THE LINKJournal of theScottish Unitarian Fellowship
As you are aware from previous editions of "The Link", our founder, Rev. Dr. Colin Wicker, has for some time been seeking volunteers to assume responsibility for the day-to-day running of the SUF and producing "The Link". A small "Caretaker" group has now emerged to undertake these tasks. This is a provisional arrangement of course until an Annual General Meeting of SUF members is called when the group may be confirmed in office or replaced by others as the membership may decide. Details of this A.G.M. to be held in Dundee, in May 2004, will be available later. The "'caretaker" group consists of the Rev. Eric Breeze, Minister of Aberdeen Unitarian Church; Bill Stephen Secretary of Aberdeen Unitarian Church, formerly Secretary of the Scottish Unitarian Association and sometime member of the Unitarian General Assembly Council; Bert Inkson, Chairman of Aberdeen Unitarian Church, former President of the General Assembly and one time Secretary of the SUA; the Rev. Anne Wicker, formerly Minister at Shrewsbury, Aberdeen & President of the SUA. and now SUF representative to the SUA. and Rev. Dr. Colin Wicker, retired Minister of the Dundee Unitarian Church, former Treasurer of the SUA. sometime Chairman of the Unitarian Peace Fellowship and founder of the SUF. Colin started "The Link" (the original name of the SUF) to satisfy a need he had detected. He realised that there are many people who wish to have some connection with a religious community but who for various reasons cannot or do not wish to become members of a traditional church congregation. Colin set out to provide a service for these people and eventually discovered he had created a kind of federation of individuals, who were more or less of the same mind in religious matters and that he, himself, was the Link joining them together. He founded "The Link" newsletter to keep in touch with everyone and again realised a new community was in being which became formalised and recognised as the SUF. We see maintaining and developing the community aspect of the SUF as an important function of the Steering Group. Distance and anonymity are serious obstacles to this aim, but we hope by encouraging our members to make full use of our various means of communication, we can get to know and care about each other. We would like you to write to "The Link": any personal news you would like to share with us, e.g. weddings, baptisms, successes and achievements etc. issues you would like to get off your chest; reaction to "The Link" articles; ideas for other "The Link" editions; personal reflections on any topic . A principal feature of a Unitarian group is the free exchange of views and discussion and we would like to think that "The Link" might facilitate this activity for our members. In this issue, for instance, we have several articles about marriage, particularly the marriage ceremony; perhaps you would like to respond to Anne's plea for a reaction to her Letter. This edition of "The Link" is exploratory because as yet we do not know what you would expect from your newsletter. Please let us know. Other means of communication are the SUF Website which we hope to extend with your help and the telephone which will allow you to talk directly to our Minister. Pastoral CareA religious community, no matter how loosely knit, is founded upon pastoral care and we wish to provide this in so far as we can within the constraints distance imposes upon us. Colin will continue to visit our members and, again, as far as he call, perform religious services when requested. Eric will be happy to offer help, or advice of a spiritual or personal nature by letter, telephone, e-mail, or visit within a reasonable distance of Aberdeen. Anne will also welcome your letters. All approaches on personal matters are handled in strictest confidence, of course. We hope in this way to create a trusting, caring community. We also hope via "The Link" to offer guidance and support to anyone who wishes to develop their own spirituality on a DIY basis. In this edition, for instance, we offer some pointers to the practice of meditation. SubscriptionsThe Subscription for the coming year is now due. The rate was set by the 2003 AGM at £10 per member. This is subject to review and change at the next AGM. Cheques payable to "'The Scottish Unitarian Fellowship" should be sent to the Treasurer, Bert Inkson, 39 Woodend Place, Aberdeen AB15 6AP. by Rev. Eric W. Breeze As I write this I am only too aware that we all come from different backgrounds, and will have our own particular views on religion. However, it is my hope that, despite differences, we may also find some common ground. I am enthusiastic about the SUF and for the potential that we have What unites us, I believe, is our belief in a free religious faith - the freedom to approach religion in our own way, with our own understanding. After all, are we not on a common Religious Quest? But if we didn't have our religion - where would we go? This of course is only a hypothetical question - but it is one that many people think about when confronted with all the possible alternatives to religion that are now available. We are all on a spiritual journey, and yet not many people know were to turn. It is hoped however, that many of you have found in us - the Scottish Unitarian Fellowship - not so much an alternative to The Main Stream Churches, because you couldn't find anything else, but rather because of the ideals that we hold dear i.e. Reason, Toleration and Religious Freedom. There is no doubt about it, religion as we understand it today is on the decrease - but what is certain, there is a definite increase in the various alternatives to religion. But why has this arisen? We only need to look into the history of Christianity to see how the Church has been split into so many fragments. And it is against this background - the background of a divided church that there have arisen all those different alternative approaches. And what also stands out, and seems to be lacking, is the genuine need for some kind of spiritual guidance. And because of this many people are searching elsewhere. And it is also here that I believe the Unitarian Denomination can play a crucial role. Because of its diversity and openness to other World Faiths, and it doesn't ask for allegiance to any dogma or creed, I would like to think that the Unitarian Denomination could be a church that would fulfil people's spiritual needs. This is the hope that I have, and perhaps one day may realize. You never know. But what is clear, there are many people out there searching for something more spiritual, and many are turning away from orthodoxy. They long for a real spiritual home. Somewhere to belong. It is perfectly possible of course that those same alternatives could be seen as being complementary - this is the ideal. There are many Unitarians who also belong to something else outside. And it is my hope and prayer that all who read this - whatever other group or society you may have an interest in - that you will also look upon the SUF as your spiritual home - even though through distance we may find it difficult in meeting up at times. At least with us, you will find a common freedom that we all share. We are not exclusive - we are inclusive. And we all belong to a unique faith - we are all on a common religious quest. Every blessing - and you never know we might meet up sometime. MARRIAGE - A SPIRITUAL ENCOUNTER by Rev Eric W. Breeze There is a belief today that marriage is fast becoming an outmoded institution and with this a growing cynicism towards the whole idea of 'tying the knot'. Statistics may prove me wrong, but I personally see an actual growth in the more spiritual side of the marriage bond , as it should be. Keep it simple - and Spiritual. I find that what many couples do not want is something over the top and false. They want it simple, dignified and, yes, even spiritual. They may use different words in describing what they would like but when questioned, this always seems to come to the fore. And on a personal level I always make sure that this is the case. In fact I go out of my way to point out the spiritual dimension - especially in the address I give. There are always various readings given which the couple may or may not choose (spiritual or otherwise) but at the end it is the minister's prerogative (I believe) to say a few words - and it is at this point I always try to point out the deeper aspects. The sanctity of marriage I make it a point to quote from our Unitarian Book "In Life and Death". This is a great moment in your lives: this ceremony and all that is said to-day are for your help and guidance. But only you can turn the sacredness of this occasion into a continuance of sanctity and make your matrimony a holy matrimony.' And further on I may add 'You have chosen to come to this church (place) to begin your life together in a religious spirit, and pray for God's help and blessing.' Now, whatever the couples' religious beliefs may be they never take offence at those words. But to make sure, I always go over the whole service with them first to find out what they would like. Whatever happened to love? During the address I also make it a point to quote St. Paul's message on love, but I also point out that love is a process of growth. Marriage is about love and commitment, and the growth of love is part of that commitment. I like what Peter Usitinov once wrote: 'Marriage is like a three-speed gearbox: affection, friendship and love. It is not advisable to crash your gears and go right through to love straight away. You need to ease your way through. The basis of love is respect, and that needs to be learnt from of fiction and friendship.' An ideal for life The whole marriage ceremony then should point to the ideal state. It is a foundation for the whole of ones Life - from the opening words and prayers, the purpose of marriage, the declaration of intent, the promises, the giving of the rings, the pronouncement, and the marriage blessing (and whatever else may be added). But this whole process, by its very nature, is spiritual It's not only a material joining together. This is expressed in a prayer of sincerity: We thank thee for the love with which thou dost bind together kindred souls, and for the institution of marriage, for the tenderness of its ties, the honour of its estate, the sacredness of its obligations, and for its power to guard, hallow, and perfect our human love.' Questioning the children before Confirmation, the Bishop asked one nervous little girl, 'What's is matrimony?' she answered, 'a place where souls suffer for a time an account of their sins.' 'No, no,' said the parish priest, 'that's purgatory.' 'Let her alone,' said the Bishop. 'She may be right. What do you and I know of it.' Rev. Anne Wicker writes: Dear Friends, The SUF was at crisis point in early summer. It was in danger of folding completely. I was delighted, therefore, when some people on learning the gravity of the situation, told me that they were determined that this was not going to be happen if they could help it! Now, because of them, and especially Eric, Bill and Bert, the SUF can look to the future with confidence once again. I am happy too that the Scottish Unitarian Association, of which I am your representative, has also continued its continuing financial support. This month (October 2003) marks the 20th Anniversary of the commencement of my training for the ministry. During that time, I have noted the ups and downs in the fortunes of of our churches . Many have suffered a marked decline in their memberships. Of course, we Unitarians are not alone in this. Lots of churches, in all denominations, are crying out for for new members, especially young ones. The lack of interest by the younger generation in attending church regularly can be borne out, for example, by the number of couples opting out, these days, of being married in church. During my twenty years in the ministry, I have officiated at dozens of marriage ceremonies, but despite having served three congregations, two with their own church building, the number I have conducted in church still remains in single figures. Despite this fact, however, I do not believe this shows young people have lost their respect for religion or the need for religion in their lives. Many of you wished to be married by a Minister
of Religion, chose a Unitarian Minister, were introduced to the S.U.F and as a
result became a member of the SUF You need not feel the need or be able (even if you wanted to) to attend church regularly but all the evidence points to the fact that even in this day and age, religion is not dead for our younger generation. I would love to hear your views, and especially the views of our younger members, on these matters. You can contact me directly as S.U.F correspondent or make your views known through the pages of "The LINK". Is religion dead for our young people in this day and age? Let us hear from you. With very best wishes, (This was the last e-mail from Laurel Clark, a Unitarian from Racine, Wisconsin. Laurel died in February in the crash of space-shuttle "Columbia".) Hello, from above our magnificent planet, Earth. The prospect is truly awe- inspiring have seen some incredible sights; lightning spreading over the Pacific, the Aurora Australis lighting up the entire visible horizon with the city glow of Australia below, the crescent moon setting over the limb of the Earth, the vast plains of Africa and the dunes on Cape Horn....Mount Fuji looks like a small bump from up here, but it does stand out as a very distinct landmark. Every orbit we go over a slightly different part of the Earth. Of course much of the time I am back working in Spacelab. Whenever I do get to look out, it is glorious. Even the stars have a special brightness. I have seen my 'friend' Orion several times.... Thanks to many of you who have supported me and my adventures throughout the years. This was definitely one to beat all. I hope you could feel the positive energy that beamed to the whole planet as we glided over our shared planet. Love to all, (Quoted from "League Letter" the Journal of the Unitarian Women's League.) Over the weekend of 26th-27th October 2003, the memory of Michael Servetus (1511-1533), the Unitarian martyr, was honoured in at least a dozen countries including the U.K. Hungary, Switzerland and the U.S.A. The principal commemorative event took place on the the Anniversary of his death, 27thOctober, in Geneva, where he was burned at the stake. Scottish Unitarians were represented at this remembrance ceremony by Rev. Andrew Hill and Mark Taplin of St. Mark's Unitarian Church, Edinburgh. Michael Servetus was one of the most outstanding scholars of his day. Born in Tudelia, Spain, he studied Law at the University of Toulouse, Medicine at Paris and Montpellier, and Theology at Louvain. He started medical practice in 1540, in Vienne, France, where he became the Archbishop's physician and described the pulmonary circulation of the blood, 75 years before Dr William Harvey, in England. He was a competent astronomer, correctly predicting n Martian eclipse by the moon in 1538, and a geographer of note, producing an edition of Ptolmty's Geography in 1,539. Employing the same rational approach to examine the religious practices of his day, he fell foul of the Roman Catholic Church and then of the Protestants, in spite of originally winning the approval of John Calvin, with whom he corresponded. One of his books, "On the Errors of the Trinity" questioning the logic of a "three-in-one God" which he called a "Cerberus of three heads", earned him a death sentence for heresy in his native Spain; and another, "The Restitution of Christianity" which called for an abolition of dogmas and creeds upset the whole clerical establishment including, Jean Calvin, who had him arrested while attending a church service in Geneva and executed as a heretic. As he died, he said, "thou Son of the Eternal God, have mercy upon me." Guillaume Farel, Calvin's chief adviser, and determined to standardise Protestantism, said "if he would only say, Jesus Tou eternal Son of God, we could cut him free". Servetus was killed by the bureaucratic mind-set he wished to reform. Even in 16th century P.C. was rampant. In many ways, Michael Servetus was a modern man, who claimed that human spirituality ought not to be restricted by any form of creed. He found no contradiction between spirituality and science, any more than later Unitarian scientists such as Rev. Dr. Joseph Priestley, the discoverer of oxygen, the late Professor Lintis Pauling, Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the Internet and Laurel Clark, the astronaut. Servetus' edition of Ptolmey's Geography contains this objective, scholarly account of the Scots at the start of the 16th century. Among the Scots there are few differences of
customs, languages or manner. Their temper is hasty, prone to revenge
and fierce. They are brave in war, very patient under fasting, watching
and cold, shapely in mien, careless in dress. Unfriendly in
disposition, they look down on all other mortals. They are vain in
their noble blood; even in file depth of poverty, tracing their pedigree
to a line of kings. They flatter themselves oil their argumentative
skill; in lying they delight, and do not study pence, like the English.
The northern parts of Scotland are tenanted by wild men, hearing the names
of foresters; their speech and dress are as in Ireland; they wear a rug
over a tunic of saffron dye, and go with bare shanks and a shaggy kind of
footwear they live on game and fish, though with plenty of cattle, milk
and cheese; their weapons are bows and arrows, and broadsword; hunting is
their chief pursuit; they have a provincial code, different from the
civil law. The rest of the Scots are similar to the English in language
and civilisation. Almost throughout the island the use of coil for firing
is so common that beggars meeting charitable persons ask for coal. Most children realise at an early age that the simplest activities are made needlessly trying by pointless rules and regulations which constantly trip us up. Hunger, for instance cannot be satisfied by eating when, where, what and how we please. No. We are obliged to eat at certain times of the day the appropriate meal and courses in the prescribed order: cornflakes at breakfast and pudding only after the main course. One practice that intrigued me as a child, was tea drinking. I realised that there's much more to taking tea, than simply slaking one's thirst. I didn't care for tea unless it was cool, very milky and very sweet. Sometimes, I was indulged: I could help myself to as much sugar and milk as I pleased (and eat as many cakes as I could manage); but on other occasions, milk and sugar were doled out in meagre amounts by the officiating adult. The rules varied alarmingly when one was 'playing away' so to speak. Each venue had its own style and customs and cross-fertilisation between traditions was strictly forbidden. A few doors along from us lived a retired fisherman, Jock McWilliam, and his wife, Mexie. As gregarious four-year- olds, My friend, Mary and I, frequently called upon the McWilliams to share their elevenses. Jock would sit by the open hearth, weaving a seine net, on one side a large ball of twine like a large yellow cheese, and on the other, the new net billowed over the floor and piled up against the wall. As Jock plied his needle, Mexie made the tea, stooping to pour water from the great black kettle swinging over the hearth, into a brown earthenware tea pot. Mary fetched the white cups and saucers from the sideboard, while Jock taught me how to weave a net. In this house, tea-making was strictly women's work. Mexie handed Jock his tea, black and strong, unsweetened; Mary gave me mine. We balanced our cups on the fender. Jock, retrieved his dentures from the tobacco tin on the fender, slipped them into his mouth and carefully poured his tea into his saucer, blew on it, and lifting his saucer with both hands to his mouth, drained it noisily. He, then, Filled my saucer from my cup, and passed it to me. I slurped, in imitation, trying to avoid the tea leaves swirling around on the surface. The tea was strong; Mexie's tea always was. Several spoonsfull of sugar could not mitigate the harsh taste of tannin. Tea dribbled from the corners of my mouth as I tried to swallow it. Mary handed me - no plate - a slice of bread and butter, thickly coated with golden syrup. Jock sucked at his pipe and plied his saucer, approvingly smiling at me, from time to time. I slurped and munched, a sticky ooze slipping over my chin and down the front of my jersey. The women, settled at the table, ignored us. Two strong men, we, likewise, sit in companionable silence, wrapped in tobacco smoke and contentment, gazing into the glowing heart of the fire. Occasionally, my Grandmother took afternoon tea with her friend, Miss Livingstone; occasionally, I was taken along; an eventuality, I dreaded. Miss Livingstone had spent a life-time serving the great and the good in their palatial residences, retiring eventually as Housekeeper to three maiden sisters who occupied a house in Charlotte Square, Edinburgh. In her tiny flat above the grocer's shop, Miss Livingstone adhered dogmatically to the tea-drinking etiquette observed in Charlotte Square, and her authority was never questioned by the elderly ladies of our small community, these aesthetes of the tea-table, who frequented her "at homes" of a Wednesday afternoon. (The grocer's early closing.) In response to Miss Livingstone's invitation (embossed, deckle edged), "and grandson" was thoroughly scrubbed, thrust into Sunday suit and shoes, and led reluctantly into the hot, little room, the holy of holies, where the tea table, gleamed with silverware and eggshell china upon a snowy- white, linen cloth. There was an elaborate ballet of shaking hands, discarding coats, offering little gifts - home-made jam, scones etc. - before we were assigned to a straight- backed chair at the glittering board. The mistress of the feast sat behind a copper kettle nestling on a little spirit stove, and plying kettle, silver tea pot, silver strainer, she passed to each of us a translucent cup of carefully measured, amber-coloured tea. We sat upright in our chairs, our hands clasped on the starched, white napkin on our lap while the choreography of the tea table placed within our reach, in turn, cream jug, sugar basin and tongs, butter and jam dishes, bread and butter (thinly sliced), scones, and narrow wedges of cake severed with surgical precision. The food was dispensed from a multi-layered cake stand by our hostess's side who announced each new plateful with the words, "We shall now have a service of bread and butter or scones etc." Throughout the meal, one was expected to sit upright, keep one's hands off the table, eat tiny mouth-fulls, sip silently, wipe one's lips frequently, reply to questions without dribbling or spraying everyone with crumbs, and handle one's knife, spoon, sugar tongs etc, with the dexterity of a juggler. The ritual was everything; and the more skilful one's performance, the greater the merit. Apprehension suppressed appetite, however; and one escaped from Miss Livingstone's tea-table, rigid with fright, as from an ordeal barely survived. Tea with Robbie the box-maker, on the other hand, was a liberating experience. Robbie kept open house in a shed surrounded by thousands of decrepit fish boxes. He brewed his tea in a half gallon tea kettle, its bruised enamel shoulders proclaiming a long career in the service of heavy handed sea cooks. It sat steaming all day long on a cast-iron stove and produced a tarry liquid made palatable by large quantities of condensed milk poured from the can. Robbie's guests, having helped themselves from the kettle drank from a collection of unwashed mugs, cups and bowls, all the while punctuating their noisy swallowing with a variety of grunts and slurps. Here we could have shouted conversations with several people at the same time with our mouth full of oat-cake, splutter, cough and spit and blow one's nose on one's fingers, walk about or sit or lounge against the door-frame and no one minded. Here, what mattered was the eager talk, - the war, the politics, the football, the fishing, the yarns, the arguments, the exchange of views. Robbie's gossip mill quenched a thirst that his tarry brew could not reach; and his go-as-you-please house-style siphoned off tensions in a way other therapies could not match. I would leave Robbie's shed tingling with excitement, my head buzzing with talk, a ferment of new ideas, gleefully anticipating the time when I would pass it on to my palls. Tea drinking was I decided, a little later, not unlike churchgoing. Although churches all offered spiritual refreshment, they all had different styles. Some were downright authoritarian and demanded total obedience to their rule; others were much more relaxed and friendly (happy-clappy), but still reckoned they alone possessed true insight into the nature of reality. Which Church one chose (if at all) was a matter of personal taste. Some people enjoyed ritual and ceremony. Others liked the sense of security a complete moral and religious package gave them, in which every eventuality from birth to death, in this world and the next, had been foreseen and sorted out. Yet others found a cosy reassurance by trusting implicitly ill promises made by a supernatural being as recorded in ancient writings. I really did not care for these "off-the peg" models. I didn't want ritual of cosiness or reassurance; I wanted to make up my own mind in, my own time. Eventually, I found the DIY Denomination, the Unitarians, which encouraged me through study and discussion and argument to create my own spiritual values and find my own purpose for living. The rules we make for ourselves, whether for the tea-table or life in general, are the ones we keep most willingly. A friend of mine, Emily, was being interviewed by a local authority official. She was asked to state her occupation. She replied, "Mother". "There's no such classification", snapped the impatient interviewer. "Housewife covers it!" Emily, chastened, said, "O.K." A few months later, on being asked the same question by another clerk, Emily responded, "I'm a Research Executive in the field or Child Development and Human Relations." This was typed into the computer. Obviously impressed, the Clerk asked for more information about this occupation. Emily continued, "I have a continuing programme of research in the laboratory and in the field. The job is one of the most demanding in the humanities and I often work fourteen or more hours a day. The job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers and the rewards are more of a satisfaction than money." At the end of the interview, the clerk respectfully ushered Emily from the room. Emily returned to her laboratory (Home) to greet her lab assistants (3 daughters, 6,8,12,), inspect her experimental model ( 6 months old baby) and to consent with her Senior Research Associate (Her Mother). by Su Good The editor asked me for seven hundred and fifty words on a topic "close to my heart". What on earth could I write about, I wondered. Then I remembered One World Week. Now I know you're going to say that One World Week is over for this year and you would be right, since it's always held in October. However, the ideas behind this week of activities, ideas of celebrating diversity, of acknowledging our inter-connectedness and of working towards unity, are with us all Year round and are part of what attracted me to Unitarianism in the first place. Each year One World Week has a theme and for 2003, this theme was "Moving Stories". The Action Kit included a suggestion for telling stories using a set of symbols created by the Reading artist Peter Hay. There were fifteen in all, strong black and white images that held relevance for different people from varying backgrounds, possibly not even sharing a common first language. The artist's explanations of why he chose a particular symbol and what it actually meant to him were interesting, but the beauty of the symbols lay in the fact that they could mean so many things to different people. In Aberdeen we have an active Inter-Faith group that always celebrates One World Week. This year, members were invited to share their "Moving Stories" of their journeys of faith, an exercise that can take a great deal of time if just carried out in words. Using the symbols, I found that it was possible to summarise a faith journey in very few words, reinforce the impact with pictures and leave a much more lasting impression. Here's my personal "moving story" of faith, told using five of the pictures.
If you would like to try the pictures to tell your story, I'd be happy to share them with you. The wedding room was a large, pleasant apartment with two tall windows overlooking a busy, noisy street. At one time it may have been the drawing room of a grand town house. It was very hot and was crammed with dining room chairs set in rows before a lectern. We took our places with difficulty, there being but one narrow gangway, and negligible leg-room. The Assistant Registrar entered placed her papers on the lectern, switched on a CD player which emitted a little music to sweeten the roar of the air conditioning and departed by way of a door at the back of the room. After twenty minutes or so, she emerged with the bridal party which processed with some difficulty along a narrow aisle between the rows of chairs to the front. Standing behind the lectern, in a pleasant but very soft voice which failed to carry over the din of the air-conditioning and the traffic outside, she read through the legal requirements of the Marriage Act, received the vows of the Bride and Groom, declared them now to be Husband and Wife and took them off again into the back room to sign the register. And that was that. The whole operation took less than ten minutes. The bridal party returned briefly then left and we all followed, stumbling through the thicket of chairs as best we could. This, of course, was the choice of the Bride and Groom. Having no church connections and no religious interests, and being young people of integrity, they felt having a Minister to perform a religious ceremony would have been hypocritical. Yet, surely they deserved more. Here they were solemnising in a flat, clerical procedure. the most significant undertaking two people can make, declaring their love and commitment to each other and vowing to spend their lives together, a highly charged emotional, even spiritual, event. All these splendid young people and their guests were beautifully groomed and attired; the Groom's party were arrayed in full Highland dress; the Bride and Bridesmaid wore traditional white bridal gowns with bouquets and the Bride had a train which required much more space than a passageway between chairs to set it off. In the wedding rite we recognise that the union is a spiritual as well as a physical one, and that the closer the bride and groom are in spirit, the happier will he their life together; and so the ceremony deserves heightened language, fine, resonating words, well spoken, music and a fitting setting to compliment the emotion and solemnity of the occasion. Tile Registrar Service can surely do better for its clients. Our visiting Minister, Rev. Dr. Colin Wicker, baptised Kendra Michaela Grace, the young daughter of SUF members, Austin an Stacey Clark on 22nd November at the House of Dun, near Montrose. It was a splendid, sunny day and fifty guests were present to share the occasion and to wish Kendra, brother Mitchell and their parents a long and happy life together. Colin baptised Mitchell, now four years old, several years ago at Findhorn. We send the Clark family our kindest regards. One of the most popular of all the Christmas Songs, "Jingle Bells" was written in Medford Massachusetts, USA, about 1850, by James Pierpont (1822 - 1893), son of the Minister of file First Unitarian Medford Church. He wrote it in his father's house, at 87 Mystic Street which was the starting place for sleigh-riding, a popular winter pastime, celebrated in the song. He first performed it on a piano owned by a Mr William Webber ( an ancestor of Andrew Lloyd?) in the home of a Neighbour Mrs Otis Waterman who thought it "A merry little, Jingle". "Jingle Bells" was James Pierpont's greatest hit, although he wrote a string of successful songs in the 1850's, all of which are now forgotten. The "Jingle Bell" Church still exists in Medford and the Congregation and people of Medford are very proud of the connection and have erected two bronze plaques in memory of the composer. According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, while both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer, each year, male reindeer shed their antlers it the beginning of Winter. Female reindeer, however, retain their headgear until after they have given birth in the Spring. Santa's reindeers, each displaying a superb s of antlers, in spite of their aggressively male names, Donner and Blitzen and Rudolph of the scarlet nose-job, are all ladies! A friend of ours, Margaret, recently underwent surgery to
have a malignant and aggressive tumour removed from her breast. The growth
was in its very early stages and so tiny, Margaret was unaware of it.
Fortunately, it was noticed during a routine X-ray examination. After her
operation, Margaret visited her G.P. and said how lucky she had been that
the tumour had been identified so soon and how grateful she was for the
breast screening programme, which in all probability had saved her
life. ******** It was a beautiful, October day. Our 50+ Walking Group set
out on a favourite Autumn stroll through woodland in a remote corner of
Aberdeenshire. The track is broad, covered in pine-needles, muddy where
heavy plant has been extracting timber . It sweeps through the forest in a
great are, the spine of an intricate network of mossy paths winding
through the undergrowth; it passes a rambling, old house, shadowed by
ancient pines, and eventually runs beside the banks of a loch where there
is a picnic table and where we like to stop for lunch. A few of our number
settled in the sunshine on a grassy knoll above a little bay. The loch was
like a mirror, reflecting the blue sky and the bright orange, yellow, and
russet pyramids of the trees. The air was clear and still. There was not a
sound. We sat in silence, entranced, absorbing this perfect Autumn day.
Then a Landrover came dashing along one of the minor tracks and stopped
beside us. An irate, young woman, wearing a waxed jacket and green wellies,
jumped from the vehicle and shouted at us. "What are you people doing
here? You have no right to be here! And eating sandwiches. How would you
like it if I ate my sandwiches in your garden? And those people over there
(She pointed to our chums in the sunshine.) ... they're... they're having
a picnic and....and spoiling the view. How dare they do that, on my land!
You people come here and ruin everything!" ****** Two little girls appeared at the 170th Anniversary Service
or Aberdeen Unitarian Church. They walked to the front and sat with the
children of the Congregation. When asked if they were with someone - an
adult - one of them explained. " I'm twelve. She's ten, but she's
with me. So it's O.K. We go to the Catholic Church, but we wanted a
change. We've been to other churches. Lots. I thought we'd give you a try.
So we're here."
"THE LINK" We are grateful to the Scottish Unitarian Association which has granted £70 towards the production of "The Link" The front cover of this issue was designed by Bill Good. Ever since the discovery of DNA, 50 years ago by Watson and Crick, and particularly since the birth of Louise Brown 25 years ago ( the first IVF baby) and attempts to introduce GM crops to our country-side, our moral preconceptions have been increasingly challenged by developmental biology, especially with regard to genetic modification, both as regards basic research and its exploitation. For thousands of years we human beings have combined with Nature to create a vast number of different varieties of crops and domesticated animals for our own benefit, and as a result are now able to feed billions of our own species. Few, if any moral objections have been raised against this practice, even when breeeding for specific characteristic in dogs, for instance, have resulted in such deformed variations, as the ridiculously short legs of the Dachshund, the large head, broad shoulders and narrow hips of the bulldog, and the bulging eyes of the pug etc. However, "man made" genetic modification has generated alarm and moral and religious outrage among millions of people. Some are frightened, for instance, of the consequences of transferring genes from one species to another, thus creating "Frankenstein" creatures or plants; others condemn attempts to manipulate genes to obtain a particular effect in a human being, whether therapeutic or not, Designer babies) as "'Playing at God" and, therefore, totally unjustified; and again others are convinced that multi-national, agri- chemical companies, by clever use of patents, will use the technology to hold the rest of the world to ransom by increasing the price of basic foodstuffs. Currently, modern reproductive technologies, seem to be causing the greatest moral and religious problems. The fertilisation of an egg- - particularly a human egg - in a test tube (IVF) and the possibility of human cloning have divided scientific and general opinion, world-wide. Therapeutic cloning to produce stem cells for research purposes, for example, is permissible in Britain and China but not in Italy and Germany where the Government a few months ago began to press for an international ban on all human cloning. in Britain a human embryo may be kept alive in the laboratory and used for research for fourteen days maximum; after this watershed, the first traces of what will become the nervous system of the embryo begin to appear, i.e. the beginnings (arguably) of a new person. Stem cell research has enormous potential for the good of those who are infertile, for increasing our knowledge of the early development of the human embryo and helping to find cures for such diseases as Parkinson's and various cancers. All such research (in Britain) must be licensed by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. The Roman Catholic Church, however, teaches that the human person starts at the moment of conception and that even at the one cell stage is sacrosanct and possesses all the rights of a human being and may not, therefore, be destroyed. The taking of human life, at whatever stage of development, for whatever reason is never justified. This would include procedures to screen embryos for debilitating genetic disorders. Some ethical traditions confer personhood at different stages of foetal development, others, such as certain Eastern philosophies, at the moment of birth. In the USA, there is no federal funding for either IVF treatment or the development of new human cell lines, although this does not prevent research being conducted by private clinics and commercial companies. Congress, meanwhile, is being lobbied vigorously by the Christian Coalition of America to ban all human cloning; and a president- appointed Council to study the ethics of cloning technology, including stem cell research, has so far failed to agree whether any research using human embryos should be permitted. Currently, cloning animals has a very poor success rate, and many clones suffer deformities, organ failure and are short-lived. Cloning human beings, therefore, would be a very risky business and it would be quite wrong to create an individual whose quality of life would be so poor that he/she would have been better not to have been born. That said, however, Clonaid, a USA company set ul) to offer cloning services to the very wealthy antl Sevei-ino Antinori the Italian fertility specialist are apparently in competition to produce the first human clone baby, and several responsible scientists have suggested that once the risk has been removed from the cloning procedure, there is no ethical reason why human clones should not be produced and integrated into society as other human beings in the normal course of growing up. What the clones might have to say about the why and how they were brought into is anyone's guess. The current ethical debate allows tile claims of medical research, religion, sentimentality, fear, and even commercial exploitation to be heard. The issue, to clone or not to clone, or when and if to clone, will, however, be settled by Governments, probably on the basis of public opinion ( or the most powerful lobby) anti so each of us has a part to play in forming that decision. (The UK Government has decided this month (November) to ban the selection of embryos on the basis of gender, claiming that 80% of the population are against the procedure.) I would suggest that in coming to a decision we bear in mind the following: We have to adapt to new knowledge and rationally determine the benefits and dangers involved in implementing any innovation. We need to consider the balance of risk: the benefit and cost to individuals as well as society as a whole. We need to be aware that the consequences of our decision now will be felt for generations to come and so we must decide responsibly and humanely. (This article was inspired by the symposium on Ethics and Genetics conducted on three successive Sundays in October 2003 in Aberdeen Unitarian Church.) CATERPILLAR GENETICS Two Irish caterpillars, clinging to a cabbage leaf, stopped their munching for a second to admire the acrobatics performed by a cabbage white butterfly soaring above them. They were awestruck by the daring and skill of the butterfly. Said one to the other, "Begorra, Mick, there's no way you would ever get me aboard one of those contraptions!" A somewhat condensed Autobiography I was asked to write a shortened autobiography to introduce myself to all those in the SUF who don't know me. The only problem about writing something like this in a condensed form is that you don't really get an insight into the 'inner' person - that is, where one is 'coming from', so to speak. But here goes. I am married and have three children - the eldest lives in Brighton. I was born in Edinburgh (Pilrig) in 1946. I wasn't brought up to religion (although I attended Sunday school for a short period). I was left to think things out for myself. This gave me a lot of freedom to look into the other World Religions f rom an early age. I attended Broughton primary school, and then went on to David Kilpatrick secondary school. (It had the reputation of being the worst school in Edinburgh - not a very good experience for me.) I left school at the age of 15 and went straight into work not knowing what an 'O' level or an 'A' level was. I then went into the merchant navy for a short period but couldn't get my sea legs. On the whole I have had a variety of job experiences - but mainly working in hospitals, and in particular working as a recreational/nursing assistant in a psychiatric hospital in Edinburgh. I travelled a bit, and eventually got that out of my system. However during my travels I have had a variety of different experiences, including meeting holy men, a war, and giving a talk on Spiritual Unity at a Spiritual Unity of Nations (SUA) International Conference in Bombay. (Still at an early age.) But I then felt there was an educational gap in my life. It wasn't until I was 33 that I decided to try and catch up with my education, so I enrolled at Newbottle Abbey College in Dalkeith. (A College for mature students.) When I completed my two years with a diploma in Liberal Studies (5 Level) I used this to get into Edinburgh University. The logical thing for me was to do a degree in religion. I obtained my MA (Hons) in Religious Studies in 1983. However, although I had my degree I didn't know what to use it for. Someone said 'why don't you go into the ministry?' but because of my interest in World Religions I couldn't go into a Christian denomination and turn my back on what I had found to be good and true in the other World Faiths. (And at that time there was still a great deal of intolerance towards other Faiths.) A friend said to me 'why don't you try the Unitarian denomination?' I said 'what's that?' (It hasn't changed all that much, has it?) Well that was it. I trained for the ministry at Manchester College Oxford and received my ministry certificate in 1987. 1 had found a home where I could exercise my God-given religious freedom. So what are my own religious beliefs? That is a difficult one because you would have to know more about my background. But basically I try to take a Universal stance, looking at what I believe to be good and true in all the Major World Faiths - including Christianity. My approach is more from a Mystical and Neoplatonic standpoint. That is, looking at the Perennial Philosophy idea and the acknowledgement of a Divine Ground of Being - God, Tao, Jehovah, Brahma, Allah, Divine Goodness, Truth, Beauty, or Life with a capital 'L'- whatever we call it, it doesn't really matter. I don't have any hang-ups with what name is used. I can even feel at home with some of the Religious Humanist views - seeing the goodness, or potential goodness within humanity. However, my own view in this approach is that whatever road or path we take - we all have the right to embrace religion in our own way. We can never impose our beliefs upon anyone. This I think is the ideal Unitarian stance. But this has always been my view from an early age - it is nothing new. And I am somewhat lucky that I came into the denomination having already had a good grounding in Word Religions. I am now the Unitarian minister of our Aberdeen Church. I enjoy a good and warm friendship with my congregation, sharing beliefs and experiences - and having a good laugh. (There is much that I haven't said, as it would take up too much space.) This has turned out to be a bit more that an autobiography but I suppose the kind of beliefs that one has is also a part of ones life experience. And it is hoped that you have come to know me a wee bit better. I hope you have found this of interest. Eric by Rev. Eric W Breeze It must be difficult at times when many of us live at some distance from a Unitarian Church. In many ways we all have to build up our own religious edifice - even at a distance. But it cannot be easy. The need for a solid foundation What meditation is not According to The Chambers English Dictionary the word meditate means: 'To consider deeply, reflect upon, to revolve in the mind'. And the word meditation therefore is 'deep thought, serious contemplation, especially on a religious or spiritual theme'. These definitions do not completely satisfy us, but they at least give us a starting point. The Goal
of Meditation How then do we meditate? Peace - Be Still The nest step is to be aware of your breathing - don't try to alter it, just be aware of it. Now as you breathe in mentally say to yourself 'peace', and as you breathe out say 'be still'. 'Peace', in, 'Be still', out. As your breathing gets deeper, we say, 'peace', 'peace, &peace', as we breathe in, and we say 'be still', 'be still', 'be still', as we breathe out. Above all don't force this - just let happen. The next stage is to think what it means - but also try to feel yourself at peace. But always remember Keep It Simple. As your meditation gets deeper you will find that the words 'peace - be still' will gradually drop away and you will find yourself in a deep state of inner peace and stillness. Whatever you do don't try to force this - it does come with regular practice. And this is an excellent way of building up a foundation of peace, which I would say is essential to our religious and spiritual life. Once we have done this we can then go on to build up other ways of meditation for ourselves. People who say that they cannot meditate, or they have tried to meditate but cannot seem to unwind will find that this very simple method will automatically help them to relax. Just breathing deeply helps to relax and control the thoughts - but we help it by using the words 'peace - be still'. How Long When we are not in close contact with a church, and we don't have people to talk to, it is very easy to develop what I would call a 'spiritual dryness'. We need something to keep us going - this is where meditation can greatly help us. I will try to help in any way I can - if this is what you wish. What I have outlined here is only the beginning. May I wish you all well in your religious and spiritual life. When
walking, just walk, (Zen Saying) (Further information about Meditation can be found at
the By Ella Wheeler Wilcox Let there be many windows in your soul,
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