(I preached this sermon at my church, United Unitarian Universalist, in Waukesha. 3/3/2019)
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One day a young Buddhist on her journey to find True Happiness, came to the banks of a wide river. Staring at the great obstacle in front of her, she pondered and pondered how to cross such a wide and mighty barrier.
While on the space shuttle Columbia, which would explode during reentry a few days later, astronaut Laurel Clark wrote some emails to family and friends.
This is from one of them: Subject: Hello from 150 NM above the Earth
“Why do we attend church? Um, I can’t remember.”
There are so many reasons to not belong to or attend church - even liberal Unitarian Universalist churches.
I have liked the Old Testament story of Ruth ever since I was a kid. But in seminary, when I learned it is not an “Aww Shucks, Ma’am” cowboy romance, I started liking it even more. The story of Ruth is not the particular romance of Ruth and Boaz. It IS a story of dangerous poverty, racism, and sexism – and what happened when good adults welcomed each other in an unsafe place and time.
I first encountered Julian of Norwich in a seminary class on mysticism when I was in my 20’s –back when I could read for hours without falling asleep. I had been raised in such a religiously patriarchal culture; that reading Julian for that first time was as if someone had turned a light on in the room.
This is the "Opening Words" and then later in the service, the sermon - that I preached on "For The Time Being" by WH Auden and also from the Gospel of John.
I belong to a small congregation of Unitarian Universalists. This is directed to people who are asking questions instead of believing creeds. You will probably note the difference.
Thanks.
MB.
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