Sunday Morning Worship
Sunday morning worship begins at 10:30 a.m. at UUFA.
To submit a Joy, Sorrow or Milestone or fill out a visitor’s card, visit the View Services Page. 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.
April’s Theme is Joy.
This month’s theme is Joy. 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.
April 6 “The Transformative Joy of Conflict Well-Tended” with Rev. Dr. Pippin Whitaker
What is a well-tended conflict? Many would prefer to avoid this entire topic and think of virtually anything but conflict. If you are in this group, let this worship service be a joyful invitation not to experience conflict but to wonder at how some way of holding conflict might yet be life-giving and joyful.
April 13 “The Giving Tree Finds Joy” with members of the Earth Ministry Team
In Shel Silverstein’s The Giving Tree the boy takes from the tree until there is nothing is left. The story ends claiming the tree was happy, but was it? Much like the story, the Earth and its resources are being depleted. For this Earth Day worship service, members of the Earth Ministry Team share ways they enjoy giving back. Join us as we explore how reciprocity and our relationship with the Earth (and its trees) create a world of joy.
April 20 “Rituals for New Life” with Rev. Dr. Pippin Whitaker
In times of stress or distraction, rituals can hold us and return us to our life’s purpose and power. In this worship service, let us discover the keys to forming or reforming rituals that nourish and sustain.
April 27 “The Joy of Two or More” with Rev. Dr. Pippin Whitaker
Of all the simple joys in life, sharing them with another is surely among the greatest. Indeed, sharing a sorrow or burden can bring as much joy even amid tears. What is the source and meaning of such joy? Join this worship service as we seek to connect with this source of joy.
Reflection Ideas and Questions
Are you seeking more ways to explore the theme of joy?
Consider reflecting on these quotes:
Even a wounded world is feeding us. Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift.
– Robin Wall Kimmerer
The high value put upon every minute of time, the idea of hurry-hurry as the most important objective of living, is unquestionably the most dangerous enemy of joy
– Herman Hesse
I don’t think anyone “finds” joy. Rather, we cultivate it by searching for the preciousness of small things, the ordinary miracles that strengthen our hearts so we can keep them open to what is difficult.
– Dawna Markova
We must reclaim joy outside of the artificial “cheer” it is often reduced to. There is a joy that is defiant. A portal to survival for our ancestors. A way to say, we will not be captive to despair nor abandon our belief in beauty. Joy with teeth.
– Cole Arthur Riley
Some questions you may use as a prompt for conversation or for a journal entry follow:
- What simple joy rescues you over and over again? (What might you do to make a little bit more room for it in your life?)
- Have you been hesitant or scared to ask for the thing you know will bring you joy?
- Are you too responsible to let joy in?
- What is one of your favorite/best moments of bringing joy to someone else?
- When was the last time you told your partner or close friend that they delight you?
