In this service we will take a sincere and good-humored look at change over time. We will think about how we have changed and how these changes afford us openings to acknowledge what is different, and to find the wonderful space within us for new relationships and growth.
Joni Mitchell stated in her song, Woodstock, that we are stardust, we are golden, and that we’ve got to get ourselves back to the garden. On the anniversary of the Woodstock festival Rev. Amy asks and explores what that means for us, getting back to the garden.
“What Did you Bring Me?” When somebody arrives back home they might hear that question. Rev. Amy unpacks the suitcase (No, really. Backpack, too.) with you so that we all see what we will be working on, together in this interim ministry.
Contemplate: think about; ponder. Commonly understood as an intellectual exercise. Contemplative: spiritually speaking, a practice of open presence in the world as-it-is. Grounded in the here-and-now with mind, heart and body open to the spirit of life, we are inspired to live in the world with the full wisdom of our being. Join us for a period of contemplative practice and sharing.
This morning we will appreciate our interior parts and their relationships as guides toward harmony with ourselves, each other, and the planet. Using embodiment as a pathway, we might reframe our inner parts from “the good, the bad, and the ugly,” to “the good, no bad, and the relational”.
Bring your favorite necklace (malla), rosary, orbracelet with beads or stones. Carla will share images from her trip thru Nepal and facilitate prayers and chants thru beads—a practice common to many faiths. Repeating a sound (mantra) together in community can create peace within ourselves and harmony around the world.
Faith can be both a guiding light and sustaining force throughout the course of one’s life. In a world that is all too cruel and harsh, faith can be twisted, becoming instead a tool that fosters both isolation and a sense of underwhelm. What do we do when this happens for us as Unitarian Universalists? Come, let us gather in the fortifying spirit of love made known in community as we re-member ourselves, for ourselves, in the presence of all that we choose to name as Holy.
Today, from our own church sanctuary, we will consider what “sanctuary” means in our lives. We all need places of refuge and protection; maybe now more than ever considering the continuous challenges we are being confronted with. What places, people, or practices feel like a sanctuary to you? In what ways are you yourself a walking sanctuary for others? Together, we will be intentional about offering and receiving the refreshing gifts of sanctuary.
The UUA GA service
This morning’s service is a fun interactive celebration of our Unitarian Universalist Principles, including our 8th Principle. Join us as we build a metaphorical sundae of principles in worship and celebrate with an ice cream social and coffee hour afterwards. This is Rev. Dr. Sandra Fees’s last Sunday with us. Our collection will benefit Berks Stands Up.
