may have the opposite. I don't want to have this one more comment on that and that is i still need a word a convenience. To discuss those that believe in a higher power and those that don't that you have removed religion from that. From that place so i need another word for your religion does believe in ohio. And that's important and that needs to be part of the conversation. But that doesn't mean my religion has to include a higher power. This is what i'm saying so i think it actually opens up. Potential for discussion about that. In ways that. Somebody pull out because they don't want to use that word religion because it seems to be so exclusively define. At least you know. That's where i'm going. But thank you for your concern. Comic senor. Concern. I waste. Curious about your use of the word religious. Without the. Use of the word spiritual when you asked that question about how many of your religious. I cut my hand down thinking that the next question would be how many of. And. Come in on that is there a different but i think you're a good example of what i was trying to do. In that. You had an understanding of religious and spiritual and not everybody in this room has that same kind of distinction or understanding. Different format. But to me that your sense of what means to be religious. Incorporates his sense of spirituality. That is not necessarily which helps you inform how you answer those questions. And not everybody in this room is going to have that same kind of approach to but that's unique to you and probably something you share with others but not. Hi everybody i one of the things that i did a brief workshop with. About 10 years and in roanoke. Looking at these questions and how each would answer it. And what really blew my mind and i think everybody's in the room was. That there is an expectation of their to be this sort of. Homogenize kind of response and it was far from that. And which were to me was just wonderful. And i think if you went into a lutheran congregation and saturday buddy down. That you would probably not get the party line response from everybody either because. That i don't think every human i think every human being answer those questions for him or herself or good but they may find it from a different stores but individually we do and i think when you're referencing spirituality i think that's very. Pretty much a part of where. How you answer those questions. I hope that wasn't too long answer. With my own opinion i think. When you use the word faith. Trying to be universal. That automatically. Triggers religion. I think if somehow there's another word. That could be used. That doesn't trigger all of them all of a sudden. The word religion. I don't know what that word is. But. Words could just all the sudden stimulate you. Response. Condition nn the words face. Automatically goes into religion. Just like that. If they could be another word. A dilution of. Religion. To then incorporate. The beautiful thing that you're trying to do. If you come up with the word in the middle of the night. Send me an email because that sounds fun but i think you're a whole lot more intelligent than i am. How to be unconscious in the new it may hit you the word that really. Has no meaning at all. You know like make up a word. You know like to baba. Piano. Ubaba. Could faith teach us to believe that life is worthwhile. Worth living. Has purpose. Well i think i'm saying it yeah it's it's not only a belief. Give me the believe it as sophia falls. And i forgot the reference to her think it matters what we believe. So how we how we. Howie. Understand faith. Is it is our belief system and i think yes faith is what we believe that life has a purpose. And to me that's what religion is. But. Guy still got that. And they're going to come back to my anthropological kind of. Background is that. I'm always looking for something that's inherent and universal to human beings. Rather than trying to find something that all these people have it but those people don't have it. And and for me understanding that faith is something. Wiz khalifa discovery more and more that. Human behavior. Genetically determined. Many. Universal universe human behavior and why not the idea that something that allowed us to be able to. To be able to make. To accept the fact as human beings that we're going to die and have faith in in in our life why not haven't had that be something that universal to us as human beings. That has a genetic basis for i don't know if he'll. Be around long enough for anybody to prove it but. That sometime i like come back and talk to you about getting high cuz i have a. Similar kind of. Approach that. You leave here today renewed and a sense of purpose as. What it means to be human and and what your place is in this. World in which we live these are challenging and anxious times and. It is. We need to be grateful that we do have our 7 principles to help. Give us some sense of. A compass and purpose in our lives without. Dictating to us how we are going to answer these questions about what it means. To be alive and to be human may you go in peace. And have a wonderful day thank you i'm at. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

140928_kd_darkness.mp3

Welcome to the september 28th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by reverend karen day. Andrew surman is title. Exploring the wonders of darkness. Have a couple of readings today the first one is from the book learning to walk in the dark. By barbara brown taylor. She's a theologian who. Looks to the world for what might be sacred right here. And she tells the story about. Taking a young friend out. To look at the chickens at night. I can't see she complained when we turn the corner into the relative darkness beyond the garage. It's not far i said going ahead to light the way with the flashlight. Your eyes will get used to it in a minute. The day had been warm. So moving through the wet grass was like walking through a sprinkler. The first fireflies were blinking in the woods and a whole choir cicadas was singing in the trees isn't great i asked. There was no one behind me. Turning around i scanned the grass with a flashlight catching the gleaming eyes of dew on grass but. No human ones above them. Heading back up the hill i found anna by following her sobs to the place where she had stopped. Immobilized by fear. In the wet grass. On a beautiful moonlit night. It was not her fault. It was mine. For forgetting. That she was a city girl. And that walking in the dark. Take some practice. But it was also the fault. Of everyone who taught her to fear the dark. Convincing her that it is dangerous all of it. All the time under every circumstance. That what she cannot see will almost certainly hurt her. And that the best way to protect yourself. From such unseen maleficent is to stay inside after dark with the doors locked and lights on. And the next one is a poem from rilke's book of hours. You. Darkness. Of humayun born. I love you more than the flame that limits the world. To the circle it aluminum. And excludes all the rest. But the dark. Embraces everything. Shapes. And shadows. Creatures. And me. People nation. Just as they are. It lets me imagine a great presents. Stirring beside me. I believe in the night. I believe in the night. When i'm climbing under the covers after a long day. Sinking into the pillow. Closing my eyes i believe in the night. I believe in the night except it. 1127. When i start thinking. My daughter might be stepping off the train in brooklyn and going back to her apartment in. I hope she's holding her keys. So that. If anyone tries to hurt her. She can get them first. I hope the streets are really well lit. And that she's watching for the shadows. I believe in the night. Except at 2:38 when i wake up and think. Did i. Can i send that email to laura about the school garden. I better make myself a note. And oh and yeah while i'm thinking about it tomorrow. Tomorrow's community lunch and i have to go shopping in the morning and. And where was that shopping list and maybe i should get up and look and. Well as long as i'm up i might as well make my to-do list for tomorrow. I believe in the night. Except that. 416. When it's really quiet. And i can hear the refrigerator buzzing. And i start thinking. Having a lunch on wednesday with 34 people. Really make any difference. Not really. 01. I remember what i said to. Lucy the other day and. I didn't really mean it but i think i. Feelings. I'm worthless. Hard to go back to sleep. I want to believe in the night. But like demeter. I asked what's so wrong. With being afraid of the dark. You know it's that thing about. Separate. Separating stuff in. Show the light. It's all good and wonderful and nothing bad ever happens in the light. And. Do the dark. It's all evil. And sinister and everything bad happens in the dark. I know i mean it sounds dumb when we say it like that right but. Look around us. It's not that easy to remember that good things can happen in the night. And bad things do. Open in the day. In fact the group of folks that got together. To put our gray hymnal. Together. Which came out in 1993. They recognized. That a lot of our hands are about being carriers of a light. And there's nothing wrong with that. Because we want to carry that flaying. Of truth and joy. A gold radiance yeah that's great. But they said well. Maybe we should also. Carrie. The comfort. The embrace. Of darkness. And maybe our hymnal should. Reflect badin. And. Have some hymns about the night. Maybe they should have some images. Set reminder. But the dark can be comforting. Quiet. Breastfeed. But we need that. Because if we don't. Then it's going to be really hard. For us to stay true to our principal. To stay true to that principle of honoring. The worst and dignity of every. Single. Because some people. Avodart. Wounds. And it can be really scary. The people who don't have dark rooms. And so. People with those wounds women. Can be discounted because. They might be. You know like the darkness they might be evil. And sinister and for sure there. Unpredictable and you know in the dark you can't see very well and. Well. Women can be kind of like that too you're not sure what's going on. And before long. We forgotten the worth and dignity. Of all women. Or. People with light. Can start to think dark. Do that. Badin and so. People of color might be scarier than. People with lighter skin. Dark. Evil so there might be dark strangers out there and we better protect ourselves and. We know where that can lead. Live. Can be lost. Are lost everyday. And so i hold the image of our. White unitarian universalist minister in st louis. Who is ladd her congregation out onto the lawn. For candle vigil. After michael brown was killed and held up a sign that said. Black. Lives. Matter. All lives. Matter. We think we know that. Nikki. Nicki the way the dark. Yeah. Intercon. Into argot. How do we stop. And listen. To what it really might be. Nutella. Cuz if we take follow that path. That pass that cuts it in half. Another of our principles is going to be lost do we stop honoring the interdependent web of existence. Because if we think we need a light on every corner. Of every building. Every few yards on the street. That is. Damaging the health. Avari kosar. Paul bogart in the book the end of night. Says we're really only starting. To study and research. How the the lack of dark. Is affecting the creatures on this planet. We know about sea turtles. We know about birds migration. But it goes much broader than that. The world institute of health is saying now that. Working at night. Can be a carcinogenic. Fact. In your life. Can promote cancer. Our bodies. For millions of years have evolved in the dark. So have all these preachers around us. I don't think anything of flipping on a light but. What's it doing. We really don't know. So do we stop. Honoring. The first source that's listed in our. Order of service. Do we stop honoring our direct. Experience of mystery and wonder. A couple of weeks ago. I took up a challenge that barbara brown taylor put out. I went over by the river. In the camper. With no lights. It was going to be a full moon so i thought it was going to be you know pretty safe and. And it's a quiet place. So i sat outside and. Looked at the sky and it was cloudy. So. I wasn't too sure about the moon but. There was a minute where. It opened up and. The sun was still behind it and. Does cloud like if they hadn't been there wouldn't have been so. Gorgeous. And usually i read before i go to sleep but. I couldn't do that not even a flashlight. So. I just. Shout out and watched and. Realize that. You know it's not like that. Light. Dark. Gradual unfolding and we call it. The darkness falling. But really. You can see it. On that far horizon. Sun goes down in the.. The shadow of the earth. Coming over me. And it. Slowly slowly changes. And i was kind of wishing it was even darker. Because. On the barn right down there. A white pops on. There aren't any animals there there aren't any people there i don't really even know what the point is of that life but it was there and it was. Wearing out. And then the folks who live right next to that. It's not their barn but they live there and so they had a couple lights on. They're building. This is in the country i thought i'd be getting away. And you know the bugs start coming up and. I don't like. Skeetos so i climbed into the camper. Close up at the windows were still open. And. Dad. Sadism. Brickheadz. Louder and louder and it's. Amazing eyes. Notice so many different insects. Sing. Kind of got a little drowsy and i wondered what what time is it and if i go to sleep now in am i going to wake up. Since i had nothing else to do. Lay down. Barbie taylor says that. Before. The invention of electric light. You know there be. 14 hours of darkness in. This little. Fireplace switch. She couldn't really do much work by and so people would. Why in bed for a really long time and sometimes they'd be asleep and sometimes they wouldn't. Rap. When they weren't sleeping. And maybe in this. Play some sort of in-between you know a kind of a dreamy imagination. They spend a lot of time in that play. Spend so much time in that place anymore. In fact i've heard that if you wake up at night. And you can't go right back to sleep you should get up. I'm not sure why but you know and then. That is for sleep. If you're not sleeping get up. But that night i just laid there. I kind of drifted off to sleep in. And then i woke up and. The moon a broken through. The clouds. And i. Open up the. The door of the. D.w. and got out it. And i'm just for a minute. And i caught it. It made me think of all the times i lie in my bedroom. With those. Thoughts. Feeling worse and worse. And what would happen if i. Got up and. Caught. Whatever moment was there for me. Bytedance. Made me want to try that. Do i have to admit that a few days later when the kid got up at 5:30 and said he's going for a walk i did not. Go. I was going for that in-between kind of dream state play. If we really honor our direct experience of mystery of wonder it means we honor the.. Sky. We honor the rising of the dark and the rising of the light. We honor all the moments in between. It means we on our dreams those places that heal us at night. Then we don't have to do anything. They just come. Jeremy taylor the expedit andre says that they always bring healing. You may or may not buy that in the middle of the night when you wake up from a nightmare but. I like that we don't have. Do anything. And it just being here. There's miracles in the dark. Just like miracles in the life. So how are we going to like shift that. Duality. Because when you start looking around and you start looking at the language. It's kind of everywhere. You know i had a dark day that was a dark movie. The really dark novel i don't know if you'd want to see read that one. So. Here's what i'm going to try to do. Start noticing. What the language says about dark and what the language says about lies and. And in my mind. Or maybe even. Allowed. I'm going to try to name it. Is it really a dark novel. Or is it depressing. Is it really a dark day. Or was it a scary day. Because. Walking into the dark. Means opening up. What's inside. And naming it. Cuz it means you know sitting there with it being in the dark being confused. Letting it rise up. I'm going to try that. The other thing i'm going to try it. Turning out some lights. Turning off some lights. If they're not really needed. I'm going to leave them off. In the morning sometimes mekabel come in and say why are you sitting in the dark. But it's not dark. It's in between. I can see things. So just an experiment. Not only personal lights. But notice in your town are you city. If people are saying we need more street lights. Just ask the question do we really. Is it really going to help. What's it going to do. Just ask. And so if i leave the lights turned off then that gives me a chance. Stay in the dark. It gives me a chance to. Go gentle. Into that. It might be kind of like listening to persephone. And taking that tour. With her. Here's what barbara brown. Taylor says of after she's gone to the chapel of the lady of the underground. In paris. Our lady of the underground never asked me to choose between day and night. If i want to flourish i need the ever-changing light of darkness as much as i need the full light of day. Give your heart to them both she says. When i complained that i cannot see as well at night as i can during the day. She tells me this is a good thing. Maybe it'll slow you down. When i tell her i cannot get as much done at night because darkness makes me sleepy she says yes that is the plan. Maybe. You will get some rest. When i point out that slowing down just makes me think about things i would rather not think about. She laughs. Do you think not thinking about them will make them go away. She's always right. What do you want from me i asked her. Nothing. That's the lore of the dark to me. Nothing is needed. Nothing is wanting. And yet. Is embry. To know the dark. Go dark. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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140511_do_wabi-sabi.mp3

Welcome to the may 11th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by are settled minister. Reverend arrowland. Enter sermon is titled lava sabe world. Our first reading this morning comes from andrew juniper. The book called wabi-sabi. The japanese art of impermanence. The term wabi-sabi suggest such qualities as impermanence. Humility. Asymmetry and imperfection. These underlying principles are diametrically opposed to those of their western counterparts. Whose values are rooted in the hellenistic world view. That values permanents grandeur. Send the tree and perfection. Wabi-sabi is intuitive appreciation of a transient. Beauty in the physical world that reflects the irreversible flow of life in the spiritual world. It is an understated beauty that exists in the modest. The rustic. Imperfect. Or even decayed. An aesthetic sensibility that finds and melancholic beauty. Amy impermanence. Of all things. And our second reading this morning that i'd like to share with you. Is by steve lopez in a book called the soloist. A lost dream. An unlikely friendship and the redemptive power of music. Your violin has only. Tostring. I say. You're missing the other two. Yes he says. He's well aware. All i want to do is play music and the crisis and having is right here. This one's gone he says of the missing pop string. That was gone and this little guys almost out of commission. His goal in life nathaniel tells me is to figure out how to replace the strings. But he got used to playing imperfect instruments while taking music classes in cleveland public schools. And there's a lot he can do he assures me. With just. Two strings. So today is we've already explored a bit together it is indeed mother's day. A celebratory and complex holiday. And today the theme of our service with wabi-sabi. Which will be sharing more about with you. The poet and lamont says of mother's day that it's a holiday we simply can't escape from. And she says that we know that's because there are signs about mother's day in the grocery store and their commercials about mother's day on television. And there are a great many ways that people can celebrate mother's day. Course of the day that's often celebrated with cards or with brunches. What flowers or if you have young children maybe some handmade pictures that you might put on your refrigerator. Hang up in your office at work. Just because it's a national holiday it doesn't mean that there's only one way that we celebrate mother's day there's no reason we would assume that it's a one-size-fits-all kind of holiday. Because we're not one-size-fits-all kind of being. Rather valentine. Mother's day is a bit like valentine's day and it valentine's day i said it's a time for us to honor the holiday but also honor its complexity. And a ways in which it might be felt and experienced by so many different people. So today indeed there are people celebrating and there are people grieving and our people ambivalent. I know some people i know who just don't really care. That it's mother's day. If you are celebrating it be a joyful time for you. And if indeed you are weary or in morning. They feel the tenderness of this community. I'm going to guess there are some people here who have been mothered by people even who are not their mothers. So on mother's day we also acknowledge and recognize all the different ways that mothering. Take shape and form in the world. I'm going to share with you just a little bit about the history of mother's day before we dive into wabi-sabi. But you kind of relate. The history of mother's day in the united states is pretty interesting. It's an untold story often and it originates in a movement for peace and for friendship. And it started when mother's aunt who had children on both sides of the civil war wanted to get together and talk about what it meant that they were losing their children. And not far from here actually in west virginia there was a woman and anna jarvis. And she gathered what she called women's friendship meeting. And it supposed to get a group of women together to think about how they might address the sanitation issues in the soldier's quarters. How to make get together and try to ameliorate some of the pressing social and health concerns. She had a daughter of the same name and they had a dream that someday there might be a mother's day that was really big. A call to action. An appeal to women and people all across the country and indeed all across the world they had a vision of an international mother's day. And they weren't the only ones there was also in new york city a woman named julia ward howe who was the unitarian and a social reformer. And she too had a dream that there would be a mother's day for peace. She issued a mother's day proclamation saying so. She said all of the women of the world yet let us unite. For the values of peace. And for about 10 years she sustained this could have local mother's day celebration that was really called to action. But today the custom that we actually have is really our inheritance from those two women mother and daughter out of west virginia who kept on talking to people organizing people really desiring a national holiday called mother's day. The thing was. And we probably can recognize those from the way things are in our world today. It didn't take too long before the call to action which had been the impetus for mother's day. Was eclipsed. By the hard work of hallmark literally. And the chocolate tears who developed a booming business to give gifts on mother's day. Anna jarvis that woman from west virginia her mom was the first and she was the same of the second name she didn't take this sitting down and i think this is an interesting part of the story she was feisty. She was anything but passive. And she was so upset about the co-optation and commercialization of mother's day. That she opposed it very loudly in fact in 1948 she was arrested. She was arrested for disturbing the peace. Well she was protesting against the commercialization of mother's day. And she was pretty disturbed about the greeting cards. She thought it was just people's laziness not wanting to write a personal note. I don't know what she would think about those of us who spend emails on mother's day. The anna jarvis spent much of her life. Combating this idea of mother's day that had a clips with call to action. And so i am not trying to ruin your celebratory mother's day by sharing this. But rather i want us to dig into the roots a little bit to learn about the spirit of the day itself. I'm looking to these roots remind us that was celebrated really in this day is the sense of love that lifts us up and forward in our lives that compels our vision about how things ought to be. And inspires us to make good choices in the present. Love itself is of course this kind of love is not perfect. It's not the kind of idealized love we see on the hallmark cards. And it's not sugary-sweet. Like chocolate like bonbons. It's the kind of tearing that is. Hard and true. And it's found in the mundane dance of our daily relationships. Now i'm going to turn the talking about wabi-sabi. Most of us in the west are weird with or have received this kind of mixed blessing of our hellenistic western heritage. We easily imbibe. Perfection the idea of perfection and ideals that we want to shoot for. It's easy for us to consume intake.on images of the perfect. Mother. The perfect. Employee. The perfect student the perfect scholar the perfect athlete. The perfect child. And we may even an unwitting waze. Pekingese messages and then buried ourselves. When we fail to live up to the idea the platonic ideal that we've either been given through messages or somehow rehearsing our heads. Wabi-sabi interrupts this idea of the perfect. I'm going to share with you a little bit more about that. But first i want to tell you a little bit of a silly story about the ways in which our dreams of perfection. Can stifle us. Here's a little bit of a silly anecdote about. The dream of the perfect uu minister. So once upon a time there was a congregation on an island. And at the congress was on the island someone left a boat out at sea and the very kindly minister said i will go get that boat for you. And so all of the congregation gathered together and they stood on the shores of the island they said the minister is going to go get the boat and bring it back how wonderful. I'm so the minister approach the edge of the water. And put one foot down. And then put another foot down. And walk clear across the water and brought that boat back. And most of the people were amazed they said our minister walks on water. And then one of the people turn to. Their neighbor and said well what's wrong. Kantar minister swim. Who's really all of us can be kind of captivated but also captured by our ideals of the perfect. And then we are captivated and captured by our own expectations when are ideal sales to actualize. Or even when it does actually. We are messy sort of people. We human being. But today we are not celebrating perfection but rather something different. We're celebrating wabi-sabi. Iwata sabe savannah wabi-sabi world. Wabi-sabi actually combines two turns. Is anyone here already familiar with the terms wabi-sabi just wave your hand. Yeah. It's been making its way for generations into the west. But it's an important concept to lift up so wabi-sabi are actually two words brought together and each one has a world of meaning behind it. Wabi-sabi is an aesthetic sense and wabi-sabi is found in art and music and literature and architecture but it derives from a spiritual philosophy found in taoism and zen buddhism. Soyb. Comes from the root word why. Which kenosis thumbs-up harmony and he's. And peace and balance. But why be is also bound up with a sense that kind of. Isolation. Solitary nature. Sadness. But before we think of lobby is something really negative and we can't really figure out why it's so important. It sounds. Best expressed and perhaps understood by this line. Wabi. Is the joy of a monk who as it is at home in windblown close. The joy of a monk who is at home and windblown close. There is a sense that wobby refers to the simple. The imperfect. Someone who doesn't need too much to be happy. That's the sense of wabi. And when you cyb and design and art. It's the scissors and the cracks. That makes something beautiful. That's why i be. It's imperfect. That's the sense of lobby and back in early japanese culture there was a sense that wobby was a derogative term it might mean someone who is poor. But later in the 16th century japanese culture began to really value the experience of monks and spiritual asceticism. Soyb became something that was valuable. And in fact as the wealth increased in japanese culture and their warlords and wealthy ruling classes while he started to mean earthy it started to mean of the people. So imperfect. Robbie. Mercy of the people. The second idea is sabi. That refers the bloom of time. Kenosis idea of the seasons of life just passing and moving and impact that actually has. In life and in the material world so in design and art. That sense of shawty is when you look at something that's weathered. That's been through something. That sounds of sabe is what might occur when we look at the romantic quality of cobbled streets. We don't have too many cobbled streets anymore. But we might think that oh when there were cobbled streets. And the crooked. And we're not sure where they go. Or perhaps picture frames that are weathered. It's both the quality of the weather than this but also what is evoked in us by imagining the memories and stories and history there in. The vamp the sense of sabe. Bobby is about understated beauty. There is a teacher named 1010 co who asks asabe sort of question. And that question is. Are we to look at cherry blossoms only in full bloom. At the moon only when it is cloudless. The idea is that there is beauty to be found even when things are not stereotypically. Beautiful. So these two ideas come together. Wabi-sabi. And as i said they're deeply rooted and then and dallas tradition. And wabi-sabi together has everything to do with the impermanence of life. In western culture we often get attached to our ideals as stag and fixed and things we must strive for to reach. But wabi-sabi is about the perfect and perfect beauty all around us. All the time. I wonder about wabi-sabi living. How it is that we as human beings are wabi-sabi in ourselves. Wabi-sabi living allows us to look around and glimpse our own imperfections. And the imperfections of others as simply a sign of life itself. In taoism and zen buddhism people might westerners might sometimes feel like this is a nihilistic sense of living everything is impermanent. But indeed. In wabi-sabi living there is a sense of radical appreciation for the gift of time that we do have. Wabi-sabi living has a lot to do actually with unitarian universalism for an unitarian-universalism we focus on this life. We don't focus too much together on talking about the life hereafter but rather we talk about here-and-now wabi-sabi life is about what is here and what is right now. Perhaps wabi-sabi it sounded a little bit esoteric. Or little hard-to-reach or a little to historical so i'm going to give you a very specific modern example of wabi-sabi reflection. I don't know how many of you are on facebook. But i would guess the rule. And on facebook not long ago i saw thread. And that's red how to post. Post a photograph of a perfectly designed cake. It was designed by a master baker. And on the top of that cake where these ornate edible birds it was just beautiful auntie. Probably thought i would like to eat that cake. I'd like to have that cake in my living room and just look at it. Well a lot of people must have felt that way because below on the post we're about eight people who had tried their hand. At recreating this beautiful cake. I never said three very wabi-sabi. There were people who had made their birds and their birds look just a little bit more like logs with. Wings and an i and some of them had really try to go for the ornate and beautiful colors with the master baker had created that you could see the way in which the red and the green and the yellow food coloring and blended together and it was a perfect brown mess. Answer was a cake where you could see it they just haven't gone to the bird at all. Sister cake. My hope was that as i walked myself through those images that people actually had joy. In their attempts. And that in the end they just decided to eat. The beautiful cake. That they had created. Their own unique cake. That's the sense of wabi-sabi. We can try all of us 2. Imitate the perfect images presented to us or those that occur in our minds. And as i said we can become easily a62 the striving which is endless and heroin. As we know our desires for perfection can often lead us to be harsh. Perhaps harshest with ourselves. But it also translate sometimes into being harsh with one another. It's not to say today that we shouldn't have standards for our own life but. If we are to pin our worthiness on ideals we shall be endlessly disenchanted. With ourselves with others with life itself. We can choose otherwise. We can choose to be filled with a sense of wabi sabi appreciation. For a life that calls out the best in ourselves and in others. Earlier i shared a reading about a musician plays a violin with only two strings. There's a lot you can do. He assures us with just two strings. Often were just making the most with what we have. How relieving and refreshing to call that beautiful. I like a pristine cake. I like a piece of music played on a beautiful well-crafted fully stringed instruments. But these are delicacies. Wabi-sabi it reminds us of the beauty found in the regular. And in the imperfect. Internet speed heavy-duty that springs up there in. The poet leonard cohen right there is a crack. In everything. That's how the light gets in. Could it be that are very flaws are actually that which reveal our humanity. And what would it mean if we really started to accept this remind ourselves of it teach it to our children into one another. How would it affect the ways we perceive one another and the actions we take. Could it be as colin says that the cracks are the way the light gets in. The light that reveals and restores us the light that reminds us of who we really are. And what in our lives as of most profound mattering. I'll tell you i learned about wabi-sabi. This concept for my own mother who's here today. And she used it as a form of a basis of a way of working with people who experience disabilities in her arts organization. And she and others wrote plays. That would teach people about wabi-sabi in the way it can impact our lives. Particular play towards many public schools including a special needs school in melbourne australia. And each person in the cast experienced both disability but also tremendous gifts and created a character telling about who they were and the special gifts that they had to share. Each member of that task became a model and exemplar and a leader. It was my own joy in my early twenties to work with that show is it toward and learn myself. From all of the different stories. Each person had a special gift despite unique challenges. And the messages of this planet's meaning. Had stayed with me for years. Now to get to the heart. Of the wabi-sabi living philosophy i'm not going to say too much more. About wabi-sabi itself. But i am going to close and leave us with a story. We adults often just like children learn best through stories that teach us. So this story i'm going to share with you i did not arrive from japan but rather from india. And wabi-sabi has its roots in zen buddhism. Which arose from the buddhism from india so it's a sitting story this one called the cracked pot. From india. See if you can listen for the heart. Of wabi-sabi hair. Once there was a water bearer. In india. And his job was to go from extreme up a hill to his master's house delivering water everyday. He had two large pots suspended from a pole. That was between his shoulder blades and he would carry these pods everyday from the stream. The master's house. One of the pots it was perfect. Unblemished. If you would have touched it it was smooth. It could deliver a full portion of water every single time. And pour the water out in a long steady stream. The other pot. Had a crack in it. And every time it arrived only half full. And sophie everyday for about 2 years the water bear delivered 1 and 1/2. Pots of water. To his master's house. Will the perfect pot was very proud of itself. As well it should be it was very proud of its accomplishment. It was perfectly suited. Fourth job. The poor crackpot was ashamed of its imperfection and miserable that i could really only accomplish half of what it set out to do everyday. It felt really bad about this and after about two years of stifling its sheen. It finally decided to speak to the water-bearer down by the stream. It said. Water bear i am ashamed of myself. I want to apologize to you. Why. For the water bearer what can you possibly be ashamed of. And the pot said well for the past 2 years. Try as i might i've only really been able to deliver half of my load. Because there's this big crack in my side that causes all the water to leak out every single time all the way to your master's house. And because of my flaws as this crackpot. You've not been getting the full value of your efforts and i know this. Will the water-bearer felt very sorry for the old crackpot. Out of compassion he said look. As we return this date and master's house i want you to look down. Look below you at what you created in the grass along the path. So that day as they left the stream and they went up the hill. The old crackpot look down and noticed the sun was warming the startlingly beautiful colorful stretch of flowers that ran the entire distance up to the master's house. And the pot felt very cheered. But at the end and the betrayal the pot still still felt a little bad because it at least half its load again and again and apologize the water-bearer for its failure. In the barrow said to the pot did you not see. Did you not notice the incredibly beautiful flowers. And they were only on your side of the pathway. Do you know that i knew all along about your flaw and i decided to take advantage of it so i planted flowers feeds on your side of the pathway every single day you water those seeds for me that i might have beauty along my path. Don't you know it is so tiring to tear this water out of this hell. But those flowers reminded me of the persistence of beauty. Inspired me to make it there and back each and every time. The masters please. With you and with me because everyday the master has beautiful table and beautiful flowers adorning his table. If it wasn't for you he would not have such beauty in his house. This is the story of the cracked pot. The imperfection found. An unexpected beauty. And vice versa. Now am i saying today that all mothers are cracked pot. Well. Yes. But that we all are not just mothers alone. Today's messages about wabi-sabi. The ways that we are each wabi-sabi. And in the 1950s as some of you may know there was a psychologist named donald winnicott who developed the theory called the good enough mother. This is the mother that is not endeavouring perfection more coaxing or controlling perfection and her children and others. Rather this mother is doing well with the resources that she has in any given time. She's making spoils and the steaks and she's modeling for her children how you do it the best way you can. In the lobby sabe world. Repairing things to the best of your ability when they go wrong. How to meet the rough stuff. With occasional grace. And with the best you can master. So maybe mother's day. Should be less about idealization. Another more about wabi and sabi. It's not really about the hallmark perfect mother. The perfect spouse the perfect student the perfect child athlete. Minister. Maybe there be praised instead for the good enough. Mother. The goodenough spouse. The good enough partner. Athlete scholar. Minister. My mother's day prayer is that we embrace lobby sabe world the good enough. In those around us and perhaps hardest of all ourselves. May the wabi-sabi spirit be with you infusing your life. May you go forward honoring the ways in which each one of you are enough. And may you find the enoughness. Fresh. Before you. Blessed be. And amin. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

140615_do_savoring.mp3

Welcome to the june 15th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by are settled minister. Reverend arrowland. And her servant is titled. Savoring experience. Soul conversations. The podcast begins with a reflection on father's day by worship associate jane mahone. Some of us. Though not all of us. Are lucky about our fathers. I was one of the lucky ones. When father's day comes around. I think about how much i miss my loving. Dare i say doting. Dad. And all that he did for me. I was the baby of the family and was probably just. A bit spoiled some of you may not be that surprised. One of my favorite memories was when i was about 7. And i would walk to the corner my parents would never have let me cross the street. By myself. To meet my dad when he came home on the trolley in atlanta georgia. Sometimes my best friend john eaconomy walked with me. Daddy would often not always cuz he. Explain to me he did not want me to think that. The only thing that i should walk to the corner from 4 was money. But sometimes he would give us a dime each. And we would stop at the little corner store. And buy a. Coke in a returnable bottle. Big thick heavy kinds. And a little pack of peanuts. And we would poor the peanuts. I know this is really strange to the younger people in this here today but we were poor the peanuts into the coke and we would sort of. Drink and eat very happily all the way home. When i was about eight we move to miami. And my dad was sent there by his firm in atlanta to head up a printing firm. And he proceeded to become the dedicated workaholic that i knew most of my life. It took me many many years. To even understand. That working day and night. Was actually not what all dads did. I just thought. Normal. It has taken me even more time to understand how much you must have loved us. To be willing to work that hard. It was always difficult to get dad go on vacation because after all no one was minding the store if he was on vacation where they. But one year. He did something so special. He took me just me not my mom. Not any of the neighbors just me. On a trip. Kind of a tour of his home places at alabama. Mostly southern alabama. We visited his relatives we visited. School we visited his old home place and of course. We visited many many. Cemetery. Very interesting. A child to a teenager. Spending a week traveling with my dad is now one of my most cherished memories. Sadly. Dad died when my son was only four. So. My son did not get to know. His hard-working loving grandfather. Sometimes though when i see how he is. As a father of an eight-year-old daughter and an almost six-year-old son. I'm amazed at how many of my dad's. Good daddy quotes. Cc hats. Obviously he didn't learn them from him. So it must be genetic. He too loves his family so much. When given the opportunity to have a break from being daddy he rarely accepts. When i visit i try my best and you know my best is pretty convincing. 2. Get them to go out on a date because i believe in that. And they say things like oh but we just love being home with the children. And i think this may partly be because they really do.. Really adore their children and partly because. They started having kids at age 36 and they had a lot of dates by them. Jeffrey shows his fatherly love in so many ways he's a very skilled carpenter. Five-year-old when maggie was a five-year-old she told me. My daddy makes the most beautiful sheds in the whole world. He's also great at putting things together and fixing things and you can imagine how helpful that is at on christmas eve. Instead of buying booster chairs for the table and stools for the bathroom sink of course he made them out of wood. Every week he makes. Homemade pizzas. The family his kids are both. Non-dairy. So he makes not one non-dairy one for the kids and one. Dairy gourmet one for the rest of us. I could go on and on. But i think you get the picture. He is the dad. That my dad. Would have been proud of. So. To all of you wonderful dad's today who show your families how much you love them in your own ways. Happy happy. As we heard this morning. There is so much to celebrate in father's day. And father's day is also a time of mixed feelings mixed gifts. And mix. Challenges. Usher with you that some of my very best memories of my own father. Include lingering. Not speeding through life but rather. Lingering. Out in the front yard maybe when he taught me how to catch a ball in a minute. On a bright and lazy saturday morning. One of those times when we were down in the basement. And we painted this. Frightening lee colored garishly green birdhouse. To which new birds wherever attracted. But it was fun to create. And yet today just like mother's day. We acknowledge the complexities. We also acknowledge fatherhood and so many forms. An earlier and i meditation we heard my colleagues kirk loadman copeland talk about. How this might just be a time for acknowledging how many different ways there are to explore the following the fathering impulse. Some of the hydrate comfortable relationships with your father. Some have had very uncomfortable relationships with fathers. And sometimes that goes back and forth. In the messy grayzone that is often our lives. On mother's day i lifted up the notion that we are all perfectly imperfect. And said this morning i recall us to that central. Wise teaching as well. On this day let us linger then with a sense of celebration and also with our complex feeling. Whatever those may be. This morning for our sermon. Actually want to talk with you about lingering. And really what i want to talk to you about and this is for dads and even those who don't identify as dad's this is for everyone. Want to talk to you it's this morning about 3. Seemingly perhaps the spirit thing. I'm going to link them. Together for you. The first i want to talk with you about savoring. Lingering and savoring life. And then i want to talk to you about saving. Life. And i want to talk to you about our souls. Savoring. Saving. And saul. Let me take the savoring part 4. Condition with your little anecdote. When i was growing up i had a brother i have two brothers i have a brother who is much younger than me and we would take these family car trip. And andrew my youngest brother would surprise us by producing perfectly preserved slices of pepperoni. That he had put away hidden under the car seats or stowed away and backpacks or would produce from his clothing. And. And i as the vegetarian older sister was of course basically disgusted. By this. But i'll tell you that i was only mildly disgusted. And the reason why it was because i thought it was a real talent that he had. Saving up food and storing it for later. I said i was mildly disgusted because i was also fascinated with his restraint. And also his foresight. Even as a young one my brother wanted to make a good thing last. He wanted to save it. He wanted to savor it and enjoy it. I wonder how we do make a good thing last. We know it's nearly impossible we can't freeze the good moments in time. We can't really preserve the best experiences as easy as easily as we might be able to preserve pepperoni before applying our imagination to it. Sometimes we humans we want to hold on to life with a pretty good grasp will hold on kind of white-knuckled. And. We want to keep those best of times and we. Some of us. Fast forward. To the harder time. Towards the end of light sometimes people engage in what is called life review. That means walking back and memories and reviewing all of lights. Experiences. And i was recently with someone who was doing just this. Mulling over there life considering. The good and the bad. And all of the grayzone messy part. In between. We spoke about the way to save a good thing. Might just be to realize that it can in fact not be saved. But rather to linger with it when you can. That is linger with the good while it is here. Deceiver at. That in a way after that good received from our lives the imprint made on our hearts and our minds are memory of the savoring experience. Remains with us. So about this fever in peace this morning i wonder how's it going with you. How are you savoring. Your life. It's not always easy to linger not over a good conversation not over a great book. Not necessarily in the garden if you've got other things on your mind and things to do. But of course. Simple lingering itself. Can help us savor. Our experiences. It's some religious and spiritual traditions there's actually an art of blessing. And blessings are set over food to offer both appreciation for the food that's about to nourish the body and spirit. But also a blessing for the ability to take in food. And that a blessing for the ability to taste itself. Blessing our human ability to savor. Agitates what is good. When i think about the good life. It makes me think about what throw says when he observed that why should we be set in such a hurry. And in such a waste of life. We are determined he says to be starved. Before we are hungry. So am i supposed to moving at lightning speed. Spiritual practices like blessing our food or taking some time. Just sit in silence. Or walking slowly outdoors bringing your attention to what is around you. These are practices that help us linger. Maybe move through our discomfort. The world religious traditions have the spiritual practices. So that we train ourselves. To be in the habit of lingering. So that we don't miss or dismiss. Our experience of tasting. What is actually good. In our lives. That is the savoring. I talked about savoring. Saving and soul. So now i'm going to talk a little bit more about those other two parts. The saving part and the soul part. And to do that i'm going to dive back a little bit into an alex allegorical children's story. So pretty telling messages. I want to ask you this morning either those in this room who remember the story of peter pan. Okay lots of folks remember the story peter. So as some of you may remember this is story and a play about a boy who couldn't and wouldn't grow up. Back to 1901 when the very first mention of pan by this author came forward in a little novella and then it was a play written a little bit later. End of the story that we become so familiar about. The author self jamberry he wrote this play actually inspired he was inspired to create it because he was a trusted as a guardian with a pair of two young boys. These boys became his to take charge of when the parents who are friends of his. Passed away. So we got to thinking any created the story. So we might remember some of the details about peter pan. Can live in a beautiful world of neverland. With some of his companions. To include if you would call a pack of lost boys. And. Tinkerbell. The cheerleading fairy. And also an adversary named. Captain hook. Yep. Peter pan of the compelling character sticks with our imaginations often because he's someone who's favored life. He loves delicious food he loves a good story love laughter he has a clear and even perhaps sometimes overly confident since itself. But he is a delight to be around and that's because of how very alive. He is. There's one moment which some of you might recall the story where peter pan. Loses his shadow. Remember that a little details story. There's a moment where peter pan loses his shadow. And a shadow in the story is described as something that can be attached and separated from the human being. Some people say that peter pan's shadow indicates peter's memories. And others think that it represents his courage. And the source of his confidence in the world. Sometimes. We can think of shadows as being negative. But in the story of peter pan it's very important that peter wants to be reconnected with a shadow. The shadow is desirable. Peter needs to become reattach with his shadow. If so that he has increased depth. So he has fullness to his life. And then he can fly. So today this morning i like to imagine with you that that shadow that peter pan become disassociated from that shadow. Just might be his soul. It turns out that in the story he's got this friend wendy who has a crush on him i think. And she happily reattach. Or his shadow. And he is restored to his bonus once. And then peter pan is he might recall he teaches those darling children that's their last name the darling. He teaches them wonderful things about life and he has many adventurist. In 1991. There was a newer version put out of the peter pan story on film and i wonder if folks have seen that to that was called hook. Okay. Yep. So you might remember this is starring robin williams. In his playful self. And some of you might remember that at this time in the story we need peter pan late in life. In fact he just goes by peter now. He doesn't remember that he ever was once peter pan of neverland. We meet him he's a dad he is very successful he is very stressed. He's very busy. Peter is so stressed he rarely sees his kids and they are in fact in the story of hook eventually stolen away from him. In order to find his children. He has to go back to neverland. He has to in some ways. Find his connection with his soul. Or else his kids will be lost forever. Whether you are or are not father whether you might be working or whether you're retired. Whether you're a teacher or helping professional or between jobs. I wonder if you might have ever felt like peter pan in one of these stories. Like you become disconnected in some way. From your soul. Or. Like. Especially hook. Like you've somehow misplaced it. And you don't really even know how. To access it anymore. I think this happens for a lot of people. At least a few times in life journey. And maybe more than a few.. Sunset becoming disconnected or misplacing. A connection. 21 soul. So my big question for you this morning. Is how goes it. With your soul. Never asked unitarian universalist this word soul. Will give us many of us great pods. We might already be stuck already thinking what does she mean by soul. And this is good because this is what we do is unitarian universalist we acknowledge that there are many ways of being seeing knowing thinking and understanding. Until we have to pause and linger a little bit and i language. So that we can have more clarity about what is meant with these terms. So let me say a little bit more about my use of soul today. David wyatt is a poet and he says. By definition soul evades the cage of definition. It is the indefinable essence of a person's spirit. And being. I like to think about this with you for a moment. Because in daily life what i know is people use that word soul quite a lot. We say music. It was beautiful that music had soul. Always say that music felt. A little boring. Or didn't move me at lac. Soul. People might say i love that soul food place in roanoke. Might say i've my soul feels. Unsettled my soul feels at ease. I think many of us. Actually know when things feel so less. Without that quality of depth and dimension. What folks say something is without a soul it often means in ark. Common discourse. But something feels bacon. Not deep or rich or meaningful when something is. Filled with soul. It feels moving.. Real. It feels like it nourishes us. For phil's at. It feels true. I wonder what you think of when you think about that witch. So. Like the poet david wyatt i agree that the that's soul really does defy. Human definition. But if pressed to give you an explanation of my meeting today what i would say to you is. So is that depth dimension in our lives. Is it once the deepest and most expansive sense of who we are. Which helps us feel most in full integrity with being a human being. Yeah also connects us to the larger and. Full of life. Which is more than we often allow ourselves. In our finite way of thinking about herself. 2xs. What is soulful is different than that which is led by our ego and are rational. Problem solving mine. This morning i've shared with you words by that poet david wyatt. And he is a poet like many who spends his time observing the world. F****** out details for our closer observation and meditation. But he also teaches in a very unlikely space. David wyatt teaching poetry and corporate offices. Any other book called the heart awakens the preservation of soul in corporate america. Noah share with you just a little bit of slice a slice from what his writing is in that book. He says any man or any woman working in the pressure of a modern corporation. Is making their way through the world but it may be a world that seems as the years roll by have less and less room for the soul. And i wonder if you see this to. Or have seen it in your life. The way in which workplaces. And casual social circle. And different ways of human engagement in our us culture. Do or do not. Creative space for the soul. Despite our human inheritance that is i believe our soul life promise. They each one of us have. I think a lot of us do feel like peter pan does. In both accounts both the old version and the new version. That is feel sometimes. Presently disconnected. Salt. Imma let you ended as i was working on the service this morning i said to my husband pete over the weekend i said i feel pretty connected to my soul and i'm writing about. The song. And then this morning at breakfast i said. I'm a little tired this morning. I don't feel so connected to my. And then i said maybe that's a gift. Cuz that's what we're talkin about. The back-and-forth dance that means losing and finding connection to onefold. What i want to remind us this morning is that when we feel this connection. From our soul. It is always possible. Even when connection to soul feels elusive. And hebrew the word soul is neshama which also means spirit. And it's connected to the breath. Of life. In judaism and christianity in sikhism and its strands of hinduism and imprisoned dental ism and in many traditions the soul is connect. The source of the whole universe. Which is often understood as god. Emerson that transcendental 44 bearer of ours talk about the oversoul. So expensive so universalizing and which each one of us connect. And it's connected to something larger. In christianity as many of you know. There's a sense of an individual ated so which needs to be somehow accounted. And then potentially saved. In order to be restored with one nest god and the afterlife. Unitarian universalist there may be many here. Two don't necessarily resonate with a theology in that ladder piece. A soul individuated that needs to be accounted for before restoration. The god in the afterlife. And that's fine that's good. But let this not scare us. I'm actually talking about herself. I'm considering perhaps the more approachable dimension. What is social in our own lives. That poet david whyte says it can never be touched. Soul. And yet the nearest hint of its apps. Causes immediate. We know as i said when things laxol. In our own lives. And in the world at large. And then hook that film that i was mentioning. Peter. Loves his kids. But he can't really spare the time to savor his experience with them and so they become lost to. You can't stop and experience conversations with down without hurrying them on. And in that sense he also doesn't really allow their own souls. And spirits. Forward. He doesn't realize it but by not connecting to his own soul and sustaining force. Of joy and life and wholeness. He is unwittingly denying it. And disparaging it and those around. And sometimes this is what happen. And we might not even realize it. We might when we lack the connection to our own soulful dimension. Be causing pain for others. Not that robin williams character doesn't try. He does try to take the trip to england he says i'm to put this on my to-do list. You know this time that i'm going to spend with my family. But what's clear is that working hard. It's not the key to unlocking the souls. Working hard doesn't help him he goes all the way to england. And feels even more. Until just like a good story it looks like all is lost. And then the alarm bells ringing his head. And he goes back to neverland. Find what it is that you. We might find ourselves like peter pan. We might find ourselves that we lost our shadow. We want it. Be reattached again. And we want to soar. Coarsely want store. So this morning i want to invite us to consider. What parker palmer called. The shy song. The shy quality of the song. Parker palmer is a quaker teacher who. Writing to become very important to me i'll tell you in too many folks that i've been talking with you really look at the state of our sold and the state of soul less ness. In our society. Parker palmer make some really interesting observations that might help us when we feel a little like we've lost the shadow. But that we've lost the key. Parker palmer says that the soul doesn't really respond to interrogation. And intimidation. And hard work. I'm calling. Rather. The soulless shine like a wild animal. And here's a piece of his writing. The soul is like a wild animal. Tough resilient resourceful. Savvy and. It knows how to survive in hard places yet despite its toughness the soul is also shy. Just like a wild animal it's the safety and dense underbrush. Especially when other people are around. If you want to see a wild animal we know that the last thing we should do is go crashing through the woods. Yelling for it to come out. But if we walk in the woods. Quietly. Breathe with the earth end. Fade into our surroundings. The wild creature we speak may put in an appearance. We may see it only briefly and only out of the corner of ri. But the site itself is a gift we will always treasure as an end in itself. Fortunately community in our culture often means a group of people who go crashing through the woods. Scaring away the song. With parker palmer is right. Then our souls don't always just announce themselves. Here i am your soul. Calling you home to your truest self. Rather it might take some doing. Help the soul emerge. Because it might be like a shy and wild animal. Parker says we preach and we teaching me a certain we argue and we claim and weed mohnish and we advise. We generally behaving all of these ways that drive away that original wild thing and send it into hiding. All sorts of things like our intellect inari go mail merge but not the soul. We scare off the soulful things like respectful relationships. And goodwill and hope. So this morning you might guess that i'm suggesting that the way to reconnect with our souls might be to do is peter pan did go back to neverland. Is that what i'm suggesting. Maybe. Because play is one of the ways that the shy soul can be renewed. But we don't have to go back to a fantasy. To reacquaint ourselves with the birthright that is our sole. Rather part of the reconnection is acknowledging. Presence of our soul. And it's need to be tended. Here at our congregation often there's a lot of business to be attended to committee meetings and emails and phone calls lots of them. But when we open many of our committee meetings here we actually pause and we light the chalice. And we offer a reading. And we create time for a check. Why do we do this. We do this to invite the shy soul for work. In many ways that is what we are doing together in religious. Spiritual community. We're practicing allowing spaces for the. Shy soul. To come forward. The course doesn't just happen in our congregation. Rather each one of us. Might be entrusted with the care of our own. So. And allowing it to be fed and. I wonder as i said earlier. How goes it with your soul. We unitarian-universalist hardly ever use the language savings. That i know many people would just bristle. They heard. Talk. Unintentional talk about saving souls. But i wonder about this morning. And i want to play with it. Just a little bit. If we bring her service to close. Perhaps even of the soul. It's really not about accounting and reckoning with an outside gaiety. Who is entrusted with the preservation of our spirit long after we passed from. But perhaps there is something intriguing and important about saving. Maybe actually we should actually be about saving so. But recognize that it doesn't just happen in one fell swoop. Rather that it is in our hearts and in our hands. To save our souls. By savoring our experience of life. That we have. Good that is here. Perhaps he's in our own souls and reconnecting to our own so life is also about allowing others to save their souls. Because when we are more connected with our own sulphur. We are much more likely to allow another shy soul. I wonder if in your own life there are ways that you might be wittingly or unwittingly. Coercing someone else's soul. Causing another person's soul to go in hiding. How would you like your salt. How can you care for. Souls around you. In this beautiful world and is challenging world in need of our care we certainly need all souls. On deck. So let us do this together. For it is in each one of our power to restore ourselves. And support the souls around us. May each one of you go forth from this place savoring what is good. Creating breathing room for your soul and the souls of others. All souls be free to sing. And to soar. Let us take some lessons here today. From peter pan. Blessed be. And anna. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website. Uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

160710_vt-ak_bhakti-yoga.mp3

Welcome to the july 10th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. Today's service. Let my worship associate victoria taylor. And guess i should eat kousa. Explorist bhakti yoga. Why do you go into the forest in search of the divine. God lives in all and abides with you too. As a fragrance fragrance dwells in a flower or reflection in a mirror. So the divine dwells inside everything. Sick therefore in your own heart. Welcome to this very special service exploring the practice of kirtan a devotional practice connect connecting the essence and spirit of life through sound. And welcome to the uuc of the new river valley iamvictoria taylor i'm a lay leader here. We are waiting the arrival of our interim minister. In august. Most westerners understand yoga practice at something to do with physical exercise. However the authentic practice of yoga is much more than that. The word yoga itself comes from the indo-european root meaning to join. And it actually means to join the experience of life. Hoffman's body mind and spirit. There are many many yogurt traditions and you'll get lineages. But all recognize that there are various pads 21 this. These include rajyoga. Johnny yoga, yoga which is deeds and boxy which is acts of devesh devotion. So today we will leave aspects of this ancient practice throughout our service. The first the disclaimer we will use the word god as a divine takes many many forms please use the one that works for you that you are most comfortable with. And with that i will turn you over to my dear friend a jeep casa to lead you in the opening prayer. Morning everyone. And namaste. My name is addie. And this is tk he's going to be on the percussion today this is harmonium who here has ever chanted before. Alright that's it folks great. So for those of you who haven't chanted. I just a little bit about chanting. You use your voice. And whichever way it comes. It doesn't have to be. In a certain pitch you just. Hot chant with the voice that you have. I'm going to be leaving you in what's called a b**** mantra. So mantra. Means month or the mind and throw. Meaning to train. So when you chant mantra. Your training your mind to come back to its essential nature. A b**** means a seed. So when you chance and you use your voice. Prayer or devotion. Or even to say hi to your best friend or your children. You're actually. Sending out a vibration. And so what mantra helps you do is. Just make sure that vibration. Match. Who you are. So you ready do a little chansung. This morning. All right so i'm going to teach you. In my tradition the first seed mantra which is sucks. Nam. And we're going to practice the four-syllable. Right so the first syllable is. Saw. So repeat that. Nah. Ma. Pretty simple. Stop. Tyga. Nah. Ma. Loosely that translates to life. Death. Existence. And rebirth. Or i like to think of it in the western way. Spring. Summer. Winter. Though satnaam is the essence of all the seas. So now i'm going to give you a hand position. Saw. You press your thumb to your index saw. Next finger tata. Next finger na. Next finger ma. The walmart time saw. Nah. Ma. And now you get to sit and relax so close your eyes. Sit up straight. If your legs are put your two feet on the floor. We're going to have a little beat to this. And i'm going to start with a call and response in other words all call it out and you answer me. Take a nice inhale. Let it go nice and easy. And again a nice easy breath in. And exhale. Song. Tom. Pressing your fingers. Sound of your own voice. No. Inhale. And hold your precious. And feel the sound of that vibrating with. Exhale. Soften in your belly and left breast come in one more time. And hold your precious. And excel. And one more time in hell and just noticed the life-giving properties. Welcome so you've met my dear friend ajit khalsa who is from knoxville tennessee. Ntk. Wimmer from boones mill ozark drummer today. Alright so we're going to do a meditation now called invoking the inner light. And this is going to help you. Just. And invoke your own radio. So it also includes a mudra and the munch. So. You clasp your hands together. And. The mantra is. Little bit more complicated but then the other one but i'm sure. The words are honey ham. Honey ham. Um. Alright so we'll go over that again. Loosely translated braum. So the word brom is another word for god. And home is like when you hum to yourself you vibrate yourself. So it's vibrating every cell of me. Is god. Or vibrating every cell of me. Is my only. So when you chant hum me home bramham. You invoke. That cellular response of your body to want to fire off a tacky synapse. We all want to fire off the happiest in that. So. You clasp your hands like this is called the venus lock. And just fyi this is your mound of venus which i was told mine is not very puffy but some people have a mound of venus hang out with them a lot because of. Loving. So you press your thumb into that fleshy mound. And then you put it right there on your sternum right underneath your heart. And i'm once again you'll close your eyes. And we'll just do it with the b. For now while we learn the chat. Honey ham. Omnicom. Bramham. Harmony home. Bramham. Okay good so sit up straight. And take a nice in the house was your eyes. Press your hands into that heart center top of the sternum. And we'll do a call and response on this one so i'll chant the whole mantra and then you'll chant it back to me. So this is called naam japo we're all your listening and then you're chanting so you hear it and then you chance it. Am i going to chance it together now and as you chance i want you to beam out the all those little tiny lights. Hungry howie's. Home. Danielle. Please now every one of those trillion cells please. Tight tight turn on the light. And then open your mouth. Window and blow it out like afraid. And now in hell. Raise your arms above your head. If your eyes closed. Shake shake shake shake. Inhale keeps shaking move your energy around and then. Take a moment. Enjoy the life. Property. Of your own. Glowing. So part of the. Conversation. That i've had to learn about death and life. In these past. Couple of years and losing. Dear friends that were my age that. Died tragically. What's a dear girl friend of mine who was. An inspiration. Just life and loving. Chanting and. Living that we make traveling is yogis and tea. And she. Unbeknownst to a lot of us had seen. And we didn't know it. She always had to. Seizure dog. But you didn't never tell us that. I found out later after. She died that. She told my son's father that. Disrespects you wound up having a seizure. Paris to lake. Just try to. And. It was after i had. My bicycle and falling off and fax. $7. Almost like that. You know life can give you. Horrible things. I mean then. You know. You come back or you don't. And in the yogic teachings even when your body leaves you. Stilford. Afterlight your light is everlasting. Mantra. A call. It means deathless. No matter. Where she is her light will. And that. This is for anyone you've ever lost that. Starbucks in life or out of life. And by chanting this month ra. The english words are from the icon. And to the igo. So it's just about again. continuation. That death is part of life. And so we'll chat. It's just. Call. So we'll practice. I'll call. The closing your eyes. Sitting up straight setting your intention or setting your prayers bringing that person. Two minds. Who may be out of their body. Or who may be here but. Barely. And just to all of those who you want to send this. Call. And i'll bring your palms together. Then the prayer pose. And we'll just chance it five times. Sending. Light. And infinity to all those. Will you hold dear. Inhale. To the account. To the title. From the account. To the guy do. Please join. From the account. To the go. Tuesday i go. From the icon. To the tiger. So now. I'm going to do a reading from. Myru. Which is. The vibration of all of these. Mantras. In my tradition. Which is the 6th edition. Of northern india. Experience i was raised a catholic. So loved my catholic. And. Very connect. T'god. The same. Mother mary. Loved everything about the. But that's because i didn't have a very good. I love them. And as i grew older lost a lot of face wash. 3rd and. Went to a yoga camp. 10 days. And i didn't know i'd be. Sequestered. For that long without having any. Things that i loved. And my girlfriend said do you want to do the. In the evening we do these continual readings of our screw. Known as the city guru granth sahib. Which is a. Holy book written in raw. Or poetry. From a number of indians. And. I said sharan. She said the only thing you have to do is cover your. So i said okay sure i could. So i cover my. And. When i read. From this. Rapture. I am. I had what i called the awakening or. A major electric. God. Or with myself. And. That's it. I've been walking. Hotpads. Now for. The 1987. So. How whatever it look like. Which included yoga. Included. Antigua. Included. You forgiving my family and my father and all the thing. When you. Try and live a good life. So this. Prayer comes out of. The gaudi measure of glue archer. Who built the golden temple in india. And when he built this golden. Temple he opened it to all four sides. The meaning that everyone was well. And so this is my offering. From. From that. From that. It's from. Chapati. Call minooka takeout hora by jodi sobota so it coronavirus. Tell me what can be done by ourselves independently of this cosmic. Whatever pleases god's light from ourselves. We give it. If it were in our own power we do what we want. But god inspires us. Because of our ignorance we forget who we really are we get attached. We missed the mark. We don't remember. We are wise. Miss. Led by duality our mind runs. In the twinkling of an eye it. Turns back. After wandering. Showered and grace. Through sincere devotion. The devotee is absorbed. In the vibration. And such. Deirdre bosa. The shower of grey. Misled by duality our mind runs and 10 direction. In the twinkling of an eye. Turns back. Showered and grace. Sincere devon. The devotee is absorbed in the vibration. Names of shower. Ajit shared a little bit about how she was exposed to this practices. Tell you a little bit about how i was exposed to these. In 1999 my family went to the chicken under ostrum. In nelson county virginia. And while we were there. We went to a family yoga camp at the encouragement of one of our dear friends. The saturday night activity was. Kirtan followed by satsang we didn't really know what those things were. And then we entered the hall and there was a lady sitting on the floor playing the seemingly tomb has broken piano. Two drummers and dozens of people singing words in a foreign language. At first it did not seem very accessible. But then we realized the words were repeated and repeated and repeated. And in fact they were quite simple. That night they were singing or rama rama rama rama krishna krishna krishna krishna buddha buddha buddha buddha mary mary mary mary. What does keratin involve chanting the various names of god. Invoking spirit in many many ways. I fell for it. I fell hard. I brought the cassette and then chanting became a part of our family's life. And many of you know i already find great spiritual connection to music and rhythm remember i'm that crazy lady who sits down there and dances during the hymn. But it is and it is my experiences through bhakti and kirtan that opens that up for me. Are many popular kirtan recording popular in the field. Recording international recording artist. Deva premal krishna das ja utah senate encore you might have heard of some of these. I listen to the songs of devotion often are pandora has a deva premal radio setting. We seek out opportunities in dc and asheville floyd. Opportunities to experience live kirtan at festivals and yoga gatherings. I even had a cure time for my for 50th birthday party. Sometime in the last bit i was on a car trip with a. With a girlfriend. She put on a recording of krishna das on the radio. Anxious to show off my savvy i began to sing along. Hahnemann hahnemann and i was singing all the parts and my friend gently stopped me and reminded me that this particular chance was call-and-response. She said that allowing the leader to actually leave the chant is part of the practice. Reminding us to be mindful and aware to listen. And to allow another to contribute and to guide us. This was a well-deserved lesson in humility. And when i carry with me. Joy connection discipline devotion these are the lessons of kirtan for me and i am so happy to share them with you. And now i'm going to turn the rest of the program over to a jeep. So you ready to chance some more. Alright and yeah we have an amazing. Drummer here t.k. and i. Ck and i adjust met and has his wonderful about. Well musicians in general and ike. 30k very devoted musician is that we immediately started talk about sound and vibration and. Teekay has a really interesting take on. The the actual physicality of what happens to your body when you hear this this drum beat. And so i'd like to in. Miss you too chris. Mtk. And he's just going to say. What we were talking about the other day. It's nice to be here today. Speaking of. Vibrations and some other things.. Important and relevant. What we're doing in. Being in the state of mine too. Learn and grow. Vibration. Everything. Falls down. Feelings are. And. When they listen to music on my part of music. Vibrations actually physically affect us. Eardrums are physically vibrated from. The noises and that's how we perceive them and. Are your drums are physically tied to our brain so. These vibrations they effect. Can we effect. And it's a. Very mutual positive experience for saw i think. Important to share and grow together. And i think it's a great tool to use. So we're going to go back to the. Sutton ama. Meditation but this time we're going to do it as a call and response. So i'll. Chant. I'm going to do it all together so we're going to chance satnam satnam satnam satnam. And then you'll see. Satnam satnam. Like i said this month. really. Invokes just your. Your true self. That's what it means suck means truth and numb if any of you have taken yoga is a derivation of namaste. Which means the name. So it just means my true name. Mite mite usa. So if you'll come again sitting and again we're going to let the drum go so at some point i'm going to lead us in a little bit more vigorous practice. Which may include dancing. So take a nice inhale exhale inhale xo. Latinum satinem sudden-onset your turn. Sutton, sutton. Mastectomy. Dustin amistad sonoma sutton amistad. Becton amistad. Got the enormous economic. Taxonomist. Animosity animosity. Stuffed animals. And now bring your hands back. The original. As you're sitting down now that original thumb to the index finger the middle finger the ring finger the p. Finger i'm going to move right into the second version of the garrett on gideo. Which. Now we're going to add. Third focus. A light from the heavens that comes down directly through your tenth gate or the soft spot in the head the fontanel. And with your eyes closed imagine a white. Being in flight out your. Forehead like a headlight. You do. See that it would light your way. To whatever obstacle you're facing my. And we're going to chat the kirtan kriya again. But we're going to go back. Syllable. Na ma. Time. Stop timer. And now whisper. Back straight. And now the. Can you meditating on those sounds while you press your thumb. Each consecutive. Stinger. And just let. Vibration. Steer your meditation. But that beam of light. Clear the car. Doll time. Song time. Inhale. Danielle moore. And hold your. Ever. Molecule of your being. Fill it with light. Wheezy type type type. And then open your mouth. Vanowen exhale. And inhale raise your arms up over your head hold your breath in. Shake your body move that energy around let it vibrate all around you. An excel keep shaking. And inhale stretch your love. And excel. And how. You're right. And then. Join hands. Lokan summer song. 122. Awesomest. They all know love. World. Namaste. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in. Virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website. Uuc and rv. org.

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150510_do_flowers-mothers.mp3

Welcome to the may 10th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by are settled minister reverend arrowland. I'm just being mother's day and her annual flower communion. The title of her sermon is the during the life of flowers. I reading this morning comes from becoming. His father was a unitarian minister. And who identified with unitarianism in his life. I'll give you a alert that. Love. Appears in this reading. Sweet spring. Sweet spring is your time. Is my time is our time for springtime. Is love time. And viva. Sweet love. All the merry little birds are flying in the floating in the very spirit singing in our winging in the blossoming. Lovers go and lovers, wandering a wandering but any two are perfectly alone there's no one else alive. Such a sky and such a son i never knew and neither did you and everybody never breathed quite so many kinds of yes. Not a tree can count his leads each herself by opening. But shining who by thousands mean only one amazing thing. Secretly adoring shiley tiny winging darting floating mary and the blossoming always joyful cells are singing. Sweet spring. Is your time is my time is our time for springtime as love time and viva. Sweet. Therein lies the. We know that it is mother's day. I'm going to say it happy mother's day. And also we need not be under any illusion that for everyone mother's day is sweet. And easy. For some of course this is a hard day. I'm mixed day. A day that maybe is troubled by challenging one's own relationship with one's own mother or mother figure. Or maybe is particularly tender for those who have been challenged in their hopes of becoming mothers. Who are waiting on a word from a. From an adoptive agency or a foster home. We've been challenged by reproductive loss. So this morning i say happy mother's day. With full awareness that this is kind of a mixed sort of holiday for many. So we celebrate together this morning and all of its joy and all of it. Celebration and all of its viva sweet love. And also we recognize the complexity. And the heartache. The sorrow the possibility. In all of this. We come together. This day. Wonder this morning. Who mothered you. Who has mothered. In your life. How also have you. Mother yourself. Prendidas adults we often learn how to mother. Ourselves. As many of you know this is my first mother's day. Has the mother of a child. And i can tell you that i find mothering to be. Quite simply the deepest honor. Enjoy. That i could possibly have imagined and as my very wise aunt said to meet the most important job. You can never study for. Stop everything. He's smiling. Stop the presses. He's giggling. Stop. Where are the wipes. Stop stop. Stop stop. Holding a spoon. Anyway i could read books and speak to people about child development. And i do. I could work very hard sorting through the emotional demands inside me which could hinder my ability to be most present to him and his most pressing needs. And i do. I can try my very best to ensure that he's surrounded by care and slowly needs the challenges of this world with people that are ready to stand by him and support him. But i can't anticipate who this child will be. And i am a growing and changing person to. Nature and nurture combined in an experiment in which i have a great deal to do with. And also. Have very little to do. It's daring. It's demanding and delightful the journey of parenthood for me so far. And i'm reminded of sofia lion spas who was a unitarian educator. And willory william ellery channing who was a unitarian preacher. Boosie taught that it is not our job to impress all of our ideas upon the young but rather to invite them and hold them and unfolding the phone list. Approve. Each. Is. Your mother's day was conceived as a celebration. Find mothers who wanted to use the shared experience that they knew of caring so deeply for their children and the world's future. By coming together for aid. And peace-building projects. Mother's day as we know it was started by anna jarvis who was a methodist and she started this idea of celebrating mothers and mothers getting together to help aid project. She did this in west virginia. And in the history of mother's day is also one of our own unitarian faith forebears julia ward howe. Justice on mother's day is a day for advocating. A better world. I think having white and wept and controlled and had their hearts explode with joy at new little beings in the world these mothers. They wanted to see the world preserved and protected and better for their children. They appreciated the value of human life they didn't want it snuffed out. Julia ward howe was not that well liked in herrera. Because she had that she's kind of cantankerous. She liked to make it bold and make it loud the changes that she wanted to see i want to share with you just a few words from her proclamation on mother's day. Here's her words from the proclamation of mother's day from 1876 ad. Arise then women of this day arrived all women. Who have hearts. Whether our baptism be that of water. Tears. Play firmly we will not have great questions decided by your relevant agencies. Our husbands do not come to us reeking with carnage. For caresses and applause. Our son shall not be taken from us to unlearn all we have been able to teach them of charity and mercy and patience. We women of one country will be too tender of those one another. When another country to allow our sons to be trained to enter there's. From the bottom of the devastated eartha voice goes up with our own it says disarm disarm. The sword of murder is not the balance of justice. Blood does not wipe away our dishonor nor violence indicate possession. As men have often forsaken the plow and the anvil at the summons of war let every woman now leave all that maybe left for home for the greatest and earnest day of our council. Let them eat first as women to bewail and commemorate the dead. Let them then solemnly take counsel with each other as to the means whereby the great human family. Can live in peace each bearing after their own time the sacred empress not of caesar. But of god. In the name of womanhood enough humanity. I earnestly ask that a general congress of woman without limit of nationality may be appointed and held someplace deemed most convenient and at the earliest. consistent with its objective. Promote the alliance of different nationalities the amiable settlement of international questions the great general interest of peace. Other words by julia ward howe. Delivered in boston. 1870. I do believe that there is still a great deal of untapped power for social change. That lives in parents and grandparents. And caregivers simply addressing one another and coming together for a better world. And i think about this not just in the abstract. I think about the million moms march that is mobilizing pretty soon. Double walk from mount vernon square in washington d.c. to the department on justice. This will happen. Just this weekend actually and most of these are african-american mother's were gathering to say that their children are actually the nation's children. They don't want to lose not one more of their sons not one more of their daughters to police violence. According to some reports there are over fifty mothers that are mobilizing this effort and will be joined by many many more. I lift this up today because as a mother. My heart is with. When i was growing up. My mother would sing. Where have all the flowers gone. I know some of you know this. Echoes where have all the flowers gone. Long time past. Where have all the flowers gone. Long long time ago. Where have all the flowers gone. Coney island 14 everyone. When will we have another. When will we. Tyler. I see i'm not the only one who knows that. Song indeed it was a popular one in the 60s. I do believe that if we have hearts open to receive the gifts of the flowers. I think there is still yet much they can teach us. Much we can still learn about the wisdom of the flowers. That song itself is about the flowers that grow up on the hill. Are picked and exchanged by. Lovers and later placed on the graves of those who went to war. When will we ever learn. But there's hope i think. I think there's hope in the flower. Because when seeds become bugs become flowers there is a journey of change and transformation. We adults might take it for granted cuz we see so many flowers everyday we're used to seeing flowers but we can forget. That the journey that a flower takes to blossom is a harrowing one. It's a hard one. It's a daring one. The dream from flower to blossom from seed to blossom it's just like life. Haphazard mix of chance and opportunity persistence. Dedication growing and. Adapting. In spring i think we were choice in the flowers because they are yes they are this riot of. Fabulous color that you all holding your hands. I think also though we can kind of see ourselves in the journey that flowers take take the blossom. We might imagine that we as individuals of the congregation as a nation. Are capable of daring. Capable of baldness. Capable of beauty. Blossom. The poet and niacin in route. And then the time came. When the risk that it took to remain and bud. Was greater than the risk that it took to blossom. I watch my own child. Honest blanket reach out for an object. That object sometimes is just out of reach. And sometimes i watch him strain and he kind of sits back. Temporarily settling for something safer. Something closer at hand. But one of these days i know because i caught a glimpse of it. I'll take a rest. I'll reach out for that farther object and he might tumble forward. He might make a grab for it. Part of change. Reach out for the next thing. That will compel his growth. Not just as individuals. Not just as a congregation but as a whole country. I see that we cannot. In the 21st century. The accommodated to the objects close at hand. Idreams cannot be dulled by the status quo that leaves far too many families and children behind. I think we'll need to recall the daring and delight. A flower. We might need to rest. Risk in ways that help us create a better world. And become a better sort. So this morning i'm speaking less with you about the messy magical joyful journey of my own mothering adventure. But i'm talking about what we are all. In the process of becoming. I'm thinking about hope for the flowers. If anyone knew how hard it can be to hope and lunch fourth new dreams in a hurting world. It was actually noorpur capek and masha. His wife who started the flower fest. Years ago. Poor norbert was a unitarian minister who later lost his life in a concentration camp. He knew about a hurting world. And yet the flower celebration the flower festival was all about hope. About possibility. About what can be when we stand for and practice honoring our human diversity and our human unity. It's not just abstract. It's about rooting ourselves in a possibility of a future. A bold future that is better for us all. I wonder what your dreams are. For our country. For our world. Here's one of the dreams i have. I wish i have for each one in this congregation as an as. And also our country. Is that what we do together. Is so fresh. I'm so exciting. That we say stop. Which i look. How. Beautiful. How astonishingly. Beautiful. Stop. Celebrate. May we listen to that which buns right now within. And when the time comes. May you. May we blossom boldly. With a faith only in the uncertainty of our endeavors. Knowing that transformation and the beauty of its daring. Are its own rewards. May we go ever deeply into life. So much as in bed. So much is in bloom. This is cause to celebrate. And to give the greatest of the. Blessed be. And. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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161030_dr_hell-no.mp3

Welcome to the october 30th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service is led by a reverend on rollins. And his messages titled hell no. A universalist all souls day. The podcast begins with the reading. Buy worship associate rhonda johnson. Our second reading is a meditation on peace by the reverend kendall givens. Let us hold lovingly in our thoughts all the people of the earth. Those who are consumed by mutual hatred and bitterness those who make bloody war upon their neighbors those who oppress their brothers and sisters with any form of tyranny. And all those who suffer in subjection cruelty. And ingest. Let us recognize our solidarity with all the outcast with the downtrodden the abused the deprived. And our common humanity with all who bear the responsibilities of leadership and power. Let us remember humanity's ancient and universal dream of peace that we live together in harmony no-one exploiting the weak no-one hating the strong. Each of us working out our own destiny self-respecting and unafraid. May we seek to be worthy of freedom free from institutional ron. Free from individual oppression and contempt pure of heart and hand despising none the frauding none giving to all people. In all encounters of life the honor that due to those who like us. Are children of the earth's great love. Let's talk about hell. A little bit of heaven. A little bit of purgatory. Let's start with the story from the late peter flexbook. The blessings event perfections. Reflections on the mystery of everyday life. Historic. Many years ago i saw a television skiddaw she'll never forget. Emancipet behind the table in front of him there was a long queue of people. The man behind the table address the person at the head of the line in a somewhat bored but otherwise business-like voice. Of course you know that you're dead. And all you have to do now is go through the entrance on your right. Mark 7. Or the one on the left martel. Dead man looked at credulous you mean that i am to choose whether i want to go to heaven or hell. That's right said the man behind the table. Butts of the deadman is there no judgement. Does it not count how i have lived the good things i have done the bad thing. Man behind the table showed the first signs of impatient look man he said i can't spend the whole day on you. People are dying make up your mind. Dead man by now was in a panic. But i have sinned. I have done terrible things. I want to come clean. I want to confess. I want to be judged. But i want to be forgiven. The man behind the desk no longer took the trouble to hide his impatience. I am not interested in your sins and nobody around here is. Make up your mind that's all i'm asking. The man once again look horrified. To get his face in his hands to think. Ready step forward pastor table. Disappeared through the entrance on his left. Martell. Flex accounts of a shrew television scene is rich with preaching things. Especially for a liberal religious context. On the one hand. It resonates with the stumbling down human condition we share with those who refused we most opposed. It's reminder that a truth. Religious liberals are but another cross-section of free moral agents with standard equipment egos. In need of regular recalibration. It's so good looking. It's a reminder that religious liberals are but another cross-section of free moral agent with standard equipment ugo's. In need of regular recalibration. But you like it when you like their own riding. But on the other hand. Any such story is bound to invoke for us the living tradition. Too often neglected in our own ranks. And that would be universalism. Theological code for cosmos - hell. What a halfway this amazing autumn morning is not a survey of universalism but a quick dive into is to fighting theological core. Universal salvation. Return the dates back to the early christian council's the 4th century denying a physical hell. And asserting that upon death also shall be restored to a loving god. The emphasis shift from doctrine. The relationship. Moved from justice to i'm sorry to law. To grace. The relationship. Suffocation here is all souls day one of the three holiday for holy days observe this time of year. And the roman anglican and some orthodox tradition. Begun in the middle ages. And not to be confused with halloween or all saints day. All souls day is held each november 2nd. As a season of prayer for the dead. Primarily those believed to be suspended in purgatory. For venial that would be lesser sins. Same here is not to belittle somebody else's tradition. That happens all over the world. What's a lift up the theology behind all souls day added summerlee universalist. As a prime counterpoint. To a gospel. The universal salvation. My sunday morning the bells of three churches in the village. Call dalton meeting. For the church was still spoken of as the meeting house. The bells did not interfere with one another. Whichever bell started first with pause after two or three minutes. And let the others take out the summons. All three bills had individual tone so easily defied is identified. The loungers on the hotel steps who never went to church. Not only recognized what's an each of the bell said. But they could interpret. According to their insight. The methodist bell shouted repent repent. The presbyterian bell urged church time church time. Only the universal isbell held out a chill for a cheerful promise. No hell. No hell. It said. The rounders felt safe and staying where they were. Tecumseh was from aunt gertrude sneller. 18832 1970s. What's up burgatory. It was the 18th and 19th centuries. Backwoods universalist preacher hosea ballou. Who observe with whit. Religion which requires persecution to sustain it is of the devil's propagation. You chance go ahead and look him up hosea ballou ballou. By the time blupandas words he was embroiled in two major religious disputes. One within and one without. Is young to domination. Externally he had taken the reins of a fledgling body of highly independent churches still under persecution. For their heretical denial of hell. Not even their eventual partners in ministry the unitarians could abide a christianity without the deterrent of a fiery lake. That's true look it up. The higher blue rose in the universalist ranks. The bigger target he became for calvinist. To fear losing members and let's tell the truth tax dollars. Passage from the late universal historian ernest casares universalism in america. Describes the price many universalist paid for their beliefs. Although the cradle difference but this is. This is ernie's riding. Although the cradle difference between universalist and other american denominations may appear less dark. When view-through present-day ekin radicalize. They were considered extreme by their contemporaries. Universal swerve used with suspicion and hate by the most of their fellow christians. Who consider that immoral. Subversive. And this opposition was not limited to the religious fear. Universe's were threatened with serious disabilities. In massachusetts for example it was argued by many. But they should be barred from service on juries. Not allowed to testify in court because no one who did not believe in eternal punishment could be trusted with us such serious responsibility. He continues. This type of ostracism. Was reflected in all areas of life. They could not send their kids their children to school. Control schools controlled by other religious groups for they found. The pressure on them to conform. So great. The children with awful too often turn against the belief of their parents. The menu family found the children returning home during school vacations. With announce their parents for their belief in universal salvation. And announced their conviction that the folks. Their own parents. We're bound for hell. Best external case. Now i guess really interesting because internally. Blue was the face of a second-generation of believers. That took the test. Their elders otherwise conventional beliefs about the authority of the bible. Jesus divinity. Miracles. And the trinity. But. The spark that lit the conflict has to do with the old orders insistence on universalist. Version of purgatory. Led by the dominations primary founder john murray they called themselves the restorationist. The restaurant restoration has resisted the ultra as what was called ultra universalist position. If there is no hell. And there is no purgatory. There is no waiting room. To heaven. Both sides continue to emphasize a relational not the triangle approach to understanding god. Statements of beliefs all belief always stress love. Not fear. Are the merciful deity. But the altar universalist would eventually go on to win the day. And go on to refute biblical literalism in all matters. Opening the way for rationalists. Small unitarian theology. But interred pave the way. For uniting with the american unitarian association. Although it takes century-and-a-half. Talk about hell on earth. From universalist minister henry clay ledyard. Led yard 1880s 1950. He wrote the mission of the universalist church has been a double one. First to convert the one-time prevalent idea. Of endless heaven after i endless hell. This part of the mission he writes has practically been accomplished. But the second and the more important one still awaits fulfillment. A fight which will continue until the real actual hell. Before our very eyes. Are destroyed. Forgive the clothes but i found some good stuff. In his book unitarian universalism a narrative history. Uu minister and educator david bamba traces assembler universalist transition. From a loose confederation to a slightly tighter confederation. Starting in the 19th century continuing out to merger with the unitarian 6 1961. Universalist began tanning through institutions creating a national body. It's oaks if you some of you know that tufts and what is now the university of akron and a few other places were started by the universalist. Problem is they wouldn't find them. So they were great at starting schools not-so-great is supporting them. Weather organization began to catch up. Universal studio ology was. Dynamic. Moving from a theistic majority to a humanistic norm. Arguments over literal purgatory were long over. Now heaven and hell became metaphors for human on human crimes. Human on earth neglect. Hell is war in this paradigm hell is poverty. Hell is bigotry. And peace. Belt that's heaven. Heaven is equity. Heaven is justice. These became metaphors but strong metaphors. So the universal salvation called for in this wider vision. Is no longer a matter of the individual soul. Put up a broken world. In this new paradigm of universal this. Every day is all souls day. Every person. There was a new urgency to match the new vision. This is again in the early 1900s. As universalist minister activist teacher and writer clarence skinner and look that cat up to you talk about hard-edged clarence skin or good minister but it's very clear who he was. And what do you believe. 0. There are two alternatives in only two before us first. Which is unlikely. Is that we unscramble our modern and interdependent culture returning to our separate isolationist lie. Such a world would not demand our greatness. The other alternative is to so expand our spiritual powers. That we vastly increase the range. Understanding. In sympathy in the world. He finishes up there is no middle way. It's our greatness. Small you universalism. Or we will perish. Turn. It does universalism. An injustice when judge by its over influence in today's unitarian-universalism. I say that again i believe that. Universal has been undersold and understood through a very long time. Even though we have made some efforts. Decades. The better yardstick for measuring universalism. Is its contribution to progressive christian christianity's deeper understanding. I was on theology. And its own narrative. Likewise it's rolling dismantling discrimination toward women in ministry. And more recently its efforts to promote interfaith dialogue. And multiculturalism. This is the new universalism. This is the face of love. Innards domination. Not exclusively but by any means. But those of us who have been in this nomination for a good long time. Know which side brought most of the mind. Which site brought most of the heart. Likewise the consequences for good. Another measure diamond believe outside the denomination. What kind of a congregation is able to stand for. To the world as it is. And offer watch words of grace and love and ultimate inclusion. Not many. The universalism did that. And we are universalist. They'll be mercifully short this morning. Where's the final quarter want to bring by in that one has to do with flex own understanding of the story he just told us. In this case what he's going to do is. Challenge us to recognize our failings as our bonds. Not sources forshee. And by that he means by going back to the original universalism the idea that we may enter life and what and maybe even after life without shame. Is a powerful message at today. They goes on to tell us that even if we've abandoned the pearly gates and the fiery torment. The world needs us to act as though heaven and hell were as close as our next breath. A paraphrase that was just a great thoughts. What if those of us who no longer hold to that concept where to live as though it really were true. Would it be different. Will be loved more we spend more time with those who love us back. Freewrite. In the end. We all want to be accountable. In the end we all want to confess. And the mb want to be judged but ultimately to be forgiven. Cuz all of us have done things we shouldn't have done. All of us have admitted doing things we should have done. At the same time we are the heirs of those enlightenment minds who abolished heaven and hell who did away with the last judgement. And still he continued. Well most of us do not believe in heaven and hell. At our best we believe as if we believe. And heaven and hell. The wallace become a story to us. Is a story that tells us something about reality. For it is not true that everything is allowed. It is not true that it makes no difference what we do or don't do it makes a difference. It makes all the difference. From mcstoots. 1927 to 2010. And max was universalist minister who lives through the merger. If you know anything about the merger of the two denominations in 1961. You know that the unitarians at a much higher yes percentage of yes votes than did the universal. They were afraid of being swallowed up. That was the great fear. And some of us would say today the fears have been realized. Anyway max just kind of goes off on this point. In our time universalism as such. Like a spinster late-in-life. Took a husband. And although they agreed to hyphenate their married name. By now the offspring of that union often simply called themselves by the husband's name. Anytime may not recognize her name at all. Yikes. So this morning as we revisit all souls day and i believe we should i believe their holidays from other traditions that make great deal of sense and liberal context. The religious context. As we do that. Let us remember that those who came ahead of us tried their best to live. All souls day. Everyday. Maybe do likewise. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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130526_yruu_journey.mp3

Welcome to the may 26th service at the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. Today service is led by the congregations high school 8th youth group. The why are you you. The title of their presentation is the journey. And members of the group shared thoughts on their personal journey. Okay so our sermon is about journey if you didn't get that so we all have a bit of a speech to share with you. And i was volunteered to go first so here it is. There's no joke about unitarian. What do you get when you cross a jehovah's witness with the unitarian universalist. Someone who knocks on your door. For no particular reason. It's not always easy to explain to people what unit. It's not always easy to explain. Do people what unitarian universalism is all about. When we took our trip to boston and visited the uua headquarters we learn about the history of people who represent uu values. What are the people we learned about that made an impression on us is james reid. James reed was a gentle but courageous man whose word you might recognize from the song with sing to the children as they leave ferrari. Riebes children's benediction. Go in love our hearts go with you go enjoy our hope so too. Lindenlab ingrown wisdom shine your light in all you do. James reed was a white american uu minister from boston that we was ordained a presbyterian minister after graduation from princeton seminary he was drawing unitarianism because of their emphasis on social action. On march 7th 1965 state troopers and sheriff's deputies peed nonviolent. Protesters with clubs for marching for voting rights for african-americans and james reeb immediately headed to selma for. Salma to lend his support. After eating dinner in an integra gated summer restaurant with two other unitarian ministers. The three were beaten brutally by white men with clubs. James reid died two days later from his injuries. His death helped ignite the national outcry against white race and racism in the deep south. The voting rights act was passed 5 months later. Martin luther king gave a eulogy at a funeral and i will leave you with these words from shakespeare the doctor came said eloquently described the life of james reid. And if he should die. Take his body and cut it into little stars. He will make the face of heaven so fine. That all the world will be in love with the night. James reeb license virus. To shiner light in all we do. So i was told this didn't have to be about why are you but i'm still going to talk about the great year that i had first year that had in this really awesome youth group. In the beginning i was a pretty. Regular attendee for a meetings i was there most of the week. House really enjoying my experience. And then around the middle of the year i had another commitment that ran long and i wasn't able to attend meetings. I started to. Feel disconnected from the group a little. Because i wasn't able to help with the fundraising that we're doing to help go on this really awesome trip. The boston you just saw. And. I felt i felt kind of bad to me because. I wasn't contributing as much as other people and. So i was at this kind of low place and a. Emily. Time came around to figure out who's going to go to boston. Who's actually coming and i was able to. People said yeah you should go it's. A really fun trip is your one chance to go with this youth group. I mean it was. I was like okay i'll go. And when i came back. I was able to attend the meetings again my other commitment was over i was done. Panda. So they would have gone i became much more excited about this youth group again. Really happy to be a part of the group again. And so i'm here now so summarize a year. What they have to do with journey. Well. To tell you the truth this whole up-and-down felt like a journey through this year. I went from somebody who's enjoying the group an active participant to somebody who wasn't really doing anything. And then i was back. To being an active participant in the group. In this journey of ups and downs for me this entire. However long it is few months has really. Because you threw such an important part of my life it's like every sunday. Okay. Fun. It's define my life. In a way this journey of ups and downs really fast. And that is my story my journey. This this past year has been full of various journeys for me. One of the most amazing things that i've experienced failure with band. Matching denim symphonic and has taught me so much this year. Confidence relation myself disciplines determination lots of patients and the importance of teamwork. We've been through so much together. Matching bands celebrating after doing well in a competition or being sad together after doing poorly. My symphonic bands after getting great scores at concert assessment even just a briefing after an audition. I've gotten more into music this year and i've learned that i should go for things. I'm going to try to get into all state band and k a school for music and maybe even terbium captain. Musica stop me to get what i want or at least try. I did too i just begun this amazing jenny and who knows where it will take me. So i spent the last four months at a school. Paris masters school called after academy and it was a school where you know you lived in community gardening and yeah really really great. So i came back and i went to. Yeah my only distributing for the semester cuz i couldn't either north carolina. And said that it was a chinese nose like a courses by journey.. Cuz where i go to the other academy we talked about the hero's journey. The time because. That's what they kept on telling us there you are hero on this journey. So. We would go like we would write our papers and english about journeys are going to calm down and talk about chinese. It was perfect. But. I think that's something that really kind of spoke to me when i was at the other economy is the idea of. Refusal the carnage on our journey and how prominent that is because. I was so used to my everyday life here and stuff. I was really excited to go to my school. But i didn't want to like part of me just wanted to stay home. Cuz i was used to it and i think that that's something that happens all the time and we always just give up amazing opportunities that couldn't. Change your life. Because we're so used to things. And so i just. Went for it and it worked out and i guess that. That just. I guess like breaking the routine is something that. Should be that i could work on more and that's what i learned. I believe that someone's life is made up of many different journeys i don't think that there's one path that we start walking the day were born and don't stop until. We die i think that. There are. Multiple paths that we walk in our life. There's a saying that most of you probably heard actually i'm sure all of you have heard this. A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. Well in my 17 years of life i've had countless single steps. And every single one of them have started me on jenny's at all led to where i am today. For instance if i hadn't learned to talk i wouldn't be able to speak to you. I wouldn't be here today if i hadn't listened to a friend who convinced me to come to youth group and just try it out. Anthony doesn't have to be a figurative word either. Just yesterday i took my first solo trip down the highway to make it here in time. None of these journeys were connected. And yet they all brought me here. The only thing all the journey shares that they all had to begin somewhere. And although not all journeys may end as well as ones that brought me here today to speak to you. It's important to never regret taking out step. Because it's better to walk 1000 miles backwards it's never start. When i think of journey the first word that comes to my mind as experience. Not only can experience. journey and itself it can be one small part of a whole journey. My journey of life so far has been made up of many experience. Experiences which i've been very been thankful for. In seventh grade my family and i got the chance to expand our culture. Knowledge by going to south korea. We're immersed in a totally new way of life trying new foods avoiding speeding motorcycles that drove on the sideways and china communicate with people with a little amount of korean we knew. It was the first time i've ever been outside the country and was a huge moment in my life. Another experience in my life. But isn't quite over yet it's high school. Most of you have gone through it and some of you are about to face it. But in a way it's almost its own journey. Late night studies terrible teachers school fights senior pranks. Spirit weeks good and bad it's all part of a learning experience. Finishing my junior year of high school i'm now just thinking about how much i'm going to miss it all. Finally another big experience of my life is this youth group. All these amazing times we've had together especially the recent boston ship. We've experienced a lot of fun and crazy things including eating amazing food found by dave. And a robbery at 7-eleven. Just like korea i don't think i'll ever forget going to boston with all these wonderful people and i'm. Still young so of course my life journey is nowhere near over and i plan to have more great experiences in my life. Okay as all of you know last night i graduated from blacksburg high school leaving behind. Some of the most influential and caring teachers of my educational career. One of these teachers mr. larry hawkins taught my ap biology class this past year. On my last day of school mr. hawkins told us a story about a friend of his. This man was in his eighties when mr. hawkins was in his forties few years ago. And is there a hawkins came to the man's house every monday night and cook dinner. With this man. Over the years they build the connection and when the man died mr. hawkins knew he needed to honor him in a very special way. One of the man's pastimes was canning foods in these mason jars and the two always had this sort of. Joke together that they would lose their marbles without the other. And it sort of came to help define the relationship. So to honor him mister hawkins field a bunch of mason jars with. Marbles in a lightbulb in the middle. And lined his driveway in his yard with them to sort of illuminated and. Keep it. Keep the man in his memory. And when he who lester hawkins 12 think of a way to help. Remember his students and help his students remember him he decided he should share these marbles with his students. 70 year. Mister hawkins would give two marbles to each student. One of which they keep for themselves as a memory of the class and him and. All of the classmates. And then another to take on their journey through life and placing in somewhere that's very special to them and they felt was worthy of. Placing this marble there. Just sort of keep a piece of the class and mr. hawkins. And everything that he's meant to them everywhere else. In the world. So really. I'll be thinking about. I'm already thinking about where i'm going to place this marble in my future journeys and everything and. How to. Share my experiences with the world like that. So. But i was thinking about what to talk about today. I didn't think that my little sister has full circle soap. I was. Supposed to have written speech. In about 4 years ago it or not but it's first. You service that i was supposed to be a part of as a freshman. I was also supposed to write a speech. And i also did not write a speech. But instead i stayed at home with whatever various. Reasoning i could come up with to not have to go because i. Henry in my speech and i was so embarrassed. I think i did that twice. Was it twice. Twice and so. As i woke this morning and remembered that i had him in my speech i still had to go to youth group. I almost didn't come. But i did because it means so much to me nice. Built up such a relationship with these people and all of you. That i knew that the embarrassment of not going would be greater than the embarrassment of standing up hearing. Trying out something that's gracie says full circle. Unlike lenin. I halfway wrote a speech so. So. Like john i graduated high school last night. And. A couple weeks ago before i'd actually even finish classes. I was thinking about thinking back on my high school career and. I ask myself the question if i could do high school over again what would i change. Someone's asked myself that question a couple things. But you seem to come a lot of things like i would have taken these classes i would have. Not ran so much i would have done wrestling i would have done theater i would have been all these different things. I eventually came to the conclusion that if i had the opportunity to do high school over again. I would definitely. Completely differently. So then. Certified to another question. Does that mean that. The way i actually did high school. That make it wrong. Screw up when i went through high school. So i thought about this. Quest my first response no. And actually slept with that. I decided no i definitely mistaken high school but. The way i didn't know that was okay. I sort of have to live with it now but. Even if i did have the opportunity to go back and do it again i'd still be. This is still one path that i could take your my school journey that. Is right for me. So then i thought well does that mean that all those other ways that i just thought of going through high school does that make them wrong. Because if it does not means that apparently have. Strong desire to make lots of poor decisions. A million ways i could do high school wrong. Also. If i didn't know those ways are not wrong. My ultimate conclusion after this little. Brainstorming session i was having with myself. I was doing this while i was supposed to be studying for an exam so i made sure to take a lot of time with it and a lot of effort into this but. What the conclusion i came to is that there is more than one correct way to journey there's. More than one way that you can go through life that. Is. The right way to do it. They're probably in more than one way to do it wrong and then. If i decided to run away from home go down to mexico and. Start dealing drugs in his gun into the drug war that would probably be a mistake i think that would be wrong. I decided to do the same thing. Here in virginia that would also be wrong so. The right ways by journey in the wrong ways to journey and this is sort of. The conclusion i came to your butt. If you think about all the ways that you could go through life. I mean you can just. You just keep on thinking of like if i had decided not to have this job but instead sorry. Same school and become a doctor. Or if i decided to not go to high school at all and just. Hitchhiker rounding. You all that stuff and this. This is so many ways you can go through life. So. Relating to snow so many right ways and so many wrong ways. So. I think he knows. An image password express this. And then. One that i eventually decided on was. You know how sometimes you'll hear that life is like a path through the woods. Sometimes you come to a fork in the road and. And i go right or left. One will be. The correct way when you leave the wrong way. I decided that yeah right yeah right. I decided that life is not a path through the woods with. Forks remix decisions life is just a woods. There's no path you just you're in the woods. You can walk this way or that way you can do whatever you want. So. Nose my images express. The different journeys you can go on. Simplicity rd i think know that there's not just one correct way so live your life. So. That's not really my message. But keeping in mind. Coming up. So my next alarm. Story i guess is on. I'm going to happen this past fall. Hawaii. Cross country team did very well. So we got to go to and then national meet in portland. Which was very very exciting schiff it was. Something we've been dreaming about for a long long time. I like everything was paid for by nike like. So it's really cool there a lot of cool things for the one i want to talk about his dinner that we had. They got to have it with this famous athletes news alan webb. Most of you probably don't know him he's a. Very very fast runner levy famous american runner. He's sponsored by nike and all this stuff so we're having dinner with him just our team which is really cool to talk with this guy. Who is their idol. She should have seen active. Very excited. But alan webb recently had a child. And someone asked him. Are you going to make your kid run. He said. I mean if i could watch the run and they're passionate about it and i'll help them every way i can. I would definitely want some not going to make them. So besides the fact that i like alan love a lot because he's really fast owner i also like a lot because of this i think i just was. The perfect answer to that question. He was thinking. What's the express to us was more about. You know if you're not passionate about running if you don't actually want to do it yourself then you're not going to be good at it. But we also recognized was that. What was right for him and his life. The way he a journey through life by running a ton. Might not be right for his child. Might not be right for his wife from front of his friends. So. Took this idea. And i thought about her church. Our church has an incredible reputation. Varathan great accepting inner tolerant of people who. Have taken different journey through life and are going different places and also that's actually dicks favorite thing about the church. How. Little we judge people. How open we are. So you also i don't think many of you need a reminder about that you're pretty good about that. But when i would like to leave you with today. Is that. This acceptance and tolerance you have for the way other people. Have what their lives and are leading their lives for other people's journeys. I think that some of you myself. Mostly included this is actually. I thought about myself in the way i. Thinking dachshund. Some of you might also have this problem. You need to take that acceptance. And remember to include yourself into that acceptance. When you're thinking back on your life. Remember that. You may have had goals of some person. I can be standing right here. That would be completely different from you and you had very. Very important goals about. How to become that person but you're not that person you're the one standing right here. That's okay you don't have to be. That person. But you had that goal of being. Because there's more than one way to live life correctly. Prickly. If you look back on your life and your. Disappointed with your journey. Then either you're focusing on your mistakes too much. Or. You have not let go of these goals. Some person that can be standing right next to you. And i think. Very important you guys not to do. You need to remember that the person that you are sending. But. Just because you're not who you have always wanted to be does not mean that you are. Wrong does not mean that you are. Does not mean that your entire life's journey has been a mistake. My guys. Yuniesky betancourt. Thank you. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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140608_do_worth-ship.mp3

Welcome to the june 8th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is made by are settled minister reverend arrowland. A sermon is titled worth-ship. Ritual and worship for you use. Our first reading this morning. Is titled what song. It's by victoria stafford. A unitarian universalist minister and poet. What. If there was a universe. A cosmos. That began and shining blackness out of nothing out of fire. Out of a single silence breath. An intuit came billions and billions of stars. Stars beyond imagining. And you're one of them a world. A blue green world so beautiful. That learned clergyman could not even speak about it. Cogently. And brilliant scientist. In trying to describe it began to sounds like poets. With their physics. With their mathematics. Their empirical impressionistic using. What if there was a world in which another world was born out of a smallest star. And into that world at some point soon red-winged blackbirds. An intuit swanton sperm whales. An intuit. Came crocuses. And when data lift. Tiniest hairs. Spring. When you run out to your mailbox. An intuit at some point k monyon. Out of soil and k mount everest. And also the coyote that we've been seeing just about a mile from here just after sunrise. Amy's morning when the moon is full. And into that world came animals. Elements plants. An imagination the mind's eye. All of it it's such a universe. Existed. And you noticed it. What would you do. What song would come out of your mouth what prayer what praises what secret offerings what whirling dance what religion what reverential gesture. Would you make. To greet that world. Every single day. That you were in it. And our second reading this morning comes from a book called an altar. In the world. People can carrboro sense that there is more to life than what is being shown. We wonder where is the secret hidden. Who has the key to the treasure box. Morning. People seem willing to look all over the place for this kind of treasure. Brookbend hours launching prayers into the heaven. Will travel halfway around the world india or take part in a mission trip to belize. But the last place that most of us look is right underneath our feet. In our everyday activities in our accidents and in our encounters. We don't ask what possible spiritual experience could a trip to the grocery store. How could we find something spiritual and a toothache could it be a door to greater spiritual life. No one seems to long for what we already have. Yet the accumulated insights of the world's spiritual tradition suggests that the reason so many of us cannot see the red x. That marks the spot. Is because we are actually standing. Right on it. I'll share with you this morning that i was recently about town here in blacksburg. And i saw two people and they were laughing. They were laughing with such hysterical laughter that it was hard for me actually not to just smile. With them. It's a breakout until after 2 and i wonder if that's ever happened to anyone here. You know that experience where you're just going through your life. And all of a sudden you see something funny and you just start laughing and it's almost despite yourself. Or maybe you've seen someone smile and it just makes me smile too. It seems that as human beings we just can't be helped. We can't be helped from being moved by the world around us. I desire to respond to it. And we see this in our own facial expressions are verbal expressions. We human beings are responders. Part of what we do and who we are. We take in information from the news or the work or the web. And it plays into our thinking. And maybe the unprocessed experiences of our daily life starts with her to us in our dreams. In some ways. Worth. Immerse. In the world around us. And that world impact the world within us. I wanted to share with you all this reading this morning. Which i think is a beautiful reading by victoria stafford. What i think is so beautiful about it. Is that she invites us to consider the vitality. Of the world around us. Did you call that we must really pay attention. To the universe. And she asks what happens when we start to pay attention or when our attention is caught by the universe in some way. She invites us to consider. That we often feel a stirring or a yearning. Even an overwhelming sense of an impulse. To respond to this world. Omocat. Are richland center. Here's some of the words that we heard earlier. What if the universe existed and you noticed it. What would you do. What song would come out of your mouth. What prayer what praises what sacred offering. What whirling dance. What religion. What reverential gesture. Would you make. To greet that world. Every single day. That you were in it. This morning i want to suggest to you that this tendency of us human beings to want to respond to the universe. Is actually the stuff itself. Of that perplexing profound and baffling word. It might be important for us to unpack a little bit the word worship. I often run into people and ask what i do and i tell them i'm a unitarian universalist minister here. And they end up asking if they don't know already about us a lot about unitarian universalism. And of course there's many ways. Respond. And not so long ago someone said so you all hold worship on sunday morning. How do you worship. What. I always love quest. And i think that the person was expecting something like we worship god. Where we worship. Jesus christ. But to the person i said a version of what i often say which is something like this we come together on sunday mornings to share in a collective celebration. Reflection and morning meaning-making and to connect. With that which is larger than any single one of us alone and we can use a lot of different language a lot of different words to describe that experience. Some come together to connect intentionally with their inner spirit. Some people come to connect with god. Some come to connect with the prevailing sense of that which is sacred. Some come to be sleep in silence or music or inward and story. Just a little while. All of us. Come together because we explore what is most meaningful what is most important. In life's journey. And that's basically where i end and we see what happens. But today i want to share with you all that are living tradition stretches way on back. Two routes in the radical reformation in europe. In our tradition of unitarian-universalism caused all of things i described it called all of these things worship. Because we actually recognize that worship means. That which is most worthy. And that which is most valuable. That is in fact definition. Of the word worship. It means worth. Rc forbearer the essayist and transcendentalist. Emerson. You were marked on this. Seemingly universal tendency of human beings to engage in worth. Worship. And had something very pointed to say about it. He said this. He said a person will worship something have no doubt about that. We may think that our tribute is paid and secrets in the dark recesses of our hearts. But it will come out. That which dominates our imaginations nice thoughts will determine our lives. Character. Therefore. It behooves us to be careful. What we worship. For what we are worshipping. We are becoming. Think it's easy when we start talking about worth-ship and worship. For a lot of people easy to start getting fixated on the object. Of worship. The god or the gods or daddy that we might place on high. And some of us here might start thinking about that biblical injunction. The one about not worshipping false idols. So some of us may bristle at this word worship or wrestle with some of our own associations with that word. We might not like being told. You know not to worship. Idles. Or die neighbors gods. My best night. find that pretty uncomfortable. I think there's something interesting and what emerson's inviting us. Consider. This thing about being careful. With what we are worshipping for what we are worshipping we are becoming and no doubt people will worship something. So perhaps it's not really a conversation for us about the object. I worship and some of the ways that we might think. But rather let us consider what happens if we do not approach this terrain with some care. And some attention for indeed we will worship. Something. For example. We might worship. Money or fame. Or success. We might find ourselves unwittingly but often praying at the altar of our own achievements. We might pray unwittingly to. The false idols so to speak of glory and status. As i said the word worship means that which is worthy and a greatest valley value so i can really see the emersons. Inviting us into some deepening question. And if we start to bring our attention to what it is that we lift up and worth ship. With one another. And in our own lives. I start to see that worth ship that worship is actually a healing sort of medicine. A good tonic for healing our hearts. And healing the world. If emerson's correct then i want to ask you today something about your own line. What are you worshipping. What are you wittingly and unwittingly. Allowing to become your own idols. When you're honest with yourself are their idols. That you're allowing to guide your heart which are indeed false. And what would it mean. To lay them down. And if you were to begin anew. What would you worship. What would you place at the center at the altar of your life. It's a real question. For you to consider. Not just rhetorical. When i work with worship associates in our training we do a lot of sort of experimental practices and i talked a lot about how worship is not entertainment. And worship is not performance but rather worship indeed his presence. It's a ritual of recognition and bringing our attention towards that which is worthy and that which matters. When i think about sunday morning worship i often say to folks that what's really important about the messages what you need to say. And what you understand people need to hear. But it's also about that which is greater than the both of you. In liberal religion. Fire coming together we name some primary things. We named the each one of us matters. And that we are all connected. To one another. The each one of us matters and they're all connected to one another but there's something even more. In worship theory and there is such a thing. There's this idea that there is a lateral. And a horizontal. An interdimensional. That means we come together to connect which is that which is with that which is greater than us. That which is between us. And that which is deeper. Then-us. And beyond.. Does a writer named frank shulman who talks about worship. And he says it's an experience that brings us closer to eternity. To the infinite that is already in our nets. For me i think worship is about bringing our attention to that which brings us alive. Helping us know that we're in the world. And worship when it's meaningful hugs. Towards that which is. True. And that which is good. And we do this when we bring the power of our shared attend. Natalia very short story about a very powerful worship experience that i had not so very long ago. About a year ago. I visited a very precocious and a very verbal three-year-old. And she's getting me a tour of her backyard. And it was one of those very warm spring days when it just felt good to be outside and the sun was shining and there was a slight beautiful breeze it was just. A good day to be a human being outside. And she led me by the hand to the one corner of the garden. And then suddenly she let hurt my hand drop from hers. She said i am the history man. Softly. Almost to herself almost like a whisper. And my ears perked up. History man. Who or what is a history man. What is this all about. And so like a big silly adults i blurted out who is the history man. She barely looked at me and shrugged off clearly this most naive of all questions. She said i am the history man. And she repeated it just a little bit louder. For my benefit. And to be honest with you i was just glad she spared me a roll of her eyes because after all she had just said that she is the history man. So what was identity no or something. But immediately chastising myself my own puzzling adult mind i continued walking with her. And moving more slowly as she was tracing her hands along the grass. And oh yes. I said. Pretending to understand. Just a little bit. Then i thought to myself what is it that i really want to ask her about what she's just said. So i came up with a much better question i said. And what does the history man no. And she smiled in the software and my question clearly for her was better this time. What trees now. She said casually. And with that we arrived at this one precious spot that clearly she had had her eye on. She began to hunt all around very purposefully for some sticks. It was clear she knew just what she was looking for. And her mother was a good friend of mine joined us. And as we watched her. Pick up the sticks sheba we saw her kind of motion to ask to join her in doing that so we followed along. Each stick went down in a very purposeful way. She was setting up the space. Very slowly. And suddenly i knew that we were in worship. That is we were connecting with something that was very important. With delicacy and with meaning. And it was invested with so much meaning. But i felt this indwelling recognition. It was the same indwelling recognition i felt in cathedrals. Or mosques or shoes or in our own unitarian universalist congregation. I felt very honored. To been participating with her in that moment. And it was quite different suddenly than interrogating her about the meaning of the history man. I'm trying to fix language to wyndham mint. It don't speak read what we were doing because the bringing of our shared attention towards it. And she reminded me about something really important about ritual and worth-ship. But we can get caught up in definitions and the objects of worth's. But sometimes that way of being in thinking can conceal more than it can reveal. So we should not be so very much in the habit of basically as the saying goes mistaking of the moon for the finger that points to it. When we engage and worshipful practices as human beings in all of the ways that we do whatever practices they are. It is to lift us up and forward. And bring our attention to what we understand to be most important. So there's a blessing and a challenge. In our liberal religious tradition. Here's the thing i think a lot of folks struggle with unitarian universalist and others. We tend to believe that their altars essentially to the sacred almost everywhere. We don't make a clear distinction between that which is sacred and that which is profane. We might say something like holybee baseball. Or holy be science fiction. We might say things like holy be poetry and art. Holy waters and mountains. Holy be anythink where one feels the sister of our depth of living and teeth. Even for a moment some fleeting vastness. It connects us with that which is larger than ourselves. But if alters. To the sacred or everywhere. Does it mean that they're anywhere. What i mean to say is that sometimes we folks we liberal religious folks. 10 to orient ourselves such that is everything is fake. But then bringing our attention to nothing really in particular. The worship in our congregations and beyond. Is actually about noticing. About bringing focus and attention. To what moves. So i ask you another question this morning which is in your life. What do you bring most attention. There is one more slime and share with you this morning. And it's a very brief. Anecdote essentially from the bible there's a biblical story about jacob. Jacob goes to sleep. And he rests his head upon a rock. And as he sleeps he starts to notice the angels play. Many of you know the story. Some of you know the story. And when she wakes you said something. From his dream he says god was in this place. And i did not know it. And one of the teachings there is that. There are portals. To the sacred everywhere. The sacred can be found in a simple rock. And this is the kind of thing that barbara brown taylor in our second reading is indicating when she speaks about the red x. The treasure chest of more. Right where we are. But that we miss it sometimes because it's so visible. That it becomes invisible before us. Ultimately i do believe that we come together and worship. Wengage worship flea in our lives so that we can catch a glimpse. Of the transcendent and beautiful. It makes life remarkably stunning and actually not-to-be-missed. My hope for you is that you go forth this day. Not missing those moments. Possibilities for all. That are right there in your nets. May you find the treasure itself. Is unfolding right here. In right now. We can remember the xmarks. Blessed be. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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140720_mh_spiritual-paths.mp3

Welcome to the july 20th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The sermon today. Are many spiritual paths. Is delivered by reverend maurice hudgens. The podcast begins with introduction of reverend hudgens. Buy worship associate amada lowland. Prior to his reading and sermon. Reverend hudgens shares of sorrow that plays a role in his sermon. I do also want to take this time in the service to introduce y'all to our guest speaker for today. Reverend maurice hudgins. Is here. He's originally from st louis and is presently living near knoxville tennessee and serving as an instrument room. Minister at west knoxville at westside uu congregation. He'll be speaking at sushi this week on friday. His topic is beloved community. A place of hope and refuge. And with his wife marty he'll be attending susi for the 34th time this year. He's also recently completed writing a book. Entitled wrestling with god which apparently is about the evolution of uu views of god. I could be speaking later on our. Sermon today about our different spiritual path. Good to be with you. In blacksburg today this is my second time preaching from the sanctuary. Good to be with you i think. Your minister and your worship committee. Magician. What's your motto for his help and lisa for her helping. Preparing this. Service today. Begin our. Sorrows. I'm very sad. Turn down set. Our minister in norfolk virginia. Decided to picture online. Thursday night. The reverend jennifer slade. Who struggles with depression. Over the years. Dennis had a difficult time. Our thoughts and prayers are with. Congregation. My reading this morning is taken from a book called into the wilderness. I'm meditation manual by sarah morris campbell. The week before easter. I was trying to write an easter sermon. I had one uninspired paragraph. A colleague called and i asked how his sabbatical was going. He hiked through the bottom of the grand canyon in. Visited native americans. And traveled up the pacific coast to big sur. He told me that he. Has been born again. Don't worry he added i haven't joined the fundamentalist. What i mean is i have a whole new way of looking. Apply. I came alive. I feel awake. I'm just not the same. Dad said he had also quit drinking. Alcohol was one of the things that kept him from. Feeling fully alive. What a great easter story i thought. But i was a bit jealous. There i sat in my study with books piled around me trying to think of a new way to give the same old easter message. And he was bursting with enthusiasm for life. Sometimes such enthusiasm is contagious. And sometimes it just makes us mad because. We don't have it. And i after i hung up wishing i could be born again i went outside to get inspired by spring. First i noticed that the grass needed mowing and seating. Then i spotted some trash in the azaleas. Goodnight check to see how much my daffodils come up. In the last day. Hurry up. Bipolar. The ones at the church are way ahead of you. I decided that if i tried to be born again. Right then it would be a premature birth. I went back to my books and papers. I learned one lesson after being about being born again don't try to force it. Be receptive it will come. Like the crocuses that push their way up through the harder. To announce spring. Are inner birds have their own cycle. The same power that feeds the flowers in and gives us life. Is the spirit within all that will be. Born and reborn again. The power of weight. Dormant to us. To our senses. Until the time. I thank each of you for. Coming to church. On this. Summer day. I'm sure there are other things you could have been doing. But you chose to be here. And i am thankful. As i said earlier i'm. Speaking on friday at. Sushi on the topic beloved community. Place of refuge. Fairhope. For those of you who won't be there my conclusion will be that a church is both a place of refuge. From a tumultuous world. And a place. To receive a message. A sermon today. Is titles. Are many spiritual path. And i must confess after the news i had. Received yesterday from norfolk. I rewrote the sermon. When i attended duke divinity school. In the 1960s. No one asked me about my spiritual path. The 1960s was a time of turmoil. I was more concerned about ethics then than theology. My spiritual path during this time was the spiritual path of action. As i followed the words and deeds of. Martin luther king jr.. Attended rallies for eugene mccarthy as you ran for president. Eleazar protested myself. When i was not allowed to vote in college so i was 21. I was just seeing your. Believe strongly in the responsibility we all have to vote. I went to the pool. They asked me if i own the car i should know. They said you can't vote. What if i said yes and we would ask if you're on the home. And i would say no and they said sorry you can't vote. So i ended up calling the attorney general of the state of missouri. Told them the plight of the college students were i was attending school. They call the polling place. And straighten them out. We already allowed to vote. Yes this was a time of action. A few years ago i had dinner with a. My advisor from college. It moved to durham where i was serving a church and chapel hill is an interim at the time. He reminded me that i was a kind of rebel back then. In my freshman year. A religion professor was fired when he ejected to the actions of the president of the college central methodist college. In fayetteville sheree. My advisor reminded me that the story was told but i went into the president's office. And ask for information about other methods colleges so i could transfer. His story was true. Yes i believe when you were unhappy with. Something it is our duty. To take action. Sometimes this spiritual path. Is described as the path of love. According to hinduism there are many spiritual paths. Actions one. But there are also the paths of knowledge. Work. And discipline. I must confess at one point in my ministry when someone did ask me my. Spiritual path i said well. It must be golf. It is the one thing i do on a regular basis. I want start at a golf group among uu clergy. We named the minister's spiritual uu golf association of north america. Mashugana. We were crazy about golf. Seriously i have followed many spiritual path. My first was the spiritual path of work. Three years ago i celebrated my fortieth year. In the ministry. Ministry has been my passion. For almost all of those years. Yes24 settled ministries. 5 inch rims. I appreciate. Council attended board meetings. Serve communities in crisis. Represented the church in the community. And try to live my values. Even when they were tested. 6 years ago when i was preparing to leave sushi. To return home. To knoxville tennessee. I learned about the shootings. In the tennessee valley view church in knoxville. Atsushi just days before i've been asked to preach at tennessee valley. Two weeks after sushi. Is that was preparing to give a sermon title. Our cup of tears. I could see the bullet holes. In the door behind the pulpit. That door continues to be a memorial. To those who were killed that day. I saw sermon that day told them about the jewish tradition of the cup of tears. It is used to hold our tears. Of joy and sorrow. And we put it on the mantle and we honor those tears. We honored those tears that day. Is i have this morning. As we shared. Our sorrow. About the people. Who were killed and hurt that day. Because of someone's hate. Now i am serving the second uu church in knoxville. Affected by those shooting. Linda creager remember at westside. Was shot and killed that day. Her husband dwayne. It's an active member. Of this church i am serving. And linda chavez. Was also shot that day. And lost the sight in one eye. She is active in the re-program. Teaching children every sunday. And the minister before me described her as. Heroic. And she continues to inspire the soul. And one of the most important to ask. I will. Have as minister of that church. Will be to create a memorial to linden. A water feature will be created this week. Are this month. And i hope the dedicated. Underwater ceremony day. In august. I was able to come here early this morning and walk through your memorial garden. I want to tip my hat. To those who have created that garden. Do all of you. For this facility in for the place where you worship on sunday. It is a beautiful and inspiring play. Few years ago album. Potion people in chapel hill. Where i was serving as interim that i plan to retire. After we finished building our home in tennessee. One of the most active members said to me maurice you will never retire you enjoy this work too much. Well i did retire 2 years ago. But you can see i'm still working. Ministry is an important part of my life and it will always be. Even when i'm not paid to do it. I received my passion for work from my mother. She gave birth to seven children. Worked when we were all in school. Took care of the house the lawn and all of us. Mostly because my father was often away. Both my mother and father always work. Angry old enough we were expected to go to work as well. I started working when i was 11. On an organic vegetable farm in st louis county. It wasn't necessary for food. But it did provide money for clothes. And school supply. This was a pattern that continued throughout high school. I worked in a donut shop and then another farm. I'm finally a drugstore. Before i graduated from high school. And i have to observe that my daughter and my son. Have the same drive to work today. My daughter runs an architectural firm in raleigh north carolina and a mascara. And my son darren. Graduated virginia tech. Is responsible for software development and marketing for johnson & johnson. Both. Have a tremendous desire and love for work as i do. But there are times in life when. Work gets in the way of other values that we may have. My bremen high school was to be a professional baseball player. I was going to be the next and usual. I grew up in st louis and at 13. Played in the missouri illinois state championship game which we won. And it was held at busch stadium in st louis. I knew if i wanted to continue in baseball. I would have to give up work. I chose work. It was my spiritual path. Before i was to graduate from high school i had made the decision to enter the ministry. I knew i must attend college. I made plans to attend the local community college. Before graduation i received a phone call from the principal's office. You talk to. An individual who wanted to give me a scholarship. To attend central methodist college in missouri. I learned that that scholarship was $300. And then the tuition and scholarship i received from the school with $900. And paid for my room board books and all. Four years later i would graduate from that college and receive a full scholarship. To duke university divinity school. In the end i would attend 11 years of college and graduate school. My total cost. Would not get me to 1 year at duke today. I was a very lucky man. During that time my. New spiritual path would be the path of knowledge. This was the path of the. Siddhartha gautama. The inspiration behind the buddhist religion. Of the 6th century. If you study buddhism you will learn of the eightfold path. It all begins. With right understanding. And right-minded. Knowledge can then learn concern to. Wrights beach. Right action. Right living. Right effort. Right attentiveness. And right concentration. All. Could be viewed as spiritual path. But it all begins with nala. The hindus call this janana yoga. They say those who have an intellectual been. Must be convinced. Did they can do something. Blind faith is not the way of god. To knowledge. The aim of janina yoga. Is quote to cleave the domain of ignorance. With the sword of discrimination. This is the essence of the path of knowledge. And i would learn later. The path of unitarian universalism. This is another way of saying that we use do not check our brain at the door. When we come to church. How do we do this. You listening. True thinking. And through seeing ourselves as part of something larger. Then ourselves. Hinduism causes. Moving from the cell. To the eternal. I will give you two examples of the spiritual path. Acknowledge this morning. Buckminster fuller and ralph waldo emerson. First. Buckminster fuller. The famed designer. And the originator of the jedi said dome. A fascinating individual. He was influenced by many people including his great aunt margaret fuller. And his grandfather a unitarian minister. And most important of all albert einstein. By some standards buckminster fuller could be seen as a failure. He was kicked out of harvard not once. But twice. First for partying too much with a. Group of vaudeville people coming through town. And then he was readmitted and kicked out for irresponsibility and inattentiveness. He then lost his job as a president of a brick making company. Struggled with depression. Inconsiderate. Jumping off a bridge in chicago. As you look back on this experience. He wrote. Standing on the lake. By the lake on a jumper think basis. The first spontaneous question coming to mind was if you put aside everything you've ever been asked to believe. And have recourse only to your own experience. Do you have any conviction arising from these experiences. Which either discards or must assume a priori greater intellect. In the intellect of man. The answer was swift and positive. Experience had clearly demonstrated. An ordering. Orderliness. I'm interactive principles. Operating in the universe. Into which we are born. These principles. Are discovered by us. But are never indicted. For fuller this led him to believe in a cosmic god. That is larger than humanity. But of course not the traditional god that we all read about. God for fuller is equal to knowledge. He says it this way. I have faith. In the integrity. Of the anticipatory intellectual wisdom. Which we may call god. He continues his logic. My next question was do i know best or does god know best. Whether i may be of any value. To the integrity of the universe. Apparently addressing myself. He said. You do not have the right to eliminate yourself. You do not belong to you. You belong. To the universe. You. And all. Are here. For the shake. Of others. I wish all of us. Could see the wisdom in fullerton. You and all. Are here. For the sake of other. This is the message that we need to hear. Even in our darkest hour. Unfortunately some. Do not hear it. This is the path of knowledge that that led fuller to walk off that bridge. And have a new relation to the universe. A new faith. He was born again if you will. Later in his life. He would find that source of inspiration again is. As you chose a path of silent for two years. I once met a hindu yogi. Who followed that path for 15 years. Can you imagine. I know sometimes we'd like to not hear a person speak. How can you do that for 15-year. Through this experience. Fuller experienced a new way of seeing god new insights. Here is a summary of his new faith. Yes he says god is a verb. The most active. Considering the vast harmonica. Reordering of the universe. From unleashed chaos. Energy. And there was born unheralded a great natural peace. Not out of exclusive pseudo static security. But out of including refining dynamic balance. Naught is lost. Only the fall. And non-existent or dispel. Fuller was most comfortable in the world of ideas not the practical world of love. Work or discipline. Like einstein full rejected the idea of a god with human characteristics. He preferred a god out of the cosmos. He quotes einstein when he writes. The individual feels the vanity of human desires and names. And the nobility and marvelous order which were revealed in nature and in the world of thought. He feels the individual destiny. As an imprisonment. And seek. To experience to totality. Existence. That's a unity. Full of significance. Fuller and einstein follow the same path. Unitarian minister ralph waldo emerson. Who called this source. The oversoul. He wrote let us learn of the revelation of all nature and thought. That the highest dwells within us. That the sources of nature are in our own mine. He says within us is the soul of the whole. The wise silence. The universal beauty. To which every part and particle is equally related the eternal one. When it breaks to our intellect that is genius. When it breeds to our will. It is virtue. And it flows through our affectionate is love. Emerson has given us all the spiritual. Past in one sentence. Starting with knowledge. Been to the will then to virtue then to lie. Work. Discipline. Action. It is the same belief that led margaret fuller. Give me a leading reformer in the 19th century and buckminster fuller. In the 20th. Emerson balanced his view of self-reliance. With the belief in the soul of the whole. Page of us. Have this balance in our life. Finding our own way. But seeing our relationship. The larger war. If you ever doubt. Your existence. Remember these words of emerson. That the power is in us. It comes to the lowly and the simple. It comes to whosoever will put off with his foreign and proud. Comes inside. It comes as serenity. Ingrando. Emerson would say. The origin of all spirituality. Must come through the path of knowledge. And this knowledge must come to our relation to the universe. We can call it inspiration. Insider oneness. The gnostics call it wisdom. Some of us called god. Some of us call it the soul. In the end whatever your spiritual path. I encourage you to follow the path of emerson. Who said trust yourself. Every heart vibrates in that string. And my favorite. Emerson quote come from his essay self-reliance. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. I know all about that. We often hear that quote but we don't hear the rest of it. Which goes. Adored by little statesmen. Philosophers and divine. To be great is to be misunderstood. I hope in these days we have heard the last. Of conformity. And consistent. As you look for your spiritual path. I hope you will consider. The lives of emerson. 4. Emerson said nothing can bring peace but yourself. And i prayed today. It all of us. Will find that piece. The buddha said it this way bees lampson to yourselves. Be your own confidence. Hold true the truth within yourself. As the only land. We find these words by samuel longfellow. Calling us to look for the light. For some. This is the essence of religion. He wrote. With joy. We claim the growing light. Advancing thornton widening butte. The larger freedom clearsight which from the old unfold the new. With wider view. Come lock your goal. With fuller light. More good to see. With freedom true or self-control. With knowledge. Deeper. Reverend. Be. The path of muhammad. The individual seeking oneness with the divine. Is not the only path to wholeness. Button important. A some a place to begin. May we all fine. That feeling of oneness. With the universe. Which can lead us to work. Discipline. And laugh. Do rh. My prayer. Today. Is it all of you. Wolfine. That feeling. As you come together here. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website. Uuc and rv. org.

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161016_dr_domestic-violence.mp3

Welcome to the october 16th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service is led by our reverend don rollins. And his message is titled. Keep breaking the silence. The podcast begins with a sharing of words. By rev don and worship associate jane mahone. Then i have some words to share with you and we we finish. Alaska to join us in season of silence. For our world. We're harm is the order of the day. But the violence and let the healing begin. For our streets. We're strangers become enemies. But the violence end. But the violence and and let the hope begin. For our homes. Where the broken long to be safe. But the violence in. Let the healing begin. For a children. Whose eyes have seen too much. Let the violence end. Let the healing begin. For our houses of faith. That have. Too long turned away. But the violence end. Let the healing begin. For ourselves. That we may be vessels for change. Violence in. Remember those who have died because of violent relationship. Spirit of life. Give them peace. Remember those who have been shamed and belittled in their own homes. Spirit of life. Restore them to confidence. Remember those who have been raped. Antabuse. The brokenhearted. In their own homes. Spirit of life. Grantham healing. Remember those who work to help those whose lives have been shattered by neglect and abuse. Spirit of life. Give strength and compassion to the healers. We remember all who stand up to fight oppression. And violence. Spirit of life. Freon to love. Detroit minnesota. Here i'm fussing and fighting that couple next door. The bedside salon now can't remember what for. He says he's leaving tomorrow she says she's leaving now. Neither one's leaving neither one knows how. The native native shame. Got a broken window got a cardboard patch. Beat up toys beat up kids to match. You see those kids out there playing in the rain. Too scared to come inside just to take more of the blame. Somebody called the law second time today the cops come point fingers and then they drive away. Rebecca fussing and fighting in the couple next door then fight so long now i can't remember what for. Name of the wonder of the shame now. Going to be in heavy waterseer for sand. Will also visit that part of life on. First sunday november. When we look at. Seasonal affective disorder. Spirit. And community. So snappy stuff here today and some coming up to. From union minister kate rohde. Thumbs this lightly adapted poem. Title for my friends who are wounded. If i could i would go to them and i would say it was all just a bad dream. I would sit beside them. I hold him in the dark. But their tears fall on the soft leaves of my gal. I would kiss their hair. I would talk softly to them. I will tell him the secrets of the fireflies and stars. Frost lace on the windows. I would sing them the grandmother songs. I would bring small gifts in my hands. White spiral shells. Crimson leaves. Smooth stones. Hyacinth. Apeach. And then we would stand by the window. Our arms around each other's waists. And we would breathe in the cold night air. We would make promises. And would wait silently. Still for the bright rays. Astonishing like to come. We're motley crue even for junior high. Jimmy's dad ran off not long after the seventh kid was born. Mike's mom died of cancer. Danny's pop was domineering distant preacher. Randy lived in a foster home and steve's dad drank a lot. But it was david it was dave who had it worst of all. Is that was a small-town cop and decorated korean war vet. He was on call every hour of every day. No major crimes. Just a steady course of minor lawlessness that never stopped. Dave's dad was a cop. It wasn't job. It was a way of life. And dave's dad beat his wife and kids. And everybody knew it. Nobody stopped it. October is national domestic violence awareness month. Call devon. It's a once-a-year reminder. But this remains our nation rife with ongoing. Often silent crimes against the bodies. And the mines. And the spirits. Evokes. Who hurt. Dbm is a season of remembrance. Remembering those who have been killed. Those who have been maimed in places that should have been safe. It's a month that designed to promote awareness and solidarity with those abused. It's a call for the abuser to stop. And get help. To bring this home. Faith communities have a checkered past when it comes to domestic violence. My experience and faith communities. Is anywhere near normal. Including those of the free church. There is work to be done within our own ranks. What we have done by enlarged him religion is talk in generalities and things that have to do with personhood and goodness and all that kind of stuff. But really that we talked about specific. Show me some experience. Cuz they are inconvenient truths because they are painful because they are frustrating and leave those of us who are not in those situations. Trying to find a way to be helpful and yet not make it worse. So let us not be guilty of silence when it comes to the details. Let's begin with what domestic violence really looks like. It's murder. It's negligent or justifiable homicide. Kidnapping rape. Physical assault. Unwanted find link. It's talking it's intimidation. Progressive social isolation. Psychological manipulation. Verbal abuse. We're going to talk about it that we need to know the sheer scale of what we're talking about. These statistics of course are are hard to manipulate because. When you get the facts of course we're dealing with somebody at the most underreported. Crime in the us. So we do what we can with these so bring an overwhelming statistics. These numbers come for the national coalition against domestic violence into smaller research-based. Anti-violence organizations. Nationwide. Nearly one in three women. I've been beaten. Or raped during adolescence and or adulthood. On the average in the u.s.a. persons assaulted every 9 seconds. Annually. Some 324,000 were pregnant during that assault. And two or three violent victimization. The victim knew the attacker. Annually 2.3 million are raped or physically beaten by a current or former partner or spouse. In 16 women. And one in 33 men. Have experienced an attempted or completed rape. And everyday. An average of three women are killed by that partner. Annually 15.5 million children are exposed to domestic violence. And i know her eyes are rolling back in her heads but these are the statistics. And nearly half of all reported incidents. Child sexual abuse. Evolve incest. It will be done with the children exposed to violence sartre priest. Risk for suicide. The chemical dependency. Criminality. Teenage prostitution. Perpetrating violence in their own relationship. This is so bring stop this is overwhelming stuff little wonder we have kept it at a distance many many congregation is done that. It's also murky as i said by its nature. We can't really know what's going on with hard numbers. We don't have to know the exact numbers to know that despite hard-won project progress. Intimate violence has not gone away. So what do we know. About the shadowy corner of american culture. We know that violence in the home canon does occur among the middle class and wealthy. We also know that poverty increases the likelihood of abuse. We know that it can and does happen across racial lines. But we know that african-americans are at particular risk. We know that men and women are victims of abuse. But we know that women make up the vast majority of intimate abuse. And we know that highly educated people. Commit acts against one another. We also know the formal education correlates with lesser incidence fewer accidents. Of both. And we know that abuse occurs within the glbtq. Community if that's the phrase that we going to keep on using. At ruffin same race. Straight folks. Painful stuff. We know the other factors. Factors of. Let's be clear here not causal agent. Other factors not causal agents are in play. Substance abuse and addiction. Undiagnosed or untreated. Mental illness. Exposure to combat. Someone who has her or himself a survivor of domestic violence. And we know that there are variations on this phenomenon we call domestic violence. Elder abuse. Child abuse. Date rape. Teenage sex slavery. That we know all these things. We know in our hearts anything short of confronting this evil. This evil is tantamount to enabling those same evils. Mind-numbing as a research maybe. Statistics statistics. Can't begin to describe the damage done. When force or the threat of force. Is uses way to solve domestic problems. Because physical violence. Scars the body. Psychological violence stars the mind. Emotional violence cars the soul. They'll be some hope coming up here so hang in. The first let me tell you about mary that's not my partner mary. Mary was among the patients assigned to me during my hospital internship part of my preparation for ministry. Mary was one of the regulars. All the dialysis unit of the hospital. It was an experimental program for chronically severely ill patients. Mary showed up with clock white consistency former home in the and the kentucky hills. Over time i learned that every 4 weeks. About the time it took for her abusive live-in boyfriend to spend her disability check. Silver food stamps to medications. I could expect to see a bruise mary. Length road on a hospital bed. Pelton and exhausted. Hooked up to the dialysis machine that would restore just enough health. To get back on that bus and go home and repeat the cycle. I was part of the team of professionals responsible for mary's care i was lost at sea. And during her long hair week-long stays at the hospital i struggle to find ways to speak with her. We finally start talking appalachian and made a bond. She broke the heart of every professional on that units my own included. The physicians in the nurses. The social workers the dietitian. They regularly pleaded with mary just to get out. Move near the hospital. Find a part-time job get her ged. They broke all kind of rules all kinds of rules and offering to provide that money and that support. They make it happen. When she was ready. The staff was ready to break every protocol in the book. Anything to give mary. Straight shot. Understory. Never listen but did not hear. She couldn't make it on her own didn't we see that. Kentucky was her home not this concrete prison of a city. And what about family. And what about friends. And then she asked me what about my dogs. We answered with silence. She came to resent us for trying to change your mind. For our part we feel sad sad and angry. Powerless. We gave her the best care we could. Pat's truck center home. With my internships ended a few weeks later mary was overdue for her dialysis treatments. Your phone has been connected and no one could contact her. That was the last we heard of mary. To minister to abused and abusing person. It's the enter a baffling and mashed. Alternate world. And which outsiders usually have very little power. It's an unholy orwellian symbiosis and which hate is love. And war is peace. In the articles to why do they stay linda osmundson director of casa grande community action stop at the stop of use. Tells us mary story is not so isolated. So why do we say you asked. Imagine the moment leaving your family. How easy would it be to walk out the door. Could you leave your home and your neighborhood in your friends and where would you go. Could you you're too lively children. Plus the dogs date your brother's apartment. On the couch. Put indefinite period of time. Could you stay with your parents who live in one of those adults only condos. She continues. Better women stay because they're afraid. They're afraid that no one will believe the truth. Fear that no one that they will lose their children. But they will have no place to go. Fearful. not be able to support the children as well. And here we go again fearful that they will be condemned by a church. Family. And that she finishes up we're terrified the abuser were hurt our friends or family which has happened of course. And sometimes we fear we tried will be killed trying to leave. Money. Children home friends job. Options. Fear love. People stay in abusive relationships for the same some the same reasons as in not abusive relationships. When we register shock and disapproval when we go right to if it were me i'd be out the door. We signal to that hurting man or woman. Or total lack of understanding. And the last thing a victim needs to hear that she is one more time that she is wrong. She probably gets playing that at home. So. Not so long ago. Whole communities like my hometown where. David's dad work. We decided not long thereafter to stop. With. Colluding with evil we decided it was time to stop. Nobody single anybody out that was too scary we're talkin about law enforcement official. So what we did begin to say was it's not okay and that started with her mom's. Amoeba get sent to school after they heard the stories or moms would say. It happens here but you don't have to take it with you. That's a mixed message we didn't figure it out it was the first time there that's where now talking somewhere in the late 60s early 70s. The first time baker to me. Something was wrong. With what went on at home. I'm going to spare you yet another dark paragraph. We should blow up some myths here too as a community blow-ups amiss that have to do with what goes on behind closed doors is nobody's business it takes two to tango a man's castle is his home. Can blow it up. And because it talk about progress and help. Standing with somebody not in for them. With them. Let's speak of helping progress for i said collusion is not what it used to be. We can be encouraged that study after study. Indicates a change for the better as more and more government officials. Service agencies. Funding businesses. Schools in faith communities. Begin to tell some truths. Some good news. Nationally reported incidents of domestic violence are trending downward. In the last two decades especially in the wake of the 1994 murders of nicole brown simpson and ronald goldman. Nearly every state in the nation. Best offer domestic violence legislation. Increase funding for enforcement. Or both. Reported. Shelterless nose due to physical and or sexual violence has been declining over the past decade. A strong coalition connection between. One not having a home. And a bean. Abuse. We can celebrate the law enforcement personnel and professional caregivers. Especially those in the medical field. Regular screen for neglect and abuse. Approving frontline factor in identifying and assisting abused person. He probably had the experience in the last decade or more in which your. Provider ask you are you in a domestic violence situation right now. Are you safe in your home. I'm proud of that question we come a long way with that simple change. The studies indicate incredible progress and they can temper our despair. Bring it back to us. Interfaith council before that domestic violence awareness month is being observed and more and more houses of worship. This too is good news. Preferred religion helped create this moral morass. And religion has an obligation to help set things straight. Not in theory. But in real practice. There's a takeaway for you this morning maybe it's this. Domestic violence. Is never an out-there thing. It's in our families. Centaur social circle. Our workplaces and yes our own congregation. Let me touch on some things that we can look at at the micro. Cutie micro-level. What's the telephone for me. Assume that some of the people we know. Anime love. Live secret lives. Most victims do not broadcast their pain despite wearing clothes or bandage cuts. Broken glasses. Burn marks. What is a change in mood. We can learn the clues. Fearful comments about a partner. Certain periods of isolation. Appartners chronic public criticism. A lack of power in the key areas of money. Sex. Parenting and other major mutual decision. We can look for on guy ongoing anxiety or depression about life at home. Children with marked increase behavior problems. Threats when he talks about leaving the relationship harassment when she does. I repeated turns returns despite the consequences. Practice we can do this weekend practice and coach. A non-judgmental. Supportive way of raising the issue. If we respect if we suspect. I thought this way if we inspect suspect somebody in our circles. Being abused. Simple things like i'm worried about you. And see what happens. You seem so unhappy these days. We have to resist the urge to push. No excessive advice. Pain in all its till somebody else's life. We can know some of the ready resources if we are. Or someone we love is in ready to take some action. We can do the name. I-ready resources in the community. The serve the battered. We can be able to name secondary resources when it comes to food and utilities and transportation and chemical dependency mental health. Attorneys. Daycare. It goes on. Reconnect curse that person to have a plan if things get worse. If possible maintain some level of contact which is not getting not always possible. Have a phone or text code word that means call the police now. End.. What are things about being interim minister is that. There are suicide pacts near violence facts that happened during the course of an interim ministry. And experiences to make that bond to be able to build a relationship. It's tough to be able to leave that relationship so i just want to add that one of things i do for settled ministry is to. Do the best introduction i can get a price on the situation. And i hope that they take some. Action. On their end. We can help by encourage that person to have an escape bag that is well well hidden. Things that she and the children if applicable would need. Money close. Keys. Copies of important documents medication. And as for ourselves. Just plan on having our spirits seared. Just plan on going to a spiritual place where it seems like there's nothing to be done. And we're the ones that have to sit in it. Planner feeling plan on feeling frustrated and angry and helpless or a dozen other thing. Because we will have just entered. That chaotic. Soul-destroying sphere. A domestic violence. Photos of heavy stuff. And sometimes so. The powers that expected that the powerlessness that comes of this discussion is overwhelming so i'm prepared to talk with some folks. You are as well. About action steps beyond when i just listed. Think about a few more things. Just assume that our congregations include abusers. And abused. It is the height of ignorance. And arrogance to think our denomination is above it all. Ask any minister has been around for a while we are not. Bill religious education programs for children youth and adults that are a counterbalance to that biblical injunction. Spare the rod and spoil the child. No the range of domestic violence services in close proximity to this congregation. Post and publicize hotline numbers in church to medications and i'm bulletin boards. Choose and develop lifespan curriculum and design annual worship services aimed at prevention. And healthy. Rebecca's baker. Donate help raise funds for effective domestic violence programs. Donate personal items. Clothing toys. My favorites. Things on on this way of responding to message violence came from a congregation near cleveland. They became the official groundskeeper for a halfway house and shelter. And what a change in the way the folks interacted in that place. They experienced some natural beauty for the first time any of them. And that was a great minister. Lobby. Love you local and state officials that influenced domestic violence laws and funding. Become aware of services for the abusers as well and this is tough i came across this the first time in maine many years ago. And which was asked to help with an abuser. Who is a batter a perpetrator whatever language you want to use. And that is a world that is underserved. And hard even talk about. Sprint cyanosis disturbing stuff we laugh in this room were times in the last we have not really laugh except for a bad song leadership this morning. Are we have not laughed this morning. And it's to the point i think it's kind of a topic i don't know how to do that. Right now. So. If we are the people that we imagine. We will develop cultures of truth-telling. We will be a gentle angry people. And we won't be focused on healing. We will recognize that religion has for far too long enable chronic domestic violence. And given safe harbor to some of its worst offenders. And we have without grace from recovering abuser. Suppose we have power. We are not without a way to break through the silence. We can do that. I say we should do that. We should shape her power into a vital sustainable ministry. Tenderness. And advocacy. We should let our hearts be broken. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

160103_do_imagination-being.mp3

Welcome to the january 3rd service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by a settled minister. Reverend aerolite. After serving his title. Imagination in pa. The podcast begins with a pastoral prayer. Which is followed by an excerpt. Stories for all ages to issue refers in the sermon. Invite you now to join with. Man with one another and inexperience of prayerful. Reflection. Spirit of abiding hope. Spirit of life. So it is into this new year that we arrive. Let us be granted inability to remain open-hearted. Let us remain open to receive. The new. Little rhymes. But as remember to also hold on to. What is most important that might serve us well. In the new year ahead. Spirit of hope help us to call forth our choice and our blessings. Help us to to make spaces to acknowledge the grief. Sadness loneliness tenderness. That also might be in our hearts. Or in the hearts of our neighbors. Tenderize to an experience of deeper understanding this year. Deeper understanding about ourselves. Deeper understanding about one another. Deeper understanding about the world. Let us now extend our care to those within and beyond our walls. Who are in need of solace. Affirmation and support. Let us hold in our minds. Those who are living into the chaos and confusion created by flooding in the south. Which was caused by heavy heavy rains in the midwest. Let us remember those families in those individuals who are right now. Seeking a safe place to be. In missouri. In kentucky and arkansas tennessee and alabama and the carolinas and so many places. Let us hope. That released be quick. And that there are many helping hands and hearts. To help people find shelter and restore their lives. And all of the many places that we know are touched by instability violence. And here. Let us offer. Our hope. Our generosity of spirit. And our warm embrace. Impossibilities. You could make the world better. Blessed be. And anna. So once there was a boy and his name was peril. Harold had a lot of different ideas. When they was trying to figure out what he was going to do. And he scratched his head. And with a study burst of inspiration he decided to go ahead and he drew a picture. Of a moon. A moon hanging in the sky. And then he took his crayon any drew online the created a horizon. I meant the next thing harold did was he was to know what to do next so he decided to draw a seed. And then he had a seed there he decided he decided to plant to draw a cloud. And the cloud. Drops of rain and water that seed and then. He drew the next thing and the next thing that he drew. Was a tree. The crew from the seat. Girl got a little bit hungry. So he decided that there ought to be some apple. Hanging on that tree so then he decided that since he had a purple crayon in his hand. He would go ahead and just. Raw those apples. So with this handy dandy purple crayon hand-drawn the moon the horizon he'd run seeds and a cloud and now there was an apple tree. He was enjoying those apple so much 9500. What if someone else wanted to. Get those apples. So then he drew. A dragon. To protect those apples. But then that dragon. Dragon. Then the dragon look pretty real that kind of scared him. So we didn't know what to do. So we kept on backing away from that dragon. Easy harold had a really active imagination. He was drawing the world is he wanted to experience that with his purple crayon. He did other things with his purple crayon heat decided to draw ship. And then he decided to draw a puffer fish. And then he met a porcupine and i moved all sorts of things the way you all are drawing all sorts of things with his purple crayon because harold had something really special. That it turns out every single one of us. Harold had a really great imagination. That purple crayon. With a symbol. At his imagination. So harold was on this adventure with his purple crayon drawing the world experience in the world. And he was getting farther and farther away from his home. The thing that he always knew there was always find his way back home by drawing of the moon. So many lost side of the moon druid again. And then he remembered that. What his bedroom look like. Was there was a moon. Hanging inside the window. When he was in his bedroom and is that it look out and you see the moon hanging in his bedroom so he drew a moon again. And then he drew a square. To make the window. And then he drew is bad. And then a juris pillows. Ellen degeneres comforter. And then he crawled back in. Satisfied with the world he had. Use his imagination to create. Harold and the purple crayon is a really popular story with lots of variations and i think that's because. Every single one of us does have an imagination and harold reminds. But it is always possible. To draw the world anew. When we use our crew. Two readings for us this morning. First reading is by robert fulghum. Unitarian universalist minister well-known for a book that he wrote many years ago all i ever needed to know. I learned. In kindergarten. I believe. That imagination is stronger than knowledge. That myth is more potent. Then history. The dreams are more powerful. Send fax. That hope. Always triumphs over experience. That laughter. Is the only cure for grief. And i believe that love. Is stronger. Then. Our second reading today is a poem by. Reuben. Alavez who is a. At the assistant theologian from brazil. Tomorrow's child. What is hope. It is a presentiment that imagination is more real and reality less real. Then it looks. It is a hunt that the overwhelming brutality of facts that oppress and repress us. Is not. The last word. It is a suspicion that reality is more complex than realism wants us to believe. That the frontiers of the possible are not determined by the limits of the actual. And that in a miraculous and unexpected way life. Is preparing the creative events. Which will open the way to. Freedom and resurrection. But the two suffering and hope. Must live from each other. Suffering without hope produces resentment. And despair. But hope without suffering creates illusions. Naivete. Drunken. Let us plant dates. Even though we who plant them will never eat. We must live by a love that we will never see. This is the speaker. Discipline. It is a refusal to let our created act be dissolved away by our need for immediate sense experience and it has struggled. To the future of our. Substance disciplined love is what has given process. Revolutionaries. Saints the courage to die for the future they envision. They make their own bodies the seed. Are there hyenas. Morning is mia open. 2016 together. We're talking about imagination. Maybe that's because of in spite of all the odds or because of all of the odds. Facing all of us in his. Bewildering and beautiful world. Imagination. It's a tremendous. Tremendous. Resource. Imagination. I wonder what we can as individuals and. As a community what we can weave a hope and joy and possibility and transformation. This year. This. New year. For we all need this. Hope. Joy. For possibility. And for transformation in our lives and. In the world as a whole. I think that. Every year every new year after that ball drops. I noticed that there's. Anticipation for the ball dropping and some exuberance after. It's a new year right. But then i think sometimes people are. So what are the possibilities for change in this. Can we truly make the kinds of changes that will indeed lead us into new direction. Is a new year really a new chapter. How can this real. How can i really be a new chapter. I think some of this i caught some of this the resident the new year's resolution kickback. After all that exuberance this questioning this skepticism. There's a notion that somehow there's something stirring bubbling has momentum but what if we slide back. Into our old ways. Here's the thing about that. I think that that sense. Is the force of change. It's the force of. Gross. Which includes resistance. Includes re-engaging with those forces of good witch urja. 2. The possible. And here i think lies the potency. Of imagination. Imagination is that faculty that human faculty of coming up with new images or new pictures. Pictures that aren't present to us already through our senses that do not exist yet. Coming up with new sorts of creative idea. Drawing of pictures a new the way we heard harold with his purple crayon could do. The word imagination comes from the latin meaning pictures to oneself. Imagination is our ability to conjure those pictures in our mind's eye. Again symbolized by harold and. These purple crayon. If you don't have children i wonder when the last time was that ujala crayon. If it's been a long time for you after service today. I want you to come up and take with you. Purple crayon. Imagination. We're talking about imagination and what's your relationship to your purple. As unitarian universalist. We tend to really cries our reason and knowledge and information. Gained from empiricism. Game from evidence gained from scholasticism. We tend to appreciate knowledge gained through our senses what week. See and taste. Touch. This is all very very good. But today i want to celebrate. That faculty of our. Our willingness perhaps even imagine a new society a better society to offer ideas and experiments about a better way to live. Because along with. Foundation and empiricism and reason. And scholasticism in learning. In our history is he the train universalist. Also live. Ascend. An appreciation of imagination. Philip gura wrote a fantastic fascinating book about the rise and fall of transcendentalism. And call presidentialism a history i don't know there's folks or whoever read that came out a few years ago. It's very readable i commend it to you. And what he does in that book is he talks about transcendentalism any thomas lately. Different more nuanced story that is typically told about transcendentalism. Talking about transcendentalism from unitarian universalist perspective often. We talked about emerson. We talked about. Sorrell and we talked about the primacy of individual. But phillip gura tells a different tale including emerson and throw but also talking a little bit more about the other side of transcendentalism. He talks about the utopian reformers transcendentalism those people that were thinking along the same lines of emerson and thoreau. But they went on to really think about how we could shape a collective good. Out of that consciousness out of the imperatives found through reason and your sense of being connected to that which is larger than oneself. Some of those utopian folks were people that started brook farm. And new forms of economy which did a good job at honoring workers and sharing goods and mitigating greed. I wonder if any folks are. Familiar with some of these utopian transcendentalist. Anyone knows these folks they started communes in that. Late 1800s and early 1900s at massachusetts. Just bringing some dells. Sometimes the kids get this i think it ap u.s. history 2. The connections not always innovative course that many of those folks were unitarian universalist. Both ministers. And lay people. Unitarian and universalist because we had not yet emerged. When i got thinking about imagination i got thinking about these utopian folks who saw a new way of better way and he tried their hands. At experiments. I think in the year 2016 our future means that we are going to have to get really really good. With using our purple crayons. And not being fearful or constrained by things as they are or things as they have been before. Because our brave. New world. Requires. Brave new. I'm going to guess that's why some of you teach at a school whose tagline is invent. On december 23rd. As some of you might know. Some of you may have missed this in this world of the holidays. Several people in minneapolis and san francisco shutdown rose. That led to the airport. December 23rd one of the most heavily traveled days of the year. They're shutting down access to airports in these cities no doubt it was incredibly inconvenient. A real pain. We could say. But it was supposed to be. Black lives matter issued a statement regarding why this protesters. Chose to peacefully launch what they called black. Christmas. I'm going to reach you today just very briefly from a statement that was issued by black lives matter the national group. Out with chapters all across the country. They wrote black christmas is here and there will be no business as usual. Until we get accountability for our dead and justice for our living. Instead of buying gifts fuel the system black christmas the day of action. To reject the degradation of black families and communities. By police politicians and predatory companies and declare our inherent. Worth. We just about the business as usual until city and state and federal budget stop funding black death and start funding black. It's just a part of the statement that was issued. Might be thinking. Where's she going with this. Crayons imagination. Black lives matter. The bear with me for just a moment. I wonder if you have ever heard a phrase that stays with you again and again and again over the course of your life. Maybe you got a few. Well i got one at least and it's by a native american author. And i told her this in college she wrote we are who we imagine ourselves to be. Our very existence consists in our imagination of ourselves our best destiny is to imagine at least completely who and what we are. He writes the greatest tragedy that can befall ourselves to go on imagine. You stay just a little bit more about that and why bring it up today. Those words were written by someone named m scott momaday. He was a native american writer who might be familiar to some of you because he wrote a book that won him the pulitzer prize in 1969 it was called house of dawn. He said we are who we imagine ourselves to be the greatest tragedy that can befall us is to go unimagined. And had a very particular context. That you was talking about. He was talking about how minorities in the united states are often imagine. By those with dominant power. One way to kind of understand this is to think about. Images of native americans that might be very familiar to many of us glossy. Classic photos of indigenous peoples that were taken in the 1800's by edward curtis he was commissioned in a project by jpmorgan and also. National geographic take his glossy photograph. I think was terrific told when he took those photographs. Ask those native american people to take off their watches. To take off anyting the actually was showing the collision of cultures the way in which cultures were coming into conflict impacting and changing each other. You have the romantic vision of what indigenous life look like those photographs. He didn't show the more interesting authentic and problematic ways in which. Cultures were colliding. Images became the icons for the dominant imagination such that people thought they knew and. Understood what indigenous life was like in the united states cuz i saw those glossy photographs. Gerald visitor is another native american writer who talks about and unravel some of that history and. He's shown that one thing that can happen is that people can just get erased. From the collective imagination. Minority. Experience experience of minorities especially people experiencing oppression can just get. Erase was glossed over. You might. Wrestle with or disagree with or concur with the next steps that black lives matter took on december 23rd. You might not agree that what they should do with peacefully shutdown transportation on one of the busiest travel days of the year but. Here's the thing i think. There is a struggle for visibility. In 2016 right now. A struggle for continuing to place before the dominant culture. Realities of suffering. For example in black communities. Black lives matter is i believe using their power. Of the purple crayon. Clamoring for justice to design a world different than the one currently in place one which consistently places black and poor lies. Jeopardy. When people. Actually start to shape and change society. Massacring. Right now. And i think it's time to get courageous. And visible making clear what we care about and why. Taking steps which helped create the world we wish to see based on our values. On the same day that black lives matter did what they did in minneapolis and san francisco. Temporarily shutting down access to the airport mini here in blacksburg we're gathered down on corner. In downtown blacksburg. To stand for religious freedom and to counter islamophobia. We were doing this the same time other unitarian universalist other people of diverse religious traditions were doing that in charlottesville and i have wonderful memories and some of you took beautiful photograph. Of people gathered on that corner in downtown blacksburg on december 23rd just a few weeks ago. People were carrying signs. There was a jar of markers and people were encouraged to go ahead and make the sign that they wanted to stand for. And i was very surprised. That the very next day. I opened up my inbox. And in my inbox. Were. Several communications. Some people in the muslim communities right here in blacksburg. If you were here on christmas eve i shared with you one or two of those messages. This morning i want to share with you a few more. These are messages i received my inbox after so many folks from you usually stood on that corner. For religious freedom. And for welcoming. People of all religious and spiritual backgrounds. Here's one. It is hard to tell you what did i feel. When i saw these pictures. Thank you for standing against hate. Thank you for being so american. Thank you for being so human. Happy holidays. Another one. Salaam alaikum. May peace be with you i would like to thank you. And all the people who stood in the rain today to express your love and acceptance of your muslim neighbors. We are really touched. By the numerous messages of love and flowers that received that we received over the last couple of weeks. Because of people like you and your congregation hate no longer has a place in our beautiful small town. My gratitude and appreciation to all the lovely courageous and open-minded people. That reject bigotry and make this community in this country. A great one. Another who asked particularly to be identified to you all today. Salon near dara i was informed that your church organized event in support of muslims. As a practicing muslim i want to thank you for your very kind gesture. Is wonderful to see our fellows and humanity stand with one another against hate and bigotry. I would appreciate it if you could thank all of those who participated in this event. And mentioned that we really are very touched by this kind gesture. My passion. Another one. And the last one i was there with you for this morning although there are many more. Hello. I would like to express my gratitude for your support of religious freedom including muslims. Today downtown. That means a lot for me. As a muslim who wears hijab. It matters. What we believe. There's a reading in our handle it says it matters what we believe some beliefs are like walled gardens. And some believe like light. Go everywhere. I think sometimes we as unitarian universalist can get. A little bit sheepish. Sometimes i perceive that we can sometimes do a little dance around sharing what we are. What we're about. The good that we collectively see. We can tell a story because and the story goes something like this which is so diverse. But i think i've somewhat of admit we are diverse. But we are also more kindred then we realized. I believe that when we say oh well we don't know what we want to share with the world. It helps us when we do that. What it does is it. It helps us avoid. Cleaning a more courageous space. A space in which we. Clean. Clearly. What we believe and why it matters and we are not shy. That we want to transform the world. In that image. We can do this without surrendering nuance diversity and richness of individual experience. But i do believe that now is a time to get bold and get courageous. No i know some folks religious liberals tend to think we'll yes geology and religion and spirituality can transform the world but we are critical. Of the fact that. It is of course possible that we have our own illusion. How do we know that if we want to transform the world based on what we believe that you know we're not just trampling on what others believe. I think that's an important and fascinating a thread of critique. And i want to share with you something that. Reinhold niebuhr writes about that. Neighbor has the same neighbors the same person who wrote the serenity prayer with some of you might be familiar with. And he says that our imagination is really important especially interpreting what's happening. And basically what he says is that we he talks about not just having freedom from thing but a freedom to thing. A freedom from things not just freedom not just from things but a freedom to things that is to say if we are to have our freedom. What is our freedom. To be about. What do we imagine our freedom to be about. And so he says we must start really considering to whom we are responding. And for what we are responsible. I'm in which community of human solidarity. We really find ourselves. In 2016 we might think about whose voices are shaping the dominant imagination about what religion is spiritual life or like in the 21st century. Whose voices are clamoring on the airways. Whose voices are shouting with megaphones whose voices are shaping the dominant visibility of religious and spiritual american 21st. And where are we. And where could we be. And how could we sing our song. A song about transformation. The song about hope. A song about the good that we now. Because indeed we have. Good to share. We are individuals we are also. Community. The question is what will we do with are we now. What do we believe our venus is for and about. How can we help shape. Earlier we heard jared play imagine. It's a song loved by so many people. Because we love. Andweknow. Can shape. I do believe that now is a very good time in 2016 to. Resurrect. And revive our collective imagination. What can you imagine. For us. For our society. For our future and for our world. I hope that many of you will go to those dessert parties. We're people were be exploring more deeply. What is possible for religious and spiritual life. In the 21st century. And we'll talk about our own mission to. I leave you with this question. How's it going with your purple crayon. Let us draw pictures with the world anew. We are needed. Every single one of us. Let us do this. Happy new year. Blessed be. And almond. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

150412_do_generous-life.mp3

Welcome to the april 12th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by ourselves minister. Reverend arrowland. Assisted by members of the uuc stewardship committee. The theme of the service is generous life. This morning the topic of our service will be generous life. How do we live our most generous. Live. And what inspires us. To live most generously. Until invite you now to come into the experience of worship. Come together into the sanctuary of growth. Come into the sanctuary of rest. The sanctuary of play and hope. For it is here by our gathering. That we embrace that which is most worthy and a value in our lives. That we renew our courage and our strength. That we come to know ourselves and one another more deeply. That we work altogether the foundation of our interconnection with all life. For our time of all agents morning i want to welcome forward beth lyman gavin lyman and zoe lyman to share some words of reflection. Without you. Good morning. I'm back twyman most of you know this by now and that these are my two children gavin and zoe. Today's service is a special one for us it's the kickoff to our annual stewardship campaign. I'm on the stewardship committee as well as the ford and you'll be hearing from the committee and board members over the next month i promise you. About the campaign today though you're going to get here from to the youth from our church gavin and zoe about how they see generosity and the you see from their perspective. Generosity is thinking of other people and being kind to them at our church i get to be generous by raising money for the montgomery county humane society making blankets for project linus. Collecting and donating food for the food pantry and showing hats with karen for the mitten tree. Last summer i went to the general assembly in rhode island. I held the church banner in the banner parade with my brother and george lally. This year georgia's getting a bunch of people together to plan a big trip with lots of us to go to the 2000. 16 general assembly i want to help so i already made some designs for posters to help raise money for the trip. And to make it to moon people can go to it. That is generosity i hope that lots of people can go to ga. My mom asked what my mom might let my hopes are for the ye see. I hope that more people will start going to it and it'll get it basketball hoop for the kids and that. And that we will keep right there for a minister forever. I think that generosity is being nice to others and helping them. When it is. Needed mowers. Is being willing to give something. Xavier. At church i'm generous by collecting and donating food for the food pantry. Making blankets. Ort farm. Project linus. Making baskets. People. Who live at at warm. Heart. This year i want to go. Get people to donate. More food to the food bank. I want to help raise money so that lots. Can go to the general assembly. + 2000. 16. I love our church because. It is open to everybody including people. Do not believe in god. We accept people. From any religion. This is a place. Are people who are lonely or don't know other. Can come. To be with others and make friends. We're like a giant family. And i hope that we can have more. Bashar archer. Because it's not just. Like one person. Church. It's everybody's church. Aren't they cute. Sorry. I came to the uc4 fellowship and because my husband and i wanted our children to be raised as you use just as i had been. It's been amazing to watch gavin and so he grew up in the church. And the fact that the church has had on them is so clear to me in both their words and their actions. I'm thankful to the whole community for all that my family receives from it. Like both gavin and zoey i think that generosity is about thinking about other people. About being kind. And giving something of yours to someone else. I asked both of them how they can be generous to the uuc this year. Just like them i want to help george. Bring his vision of getting a large contingent of us to the 2016 ga columbus ohio and for me that means trying to get other youth from our church in particular there to join gavin and zoey in the youth programming. So i will continue to be generous with my time. Through various volunteer activities. And i will be generous with my money by increasing my pledge. Those of you who know me well enough. I know that i'm a little bit wanting in the area of talent and if you're doing the line dancing linda you're going to see this. Them but either way i'm going to be generous this year i will try to be more generous this year with the church. So will gavin and zoe and i hope that you will too. That margo walter go ahead and lift up. Hertz that she has with us. Morning. Before we sing our young ones out to class. I want to invite those of you that will be going to religious education this morning. To think a little bit about what makes you feel. Generous. And what generosity means for you. Generosity has a way of opening up our hearts. There are so many different ways we can be generous. We can be generous with our time. We can be generous with our love. We can be generous by our small acts of kindness i meant you to think about what generosity means our looks like to you. Gavin and zoe shed with us earlier about what they think generosity looks like. I mean invite you to take a heart with you this morning as you leave this place. Write your name on this heart. And to turn it into a generous heart. By actually writing on that hurt also coup in your life. Inspires you to live a generous life. Might be a teacher. Might be a family member. So go ahead if you leave take a heart. Write your name and the name of someone that inspires your generous life. And after your sunday morning class but invite you to have an adult help you with this maybe a parent or maybe a friend here in the congregation and come on back after your sunday class. Come on back and add your heart to the base of this tree of life. Because our generous heart make the base of the tree of life that sustains and connects all of us. Okay and either myself remember the stewardship committee or someone will be here to help parents and kids add your heart your generous hearts to our tree of life. Demarcos waiting at the door kids if you as you go out this morning pick up a part. Front marker walters president of our congregation. I want to share with you that before i was a minister. As some of you know i was a journalist. And at that time i was intent on living. An exciting life. In your new york city. To me that meant covering the really big stories. Not so much the hard-news like crime and the workings of the city government. But more of the cultural stories that's what the big story is meant to me cultural stories about people and the arts and literature and film and theater. And lucky for me. At that time in my life i was given a break. I was getting a break working for a show that was called the next big. And to me at first that sounded really. The next big thing. It was hip. But it was also really hard. The pace was really demanding and that was often exhilarating also share with you that it was. Fairly the pleading that's how it felt to me. And i don't mean just the hours were depleting. But it really it was it was something else. Something different. Fortran doubt that covering those stories that i thought would be so exciting. It wasn't quite for me. And the reason why is because it didn't really. For fill my heart. So i didn't really terry with this journalism in new york city peace. And i think it was because of the time. And that i had this sense that i didn't want to. Use my time on something. That did not feed. My spirit. Don't know if any of you have ever felt. This way. So i began a long journey of becoming minister. And when i think back on it leaving that life in new york city had something to do. With generosity. And that i wanted to be part of a bigger sort of life. And i thought that being part of that bigger sort of life meant going to a really big city. I thought that. But my life journey shift it. I ended up wanting to contribute generously. To something different. Some sort of different next big thing. And it wasn't a radio program. There was this nagging. Voice in the back of my head. How's that i couldn't quite ignore and so at the time i was turning out these stories but i could feel that the striving and pulse. The striving achievement impulse was kind of getting inside of me the pressure was transforming me into a person that i didn't quite recognize anymore and it turns out that that it made me feel a little bit lonely even though i had lots of family and friends. I end up feeling a little bit like when i was living that life in new york city that i was kind of an exile. From myself. From what brought me really alive. I wanted to contribute to something. Generous. Open my heart into a generous big sort of lie. In a book called eternal echoes there's a catholic celtic poet and scholar named john o'donohue the beautiful poet. And he writes this he rides a generous heart. Is never lonesome. A generous heart havelock. The lonesomeness of contemporary life is partly due to the failure of generosity. Increasingly we compete with each other. For good. For image for status. As i told you when i was covering the stories as a journalist. Didn't really have time to engage. The kind of giving and receiving. Help me feel like it really. Mattered. So for me i went back and i entered the social services. That felt like it mattered. There is a writer named wendy lustbader who's a mental health care. She writes and counting on kindness she writes this. The words genius and generous have to come from the latin root tunari. Meaning to beget. To have genius for life is to possess the ability. To generate warm. And well-being and others. Largest. Literally. Enlarges our very lives. I didn't know it at the time that cuz i was working on social services this idea of generous living was growing inside of me and i'll tell you and i know many of you work in the social services. When i was working the social services time and time again i met folks. We're literally stemming the tide. Of human suffering. With every ounce of passion. That they had. And i know many of you. Do this kind of thing or have done this time. When i was working in social services i started thinking about. The values. And the sense of spirituality writ large. The help sustain people. In living. Generous sorts of lies. Even when they feel the pressures and demands of the daily grind. Be it in journalism in social services. Wherever you may work. What do you work in a hospital. Or i in technology or a tin. Are corporations or businesses. We all feel a pressure. That i think can. Help us live. In a more narrow cancel. We long for places that uplift us and remind us. Of what generous. Loving come look like. What to tell you that when i went from social services into seminary. I hid for myself a roadblock. And that roadblock was financial. It had to do with the fact that i was working on the frontlines of social services and going to seminary and i wasn't making very much money and i'll tell you as i was becoming a minister i couldn't take. The very next step and i almost thought that maybe ministry. Couldn't be for me. I come from a family where people work hard perseverance is the story and the idea is you just find a way. But you never asked for. You just kind of figure it out. But i wasn't my own threshold i didn't really know what. And so. Hemming and hawing inside. I went out to lunch with a friend. And i told her. I don't know if i can take this next step. And to my surprise. Dara. I am so glad. I want to tell you that i've helped a few people. Before you. My parents have passed the money on to me. After their death. And they asked me to do good with it. And if you will let me. I would like to give you some money to help you. And she did. And it did. I teared up when she took out her checkbook i had to dissolve my silly pride as i reached out to take the check from. But then she looked me in the eye and she said thank you. For letting me. It is a gift for me. To be able to help. When i can. There are no string. Many times after that i have been able. Pass along. I sent that help and sense of generosity. And you know she was right it is like the 13th century monk saint francis of assisi says. For it is in giving. That we truly receive. Batmunk. And my friend remind me of my call. As a minister why it is that i wanted to serve. It goes back to me leaving the radio station which was a break for me. To align my values of my time. The way that felt more life-giving. Saint francis of assisi says when you leave this earth you can take with you nothing. That you have received. Only what you have been given. That monk saint francis of assisi and my friend are two people who inspire me to live my most. Generous life. And there is one other person who comes to mind who reminds me. Of what living a generous life looks. And that's my father. When i was a kid growing up i remember going to unitarian universalist church with my father. And many days i'll tell you especially the teenager i would have rather slept in. Or watch tv. Or recovered from hanging out with my friends when i before. But when i actually got to church i remember being intrigued by the adults. And their faces as they saying and i remembered the hymns and was intrigued by the hymns even though i don't want to look too interested i i looked at those hands and what they were saying. And when the time came i always notice. That my father would place a few bills or change into the collection plate. One time i asked my father why. Do you do this. And he replied simply and without poetry. This is way. Is what we do. And it was a simple answer i understood what he meant. He men in essence the same idea that are norris and the stewardship committee have developed for us. This year in essence he meant be generous. Your time. With your love. With your life. My father put something in that play every sunday and it really didn't matter how much. What mattered was this. It was the practice. He also pledged in the annual pledge drive and served in the church's leadership but as a little one i didn't really know about that all i saw was him put something in there. Every. Single sunday. And i watched as everyone put something in and it didn't matter how much it was pennies and nickels and dimes and quarters. When i think of the most generous folks i know i think of my father who not only showed me how to share a little bit each sunday. But actually introduced me to a whole devoted community of people are church. Where people pitched in. And they shared. Together. Every single sunday. But also affirmed generous life. 365. Days of the year. Really easy to imagine all the ways that our funds can go to support worthy causes. Pledging this year to use he is a way to ensure that our vibrant congregation. An offering. Caring generous spiritual and a religious home in the coming year. Friends i do believe that generosity is a human gift. Quality of our human life that ought to be practiced and celebrated. On a consistent basis and so this morning i wonder for you. Who has helped you to know. What a generous life. Looks like. Who's an example in your life. Who's the most generous person. You know. Why. What makes them generous. I hope that you will think on this and tell me. If you see me who is the example that. Do your mind. And maybe share with one another as you're eating this afternoon who is it. That makes you know what a generous life mean. As you know in the coming months we're going to be gathering with other uu congregation to give her half plate away every single sunday. And i'm really glad we're doing this cuz we get. Degeneres together. Just one way that we can show one another in our larger community how we can be living generous lives as a congregation together every single sunday. Here's what i know about generosity. It heals us. It grows us. And it spreads. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

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151004_do_covenant-I.mp3

Welcome to the october 4th service at the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by a settled minister. Reverend arritola. And her sermon is titled. Who's covenant. The gift intention. I and we. Frank napolitano is a worship associate for the service. We have two readings here this morning. The first reading is by victoria safford. Poet and a unitarian universalist minister. One of my colleagues she writes. The central question for us is not. What do we. Believe. But more what do we believe in. To what larger love to what. People to what values and dreams shall we be committed. To whom and to what are we a countable. In a tradition she right so steeped in individual ism. It becomes a spiritual practice for each of us to ask not once and for all. But rather again and again. Even after so many many years of life. How do i. How will i decide which. Beautiful. Clumsy. And in perfect institutions. Will carry and hold. Me. Will share my name. Hold my hand. And my heart. The life of the spirit. Is solitary. But our answers to these kinds of questions. Call us to speak. Call us to live. In the plural. Her second reading this morning is by a writer named margaret farley. And she makes this observation in a work called personal commitments. Beginning. Keeping changing. Civilization's history. Tends to be written in terms of human discoveries and inventions. Wars artistic creations. Laws. Forms of government. Customs. At the heart of this history however lies a thumb. Sometimes. Hidden narrative. A narrative of promises. Pledges oats compact. Commitment. Tubal eats. Projections of visions. At the heart of any individual story 2. Lies the tail. Of that person. Own. Morning i want to begin this conversation which will unfold into parts this is part one. Have a conversation about covenant. And will be part 2 next week. Morning i want to open this conversation with you by asking that you think about a question. Question is this. When was the last time. That you felt. Part of a wii. And you felt really good. About that. This month and worship we're exploring a theme called i and we. We're exploring by this theme what it means to do the dance. Of being one. Within a larger community. A larger congregation. A larger society. What does it mean to cultivate our rich sense of individuality. And. Participate with others in something that is larger. Then. 1 south. What are the possibilities what are the responsibilities. What are the tensions the gifts and the blessings of life. With. Other. People. Much of the world's diverse religious traditions and we have sense in them of some wisdom teachings which invite us. Towards remembering. That there is an intrinsic interconnection woven through all of life. In a diverse array of the world's religious traditions and indeed inside of unitarian-universalism we find teachings that remind us that it's a mess. That we are island unto ourselves. Earlier we read in a responsive reading words by mark morrison read a unitarian universalist minister who's african-american does a lot of teaching and exploring with congregations about how to become more anti-racist more welcoming of diversity within and beyond how to create systems of justice and he says the task of the religious. Community is to unveil the bond. The connect. To all. As unitarian universalist we talked a lot about the interconnected web of all life. And the reality of course is that each one of. Each one of you sitting there in the pews each one of. Ask your leading worship we are individuals. We are in finite human bodies. Skin. Muscle. Bone. Blood. Each of us undeniably individual. So what are we to do. In the dance of relationship that is our lives with the many. What does it even mean to participate in a common life how do we how hot we and why should we. Become accountable and responsible. To a larger shared life. These are the kinds of threads in the conversation about the collective life. And the individual ated life. This whole sleeping conversation it touches on the aetheric the intangible the interconnections self but unseen. It also touches on the practical how do we agree to journey with one another what are the explicit agreements we have what are the implicit agreement. That we have. And why. Why do we agree to shape a world of agreements with other. I do think that this topic. I and we. Is particularly timely. Of course we hear the politicians ramping up for elections. We start thinking about what is it that is most important to us as individuals what is most important to us as a society with all of the beauty. That we want to champion and all of the brokenness we are aware of. As i said this is part one of a conversation about. Covenant. Covenant is a word that we use in unitarian universalism. That refers at once to the aspirational. And practical. Agreement. That we make the constitute our shared sort of life. First today when i share with you an assumption. I'll make my assumptions clear. An assumption of this particular sermon is that the quality of our human relationships. Matter. That they are. Important. But the quality of our relationship for the very of life. And that these are our relationships not always easy. Not always given. But nonetheless. Very important. Did some of you share that assumption that relationships are important. A lot of people upon life reflection at the end of life. Play things which indicate. But what mattered most was relationship. I have a favorite hymn and one of them actually was fun this morning. And i don't think i even knew that. Send my most favorite hymns that you also. Have another favorite hymn that is sung we i think many here share this that is a favorite hymn of our congregation we often sing blue boat home. And there's a line in blue boat home there's a few lines that go like this. Sun my sale. And moon my other. As i apply at the starry sea. Leaning over the edge in wonder casting question. Into the deep. Drifting here with my ship's companion. All the pilgrim all weekend pilgrims falls. Making our way by the lights of the heavens. In our beautiful. Blue boat. Quinta casa. As i was reading that in your mind. This is a beautiful peter mayer song which is now in our chill hymnal. And imagine says here with our ships companions all week indrid pilgrims falls. Making our way by the lights of the heavens and our beautiful blue boat home and one of the things that i love about these lines is the sense of the beautiful blue green earth. As our ship and all of our companions. All of those right here on our beautiful blue boat. No it's interesting to me that mayer uses the line pilgrim souls. And it's an echo of sorts. Now return to that a little bit later. Unpack some of the words that we experience and share with one another on sunday mornings because they're deep and rich and rooted and filled with meaning even as these teachings give us wings to live our lives and flourish and grow unitarian-universalism in its own new ways. The word covenant. Comes from a portuguese and latin word. K e r. Meaning to travel. Together. And i believe that's my cousin is a worthy conversation talking about covenant. It'll do we want to travel. Together. As a congregation. Even as a society. Perhaps word covenant sounds to you a little archaic. Perhaps it sounds solemn covenant. Did the truth or anybody that's anyone here this word covenant and think that. Archaic and solemn. And. Little foreboding sounding. Okay not everyone but some. Today i want to make my point my bigger point very clear with you i think covenant is actually far more interesting than the connotations we might carry for that word. I would do believe that covenant has incredible meaning for our lives and indeed as unitarian universalist. I do believe that covenant is really a conversation about how we build and grow our collective power and how we live together are deeper purpose. Ensure. Covenant is one of our core practices. Of living bravely. Covenant is also how. Unitarian universalism is practically organized. Let me say a few more words about covenant. Sometimes when some of us think of covenant we might all the sudden think about a biblical covenant. We might think about some sort of teachings on covenant that we learned or somehow picked up from the dominant culture that derives from the christian and hebrew bibles namely that covenant is what is inscribed on a stone tablet. Handed to people either all people or only some people by god from on high. A covenant is a special relationship between god and a people and there's rules and it came down in a tablet and you can find it in some ancient cat. That's often times what people think of when they think of covenant. Now that is one way to understand covenant. But theologically unitarian universalist one thing that does not connect us is a singular uniform conception of god. Or the divine or the holy or sacred. We don't come together on sunday morning to united in our common understanding of the figure of jesus as christ for example. Those some individuals might deeply cold in their own. Spiritual journey a close connection with jesus maybe even as christ. But here in our whole congregation we have a diverse way of talking about and understanding the sacred and holy. We say bring many names. We say gaia. We say the inevitable. Ineffable. We have some people who are ambivalent about the word god we have some people who are allergic to the word god. We say bring many names. So we do not understand for example that there is a god on high that is given to us as a people are particular covenant to uphold grounded in one single sacred texts or found on an agent. Yet. I've already given this away. Do you know. Covenant. Religion. Who makes the covenant. You know i met recently with it why are you you are the young religious unitarian universalist are high school age youth group. Boy what a big and vibrant group they are. This year that record numbers and one of the things we're doing a kickoff their time together was we were creating a covenant. I gave them a version of the same conversation i'm opening with you. Which is that covenant is away and unitarian-universalism that we organize and grow our collective power. How were not understood as power over. But power between. It's part of art deep roots to think of covenant as lateral power shared and grown between people. Infused with our highest ideals our deepest. Value and expressed an undergrad by our common shared. Purpose. So here's how we did it with the wire you i asked all the kids to write on index cards what do you think and keep in mind this is there a big group for them but they're smaller in number than all of us gathered here. For this group for your gathering together. About what you need to be part of this group important to you as an individual. What do you need to be part of this group and they wrote their answers on these index cards. And then i invited them consider what values do you think ought to be at the center. Of your time together when you gather. And they created a stack of his. And then we mix them all together and we shared what do you think. We had two leaders chair. What the group had come to and i had tears in my eyes. Afterwards. I wasn't the only one i did look at the other youth advisors and there was. Definitely some. Tears and i think. I've only speak for myself there were tears of recognition. About what is most important. In human relationships. And how valuable it can be to make explicit. What matters most. I won't give away their cousin and i need to ask them whether they be willing to have me share with the adult the covenant that the created but something's they said that it was important that they be able to come and just be who they are. It was important that people not make fun of each other. And their concept they're untie their values where things like compassion care. They were doing covenant and forming covenant. And that's because covenant is both a noun and a verb. The covenant is what a group. Create. In the process of. Making a covenant. A covenanting. Is the process so there's a product and a process and both are deeply valuable. I will show you this morning that i think use this is mike. use often have an easy time. Building covenant. They want to say about what matters most to them. They are relieved to find a place where they can say it. And had to be held in a group and have there be some containers from process by which a group makes visible what matters most to them. In my experience has been that adults have a heart attack. I think it has to do with some of our connotations. That we bring. Which idea. Covenant being delivered on high. I think also adults get worried like if a company going to be bunch of rules. Because he's going to tell me what to do. I think kevin is also hard cuz we get nervous about talking about relationship you mean we're going to talk about it. But can't we just do it. Cuz we know how to be in relationship. With each other. But i asked in your life how easy is it. To have deep for filling meaningful respectful relationships. Not always the easiest. Martin buber is an ethicist and philosopher who said we human beings we are promised making. Thomas breaking. Promise keepers as human beings. As adults what i want to say is that of course we are each our own people. That is so very good. And when we came to the arch alice play my often speak about the light. The honors each individual person. The light of spark of the divine in each individual person and the cup. The collective the context of community. I am. I want to lift up that victoria safford cause covenant. Affirmations of our interdependence. Because as adults and young ones we are each individuals and with that we have great power. And a spider-man says i think with great power comes great responsibility. Peter parker they get that right yeah okay. In unitarian universalism what we understand is that it matters that we have human power. It matters very much and with that we think about power as being both our words and our.. We think about what it means to create and build a covenant together expression with our powers of human speech and our powers of our human words what we share. What are common green azar. Covenant is not about laws or legalese. In fact. As a minister one of the deep toys that i have is to officiate wedding. And when i do this i often meet with couples we talked about their valles. And people say what how does it go with a value no do just give it to me or just some samples or should we write our own and i say all of the above. There's certainly language that we can draw from and i also invite you to. Consider whether you want to express and write your own down. And i've had very moving experience is a couples listening to their story and then hearing them exchanged now dolls that are as diverse as every pairing and it said any individual could be valves that are humorous and vows that are poignant. And vows that are pointed. And 1000r irreverence. Dolls that are hopeful. Dolls that are. Realistic and optimistic. Bowels are not legally binding. What they are is. Expressions of commitment. Their promises that we make. They are our intentions made audible. And therefore. They command a particular power. Stronger that if then if they were unexpressed. We might not live into our vowels. Everyday. But that's the thing about it now. It's there to be returned to. It gives language to that which has become the foundation of the relationship. When bowels are broken. Is possible to start conversation. To return to the spirit of the relationship to. Try to make amends with one another. See if the men's can be made. And sometimes repair can occur. And sometimes as you know in your lives. It is possible to repair the relationship. And sometimes. It is not. Val's are infused with our deepest sense of hope. Commitment. And values. In congregational life are expressed covenant is much like. Marriage vows much more like marriage vows. And much less likely ali's. Our bylaws tell us how to do things. But the covenant expresses our quality of relationship and our deeper commitment to each other. That how we want to agree. Travel with one another. I do not mean to say to say today that when you become a member. Will you participate in our covenanted community you're getting married. But i do mean to. And she's our conversation about cutting it with a little bit more. Death and reflection. I didn't get to share with you all today about the history of covenant as i so wanted to. It goes back to our puritan roots and ancestors. I said earlier today how much i love dark the something to him about our beautiful blue boat home and how echoed. When he talks about pilgrims. And i tried i get back to that with you. And i haven't. And our time is almost up for 2. But i did know that there be more to say that could ever happen on one sunday. And so we will pick up this conversation next week. But i hope to share with you a little bit more about the roots of. Covenant. And how it is that we come to claim and champion is unitarian universalist are sent the covenant is expressed with lateral power. Between people. I invited us to go forward. Thinking about our human powers. To create. Human relationships as meaning and value that are infused with our highest hopes. Please come again next week in here a little bit more. Blessed be and amin. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

151227_kd_bearing-gifts.mp3

Welcome to the december 27th service at the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. The service today is led by reverend karen day. Who is introduced by worship associate allen plumber. Karen's sermon is titled. Bearing gifts. Karen is a uu community minister whose headquartered in floyd but makes her presence known throughout. And everywhere thanks for being with us today. Are most famous religious educator sophia lion father says. Each night i child is born is a holy night. And i think that's what this story is about to. On the day you were born. So just think back. To the day you were born. And imagine. This. On the eve of your birth. Word of your coming passed from animal to animal. The reindeer told the arctic tern. Who told the humpback whales. Who told the pacific salmon. Who told the monarch butterflies. Who told the green turtles who told the european eel. Who told the busy garden warblers. And the marvelous news. Migrated worldwide. While you waited in darkness. Chin curled tunies. The earth and her creatures with the sun and the moon. They all moved in their places. Each. Ready. Greet you. The very first moment of the very first day that you arrived. On the day you were born the round planet earth. Turned towards your morning sky. Whirling past darkness. Spinning the night. Intilight. On the day you were born. Gravity strong pool. Tell you to earth. With a promise. That you would never float away. Well deep in space the burning sun sent up towering flames. Lighting your sky from dawn. Until.. On the day you were born the quiet moonglow. An offer to bring a fulbright face. Each month to your windowsill. And high above the north pole polaris the glittering northstar. Stood still. Shining silverlight. Into your night sky. On the day you were born. The moon pulls on the ocean. And wave by wave a rising tide. Washed the beaches cleanup footprints. Well far out at sea clouds well with water drops altucher on a win and rained you a welcome. Across the earth's green lanterns. On the day you were born. A forest of tall trees collected the sun's light in their leaves. Where in silence. Mystery. They made oxygen for you to breathe. Wawa close to your skin. And that's high as the sky. Are. Rustin and blue about. Invisibly protecting you. And. All the living things on. On the day. You were born. The earth turned. The moon told the sun flared and then with a pushy slipped out of the dark quiet. We're suddenly. You could hear. A circle of people singing. With voices familiar. And clear. Welcome. To the spinning world. You're tiny new hair. Welcome to the greening earth. They wrapped. And i. How to close. Into you or. Curving ear. We are so glad you. Have come. Say the ones who give you birth. In excelsis deo. Welcome to the spinning world. Welcome to the greening earth. We are so glad you have come. They the ones who gave you birth. Glow. Our practice. How do you use cnrv. Is 2. Share our plate. With. Local organizations and. Ashley organizations and efforts that are far-flung. And our half plate collection today. Or have plate recipient today is the raft crisis hotline. The hotline is a program of the new river valley community services. And it offers paraprofessional. Phone counseling services to the community. Volunteers provide suicide and crisis intervention. Empathy and support. Mental health and substance abuse information and referral. 4 people in the counties of montgomery. Floyd. Giles. Preview askey and the city of radford. Raft is the only crisis hotline in denver in virginia. Affiliated with and located within. Community service board. This provides raft collars with continual access to professionals and trained volunteers. Counseling information referral. And support. I will we will gather today. Are offering together. While we enjoy. The music. There's one in the closet. Please join me in reading. Are unison reading. As a sign of our. Commitment. To the ministry of this congregation. And our mission. Both locally. And elsewhere. We come together. To affirm hope and care. Within and beyond our walls. Today we gather our resources of spirit word. Action. And are fun. Disappoint this congregation. And our larger community. We recognize that in sharing. And giving and receiving. We participate in a circle of care. With no beginning. And no ending. In which all benefit. All are valued. And beloved community. Is made whole. Let's pause now. And enter a time. Of meditation and prayer. We settle this morning into that space. For the innermost spirit. They speak to us. We settle. Knowing. That we carry sorrows. That we carry joyce. Worries. Thoughts. Cares. The pull us away from this very moment. What we ask now. Is to feel. The gift. The earth beneath our feet. Gif. The air that pills are lungs each time. We open. Gift of the silence so deep and embracing. So ever-present. Always there to comfort us. And the gift of these companions. Surrounding us. Willing to love and care. To help with us when we lose hope. Let us know them. Now this moment. In the silence. Okay this is one you all know. And i'm sure we have strong voices out there. So let's try singing together we three kings of orient are. Number 259. Can stay seated. We three kings of orient are. Rain gauge. Star with royal beauty. Frankincense. Incenso. Westward leading still proceeding. Breeze alive gathering. Sorrowing siding bleeding lying still go to. Westward leading still. Born. Love. See that star star of wonder star of light. Star with royal beauty bright. Westward leading still proceeding guide us to. Beautiful. A responsive reading is number 615 so if you'll just turn to that. You've heard this before. But this morning. Let's try to really take in each word. And so. But this responsive reading. Look at the words. And if there's a line that you feel moved to read. When it comes to that line. You can read it. We might have one voice. We might have several voices. But each line. Will emerge. On the silence. As you feel moved. To read. I like that. Pilgrimage. That the wise ones took. I like. Having a star to guide me. And knowing where i'm going. And knowing what i need to bring. Have you ever had those days where. You know all that. Well. Moments maybe. When you say yeah. That's where i need to go. You look. That's how i'm going to get there. And yes. This is what i need to take and i have it with me. That kind of pilgrimage. Carey's hair salon. In certain moments. So i brought some symbol. We have a little nativity scene at home and. Mccabe says that these remind him of the. The dress the manner of the folks on the altiplano bolivia. So i imagine that these are the wise ones from bolivia. Kind of hard to tell who exactly they are but. They're carrying. Their gifts. With them. So they must have just arrived. And then of course they put them down. I've been there empty-handed. And the story says. They go home another way. Empty-handed is another way. Without a star to guide is. Another way. They knew where they were going but. Things were a little fearful on their way home. So these can remind us of the pilgrimage. But. Now. That part's over. And we're in that. Either way. Mccabe anaya step down from the leadership of plenty. The community food organization in floyd that. Weave. Created and nourished. 4/8 years. That was a good star when it was going. I would wake up but no. We're going to share food today. And i didn't really need much but i knew i had what i needed or it would come. People would bring it. And then we could just pass out again. What's a good pilgrimage. And now everyday. Someone says. So what's next. What are you going to do. I'm empty-handed. Have you ever felt that way. Like you can't see the star. Like you're not sure. What your direction is. And this is all you have. Anybody. Once in awhile. Tell. Unsure what to do. We took a trip. Kind of like to a star. To see my friend. K jorgensen. She was my teacher at the faithful fools. And now. She's almost 84 she has parkinson's. And she's in a nursing home in berkeley california and it just happens that my daughter is going to school in berkeley now. So it was a good place to go. Am i'm not sure if i thought maybe i would. Get some wisdom some guidance. But i did show up empty-handed. And k was. Puttering about her room she moves with a walker. And. I just walked in and said i'm here. She said oh good. I'm so glad to see you. We had to take care of some practical things first. I don't know if the. Wise ones ever had to do that on their way well i guess maybe they did you know eating drinking peeing all the. We took care of that. And then we went out for a walk in the garden they have a beautiful garden in the middle of the nursing home but. You can only go out if someone's with you. Can't go out by yourself. And. The staffer. Overworked or busy. Hey says overworked i say what's wrong with them. They have a lot to do. But i took her out. And she wheeled her walker and we looked at every little leaf and flower. And we sat down even though it was a little chilly. We wanted to sit and look at the clouds and feel the fresh air because every time she walks out a door she goes. Fresh air. Is a gift. And then we went back inside because it was yoga with betty. And. There's a circle of folks in wheelchairs but. Hey sits in her seat and i sit in my seat end. First thing she has ass do is stretch out our arms. Rita bar hansen. Betty comes over 2k and she said. What's happened to your. Cans. Oliver finger tips are purple. That really cold. And i realize that. I should have. Maybe gotten some gloves for something. But. Betty took care of it lots of circulation. And before you knew it everything was in the pink again. At the end of yoga. The. Activities directors come in and they turn people's wheelchairs around and. A piano player comes. And starts playing christmas carols. So can i start singing christmas carols and. Most of the other people can't necessarily sing but you see some movement you see some maybe a smile it. And one guy next to me. Empire moving his hand i think to the music. And we sing. Joyously we just keep going and going and if we don't know the words because we weren't given any song sheets we just. Home alone we don't care lalala. Great. And i'm turn this way and. There's a thump. And the guy who's next to me in the wheelchair has fallen out of its wheelchair. And i thought. Where is somebody. Somebody do something. But no one was right there so i. Got down next to him and put my hand under his head because had was kind of against the. Keter thing and. Then. A couple of nurses rush dannon. Attended to him and got him back in his wheelchair and. Wheeled him away and. Songs. Went on. The songs went on. That was my pilgrimage. To mistar. I guess. Feels like the. The bad news is. The work of christmas. Finding the lost. Healing the broken. Rescuing. Justice. That stuff is never done. There's always more. And the even worse news is. Even when you try to do it. You fail. Hot cheeto to put gloves on k. That would have been good healing the broken. I should have been watching that guy. That would have been good. Doing the work of christmas. Feels very daunting to me. That was a long list. Somehow the pilgrimages easier. Let me know where we're going when we know what to do. When we don't think about. Is this enough. But. Good news 2. The good news. The message that universalist have been preaching for years and years. Is that the world welcomes. The world wants us. And it doesn't matter. That were failures. The star keep shining. It doesn't matter if we bring more. Lol that reminds us of death and sorrow. The star keeps. Shining. Universalist say that. Each one of us. Is a gift. To the world. To me it's a little easier to say. You are a gift to the world. And you are a gift to the world. Then it is to say. I am a gift. The world. That just feels like you know. Bragging are. My mother told me not to do that and. Can't be right anyway because of those gloves. I'm sure she didn't think i was a gift in that moment. But that's what they say. What's the world interested in. Pipe. The world just keeps making more of it. Yeah. Look out there. You think it's dead. Things start growing. May not happen in your garden but in your compost heap. Things are growing all the time. The world wants life. In the best way. To make life is love. Bob makes new life. You know that's true. You know it in you. The life. Put down. Temperature. Hands. And your legs your feet. That's the shape of life. That's d unique shape. That life made you. And if you think that life is a gift to you. You're the shape of it. That means if life is a gift to me i'm the shape of it. Look down again. Can you just like. Say it or shot it. I whispered to yourself. Inside. And then look around. I mean. Life isn't just. This shape. Life is. This shape. Incredible. It keeps reshaping look at you and look at you. Look at you. How can life be this shape cuz i mean i have osteoporosis and i have asthma and i'm a mess. But life isn't this shape. Life is your shape. No matter what's going on in there. It's amazing cast. That's what. We've been promised just like the earth promised gravity. To hold on to us. We are promised that are shape. Of life. It's perfect. And perfectly evolving. Always changing. And universalist didn't preach this from a place of position or power. Like we're perfect and we're going to stay that way and we're going to keep all you other folks who aren't perfect out. No universalist for the most part were folks in the country and small towns. Who looked around and sad. Moving from a place of fear. The fear of hell can't be right. We're going to move from a place of love. And their neighbor said you're crazy. What's wrong with you the world's going to fall apart if you try doing that. They were reviled. But they stuck to it. They lived it. Mermaid in love. Whatever it is that mysterious source of life out there. Its shape. This. It shaped each of us this is in all of us. So i can't just say i'm a gift. Without saying yorick. You're a gift. Keurig. I do the whole thing. So. Our affirmation of faith. Which i am making up in this moment. And which i invite you. To say or sing after me. And if you feel like you have to stand up to say it or sing it do it and if you feel like you have to whisper do it and if you feel like you can only listen. Do it. What. I believe. What. We believe. I am a gift to the world. I am a gift to the world. Again. I am a gift to the word. Second line. I am a gift to the world. I am a gift to the world. I am a gift. I am a gift. We could even. I am a gift. I am i am a gift to the world. I am a gift to the world. Okay sweetheart. Baby 5. I am a gift to the world. Imma get to the war. I am a gift. I am a gift. I am gifted. So what's thing that all together. Banana parts. I know somebody out there wants to stand up right now. Here we go. I am a gift to the world i am a gift to the world i am a gift i am a gift i am a gift to the world you are a gift. We are the world we are. You are. We are we are the world. Okay so i was thinking about this since 6 a.m. so course i'm stoked about it. But there's still the shadows inside. I know you're not. So if you feel feel if you feel filled up with those shadows. Let them be. Whatever those places are inside whether they're shining. Bright as a star. Or feeling. Shadowy. Heavy and shaded. That's you. That's your shape of life today. Neil douglas klotz has an interpretation of the lord's prayer that feels really universalist to me. A couple of lines. Radiant one. You shine. Within us. Outside us. Even darkness shine. When we remember. Radiant one you shine within us outside us even darkness shines. When we remember. We all look elsewhere for this light. It draws us out of ourselves. But the name always lives within. I believe. When we remember. But the name lives within. That it shines out of me. Then. I can do the work of christmas. I know you're rosewill open friends. I know. I want to know that my soul will unfurl its wings. Let's dare2b gifts. What's dare to shine. And do the work of christmas. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

160807_dr_ideas-peddler.mp3

Welcome to the august 7th service of the unitarian universalist congregation in blacksburg virginia. Today is the first service. Led by our interim minister. Reverend on rollins. Reverend dawn's morning message. Title. The ideas peddler. There's a wonderful story from. Sarah ellis. And it's called the ideas peddler. And what happens in the story is that there are the usual things around town. There are markets and peddler selling their wares and they talk about flippers and all kinds of interesting things with these. Peddlers are. Are pushing. Good stuff though. One day a peddler comes and simply sits on her rug. Can nobody can figure out what is going on. Secretary the time people start checking out the new person. And they find out that she is sending them on things that never sophie by the way. And sophie is telling folks that it's going to be okay what i want you to do is to think about seahorses and if they went backwards how cool that would be. Responses were not very clear because the metaphor was not very clear. Damaged. It goes on then goes on to talk about how it is. This group of people follow the ideas at riverview as well as by the way. And he would say that every charge megan nickel pro plan for its fancy for an idea and then the mayor comes asked what what are you doing here what is it you're selling how can you do this an adverb are tiny seeds right now that this very well thank you. Heather says what i do is offer ideas and then the varsity of these are not really ideas you just making the stuff opposite do actually there's a house in my town. We really talked about it like you were asking things like what if the ocean doesn't come up. The idea folks district talk about ideas. And i will share the whole story probability children some point the takeaway here is that. Idsi donate or sell baby believe ideas are the things that get us to the next place and that's trapeze bar and quickly think about what yet but it and that's what i do for a living i'm lucky very fortunate.. Wonderful story ideas peddler reading it again. I'm reminded of the power of a good yarn. The transcend time. A culture and these foolish artificial boundaries that we put up. What's that believe some of the holiest rit. Ever put before a western culture began with things like once upon a time. And let me tell you a story. To let me tell you a story about a story. 29 years ago this november i was ordained into the ministry of religious education by first unitarian universalist columbus ohio. In order to seal that deal the ordination committee called in six ministers five lay leaders one district executive a couple of musician buds and some speaker i swear to god i've never met before. There was little protocol going on. Just as i requested frankly. No lofty erudite charge to set the world ablaze with love. No fancy quotes from emerson no nostalgic singing of rank by rank. And no laying on of hands like it was third century wrong. Truth be told it was more of a good-natured roast than anything to do with ordination. Just some upbeat tunes. Gentle jibes. Sound advice and oh yes story from cricket magazine. The ideas peddler. I just heard peddler is an oculus littletale 445 the seahorses and there are friendly trolls in there and all kinds of stuff. But placed in the hands of my colleague on that cloudy afternoon. Heather became a challenge and a charge. Vocelli's to live and leave without apology. And encourage that another's. And it's yours to resist the timing bound ideas and inertia and idolatries of convention my mentor look me in the eye and told me to risk failure in the service of the possible. And be willing to. Change in order to serve better. This liberal religion is ours. That measure was the reverend miss choir. She was. And she offered the brief closing commentary when something like this if you really want to be somebody's minister hold up to who you are grow some skin plant some ideas and love the people that you say you love. Respect your detractors. Have some fun let go of outcomes cuz it ain't always about you. As mitch spoke it occurred to me how blessed i was to have these guys in my life each one season ideas peddler. There was carl. Girl who. Girl who coached me to trust my gifs even when it got me and hot water there was carol who taught me that good administration is good ministry. Betty who told me when a committee. Betty who told me when a committee member has you once again wanted to bang your head against them there's desk. Shut up. Shut your pie shut your pie hole and love them. It was carl who coached me to trust my gassy when i got me out wires i told you and betty of course with that mitch came back again this time she said model the world world word know your folks need to be able to set boundaries they are busy people they are crushed sometimes under the load of work and love. Teaching how to say no. Niku believe that wrote that predictable worship is no worship at all. And young joe who counsel thee to keep my sense of humor even in the most dysfunctional times including my own. Focus on work not or an orthodox ordination was really just a parade of ideas feathers. People who push ideas for living. Professional leaders who said to me have your head on your shoulders and your fire in your belly. And looking back i would have been proud to have any one of those ministers as mine. What do i do with the next few minutes is 1. Did you better sense about how i came to you. The number to. Highlight the similarities and differences between what i do for a living and what dara does for a living. The differences between settled ministry and intra ministry. And then of course i want to close with the second story. Quick background so if you already know this stuff. Born and raised in southeastern ohio the landscape there the culture there is very similar to southwestern virginia. I was adopted at birth spent my growing-up years sitting on a bar stool next to my dad and a church pew next to my mom what else could i be but a unitarian. I have one older sister in my adopted family i can account for seven siblings so far half or full and the biological side we're still looking. After entirely lackluster 12 years spent disrespecting school teachers band directors and coaches i've actually graduated. Earned a bachelor's eventually 7 years later and social studies education. And then the to amaze. Along the way i had a son with my first wife and have worked in every major region of this country. And three canadian provinces. I served our congregations from a 20-member fellowship in maine to a 550 strong church. In raleigh. I haven't made a stack of money but i have met some amazing people i have seen some amazing places. It's been quite a journey for hell-raising kid from a trailer park in the sticks. So i come to your most recently from a two-year timeout from parish ministry. My partner and you believe me from what you seen this morning's weather most patients souls on the earth. We came off the entrance road. To move next door to my sister my 93 year old mother. I spent the first of those two years as a teacher and a case manager with the local juvenile court. The second counseling juveniles again and adults living with addiction. Trinidad very quickly. Books amex. someone i always experience coming back for a movement and that is some re-entry culture shock. I have been with some of the poorest people in the 4th poorest county in ohio. And i have been trained in talking about class differences and taking some of those things to our congregation. So when i leave our congregations there is his transition once again to the folks i can who are just not going to make it without the services we offer. In that that agency. So there's that that piece of going back in. And now i'm experiencing that coming back out. We're again there are things moving in the end up taking her home shouldn't be moving if you know what i mean. And there are bed bugs and their folks were just hurt. That's where i've been for the last 2 years i'm finding myself acclimating once again. To those of us most of us in the room. Who have some. Some measure of resources. During those two years i was not out of ministry i was served as he feel like philly ated community minister to our congregation in athens ohio. And by the way i'll go home one weekend for a month and serve them at. Pulpit supply. My partner mary also works in addiction field and she and her two teenage children matt and samantha live in her house there ohio. One more personal note. Maybe you can tell but i'm an introvert. I'm also a picky vegetarian regular exerciser decent musician considered baseball my true religion except. The new york yankees. What. As metronomic contributor to a small politically liberal paper out of texas that gauges fell in my lap it's been to. This wonderful. Musically my tastes run from sinatra to patsy cline to hendricks to bettye lavette. Did the drive-by truckers tom waits amy winehouse johnny cash bruce cockburn and of course you agree with me that the greatest song ever written is percy sledge as what. No. When a man loves a woman it gets no better. Identifies religious humanist. I use god talk and i think jesus pretty swell. That's a modest norwegians i served up in minnesota are want to say and that's about me let's talk to her. Enter ministry. What are the most challenging things that i do when i first started ministry is described as folks. What it is to experience accredited interim ministry. Cuz we look more or less like our are settled colleagues we talk more or less the same way we go to the same seminaries. We look like them folks. And we love them and hopefully they love us back. We leave services we go to meetings we visit the troubled we supervise staff witness for justice see that to the marion in the burien. A little wonder that for many of years congregation considers us as placeholders for the next settle minister. Understood. The differences are real. Unimportant. Let me explain those differences three ways. Way one. While most settled ministers place great importance on their relationship with their permission. Spy definition. Most accredited interim ministers focus on the relationship between those parishioners. And they're articulated values. And their structure. So it's always about you. But looking at your new mission statement that's my job is chris. So i look at that. And i think about ways that i can hook you up. Along the way. So it's about how we can look at the mission. Your new eyes and think about the structures that have been created to serve the previous mission. Do we keep him do we update them for the weekend. Way to explain the difference in addition to the usual ministerial stuff we come as trained organizational consultant. Grounded in our liberal tradition. Eager to join each system oceans system and offer the best ideas we know. Wave 3. We may know a lot about church but you know a lot about your church. That's keeper. So this ministry is heavy on the innards of a congregation. Read all those meetings because we know mission statements and covenants mean little it's are not embraced at the board meetings. Team meetings. And staffing. Tours in those rooms to support you. And those rims to laugh with you. The offer proven practices that will sometimes rock your world. This is a rock towers. And one of the trade-offs for this. Degree of specialization is that we don't socialize as much as are settled ministers and brothers. Stop because we don't love you, pre-loved guarantee you that. The forging close relationships is not what this work is about. So we tend to do most of our socializing at church events. I will not say no by the way miss put the flag outfit. I felt a lot of time in the evenings. Likewise we spend somewhat less time and pet direct pastoral care that are settled colleagues. We do stay up-to-date we sure do staying in the loop about fastro needs. We work with late leaders to decide when a ministerial presence is needed and when it is we're there. Send the info to body has to love this work and they whine a little bit. Being separated from place and loved ones never gets easier at least. Not for me. Logistics of moving and getting settled or off and draining thank those of you who have gotten me some furniture by the way i appreciate it they are currently posted the craigslist. I'm kidding marga i'm just i'm just kidding bad joke but it's a joke. And then there's keeping up with this evolving field of congregational studies and i could so go off-script right here cuz that's my passion. But the church has changed so much. And i believe that some places we lag behind i'm talking about we being ministers as well. But keeping up with that feels. Spending the time in the money to wade beef to wade into those. Those places speaking of waiting in. A credit entry ministers are oftentimes the ministers who go into some of our more trouble congregation. Foundations. Play some just flat-out like the fight. So why you complete. I do love this work. It's been kind of a ramshackle service but i want to check if you take nothing else away please take away this covenant. This covenant i offer you. Buy covenant with you to offer the best ministry i know. And i apologize in ahead of time. For those points where i will fall short of that goal. I'll give you the best i got. Here's what i asked in return. I can only after two things. But you give me a fair hearing. And that whatever else happens you come up with your own creative creative ideas. And you put them to work. Cuz that's where we are and congregations these days we have all the facts we need we have all the data we need. What we need is heart. I trusted each other. I trust that good things come forth from the human breast. That is our mission ugly. So. This is the covenant i offer you. Notice professional segway back to ideas. You see what happened there. Youtube minister rodger berkshire housing now serves as executive director to our partner church council. Hey tells about the time that he decided to take a chance instead of play it safe i offered to you as cautionary tale less we don't follow the heart in the muse. She's my colleague was leaving one of those workshops on using art materials to represent one's image of god or whatever is of ultimate value. Without longing to the exercise there's a problem. He writes. I'll be honest i wasn't initially honest with that class. I hate this kind of project. I have voices whispering in my ear you are not creative you do not have an artistic bone in your body. There is going to laugh at what you create. Don't do this. So i figured as a leader a nephew letter workshop you know i'm going to say so i figured as a leader of the class i'd make myself too busy to do the project. But then the better angels of my nature whisper to me you better do this project buddy so i took a deep breath and i tried to open myself up to this creative process. As i sit looking at the supplies. By terry. And then i thought about the images of the divine that spoke to me. I found myself imagining a craggy tree. Seemingly growing out of a rock. I love seeing that little miracle nature it speaks to me of what i think is important. The unquenchable spirit of life beautifully imperfect and tenacious which springs for sometimes where you least expect. For him the divine is grounded in this world he continues. So. The black play-doh became the earth. Gold pipe cleaners became the tree trunk green pipe cleaners the leaves. The shining half marbles became the rocks. I created my own image of the divine and i absolutely loved it. It was not an artistic masterpiece. But it means something to me. What's it looking at my thought. Where did that come from. And i. Mccauley dissing reflection. Where it came from maybe was process theology. Which asserts that we croco create this world. Again my fellow humanist at the word get you gone use love life whatever. God is the force pulling us forward he writes god is the force encouraging us to be good and hold. Change if you need to. God is love. But we make decisions we take actions and god doesn't do those things for us god doesn't make the dentist do anything. We do those things. Perhaps an increasing influence by whatever we call holy. Or not. We are playmates with god. Archer playground is this world. So it continues. In the process view. Everything we helped create. Everything we do. Shapes the world. Each of our individual lives as one giant creative exercise with each step forward we create something sometimes it's beautiful sometimes it's not. But each moment of life each step forward. We have a choice to make. We have a choice to pause before that inner voice. This is what process theology means when it says we co-create the world. He finishes up. The implication of this understanding is that we are all creative. And then he says if you're alive. Your creative. Even if you can't draw a stick figure you can try madeline even if you are tone deaf and dance like you have to feed. Tell him myself i wasn't creative was a lie. It was a lie. He finished by saying again. We are all creative. Set with me folks. We are all creative say it again. We are all created and once more. We are all created. I believe that. You've been listening to a sermon from the unitarian universalist meeting house located in blacksburg virginia. For more information about our congregation please visit our website at uuc and rv. org.

uucnrv_org

150517_posse-16.mp3

Hi folks. A lot of great things will be happening in the congregation over the coming year. We had to announce one of them. You're looking at the posse 16 dream team. And supporters that's far. We want to take. 3 minutes to give you your first glimpse of posse 16 and weeks and months to come you'll be hearing much more about it. Pisces 16 is an idea for us to spent send a large contingent. Perhaps thirty or even more there's not an upper limit. People to the 2016 unitarian universalist general assembly. And columbus ohio june 22nd to 26. 13 months away. The group will be diverse and include in addition to a minister and veteran members. Younger members couple's children and youth and perhaps some families wrapping a vacation around it. The general assembly rga is an exciting spiritually enriching and energizing venue. The workshops discussions plenary sessions joint worship. Recreational activities. It has numerous you you interest groups such as uu humanist uu buddhist you you pagans you you were mystics. To name a few. 4000 euros are expected to be there from around the country and around the world. Are national and international leaders will be there uu activist theologians and visionaries will be there. Those of us who went to j2014 in providence rhode island. Felt the experience to be transformative. And we are convinced that you you. C posse 16. Similarly will send back to our congregation a phalanx of newly inspired members. To enrich. An energized our congregation and its mission. We are beginning now so as to our dream team as well as individuals and families. A maximum of lead time to plan for it. By the way in columbus is only 300 miles away. There's more info coming but that's all for now except. Please on the. Dessert table. Pick up one of these flyers as you leave. Thank you.