Story told by Rev. Burton Carley, Min. 1st Unitarian Church, Memphis. Middle Ages
knight returning from an exhausting day of skirmishes. Lord: "I haven't any enemies
to the west." Knight: "You do now."
Enthusiasm is not enough for embarking on a journey. A sense of direction, and
understanding is needed as well.
My excitement in finding a UU perspective on religion. At Northwoods UU Society, The
Woodlands. Contrast C of C and UU funerals. Gathered all the tracts I could find.
Do you recall your exuberance in realizing a church like this one exists?
A church even as young as this one did not spontaneously erupt from nothingness. It has
roots, and is established in a much broader and deeper heritage.
A church, or movement without historic memory is constantly re-inventing the wheel,
unable to draw from it's grounding.
Rebecca Parker, President of Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley, Ca.
Maintains that "we receive who we are before we choose who we will become."
Repeat (Redeeming Time, p.85)
As much as we love to celebrate our uniqueness and individuality, she is on the trail
of wisdom.
To put it another way. We are shaped by earth, blood, kinship, genes, culture, friends,
social systems, networks of relationships, and extended communities.
One of the core notions that creates the container for this congregation to thrive is
"Covenant."
Parker extends her thoughts in this arena; "We inherit covenant before we create
covenant." (Time, p. 85)
Before you turn me off as getting to theoretical, and abstract, covenant is quite
practical and down to earth. Covenant is born out of a longing for relationship. It is the
lived experience hewn in joy, hardship, regular chores, and peak thrills. How do share
life in community?
Covenants are comprised of the mutual agreements, understandings, and promises we make
with one another as we dwell in faith and vision together. Marriage is the most visible
example in our society of a covenant.
What is the prudent balance between freedom and authority, utopian ideals and political
reality, virtue and tolerance?
How we relate says more about us than highfalutin global principles printed in a hymnal
or the Order of Service.
We are going to do a little back to the future trick this morning to the tune of 350
years, focusing on the principles of the Cambridge Platform, established in 1648.
Let us allow the spirit of David Wolpe's writing to guide us; "Not all truth will
be discovered in what is to come; some must be recalled from what has been
forgotten." (The Vision of the Cambridge Platform. Burton Carley, p.1)
The Puritans who settled the Mass Bay Colony in1630 came here to continue the reform of
the church and society that originated in the Protestant Reformation.
They were not meek or bashful in their aspirations. This excerpt remains from John
Winthrop's speech to his companions aboard the ship "Arbella" on their 3,000
mile voyage to New England: "We must consider that wee shall be as a City upon a
Hill, the eyes of all people are upon us." (Carley, p.3)
This reference is taken directly from the N.T. gospel of Matthew; "You are the
light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid." (5:14)
They were not patriots, liberals, nor were they hoping to establish pluralism and
tolerance. The vision was to build a model city, a Holy Common- wealth. The blueprint for
the ideal society was in the Bible, specifically in the covenants and organization of the
early church.
The City on the Hill was to be a lighthouse facing east for all of England and Europe
to see. It sought moral superiority, hoping to be instruments of God in authoring the
final chapter of divine history.
By it's bright example, God could complete the stalled reformation from Catholicism,
and make perfect the Church of England.
I will save you from the suspense. This destiny wasn't in the cards, the encyclopedia,
the novel, or even the screenplay!
In these ways they are nothing like us. So, why am I wasting your time?
The forward-looking piece of this pie is in where they placed the authority of the
church. It came to be known as the Congregational Way. This is how we organize and relate
to one another.
Once again, the centerpiece is relational. We go again to John Winthrop in "A
Model of Christian Charity."
"For this end, we must knit together in this work as one man; we must hold each
other in brotherly affection; we must be willing to rid ourselves of our excesses to
supply others' necessities; we must uphold a familiar commerce together in all meekness,
gentleness, patience, and liberality…
We must delight in each other, make others' conditions our own and rejoice together,
mourn together, labor and suffer together, always having before our eyes our commission
and common work, our community as members of the same body." (The Cambridge Platform,
Gary Blaine, p.1,2)
The Platform, written in Cambridge, Mass. upheld these fundamental principles further
evolving the reformation. These precepts are hard won gifts to us, and are revolutionary
in an age of Kings, Bishops, and State Religion.
The local church: Each congregation is distinct and independent of other congregations.
The saints gather individually into a particular "congregational-church for the
publick worship of God, & the mutual edification one of another, in the Fellowship of
the Lord Jesus." (Carley, p.10) The notion of an institutional church that goes
beyond the local level is not alluded to in the Platform.
The Power of the Laity: Only the laity can form a church. Synods, conventions,
associations are not churches. Members rather than Ministers, Bishops, or ecclesiastical
bodies are the final authority in the life of the congregation. As a fellowship of equals,
the Platform turns the authority model over like an upside down cake.
Voluntary membership: Unlike state churches, a person who agrees to the covenant, does
so by virtue of free will. This created a community of citizens rather than subjects.
Voluntary covenant does not exist without a relationship. Their phrase was,
"Church-power one over another mutually." (Carley, p.10)
Ministry as an outgrowth of the church: Clergy were not granted special status, since
they were first lay members of a congregation. Membership proceeds ordination. A minister
was not ordained for life, but for the duration of his office in a particular church.
"The essence & substance of the outward calling of an ordinary officer in the
Church, doth not consist in his ordination, but in his voluntary & free election by
the Church." (Carley, p.11) There was no clerical superstructure above local
congregations.
The Communion of Churches: Lateral relationships, fellowship, and cooperation between
churches is encouraged. Nothing like even a district organization separate from the local
church is proposed. Congregations are "distinct, and therefore may not be confounded
one with another…each are "equal and therefore have not dominion one over the
other." (Carley, p.11) Synods may gather to consider issues but cannot administer
discipline or assume jurisdiction.
We call ourselves the "Free Church" tradition. This is one half of that
liberty, independent congregations. The other part is a religious body, constructed not on
creeds, but on covenant in accord with individual conscience.
Allow me to read something to you, and see if you can guess from whence it comes.
"We…covenant to be a welcoming, loving Church community of thoughtful, caring
individuals; a Church committed to friendship, social interaction and lifespan education
and growth; a Church that promotes an active, ethical, and affirming human
community."
If you don't recognize this; we are either doing a not so swell job of publicizing it,
or it is so integrated, you don't even think about it consciously anymore.
How are we doing? Anything you want to add, rebut, delete, or correct?
The spiritual discipline of covenant goes back to God and Noah in the Old Testament,
weaving its way through Yahweh's relationship with Israel, Jesus' promise in the Lord's
Supper with his disciples, to modern day attempts evidenced in the Cambridge Platform, and
even to Highway 620 North in Austin, Texas.
These days in our Association of Congregations this distinguishing feature of covenant
is being emphasized by a group called the "Free Church" movement, who want to
enhance horizontal alliances between congregations, and move away from any hierarchical
connection to Boston.
The folks at the UUA are promoting a re-covenanting process through the
"Fulfilling the Promise" campaign.
Denominational politics aside, I do see this as a useful practice in assessing who we
are and where we are in our maturation. Is our covenant still vibrant, or does it call out
to be revisited?
With the pledge canvass, end of the year, and the close of a millenium converging, a
natural rhythm of evaluation occurs.
Our covenant still remains pretty tasty for me. As per usual the gap is more than
likely in how we practice what we preach. It distills down to our personal dedication in
the arena of relationships.
Gandhi challenges us, "be the change you want to see in the world."
Jesus taught, "By their fruit you will know them."
Rev. Peter Raible says, "Let us turn more to our act than to our word to declare
our true religion." (Time, p.87)
And my crusty, eccentric teacher Marlin S. Hoffman, belted it out like this; "What
you're doing boy speaks so loud, I can't hear what you're sayin'!"
Amen
Copyright
©2006, Live Oak Unitarian Universalist Church.