December 10, 2017

Alex Raffray is not available for "Nervous Energy" tonight.  I'm Orlando Montoya.  I'm filling in his program with the same program that I'll do on Sunday, "The Heart and the Hand."  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.  The title of this program comes from the words of a beloved Unitarian-Universalist hymn, “Spirit of Life,” including, “Sing in my heart all the stirrings of compassion” and “Move in the hand, giving life the shape of justice.”

Braver Wiser

"Tender Places"

The Rev. Lindasusan Ulrich

First Unitarian Congregation of Ann Arbor

Sermon

"Losing the Hierarchy"

The Rev. David Breeden

First Unitarian Society of Minneapolis

Message

"Poor People's Campaign"

The Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray

President, Unitarian-Universalist Association

Natural Silence

"The Himalaya"

Andrew Skeotch

ListeningEarth.com

World Religions

Today is the birthday, in Hampshire, in England, in 1741, of the pioneering Universalist minister John Murray.  Sometimes called the “founder of Universalism,” Murray began his ministry in Boston in 1770, preaching that all souls would be saved, a heresy that got stones thrown at his church.  His most famous quote, “Give them not hell, but hope,” is misattributed to him, but sums up his gospel, deeply rooted in 18th Century Christianity.

Tuesday is the feast day for Our Lady of Guadalupe.  The holiday celebrates the Catholic account of the appearance, in 1531, of the Virgin Mary before a peasant, Juan Diego, on a hill in modern day Mexico City.  The site’s basilica is the world’s most-visited Catholic pilgrimage site.  Our Lady of Guadalupe has become a symbol of Mexico.  Her feast day brings music, dance and tables set with tacos, sopas, frijoles, cajeta and other delicacies.

Wednesday is the start of Hanukkah, the Jewish Festival of Lights.  Observed for eight nights and days, Hanukkah celebrates the rededication of a temple in Jerusalem during the second Century, B.C.E.  The holiday includes the story of a miracle, when oil meant to last one day lasted eight days.  Traditions include nightly candle lightings, the playing of a dreidel, or spinning top, and eating food made of oil, including doughnuts and latkes.

Friday marks the day, in 1791, when the Bill of Rights was ratified.  The constitution’s first ten amendments notably include what legal experts call the “establishment clause,” protecting freedom of religion.  An ever-evolving concept in society, religious freedom now includes the right not to be indoctrinated in public schools.  And soon, hopefully, it will not include the right for L-G-B-T people to be discriminated against at businesses.

Friday marks the day, in 1943, when priest and mathematician Pavel Florenski was murdered in a Soviet gulag.  A scientist and philosopher, Florenski made important contributions in both fields and saw the natural and spiritual worlds as connected.  He led developments in electrodynamics and the mystical doctrine of name-worshipping.  For mentioning God in his work and wearing priestly garb, Stalin-era authorities shot him.

Friday marks the day, in 1993, when the Catholic church’s Dominican order expelled priest and theologian Matthew Fox.  A proponent of Creation Spirituality, Fox drew inspiration from mystical philosophies of Medieval Catholics as well as wisdom from Judaism and Buddhism.  Catholic authorities objected to his feminist theology, his belief in Original Blessing instead of Original Sin and his refusal to condemn homosexuality.

Saturday in Hinduism is Dhanu Sankranti, an auspicious day celebrated when the sun enters the sign of Sagittarius.  The holiday is most important in the eastern Indian state of Orrissa, where it honors Lord Jagannath, a form of one of Hinduism’s major gods, Vishnu.  Holiday traditions include street theater reenactments of Hindu scripture, eating wild potatoes and a special delicacy made of sweetened rice flakes called dhanu maun.

And Saturday marks the beginning of the San Luis Winter Solstice Native American Celebration, a two-day festival honoring the traditions of various tribes in what is now called the American South.  Centered around Mission San Luis, home of the Apalachee people, near present-day Tallahassee, the event includes artist members of the Choctaw, Seminole, Muskogee, Creek and other nations, as well as music, crafts and living history. 

Sermon

"The Good News"

The Rev. Bill Sinkford

First Unitarian Church of Portland

Message

TBD

Conclusion

Seven Principles of Unitarian-Universalism