Pirates of the Unitarians

A Sermon To Myself On The Occassion Of The Fifth Anniversary Of My Ordination

2008-05-06T00:24:11Z

Today's the anniversary of my ordination. I wrote a sermon, excerpt below... Click Here For Full Text Of Sermon "So now, on the fifth anniversary of my ordination, I want to get real. I'm walking away from the UU church and the trappings of institutional religion, but towards the friends and family to whom I am bound in love. That's where my successes lie, in those few close relations who come to me for confession and ethical guidance, who gather to indulge me in my parables of giant fighting robot saviors, who invite me to eat at their table, who ask me to say a few words at their special occassions, who have come to call me "The Reverend" even as they see my deepest human flaws. Because it is not my religious training or stature that bring me success with these people, but rather my ability to love them as would a brother or father. Because being good family, as far as I can tell, is isomorphic to being a good minister." Click Here For Full Text Of Sermon

Why The Good Guys Go Elsewhere

2008-03-09T21:51:06Z

Over at his blog, Rev. Scott Wells began a discussion contrasting the heavily politicized insular culture of UU youth to the movement of young people being energized by Obama. I've been avoiding blogs and religion in general these days, needing to focus on more productive things for simple reasons of sanity and survival, but a good friend forwarded me this particular link. It prompted me to put several hours into crafting the below response--usually I would acknowledge that I had better things to be doing with my time, but this time it actually helped me connect the dots on a lot of my conflicted feelings regarding the UUs that I've been trying to ignore. Anyway, I encourage whoever's reading this to check out Rev. Scott's thread, or talk to me here about my particular response. Peace. -><- Thanks to everyone for what they’ve shared here! I’ve been so burned by my local UU experience that it’s left me bitter towards most everything religious at the moment, which is unprecedented for me. I feel much more spiritually lost than I did when I joined with the UUs just out of college. Not that I regret the past five years, but most of the lessons learned have been about the good intentions that pave the road to hell. Scott, I think you’re pretty dead-on in your observations of the resolution-happy politically heavy us-and-them environment of the UUA and its youth culture, in contrast to the actions of the self-empowered people that change the world. But I’d like to take it a bit further, because it still seems to me that the UUA was founded by the same kind of self-empowered people supporting Obama today. So what went wrong? It seems to me the problem is that, much as resolutions are rightfully blessings at the end of the process, institutions and their authority are likewise epiphenomena of the real world-shaping efforts. The major failing of the old-school liberal mentality seems to be its belief that the institutions themselves would continue cultivating the process, and democracy would keep them on task. But, much as you can’t help the environment *merely* by becoming head of the EPA, you can’t help religious seekers merely by winning an election in the UUA. It takes a deeper wisdom and good spirit to keep the institution and the work it represents running. And in the end, the good work chugs on through the sheer force of human good will, and it’s up to democratic institutions to keep up with that or be abandoned. What I see happening in the UUA is that they’re stuck in a downward spiral: the folks with the real power to change the world don’t waste their time fighting petty electoral struggles for denominational affirmation. But this simply cedes more electoral power to those for whom denominational affirmation is inappropriately important, making it an even bigger waste of time. Sure, this is a problem in any religious denomation, but usually there’s some larger common spiritual identity to help guide and sustain those communities through such all-too-human power struggles. But the UUA, with its overwhelmingly secular framework, seems to have cut to the chase in a single generation. As they say, the idea became an institution-Unitarian Universalism became the UUA-and the youth were taught how to be in good standing with the institution rather than how to carry on the idea. One of the things I love about Obama is that he doesn’t seem to be calling us to join an institution or party, so much as he’s calling us to be our better selves as a nation. Instead of demanding pride in the current American institution, he points us toward an idea of America we can be proud of again. He doesn’t make it about passing the right rules to fix the institution, but rather about doing the good work to carry on the torch of the idea. And that’s why he gets the massive following. I had to walk away from my local UU institutions because the politics were simply overwhelming; it’s gonna take a lot of time for me to heal enough to feel comfortable committing myself to any religious institution. But the whole experience has made me much more keenly aware of the religious ideas that are most important to me, the things that drive me to action even when I’m massively outvoted and unsupported. Obama taps into those “unitarian universalist” sentiments at the core of my being; too bad the Unitarian Universalists couldn’t.

Field Trip Sunday: Urbana-Champaign Friends Meeting, Jan 27th

2008-01-21T01:37:27Z

Next Sunday, January 27th, I'll be joining two of my friends from the UU community on a visit to the Urbana-Champaign Friends Meeting, also known as the "Quakers." I've been before, and it's a very serene experience....the service pretty much consists of sitting together quietly for an hour. The space is beautiful, and the people very welcoming and friendly. Contact minister@revjack.com if you'd like to meet up with us for this trip, or just bring yourself. The service begins at 10:30am, 1904 East Main Street, Urbana, IL.

The Problem With Justice

2008-01-21T01:32:56Z

A friend of mine has had this in his random signature file for awhile. I probably shouldn't relish seeing myself quoted so much, but it's nice to see what ideas stick. Anyway, I wanted to post this here and see if anyone had any thoughts to share: I can walk into a Christian church and evoke a plethora of symbols that help lead people to compassion. The vast majority of people might suck at loving their enemies and forgiving those who tresspass against them, but at least the words are there to plant the seed of the idea. Whereas I walk into a UU church, and their secular symbols focus entirely on "justice," rewarding the innocent and condemning the guilty.

I Have Better Things To Do Than Be Mad At UUs

2008-01-08T21:25:55Z

See post title for why I haven't posted in awhile, and why I'll probably be soon changing the name and URL of this blog to be something that might work more generically with my ever-changing religious interests. I haven't decided what yet. The Community United Church of Christ trip went well, though I failed to write a decent recap at the time, and now the details are fading. I recall quite enjoying the sermon, and spending much time in worthwhile conversation with folks during the social hour afterwards. Pastor Mike Mulberry continues to rock my world. The December trip might technically be considered my trip to St. Margaret Mary's Roman Catholic Church with my mother on Christmas; the holiday schedule prevented Rev. Monkey from joining me to go elsewhere. I wanted to hit Hessel Park church for their Christmas party, but without a companion I could not muster the will to drag myself out of bed. The homily at St. Margaret Mary's included a criticism of the apparently atheist kids book/movie "The Golden Compass," which simply inspired me to go out and see the movie, which then inspired me to dive into the book, which I am absolutely loving. Anyway, counting my mother, only three people have accompanied me on these trips thus far, each on a different occassion, and one of those people is now dead (not my mother!) Not that this discourages me, but it does make me reconsider my advertising policy. Rather than picking a date and hoping that someone will show up, I'm switching to a standing open offer to accompany people to the church of their choice. Once a church visit is scheduled, I'll announce it via blogs and email lists to see if anyone wants to join us. So, email minister@revjack.com if you want to go to church with me! And stay tuned for more church visits and other activities coming your way this year!

Field Trip Sunday: United Church of Christ, Nov. 18th

2007-10-17T19:44:06Z

Sunday, November 18th, 2007

10:15 a.m. Worship
Community United Church of Christ
805 South Sixth Street, Champaign, IL
1:00 p.m. Open Mic Worship
Channing-Murray Foundation
1209 West Oregon, Urbana, IL

Our next Field Trip Sunday will be November 18, to the Community United Church of Christ. Pastor Mike Mulberry has been working closely with members of the Channing-Murray community as of late, as he spearheads the local New Sanctuary Movement to fight for just and humane refoms to our nation's immigration policy. I got to chat with Rev. Mike at a recent NSM house party, and I was delighted and intrigued by how deeply he ties his social justice work to his Christian ministry, and the patience and perseverence he expresses in pursuing that work. I look forward to getting to better know him and his congregation. Please join me in visiting our peers in the fight for social justice, worshipping with them at 10:15 followed by fellowship at 11:30. For more information, please email minister@revjack.com--or just meet us at the UCC! Following our visit, we will reconvene at the Channing-Murray at 1pm for our monthly Open Mic Worship. Yes, once again, it's a Pirate Double Feature Sunday! So join on in, see how others in our community worship and show us how you worship. Hope to see you there!

Sunday Recap: St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church

2007-10-10T02:34:31Z

The field trip to St. Mary's this past Sunday was wonderful. Rev. Tai-Ping Monkey ditched me (something about he forgot he had to teach Sunday School--bah) but a lovely woman from Channing-Murray community accompanied me. After much enthusiasm from the C-M board, though, no board members showed...I suppose they'll need some more vigorous reminding next time around. St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church is beautiful, with a blessedly diverse congregation. There were five languages spoken during Mass, with several prayers repeated in multiple tongues: English, Spanish, Korean, Latin (of course) and even a dialect of Mayan! The priest's vestments and altar decorations were all in the El Salvador style that should be familiar to any hippy Catholic liturgist, and their sister church in El Salvador was mentioned both in the service and on the posters all over the lobby. The church itself, though plain brick on the outside, inside had stained glass of deep rich colers that played warmly on the gold-trimmed cream walls; I do so miss that kind of beauty in a worship space. The homily was surprisingly heavy on nuanced Catholic theology; the priest spoke of the reintroduction of the Tridintine rite for the Mass that was used before Vatican II (all in Latin), and he contrasted it with the Novus Ordo Mass that's used today, digging deep into the difference in perspective between the two. The Tridintine, he claimed, focused on the power of the priest to connect God to the individual worshipper, whereas the post-VII rite focuses on bringing the community together in God. It seemed pretty clear that the priest preferred the new rite, though he did not say that explictly. Two of my favorite hymns were sung, both deeply meaningful to me: "Here I Am, Lord," a song I often wake singing, based on Isaiah, and "Canticle of the Sun," an almost pagan song celebrating nature, beloved and overused by both myself and my mother back in the days when I'd help her organize church services. Think God's trying to tell me something? All in all, it was a nice return visit to Roman Catholicism for me. The Open Mic worship afterwards was minimally attended...I get the feeling Open Mic is being used as "filler" for the weekends when most folks can't be there. I don't like it, but then, I suspect the solution to this is to do a better job getting new people there. And more vigorous reminding. Anyway, at least Tai-Ping and a few other beloved regulars showed up. I filled a quarter of the hour with my Giant Fighting Robot Jesus sermon, because Tai-Ping had never heard it, and we also heard some good poems and a few groovy songs, and a newcomer shared her story with us. So it was still a fulfilling time, even if it was hard to fill the time, and I variously mock those who missed it. Your loss. In other news, I just resigned from my full time web application development job of six years! I'm now two full weekdays into unemployment, and it's just starting to sink in. I've got some money in the bank, so I'm taking a short sabbatical before looking for new sources of income. Still, if you know anyone who'd like to give me money, possibly in exchange for services rendered, drop me a line and let me know! I leave in a week for a Chicagoland trip, followed by Wisconsin camping, but so long as I'm not eaten by BEARS, I'll be back at the end of the month. I'm hoping to schedule another round of open mic and field trip for early November, and what with my unemployment, you'd better believe the reminding will be vigorous. Hope y'all can make it!

How Perl Programmers Build Churches

2007-10-03T18:23:49Z

Reminder: Field Trip Sunday AND Open Mic Worship this Sunday! Check out this talk on how Love is becoming increasingly relevant to technology. Think of it as a metaphor for building church community, especially relevant to a denomination that tends to view church building as a business: "Aggregating Caring Into Something Stable And Long-Lasting" could very well become my mission statement.

"Poly" In More Ways Than One

2007-10-01T20:42:45Z

It seems maybe the editors at the Onion read UU blogs? ;-) A few months later, I made a potentially disastrous discovery: I found out I wasn't the only one He was sanctifying....I decided then and there to start experimenting outside the boundaries of traditional monotheistic worship. Chuckles abound.

Everyone's An Insider

2007-09-27T03:53:26Z

I posted the paragraph below as a comment on a different blog, but it so concisely cut to the heart of my feelings regarding our recent local struggles over the target audience of our Unitarian Universalist institutions, I wanted to bring it back here. As far as my Church is concerned, there are no "outsiders": I think we’re off the mark when we look at ANYONE and think, “outsider.” I don’t build church community so we can set ourselves apart from the people of the world, I build church community to help unite the people of the world.

October 7th: Field Trip Sunday AND Open Mic Worship

2007-09-25T19:24:56Z

Not this Sunday, but next Sunday, it's two PU events in one day, both co-sponsored by the Channing-Murray Foundation! Sunday, October 7th, 2007

10:00 a.m. Mass
The Church of St. Mary
612 East Park Street, Champaign, IL
1:00 p.m. Open Mic Worship
The Channing-Murray Foundation
1209 West Oregon, Urbana, IL

Join us first at 10:00 a.m. as we branch out from Protestantism to explore my very own mothership, Roman Catholicism. I've seen such a variety of Masses within the Roman Catholic Church that I can't even begin to tell you what to expect. Will St. Mary's be all high liturgy, with bells and smells and as much Latin as they can get away with? Or will we be walking into a communion so casual that it makes the Channing-Murray seem ritzy? Come on by to find out! Though no sign-up is required, it helps to email me at minister@revjack.com to let us know you're coming, that way we can arrage rides and/or keep an eye out for you. As is usually the case when exploring a new church, simple but conservative clothing is recommended. Those who have not been initiated into the Roman Catholic faith may wish to refrain from taking the sacred bread and wine offered during the ritual, and otherwise observe rather than participate, though some churches are stricter about this than others (and some priests even delight in the rebellion of encouraging non-Catholics to join in fully--shh, don't tell the bishop!) Following that, we'll be reconvening at 1:00 p.m. for Open Mic Worship, which may or may not involve Latin--it's up to you! Bring the ways you worship and pray to share, and experience the worship and prayer of others. All souls welcome! Altogether an excellent weekend to continue to explore the diversity of ways in which humanity worships and prays. Hope to see you there!

This Happens In Every Church

2007-09-23T09:14:47Z

Over at Philocrites there's an excellent quote decrying the fight over homosexuality in the Anglican church, and the ugly side of religion that it reveals. Below is my response, copied in whole here to foster discussion here as well there (not because I fear it will be deleted. ;-) ) I definitely recommend reading the quote at the link for context. -><- It's interesting how much his feelings towards the Anglicans reflect my own feelings towards the UUA, as much of what I've seen in Unitarian Universalism over the past four years has undermined my belief in the essential benignity of too many UUs. There are a lot of angry people in our religion, intent on punishing the people they veiw as offending justice instead of learning to love people despite their flaws. Mess with them, and they can be as hostile as any conservative is towards gays. And since we believe in democracy, all it takes for them to control the resources of the church is quantity. Yet I'm trying to make this moment of disillusionment a moment of acceptance that no religious institution is essentially benign, rather than yet another flight from religion. What am I supposed to do, leave the UUA in the hands of the angry judges and abandon religion institutions altogether? It's really made me look back at the Roman Catholic church I grew up in and realize that sure, they believed I was born inherently sinful, but at least they also believed I was forgiven for it! And while I still shudder at the idea of submitting to the authority of a bishop, I definitely understand why a bishop would not submit to the authority of democracy, given the frequently angry and judgmental views of the masses. I'm also starting to understand how those awesome, loving and very liberal priests and nuns I knew growing up Roman Catholic stomached working for a hierarchy that was so obviously corrupted by politics and greed. I used to think it was because they didn't have the guts to stand up to their superiors; now I think it may have been because they had the guts to forgive their superiors! Instead of running away from religions that embody all the petty, hypocritical judgment of humanity, maybe it's time we think about forgiving them and serving them. I say this about myself and my relationship to the Unitarian Universalist Association, but I also say this about the UUA's relationship to other religions, and to the world. Maybe "Unitarian Universalism" should be less about building a church where everyone's accepted, and more about accepting every church?

International Talk Like A Pirate Day

2007-09-19T15:44:35Z

Avast, mateys! Happy International Talk Like A Pirate Day! Alas, for all that I like pirates, I suck at talking like one. Still, perhaps I can get some of my fellow pirates to Talk Like A Pirate at tonight's Channing-Murray Board Meeting, which otherwise promises to be a parade of political woes and denominational strife. God bless 'em, they're gonna need it. Yarrr.

Sunday Recap: Mennonites and Lord Ganesha

2007-09-18T16:35:50Z

Well, I made it out to the Mennonite church and the Ganesha Pooja as I planned, but I missed the Baha'i talk due to time constraints. There simply aren't enough words of praise for the Mennonite church. The welcome that Rev. Monkey and I received put our local UU congregation's claims of welcoming to shame; we were invited to speak during the service, we were overwhelmed with people to talk to following the service, and we were torn between several options for post-service socializing (we opted for an hour long class on the development of a Mennonite theology of atonement, focusing that day on the theological groundwork laid out by Anselm and Abelard...tasty stuff!) I had to physically restrain Rev. Monkey from converting right then and there, so enthused he was by what he found. We were generally recognized as envoys from the local Unitarian Universalists, but as such we found we didn't have many nice things to say about the UUs, especially in contrast to the vibrant spiritual community surrounding us. Our message as UU evangelists was, "Keep doing what y'all are doing. You guys rock." There was one moment in particular that I want to mention, though it is difficult to write about without diminishing its impact on us both. There is a gentleman in the Mennonite congregation who has a terminal illness, with only weeks left to live, though in appearance he is a healthy husband and father around our own age. During the open mic portion of their service, he shared with the congregation his decision to die at home, and the spiritual peace he has found even as he faces death. After he shared, the minister invited the congregation to gather around him, lay hands and pray. Tears filled our eyes, in a moment that will not easily be forgotten. To say that this moment offered us spiritual insight and connection in the face of our own mortality is true, but does not do it justice. This was not some example of faith in action, as might be offered up in an intellectually critical and emotionally disconnected manner at the UU church as part of a discussion of the merits of such. This was rather reality, undeniable, staring us cold in the face, but filled with a warmth of spirit and genuine love by all those gathered. Thus, I shudder to hold this man's imminent death and the Christlike manner in which he faces it as an example of how other churches achieve where our local UU institutions waver. And yet, the contrast was undeniable. While we kick back in our discussion groups and talk about this sort of thing, here is a community that's living it. So, many thanks to the Mennonite church, for a wonderful and sincerely moving experience! As I reminded Rev. Monkey, there are many other churches out there for us to visit, we mustn't lose ourselves at the first stop in our journey, but God willing, we shall certainly make port there again. The Ganesha Pooja was also quite enjoyable; though language barriers (both the sanskrit of the ritual and the native tongue of those gathered) made it more difficult for me to connect, I did feel the blessing of Ganesha as the ritual came to its peak. One thing that stood out to me was the purpose of the ritual, which appeared to be a sacrifice of fruits and nuts to Ganesha in order to secure knowledge and prosperity for those gathered. I don't think I've ever seen a Christian or UU ritual so to-the-point about seeking gain for the participants. Such purpose does show up occassionally in Western ritual, but it is buried beneath more abstract goals of showing charity for others and pleasing God as a purpose in and of itself. I don't say this critically, but just as a matter of observation; this was a way in which the ritual differed from what I have known, and I found that difference thought-provoking. Plus, the homemade Indian food I was treated to afterwards was indeed seven times seventy kinds of yummy. So many thanks as well to the organizers of the Ganesha Pooja! May Lord Ganesha's blessings of knowledge and prosperity shower upon you throughout the year.

Field Trip Sunday: Mennonites, Hindus, Baha'i, Oh My!

2007-09-14T17:15:49Z

Busy Sunday coming up, mateys! Sunday, September 16th, 2007

9:15 a.m. Sunday Worship
First Mennonite Church of Champaign/Urbana
902 West Springfield Avenue, Urbana, IL
1:00 p.m. Sunday Service: The Baha'i Faith
The Channing-Murray Foundation
1209 West Oregon, Urbana, IL
2:00 p.m. Samoohika Ganesha Pooja
Urbana Civic Center
108 W. Water Street, Urbana, IL
Presented by The Hindu Temple and Cultural Society of Central Illinois

First off, Rev. T. Monkey and I will be visiting the First Mennonite Church of Champaign/Urbana for their 9:15 a.m. worship service. Awhile back, I suggested to Rev. Monkey that, as Pirates, we make a habit of visiting a new church each month, so that we might grow beyond the walls of our UU base of operations, learn about and forge relationships with the diversity of divine outposts in our quaint hometown of Urbana, and perhaps pillage some blessings while we're there (yarrr.) The Mennonite church was first on Monkey's list. I know little about the Mennonites, and I haven't gotten around to emailing them to let them know we're coming, but I've heard good things and their website advertises services that are open to all, so the plan is just to show up wearing the nicest clothes we can scrounge and see what unfolds. Next up will be the Sunday Service at the Channing-Murray, presented by Rev. Monkey's good friend Bill Baker, who will share samples of Baha'i sacred scripture, explain the Baha'i Faith's teachings and history, and answer questions. This will be a very participatory program with ample time for questions/comments/reflections following the presentation. I'm told I simply must meet Bill, he's a very cool guy, so I'll at least be stopping by. I'll probably be leaving that one rather early, though, as I head off to observe the Samoohika Ganesha Pooja at the Urbana Civic Center. Though I am still only learning the rudiments of Sanatana Dharma, I am told that the ritual to be performed is a celebration of the birth of the god Ganesha, (creator and) remover of obstacles. Through the years, Ganesha has caught my attention more than any other Hindu god, and I'm hoping this will help me get to know him better. I also look forward to spending time with the dear friend who brought this to my attention, and getting to know the local Indian community (and eating some yummy Indian food!) If you'd like to join us or meet up with us at any of these events, please do! Drop me a line at minister@revjack.com if you want to coordinate ahead of time, or just show up and surprise us. And keep an eye out here for future Field Trip Sunday plans!