Are You Ready For Some FOOTBALL??
Sioux Mallard August 15th, 2010
Are you ready for some FOOTBALL???? Well, I can’t believe it is that time of year again, but pre-season opening was this week. I found myself right back into not being able to get enough of this game. I apologize to all you non-football lovers, but I love football, and of course, the New England Patriots. A fan was asked how he felt about coming to watch the NE Patriots play the 2010 Super Bowl Champions New Orleans Saints. He calmly stated that he felt terrific about coming to watch the Saints play this years’ Super Bowl Champions! Now that is what I call having faith in your team.
I have faith in my team – the members of the Leicester Unitarian Church. What is making us survive? We have always been a very small group of twelve active members, with perhaps only half that number attending services regularly at the Federated church since I can remember. In 2007, when we chose to become independent, we knew it wouldn’t be easy. We knew it would take every ounce of our faith to continue and rebuild. But we did it anyway.
I try to listen to folks about their views on religion and what they like and don’t like about their various churches, or why they don’t attend a church at all. What I have found is that people in general still have a lot of faith in their spiritual growth. Few people actually place much faith in the future. Many have no faith that their marriages will survive, that teachers can adequately teach our children, that we will even be allowed to practice our religion. Politicians seem to keep passing laws that don’t align with our beliefs. People have little faith or confidence that there will be a better tomorrow as we have so many challenges ahead in our everyday lives.
But, I did say they have “little faith”, meaning that there is still a glimmer of faith left in us. We all want to succeed our daily challenges. We all want to believe in the fact that people will try to correct wrongs and prosper. We judge the archaic rules placed upon us from every angle – religious and political. We question – we validate – we approach with doubt.
Thinking like “nothing ever turns out right” or “what can I do”, clutters our minds with hopelessness for ourselves, our children and our community. It is important to get out from under that thinking. If your church isn’t working, then move to a place where it can work for you. You need to experience the opening of the heavens – to see your faith in action.
Even for professing Christians, religion is often superficial. Many have a lack of basic knowledge of the Bible, but they are venturing off into understanding other spiritual religions, like the teachings of Buddhism, Bahá'í Faith, Eastern Asia, Judaism, American Indian, and Unitarianism; all emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. According to the Good News, they state that many have come to believe that life is simply a matter of personal choice and nothing matters beyond their feelings. Instead of relying on God, they only trust themselves to solve their problems. Since emotions are so very subjective, it often leaves one feeling confused and grasping anything that offers hope.
Is our church helping to resolve this dilemma? Why are we successful? Yes, many are having difficulty with their current churches, but we don’t seem to have those problems. Or do we? Maybe we just chose to not complain about things as much and focus on what we have going for us that is right rather than on just what needs improving. Maybe we know what we need from our weekly sabbatical to church on Sundays. We had to think long and hard to make this move, so it is up to us to make it work. We have returned to a more spiritual life. We are small enough that we actually know each other, we love each other and care for each other, with all our faults. We try to do things because we know they need to be done, not because we are being forced to do anything.
I admit I felt drained this week. I wasn’t sure just what to talk about – I felt like I have covered every topic imaginable and you all didn’t need to hear anything else that you hadn’t already heard from me! But an unlikely course of action motivated me. My husband, Russ. He reminded me that we have a lot going for us. Just look around and see all the work that has been done on renovations. He reminded me that we are surviving when many churches are failing. Why, because of our team. I guess my personal life has improved with my growing dedication to God and God’s work. I show this on a daily basis, in how I treat him, how I treat others, my caring for doing what is right. I don’t complain what I am doing as it’s what I want to do.
We have outside events happening, like the re-enactment “Abbey Kelly Foster's visit to Rev. Samuel May” (our first minister in 1834); we have been contacted by a representative of Bikes Across America as they want to stay with us during their journey; the Becker College is asking how we can work together more and be a part of their community. We are here because we have faith that we are doing some thing good and noble. We encourage each other to walk a straight line and to grow personally and spiritually. Every time I feel a little down, something happens to bring me back.
A reminder from the GN that John 4:23 states “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him”. Our worship of God must be a reflection of truth. Although worship involves feelings and emotions, God expects us to understand how and why we worship Him. Only by understanding these concepts can we develop an unshakable faith. Faith helps us make sense out of our troubling and confusing world. It gives us the confidence we need to move forward with our lives.
As Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints QB, commented this week before the game -- “You never arrive; you just have to keep going”.
Thank you for being a member of my spiritual team.
Sioux Mallard August 15th, 2010
Are you ready for some FOOTBALL???? Well, I can’t believe it is that time of year again, but pre-season opening was this week. I found myself right back into not being able to get enough of this game. I apologize to all you non-football lovers, but I love football, and of course, the New England Patriots. A fan was asked how he felt about coming to watch the NE Patriots play the 2010 Super Bowl Champions New Orleans Saints. He calmly stated that he felt terrific about coming to watch the Saints play this years’ Super Bowl Champions! Now that is what I call having faith in your team.
I have faith in my team – the members of the Leicester Unitarian Church. What is making us survive? We have always been a very small group of twelve active members, with perhaps only half that number attending services regularly at the Federated church since I can remember. In 2007, when we chose to become independent, we knew it wouldn’t be easy. We knew it would take every ounce of our faith to continue and rebuild. But we did it anyway.
I try to listen to folks about their views on religion and what they like and don’t like about their various churches, or why they don’t attend a church at all. What I have found is that people in general still have a lot of faith in their spiritual growth. Few people actually place much faith in the future. Many have no faith that their marriages will survive, that teachers can adequately teach our children, that we will even be allowed to practice our religion. Politicians seem to keep passing laws that don’t align with our beliefs. People have little faith or confidence that there will be a better tomorrow as we have so many challenges ahead in our everyday lives.
But, I did say they have “little faith”, meaning that there is still a glimmer of faith left in us. We all want to succeed our daily challenges. We all want to believe in the fact that people will try to correct wrongs and prosper. We judge the archaic rules placed upon us from every angle – religious and political. We question – we validate – we approach with doubt.
Thinking like “nothing ever turns out right” or “what can I do”, clutters our minds with hopelessness for ourselves, our children and our community. It is important to get out from under that thinking. If your church isn’t working, then move to a place where it can work for you. You need to experience the opening of the heavens – to see your faith in action.
Even for professing Christians, religion is often superficial. Many have a lack of basic knowledge of the Bible, but they are venturing off into understanding other spiritual religions, like the teachings of Buddhism, Bahá'í Faith, Eastern Asia, Judaism, American Indian, and Unitarianism; all emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. According to the Good News, they state that many have come to believe that life is simply a matter of personal choice and nothing matters beyond their feelings. Instead of relying on God, they only trust themselves to solve their problems. Since emotions are so very subjective, it often leaves one feeling confused and grasping anything that offers hope.
Is our church helping to resolve this dilemma? Why are we successful? Yes, many are having difficulty with their current churches, but we don’t seem to have those problems. Or do we? Maybe we just chose to not complain about things as much and focus on what we have going for us that is right rather than on just what needs improving. Maybe we know what we need from our weekly sabbatical to church on Sundays. We had to think long and hard to make this move, so it is up to us to make it work. We have returned to a more spiritual life. We are small enough that we actually know each other, we love each other and care for each other, with all our faults. We try to do things because we know they need to be done, not because we are being forced to do anything.
I admit I felt drained this week. I wasn’t sure just what to talk about – I felt like I have covered every topic imaginable and you all didn’t need to hear anything else that you hadn’t already heard from me! But an unlikely course of action motivated me. My husband, Russ. He reminded me that we have a lot going for us. Just look around and see all the work that has been done on renovations. He reminded me that we are surviving when many churches are failing. Why, because of our team. I guess my personal life has improved with my growing dedication to God and God’s work. I show this on a daily basis, in how I treat him, how I treat others, my caring for doing what is right. I don’t complain what I am doing as it’s what I want to do.
We have outside events happening, like the re-enactment “Abbey Kelly Foster's visit to Rev. Samuel May” (our first minister in 1834); we have been contacted by a representative of Bikes Across America as they want to stay with us during their journey; the Becker College is asking how we can work together more and be a part of their community. We are here because we have faith that we are doing some thing good and noble. We encourage each other to walk a straight line and to grow personally and spiritually. Every time I feel a little down, something happens to bring me back.
A reminder from the GN that John 4:23 states “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him”. Our worship of God must be a reflection of truth. Although worship involves feelings and emotions, God expects us to understand how and why we worship Him. Only by understanding these concepts can we develop an unshakable faith. Faith helps us make sense out of our troubling and confusing world. It gives us the confidence we need to move forward with our lives.
As Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints QB, commented this week before the game -- “You never arrive; you just have to keep going”.
Thank you for being a member of my spiritual team.