"Coming of Age Service "

CHALICE LIGHTING
Rev. Judith Meyer

[The flaming chalice is the symbol of our faith. Lighting the chalice each Sunday is a custom we share with Unitarian Universalists all over the world. It helps us center ourselves in our tradition and express our faith from different perspectives.]

Today I light the chalice full of hope for the future. [Light chalice.]

The young people who come of age today live in a challenging time. And they know it. They are worldly, aware, well informed. Much is expected of them already. In a sense, this is what it means to come of age. To understand what you need to do to live responsibly in this world.

Coming of age is more than sober reflection, however. It is learning how to express convictions and values in words that are uniquely your own. It is feeling the joy of standing before a loving community and telling us who you are. It is affirming with everyone present that the values we hold make a difference in our lives - and in the world.

And coming of age is fun. These six young people - Colette, Jessie, Madeline, Angelica, Rachel, and Elizabeth - are ready to celebrate. They have so much life ahead - and everything they need to live it fully, consciously, and joyfully. And we are ready to celebrate with them.

COMING OF AGE CLASS

Madeline Hero-Steinicke
   Mentor: Peggy Kharraz

Angelica Jue
   Mentor: Barbara Kernochan

Jessie Geoffray
  Mentor: Margot Page

Rachel Moore
   Mentor: Bronwen Jones

Elizabeth Saldo
   Mentor: Karen Lang

Colette Fletcher-Hoppe
  Mentor: Felicity Nussbaum

Advisors: Ian Dodd, Karl Lisovsky, Jennifer Westbay

Madeline's Credo: "Living Through Life"

I believe that all people are people, nothing more, nothing less.  I don't think that things like race, ethnicity or religion play a part in a person's humanity.

As a child, I believed that I had another mother who was the wife of God and lived in the wilds of Africa.  I had lots of 'other' brothers and sisters who would meet all together at night and give each other news.  I realize now that God, who would have been my other father, never came into play.

As I grew older, I grew out of believing that and started believing I could see and hear fairies and dragons and such.  They lived in the most ordinary things such as a book or a light socket and they were mine or my friend's or a stranger's but they all belonged to someone.  My friend Lily also believed in them and we would get together and talk to them in their language.  We made up a language and writing which we can still use to an extent.

Then, about the time I started middle school I started to disbelieve everything because I could, and it gave me a different perspective on everything else.

For a short while I believed whatever magical reality I read in a book that caught my fancy.  Now I believe that all things are because that is the way they want to be.  I don't believe in a higher power, and while I believe in all those scientific explanations such as the big bang and evolution, I also believe that everything, even inanimate objects can think and automatically do what they want.  I believe that humans are an exception because there are so many of us and many of us are very dominant, that we can't always do what we want.

But we all have the ability to be exactly what we want without hurting or bothering anybody.  We also have the capability to be 'good Samaritan' people by thinking about what other people want, like, and are bothered by.

I believe that we create our lives with our independence and diversity.  Just doing one little act and then going about our lives doing many little acts makes us people.  The ability and desire to be unique and to stand out is what makes humans people, not their composition or culture or beliefs.  This is what I believe and this is what makes me a person and a human being.  An entity that can be whatever it wants to be.  And this I believe.

Angelica Jue: Life

Hi, my name is Angelica Jue and these are my beliefs today: I think spirituality means how you believe in faith. Faith in, what I like to call, a higher force. I don't know if this means God. When I think of God, I think of just one being. It wouldn't be fair if one being controlled everything in the universe. They would be way too powerful. I think one of the reasons people like to believe in God is because it is comforting to know that you can have someone to pray to that controls your life. Maybe you can change it, by praying hard enough. Also, there would be someone there to listen and understand everything complicated in your life, and know what you are going through. I feel that I am not alone in the world, and there is a sort of guiding power that helps me along. I want to believe that there is something there so you know that you are making right choices. But not something that forces you along your "destined path"- the path over which you have no control.

No, I do not believe in destiny. I believe in fate. These are almost the same, but with a very

important factor involved: free will. As I mentioned before, I think that destiny is a strict path you

HAVE to follow. It is not your choice to follow, and you cannot change it. Who lays out this path, your life? The Almighty God? Why do some to have better lives than others? Are these paths created by the same God? In contrast, fate has the element of free will. You decide your fate by your actions. Each decision leads you to your fate.

Seneca wrote:

"We learn not in the school, but in life."
Yes, you learn in school about history, math, science, grammar - but those skills only help you for a career or education. I think Seneca meant that we learn more about ourselves and develop life skills. We learn from our mistakes, experiences, and struggles. That's what makes us stronger. That is what makes us us. Life is about dealing with problems. This is why I don't believe in Nirvana. Who would want eternal peace? Well, sure, peace is very good. But I wouldn't want to just sit around because I accomplished everything I need to know. That would be very boring.

These are my beliefs today. These will probably be my beliefs tomorrow - maybe not. These beliefs are not for certain, but I know this: I believe in my own decisions and faith, whatever they may be.

"A Scientific World," Written by Rachel Moore

"What do you believe in?" is a common question that comes up at school or when I meet new people. Normally I brush off the question, avoiding the 30 minute description of what Unitarian Universalism is and then have that person still have no idea what I am talking about. But today, I will go into what I deeply believe in, something I normally wouldn't even try to attempt to put into words.

The word "Belief" to me is knowledge that lacks conclusive evidence. Though sometimes the boundary between the two is unclear, mostly when considering non-existence, I cannot conclude that there is no life after death. Then again, despite claims of many, there is no firm evidence that states that consciousness continues after the body dies. I cannot prove that there is no supernatural being out there in the universe, but I highly doubt there is.

I believe in freedom from unawareness, starvation, violence, and discrimination. I believe in the freedom to live my life fully, to explore my life to its highest point. I believe in the ability to know my own strengths and to learn from others. I believe in respect, in careful responses rather than immediate reactions, in the acceptance of the unavoidable and in the determination to modify the undesirable.

I believe in science and its ability to unlock mysteries and to show us wonders far greater than we could ever imagine. I believe that science covers most of the things in this world that need an explanation, that there is no god "running the universe," but that science can explain what is happening in our universe and that the human population is running the earth.

I don't believe that there is a god that helps us make our choices, that we make them ourselves, both the stupid and the good ones. One of my pet peeves is that some people don't blame their bad decisions on themselves, and that they don't praise themselves for their good ones. Instead they put the blame or praise on what I find an imaginary higher power, a.k.a. God.

I say "imaginary" for a reason. Because I believe that God is something simply made by the imagination for the religious human to fall upon, I do not believe there really is such thing. I find God a made up term just for someone to blame all of their mistakes on, to influence themselves to make their lives better or to do something for other people. People should not want to do something good because of an imaginative higher power. They should want to do something good for others or to improve their lives because they want to, not just to impress something called "God."

I strongly do not believe any "God," made from any religion, is existent. I strongly do believe, though, that humans rule themselves, and that science rules the planet earth and this galaxy, not some imaginary higher power. That the Earth was not created from "God" but from a humongous scientific explosion, eons ago, called the Big Bang.

Does that make any sense?

Jessie Geoffray - My Faith

When forced to examine my religious beliefs, I immediately asked myself the big question: do I believe in a god? The powerful soul that answers our prayers, solves our problems, and consumes lives? And I wondered- do I think God exists or do I just wish I did? To get some perspective I took a stroll along memory lane, and revisited a time where I was put in almost the exact same situation- when I was told that Santa Claus was fictional. I mean, I wasn't totally naïve; I was starting to put two and two together by then.  But I chose to ignore all of the overwhelming evidence to the contrary and just pretend Santa was real. Because I knew that, as soon as I acknowledged the fact that it was my parents placing all of the presents under the tree at midnight, that would be the moment when I would have to deal with the fact that there are homeless children who don't even get a meal on Christmas Eve, or presents, for that matter. Because that's who Santa is; a fictional figure who solves everyone's' problems in one night to make the next day special.  And in a way, God is of the same service.  People pray to God to help them solve their problems, soothe their conscience, and control the feeling of powerlessness that consumes them when they are forced to face the enormity of everything.  People believe in God because if they didn't, those things would eat them alive.

When I boiled my notions of God to a single sentence, it became clear to me that I used to believe in God- temporarily- until I found niches in which to deal with life.  I take solace in the life affirming moments that occur when I do the things I love: playing my flute, playing basketball, and hanging out with my friends.

When I play my flute, the stress-filled monstrosity that is my homework dissolves around me. In those moments, nothing matters more that the piece in front of me.  The simplicity of notes on a page calms me in a way that nothing else can.

Another thing that is life affirming to me is playing basketball.  As I'm passing the ball to my teammates I have that same feeling that life is connected and simple.  I'm focused on one pass, one shot, one rebound; we're working as a unit.  Basketball not only gives me connection to life, it connects my life to the lives of those around me.

One more important aspect in life, to me, is the ability to laugh and evoke laughter.  My friends give me the joy of being able to do this often.  The easiest way for me to feel connected to life and others around me is through hanging out with my friends.

So, through much speculation and thought, I have come to the conclusion that I don't place faith in god- I place faith in my passions, family, and friends.

I can't thank my mentor, Margot Page, enough.  She helped me greatly with the writing of my credo and I could not have done it without her.  I would also like to thank my parents for everything they have done for my Coming of Age.

"Reflections on Life," by Elizabeth Saldo

I have been a Unitarian Universalist for nearly ten years. This has helped me to develop my spiritual beliefs and thoughts. The greatest thing about being a Unitarian Universalist is being able to think for myself. This church has been, and continues to be, a haven for me. I only realized this year that I can not imagine life without this church.

My beliefs will change throughout my life. For now, I don't believe in a higher divine being, but I do believe in a sacred and divine power in the universe and everything in it. It is my belief that we are not meant to know and comprehend all the secrets and mysteries of our world.

There is no need for me to go to church for holiness. I feel very spiritual when simply in the beauty of nature, on a beach, with the waves crashing on the sand, walking through forests of towering redwoods, hiking on a trail in De Benneville Pines or skirting the edge of Jenks Lake. As I listen to the natural sounds and take in my surroundings a peacefulness and happiness comes over me, and I feel complete. Words can hardly express this feeling of spirituality. Unitarian Universalist Barbara Wells wrote "the holy is not found only in sacred scripture, in religious leaders, in a god that is far away. No, the holy is found right here, in every blade of grass, every drop of rain, every creature that walks or crawls or slithers on this planet."

I have no one belief on what happens after death. Perhaps our spirit or some part of us lives on to become part of the universe. Maybe death is merely a transitory state in the great scheme of things. I have spent some time pondering and discussing this, and I do believe that reincarnation may exist.

Though I don't fret much about what happens after my soul leaves my body. My one belief on death is that this life is but the first journey. I do not believe in destiny, in a path laid out for us which we must follow. I believe we make our destiny, blazing a trail as we go along. Obstacles may impede us, and we will have to find another way, eliminate the obstacle, or learn to work with it. But the path will continue, even after death. There is so much to be done in making this world a better and safer place. The most important thing I believe in is living life to the fullest and doing the best I can, trying to make a difference. It has been said: "Every man dies; few truly live." I choose to live.

Colette F-H - In Love and Understanding, One

"And the Lord, He it is that doth go before thee; He will be with thee, He will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed."

      ~Deuteronomy, Chapter 31: Verse 8

"Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid...for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."

      ~The Bible, book, verse, and chapter unknown

I've never really been forced to list all of my beliefs, much less before a large group of people. I'm finding it shockingly exposing. Like nearly everyone here, I've been asked what religion I am, struggled to state the seven U.U. principles, and failed miserably. I have to admit, I love the blank look on people's faces when I tell them that Unitarian Universalism is a "non-religion religion."

My beliefs are kind of unusual and hard for me to explain. I think that they've always been floating around in me and at various times, I've been faced with the challenge of pulling them out of thin air to explain why I feel uncomfortable with certain situations. I love finding them, even though it's a difficult task. I just don't feel complete until I know why I don't feel complete. I know I'm weird.

In case I didn't state it clearly enough yet, or if I lost you about two or three sentences ago, I've formed beliefs and opinions into words when they are threatened by a person or statement I'm not comfortable with.

A perfect example of something that makes me think about my religion is Christianity. Sorry to those of you who follow it, but that religion can be a real pain. It's probably related vaguely to the fact that I've been damned, insulted, angered, "saved," and blessed by various people I don't like, all of whom just happened to be wearing a cross at the time. I don't believe Jesus (or Hesus Christo, if you're in my history class) was a holy man, or that his mother was really a blessed virgin. I think that he was basically a good person who was a bit arrogant and let the whole "son of god" thing go way too far. I also don't believe in heaven or hell. I do, however, believe in some form of life after death. It seems impossible to me that all the passion, thoughts, and creativity the human soul possesses just ceases to exist after our mere physical forms disintegrate and get turned into vitamin-enriched soil by little, happy, mulching worms. I also believe that these little, happy, mulching worms were created through evolution, and not by god.

You probably didn't see this coming, but I don't believe in god either. I think that a higher form of existence could exist, but until you can prove it to me, I am happily atheistic. The above quotes are other examples of something I don't like: people who devote themselves completely and entirely to god. I'm sorry to those of you who do believe in god, but sometimes I want to rage at those who call everything "god's gift," who say "god came for her" instead of "she kicked the bucket" and who tell me to pray to the blessed lord and his son for salvation from my sins. I want to tell such people that there is no god and to please get a life.

But I don't. And this brings me to my next belief. I believe in the inherent worth and dignity of every person. People in my eyes deserve respect, no matter their race, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, or how much I hate them. You could be African American, bisexual, and Catholic or Swedish, straight, and Buddhist. I could hate you and never speak to you, or you could be my alter ego, I still won't mistreat or insult you. Or at least not without apologizing profusely.

While we're on the topic of respect, for those of you who are Christian and hating me right now, I'm sorry! I really and truly respect your religion and/or your belief in god, though I disagree with it. I just don't want it shoved obnoxiously in my face. Please don't try to convert me. I wouldn't want to lose my temper and be called a hypocrite for that last paragraph.

Oh, and speaking of temper, my next belief may cause some of you to lose yours. This belief is the most challenged belief I have. Possibly because of this, it is the one I feel most passionately about. I'm sorry for the offense that some of may you take, but there's really not that much I can do about it, as I'm not apologizing for what I believe in.

Just last week, I had another experience that challenged this belief. The experience itself was an overheard discussion between two of my peers. Let's call them Annie and Anne.

Annie and Anne were talking about death (no, they're not emo). Annie was crying over the death of one of her grandparents. Anne was comforting her. Through her tears, Annie asked "What happened to Lucy?", referring to Anne's dog. "We had to put her to sleep," relied Anne. "It's okay, though. I mean, she was just a dog."

Just. A. Dog. Not, "my best friend." Not, "the adorable little puppy that used to chew my shoes, wreck my room, and come scampering as fast as she could whenever I called her name." Not, "always ecstatic to see me." Not, "the last to judge or betray me." Not "always happy to sleep on my bed, go for a walk, listen to me, play a game of fetch, or roll over for a belly-rub whenever I wanted her to." Not, "protective, affectionate, loyal, playful, happy, and cuddly."  Not even, "I'll miss her." No. Lucy was just a dog.

I know a lot of you have heard this before, and that a lot of you disagree with me, but there in my eyes there is no such thing as "just a dog." There is no such thing as "just a rabbit." No such thing as "just a snake." There even isn't a "just an animal."  Most would never say, "just a human." Humans are too important. Well to me, there is absolutely no difference between the worth of a human, and the worth of an animal.

The main argument I have heard for "the con side of the worth of animals" is that people are much more sophisticated and intelligent than animals. They have lives and can think and feel much more than animals can. To this I say, "so what?" I say, "animals have feelings too!" I could say "we're all equal in god's eyes," but that's really not what I think. I say that the ratio of people to animals is so disproportionate that one person isn't as important as an animal. I say, "humans are animals." All of these (well, most) are true. But my trump card is a quote from Harry Potter. "It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities," says everyone's favorite headmaster on page 333 of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling. I admit that humans do have more mental capacities than most animals. But let's take a look at our choices: so far we've chosen to destroy 80% of all rainforests, engage in hundreds of wars, discriminate, consume most of the world's resources in half the Earth's predicted lifetime, and much, much, more. Oh yeah, we're definitely the superior species here. This is what gives us the right to slaughter and torture any other species purely to satisfy our own greed.

I agree that humans, along with any other animal, can kill and consume to satisfy their hunger. But we don't have to. Plus, we've taken the term "carnivore" to the max, inventing factory farms, mistreating our future dinner, and killing not for food, but for pleasure. In protest, I believe in Vegetarianism.

On a more positive note, I believe in the abilities of humans. We have the unique ability to create, and highly evolved bodies to do so. We also have the ability to care about our species, a trait that we share with several other species, but important, nonetheless. I believe that most people are generally good and compassionate beings. I only wish that more of that compassion could be felt toward the environment and the threatened animals it contains. But who knows? Maybe someday it will. Maybe we'll take our abilities in Science a few steps further. Maybe one day, I'll be able to send one of my peers back to through time to the day Thomas Edison invented the light bulb so that they will be able to say, "Great job, Tom! Now all you have to do is find enough silicon to create a panel of photovoltaics, double-layered silicon cells, institute this panel in a location that receives enough sunlight to generate 10,000 mega-watts of power on an annual basis, hook up a wire to the panel, enabling the electrons in the silicon that have been released through the absorption of photons and jumped to a conduction band to travel to a step-up transformer, which operates due to the fact that magnetism induces an electric field and vice versa, and  run along another wire, hit a step-down transformer, and get to their final destination, your light bulb, where they will be used as a sustainable source of energy. Great start, though!"

I also believe in music. I believe in painting. I believe in peace, though not in marijuana, so you can't really call me a hippie (tear). I believe in nature. I believe it's not too late to change the world. I believe in the power of the written word. I believe in memories. I believe I am out of time. And yes, I do believe in magic.

Thanks go to:

My family (of course!)
My friends for being so supportive and waking up early Sunday morning to come here.

My kind and patient mentor, Felicity, for the food, help on my credo and the opportunity to meet your son Marc.

The CoA advisers, Karl, Jennifer, and Ian.

My Auntie Susan and Uncle John, for also waking up early.

Everyone who listened to my entire 1,730 word credo! You should be very proud of your attention span.