From The Shooting Star, January 3, 2010. Copyright 2010, Ellen Rowse Spero. All rights reserved.
A few years ago, at the ordination of my friend and colleague, the Reverend Jackie Clemente, another friend and colleague, the Reverend Elea Kemler used as the basis of her sermon, the following words by Annie Dillard:
"On the whole, I do not find Christians, outside the catacombs, sufficiently sensible of the conditions. Does anyone have the foggiest idea what sort of power we so blithely invoke? Or, as I suspect, does no one believe a word of it? The churches are children playing on the floor with their chemistry sets, mixing up a batch of TNT to kill a Sunday morning. It is madness to wear ladies' straw hats and velvet hats to church; we should all be wearing crash helmets. Ushers should issue life preservers and signal flares; they should lash us to our pews. For the sleeping god may wake some day and take offense, or the waking god may draw us out to where we can never return." (Teaching a Stone to Talk, Harper & Row, 1982).
I love this quote, in its challenge and its hope, for religious communities, Christian or otherwise. What would happen if we truly invited ourselves to encounter the Holy: God, Goddess the Spirit of Life or whatever we name that Mystery that calls us into life and death, and impels us to make meaning of our existence in between? What if we woke a sleeping god, or were drawn by the Holy to go somewhere or become something that transforms us in ways from where we can never return? I joke that whenever it says in the Bible, "Be not afraid," the subject of the story should be very afraid for he or she is about to be called to do something life-changing: like get up and leave home for an unknown land; or rescue one’s people from enslavement; or confront an angry and powerful monarch with his or her tyrannies; or speak out for the poor, the stranger, the widow, the orphan, and all the forgotten; or give birth a savior; or see the Holy face to face.
As frightening as this kind of invitation can be, I believe it is one that speaks deeply to us as well. I believe many of us have moments when we encounter and accept this invitation and that as often as they scare us, they also call to us, and keep our prophetic imaginations alive with the hope for healing, for justice, for peace, for wholeness—in our own lives and for our world. I love to watch individuals in the congregation come alive making use of their gifts and talents in service to something larger than themselves; whether it is making music in worship or for folks in a nursing home; sharing one’s own commitment to Unitarian Universalism by working with our children and youth; reaching out to those facing losses, illnesses, or struggles in our congregation or beyond, keeping our building and our grounds beautiful or doing this for others in need in our area or in other parts of the country or the world, or sharing our love of cooking and hospitality with others who do not have meals and a welcoming table. I imagine each of you could think of other examples as well.
At our June annual meeting, the congregation approved hiring an architect to help us look at our space and consider creating a master plan for our building. As Ron Deschenes, the chair of the Standing Committee announced a couple of weeks ago during the service, the Standing Committee has chosen the architect and we will be moving forward on this project. Here is where Annie Dillard’s challenge and invitation come into the picture. What are we using our space for? And what do we want to use it for? How can we imagine expanding our holy space (metaphorically, if not literally) to make room, to welcome the Holy in ways that can be deeply transforming for us and for our larger community? Do we make our space one that tamps down possibility or one where life preservers and crash helmets are with arm’s reach, just in case the truly wondrous and truly life-changing happen? Imagine the possibilities!
And speaking of life preservers and crash helmets and otherwise hazardous conditions, I was sorry to have to have cancel the pageant service once again. It is always difficult to make a decision about the weather two or three hours before the service time. However, Ron and I agreed that safety, particularly the safety of our children and youth, has to be a priority. Our 3rd and 4th graders will have the opportunity to present their winter pageant (although I am tempted to ask you to change it to a tropical pageant, with the hope of changing the weather pattern). Sadie, Cyndi and I will discuss this week what makes the most sense and let everyone know the plan.
Thank you all for being who you are. I hope we all have a wonderful New Year!
--- Rev. Ellen