March 17, 2019
The unifying themes of this program are justice, love, learning and hope. The messages come from sermons and readings from Unitarian-Universalist sources. The program title comes from a beloved Unitarian-Universalist hymn, “Spirit of Life,” which includes the words, “Sing in my heart all the stirrings of compassion” and “Move in the hand, giving life the shape of justice.”
Walking into a long goodbye is never an easy thing. But we do it every day. Learn about grieving to learn about life in the sermon called "Our Long Goodbyes." The audio link is below.
Commentary
Written by Orlando Montoya
“In the name of the most merciful God, Praise be to God, the Lord of all Being; the most merciful, the master of the day of judgment.” These are the opening words of the Quran. I returned to this book’s beauty and wisdom after 49 precious people died in a New Zealand mosque this week. The victims were gathering for Friday prayers when a white nationalist opened fire. When I called a Muslim friend of mine that evening, he said, “It is God’s will.” And there, in the Quran, I find his refrain repeated many times, as in, Chapter 18, Verses 23 and 24: “And do not say, regarding anything, ‘I am going to do that tomorrow,’ but only, ‘if God will.’” Inshallah, if God will. I don’t pretend to share my friend’s belief in divine predestination. I rather believe that such violence is the bloody outcome of a thousand cuts. When the President again cannot condemn white nationalism, when an Australian Senator blames the attack on Muslim immigration, when comments fall predictably not to compassion but to prejudice, we witness seeds of further violence. May those seeds rot. The Quran says, in Chapter 13, Verse 11: “God changes not what is in a people, until they change what is in themselves.” We, as a people, one human family, in need of great change, need to look at rising white nationalism and condemn it with heart and hand. In this way, I believe we’ll return to our own godliness, what godly people believe is the innate spark of the divine within us all. Or as the Quran says, in Chapter 50, Verse 16: “We [God] created Man, and We know what his soul whispereth within him; and We are nearer unto him than his jugular vein.” May it be so.
Sermon
“Our Long Goodbyes” (2/10/19)
Rev. Andy Burnette
Valley Unitarian-Universalist Congregation, Chandler, Arizona
Sermon
“What Do We Believe in This Church” (2/10/19)
Rev. Angela Herrera
Unitarian-Universalist Church of Albuquerque, New Mexico
Braver Wiser
Used by permission of Braver Wiser, a publication of the Unitarian-Universalist Association
Quest Monthly
Used by permission of Quest Monthly, a publication of the Church of the Larger Fellowship
UUA Statements
Messages from the Unitarian Universalist Association
Natural Silence
Used by permission of ListeningEarth.com
UUA Principles and Sources
Our liberal faith as defined by the Unitarian Universalist Association
World Religions
Written by Orlando Montoya
Interfaith Calendar
Written by Orlando Montoya
UU FAQ
Written by and used by permission of John Sias from interviews with Rev. Steve Edington
Published by the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Nashua, NH
