Here is the initial offering of the work task that has consumed me for months: uuworld.org : liberal religion and life.
Act of Uniformity
Samuel Pepys recorded in his Diary on August 17, 1662, the last service conducted by Dr. William Bates (a Puritan minister) before the Act of Conformity took effect:
He pursued his text again very well; and only at the conclusion told us, after this manner: “I do believe that many of you do expect that I should say something to you in reference to the time, this being the last time that possibly I may appear here. You know it is not my manner to speak any thing in the pulpit that is extraneous to my text and business; yet this I shall say, that it is not my opinion, fashion, or humour that keeps me from complying with what is required of us; but something which, after much prayer, discourse, and study yet remains unsatisfied, and commands me herein. Wherefore, if it is my unhappiness not to receive such an illumination as should direct me to do otherwise, I know no reason why men should not pardon me in this world, and am confident that God will pardon me for it in the next.†And so he concluded. Parson Herring read a psalm and chapters before sermon; and one was the chapter in the Acts, where the story of Ananias and Sapphira is. And after he had done, says he, “This is just the case of England at present. God he bids us to preach, and men bid us not to preach; and if we do, we are to be imprisoned and further punished. All that I can say to it is, that I beg your prayers, and the prayers of all good Christians, for us.â€
Velveteen Rabbi: Mourning and redemption
One of the blogs I follow is by Velveteen Rabbi (she of the Passover Haggadah). She has a wonderful post about Tisha b’Av (go read it for an explanation of the day): Mourning and redemption
My theology is built on the assumption that genuine and powerful connection with God is possible from anywhere, not just the Temple Mount, so my observance of Tisha b’Av grieves for the condition of exile from God which we allow to permeate our days. Every tragedy I read about in the news, every murder and rape and famine which we could have prevented but did not, distances us from unity with the All. The bombings sixty years ago at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, commemorated so close to Tisha b’Av, distance us from unity with the All. What continues to unfold in Sudan distances us from unity with the All. And that distance is the real exile which this holiday obligates us to notice. . . .
An observance of Tisha b’Av which focuses only on remembering our collective suffering, without taking that remembrance as a call to change, is incomplete. The day of most powerful grief in the Jewish calendar is not just about eschewing leather and sitting on low mourners’ stools. It’s about opening our eyes to the suffering of the broken world, and recommitting ourselves to doing something to change it. God acts in the world through us, and if we don’t work to heal what’s broken, all God can do is weep. Today the entire world has the capacity to be our Temple, a holy place where God’s presence is made manifest with song and rejoicing, and when we allow the world to remain ruptured by hatred, we are complicit in the continuing destruction which Tisha b’Av reminds us to mourn.
Go read the whole thing.
Karen Armstrong on religious labels
Great commentary in the Guardian Unlimited by Karen Armstrong. She argues that we must find a better label than “Islamic terrorists.” Here’s a quote that puts the matter into high perspective.
We rarely, if ever, called the IRA bombings “Catholic” terrorism because we knew enough to realise that this was not essentially a religious campaign. Indeed, like the Irish republican movement, many fundamentalist movements worldwide are simply new forms of nationalism in a highly unorthodox religious guise.
More silly (but religious!) blog stuff
Oh that Beppe! He has no resistance, and he led me into this by his example!
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You scored as Emergent/Postmodern. You are Emergent/Postmodern in your theology. You feel alienated from older forms of church, you don’t think they connect to modern culture very well. No one knows the whole truth about God, and we have much to learn from each other, and so learning takes place in dialogue. Evangelism should take place in relationships rather than through crusades and altar-calls. People are interested in spirituality and want to ask questions, so the church should help them to do this.
What’s your theological worldview? |
I thought it was interesting that Beppe and I both had Wesleyan/Holiness show up fairly high. I’ve always thought that Friends (of all sorts) tend to confound the category-makers.
And this one, too:
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You scored as Paul Tillich. Paul Tillich sought to express Christian truth in an existentialist way. Our primary problem is alienation from the ground of our being, so that our life is meaningless. Great for psychotherapy, but no longer very influential.
Which theologian are you? |
The three-way tie was broken by saying which of three statements was most true or most important. I picked the one that was something like “God has no being. God is the ground of our existence.” Or something like that.
Rushdie on atheism
Salman Rushdie has an article in TheStar.com: Just give me that old-time atheism! (via Arts & Letters.) I’ve not read any of his books, so I was interested in seeing what he had to say. Unfortunately, he has just as simplistic and limited a world-view as that which he is skewering:
It is among the truths believed to be self-evident by the followers of all religions that godlessness is equivalent to amorality and that ethics requires the underpinning presence of some sort of ultimate arbiter, some sort of supernatural absolute, without which secularism, humanism, relativism, hedonism, liberalism and all manner of permissive improprieties will inevitably seduce the unbeliever down immoral ways.
All religions, you say? Harumph.
I ended up suspecting Rushdie of being one of those writers who believes that being uniformly critical (without offering any solution, suggestion, or resolution), if done with great style, makes for successful writing.
National Day of Prayer and Yom Hashoah
The United States Congress established the national day of prayer in 1952, and in 1988 its date was set as the first Thursday in May. This year’s proclamation states:
The Congress by Public Law 100–307, as amended, has called on our
citizens to reaffirm the role of prayer in our society and to honor the
freedom of religion by recognizing annually a “National Day of Prayer.”
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States
of America, do hereby proclaim May 5, 2005, as a National Day of
Prayer. I ask the citizens of our Nation to give thanks, each
according to his or her own faith, for the liberty and blessings we
have received and for God’s continued guidance and protection.
(I’m not going to comment in this post on the government’s intrusion into religion, or the highly gendered language for God, or the assumption that Americans all have faith, or that their faith involves a God or the practice of prayer, or any of a number of things with which I might take issue. I do believe in God and in prayer–but don’t make assumptions about what those words mean.)
I do give thanks for the liberty and blessings I’ve received, and I do pray for guidance and protection for the United States. I give thanks for:
- the right to get married in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
- the right to practice my religion (albeit, as I noted above, with untoward government intrusion)
- the right to vote
- the material plenty in which I live (while tempered with the knowledge that this plenty is based upon inequity and domination)
I pray for guidance for our country:
- that my fellow citizens and our government will become free of intolerance and dependence on violence to solve problems
- that George Bush (for better or worse, our president) will be open to wisdom and compassion
- that judges at all levels of government will continue to be free of legislative and executive control
But none of this is what these folks mean when they take up the official banner of the National Day of Prayer. No, what they mean isn’t for everyone–it’s not even for all Christians. It’s only for those who subscribe to the Lausanne Covenant, an evangelical Christian statement. Here’s how they put it:
Is the NDP exclusively a Christian event?
No. This
government-proclaimed day is offered to all Americans, regardless of
religion, to celebrate their faith through prayer. However, the efforts
of the NDP Task Force are executed specifically in accordance with its
Judeo-Christian beliefs.
The chairman [sic] is Shirley Dobson:
Who is behind the NDP Task Force?
The Chairman is
Mrs. Shirley Dobson, who has held the position since 1991. Mrs. Dobson
volunteers her time and does not receive a salary. The NDP Task Force
consists of a full-time staff and a network of thousands of grassroots
volunteers nationwide. Prior to Mrs. Dobson’s involvement, the Task
Force was led by Mrs. Vonette Bright, wife of former Campus Crusade for
Christ president and founder Bill Bright.Is the Task Force affiliated with Focus on the Family?
No.
Though Mrs. Dobson is married to Focus on the Family board chairman and
founder Dr. James Dobson, the NDP Task Force is a separate
organization. It is housed in the Focus on the Family headquarters for
convenience, so long as Mrs. Dobson remains the Chairman. Its business
affairs are separate and Focus on the Family is compensated for
services rendered. However, between 1990 and 1993, Focus on the Family
did provide grants in support of the NDP Task Force. Since then, the
Task Force has been completely self-supported.
I’ve been distubed by the National Day of Prayer organization’s exclusive sectarianism for some time and just wanted to get it off my chest.
Today is also the 27th of Nissan, Yom Hashoah or Holocaust Remembrance Day. Now there’s something to pray about.
Pesach followup
There’s a lovely post by the Velveteen Rabbi about a weekend retreat: Pesach at Elat Chayyim. It’s a longish post but well worth reading.
Guestblogging on “Making a Seder”
I’m making a debut appearance as a guestblogger over on the wonderful Bakerina’s blog with this entry:
I’m not, nor have been, Jewish, but I find the Pesach holiday very meaningful. Pesach is the commemoration of the Exodus story and the creation of the Jewish people, but it can also be a universal story of enslavement and freedom. It has had particular resonance for me as a gay man.
For many years, when I was living in Philadelphia, I was privileged to be a part of the seders made by my friend Barbara and her housemates. After moving to Boston, I eventually decided I needed to create my own tradition if I was going to be able to depend upon having a seder. So last year I made a seder all on my own for the first time. This year I did it again, with a bit more aplomb.
Last night’s menu:
- Seder standards included two kinds of haroset, one Ashkenazic, one Sephardic, and horseradish cream in addition to prepared horseradish.
- Gefilte fish
- Matzoh ball soup
- Lamb, mushroom, and spinach mina
- Vegetarian tzimmes
- Broccoli
- Macaroons, chocolate, and fruit slices
I don’t follow recipes so much as use them as guideposts. I also don’t measure much, so what follows is really just notes on food.
Haroset:
The Ashkenazic haroset is the familiar (to most Americans who are familiar with it at all) chopped apples, chopped walnuts, honey, cinnamon, and sweet red wine mixture.
The Sephardic haroset I made this year included almonds, dates, dried tart Montmorency cherries, dried apricots, candied ginger, cinnamon, and a dash of sweet red wine all put into the food processor and made into a paste. I served it rolled into little balls.
Gefilte Fish:
No, I didn’t have a carp swimming in my bathtub for a week. I didn’t even buy the standard jars of gefilte fish. I happened across a store that carried little gefilte fish appetizers: small balls about the size of an olive. Perfect for dilettantes!
(I suggest they’re best smothered in horseradish.)
Matzoh Balls:
I just use the Manischewitz mix, but I substitute schmaltz for the vegetable oil called for on the box. I love pulling skin and fat off the chicken pieces, putting them in a little skillet over medium heat, and then watching the savory, clear golden fluid collect. Yum!
I used packaged chicken stock for other preparation, but I wanted to make stock for the soup. Going to the nearest crunchy-granola kind of store, a Whole Oats, I decided it would be smarter to buy a whole fryer than to pick from the limited selection of parts. Not having the world’s sharpest knives, I asked the helpful guy behind the counter to cut it up. After he walked off I thought perhaps I should tell his associate to make sure he didn’t trim anything off and throw it away. When the guy came back he made a comment about having worked at Boston market.
When I got home his comment made more sense. Never was I so glad I was just putting it all into a stockpot! One of the wings was still attached to about a third of a breast; there were no real thigh pieces; there was one bit of boneless, skinless breast meat. Well, live and learn!
Mina:
A mina is a Sephardic layered casserole made with matzoh for Passover. (Think of lasagne or spanakopita.)
I sauted an onion, a bunch of garlic, and some minced parsely in a dollop of olive oil, then added two pounds of ground lamb. When the lamb still had a few pink spots, I put it all in a big mixing bowl. Then I added a touch more olive oil to the frying pan and dumped in a bag of Trader Joe’s frozen “exotic mushroom mix.” I’d never seen this marvel before. They released a lot of liquid, but it eventually cooked off, leaving tender mushrooms and a bit of wonderful-looking gravy. This, too, went into the mixing bowl, with a bag of frozen spinach that had been thawed and squeezed vigorously. After the lamb/mushroom/spinach mixture had cooled, I mixed in five beaten eggs.
The matzoh gets soaked in chicken broth for a few minutes (I used packaged broth), then layered with the filling in a greased and oiled pan. I brushed olive oil onto the top layer of matzoh, and popped it into a 375 oven to heat through.
Tzimmes:
My tzimmes was a big sweet potato, a medium white yam, four large carrots, and a couple of handsful of dried apricots, cut into about 3/4 inch dice. Then I added some minced candied ginger, a dash or two of cinnamon, a bit of cayenne pepper, the juice of one orange, a bit of wine, and a bit of water, and into the 375 oven. (It actually went in before I started assembling the mina.)
Dessert:
The macaroons came from cans (coconut, almond, and “chocolate-flavored”) but were delicious; the chocolate was brought as a gift (similarly delicious but not as surprisingly); and the fruit slices weren’t actually fruit–they were those little jellied candies.
The Haggadah:
Not part of the menu, but the texts and instructions read before and after the meal. I adapted a version I found last week at the Velveteen Rabbi. It’s great, especially the Ballad of the Four Sons, sung to the tune of Clementine–perfect for a bunch of goyim.
Quakerism and Unitarian Universalism
Liberal Quakerism and Unitarian Universalism are certainly comfortable fellow-travelers. Today I had an opportunity to compare them in a structured way. The Unitarian Universalist Association (where I work) has a newcomers bulletin board, where visitors can post questions and have them answered by staff. Today this came into my email (edited, of course, for privacy):
> Kenneth,
>
> Would you be willing to reply to this question? The response will be
> posted on the Newcomer’s Bulletin Board at
> http://www.uua.org/newcomers/newcomerbb.html, which I maintain. If you
> don’t want to respond, that’s fine. Just write back to me with either
> your response or a note with any suggestions you may have. Thanks!
>
> ‑Erika
> Subject: Newcomer BB Post: how do UUs differ from liberal Quakers?
>
> name: Bess
>
> citystate: NSW (Australia)
>
> questionself: How do UU differ from liberal Quakers?
>
And here’s my reply (which I don’t make any assumptions will be used as a public answer–it seems a bit Quaker-centric, an answer to “how do liberal Quakers differ from UUs):
You’re in luck! There happens to be a liberal Quaker on staff, albeit an American. Quakers in Australia, of course, may answer differently, as will the majority of Friends in the world who are not “liberal” Quakers but rather evangelical or orthodox.
I’ll base my answer on the Principles and Sources used by the Unitarian Universalist Association, with a UU statement followed by an RSF (Religious Society of Friends) commentary.
UU “We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote“
RSF Quaker meetings exist as part of the Religious Society, rather than the Society being a product of a voluntary association. There is no creed nor is there a unified statement that meetings have negotiated and agreed to affirm and promote.
UU “The inherent worth and dignity of every person“
RSF Liberal Quakers say “there is that of God in every person.”
UU “Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations“
RSF Quakers would agree.
UU “Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations“
RSF Again, Quakers would tend to agree, but the spectrum of acceptable belief in Quakerism includes many more Christians and theists and far fewer atheists.
UU “A free and responsible search for truth and meaning“
RSF Integrity is a core Quaker value, which affirms the need for individual searching, but this is understood in tension with a tradition of capital‑T Truth as discerned by the community of Friends.
UU “The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large“
RSF Quakers value the right of conscience (for example, in advocating for the right to conscientious objection to military service or to paying taxes for military purposes) but do not advocate the use of a democratic voting process within the meeting. One of the distinctive Quaker practices is decision-making based upon the sense of the meeting, which is an attempt to discern God’s will for the meeting. While sense of the meeting should include everyone, it does not depend upon unanimity. It is certainly not determined by voting.
UU “The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all“
RSF Quakers heartily concur.
UU “Respect for the interdependent web of all existence, of which we are a part“
RSF Liberal Quakers have over the last decade or two begun to emphasize environmental concerns as a corporate and individual witness.
UU “The living tradition which we share draws from many sources“
RSF The Quaker tradition has been influenced by several outside movements, notably the Wesleyan revival, modernism, humanism, the antiwar and social justice movements, and the New Age, but does not intentionally and corporately draw from “many sources.”
UU “Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold life“
RSF Quaker theology and practice is built upon faith in direct, unmediated experience of the divine.
UU “Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love“
RSF Liberal Friends are quite similar both in drawing inspiration from prophetic individuals and in tending to worship our ancestors.
UU “Wisdom from the world’s religions which inspire us in our ethical and spiritual life“
RSF Many, if not most, liberal Quakers draw inspiration from the world’s religions, but this is a recent addition to the historic focus on a Quaker understanding of Christianity.
UU “Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God’s love by loving our neighbors as ourselves“
RSF Quakers would agree.
UU “Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit“
RSF There are and have been many Quaker scientists who have not seen any conflict between spirituality and “reason and the results of science.” Even when not Christians, liberal Friends are much less likely than UUs to be atheists.
UU “Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature“
RSF While paganism has influenced some individuals and plays a part in their spiritual life and practice, it is not called upon as a source for corporate Quaker life.
There is also a significant difference in the understanding and practice of ministry, which isn’t revealed in the Principles and Sources:
UU The majority of UU churches and fellowships employ a minister or ministers who lead the worship service and deliver a sermon. Even lay-led congregations follow an order of service that includes rituals like a chalice lighting, readings, congregational singing, and a prepared message or sermon. UU ministers, as described elsewhere on this website, undergo academic preparation resulting in an M.Div. degree, professional training, an internship, and a denominational process leading to ministerial fellowship. UU ministers are ordained by a congregation.
RSF Liberal Quakers worship on the basis of shared waiting for divine guidance. Anyone present may feel a leading to share a short message, a prayer, or a song. There is no human leadership of the worship service. Even in meetings that recognize the ministry of individual Friends, there is no ordination and no requirement (among liberal Friends) for academic qualification.