ALONG THE WAY
A MESSAGE FROM YOUR MINISTER

 

^“Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.”  (Ecclesiastes, Ch. 12. Verse 12.)

These are among the concluding verses of the Book of Ecclesiastes, found in the Hebrew Scriptures or, as UUs generally refer to it, the Old Testament of the Bible.  Ecclesiastes is the pen name of its anonymous author and has been variously translated into English as, “The Preacher” or “One who speaks to an assembly or congregation,” however, less in the sense of a pastor or minister as we might think of it and more in the sense of one who holds forth on topics of moral wisdom.  (We might think of Ralph Waldo Emerson in our own history.)
 
Written and compiled several hundred years Before the Common Era, the author speaks overall in a tone of world-weariness and some regret, lifting up moral maxims about the vanity of worldly accomplishments in the face of our limited human lifespan yet, in the end, asserting that however short, a life informed by wisdom is still worth living.  (Those who think that existential angst and despair about the meaning of life is something new, take note:  All of Ecclesiastes’ sighing and handwringing was compiled 2,500 years ago and somehow the race has found the strength to carry on.)

The observation about the making of many books and the weariness of much study has long been a popular one among the book writing and reading community, certainly in the ministry.  Yet, we keep at it because, at one level, we love it and we also know that, as a practical matter, we need to keep learning and growing.  “The Preacher” though, does remind us that balance is important.

Ministers are sometimes asked what they read.  In Scripturally based traditions, such as Christianity, Judaism, Islam and others, it is assumed that religious leaders are immersed in their foundational holy writings and much else that is not only useful but required.  It is not assumed that Unitarian Universalist ministers are necessarily immersed in any particular school of holy writing, though some of us are.  As a Christian by faith and Unitarian Universalist by denomination, I return again and again to the biblical witness in combination with historical UU practice as the touchstone of my faith and work.  I know several colleagues who would say the same about their practice within Buddhism.  Most of us, however, are probably far more eclectic and, in any case, we all read widely in contemporary history, literature, poetry, non-fiction and fiction both to inform our ministries and for simple pleasure.

Which brings me to a suggestion.  Book discussion or “common read” groups are a staple of church life, especially for UUs.  Some desire for a summer common read has been expressed.  The challenge, given that “of making many books there is no end,” is to find one of sufficient interest, with a certain amount of intellectual heft, yet not some dry, intellectual tome, that might lend itself to a common read.  Thanks to Jody Buck, I advance this as a common read book for the summer: The Second Mountain, just published by David Brooks.  I have followed and respected his work for years, both as a contributor to the PBS Newshour and an op-ed writer for the New York Times. Here is a reviewer’s opinion of the book:
 
 “The Second Mountain” finds an older and wiser Brooks on the road to something beyond individual character improvement. Climbing the first mountain, he was in search of résumé virtues: “the skills you bring to the marketplace.” On the second mountain, it’s time to secure eulogy virtues: “the ones that are talked about at your funeral.” But now there’s a bigger story to tell and a bigger problem looming.  The consequences of our rampant individualism — tribalism and social isolation reflected in an epidemic of suicide, addiction and despair — have reached crisis proportions, he writes. But personal renewal, second mountain-style, can do more than save our souls. It can rescue us from societal collapse.”
It is a total of 384 pages but arranged in many short chapters and so would lend itself to reading and discussing over a number of weeks.  It is published by Random House and available in the now usual formats, including Kindle.

I know I will be reading it over the next few weeks and as we gather at Tuesdays at 12:00 and Wednesdays at 7:00 though the month of June, we can see how much interest there might be in making it a common read
See you in ZOOM church!

Rev. Steve
 

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