Comments on: The Big C http://www.lookingforfaith.org/blog/2008/the-big-c Religion and spirituality from a Unitarian Universalist perspective Wed, 08 Oct 2008 04:58:21 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.3 By: Shelby Meyerhoff http://www.lookingforfaith.org/blog/2008/the-big-c#comment-13374 Shelby Meyerhoff Tue, 15 Apr 2008 02:48:43 +0000 http://www.lookingforfaith.org/blog/2008/the-big-c#comment-13374 Thanks for the supportive comments. Ms. Kitty, thank you for the point about the worship leader and the worship community both needing to contribute to a positive worship experience. I remember a few years ago, I preached the same sermon in two different congregations, a week apart. I had no prior experience with either congregation. On the first Sunday, I was elated! People greeted me warmly after the service and passed on positive feedback about the sermon. At the second service, congregants barely spoke with me during coffeehour and generally seemed unethusiastic. It was a good lesson that a worship is not a packaged product that you simply deliver. It's a shared experience that is influenced by the worship leader, the choir, the staff, the congregants, the issues in the life of the congregation, and, of course, the workings of the divine. As Terri put it, "a combination of community and great leadership is important in a UU church to make it work. It’s important work figuring out how to make it happen!" UUMomma, your words about "what comfort it was to be in that space with a lot of people I have come to love, saying the same words at the same time with them, singing" really resonates with me. In our congregation, we say a call to prayer that we've been saying since I started attending (and probably well before) -- the unison recitation of that and of our covenant are very meaningful to me. Dawn, what a beautiful story about your moment of joy and sustenance while singing "I am here lord." And your point about needing a sermon that speaks to both head and heart is a good one. The most memorable sermons I've experienced -- the ones that I reflect on years later -- addressed problems that I struggle with in my daily life, in a way that was nuanced but still clear. Thanks for the supportive comments.

Ms. Kitty, thank you for the point about the worship leader and the worship community both needing to contribute to a positive worship experience. I remember a few years ago, I preached the same sermon in two different congregations, a week apart. I had no prior experience with either congregation.

On the first Sunday, I was elated! People greeted me warmly after the service and passed on positive feedback about the sermon. At the second service, congregants barely spoke with me during coffeehour and generally seemed unethusiastic.

It was a good lesson that a worship is not a packaged product that you simply deliver. It’s a shared experience that is influenced by the worship leader, the choir, the staff, the congregants, the issues in the life of the congregation, and, of course, the workings of the divine.

As Terri put it, “a combination of community and great leadership is important in a UU church to make it work. It’s important work figuring out how to make it happen!”

UUMomma, your words about “what comfort it was to be in that space with a lot of people I have come to love, saying the same words at the same time with them, singing” really resonates with me. In our congregation, we say a call to prayer that we’ve been saying since I started attending (and probably well before) — the unison recitation of that and of our covenant are very meaningful to me.

Dawn, what a beautiful story about your moment of joy and sustenance while singing “I am here lord.”

And your point about needing a sermon that speaks to both head and heart is a good one. The most memorable sermons I’ve experienced — the ones that I reflect on years later — addressed problems that I struggle with in my daily life, in a way that was nuanced but still clear.

]]> By: dawn http://www.lookingforfaith.org/blog/2008/the-big-c#comment-13367 dawn Mon, 14 Apr 2008 19:34:18 +0000 http://www.lookingforfaith.org/blog/2008/the-big-c#comment-13367 I have a hard time with this one; sometimes it is just BEING in church that lifts and sustains me-just the feeling; I remember once I was walking to one side of the auditorium during the "family mass" when we were singing the phrase "I am here lord"-the brightness caused by the huge high windows and the lift of all the voices still brings me to tears-it was that powerful. But! there are other times when I desperately need SOMETHING from the sermon that touches my life-something that I can take to my heart AND head, and get discouraged if I don't hear it in the sermon, and if this keeps happening, I fall away-my own fault, I know, but nonetheless that's what I do.... I have a hard time with this one; sometimes it is just BEING in church that lifts and sustains me-just the feeling; I remember once I was walking to one side of the auditorium during the “family mass” when we were singing the phrase “I am here lord”-the brightness caused by the huge high windows and the lift of all the voices still brings me to tears-it was that powerful.

But! there are other times when I desperately need SOMETHING from the sermon that touches my life-something that I can take to my heart AND head, and get discouraged if I don’t hear it in the sermon, and if this keeps happening, I fall away-my own fault, I know, but nonetheless that’s what I do….

]]> By: Ms. Theologian http://www.lookingforfaith.org/blog/2008/the-big-c#comment-13361 Ms. Theologian Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:35:29 +0000 http://www.lookingforfaith.org/blog/2008/the-big-c#comment-13361 Your post reminds me of something Philocrites wrote about how church sort of changes for post-seminarians. I'm paraphrasing, and hoping he'll correct, if need be. But I wonder if it's a support group in the making in terms of learning how to find meaning differently from before. Your post reminds me of something Philocrites wrote about how church sort of changes for post-seminarians. I’m paraphrasing, and hoping he’ll correct, if need be. But I wonder if it’s a support group in the making in terms of learning how to find meaning differently from before.

]]> By: Terri http://www.lookingforfaith.org/blog/2008/the-big-c#comment-13360 Terri Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:01:56 +0000 http://www.lookingforfaith.org/blog/2008/the-big-c#comment-13360 Oh-- so glad that the church experience may be coming together for you. I can relate to your feelings though..I've been noticing a number of people feeling they are not receiving a full spiritual experience from their UU church. I have had a hard time transitioning myself from a large, vibrant church to a small one where I don't really get a lot from the sermons or services. What I get from my small church is mostly community, too--and a chance to serve, which does fill me usually. But I have also been visiting churches outside of my congregation for deeper worship...though there are no other UU churches around here, so I've been visiting liberal christian ones (i.e. UCC street ministry), not intending to join, but just to find something that feeds my soul a bit deeper. (Ironically, the minister I heard preach sounded so much like one of my favorite UU preachers in his message and delivery, that I think real religion transcends denominational lines...) But I am a UU at heart, and keep coming back... I think a combination of community and great leadership is important in a UU church to make it work. It's important work figuring out how to make it happen! Oh– so glad that the church experience may be coming together for you. I can relate to your feelings though..I’ve been noticing a number of people feeling they are not receiving a full spiritual experience from their UU church. I have had a hard time transitioning myself from a large, vibrant church to a small one where I don’t really get a lot from the sermons or services. What I get from my small church is mostly community, too–and a chance to serve, which does fill me usually. But I have also been visiting churches outside of my congregation for deeper worship…though there are no other UU churches around here, so I’ve been visiting liberal christian ones (i.e. UCC street ministry), not intending to join, but just to find something that feeds my soul a bit deeper. (Ironically, the minister I heard preach sounded so much like one of my favorite UU preachers in his message and delivery, that I think real religion transcends denominational lines…) But I am a UU at heart, and keep coming back…
I think a combination of community and great leadership is important in a UU church to make it work. It’s important work figuring out how to make it happen!

]]> By: mskitty http://www.lookingforfaith.org/blog/2008/the-big-c#comment-13359 mskitty Mon, 14 Apr 2008 16:00:44 +0000 http://www.lookingforfaith.org/blog/2008/the-big-c#comment-13359 Yep, there's more to worship than just the sermon, isn't there? I am going to be preaching on Worship on May 4, hoping to help people understand that the open-heartedness they bring to a worship service is as important as the words they hear there. It can't all be up to the minister and worship leader(s)! Best wishes to both of you. Yep, there’s more to worship than just the sermon, isn’t there? I am going to be preaching on Worship on May 4, hoping to help people understand that the open-heartedness they bring to a worship service is as important as the words they hear there. It can’t all be up to the minister and worship leader(s)! Best wishes to both of you.

]]> By: uuMomma http://www.lookingforfaith.org/blog/2008/the-big-c#comment-13355 uuMomma Mon, 14 Apr 2008 14:44:45 +0000 http://www.lookingforfaith.org/blog/2008/the-big-c#comment-13355 Been thinking of blogging on this, so I may more in depth later, but I have to say that I returned to church yesterday for the second time in months. Circumstances of my life have kept me away, for the last two months. I went the first time because my kids were doing the service, and then yesterday, our minister was back in the pulpit after a two month sabbatical (first time for me to be back when he was back, I should say). The sermon did very little for me, I have to say, and I was getting ready to get my knickers in a knot over it, but then, I stopped and realized what comfort it was to be in that space with a lot of people I have come to love, saying the same words at the same time with them, singing. Oh, the music. We are so lucky with what we have in a music director, and his postlude brought me to weeping in its simple, elegant beauty. The elements of the service did for me what the sermon could not, did not. And much of it was just as you said, being in community with people. Best of luck with your candidate. Been thinking of blogging on this, so I may more in depth later, but I have to say that I returned to church yesterday for the second time in months. Circumstances of my life have kept me away, for the last two months. I went the first time because my kids were doing the service, and then yesterday, our minister was back in the pulpit after a two month sabbatical (first time for me to be back when he was back, I should say). The sermon did very little for me, I have to say, and I was getting ready to get my knickers in a knot over it, but then, I stopped and realized what comfort it was to be in that space with a lot of people I have come to love, saying the same words at the same time with them, singing. Oh, the music. We are so lucky with what we have in a music director, and his postlude brought me to weeping in its simple, elegant beauty. The elements of the service did for me what the sermon could not, did not. And much of it was just as you said, being in community with people.

Best of luck with your candidate.

]]> By: mskitty http://www.lookingforfaith.org/blog/2008/the-big-c#comment-13354 mskitty Mon, 14 Apr 2008 14:28:08 +0000 http://www.lookingforfaith.org/blog/2008/the-big-c#comment-13354 Shelby, how exciting for you! Maybe you needed the time away in order to return with a new perspective. Think of it as a sabbatical! Shelby, how exciting for you! Maybe you needed the time away in order to return with a new perspective. Think of it as a sabbatical!

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