Sunday Morning Worship
Sunday morning worship begins at 10:30 a.m. at UUFA.
Submit a Joy, Sorrow or Milestone here. (Please note: Items submitted after 8 a.m. Sunday may be shared the following week.)
For the link to join virtually on Sunday or access the archives, reach out to members@uuathensga.org or contact the administrator at admin@uuathensga.org.
This theme for February is Embodying Resilience.
The Fellowship offers many opportunities and invitations to explore and practice the theme. We will be exploring the theme through out the month in worship and Religious Exploration.
February 1: “Intentional Resilience” with Rev. Dr. Pippin Whitaker
Resilience is often framed as a good, but consider the resilience that is not of benefit: the bad habit that you cannot shake, the back ache that won’t abate, or the harmful idea like white supremacy that keeps finding its way back into receptive minds. How do we infuse intentional resilience in our lives and in our communities?
February 8: “Going Belly Up, A Reclaiming” with Rev. Dr. Pippin Whitaker
The phrase “going belly up” has a negative connotation, but the practice of going belly up just might be saving. How, when, and why might we need such a practice?
February 15: Keep on Moving Forward“ with Randy Blousch
Being resilient in times like this seems almost impossible and maybe, just maybe it is. There is so much going on and so many things that need our help. How can we possibly do everything? It is overwhelming and right now it feels like we can’t even do anything.
February 22: “People Get Ready” with Rev. Dr. Pippin Whitaker
Are you seeking more ways to explore the theme of Embodying Resilience?
Reflection Ideas and Questions
Are you seeking more ways to explore the theme of Embodying Resilience?
Consider reflecting on these quotes:
Observing the water teaches me [that] Resilience isn’t trying to hold on to all you have been and somehow get through. It is the flow of water that responds to its environment and even changes its form, yet never changes its fundamental nature. – Sue Heartherington
The truth is that things don’t really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It’s just like that. The healing comes from letting there be room for all of this to happen: room for grief, for relief, for misery, for joy. – Pema Chödrön
While we can’t stop the collapse of ecological and social systems and their scary implications on our lives, we can create islands of sanity – for ourselves, for the people around us and for everyone else who needs it. We can create spaces that acknowledge the insanity of the world and make each other feel sane again. – Till Leinen
They tried to bury us, they didn’t know we were seeds. – Dinos Christianopoulos
Some questions you may use as a prompt for conversation or for a journal entry follow:
- Has someone else’s resilience ever helped you survive?
- What is your most beautiful scar? What wound ended up giving you a surprising gift?
- What if resilience is not about holding tight against the wind, but letting go and trusting the wind to take you where you need to go next?
- If saving the world seems no longer within reach, how might creating islands of sanity be your road back to hope?
- What parts of you did you have to hide to survive? What would it look like to invite them back into the world?
