2002 Friday Morning Worship Planning Committee

Rev., Ray Drennan

Sébastien Castellion,
Our Forgotten Francophone Founder
The Rev. Ray Drennan

Qui enim vult vitam diligere / et dies videre bonos, diclinet a malo / et faciat bonum. (Latin)

Oh, La, La, je vous prie de m'excuser- Perdu dans mes pensées, je n'avais pas remarqué votre présence ici... Ces paroles résonnent encore à mes oreilles. Elles me transportent dans une passé si lointain, au temps de ma jeunesse, de mon idéalisme...

Oh, mon Dieu, I fear you do not understood the Latin ni le français, n'est-ce pas. Alors, I will try to speak to you in English.

Sébastien Castellion, à votre service, sometimes called Chateillon or Castellio. I, Catellion, am proud to introduce myself as the founder of your great movement. Does this surprise you? Mais oui, c'étais moi Castellion, qu'étais le fondateur. Have you not heard of me? It does not surprise me for I am so often forgotten.

There are foolish people who still believe that your movement began with Servetus. Ah Michel, pauvre Michel, he questioned only the Trinity, I, Castellion, I laid the foundation for the true and Radical Reformation which birthed your great movement. Sigismund and his diet in Torda (1568) Bien sûr were important yet twenty five years before Torda A j'ai sauvé l'honneur de la Réforme. I Castellion, saved the honour of the Reformation.

This morning I come to rendez-vous with you to see with my own eyes how my ideas have traveled the centuries, to see what you are doing with the heritage that I passed onto you. Are the Aideals of my generation losing their fire, among you?

I was born in what is now La France in 1515 (Saint-Martin-du-Fresne). Although my father had little education, l was fascinated with learning et alors became a teacher. In my day two forces were struggling with each other. One wished to control thought by force, whether the Catholics or the so-called Réforme de Jean Calvin. It was the same. The others, oh there were so few of us, Ochino, Gribaldi et moi même, we struggled for the true spirit of the reformation, for freedom, reason and tolerance. A Peut être j'ai dévancé mon époque. Maybe it is true I was ahead of my time, a libre penseur, the first of the moderns.

When I was but 27, completing my French translation of the Nouveau Testament, Jean Calvin demanded I change my ideas to agree with his. A Mon Dieu, freedom of the press was but a dream. Is it less a dream aujourd hui? Who was this Jean Calvin? Who appointed him my pope and authority? Because of our disagreement Calvin denied me becoming a pasteur, I lost my job teaching. I was reduced to poverty. My wife and three children died.

I must say it clearly to you all, Jean Calvin was nothing but a despot, a traitor to la liberté et la diversité of thought. He was a murderer. Everyone who disagreed with him was a heretic. I am sure that you have met such people, also. When poor Servetus was murdered I could not remain silent. Although I felt like un mouche .… a fly… attacking an éléphant I spoke out, my integrité, my humanité was at issue. I spoke for tolerance, for freedom, for justice and for individuality. Only my early death saved me from exile or from being murdered moi même.

Oh la la, time she passes so quickly. Even Sébastien Castellion cannot go over-time in worship. Jean Calvin, I would defy in a moment but never, never would I dare to defy your new moderateur, Diane Olson. It is too dangerous. You have been indulgent my fellow Unitarians and Universalists. You have listened avec beaucoup de patience to the woes of an old man on this beautiful morning, dans la belle Ville de Québec. Why have I troubled you with my troubles? I have come to say something very simple to you.

Pemièrement, treasure communauté
Look around you this morning. Mon Dieu, look into one another's faces. What did that Morrison-Reed Fellow say? Religious community is essential, for alone our vision is too narrow ...and our strength too limited. That boy has the fire of Castellion in him. In my day I was so terribly alone. We did not have the right to gather, to disagree with respect, nor to be enriched by dialogue. Do not waste this precious privilege. Reach out beyond your own cultural and religious understandings. Dare to love the other who is different. This is the spirit of our great movement.

Deuxièmement, Resist conformité.
Beware, of those who seek false conformité and leave no room for diversité. Beware of those who want to control and to mold public opinion whether in the name of patriotism, the common good, democracy or terrorism. Beware of lies masquerading as la vérité. Angus Cameron was right, God bless the neurotic, - The healthy one of course - but for them we should be living in caves.. Dare to raise your voice above the crowd. This great movement of ours must resist becoming mainstream or mediocre.

Et finalement, remember la justice, only justice, not bullies, not murderers, not war, but only justice is the path to peace and securité.

Je dois partir, I must leave you now. All the wisdom of the centuries can be said very simply, n'est-ce pas? ALove one another, embrace diversité and live justice. You stand on the shoulders of others. The heritage cost others dearly. Do not betray it. The world needs your strong voices today. Salut mes amis, que la flamme brille de plus en plus forte. May the flame shine ever so brightly!

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