Christ is risen! Christ is risen indeed! Here are the next 6 reflections from Resurrection as a

Spiritual Practice, by Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat:

♠ Find meaning in your experiences and speak the truth to power, and you help put death in its place.

♠ Nurture yourself—eat right, exercise, get plenty of rest—and you are helping God resurrect your

body.

♠ When you stay open to all people and situations, you affirm your belief that all things can be made

new.

♠ Every peace treaty that you sign with someone who is your enemy or opponent is a sign of resur-

rection.

♠ Sometimes you feel refreshed by the simplest things—laughter, games, play. This, too, is resurrec-

tion.

♠ Other times it is the thrill of the quest that spurs you on to be all you were meant to be as a person

reborn.

Easter Blessings,

Pastor Susan

This week on PS (Pastor Susan’s blog): The Tao of Jesus

https://progressivechurch.wordpress.com

Keeping in Touch

Established 1886 May 20, 2011

www.fulc.com

PPPPPPPPASTORASTORASTORASTORASTORASTORASTORASTOR’’’’’’’’SSSSSSSS M M M M M M M MESSAGEESSAGEESSAGEESSAGEESSAGEESSAGEESSAGEESSAGE Pastor Susan Strouse

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK

Pluralism is not some religious ‘fruit salad’ where anything goes. It is about embracing other religions

and honoring them at a deep level of respect and openness. ~ Jim Burklo

First United is a "Reconciling in Christ" (RIC) congregation that has declared that all persons of all sexual orientations and gender identities are equally welcome to join fully in the worship and life of this Christ–centered community.

First United Lutheran Church is committed to full accessibility. Please let us know if we can be of assistance in accommodating your accessibility needs.

EASTER

Take note: The discussion/forum on Intercessory Prayer will continue on non-2nd Sundays (that is, 1st,

3rd, 4th, and 5th Sundays) each week at 3:30. For further information, contact Pastor Susan

(pastorsusan@fulc.com).

2

Prayers for the Fifth Sunday after Easter Risen Christ, you prepare a place for us,

in the home of the Mother-and-Father of us all.

Draw us more deeply into yourself,

through scripture read, water splashed,

bread broken, wine poured,

so that when our hearts are troubled,

we will know you more completely as the way, the truth, and the life. Amen

—http://www.hrc.org/scripture/week.asp

� for the Resurrection power of Christ to be made manifest in our world:

� for the people of Libya, Syria, Bahrain, Egypt and all who struggle to be free

� for all affected by flooding of the Mississippi River

� for relief efforts by the Red Cross, Church World Service, ELCA Disaster Response, and

others

� for our generous response to those in need

� for the Resurrection power of Christ to be made manifest in our communities:

� for Welcome, the SF +ight Ministry, and all who serve the poor

� for dialogue & peace among world religions

� for the SF Interfaith Council, the Interfaith Center at the Presidio and the United Religions

Initiative

� for the Resurrection power of Christ to be made manifest in our congregation and beyond:

� for our homebound members (Alan Pearson, Roger Creet)

� for those under stress: finances, relationship, family, emotional, employment, or other

� for our preparations for the upcoming Annual Meeting of the Congregation

� for signs of new life and new possibilities this Easter season

� If you would like to add someone or something to the prayer list, please contact Orion or Pastor Susan. �

IN OUR LITURGY: Why Do We . . .

Why do we observe Pluralism Sunday? It’s not on the church calendar.

First celebrated in 2007, Pluralism Sunday is now as then, sponsored by The Center for Pro-

gressive Christianity (www.progressivechristianity.org). As part of its Eight (8) Points detailing an under-

standing of what it means to be ‘progressive’, TCPC has as its Second point:

Recognize the faithfulness of other people who have other names for the way to God's realm, and acknowl-

edge that their ways are true for them, as our ways are true for us.

On this day, churches celebrate elements of other world faiths in their sermons, litanies, and music; many fea-

ture speakers and singers from other faith traditions. Some congregations have exchanges with other faith

communities, going to each other’s houses of worship. Past celebrations of Pluralism Sunday include many

other creative ways of embracing religious pluralism as integral to our Christian faith.

You are welcome to submit questions for Why Do We . . . ? to any member of the worship planning team

(Pr. Susan, Orion, and Steve Johnson).

3

OOOOOOOOURURURURURURURUR C C C C C C C COMMUNITYOMMUNITYOMMUNITYOMMUNITYOMMUNITYOMMUNITYOMMUNITYOMMUNITY

Letters—we get letters . . .

4

IIIIIIIINTERFAITHNTERFAITHNTERFAITHNTERFAITHNTERFAITHNTERFAITHNTERFAITHNTERFAITH N N N N N N N NEWSEWSEWSEWSEWSEWSEWSEWS

Through the years I have found my own faith not threatened, but broadened and deepened by the study of

Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, and Sikh traditions of faith. And I have found that only as a Christian pluralist could

I be faithful to the mystery and the presence of the one I call God. Being a Christian pluralist means daring to

encounter people of very different faith traditions and defining my faith not by its borders, but by its roots.~

Dr. Diana Eck (founder of the Pluralism Project at Harvard)

IIIINTERFAITHNTERFAITHNTERFAITHNTERFAITH M M M MEMORIALEMORIALEMORIALEMORIAL D D D DAYAYAYAY S S S SERVICEERVICEERVICEERVICE

WHEN: Monday, May 30, 2011, 12:45-1:30 pm Free event WHERE: Presidio Chapel, 130 Fisher Loop, Presidio, San Francisco.

San Francisco's biggest Memorial Day events are the gala parade and ceremony at the National Cemetery in the Presidio from 10:30 am-12:00 noon on Monday, May 30th. Rev. Dr. John L. Young, a member of the ICP Board, will deliver the Benediction and invite people to come to the Presidio Chapel. Built in 1931, the Chapel served the diverse religious needs of military personnel at the Presi-dio until 1995, when it was placed in the care of the Interfaith Center.

This year on the grounds of the Presidio Chapel, directly east of the Cemetery, ICP will be hosting groups who serve veterans today. There will be information tables and representatives to help veter-ans and their families get connected with these services and to provide opportunities for citizens to volunteer with those who have served our country. There will also be free refreshments.

From 12:45-1:30 pm, the Interfaith Center will present an inspiring rainbow of interfaith voices and soulful music in the Chapel, and will feature outstanding groups serving veterans like the Coming Home Project, Swords to Plowshares, and Troops to College. Be with us to honor and help those who serve our nation. Make this Memorial Day a continuing living memorial!

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED We could still use 4-6 people to help with refreshments. Please see Pr. Susan.

This Sunday, May 22: It’s Pluralism Sunday

All differences in this world are of degree, and not of kind,

because oneness is the secret of everything.

As different streams having different sources all mingle their waters in the sea, so different tenden-

cies, various though they appear, crooked or straight, all lead to God.

Quotations from Swami Vivekananda: http://www.ramakrishna.org/sv.htm

5

Christians, Muslims, Jews to share sacred texts

by Bob Allen—abp: Associated Baptist Press, Tuesday, May 17, 2011

WASHINGTON (ABP) – Christian clergy across the country will organize readings from the Quran and other sacred texts Sunday, June 26, as part of an initiative to counter anti-Muslim bigotry and negative stereotypes of Islam.

Announced in a telephonic press conference May 17, Faith Shared : Uniting in Prayer and Understanding is a project of the Interfaith Alliance and Human Rights First.

“The anti-Muslim rhetoric that has pervaded our national conversation recently has shocked and saddened me,” said Welton Gaddy, president of the Interfaith Alliance, a religious free-dom organization that seeks to unite diverse faith voices against extremism.

Gaddy, an ordained Baptist minister, is also pastor of preaching and worship at Northminster Church in Monroe, La., one of 50 congregations in 26 states recruited so far to invite Jewish, Muslim and Christian leaders to read each other’s sacred texts in order to send a message both in the United States and Arab world.

Contrary to highly publicized anti-Islam statements from some U.S. Christian leaders, Gaddy said churches involved in the Faith Shared project “want to read each other’s scriptures instead of burn them.”

Tad Stanke of Human Rights First, a human-rights advocacy organization with offices in New York and Washington, said tactics that show disrespect for Muslims hurt the reputation of all Americans and make it harder for the U.S. to speak with authority on human-rights issues in the Arab world.

Washington National Cathedral will serve as anchor congregation for the June 26 scripture readings.

“Few things are more important for the future of our world than to respect, to honor and to commit our-selves to the well-being of every person,” said National Cathedral Dean Sam Lloyd. “As Americans and people of faith, we must use our great traditions to come together for mutual enrichment and understand-ing.”

By coming together to read from and hear each other’s sacred texts, organizers believe Christian, Jewish and Muslim clergy will model respect and cooperation in ways that create concrete opportunities to build and strengthen working ties between their faiths.

“This initiative is good for religion and good for our nation,” Gaddy said.

Information about how to organize a service and a list of participating churches can be seen at Faith-

Shared.org

5.11.11: London, England

Faith Act Fellows Announced

Tony Blair, recently appointed a UN Foundation "Malaria Champion", announced the selection of 30 young people from the UK, US, Canada and India to join his Faith Foundation's youth leadership program, the Faiths Act Fellowship. These young people will be tasked with building understanding between different reli-gious communities by mobilizing them around the common cause of eradicating deaths from malaria, which this year alone caused more than 750,000 unnecessary deaths. The Foundation received almost 700 applications from around the world and has chosen just 30 of the most outstanding young people of faith to be ambassadors for its Faiths Act programme. The Fellows represent a diverse cross section of the faith traditions: 30% are Muslim, 26% Christian, 17% Jewish, 10% Hindu, 7%

Buddhist, 3% Bahá'í, 3% Sikh and 3% Quaker.

continued on page 6

6

continued from page 5:

"Too often we hear about the negative aspects of faith but the number of applications we received shows the enthusiasm which exists among young people to use their faith as a force for good. Faith can build un-derstanding and provide unity and strength to counter those who see faith as a source of division and dis-crimination," said Tony Blair, Founder and Patron of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation. The San Francisco Interfaith Council (SFIC) was selected by the Tony Blair Faith Foundation as one of 15 international host sites for the Faith Act Fellows. Founded 22 years ago in response City's homeless crisis and the aftermath of the the Loma Prieta earthquake, the SFIC represents over 800 congregations, along with their respective judicatories and faith based-social service agencies. "Celebrating our diverse faith and spiritual traditions, the San Francisco Interfaith Council brings people together to build understanding and serve our community," is the organization's mission. Executive Director Michael Pappas noted, "The SFIC's commitment to advancing the UN Millennium Devel-

opment Goals, both abroad and at home, make this selection as a Faith Act Fellows host site an exciting match. We greatly look forward to our 10 month partnership with the Faith Act Fellows." The two Faith Act Fellows who will be joining the SFIC family in September are: Rachel Finn is 22 years old and from Framingham, MA, a suburb outside of Boston. She grew up with a

strong Jewish family and a connection to the local synagogue, and she is very excited to be moving to San Francisco. She studied International Relations with a concentration in International Security and Religion as an undergraduate, earning her B.A. from Tufts University in 2011. She was the President of Tufts Hillel and has been a part of and leader for social action, interfaith, and dialogue groups. She spent time focusing on genocide awareness and education at Tufts. In addition to spending a semester in France, Rachel was a lucky participant on service learning trips to Kazakhstan and Berlin and will spend two weeks on an interfaith service trip in Rwanda this May. While she may be short, Rachel has a black belt in Karate! Nina Pine, 23, is a Buddhist from Kathmandu, Nepal, and grew up internationally in a Sherpa Buddhist and Jewish household. She graduated with a BA in Critical Theory and Social Justice from Occidental College, where she also had the opportunity to study in North-eastern Brazil for a semester. Nina was a Program As-sistant for Occidental's Office for Religious and Spiritual Life where she organised interfaith dialogues and programmes. She was also the student coordinator of the Buddhist Meditation Group and a Values and Vo-cations Fellow, a program that explores the connection between spirituality and social justice work. Nina was also an Associate Coordinator with the Coalition of Welcoming Congregations of the Bay Area. Along

with interfaith activism, Nina is passionate about sustainable agriculture, poetry and tea.

continued from page 7

The Synoptic Gospels, particularly Mark and Luke, make it clear just how hard it was, and still is, for us to accept that.

Here, the apostles’ first response to the Resurrection is disbelief. They’re still thinking in “human” terms. Their leader

has been killed. All, they think, is lost.

How could agapé defeat a sword? How could radical, inclusive love be more powerful than armed revolution? How

could an idea – crucified, buried, mocked – rise again just a few days later, more powerful than it ever was?

The writers of Mark and Luke have Christ appear in various places and forms; his disciples recognize him, not by how

he looks, but by what happens in his presence. Gradually, they realize that the Message is not gone. It lives; it walks

among them; it transforms lives.

They begin to understand that the Message of the Christ isn’t forced on others by Law or by revolution; by condemna-

tion or by death. And, more importantly, that it isn’t stopped by those means either. Not then; and not now.

The traditional interpretation of Easter troubles many of those who still consider themselves Christian. The loving God

that we know lives in our hearts can’t be reconciled with the wrathful God of blood sacrifice found in Scripture.

Nor should it be. Just like the disciples, we have to embrace the transformation that Easter represents; to accept the

challenge of recognizing that God is not only “beyond all”, but is always and ever “in all.”

And, by that recognition, just as the disciples were two millennia ago, that we are called to follow God’s Way – agapé –

in how we act toward each other and the world today, tomorrow, and always.

7

Lift High the Cross—or not . . .

from Seems Like God—Reflections on Life & Faith from a Progressive Christian Perspective, May 11, 2011

Crucifixion – the “human” way or The Way

If we reduce the Crucifixion to nothing more than a supernatural stand-in for some sort of temple sacrifice then we lose

sight of the intentional transformational love – the agapé – that the Message of the Christ calls us to.

I realize how powerful an image the Cross has been for traditionally-minded Christians. But the “salvation” it offers

doesn’t lie in some eventual “heavenly reward”; it’s in the transformed lives and empowered, compassionate, and life-

affirming actions it calls us to right here, right now.

It’s a salvation that requires much more of us than simply believing a particular doctrine or dogma. Read as mythos, the

journey from Gethsemane through the Cross to the Resurrection and beyond shows us just how difficult it is to actually

live the sacrificial love of the Message of the Christ.

The writers of Matthew, Mark, and Luke even have Jesus, who resisted the temptations of Satan in the wilderness,

check his options with God. “Can this cup pass from my lips?” Isn’t there some other way to do this?

He could have, they wrote, “called down twelve legions of angels” to kick butt when the gang showed up to arrest him. Historically “real” or not, what a terrific way to say that he had overwhelming force at his disposal. The first century

equivalent of Predator drones.

Scratch that. They stayed on the runway.

He could have used the incident to touch off a regular old-fashioned uprising. That’s what his followers had been urg-ing him to do anyway. They wanted a conventional messiah to lead a rebellion against the Romans. What better justifi-

cation could he get than this middle-of-the-night betrayal, complete with Judas’ dirty money to prove the Sanhedrin was

in on it? Imagine the YouTube and Twitter possibilities.

But no press releases were issued. No call to arms went out. Nothing.

He could probably even have fought his way out with the people who were with him. They were armed. One of them

even drew a sword and sliced off the ear of the chief priest’s servant.

Still nothing. In fact, Luke even has Jesus heal the servant’s ear.

Fighting would have been the “human” thing to do wouldn’t it? It’s what we expect of our heroes. To get into tight

spots, facing overwhelming odds, and then, in the end, to knock the stuffin’ out of the bad guys.

“May this cup may pass from my lips?”

No. Okay.

“Not my will, but Yours.” Not the human way; not the way of the world. No Iron Man or Thor. No battleships or bomb-

ing runs. No Crusades; no jihads.

God’s Way. Agapé.

“Salvation” – of ourselves and of the world – isn’t found by turning a tortuous death into some magical get-out-of-hell-

free card for a select few.

It’s found by recognizing our inseverable connection to God – our agapé relationship with all Creation – revealed in

Jesus’ knowing, willing decision to endure that death even though he could have chosen otherwise.

That is what changes … everything. Including, if we’re willing, us.

Resurrection – Supernatural or Transformational

The Gospel of John was written to support the institution and infrastructure of the developing church. Interpreting it one

way, then, it emphasized a simple belief in a physically revived Jesus. Because there were similar stories in other relig-

ions, it was an easy way for early Christians to introduce people to this new and revolutionary faith.

But as with the Crucifixion, the “reality” of the Resurrection is irrelevant. It’s the mythos of the empty tomb – its effect

– that matters. (continued on page 6)

8

Future of Inter-Faith

A very articulate essay♪ by Rabbi Michael Balinsky, a trustee of the Council for a Parliament of the World’s

Religions, raises what is for me a troubling issue.

An Orthodox Jew, Rabbi Balinsky isn’t comfortable praying with people of other faiths.

He was relieved to discover that the Parliament, out of respect for the different religions

of which it is comprised, doesn’t do group prayer. From what I can tell, each religion is

encouraged to stay in its own box, collaborating with the others only on those issues of

common concern: climate, poverty, etc.

While I respect this, for me it just isn’t enough. When I sit with people of different faiths I

don’t want to talk about what we have in common, I want to talk about where we differ. I

want to learn another’s way of seeing the world, and learn it so deeply that it may trans-

form the way I see the world as well.

Religions are lens through which their respective followers view reality. Each lens has its distortion that

makes its view of reality unique and less than accurate. For me, inter-faith work is about discovering our dis-

tortions and seeking to correct them. One way to do this is to share lenses, and in so doing realize that all

lenses distort, and that no lens is right, and in this way cultivate a deep humility that allows us to honor differ-

ing lenses without the illusion that any one of them reveals the truth.

It is this humility that allows me to pray in any religious tradition. To me the point isn’t the words or the

world-view, but the experience of slipping into the greater whole of which I am a part.

I suspect I am leaving religion behind. I cannot stay within my box. I am finding myself less and less comfort-

able in the Jewish world and the inter-faith world. I love religion the way I love literature and music, but I re-

fuse to be limited to one author, composer or genre. Humans create religion, art, literature, music, science, etc.

I am human—it is all my heritage. Why is it so lonely in a place that should be so welcoming?

The first weekend of February 2012 I am hosting SAStalks at Scarritt-Bennett Center in Nashville. (SAS

stands for Spirit, Art, and Science.) We are inviting 18 speakers to speak for 18 minutes each on the topic of

“The Future of Inter-faith.” I hope to hear ideas that show me the way, because right now I am despairing

there is one.

♪ http://www.parliamentofreligions.org/news/index.php/2011/05/do-we-have-to-pray-together/?

utm_source=Parliament+Newsletter&utm_campaign=f72d956125-Newsletter_15&utm_medium=email

*Rabbi Rami Shapiro is a writer and educator (http://www.rabbirami.com & facebook.com/RamiShapiro); he was Orion’s teacher

in Judasim at the Spiritual Paths Institute and one of the panel of spiritual educators at First United’s Interspiritual Wisdom:

Sharing the Mystic Heart Conference in February 2010.

Apropos Thoughts from Rabbi Rami* as we observe Pluralism Sunday

(from Beyond Religion with Rabbi Rami: www.rabbirami.blogspot.com; Thursday, May 19, 2011)

9

MMMMULTIFAITHULTIFAITHULTIFAITHULTIFAITH R R R RELIGIOUSELIGIOUSELIGIOUSELIGIOUS & C & C & C & CULTURALULTURALULTURALULTURAL O O O OBSERVANCESBSERVANCESBSERVANCESBSERVANCES

MMMMAYAYAYAY

22 Lag B'Omer—Jewish 23 Declaration of the Bab—Baha'i 29 Ascension of Baha'u'llah—Baha'i

JJJJUNEUNEUNEUNE 2 Ascension of Christ—Orthodox Christian Ascension of Jesus—Christian 8-9 Shavuot—Jewish 9 Saint Columba of Iona—Celtic Christian 12 Pentecost—Christian 16 Guru Arjan Dev martyrdom—Sikh 19 All Saints—Orthodox Christian New Church Day—Swedenborgian Christian Trinity Sunday—Christian 21 Solstice First Nations Day—Canadian Native People Litha—Wicca/Pagan northern hemisphere Yule—Wicca/Pagan southern hemisphere 23 Corpus Christi—Catholic Christian 28 Lailat al Miraj—Islam 29 Saints Peter and Paul—Christian

[Interreligious Calendar events are taken from the Multifaith Action Society Multifaith Calendar 2010 and other sources. See also the Online Interfaith Calendar and the BBC Interfaith Calendar] NOTENOTENOTENOTE: Jewish Holidays begin at sundown the day before. Buddhist holidays are observed on many different days, according to local tradition.

10

TTTTTTTTHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE B B B B B B B BACKACKACKACKACKACKACKACK P P P P P P P PAGEAGEAGEAGEAGEAGEAGEAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Sunday Worship 5:00 p.m. at

First Unitarian Universalist Chapel 1187 Franklin St.

Office Hours & Mailing Address 1537 Franklin St., Suite 201 San Francisco, CA 94109

M- F 7:30-11:30 a.m. (415) 359-1025 (V) (415) 359-1267 (F)

For information visit our website: www.fulc.com

email: info@fulc.com

Pastor Susan Strouse Office Hours:

Tuesday & Thursday (510) 528-4354(H) (510) 579-7061 (C)

email: PastorSusan@fulc.com

Orion Pitts Music Director & Office Administator

orion@fulc.com

2010-2011 Council: Jacob Johnson President@fulc.com Kirk Pessner Treasurer@fulc.com Terri Bogaards Secretary@fulc.com Tamara Alliston Dana McDonald

NOTE:

Deadline for submission of all information or items in

Keeping in Touch is

Wednesday at 12 noon

of the week of publication. Items sub-mitted after this time may not be in-

cluded in that week’s edition.

TTTTTTTTHISHISHISHISHISHISHISHIS W W W W W W W WEEKEEKEEKEEKEEKEEKEEKEEK’’’’’’’’SSSSSSSS W W W W W W W WORSHIPORSHIPORSHIPORSHIPORSHIPORSHIPORSHIPORSHIP L L L L L L L LEADERSEADERSEADERSEADERSEADERSEADERSEADERSEADERS

Presider Pastor Susan Strouse Greeter Your Name Here Council Rep Terri Bogaards Cantor Nicole Bohn Worship Assistants Heather & Pam Refreshments/Bread Pam & Heather

WWWWWWWWORSHIPORSHIPORSHIPORSHIPORSHIPORSHIPORSHIPORSHIP L L L L L L L LEADERSEADERSEADERSEADERSEADERSEADERSEADERSEADERS FORFORFORFORFORFORFORFOR M M M M M M M MAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAY 29 29 29 29 29 29 29 29

Presider Pastor Susan Strouse Greeter Your Name Here Council Rep Kirk Pessner Cantor FULC Musicians Worship Assistants You? Refreshments/Bread You? To sign up as a Greeter or other worship assis-

tant, send an email to info@fulc.com.

For details on all First United events, go to www.fulc.com & click on “Calendar”.

Coming Events:

May 27: Lydia Nally Jun 9: Kathryn Klingebiel Jun 13: Don Blanchard Jun 18: Nellie Muganda Jun 21: Jeff Johnson

� PLURAL ISM SUNDAY Sunday, May 22, 5:00 pm Fi rst Un ita r ian Un iversa list Chape l � INTERFAITH MEMORIAL DAY SERV ICE Monday, May 30, 12:45-1:30 Presid io Chape l— 130 Fisher Loop, Pres id io

� ANNUAL MEETING OF THE CONGREGATION Sunday, June 5, 3 :00-5:00 pm First Un ita r ian Un iversa list Chape l � CHURCH COUNCIL MEET ING Tuesday, June 7, 7 :00 pm Locat ion TBA � THE DAY OF PENTECOST Sunday, June 12, 5 :00 pm Fi rst Un ita r ian Un iversa list Chape l

Policy for Charitable Donations

First United’s policy is to help people by finding services when possible. All requests for help must go to Pas-tor Susan. Please do not ask mem-bers for money, rides, phone use, or

food—ask only Pastor Susan.