E. B. White once said, “I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve (or save) the world and a desire to enjoy (or savor) the world. This makes it hard to plan the day.” In the full quote, White decides that savoring is more important. This Labor Day, let us consider how … Continue reading To Save or Savor
Let’s have a little fun. Let’s have some words that feel good in our mouths like good poems. We could be smiling and laughing more if we want that. Sometimes that’s just what we need. Sometimes, that’s just what the whole world needs. (And here’s an invitation – send me a poem you think fits … Continue reading Poems of Joy and Laughter
Music is a form of communication unlike any other. It gets into our brains differently that just words. With a focus on how it stirs us into joy, let us open ourselves to the power of music this morning. Our First Sunday worship for all ages is followed by workshops. We hope to see you … Continue reading Songs for the Journey
The Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore wrote, “I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.” Is there an element of service in your life? In our congregation? In what ways do we serve needs greater than our own? We hope to … Continue reading Let Our Service Begin
There is a bittersweetness to all of our living, joy and sorrow mingled together. Joni Mitchell’s song “Both Sides Now” reminds us that by embracing the sorrow and loss as well as the joy and love, we can move past our illusions of life to appreciate the beauty of it all. We hope to see … Continue reading Both Sides
The world around us (and sometimes within) needs more joy, more of us bringing light and life to every situation. As Howard Thurman famously said, “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” We hope to … Continue reading The Fire in Your Bowl
This is a special service presented by several Commissioned Lay Ministers & Candidates across the Central East Region. They have crafted a service of readings, reflections and songs on how to harvest joy, even in the toughest of times. This service will be entirely on our regular Zoom account – our church building will be … Continue reading Opening to Joy
Our various religious holidays at this time of year are celebrations of the light. This Multigenerational Sunday, let us celebrate the dark. As we approach the Longest Night, let us linger with the healing message often found in the dark. We hope to see you in person! Masks are required. Here is the current in-person … Continue reading Fox Steals the Dark
A common spiritual practice is to be mindfully in the moment, to pay attention, to ‘be here now.’ Equally common is the consequence of our current culture leading us to be obediently unobservant. We hope to see you in person! Masks are required. Here is the current in-person gathering policy. Online information ..https://zoom.us/j/97989696520?pwd=ZG9NclFYQm9VV0NTb2VhNVM0R00xQT09 Meeting ID: 979 … Continue reading Look Again: The Obvious, Often Unobserved
This month our Soul Matters theme is joy. It is also the Hanukkah on the Jewish calendar. Join us for story and celebration for all ages as we consider how joy can catch us by surprise. We hope to see you in person! Masks are required. Here is the current in-person gathering policy. Online information … Continue reading Opening to Joy
