Prelude Melodia Africana I by Ludovico Einaudi
Opening Words Each new morning by Penny Quest, from The Unitarian Life
Each new morning, two choices are open to every one of us:
The choice to live that day in the joyfulness of Love,
Or in the darkness of Fear.
Each new day, as the sun rises,
We have another opportunity to make that choice.
The symbolism of the sunrise is the removal of shadow
And the return of Light.
Each new morning we have another chance
To rid ourselves of the burdens, sorrows and fears of the past,
To rejoice in the joy of the present,
And to look forward to a future of fulfilment
On every level of our being.
Each sunrise is a fresh opportunity to release fear,
To choose a different life-path,
To commit ourselves to joyful, light living,
To trust in Ourselves and in the Universe,
To trust in the forces of Nature and in Mother Earth,
To trust in God, the Creator, the All-That-Is.
Chalice Lighting (you may wish to light a candle in your own home at this point. I will be lighting my chalice for worship at 11.00 am on Sunday morning) words by Vince McCully.
We light our chalice flame,
it is our Unitarian symbol of Freedom, Hope and Love.
Freedom to express our many and varied beliefs and ways of worship.
Hope that the Joys and Love it brings may extend to all parts of the world.
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 and climate change overshadow us.
May we keep in touch however we can,
And help each other,
However we may.
May we be grateful for the freedoms we have
and respect the wishes of others.
May we hold in our hearts all those
Who are grieving, lost, alone,
Suffering in any way,
Amen
Reading What holds the Unitarian movement together? From Unitarian? What’s that? by Cliff Reed
Unitarians believe that freedom from prescribed creeds, dogmas, and confessions of faith is necessary if people are to seek and find truth for themselves. We rate spiritual honesty above religious conformity. But without a binding creed, how can a congregation – let alone a national movement – stay together?
The Unitarian answer is that shared values and a shared religious approach are a surer basis for unity than theological propositions. Because no human being and no human institution can have a monopoly on truth, it is safer to admit that from the outset. We are seekers and sharers, fellow pilgrims on the path, and this is how we Unitarians see ourselves. The values underpinning the Unitarian movement have to do with mutual caring and mutual respect. They involve a readiness to extend to each other a positive, involved, and constructive tolerance. They are the values of a liberal religious community that honours individuality without idolising it. … They are the values of a religious community that is open to truth from any sources; a community of the spirit that cherishes reason and acknowledges honest doubt; a community where the only theological test is that required by one’s own conscience.
Above all, perhaps, Unitarians are bound by a sense of common humanity. We believe that the world would be a better place if more people put this one factor before all the lesser and illusory things that divide us.
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 from The Gospel of Luke, Chapter 6, verses 27-38
Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat, do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.
If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you hope to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love your enemies, do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High; for he is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
Do not judge, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven; give and it will be given to you.
Prayer In an unquiet world by Cliff Reed, from Sacred Earth
God of our hearts,
whose Oneness makes us one,
in an unquiet world, let us be quiet.
In an unpeaceful world, let us be peace;
in an unkind world, let us be kind;
in an unjust world, let us be just;
in an unloving world, let us be love.
Make of our speaking the things you want us to say;
make of our deeds the things you want us to do;
make of us what the world needs us to be.
So may our lives be a blessing to all,
and our spirits a channel of your Spirit.
May it be so, Amen
Reading from I am a Humanist Unitarian by Sarah Oelberg, in The Unitarian Life by Stephen Lingwood
Through my years of education in various Unitarian churches, I felt the affirming love of a religion that had a deep concern for the worth and dignity of all people – including me. I learned to affirm and celebrate life in this world and to work for the betterment of the world and its people. I was nurtured by the feeling that I had the potential and the freedom to experience all kinds of things, to enjoy life and liberty, and to explore many different ideas. I was encouraged to use my mind, to question even the seemingly obvious, and to trust in my own experiences and perceptions….
I liked that [Humanism] invited me to think for myself, to explore, challenge, and doubt; to approach the important questions of life with an openness to new ideas and different perspectives; and then to test these ideas against reality, filter new knowledge through my own active mind, and believe according to the evidence. Humanism provided me with the “tools” I would use to pursue the “free and responsible search for truth and meaning.” It invited me to ask about each idea, “Is it reasonable and responsible to believe this? Does it make sense in terms of what I know about the world and the universe?”
This is not to suggest that we do not also learn and gain insights from intuition, hunches, flashes of inspiration, even emotion or unexplainable experiences – we do. But when making important decisions that will affect ourselves and others, it behoves us to test our perceptions against reality.
Time of Stillness and Reflection Does God really care? By Cliff Reed, from Carnival of Lamps (adapted)
Does God really care what name or pronoun we use when we speak of the Divine?
Does God mind whether we stand or kneel or sit to pray? Or which way we face when we do?
Does God care whether we worship in silence or in song, with poetic beauty or in stumbling prose, so long as we do so in spirit and in truth?
Is God bothered about what we wear and how – or if – we cut our hair, so long as it’s our own free choice?
Does God mind what we choose to eat from Creation’s smorgasbord, so long as we do so with gratitude and with deep respect for the life we all share?
Does God have the slightest interest in our theologies, doctrines, and dogmas – or in the squabbles we have about them?
Does God really lock up the truth in a few old books, imprison the Spirit in dead words, and then speak no more?
Does God care a jot whether those who minister to us are black or gay, male or straight, white or female – so long as they do so with humble, loving hearts?
Is God really as mean, as petty, as narrow-minded, and as down-right stupid as we too often are in the sanctification of our own bigotry and prejudice?
[silence]
Perhaps all God wants is for us to be kind to each other, to be fair and just in all our dealings, and to be responsible in our stewardship of this good earth, our common home.
May it be so! Amen
Musical Interlude Melodia Africana III by Ludovico Einaudi
Address How important is ‘Right Belief’?
In the sixteen years I have served the Midland Unitarian Association, I have travelled many thousands of miles. I have criss-crossed the District in my car, visiting congregations and individuals, and attending meetings (this last far less often since 2020, when we all discovered Zoom!). And during my Presidential year, I drove even greater distances, all around England and into South Wales.
And my go-to method of beguiling the time is to listen; either to music, or to one of the Teaching Company’s Great Courses. Over the years, I have built up a fine collection of the latter, owning most of their Religion and Theology and Writing courses. I’ve listened to all of them at least once, and to some of them repeatedly. Each course comprises between 12 and 36 half-hour lectures, the most common length being 24.
In recent weeks, I have been listening to one of my favourites, The History of Christian Theology, a comprehensive and erudite 36-lecture course, taught by Professor Philip Cary. He has the ability to explain the most intricate and abstruse aspects of Christian belief and doctrine with great clarity and objectivity. It has been a real education to listen to Professor Cary explain the intricate ins and outs of complicated Christian doctrines like the Trinity, Incarnation and Grace. Because even before the Great Schism of 1054 or the Protestant Reformation of the early 16th century, there was still plenty of opportunity for debate and fierce dissension within the so-called “Catholic” church (Catholic means ‘universal’).
The lectures cover the whole history and evolution of Christian theology, from the earliest days right up to the present – or at least, up to 2008, when the course was written. And the thing which has fascinated me the most is the central importance of orthodoxy “right belief” to Christians. Over the centuries, there have been endless arguments and fierce divisions over the minutiae of nuances in Christian beliefs and doctrine. Right from the mid-1st century CE, when Paul spent much of his time earnestly writing to his scattered flock about what they *ought* to believe. And getting exasperated when they didn’t get it. For example, in the first chapter of his First Letter to the Corinthians, he writes, “I appeal to you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.”
Professor Cary explains in his first lecture, “Christian theology is a tradition of critical reasoning about Christian doctrine, that is, about what should be taught in church about Jesus Christ and life in him. Christian theology focuses on doctrine rather than law, because Christianity is a faith more than a way of life, so the question of what people should be taught to believe is of the essence. Unlike other religions, Christianity is essentially a faith because it is not fundamentally about how to live but about the life of another person, Jesus Christ… In Christian theology, even the crucial theme of Jesus’s own teaching, the Kingdom of God, is subordinated to teaching about who Jesus is – the Christ, which means the king in the Kingdom of God.”
The consequences of differing beliefs between various factions have, on occasions, been world-changing. Heretics have been variously excommunicated, burned at the stake, or shunned, for theological disagreements over what I as a Unitarian (so probably an arch-heretic) see as almost frivolously minute differences in theology. In the mid-eleventh century, for example, the Great Schism between the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic churches happened on account of a single Latin word, filioque. As Professor Cary explains, this means “and of the Son” and is “from a clause in the Western version of the Nicene Creed saying that the Holy Spirit ‘proceeds from the Father and the Son’. This doctrine of ‘double procession’ is rejected by the Eastern Orthodox and became the cause of the schism between the Eastern and Western churches in 1054, resulting in the formal separation of Eastern Orthodox from Roman Catholic.” Okay, there was probably more to it than that, and the filioque issue was probably the “straw that broke the camel’s back”, but really?
Perhaps the most well-known and far-reaching example was, of course, Martin Luther, who famously nailed his 95 Theses to the door of Wittenberg Cathedral in October 1517. As Professor Cary explains, “He criticised the sale of indulgences because they detracted from true inward penance of the heart…. These criticisms were meant as an invitation for disputation.” Luther originally had no idea of leading a secession from the Catholic Church – he was both a monk and a theology professor. Yet the upshot of his act was the Protestant Reformation. In the 500 years since then, countless denominations have sprung up, each convinced of the unique “rightness” of their own particular brand of Christianity.
So much bitter argument. So much self-righteous justification. So much persecution of those who did not / do not share your beliefs. So much willingness to pronounce that anyone who does not believe exactly as you do is bound for eternal damnation in the fires of Hell.
I cannot help wondering what Jesus, that first century Jewish rabbi, would have made of it all… The man who allegedly told his followers to “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat, do not withhold even your shirt. Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
The difference between these teachings of Jesus and Christian theology are striking. Arguments over what to outsiders seem to be minor nuances in Christian doctrine have, over the centuries, involved thousands of people and whole countries (sometimes even the entire continent of Europe) in war and persecution and terror.
Even our own denomination, Unitarianism, which is supposed to be inclusive and tolerant and welcoming of people with diverse beliefs, has its factions and its politics; its bitter arguments and its disagreements… I found the recent brouhaha about the new chalice logo saddening – Yes, I personally don’t like it at all, but was it worth getting so wound up about? Was it worth the infighting it caused? Does a different logo decrease our individual ability to be good Unitarians? No, and no, and no.
Cliff Reed explained (far more eloquently than I could) the Unitarian approach to diversity in beliefs, in our first reading, and I’d like to read you part of it again: “ The values underpinning the Unitarian movement have to do with mutual caring and mutual respect. They involve a readiness to extend to each other a positive, involved, and constructive tolerance. They are the values of a liberal religious community that honours individuality without idolising it. … They are the values of a religious community that is open to truth from any sources; a community of the spirit that cherishes reason and acknowledges honest doubt; a community where the only theological test is that required by one’s own conscience.”
This is what religious freedom means – it is (for me at least) the right attitude. It involves such things as mutual caring, mutual respect, a “positive, involved and constructive tolerance.” I believe this is the missing factor from the past two thousand years of Christian theology. Which is why I am, and always will be, a Unitarian.
Because for me, right behaviour, such as Jesus tells us to do, trumps right belief every time… It is what we do, how we act in the world that matters. Of course, our beliefs will inform our behaviour, how could they not? But as Cliff Reed asked in our Time of Stillness and Reflection, “Does God really care?” – about what we believe, how we dress up our religious faith in ritual and ‘right belief’? Let alone about the different interpretations of words and phrases in religious doctrine? I don’t believe so. I agree with Cliff, when he wrote, “Perhaps all God wants is for us to be kind to each other, to be fair and just in all our dealings, and to be responsible in our stewardship of this good earth, our common home.”
May it be so, Amen
Closing Words
Spirit of Life and Love,
Our time together is drawing to a close.
May we approach the beliefs of others
Lightly, with respect and tolerance,
Understanding that it is not our creeds,
But our deeds, that matter.
May we share the love we feel,
May we look out for each other,
Sharing our joys and our sorrows,
And may we keep up our hearts,
Being grateful for the many blessings in our lives,
Now and in the days to come, Amen
Postlude Melodia Africana II by Ludovico Einaudi