Sunday Morning Worship
Sunday morning worship begins at 10:30 a.m. at UUFA.
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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.
The UUFA monthly theme for September is Courage. The Fellowship offers many opportunities and invitations to explore and practice the theme. We will be exploring the theme throughout the month in worship and Religious Exploration.
October 4: “Courage in the Clear Blue” with Rev. Dr. Pippin Whitaker
Where do we get courage? Some say it comes from a place inside, a choice we make about fear. What if more courage awaits beyond the self?
October 11: “Women of Courage” with the members of the Goddess Group
By car and by train, Jeanette Rankin carved a path for women’s right to vote and right to participate in Congress as she left a trail of courage for many more women to follow. As we look back at the UUFA members who were part of founding the Jeanette Rankin Foundation as well as current members, may we find inspiration for what’s next. How can members of UUFA continue to blaze a trail for justice?
October 18: “Buddhist Spirituality in Music and Meditation” with Jasey Jones
Join Jasey Jones, a member of the Mindful Breath sangha, as he leads us through Buddhist songs and a walking meditation. All ages are welcome in this service, and we will provide assistance for anyone who wants to join the meditation but has difficulty walking.
Jasey Jones is a member of the Mindful Breath Sangha, a local group of practitioners of Zen Buddhism in the Plum Village tradition of Thich Nhat Hahn. The Sangha was founded 15 years ago by David and Becky Lockman and meets weekly in Athens. Each week is facilitated by a group member, and usually when Jasey leads, he presents what has come to be called “Therapy Band.” The Plum Village Tradition makes good use of music and singing to communicate the teaching, and the “therapy band” focuses on the community practice of the songs of Plum Village.
October 25: “Monster Service” with Rev. Dr. Pippin Whitaker
Reflection Ideas and Questions
Are you seeking more ways to explore the theme of relationship?
Consider reflecting on these quotes:
One can waste years this way, systematically postponing precisely the things one cares about the most.
– Oliver Burkeman
There is something deep in us that conspires with what wants to remain within safe boundaries and stay the same.
– John O’Donohue
There is nothing more pathetic than caution, when headlong might save a life, even, possibly, your own.
– Mary Oliver
We can never be born enough.
– E. E. Cummings
There will come a time when you believe everything is finished. That will be the beginning.
– Louis L’Amour
You don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step.
– Martin Luther King Jr
Some questions you may use as a prompt for conversation or for a journal entry follow:
- Many say there is the seed of a new beginning in every ending. How has that widespread idea helped or complicated your endings?
- We live in a culture that declares: “Winners never quit and quitters never win!” Could this cultural message be in the way of you beginning your next stage of becoming? What needs to happen for you to feel free to quit and begin anew?
- What old story is preventing your new beginning?
- Aging is often seen as a series of endings. But it doesn’t have to be that way. How is aging asking you to see it as a series of beginnings?
