Inspiration: 

 

Joy is a net of love by which you can catch souls.
–Mother Teresa 

Looking for Love in All the Wrong Places

Most of us look for love in only the most obvious places, and as a result, most of us come away disappointed. It’s as if we are still grade school kids, counting valentines as a measure of what matters. The love that matters is not typically the subject of sonnets or love songs.

Some of the most loving things I’ve ever experienced I haven’t been ready for, wasn’t looking for, and nearly didn’t recognize. A few of them I didn’t want. But all of them have changed me, transformed some part of me, filled in a place that I didn’t even know was empty.

by David S. Blanchard, minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Canton, New York  TO READ MORE  

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Inspiration: 

 

Teach me gratitude, that I may know joy.

Gratitude

Gratitude is not about the things you do or do not receive. It is about a relationship. We are here on earth, at least partially, to practice empathy, to honor honest work and to ceaselessly embody that central Universalist principle, the dignity and worth of all human beings. This practice of radical equality is measured by the respect with which you treat others, and by the kindness in your heart. And then comes the leap. When you become the giver of kindness you are more likely to become aware of the kindness flowing towards you. You learn gratitude not only for the kindness of those around you, but also for the source of kindness described by the psalmist. Some of us call this source of all life and goodness and love by the name of God. Some of us call the sense of the whole of life a mysterious reality that cannot be named.

…In the midst of imperfection we can pray to be given a grateful heart. Grateful for the gift of life. Grateful for the opportunities of this day to come closer to what is real and sustaining. Grateful that no matter how far we wander, or how many times we stumble, grace will find us and we will be blessed.

by Barbara Merritt, Minister Emerita, First Unitarian Church Of Worcester, Massachusetts  TO READ MORE  

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Inspiration: 

 

How do you find joy when times are hard?

Joy

Practicing joy does not mean we never feel pain or fear or frustration. Faithfulness is not about believing that everything will always turn out okay. Carl Scovel’s “Great Surmise” does not say that everything will always turn out fine. Sometimes things go terribly wrong. Always, we bear the knowledge that we will lose people we love. My faith is not predicated on never feeling terrible grief. (Good thing.) My faith is that even with all the terrible grief we must bear, even in a world where war is too often thought to be the answer, even in a world where some people believe it is okay to torture and abuse other people, even in this world, an eternal goodness lies deep at the heart of Creation. And this goodness makes love possible.

If this is our faith, our responsibility is great. If we believe this, we are called to attend to the beauty and goodness. That means slowing down sometimes. It means looking deeply and compassionately. It means finding the courage to keep our hearts open. Painting thank-you on our palms for the laughter of the morning. Or singing a song of praise. In these ways we attend to the goodness at the heart of things.

BY MARY KATHERINE MORN, PARISH MINISTER, UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST CONGREGATION OF FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA  TO READ MORE  

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Inspiration: 

 

There is joy in learning and growing. What will you try today that might bring you joy?

 

 

 

 

Life Unfolding: Transformation

Just as a tree takes on different shapes and sizes throughout its lifespan, from seed to sapling, to sturdy oak, so do we as human beings. We are constantly emerging, growing, and changing shape. For many of us, this includes assuming new roles or taking on new responsibilities. Ideally, I suppose these roles would all converge into one and we would be integrated and whole beings. But that is so difficult sometimes!

Often, our roles conflict with one another, or cause tension in our lives or relationships. But even in those moments, there is a potential for growth and unfolding; there is a chance for transformation. We unfold across our lifespan, and grow more into who we are. In those instances, there is also a possibility of transformation for others’ ideas about us and the many roles we hold. The potential for transformation, for learning, and for understanding lies within us and around us. Perhaps the key to such a discovery or development lies in our ability to live the journey and be open to all of the things (good and bad) that we might realize about ourselves. And perhaps the most effective thing we can do is not strive to become someone or something else, or to change who we are, but to let our lives unfold to exhibit the transformation that has taken place.

Margaret Weis, Ministerial Intern, First Parish of Watertown, Unitarian Universalist. TO READ MORE  

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Inspiration: 

 

Beauty is whatever gives joy.
–Edna St. Vincent Millay 

 

 

 

Joy and Beauty

I am talking to a man whose wife has just told him she loves someone else. I need to go to the ocean, says this Midwesterner, to see something bigger than my pain.

I am on the phone with a woman whose sister is dying. Her sister’s young child is inconsolable. Even here, says the woman on the phone, there is beauty. There is joy. Even here, there is something beyond the pain.

Transcendence does not mean that the holy exists separately from the beauty and heartbreak of life on earth, which pulses in our bodies and daily lives (immanence). Rather, divine mystery is woven throughout every moment of time, every cell of our aging and imperfect bodies, every interaction and choice. Our spiritual practice is to remember to see it.

 

BY MEG RILEY SENIOR MINISTER, CHURCH OF THE LARGER FELLOWSHIP TO READ MORE  

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