It is with great joy that today we welcome 16 new members into our kaleidoscope of faith. There is a peculiar genius to the eclecticism of the Unitarian Universalism which lies, I think, in its recognition that religion is not an isolated incident or event, but is the expression of a single human spirit's relationship to the world in the search for meaning and the joy of discovery. Faith is a well from which insight and courage can be drawn to confront the problems of life. A religion that deals only with intellectual abstraction would not answer this human need. In the end, the only relevant and essential test of a religion is how it teaches us to act in response to the hardest challenges before us–to face grief, despair, tragedy. Unitarian Universalism is connected, in its core, to actual experience; its essence does not lie in a separate and distant realm. (Adapted from David Rankin) ". . . the whole identity of a good (religion) is that it speaks and acts for the transformation of our lives at all levels simultaneously: spiritual, emotional, intellectual and moral. . . . The task of (religion) is to make over our lives as they need it and our society as it requires it." (Bob Karnan)
Among the reasons for the existence of this congregation is that it represent Unitarian Universalism in this area. We carry forward a tradition that has existed for more than 500 years. It is a tradition that has spoken and acted for justice, human dignity, and respect for the environment. It is a tradition that has recognized the freedom of each person to fashion his and her own authentic faith structures, while at the same time, under a common ethical umbrella, asking each person to practice his/her beliefs in a pluralistic faith community. It is a tradition that values the presence of love, as expressed in mutuality, kindness and acceptance between and among people. This Unitarian Universalist congregation exists to nourish and challenge each one of us and to empower us to take our ideals out into the world and do our part in making it a better place. This congregation exists to provide help and bring beauty to us and through us to the wider community. Our basic foundation demands that religion and reason be compatible; that human beings have inherent value and dignity; that peace, justice and compassion be the governors of human relations; that freedom of belief and of living be available to all; that we recognize the interdependence and interconnectedness of the world.
I joined the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Central Nassau in the early 1980's because, in the words of some great poets, I wanted "to snatch the eternal out of the desperately fleeting." (Tennessee Williams) I wanted to plumb "the inevitability of death and the possibility of love." (James Dickey) To "grasp life by the throat." (Robert Frost) To "synthesize hyacinths and biscuits." (Carl Sandburg) To give thanks "for the wonders that there are." (Archibald MacLeish) "To live with divine dissatisfaction and to be creatively maladjusted." (Martin Luther King Jr.) I wanted, and I still want, to be a fiercely loving agent of justice, beauty and new life. Unitarian Universalism was relevant to my life. I joined the congregation in central Nassau because the people were happy to have me there. They valued me and they valued my son and there were many opportunities for me to develop skills and to offer my talents.
In that community I learned that the promises we make and the promises we keep define who we all are. The promises we make and keep and the promises we break constitute our character. The promises we make and we keep as a group define this religious community. They are the glue that holds us together. One of the reasons that Sunday services mean so much to me is that they clarify and renew those promises and that they give me support and encouragement in acting upon them.
What are the promises we make to one another? Some of them can be found implicitly in our shared visions, in our rituals, and in our symbols. Each Sunday as we start the service we light the chalice. We call it the flaming chalice and today a flaming chalice surrounded by a double circle is a symbol of Unitarian Universalism. The flaming chalice has been a symbol of religious freedom since the times of Jan Hus in the 1400's. As a priest he advocated that the people as well as the clergy drink from the communion cup – a heretical notion. He agitated for such ecclesiastical reform and he was burned at the stake. The flaming chalice, as we call it, derives in part from the symbolism of the communion chalice, a cup which itself derives from the Greek vessel called a krater from which everyone drank at the symposia, and from the fire which burned Hus for his unyielding moral conscience. The symbol has remained alive throughout the centuries. It was adopted during World War II by the Unitarian Service Committee in Europe as it worked to help Jews escape from Europe. The symbol also appeared during the Czech rebellion in 1968 when flaming chalices were painted upon Russian tanks as a symbol of national and spiritual freedom. For us, the flaming chalice represents the light of freedom contained within the common cup of humanity. Through the open invitation of our common cup we help to make each other free.
What's the promise in the symbol of the flaming chalice? I think it is a promise of inclusion, of acceptance; a recognition that we are all in the same boat together and as such we will all row the boat as we are able. What's the promise of the symbol of the flaming chalice? I think it is a promise of integrity. A call that within this common cup, this community, we will let our light shine not only for ourselves but for the whole of humanity. We light a way for each other.
The opening words we say at each service express a part of our vision. "May we be reminded here of our highest aspirations and inspired to bring our gifts of love to all living beings." The hope contained in these words is that in this place we will touch our greatest dreams and that we will share the love that brings light and joy to the world. The vision contained in these words is one of optimism about humanity. It recognizes that we have high aspirations. It recognizes that we have gifts of love to bring to one another. In doing so it recognizes that it is within the power of humanity to bring peace and justice to the world. This is a profoundly optimistic vision. It is the vision we have inherited from our Unitarian and Universalist forebears. It is within the power of humanity to bring peace and justice to the world.
The words go on. "May we know once again that we are not isolated, but connected, by joy and wonder, to mystery and miracle in the universe, in this community and in each other." The vision here is that we are connected to life and to one another; we are connected in ways we cannot always explain, but in our connections we know joy and wonder. As we articulate that which we value and that which we believe, as we offer our loving presence, we do so in a context of connection. The vision here is that what we do matters. We do not exist in a vacuum and our actions affect others the way a pebble makes ripples in a pond. The vision here is that our ethics arise, at least in part, from our interconnection. One of the roots of the Unitarian Universalist statement of ethical principles is that human beings live in a state of mutuality with other human beings, other living beings, and the planet.
What's the promise in the vision of our opening words? It is that here in this Unitarian Universalist tradition, we can sustain mutuality, respect it, celebrate it, recognizing that we have something valuable to bring to one another and the world. What power and what freedom in that promise! Just think. I have something important to offer; you have important to offer. This is the promise of our very worthiness. A soothing, yet strengthening promise for people so often battered by the world.
Almost every service has a part in it called Not For Children Only. I cannot take credit for this title. I learned it from Harris Riordan in Brooklyn, but I think she stole it from Barbara Walters who had a show many years ago called Not For Women Only. In any case, Not For Children Only is a ritual in which the young people are invited to come up front, told a story, engaged in conversation. It is a time when they are taken seriously; when they are asked to think; when they are asked to recognize that they make their own meanings of life. This is one of my favorite times in the service. I treasure that interaction with our young people. They amaze and delight me. And they are so wise. When they leave for their religious education program we sing a song. "As you leave this friendly place, love give light to every face. May the kindness which you learn, light your hearts till you return." The words of that song refer back to the symbol of our flaming chalice and the vision of our opening words.
What is the promises of this ritual? The promise is that we will respect and care for everyone in our community. The promise is that we adults will be present and do all that we can to help our young people grow and mature and recognize their best selves. The promise is that we adults will care for this congregation and for Unitarian Universalism so that it will be there when our children are adults themselves.
The promises we make and keep a define us as a religious community. They are the glue that holds us together. Some of those promises that are found in our visions, in our symbols, and in our rituals are: to be inclusive; to seek and act for justice; to value our children and our future; to respect and take care of our interconnectedness, trusting in the core worthiness of each one of us. We are called to believe in the goodness that lies within each one of us; we are called to remember it, to draw it out, and to let it shine. This is why I joined a Unitarian Universalist congregation almost 25 years ago and why I remain today a Unitarian Universalist.
Are such promises nurturing and challenging for you? I hope so. May they continue to hold relevance. May they accompany you on your life paths: trusted friends, inspiring courage and hope. May all of us who are part of this community do our part in making these promises ever come true.
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This page last updated by Donn: May 1, 2005