Minister's Post, Fri Jun 2

Dear Ones:

Here's a parable about congregational life from the great Universalist minister, Rev. Clinton Lee Scott:

"Now it came to pass that while the elder in Israel tarried in Babylon, a message came to him from a distant city saying, come thou and counsel with us. Help us to search out a priest for the one that has served us has gone mad. And the elder in Israel arose and journeyed to that distant city. And when the men of affairs were assembled, the elder spake unto them saying, what manner of man seeketh thee to be your new priest? And they answered and said unto him, we seek a young man yet with the wisdom of gray hairs. One that speaketh his mind freely yet giveth offense to no one. That draweth the multitude to the temple on the Sabbath but will not be displeased when we ourselves are absent. We desire one who has a gay mood yet is of sober mind. That seeketh out dark sayings and prophecies yet speaketh not over our heads. That filleth the temple, buildeth it up, yet defileth not the sanctuary with a Motley assortment of strangers. We seeketh one that puts the instruction of the young first but requireth not that we become teachers. That causeth the treasury to prosper yet asketh not that we give more of our substance. Verily we seek a prophet that will be unto us a leader but will not seek to change us, for we like not to be disturbed."

I first shared this parable with CUC (with just one U -- as we were then known), in my first appearance in your pulpit: 2013 Apr 28. I was then the candidate to be your minister. I wanted you to understand that, while I am, in fact, perfect (I am perfectly me, just as you are perfectly you), as your minister, I would not be simultaneously exhibiting contradictory qualities.

No one can simultaneously exhibit contradictory qualities. I wanted you to have that in mind 10 years ago as you considered whether to call me as your minister. And I want to remind you of this now, as you begin the process of considering who your next settled minister will be. One cannot have both youthful exuberance and long years of experience at the same time. Nor can one be both free-speaking and smoothly diplomatic, or any of the other dichotomies Rev. Scott named. Your new minister will have some gifts. Just remember that the condition for having a gift is that certain other gifts are precluded.

Yours in the faith we share,
Meredith

Join a Journey Group: http://cucwp.org/journey-groups

I.C.Y.M.I. (In Case You Missed It)

The May 28 service, "Astrotheology":



The May 21 service, "Transitions":



Here it is, your...
MOMENT OF ZEN
#161: The Poem

The poem about your practice is immediately visible to the whole world. No need to recite it. You already have and are.

Case

Wolverine approached Raven after a meeting had broken up and said, "I've composed a poem about my practice. Do you want to hear it?"
Raven said, "No."
Wolverine said, "I'm going to recite it anyway."
Raven gave a croak and flew up into the Assembly Oak.
Next day, Mole told Porcupine about this, and said, "I thought Roshi was pretty rude to Wolverine. Why did she make such a point of not wanting to hear his poem?"
Porcupine said, "She already knew it by heart."

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