Spirit of Life: Wings Set Us Free
Ponderings of the Spiritual Life Director
Religion is about life. Religion is about how we live in the world and also how the world lives in us. The world lives in us through our emotions, making life a unique experience and also a connecting force. We connect with each other in our community and seek the holy together. But what is holy? Each one of us and the transcending power of love that binds us is holy.
As the Rev. Thandeka explains, “The spiritual foundation of liberal faith, after all, is not a set of doctrinal claims or creeds or religious beliefs or ideas. Liberal faith begins with transformed and uplifted feelings that exalt the human soul and let us love beyond belief, come what may.”
Come what may! We are constantly on a journey of creating our faith together, carried by wings that set us free. We are not alone. We need each other to affect each others’ emotions — to care for and uplift each other — and evoke the Spirit of Life and Love.
Rev. Thandeka has done extensive work in establishing the theory of “affect theology.” It’s fascinating! You can read about it here: http://wp.revthandeka.org/contemporary-affect-theology. As I’ve been discovering this concept, I’ve realized what I’m trying to create and have a clearer vision of how to bring about the collective Spirit. I can now better articulate my reason for creating what I have recently termed “interactive worship”, which I like to present monthly. So, I thought I’d explain interactive worship to you, because I’d like to see us grasp it as an opportunity for community building and transformation, rather than shy away from it out of fear (fear of interaction, fear of emotions, fear of sharing, fear of failure, fear of success).
Interactive worship is an opportunity for you to root yourself in Unitarian Universalism and to spread your wings so that you can experience your faith. We all have different practices when it comes to our own personal theologies and spiritualities, and many of us are looking to make our lives more meaningful. During an interactive worship service, I am giving you opportunities to reflect, to engage in sensory experiences, to experience the emotions that are evoked, and to reflect again on how we can improve our lives and the lives of others. I like to set up prayer or meditation centers that have a simple activity. These centers are a chance to get personal with your spiritual practice and to explore new ways of being in this world, starting in the safety of our sanctuary. It’s also an opportunity to share and connect with others on a deeper level. How does it feel to engage in the activity? How are your emotions affecting others? How are the emotions of others affecting you? How are you creating religious community together? Are you, as Thandeka says is at the core of affect theology, loving beyond belief?
Being an observer is a valid approach, too! Observe your community. How do we interact with each other? What emotions are people exhibiting and how is this affecting those around them? Are we creating sacred space together? Are we feeling connected by the Spirit of Life- that mystery and wonder that transcends us? How do you feel when you observe others feeling uplifted?
Unitarian Universalism is a living tradition, always changing through continuous revelation. Interactive worship gives you the possibility of new things. It gives you an open window to awaken your senses and your emotions so that you can become alive again on this collective journey. We cannot live one without the other and so it is our duty to set ourselves free from that which oppresses us and to create a loving community that seeks the Spirit of Life and Love together. Come what may!