August 27, 2017

Love is the spirit of this program. The music spans many genres but has unifying themes of justice, love, learning and hope. The messages come from podcasts, sermons and readings from Unitarian-Universalist and other allied sources in liberal religion.

9am Hour

Introduction Spirit of Life, All Souls Choir

Braver Wiser "Love Showed Up" by Elizabeth Harding

Sermon "Practice Makes Imperfect" by Rev. Aaron McEmrys, Unitarian-Universalist Church of Arlington, Va.

Every Breath We Take Is a Gift from "A Year of Spiritual Companionship" by Anne Kertz Kernion

10am Hour

Random Song Lyrics Reflection "Take Me to the Alley" by Gregory Porter

World Religions

Today is the birthday, in 1698 in Poland, of the Jewish mystic Rabbi Yisrael Ben Eliezer.  Considered the founder of Hassidic Judaism, he also is called Baal Shem Tov, meaning “master of the good name.  Little is known about his life but his teachings were collected and handed down.  Among other things, he believed that physical pleasure could give rise to spiritual pleasure and that God demanded not just right belief but also right action.

Today is the birthday, in 1910 in what’s now Macedonia, of Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu, whom Pope Francis last year canonized as Saint Teresa of Calcutta.  Mother Teresa in 1950 started a Catholic religious organization that managed soup kitchens; health clinics; orphanages; schools; and homes for people dying of HIV/AIDS, leprosy and tuberculosis.  Her birthday reminds us always to look out for the “least of these” in our daily actions.

Tomorrow is the anniversary of the 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech delivered by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Washington, DC.  A defining moment in American history, the speech was partly improvised.  The dream wasn’t in King’s prepared remarks.  While he was speaking, Mahalia Jackson cried out, “Tell them about the dream, Martin.”  The anniversary reminds us that improvisation might help us achieve our collective dreams.

Tuesday is the birthday, in 1813 in New York, of animal anti-cruelty activist Henry Bergh.  The founder of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Bergh helped to change the way Americans thought about slaughterhouse practices, the care of horses, cock fighting and use of live pigeons in shooting matches.  His birthday reminds us that animals feed us spiritually and literally in an interconnected web of life.

Thursday in Islam is Wuquf al Arafah, the most important rite of the Hajj pilgrimage.  It begins at dawn on this day when Muslim pilgrims make their way to a hill called Mount Arafah in Mecca.  It was from this site where Muslims believe Muhammad gave one of his last famous sermons in the last year of his life.  The faithful offer supplications, repent and atone for their sins, seek God’s mercy and listen to Islamic scholars giving sermons.

After Wuquf al Arafa begins Eid al Adha, one of the holiest days on the Islamic calendar.  Also called the Sacrifice Feast, it celebrates Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice his son at God’s command, in the story known also in the Christian and Jewish faiths.  Eid al Adha traditions vary widely but may include, in Southeast Asia, saffron rice dishes; in North Africa, tagines; and in the Middle East, nut and date filled cookies called ma’amoul.

The Tide Is Rising The Tide Is Rising, Annie Patterson, Shoshana Meira Friedman

Sermon "A Universalist Pentecost" by James Ford, Unitarian-Universalist Church of Long Beach

Pastoral Message "UUA President Condemns Directive Banning Transgender People From Military Service" by The Rev. Susan Frederick Gray, President, Unitarian-Universalist Association

Conclusion Seven Principles of Unitarian-Universalism

All audio segments and messages are used by permission.