The Unitarian Fellowship of Peterborough

 

To find our calling is to find the intersection between our own deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger.   (Frederick Buechner)

To see reality--is to see that unless we live for each other and in and through each other, we do not really live very satisfactorily; that there can really be life only where there really is love. (Buechner)

Your life and my life flow into each other as wave flows into wave, and unless there is peace and joy and freedom for you, there can be no real peace or joy or freedom for me.   (Buechner)

Listen to your life. To find our calling...is to find that point which allows for our fullest expression even as it provides an avenue for our greatest service.    (Buechner)                                  

Don’t ask [only] what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.   (Howard Thurman)
Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?   (Mary Oliver)

 

I had the great honour of preaching at the Sunday service in Thunder Bay. There, we gathered in a room with windows looking out over the McIntyre River, but I began my words there by describing our shared space here...how the central visual focus in this sanctuary is this large cabinet, the ark, which holds the torah scrolls...large, elaborate, parchment scrolls upon which the Five Books of Moses are hand written. I told them how, at the appropriate time in a Jewish service, the Torah is removed from the Ark, and is carried around the synagogue, (that’s why the aisle is so wide in the last row...to allow the scrolls to be carried around the room.) This is done so that those present may honour it...generally by first kissing a corner of their prayer shawl and then touching the fabric to the scroll. This ritual is evidence of the high esteem in which the Torah is held...while Jewish tradition has a long history of ‘interpretation’ of the Torah, and these interpretive writings and opinions are also highly valued....the Torah is THE source, THE law, THE voice of guidance for an observant Jew. 

 

When the Torah is opened and read, at least in more Orthodox services, there is another ritual...first, a Kohen, or a descendent of Aaron is called up to read, then a Levite, and finally a yisr'elim, someone who is neither Kohen nor Levite. As they read, they use a special pointer called a ‘yad’ (literally ‘hand’ in Hebrew) to keep their place in the scroll. The yad is used for two reasons...first, it prevents the ink or the parchment from being ruined by hand oils. Second, the Hebrew in the Torah is absent the guiding voice of vowel points or punctuation, so it is very easy to lose one’s place. Having a pointer is of great assistance, and that is why we gave everyone ‘listening sticks’...to be guides in hearing the voice, looking for one’s truth.

 

So, during the Shabbat service for the Abraham Festival a couple of weeks ago, I sat next to the person who was third to read. He leaned over to me and said, “You know, it is the highest honour, the very highest honour, to be ‘called up’ to read.” 

 

I am touched by this...by the depth of the tradition, by the honour paid to an ancient text, by the automatic response, that of feeling honoured and privileged, to be ‘called up.’ I’m afraid that my response would be quite different...of course, I can’t read Hebrew, I’m not steeped in the tradition, and, as you know, I don’t like being put in the spotlight... (not a great quality in a preacher...)

 

Anyway, it gets me thinking. What is it that we, as Unitarians and Universalists and Unitarian Universalists, hold in such esteem? What is it that we are ‘called up’ to do? Where is the place in our hearts that automatically responds with ‘yes, I’m honoured to be asked’ when called upon? I mean, how often in our congregations do we hear.... “Yoohoo! Here I am! Hey, I’m over here! Pick me!!”

 

Leaving out the larger implications, the children’s version of the story of Samuel focuses on the part where he is awakened by a voice calling his name. He gets up and goes to the priest’s bedside, saying “Here I am”. But Eli hasn’t called Samuel. So Samuel goes back to bed, and is again awakened by the voice. He again goes to Eli, who hasn’t called. This happens several times. Turns out, it is God calling Samuel, and the moral of the story is that when chosen, when called, those who are good and faithful respond quickly and in the affirmative. I don’t know about you, but in such circumstances, I tend to pull the covers up over my head. 

 

But you can’t get away quite that easily. Writer Natalie Goldberg has been quoted as saying, “I used to think that freedom meant doing whatever you want. But it means knowing who you are, knowing what you are supposed to be doing on this earth, and then simply doing it.”[i]   I guess this is what ‘answering the call’ is all about. Knowing who you are. Knowing what you are supposed to be doing on this earth. And then doing it.  

 

I’m not here today to tell you what to listen to...that would be a pointless exercise in such good and defiant company. I’m not here to tell you how you should respond...that would be antithetical to our devotion to the right of conscience. And I can’t tell you what to do…’cause I’m not the boss of you. But I can, at the very least, explore the questions with you.

 

Who or what calls US? We’re great at insisting upon our personal ability to discern what to hear and who to listen to. The glorious beauty of our faith is that we have a library full of sacred texts, six rich and diverse sources, a chorus of gods...a cacaphony of possibilities. We can choose what or who to worship. We can heed the authority of experience, the influence of example, the wisdom of the ages, the traditions of our ancestors, the voice of reason, the spirit of nature...the call, as it were, can come from anywhere or from many wheres at once.

 

It’s not as if we need more things to listen to. In a culture infested with noisy messages …telling us what to wear, what to drive, what to eat, who to be…that still small voice, that true call, is regularly overpowered and lost in the static. And, we’re just so busy...so distracted...so pulled in countless directions… It’s no wonder that turning a deaf ear is often the preferred choice. 

 

Or maybe we’re just tired of being so darn responsible, of answering too many calls. This is a tough faith. It calls us to step up to the plate, assume the position, take a stand. For many of us, a few less obligations , one less call to answer, would be reason to celebrate. 

 

Even so, I have to admit that I think we Unitarians are pretty conflicted about ‘answering the call’. We so resist the notion of anyone or anything else telling us what to do, that our own inner voice, the one that is speaking directly to us, can’t get in. Could be that our ‘lack of faith’ makes the voice untrustworthy. Could be that we disallow a voice that would call us to anything that threatens our individuality. Maybe we think the notion of ‘call’ is beyond reason. Or maybe we just think too much. 

 

You’ve probably heard, if not said, something like, “I can’t explain it. I just knew it was the right thing to do.” I just knew. It’s inexplicable. I won’t tell the story again now, but that certainly was true for my call to ministry. You see, both hearing a call and responding to it involve a kind of knowing that, while it CAN involve the mind, is ultimately dependent upon something else. You might call it intuition or an irrational hunch. You might call it a sense of duty. You might call it heart sense. You might call it plum crazy. 

But let’s just say that you’re willing to tune into that voice. How can we confidently respond to a call that could be saying any old thing, coming from anywhere, including from within? What is the right thing to listen to, and what should we say in response? Here’s my best advice....coming from this one small voice...

 

First of all, practice listening.   The voice can be hard to hear, and often requires you to return again and again to your ear, your oracle, until you hear clearly. It is said that hearing is our least reliable sense, so you have to listen deeply and with intention. Spend time alone. Don’t be afraid of silence. Find something to use as your yad, your pointer, to guide you. It could be a cherished value, or a mantra, or something tangible like a listening stick or favourite rock.

 

Good listening can involve hearing things that make you uncomfortable. Good listening can stretch you to hear voices you haven’t paid attention to before. Practice listening before discounting.   Practice listening before discounting. 

 

Then, practice discernment. This is a big one. It requires questioning authority, which I know you’re really good at, but you also have to know yourself.   Discernment is mostly about questioning yourself, but ultimately, you can trust that you will recognize a true call. The Torah is said to be a Tree of Life to those who hold fast to it. Your call will be a tree of life for you, because it will draw you closer to your authentic self and to the person you want to be. Ask if the voice is moving you toward that goal, or away from something that is obscuring that goal. No call is ever pure or perfect, so listen for a stubborn ‘yes’ under the uncertainly and doubt. And a really good indicator of a true call is that you feel terrified and alive at the same time. 

 

Practice answering. I recall an old Candid Camera skit where telephone bells were placed in implausible objects (this is before cell phones)…and then looked on as people struggled with whether or not to pick up the ringing shoe, or the jingling stapler. We have all felt discomfort in the presence of a ringing phone, all felt that incredible urge to answer it. A telephone has so much power simply that we’ve been well-trained to answer, and we do it automatically even when it might be inappropriate...like answering a cell phone in a public bathroom, like picking up a call rather than waiting on the line of customers in front or you.   If we can be so well-conditioned to respond to a piece of plastic, how much better could we be at answering the bell, from within or without, that calls us to our best and most joyful selves!   That bell is a hot line, your own personal batphone, a direct line to god, and if that phone rings, no matter how far-fetched the circumstances, answer it!

 

Practice saying yes. I’m not suggesting that yes is the only response; if that were true, discernment would be unnecessary. Nothing so refreshing as someone who immediately and enthusiastically says yes when asked to do something. Practically speaking, yes cannot always be your response, but try it out now and then. See how it feels. 

 

Practice listening, practice discernment, practice responding, practice saying yes…then accept that it is all practice. We’re never done or perfect...we don’t always hear the voice clearly...we don’t always make the right choices...but there are no paths that are dead ends...even death might be a beginning...so take heart...take courage...take risks...and don’t take it too seriously. Answer the call with joy and humour! 

 

And through all of that, recognize that no one path, no one calling, no one response is inherently superior to another. There is no order in which we are called up. All that matters is that your answer be authentic and well-examined. The consequences of not heeding a true call can do real damage to your spirit. So when you hear it calling you, do something.   When your phone rings, answer it; screening calls or letting the answering machine pick up only works for so long. Take it from one who knows.  

 

I’ve been focusing this morning on personal calls and voices. But I can’t conclude without considering what it is that WE are called to do. I believe that we, as Unitarian Universalists, are uniquely called, uniquely poised. Our embrace of diversity, our ambitions toward greater understanding, our visions of peace, sustainability and a more fair distribution of resources, put us in good stead to play a key role in creating a new world community. I happen to believe that no individual ‘call’ is the real thing unless it moves us all closer to a kingdom of love and justice. If we each more intentionally attune ourselves to that voice…if we each more regularly and enthusiastically answer the call… the collective results will be incredible! 

 

I leave you with a reminder of the Howard Thurman quote from the responsive reading: "Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” The world is calling. The world needs you. The world needs us.  

May we answer the call. Amen. 

 

Inuit shaman Uvavnuk           From:Side by Side: Fulfilling a Dream 
Trembling with joy,

 

The great sea has set me in motion,

Set me adrift,

And I move as a weed in the river.

 

The arch of sky

And mightiness of storms

Encompass and stir me,

And I am left

Trembling with joy.

 

 

 

 

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