"24/7: Take Your Faith with You"

          When I lived in Chicago, I went to a worship service at Willow Creek, a large Christian mega church in the suburbs. The topic of the worship service that day was faith and family. In his sermon, the minister told a story. He said he was walking through a suburb one day and noticed many of the houses had art on their lawn. All different kinds of sculptures, from modern sculptures of huge arching steel, to small cement statues of rabbits. He said as he walked past these pieces of art, he remembered the reading from Deuteronomy, which says to write the commandments on the door frames of your houses and on your gates. The pastor talked about what it might look like if instead of modern art sculptures, there were crosses, or a statue of Jesus. “Things with meaning” he said, art that represents their faith and shares their faith with others. Not modern art that in his view, no one really understands. He wanted faith to be a part of every aspect of his parishioners lives and for them to share that faith with others.   While I listened to his sermon, I started to wonder. What would it look like if the lawn art were not modern sculptures or statues of Jesus, but chalices. It kind of made me laugh because currently in our modern culture, most people would have no idea what a chalice means. If they saw it on someone's front lawn it would probably fall into the category of weird modern art. But really, what would it look like if we took our faith home? If we did have a chalice on the front lawn? If more of us had chalices in our homes or a framed poem by a Unitarian Universalist on the wall? Would that make a difference in our lives and in the world? I think so.

            Unitarian Universalists, do many great things in the world. We bring our religious values into our lives through the morals we teach our children, through the volunteer work we do, and the jobs we have. But, in my experience, not as many of us bring our faith into our lives.

            I am making a distinction between faith and values this morning. Faith and values are so closely tied to each other that it is hard to define them separately, but sometimes I think we need to because it helps us remember the core that drives us to live out our values in the world. Values are are often defined as principles or standards, or an individual's accepted standards of right or wrong. There are a few different definitions of the word faith, such as a belief in things not seen or a system of religious beliefs like the Protestant faith. For todays purposes, I would like to look at faith from the definition of it representing a religion, meaning in our case the Unitarian Universalist faith. Our religious identity.

            I know many of us take our values home and that is a great thing. For example, Unitarian Universalists believe in caring for our earth and working on combating global warming. We take that home home. Many of us recycle, conserve water, use re-usable bags and compost.

            What is interesting though is that more UU’s have compost cans in their homes than chalices. Very few of us actually have symbols of our faith in our homes or other areas of our life. If someone comes into our home and sees a compost can, they know what we value, but will they know why we value it? Will they know the faith that is behind our values? Probably not because many of us don’t talk about our faith or have images of our faith in our homes.           

            Also, there is something about the link between how the concepts of faith and values are each unique that is important for us to figure out because it is something especially important to our children.

            As a mother of a young child, when I found out that at least 80% of kids raised Unitarian Universalist leave the faith after high school, I wanted to know why this was happening. In order to understand better why that 80% leaves, I did some research. 

            What I discovered was that across all religions, those with a creed or not, those with a diety or not, that there are two things which determine if a child will remain in the faith of their youth. What most determines if a child will remain in the faith they grew up in is if they went to worship services together with their family and if their faith was a part of their everyday lives at home. This gives them a strong faith identity.

            In talking with youth in our faith, I found that one of the main complaints of UU teenagers who leave the faith is that while they loved all of the social justice, all the the values they learned, they felt like something was missing.  Worship was not something they were used to, and at times they did not feel like they belonged in our religion.  “You know,” one girl said to me, “a faith behind all of the values I have.” She clearly saw a difference between what faith is and what values are. She felt she could live out the values with or without the faith, which is true, but she was seeking faith. She was asking for a religious identity.

            So in some way, focusing on values alone is not enough. Many of our children are not getting what they need out of our faith because they do not feel a connection to Unitarian Universalism as a religion rather than as a set of values. If our faith is with us in all areas of our life, it becomes an identity and a grounding.   

            Our faith is our jumping off point for all of the other things we do in our lives. It is often the answer behind the question of why we do a particular thing. Such as Why do we work to end racism and oppression?

            While many of us adults have life experiences that lead us to these values, we also do it because our faith tells us that everyone has inherent worth and dignity. For many of our youngest children, who are being raised Unitarian Universalist right now, they care for others at four, six, and ten years old, less often from life experience, but because their faith has shown them how the world can be a better place if we work for these values.

            There are many ways we can take our faith into our life: at home, in work, in our quiet time, but there are two suggestions I have for us today. We can bring religious symbols into our life, and we can talk about our faith. 

            Religious symbols can have a profound affect on our lives, and this tradition has been around for centuries in many faith traditions.

              In the Jewish faith, many people hang mezuzah’s on their doorposts. The tradition comes from the reading in Deuteronomy that we heard earlier which asks people to tie the teachings as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.

            A mezuzah, which literally means “doorpost,” is hung on every door frame of every room in the house, except the bathroom. The mezuzah is a piece of paper that has scripture written on it, part of the scripture is the Deuteronomy reading. To protect the paper, it is put into a case which is hung on the door frame.

            This is what Rabbi Moses ben Maimon, a scholar of the Torah, says about the purpose of the mezuzah: “Whenever one enters or leaves a home with a mezuzah on the doorpost, he will see it and be confronted with the declaration of God's unity.....This thought will immediately restore him to his right senses and he will walk in the paths of righteousness." According to the Rabbi, the main purpose of the mezuzah is to SEE it. To be reminded upon entering a room of ones faith and that is supposed to help you remember to act in ways that align with your faith.  

            Bringing our faith in to our lives helps us follow through on the values we hold dear, especially in difficult times. 

            Just a simple thing like wearing my chalice necklace helps me every day.

            I remember distinctly one time when I was sitting at a party with people I did not know that well at a community event. A person at the table behind was talking about how people dress and said he once saw a person wearing such a colorful outfit and walking in a “certain way” that he knew this person was gay. And the other people at the table laughed.

            I was very uncomfortable with that comment. I knew it was mean, judgmental, and promoted stereotyping. His comment was increasing oppression in our world. I felt like I should say something, but I did not really know this person and I did not want to cause a big scene. Besides, I was rationalizing with myself, this person did not know I heard his comment and he did not say it to me. The conversation had moved on and who am I to say something anyway?

            In that moment I remember playing nervously with the chalice around my neck. And I was reminded. “I am a Unitarian Universalist, I know supporting this kind of behavior is not ok. Remaining silent would be validating his comment.” I remembered that many other Unitarian Universalist’s had struggled for the rights of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, queer, and transgendered community. If they would not sit silent, neither could I. So I turned around and said, “Excuse me, I was uncomfortable with your comment about assuming someone was gay because of the way they dressed and walked.” The person looked at me and said “I guess it was kind of mean.” And that was it. Not anything big, but I was able to follow through on my values because I had a religious reminder with me that day.

            There are many ways to take our faith home. Simple things such as having a poem written by a Unitarian Universalist in our home. We can light a chalice at dinner, or say a prayer. We can read books that express our faith, especially ones written by UU’s. Did you know that every time you read a book by Beatrix Potter to a child you are taking your faith home? Beatrix Potter was a Unitarian. There are many people in our faiths history who wrote children's books or that our kids learn about in school, and they may never know these people were Unitarian Universalists because we don’t often mention it. Sixth President of the United States John Quincy Adams, writer Louisa May Alcott, founder of the Red Cross Clara Barton, writer and Unitarian minister Ralph Waldo Emerson, just to name a few.

            One of the simplest and most important ways to take your faith into your life though is by displaying a chalice. Have one at the dinner table, frame a painting of one, wear one around your neck. I am very much a proponent of bringing the chalice into our lives because it is our one unifying symbol, and it has such a rich history and meaning. The chalice is our faith’s most commonly used symbol, but often don’t know it’s meaning in the world and it’s story.     

            The story of the chalice starts during World War II, when a group of Unitarians came together in Boston to form the Unitarian Service Committee. The Service Committee was a team of people, led by Rev. Charles Joy, who tried to find safe routes for people to escape from the Nazis.

            Often though, the people who were escaping and the people who wanted to help them didn't speak the same language because they came from different countries. Rev. Joy decided it would be much better if the Service Committee had an official symbol to help identify its members. With a symbol, it wouldn't matter if people couldn't read the same language or understand each other. They would know by the symbol that they were safe in the hands of the people helping them.

            In 1941, artist Hans Deutsch created the symbol of the flaming chalice for the Unitarian Service Committee. It showed a chalice, or cup, that was used for giving a healing drink to others. And it showed a flame on top of the chalice because a flame was often used to represent a spirit of helpfulness. The chalice was surrounded by a circle which represented a circle of protection and love.

            Refugees all over Europe came to know and trust that sign, and the flaming chalice became a symbol of freedom and hope during the dark days of the war. It is estimated that in World War II, the Unitarian Service Committee rescued about 2,000 people, all because people took their faith into their life with this symbol.  

            That symbol of a faith that represents justice, love and freedom is still needed today.        

            I have a few friends who are Unitarian Universalist Military Chaplains. In the military, chaplains have badges so soldiers can tell right away who is a chaplain. Currently the only symbols allowed on the badges are the cross, the dharma wheel, the ten commandment tablets and the crescent. There has been debate over whether or not the chalice can or should become a badge for military chaplains.

            On the one hand, some say the chalice is not a recognized or recognizable religious symbol so it should not be used on a chaplains badge. Since most people don’t recognize the chalice, it would be too confusing to include it as religious symbol.  On the other hand, some people say the chalice will never be a recognizable religious symbol unless we start using it.

            While chaplains of all different faiths provide care to any soldier, can you imagine how you would feel if you saw a chalice, a symbol of your faith? In a time of uncertainty, when so little is familiar, in the midst of fear and pain, if you saw the chalice, you would know your faith is there. You would know immediately who you can talk to about your deepest thoughts.

            Or what about the Unitarian Universalist chaplain that has to wear a badge which represents a different faith than their own because the chalice is not a symbol anyone recognizes? They are trying to bring their faith into their life and work and are unable to. 

            The chalice is still profoundly important in our world today.

            Symbols of our faith whether it is the chalice or a quote by Emerson on our wall help us personally, but they are also an important way for us to share our faith with others. In a way, it helps us evangelize. I realize evangelism is not a word Unitarian Universalists like to use often, but all it means is spreading the good news. Proselytizing on the other hand means try to convert someone to your faith, which is not something we promote, but we do not have a problem with the idea of sharing our faith with others.

            Evangelizing for us can mean letting people know about our faith. I don’t think we all need to go around telling people about our faith at every moment, but what I do mean is not being afraid or uncomfortable to let people know about our faith.

            People ask me all the time what the chalice on my necklace means I tell them it is the symbol for the Unitarian Universalist religion. Then often they ask me what that is, and I say simply we believe everyone is loved just as they are, no matter who they are or what they have done. That unconditional love is what guides us in how we live and act in the world. Then the conversation may go on after that, or not. But I shared the good news of our faith with other people. I shared it in a simple way that does not ask them to become Unitarian Universalist, but just tells them about who we are.

            Maybe if we talked about our faith more, more people would become Unitarian Universalist though. Not because we converted them, but because they were interested and wanted to know more. This is a gift we can give to others. There is something innately spiritual in human beings. We see it in children when they are very young, how they feel this awe and connection to all things around them. It has always been a part of human history, in the way we try to grapple with how the Universe works and find what we are to do with our lives. In times of crisis, more people go to church. In times of celebration, more people go to church. If this is true of humans, that we are religious beings, I personally think Unitarian Universalism should be well known so that people can decided if it is right for them or not.

            How many of you started coming to a UU church because a friend or family member invited you? It is actually very common that a persons first experience of a UU church is because of an invitation from a friend or family member. I would not be here today if six years ago a friend had not said that he thought we would like his church. The difference that I can make in the world has been brought to it’s highest potential since a friend evangelized to me, talked to me about his faith. Him taking a risk to mention his church, just a few times, changed my life.

            Not only does brining our faith home help us talk about our faith to non-Unitarian Universalists, but it helps us talk to each other and it helps us support each other.

            I know of a couple who had been friends with another couple for about a year when they all had dinner together in one of the couples homes. This couple happened to have a picture of the Rehnberg Memorial Window in their house. It is a stained glass window that symbolizes 6 world religions, with Unitarian Universalism in the middle and, it happens to be the window at our UU church in Rockford, Illinois. When the other couple saw it they asked, “Are you Unitarian Universalists?” When they replied yes, the couple exclaimed “So are we!”

            They had been good friends for a year and neither of them knew what religion they were. They knew they agreed on all sorts of political and social issues, in fact those beliefs had brought them together, but they had no idea they had a common faith.

            When we become comfortable with talking about our faith, we will find more ways to help one another. Those two couples now find ways that their two churches can participate in social justice projects together, now making the positive impact they have on the world double. All because they took a risk and took their faith into their life.

            What I wish for every one of us is that we find ways to take our faith into all areas of our life to help us on our journey. Life is not always easy and we need not do it alone. I hope reminders of our faith connect us to each other and to our common history so we know we are supported in our efforts. to help ground and center us in the hardest of times. I hope everyone who walks into our homes sees, feels, and experiences in some way our faith that says they are loved just as they are.

            May we go out and write our faith on our doorposts and gates, share it with our children, and take it with us every day so that we may remember to live with love as our highest value.
           So May It Be. Amen.