Piety at Home

Caleb Stetson, 1793–1870, was a Unitarian minister, mainly in Medford, Mass. and also in Scituate (Norwell) A early member of what is most commonly called The Transcendental Club, Stetson was a friend of Emerson and spoke at a meeting against slavery on the step of Thoreau's hut at Walden Pond.

Known for his sense of humor, Stetson could make even Emerson laugh (see comments on earlier post: http://bostonunitarian.blogspot.com/2008/11/ray-of-spiritual-brightness.html)

I am thinking about Stetson today because I am thinking about one of my favorite words, piety, and, especially, the idea of teaching or inculcating a healthy piety in children. As a DRE and (esp) as a parent of three children, the issue is deeply important to me.

Children have, I firmly believe, a natural piety or capacity for wonder that often deepens my own personal piety. I worry, though, that just about every signal they get in society, in much of daily life, and in just "growing up" work to slowly deaden that natural gift and, for the most part, I feel I don't do nearly enough to counter that.

So back to Stetson. Following are excerpts from Stetson's "Piety at Home", published as an AUA Tract in 1832:

"ST. PAUL, in his epistle to Timothy, charges him to exhort the younger members of families, ' to learn to show piety at home,' as their first duty...I fear it is the tendency of this age, to underrate that kind of piety, which consists in doing right in a natural and quiet way. There is an inordinate appetite for strong sensations and startling effects...When religion is understood to consist in a burning excitement, or an eagerness to exert influence at the greatest possible distance, the commonplace pursuits of daily life do not seem to have dignity enough to be taken under its 'direction. Yet what can Christianity do for a man, better than to make him good in those very relations, which demand his chief care and duty ? In what possible way can it minister to human virtue and happiness more largely, than by rendering us kind, gentle, and faithful in our domestic connections ?...Common virtues are more frequently wanted, and therefore more valuable, than extraordinary ones. If religion has any power in our hearts, it must be manifested chiefly in our doing little things well. When a man separates his religion from his morality, making the former one thing, and the latter another and a different thing, there is great danger that neither will be very good...All duties are religious ones.There may be but little glory, but there is a great deal of merit, and of happiness too, in ' showing piety at home' — in that narrow circle of duty, which God has made the principal sphere of our action."

Tomorrow, more from Stetson's sermon. What are your views on this question? Are all duties religious? Should we be fostering piety in our children? If so, how best? If not, why not?

Blessings

Advent Devotional: The Second Week

A family devotional for the Second Week in Advent (for more and for week one, see posts labeled "Advent")

December 7th, The Second Sunday in Advent We are waiting for Hope

Begin with silent meditation

Light the first and second candles or your chalice with these words: “And now, O Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you.” Psalm 39:7

During the week to come, look for things, events, and actions that make you hopeful. Don’t overlook the very small words and acts that make up the fabric of our hope.

End with a prayer or silence: A Prayer:

We gather together in hope. May our feet bring the good news of hope to all people today and everyday. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen

Blessings

A Martyr's Spirit: Thoughts on Ministry

Channing's famous "Unitarian Christianity" address was, of course, delivered at the "Ordination of the Rev. Jared Sparks" in 1819. What a moment that must have been...In the bulk of the discourse, Channing seeks to delineate the Unitarian view on the Bible, God, Jesus, and morality. His concluding statements express the reason and motive for spreading the Unitarian message, and gives Rev. Sparks (and all since who answer this lofty call) a high charge. Some excerpts:

"I have thus given the distinguishing views of those Christians in whose names I have spoken. We have embraced this system not hastily or lightly, but after much deliberation: and we hold it fast not merely because we believe it to be true, but because we regard it as purifying truth...That we wish to spread it, we have no desire to conceal; but we think that we wish its diffusion because we regard it as more friendly to practical piety and pure morals than the opposite doctrines, because it gives clearer and nobler views of duty, and stronger motives to its performance, because it recommends religion at once to the understanding and the heart, because it asserts the lovely and venerable attributes of God, because it tends to restore the benevolent spirit of Jesus to his divided and afflicted church, and because it cuts off every hope of God's favor except that which springs from practical conformity to the life and precepts of Christ. We see nothing in our views to give offence save their purity, and it is their purity which makes us seek and hope their extension through the world."

And then to brother Sparks:

"My friend and brother,-you are this day to take upon you important duties; to be clothed with an office which the Son of God did not disdain; to devote yourself to that religion which the most hallowed lips have preached, and the most precious blood sealed. We trust that you will bring to this work a willing mind, a firm purpose, a martyr's spirit, a readiness to toil and suffer for the truth, a devotion of your best powers to the interests of piety and virtue...My brother, may your life preach more loudly than your lips! Be to this people a pattern of all good works..."

Blessings

Drainage, drunkenness, and divorce

Francis Greenwood Peabody (1847-1936) was born on this day to Mary Jane and Rev. Ephraim Peabody (see several recent posts) Peabody served as Minister at First Parish in Cambridge before entering on what would become a wide-ranging career at Harvard, eventually becoming the Dean of the Divinity School.
Peabody would become best know for his work in Social Ethics and would be instrumental in introducing this discipline at Harvard Divinity School. His Social Ethics course would famously be called, by his students, “Peabody’s drainage, drunkenness, and divorce” class.
Among his numerous writings was the influential "Jesus Christ and the Social Question" Some brief excerpts:

"WHEN one turns from the problem of the existence of the rich to the problem of the care of the poor, he enters a region of thought and duty much more familiar to the follower of Jesus Christ. From the first days of Christian history until now the duties of compassion for the unfortunate and of help for the helpless have been among the elementary virtues of the Christian life. The transition made by the ministry of Jesus in the history of philanthropy is hardly less remarkable than the transition made in the history of theology. With the new thought of God came a new love for man... No body of Christians, however humble, can maintain its self-respect without an elaborate organization of compassion and relief. The Church welcomes for itself not only the test of truth, but the test of public utility. " I by my works will shew thee," it says, "my faith."

(For the full text of "Jesus and the Social Question" see http://books.google.com/books?id=wEAWAAAAYAAJ&pg=PP9&dq=francis+greenwood+peabody+jesus+and+the+social+question&ie=ISO-8859-1&output=html.)

Blessings

Old Books

My copy of Channing (The Complete Works of William Ellery Channing with an Introduction, New and Complete Edition, Rearranged, to Which is Added The Perfect Life) is in bad shape. In fact it is held together by duct tape and prayer. Some time ago I bought a backup copy for the sad yet ineveitable day when my "working" Channing becomes unreadable but it sits in (I hope) long delayed anticipation.

I love old, used books though I am not a collector in the sense of caring much about editions, market value etc...When a "new" old book arrives from Alibris ( http://www.alibris.com/), my main source, I love to look for signatures, notes and underlines-all wonderful evidence that the book was once lovingly read, or given as a gift. I have books that have three different signatures, to which I have added my own to be found in another 100 years by someone who will, I hope, love them as much as I do.

I am relatively new to the world of computers and computer commerce having been a confirmed neo-luddite for several years. It is only about six years past since I first learned how to turn one on. So deeply ignorant of what I would find...I remember searching for information about Unitarians and expecting a paragraph or two! The first time I searched for the books that now are so deeply important to me, I found several copies (proabably at Alibris)...I was so excited by this that I immediatly told my wife that I must hurry and buy these books as it must be a rare and wonderful thing that they are up for sale and I was afraid they would all be snatched up. She (who had considerably more computer savvy than me) looked at me with that particular look and assured me that probably the copies would be safe from a mad rush of antique Unitarian book buying...

Channing, Clarke, Abbot, and so many more are now my constant companions on the Way and I thank God for this "rare and wonderful" gift. Blessings

An Advent Devotional for Individuals and Families

What Are We Waiting For?

An Advent Devotional for Individuals and Families

First Week in Advent

What are we waiting for? Advent is a time of anticipation. We are all waiting for something. For children, it is the excitement of gifts and all the “trappings” of the season. For merchants, it is the hope and the worry of a few weeks that can make or break a year. For others, memories of past holiday seasons mixed with “new family traditions” paint Christmas in complex colors. All, however, share a vague (or not so vague) feeling that we should make more of the season than snow globes and Christmas music at the mall in late October. What are we waiting for? This simple advent devotional for individual people or for families seeks to help us answer this question and to focus our hearts and minds on the answer of Christmas which is the birth of Jesus in history and in our heats.

Preparation for a season of Advent devotional practice:
* Prepare your hearts and minds for your devotional by discussing what it is you will be doing during this time. If you have never set aside personal or family devotional time, it can seem an awkward and uncomfortable practice. Talk (or think) in advance about what you will be doing during your devotions and why you will be doing it.
* If you will be practicing this devotion as a family, make sure that every member has a regular part in the service whether lighting the candles, reading the scripture, praying the prayer etc…Talk about what each person’s role will be in advance so that all are comfortable and invested in the service.
*Prepare a personal or family advent wreath with candles. A family chalice will work as well
*Think about the time, and space in which you will have your devotions and keep to them as much as possible. The dinner table in the late afternoon may be a good option but, of course, everyone’s schedule differs.
*Pray that God may be with you or in the midst of your family before each meditation.

What Are We Waiting For?
The Promise of Advent

November 30th, The First Sunday in Advent: We are waiting for Peace
Gather together in your established place and begin with a moment of intentional silence. Light the first candle of your advent wreath or chalice with these words:

“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace. Who brings good news of happiness and publishes salvation. Who says to Zion, your God reigns. (Isaiah 52:7)

Think about how you can publish peace during each day of the week to come. How can your feet bring good news? Encourage (or think about) simple and practical responses.

Close with a prayer or intentional silence: A simple prayer: (perhaps memorized and led by younger children)
We gather together in peace. May our feet bring the good news of peace to all people today and everyday. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen


If you can, repeat the Sunday devotional, using the same readings and prayers each day of the week following the Advent Sunday devotion. Daily devotional time will help the practice to become part of the fabric of your lives during this season of Advent.
Prayers, poems, music, and much else can, of course, be added to this basic structure depending on your personal or family interests.

May God bless you and keep you. Amen

"An immortal germ"

Along with Ralph Waldo, William Ellery is probably among the most quoted and little read in the pantheon. This is much to our detriment as reading Channing is a challenging and very rewarding experience. In the "Introductory Remarks" of his Collected Works, Channing summarizes his main themes:

"Some topics will be found to recur often, perhaps the reader may think too often; but it is in this way that a writer manifests his individuality, and he can in no other do justice to his own mind...The following writings will be found to be distinguished by nothing more than by the high estimate which they express of human nature. A respect for the human soul breathes through them...the greatness of the soul is especially seen in the intellectual energy which discerns absolute, universal truth, in the idea of God, in freedom of will and moral power, in disinterestedness and self-sacrifice, in the boundlessness of love, in aspirations after perfection, in desires and affections, which time and space cannot confine, and the world cannot fill. The soul viewed in these lights, should fill us with awe. It is an immortal germ, which may be said to contain now within itself what endless ages are to unfold. It is truly an image of the infinity of God..."

This is not all, however, as Channing makes clear:

"There is, however, another and very different aspect of our nature. When we look merely at what it now is, as its present development, at what falls under present consciousness, we see in it much of weakness and limitation and still more, we see it narrowed and degraded by error and sin..."

It is just this part of our natures, for Channing, that makes the high view so crucial:

"An enlightened, disinterested human being, morally strong, and exerting a wide influence by the power of virtue, is the clearest reflection of the divine splendor on earth; and we glorify God in proportion as we form ourselves and other after this model...We do not honor him by breaking down the human soul...It is his glory that he creates beings like himself, free beings, not slaves; that he forms them to obedience, not by physical agency, but by moral influences; that he confers on them the reality, not the show of power; and opens to their faith and devout strivings a futurity of progress and glory without end. It is not by darkening and dishonoring the creature that we honor the creator."

In becoming a Unitarian, one of the first intellectual hurdles I had to overcome was this view of human nature. I was a Christian of the "We are born in sin and cannot free ourselves" variety (I still partly am and do not find a complete contradiction in Channing) We are free. Our souls shroud us with immense dignity and worth. We often fail to live up to that dignity and worth. This only intensifies my belief in that ultimate dignity. In striving for that disinterestedness, love, self-sacrifice and in "aspirations after perfection" we live religious lives and become like God. Blessings