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Rev. Chris Long
January 29, 2023
First UU Church of Austin
4700 Grover Ave., Austin, TX 78756
www.austinuu.org
Please join Rev Chris Long, The Minister of Congregational Life (Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge, LA), as he returns to Austin for the first time since 1994 -1995. He will explore the Soul Matters theme of the month.
Chalice Lighting
This is the flame we hold in our hearts as we strive for justice for everyone. This is the light we shine upon systems of oppression until they are no more. This is the warmth that we share with one another as our struggle becomes our salvation.
Call to Worship
THE COURAGE TO BEGIN ANEW
By the Reverend Rosemary Bray McNatt
President of Starr King School for the Ministry – Oakland, CA…In this moment of worship we call to mind those times of failure and regret common to all of us. We remember first, in silence, those times when we have failed to do all that we meant to do, or through our actions failed to be all we were meant to be.
We now recall our moments of integrity, those times we have lived into our deepest values, and acted as the human beings we always dreamed of being.
We choose at this moment to lay down the burden of our shortcomings, and grasp the courage to begin anew. Together, we affirm our capacity for goodness and grace, for freedom and purpose and joy. We are not trapped in our past, but freed by creation to live and grow today. With gratitude, we say blessed be and amen.
Affirming Our Mission
Together we nourish souls, transform lives, and do justice to build the Beloved Community.
Meditation Reading
RESPONDING TO VIOLENCE IN OUR WORLD
By The Reverend Dr. Hope Johnson – Of Blessed Memory
(Excepted from the UUA Website – November 13, 2017)“…We can pause. We can express our gratitude for the positive efforts being made. We can each do something. And we can celebrate the fact that none of us is alone – we’re a team. From there, we can work with our congregations by supporting their efforts to balance the disparities that abound. We don’t have to do it all but, if we want to be part of the change that we’d like to see, we do have to keep challenging each other, not by being hard on ourselves, but by being real….”
Sermon
My name is Rev. Chris Long. My pronouns of choice are he/him/his. I am so delighted to be HERE!! I am so delighted to be here, in Austin, Texas for the first time in 29 years. It has been both a time- traveling and soul affirming experience since arriving Thursday evening.
I had the great fortune to complete a 16-week internship at St. David’s Rehabilitation Center as a part of my undergraduate degree in Therapeutic Recreation!!!! As fate, LIFE, would have it, it would be another five years before I would meet Unitarian Universalism, and The Reverend Jonula Johnstone who was then Minister of James Reeb Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Madison, Wisconsin.
On December 12, 1999, in Reverend Jonalu’s then Church Office, I would “Sign the Book” to become a Unitarian Universalist. Since that FaithFULL day, I have been humbled to call here a Dear Mentor, Ministerial Colleague and Friend.
It is through these many years of connection, support, love, and with the affirmations by Reverends Chris and Erin that I am truly grateful to be here today with you, all!! Good morning!!! A special note of thanks to Reverends Chris, and Erin, Kelly Stokes, Brent Baldwin, Peter, Rina Saporssantos, and all of the staff, technical support staff and volunteers who have made my visit here one I will long remember. Also, I am grateful to have had conversations of grounding and connecting with some of the BIPOC Members of this congregation. My soul is FULL Y’all!!!
The title and theme for today’s Worship Service is, “Finding Our Center: Building a New “Way”.
When you hear the word, or phrase, ‘to center’ or to be ‘centered’ what comes to mind? If you are one who practices yoga, forest bathing, Buddhism, or any other number of meditations or spiritual practices. If you engage regular exercise, you have a music practice, you may be familiar with the concept or practice of being “centered”. And if you do not practice any form of regular “centering” for any number of reasons, too much work, the children are your “center”, or if one’s body is not able to do any of those forms of centering, you are not alone!!
And again, what on earth does it mean to “Find Our Center” to those of us who are not sure what it is? Furthermore, is it the same as being ‘grounded’? As important is what does this have to do with me, or you, being a Unitarian Universalist, members of this congregation or someone seeking possible community with us, and why now?
First, I find it very important to state, that finding ‘center’is not a static place, and if one does not know what it is, or find it important, this is OK. And, I hope that we all could use some supports in working, working, to explore if and why it is a concept we might continue or begin to practice,… as the days, moments, years of our lives are or may be becoming ever busy. Ever busy, complex and our lives, friends and families pull at all of what it means to be a human being, today.
In searching for support on the subjects of centering and ground, I found something on the topic by Dr. Diana Raab. Dr. Raab is a Transpersonal Psychologist who has written extensively about the subjects of “centering” and “grounding” helping me to frame some of my thinking for today’s Offering. From the February 3, 2020 online issue of Psychology Today Dr. Raab wrote:
“Sometimes the words centering and grounding are used interchangeably. Centering usually refers to our mental and physical state of mind. It’s the place we know we have to get back to when we’re not feeling like ourselves. When we’re not centered, we might feel lost or out of touch with ourselves. When we center ourselves, we bring calm to our emotions. We do so by slowing down our breathing so that we “feel” more of what’s going on around us. Becoming centered is a way to find peace within the chaos that might be surrounding us. It’s about being “in check” with what’s going on. Individuals who are centered are typically calm and peaceful.”
She goes on to say,
“Grounding is a term used in conjunction with the energy fields around us. Being grounded means that we’re content with who we are. We’re sure of ourselves and have confidence in the decisions we make. Becoming grounded is about getting rid of excessive energy in the body, allowing clean energy to come through. When we ground ourselves, we’re calming or slowing down our emotions and getting more in touch with our internal and external worlds. Grounding our energy can be helpful when we feel either unbalanced or nervous. Being grounded also means that we’re more mindful with respect to our environment.”
Centering and grounding. In preparation for today’s Service, I am humbled to say that I have had a few weeks of connecting conversations with Reverends Chris, Jonalu and Erin. Also, through my chats with Peter and with some of the BIPIC members over a meals the last two days, I got to take in each person’s passions regarding the health, health of this Church, and in the areas of continued hope and possibilities that you all are working, working, into in the life of this congregation.
Additionally, I took a few minutes to look over this Church’s history wall in Hausen Hall. I was amazed to learn some gathered under the values and beliefs of Unitarianism starting here,in Austin, in the late 1800s. Then, officially becoming a Unitarian Church in 1954!!
Y’all have been around a long time, and doing the sacred, holy work of justice, love and mercy. AMEN???
In this time of continued transition as a congregation on many levels, namely how we all continue to navigate life post the hardest parts of the pandemic, having the realities, and difficulty of Reverend Meg Barnhouse deciding to retire in May of last year, leaving sooner than most would have desired, and to be in the middle of the process, holy process, of deciding the next chapter in the life of this congregation related to selecting your Senior Minister, the transitions continue.
And, AND, I am learning joy, justice, mercy and a deep dedication to embodying the 8th Principle, again, the work of embodying the 8th Principle, as a spiritual, religious undertaking is mission, vision of this historic Church. Amen???
As you may well know, one of your Ends Statement Reads:
“Together we nourish souls, transform lives, and do justice to build the Beloved Community.”
Even, or especially with all of the changes going on inside and around us, the violence in particular, how shall we work on finding our center, during these ever uncertain times? How can, or might we do the work needed to build a new way towards more love, justice and mercy now? The Reading Peter shared a few minutes ago was excerpted from an article on the Unitarian Universalist Association website, uua.org, from November 13, 2017. Again titled, “Responding to the Violence in Our World”.
The Reverend Dr. Hope Johnson, who was a long-time mentor, friend, colleague, now an Ancestor of Blessed Memory, crafted those words in a short, sacred article in response to some of the violence, in the name of religion, that was happening in the world at that time. I highly commend it to you for your ongoing reflection as we potentially continue or begin to reflect on the possibilities of having this church, and other spots in our world be considered, a place for meaningful, ongoing centering, and grounding.
As Unitarian Universalists or those seeking to become a part of this sacred community and living religious tradition, what role, if any does this congregation play in working towards more justice, mercy, compassion and love for all, right here, right now? Do we have a role in co- creating the world that we seek? If we do, or do not have a practice, or practices of “centering”, how might we consider starting a practice so that we can weather the storms of our lives that will, that will come? How are we, or might we do this in community here?
As critical, and at once, if you will, how do we explore not only centering that is needed here, but how might we move our justice making into the center of marginalized communities, in even more authentic and accountable ways? At the close of the article of the Reading shared, Reverend Dr. Hope Johnson shares this, just as yet another heart breaking, soul wrenching attack killing many and wounding more had happened, in the name of religion.
She writes:
“And yet, I know how important it is for us to allow our grief-filled hearts to invite faith, hope and love to seep in–drop by precious drop. Allow our hearts to guide us in coming together, once again, as often as we must, to claim that we will not let fear dictate the kind of people we are and will be, in spite of the anger, the tears and the fears. Allow us to be the people who know how to respond-yes, once again-by uniting our actions, our hearts and our minds in love. Allow us to remember as we work with the larger world, our congregations, and each other, that we are part of a team, doing the work that we have each been called to do.”
As we begin to take our leave from this Worship Service today, may we find this Church to be a place of ongoing “centering and grounding”. Especially as we dig ever more deeply, into harder religious questions of our day. May we continue to do this holy work in faith, love and compassion, in our precious, precious lives?
Amen, Ashe, Blessed Be, Shalom, Salaam and May it Be So!!
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