Our annual love service near Valentine’s Day invites us to focus on the love we’ve put into the world and our intentions to keep it going! In particular, we’ll cheer our work with Mann Elementary, write some valentines to people who are working to create more love, encourage ourselves and each other by creating reminders of what we mean to do. Come and demonstrate YOUR perseverance in loving the world!
Sometimes people who love us tell us so directly. Sometimes we need to learn to translate their words and actions to know how much they love us.
Intention is the “So What” of life.
“I just heard a great talk about water pollution in Pierce County, so what am I going to do now?”
“My elderly neighbor can no longer mow her lawn – so what am I going to do now?”
“I am clear about my beliefs and values, so what am I going to do to apply them to daily life?”
This sermon will explore several Unitarian Universalists who have been intentional about their lives and had a significant impact on their communities. It will also explore Benjamin Franklin’s and your own spiritual practice to develop virtues that lay the foundation for living an intentional life.
The poet Dorothy N. Monroe said, “Death is not too high a price to pay for having lived. If choice there were, I would not hesitate to choose mortality.” Of course, we don’t have the option to choose mortality. Sooner or later, death comes to all of us. But we do have choices: How do we live so that our lives are worth dying for? And, knowing that we and those we love will die, how do we prepare for that inevitability?
Many of us cobbled together a list of inspiring-sounding intentions to inspire ourselves as we prepared to welcome the New Year. But did we all remember to include the most important intention of all?
Four hundred and fifty years ago, the Edict of Torda established religious freedom as the law of the land in Transylvania. We’ll celebrate this anniversary year with a little history, and a lot of reflection on this inheritance we share with Unitarians around the world.
Join us in community on Sunday as we leave the past behind, embrace the presence of now, and welcome our souls’ future dreams.
We gather on Christmas Eve to tell stories, sing songs, and to light candles. We celebrate love and wonder and joy and hope in the world. Please join us!
Our pageant without preparation this year celebrates the Solstice and offers many opportunities for taking part. As always, there is a role for animals, so anyone who arrives in an animal costume can take part. Other roles will be assigned on the day and appropriate props will be provided. Come to watch, come to share in the fun, and celebrate the season of returning light!
This time of year is filled with lots of strongly worded suggestions. My favorite is “Behold!” How might it help us through this season and lift our hearts with hope?
