Five Smooth Stones

Carrie Rice

July 22, 2018

Readings
Paul Rasor on definition of theology Faith Without Certainty, ppxvii-xviii

The term theology is often associated with arcane and academic or technical concepts that focus on abstract doctrines. But the purpose of theology is really quite simple. If religion is about the large-scale world pictures that orient us in the universe and help give our lives meaning and purpose, then theology is about examining those worldviews and the assumptions that go into them. It is about making our implicit patterns of orientation explicit, lifting them to the surface and examining them intentionally, honestly and critically. It is about reflecting on these patterns, trying to make sense of them by questioning, clarifying and re-articulating them.
….
Theology is not done only by academics and religious professionals. This is work that all of us can do and that most us us in fact do at least part of the time. Whenever we think about things that matter in our lives, whenever we struggle with tragedy in our families or expressed outrage at social injustice, we are doing theological reflection. Our struggle and our outrage are always grounded somewhere.

Serendipity is one of my favorite words ever. It means the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way. Serendipity describes perfectly how I came to presume to speak to you today about James Luther Adams’ Five Smooth Stones of Liberalism. I don’t know if it will end happily or in a beneficial way, but it’s been good for me!

For four months this winter, I followed an online UU Theology Course. At the final session, the instructor asked us, “What are the most pressing questions
facing UUs today?”

A sampling of the questions included:
• What is our responsibility as liberal religious people to be actively involved in
the wider culture as religious liberals?
• Can UUs believe anything that they want?
• How do we develop faith, spirituality, and practice in theology for our children
and youth?
• What is our religious practice?
• How is technology affecting our perception of the ultimate questions about
what is our purpose on earth and what is the nature of humanity? (mine!)
• Are we able to speak with one voice on anything?
Now, each of those could be a whole series of services and workshops, but
then there was this:
• Why don’t more UUs know about the five smooth stones the way they know
about the seven principles and occasionally the six sources?
And then I was in a staff meeting with the chair of the Worship Committee who
said, “Well, we have nothing for July 22,” and I said “I’ll take it.”

 

Sermon:

Serendipity. 

It has led me on a winding path this past month. The deeper I dove into James Luther Adam’s writings and tried to learn more, the more excited I felt about what I was learning, and the more confused about what I wanted to share with you this morning. And then the Kay V. thing happened… Kay is a lifelong UU and a longtime member of this congregation, along with her now-deceased husband Chuck. Kay sent me an email this week saying that I was bringing back memories, because when her first husband was a seminarian at Harvard Divinity School, they would regularly gather in James Luther Adams’ living room for discussion. Jeepers! I nearly flew out of my living room and into the car to run to Kay’s house to hear more. I asked if she would be willing to share this morning, but she indicated that she only remembers the events and not the particulars. When I went online to read the official UU biography online, it mentioned that “Throughout his teaching career, Jim and Margaret welcomed, every week, any or all Unitarian students in the academic community to an evening open house in their living room.” So, Kay wasn’t just making that up! I am not a theologian. Or, rather, I am not a trained theologian. We have just heard that we all practice theological reflection in our lives. I have no knowledge or answers to impart. But, as your Director of Children’s Faith Development, I firmly believe that it is vital to not only understand our religious heritage, but to become comfortable with theological language. Paul Rasor posits in his book that there is a downside to liberalism, and that is that we embrace freedom and individual search so devoutly that as a collective group, we fail to articulate any beliefs at all. Even Adams said that a commitment to openness can result in a mind that is “open on both ends.” So, I believe it’s important to become comfortable expressing theological thoughts. And again, theology is, as we heard very briefly from Paul Rasor, at a very broad scale, a consideration of the distinctly religious questions of human life:

What constitutes a definition of God and, given that definition, how is God
present in our lives, if at all?
• What is our purpose on this earth?
• Why do bad things happen?
• Where are we headed?
• What is the nature of humanity?
• What do we owe to one another?
• How are we connected?
• How do we know right from wrong?

I know this sermon is starting out with a lot of big questions,(that is a hallmark of liberal religion, I think) hang in there with me.
I think it might be worthwhile to also visit what it means to be a member of a LIBERAL religion. What I have learned in the past few weeks is that the liberal mindset, while very much focused on the here and now, on modern knowledge and modern life experience, has been around and evolving for centuries. It is not limited to any denomination – there are liberal Christians, liberal Jews and liberal Muslims. Liberalism is marked by a sense of freedom, of individual divination of the truth, rather than having it handed to you. Truth is not found solely in a single text which never changes, but is continually sought out. I want to share with you on brief passage from James Luther Adams: Now it should be clear that if some people wish infallible guidance in religion, they are not going to find it in liberal religion. Of course, orthodox mentors will claim that this is the reason we need a divine guide, in a book or a church doctrine. Further, they sometimes tell us that the mortal sin of the liberal is the unwillingness to submit to divine authority and that unwillingness grows out of intellectual price. What the orthodox overlooks, however, is this: the most pretentious pride of all is that of those who think themselves capable of recognizing infallibility, for they must themselves claim to be infallible in order to identify the infallible. (On Being Human Religiously, p. 15)  A little bit snarky perhaps, but I think it brings us to the first of the five smooth stones. In his essay, Guiding Principles for a Free Faith, James Luther Adam lays out what he calls The Five Smooth Stones of Liberalism. Five principles which, when combined with other factors, such as an understanding of what constitutes God, form the basis of liberal religious life. Why Five Smooth Stones? Think back to the story of David and Goliath. Rather than face the
enemy wearing the king’s heavy and unfamiliar and clunky armor, David relies on what he knows – his stones and slingshot. His weapons of choice are readily available and can be used flexibly. But what is it we’re combating with these stones? Let’s take a look at each.

The first principle, or stone, is that “revelation is continuous. Religious liberalism depends on the principle that ‘revelation’ is continuous.” The Rev. Naomi King has written about the Five Smooth Stones and re-worded them for use in Religious Education classes. She has recast this as saying “we’re always learning.” As religious liberals, we put a high value on being open to new experiences and new ways of looking at the world and human experience.

A conservative or orthodox faith will claim that a truth has been proclaimed and it is unchanging and cannot be challenged. What is written in the Bible or other holy text is the Word of God and is inerrant – without errors. We are all here this morning because that does not ring true with our hearts. I have often, often wished that I had the comfort of the gift of a faith that was always rock-solid for me. But, but! How much richer has my life been by being open to continuous revelation. As I mentioned earlier even doing the reading on James Luther Adams in preparation for today’s service has given me knew insights and new understandings.

Unitarian Universalism is a living and liberal tradition because we are always learning new truths. One question I had at this point was whether the “we” in this statement refers to individuals or to Unitarian Universalists collectively? Think again about what I shared earlier about the liberal dedication to individual search for truth and meaning. Is it possible as a liberal religion to collectively agree to new truths? Probably not (I think), but we have reexamined and revised our seven principles from time to time. They began as a Statement of Purpose adopted in 1960 as the Universalist Church of America and the American Unitarian Association were consolidating. They were revised in 1985 and modified to include the Seven Principles (quick quiz on Principles) the “Six Sources of the Living Tradition” (who can name one?) and a new Statement of Purpose. In keeping with liberal religious dedication to examine of beliefs (JLA said the unexamined faith was not worth living), the bylaws of the Association require that the Principles be reviewed every 15 years.

So, what is the giant this stone is meant to slay? Ignorance. The mindset that does not value knowing and learning, but remains fixed on one worldview and one mindset. By being open to always learning, we throw a stone at ignorance.

Worship Associate– places first stone on altar while saying: Our first stone reminds us that we are part of a living tradition in which revelation is continuous. Together we engage in a free and responsible search for truth and meaning.

Stone Two

In JLA’s words (that’s what his fan base calls him, because that’s how he signed his letters and memos). Perhaps in current parlance, we would refer to him as we do many celebrities and make a new word of his initials. Maybe JayLa?  (I kind of think he might have liked that). Anyway, in his words, here is the second principle of religious liberalism:

All relations between persons ought ideally to rest on mutual, free consent and not on coercion.

Our Worship Committee here at UUFM maintains some suggested “Scripts” for use in the worship service. One call to worship which was a particular favorite of Rev. Laurie Bushbaum’s while she was here was written by by Rebecca A Edmiston-Lange and it invites people to come into this space which we make holy by OUR presence. “Come in” she writes “Come in with all your vulnerabilities and strengths, fears and anxieties, loves and hopes. For here you need not hide, nor pretend, nor be anything other than who you are and are called to be.” We choose to be here together. And we trust each other on this path, this search for truth and meaning. “All relations ought ideally to rest on mutual, free consent.” “Come in with all your vulnerabilities, fears and anxieties. For here you need not hid, nor be anything other than who you are and are called to be.”

What giant in our world might that slay? Individualism. This, as the Rev. Naomi King explains in a video on the Unitarian Universalist TV YouTube channel (did you even know there was such a thing? I’m telling you, revelation has been continuous these last two weeks!) Individualism is the notion that the “individual is far more important, special and separate from and can actually exist apart from the rest of humanity and this world.” A commitment to coming together freely to share in life’s journey is vital to our faith development. In Rev. King’s interpretation, this stone becomes “Being Together Matters.”

Worship Associate, place second stone on altar while saying: Our second stone reminds us that we freely choose to enter into relationship and community with one another. Together as people of conscience, we build relationships of justice, equity, and compassion that further the wholeness of the interdependent web of all existence.

The third stone combats Selfishness, that feeling that I am more important than you, more important that WE and that my needs and my interests alone are paramount. In JayLa’s words, the third stone is “affirmation of the moral obligation to direct one’s effort toward the establishment of a just and loving community.”

To me, this takes the second stone and builds upon it. Once we’ve combatted individualism, we need to work to bring everyone together into a JUST AND LOVING COMMUNITY. I thought of a story yesterday that might illustrate this. We are long time attendees of Camp UniStar and one year, we brought two cousins along with us. I think our son Truman was 8 or 9 at the time and it was his fourth or fifth year at camp. It is his favorite place on earth and I can say that as his mother just by observing his face as camp comes into sight as the pontoon nears the island. He has never missed a summer there since he was five years old. Anyway, this particular year, with the cousins, I happened to walk through the dining hall and found Truman in tears. In tears, at his happiest place on earth! I gathered all the youngsters together and asked why this could be happening. What do you think happened? They thought it would be fun to “ditch” him. Run away and leave him alone. His family members.  So, I told them a story I read once in our Tapestry of Faith program. Can’t remember exact details, but it had to do with two groups of people consigned to hell. Hell consisted of a large round table filled with food and each person was given a very long spoon. In fact, the spoon was so large that it could reach into the food, but there was no way to get it into the mouth of the person holding the spoon. So, one group was skinny and miserable. They sat with their heads down, sulking. The other group was well-fed and happy. Why? Because instead of thinking about themselves alone, they used the long spoons to feed each other.

Adams writes of this principle:

A faith that is not the sister of justice is bound to bring us to grief. It thwarts creation, a divinely given possibility; it robs us of our birthright of freedom in a open universe; it robs the community of the spiritual riches latent in its members; it reduces us to beasts of burden in slavish subservience to a state, a church or a party – to a self-made God.

How we are together matters. Together, in discussion we can make decisions that benefit the whole community. Together, we are more aware, more compassionate and more caring. How we are together matters very, very much. Not only here in this holy place, but in our homes, in our favorite places on earth, our schools, our community and dare I might say, in our political forums. How we are together matters.

Worship Associate, place third stone on altar while saying: Our third stone reminds us that we have a moral obligation to work toward establishing a just and loving community. Together we speak and act prophetically with the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all.

James Luther Adams’ fourth principle of liberal religion reminds me a little bit of that riddle game played by Bilbo Baggins and Gollum in The Hobbit. Do you know it?

Here’s an example:

An eye in a blue face
Saw an eye in a green face.
“That eye is like to this eye”
Said the first eye,
“but in low place
not in high place.”

• One of Bilbo’s riddles for Gollum. The answer is “sun on the daisies”.

And here is the fourth principle. I definitely went for help in understanding this one: “We deny the immaculate conception of virtue and affirm the necessity of social incarnation.” [repeat] Phew. “Immaculate conception of virtue” does this mean that virtue, good things don’t just occur by themselves? Social incarnation? Virtuous acts must happen in society? So, again Rev. Naomi King was a big help here. She boils this principle down to a simple saying: “Goodness matters”. “We do good to be good”, she says, “as part of our Unitarian tradition and we do good to feel good, is part of the Universalist side of our heritage.” And the giant that this stone lays low? Apathy – that feeling that what we do doesn’t make a difference, so we don’t do anything. Being good matters and DOING good matters.

Worship Associate, place fourth stone on altar while saying: Our fourth stone reminds us that good things happen as a result of human effort. Together, as beings with inherent worth and dignity, we create goodness and virtue.

Stone number five again builds on its predecessor, because while four was
fighting apathy, five goes deeper and tries to take on cynicism – that place where all sense of hope is lost, nothing good will ever happen and the world has already gone to hell in a handbasket. “The resources (divine and human) that are available for the achievement of meaningful change justify an attitude of ultimate optimism.”

So, Human and Divine resources justify an attitude of ultimate optimism. Remember the story of the little boy at the seashore, throwing stranded starfish back into the sea? Why bother, asks a cynic who comes along. You can’t save them all. “I just saved that one,” says the young child, embodying hope. Ultimate optimism. Maybe what I’m doing right now isn’t going to have  immediate effects, but I have FAITH, I have HOPE that in the long run, my efforts will pay off and will create that just and loving world. You may feel that we are living now in times of fear and division. Turn to this stone as a reminder that amid the injustices, pain and confusion, there is love, there is beauty and there is hope. Know that your efforts will make a difference in the long run.

Worship Associate, place fifth stone on the altar while saying:Our fifth stone reminds us that the divine and human capacities for achieving meaningful change are reason for optimism. Together we may be hopeful that change will occur toward a more just, loving, and free world.

The roots of our living tradition have been developed over centuries, but new ideas and understandings are still being revealed. We are part of this living tradition. Through it, we become whole, and through us, our tradition becomes whole.

RESPONSIVE READING #591
I call that church free which enters into covenant with the ultimate source of
existence,
That sustaining and transforming power not made with human hands.
It binds together families and generations, protecting against the idolatry of
any human claim to absolute truth or authority.
This covenant is the charter and responsibility and joy of worship in the face
of death as well as life.
I call that church free which brings individuals into a caring, trusting
fellowship,
That protects and nourishes their integrity and spiritual freedom; that yearns
to belong to the church universal;
It is open to insight and conscience from every source; it bursts through rigid
tradition, giving rise to new and living language, to new and broader
fellowship.
It is a pilgrim church, a servant church, on an adventure of the spirit.
The goal is the prophethood and priesthood of all believers, the one for the
liberty of prophesying, the other for the ministry of healing.
It aims to find unity in diversity under the promptings of the spirit “that bloweth
where it listeth . . . and maketh all things new.”

 

Closing Hymn #300 “With Heart and Mind”

With heart and mind and voice and hand may we this time and place
transcend to make our purse understood: a mortal search for mortal good, a
firm commitment to the goal of justice, freedom, peace for all.
A mind that’s free to seek the truth, a mind that’s free in age and youth to
choose a path no threat impedes, wherever light of conscience leads. Our
martyrs died so we could be a church where every mind is free.
A heart that’s kind, a heart whose search makes Love the spirit of our church,
where we can grow, and each one’s gift if sanctified, and spirits lift, where
every door is open wide for all who choose to step inside.

Extinguish Chalice
We extinguish this flame, but not the light of truth, the warmth of community
or the fire of commitment. These we carry in our hearts until we meet again.

Singing Benediction

 

May the Longtime Sun Shine Upon You
All love suround you
And the pure, pure light that’s within you
Guide your way home