There is a lot of hope in this new year with the change of administration in our national government. What focus should we have, in our faith understanding, to promote a society that has the potential to usher in a world community with justice, equity and compassion?
In a poem Wendell Barry proclaims, "There are no unsacred places; there are only sacred places and desecrated places." Yet since prehistoric times, human beings have marked out certain places, both natural and created, as sacred and inspiring. Why do we do this? What places are important to you in your religious life? We gather on this Sunday in our sacred place to explore some of the meaning place brings to our lives.
The third principle and purpose of Unitarian Universalism is "acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations." How can we juggle the varied points of view and come up with a way of being together that makes sense? A day to look at the discipline of dwelling in a spiritually diverse community.
In our busy world, we often do not take time away from the rhythm of our days. Most of us get caught up in our lives, even programmed by them, until we have lost some freshness, some spontaneity as we try to keep up. Our energies become depleted and our vision decreased in simply filing out what we have put in motion. Taking a day away—a retreat—an intentional Sabbath—can renew us in ways that we cannot imagine. It takes courage to break into the rhythm of our days; but it is essential for our spiritual lives.