Yesterday I had the pleasure of being involved in the Greater Lowell Interfaith Leadership Alliance (GLILA)’s Annual Spring Gathering for Peace. [I live in downtown Lowell, so I participate in GLILA. I also participate in the Greater Littleton Interfaith Council (GLIC).]
Here’s a video from yesterday’s virtual interfaith event of GLILA. If you watch on YouTube, click on “show more” in the description for blue time stamps that will take you to any particular part of the event.
To set the tone for the inauguration tomorrow, President-elect Biden led a memorial to remember and honor lives lost to COVID-19. He asked for churches to turn on their lights and ring their bells on Tuesday, January 19 at 5:30 p.m.
First Church Unitarian participated. You can watch the video above (just click on the arrow in the image). Sexton Henry Whitcomb, Jr. rang the bells (16:06). After the bells rang, I said the names of loved ones (18:17) that members and friends of FCU have lost to COVID-19 : Bud Hunt * Fernando Torres * Jean Champagne * David Friedman * Gail Whittle * Barbara Fleming * Meredith Price * Peter Overby * Yolanda Bartlett * Barbara Anthony * Reed Anthony * I then concluded with a prayer.
Today was Martin Luther King, Jr. Sunday at church. I always love this Sunday. Every year, I am amazed again at King’s words and ideals and prescience. If you wish, you can watch the service (click on the arrow in the picture below). If you watch on YouTube, click “show more” to see the Order of Service.
I tried to put King’s ideas into our 2021 context. One thing is for sure… King always challenges us. And he always inspires me.
This Sunday, my homily title was “Imagine a More Perfect Union”. I began to gather my thoughts about what happened at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. If you want to listen to my homily, it is here on YouTube (it starts at 24:27):
We are not out of the woods yet. One of my colleagues noted that the most dangerous time in an abusive relationship is when you try to leave it. That’s how this feels to me. We are trying to leave an abusive relationship with our would-be-dictator, and therefore our very safety is threatened. I am quite concerned about events which more reactionary insurrectionists are apparently planning for next week and the Inauguration. Some fear another attempted coup, and it’s (tragically) hard to rule that out.
We are indeed responsible for what happens next. I pray that democracy prevails.
I wrote the previous post on January 6 before the attempted coup by white supremacists, in case you were wondering. Today I will attempt to capture some of my thoughts in my homily, though my head is still spinning, like everyone else’s.
The annus horribilis 2020 has finally ended. May 2021 be better! So far, with the election of Rev. Raphael Warnock, it’s looking up!
Meanwhile, First Church Unitarian had its (virtual) year-end services, the Christmas Eve Candlelight Service and Potpourri Sunday. This past Sunday we had our traditional year-starter, the Remembrance Service. The rest of January will follow the Soul Matters theme of imagination. I’m looking forward to it!
I must recommend to you this incredible vocal performance by the 4-year-old daughter of our Music Director. It’s one minute and 8 seconds of time incredibly well spent, so do yourself a favor and listen! Video:
Happy Winter Solstice! Happy Yule!
Yesterday’s online-only service (you can watch here) got me in the Yuletide spirit. I don’t mean to pat myself on the back for this, because it was mostly the Yule ceremony as done annually by parishioners that got me into the mindset. Usually, the Yule celebration would happen on a Saturday night, but pandemic logistics made that essentially impossible. I was pleased that it worked quite well for a virtual service. It was sweet to see so many faces from the congregation — and to see some stark-but-lovely winter solstice scenery. It was a bonus to have The Firehouse Band’s version of “The Christians and the Pagans” for the gathering video music. Also, The Church Choir was in full voice and sounded amazing! Many thanks to parishioners Carole Tillis and Carolyn McCreary who did so much to make the Yule celebration happen.
I have been sickened by what protesters “attending a Pro-Trump rally” in D.C. did over the weekend. There was violence, and there were blatantly racist actions like burning Black Lives Matter signs at historically black churches.
The Rev. Dr. Ianther M. Mills (senior pastor of one of the churches in question) said, “For me it was reminiscent of cross burnings.” You can read more on this CNN webpage.
Obviously racism is nothing new in this country. But it is beyond troubling that blatant racists with a penchant for intimidation and sometimes violence have been winked at by the President of the USA for the past four years.
I hope and pray that we can get to a better place in this country before it is too late. May 2021 be the beginning of a new era.
I know Hanukkah is considered to be a minor Jewish holiday, but I have always thought it was a lovely holiday in so many ways. Today I attempted to share one small part of my appreciation for the holiday (you can watch the service here.) I bought a menorah (or hanukkia) for the Hanukkah of 1993, my last year in the US Navy. I can’t even remember what motivated me to do it. I was in the process of applying to seminary that year, so maybe the study of world religions was on my mind. I have lit the menorah for Hanukkah ever since, trying to be as respectful as I can. I am not Jewish, so it’s certainly not the same experience as it would be for a Jew. But I do feel closer to the Divine when I do it, and I feel solidarity with my Jewish siblings when I do it. I hope that that’s a sign that my practice is for the good.
Last Sunday, December 6, I preached on Zen Buddhism (in honor of Bodhi Day, celebrated traditionally by some on December 8). Now I have Buddhism on my brain, which is wonderful — but it makes it harder to get in the right mindset for Advent, and tomorrow’s Hanukkah homily, and the following Sunday’s solstice/Yule service!
Bah!
But, it was worth it.
I have been a tai chi chuan practitioner for about 15 years, and so I’ve always felt drawn to Taoism. Now I’m feeling a very close tie to Chan Buddhism (the Chinese form of Buddhism that “traveled” to Japan and became known as “Zen”).
I find that Chan Buddhism brings together many of the things that I hold dear, and after the “holidays” are over, I plan to dive in. Stay tuned!
Fool of Spirit 