Knowing Why We Knock! A Sermon on UU Evangelism for Association Sunday

October 23, 2011
Rev. Jane Page

The old UU joke is:
“What do you get when you cross a Jehovah’s Witness with a Unitarian Universalist?” And the response is: “Someone who knocks on your door but doesn’t know why she’s there.”

And we laugh about that!

But I am called by that great spirit of Unitarian Universalism revealed to me by my Unitarian Universalist ancestors and contemporaries to stand here in this pulpit today and prophesy to you about this. And what I am called to say is:
We might not need to witness for Jehovah – but we DO need to be a witness for Unitarian Universalism. And unlike the member in the joke, we need to know why.

Rev. Shana Lynngood, in her essay entitled, “A Faith that Believes in Itself,” spells out why we knock pretty well.

She says:

“We are knocking because the world is in urgent need of our message, which says that all people matter….That the well-being of our earth is intrinsically linked with our own future; that peoples in other parts of the globe cry out for peace and we must hear and heed their cry; that people in our towns and cities cry out for food and shelter and a way of life that values … a way that knows all souls are worthy of love. (Yes,) we stand in a long line of visionary Unitarian Universalist thinkers and believers who call to us.
What they dreamed by ours to do, indeed.”

Now when I first started going to seminary, I announced to my newfound love Greg Brock, that it was MY intention to be a Unitarian Universalist evangelist. He responded: “Isn’t that an oxymoron.”

Oh Contraire!

I then shared with Greg that an internet search using the words UU Evangelism produced 28 matches. A decade later the same search produced 133,000 matches, including a sermon preached by then seminarian Jane Page back in 2002 entitled, “Can You Say UU Evangelism?” And I and others here have been encouraging this group ever since.

Yet, we still have a little skepticism about that word “evangelism” and those kinds of actions. Why? -- Probably because the term has stereotypically been used with the likes of less than noble fundamentalist preachers. The character Elmer Gantry is the type that comes to mind. I haven't seen that film in ages, but a quote in a sermon by Robin Zuckerman reminded me of that fiery preacher. She tells her listener's, "If you've read the searing Sinclair Lewis novel or seen the melodramatic Burt Lancaster film, then you've met Elmer Gantry, the engaging, but scandalous Midwestern shoe salesman turned charismatic preacher in the 1920's. The quintessential revivalist showman, Brother Gantry, with rolled-up shirt sleeves, preaches hellfire and brimstone, thumps his Bible, performs alleged miracles, and leads repentant sinners to conversion through his touring tent ministry. With mesmerizing eloquence, Gantry exhorts one crowd:
'Sin, sin, sin. You're all sinners. You're doomed to perdition. You're all going to the painful, stinkin', scaldin,' everlastin' tortures of a fiery hell, created by God for sinners... unless, unless, unless you repent.'"

And the people all said, -- "AMEN"

When I was nine years old, I was "saved" when a visiting evangelist came to our revival at First Baptist Church here in Statesboro. Of course the first order of the day was convincing me I was lost. Fears of dying in my sleep without having made that all important decision and proclaiming it publicly had haunted me a bit. But it wasn't fear that encouraged me to step forward. It was the glorious good news that Preacher Robinson was sharing with us. We had a wonderful savior and friend in Jesus. Someone that would be there for us and look after our every need. Someone who loved us supremely. So much that he gave his life for us. And he was standing there at the door of my heart - knocking - knocking -knocking. And all I had to do was let him in.

At the age of nine, I had bought into all that was taught to me in Sunday School and church. I had not yet reached the stage of reasoning that developmental psychologist Piaget calls Formal Operations which would enable me to think more abstractly about various possibilities.. My more concrete inductive logical reasoning however was pretty good. And I figured that if salvation was working so wondrously well for all of these folk at First Baptist Church, then it would work for me too. And it did for a while.

But like most of you, I have a questioning mind. And when my mind moved into that gear as a teenager, the old answers didn't work. Now, I went through years of feeling guilty about initially doubting and later plain old disbelieving many of the things that were taught to me. Preacher Robinson's Good News just wasn't good for me anymore. And it wasn't until MANY years later that I heard the Good News of Unitarian Universalists. And I heard it on a cable television show. The Good News I heard was that there were others like me and that they were a part of a wonderful religious movement called Unitarian Universalism. Now it's a shame that I did not hear this sooner since there was already a UU congregation in Statesboro at that time. But these folks - like many of us today - kept to themselves religiously - and when at work and at play told no one about Unitarian Universalism. WHY? After all, folks talk about other things they are involved in - clubs, sports, charitable organizations. Things like that just come up in conversation if it's something you are really involved with and care about.

It seems that most Unitarian Universalists are so afraid of seeming to be proselytizing that they don't share anything.

Now that was not always the case, of course. I’m going to share a couple of examples from this book that Greg Brock bought at the cluster meeting we recently went to in Charleston. Greg, Shari Barr, Teresa Winn and I had the pleasure of hearing and sharing with John Buehrens, former UUA President, who very recently published this book, A People’s History: Universalists and Unitarians in America.

One of the folks I want to lift up to you is Universalist Quillen Hamilton Shinn, who lived from 1845 to 1907, and grew up in what became West Virginia.
Shinn served as a Universalist minister for 20 years in New England, always broadening his riding circuit for carrying the good news to others. He introduced Universalist “Summer Meetings” on the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampsire and at Ferry Beach on the coast of Southern Maine – (still a favorite for UU meetings and coursework). Then as “General Missionary” for the Universalist Convention, he visited some thirty-four states and two Canadian provinces, averaging nearly a sermon per day. His modus operandi included distributing flyers about his impending arrival with the Universalist gospel, and then, after speaking, gathering the most enthusiastic to start a new congregation. He became known as the “Grasshopper Missionary” and was later appointed Missionary to the Southern States. A picture of him on the horse he rode to spread the good news is included in Buehrens’ book.

The Unitarian example I want to lift up is Munroe Husbands, who lived from 1909 to 1984. Husbands was a Unitarian layman hired by the association in 1948 to give leadership to the Unitarian Fellowship Movement.

“Raised in Salt Lake City, as a teenager Munroe rebelled against both his family’s Mormon heritage and the Christian Science church preferred by his mother, a social worker. Wanting her son to be a part of a church, she passed on a colleague’s suggestion that Munroe ‘try the Unitarians.’” (Buehrens, p. 62) Well, he tried them and loved them – so much so that he convinced all his siblings to join as well. Munroe got involved with public relations during World War II and continued with that work in Needham Massachusetts (with Blue Cross) after the war.” After being discovered as a real promoter at the local Unitarian church, the association hired him to lead the new lay fellowship program.

“Husbands wrote short, provocative ads. The most widely-used began, ‘Are you a Unitarian Without Knowing it?’.... Each Spring and Fall he set off in a car loaded with pamphlets for a thirty to forty day tour, speaking in a different community every evening. Before he left town, he appointed the best leaders as interim officers…. By 1958 there were 249 new Unitarian fellowships, and twenty years later, twice as many.”

Of course in 1961, the Universalists and the Unitarians got together – partly because they were doing so much together already and were so similar – and also because they needed one another. Since then, we’ve had some times of growth, and some times of decline, with many folks not feeling the need to spread the word. If folks found us, good for them. But we weren’t going to proclaim this faith too loudly. In fact, many UUs (especially in conservative areas) became more closeted during the growth of right wing Christianity. And shame on all of us.

Now understandably, there are many of us who do have good reason to steer clear of proselytizing .

But there IS a difference in proselytizing and evangelizing. As the Rev. Tony Larsen wrote, "Sharing is different from shoving." To proselytize is "to induce someone to convert to one's faith." An evangelist, according to the Random House college dictionary is "a person marked by zealous enthusiasm for or support of a cause."

And if that is the case - a UU evangelist I will be.

Evangelism literally means to "spread the good news." I guess the question we have to ask ourselves is - do we have good news to share. And the answer is YES WE DO!

Some of us shared the good loving news of Unitarian Universalism this past Monday by marching in the Kiwanis Ogeechee Fair Parade. Our President, Shari Barr, was motivated to sign us up for the first time for this parade while we were attending a Southern Cluster Meeting in Charleston recently. Jim Key, President of our Southeast District, was the speaker that provided that inspiration. He shared with us that it took him a long, long time to find a liberal religious faith home, through his many moves working for IBM – because Unitarian Universalism never crossed his radar. He had never heard of a UU congregation, so he kept visiting the most liberal Methodist and Presbyterian and nondenominational churches he could find. And, he challenged us to come out of the closet and make ourselves more visible as Unitarian Universalists, including marching in ANY parade in town. And Shari’s eyes lit up and she announced to those of us there: “If it’s not too late, we are going to march in the Kiwanis Ogeechee Fair Parade.” the speaker who provided that inspiration. ...... Now at first, we thought we might not be able to get folks there – and even considered that it might just be Shari and me carrying the “Standing on the Side of Love" banner. But that would be something! As it turned out, fourteen of you showed up to decorate Rick’s truck and march with our fellowship of LOVE, while the children blew bubbles, and the rest of us held signs and rainbow flags, smiled, gave “shout outs” to hundreds of parade watchers, and of course waved. And as Shari noted afterward, perhaps a thousand or more folks now know that there IS a Unitarian Universalist congregation in Statesboro.

You know that story that Jim Key told is not unusual. Many of you have shared with me that you did not know we existed for a long time. I emailed the listserv this week to ask how you DID find out about Unitarian Universalism and got some interesting and varied responses. But I was able to group them into four categories.
(1) Moving into a building of our own sure helped – because several of you found our faith after having yoga classes or meetings in our building. And some just noticed the sign as you passed by and looked us up. Of course, Grady Street is no longer a well traveled road now that the hospital is gone. So we sure can’t depend upon folks just seeing the building.
(2) Now some of you found UU while attending memorial services of others who were UUs. But we don’t want to have to encourage any of you to die, so let’s not be too dependent on that method either.
(3) And then some of you actually found out about us through your reading – either books or reading materials on the web, or reading something in the newspaper.
(4) But MOST of you found out about Unitarian Universalism because somebody told you about it. Hallelujah! That’s what more of us need to do.

Now sometimes we are shy about sharing – because we don’t know what to say. And indeed, if you are going to share, if you dare to share, then you need to prepare! And, if we are going to knock – we’ve got to know why we are knocking.

Earlier this month I sent out lots examples of elevator speeches from a Unitarian Universalist brochure. Of course elevator speeches are short enough that you can share them on a brief elevator ride or while standing in line at the grocery store. You are encouraged to find your own way to share about UU – but if you need to – just borrow one of these for now. I’ve handed a few of these out and these folks are going to stand and share some of these.

“Our faith is not interested in saving your soul—we’re here to help you unfold the awesome soul you already have.”
Andrea Lerner

“Unitarian Universalists have different religious beliefs but share a common faith. We know that life is holy, that each person is worthy, and that, when we join together to plant the seeds of love, the world blossoms.”
Erik Resly

“Unitarian Universalism is a covenantal, not creedal faith. That means that, although we may believe differently, we come together to search, grow, serve, and minister. Francis David said it best, ‘We need not think alike to love alike.’”
Michelle Buhite

“It’s a blessing you were born.
It matters what you do with your life.
What you know about god is a piece of the truth.
You do not have to do it alone.”
Laila Ibrahim

“We are a church of many beliefs, worshipping as one community, and focused on making this a better world.”
Rev. Steve J. Crump

“Unitarian Universalism is a religion of people who covenant to treat one another well, care for the earth, and protect the beautiful tapestry of cultures and communities that make up the people of the world. Love is the core value from which we build.”
Sunshine Jeremiah Wolfe

“In our faith, God is not a given, God is a question. God is not defined for us, God is defined by us. Our views are shaped and changed by our experiences…. We create a faith by which we can live, and struggle to live up to it. Throughout, each of us is fated to travel his or her own path. In the larger sense, we have chosen to journey together because we find that it is helpful. We find that it is good.”
Rev. Forrest Church

“I am a UU because I am convinced I need other people who love what I love. I am a UU because I want to join hands with others to create a community where we grow spiritually, where we support one another, and where we work together to create a world in which everyone matters, everyone is free, everyone is respected, and everyone lives in peace. I am a UU because I have seen what love, understanding, and commitment can do. And finally, I am a UU because I am convinced that if we let the love in our hearts guide our ways, the possibilities before us are breathtaking.”
Rev. Peter Morales, UUA President

And if you can’t remember anything else – just share our little children’s affirmation: “We are Unitarian Universalists: People of Open Minds, Loving Hearts, and Helping Hands.”

Yes my friends, I AM a Unitarian Universalist evangelist! You can put those words under my name in my obituary. And there are other lay evangelists here as well. We invite you to join us in sharing our good news.

I'll close this sermon with the words attributed to the Universalist Preacher known as the Father of Universalism in America, John Murray:
"Go out into the highways and by-ways. Give the people something of your new vision. You may possess a small light, but uncover it, let it shine."

(Sing) "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine" – (Sing with me.)
"This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine.
This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!"

AMEN and Blessed BE.

Lessons from John Lennon

Lessons from John Lennon on our Shared Birthday!
October 9, 2011

When I was in the eighth grade, the Beatles were all the rage. My first boyfriend said to me: Do you like that new Beatles song? You know, “I want to hold your hand.” And that’s how he let me know that he wanted to hold my hand. That’s as far as we got…. Which is far as you SHOULD get in the eighth grade! My math teacher, Mr. Mallard, hated the Beatles and said they were ruining music. He wore a Beatles wig to class one day to make fun of them. But we listened anyway. We listened and we loved them that entire decade as they performed all over the world with their mesmerizing music.

Although I shared my birthday with John Lennon, he was not my favorite. That spot belonged to the cute one, Paul. And the number 2 spot belonged to Ringo, perhaps because he was a drummer, like my brother Johnny. And maybe, later, because I had his cigarette butt framed and hung on my wall, well, at least I thought it was his. But that’s another story for another time.

John Lennon was one decade older than me, born October 9, of 1940. But he was much, much older and experienced in his exploration of life. So I was not very understanding of some of his actions in the late 60’s and 70’s. And then I got too busy with my own life to pay much attention. It wasn’t until his death in December of 1980 that I began to examine the lessons my birthday mate could teach me. Isn’t that the way it often is? Lennon himself said: “Everybody loves you when you're six foot in the ground.”

John had a lot to say, not only in his songs, but in other writings as well. He was a prolific song writer, credited with writing about 180 songs with McCartney and over 100 by himself, and who knows how many others that were never published. He also wrote poetry and is quoted from loads of interviews. So the “sacred text” of John Lennon is a long one, and I haven’t studied it all. Now, just as with other texts that some consider sacred, I’m not in agreement with everything, and do not defend all of John Lennon’s words and actions. Yet, the life lessons are abundant. I’ve just chosen a few that are especially meaningful to me to share with you today in celebration of our shared birthday.

1st, John believed, and did not believe, in God, and that was okay. He are three Lennon quotes about God.

“I believe in God, but not as one thing, not as an old man in the sky. I believe that what people call God is something in all of us. I believe that what Jesus and Mohammed and Buddha and all the rest said was right. It's just that the translations have gone wrong.”

“God is a concept by which we measure our pain.”

“If there is a God, we’re all it.”

I have an entire sermon entitled, “Can you say GOD?”with my exploration of the God idea and the God word. So I won’t share a lot of that with you today. Suffice it to say, I can certainly understand the ambiguity in some of Lennon’s songs and quotes. And perhaps it’s okay to be a little ambiguous about something as complex and indefinable as God.

2nd, THINGS can be problematic. Here are two Lennon quotes that reinforce this.

“Possession isn't nine-tenths of the law. It's nine-tenths of the problem.’

“If everyone demanded peace instead of another television set, then there'd be peace.”

3rd, For the most part, I agree with Lennon when he says:

“I don't believe in killing, whatever the reason!”

Oh, I know we can pull up those situational ethics scenarios that can cause one to rethink one’s stance. But for the most part, I’m appalled that we think we still have to kill people to make this world a better place.

And speaking of killing and birthdays, John and I share our October 9 birthday with someone else I want to remember today.

Troy Davis – October 9, 1968 – September 21, 2011

And John and Troy should both be alive today.
‘Nuff said.

Instead of killing, instead of war, John Lennon dreamed, sang, and made love for PEACE!

4th, John Lennon said:
“It doesn’t matter how long my hair is or what colour my skin is or whether I’m a woman or a man.”

And I say, AMEN!

The Beatles were, of course, hugely successful, but one of the main criticisms of our parents was their hair. My brother was in a band called “The Dimensions”, and they all let their crew cuts grow out a little, so that they actually had bangs. My dad and brother had huge fights over this, plus he was thrown out of his 10th grade biology class and told he could not re-enter till he got his hair cut. Seriously! But the hair thing is the mildest part of that quote. After all, hair length is a choice. The quote also moves toward concern for more serious types of discrimination. And John is basically saying that we do not determine the worth or value of a human being based on these physical differences. As Unitarian Universalists we say that we uphold the inherent worth and dignity of all. And I think John Lennon would agree with that principle.

5th, John was a dreamer and wanted us to dream, with him or without him.

John said: “I believe in everything until it's disproved. So I believe in fairies, the myths, dragons. It all exists, even if it's in your mind. Who's to say that dreams and nightmares aren't as real as the here and now?”

And, as we sand earlier, he sang: “You may say I’m a dreamer. But I’m not the only one.”

Sometimes dreaming gets too hard though, and reality comes rushing in….In the song, “God is a Concept” John writes:

“I was the Dreamweaver, but now I'm reborn. I was the Walrus, but now I'm John. And so dear friends you'll just have to carry on.”

Now, if we take that within the context of the song; perhaps John is just talking about the dreams of religions. Who knows?

But in any case, in terms of peace and love, we dream on!

6th, Time matters…..

John said:
“Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans.”

And:
“When you're drowning, you don't say 'I would be incredibly pleased if someone would have the foresight to notice me drowning and come and help me,' you just scream.”

And this quote – which I believe more and more:
“Time you enjoy wasting, was not wasted.”

And the most precious time of all, is time spent with children. My understanding is that Lennon didn’t spend much time at all with his first son Julian, but he devoted himself to with Sean who was born on his birthday, our birthday, October 9, 1975. He wrote:

“He didn't come out of my belly, but my God, I've made his bones, because I've attended to every meal, and how he sleeps, and the fact that he swims like a fish because I took him to the ocean. I'm so proud of all those things. But he is my biggest pride.”

Which brings us to the 7th and final lesson of this day, “LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.”
Here are some of John’s words about love:

“Love is the answer, and you know that for sure.”

“Love is the flower you've got to let grow.”

(In fact), “We've got this gift of love, but love is like a precious plant. You can't just accept it and leave it in the cupboard or just think it's going to get on by itself. You've got to keep watering it. You've got to really look after it and nurture it.”

And if you really nurture your love of others, your love of nature, your love of learning, your love of life…. then

“All you need is love.”

da-da-data dum…..

Simply Living and Giving

Because Simple is GOOD!
(A sermon for our 2012 Canvass Kickoff)

Reading:
Simplicity is…
(An Excerpt from Voluntary Simplicity by Duane Elgin)

Simplicity fosters a more harmonious relationship with the Earth – the land, air, water.
Simplicity promotes fairness and equity among the people of the Earth.
Simplicity cuts through needless busyness, clutter, and complications.
Simplicity reveals the beauty and intelligence of nature’s designs.
Simplicity helps save animal and plant species from extinction; and responds to global shortages of oil, water, and other vital resources.
Simplicity yields lasting satisfactions that more than compensate for the fleeting pleasures of consumerism.
Simplicity blossoms in community and connects us to the world with a sense of belonging and common purpose.


While doing my research for this sermon, I ran across a blog posted by Rev. Gary VanderPoll, pastor of a nondenominational evangelical church in Boston.

http://economicdiscipleship.wordpress.com/2011/05/22/what-if-jesus-were-your-financial-advisor/

The question at the top of the blog posting was:
What if Jesus were your financial advisor?
I read it out loud – and my “matter-of-fact” economist husband heard it and responded: “I wouldn’t want Jesus to be my financial advisor. He didn’t know ANYTHING about finances.”

And that is probably true, but he still gave out lots of advice. In fact, as this pastor acknowledges in this blog posting, there is much more advice in the Christian scriptures about money and wealth than there is about other ethical issues that receive for more attention by pastors – such as sexuality.
I read on just to see where this guy was going with this – and found his research efforts to be quite deliberate. He went through the whole New Testament writing down every reference to wealth, money, and possessions. And he has a big excel spreadsheet with all of that on there.

Then he did a pretty good meta-analysis to categorize the gist of the message of these passages. And the result was this pie graph.

From my knowledge of the New Testament, I’d say this is pretty accurate. Jesus has lots of warnings about accumulated wealth and possessions – and often encourages folks to sell it and give it all away to the poor.
Now he and his band of disciples did have funds they collected or worked for – for their living expenses. But then they put Judas in charge of that bag of money – so go figure.

In any case, I think I would concur with my husband and not choose Jesus as my financial advisor. He’s way too radical. He’s beyond socialism – even beyond Marxism.

Heck, I can’t even go as far as our own Unitarian Ancestor Henry David Thoreau did – when he moved out to the woods to simplify his life, although his words do inspire me.

Here are some quotes from Thoreau encouraging us to live simply:
"Still we live meanly, like ants; …. Our life is frittered away by detail. An honest man has hardly need to count more than his ten fingers, or in extreme cases he may add his ten toes, and lump the rest.
“A man is rich in proportion to the number of things he can afford to let alone.”
“Our houses are such unwieldy property that we are often imprisoned rather than housed in them.”
“Goodness is the only investment that never fails.”

Basically Thoreau was telling us that “Simple is GOOD.” And Thoreau’s a good guy – but his kind of simplicity is a regressive simplicity – a sort of utopian, back to nature throwback to an earlier time. Folks today who follow this kind of simplicity might take on a primitive lifestyle with no indoor toilet, no computer, no car – NO WAY! I like my Prius!

But I do have a simplicity guru that I can try to follow. His name is Duane Elgin – and those were his words we shared for our reading. He is the author of Voluntary Simplicity, first published in 1981 – with subsequent revisions including this 2010 publication.

I had read an earlier version of this work, and was already a fan and – I guess you could say – a disciple. Greg and I have been attempting to move to this lifeway for a quite few years now. Actually, our awareness or this need was challenged here in a UU service about a decade ago, when Guest speaker Will McIntosh asked us to go home and count the number of shirts that we owned and see if that was really necessary! It worked. And we’ve been looking for ways to simplify since then.

Yes, we’ve discovered what many others have – that Simple is GOOD.

Although there are other good books on this as well, Elgin’s earlier work had given me a framework for studying and attempting to implement simplicity in my life. I decided to get his latest edition and review it before this service.
Chapter 1 begins with the words --- “TIME IS UP!! Wake up alarms are ringing around the world with news ranging from economic breakdowns and the end of cheap oil to climate disruption, crop failures, and famines. The time has arrived for making dramatic changes in how we live.”

I think the biggest difference in this edition is the awareness that we have moved from warnings about the need to move in this direction – to a total awareness that our world is now in crisis and that we MUST learn the lessons offered by people like Elgin – and he is, of course, just one of the many folks raising awareness of this need. No longer is simplicity seen as an alternative lifestyle for a marginal few. It is a creative choice for the mainstream majority, particularly developed nations. Elgin states: “The circle has closed. The Earth is a single system and we humans have reached beyond its regenerative capacity. It is of the highest urgency that we invent new ways of living that are sustainable.”

To portray the richness of simplicity, Elgin presents eight different flowerings of what he sees growing in the Garden of Simplicity -- because Simple is Good. So what are these flowers?
1st – Uncluttered Simplicity – taking charge of lives that are too busy, too stressed, and too fragmented – focusing on the essentials. As Thoreau said, “Our life is frittered away by detail.”
2nd – Ecological Simplicty – Choosing ways of living that touch the Earth more lightly.
3rd – Family Simplicity – Placing the well-being of one’s family and other close relationships ahead of materialism and the acquisition of things.
4th – Compassionate Simplicity – Feeling such a strong kinship with others that, as Gandhi said, “we choose to live simply so that others may simply live.”
5th – Soulful Simplicity – approaching life as a meditation and cultivating our experience of direct connection with all that exists.
6th – Business Simplicity – a new kind of economy is growing in the world, with healthy and sustainable products and services.
7th – Civic Simplicity – changing every area of public life – from public transportation and education to the design of our cities and workplaces.
8th – Frugal Simplicity – By cutting back on spending that is not truly serving our lives, and by practicing skillful management of our personal finances, we can achieve greater financial independence. Living with less also decreases the impact of our consumption upon the Earth and frees resources for others.

This garden cannot be grown overnight – and takes much tending. But, it does not mean sacrifice. It means living more fully. And that means living more simply – because Simple is Good.

Now, I’m probably the Queen of Frugality. I buy mostly used clothes – giving them a 2nd chance, you know – and I’ve learned many tricks of good frugality from my mom and my grandmother. And for the last decade, I’ve lived with the King of Frugality. So that works! But it does not mean that we are not generous. I will gladly pick up your tab at lunch. Sometimes I may be a little too generous – if there is such a thing. And that leads me to the 2nd part of this sermon title.

This sermon is entitled Simply Living and Giving – because – it is indeed our canvass weekend. What we hope to do through this canvass is simplify a little ourselves – and help YOU to be able to more simply give the time, talents, and treasures that you WANT to give to our wonderful congregation!

One way we’ve simplified is to make all the packets the same – and not do these by households – with some having different numbers of pledge cards and volunteer forms, etc. If you didn’t pick up a packet at the concert Friday night, please get one before you leave today and sign one of the sheets on the back table letting us know you got a packet so that we can save stamps by not mailing one to you. And please pick one up even if you’ve recently started attending here; because we want you to see the variety of volunteer activities and other activities we have available- and get involved!
SO……..
#1 – Everybody get a packet!
#2 – Please read the cover letter with the directions! It really does help. The cover letter is white and has two sides.
#3 – Fill out the pledge card with your estimate of giving for 2012.
On the back of these cards you will find UUA’s Giving Guide. This is a progressive guide. YES, one that assumes that if you are more blessed financially, you are in a better position to give a bigger percentage. But it also takes into account that you sometimes have unusual circumstances; including medical bills, childcare, costs of higher education, and other possibilities. This is a Giving GUIDE – that also takes into account that your commitment to our congregation may be at different levels. Our hope is that you will move toward being committed at the visionary level – looking with us to the future. But understandably, you may need to grow to that point in commitment. So use this guide -- or don’t use it. But it is a good way to at least start thinking about your gift.
NOW – you can give as a household – if you are in one of those households that pool their money and prefers to give as a unit – or you can give individually. If there are two or more adults who get packets (but you are doing one pledge card together) simply indicate on the other pledge cards that you are part of that household unit.
#4 –Complete the YELLOW Volunteer Form. We ask that you check one of the major committees for membership – then you can also check various activities under any of the committees. So for example – you may check the building and grounds committee, but also check under social justice that you want to participate in the MLK parade. If you are willing to give leadership to any of these committees or activities, please let us know that by writing that in the margins.
#5– If you have folks you’d like to recommend for our board – including yourself, use the blue form for doing this.
#6 – Put them all in the envelope provided and bring them back to church next Sunday or the one after that – or you can put a stamp on the envelope and mail it in.

SO – that’s how we’ve hopefully simplified the part about the packet. BUT we also want to encourage you to find ways to SIMPLY give!! Because Simple is Good.

We do not have a system in place that allows us to DRAFT the money from your account – like the Georgia Power does – but actually, I think that the BILL PAY system your bank offers is better anyway – because it allows you to totally be in charge – and when the time comes that you need to change what you are giving – like hopefully after you get that new better paying job or that raise - then you can do this without having to have someone else involved. I have my check sent automatically to the church PO Box – soon after my paycheck ENTERS my account. And that way I don’t have to worry about remembering to bring a check to church – or perhaps get in a situation where I get behind while on vacation and then have a more difficult time catching up, etc. It just makes it simpler – and SIMPLE is good. If you need help setting this up, we have folks in our congregation who are pretty good about things like that and can assist you. Just let me know and I’ll connect you with them.

Now I’m well aware that things are difficult financially for some of you right now. And I’m certainly not trying to guilt you into giving more money than you can afford to give. I’m just saying – that after you figure out what you DO want to give, we can help you figure out a way to do that in a simplified way. Because SIMPLE is GOOD.

Please know ALSO --- that we know things can happen that you can’t predict. We ask that you fill out these forms based on how things are now. But if something happens – you lose your job – a family member becomes ill and needs more of your financial assistance --- whatever – and you need to change your pledge, just let our treasurer know so we can adjust our budget --- and the same is true with your commitments of time. We understand that things can happen.

Hopefully, you will not be shipwrecked and end up on a deserted island like these guys.

But if you do, we’ll come look for you!

In any case, we do hope that you will take some time this week to consider your gifts of time, talent, and treasure to our wonderful congregation. If we all share together, we will be truly blessed.

Reminiscing....

This week five years ago was an unusual one for me. Preparations were underway for our congregation to ordain me as a Unitarian Universalist minister and install me as the first called minister. I was busily preparing the orders of service for adults and special ones for the children, and others planned for a grand reception at the Averitt Center after the ceremony.

That same week we moved dad to the hospice facility just down the street from our church. Dad had been under hospice care at home for his Alzheimer’s and other serious problems. However, he needed to be moved for some procedures to make him more comfortable. Once we moved him there, we realized that he probably would not be coming back home. The end was very, very near.

What to do? Calling off the ordination would be very difficult. Major plans had been made and airline tickets were purchased for special speakers, etc. Changing these plans would be disruptive to many people. And who could tell when my dad would go?

On September 24, 2006; the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Statesboro ordained and installed me in a wonderful ceremony. My dad had wanted to be there. He had told me earlier – in a rare moment when he knew what was going on in our lives; that we may have to wheel him in on a stretcher – but that he would be there. Indeed, he was close by – just down the street, with my nephew taking a turn at his bedside so that other family members could be with me. And as family and friends joined this congregation in a laying on of hands ceremony, I felt his strong hands there as well.

Early the next morning (September 25th), my brother called and shared that my dad had just breathed his last breath. My seminary friend Lee Page was with me when I got the call and accompanied me and my mom to the hospice facility.

My son John’s birthday was on September 26. That evening we had Dad’s visitation at the funeral home with so many folks from the community who had known my dad through the years coming through to share a moment with us. Then we had the funeral and buried him on September 27th.

That week I had traveled back and forth from our building to the hospice building with so many mixed emotions. And the combination of my son’s birthday with my dad’s visitation service was also surreal. Yet, it is at times like these that we often enter a spiritual realm that somehow gives us a holy strength and energy that is incomprehensible. My mom and I were reminiscing about this today and I shared with her my thoughts about this special realm. She replied, “That’s what some of us call God.”

Me and my daddy, J.G. Altman, in 2005

These Three…Lost in the Debris of 9-11: America’s Ten Year Search for Faith, Hope, and Love!

Sermon delivered by Rev. Jane Page on September 11, 2011.

Like some of you, I may not remember what I had for supper last night – but I remember exactly what I was doing on this morning 10 years ago. I was in riding in Nate Hirsch’s car. Nate was then the owner of two radio stations in town – and “The Voice of the Georgia Southern Eagles.” We had been paired together to collect money for Georgia Southern’s “A Day for Southern” – and we were out doing just that.

Nate got a call from the people at his radio station, telling him that he needed to know about a plane crashing into the World Trade Center. He shared that with me and I envisioned a small plane – somehow – off course – perhaps with the pilot having a heart attack or something – and then having this terrible accident crashing into this large building. That of course was what it must have been. And Nate and I discussed that possible scenario. Then he got another call – saying that indications were that it was perhaps not an accident.

Our next stop was at the Nursery School where my grandson JD (now 14) was attending pre-kindergarten. We decided to continue our efforts to collect the money for GSU – still not understanding what was happening. When we entered, however, we saw much of the staff hovered in a room with a television – and we saw and heard this being replayed.
(News video of plane crash into second building) This was no accident.

I went to JD’s room and asked his teacher if I could come in and hug him. That is all I wanted to do right then. I’m sure JD wondered why his Nana Jane was paying this special visit. He did give me a big hug and smile – then pulled away and went back to his playing. The juxtaposition of those happy children playing in one room with the videos on the screen in the other room was surreal.

Now all of you (unless you are very young) have a story like that to tell – forever burned into your memories. America has not lost those memories – but we did lose other things that day. Some of us, of course, lost family members and friends. Even I had a friend that died in one of those towers that day. But we seemed to have lost more than that. To some degree – not entirely – but to some degree – we have struggled since that time to find and hold on to some of our most important treasures – even – to some degree – faith, hope, and love.

The falling of those twin towers seem to mimic the falling of dominoes –taking out so much more: one disaster after another, one crisis after another, one failure after another, domino after domino…on and on. (And certainly each crisis was not a direct cause of the 911 events – but our reactions to them certainly were colored by those events.)

I’m going to pause now – and let those of you here lift up some of the difficult crises, tragedies, and concerns that we’ve witnessed in the last 10 years. What do these falling dominoes represent to you?

One of the most difficult and devastating of these tragedies is the cost in lives, money, and soul – of our violent response.Americans have always wanted to be winners – and that’s fine for a ballgame, and perhaps even for the Olympics, or maybe this board game.

But, how do you WIN a “War on Terror”? Unlike this board game or ball games, there are no clear rules, no uniformed opposition, no referees. Yet, once we begin – like the TV game show and reality talent show judge Howie Mandel cheers, we’re “In it to Win it.”

No matter the cost of blood, sweat, and tears – no matter the neglect of other concerns through the years, we are left with QUESTIONS. Many of us asked:
Did we learn nothing from Vietnam?
Did we learn nothing from the Soviet experience with their war in Afganistan?
Did we learn nothing from our math classes?
Where is the money coming from?
Who pays for this?

And now the politicians cut the very services that provide some semblance of security for those in desperate need. And we search for our lost faith, our lost hope, our lost love.

After I decided on the title of this sermon and my selected text, I decided to study this passage we read earlier from 1st Corinthians a little more – looking at some of the exegesis of so-called biblical authorities about the meaning of it; (not that I myself view either the apostle Paul as an authority or the Bible as an authority; although I do include those writings as a source of inspiration.) But I thought – if I’m going to use this passage, let me see what others who do view it in a more authoritative manner say about this. Of course – they don’t all agree. But many do say that Paul viewed both faith and hope as spiritual concepts that endure – but are not as powerful as love.

Faith – according to other writings of Paul – is based on knowledge. And it’s the step we take after acquiring what knowledge we can. Now many put their faith in some supernatural beings or ideas. But we also put our faith in other kinds of things.

If I’m going to sit in this chair, I put my faith in design principles and in the workmanship of those who built it. And based on my knowledge and experience with past chairs like this, I feel confident sitting down in it. But my faith (which can be questioned, because some chairs do give way) …my faith is built upon my knowledge and experiences, or the confidence in the knowledge and experiences of others whom I trust.

Now HOPE is a more emotional quality, that feeling we get when we have some optimism that something good can happen!

Then there is LOVE. LOVE is what we DO for others – sometimes translated in this passage from Corinthians – as charity. And what we DO supersedes our faith and our hope.

I kind of like that explanation. It reminds me of our children’s affirmation – when they say –“We are Unitarian Universalists – people of open minds, loving hearts, and helping hands.” We have all three aspects, but it’s really the helping hands that make the biggest difference.

The title of this sermon implies that “these three” have diminished in America since September 11, 2001; and that we continue in our search for them. That’s just a metaphor, of course; but I’d like to explore it a little more with you.

Has America lost faith? Some folks probably hope that we have. In fact, some folks blame faith and religion for acts like those that occurred that day. Sam Harris makes that argument in his book entitled: The End of Faith. And, if you have read this compelling book, you’ll probably find yourself nodding your head in agreement with much of it. And I hear John Lennon singing, “Imagine no religion…” – and think, yeah!

But then, I love connection, I love worship services, I love and need to be with others who are striving to become better themselves and to make the world a better place. And I have faith that we can join together in some kind of loving connection and make that happen.

But many HAVE given up on any kind of formal identified faith. “According to a comprehensive national survey released in 2009, those identifying with no religious tradition, or as atheists or agnostics, account for 15 percent of the population, up from about 8 percent in 1990. "No religion" Americans are the only religious demographic that's growing in every single state.”
(http://www.usnews.com/news/religion/articles/2009/03/13/leaving-religion-behind-a-portrait-of-nonreligious-america)

I wonder – if those folks know about Unitarian Universalism. I wonder if they know that there IS a tradition where they can find a home – a home that welcomes atheists and agnostics as well as others who follow varied spiritual paths. I’m not so worried about folks not going to church or synagogue though – And I’m not so worried about folks losing faith in God. But I am concerned that many have lost faith in what God represents: goodness and love in the world.

And – what about HOPE? In the Presidential campaign of 2008, we heard a lot about HOPE. I’m sure you remember this poster.

And I think that many of us, regardless of our politics, were somewhat optimistic that we could rescue HOPE from the debris – pull it out, hold it up. But events since then have been discouraging and HOPE seems to be stuck.

And then there is LOVE – which includes tolerance and compassion.
As the hip hop group Black Eyed Peas so effectively shared in their 2003 recording…. Where is the love?

"What's wrong with the world, mama
People livin' like they ain't got no mamas
I think the whole world addicted to the drama
Only attracted to things that'll bring you trauma
Overseas, yeah, we try to stop terrorism
But we still got terrorists here livin'
In the USA, the big CIA fightin'
The Bloods and The Crips and the KKK
But if you only have love for your own race
Then you only leave space to discriminate
And to discriminate only generates hate
And when you hate then you're bound to get irate, yeah

...Where is the love ya’ll?"

It seems that that hate is focused now on those who are not native born – or who we THINK are not native born; as well as on those who practice non-Christian religions. History repeating itself again! Faith, Hope, and Love – LOST in the Debris!

So what is the debris – and how do we clean it up. To me – the debris is FEAR.
Psychologist Brad Schmidt agrees. In a January 1, 2002 Psychology Today article, he wrote: “On September 11, terrorists did more than destroy buildings; they scarred the American psyche.” The article goes on to explain some of the generalized anxiety that psychologists were seeing throughout America – even in rural areas, after 911.
And perhaps that should be expected.

But it seems that fear has taken hold of us in many ways since that time. And it’s been used by powerful people – selfish people to control us. (and those “People” include some corporations – which, of course as we’ve been told by the courts – ARE people). And it’s been used to cover the faith, hope, and love we hope to regain.

If we are to regain that faith, hope, and love; we have to clean the debris. Remove those unfounded fears; use our brains to help us figure out what we really need to fear and what is bogus hype. Yes, we needed to tighten security after 911 and be on guard. And yes, after hearing of the recent “credible threat” –I’d perhaps be a little more on guard today if I lived in New York City or Washington, DC. But at what cost is this fear?

I saw an interesting statistic recently that compared the number of Americans killed last year by terrorists with the numbers killed by lightning strikes and dog bites. Here is that chart.

Now worldwide – there WERE 13,186 people who died last year from events that could be labeled as connected to terrorism. But then the World Health Organization estimate is that more than 16,000 children in the world die every DAY due to hunger alone. And the UN Estimate is 18,000 a day. So our priorities and our fears are a little messed up.

We have become fearFUL because we devour too much fear food. I’m reminded of the little nursery rhyme about Miss T by Walter de la Mare.


"It’s a very odd thing –
As odd can be –
That whatever Miss T eats
Turns into Miss T:
Porridge and apples,
Mince, muffins, and mutton,
Jam, junket, jumbles –
Not a rap, not a button
It matters; the moment
They’re out of her plate,
Though shared by Miss Butcher
And sour Mr. Bate;
Tiny and cheerful,
And neat as can be,
Whatever Miss T eats
Turns into Miss T"


I’m reminded of that poem as I’m trying to change my own diet and eat food that is healthier for me and our planet. But I’m also reminded of it when I think about what I feed to my brain each day. And if I feed it a constant diet of fear –perhaps watching shows like Nancy Grace – or even the regular news casts – then I’m going to become fearful. I’m not saying we need to stick our heads in a hole in the ground and not know what’s happening in the world – but you know what I’m talking about, folks.

So here are some things I think we can do to clean up the debris of fear that keeps us from being able to fully possess those treasures of faith, hope, and love.
1. Educate ourselves to the facts. Don’t base our actions on hype. Are more children really being abducted or do we just see more on television?
2. Turn off the TV and other media that feed us fear.
3. Feed our brains with more positive possibilities, words, and images. Go to an art show, a good concert, a good walk in nature.
4. Get involved with doing good. Volunteer with something like Feeding Statesboro or Voces Unidas. Plant something good to eat or beautiful to see. Work for positive change.
5. Come here more often. Sing with us. Eat with us. Play with us.
We may not be able to change the nation or the world all at once,but we can start with ourselves and this congregation.

Let’s clean-up the debris and find that “faith, hope, and love” once again.

May it be so!

Yes, we did!

Every time I walk into the Emma Kelly Theater I'm flooded with memories. When I was a child here in Statesboro back in the 50's, we came to this theater often. It was then called the "Georgia Theater" and we came almost every time the movie changed. We always sat in the same place - near some steps by an emergency entrance on the left side - so my dad could put his feet on the steps. I also came often with my brother Johnny on Saturdays, where for 25 cents we could see a double feature and six cartoons! The theater would be packed -all kids -all joyful -all white. Well, there was the section in the balcony where the African American children could sit; but they entered by a side entrance before climbing those steps, so I rarely even thought about the separation. When civil rights laws became impossible for the management to ignore, they resolved to keep their white clientele happy while continuing to make money from the African Americans as well by a change in the price structure. The policy was that you could pay a higher price and sit downstairs - or a reduced price to sit in the old "colored section" of the balcony. And the un-said expectation was that nothing would change. For a long time, it did not.
 
Of course, as I have shared previously with many of you, over time I did change. And I became more and more frustrated with the lack of progress in our community toward inclusion. As an adult I began to gradually get involved in efforts to promote more racial justice in our community and became known by some as "a traitor to my heritage." I loved my community, but I did not love our lack of love for all.
 
And that is why I found myself with a broad smile that was stuck on my face at a recent visit to this beautifully renovated theater this summer. I was sharing an evening with my step-daughter Sarah at the local production of the musical "Hairspray." I know she must have wondered why I could not get that smile off my face. You see, the juxtaposition of my history with that building with my experiences that night were just too delightful for anything but a constant grin signifying my total joy.
 
As you may know, "Hairspray" is set in the 60's and has as a primary theme, the acceptance of others who may be different - including the transformation of a community from one that is segregated to one that is integrated. Of course, it is a highly fictitious, light-hearted production, and only hints at the real struggles of the 60's, yet those of us who were there understand the unstated significance behind the words to the songs and dialogue.
 
It was during the intermission that the overwhelming joy started welling up in my soul. I was thirsty - so went to the lobby to get a drink of water from the water fountain. And there - reminiscent of earlier days - were two fountains side by side. Except, of course, this time both were clean with cool water. One was lower for those in wheel chairs or who are of shorter stature and the other was higher.   As I drank that good cool Statesboro water from the lower fountain, I looked to my side where an African American man was drinking deeply from the other fountain there in the main lobby of that theater. Had we not been witnessing that play in that building, it would not have had the same meaning. But for me, at that time and place, I thought....   YES!
 
Then when I returned to my seat I looked around at all the joyful folks waiting for the actors to return to the stage. And I noticed in the row in front of me a man of European descent and a woman of African descent - very obviously a couple - totally relaxed in that environment. On my row sat a family that included a father of African descent, the mother of European descent and mixed race children. When I looked around me, I saw many of the folks with whom I grew up in Statesboro, having good conversations about the wonderful play they were seeing that night. And I thought..... YES.
 
The play began again and I witnessed folks taking part who I knew were openly gay in our community. And again, I thought.... YES!!!
 
YES, we still have struggles - but here we are!! We did make this journey, and though we have a ways to go, we have come far. It just took us about 50 years to do it, but we ARE making progress!
 
Later at a meeting of the Averitt Stars, I shared with them that I was committed to providing more support because the ARTS can provide wonderful opportunities for social transformation. Statesboro used to have a motto that I still remember hearing on the radio. "Statesboro - where nature smiles and progress has the right-of-way." Oh, may it be so!
 
 

To Be of Use

(Note: The Story for All Ages and the Reading are included since these are vital to the sermon.)

Discovering Happiness
Story for All Ages
An adaptation of an Islamic Hadith by Jane Page

Long, long ago, there was an old woman who lived in a country far away. And this old woman had never been happy. She was a sour old woman and could not understand the laughter and smiles of others. Behind her back, the children called her Horrible Hag.

One day she was walking and saw a dog that was lying down panting with terrible thirst. Now she normally did not like dogs at all – but for some reason, she decided that she needed to help this dog. There was a well nearby with water, but she had no rope or bucket. So she took her long scarf – and used that for a rope – and tied her shoe to it, and got some water in the shoe. Then she walked carefully over to the dog with the shoe, dripping with water – complaining as she limped along the way about the rocks on the ground hurting her bare foot.

She lowered the shoe with the water in it to the dog, and the dog lapped it up eagerly. Then as if saying thank-you, the dog licked the woman’s foot. And the woman felt a warm feeling – and she smiled and said, “This must be what it means to be happy.” And she thought, “I just need to help others and I, too, can be happy.” So she went home to get a rope and bucket so she could give the dog more water. Then she took water to the children at play – and smiled as they grinned their thanks. They invited her to play with them and she began to laugh as she played.

The boys and girls decided they could no longer call her Horrible Hag – and instead called her Happy Hag – for you see – her name was Hagatha – and Hag was her nickname.

And THAT is how Hagatha discovered Happiness!

Reading
"To Be of Use"
by Marge Piercy

The people I love the best
jump into work head first
without dallying in the shallows
and swim off with sure strokes almost out of sight.
They seem to become natives of that element,
the black sleek heads of seals
bouncing like half submerged balls.

I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart,
who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience,
who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward,
who do what has to be done, again and again.

I want to be with people who submerge
in the task, who go into the fields to harvest
and work in a row and pass the bags along,
who stand in the line and haul in their places,
who are not parlor generals and field deserters
but move in a common rhythm
when the food must come in or the fire be put out.

The work of the world is common as mud.
Botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust.
But the thing worth doing well done
has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident.
Greek amphoras for wine or oil,
Hopi vases that held corn, are put in museums
but you know they were made to be used.
The pitcher cries for water to carry
and a person for work that is real.

TO BE OF USE
Rev. Jane Page
July 17, 2011

I recently had a discussion with some of my family members regarding what to do with my body after I die. I used to be pretty clear about being an organ donor – and then being cremated. But as the probability increases that I’m going to live to be even older – and perhaps my organs won’t be that good – I’m wondering if it would be better to leave my body to the Medical College, so students can use it for practice. You know, I’m just not sure what would be the best USE of my dead body – and I’d like to be of use, even when I’m dead.

I love that poem “To Be of Use” by Marge Piercy that we shared for our reading this morning. Perhaps I take it a little too far, I’ll admit that. But when the program committee decided to have folks share this summer on what “nurtures your soul – or spins your zen” – this poem and that phrase – “to be of use” immediately came to my mind.

As we common folks say: “I got it honest.” Both of my parents emphasized a strong work ethic. It never occurred to me that I would not always WORK both in and outside of the home.

My mom is 84 now – and she’s had to adjust to not being able to work in the ways she used to do. She’s had to slow down. It was hard for her at first – not to be as “productive,” but she’s adjusted pretty well now. She says she’s decided not to wait till she dies to “rest in peace.” She’s doing it now. Sometimes I call up and say – “Whatcha doing?” And she says… “I’m resting in peace.” But the other day I went by to see her and she said, “Oh, I had the most fun yesterday – and she was beaming.”

“What did you do mama?”

“Well,” she replied, “I found a needle that was big enough for me to use – with these arthritic hands, and I was able to mend some of our old spreads and quilts – and I had the best time just pulling those old quilts out and mending them – because they didn’t need to be stitched that well – and I could do it! And now we can use them again!”

My Mama was happy – because she had been “of use” in a productive way. I’m trying to convince her, though, and myself – that one can be “of use” in other ways that may not seem as productive. And we are both making progress on that! Sometimes our “work” may just be working on ourselves, working on resting so we can get better if we are sick, working on having a positive attitude and accepting things we cannot change, and working sometimes on not working.

AND, we can also “be of use” using some of our resources that we’ve achieved through our working to help others. Ah, you were not expecting a stewardship sermon today, were you? I usually share about giving our time, talents, and treasures – just once a year, when we do our annual canvass for pledges. But today I’m sharing what nurtures my soul – and giving surely does that. Like the old hag in our story, it makes me happy to help some somebody.

Of course, the opportunities are vast for sharing with others, so I have to be thoughtful about this. Thoughtful, yes – perhaps even cautious, but not too anxious. In the cover article of QUEST, the publication of UUA’s church of the Larger Fellowship, Rev. Roger Jones notes that we can actually look to the Bible for some guidance in this area. And he’s right – there is a lot in there about financial morality. So, since I’ve decided to use contemporary sacred texts as my sources of inspiration for this program year beginning in August – I’d better squeeze some goody out of this ancient text known as the Bible for you before then. Here are some goodies Rev. Jones shares in this article.

“Of the 38 parables or stories told by Jesus in the Christian Scriptures, 16 deal with the relationship between what you say you believe and how you use your money and possessions…. One out of eight (Bible) verses talks about the relationship between faith and the use of our wealth. Of the Ten Commandments, three provide instructions on how we relate to money and possessions."

Here are some other examples: "Hebrew prophets in several books condemn the oppression of the poor by the powerful, and Jewish Scripture prohibits lending money at high rates of interest, the way credit card companies and payday lenders do today. It speaks of the jubilee year – a celebration every 50 years in which land was to lie fallow, all property was returned to its original owners or their heirs, all debts were forgiven and indentured servants released. (Contrast this with debtor prisons that existed in Europe and the U.S. until the mid-19th century.) In one New Testament scene, Jesus of Nazareth praises the poor widow for her generous offering while scolding the rich donors for their pride and lack of equal sacrifice.”
(Jones, Roger. “Money, Anxiety, and Abundance.” QUEST. July/August 2011)

So, why does the Bible talk so much about money and possessions? Perhaps it’s because the number one reason for family conflict – is money!! Jones reminds us that money was a major source of family quarrels long ago and still is today. That is why we spend time in our premarital counseling sessions talking about financial priorities and habits and planning with couples about how they will handle finances in their marriages.

One of the teachings of the Hebrew Scriptures and practices of the Hebrew tribe was the giving of “first fruits.” The idea is that you don’t wait till the season is over and see what’s left – you give of the first and best. Now as most of you probably know – I don’t use the Bible as an ultimate authority source. I filter these teachings like any other guidance I might get to see if it makes sense. And sometimes my pragmatic self will just see if some teaching seems to work for me! And boy, this one sure does. Thankfully, current technology makes it easy for us to make sure our gifts are, indeed, first fruits. My gifts to our congregation, as well as to the UU Service Committee and other organizations important to me, are automatically rendered soon after my paycheck enters my account. And while these “first fruits” are automatic, I share other fruits throughout the month as well. Some of these are gifts of my treasure (meaning money) and others are gifts of time and talents.

What I’ve tried to do – and what I’ve tried to encourage – is that we all give from a spirit of abundance, gratitude, and generosity rather than a spirit of scarcity. Now I’m not measuring “abundance” in the usual manner when I talk about giving from a spirit of abundance. I’m going to use a definition by Munah Fashah, the director of the Arab Education Forum. He uses the word abundant to refer to what people, the community, and culture have; i.e., to what is available to people fairly easily, if they live that abundant kind of life that lifts up and uses what is available to make life good.
(See http://www.almoultaqa.com/news_view_en.aspx?NewsId=80 )

Fashah tells an interesting personal story as an analogy. During the year 1997/1998, Fashah was a visiting scholar at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard. He had no income and his wife’s salary was not enough for them to live on. In order to survive, they had to change the way they lived and they way they consumed. He began to include dandelions in his daily diet. Yes, dandelions – that frustrating plant that we believe ruins our lawns. It’s a wild plant, abundant almost everywhere – and it just so happens that it is very rich in nutrients and every part of it is edible (the leaves, the flowers, and the roots).

Fashah’s American wife Carmen was not exactly understanding at first. She continued to dig it up as an undesirable weed and had a hard time just letting it grow in the yard for them to harvest as food. Then when she noticed him picking the leaves and eating them directly from the ground she said, “Don’t let the neighbors see you. They will think you are weird.” Fashah said the image that popped into his head when she said that was of the neighbors eating potato chips. And he said, “I see them opening shiny colorful little bags and eating something that looks weird. Who should be embarrassed: I who eat something which is natural, healthy, organic, and abundant, or they who eat something which is unnatural, unhealthy, artificial, manufactured, and costly?”

Fashah notes that our modern institutions are built around the scarcity perspective. He says, “scarcity is basic in the functioning of institutions and professionals, in a world governed by the values of control, winning, profit, greed, and elitism.” Now I’m not trying to get us to all go out and eat a Sunday dinner of dandelions today – although I am going to try them. But I think this dandelion / potato chip story does help us differentiate between the abundance perspective and the scarcity perspective.

This congregation knows something about the spirit of abundance and generosity. We are enjoying the service in this building today because a small group of hardy souls pushed their own limits of giving with faith in the possibilities of the future. And we are so grateful. Others took the risk of calling a minister (that would be me) when the operational budget would only support a third of my small half-time salary – with the other part borrowed from our savings – and with the goal and necessity of being able to fund the position from the operational budget within three years, by increasing our membership and our own gifts. And we did. We’ve continued to move forward in our financial gifts so that we can have a part time Director of Religious Education to help us provide wonderful experiences for our children and youth. And we’ve given generously of our time and talents in many community projects.

We don’t do these things from a spirit of scarcity and anxiety. Oh, in all honesty, we sometimes fall back into that place. And lately, it’s a little easier to catch ourselves moving in that direction. In today’s world, especially with today’s economy, we too often allow fear to control how we live and how we give.

But you know, we all have plenty and then some of SOME things – if not money, then perhaps other resources; our time, our talents, our hugs, our smiles, and our words of encouragement. And I have found that I even have more MONEY to give when I adopt a lifestyle of living a little more simply. And living more simply helps me to have more money to support the kinds of things (like the Farmer’s Market) that are important to me. It’s another way that I can be of use. And that nurtures my soul, spins my zen…it makes me happy and joyful! But as much as I like being happy, that should not be the reason for my giving. I’m reminded of these inspiring words of Kahil Gibran in his book The Prophet.

“There are those who give little of the much which they have - and they give it for recognition and their hidden desire makes their gifts unwholesome.
And there are those who have little and give it all.
These are the believers in life and the bounty of life, and their coffer is never empty.
There are those who give with joy, and that joy is their reward.
And there are those who give with pain, and that pain is their baptism.
And there are those who give and know not pain in giving, nor do they seek joy, nor give with mindfulness of virtue;
They give as in yonder valley the myrtle breathes its fragrance into space.”

That line is worth repeating: “They give as in yonder valley the myrtle breathes its fragrance into space.”

The myrtle gives it’s fragrance naturally and freely.

Oh may WE give as the myrtle breathes its fragrance into space.

Amen and Blessed Be!