"The Pilgrimage of Faith "

Betty and I are pleased to be back with you. We remember with pleasure our time here last fall while Rev. Meyer was on sabbatical leave. You may want to know that following my time with you here, I retired . . . again. Among other things that means, at least as long as I am able to stay on the "retirement wagon," that I have time for other interests. Those other interests included a trip to Japan and China. Thank you for your gift when we left here in December, which we used at Magellan's Travel Service for some things we needed for the trip.

Another interest is represented by a San Diego Chapter of a national group, "The Network of Spiritual Progressives. About one-third to one-half of the emails I receive each week comes from this group. I'm not talking about "Spam," but about serious people, some of whom are Unitarian Universalists who are concerned about the direction our Nation is going. I was not aware of this group until a couple of months ago when I heard Rabbi Michael Lerner speak. Rabbi Lerner is the author of a recently published book, "The Left Hand of God" which is sub-titled, "Taking Back Our Country From the Religious Right." However, my basic understanding is that Lerner and the Network of Spiritual Progressives is suggesting that concern for liberal politics and social responsibility, needs to be enriched with spiritual consideration.

As I understand Lerner, to be spiritual is not the same as to be religious. He is not talking about a specific religion or religions. He says his concern is "spiritual consciousness" which is evidenced in the way people treat people. To be spiritual means not to use other people or manipulate other people in order to gain power and advantage for ourselves. To be spiritual is to embody the ancient teaching of relationships based on seeing others as persons, not "things." Martin Buber, theologian and philosopher spoke of the difference between "I-thou" relationships and "I-it" relationships. Rabbi Lerner and the Network of Spiritual Progressives is emphasizing "I-thou" relationships as a hallmark of spiritual concern.

Almost immediately some people who are liberal, including some Unitarian Universalists are scandalized by the notion of "spirituality" and a "spiritual consciousness." Too many of us have been wounded by old-fashioned, strict conservative religion, even if not religious fundamentalism, so that we do not want to hear words such as "spiritual" or "religious."

In fact, there have been several internet blogs which, I understand, have complained about Lerner and the Network of Spiritual Progressives specifically because they do not respect anything religious or spiritual. I have met a few Unitarian Universalist congregations which seem to suffer from this same anti-religious or anti-spiritual bias. Some time ago I met a Unitarian Universalist man, I'd say about 45-50 years old who grew up in a conservative Southern Baptist Church. He was so wounded by that experience that he spends most of his time complaining, and doesn't want to have anything to do with anything which he perceives to be "religious."

The problem with being anti-religious, as Rabbi Lerner and the Network of Spiritual Progressives points out, is that this kind of anti-religious bias is a kind of liberal elitism which refuses to respond to the deep spiritual crisis in this nation. People are suffering from being used and abused by an economic power system which cares little for their humanity. People feel that they are nothing more than cogs in the wheel of economic power, and are searching for meaning.

The religious right has responded to that spiritual crisis while we who are more liberal have tended to avoid religion. We liberals, and now I'll speak more specifically to Unitarian Universalists need to get back to our roots - our spiritual roots. That does not mean that we come up with some kind of creed or belief system. I am not talking about some new kind of "liberal orthodoxy." Rather I am suggesting the need to claim spirituality as a valid part of our tradition and in our liberal approach to social and economic issues.

I find help in remembering our UU Principles. You will find our UU Principals in various places, one of which is the final page of the Preface to the Hymnbook we use. The Principles are not "leashes" but "fences". Think about thedifference. Orthodoxy or fundamentalism is based on leashes of control, chains which bind people to a specific system.

Our principles define wide parameters within which people are encouraged to a free and responsible search for truth and meaning. The principles begin with affirming human worth and dignity, move on to talk about justice and compassion in the relations between and among humans. Then the third principle states: "Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations," followed by "a free and responsible search for truth and meaning."

The primary difference, at least as I see it, between we Unitarian Universalists and the more conservative religionists is that we begin with individual worth, followed by acceptance of one another, and encouragement to individual search for spiritual growth and truth and meaning. Unitarian Universalist Congregations provide places where people are free to engage in their own search, while supporting one another. I believe every person is either consciously or sub-consciously engaged in a search for meaning. We are on a life-long pilgrimage. The congregation's role is to encourage and support one another in that search.

Today's sermon is about that individual search. The sermon is drawn from the "Pilgrimage of Faith" diagram which was devised by Gene Ackerman and is printed on the back of the insert with today's Readings. You may wish to follow that diagram as I talk about our common pilgrimage.

The first stage of the "faith pilgrimage" is shown at the extreme left end of the diagram. It is what Ackerman calls "innocent faith." Generally speaking at this stage one's faith is an imitation of the faith of parents or other significant adults. Ackerman says, "innocent faith is like living in the Garden of Eden. There are no questions and no doubts to shatter the faith."

That innocent faith is shattered the first time one begins to raise questions. This questioning can come at any time, usually in adolescence or when one is a young adult. However, those of us who are older can testify from personal experience that questions continue to be raised. We are never "done" with the free and responsible search.

Once the questions begin one enters into a kind of "wilderness" of uncertainty. Ackerman calls this stage "searching faith." (Remember, "free and responsible search for truth and meaning.") During this part of the pilgrimage people not only search for "faith" but are also willing to look at the possibilities of non-faith. Ackerman says three choices are open to the "Searching Pilgrim."

The first choice appears to be the most risky. It is to go right up the middle of the wilderness through all the thorns of doubt and the desert of questions, moving toward a Liberating Faith. This is a time of uncertainty which Ackerman describes in this way:

"It is a threatening route which I envision like a dark, steep canyon, filled with rocks and boulders and briars, which gives little hint as to what the end of the journey holds."

The point is that this is the most difficult path, requiring determination and the willingness to risk.

I assume that most of us are aware of this movement from the Innocent, accepting faith of childhood toward, but not necessarily having arrived yet, toward a liberating faith. Also most of us know this kind of searching, struggling uncertainty often takes many years. The pilgrimage is made easier if we are part of a community of searchers.

In addition to this narrow, difficult path toward Liberating Faith, there are two other choices which are available to persons leaving the innocent, unquestioning faith of childhood. One of those choices is the "Rectangular Church," shown in the picture at the top of the diagram. The Rectangular Church is very much aware of the dangers of the wilderness, and of the struggles and uncertainties facing each searching pilgrim. So the Rectangular Church invites the pilgrim to come in to safety - to trade questions and doubts for answers; answers which are provided by some doctrine or creed; answers which are provided on the basis of authoritarian truth.

The Rectangular Church is very attractive at times of cultural uncertainty. I believe one of the reasons people are flocking to some of the more conservative, evangelical churches is security. In a culture where people are only considered important so long as they contribute to the "bottom line," where people feel manipulated and used, they are seeking some kind of spiritual security.

For some people Rectangular Church is where they are most comfortable. Their search is over. They can rest from the thorny issues of pilgrimage, secure within the protecting walls of a faith defined by religious authorities. I used to be more impatient with these people than I am now. Some people need this kind of security.

There is yet another choice for the searching pilgrim. Some pilgrims leave the innocent faith of childhood to go into what Ackerman calls the "Avoidance Oval," pictured at the bottom of the diagram. These are the people who get locked onto a treadmill of meaninglessness. They become content with their doubts. Many of these people have been "wounded" by a too strict faith in childhood - perhaps coming from very conservative or fundamentalist backgrounds. In a pendulum swing away from that kind of approach, these people can say more easily what they do NOT believe than what they believe. They frequently avoid the pilgrimage-the search-by going around the track making light of other pilgrims.

The people on "Avoidance Oval" frequently become so enamored with their own doubts that they are unable to be more accepting of people who may have found other meanings. I have experienced these skeptics as frequently beset by unfocused anger, or by anxiety-ridden malaise.

My sense is this represents some of the people I mentioned earlier; people who do not like Rabbi Lerner and the Network of Spiritual Progressives. They do not want to have anything to do with religion or spirituality. They are content to be angry. Rebellious anger is not good enough if we want to be a force for good in this nation.

Let's assume that some of us in our pilgrimage of faith have left Innocent Faith and have moved through Searching Faith. We have decided against both the "Rectangular Church" and the "Avoidance Oval." What lies ahead of us in our pilgrimage? Ackerman says it this way:

"Once the dark, steep difficult canyon has been followed and the faith issues wrestled with, there develops a confidence in having an adequate faith of our own. It is not unlike the experience of the person who takes piano lessons. In the early years it is all struggle but if the discipline is maintained there comes a day when the skills are mastered and you are free to improvise and interpret. Playing the piano is then liberating. Likewise, though the struggle, doubts and questions are not all gone, you now have confidence."

There's one other element in the diagram. Toward the right edge of the page there is an open circle. This open circle represents an open and accepting community that allows multiplicity of understandings and interpretations. This "Open Circle Fellowship" doesn't claim to have absolute answers. This is the Community of Liberating Faith, or in the words of the third UU Principle, the "accepting congregation."

That is why I included the reading from William Schultz, who characterizes Unitarian Universalists as people who respect answers from many faith traditions. Schultz says, "We believe . . . that no single religion (or academic discipline for that matter) has a monopoly on wisdom. . . ." The Network of Spiritual Progressives of Rabbi Michael Lerner does not claim to have a monopoly on religious wisdom, but does ask that spiritual values such as inherent worth and dignity, and compassion for all humanity mark our social and economic decisions.

I am concerned about two kinds of fundamentalism. There is fundamentalism on the right, which Ackerman calls the "Rectangular Church" which claims to have the answers and belittles people who are still searching. However there is also a "fundamentalism" of the left which like Ackerman's "avoidance oval," angrily dismisses all religious understanding and belittles pilgrims who are searching.

Seems to me both kinds of fundamentalism are finally unrealistic. Both are escapist, both refuse to join in the pilgrimage; both are unwilling to engage in a "free and responsible search for truth and meaning." Both are dehumanizing.

By contrast Unitarian Universalists provide an "open circle" approach. We do not claim to have absolute answers, but neither do we suggest the search is meaningless. We encourage one another in spiritual growth. My experience is pilgrims need fellow pilgrims. We need an accepting community where our questions are honored, and where our answers are enriched by the questions and answers of other pilgrims.

This is the kind of community which is unwilling to "rest on its laurels." It is the kind of community which I believe people are hoping to find. There are people who have left Innocent Faith, who are unwilling to settle for the authoritarianism of "Rectangular Church," and who would like not to get side-tracked on "Avoidance Oval." These are people who would like to become part of an open community of fellow-searchers.

I began by sharing with you my understanding of the Network of Spiritual Progressives and Rabbi Michael Lerner. I conclude by sharing with you that I believe we Unitarian Universalists provide great hope for our nation. If we will not engage in fundamentalism of the right, which claims to have a corner on all religious truth, and if we will not engage in fundamentalism on the left which claims there is no religious truth, we can provide an open-circle of acceptance which is humane in treatment of fellow pilgrims. May it be so.

Readings for the Service, July 30, 2006 "(Unitarian Universalists) respect the answers offered by Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, and the world's other great faith traditions-we even draw our inspiration and some of our forms of worship from those traditions-but we respect the mystery even more. We believe, in other words, that no single religion (or academic discipline, for that matter) has a monopoly on wisdom; that the answers to the great religious questions change from generation to generation; and that the ultimate truth about God and Creation, death, meaning, and the human spirit cannot be captured in a narrow statement of faith. The mystery itself is always greater than its name." (William F. Schultz, ed., "The Unitarian Universalist Pocket Guide") ". . . there are many people who have outgrown the Rectangular Church or are tired of the Avoidance Oval who do not know that there is an alternative church able to minister to them at this point of their life. Our challenge is to let them know that we exist?May (we) find ways to support each other in enriching this liberating approach to faith." (Gene Ackerman, "The Pilgrimage of Faith")