Aaron Sawyer's DiscoverUU Blog

Guest Blog Post: Alan G. Greer, “Can We Befriend God?”

Aaron Sawyer — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 21:50:29 +0000

Over the past several months I’ve been on a virtual book tour appearing on radio talk shows across the country, speaking before church and civic groups, and doing readings at a book fair and book stores to promote my book Choices & Challenges, Lessons In Faith, Hope and Love. In doing so I’ve had conversations with a cross section of our country’s people ranging from radio program hosts, to ministers, to taxi drivers and most of the sorts in between.

In these conversations a number of things have jumped out at me. The one that intrigues me the most, though is how people view their relationship with God. They often wanted to talk about how God acts towards us; how we, as people of faith, act towards each other or those without faith; what we must do to meet God’s will; and whether a deity exists at all.

Not one, however, has asked about or even suggested the possibility of our having a one on one relationship with God based on friendship instead of as servitor or supplicant.

By this I don’t mean dropping in at the local sports bar with God to catch a football game or swap stories. Instead, I mean thinking about God as friends think about each other. That is caring about His well being and feelings even as He cares about ours. Is He content with how things are going? Is He worried about something? What can we do to help Him in a friendly way?

While it may be presumptuous to even dream of being a friend of God as opposed to just His servant, I think we should at least consider the possibility. Or at least consider it as far as it is possible to do so for finite beings such as we are in comparison with an infinite and unlimited God. (I know, I know, putting this in terms we can visualize, it’s like asking if the smallest of milk ants can befriend the largest of elephants without getting stomped – but I’m asking anyway.)

We believe God, as a sentient being, has feelings and emotions. He is not just some cold, calculating thing more akin to a computer than the living vibrant entity He truly is. While His feelings are infinite in nature they are also capable of being segmented and focused down to the pinpoint size needed to interact with each of us individually. And it is this individual locus that I’m concerned with.

If God can feel compassion, love, joy, anger and disgust; if He can be both patient and impatient, glad or sad, shouldn’t we be concerned, as friends are, to not engender the negative sides of that spectrum? Instead of only worrying about how we feel, shouldn’t we also care about how God feels? We should go out of our way to do everything in our power to voluntarily seek to alleviate any disquiet God may feel about us. We should do so not because God can’t absorb, without flinching, all of the negativity we shove at Him. He certainly can and does. Instead, we should do so because that’s what friends do.

-Alan Greer

Author of Choices and Challenges: Lessons in Faith, Hope, and Love

Posted in Uncategorized

Universal Health Care Theatre

Aaron Sawyer — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 18:40:13 +0000

I’ve updated DiscoverUU.com. It was long past time to take down the UU Presidential Election section.

Unfortunately, there are many things that have been happening which have fallen by the wayside as I pursue great personal growth in an MFA of Direction of Stage and Screen at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

I would love more help with the site for anyone with a desire to help color or steer this useful page.

For a sample of my theatrical work, here is a topical theatrical piece I wrote and starred in entitled, Philip Glass Needs Universal Heath Care.

UU Affirmation

Please modify and use this in every way imaginable. You more than have my permission.

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UU AFFIRMATION

I believe in my right to search for the good, to choose it for myself, and hold it in my heart.

I affirm this right in you as well.

Together we share in the joy of community, the power of reverence, and the responsibilities of freedom.

This is the promise of my heart extended to you, as we walk on separate paths, together.

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Visit DiscoverUU.com for UU News, plus the best minister blog posts and sermon podcasts.

Posted in giving, politics, Unitarian Universalism

Rachell Maddow requests Thomas Starr King statue for her office

Aaron Sawyer — Sun, 19 Apr 2009 19:42:26 +0000

With California replacing Starr King’s statue with a huge 500 lb. bronze statue of the “Gipper”, Ronald Reagan, Rachel Maddow offered to purchase statue of famous Unitarian minister Thomas Starr King, once credited by Abraham Lincoln “as the man who brought in and kept California in the union during the civil war.”

“He would look great in our office. We would take great care of him,” said Rachel.

Big thanks to Maddow for this otherwise unwarranted publicity for Unitarianism. Rachel has been a big proponent of UU values.

Please EMAIL RACHEL and thank her for the coverage. Let her know we’re watching. Her address: rachel@msnbc.com

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26315908/#30255436

UU Affirmation

Please modify and use this in every way imaginable. You more than have my permission.

————————————————————————————————–

UU AFFIRMATION

I believe in my right to search for the good, to choose it for myself, and hold it in my heart.

I affirm this right in you as well.

Together we share in the joy of community, the power of reverence, and the responsibilities of freedom.

This is the promise of my heart extended to you, as we walk on separate paths, together.

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Visit DiscoverUU.com for UU News, plus the best minister blog posts and sermon podcasts.

Posted in art, Unitarian Universalism

Two New UU Minister Blogs

Aaron Sawyer — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 06:54:43 +0000

Today, DiscoverUU adds two blogs from UU ministers out of the Midwest:

“The Naked Theologian” is written by Rev. Myriam Renaud of Chicago, Illinois has a down-to-earth style that contains a lot of great ideas in an easily digestible format. There are some nice pictures that really help to bring each blog’s message to life.

http://thenakedtheologian.com/

The Naked Theologian is an ordained Unitarian Universalist minister who is currently working on a Ph.D. in Theology at a major university in Chicago.

“Faith Talk” by Rev. Tom Capo of Cedar Rapids, Iowa is a brand new blog that can be counted on for poetic and heartfelt entries. I look forward to future posts.

http://revcapo.blogspot.com/

“Reverend Capo is the minister of Peoples Church Unitarian Universalist in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Reverend Capo describes himself as a Unitarian Universalist, Buddhist, Humanist, and Theist. He believes that all existence, including the Divine, is in process. He was a psychotherapist for over 30 years before coming to the ministry.”

Visit DiscoverUU.com for UU News, plus the best minister blog posts and sermon podcasts.

UU Affirmation

Please feel free to modify and use this in every way imaginable. You more than have my permission.

- Aaron Sawyer

(About Aaron)

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UU AFFIRMATION

I believe in my right to search for the good, to choose it for myself, and hold it in my heart.

I affirm this right in you as well.

Together we share in the joy of community, the power of reverence, and the responsibilities of freedom.

This is the promise of my heart extended to you, as we walk on separate paths, together.

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Posted in ministry, Unitarian Universalism

In search of a web master: DiscoverUU

Aaron Sawyer — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 15:16:51 +0000

DiscoverUU is in search of a new voluntary web master. As time moves forward and blogging technologies improve, we need a steady hand to help maintain the site for an ever-increasing audience. If this person or company could be you, please contact us via the ‘contact’ link at the top of the page.

www.DiscoverUU.com

Sincerely,
Aaron Sawyer

Posted in Uncategorized

Poll: Who are you leaning towards for UU President?

Aaron Sawyer — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 02:53:10 +0000

Wanna do some research?

Go to DiscoverUU.com

Click on the UUA Presidential Race links on the right side of the page.

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UU AFFIRMATION

I believe in my right to search for the good, to choose it for myself, and hold it in my heart.

I affirm this right in you as well.

Together we share in the joy of community, the power of reverence, and the responsibilities of freedom.

This is the promise of my heart extended to you, as we walk on separate paths, together.

————————————————————————————————–

Posted in Uncategorized

20 Unusual Churches

Aaron Sawyer — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 02:48:30 +0000

Pics of 20 Unusual Churches from around the world.

http://villageofjoy.com/20-unusual-churches-part-i/

I thought this would be nice to share. So many UU churches have nice architecture… something to strive for? Wanna start submitting pics of UU churches?

Posted in Uncategorized

Obama Pumpkin Carving

Aaron Sawyer — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 03:26:02 +0000

Get your Obama pumpkin carving template FREE here:

http://hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/_lifestyles/political_pumpkins/

My dog sitting beside an Obama 08 pumpkin

Posted in Uncategorized

DiscoverUU.com: Web traffic has steadily doubled over the last six months

Aaron Sawyer — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 04:38:02 +0000

DiscoverUU’s web traffic has doubled reliably over the last six months.

This is good news!

Please feel free to recommend any changes you’d like to see (or even better- to help make happen). Tips to new, hot, and happenin’ UU bloggers are also greatly appreciated. Blogging UU ministers always have a free pass to the site as well. Just send me your RSS feed.

FYI: We need a webmaster.

DiscoverUU is a nonprofit UU organization dedicated to promoting the ideas and ideals of UUism in society. Please consider a donation: here.

We have web master fees, bandwidth fees, etc. Just a few dollars WOULD go a long way toward helping this site to continue to grow, develop, and promote a space for a living and diverse UU presence on the explosive and limitless medium of the worldwide web. When you find a good article, please continue to share this site with your friends.

Sincerely,

Aaron Sawyer

DiscoverUU Founder

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UU AFFIRMATION

I believe in my right to search for the good, to choose it for myself, and hold it in my heart.

I affirm this right in you as well.

Together we share in the joy of community, the power of reverence, and the responsibilities of freedom.

This is the promise of my heart extended to you, as we walk on separate paths, together.

————————————————————————————————–

Visit DiscoverUU.com for UU News, plus the best minister blog posts and sermon podcasts.

Posted in giving, interconnected web, Unitarian Universalism

UU CD review: Very busy with grad school

Aaron Sawyer — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 11:23:24 +0000

Grad school is eating me alive (but in a good way) so I’ll continue to post very infrequently.

Here’s a review of Dana Decker’s UU worship cd.

http://pomomusings.com/2008/10/13/dana-decker-when-we-sing/

Please visit Dana’s site and support this UU venture. If we don’t support efforts like this, they will not exist.

www.danadecker.com

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UU AFFIRMATION

I believe in my right to search for the good, to choose it for myself, and hold it in my heart.

I affirm this right in you as well.

Together we share in the joy of community, the power of reverence, and the responsibilities of freedom.

This is the promise of my heart extended to you, as we walk on separate paths, together.

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Posted in Uncategorized