#29 FINDING BEAUTY IN MUSIC, ART, AND LITERATURE

WHERE I WENT AND WHY
After a false start on Friday (see a future blog, #30?), I decided to go to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Charlotte.  I had read about their leader, Jay Leach and knew the building by its preschool, Open Door.  Open Door was one of Charlotte's first integrated preschools and has a reputation in town of being a place where young children are allowed to blossom through play.  I had consulted with them through CPCC and when I worked in inclusion of children with special needs.

WHAT TO KNOW IF YOU WANT TO GO
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Charlotte is at 234 North Sharon Amity Rd.  just east of the intersection of Sharon Amity and Randolph Rd. in Cotswold.  Enter their parking lot via Hardwick and Gaynor Roads.  Parking was an issue, with many folks parking on the adjacent neighborhood streets.  I took advantage of "visitor parking."  Dress was church casual.  I arrived about 5 minutes before the service, but was asked to enter quietly from the rear as the prelude (a Native American Flute Duet) had already begun.  

REFLECTIONS ON WORSHIP

MOOD

The flutists set a very quiet and reverential tone which continued throughout the service.  Music, art, and periods of quiet were used to set the mood.  During announcements visitors were asked to raise their hands and a visitors table and "meet and greet" were held after the service.  Young children were dismissed after a children's choir offering and large print bulletins and hearing devices were available.  

Art was also used to set the mood of the service with 18 works by Canadian artist Emily Carr projected on the large screen.  They were titled in the "Service Notes" of the bulletin.  Here are two I pulled from Wikipedia:

MUSIC

Music was an integral part of the service.  The hymns were unfamiliar to me, but the tunes were either familiar or easy to follow.  Accompaniment was with a grand piano.  Several "musical offerings" were included including 2 Native American pieces on flute and drum and a beautiful Native American song sung with terrific harmony and quiet finesse by the children's choir.  Later a duet by Rachmaninoff was expertly played by the pianist and a violinist. A drummer accompanied the flutists and was an undertone during 2 of the readings. 

MESSAGE

The message was delivered through 2 readings, personal reflection, and a homily.  The theme of the service was "The Other Way to Listen", and the first reading (The Other Way to Listen by Byrd Baylor and Peter Parnall) chronicled an old man teaching a younger man to listen to nature.  Most of the imagery was from nature such as corn growing, cactus blooming in the dark and hearing the hills sing.  .I laughed to myself about the corn growing analogy, as my brother in law, a frustrated lawyer who wanted to be a farmer, used to show us videos of his corn growing, and I'm sure he HEARD it!  And I experienced night blooming cactii in Arizona and the  hummingbird-like moths that pollinate them are one of the most exquisite sights I've seen.  In the second reading, "The Silence of the Stars" from Traveling Light  chronicled native people helping Vanderpost "hear" stars.  In the homily Rev. Jay Leach spoke of Robinson Jeffers (American poet, 1887-1962) who disgruntled with the politics of the day wrote in solitude on the California coast.  He comes to appreciate the "the divinely superfluous beauty" of the hills and oceans. It will endure after our voices are gone.  Rev. Leach encouraged us to listen beyond the cacophony of the world and to have faith to enact that to which we can give our whole hearts.  He encouraged us to post beautiful things (#DefiantBeauty) on Facebook to counteract the divisiveness that abounds there. 

After the homily and during the Offertory (a beautiful piano piece by George Winston)  parishioners came forward to light a candle of "celebration, concern or remembrance".   During this time we were encouraged to hold the music with silent respect, much as we did the message.  This seemed almost like Communion to me with the reverent procession of people and the unspoken prayers or concerns.

OBSERVATIONS AND OUTREACH

• Above is a summary from their national website of their 7 Principles.  I must admit that I know very little about Unitarian Universalists except that they have a reputation  similar to Baha'i for being inclusive of many religious traditions and are generally active in social justice causes.
• This service was carefully crafted to blend the mood, music and message to provide earnest reflection for the congregants.  And while I was moved by the message, I realized that there were no spoken prayers or mention of God.
• During "Concerns of the Congregation" a stewardship campaign was highlighted that included conversations with members to challenge them to deepen their spiritual awareness and how "we might do more" .
• The community is sponsoring a speaker series called "The Common Good:  Community Voices" on Thursday nights.  The next speaker is Laura Americo, a trans woman recognized for her activism.  She will replicate her TED Talk.

THIS WEEK'S "EXTRA"..

I put "Unitarian Universalist cartoon" in google... here are 2 images that popped up.  One is what I remember true about their preschool and the other speaks for itself and is (I think!) appropriate for this week's news.

The Bulletin