So that little thing that we call The Protestant Reformation? You know the one. Apparently, it didn’t stick. Well, at least not all of it. While Martin Luther may have convinced the people of his time that Papal Indulgences–getting an extra leg up on going to heaven by giving money to the Catholic Church–were silly and completely unethical, it appears that thinking is now outmoded.
Now, I certainly will not make the claim that a fair-share pledge to Northwoods will get you to heaven. It would be in poor taste for me to promise that you’ll end up in a place that I don’t believe in. But I can promise that it will get us that much closer to being The Church That We Know We’re Capable Of Being. It’ll help us roll up our sleeves and get down to the business of building a more loving, peaceful, ethical, interconnected and just world.
And isn’t that what the kingdom of God is really about?
While Eating Ethically is a hot topic among Unitarian Universalists these days, eating affordably is the priority for many.
Once you’ve gotten past the basics (don’t eat out, cook at home, prepare things from scratch, cut down on meat consumption, eat seasonally), and you find that your grocery bill still could use some trimming, then check out this database of searchable recipes. You can search by price-per-serving, among other factors.
In my mind, eating more simply, closer to the actual natural state of the food itself is ethical eating. Good for the pocketbook, too. How do you balance food budgets and wanting to put your values on your plate?
Perhaps it’s inevitable in this country, sick as it is with the consumer mentality, that we happily extend that to our spiritual lives, as well. Too often, people equate church with a product…and then treat it like they do other products, expecting the most return for the least investment.
What would it be like if, instead, we allowed church to be the one place where we experimented with an anti-consumerism…with the free giving of our selves and resources…where we could really begin to learn what it might mean to live from a place of abundance, rather than scarcity?
I believe it’s possible. It’s counter-cultural, but it’s definitely possible. Money is pretty absurd, after all….
So some of you might know, I’m participating in a clergy exchange program sponsored by the Anti Defamation League of Houston. My exchange partner is Rev. Chris Lake, of Tree of Life Lutheran Church in Conroe. (We ought, by the way, seriously consider participating in this program of the ADL. Who wants to spearhead!?)
I caught this story on NPR…but what caught my eye the most was the initial comment.
What, the commenter asks, does Jesus have to do with Racism?
After I scooped my jaw up off the floor, I composed a relatively quiet response. And then I wondered…what would all of you say in response? You can leave comments on that site or this…but conversations about racism are conversations we really ought to be having.
Northwoods Unitarian Universalist Church will be showing the award-winning movie on families, religion, and acceptance of sexual orientation, For The Bible Tells Me So on February 27 at 7 p.m. Through the experiences of five families–including those of former House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt and Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson–the movie examines how insightful people of faith handle the realization of having a gay child. Informed by such respected voices as Bishop Desmond Tutu, Harvard’s Peter Gomes, Orthodox Rabbi Steve Greenberg and Reverend Jimmy Creech, For The Bible Tells Me So offers healing, clarity and understanding to anyone caught in the crosshairs of scripture and sexual identity. A discussion will follow the movie.
There are some stories that need telling, that we would rather we didn’t. It’s much easier not to, after all. Because the problem is that once you’re awakened, you’re…well…awake. And it’s awfully hard to get back to sleep again.
I admit, I may have found this funnier because I used to work at Starbucks and now I work for a church, but at the same time, I think it’s worth a look for any of us who are concerned about the experience of the visitor at our churches. Many of these are classic mistakes that church makes. Some of them are mistakes we make, from time to time. What would you change, in this video or here at Northwoods, to make us the truly welcoming place we wish to be?
