Services today.
I decided I should at least try to get out of bed on my day off, which has been getting harder and harder. So I went to services at the UUChurch here in Ft Lauderdale. Having never been to service there I wasn't sure what I would find. I've been to the site before for other events, the grounds are green with a variety of areas. A small stone maze, a butterfly garden. All welcoming. They even have a May pole set up with multi color ribbons. Maybe because their choir was visiting another location the average age seemed to be much older then me. A few younger but not many. The service today was titled "When bad things happen to good people." And I have been feeling that for awhile so I was curious to see what the Rev. Gail would have to say. But before the lesson they have several things they do.
They light a chalice, and candles, talk about the inclusion of all. Affirmation of faith. The hymnals they use are very interesting. The first song was "Nobody knows the trouble I've seen." I'm sure you have heard the song before, did you know this is an African American spiritual? (I've never thought of it that way.) Because part of the group was at another location the Rev was doing everything herself. She did a Sermon reading Where she read a passage from a book called Overcoming Life's Disappointments by Rabi Kushner.
The main Sermon "When bad things happen to good people" she spoke a bit about the happenings in Boston, and then a friend who's husband has passed away. She made some good points, that bad things happen to everyone sometimes, some dwell in the bad, hey who doesn't like a pity party sometimes. And some get through it. Here is where I started having a bit of a problem with her words. Her friend who's husband died, well she is always a positive person and since her husband has died she has been surrounded by others who are the same way. The Rev felt she was in for a bad time because eventually those same people will not be around, and she would crash. She felt her friend and the people who knew her husband would abandon her and she would be in for a bad time when she the rev would be the only one around.
My issues with this where many. She talked about inclusion of all but didn't understand her friends basic faith. She
seemed to think people will always/eventually fail you but had no other insight. No true belief, words yes, but in her wanting to accept everyone she understands no one.
The nice Rev studied at Harvard, understood languages and translations of old and new testaments. Origins etc... I got answers I was looking for in the time after the service having coffee with her.
Here is what I finally learned today.
Faith may start out as words, gestures, traditions, ceremonies but until you take faith as part of you and just believe it, it doesn't matter what/how you know it.
right?
They light a chalice, and candles, talk about the inclusion of all. Affirmation of faith. The hymnals they use are very interesting. The first song was "Nobody knows the trouble I've seen." I'm sure you have heard the song before, did you know this is an African American spiritual? (I've never thought of it that way.) Because part of the group was at another location the Rev was doing everything herself. She did a Sermon reading Where she read a passage from a book called Overcoming Life's Disappointments by Rabi Kushner.
The main Sermon "When bad things happen to good people" she spoke a bit about the happenings in Boston, and then a friend who's husband has passed away. She made some good points, that bad things happen to everyone sometimes, some dwell in the bad, hey who doesn't like a pity party sometimes. And some get through it. Here is where I started having a bit of a problem with her words. Her friend who's husband died, well she is always a positive person and since her husband has died she has been surrounded by others who are the same way. The Rev felt she was in for a bad time because eventually those same people will not be around, and she would crash. She felt her friend and the people who knew her husband would abandon her and she would be in for a bad time when she the rev would be the only one around.
My issues with this where many. She talked about inclusion of all but didn't understand her friends basic faith. She
seemed to think people will always/eventually fail you but had no other insight. No true belief, words yes, but in her wanting to accept everyone she understands no one.
The nice Rev studied at Harvard, understood languages and translations of old and new testaments. Origins etc... I got answers I was looking for in the time after the service having coffee with her.
Here is what I finally learned today.
Faith may start out as words, gestures, traditions, ceremonies but until you take faith as part of you and just believe it, it doesn't matter what/how you know it.
right?