The Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Salem, Oregon

UUCS Sermons
Sermon by the Reverend Richard R. Davis

            (Let me begin by noting that my sermons fall into two basic categories – those in which I strive to articulate our common principles and purposes – most of my sermons probably fall into this category.  And then there are those times when I feel called to share a more personal vision in which I have no expectation that every one of us will necessarily be on the same wavelength – we are a theologically diverse congregation.  But I think it’s good for us to share testimony of our personal faith.)  

            Over fourteen years ago this congregation assembled on a Sunday evening at the Congregational Church downtown so I could be officially installed as your minister.  It was really a grand celebration of our shared ministry.  We had to have the service at that friendly church because there wasn’t enough room at the building on 19^th St. (now owned by the Friends (Quakers).  My good friend and colleague, the Rev. Dan O’Neal from Santa Rosa , CA , delivered the sermon at this service (Sadly, Dan, who was only in his mid-fifties, died a few years later from prostate cancer).   In his sermon Dan boldly, and I think quite incorrectly, predicted that one day I would be known as “the sage of Salem .”   So far this has not come to pass, and I see no evidence that it ever will.   To be sure, my dry wit and irreverent ways have led some to call me a wise guy, but I’m not sure about a wise man. 

            Dan wasn’t completely off the mark, though.  He knew me pretty well, and he knew that I do have deep spiritual yearnings and aspirations.  Thus you could say that I am an aspiring sage or a “wannabe” sage.    I also can say that I think I’m in better spiritual shape than I was when you installed me – so I think there’s been some slight progress on the road to sage-dom.  One of the primary reasons for my enhanced spiritual fitness is that I associate with people who affirm, challenge and encourage my continuing growth – that is, this congregation and other good people I know.  

Today, this aspiring sage wants to share some reflections on life, and what I’ve just said leads to my first observation:  Choose your friends and associates carefully – as much as you are able - because those with whom you associate play a major role in whether you grow, stagnate, or worse yet, regress into unhealthy patterns of living.   Above all, don’t try to go it alone  – we’re not isolated beings – we live and thrive by our connections to other people.   And this congregation can be a wonderful interpersonal setting which promotes growth for you. 

Before I continue, though, I want to back up and say that there is something a bit unseemly, even arrogant, in one person thinking they’ve got life figured out better than other people and have the right to stand before them and pontificate.  I don’t mean to do that.  Rather, think of this as me thinking aloud about what I’ve learned and am continuing to learn about how to be in this world.  It’s a good exercise for any of us to clarify in our own minds the wisdom you or I have gained through experience so this can be a guide as you continue down the path.   If, perchance, something I say resonates with you or awakens a latent insight, then good.  But you have your own wisdom.  Above all, in Unitarian Universalism, we encourage one another to trust in our own abilities to discern the truth, not to have it handed to us by some spiritual authority figure.   Or, as the Buddha said, “Be lights unto yourselves.” 

 One of the core lessons I’ve learned in my life derives from my appreciation of classical music – listening to it is a long time passion of mine.  Believe it or not, I refrain from talking about this as much as I would like because I fear it may smack of cultural elitism.  But I genuinely groove on this music, it feeds my soul, it is one of the great, enduring joys of my life.  For the past thirty seven or so years I’ve listened to quite a lot of it – from Bach and Handel to Bartok, Shostakovich and Prokofiev and many of the major composers in between.  My knowledge is far from encyclopedic, but there are many glorious masterpieces in my musical memory treasure chest, and I keep adding to it every year.  

In my listening all these years I have been repeatedly recognized a certain pattern.  Initially, I did not really enjoy or appreciate most of the music I now love.  It just didn’t seem that special – it just seemed like complicated notes and rhythms signifying nothing in particular

In truth, I am actually a rather dull witted music appreciator.  But I am doggedly persistent. If a piece of music has such an august reputation that I trust it will eventually reveal itself to be a masterpiece, I listen and listen and listen.  Appreciation only comes to me slowly.  Usually I have to listen to a piece a number of times before I really get it.  I have a hard time at concerts where they play only unfamiliar pieces.  Usually, I don’t really hear that music.  So many times after I have come to love a piece of music dearly – like say that amazing Shostakovich string quartet I’ve been listening to recently – I wonder why I did not appreciate the beauty, the passion, the sheer genius of this music when I first heard the notes.   It was the same music all the time – the music didn’t change.  I changed.  I came to recognize the patterns of the music and my heart slowly became receptive to the intense feelings so memorably expressed in tone.  It takes some time, but eventually I get emotionally and spiritually connected.  I get it.  It makes a world of difference.  Imagine that day after day you were hearing someone speak in a foreign tongue, and one day you woke up and understood every word.  This shift in my appreciation of the music is that dramatic. I never took any class in music appreciation and have fairly limited musical training – all I needed to do was listen, listen, listen. 

I live in perpetual awe of this music – I can’t fathom how mere mortals can ever compose such masterpieces – sometimes it seems that God or some superior spirit must have chosen certain chosen souls to record the divine musical thoughts.  When I allow my heart and mind to be swept up into the music of a great artist whose superior musical intelligence I have learned to trust, his vision helps me soar to places where I could never have flown under my own imaginary powers.  This music has added such richness to my life, and I am grateful for it.

But what does all this have to do with life in general?  Well, it’s like this. There was once a crowd of visitors about to enter the Uffizi museum in Florence , Italy , which is chock full of priceless masterpieces.  A guard at the entrance spoke to the people before they entered:  “Remember, it’s not the paintings that are on trial.”  Which is to say, the paintings are acknowledged masterpieces.  Whether or not those visitors fully appreciate the art depends upon the openness of their hearts and minds to perceptions of meaning and beauty.   Frankly, I don’t do so well in museums since I don’t have a particularly good eye for art, but I like this story because it suggests a larger truth.

In our lives are we not like those visitors to the museum?  I have faith that the reality in which we live and move and have our being – the reality that has given birth to so many great artists - is the ultimate, sacred, living, interactive masterpiece.  And it is not this unfathomably wondrous cosmos we live in which is on trial, but us.  Do we perceive its wonder, beauty and grandeur or are we so completely wrapped up in ourselves, our plans and pre-occupations, our grudges and greed for gain and fear of loss and so on and  that we miss it completely?  

Let me acknowledge that in calling reality the ultimate, living, interactive masterpiece I am making a statement of my religious conviction, even if I shy away from traditional religious language which can confuse, confound and polarize people.  I do have faith that reality is imbued with sacred depth and meaning and that we are an integral part of this, and the more we realize this the more we will experience peace and joy and love.  For me, this reality in which we live and move and have our being is the greatest, the ultimate masterpiece – infinitely more wondrous than all the string quartets, sonatas, symphonies and concertos I so dearly love put all together.  Every new day of life I get to see and hear and experience this masterpiece anew, and although I have not yet fully appreciated all the subtle rhythms, the complex interweaving patterns of connection or the broad tonalities of meaning, my appreciation of this awesome masterpiece deepens day by day. 

I do not believe that we are isolated, self contained entities living in an indifferent universe, accidentally brought into being by for a brief time, here to scratch out a living, each us finding whatever pleasure and gratification we can before death swallows us whole and we disappear into complete oblivion.  I have faith that we are a part of something wondrous and trustworthy.  Ultimately, I trust in the universe, I have faith that I am an integral part of a reality that is greater and more wondrous than my isolated self – and this calls forth feelings of devotion and gratitude and awe.  

I think it makes a tremendous difference how you view this reality which surrounds us because it influences your attitude toward life day by day.  It can mean the difference between having a sense of hope and expectation that new insight, wisdom, love, peace and joy lie in store– believing that you can change and grow as you come to have a deeper appreciation for the wonder of life, or simply enduring, regarding life as just a tiresome, meaningless repetitive march to the grave.  It can mean the difference between learning to trust in the flow or feeling as though you always need to be on guard, protective, anxious, worried, fretful.  How we view this reality which surrounds us matters.  It colors our whole perception life. 

Consider this:  If  I had originally believed that the music I now love was just a bunch of random notes – mere pleasing sounds at best - signifying nothing, I would never have come to love this music, to perceive the unity and sheer genius of it.  My faith that there was something more to hear kept me going – listening even through the times when it didn’t make sense - like when I spent a year listening and listening to Bartok’s six string quartets, which I finally heard, and they’re each masterpieces.  Had I lacked faith that there was more to appreciate I never would have listened again and again until I got it.  So I always remember the key to appreciating this great music is simply to listen, listen, listen. 

But how about life?   There’s a story about this.  Once a busy merchant went to visit a Zen Master, and said   "Master, I know you are busy, so please write on this scroll some maxims of the highest wisdom for me to study." And the master wrote, "Attention." The merchant was puzzled, and said, "I don't understand." And the master wrote "Attention. Attention."

"But all you're doing is writing 'attention'. Isn't there anything else?"  And the master wrote it three times running: "Attention. Attention. Attention."   Exasperated, the merchant demanded, "What do you mean by 'attention', anyway?!"  "Attention means attention," the master replied.   

Yes, indeed.  Just be aware.  You don’t need to take a special class in life appreciation to do this.  Just be aware with the faith that there is ever more you will see, hear, and experience that will deepen your appreciation of this great and glorious masterpiece, this glorious dance of atoms and galaxies, of which we are a part.  There is, I believe, a hidden wholeness to this masterpiece that can be discerned by those who pay attention with heart and mind.  The poet William Blake knew this full well when he advised us:

  “To see a World in a Grain of Sand

And a Heaven in a Wild Flower

Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand

And Eternity in an hour.”

 Have faith - the masterpiece is here, all around us.  Love and enjoy.