Messages on Spiritual Practices (Page 4)
Telling Fortunes
Today, Rev. Lee, with the help of a YouthSpirit friend, takes us through the activity of creating paper “fortune tellers,” and sharing the results with one another.
Moving Small Stones
Ministerial Intern, Beth Monhollen, takes us through the classic story of Stone Soup – where a village all makes small contributions, resulting in a full meal for everyone. She uses this lesson to tell us how we can make small contributions to the world too, and that the cumulative effect can be huge.
Mystery Seeds
Rev. Ken leads the congregation through an activity where we plant seeds. He discussed the importance of not knowing what the seeds are, but trusting that they will grow and bloom regardless.
It’s All in the Release
Rev. Ken talks a bit about our typical New Year’s ritual where we write down things we want to let go of, and release them into a fire. This year, he wants to try something a little different, and he walks us through a brief guided meditation where we look at our insecurities with compassion. He also invites us to participate in a different way. It’s All in the Release START OF TRANSCRIPT[00:00:00] Speaker1The following is a message from WellSprings…
On the Lookout
Rev. Lee begins by talking about something small that’s been bringing her lots of joy: Noodle the pug and his bones/no bones videos that have taken TikTok by storm. The Noodle videos are answering a craving for a simple joy. Rev. Lee also shares some periodic updates from her friend about her daughter, and what life is like as a 3 year old. She tells us about a book she’s looking forward to reading called “On Looking,” which gives the…
The Economy of Joy
Rodney begins this week’s message by talking about the joy he feels when listening to music. He recounts a story of his typically-stern father making space for joy in his life too. After telling us about an experience where he saw a procession of people heading to a church, he shares a list of songs that make him feel joyful. Rodney is releasing a companion podcast to this one. You can listen to Rodney’s Music Ministry here. The Economy of…
Joy In My Heart
Beth begins this week by talking about the concept of “deserving joy.” She remembers certain moments in her childhood where she experienced huge amounts of joy, and worrying that those feelings may have been lost. She reminds us that paying attention can lead to joy, but being busy, stressed, or not in the moment can cloud that feeling over. It’s important to not ignore the bad things going on in the world, but – as Beth says – to grab…
Wild & Precious Life
We welcome five different speakers from our congregation – ranging in age from 9 to 96 – to answer the question from Mary Oliver: “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” Wild and Precious Life START OF TRANSCRIPT[00:00:00] Speaker1The following is a message from Wellsprings Congregation.[00:00:11] Speaker2My name is Mo, and I am nine years old. I live with my mom, dad, sister and dog. And to get my dog is…
Joy and Sorrow – Caring Companions
Kathleen begins with a story about a child who knocks down a younger playmate, and who is asked an important question about kindness. She asks us to consider what happens when we experience joy. She reminds us of the parable of not hiding your light under a bushel, because the world needs all the light we can get right now. She offers us some advice from a Buddhist monk about how to find joy amidst sorrow. We also take a…
Falling
Our special guest preacher, Rev. Greg Pelley, begins this week’s message with a prayer and a poem. He tells us about the echinacea plants outside his home, and the goldfinches that arrive to eat the seeds after the flowers have gone. He contemplates the theme of fall (autumn), and falling, over and over as he remarks on the past two years. Falling [00:00:00] Speaker1The following is a message from Wellsprings Congregation.[00:00:04] Speaker2Well, good morning, wellsprings. Reverend Greg, here it is so…
Happy
Chris begins this week’s service by talking about the nature of happiness. He highlights the Kurt Vonnegut quote “If this isn’t nice, what is?” He also brings up the concept of tragic optimism, which means being clear-eyed about a situation, while remaining hopeful. He concludes with The Five Remembrances of Buddhism. He goes through each and explains how – even though some of them might seem gloomy on the surface – they can hold the key to happiness. Happy [00:00:00]…
The Good Place
This week, Bev Fox talks to us about “The Good Place,” which is a show about life after death. Bev talks about how summer is a particularly tough time for her in terms of mental health, but while watching, she remembers the message of the show: “What matters isn’t if people are good or bad, it matters if they’re better today than yesterday.” Just like in real life, characters grapple with finding happiness in what feels like pandemonium. To end,…