By Jim Burklo

Musings by Jim Burklo

www.tcpc.blogs.com/musings for this and previous articles

The Lord's Prayer: An Interpretation

     Dear One, closer to us than our own hearts, farther from us than the most distant star, you are beyond naming. 

     May your powerful presence become obvious not only in the undeniable glory of the sky, but also in the seemingly base

              and common processes of the earth. 

     Give us what we need, day by day, to keep body and soul together, because clever as you have made us, we still owe our existence to you. 

     We recognize that to be reconciled with you, we must live peaceably and justly with other human beings, putting hate and bitterness behind us. 

     We are torn between our faith in your goodness and our awareness of the evil in your creation, so deliver us from the temptation to despair.  

     Yours alone is the universe and all its majesty and beauty. 

     So it is, Amen.

______________

Southern Calif. friends:  I'll be preaching about global devotional spirituality at Mt Hollywood UCC (where I am a member) at 10:30 am this Sunday, 6/6, corner of Prospect and Rodney, near Hollywood and Vermont.  The church will be celebrating PLURALISM SUNDAY - see below - and taking a "field trip" after worship to the Sikh temple up the street.

Also, you're invited to hear me preach at Manhattan Beach Community UCC on August 15, 10 am - title:  A Sermon for Sneeches, Starful and Starless....

Dear Mt Hollywood Friends:

See you this Sunday for worship, 6/6, which will celebrate an international event called Pluralism Sunday, which is sponsored by The Center for Progressive Christianity - we are an affiliate church.  In churches around the world, people will celebrate the idea that other religions can be as good for others as Christianity is for us.  That might not seem too radical for us at Mt Hollywood, but it's news for most people in America, who are convinced that Christianity claims to be the exclusive source of spiritual truth.  So this is an event that introduces people to a humbler, more open-hearted and open-minded version of Christianity.  Pluralism Sunday is a time to experience more about the religions of the world.  I'll be preaching about the common experience of devotion among many religions.  I'll do a time with children that focuses on scriptures of the world's religions.  And we'll do some chants from other faiths. 

And after worship (which will finish at 11:30), we are invited (adults and kids) to take a walk up the street and experience the worship life of another faith - at the Sikh Gurdwara (temple) at the corner of Vermont and Finley.   (For background on this religion from northern India, see http://allaboutsikhs.com/ .) They are expecting a bunch of us at noon.  I have been there a few times with USC students and can attest to the warmth and welcome of this congregation.  Their worship consists of prayer, reading from the Granth Sahib (their "bible"), and very beautiful devotional chants (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kemtpJihtJY for an example).  At noon they start serving a really good (free) Indian vegetarian meal.  People come and go freely from about 9:30 am till 2 pm - there is no fixed time for everyone to worship.  Wear non-revealing clothes - all are asked to cover their heads (bandannas are provided) in the sanctuary.  A family in the congregation will introduce us to the Sikh tradition.

Any questions, give me a call at 415-847-8997. 

See you Sunday!

Jim Burklo, your guest preacher.....

Jim Burklo
BIRDLIKE AND BARNLESS: Meditations, Prayers, and Songs for Progressive Christians - my new book - now available at www.tcpc.org (click on "store")
Website: JIMBURKLO.COM     Weblog: MUSINGS
Associate Dean of Religious Life, University of Southern California