A Mystic View of UU Sources of Faith

Kenneth Shilling

November 30, 2003

Unitarian-Universalist Church

Constructive Comments

• I want this sermon to resonate with you.

• With your comments and suggestions, I can enhance and enrich this sermon.

• I am posting this sermon on your website so you can review and reflect on it in depth.

• You can e-mail your comments to pinball157@aol.com

Mystic View of Theology

• Theological Neutrality is a central premise of this sermon.

• In this sermon, I do speak of God and the Divine. I use these words even though I am not a Deist.

• There is no single word that can describe the Absolute Oneness.

• Words can only describe a small portion of the Great Mystery within and beyond.

• Each person starts a mystic journey with some local concept of the Spirit of Life and some local spiritual discipline. The Mystic transcends the local in approaching the Absolute.

• You need to start somewhere. There are many paths (theologies) that lead to the same Absolute.

• Here again, I welcome your comments.

• It is helpful to know why the sermon resonates with your own beliefs or experiences.

• It is helpful to know where the sermon does not resonate at all with you. I need your insights which are beyond my own experience.

Short Bio of Ken Shilling

• I offer a few snippets from my life journey as an Enthusiastic, Novel Thinker Jumping.

• I had my first mystical experience at age 4 with a descent into a dark, unknown basement.

• Since that experience, I have understood the universe as a cosmic pinball machine

• My parents could not agree on religious dogma, yet they lived a spiritual life encouraging people of all ages to have fun together.

• I started along the path of the Holy Fool, when at age 19, I tripped on my unconscious self.

• While teaching Unitarian Universalism for 20 years, I have sought a way to explain our faith.

• Experiential learning from UNILEAD, Renaissance modules, JDP workshops, and UUMAC has contributed to my faith development.

• After 20 years, I have just bumped into the UU sources of faith and now realize how much support I have drawn from them.

• As a Mystic, I have a vision for new ways of teaching our sources of faith as a spiritual discipline.

Welcome

• I recognize the Divine within you

• I recognize the Spirit of Life within you

• I recognize the Goddess within you

• As you are able, turn to a person next to you; sense their presence

Opening Words Reading 441 To Worship

• Reading #441 was written by Jacob Trapp, a mystic.

• Let us read #441 together.

• Worship is the mystery within us reaching out to the mystery beyond.

Today’s Service

• I have always been seeking something, yet I have never been quite sure what it was.

• I have been a mystic all of my life. This is something that I did not admit until this year.

• A mystic is someone who seeks the wonder and mystery in life.

• Today, we will examine the Unitarian-Universalist Sources of Faith. I will give you the perspective of one mystic.

Chalice Lighting 452

• Life is a gift for which we are grateful.

• We gather in community to celebrate the glories and the mysteries of this great gift.

– Marjorie Montgomery

Joys and Sorrows

Sources of UU Faith

• I recently discovered our Sources of UU Faith. They were in front of me for a long time. Please open your hymnal to the very front

– Just after the contents and preface,

– You will find five sources

• Direct experience of that transcending wonder and mystery

– Affirmed in all cultures

– Which moves us to a renewal of the spirit

– And an openness to the forces which create and uphold life

• Words and deeds of prophetic men and women

– Which challenge us to confront powers and structures of evil

– With justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love

• Wisdom from the world religions

– Which inspire us in our ethical and spiritual life

• Jewish and Christian teachings

– Which call us to respond to God’s love by loving our neighbors as ourselves

• Humanist teaching which counsel us to heed

– The guidance of reason and results of science

– And warn us against the idolatries of mind and spirit

Living Faith Tradition

• If you look at the table of contents, you will see our hymns are arranged by these sources.

• After publication of our hymnal, UU’s agreed upon a sixth source.

• This source is listed in the UU World.

• Spiritual teachings of Earth-centered traditions

– Which celebrate the sacred circle of life

– And instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.

• Ours is a Living Faith Tradition.

Hymn 21 For the Beauty of the Earth

• Let us sing Hymn 21

• I selected Hymn 21 For the mystic harmony.

• It relates the Source of All to the beauty, joy and wonders of life.

• To me, it says that All Life is divine; the Source of All is divine

Personal Journey

• Unitarian Universalists talk about Spiritual Journeys.

• A spiritual journey is discovering something about yourself and growing in relationship to life around you.

• For over a thousand years, the mystics of many faiths have used the Journey as a Symbol.

• A mystic is someone who journeys in the wonders and mysteries of life.

• Today, I will share stories of my personal journey. I will explain my spiritual growth as a mystic by using the UU Sources of Faith.

Direct Experience

• As a child, I had a deep reverence for life.

• Once, I found a injured bird and tried to care for it.

• At that moment, the bird and I were One.

• When I was married, a cat adopted me. She walked into our house with our guests.

• One day, I came home from work very tired.

• Adventa looked at me. “My human, I have been waiting for you. Come with me.”

• I was tired but I followed my cat. Adventa then gave birth to her kittens.

• She wanted me to see a true miracle of life.

Words and Deeds

• When I was about 10 years old, the Shilling and Nord families went to the park to play baseball.

• My three year old brother wanted to play.

• I yelled, “He cant play on our team. We will lose.”

• My Dad spoke like a prophet, “Everyone plays.”

• It was hard for me to accept these prophetic words.

• I had to change my attitude if I wanted to play.

• Everyone Plays is the way my family worships.

• Children of all ages play together and learn from each other.

Reason

• Every Friday night, the Shilling and Spellman families would get together and play.

• The Spellman boys would call me “Naho”.

• Every Friday, I would get angry and chase them. Once, my Dad asked me why I chased them every Friday.

• He said, you know that they are trying to upset you. Ignore the word “Naho” and don’t let it bother you.

• Again, my father was a prophet to me. He encouraged me to use reason to examine my life and to change my behavior.

• I learned how to use reason to live a more spiritual life.

World Wisdom

• My father worshiped in different churches. I visited different churches with relatives and friends.

• I knew it was okay to worship in different ways.

• In college, I traveled in India for a month and learned about world religions.

• There, I visited the Buddhist pagodas,Muslim Mosques, Hindu, Jain, and Sikh temples.

• I worked hard to learn wisdom from so many different religions.

• I learned that there are many different names for the Spirit of Life.

• I learned that we all share a spark of the Great Spirit.

Jewish - Christian traditions

• The Catholics and Protestants both preach about Loving your neighbor as yourself.

• My father is Protestant and my mother is Catholic,but we did not discuss religion in our home.

• I learned religion from example.

• My grandmother showed her love by baking cookies, peeling apples so I could eat them, and making cowboy outfits for me.

• My mother has a natural grace for talking to people of all ages. She lives a life of Love.

• My dad showed me how to use tools, or played ball in the backyard, or took us on walks in the woods.

• I learned how to accept people as they are and to help other people.

Earth centered traditions

• When I was four, I lived in an apartment. My grandfather had a house with a flower garden. The fragrance of the rose still lifts my soul.

• I lived in relationship with all living plants and creatures.

• On a sunny afternoons, I would lay down on a grassy hill and watch patterns in the clouds.

• Life is sacred. I pondered how we get life from earth, from water, from air, from fire.

• The Earth is our Mother.

• How old are you? Are you sure?

• The water inside you is a billion years old

• Your body has star-dust from billions of years.

• You are a part of the Universe, created by the Source of All.

• I encourage you to seek the divine spark in life around you.

• Be reverent and respectful to all life.

Summary

• Today, I shared some stories from my spiritual journey.

• I gave examples of how each source of faith helped to shape my beliefs as a Unitarian-Universalist.

• I encourage you to look at your experiences.

• Ask yourself the question: “what have I learned from each source of faith?

• As you search the mysteries within your self, may your journeys be filled with wonder and awe.

• May your path be one of Love and Joy.

Offertory Words 674

• Let there be an offering to sustain

• and strengthen this place

• which is sacred to so many of us,

• a community of memory and hope,

• for we are now the keepers of the dream.

– Brandock L. Lovely

Offertory

Children Leave

Starting on a mystic path

• Today’s sermon comes from a 30 year search for some spiritual discipline. When I started out on a mystic path, it was not a conscious choice.

• I did two foolish things in a college bookstore.

– I bought a book on Cat’s cradle - a playful curiosity.

– I bought a book on Tarot cards - a non rational urge.

• These two whimsical purchases opened the door for me to find meaning in my life.

• I also painted two visions from my unconscious. This was remarkable because I had given up coloring in kindergarten.

• With these first steps, I allowed my unconsciousness to chart my destiny.

In Quest of Self

• Why did I do these “foolish” things?

• I sensed a quest that I could not refuse. I had a clear sense of becoming a mystic. Only now am I able to understand it.

• The quest took me on a very deep journey within my Self. I explored and I struggled. I wrestled with something that I did not understand.

• Some special moments, I experienced Oneness.

• I could not rest until I found my answer.

• Now, I will share some stories of my deeper journey through uncertainty into the shadows of self.

Can UU’s Have a Spiritual Discipline?

• The mystic journey is available to everyone. Everyone follows their own path to journey within their own self.

• These stories show how we can use our UU Sources of Faith as a spiritual discipline for our journeys.

• We can use our sources of faith to guide us through the darkness and shadows of self.

• Mystics of many faiths seek the Universal Oneness.

• Mystics transcend local tradition and theology as they approach the Oneness.

Dramatic readings for Meditation

• Before we go on the deeper journey, we must take a moment to play.

• Play is prayer.

• We will present some mystic poems.

• I learned how to do dramatic readings at an RE teacher’s workshop.

• One person reads a short poem

• A group of people then act the words.

• The audience hears the words and can see the essence of the words.

• Let this be a playful meditation

God’s Language

• Every man prays in his own language,

• And there is no language that

• God does not understand

– Duke Ellington

Open to the Holy

• May we open in love

• So all the doors and windows

• Of our bodies swing wide

• On their rusty hinges

• May we learn to give ourselves with both hands,

• to lift each other on our shoulders,

• To carry one another along.

• May holiness move in us

• So we pay attention to its small voice

• And honor its light in each other.

– Dawna Markova

Candle

• Being true to who we are

• Means carrying our spirit like a candle

• In the center of our darkness.

– Mark Nepo

Emotions

• Write the wrongs that are done to you in sand

• But write the good things that happened to you on a piece of marble.

• Let go of all emotions such as resentment and retaliation, which diminish you,

• And hold onto the emotions, such as gratitude and joy, which increase you.

– Arab proverb

Treasure Within

• There is a force within that gives you life -

• Seek that.

• In your body there lies a priceless jewel -

• Seek that.

• Oh, wandering Sufi

• If you are in search of the greatest treasure

• Don’t look outside.

• Look within and seek That.

– Rumi

Deep into the Journey

• What are the mysteries within you?

• What is your path to holiness?

• What is your prayer?

• What treasure lies within your center of darkness?

World Wisdom

• In college, I read about world religions. In doing so, I went beyond the familiar portals of religion and entered a boundless reality.

• I lost the familiar comfort of orthodox faith. I was adrift in a spiritual void, trying to find my own way, to seek answers for myself, to survive and thrive.

• I abandoned creeds, dogmas, and articles of faith. These easy answers of conformity lacked any guidance for my spiritual journey.

• I pondered the Hindu trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.

• I discovered three different approaches to nonviolence; Jainism,Buddhism, and Gandhi.

• In wading through spiritual teachings, I came to understand that world religions share some universal truths.

• I experienced Oneness in many different ways: music, dance, art, relationships.

• I continued to search for truth that would help me to discover the answer I sought.

Earth based

• Off and on, I returned to Native American wisdom.

• The Native American dance group, the Roots of Peace, came to our campus. They evoked something within me. I recalled my training in Native American dance. In dance, I reclaimed some roots.

• The book, Touch the Earth, conveys a deep reverence for life. Reading this book inspired me to live in relationship with all living creatures as brothers and sisters.

• I was startled by this truth when I found it.

• Your greatest enemy is yourself.

• Your greatest enemy is yourself.

• How true! Why me?

• Yet, it provided only one more piece to the puzzle.

Jewish Christian Traditions

• I was the prodigal son that lost his way and returns home.

• My parents accepted me even though I was lost and rootless.

• What ever the distances between us, we never lost our playfulness. We played through games, stories, home-made movies,and contests.

• We laughed deep in the belly. Laughter was our way of healing and relating.

• I read about Jesus as a Mystic. I understand him to say that Kingdom of God is inside you.

• I relate more to Playgrounds than to Kingdoms.

• I suggest that the Mystic Playground is inside you.

Words and Deeds

• In college, I met a Muse who inspired my creativity. With her encouragement, I could express my deeper self.

• I discovered Unitarian-Universalism as I settled into my first job. A colleague at work talked about Emerson and Thoreau as UU’s. I recognized their words.

• At the Unilead leadership school, I learned how to examine my values and to expand my awareness of my self and others. I gained a deep appreciation for Myers-Briggs Types. I lead a worship on Fun.

• I became a UU teacher so I could learn more about our faith. I learned from many creative DRE’s who encouraged learning and relationships by having fun.

• In teacher training, I came close to a deep wound in my soul. I could not understand it to express it. How well do I understand Anger and Death?

Reason and Science

• Myers-Briggs Type Indicators gave me insights into my strengths and my weaknesses

• I learned that the Science in Myers Briggs type is consonant with ancient traditions for self reflection and quest.

• With Myers Briggs Type, I found a map to my unconscious.

• I had to make friends with my shadow.

• I had to convince the trickster to let go of its psychic grip.

• I went beyond reason and devoted myself to play as a spiritual path.

Direct Experience

• As I struggled in search, I drew strength from renewed and deepened relationships.

• I listened when others talked about the subjects that I most feared - Anger, death, Suicide.

• I lost my grandmother and grandfather at a young age in the 1950’s, I never understood their deaths and I never grieved their deaths.

• As an adult, I did participate in UU memorials. I marveled as we celebrated the living memory of dear ones in story and song.

• I found courage to grieve for my grandparents. I created my own ways to honor them

Hero Returns to Community

• In my journeys, I studied hero stories and ancient myths.

• From these stories, I learned how to enter the dark woods, battle demons, and return victorious.

• I drew from all wisdom to heal my inner wounds.

• I gathered this wisdom into the Mystic Credo.

Mystic Credo

• I seek a Oneness with the Divine in All.

• I strive for Wholeness of mind, emotion, body, soul, and unconsciousness.

• I try to live with Integrity of character so my values, beliefs, and actions are in accord.

• I listen to my inner voice to be Authentic to my true self.

• I pursue Openness to learn from all life experiences.

• I approach all life with Sincerity- With Ceres,

• I play with Enthusiasm- Filled with Divine.

• I practice Mindfulness in my words and deeds.

• I relate to others with Loving-kindness.

• I express Gratitude for all that I have received.

Hymn #2 - Down the Ages We Have Trod

• What is it that you seek?

• What claims your heart and mind?

• What do you call Divine?

Respectful Conversation

• In gratitude to those who have guided me on my search, I have shared my beliefs and experiences with you.

• Now is the time for your questions and comments.

• I will engage you in respectful conversation.

Summation

• This sermon comes from a very deep search. I listened to an inner voice that guided me in my quest.

• During my quest, my credo statements provided me with a purpose, an orientation to discover hidden meaning.

• Now, it is time for us to acknowledge and accept our Mystic heritage.

• Emerson was a Mystic who listened to inner voice.

• Our Hymnal is filled with Mystic writings.

• As mystics, we can develop our sources of faith into a spiritual discipline.

• As Mystics, we can guide each other in our own spiritual journeys.

• There are many paths to the Divine, and we can each take our own path.

• Our Unity is in our approach to the Oneness while transcending Theology.

• Each flower has its own fragrance; Each bird its own song.

Extinguish Chalice

Closing Words #599 - In search of Divine

• Why do you go to the forest in search of the Divine?

• God lives in all, and abides with you too.

• As fragrance dwells in a flower,

• or reflection in a mirror,

• so the Divine dwells inside everything;

• seek therefore in your own heart.

– Tegh Bahadur

Benediction

• God, thank you for giving me the struggles and blessings along my journey.

• The struggles have given me insight, and the blessings joy.

• Help me to recognize my own limitations.

• Help me to have courage to live into the questions that bring me fear.

• Teach me that love is absence of fear.

• Continue to polish my edges, so that I may continue to use my gifts to be authentic to others.

• Amen

– Prayer by Arden Regar

• May you find the Divine Playground within you.

• May Play be your Prayer.

• I marveled at the amazing ways people live their lives.

• Few belief statements can stretch across the full spectrum of our theological diversity.

• We need a spiritual discipline that provides a Unity for our theological diversity, as well as guidance in our personal journeys.

Spiritual Discipline as a Mystic

• As UU’s, we have our own beliefs; we have our own spiritual journeys.

• A UU spiritual discipline will help us in our own journeys.

– Examining our own beliefs, values and experiences;

– writing a personal credo, or belief statement;

– sharing our personal beliefs with others

• In my teaching, I have encouraged teens in writing their belief statements, or credos. It is not easy to write a credo.

• While writing this sermon, I wrote my own credo. Today, I share the Mystic credo with you.

• The Mystic credo speaks to the spiritual journey, while allowing for individual experience and interpretation.

Spiritual Discipline - Clarification

• I suggest that the path of Knowledge is central to most UU’s spiritual journeys. Ancients preached the importance of Knowing yourself to find your true Self. Modern UU’s talk about examining your own beliefs, values, experiences, and behaviors.

• My suggestion is that we can use the UU Sources of Faith to examine our experiences. In the next section, I illustrate how I learned some about myself from each Source of Faith.

• From this spiritual discipline, I have been able to write my own Credo. The Mystic Credo is how I strive to live my life.

• I tried to avoid all theology in writing this Credo. I have a broad sense of Divine.

UU Spiritual Discipline

• I have pursued an elusive Spiritual Discipline for over thirty years.

• I have stumbled into a suggestion; and I have the bruises and scars to prove it.

• Yes, I am bold enough to say that I have a suggestion. Heaven forbid that I dare say, “I have ‘The Answer’”, to other UU’s.

• I am grateful that you have given me the opportunity to share my beliefs and experiences with you.

Credo as a Spiritual Discipline

• Adhering to these credos is my spiritual discipline.

• I encourage you to write your own Credos or personal belief statements. Credo is Latin for I believe.

– You may choose your own credo that strives for simplicity, nonviolence, or other value that resonates with you.

• Credos can guide us in seeking the sacred in our ordinary lives.

• Credos can guide us in being more spiritual and reverent in our relations to all life.

• Take each source and reflect on it. Can you recall a story or memory? How did it affect you and your beliefs or behaviors?

• Gather all your reflections in a journal.

• Review your journal to discover your sources of faith.

• Write a creation story, or a credo, or a poem on your beliefs.

Spiritual Journey

• In my spiritual journey, I have relied upon the UU Sources of faith to get through some very difficult times. Through out my journey, I did not know what the Sources were.

• We must do more to teach the Sources and how we can learn faith from the them.

• From my experience, learning from our Sources of Faith is a spiritual practice.

• The way we guide each other in our search can be our spiritual discipline.

• At this time, the sources are not a complete guide. We must enhance our Sources of Faith to be a useful guide for spiritual journeys.

• If we do these things, Our Living Tradition will endure for the next millennium.

Opening Words - Core of Our Faith

• It became clear when I was read the following words from the UU World.

“I wish we did have a Unitarian Universalist spiritual practice or discipline so we could offer something to people looking for a spiritual discipline. If we knew what is at the core of our faith, then we would know how to search in our tradition rather than going elsewhere.”

Mark Hamilton, Commission on Appraisal

“Where is Unity in our Theological Diversity?”

Direct experience of transcending wonder and mystery

• The first source is a direct experience of transcending wonder and mystery. This experience is open to every person.

• How many of you have sensed a oneness with forces that create and sustain life?

– First time to smell a flower

– Watch the clouds and see patterns

– Stop a meeting to see a lunar eclipse

– Wake up to see shooting stars

– Seen a close view of Mars

– Feed a deer in the wild

• If you can sense the Eternity and Infinity in life around us, if you feel a kinship with the Divine, then you too are a mystic!

• Emerson and Transcendentalists were American mystics. Their spiritual practices inspired the sources of our faith. But, they did not leave us with a spiritual discipline.

Addressing the Mysteries Within

• In my opinion, the first source is incomplete. We must talk more about the Divine, rebirth, the mysteries within us, divine spark, and inner voice.

• There are mysteries within us. Each of us has gifts and talents to discover. By knowing how to follow our own bliss we can explore these mysteries and learn to live authentic lives.

• Our souls continue to grow through life experiences, especially the painful ones. We must learn more about the Renewal of the spirit. Mystics understand the rebirth process; the born-again experience in this life come from active quest and devotion to the Divine. Rebirth leads to Wholeness.

• Mystics talk about the divine spark in each of us. Even with a divine spark within us, we are human. As a religion, our sources must address how we overcome our fears and limitations.

– For me, Rebirth entailed risk of insanity and death, but led to Wholeness.

• Our sources must include our relationship to the Divine. Our teachings must address the mysteries within us.

Wisdom from prophetic men and women

• Words and deeds of UU prophets urge us to action.

• As UU’s, we confront powers and structures of evil in every arena:

– Freedom and equality

– Human rights

– Separation of Church and State

– Tolerance of diversity

• Thoreau wrote Civil Disobedience. How many have read it?

• Gandhi read Thoreau and drew inspiration for his Nonviolence campaigns. Martin Luther King drew inspiration from Thoreau and Gandhi to conduct his Nonviolence campaigns.

• Words of our prophets have affected the lives of millions around the world.

Study our own prophets

• We must read and study our own prophets. Numerous books have quotes from UU prophets. So, I collected a series of UU quotes for our youth to read.

• I recently shared a quote from Albert Scweitzer with my RE class. Unfamiliar with this Universalist missionary, one youth asked if he was a Nazi. Our youth must read about Albert Scweitzer and his Reverence for life.

• As we read from our prophets, we learn to be a prophet ourselves. In our daily lives, each of us has the opportunity to promote peace, justice, tolerance, and love to those around us.

• James Luther Adams would call this, the Prophethood of All Believers.

• Let us start collecting the quotes of UU prophets.

Judeo-Christian heritage

• There are three methods we can use to draw inspiration from our Judeo-Christian heritage.

• We can understand those influences that affect our faith tradition

– In the days of early city states, the Jewish prophets realized the need for charity to care for those suffering from economic misfortune that affect any one of us.

– Jewish prophets insisted that even Kings must live ethical lives.

• We can reclaim spiritual practices that were lost over time

– In the Old Testament, a number of people were successful because of their dreams.

– After exodus from Egypt, Mose’s sister Miriam led the people in dance.

• We can compare Judeo-Christian traditions with other religions.

– Many Judeo-Christian teachings have parallels in other religions. The Golden Rule is universal in many religions.

– Good Samaritan story has a Buddhist version. We should gather and collect such wisdom stories.

• Personally, I believe that we All have a spark of the Divine within us. I believe that this is a central tenet of the teaching of Jesus - the Kingdom of God is within you. We are all children of the Divine.

Wisdom from world religions

• Emerson drew inspiration from reading Hindu and Chinese scriptures. For example, the familiar “Deeds not creeds” evolved from Emerson’s interpretation of Bhagavad Gita. As much as Emerson drew inspiration from other religions, he did not leave us with a spiritual discipline for learning from other religions.

• There is much to learn from other religions. A easy way to get started is to read a book of world prayers for 365 days. There are several books that address universal truths:

– Healing, Hope, Peacemaking, Forgivenes, Honesty

• My family starts our Evening meal by reading a prayer from world religious leaders. We take turns selecting and reading a prayer.

• And yes, these books do contain many quotes from UU prophets.

Learning from other religions

• For those who have the time and interest, there are many ways to study world religions. For those able to see beyond rules and rituals, there are many spiritual treasures.

• As seekers, we are free to compare the sayings of Jesus and Buddha.

• As seekers, we are free to study the influence

– of Zoroaster on Christianity with Magi and angles

– Of Mithra on Christmas and the Last Supper

• As seekers, we are free to study different spiritual practices and to create our own rituals.

• As seekers, we are free to study mystics in every religion. Most mystics tell about Seeking the Divine within Ourselves.

Reason and Science

• Reason is the engine of our faith. Science is the transmission for understanding reality as it is.

• Charles Darwin, a Unitarian, challenged the Orthodox with his concepts of Evolution. Clarence Darrow, a Unitarian, defended the teaching of evolution. Recently, DNA tests have shown 99.8% correlation in genetic structure of chimpanzees and humans.

• We teach value clarification in many UU classes. We use reason to examine our values and our actions so we can live our lives with Integrity.

• The OWL curriculum is a wonderful example of how UU’s rely upon scientific facts about our bodies to inform our youth about human sexuality.

• A UU librarian recently bought her daughter some books that provide factual knowledge of human reproductive process. Later, she learned that four of the books are on Banned Book list. She said, “Yes, I knew they were really informative books.”

Supplementing Reason with Other sources

• The source of reason and science is too narrow and unbalanced. Faith cannot be based on reason alone. Objectivity can be too sterile and can even be an idolatry of the mind.

• The Bible tells about the importance of dreams, yet many do not study dreams as a religious discipline. Carl Jung studied the Unconscious and the importance of dreams.

• Know that the discovery of DNA was a revelation from a dream.

• Science has provided factual information to undermine Mythologies as literal truths. Yet, Joseph Campbell has studies Mythologies and explained the importance of knowing the Hero myths. In a recent class, I taught the Hero Myth and how each of us struggles to become a hero or heroine in our own lives.

• This source does not discuss Emotions. I have been helped by several sermons on anger. There are scientific studies on emotions and emotion management. I want a source that helps us to feel and live our emotions in a balanced and healthy way.

• The source of reason presumes that that mind is paramount. As a mystic, I know my Body as a temple for the Divine.

• We must supplement reason and science with these other sources to assist people in finding Wholeness.

Earth based

• We have much to learn from Earth-Centered religions. Ten thousand years of wisdom has been lost from the oral traditions.

• The term Mother Nature has lost its sacredness. If we see the Divine in all plants and creatures, then we should live in Relationship with the Divine. The Earth is our Mother.

• People of the Book have forsaken dreams. The ancients knew Dreamtime as Gateways to Soul.

• Science has relegated Myths to be mere stories. The ancients knew Myths as Gateways to Unconscious. Myths showed relationship to the Divine.

• In class, we studied a dozen creation myths. These creation myths all include Earth,water, fire, air - essential ingredients for life. Is water ordinary? Or, is it precious and sacred?

– What is the oldest thing in this room? Sophia Fahs. No water

• Hero myths help us grow on our spiritual journeys as we encounter and overcome adversity. Hero myths help us to find our gifts with and then give these gifts to community.

Mystic’s View of UU Sources

• First, we don’t really teach our sources

• We need to explore the sources to deepen our faith

• I have a heretical view of UU Sources

• The Greek meaning for heretic is “to choose or decide”

• The focus of today’s sermon changed as I reviewed the sources and identified what is missing.

Recent Experiences

• Attended Renaissance module and learned of need to emphasize UU sources and principles

• Incorporate UU principles and sources into youth ceremony

• Admission that I am a mystic

– In service on East African religious practices, someone asked what strange things a Mystic does

• UU sources have a Mystic orientation, mild yet incomplete

Holy Book

• People write Holy Books to unite a group in same beliefs

• Holy Books contain Myths, Rules, History, Rituals of a local group

– Yet adherents claim Univeral truth

• UU’s are awaiting the revised editions

– Thomas Jefferson wrote his own edition

• There are some universal truths in many Holy Books

– Emerson drew inspiration from reading Hindu and Chinese Holy books

Creed or Dogma

• People use Creeds to define the In Group

• Over time, UU’s have tried unsuccessfully to define a UU creed

Divine is not of this World

• Orthodox teach that divine is not of this world

• Orthodox teach that you need someone else to tell you about the divine

• Mystics in all faiths find own ways to experience the Divine in this world

Commandments and Rules

• Rules were very important to formation of early civilizations

• Spirituality does not grow from rules alone.

• Spirituality is a process of discovery and growth.

• Values and principles are important to formation of character.

Sources of UU Faith

• Our Faith is not an Orthodox religion so we can never define it by using orthodox terms of reference.

• We organize our hymnal according to our Sources of Faith, but we rarely talk about them. Are they taboo? Are they just nice words?

• If we don’t talk about our Source of Faith, if we don’t teach our Sources, then how can they guide our spiritual growth?

• I stumbled frequently in my search for meaning. I just examined the Sources and realize that I could have used the Sources to guide my search.

• Having survived a perilous journey, I see ways to teach the Sources as a spiritual path.

• Today, let us explore and examine how the sources can shape our souls

Miscellaneous

• There are mystics in all world religions. For that matter, many of the prophets were mystics. In my view, there are at least ten common aspects of being a mystic.

• To be a prophet, we must be centered and balanced. We should first find the treasure within our Self. Science has evolved from priests who studied the heavens. They started Astronomy and mathematics to understand the natural laws.

• We rely on Science to observe and test assumptions of reality. Like ancient druids, we use nature to preserve and prolong human life.

• Spiritual discipline must have a process and a result.

– We perform athletic drills to train ourselves in sports

– We read textbooks to prepare ourselves for careers

Wildflower

• May your life be like a wildflower

• Growing freely in the wild beauty

• And joy of each day.

– Native American proverb

Struggles

• Life has meaning only in the struggles.

• Triumph or defeat is in the hands of the Gods.

• So let us celebrate the struggles.

– Swahili

Dance for Joy

• May all things move and be moved in me

• And know and be known in me

• May all creation

• Dance for joy within me.

– Chinook Psalter

Prayerstick

• May my body

• Be a prayerstick

• For the world

– Joan Halifax

True Wisdom

• The only true wisdom lives away from mankind, out in the great loneliness,

• And it can be reached only through suffering.

• Privation and suffering alone can open the mind of a man to all that is hidden to others.

– Igjugarjuk,

Renew the Spirit

• There is no form without the gift of the Mother and the Father.

• From Father Sky comes your consciousness and Mother Earth is your very bones.

• To sense the balance of the Mother/Father, Father/Mother within one’s own being, one’s own nature, is a way to renew the Earth, to renew our hearts, to renew the vision.

– Dhyani Ywahoo

Unbounded Deep

• I am the unbounded deep

• In whom the waves of all the worlds

• Naturally rise and fall.

• But I do not rise and fall.

• I am the infinite deep

• In whom all the worlds

• Appear to rise.

• Beyond all form,

• Forever still

• Even so am I.

– Ashtavakva Gita