July 30 Weekly Insight: What Makes Unitarians “Unitarian”

What Makes Unitarians “Unitarian”

(The July 30 Spirituality U. Weekly Insight from Interfaith Paths to Peace)

Actually, the people we call Unitarian are, to be accurate, usually called“Unitarian Universalists” (or UU’s). We’ll get back to the Universalist part in a minute, but first, what makes Unitarians “Unitarian.”

In a word, it is their belief that God (or whatever is Holy), is one; they don’t accept the Christian concept of the Trinity and do not acknowledge the unique Divinity of Jesus. 

According to the UU’s of Bloomington, Indiana, “Some of us would say that Jesus was the son of God, as we are all sons and daughters of God, but not the same as God. Generally UUs regard Jesus as one of several important moral and ethical teachers who have shown humans how to live a life of love, service, and compassion. Our concern is not with how he was born or how he died, but with how he lived.”

In fact, most Unitarian Universalists while gathering in churches, would not describe themselves as specifically Christian. Their teachings and religious services embrace teachings and practices from many religions, including Christianity. UU’s also welcome atheists and agnostics and embrace their wisdom.

And what makes the UU’s “Universalist?”

Historically, Unitarians taught the oneness of God, while Universalists taught

that ultimately all would be restored to oneness with God, i.e., universal salvation.  The Rev. Thomas Starr King, who served both Universalist and Unitarian congregations in the mid-1800s joked that the difference between the two traditions was that Unitarians believed that people were too good to be damned forever, while the Universalists believed that God was too good to damn anyone to eternal punishment. 

Debbie Horvay and Barb Friedland from Thomas Jefferson Unitarian Universalist Church in Louisville add, “UUs believe in a never ending individual process of discovery  guided by reason, rooted in love, and honoring diversity, rather than the acceptance of revealed truth.  Guided by seven key principles, UUs respect the inherent worth and dignity of all beings and value the interconnected web of life of which we are part.”

For more information about Unitarian Universalism visit:

http://www.uua.org/

July 23 Weekly Insight: Why Grace is Like Grits

Why Grace is like Grits

(The July 23 Weekly Insight from Spirituality U.)

I think that anyone who orders breakfast in the Deep South has a head start on understanding the Christian concept of “Grace. “ Why? Because in at least one dramatic way, Grace is like grits.

When you order your eggs in Mobile or Atlanta or Jackson, grits show up on your plate, whether you request them or not.

That’s the connection with Grace. Because, whether you ask for it or not, whether you are worthy or not, Grace shows up. But Grace doesn't come from a server; it comes to you as a gift from God.  According to Wikipedia, Grace is "the love and mercy given to us by God, because God desires us to have it, not because of anything we have done to earn it." This definition appears many places on the web. But grace isn’t a gift-wrapped empty box. According to the Encylopedia Britannica, “the gift of Grace comes from God to sinners as a divine influence operating in humans for their regeneration and sanctification.”

My friend, Episcopal Deacon Mary Abrams, explains this a bit more clearly when she says, “…this thing called Grace is an invitation to be in relationship with God….And God gives us the desire and the ability to enter into this relationship.” She goes on to remind us that when we accept God’s gift it is important for us then to be God’s Grace for other people by doing God’s will.

Here’s a link to find more information about the Christian concept of Grace from the online Encyclopedia Britannica: http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/240435/grace

July 16 Weekly Insight: How the mystical concept of Tikkun Olam can help us mend our broken world

(the July 16 Spirituality U. Weekly Insight from Interfaith Paths to Peace)

The 16^th Century Jewish mystic Isaac Luria gave us a wonderful way to understand how God created our world, how it became broken and what we can do to repair it.

According to Luria’s version of the creation story, in the beginning God was everywhere. In order for there to be room for creation, God had to withdraw, leaving a dark, empty space. God created the world by casting Divine Light into this void. After creation was completed, there remained an excess of this light of Divine Creative Power. The excess was stored in crystalline spheres. But the spheres were unable to contain the power of God’s Light and they shattered, sending sparks of holiness and shards of darkness throughout our world.

According to a document shared by Rabbi Joe Rooks Rapport, “Tikkun Olam, (pronounced tee kuhn’ oh lahm), or “repairing the world,” is Luria’s system for repairing the brokenness of the Universe and the brokenness within God which has existed since the first moments of creation. With each mitzvah [or good deed] we do, we gather a spark of the Divine trapped here on earth. [This spark] builds a flame of God within us and within the communities of which we are a part. If we could ever gather all of these sparks we could bring about the messianic age.” It is important to remember that no single individual, nor any single generation can complete the task of Tikkun Olam, but all of us must do our part by performing acts of kindness, justice, and peacemaking.

Rabbi Rooks Rapport goes on to say, “Luria infused the simple acts of doing good deeds with cosmic value—healing ourselves, healing our world, and healing even God with every act of goodness and righteousness done with the intention of Tikkun Olam.

For more information about the concept of Tikkun Olam, visit

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/practices/Ethics/Caring_For_Others/Tikkun_Olam_Repairing_the_World_.shtml

July 9 Weekly Insight: What exactly is Ramadan? What is an Iftar dinner?

So, what exactly is Ramadan? And what is an Iftar dinner?

(The Weekly Spirituality U. Insight from Interfaith Paths to Peace)

What is Ramadan?

Ramadan, which begins on Tuesday, July 9 this year, is a month-long period of fasting undertaken by observant Muslims throughout the world as one of their five key spiritual practices*. Ramadan is a “lunar” month, a 28-day period on the calendar that moves around during the regular calendar year. During Ramadan, Muslims refrain from eating and drinking from daybreak until sunset. They do this as a way of purifying their souls and refocusing their attention on God. It is a time to make peace with those with whom we have disagreements, strengthen ties with family and friends, and give up bad habits.

One of the special things about the Ramadan fast is that if practiced fully, it involves every aspect of our body and soul. According to a Muslim named Huda, during Ramadan, “every part of the body must be restrained. The tongue must be restrained from backbiting and gossip. The eyes must restrain themselves from looking at unlawful things. The hand must not touch or take anything that does not belong to it. The ears must refrain from listening to idle talk or obscene words. The feet must refrain from going to sinful places.”

What is an Iftar dinner

Iftar is a dinner at which Muslims break that day’s fast on any one of the 28 days of self-sacrifice. Iftars sometimes are held in a family’s home or at a mosque or other public space and can bring together a number of families. These dinners often include non-Muslims who are invited to share in the food and socializing.

Here’s a link to more information about Ramadan and Iftar.

http://islam.about.com/od/ramadan/f/ramadanintro.htm

*the other four of the  "Five Pillars of Islam" are 1) profession that there is no god but God (Allah) and that Muhammad is his Prophet; 2) making a pilgrimage to Mecca, 3) praying five times a day at set intervals; and, 4) required charitable giving.