Category: Original Blog Post

Life is a question. Be the answer.

I was listening to one of the pop radio stations in town the other day, and one of their zany blurbs came on between songs that had some loony voice saying, “Remember, you can be replaced.” I commented to my kids in the back seat that that goes against our first UU principle. (We had been going over the UUA Principles at meal time.) It’s been weighing on me ever since.

A few months ago, as I was sharing lunch in the dining hall, I was telling some of the other students gathered at the table what UU’s believe. When I said that we believe that every life has worth and dignity, another student reached across the table to give me a high-five, saying “Now there’s a good Protestant belief for you!” I’m not quite sure if he was being sarcastic or not, but I really like this principle.

Holding human life in high esteem goes against not only depraved theology, but degrading materialism as well. Most UU’s who know the basics of our history can tell you that we reject the doctrine of original sin, but it’s a little more subtle to reject the notion that everybody is expendable. This materialistic culture of producers and consumers that we live in has that notion at its foundation. Everyone is replaceable and only the strong survive—no, we reject that as well. We believe that every life is inherently priceless and dignified. No person can truly be replaced and we all survive because we take care of each other. This is our faith.

You’ll note I’ve added another link under the side section “More” called simply “Links”. This will take you to a page where you can find links to other sites which I’ve found useful or which mean something to me. I thought it would be helpful to have a link to my home congregation and seminary, for those who might be interested. Accorningly, the title of my blogroll has changed to “Other Blogs” and links which belong on the Links page have been moved there.

Chutney at MyIrony.com asks, “Do UU’s do liturgy?” In response, I’ve just posted a UU Pentecost service I did for a class on worship and music. It includes the sermon I wrote much later, but I did the whole shebang at my home congregation just this past June. It includes a call to worship, collect, and benediction–all of which I had to write myself. And when I learned what a ‘collect’ is I said to myself, “so that’s what Grandma’s been using to bless meals ever since I was a kid!” I wonder if she knows the name of the form…

Anyway, I’ve also written hymns, but I’m sorely out of practice. I thoroughly enjoy creating multi-sensory and participatory, uplifting worship experiences. I’m all about poetry and metaphor, although my sermons may not reflect that so much. I hope my blog does…

Rev. Mark Belletini, the chairperson for the committee that produced our current hymnal, is still writing hymns. In fact, he wrote one for the ordination of Jim Bosveld, introduced just a few weeks ago.

Also, have you seen Boy in the Bands? He seems to be more high church, and has some archived posts on liturgy.

I think what we may be suffering from is a lack of good UU liturgists who also blog…

In just a little bit I’ll have my most recent sermon posted in the Documents section. “What I Learned During My Years with the Hare Krishnas.” Check it out.

Greg Stone describes the perfection of creation in Natural High: Exactly as they are. I’ve heard that expressed by Native Americans as something like, “There is nothing unnatural or spernatural in the world. If it exists, it must be natural.” This is the spirit of the affirmation that all things are connected in an interdependent web of life. This is the meaning behind “Mitakuye Oyasin”. I believe it is also the translation of Tao.

The Eastern concept of Maya, or illusion, is simply missing this point, or acting apart from this realization. That is the original sin: seeing ourselves as separate from each other, from creation, from God. Greg has my kudos.

I was downright outraged this afternoon when I heard NPR’s report of the Bill Pryor nomination by the US Senate’s Judiciary Committee. How dare Republican’s use a candidate’s religion to intimidate Democrats? It is clear that the power-hungry in Washington will stop at nothing to get what they want. No bigotry is beneath them.

To say the Democrats are opposed to Pryor because of his Catholic faith is like calling me a white supremacist because I’m white. (That also reminds me of the comparison that saying everyone who tries marijuana will end up addicted to harder narcotics is like saying every child who rides a bike will grow up to join a biker gang—but that’s another soapbox.) Let’s look at the facts: the nominee has criticized prior rulings of the Supreme Court, yet also said he would do everything in his power to uphold those same laws. An op/ed piece in The New York Times criticized the Democrats and accused them of blocking Pryor based on his religious affiliation even though one of the Democrats on the committee is a Catholic.

Talk about blending preaching, prayer, and blogging, I’m going to have to read more Real Live Preacher. Here’s a sample:

If the wafers are going stale for you, be the bread yourself. Break yourself open and nourish the world.

If the communion table seems cheap and tacky, become a table yourself. Be a resting place for the weary.

If you feel there are no more angels, pick up the phone and spread your own tidings.

Gather your bread. Set your table. Shout your good news.

Do these things in remembrance of HIM.

Across, Beyond, Through has also posted a bit of his odyssey. I stand with many who wish to follow the teachings and example of Jesus, not to use him as a scapegoat. I’m looking forward to my upcoming Intro to New Testament class, so I can learn more about him.

The antic muse compares and contrasts prayer and blogging

Now that’s where I want to push religious and theological focused blogs: blurring the line between prayer and blogging. Sure, we can debate the whole reverential language thing, but are we actually getting anywhere with it? We can do the political journalism bit, but there are others who are already well-established and quite good at that. (Heck, I was reading the Drudge Report and Tom Tomorrow long before I even knew what a blog was.) What if we were to do, say, A Course in Miracles, entirely via blogs? I’m not the only blogger who’s posted poetry. It’s not that far off to posting prayer(s). If blogging can be considered your spiritual discipline, shouldn’t your blogging be spiritual? People could turn to your blog to get that little boost in their day, to keep them going in times of distress, or to inspire their soul to greater heights. Why not? Isn’t a blog of this type a database of roadside pulpit quotes and short homilies?

I’m very curious to see how this blog develops as I move into a full-time engagement with a congregation (at least a year or two off) and I’m writing formal sermons on a regular basis. How will the two activities enhance each other? How will topics in one relate to topics in the other? How will the congregation receive this blog? How will my technological skills and Internet savvy fit into my parish ministry? It’s the grand adventure, the path to ministry, for me to look forward to.

This morning’s sermon, by Rev. Susan Ritchie, was on Buddhism: how it came to America and how it compares to Unitarian Universalism. Rev. Ritchie is the minister of the church where I will be doing the lay worship next Sunday. I told them they were getting an Interfaith end of July, since my service will be on Hinduism and what I learned of it during six years with the Hare Krishnas. The outline for that sermon will probably be the next document that I post. I just need to update the outline.