My apologies for the less than perfect sound this week – we forgot to plug the microphone into the laptop…
Prelude Roots and Wings by Elizabeth Harley
Opening Words by David Usher (adapted)
We come together today, seeking a reality beyond our narrow selves; that binds us in compassion, love, and understanding to other human beings, and to the interdependent web of all living things.
May our hearts and minds be opened this hour, to the power and the insight that weaves together the scattered threads of our experience, and helps us remember the Wholeness of which we are part.
We come together to renew our faith in the holiness, the goodness, the beauty of life.
To reaffirm the way of the open mind and the full heart; to rekindle the flame of memory and hope; and to reclaim the vision of an earth more fair, with all her people one.
Chalice Lighting (you may wish to light a candle in your own home at this point).
words by David Usher
We light this candle as a symbol of our faith.
By its light may our vision be illumined;
By its warmth may our fellowship be encouraged;
And by its flame may our yearnings for peace, justice
and the life of the spirit be enkindled.
Opening Prayer
Spirit of Life and Love,
be with us as we gather for worship,
each in our own place.
Help us to feel a sense of community,
even though we are physically apart.
Help us to care for each other,
in this world in which Covid has not yet gone away,
and the clouds of war hover.
May we keep in touch however we can,
and help each other, however we may.
May we remember that
caution is still needed,
that close contact is still unwise.
Help us to be grateful for the freedoms we have
and to respect the wishes of others.
May we hold in our hearts all those
who are grieving, lost, alone,
victims of violence and war,
suffering in any way, Amen
Story Bridge Building (as shared by Gillian Peel)
Old Joe lived way out in the countryside all by himself. His best friend was also his closest neighbor. It seemed that they had grown old together. Now that their spouses had passed on, and their children were raised and living lives of their own, all they had left were their farms—and each other.
But for the first time in their long friendship, they’d had a serious disagreement. It was a silly argument over a stray calf that neither one of them really needed. The calf was found on the neighbor’s land, and he claimed it as his own. Old Joe said, “No, no, now that calf has the same markings as one of my cows, and I say it belongs to me!”
They were stubborn men, and neither would give in. Rather than hit each other, they just stopped talking and stomped off to their respective doors and slammed them shut! Two weeks went by without a word between them.
Come Saturday morning, Old Joe heard a knock on his front door. He wasn’t expecting anyone and was surprised to find a young man who called himself a “traveling carpenter” standing on his porch. He had a wooden toolbox at his feet, and there was kindness in his eyes.
“I’m looking for work,” he explained. “I’m good with my hands, and if you have a project or two, I’d like to help you out.”
Old Joe replied, “Yes, as a matter of fact, I do have a job for you. See that house way over yonder? That’s my neighbor’s house. You see that creek running along our property line? That creek wasn’t there last week. He did that to spite me! He hitched a plow to his tractor and dug that creek bed from the upper pond right down the property line. Then he flooded it!
Now we got this creek to separate us. I’m so darn mad at him! I’ve got lumber in my barn, boards, posts, everything you’ll need to build me a fence—a tall fence—all along that creek. Then I won’t have to see his place no more. That’ll teach him!”
The carpenter smiled and said, “I’ll do a good job for you.”
The old man had to go to town for supplies, so he hitched up his wagon and left for the day. The young carpenter carried the lumber from barn to creek side and started to work. He worked hard and he worked fast. He measured, sawed, and nailed those boards into place all day long without stopping for lunch. With the setting of the sun, he started to put his tools away. He had finished his project.
Old Joe pulled up, his wagon full of supplies. When he saw what the carpenter had built, he couldn’t speak. It wasn’t a fence. Instead, a beautiful footbridge, with handrails and all, reached from one side of the creek to the other.
Just then, Old Joe’s neighbor crossed the bridge, his hand stuck out, and said, “I’m right sorry about our misunderstanding, Joe. The calf is yours. I just want us to go on being good friends.”
“You keep the calf, ” said Old Joe. “I want us to be friends, too. The bridge was this young fellow’s idea. And I’m glad he did it.”
The carpenter hoisted his toolbox onto his shoulder and started to leave.
“Wait!” said Joe. “You’re a good man. My neighbor and I can keep you busy for weeks.”
The carpenter smiled and said, “I’d like to stay, but I can’t. I have more bridges to build.”
And he walked on down the road, whistling a happy tune as he went.
Prayer by Celia Cartwright
O God of All Creation, God of Love,
We pray that the walls that divide us shall be taken down,
And with the bricks and stones let us build bridges between us,
That we may learn from each other not to fear each other,
And so may more easily come to keep faith
With the Greatest Commandment,
That is: To love our God, with all our heart and mind and strength,
And each other as ourselves.
Amen
Reading Co-operation from Inner Beauty, published by the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University, Part 1
Co-operation is perhaps one of the least recognised but most valuable of human virtues. It is recognised because it is not part of an end product. It is to do with the process of achieving something and thus its greatness lies in the fact that it is expressed through ordinary everyday actions.
A person who has this virtue is a little like the sun shining down on an outdoor event in a place where it normally rains. The event is praised, but afterwards the sun is forgotten. The analogy works, not because there is any virtue in the weather (on the contrary) but because it demonstrates how vital and yet undistinguished co-operation is. Without it, the event is dead.
So, for a person to be co-operative means for them to have a quiet eye for what is needed to bring success, and to supply it (and no more) at the right time, in the right place and then to be off. Someone who co-operates, offers their services and then splashes their name on the achievement is not co-operative. It requires invisibility and precision to do and then to go without waiting for results. It also takes a discerning eye to see exactly what is needed, to be removed sufficiently from your own approach to a task and just to contribute one ingredient. Sometimes not even an idea but, however clever you may consider yourself to be, just a hand, a support.
Alternative Lord’s Prayer
Spirit of Life and Love, here and everywhere,
may we be aware of your presence in our lives.
May our world be blessed.
May our daily needs be met,
and may our shortcomings be forgiven,
as we forgive those of others.
Give us the strength to resist wrong-doing,
the inspiration and guidance to do right,
and the wisdom to know the difference.
We are your hands in the world; help us to grow.
May we have compassion for all living beings,
and receive whatever life brings,
with courage and trust. Amen
Reading Co-operation from Inner Beauty, published by the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University, Part 2
Now to an extent, almost everyone expresses this virtue. Everyone will co-operate in something that they care about. But actually to have this virtue “full time” means to be constantly extending your hand wherever it is needed. And even if there is nothing visible to be done, the world still needs the support of tranquil minds.
Underlying this virtue, therefore, is something which isn’t the least ordinary: a profound optimism about the future of life in general. If co-operation occurs only in conjunction with individual tasks, that is nothing, but if it springs from the understanding that every act of generosity is contributing to a whole new creation, then it becomes something great. It is fuel for a new world, as is every human virtue when consciously based on a vision of the future. Perhaps this is what is meant by the term “being at one with the world”, when everything you do is thrown into the pool, rather than being a personal move in a personal game.
So what is this vision of the ‘new creation’? Clearly it has not a lot to do with God creating bodies and a land of milk and honey. No. It is only the creation of virtue in human minds. A very intricate process with a great deal of opposition; but say one word, have one thought, do one thing to uplift another human mind and you have already contributed to it in a significant way.
Time of Stillness and Reflection words by Kate McKenna (adapted)
Let us join together in a time of prayer and reflection.
Let us turn our minds and our hearts to that which is, for us, sacred,
and let us draw ourselves into the presence of that spirit
which some of us call God.
And let us pray.
We are sad, and we are scared.
We are sad and we are scared because this world is full of pain and fear,
And because we feel helpless in the face of it.
We don’t know what to say, or to do.
And so we pray, first, for ourselves.
Because that must be where prayer starts.
We pray, for ourselves, that we may accept our sadness and our fear,
and that we may have the strength not to fight against.
Let us acknowledge those feelings as important, as sacred, as valid.
And let us pray, next, that we may turn that sadness and fear into resolve and action. That we may begin with praying, and use that prayer as a spur to acting.
That we may do whatever is within our power to do –
No matter how small it may feel, no matter how daunting it may feel – to bring about change.
And now, having acknowledged our sadness and our fear, and having resolved to act,
let us act next by praying for others.
Let us pray, as so many others are praying right this very minute,
that all of those who are enduring the horror of the conflict in Ukraine
and the aftermath of the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria,
find such comfort as they can, such safety as they can, such strength as they can.
Let us pray for those who must flee, and for those who must stay.
Let us pray for those who face impossible decisions.
Let us pray that those who must stay find safety and comfort,
and that those who must flee find sanctuary and a welcome.
Let us encourage those around us, and those over whom we have any influence
whatsoever, to work to make that welcome happen here in our own land.
And let us pray that those charged with leadership may turn towards peace
and that they may be blessed with the wisdom, vision, and perseverance to end this conflict and restore peace.
May they act with compassion and love.
[silence]
We pray for those countless thousands of people unknown to us,
caught up in these terrible events, and we pray, too,
for those known to us who are most closely affected.
Holding all of this pain in our hearts, let us be aware too
that glory does not stop because of pain. Let us name,
silently, in our hearts, a joy, that it may bring us comfort in this time of pain.
Let us be grateful – without guilt – for the many blessings we all have.
Amen.
Musical Interlude Clouds by Elizabeth Harley
Address Cooperation
I’d like to start this address by repeating a small part of the reading by the Brahma Kumaris. “Everyone will co-operate in something that they care about. But actually to have this virtue ‘full time’ means to be constantly extending your hand wherever it is needed.”
This Friday marks the first anniversary of the invasion of the Ukraine by the Russian Federation. Many terrible events have happened in the year since then, in the Ukraine and elsewhere, not least the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria. It seems that there is conflict and disaster all around. Which can make us feel sad and scared and hopeless. What can we do to make a difference, in such a world?
As Kate McKenna wrote in her beautiful prayer, which formed our Time of Stillness and Reflection, “let us pray, next, that we may turn that sadness and fear into resolve and action. That we may begin with praying, and use that prayer as a spur to acting. That we may do whatever is within our power to do – no matter how small it may feel, no matter how daunting it may feel – to bring about change.”
This desire, this willingness to do something which will make a difference, however small, is the basis of what the Brahma Kumaris mean by co-operation. And I believe it is just as much an attitude of mind as anything else. I love the bridge building story we heard earlier, in which the two old men are divided by a stupid quarrel and only come together when the mysterious carpenter (surely Jesus) builds a bridge between them and enables them to come back together again.
Sometimes, we have to be awake to the possibilities of being able to make a difference, to experience a change in our minds and hearts that will enable us to move into connection with others, rather than conflict. Let me give you a personal example… A few years ago, I travelled up to Birmingham on the train to have dinner with some friends, who were leading a workshop for me the following day. Normally, I find train journeys fairly tedious, and bury myself in a book. But this one was different.
When I arrived on Platform 2 of Northampton station, there was an elderly couple (obviously grandparents) with a little boy (aged 2, as I later discovered). I thought they were waiting for the same train as me and made a mental note to move along the platform when it arrived, as the young man was noisy and questionsome, to say the least. But I’m so glad I didn’t. The grandmother was talking to him about the freight train that was going through and I asked the grandfather if they were travelling to Birmingham, like me. He replied, “Oh, no. We’re here for two hours every week. He just loves the trains.”
He went on to share a lovely story about a kindly guard who let them travel to Long Buckby (the next station) and back for nothing, because he knew that the young boy would be so thrilled. And I felt so warm, just to be a part of this lovely encounter. And realised how wrong, how disconnected, my initial judgement had been. It helped me to understand that reaching out to the other is always the right thing to do.
And once I was on the train, a young woman in a niqab, with just her eyes showing, was travelling with a young boy, who had a runny nose. So, warmed by the earlier encounter, I fished in my handbag and passed over a tissue. And she thanked me and gave me such a grateful look. All this on one journey. I felt honoured to be a part of the human race.
The Brahma Kumaris write that, “every act of generosity is contributing to a whole new creation.” Isn’t that a wonderful idea? That every time we choose to do something generous to help another person or animal or the planet, we are contributing to a whole new creation.
I have come to understand that co-operation is about being in community with others and being willing to do whatever we can to help others, without thinking of the consequences. It’s about doing it in a selfless way, with no thought for how other people might respond to our actions. In September 2021, I attended a wonderful conference at the Nightingale Centre in Great Hucklow, all about building beloved community.
Our guest speaker was Alistair McIntosh, a Quaker and spiritual activist, who explained that becoming the beloved community was about combining being engaged with the world and society from a deep place, in which we realise that we are part of a deeper reality. He said that it didn’t matter what we call this deep, implicit, underlying order. He gave us many definitions: the Hindu word, dharma – the deep structure present in reality; the Taoist Way; or Christian God-consciousness. It’s all about walking in the ways of good. It’s about constantly asking the central spiritual question of discernment: “Does this bring life? Does this lead you into life?” Rather than back into the concerns of the individual ego. Surely this is what the Brahma Kumaris are talking about?
McIntosh commented that we live in a deeply materialistic society, in which it seems to make sense to compete (which is the opposite of co-operation). And that self-referential narcissism can cut us off from community. He said that all of us are complicit in the capitalist, consumerist paradigm that is Western society. Which was a little depressing, although I had to admit he had a point.
But then he said that we all have souls – that deepest part of us that enables us to connect with each other on a fundamental, more spiritual level. And that there is a level of life on which we are all members, one of another. He gave the example of the difference between being individual fingernails on a hand, and the hand as a whole. At this deeper level of interconnection, we are able to grow into becoming the beloved community. But in order to reach that point, it is necessary to do deep spiritual work, to get the shadows, the concerns of the ego, out of the way. Even then, we only get glimpses or intimations of the Way. It is a task that will take the rest of our lives.
I believe that it is our job as Unitarians, as Unitarian communities, to offer a safe and sacred space in which this deep, spiritual work can take place. McIntosh quoted the American spiritual teacher, Ram Dass, who once wrote, “We are all walking each other home.” Home in this context being in right relationship with others and with the Divine. And the basis of this is co-operation, reaching out to help others with no ulterior motive. Isn’t that a lovely thought? That “we are all walking each other home.”?
I’d like to finish by repeating the words of David Usher, which opened this service, as for me they sum up the true meaning of co-operation:
“We come together today, seeking a reality beyond our narrow selves; that binds us in compassion, love, and understanding to other human beings, and to the interdependent web of all living things.
May our hearts and minds be opened this hour, to the power and the insight that weaves together the scattered threads of our experience, and helps us remember the Wholeness of which we are part.
We come together to renew our faith in the holiness, the goodness, the beauty of life.
To reaffirm the way of the open mind and the full heart; to rekindle the flame of memory and hope; and to reclaim the vision of an earth more fair, with all her people one.”
May it be so, Amen
Closing Words
Spirit of Life and Love,
May we learn to think of others
before ourselves, and learn to live
in a spirit of co-operation rather than competition.
May we return to our everyday world refreshed,
may we share the love we feel,
may we look out for each other,
and may we keep up our hearts,
now and in the days to come,
Amen
Postlude Lady of Lewesdon Hill by Elizabeth Harley