PeaceBang

Greek Tragedy, Wal-Mart Style

If I’m honest, I would have to say that Greek tragedy shapes my spiritual life and sensibilities as much, or perhaps more than, the Bible. If I was a playwright or opera composer I would absolutely weave these three stories together to create a grand and tragic epic of Wal-Mart:

First, the son of the big tycoon is killed in an airplane crash.

Then we have the terrible moment of a Wal-Mart employee trampeled to death by shopper/Bacchantes — some of whom insist on shopping even after they are notified that a man has been killed in the store.

And for a much-needed touch of humor, the character who keeps suing the company.

Honestly, someone get Oliver Stone on this, or composer John Adams. The themes are timeless, the characters riveting, the tragedy so poignant. Perhaps art can redeem some of this insanity.

Ode: Intimations of Immortality

I am using some of Wordsworth’s poem, “Ode: Intimations of Immortality” as the basis for my prayer on Sunday.

Reading it again brought me back to my English major years when I first encountered it in a class on the Romantics. It had an enormous impact on me, as it has had an enormous impact on millions of others who have read it, and I treasured many of its phrases and committed them to memory. I was not a religious young adult in any traditional sense of the word but this was a poem that articulated much of my personal theology at the time.

I hope you’ll grant yourself the joy of reading it in its entirety here.

When someone later in my educational process dismissed Wordsworth as sentimental and gooey, I delivered a passionate defense of his work. My first pilgrimage, in fact, was taken after I finished with my semester of student teaching and unable to find a teaching job mid-year, I took a job as a nanny and earned enough money to pay for a trip to England, where I visited Grasmere and Dove Cottage. I sat on Wordsworth’s own lawn and read his poetry. For all the years that I taught high school English, I kept this image of him on my wall:

I would like this to be read at my funeral someday:

I thought of Thee, my partner and my guide,
As being past away.–Vain sympathies!
For, backward, Duddon! as I cast my eyes,
I see what was, and is, and will abide;
Still glides the Stream, and shall for ever glide;
The Form remains, the Function never dies;
While we, the brave, the mighty, and the wise,
We Men, who in our morn of youth defied
The elements, must vanish;–be it so!
Enough, if something from our hands have power
To live, and act, and serve the future hour;
And if, as toward the silent tomb we go,
Through love, through hope, and faith’s transcendent dower,
We feel that we are greater than we know.

“The River Duddon: A Conclusion”
Wm. Wordsworth

Sweet the Sound In Concert

Sweet the Sound is back with (jingle) bells on, and we want to warmly invite you to our third annual “American Christmas” concert at Old South Church in downtown Boston!

As in past years, the concert will be in Old South’s stone chapel at 2:00pm, Saturday, December 20 (the church address is 645 Boylston Street; www.oldsouth.org). The snowflakes will be falling, the city streets bustling, and your toes will be cozy and tapping to American roots sacred music for Christmastime, including some old favorites, sing-along carols, plenty of candlelight, and of course some STS holiday originals. What’s more, this concert will also serve as the CD Release Party for our second disc, the live STS Christmas album recorded last year in the very same spot – so come out and enjoy the concert, and then leave with a sack-full of Christmas stocking stuffers!

Spread the word! Bring a group from your church or school or neighborhood! Make a holiday “afternoon in the city” out of it! And best of all, enjoy the wondrous music of the season in one of Boston’s most acoustically marvelous spaces. Tickets are $10 (or pay what you can). Come early for good seats!

C’mon out and sing along – you need some more music in your life!

Harmoniously,

STS

Excellence In Ministry

Christine Robinson will be live-blogging the Excellence in Ministry Summit. I’m very glad to hear that this summit is being planned , and glad that Christine will be reporting on it. Having heard that the conference might expand the definition of ministry to include living out our faith in the public square, she rightfully expressed dismay at the broadening of the subject. There’s only so much you can cover in two days. Right on, Christine.

Some of the questions I personally hope will come up during the conference are these, in no particular order (and admittedly not having been very well thought out in advance):

1. Do all of our theological schools offer, and require core courses in Reformation theology, liturgy, and American religious history (particularly covering the Unitarian controversy)? Are they graduating M.Divs who can help educate laypeople in the theological controversies and movements that created what we now know as Unitarian Universalism? If not, why not? If any of our theological schools have a different agenda and vision for educating UU ministers that do not include these foundational subjects, what argument do they make against the value of knowing our historical past and theological roots well and thoroughly? I, for one, would really like to hear that argument.

Having been in the parish for almost twelve years, I feel that my decision to focus my scholarship at Harvard on the history of Christianity from the Early Church on through the Reformation was the best use of my time, tuition and talent. The questions both practical and spiritual that come to me on a steady basis from new and experienced parishioners almost always refer to the history and theology of the Church. They do not refer to World Religions (if I don’t know about Islam, for instance, I can always refer them to someone who does). They are about sin, redemption, forgiveness, divorce, baptism, christology, the question of God, spiritual practices, why we don’t/do do this or that in worship. Being well-educated theologically means that I can almost always put our Unitarian Universalist practices and professions of faith into a broader context for them, connecting our tradition to the Protestant, Jewish or Catholic tradition when necessary and helpful (and it often is).

2. Are we encouraging Unitarian Universalist “terminal uniqueness” among our seminarians, or are we encouraging them to get a theological education and develop a sense of fellowship with and among all clergy-to-be? Does excellence in ministry include an ecumenical consciousness (and yes, I mean ecumenical, not inter-faith)? To put it more plainly, although Unitarian Universalism is no longer defined as a Christian religious movement, is it important for UU ministers to have a mature enough understanding of our heritage to take our place at the table of ecumenical dialogue and witness, rather than to marginalize ourselves as has often happened (if we aren’t being marginalized in the first place, that is!)?

3. Excellence in ministry means, in large part, the ability to nurture relationships with and among a community of laypeople. How do we go beyond paying lip service to “shared ministry” and train ministers with real skills in leading volunteer organizations? Have we overemphasized the professional status of The Minister to the extent that our clergy aren’t sure how — or even IF — to be in authentic, appreciative and joyful partnership with their congregations? In this era of awareness of the importance of healthy boundaries, what about love and friendship between pastor and her/his people? When it comes to excellence in ministry, in the words of Tina Turner, “what’s love got to do with it?” Why is there never a conference called “How to Love Your Congregation More?” Why do we so blatantly care so much more about numerical growth than incarnational growth? Where are the lectures and essays by our ministers called “I Am Totally Happy In My Congregation And We Are Thriving Together”? Why are not these ministers sought out and heeded more?

4. Where are our theologians? How did it happen that such a highly-educated religious movement with such a rich intellectual heritage has produced such scanty theological offerings in past decades (with apologies to our handful of fine theologians,who know who they are)? Has our incessant internecine bickering turned many would-be theologians away from even trying to write for publication? Are we so enamored of the prophet-preacher that we have failed to appropriately nurture our potential minister-scholars?

5. Do we value the Bible enough to require at least one course in OT and NT for our seminarians? If not, why not? And why did I recently hear from three cradle UU seminarians that they were told by their Regional Subcommittees to justify their newfound love of the Bible?

6. How does an excellent minister handle the many inevitable demands on their time and energy? Without judgment and perhaps anonymously, can those who are considered excellent ministers reveal their hierarchy of priorities?

And now, this trying-to-be excellent minister will return to her sermon writing!

Because the intention of this post is to get you to write your own questions on Excellence in Ministry rather than to discuss or analyze mine (perhaps interesting to some of you, but not very productive in terms of Christine Robinson’s request), comments are closed.

Friday Dog Blogging

Here’s a really great story about Uno, the first beagle to win Best In Show at the Westminster dog show since 1939. He’s apparently quite the celebrity and also quite adorable with super-velvety ears:

I actually watched the Westminster with Former-Sweetie Bang when it was on and we commented that Uno was so cute, all kinds of stupid Americans would go get beagles without realizing how difficult and headstrong they can be — not to mention the fact that, because of their Super Houndiness, they can’t be let off-leash if you ever want to see them again.

Then, suckers that we were, we rescued Max from a local animal shelter a month later.

I took him for a long walk yesterday at the Norris Reservation where, as usual, he was stopped for petting by dozens of people (older men often get teary when they see him because he reminds them of a pup they loved and hunted with when they were younger — it’s incredibly touching), had his picture taken twice, and capped off his glamorous outing by rolling in a patch of fresh excrement.

When I stopped to pick up the mail in the driveway, Max ran out on his leash to greet a jogger across the street and was almost hit by a car. The man driving slowed down and carefully braked (thank you Jesus, and thank you Mr. Careful Driver), I yanked, Max rolled, and I reeled him in, hollering all the way. God, that was scary. Max loves joggers — he thinks anyone running by him is just enticing him to play.

He got inside safely, had a bath and is now resting on the couch. He doesn’t seem shaken.

“I doing a trick where I make my ears into huge pieces of pumpkin pie.”

Ermengarde, who saw him emerge from the bath soaked and chastened, keeps walking by to check on him. She’s doing it very surreptitiously but I can tell exactly what she’s up to.

Gee, Thanksgiving is late this year. I just realized that it will be December any minute!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Loving spirit, be our guest,
Dine with us, share our bread,
That our table might be blessed
And our souls be fed. - Gary Kowalski

Boston Unitarian Talkin’ Smack About Theodore Parker

And you should read about it.

I’d like to write more, but I just realized the dog ain’t been walked since noon.

So for now, tawk amongst yahselves.

Buy Nothing Day

My friend and colleague Rev. Hank reminds me (via Facebook) that Friday after Thanksgiving is “Buy Nothing Day,” an increasingly popular movement to counter the gross commercialization of the Christmas season.

I know the economy needs us to spend, but I continue to wonder if our economy might be able to eventually find a happier medium between recession/Depression and insanely unsustainable consumerism.

I’ve noticed that my own desire to shop is greatly diminished since I adopted a dog. Quite simply, I don’t get lonely as often as I used to, and I’d rather be home with my four-leggeds than browsing through Target. I make lists of what I need, get them without dawdling, and go home. For that reason, I’m far less susceptible to impulse buys than I used to be and that’s great. I’ve always loved looking at clothes and shoes for the fun of it (and not to purchase), and I do that on-line for a recreational break on occasion. When I do go to the malls now, I notice that people look stressed and somehow suspicious, and certainly not like they’re having fun.

So Buy Nothing Day will be very easy for me. In fact, I’m extending the concept to the entire 2008 holiday season. This will be Put Up No Decorations Year, Buy Very Few Gifts Year, Make Just One Dish For Thanksgiving That Someone Else Is Blessedly Hosting And At Which I Am a Mere Guest Year, and Send No Holiday Cards Year.

I just don’t feel like making the usual effort. Not for negative reasons, but because (a) I don’t have to for children or spouse, thank Buddha and (b) because I’m leaving for a six-week adventure on January 9th and I want to be emotionally present to my last weeks before sabbatical with my congregation, my friends, and my animals, both of whom will be fostered out to dear friends (separately, waaaa!) during my sabbatical. There is also reason (c) which is that I’m feeling at peace with life right now and it’s been a hard-earned peace that I want to soak into my soul and thank God for at every possible moment. As I’m sure is true for many of you, it is so much more my style to constantly pelt myself with “shoulds” than to just roll with where I’m at, and it feels quite delicious not to have the Critical Committee that lives in my head order me around this season. They seem to be wintering elsewhere, and although they send me occasional postcards, they’re obviously out on another job — and good riddance.

Have you seen the Wal-Mart commercial where the mom talks about how great it is that she can give her child everything he wants for Christmas (cue footage of tons of plastic toys) and watches affectionately as he marches around going, “I want this (brand name) toy and that (brand name) toy and this and that and …”? I watch this thing and I think, “MOM, maybe you need to sit Junior down and help him set some priorities instead of stocking up on all that crap at Squal-Mart that’s just gonna wind up in a landfill forever and ever, amen?”

Parents, got anything to say about this? Have you had, or are you having, these talks? What else are all of you doing differently this year, or what are your counter-cultural holiday traditions?

Great Inter-Religious Schtick By Two of the Contemporary Greats

I love this on so many levels. Since the YouTube version seems to be unavailable, clicking here should work.

I’m trying to see me as a Jew.
I’m trying even harder.
But I believe in Jesus Christ…
so it’s a real non-starter.

Who wrote this!? Brazilliant!

“Urinetown” Opens Soon!

Boston area readers, I hope you’ll consider attending this production of “Urinetown” at the Buckley Performing Arts Center. It runs Dec. 4-7th and tickets are going fast.

There’s a neat medley of musical numbers on the website, too, just for fun.