How Firm a foundation

Sermon Delivered by

Rev. D. Björn Olsen

May 7, 2006

Through the Readings, the Youth Focus, The Chalice Lighting, the music, and the meditations, I have already given you enough to think about without a sermon. But, it all fits into my sermon title: How Firm a foundation.

What is the Foundation of your faith? From Carl Jung we get the enjoyment of a life well lived. Near the end of his book, /Memories, Dreams, Reflections, /He wrote, “Life is – or has – meaning and meaninglessness. I cherish the anxious hope that meaning will preponderate and win the battle.”

From the chalice Lighting, we hear the words of Albert Schweitzer that at times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person.

From the Youth Focus  we see that we can stay in the dark of old traditions and ways and means of living, or we can find the door and step beyond.

From William Schultz we hear that we Unitarian Universalists respect the mystery of life more than a religion that purports to have the answers.

From John Donne We are told that “No man is an island, entire of itself….”

So, where do you stand? And, what do you believe? With Unitarian Universalists, it is hard to tell. I had breakfast the other day with four other men. We talked about what the church needed and other topics. We finally came to the conclusion that the problem of the church was us. The five of us had about 15 different non-negotiable ideas of how to improved the church.

In yesterday’s Morning Call on the Religion page was a story of “One woman’s journey.” It is well worth reading. It is about Karen Armstrong, written by Sally Quinn.

Sally Quinn wrote: “After she left the convent, Karen Armstrong called herself an atheist. ‘I used to hate religion’ she says. ‘I loathed it in my angry days.’

Seventeen books later, she is recognized as one of the great religious historians, and she has reconsidered her label. She regards herself to be deeply religious but with no denomination. ‘Sometimes I call myself a freelance,’ she says in her melodious English accent. ‘I can’t see any one of the great religions as superior to others…I’m seeking to make sense of life, looking for its meaning and how we can have a better humanity.’

As part of our worship service we sometimes have a member tell us why he or she is a Unitarian Universalist. Everything I have said and read so far, this morning, tells you why I am a Unitarian Universalist. I don’t have all the answers, but I have found that here is the best place to look.

I believe, that if we truly had the foundation that Unitarian Universalism is built upon the world would be better, our relationships would be better, and friendships would be better, our church would be better, and, we would feel better.

The Youth Focus tells us that many people live in the dark of their past, directed by the traumas of yesteryear. Yearning to lift up ourselves to see the light, but not knowing that there is a door that leads to a more fulfilling life. I find many doors here in my church with the help of my friends.

Of course, like in a bad horror movie,  the door may lead to another room, that is less dark, but still not light enough. Then we have to find the next door, and step out again.

To truly live in fullness and gladness, is to keep finding more doors to open.

Examples. Let’s take a look at our church. The Unitarian Universalist Church of the Lehigh Valley.  We are in a continuous process of going from the dark toward the light. But it is a slow process and some are faster and some are slower than others.

What do we profess to believe? We profess to believe in the inherent worth and dignity of every person. If we had truly arrived to that point as the firm foundation of our faith, we would not have the squabbles, hurt feelings, angry voices, and huge dissatisfactions that some people have.

We think that we are responding as adults, when psychology tells us that we are probably responding from all the hurts we have ever received in our entire life. Childhood, teenage, and young adult trauma. As we try to resolve our differences we are usually unaware that we have not resolved those earlier traumas, and therefore are acting from a child’s point of view.

For instance, I was bullied in grade school. A lot. After school I ran home so I would not be picked on. So, today someone speaks harshly to me, and I speak harshly back. Is that me as an adult speaking? No, it is that child that has always been angry at those bullies who made my early years a living hell. _The adult me believes in the worth and dignity of every person._ The child in me wants to get even. It is a constant struggle for many of us. But we can grow and open another door.

 Believing in the worth and dignity of every person. {And that means, every person] is really not much different that the words of Jesus when he said you get no credit from loving those who love you, but try loving those that despise and hate you. Now that’s hard. If Christians truly believed that, we would have a very different world. If we Unitarian Universalists really believed In the worth and dignity of every person, we would have a different church and a different world.

The firm foundation of my belief means that I love you all! That’s right, all. But, that takes work, moving from a dark room of childhood trauma to a lighter room, to a lighter room, until we see the light. There is light at the end of the tunnel!  But, it may take a lifetime. It certainly takes a community. We can be that community. We have the
Breakfast Forum, Men’s and Women’s groups, Adult Religious Education with a variety of topics to choose from. Then there is the every Thursday noontime Brown Bag to meet with a variety of people and our minister.

 The last statement of the foundation of Unitarian Universalism is “Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.” So, you have to start with yourself. Do you love yourself? Because that is where your foundation starts.* Mine starts
with me. Yours starts with you.

*In a never ending world

©2006 Rev. D. Björn Olson