Wednesday, August 29, 2018

Are UUs seven principles like a symphony?

Steve Taylor writes in his book, The Leap, "...that the mystics of Judaism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism have much more in common with each other than they do with the mainstream followers of their religions. (A Christian monk I'm friendly with once told me that he felt much more comfortable talking to Buddhist monks than he did talking to born-again Christians.) Mystics from all traditions have the common aim of cultivating wakefulness, while the common aim of all mainstream religions is to offer consolation and psychological support. To use the medical analogy, while mystics try to heal themselves (that is, to transcend sleep), conventionally religious people simply try to manage the symptoms." p.41

The aim of UUAWOL ministries is to help people to become holy to sanctify the world. This purpose is not the same as providing opportunities for social connection, entertainment, and interesting community service. Spiritually oriented Unitarian Universalists aren't as interested in book discussions and coffee hour conversations as they are engaging in facilitated opportunities for awakening and spiritual nourishing.

These facilitated opportunities occur in covenantal relationships to affirm and promote the seven principles by offering experiences of deepening empathy, awareness, and resonance with what A Course In Miracles calls the At-one-ment, and what we call at UUAWOL ministries cosmic consciousness. This experience of the Oneness is described in all mystical traditions. In Christianity it is called "Christ consciousness."

The seven principles are not simply a list of rules like the Ten Commandments. The seven principles are maps for right relationship with existence of which we each are a part. The seven principles, to be helpful for awakening, must be taken as a whole and not individually. The seven principles are like a symphony which facilitate harmony when played together to induce a glorious musical experience.

UUAWOL invites you into the ministry which is based in a covenant to affirm and promote these seven principles in one's life, and in one's relationships with all of existence, so that the world can be sanctified.

 

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