Sunday services A Case for Humanism, presented by Jack Perry, 02-08-15 First Unitarian Church, Omaha, Ne
Good morning to all of you and a special thanks to our minister Frank Rivas for this opportunity. 1. We have more variety and program than we ever had. The early morning risers set hearts on fire. The organ and the choir rekindle the flame. Reverend Frank reminds all assembled that words taken from the Old Testament speak to us still. “It is good to be alive and here together”. Unity. Normally ministers are reluctant to share their pulpit with a layperson from their congregation, no strings.. Frank Rivas is not your ordinary minister. First Unitarian is not your ordinary church. Arguably speaking we are about 65% atheist agnostic humanist, about 19% Judeo Christian and about 21% pagan earth centered. 2. This morning I’m going to speak about change, such as events in my life that influenced me to call myself post Christian. Also I want to speak about change in the Unitarian Universalist Association I have a few words about diversity in our church and a few observations about Sunday services . 3. IMAGINE---A couple of months ago Rev. Frank, myself and two or three others were discussing the demographics of first Unitarian according to the recent church survey. I was voicing concern for the future of Humanism. Someone said the subject needs a wider audience. I have a little trouble with my hearing and sometimes my memory. I am almost sure but not quite sure I heard Frank say: 4. Jack, ”Go tell it on the Mountain”. The term sounded biblical. I replied “Oh my God”. Then, I heard the words “Jack, why don’t you speak about the humanist presence in the church”. As usual, I missed part of what was said and I replied, “What.” Frank thought I said “When”. He responded with, “I’m glad you agree to speak from the high pulpit about humanism’s important position in the health of our church.” Jack, I’ll put you down to speak in the early part of February. Well here I am. I love the people who come to this place on Sunday morning. I belong. I have belonged since 1972. my new member profile published in The Bulletin Sunday, October 22, 1972.
I read
-Jack W Perry lives at 10262 Miami Dr. And is a plumbing contractor. The Perry’s have two children Barbara 18 and Richard 15. Jack says, “The lack of creed attracted me to Unitarianism and openness to develop all information without first checking to see whether it fit what I must first believe.” The same Bulletin contained this notice--- Discussion group at Van and Millie’s apartment, the topic- “Organized religion- Is it worth it”. Compare that attitude with an event a couple of years ago when the speaking engagement for the Holland Lecture given by Richard Dawkins, sponsored by our church was in danger of being canceled. What happened?
First Unitarian Church has been a dues paying member of the Unitarian Universalist Association since 1869. The UUA historically is our source of what one person that I was talking to called “intellectual rigor”. The UUA has always been small in number with a loud, respected voice challenging the past and the present and was often quoted. Some of the leadership, in the UUA for the last few years have been moving the denomination to identify more with the Liberal Protestant churches that are in decline. The UUMA minister’s association for the most part seems in agreement. Unitarian churches in the Midwest in particular do not always agree with
the direction of the UUA. inspiration and example.
The Unitarian Universalist Association could look more to member churches for First Unitarian Church is a success story.
First Unitarian Church is governed by the vote of our congregation and administered by our elected Board of Trustee’s.
The words “church and religion” are in a transition. I looked up the old definitions. The new Church is to be considered a safe place to be yourself to learn and play, become a better person and do your share. Religion is the model that we put our trust in when we join a particular church. Many of our members come from unchurched backgrounds. An increasing amount of our population is entering adulthood essentially unchurched. Many are looking for a church that offers something other than words from ancient writings to unravel “The week that was” on Sunday mornings. Being contemporary is not a new idea in the Unitarian church. Here’s a quote by Theodore Parker, a Unitarian minister that died in 1860”: A religion that did for the first th century or the 15 will not do for this. It must have our ideas, the smell of our ground.
I want to define what I mean when I say I am a Humanist and how I got to be one. I did not join the Unitarian Church because it was Humanist. I did not know it was a Humanist Church when I joined. Like most people, I joined and stayed because I felt I belonged. There is a feeling here that transcends religion without leaving it behind. A couple of lines from the poem “Birches” by Robert Frost are well said: “Earths the right place for love I don’t know where it’s likely to go better”. I took no lessons to become a humanist. So how did it happen? As Jimmy Buffet explained in his song, “Margaretville, paraphrased “I woke up one morning a Humanist and how I got there I haven’t a clue.” When did it begin?
Exactly why did I leave the Catholic Church?
Margaret and I adopted two children in the middle 1950s through Catholic charities. We agreed to send them to Catholic schools to get a good Catholic education. Children that went to public schools got their religious education on Saturday morning with volunteer teachers. Teachers were always in short supply. I felt the Saturday morning kids and the volunteers were being shortchanged so I volunteered to be a gopher. I quickly found out why they were always short teachers and had inattentive students and dissatisfied parents. I signed up to be a gopher and was assigned to be a teacher. I was in a crusader phase at the time, I took the job, teaching CCD to 20 6th grade Students who did not want to spend an hour with me in a classroom on Saturday mornings. I studied the lesson plans and soon found that I was teaching these poor kids Bible stories that made no sense to me. I finished the year having kids make timeline scrolls of Prophets and Kings, along with a helping of the Golden rule. It seemed to satisfy everyone but me. To make matters worse I was appointed the first Parish Council at Pius X Parish. I was becoming a hypocrite. I had to leave. Physically it is just a short walk to put aside a religion of long-standing. Out the door, into your car, drive off. Emotionally and logistically it’s a long trip. Margaret is still Catholic. We have been married 67 years. Margaret no longer drives her car to church. We attend weekly, the same church I left. Immediately on leave of St. Leo church I went on a search for a new church home. I did not know exactly what I was looking for but I wasn’t finding it in the same old same old. I actually felt uneasy in a couple of fundamentalist churches. I visited mainline Protestant churches ----mostly they just seemed tired. The ritual of the Catholic Church is not tired. It is repetitious and predictable and remains a bit mysterious even yet. The past is practically the present, repeated and repeated. The congregation participates throughout the whole service to create a mantra quality. I’m not going to go on and on with this description. I can almost feel a tug. It is perfect for some people. However, the last 20 or 30 words has jogged my memory. Come to think of it, I tried very hard to be a Catholic. When we moved into our first house we belonged to St. Bernard’s Catholic Church about 68th and Military. The Priest was from Ireland and his Irish brogue made understanding a sermon a challenge, but he
was loud. Omaha was moving west and with no move on our part we became charter members of St. Pius X Parish at 70th and Blondo. I was quite active considering that I was running a small plumbing business at the same time. I joined the Knights of Columbus, was confirmed in the Catholic Church and went down to St. Columbian’s in Bellevue for three day retreats for several years. Margaret was quite involved in church and more, but this is my story. I was more involved in the Catholic Church then I realized when I began writing this talk. There’s one more thing of the past that I want to comment about. I spent a lot of time in the public library when I was, oh 10 - 11 -12 years old for reasons that would be another story. Toronto has a good library system and subscribed to a many good magazines. One of them was the National Geographic. I think National Geographic was of particular interest to many a young boy. I travelled the world in National Geographic. Those were not the only pictures that received my attention. One picture I remember yet, a spectacular waterfall 19 times higher than Niagara Falls, discovered deep in impenetrable jungle of South America In 1935. How quickly the impenetrable jungle was laid open--Angel Falls has millions of visitors a year. I don’t think the Catholic Church had anything to do with my becoming a Nonbeliever. Perhaps it happened while I was reading National Geographic. I was fascinated with everything I saw. Maybe I was born to be a Humanist. Looking back I had no real quarrel with the Catholic Church. It was I that didn’t fit.
Our Church places a high value on searching for truth with reason. Respect for your opinion is to be expected, to expect a response agreeing with what you say is true, without question is unlikely. What we all have, mostly, is an opinion. I come here seek truth or a better path to truth. And, enjoy life. This is my opinion at the present time. What happened to me when I when I set aside Faith? I still had breakfast, remained in place. However I no longer had to go to confession.
went to bed at night
and
the stop signs
Faith and homage to a Superpower is a requirement in most Churches and a life well lived is to be rewarded. Frequently the reward comes after death. As a Nonbelieving Humanist, I have taken the responsibility of charting my own life. There are many people in this Church that still hold to Faith, however it is now tempered by reason and believed by choice. What does the holder of Faith have in common with the Nonbeliever? The common bond is “thoughtful choice”. The bond with Faith is now by choice, not requirement. Nonbelief is the result of “thoughtful choice.” Our path is even similar. confirmed in this life.
The Believer has Faith as the answer for some profound questions that will never be The Unbeliever begins with some profound questions that will remain unanswered in this life.
People of many Faiths and unbelievers and unchurched have been coming here to first Unitarian Church for years. They come not to practice their BEFORES. They come to test, to talk out their BEFORES in this community of diversity. Happy diversity that is. First Unitarian is such a great place to be that it may take years to work out a decision. Some of you will stay. I will try to know you. Most likely I will not remember your name as much as I’d like to. But I will be glad you stayed. Some of you will go back to the old ways. There are many reasons. One is because the family agony is not worth the misery. Others return renewed and happy to be back in the fold. For some the road leads on and on we wish them well. Speaking chronologically First Unitarian Church is a bridge between believing that our Humanity is a gift from a higher power and is worthy of our Adoration. Versus believing we are a product of this Planet and have evolved into creatures able, as no other, to make our life span Heaven or Hell, before returning to our past and future, that is, Stardust. We seek to understand one another all week and to do the work of the Church and more. With all this diversity how do we come together and celebrate what unites us? During the week we seek to understand and repair the religious barriers
our civilizations have erected that keep us apart. Sunday morning should belong to the living. The words used to describe ourselves need not have claim to a superpower. Looking at you I do not see God’s creature, I see you. That is enough. I have no quarrel with yesterday’s wisdom because Even the Bible thinks new is good, “don’t pour old wine into new skins.” Six days a week work and play, build bridges and mend fences. reason and intuition to choose the most good.
Seek the best solutions to problems and pleasure
using
Sunday morning let us celebrate what unites us. My Blue Boat Home. Page
in the teal hymnal
Closing words by Theodore Parker Unitarian minister died 1860. Quote: but the church which did for the fifth century or the 15th, will not do for this. What is well enough at Rome or Berlin or Oxford, is not well enough for Boston. It must have our ideas, the smell of our ground, and grown out of the religion in our soul.