Leader of the Pack and Other Fables

Leader of the Pack and Other Fables

Rev. Dr. Gaye Ortiz

Unitarian Universalist Church of Augusta

February 2, 2014

Introduction

I was conscious when I was writing this sermon that this was the week of the State of the Union address.

President Obama said during his speech that as the country’s executive he will lead by example. I was reminded that sometimes for ministers, leading by example is a pretty high bar to set for ourselves.

The Reverend Billy Graham tells of a time early in his ministry when he arrived in a small town to preach a sermon. He wanted to mail a letter, and so he asked a young boy where the post office was. When the boy had told him, Dr. Graham thanked him and said, "If you'll come to the Church this evening, you can hear me telling everyone how to get to Heaven."

The boy said. ""I don't think I'll be there, you don't even know your way to the post office."

So it is my contention this morning that we are all leaders. Do you think that is so? Well, here’s how we’re going to find out:

THE QUIZ

The following short quiz consists of 4 questions and tells whether you are qualified to be a “leader.” The questions are not that difficult.

1. How do you put a giraffe into a refrigerator?


The correct answer is: Open the refrigerator, put in the giraffe and close the door.


--This question tests whether you overthink – that is, tend to do simple things in an overly complicated way.

2. How do you put an elephant into a refrigerator?


Wrong Answer: Open the refrigerator, put in the elephant and close the refrigerator.


Correct Answer: Open the refrigerator, take out the giraffe, put in the elephant and close the door.


--This tests your ability to think through the repercussions of your actions.

3. The Lion King is hosting an animal conference, all the animals attend except one. Which animal does not attend?


Correct Answer: The Elephant. The Elephant is in the refrigerator.


--This tests your memory.

Okay, even if you did not answer the first three questions correctly, you still have one more chance to show your abilities.

4. There is a river you must cross. But it is inhabited by crocodiles. How do you manage it?


Correct Answer: You swim across. All the Crocodiles are attending the Animal Conference!


--This tests whether you learn quickly from your mistakes.

According to Andersen Consulting World wide, around 90% of the professionals they tested got all questions wrong.  http://www.rare-leadership.org/humor_on_work-business-leadership-success.html

Leadership Models

But there is no magic set of questions that can tell us who would make a good leader. So how do we know what a good leader is? We most likely rely on the images or stereotypes that we are most familiar with in our culture; many of them come from the stories or fables we know from childhood that we have never really critically examined.

There are several types of leaders that we find in our fables of leadership, all involving the dynamic of leader-follower:

Leader of the Pack – I know you’re thinking I am really too young to remember the original song by the Shangri-las but the story is a tragic one, about a girl who falls for the leader of the motorcycle pack: think Marlon Brando in The Wild One: leathers, testosterone, perched on a Triumph Thunderbird with a cigarette hanging from his lips. This is the kind of leader who defends his status, and who seeks to defeat the enemy with the help of a loyal band: Peter Pan has his own pack, lovable but ready to defend him to the death, like TinkerBelle, before she is saved by the chorus of voices of those who believe. Robin Hood is another noble leader of the pack, whose roguish behavior is virtuous because he robs the rich to give to the poor. His followers swear allegiance to him and fight on his behalf against the men of the sheriff of Nottingham.

Me Tarzan, You Jane – this image drips with machismo: remember Johnny Weismuller and Maureen O’Sulivan in the old black and white Tarzan movies? It is odd how a perfectly capable, independent western woman comes under the spell of the ‘ape-man’ who lives with the great apes of Africa, and becomes his feisty but loyal mate.

Snow White and Cinderella suffer from the “Some day my prince will come” complex of helplessness, in which they are rescued from oppression and even for Snow White, death, by the prince of their dreams. And the creepy tale of Beauty and the Beast – a monster who holds a young woman against her will, resulting in a Stockhold syndrome plot twist when she falls in love with her captor. This model is so bound up with our deeply ingrained cultural notions of gender, we could be here all day discussing it…

Father Knows Best – this is a model of leadership originating in a patronizing, yet benevolent, patriarchal dictatorship. We can recall Biblical patriarchs, such as Noah, who in the face of ridicule and disbelief builds an ark because God tells him to; Abraham, who is within inches of sacrificing his young son Isaac because God tells him to; even some secular dictatorships, like that of Stalin, portray the leader as a father-figure who is doing what is best for his subjects (even if it means the deaths of millions).

Now, all of these models rely on leaders and followers; even a couple of culturally inappropriate terms for leadership, like ‘low man on the totem pole’ and ‘too many chiefs and not enough Indians’ are predicated on the subordination of some to the authority of others.

Leadership as Service

If we look in the Gospels at the story of Jesus and the 12 Disciples, it starts basically the same way as the other fables of leadership: one man who calls others to be in his band of followers. It is implied that belonging to this group, however, is a step up from their current occupations – instead of being fishermen, which most were, they would become ‘fishers of men.’ And then Jesus proceeds to confound the disciples’ ideas of what it means to follow him. One example is the famous washing of the feet that is the climax of the final Passover meal he shares with them, found in the 13^th chapter of the Gospel of John; this is the story as told in The Voice translation of the Bible:

[Jesus] stood up from dinner and removed His outer garments. He then wrapped Himself in a towel, 5 poured water in a basin, and began to wash the feet of the disciples, drying them with His towel.

Simon Peter (as Jesus approaches): 6 Lord, are You going to wash my feet?

Jesus: 7 Peter, you don’t realize what I am doing, but you will understand later.

Peter: 8 You will not wash my feet, now or ever!

Jesus: If I don’t wash you, you will have nothing to do with Me.

Peter: 9 Then wash me but don’t stop with my feet. Cleanse my hands and head as well.

“After Jesus finishes washing their feet, he puts his outer garment back on and returns to his place, asking, Do you understand what I have done for you? (v. 12).” It seems that the disciples “can at least grasp his act as an example of humility. Jesus' understanding of the characteristics of a teacher and a [leader] are quite different from those of the disciples and their culture.

One Bible commentary says that “While they are reeling from this embarrassing event, Jesus spells out the implications for their own lives of what he has done: Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you (vv. 14-15). What does Jesus have in mind?  The community Jesus has brought into being is to manifest the love of God that he has revealed through serving one another with no vestige of pride or position. There will be recognized positions of leadership within the new community, but the exercise of leadership is to follow this model of servanthood.” http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/commentaries/IVP-NT/John/Jesus-Washes-Disciples-Feet

Jesus then says: 15 I am your example; keep doing what I do.

And he concludes: 17 If you know these things, and if you put them into practice, you will find happiness.

So in making the disciples ‘fishers of men,’ Jesus passes on to them the meaning of their calling; and that meaning is service. No jockeying for position or status – when that does occur between the disciples, he stops it and draws them back again to the mission he has set for them: whatever you did to the least of my brothers and sisters, so you did to Me.

Democracy depends on those same concepts of being called and being of service. John Buehrens writes, “Blessed are you who know that the work of the church is transformation of society, who have a vision of Beloved Community transcending the present, and who do not shrink from controversy, sacrifice, or change. Blessed are you indeed.” (O-T, IX)

In November I was at the Ministers’ retreat at The Mountain with the theologian Matthew Fox, who spoke to us about the training of prophets. Prophets are called and many times they resist, because they know that answering the call might lead them out of a safe place and into the unknown. But Fox said the way to discern your calling is to ask yourself honestly: What brings you alive? What breaks your heart? What do you want to do? What keeps you from doing it?

When we answer those questions truthfully then we find, perhaps surprisingly, what leads us to be of service to the greater good. Tom Owen-Towle says that “each of our chosen congregations is a potentially mighty group, full of power and purpose” (Growing a Beloved Community: Twelve Hallmarks of a Healthy Congregation, Apr 2004, 24). We are surprised just as the disciples were, to find out that using that power and purpose turns us all into leaders of one sort or another.

And we go back to the question, how do we know what a good leader is? When we are identifying our gifts, which ones stand out as being qualities we need in the leadership of this congregation?

Well, there is a story about the abolitionist preacher Henry Ward Beecher – one day a person went to him and said, “Mr. Beecher, I have a good horse to sell. He’s a good family horse, works double or alone, is gentle, intelligent, not easily frightened, will stand without hitching and is thoroughly sound and reliable.” Mr. Beecher replied, “ I can’t buy your horse, sir, but I’d like to have it as a member of my congregation.” (Owen-Towle 75)

The Generosity of Leadership

I would say that the quality most needed from leaders is generosity; just as Jesus made the extravagant gesture of washing feet, so generous that it embarrassed the disciples, a leader who can give of oneself to others is of most benefit.

And this makes sense, although it might not be the quality you were thinking of; without generosity, love can’t be given fully; justice is acted out only according to law and not compassion; and how can a leader give much in the way of her time and talent without generosity? The little artist in our story this morning (Dot, Peter H. Reynolds) creates a dot; that’s all she thinks she can do, but it becomes a masterpiece. And through her encouragement and generous spirit, others discover their talents.

Generosity means an open heart, and it also means flexibility, which is what we need in navigating the tensions of leadership  … “like surfing on a wave, we always need to be reading the conditions of these tensions and adjusting our leadership to try to achieve the perfect balance” ("7 leadership tensions in growing churches,” Rich Birch, unSeminary blog, January 2014):

One of these tensions is balancing an inward focus on the people who are already connected to our church with being outwardly focused on who we haven’t reached yet.

Another is the tension between relationships vs system; as much as we love each other and feel like a family we realize that families and churches and all organizations function as systems.

It is interesting to read the Book of Acts in the New Testament because we see the ancient Christian church dealing with the dawning reality that someone had to develop a system for serving people. In this church we all take a lead in this through our covenant, in which we spell out how we intend to be together. And we have a system of a board of trustees and committees that spreads the work among us.

The modern church is made up of a core of paid and volunteer leadership. The “professionals” amongst us in the church can’t do everything, but at the same time … paid staff help the ministry move forward in a way that totally volunteer driven organizations just can’t do.

Another tension for leaders arises from the fact that we’re called human ‘beings’ … not human ‘doings’. As leaders we are called to “do” even when we don’t feel like it – as the song says, You gotta do when the Spirit says ‘do’ – sometimes that means doing things that will lead to internal transformation in us that will then allow us to lead others there. Some times we have to act before we become. That is why our leadership workshop is so important: if you don’t feel like you are a leader yet, you can do some soulwork in order to become one.

And finally, the energy and activity that is happening in our church is a good thing … but we need to worry about how we’re reaching the people who aren’t here yet. We need to be content on the inside with what we’ve done while, at the same time, feel the pull to look beyond where we are today. 

Stepping Up to Leadership

Our opening hymn is what was known as a ‘map song’, back during the days of slavery and the underground railroad. It was announcing an attempt to escape and an invitation to join. What was it we sang: I asked my brothers to come and go with me, I asked my sisters to come and go with me, If they say no I’ll go anyhow…

Unitarian Universalists have led in the struggle for civil rights and equal rights; many other faith communities have been reluctant to join us but we’ve gone anyhow. And this determination to lead into the future can be seen on a small scale too – in fact, this is what the leaders of UUCA are doing with the focus on technology this year, because we know that many of our visitors are not walking in blindly not knowing anything about us; they’ve already checked us out on our website. Keeping up that website, which is our map for those seeking a new religious home, is vital. Leaders have to make decisions about things that they might not necessarily need themselves, but recognize that in order to engage new or potential members – including the children of this congregation – we need to step up our technological know-how.

Leaders in this church are busy and inspired, and the Board executive committee wants to meet with you at 12:30 to tell you about the work they’ve been doing. Specifically, the board has been working with me on our developmental goals – and leadership development is the primary one.

The workshop next Saturday could go a long way towards helping us reach that goal, but only if our members turn out to support it. You don’t even have to pay to come! But it is important to inspire the members of this congregation to step up as new leaders. We all admire the long-term leaders who we have grown to trust and to rely on – but the flipside of that is burnout, people who are relied upon for too long simply need a break; and in a democratic organization everyone steps up to take a turn. The Unitarian preacher Theodore Parker says - ours is a faith of the people, by the people, for the people – that was such a meaningful phrase that Abraham Lincoln borrowed it.

The 19^th-century Danish theologian Soren Kierkegaard said that “most parishioners think that God is the director of this play called ‘Life’; that the minister is a lead actor, and that the congregation is the audience.” But in his own analysis: “the congregation are the actors, God is the audience, and ministers are the prompters, supplying forgotten lines.”

Owen-Towle concludes that “the job of a minister is to lift up the duties and destinies – the lines – that a church tends to forget or lose sight of.” (24) That description is especially appropriate for my role as developmental minister; it is the congregation through the board who have set these goals, and I am here to help you keep sight of them.

One thing we can do right now is to realize the vision of our interim minister from a few years ago, Rev. Roy Reynolds. He asked us to revamp our Nominating Committee so that it would become the Leadership Development Committee. In doing that we will make it easier to create a culture of service and leadership. The job of identifying leaders for the next church year will begin soon: and we need your help. So please take a copy of a short questionnaire as you go out, fill it in over coffee and then return it to the basket on the front table before you leave today. This congregation needs all hands on deck; let it never be said of you what one minister declared in the course of delivering a long tribute at a memorial service: pointing to the casket, he said solemnly, “ladies and gentlemen, this member was a corpse in our church for 20 years!” (O-T, 30)

To those who have recently begun attending, and to those who have been with us a while longer but who have never gotten around to joining the church: Pathway to membership is a way you can begin to think about how you can contribute to the mission of this church.

We take our mission seriously – we read it this morning and it’s always printed on the back of the order of service. Next Sunday is the first Pathway to Membership class, UU Heritage, followed on Mar. 2nd by Community and Connection.

Ours is a faith tradition that should make us proud to be of service to it, and Unitarian Universalism has produced many notable leaders in this history of this country. The insert section of the Order of Service mentions just 3 of these: the Sharps and Adlai Stevenson were shining stars during a dark period of history, the 2^nd World War. They put their UU values to work to preserve freedom and democracy. The first verse of the closing hymn we will sing this morning could have been written about them:

With heart and mind and voice and hand

may we this time and place transcend

to make our purpose understood:

a mortal search for mortal good,

a firm commitment to the goal

of justice, freedom, peace for all.

Two more notable UU leaders from a more recent period of history, the civil rights struggle, the Rev. James Reeb and Viola Liuzzo, gave their lives while working to build the Beloved Community, answering the call from Dr. Martin Luther King to come to Selma. Listen to the second verse that we will sing, and think of them:

A mind that’s free to seek the truth;

a mind that’s free in age and youth

to choose a path no threat impedes,

wherever light of conscience leads.

Our martyrs died so we could be

a church where every mind is free.

And for me, the third and final verse is talking about – us, each and every one of us, where each of our gifts are spirit-filled and can be used to open the door to all those who need us, who need our free liberal religion.

A heart that’s kind, a heart whose search

makes Love the spirit of our church,

where we can grow and each one’s gift

is sanctified, and spirits lift,

where every door is open wide

for all who choose to step inside.

(With Heart and Mind, #300 in Singing the Living Tradition)

We are all called; we are all called to serve; and we are all called to lead.  That is what I believe.

May we be the ones who make it so, blessed be, Amen.

Gaye W. Ortiz

Art and Spirituality: To Satisfy the Hungry Eye

Art and Spirituality: To Satisfy the Hungry Eye

Unitarian Universalist Church of Augusta

January 5, 2014

It could be said that each of our lives at the start of a New Year is a blank canvas. As we heard in the Time for All Ages, we can be open at this time of year to new experiences, new possibilities. A quote by the Zen Buddhist teacher Shunryu Suzuki is worth sharing: "In the beginner’s mind, there are many possibilities, in the expert’s mind there are few." Lynn Ungar, editor of the Church of the Larger Fellowship’s Quest newsletter, says, “when we are experts at something, we know how it is supposed to be done. We are ready to judge whether we, or anyone else, are doing it the ‘right’ way. But with Beginner’s Mind there is the possibility that the ‘right’ way could turn out to be entirely different than what the experts had imagined.” (‘Resources for Living,’ Quest, Jan 2014, 7)

Grown-ups usually say they can’t paint or draw, they don’t know the right way to do it…but our children have no such inhibitions!

I first began painting in the late 1970s when we lived in England as a very young military family; I taught framing and crafts at the base arts and crafts center. Then when we moved to San Antonio I decided I wanted to work on a degree, and one of my classes was an art class. I was really hoping to learn the ‘right’ way to paint, since I had been self-taught, and I enjoyed the class. One day because our daughter Molly wasn’t in school I took her with me to class; to my chagrin the instructor totally ignored my work but obviously enjoyed seeing Molly paint!

Sometimes our creativity is stifled because we are too concerned with being seen to know what we are doing…but the creative impulse actually thrives on the experience of not knowing! The first stroke of the paintbrush is a commitment, but not to what you’re ‘supposed’ to do. It’s a commitment to opening yourself up to something new, to many possibilities – including the possibility that actually you might not be really good at it, but enjoying it anyhow – it’s what Suzuki describes as Beginner’s Mind, a state in Buddhism that is considered creative and optimistic. Shoshin is the state of being open, of being without assumptions or preconceptions.

Another concept in Buddhism that I associate with this openness to creativity is the phrase, ‘heart and hand are one’. It comes from Carol Ring, who reflects on beauty and the calligraphy of Chinese Buddhists in the Spring 2013 issue of Parabola magazine. Ring writes that the innermost secret of calligraphy is oneness, which “like all secrets, has to be revealed. A revelation that both comes of itself and takes years to attain. So often it is my disconnectedness that I become aware of. So many efforts are necessary before this effortless unity appears. For a moment, heart and hand unite and there is a brief taste of being completely engaged: at one within myself and with the practice.” (Ring, "Shodo: the Way of the Brush," Parabola, Spring 2013, 65).

This must be what the artist Cezanne meant when he said, “A minute in the world’s life passes! To paint it in its reality, and forget everything for that! To become that minute, to be the sensitive plate…give the image of what we see, forgetting everything that has appeared before our time.” (John Berger, Ways of Seeing,1972, 31)

As with other opposites - body and spirit, being and doing, center and extremity –we live our daily lives within these creative tensions. “Heart moving the hand, spirit and body reunited and whole,” Ring says this engagement is a “returning to original unity”.

And this is what, in a very different context, John O’Donohue was talking about when he wrote the blessing we heard earlier, for “the artist at the start of day” (from To Bless the Space Between Us) – the artist as a vessel for what wants to ascend from silence, ‘the gift within you’ that is beyond imitation, ‘something original…grow[ing] stronger in your heart.’ I love the image that he creates with the phrase ‘to surprise the hungry eye’ and I want to explore it a bit more in depth. Why do we feel the urge to create? Is it a real hunger that drives artists to create something new out of the stillness?

Using the term to “surprise” the hungry eye is to make a statement about the unpredictable impact of the visual image. The theologian William Lynch says, “the images that a person perceives can carry a profound impact in a person’s life. But he then goes on to argue that “People not only perceive, but they perceive according to a pattern, a paradigm, an imagination or according to a faith.” (Gerald Bednar, Faith as Imagination, 1996, 140). 

So even though an artist may be open to the possibilities of creativity, our reaction to art as observers is driven by how it conforms to our paradigm or confounds it. It sounds strange to us now, but Edvard Munch’s artwork entitled The Scream, done in an early Expressionist style that portrayed emotions through distorting form and color, caused such an uproar when it was first exhibited that the Berlin exhibit of 1892 was closed. Munch, on the other hand, was quoted as saying, “I want to paint pictures that will make people take off their hats in awe, the way they do in church." (Munch, The Scream, http://www.thecaveonline.com/APEH/scream.html)

I must say that when we were hanging these beautiful pieces of art yesterday I stopped frequently in awe – if I’d had on a hat maybe I would have taken it off!

It was then that I understood what the writer and broadcaster John Berger means when he writes that “every image embodies a way of seeing…the more imaginative the work, the more profoundly it allows us to share the artist’s experience of the visible.” (Ways of Seeing, 10)

So there are two different perspectives in any piece of art, the way the artist sees it, and the way another person sees it. And even within those perspectives, Berger reminds us that we employ assumptions, or to use Lynch’s term, a paradigm, based on beauty, truth, genius, status, and taste, to name a few cultural norms. We can be awestruck, or we can be let down, even offended, by what we see – the ‘surprise’ for the hungry eye. People use the term ‘taste’, as in ‘it’s not my taste in art’, but there is really so much more going on than that.

I come back again to the hunger that is articulated by John O’Donohue, because we may have a spiritual hunger that can be expressed or satisfied by the act of creating. And the creativity of an artist can spark a spiritual connection in us.

The composer Aaron Copeland said that

“a masterwork awakens in us reactions of a spiritual order that are already in us, only waiting to be aroused. When Beethoven’s music exhorts us to be noble, be compassionate be strong, he awakens moral ideas that are already within us. His music cannot persuade; it makes evident…A concert is not a sermon. It is a performance – a reincarnation of a series of ideas implicit in the work of art.” (Bednar, 138)

And since we have called this our month of art and spirituality, for those who need to know more about what that means, I like the description by Veronica Brady: “Genuine spirituality, like art, is open and dynamic...both are the hope of a world so badly in need of transformation” (http://www.ru.org/81brady.html). She goes on to say, “Art reminds us that life is stranger, more beautiful, demanding, joyous and painful than common sense knows.  The holy then, is mysterious.  It underlies the vision of tragedy and, indeed, of any good novel which gives us a glimpse into the mysteries of the human condition.  Far from being unworldly or abstract, this mystery exists in the midst of our lives.”

We may hear during this month about the way in which our artists seek to make meaning, or paint to express the feelings or desires they have. And even when they know what it is they want to see on the canvas, the resulting image still may surprise, delight, or horrify them. There is something unleashed and mysterious that they cannot control, sometimes a completely different image results…and this creative space can be where they confront the transcendent and transforming power of art. The artistic impulse creates something that escapes control, surprising the artist whose hand is responsible for that very creation.

Henri Matisse said that ‘creativity takes courage’; I would suggest that the artist who accepts the wild nature of her art, in the sense that it is untamed and unanswerable even to her, paints as much with courage as with color. This courageous attitude is expressed by artist Terry Lee Getz this way: “I will risk plumbing unknown depths that release and fulfill my spirit, and I’ve arrived at a point in my life, creative or otherwise, where the ‘unknown’ is my preferred orientation.” (“Embracing the Unknown” in Siminaitis, Kaleidoscope, 2007, 126)

As I was writing this sermon the other evening, our daughter Molly sent a message on Facebook, a quote from Gilda Radner, that wonderful and much-missed comedian: “Life is about not knowing, having to change, taking the moment and making the best of it, without knowing what's going to happen next.....Delicious Ambiguity.”

Ralph Waldo Emerson said that every artist was once an amateur. Rather than use the common definition, which is someone who is not very good at what they are doing, I go back to the root word, which is Latin for ‘to love.’ An ‘amateur’ does something out of love and not for gain.

But amateurs as well as established professional artists need to keep their creative juices flowing - love may not be enough! Writer and artist Jill Jones identifies seven concepts that are at the heart of any creative project (“Keeping Your Creative Spirit Alive” in Kaleidoscope 2007, 122-3), and I thought I would conclude my message this morning by listing them for you. If this month of art and spirituality has inspired you to try your hand at some kind of artistic endeavor, then this list might be very handy.

First, Jones suggests that we find ‘religion’ by establishing the habit of working regularly on the creative plane; if we consistently, ‘religiously’ carve out designated time in our calendar and treat it as ‘sacred time,’ we are more likely to go to that space and create.

Second, a way to start off the morning right might be with some sort of ritual to situate ourselves in that creative space; Jones says this can take many different forms, from reciting mantras, lighting candles, to ‘singing four songs in the shower’. The action we decide to take, she says, is not as significant as the meaning we grant to it.

Third, talk back to your self-talk. Never mind the way others can be judgmental, your own self-talk can be negative and even abusive, so be proactive and think of ways to get rid of the trash-talk in your head, even perhaps by writing down answers to your negative self-talk and practicing them out loud.

‘Work with what you have’ is her 4^th piece of advice. We have limitations and some of them might be financial, so if we can’t afford top-notch materials, then recycled materials from the kitchen can make good art. But Jones says, “The more important elements needed in the equation are passion, courage, focus, motivation, desire and follow-through. If we think we have to wait until all the stars are aligned and all our ideal conditions are met, we will never move any closer to our goals.” (123)

Fifth, begin again: if you have a day when things don’t go well, it doesn’t mean all is lost – rather, there is another day to begin again. Jones says, “Learn to work in the middle of things and not wait for inspiration or a magical burst of energy. The muse will visit more often if you are working on a regular basis.” (123)

The sixth piece of advice follows on from the fifth one, and it is ‘do whatever it takes’. Keep moving forward and “stay open to opportunities to learn about yourself and the world. Love your creative expressions, and do whatever it takes to keep at it.” (123)

Finally, establish a supportive network. Jones says that we need to find others who enjoy working together and learning, people who will be positive influences and who will cheer you on in your creative endeavors. She says we need to weed out those negative people who discourage you; who form, in the words of John O’Donohue, “the sticky web of the personal with its hurt and its hauntings and fixed fortress corners.”

With these seven concepts, the artist can hope to maintain a positive and creative approach. Come to think of it, just like the blank canvas of life that we spoke about earlier, those seven points can also apply to our lives. If we get into the habit, start the morning right, end negative self-talk, work with what we have, have the courage to begin again and do whatever it takes to move forward, supporting our creativity by establishing a supportive network, then we too can create what O’Donohue calls ‘a rhythm not yet heard’ – that rhythm that is our own life’s unique work of art.

May each of us find the courage to accept the mystery of existence and the lack of control over our lives, and yet, in the face of it, resolve to make the best of what we’ve been given… and as we reach to put the brush to the blank canvas, may our possibilities continue to be many.

Blessed be, Amen.

Rev. Dr. Gaye Ortiz

1/5/2014

Be Good For Goodness’ Sake

Be Good For Goodness’ Sake

Rev. Dr. Gaye Ortiz

Unitarian Universalist Church of Augusta

December 1 2013

The poet Robert Frost wrote these lines: “Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to let you in.” (Harold Kushner, How Good Do We Have to Be? 1996, p.44) How many of us feel that, at the start of the holiday season, we rather they would bolt the doors from the inside and save us from the feelings of inadequacy, resentment, guilt, and shame that rear their ugly heads? The remarks about our weight, our vices, our lack of education/our overachieving by going to college, how we raise our children/how to raise our children, our jobs/ lack of jobs, and – gasp! – our strange religion… Any self-possessed, confident human being can emerge at New Year’s a blubbering wreck after too much family time, so imagine what it is like for people whose guilt complexes regularly go into overdrive.

 This morning I want to pay a visit to the ‘swampland’ of the soul; we are going to metaphorically ‘put on our galoshes and walk through and find our way around shame’ and the role it plays in dragging us down. (as Brene Brown puts it in her TED Talk “Listening to Shame,” http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_listening_to_shame.html).

Shame tells you you’re not good enough - we become paralyzed by shame. And there is a difference between guilt and shame, we can suffer from them both. But guilt is about behavior: “I’m sorry, I made a mistake.” Shame focuses on the self, “I’m sorry I am a mistake” (Brown, “Listening to Shame”). Shame is highly correlated with depression, eating disorders and other compensatory or self-punishing behaviors. And no matter what we do, and how good we want to be, we can never shake the feeling that we are worthless, and that we must hide our pitiful defects as human beings.

In his book How Good Do We Have To Be, Rabbi Harold Kushner says that: “When Charles Darwin shocked the 19^th century world with his theory that human beings and apes had a common ancestry, someone asked him whether there was still anything unique about the human being. Darwin answered, “Man is the only animal that blushes.” That is, human beings are the only creatures capable of recognizing the gap between what they are and what they can be expected to be, and of being embarrassed by that gap. (P.35)

Brene Brown studied shame for 6 years. She is the researcher and TED Talk phenomenon who we’ll see during the after-service discussion talking about the power of vulnerability. One of her findings was that shame feels the same when it 'washes over' us, it doesn’t matter if we are male or female, but it is 'organized' by gender: women feel shame because of the expectation that we should be able to do it all, perfectly; the unattainable expectations for men center around the need to not be perceived as weak.

And so the pressure to conform with cultural norms sets us up for failure – what we see in our tv shows, commercials, what we read in magazines or hear in our popular music. And when we internalize these cultural norms, shame grows in us…and we believe we are flawed and thus unworthy of love.

Shame is an epidemic in our culture, and much of it originates in what we are taught by our faith traditions.

A new film, Philomena, starring Judi Dench, is based on the treatment of young girls in 1950s Ireland who became pregnant and were sent off by their families to convents to have their babies. The nuns reinforced the tremendous shame they felt with a phobic disapproval of sex and sexuality; the mothers had to ‘pay back’ the nuns for giving birth in the convent with 4 years of hard labor in the convent laundries. many babies were sold and adopted out without the mothers’ approval or even knowledge. Imagine the trauma and shame that these young girls experienced and continued to hold inside for the rest of their lives.

Rabbi Kushner says that he is embarrassed by the way so many religious leaders play on our guilt and shame as a way to control our behavior.

He tells the story of a woman who was a client of a therapist, she was a devout Southern Baptist lady who would never let herself get angry because she believed that anger was a sin – so even when she was justified in getting angry, it was a source of shame and guilt that she tried desperately to avoid. The therapist “directed her to read through the Bible and write down all the passages in which God or Jesus gets angry.” (p.43)

One religious leader who seems to be bucking that trend of enforcing feelings of imperfection, so as to keep us cowering behind the pew, is no less that Pope Francis. This past week he wrote a papal exhortation, which one reporter described as sort of like an official platform of how he plans to exercise his papacy. And Pope Francis is asking for the focus on compassion to overtake that on perfection, especially when it comes to access to the sacraments like Holy Communion: "Everyone can share in some way in the life of the Church; everyone can be part of the community, nor should the doors of the sacraments be closed for simply any reason," Francis said.

"The Eucharist, although it is the fullness of sacramental life, is not a prize for the perfect but a powerful medicine and nourishment for the weak." (http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/damianthompson/100247936/pope-francis-reveals-his-radical-message-and-it-will-startle-conservatives/)

He must have been reading Rabbi Kushner, who says of religion that it “…sets high standards for us and urges us to grow morally in our efforts to meet those standards: ‘You could have done better; you can do better.’ But listen closely to that message. Those are words of encouragement, not condemnation. They are a compliment to our ability to grow, not a criticism of our tendency to make mistakes…Religion condemns wrongdoing. It takes us to task for lying and hurting people. But religion also tries to wash us clean of disappointment in our selves, with the liberating message that God finds us worthy of divine love.” (P.7)

He states that “the fundamental message of religion is not that we are sinners because we are not perfect, but that the challenge of being human is so complex that God knows better than to expect perfection from us.” (P.10)

Rabbi Kushner describes how the renowned psychologist Carl Rogers would approach every therapeutic session, by reminding himself that in dealing with his clients “I am enough. Not perfect. Perfect wouldn’t be enough. But… I am human, and that is enough.” (P.7)

Kushner goes on to say that “not everyone is wise enough to know that they are good enough, even if they are not perfect.” We may have gotten this message of perfection from parents who genuinely loved us and wanted the best for us, and acted out that concern by correcting our every trivial mistake and constantly urging us to do better. Or we may have gotten it from parents who were emotionally stunted, disappointed in themselves, angry at the world, and incapable of showing us the love and approval we yearned for…and we… thought we were responsible for their sour mood and didn’t deserve to be loved.” (P.11)

When I read this it reminded me of the Philip Larkin poem “This Be The Verse,” which some of you may know contains the ‘f’ word – but Larkin used it because there was no other word that could possibly fit:

They f**k you up, your mum and dad.   

    They may not mean to, but they do.   

They fill you with the faults they had

    And add some extra, just for you.

But they were f**ked up in their turn

    By fools in old-style hats and coats,   

Who half the time were soppy-stern

    And half at one another’s throats.

Man hands on misery to man.

    It deepens like a coastal shelf.

Get out as early as you can,

    And don’t have any kids yourself.

(http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/178055#poem)

There is a bestselling author, John Bradshaw, who famously quoted a psychologist who said that 96% of families are dysfunctional. Rabbi Kushner says that this figure is correct “only if we define dysfunctional as being anything less than perfect.” The approach of Philip Larkin, who advises us not to have any kids if we want to end the cycle of shame and misery, is refuted by Kushner, who reminds us that “children are resilient enough to survive most of our parental mistakes, especially if they occur against a background of love and support, free of expectations of perfection on our part or theirs.” (P.89)

Rabbi Kushner says that if our parents cannot handle our mistakes, if they have trouble loving us…it may be because they need us to be perfect to reflect credit on them. (P.55)

Rabbi Kushner quotes the philosopher Immanuel Kant, who said “Out of timber as crooked as that which man is made of, nothing perfectly straight can be carved.” He goes on to say that he believes God never demanded that we be perfect or never make a mistake, but only asks us to be whole.

“To be whole means to rise beyond the need to pretend that we are perfect, to rise above the fear that we will be rejected for not being perfect, And it means having the integrity not to let the inevitable moments of weakness and selfishness become permanent parts of our character.” (P.180)

The 3 things shame needs to grow and become permanent parts of our character are secrecy, silence, and judgment. Judgment from a critic who is lacking in compassion or context or mercy…and that critic is us, telling ourselves we are not good enough, asking us ‘who do you think you are’. Kushner says that shame “ grows out of our perception of what other people think about us.” (P.51)

Brene Brown learned through her research that there is a flip side to shame – and it is that people who are the most resilient to shame, the people she calls ‘wholehearted,’ have in common a way of looking at their lives as worthy: “cultivating the courage, compassion, and connection to wake up in the morning and think, “No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough…I am…brave and worthy of love and belonging.” (Brown, Daring Greatly, 2014)

Brown says that this is the message of Theodore Roosevelt’s famous quote about the man in the arena, part of a speech he delivered ("Citizenship In A Republic" delivered at the Sorbonne, in Paris, France) over a century ago in 1910, and which is the inspiration for the title of her book ‘Daring Greatly’:

                                         

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.

When we make ourselves vulnerable, and say that we are just enough, not perfect, then we take that first step to wholeness. What is more, vulnerability is the path that will lead us back to one another."

We Unitarian Universalists may have a hard time reciting all 7 of our principles, but most of us know by heart the first principle, which affirms the worth and dignity of every human being. We can find that principle hard to put into action, no more so that when it comes to ourselves, we need to affirm our own worth and dignity. And we can do that by being realistic about our chances of being perfect; of knowing that when we keep our imperfections secret, we are distancing ourselves from other people who also are feeling alone and isolated in their imperfection. We can affirm our worth and dignity by reaching out instead, by taking a chance, by being vulnerable – as the subtitle of another of Brene Brown’s books says, “Making the journey from ‘What will people think?’ to ‘I am enough.’ 

Naomi Shihab Nye puts it like this:

Walk around feeling like a leaf.


Know you could tumble any second.


Then decide what to do with your time.

(- excerpt from “The Art of Disappearing,” Naomi Shihab Nye, Source: Words Under the Words: Selected Poems)

‘Don’t be afraid of letting go’ were the words that Nina so beautifully danced to this morning. “If we are going to find our way out of shame and back to each other, vulnerability is the path, and courage is the light. To love ourselves and support each other in the process of becoming real is perhaps the greatest single act of daring greatly.”
― Brené Brown (DG)

The UU minister Katie Norris gives us a way of understanding why our faith is so vital to her identity through these words: “My faith is so important to me because it speaks of salvation in this life, through knowing you are loved just as you are, and discovering who you are and your place in the universe so you can live out your purpose in life.” (http://www.bipolarspirit.com/2012_08_01_archive.html)

So forget about being good for goodness’ sake. Let the gift to yourself this holiday season be the gift of being enough. May we be the ones who make it so, Blessed be, Amen.

Teaching as a Spiritual Act

Sermon: Teaching as a Spiritual Act

Rev. Dr. Gaye W. Ortiz

Unitarian Universalist Church of Augusta

September 8, 2013

This past week saw Jews all over the world celebrating Rosh Hashanah, which means "beginning of the year" in Hebrew. One of the popular practices during this time is to eat apples dipped in honey, symbolizing the hope for a good year to come. And may it be so.

Earlier we commissioned the volunteers and staff of Children’s and Youth Religious Education. They have been working hard to prepare for the beginning of this year’s classes. The teachers will introduce new curricula to our young ones that will be a true opportunity for growth, but only if it comes alive to them, and with some age groups that takes a lot of effort, ingenuity, and creativity. I would imagine that, in addition to being exhausted by the packed hour they spend in class, the teachers will also be satisfied when they see their kids learning and really entering into a collaborative effort in the classroom.

But would they agree that teaching is a spiritual act?

Writer and educator Parker Palmer defines spirituality as "the diverse ways to answer the heart's longing to be connected with the largeness of life." (The Courage to Teach, 2007 Tenth Anniversary Edition, as quoted in http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/blogs/maps.php?id=16445 ) With that perspective, spirituality is not just one way but encompasses ‘diverse’ ways. I think we see that spirituality here every Sunday, when each of us is driven by our heart’s own longing for connection.

This morning I would like to speak about my own search for spirituality through connection in the context of education; I had reason to reflect on this connection when I was preparing for my credentialing interview with the Ministerial Fellowship Committee. I wrote an essay about my philosophy of religious education that informs much of what I am feeling today as our young people go into the classroom. I am hoping that they will encounter the largeness of life through an encounter with religious education.

When I turned 18 I did two things that shaped my life: I got married, and I became a Sunday school teacher. Tomorrow Wil and I celebrate 41 years of marriage. I’ve spent many of those years as a teacher in religious education, and in higher education – but I have also been an educator, as many of you have, through my own family connection with children. Two daughters and four grandchildren have put me in close proximity to teaching the lessons of everyday life. Being a grandparent is to me a rewarding and incomparable religious experience!

Maybe, if your upbringing included church and Sunday school, you have never forgotten your early experiences. My childhood memories of Protestant Sunday School include one Sunday of utter terror, when the lesson was about the creation of the world. I became panicked at the thought that once upon a time there was nothing - I can’t imagine any teacher being able to calm my fear, my mind was reeling with the thought of nothingness.

Outwardly, probably, I must have looked okay, but reflecting on that feeling has taught me to be sensitive to the sometimes overwhelming effect of knowledge on little ones.

Later - in my pre-teen phase of attending the Church of God of Holiness with my grandparents - I was memorizing dozens of Bible passages every week for the Sunday School quiz. I enjoyed doing it but many of the quotes were obscure or just didn’t make much sense; I was memorizing just for the sake of a competition.

But 41 years ago, the excitement with which I approached teaching Sunday School for the first time (when I was still really a child myself) says a lot about the role model I had prior to taking on that responsibility. As a Catholic in high school, my favorite Sunday School teacher was an Irish nun, Sister Odile, and I loved her kind and patient way with our class. She made me eager to learn because of how she presented the material. I really did want to be like her for a short while, and I even took a weekend trip with her to visit the Franciscan convent in Savannah; I had visions of becoming a nun teaching inner-city children…but instead, I married after graduation. I was excited about teaching a 4^th grade Sunday school class and I took a correspondence course in religious education so I would feel competent in it. This was the first of many courses on religion that I would take in my life!

I’m aware that I sound like a real freak, an 18-year old girl, married, with an enthusiasm for teaching religious education! But my love of teaching blossomed after having my children. When we moved to Yorkshire in 1983, I had an ambition to take art classes, and for a year I did. But I also taught 4^th grade RE again, and became the Director of RE for a small Catholic parish; I prepared children for their confirmation as well as teaching Sunday school class.

But when I became the DRE I realized that I had more questions than answers, and it was then that I found…the nuns again! Sr. Mary Bernard Potter and the Leeds Diocesan RE Center provided all kinds of RE resources. Those connections made me eager to teach RE in schools, and so I began looking for a degree course in Theology and Education. The college I applied to, a Catholic college of the University of Leeds, had no more places in that degree but did have openings in Theology and Media. Before I knew it I’d graduated and was teaching priests how to write church newsletters and give radio interviews! And when I finished my Master of Theology at Edinburgh University I became a full-time university professor teaching exciting courses on theology and film, Judaism, feminist theology and ethics. I spent 20 years as an educator in higher education, the first 10 years at an English university, and then communication studies and cinema at Augusta State University.

I was a student at the same time for some of those years, working on my Ph.D. thesis while teaching full time. It was valuable and insightful to experience both sides of learning.

When I became a Unitarian Universalist, I was thrilled to learn how seriously UUs take learning. The way some people refer to Religious Education as ‘Religious Exploration’ made me aware of the value that is placed upon the right to question, the appreciation of reason, that makes UU history and theology so rich. Shortly after joining this church I asked the board to let me develop an adult RE program here, assessing and planning curricula and facilitating classes. We had a great Wednesday evening program, and it grew as other church members found an enthusiasm for teaching courses. Almost every classroom was filled during some seasons of Wellspring Wednesday with people – children and adults – eager to learn and play together.

My many years of teaching university students and adults didn’t really prepare me to work with children, even though a few times as a lay ministry associate I took responsibility for the Story for All Ages during Sunday service.

It was only when I went to the Aiken Unitarian Universalist Church as a guest speaker one Sunday – even before I became a ministerial candidate – that I realized connection with the largeness of life could come through teaching children. The worship coordinator in Aiken – who was Naomi Frost-Hewitt – told me I would be doing a Time for All Ages, and really did not let me off the hook even though I was feeling pretty intimidated when she told me about the group of pre-teen girls there.

  

During my service they were so engaged in my story, which was set around a bag of childhood memorabilia I’d brought to share with them – they didn’t sit still, they commented and asked questions and were a real part of the story.

Little did I know then that I would go back to Aiken as Consulting Minister and they would be teenagers! I learned to get through the often rambunctious Time for All Ages during Sunday services as well as Children’s Chapel several times a year.

One memorable Sunday I was showing photos of nature, including one of a fallen tree, its roots up in the air. I asked the children, “What do you think made this tree fall over?”

One of the middle school girls answered right away, “Gravity.” This was a moment of epiphany for me! Never assume you know what answer a child will give to your question; it was, in fact, such a Unitarian Universalist answer – confident, thoughtful, reasoned, and one of several possible answers! I was expecting ‘wind’ or ‘a storm’ or even ‘drought,’ but as soon as gravity was invoked it made such sense and provoked an enjoyable moment – the entire congregation warmly clapped and laughed in delight. We praised and affirmed that student’s authentic response.

That experience has caused me since then to reflect upon what I hope to be the fruits of religious education for both teachers and students.

  

The MRE serving the Shelter Rock Congregation, Dr. Barry Andrews, says “the best education our volunteers can receive about managing a classroom or what it means to be a practicing Unitarian Universalist is through the experience of teaching itself.”

Dr Andrews states that “The essential qualities of a good church school teacher are a love of children, a sense of wonder about life, empathy and the ability to listen, and a willingness more to share who you are than what you know.”

That stated, let me share five main points in my holistic philosophy of religious education:

First, It Takes a Village: RE is an opportunity for the congregation to appreciate and participate in the curricula that is available through the UUA and chosen by our RE staff. I believe that the assumption that parents will naturally be the teachers, so other members need not concern themselves with it, is short-sighted and not indicative of the covenantal relationship that we have as church members. People who volunteer to be RE teachers will be sharing their faith – sharing who they are, as Dr Andrews says - and can be living examples for our children of how UUism continues to be relevant to their identity as they grow up into adulthood. Teachers can be role models just like Sister Odile was for me.

  

In our Sunday services, before children go off to classes, we regularly have a Time for All Ages; adults as well as children should be able to benefit from the lessons learned in this segment of intergenerational worship within a caring community. Time for All Ages, when planned as carefully as the other elements of the service, makes learning fun for us all. It should not just be a book read in a monotone voice to the children sitting in front (I have experienced this in more than one church, and if I was losing the will to live, I can just imagine how the children felt). Just as we can inspire and entertain children with a creative delivery, we can also easily bore them without one.

Second, Teaching is a Spiritual Practice: For this building block of my philosophy of religious education I cite the essay “The Soul Only Avails: Teaching as a Spiritual Act” written by Dr Barry Andrews (www.uua.org/re/teachers/framing/15417.shtml). In it Andrews articulates the vision I have of the educator as mentor and companion for children as they undertake their religious life journeys.  When I use the term ‘spiritual practice’ it is in the sense that teaching demands an openness to something larger than myself; a relationship between me, the student, and learning; a relationship that commands respect and reverence.

Third, Children’s Chapel: I am a firm believer in children being present in a worship service, so they can catch the infectious feeling of a worship service that is well-done, and so they know the adults in the church and see how we enjoy worshipping together.

This year we also have opportunities for them to help plan and participate in Children’s Chapel. There is a lot of care with which the elements of the service are considered and allocated to the various classes, and there is creativity in using all forms of art, music, role-play, and interactive and inclusive communication. The religious education of our children must not only comprise the ‘usual suspects’ of principles and sources, history, sexuality education, values etc, but also how to do meaningful worship well.

Fourth, Growth: I learn something every time I interact with students, and I would hope that this is also the experience of all RE teachers and volunteers. It is both humbling and inspiring when we all learn from each other, and the content of a curriculum is only part of the learning experience. My expectation is that RE will enrich the learner and the educator as we rediscover and grow in our faith. To quote Emerson, “Be the companions of their thoughts, the lovers of their virtue.” In any communication encounter between two people, both should come away changed in some way, and to be admitted to the sacred ground of children’s learning is a special encounter indeed.

Fifth, Our Whole Lives: There is one more piece to my philosophy, and that is a firm commitment to the OWL curricula. We are a denomination that has been ahead of its time in many ways, and the development of OWL with the United Church of Christ has been so timely and valuable.There are trained facilitators in more than half of all UU congregations. Thousands of children, teens and adults have taken and have been enriched by OWL programs. Not only do they learn about sexuality, they learn about UU identity.

The website for “Our Whole Lives Program Ministries and Faith Development” says that: “Every faith tradition has its own approach to sexuality. Unitarian Universalism has a long history of supporting comprehensive sexuality education in our congregations. We also advocate publicly for sexuality education and equal rights for people of all sexual identities. Sexuality is about biology, identity, relationships, responsible choices, justice, inclusivity, and self-image… all of which are intertwined with our faith and values. Some of the most important “milestone” decisions we make in our lives, such as marriage/life partnership and creating families, involve relationships and sexuality. Intentional sexuality education is especially important in a world in which people of all ages are constantly bombarded with social and media messages about sex, and misinformation about sexuality.”

“Our Whole Lives recognizes and supports parents as the primary sexuality educators of their children. It creates a partnership between the family and the congregation through parent orientations. Many congregations also offer parent education programs.” 

I believe in the continual training of teachers in, and regular scheduling of, the OWL program in every UU congregation. I intend to support and advocate for OWL and other sexuality education curricula for our congregation.

The Congregational Study Action Issue chosen at General Assembly last year for the next 3 years is Reproductive Justice. Because we are so fortunate to have the OWL curricula, we have a real part to play – the part of reason and enlightenment - in the culture wars we see being acted out in legislative sessions across the country.

Learning and education never really stop; in fact, in our society I believe they are more important than ever.

And so I welcome this new year of Religious Education with great appreciation for the spiritual joy and growth that it creates, and I hope that you will reap the benefit of that by volunteering.

Remember that “Thomas Jefferson once said that he was content to be a Unitarian by himself. If we all felt that way, Unitarian Universalism would be a one-generation phenomenon.” (Andrews) Walk the spiritual path with our children and rediscover the sense of wonder, connection, and community for yourself.

GWO – 9/4/2013

The Joy of This Day: Quotes for Daily Reflection Sept. 6th - 12th, 2013

The Joy of This Day Quotes for Daily Reflection - Rev. Gaye This week irony seems to abound in our world. As our government debates and decides on military action against Syria, we cannot help but notice that the anniversary of September 11 2001 is almost upon us. Whatever our feelings about the crisis in Syria, we hope and pray that our leaders have the necessary vision and courage to do the right thing for our country and our world. No situation is black and white; rather, the shades of gray that make it complex are what confirm or confuse us in making a wise decision. The confusion and trauma that came out of 9/11 still affects the way we see the world – and our place in it – today. Our vision for a planet that lives in peace is complicated by the knowledge that we have the power – but perhaps not the collective will - to deter injustice and suffering by engaging in military conflict once again. This week’s quotations again speak of vision in different contexts. What is interesting to me, as I reflect on them, is that they suggest that often vision can be achieved with the help of other qualities we value, such as courage, belief, and confidence. May every day bring you joy and inspiration! Friday, September 6: When it is dark enough, you can see the stars. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson Saturday, September 7: Vision looks inward and becomes duty. Vision looks outward and becomes aspiration. Vision looks upward and becomes faith. ~Stephen S. Wise Sunday, September 8: We lift ourselves by our thought. We climb upon our vision of ourselves. To enlarge your life, first enlarge your thought of it. Hold the ideal of yourself as you long to be, always everywhere. ~Orison Swett Marden  Monday, September 9: You have to see the pattern, understand the order and experience the vision. ~Michael E. Gerber  Tuesday, September 10: One is called to live nonviolently, even if the change one works for seems impossible. ~Daniel Berrigan Wednesday, September 11: I would give all the wealth of the world, and all the deeds of all the heroes, for one true vision. ~Henry David Thoreau Thursday, September 12: Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal. ~Martin Luther King, Jr. (Quotes from Simple Gifts, All Souls Unitarian Church of Tulsa; www. Brainyquotes.com)