Why UU's hate History, and why we shouldnt

As I am in formation in pursuit of parish ministry, I thought it would be necessary to really delve into how Unitarian Universalist History informs my ministry and how I can develop the use of Unitarian Universalist History in building a beloved community. What does it mean to be a Unitarian Universalist Minister as opposed to being a minister. First I think I need to look at my own experiences with learning Unitarian Universalist History and how it has informed me up until this point.

Before I became a Unitarian Universalist (UU) in the late 1980s, I had never heard of the religion. I had passed by the beautiful 4th Universalist Society on the Upper West Side in New York numerous times on the way to the Ethical Culture Society and Museum of Natural History and remember specifically stopping and admiring its architecture. But I had no idea what went on inside. If anything I probably confused them with the Unification Church that was popular in New York City at that time. When I did find my way to my first UU congregation, it was more due to a need to find religious education for my son, then any personal religious motives. What I found was a warm welcoming community. In truth it was a more social than religious experience for me. It was more humanist focused congregation with a touch of religious ritual (both Christian and Jewish) to satisfy my sentimentality. It was a small congregation, and our involvement rarely extended beyond an hour or two on Sunday. So if there was history discussed I was not ready to hear it. At that point in my religious journey, I just wanted a safe warm welcoming community.

I think this points to a very challenging issue that so many members come from different religious backgrounds. Some either assume that UU is a liberal Christian Church or some sort of Inter-Faith society. Often we have come from a religious history that has been painful or unsatisfying to us. Therefore we are looking to build something new, something unique, something that is not tainted with the history of the failed religion of our upbringing. For me, all I needed to know was that I did not have to accept Jesus as savior, and then the Seder dinner, and Yom Kippur service was just icing on the cake. The Unitarian understanding of God (or lack thereof) and its belief of Jesus as human actually made it very easy for me to theologically slide into the religion. Whereas the Ethical Culture Society was Judaism without theology, UU was the Ethical Culture with some sentimental ritual and enthusiasm. So this brings up another point. The strong Humanist influence in the twentieth century seemed to negate the history of Unitarian Christianity and transcendentalist history that preceded it. I sense the feeling was, if we are humanist, and this is what we believe, why do we need to go back to before we became “enlightened” :) . I think another important aspect is that since our sources have expanded there is less of a focus on the Christianity that we grew out of. The result of our lesser focus on Christianity, seems to have been a lesser need to focus on our history as an association which came from Christianity. There has been a strong tension about limiting Christianity as the source of wisdom and history of theology throughout the history of our association, particularly among the Unitarian side of the family. Certainly the Transcendentalists promoted the use of non Christian scriptures, and a historical critical approach to utilizing the Christian Scriptures.

However I think the first real delineation came when Henry Bellows started organizing the National Conference. Although at that time, different clergy and members of congregations had different opinions about theology and history, the National Conference seemed to force the issue as to which side individuals choose. To create an organization seemed to require that congregations had to come to some agreement as to what they commonly believed. Even though the conference was first congregated by members only, the active or lack thereof of participation by ministers would determine the association’s focus. Prior to this, certainly pressure was put on ministers, but often it came from the ministers’ own congregations such as the incident with John Pierpont and the Hollis St Church. Ministers with support from their congregation such as Theodore Parker, although ostracized by other ministers, could still preach and teach what he pleased.

I think the dawning of an associational organization caused fear for many who were not of a more conservative theological bent. The freethinkers who believed in a universal church stayed, but those who cherished their independence left and formed the Free Religious Association. The Preamble to the National Conference in 1865 included the phrase Lord Jesus Christ. Although there were subsequent informal declarations that were issued without such strong Christian language, until the merger, there were no formal Unitarian affirmations. The Universalists issued certain affirmations throughout the years and were much more comfortable including the language of God, Jesus, and Christ. In 1984, when the Principles were reviewed and re-issued, there was a specific exclusion of anything relating to any UU heritage within the principles and only a passing mention in the sources. The message to members from these exclusion seems to be that our history really doesn’t matter much.

I think another factor in why we have not focused on our history is the alienation we have felt from mainline Christianity. As Charles Howe points out in his book, “The Larger Faith”, the Universalist Church of America had been invited to apply for membership in the organization that was the predecessor organization to the National Council of Churches, and the Universalists were rejected. Although the Universalists had affirmations and praxis had become more similar to the Unitarians, they were without question more Jesus and Christo-centric than the Unitarians. I have to imagine this rejection had to have a negative impact on the movers and shakers in regard to Christianity.

I think the larger challenge in focusing on history which I have experienced is the lone ranger mentality of congregations. Some of this might be intentional, and some unintentional and just a consequence of circumstances. The unintentional would due to the sparsity of congregations within the association. In some areas of the country there are not many congregations near each other. Therefore it is hard to see oneself as part of a bigger organization with a deep history if you have very little engagement with others in the association. The internet has helped reach others, but as it is used now, it is impersonal. The live streaming of General Assembly I think is a good example of how it can be used effectively. However I would go a step further and use the internet or video conferencing to have UUA representatives in Boston or elsewhere communicate directly with congregations that are distant from other congregations. Our current district executive has been having live webinars each month on congregational issues, that I feel have been quite helpful to leaders of our congregation.

Secondly, we as an association, have a history of not remaining with the status quo and in being anti-organizational. In essence, the starting of Unitarianism was to break from traditional organizational protestant teachings. The Transcendentalists, to a degree had an anti-organizational characteristic as part of their tradition. Emerson left the ministry rather than follow traditional ritual (although granted there were probably many other reasons he left). Even Theodore Parker, in starting his 28th Congregational Society, was doing so outside the Unitarian Organization. And of course as mentioned above the creation of the Free Religious Association was in reaction to an attempt to formalize the association with common statement of beliefs. Now in most of these cases, it was felt that the organization was too restricting. I see the association coming to this realization in current times. I believe the development of regional districts and their events, creation of Association Sunday, and other focus’ have been quite helpful in having congregations feel connected to the larger UU world. However I think there should continue to be vigilance to ensure that creativity and diversity are allowed to flourish among congregations. In addition, it would seem to me that there should be an effort to create more smaller satellite congregations in outlying areas that with technology, could meet and be connected with larger congregations for worship.

One last item that creates challenges is the fact, that in some ways our religion is very young. We merged two religions into one almost fifty years ago. So in some respects our history is only fifty years old. And although we can point to many similarities, each of the original religions had its own uniqueness and its own history different from the other. Today, only a small % of members, which is only decreasing each year, were ever a member of either religion prior to the merger. So it makes it a bit more confusing, as we now have three histories to examine, Unitarians, Universalists and UU.

So how did I learn about UU History. In the most unexpected ways. In my membership class there was approximately one hour spent on UU history. This was brief, and was more focused on famous UU’s than on UU itself. It left me with the names (some familiar, most not) of UU in History. By far, my first in depth study of History was when I was I teaching middle school religious education. The curriculum that year was UU History. Of course, I had to do extensive preparation to be able to sound knowledgeable and authoritative to the youth!! I learned much that year. Another way I have learned about it was when our minister did a sermon series on UU Historical events. Our minister also ensured that Adult religious education had one curriculum each year focus on UU History. Also General Assembly included focused workshops on more specific issues. Then of course when the thought of pursuing ministry entered my bloodstream, I started reading the MFC reading list books. The journey continues. Each type of learning I did seemed to build on the previous. The earlier learning was superficial, then it became more intellectual, and finally I was able to add more depth. Perhaps this is a lesson we should consider as we teach history. It starts with the realization that everyone is not at the same point of their religious journey, and there must be different opportunities of education at different levels of depth for different people.

So up until this point I have been discussing why it is so challenging to engage individuals and congregations in the historical depth of our tradition and how I managed to obtain an education on our history. I would now like to discuss why I feel it is important to do so. Although I will go on to pontificate the benefits in a moment There is one simple reason. WE ARE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS. This may seem like an obvious statement. With so many people coming from other religions, and many non church goers shopping for a religion we need to be able to extol who we were, who we are and where we are going or else we are just another commodity. History in and of itself doesn’t create meaningful religious community, but it does add to the depth of the meaning that is currently be realized.

Having grown up Jewish, I can say, history was almost an exclusive focus of my religious life. Who we were is important but should not be the exclusive focus. One cannot gain religious depth just because of its history, but its history can be a guide and a foundation to grow on. My mother (God rest her soul) used to tell me that it didn’t matter what I called myself, I could call myself a UU, but I was born a Jew I would die a Jew. To some degree this is true. Having grown up actively Jewish, it will always be a part of my personal and family history and it helped create who I am today. Therefore it is always part of who I am. And although to some degree it informs me, it doesn’t uniquely define me or my current religious practice and theology. There was a point early in my religious life where I felt I was Jewish attending UU services. Over time though that transformed into being a UU who has a Jewish Heritage. In fact thinking about it, I have now been a practicing UU longer than I had been practicing Judaism. I still respect the religion of birth, its culture and wisdom is still a part of who I am, but it is not my religion today.

So how does my experience inform me. It tells me that although history cannot be exclusive it is an inclusive part of what religion is. The stories, myths, culture, and scriptures of Judaism are still with me as part of my UU religion. I have just added more. I think it is Critical (with a capital bolded C,) that we educate our youth on the history of our religion. Yes we teach them how to think, not what to think, but we want to pass down our values and our culture to them as well. Religious growth doesn’t start in a vacuum. We need a foundation to understand where we have come from and where we are going. What is it that makes us uniquely who we are? What is a UU culture? In Judaism, it was always, because of our past, this is why you must believe this or act in this way. For UU, our history seems to say to me, because of our past, this is why we think this way; this is what led us to this point. Without the history, all we have “this is what we think, what do you think”. What is it that informs our thought process?. There has been an un-linear series of thoughts and events that led us here. For youth, I think we need to create some UU holidays and celebrations into our liturgical calendar, to give them a sense of pride in the uniqueness of who and what we are. I am always in awe of our young people who are active in YRUU (or whatever it is called today) who then go on to leadership roles or become future ministers). I see this as my role as a minister to focus on youth, youth religious education, and youth leadership development. Too often (particularly in Florida where there are less children in the congregation) youth are not integrated into the life of the congregation or given as much support. They are just as much members of the church as the adults and should be ministered to and with the same focus as with the adults. If youth do not see themselves as part of a great history, then they in the future they will just as likely attend another religion where they find like minded people and a welcoming community.

My relationship to the religion and association changed as soon as I started attending district events and General Assembly. I felt empowered, connected and part of a long tradition, singing and worshipping with thousands of other UU’s. Learning more about who we as a religion were, who we are, what we stand for, and what gives meaning to us. It was no longer just what Jay thought about something. It created new questions such as how does my thoughts impact others, or where are my values in relation to the associational values. These experiences provided personal growth but more so provided a bigger vision of what we as a religion could be. I have heard similar emotions shared from others who attended such events. Yet I also realized that I was one of only a handful of people who attended these events from my congregation. Thus access to events of this sort should be eased and increased.

So my experiences have shown me that helping connect people to a congregation makes them feel part of something larger than themselves. Even the historical significance of the congregation itself can help do this. Connecting the congregation to the larger UU vision, makes them feel part of something greater than themselves. I believe that realization that we are part of something larger than ourselves leads to transformative spiritual growth.

So our history informs us of who we were and how we got here. We examine our history with critique, It is important to remember our history in context. History connects us to a long tradition of religious freedom and hope and exploration. It also connects us to a long history and tradition of transformation of self and society. But it also connects us to challenges of a changing society and how quickly we can become irrelevant. It connects us to how we have dealt either positively or negatively with differences. It connects us to what brings us together and what rips us apart. We need to let History inform us how we move forward. What has worked in the past, and what has not? When and how have we reached towards our highest ideals and what has led us to abandon them. One of the chapters in Charles Howe book on Universalism is entitled “We do not Stand, We Move” I agree, we should not be trapped by our history for better or worse. We move with the full realization that we move in uncertainty with wonderful intentions that often have ambiguous outcomes. Knowing this, let us move forward with wisdom gained with knowledge of the past to give us the best chance to create the beloved community in the present and in the future.

We are not just a conglomeration of like minded people from other religions or no religions who have come together to share time on Sunday Mornings to hear a nice sermon. WE ARE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS. We should be proud of that, not dogmatic, but proud. It means something to be a UU versus being part of another religion. Our religion includes a theology of ongoing awareness, Awareness of ourselves, others and the earth itself. We become aware through learning from others, experiential activities, and ongoing revelation from multiple wisdom sources. Ours is a transformational religion, that believes that due to our existence on this world, we can, and have a responsibility to transform ourselves, our communities, and the world itself. WE ARE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS.

This whole thought process informs me as a future UU minister. It has made me consciously think about what I can do to engage our congregation with the core values and principles of the association. Sadly, I imagine many could not repeat our principles, so perhaps there would be a way to insert them into a weekly liturgy. I can encourage bringing UUA and district personnel to visit as a way to connect the congregation to the larger UU community. I can encourage participation in outside District and National events. I can do a sermon series on UU History. I can offer multiple ongoing tracks of UU History adult religious education program. These should all be taped and posted on the web, so guests or new members could watch them over time. There is also a good DVD, “Our American Roots” that could be utilized for the course or for individuals self education. I would encourage our Religious Education to make UU history part of the curriculum for youth. I would engage youth in all aspects of congregational life.

Finally we must act and live out our principles for history is not stagnant. It is being created all the time. We should by the way we live and act, continue to make religious history. WE ARE UNITARIAN UNIVERSALISTS

Proposed Outline for UU Theology for the 21st Century

One of the questions for my theology class was to propose and Outline for UU Theology for the 21st Century - this was how I answered it.....

Transformational Theology
Belief that due to our existence, existence can and should change for the better for
Ourselves
Our community
The larger community
The world itself.

Creation Theology
We can create a Heaven on this Earth by
Realization of divinity in all things
Creation of justice, equity, and compassion in all relations (not just human relations)
Accepting responsibility for our creative acts.

Revelation Theology
Remain open to new and different forms of wisdom
Remain in awe of the unfolding of existence.
Work towards the unfolding and development of our individual and communal potential

Covenantal Relational Theology
How we agree to act with one another both within and without our community:
Transparency
Training
Accountability
Intentionally engage with the larger community with creative dialogue and action
Support for each other during the journey through life’s passages

Awareness Theology
Conscious and mindful living in everything we do during our life journey
How do our actions impact ourselves, others and the earth.
Becoming aware of our culture
Becoming aware of other cultures
Understanding the difference between cultures, and becoming aware of how
those difference impacts our thoughts and actions.

Avatar - A 7.5 out of 10 on the Jay Wolin Movie Rating Scale

This was a tough call…..I of course liked the message, but it was just a bit over the top….I give it such a high score due to its visual beauty….the mixing of live and digital is blending almost too easily, it makes it scary….Clearly a message of anti-western consumption culture, story on how we abuse indigenous cultures for their resources, demonize others as an excuse to destroy them (Sam Keel’s work comes to mind here), how we minimize others for having different ideas and beliefs and ways of life than we do….the juxtaposition of western technology vs eastern and New Age spirituality….I even felt it was trying to tell the story that if only the Native American tribes had been able to unite they could have defeated the European invaders….It made the environmental angle, about how all things are connected…..and impacted by each other….hit the circle of life issue also....sort of a star wars meets Dances with Wolves meets Lion King.….I say this not to sound mocking…I liked the movie, It made its point well, its just that it lacked any subtly….and of course, well the good beings won in the end which was nice....Although I think it cynically showed how we use science and good people as deception for merely winning the hearts and minds of those we would subjugate.....and of course as in any good movie it touches on redemption.....I'll see it again, and it made me think which in and of itself justifies this rating...

Some musings from theology class

What do we most trust?

This is a multi-faceted question. The first thing I have to do is to step back and check myself, and remember it is not what I trust, but what UU has to offer in response the question. And yet, I do not think we can help but interject our own context into this (these) questions. Having said that, I think we as Unitarian Universalists trust our experiences. The struggle with this concept is that individuals experiences can be limited. Therefore part of what we have to offer (and I am already thinking how this will weave into the last unit question) is the ability to expand individuals and our community’s intellectual, spiritual, and justice seeking experiences.

Who are we?

This is a tougher one. Who we want to be may not necessarily be who we are. And I think that is part of our strength and weakness. We are willing to look consciously at ourselves in our current context and are willing to change who we are. Yet constant change makes it difficult to define who we to those unfamiliar with our religion. Often people look towards religion to be a stable guiding force in their lives. We should realize and accept that our willingness to challenge our own and society’s status quo is an inhibitor to many people. We have to accept that we cannot be all things to all people, but we can and must be respectful and realize that different people in our congregations are at different places on their religious journey. I am proud that we are a religion which is willing to engage the wonders, ambiguities, and horrors that comprise life. We are a religion which is willing to examine with reason and creativity all that is existence. We are a religion that is willing to confront life with an open heart and an open mind. We are a religion who care for and nurtures all creation. We are a religion which seeks justice for all and not just for some and we see this as part of our spiritual and religious life. (OK, I see a good sermon forming here).

What will get us through the night?

My friend used to tell me there are no atheists in foxholes and hospital beds. In truth, most people don’t deal with the ultimate questions of life until they are faced with such stark life and death situations. UUs constantly engage life and how we live our lives. We engage those ultimate questions about the meaning of life, not with easy platitudes of some otherworldly paradise, but with a serious examination in the present moment. Easy platitudes fall by the wayside in times of crises, because deep down I think people know there is more, and then it is too late, and they know there is no magical redemption for a life poorly lived. A life well lived with principle and integrity gets us through the day. Yet “in the dark night of the soul” the only hope we have is relationships. Relationships we have built over time, through shared experiences, shared joys and tragedies. Knowing that there are people who care, and specifically care about you. Recently I was rushed to the emergency room (it ended up being vertigo, but I didn’t know that at the time), and I have to admit my first thought went to some foreign otherworldly being to help me, and then I saw my wife, and I just asked her to hold me. My personal experience, and my experience in CPE is that in our moment of need, we just need somebody to hold us, to be with us so we know we are not alone.

What holds us together in religious community?
This to me is the easiest of the questions. It is something that Dr. Parker’s article spoke of quite eloquently. What holds us together is our covenant with each other including how we act with each other. Acceptance of and inclusion of others does not always mean we will agree with everyone else. So it is important to live our first principle which is “the inherent worth and dignity of each person”. I think it is important for missions and covenants to be constantly reviewed and renewed. As our community grows, each new person changes it and is changed by it. Therefore we must always keep that in the forefront and current. Yet this is not enough. Words are just words, and by themselves cannot hold things together. Taking actions together is critical to hold us together and to build relationships. Such actions include fellowship, worship and justice work.

Where are we going?
We are building the beloved community. That is our work, that is our vision. As Martin Luther King said “Although man’s moral pilgrimage may never reach a destination point on earth, his never-ceasing strivings may bring him ever closer to the city of righteousness. And though the Kingdom of God may remain not yet as universal reality in history, in the present it may exist in such isolated forms as in judgment, in personal devotion, and in some group life” [Struggle to Love (Harper & Row, 1961). p. 64]. Thinking about this in light of Rasor’s article, it is interesting to see the foreshadowing of post-modern theology of local actions but still with the hope of in the future as if a beacon from a far away lighthouse, the modernist thought of universal reality. I think humanity has this innate need for the modernist thought of a universal ideal. We define post modernity in terms of people shifting away from a universal. I wonder if our ongoing fragmenting and slide as a society towards consumer and personal narcissism is accelerated by such a post modern theology of life.

As we continue to expand our community we change others and are changed by others. As we experience other cultures we realize that we are interconnected with them. The question will be whether we act on such realization with fear or with love and compassion. With endless hope I believe we are moving towards the latter, but I am not blind to reality of the former. I often think that the path is long and hard (how is that for Protestant work ethic context), but in reality, it doesn’t have to be. I am left thinking though of the hymn WOYAYA and its lyrics

We are going,
Heaven knows were we are going,
But we know within.
And we will get there,
Heaven knows how we will get there,
But we know we will.
It will be hard, we know,
And the road will be muddy and rough,
But we will get there,
Heaven knows how we will get there,
But we know we will.

It speaks to the uncertainty and hope of humanity and our willingness to engage both on our journey of life. I admit freely, I am stuck in the context of my experiences that hard work leads to positive solutions. It is something I will continue to explore (but should I work hard at exploring it J?)

Meanderings Sept 25th - thoughts on 50 and my plant

Thoughts on 50. Its interesting….i didn’t really think about it being that much different from 49 or 51, but everyone else seems to think so. If anything it focuses me more on the importance of the amount of time I have on this earth and how I choose to spend that time. How I choose to act as a human being and how choose to interact with others humans. My former boss took me out to lunch today and as he has for every year for my birthday, bought me the scotch of my choice, price not withstanding….so tonight I dwell on Macallan 18 yr old scotch….

My plant – I have not written about vertigo in awhile. I have learned many things from vertigo. First, if you care for something and focus on it and what it needs, it grows, and if you don’t it will become sick. At one point its petals all died, and I thought I had done something wrong….but within another day they sprouted again…..so it brought up the concept of death and rebirth…..and resilience……but the most moving awareness I gained was one night….I was debating in my mind whether to go out and water the plant….i was tired, and had gotten home late…..but I was thinking of this just as I was pouring water for my dog….and I thought…well how I can I give water to the dog and not the plant….and then the connection was made….my plant is just as much a living thing as my dog and deserves my attention. I intentionally purchased it with the goal to care for it…..how could I consider not taking care of it any more or less than I would my dog.

Mowing the Lawn

One of the many down sides of my sons leaving the house is the redistribution of Household chores. The one I received the pleasure of doing today was mowing the lawn. This is one I happily gave up many years ago to my industrious son Kyle. It had been a month since it was mowed…The grass was very tall. Now I tried for a while to rationalize that even grass is a living thing (it grows) and part of God’s creation, and thus what right do I have to destroy it. In fact shouldn’t I nurture it to its fullness…Then I saw the neighborhood association watchdog driving around and realized that the freedom of a couple of weeds and grass don’t amount to a hill of beans in the grand scheme of the homeowners association. So I got out the mower…..

Finally figuring out that I needed to prime it…This is just not intuitive without instructions. And since I had delegated this chore many years ago, I have happily not revisited it until today. Finally figuring that out….I come to realize there is no gas in the mower…..duh….ok so the weeds get a reprieve….for 15 minutes. I am undaunted. I go to the gas station (my car happened to be low on gas as well – I love the synchronicity of it all.) and fill up. Back to the house, I fill up the mower without spilling too much gas on myself…(note to self, do not grill food tonight with these clothes before washing).

Anyway, I finally figured out all the particulars of how the machine worked….and away we went. My god the power in my hands….mowing down, destroying grass that came in my wake. Then I say one little sunflower among the weeds, but it was too late, it had fallen victim to the killing machine known as lawn mower. I am living with the circle of life concept now.

I made my away around the back yard heading to the front yard. The gate door could not open because the dirt had built up around it so high that it could not swing open more than an inch. Good to thwart fat burglars, and keep the dogs in, but bad for use as a fire exit or to get the mower through….This meant I had two choices…..walk the machine around the back to the other fence door, or get a shovel and shovel out the dirt….I decided, since I was communing with nature today, ,I would shovel….so I shoveled the dirt to a point I could open the door…..I worked up a good sweat…in fact I was sweating so much I kept sweating even after I showered off later…..(of course maybe I just didn’t dry myself well).

Anyway, right now..I am thinking that instead of a game Farmville on Facebook, there should be a game called cityville, where you vie for tickets to the US Open, theatre, and Opera. One really good thing about this event is that I don’t feel the need to go the gym today. This was a healthy workout!!

Meanderings August 8th

Plant – Vertigo is growing and yet appears to be dying at the same time. Some of its purple petals are falling off, yet the plant itself seems to growing, even outgrowing the plastic pot it came in. Perhaps it is time to give it room to grow. I had thought about planting it in the ground. However I would have to plant it out front, for out back the dogs would likely destroy it as they race around the yard. If it were out front, I would have less time to contemplate with it. So I will have to get a larger plant to keep it on the back porch. Interesting analogy. I have to let it grow, yet still want to protect it. Sort of like my children.

Animals – I am helping a neighbor out watching their dog while they are away….it is an old dog who is not well. It is sad to see it in so much pain, yet he still responds positively to human compassion. Cats get into the funniest places. One of our cats got into a dresser today, slipped into just a slight opening and had trouble getting itself out. I heard it crying. Of course I am assuming she got herself into the dresser by herself. Maybe it was open, she went in and somebody closed it not realizing she was there. Interesting analogy how we sometimes unwittingly get ourselves into predicaments that we don’t even intend or plan and need the help of others to get us out of…..I must remember that as a reminder to help others out of their dressers so to speak.

Movie Review - Julie and Julia - A 7 on the JWorld Scale

Very entertaining and funny movie. I was never a Julia Child fan, but really Meryl Streep is just a great great actress of our time. Upon rejection of her book, she asks her husband, Have I spent the last eight years just keeping myself occupied” (paraphrase here)…then answering her own question she says “Oh Well” and moves on. Maybe it was that simple in real life…..but even so, it is a good message to take our “failures” in stride. This is a lesson the Julie in the story had to learn as well. The inter-splicing of the two stories into the movie of Julie following Julia Child’s recipes and Julia Child learning how to cook French. This was not necessarily a deep movie (although it did have some deep moments) but it was fun. One thing I noticed though….I was one of the youngest people in the movie. Probably the avg age of attendees was age 60.

Mindful meanderings July 30th

My plant. I wonder if I should name my plant. I thought about it today. I thought about how much do I need to water it..i hadn’t watered it yet. I wondered whether I should plant it in the ground or plant it in a pot….now it is in a plastic bowl it came in from the store. I wonder what (if) the plant feels about being in a plastic bowl versus a ceramic pot, versus in the ground. Would one help it grow more. I wonder if it can sense that sort of thing….anyway when I came home…it was raining….i decided to just put the plant out in the rain….what more natural water could it get….i wonder if plants like rain water more than tap water…..

Animals in the wild…..other than squirrels….I usually try to avoid them. I usually avoid squirrels to, but they are fun to watch running around and around the tree…..I listen for the birds chirping or the frogs croaking (cant miss those at night). Animals in the wild have always been a curiosity to me, not having grown up with them…..they were things you went to see at the zoo. So of course wild animals being behind cages and barriers of course leads one to fear them….and of course there is good reason to fear some of them….although I imagine they have a lot more to fear of humans than humans from them….

Thoughts – I was eerily mellow and at peace all day….I don’t know why I would say eerily….but it was…almost surreally peaceful…..still trying to balance time with commitments and desires….have to make sure I have time to do the things I need to do….but what do I really need. I worked mostly today….that really doesn’t take too much thought….had to deal with someone who made a veiled racist remark….I didn’t find myself getting angry….just contemplative…almost looking at it the situation from a detached point of view..i said to myself…these are not my people…but I realized everyone is my people, even this person with all their fears…and how do I reach them…not in this current position I am in……..even this morning when I went to Duncan Donuts and I asked them for a toasted bagel with butter and I specifically said not too much butter. When it came of course it was slopped with butter….I say of course, because even though I always ask this rarely do people listen….I think that is a lesson….listen to what people are asking you…but even more remarkably….going with the eerily peaceful thing….anger did not rise up in me at the bagel buttering person. I do not think it is resignation that it will not change…I just came to the realization that I was not going to allow anything to upset my mood…I didn’t not consciously think this…I was just in the moment….I find myself just going through the motions at work….although my going through the motions is still better than most….and I find not being so intense about things….allows things to go more smoothly….how and why do I feel this way some days…It is not a conscious thing….but I will not worry about it today….

Mindful meanderings

July 29th

One of the readings from my class suggested journaling as a spiritual practice and gave a framework within which to write and think about it. I will attempt this for a time and see how it goes. I will try to set aside at least 30 minutes each day for this and 30 minutes each day for meditation as a way to be intentional about a spiritual discipline.

Plants – think about your plant…so I bought a plant for this project. I went in and asked the store person for a plant that would be very hard to kill. That is a sad statement….but true…I just have not worked with plants a lot. I wanted something that would be outside. So I know plants need water. So I guess this points to the issue of paying attention to the plant and becoming aware of what it will need. Plants are such good metaphors for life. If you care for it it will grow. Water it, as you would water your soul. Pay attention to it and care for it, as you should pay attention and care for your soul. I think my plant needs water….I think I need some water…..

Animals – I have 2 dogs and four cats. Technically some of the pets are the children’s but I end up taking care of them. They are apart of my family. The cats name in order of age oldest to youngest are Cloud, Sally, Zelda, and Cory. The dogs are Linus and Fox. Really technically only Linus is mine. He is an Australian Shepard. He is about 9 ½ years old. He is starting to slow down. He is my protector, sitting by my feet, getting between me and others whenever he senses anything wrong. I am glad to see that he has taken up doing the same for my granddaughter Scarlett. He is a noble dog with a deep soul. He is quite gentle, and prefers to love others versus receiveing love. Yet he does love a good stomach rub. I have always been a dog person.

Thoughts – I have been quite mellow today, oddly enough…..I really cant explain it, although I have been meditating longer and longer each morning (when I do meditate in the morning). I meditated for 30 minutes this morning. It puts me in such a good frame of mind and I would say makes me more productive and aware….so of course I wonder why I don’t do it more often. I have been really missing Will more than I expected. I really have to finalize my plans for class in the fall.

I went to pick up kyle from his friends and we went out to lunch together. We had a good time and as always shared about everything and nothing….and on the ride home we shared listening to each others music, although we have veto power over particular songs if they are too raunchy for me or too mellow for him….he says I have a lot of weird music I listen to (Little Feat)….its so interesting to hear others perspectives….

My rating and comments on the AFI 100 greatest movies

This is the American Film Institute's list of the 100 Greatest Movies, selected by AFI's blue-ribbon panel of more than 1,500 leaders of the American movie community.

AFI rating/Name of Movie
Jay's Rating
Jay's Comment
1. CITIZEN KANE (1941)
6
Amazing for its time and who will ever forget rosebud, but never really moved me
2. CASABLANCA (1942)
9
Always a classic over and over again…Bogart at his best
3. GODFATHER, THE (1972)
10
On my top 5 list - nuff said
4. GONE WITH THE WIND (1939)
6
Never really understood the hype about this movie -
5. LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962)
6
Too long and slow for me - ranks with Ghandi
6. WIZARD OF OZ, THE (1939)
5
Maybe if you were on drugs this would be meaningful
7. GRADUATE, THE (1967)
8
Plastics, think Plastics young man
8. ON THE WATERFRONT (1954)
8
If this wasn’t a political movie by Elia Kazan to support his testifying in front of the house anti american committee, this might have been a 10 - The classic Brando - "I could have been somebody, I could have been a contender"
9. SCHINDLER'S LIST (1993)
8
I am waiting for Ted Turner to colorize this…Significant movie only because it was a popular movie that showed the randomness of the Nazi genocide - Check out Shoah for the reality of the holocaust
10. SINGIN' IN THE RAIN (1952)
7
A wonderful fun movie
11. IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE (1946)
8
Again, just a wonderful feel good movie, that still puts a tear in my eye each time I watch it.
12. SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950)
?
You know, I never saw this one
13. BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI, THE (1957)
??
Again, shockingly I was surprised to realize I had never seen this one either
14. SOME LIKE IT HOT (1959)
6
Fun, but not really more than that
15. STAR WARS (1977)
6
Own it, watch it, love it, but if only someone could act
16. ALL ABOUT EVE (1950)
??
17. AFRICAN QUEEN, THE (1951)
7
Two of my favorites Hepburn and Bogart - Great acting - interesting story
18. PSYCHO (1960)
4
This did nothing for me
19. CHINATOWN (1974)
6
Jack Nicholson again with a great performance
20. ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST (1975)
9
A movie that can move you - once again Jack Nicholson
21. GRAPES OF WRATH, THE (1940)
8
A little slow, but Henry Fonda at his best, and a very poignant movie
22. 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)
6
Groundbreaking movie special effects and concepts,
23. MALTESE FALCON, THE (1941)
6
Great Bogart, great supporting cast - a standard private eye genre movie
24. RAGING BULL (1980)
8
Just great acting and a great story, and he lived in the Bronx where I grew up. A great portrait of fallen integrity, and its affects on a person
25. E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL (1982)
10
OK, who didn’t get choked up when you realized ET was still alive…Go on admit it.
26. DR. STRANGELOVE (1964)
7
A bizarre commentary on the cold war
27. BONNIE & CLYDE (1967)
5
Looks kind of cheesy in retrospect to me, just a shoot em up gangster movie
28. APOCALYPSE NOW (1979)
9
A moving bizarre movie about the Vietnam War
29. MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON (1939)
8
Have to love the story of political idealism in todays jaded society
30. TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE (1948)
7
Again, a great Bogart movie
31. ANNIE HALL (1977)
8
The quintessiential Woody Allen relationship movie
32. GODFATHER PART II, THE (1974)
10
Again, on my top 5 - It doesn’t get much better than this.
33. HIGH NOON (1952)
7
A classic
34. TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD (1962)
9
A strong drama that is captivating
35. IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT (1934)
???
36. MIDNIGHT COWBOY (1969)
7
Great Great acting, - absorbing story about the underbelly of society. Dustin Hoffman at his best as Ratso
37. BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES, THE (1946)
8
I guess I loved this because it was not your typical war hero story. - Deer Hunter for WWII
38. DOUBLE INDEMNITY (1944)
??
39. DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (1965)
??
40. NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)
??
I havnt seen this in so long, I remember I liked it, but obviously, it didn’t have that much of an impression on me
41. WEST SIDE STORY (1961)
6
OK, so gangs who dance go a little too far, but a great update of Romeo and Juliet for the modern person without having to learn olde English. And great great music.
42. REAR WINDOW (1954)
??
I just never got into Hitchcock
43. KING KONG (1933)
4
Ok, I guess it was special for its time, but maybe I am just getting old.
44. BIRTH OF A NATION, THE (1915)
?
45. STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, A (1951)
6
Brando was great
46. CLOCKWORK ORANGE, A (1971)
8
Brutal, moving, bizarre, weird, enough to make you think about what the point of it all was.
47. TAXI DRIVER (1976)
7
Deniro was great, Jodie Foster before she was great, and a solid movie.
48. JAWS (1975)
7
Who can forget "I think we need a bigger boat" - Shaw, Dreyfuss and Schneider superb, suspenseful, if only it didn’t spawn all those awful sequels
49. SNOW WHITE & THE SEVEN DWARFS (1937)
5
They have to be kidding - fun for Sat with the kids, but top 100 ever - where is lion king
50. BUTCH CASSIDY & THE SUNDANCE KID (1969)
7
That Redford/Newman pairing was special….
51. PHILADELPHIA STORY, THE (1940)
??
52. FROM HERE TO ETERNITY (1953)
7
Its been a while since Ive seen this one also, but somewhere in the recesses of my brain, I remember I liked it a lot, and Lancasters performance is as always great
53. AMADEUS (1984)
7
Really interesting enjoyable, movie
54. ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (1930)
??
55. SOUND OF MUSIC, THE (1965)
7
One of the truly great musicals of all time (with South Pacific and West Side Story)
56. M*A*S*H (1970)
7
My first R rated movie I legally saw - so I am partial to this…really funny stuff
57. THIRD MAN, THE (1949)
??
Missed this one
58. FANTASIA (1940)
6
Groudbreaking, very serene, love the music.
59. REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE (1955)
6
Everybody loves James Dean - I don’t get it here
60. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK (1981)
7
Excitement at every turn
61. VERTIGO (1958)
?
Never really got into the Hitchcock thing
62. TOOTSIE (1982)
8
A classic funny poignant movie
63. STAGECOACH (1939)
5
There are a lot better westerns than this
64. CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977)
7
A tough one. I really enjoyed this movie, Dreyfuss was great, it was a thinking persons ET, but it just didn’t move me. Cant forget that music sequence though.
65. SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, THE (1991)
6
Great acting, suspenseful, but really not much of a story
66. NETWORK (1976)
7
A funny poignant story on the state of television
67. MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE, THE (1962)
6
A good spy thriller
68. AMERICAN IN PARIS, AN (1951)
??
69. SHANE (1953)
7
A classic western
70. FRENCH CONNECTION, THE (1971)
7
Wow what a chase scene, I still remember it!! As always a great Hackman
71. FORREST GUMP (1994)
4
What a meaningless stupid movie - how did this become popular - basically honoring stupidity - Although the acting by Gary Sinese was superb
72. BEN-HUR (1959)
5
Stick to Moses on the mountain
73. WUTHERING HEIGHTS (1939)
6
And it rightfully beat Gone with the Wind for the Oscar - but I still didn’t think it was that great
74. GOLD RUSH, THE (1925)
?
75. DANCES WITH WOLVES (1990)
9
A moving story about Native Americans and our treatment of them, that we constantly try to ignore
76. CITY LIGHTS (1931)
?
77. AMERICAN GRAFFITI (1973)
6
Fun, and it defined a generation, although what does that say about that generation
78. ROCKY (1976)
7
Gives hope to every underdog in the world - although it really got old after the third one
79. DEER HUNTER, THE (1978)
9
Very moving depiction of dealing with the horror of war -
80. WILD BUNCH, THE (1969)
5
A western action film - plenty of violence
81. MODERN TIMES (1936)
???
82. GIANT (1956)
8
Now this was James Dean at his best
83. PLATOON (1986)
7
One of many good movies depicting the vietnam war
84. FARGO (1996)
7
Clever, Quirky, good acting, but really - top 100 - we are sinking pretty low here.
85. DUCK SOUP (1933)
9
How can you not roll over laughing while watching this.
86. MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY (1935)
??
Read the book in high school and dreaded it, so I have a predisposition to avoid the various versions of this movie
87. FRANKENSTEIN (1931)
4
Again, like King Kong, probably, unique for its time, but doesn’t do anything for me
88. EASY RIDER (1969)
7
Oh, that sixties rebelliousness - classic diner scene makes this one to always remember
89. PATTON (1970)
8
This was the double feature with Mash as my first legal R rated movie. Great acting. - George should have accepted the Oscar
90. JAZZ SINGER, THE (1927)
??
Saw the remake with Neil Diamond - what can I say
91. MY FAIR LADY (1964)
8
Audrey Hepburn and Harrison were great - great music great story also about society and how we classify people based on how they talk and act
92. PLACE IN THE SUN, A (1951)
9
Just a great drama about life and the tradegy of poor choices.
93. APARTMENT, THE (1960)
6
Funny
94. GOODFELLAS (1990)
6
Good acting, - standard mafia movie
95. PULP FICTION (1994)
7
Unique, interesting style - interesting story
96. SEARCHERS, THE (1956)
6
I know everyone loves this, and John Wayne, but seems so plastic to me.
97. BRINGING UP BABY (1938)
??
98. UNFORGIVEN (1992)
9
A great movie with great acting with the ultimate quesiton, of what is good and what is evil.
99. GUESS WHO'S COMING TO DINNER (1967)
9
What great acting - Tracy, Hepburn, Poitier, and what a great story about race in America
100. YANKEE DOODLE DANDY (1942)
??
Only seen bits of this…no comment
Other Jay Wolin picks that I think should have been on this list:
Rainmaker
9
Kirk Douglass, Kat Hepburn in an unbelievably moving story of dreams and reality and what is true in life
Diner
8
She had to take a test on football to marry into the family - now that is reality
The Razors Edge
10
A Bill Murray, serious movie, so therefore it received poor reviews, but I think one of the greatest movies of all time, that asks the quesiton why are we here.
The Magnificient Seven
10
OK, it is just a remake of RAN, but I saw it first and it was a western, and I loved it and can watch it again and again
Shoah
10
Not for everyone, a 9 hour documentry of the Holocaust - you will never be the same after seeing it though.
Inherit the Wind
10
Whatever you believe about the issue of evolution vs creationism, this asks all the quesitons. Spencer Tracy at his best
Barfly
9
OK, it’s a movie about a drunken poet, and drunks, but I found it moving, in its pain and realization that even in pain there is beauty
Seven
9
I don’t like scary suspenseful movies in general (life is scary enough), but this movie was so disturbing it should be on the list just for that reason. I do not think I could stomach it again, but to me emoting such a strong response is the sign of a good movie
A Lion in Winter
10
Some of the greatest acting in moviedom - Kate Hepburn (yet again) a young Anthony Hopkins, Peter Otoole, (and much more) with a great story.
Boys n the Hood
9
A moving story of life in the inner city and the struggle to overcome one's environment. This stuff is made for me.
Arthur
8
Again another story about a drunk - is there a pattern to movies I like?
Shogun
no rating
OK, so this was a TV miniseries, but I have the video - could not have been told in a two hour movie - a great story if you have the time to watch it
Tender Mercies
8
A nice simple movie about life and faith - Robert Duvall at his best
High Plains Drifter
8
One of my favorite Clint Eastwood Western - again that what is good and evil thing
The Man from Snowy River
9
A man and his horse, love, poor vs rich, heroism, has all the elements, just a movie I keep going back to and watching again and again, so that is why I have it on the list
An Officer and a Gentleman
9
Again this is one I have watched multiple times - a perfect role for Richard Gere - an unlikable hard edged misunderstood pained character who comes to understand himself and accept love
Robin Hood
8
Classic Good vs Evil, helping the oppressed overcome tyranny.
The Hustler
9
Truly Newman at his best, with and great job by Jackie Gleason, a superb character study of drive and passion and self destruction.
Crimes and Misdeanors
9
A serious Woody Allen movie that asks many of the deep questions about life
Field of Dreams
10
How does one resist the question of whether one should follow their dreams and instincts vs what society tells them is correct. Even if you don’t like baseball, this is one of the greatest movies of all time
A Raisin in the Sun
9
A great drama about the struggles of life
25th Hour
10
Edward Norton's last day before going to prison. Refleciton on life and how he got to where he was. Picture of how as a society, we have turned to greed and lust. There is a five minute rant about the things he hates about NYC…this rant in and of itself makes this a great great movie.

Forever Young - Wednesday at GA

Wednesday:
Forever Young – no not the Bob Dylan song…or the way I am feeling right now….I shouldn’t be so exhausted after just one day…finally catching up with the time change….but this was a workshop on youth. They gave us a copy of the Youth Ministry working Group – Recommendations for youth ministry…..

I will call the session “So what happened with YRUU” Seriously there was discussions about did they change the name or not…..I haven’t read the entire report….but the consensus is, on a national level they are not using that name, but what is used on a local or district level is up to the participants. There seemed to be a very strong feeling about maintaining the connection of the name. YRUU clearly had a very positive strong impact on many participants….

Of course the workshop had much more depth to it…..most of it was brainstorming….here are some notes from that brainstorming…..

Review the Mosaic Youth Report project – it is online at uua.org

Youth and Young Adult offices at UUA have merged

There should be youth leadership at different aspects of congregational life….on board…re committee….other committees…

Use technology to reach youth

Have older youth teach younger grades…

Importance of Continuity – share stories and history of church and youth. Pastoral care for youth

Youth involvement in worship more than once a year

Having youth get away from congregation once in a while –
Youth camps
10 day habitat pilgrimage.
UUSC civil rights journey
UUSC summer camps
Boston trip

Importance of young adults voice in youth ministry

Dedicated space for youth

Keep parents informed – on board

Grant programs to help hire youth minister

Having bridging ceremony each year….

Coming of Age Program

Frost/Nixon

I give it a 7 out of 10 on the JWo scale. I freely admit I like historical stuff particularly about this time period for it was when I came of age politically. If you dont like historical docudramas this would be a snore. Great acting by all parties. A little slow moving at times. It reinforced my original feelings about the interviews which were that in general they were favorable to Nixon (with the one major exception. This is historical stuff, so I am not giving anything away here). It reinforced an image of Nixon as a brilliant but paranoid, lonely, bitter, petty man. It really showed David Frost though to be a bit of a glory hound and a buffoon. I was surprised by that. Whenever there are historical movies, I always try to remember that it is not real history, just someones depiction of history. I felt the movie created caricatures of the individuals and didn’t really show the depth of who they were. Of course it was focusing one set of events but I was left wondering if this was what they were really like.

The Iceman Cometh - Free from illusions

When I look back on my life there are many writings that affected my life. However there was not one particular piece that created a single moment of insight as to my vocation. My pursuit of ministry has been a life long journey that leads me to this place and time. When I look back over my life, I thought of one particular play that I read that jump started a journey of searching for the truth. It is a play I have continued to think about throughout my life. When I first read Eugene O’Neil’s “The Iceman Cometh” in my late teens, I was cynical and pessimistic about the ways of the world. Due to the lens of experiences I had grown up with, I had given up on the idea that there was a God. I remember that once I started reading this play, I could not put it down and stayed up all night to finish it.

The characters in the story are down on their luck alcoholics. These individuals are on the lowest rung of the ladder in society. They maintain illusions about how they happened to be in such a predicament in their life, and more importantly, how they would change their life one day and redeem themselves and their life. There are certain pairings of individuals, an ex-policeman and a crook, two combatants from opposite sides of a war, a revolutionary and an individual who has a forsaken the concept of revolution, and a pimp and his hookers to name a few of the characters. One day, an old friend walks in the bar and tries to convince them that they will find peace only if they face their illusions and realize them for what they are. His concept is that once they see themselves for what they are, their true inner self, they will see that they are just alcoholics, and they will not need their illusions. As it turns out he believes this because he killed his wife and found peace because he no longer had the guilt of constantly lying to her and knowing she would forgive him. Upon killing her, he felt peace because he no longer had to keep up the illusion that he would reform one day. Yet when he made the cast of characters confront their illusions, they did not find peace. Reality was just too harsh and had become a living death. In the end, the message of the play is that we all need certain illusions to help us make it through life.

Now this may seem like a strange story as an inspiration for ministry. If I had read this story later in life, I might not have had the same reaction. Yet what it showed me was that we all create illusions for ourselves to help us survive in a harsh world. This started me on a search for my true inner self. This also changed my perspective in how I viewed all things in the world. I learned that instead of looking at superficial aspects of something in life, I had to investigate the root cause and complexity of all points of view to gain a true understanding of such a thing. Confronting an illusion will cause the death of that illusion. However, once dead, there is fertile ground for the truth (or possibly another illusion) to achieve life.

At that time in my life I was tempted to take the position that others were under the illusion that there was a God, and I needed to confront others with their illusion. Yet intrinsically I knew that tearing down other people beliefs or illusions would not help me. I needed to understand my illusions and my inner self. My lack of knowledge and experience in the world had led me to certain conclusions about the world. The realization that I didn’t have enough knowledge and experience was the first step to breaking the illusion. I knew if I maintained the illusion of the world that I experienced, I would never evolve spiritually as human being. Without knowing what the truth was, I shed the illusion and started on the search for knowledge and understanding of God, and the way God works in this world.

Another thing I learned from this play was that you have to have a plan. Clearly these characters were flawed and at the end of the line. My perception at that time in my life was that although flawed, if I did not change, that I would end up at the end of my life in much the same manner as these characters. I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I knew I had the ability to change. I knew it would be a long and arduous task, but if I focused on end result, I could persevere and succeed. Later in life I have learned to enjoy the road throughout the journey. This did teach me though that we have to choose the path carefully, and make sure we are heading in the right direction. We may have to adapt and take detours along the way, but we must think in advance which way we are heading. I also learned that answers are not instantaneous. The search for the truth can be a long journey until we find the answer. When we reach the destination it may not hold the answer we expect. The answers we receive also may raise new questions which will lead us off on another journey. Yet it is just that search for truth and meaning with love in our hearts and an open mind that will put us in touch with the divine and will eventually give us salvation.

Although this play has a bleak outlook on life, it makes me constantly reassess my self and my actions, to make sure that I am following a path that is right for me and is not based on illusion. This play showed me the need for discernment that continues today through deep thought about life. I do sometimes think that I create an illusion that living a moral, ethical life that is God centered is better because I fear the consequences of actions that society would deem immoral. Yet this is an illusion I would be happy to live with.

I read a story in a book that said that God was playing hide and seek with humans, but we were not looking. Well my driving search for truth about myself, has forced me to face the fact that I believe in a divine presence in the universe. It also forced me to face the fact about myself that I want to do good, and I want to help make the world a better place to live. I also want to help others see this light of goodness in the world and in their lives. My search for truth has shown me that there are many paths to reach this divine presence. There is great knowledge and insight we can learn from different world religions that can lead us on this path. In addition, there are many underlying truths that are similar in many world religions that can bind us together as we evolve as humans.

One of the last lines of this book, one of the characters states “Be God, there’s no hope! I’ll never be a success in the grandstand – or anywhere else! Life is too much for me! I’ll be a weak fool looking with pity at the two sides of everything till the day I die! May that day come soon!” These lines have always haunted me. I have for much of my life looked for balance and tolerance in this world. Yet sometimes we must act as a counterbalance to society at large to maintain such a balance. We must be willing when necessary to take a stand. We must take a stand for righteousness and justice when the rest of society stands idly bye. So just as this character has stood in the grandstands of life watching the game but not intervening, and at the end of day wishing for death, I submit that we cannot just sit idly bye and watch others manipulate the world for their own means. We must take action to educate and change the world, to help shape the world in the image of the divine. Although I do not agree with the message that the play offers, the ideas offered within it sparked such deep thought within me. These thoughts started me on my journey and continually keep me honest along the way.

Christian Scriptures - On Circumcision and Slaves

As with all the Christian Scripture readings I find different passages inspiring, challenging, and intriguing. 1Thessalonians Verse 5.14-22 are words to live by. I especially like the phrase to “test everything”. This would also include the words of the Paul, which if true should hold up to the light of truth. I was also inspired by Galatians Verse 6.1-10. It combines the concept of self-reliance and works for the “good of all” with a reminder to forgive and help those who are not as strong spiritually. These are messages that are universal.

I do not understand Paul’s obsession against circumcision. It is one thing to not require circumcision in order to be Christian, but why does he totally disparage it. In Galatians Verse 5.1-3 he indicates that if you get circumcised Christ will be of no benefit to you. I find it hard to believe that the basis of ones entire faith rests on a small piece of foreskin.

Paul also argues that if you are circumcised you are obliged to obey the entire law. This is clearly a way to discourage circumcision. Yet Jesus never stated all the laws had to be followed. In fact he argued against strictly following the interpretations of law regarding working on the Sabbath. I contend that the law on circumcision was installed for health reasons. Possibly individuals of Jewish descent had a proclivity for infection in that part of the body and the healers found that if a person was circumcised the infection did not occur. We have found this to be true in the modern age, so why do we assume that Jewish people did not realize this at that time.

I found the opening sentence in Philemon to be fascinating. I would be interested to learn the Greek, but the English translation states that Paul is a prisoner of Jesus Christ. This infers that he believes in Christ against his will. Is this saying that believing in Christ is against our nature? Or is it saying we are not free to escape the confines of our environment?

I prefer to read the scripture before reading others interpretations. I find by following this order my perceptions are not tainted. It is important to understand the traditional analysis of the scripture. However, reading most of this for the first time, not reading the traditional analysis in advance allows me a pristine view from my mind’s eye which often ends up giving me an alternative understanding. One such example would be in the reason why Philemon sent the slave Onesimus to Paul. I believe instead of coming to help Paul himself, Philemon sent a slave, and due to this, Paul in his response is trying to embarrass Philemon in front of rest of the community. I am sure I am no the first person in the history of the world to come up with this analysis, (although I have not read it elsewhere) I enjoy thinking about scripture independently and then comparing it to others’ analysis. In any event, although one of the smaller books in the Scriptures, I found Philemon rich in social questions.

Jesus the Tax Resistor

Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s

The three synoptic gospels start this story with the Pharisees trying to “entangle” “entrap” or “deliver him (Jesus) up to the authority” Therefore there must have been an expectation that Jesus believed in tax resistance to Rome but they needed him to publicly state this to have him arrested. I think this is also supported by Luke 23.2 whereupon handing Jesus to Pilate the assembly says “We found this man perverting our nation, forbidding us to pay taxes to the emperor”

Many tax collectors over collected taxes so as to make a profit. This put an even heavier burden on the largely poor agricultural population of Israel. Often people had to mortgage their lands. Upon the ever rising taxes eventually the people would lose their land to the money-lenders. In the time of Jesus, there was still a strong sense of God haven given this land to the Jewish people and the land was God’s and should not be transferred to Romans or used to facilitate payment of taxes to Rome.

Jesus had to find a way to give his tax resistance message to the people so as to maintain his integrity, without publicly denouncing the Romans which would lead to his arrest. His wording is highly ambiguous just for that reason. Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s – which is nothing, Render unto God what is God’s – which is everything, particularly the land.

Intentions

I just wanted to touch on the issue of Intention and its importance to ethics.

It is a critical issue, which I have struggled with all my life. Really just how important are intentions as opposed to the actions taken or the results of those actions. There is the old adage that “the road to hell is paved with good intentions”. Does intention matter? Without proper action, intention may be immaterial, or even harmful. In a simple example, I may intend to lose weight so that I can live a healthier life. Yet if I do not do the requisite study of nutritional education, or exercise and / or change my eating habits, it really doesn’t matter what my intention is, I will not lose weight.

What if someone who is torturing someone has the good intention of thinking they are saving lives. Does it really matter what the intention is, if the act itself is unethical. Suppose someone steals money but does it with the intention to give it to charity. Does that make the act of stealing any less unethical. What about a doctor or pharmaceutical company whose intention is only to make money, but they save thousands of lives.

Is it the intention, the act itself, or the result of that act that determines the ethics of the situation?

Ah, these are the questions that have plagued minds for millennium.

Movie Review - "Blow" with Johnny Depp.

This one gets a 7 on the J Scale

Johnny Depp is a great actor….I cant really say this was a great movie, or that it was done in a unique way or told a compelling story, or that it developed it character over time. However I gave it such a high mark because it did move me, and in an odd way saddened me, and made me think, which to me is one of the main purposes of movies (of course other than entertainment) .

There were a couple of lines in the movie that I thought were really good, The first was when he said “my ambitions far exceeded my abilities”. I think many of us can relate to this. Because many in life are un-ambitious, merely having ambition can take one far. But at some point, a person is limited by reaching the capacity of their ability. The thing is most people don’t see their own limitations, especially ambitious people. Many people, underestimate their ability, whereas ambitious people tend to overestimate their ability and in this case shows how negative that can be.

The second comment which touched me was that he said, “some people’s lives go by without their realizing it, but his life had several poignant moments”. I think this is true to some extent, that people just let their lives go on, and let life take them where it will, without much planning, or direction. And they blame the fates, or destiny, but in truth, it is their lack of action, or thought that led them to their position in life.

His was a tale of a sad life, that he did not realize what he wanted out of life until it was too late, and he was unable or unwilling to change…Another poignant point, was the stark comparison of the value of money versus integrity. How one lives their life, and what one does with their life is important and that it is never too late to turn back, it is never to late to start again.

OK, so most of the points made here are self evident….and the movie although completely lacking in subtlety certainly gets it point across for all to see. But I guess that was the point!!

Movie Review – Kite Runner 8 of 10 on the J Scale.

I usually like to wait a day or two before I write a review of a movie to let it all sink in. But I was just so moved by this movie. It was the story of two children growing up together in Afghanistan (pre soviet invasion), their life together, events that tore them apart and events in life that bind people together in ones heart forever. The story had such a depth to it. Dreams of children,. Dreams of parents for their children….the secrets children keep from parents and from each other…the secrets parents keep from children and from each other….triumph…shame….finding a purpose in life…fear...redemption….honor…courage…loyalty.. It also dealt with the dilemma of fight or flight in the face of danger...and how the stories we tell and hear shape our lives.....I can not say enough about this movie….The only fault I found in it was a sentimental and improbable escape from danger that occurred late in the movie as well as the ending of the movie seemed quite rushed, but I am just picking….a must see movie…

Descriptions of Salvation

I was recently asked "what descriptive word for salvation (justification, redemption, ransom, etc) you prefer and indicate its usefulness in today’s world."

There is of course an assumption that salvation is necessary, and the concept of salvation is useful to society today. Looking at the world from a multicultural and pluralistic perspective I cannot start out with that assumption. As is required from different cultural contexts, translation of words into other words that can be meaningful is necessary to bridge understanding among different groups of people. The word salvation, as well as most of the words describing salvation is so laden with history and assumptions that its mere use negates its usefulness to many.

The use of the word ransom has such negative connotations in society today. The concept of redemption although a more commonly used phrase today presupposes sin and guilt. I like the Hebrew concept of sin described as “missing the mark”. Thus sin is not living up to fullest potential as humans, or in the manner that God has called us to. Most humans do not consider themselves sinful (whether they are or not). If one does not consider themselves sinful, there is nothing to be redeemed from. Therefore I do not think most people would react to this description. I feel the description of justification will not be useful because it is a theological construct for Christian Salvation that does not have the same impact in the Vernacular. In our culture the use of the word justified indicates that someone’s actions were correct. If someone needs to be saved, they are being saved because they did something wrong. Therefore intuitively the use of this word does not resonate for me. I like the description that described justification as “a change of status in our relationship with God”. I think this is an important concept. At some point in our life we need to come to an understanding for ourselves separate from what we have been indoctrinated with in our youth. Relating it to salvation, though is a challenge as I think our relationship with God changes over time and that would mean there would be multiple salvations.

The first description I feel would be useful would be re-creation When I first thought of this I looked at the word as recreation as in leisure activities. Immediately I thought what a unique theological concept. Salvation through leisure. And although I came back to reality after a moment, the thought of taking time to enjoy the splendors of the world that God created could be a form of salvation, and certainly something that people could relate to. I do find it interesting that the words are homographs, but I do think the concept of re-creation is something that people can relate to. People have experienced creation within their lives. People have created children, shelters, food, and artistic expressions of ideas. This last is one of the things that make humans uniquely human. Humans have also had the opportunity to re-create their lives. We use the phrase second chance, or a do-over. We are constantly changing our lives, every day with every decision we make. People have the opportunity to re-create their view and perspective on the world every day. Seeing the world through the perspective of others can help us better reconcile differences with others (reconciliation is another description of salvation that is useful, although I think it is a subset of re-creation.) Even people who have had horrible experiences in this world can and often do use those experiences to change the world and help others avoid the same experiences. I think this is another factor in the development of salvation that is critical when we recreate while working with others.

If we were made in the image of God, why would we not have the same ability (on a smaller scale) to create and recreate? I believe in the Unity of God with all of God’s creations, and if we are one with God, we should have the ability to create. And just as God had the ability to create, God also had the ability to destroy such as displayed with the Flood. Yet always in the Jewish Scriptures, God recreated humans, or allowed humans to re-create themselves and try again and again, after each failure, to try to rise up again to strive for the maximum potential of humanity.

I was moved by a statement attributed to the Cappadocians that When God assumed a human form and nature, the purpose was not only to participate in human life, but also “to enable man to participate in divine life”. God did participate in human life in Genesis directly and though human actions throughout the Jewish Scriptures. Although I would argue that the divine spark is within each human being, although that is different and not as comprehensive as participating in divine life.

Another important description of salvation is deliverance and liberation. I think this description is something that people can relate to. Many people have felt the sting of oppression and marginalization in some way in their lifetime. Dealing with this is the great need for religion. Salvation can be seen as the hope for deliverance and liberation from oppression. As the world becomes more connected, people will become more aware of the disparity in power which will create conflict. Such conflict will lead to the need for reconciliation amongst all people. I like the concept which speaks of both vertical and horizontal elements of reconciliation. I think before we can reconcile with God, I think humanity needs to reconcile with each other. I think both humanity and God need to meet halfway in the abyss. I think it will take entering into the abyss for humans to reconcile with each other. Entering into the abyss is a matter of unconditional trust. It is a trust that there is a purpose in the universe and that purpose is working towards justice for all. I believe that by entering the abyss in search of reconciliation and justice within humanity, we will find our reconciliation with God and only then will we have salvation.

Just what is conservative and liberal?

Last night I was listening to talk radio on the way home, and I heard Shawn Hannity say something to the effect, “Just how high do gas prices have to go before Americans agree to drill in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska. This was shocking to me. Every attempt by the Bush Administration to allow drilling has been rejected by the Senate. Yet now there is a consistent call from conservative talk radio trying to drum up support for this environmentally indefensible idea.

Now first let me say that my conservative friends find it amazing that someone with my views on politics and religion would listen to conservative talk radio. Yet I believe in my heart, I need to hear all sides of the story before I make my decisions. I do believe there is a mainstream media bias, so I like to read, listen and watch the fringe media from both the liberal and conservative positions to try to interpret what is really the truth. One of the principles of my Unitarian Universalists religion is the free and responsible search for truth and meaning. I would not be responsible if I did not investigate all views. Another principle of my religion is the respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. I cannot sit idly by and do nothing while forces within America want to destroy and pillage the earth’s resources. We must realize that there are consequences to drilling that could effect the future existence of this planet. Therefore I ask all Americans to contact your governmental representatives immediately and say NO TO DRILLING FOR OIL in the ANWR.

As I listen to talk radio more and more, I find I am more confused about what is conservative and liberal. I always thought I was middle of the road with liberal leanings on social issues. More and more as I listen to talk radio, I am shocked to learn that what I thought were conservative views are radically liberal. Take the drilling in ANWR. I believe we should conserve our natural resources and live simpler lives. I think it is radically liberal to want to drill for oil in a pristine environmental location merely to give the oil companies extra profits with having no real impact on prices to consumers or the long term energy problem. So protecting and conserving the environment is now considered liberal and not conservative?

I think we should invest in alternative fuel programs, finding the most cost effective method with the least disruption to our planet. I am not opposed to business (even oil companies) making money on this. But let them make money based on a strategic plan of the government (by, of and for the people) to create an energy independent, eco-friendly product. Investment in long term business projects seems to be quite a conservative idea, yet talk show hosts seem to label alternative fuel sources as radical liberalism.

I also once thought that having a balanced budget was a conservative issue. Yet the Republican President and Republican led congress took a balanced budget, strong economy, and secure social security system left to them by President Clinton and ran them into the ground. They breached their fiduciary and moral responsibilities with openhanded tax giveaways for the wealthy and big business, and unconstrained military and domestic spending. These acts seem like wild liberal radical actions….yet the talk show hosts call them conservative.

And lets talk about our foreign policy. I think most people would argue that going to war in Afghanistan was in our country’s best interest. Yet it seemed clear to me and to many others that there never has been a valid reason to enter the war in Iraq. A conservative would be one who should be hesitant and reluctant to engage in foreign wars and would try to resolve things diplomatically. A conservative would be one who set up policies to avoid the need to be entangled in foreign intrigue and would want to follow isolationist policies. I think it is quite a radical liberal idea to create a global network of business and social interests. I think it is a radical liberal idea to try and impose our way of life and government on others. Yet the talk show hosts call this conservative.

When Mike Huckabee was running for President, he was the “conservative” and the conservative talk show hosts were ripping apart John McCain. Now these same people are supporting John McCain as the “conservative” choice, not bringing up their previous vehement diatribes against him. They are now using the same smear tactics in their invectives against Democrats. My point is, there seems to be little integrity in the news media, and we move the word liberal and conservative around as labels to fit our needs.

As a seminary student (and future minister), I hope to transform individual lives and society for the better. Therefore we must look deep within our selves and our society to see what the truth really is. Merely accepting labels others have used to define people is self defeating. Truly listen to what is being said. Listen to varying views that are available, be open to different ideas, and above all, let us work together to achieve our common goals and visions and not demonize people who disagree with us. Lets use our hearts and our heads to make this world a true Heaven on Earth for both Conservatives and Liberals however you view yourself!!

Some thoughts on Constantine and Post-Christianity

There is no question in my mind that the “Church’s” ascension was due to the support of Constantine. It is good to be emperor and it is good to have the emperor’s power supporting you. Constantine publicly showed his support for Christianity including lavish spending of various building projects. I think money unfortunately influences people’s actions and their focus. Constantine wanted the support of Christians to solidify and fight for his empire. On the one hand, one has to admit that prior to Constantine’s actions, Christianity was growing and had a committed following, otherwise Constantine would not have done what he did. Yet the ramifications of his actions were soon felt.

I think just as important for Christianity was Constantine’s edict of Toleration. Prior to this Christians could be killed for merely being a Christian. I do believe this led many to keep closer ties to Jewish nature of the religion. Jews may have been persecuted for political reasons. Yet due to the ancient nature of their religion they were not persecuted for being Jewish. I think to avoid persecution; Christians tried to have Romans view them as a Jewish Sect. Once the toleration of Christianity was accepted it allowed Christianity to more formally create their own unique theology and separate themselves from Judaism as a completely separate religion. It also allowed them to live their life and reflect more with the fear of becoming martyrs. I think this in and of itself opened the religion up to others as death was no longer a deterrent to entry.

Early Christianity flourished with diversity of ideas, worship, doctrines, and beliefs. Before Constantine summoned the Council of Nicaea in 325, even the question as to the divinity was a deep conflict among different Christian groups. In fact, even after the finalization of the Nicene Creed, there were bitter disputes on this issue amongst Christians. I do not believe Constantine really cared about the theological dispute as much as he wanted unity amongst the Christians. Yet Nicaea was a turning point in Christianity. Although there had been other councils before, this was the first council that was convened by an Emperor. It set the structure in place to bind religious and political wills together. Over the years, religious leaders and therefore their religions have fallen under the sway of political tyranny with devastating consequences for the world. For years Emperors and Popes used each other for their own ends. This in many ways corrupted the original message of Jesus. The Protestant Reformation was a search for this lost purity of early Christianity. Ironically, it allied itself with governments to obtain their freedom from the Catholic Church. This set in motion even more violence in the name of what is true religion. In any event the Reformation shows that even though there are political corruptions of Religion, independent thought in search of truth still finds a way to surface.

In the sense that every new member of group affects and changes the group, of course adding more members to Christianity will change the nature of the Christianity. This is the inherent nature of groups. If something is the truth, if an event is meaningful to you (as I am sure the events of Jesus life were meaningful to his followers) it is natural to want to share it. But others who did not have that exact same experience will never understand it in the same way as the original person experienced it. This brings up the age old debate as to whether one has to experience something for it to be real. Well, I don’t think so, but I think someone has to experience something for it to be as meaningful for that person as the original person. A person in Alaska could be experiencing snow. Yet if I always lived in Florida, I can intellectualize what snow is, but I cannot understand it in the same way as the person who physically experienced snow. That does not make snow non existent. So if we did not live and witness the experience of the life and the miracles of Jesus, doesn’t mean they didn’t occur and doesn’t mean they are not true. It just means we cannot understand it in the same way as his direct followers. Therefore we need to find different ways to understand the experience of Jesus. My point is that it is inevitable that the world changed Christianity and will continue to change Christianity as everyone experiences life (and Jesus) in different ways. Often we are indoctrinated into the religion of our birth and remain within it for social reasons as opposed to real belief. For religion to be understandable, and thus meaningful, it has to be something that one can imprint in their heart and soul. Most people look to religion to help them understand their existence. Can someone really understand their existence through rote acceptance of dictated rules. If so, I would argue that such an attitude leads to superficial and superstitious actions and thoughts that are not truly believed. In order for an individual to truly believe in their heart, I believe this can only be attained through experience, and in lieu of direct experience through introspection and understanding through reason.

One can never know how Christianity would have turned out had Constantine’s acceptance of it not occurred. It had already been trying to form an ecclesiastical structure prior to Constantine. Yet I think without the power of the emperor, it could have fractured into multiple sects. At the very least, it would not have had the far reaching political impact it had. Whether this is good or not would require a dissertation. I have heard some argue that the existence of Constantine was God’s plan to expand Christianity. I feel that he tried to eliminate religious liberty. He choose Christianity as the religion he believed could help him achieve his goals. He then started persecuting other religions. I think what we have found is that God’s will cannot be thwarted by human means. When we try to prevent religious liberty, it consequences are violent and in the long term it moves people away from Religion.

I think in the world today, we have more religious diversity than ever before in history (or maybe we are just more aware of our diversity). People may have to succumb to power structures at times, but intuitively, they understand that God is God and God cannot be captured in words or buildings or food or songs. God is in our hearts and souls. All those other items are just means to help us understand God. To help us understand how to live and how to create a Kingdom of Heaven on Earth. Since these other apparatus’ are created by humans they are subject to human error and again, I think people intuitively and experientially understand this. People evolve, religions evolve, the Church evolves, and maybe even God evolves. I envision Post Christianity as an evolution of the ecumenical trends we are already seeing in the religion today. This evolution of Post Christian ecumenicalism will include other religions as well. It will focus on relating the teachings and religious beliefs of Jesus with other world religions. With the advent of the electronic age we are entering a new Pentecost which will allow all people to again communicate with each other. As we can better understand each other, we can move in the direction of learning the underlying universal truths that can save the world.

Book Review - I'd Say Yes God, If I knew what you wanted

The title alone made this book intriguing. The concept of the book was timely as I go through a time in my life requiring spiritual discernment. I found the book an easy read. The book described a broad range of discernment techniques. I also feel the personal stories added a dimension that allowed one to better understand how each discernment process might be experienced. I enjoyed the balance of stories about historically known figures and people I will never know. It is a reminder that all people’s stories and experiences are important and a learning experience. Too often we go without ever hearing about the heroic stories of individuals’ spiritual journeys’. If nothing else this book is a reminder that we are not alone in this quest and that each person travels their own journey in a unique way.

I have tried a number of the discernment techniques described in the book. In particular, I have found the labyrinth to be a particularly powerful discernment practice. Our church created a full sized labyrinth, and out of respect for the work everyone did, I walked it. I really did not expect to gain anything from it. Yet in every step, I found a metaphor for life. Do we take shortcuts? Do we finish what we start? How do we avoid obstacles? Where we are heading? Life has some twists and turns and we need to continue to see where it leads. More importantly, the labyrinth is where I connected with the divine. It is something that is unexplainable to me even to this day. Possibly it is the focused nature of the activity. Over time, what I have found is that I can connect to the divine anywhere and at any time, if I open myself up to it. I still go back and walk the labyrinth on a periodic basis. Each time it re-focuses my attention to the divine.

Another technique of discernment I have used is journaling. When I started journaling I did not consciously realize it was for discernment. When I started I just wanted to express my ideas and thoughts on my experiences in life. As I wrote, I just let it flow from my mind (onto the computer). The more I did this, the more my thoughts flowed and the more self aware I became of who I was, how came to be who I was and why I thought what I thought. I think the dangerous thing about understanding the will of God, that even the author recognizes is that even psychotic murderers believe they are following the will of God. I think the reason I find the technique of journaling satisfying and enjoyable, is because it satisfies my psychological intellect that there is reason behind my journey, not just a mystical feeling. I think this speaks to the issue also that we must not rely on just one discernment technique. There is a need for both the mystical and the rational in our discernment process. I often find it interesting to go back and look at what I wrote a year or five years ago and to see what has and has not changed in my thought process.

I have also over the years had a meditation practice. When I have been disciplined in following my meditation consistently, I find myself more at peace, and more open to hearing God’s will. Another form of discernment that I use which I do not recall reading in the book is the arts. I have found the arts to be a great stimulus to better understand ourselves and the world around us. Particularly movies (and theatre to a smaller degree) have become the new storytellers in our society. These stories frame moral questions and issues that ask us to question our beliefs on certain issues. These stories allow us to see ourselves in the roles of these characters and make us question who we want to emulate, how we want to live our lives, and what we consider right and wrong.

There were many stories in the book that I found inspiring. In particular, Doug Seeley’s story on page 51-55, under the concept of Divinity loves Diversity was very moving. His struggle to understand and accept that there was something greater than our individual intellect that is active in this world resonated with me. It talked of the Oneness of the Universe and the connectedness of all things. . As I was reading this story, I really related to it and then at the end when I read he was a Unitarian I just smiled.

I think Doug Seeley’s story touched on another issue that is very important as well. The issue of synchronicity of the universe versus trusting your own instincts can be a conflict. Other stories in the book spoke of times when other people gave advice that related to their discernment but was ultimately in conflict with what the individual was feeling. Synchronicity is a challenging concept. It defies reason. In my life, when I look for it or become aware of it, I can say it does exist. I do not believe that life is a sequence of events that randomly happen. I believe life is causal in nature. Yet receiving a message (verbal or visual) or meeting a person at a critical time with no apparent connection happens. We all look for signs. We want to believe there is a reason for everything that happens. Sometimes this can lead to superstition, rationalization and wishful thinking. So as always, I look for balance. I open myself to the synchronicity of the universe without accepting it blindly. I analyze the messages I receive and make them a part of my decision making process.

I liked the comment from Rebecca’s story on page 175 that “if it doesn’t feel or seem right for you, wait. God will find other methods to inform you” and “God will keep working with us until we get the message.” Also in Catherine’s Story on 187 it states “God would be with me whatever road I took” was very comforting. Yet in the end discernment isn’t always (and shouldn’t) be a comforting experience. It should force us to face our deepest inner self with the goal of helping us shape our lives. I also believe there has to be a balance between ongoing discernment and discernment paralysis.

I believe discernment is an ongoing process. We must however at some point make a decision, commit to it, and act. Ultimately making decisions about our lives and acting on them needs to be the focus of our discernment. If we stay on the fence too long through indecision, although we may not fall (fail), we will never grow.

Thoughts on Salvation

Thoughts on Salvation.

Just finished Joel Green’s book “Salvation” Not exactly light bedtime reading, but certainly lots of food for thought, especially for a divinity student.

My biggest challenge with the Christian idea of salvation is that only through Christ can people be saved. I guess it depends on the definition of what Christ means. Does it mean only through love and peace, and connection to the interrelated universe? Or does it mean literally accepting that the physical person/God Jesus died for our sins. The latter just does not resonate intuitively with me. I have met people who I believe are peaceful, loving people that I have to believe if there is a heaven, they will enter it. Does anyone believe that the Dali Lama will not be granted access to heaven because he has not accepted Jesus as his personal savior.

On the one extreme of course is atheism which believes that we live eternally by the works we do and how they affect the world after we have left. Whether true or not, I do believe we are always apart of what we have created while we were here for good or bad. On the extreme of salvation theology are the radical Universalists who believed everyone was saved upon death. This created controversy even within Universalism, as many felt it gave people too much leeway to act indiscriminately in this world without consequences.

I did like many of the concepts that Green put forward, in particular that we find salvation within community. It is an interesting question, as our society is often besieged by messages of personal relationship with Jesus (God) and personal salvation. Yet I think of all the twelve step programs are with groups of people. People have historically always grouped together to achieve their desired end. The question is what is the desired end. I think when all people have the common end of creating a loving, just and righteous world then we will have heaven on earth. The point Green makes is that the purpose of community is to bring people to consciously change their thinking to bring this about. Can it be done differently? What if everyone in the world just meditated peacefully? Not sure of the answer to that, but I can say there is a difference meditating in a group versus meditating individually. There is a certain energy that is created by being with others in a common practice. It is unexplainable to me logically, and I can only speak to my personal experience about this but I find it to be true. Ultimately I believe life is about creation. Do our actions end in creating a more just world. The point of this whole intellectual thought process is if it ends up in action towards creation of heaven on earth. (Interesting that the saying creates the acronym HOE – a garden implement for digging, weeding, turning over the soil. We need to dig deep within ourselves, and turn ourselves over to create this. I am sure I am not the first person to come up with this, but I see future sermon out of it!!).

I thought Green’s comment that “to transform the imagination is to transform human existence.” I actually like this concept although it has elements of new age philosophy within it. I do not think we can just self actualize what ever we are thinking. I do believe though that if we think we can do something, we are more likely to be successful than if we don’t think we can do something. I also think that we often are not aware of what we are capable of, and thus we have to stretch and test our boundaries to find that answer. This to me is also the concept of jumping into the abyss. It is the unknown. Often we fear the abyss, but really what we fear is the unknown. I think this speaks to our fear of God as well. Even Green says on page 106 “Disclosure of the will of God meant standing at the threshold of fresh ways of conceiving God’s work, and stepping across it”.

Salvation theology really is something that is created because we fear the unknown of what will happen when we die. We also are trying to understand why we are suffering in this world, especially when we often see apparent injustice all around us. Salvation is human’s way to deal with this. Again what are we being saved from. Sin? Sin is redefined generation by generation, society by society. Doesn’t this speak to the relative nature of what sin is? I ask the question of myself, is there an absolute sin, just as we ask are there absolute truths. To me, sin is separating myself from the reality that I am inter- connected to the universe. I realize that everything I do has consequences to everything else in creation. When I forget this, my actions can result in harm to others. This to me is sin.

Green speaks of forgiveness as well as part of salvation. I find this meaningful as it brings me back to the liturgy of Yom Kippur. Forgiving others for their sins against us. Asking others to forgive us for our sins against them. Forgiving ourselves. I think this is an important part of salvation.

What do I believe in the end. I think we intuitively know right from wrong. I agree this can be also be taught right from wrong within community. Of course the challenge is that different communities think different things are right and wrong. When we all come to the same realization, (of course I think if everyone agrees with me J, but really I mean when we understand our place in the universe) we will know peace. This may never happen in a hundred more lifetimes, but each generation (or each lifetime) we should try to move closer to this. (I wasn’t thinking of reincarnation when I wrote that, but really upon re-reading it, it has that ring to it) When we align ourselves with the universes will for ourselves, that is when we will find peace within. We must constantly educate ourselves, and learn and evolve. We must work towards creating a peaceful loving world. We are not perfect. But we need to work towards perfection. Even if we never reach it, even if we know we will never reach it, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try. I believe in a benevolent universe, so maybe that is grace. I believe in my heart, if I try to live a good life and harm no others, if there is a heaven, I will go there, whether I believe in the deity named Jesus, Buddha (not technically a deity, but you know what I mean), Yahweh, Allah or Zeus.

In the end, hopefully I will find out when I die, or maybe not.