Turtles All the Way Down Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray February 20, 2011
|
|
- Douglas Curtis
- 6 years ago
- Views:
Transcription
1 Turtles All the Way Down Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray February 20, 2011 Opening Words From UU Minister, Rev. Joy Atkinson The Womb of Stars The womb of stars embraces us; remnants of their fiery furnaces pulse through our veins. We are of the stars, the dust of the explosions cast across space. We are of the earth: we breathe and live in the breath of ancient plants and beasts. Their cells nourish the soil; we build our communities on their harvest of gifts. Our fingers trace the curves carved in clay and stone by forebears unknown to us. We are a part of the great circle of humanity gathered around the fire, the hearth, the altar. We gather anew this day to celebrate our common heritage. May we recall in gratitude all that has given us birth. Sermon Turtles All the Way Down Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray
2 The topic for the sermon today was purchased at the UUCP Auction by Gary Ezzell. The topic Gary gave me to discuss was Turtles All the Way Down. Now of course, with the auction sermon, the winner gets to provide me the topic, but where I go with it--that is up to me. So here goes: I begin with the story that Gary shared with me about Turtles all the Way Down. It is perhaps the most widely known version in European-American culture. It appears in Stephen Hawking's 1988 book A Brief History of Time, which opens with this story: A well-known scientist (some say it was Bertrand Russell) once gave a public lecture on astronomy. He described how the earth orbits around the sun and how the sun, in turn, orbits around the center of a vast collection of stars called our galaxy. At the end of the lecture, a little old lady at the back of the room got up and said: "What you have told us is rubbish. The world is really a flat plate supported on the back of a giant tortoise." The scientist gave a superior smile before replying, "What is the tortoise standing on?" "You're very clever, young man, very clever, said the old lady. "But it's turtles all the way down!" Stephen Hawking uses this story to launch into questions of why we think what we do about the universe, and how what we think changes with time. He offers some history of earlier ideas that humans held about the cosmos, from the earliest reasoning for the belief that the earth is round, as well as early models that put the earth at the center of the universe with the sun and all the planets, as well as the stars revolving around the earth. Slowly, over time, with new observations, discoveries, and technology, these ideas changed. Hawking proposes that what we think we know now of the earth and the cosmos may one day, 100 years from now, look ridiculous. And the questions we struggle with most today may one day seem obvious. So Stephen Hawking uses this story of Turtles All the Way Down to talk about the evolution of human knowledge, and how our understandings about creation, life and the universe have changed over time--and how they will continue to change as new discoveries and understandings are found. But this is just one reference to the story. There are many others. I found references to something similar to this story among a few 19th century American writers and philosophers, including the American Unitarian Henry David Thoreau. Bertrand Russell did reference something like this story, although like Thoreau, he attributed it to Hindu cosmology stories that describe the earth as flat and resting on the back of an elephant which stands on the shell of a tortoise. I also began asking around to see who knew anything about turtles all the way down. Many had never heard of it--but of those who did, they nearly all referred to it as an old joke about a woman who stands up at the astronomy lecture...and well, you know the rest. Other than these few references, the information I found on the story was sparse. That is until last week, when I found a different version of the story in the book The Truth About Stories: A Native Narrative by Cherokee novelist and professor Thomas King. In his book, King opens every chapter with this story, although it is, as you will hear, a little different than Hawking s version.
3 Here is how King begins his book: There is a story I know, it s about the earth and how it floats in space on the back of a turtle. I have heard this story many times and each time someone tells the story it changes. Sometimes the change is simply in the voice of the storyteller. Sometimes the change in is the details. Sometimes in the order of events. Other times it is the dialogue or the response of the audience, but in all the tellings of all the tellers, the world never leaves the turtle s back and the turtle never swims away. One time it was in Lethbridge, I think, a young boy in the audience asked about the turtle and the earth. If the earth was on the back of the turtle, what was below the turtle? Another turtle, the storyteller told him. And below that turtle? Another turtle. And below that? Another turtle. The boy began to laugh, enjoying the game I imagine. So how many turtles are there, he wanted to know. The storyteller shrugged. No one knows for sure, she told him, but it s turtles all the way down. So, here we have two stories similar in many ways. The ways they vary are in who is telling the story and from what perspective and for what purpose. Stephen Hawking uses the story to talk about how human understanding of nature and the universe changes over time, and how with enough time, even our deepest held beliefs and assumptions, including our current thoughts about a Big Bang, can seem unbelievable. Philosophers over the years have used the story to point out a philosophical problem of basing an argument on a presumption, which is based on another presumption, which is based on another presumption until all the way down at infinity there is only presumption and no fact at its base. In Stephen Hawking s telling the two main characters, the astronomer and the woman, are trying to best each other--their ideas are in conflict. The astronomer is smug. The woman calls the ideas of the astronomer rubbish. Yet, in Thomas King s telling, the characters are a storyteller and a young boy. The questions are playful and he says the boy is enjoying the game of it. In the first, there is a debate over fact. In the second there is storytelling. I have to say that the challenge of this topic is that at the heart of this story is cultural misunderstanding. And not only that, but it is taking place between a dominant European American culture that sees the story as a joke, and a Native American tradition which sees the story as valuable, even sacred. Add to this the history of genocide and colonialism between these cultures--and well, there is an awful lot to unpack here--and I don t have much time. So, I will try to get to the heart of what these stories speak to me of. On the one hand you have creation stories--which all cultures have--bumping up against the discoveries of science. Hawking could have easily had the woman stand up and say to the astronomer, This is rubbish, for the entire
4 universe is our solar system, and it was created just 6000 years ago --as some biblical literalists will argue. In his book, The Truth About Stories, Thomas King compares the creation story from Genesis with the Iroquois creation story about the sky woman who falls from the island of the Sky People down to the waters of earth and is saved by the animals. They keep her head above water until frog dives to the bottom of the waters and brings back mud that he puts on tortoise s back. Out from the mud grows green plants, and they place the woman on the back of the tortoise and the plants continue to grow-- becoming North America. He compares this to the Spirit of God hovering over the waters of the deep, and then creating light, then day and night, then sky and water, then land, then plants, then animals and then man from dust. And God makes man ruler of the animals. Both stories would equally perplex an astronomer, but the meaning of the stories contains a great deal about the values of the culture. One is hierarchical, God creating earth and humankind and giving humanity dominion over nature. In the Iroquois story, the animals save humanity, by saving the woman, and creating a home for her. The heart of the story is about dependence of humanity on the animals. For Stephen Hawking and for the story that has remained in the consciousness of European Americans (at least those who know it)--the point is the absurdity of the image of the turtles all the way down. However, King lifts up the key to the story, even before he tells it. In all the tellings of all the tellers, he writes the world never leaves the turtle s back and the turtle never swims away. The key is not the tower of turtles, but the unchanging relationship of earth and animal. I cannot truly tell you what these stories mean. All the meaning contained in the story that King tells will escape me because of my lack of knowledge--on any very deep level--of the culture from which is comes. However, one story I can share is a story that Sylvia Sharma, a member of our congregation and a Mexica grandmother, told me about a sculpture at the National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City. It is a statue of a person--although all you see is the face, crouched beneath a turtle shell. The sculpture tells one of the Mexican Indian devastation stories, similar to the flood story of the bible, when the world is virtually wiped out. However, in Mexico the stories are of the world being wiped out by fire--by volcanic eruptions, and one story tells of how humans survived by finding cover under the shells of giant tortoises. The turtle is a sacred animal in many North American Indian cultures--an animal that in many stories saves, or protects and supports humanity. In Unitarian Universalism, we look to religious stories, cultural stories, not for fact, but for meaning. The findings of science do not compete with our beliefs. They rest along side them. Sometime the two are in conversation with each other, sometimes one deepens, expands or tests the other--but we do not see the two in conflict. When we look to the stories of the Torah, the bible, or Native stories--we are looking for meaning, keys to understanding our lives, and living better in our lives and our world. I have talked a few times here about the challenge before us of creating a new culture. On the one hand our Unitarian Universalist tradition is rooted in the Enlightenment, in Western European and early colonial American thought. At the same time, where we have come to since those roots is a
5 desire to wrestle and expand the tent of our religious community to speak to the increasingly multicultural world we live in. In Unitarian Universalism today, and even in this congregation, we are having a conversation about how we can become a multicultural faith, a multicultural community. Well, the only way to do that is to be willing to embark on the journey of creating a new culture--one that invites many cultures in and discovers, negotiates and creates new norms that welcome and make room for the diversity that being truly inclusive creates. As an example, (and I offer these as generalizations, meaning I hold them lightly--they are not always true), so as a generalization, European American culture, the culture I come from, values fact, directness, clarity. A familiar phrase is mean what you say, and say what you mean. However, and this is again generalization, Native American culture values storytelling, imagery, metaphor. This is also true in Persian culture. There is a quotation from Jelaladin Rumi, Muslim poet and Sufi mystic that captures this. He writes, It s good to know truth, but it is better to speak of palm trees. Now, the person who taught me this quotation explained that palm trees are mystical in Persia and in some desert cultures. So, what Rumi is saying is that it is good to know truth, but it is better to speak of mystery. One of the cultural norms of our faith is that we look at religious stories not for fact but for meaning, for symbolism and for metaphor. There was a time when we threw those old religious stories out, because we thought they were not true and therefore of no meaning. And even now, for those of Christian background, looking at them through the lens of metaphor is difficult because of baggage we carry from how they were first taught to us. And yet, perhaps we should remember Rumi s counsel, that it is better to find ways to speak of mystery, of what is indirect and hard to express. Sometimes the best way to do this is not in direct statements of fact, but through storytelling. I cannot count the number times that people tell me that it was the children s story at the Sunday service that most stuck with them one week. We love to be told stories, because it is through story that we see ourselves, in those stories, and share what really matters, our core values. The stories we love, the ones we tell again and again, often say more about who we are as a people, what we value and what s really important, than any of the statements that seek to directly describe those values. And yet, storytelling, some say, is becoming a lost art. One of the things we try to do here each week is rediscover and share that art. After Thomas King shares the story of the storyteller and the boy discussing the earth and the turtle, he ends the story by writing: The truth about stories is that that s all we are. You can t understand the world without telling a story, the Anishinabe writer Gerald Vizenor tells us. There isn t any center to the world but a story.
What Color Is Your Turtle? Rev. Don Garrett The Unitarian Universalist Church of the Lehigh Valley 11/7/10
What Color Is Your Turtle? Rev. Don Garrett The Unitarian Universalist Church of the Lehigh Valley 11/7/10 What color is your turtle? Does its shell help you to feel safe? Is it real or an abstract symbol
More informationThis is copyrighted material
June 2010 ISBN 978-0-8356-0853-4 $16.95 pb 6x9 272 pages THE POWER OF STORY God made man because He loved stories. Elie Wiesel What are you doing here? As we just discussed in the chapter on Incarnation,
More informationThey find a notecard at the end of the bar. It says How many coordinates do you need to get to a party?
The Universe in a Nutshell May 20, 2018 Rev. Otto O Connor Three ordinary seeming people are standing in New York city, at the corner of 11th Avenue and 46th street. They walk into a building and the get
More informationWHOSE ARE WE? Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Phoenix August 21, 2011
WHOSE ARE WE? Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Phoenix August 21, 2011 Reading: Unitarian Universalist Minister, Victoria Safford, offers this reflection on the question
More informationGod is a Community Part 2: The Meaning of Life
God is a Community Part 2: The Meaning of Life This week we will attempt to answer just two simple questions: How did God create? and Why did God create? Although faith is much more concerned with the
More informationIS ATHEISM A FAITH? REV. AMY RUSSELL FEBRUARY
Atheism is an ancient philosophy. We can look back to the beginnings of our civilization and find philosophers talking about the origin of the universe with various scientific and philosophical beliefs.
More informationOh, The Places We ll Go!
Oh, The Places We ll Go! Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray UU Congregation of Phoenix April 20, 2008 from Oh, The Places You Will Go! by Dr. Seuss Congratulations! Today is your day. You re off to Great Places!
More informationWho Shapes Us? A Sermon Preached at the First Religious Society Carlisle, Massachusetts September 12, 2010 Rev. Diane Miller
Who Shapes Us? A Sermon Preached at the First Religious Society Carlisle, Massachusetts September 12, 2010 Rev. Diane Miller A church member was telling me about a friend who is Roman Catholic who is thinking
More informationMysteries. A Narrative Poem. Larry J. Eriksson
Mysteries A Narrative Poem by Larry J. Eriksson 2 Mysteries: reflections on life and death * * * Things big and small (1) Born on an island in space, an ordinary planet or unique sanctuary? Apollo found
More informationBeautiful. Ordinary? Discovering Significance and Love
Beautiful or Ordinary? Discovering Significance and Love Beautiful or ordinary? If you have to enter a hall through one of two doors marked Beautiful and Ordinary, which would you choose? Your choice would
More informationSo what does the vicar think? Bible, or Stephen Hawking?
The Swiss Church in London Sermon, 20 January 2019 The Creation of the World True or not? Many people who read the first few pages of the Bible decide to close it again and turn away from this book and
More informationwebsite website
Some of the Scientific Miracles in Brief لا عجاز العل يف سطور ] إ ل ي - English [ www.onereason.org website موقع سبب واحد www.islamreligion.com website موقع دين الا سلام 2013-1434 Some of the Scientific
More informationThere are many rational reasons for believing in God. This booklet will briefly explain three simple reasons for God s existence.
3 REASONS FOR There are many rational reasons for believing in God. This booklet will briefly explain three simple reasons for God s existence. ORDER IN THE UNIVERSE When we reflect upon the nature of
More informationErev Rosh HaShanah 5778 Rabbi Greg Kanter September 20, 2017
- 1 - Erev Rosh HaShanah 5778 Rabbi Greg Kanter September 20, 2017 While we know that Jews around the world will be reading the story of Abraham and Isaac on Rosh HaShanah, a reminder that the Creation
More information1 COSMOLOGY & FAITH 1010L
1 COSMOLOGY & FAITH 1010L COSMOLOGY & FAITH By John F. Haught, adapted by Newsela Since the beginning of human existence on our planet, people have asked questions of a religious nature. For example, what
More informationThe life of the Church must be continually renewed, refreshed and responsive to the world in which we live. The
1 Sermon Creation Covenant Sunday 2018 7 October, 2018 Lessons Genesis 9: 1 13 Colossians 1: 15 20 St John 1: 1 5 Prayer of Illumination Sacred Spirit, through imagination, intuition and reflection, through
More information1 COSMOLOGY & FAITH 910L
1 COSMOLOGY & FAITH 910L COSMOLOGY & FAITH By John F. Haught, adapted by Newsela Since the beginning of human existence on our planet, people have asked questions of a religious nature. For example, what
More informationJohn 1:1+2 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God. The Word was with God in the beginning.
1 Created by God for God. (1) One day the zoo-keeper noticed that the orang-utan was reading two books, the Bible and Darwin s The Origin of Species. In surprise he asked the ape, Why are you reading both
More informationRecognize examples of the power of the Holy Spirit in Creation and in sustaining His creation.
Less sson 4 The Spirit in Creation A Christian astronomer was traveling cross-country by train, on his way to deliver a lecture. In his baggage was one of the first battery-powered scale models of the
More informationThere is a gaping hole in modern thinking that may never
There is a gaping hole in modern thinking that may never have existed in human society before. It s so common that scarcely anyone notices it, while global catastrophes of natural and human origin plague
More informationBut Why Do We Have Gravity? And Other Unanswerable Questions Four-Year-Olds Ask About the Universe By Otto O Connor April 9, 2017
But Why Do We Have Gravity? And Other Unanswerable Questions Four-Year-Olds Ask About the Universe By Otto O Connor April 9, 2017 My friend Elliot recently turned four years old. He has started going through
More informationThe Existence of God
The Existence of God The meaning of the words theist, atheist and agnostic Atheist- person who does not believe in God. Theist- Person who does believe in God Agnostic- Person who does not know if God
More informationDOING GOD S WORK: Conservation & Faith Communities. Steve Blackmer, Mike Speltz,
DOING GOD S WORK: Conservation & Faith Communities Steve Blackmer, sdblackmer@kairosearth.org Mike Speltz, mikespeltz@me.com THE MAIN IDEA: These folks share her values and feel the same call to action
More informationHere is a little thought experiment for you (with thanks to Pastor Dan Phillips). What s the most offensive verse in the Bible?
THE CREATION OF ALL THINGS. Rev. Robert T. Woodyard First Christian Reformed Church June 16, 2013, 6:00PM Sermon Texts: Genesis 1:1-5; Psalm 104 Introduction. Here is a little thought experiment for you
More informationWhat s a Liberal Religious Community For? Peninsula Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Burley, Washington June 10, 2012
Introduction to Responsive Reading What s a Liberal Religious Community For? Peninsula Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Burley, Washington June 10, 2012 Our responsive reading today is the same one I
More informationIsaiah 42:1-9 and Matthew 3:13-17
Baptism, Stardust, and Stories Rev. J. Lynn James, LMHC Isaiah 42:1-9 and Matthew 3:13-17 When our daughter, Kali, was a little girl, she was fascinated with space so we wallpapered her room with glow
More informationThe Earth After the Flood
6 Easy Reading Edition November 4-10 SABBATH NOVEMBER 4 READ FOR THIS WEEK S STUDY: Genesis 9 11. MEMORY VERSE: First of all, here is what you must understand. In the last days people will make fun of
More informationIN THE BEGINNING GOD (Genesis 1)! The Story of Us Part 1! Message #1333" Pastor Keith Stewart" June 25-26, 2016" " Expanded Message Resources!
1 IN THE BEGINNING GOD (Genesis 1)! The Story of Us Part 1! Message #1333 Pastor Keith Stewart June 25-26, 2016 Expanded Message Resources! Our job as Christians is always to begin from the very beginning.
More informationGod Created the Heavens and Earth Bible Background GENESIS 1:1 13 Printed Text GENESIS 1:1 13 Devotional Reading PSALM 33:1 9
God Created the Heavens and Earth Bible Background GENESIS 1:1 13 Printed Text GENESIS 1:1 13 Devotional Reading PSALM 33:1 9 Words You Should Know A. Firmament raqiya (Heb.) Heaven, sky. B. Spirit ruakh
More informationCreation and Creation Care for Kids
Creation and Creation Care for Kids Stories, Crafts, and Activities from Multiple Faith Traditions Lake Junaluska Interfaith Peace Conference: Nov. 10-13, 2016 Vicki Michela Garlock, Ph.D. Nurture Program
More informationThe Gift of Impermanence Rev. Ken Read-Brown First Parish in Hingham (Old Ship Church) Unitarian Universalist May 6, 2018
The Gift of Impermanence Rev. Ken Read-Brown First Parish in Hingham (Old Ship Church) Unitarian Universalist May 6, 2018 Meditation We pause in the midst of this ever-changing world, in the midst of our
More informationThe Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment By History.com, adapted by Newsela staff on 10.13.17 Word Count 927 Level 1040L A public lecture about a model solar system, with a lamp in place of the sun illuminating the faces
More informationSCIENTIFIC THEORIES ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF THE WORLD AND HUMANITY
SCIENTIFIC THEORIES ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF THE WORLD AND HUMANITY Key ideas: Cosmology is about the origins of the universe which most scientists believe is caused by the Big Bang. Evolution concerns the
More informationSUMMARIES THE BIBLE & HEREDITY
SUMMARIES Genesis and the Big Bluff is a book review of Genesis and the Big Bang, by Dr. Gerald Schroeder. It is also a useful introduction to the Torah and science interface. It was essential for the
More informationWere You There? I once saw a t-shirt that had an image of several dinosaurs and text, which read, Were
Last Name 1 First Name Engl-2327 Prof. Martin 19 July 2006 Were You There? I once saw a t-shirt that had an image of several dinosaurs and text, which read, Were You There? The message was clear to me;
More informationThe World of Ideas. An Elective Social Science Course for Loudoun County Public Schools. Ashburn, Virginia, 2016
The World of Ideas An Elective Social Science Course for Loudoun County Public Schools Ashburn, Virginia, 2016 This curriculum document for the 11 th and 12 th grade elective, The World of Ideas, is organized
More informationGround Work 01 part one God His Existence Genesis 1:1/Psalm 19:1-4
Ground Work 01 part one God His Existence Genesis 1:1/Psalm 19:1-4 Introduction Tonight we begin a brand new series I have entitled ground work laying a foundation for faith o It is so important that everyone
More informationI want to begin with a reading from To Re-Enchant the World by Richard Grigg
All That Is, Is Holy Rev. Dr. Matthew Johnson April 19, 2015 I want to begin with a reading from To Re-Enchant the World by Richard Grigg That which cannot be seen shows itself. What Grigg is talking about
More informationWe are very familiar with the first chapter of Genesis, the story of the. six days of creation and the single day of rest. In the Book of Genesis,
Sermon Sunday 4 October Creation Covenant Service 0930 Prayer of Illumination Let us pray. Holy God, Sacred Three, Your Spirit permeating all things, may we be present to Your Presence, attentive to Your
More informationKEY CONCERN: EARTH-BASED SPIRITUALITY
KEY CONCERN: EARTH-BASED SPIRITUALITY AND UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST PRINCIPLES As the philosophical basis of the expansive and open tradition of Unitarian Universalism seeks to respond to changing needs and
More informationThe Faith I Don t Have Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray December 14, 2014
The Faith I Don t Have Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray December 14, 2014 Reading: Child-Like Faith by Donna Featherston I was raised in a religion where child-like faith was held up as the shining example of
More informationBasic Classes of Creation Myths
I would like to personally thank you for watching the Origins program. Origins was a special program, near to the heart of my late husband, Russell Bixler. I trust that the information in this presentation
More informationDoes Science Contradict Scripture?
In Defense of Holy Scripture HaDavar November 7, 2017 Ron Keller Session 6 Does Science Contradict Scripture? Aldous Huxley once said: Modern science makes it impossible to believe in a personal God; Bertrand
More informationCreation, Science & the Bible
Creation, Science & the Bible Dr. Robert C. Newman The Bible's Opening Words In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface
More informationTwo Stories. with a powerful image on the front cover, similar to the one on our bulletins today. It was of
22 April 2018 Psalm 65:5-13 Genesis 1:1-5 Two Stories When I was a kid, my parents had a hardbound book about the NASA Space program with a powerful image on the front cover, similar to the one on our
More informationMichał Heller, Podglądanie Wszechświata, Znak, Kraków 2008, ss. 212.
Forum Philosophicum. 2009; 14(2):391-395. Michał Heller, Podglądanie Wszechświata, Znak, Kraków 2008, ss. 212. Permanent regularity of the development of science must be acknowledged as a fact, that scientific
More informationJanuary 22, The God of Creation. From the Pulpit of the Japanese Baptist Church of North Texas. Psalm 33:6-9
From the Pulpit of the Japanese Baptist Church of North Texas January 22, 2017 The God of Creation Psalm 33:6-9 33:6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their
More informationResources on Creation
Call to Worship: What Song? by Rev. Victoria Stafford What if there were a universe that began in shining blackness, out of nothing, out of fire, out of a single, silent breath, and into it came billions
More informationTorah Yoga is both a Torah book and a yoga book, presenting classic yoga instruction in
Introduction Torah Yoga is both a Torah book and a yoga book, presenting classic yoga instruction in the light of traditional and mystical Jewish wisdom. What makes it a unique Torah book is that it actively
More informationUniverse. Who Are You Within the Context of Universe?
Universe Who Are You Within the Context of Universe? The ultimate reality is Universe. The circular river of consciousness flows from Universe cosmic consciousness into your brain to produce emotions and
More informationCONTENTS. NEW TESTAMENT...35 Love Alone? My Beloved Son...37 God, Jesus, Spirit...39 The Challenges...42 The Non-Existent Jesus...
1 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION...5 The Mysteries of the Maker....8 One Name?....9 Age-Old Questions....10 An Ancient and Contemporary Issue...12 The Doctrine...14 Trinity.... 16 OLD TESTAMENT....18 To Tear a
More informationScience and Religion: a Student, a Scientist, and a Minister
Rev. Dr. Douglas Showalter, Elisabeth Bowerman, Dr. Dennis McGillicuddy First Congregational Church of Falmouth, MA of the UCC January 31, 2010 Scripture: Genesis 1:26-28; 2-7; Psalm 139:13-16 Copyright
More informationMotion from the Right Relationship Monitoring Committee for the UUA Board of Trustees meeting January 2012
Motion from the Right Relationship Monitoring Committee for the UUA Board of Trustees meeting January 2012 Moved: That the following section entitled Report from the Board on the Doctrine of Discovery
More informationOriginal Blessing: A Sin by Any Other Name Might be a Blessing Sermon by Marjorie Loring
Original Blessing: A Sin by Any Other Name Might be a Blessing Sermon by Marjorie Loring One of the challenges I often face, as one who has abandoned the traditional scripture of my Christian upbringing,
More informationWhat is the University Chaplaincy?
What is the University Chaplaincy? The University Chaplaincy is a dynamic hub supporting religious, spiritual, ethical, and cultural life for all members of the Tufts community. We provide pastoral care,
More informationGenesis: Creation. Lesson 1. Memory Work: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 (NIV) Day Five.
Genesis: Creation Lesson 1 Memory Work: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1 (NIV) Genesis is a book of firsts. Not only is it the first book of the Bible and the first book
More informationThink For A Minute - What gives life meaning?
Think For A Minute - What gives life meaning? What s a person? In both science and philosophy, defining a person has been one of the most hotly debated questions throughout history. This is especially
More informationTHE ELEVATOR QUESTION. A sermon preached by the Rev. John H. Nichols to First Parish of Wayland on November 10, 2013.
THE ELEVATOR QUESTION A sermon preached by the Rev. John H. Nichols to First Parish of Wayland on November 10, 2013. The elevator question is essentially this: Imagine you have boarded an elevator on the
More informationThis journal belongs to
This journal belongs to Dearest One, This is your place of divine inspiration where you may dream your dreams, where your visualisations and heartfelt writings act as the seeds of your creation. Planted
More informationThe Revelation of God s Wrath:
The Revelation of God s Wrath: A Holy God in the Hands of Sinful Man Part 2 Romans 1:18-23 April 26 th, 2008 Scripture For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness
More informationTENTATIVE PROGRAMME for the 13 th of September. Room II
TENTATIVE PROGRAMME for the 13 th of September Room II 2 Each theme will be presented and discussed first by a keynote speaker, followed by two other speakers whose participation will provide a complementary
More informationBr Guy Consolmagno SJ: God and the Cosmos. Study Day, 10 June Church of Christ the Eternal High Priest, Gidea Park
Br Guy Consolmagno SJ: God and the Cosmos Study Day, 10 June 2017 Church of Christ the Eternal High Priest, Gidea Park Br Guy had intended to use slides and a short film for the morning session, but this
More informationJohn 3: 1 5; Rabbi, My Rabbi. Sunday October 7, Rev. Susan E. Cartmell. The Congregational Church of Needham
1 P age John 3: 1 5;10 15 Rabbi, My Rabbi Sunday October 7, 2012 Rev. Susan E. Cartmell The Congregational Church of Needham Jesus was and still remains the most fascinating human being in all of history.
More informationEaster 7C Grace St. Paul s May 12, If aliens ever visit us, I think the outcome would be much as when Christopher
Easter 7C Grace St. Paul s May 12, 2013 If aliens ever visit us, I think the outcome would be much as when Christopher Columbus first landed in America, which didn t turn out very well for the Native Americans.
More informationCreation Laws: Discovering Your Super Self
Creation Laws: Discovering Your Super Self Jan Engels-Smith As an Energy Medicine practitioner, I am often asked two questions by people who have a desire to do something meaningful with their lives: How
More informationHeaven Underfoot Rev. Luke Stevens-Royer Sunday, April 22, First Unitarian Universalist Church Rochester, Minnesota
Heaven Underfoot Rev. Luke Stevens-Royer Sunday, April 22, 2018 First Unitarian Universalist Church Rochester, Minnesota READINGS from Chief Noah Sealth An excerpt from A Poem of Hope by Wendell Berry:
More informationIn the Beginning A study of Genesis Chapters Christian Life Assembly Jim Hoffman The Journey 2018
A study of Genesis Chapters 1-11 Christian Life Assembly Jim Hoffman The Journey 2018 Psalm 19:1 The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship. Romans 1:20 For ever since the
More informationTHE VIEW FROM NOWHERE. A sermon preached by Galen Guengerich All Souls Unitarian Church, New York City March 29, 2015
THE VIEW FROM NOWHERE A sermon preached by Galen Guengerich All Souls Unitarian Church, New York City March 29, 2015 One week ago this past Tuesday, which was Election Day in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin
More informationSome Thoughts on Being at Turtle Lodge
Some Thoughts on Being at Turtle Lodge Aaron Mills, 2014 scholar Boozhoo nindinawemaaganag (hello my relatives), I m really looking forward to seeing you at Turtle Lodge during our Summer Institute this
More informationJohn D. Caputo s book is one in a new series from Penguin called Philosophy in
John D. Caputo TRUTH London: Penguin Books, 26 September 2013 978-1846146008 By Tim Crane John D. Caputo s book is one in a new series from Penguin called Philosophy in Transit. The transit theme has a
More informationContents Faith and Science
Contents Faith and Science Introduction to Being Reformed: Faith Seeking Understanding... 3 Introduction to Faith and Science... 4 Session 1. Faith Seeking Understanding... Through Science... 5 Session
More informationInterview with Zainab Amadahy
ZA: Before answering the questions I want to be clear about who I am and where I come from. These days I identify as someone with Cherokee heritage. I do not have status or band membership and have never
More informationThe Universe And You. Introduction
The Universe And You Poor Charles Darwin, father of modern evolution. He had a terrible time trying to keep God out of his theories. Just thinking about the eye merely evolving, Darwin admitted, was enough
More informationThe New Evangelization: The Vision, The Mission, The Ministry The New Evangelization: Who are we and why are we here?
Gathering on New Evangelization St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Dartmouth Anthony Mancini Archbishop of Halifax-Yarmouth The New Evangelization: The Vision, The Mission, The Ministry The New Evangelization:
More information46 Copyright 2002 The Center for Christian Ethics at Baylor University. Worship Service
46 Copyright 2002 The Center for Christian Ethics at Baylor University Worship Service B Y R A G A N C O U R T N E Y Prelude: 2.73 1 Ann Gebuhr Call to Worship: Silent Prelude In cold, dark empty Silence
More informationA Sermon Preached by the Rev. Angela Herrera. First Unitarian Church July 8, 2018
Science and Religion A Sermon Preached by the Rev. Angela Herrera First Unitarian Church July 8, 2018 Behind me, we have this amazing mural. A centerpiece of our sanctuary. It was created in 1965 by the
More informationStardust Ritual for 6 volunteer leaders
Stardust Ritual for 6 volunteer leaders (Version with UNIVERSE language) LEADER #1: LIGHT [Recruit a partner to light the candle while you read this reverentially. Both come forward and begin by ringing
More informationRivers in the Desert Psalm 126 by Richard Bruxvoort Colligan
Chorus Rivers in the desert, laughter out of weeping, our hope is grounded only in God. Hidden in the suffering, hidden in the singing, our dawn is breaking only in God. Blessed are you when you are poor,
More informationSERMON for September 16, 2018
SERMON for September 16, 2018 BEING OFF KILTER: Did Something Influence Our Source from the Beginning? Rev. Jack Donovan Unitarian Universalist Church - St. Petersburg, Florida READINGS (texts printed
More informationBIG IDEAS OVERVIEW FOR AGE GROUPS
BIG IDEAS OVERVIEW FOR AGE GROUPS Barbara Wintersgill and University of Exeter 2017. Permission is granted to use this copyright work for any purpose, provided that users give appropriate credit to the
More informationThe Crab that Played with the Sea
Before the High and Far-Off Times, O my Best Beloved, came the Time of the Very Beginnings; and that was in the days when the Eldest Magician was getting Things ready. First he got the Earth ready; then
More informationYou Are an Outpost of Evolution: Creativity
You Are an Outpost of Evolution: Creativity by Dr. Arthur W. Chang The Self-Creating, Self-Organizing Universe If you are like most people, you have wondered about the purpose of your life. We seem to
More informationLuke 17C. o To the Pharisees, Jesus described the way the kingdom would be established in Christ s first coming
Luke 17C 1 Luke 17C As we broke our study two weeks ago in Chapter 17, we had just seen Jesus Giving seemingly opposite answers to the Pharisees and His disciples regarding the question when is the kingdom
More informationour faith and even our self-understanding, of what it means to be human. Our
Sermon Sunday 12 th February, 2012 Lessons Genesis 28: 10 22 1 Corinthians 12: 1 11 St John 14: 15 21 Prayer of Illumination Let us pray. Make us, O Lord, attentive to Your Word that we may learn truly
More informationThe word "genesis" literally means "beginning," and there are a couple of reasons why it's called that.
1 Creation Series #2 I.WE HAVE A PERSONAL GOD II. WE HAVE AN ETERNAL GOD III. WE HAVE A POWERFUL GOD GENESIS 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. Please take your Bibles and be finding
More informationScience and Faith: Discussing Astronomy Research with Religious Audiences
Science and Faith: Discussing Astronomy Research with Religious Audiences Anton M. Koekemoer (Space Telescope Science Institute) *DISCLAIMER: THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS TALK PURELY REFLECT MY OWN PERSONAL
More informationNagging Questions series: What if there IS a god?
Nagging Questions series: What if there IS a god? 1. Have you known people who have largely lived as if there is no god, but eventually/inevitably voiced their doubts with you? 2. The question of God s
More informationChurch of Scientology Cultural Experience. Originally Submitted to Dr. Ferris for COMM 207. Fall Semester Solely Authored by Dan Heyen
Church of Scientology Cultural Experience Originally Submitted to Dr. Ferris for COMM 207 Fall Semester 2009 Solely Authored by Dan Heyen 1 There is so much controversy about Scientology in the news and
More informationChristian Apologetics Defending the Faith REVIEW
Christian Apologetics Defending the Faith Session 4 How Do I Know God Exists? God s Attributes / The Trinity REVIEW What is Apologetics? A reasonable defense of the Christian faith 1 REVIEW What is Presuppositional
More informationBest Practices in Campus Ministry Session Three. Interfaith Engagement: Common Read Acts of Faith by Eboo Patel. Wednesday, September 21 st 8 pm EST
Best Practices in Campus Ministry Session Three Interfaith Engagement: Common Read Acts of Faith by Eboo Patel Wednesday, September 21 st 8 pm EST Technology Introduction New, exciting technology!!..bear
More informationPHL 170: The Idea of God Credits: 4 Instructor: David Scott Arnold, Ph.D.
PHL 170: The Idea of God Credits: 4 Instructor: David Scott Arnold, Ph.D. davidscottarnold@comcast.net I. Course Description This eight week summer course offers a comparativist perspective on the idea
More informationPhilosophy and Cognitive Science. Outline 1. PHILOSOPHY AND EXPLANATION. 1a. NATURAL PHILOSOPHY 5/4/15
1. PHILOSOPHY AND EXPLANATION 1a. NATURAL PHILOSOPHY Paul Thagard University of Waterloo Paul Thagard University of Waterloo 1 2 1. Philosophy and science 2. Natural philosophy 3. 3-analysis 4. Why explanation
More informationChristianity, Science & Politics. NOTE: This sermon is mainly a summary of the ideas in the book by Adam Hamilton called When Christians get it Wrong
Rev. Joan Pell Byron United Methodist Church Sermon: 01/11/15 Series: When Christians Get It Wrong Scripture: Genesis 1:1-8, Matthew 22:16-21 Christianity, Science & Politics NOTE: This sermon is mainly
More informationCreator God, Creating Still. Sermon for First Christian Church of Decatur, Georgia. Season of Pentecost, Sunday, May 22, 2005, and September 4, 2011
Creator God, Creating Still Sermon for First Christian Church of Decatur, Georgia Season of Pentecost, Sunday, May 22, 2005, and September 4, 2011 James L. Brewer-Calvert, Pastor Psalm 8 Genesis 1:1 2:4a
More informationRev. Munro Sickafoose October 21, 2018
Many years ago, when my mother was still alive, and I was much younger, I d gone home to stay for a while and take some time to sort my life out. My mother s house sits on the eastern foothills of the
More informationThe Six Days of Genesis Study Guide
The Six Days of Genesis Study Guide 1. In the Beginning, God 1.1. What five powerful truths are contained within the phrase In the beginning, God (pg. 17)? 1.2. Describe Thomas Aquinas s two-story model
More informationFrom Illuminated Rumi to the Green Barn: The Art of Sufism in America
From Illuminated Rumi to the Green Barn: The Art of Sufism in America M. Shobhana Xavier Fig. 1 Michael Green, La Illaha Mandala, 1997, from The Illuminated Rumi The popularity of the poet Rumi in the
More informationran but the bear kept getting closer. At last the on top of him, getting ready to swat him
Psalm 19:1-4a Believe God Fully Revealed 1 Rev. Brian North September 9 th, 2018 This morning we begin a brand new series of messages titled, Believe. This series is going to revolve around the idea of
More informationInner Journey. Welcome to the Voices In Your Head! Michael Schiesser Creator, Inner Journey
Welcome to the Voices In Your Head! You ve been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn t worked. Try approving yourself and see what happens. Louise L. Hay Did you see Inside Out? Disney produced a
More informationYears ago my husband bought me a cute little
Finding Your Place in the Universe DENISE C. STEPHENS Years ago my husband bought me a cute little plaque that says, If it weren t for the last minute, I would never get anything done. I am sure we can
More information