Sermon

For those of you who are here for the first time today, I want to point out to you that we Unitarian Universalists do have some firm beliefs that most of us share; they are the seven principles printed in your Order of Service with a box around them. However, you do not have to believe them to be a UU. We also have six sources from which we draw our inspiration and two of these are Jewish and Christian teachings that call us to God’s love and also wisdom from the world’s religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual lives. Free thinking, UU-style, does then have a foundation. Of course, you’re free to ignore it!

Thomas Jefferson said, “I trust there is not a young man alive now in the United States who will not die a Unitarian.” (Robinson, 23) Jefferson was no prophet! It was clear to Jefferson that when reason was applied to the Bible, everyone would see that Jesus was a great teacher who was a man, a Jewish prophet. Jefferson confidently went through the Gospels and cut out all the miracles. What was left was called the Jefferson Bible. There was no Unitarian church at that time, but the Unitarian idea of God was experiencing a serious revival in the eighteenth century in New England. The bid for national freedom had left many educated and thoughtful individuals giddy with hope that freedom of religion could reach new heights of interpretation, albeit heretical.

During an Orientation to Unitarian Universalism session, a young woman asked whether she can be a Christian and still be a Unitarian Universalist. I replied that she could, of course be Christian, or Jewish, or Buddhist or any other religion to which she is inclined. Unitarianism and Universalism both sprang from Christianity. You can tell from the A. Powell Davies reading that he considered himself a Christian, as did most Unitarian and Universalist ministers until the 1970’s.

When this church was completed in 1904, there was already an appreciation of world religions. At coffee hour, you might like to read the sayings around the top of the dining room walls and around the windows. They will tell you a lot about the evolution of our religion. Take care not to bump into anyone while you’re looking up with your coffee in hand!

Nowadays, about 10% of UUs identify as Christian. If you ask a UU minister whether they are Christian, some will say yes, but the great majority will say, “I’m Unitarian Universalist.” And many will add, “But the teachings of Jesus are important to me as will some lay UUs. In the year 2000, more than half of this congregation marked in a survey instrument “ethical Christianity” as part of their belief; almost 100% marked “ethical religion” as important to them; and 95% marked “eclectic” as important also. (They were asked to check every description that matched their religious beliefs.)

Last week someone asked me what Unitarian Universalists believe. I responded, “We are free thinkers. There is a diversity of beliefs amongst us but we unite under seven principles.” If he had asked me whether Unitarian Universalists are Christians, I would have had a much more expanded answer. But how might UU Christians describe their beliefs? They vary widely I assure you. The fact is that UU Christians are free to believe what they wish and to interpret liberally, for while you won’t know the particulars of their belief, you can be assured they will be liberal Christians. However, there is a basic belief that is aligned with what you can see illustrated around our church.

The larger than life Sermon on the Mount stained glass window of Jesus in our sanctuary portrays Jesus as a teacher. (If you are a visitor today, let us know whether you’d like to see the sanctuary. It is open today because I will be doing a child dedication.) There is no cross indicating that Jesus sacrificed himself although there are a few small, thick crosses used as symbols. UUs generally believe that Jesus was executed because of his teachings and the political climate during the time in which he lived, just as John the Baptist was executed for his opinions and teachings. Generally, we don’t make a theology out of Jesus’ death. Instead, we look at hislife and works and the legacy he left us.

It is possible that someone from an orthodox Christian denomination will tell you that you cannot be a Christian unless you accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. If so, I hope you will say, “I am free to use my creativity and reason to believe what I see to be true for me at this time and I am a Unitarian Universalist Christian because the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth are very important to me.” You might also say that most Unitarian Universalists believe that salvation is by character.

If you log onto a website called www.religioustolerance.com you will read this description of what a Christian is:

“we use an inclusive definition: An individual or group is Christian if they sincerely, thoughtfully and devoutly believe that they are Christian." This generates a lot of angry Emails from some visitors to this site who are insistent on excluding some denominations as sub-Christian, quasi-Christian or non-Christian.”

This site goes on to define our religion. It says:

“Unitarianism Universalism is an unusual religious organization, because it does not require its adherents to adhere to specific beliefs. It sees its main function as facilitating the spiritual quest of its members.”

It continues:

“The two religious organizations that became the ‘UUA’ were originally viewed by the public as Christian churches who were defined largely by their heretical beliefs about the nature of God and the afterlife. However a gradual change started during the 19th century and continues today. It is now a multi-faith religious group.”

Sometimes other fair-minded people describe us better than we describe ourselves.

I was deeply moved and impressed by the care that this group has taken to define us; perhaps you are, as well. They didn’t say anything about our humor, though, so I thought we’d have a humor break:

After getting all of Pope Benedict's luggage loaded into the limo, (and he doesn't travel light), the driver notices that the Pope is still standing on the curb. "Excuse me, Your Holiness," says the driver," Would you please take your seat so we can leave?"

"Well, to tell you the truth," says the Pope, "they never let me drive at the Vatican when I was a cardinal, and I'd really like to drive today.

"I'm sorry, Your Holiness, but I can't let you do that. I'd lose my job! And what if something should happen?" protests the driver, wishing he'd never gone to work that morning.

"Who's going to tell? Besides, there might be something extra in it for you," says the Pope with a smile.

Reluctantly, the driver gets in the back as the Pope climbs in behind the wheel. The driver quickly regrets his decision when, after exiting the airport, the Pontiff floors it, accelerating the limo to 105 mph! (Remember, he's a German Pope.)

"Please slow down, Your Holiness!!!" pleads the worried driver, but the Pope keeps the pedal to the metal until they hear sirens. "Oh, dear God, I'm gonna lose my license -- and my job!" moans the driver. The Pope pulled over and rolled down the window as the cop approached, but the cop took one look at him, went back to his motorcycle, and got on the radio.

"I need to talk to the Chief," he says to the dispatcher.

The Chief gets on the radio and the cop tells him that he's stopped a limo going a hundred and five. "So bust him," says the Chief.

"I don't think we want to do that, he's really important," said the cop.

The Chief exclaimed, "All the more reason!"

"No, I mean really important," said the cop with a bit of persistence.

The Chief then asked, "Who ya got there, the Mayor?"

Cop: "Bigger."

Chief:" Governor?"

Cop: "Bigger."

“Well," said the Chief, "Who is it?"

Cop: "I think it's God!"

The Chief is even more puzzled and curious: "What makes you think it's God?"

Cop: "He's got the Pope as a chauffeur."

Humor and joy should be part of any religion! Jews joke and laugh a lot. Jesus, the Jew, must have, too when he ate and drank with all the outsiders. Did you notice that our first hymn today said, “Come sing a song with me that I might know your mind?” It’s joyful isn’t it? It’s one of our favorites. Perhaps you noticed that “Spirit of Life” is also by the same Canadian Unitarian, Carolyn McDade. Did you notice also that we have our interpretative response to the Lord’s prayer? It’s all so simple, isn’t it? And this is why we sang a Shaker hymn, “Simple Gifts.” Truth is simple. Love is simple. This is how we continue to create and evolve who we are together.

So who is not a Christian? The decision is yours and no-one else’s! What UU Christians choose to believe is theirs to create using their own reason. And if you have someone who is giving you trouble over this, send them to me!

These founding fathers of ours were creative, freedom-loving fellows but even they were not as joyful as we freethinkers. They hadn’t yet learned to see life as a dance. They probably hadn’t dreamed of a religion that had a hymn about life as a dance, so let us sing it now! (Dear Reader, we ended with one of our favorite hymns, #311, Let It Be a Dance.)

References

The following has inspired and informed this sermon:

Davies, A Powell. Edited by Forrest Church Without Apology: Collected Meditations on Liberal Religion. Boston: Skinner House Books, 1998.

Robinson, David. The Unitarians and the Universalists, Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1985.

Spong, John Shelby. A New Christianity for a New World, San Francisco: Harper Collins, 2001.