The third principle of Unitarian Universalism as set forth in the by-laws of the Unitarian Universalist Association is the covenant to affirm and promote “Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations.” In the conclusion of his essay, “Love the Contradictions,” Rev. Robert Hardies challenges individual Unitarian Universalists to take on that spiritual growth through our common struggle with the contradictions of our world and our own selves.

A question for discussion: what responsibility does an individual member of a congregation have to the larger community when it comes to spiritual growth?

The essay was printed in the UUWorld’s summer 2007 issue, from The Seven Principles in Word and Worship, edited by Ellen Brandenburg (Skinner House Books, 2007). Part one can be found here, and part two here.

Love the Contradictions, pt. 3

by Rev. Robert Hardies

Let’s not be fooled by the false dilemma of whether we should focus our lives on spiritual growth or social justice, as if the two are mutually exclusive. When we frame the conversation this way, we undermine both our spiritual health and our work for justice, and we misunderstand the meaning of a world-affirming spirituality.

The moment I first understood this link between spirituality and justice was when I had the opportunity to study with Gustavo Gutiérrez, the father of Latin American liberation theology and one of the preeminent religious thinkers of the twentieth century. Gutiérrez is the priest of a large, poverty-stricken parish on the outskirts of Lima, Peru. I took a class with him just after I returned from working in Guatemala, when I was still trying to reconcile my experience there with my life in the United States. On the third day of class, a student asked Gutiérrez to explain how we, as residents of the richest country in the world, could best serve the poor in Latin America. After some silence, Gutiérrez confessed that he had always struggled with how to divide his time between being a parish priest and a theologian. Sometimes he felt guilty traveling the world giving talks and papers while his parishioners struggled just to survive. Other times, he felt frustrated that he couldn’t more broadly share liberation theology’s gospel of God’s love for the poor and oppressed. “All my life,” he said, “I’ve sought a theoretical or spiritual answer to this question of how I am to serve the poor: as a priest or as a theologian. But I haven’t found one. I simply try to find a balance between being a theologian and being a pastor. And in the midst of all the suffering—I know this might sound romantic—I try to be happy.”

“As for you,” he said to the student, “you have to find the answer for yourself.”

(Read on … )

A midweek reflection on prayer seems appropriate — I know my work week seems to culminate on Wednesdays and I need a reminder every once in awhile to just breathe.

Unitarian Universalists have many different approaches to prayer. Since we as a movement don’t have a creed stipulating the existence of any particular god or gods, many wonder who we might be praying to. The Rev. Jenny Rankin from First Parish in Concord, MA, has a wonderful reflection on this very question. (Note — the fabulously poetry-like line breaks are her own.)

Pray without Ceasing: Creativity, Spirituality and Prayer

Written by Rev. Jenny M. Rankin, First Parish in Concord, MA
Sunday, February 4, 2007

We met in the parlor of the church last week
And it was quiet.
Mid week, mid winter, mid day
We sat in a circle,
Mostly women, one brave gentleman,
We sat,
Working with our hands on whatever we had brought
A scarf to knit, a block of a quilt to sew, a rug to braid.
In the parlor.
The room is warm and quiet,
the colors of the rug are rich and red.
It’s easy to lose track of time there,
Easy to lose track of lists and schedules and
All that seems so urgent in the world outside.
It is peaceful in this circle,
With the clock ticking,
Our hands moving,
And silence all around.

* * * * * *

(Read on … )