You can also enjoy a Zoom version of this service at 11am on Sunday 26th July. If you wish to access the service the code is as follows: Meeting ID: 841 9082 8195
This is a recurring meeting so it will be the same code each week and for all future events.
“Liberty and Responsibility”
Invocation
I invite you to still yourself, to prepare
yourselves for worship in this sacred time and space…Let us be still and invite
a loving presence to be amongst us and to awaken within us…
Light Chalice
Welcome to this community
of love.
May we be reminded here of
our highest aspirations, and be inspired to bring our gifts of love and service
to the altar of humanity.
May we know once again
that we are not isolated beings but connected, in mystery and miracle, to God, to
the universe, to this community and to each other.
Let us begin our worship
in the spirit of Love.
Hymn
Hymn 174 Green Hymn Book “A Church is a Living Fellowship” Words Frank
Clabburn Tune Lancaster 96. 96. By David Dawson
A church is a living
fellowship
More than a holy shrine,
Where people can share
their hopes and fears
Less of the yours and
mine;
Where bonded by trust we
search for Truth
Beyond the chains of
creeds,
Anthought can aspire to
shine with fire
From all our deepest
needs.
Let’s stretch out the open
hand of Love,
Conquer the fists of hate,
Divided no more by voices
of war,
Greeds of our mindless
state;
We’ll take all our
building bricks of Truth,
Make of them homes of
Life,
A future to face the shame
and disgrace
In all our pasts of
strife.
A church is a place of
human trust
More than of brick and
stone;
Of love we will sing to
make it ring
In every joyous tone.
Prayer
I invite you now to join
together in a time of prayer...these word’s of prayer will be followed by the
prayer that Jesus taught, the Lord’s prayer which I invite us to say together.
Let us pray
God of love, Divine Spirit
of compassion be present here with us this day.
Help us to attune
ourselves to the great mysteries of creation, to the wonder of the moment.
Awaken our senses to life
itself, to what is both beautiful and holy...PAUSE...
Help us to experience your
spirit as it flows through all of life
That is present in our
hearts and souls and those of our brothers and sisters.
Help us to let down those
barriers that separate us from one another and from our true being. Help us not
to deny our weaknesses or to become enslaved by the fear of imperfection.
Bring us into harmony oh
God show us how to be all that were born to be...PAUSE...
Deliver us from
impatience, intolerance and most of all hate
Bring us to that place of
compassionate self giving and self liberating love.
Show us the way oh
God...show us the way
Amen
Lords’s Prayer
Story
The Selfish Crows.
Once upon a time, there was a very big forest. There on a huge banyan tree lived many crows. They were selfish and arrogant. They always quarrelled with other birds. This behaviour irritated other birds. They had no friends, as no one liked them.
When the rainy season came, dark clouds gathered in the sky. A small mynah was returning to her nest. When she was passing by the banyan tree, it started raining. “I will stay here for a while until it stops raining,” thought the little mynah. And I took rest on the banyan tree for a while.
The selfish crows saw her perching on the tree. One of them shouted, “Get off the tree. This tree belongs to us.” The mynah humbly pleaded, “The weather is bad and my nest is far off from this forest. Please let me take a rest for a while on this tree, brother. As soon as it stops raining, I will return to my nest.”
“Leave this banyan tree at once. Or we will peck you,” said the other crows. The merciless tendency of the selfish crows scared the mynah. The mynah found no other way except to fly off. Then immediately the mynah flew off to a nearby tree, where luckily she found a hollow in a broken branch. She took her shelter there.
Shortly after, the rain became heavy followed by thunderstorm. The wind was in high speed. Even the leaves and branches were not enough to give shelter to the crows. Many of the branches of many tree in which the crows had taken shelter were damaged and hurt by the hailstones. But the mynah was safe inside the hollow place in the tree.
One of the crows said, “Look at the mynah! How comfortable she is. Let us go there.” Another crow said, “I do not think she will let us share the hollow. We did not have sympathy for her when she was in need of this tree.” Then another crow said, “We should not have been so rude. We forgot that we may need help someday.”
Suddenly the mynah called out, “Come! My friends! Come to this hollow. Or you will get hurt. The rain is not going to stop soon. It seems that it may rain for a long time”
The crows flew down to the hollow. They thanked the mynah. “We are sorry for being unkind, dear friend! Now we will never be so selfish.”
Then the crows took shelter in the hollow place of the tree in which the mynah had taken her shelter. After some time, it stopped raining. All the birds flew to their respective nests happily as new friends.
Once upon a time, there was a very big forest. There on a huge banyan tree lived many crows. They were selfish and arrogant. They always quarrelled with other birds. This behaviour irritated other birds. They had no friends, as no one liked them.
When the rainy season came, dark clouds gathered in the sky. A small mynah was returning to her nest. When she was passing by the banyan tree, it started raining. “I will stay here for a while until it stops raining,” thought the little mynah. And I took rest on the banyan tree for a while.
The selfish crows saw her perching on the tree. One of them shouted, “Get off the tree. This tree belongs to us.” The mynah humbly pleaded, “The weather is bad and my nest is far off from this forest. Please let me take a rest for a while on this tree, brother. As soon as it stops raining, I will return to my nest.”
“Leave this banyan tree at once. Or we will peck you,” said the other crows. The merciless tendency of the selfish crows scared the mynah. The mynah found no other way except to fly off. Then immediately the mynah flew off to a nearby tree, where luckily she found a hollow in a broken branch. She took her shelter there.
Shortly after, the rain became heavy followed by thunderstorm. The wind was in high speed. Even the leaves and branches were not enough to give shelter to the crows. Many of the branches of many tree in which the crows had taken shelter were damaged and hurt by the hailstones. But the mynah was safe inside the hollow place in the tree.
One of the crows said, “Look at the mynah! How comfortable she is. Let us go there.” Another crow said, “I do not think she will let us share the hollow. We did not have sympathy for her when she was in need of this tree.” Then another crow said, “We should not have been so rude. We forgot that we may need help someday.”
Suddenly the mynah called out, “Come! My friends! Come to this hollow. Or you will get hurt. The rain is not going to stop soon. It seems that it may rain for a long time”
The crows flew down to the hollow. They thanked the mynah. “We are sorry for being unkind, dear friend! Now we will never be so selfish.”
Then the crows took shelter in the hollow place of the tree in which the mynah had taken her shelter. After some time, it stopped raining. All the birds flew to their respective nests happily as new friends.
Reading
“Selfishness and Self-love” by Erich Fromm
Selfishness is not identical with self-love but with its very opposite.
Selfishness is one kind of greediness. Like all greediness, it contains an
insatiability, as a consequence of which there is never any real satisfaction.
Greed is a bottomless pit which exhausts the person in an endless effort to
satisfy the need without ever reaching satisfaction.
Close observation shows that while the selfish person is always anxiously concerned with himself, he is never satisfied, is always restless, always driven by the fear of not getting enough, of missing something, of being deprived of something. He is filled with burning envy of anyone who might have more.
If we observe closer still, especially the unconscious dynamics, we find that this type of person is basically not fond of himself, but deeply dislikes himself.
Selfishness is rooted in this very lack of fondness for oneself. The person who is not fond of himself, who does not approve of himself, is in constant anxiety concerning his own self. He has not the inner security which can exist only on the basis of genuine fondness and affirmation. He must be concerned about himself, greedy to get everything for himself, since basically he lacks security and satisfaction.
The same holds true with the so-called narcissistic person, who is not so much concerned with getting things for himself as with admiring himself. While on the surface it seems that these persons are very much in love with themselves, they are actually not fond of themselves, and their narcissism - like selfishness - is an overcompensation for the basic lack of self-love.
[Erich Fromm]
The Fear of Freedom, p.98-100
Close observation shows that while the selfish person is always anxiously concerned with himself, he is never satisfied, is always restless, always driven by the fear of not getting enough, of missing something, of being deprived of something. He is filled with burning envy of anyone who might have more.
If we observe closer still, especially the unconscious dynamics, we find that this type of person is basically not fond of himself, but deeply dislikes himself.
Selfishness is rooted in this very lack of fondness for oneself. The person who is not fond of himself, who does not approve of himself, is in constant anxiety concerning his own self. He has not the inner security which can exist only on the basis of genuine fondness and affirmation. He must be concerned about himself, greedy to get everything for himself, since basically he lacks security and satisfaction.
The same holds true with the so-called narcissistic person, who is not so much concerned with getting things for himself as with admiring himself. While on the surface it seems that these persons are very much in love with themselves, they are actually not fond of themselves, and their narcissism - like selfishness - is an overcompensation for the basic lack of self-love.
[Erich Fromm]
The Fear of Freedom, p.98-100
Hymn 99 (Green) “When
Jesus Walked” words Martin Brown Shelton music Kingsfold C.M.D. Ralph Vaughan
Williams
When Jesus walked
upon the earth
He never talked
with kings;
He talked with
simple people
Of doing friendly
things.
He never praised
the conquerors
And all their hero
host;
He said the very
greatest were
The ones who loved
the most.
His words were not
of mighty deeds;
But many times he
spoke
Of feeding hungry
people
And cheering lonely
folk.
I’m glad his words
were simple words
Just meant for me
and you;
The things he asked
were simple things
That you and I can
do.
Readings
From “Good Citizens: Creating Enlightened Society”
Manifesto for a
Culture of Peace and Nonviolence drafted by Thich Nhat Hanh and Nobel Peace
Prize winners.
Manifesto 2000 for
a Culture of
Peace and Nonviolence
Peace and Nonviolence
"Because the
year 2000 must be a new beginning, an opportunity to transform — all together —
the culture of war and violence into a culture of peace and nonviolence;
"Because this
transformation demands the participation of each and every one of us, and must
offer young people and future generations the values that can inspire them to
shape a world based on justice, solidarity, liberty, dignity, harmony, and
prosperity for all;
"Because the
culture of peace can underpin sustainable development, environmental
protection, and the well-being of each person;
"Because I am
aware of my share of responsibility for the future of humanity, in particular
to the children of today and tomorrow;
"I pledge in
my daily life, in my family, my work, my community, my country, and my region,
to:
"1) Respect
the life and dignity of each human being without discrimination or prejudice.
"2) Practice
active nonviolence, rejecting violence in all its forms: physical, sexual,
psychological, economic, and social, in particular towards the most deprived
and vulnerable such as children and adolescents.
"3) Share my
time and material resources in a spirit of generosity to put an end to
exclusion, injustice, and political and economic oppression.
"4) Defend
freedom of expression and cultural diversity, giving preference always to
dialogue and listening without engaging in fanaticism, defamation, and the
rejection of others.
"5) Promote
consumer behavior that is responsible and development practices that respect
all forms of life and preserve the balance of nature on the planet.
"6)
Contribute to the development of my community, with the full participation of
women and respect for democratic principles, in order to create together new
forms of solidarity."
James 2 vv 14-17
Faith without Works Is Dead
14 What good is it, my brothers and sisters,[e] if you say
you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? 15 If
a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, 16 and
one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill’, and yet
you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? 17 So
faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead.
Meditation
SILENCE
Amen.
MUSIC FOR
MEDITATION
Hymn 140 (Green)
The Love of God is Broader” words Frederick William Faber Music St Oswald
87.87, John Bacchus Dykes
There’s a wideness in God’s mercy
Like the wideness of the sea;
There’s a kindness in God’s justice
Which is more than liberty.
If we render love too narrow
With false limits of our own,
Then we magnify the strictness
With a zeal God will not own.
For the love of god is broader
Than the measures of our mind,
And the heart of the Eternal
Is most wonderfully kind.
Reading
Blackbirds by Julie Cadwallader-Staub
I am 52 years old, and have spent
truly the better part
of my life out-of-doors
but yesterday I heard a new sound above my head
a rustling, ruffling quietness in the spring air
truly the better part
of my life out-of-doors
but yesterday I heard a new sound above my head
a rustling, ruffling quietness in the spring air
and when I turned my face upward
I saw a flock of blackbirds
rounding a curve I didn’t know was there
and the sound was simply all those wings
just feathers against air, against gravity
and such a beautiful winning
the whole flock taking a long, wide turn
as if of one body and one mind.
I saw a flock of blackbirds
rounding a curve I didn’t know was there
and the sound was simply all those wings
just feathers against air, against gravity
and such a beautiful winning
the whole flock taking a long, wide turn
as if of one body and one mind.
How do they do that?
Oh if we lived only in human society
with its cruelty and fear
its apathy and exhaustion
what a puny existence that would be
with its cruelty and fear
its apathy and exhaustion
what a puny existence that would be
but instead we live and move and have our being
here, in this curving and soaring world
so that when, every now and then, mercy and tenderness triumph in our lives
and when, even more rarely, we manage to unite and move together
toward a common good,
here, in this curving and soaring world
so that when, every now and then, mercy and tenderness triumph in our lives
and when, even more rarely, we manage to unite and move together
toward a common good,
we can think to ourselves:
ah yes, this is how it’s meant to be.
Address
Nasruddin was once engaged in a spiritual
conversation with a Buddhist monk. The monk told Nasrduddin:
“I have achieved an incredible level of disattachment
from myself—so much so that I only think of others, and never of myself.”
Now Nasrudin paused for a while and then he replied:
“Well, I have reached a more advanced state than that.”
The Monk a little surprised by the Holy Fools response
asked:
“How so?”
To which Nasrudin answered:
“I am so objective that I can actually look at another
person as if he were me, and by doing so, I can think of myself!“
An interesting take on the “Golden Rule”, maybe? Maybe
not?
Now is Nasruddin engaging in Narcissism, in
self-absorption, self-obsession here? Is it all about him? Is he displaying
selfishness? Or is he unearthing an interesting truth, something that we can
often miss?
As most folk know I have
been inspired for many years by the teachings of Viktor Frankl. I keep on
returning to “Man’s Search for Meaning”. I recently read a series of his
lectures delivered before he wrote his seminal work and after his liberation
from Auschwitz. These have only recently been published in book form under the
title “Yes To Life: In Spite of Everything”. Frankl’s approach to life has
helped me once more in recent weeks as meaning has emerged in our collective
suffering and thus helped me transcend feelings of despair. It is so easy to be
tempted by despair when surround by such suffering. So thank you Dr Frankl for
continuing to speak to me, many years after you have gone. You have kept me
keeping on that search for meaning, despite the suffering, you have kept me
living meaningfully while being a part of our shared suffering.
Frankl was a great
believer in the individual finding their own meaning in life, that this was in
many ways the ultimate freedom and that it could not be prescribed for us. He
was of the existential school, although not within the mainstream of such
thought. Yes, he did not believe that there was one metta narrative, but that
did not mean that there was not meaning, or that we could not unearth the
ultimate meaning, so in this sense he was different from classic existentialism.
Now while he believed it
was our ultimate freedom to find this meaning, he did see dangers in our lives
being dominated by this search. Frankl warned that
freedom threatens to degenerate into mere license and arbitrariness unless it
is lived responsibly. He admired much about the USA but was never shy about
criticizing the popular understanding of some cherished American values, such
as the notion of freedom being humanity’s ultimate search. He took exception,
for instance, to what appeared to be a commonly accepted view of equating
freedom with a license to do virtually anything one wants. To Frankl, freedom
without responsibility was an oxymoron. That is why he suggested that the
Statue of Liberty on the East Coast of America in New York Harbour ought to be
supplemented by a “Statue of Responsibility” somewhere along the West Coast.
As he said:
“Freedom, however, is not the last word. Freedom is
only part of the story and half of the truth. Freedom is but the negative
aspect of the whole phenomenon whose positive aspect is responsibleness. In
fact, freedom is in danger of degenerating into mere arbitrariness unless it is
lived in terms of responsibleness. That is why I recommend that the Statue of
Liberty on the East Coast be supplemented by a Statue of Responsibility on the
West Coast.”1
I recall discussing this idea of building a Statue
of Responsibility to compliment the “Statue of Liberty” with a friend a couple
of years and it has come back into my thinking recently, especially as talk of
statues and the removal of controversial ones and replacing them with other
figures has been suggested. Figures who it is suggested better reflect our
current values. Then again this week I was discussing Frankl with another
friend. I suggested that if he was ever to read one book in his life that it
ought to be “Man’s Search for Meaning”. He told me that he wasn’t sure that
could. I suspect that he felt that it might be too upsetting due to its subject
matter. He then said “didn’t Frankl want to replace the “Statue of Liberty”
with the “Statue of Responsibility”, I explained that this was a common
misconception, that in fact what he actually suggested was that liberty needed
to complimented with responsibility. That freedom requires responsibility. I
then rather naughtily bought my friend a copy of Man’s Search for Meaning” and
sent it to his address. He has the freedom of course to not read it. I just
decided to take the responsibility of purchasing it for him.
I believe that a “Statue of Responsibility” would serve,
among other things, as an important reminder to humanity, particularly those of
us in living in liberal democracies of what is required to safeguard true
freedom and a democratic way of life. It would also be a celebration of the
great man’s work and his contribution to humanity. It might encourage folk to
explore his ideas, that are as needed today as they have ever been, as
liberalism and particularly liberal democracy seems to be under threat in our ever
more divisive times. I also believe that it would be an antidote to so much of
today’s cynicism too. Remember that he is ideas were developed in the Nazi
death camps and yet he still maintained a hopeful view of humanity. As he often
quoted, a true realist must be an idealist, in order to believe in the capacity
to raise humanity to its best possibility.
Now of course any statues are merely a symbol, they
are not the history themselves. That said “A Statue of Responsibility” would
hopefully lead folk to want to explore and learn more. Frankl is as needed now,
in our times and space as he ever was. I know how much he has helped me, once
again, in recent months. Not just to help me personally by the way, but to
better live in this our shared world and then as a consequence meaning has
emerged in my life and thus saved me from feelings of despair. The meaning
though emerged from living meaningfully.
Maybe I’m just a dreamer, but I suspect I am not
the only one.
Well it seems that I am not the only one, indeed there
are many other folk who have also seen this need. I came across an article the
other day that described a non-profit foundation whose purpose is to advance
Frankl’s idea with the goal of completing the “Statue of Responsibility”. Apparently,
the plan is to build a 300 foot monument complete with a large event venue and
campus in a major city somewhere on the West Coast of the USA by 2023. A
model of the proposed “Statue of Responsibility”, consisting of a pair of
clasped hands oriented vertically, has been sculptured by Gary Lee Price. The
model and associated renderings are being used to raise awareness of the
initiative and help raise private funds for the project. I recommend you look
into it, hey maybe we ought to explore something similar in this country. It
could perhaps be a symbol of healing in these sadly divisive times. A statue
dedicate to an idea, a way of being rather than a specific individual. I’m not
sure we should make idols out of people in particular more ideals and
principles. I’m not sure we should ever worship people, as we are all made of
flesh, none of us are perfect.
Just to remember that Frankl was not against
liberty, quite the opposite, he did not want to replace the Statue of Liberty. No,
what he wanted to do instead was to compliment it with he wanted it to be
complimented by a Statue of Responsibility. Who on earth would be against
freedom or liberty? We all want freedom of course we do. That said we also want
to feel that we belong and are accepted as we are. Sadly, for many folk
throughout history, this has not always been the case. It has also been the case the that some have
abused their freedom in the exploitation of others. For any society micro or
macro, including a free religious community, to be truly free and also
functioning it cannot be based purely
around liberty and liberty alone, where a person can act in anyway they like
without any though or consideration for others. That doesn’t sound like freedom
it sounds more like adolescence. As a friend of mine’s meme, posted as I was writing
this sermon stated, “Insisting on your rights without acknowledging your
responsibilities isn’t freedom, it’s adolescence.” This seems particularly
pertinent in this our time as we are attempting to live our lives while under
the threat of this virus. We are being asked to sacrifice many aspects of our
freedom for the good of others, particularly the more vulnerable in society.
Everyone one of us, to some degree, wants to resist but most of us accept this
responsibility for the greater good. Some of course sadly do not, they will
accept no infringement upon what they see as their individual freedom.
This is not unique by the way, it is how
every society functions. To truly be free most reasonable folk accept that
liberty requires responsibility, for to be free requires one to be responsible
for their own action and truth. We are essentially free but only to the extent
that our freedom does not impinge on the liberty of another.
Now the Unitarian tradition
claims to be both free and inquiring. No one compels another to believe or
disbelieve as they do, it is down to the conscience of the individual. Some say
we can believe what we like, although this is not entirely true, we believe
what our conscience compels us to believe. It is just that no tells an
individual what we must believe in order to congregate together. Some criticise
our tradition for this, they claim that there is nothing to us, no depth and
meaning. This is wonderfully portrayed in an old episode of the Simpson’s,
created by the Unitarian Matt Groening, when ice cream representing the
different church traditions is being sold at a fair. When they get the
Unitarian tub it is found to be empty, at which rev Lovejoy explains, that
“this is because there is nothing in it.” Our tradition has been criticised
because some say that there is nothing really in it. It is suggested that our
freedom to inquire has become arbitrary, that we have fallen into Frankl’s trap.
What about our responsibility to one another and the world?
Well I would answer this
by saying that it is our respect for freedom and liberty for all that informs
our love and respect for each individual and that informs our love for life
itself and it is this inspires us to act in the world. Many of our old places
of worship were dedicated to the Worship of God and the Service of Man.
Responsibility, as much as liberty, has always been central to the Unitarian tradition.
Our faith tradition has never been about merely serving ourselves, and this has
always shown in love and respect for life, it has always shown in our deeds. As
we so famously used to say “deeds not creeds” At its core the Unitarian tradition has been
more about how the individual faithfully lives their life than arguments about
belief and disbelief. For faith and belief means nothing if it is not lived out
in our ordinary everyday lives.
Or to put it
another way "Faith without works is dead."
“Faith without works is dead” These words from the book of James chapter 2 vv 14-17 have for many years struck me powerfully. Of course, like most folk, I have never been able to live up fully to this ideal. I wonder how many times I have professed belief or even disbelief in something, but my actions have shown otherwise; while today I profess a belief in God and humanity sometimes my actions prove otherwise. I fall short every day. That said, as best as I can. I profess a belief in liberty and responsibility but I sometimes wonder if I always live up to this cherished ideal.
“Faith without works is dead” These words from the book of James chapter 2 vv 14-17 have for many years struck me powerfully. Of course, like most folk, I have never been able to live up fully to this ideal. I wonder how many times I have professed belief or even disbelief in something, but my actions have shown otherwise; while today I profess a belief in God and humanity sometimes my actions prove otherwise. I fall short every day. That said, as best as I can. I profess a belief in liberty and responsibility but I sometimes wonder if I always live up to this cherished ideal.
As I look at
the current culture arguments going on in this country and all over the world
as well as arguments about how we should be acting with regards to health and
well being in the midst of this pandemic I see once again that these are arguments
about liberty and responsibility. People do not agree, so what is the best
course of action? It is not a simple answer, it is complex, there are many
shades of grey and colours of the rainbow. A simple cut and dry answer is hard
to find, but we must try and seek, speak our truth and learn to listen, to
express our liberty and responsibility or society will fail to function and
then no one will have freedom. Never forgetting the ultimate liberty, the
freedom to live and no one’s individual liberty should surely have trumps over
this. Then again there are many and varied threats to this. Even this is not a
simple conversation.
Whatever it
is that we claim to believe in, or not believe in for that matter, it can only
be proved by our actions. So I for one will attempt to express my liberty to
follow my conscience and to act responsibly not merely for my own well-being,
but for the well-being of all. I am also continuing to give what I can in
response to the need of others. What I can give is in spiritual sustenance,
others serve in other ways. This is my work and my responsibility. This is
where I find my meaning, my ultimate freedom, even in this very real suffering.
This is my service to all.
Service is the often understood as the works spoken in the Book of James. But what exactly is service? Well it can mean many things. I have come to believe that worship itself is a form of service. I do afterall call what I lead on a Sunday morning a service of worship. When people come together as a worshipping community they are doing so in service; service to themselves, to one another, to God and to humanity. Even if they cannot physically be together as we cannot, they can do so in heart, mind, spirit and soul, as we continue to do so. This is a chosen act, one of liberty, but it is more than that it is also one of responsibility, for our own needs but also for the needs of others.
Worship is central to any spiritual community, but its purpose is to impact on the lives of those participating in it so that they can impact positively on the lives of those in the wider world. While we may not be able to change the whole world we can affect it in small and I believe positive ways. I strongly believe by being all that we can be in the world we do indeed change our world while not at the same time destroying it by imposing our wants upon it. By doing so we grow in spirit ourselves and we pave the way for others to do the same.
What do our actions say about us? Do we show love for God and humanity in the way we live our lives?
Sometimes I fall short. I take responsibility for this and thus have the liberty to attempt to aim ever higher. It is the acceptance of responsibility that enables one to know liberty.
Service is the often understood as the works spoken in the Book of James. But what exactly is service? Well it can mean many things. I have come to believe that worship itself is a form of service. I do afterall call what I lead on a Sunday morning a service of worship. When people come together as a worshipping community they are doing so in service; service to themselves, to one another, to God and to humanity. Even if they cannot physically be together as we cannot, they can do so in heart, mind, spirit and soul, as we continue to do so. This is a chosen act, one of liberty, but it is more than that it is also one of responsibility, for our own needs but also for the needs of others.
Worship is central to any spiritual community, but its purpose is to impact on the lives of those participating in it so that they can impact positively on the lives of those in the wider world. While we may not be able to change the whole world we can affect it in small and I believe positive ways. I strongly believe by being all that we can be in the world we do indeed change our world while not at the same time destroying it by imposing our wants upon it. By doing so we grow in spirit ourselves and we pave the way for others to do the same.
What do our actions say about us? Do we show love for God and humanity in the way we live our lives?
Sometimes I fall short. I take responsibility for this and thus have the liberty to attempt to aim ever higher. It is the acceptance of responsibility that enables one to know liberty.
I suspect
that liberty is truly obtained, freedom found, not in the search for it but in
and through service for a great good, a greater reality through love and
service, through becoming responsible. As Frankl taught we
do not find meaning or fulfilment in our lives by seeking it, just for the sake
of liberty itself, in a self-centred ways, but rather by getting outside
ourselves and relating ourselves, committing ourselves, to larger, transcending
purposes. Oppositely, mere freedom from bonds, being on our own, at liberty to
do as we please (by ourselves), far from being welcome and satisfying as
individualist ideology generally assumes, is often alienating and frightening
and thus provokes us to want to 'escape' the very freedom we thought was our
heart's desire."
So I’m with Frankl I
believe in freedom in liberty, in celebrating both, but I am also in favour of
responsibility, not only for ourselves as individuals but for society as a
whole, for this is faithful living, it is an expression of the love for life,
for humanity, for God. Do we need to build monuments to this? Probably not. What
we really need to do is to become living breathing monuments to liberty and responsibility.
Amen
Final Hymn
198
(Green) “The healing of the Nations” words Kent Kaan Tune Cwm Rhondda music
John Hughes
For
the healing of the nations,
God,
we pray with one accord;
For
a just and equal sharing
Of
the things that earth affords.
To
a life of life of love in action
Help
us rise and pledge our word,
Help
us rise and pledge our word.
Led
us ever into freedom,
From
despair your world release;
That,
redeemed from war and hatred,
All
may come and go in peace.
Show
us how through care and goodness
Fear
will die and hope increase,
Fear
will die and hope increase.
All
that kills abundant living,
Let
it from the earth depart;
Pride
of status, race or schooling,
Dogmas
keeping us apart.
May
our common quest for justice
Be
our brief life’s hallowed art,
Be
our brief life’s hallowed art.
Benediction
Go now in
peace.
Deeply regard each other.
Truly listen to each other.
Speak what each of you must speak.
Be ready in any moment to disarm your own heart,
and always live as if a realm of love had begun.
Deeply regard each other.
Truly listen to each other.
Speak what each of you must speak.
Be ready in any moment to disarm your own heart,
and always live as if a realm of love had begun.
And may the
blessings of God be with us in all that we feel and all that we think say and
all that we do.
Amen
