Category Archives: faith

May25

Center, Time, and Space

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A Prayer Bead workshop led by Linda and Audrey provided over 20 women with an opportunity to think about prayer and to craft a set of prayer beads. Though some of us consider “prayer” to be a “wounded word” from the past and some of us have no reason to use it in the present, we were presented with alternatives–new ways of thinking about prayer. They are planning another workshop in the fall for children and adults, including families.

I pray on a regular basis now, but for many years it had became a pointless practice.

Maybe prayer felt like a childhood exercise: “Now I lay me down to sleep . . .”; “God is great, God is good . . .”; “The Lord is my shepherd . . .”; “Our Father . . .” At various times these were not just familiar but a source of comfort. (Ironically, they still bring comfort under certain circumstances.) When I left the Episcopal Church as a young adult I walked away from regular prayer, too. Everywhere I looked, prayers were offered for trivial reasons: for OUR team, OUR nation, OUR safety, etc.

These prayer beads serve a tactile purpose of metaphorically touching the spirit of life, the spirit within, and the spirit of connection with others. The entering bead is for Centering, or creating a space within for prayer or meditation. To that Centering bead I added disks for Time and Space. I’m centered in a particular time and space but I am also connected to eternal time and space. Widening my heart makes the Center fuller and richer.

The Rev. Barbara Hamilton-Holway writes of prayer in volume 2 of Evensong>. She describes prayer as:

  • attending to what life gives us
  • listening in the quiet
  • responding honestly and openly
  • hearing the call to a wider perspective, a deeper resolve
  • tending the relationship with our truest, greatest self
  • cultivated when practiced every day, regularly, intentionally
  • a reminder to live with compassion and care for ourselves, others, and creation
  • a rush of thanks for all the gifts of life

Clearly there’s a call to prayer, as simple as “Thanks for Creation” or in whatever form helps you listen to your heart. There’s also a strong call to action when there’s so much that needs human hands to make the world a better place. Let’s pray for that, too!

Peace,

Kathleen

May23

Loose connections | The Christian Century

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Loose connections | The Christian Century.

Very interesting article on church membership vs. not joining.

May22

Board Advance

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It was called a Retreat, but it was a giant step forward. Today, incoming church President Rob facilitated a wide-ranging discussion about business as usual and business as we want it to work.

  • How can we help ensure that new members stay connected with our community?
  • What are the specific, concrete responsibilities of the Board, the Policy Committee, the Executive Team?
  • How shall we manage the transition that begins officially on June 1?
  • What resources will best help us understand these changes and how to manage them?
  • Are we at last ready to move forward instead of spinning our wheels?

Live Oak UU Church is shifting toward a policy governance that will affect nearly every aspect of church life. There will be unintended consequences, to be sure. Today, though, we’re full of (naive?) optimism along with the anticipation of challenging times ahead.

Change is coming! Three years of groundwork have laid its foundation. As in most construction it’s not perfectly level, but I hope a few shims will level the floorboards by and by.

Many thanks and praises to everyone for your participation, dedication, and good ideas! We missed those of you who simply could not be with us, but we very much look forward to your contributions, too.

Peace,

Kathleen

May15

Youth Worship

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Based on themes by the beloved writer Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel), our High School Youth led a wonderful worship service today! Do you remember The Lorax, The Butter Battle Book, The Sneetches, Oh the Places You’ll Go? These “children’s stories” have timeless themes that are meaningful to adults. The best stories are ones adults like to read to their children. Eventually the kids grow old enough to read them back to us! Several Seuss were beautifully expressed and/or acted out by wonderful youth. Talented musicians played and sang the Prelude, Offertory, and Postlude, and led the hymns. Three shared reflections on their favorite Seuss stories and others participated in other ways. Great job! A treat every year!

During the Bridging Ceremony, graduating Seniors received a small Worship Box with a cloth, a small chalice, sacred objects, words to read for chalice lighting, and love from Live Oak as they move from High School into new ventures. We hope this will help them feel connected to their home church for years to come. We enjoyed hearing from their parents as they shared the joy of raising such amazing young people.

Here are some of them, and their advisors:

Apr16

Sharing

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At a party last night I spoke with two brand new acquaintances about my trip to India. One of them is widely read in religion and physics (is there ultimately a difference?) and seems truly to have grasped the meaning of my experience there.

The other is the daughter of a Pakistani Muslim. She is doing her graduate studies on the Muslims who stayed in India after Pakistan was established in 1947. They had longed for a strong Muslim community and had no desire for a separate nation. Today they remain extremely observant to daily prayers, cleansing rituals, and traditional clothing. It is a way for them to maintain solidarity as a significant minority. The people she has interviewed are now in their 80s. They were in their teen and twenties at the time of Independence.

By contrast, Muslims in Pakistan are just as likely to be non-observant, like her father (who loves bacon and enjoys an occasional gin and tonic). My new friend pointed out the obvious: In this county it is perfectly normal to be a non-practicing Christian. No one in the U.S. questions you if you say you are Christian. Who cares if you attend a church? Who is surprised if you attend only on Christmas Eve and Easter?

We have a single notion of Islam, right or wrong, black or white or mixed. What we too seldom recognize are the multiple versions of Islam. They are not all the same! Christians are not all alike!

When you think about it, Unitarian Universalists are not all alike. We know that. Then we visit Unitarian or Universalists in another county–The Philippines, Transylvania, The Republic of Congo, the Khasi Hills in northeast India–and we know we’re not in Kansas any more.

Open your hearts, your minds. There is a whole world more than ever any of us could have imagined.