Discovering Our Chosen Faith Introducing Unitarian Universalism Introducing Unitarian Universalism.

Discovering Discovering Our Chosen Our Chosen

FaithFaith Introducing Unitarian Introducing Unitarian

UniversalismUniversalism

ArrivingArriving

Unitarian Universalism is now, by and large, Unitarian Universalism is now, by and large, a Chosen Faith. a Chosen Faith.

Most Unitarian Universalists are Most Unitarian Universalists are come come outers outers – they came out of another faith – they came out of another faith tradition. tradition.

What is your story? Briefly share how you What is your story? Briefly share how you came to choose this faith or what led you to came to choose this faith or what led you to be here today.be here today.

AwakeningAwakening

UU’s are not concerned with “the supernatural, UU’s are not concerned with “the supernatural, but with the super in the natural.”but with the super in the natural.”

Many people “tend to accept the traditional Many people “tend to accept the traditional definition of religion: a subscription to some definition of religion: a subscription to some fixed combination of doctrine and practice,” fixed combination of doctrine and practice,” but UU’s are proud heretics. A heretic is but UU’s are proud heretics. A heretic is someone who hasn’t given up the right to someone who hasn’t given up the right to choose what to believe.choose what to believe.

““Offering religious security blankets and Offering religious security blankets and heavenly insurance policies, many faiths base heavenly insurance policies, many faiths base their considerable appeal on denial of death.” their considerable appeal on denial of death.”

AwakeningAwakening

““We need not think alike We need not think alike to love alike.”to love alike.”

- David Farenc (Francis - David Farenc (Francis David), HereticDavid), Heretic

Transylvania 1510-1579Transylvania 1510-1579 Responsible for the Responsible for the

conversion of King John conversion of King John Sigismund to Sigismund to Unitarianism and the Unitarianism and the Edict of Torda, Edict of Torda, establishing religious establishing religious tolerance in Transylvania tolerance in Transylvania in 1568.in 1568.

ExperienceExperience

John Buehrens tells people who don’t John Buehrens tells people who don’t believe in God: “Tell me about the God you believe in God: “Tell me about the God you don’t believe in. Chances are I don’t believe don’t believe in. Chances are I don’t believe in Him either.” in Him either.”

What do you think Rev. Buehrens means?What do you think Rev. Buehrens means?

Rev. John A. Buehrens

Deeds not CreedsDeeds not Creeds

““We are a liberal church community which has We are a liberal church community which has not only dared to preach freedom but to live in not only dared to preach freedom but to live in freedom as well, which has not only freedom as well, which has not only prophesized a more just day to come but has prophesized a more just day to come but has dared to live prophetically right now.” – Rev. dared to live prophetically right now.” – Rev. Mark BelletiniMark Belletini

““The principle sin besetting many of us today The principle sin besetting many of us today is the sin of philosophical resignation. For is the sin of philosophical resignation. For many of us, self-improvement (both physical many of us, self-improvement (both physical and spiritual) has displaced the transformation and spiritual) has displaced the transformation of society as our principal moral concern.” – of society as our principal moral concern.” – Forrest ChurchForrest Church

The Cathedral of the The Cathedral of the WorldWorld

Forrest Church suggests “ a new theological model in which one light (Unitarianism) shines through many windows (Universalism) in various, telling ways.”

“This has its dangers, for we may trivialize the faith of another by trying to appropriate its essence, but as long as we remember this, by remaining open to the insights of others we may augment our own cherished traditions and expand the scope of our faith.”

The Cathedral of the The Cathedral of the WorldWorldForrest Church’s Universalist Cathedral Theology:

1.There is one reality, one Truth, one God2.This reality shines through every window in the cathedral and out from every eye.3. No one can perceive it directly, the mystery being forever veiled.4.Yet on the floor of the cathedral and in the eye of each beholder, refracted and reflected through different windows in different ways, it plays in patterns that suggest meaning, challenging us to interpret and live by the meaning as best we can.5.Therefore, each window illumines Truth in a different way, leading to different truths and these in different measure according to the insight and receptivity of the beholder.

DialogueDialogue

““I have one problem with the image of the I have one problem with the image of the “Cathedral of the World.” Within the cathedral, no “Cathedral of the World.” Within the cathedral, no one seems to be talking to anyone else.” – Rev. one seems to be talking to anyone else.” – Rev. John BuehrensJohn Buehrens

To belong to a Unitarian Universalist congregation, To belong to a Unitarian Universalist congregation, is to be involved in an interfaith dialog. is to be involved in an interfaith dialog.

Among us you will find Christians, Humanists, Among us you will find Christians, Humanists, Jews, Buddhists, Pagans, Agnostics, Muslims and Jews, Buddhists, Pagans, Agnostics, Muslims and Hindus and others – many paths and one faith. Hindus and others – many paths and one faith. Our is a religion that demands discussion and Our is a religion that demands discussion and dialogue.dialogue.

DialogueDialogue

Take a minute to think about your previous Take a minute to think about your previous experience with people of other faiths and experience with people of other faiths and religious beliefs that are different from your religious beliefs that are different from your own.own.

Do you find that you expect others to be Do you find that you expect others to be sensitive to your religious sensibilities or sensitive to your religious sensibilities or are you able to do religious “translation” are you able to do religious “translation” and hear how someone else’s spiritual and hear how someone else’s spiritual perspective might apply to your own? perspective might apply to your own? Discuss.Discuss.

NeighborhoodNeighborhood

The Judeo-Christian heritage is our heritage as The Judeo-Christian heritage is our heritage as well as Unitarian Universalism has roots in the well as Unitarian Universalism has roots in the radical Protestant reformation. radical Protestant reformation.

Our theologically diverse religious association Our theologically diverse religious association sprang from the liberal Christian church of 18sprang from the liberal Christian church of 18thth and 19and 19thth America. America.

The ministers and theologians who formed the The ministers and theologians who formed the theology on which this movement was based theology on which this movement was based revered both Jesus and the Bible, but not as a revered both Jesus and the Bible, but not as a God and not as infallible.God and not as infallible.

““There are bible-thumpers and bible-bashers. There are bible-thumpers and bible-bashers. We are neither.” – Rev. Thomas D. WintleWe are neither.” – Rev. Thomas D. Wintle

NeighborhoodNeighborhood

William Ellery Channing was minister of Boston’s Federal Street Church. His 1819 sermon “Unitarian Christianity” preached at the ordination of Jared Sparks in Baltimore has been called a “Party Platform” of Unitarianism by UU church historian Conrad Wright.

Channing defends God’s unity and rejects the trinity as non scriptural. Channing defends the emerging, reason-based historical and literary criticism of the Bible: “We feel it our duty to exercise our reason upon it perpetually to compare, to infer, to look beyond the letter to the spirit, to seek in the nature of the subject, and aim of the writer, his true meaning; and in general to make use of what is known for explaining what is difficult and discovering new truths.”

NeighborhoodNeighborhood

Unitarian minister Theodore Parker was an activist, abolitionist and transcendentalist. His sermon The Transient and the Permanent in Christianity offered a solution for those who want to “mine the Bible for its wisdom without sacrificing our critical faculties.”

Parker argued that much of the Bible and Christianity is time-bound and thus of little relevance, but there are eternal truths which can always enrich us. “The solar system… is permanent though the notions of Thales and Ptolemy, of Copernicus and Descartes, about this system prove transient…So the Christianity of Jesus is permanent though what passes for Christianity with popes and catechisms, with sects and churches, in the first century or the 19th prove transient also.”

NeighborhoodNeighborhood

Forrest Church notes that “fundamentalism of Forrest Church notes that “fundamentalism of the right has its whiplash in fundamentalism of the right has its whiplash in fundamentalism of the left. When the true believer proclaims that the left. When the true believer proclaims that the Bible is the unique word of God-to be the Bible is the unique word of God-to be accepted without question- the true unbeliever accepted without question- the true unbeliever responds by dismissing scripture as a figment of responds by dismissing scripture as a figment of demented imaginations.”demented imaginations.”

It’s been said that 19It’s been said that 19thth Unitarians and Unitarians and Universalists liberated the spirit from her Universalists liberated the spirit from her Christian captors. Do you think this was so? Is Christian captors. Do you think this was so? Is it so? Or is this the whiplash fundamentalism it so? Or is this the whiplash fundamentalism Forrest Church speaks of above?Forrest Church speaks of above?

ExpectationsExpectations

You Can’t Always Get Want You WantBut if you try sometimesYou just might findYou get what you need

ExpectationsExpectations

““Whatever expectations you bring to a UU Whatever expectations you bring to a UU congregation,” John Buehrens says, “expect congregation,” John Buehrens says, “expect to have them upset by us, at least in part.”to have them upset by us, at least in part.”

Some of us are quite unconventional.Some of us are quite unconventional.

Some of us are shockingly traditional.Some of us are shockingly traditional.

Atheists will develop transcendence.Atheists will develop transcendence.

Conservative pietists will develop a social Conservative pietists will develop a social conscience.conscience.

ExpectationsExpectations

You will be stretched beyond your comfort You will be stretched beyond your comfort zone, sometime, somewhere, somehow, by zone, sometime, somewhere, somehow, by someone(s).someone(s).

You will be asked to get involved at church You will be asked to get involved at church and in the community.and in the community.

You will be asked to take up spiritual You will be asked to take up spiritual practices of your own choosing.practices of your own choosing.

You will be asked to contribute financially to You will be asked to contribute financially to the congregation.the congregation.

ExpectationsExpectations

Some, none or all of this may be what you Some, none or all of this may be what you were expecting.were expecting.

So, what were you expecting? How has your So, what were you expecting? How has your experience so far differed from or matched experience so far differed from or matched your expectations? your expectations?

Beyond IdolatryBeyond Idolatry

UU church historian Earl Morse Wilbur UU church historian Earl Morse Wilbur identifies three principles of liberal religion: identifies three principles of liberal religion: Freedom, Tolerance and Reason.Freedom, Tolerance and Reason.

Forrest Church writes that our problem today Forrest Church writes that our problem today for most people is not bondage, but for most people is not bondage, but bondlessness. “We don’t need more freedom. bondlessness. “We don’t need more freedom. We need the resolve to employ the freedom We need the resolve to employ the freedom we have responsibly. We need to invest a little we have responsibly. We need to invest a little of our precious freedom and bond ourselves to of our precious freedom and bond ourselves to others in redemptive community.”others in redemptive community.”

Beyond IdolatryBeyond Idolatry

Unitarian Universalism is not a faith where Unitarian Universalism is not a faith where “anything goes,” in matters of belief or practice.“anything goes,” in matters of belief or practice.

Our congregations tend to attract people, as Forrest Our congregations tend to attract people, as Forrest Church points out, who are “free spirits, hell bent Church points out, who are “free spirits, hell bent on fighting the evil of an organized anything. They on fighting the evil of an organized anything. They are champions above all else of their own precious are champions above all else of their own precious freedom.”freedom.”

Forrest Church calls such people “religious Forrest Church calls such people “religious adolescents” who “strive to censure any word or adolescents” who “strive to censure any word or action that might offend their brittle and action that might offend their brittle and reactionary sensibilities.”reactionary sensibilities.”

Beyond IdolatryBeyond Idolatry

Unitarian Universalism Unitarian Universalism is sometimes is sometimes mistakenly thought of, mistakenly thought of, even by Unitarian even by Unitarian Universalists, as the Universalists, as the religion where you can religion where you can “believe anything you “believe anything you want.” What want.” What responsibility comes responsibility comes with the freedom of with the freedom of belief?belief?

Mind & SpiritMind & Spirit

Unitarian Universalism is a both/and not an Unitarian Universalism is a both/and not an either/or religion. It’s a religion of contemplation either/or religion. It’s a religion of contemplation and action. It’s a religion of the mind and the and action. It’s a religion of the mind and the spirit. It’s a religion of the individual and the spirit. It’s a religion of the individual and the community.community.

““Far from having nothing to say, religious liberals Far from having nothing to say, religious liberals have to proclaim, over and over again, against have to proclaim, over and over again, against both religious and secular adversaries, the good both religious and secular adversaries, the good news that the future remains open and Fates are news that the future remains open and Fates are not in control.” - - Rev. Gene Reevenot in control.” - - Rev. Gene Reeve

““We only know two things for certain: ‘I am’ and We only know two things for certain: ‘I am’ and ‘I will die.’ Religion is our response.” - Rev. John ‘I will die.’ Religion is our response.” - Rev. John BuehrensBuehrens

Mind & SpiritMind & Spirit

“I often describe myself as a biblical humanist. I find the religion about Jesus often distracting and divisive. But I am persistently drawn toward the spirit, example, and religion of Jesus. The spiritual disciplines I have cultivated include service, study, prayer, meditation, and sharing in congregational worship. Like most Unitarian Universalists, I respect those whose spirituality may differ from my own, convinced that what we have in common is likely to be far more important than anything that may divide us.” - Rev. John Buehrens

Closing WordsClosing Words

““Religion is not merely a matter of Religion is not merely a matter of belief or affiliation. It is a matter belief or affiliation. It is a matter of how we choose to live.” - Rev. of how we choose to live.” - Rev. John BuehrensJohn Buehrens

BenedictionBenediction

Tell me, what is it you plan to doTell me, what is it you plan to do

with your one wild and precious with your one wild and precious life?life?

- Mary Oliver- Mary Oliver

Our Chosen FaithOur Chosen Faith