Universal Life Church Monastery > July 2009 ULC Monastery Sermon

revchapin

Jul 17 2009, 06:52 PM

From the Desk of Br. Daniel Chapin
ULC Monastery Vice President
July 2009
How Comfortable Are You?

I recently spent some time in a Hostel in Santa Monica, California. You see my work takes me all over the country, but If you are anything like me, you can relate when I tell you that Hotel rooms are for tourists... Hostels, however, are for travelers.... and, yes, there is a difference. This being noted, another reason I enjoy staying at hostels is that there is such an eclectic spirit within. Many cultures, languages, personalities, backgrounds all coming together under one roof.. We eat together, sleep together (OK don't go with anywhere with that

) & we learn from one another outside the comfort zones of fancy hotels & dining halls... The fact is that I'm that type of traveler; and in fact, that type of individual who does not want to go where many have gone before. I don't want to see what the eyes have already seen and the ears have already heard... I don't wish to sleep in a queen size bed with a mint on the pillow.
Life is rarely so comfortable - So why should my travels be?

OK so now that I have gotten your attention, all of this is said to introduce this months message which I can also preface with a question -
How Comfortable Are You?

We live in a society of comfort. While our nation indeed faces a financial recession, walk into any Starbucks Coffee on a Monday morning and you might have second thoughts on this as you watch dozens line up to order their $4.00 Venti Soy Caramel Macchiato... Or perhaps consider that here in California we are facing a drought - We have been for years and yet - We Play in Water.... Water Amusement Parks rake in thousands of tourists a year and tens of thousands of dollars....

How Comfortable Are You?

Beyond our Means of Living as a Nation of Comfort we are also a nation of the uncomfortable. Last year a group of youth from a youth group I was involved in visited one area of Kentucky largely considered to be within one of the poorest counties of the United States. It was Christmas time during that visit and one of our youth presented a playstation to one of the resident youth who I was told kept saying over and over - "Now all I need is a T.V. to play it on...."

How Comfortable Are You?

Comfort, friends, is more than a state of economics, it is also a state of mind. Perhaps it originates there and expresses itself in our ways of living & thinking, viewing & treating one another..

One of the beauties of our Church is that we in many ways stand collectively outside the comfort zone which exists in many a "Brick & Mortar" Church across this nation & world for that matter. Others used to tell our Founder Kirby Hensley that what he taught was uncomfortable at times to hear. Good. We needed to step out of our comfortable spiritual boxes then & we still could benefit by doing so today... Here we stand as ministers collectively but not necessarily comfortably at all times. We represent many cultures, languages, personalities, backgrounds all coming together under one roof.. And yet, we do not always see eye to eye. We have Christians & Pagans, Buddhists & Atheists. We have Progressives & Traditionalists. We have heterosexuals & homosexuals, Republicans, Democrats & Independents. And yet, we stand - Somehow we stand... Visit our Ministers Network one day and you'll see how everyday we make what may seem uncomfortable well, comfortable.

How Comfortable Are You?

How comfortable are you with what you think you know? Well lets see... Did you know for example as a minister of our church that our founder Kirby Hensley ran for President of the United States in 1964 & 1968? Here's another one... Did you know that the spiritual leader of the Hare Krsna movement His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada recognizes Lord Jesus Christ as "the son of God, the representative of God... our guru... our spiritual master..."

And here is a "Comfort Trip" for Christians... What if tomorrow someone digs up definitive proof that Jesus had a real, earthly biological father named Larry, and archaelogists find Larry's tomb and do DNA samples and prove beyond a shadow of doubt that the virgin birth was really just a bit of mythologizing the Gospel writers threw in to appeal to the followers of the Mithra & Dionysian religious cults that were hugely popular at the time of Jesus, whose gods had virgin births? But what if as you study the origin of the word virgin, you discover that the word virgin in the gospel of Matthew actually comes from the book of Isaiah, and then you find out that in the Hebrew language at that time, the word virgin could mean several things. And, what if you discover that in the first century being "born of a virgin" also referred to a child whose mother became pregnant the first time she had intercourse???

This message isn't designed to have a comfortable message necessarily... It may not even rhyme or reason nicely from its beginning to end. Good. Thats very good. Perhaps it will stretch the comfortable mind to consider beyond its thoughtful means...

So, How Comfortable Are You?
And now, more so, what do you do with that comfort?
Do you use it to reach out to others?
Do you use it to learn about others?
Do you just sit in it?
And, Are you willing to be uncomfortable? Are you willing to step outside your Tourist Hotel Room within your mind & heart & venture out?

Ask these questions of yourself & each other & perhaps we'll meet at some Hostel along the way toward a less comfortable but perhaps more meaningful existence...

pathmender

Jul 17 2009, 09:55 PM

QUOTE (revchapin @ Jul 17 2009, 12:52 PM)

From the Desk of Br. Daniel Chapin
ULC Monastery Vice President
July 2009
How Comfortable Are You?

I recently spent some time in a Hostel in Santa Monica, California. You see my work takes me all over the country, but If you are anything like me, you can relate when I tell you that Hotel rooms are for tourists... Hostels, however, are for travelers.... and, yes, there is a difference. This being noted, another reason I enjoy staying at hostels is that there is such an eclectic spirit within. Many cultures, languages, personalities, backgrounds all coming together under one roof.. We eat together, sleep together (OK don't go with anywhere with that

) & we learn from one another outside the comfort zones of fancy hotels & dining halls... The fact is that I'm that type of traveler; and in fact, that type of individual who does not want to go where many have gone before. I don't want to see what the eyes have already seen and the ears have already heard... I don't wish to sleep in a queen size bed with a mint on the pillow.
Life is rarely so comfortable - So why should my travels be?

OK so now that I have gotten your attention, all of this is said to introduce this months message which I can also preface with a question -
How Comfortable Are You?

We live in a society of comfort. While our nation indeed faces a financial recession, walk into any Starbucks Coffee on a Monday morning and you might have second thoughts on this as you watch dozens line up to order their $4.00 Venti Soy Caramel Macchiato... Or perhaps consider that here in California we are facing a drought - We have been for years and yet - We Play in Water.... Water Amusement Parks rake in thousands of tourists a year and tens of thousands of dollars....

How Comfortable Are You?

Beyond our Means of Living as a Nation of Comfort we are also a nation of the uncomfortable. Last year a group of youth from a youth group I was involved in visited one area of Kentucky largely considered to be within one of the poorest counties of the United States. It was Christmas time during that visit and one of our youth presented a playstation to one of the resident youth who I was told kept saying over and over - "Now all I need is a T.V. to play it on...."

How Comfortable Are You?

Comfort, friends, is more than a state of economics, it is also a state of mind. Perhaps it originates there and expresses itself in our ways of living & thinking, viewing & treating one another..

One of the beauties of our Church is that we in many ways stand collectively outside the comfort zone which exists in many a "Brick & Mortar" Church across this nation & world for that matter. Others used to tell our Founder Kirby Hensley that what he taught was uncomfortable at times to hear. Good. We needed to step out of our comfortable spiritual boxes then & we still could benefit by doing so today... Here we stand as ministers collectively but not necessarily comfortably at all times. We represent many cultures, languages, personalities, backgrounds all coming together under one roof.. And yet, we do not always see eye to eye. We have Christians & Pagans, Buddhists & Atheists. We have Progressives & Traditionalists. We have heterosexuals & homosexuals, Republicans, Democrats & Independents. And yet, we stand - Somehow we stand... Visit our Ministers Network one day and you'll see how everyday we make what may seem uncomfortable well, comfortable.

How Comfortable Are You?

How comfortable are you with what you think you know? Well lets see... Did you know for example as a minister of our church that our founder Kirby Hensley ran for President of the United States in 1964 & 1968? Here's another one... Did you know that the spiritual leader of the Hare Krsna movement His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada recognizes Lord Jesus Christ as "the son of God, the representative of God... our guru... our spiritual master..."

And here is a "Comfort Trip" for Christians... What if tomorrow someone digs up definitive proof that Jesus had a real, earthly biological father named Larry, and archaelogists find Larry's tomb and do DNA samples and prove beyond a shadow of doubt that the virgin birth was really just a bit of mythologizing the Gospel writers threw in to appeal to the followers of the Mithra & Dionysian religious cults that were hugely popular at the time of Jesus, whose gods had virgin births? But what if as you study the origin of the word virgin, you discover that the word virgin in the gospel of Matthew actually comes from the book of Isaiah, and then you find out that in the Hebrew language at that time, the word virgin could mean several things. And, what if you discover that in the first century being "born of a virgin" also referred to a child whose mother became pregnant the first time she had intercourse???

This message isn't designed to have a comfortable message necessarily... It may not even rhyme or reason nicely from its beginning to end. Good. Thats very good. Perhaps it will stretch the comfortable mind to consider beyond its thoughtful means...

So, How Comfortable Are You?
And now, more so, what do you do with that comfort?
Do you use it to reach out to others?
Do you use it to learn about others?
Do you just sit in it?
And, Are you willing to be uncomfortable? Are you willing to step outside your Tourist Hotel Room within your mind & heart & venture out?

Ask these questions of yourself & each other & perhaps we'll meet at some Hostel along the way toward a less comfortable but perhaps more meaningful existence...

Dear Rev. Chapin,

Very good sermon! I like the idea of nudging, rather than pushing peoples comfort zone. It promotes curiosity and sense of adventure, and encourages the mind to expand. To keep one open to possibilities, and perhaps with such practice, one may even be open to the guidance God provides at all times.
Though we all can’t go drifting off from hostel to hostel, there are infinite ways we can experiment with alternative environments and experience. My job for instance, allows me the benefit of experiencing people from all walks of life daily, and in all in various condition and need. True, it is not always a comfortable way to earn a living, and there is much stress, heartbreak, and frustration involved, but there is also a great deal of sharing, learning, and love that is fostered from such efforts. The normal barriers of language, religion, politics, and status, are broken to an eventual point of non-existence, as the common goal of loving efforts to promote life takes the place of such non-important matters.
However, I do question the suggestion that living in hostels rather than hotels provides a more meaningful life. When ones life is filled with meaningful experiences, sometimes a little comfort goes a long way to rejuvenate the spirit. In my opinion, life should be about balance. The constancy of a good thing can lose it’s appeal, and the constancy of struggle can be too draining and creates resistance. Even the pampering of hotels and services are not necessary to re-energize. Sometimes, all it takes is sharing laughs with a few good friends, watching a silly movie, or just doing something off the cuff. All of which can produce meaningful experiences in themselves if balanced between need, want, and responsibility.
Life is filled with worry and doubt, and has a tendency to promote the seeking of comfort. Some turn to material things, others can be food, drugs/medication, alcohol, or excessive spending. All such things are the reaction to an imbalance in ones life.
Though a mother of three cannot go traveling about from country to country, nor is she able (in most cases), to engage in sometimes dangerous occupations, I believe her contribution and devotion to her children is just as meaningful as any other. The father and husband who works his 40 hrs. per week at a thankless job, does this without complaint, is supportive, and loving to his family, is also, I believe another example of a meaningful existence.
We all serve a purpose in life, and though some may not appear as significant or grand as others, they are each just as important as the next. As there are billions of people in the world, there are billions of purposes to fill. The absence of any would mean the destruction of God’s divine plan. Even he who serves himself and attempts to rule the world is part of this plan. It may be to unite the oppressed, it may be to test the devoted, but whatever the purpose, he is an important part of the divine plan too.
Whatever our difference of opinion, I enjoyed your sermon and the enthusiasm it contained. Thank you for sharing it!

God’s blessings,

Rev. Campbell.

Mike J.

Jul 18 2009, 06:58 AM

Thank you Brothers for your posts. Br Chapins sermon opened my mind to something I had never considered and had not known.
If I had heard it in a different way I might have rejected the message about virgins.

I myself have not been very comfortable for some time. God has been working in my stubborn spirit for YEARS now. I no longer find meaning in life here in "civilization". I leave for the Philippines this fall. I have no idea what God has in store.. but I'm sure it will be an interesting and learning experience. Check my sig line for kids that had never had a toothbrush before and got their first one in 4th grade. I cant be comfortable in a world where there is need of that sort without trying to help.

peace

Mike J.