Long Walk, Part of Gift, Revisited 1 Commitment Sunday Shoreline Unitarian Universalist Society, Madison, CT The Rev. Jeanne Lloyd March 3, 2019

Transcription

1 Sounding of the Gong 1 Commitment Sunday Shoreline Unitarian Universalist Society, Madison, CT The Rev. Jeanne Lloyd March 3, 2019 Gathering Music Op. 118, No. 2, Brahms Nick Stanford, Pianist #Welcome Mary Strieff, VP Board of Trustees Prelude Selections from D. 41, Schubert Chalice Lighting (The flaming chalice is the symbol of our free faith) Opening Words Rev. Lloyd Choose to Bless the World by Rebecca Parker Your gifts whatever you discover them to be can be used to bless or curse the world. The mind's power, The strength of the hands, The reaches of the heart, The gift of speaking, listening, imagining, seeing, waiting Any of these can serve to feed the hungry, Bind up wounds, Welcome the stranger, Praise what is sacred, Do the work of justice Or offer love Portions of this service are inspired and augmented by Soul Matters

2 Page 2 of 9 You must answer this question: What will you do with your gifts? Choose to bless the world. The choice to bless the world is more than an act of will, A moving forward into the world With the Intention to do good. It is an act of recognition, a confession of surprise, a grateful acknowledgment That in the midst of a broken world Unspeakable beauty, grace and mystery abide. There is an embrace of kindness that encompasses all life, even yours. And while there is injustice, anesthetization, or evil There moves A holy disturbance, A benevolent rage, A revolutionary love, Protesting, urging, insisting [that] That which is sacred will not be defiled. Those who bless the world live their life as a gesture of thanks For this beauty And this rage. The choice to bless the world can take you into solitude To search for the sources of power and grace; Native wisdom, healing, and liberation. More, the choice will draw you into community, The endeavor shared, The heritage passed on, The companionship of struggle, The importance of keeping faith, The life of ritual and praise, The comfort of human friendship, The company of earth The chorus of life welcoming you. None of us alone can save the world. Together that is another possibility waiting.

3 Page 3 of 9 #*Opening Hymn 368 Now Let Us Sing As we prepare to sing our hymn, you will find the hymnals under the seat in front of you, unless you re in the front row where they were on you seat. Story Ann Kadlecek, TDRE Children s Candle Lighting Today, once again, everyone in prek through 5 th grade will meet together to the explore the story we just heard. To symbolize the connection between this worship service and the children s classes, the flame from the chalice here, will be carried to the children s chalice upstairs. Words adapted from Philip Giles: May this flame be a symbol of the torch that is passed from hand to hand, and life to life a torch of courage and hope, a torch of justice and caring. has agreed to carry the flame today. As we sing the children and teachers to classes, will go first, carrying the flame, and the rest will follow. #Sing the Young People Out Children s Recessional (see back of hymnal) Congregational Reflection In the next 2-3 minutes, I invite you to take from the back of the seat in front of you the construction paper that will lay a brick path toward sustainability. On the paper, please use the marker provided to write down on your brick the gifts or strengths or talents you bring to this congregation. Do not put your name of it, please. Your bricks will be used to create a labyrinth downstairs that we can walk after the service. Honoring Our Joys and Sorrows And, now, if you woke this morning with a sorrow so heavy that you need the help of this community to carry it; or if, in the spirit of thankfulness, you woke with gratitude in your heart that simply must be shared, now is the time for you to speak. Please come forward to the mic as you are able. Or, we will bring a mic to you, as needed.

4 Page 4 of 9 PAUSE Let us reflect with reverence in our hearts for the joys and sorrows spoken and unspoken today. Sung Meditation 123 Spirit of Life Offertory Words March Share the Plate Black Lives Unitarian Universalist Here, we share with generosity what treasure we have with others whose needs are greater than our own. Our Share the Plate program donates 50% of our cash offering each week to a designated community program that serves others. This month your cash contributions will go to Black Lives Unitarian Universalist, a Unitarian Universalist organization that provides information, resources and support for people of color who are Unitarian Universalists, and works to expand their role and visibility in our faith. Offering & Offertory Music A Single Voice, Jay Althouse SUUS Choir Reflection Rev. Lloyd As we begin our month of exploration on the theme of the journey, I offer you this story: The Gift of the Gemstone 2 A wise woman, a teacher, was passing through a forest. There, among the leaves, was something shiny. She wiped away the leaves and dirt and beheld a beautiful, large gem. "My, this is pretty," the wise woman said. She put the gem in her pouch and continued on her way. When the sun was high in the sky, she sat down under a tree to eat her simple lunch. She was barely settled, when she saw a figure approaching. It was a man and, to judge [by] his dress, a poor man. He said, "Kind and gentle lady, do you have any food to share with a poor beggar?" "I have plenty," she replied with a smile, digging into her small sack. She pulled out the gem that was on top, a loaf of bread and a piece of cheese. She offered the bread and 2 March 2, 2019

5 Page 5 of 9 cheese to the beggar. But the beggar's eyes had grown big at the sight of the lovely gem. "Sweet lady, that is magnificent!" he exclaimed. "Yes, do you like it? Here, take it, too." And she gave the man the gem, the bread, and the cheese. The beggar could not believe his luck! He quickly scampered off. The wise woman arose and started off on her way again. She was surprised a few minutes later to hear footsteps behind her. She turned and saw the beggar... again. The beggar [handed back] the jewel. "Wise woman, may I give this back to you. I don't want it!" "What do you want?" she asked. "I want whatever it is you have that allowed you to give it away." "I want whatever it is you have that allowed you to give it away." Notice he didn t say he wanted some tangible object. What he wants is a quality of character that the wise woman possesses. But, he wants more than that. He wants whatever experiences of life, whatever source of her strength, whatever theology or philosophy, whatever undergirds the generosity of spirit she exuded. He wants to not be overtaken by the restricting attitudes of life, the tit for tat ways of looking at things, the ways of life that diminish and demean it. He wants a refreshing perspective, a new way of perceiving life, a firm grip on a way of being that exudes a quality of kindness and love that, when lived with dedication, commitment and sacrifice, makes life worth living. I want whatever it is... that allowed you to give it away. Each of us here today, are here in this community, in this town, because of kindred spirits who reached out to you, 57 years ago. In 1962, a group of people got together and said to one another, we want to form a community that will inspire and nurture our minds and spirits and our relationships, and will challenge us to model justice to each other and in the larger world. They got us started, and without them, and all those who came after, we would not be here today. Each in our own way, can say to this community s forbearers, "I want whatever it is you have that allowed you to give it away."

6 Page 6 of 9 To be sure, this community has changed over the years, responding as it does to new souls entering our space, but our reasons to offer our time, treasure, and gifts to sustain this community is still the same. Our vision as endorsed by this congregation in 2016 is: Guided by love, [this] congregation nourishes spiritual growth works for justice and promotes peace Said differently but in the same way, what we want is what they wanted. But, that quality of character, that generosity of spirit, isn t something you can buy off the shelf at Walmart. It isn t something you can stream live off of Netflix or Amazon prime. It isn t something you can do in 144 characters. It is a way of life that each of us agrees to take up, as best we can, knowing there will be good days and bad days, but continuously striving to create here, a place of sanctuary where kindness reigns, and where we as a people pledge to bring kindness and reason to the larger world. Why do we do so? So that others may find the spiritual generosity that we cultivate here, that generosity that allows us to so freely give it away. So that others may find that strength of character so necessary and important to giving meaning to one s life, and others lives. So how do you build such a community? It s not a task for fair weather friends or fainthearted souls. PAUSE One of my mentors in community ministry was Rev. Jody Shipley. From her, I learned the value and meaning of sustainability. She knew that good-though-the-intent-may be, a community isn t built and sustained by the individual who strives in isolation for the common good. It is not sufficient for anyone of us to create a ministry that does good in the world, if it does not last beyond us. Her emphasis was on creating sustainable ministries that would outlast the single person s drives, passion, and ego... Her goal was to create shared ministries that would last, inspiring others to also seek a way of life that feeds us in the most challenging of times. It is a way of life that requires commitment, perseverance, and the long view. It requires the spiritual nurturance not only of ourselves and each other, but also of this community that cannot be a community unless we as individuals devote ourselves to its well-being and longevity.

7 Page 7 of 9 I believe there are four pillars that require our attention in order to make this congregation sustainable today and in the future. Those pillars are the cornerstones of this community. Neglect any one of them and the community as a whole falters and struggles to meet its purpose. The cornerstones so necessary for sustainability are: The first one is the provision of spiritual development for our members and friends. This is perhaps the most obvious pillar. It is seen by some as the only thing we must do. Feeding and nurturing each of our spirits, and our collective spirit, is the prime directive of this starship. But, by itself, it does not assure sustainability. The second cornerstone is radical hospitality, meaning the relentless invitation and inclusion of new souls into our community. Without the infusion of new minds and hearts into our mix, we cannot learn from each other. We cannot offer others a way of life that is based on a generosity of spirit that makes our inner life, and theirs, richer. The third cornerstone is our commitment to our covenant, meaning our commitment to live a way of life that promotes our covenant and caring for one another. Caring for one another is what generosity is about. We need to know that we matter to each other, even when we disagree. We need to express our caring for those who show up for us, time after time. Living in covenant with one another requires commitment and compassion. The forth cornerstone is financial security. It is one that is easy to take for granted or ignore. It is easy to assume that where the spirit is willing, the resources will follow. I m here to say, it doesn t always work that way. In fact, it doesn t usually work that way. o I have ministered to congregations that pay no attention to their financial sustainability. I have witnessed the unraveling of communities when this question, is never asked: How shall we make ourselves financially sustainable? Without that spiritually challenging question, there is a cloud that descends over such congregations, leading it further down the road to a kind of scarcity thinking that shrinks their mission and ministry to the world. o But, when such spiritually challenging questions are asked and addressed by the whole community, a liberating way of spiritual being arises. Taking comfort in and trusting in the many hands that make light work, the community doesn t fall into the trap of scarcity thinking. Instead, it is inspired by abundance thinking that leads to the very generosity of spirit that others seek. Such being and thinking is infectious. It leads others to say, I want what you have!

8 Page 8 of 9 A long and abundant life for this community rests on these four pillars: (1) spiritual inspiration and development; (2) radical hospitality; (3) covenantal caring for one another; and (4) financial security. Each of these practices is a way of being that asks for our commitment. As we practice these ways of being together, thus do we build a community that changes our lives and those like us that we will never meet. In 2076, 57 years from now, as others like us, look for spiritual grounding to face together climate changes, political crises, technological advances, and personal and family challenges, we are the forbearers who have the opportunity to create a sustainable spiritual community that will be there for them. PAUSE Just 2 ½ years ago, in August, I offered you my first sermon as your newly called minister. It was based on this short story by David Blanchard. 3 Long Walk... Part of Gift It is... about a young boy in California and his teacher. You see, he had come to love his teacher very much. It wasn t just that he had learned so much from her, but that in her way of being with him, he had learned patience, and fairness, and how to laugh, and how to love. So, too, she loved him. She was proud of all he had accomplished, but more than that, when she was with him, she felt a trusting admiration that was priceless. She had been careful to do nothing that would violate his trust. But, her mother was ill, and she needed to return home to New England. She would be saying good-bye to him to all the children that she had helped grow. She didn t want to say good-bye. Though she tried to hide it, the boy was somehow wise enough to know she was sad about leaving, and he wanted to comfort her, even though he had no money and his options were few. He wanted to give her something that would remind her how much she would be missed, and how much she would still be loved. He knew that the best gift would be one of the heart, not one from a store. There was something special that he could just pick up off the beach... but the beach was miles and miles away. His family had no car. He had no bike. He had no friends that could take him there. The day before his teacher left, he asked to see her. When they met, he gave her the most beautiful, huge, glistening seashell that either one of them had ever seen. She asked, Where did you find such a shell? He said, There is only one spot where such 3 Adapted from How We Are Called: A Meditation Anthology, 2003 Skinner House

9 Page 9 of 9 special shells can be found... a beautiful bay many miles away. The teacher was speechless. She knew that bay. She said, Why... why, it s gorgeous... wonderful, but you shouldn t have gone all that way to get a gift for me. And, this wise child, with eyes bright with love, said, Long walk... part of gift. Long walk, part of gift. If ever there was a time to help this community become sustainable in all the ways that matter, this year, and next year, and the year after that, then these are the times when we must do so. Let us be present to each other for those who have been seeking us all their lives. Let us continue the long journey of providing spiritual inspiration, radical hospitality, covenantal caring, and financial security. We are the ones we have been waiting for. And, we are the ones others are looking for. *Hymn 1017 Building a New Way *Closing Words & Extinguishing the Chalice Please remain standing as you are able and join hands as you are willing. We extinguish this flame, but not the light of truth, the warmth of community, or the fire of commitment. We extinguish this flame, but not our commitment to each other for the gifts we freely give to one another. These we carry in our hearts until we are together again. Closing Hymn 402 From You I Receive From you I receive, to you I give, together we share, and from this we live. A Moment of Silence Announcements Mary Strieff, VP Board of Trustees * Please rise in body or spirit. # Latecomers may be seated.