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 September is Building Belonging.
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.
September 7 “What We Are Called to Build” with Rev. Dr. Pippin Whitaker
What does water have to teach us about how–and why–to build belonging? All are invited to take part in the annual water communion of the UU Fellowship of Athens. Bring some water from home or a special place, or use the water from the fellowship to add to the communal water.
September 14 “The (Seeming) Paradox of Belonging” with Rev. Dr. Pippin Whitaker
Have you ever sat in a group and, having noticed how different you are from everyone else, wondered whether you belong? Our expectations for what belonging should feel like can get in the way of true belonging. Join in this service that dives beneath superficial ideas toward true belonging.
September 21 “Belonging to the Land“ with Michelle Covi and Leigh Harvey
Do you feel a connection to the land you inhabit and share with your community? How does the land shape what you perceive, value, or believe? We will be exploring how our national lands inspire poetry and celebrate our connection to a land with a long and complicated history.
September 28 Service led by Rev. Dr. Pippin Whitaker
Reflection Ideas and Questions
Are you seeking more ways to explore the theme of belonging?
Consider reflecting on these quotes:
Where you belong is where you choose to constantly choose to show up. – Karina Antonopoulos
Here is the question we must at last confront: Is land merely a source of belongings, or is it the source of our most profound sense of belonging? We can choose. – Robin Wall Kimmerer
Many of us don’t have friends anymore; we have followers. We don’t deeply care about each other’s lives; we consume them as content. We don’t have people we can be vulnerable with; we have people who view our Stories. – Freya India
One of the most important things you can do on this earth is to let people know they are not alone. – Shannon L. Alder
Some questions you may use as a prompt for conversation or for a journal entry follow:
- What aspect of your personality do you need to do a better job of embracing and welcoming in?
- What long hoped-for life do you need to let go of in order for you to belong to the life right in front of you?
- What gift did your “chosen family” give you that your family of origin didn’t or couldn’t?
- What is the greatest lie that our culture tells us about belonging?
- Self-belonging is about self-love. So…what if you are the love of your life?
