Hi my name is Bill. I am a Unitarian Universalist. I was asked to answer the question "What I am doing here?" I asked Cindy if she could ask me that question every day.
It's an upset my being a member. Like if Ball State Beat Notre Dame. You see ND does not even schedule Ball State. For most of my life a church was not in my schedule.
My parents enjoyed Saturday nights…and slept in Sunday Mornings. My sister (last week) tells me I was baptized Baptist. What I remember though is going to a Church of the Brethren with Uncle Al and Aunt Bertha. I have no memory of going to a church with my parents. Learned the Lord's Prayer, got my bible with my name on it. Kings James version…still in the box…it is…. pristine.
In 1956 I was allowed at about age 8 to quit answering the horn of Uncle Al and Aunt Bertha, essentially deciding Sunday morning was to read the box scores, batting averages, or the college football games.
In 1966 Mom found god convinced me to attend church. The Preacher pointed his finger in the air and said "praise the lord… Halleluiah!" "Give and you shall recieve Halleluiah!" "Accept the WORD or You will go to hell.. Halleluiah!. " For the rest of the sermon I knew he was looking at me. "You are a sinner. Halleluiah!" He said it for two hours. "Find the word… Halleluiah!" I then knew then what Hell was…sitting in that pew and listening to him for eternity.. The next time I went to church was UU in 1984.
The preacher understood me too well. In fact at 18 I had a good deal of interest in sinning. However I was never very good at it. I was barely naughty. I was not getting much vaIue for my sinning.
I did not believe him…but
He also must have known me because
- I did not like the Old testament, That God, if there was one, was too mean for me.
- I could not understand that I had to "believe" in a deity. How could belief be the most important factor? Shouldn't how we behave and treat each other be what was most important. Ultimately, I chose a career based on idea of good works.
- How could one religion be right? So many seemed to send everyone else to hell.
Hung out with a Mennonite woman. I learned some new things about family and good works. Her family learned to like me yet at times calmly referred to me as a as a "heathen".
So Katie, who was raised Catholic, and I get together… Halleluiah. We come to UU in the early 80's. This is Katie's initiative. She is a good influence. We were minimally involved. No one ever asks us to join; Joining really did not occur to us. Drew Kennedy leaves /and church slows in the Summer. In the Fall, Beth plays volley ball, we disappear, Sundays left to the box scores, bike rides.
Katie tries other churches, but I had no interest. In 1998 or so we return and join. At an orientation, I hear Ron Burton say "Give and ye shall receive"…Halleluiah! Ok he really said, with calm demeanor was "the more you are active with the people in the church the more you will get out of it". I listened and tried to understand his words.
I found a poker group and got to know some people. There were these "unexpected gifts" of attendance; Moving music, a tender "joy and sorrow", an unexpected conversation, being moved at a wake or the dedication of the Gregory sign and of course great sermons, often by Thomas. I now enjoy the Bazaar and the Harvest feast. I can try contra dancing. I hear sermons that include science fiction, Bob Marley, Hindu, Buddhist…and even Baptist and Pentecostal philosophies; girls can walk down the aisle with their hair on fire. We can have "Legoish" cartoon figures ask us to give more. And Lynn can remind me (much as Ron did) social contact it is good for us and add value three good friends… "you can not just go")…that we make with recurrent contacts with people…some of whom become friends. "Give and ye shall receive". I would add; Receive with gratitude, humility and knowing you are worth it and ye shall give.
I also find
- I can learn from and about the Old Testament.
- I can broaden my concept of faith.
- I can honor all religions and moral beliefs. And maybe, figuring my purpose and place in life is a lifelong process?
Those gifts are precious. Katie and I talk at times of how much the people in the church mean to us and how we have grown with membership. This conversation, in and of itself is an upset.
Still we still struggle on a given Sunday. Get the groceries, clean the house, Read the box scores, ride the bike, write the blog or go to church? Who is speaking, what is the topic? All I know is that I never get …or give the "gift" staying home. We also struggle with how much money to give. "Give because it is right and you shall receive because you are worth it".
"Stand up for your rights"…Bob Marley says
Most people think,
Great god will come from the skies,
Take away everything
And make everybody feel high.
But if you know what life is worth,
You will look for yours here on earth:
And now you see the light,
You stand up for your rights. jah!
Get up stand up, Stand up for your rights Get up stand up, don't give up the fight,
We sick an' tired of-a your ism-skism game -
Dyin' 'n' goin' to heaven in-a Jesus' name, lord.
We know when we understand:
Almighty god is a living man.
You can fool some people sometimes,
But you can't fool all the people all the time.
So now we see the light (what you gonna do?),
We gonna stand up for our rights! (yeah, yeah, yeah! ) Don't he says give up the fight.
I am also in I this church because I can quote Bob Marley and present it as wisdom. Some here will like it and some here may say that believing that will result in an eternity in hell. Those opinions and the people with them are welcome here. And we can discuss it and then play poker or go to harvest feast and treat each other with respect.
It is an upset that I attend and am a member of this church. Ball State wins…and Notre Dame wins too cause now we work and play together.
You asked, What am I doing here? That is my story. My name is Bill Frederick. I am grateful to be a member of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Muncie Indiana.
Halleluiah.
[Delivered Sunday, February 13, 2011. Listen to Bill's testimonial on our service podcast.]
