December 8, 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.”

This week on “The Heart and the Hand” with Orlando Montoya: What belongs to faith and what belongs to reason? We draw inspiration for that question from the book, later a movie, “Life of Pi.”  Also, in the absence of clarity, how do we determine truth?  These messages and more will make your Sunday morning braver and wiser in mostly words from 9-11am and mostly music from 1-2pm on WRUU 107.5 FM Savannah and WRUU.ORG.

Commentary

Written by Orlando Montoya

I would like to take a moment to recognize all the good work that you do that goes totally unseen.  The time and the effort, the little checks on your list, those actions that don’t necessarily produce any thing, but advance something good.  Those nights that you think: “I know I did a lot today.  I didn’t waste any time.  But what did I actually do?”  I see you.  When you have to mail an object, but before you can, you have to buy a box for it, then buy postage for the box, then find the person’s address, lost in a long-ago e-mail, and, since you don’t have packing tape, return to the store, to buy packing tape.  Then you discover that you don’t have newspaper to crumple up into the box, so you drive to not one, not two, but three newspaper stands before you find a stand with those free papers in it.  I see you.  And did you buy that thing on a website that required a password, which required making an account, which produced frustration, unseen in your little box.  I see you.  From the packing tape, to the website, to every newspaper stand.  I see you.  The laundry, the dishes, the grocery store.  I see you.  The backbreaking work, on your feet.  I see you.  The double-checking, the quality assurance.  I see you.  The times that you’re reading and it looks like you’re not working, but you are.  I see you.  The perfunctory smile?  Yes, I know.  If your faith comforts you in the thought that someone always sees you, I respect your belief.  But there are lots of people, with or without that belief, that need to be seen, here and now, to go forward into another day.  For you, I see you.

Sermon

“In the Absence of Clarity” (9/15/19)

Rev. David Miller

Unitarian-Universalist Congregation of Fairfax, Virginia

Sermon

“Faith vs. Reason” (5/19/19)

Rev. Hannah Petrie

Unitarian-Universalist Church of Studio City, California

Sermon

“Service Is Our Prayer” (8/18/19)

Rev. Andy Burnette

Valley Unitarian Universalist Church of Chandler, Arizona

Sermon

“Guerilla Compassion” (7/15/18)

Rev. Tim Kutzmark

Unitarian-Universalist Church of Fresno, California

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