Author: clfuu

As children, each of my siblings and I were given a small allowance. From it, we were expected to bring a quarter for the offering plate at church each week. I understood it as way to build a habit and expectation to give of myself during the worship service. No matter who was in attendance, when the offering plate came to our row, each person participated in giving. To a casual onlooker it may not have seemed like much of a sacrifice, but to me, it meant not being able to buy 5 pieces of bubble gum that week after school. It may not have been a perfect offering, but it was what I could do at the time and it did make a difference. -Lori Stone (CLF)

Listen to music that affirms all of who you are today.

“Forget your perfect offering
Ring the bells that you can ring
There is a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in”
-adapted from Leonard Cohen, sung by Lisa G. Littlebird (listen here) 

“Our salvation is intimately tied up in each other’s ability to see other people as worthwhile. All human beings as valuable, and possessing dignity. All life as having value and possessing dignity…. How do we create a context where all of that is possible? Where all that human driving and life is possible? That’s going to require sacrifice, and time, and deep listening and nuance—but that’s what being a Unitarian Universalist requires.” -Takiyah Nur Amin

Where are you upholding the inherent worth and dignity of others today?

“Inspired by the beauty and holiness of the Earth, we become more willing to relinquish material desires. We recognize the need for sacrifice as we build a world that is both just and sustainable. We are called to be good stewards, restoring the Earth and protecting all beings.” -UUA Commission on Appraisal, on the 7th Principle of Unitarian Universalism, 2006

How have you sacrificed in the name of living more sustainably?

As a child, I loved learning how to keep score at baseball games, and my father loved explaining the intricacies of baseball scoring. One of my favorite things to score was the “sacrifice fly,” in which a batter hits a long fly ball knowing that it would be caught, but allowing the runner on third base to tag up and score. It is officially scored as a run batted in without a plate appearance, so as not to penalize the hitter for doing what was necessary to score a run for the team.-Michael Tino (CLF)

When have you made a sacrifice that moved your “team” forward?

“Spirit of life and love; spirit of holding on; spirit of letting go: help us to attune to what our lives whisper to us—both the sweet words of commitment and the sweet words of release. Help us to know whether it’s a time to hold tightly, or a time to let go. Help us to learn that in each moment, there is beauty. May it be so.” – Amanda Poppei

What do you need to let go of?