Hope is generated through the songs, symbols and celebrations of the winter holiday season. It’s generated through stories both of acts “Divine” and “Human”. Invite a friend and join us for worship at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Santa Clarita Valley on Sunday, December 4th for an exploration of how you can “Occupy Hope”!
Each Sunday I invite folks to share their reflections, their spiritual perspectives and experiences with another another, because this is one of the gifts of caring liberal religious community. It’s one of the ways we grow to understand and guide our life’s journey, and help one another do likewise. Along those lines, here’s what I can say today about my own journey:
Because of my upbringing, I draw heavily from the Judeo-Christian cultural traditions. I appreciate their rituals and writings, and although I often wish that I could feel centered in their theologies, the fact is that I don’t. While my spiritual practice includes prayer, and may include reference to God or other biblical figures or stories, the God of my prayers is not the omnipotent author of creation. S/he is creation. To me, God is the non-gendered ultimate and sum total of all that is, and all that is possible – which is far more than ever can be comprehended by human beings. When I pray to God, I open myself to Truths larger than myself, hoping that they might flow through me as insight and clarity regarding how best to live out the great Truth of Interdependence. This latter experience is of a mystical nature, and it can occur in diverse situations/settings (particularly in nature, with animals, or in bearing witness to the poignancy of human experience: expressions of pain and joy, the unexpected kindnesses of strangers, the courageous revealing of deep truths). It can also occur in moments not usually considered “prayerful” (such as in moments of conflict, or heated dissention).
My theology is strengthened through attentiveness to each moment, each relationship, as an opportunity to deepen spiritual understanding and connection. As such, it is grounded through and enriched by respect for the uniqueness of individual journeys – including those journeys expressing a theology different from my own. And I am deeply moved and continuously inspired anew by this liberal religious tradition, which guides so many individuals to seek lives of moral integrity; to reveal to one another their strengths and vulnerabilities; and to recognize covenanted sharing as central not only to their well being but to the greater good. I honor Unitarian Universalist ministry as a grave and joyous responsibility, and I pledge my own commitment to serve with integrity, enthusiasm, and authenticity.
This Sunday’s Ingathering worship service (“Wade In The Water”) will highlight a Water Communion Ceremony. Bring along a few drops representing a time or place special to you!
This morning I read about an initiative of the Christian Right against the FAIR Education Act – intended to provide students with accurate information about GLBT history, and to protect GLBT students from discrimination. Apparently right-wing Christians in California are mobilizing with a propaganda campaign that, among other things, minimizes, normalizes, and celebrates “bullying” as a natural rite of passage.
And so the teachings of love proclaimed by their God are twisted and shredded and laid upon the graves of children. Yet another generation of children will be subjected to psychological and physical violence – whether they claim a GLBT identity or are perceived in any way to be different from the cultural stereotype of “normal”. Yet another generation of children will be faced with the impossible task of integrating the central Christian teaching of love with the publicly promoted initiative to harass and shun their peers to the brink of despair (which all too often leads to a grave). The religious incongruity and brutality of this stance is baffling to me.
If you would like to find out more about this issue and how you can make a difference, check out EQUALITY CALIFORNIA.
There are those who reject all religion because of “the problems it has created in the world” – and clearly there are many such problems to point to. But it is simplistic to say that “religion causes all people to care less about this life” or that it “slows down society’s progression”. That’s just not true!
Religion has guided many people throughout history to seek the path of love and justice; to risk their lives in support of those timeless unifying values. Much of society’s progression can be directly linked to those who were/are guided to those values through their religion.
But what if, in the name of love and justice, a religion guides its followers to fear, hatred, divisiveness and violence? How can UU’s engage in meaningful, respectful conversation with folks whose idea of what religion is or should be is negating? What if they reject religion outright and/or don’t even consider Unitarian Universalism a religion in the first place? Does it even matter whether UU is a religion?
Let’s start with definitions. The most popular traditional definition of religion lifts up belief in/worship of a supernatural being (God/s) as a requirement.
According to that definition Unitarian Universalism is not a religion because Unitarian Universalism does not mandate belief in God. (At best, it is viewed as one philosophy among many. At worst, it is viewed as a tool of Satan.)
However, Unitarian Universalism lifts up the freedom to define and redefine itself! As a “living tradition” it seeks to honor accumulated experiences and acquired wisdoms in order to come ever closer to that which is found to be true. Over time, that has resulted in Unitarian Universalism being self-defined as a “religion” that does not require belief in God. With freedom as a cornerstone, alongside love and justice, it celebrates diversity of religious thought.
But when that thought is divisive, when it negates our claimed freedom to engage in spiritual exploration that is deeply personal, guided by integrity and authenticity, we bump up against quite a challenge. It’s hard to be tolerant of those who are intolerant. It’s hard to be loving toward those who hate in the name of love. There’s no easy answer on how to do that – especially within the context of a religion committed to not mandating the specifics of religious belief or behavior!
In terms of whether or not it is important for Unitarian Universalism to be recognized as a religion, I certainly think it is. And I stand by the freedom to define it, among other things, as a religion that does not require a belief in God.
With that said, I’ve often been frustrated by Unitarian Universalists and others who think we are best defined as a philosophy, a social club or political club, rather than as a religion.
Of course they are “free” to think as they wish! But when we define Unitarian Universalism as a religion, we recognize it as directly linked through time and space with all those who have felt awe and wonder at life’s mysteries; have felt called to service not because it’s a “cool thing to do” but because of a deep-seated awareness of their place in the larger circle of humanity. In so doing, we recognize ourselves as dependent upon and responsible to something much greater than our immediate identities. And there is much needed comfort, strength and inspiration in that.
As a religion, Unitarian Universalism places itself on the spectrum of everything that religion has been known to be and has the potential to be: divisive, violent, irresponsible, injust, etc. on one end of the spectrum, right up to loving, healing, creative, nurturing, equitable, inspiring, etc. on the other.
As a religion, Unitarian Universalism does not disassociate itself from the harm that religion has created over time, or has the potential yet to create. We are not hiding under the moniker of “philosophy” or “world view” as a way to avoid challenging conversations. Instead, we’re working with everything that we were, that we are, and that we seek to become – united not by the specifics of beliefs, but by the values we covenant to have guide our actions.
Invite a friend and come to the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Santa Clarita Valley for a special “Potpourri” worship service inspired by these questions:
Tell us about the importance of Olympia Brown…what will the history of this church be…what’s the UU perspective on assisted death…why don’t UUs provide much help to fledgling congregations (in terms of financial and administrative support)…how is it that Unitarian Universalist morality is different from moral relativism…how are atheists part of UU…do most UU’s believe in God…how can UU parents balance the challenge of being accepting and non-judgmental, while helping our children understand the power and influence of social norms they are exposed to…what do clear thinking Unitarian-Universalists have to say and recommend regarding the threat of progressively increasing and disasterous excessive world population…what about abortion & religion…how can we make the over-riding issue of peace, on which all others depend, a reality…how can we overcome the perceived apathy, assumed ignorance of issues, and the frustration we feel in providing a more robust presence within the congregation and the larger community…what are the UU views in terms of monogamy or polyamory…if UU was was to split into Unitarian on one side and Universalists on another, what group would you be part of…where do UU’s stand with regard to the Israeli-Palestinian issue…when will the world end and when did it begin…how did dinosaurs get killed…how can a monster or haunted thing be alive…how do dinosaurs stomp on people…how do I describe Unitarian Universalism to a friend that is unfamiliar with it, in simple terms that a child can understand…is God real…how many UU’s does it take to screw in a lightbulb…????
Know that Sacred are all the chambers of our transformation. Sacred are the spaces in which we are formed, protected, and nourished. Sacred are the dark cluttered corners and the rainbow-kissed sills. Sacred, the groves, pastures, hills and waters where love is discovered. Or betrayed. Sacred are the battlefield of our yearnings and accomplishments, the dancehalls and graves of the spirit, the doors splintered by our rage. And, those swung wide open through the force of forgiveness. Sacred, are the spaces where dreams are formed, or shattered. Sacred are all the spaces where we are born and reborn again.
Celebrate the Sacred at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Santa Clarita Valley on Sunday, June 5th at 10:30.
I spent last Saturday, what could have been my last afternoon on earth (had I led a blameless life and believed in the Apocalypse), leading a workshop geared toward those who are painfully aware of the world’s wounds and of their own responsibility to contribute to its healing. The experience was a highlight for me personally and professionally and I got onto the 405 Freeway toward Santa Monica with a renewed sense of appreciation for the gifts of passion, honesty, humility and stick-to-it-ness that we religious liberals bring to one another and the world.
The sensationalized “hour of doom” (6 pm) came and went with nary a hitch, and I wondered how those who had banked on their rapture were integrating that reality into their faith lives.
That, and the query of a young Unitarian Universalist writing a paper on “The Apocalypse”, prompted some thought fragments:
1. Those who awaited Saturday’s rapture did so because they believed it would set them apart from others in a radical way – that the pure of heart would be rewarded with an eternity of bliss and the rest would be doomed to suffer the torments of life on this earth before being relegated to those of hell.
–> Within Unitarian Universalist cosmology all of life is affirmed as interconnected. As such, it is inconceivable to think of some as saved and others as damned. We sink or swim together!
2. The Book of Revelations describes in gory details the sufferings humanity will be forced to endure before a glorious new age can begin. Why?
–> If there is a God, S/he is likely to have reasons we cannot anticipate. But I’m thinking that it is part of human nature that we test boundaries. We do tend to push the limits (“hit rock bottom” or get to the “tipping point”) before picking ourselves up and getting sober (literally and metaphorically). This tendency is exacerbated in a culture fostering a very weak communal identity. It makes it that much harder to shift consciousness and bring about the new.
But it does happen. And when it does, we benefit from the wisdom, insight, creativity, commitment of multitudes! Think of all the social change created in this country by UUs committed to healing the wounds of slavery, to equality for all races and genders, for people with physical or mental disabilities, for those suffering oppression and injustice. Think of all those enraged today by the families not granted legal protection under law or being torn apart by unjust laws. We are working together on our collective recovery. One step at a time.
3. The Apocalypse is spoken of a manifestation of God’s wrath.
–> Universalist tradition envisions God as ever-loving, not as wrathful. So that can be a difficult concept to swallow. However, there are those among us who envision/experience God as “collective consciousness” – in which case “God’s wrath” can be understood as our collective fury over the many errors/sins we have committed, the greed and small-mindedness that has made a toxic soup of our oceans, that has enslaved millions of our brothers and sisters in poverty of body and spirit, etc. That collective (human) wrath, when channeled through love, is what is needed to save us. All of us.
Maybe we’re just not angry enough yet, or loving enough…
Soon, I hope.
Rev. Stefanie's Blog 