I am a child of the Universe. Everyone is a child of the Universe. We are all one, no matter what our race, colour or creed,. The wondrous evolving Universe has created dust, stars, galaxies, sun, earth and all creatures upon it. We are from the earth; self-conscious creatures; the Universe experiencing and reflecting upon itself. The Universe Story is our primary story.

We are awed by the tiny flower, the vastness and beauty of the galaxies, and marvel in being part of it all. We sense an Ultimate Mystery, a creative Eros energy that is in all and through all and source of all. “Eros I name you divinity.”* I feel Eros (God) within me urging me to experience and become who I was born to be. I know that I am an evolving creature; as is all humanity. We have the gift of self-awareness but must learn how to embody it. Becoming whole is a life-long and history-long project.

We tell stories to help us understand who we are and how to live. We evolve language, culture, civilizations, religions. We strive to grow in justice, compassion, humility and all those values that make us human. Our goal is to grow in body, mind and spirit. In so doing we enable the maturing of the all humanity and move the Universe toward consciousness. The energy of who we are joins the energy of the Universe; our presence will be there eternally.

We honour the spiritual traditions that bequeath to us the wisdom of the ages. Those choosing to be nourished by Christianity honour the Bible as one tradition’s witness to the history, story and myth of evolving human consciousness. We see the story of our personal growth reflected in the biblical account of humanities’ growth. From Eve’s first step into consciousness (every two-year-old), to Abraham and Sarah (childhood glimpse of life’s purpose), the Exodus (leaving home), Wilderness (the struggle to find our place), Promised Land (the glow of early adulthood), Nationhood (self-identity in the word), Exile (mid-life crisis), Jesus (symbol of mature humanity), Early Church (beginning the journey to the full humanity of Jesus), Revelation, (the long, hard, journey to the fullness of our humanity), The New Heaven and New Earth (“The goal may ever shine afar, the will to win it makes us free”).**

We revel in being alive and celebrate the joy and pain of our mortal sojourn.

* Emily Kierstead. “Holy of Holies,” Songs of the Cosmic Spirit
** William D. Hyde. “Creations, Lord, We Give You Thanks.”