Compassion

Order of Service - Script 

for Sunday: April 30, 2023

Compassion

Compassion is more than a feeling. It is a commitment to a way of life that cares for other people as much as for ourselves. (Pets are people, too!) 

NIUU, Jeanie Donaldson, Pastor Fred 

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Prelude - "Aeolian Nights" written and played by Jeanie Donaldson

Welcome and Announcements: 

The beauty of the whole Shaaron

By Meg Barnhouse

We gather to worship, our hearts alive with hope that here we will be truly seen, that here we will be welcomed into the garden of this community, where the simple and the elegant, the fluted and frilled, the shy and the dramatic complement one another and are treasured. May we know that here, each contributes in their way to the beauty of the whole. Come, let us worship together, all genders, sexualities, politics, clappers and non-clappers, progressive or conservative, may we root ourselves in the values of this faith: compassion and courage, transcendence, justice and transformation.

Welcome to worship with the North Idaho Unitarian Universalists. 

Lighting the Chalice: Shaaron

Blessed is the Fire That Burns Deep in the Soul

By Eric A Heller-Wagner

Blessed is the fire that burns deep in the soul. It is the flame of the human spirit touched into being by the mystery of life. It is the fire of reason; the fire of compassion; the fire of community; the fire of justice; the fire of faith. It is the fire of love burning deep in the human heart; the divine glow in every life.

Opening Words: ­­­

The Breath of Life Is Not Mine Alone

By Kristen L. Harper

I do not wish to breathe another breath if it is not shared with others. The breath of life is not mine alone.

I brought myself to be with you, hoping that by inhaling the compassion, the courage, the hope found here, I can exhale the fear, the selfishness, the separateness I keep so close to my skin.

I cannot live another moment, at least not one of joy, unless you and I find our oneness somewhere among each other, somewhere between the noise, somewhere within the silence of the next breath.

Hymn #1: May Nothing Evil Cross this Door  

Covenant: Shaaron

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. 

Joys and Concerns (with lighting of candles of caring) Shaaron

Story: 

The Woman Who Outshone the Sun

The Legend of Lucia Zenteno

It was adapted from a poem written by Alejandro Cruz Martinez, a young Zapotec poet. Martinez was killed in 1987 while organizing his people to regain their lost water rights.

(The story has been edited for length by Fred)

The day Lucia Zenteno arrived, everyone in the village was astonished. No one knew where she came from. Yet they all saw that she was amazingly beautiful. A loyal iguana walked at her side. 

No one knew who she was, but they did know that nothing shone as brightly as Lucia Zenteno. Some people said that Lucia Zenteno outshone the sun. Others said that her glorious hair seemed to block out the light. 

There used to be a river that ran by the town, almost the same river that runs by there now.

And people said that when Lucia Zenteno went there to bathe, the river fell in love with her. The water rose from its bed and began to flow through her shining black hair.

Fish jumped and swam, while otters dove and slithered.

When Lucia finished bathing, she would sit by the river and comb out her hair with a comb made from the wood of the mesquite tree. And when she did, the water, the fishes, and the otters would flow out of her hair and return to the river once more.

The old people of the village said, that Lucia should be honored and treated with respect. 

We should respect Lucia because she understands the ways of nature.

But some people did not listen to the elders. They spied on her day and night. They even made up a cruel chant.

They said, "Lucia plays with otters! Lucia smells like fish heads!" 

Lucia did not return the meanness of the people. She kept to herself and continued to walk with her head held high. Her quiet dignity angered some of the people. They whispered that Lucia must be trying to harm them.

People continued to say, "Lucia plays with otters! Lucia smells like fish heads!"

Finally, they drove her from the village.

Lucia went down to the river one last time to say good-bye. As always, the water rose to greet her and began to flow through her glorious hair.

But this time when she tried to comb the river out of her hair, the river would not leave her. And so, when Lucia Zenteno left the village, the river and the fishes and the otters went with her, leaving only a dry, winding riverbed, a serpent of sand where the water had been.

Everyone saw that Lucia Zenteno was leaving and that the river, the fishes, and the otters were leaving with her. The people were filled with despair. They had never imagined that their beautiful river would ever leave them, no matter what they did.

Where once there had been green trees and cool breezes, now no more rain fell, no birds sang, no otters played. The people began to understand how much the river had loved Lucia Zenteno.

The elders said that everyone must search for Lucia and beg her forgiveness.

Don't you see? We must apologize for treating her so cruelly!

Some people did not want to. But when the drought continued, everyone finally agreed to follow the elders' advice. And so the whole village set out in search of Lucia.

After many days of walking, the people found the iguana cave where Lucia had gone to seek refuge. Lucia was waiting for them, but they could not see her face. She had turned her back to the people.

At first no one dared say a word. Then two children called out:

Lucia, we ask your forgiveness. Have mercy upon us and return our river!

There was no reply, so one of the townspeople called out:

Lucia, we ask your forgiveness. Have mercy upon us and return our river!

Alas, there was no reply.

Lucia Zenteno turned and looked at the people. She saw their frightened, tired faces, and she felt compassion for them. At last, she asked the river to return to the people. Lucia told them that, just as the river gives water to all who are thirsty, no matter who they are, they must treat everyone with kindness, even those who seem different.

The people remembered how they had treated Lucia, and they hung their heads in shame.

Seeing that the people were truly sorry for what they had done, Lucia returned with them to the village and began to comb out her hair.

She combed out the water, she combed out the fishes, she combed out the otters, and she kept on combing until the river had returned once more to where it belonged. The people were overjoyed to have their river again. They poured water over themselves and over their animals, they jumped into the river, and they laughed and cried with happiness. 

In all the excitement, no one noticed at first that Lucia had disappeared again. But soon the children began to ask questions.

Children said, "Where did she go? Where can she be?"

The elders replied that Lucia had not really left them. Though they would not be able to see her, she would always be there, guiding and protecting them, helping them to live with love and understanding in their hearts.

At long last, the skies opened, the rain came down and blessed the town.

Meditation: Shaaron

Eternal Mystery

By Carol Meyer

May we open ourselves ever more fully to that Eternal Mystery which lures us onward toward life and creativity.

May we find the courage to live our faith, to speak our truth, and to strive together for a world where freedom abounds and justice truly does roll down like water.

May we know the fullness of love without fear, and the serenity of peace without turmoil.

May we hold one another in the deep and tender places with compassion, and may we grace one another by sharing our own vulnerabilities, being ever mindful of the divinity within that makes soulmates of us all. 

Hymn #123: Spirit of Life (sung twice) 

Sermon: 

One of the key words in considering human religious faith is compassion. 

Our relationships with each other depend on it. 

The word refers to “feeling with” others. 

If we concern ourselves, with the feelings of others, and even more with their well being, our relationships will be far more successful. 

At the very least we will seek not to harm other persons. 

It may be important at this point to note one of the things I wrote in the blurb about today’s service: “Pets are people, too.” 

Not all animals are or can be pets, but all living things are worthy of compassion. 

Even their deaths can be treated with compassion. 

At the heart of feeling with another is caring. 

If we care about what happens to other creatures, we will treat them differently than we would if we acted as though we did not care at all. 

Caring means a willingness to give something of ourselves for the well being of other beings. 

That willingness is not only the heart of compassion. 

It is even more the primary hope of good relationships among all living creatures, including pets and other animals, and even plants. 

Plants have a degree of sensitivity to their environment that is being studied in our time more than ever before, and we are learning more and more about it. 

As we think of compassion, we are contemplating an ancient tradition of hope for a new way for all kinds of people and other creatures to relate to each other. 

That hope is beautifully expressed in the painting by Edward Hicks, of the Society of Friends, the Quakers: “The Peaceable Kingdom.” (an example of naïve art, which may be shared here) 

We don’t know whether, when, or how any such peaceable kingdom may come into being, but it can be a hope among all living creatures, especially those of us who live with a sense of the importance of compassion in all relationships. 

Again, the heart of compassion is the willingness to give something of ourselves for the sake of the well being of others. 

Self giving is often thought of in terms of self sacrifice, but compassion and self sacrifice are not the same thing. 

Surely the basis of self sacrifice may indeed be compassion, but it’s possible to live in and by compassion without going to any extremes of self sacrifice. 

If we sacrifice ourselves to excess, there will be very little left of any of us to help others. 

On the other hand, if there is no willingness toward self sacrifice, then compassion may become nearly impossible. 

You see, compassion is not only a feeling. 

It is surely a feeling, yes, since at its root, compassion is “feeling with” another. 

At the same time, it is truly more than a feeling. 

It is a way of life, a way of acting. 

If we live in and with compassion, we are willing to care for others as much as we care for ourselves, and a way of life like that can be costly. 

It does not mean that we care for others more than we care for ourselves. 

The impracticality of trying to care for others more than we care for ourselves is made clear in my statement a moment ago: 

“If we sacrifice ourselves to excess, there will be very little left of any of us to help others.” 

And then I said, “On the other hand, if there is no willingness toward self sacrifice, then compassion may become very nearly impossible.” 

So the key is balance. 

Without balance between self care and care of others, compassion simply cannot and does not work. 

After all, compassion for ourselves is also necessary, not instead of compassion for others, but alongside it. 

The balance is between taking care of ourselves as well as taking care of others. 

An illustration of the balance between self care and the care of others is (or used to be) described almost any time we fly on a commercial air carrier. 

We are told that in case of a sudden decompression of the cabin, we must use an oxygen / air mask on ourselves before we try to place one on a less able person with whom we may be traveling, maybe a young child or an elderly person. 

If we failed to follow this guidance, we could easily be disabled ourselves before we could help another person who may need our help. 

So there must be a balance between self care and the care of others, especially in times of urgent need. 

All this reminds me of the Buddhist “Middle Way:” 

The expression “middle way” refers to the Buddhist understanding of practical life, avoiding the extremes of self-denial and self-indulgence, as well as the view of reality that avoids the extreme positions of eternalism and annihilationism. 

Eternalism refers to the myth of eternal life that claims endless life for all living things. 

In the case of the truth of eternalism, if it’s literally true, then Heaven must be really crowded! 

Annihilism refers to the sad idea that there is not and cannot be anything beyond death. 

Most people believe that there is some sort of personal survival in the memories of people who have loved us. 

Personally I believe that there is more than that, but the existence of memory as a place to inhabit is at least a comfort in the face of death, either of ourselves or others. 

We can have compassion for others regardless of what we believe about life after life. 

We can also have compassion for any concept of the Creator that we may hold in our hearts. 

In the final analysis, some understanding of Compassion for God is important, whatever our own understanding of God may be, and whether we believe in God or not. 

It may well be that Compassion for God is an important part of all of our religious celebrations.  

One of the powerful feelings that literature can invoke for us is compassion for a literary character. 

If we regard God as a literary, mythological character, the stories about Her or Him may well call forth our feelings of compassion, regardless of any doctrinal commitments or lack thereof. 

You see, the most important part of Compassion for God as I’m speaking about it here is compassion for people who do or do not believe in God, whether you, yourself believe in Him or not. 

Even more important among believers and non-believers alike is for people whose beliefs about God differ to be able to care about each other anyway. 

A city in Spain for many centuries has offered a way to live with others who believe differently: 

Toledo, not far from Madrid, (about an hour’s drive) has long had a street corner with a mosque, a synagogue, and a church each one across the street from the others. 

They have lived in peace with each other during times of hatred and persecution in other places. 

There are many kinds of compassion, and there are many beings who need it to thrive, not only human beings. 

Compassion is not only a part of religious faith, either, it is a vital force in all kinds of relationships. 

It’s possible, as we see in terms of religion, to have mutual compassion among people with whom we disagree strongly. 

It’s also possible to treat people with compassion even if there are strong differences of opinion in terms of political beliefs and commitments. 

Such a basis for relationships has enabled our society to survive many kinds of disagreements and conflicts. 

One of those that truly threatened our survival as a nation was the Civil War. 

That horrible war taught the U.S.A. many different kinds of lessons. 

All kinds of war and conflict can test and reveal the compassion in our hearts. 

Compassion may well be the key to carry us forward as a nation and a people in a time that emphasizes our differences, especially differences of opinion. 

Compassion, caring about the well being of people whose approach to government is vastly different from our own, can be a tool of progress. 

We don’t have to fight each other just because we disagree. 

As we learn more and more about compassion, all our lives can be greatly improved and filled with more and more hope, peace, and well being. 

Amen 

Let it Be 

Blessed Be 

Congregational Response 

Offering Information Shaaron

Charity of the Month:

Partnering 4 Progress

 

Our 2023 Goals

Education – increase school attendance with water projects, sanitary towel distribution, and high school and college scholarships.

Water – coordinate safe drinking water projects to reduce waterborne illnesses.

Health – provide supplements to 30 malnourished infants weekly along with education and cooking instruction for caregivers to reduce child mortality. Also provide educational opportunities for health providers and empower them to become agents of change in their communities.

Economic Development – support community-driven solutions to poverty, including agriculture and small business grants.

Service Teams – organize medical, education, and engineering volunteer teams to travel to Kopanga to provide on-site treatment, training, education and project development.

Collaborate – work with community health providers, school leaders and local water committees for current and future projects.

NIUU

P.O. Box 221

CDA ID 83816

Extinguishing the Chalice : 

The Lifelong Goal

By David Hicks MacPherson

To wish for compassion

To pray for courage

To experience doubt

To bear sorrow

To strive for sureness—

All these are qualities

For which each of us

Should be grateful.

But to feel a genuine fellowship

For the whole human family,

To act

So that our empathy

Is evident

Wherever we go—

That's the object.

That's the life-long goal.

Closing words: 

Go in peace. Live simply

By Mark Belletini

Go in peace. Live simply, at home in yourself.

Be just in your word, just in deed.

Remember the depth of your own compassion.

Do not forget your power in the days of your powerlessness.

Do not desire with desire to be wealthier than your peers, and never stint your hand of charity.

Practice forbearance in all you do. Speak the truth or speak not.

Take care of your body, be good to it, it is a good gift.

Crave peace for all peoples in this world, beginning with yourselves, and go as you go with the dream of that peace set firm in your heart.

Amen.

Closing Circle