I have a Quick Question

When I was new to Unitarian Universalism a lot of my friends and family wanted to know more about the religion. After doing a fairly “shoddy” job of explaining it I would get the response, “So it’s not really a religion then.” I was always confused by that statement, because after my time with the UU church I came to see what many would call “true religion.” My Christian heritage actually defines true religion, and I have seen it as long as I have been a UU.

Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

-James 1:27

In fact there are two big things that strike me the most about this statement: first, UU’s do this without having to fear God will strike them dead or send them to hell–care is part of our nature; and second, we are not afraid to make it part of our politics. UU’s generally try, though partners and members, to make this list a little longer. We argue on behalf of those who are unable, and we help let others know their voice matters.

In fact, one of the most important things “religious” people do is practice their religion. Okay, maybe that sounds a little cyclical. Let’s take a look at it. Most people define religion very narrowly. I notice often that many have a hard time defining a religion to be a religion without invoking the name of Jesus. UU’s go one step further and don’t even require members to invoke the name of a god.

In so doing, we still use words like faith, communion, and even prayer. I believe UU’s do something revolutionary and extremely honest. We set a basic set of principles and ask that while we work together we abide by them. Religion for us then is not about belief or necessarily even G/god–it is about being part of community and our responsibility to that community.

For Unitarian Universalists, religion is about what we do. What does the existence of G/god even matter when we let children starve, prejudice to be defended, and the innocent die? What makes us strong is that we work together so we don’t have to be afraid, even though we rest in the minority.

Many religions are also defined by their daily practice–whether that practice be prayer, reading, or doing good deeds. Unitarian Univesalists do this as well. We just let others decide their own practice. While some may practice through reading or prayer, others do so through feeding the poor. Still others define practice through revitalizing their community. What is your daily practice, and why is it important to you?

Justin

What We Lose in the Debate

I would assume many of you who follow or read this blog know about the debate that took place Tuesday night between Bill Nye and Ken Ham at the Museum for Creation Science in Petersburg, Kentucky. The event was well attended and live-streamed on the Internet. Bill Nye represented a side that said the earth came into being through a multi-billion year process, whereas Ken Ham argued that the earth came into being through a six-day creative process invoked by the God of “The Bible.” Both sides outlined their viewpoint, articulated their evidence (as they saw it), and probably didn’t convince anyone listening of anything new. I would guess that most people watching were already set on how they felt.

I suspect most Unitarian Universalists went to bed feeling that Bill Nye articulated well the right view and probably won the debate, as I suspect evangelical Christians went to bed feeling the same thing toward Ken Ham.

That doesn’t mean the debate was fruitless. Both debaters acted civilly toward one another and articulated clearly their views. It is necessary to model communication without name-calling and fighting.

But I got something else out of the debate. My questions for Ham would have come from the realm of theology not science, in fact it didn’t sound as if Ham was conversant with the Hebrew text, and when converting theology to science you might as well start with the original text. But the problem is when anyone tries to fit theological text into a scientific mold, we lose something very important–soul. In fact turning Genesis into a scientific text waters down the great theology that can be derived.

Genesis 1 and 2 is a piece of beautifully crafted literature. The words were not chosen simply or quickly. There was redaction and obvious work done to weave the beauty of humanity, ethics, and morality into the world. Humanity is created in this story and placed into an important role–that of steward. We were made, planted onto this earth to care for it, the world was good, we were good, and when we are good, good things happen. But the flood teaches us that the world will reflect our work–even when the work is not so good.

The first chapter of the creation story actually tells a wonderful story about the conversion of chaos into beauty. When I first read the story in Hebrew, it reminded me of something Michelangelo had said about sculpting marble. He didn’t add things, he just removed the parts that weren’t supposed to be there. In the creation story, life is art. I will never forget the first time I read the creation story in Hebrew–it completely changed my understanding.

It wasn’t about days, it was about hearts; it wasn’t about structures, it was about majesty; it wasn’t about science, it was about soul. I can theologically argue why I think this text is being misused, but I fear if I do that I become part of the problem.

In Genesis, God breathes into our nostrils, into our souls, makes us special, pointing out that the spirit of life is our spirit, and the poetry of our days remind us that all good things require work. That is just fine for someone like me.

-Justin

Fear of God

When I was new to Unitarian Universalism I learned a new “Fear of God,” not the fear to believe, or the fear of God’s glory, but the fear to mention his name, the fear to appear too theistic to those who are not. I was shocked then when I read “Our Chosen Faith,” the book given me during the celebration of my membership, that God was all throughout the book.

After doing research into the matter I found that Unitarian Universalism was working toward reclaiming religious language including God. So I sat down today in my office to write a few words about this reclamation. I started with a simple Google search, and was taken down a rabbit hole of history that I found very educational.

In 2003 Rev William G Sinkford, self-proclaimed atheist and President of the UUA, made the national news as he declared that Unitarian Universalism would begin reclaiming religious language. He said in 2003 that it would be his goal to reclaim the “language of reverence, in the association,” citing his issue with the lack of spiritual language anywhere in our principles or traditions.

In a sermon in January of 2003 preached to First Jefferson Unitarian Universalist Church he said, “I believe that Unitarian Universalism is growing up. Growing out of a cranky and contentious adolescence into a more confident maturity. A maturity in which we can not only claim our Good News, the value we have found in this free faith, but also begin to offer that Good News to the world outside these beautiful sanctuary walls.” Later in that sermon he points to one of the problems he sees with our refusal to claim religious language “Our resistance to religious language gets reflected, I think, in the struggle that so many us have in trying to find ways to say who we are, to define Unitarian Universalism.”

But he was very clear that Unitarian Universalism was not going to adopt the picture of God in the Christian Sense. In his 2009 book, The Cathedral of the World, Forest Church defines God this way “’God’ is our name for that which is greater than all and yet present in each.” These two men are very clear to define God differently than modern Christianity.

Living in the American South this idea takes on a completely different flavor. In Jackson, Mississippi, public atheists still work against prejudice. Mississippi is not in a world clearly enveloped in humanism or atheism. Many schools still begin their days with Christian prayer and becoming politically active is difficult if not backed by Judeo-Christian identification.

And for this reason I think it is important to reclaim religious language as a whole, but respectful to all parties willing to join the meeting: to understand conversation of faith, belief, and salvation–not in the popular sense but an even more traditional sense. It is important to talk about sin, but sin as the negative action against each other not divine judgment against the self in regard to things we cannot control. It is important to talk about salvation from the prison we build around ourselves that doesn’t involve changing the core of who we are. Most of all it is important to talk about God–whether we mean the deity that teaches us to become better or the Spirit of Life that drives us, let us talk of God, without fear but with love. As we reclaim the language of our UU forbearers we may find that we really aren’t that polarized after all–even in Mississippi.

Towards a Bruised and Hurting Church

“I prefer a Church which is bruised, hurting, and dirty because it has been out on the streets, rather than a Church which is unhealthy from being confined and from clinging to its own security.”
                                                                                                                                                                            -Pope Francis

As a minister I tend to keep up on what other ministers are doing, I consider it not just part of the job but my duty. I have never been one to stay within the bounds of my own faith group either. I have always found it important to see how churches worldwide work, what their leaders do, and the effect the leadership has on the community around it.

This week Time magazine has named Pope Francis Time’s Man of the Year. I remember as a child watching the antics of Pope John Paul II who was called The Pope to the Protestants, I remember being given the gift of a rosary blessed by Benedict (who I haven’t heard really called anything), and my excitement concerning some statements of Pope Francis who is being referred to as The People’s Pope.

As stated above, Time has called him Man of the year! Jon Stuart hails him based on his economic principles, many Unitarian Universalists blog positively about him, and even one article in the satirical blog The Apocryphal Press stated that Pope Francis was actually applying to be a Unitarian Universalist Minister because “he is a very undisciplined person.”

Of course this pope has not changed his viewpoints, on many of the issues core to UU social justice work, like marriage equality, and equal rights for women in priesthood and health issues, but his focus on works and justice cannot be ignored. This pope has moved from the Vatican into a hostel, traded in his Mercedes- Benz for a Ford Focus, and pointed out that trickle down economics breed inequality. He has set an example for religious leaders all over the world, and not just religious leaders, but also those who belong to churches.

What can we learn from Francis? He has a lot of time left to make big mistakes and he even expects that he will, but can we learn from a man who is very adamant that he is not perfect? And will our differences of opinion over core issues stop us from growing because of his example?

The Unitarian Universalist Church of Jackson is no stranger to social justice work. Within our walls meet local leaders in Women’s Rights, Marriage Equality, and Immigrant’s rights. We teach acceptance and work to empower the disenfranchised, and support human rights. But the question I am left with and the question I leave you with is this. As a church are we bruised, hurting, and dirty due to our work towards justice, or are we just clinging on for security?

The Practice of Nothing Sure is Something

I asked my Dharma teacher what his practice was, and he said doing nothing. I struggle with doing nothing. I don’t see how it is positive.

I look into a world of sharp edges, with issues, big issues. We fight for equality, we fight for dignity, we work to feed the starving and get frustrated at the fact there is enough food in the world to feed everyone, yet people still die of hunger. I struggle with the idea that doing nothing is a positive spiritual practice.

There is always something to do, there are papers to write, tests to grade, programs that won’t code themselves and the poor are always with us. There is so much to do–there isn’t enough time. So how then is doing nothing good? How do I give myself permission for…nothing?

One Buddhist Lama in India spoke to his student about how difficult it can be in the West to practice. He was a yak herder until he was 12 then he went to the monastery. He never owned an iPhone, never watched TV, and seldom ever heard a radio. He asked “Don’t American’s have a battery inside, why do you always have to be plugged in?”

As I meditate and work hard at doing nothing I hear my father’s voice ring through my head. My father worked very hard and still does. He never understood my work as a minister or my brother’s work as a social worker. He said, “I just don’t understand getting paid to talk to people–you dig a ditch you get paid, you talk for fun.”

I remember my unemployment, I remember the shame of not contributing, the shame of not accomplishing, the shame of getting nothing done. I worked hard those many months, I worked hard while getting nothing done.

But what if getting nothing done and doing nothing are two different things? So I sit, and face the spiritual practice of doing nothing. It is difficult to give myself that permission, especially when there is a list of things to do and a full DVR to watch. I sit to meditate, then I wonder what is new on YouTube, I sit in silence and wonder how my favorite shows will end, I sit to pray and wonder when it will be over so I can return to contributing. That’s my monkey mind, a mind so busy it runs around like a monkey from topic to topic. I don’t hear the silence of peace, I hear only the chatter of what needs done.

The Hebrew Bible says “Blessed is Sabbath, and you keep it holy.” God not only gives permission but makes the demand that his people rest, and though we may not all believe in God, what if we just chose to believe in rest? What if we look to ourselves, and acknowledge that humans need rest, deserve rest, and thrive with rest. What if rest is so important it is like doing something?

The holidays are upon us, and though generally assumed we will rest, do we really ever rest? We have to cook, clean, shop, and deal with broken relationships. There are expectations–that year after year we do not meet. It is easy then to be filled with shame over those expectations but in truth what if we decided our expectations are wrong-not us?

Would it be different if we cooked because we wanted to, gave and received gifts out of love, and understood that even in our brokenness we can be one? Then, maybe, instead of seeking entertainment we found that the best entertainment is none at all–that Doing Nothing may be the most important thing we will ever do? – Justin M McCreary

The Practice of Prayer

The Practice of Prayer
Rev. Justin McCreary

One of the most powerful aspects of religion is prayer. Pictures of prayer prevail our culture and fill our minds with hopeful thoughts. Prayer is an old concept and at it’s core a simple one often entrenched in centuries of institutional dogma. Often the only prayers we hear are public and offered ceremoniously in some form of service. The prayer then becomes a social convention used only to open ceremonies and fill space in church services., and this separates us from the core matter of prayer, the purpose, connection.

As a youth and into my adult years I sat in church services listening to the old men pray. I often sat fearing the call to pray in public. What is telling is that I was prepared to preach a sermon at twelve but the butterflies didn’t form until I was asked to lead prayer.

However, in the long run, I found was that it didn’t matter what I said but only that I was honest. Instead of ceremony I found simple conversation. And If prayer is simply conversation then maybe the conversation I had from day to day was prayer, and I learned that my favorite conversations had a lot of comfortable silence. So at night, sitting on the edge of my bed, with no words, I wondered, is this prayer? If so it is more than conversation, it is connection. Connection that wasn’t found in words, but the golden silence that adorned what would become holy space.

Of course, learning to sit in silence requires a lot of learning to let go. And learning to let go requires a lot of suffering. Under the Bodhi Tree a young prince learned that life is suffering. This gives us a lot of fodder for letting go, which gives us a lot of time for silence, which leaves us plenty of room for prayer. Life teaches that the most important thing about prayer is the practice of prayer. This is a thing that we can always do, and never worry about doing right, because doing it is doing it right.

A Prayer and a Pledge for Tomorrow

WE are the instruments of the Good that abounds.
—Judith L. Quarles

Today, I read the news. I even read many of the comments posted under the news stories. It is enough to break your heart and dissolve your hope for a world community of peace, liberty, and justice for everyone. Let me clarify; for the past week I have been quite busy trying to get all the last minute jobs done at work, at home, at UUCJ. I have gone days without reading the news, that is, until today. There were stories of racial hatred and murder, physical and mental suffering, torture and destruction, instances of individuals committing suicide and seemingly whole communities at war with themselves, engaging in what can be described as a mass suicide. The enormity of pain and suffering in the world can be overwhelming and that’s not even eating considering the seemingly endless stream of vile hatred that fills the comments section of any story…even the positive ones.

Today, I also read a meditation by Judith L. Quarles titled “For we are in need.” Indeed we are! As she noted, we are in need of strength and courage, of comfort and encouragement, and of cheerleading and shouting to get us moving. She noted that the Spirit of encouragement, comfort and love, is within ourselves. She noted that WE are the instruments of the Good that abounds.

If all of the good in the world was dependent upon us to create, how much joy, and peace, and love did we create today? Despite the items recorded in the newspapers and the images flashed across the world via the internet, we must realize they are told because they are the anomalies. They are not the main theme of what happened today. Instead, today people cared for one another. They helped others known and unknown to them. They made friends and meaningful change. Today people worked to build the Beloved Community of peace and freedom and justice.

I hope you got to be a part of that today. I hope that you got to add another voice of compassion, a mind of reason, a hand of help to the world today. If not, there is always tomorrow. As Anne of Green Gables would say, “Tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it.” Let us pledge to live up to our potential of being an instrument of good. We have so much goodness inside of us! Let us pledge to let that good abound in our world! May it be so!

Joy, peace, and love,
Stacy

Winding Down and Winding Back Up

A good vacation is over when you begin to yearn for your work.
—Morris Fishbein

This past Sunday, I sat with my husband eating a wood-fired pizza at a sidewalk café while enjoying a glass of red wine and reflecting on the past few days of a pleasant vacation. As I drained my glass, my thoughts began to turn toward home and all of the responsibilities that awaited my return. That’s when the transition began to happen. After I smiled away the idea of selling all of my belongings and moving into the hotel I had technically not yet left, I began thinking of taxis, airplanes, and a car ride back to my life.

We arrived late in the evening, gathered our luggage and trod to our car abandoned over a week earlier in the parking garage. As we stood bags in hand in the muggy August evening air and stared at the very flat tire, I thought, well that’s kinda how people feel when returning from a vacation. After a thorough search that led to the discovery of long missed paperwork, gadgets, and a few small strangely shriveled things I’m pretty sure used to be food, we determined that the attendant who had recently rotated our tires had failed to return our locking lugnut. Now, I knew we were in for a treat. Eighty dollars and one rental car later, which required a wait for security to remove the angry cursing man in line ahead of us, we headed home to finally sleep in our own bed.

I’m not sure that one time zone can produce jet lag but apparently several days off can lead to a workday spent in a fog trying to catch up to all the swirl of activity of a busy office gearing up for the start of school. I was glad to finally make it to Tuesday where, with a much clearer head, I was able to remember at least half of the things I needed to do. Happily, I resumed my new Tuesday evening activity of heading to UUCJ to call members, friends, and visitors to chat, or at least leave some halting, weird voice mail attempting to talk to a machine convincingly conveying our genuine delight of each person that is a part of our community. It was there, in the office, in the midst of jumbled papers, books, and random tools scattered during the office renovation that I found my happiness in being a part of this community and excitement about the coming year. Like many children and youth in our community, my vacation, fondly remembered, was over and a new year was about to begin.

As your summer vacations come to an end and you take up your place again in the regular rhythms of life, remember there is much more justice to promote in our communities near and far, diversity to discover and welcome, and love to share through service in the coming year. Let us join together in our great work of this new church year!

Joy, peace, and love,
Stacy

Growing into Our Authentic Selves

Our deepest calling is to grow into our authentic selfhood,
whether or not it conforms to some image of who we ought to be.
As we do, we will not only find the joy that every human being seeks;
we will also find our path of authentic service in the world.
—Parker Palmer

This past Sunday, during our Board meeting, I sat around a table looking at the faces of the others in this group. Some were anxious, some were pensive, some were overwhelmed, but all were focused on doing the very important work that had been handed to them. We made reports on our activities and the year-end budget. We made sure that we were following our policies and procedures for hiring nursery staff so that we can ensure that our youngest children are safe and well cared for. We discussed how we will care for our buildings and grounds in the absence of a Board Member to oversee these concerns.

All of these are important fiduciary responsibilities of the Board; however, the Board has other very important responsibilities. We also have strategic and generative responsibilities. We have responsibilities to lead the congregation in developing strategic plans and articulating what matters most for the future. We also have responsibilities for thinking retrospectively and helping us all to understand the story of our congregation.

In the coming months, we will be reflecting honestly and developing strategic plans together. We will reflect on our vision and mission, led by our deepest values. We will determine our way to move forward as a congregation, many different people coming together in one body to find our path of authentic service in the world. This will involve lively and meaningful conversations, maybe even a few challenging ones, but it will allow us to grow into an authentic community and to find the joy we seek. So, as you are taking or preparing for your personal journeys this summer, take time to reflect on the new roads ahead here in Jackson that we will take together.

Joy, peace, and love,
Stacy

A Capitol (Very White) Fourth to Us!

Having watched “A Capitol Fourth” on television from Washington DC, I can truly say it was not diverse.

Here was the run-down of the evening’s performances:
1. Barry Manilow–white
2. The cast of Motown, the musical (an all-black cast)
3. Darren Criss (of Glee fame)–(white)
4. Jackie Evanco (child wonder from America’s Got Talent)–white
5. Steven Spielberg’s Abraham Lincoln movie clips with John Williams conducting his background music–Spielberg and Williams, white
6. Scotty McCreery (last year’s winner of American Idol)–white
7. Candice Glover (latest winner of American Idol)–a person of color [FINALLY!]

That was the lineup. White lead singers with backup choirs either all black or partial people of color. Can we say white people had the leads and people of color did the backup/backroom stuff?

If that was not bad enough, the cameras that panned the crowd had a hard time finding people of color. When “Motown” performed, the cameras found one or two people of color. When Candice Glover sang, they found one black woman in tears listening to her performance. After Candice sang, they panned the front row (all white) and showed people talking among themselves, looking very bored, and hardly clapping.

TIME WARP! Where was I?

Now I know that across the country this was not the representation at various other locations, but what image do we give to the world when our nation’s supposedly premier performance holds up a white standard and raises it on a flagpole to waive to the world?

When we talk about people of color, I assume we mean people who are other than Caucasian European descent. In the audience we were allowed to see, I saw approximately this ratio: white-90%, black-5%, Asian-4%, other of unknown descent-1%, Hispanic 0%. What?–no Hispanic singers or backup choirs?

If that was not enough, where were the gay performers? How about Lady Bunny–now that would have been a fabulous show! Or how about RuPaul?

At best, “A Capital Fourth” was a bastardization of what this country is. It represented a snow white show interspersed with one or two tiny bits of the diversity of this country. I, for one, was very unimpressed.

Jim Becker
Communications Director, UUCJ