The rains are upon us again, and it’s odd to see miles of heavy gray clouds stretching from one mountainous horizon to the other after months of clear, blue skies. Still, we braved the rains to hike Grizzly Peak again with some of the first year students at the academy. It’s incredible how different the scenery and landscapes looked on this trip compared to last month. But even muddy paths, dead plants, and gray skies can’t detract from the splendor of that hike. Alas, our camera died. Sorry, Moms.
On Sunday we decided it was high time to check out a church in Ashland. It’s not much of a church-going community; Rachel’s preschoolers interpreted a picture of an angel Halloween costume as “a fairy princess.” Still, we’re in search of ways to get involved, so we decided to brave it. There are several to choose from, but out of sheer curiosity (and because this week’s message was about Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha) we visited the local Universal Unitarian church. We’re sharing our impressions of it simply because it was a new experience for us, and you may share the same curiosity. You can read it as you would a review of a restaurant you’ll never visit. And if it already happens to be your favorite restaurant, a review is obviously irrelevant.
The building was a typical Western church. There were greeters at the door, an “order of service” bulletin, and a big, um...church-room. Everyone, members and visitors, wore nametags. Given our upbringing in the Midwest, we of course did not wear nametags. The venue was packed, but disappointingly, with the exception of a few bored preteens, everyone was over 60. (The retirement jokes were lost on us.) The service began with a terrified-looking woman making an announcement about the community dinner they’re organizing for Thanksgiving. The minister (a woman, and over 60) interjected, “Like many things, including our religion, it will be a potluck.” That metaphor quickly proved accurate. They sang some songs about brotherhood, peace, and happiness. They cheered for Barack Obama and lit candles for his safety. Everyone was careful not to mention God(s) or prayer. The children were dismissed to celebrate Ramadan downstairs, while we listened to a sermon about the Buddha’s teachings on suffering. The message was cross-cultural, as expected—Christian theologian C.S. Lewis argues that individual pain and suffering (note: NOT suffering produced by economic, social, or political causes) teach us valuable lessons and are an intrinsic part of life; some modern lady argues that all pain is produced within the mind and has its solution in the mind; the Buddha explains that suffering can be eliminated by severing attachment to things of this world. Interestingly, the minister concluded that she wants to be attached to life’s fleeting joys, and follows Reinhold Niebuhr’s advice to try to distinguish between suffering we can resolve and suffering we must just accept. The boys were not impressed with this conclusion.
Overall, it was an interesting sociological experiment. Unitarianism appeals to our pluralist bent on an intellectual level, though not so much on an emotional plane. In fact, the only emotions in play seem to be a sound optimism about mankind and faith in one’s own ability to make a positive impact. What sort of religion is that? Where’s the guilt, the fear, the torches-and-pitchfork-wielding passion? Really it should be called an un-church. Or at least try to be a lot less similar to the traditional churches it rejects. Next week we’ll try to find a congregation that’s calling down brimstone on Medford.
Continuing in the vein of unorthodox benevolence and good will, this week's photo feature is Local Graffiti:
Peace Begins With A Smile
Give thanks.
I love you, too.
AutumnAlso, check the album Jake's Art Works for an updated selection of recent assignments.
1 comment:
your minister's thesis sounds suspiciously like the Serenity Prayer... which begs the question: recovering alcoholic or plagerist?
you be the judge!
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