The Great Omission

My colleague, the Rev. Dr. David Usher allowed me to post this. I can not know if his report is accurate...

- Andy

The Great Omission 

The Gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke all contain reference to what is known as The Great Commission, when Jesus charges his disciples to go in pairs out into the world to preach the new gospel, giving them authority to perform miracles of healing in his name. He warns them that they must not think of their own physical comfort, nor will not always be made welcome where they go, but he reassures them that through all travails they will be blessed for the work they do.

In a dramatic development which has been hailed as the most significant for Biblical studies since the discovery of The Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947, previously lost fragments of Scripture have been discovered which cast new light on The Great Commission. They show that the disciples were rather less willing to accept Jesus’ charge than had been thought.

The fragments read as follows…

First Chapter

1. But when the disciples heard these words of Jesus, and they thought of the discomfort and inconvenience to which they had been charged, they did appoint a delegation to go unto Jesus and offer their objections.
2. And the delegation did go to Jesus, and they did say unto him.
3. Lord, we like not what thou hast given us to do. For verily, the way you show us is full of hardship and sacrifice, and we think we are not fit for what they demandest of us. For lo, we are but twelve, and the world is a large and hostile place.
4. And is it not so that the faith to which you called us is a faith of personal salvation? And we answered your call because we wanted the well-being of our own souls, and not because we wanted to be missionaries unto the world.
5. Let us instead meet in small circles where we may practise a faith of quietness and seclusion.
6. For verily, the smallness of our number is a true testament to our spiritual purity. Are we not above the unseemly scramble of the market-place. We would not wish to sully the holiness of our smallness by inviting in the unwashed and the unclean. 
7. The fact that we are few makes us feel special. We do not want to spread your message to the unclean, Lord, lest we become less special in thy sight, and we lose the sense of intimacy with you that we hold so dear.
8. For truly we say unto thee, Master, that if we allow too many into our circle we will become corrupted by their presence, and the ways we love will be no more.
9. Therefore let us not make ourselves known. Let us not proclaim our healing message loudly to the world, but whisper it only to ourselves.
10. Let us hide ourselves away, and the reward for those who find us in spite of our hiddenness is that we shall allow only them to be part of our quiet number.
11. For it is surely so, that our smallness is the most true testament of our specialness.

Second chapter

1. And the Disciples did say further,
2. Lord, it worrieth us that you are alienating people, when surely your message is one of being nice to our neighbours and not upsetting them. Do you not say that we must love our neighbour as ourselves?
3. Lord, we ask that you refrain from doing works of public charity. Prithee, do not again feed the hungry as you have done before. For we are told that to feed the hungry only encourages their idleness. We must exhort them to feed themselves, even though there is no food nor money with which to purchase. Lo, you did feed the many thousands that one time, and verily did many thousands come back a second time to be fed, and where is the end of it to be?
4. And lo, we have had word from the Federation of Kosher Bakers, protesting that we do take away their livelihood by creating loaves as if by miracle.
5. Likewise, your miracles of healing, Master, do cause resentment. For why should one be healed and not another? 
6. If thou canst not heal all, or feed all, or clothe all, or comfort all, then surely it is better to heal or feed or clothe or comfort none, lest there be jealousy.
7. Master, we beg of thee, it is better not to do the work of justice and compassion at all. For such is not the true work of the spirit.
8. The work of the spirit is in quiet contemplation and the recitation of comforts for our own soul.

Third Chapter

1. And Jesus did rebuke them, saying
2. And did thou thinkest that the invitation was only unto thee, my first few?
3. Did thou thinkest that once thou was safely within the castle, thou might pull up the drawbridge against others who might enter?
4. As I extended the invitation to you that you might freely receive this liberating gospel, so must you extend it to others, for it is not for you alone but for all who would be glad to receive it.
5. If your heart has been gladdened by this gift of faith, dare you withhold it from another?
6. Your desire for comfort is no testament to the purity of your soul, but a witness against the hardness of your heart.
7. And the acts of kindness and compassion to the multitudes are not mere spectacles that people might gape and marvel.
8. They are the very core of faith, for without them, faith is but a withered vine of use to no-one.
9. Therefore, I command ye again, hide not your light beneath a bushel. Share the gift of your faith with all on the highway and in the market-place. Bless them that have their own faith, and wish them true joy in it, but deny not your faith to others who might be glad of it.
10. For those not willing to share faith are not worthy to keep it.
11. Those not willing to show compassion are not worthy to receive it.
12. Those not willing to speak the Word are not fit to hear it.
13. And the disciples were rebuked, and their contrition was real. And they did go out to the world, two by two as Jesus had commanded, and they did preach the new gospel of love to all who would hear it. And they did endure hardship, and some did spit upon them, but they also found many who rejoiced to hear this new word, and who did join the growing throng of eager believers.

The discovery of this new fragment makes one wonder what might have happened to Christianity if the timidity of the disciples had prevailed. Might it have slowly withered away, with the ever -diminishing band convincing itself that its decline was not their fault, it was just a sign of the times, that anyway it was better to die than to do anything which might be uncomfortable or not be according to accepted norms, or even upset the neighbours.

A church for atheists...

The title of this post is taken from a sign outside one of our congregation’s buildings, where it is followed by the words ‘and everyone else.’ I have found people staring at that sign. I have even caught two people snapping photos of it. Apparently, the idea of a church where you don’t have to believe in god is a bit surprising to many.

I am the minister of New Unity - a Unitarian congregation with one site on Newington Green (the Newington Green Unitarian Church) and a second on Upper Street in Islington (Unity Church).

To me, including atheists in a church community doesn’t seem strange at all, but then, Unitarians do religion rather differently. We come from a long line of people who stubbornly refused to check their brain at the door when it came to religion. Some of them were burnt at the stake or subjected to other rather less than hospitable treatment as a result. Unitarians started out nearly 500 years ago as Christians who rejected the doctrines of the Trinity and original sin. They arrived at these heresies (a word derived from the Greek for ‘to choose’ - a label I wear with pride!) by studying the Bible and applying their own reason. 

In time, the successors to these early Unitarian heretics put aside the notion that the bible is the only book that includes wisdom and inspiration. They opened themselves up to Hinduism, Pagan traditions, Buddhism, Humanism, and more.

This may seem like a ridiculous kind of religion to some - but that’s only if you think that religion has to be defined by the arcane structures that most religions build up over time. Instead, I evaluate beliefs by their effects. If a belief makes people more loving, compassionate, and justice-seeking, I welcome it. If a belief makes one a selfish, oppressive jerk, it’s a belief I can’t support.

My goal is to create and nourish communities where people are loved, accepted, and encouraged in their growth and where people are empowered to work for a world where everyone can experience such an embrace. 

My own beliefs are very simple: Every person is sacred. We are all connected one to another. 

Is this literally true? I don’t know and I don’t care. It is not meant to be a statement of scientific fact, and I’m sure it would be untenable by those standards (with a Ph.D. in biology, I should know that better than most). In the religious sphere, we choose what to believe and my beliefs impel me to see all others as valuable and worthy beyond measure. These beliefs force me to work to see and treat others and brothers and sisters. They lead me to understand that gay and lesbian people are sacred. That transgender and bisexual people are sacred. That disabled people and people of all ages and colours are sacred. And because we are all connected, I’m certainly not going to put up with any of my sacred brothers and sisters being treated unjustly.

So, let’s not wait for the world to change. Let’s work together against oppression and injustice and - if you’re an atheist (or not) - you might just want to consider coming to church!

What do the riots mean?

Mindless yobs? Social unrest? A lack of morality? A need for more discipline? More hugging? Class war?

There has been rioting and looting in England for the past four nights. It began and has been most intense in London - sparked by the police shooting of a young black man, but has spread to other cities, notably Birmingham and Manchester.

The understandings of the unrest have been many from all directions and perspectives. Blame has been directed at the Tories for their draconian cuts, but also at Labour for somehow creating the conditions for this in the first place. People on the right blame a lack of discipline and morality in "those people" and blame the left for coddling "them." They want to see plastic bullets, water cannons, tear gas, and generally stronger law enforcement.  The left blames the right for insensitivity and destruction of the safety net that gives the poor opportunities and hope. They want to see more programmes and resources for the poor.

These differences echo George Lakoff's model of the difference between conservatives and liberals. Conservatives hold a world view that sees a need for government taking a "strong father" role; what's needed is greater discipline. Liberals go for a "nurturing parent" perspective where underlying motives are considered and actions are directed toward supporting and changing based on the understanding that we are all essentially good and need to be nurtured toward greater goodness.

I'd like to avoid that usual left-right dichotomy, although my thinking certainly leads to a liberal approach.  My take is this: Class Division + Materialism = Trouble

Modern Britain is a society with an enormous class divide. The disparity between rich and poor is said to be the greatest it has been since the second World War. The economic climate, the severe cuts to benefits, the increases in the cost of higher education, and the numbers of poor youth growing up in dysfunctional families leads to a sense of hopelessness and lack of ownership. In other words, they feel that they have very little to lose.

People who feel they have nothing to lose are dangerous indeed.

Now add to that picture the fact that everyone is bombarded in nearly every waking moment by the advertising message that "you are what you have." Our value as human beings and our happiness - we are told - depend on having the newest smart phone, the right trainers, the most stylish jeans, a big flat-screen TV and on and on. We begin to learn this message before we can speak. Everywhere we go and whatever we do, the adverts are there to keep that message firmly in place.

When people who have nothing to lose understand that material goods are the only thing worth striving for and have no hope that they can reach a place in life where they can obtain them legally, criminality seems certain to be the response.

Is there a solution? Not an easy one. Materialism is the very basis of our capitalist economy. Unless capitalism falls entirely and something takes its place that nurtures good values rather than materialistic ones, the materialism factor will remain unchanged.

The class divide has grown and continues to grow. The levers of power are preponderantly in the hands of the rich who find rather little motivation to seek greater equality. They can simply build higher walls, invest in more police and prisons and simply keep this untidy little problem under control.

We need change. We need to invest in programmes that will provide real hope and opportunity for those at the bottom. We have now begun to see - once again - the results of neglecting whole swaths of the population. It is time to break down the class oppression that is built-in to our culture.

A letter from a new member

I am posting a letter I received (with permission) from a relatively new attender at my Unitarian congregation in north London. She has come to us after years of trying to find her place in the Church of England. Now, she travels two hours to get to us, passing by a vast number of Anglican and other churches along the way.

My pledge today is to do all I can to make the author's vision of New Unity increasingly real...

I had a thoroughly inspiring time today - thank you. I'm looking forward to the 3 facets course and to coming to services whenever I can. 

The journey itself is becoming something I enjoy - it gives me 2 hours of reading time- and I am looking forward to what will happen when I get to you, as there is usually something to challenge, inspire, move or enthral me, and sometimes all of these at once! 

People here keep asking me what it is that makes you so different to normal church that I'm willing and keen to travel this distance for it, when I constantly refuse to go to regular church services.To answer this would require an essay! But words like 'freedom' 'space' 'encouragement' 'respect' 'vision' 'energy' 'a sense of adventure' 'trusting people' 'belief in goodness' and a hopeful mood of 'we can' all convey what your community says to me.
Though Jesus is seldom mentionned, I find more of his spirit amongst you than I ever did in 20 years of attending an Anglican church. 

I like and respect everybody I have so far met and talked to in your community; they are all so intelligent and caring and thoughtful, and a privilege to know. I can honestly say that I have never before felt this in any church, and it is a healing experience for me, restoring something that got broken and jaded through disappointment and disillusion. 

Your leadership is in such a contrast to the paternalistic and often suffocating authority of priests, who treat their congregation like children. It feels like all things are possible here; that everyone has faith - in themselves and eachother - and that nobody is afraid to take that first brave step on a long journey towards a better society. 

I think that the only reason your church isn't packed on Sundays is that people don't like 'church'. That word gives the wrong idea and puts people off. Your community is nothing much like any church I've ever been to in my entire life, and that is its strength and 'selling point'. We need to spread this around. Something very good is going on here and a lot more people should come in and benefit from it...

Should worship entertain?

In a 2010 paper on UU Worship, Mike Mallory asks us to consider the value of "entertainment" in worship services:

...we should be willing to include “entertainment” as a purpose in the Sunday morning experience. Entertainment is not a religious function. Then again, while community building is a secular function, it is vitally important for a religious community... 

The term “entertainment” is often viewed as cheap or superficial... However, if asked to name your favorite film or play, the answer, I suspect, will include a work of artistic merit, which produced insights into the human condition in a way, which was engaging, dramatic and memorable. “Entertainment” is not an antonym for “Authentic.” 

...evangelical mega-churches are serious about entertainment. I hesitate to point this out, because I am certainly not suggesting that entertainment in a UU congregation look like the entertainment that happens in an evangelical mega-church. Nevertheless, I am claiming that the presentation of the Sunday morning experience in UU congregations should be entertaining.  

Entertainment can be serious or lighthearted, tragic or comic, emotional or conceptual. Entertainment is a way of planning a presentation by focusing on the quality of recipient’s experience. Entertainment may not make a message more important, but it can make the recipient more engaged and the message more memorable. An entertaining message can inspire people to commit their time and energy into social justice, allow people to understand the inner reality of someone very different or lead a person into a moment of ecstatic presence...

Mallory goes on to question the typical UU anti-entertainment rationale and dares to suggest that our reasons may be more like excuses for an unwillingness to tackle the hard work of creating worship entertaining enough to reach the modern, plugged-in, worshipper:

I believe there is a sentiment that religion in general and Unitarian Universalism in particular should rise above the profane of entertainment and that a UU minister who stands and delivers a sermon, plainly and unplugged, is a living testament to honesty, genuineness and authenticity. I believe this sentiment springs from a naïve mythology and conveniently excuses the hard work of reimagining the Sunday morning experience. 

I find myself persuaded by Mallory's argument. The form of our worship should be among the transient elements of our faith, but has tended to be treated more like the permanent! In fact, the deep, permanent, elements of our faith may be ineffective because we fail to embed them in a form that touches people as and where they are.

What arises for me is not at all a feeling of revulsion at the concept of "entertaining worship", but a deep discomfort about my own inadequacy for the task and the lack of resources at my disposal.

I would love to hear how others engage with these ideas...

Top ten tips to find meaning and contentment in life

When I reached what felt to be about the middle of my life, it finally hit. No, I really would *not* live forever! There would be no exception made in my case and a time would come when I neared the end of my days and thought back over my life with one question in mind: "How have I lived the one and only life I was given?"

I realized then that "I sure attended a lot of meetings" or "I really helped make a lot of rich folks richer" or "I got the nice house and the nice car I wanted" were not answers that would satisfy. I realized that I wanted a life that was meaningful, purposeful, and connected. I think we all do.  Here are the 10 easy [not really] ways to have the life that will allow you to live and leave your life with satisfaction:

1. Strive to appreciate every bit of beauty, kindness, good fortune, and warmth you can find
   It is far easier to complain about what's wrong but it makes you far happier and nicer to be with if you are a person that is grateful for everything. If you can rejoice in a good cup of tea, you will be happy often.
2. Assume the best of people
   You may be wrong sometimes, but expecting the worst makes you fearful and shrivels your soul. Expecting the best often brings out the best in others around you - it is a gift that blesses them and you.
3. Don't play it safe all the time
   Take some risks with your life. It is better to have tried and failed than to carry deep regrets in your vocation, your avocation, your connections, or your love.
4. Persevere
   Nothing worthwhile comes without effort including growth, change, skills, learning, and especially the strength of relationships. If you give up at everything that does not come easily, you will have nothing worthwhile.
5. Give generously with your heart, your hands, and your wallet
   In serving others, we soften our often hard isolated selves and become part of the larger whole.
6. Remember every day that your life is precious
   Can you really afford to waste this day?
7. Let yourself be vulnerable 
   Love can be both exquisitely wonderful and exquisitely painful. We can't have the former without risking - and often suffering - the latter.
8. Don't take yourself too seriously - laugh!
   Laugh at yourself, your situation, and the whole tragedy of life. Take it all seriously and it will crush you. Take it lightly and you may find burdens floating away like clouds.
9. Have fun - it's not a crime
   If you have only one life to live, must you really spend it being serious all the time? 
10. Forgive easily
    Carrying anger harms both you and the target of your resentment. If it is possible, let it go.

No, they are not easy. Every one of these takes work and takes practice. That's life!

What business is your congregation in?

My background is in business. One important question for businesses - a question which, when answered unwisely, has meant the demise of many businesses - is this "What business are you in?"

In the US, there was once a massive and thriving ice business. The clever and industrious organizations in this industry harvest ice from fresh water sources in the winter and stored it until the warmer weather when it would be delivered to households around the US - and even overseas - where it would be used to keep food from spoiling in the heat. There was, of course, no mechanical refrigeration at the time.

When refrigeration was invented and began to be commercialized, it was not initially the smooth, quiet, reliable, and adjustable appliances we now know.

It was noisy. It was large. It was very expensive. It was easy for the ice producers to laugh it off as no threat.

Of course, refrigeration began to improve. And as refrigeration improved and become more competitive, the ice producers had to respond. They did so by finding ever better, more effective ways to harvest and store ice. They invented great equipment for transporting and cutting blocks of ice. They developed every more efficient ways of insulating the ice in storage.  They were certain of one thing - they were in the ICE BUSINESS and they needed to remain competitive.

Well, you know the end of this story. You are unlikely to run into someone at a cocktail party today who proudly announces "I am in the ice harvesting business." Refrigeration won.

The ice business was successful in continuing to improve what they did in the face of the threat from refrigeration. They failed to make a key shift however that could have made them business titans still today.

They concluded that they were in the ICE BUSINESS rather than the COOLING BUSINESS.

What business is your congregation in?

Many congregations would produce answers to this question that reflect what they do today - such things as sermons and hymns, committee meetings, church buildings, members, pledges, organ music. They have been so resistant to change that I can only guess that they firmly believe these ways of doing things to be their "business."

What business is your congregation in?

Is it not in the "life transformation" business? The "meaning-making and purpose-finding" business? The "gratitude-building, connection-revealing, justice-seeking" business?

If we come to these kinds of answers and we begin to think beyond our equivalent of the ice business, how then do we do things differently?

Look around your world. Who is doing your business well? They may be at early stages and still be noisy and inefficient, but this may be tomorrow's sleek stainless steel refrigerator!

What business is your congregation in?

The answer to that question and your response to it will determine the fate of your congregation.