I began by reminding them that Buddha once did a complete sermon by simply handing an object to one of his disciples. No one but that disciple got the message however. Perhaps I could have better luck.
I placed these 8 rocks on a table and invited the whole congregation up for a view---telling them that the heart of my message was illustrated here.
Before continuing, see if you can get the message I want to convey.
Row by row they all came up, had a look, and returned to their seats.
Then I asked what was the message I wanted to convey. Keep in mind that the title of my speech:
HYPER UNITARIANISM was printed in the order of service.
So how, I asked, do these 8 rocks communicate that message.
One person quickly got my point. She said : four of the rocks were much more beautiful than the others and they got that way by tumbling together.. I said "BINGO"
ant then elaborated:
4 OF THESE ROCKS HAVE BEEN THROUGH A PROCESS---THEY HAVE TUMBLED WITH OTHER ROCKS.
Note that they have not lost their essential form--only their roughness.
They feel good to the touch--and if you found one of these it's likely you would take it home.
PEOPLE LIKEWISE ARE POLISHED BY "TUMBLING" --RELATING WITH ONE ANOTHER.
But not just any type of relating will polish a personality.
In fact, some relating, as in prisons, will coarsen a personality.
ONE MUST RELATE WITH AUTHENTICITY.
When people engage with one another, they do so in one of 4 levels:
1. RITUAL: (hello, how are you--etc)
2. PASTIME: (gossip, current events, car talk, sports etc)
3. WORK. (data exchange--non personal stuff)
4. INTIMACY: (sharing what you really THINK, WANT, FEEL, HAVE DONE) aka AUTHENTICITY
HOW POLISH HAPPENS
When you engage others with authenticity, you will, from time to time, note a difference from yourself.
Some of these differences you will admire.
Quietly, often unconsciously, you will absorb that quality--adding it to your personality.
IT'S JUST THAT EASY --THAT'S HOW ROCKS AND PERSONALITIES BECOME BEAUTIFUL.
HYPER UNITARIANISM IS THE SPECIAL POSSIBILITIES OF ENGAGING WITH UNITARIANS.
IMAGINE---TUMBLING WITH PEOPLE WHO HAVE--FOR THE MOST PART--RID THEMSELVES OF SUPERSTITION AND DOCTRINE.
Believing in doctrine is like having mud on your shoes in the dance of life.
WHAT IS UNITARIANISM?
Simply put ---it is Christianity without doctrines.
Doctrines like the trinity (that was the first one we got rid of) origional sin, Hell, The divinity of Jesus, The virgin birth, resurrection of Jesus, infallibility of the bible etc.
Beginning in Transylvania and Poland in the 1600's and spreading around the world--over a period of 300 years, our courageous little denomination dropped all these doctrines, one by one, Till what was
left was a fellowship of courageous friends focused on VALUES.
Most importantly--we had each other to "dance" with--without the mud.
HERE IS A HAMMERBLOW AGAINST DOCTRINES delivered by commedian Ricky Gervais on the Late Show to Stephen Colbert: If humanity were to start all over again, the religions that emerged would be very different BUT THE SCIENCE THAT EMERGED WOULD BE THE SAME.
WHAT IS HYPER UNITARIANISM?
It is the super fun and super experiences we can have when "tumbling" with authenticity.
In the 1980's for example, a group of us in Tampa Fla began a weekly "tumble" session--a discussion group. We engaged with authenticity, sharing all sorts of information. Eventually we decided to do a project---something that had not been done before--to hold a UNITARIAN REVIVAL. (a revival is a week-long series of services that conventional churches hold occasionally to intensify their commitment, recruit new members and celebrate their fellowship. usually done for a week or so)
So we held the very first ever Unitarian Revival!
For 5 nights running we packed the church and celebrated Unitarianism and our happy fellowship.
Yours truly was the featured speaker--delivering Unitarian sermons in the style of a Baptist evangelists.
IT WAS MORE THAN A HIT---LOCAL NEWSPAPERS DID A FULL PAGE SPREAD AND OUR DENOMINATIONAL PAPER PUT US ON THE FRONT PAGE. LATER WE TOOK THE SHOW ON THE ROAD--DOING IT AROUND THE NATION. NOTE THE HEADLINE.
The circled paragraph says: The revival meetings were inspired by Dome President Joyce Glauser and sparked by Dome "Evangelist" and program director Randy Vining who led most of the meetings.
Joyce Glauser was and is my most important LIFE MENTOR--still supporting and advising me.
She is the Author of Amazon book: I'LL BE SEEING YOU. She wrote the endorsement on the back of my book: Forty years a nomad.
I HAVE SINCE DONE THAT FIERCE SPEECH: BELIEVE AND BE DAMNED more than a hundred times nationwide. AND IF I GET ENOUGH REQUEST I WILL PRINT IT OUT ON THIS BLOG
WAIT! WAIT!--I'VE ALREADY DONE THAT IN 5 BITE SIZED BITS: CLICK BELOW.
RANDY PHILOSOPHIZES: I BELIEVE THAT ANYWHERE--ANYTIME PEOPLE ENGAGE WITH AUTHENTICITY AND ALIGN THEIR ENERGIES THEY BECOME A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITH. "ISOLATION IS A DEAD END--THE SELF IS FULFILLED IN COMMUNITY. " Teilard De Chardin
Whoa
ReplyDeleteWhoa! Looka me -- I'm famous! And you've kept the show on the road -- on many roads, in fact! I love you! -- Joyce
I'd really like to read the full sermon.
ReplyDeleteRaised as a Seventh Day Adventist. Now I have no belief in the supernatural. Since I left religion my favorite church experience was the few Unitarian meetings I attended.
Randy, when I first came out, and found nothing but rejection in my fundamental religion, I tried out two churches before I "ran away to a commune" in MD. One was a gay-affirming church called the United Church of Christ and the other was a Unitarian church, both in DE. I resonate best with the Unitarians. I'd LOVE to see your revival sermons. I had no idea!! Fabulous!
ReplyDeleteBELIEVE AND BE DAMNED, pls do copy it here on your blogsite, would love to read it.
ReplyDeleteConsider this my request.
ReplyDeleteMitchell
Thank you Terry, Gloria--et al
ReplyDeleteI just realized I'd already posted it in 2013. You can read it in bite sized chunks:
I put the link on the blog post.
Just read it Randy, wow, funny and astute as hell! especially all the physical/verbal stuff you explained in the script :) totally agree with you, lots of bad stuff going on in the name of religion.
ReplyDeleteI'd be interested in how the U's decided to drop a given doctrine or keep one?
ReplyDeleteBon Vivant: To get the full story, read here: http://www.uuftc.org/minister/sermons/2008-sermons/how-did-we-get-here/
ReplyDeleteMy notion is that as we began to emphasize freedom and Reason, the doctrines of Christianty just melted away. My guess is that about 40% of Unitarians are Atheist, 40% agnostic and 20% a hodge podge.
Thanks! I read and posted a few of the sermons on FB but the one you linked was the only one that promised answers if I dug deeper. Very interesting and more specific background that I ever received in Bible College on the impact of pre-Christian pagan myths and the sources for each of the 'spurious' doctrines. I'm confident there were biased reasons for that. hehehe The low churches use our ignorance of history and the preeminence of the 'permitted' canon and sola scriptura to keep us bound in fear, shame and delusion. I've yet to see this specific tactic in Buddhism but will keep my eyes open. If you happen upon a compendium of pre-Christian pagan influences on Christian orthodoxy or differences from heterodoxy I'd be mighty obliged!
ReplyDeleteI wondered upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed reading your blog posts. Any way I’ll be subscribing to your feed and I hope you post again soon.
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