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Ministry Musings
January 2010
People go abroad to wonder at the heights of mountains, at the
huge waves of the sea, at the long courses of the rivers, at the
vast compass of the ocean, at the circular motions of the stars,
and they pass by themselves without wondering.
So heres an interesting riddle for you: what do the words
above and the Puritans who founded this church have in common? The
answer is Augustine of Hippo, the great Bishop from North Africa
who is one of the major intellectual influences on how the West
developed. Augustine started off life as a pagan philosopher and
playboy and became one of the most influential theologians
and writers in history. Later thinkers influenced by him are almost
too many to count: everyone from Thomas Aquinas to Martin Luther
to John Calvin, to say nothing of more modern thinkers such as Bertrand
Russell and Frederick Nietzsche.
His major work was The City of God, which he wrote as the Roman
Empire was crumbling. In this landmark work, he used the metaphor
of the journey and argued that each of us in this life must make
a spiritual pilgrimage from the City of Man to the City of God,
from selfishness to compassion, from evil to good. He also penned
one of the first autobiographies as a literary form while a monk
in Hippo, whose sentiments and writing leaps off the page almost
as if it were written last year. The words above are one of many
quotable excerpts from his autobiography, Confessions. (Another
one is his famous and oh so human prayer contained therein: O
God, give me chastity and continence, but not yet!)
And what does all of this have to do with our Puritan founders?
We know that the original settlers carried very few books over by
boat in 1629. After all, there was not a lot of room for such extravagances
as a library aboard a small, wooden ship. However, one of the volumes
that did make the voyage was a 1617 edition of The City of God,
along with a copy of John Calvins Institutes of Religion,
himself greatly influenced by Augustine. The notion of the souls
journey has been an abiding image down through the ages and centuries.
With that in mind, we will be celebrating journeys old and journeys
new this winter. On Sunday, January 17, we will host an Archives
Open House for members and friends who would like a tour of our
collection. Then, a few weeks later, I will begin a brief five session
program on Spirituality and Autobiography, in which participants
will be invited to write a small piece about our own journey and
read short excerpts from other writers about their spiritual path
including Augustines. To sign up, speak with me or
call the office.
I wish you much peace and happiness at the turning
December 2009
Several years ago, we began something of a counter-cultural tradition
here at the First Church. It may be one of the more socially radical
things we do each year. Ten or so days before Christmas, we gather
at the church in the early evening, bundle up in scarves and hats,
and venture out into the dark and cold to do the unthinkable: sing
to strangers. We go caroling. Armed with flashlights and rumpled
songbooks, we attempt to bring a few tidings of great joy, or at
least a little bit of good cheer.
Every year it begins the same way. We arrive at the church, circumspect
and unsure if this is a good idea. We nervously check our flashlights,
hand out songbooks and wanly practice a few carols before we embark.
Then, we step out into the cold night air and start walking down
the street looking for a suitable mark. Thats when the magic
of the night slowly commences. Ringing a doorbell, we huddle together
on the sidewalk and begin to sing: Silent night, holy night...
Sometimes a light pops on or a door cracks open, with someone nervously
listening from within. Sometimes a face peeks out from behind a
curtain not sure what to do. Every once in a while, a light flips
off, which has the effect of making us sing louder.
There is something elemental and ancient inherent in singing good
tidings to people you dont always know. A sort of leap of
faith is required to do this in our distrustful day and time. Caroling
runs up against our sense of tight-lipped propriety here in New
England. (The Puritans frowned upon it, after all.) And yet, after
an hour or so of caroling, with fingertips and noses numb from the
cold, one cant help but feel that the possibility for lasting
peace and joy in this life involves moments and opportunities like
this. How often do any of us have the chance to bring tidings of
comfort and joy if only for a moment? If there is to be peace
in this world, I suspect it involves moments of such revelry, if
only to remind ourselves of the ties that bind and the blessings
we all share. Good will must be shared, not just quietly considered.
This December is chock full of events and holiday mirth at the
First Church, including an evening of caroling, (which always concludes
with sipping hot soup by the fire in the Cleveland Room). I hope
you all can join us to celebrate the season. Merry Christmas, Happy
Hanukah and Good Yule!
See you in church,
Jeff
November 2009
For the last four years, I have had a somewhat usual way of reminding
myself to be thankful. Every six months, my wife and I take our
youngest son to Childrens Hospital in Boston for an evaluation
of his heart. Each time, it is more or less the same routine: driving
into Boston, hurriedly parking the car (since we always seem to
be running late for these appointments), rushing into the lobby
of Childrens Hospital, and then dashing up to the second floor
Pediatric Cardiology Unit. Our typical visit usually lasts three
hours or so. We then we make our way back down to the lobby of the
hospital at a much slower pace, sometimes stopping for lunch.
None of this is especially noteworthy except for one key observation
that can almost be assumed: we are not alone. Childrens Hospital
is teeming with children and their families. Some are happy. Some
are sad. Some look elated, others forlorn. What I can tell you for
sure is that nothing makes you feel more thankful for your lot in
life than spending a few minutes in the lobby of this hospital.
Each time I leave that place, I am impressed yet again with the
quality of the staff and thoroughly thankful for my life and situation.
If you have hands and feet that work, if you can walk and talk,
if you think of yourself as reasonably put together and bright,
then you are truly blessed. Not everyone can take those things for
granted.
Gratitude is not so much a state of being as it is an orientation,
a mindset. The Roman statesman Cicero once observed that it was
the mother of all other virtues. It is a fundamental recognition
that our lives, our health and whatever good fortune we possess
are gifts not givens. Sure, we all benefit from hard work
and individual initiative, but autonomy is a temporary stage (or
ruse) in this life. When we take a moment to consider all the many
things that we take for granted and we did not actually earn, the
realization can be staggering. In a very real way, I think authentic
spirituality cultivates this perspective as we go about our lives:
the profound recognition of how dependent we all are on forces and
developments over which we have little or no control. Most of the
time, this leads us to count our blessings AND to be a blessing
to those around us.
We have a busy November here at the First Church including lectures
and pancake breakfasts and special services. I wish you a joyous
season for Giving Thanks.
October 2009
I just paid my life insurance premium for the year a sobering
moment for any parent. This is not a small amount of money but it
buys me the piece of mind and security that my family will be cared
for in the event that I should die in the next twelve months. Of
course, this is highly unlikely, which is why there is a business
called insurance. According to actuarial tables I consulted recently,
the average man my age has only a .002026 chance of dying; i.e.
approximately 2 out of every 1000 men my age might pass away in
the next year. However even knowing the unlikely odds (and that
I eat salads and wear my seatbelt), I still nonetheless sent in
my insurance premium. In a sense it would be wrong not to do so
if I can. Certainly it would be irresponsible. When calculating
risk, one must make a distinction between likelihood and severity
and plan accordingly.
Oddly enough, I delve into this because our country is currently
debating a climate change bill. There are very powerful interests
in this country who maintain that we cannot afford to reduce our
emissions and confront climate change. They claim it would harm
the economy and be too expensive. And yet, the largest scientific
group ever formally assembled to study anything (the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change, who won the Nobel Prize for their work
in 2007), has declared that the worlds industrialized nations
must reduce their carbon emissions drastically (i.e. 80% or more)
within 40 years. If we fail to do this, preeminent scientists like
James Hansen at NASA believe that we are consigning our children
and future generations to potentially dire circumstances. According
to the best estimates of scientists who look at this, the risk of
runaway climate change with an 8 degree (Centigrade!) increase in
average temperatures is approximately 1%. Maybe higher. And yet
there are huge interests in our country claiming that we cannot
afford to address the issue, including the US Chamber of Commerce;
a stance that I believe will be regarded by future generations as
irresponsible and immoral.
Our country and world is confronted with a gathering storm that
could potentially devastate our way of life. There is 1% chance
that this might occur and there are people claiming that we cannot
do anything to respond. I have just one question: Dont these
people have life insurance. Dont they understand the principle
of protecting oneself from catastrophic events or changes?
On Saturday, October 24, the First Church will be participating
in 350.orgs International Day of Climate Action. Among other
things, we will be joining in a rally at 2:00 PM at the Essex Street
Mall. We will also ring our church bell 350 times starting at 3:00.
The goal of the day is to raise awareness about the importance of
the U.S. passing a strong climate change law this year and moving
our country onto a more sustainable path that will help the world
achieve atmospheric CO2 concentrations of 350 ppm. I invite all
of you to come and join us as we participate in this historic movement.
We each have a stake in ensuring the future and insuring our world.
See you in church.
September 2009
Year ago, I felt almost embarrassed about it. Early in my ministry
here in Salem I would often receive unsettling, quizzical looks
when I mentioned the fact that my church took a break in July. I
was practically apologetic as I tried to explain to people why the
church was closed for a month. Inevitably, it seemed
like someone would ask with a sardonic grin: Why, does God
take a vacation? I would nervously shrug my shoulders and
smile.
Trying to explain our church calendar to someone not familiar with
the rhythms of a New England seaside town can be a little challenging.
In other regions and traditions, the idea of closing the church
for a month is outrageous, even anathema. Here in Salem, it just
makes sense. Traditionally the height of the summer season corresponded
with the time of peak labor. It was during the warmer months when
many of our members had the best opportunity to set their sails,
or cast their nets, or sink their hoe in the stony topsoil around
these parts. Summer was the time to get things done and prepare
for the coming winter.
Admittedly, things have changed since that bygone era. Even today,
however, all of us benefit from the change in routine ushered in
(hopefully) by summer. Worship, reflection and contemplation occur
in myriad ways and places. The magic and spectacle of a New England
summer are best admired and appreciated outdoors: the scent of basil
in a garden patch, the rush of a starboard breeze, the feeling of
sand under our bare feet, the crack of a serve or the whoosh of
a drive. Summer smacks of charmed possibility even it does not always
materialize. There is value in breaking from our regular routine
and finding time to recharge, regroup and re-create.
In a way I think this pause makes the resumption of our regularly
scheduled existence all the more satisfying. As we gather
together once again, fresh from our fields and boats and outings,
we find that we have plenty to celebrate and to share. The wonder
of the summer break can inform and enliven our religious life. It
can be a source of inspiration and a reminder of how fortunate we
are to live where we do. And so these days, I dont worry at
all about what anyone thinks of the churchs summer break.
I encourage people to have a great summer and to find a religious
community that encourages wonder and awe both inside and
outside.
Sunday, September 13 is Homecoming Sunday. As you will see inside,
we have a terrific fall planned here at the First Church. I hope
you can join us.
See you in church,
June 2009
Three weeks ago I attended a conference for The Climate Project
in Nashville, TN. Founded by Al Gore two and half years ago, this
is a group of 1,500 people from all over the world whom Mr. Gore
has trained to deliver an updated, slightly more technical version
of his now famous slideshow about global warming and the climate
crisis. I am proud to say I am one of those people trained by Mr.
Gore and I was proud to be one of the approximately 350 people in
attendance at this conference in May.
Among the highlights of this trip was having the opportunity to
listen to a presentation by Dr. Rejendra Pachauri, the head of The
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The IPCC was the co-recipient
of the Nobel Peace Prize with Mr. Gore and they are an international
organization of some 1,500 scientists who have conducted the most
comprehensive scientific assessment of the data pertaining to changes
in our climate. It is not an exaggeration to state that they are
the largest scientific body ever formally assembled to study anything.
(Their findings can be found at www.ipcc.ch/).
It was amazing and sobering to listen to Dr. Pachauri state that
we are living in a five to ten year window of time during which
the largest emitters of CO2 must reduce their emissions. If we do
not we are potentially consigning ourselves to runaway climate change
that could result in a dramatic collapse in the natural systems
that support over six billion people on this planet. Drinking water
shortages, an increase in sea levels, the collapse of major fish
populations in the worlds oceans, and environmental refugees
on a scale never before encountered in human history are all distinct
and real possibilities in the next 30 to 60 years if the wealthy
countries of the world do nothing. And right now, that is what we
are on track to do, for all practical purposes. Simply increasing
our level of recycling (for example) is not even close to the scale
of response that is required.
There is a huge disconnect between the warnings by the overwhelming
majority of the world scientific community and the policies being
proposed by our government. Its actually breathtaking. We
need to reduce our CO2 emissions in this country by 80% or more
in less that 40 years time. This requires a society wide response
that is almost unprecedented in our nations history. Almost,
however, is the key word.
Some of you might remember what occurred on December 7, 1941. It
was the day that United States was attacked by Japan at Pearl Harbor.
It resulted in a huge, overwhelming, unprecedented response by the
United States. People began conserving resources. They planted Victory
Gardens. Factories retooled their assembly lines to produce bombers,
not cars. I remember my grandparents describing the sense of resolve
that grabbed hold of the country on Pearl Harbor Day.
Well, in a sense, we need another Pearl Harbor, except this time,
we need the enemy is our huge carbon footprint as a nation. This
time the enemy is our ridiculously high dependence on fossil fuels.
The challenge we face is to find a way to maintain our standard
of living while living more lightly on this planet. Unlike 1941,
we need to declare war on our consumption. The good news is that
we can and this is beginning to take hold in certain parts of our
society. Even so, I see nowhere close to the urgency and concern
that is necessary and appropriate. Indeed, when I begin to describe
what our country is up against, I am quite often met with expressions
that would indicate I am either crazy or far too radical.
I suspect in the next ten years, more and more of us will realize
the challenge we are up against. I hope and pray that is the case.
Going forward, it is our patriotic duty to find ways to reduce our
use of fossil fuels and pursue renewable alternatives. Going forward
is our moral responsibility to find a way to live more lightly and
sustainably on this planet, our only home.
On June 13, the City of Salem will host its 2nd Annual Green Fair
at The Old Town Hall. There you will find a huge amount of ideas
and vendors for going green. I wish you a happy
and low carbon - summer season.
See you in church,
May 2009
A couple of years ago, I had a somewhat unique experience in the
local Home Depot. I was standing at the Business Services Desk inquiring
about setting up a business account for the church. I was handed
a one page application that asked the typical sorts of things one
would expect: name of business, address, phone number, contact person,
etc. There was one item on the form that gave me pause, however:
year business was founded. After a moments thought,
I figured I should not lie. (It would look bad as a minister!) So
I wrote down, August 6, 1629. I then wrote down our
State ID number, signed the form and handed it to the clerk behind
the desk. This gruff looking man turned his back to me and sat down
at a computer to enter my data. After a minute I heard a guffaw
of laughter. Sir, is this date for real? he asked. The
computer wont even accept it.
Sorry, I said. We were founded before computers.
Sometimes being part of an almost 400 year old institution presents
unexpected opportunities for amusement. Every once in while, I find
myself amazed at the longevity of this church, especially when I
try to explain it to others. I think part of the reason The First
Church has been around as long as it has is that it is a community
that remains relevant and dynamic. We have been able to inspire,
motivate, chasten and encourage generations of members. It has nothing
to do with our building (which is only a paltry 173 years old, by
the way). It has little to do with our hymnals or even our location.
Rather, it has everything to do with our covenant, the simple promise
we make to each other during each service. Human beings are promise
making (and sometimes promise breaking) animals. We need places
and groups that inspire us to make good and decent commitments in
this life and then live in a way that best allows us to keep them.
That in a sense is what our covenant does. That is what our walk
together is all about. When we gather to worship something
greater than ourselves, when we collectively acknowledge the creating,
sustaining and transforming power amidst our lives (be it God or
some other word we might prefer), when we come together to effect
some common good in our community, we are, in effect, continuing
our walk together. This has been the abiding and hallmark
source of this churchs ability to remain relevant in a world
that is always changing.
On Sunday, May 3, we will have our Annual Meeting. We will gather
to review reports, discuss current issues and vote upon the business
of the church. We will also elect new members and church leaders.
From one perspective, this is nothing new or remarkable. After all,
we have been holding meetings like this for almost four centuries.
From another point of view, however, this meeting is extraordinary:
it is a celebration of our community and proof that our religious
community remains vibrant and engaged. This walk together,
that we all commit to as members of this church, is what makes this
day very straightforward but also quite remarkable.
See you in church,
April 2009
At least twice in the last ten years I have performed an unusual
action during the Childrens Moment on Sunday mornings.
As most of you know, each week there is a time early in the service
when the children are called forward and I tell them a story or
lead them in a discussion while the congregation listens. On two
separate occasions in the last decade, I have done the following:
I announce to the children that I am about to perform what I consider
to be a religious and spiritual act. Then, as quietly
and ceremoniously as possible, I proceed to a nearby pew and pull
out a lamp with a shade. Removing the shade, I slowly unscrew the
incandescent light bulb. I then reach behind the Communion Table
and pull out a compact fluorescent light bulb (a CFL) and screw
it in.
The first time I performed this ritual almost ten years
ago, I was met with more than a few snickers from the kids and plenty
of eye rolling from the adults. More recently, the reaction was
more solemn and quieter. Performing such a mundane task in such
a ceremonial way playfully and powerfully reinforces the new reality
in which we find ourselves as a community and as a race. Starting
now, our religion must embrace living more lightly on this planet.
Beginning now, sustainability must become an essential part of our
religion. I truly believe that going forward, any authentic spirituality
must encourage people to live wisely and consume modestly.
We are about to live through a period of dramatic change in the
history of our country. According to the United Nations Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change, those of us in this country must reduce
our emissions of greenhouse gases by more than 80% by 2050. If we
do not do this, we are consigning our children and their children
to a potentially bleak world. The kids who attend this church currently
are members of the generation who will be forced to face this challenge
head on. We should be preparing them to think about their lives
and their lifestyles in a way that will inspire and embolden them
in the years ahead with the changes they will have to make.
April 22 is Earth Day, a holiday that is only growing in importance.
I hope all of us will take this as an opportunity to consider making
some changes and saving some energy. Replace a few light bulbs.
Install a programmable thermostat in your house. Have your furnace
tuned up or perhaps updated. But more than that, find a way to connect
the life of your soul to the life of this planet. Read up on the
latest dire findings about the climate. Go to www.myfootprint.org
and measure your ecological footprint. Plant a garden.
Talk to your neighbors about what you are doing (even the one who
watches Fox News and doesnt believe in Climate Change!) Spirituality
is not just about going to church on Sundays. Its about recognizing
interconnection and finding a way to serve in this life. It can
even involve something as simple as changing a light bulb. Ive
seen it done.
We have a huge month of festivity and fun in store at the First
Church with the Easter and Passover Seasons. I hope you can come
and be a part of it. See you in church,
March 2009
You are dust, and to dust you shall return. Genesis 3:19
These words from the Bible are the inspiration behind the well-known
ritual performed in many churches each year on Ash Wednesday, the
official beginning of the season of Lent in the traditional church
calendar. I can remember as a teenager during an evening service,
standing in line waiting for the minister to paint on
my forehead a bit of ashes and intone softly, Remember that
you are dust. It actually is a very strange and somehow exhilarating
experience to have someone look you in the eye and speak those words.
It can inspire reflection about how short the time is that we have
in this life. As it turns out, dust is both an amazing and daunting
thing to be.
During this last month we celebrated the 200th birthday of Charles
Darwin, that most famous of biologists. Among other things, we talked
about how the insights from biology, cosmology and archeology have
been assembled into a new Common Creation Story. The
findings and key conclusions of science are now revealing for the
first time how life on this planet came to be. One of the chapters
to this 14 billion year long story tells us that our bodies and
most of the elements on this planet are actually the debris and
dust from first generation stars that exploded billions
of years ago. In the process they created heavier elements (than
just hydrogen and helium) including the carbon, nitrogen and oxygen
that combine to form the blocks of all life. We literally are the
products of ancient stardust. Who knew? In this sense, to be dust
is amazing, even awe-inspiring.
But the writers of Genesis were implying something different I
suspect when they mention dust. There is in many religious teachings
this reminder of our mortality, the transient nature of our lives.
We literally are beings that emerge and develop and live for relatively
short periods of time. Our bodies emerge and then return to the
earth from which they come. There is enormous wisdom in reminding
ourselves periodically of this unavoidable verity. Ash Wednesday
and Lent can do that for us by inspiring humility without humiliation.
I personally regard this season as a reminder to take nothing for
granted, to count my blessings, and find ways to reconnect
with my world and myself.
We actually have several ways we are doing just that this month
at the First Church. On Saturday, March 14, we will be hosting a
conference on ecological sustainability and how we might move towards
living more in balance with the earth, as individuals and as a society.
In addition, we will be having a special communion service to mark
the beginning of Lent on the first Sunday in March. We will pause
to celebrate our lives and remember how exhilarating - and humbling
- it is to be comprised of dust.
See you in church,
February 2009
The voice of the Lord cries to the
Can I forget the treasures
of wickedness in the house of the wicked
? Can I tolerate wicked
scalesa bag of dishonest weights? Your wealthy are full of violence;
inhabitants speak lies,tongues of deceit in their. Micah 6:9-12
With all of the headlines of the last month about corruption and
dishonesty amongst Americas business elite, I decided to conduct
a bit of informal research. At the Tuck School at Dartmouth, there
is one course taught on ethics, an elective. At Harvard Business
School, a quick review of their core curriculum for the MBA program
reveals no class that deals explicitly with morality, though you
can register for a course named Managing the Modern Financial
System. At the Sloan School of Management at MIT, there are
actually two classes offered on ethics, again both being an elective
option for second year MBA students. The University of Pennsylvanias
Wharton School of Business at least lists Ethics and Responsibility
as part of its core curriculum, though it is unclear
whether an actual course is offered.
These schools produce some of the most powerful and influential
business leaders in the country, including our former President,
who has an MBA from Harvard. In my recent attempts to understand
the depth and breadth of our current financial crisis, it occurred
to me that it might be interesting to look at how some of the people
responsible for this mess were trained. I did not find any answers,
but what became evident is that these schools place a premium on
technical analysis and relegate considerations of ethics and the
use of power to an afterthought.
We are living during a time when some of this countrys most
wealthy and powerful think it is acceptable to enrich themselves
and their associates while the Federal Government is spending more
than $700 billion (to date) to clean up their mess. We are living
amidst a financial system where the best and brightest honestly
believed until very recently that it was acceptable to leverage
themselves 30 to 1 and then risk that money in high stakes positions.
There were a whole lot of smart people who got caught
up in a culture of short-term profits, shameless promotion and greed.
And we are literally going to be paying the price for this for the
next 30 years.
It would appear that we are amidst a turning point when the rules
and needs for modern life are changing and yet human nature and
sin have not. Indeed if the words from the Prophet Micah from 2,700
years ago are any indication, nothing much seems to have changed.
The only difference now seems to be that the stakes are higher:
the number of individuals involved is far greater, the amount of
money is far bigger, and most importantly, the number of victims
is far larger.
Somehow we need to rediscover the lost notion of commonwealth,
the idea that all us have a part to play in making our country and
society a better place; that we are all interconnected and in
this same boat together. Instead of analytically focusing
on our own narrow interests, we need a whole lot more people willing
to live with the larger needs of the country - even the world -
in mind. Some would say that such a suggestion is silly idealism.
I disagree. I think it is the beginning of an authentic spiritual
path; i.e. attempting to take into consideration the needs others.
In fact, it is the sort of thing that is taught in houses of worship
and kindergartens all over the world. Perhaps the business schools
and more of their graduates should pay attention!
February at the First Church holds many opportunities for community,
reflection and fun. I hope you can come and be a part of it. See
you in church,
Jeff
January 2009
Every year it seems like it gets more difficult and annoying. The
amount of time required increases and the tools needed grow in number.
One would think that opening presents on Christmas morning would
be a delightful experience rather than a challenging chore. But
that was before toy companies found a way to display their goods
in new fangled packaging that practically requires a blow torch
and the "jaws of life" to extract the truck or doll for
gazing youthful eyes and hands. In the last five years, the way
that toys are packaged / secured has become much more complicated
and I find my frustrated amusement growing into a less playful concern.
As I sat there on Christmas day with an array of knives, screwdrivers
and scissors by my side, I was amazed at how involved and lengthy
the process has become simply to open a box containing a child's
toy - not to mention how much paper, plastic and metal wires are
discarded.
I find myself wondering who puts these packages together. Given
the number of wire twists and strategically placed pieces of packaging
tape, it can't be done by machine alone. Clearly, there are people
behind these packages (working away in China, no doubt) and a whole
lot of wasted energy and material as well. And all of this is for
the purpose of encouraging American consumers like me to purchase
a toy. There seems to be an "escalation of arms" when
it comes to toy packaging that is bizarre and just out right annoying.
Now why would a minister be writing about this in a column? (Even
one with three children?) It has to do with sustainability and the
moral imperative of moving towards generating less waste in our
society, not more. It also has to do with salvation, or re-use as
it were, a term that is central to both the mundane world of trash
hauling and the more rarified world of theology. Most of the world's
religions deal with methods for using the ordinary stuff of life
in extraordinary ways, Christianity included. That is why we call
it salvation, after all.
So as I sat there cutting and tearing away at the latest toy packaging,
I couldn't help but wonder about what was wrong with this picture.
We live on an earth with finite resources. More of us are becoming
aware of the urgent need to reduce our ecological footprints (our
material and energy consumption) significantly (to measure yours,
go to www.myfootprint.org). And yet, here we all are generating
more waste on one day in this country than some countries produce
in a month or even a year. And we are being told that in order to
jumpstart our economy, we need to consume more, not less. Our economic
assumptions are at odds with the needs of our planet (and by extension
ourselves). I suspect this may very well emerge as one of the biggest
challenges for the next 50 years.
If sin can be defined as "missing the mark," than we
as a culture are way off target in terms of our use of stuff, without
even trying to be. I dare suspect in the coming years and decades,
we all will become more aware of the moral obligation to reduce,
reuse and recycle. Maybe some toy companies will get the message
and see this as a marketing opportunity. After all, if YOU could
purchase a toy whose limited packaging did not require a bolt cutter
to open, would you buy it? At this point I know I would! Gladly.
We have a fun and engaging January planned at the First Church.
I wish you all a happy, healthy and sustainable New Year. See you
in church,
Jeff
December 2008
I used to find it odd that one of the most popular holiday movies
of all time was about a small town banker contemplating suicide.
I assume all of you are familiar with the ever-decent George Bailey
in Frank Capras film Its a Wonderful Life, starring
the incomparable Jimmy Stewart. Originally released before Christmas
in 1946, the film did poorly at the box office. While it received
five Oscar nominations, it was mostly panned by the critics who
thought it overly sentimental and unrealistic. In fact, the movie
studios quickly forgot about the film, so much so that the copyright
lapsed. This explains why television stations started showing it
in the 1970s, as it was royalty free programming around the
holidays.
It was only then that people started to pay attention to the small
town banker of Bedford Falls whose life was seemingly so unimpressive.
Based on a short story The Greatest Gift, the film is
really a fantasy tale about a man who is allowed to see what the
world would be like had he never been born. By doing so, George
Bailey, and by extension all of us, realize that many of our most
important contributions to this world arise not from our grand ambitions
but from our everyday kindnesses. George is a local banker who sees
that while he may not have maximized the profits of his business,
he had accomplished something far greater. Through this, Frank Capra
seems to be reminding his viewers that capitalism and markets are
financial systems that work best when they serve a higher cause
or purpose, or at least are directed by people who do. As George
Bailey confronts the greedy and oh so scrooge-like Mr.
Potter in the film, we see the ways that unchecked greed can ruin
a community and a family. We also realize that decency and goodness
really do matter in this life.
Perhaps for this reason, I have found myself thinking this year
more than usual about this classic film. Our country is facing the
gravest economic crisis since the 1930s. The gap between the
rich and the poor is skyrocketing. People are losing their jobs
and homes. Certainly part of the blame lies in an unregulated financial
system that takes no consideration of the common good or justice.
We seem to have lost our sense of community and commonwealth. The
magic of a film like Its a Wonderful Life is that it reminds
us of the very American virtues of egalitarianism and community.
Like the prophets of old, the film reminds us that the coming Kingdom
of God requires not just angels but good hearts and decent people
willing to stand up for what it right. I dare suspect that in the
days and years ahead, the wellbeing of our society will be determined
by how well we can keep our capitalist system within moral limits-
and how well we can help - and not hinder - the George Baileys
of the world, on whom we all depend.
We have a wonderful December planned here at the First Church.
I hope you will find a time to join us. See you in church,
Jeff
November 2008
There is something new being observed down on Margin Street on
Wednesday afternoons. For several years now, this has been the appointed
time each week when the Salem Mission would open the doors to its
food pantry. Anyone who lives locally can show up and, after registering,
receive a bag of groceries. Five years ago the number of people
signed up amounted to about 850 households. However, this figure
has shot up in the last few years, with the number of families accessing
the pantry going from 1,200 to now well over 1,600. These days the
lines on Wednesdays are longer, too, ` with more than 100 people
typically cued up looking for some help. As a result, the pantry
is actually having a hard time keeping its shelves stocked. In the
last month, they have run out of food not once but twice.
This is not the only change. Staff members have noticed that there
are now many more people pulling up in cars and SUVs looking
for assistance. In years past most of those who lined up for
food were on foot or pulling a cart. Now you see families pulling
up with children in car seats in search of something to eat.
The Salem Mission sometimes gets a bad reputation among people
who live nearby. For a long time, some locals assumed that all the
Mission did was help a few drunks and addicts get off the street
in the colder months. While that in of itself is a noble mission
(especially if you are helping these people to a better life), it
can sometimes cloud the larger picture of who the Mission serves.
While the Mission does not keep formal data about this, it is clear
that its food program has impacts that extend far beyond its walls.
As energy and healthcare prices have skyrocketed, as the cost of
housing has rapidly increased, as people have gotten caught up in
the sub prime mortgage crisis, it is relief agencies like The Mission
that can play a small but crucial role in helping a family avert
the downward spiral into homelessness. And make no mistake: homeless
families are increasing here in the Commonwealth. According to the
most recent data, the number of families living in emergency shelters
across the state has risen to just above 2,000. Included in this
figure are about 4,000 children and youth, with half of them, some
2,000, under the age of six.
It almost goes without saying then that any support for the Mission
goes much further than we might think or believe. Yes, it helps
them to expand their excellent case management and outreach programs
for homeless individuals. But it also enables them to make a small
but crucial difference in the lives of many local families who are
thankful that they have been able to stay in their homes for a few
more months.
As we enter the season of counting our blessings, I hope we all
will remember the small but powerful ways we can be a blessing to
others. The times are tough and are going to get tougher. The most
important blessings of all might be the ones we take for granted
such as housing, warmth and food. This month and next we will have
several ways for our church community to help local people in need,
including a canned food drive on Thanksgiving Sunday. This Thanksgiving,
I hope we all will find ways not simply to give thanks but to be
a blessing.
See you in church,
Jeff
October 2008
Does anyone else wish the prophet Amos was around these days? You
remember Amos, no doubt. He was the country shepherd turned prophet,
called by God to witness to the vagaries and corruptions of those
ancient Jews in the big city, Samaria. He walked into
town and denounced their pretense, their drink and their wealth.
He condemned their corrupt business practices and their exploitation
of the poor. In one of his classic tirades he uttered the famous
line but let justice roll down like waters and righteousness
like an ever flowing stream. (5:24)
I thought of Amos this last week as I, like all of you, watched
the historic events of the last month. One of the greatest financial
crises in history is unfolding before our eyes. As I listened to
the debates about what should be done and who was responsible, I
could not help but wonder what has happened to us as a country.
The amount of greed and opportunism and entitlement that led to
this boondoggle is breathtaking. Perhaps I should not be surprised
but I am.
Now I delve into current events in this column rarely and carefully,
but for the sake of posterity I cannot resist. Perhaps it is my
studies in public policy at Tufts that has emboldened me. Our country
is about to pass a $700 billion bail out package that would essentially
shore up and recapitalize the financial firms that got us into this
mess in the first place. Amidst the debates and reports and commentaries,
rarely do we hear about the more than one million people who have
lost their homes due to foreclosure and the million more who very
well might. Rarely do we hear about the huge growth in predatory
lending in the last ten years and the proliferation of sub-prime
loans. These home loans are the basis of the mortgage-backed securities
packaged and sold by the same companies who now want a bailout from
the government.
Please dont get me wrong: I am all for providing stability
to our financial system, but I cant help but question some
of the solutions being proposed, in terms of their efficacy and
fairness. I wonder why we do not hear more proposals having to do
with helping homeowners who got themselves in too deep with a sub-prime,
adjustable rate mortgage. The one popular argument I have heard
against this is it is the homeowners fault and they need to
suffer the consequences.
In the 1930s, when the New Deal was enacted, part of it involved
programs that allowed financially strapped homeowners to restructure
their loans with their banks. This allowed people to hold onto their
properties and permitted banks to know with certainty they had a
dependable, albeit slightly smaller, revenue stream to use. Where,
I ask you, is such a proposal today? If the mind-numbingly complex
mortgage backed securities created in the last ten years by Wall
Street are the main cause of our current financial mess, then why
are we are not looking to shore up the one thing we know for sure
they are based on: home mortgages.
The terms of some of these loans are unconscionable, with teaser
interest rates that begin at 5% and then race up to 11 or 12%. How
many of us, I ask you, would be able to stay in our homes if we
were faced with a similar situation? While some of these people
had no business taking out these loans, the banks had no business
approving them. Why is it that the only ones we are concerned about
now are the banks?
Like I said, sometimes I wish the prophet Amos were around. I think
at times like this we need not just stability but also a little
equity and a sense of justice. Economies are more than just economic
activity. They serve a larger purpose in a commonwealth, a term
that we dont hear very often anymore. I hope that our church
and many others like it are places where this realization is kept
alive and well.
We have an amazing October planned here at the First Church, with
special services, films and programs galore. I hope you will find
time to join us. See you in church.
Jeff
September 2008
Hello, my name is Andrew. Those are the words I heard
as I hurried into a local YMCA recently to get in a quick work out.
I was busy. I had to pick up my daughter in 50 minutes and I planned
to storm into the gym and speed off on the first available treadmill.
Like many folks rushing through their day, I was not really paying
too much attention to those who were around me. I had an agenda
and was looking to execute my tightly fit plan. I am sure none of
you can relate
That is when this voice, this small pleasant voice, pierced my
self-important, frenetic pace of an afternoon. Hello,
he said. My name is Andrew. Welcome to the Y.
For a moment I was startled. Why was this person introducing himself
to me? Doesnt he see that I am in a hurry? I then looked up
and saw a young man smiling at me and handing me a towel. Hi,
I said. Im Jeff and thanks for the towel.
For some reason, that simple interaction made me realize that I
was not just entering a building to work out; I was entering a community.
Too often we forget that.
I think we all need a place where we are so comfortable and so
secure that we are happy to welcome people and even introduce ourselves.
Amidst the frenetic, goal-driven culture in which we live, a simple
hello can be startling, even daring. Simply greeting someone and
smiling can be such a good reminder about the many communities of
which we are a part and are a part of us.
I would like to think that the First Church is one of those places
where people feel comfortable enough to offer a few daring hellos
to those visiting for the first few times. Over the years that I
have served here, I think we most definitely have become a friendlier
place, where visitors are greeted warmly and where old friends are
embraced.
Sunday, September 7 is Homecoming Sunday, when we return to our
normal schedule after the summer season. I hope many
of you can join us for worship, for singing, for coffee and
first and foremost for simply greeting one another. A simple
smile and hello can sometimes be a real gift.
See you in church,
Jeff
June 2008
I met a little, black cat recently. His name is Nemo. He is unusually
shy and has to eat every few hours because of a problem with his
digestive track. Nemo was adopted by his current (and very loving)
owners when he was about three months old. He had been found by
the side of a road, wrapped up in a plastic bag with a fishhook
through his mouth. At the animal shelter, he was cleaned up and
given some antibiotics for the infection from the hook. Cleaning
him up was easy part, however.
The moment Nemo was brought into his new lovely house by his adopted
family, he scampered away down the stairs and hid in the basement.
Finding some boxes and old lumber, he managed to secure himself
in a place where no one could reach him. From this "fortress"
he would then venture out periodically to snatch some water or food.
The owners hardly ever saw him.
Slowly over time, Nemo learned that he did not always have to hide.
After about six months, he would carefully sneak up into the house
and even then outside. He began to eat more regularly and grew stronger
and healthier. He realized that he could trust his new world.
All of us are born asking this same question: "Can I trust
my world?" This inquiry is both existential and theological
in nature. We are all born into a certain situation and context
and our early life experiences frame our answers to this question.
Not surprisingly, all of us require a certain amount of assurance,
security and love just to grow in a healthy manner. And when we
don't receive this, we can be left harmed and scared, sometimes
for a long time.
I would like to think that our church is a place that safely and
lovingly nurtures childhood. We are a community that welcomes children
and encourages and inspires their parents and caretakers. It is
one of the most important things we do collectively. As I often
say during child dedication services, "our task is to give
our children a world of peace and justice in which to grow."
Part of our mission, then, is to help the little ones in our midst
(and the big ones too!) to realize there are parts of their world
that they can trust. For we know what can happen if they don't learn
this: there are many Nemos running around our world, both on four
legs and two.
This month we will be celebrating the work of our church school
on Sunday, June 22. We will also hold up our ministry to children
of all ages. I hope you will all will come and join us. See you
in church,
Jeff
May 2008
I heard a question asked recently that I thought was helpful: If
all of the sudden our church were to disappear, how many people
would notice? That is to say how many people would be affected by
its closure? In some ways the question cuts to the heart of what
a church is and does. A church that is alive is reaching out beyond
its walls and making a difference in the community. A church that
is alive is energized to find new and fresh ways to make its message
relevant and meaningful.
I can honestly report that we here at the First Church would have
no problem answering the question in the affirmative. Our answer
would be resoundingly yes: people would notice. We do make a difference
people's lives. When I consider all of the initiatives and activities
here at the First Church, when I note the many ways that our members
work and volunteer in the community, I feel both happy and proud.
Our church is growing. We are becoming a more energetic and active
community. We are, in short, acting like a liberal Christian UU
church that has a story to tell. You sense it at fellowship hour.
You experience it when we serve dinner at the Mission. You encounter
it at the Pursuing Happiness discussion groups and the film nights
that we host. We are becoming more mission driven and joyful. It
is very rewarding to witness.
We also are finding our voice as a church and becoming clearer
about our message, declaring that religion is not defined by correct
belief but correct action: Deeds over Creeds, as they say. Religion
does not require that we mindlessly accept dogma, but rather that
we grapple honestly and authentically with the mysteries and challenges
of this life and then find a way to serve and give back.
Last night we hosted a screening of "For the Bible Tells Me
So," a documentary film that addresses the sometimes destructive
and hurtful beliefs that people have with respect to homosexuality
and the Bible. The film interviews family members as they grapple
with trying to understand and accept a homosexual love-one in light
of supposed Biblical teachings. Many people believe that the Bible
states clearly that homosexuality is wrong. This is just not the
case. I can't tell you how healing and powerful it was for some
of the people who came to watch this film to hear this message.
It was a real moment of healing for some. It was a real opportunity
for ministry for this church.
Sunday, May 4 is our Annual Meeting. We will gather to discuss
and vote upon the business of the church and elect officers and
new members. We will also take a few moments to celebrate who we
are as a church. I hope you can come and be a part of our activities.
See you in church,
Jeff
April 2008
My children and I used to take walks down by Derby Wharf and Salem
Harbor. Its one of the benefits of living in a seaside community.
Derby Wharf is a half-mile long outstretch of rock beginning at
the historic Customs House and culminating in a small lighthouse
out in the Harbor. My kids used to love to walk along the beach
at low tide picking out shells and shards of old pottery. Thats
right: pottery.
It turns out that a little of Salems grand maritime past
is discarded in the sand and gravel along Derby Wharf. Sailing vessels
from the early 19th Century would pull up to this wharf and deliver
their goods and wares to local merchants via the Customs House.
Some of these goods were transported in clay containers and pots
that would often be thrown away once their contents were offloaded.
I am told that these pots would be cast down onto the rocks and
beach near the wharf, breaking up into bits and pieces. I am sure
the ship mates at the time could not have possibly imagined that
their smashed pots and containers would become bits of treasure
for local kids almost two centuries later.
It is experiences like this that make me realize a very fundamental
truth about our lives: there is no such thing as trash. There are
only items in our possession that we no longer wish to use for whatever
reason. This verity is often overlooked as we go about our hectic,
American existence. And yet, for most of our species history, the
amount of trash we generated was relatively small and was imminently
biodegradable. Not so now. In the last 100 years and especially
during the last 50, the development of consumerism and a robust
materials economy have made trash a mounting issue and concern (pun
intended). This is true not only because of the amount of trash
produced but also because of the discarding of synthetic chemicals
for the first time into the environment. The average American household
generates 7.25 pounds of trash per day and very little of that is
actually recycled. Most goes to landfills and incinerators. Some
of this trash and waste actually leaches into our natural environment
and even our bodies. For an entertaining presentation about this,
I highly recommend www.thestoryofstuff.com.
April 22 is Earth Day, increasingly a real holiday in this country.
It is a day to remember the natural cycles of this planet on which
all of life depend and consider anew the ways that we can reduce
our impact. If you think about it, there really is a moral aspect
to Earth Day: If there is no real such thing as trash, then we have
to think anew about the ethics of piling up so much garbage for
future generations. What legacy are we as a society leaving for
people two hundred years hence? Why do I suspect that they will
not regard our refuse as charming treasures? Going forward, there
is enormous virtue in reducing, reusing and recycling. Its
good for our planet and its good for our souls.
There is lots of activity this month at the First Church. I hope
you each can find time to participate. Happy Spring and Earth Day!
March 2008
Why does the date of Easter float around the calendar, varying
from year to year? In some ways it really does not make a whole
lot of sense. Unlike Christmas, this most ancient and important
of Christian holidays cannot be pinned down to one definitive date.
When Easter is celebrated very early (like this year), people often
become curious about the origins of this unusual schedule.
This is especially the case when we remember that the "first
Easter" occurred at the end of the Jewish Festival of Passover.
In fact, in most languages the word for Easter is a derivation of
the word for Passover (e.g. Pasque in French and Pascua in Spanish).
Passover this year does not even begin until April 20, so how is
it possible that we can celebrate Easter almost a month before?
The answer to this question entails a long and complicated history
involving astronomy, calendar problems down through the centuries
and church politics. Currently, Easter is designated here in the
West as the first Sunday that falls after the first full moon that
occurs after the vernal equinox (i.e. the first day of spring or
March 21). This was the ancient method preferred by the Church in
Alexandria, one of the most influential cities in the ancient Near
East.
There have, of course, been other methods. The Orthodox churches
in the East always followed the ancient Jewish calendar when it
came to Easter, ensuring that is always fell just after Passover
as it did in the Bible. To this day, that is how the Orthodox Easter
is determined. Passover, incidentally, is always celebrated on a
certain date in the Jewish calendar (14 Nisan). However, since the
Jews follow a lunar calendar with a 19 year cycle and seven (yes,
seven!) "leap months" interspersed therein, the date for
Passover floats around our western calendar, though again always
falling after the first day of spring.
If this is starting to confuse you then join the club. Personally
I have decided that perhaps it makes sense to have a celebration
of hope and resurrection less than easy to predict. Finding new
hope and life is always unpredictable and contains elements of surprise.
Perhaps the ancient "schedulers" were wiser than we thought:
permitting the date of Easter to be elusive and difficult to calculate.
Resurrections both big and small never happen when we might expect
them. Easter is about the possibility that the despair and sorrow
we all sometimes feel in this life can be transformed in a way that
we cannot entirely anticipate. Like life, Easter is slightly complex
and hard to predict.
Easter is about as early as it can be this year, coming only two
days after the first day of spring. I hope you will find the time
to come and be a part of the celebration - even if it involves donning
snow boots and mittens!
See you in church
February 2008
People wish to be settled; only as far as they are unsettled is
there any hope for them.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Up until a few years ago driving down a certain thoroughfare in
Salem on Saturday afternoons could be an ordeal. As luck or Providence
would have it, I found myself needing to drive along this street
around 5:00 oclock each week. And as luck or Providence would
have it, there was always a snarl of traffic in one particular spot.
The 4:00 p.m. Mass from a certain Roman Catholic parish was just
getting out at that time, with dutiful churchgoers attempting to
pull out of the parking lot.
It was not the traffic per se that was so frustrating, but rather
the driving. I was always amazed at the aggressiveness and the rudeness
of the drivers pulling out of the church parking lot. At first I
found it kind of funny that people, having just participated in
a worship service, would behave this way. After I while I just found
it ironic and irritating. The goodwill generated during the Passing
of the Peace clearly dissipated by the time folks made it out to
the parking lot. It was a little slice of the human condition served
up each week on Saturday afternoon in Salem.
I describe this scene not to poke fun at a particular church but
rather to illustrate a very real aspect of our spiritual lives.
Religious practices after a while can become rote and uninspiring,
devolving into a mindless habit. Their influence can remain segmented
from our everyday lives. This is a shame since the power of any
spiritual path lies in its ability to inform and enliven ones
life, to push and prod and encourage one towards becoming a better
person, inside the church and outside.
Every once in a while, I think all of us need a slight shock or
change of pace to invigorate our religion. That is why I like the
season of Lent in the traditional Christian calendar. These 40 days
that lead up to Easter are a time in which we are invited to shake
things up in our spiritual life. This can involve giving something
up (such as a bad habit) or taking something on (such as a new activity
or interest). It is a time when we are encouraged to push ourselves
out of our comfort zones to which we have grown accustomed;
to challenge ourselves as a way becoming more aware and conscious.
There are countless ways to do this. Read a book that speaks to
your soul. Take up a hobby or volunteer for something. Try prayer
or meditation. Work for a cause. Forgive someone or ask for forgiveness.
Go to church and actually try to sing the hymns! Or even, heaven
forbid, drive with a little more kindness. There are myriad ways
that we can jumpstart our souls journey. The trick
is to find something that makes you come alive and points you in
the direction of appreciating your life and the lives of others.
Lent begins on February 6, Ash Wednesday. I invite you to consider
adopting a practice for the season. And please, if at all possible,
drive safely and courteously after church!
See you in church,
January 2008
Recently my eight year old son asked me a question that caught
me off guard: Daddy, what is Santa Clause going to do once
the North Pole melts? In the news recently had been reports
about the melting of the Arctic ice sheet. The latest scientific
predictions indicate that it could be fully broken apart (during
the summer) in as little as 4 years, by 2012. This is the same Artic
ice sheet that has been a major factor in maintaining the earths
climate for the last three million years and probably a lot longer
than that. Al Gore calls it the earths air conditioner.
I guess I should not be entirely surprised by my sons question.
After all, he occasionally listens to the news with me and he has
heard me talking with others about climate change. If one hears
reports about the impending break up of the polar ice sheets, its
not too far of a stretch to surmise that Santa will need a new home.
I suspect more than just Santa will.
It has been a year since I first traveled down to Nashville, Tennessee
to train with Al Gore on global warming. I spent three days with
Mr. Gore and 150 people from around the country learning about how
best to present the urgency of the scientific reports in a compelling
way. Our planet is warming at an alarming rate and there is a 95%
chance or greater that human beings are responsible. In the last
twelve months, I have traveled around the greater Boston area doing
presentations on climate change to a variety of business, education
and community groups. I thank the church for supporting me in this
endeavor and giving me the time to do this.
I also thank the church for listening (sometimes tolerating?) my
occasional comments and references to climate change during services
and meetings. I know some of you think it is a bit much
so I appreciate your good will and forbearance. Ministers of this
church have a long tradition of speaking to the major issues of
the day. When I went back and looked at our history, I saw men who
held my office daring to speak out on the evils of slavery, on the
virtues of religious tolerance, and on the importance of womens
and labor rights. At times this church has almost broken apart because
of these stances and there are most definitely instances when some
of my predecessors left as a result of their advocacy on an issue
of the day. So I really do appreciate all of your support and encouragement.
If I am right, the challenge of climate change is going to become
one of the single most important issues for the rest of our lifetimes
and probably the next 100 years. I truly wish that were an overstatement
but it is not. The largest scientific panel ever assembled to study
anything, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, makes such
a prediction, emphatically. (www.ipcc.ch/)
All of us in this church, city, state and country have a patriotic
and moral responsibility to begin to reduce our energy consumption
and our emissions of CO2. This cannot simply be an option for the
well off and virtuous. It must be a countrywide response that enlists
every citizen of our blessed country. According to conservative
estimates, the United States needs to reduce its CO2 emissions by
80% by 2050. We actually probably need to do more than that. And
if we dont? I fear that our children and grandchildren and
great-grandchildren will truly hate us for the world we have left
them.
This is part of what motivates me here in 2008 to risk being labeled
a fool. I want to be able to look my children and grandchildren
in the eye and say that when this country saw the enormous problem
we created, we did something. All of us would benefit from imagining
similar future conversations with our descendants. The golden rule
extends not just across space, but also across time.
In the coming weeks and months, you will find in the newsletter
a variety of information that provides practical tips for reducing
your energy consumption and emissions. I cant think of a better
resolution in 2008 than to find a few specific ways to live more
lightly on our small, beautiful planet. Heres to the New Year.
See you in church,
December 2007
And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations
afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and
their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword
against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. Micah 4:3
I recently came across a report published by the Joint Congressional
Economics Committee of the United States (www.jec.senate.gov). Using
a series of fairly well accepted assumptions, it estimated how much
the United States has spent in its wars in Iraq and in Afghanistan,
most of which is Iraq. The study concluded that these two military
operations have cost American taxpayers some $1,600 billion so far,
double what many official budgets peg as the number. The worst case
scenario has that cost climbing to $3,500 billion in ten years time,
which works out to be almost $50,000 for each American family.
Admittedly, the report is partisan as it was conducted by the Democratic
members of Committee. But the assumptions used to determine these
numbers were well accepted. If you take the total cost of the wars
to date and add to that the current and projected costs of higher
oil prices, interest on foreign debt and costs of veterans
care and services, the numbers in the report start to become comprehensible.
I am not sure, however, that they become understandable.
If you are like me you cant resist asking yourself what else
we as a country could have done with 1.6 trillion dollars
or even half that amount, if you believe that some of what has been
spent was necessary. When we hear arguments against increasing childrens
healthcare and education, when we see cuts in veterans funding,
when proposals are dismissed which provide basic healthcare to all
citizens in this country, one cant help but dream if only
for a moment about what would happen if our country chose to go
in another direction.
In an odd way that is what this season of Advent and Christmas
is all about: this temptation to dream. If there is any time of
the year when we should let our highest hopes and ideals intrude
upon our daily life and world, it is now. There is behind all of
the hoopla and commercialism of Christmas, this hope that the world
can be better than it is; that peace is not just a ridiculously
silly notion, but an actual possibility, if ever so slight. From
the ancient Hebrews tribes to the Greeks and Romans right down to
the current empire in which we find ourselves, people
have dared to dream of the possibility of a peaceable kingdom in
which war is not learned anymore. This possibility, as naïve
and foolish as it might be, lies as the heart of our Christmas celebrations.
So go ahead: let your ideals get the best of you this season. If
God works in this life at all, it is in people trying to make the
world a better place.
I wish you all a very happy Christmas. See you in church,
November 2007
Some would call it a fierce love of autonomy. Others might label
it arrogance and self-righteousness. All would agree that the First
Church in Salem has exhibited a feisty independence streak that
has been the inspiration for our proudest moments and our worst
failings. As the original Puritan church founded on this continent,
we pride ourselves on our long history of congregational governance.
From our beginnings, we have fervently embraced a belief that we
can improve our world and our selves - and that no one can tell
us what to do!
Every once in while, this has gotten us into trouble. I refer of
course to what most people not from Salem think of when our historic
city by the sea is mentioned in conversation: witches. One of the
darkest moments in this churchs and citys history occurred
during the summer of 1692. We all know the story and perhaps grow
sick of hearing others talk about it and local merchants exploit
it. Often I tell people that the real history of this church and
city can be seen not in the events of the witch trials themselves,
but in how succeeding generations responded.
Ever since this pivotal moment three centuries ago, our community
has exerted its penchant for independence in defense of those who
were persecuted and who needed a voice. In 1793, our own Rev. William
Bentley was the first and only minister in Salem to welcome Roman
Catholics to town. In the nineteenth century, this church would
perform weddings for interfaith couples and baptize babies out of
wedlock when no one else would dare. We helped a local Jewish minion
purchase a building more than one hundred years ago - the beginning
of the local synagogue, Temple Shalom. More recently, we began openly
performing same-sex marriages three years ago with the legalization
of gay marriage in Massachusetts.
Our independence streak is on display this fall, in both historic
and contemporary forms. During November, the First Church will host
a production of Arthur Millers The Crucible, produced by the
Salem Theater Company. This is the first time that this dramatic
rendering of the Salem Witch Hysteria has ever been staged here
at the church. (See inside for more information.)
And just few weeks ago, we hosted a vigil in support of same sex
marriage and families. Billed as a service in which straight families
could come out and show their support for their gay and lesbian
counterparts, it was a night of child friendly speeches, music and
candle lighting. My own children and others attended. The First
Church spirit was truly on display. I was proud we could open our
doors to such an affirming and uplifting program and add our voice
to the growing chorus of communities who are taking a stand for
Gay Marriage across our land. I consider this part of our legacy
and very much in keeping with our history of promoting tolerance
and understanding. Our independence streak is alive and well!
We have a busy few months in store. I wish you a very happy Thanksgiving
and hope that all of us will find a few moments to count our many
blessings.
See you in church,
October 2007
Last spring the church hosted an unusual fellowship hour. It was
the brainchild of Charlene Long. A group of us had gathered to read
The Omnivores Dilemma by Michael Pollan, an amusing and all
encompassing critique of our countrys modern food industry.
Pollans describes in detail how large-scale agriculture has
become something of a mechanized leviathan that requires
massive amounts of oil, fertilizer and pesticides to operate. Food
purchased in a grocery store has traveled on average some 1600 miles
from original source to our dinner plates. There is a growing sense
that a food distribution system that is wholly dependent on petroleum
is not a wise long-term plan, especially since we need to reduce
our consumption of oil by some 80% in order to slow down and address
climate change.
So there is a growing movement to do something radical: shop locally.
Buy from stores and outlets that sell local food, thus reducing
the amount of energy required bring it to market. This idea has
slowly turned into something of a movement in the last twelve months.
Certainly this influenced Charlene Longs suggestion that we
host a coffee hour with one simple rule: everything served was to
be local, if at all possible. As a result, we had fresh produce
and cider from Brooksby Farm, milk and cream from a nearby dairy,
cheeses from farms just north of here and bread from a local bakery.
(The one obvious exception was coffee. Alas, God is not finished
with us yet. At least it was Fair Trade!) All in all, it was a fun
morning and a good example of how difficult and how rewarding it
can be to go local with our food.
Thinking about food always leads us to some fundamental considerations.
How we acquire it, from whom we buy it, and with whom we eat it,
are all questions that lead to a variety of social and ethical implications.
I think there is a reason that THE major ritual that Jesus handed
down to his followers centers around a meal. By sharing food, we
are connected and connecting even communing - with our families,
our community and the world around us.
Maybe that is why I like the growing local food movement and groups
like the 100-mile Meal project. (For more information, go to www.100milediet.org.)
It forces us to think anew about the many ways that our personal
lives are connected to one another and to the natural world. I suspect
that if Jesus were alive and preaching today, we might hear him
say something to the effect of Blessed are the sustainable,
for it is they who enable the inheriting of the earth.
Sunday, October 7 is World Communion Sunday. I hope you can come
and be a part of our service and our celebration of food and community.
See you in church,
September 2007
I have a modest gripe about my generation. Actually, truth be told,
my issue is with people my age and younger. Increasingly I think
young adults have forgotten how to be part of a religious community,
at least one that is real and not on the web.
This observation (admittedly subjective) arises out of my ongoing
interactions with young(er) couples who call or email me inquiring
about wedding dates or baptism services. Don't get me wrong, most
if not all of the people who call me are courteous and polite. But
many of them clearly do not appreciate the value of a religious
community like ours. Instead, when they call the church they treat
me like just another vendor for their wedding service or, if they
are calling about a baptism, as if they were making a reservation
in a restaurant. In both cases, they are surprised (and sometimes
a little irritated) when they do not get the date for which they
are looking - and they are puzzled when I want to talk to them and
ask them questions about their lives. Many of them quickly realize
that there is more to "booking" a service than just cold
calling a church.
I regard these conversations not as ordeals but rather opportunities
- I am given a chance to introduce these people to the role of a
progressive minded, engaging church in their lives. I take this
as an occasion to familiarize them with the First Church - this
grand old community that has been a welcoming voice for religious
tolerance and understanding for close to three centuries.
People these days attend church for a variety of reasons, but the
fundamental motivations for coming remain the same I think. Churches
are places where people are invited to remember their best selves
and to act accordingly. Churches are communities that worship something
other than the prevailing gods of the age, be it money or social
status. When each of us comes to church we should be reminded that
there is a presence and power far greater than any of us that sustains
and inspires us at different moments in our lives. We are better
people and the world is a better place when we attempt to harmonize
our lives with this fundamental reality in ways that are compassionate
and life affirming. Along the way, we sing songs together, hear
sacred texts, provide our children with a welcoming and nurturing
environment, have meetings, socialize and support one another during
both good times and bad. In short, as our covenant states quite
aptly, "we walk together."
So, it is very rewarding for me to meet some of these new people
and encourage them to come to church and participate in the programs.
After a while, you can see when some of them get it. They understand
the vital place that this church can play in their lives.
There is an old African proverb that says "if you want to
go fast, travel alone. If you want to go far, travel together."
As we resume our normal activity here after the summer break, I
hope all of you will make time to join us on Sundays or come to
one of our events this month. See you in church,
June 2007
We must cultivate our garden.
Voltaire ~ Candide
I may arguably have one of the nicest office views of anyone I
know. Each day I peer out my window, over the venerable brick wall
and into beautiful European style garden that is behind the Ropes
Mansion and next to the church. It may be one of the best-kept secrets
in Salem, used mainly by neighbors and occasional museum members.
The Ropes Sisters, who lived together and never married, owned the
house and the wonderful garden behind it. Upon their death the property
was left to the Peabody Essex Museum with some funds donated for
its perpetual maintenance and care.
As a result, every spring I sit by my window and watch as the Ropes
Garden comes back to life. The gardeners begin their slow and deliberate
work of planting this magnificent patch of soil. I watch as the
seeds are started in the greenhouse and the soil is turned over
and made ready for the many different plantings: lilies, Gerber
daisies, begonias, tulips, and a host of other plants and flowers.
And of course, I get to appreciate and marvel at how magnificent
the garden looks as it literally comes into full bloom and then
changes over the season.
A garden is a deliberate undertaking that requires care, thoughtfulness,
patience and time. It requires that we try to cultivate something
without the assurance that the flower will bloom or the plant will
mature to fruition. Cultivation is by definition intentional, not
accidental. So it is with our lives I think. One of the enduring
metaphors for the spiritual life is that of a garden. After all,
according to the Bible, we started there. It is an ancient metaphor
that provides a fitting image for our lives and our souls. Indeed,
the inner life is very much about cultivation and intention. Be
it prayer or meditation, singing or dancing, acts of individual
kindness or advocating for social justice, the soul grows through
intentional acts. As we cultivate our souls, we will discover every
once in a while a bloom or flowering in our lives, sometimes where
we least expect it. Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, "The purpose
of life is to grow a soul." It makes sense he would write that.
He was, after all, a gardener.
On Sunday, June 10, we will have guided tours of the Ropes Garden
after church. During the picnic, people are invited to take a tour
of the Garden with Chief Gardener Dexter Beattie. I hope you all
will be able to join us as we celebrate the gardens we have in our
midst: both outside and within.
See you in church,
Jeff
May 2007
In 1988, a televangelist from Virginia shocked the country, by
announcing his intentions to run for President and then winning
the Iowa Caucus. Pat Robertson surprised everyone that year with
his early first place finish that was the result of a hard-working
and energized base of evangelical voters in Iowa. While Robertson
would go on to lose, both he and his followers got a taste of the
possibilities of political influence. In fact, after the election
Robertson would return to his headquarters in Virginia Beach and
raise money for his newly formed Regent University, whose whole
mission was to educate biblically based leaders and decision makers
for the next generation. Incidentally, around the same time Robertson
purchased a satellite transmission hookup in Jerusalem so that he
and his Christian television network could broadcast the Second
Coming of Christ when it should occur. He believed it was imminent.
While there is nothing inherently wrong or illegal about any of
this, it should give all thoughtful religious people and Christians
pause. Certainly everyone has the right to influence and lobby their
political leaders and practice their religion as they see fit. However,
when these beliefs seek to have a major influence on our countrys
policy, everyone should pay attention. Amidst the scandals concerning
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and the firing of the eight federal
prosecutors, is the report that the Bush Administration has hired
at least 100 graduates of Pat Robertsons Regent University
since 2001. This includes the Attorney Generals chief aide,
who just resigned a few weeks ago and was a graduate of Regent Universitys
Law School.
Many of these graduates have a disdain for the separation of church
and state and believe that this country needs to return to its Christian
origins as the Forefathers intended it - an assertion problematic
on several levels, especially when one considers the actual religious
beliefs of some of this countrys first leaders. Nonetheless,
Regent University graduates have recently been influential in crafting
Iraq war policy and cutting social programs, even as the national
debt skyrockets. It is stories like this that make this years
Bentley Lecture so timely. Kevin Phillips is a longtime political
observer and historian who has written a substantive and provocative
book on the undue influence of the religious right in this country.
He will be here on Sunday, May 6 to present a lecture based on his
book: American Theocracy: The Peril and Politics of Radical Religion,
Oil and Borrowed Money in the 21st Century. I hope all of you can
attend.
The First Church has a long history of hosting events and programs
that speak to the larger needs of contemporary society. I am proud
of this legacy and what we have been able to promote and feature
with our annual Bentley Lecture Series. This is a community where
we are all encouraged to bring our minds as well as our hearts to
church preferably in the open position.
See you in church,
Jeff
April 2007
Throughout life one must continue to learn how to live, and, what
will surprise you even more, throughout life one must continue to
learn how to die.
~ Seneca, Roman Philosopher
We temporarily interrupt this normally scheduled monthly column
to bring you a special announcement: your life can change for the
better. Really. Your life as you know it can be transformed
even resurrected into something new and meaningful. That
is what the Season of Easter is all about: finding new life, sometimes
where we least expect it. Ah, but there is one catch to this message
of possibility and redemption: in order to find this new life and
possibility, some part of us might need to die.
Easter is a built-in reminder of this possibility inherent in each
of our lives. Easter and the preceding Lenten and Holy Week cycles
are ways of reminding people that their lives are given to them
for transformation and improvement; and with this transformation
comes the necessity of dying to a part of ourselves.
I once knew a wonderful and wise man who ran a camp program for
children. He and his wife had moved to New Hampshire after spending
many years in New York City where he had been a high powered banker
with a two pack a day habit and penchant for single malt scotch,
to put it mildly. Everyone who met him was surprised when they heard
his background, for truly this was an authentically religious and
kind man. To hear him tell his story, it sounded as if he had experienced
two lives and part of his first life had to die in order
to allow a second one to grow and take shape. In a sense, this is
what the Easter story is all about dying while we still are
alive so as to make room for something new to emerge.
I wish you all a very happy spring and Easter Season. We have a
very active month this April, between Easter events, Earth Day programs
and book discussion groups. I hope you can each find a way to be
part of our growing community.
See you in church,
Jeff
March 2007 - by
guest columnist Michael Mascolo
A Culture of Benevolence
A fish doesnt know its in water until, for some reason,
it is lured out of the water. Until then, the fish has nothing with
which to compare the experience of being-in-the-water.
People living in their everyday culture are a lot like fish in
water. We are not ordinarily aware of the immense importance of
culture in our lives until we find ourselves trying to navigate
our way through a different culture.
Well, something like that happened to me when I began to attend
the First Church of Salem. I have never been a church going person.
I first attended the First Church because of its importance to my
wife; I attended because I wanted to share in an experience that
was meaningful to her. I soon found that it became meaningful to
me.
For me, a culture is a kind of milieu of meaning. Culture exists
whenever any group of people share some way of understanding and
acting in the world. When I first began to attend the First Church,
fellowship hour and sundry activities associated with the church,
I found myself navigating in what was, at least for me, a new culture.
What I experienced was something that might be called a culture
of benevolence.
I remember the moment that this notion occurred to me. It was during
the 2005 Christmas season. Some members of the Church came together
one to embark upon an evening of Christmas caroling throughout the
neighborhood of the First Church. It was a small group. The caroling
felt like an act of collective giving (albeit only intermittently
appreciated by those to whom we sang) but that was not what
touched me. What moved me most was a very small act that occurred
after the caroling, when we came back to Church for mulled cider
and cookies.
It was the smallest of acts -- an everyday act one performed
without any thought of its possible significance. It was the act
of, well, washing dishes.
We drank cider; we ate cookies; we talked. Then the clan began
to clean up. Everyone began picking up plates and dividing the task
of washing dishes. One person collected the cups and saucers; another
washed, another dried and so forth -- all simple everyday activities.
What moved me was not the activity, but the way it was done. Each
person generously assumed responsibility for contributing something
to the collective effort. What stands out most in my mind was J.C.
making it her concerted business to collect those cups and saucers.
All that intensity over cups! Of course, it wasnt about the
cups; it was a genuine expression of J.C.s attitude toward
the group.
In these small acts, I sensed what might be called a culture of
benevolence -- each person acting for the good of others in mind.
Now, one of the important features of a culture is its impact on
individuals. Even in these simple acts, my participation in this
culture of benevolence had the effect of making me want to be part
of this collective effort. It made me want to act in ways that would
bring harmony to the group. I wanted to act with the benevolence
that J.C. exuded.
I was able to say to myself, Well, I should be doing that;
she is the kind of person I want to be! It may seem silly
to experience this sentiment while washing dishes together, but
perhaps the simplicity of the task is part of the emotional lure.
Perhaps it is through such simple expressions of kindness that greater
acts of kindness and compassion germinate en route to being born.
It is within a culture of benevolence that one is able to cultivate
a moral self.
And so, while picking up plates for each other is a good place
to start, this simple expression of good will is emblematic of something
much larger. The process of cultivating a moral self occurs best,
I think, when larger acts of service become as second-nature as
picking-up-plates. As genuine expressions of the self, such acts
would not announce themselves or seek praise. They would become
part of everyday life -- part of who we are and what we do.
Michael F. Mascolo
February 2007
Recently I have noticed a trend on Sundays at the church. People
are lingering. After the service ends (and admittedly this is not
always at 11:30. Ahem.), we adjourn into the Cleveland Room for
fellowship hour. This is always a nice occasion. In fact, I find
that new people who find the courage to come back for
coffee find themselves delightfully surprised with the level of
hospitality.
First of all, there is the spread, which is always nice with occasional
home baked goodies and a few favorites from Trader Joes (so
it seems). There always seems to be a delightful assortment of snacks
and bites - especially if you get back there early. Then there is
the fairly traded (and quite delicious) coffee and tea served up
in plated silver decanters and Blue Danube cups and
saucers, with nary a bit of Styrofoam in sight. Add to this the
glowing warmth and smell of the fireplace and a host of genuinely
friendly people and suddenly, there is a perfect storm
of hospitality. I actually am quite proud of our fellowship hour
after the service. I think it embodies (literally) an important
part of our theology and faith: it is welcoming, pleasant, and very
civilized.
And this warmth and good coffee is having an unintended consequence:
people are lingering. People find that they are having such a nice
time with pleasant food and conversation that they are staying a
little bit longer than they used to. And this is a nice thing to
see too. I must admit I wondered for a while if we should be doing
something with that time. Perhaps we should harness
all this fellowshipping and good will and provide a little structure
for those who want some programs to go with their caffeine and tasty
treats. I still think I might offer the opportunity for some small
group discussion for people who wish to delve deeper after the weekly
service. But even as I propose such an idea, I resist tampering
with the fellowship hour scene that is developing and growing. There
is something to be said for just having the opportunity for pleasant
conversation, for laughter, for sharing and exchanging ideas
all over excellent coffee.
The Rev. James Luther Adams once said the Church is the place
where you get to practice what it means to be human. Given
that Adams started off his ministry here in Salem, perhaps he too
experienced mysterious Salem effect when it comes to
Fellowship Hour.
In the coming weeks and months as we begin the conversation about
renovating our building, I hope we will keep in mind the goodwill
and growing sense of community we see on display after church each
Sunday. That is what the First Church is all about: practicing what
it means to be human by reaching out to ourselves, our community
and our world in acts of good will both big and small. Sometimes
this is as simple as handing someone a cup of coffee.
See you in church AND after church,
Jeff
January 2007
On Thursday, January 18 the First Church plans to sell a portion
of its silver collection at Christies in New York City. As
far as I can tell this is only the second time in our 377 year history
that the church has elected to sell items from its collection. The
first time was in 1924, when the church sold a few pieces to raise
funds for the construction of an addition on the back of the building.
The First Church and North Church had decided to reunite that year
after having separated 1772. Part of the agreement was that the
First Church would sell its building (the Daniel Lowe Building,
aka Rockafellas) and move down Essex Street to the North Church
Meetinghouse, our current home. In preparation for the two churches
merging, it was decided that a new social hall and Sunday school
classroom wing needed to be built. The result was the construction
in 1927 of a rear addition behind the original church building.
You know it well since we gather for fellowship hour and Sunday
school in this addition each week (i.e., the Cleveland and Barnard
Rooms and the class rooms above them).
Raising the funds for such an undertaking in 1924 required enormous
effort and significant contributions by members of the reunited
church. As it turns out, it also required the sale a few pieces
of silver.
So here we are today in 2007, with a new set of building challenges
and a growing community. Our building requires some significant
renovations and improvements. We wish to find a way to make our
church universally accessible. We wish to renovate and upgrade Willson
Hall, our wonderful downstairs social hall and stage area. We wish
to upgrade the lighting and sound in the Meetinghouse. And this
will cost over one million dollars easily.
Deciding to sell some part of the silver collection was no ones
first choice here at the church. I was initially opposed to the
idea. However, during a period of discernment many of the needs
and challenges we face in the coming years became clear. We are
literally fighting entropy one day at a time in this 160 year old
building. As a result, we concluded that this was the wisest decision
we could make right now. We have a growing community. We have a
wonderful message and an approach to religious faith that is increasingly
appealing to more and more people. The thought was that we take
a few items from our past and use them to transform our future.
The Deacons realized that the individuals who gave these items to
the church centuries ago would approve of what we have chosen to
do. In fact this decision is in many ways congruent with our deepest
values as a church. After all, the most valuable treasure we possess
is not a piece of silver but rather our community and the people
who are a part of it.
One final item note: several people in the last year have been
instrumental in this decision and I would like to acknowledge their
contribution. Mimi Ballou was the Deacon who first proposed that
the church consider this. Richard LHeureux is a church member
and architect who presented the church with a realistic estimate
of what it would cost to renovate the building in the way we would
like. Steve Palmer has guided this process as a Deacon and as Chair
of the Standing Committee. And finally Peter Copelas, Jr. as the
current Chair of the Deacons, has been instrumental in coordinating
the very necessary logistics for the sale, including the labyrinthine
application process for tax-exempt status under New York state law.
The church owes all of them a hearty words of thanks.
In the coming weeks and months, there is going to be a lot of discussion
about how we can best use the proceeds from the sale to improve
our building. I hope you each will take the opportunity to join
the discussion. A church like ours works best when all of its members
are engaged and excited about the prospects and potential for our
community. So feel free to call me or a member of the Standing Committee
or the Deacons. Ask questions, get involved and by all means please
support your church. That is how our community works.
Happy New Year and heres to the ongoing renewal at the First
Church in Salem.
See you in church,
Jeff
December 2006
Once upon a time there was a wonderful winter festival that celebrated
the birth of the Christ child. Replacing the even older festivals
having to do with the winter solstice, this celebration was intended
to be a time of joy and merrymaking amidst some of the shortest
days of the year.
The festival traditionally began on the eve of December 25 and
continued non-stop through to January 6 (Epiphany), when tradition
has it that the wise men showed up to behold the baby Jesus. Two
hundred years ago in this country, people took seriously the 12
days of Christmas. They would have prepared for the holiday by purchasing
some small gifts a FEW days in advance and making arrangements for
special food and drink. The focus was not on gift giving but rather
on preparations for a 12-day series of parties. People might also
have gone out and cut down an evergreen tree (a German custom),
set it up in their house and decorated it with garland and candles.
Again, all of this would occur on or right before Christmas day.
As I write this, it is not even Advent. Its not even December!
And yet, I have seen at least four Christmas trees just today. The
moment Thanksgiving is done, Christmas is out of the gate.
Christmas forever changed as our society went from being agrarian
to urban. The good will and generosity that were traditionally a
part of the Christmas festival were harnessed and transformed, as
Americans became consumers and producers. Our modern day Christmas
developed between 1820 and 1890. Not coincidentally, this was also
the time of our industrial revolution and the birth of the modern
era.
Dont get me wrong: part of me enjoys the current state of
Christmas, but I do wish it did not start so early. I think holiday
and election seasons have something in common: they are better when
shorter. I must admit that I often wonder if we have lost something
amidst all of the ersatz winter scenes of snowmen and Santas. We
can forget that the purpose of this holiday has nothing to do with
early morning shopping sprees, plastic reindeers in the front yard
and spray-on snow.
We do of course have this remarkable little story in which God
mysteriously enters the world in the form of a defenseless newborn
child. There is the implication that echoes down through the centuries
that the divine pops up in the least likely of places; like a war-torn
dirty town in a second rate province of the Roman Empire. There
is the notion that amidst the turmoil and stress of a sometimes
difficult life, there can be moments of jubilation, visitation and
transformation often when we least expect it.
We have a wonderful December ahead with much fun and frivolity.
I hope to see you in church so I can tell you Merry
.. On principle,
I just cant say it yet.
See you in church,
Jeff
November 2006
I read a story in the Boston Globe recently that four Catholic
bishops in Massachusetts (including Cardinal OMalley) plan
to lead a rally in front of the Statehouse on Thursday, November
9. That is the day that our elected representatives have scheduled
a constitutional convention to vote on whether or not same-sex marriage
in the Commonwealth should be legal. Apparently Catholic parishioners
from all over the state were mailed letters inviting them to this
rally and encouraging them to contact their legislator and urge
him or her to vote yes on amending the state constitution
to prohibit same sex marriage. It was even suggested that parishioners
send a copy of their churchs weekly order of service to their
state representative as a show of local support.
I find myself having two reactions to this: the first one begrudging
and the other full-fledged. My first reaction is to be impressed
that the Catholic Church can muster so much support and put such
a huge amount of energy and resources behind an initiative about
which they feel strongly. This country is amazing in that way. The
freedoms that we all enjoy to assemble and speak out in support
of a cause are great and hard-fought liberties. Any group, be it
a neighborhood association or an interest group or, yes, a church,
should enjoy these rights. So good for them!
This leads me, however, to my second reaction. There are so many
admirable and worthy causes that the Catholic Church could promote
and advance in this state. There are a host of vital and important
problems many of us face that are worthy of the attention and support
of four of the most prominent church leaders in the state. Same-sex
marriage is not one of them. Since the courts made gay marriage
legal in 2004, nothing dramatic has occurred except for the fact
that some 8000 couples who love each other have gotten married.
Some 8000 couples have all the sudden been permitted to inherit
each others property, be covered by each others health
insurance, and visit each other in the hospital without any hassle.
What an outrage.
There are so many worthy causes to rally for in front of the State
House; issues that should matter to people who take their faith
seriously. How about the lack of affordable health insurance in
this state? What about the growing number of homeless families who
cannot find adequate housing? What about the plight of children
lost in the woefully under funded social services system? These
are some of the important social issues that need the support and
attention of people of faith. I wish some of the most influential
religious leaders in the state would lead a rally about them.
Jesus in the Gospels criticized the rich. He said divorce was wrong.
He lashed out against those who treat children and the poor badly.
He spoke up for people who were hungry, in need of clothing and
in prison. Never once, anywhere, does he say anything about homosexuality.
In terms of making priorities, I think churches should follow his
lead.
We have wonderful month planned here at the First Church. I hope
you each will come and be a part of it.
See you in church,
Jeff
October 2006
In the United States, heat waves lasting four days or more have
nearly tripled in the last 50 years. Tropical diseases are migrating
north, with West Nile virus detected in each of the 48 continental
states. The amount of drinking water in the Western US decreased
since it depends on the seasonal snow pack melting and there is
less and less snow. Since 1900, the amount of pollen produced by
ragweed in this country has doubled as a result of warmer weather.
By 2100, it is estimated that one quarter of the known plant and
animal species could be facing extinction as result of changes to
their natural habitat. According to NASA, 2005 was the warmest year
ever on record. These are some of the implications of climate change
that usually dont make the headlines.
I have given up debating the reality of global warming. The question
all of us should be asking is not IF it is happening but what will
be its extent and what are we as a country and as individuals going
to do about it. Is the science 100% certain? No. That is not how
science works. But if you went to the doctor and she informed you
that you were in danger of having a heart attack and that there
was a 98% chance that your condition was the result of your lifestyle,
what would you do? The same holds true with climate change. The
evidence is overwhelming that burning fossil fuels and the resulting
increase of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is having a dramatic
effect on the life support systems of the earth.
As thoughtful religious people, this should worry us. We have a
new category of sin all of the sudden: the sin of emission. In a
very real and direct way, the lifestyle of the average American
is stealing the future away from coming generations of people. This
is especially the case since the United States comprises only 5%
of the worlds population, but is responsible for at least
25% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Do we have a moral obligation
to address these issues and find ways to move towards a more sustainable
use of natural resources? Is there an ethical imperative to act
now to save millions of people around the world who will lose their
lives if the average American keeps using energy and polluting the
way we do? If we believe in the Golden Rule, the answer is undeniably
yes.
Clearly, there is a place for religion in all this. After all,
one of the most important things that religions do is to remind
us to behave righteously when our inclination is to behave selfishly.
Houses of worship all over this nation need to call the people of
the United States to conscience. I believe this is just now starting
to happen. In fact, I spent part of my sabbatical preparing for
just that.
On Thursday, Oct. 19, the First Church will host a free screening
of An Inconvenient Truth, the documentary film starring Al Gore
that was came out this summer. What is remarkable about the film
is that a 90-minute science lecture can be so gripping. Even if
you are a not a fan of Mr. Gores, this is not a film to miss
since it deals with what will very quickly become one of the greatest
challenges and opportunities the human race has ever
faced. I hope you will consider attending this free event and be
a part of the ongoing discussion about how we as individuals, as
a church, as a community, and as a country will respond to the growing
climate change crisis.
See you in church,
Jeff
September 2006
Written by Reverend Jeffrey
Barz-Snell, Minister of the First Church
Though often not considered, one of the Ten Commandments is about
rest and taking a break. All of the others deal with the obvious
moral rules about theft, murder, adultery and even swearing. But
the fourth commandment is different: "Thou shall remember the
Sabbath and keep it holy." The Commandments, while certainly
inspired by Divine Providence, have behind them ancient wisdom that
accrued over hundreds of generations about the rules essential for
living in a community. That is why the commandment to keep the Sabbath
is so odd and so fitting.
It seems that even thousands of years ago, people found that they
did not have enough time in the day. They, perhaps like some of
us, found that they could get so caught up in the hustle and bustle
of everyday life and survival that they never took the opportunity
to step back and pause and consider the bigger picture. They found
that it was too easy to focus on the little things in life and forget
to pay attention to the grander aspects of this existence. Out of
such a realization, the commandment to remember the Sabbath and
keep it holy was born. ("Holy" in this case meant "apart"
or "separate.") On the Sabbath, the ancient Jews were
expected to attend a worship service and to remember their relationship
to the one true God. They were supposed to do no work and to spend
time with family and friends. The expectation was that the Sabbath
was not just rest but for renewal - and for remembering the blessings
and possibilities inherent in our lives.
I often find myself thinking about the Sabbath at the beginning
of a new church season. As we gather after the summer break, it
seems fitting and natural to think about the ways that we have found
and can find rejuvenation and inspiration in our lives. Part of
what a church does is to encourage this with enlivening worship
services and opportunities for fellowship and community service.
After all, part of what we do in our "walk together" (as
our covenant reads) is to remind each other and ourselves of what
is truly important in this life. As James Luther Adams says, "church
is the place where you get to practice what it means to be human."
I will look forward to seeing many of you again after this summer
season.
See you in church,
Jeff
June 2006
Written by Reverend Jeffrey
Barz-Snell, Minister of the First Church
Five months cannot possibly have already elapsed.
My goodness, that went fast! I guess that is a sign of a good and
productive sabbatical. I certainly have found plenty to engage myself
in even as I took a break from preaching and pastoring.
The last five months have been a true gift for me and my family.
I would like to thank the church and express my appreciation to
everyone who pitched in and helped coordinate the many activities
at The First Church while I was away. Building and creating a religious
community is by definition a group activity. It has been heartening
to hear about the ways that many of you stepped in to help. I hope
you all have found this time rewarding as well.
As for me, I have spent the last five months studying, thinking,
writing and, yes, even playing some. I took a semester of study
at Tufts University. I brought my kids to Florida for a trip. I
attended a conference in New York City. I read some books that were
on my exponentially growing reading list. Because my children are
small and my budget was tight, I stayed mainly near home. Perhaps
during future sabbaticals there will be time and opportunity for
outward journeys. This time my journey was inward. I took it as
an opportunity to study and explore a few of my passions.
The semester of study at Tufts University was part of a certificate
program in Community Environmental Studies at the School of Urban
and Environmental Policy and Planning. As many of you know, I am
keenly interested and concerned about local and global environmental
issues. I am convinced that ecological challenges are going to occupy
an increasing amount of our attention in this country and around
the world. This will be reflected in our society and by extension
our churches. In a very real sense, I took these last five months
to do some preparation for being a minister in the 21st century.
Sustainability has to become a part of our spirituality.
I will look forward to seeing many of you in June when I am back.
Feel free to give me a ring or try my new email address: jeffreysnell@comcast.net.
And don't forget about the Annual Question Box Sermon on June 18.
By next week, the Question Box will be out and looking for your
questions.
I will finish this column with my new favorite quote. It is by
the Rev. William Sloan Coffin who died a few months ago.
The world is too dangerous for anything but truth and too small
for anything but love.
See you in church,
Jeff
*** Note: Because of
Reverend Barz-Snell's sabbatical, the Musings Columns from January
- May of 2006 were written by members of our Congregation.
May 2006
Written by Max Burbank,
Writer and Member of the First Church
This Easter, my sister and brother-in-law gave me
a four pound chocolate Easter Bunny.
It's my first Easter Bunny and the largest I've ever seen, let
alone contemplated eating. It made me happy to get it, and eating
the one ear I've eaten so far has made me even happier. I always
thought those huge Easter bunnies would be pretty low quality chocolate,
but I have to say my Bunny is not bad. I anticipate eating it really
slowly, making it last as long as possible, maybe even until next
Easter. I anticipate that Bunny giving me a great deal of happiness,
as long as I don't get greedy.
I think God is in that Bunny.
I suppose at best that sounds small, and at worst sacrilegious,
with unpleasantly flippant being in about the middle. I mean it,
though. Sincerely and simply, because I believe God exists in, at
some level actually is, every bit of matter in the universe. I also
believe the only explanation for the simple happiness that Bunny
brings me has to be God. I think the fact that pods from a tree
can be, through some arcane alchemy, transformed into a four pound
chocolate Easter Bunny is as powerful an argument for the existence
of a kind and loving God as anything else. Again, I'm not kidding,
even a little. If you've met me, you probably still think I'm joking,
and yes, I guess I am. But I still mean it. This is the nature of
my religion, and it's a good thing I found The First Church because
now you know and you'll probably still let me stay.
Now, I know the way chocolate is harvested, manufactured and sold
can be a very unpleasant business. I have to say, my Bunny is not
fair trade. But that's not what I'm talking about here. People do
a lot of terrible things with the wonder of God's creation. The
fact they make four pound chocolate Easter Bunnies doesn't make
up for it, but that isn't God's fault. God made my tongue and my
brain and chocolate and the soothing dance they all do together.
I know Easter is supposed to be about a lot more than that. But
I never got a chocolate Easter Bunny before. And this is love.
To other people my Bunny is going to look worse and worse as spring
gives way to summer and I have to find a cooler place to hide it
from my children, who got their own Bunnies. By fall I expect it
will look downright awful, and when winter rolls around again ...
well, the less said the better. But it will be gorgeous to me, right
down to the last bunny toe melting in my mouth.
It was a lovely, thoughtful gift.
Maybe next Easter I'll get another. I kind of hope so.
April 2006
Written by James Tanch,
Deacon of the First Church
As I write this column, early spring is upon us with warm days and
cold nights. Mother Nature was very good to us this past winter
with warm weekends and very little snow after Christmas. With many
in the surrounding area feeling the pinch of much higher heating
oil and gas prices, the mild winter had to be a welcome change.
The First Church family, as we all know, continues to roll along
no matter what the weather. Our Sunday School is busy and our Sunday
fellowship hours prove that the First Church is alive and well.
Last fall, when the Deacons and Reverend Jeff sat down at the church
one weeknight to finalize plans for Jeff's sabbatical, I paused
and wondered what Sundays would be like without Jeff in the pulpit.
The thought of someone new in the pulpit brought a slight feeling
of uneasiness for someone like me who is a bit of a traditionalist.
Time marches on, and the Sundays arrived one by one, and what I
observed those mornings was that each speaker had his or her own
way of delivering a message. Some were conservative in tone and
some would really expound on an issue with raised voice and a good
deal of body language. Contrary to my earlier concerns, I found
most speakers very interesting and also noticed that attendance
has been surprisingly good.
As I mentioned earlier, I have a deep appreciation for tradition,
which undoubtedly is due to growing up in the First Church. My Grandmother
Edith, and Mom and Dad were all very active members and we rarely
missed a Sunday as I recall. We would all sit in pew number 103
with "Uncle Bill" Abbott at the far right. When I hear
certain "traditional" hymns and readings, I drift back
and think of my family and earlier times at the church. Those memories
I will always cherish. The church building to me has always been
a place of solace - where I can seek peace and listen to my inner
self. Having grown up in this church, sometimes just being in the
building can give me a warm feeling of security. If you've ever
sat down alone in the sanctuary on a quiet Saturday morning, you'll
know what I mean.
As for the building itself, we now have some tentative architectural
plans for some much needed renovations and improvements, thanks
to architects Richard L'Heureux and his associate Dan Ricciarelli.
We still need the congregation's support to make this happen, but
there is definite progress in the works. There will be more information
available at the Annual Meeting on May 7th, so don't miss it!
Have a great day and we'll see you in Church.
March 2006
Written by Claire Donaldson
These first two months of Jeff's sabbatical have been
interesting. I have enjoyed helping lead the service and working
with the visiting minister. Each person has their own style, their
own system of getting ready for service. Some arrive nice and early
so they can be ready and comfortable when it is time to start. Others
arrive a bit later, but are just a comfortable to start on time.
It has been a joy to hear a wide range of messages, backgrounds,
styles of delivery and stories from our visiting clergy.
What has been more joyful is to see many members of First Church
come together taking on a variety of tasks to keep our community
going. Individuals taking turns writing this section for the Herald,
Deacons greeting each visiting clergy, making them feel welcome,
the Pastoral Care Committee tending to the needs of church members,
people coming together to put on a spaghetti dinner, etc. This is
exactly what a church community should be able to do. This time
of Sabbatical is a time for Jeff to rest, learn, and grow. It is
also a time for us as a congregation to see what we are capable
of. Look at all we CAN DO! We are doing a wonderful job of keeping
things going, moving forward, and we can continue to grow with this
momentum.
See you in Church.
February 2006
Written by Mary E. Ballou,
Deacon of the First Church
As we enter the second month of Jeff's sabbatical,
I would like to reflect on how much our church has changed in the
last seven years. As a long-time member of The First Church, joining
when my five children were young, we had a busy Sunday School, roast
beef dinners, huge Church fairs, used Willson Hall on a regular
basis for community gatherings and Red Cross dinners. The "Fair
Ladies" were an active group of "younger women" in
the church with The Alliance being equally active attracting the
mature group. I was impressed with the eagerness of everyone to
participate in some way. As the years went by, our leadership changed,
our children grew up, and many of us felt The First Church became
a less exciting place to be. Our membership, or at least attendance
in church, declined and for many the need to participate and contribute
faded. It seemed to take a long time to rekindle the interest and
excitement we had once had. We sold our historic parsonage, trying
to keep up with the trends in ministerial needs, with hope of attracting
new leadership. We had several Ministerial Search Committees, and
each time hoped we had found the inspirational leader we needed.
Finally, seven years ago, I think we did, when we hired Jeff. The
church has revitalized itself. We still have a long way to go with
improvements to Willson Hall and the many needs of an old building,
but I sense the excitement and the interest in activities or at
least church. The Salem community has recognized us as an important
contributor of life in Salem and our membership has increased. Our
Sunday School is active and there is enthusiasm in supporting the
needs of the church and the community. Now our leader is taking
some time to refresh his spirit and learn new ways to keep The First
Church alive and well. We need in the next few months to work very
hard as a united congregation to keep the momentum going at The
First Church as all of us try to fill the many jobs that Jeff has
so ably dealt with in the past seven years!
Please offer your expertise in any fields that you feel you can
contribute and support our vital church with your presence and enthusiasm!
See you in Church.
January 2006
Written by Steve Palmer,
Deacon of the First Church
We at the First Church
are about to embark on a new leg of our shared adventure. Beginning
January 2nd, Reverend Barz-Snell will be pursuing a sabbatical leave
through May. This period will be a new experience for our society
that is at once venerable, yet young and growing.
The Sabbatical is a time-honored tradition among the academic and
clerical professions. It is an opportunity for the practitioner
to grow, to change perspective, to simply recharge, and to return
to the community with new energy. It is also an opportunity for
the community served to hear new voices, and to hear our own voices
in a slightly different way. And many of us will find opportunities
to support the Church in new ways, to perform rewarding tasks that
may not have been very visible under Reverend Barz-Snell's able
management.
The sabbatical is also a chance for us to acknowledge and celebrate
the growth and the successes of recent years under Reverend Barz-Snell's
leadership. Indeed, it has been many years since a sitting Minister
has remained with the Church for the seven years traditionally required
before a sabbatical is granted. This in itself is gratifying.
It is my perception that, during these recent years, the fabric
of our community has been knitted stronger, and if you will accept
the analogy, new colors have been added to the tapestry. This winter
and spring we will have the chance to partake in a festival of preaching
themes and styles. While I know we will miss Jeff's emergent voice,
I expect we will be warmed, enlightened, and, yes, challenged by
the words of our visitors in unexpected ways.
Visiting preachers are drawn in part because of our rich tradition,
but also because of the work Jeff has done, and the relationships
he has forged. Many of us will have the opportunity to welcome our
roster of guest preachers, and make each feel at home. This is our
charge.
See you in Church.
December 2005
I have a new favorite part
of the Christmas Story. Each year I seem to get hooked by one aspect
of the nativity stories surrounding Jesus' birth. One year, I thought
the angels were great. The next year, I identified with the bewilderment
of the shepherds. Still another Christmas, I empathized with Joseph,
imagining the emotional duress he was under. I even one year sympathized
with Mary and her pain and exhilaration.
The wonder of the Christmas stories (there really are two stories
- one from Matthew and one from Luke )- is that there are endless
ways to interpret them and find them meaningful. Some of the greatest
music and art in the Western world has been inspired by them: for
example, Handle's Messiah and countless portraits of the Madonna
with child.
This year, I have found my attention drawn to a less popular or
obvious part of the story. I am fascinated by the stable. Yes, the
stable. Part of it lies in the satisfying irony of the Prince of
Peace being born in a dirty, old barn. But it's more than that.
I like the stable because it is an apt metaphor for our lives and
our selves. Our lives can be messy. They have places and areas that
are less than clean, and need tidying. There can be parts of ourselves
that act like barnyard animals and need to be cordoned off and even
occasionally contained. And it is into this situation, that we find
God wanting to somehow enter the world - into our messy, sometimes
egotistical, less than pretty lives.
The trick of course is to make room in our stables- and not really
a lot room. After all, babies don't need much space. That is in
a sense what we are invited to do each year, make space in our lives
- our real lives - for the divine to work. This could involve a
variety of things or activities. Giving gifts and helping those
less fortunate are two traditional ones. Forgiving someone or asking
forgiveness is another. Giving up a bad or dangerous habit and reaching
out to someone who needs you work well too. People assume that being
spiritual means becoming a saint-like figure. It does not work that
way. Real spirituality involves simply making room for goodness
or God in your life and then seeing what happens as a result.
As we enter this season of contemplation and celebration, I wish
you a very Merry Christmas. See you in church
November 2005
Gratitude is not only
the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.
~Cicero
I once knew a man who claimed that he did not believe in God. I
know there are a lot of people like him running around. (If truth
be told, what he really meant was that he did not believe in the
God of his childhood - but who does?) Oddly enough, he still participated
in a religious community on a regular basis - a UU church. He did
this because while he was unsure about the existence of a divine
being, he was sure about his life: he felt blessed. He had gone
through several difficult times in his life: an illness, the death
of his mother, a job loss. Yet he had come through them all and
felt somehow fortunate for his situation. He loved his spouse and
his children. He had a good job that was rewarding and meaningful
(at least most of the time). He owned a house, enjoyed good health,
and even had decent health insurance. In short, he was better off
than 90% of the people on this planet.
The only unusual thing about this fellow was that he seemed keenly
aware of the many blessings he enjoyed. He saw his life as a series
of gifts, not givens. As a result, he felt compelled to give thanks.
His way of doing it was being a part of a church and volunteering
in the community. He was not always sure what he was doing on Sunday
morning, but he knew WHY he was doing it. The universe had been
"friendly" to him and he wanted to say thank you and find
a way to reciprocate.
I always think about this man and others like him as we head into
November and the Thanksgiving holiday. A fundamental aspect of all
religious exploration and activity lies in counting one's blessings
and giving thanks. As the Roman philosopher and statesman said 2000
years ago, "Gratitude is
the greatest of all virtues
and
the parent of all the others." In a sense, giving
thanks prevents us from feeling entitled, from the errant belief
that we have earned our lot in life. All of us, from time to time,
would benefit from remembering this, myself included.
We enter a very active season here at the First Church. I wish
you all a very happy Thanksgiving and hope that each of us will
take time to count our many blessings.
See you in church,
October 2005
One of the things that inspires
me as a person of faith is thinking about the world in 100 years
from now. Doing this forces one to realize that of us who are alive
right now are just "passing through." We in fact are not
owners but merely tenants, even transients. One of the questions
that can come out of this line of reasoning is what sort of world
am I - and can I - leave to my children and to the succeeding generations.
This is especially the case as we think about climate change. In
the last four weeks, two major hurricanes slammed the Gulf Coast.
There is increasing concern that the number and severity of tropical
storms could be related to global climate change caused by excessive
amounts carbon dioxide being emitted into the atmosphere. As I write
this, there is a new study out reporting that the arctic ice sheet
that covers the ocean near the north pole has melted more this last
year than in 25 years of monitoring, again the result of presumed
global warming.
Years from now, I dare suspect, that people will wonder what those
of us who are alive right now were thinking? Didn't we see the signs?
What did we do? Why did we not change our ways quickly?
While there are some who point out that global warming has not
been proven conclusively, their numbers are decreasing. We simply
do not have the luxury of being "innocent until proven guilty"
on an issue like this. It might be too late to do anything by then.
What is clear is that as the climate warms up, those people who
will be most affected and injured will be the poor and uneducated.
We need only consider what happened in New Orleans to see a case
in point. What also is clear is that churches and organized religion
in general could and should have a part to play in addressing this
issue. Indeed, there is a growing movement amongst seminaries and
universities to articulate "greener" interpretations of
religion. I call it the challenge of doing theology on a small planet.
On Thursday, October 20, the local environmental advocacy group
Healthlink is sponsoring a forum entitled "Caring for Creation
and Global Warming- Linking the Religious Communities to Solutions."
It will be a gathering of people from many different religious traditions
all wondering how they might respond to the challenges of climate
change. I myself will be participating as will my colleague, Rabbi
Lee Levin from Temple Shalom here in Salem.
Join us for an evening of exploration and inspiration as we hear
different ways that religious communities are responding to the
threat of global warming. Everything from wind farms to driving
more fuel efficient cars to agitating for change at a state and
federal level will be discussed.
It is high time that people start to see that the global warming
is not just an economic problem, but a moral and religious one as
well. All of us in the coming years and decades are going to have
to come to terms with the difference between ownership and stewardship
when it comes to living on this increasingly small planet.
See you in church,
September 2005
Recently we were reminded
of the problem that can come from fundamentalist religion in this
country. The Rev. Pat Robertson, the longtimehost
of the 700 Club and one of the early televangelists, stated that
the U.S. government should assassinate Hugo Chavez, the controversial
president of Venezuela. Those of us who have followed Mr. Robertson
were not at all surprised by his statement. After all, this is the
man who stated earlier this year that the threat from activist judges
in this country far exceeds the menace of a few Islamic terrorists
flying planes into towers. Years ago, Robertson also took credit
for averting a hurricane that was headed towards the Virginia coastline
where he lives and works.
So his recent words this week were not that remarkable. What was
notable however was the reaction. Robertson's words reverberated
around the globe as various countries and commentators expressed
shock that a Christian minister in the United States would brazenly
endorse the assassination of a head of state (one who had been democratically
elected - three times ). After all, doesn't this fly in the face
of the Ten Commandments and the teachings of Jesus? To his credit,
Mr. Robertson's organization did issue a retraction of sorts on
their website - what they called a clarification.
Still, this is just another example of how the Christian Right
in this country does not always seem that Christian. Rather than
basing their theology on the teachings of Jesus, groups like Robertson's
and others appeal to nationalism, to say nothing of a literal AND
selective interpretation of the Bible. As a result, they can sometimes
promote a mean spirited and politically problematic worldview. And
heaven help us (literally) if their influence continues to increase
in the Halls of Congress.
At times like this, I realize how important a church like this
is, with a religious tradition and practice committed to a thoughtful
interpretation of scripture and to progressive social action. And
this commitment is alive and well this month with our Bentley Lecture.
On Sunday, September 25, the First Church will host the internationally
acclaimed biblical scholar, John Dominic Crossan. The author of
several books about early Christianity, Professor Crossan has distinguished
himself as a person who can bring modern biblical scholarship to
life and show how it can be applied to our modern situation. Crossan
will deliver three lectures on Saturday, September 24 and then the
Bentley Lecture on Sunday. For more information, see inside or check
out the church's website. To reserve tickets, call the church office.
See you in church,
June 2005
You will forgive me if I
take a moment to gloat about the First Church. I went back and looked
at an old church calendar. In June of 1999, we had four Sunday services
and three meetings, for the Archives, Standing and Music Committees
respectively. That was it in the way of church events and functions.
Following longstanding church practice, the slow slide to July break
had begun with Memorial Day Weekend. That was then, however. This
is now.
If you look through this newsletter, you will behold a plethora
of events and items to engage and enliven one's body, mind and soul.
We have a hike in the Salem Woods scheduled. We have a Spring Pageant
performance, Jonah and the Whale, written and directed by our own
Max Burbank. On the same day we have our Folk Choir Service led
by the indefatigable Deb Baker. This is followed of course by the
church picnic (sign up sheet in the Barnard Room). The following
week, we have RE Sunday, the Question Box Sermon (get those questions
in!) and we will be graced with the presence of our First Church
choir. And I am just talking about Sundays!
During the week, we have a screening of a documentary film called
Thirst sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee
and the Salem Alliance for the Environment. It looks at the alarming
trend of the privatization of fresh water. This is followed by an
Elizabeth Montgomery Film Series for the last three Thursdays in
June. This last event is sponsored by The First Church and Salem
State College and is a blatant attempt to make "lemonade out
of lemons" regarding the new Bewitched statue that will be
unveiled in Salem center the middle of this month. If the City of
Salem is going to put a statue of Elizabeth Montgomery in Salem,
we thought it only makes sense to look at the issues that she believed
were important.
Yes, we will have our traditional break in July, but not before
a whale of time in June. I wish you all a happy, warm and sunny
month. See in you in church -
May 2005
Imagine, if you will, living
in a house that your family has owned for two centuries, on land
that has been in your family for even longer. That is not such a
hard thing to do here in a place with such history like Salem. Now
imagine that one day you receive a knock at the door and are informed
that someone else is all of the sudden the owner of the house and
land. You are asked to vacate the premises. When you ask how this
could possibly be the case, you are informed that these people are
the descendants of the previous owners of the land and that they
have made a legal claim to owning your house and property as a result.
While it has been several hundreds of years, they have returned
to claim what they believe is rightfully theirs.
The question, of course, is what would you do? Would you cede control
without an argument? Would you argue or fight for what has been
yours? Would it matter that the government was overwhelmingly on
the side of those who wanted to take your house?
What I have just described to you is the sentiment and experience
of some of the traditional people who have lived on the West Bank
and Gaza Strip in Israel. Before Israel became a nation state in
1948, before there were the prospects of a Jewish or Palestinian
nation, there were people living on the lands now occupied in and
around Jerusalem. Most were Muslim. A small amount were Jewish and
a surprising number were Christians. Together the lived on and farmed
the land in what is now known as the West Bank. The only problem
is that now, many of these traditional landholders have been forced
off their property to make way for Jewish settlements. Some of them
have been forced to abandon their centuries old residences because
the Government of Israel claims that they no longer own the land.
This is but one of many different perspectives that we don't often
hear amidst the news reports on Israel and the Palestinians. It
can be very difficult to figure out the complex history and agendas
that drive what happens in that war-torn part of the world. Certainly
no one can blame the Israeli Government for wanting to protect its
people (and I state this as a supporter of Israel), but no one can
blame the Palestinian people for not wanting to lose their traditional
land either.
On Saturday, May 7, the First Church is hosting a half day conference
on Peacemaking in Israel / Palestine. It will be a day to learn
about the history of the conflict and get a better understanding
of what is at stake during the current peace talks. It will also
be an opportunity to hear from people who have first hand experience
with the crisis and have lived in Israel for significant periods
of time, including a Palestinian Christian whose family lost her
property in the West Bank. The conference is sponsored by Sabeel,
(www.sabeel.org) a Palestinian Christian organization dedicated
to non-violent solutions to the problems in Israel. It will feature
several local prominent speakers, including Nancy Murray and Duncan
Kennedy who is a Professor of Law at Harvard Law School. The Rev.
Harry Hoehler will be a speaker as well. (Some of you will remember
that Harry his wife Judy graciously served as the interim ministers
here from 1997-1998.
The First Church has a long history of sponsoring events and programs
that address contemporary issues. Our approach to religion invites
us to learn about and engage the world in which we find ourselves.
I hope each and every one of you will consider attending this event.
For more information, call the church or feel free to speak with
me. See you in church,
April 2005
Imagine, if you will, that
you lived on a farm and you had to live completely off of the land.
That is to say, all the food you ate, all the materials you used,
and all the items you made had to come from a square patch of land
around your house. For most of recent human history this was not
an imaginary exercise but a reality. Now, if you had to guess, how
much land would you need? How many acres would you require to support
yourself?
This is an interesting question since it involves thinking about
food, about fuel usage (you are planning to cook, heat and drive,
aren't you?) and about travel. In essence you are trying to ascertain
what ecologists call your "footprint," the amount of land
necessary to generate and grow everything that you need to live
- and to live your life.
Recently I went to a website that helped me calculate my Ecological
Footprint (www.my footprint.org). It is basically an electronic
questionnaire that calculated from my responses how much land was
needed to support my lifestyle. It turned out that my footprint
was much bigger than I thought it would be: 16 acres. In other words,
I require a minimum of 16 acres of usable land to provide all the
food and resources I need in my life - and that is just for myself
- if I then added the other four people in my household, the acreage
would increase almost five-fold.
I thought this was a big number until I read that the average American
needs 24 acres to support his or her lifestyle. This number is especially
significant when we realize that the rest of the "First World"
(the G-8 nations) get by on 10-12 acres per person in terms of resources.
And this is to say nothing of the 2 billion poorest people on the
planet who eek by on 4-6 acres or less. Indeed, according to www.myfootprint.org,
if everyone in the world used the same amount of resources as me,
we would need 3.7 planet earths to provide the necessary acreage.
April 22 is Earthday and we will be celebrating it here at the
First Church on Sunday, April 24. While this is not exactly a major
holiday now, I dare suspect that in the coming decades that will
change - since we will need to change. We live in a world that can
provide approximately 4.7 biologically productive acres of land
for each person now living. At 24 acres per person, we live in a
country that uses far more than its fair share. At some point, this
will have to change and Earthday is one day each year when we can
celebrate and honor the changes that we all need to make. Starting
now and from here on out, sustainability must become a part of our
spirituality. Maybe we should have a new corollary to the Golden
Rule: Consider others, even as you consume those things that you
use for yourself.
We have a great month in store here at the church. I hope you all
can be a part of it. See you in church,
March 2005
I have a new appreciation for the meaning of Easter this year and
the way that resurrection can inform our lives. On Tuesday, January
25, my wife gave birth to our third child (Jonah Max), a beautiful
baby boy. We had known since last August that he had a congenital
heart defect, a condition called Transposition of the Great Vessels
in which his aorta and pulmonary artery are reversed, coming off
of the wrong ventricles of his heart because of an miscue in early
embryological development. Historically these babies were called
blue babies because they were born and quickly became cyanotic.
(Their bodies were not getting enough oxygen.) Most often these
children would die within a few weeks.
That was then, however. This is now. Starting in the mid 1980's
a new surgical procedure was developed in which the two main arteries
coming out of the heart were cut and switched, thereby restoring
the heart to its normal anatomy and function. This was possible
because of advances in microsurgery techniques and new pump technology
for the heart and lung machine.
So on January 28, when our son was just three days old, we kissed
him goodbye and sent him out for open-heart surgery, knowing full
well the risks involved with such a procedure. As I understand it,
the surgery calls for cooling the body down to around 40 degrees
Fahrenheit after the anesthesia is administered. Then the incision
is made in the chest, the heart and lung machine is connected and
the heart is stopped. Unbelievably, the surgeons then shut off the
heart and lung machine for 40 minutes while they perform the actual
surgical procedure. In essence, my son was clinically dead for a
short while. Then, after they had reattached his coronary arteries,
his heart was re-started and he was slowly warmed up to life - to
new life.
It amazes me even now the powerful remedies we enjoy here in the
21st century. My son died for a short while and was then brought
back to life - to a new life full of promise and possibility he
never would have had otherwise. In some ways, it is a perfect little
Easter story. Where once there seemed only the prospects of death,
there is now new life.
This existence of ours can often be difficult. Lord knows, there
are so many travails and indignities and tragedies that many of
us endure. Even so, every once in a while the consternation and
despair transforms itself into a joy we cannot possibly predict
or anticipate. There are many little moments of Good Friday in our
lives, but there are also minor instances of Easter as well.
Easter is very early this year. We might even have a "White
Easter" given the recent weather. Still, it is a time to celebrate
the possibility for new life and the transformation that can arrive
or appear in our lives in many unpredictable ways. I invite you
all to come and be a part of the celebration. See you in church,
February 2005
We are never more asleep
at the switch than when we believe that we are in control of the
switch at all.
~ Annie Dillard
I am feeling kind of small at the time of this writing. What with
record setting snow falls bearing down on us and stories of Tsunamis
still fresh in my mind, I temporarily have a modest estimate of
human action in this world. Dont get me wrong: I am sure it
will go away. I am sure my optimism about the human enterprise will
return. But for now, I remain impressed with powers in our world
that truly remain outside of our control. I remain impressed with
how much we take for granted and how much of our lives depend on
the benevolent effect of forces and processes completely outside
of our realm of influence. Earthquakes, Tsunamis, and snowstorms
and the birth of children - will do that to you.
Each of us in this life swings between the opposing viewpoints
that we are in complete control of our lives and that we are at
the mercy of external forces and events. I suppose there is enormous
danger and folly in believing either option for too long. The truth
lies somewhere in between. In a very real way, spirituality can
be described as the process in which we negotiate between these
two poles. Spirituality has to do with our senses of power and powerlessness
and the choices we make as a result. Each of us can take steps to
enact so much good and good will in this world. Each of us also
must face experiences where there is little or nothing we can do
to change the situation. We can, as always, choose how we will respond,
however.
As the season of Lent begins this month (Ash Wednesday is on February
9) I would invite you to consider ways that you can cultivate your
spirit. Lent traditionally is a time for spiritual development.
It is a time that people commit to a discipline that will awaken
their awareness of their place in this world. Some people pray.
Others meditate or read a devotional book. Still others volunteer
or go on a diet or quit smoking. The trick is to find something
that reminds you- in the words of Annie Dillard above- neither to
be asleep at the switch nor believe that we can control the switch
in the first place. Both are dangers in this world and life. Lent
is a time to do something that feeds your soul and helps you come
alive.
This will be a fun and stimulating month at the First Church. I
will be on paternity leave for the first few weeks. If you need
to reach me, feel free to call my direct line. I will be checking
messages. As a result, we have some fine guest preachers who will
be here with us on Sunday morning. These are all people I personally
have enjoyed as preachers. I am sure you will too. Happy February
and heres to feeling small! See you in church.
January 2005
Many years ago, I saw a special on PBS about men who had been to
the moon. (No women have been
yet). The program consisted of
a series of interviews with former astronauts talking about their
experiences in space and how it had changed them. As would be expected,
some were quite practical in their reflections about traveling into
space. Others waxed somewhat mystical in relating the effects of
space travel on their lives. The one interview that struck me the
most, however, was the astronaut who gave a simple, almost childlike
response to the question. He reported that the first time he was
up in orbit, he looked down at the earth through the window of the
capsule and exclaimed, There are no lines.
Most of us, when we think about the fragile globe on which we live,
consider it by country and by continent. We think of our home as
the multi-colored globe that might sit on our bookcase or adorn
our desk. But while the shapes of the landmasses and oceans are
fixed (somewhat), how we choose to divide them up is a human convention.
Looking down from space, there are no lines. There are just swirls
of water and clouds and masses of land.
I thought of this interview yesterday with the news of the tsunami
that struck in South East Asia. The largest earthquake in almost
forty years occurred off the western coast of the island of Sumatra
setting off a series of tidal waves of epic proportions. At this
writing, some 80,000 are reported dead in 12 countries, and the
number will undoubtedly go up from here. This could turn into one
of the largest public health crises in recorded history, according
to the International Red Cross. (See inside for information about
making a donation to the relief effort.)
According to one seismologist I heard interviewed, the earthquake
that caused this destruction was so big that its effects were felt
around the world. It even altered, if ever so slightly, the earths
rotational axis. It has been heartening to see the outpouring of
concern and support from around the world. In a very odd way there
is this sense many of us have that we are really all in this together.
This tragedy has become a world tragedy. All of the sudden, just
like the astronaut in space, people are viewing the world as without
lines, if only for a moment.
While I am sure this moment of clarity will pass, I cant
help but take heart in this sort of worldwide reaction. If we are
ever to find the way to peace in this world, we will need a lot
more of these realizations about living in a global village. There
are so many issues and crises across the planet where small actions
on the part of billions of people could make an enormous difference.
Quite often we can get overwhelmed when we think about the enormity
of the worlds problems. I find it helpful to pick just a few
causes and try to work for them. As a new years resolution,
why not support the relief efforts in Sri Lanka or Indonesia or
India. Consider contributing to an AIDS program trying to help the
most devastated in Africa. Let our government know that we want
them to do something to stop the genocide that has already killed
300,000 people in the Sudan. Sometimes, being a good neighbor in
this global village involves simply clicking on a website or writing
a small check or a brief letter.
John F. Kennedy once said, Our most basic common link is
that we all inhabit this planet. We all breathe the same air. We
all cherish our childrens future. And we are all mortal.
At times like this, we are reminded of how true this is. Happy New
Year and see you in church.
December 2004
Recently I was standing in a stairwell with three diminutive wise
men. Actually they were three boys, ages 8,9 and 10, dressed as
the famous Kings from the East, as described in the Gospel of Matthew.
The boys were waiting for their cue to go on stage in a local production
of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.
Hey, move out of my way, you jerk! one of them screamed.
You move out of MY way, and give me back my crown! yelled
the other. Then began a tug of war of sorts between two of my three
regal compatriots, pushing and yelling at each other, all just before
marching out on stage to behold the Christ child. Had we had any
gold, frankincense or mir, it would surely have spilled on the floor
in the tussle.
This is how I have spent a few of my evenings in the last week:
babysitting wayward wise men. My son has a small role in this play.
He is very excited about it. This means however as I have
discovered (and perhaps should have known) - that I have a role
in this play as well that of lingering stage parent.
Among other things, I have been in charge of keeping the children
quiet off stage and breaking up any fights between the wise men.
It is a very strange feeling to try to keep the peace so we can
put on a play about the Prince of Peace.
I suppose this irony should not surprise me. After all, the original
Christmas story is chock full of it. While we have an idealized,
Christmas-pageant conception of the story, the birth narratives
about Jesus are full of very real and very human characters who
nonetheless encounter something sublime. These are not stories in
which the Holy enters the world amidst pomp and circumstance; rather
its just the opposite. These stories portray God appearing
in a new and highly surprising way: through a poor, homeless peasant
family in a backwater region of the Roman Empire. The only people
who noticed at first were a few grubby little shepherds and some
wise men from the East who we might be surprised to discover,
were very much like us.
Perhaps that is just the point. The season of Christmas and the
prospects of a Christ child are not intended for perfect, wonderful,
smiling people like in all those ads. It is meant to be a culminating
event for the rest of us, those who feel like we walk in darkness,
as the prophet Isaiah said, and who need sometimes to see
a great light.
The season of Advent and the ensuing Christmas festival remind
us of the promise and potential inherent in our lives. It is an
invitation to pause amidst the darkest time of the year and remember
the world as it could be, not as it is. When we celebrate the birth
of the Christ Child, we are in a sense remembering the opportunities
and possibilities for peace in our lives and in our world. We are
also recognizing how fragile and dependent those opportunities can
be as fragile and dependent as a newborn child. I wish each
of you a happy and peaceful Christmas season. See
you in Church,
November 2004
We interrupt this regularly scheduled newsletter
column to bring you a special report:
Hell has frozen over.
Thats right: Hell (even for those of us who dont really
believe in it) hath frozen over completely. A version of the above
headline was featured last week in The New York Daily News the morning
after the Boston Redsox won the seventh and deciding game in their
series against the New York Yankees. What a stupendous win. No team
in the history of baseball had ever come back to win a series after
being down by three games. It was the stuff of legend.
And now, to top this off, the Boston Redsox have won the 100th
World Series. After wandering in the desert for 86 years, the Redsox
have finally found the Promised Land. What a great time to be in
New England: the decades of mourning has been interrupted by this
most bright and happy day. The curse, it would seem, has been lifted.
Now I suppose that this ostensibly has very little to do with religion.
The world will still go on with all of its challenges and problems.
Our personal lives really will not change as a result of this (unless
you are a Redsox player or the poor young woman who died in a freak
accident outside of Fenway Park. No game is worth that.) Even so,
people are thrilled. F. Scott Fitzgerald once referred to baseball
as the Faith of 50 Million. There is something to that.
This simple game with a bat and a ball evokes an unusual amount
of devotion - and heartache.
In a world where the games we all play in this life are not always
fair and where the rules are rarely straightforward, I think the
appeal of baseball lies in its lack of pretense and sense of fair
play. There is something somehow reassuring about the sanctity of
a baseball diamond and the game that is played around it
all with the goal of just wanting to go home.
Maybe the significance of a celebration like this one is that it
allows people to rally around a group of underdogs who played by
the rules, played as hard as they could, never gave up, and then
won. Even though it is about a silly baseball game, the hope and
grit demonstrated are inspiring. I have never been a huge sports
fan, admittedly. But I cant help but feel that part of what
makes this country great is a story like this onea story 86
years in the making.
Baseball, like life and religion, should be played with hope. It
should be played with the full awareness that not any one of us
knows what is going to happen until it does. The poet T.S. Eliot
once wrote: Ours is to try. The rest is not our business.
This is true about our lives and its true about playing a
baseball gameespecially when Hell freezes over.
From inspiring worship to ecological discussion groups to Operatic
performances, we have quite a month here at the First Church. I
hope you can be a part of it. See you in church,
October 2004
The last time we mixed religion and politics,people got burned
at the stake.
I saw this on a bumper sticker recently and smirked at its sentiments.
There does seem to be a lot of God being mixed into politics these
days. The Almighty seems to be invoked at many a political rally.
Indeed, one party has pinned their election strategy this year on
getting out the God vote, that is to say registering
some 4 million evangelical, fundamentalist voters.
The problem with a bumper sticker like this is that while its sentiment
is true, its premise is false. The message is clear: mixing politics
and religion can lead to great social and individual harm. Beware
of people who fervently believe that their tradition should govern
a colony or a nation or believe that the absolute truth of their
faith allows them to perpetrate all sorts of awful crimes in the
name of the one true God. This nation is premised on the separation
of church and state because of memories of what can happen when
bad religion is in control of a society. We here in Salem know a
little about this first hand. 20 innocent local people lost their
lives as a result.
But amidst this importance of recognizing the separation between
church and state, we only delude ourselves if we somehow think that
religion has nothing to do with politics. It always has and always
will. Religious peoples faith almost always will inform how
they approach the world and how they vote. Personal values should
matter when people are making decisions about political leadership.
I have read a lot of pundits decrying how the parties are trying
to use religion to their advantage, as this is somehow inappropriate
or wrong. I think that is silly. To be honest, I wish more thoughtful
people would bring their bibles to the ballot box. Maybe we would
not be rushing into war. Maybe we would not be giving tax cuts to
the ultra rich while the national debt spirals out of control. Maybe
we would feel more outraged about the lack of affordable healthcare
in this country and the increasing rate of poverty. But, alas, I
am showing my own religious bent now. That is just it: none of us
can avoid bringing our soul to the poll.
About a month ago in the New York Times, a group (Sojourners) took
out an ad that said in large letters: God is not a Republican
or a Democrat. Certainly we are wise to remember that
as we hear God invoked by the left and right. Tolerance is important.
No one has a monopoly on the truth. But everyone in this society
should feel it entirely appropriate to bring his or her religion
into the voting booth.
We have a great month here at the First Church. I hope you can
come be a part of it.
September 2004
You can sometimes tell a lot about people by how they throw parties.
I know it sounds a little odd, but how people choose to extend hospitality
(and when and to whom) gives you an insight into who they are. The
same holds true for churches and other organizations.
On Sunday, August 8, the church celebrated its 375th birthday of
sorts. Many of you who attended will agree that it was not your
typical summer service, what with almost 200 people present, trumpets
blowing, and choirs singing. In addition, we were graced with the
presence and preaching of the President of the Unitarian Universalist
Association, the Rev. Bill Sinkford. Bill did a great job of speaking
to the importance of our progressive religious history AND the current
demands of our religious faith. All in all it was a splendid event
that was attended by just as many people from the community as church
members. My thanks to all who helped to make our 375th Anniversary
celebration a success.
An event like this shows a lot a about the growing sense of community
here at the First Church. Between the fellowship hour (you should
have seen the spread!) and all the people who volunteered to make
the service happen, everyone had the feeling that the old First
Church is 375 years young, with a spirit that is very much alive
and active. The First Church is finding itself growing stronger
with age, with a renewed sense of ministry and mission. For example,
the collection for the day raised some $1,100 (a new summer record-
that’s for sure!), which was donated to the Salem Mission
and the Food Pantry at the Universalist Church here in Salem. All
in all, it was a wonderful event and a testament to the wonderful
community spirit here at the First Church. We are becoming a lively,
independent and progressive UU Christian church and finding that
we have a message that resonates with an increasing number of people.
Hospitality, service and mission: these are a few of the things
important in church and important in life. I am reminded of the
quotation that was placed at the top of the Order of Service on
August 8. It was by a former minister of this church, the Rev. James
Luther Adams:
We have a very active series of months planned with a new RE Director
and programs and events galore. Homecoming Sunday will be September
12. In addition, we have a memorial service planned on Saturday
September 18 for Deacon Bill Robinson, who passed away on August
21. As someone who exemplified the First Church spirit, he will
be dearly missed.
See you in church...
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