Visions of God – 30/1/22
Opening Music: performed by Peter Crockford
Opening Words: ‘Here We Are So Gathered’ by Patricia Shelden
Here is where we gather in the presence of the Sacred.
Here is where we gather to experience the Holy
Here is where, together, we face the unanswerable questions
and acknowledge that not knowing can be both sublime and frustrating.
Here is where we unite in the midst of Life and all the glories
and suffering it can hold, knowing both are ever present.
Here is where we ask, think, risk, discuss, ponder and offer what
might not be welcomed or even acceptable somewhere else.
Here is where, if we allow it, we are deeply moved.
Here is where we encounter each other in deep and powerful ways
that sometimes provoke and surprise us, yet without which we might not survive.
Here we gather to worship, to experience something happen –
perhaps something different for each of us according to our beliefs,
something unnamed, uncategorized, and unusual yet absolutely necessary.
Here we are so gathered: our minds, our hearts, and our souls.
And, so, our hour of worship begins. (pause)
These opening words by Unitarian Universalist community minister Patricia Shelden welcome all those who have gathered on Zoom this morning to take part in our Sunday service. Welcome to regular members of the congregation, to friends and visitors with us today, and also those who might be listening to our podcast, or watching on YouTube, at a later date. For those who don’t know me, my name is Jane Blackall, and I’m Ministry Coordinator with Kensington Unitarians.
If you are here for the first time today – we’re especially glad to you have you with us – welcome! I hope you find something of what you need in our gathering this morning. Please do hang around afterwards for a chat or drop us an email to say hello and introduce yourself if you’d like. Or you might try coming to one of our various small-group gatherings to get to know us better. And if you’re a regular here – thank you for all that you do to welcome all who come each Sunday. Even on Zoom, we have a part to play in co-creating this sacred space, this sense of community.
As we always say, feel free to do what you need to do to be comfortable this hour – it’s always lovely to see your faces in the gallery and get a sense of our togetherness as a congregation – but we know for some it will feel more comfortable to keep your camera mostly-off and that’s fine. Similarly there’ll be opportunities to join in as we go along but there’s no compulsion to do so. You can quietly lurk with our blessing – you know how to find us if you want to get in touch later.
This morning’s service is titled ‘Visions of God’. The impetus for today’s service came from our very own David Carter who, last autumn, wrote a poem about a powerful vision he had some 40 years ago. David will share his poem and some personal reflections on it later in the service. This spiritual vision helped to shape his own understanding of God. In the rest of the service we’ll be reflecting more broadly on our own personal ‘Visions of God’ – by the way I think it’s perfectly possible for any atheists present to join in with this too – you might be familiar with that response that crops up so often in Unitarian circles: ‘now tell me about this God you don’t believe in?’ Even those who have rejected the concept of God generally have a sense of what it is they’re rejecting and it’s interesting to take time to get clarity on that; what do we imagine when we hear ‘God’?
Chalice Lighting: ‘A Quest for Truth and Meaning’ by Christine Robinson (adapted)
Before we go any further though, I’ll light our chalice, as we always do whenever we gather. This simple ritual connects us with Unitarians and Unitarian Universalists the world over, and reminds us of the proudly progressive religious tradition of which this gathering is part.
We gather this hour as people of faith
with joys and sorrows, gifts and needs.
We light this little beacon of hope,
sign of our quest for truth and meaning,
in celebration of this precious life we share together.
Candles of Joy and Concern:
Each week when we gather together, whether it’s in person at the church in Kensington or here as an online congregation, we share a simple ritual of candles of joy and concern, an opportunity to light a candle and share something that is in our heart with the community. So we’ve got a good few minutes now, for anyone who would like to do so, to light a candle (real or imaginary) and say a few words about what it represents.
When you’re ready to speak, unmute your microphone so we can all hear you, and then re-mute yourself once you’ve finished. If you are going to speak, please be aware of how long you’re speaking for, so that there’s time for others to say something too. Let’s leave a pause between one candle and the next, so we can honour what’s been shared. And don’t worry too much if two people end up speaking at the same time, or there’s a technical hitch of some sort – these things happen on Zoom – please do persevere! At this point it’d be nice, if you can, to switch to gallery view so we can all see everybody.
(candles – thank each person)
I’ve got one more candle here and – as we often do – I’m going to light that to represent all those joys and concerns that we might be holding silently in our heart today, those stories which we don’t feel able to share out loud this morning. Let’s take a moment now to think of all those joys and concerns we have heard expressed… all those little windows into our shared human condition and the life of the world we share… and let’s hold them – and each other – in a spirit of loving-kindness for a moment or two. And let’s take those joys and concerns into an extended time of prayer now.
Prayer: based on words by Katie Kandarian-Morris and the enfleshed collective
You might first want to adjust your position for comfort, close your eyes, or soften your gaze. There might be a posture that helps you feel more prayerful. Whatever works for you. Do whatever you need to do to get into the right state of body and mind for us to pray together – to be fully present here and now, in this sacred time and space – with ourselves, with each other, and with that which is both within us and beyond us. (pause)
Spirit of Life, God of All Love, in whom we live and move and have our being.
As we turn our attention to the depths of this life –
the cosmic mystery and wisdom that abides in All-That-Is –
we tune in to your Holy presence within us and amongst us. (pause)
God of many names, the personal and mysterious,
We have come to a quiet time, an interior place,
a place for the deepening of spirit, the enrichment of soul.
We seek to know ourselves by knowing you.
Let us have the courage to sit in the unknowing,
To look for the answers even if they are to sit with our own questions,
To be willing to be authentic with ourselves,
To be ready to bring our face to the world. (pause)
When so much of our world is groaning with fatigue and injustice,
we are invited to turn to one another and, in so doing, turn to you;
turn to the deepest reality we know: the oneness at the heart of all.
We are not meant to carry the struggles of the world alone.
And so, in a spirit of collective embrace this morning,
may we share together in prayer for all that troubles our hearts.
For all of the bodies in suffering – deprived of essential resources,
withheld from care, or made into targets of oppression. Hear our prayers.
For all whose spirits are in despair – those who are facing loss or grief, those who are
isolated or in conflict, those struggling to accept their own true worth. Hear our prayers.
In a few moments of silence and stillness now, let us call to mind
those sufferings and struggles that weigh heavy on our hearts this day,
and let us hold them gently in the light of love; that larger love that holds all. (pause)
Just as we are not meant to shoulder the world’s pain alone,
we are equally invited to delight with one another in the joy that sustains us.
For the beauty that grows around us and within us, despite everything – we give thanks.
For the gifts of sharing and relationships that transform and sustain us – we give thanks.
For art and music and stories and truths that foster love and connection – we give thanks.
For every source of strength and courage in the face of all that makes us afraid – we give thanks.
In a few moments of silence and stillness now, let us call to mind
some of the many gifts we have been given in the week just passed,
and inwardly treasure these blessings, be they large or small, with gratitude. (pause)
For your presence within and around us, in our highs and lows,
our hope and our despair, God, we give thanks.
Hear our prayers and deepen our willingness to show up for one another,
sharing in each other’s burdens and working for one another’s protection and care. (pause)
Spirit of Life – God of all Love – as this time of prayer comes to a close,
we offer up our joys and concerns, our hopes and fears,
our beauty and brokenness, and call on you for insight, healing, and renewal.
As we look forward now to the coming week,
help us to live well each day and be our best selves;
using our unique gifts in the service of love, justice and peace. Amen
Hymn: ‘Bring Many Names’ sung by the Unitarian Music Society
Time to sing; our first hymn, ‘Bring Many Names’, which reminds us of just a few of the many different ways we might imagine God, and plays with the characteristics that come along with the various metaphors. The words will appear on screen so that you can sing along – or you might prefer just to listen – we’ll do our best to make sure you’re all kept muted so nobody will hear you.
Bring many names, beautiful and good;
Celebrate in parable and story,
Holiness in glory, living, loving God:
Hail and hosanna, bring many names.
Strong mother God, working night and day,
Planning all the wonders of creation,
Setting each equation, genius at play:
Hail and hosanna, strong mother God!
Warm father God, hugging every child,
Feeling all the strains of human living,
Caring and forgiving till we’re reconciled:
Hail and hosanna, warm father God!
Old, aching God, grey with endless care,
Calmly piercing evil’s new disguises,
Glad of new surprises, wiser than despair:
Hail and hosanna, old, aching God!
Young, growing God, eager still to know,
Willing to be changed by what you’ve started,
Quick to be delighted, singing as you go:
Hail and hosanna, young, growing God.
Great, living God, never fully known,
Joyful darkness far beyond our seeing,
Closer yet than breathing, everlasting home:
Hail and hosanna, great, living God!
Reading: ‘Humanity’s Psalm’ by Cynthia Frado (read by Maria Petnga-Wallace)
This piece by Unitarian Universalist minister Cynthia Frado echoes our theme today, ‘Visions of God’, but also turns it on its head. This poem is called ‘Humanity’s Psalm’ and it reflects on the traditional notion that human beings were created ‘in the image of God’. What might that mean?
Creator of Life, Source of All Being
It was from the particles of the Universe that you formed me…
Iron and carbon and phosphorous
Mixed with energy, passion and dreams.
I was made in your image, says ancient Scripture.
Made from the colours of the rainbow,
Shaped with bones straight and curved,
Padded with flesh flabby and lean,
Near-sighted, far-sighted, short-sighted, and long in vision.
I was made in your image, says ancient Scripture.
Made strong and tall, short and stout,
Born with hands tender and fragile,
Aged with hands gnarled and mature.
Large nose, small nose, crooked nose
Who knows the mathematical infinitude of your genetic possibilities?
I was made in your image, says ancient Scripture.
Made to give love and receive love.
Your passion courses through my veins.
And when I touch another human being in love,
It matters not what gender ignites the flame,
It matters only that the fire of life brings its light to the
darkened deadness of a world that cannot exist
without love’s transformative power.
I was made in your image, says ancient Scripture.
But who are you?
I need to know.
I who have eyes that are brown and blue and green and hazel.
I who am intellectually gifted and mentally challenged.
I who speak the languages of the world and no language at all.
I who know scientific equations and musical sonatas,
and know only the magic of a daily loaf of bread,
and the taunting sounds of racism,
and the mockery of my sexual orientation,
and the lack of respect for my aging body.
I who am all of these things and more want to know:
Who are you that I am made in your image?
I am, says ancient Scripture.
I simply am.
I am the Light of All-Being,
I am the Divine Spark.
I am the Source of Love,
The most transformative power
In the Universe.
All life is in my image.
I am in You,
And you are in me.
I am in your siblings.
They, too, are in me.
I am in your pain and suffering,
And I am in your compassion and joy.
I am Light and Love,
And Hope and Possibility…
And so are you.
Creator of All Life, Source of All Being
It was from the particles of the Universe that you formed me…
Iron and carbon and phosphorous
Mixed with energy, passion and dreams.
Forgive me. Forgive me.
I forgot that you are everywhere.
I forgot that I am everywhere.
Thank you for reminding me of who I am.
Meditation: ‘Locating God’ by Cliff Reed (slightly adapted)
Thank you Maria. We’ve come to a time of meditation. To take us into stillness, I’m going to offer some words from Cliff Reed, a retired Unitarian minister (familiar to those on the ‘How to be a Unitarian’ course as the author of ‘Unitarian? What’s That?’ but also as a prolific writer of prayer-poems). These words will be followed by a few minutes of shared stillness during which we’ll have our virtual chalice on screen. The silence will end with some restful music from Peter, ‘Sleepy Shores’. So let’s each do what we need to do to get comfortable – have a wiggle if you need to – or put your feet flat on the floor to ground and steady yourself – maybe close your eyes. And as I always say, these words, images, and music, they’re just an offering, feel free to meditate in your own way.
Cliff’s meditation begins with three quotations to set the scene.
First, James Martineau, a pivotal figure in our Unitarian tradition, said:
‘The Incarnation is true, not of Christ exclusively,
but of humanity universally, and God everlastingly.’
Pete Seeger, famous folk singer and activist, also a Unitarian Universalist, said:
‘God is everything. Whenever I open my eyes, I’m looking at God.
Whenever I’m listening to something, I’m listening to God.’
And finally he offers a saying from the Qur’an:
‘We created man. We know the promptings of his soul
and are closer to him than the vein of his neck.’
And so Cliff Reed continues with his own words:
There is nowhere where God is not.
The Divine is wholly present everywhere
and in all things, and all things subsist within the Divine Unity.
Look out at the infinity of stars, you will see God.
Look at the green growing things, you will see God.
Look at the rocks on the mountains,
the sands of the desert, the waters great and small, you will see God.
Look back through the aeons to the Beginning
or forward to the End, if there is one, and you will see God.
Look at the myriad creatures that live with us
on the Earth – walking, flying, creeping, swimming – you will see God.
Look at a woman or a man, or somebody of any gender,
a child or newborn baby, you will see God.
Look at love and kindness, grief and suffering,
hope and despair, darkness and light, you will see God.
Look into your own heart, you will see God.
Listen to the promptings of your conscience,
your deepest wisdom, you will hear God.
You may not always recognise God,
because there are many false images that can get in the way.
You may not be able to use the word ‘God’,
because it has been debased and misused too often.
But God is there, nonetheless, closer than the vein in your neck.
Silence: 3 minutes silence accompanied by chalice video
Musical Interlude: ‘Sleepy Shores’ played by Peter Crockford
Poem and Reflection by David Carter:
‘A Vision’ by David Carter
It was over forty years ago
Yet is in clarity just like yesterday.
I was sitting at my table, writing
a summary of a liberal theology book
John Robinson’s Honest to God
which questioned a God ‘in the skies’,
preferring ‘the ground of being’.
It was very still and quiet…
The old male God in the skies
appeared to my left and said
“What are you doing
trying to write me out of history?”
Then the Ground of All Being spoke:
“Know him to be thine own thought-form.”
A female sky-God appeared to my right
of the same level and weight as the male.
The two moved together and merged
in a ball of golden light
bright but not dazzling,
like the newly-risen sun.
Slowly … time had little meaning…
The light faded and there was left
A profound sense of peace…
The peace that passes all understanding?
A Reflection on one Aspect of the Poem by David Carter
Many ten-minute or longer talks could be given on different aspects of the prose poem I’ve just read. But for now I’ll focus on one aspect – the full equality of the male and female God-figures. This approach would thus better be called ‘equalist’ rather than ‘feminist’.
Before starting on this, I’ll say a little about how the poem came to be written last year. It is version 6 and I owe a lot to friends who – through brief comment, personal interaction and considered criticism in October and November – got it underway and into its present form.
My thanks go to Sheena Gabriel, who clarified that the poem of the vision was not just for my personal spiritual journey but should be offered to interested groups and individuals. Sheena also suggested that I could approach Jane, our Ministry Coordinator, and offer the poem as a contribution to a future Sunday service on the theme of ‘Images of God’ or ‘Female Images of God’ and Jane kindly agreed. Regarding other interested groups, I have plans for a piece for a web page next month and for a personal Zoom presentation to another group later this year. I hope that this account of my understanding of God will prompt others in the Kensington Unitarian congregation to present their understandings in the future.
The key lines in the poem on the absolute equality of the male and female God-images are:
‘A female sky-God appeared to my right
of the same level and weight as the male’
Particularly regarding the female God-images, this reflection is about female images of God rather than images of Goddesses.
To simplify, I’ll make a distinction that Goddesses tend to be found in geographically and temporally localised religions with little or no systematic theology, whereas the God in female images of God is the God of major theistic religions or the Buddhist Absolute or Nirvana.
Is the full equality of the male and female God-figures in the poem found in verbal or visual form in such religious traditions – centrally or marginally – or is this something new? Due to time constraint, I’ll simplify again and just consider a few images from Christianity and Buddhism. I feel that my understanding of these two religions is greater because I have practised them as well as studying them intellectually.
Historical female images of God are rare in Christianity and I’d like us to spend a short while looking at two of them:
First, a 14th century fresco of the Trinity in St. Jakobus Church in Urschalling, Bavaria: The Holy Spirit – one of the three persons of God in Trinitarian theology – is shown as a woman rather than the more usual dove. (pause for 30 seconds) From the perspective of the vision of the absolute equality and balance of male and female God-images, this falls short because there are two male figures to one female.
Next, a 15th century statue of the Trinity crowning Mary Queen of Heaven – in Eggfelden parish Church in Bavaria: The Holy Spirit is again shown as a woman. (pause for 30 seconds) From the perspective of the vision this also falls short because even though there are two male and two female figures, Mary, despite her exalted title Queen of Heaven, is not part of the Trinitarian God.
Modern feminist artists have produced images of female Trinities and Christs. But after studying Christian feminism for six years at university level, I’ve come to the conclusion that it is full of irresolvable contradictions while any of the traditional creeds are accepted or tolerated – and that Christian feminists could express the divine feminine more freely and honestly within Unitarianism. It was the contradiction between the vision and the creeds nagging in the background that after many years moved me from liberal Anglicanism to Unitarianism.
Buddhism does not have the burden of male Father and Son Gods but the masculine bias is evident in most images of deities. Let’s look at ‘Vajradhara and Consort’ in the Tibetan tradition. (pause for 30 seconds) It’s the personification of Shakyamuni Buddha teaching Tantra: Symbol of the Absolute in its polarity aspect. It has one male and one female figure. But the female one is smaller, has less prestigious headgear and doesn’t even have her own personal name!
I’ll now look briefly at the compatibility the poem with Unitarian beliefs: The vision-poem seems to fit easily within Unitarianism. But as one who has only practiced the religion for just over three years I’m open to challenge and correction. I’ve felt that the word ‘God’ has often been used without making it clear that does not refer to the male sky God – “Our Father in heaven”. Such a clarification seems necessary, given Unitarianism’s emergence and development from Christianity, and I wonder if this new vision could help.
A Kensington Unitarian God-expression that resonates strongly with me is: “Spirit of Life, God of All Love, in whom we live and move and have our being” – this includes and/or transcends male-female identification. There are some parts of the poem that feel close to this: the ‘…golden light, bright but not dazzling, like the newly-risen sun’ – and the eternal and transcendent ‘Ground of All Being’. But the latter, like the Buddhist Nirvana, ‘the unborn, ungrown and unconditioned’ can seem very abstract and be difficult to relate to.
We can probably accept Jesus’ exceptional charismatic practice and advocacy of love and justice while realising that in his theology of “God as father” he was very much a man of his time – developing from the often clearly male language about God in the Jewish scriptures of his time. The idea of a human-like male creator God can now be seen as a projection back in time. Male-female differentiation is now known to be later than the origin of life on Earth and humans an even more recent arrival.
In conclusion, the vision-poem puts Father God in his place – both ontologically “Know him to be thine own thought-form” and by seeing him ‘married’ to his female counterpart. This could be seen as a restoration of what was written out of Jewish scripture: there is evidence that Asherah at one time was worshipped as the consort of Yahweh, the national God of Israel. The name Asherah appears forty times in the Hebrew Bible, but it is much reduced in English translations. Sacred marriage between a male and female God is found in many religions – but further consideration of this is beyond the scope of this presentation.
After the service we’ll have the usual chat over a cup of tea or coffee and, if you’re OK with it, I’d like to hear about your ‘visions of God’. Which verbal or visual images resonate most strongly with you? Maybe all of us could learn and be inspired by each other.
Hymn: ‘Mother Spirit, Father Spirit’ performed by Jan Jaffe
Thank you David for sharing your vision, your poem, and your reflections on it. I do hope this inspires some sharing about Visions of God. Just time for one more hymn now – it’s an old favourite in Unitarian circles – but a new-to-me rendition of ‘Mother Spirit, Father Spirit’. I’m grateful to Jan Jaffe, music director of the Kittitas Valley UU congregation in Washington State, and a singer-songwriter in her own right, for allowing us to share her video in our service today.
Mother Spirit, Father Spirit, where are you?
In the skysong, in the forest, sounds your cry.
What to give you, what to call you, what am I?
Many drops are in the ocean, deep and wide.
Sunlight bounces off the ripples to the sky.
What to give you, what to call you, who am I?
I am empty, time flies from me; what is time?
Dreams eternal, fears infernal haunt my heart.
What to give you, what to give you, O, my God?
Mother Spirit, Father Spirit, take our hearts.
Take our breath and let our voices sing our parts.
Take our hands and let us work to shape our art.
Announcements:
Just a few brief announcements: Thanks to David for sharing his poem and reflection, Maria for reading, Peter for our lovely music, and Hannah for co-hosting. We’ll have virtual coffee-time after the service as usual so you can stay and chat if you’d like (about ‘Visions of God’ or anything else that comes up in our meandering conversation). If that’s not your thing, as I said at the start of the service, do get in touch via email if you’d like to say hello, or come to some of our other events. If you can bear to hang around we like to take a group photo after the closing music.
Our online programme continues: we have coffee morning as usual at 10.30am this Tuesday and there are still a few spaces left for our Heart and Soul spiritual gathering on the theme ‘Identity’ – even if you’ve not been before it’s never too late to start – there’s one tonight and one on Friday. There’ll be an online gathering of the West London GreenSpirit group for Imbolc on Tuesday evening, 1st February, at 7.30pm, please email Sarah Tinker to receive the link for that event. The congregation very much has a life beyond Sunday mornings; we encourage you to keep in touch during the week, drop each other a line, and look out for each other as best we can. Next Sunday morning we’ll be back on Zoom, at 10.30am as usual, our theme will be ‘Love is a Verb’.
And if you fancy an in-person gathering there’s a new addition to our programme, this very afternoon at 1pm, Heidi Ferid and John Hands are offering ‘Music and Meditation’ at Essex Church. We’re planning another Sunday morning hybrid service on Sunday 13th February so save the date for that (I was at church for eight hours on Thursday for installation of the new sound system which is still not quite finished so once again cross your fingers and pray for us finishing tomorrow).
Another thing to mention is that there are a couple of district and national events coming up which you might be interested in. In a few weeks, the weekend of 19th-20th February, our district will be holding its annual Festival of Unitarians in the South East (better known as ‘FUSE’) online. Most of the activities are on Saturday – talks from guest speakers Alastair McIntosh and Jennifer Kavanagh on spiritual themes – interesting-sounding workshops from a selection of local Unitarians. Tickets are £25 and details of how to book were in the Friday email. Looking a bit further ahead our national organisation has decided to resume in-person annual meetings this year at the Hilton Metropole hotel in Birmingham from 19th-21st April. Registration opens this week and there are a limited number of subsidised places for newcomers and under-40s who couldn’t otherwise afford to go. The programme hasn’t yet been released but there’s usually a mix of business meetings and debates, workshops and worship, and time to socialise with Unitarians from all over the country. If you might like to go to this national event and you want more information do get in touch or look out for details in our weekly email in the coming weeks.
We’ve just got our closing words and music now. So I invite you to select gallery view at this point, if you can, so we can all see each other and get a sense of our gathered community as we close.
Benediction: based on words by Marjorie Newlin Leaming and Jane E Mauldin
This universe is so much larger,
and its ways so much more mysterious,
than our human ability to comprehend it all.
So let us go forth from this shared hour
with the resolve to let awe and wonder
— that sense of the sacred— find the space
to open up our minds and illuminate our lives.
And as we go our separate ways,
may the love of truth guide you,
the warmth of love hold you,
and the spirit of peace bless you,
this day and in the days to come. Amen.
Closing Music: ‘Someday We Shall Meet Again’ performed by Peter Crockford
Jane Blackall and David Carter
30th January 2022
