C3/CCC Sermon Transcript for March 1, 2009
"Spirituality: Experiencing Life More Fully"
By Ian Lawton

The sound of the organ trails off into the hollow spaces of the church. The preacher trudges to the pulpit as if he is walking down death row. He cut himself shaving that morning, and his throat is so dry that it feels like razors. His mind is elsewhere. He is going through the motions. In the front row there is a whistling sound as an older man turns up his hearing aid. He’s not sure it’s worth the effort. A couple entices their young child to sit quietly with crayons and scrap paper. When the child makes a sound, they say in unison, “Hush! We’re in church.” In the row behind them, the CEO of the local bank leafs aimlessly through his hymnal as he wonders what will be left of his branch after the financial storm eases. Twice in the last month he has contemplated suicide. A college sophomore, home for the weekend and dragged to church by her parents, sits with her chin in her hands wondering how she will endure the next 30 minutes. A teenage girl runs her hand over her pregnant stomach and gazes at the organ pipes. A middle aged man, who has been waiting for his old-school father to die before coming out about his sexuality, stares blankly at his bulletin then places it under his knee. After settling into the pulpit, the preacher begins shuffling through his notes like a deck of cards. He looks out at his congregation. They look as absent as he feels. He wonders if there’s any point. He inhales, sighs deeply, and begins anyway.
 
Church is often far removed from the reality of human existence. It is like an out of body experience. You put on your church face; leave your human face at home. You might as well leave your body at home, because church is often more concerned with your soul. Leave your body at home. Leave your humanity in the car. Leave your questions at the door. Leave your deepest desires and fears on the rack with your coat.

But it doesn’t have to be that way. Last week, I honored your sensual humanity. It was unfamiliar for many of us. Hopefully, we moved past the discomfort of talking about real life in church, and are now ready for church to be a place where humanity is affirmed. Bring your humanity. Bring your questions. Bring your experience. Bring your deepest desires and your deepest fears and know that it’s all welcome and valued.

For your humanity is God’s child, learning and growing and realizing all your wondrous connections. You have stars in your cells and oceans coursing through your blood. May you pause in moments of self affirmation today, and see yourself with infinite beauty in one eye and infinite love in the other.

What a beautifully diverse group we are. You come here with your rich life experience and your colorful past. You have nothing to prove here and nothing to hide. Come as you are; be boldly who you are and be content with where you are. You have nothing to fear here. This community celebrates all of you, all of your experiences and all of your life.

Spirituality Here and Now

What does spirituality have to do with all of this? What is spirituality? I wonder if some of you think of spirituality as being somehow otherworldly or intense.

I ask you to consider that spirituality is ordinary. It is everyday. And it is right now.

Maybe the Zen tradition speaks to ordinary spirituality most clearly. I offer three Zen stories that speak to ordinary spirituality.

There's a story about two Zen masters who meet one day. One of the masters wants to outdo the other, and so he says that he will perform a miracle that will show his superiority. He will transform an animal into a human being. Before he can perform his miracle, the other Zen master responds with these words: "Perhaps you can perform that trick, but that is not the spirit of Zen. My miracle is that when I feel hungry I eat, and when I feel thirsty I drink."

Enlightened spirituality is not otherworldly. It is immersed in the miracle of the present moment. Does enlightened spirituality DO special things?

An old Zen story describes a monk coming to the monastery of Master Zhaozhou and asking for spiritual instruction. The master asks him, “Have you had your breakfast?” The monk says that he has. “Then wash your bowls,” is the Master’s reply. This is the only instruction he offers. Don’t look for some profound point here. It is what it sounds like. Just open your eyes to what you are doing right now. That is the most spiritual thing you can do. Open your eyes to life.

Spirituality is not intense and profound. It is ordinary and everyday.

Maybe you think that spirituality is just the positive moments in life, something like optimism or joy Again the Zen tradition offers wisdom. A Master announced that a young monk had reached an advanced state of enlightenment. A group of people went to see the young monk. "We heard you are enlightened. Is that true?" they asked.
"It is," she replied.
"And how do you feel?"
"As miserable as ever," said the monk.

Spirituality is a quality of presence or awareness you bring to any experience or emotion.

Spirituality is Soulfully Fun

Maybe some of you think that spirituality is very serious. Let me share with you one of my recent spiritual experiences that stands out. It was in January and we were traveling back from Australia. We were in the customs line at LA airport. The customs line always has a distinctive atmosphere. There’s a feeling of pride at having survived such a long and cramped flight. It’s a mini version of the feeling we all have at the end of a long Michigan winter. The customs line is also very serious, even a little arrogant. After all, we are international travelers, with our dog eared passports and duty free liquor. The combination of exhaustion and a hint of self importance makes the custom’s line a quiet, somber place.

Some of you know the atmosphere. You get the picture. So, our family was standing in line and one of the kids suddenly pointed at my ankles and burst out laughing. Something had happened to my ankles on the flight, and they had swelled up like a couple of grapefruit. Each family member in turn pointed to my ankles, called me various names and doubled over in hysterics. You wouldn’t believe the names I was called; Hey Dad, where are your ankles gone? You’ve got cankles. For the rest of the trip I became affectionately known as Mrs Doubtfire. As the tears rolled down our faces, I noticed that many others in line were enjoying the fun too. In one brief moment, we had all been reminded not to take ourselves so seriously. When you see yourself beyond pretence and can laugh at your ordinary humanity, it is a profound spiritual experience. Sometimes the best thing you can do for your soul is laugh at yourself, and let others laugh at you.

How does this relate to our various understandings of God?

God and Spirituality

Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks created a comedy skit called the "2013 Year Old Man". At one point, Reiner asks Brooks, "Did you always believe in God?"
Brooks replied: "No. We had a guy in our village named Phil, and for a time we worshiped him." Reiner said, “You worshiped a guy named Phil? Why?”
“Because he was big, and mean, and he could break you in two with his bare hands!”
Reiner asked, “Did you have prayers?”
“Yes, would you like to hear one? Dear Phil, please don't be mean, and hurt us, or break us in two with your bare hands.
Reiner said, “So when did you start worshiping God?”
“Well, one day a big thunderstorm came up, and a lightning bolt hit Phil. We gathered around and saw that he was dead. Then we said to one another, "There's definitely something' bigger than Phil!"

We all want to believe that there is something bigger than us, or something bigger than our perspective on life. The Unitarian Minister, Forrest Church says, “God is not God's name; God is our name for that which is greater than all and yet present in each.”

The important clue there is that God is the name we use for our sense of something greater, but it is present within. It is an experience and we put names on the experience, but we don’t want to become deluded that because we can name something that we understand it.

God is both that which is present in each moment, and also the awareness that makes each moment greater than we could ever have imagined. If only we would wake up to the treasures that surround us.

Spanish Cellist, Pablo Casals said, "In music, in the sea, in a flower, in a leaf, in an act of kindness. ...I see what people call God in all these things." I would add; in laughter, in tears, in eating when you’re hungry, in washing bowls mindfully, I see what people call God in all these things.

Spirituality and the Financial Crisis

Ordinary spirituality is so important right now. With the drawn out financial crisis taking the world by storm, there are many opinions (guesses) about when this crisis will end. We are being directed to look forward to a better time, a time of restored prosperity. Truth is, no one knows when this crisis will end, and maybe we won’t know it’s ended until well after the fact. There’s a danger to focusing on this end, and there’s a benefit to focusing on now.

Here’s the danger. You might have heard the expression, “The stock market has predicted 9 of the last 5 recessions.” We’re not nearly as good at predicting the future as we like to think. In fact, it’s our ego’s incessant need for drama that compels us to try and predict the future. Fear mongering is a self important preoccupation.

Here’s the benefit. Now is the time, in the middle of the crisis, to find contentment. If you aren’t content now, you won’t be content when the crisis ends. Be present now. That is the path to spiritual enlightenment. Now is when the spiritual gold can be found; treasures of character and strength that don’t depend on circumstance for validation.

Spirituality is Here and Now

Spirituality is lived experience in the here and now.

In Thornton Wilder’s play, Our Town, a young woman dies in childbirth.  She is allowed to relive just one day. You might expect someone who has the opportunity to relive one day would seek extraordinary experience. But this woman, on her one day, is struck by the beauty of the ordinary: clocks ticking, freshly-ironed dresses, hot baths, food and coffee, sleeping and waking up.  “Oh, earth,” she exclaims, “you are too wonderful for anybody to realize you.  Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it?”   The narrator in the play answers, “No-- Poets maybe.”   

You don’t have to wait. This is it. This is life, proceeding faster than you care to imagine. Don’t let it pass you by. Try living with a different quality of presence today. Notice all the ordinary moments that you experience today, and be struck by the beauty of the ordinary. The most spiritual action you can take is to realize life as you live it. Your humanity is God’s child, learning, growing and living fully.