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A Church of the People, For the People, and By the People - Mother’s Day at a Universalist Church

Recently I was asked by a student in my youth group to go with him to Universalist Church in Hagerstown MD. While I was surprised to be asked, I was grateful for Kyle’s willingness to seek to know more about what was being taught outside of our own church walls. I agreed and happened to be free on Mothers Day weekend. Being newbies in a small church we were instantly singled out. Not in a bad way, but a hospitable and friendly, “Hey you guys are new here.” We were given pamphlets about the church and a bulletin for the service and made our way to our seats. Soon after we sat down we were greeted by a woman named Dodie. 

The brief story Dodie gave was interesting. Often trying to avoid conflict I picked a somewhat easy question in the sense that it could be answered with as much or as little information as the person felt comfortable with. The question was, “How did you come to be a part of the Universalist Church?” I expected a majority of her answer to deal with becoming a member and on, but was pleasantly surprised to hear a great deal more about what led her to choose the Universalist Church. Dodie spent her childhood into early adulthood in the Methodist Church. She loved music although she confessed that she could not sing. To her music was the easiest way to hear from God, or find some level of inner peace. The Methodist Church cultivated that love. As she spoke I waited for a reason that explained why she parted ways with the Methodist Church. Eventually she described meeting her husband. He had apparently spent time overseas in the Military and became a member of the Universalist Church there. The two met and eventually went through the difficult process of picking a church to attend. Dodie and her husband attended her church and found them to be less than friendly with little willingness to hear from a Universalist. She described her visit to the Universalist Church as the exact opposite, finding them to be hospitable and “accepting” of other views. Acceptance is critically important to today’s youth. It was interesting to find that this was not so different with her generation. 

The service began with chimes wrung by Dodie with whom we had just spoken. She then called on anyone who was new to speak out their name so they could be acknowledged. Announcements followed related to upcoming events within the church. Next were opening words followed by “The Many Names for Mother/Father/Parent by Janet H. Bowering. Upon completion the Chalice was lit with the following Response: “We kindle this flame with love for Mothers and Foremothers past, present, and future; we kindle this flame in celebration of community and its generations. We kindle this flame with respect and support for the greater circle of life of which we are all a part. - Selena Fox [UUA Words for Worship]. 

A hymn was sung (Hymn #1029) "Love Knocks and Waits For Us to Hear." Next came a time for anyone willing to express Joys and Sorrows. Perhaps the most striking moment for Kyle and myself came when a woman expressed that her brother had recently had an event occur that prevented him from remembering what went on for a twenty four hour period. This landed him in the hospital. She asked that they would send out good thoughts for his well being, as the doctors seek to figure out what occurred. Next was an Antiphonal Reading #596, "Boundless Goodwill," by Metta Sutta. An offering followed soon after and then a reading of "The Lanyard," by Billy Collins.

The reading was enjoyable because it was an expression of gratitude to mothers. In summary the reading describes all of the wonderful things mothers do to nurture us into adulthood. This begins with the acknowledgement of the importance of receiving nutrients from a mothers breast. The bones form and develop out of these nutrients. The body grows, develops, and strengthens. The author, having listed these important things, speaks of the offering that he brings to his mother at a very young age (A Lanyard) and inevitably details how insufficient it is as a way to thank the woman who has given him so much. At the very end an older and more wise man is speaking . The man comes to the conclusion that of course the lanyard is not enough to thank his mother for all of her great sacrifice. The mother seeks no gift or payback from her son. His love is enough, and her sacrifice was made for a purpose higher than payment or offering.

Next was the sermon, read by Dodie, but adapted from a sermon ("Hey Momma...") by Rev. Sara Huisjen. Sara goes to great lengths to leave no one out this mothers day. Sara redefines motherhood in her sermon, preferring to use the term "mothering." This prevents listeners from keeping such a strict view of motherhood, as if it relates only to the biological process of having a child, and raising that child into adulthood. To quote her she states:

“So again what do I mean by mothering? At least in my own mind, mothering is about choosing to live our lives in ways that reveal a depth and commitment. Mothering is something we do, when we cultivate relationships, and act in the world—in intimate circles & more public spaces—when we act in ways that nurture people, over time, into their own sense of power, and value and goodness. Good mothering encourages people to care about others—to be deliberate about acting in their interest, as well as our own; to recognize at every turn, our relatedness; to be oriented to nudge & encourage others, and ourselves, in the direction of insuring, as Eileen put it in her remarks, “that [each of us] gets off to a good start” in this world. In this way, mothering is not referring solely to some skill-set or natural inclination that only women or parents have, though they certainly need it and many of them, thank goodness do have it. Mothering is, and can be thought of as something inherently broader, a selfless quality of attention, care and investment in the well-being of others that comes in many forms; it's a capacity that we can, and need to cultivate in ourselves.”

The service concluded with a time of response for anyone who wanted to speak about their mother or the sermon or both. Before being released the congregation gathered in a circle holding hands and another passage was read with the chalice soon being put out. After the conclusion of the service I was greatly impressed with Kyle's eagerness to ask questions about the Universalist Church, specifically how Jesus Christ fits in. However, the answers provided were difficult to hear. Question one:

1. Do you celebrate specific holidays considering your congregation contains various beliefs with many religious affiliations?

The answer given was mostly no. There is no one Holiday celebrated because that would exclude other members within the congregation. He did however mention that the congregation met for their own service on Christmas Eve. 

2. Do you believe in Eternity, and if so, how do you know where you will spend it? 

The answer given was yes. The man (I am forgetting his name) did not feel that there was a savior necessary for the sanctification process. He described to us that being a good person was enough to guarantee an eternal life after death. Kyle immediately hit him with an excellent question (Bon Jovi's Shot to the Heart rings in my head as he continues), "what does it take to be considered a good person?" The man briefly explains that, not committing major crimes (I am assuming murder, major theft, drug use, etc?). He also mentioned that his service within the community at the County Jail and other places within Hagerstown allowed him to qualify as a good person, someone who could be seen as righteous and upright (Here I am paraphrasing, he never mentions being righteous or upright, but that is the way I gather he may feel based on his standards.)

3. How does your Church feel about Jesus Christ?

The man mentions that he believes Jesus to be a good moral teacher, but not God in the flesh, therefore he lacks the ability to provide eternal life. He believes that we should strive to love like Jesus, but he is not worthy of our ultimate worship.

4. Do you evangelize?

Another great question asked by Kyle. The answer was an emphatic no. The man told us that members of the Unitarian Church do not proselytize. He continued by mentioning that if anyone would like to be a part of the Unitarian Church they are welcomed, but they must seek the church out themselves.

   Landing the Plane

I have tried to keep my thoughts out of most of this summary so far. My goal was to give a snapshot of what a Universalist Church Service is like, and I hope that this has accomplished that. God loves each and every one of the men and women at that church, regardless of their unwillingness to declare Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. It is my hope that they would be brought to a saving knowledge of Christ, finding joy in daily surrendering to his will for their lives. Having said that I believe that it is my responsibility to address the issues I have with the Universalist's perspective for the reader. It has often been mentioned in my church that we should daily share the Gospel, not only to nonbelievers, but ourselves. This seems like as good a way as any to do that.

A. "Sending Out Good Thoughts"

It hurt me to hear this from one of the members of the congregation. Recently I went to the top of Annapolis Rock, or my place of rest I guess you could say. I had a lot on my mind and heart and I needed to be heard by the God of the universe. I desperately wanted to speak out loud to the only one who could ease my pain, repair the brokenness that sin had caused, and ultimately bring me to a place of renewed obedience that often comes with a broken and contrite heart. Your immediate question is what does this have to do with "Sending Out Good Thoughts?" My point is the woman at the Universalist Church needed someone to hear her concern for her sick brother. She needed to know that a power greater than herself was at work protecting and watching over him. The truth is we all do. Each of us has our own way of "giving our burden" to someone. For this woman the burden was given to the congregation so that the men and women could send out "positive thoughts" that may help bring about healing. This is difficult to hear because God has provided an immediate and direct help line in the person of Jesus Christ. He has also provided someone to intercede for us (Romans 8:26), known as the Holy Spirit, when we lack wisdom and understanding of what we truly need as we pray to our Father.

Matthew 11:28 says: "Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest."

Hebrews 4:14-16 says: "Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weakness, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet he did not sin. Let us approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

Psalm 34:18 says: "The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit."

Psalm 147:3 Says: "He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds."

B. "I found the Universalist Church to be much more accepting than my Methodist Church congregation of my non protestant boyfriend." 

This is a consistent criticism of the protestant church today (not being accepting). The difficulty I have with this statement becomes more clear as I study and read about the life of Jesus Christ. As Christians we are called first and foremost to be followers of Christ. Adhering to his teachings, striving to love like Christ, as directed and moved by the Holy Spirit. Ok Zack, you might say, that sounds great but how does this information address those who are not accepting of my significant other and unwilling to love him where he is at. The truth is they should be, we are called to love everyone as Christ first loved us (1 John 4:19). Having said that the litmus test should not fall on the shoulders of sinful man, but on Christ. How did Christ interact with sinners? How did Christ love people in the midst of their brokenness? How did Christ show men and women their sin, and then offer grace? The Gospel speaks of the great love of Christ offering up beautiful examples of how Jesus interacted with those who were in the midst of sin and brokenness. Here are some of my favorites:

The Woman at the Well [John 4]

Summary: Jesus who is a Jew reaches out to a Samaritan woman as she draws water from a well. (note: Jews do not associate with Samaritans, as apparently Methodists do not associate with Universalists). Jesus speaks of a living water that does not need to be replenished daily. Not understanding the woman asks to receive this water so that she might not have to come back to draw water. Another side note, this woman was in an adulterous relationship with a man who was not her husband. This was probably known throughout the community and therefore the woman more than likely was drawing water at a time of day where she would not be seen in her sin and shame. It seems fitting that out of this sin and shame she desperately wants to never draw water again. This would prevent her from interacting with those who would judge her harshly for her disobedience to the law. Jesus however knowing the woman's sin brings her disobedience into the light. This is an important step for the woman because it is an opportunity to admit that she is a sinner. Jesus shows us all through this woman that we must understand that we are great sinners in need of a great savior. Perhaps the coolest part of the story is seeing the response of the woman who is now free of the sin and shame that kept her removed from her community of faith. She leaves her water jar, goes back to the town and says to the people, "Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?" The same sin and shame that caused her pain and grief is now the first thing she speaks of with joy. The joy not coming from the sin, but rather the power of Christ to deliver her out of it.

C. Being a good person is enough to guarantee that you will experience Eternal Life.

The Rich Young Ruler [Mark 10:17-27]

It is impossible to address this statement any better than Jesus does through his conversation with the Rich Young Ruler so I won't try. I will simply offer up a summary:

The Rich Young Ruler asks Jesus "Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" I ABSOLUTELY LOVE the order Jesus organizes the commandments as he asks the man whether or not he knows them. A man named Bill once brought this to my attention. Notice as you read that all ten commandments are not listed. I can just hear the man in his mind getting excited as he checks off the BIG SINS: Do Not Murder, Do Not Commit Adultery, Do Not Steal, Do Not Bear False Witness, Do Not Defraud, Honor Your Father and Mother. Unfortunately he (The Rich Young Ruler) has disobeyed the greatest command, that Jesus has not listed. This command being, Love the Lord with All Your Heart. Jesus does not leave this out to be cruel, he desperately wants to see the man break the chains of sin that wealth has held him too, so he gives him a chance. He says to the man: "One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me." But at these words he was saddened, and he went away grieving, for he was one who owned much property.” The man is blinded by his sin because of his wealth. He is only now seeing the devastating affects that it is having on his relationship with the Father, as he can not accept the invitation presented by his Son Jesus Christ. This is a man who has been incredibly obedient, with Jesus himself feeling love towards the man for his obedience in many areas of his life. Still the chains of sin have become increasingly difficult to break as they have been hidden within the mans wealth and status. I like to think that there is a happy ending to this story. That sometime after Jesus leaves the man goes to the Father with a broken and contrite heart and asks for forgiveness for placing his ultimate hope in wealth. That out of this repentance, the man is saved and given power by the Holy Spirit to sell off his possessions and follow Christ. This part of the story however is not told to its conclusion, but someday will be when Christ returns.

Conclusion: Jesus Christ was perfect (free of sin), and when the man calls him good he responds: "Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone.” Let that sink in for a minute. A perfect man who is the Son of God obeys the highest command to love the father, honoring no Gods before. How much more should we honor God in our imperfection acknowledging our sin before him and accepting our need for Jesus Christ our Savior to bring us out of the bondage of sin. No one is a good person, not one. Any act of kindness, love, and sacrifice that comes from humanity is of the Father, having been made known on Earth with completeness through Jesus Christ the Son.  

D. Jesus is merely a good moral teacher, he has no power to save, nor can he offer eternal life.

This one I have certainly heard before and I often get a tad bit angry, so I will simply provide evidence as to why scripture tells us that the statement in bold above is not true. First I will offer the reader a Trilemma from a Scottish Christian Preacher named "Rabbi" John Duncan. Ultimately you have to pick one of the three sides. There is no other way to view Jesus:

"Christ either [1] deceived mankind by conscious fraud, or [2] He was Himself deluded and self-deceived, or [3] He was Divine. There is no getting out of this trilemma. It is inexorable."

In summary if Jesus is not divine he is not a good moral teacher, because there is no standard by which he lives his life. To be moral is to follow and be obedient to a standard greater than yourself. If he is not divine, what makes anything he says good and moral? If this continues to be the way you feel as you read, there is no need to continue. You have come to the conclusion that Christ has deceived mankind with fraud or he is self-deceived. If you can however proceed with at least an acknowledgement that Christ would have to be Divine then continue reading the evidence offered below:

Matthew 16:13-16 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the son of Man is?" They replied, "Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets." "But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God."

John 10:30 I and the Father are one.

John 6:57 Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.

John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

John 6:35 Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty."

E. It is unnecessary to proselytize to those outside of the Church walls. If they are interested in seeking out information they will come.

By God's design we are interactive creatures. We love telling stories, spending time with friends, interacting within team sports, hiking trips, study sessions, the list goes on and on. We love those friends who constantly keep our conversations going, when there is a lull in the action. We admire those who bring about conversations that teach us more about ourselves and each other as we dig deeper into some of the difficulties we face. Jesus has a plan to use us to proclaim his name, to tell of his own great stories. He also encourages us to tell of our own stories as they have been shaped by Christ. Triumphant stories detailing our victories over sin and the joy that we have found in obedience to the father by way of the Holy Spirit. In college I had a pastor named Berk Wilson who would always say, "If nonbelievers can come up to you without shame and detail their rowdy weekend escapades, how much more should we be expected to declare the greatness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."

Perhaps one of my favorite stories comes from John 21. To me this is one of the pivotal moments for the continuation of Christianity. The story takes place after the death of Jesus. The disciples are out in their boats fishing, with no success. I picture them being downcast and sad, not just because they are not catching fish, but also because Christ is no longer present beside them in bodily form. Peter is probably cursing and cranky having denied Jesus three times, and having been designated as the "rock" of the newfound Church the disciples are probably ready to see him step up. Eventually they hear a man cry out to them from the shore "Friends, haven't you any fish?" I chuckle at this because I picture a livid Peter staring down the man from the boat thinking something like "Who is this guy, haven't you any fish!? Not today! All joking aside, as in the past, Jesus (the man standing on the shore) tells the disciples to cast their nets on the right side of the boat. You know the deal, the disciples catch a boat load of fish, and soon realize that this is their Friend and Savior Jesus. Peter is immediately cast out of his funk and sprints towards Jesus, first putting his garment back on (for which I am sure Jesus is thankful). Jesus then Reinstates Peter saying:

"Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?" [1] "Yes Lord," he said, "you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" [2] He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep." The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" [3] Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you." Jesus said, "Feed my sheep...

I don't want to overstep my understanding of this passage but it seems to me that Jesus wanted Peter to go and proclaim his name to all who would listen. He understood the great affect sin and shame placed on Peter as a leader, and he wanted to bring him out of it. He reinstates Peter once for every time that he denied him, asking him the question do you Love me three times. Peter responds each time yes, you know that I love you. I don't see Peter looking back from this point. He knows that he is loved, accepted, and forgiven by Jesus and he can go in power and confidence proclaiming the great works that Christ has done in his life and the lives of others.

So let us not sit in out boats with cranky discontent casting out nets hoping to find non eternal fish. Let us go with courage and strength as fishers of men, with an eternal purpose in mind. Let us go out enjoying every moment of the process of bringing men and women to a saving knowledge of Christ because as we do our family increases as do our awesome stories. Enjoy telling stories of eternal victory, and love the awesome moments that you get to labor with those who you are deeply connected with through the person of Jesus Christ.

  A Church of the People, By the People, and For the People

I thought this title captured ultimately what the Universalist Church is. The Church has removed Christ from the equation in the hopes that man holds the key to his own future salvation. The people of the Church make the rules and drag and drop moral principles from any of the worlds religions that seem fitting to their current state. They lack a God to pray to, as well as a warrior who will remove sin from their lives and bring them out of death and into eternal life in the final days. Hope rests on a refined and better individual who by his own acknowledgement through his own standards is seen as good and righteous. We all begin in a legalistic out of control spiral before we come to a saving knowledge of Christ. I am no different from the men and women of this church, in respect to sin, and my constant battle to set aside a continuous effort to make right what is wrong. The difference comes when I admit that I can not. All of my striving to produce good works by my own accord is seen to the Father as filthy rags.

Isaiah 64:6 says: "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away."

The same College Pastor gave a pretty good illustration for this concept. Imagine you went to a friends house. The friends mother knows that you are coming so she sets out to make cookies for the both of you. She works diligently offering much of her time and energy to bake cookies that smell and look amazing. There is one BIG problem however. The woman has leprosy, and as she is stirring and baking these cookies, diseased skin is making its way into the batter. When she presents the cookies to you in all their splendor you can not accept. You know the cookies to be tainted and therefore rendered unworthy of accepting. This is what sin has done to all of the righteous acts we present to God the Father. Intermixed within them lie sinful thoughts, maybe even sinful reasons for doing the work. 

Herein lies the problem. We are born into sin, and we MUST somehow find a way to atone for our tainted offering. The often scary but awesome solution is to die to ourselves, understanding that Jesus Christ is the only perfect sacrifice deemed worthy to offer to God the Father. When we accept Jesus Christ as out Lord and Savior we are no longer trusting in ourselves to produce salvation through good works. From this point forward our great advocate (John 14:26) the Holy Spirit can teach, convict of sin, and even produce righteous acts. We can then gain a Christ likeness in the sinful bodies we inhabit, sanctifying us all the more until that final day when Christ returns and we are made new and perfect. So set aside the worlds wisdom, die to the self that produces and carries the heavy burden of sin, and rejoice as you hand that burden to the only one able to carry it, Jesus Christ.

Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of his age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? (1 Corinthians 1:20)