tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203550362024-03-12T18:24:47.207-07:00Clergy Corner -- Rev. Amy FreedmanThis blog is the online archive of my "Clergy Corner" columns from the Newport Daily News during my tenure at Channing Memorial Church in Newport, RI. Visit my main site www.amyfreedman.net for additional news and writing.Rev. Amy Freedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356856145628220345noreply@blogger.comBlogger42125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20355036.post-33876982824545920952010-06-21T05:16:00.000-07:002010-06-21T05:21:55.918-07:00About this siteOn June 20, 2010 I concluded ten years of ministry at Channing Memorial Church in Newport, RI. While serving Channing I wrote a "Clergy Corner" column for the Newport Daily News. These columns are archived on this site. <br />
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For my present work and writings please visit <b><a href="http://amyfreedman.net/">AmyFreedman.net</a></b>.<br />
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<div style="overflow: hidden; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amyfreedman.net/"><img class="aligncenter" src="http://amyfreedman.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/amyfreedman_011.jpg" /></a></div>Rev. Amy Freedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356856145628220345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20355036.post-11459438201873592122010-06-19T05:05:00.000-07:002010-06-21T05:08:44.665-07:00Ministering in Newport was a blessing I'll carryThere are certain moments that I will never forget. One of those moments was the day I turned thirty. I happened to be on vacation at the time. In fact, I had left Martha’s Vineyard where I was serving the Unitarian Universalist Society to join my parents vacationing in San Miguel d’Allende, Mexico. Knowing that the Ministerial Search Committee of Channing Memorial Church would soon be making a decision, I called the Chairperson to let her know of my plans. My heart leapt when she called back to ask for a phone number where I could be reached in San Miguel just in case. Perhaps those folks felt the same sense of connection and possibility as I had during my pre-candidating weekend in Newport when the Search Committee and I exchanged our views of church and ministry. Although I was hopeful, I tried to push it from my mind. <br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">My folks and I were preparing to go out for dinner to celebrate my birthday when the phone rang. I had never before and have not since received a better birthday present! I accepted the invitation to be the Ministerial Candidate of Channing Memorial Church. After warm embraces from my parents, we left the house for the cobbled stone streets of San Miguel. The setting sun cast a glow that made the colors of the brightly painted houses and flowering plants even more brilliant. As my spirit soared, bells of a nearby church rang out! My parents and I laughed with joy in the beauty of the moment and the bright promise the future held.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In the Unitarian Universalist movement, the ministerial search process is an intense experience for both the minister and congregation. Both parties need to consider their history, style, strengths, weaknesses, goals, and dreams. Both parties prepare what is known as a packet, a binder filled with information more elaborate than a job description or a resume. After all, a church is not a business, a school, a club, or a service organization. Foremost, a church is a community of people with shared values, needs, and aspirations. Likewise, a minister does not just punch a time-clock and perform certain tasks ministry is a vocation or way of life that calls the minister to offer her thoughts, caring, ideas, and faith in service to the community.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">I am fortunate to have found a good match at Channing Memorial Church. The congregation’s vision of “Ministry Together” a strong partnership between lay leaders and a professional minister suited my collaborative style. It has been a gift for me to work with such talented, intelligent, and committed people. Together we have faced significant challenges, shared precious moments, and accomplished a great deal. I am proud that our church is now not only on the tourist map but known for making a difference in people’s lives. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Now, I am saying farewell to Channing Memorial Church and Newport, Rhode Island. Sunday, June 20<sup>th</sup> at 10:00am will be my farewell sermon. There are a variety of factors leading to my decision to depart. I will be taking time to consider new directions in my professional life such as ways to incorporate theatre and ministry, and pursuing further education. I also look forward to spending more time with my daughter Liza without the challenge of balancing full-time ministry and motherhood. Our family will be moving to Cambridge, MA. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Since announcing my resignation, Newport Daily News readers have approached me on the street to thank me for my columns. Many people have shared how my words have lifted your spirits or given you new insights. I am grateful for the opportunity to share my perspective with a wider audience. Just as my life has been shaped by the Channing community, living in Newport has been a blessing that I will carry with me always.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As a parting gift, I leave you with my prayer: <i>O Creator, who creates life and to which all life returns, you are as close as our beating heart and the cycle of breath. Where there are unresolved troubles in our minds, may we find clarity of purpose. Where there are heavy burdens in our hearts, may we discover a healing path. Where ever there is pain, whether in our lives, in our circle of loved ones, or in our world, may we become divine messengers through our prayers, our actions and our words. Peace to all. Love to all. Blessed Be.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i> </i><i><span style="font-size: 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-indent: 0.5in;"><br />
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</div>Rev. Amy Freedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356856145628220345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20355036.post-71476818883667720332010-05-22T19:09:00.000-07:002010-05-22T19:09:13.725-07:00Nature is a beautiful tool in restoring balanceIn his essay Nature, Ralph Waldo Emerson describes the ultimate transcendent experience. He writes that walking through the woods allows him to return to reason and faith. The beauty of the natural environment restores his sense of well-being. The burdens of other people’s opinions, personal challenges, and grief fall away. With his feet flat on the earth, bathed in fresh air and his vision uplifted, “all mean egotism vanishes”. Becoming a transparent eyeball is how Emerson describes the mystical sensation of being at One with the Universe.<br />
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Remember a time when you had a sense of this greater Unity with the world around you. In some of the most challenging periods of my life, I have walked the beach to remember that the world does not revolve around me. No matter how heavy my responsibilities or sorrows may seem, in Emerson’s words “the currents of Universal Being circulate through me.”<br />
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Ralph Waldo Emerson asserts that most people have a very superficial seeing of the world around us. Often our minds are so full of future plans or reviewing the past that we are blind to our surroundings. He writes, “The sun illuminates only the eye of the man, but shines into the eye and heart of the child”. <br />
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The first time I took my daughter Liza on the Cliff Walk she was about eight-months old. While unloading her stroller I imagined that she would enjoy seeing the ocean waves and feeling the sea breeze. In fact, Liza did enjoy the Cliff Walk. However, what she enjoyed was not the clear blue water or the sailboats on the horizon. She leaned forward smiling and connecting with all the people and dogs that crossed our path. Even more surprising, her little hand reached out from the stroller to feel the hedge as we went by. For me, hedges are nothing more than a nuisance, reminding me of the hedge that needs trimming at home. I followed her example and brushed my open hand against the hedge as we past. The tiny thick leaves were cool and soft; sensuous as velvet. <br />
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Communion with the divine is possible in nature. Liza reminds me that it is not necessary to travel long distance to exotic locations for this transcendent experience. Certainly, I have felt awe on the colorful cliffs of Aquinnah and surrounded by the great redwood trees of Muir Woods. But as Emerson writes, “The lover of nature is he whose inward and outward senses are still truly adjusted to one another; who has retained the spirit of infancy even into the era of manhood.” Liza recalls me to this sense of wonder and awe when she notices the play of light on a wall, the feel of grass through her fingers, the exhilaration of a rainy day.<br />
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In a poem entitled, “Each and All”, Emerson writes of a man who is so enraptured by the beauty of nature that he desires to possess it for his very own. In hearing a sparrow sing, he captures the bird in a cage. He collects seashells from the shore. He picks flowers along a woodland path. However, in taking these living things from their natural settings, he discovers that each loses their beauty. The sparrow sings but without the river and the open air, the song is not as sweet. The seashells are ugly and dry without the bright sunshine, sand, and tumbling waves. The beauty of the violets is somehow less without the dappled sunlight through the trees.<br />
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The poem concludes, “Beauty through my senses stole;/ I yielded myself to the perfect whole". As Emerson declares in Nature, "nothing is quite beautiful alone; nothing but is beautiful in the whole. A single object is only so far beautiful as it suggests this universal grace." <br />
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If there is something in human nature that causes us attachment and clinging, it is even more essential that we take the time to open our minds and hearts to our wider connection. Let us make it our practice to spend time in Nature not to capture it or collect it as our own but to remember that the whole “world is a mirror of the soul.” Then perhaps we can do as Emerson suggests and “Write it on [our] heart[s] that every day is the best day in the year.”Rev. Amy Freedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356856145628220345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20355036.post-47758513690594289212010-02-24T11:01:00.001-08:002010-02-24T11:01:38.893-08:00Those dealing with miscarriage should know they're not alone<DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT size=2 face=Arial> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">My daughter Liza turned one year old in December.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Her birthday party had all the classic traditions like streamers, balloons, doting relatives, and a smiling girl with her face covered in chocolate cake and vanilla ice cream.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>My husband, Peter and I enjoyed the party even more than Liza did as it was a celebration of the new family member who we had wanted for so long. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">At our wedding at <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Channing</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Memorial</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Church</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> in 2004, we exchanged vows in front of the congregation that we had written ourselves.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>As our officiant had us repeat after him, Peter added a word that demonstrated his enthusiasm.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Instead of saying, “I look forward to starting a family with you”, Peter blurted out “I <U>SO</U> look forward to starting a family with you!”</FONT></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">As much as we both longed to be parents, it turned out not to be as easy as we had imagined.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>After spending years trying not to become pregnant, I discovered that conceiving was not as simple as no longer using birth control and took much longer than we anticipated.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Once I was pregnant, I fully expected to carry the baby full-term.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>However, after a very public announcement, I suffered a miscarriage.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">I recognize that it may be shocking for a minister to be so candid about this subject.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>However, the reason for my disclosure is that after the miscarriage, I discovered how many people experience similar heartache.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The journey to becoming a parent is often not as smooth as it is commonly portrayed.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Despite all the beaming couples on television, quite simply, a positive pregnancy test result does not necessarily mean you will have a baby.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Twenty percent of all pregnancies end in miscarriage.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>For many couples who are having children later in life, the odds are even higher.</FONT></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">Nothing had prepared me for the bereavement associated with a miscarriage.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Even though the Doctor assured us that this was an isolated event most likely due to some sort of chromosomal error, it was hard to shake the feeling that I was somehow to blame.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I was gripped by fear and doubt about our ability to conceive a child.</FONT></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">As I grieved, numerous women and men came forward to share their stories with me.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Even though I knew many of these families intimately, I had no idea that so many of them went through the trials of delayed conception, miscarriage, and infertility.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>One couple thought they would never have a child after recurring miscarriages.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>However, they have a beautiful daughter who is an active member of our church.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Someone gave me a book explaining natural ways to enhance fertility. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Others described how adoptions made their families complete.</FONT></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">There is a weight of silence around the subject of conception that must be lifted.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It is important for anyone who would like to be a parent to understand that miscarriage and complications are a common occurrence.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>There is no need to feel shame or anxiety in isolation.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Chances are many people you know have experienced similar struggles.</FONT></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><o:p><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman"> </FONT></o:p></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class=MsoNormal><FONT size=3 face="Times New Roman">Even those who choose to have no children, or are far removed from that stage of life, can relate for we never know exactly how life will unfold.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It is difficult living in a place of cautious optimism.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Each one of us is expecting whether it is a new job, a search for a romantic partner, learning a new skill, trying a new routine, overcoming addiction, healing from a loss, opening ourselves to new people or places or ways of being.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Let us break the silence about the reality of failure and miscarriage.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In so doing, we can support one another in healing and open our hearts to the miracles of living.</FONT></P></FONT></DIV></DIV>Rev. Amy Freedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356856145628220345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20355036.post-65999256449140420142009-11-24T05:58:00.000-08:002009-11-24T06:08:07.054-08:00Native wisdom honors the power of relationshipsOn this weekend before Thanksgiving, I would like to honor the wisdom of North American tribes. As a part of a minister’s study group focusing on reconciliation, we read Returning to the Teachings by Rupert Ross. The author is a Canadian lawyer. As an assistant Crown attorney in northwest Ontario, Rupert Ross has been responsible for criminal prosecutions on more than twenty Cree and Ojibway First Nations. In his first book, Dancing with a Ghost, Ross looked at Aboriginal approaches to justice. In his second book, Returning to the Teachings, Ross examines the place of traditional wisdom within Aboriginal communities across Canada, where the approach to justice is not to punish, but to heal.<br /><br /> For three years, Ross travelled with Justice Canada to examine and experience first-hand what is known as “Peacemaker-justice”. For example, instead of punishing a group of teenagers for vandalism while under the influence of intoxicants, the Elder Council sought to understand what led them to seek this terrible state of mind and called on the whole community to address the addiction problems.<br /><br /> This type of justice based on healing instead of punishment, highlights a belief in Native cultures of interrelationship. It is impossible to punish and isolate one behavior from the influence of the surroundings and other relationships. Just as it is impossible to punish and isolate one person without also affecting his or her community.<br /><br /> Our lives are based on relationships. Any betrayal, hatred, violence or injustice we experience does not arise because the other person is inherently bad or evil. Any wrong-doing that we perpetrate does not arise because we ourselves are inherently bad or evil. Instead, these harmful actions demonstrate Disharmony. Just like a disease, when the functioning of our bodies is disrupted by an injury or virus, disharmonies in relationships upset the healthy functioning of a person, which directly affects our community and our larger world.<br /><br /> As you prepare to sit down to the Thanksgiving table, I encourage you to be mindful of the quality of your relationships. Sometimes we celebrate the holidays with our closest friends and family members who are frequent companions. Other times, we gather with relatives or friends whom we only see in this season. Sometimes we hold little in common or sometimes old grudges and misunderstandings also come as uninvited guests. As we gather to give thanks, let consider ways in which we can strengthen ties with those assembled. Instead of a special activity set apart from daily life or the role of an Elder, let each one of us embrace peacemaking and healing as our task; finding ways simple and profound to connect, to promote greater harmony, and to express gratitude.<br /><br /> As we celebrate Thanksgiving, let us remember that as human beings we are dependent on all. The Ojibway hierarchy of creation is not based on intelligence or beauty or strength or numbers, the four orders of creation are based on Dependencies. In the first place is Mother Earth and her life-bloods the waters for without them there would be no plant, animal or human life. Next is the Plant world for without plants there would be no animal or human life. The Animal world is third. Last, and clearly least important in this hierarchy come humans because nothing whatsoever depends on our survival.<br /><br /> We are the most dependent of all. Therefore, we owe the greatest duty of respect and care for the other of these three orders: Mother Earth, the Plant World, and the Animal World. Without them, we perish. Our role is not to subdue individual parts of them to meet our short-term goals because that may disturb the balance between them. Instead, our role is to learn how they interact with each other so we can try our best to accommodate ourselves to existing relationships.<br /><br /> May the nourishment we receive fuel us to be peacemakers, mindful of our relationships, and finding ways to live in harmony.Rev. Amy Freedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356856145628220345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20355036.post-43616319624514753812009-10-03T06:02:00.000-07:002009-11-24T06:05:23.134-08:00Sufi poet Hafiz celebrates loveHafiz is a lively spiritual companion. He is like the Persian Shakespeare, a master word-smith whose verses continue to shed light on the human condition. Many recite and sing his poems as a pathway to divine illumination.<br /><br /> Although Rumi is much better known in the West, Hafiz is the most beloved poet in his native Iran where his works outsell that of Rumi and even the Koran. Both are Persian poets in the Sufi mystical tradition. Rumi lived a century before and his works informed Hafiz. <br /><br /> Why is Hafiz virtually unknown to Westerners when he continues to inspire so many in modern day Persia? The answer is simple. Something was lost in translation. What is so amazing about Hafiz and why the analogy to Shakespeare is apt, is that in the original Persian, his words have multiple layers of meaning. He wrote in a poetic form called ghazal which is an ode or song of rhymed couplets. Often in trying to capture the rhythm of the language or to rhyme in English, the passion and meaning of the poetry has been significantly weakened.<br /><br /> Daniel Ladinsky has brought the spirit of Hafiz into English. As he does not know Persian, Ladinsky does not claim to offer translations, his books are subtitled “Renderings of Hafiz”. He offers Westerners not a literal translation of the text or a recreation of the meter but a rendering of the poem’s spirit complete with emotion, humor, and insight. Ladinsky did this with the guidance of Avatar Meher Baba, a modern spiritual teacher with whom he studied in India for many years.<br /><br /> Shams-ud-din Muhammad was born in Shiraz, city of roses and nightingales sometime around 1320 AD. To give a sense of the historical period, his lifetime mirrors that of Chaucer. Even though he was poor and served a baker’s apprentice, he proved himself as a scholar at an early age excelling in memorization and calligraphy.<br /><br /> “Hafez” means “memorizer”, a title given to those who memorize the Koran in its entirety. The ability to recite scripture from memory is a way to be a channel of the Divine. A Hafez spends years not only memorizing but perfecting the recitation of all thirty chapters of the Koran. Hafiz did more than memorize the Koran and other great Persian poets, with the guidance of his spiritual teacher, he is said to have attained “Cosmic Consciousness” or “God-realization.”<br /><br /> The idea of attaining “Cosmic Consciousness” or “God-realization” conjures an image of someone with a holier-than-thou attitude. Someone with his head in the clouds, removed from the challenges of living and above earthly pleasures. One of the reasons that Hafiz is cherished as a spiritual companion to this day is because he is quite human. He understands the bereavement of losing loved ones—his father died when he was a boy and both his wife and only child passed away. Hafiz recognizes the struggles of life that can keep us from realizing our true nature. Unlike the dualism of some traditions that uphold the spirit as holy and the body as evil, Hafiz relishes the pleasures of the body as a manifestation of the sacred.<br /><br /> Hafiz continually celebrates God’s Love. His name for God is the Beloved. Instead of a judge, God is a kind loving presence who longs for our happiness if we only get out of the way. Hafiz calls on all people to become intoxicated with the beauty and sensuousness that surrounds us. The mystic invites us to have a crush on each miraculous living being that crosses our path. <br /><br /> If the Great Ones, all the spiritual teachers of various traditions are correct and Love is the energizing elixir of the Universe then how is it that we experience so much resentment and loneliness in our every day lives? Could it be as simple as Hafiz suggests—that we’re spiritually dehydrated? With all of our busyness and serious responsibilities, we neglect the most essential activity of life, drinking and serving Love. What if this ancient sage is not crazy? He could be right that “All a sane [person] can ever care about is giving Love”.<br /><br /> In the week ahead, notice when you feel cranky and judgmental and consider if you have taken time for Love. Unlike water, Love is free and readily available. You will find it in your own heart and all around you. You will find it when you smile at a stranger, breath in the fresh air, give thanks for the gifts of food that sustain your body, and soak in the energy of the sun.Rev. Amy Freedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356856145628220345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20355036.post-65598852044757084372009-09-05T04:35:00.000-07:002009-09-05T04:47:55.025-07:00Religious Education satisfies curiosities<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNckAMbkVtmO9XIp8VqdfUCy2Vho78xe3mzr09puoYNX7cxYNN-C1cI1boZPo4uE2ve0zfnW8LmcFQh8PnwgAX0jlPYwJzWBqu2k3qdO58hQZWVftRSW-Q0Lfl8UUZ_HOPK-EyEA/s1600-h/Halcyon-Amy.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 198px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNckAMbkVtmO9XIp8VqdfUCy2Vho78xe3mzr09puoYNX7cxYNN-C1cI1boZPo4uE2ve0zfnW8LmcFQh8PnwgAX0jlPYwJzWBqu2k3qdO58hQZWVftRSW-Q0Lfl8UUZ_HOPK-EyEA/s320/Halcyon-Amy.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5377946983005340674" border="0" /></a><br />Children often pose the most astounding questions. Where did I come from? Why is that man sleeping outside? How do I know what is right? Do you believe in God? Why is my brother so mean? If I wish hard enough, will it come true?<br /><br />Adults have confided in me that they are surprised and challenged by children's deep questions. So often these simple inquiries touch on complex ethical or theological issues. Children can sense when grown-ups are uncomfortable and can learn to stop asking. Even if we do not have all the<br />answers, it is important to nurture curiosity and reverence from a young age.<br /><br />William Ellery Channing, Newport native and father of American Unitarianism for whom our church is dedicated, wrote in 1830, "The great end in religious instruction is not to stamp our minds upon the young, but to stir up their own. Not to make them see with our eyes, but to look inquiringly and steadily with their own. Not to give them a definite amount of knowledge, but to inspire a fervent love of truth. Not to form an outward regularitybut to touch inward springs."<br /><br />The Religious Education program at Channing Memorial Church is designed to empower children and youth to engage directly with the beauty and struggles of life. Our classes are designed to foster self-confidence, respect for the inherent worth of every person, reverence for the interdependent web of existence, and encourage a life of compassion and service.<br /><br />Often couples who have different religious backgrounds or who are searching for a caring community of all ages will join a Unitarian Universalist congregation. Personally, I was raised attending a Unitarian Universalist church. My paternal side is Jewish and my maternal side is Catholic. My family found a religious home in a supportive community that honored our<br />interfaith heritage and nurtured our ongoing spiritual development. From an early age, I was taught that my thoughts, feelings, and deeds are valuable.<br /><br />The lessons learned on Sunday mornings helped me to understand that my actions have consequences not only for myself but also positively or negatively affect the interdependent web of life of which I am a part.<br /><br />Each year we offer classes in the following areas: World Religions, Unitarian Universalist principles, and Social Justice. This year's curriculum includes earth-based traditions, ethics, spiritual development, and making a difference in the world.<br /><br />In addition, Our Whole Lives (OWL) will be offered for 4-5 graders and 7-8 graders who enroll in this comprehensive sexuality education class. Although many people are surprised that a church would speak candidly about sex, the predominant misinformation, shame and pressure in our society make it essential. OWL is a curriculum developed by the Unitarian Universalist Association in partnership with United Church of Christ. O, the magazine published by Oprah Winfrey <a href="http://www.oprah.com/article/omagazine/200907-omag-adult-sex-education">featured this program</a> in a recent issue. We believe that honoring our bodies, having caring relationships and making healthy choices is essential.<br /><br />On Saturday, September 12, 10:00am-12:00pm, a Community Open House will be held at Channing Memorial Church, 135 Pelham Street in Newport. All are welcome to drop by the Parish Hall to register children or to learn more about our church. Halcyon Westall, our Director of Religious Education and I will be available to answer your questions and provide information about upcoming classes and events.<br /><br /><center><iframe marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=116384630076698886946.000459ae3bfdc1d0f856c&ll=41.489613,-71.318994&spn=0.016652,0.038452&output=embed" scrolling="no" width="425" frameborder="0" height="350"></iframe><br /><small>View <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=116384630076698886946.000459ae3bfdc1d0f856c&ll=41.489613,-71.318994&spn=0.016652,0.038452&source=embed" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 255); text-align: left;">Channing Church, Newport, RI</a> in a larger map</small></center>Rev. Amy Freedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356856145628220345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20355036.post-64337590208179861502009-06-15T14:08:00.000-07:002009-08-22T14:10:31.875-07:00Newport Pride Meetup this Friday at 6:30pmI hope you can join us! ~Amy<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPaU98LbI2AmfpWKC-9grfJDQKDBbnclSKGWHa5mGbfiAoW544vzOOA-I0AaYRWw1G1cdGDrunmC4mx2xZNe2SxU0ycpgfu7exFM63M5hyvwmHkMY_YKRZ7S-2D-yV1jKKuHSHw/s1600-h/newportpride1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 206px; height: 206px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUPaU98LbI2AmfpWKC-9grfJDQKDBbnclSKGWHa5mGbfiAoW544vzOOA-I0AaYRWw1G1cdGDrunmC4mx2xZNe2SxU0ycpgfu7exFM63M5hyvwmHkMY_YKRZ7S-2D-yV1jKKuHSHw/s320/newportpride1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5347665817222451458" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Newport Pride Meetup</span><br />This Friday from 6:30pm - 8:30pm<br /><a href="http://fineloosetea.com/">EMPIRE TEA AND COFFEE<br /></a>On Broadway in Newport, RI<br /><br />Join us for an informal gathering to meet, network and organize. This meeting we will be coordinating plans for marching in the RI Pride Parade on Saturday as well as discuss starting an <a href="http://www.interweavecontinental.org/">Interweave</a> chapter at Channing Church.<br /><br />On Facebook? You can RSVP to this event and invite friends here:<br /><a href="http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=90610198329">http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=90610198329</a>Rev. Amy Freedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356856145628220345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20355036.post-8577116439173451992009-06-10T06:55:00.001-07:002009-06-10T06:55:51.598-07:00Live Knowing Your Actions Matter<DIV> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>How relevant to modern life are Heaven and Hell?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Many religions hold that there are stages of Heaven and stages of Hell to which people are sent according to their good or bad deeds during life. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN></FONT></FONT><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>Egyptian tomb paintings from as early as 2500 BC show the jackal-headed god Anubis as the gatekeeper of the underworld.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Anubis would determine a person’s worthiness by weighing the deceased heart against the feather of truth.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The heart would be weighted down by bad deeds and lightened by good.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>When your life comes to an end, how will your heart measure up against the feather of truth?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>The idea of judgment after death is found in many religious traditions.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In Judaism the Jewish New Year is the time to reconcile your misdeeds so your name will be inscribed into the Book of Life.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In Christianity, St. Peter is sometimes depicted as the keeper of Heaven’s Gate where people will be interviewed in order to be admitted to Heaven, damned to Hell or sent to Purgatory where they might purge or make up for their sins.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In both Hinduism and Buddhism, it is believed that life is a wheel of successive reincarnations.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Between reincarnations, people arrive in the hall of the ruler of the dead where people are judged according to their right or wrong actions.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>People are then rewarded or punished in one of many different heavens or hells before being reborn.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Eastern religions emphasize the journey between lifetimes is one of consciousness.</FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>There are many different visions of Heaven.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Where the earth is chaotic and unpredictable, human beings look upward to the wheel of stars as a realm of immortality, order and harmony.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Paradise is also portrayed as a verdant garden like <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Eden</st1:place></st1:City> located somewhere on this earth.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Explorers were driven to discover an idyllic place with a perfect climate and fertile land where people could live in harmony with the world of nature.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Some believed it was an island without aging, disease, work, or private property.</FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>Heaven is sometimes depicted as a land of endless pleasure with food, drink, frolicking and music.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><st1:City w:st="on">St. Paul</st1:City> countered that “The <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceType w:st="on">kingdom</st1:PlaceType> of <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">God</st1:PlaceName></st1:place> does not mean food and drink but righteousness and peace and the Holy Spirit.”<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Rabbi Rav of the third century AD wrote, “There is neither eating nor drinking, nor any begetting of children, no bargaining or jealousy or hatred or strife.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>All that the righteous do is sit with their crowns on their heads and enjoy the effulgence of the Presence.”</FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>Where Heaven is a place of bliss and perfection, Hell is the opposite: a place of torment.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Some theologians proclaim that a perk of Heaven is that you can see justice served by witnessing those who wronged you being punished.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>I challenge you to consider your own views of Heaven and Hell.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>When you say, “Ah, Heaven!” what are you experiencing?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Physical pleasure?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Beauty?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Material Security?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Personal Achievement?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Peace?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Love?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>A sense of God’s presence?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Harmony with the natural world?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Here is the really tough question, do you receive satisfaction from the suffering of others especially those who you do not like or may have hurt you in some way?</FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>When you say, “Oh, Hell!” what are you encountering?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Physical pain?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Ugliness?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Loss?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Failure?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Frustration?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Hatred?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>A sense of isolation?</FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>As people of conscience, it is important to be mindful of what we hold as ideal for that is what motivates our actions.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It is equally important to consider how sometimes our misplaced striving after that ideal leads to suffering and thereby creates our own hell.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The ideal of a <st1:place w:st="on">Paradise</st1:place> with a perfect climate, trees always bearing fruit, a place without aging, disease or work has not been abandoned.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Consider how many modern conveniences, marketing campaigns, and resorts were born from those longings.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Super-sized meals deficient of nutrients, people purchasing luxury items on credit, and attempts to mask signs of aging can lead to lives out of balance.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Ironically, our desire for vengeance instead of reconciliation weighs on our hearts hurting us more than our enemies.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>The mystery of death and the afterlife remains.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>However, no matter who makes the final judgment whether it is God or karma, our own conscience or our impact on others—there is one conclusion, our actions matter.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Whether or not you believe in life after death or Heaven and Hell among us, all traditions teach the same lesson that our choices have consequences that can give rise to love or pain.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The path to healing and wholeness is through nourishing others. </FONT></FONT></P></FONT></DIV></DIV>Rev. Amy Freedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356856145628220345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20355036.post-66684396173356720022009-05-05T14:22:00.001-07:002009-05-05T14:22:39.318-07:00Hutchinson Helped Build a Bridge to a Better World<DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">One of the names being proposed for the new <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Sakonnet</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">River</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Bridge</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> is Anne Hutchinson. Like many early settlers, she moved to Massachusetts Bay Colony seeking to worship freely.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Anne had no formal education but was instructed by her father who was a dissident Puritan clergyman.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Anne and her husband William had eleven children when they arrived in the <st1:place w:st="on">New World</st1:place> in 1634 and their family eventually grew to fifteen.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Anne invited other women to her home where they studied the Bible, discussed religious issues, and current events.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>These gatherings were so engaging that soon men as well as women filled her home to participate in lively discussions.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Her following grew to eighty people, too large a gathering for a house so they moved to a church. </P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN> </P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Although the early settlers of Massachusetts Bay Colony left <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">England</st1:place></st1:country-region> in order to worship freely, they themselves did not believe in the free expression of religion.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The Puritans set up a theocracy where all people were expected to follow the same religious laws.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Anne Hutchinson directly challenged the moral and legal codes of the Puritans as well as advocating for the rights of women and Native Americans.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Like Rogers Williams, she was put on trial for her heretical views and banished from Massachusetts Bay Colony.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In 1638, Anne Hutchinson, her family, and sixty of her followers settled in Pocasset, what we now call <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Portsmouth</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">Rhode Island</st1:State></st1:place>. </P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN> </P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">At a time when women were told to be quiet and obedient, Anne Hutchinson spoke out and defied the established order.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>At a time when it was taught that women were cursed, Anne held a steadfast belief that to be a woman was a blessing.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Certainly, she had plenty of reasons to be complacent including the moral codes of the time and her massive responsibilities as the mother of such a large family.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>There was no model for her actions.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>However, she was moved by her own conscience, the teachings of her father, and her reading of the Bible which gave her a vision of a more harmonious world.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p> </o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">She started small, inviting neighboring women to join her for conversation.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Her message and the energy that resulted could not be contained.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In just four years from when she arrived in Massachusetts Bay Colony, her following grew enough to be perceived as a threat to the establishment. </P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"></SPAN> </P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">In 1639, a year after <st1:City w:st="on">Hutchinson</st1:City>’s group established Pocasset on the northern end of Aquidneck Island, half of the group led by William Coddington and Nicholas Easton moved south to form our city of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Newport</st1:place></st1:City>.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Following their conscience, many of them became Baptists believing in the separation of church and state.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This was codified into law in the Newport Town Statutes of 1641.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Newport</st1:place></st1:City> is one of the first secular democracies. </P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Many times, we become discouraged with the complexity and scale of the problems of our times.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>There are so many needs, so much that is broken and needs fixing.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The powers of government seem too entrenched with the interests of big business to really care about our well-being and that of the down-trodden.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Anne Hutchinson did not complain that she was born into the doomed generation or find excuses for inaction.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>She lived out her beliefs.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We must do the same.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p> </o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt">Living in a small state as we do, we have an opportunity to effect legislation and bring about positive change. One of the blessings of our country is that we are free to express our opinions and to advocate for change.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Our state senators and representatives work for us.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Whenever constituents take the time to communicate our message is taken seriously. </P><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">Although the outcome may not be clear from where we stand, a few people can build a bridge to a better world.</SPAN></DIV>Rev. Amy Freedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356856145628220345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20355036.post-78759188153912112112009-03-22T16:18:00.000-07:002009-04-01T19:27:31.944-07:00Channing Church launches capital campaign to restore steeple<object width="425" height="264"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/9dhyRxj9Y3s&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/9dhyRxj9Y3s&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="264"></embed></object><br /><br /><a href="http://www.channingchurch.org/">Channing Memorial Church</a> is a thriving Unitarian Universalist congregation located in the heart of Newport. First gathered in 1835, our congregation has been a vital and inspirational community for generations dedicated to the values of liberal religion.<br /><br />The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Ellery_Channing">Rev. William Ellery Channing</a> spoke at the dedication of the church first housed on Mill Street. It was Channing who first articulated what came to be known as Unitarian theology, that there is but one God. Driven by his inclusive faith and a passion for social justice, Channing was an influential leader. His thought gave rise to New England Transcendentalists Emerson and Thoreau and inspired intellectuals and reformers worldwide.<br /><br />The Unitarian congregation chose to build a Memorial Sanctuary to honor William Ellery Channing in his birthplace. A feat that, according to the minister of the time “the majority of the congregation considered impossible and some thought it an insane and wild dream, but they resolved to go forward.” The cornerstone bearing the words “We Build in Faith, Hope, Charity” was laid on Pelham Street across from the Old Stone Mill in 1880, the centennial of Channing’s birth.<br /><br />Many dignitaries gathered for the Centennial Celebration in Newport including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Bronson Alcott, and Julia Ward Howe. The newspaper reports of the time state that the building of the church was cause for celebration not only for Unitarians but for all people.<br /><br />Since its completion, the stone steeple of Channing Memorial Church has risen 130 feet above the skyline in Newport. Located on Historic Hill, the steeple can be seen from the water and when crossing the Pell Bridge. Newport’s tallest point, it is a symbol of religious freedom in a town known for religious diversity and tolerance.<br /><br />Since 1881, Newport has not only looked to Channing’s steeple for inspiration, they have listened to its music. Housed within is a rare nine-bell set of chimes, a massive musical instrument with bells ranging in size from 300 pounds to just over a ton. For over one hundred years, the bells rang out in celebration at weddings, tolled in mourning, and rang in solidarity with the joys and sorrows of the larger community. That is, until the year 2000 when neighbors began hearing a periodic clang in the middle of the night, the sound of bricks falling from within the steeple striking the historic bells.<br /><br />This phantom bell-ringing alerted church leaders to growing structural problems with the steeple caused by years of moisture freezing and thawing. This moisture found its way into the steeple through faults in previous repairs. A platform was constructed to protect the bells and a steel girdle was fastened to shore up the stone structure.<br /><br />“Rising to the Challenge!” is the theme of the Capital Campaign to repair the steeple and bells of Channing Memorial Church launched on March 1, 2009. Already members and friends of the church are rising to the challenge! Of the estimated cost of $1.2 million benefactors, church members, and Foundations have already contributed roughly $400,000. In December, Channing Memorial Church’s application for a “Save America’s Treasures” grant of $440,000 was approved. This grant is very competitive. Our successful application demonstrates that the Gilded Age Sanctuary is a treasure not only to our own membership but as a community asset. Our goal is to raise $400,000, the remaining third needed to restore our steeple and bells.<br /><br />This project is about more than stone and mortar. The steeple project is our opportunity to preserve a beacon of liberal religion for future generations. In the tradition of our namesake, Channing Memorial Church is an open and inclusive community dedicated to the values of equality, justice, and compassion. The church is open to all people for rites of passage, meditation, concerts, and educational opportunities; a safe haven for people of all religious backgrounds or none at all to join together for interfaith services and celebrations.<br /><br />To reconstruct a steeple is an act of faith. The tower of stone seems to defy gravity as it rises 130 feet into the sky. When so much music is recorded, it is an act of faith to restore a chime of bells to ring out with timeless music. This reconstruction project will begin this spring. When so many banks are floundering, you are invited to invest in a sure thing.<br /><br />Rev. Amy Bowden Freedman is the Minister of <a href="http://www.channingchurch.org/">Channing Memorial Church</a>, a Unitarian Universalist Church in Newport, RI.Rev. Amy Freedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356856145628220345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20355036.post-59347852256971148412008-12-05T10:41:00.000-08:002009-02-05T07:43:14.995-08:00Helping Our NeighborThe Good Samaritan is a familiar parable. A priest and a Levite, two esteemed members of society pass by a man who has been left mugged and beaten by robbers. However, a Samaritan, a person looked down upon in Jesus’ times, went out of his way to care for the stranger. This parable is so well-known that the word Samaritan means more than a native or inhabitant of Samaria, but is also defined as person who is ready and generous in helping others; someone who treats all who cross their path with the kindness of a neighbor or a friend.<br /><br />In the 1970’s, Darley and Batson conducted a psychological experiment to explore whether there is a link between personality traits and the likelihood of helping others. The experiment was conducted at the Princeton Theological Seminary with seminary students who were told that they were participating in a study of "religious education and vocations". The first stage of the study involved filling out a personality questionnaire on religious beliefs. One hypothesis Darley and Batson were testing was whether people who are religious for what it will gain them might be less likely to help than those who value religion for its own sake or who are searching for meaning in life.<br /><br />After completing the questionnaire in individual sessions, seminarians were sent to another building in which they were to give an oral presentation. Before heading on their way, half the subjects were given a copy of the parable of the Good Samaritan and were told that they would give a sermon on the subject. The other half were told that they would speak extemporaneously about job prospects for seminary students. This was to test whether people who were thinking "helping" or religious thoughts might be more likely to offer assistance.<br /><br />The other variable in the experiment was a condition of time. As they set off for the other building, some subjects were told that they were late, others that they were on time, and the third group that they had time to spare.<br /><br />The real behavior of interest occurred when the seminarians were traveling from one building to the next. In an alleyway, Darley and Batson had placed a man slumped in a doorway, head down, eyes closed. The two psychologists described him as an ambiguous figure like the man on the road to Jericho except fully clothed. This slumped figure could have been injured or drunk. As each subject passed the man moaned and coughed twice.<br /><br />The results of the experiment were shocking: sixty percent of the seminarians walked on without offering help. Those preparing to preach on the parable of the Good Samaritan were no more likely to stop than those speaking on another subject. In fact, some seminarians actually stepped over the man on their way to speak about the Good Samaritan. The personality profiles revealed no characteristics or religious beliefs that predicted helping behavior. The only factor that seemed to make a difference was the condition of time. Only a small fraction who were told they were late stopped to offer help, ten percent while sixty-three percent of those who thought they had time to spare, offered assistance.<br /><br />If these seminary students preparing for a "helping profession" like ministry, some actually on their way to speak on the timeless message of aiding one’s neighbor, did not stop, how much more likely is it that you and I might fail to notice or fail to take action when we encounter someone in need of help. The conclusion to this study was that ethical behavior can be viewed as a luxury as the speed of daily life increases! Personally, I do not want to live in a world like that.<br /><br />Although we may never encounter someone beaten, robbed and lying naked on the road, it is important to recognize that each person who crosses our path is our neighbor often with losses and injuries invisible to the eye but no less real. Let us live with open generous hearts, taking the time to notice those who cross our path and reaching out to one another with compassion. Performing simple acts of kindness and pausing to seek connection with one another is truly the spirit of the holiday season.Rev. Amy Freedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356856145628220345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20355036.post-51003639063955179022008-11-01T07:59:00.000-07:002008-11-11T08:01:37.241-08:00Times of hardship hold opportunitiesThere is a contest going on about how the world should be rendered. A contest about whether our lives should be governed by Might, Wealth, and Wisdom or Love, Distribution, and Righteousness. I am not referring to the current campaign for President of the United States. The contest is greater than the debate between the Democratic and Republican candidates. This contest is even greater than the current economic crisis or the ongoing War in Iraq and Afghanistan. The outcome of this contest will determine how we live our lives. More than that, it will determine the health of our planet and the well-being of the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.<br /><br /> In June, Walter Brueggemann, a Professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary addressed a gathering of Unitarian Universalist ministers. His address was so compelling that he inspired me to read his most acclaimed book, The Prophetic Imagination, and to consider how his message applies to our lives.<br /><br /> King Solomon flourished during the mid-tenth century BC. He is described both in the Hebrew Scriptures and the Qur’an as a leader of might, wealth, and wisdom. He was the third and final king of the United Monarchy, ruling for forty years over a land that divided into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah after his death. He was a prolific writer of proverbs and songs many of which are attributed to him in the Bible. Scriptures also attribute the building of the First Temple in Jerusalem, considered one of the ancient wonders of the world to his leadership.<br /><br /> Over the course of his reign, King Solomon experienced great commercial prosperity in part by trafficking in arms. Solomon virtually enslaved his nation to build the Temple and his palace. He taxed his subjects to poverty while he lived surrounded by luxury. Solomon had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses. It is an understatement to say he was a ladies man—he had one thousand wives.<br /><br /> The life of King Solomon is one to which many nations and individuals aspire today: Might, Wealth and Wisdom as the shining goal. Only, it is a goal that will never be reached. Within this worldview is an insatiable appetite for more at any cost. When Might, Wealth, and Wisdom are upheld as the ideals of living, then everything becomes a commodity, including other people.<br /><br /> This is what Walter Brueggemann calls “royal consciousness.” When the dominant culture extols political power, military might, and affluence, truth becomes equated with power; as the saying goes, “Might makes right.” When the goal of life becomes “The one with the most stuff wins” then victory remains very shallow indeed. The current credit crunch and home lending disaster was fed by this myth of the good life. A life surrounded by luxuries, new toys, and pretty objects that would somehow secure our happiness; an outward show of prosperity to demonstrate our worth to ourselves, our family, and the wider community.<br /> <br /> Through out the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, prophets present an alternative worldview to “royal consciousness.” Moses, Elijah, Amos, Nathan, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Jesus were more than political activists these Biblical prophets were teachers and poets. Through their words and actions, they demonstrated the World as a Neighborhood upholding the values of Love, Distribution, and Righteousness as the purpose of living. <br /><br /> As Jesus reminds his disciples in Matthew 6, it is not possible to serve two masters. Brueggmann asserts that the reason so many Americans feel harried and exhausted is because we are attempting to serve two worldviews. However, it is not possible to serve two masters. For us to order the World as a Neighborhood instead of as an Empire, we must recognize our responsibility to one another including how our choices impact the interdependent web of life. <br /><br /> I know that you as people of conscience share in my grief over the disparity between those who have in abundance and those who struggle just to get by. I know you share my pain over the current climate crisis and the plight of our fellow inhabitants of this earth. You also share my anxiety about the current state of the economy and how it may affect our future. Grief work is a precondition for joy. Unless we fully experience life in its pain and struggle, we remain unable to truly experience the beauty and wonder of life. Although none of us would wish this economic downturn, we must allow it to break through our numbness to inspire new priorities in our daily lives.Rev. Amy Freedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356856145628220345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20355036.post-77123784976713303942008-10-20T05:00:00.000-07:002008-10-20T05:42:27.786-07:00Margaret Starbird tonight at ChanningTonight at <a href="http://www.channingchurch.org/">Channing Church</a> will be presenting on the <em>Sacred Union at the Heart of Christianity</em>. Starbird's research was one of the sources inspiring Dan Brown's bestselling book and movie <a href="http://www.sonypictures.com/homevideo/thedavincicode/index.html">The DaVinci Code.</a><br /><br />This will be Starbird's second presentation at Channing. This evening she will be discussing the relationship between Jesus of Nazarith and Mary Magdalene. Starbird's research suggests a long supression of the role of Mary as the bride of Jesus Christ, a role she believes must be restored for Christianity to thrive today.<br /><br />7pm at Channing Memorial Church<br />Suggested donation $10<br />Google Map: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/channingmap">http://tinyurl.com/channingmap</a><br /><br />Starbird is the author of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Woman-Alabaster-Jar-Magdalen-Grail/dp/1879181037/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224505484&sr=1-1">The Woman with the Alabaster Jar: Mary Magdalen and the Holy Grail</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Magdalenes-Lost-Legacy-Symbolic-Christianity/dp/1591430127/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224505484&sr=1-2">Magdalene's Lost Legacy: Symbolic Numbers and the Sacred Union in Christianity</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Goddess-Gospels-Reclaiming-Sacred-Feminine/dp/187918155X/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224505484&sr=1-3">The Goddess in the Gospels: Reclaiming the Sacred Feminine</a>, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Magdalene-Bride-Exile-Margaret-Starbird/dp/1591430542/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224505484&sr=1-4">Mary Magdalene, Bride in Exile</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s?ie=UTF8&keywords=Margaret%20Starbird&index=books&page=1">others.</a><br /><div align="center"></div><div align="left"></div>Rev. Amy Freedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356856145628220345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20355036.post-7380134513087841902008-10-07T12:51:00.001-07:002008-10-10T07:14:31.236-07:00As one life passes, new life begins<span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;font-size:12;" ><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Ministry brings me in touch with the cycles of life on a daily basis.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I am called to be with members of the congregation in times of struggle and loss as well as times of joy when people welcome new life or commit themselves in love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This is one of the gifts of my calling that I am constantly reminded that our lives are precious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>That no other person or special moment should be taken for granted.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;font-size:12;" ></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;font-size:12;" ></span><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;font-size:12;" ><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">My understanding of the fleeting nature of existence motivates me to live without regret to the best of my ability.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>As I weigh decisions about how I will spend my time or the quality of relationships with other people, I constantly ask myself whether I have done the best possible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I try not to delay speaking words of caring concern.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>When someone is in my mind or heart, I reach out to them even if unexpected.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>When there is an unresolved conflict or hurt, I seek reconciliation and forgiveness.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>When I have left a responsibility unfinished, I work to complete it or find help or adjust the timetable.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>By no means am I perfect, but I refuse to reach the end of my days haunted by “what if’s” or “should have’s.”<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;font-size:12;" ><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;font-size:12;" ><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">This is a time in my personal life that is particularly bittersweet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>My father died on September 12, 2008.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Robert J. Freedman was born in 1921 in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Brockton</st1:city>, <st1:state st="on">MA</st1:state></st1:place>, the third child and only son of Abram and Hilda.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He was a caring, intelligent man with a keen interest in people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He was married to my mother Josephine for 41 years and was also Stepfather to my brother, Michael.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;font-size:12;" ><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;font-size:12;" ><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Above all, my father was a man of integrity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He was always hard-working, dependable, and true to his word.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He did not suffer fools or hypocrites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>However, he also had a sense of wonder about life in its infinite variety.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>At an early age his Uncle Harold had told him, “Bobby, you do not really look at anything.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He took this message to heart and began a lifelong practice of capturing color and form on film.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>His photographs do not focus on landscapes or people but instead show fascinating details found on his walks, such as an abandoned building, a store window, a funny sign, a tree reflected in a puddle, a shadow cast on a wall.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;font-size:12;" ><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;font-size:12;" ><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Over the past four years, my father suffered a decline in his abilities.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This began subtly at first with an inability to remember certain words and then to complete certain tasks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He was frustrated that he was not able to perform to his usual high standards.<span class="312034919-07102008"> </span>After a weeklong stay in the hospital due to internal bleeding, we began having a team of health aides care for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>It was not easy to have strangers in my parents’ home but we found a caregiver who was not only a skilled health professional but fit into our family beautifully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Early on, my father even had her take him around the <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Boston</st1:place></st1:city> area taking photographs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;font-size:12;" ><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1"></span></span></span> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-pagination: none"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;font-size:12;" ><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1"></span>My mother’s love and devotion to my father motivated her to find creative solutions to accommodate his mental and physical decline at home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>My parents moved to their home in <st1:city st="on"><st1:place st="on">Newport</st1:place></st1:city> this August when it seemed my father had reached a plateau in his health.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>However, his strength and appetite soon waned and his imminent passing was anticipated.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><div><span lang="EN" style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-: 14.0ptfont-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:12;color:black;" ><span style="mso-tab-count: 1"></span></span> </div><div><span lang="EN" style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-: 14.0ptfont-family:'Times New Roman';font-size:12;color:black;" ><span style="mso-tab-count: 1"></span>During his final days, my mother, my husband, my father’s caregiver and I said prayers from many different traditions around his bedside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We held his hands, told him how much we loved him, and that although we would miss him we would take care of one another.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I was there as he let out his last three sighs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The cycles of life fill me with humility and wonder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Dad never really understood that I am pregnant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>However, at the same time as I bid farewell to a man who will always hold a special place in my heart, I could feel new life kicking inside me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Truly, I am blessed. </span></span></div><div> </div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;font-size:85%;"></span> </div>Rev. Amy Freedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356856145628220345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20355036.post-17235944629079811712008-09-16T12:49:00.000-07:002008-09-16T12:56:22.125-07:00Green Conference this SaturdayThis Saturday, September 20th, Newport is the place to be for anyone with an interest in the energy future of Rhode Island. The Aquidneck Island Energy Conference will feature an impressive list of speakers and exhibitors, including Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, R.I. Senate Majority Leader Teresa Paiva Weed, Cynthia Giles of the Conservation Law Foundation, Karina Lutz of People's Power & Light, and a diverse list of energy producers, wind advocates, and more. All will share their insight into how going green can save energy and money while creating new jobs. Topics include Solar, Wind, Geo-Thermal, Green Buildings, Energy Efficiency, Renovations and Retrofitting. The conference runs 9:00am to 5:00pm. Lunch will be available on the site. Suggested donation: $10.<br /><br />The event is sponsored by Salve Regina University, Channing Memorial Church, and the Aquidneck Island Planning Commission to address global-warming related pollution and strategize among a wide cross-section of participants.Rev. Amy Freedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356856145628220345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20355036.post-43264664941777571122008-09-05T14:25:00.000-07:002008-09-05T14:39:05.563-07:00Public teaching with Khensur Rinpoche - October 30, 2008 in Newport, RI<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMVk3lByKKc1dTUrG2enoeOgL3Yho04IkkNew3qpD6LFFXR2Bh7V6uDquM1PO6w5U_LL_FKBmWoOA5gT9CqVrlOkDgLQodWuOsvcrhtqzJmSc5kZro64AQc13Q4593m2Z4ocCw7w/s1600-h/chenrezig.jpg"></a>I'm excited to announce that Venerable Khensur Rinpoche Geshe Lobsang Wangdak will be offering a public teaching at Channing Church this October. The following is a brief bio provided by the Chenrezig Center.<br /><br /><blockquote>Lobsang Tenzin Geshe Wangdak, Khensur Rinpoche, was born in 1934 in Tibet. Rinpoche was the senior teacher for 14 years, and Abbot for four years, at Namgyal Monastery, the Dalai Lama’s personal monastery in Dharamsala, India. In 1995, H. H. the Dalai Lama appointed Khensur Rinpoche Abbot and Senior Resident Teacher at Namgyal Monastery in Ithaca, NY. He retired from Ithaca in 1998, and now resides at the Chenrezig Tibetan Buddhist Center in Middletown, Connecticut. Khensur Rinpoche was awarded the Geshe Lharampa degree, the highest Tibetan Buddhist doctorate. Rinpoche received initiations and teachings of tantric practices of all four traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. For a more complete biography of Khensur Rinpoche, visit the Chenrezig Center’s website. </blockquote><strong>Event details:<br /></strong><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMVk3lByKKc1dTUrG2enoeOgL3Yho04IkkNew3qpD6LFFXR2Bh7V6uDquM1PO6w5U_LL_FKBmWoOA5gT9CqVrlOkDgLQodWuOsvcrhtqzJmSc5kZro64AQc13Q4593m2Z4ocCw7w/s1600-h/chenrezig.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfVOFbxlLQ9xe4P7NPQUV5rfaxzOHRCa4kUwEOF-rC8t6TEFUhD2U2CC-Pch_qmAaQwtVntpB1H8djnaQH17Hd62sxaKet72tFXn5o-5rjC1C79PXJVYRY5klqvABBJx1VW7Avmw/s1600-h/chenrezig.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242653449390087682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfVOFbxlLQ9xe4P7NPQUV5rfaxzOHRCa4kUwEOF-rC8t6TEFUhD2U2CC-Pch_qmAaQwtVntpB1H8djnaQH17Hd62sxaKet72tFXn5o-5rjC1C79PXJVYRY5klqvABBJx1VW7Avmw/s320/chenrezig.jpg" border="0" /></a> <div align="center"><strong>Venerable Khensur Rinpoche<br />Geshe Lobsang Wangdak<br /></strong>October 30, 2008<br />7:30pm - 9pm<br /><br />Channing Memorial Church</div><div align="center">135 Pelham Street</div><div align="center">Newport, RI</div><br /><div align="center">Suggested donation of $10, but no one will be turned away<br /></div><br /><div align="center">Proceeds will benefit the Chenrezig Tibetan Buddhist Center of Connecticut<br /><a href="http://www.chenrezigcenter.org/">http://www.chenrezigcenter.org/</a></div><br /><div align="center"></div>Rev. Amy Freedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356856145628220345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20355036.post-75207414414140560832008-09-04T06:19:00.001-07:002008-09-04T06:25:51.274-07:00Our Doors and Hearts Will Remain Open<span style="font-family:Arial;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; tab-stops: 52.5pt"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">On Sunday morning, Unitarian Universalists gather for worship, a time of fellowship, reflection, and celebration of life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Only on Sunday, July 27, 2008 a horrifying tragedy took place at the <a href="http://www.tvuuc.org/">Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>About two hundred people gathered for the service which that morning featured a performance of “Annie,” the culmination of a two-week musical theater workshop for children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The musical production had just begun when a man entered the sanctuary carrying a guitar case and wearing a fanny-pack around his waist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>To the shock of the congregation, the 58 year old man, drew a 12-gauge shotgun from the case, pulled shotgun shells from his pack, and fired three rounds into the pews.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Members of the congregation tackled the shooter and subdued him before the police arrived on the scene and successfully took him into custody.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Greg McKendry, a church usher and trustee, died on the scene after shielding others from the gunman.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Linda Kraeger, a member of nearby Westside UU Church, died later that evening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Eight other people representing both Unitarian congregations in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place st="on"><st1:city st="on">Knoxville</st1:city>, <st1:state st="on">TN</st1:state></st1:place> suffered injuries from the gunfire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>No children were physically harmed by this act of violence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Taylor Bessette, a cast member and McKendry’s foster son said to a reporter about the incident, “Make sure that everyone knows that George McKendry was a hero, a total hero.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">The shooter has since been identified as Jim David Adkisson, an unemployed local man who blamed “the liberal movement” for his inability to secure a job.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Following the incident, police found a four page letter in Adkisson’s car expressing his hatred of “liberals in general, as well as gays.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>According to further police investigation, he targeted the <st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on">Tennessee</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Valley</st1:placetype> <st1:placetype st="on">Church</st1:placetype></st1:place> because of its well-known support of equal rights for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender people, as well as women’s rights, and commitment to racial justice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Adkisson expected that he would be shot down by police while carrying out his premeditated attack.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">Instead of fear and hatred, this tragic incident has caused an outpouring of solidarity and compassion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>During a packed service, one week after the shooting, the Rev. Chris Buice, Minister of Tennessee Valley UU Church preached, “There are many names for the power of healing, and we have felt that power in this congregation this week.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>This has been a time of paradoxes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Last Sunday a man walked into this sanctuary with the intention of inflicting terror, and he inspired quick and decisive acts of courage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Reports tell us that he believed liberals were soft on terror.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He had a rude discovery!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>He came into this space with a desire to do an act of hatred, but he has unleashed unspeakable amounts of love.” </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">This love has come from the Knoxville Interfaith community as well as Unitarian Universalists across the country that have sent expressions of support to the two grieving congregations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The Unitarian Universalist Trauma Response Ministry provided counseling and resources to people of all ages touched by this tragedy and a special fund was established to help pay for further therapy as needed.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;">“Our Doors <u>and</u> Our Hearts Will Remain Open” was the headline of a <a href="http://www.uua.org/news/newssubmissions/117829.shtml">full-page advertisement </a>that appeared in the New York Times on Sunday, August 10, 2008.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The ad put forth by the Unitarian Universalist Association expressed our sincere prayer that the shooter, Jim David Adkisson, find peace and reconciliation, and our dedication as a faith movement to our religious mission.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The ad quoted the Rev. William Sinkford, UUA President, “We will not give in to fear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We will meet hatred with love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We will continue to work for justice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Our hearts and the doors of our more than 1000 Unitarian Universalist nationwide, remain wide open, Unitarian Universalists stand on the side of love.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We invite you to stand with us.”</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><span style="font-family:Times New Roman;"></span></o:p></p><st1:place st="on"><st1:placename st="on"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-: EN-USfont-family:'Times New Roman';" >Channing</span></st1:placename><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-: EN-USfont-family:'Times New Roman';" > <st1:placename st="on">Memorial</st1:placename> <st1:placetype st="on">Church</st1:placetype></span></st1:place><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-: EN-USfont-family:'Times New Roman';" > is committed to the core values of Unitarian Universalism: freedom of belief, tolerance, reason, equality, and the dignity of every human being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We gather as a faith community to support one another in living these values daily and in order to work together to make the world a better place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Our hearts, minds, and doors will remain open.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>If you are looking for an inclusive loving community, I invite you to join us anytime. </span></span>Rev. Amy Freedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356856145628220345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20355036.post-75695756376700596992008-07-09T05:13:00.001-07:002008-07-09T05:13:41.868-07:00This I Believe<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">“This I Believe” is the inspiration for lay-led Sunday services at <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Channing</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Memorial</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Church</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> while I am on vacation and study leave though August 5th.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>As a Unitarian Universalist congregation, we uphold shared ministry, a vibrant partnership between the faith community and ordained minister.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>We believe that each person has unique insights to share about life and the workings of the sacred.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It is a true gift whenever people share their personal experiences and spiritual discoveries.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We learn essential truths of people’s lives.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In listening to this sort of authentic revelation, our own hearts and minds are expanded whether we share the same convictions or we are challenged to consider a new perspective. </FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>“This I Believe” is a weekly series broadcast on National Public Radio in which both famous and every day people share their personal beliefs.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The essays are only three and a half minutes in length but they have incredible depth as people tell not only what they believe, but how they reached that conviction, and what made it grow. </FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">The original program <SPAN lang=EN style="COLOR: black; mso-ansi-language: EN">was hosted by Edward R. Murrow from 1951-1955.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Murrow became one of the most well-known and respected American journalists from his radio broadcasts from <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">London</st1:place></st1:City> during World War II.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>When he returned to the States and CBS, he was concerned by what he perceived as an increasingly materialistic and adversarial trend in society.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>At lunch with colleagues, as they discussed the issues of their day, Murrow asked, “W</SPAN>here are the values?”<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It was from this simple question that “This I Believe” was born.<SPAN lang=EN style="COLOR: black; mso-ansi-language: EN"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN lang=EN style="COLOR: black; mso-ansi-language: EN"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT size=3>“This I Believe” was a product of its time.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It brought an important message of hope, faith, and courage in a period fraught with fear, doubt, and insecurity.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The fifties marked the dawn of the Cold War.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region> was gripped by Anti-communist fears which led to loyalty oaths, blacklisting, and the<SPAN class=781121212-09072008> House Committee on Un-American Activities</SPAN><SPAN lang=EN style="mso-ansi-language: EN"><SPAN style="COLOR: black"> led by Senator Joseph McCarthy.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Despite the growing climate of fear and insecurity, men and women were living lives of faith and integrity.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The aim of the program was not to be religious in a traditional sense but to offer insight into the core beliefs that guide daily life.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>At a time when church attendance was high, this emphasis on personal belief rather than religious dogma became a cultural phenomenon.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The radio show aired across the nation and even abroad.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The essays also became syndicated and appeared weekly in newspapers as well as being compiled into a bestselling book.</FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>A key to the program’s success were the guidelines for sharing.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>All contributors were asked to frame their thoughts affirmatively: “This I Believe” instead of a tirade of disbelief or cynicism.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In order to do so, participants were asked to reflect upon their personal experiences and to speak from the first person instead of preaching or editorializing.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>When people speak their deepest truths from their own experience, we are offered a precious gift, a window into life from a new perspective that can enrich our own.</FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>In introducing the original series, Murrow said, “Never has the need for personal philosophies of this kind been so urgent”. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>“This I Believe” was revived on National Public Radio in 2005. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Now, fifty years later, our nation is at war and there is a climate of fear especially with rising costs, job insecurity, and market volatility.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We are bombarded with messages of hate, conflict, violence, and deceit on a daily basis.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>For these reasons, it is more important than ever for us to uphold the positive values of life. </FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>One of the simplest ways to do this is by attending worship. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>All are welcome to our Sunday services held at 10:00am in which members of <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Channing</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Memorial</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Church</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> will share their beliefs along with music, meditation, and a time of sharing.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>No matter whether you are a member of another faith community, searching for a religious home or looking for a place to center before a busy week, you and your family are welcome. </FONT></P></FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV align=left> <DIV align=left><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT></DIV></DIV>Rev. Amy Freedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356856145628220345noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20355036.post-39753321794058581182008-06-20T06:41:00.000-07:002008-06-20T06:42:03.980-07:00Navigating Life's Transitions<DIV> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt">READING<SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 2"><SPAN class=140044113-20062008>: </SPAN></SPAN><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">To a Daughter Leaving Home, </I>Linda Pastan<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 2in; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%">When I taught you<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 2in; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%">at eight to ride<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 2in; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%">a bicycle, loping along <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 2in; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%">beside you<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 2in; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%">as you wobbled away <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 2in; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%">on two round wheels,<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 2in; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%">my own mouth rounding <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 2in; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%">in surprise when you pulled <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 2in; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%">ahead down the curved <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 2in; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%">path of the park,<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 2in; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%">I kept waiting<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 2in; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%">for the thud<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 2in; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%">of your crash as I <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 2in; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%">sprinted to catch up,<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 2in; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%">while you grew smaller, more breakable<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 2in; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%">with distance,<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 2in; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%">pumping, pumping<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 2in; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%">for your life, screaming<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 2in; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%">with laughter,<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 2in; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%">the hair flapping<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 2in; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%">behind you like a <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 2in; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%">handkerchief waving<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt 2in; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%">goodby.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></I></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>The poem by Linda Pastan brought back memories of my learning to ride a bicycle.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It was my father who taught me.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>By the time I was nine, I could ride my bike to my best friend’s house so I must have been around eight or younger.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Before that, I had a red tricycle on which I was fearless speeding in circles around the columns of our concrete basement.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>There was a time in-between when I got the light blue two-wheeler with training wheels securely attached.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>As I recall, it was relatively easy switching from the tricycle to the bike with training wheels.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The biggest challenge was learning to brake by reversing directions of the pedals instead of just throwing my feet on the ground while the wheels were in motion.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>A bicycle of course was much further off the ground then my red tricycle.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>A sign that I was growing up!<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>However, once those training wheels came off, I longed for my good old tricycle!<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I had a hard time finding my balance.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I was afraid of falling.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I was afraid that if I ever got going, I would not be able to stop.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>I grew up in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">West Newton</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">Massachusetts</st1:State></st1:place> on <st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Waltham Street</st1:address></st1:Street>, a road with a constant buzz of traffic.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Directly across from our house was the Swedish Home, a nursing home set back from the road with a long circular driveway.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>When my father could see how frustrated and discouraged I was we crossed the street with the light blue bike between us to practice while my mother prepared dinner.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>I don’t remember how many times we went to practice but it became an afternoon ritual.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>My father would hold the handlebars while I got the rhythm of pedaling.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Later, he held the back of the bike and simply let go when my pedaling seemed more confident.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>After a while, we had an audience.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The residents of the Swedish Home started gathering on the front porch to see this father and daughter routine.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>When my father pointed them out to me, I felt shy at first.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>My father explained that they too first learned to ride a bicycle and they were simply cheering me on.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>After a while, a group was always out there to greet us as we walked the bike across the street and up the driveway at the usual time. We exchanged friendly smiles and waves.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>My father was a wonderful coach.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>When I exclaimed “I can’t do this!” he encouraged me.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>His steady reassuring presence motivated me to keep trying and never give up.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>When I fell over and scraped my hands, he’d whistle a few bars of a song that continues to echo in my head to this day, “Pick yourself up, brush yourself off, try all over again!”<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>One day, I was able to ride without my father’s steady guiding hand.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I found my balance pedaling on my own and even engaged the brakes—the start of my journey toward independence.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Now I could ride my bike to my best friend’s house on my own. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>The determination to persist even when at first I do not succeed is a lesson that has helped me face many challenges and transitions through out my life.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>My father offered the same steadfast reassuring support as I learned to drive, auditioned for plays, went to college, applied for jobs, felt called to the ministry, purchased my first home, and committed myself in marriage.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The transitions were always mine to face but the fact that my father believed in me gave me the confidence to move forward in unfamiliar territory.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>On this Father’s Day, I am keenly aware that my father is facing his own unfamiliar territory.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>His mind is increasingly clouded by dementia and his body has become frail.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>My mother is offering him steady reassuring support by caring for him at home with the aid of home healthcare workers.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He is afraid of the transition from life to death although I have tried to assure him that he will be at peace.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>At this point, there is no disease nor prognosis so we do not know how long this slow goodbye will continue.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Even though I am not able to visit with him as often as I would like, my heart is with him as I know his heart is with me, across geographical distance and ultimately when the veil of death passes between us.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>As I face this life transition, my faith assures me that the bonds of love remain unbroken and timeless.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>Today we honor the transition of our youth toward adulthood.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>At the end of the service, this community will create a bridge symbolic of this life passage.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In truth, each one of us no matter our age is navigating life’s transitions.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Some of these changes call on us to learn new skills or face new challenges.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>There are new chapters which we consciously choose for ourselves that help us move toward our personal goals.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>There are other transitions like the loss of a loved one or an obstacle unforeseen but no less real on our life’s journey.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>There are times when the love and support of family or church community is close at hand, cheering us on, providing comfort, and offering inspiration.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>There are other times when our new chapter takes us far away from all that is familiar to face unknown territory alone.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN>I want all the youth to know that even though we might not see one another as often, this community is here for you.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I am only an email away anytime you have a challenge or a success you would like to share. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoSubtitle style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: left; mso-outline-level: body-text" align=left><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt"><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"></SPAN>For all people who navigate life’s transitions, we offer inspiration from our Unitarian ancestors, first Ralph Waldo Emerson who was present at the dedication of this historic church, <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">“Nothing is secure but life, transition, the energizing spirit.”<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></I>And then the following words from Henry David Thoreau who had Emerson as his friend and mentor, <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">“Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Live the life you have imagined.”<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></I>Foremost when you fall literally or spiritually hum a few bars of the simple tune, “Pick yourself up, brush yourself off, try all over again.”<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><o:p></o:p></I></SPAN></P></DIV>Rev. Amy Freedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356856145628220345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20355036.post-43295618501198220772008-04-19T05:27:00.001-07:002008-04-19T05:27:01.544-07:00Mindful Eating Habits Bind Us to All Creation<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Growing up, my mother planted a small vegetable garden in our backyard.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I enjoyed working alongside her in the dirt.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I watched with fascination as the plants grew.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Even more, I loved picking fresh produce and carrying it indoors in a basket for my family to eat.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>One day, my mother sent me to harvest our first carrots.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I ran outdoors firmly grasping the green leaves and pulled the vegetable from the earth.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Only to discover that carrots do not come in bunches!<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>From the packages of carrots in our fridge, somehow I had assumed that under each carrot top was a whole bunch not just a single orange root.</FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>For most of us, food comes from the supermarket.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We have become accustomed to choosing our meals from the shelves of the store often packaged in a way that has little resemblance to any living thing.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>With our busy lives, many of us choose frozen dinners and prepared meals over the raw ingredients.</FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">Each food item in the <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region> typically travels 1,500 miles before it reaches our plates.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This includes all the produce that we can enjoy year round and processed foods.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Many of us treat food like fuel, eating to fill up our tanks in order to keep active.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>A whole industry of fast food has built up around our desire for convenience allowing us to eat on the run.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Many Americans eat in the car en route to another destination.</FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Eating becomes a religious experience when we are mindful of the source of our food and our interdependence with other living beings.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Truly it is a miracle that seed, soil, sun, and water contribute to what becomes food.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The food that we eat is essential to our lives nourishing and sustaining us.</FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>This fall, we held a Harvest Dinner where church members were invited to bring dishes made of local ingredients.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>If we were unable to find a local product, the challenge was to at least to identify the source.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This was an eye-opening exercise!<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The Farmers Market provided many locally-grown and raised staples.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In cooking, we had to consider where in the world our spices came from. </FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>This lesson about eating locally or at least being mindful about the source of food has stuck with me.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Choosing natural ingredients over processed ones are healthy choices both for me and our world.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Despite the temptation of junk food, real food is more deeply satisfying.</FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>My family has decided to plant a small vegetable garden this summer.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Our yard is small but there is a patch out back where the sun shines brightly for at least six hours a day.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>I am looking forward to working the soil and planting.</FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>I have also decided to subscribe to Community Supported Agriculture (CSA).<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Simmons Farm in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Middletown</st1:place></st1:City> helps build a direct relationship between people, food, and the farm.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Through a subscription, we will receive a share of certified organic vegetables every week during the months of June through October.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This will give us the opportunity to experience the workings of a farm more closely and to eat in rhythm with the season.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>If you are interested in learning more about Simmons Farm drop by <st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">1942 West Main Road</st1:address></st1:Street> or call 848-9910. </FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Of course, not everyone has the resources to plant a garden or to choose organic foods.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Many children around the world and close to home will go to bed hungry tonight.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Saturday morning, April 26<SUP>th</SUP> is the annual Aquidneck Island CROP WALK Against Hunger.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This is an opportunity to join an interfaith movement in our community by walking three or ten miles.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The funds raised will go to hunger relief globally and locally. For more information, check out www.cropwalk.org.</FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>The word “religion” comes from the Latin root “religare” meaning “to bind back.”<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Mindful eating is religious because it binds us back to our wholeness with all of creation.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Instead of simply refueling, let us make healthier choices that awaken our sense of reverence and gratitude for living.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This type of nourishment will feed our sense of joy and generosity!</FONT></FONT></P></DIV>Rev. Amy Freedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356856145628220345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20355036.post-71149027867001300012008-03-13T11:12:00.001-07:002008-03-13T11:25:34.428-07:00Many clergy members agree evolution, faith can co-existIn the first Republican Presidential debate, the candidates were asked, "Is there anyone on the stage who does not believe in evolution?" Of the ten candidates who were running at the time, three raised their hands: Kansas Senator Sam Brownback, Colorado Representative Tom Tancredo, and former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee. The fact that this question was posed to politicians running for our nation’s highest office and that one of the candidates who denied evolution has won in eight states, tells us something about the role science and religion plays in our country. <br /><br />Of course, Mike Huckabee is also an ordained Southern Baptist minister. When pressed if he believed that God created the Heavens and the Earth in six twenty-four hour days six thousand years ago, he simply stated that he did not know exactly when or how life began because he was not there. For Huckabee, either God created life or it happened by accident. The following statement was met with applause, "If anyone wants to believe they are descended from a primate, they are welcome to it."<br /><br />On January 26, Ken Miller, Biology Professor at Brown University gave a lecture on "God, Darwin, and Design" at the Newport Art Museum. Professor Miller told the packed audience, that if any of us bumps into Mike Huckabee we should let him know that not only are we descended from a primate, we are primates. Humans were classified as primates well before Darwin’s theory of evolution emerged.<br /><br />Despite the way Darwin is portrayed by some as a godless man, the truth is not that simple. Darwin entered Christ’s College at Cambridge intent on becoming a clergyman. The professors who most influenced him were both ordained ministers and scientific scholars. More than the study of scripture, botany and geology were the subjects that captured Darwin’s attention.<br /><br />At the age of 22, Charles Darwin joined the voyage of the HMS Beagle. The mission was to chart the southern coast of South America. During the five-year expedition, he kept detailed journals and methodically collected samples of fossils and living organisms; sending many specimens and letters about his findings back to England. <br /><br />The commonly held view at the time of the expedition was that each species was created by God to be perfectly suited to the conditions of a particular place. Yet, on the Galapagos, the species differed from island to island. Since the islands had similar conditions, why did such variety exist? For example, there was an incredible variety of finches and tortoises with different shells. By observing the distribution of Galapagos organisms, Darwin became increasingly convinced that species are not immutable. Animals and plants from the mainland evolved into unique types over time.<br /><br />Charles Darwin was not the first evolutionary thinker but he was the first to articulate the mechanism behind it. Quite simply plants and animals have more offspring than are needed to replace the parents. The offspring of a set of parents are not all alike. The offspring with variations most suited to the environment will survive leading to natural selection and evolution of species over time.<br /><br />In the words of Charles Darwin, "Life on earth has been generated over billions of years in a single branching tree-the Tree of Life". Why do some people still view evolution as a dangerous idea one hundred and fifty years after Darwin published his theory? Evolution calls into question the authority of the Bible as a literal document. Evolution challenges the worldview that human beings have a unique relationship with God, superior to other living beings like plants and animals. Evolution also challenges the idea of a detailed Divine plan.<br /><br />I am happy to report that an increasing number of clergy find no contradiction between evolution and our faith. Since the Fall of 2004, Michael Zimmerman, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Butler University has launched the Clergy Letter Project encouraging clergy of many denominations to publicly express their "respect for evolutionary theory as a core component of human knowledge, fully harmonious with religious faith." 11,183 signatures have been collected including my own. There is also an increasing dialogue between scientists and clergy seeking to heal the rift between science and religion.<br /><br />When I think of all the growth and change that led to us being here in this moment, the sacredness of life is magnified. My view of God is not called into question because plants, animals and humans were not created perfectly at the beginning of time. On the contrary, the structures and dynamic relatedness of life is inspiring. Our challenge as a species is to more fully realize our relatedness in the way we live our lives—to do so calls on the best in both science and religion.Rev. Amy Freedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356856145628220345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20355036.post-16461799922599720882008-02-21T13:14:00.001-08:002008-02-21T13:14:05.786-08:00What does Confucius say?<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> <P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">The Master said “The rule of virtue can be compared to the Pole Star which commands the homage of the multitude of stars without leaving its place.”</SPAN></I><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"> (2:1)</SPAN></P> <P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN> </P> <P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">The Master is none other than Confucius.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The passage is from The Analects, a collection of Confucius’ sayings.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Originally compiled by his students in 497 B.C., the philosophy of Confucius continues to inform contemporary East Asian society influencing both political culture and spiritual life.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Confucius’ sayings offer guidance for living a moral life that remains relevant for us today.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN> </P> <P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Book 2, Chapter 1 touches upon several essential ideas within Confucian thought.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This saying is attributed to Confucius himself which suggests its importance. <SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It is concerned with the moral nature of a ruler.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>If a ruler has a virtuous character, then the subjects will naturally follow.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Proper government is by example or moral persuasion not through force or coercion.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The use of celestial imagery gives a sense of the cosmic order after which human beings should pattern themselves.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Confucius presents a model of Harmony in which Heaven, Earth, and Humanity work in an orderly fashion.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He asserts that by following moral principles and customs the ideal society is attainable.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN> </P> <P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Confucius was not satisfied with the moral character of government.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The missing element was “virtue”.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Much of The Analects is devoted to describing the nature of “virtue”.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The main principles include: benevolence, righteousness, wisdom, courage, trustworthiness, and filial piety.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>If these qualities are present in rulers, the welfare of the people is guaranteed. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN> </P> <P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Unfortunately, the moral character of American government is questionable.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>There is growing concern that the current Administration has deceived the American people.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region> is viewed with suspicion and even hatred by much of the world.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Although American leaders often talk about the values of freedom, peace, and justice, some of our actions cast our integrity as a nation into doubt.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN> </P> <P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">The American people are looking for a leader who fits Confucius’ description like the Pole Star, a beacon of hope.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This is one of the most wide-open Presidential elections in recent history.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>During the debates, candidates often become derailed from the issues by sniping at each other.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Our leaders need to move beyond divisiveness to realize our greater unity and to address substantive matters.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"></I></SPAN> </P> <P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">The Master said, “When you meet someone better than yourself, turn your thoughts to becoming his equal.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>When you meet someone not as good as you are, look within and examine your own self.”</I><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>(4:17)<o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN> </P> <P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">The moral imperative is not to root out the short-comings of other people but to continually strive to better one’s self.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>According to Confucius, individuals should strive to improve their characters by emulating those people who are “better” or “of superior quality”.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>When encountering a person who is “not as good”, the instruction is to “look within and examine your own self”.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Our central concern should always be self-cultivation.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN> </P> <P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Our actions are important.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Our words have weight.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Our thoughts also matter as they govern our behavior and attitudes.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>As a spiritual practice, all people (even political candidates!) should strive to cultivate virtue by paying attention to our judgments about others and shifting focus back to oneself.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN> </P> <P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">Try this simple practice in the week ahead.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>When you think someone is better than you, do not put yourself down instead think how you can emulate his or her positive qualities.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>When you think other people are lesser than you, instead of dismissing them or dwelling on their faults, consider why that judgment or frustration arose within you and how you will move forward with virtue like benevolence, courage, and trustworthiness.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'"></SPAN> </P> <P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">In order to achieve greater harmony than we have known, each one of us needs to be engaged with the upcoming election, participate in public service, and foremost set our own hearts in order.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><SPAN style="mso-tab-count: 1"> </SPAN></SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">For as Confucius says, <o:p></o:p></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">If there is righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty in the character.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></P> <P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">If there is beauty in the character, there will be harmony in the home.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></P> <P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">If there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nation.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></P> <P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'">If there is order in the nation, there will be peace in the world.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></I></P></FONT></DIV>Rev. Amy Freedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356856145628220345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20355036.post-67192871265710898552007-12-30T07:17:00.000-08:002008-12-11T19:12:23.134-08:00Ad Campaign on Buses Support Same Sex Marriages<span style="font-family:arial;">In December, the Religious Coalition for Marriage Equality launched a bus ad campaign that will run through the month of January. On the side of ten RIPTA buses is a photograph of local religious leaders who support the rights of same-gender couples to be legally married in our state. I am proud to be pictured among twenty-five colleagues of different denominations alongside the caption, “Rhode Island Religious Leaders Supporting Same-Gender Marriage”. </span><br /><span style="font-family:Arial;"></span><br /><br /><p><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5149788133738435314" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 420px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 119px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="182" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDsDZFj47M6AK81Ka7ULh9OPkoMN6t1VlTf-uYvWcTC1xhL8_2_i5xoybSQ1m345S2Si0elTV0A59ktvGc6VuqxfrUO5DDutjFRHhwacXij6txwBNB9pfb7PYJzxASfo0BeSGIxA/s400/Bus-Ad1.jpg" width="475" border="0" /></span></p><p><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></p><span style="font-family:arial;">Why would clergy put a large group photo on the side of public buses? This is part of our larger effort, to work toward justice and equality in our state. Ninety-eight religious leaders have signed the Declaration of Religious Support for Same-Gender Marriage. As religious people, we strongly believe that same-gender couples deserve the same rights as opposite gender couples. The ninety-eight signers are from different denominations including: American Baptist, Episcopal, Friends, Jewish, Methodist, Presbyterian, United Church of Christ, and Unitarian Universalist. As people of faith, we are taking public action in support of the right and freedom of marriage in Rhode Island. We want to counter the common misconception that all religions oppose homosexuality and same gender marriage.</span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5149788580415034114" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7KzNHCYQjEliQq34N9k5rGB4LCmvlr_4ZdNxD8hX-7qOEQdhfKGB0BhM1ATc7AUbH5oNScLdaAYtzmT1km-2Ssolhs6adfn83LSjI5zQaTWnRbLrYDHpSIu-2OZ075-vZJRphw/s400/clergyad2.jpg" border="0" /> </span><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">We are calling on state officials to recognize that freedom of religion and civil rights are core values upon which our state was founded. The Declaration states, “As leaders in faith communities we know there is a diversity of religious voices and interpretation of historical texts on many matters including sexuality, sexual expression and relationships. We affirm the right of freedom of conscience and differing perspectives of religious traditions in the matter of same-gender marriage. But, with the many diverse, nuanced and multilayered interpretations and teaching of sacred texts we firmly believe it is improper for the state, and those who hold civic public office, to impose on society any theological position. We call upon the state officials to remember that </span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Williams_%28theologian%29#Settlement_at_Providence"><span style="font-family:arial;">Rhode Island was founded by Roger Williams</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> as a community open to religious diversity. We assert it is the state’s responsibility to remain theologically neutral when in discussion about defining civil rights, relationships and responsibilities.” </span><br /><br /><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Since 1970, the </span><a href="http://www.uua.org/"><span style="font-family:arial;">Unitarian Universalist Association</span></a><span style="font-family:arial;"> has performed services of union for same sex couples. As a minister, I approach gay and lesbian couples with the same joy and respect as heterosexual couples. During premarital counseling, I ask all couples how they met, why they love their partner, and what led to their decision to vow a lifetime of commitment. Couples, whether of the same or opposite gender, speak of their joy in finding a person with whom to share their lives and how being in a committed relationship strengthens them in facing the joys and trials of life.<br /><br />My prayer is that Rhode Island will offer the privileges and protections of marriage to all residents of our State. Despite the intolerance expressed by many, a marriage is not limited by gender, for truly it is a holy covenant between two people who vow to love and care for one another. It is my solemn prayer that this injustice will be rectified.</span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">For more information on this ad campaign, check out: </span><a href="http://www.marriageequalityri.org/"><span style="font-family:arial;">http://www.marriageequalityri.org/</span></a></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="font-family:arial;">Read more on the Unitarian Universalists Association's support of </span><a href="http://www25.uua.org/uuawo/new/article.php?id=334"><span style="font-family:arial;">Equal Rights for Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian, and Transgender People.</span></a></div><div></div><br><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></div><div><span style="font-family:Arial;">You can learn more about Channing Church at <a href="http://www.channingchurch.org/">http://www.channingchurch.org/</a></span></div>Rev. Amy Freedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356856145628220345noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20355036.post-70766148194373693982007-12-06T13:16:00.001-08:002007-12-06T13:16:37.935-08:00Theodore Parker: A Life of Reform<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: 150%"><I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Theodore Parker: A Life of Reform</FONT></I></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; TEXT-ALIGN: center" align=center><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>What can we do to make things better?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Foremost, we need to believe that it is possible to make things better, to reform society for the common good.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>When my faith wavers, I often turn to my spiritual ancestors for inspiration.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Unitarian minister, Theodore Parker (1810-1860) lived the charge of his friend Ralph Waldo Emerson, “What is man born for, but to be a reformer?”</FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>“What can we do to make things better?” was Theodore Parker’s constant refrain.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He asked this question again and again to the crowds that assembled to hear him while at the same time searching his own mind and heart.</FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></SPAN></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Parker and fellow Transcendentalists believed that all people are endowed with God-given abilities to bring forth truth, beauty, and justice.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This means that not only the politicians have the answers to the problems of our times.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In fact, the politicians may be more clouded from the truth.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Parker would assert that every person has knowledge that can benefit the common good.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>It is part of our very make-up.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We are born with the ability to discern right from wrong, as long as we listen to the still small voice within. </FONT></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 4"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 4"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Theodore Parker began his ministry as a scholar and a pastor.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>As he listened to the “voice of God in the soul” or “conscience”, he became increasingly a reformer.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He was a close friend of George Ripley and so often visited the utopian community of Brook Farm, interested in the intellectual exchange and new forms of living being tried there.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In the end, Parker concluded that although Brook Farm might have been a success for individuals, really the members were escaping the ills of society.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The experimental community did not advance society, solve problems or reform institutions. </FONT></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 4"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 4"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Parker spoke out about issues of labor, property, war, education, women’s rights, and temperance.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He was a tireless abolitionist speaking in Faneuil Hall, serving as a stop on the Underground Railroad, and even marrying escaped slaves.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Theodore Parker had the wisdom to say in response to Biblical passages often cited in support of slavery, that if the Bible supported slavery, the Bible was wrong.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>He pressed people to see a Higher Law than the superstition of religious dogma.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Parker also pressed people to see a Higher Law than economics and property.</FONT></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 4"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 4"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>What can we do to make things better?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We too must listen to “the voice of God in the soul” or “conscience” welling up within us to distinguish right from wrong.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We must believe in a Higher Law than individualism and materialism.</FONT></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 4"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 4"><FONT size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman">We are intelligent people.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We can understand the interests of corporations.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We know why jobs have been outsourced.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>We know why manufacturing is now parceled out so that the companies can deliver the cheapest products to Americans, the top-consumers of the world.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>However, the interests of these ever-larger corporations operating in a global market should not rise above the worth of the human family.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The cost of jobs lost to the mechanization of labor is too high.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>The cost of food and toys being manufactured by workers with few rights and questionable practices is too high.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Private ownership of water is against Higher Laws.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN></FONT></FONT></P> <P style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 4"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT></SPAN> </P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>What can we do to make things better?<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Foremost, we must believe in democracy and the principles of freedom.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>In a speech at the New England Anti-Slavery Convention in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Boston</st1:place></st1:City>, Parker said, “There is what I call the American idea. . . . This idea demands, as the proximate organization thereof, a democracy,--that is, a government of all the people, by all the people, for all the people; of course, a government of the principles of eternal justice, the unchanging law of God; for shortness' sake I will call it the idea of Freedom.”<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>This speech actually inspired President Abraham Lincoln.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>Now more than ever, we need to preserve “a government of all the people, by all the people, for all the people”.<SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>After all, what are we born for, but to be reformers?</FONT></P> <P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><o:p><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3></FONT></o:p></FONT> </P></DIV>Rev. Amy Freedmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07356856145628220345noreply@blogger.com0