Let's see - tomorrow is Sunday. What are my plans?
The choir is not singing - I don't have to go to church.
"No - Bob - don't use that language! You don't ever have to go to church anymore in your life."
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I go to the First Unitarian Church - because I want to; I go to the Unitarian Church because I want to hear Tom's message; I go because, without exception, I leave the service -- uplifted, challenged, thinking, questioning. I never leave the service feeling guilty or shamed. What an amazingly different religious experience!
So I did go to the 11:00 AM service on Sunday. But my body always gets up early (the price I pay for spending my growing up years milking cows early in the morning), so there was time to play 9 holes of golf The course is a shorter course, but I still played a 39 and a 47 on 2 balls. There is a value of playing early with no one pushing you. (By the way, those were very good scores for this duffer.)
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David Owens played beautiful , peaceful music throughout the service and Tom Goldsmith spoke of Freedom and Liberal Faith.
Freedom from---------------- ? Freedom for / to ------------- ?
What do we do with our freedom for or to---------------- ? What remains when the disbelief is gone?
We surprisingly find a hunger in ourselves to be more serious --
"THE CHURCH IS A SERIOUS HOUSE ON A SERIOUS EARTH."
What do we use our freedom for?
Freedom from ---------------- just gives us the opportunity to use our freedom for -----------------?
Tom's preparation and research addressed, as an example, how we think about sex and our sexuality, as well as what reading we are allowed to engage in.
The gift of our sexuality and sexual pleasure is an opportunity to add richness and pleasure to our committed relationships. To allow ourselves to move beyond thinking of all pleasure as sin, also allows us to enjoy the richness of life.
To explore the world we live in through our reading - including writings that we may not currently believe in, or may even be offended by, allows us to think, to grow, to expand our view of life and the world.
I want to think of my attendance and involvement in UU, not as just an option, like other options to fill up time in my life. I want to expand my vision and understanding of this life and to see ways to be of service to others, our community, our nation, and our world.
I want to think of our UU church as a serious church.
Thank you, Tom, for adding freedom to my life and for allowing me to challenge my beliefs and my "Bumper Stickers" and giving me permission to grow.
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