Mukyokai for UU's 

The Japanese tradition of the non-church Christian movement, the Mukyokai, can provide us as UU's a possible way to live out our faith as "the almost church." 

Order of Service - Script 

for Sunday: August 7, 2022

NIUU, Jeanie Donaldson, Pastor Fred 

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

“Prelude in A flat” - by Jeanie Donaldson

Welcome and Announcements: 

Come into this circle of love and compassion,

Come into this community where we can dream and

Believe in those dreams—

Welcome to North Idaho Unitarian Universalists where we accept, we support, we transform:  Ourselves, Our Community. Our world.   

Lighting the Chalice:

As we light our chalice to begin worship in the “Almost Church,” we celebrate the love we share in our community of faith. 

Our faith finds different forms of expression in word and action. 

Yet we share a single light, a flaming chalice. 

It represents the love we have for each other and the peace it brings.  

Opening Words: ­­­

Determined Seed

By Laura Wallace

As earth holds the determined seed,

this sacred space holds our weariness, our worry,

our laughter and our celebration.

Let us bring seed and soul into the light of thought,

the warmth of community,

and the hope of love.

Let us see together, hear together, love together.

Let us worship.

Hymn #287 Faith of the Larger Liberty 

Faith of the larger liberty, source of the light expanding,

law of the church that is to be, old bondage notwithstanding:

faith of the free! By thee we live —

by all thou givest and shalt give our loyalty commanding.

Heroes of faith in every age, far-seeing, self-denying,

wrought an increasing heritage, monarch and creed defying.

Faith of the free! In thy dear name

the costly heritage we claim: their living and their dying.

Faith for the people everywhere, whatever their oppression,

of all who make the world more fair, living their faith’s confession:

faith of the free! Whate’er our plight,

thy law, thy liberty, thy light shall be our blest possession.

Covenant: 

Love is the spirit of this church, and service its law

This is our great covenant:

To dwell together in peace,

To seek truth in love,

And to help one another. 

Greeting each other  (Those present in person can leave our seats for this, if we wish.) 

Joys and Concerns (with lighting of candles of caring) 

Story: 

For this morning, I want to share once again a story from my own experience. If I’ve shared it with some of you before, please bear with me. I believe it’s relevant to the theme for today. 

Many (most) church-wide organizations offer seminars and classes to help their members grow spiritually and serve their congregations and communities.

One such seminar I attended a few years ago helped with the clarification of life goals. 

The relationship between faith and church involvement was the central theme of the conference. 

Several such relationships were highlighted, from people of faith involved with the church to people without faith uninvolved with the church. 

Although I was a parish pastor at the time, I discovered to my shock that one of my personal goals was to be a person of faith outside the church. 

I have long felt that my involvement with UU congregations has helped me fulfill my goal. 

Our own congregation is not classified as a church. 

We are a fellowship within the UU standards. 

I find that our position is deeply comfortable and nourishing for me personally and spiritually. 

In a similar way, I have found that I identify with the Mukyokai, a non-church faith movement from Japan. 

 

Meditation: 

Japanese Zen 

The term, Japanese Zen refers to the Japanese forms of Zen Buddhism, an originally Chinese Mahāyāna school of Buddhism that strongly emphasizes dhyāna, the meditative training of awareness and equanimity.

So some Zen practice will fit beautifully with our theme for today. 

Don’t worry, I won’t be asking you (or myself) to sit zazen, to sit on the floor with legs crossed in anything resembling the lotus position. 

Begin with a comfortable position and gently allow your eyes to close. 

Think about breathing in and breathing out. 

In keeping with a truly simple meditation I shared in a sermon quite recently, please think of the great mantra, “Let it be.” 

Now, as you breathe in, think, “Let it,” and as you breathe out, think “Be.” 

If you prefer, simply use the numbers one and two. 

Breathe in on one and breathe out on two. 

Please do this breathing in and out meditation for a few repetitions. 

Any random thoughts that come to you are not an interruption. 

They simply become a part of the meditation. 

- Pause - 

Now allow the mind to return to normal thought, to be present in the room (or on Zoom) as usual. 

We have just shared in a simple Zen meditation. 

Sermon: 

Churches and religious organizations all over the world are struggling. 

The ones that are struggling most are those that represent liberal forms of faith. 

In a time of conservative or even authoritarian ascendancy, many traditionalist religious groups are doing better, but even they are having difficulties. 

In some cases their members are becoming disillusioned. 

The Covid-19 pandemic has also left many churches of most varieties with new challenges. 

Even those of us who adhere to the “almost church”, as UU is sometimes known, are dealing with the same sort of challenges as other churches and religious organizations. 

The designation of the UU’s as the “almost church” came from a great UU author, Michael Durall, who wrote a couple of books showing our faith tradition a way to live in this country and world. 

In any case, all of us who care about human spirituality (breathing, as with Zen meditation!) are looking for ways to answer the challenges of our times and places. 

One way that may help faith and spirituality to move forward comes to us from Japan. 

A faith movement that does not involve institutional religion is known as Mukyokai. 

The prefix “Mu” is a negative. 

It means not or nothing… or non- .  

Kyokai is a Japanese term for church. 

So Mukyokai means non-church. 

In its most common form in Japan and elsewhere it is a Christian movement, known as the non-church Christian movement. 

The concept of a form and expression of human faith that can operate without a church or church-like institution is certainly not limited to Christianity. 

The other side of this issue is what many Christians have believed: that the institutional church is absolutely essential. 

St. Cyprian of Carthage (d. 258 CE) once said, “Apart from the church there is no salvation.” 

Obviously I believe that any such statement is a mistake on many levels. 

I don’t want to try to go into all of that too much, but I mention it to prepare the way for us to think and speak about faith and religion without the need for any supervising institution. 

The non-church movement, the Mukyokai, is not unique to Japan; it can be found in many places and in many cultures. 

At the same time, it is quite natural to Japanese culture. 

After all, the practice of Zen does not require any sort of institution, and about 67 percent of Japanese people are adherents of Zen Buddhism. 

It seems to me that a non-church spiritual movement is at least equally natural to our UU faith. 

After all, our congregations are not all churches. 

Some of us, like the NIUU, are known as Fellowships instead. 

I have not noticed a great deal of difference between UU churches and UU fellowships in my own experience, but it makes sense that both options could exist. 

The availability of a designation of fellowship rather than church with a lay-led fellowship movement from 1948 through 1967 saw a period of explosive growth in the UU movement. 

I would not claim a cause and effect relationship, but the convergence of the events is not a matter of indifference. 

To this day there is some controversy among UU’s about fellowship vs. church. 

To quote from a magazine article on the subject, 

“[UU Fellowship movement: 

https://www.uua.org/re/tapestry/adults/river/workshop16/178925.shtml ]

Today opinions vary about the success of the Fellowship Movement. Holly Ulbrich author of The Fellowship Movement: A Growth Strategy and its Legacy writes:

The positive view maintains that the congregations planted as lay-led fellowship between 1948 and 1967 saved Unitarianism from near extinction and converted a regional religious movement into a truly national one. Along with growing the denomination, fellowships brought innovation, vitality, and lay leadership into a religious community greatly in need of fresh air... At the other end of the spectrum is the view that the fellowship movement spawned small, introverted, even hostile groups that did not want to grow or welcome newcomers, did not identify with the larger denomination, and represented Unitarian Universalism in ways that did not reflect the larger movement's self-understanding.” 

We would prefer to be a positive fellowship rather than a negative one, and we are a fellowship rather than a church. 

The very use of the word, church, carries a certain amount of negative baggage for many people. 

Many of us human beings have been hurt by churches and religious institutions. 

Of all groups, it is churches (in addition to political parties) that proclaim, “Ideas are more important than people.”

While Japanese people are sometimes accused of being overly polite and too concerned with social niceties, much of the structure of Japanese society is built around a particular kind of mutual respect, at least on the surface, in human interactions. 

Sometimes, the politeness of Japanese society is brutally enforced. 

I feel that much of the nature of culture and life in Japan is a result of the widespread practice of Zen. 

A peaceful nation is the result of Zen and its insights into the nature of existence rather than resignation or regimentation. 

In any case, Japanese culture has long held a remarkable degree of fascination for many westerners, including Americans. 

One of my relatives dearly loved visiting Japan, and she did so as often as she could over the years. 

One of her favorite experiences 

  that exemplified Japanese culture for her 

    was a train ride on one of the famous Japanese trains. 

At a brief stop, she could see clearly into a construction site. 

During a break, a couple of the burly construction workers were engaged together in the ancient and noble Japanese tea ceremony. 

It was a moment for her to remember! 

The Japanese Tea Ceremony represents harmony, respect, purity and tranquility which one must embrace in order to achieve the main purpose of the tea ceremony. This event is unique as every process from the tea equipment preparation until the tea is drunk has a distinctive technique.  

Zen Buddhism was a primary influence in the development of the Japanese tea ceremony. 

In many ways, the tea ceremony is a fitting symbol of Japanese culture, with its roots in the past and offering links to the present and future. 

Today Japan is a constitutional monarchy with an emperor who is a symbol of the State with very little political power or responsibility. 

This means that Japan is a free country. 

Democracy is revered and practiced. 

It was not always so. 

In terms of religious faith Japan was not officially free by world standards until 1873. 

The freedom established in the 19th Century allowed the expressions of faith we are considering today. 

In the first full year of the 20th Century, 1901, 

  Uchimura Kanzo founded the Mukyokai, 

    the non-church Christian movement. 

Kanzo is his first or given name, and Uchimura is his family or last name. 

By Japanese and some other Asian customs, 

  the last name is given first, 

    and the first name is given last. 

Uchimura is well known 

  and widely respected in Japan. 

Prior to WW2, he was the best known pacifist in Japan. 

The Mukyokai has no sacraments 

  or ordained clergy. 

Yet they do have gatherings and leaders. 

They follow the traditional Japanese relationship of sensei or teacher to doshi or student. 

It’s not unlike the relationship of a UU minister to a member or attendee of a UU congregation. 

The Mukyokai non-church name and tradition are not unlike the UU fellowships that are congregations but not churches. 

We could begin to advertise and promote ourselves as an alternative form of faith, which we are. 

It is not widely understood what it means to be a gathering of people who believe in each other and their experience of seeking meaning according to principles rather than doctrines. 

I have long believed that our model of spiritual life is a way to the future, whatever one’s personal beliefs may be. 

If we can practice what we preach, so to speak, the weaknesses of fellowships rather than churches can become our strengths and all kinds of people can be attracted to join us. 

My hope is that our small group in a part of the world that includes a mixture of hostility and interest may both share and show an alternate path toward a positive practice of spirituality in our world. 

Amen 

Let it be 

So Mote it be 

Congregational Response 

Offering Information 

Charity of the Month:

Kootenai Humane Society

(Soon to become Companions Animal Center)

Kootenai Humane Society is ushering in a new era for the homeless animals in a new location with a new name that will encompass the many aspects of our mission. One that will convey the purpose, relevance, and what the mission is all about, caring for our community's animals.

The next several months will be a transition period for the new name, Companions Animal Center. Once the new facility opens, the new name will be proudly displayed on the building.

Kootenai Humane Society rescues and adopts more than 2,000 pets each year.

Our No-Kill Philosophy means we never place a time limit on how long cats, dogs, and other pets stay at our shelter. 

KHS relies on donations to support our adoption, animal rescue, and community support programs.

We are 100% donation funded!

NIUU

P.O. Box 221

CDA ID 83816

Extinguishing the Chalice :

Daring Vision

By Maureen Killoran

We extinguish this chalice flame,

daring to carry forward the vision of this free faith,

that freedom, reason and justice

will one day prevail in this nation and across the earth.

 

Closing words: 

If you are who you were,

and if the person next to you is who he or she was,

if none of us has changed

since the day we came in here—

we have failed.

The purpose of this community—

of any church, temple, zendo, mosque—

is to help its people grow.

We do this through encounters with the unknown—in ourselves,

in one another,

in "The Other"—whoever that might be for us,

however hard that might be—

because these encounters have many gifts to offer.

So may you go forth from here this morning

not who you were,

but who you could be.

#140 Hail the Glorious Golden City 

Hail the glorious golden city, pictured by the seers of old:

everlasting light shines o’er it, wondrous things of it are told.

Wise and righteous men and women dwell within its gleaming wall;

wrong is banished from its borders, justice reigns supreme o’er all.

We are builders of that city. All our joys and all our groans

help to rear its shining ramparts; all our lives are building-stones.

Whether humble or exalted, all are called to task divine;

all must aid alike to carry forward one sublime design.

And the work that we have builded, oft with bleeding hands and tears,

oft in error, oft in anguish, will not perish with our years:

it will live and shine transfigured in the final reign of right:

it will pass into the splendors of the city of the light.