I hold in my hands a pearl. This one happens to be plastic, but that’s OK. As you look at this pearl, think about the following parable from Matthew 13:45:

Assuming for the moment that this pearl represents the kingdom of God. Would you sell everything you own to possess it? Put another way, "What would you do to have the kind of life that you want?"

The answer to that question necessarily has two parts. First, we have to know just what this pearl is, that is, what is the kingdom of God? Second, we need to know how to get it. So, let’s start with the kingdom of God.

For many, the kingdom of God refers to salvation through grace and eternal life. That’s got way too much theological baggage for me. Another view is that the kingdom of God refers to the establishment of righteousness and justice here on earth. That’s a little more accessible to me. I can work with that. For others still, it is personal; it is established not among nations, but in ourselves. It is, perhaps, the fulfillment of an Old Testament prophecy, when, speaking through the Jeremiah, the God of Israel said, "I will put my law within them and I will write it on their hearts, and I will be their God and they shall be my people." Jer. 31:33.

Now, I know there’s nothing like an Old Testament prophecy to send some of scurrying to the parking lot. Stay with me, here. I can see some of your squirming in your seats. Let me suggest another way of stating Jeremiah’s prophecy.

This is a church. We are part of a religious tradition. Even the atheists and secular humanists among us believe in something for which I would use the word holy. That is to say, something that is worthy of our respect and that commands our devotion. It may be as simple as life itself, or the earth and the universe. It may not involve a deity at all. It may be as simple as being aware of the holiness within ourselves. Some of you are still squirming. Find another word for holy. Our Principles refer to the "interdependent web of existence." Our Seven Sources refer to the "transcendent awe and mystery of the universe." So, putting those together, the pearl of great price may be understood as a connection to life and feeling the awe and mystery of the universe in our hearts.

Some of us have trouble imagining what our pearl might be because we grew up with Sunday school teachers who told us that we were created in God’s image. That was supposed to make us feel special. Then we were told that we are sinners who needed to atone for our sins, and that left us confused about just how special we are. Let me put an end to that debate. We are holy. The divine is within us. By whatever name one calls the source of life and love, we are loved, and no atonement is necessary to be worthy of that love.

I need to add something about ideals. John Kennedy said, and I’m paraphrasing, "Ideals are like the stars. We will never touch them. Yet, the seafarers knew that by following them, they would reach their destinations." So, adding this then to my working definition, the pearl of great price is having the ideal that I will live each day in constant gratitude and awareness of the power of divine love in my life and that in each moment, whether high or low, I will feel that love in my heart and I will know that I am holy.

That’s a heckuva pearl! And, yes, I would give everything I have to have it.

Now comes the hard part: how do we acquire the pearl? There’s no question, according to Luke, chapter 14, that Jesus set a pretty high price: "Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, life itself cannot be my disciple." A few verses later, he reportedly sums everything up with this: "None of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all of your possessions." Let me add before going any farther that I don’t think Jesus said that, at least not literally in those words. Between context and translation, I think something may have gotten lost in the message.

Yet, it is an interesting question. Do we literally have to sell all of our possessions, renounce all worldly attachments, and devote ourselves to the contemplative life of religious orders to possess this pearl? No. Yet, in a manner of speaking, yes. What I am describing is not really a possession in the material sense at all. More accurately, to posses the pearl is to possess a certain way of life. It is something that must be acquired each day by living what I would call a God-filled life. Choose your own language and imagery. Some Christians might say it is to live "in Christ." It’s what Jeremiah might have meant by his prophecy that we would have God’s law is written on our hearts. Yet others might say it is a way of life in which each moment is filled with the awareness of and connection to the ground of being. Such a way of life, whatever the language, though, is fundamentally different than a life that is not so filled or so connected.

I believe that this way of life has at least three characteristics.

First, it includes daily spiritual practices, both passive and active. Passive practices may be the wearing of a symbol of my faith or the keeping of a memorable picture or a favorite poem on the refrigerator. These types of connections to faith can become so passive that they become unnoticed and lose their meaning. Consider putting these symbols and mementos in your way. When you make your bed or leave your office, put that picture or memento right in the middle of your bed or your desk so that you have to move it when you return. Make that a daily ritual, and I guarantee that you will increase your awareness of the connection that object represents. I carry this medallion, which signifies one year of recovery in my 12-step program. Every time I reach into my pocket for change, it reminds me of what’s really important in life. I also have found spiritual connections through more active practices. You’re probably thinking of things like devotional reading, journaling, and meditation. I do some of those things and I find them very meaningful. I want to encourage you to think more creatively, though. I want to commend to you a book edited by the Rev. Scott Alexander, now the senior minister at River Road Unitarian-Universalist Church in Potomac, Maryland, entitled, "Everyday Spiritual Practice." He defines this phrase as "any activity or attitude in which you can regularly and intentionally engage, and which significantly deepens the quality of your relationship with the miracle of life both within and beyond you." The book covers all the basics, like prayer and meditation, but includes things like practicing Zen, movement, exercise, recycling, gardening, cooking and art. In other words, everything you do can be a spiritual practice.

Second, a life centered in the divine requires that we care for others and that we let others care for us. Here, I’m speaking of one on one, or family to family care. For lack of a better phrase, I’ll call this personal pastoral care. Letting others care for me is the weak link in my program. When people ask me how I’m doing, I almost always say "fine." If I had a bit of a sore throat, for example, and said so instead of just saying "fine," maybe someone would offer me a lozenge and maybe I might feel better. Yet, I always say, "I’m fine." If I can’t ask for the little things, how can I ever expect to ask for help when I really need it? A case in point: when my wife and I separated and later divorced, I didn’t tell anyone for a long time and then, only a need-to-know basis. I didn’t share it with the caring committee at my church or mention it during Joys and Sorrows. I kept it pretty much to myself. I’m still not very comfortable asking for that kind of help, but I’m getting better. As sure as I am about any physical law such as gravity though, I’m sure that this spiritual principle is true as well: the more willing I am to ask for help, the more help I will get. Its corollary is also true: the more help I give to others, the more help I get for myself.

Third, a God-filled life does not exist in isolation. It is part of a spiritual community. Human beings are social animals. We need to be with other people. Corporate worship validates and affirms our values and our worth and gives us the ability to engage in the kinds of social justice activities that we could not do alone, such as sponsoring or supporting a homeless shelter or some other community-based service. I can’t explain how taking a meal to a homeless shelter helps me to better discern things like the meaning of my divorce or the death some years ago of my father. But, it does. It’s not the meal, it’s the attitude. Apart from what it may do for others, engaging in social justice activities teaches me humility, compassion and gratitude, and those things open the door to spiritual discernment.

There’s a pattern here, and a process. Another way to describe daily spiritual practices, personal pastoral care and participation in a spiritual community is self, self-in-relationship, and self-in-relationship within a community. It’s my experience that spiritual growth starts from the inside, and works it’s way out. I’ve seen it work the other way around. I’m not prejudiced about this. I have a "whatever works" attitude toward spirituality. Even if you don’t take to any of the examples I provided –and I encourage you to find your own—keep this framework in mind. With all three -- self, self-in-relationship, community—I can have it all, if having it all means that I live each day in constant gratitude and awareness of the power of divine love in my life and that in each moment, whether high or low, I will feel that love in my heart and I will know that I am holy.

I make no claim to feel that way all day, every day. The bad news is that, once you claim your pearl, you have to reclaim it every day. One can do that by engaging in activities at any or all three levels I just described –self, self-in-relationship, self-in-relationship within a community. When I don’t do these things, I don’t get the feelings that come with them. On the plus side, when I am feeling down, I know exactly what I can do to restore my emotional and spiritual health.

Now, I’m pretty close to the end. Some of you may be thinking you got off lucky. You may have thought when I started this sermon that I was going to give you a finger-wagging lecture about letting your work and your possessions control your life. Compared to re-evaluating your job or your lifestyle, you may be thinking that what I am asking of you is easy. Well, I’m just going to let you think that.

I will close with this offer. When the service is over, I will place a basket of these pearls in the lobby. Please take one, but put it where it will get in the way. Keep it in your pocket. Put one in your desk or kitchen drawer, so that you have to move it around to get to things in that drawer. If you’re a big spender, you can invest 99 cents and buy a package of these and place them around the house, in the glove compartment of your car, and in your office. My hope for you is that every time you bump into one of your pearls, you will be remember that you are worthy of being loved, that you are loved, and that you are holy.