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SERMON
September 16, 2007
"This Old House: Exploring Our Theological Identities"1 by Rev. Alicia Roxanne Forde
Genesis 1: 1-5 1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.
John 1: 1-6 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
Writes Unitarian Universalist Alice Blair Wesley:
The center of the free church, the heart of the whole thing, Is a promise of fidelity, a covenant, which each member freely makes Upon joining. Actually also, each member begins again with, or Renews, or renegotiates, his or her promise many times in the course Of the life of the church, in the privacy of renewed conscience or Spiritual growth.2
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Have you noticed that we’ve moved? I know that this was hard work. This move. I know that there were many hands and minds toiling to make it Happen…to make it successful and that there are still many Hands and minds – toiling. We’ve moved in to a new house. Any body recall what that’s like? Moving? There was a period in my life that I had the pleasure of moving Every year. Every year! Packing boxes, unpacking boxes…lifting, whittling, rearranging, and Most of all: getting used to a new space. It often felt like beginning my life over and over and over again.
In time, I began to notice that there were pieces and parts of my Identity that would emerge or recede depending on where I was living, What items were in storage, and what items I kept with me.
In time, I began to notice that each move – though exciting in its own Way, was also wrapped up in loss. On the day I climbed the steps that led in to the airplane That would take me from Tobago to New York City, I cried. I cried – though I knew an exciting future was waiting for me I cried, because I knew no other language for the letting go that I Was experiencing I had no words in my vocabulary to describe the awful pain in My chest. Home. I was leaving home. I was leaving my mother… I was leaving my grandmothers…and uncles, and aunts, and all those
Cassette tapes I’d spent hours putting together. That last question would bring fresh tears.
Of course, I’d also moved as a child. Each new house a wonderland… Rooms and backyards and new neighbors to discover But, it was leaving the island of my birth that helped me to understand That excitement and grief can co-exist inside the same moment – sometimes Companions to each other.
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Moving often signaled something else for me… That a different phase of my life story was unfolding. Though things may look the same, something new was being born out of all the past experiences I’d had… which isn’t to say that this synthesis isn’t happening even if I’m still living in the same place… It is to say that there is something about moving that makes it More poignant… More tangible.
Moving often signals a chance to begin…or is it more Appropriately called return? Return again…to ground myself, Discern my reason for being…make known to myself and those In my community why I think I exist.
As such, it should come as no surprise to you that when I moved From New York City to F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne WY, after a short stay at Lackland Air Force Base, TX One of the first things I did was find a church home to ground me While I tried to discern my reason for being.
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But, what happens when the church community is the one who moves? I went to church to ground myself and discern…. Where does the church community go to ground itself and Discern its reason for being? Where does the church community go to re-group, renew, and articulate its mission? Where does the church community go to return again…to their beginning?
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This sermon has had multiple beginnings…doesn’t everything? Doesn’t everything have multiple creation stories? Myths That describe how they came in to being?
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Every good story has a beginning, a middle, and an end Or so we’re told. The Book of Genesis opens with: “In the beginning” In that time before there was time In that place before place and order existed In that formless void…In that beginning: God created.
In the beginning…earth was formless and empty – so says this Creation myth, Earth was formless and empty…the Spirit of God was hovering Pondering what to do with this nothingness. And then, as if inspired, awakened, moved to mold, God spoke, saying: Let there be light.
In the beginning was the Word Declares the book of John Chapter 1 In the beginning was the Word… And the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word…Logos, divine wisdom manifest in creation…
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Word, Logos, Myth. Story. Creation story…every organization has one. Every person has one. A story, a myth – sometimes bound up in history, in fact – A story or a myth that tells of how they came to be.
Out of nothingness, out of mystery, and/or out of life evolving Something new and potentially wonderful is born molded, created, built…built.
The very idea of building conjures up images of major developers, builders, a designer, an architect… In the beginning, God said: Let there be light And with God in the beginning was Logos, divine wisdom Manifest in creation – // what a beginning to a story. What a beginning…
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And what about us? Our story? Our beginning…In our beginning… This is where the formula of “beginning, middle, and end” Falls apart, That tidy formula which suggests a single beginning rushing or flowing smoothly on to the page of time, the pages of history…moving toward a definite and definitive end. In our beginning – which beginning?
Who, what architect, pondered over us, and finally spoke: Let there be light, Let there be Unitarians and Universalists and suddenly …we existed where before there was nothing but a formless void.
But isn’t true, that we – or at the very least, people like us, have always been around…in thought…in philosophy Coursing through time, Dissenters and heretics Seekers and meaning makers – creating room for the transformation Of belief systems…developers…creating something new out of What was or is. Catalysts, we are, for change?
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And so here we are, gathered… Returning again…casting our questions In to the deep Who are we? What defines us? What is our story…our beginning? How shall we continue to make meaning as a community? Questions of identity and mission…questions that almost Demand that we reach back in to the historical and theological archives and understand from whence we came…
And we do this together…since, the place for the Church community to be – to re-group, renew, and articulate its mission Is, where else but with each other?
And so here we are, gathered…and something has changed, is changing…will continue to change the story – ever unfolding – is calling us to a new chapter In our journey together.
Calling US…to a new chapter, the story is calling US By name, yes: Namaqua Unitarian Universalist Congregation
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Come, invites our story, let us build pathways pathways that leads up to the doors of this old house that we Might live and reflect on and practice our vision of community. Our vision for this now and for the future We who are grounded in the firm foundation of the “free church” Are being called to synthesize the experiences of our past and write a new chapter in our ever unfolding story.
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Come, invites our story, let us build pathways That lead up to our doors… And how shall we frame those doors? Will it be wide enough? Tall enough? Flexible and expansive enough to allow our vision to move through, evolve…turn and twirl? For us who are grounded in Universalist theology believe that this is the world we seek Justice for…this here, this now and it is only through our agency that this justice is achieved. Only through our collective and creative wisdom that our Vision which must include a deep desire for justice and peace and love can be made manifest in our lives and in our world.
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Come, invites our story, let us make windows as wide as our walls So that we may see and appreciate and learn from our neighbors On their various journeys of faith; So that we are reminded that we work, but we do not work alone; That we have vision, but ours is one of many visions That we are a community held together by promises and covenants – not Rigid and creedal – but dynamic and open to change
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Come, invites our story, let us attend to our roof as much as the chimney. Asking how can we provide healing, comfort and safe refuge While taking seriously that many of us speak different names for that which Helps us make Ultimate meaning of our lives? Asking how can we hear ourselves in the words of others…bridging The language and philosophical divide to find common ground upon which to stand… For certainly we journey on common ground.
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If you’re willing and able, Rest both feet firmly on the ground beneath you. Feel it the…tap your feet lightly…though you may believe Differently from the persons sitting on either side of you, Though you may use different names for the holy and sacred Experiences in your lives, Though you may be uncertain of the presence of a greater mystery… Together, your feet are capable of making a mighty sound. Together, your feet are resting on this foundation…this common ground That is Unitarian… That is Universalist That is Unitarian Universalist Which, in the beginning, had roots deep in Protestantism Which, in the beginning, had roots tangled in Christianity Which, in the beginning, had roots that branched – first tentatively – Out in to religious pluralism…embracing other religious thought Embracing the idea of salvation for all Embracing the notion of justice where justice seemed lacking And so this foundation was built…developed over time… So many beginnings…(adlib) And we are a part of that story. We who are returning again…to the home of our souls.
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What does that mean? As a church community? To return to the home of our souls? Having just moved in to this house? This house that is not yet our home?
What does it mean to return again? Alice Blair Wesley writes: “…each member begins again with, or renews, or renegotiates, his or her promise many times in the course of the life of the church…”
She says that this is the center of the free church, And “the free church is held together by, insofar as we live by it, the spirit of this promise."3 -- this promise that we make.
We who have gathered in this new house, Are being invited to Come, and return again To the home of our soul… The soul of our community… the soul is wide and deep and we’ve built on its foundation…
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Yes, we have the foundation in place We’re working on the doors, the walls, the roof, the chimney, the windows We’re developing the pathways… We’ve got this old virtual U.U. house built and rebuilt; we’re adding on, Remodeling, doing some re-construction… And here in our new location, to become a home, we need spirit we need promise…as we begin again…
Says Wesley: each member begins again with, or renews, or renegotiates, his or her promise many times in the course of the life of the church.
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I know that we are not a testifying community So I won’t ask anyone to rise up and renew, or renegotiate His or her promise today, (unless you really want to, and then, I won’t stop you)
But, I will ask that we all renew our promises: Discerning our reason for being here. This church year beacons to us who inhabit this U.U. house of old Inviting us in to action, action that is grounded in reflection For there is no transformation without both
There is no sense of home without both… There is no sense of home without promise.
Moving is an opportunity for discernment. For new action that arises out of critical reflection… Who are we? What defines us? What is our story…our beginning? How shall we continue to make meaning as a community?
May we promise to ourselves and each other to do this critical reflection together; To act together…since, the place for the church community to be – to re-group, renew, and articulate its mission is, where else but with each other?
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In the beginning Who, what architect, pondered over us, and finally spoke: Let there be a community of loving, willing, justice seekers; Eager and committed to building a Unitarian Universalist Home in the Loveland/Berthoud area,
No one but us.
Amen.
1 Sermon borrowed from, and is heavily influenced by, Our Theological House – Rev. Rebecca Parker and Katie Erslev. 2 Redeeming Time: In the Beginning, Alice Blair Wesley, p. 3. 3 Ibid., p. 4.
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