The Best and
the Worst of Unitarian Universalism
September 19, 2004
First Universalist Unitarian Church ~ www.uuwausau.org
Rev. Paul Beckel
Restriction of free thought and
free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions. It is the one un-American
act that could most easily defeat us.
Supreme Court Justice
William O. Douglas
It’s not just the books
under fire now that worry me.
It is the books that
will never be written. The books that will never be read.
And all due to the fear
of censorship. As always, young readers will be the real losers.
To criticize is not to
reject. This point must be emphasized, for it is the dividing line between the
free mind and fanaticism. It is the doorway to a universal religion that
rigorously seeks the truth,
and yet is also
inclusive and welcoming to all.
Rev. Ken Patton
I had heard of you with
my ears; but now my eyes have seen you.
Job
42:5
Opening
Words
Love
is the spirit of this church, and service is its gift.
This
is our great covenant: to dwell together in peace,
To
seek the truth in love, and to help one another.
Great
words. But what do they mean?! Well,
the beautiful thing, and the troublesome thing, is that they mean something a
little different to every one of us.
This
an awkward way to run a religion. Maybe the worst way, except for all the other
ways.
The
trouble with all this individual interpretation... is that others, or we
ourselves, may distort, exaggerate, or innocently misunderstand our heritage
and principles.
Today
I would like us to consider the best, and the worst, that is within our
Unitarian Universalist tradition. If you’re here for the first time, you may
learn some things about us that are unsettling.
If you’re here for the 500th, or 2000th time,
and/or you really love this religious movement, you may be offended by what you
hear. Fortunately, you can come back
next week when Julie Stoneberg will preach on “Forgiveness.”
CHILDREN’S
FOCUS The Bee
Tree Patricia Polacco
Summary: Since Mary
Ellen is tired of reading, Grandpa leads her on a romp through the countryside
chasing a bee to its tree. Many others
from town join the chase. In the end, they enjoy the honey they find. But the
more important lesson comes later, when grandpa puts a dab of honey on Mary
Ellen’s book cover, invites her to taste the sweetness...and reminds her that
wisdom and learning come through a similar adventure, sometimes exhausting,
chasing for truth and meaning through the pages of a book.
from “Universalism:
Beyond Christianity” Brainard Gibbons
Brainard Gibbons was
minister of this congregation from 1941 to 1943, and 1946 to 1953, before
becoming General Superintendent of the Universalist Church in America. The following
is an excerpt from a flyer Gibbons wrote to describe Universalism:
We [would] prefer to be
a positive factor in the social equation, and [be] hated, than to be nothing
and be ignored. It is better to risk hate now for the future generations than
to court respectable oblivion.
[For we do not] put new
wine into old bottles, else the bottles break, and the wine run[s] out....
but [we] put new wine
into new bottles and both are preserved....
from The New UU Voice, Summer
2004
The New UU Voice is a publication—independent of
the UUA—which offers a consistently tough, critical look at UU congregational
life with hope, and affection. This
article is a collection of metaphors describing our congregations suggested by
clergy and lay leaders from around the country. Some are warm, some are harsh.
They may not be easy to hear. But it may be helpful to know that much of what we struggle with, and celebrate, is not
unique to First UU Church, Wausau. There
are aspects of our history, our values, our governance structures
which—combined with the dynamics of human groups of any kind—can lead to feelings of exhilaration, liberation, or terrible
frustration. So, sometimes it’s good to
know that we’re “normal.” But given that we’re UUs, we probably don’t want to
be normal in every way.
“Church
Metaphors: lyrical, poetic, provocative”
·
An oasis of care in a desert of selfishness.
·
A heavy cart, pulled by the same strong horses.
·
A church that profoundly knows what it does not
believe, but doesn’t know what it does believe.
·
This church is like molasses—healthy, good for you,
messy, and slow.
·
A lovely rosebud, always near opening but never quite
flowering. What gets in the way? Thorns of dissent? Lack of sufficient
fertilizer? Hiding from the sunshine?
·
A high-topped walking shoe. The button hooks to do
it up are increasingly hard to find.
·
A ship with too many people wanting to steer it, so
no one does.
·
There’s one in every crowd, and they’re all here at
First Church.
·
A shelter from the storm.
·
A friendly curmudgeon, unwilling to take risks, but
who has a million dollars in the bank.
·
A precious stone, a gem, but natural sediment has
covered our glow.
·
A person searching for the right outfit, unable to
choose, who arrives late and uncomfortably dressed.
·
What can you do for me? A reversal of the JFK
question.
·
A car with a 20-gallon tank but stops to get a pint
of gas, moves a couple of feet, then stops to refuel.
·
Drowning in our own stability.
·
A warm, loving family where I always feel welcome.
·
A windmill of committees, all flapping limply.
·
A tethered heart.
·
A slot machine, in which many people believe you put
in a quarter and get a dollar’s worth out.
·
A question mark crowd in an exclamation point world.
·
A nursery, trying to meet the needs of the loudest
whiners.
·
A caravan of eco-tourists, waiting for sherpas to
carry the load.
·
The church of the holy endowment.
·
A tapestry. A rich and complex group of people with
an ever-expanding capacity for sharing and connecting.
·
Good-hearted but not committed people.
·
A prayer that is afraid to call itself a prayer.
MESSAGE
When the General
Assembly of the Unitarian Universalist Association met in Salt Lake City 5
years ago, one of our district consultants spent some time with a leader of the
Mormons. He was told: “You know, Unitarian Universalists have a remarkable
ability to attract visitors—proportionately many more than the Mormons do. But
you’re lousy at holding on to them.... If your churches were half as successful
at integrating and retaining members as we Mormons are, then Unitarian
Universalism would be the most dangerous religion in America.”[1]
The most dangerous
religion in America. That phrase may offend our sensibilities. Demure,
peace-loving people like us would hardly wish to be thought of as “dangerous.”
But don’t worry. In order to be the most dangerous religion in America we’d
first have to accept the notion that we are a religion.
To be the most dangerous
religion in America we would also have to give up our self-image as an
embattled minority, proud, but marginalized by society.
We would have to accept
the reality that we are part of the majority of Americans who affirm
·
individual
authority in religion
·
a
separation of church and state
·
intellectual
freedom
·
respect
and equal opportunity for all people
·
the
ongoing discovery of truth and understanding through science ... and
·
the
betterment of society through the interaction of people from diverse
backgrounds.
In decades and centuries
past, Unitarians and Universalists were on the cutting edge of some of these
liberalizing cultural shifts. But today, these have become mainstream ideas.
Next week is Banned
Books Week. Banned Books Week is an important reminder that
anti-intellectualism still exists. But we shouldn’t mislead ourselves into
thinking that we UUs are the only ones who support freedom of conscience, and
freedom of expression. We do ourselves a deep disservice by failing to see that
we are allied with the majority of Americans on many issues that are important
to us.
***
Garrison Keillor wrote about the upcoming election: “This year, as in the
past, Republicans will portray us Democrats as embittered academics, desiccated
Unitarians, whacked out hippies and communards, people who talk to telephone
poles, the party of the Deadheads....”
I imagine that you’ve heard Keillor poke fun at Unitarians before. I’ve laughed many times at what he’s called
us. I think that’s one of the best things about UUs: we can laugh at ourselves.
But I also cringe. Because I believe Keillor is usually not laughing with us; he is laughing at us. When he says “desiccated
Unitarians” he is not poking gentle fun, but has more of a disgusted, tragic
tone. He finds himself lumped with us,
and a bit embarrassed to be in the company of those with the largest average
income and highest average educational level of any religious group in the U.S.
...and are best known for what? For being made fun of by Garrison Keillor.
Keillor continues: “We have a sacred duty to bequeath...to our
grandchildren [a country] in better shape than...we found it. We have a long
way to go and we’re not getting any younger.”
He concludes by quoting Dante: “...the hottest place in Hell is reserved
for those who in a time of crisis remain neutral.”
But we’re Universalists. We don’t believe in hell, so we can ignore
Dante’s metaphor. What a shame.
Did you hear me right?
Yes, I said, “What a shame.” But—you might object—UUs don’t believe in shame!
Well, our movement is not based
in shame, which can block the way to peace and joy and self-acceptance. But one
of the worst things about us, in my opinion, is that we pretend there is no value in shame, guilt, or regret.
This is unfortunate because these can be stepping stones toward improving
ourselves, improving our governments, improving our churches.
I’m using the pronoun “we” pretty freely today. Please don’t get hung up
thinking, “Oh, that doesn’t apply to meeee!”
I am, of course, speaking of “us” as a composite. You may not like being
lumped into a composite, but that’s part of the responsibility you’ve taken on
if you’re a church member: to face—and hopefully to improve—not only your own
weaknesses, but our collective weaknesses.
***
In so many cases, the very thing which is best about us can also be that which is worst about us.
We are proudly congregational: neither dependent upon nor directed by a
centralized authority. And...we are isolated.
We are self-sufficient—as a congregation, and as individuals. And...we can be self-satisfied, feeling no
need for and no connection with others.
Our theology: it’s beautifully ambiguous...as open-ended as the cosmos.
Our theology: it’s nearly impossible to explain.
We
draw inspiration from so many sources. And...we don’t want to recognize
our own Christian roots.
We
question authority. And...we defy authority, simply because it’s authority.
So is Liberal religion
just one big oxymoron? No. All religions are full of contradiction. We have the
advantage of not taking our internal contradictions too seriously. One of our
best qualities is our appreciation for irony, our appreciation for creative
tension, for yin yang, for uncertainty, for life’s recipe of bitter and sweet.
One of our worst
qualities is that we have little patience for the internal contradictions of
anyone else.
At our best, we affirm
and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person. At our worst, we
tolerate sin... oh, I’m not supposed to say that... I mean: evildoing... I
mean: bad behavior... I mean: we put up with inappropriate behavior because we’re so afraid to violate anyone’s
right to do their own thing.
At our best we affirm and promote the principles that
make up the covenant among the congregations of the Unitarian Universalist
Association. At our worst, we affirm
these principles among ourselves, but we are unwilling to pool our resources,
or risk our reputation, to promote them in the larger world.
At our best we are as
the circuit riders, and the freedom riders, the abolitionists, the
suffragettes... and the entrepreneurs who built this church and progressive
businesses, civic institutions, cultural, medical, athletic, and environmental
organizations throughout central Wisconsin. So many from this church have been
the founders, leaders, and supporters of our community’s most vital
organizations.
At our worst, we say
that organizations are inherently corrupt and oppressive. (So the last thing we
would want in our church is organization.)
Bobby Geisel helped me
to understand the value of all kinds of organizations. As an advertiser, one of
his great gifts was drawing out the best that he saw in people and in groups.
He showed us that business leaders were very often “builders of community” as
employers, and socially responsible citizens.
He helped others to discover and to present their best selves, just like
(we hope) teachers do, and hairdressers, and supervisors, and mentors, and
parents.
Bobby and so many of his
generation were the bedrock of this congregation for decades. We have mourned
the passing of so many of the best over the last few years.
Bobby’s death represents
the passing of a generation. He was one of only a handful of people to pass
from birth to death within this congregation. He was one of a small minority
raised Unitarian, or Universalist, or Unitarian Universalist, or Universalist
Unitarian, to remain in a UU congregation.
Of course this awful
situation is also one of the best
things about us. We teach our children
about various religious traditions; we take them to visit different houses of
worship. We teach them that people with
a wide range of religious perspectives are worthy and respectable. Our kids know they won’t be condemned when
they find their own path. So year after year, thousands of them go out into the
world, and very few remain in our congregations. This is fantastic. We have thoroughly infiltrated mainstream
American religion and secular culture. And nobody will ever suspect. Perhaps we
are the most dangerous religion in America after all.
***
At our second best, UUs do a lot of good reflection, analysis, and
criticism of theology. Tied for 2nd
best is our direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, whether
we experience it through relationships, music, gardening, literature, or
prayer. Also tied for 2nd best is our commitment to put our inspirations
and insights into practice. At our very best, we do it all: experience,
reflection, and practice, and then we
do it again: experience, reflection, and practice....
At our worst, we interfere with our own experience, reflection, and
practice, by twisting ourselves up in the semantics of god language.
***
Judy Blume writes: “It’s
not just the books under fire now that worry me. It is the books that will
never be written. The books that will never be read. And all due to the fear of
censorship. As always, young readers will be the real losers.”
One of the best things
about UUs is that we work hard to ensure that this doesn’t happen to our young
readers. Despite the discouraging
results of the recent National Endowment for the Humanities survey which showed
a serious drop in literary reading among all age groups, we promote a very free
literary inquiry right here with two libraries, an annual book sale, a book
group, and great role modeling.
But does our enthusiasm
for fiction carry over into the realm of religion? Not always. For some reason
we find fiction imaginative, but religion superstitious.
To rephrase Judy Blume:
It’s not just the religions under fire now that worry me. It is the religions
that will never be invented. The religions that will never be practiced. And
all due to self-censorship. As always, young souls will be the real losers.
***
Freedom and reason are clearly among our greatest strengths—but only if we understand that
freedom and reason, like tolerance, are tools. They are not ends in themselves.
We can get so obsessed with freedom that we fail to fulfill its potential.
Reason is a great tool. But we miss out on a lot when we so overemphasize
reason that we leave intuition and emotion out of our search for understanding.
And we fool ourselves if we think that reason is going to extricate us from
life’s absurdity and chaos.
***
One fabulous thing about this
UU congregation is our labyrinthine 90-year-old building. One of the worst
things is this fabulous labyrinthine 90-year-old building. One consolation of
doing so many memorial services over the past few years is that I get to talk
to the adult children who grew up in this church. Peter Langlois told me last
month that the sanctuary smells the same way it did 50 years ago. (This was a
good thing!) Many have told me how much they remember and appreciate their
Sunday School teachers, who they are happy to see again when they return. But
they also invariably remember adventurous romps through winding passageways.
Those kids, some now 60 years old, really did chase down learning, and they are
still excited about it.
But I also must explain why this first set of lights is not on. This one
started sparking and smoking when it was turned on Friday afternoon. Some of you may have thought it was part of
the program when that 3rd set of lights suddenly went out in the
middle of our last Sunday service. It wasn’t; we still don’t know why that
circuit blew.
***
What is best about us... is not what we have but what we give. Not what we
preserve, but what we transmit beyond ourselves.
What is best about us is that instead of walking a narrow path, on which
we would be likely to fall, instead we can admit that we need one another,
along side, to help keep us in balance.
What is best about us is that we are willing to come together
periodically, not simply to get our own needs met, but, setting aside our own
needs, we sit together and we place ourselves in quiet submission to the
overwhelming otherness of that which lies beyond us.
A couple of years ago, I called about 50 people and asked them what
question was at the top of their minds.
During the following Sunday service, we read their responses. I can’t
remember who it was that asked “Where is Osama Bin Laden?” But I’ll never forget Russ Wilson’s question.
He asked, “How can I help?”
What is best about this congregation is that you trust and forgive one
another. This congregation is patient, calm, and low-maintenance. I gotta
remember that these are good things.
***
At our worst, we get stuck trying to satisfy everyone. At our best, we
realize that it is not our purpose as a congregation to satisfy people, but to
help them coordinate their powers to create a more just and humane world.
I’ve been offering you a horribly mixed message today: we’re not special,
let’s get over ourselves. And also: We are so special, let’s celebrate and
promote ourselves! If paradoxically,
both of these are true (and I think they are) then what are we to do?
We can continue to be
our best, and to nurture the best in others: our leaders... and our
behind-the-scenes people who cleaned up after the potluck last week though no
one even asked... or the people who escort visitors to coffee hour, and tell
newcomers why they keep coming back to
this crazy / mixed up / best and worst kind of church.
What else can we do? We
can continue to seek to be spiritually grounded. We can analyze and critique
contemporary religion, while we also open ourselves to first hand religious
experience. We can drop our defenses long enough to be filled and fueled for
our difficult journey. We can put away our ego and skepticism for a little
while every day, to receive the holy spirit.
If I’m so aggravated by
our collective weaknesses, why do I stick with Unitarian Universalism? I’d love
to learn from you why you’ve been stalwart members for years or decades. Please
talk with one another about this now over coffee. For me, it’s because I think
we are best at doing what is most
important in religion: the everyday work of living out our values in our
homes, neighborhoods, schools, workplaces, polling places, and community
service organizations, and making this world a better place.
COMMUNITY FOCUS
COLLECTION Hurricane Relief
May the light around us guide our footsteps, and
hold us to the good that we seek.
May the darkness around us nurture our dreams,
and give us rest so that we may give ourselves
to the work of our world.
Let us seek to remember the wholeness of our
lives,
the weaving of light and shadow in this great
and astonishing dance in which we move.
– adapted from Kathleen McTigue