Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of
“In the Beginning”
Sunday, September 21, 2008
by Rev. Dr. Gretchen Woods
There are so many stories
that tell of the beginnings of our world, of our beginnings. Some we know well:
In the beginning God created
the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness
was upon the face of the deep; and the Spirit of God was moving over the face
of the waters. (Genesis I: 1-2)
Or
In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning
with God; and all things were made through him, and without him was not
anything made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
What we often don’t know is
the former story did not exist for the Jews until after they had encountered
the Babylonian Creation Story during their exile there, and the latter story was
an older Greek prayer/poem adopted by the committee that wrote the Gospel of
John at least 70 years ACE.
Some of us may know the story of “Mud Mother” told by the
Pueblo Indians of this country or the story of Anansi as creator from
The story of the beginning of our cosmos (the Greek word
for “order,” as opposed to “chaos” for disorder) has been changing in the
science of the western world for centuries. Though the Genesis story held sway
for many for millennia, the Greeks early observed that the earth was not the
center of the universe.
But further examination showed that stasis is a
mis-interpretation. Belgian physicist
Georges Lemaitre proved that “Einstein’s equations predict that an infinite,
homogeneous, static universe is impossible. The universe has to expand or contract.
From this realization, the big bang theory. . . was born” (Ibid.)
Physicist Chet Raymo points
out that the term “Big Bang” was first used pejoratively in 1950 by Fred Hoyle,
an astronomer partial to the notion of a steady state universe. Raymo suggests
we might consider other names, like the Big Sneeze, the Big Ha (harkening to a
Jewish story of God creating the world with seven laughs), or the Big Speak,
relating to the many cultures that favor creation coming from vibration or
sound. (Raymo, Natural Prayers, pp. 20-21.)
In the March 2008 issue of Scientific American, we find
two physicists, Lawrence M. Krauss and Robert J. Sherrer, pointing out that we
live in a unique time in the history of scientific study of cosmology (the
study of our universe) because evidence of the accelerating universe, as seen
through the Hubble telescope and subsequent instruments, is disappearing as the
process of expansion speeds up.
With some concern they
write:
We are led inexorably to a very strange conclusion. The
window during which intelligent observers can deduce the true nature of our
expanding universe might be very short indeed. Some civilizations might hold on
to deep historical archives, and this very article might appear in one – if it
can survive billions of years of wars, supernovae, black holes, and countless
other perils. Whether they will believe it is another question. (Krauss &
Sherrer, p. 53.)
Like religious truth,
scientific truth is evolving as well – and could be lost to closed minds -
and/or religious war (another reason to work for peace!).
From the origins of the universe, we turn to the origins
of life as we know it: evolution, the source of human beginnings. Paul Gaugain
asked a universal question, “Where do we come from?” So do we. Apart from jokes
about Poughkeepsie and the difficulties of discussing sex with young children –
and I highly recommend our UU curriculum, “Our Whole Lives,” for the latter
purpose - as much as we may wish we are divinely created (and we may be,
metaphorically speaking), our growing understanding of evolution seems the
scientific best bet so far. It is important to know that Charles Darwin, a
conflicted English Unitarian who was influenced by the thought of his
grandfather, Erasmus Darwin, was
fortunate enough to take that five year trip on the Beagle. Thus he was able to
gather the evidence that would preliminarily confirm a theory of evolution.
The genius of Unitarianism,
Universalism, and Unitarian Universalism has been the willingness of many of
our adherents to study and accept the truth of their own experience and to
apply it to religion. Theodore Parker, a Unitarian minister and one of the
great minds of the 19th century, foreshadowed process theology and actively
studied the science of his day, as did Ralph Waldo Emerson. Their enlightened
mix of science and mysticism is resurfacing among contemporary UU theologians
like Paul Rasor, Connie Barlow, and Thandeka.
We understand that our
knowledge comes from our free and responsible search for truth and meaning. And
we understand that our knowledge is of little good to any of us if it does not
lead us to treasure this incredible world that we inhabit, to recognize that we
must be responsible in our stewardship of the resources we are given and loving
in our responsibility. Yes, we are struck with awe and wonder which leads to
poetic metaphor, and knowledge does not serve us without an ethic of care of
love. As much as we need to know fact, we also need the feeling of uplift of
Weston’s words:
This is the wonder of time;
this is the marvel of space;
Out of the stars swung the
earth; life upon earth rose to love.
This is the marvel of life,
rising to see and to know;
Out of your heart cry
wonder: sing that we live.
Mystery abides in the
ongoing search for truth and meaning. Thus we also respond as does Pat Mayne
Ellis, to quotes found in a newspaper clipping:
“Scientists find universe
awash in tiny diamonds”
But haven’t we always
known?
The shimmer of trees, the
shaking of flames
every cloud lined with
something
clean water sings
right to the belly
scouring us with its purity
it too is awash with
diamonds
“so small that trillions
could rest
on the head of a pin”
It is not unwise then to
say
that the air is close with diamonds
that we breathe diamonds
our lungs hoarding, exchanging
our blood sowing them rich and thick
along every course it takes
Does this explain
why some of us are so hard
why some of us shine
why we are all precious
that we are awash in
creation
spumed with diamonds
shot through with beauty
that survived the deaths of stars
If our creation stories
teach us facts, they must also teach us our own value and the preciousness of
our world, whether through fact or metaphor or both. May we find the
ever-evolving stories that bring us closer to truth and to honoring the whole
of creation, with respect, responsibility, and relish for the process.
So be it! Blessed Be!
In the Beginning
Order of Service
Sunday, September 21, 2008
9:30 AM and 11:00 AM
Welcome
Choral Introit: “Ancient
Mother”
Chalice Lighting:
Like Unitarian
Universalists around the world,
we kindle a flame to begin
our service,
hoping to illuminate truths
that our minds seek,
trusting that our free and
meaningful search
is well grounded in our
religious community.
May it be so.
We also kindle this chalice
for our
In
seek freedom and truth,
and we kindle the final candle
for our children and youth,
that they may know our love
and support in their search.
Opening Words: “Come Out of
the Dark Earth” by May Sarton
(#428, Singing the
Living Tradition)
Opening Song: #1003 “Where
Do We Come From?”
A Time for All Ages: “In
the Beginning”
The Everything Seed
by Carole Martignacco
Sung Response: “We Hold You
in Our Love” by K. Tracy
Announcements and Covenant
Group Testimonials
Celebrating with Music: “What
a Wonderful World!”
Sermon: : “In the
Beginning”
Sung Response: #203 “All
Creatures of the Earth and Sky”
Spoken Response
Candles: Milestones of Joy
or Sorrow/Offering
Meditation
Closing Song #1064 “My
Blue, Boat Home (verses 1 & 2)
Closing Words
Closing Song: #1064 (verse
3)
Celebrants: Maryanne
Dengler, the Rev. Dr. Gretchen Woods, Etc.
Out of the stars in their
flight, out of the dust of eternity,
here we have come,
Stardust and sunlight,
mingling through time and through space.
Out of the stars have we
come, up from time;
Out of the stars have we
come.
Time out of time before
time in the vastness of space,
earth spun to orbit the sun,
Earth with thunder of
mountains newborn, the boiling of seas.
Earth warmed by the sun, lit by sunlight:
This is our home;
Out of the stars have we
come.
Mystery hidden in mystery,
back through all time;
Mystery rising from rocks
in the storm and the sea.
Out of the stars, rising
from rocks and the sea,
kindled by sunlight on
earth, arose life.
Ponder this thing in your
heart;
ponder with awe:
Out of the sea to the land,
up from darkness to light,
Rising to walk and to fly,
out of the sea trembled life.
Ponder this thing in your
heart, life up from the sea;
Eyes to behold, throats to
sing, mates to love.
Life from the sea, warmed
by sun, washed by rain,
life from within, giving
birth, rose to love.
This is the wonder of time;
this is the marvel of space;
Out of the stars swung the
earth; life upon earth rose to love.
This is the marvel of life,
rising to see and to know;
Out of your heart cry
wonder: sing that we live.