Expanding Horizons

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Kris's address today is on R-E-S-P-E-C-T - one of those concepts we all understand but can't quite so easily define. Jennie plays a memorable lioness's part in her 'Story for All Ages' on Respect and Kris turns to our UU Principles and Philosophers before providing some anecdotes about the value of respect in all our relationships - whether fleeting or life-long.

Heritage Matters

The focus of our Minister, Kris Hanna's address last Sunday, to a full church at Shady Grove was to briefly span the history of theistic belief from early pantheism to monotheism and beyond. It included Unitarianism and Trinitarian mainstream (Christian) dogma. Kris observed at the outset, a trend in contemporary society and amongst Unitarians - towards greater abstraction in defining notions of God and Divinity, evolving from Jewish monotheism into the Orthodoxy of a Trinitarian, tripartite God - the Father, Jeshua - his Son and Holy Spirit. There were "unitarian" dissenters. Alexandrian (monotheistic) scholars argued against the Trinitarianism of Athanasius. They included the Egyptian scholars, Origen and Arius. There were achievements: the Unitarian, Francis Dávid (1510–1579 influenced King Sigismund to issue the Edict of Torda in Transylvania, Socinus (1539–1604), and the Socinian movement in Italy, the Racovian Catechism of Poland, and there were those who died for their Unitarian beliefs - Michael Servetus (Spain), burned at the stake with his book on the Errors of the Trinity in Switzerland, the Englishman, John Biddell (1615-1662) who died in prison for his Unitarian beliefs after being imprisoned from 1647-1662, the Quaker, James Naylor, tortured and imprisoned for blasphemy, the scientist and former priest, Joseph Priestley - forced to flee to America - and other Unitarians, persecuted, tortured and martyred for their beliefs. 
Many "post-Christian" Unitarians now seek to define "Unitarian" not historically and narrowly, as anti-Trinitarian - but the discovery of a unity and "oneness" that transcends old, worn-out dogma that divides, that gathers up new and old wisdom that has stood the test of time to unite us in our shared humanity, a Universalism where salvation is to be found here and now in the quality of our daily living and loving. But that's the sequel - to be told by others at another time. Listen now to Kris's account of how we Unitarians came to be here and, by inference - where we might be heading.

Forever Jung

In his second address as our Minister, Kris Hanna amplifies what he referred to - in his first address as our "communication challenge".
"We all want to achieve a state of grace and peace. But how do Unitarians - who, typically do not endorse or embrace traditional Christian understandings of "God" and "faith" - find grace and peace - and give our lives purpose and meaning? And it's not about being happy!
To help resolve this challenge, Kris uses concepts such as self-realisation, wholeness, and individuation, developed by the psychiatrist, Karl Jung - over a century ago, within a rational framework that helps us all to grow spiritually, as Unitarians and give our lives meaning and purpose.
"The meaning of life is finding one's gifts; the purpose of life is to give them away."
Listen on to an address that is not to be missed!

The Legacy of Bishop John Shelby Spong.

In our service today, I reflect on the Legacy of Bishop John Shelby Spong, who died on the 12th September 2021 - a little over 12 months ago. It's a repeat of a service I first gave at our Shady Grove Church shortly after learning that Bishop Spong had died. His 12 theses for the reform of the Episcopal Church in the USA resonate with many Unitarians - and a growing cohort of Christians who believe that there is a need for a rational, intellectually credible definition of the nature and presence of God in our lives that reflects our Science and questions outworn dogma. What remains steadfast is agape Love:
- that God is Love and Love is God;
- that God is to be found in the Love we must give "wastefully" and - hopefully, receive.

For this is where we see the living presence of God at work in the world - even in the hard times!

Readings from ’Our Breviary’

In her last service as our Lay Leader, Jennie - to use her own words - is "mining" our Breviary for "pearls of wisdom". Everything in this last Service - from our opening words, all seven readings selected by Jennie from the many available - to our closing words have all been gifted to us from our Church Breviary. Listen on for these seven "pearls".

Peace

Jennie's focus today is on "Peace" and our Sixth UUA Principle: "The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all".

In the context of the war currently raging in Ukraine and its recent escalation, Jennie asks at the outset of her address today - "Is there such a thing as a Just War"? Jennie refers to the "Just War" criteria of 13th Century Roman Catholic Dominican priest, philosopher, theologian and jurist, St. Thomas Aquinas and to an article in Scientific American - Sept 1, 2018  by R. Brian Ferguson: " War Is Not Part of Human Nature", - the "hawks" arguing that we've become so addicted to war - so "numbed" to the destruction it brings - that war is hard-wired into us. 
The "doves" challenge this view.
Jennie offers pathways of hope - leading to peace, despite the challenges of climate change and global inequity. We begin that journey by looking into our own hearts! But there's a challenge: - it's also a path of Action. Listen on!

”God’s teeth and Bones!”

Today, Jennie challenges the narrowness of scientific reductionists who rely solely on science to explain the injustices and incongruities of life. While it should not be ignored, Science will never explain it all and there is meaning and truth in mythology that Science is yet to - and may never fully - explain. And Science sometimes gets it wrong!
Jennie argues that there is a broader, spiritual perspective - supported by spiritual practice - reaching beyond Science that we Unitarians Universalists ignore at the cost of our own spiritual impoverishment! "Transcendence is not a flight from our critical thinking but an inescapable part of our humanity", concludes Jennie and she suggests possibilities for putting spirituality back into our lives. This is an address not to be missed!

What could possibly go right?

Today's address by Jennie, our Lay Leader - "What could possibly go right?" is set against a backdrop of uncertainty: - melancholy, following hard upon the death of Queen Elizabeth 11, and the possibilities for hope and renewal that a new era might bring - marked by the crowning of King Charles 111. It's about how attitudes will shape us emotionally and spiritually in these uncertain times. This will influence the paths we choose to tread. Will our choices be grounded in pessimism: "What could possibly go wrong?" or optimism: "What could possibly go right?" Which choice we make will shape our actions - as individuals and as a church; as communities and as a nation. Listen on!

’Turn and face the strange’

Miranda's address "Turn and face the strange" begins with her reading from "My Commitments to Myself" by UUA minister, Rev. Laura Mancuso - "Taking care of oneself in order to maintain the capacity to help others." This reading can be found at the following link:  https://www.uua.org/worship/words/meditation/my-commitments-myself.
Miranda asks a question: "Were you and I to have the courage to live our lives beyond our comfort zones, what would this other you/me - look like...sound like...feel like"? "What might we still become were we to begin to live our lives - more courageously, beyond our comfort zones?
With the advent of new leadership and new possibilities for living outside the leafy green comfort zone of our Church Community, Miranda's question becomes a challenge: "It's only as we stretch ourselves or 'turn and face the strange' that we can transform into better versions of ourselves" - as individuals - as a Church community. And "How might we achieve this?" Miranda suggests three steps…. Listen on for much, much more!

On Love

Rather than the classic, theological, CS Lewis-type analysis of The Four Loves - or is it six? - that focus on Christian (Agape) Love, Jennie Dyster, our Lay Leader, starts her address on Love by paraphrasing in her own words the classic, 1740 French cautionary tale of "Beauty and the Beast", where there are winners and losers and where values determine outcomes.

We are conditioned to high and hopeful expectations in Love - that there is a perfect someone - somewhere, just for us! - who will satisfy our every need ...our every yearning!
Jennie talks about a messier, more realistic, less predictable, and more interesting Love - with ups and downs, twists and turns, burn-outs, and skids, laughs and tears ... a love that may - or may not - last! Such is the stuff of Life …and of Love?
Jennie closes her address, today with the well-known words of St Paul.

Listen On!