The Tyler Civic Theatre of Tyler, TX apparently planned to produce The Laramie Project, inspired by the life and death of gay university student Matthew Shepherd from information gathered in interviews after Shepherd's death.
Of course, as is too often the case, Religion proves to be the enemy of tolerance and compassion, and the nasty voices of homophobia have been raised in protest against the production, and the theatre's board has reportedly been considering pulling their support for the production.
In response, I sent TCT the following letter today -
To the leadership of Tyler Civic Theatre:
I am originally from Texarkana, AR. I earned my BA from a small, liberal arts university in Arkadelphia, AR. I lived for 10 years in Dallas, and while living in Dallas worked in Dallas, Waco, Longview, and Fort Worth. I spent a total of 34 years in Arkansas and Texas, about 20 of those years in the “ArkLaTex” area (which includes Tyler). So, I am familiar with the area, the attitudes, the social location. I write not as a judgmental outsider, but as a native of the area (though for some 9 years now I have lived on the East Coast…Maryland, New York, Florida).
I want to say as a Gay man, I found Southwest Arkansas/Northeast Texas to be, well, unfriendly. It was a place where prejudices (religious prejudices, racism, sexism, homophobia, distrust of immigrants, etc.) were abundant and often lifted to the level of civic pride and religious values! Hatred and fear of the “Other” is normative in the rural South and Midwest and while that may make those in the majority feel a bit safer or even superior, it can make the “Other” feel quite unwelcome and unsafe.
As a gay person growing up in that area, I found my salvation in the arts (no surprise there!). The freedom of the stage and screen allowed me to be exposed to ideas beyond the provincialism of my small town. I learned from film, television, and theatre (and glorious books) that the world was bigger than my limited experience of it and that somewhere in the world there was a place for people like me. I am so thankful for the entertainment media that provided me knowledge of a life and a world beyond the fears and prejudices and limited experiences of my community. Because of courageous artists, even in local and often repressive environments, I have spent almost 2 decades living in urban areas, I have earned two masters degrees and a doctorate degree, I am now a published writer, and I even have a profoundly spiritual life (in fact, my “job” is as the spiritual leader of a 600+ member progressive church).
Why do I imagine that you would care in the slightest about my personal biography? Because I find it heart-breaking that your theatre has both demonstrated the courage to produce the Laramie Project and the cowardice to consider changing those plans.
What if you actually do go through with the production?
Will self-righteous, narrow-minded, fearful people object? Almost certainly.
Will they refuse to come? Probably.
Will they boycott and protest? Possibly.
Will you emerge with your courage and integrity in tact, a strong voice for artistic freedom and the diversity of ideas and experiences? Yes indeed!!!
And what’s more…I can promise you that somewhere in your audience there will be a struggling same-gender loving person, or a parent of a gay or lesbian person who is also struggling against the fears and hatreds of local society, who will be strengthened and encouraged because of your production. Isn’t that worth more than all the hate-speech that will come your way? In fact, such hate speech is what dehumanizes gay people to the point that a Matthew Shepherd can be brutally slain in his youth. Such fear and hatred of the Other is why poor Matthew only lives in story, film, and stage productions today. You have a chance to stand up to the very forces that killed Matthew Shepherd…by simply not letting them dictate your decisions.
It is my hope that you will produce this play, that it will be well attended, that at least one life will be positively changed as a result, and that I can say with pride that I come from an area where at least the arts are willing to pay tribute to the beauty of all souls and the power of the indomitable human spirit.
Sincerely,
Rev. Durrell Watkins, MA, MDiv, DMin
http://www.kweerspirit.com/
Friday, April 09, 2010
Wednesday, April 07, 2010
Don't Blame Homophobia on God
Don't Blame Homophobia on God
(a rant by Durrell Watkins, M.A., M.Div., D.Min.)
A fundamentalist defender of homophobia recently quoted the bible verses below and added the rhetorical question, “How much clearer could the bible be?”
“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” – 1 Corinthians 6.9-10 (NIV)
1. 1 Corinthians 6.9-10 is not “the bible.” It is a statement, made by the Apostle Paul in mid-first century in a letter he wrote to a particular church about particular issues in that community. That letter, MUCH later, was included in the bible. We are talking about one sentence from an ancient letter from a man who assumed the world was flat to a community other than one any of us find ourselves today. This is hardly a council of the gods of Olympus voting unanimously to dehumanize all same-gender loving people for all time!
2. Regardless of what Paul believed, are we not (even as faithful people) free to disagree with him? We (surely!) disagree with the biblical statement, “slaves obey your masters.” Many (though sadly not all) disagree with the statements, “women remain silent in church” and “wives submit to your husbands.” One of the commandments (about which the bible could not be much clearer) is to avoid idolatry. I won’t make an idol of Paul or of the bible or of homophobia. I won’t confuse Paul’s culturally shaped opinions with God’s own prejudices! To do so would be to try to limit God to the words of Paul, and that would be idolatry (and by the way, idolaters are in the list that someone believed to be so “clear”).
3. The passage, or rather the fragment from a much larger missive, in question was written in an ancient language that has been translated (after being hand copied many times). Translations always involve the choices and even biases of the translator (which isn’t a criticism; it’s just how it works).
For example, the translators of the version of the bible quoted above chose to use the words “homosexual offenders” to translate the ancient Greek word in the text. However, the world “homosexual” is rather new (coined in the 19th century), so it would not have been Paul’s choice in any language!
Moreover, even given the translation used above, the text doesn’t say “same gender loving people.” It doesn’t even say, “those who experience same-gender attraction.” It definitely doesn’t say, “those who find themselves in consensual, adult relationships.” It says, “homosexual offenders”. What is an “offender”? Does that mean “rapist”? Does it mean a heterosexual person who “offends” his wife by cheating on her with a man? Or, given the context of the passage (“male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders”), does it mean male prostitutes and those men who pay for their services? The passage is ambiguous, not clear. There are many possible understandings other than blanket condemnation of LBGT people.
There are only about 6 biblical proof-texts (which prove almost nothing) to which homophobic religionists cling to justify their fear of same-gender love and attraction. And yet, fear (and the hatred that results) seems so inconsistent with the God that is said to be “Love.” In fact, even St. Paul said, “Those who love their fellow human-beings have fulfilled the law” (Romans 13). Judging, condemning, hating, vilifying in the name of God…that seems to me to be using God’s name in vain (whoops! There goes another commandment). In the end, I suppose everyone has a right to his or her prejudices. But own them; don’t try to blame them on God.
--Rev. Dr. Durrell Watkins
http://www.kweerspirit.com/
(a rant by Durrell Watkins, M.A., M.Div., D.Min.)
A fundamentalist defender of homophobia recently quoted the bible verses below and added the rhetorical question, “How much clearer could the bible be?”
“Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” – 1 Corinthians 6.9-10 (NIV)
1. 1 Corinthians 6.9-10 is not “the bible.” It is a statement, made by the Apostle Paul in mid-first century in a letter he wrote to a particular church about particular issues in that community. That letter, MUCH later, was included in the bible. We are talking about one sentence from an ancient letter from a man who assumed the world was flat to a community other than one any of us find ourselves today. This is hardly a council of the gods of Olympus voting unanimously to dehumanize all same-gender loving people for all time!
2. Regardless of what Paul believed, are we not (even as faithful people) free to disagree with him? We (surely!) disagree with the biblical statement, “slaves obey your masters.” Many (though sadly not all) disagree with the statements, “women remain silent in church” and “wives submit to your husbands.” One of the commandments (about which the bible could not be much clearer) is to avoid idolatry. I won’t make an idol of Paul or of the bible or of homophobia. I won’t confuse Paul’s culturally shaped opinions with God’s own prejudices! To do so would be to try to limit God to the words of Paul, and that would be idolatry (and by the way, idolaters are in the list that someone believed to be so “clear”).
3. The passage, or rather the fragment from a much larger missive, in question was written in an ancient language that has been translated (after being hand copied many times). Translations always involve the choices and even biases of the translator (which isn’t a criticism; it’s just how it works).
For example, the translators of the version of the bible quoted above chose to use the words “homosexual offenders” to translate the ancient Greek word in the text. However, the world “homosexual” is rather new (coined in the 19th century), so it would not have been Paul’s choice in any language!
Moreover, even given the translation used above, the text doesn’t say “same gender loving people.” It doesn’t even say, “those who experience same-gender attraction.” It definitely doesn’t say, “those who find themselves in consensual, adult relationships.” It says, “homosexual offenders”. What is an “offender”? Does that mean “rapist”? Does it mean a heterosexual person who “offends” his wife by cheating on her with a man? Or, given the context of the passage (“male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders”), does it mean male prostitutes and those men who pay for their services? The passage is ambiguous, not clear. There are many possible understandings other than blanket condemnation of LBGT people.
There are only about 6 biblical proof-texts (which prove almost nothing) to which homophobic religionists cling to justify their fear of same-gender love and attraction. And yet, fear (and the hatred that results) seems so inconsistent with the God that is said to be “Love.” In fact, even St. Paul said, “Those who love their fellow human-beings have fulfilled the law” (Romans 13). Judging, condemning, hating, vilifying in the name of God…that seems to me to be using God’s name in vain (whoops! There goes another commandment). In the end, I suppose everyone has a right to his or her prejudices. But own them; don’t try to blame them on God.
--Rev. Dr. Durrell Watkins
http://www.kweerspirit.com/
Walk for Tolerance in Jamaica Today
Old Stories, New Thoughts, & Progressive Spirituality
Wrestling With God Without Getting Pinned is an honest struggle to apply critical thinking and practical reason to the myths and metaphors of ancient scriptures. The author believes that creative writing can be true (and in fact can offer new truths as each reader approaches a text) without being factual. Wrestling With God...is an affirmation of truth that does not demand the literary symbols of scripture be taken literally. Rather than asking religion to redeem people, the writer is asking thinking people to redeem religion so that it can be relevant in the 21st century.
Tuesday, April 06, 2010
My New Book: Wrestling With God Without Getting Pinned
Can a Skeptic Enjoy the Bible?
Wrestling With God Without Getting Pinned is an honest struggle to apply critical thinking and practical reason to the myths and metaphors of ancient scriptures. The author believes that creative writing can be true (and in fact can offer new truths as each reader approaches a text) without being factual. Wrestling With God...is an affirmation of truth that does not demand the literary symbols of scripture be taken literally. Rather than asking religion to redeem people, the writer is asking thinking people to redeem religion so that it can be relevant in the 21st century.
Wrestling With God Without Getting Pinned: Old Stories, New Thoughts, & Progressive Spirituality offers reflections in 36 chapters on various biblical texts. For those who believed anti-intellectual literalsim (which is always selective literalism) or a complete rejection of scripture were the only two ways to deal with scripture, Wrestling With God...offers a third, honest, courageous, and often humorous way of reclaiming (and de-fanging) the bible.
"Through his commentaries on bible stories, some obscure and some Sunday School classics, Watkins teases out logical lessons from what can be rather fantastic narratives." S. Kennedy, Dallas
"Dr. Watkins uses contemporary situations and experiences to illustrate the messages of particular verses. With a level of humor that is thoroughly engaging, he breathes life into ancient texts, cutting to the heart of the true meaning, effortlessly dismantling the myths of a vengeful and angry deity and of a humanity that is considered inferior and imperfect." A. Lambert, Austin
"It has been a pleasure to read Wrestling With God...because the author has the perfect combination of wit, intellect and poetic brilliance. I am moved at one moment and laughing hysterically in another. I'm impressed by the author's scholarly but approachable analysis and writing." B. Hall, Little Rock
To purchase a copy of Wrestling With God...go to www.amazon.com and search for "Durrell Watkins"
There is also a hyper-link that will take you to the exact Amazon page at www.kweerspirit.com
Wrestling With God Without Getting Pinned is an honest struggle to apply critical thinking and practical reason to the myths and metaphors of ancient scriptures. The author believes that creative writing can be true (and in fact can offer new truths as each reader approaches a text) without being factual. Wrestling With God...is an affirmation of truth that does not demand the literary symbols of scripture be taken literally. Rather than asking religion to redeem people, the writer is asking thinking people to redeem religion so that it can be relevant in the 21st century.
Wrestling With God Without Getting Pinned: Old Stories, New Thoughts, & Progressive Spirituality offers reflections in 36 chapters on various biblical texts. For those who believed anti-intellectual literalsim (which is always selective literalism) or a complete rejection of scripture were the only two ways to deal with scripture, Wrestling With God...offers a third, honest, courageous, and often humorous way of reclaiming (and de-fanging) the bible.
"Through his commentaries on bible stories, some obscure and some Sunday School classics, Watkins teases out logical lessons from what can be rather fantastic narratives." S. Kennedy, Dallas
"Dr. Watkins uses contemporary situations and experiences to illustrate the messages of particular verses. With a level of humor that is thoroughly engaging, he breathes life into ancient texts, cutting to the heart of the true meaning, effortlessly dismantling the myths of a vengeful and angry deity and of a humanity that is considered inferior and imperfect." A. Lambert, Austin
"It has been a pleasure to read Wrestling With God...because the author has the perfect combination of wit, intellect and poetic brilliance. I am moved at one moment and laughing hysterically in another. I'm impressed by the author's scholarly but approachable analysis and writing." B. Hall, Little Rock
To purchase a copy of Wrestling With God...go to www.amazon.com and search for "Durrell Watkins"
There is also a hyper-link that will take you to the exact Amazon page at www.kweerspirit.com
Thursday, April 01, 2010
8 Points of Progressive Christianity: A Sunshine Cathedral Lenten Study
GOOD FRIDAY Service at Sunshine Cathedral: 7:30 pm
EASTER SUNDAY Services at Sunshine Cathedral: 8 am, 9:30 am, & 11 am
Ash Wednesday
We Are Followers of Jesus.
We have found an approach to God through the life and teachings of Jesus.
The Church has so successfully made Jesus into a sacred symbol, it has often failed to adequately challenge its membership to follow Jesus’ example. Instead of being legalistic in Jesus’ name, we ought to recall how Jesus challenged religious legalism and affirmed those who legalism had excluded. Instead of taking the easy road of merely praising Jesus, we ought to follow his example of touching the untouchables, loving the unlovable, seeing the light of God in all people. We honor Jesus best not by what we say about him, but by following his example of working for justice, showing compassion, and being the love of God in action in our world. As progressive Christians we have found the life and teachings of Jesus to be the way of giving body to the presence of divine Love in our world.
Prayer Treatment
I am embracing and expressing the goodness of God as I follow Jesus’ message and example. Amen.
First Sunday of Lent
We Affirm Religious Pluralism.
We can be faithful within our tradition even while respecting that other traditions are valid for those who are faithful within them.
We need to remember that the Christian tradition is diverse. It has never been an ideologically unified movement, and as the years/centuries/millennia have rolled on, the movement has become ever more diverse. As the Jesus movement began as a Jewish movement, we have obviously borrowed from Judaism (our “Old Testament”, the celebration of Pentecost, the messianic concept, etc.), but we have also borrowed from other traditions (some common Christian beliefs were borrowed from Persian Zoroastrianism; celebrating winter/Christmas and spring/Easter festivals were borrowed from European paganism; the “Logos” was borrowed from ancient Greek philosophy, etc.). And, as science has advanced, we’ve had to negotiate with, incorporate, and re-examine our stories and traditions in the light of scientific discoveries. Christianity is an evolving movement, touched by the cultures it has touched, borrowing from other traditions even while developing and reinterpreting its own. Faithfulness to our tradition doesn’t mean being intolerant of others; in fact, we owe much of what we are to other traditions. We are Christian not because there is no other way to be in relationship with God, but because we have found that the path leading to God that best meets our needs is the path we find demonstrated by Jesus (who taught, “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”). We wouldn’t want people to condemn us for our faith; and so as followers of Jesus, we don’t condemn anyone else for theirs.
Prayer Treatment
I can be faithful within my tradition while loving and respecting others who are faithful within their own. Perhaps, we can even learn from one another. Amen.
Second Sunday of Lent
We Are Eucharistic.
We understand the sharing of bread and wine in Jesus’ name to represent God’s feast of unconditional love for all people.
At Sunshine Cathedral we practice an “open” Communion. We invite everyone to participate in Holy Communion regardless of who they are. One need not be a member of our church or any church to receive the sacrament. All are welcome, regardless of their beliefs or doubts, to participate in our symbolic feast of unconditional love. We share the one loaf and the common cup not because we all believe the same things, but because we are united in love. “God is Love and WHOEVER lives in love lives in God and God lives in them” (1 John 4.16).
Prayer Treatment
God is Love. Showing kindness is the way we recognize and honor the divine Presence in others. In the name of God, we celebrate an open Communion where all are welcome and all are loved. And so it is.
Third Sunday of Lent
We Are Inclusive.
We invite all people to participate in our community and worship life without insisting that they become exactly like us. This inclusion applies to believers AND agnostics, conventional Christians AND questioning skeptics, women and men, those of ALL sexual orientations and gender identities, those of ALL races and cultures, those of all classes and abilities, and those who hope for a better world as well as those who have lost hope.
At Sunshine Cathedral, what holds us together isn’t a doctrinal statement or creed, but our willingness to support one another as we each follow our own path and grow at our own pace. We acknowledge the divine Spark in every individual and we affirm the sacred value of all people. Our unity isn’t based on what we oppose nor is it based on an unwillingness to think critically. Our unity isn’t a uniformity of opinion; our unity is the divine Love that dwells in every human heart. Beliefs come and go, but our commitment to practice love and kindness can sustain us throughout our lives. We are lovingly diverse and that is our strength.
Prayer Treatment
As we treat others the way we would like to be treated, we are recognizing and affirming the dignity and sacred value of every individual in our wonderfully diverse community. And so it is!
Fourth Sunday of Lent
We Are People of Action (Actions Speak Louder Than Words).
We know that the way we behave toward one another and toward others is the fullest expression of what we really believe.
Beliefs change. As we learn new information, meet new people, and have new experiences, our opinions evolve. At Sunshine Cathedral, we do ask people to believe in their own sacred value and in the sacred value of all people. But more than holding an opinion, what we are really asking is that we learn to treat ourselves lovingly and that we learn to treat others lovingly. When we give time, talent and treasure to our church and other good causes, when we show kindness, when we forgive someone, when we try again after a failure, when we use our voice, our vote, or our resources to promote fairness…we are living what we really believe. Progressive Christians live lives of hope, joy, fairness, and compassion…those faith actions do more for our world than mere theological opinions ever could.
Prayer Treatment
As I live joyously, love abundantly, and work for justice in my world, I am expressing my deepest, truest faith…a trust in the goodness of life and a desire for life’s goodness to be experienced by all people. Amen.
Fifth Sunday of Lent
We Are Seekers & Students of Truth.
We find more grace in the SEARCH for understanding that we do in dogmatic certainty – more value in questioning than in absolutes.
Jesus said, “Seek and you will find.” As progressive Christians, we aren’t afraid to ask questions, nor are we arrogant enough to believe that any one tradition, book, or institution has a lock on truth. Dogma might help us feel secure, but it can also keep us from experiencing the joy of new discovery, new learning, and new revelations. Jesus, we will recall, challenged the leaders of his religious tradition and he offered new insights to the tradition itself. In fact, some people even considered Jesus to be a heretic. Heresy comes from a Greek word that means “act of choosing.” Jesus freely chose what he believed and how he would celebrate his beliefs. Followers of Jesus today also are free to choose. Others may call us heretics, and we can simply smile and agree. We can use reason, a variety of interpretations of scripture and tradition, as well as science, sociology, psychology, and our own creativity to explore the depths of the mystery of life. For the progressive Christian, the questions are more important than the answers, because there may always be new answers to discover and consider. We aren’t here to mindlessly obey what others claim to have discovered; we are here to fearlessly and honestly seek for ourselves and to enjoy our own discoveries.
Prayer Treatment
My honest questions are leading me to new discoveries all the time. I value the search, and I give thanks for the journey. Amen.
Sixth Sunday of Lent
We Are Called to Do Justice, Love Mercy, and Live Humbly (Micah 6.8).
We are a community dedicated to equipping our fellow members for the work we are called to do: striving for peace and justice among ALL people, protecting the environment, and offering hope to those Jesus called the “least” of his sisters and brothers.
Progressive Christians are followers of Jesus’ example. Jesus challenged the status quo. He loved the unlovable and touched the untouchables. He stood up to religious hypocrisy and he so empowered the marginalized that the imperial government saw him as a possible threat. His message of loving the enemy, forgiving offenders, and caring more for human dignity than for religious traditions or hierarchies and his understanding that the whole of scripture could be boiled down to loving all people and treating others the way we would like to be treated is the message we try to embrace and live out as Progressive Christians. More than venerating Jesus as a sacred symbol, we endeavor to follow Jesus’ example of justice-love. When we confront misogyny, racism, heterosexism/homophobia and when we work for peace, economic fairness, universal access to quality health care, child safety, elder care, peace, and environmental justice, we are the incarnation of the spirit of Jesus’ life-changing and world-changing message.
Prayer Treatment
God, in, through, and as each one of us is working to bring peace, hope, goodwill, and justice to our world. And so it is.
Maundy Thursday
We Are Generous.
We recognize that being followers of Jesus is costly, and entails selfless love, conscientious resistance to evil, and renunciation of privilege.
Jesus’ Golden Rule was to treat others as we would wish to be treated. There is a Jewish tradition that says when a rabbi was challenged to teach the entire Torah while standing on one foot, the rabbi accepted the challenge, saying very simply, “What is hateful to you, do not do your neighbor. This is the message of the Torah. Everything else is simply commentary.” Leviticus 19.18 says, “love your neighbor as yourself.” Over and over, the message is clear: the spiritually mature are never concerned only with personal comfort, but with well-being, justice, compassion, and opportunity for all people. Whether people have been injured by poverty, homophobia, sexism, racism, unjust wars, abuse, neglect, or natural disaster, the progressive Christian responds with generosity, compassion, and goodwill.
Prayer Treatment
All people have sacred value. As a follower of Jesus, I recognize the holiness within each person as I endeavor to treat all people the way I would wish to be treated. Amen.
The Sunshine Cathedral is affiliated with The Center for Progressive Christianity (www.TCPC.org), whose mission is:
- To reach out to those for whom organized religion has proved ineffectual, irrelevant, or repressive, as well as to those who have given up on or are unacquainted with it.
- To uphold evangelism as an agent of justice and peace.
- To give a strong voice both in the churches and the public arena to the advocates of progressive Christianity.
- To support those who embrace the search, not certainty.
Join us for Good Friday and Easter services at Sunshine Cathedral.
1480 SW Ninth Ave, Ft Lauderdale, FL
www.sunshinecathedral.org
EASTER SUNDAY Services at Sunshine Cathedral: 8 am, 9:30 am, & 11 am
Ash Wednesday
We Are Followers of Jesus.
We have found an approach to God through the life and teachings of Jesus.
The Church has so successfully made Jesus into a sacred symbol, it has often failed to adequately challenge its membership to follow Jesus’ example. Instead of being legalistic in Jesus’ name, we ought to recall how Jesus challenged religious legalism and affirmed those who legalism had excluded. Instead of taking the easy road of merely praising Jesus, we ought to follow his example of touching the untouchables, loving the unlovable, seeing the light of God in all people. We honor Jesus best not by what we say about him, but by following his example of working for justice, showing compassion, and being the love of God in action in our world. As progressive Christians we have found the life and teachings of Jesus to be the way of giving body to the presence of divine Love in our world.
Prayer Treatment
I am embracing and expressing the goodness of God as I follow Jesus’ message and example. Amen.
First Sunday of Lent
We Affirm Religious Pluralism.
We can be faithful within our tradition even while respecting that other traditions are valid for those who are faithful within them.
We need to remember that the Christian tradition is diverse. It has never been an ideologically unified movement, and as the years/centuries/millennia have rolled on, the movement has become ever more diverse. As the Jesus movement began as a Jewish movement, we have obviously borrowed from Judaism (our “Old Testament”, the celebration of Pentecost, the messianic concept, etc.), but we have also borrowed from other traditions (some common Christian beliefs were borrowed from Persian Zoroastrianism; celebrating winter/Christmas and spring/Easter festivals were borrowed from European paganism; the “Logos” was borrowed from ancient Greek philosophy, etc.). And, as science has advanced, we’ve had to negotiate with, incorporate, and re-examine our stories and traditions in the light of scientific discoveries. Christianity is an evolving movement, touched by the cultures it has touched, borrowing from other traditions even while developing and reinterpreting its own. Faithfulness to our tradition doesn’t mean being intolerant of others; in fact, we owe much of what we are to other traditions. We are Christian not because there is no other way to be in relationship with God, but because we have found that the path leading to God that best meets our needs is the path we find demonstrated by Jesus (who taught, “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you.”). We wouldn’t want people to condemn us for our faith; and so as followers of Jesus, we don’t condemn anyone else for theirs.
Prayer Treatment
I can be faithful within my tradition while loving and respecting others who are faithful within their own. Perhaps, we can even learn from one another. Amen.
Second Sunday of Lent
We Are Eucharistic.
We understand the sharing of bread and wine in Jesus’ name to represent God’s feast of unconditional love for all people.
At Sunshine Cathedral we practice an “open” Communion. We invite everyone to participate in Holy Communion regardless of who they are. One need not be a member of our church or any church to receive the sacrament. All are welcome, regardless of their beliefs or doubts, to participate in our symbolic feast of unconditional love. We share the one loaf and the common cup not because we all believe the same things, but because we are united in love. “God is Love and WHOEVER lives in love lives in God and God lives in them” (1 John 4.16).
Prayer Treatment
God is Love. Showing kindness is the way we recognize and honor the divine Presence in others. In the name of God, we celebrate an open Communion where all are welcome and all are loved. And so it is.
Third Sunday of Lent
We Are Inclusive.
We invite all people to participate in our community and worship life without insisting that they become exactly like us. This inclusion applies to believers AND agnostics, conventional Christians AND questioning skeptics, women and men, those of ALL sexual orientations and gender identities, those of ALL races and cultures, those of all classes and abilities, and those who hope for a better world as well as those who have lost hope.
At Sunshine Cathedral, what holds us together isn’t a doctrinal statement or creed, but our willingness to support one another as we each follow our own path and grow at our own pace. We acknowledge the divine Spark in every individual and we affirm the sacred value of all people. Our unity isn’t based on what we oppose nor is it based on an unwillingness to think critically. Our unity isn’t a uniformity of opinion; our unity is the divine Love that dwells in every human heart. Beliefs come and go, but our commitment to practice love and kindness can sustain us throughout our lives. We are lovingly diverse and that is our strength.
Prayer Treatment
As we treat others the way we would like to be treated, we are recognizing and affirming the dignity and sacred value of every individual in our wonderfully diverse community. And so it is!
Fourth Sunday of Lent
We Are People of Action (Actions Speak Louder Than Words).
We know that the way we behave toward one another and toward others is the fullest expression of what we really believe.
Beliefs change. As we learn new information, meet new people, and have new experiences, our opinions evolve. At Sunshine Cathedral, we do ask people to believe in their own sacred value and in the sacred value of all people. But more than holding an opinion, what we are really asking is that we learn to treat ourselves lovingly and that we learn to treat others lovingly. When we give time, talent and treasure to our church and other good causes, when we show kindness, when we forgive someone, when we try again after a failure, when we use our voice, our vote, or our resources to promote fairness…we are living what we really believe. Progressive Christians live lives of hope, joy, fairness, and compassion…those faith actions do more for our world than mere theological opinions ever could.
Prayer Treatment
As I live joyously, love abundantly, and work for justice in my world, I am expressing my deepest, truest faith…a trust in the goodness of life and a desire for life’s goodness to be experienced by all people. Amen.
Fifth Sunday of Lent
We Are Seekers & Students of Truth.
We find more grace in the SEARCH for understanding that we do in dogmatic certainty – more value in questioning than in absolutes.
Jesus said, “Seek and you will find.” As progressive Christians, we aren’t afraid to ask questions, nor are we arrogant enough to believe that any one tradition, book, or institution has a lock on truth. Dogma might help us feel secure, but it can also keep us from experiencing the joy of new discovery, new learning, and new revelations. Jesus, we will recall, challenged the leaders of his religious tradition and he offered new insights to the tradition itself. In fact, some people even considered Jesus to be a heretic. Heresy comes from a Greek word that means “act of choosing.” Jesus freely chose what he believed and how he would celebrate his beliefs. Followers of Jesus today also are free to choose. Others may call us heretics, and we can simply smile and agree. We can use reason, a variety of interpretations of scripture and tradition, as well as science, sociology, psychology, and our own creativity to explore the depths of the mystery of life. For the progressive Christian, the questions are more important than the answers, because there may always be new answers to discover and consider. We aren’t here to mindlessly obey what others claim to have discovered; we are here to fearlessly and honestly seek for ourselves and to enjoy our own discoveries.
Prayer Treatment
My honest questions are leading me to new discoveries all the time. I value the search, and I give thanks for the journey. Amen.
Sixth Sunday of Lent
We Are Called to Do Justice, Love Mercy, and Live Humbly (Micah 6.8).
We are a community dedicated to equipping our fellow members for the work we are called to do: striving for peace and justice among ALL people, protecting the environment, and offering hope to those Jesus called the “least” of his sisters and brothers.
Progressive Christians are followers of Jesus’ example. Jesus challenged the status quo. He loved the unlovable and touched the untouchables. He stood up to religious hypocrisy and he so empowered the marginalized that the imperial government saw him as a possible threat. His message of loving the enemy, forgiving offenders, and caring more for human dignity than for religious traditions or hierarchies and his understanding that the whole of scripture could be boiled down to loving all people and treating others the way we would like to be treated is the message we try to embrace and live out as Progressive Christians. More than venerating Jesus as a sacred symbol, we endeavor to follow Jesus’ example of justice-love. When we confront misogyny, racism, heterosexism/homophobia and when we work for peace, economic fairness, universal access to quality health care, child safety, elder care, peace, and environmental justice, we are the incarnation of the spirit of Jesus’ life-changing and world-changing message.
Prayer Treatment
God, in, through, and as each one of us is working to bring peace, hope, goodwill, and justice to our world. And so it is.
Maundy Thursday
We Are Generous.
We recognize that being followers of Jesus is costly, and entails selfless love, conscientious resistance to evil, and renunciation of privilege.
Jesus’ Golden Rule was to treat others as we would wish to be treated. There is a Jewish tradition that says when a rabbi was challenged to teach the entire Torah while standing on one foot, the rabbi accepted the challenge, saying very simply, “What is hateful to you, do not do your neighbor. This is the message of the Torah. Everything else is simply commentary.” Leviticus 19.18 says, “love your neighbor as yourself.” Over and over, the message is clear: the spiritually mature are never concerned only with personal comfort, but with well-being, justice, compassion, and opportunity for all people. Whether people have been injured by poverty, homophobia, sexism, racism, unjust wars, abuse, neglect, or natural disaster, the progressive Christian responds with generosity, compassion, and goodwill.
Prayer Treatment
All people have sacred value. As a follower of Jesus, I recognize the holiness within each person as I endeavor to treat all people the way I would wish to be treated. Amen.
The Sunshine Cathedral is affiliated with The Center for Progressive Christianity (www.TCPC.org), whose mission is:
- To reach out to those for whom organized religion has proved ineffectual, irrelevant, or repressive, as well as to those who have given up on or are unacquainted with it.
- To uphold evangelism as an agent of justice and peace.
- To give a strong voice both in the churches and the public arena to the advocates of progressive Christianity.
- To support those who embrace the search, not certainty.
Join us for Good Friday and Easter services at Sunshine Cathedral.
1480 SW Ninth Ave, Ft Lauderdale, FL
www.sunshinecathedral.org
Eighth Principle of Progressive Christianity
Lenten Online Series
by Pastor Durrell Watkins
April 1, 2010
GOOD FRIDAY Service at Sunshine Cathedral: 7:30 pm
EASTER SUNDAY Services at Sunshine Cathedral: 8 am, 9:30 am, & 11 am
This Lent, Sunshine Cathedral is offering this free online study series, to invite us all into a deeper experience of the Progressive, Positive, and Practical spirituality that we teach. This is our final reflection in the eight part series.
Eighth Principle of Progressive Christianity
We Are Generous.
We recognize that being followers of Jesus is costly, and entails selfless love, conscientious resistance to evil, and renunciation of privilege.
Jesus' Golden Rule was to treat others as we would wish to be treated. There is a Jewish tradition that says when a rabbi was challenged to teach the entire Torah while standing on one foot, the rabbi accepted the challenge, saying very simply, "What is hateful to you, do not do your neighbor. This is the message of the Torah. Everything else is simply commentary." Leviticus 19.18 says, "love your neighbor as yourself." Over and over, the message is clear: the spiritually mature are never concerned only with personal comfort, but with well-being, justice, compassion, and opportunity for all people. Whether people have been injured by poverty, homophobia, sexism, racism, unjust wars, abuse, neglect, or natural disaster, the progressive Christian responds with generosity, compassion, and goodwill.
Prayer Treatment: All people have sacred value. As a follower of Jesus, I recognize the holiness within each person as I endeavor to treat all people the way I would wish to be treated. Amen.
The Sunshine Cathedral is affiliated with The Center for Progressive Christianity, whose mission is:
- To reach out to those for whom organized religion has proved ineffectual, irrelevant, or repressive, as well as to those who have given up on or are unacquainted with it.
- To uphold evangelism as an agent of justice and peace.
- To give a strong voice both in the churches and the public arena to the advocates of progressive Christianity.
- To support those who embrace the search, not certainty.
by Pastor Durrell Watkins
April 1, 2010
GOOD FRIDAY Service at Sunshine Cathedral: 7:30 pm
EASTER SUNDAY Services at Sunshine Cathedral: 8 am, 9:30 am, & 11 am
This Lent, Sunshine Cathedral is offering this free online study series, to invite us all into a deeper experience of the Progressive, Positive, and Practical spirituality that we teach. This is our final reflection in the eight part series.
Eighth Principle of Progressive Christianity
We Are Generous.
We recognize that being followers of Jesus is costly, and entails selfless love, conscientious resistance to evil, and renunciation of privilege.
Jesus' Golden Rule was to treat others as we would wish to be treated. There is a Jewish tradition that says when a rabbi was challenged to teach the entire Torah while standing on one foot, the rabbi accepted the challenge, saying very simply, "What is hateful to you, do not do your neighbor. This is the message of the Torah. Everything else is simply commentary." Leviticus 19.18 says, "love your neighbor as yourself." Over and over, the message is clear: the spiritually mature are never concerned only with personal comfort, but with well-being, justice, compassion, and opportunity for all people. Whether people have been injured by poverty, homophobia, sexism, racism, unjust wars, abuse, neglect, or natural disaster, the progressive Christian responds with generosity, compassion, and goodwill.
Prayer Treatment: All people have sacred value. As a follower of Jesus, I recognize the holiness within each person as I endeavor to treat all people the way I would wish to be treated. Amen.
The Sunshine Cathedral is affiliated with The Center for Progressive Christianity, whose mission is:
- To reach out to those for whom organized religion has proved ineffectual, irrelevant, or repressive, as well as to those who have given up on or are unacquainted with it.
- To uphold evangelism as an agent of justice and peace.
- To give a strong voice both in the churches and the public arena to the advocates of progressive Christianity.
- To support those who embrace the search, not certainty.
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