Becoming Multilingual

This service explores the Unitarian Universalist taboo of using sacred or religious language. What happens in a congregation when we mention the word “God”... more than once? What happens in your body if I say “amen” rather than “blessed be” at the end of a “prayer”? What happens if I talk about my spirit, ask about your soul, or suggest something about the world that is bigger than you or I alone… maybe in a way that brings me to tears in front of you? 

Each of us is formed and shaped by different religious contexts. Some of us experienced harm in those religious communities, and those communities used religion as violence. Others of us found transcendence, belonging, and hope. Each Sunday and in every circle, we sit side by side with one another and seek a moment of peace, stillness, or sacred encounter. 

When Unitarian Universalist communities are afraid to use sacred language or avoid it entirely, what does our silence say and what are we missing out on? What is the alternative to bring us together? One possible response is for each of us to reclaim not just one sacred language, but to become multilingual together.

This whole service features collaborations with the Baja 4 of Southern Arizona. There are incredible music, art, and poetry-prayers that honor both – what hurts and what inspires in religious language. The sermon begins at 31:18.