PeaceBang

God Is NOT Optional: Another Perspective

Terri Pahucki contributed this to the comments on the “God is Optional, You Are Not” banner that is displayed in front of the UU congregation in San Francisco,

I don’t know that UU’s should have any sign relating to our theology; it’s just too diverse in language, and slogans cheapen it’s depth. My church has a “Standing on the Side of Love” equal marriage banner on the side of the church. (This banner was vandalized when it was first hung–so it definitely made a statement, and got attention). But it was a statement based on principle and action, not theology. Attempts to sloganize our theology only end up focusing on what we are NOT, rather than what we ARE, I think. Our beliefs–and the language we use to describe them– are just too diverse. It is important that people experience God (or transcendence and holiness) when they come to church– but I don’t think that experience can be sloganized.

I think this is an excellent reflection, and was very happy to see that Terri expounds on it further over at her own blog, UU Intersections. I had never seen this blog until today and I am very moved by Terri’s beautiful writing. Her Easter season posts are exquisite, and I am very interested in her opinions on strengthening Unitarian Universalism through more shared spiritual practices and experiences. She reminds me of the old joke: Unitarian Universalists are those who, when they die and reach the afterlife, see two doors. One is marked “Heaven” and the other “A Lecture About Heaven.” The Unitarian Universalist goes through the door marked “A Lecture About Heaven.”

To My Preachin’ Buds Out There

Tell the story, my friends.* God bless your Holy Week.

*The video you want is Emmylou and Robert Duvall live. Click on the icon.

Excellent Book for Training Pastoral Associates

It has been a real joy to train our first group of Pastoral Caregivers at my church. As I prepare to go on sabbatical, it means the world to have a terrific team of lay pastors to “walk the parish” and to make calls and visits on behalf of the church. We introduced them to the congregation this past Sunday and will do a formal Commission in the fall.

But for now, I just want to share that although I read a ton of books in preparation for the training sessions, and have taken many classes, seminars and workshops on pastoral care, I found this book to be the best guide of all in organizing our sessions.

A Pastor In Every Pew: Equipping Laity For Pastoral Care by Leroy Howe. I just think that, chapter for chapter, Howe’s book is the most conversant with the realities of pastoral caregiving, that it anticipates all the most significant questions and anxieties that arise for laypeople learning to do pastoral care, and that, although written from a strictly Christian perspective, it is the most useable for Unitarian Universalists.

It looks like ChristianBook.com has them on sale.

Four stars and two thumbs up!

Great Blog

I was already a regular reader and fan of most of the blogs that were cited in the 2008 UU Blog Awards, but this one is new to me and I think it’s really excellent. I’ll be returning regularly, and shout-out to the author of Sisyphus.

Single Girls’ Friday Night and Fave New Blog

I had one of those frustrating single girl days today where I really wanted to take a whole day off and do something purely fun, but no one called and no one seemed to be around (I’m almost always the one to generate social plans, to be honest, and I get tired of it), so I went into the city in an effort to get some space in my head that isn’t occupied by work and school. I’m rather anxious about the holiday at church for some reason (probably because there’s Sunday, 12/23 to prepare and the next day is the big production of Christmas Eve). I have two papers due before December 18th. I’m keynoting a church retreat in January — those lectures loom — and am guest preaching for two different congregations in the next months. There’s a christening to think about, too, which I’m doing in three weekends for the daughter of good friends. And a holiday concert with Sweet the Sound that same weekend for which I need to prepare (and attend two rehearsals).

In my quest to shake some new thoughts into my brain, I went to the Massachusetts Historical Society’s book sale only to find that there were only about 20 books for sale. BIG disappointment. For some reason I had envisioned a huge used book sale and hours of happy browsing. I ate some dinner next door at a Thai joint and then walked to look at the decorations at the Prudential Center.

I sat for awhile at Barnes & Noble and read and drank a latte. Restless, lonesome, pathetic. I hate nights like that. I hate that no one talks to strangers. I hate observing human relationships from a distance when everyone seems paired up with friends or family but me. I hate conducting important relationships mostly over the phone. I hate standing on the outskirts of family life looking in, trying to respect everyone’s privacy and need to cocoon with their own. New England is a very invitation-only culture: other places I’ve lived we always had a much more open door policy with friends stopping by and no need to schedule and plan, plan, plan. Not here, though. Here it’s all about getting on each other’s calendars. Things are much more structured; it makes me want to tear my hair out sometimes and wander sobbing through the woods. I have too much pride to call friends and say, “WHATCHYA DOING? CAN I PLEASE COME OVER?” but this isn’t getting any easier with age. A girl doesn’t want to have to have a dinner party or organize a potluck or restaurant outing every time she wants some company, but sometimes it feels like it. Thank God for other single friends who understand. I live in fear that every last one of them will find a Significant Other and it will be me alone, driving around on a Friday night chatting up the baristas at Starbucks just to have someone to talk to.

Please, please don’t write to me and tell me that even married and partnered people get lonely. I know they do. But I don’t want to hear it, because it’s not the same, okay?

When I got home my friend Sari had sent me a link to a beautiful blog called The Daily Coyote. The author lives in a one-room cabin in Wyoming with her cat, Eli and a coyote named Charlie whom she rescued when he was ten days old. It’s so beautiful and it makes me think gee, that’s a romantic and gorgeous life out there but I’m such an extrovert I’d be miserable living like that. If I’m howling at the moon on a Friday night because I can’t find enough human interaction in the city of Boston, can you imagine me in a one-room cabin with a coyote and a cat?

Still, I love the opportunity to read about it, and to peek into that kind of simplicity and peace.

This is Charlie. We love him.

The Story of Carlton Pearson

You might remember this story about the charismatic pastor Carlton Pearson who got slain by the Holy Spirit one night and became a universalist.

I’m preaching on the free and responsible search for truth and meaning this Sunday and listening to his story on This American Life at Panera and trying not to cry. My sermon is called “The Free, Responsible (And Sometimes Shocking) Search for Truth and Meaning.”

I was doing okay not bawling until I hear a recording of Pearson reading some Scripture (I John, 2) to his congregation and when
he says, in a voice full of passionate intensity and love “Listen to this, babies,” I lose it.
Napkins! Napkins!

To think of being named an actual heretic in this day and age. Heart-wrenching.

(It’s a real shame that the reporter doesn’t seem to have the vaguest clue about Universalism — it’s a serious and seriously upsetting omission — when he means Universalists he says “Unitarians” (as in “The Unitarians stopped believing in Hell a long time ago). He also mistakenly reports that the United Church of Christ is “the only denomination that accepts gay marriage.” )

Patrick O’Neill On “What Is Sacred”

This article appeared in the most recent issue of the UU World and it just made my day when I read it last week. It’s this sort of piece that renews my commitment to Unitarian Universalism. Thanks, Patrick. I needed that.

Fake Steve Jobs, I Love You

A few weeks ago I wrote this post about an offensive MasterCard commercial featuring a young white woman engaged in a series of activities that only very privileged people generally get to do: stuff like diving into a pristine blue ocean, taking singing lessons and (and this was where I snorted and threw my root beer at the TV) FENCING.

To add insult to injury, the soundtrack to the ad is a vapid female voice singing “These Are a Few Of My Favorite Things” in just the same tone one might imagine Marie Antoinette ordering another elaborate gown from her marchand de mode. La-di-da. What do the simple folk do? The whole thing made me gag and was doubly disappointing because of my fondness for the old “priceless” MasterCard ad campaign (which I have actually referenced in more than one stewardship campaign at church).

Much to my surprise, a group of commenters descended upon my post to criticize my commercial-bashing, led by someone calling himself “Fake Steve Jobs.” Fake Steve had a lot of interesting points but went on way beyond my capacity to respond, and the rest just sounded like cranky trolls so I mostly ignored them (plus, they were totally unpersuasive). While I’m happy to respond at great length to theological comments in religion-related posts, I just don’t keep at it con brio about much else, and especially not when I suspect I’m being trolled.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I picked up the Boston Globe today and read this article about Fake Steve Jobs, who turns out to be Dan Lyons, a senior editor at Forbes magazine. Check out the Fake Steve Jobs blog, but don’t do it while drinking unless you want a caffeine-enhanced nasal flushing (I’m glad I was having organic white peach tea, which didn’t hurt too badly).

Fake Steve Jobs, I bow to your snark genius and your ability to be Fake Steve Jobs while holding down a serious day job (which you should definitely not quit for a post on the debate team, now that I know what you do). I salute you across the wide chasm separating our lives — you, a high-powered finance dude and I, a small village pastor. I will always treasure that brief exchange we shared with fond, bittersweet tenderness, remembering it in my old age as an unrequited romance that I badly muffed. I want to verbally spar with you until we both keel over at our keyboards for lack of fluids. I want to go see movies with you and eviscerate them afterward over tapas and rioja.
I want you to be the one to whom I sarcastically quote passages from hideously self-indulgent spiritual memoirs I’m reading in bed. I want you to explain why my Fidelity retirement investments are doing so incredibly well even though I picked them through the time-honored “eenie-meenie-minie-moe” method. I want you to come to my Thanksgiving dinner and carve the turkey because I know you’re man enough to wield that knife and to cut deep.

Fake Steve Jobs, you make me swoon. Please give Dan Lyons a big kiss from me.

(look how cute he is!!! But married to a beautiful blonde! Curses! )

New Universalist Christian Blog

I’ll be hanging out here at I Herd the Werd in the future. I like its calm tone, I know I’m gonna love the theological message, and the spelling makes me smile.

Welcome to the blogosphere, friend.

St. Gregory’s Would Like Ta Kindly Thank Ya

Hey gang,

Sara Miles wrote to say that she got our checks for $450 today and extends her gratitude for your awesomeness. From your checkbooks through my PayPal account right into carrots and potatoes and bread and spaghetti for hungry people in San Francisco.

Thanks again for participating. And happy anniversary a bit early to St. Greg’s Food Pantry.