"Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God's love by loving our neighbors as ourselves."
– UUA Bylaws
Reading: Part IV, Chapters 7 and 8 (pp. 119-151)
For group leaders: Have copies of Handouts 3 and 4 available.
1. Just for fun, try the brief Bible quiz (Handout 3).
2. Reflect on your own experience with the Bible. Are your associations positive or negative? Do you have a favorite Bible passage or story or character? Make note of any biblical favorites in your notebook. Are there aspects of the Bible which repel or anger you? Also make a note of these negatives about the Bible.
By yourself: Write a paragraph about why you believe you like or dislike certain passages or aspects of the Bible. Draw on your personal experiences which may have influenced your reactions positively or negatively, citing your own memories and associations.
With a group: With two or three others, share your reactions to the Bible. After each person in the small group has shared his or her notes, discuss the positive and negative memories you associate with the Bible. With what personal experiences do you associate your favorite Biblical passages? Are there different kinds of memories associated with the negatives you noted?
3. The phrase "loving our neighbors as ourselves" brings to mind the recently noted "not in my backyard" response to possible sitings of waste-treatment plants, prisons, shelters for the homeless, halfway houses for recovering mental patients, or other necessities of the larger community. What does the word "neighbor" mean to you? Do you think of neighborhood as an island of retreat from the rest of the world, or an open, diversified community? In your notebook, make a list of persons or facilities you honestly would not welcome "in your backyard."
By yourself: Assuming that most people would make an "unwelcome neighbors" list similar to yours, how would you suggest meeting these needs? Add a paragraph describing what you think would be a fair and responsible way to deal with the problem of maintaining sufficient personal space and security while at the same time meeting community needs.
With a group: On a chalkboard or a large sheet of paper, create a group "unwelcome neighbors" list by sharing sample items from your individual lists. As a group, select from the shared list one which conceivably might seek a location next door to your congregation's meeting place sometime in the near future. How might your congregation respond? Discuss this hypothetical situation as a group and decide how you might live out your Unitarian Universalist values as a congregation in such an eventuality.
4. In Chapter 8, John Buehrens tells the story of having his expectations of a particular church experience changed completely by the actuality. He also speaks of unrealistic expectations on the part of people coming to Unitarian Universalism for the first time. Do you remember what expectations you had of Unitarian Universalism on first acquaintance? Has subsequent experience surprised you, or have your expectations been largely confirmed?
By yourself: In your notebook, write whatever you recall as being your earliest expectations of Unitarian Universalism. Then add any surprises or confirmations you have experienced as you learned more about your chosen faith. In the light of your own experience, describe how you might introduce Unitarian Universalism to a newcomer.
With a group: Take a few minutes to share the expectations each of you had when you first came to your congregation. Chances are that, in a number of cases, the actuality exceeded your expectations. However, some of you may have been disappointed with your experience in one way or another. As a group, discuss what might be done to meet those expectations which are as yet unrealized.
5. Re-read the Beatitudes in the New Testament book of Matthew, Chapter 5, verses 3 to 12. Look again at the versions written by authors Church and Buehrens. Using your notebook, try a version of your own, based on the blessings you have experienced as a result of your struggle to do the right thing according to your own definition.
With a group: Close this session by asking each participant to read aloud at least one of his/her personal "beatitudes."
6. For next session read Part V, Chapters 9 and 10 (pp. 155-182). If you're leading a group, remind participants of the reading and photocopy Handouts 5 and 6.
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