“I am large” Walt Whitman wrote, “I contain multitudes.” We, humans, are multifaceted beings. Yet from the time we are small we receive messages telling us who and how we are supposed to be. What about the rest of us? As we explore the theme of integrity this month, let’s talk about what it might mean to embrace all the parts of who we are.
That’s the title of a sermon Martin Luther King preached in 1957. And an ever-recurring question for our day. Where do we go from here, in a country so divided along ideological lines, still so conflicted around race? What might we do to move toward a vision that is unified and hopeful? And what might be our part, yours and mine, in helping make those dreams come true?
https://www.westminsteruu.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/20200112.mp3
Reading ‘Thanks, Robert Frost’ by David Ray
https://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/index.php%3Fdate=2007%252F01%252F31.html
Sermon
I walked by the window of a bookstore and saw something that made me stop short. There, at the front of the display case was Marie Kondo’s bestselling book: The life-changing magic of tidying up.
And, there, perched … read more.
In this evening filled with candlelight, story and song, we touch an ancient mystery: the humble birth of new hope, new love, and new light into the world. All are welcome: friends, neighbors and family are invited as we bring the Christmas spirit into our … read more.
Join us for this year’s all-ages Christmas pageant, as Westminster children and youth bring to life a unique retelling of the Christmas story entitled “The Last Straw”. A reluctant camel is tasked with bringing gifts to the newborn Jesus, but can he make the long … read more.
https://www.westminsteruu.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Service-12-15-19.mp3
First Reading from “Make Time for Awe” By Kathleen Vohs
Awe is quite threatening in certain ways, and something that is challenging and unwelcome can border on fear….The experience of awe is one where you are temporarily off-kilter in terms of your understanding of the … read more.
https://www.westminsteruu.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Service-12082019.mp3
Reading: Grounded – Finding God in the World – A Spiritual Revolution, by Diana Butler Bass
“In the twentieth century, Jewish theologian Martin Buber explained that most arenas of human activity –politics, economics, and education– actually alienate us, because they treat human beings as objects. … read more.
https://www.westminsteruu.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Room-at-the-Table-11-24-2019.mp3
Story: In God’s Hands by Larry Kushner and Gary Schmidt
https://books.google.com/books?id=X99bPugixuEC
Homily:
It might have kept going that way indefinitely, the story tells us. Jacob, the rich man, coming to synagogue, falling asleep, waking up and walking home. And David, the poor man, coming and cleaning … read more.
“You have built castles in the air. Now build foundations under them.” What we pay attention to has an impact. What we notice, where we look, who we see all affects what we end up doing. How might focusing our attention help us bring our loftiest intentions to life? How might we bring all of our dreams a little closer to reality?
Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21, Christian Bible. We pay attention to money: our bank accounts, our retirement funds, whether we have enough for a vacation or that smartphone. And we pay attention to our hearts: whether we are sad or happy, frustrated or serene. But what might we learn when we focus not just on one or the other, but on the relationship between the two? How are our “treasure” and our hearts connected? And what might that show us about how to live our lives?
