This sermon was given at Stevens Chapel on September 7, 2003 by Rev. Judith Campbell.

Have you heard what they are saying about "U-U!"

Well then, after hearing that I ask: are we a religious denomination or are we an organization committed to social action and change? Are we both – are we neither, or are we so undefined as to not know who or where we are? Our detractors would love to pick #3. And are they ever wrong. What is true is that we are redefining ourselves. But this is not news. We have been redefining ourselves and our…and I will say it…our RELIGION…since we started ourselves. That is the nature of a religion which celebrates the search rather than preserving the tradition. One is not better than the other. It is simply the way we Unitarian Universalists tend to look at things. Some people always want to know more, even if it means pushing the envelope of our own comfort zone and changing our minds about something, and while others are religiously committed to preserving tradition in the belief that the original truths that were laid down in the past are unchangeable and should not be questioned.

The Random House dictionary defines "religion" as:

1. "a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a superhuman agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances and often containing a moral code for the conduct of human affairs.
2. a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons ; or sects e.g., the Christian religion.
3. the body of persons adhering to a particular set of beliefs and practices, e.g. a world council of religions.

The MacMillan Compendium of World Religions says much the same, but takes three pages, but then sums it up for itself in one highlighted paragraph saying, "Religion is the organization of life around the depth dimensions of experience – varied in form, completeness and clarity in accordance with the environing culture.

That works, and under the above definitions, there is no question for me at least, that we are most assuredly a religion. And that larger definition, the one I just quoted, will be the foundation of my next sermon on Sept 28, "Religion, Faith, Dogma, Practice, History Culture and Politics", wherein I will establish the framework for this year’s world religions sermon theme.

This morning I am going to draw a number of my remarks from our Denominational President, Bill Sinkford’s "President’s Report" given at this year’s General Assembly in Boston. Earlier in the year, Bill drew national attention when he used the "G" word, when he said he believed God in public. And typical of our denomination, the e-mails flew around the country. The humanists threatened to quit, the UU Chirstians cheered, the Buddhists didn’t know what he was talking about, the Pagans said which one, and the media had a field day.

When he got to the point in his report about the brouhaha about religious language, he leaned over the podium and said, "God, am I having fun!" - which was of course followed by raucous laughter from the audience - he then went on to comment on the use of religious language in our denomination. And I quote Bill here,

Bill is not telling any of us to start using GOD words in our conversations about our denomination or to start using explicitly religious or theological language in our Sunday services. But, he reminds us, "we are a religion", and like other religions, we are a religion with a mission. But, unlike more traditional religions, our mission is not to save people from eternal damnation, or convert the godless heathens to our way of thinking. Godless heathens are highly respected here! Our mission, outlined in our Seven principles and purposes, broadly speaking is to undertake and celebrate the search for truth, however we find it, and to respect each individual in their own search.

The headline of the article in the Boston Globe read, "words of reverence ‘roil’ a church….in Boston", the Unitarian Universalists Ponder the nature of their faith." Later the author of the Globe article states, "that doesn’t mean a full-blown religious revival, but for a church whose members for decades have been more comfortable with Humanism than Christianity or Unitarian monotheism, (my editorial addition), Sinkford’s words are causing a stir." Sinkford is quoted in the article as saying that he is not at this point advocating anything more than a conversation among the denomination’s 223,000 members (that’s a big coffee hour folks!) And while he says he is certainly not trying to move Unitarian Universalism to an adoration of a deity. he does suggest that this conversation might one day lead to a change or revision of our principles. And personally speaking, although the process itself might likely be "unholy" the dialogue and the result will be another chapter in our denominational evolution of living religion.

When I do weddings and other life event ceremonies, we almost always get to the point where I need to ask whether or not the couple or the family want me to use specifically religious language. So far, people have been about equally divided on language use. But I’ll tell you something, I often use the phrase, " and with the blessing of that which we name holy in our own way…" I do pronounce you husband and wife, or confer on you alone this name…or whatever words are appropriate to the ceremony I am conducting. And people who would rather I not use the word God are very comfortable with those words.

On the other hand, Rev. Vickie Weinstein, the newly installed minister of the Norwell church and a UU Christian, says later in the same article, she is tired of "drowning in euphemisms". She freely talks about God, prayer and keeping holy the Sabbath.

As you all know, I use the word God. I don’t use it all of the time, but my own theological framework includes the concept of a unifying or creative force much greater than myself. But, in the humanist tradition, and in the words of Bill Sinkford, through my interconnectedness with that creative power or force, I am called upon to be my very highest and realized HUMAN self, in the belief that this is the only life I will know, and I am the only one who can make that happen.

Maybe that makes me a religious mongrel. I think most of us here are. That’s why this is such a dynamite denomination. We are not limited to one party line, and we can change our minds, ask questions and even reverse decisions without being excommunicated. This is why I wish we would blow our own horns a little bit more. I think as a united community we really have something to offer and we can really continue to make a difference. Which is why I get so upset when I hear people talking about leaving if they are offended by the word God or the lack of it. Stick around already, and don’t be so hard nosed.

Let me shift gears for a moment, and tell you a little bit about the installation service for the new Rabbi at the Hebrew Center, Rabbi Caryn Broitman. Chris and I attended, brought greetings from our church and shared their joy at having such a wonderful and deeply religious woman as their rabbi and spiritual leader. The service was worked into the Minhah prayer service for the afternoon. Rabbi Caryn wanted a prayerful start to her Rabbinate here. But amidst the prayers and the chants and the lively songs, the message was clear, "we are here to make a difference", "we are here to make the world a more just place for all peoples", and united in community, we will be far more effective doing it than we will be alone. "Oh yes…and prayer and study or Torah and celebration and tradition are all good…but these elements are what give us the spiritual strength to go out and do our work for the good of all peoples."

It sounded very familiar.

The Jewish tradition is around 5000 years old – give or take a few decades. And for 5000 years, observant Jews have been answering the prophetic call to feed the widows and the orphans, visit the sick, give to the poor and learn all you can about the holy word. And to stop it all one day a week, and keep holy the Sabbath wherein they can refresh themselves religiously and spiritually to begin again. My first sermon in my world religions series this year will be on the first Sunday in October, and it will be on Judaism, and be most fitting to give it during the period of the holy days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.

We, like the Jews, are committed to working for justice and equality. And the need has never been greater than it is now. Even as I say this, many of you are aware of a growing neo-Nazi movement here in the United Sates. Have we learned nothing in the last century? God help us. No, I take that back. Let me put it this way: we have work to do, and it’s much more than we thought, and we need to do it now. As a religious denomination, and as a beloved community, we have so much more power than if we tried to act individually.

Unitarian Universalists across the country are moving towards a more spiritual expression of our pubic and private practice of our religion, and we are doing it, not only in Sunday worship. UU churches who once upon a time only offered discussion groups are now offering prayer groups as well. Books on "spiritual practice" are hot sellers. And Beacon press and Skinner house, its affiliate, are calling for more. More and more individuals are going on "spiritual retreats" in an attempt to escape the material world for a little while, and enrich and feed the soul. I believe this is in part a direct result of the increasingly frenetic and fractured pace of the world we live in, but I think it is more than that. I believe that many Unitarian Universalists, in our intellectual pursuit of the light of truth, have somehow managed to bypass the emotional and spiritual needs that are an essential part of our human journey. Ericson, Maslow and Jung in their own ways, all speak of the fully realized human as one who has looked deeply into him/herself and has come to terms with a clear personal reality of strengths and weaknesses, and who HAS a strongly established moral, and/or religious ethic by which they live.

Very few of us develop a moral or ethical or religious framework in isolation. Religious leaders, philosophers, moral historians and political reformers might begin as individual thinkers, but it takes a community of believers and followers to make that framework a reality, a practice or even a religion.

We are back to religion. Our RELIGION. UUs as we call ourselves, have a clearly stated ethical and moral framework. Our third principle encourages a free and responsible search for truth and meaning, and our second encourages spiritual growth in our congregations. God or a deity or a higher power is not mentioned anywhere in our 7 principles and purposes. But in the words" free and responsible search for truth and meaning", if one of us happened upon God, we should not be excommunicated. And if others of us find secular humanism to hold meaning, we too are welcome at the table.

I am troubled by the fight over semantics. I think what we DO and what we can do as members of a liberal religious denomination to make a difference far outweighs whether God is in the picture or Mickey Mouse! But I’m not kidding. I would hate to see us divide ourselves over the fine points. Too may religions have. Our greater mission is to lift ourselves and those around us into more fully realized lives on a planet that can sustain us, all of us, however we name it, honor it, praise it or celebrate it. We are Unitarian Universalists, we are a religious denomination. We have a mission and a message as new as our name and as old as human hope. And we are here now!

Let’s go for it….together!

Amen!