Thursday, November 5, 2020

Spiritual book discussion, Scripture Unbound, What's your scripture?


Topic three
What’s your scripture?

Community use of a text, then, shapes and helps decide what ultimately becomes scriptural. Though the dictum of authority has its role, scripture has to have a community endorsement, or it will die. We can study scriptures of cultures and societies that have ceased to exist, but in each case the scripture still has its source and foundation in a particular group of people.

Johnstone, Jonalu. Scripture Unbound: A Unitarian Universalist Approach (p. 7). Skinner House Books. Kindle Edition. 

A great deal of texts used in Unitarian Universalist worship services is insipid. It tends to veer into psychobabble and flowery poetic expressions of verses better suited for greeting cards. The fact that UU has no agreed upon cannon of wisdom sayings undermines its institutional and ritualistic power and authority. 

The lack of cohesiveness in Unitarian Universalist worship undermines its sustainability as a religious force in shaping and guiding the spiritual development of its members and influencing the external world.

A common vocabulary is necessary for effective communication among members and with external audiences, and the lack of development of this shared glossary hampers UUs ability to sustain, let alone attract new members.

The one exception to this criticism seems to be the doxology and the seven principles. Perhaps these can be the building blocks of a shared experience that can sustain the covenant which people enter into when they become members of the UU community.

  1. What is your scripture? 
  2. Are there texts which you turn to on a regular basis for prayer and contemplation to sustain and nurture your spiritual faith?
  3. Are there texts that you regularly share with others when talking about your faith?

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