Universalist National Memorial Church

“Watch with Me”: Dietrich Bonhoeffer and Religionless Christianity

A sermon preached by Deacon Perry King on April 15, 2012

I'm very happy to be preaching this morning in this particular place on one of my favorite modern heroes, Dietrich Bonhoeffer. I believe that he belongs very much in our liberal Universalist tradition even though he was a Lutheran for his entire life. For those of you not familiar with Bonhoeffer, I hope this will spark your interest to dig deeper into this story, as it has intrigued me since the first time I heard it. My interest in preaching on this topic developed out of my reading of a recently published book, Religionless Christianity: Dietrich Bonhoeffer in Troubled Times, by Jeffrey Pugh. (For those new to the Bonhoeffer story, you may want to read the brief biographies by James Kiefer and the Encyclopedia of World Biography.)

What exactly did he mean by "religionless Christianity"? That sounds like a contradiction, doesn't it? What could it mean to a person locked up in a Nazi prison around people for whom religious language and ritual had little meaning? In fact most of the religious people in Germany were supporting the Nazis. What could a deeply religious man do in this situation? How could he speak the good news or share his faith with the others in a most unpleasant situation?

He found a partial answer in the story of Jesus in Gethsemane, especially in his call to "watch with me". Bonhoeffer had made his choice and was now paying the price and probably was also trying to justify his choice. He had leaned towards pacifism during a lot of his ministry but had decided that, as he was as a German partially responsible for the rise of Nazism, he needed to be part of the solution, and that meant to get rid of Hitler in the only way possible. So, he made the painful choice to participate in the plot to assassinate Hitler. He saw very clearly that there was nothing in the message of Jesus that could support the mass murder of Jews and made his decision to do what must be done to protect the lives of the innocent. Now we can see a little more of what he meant by "living fully in the world".

UNMC Ministry Meeting This Sunday, April 15

How beautiful it was to celebrate our annual Maundy Thursday communion around a table with such a diverse group of Christians, Jesus followers, seekers, and even Jewish and Muslim friends! And Easter itself! Dr. Jim Morgan wasn't being modest when he said that we all could have gone home after the choir's soaring anthems and alleluias! But aren't we glad that Jim stayed! He preached a message that speaks to the task before our beloved congregation -- determining our way forward -- as he reminded us that Good Friday comes before Easter, that death comes before new life.

We will begin that discernment process with a meeting after worship this Sunday, April 15. All members and friends are urged to attend and to prepare with prayer and perhaps by reading the Rev. Elizabeth Curtis' recent sermon in which she asked us to consider what we want for our "true soul" and for the faith that this church was founded to serve.

If you cannot attend, please get in touch with Deacon Perry King to share your thoughts. And mark your calendar as well for the annual congregational meeting May 20.

Happy Birthday & Holy Week

The first worship service at Universalist National Memorial Church took place on Palm Sunday, 1930. We waved palms again on Palm Sunday 2012, on the 82nd anniversary of that event, beginning our worship with a prayer outdoors, then moving inside for a moving service with fabulous music from the choir and an inspiring message from Dr. Jim Morgan.

Palm Sunday is the beginning of Holy Week. Neighbors and friends, members and newcomers are encouraged to join us at any or all of these events:

• Thursday, April 5, 6:30 p.m. - Maundy Thursday communion service and pot luck dinner

• Friday, April 6, noon - Good Friday worship

• Sunday, April 8, 11 a.m. - Easter worship celebration with Dr. Jim Morgan preaching

If you don't have time to cook something for the pot luck dinner, don't sweat it. Just pick up a bag of chips. No time to get some chips? That's no problem either. There's always plenty of food. Just come and know that everyone is invited to the table. Maundy Thursday is the one communion service mandated by our bylaws, so its annual observance is always very special.

Melting the Snowman

A sermon preached by Rev. Elizabeth R. Curtiss on March 25, 2012

An Introductory Message to Universalist National Memorial Church from the Reverend Elz Curtiss

Over the last year, since the stunning news of your minister's departure, I have watched your news and prayed for you, as people and as a congregation. Some of my dearest memories are here, both of worship leadership and of faithful community received. While staying with Deacon Sue Mosher last weekend, I made every endeavor to avoid discussing congregational politics and relations, asking simply how you are doing with your labors. When I entered the building again to preach this sermon, I experienced in a quality of worship and reflection materials that far exceeds the usual output of busy folks working on their own. Truly I was fed in our weekend together.

As we drove home later, Sue told me that you have a congregational meeting on April 15, presumably to talk about next steps forward. I have done my best to recapture this sermon, both as preached and as written, in order to help each of you prepare. Without expressing any opinions on the matter, which is yours alone, I send these words with gratitude to God and to you, for allowing me to play some small role along your journey of service to our great faith.

May God bless your reflections and strengthen your efforts, in this and in all things.

~ Rev. Elz Curtiss, Palm Sunday, 2012

He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal. John 12:25

"If anyone loves his life in this world he shall lose it - she, he, they - but the ones who hate this life shall keep life eternal." That's how Jesus said it, according to the Gospel of John.

"Today the melting snowman becomes a real man." Those are the words of Fusen, the Japanese poet, maybe monk, on his deathbed, in 18^th century Japan. Permit me to paraphrase Fusen:

"Today the person of snow becomes a true soul."

Necessary and Unnecessary Suffering

A sermon preached by Deacon Dave Skidmore on March 18, 2012

We are more than halfway through Lent. In the Christian tradition, it's a time of reflection, sacrifice -- and suffering, the topic of today's sermon. A quick footnote -- if you have a good memory and you've been here for awhile -- you may recognize that this sermon bears a striking resemblance to one I delivered here eight years ago.

I'd like to start this morning by taking a quick poll. Who here this morning is following the tradition of giving something up for Lent? Raise your hand. Does anyone feel comfortable sharing what they have given up? (Pause) I'm surprised I didn't hear chocolate and wine. They seem to be on many people's list of not-so-secret vices. Some years back, I gave up potato chips -- which was kind of tough since I was then in the habit of eating potato chips with lunch every day. Then, one year I got the brilliant idea of giving up something more spiritually meaningful -- like irritability. I don't think I made it through one day, let alone 40. So, now I am back to making a more achievable symbolic sacrifice. This year, since Ash Wednesday, whenever I pass by the snack shop in the basement of the building where I work -- I do not buy fresh-popped popcorn for an afternoon snack. In fact, I do not have any salty or sweet or fatty snack. As a substitute for popcorn, I almost went back onto potato chips but I figured that would be cheating. I'm reminded of a good friend of mine who gave up dessert for Lent. I was visiting him in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and when his wife served dessert, he got up from the table and poured himself a big bowl of his kids Cocoa Puffs. As the rest of us ate pie, he ate the Cocoa Puffs -- righteous in his asceticism.

Why do we give something up for Lent? Why do we consider it necessary to suffer, at least a little bit, before we celebrate Easter? Suffering is not an uncommon theme in the Bible. We heard it last summer when Richard Hurst preached about Jacob at the stream called the Jabbok -- wrestling with an angel in the middle of the night, and limping away wounded before he goes on to found the nation of Israel. We heard it in this morning's lectionary reading from the book of Numbers. The Israelites, as they wandered in the desert with Moses, complained about the miserable food and lack of water. God -- in this passage the ultimate tough-love father -- says, in effect, "You dare complain to me about the food and water? Let's see how you like these poisonous serpents!" Jesus fasted in the wilderness for 40 days before beginning his ministry. He died on the cross before being resurrected into eternal life. Suffering, in these stories, is a transformative process -- allowing the protagonists to move into what comes next. Is it possible to reach the Promised Land without first wandering in the wilderness? Can we be born into new life without suffering the crucifixion of the old life?