A Sermon Delivered by

The Rev. Thomas Schmidt

at the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of the Lowcountry

November 4, 2007

The letter of St. Paul to the Romans, like most of his letters to the various christian communities throughout the Mediterranean world,  was never intended to become scripture and I am sure that Paul never imagined that his words would be used  nearly 2000 years later.  I can say this with all confidence because on several occasions Paul wrote about his expectations for the imminent return of the resurrected Jesus and those that followed him would no longer require the use of their physical bodies.  The reasons for Paul’s letters were most often in response to problems that had arisen in the various communities.  And as a side note, it should be mentioned that many of the letters in the Christian bible attributed to Paul have been shown by scholars to have been written many years after his death.   The letter to the Romans is considered to be an authentic letter and is unique because it was a letter to a church that Paul had no role in starting or maintaining.  He was writing more as a way to introduce himself and his personal opinions about the nascent Christian theology.  For the part of the letter I adapted and read earlier (chapter 12), I really did not change very much. For the most part, I merely changed the theistic words to  be UU friendly however I believe the original message is very much unchanged.  

While I may not agree with Paul’s theology, recognizing that his was a world view consistent with his time, absent two millennia of major scientific and technological advances, while I may not agree with his theology, I do very much agree with his suggestions for living and being in community. It is important to remember, that even though some consider him a saint, he was first and foremost an ordinary human being, capable of making the same mistakes all of us make, and very much a product of his time and his culture.  It is also unfair to blame him for how others have used his writings to push their own agenda.  So say what you will about Paul’s theology,  he did seem to have a deep understanding of human  nature and what was spiritually  important.

A prominent Unitarian minister of the 19th century, Theodore Parker, in what is probably his most memorable sermon entitled “The Transient and Permanent of Christianity” wrote, “While true religion is always the same thing, in each century and every land, in each [person] that feels it, the Christianity of the Pulpit, which is the religion taught; the Christianity of the People, which is the religion that is accepted and lived out; has never been the same thing in any two centuries or lands, except only in name. The difference at this day between opposing classes of Christians; the difference between the Christianity of some sects, and that of Christ himself; is deeper and more vital than that between Jesus and Plato.”   He goes on to point out the countless elements of theology, doctrine, and dogma that has changed over the centuries and makes the point that “Men are burned for professing what [later] men are burned for denying.”  

Thus, elements of theology are transient, and in geological time, they are changed more often than we would change our socks.  

But what is permanent in Christianity, according to Parker, are the root teachings of Jesus, summed up in the command, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind; thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”  He points out that “Christianity is not a system of doctrines, but rather a method of attaining oneness with God.  It demands, therefore, a good life of piety within, of purity without, and gives the promise that whoso does God’s will, shall know of God’s doctrine.” And in a way proving Parker’s point, it should be noted that in the tradition we share with him, the use of theistic language has significantly declined since his time. This does not mean his point is lost however, we merely must translate his language into the modern UU vernacular, “Ours in not a system of doctrines, but rather a method of attaining oneness with the universe.  It demands, therefore, a good life of piety within, and purity without, and gives the promise that whoso acts in balance with natural order will experience the unity of existence.”  

I want to point out also that Parker was arguing from the perspective of a Christian. While those outside of Unitarianism at that time would have likely disagreed, Parker and his contemporaries understood themselves to be part of the Christian tradition. Thus, as the inheritors of the religion of Parker and Channing and Emerson, because our roots are there, we remain a part of the Christian tradition, the dominant religion of Western culture, even if others would disagree, even if many among us would disagree. Where we were as a religious movement in the mid nineteenth century, the time of Parker’s ministry, much of Christianity is now.  Where we were fifty years ago, a smaller number of Christians are today,  where we are today, many more will follow. 

Where we are today, many more will follow.  I believe that Unitarian Universalists, that we, are the vanguard of Western religion.   We are the vanguard of Western Religion, that is our heritage and that, I believe is our distinct role in society.  I must say,  that when I first said those words aloud a few days ago in the process of writing this, they sent chills up and down my spine (and they and so again this morning). And my experience tells me that when words have such a full body impact, then those words carry incredible weight, they carry the immense weight of truth.  It is an immense weight because it means everything we do matters, and it matters in ways that have real consequences now and well into the future.  And I would argue that matters far more what we do and how we do it is far more important that what we say.  Paul recognized that, I think.  Much of what he wrote in his letters focused far more on how the early Christians related to each other and the larger community than he did on particular points of doctrine.  And the permanent aspects of Christianity, and all religion, according to Parker are they ways we should relate to each other and the world.  

Thus, the media, the means we communicate the essence of our message as Unitarian Universalists, is more significant than what is said each week from the pulpit, and the many ways we try to articulate particular ideas and beliefs.  Thus the most significant ways we articulate our faith, the best media for our message, are the many ways we work together within the congregation and within the larger community. We articulate our faith through our social justice projects, through the use of the democratic process, through our interactions with other religious groups and other UU congregations. It matters how we welcome visitors, it matters  that we serve fair trade coffee, it matters that our leaders our elected democratically, it matters that we each share in the support of the congregation. It matters that we remain a spiritual home for all seekers of Truth, whether they be Christian, Buddhist, Pagan, Agnostic or Atheist.  

Yesterday, as part of the Articulating Your UU Faith conference we hosted, I gave a short homily on the meaning of faith. If it is not too bold, I will quote myself, “As Unitarian Universalists, we generally do not share common beliefs.  What we do share is a common commitment to faithful living, to putting our beliefs, whatever they may be, into action. Our congregations are formed around a set of common principles rather than beliefs, and that is atypical in Western religion.”  I pointed out that this why it is so difficult to articulate who we are as a religious movement.  The questions most people ask about us center on what we believe but those questions come from a perspective wholly different than our own.  It should come to no surprise that we have difficulty answering.  What we need to do, is change the question.   The better question I pointed out yesterday is, ““In what do Unitarian Universalist put their faith?”  or more clearly, since not everyone has the same understanding of faith,  “In what do Unitarian Universalist commit their time and resources?” which can be simplified even further to what do Unitarian Universalists do?”   

This message is most important right now, because as many of you are likely aware, the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregation, the national organization that serves to link the various congregations together, has begun a major advertising campaign, which is probably the first such campaign that I believe actually does a good job of telling people who we are.    

One of ads read, . . . . “IS GOD KEEPING YOU FROM GOING TO CHURCH?  Maybe you’re uncomfortable with the idea of God--or at least someone else’s idea of God.  yet maybe you yearn for a loving, spiritual community where you can be inspired and encouraged as you search for your own truth and meaning.  This is a church, you ask?  Welcome to Unitarian Universalism.”

And the other reads. . . “FIND US AND YE SHALL SEEK. If you’re searching for a spiritual home where questions are as welcome as answers, find us.  We are a loving, open-minded religious community that is guided not by a set creed or dogma but by a free and responsible quest for truth and meaning in our lives.  There is a religion that welcomes your search.  Discover Unitarian Universalism.” 

Why this message? why now?  Because now more than ever people are in need, they are yearning for what we have. They are more than ready to find us.   The question, is whether we are ready to be found, ready to welcome these people into our midst and to let ourselves be changed by experience.