"Beacon of hope", "lamp of our heritage", "bowl of light", "sign of our quest for truth, meaning and community", "symbol of . . . transformation . . . of a free faith... of community ... of courage ... of compassion" The flaming chalice has become the main symbol of Unitarian Universalism. We use it in print, in physical chalices, in jewelry, fabric, sun catchers - even on coffee mugs and bumper stickers. I hear that some young UUs have chalice tattoos.

Like hundreds of UU congregations around the country and the world, we begin our service by lighting a chalice. Symbols always have many meanings, especially in a tradition like ours, which urges us each to search for and piece together images and understandings that speak deeply to us. The simple lighting of our chalice calls to us in ways subtle and far-reaching. Our small ritual carries image and meaning which reflect and echo beyond specific readings or descriptions.

Religious scholar Mircea Eliade wrote that symbols are the very substance of spiritual life; they are bridges, bridges between the world as we experience it and its inner meaning. Bridges: structures that connect us and let us travel to and between distant points or across some barrier. The flaming chalice serves as a bridge connecting us with our history and heritage; our living, growing tradition; and our higher aspirations. As we continue our religious journeys and encounter the flaming chalice in different forms and settings, the meanings and connections expand and deepen.

But how did the flaming chalice become so important to UUs? You may be surprised to find that, while it draws from historical, even ancient times, our use of the flaming chalice is only about 65 years old - the mere blink of an eye in religious history.

Here's the basic story. In 1941, the Unitarian Service Committee was engaged in efforts to help those in Europe who were trying to escape from Nazi persecution. Some of them were heroic in their daring and determination, and have been honored internationally. Charles Joy, director of the Service Committee, recognized the challenges presented by differences in language and culture and how difficult it was for a refugee to know who could be trusted in that dangerous environment. He saw the need for something recognizable as a sign of safe haven, something not connected with a particular faith or culture. Also, the committee was preparing papers to help refugees cross international borders. (They always say it that way - "preparing papers" - but it sounds like forgery to me!) They wanted something 'official looking' for their documents.

Joy contacted Hans Deutsch, an Austrian who had drawn political cartoons critical of Hitler. As the Nazis advanced, Deutsch had fled first from Austria and then from Paris. He was living in Lisbon when Joy wrote asking for a symbol to use on Service Committee papers, " to make them look official, to give dignity and importance to them, and at the same time to symbolize the spirit of our work..." He continued, "When a document might keep (someone) out of jail, give (them) standing with government and police, it is important that it look important." Deutsch drew a flaming chalice.

It's worth noting that Deutsch was not a Unitarian; in fact, he wasn't a follower of any faith tradition. In a letter to Joy he wrote, "I am not what you may actually call a believer. But if your kind of life is the profession of your faith - as it is, I feel sure - then religion, ceasing to be magic and mysticism, becomes confession to practical philosophy and... to active, useful work...one to which even a 'godless' fellow like myself can wholeheartedly say 'Yes!'" He later wrote that he had drawn the chalice as "the kind the Greeks or Romans might put on their altars ...(that) the holy oil burning in the chalice is a symbol of helpfulness and sacrifice." At its inception for the Unitarian Service Committee, the flaming chalice was a symbol of compassionate activism, not of belief - a symbol of deeds, not creeds.

Not all that far away, however, the Czechs had long used the flaming chalice as a symbol of freedom and equality. It doesn't sound like Deutsch knew about that, or perhaps he chose to ignore it. The Czech use, though, is rooted in religious history. It dates back to the early 1400s, when a priest named Jan Hus came to the belief that priests were not elevated or significantly holier than other believers. In recognition of that belief, he began to offer the cup of communion wine - the chalice - as well as bread to communicants in local services. At the time, only priests were allowed to do that. When the Pope learned about it, Hus was excommunicated and eventually declared a heretic. He refused to recant, and was subsequently burned at the stake. The chalice he wanted to share and the flame of the price he paid were combined as a symbol by his followers, who continued his practices in secret, and who eventually launched a rebellion against the Catholic Church which lasted for more than a hundred years. Through the intervening centuries, the symbol has persisted with the Czechs, and in 1968, when the Soviet Army tanks entered Prague, flaming chalices appeared as graffiti throughout the city. They were a symbol of freedom and equality.

But back to the Unitarians! After World War II, the Unitarian Service Committee continued to use the flaming chalice as its symbol, and it was kept when the two service groups - the Unitarian and Universalist - were merged. But it wasn't officially adopted by the Unitarians in general, nor by the Unitarian Universalist Association which was formed by the 1961 merger. Gradually, though, its use among us expanded. The Universalists had used a circle with an off-center cross as their symbol. The position symbolized the idea that there's always room for further inspiration. Soon the flaming chalice was shown within a circle, then two circles - one for the Unitarians, one for the Universalists. It appeared on stationery and brochures. A few congregations began to light a chalice in their services, but it was far from common practice. Then in the early 1980s, the Rev. David Pohl, then Director of the UUA's Dept of Ministry, decided to light a chalice at General Assembly's Service of the Living Tradition, a major GA event.

It's pretty clear that this was a turning point for our use of the symbol, as the UUs who had attended the service returned to their home congregations bringing the idea with them and artists began to develop their own interpretations. Many UU subgroups have designed variations to show their particular focus. The UU Peace Network uses a chalice with a dove as the flame. Canadian Unitarians use a chalice with the maple leaf. The UU Legislative Ministry of California uses a chalice with a poppy. The UUA has officially used the symbol since 1976, and recently adopted a new version for their website and print materials. If you go to their website, you may notice that the symbol there is different than the one on the hymnbook cover and other places: it's the new design.

In keeping with our emphasis on encouraging each person to develop their personal system of meaning, we encourage this variety. Both at the Fellowship and in personal collections, we have, and use, a variety of chalices. Just look around this morning! The chalice we've used for many years was made by a long term member, Walt Lab, who used pieces of farm equipment - specifically a harrow - to honor our area's agricultural heritage along with our religious tradition. The new chalice that Lucille Ennis bought for us when she was at GA this past June has the traditional elements - the two circles of Unitarianism and Universalism - and the slightly off- center chalice - in a unique bronze expression. Two of the chalices I brought were made by the spouse of a colleague and another by the art teacher at the middle school where I taught for many years. The painting against the wall was done by Helen Million. This particular chalice is made from a clay pot and saucer. It's probably the easiest one to make if you want one for your home. A clay pot, saucer, glue and a candle - you're good to go! Decorative additions are optional. And there are so many others! I hope you will talk with the owners - and maybe the "makers" - and hear their stories. You might also check around for chalice jewelry. There's quite a variety available.

All these variations bring us back to the personal interpretations - the importance and meaning of symbols for individuals- and particularly this symbol. In fact, this service had its beginning when Jewel Whitaker got a particular assignment in a class at CSU Stanislaus. Let's ask her to explain:

Jewel Whitaker:

I was taking an intercultural communications class and we had a very interesting instructor who expected quite a bit of honesty from the class. For instance, to introduce ourselves we had to create a personality collage that shared a bit of who we were. Here's mine for those of you'd who'd like to discuss it with me later . . . The interesting part about the assignment wasn't the collage; although I did learn a great deal about myself in its creation, but how the instructor had us use them.

We were placed in pairs, then we explained to our partner what the images of our collage meant to us, than our partner had to share that information with the class as a way to introduce us. There were some very interesting introductions to say the least. But the reason I brought mine with me today (other than to share my huge artistic talent) is this: in the center where, in my collage you see the large picture of me, one young lady had a lesbian symbol in hers.

During the introductions, her partner never once mentioned it. Not once. Knowing how brave it was of her to place that symbol on a piece of paper in Turlock California, I introduced myself to her after class and we became group partners and later fast friends. Later on in the semester when we had to write a paper on the importance of symbols I was reminded of how very important symbols are to us as humans. Symbols are how we attach meaning to our world. It's why we call an orange an orange. And why one plus one equals two and not gopher.

The flaming chalice is one of the many symbols of my spirituality. Recently when being admitted to the hospital, I was asked what my religious preference was. I asked, do you have a place for Unitarian Universalism? They did! I was so excited, the last time I'd had to answer that question, they'd had to mark the box OTHER!

I'm proud to be a UU and glad I have a symbol that I can wear in public with pride if I want to. Although there are no plans in place for any new tattoos as Grace mentioned earlier that some younger UUs are doing - I guess I'm not that young, even if I am going to college.

Yet it's not a symbol I'm comfortable wearing in public, because like the religion it stands for, its meaning is extremely varied and personal to me. I asked some of our members their thoughts and here are some of the responses I received.

One wrote, "For me the chalice symbolizes life force, illumination and/or the search for truth, strength and survival (without fire we would perish), power, danger (if used incorrectly) and/or a healthy respect for the power and eternity."

Another member states that the chalice is significant because it is a symbol of the feminine aspect of life. Something I identify very closely with. She goes on to say:

"The chalice is a cup, a bowl, a container, symbolizing the womb and the waters of life. It is a symbol of the regenerating powers of life. It is a symbol of the divine feminine, and as a UU symbol it means to me that the feminine powers are sacred in my spiritual practice, and therefore I, as a woman, am spiritually valued (as opposed to (traditions which) make it clear that only masculine deities are worshipped). So I greatly value the symbol of the chalice."

There were of course, many more, but let's take a look at some of the many chalice designs available to Unitarian Universalists today. While we show them, Bernadette Burns will sing one of her own songs - Chalice Flame.

(Bernadette sings)

Grace Simons:

So that's it for this morning's introduction to the history and symbolism of our flaming chalice. It's meant to be invitational, not definitive. For our tradition continues to grow. We are asked to consider different shapes, different materials, different expressions, different meanings. Some may speak clearly one or another of us, others leave us puzzling. What do they mean? Is the flame one of truth or love, hope or justice? Is the chalice a symbol of community or one of equality, or perhaps service and sacrifice? What other possibilities present themselves? Do we really have to choose? We consider. We each have our own perspectives. They develop and change as time passes and our experience grows.

Jewel asked quite a few people to offer their personal ideas about the meaning and symbolism of the flaming chalice. I was one of them. And she chose to end her paper with some of my words. I still like them. "Thousands of words have been written on the meanings of the flaming chalice for Unitarian Universalists. They still don't 'cover the territory.' The power of this symbol within our tradition and within our spirits grows ever deeper and more nuanced." May it be so for each of us.

August 26, 2007

[Jewel Whittaker is a lay member of the UUF of SC.]

(Copyright by Rev. Grace Simons. Contact the author for permission to use.)

This is one in a collection of Minister's Sermons. We also have a collection of Guest Sermons, a brief Welcome and Biography from Rev. Simons, and the latest edition of Grace Notes, a column Rev. Grace writes for our newsletter.