A Colored Meditation
by Rev. Sam Trumbore
Human life is the mixing of
blood red, royal purple, innocent pink,
pure white, earthy brown, sensual green
passionate orange, mysterious black
and sensible blue moments.
Each day, each hour, each minute of our lives
the combinations come and go
blending together to color our existence.
One moment the colors darken with murky density,
the next they shine with vibrant clarity.
Sometimes the intensity is so great,
we wish to tint our glasses, to close our eyes.
May we recognize we
have been, are and will be
more than today's display of color.
If we are attentive, we will see the rainbow after the rain
and the silver in the lining.
Years golden or green continue to deepen
with each moment we see them as they are
and are not afraid to commingle a few sparkles.
(Delivered in New York, January 12, 1896)
Now, a religion, to satisfy the largest portion of humanity, must be able to supply food for all the various types of minds; and where this capability is wanting, the existing sects all become one-sided. Suppose you go to a sect which preaches love and emotion. They sing and weep, and preach love. But as soon as you say: "My friend, that is all right, but I want something stronger than this, a little reason and philosophy; I want to understand things step by step more rationally" - "Get out!" they say, and they not only ask you to get out but would send you to another place if they could. The result is that that sect can only help people of an emotional turn of mind. They not only do not help others, but they try to destroy them. And the most wicked part of the whole thing is that they not only will not help others, but do not believe in their sincerity. Again, there are philosophers who talk of the wisdom of India and the East and use big psychological terms, fifty syllables long; but if an ordinary man like me goes to them and says, "Can you tell me anything to make me spiritual?" the first thing they will do will be to smile and say: "Oh, you are too far below us in your reason. What can you understand about spirituality?" These are high-up philosophers. They simply show you the door. Then there are the mystical sects, who speak all sorts of things about different planes of existence, different states of mind, and what the power of the mind can do, and so on. If you are the ordinary woman and say: "Show me something good that I can do. I am not much given to speculation; can you give me anything that will suit me?" They will smile and say: "Listen to that fool! He knows nothing; his existence is for nothing." And this is going on everywhere in the world…This is the existing condition of religion, the existing condition of things.
What I want to propagate is a religion that will be equally acceptable to all minds. It must be equally philosophic, equally emotional, equally mystical, and equally conducive to action…Religion must be able to show us how to realize the knowledge that teaches that this world is one, that there is but one Existence in the universe.
Swami Vivekananda,
from The Way to the Realization of the Universal Religion
Delivered in the Universalist Church, Pasadena, California January 28, 1900
Our watchword, then, will be acceptance and not exclusion…I believe in acceptance…I accept all religions that were in the past and worship with them all; I worship God with every one of them, in whatever form they worship..I shall go to the mosque of the Mohammedan; I shall enter the Christian Church and kneel before the Crucifix; I shall enter the Buddhist temple, where I shall take refuge in Buddha and his law. I shall go into the forest and sit down in meditation with the Hindu, who is trying to see the Light which enlightens the hearts of everyone.
Not only shall I do all this, but I shall keep my heart open for all the religions that may come in the future. Is God's Book finished? Or is revelation still going on? …I shall leave my heart open for all of them.
No matter what religion one practices, there is always controversy about the correct way to worship, to go beyond ourselves seeking greater truth, beauty, service, and harmony. Because there is such a variety of ways we are inspired, people have strong feelings about how worship should be conducted. There are those who prefer high church services with banners, flowing robes and decorative hats, processions, candles, stained glass windows, extravagant architecture, incense, flowers everywhere and majestic organs booming out the music of the great Western composers. There are those who like low church with simple frosted windows, bare walls without symbols, little or no music, and ministers in drab dark suits with subdued ties professing only the revealed word. There are those who would rather not have a building for worship at all, but would rather it be sold and the money given to the poor. And there are those who are content in any setting, enjoying each one and appreciating its unique characteristics and values. And there are the cranky malcontents who are unsatisfied in any kind of worship in any kind of setting.
None of these forms of worship are linked to one particular view of God or no God, the creation and meaning of life, our destiny and our final end. These different attitudes are found in every religious setting anywhere around the globe. Right here we have high church Unitarian Universalists, low church Unitarian Universalists, no church Unitarian Universalists and any church Unitarian Universalists. The difference has less to do with theology and more to do with each person's personality.
The minister's Convocation last spring which I attended in Hot Springs, Arkansas, provided our ministry with much new energy and inspiration. As part of the event, a book of essays was generated on the theme of the transient and permanent in Unitarian Universalism. I have found great insight into our movement in this collection of essays and would like to present the ideas of one particular author this morning, Rev. Peter Richardson who serves the U.U. congregation in Andover, Massachusetts, titled Four Spiritualities.
How many are familiar with the Myers-Briggs personality scale? (Hands) For those who are not, the scale is derived from the work of Karl Jung, who identified four continuums one could use to broadly classify people. The first will be familiar: the introvert / extrovert scale. The introvert is the more solitary reclusive type person who is uncomfortable in groups and in interpersonal relations. The extrovert is just the opposite, loves groups and crowds, and is very expressive and outgoing. Another familiar personality classification is the thinkers and the feelers. Some (typically men) are much more comfortable looking at a problem or issue from an intellectual viewpoint and to rationally resolve it. Others (stereotypically women) are much more comfortable looking at a problem or issue from an emotional viewpoint and using the counsel of feelings to resolve it. A less familiar classification is the sensers and the intuitives. The sensers are very concrete "show me" type folks who want to learn by doing and receiving understanding through their senses. The intuitives are more abstract and symbolic-thinking folks who would rather figure things out in their head. The last of the four classifications is the judgers and the perceivers. The judgers are structured planners and typically are future-oriented. The perceivers on the other hand are your "live for today" types who take it as it comes.
Most people tend to one end of each of these four scales. I, like many ministers, have the profile extrovert, intuitive, feeling and judging or ENFJ.
There are some popular tests one can take to get a quick fix on one's personality. What is important to remember is that there is no better or worse way to be. Being an extrovert is just as valuable as being an introvert. Being a thinker is just as valuable as being a feeler. The Myers-Briggs profile can be used to help us understand each other and learn to accept our differences.
Rev. Richardson has taken two of these classifications, the thinker/feeler and the sensing/intuitive classifications, and connected them with four ways or paths to approach one's religious journey through life.
The first way, favored by the thinking-intuitive type person, is called the path of Unity. It is the most common one found in Unitarian Universalist Congregations. The most common trait of this type of person is a quest for understanding, seeking great principles, and systematic and global thought. The philosophic perspective is popular with these folks. They will typically describe a strong desire for "clarity" in their religious development, a desire for competency in professional life and an appreciation of a systems approach to organizations. Richardson quotes the great Unitarian minister Theodore Parker who fit this category:
To me, Human Life in all its forms, individual and aggregate, is a perpetual wonder: the Flora of the earth and sea is full of beauty and of mystery which Science seeks to understand; the Fauna of the land and ocean is not less wonderful; the World which holds them both, and the great Universe that enfolds it in on every side, are still more wonderful, complex and attractive, to the contemplating mind.
The kind of worship which most appeals to these folks is the intellectual discourse which takes two differing perspectives and finds a way to resolve them in a way which brings greater understanding. They want to leave the service feeling smarter and wiser than when they did when they came in.
(Show of hands)
On the opposite end of the spectrum is the second way, favored by the feeling- sensing type person, called the path of devotion. Very few Unitarian Universalists fit this mold today. Most common for this type of person is an interest in the here and now rather than any future possiblities. Such an individual focuses on personal service and shies away from a focus on finding a global vision. These folks are concrete, practical, interested in acting locally and in present-time matters of the heart. If they are theistically inclined, they see God as close "in the embrace of care and tears of ecstatic joy…in patient care at the bedside of the sick, in sustained acts of kindness and consideration."
The kind of worship they tend to prefer is very sensual. They love "the smell of incense and the sound of bells, the arrangement of flowers and newly polished candlesticks." When listening to a sermon, they want to feel their way through the stories and illustrations rather than figure it all out. They want to leave the service feeling cared for and loved.
(show of hands (can vote as many times as you want))
The third way, favored by the thinking-sensing type person, is called the path of works. These folks are the reformers and the champions of social engagement with our world. This is the way I believe U.U.'s would like to see themselves, but in fact this dimension of our movement has been waning for the last 100 years. These folks aren't so interested in talking about a problem or figuring out the answer or feeling the pain, they want to roll up their shirt sleeves and get to work fixing it. These folks are doers, producers, who gain their identity through work. They value commitment, loyalty, order, fairness, justice, and responsibility. These folks are often found on social action committees. The find value in doing their duty, being a steward or caretaker of their congregation, their community, their country and their world. These folks often gravitate toward ecological issues and show interest in constructive action to save the planet.
Rev. Richardson found a great quote by such an individual, who was the Greek philosopher Epictetus:
"What would you wish to be doing when you are found by death? I for my part would wish to be found doing something that is beneficent, suitable to the general interest. If death surprises me when I am busy, it is good enough for me if I can stretch out my hands and say: the means which I have received for helping the world I have not neglected; I have not dishonored the world with my acts. That I have been given life, I am thankful."
The kind of worship these folks prefer is very no-nonsense and practical. In a sermon, they seek insights into today's problems which will help them. Because of the vision they hold of a better world, they often become discouraged at the state of things. They want to leave the service energized to go out and make a difference.
(show of hands)
The last way, favored by the feeling-intuitive type person, is called the path of harmony. A growing number of U.U.'s find themselves in this classification. These folks view life as an experiment, existence as an opportunity for spiritual growth and discovery. They are attracted by words like growth, human potential, to be oneself, to evolve one's personhood. These folks have a very strong mystical component, are attracted to mystery and poetry.
This type of person loves the Tao Te Ching and would greatly appreciate these lines from it:
The Way is unimpeded harmony;
its potential may never be fully exploited.
It is as deep as the source of all things:
it blunts the edges,
resolves the complications,
harmonizes the light,
assimilates to the world.
These folks are not interested in getting answers on Sunday morning or having their emotions tweaked (there are no answers, and emotions just come and go), they delight in having a new question to explore or seeing how things are more complex and mysterious than they thought. They want to leave the service feeling bigger and thinking more broadly than before with an expanded sense of their identity, meaning and present reality.
(show of hands)
I hope this exhibition of hands has demonstrated to you the width of variety of personality types here. We come with different desires. We come tuned with different ways of hearing and different receptivity. Some may have raised their hands each time. Some may have raised their hand only once. Some may have not raised their hand at all.
I hope this exhibition will also help you understand why I don't do the same thing every Sunday. From your comments and responses to the Sunday morning services I've presented, I've been learning how to shape my words for your ears to hear. Much of what I believe and I wish to communicate cannot be captured by words. I have great appreciation for all four of these spiritual temperaments and the worship styles that go with them.
I noticed a electronic conversation this week about worship that was right on the subject of our service this morning. The conversation began around a service someone did which included drumming and dancing. Some people decided to walk out of the service. In the electronic conversation, some were encouraging acceptance of different worship styles as I am today. One participant in the conversation complained they were quite unsatisfied with services which had more emotions than new ideas. If she didn't get intellectual stimulation, she'd find another congregation.
There is no question in my mind that people have strong attachments to the worship styles they prefer. But it is imperative we must understand that there is nothing about Unitarian Universalism that dictates which style of worship or non-worship we choose. This often puts your minister and the Sunday Services Committee in a difficult bind as we seek to provide a satisfying experience for all.
The key is balance. No matter how much one just wants to come hear a college style lecture and debate the speaker's conclusions, most people are not satisfied by this alone. I know we have strong support for the music component of our service. Our sense of community is nourished and strengthened by the sharing of joys and concerns. Without social relevance to our services, we become inconsequential. Without the stimulus to self-exploration and discovery, we become like a stagnant pond. All the dimensions of the four spiritualities exist within us and are needed in our services.
This balancing process is not just my task on Sunday morning, but a life-long task for each of us. The more we are able to think AND feel, intuit AND sense, be outgoing AND reserved, be planners AND doers, the more satisfying our lives will be. Yes, it is perfectly fine to be just the way we are, AND there is so much more of life to know, feel and discover at any age.
So this year I plan to be attentive to all four spiritualities. But have no fear, I'm not planning any drumming and dancing services for Sunday morning. Mostly I will be addressing the four spiritualities in my sermons. But on occasion be prepared for some variety to help satisfy the diverse needs of our members. Think of these unusual services or a disliked part of our normal service, as an opportunity to stretch to find new meaning and value. We are not static. We change. We grow. My personal expansion beyond fundamentalist humanism has been greatly rewarding, and exposure to different (often initially disliked) worship experiences in Unitarian Universalist congregations has helped make this growth possible. I have talked to many that have experienced different worship styles in different U.U. congregations and grown to find personal value in all of them.
As from the show of hands, we are primarily a path of unity congregation. This must and will be respected. Our services will reflect that reality. But let us remember that we need more than our favorite spiritual food, for variety is the spice of life.
May we keep our hearts open to those
whose personalities are different,
whose questions are different,
whose worship styles are different,
What binds us together is our common values and our love.
Go in peace
Make peace.
Be at peace.