This is the Unitarian Universalist church, known by some as the UU church. It's a church founded in Massachusetts, and I like the ideas behind it. Ralph Waldo Emerson was a Unitarian minister.
Christian Universalism "denies the doctrine of everlasting damnation, and proclaims belief in an entirely loving god who will ultimately redeem all human beings."
Unitarianism denies the trinity of Christianity (the Father, Son and the Holy Ghost) adopted by the first Council of Nicaea in 325. The Unitarians instead affirm god as a singular entity. The first Unitarian churches were formed in the 16th century.
"Current concepts about deity, however, are diverse among UUs. While some are still monotheistic, often from a Judeo-Christian perspective, many profess Atheism or Agnosticism. UUs see no contradiction in open Atheists and Agnostics being members of their community because of the rich Unitarian legacy of free inquiry and reason in matters of faith. Still other UUs subscribe to Deism, Pantheism, or Polytheism. Many UUs reject the idea of deities and instead speak of the "spirit of life" that binds all life on earth." - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unitarian_Universalism
These are all such wonderful attitudes, so inclusive, so kind.
The reason I went to church today was because my piano teacher is the pianist at the local UU church, and as Pete Seeger (who was a member of the UU church) died last Monday the church had decided to do a "special" on him this Sunday. My cousin Rose had sent me a really beautiful Pete Seeger song, To my old brown earth http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VHVY8KOzuw , sung by Seeger himself to the accompaniment of his banjo, and then in four-part harmony by a choir of voices accompanied by the same simple banjo. I showed this to Julie, my piano teacher, who was elated, as she had been looking for something to play during the offertory. She spent hours transcribing it into sheet music, as she was unable to find it anywhere on the web, and today played it so exquisitely that my eyes were shining. I wished my cousin had been there sitting next to me.
I found the rest of the service utterly enjoyable too. Music is a huge part of this church, and they have many great musicians: guitarists, flute players (who used to be called flautists but don't seem to be anymore), and pianists. Pete Seeger believed in the power of song to bring social change, and worked much of his life as an activist. We sang his songs Where have all the flowers gone? and If I had a hammer, which I had always thought was by Trini Lopez. The powerful civil rights anthem which Seeger popularized, We shall overcome, was the last song.
The sermon was short and sweet and also filled with musical references. As I was listening, I thought how my little blog entries are like my own short daily sermon (if I were a preacher). And looking through the official hymnal, Singing the Living Tradition, I noticed conventional hymns and ordinary songs side by side, and in the back, where all the blessings, response pieces, words for funerals and weddings and so on are located, I was absolutely enchanted to find some of my favourite poets, like Mary Oliver and Adrienne Rich, Henry David Thoreau and Kahlil Gibran. There is a hymn by Holly Near, called We are a Gentle, Angry People, which includes a verse which goes, "We are gay and straight together", which would cause apoplexy in most of the Christian churches I have frequented.
Church music is such a strong part of my culture, my roots, something completely familiar and comfortable. I rejected the religion which would not allow my dog a place in heaven, but I still went through Christian National Education where we had assembly every day with a hymn or two and a bible reading. Hymns were the poetry of my school choir (where I fought so hard to stay, even as I was nearly expelled from school several times, and therefore lost my place in the choir too. I didn't care about the school, but I begged [a rather difficult thing for a proud 17 year-old to do] our choir mistress for her forgiveness, and she succumbed, to my great delight and gratitude). I sing hymns in my head while I'm running, perfect rhythm. I sang them to all my babies to help them yield to sleep.
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| We had an annual carol service in the quadrangle of the school, beloved by everyone who attended, year after year, with the dusk coming on, little bats flitting through the warm air, nabbing mosquitos. and the pure eternal voices of girls floating away into the coming night. |
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QAAZ29cvfU This adagio is so beautifully performed here by Sharon Kam with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra.
I am always drawn to the slower pieces, the minor keys, the segments which pluck and pull at your heartstrings, working them into a kind of emotional ecstasy.
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