Stretching a muscle can feel good. Stretch that muscle too far, and it can hurt. Don’t stretch at all, and muscles tend to become dysfunctional. What if the same is true for our minds, our hearts, and that of the human being we call soul or spirit? Bob Patrick, Service Leader Bill Benshoof, Worship Associate
In American-speak, the words “freedom” and “responsibility” have been reduced to a kind of viral individualism. Freedom means “what I am free to do.” Responsibility means “what I have to take care of–and none of that is any of your business.” In this service we will consider some questions that may re-frame what it means … Continue reading Free and Responsible: Please Check Your Prepositions
In Buddhist tradition, Zen is a way of entering into the experience of another and finding peace in the unity of being with that other. In Christian tradition, the Tenebrae service invites us to enter into the experience of the final hours of the life of Jesus. We are holding a Zen Tenebrae service in … Continue reading Zen Tenebrae Good Friday Service
In this service we will reflect on how suffering arises in our lives and consider some practices for letting go so that we may continue on our life’s journey. Bob Patrick, Service Leader
“Life is filled with suffering, but it is also filled with many wonders . . . To suffer is not enough. We must also be in touch with the wonders of life. They are within us and all around us, everywhere, any time.” These are the opening lines of Being Peace, the small book by … Continue reading Cultivating Peace for a New Year
Sorrow and joy often appear in our culture, sometimes even in Unitarian Universalist worships services, as binary opposites. Whether we mean to or not, we speak and act at times as if when there is sorrow there can be no joy and when there is joy there can be no sorrow. What if they are … Continue reading The Cauldron of Vocation
Recent brain research correlated across 11 academic fields shows us not only how important stories and storytelling are to being human but, in fact, that story is the organizing principle of the human brain. In this service we will explore the kinds of stories a beloved community can tell and offer to the world. Bob … Continue reading Beloved Communities Tell Powerful Stories
Isn’t the work of social justice stand-alone work? Isn’t social justice a special concerns area that sometimes a few folks are called to attend? What if I don’t feel called to social justice work – does it have anything to do with me? Bob Patrick, Service Leader. Lydia Patrick, Worship Associate.
In this service, can we agree to enter into a time of deep inquiry with one another? Can we create a space safe enough to ask some probing questions about ourselves as a community of faith? When we say each week as we do, “you are welcome here”, what does “here” mean? Once people find … Continue reading All is Welcome Here – To What?
Even in people of color majority communities like Gwinnett County, GA, social and power structures still default to the expectations of white people. In this service, we will prayerfully and intentionally examine some of the elements of this default and what it means to be a community committed to compassion. Bob Patrick, Service Leader. Miriam … Continue reading When You Open the Window, What Do You Expect?
