Saturday, September 11, 2010

Picking up where I left off.

I have drifted away from my religious practice this summer.

Having been raised a Roman Catholic and later in my life moved into Unitarian Universalism it has never seemed "right" to me that God goes on vacation for Unitarian Universalists during July and August. I know that has more to do with ministerial contracts than it does with the religion itself, but nonetheless, it seems strange to me that in smaller UU congregations things seem to close down in the summer. I had the same feeling when I went to Boston between Christmas and New Years to find the UUA locked up tighter than a drum.

I may be moving on from UU because it has been hard for me to find a lot this summer that has been relevant to my spiritual life. I take most of the responsibility for this, and yet I also resent the lack of external social support for nurturing my faith.

I will start writing again periodically on this blog, because I still believe there are aspects of Unitarian Universalism which are worth exploring, but it increasingly seems to me to be a fairly superficial faith without much substance. For this, one has to look to other traditions. In writing this, it seems a shame to me because I want more to be there. I want there to be more for me to live my life with and to proclaim.

Perhaps it is I who need to dig deeper. What is a life of faith based on Unitarian Universalism?

4 comments:

  1. I missed you and I am glad to see that you are back.

    Please don't give up on Unitarian Universalism. You have a lot of good insights. I get more out of reading your blog than just about anything else out that.

    Keep it up. I appreciate it.

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  2. Wow, just like anon, I hope you will keep digging and writing. I was JUST thinking of you today and wondering if there is a way to mine your blog for your Music I would like to hear on Sundays, or whatever that tag was!

    I feel like UUism has offered me such a religiously full life, but it is a lot of responsibility. I hope you will hang around!

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  3. Hi David,

    I was beginning to wonder if you were OK and *alomost* emailed you to see how you were doing. Glad to see you posting again but not at all surprised to see that you are "less than satisfied" by what U*Uism has to offer.

    My church year began again yesterday with a protest against U*U anti-religious intolerance and bigotry, the UUA's negligent and effectively complicit response to my own and othe people's clergy misconduct complaints, and other U*U injustices and abuses in front of the so-called Unitarian Church of Montreal. For various reasons I decided to not protest during the summer months but am resuming my protest now and will probably have to head down to Boston for another protest since the UUA Board of Trustees failed miserably to respond in responsibility to the Spirit of my last visit to Boston in April of this year. I have never run into a group of people who are so obstinately unwilling to acknowledge their wrongful and damaging behavior and to try to seek reconciliationa and make amends with those people they have harmed and victimized.

    Regards,

    Robin Edgar

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  4. Dear Kelly KH and Robin:

    I am very glad to see your comments.

    Thanks Kelly for your encouragement. I think the tag is "My Kind Of Church Music".

    Robin, I am sorry to read of the intransience of the UUA administration. I think the ministry of the UU denomination are an interesting group who have smugness which is difficult to put your finger on. I have never met one who seemed genuinely humble to me.

    Maybe you are expecting too much and should lower your expectations. Like Diogenes you are looking for an honest man/woman and will be doomed to wander most of your life in the search of one.

    However, if you look into a mirror you will see there a good and honest man, and perhaps that will give you comfort.

    All the best,

    David Markham

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