Simply Epic!

Simply Epic!

 

 

I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life and see if I could not learn what it had to teach..... ~ Henry David Thoreau

 

As birds are made to fly and rivers to run, so the soul to follow duty ~ Ramayana

 

 

Questions to ponder with your family and friends:

• What is simple in your life?
• What is something that is EPIC that has happened to you?
• What about something "Simply epic?"
• Where are the similarities and differences between
  Henry and Ramayana?  ~ Both from very different times, religions and beliefs, places?

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 



Compassion in Community

Compassion in Community

The 2nd Unitarian Universalist (UU) Principle 

calls on each and everyone 

to have compassion for one another

From Old Turtles to Wise Monkeys, 

where does your compassion come from?

The Word Compassion comes from Latin and means "to suffer together with", perhaps to struggle together with, or to say you have some pains and I have some pains. Your pain might be different then mine but I still see you are a beautiful person. I have COMPASSION for you.

Questions to Ponder with your family and friends:

• Who do you know that is easy to have compassion for?       How come?
• Who is it really hard to have compassion for? Why?
• Does RELIGION have a part to any of this, What is folks of all different religions?

The Taras are a set of Tibetan Buddhist female deities representing compassion
and other benefic traits. 

Sacred Space

Sacred Space

http://parisapartment.wordpress.com/category/sacred-spaces/

Sacred

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For other uses, see Sacred (disambiguation).

"Holy" and "Sanctity" redirect here. For other uses, see Holy (disambiguation) and Sanctity (disambiguation).

Sacred means revered due to association with holiness. Holiness, or sanctity, is in general the state of being holy

 (perceived by religious individuals as associated with the divine)^[1] or sacred (considered worthy of spiritual 

respect or devotion; or inspiring awe or reverence among believers in a given set of spiritual ideas).^[2] 

In other contexts, "objects are often considered 'holy' or 'sacred' if used for spiritual purposes",^[3] 

such as the worship or service of gods. These terms can also be used in a non-spiritual or semi-spiritual context 

("sacred truths" in a constitution).^[4] It is often ascribed to people ("a holy man" of religious occupation, 

"holy prophet" who is venerated by his followers), objects ("sacred artefact" that is venerated and blessed ),

^[5] times ("holy days" of spiritual introspection, such as during winter holidays),^[6] or places ("sacred ground", 

"holy place").^[7]

Questions to Ponder with your family and friends

• What does that sacred space look and feel like to you?
• Where is it?
• How often do you go?
• Is Arlington Street Church a sacred space? If so why or why not?

Tails and tracks

Tails and tracks

A Question to Ponder with your family and friends:

What stories (tails) are close to your heart that have your pets in it, or your friends pets?

Why are they close to your heart?

Come with your pets and tails to share this Sunday!

UU (Unitarian Universalists) and our Animal Friends!

From UU World: "I realized both my animals and my church community have spiritually fed me throughout my life" 
Kimberly French -A UU World contributing editor, Kimberly French is a journalist and essayist whose work has appeared in Tikkun, Utne Reader, Salon, and other magazines. She is the author of the book Perkins School for the Blind. She is a member of the First Unitarian Universalist Society in Middleborough, Massachusetts.

Krowka, Laura's Cat "working" at Cambridge Homes on Monday nights

29 Examples Of Animals Helping Their Interspecies Friends

Turns out, love knows no bounds in the animal world as well. (click here)

Questions to Ponder with your family and friends:

• How does it feel to have an animal as a friend? How does this feel?
• What is different about an animal friend then a human friend?
• How are you living our UU faith by caring for all being?

"We acknowledge and affirm the kinship and interdepend­ence of all beings, and adopt an ethic of inter­spe­cies com­passion as an integral com­po­nent of liberal religion." 

- Unitarian Universalist Animal Ministry

Peace blowing in the wind

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBQ-KsGo_BI

Peace Through All People

http://u.jimdo.com/www32/o/sfc5ac04a050f0c6b/img/i262ab4144f0ad661/1284064154/std/a-peace-mala-is-a-symbolic-bracelet-that-promotes-friendship-respect-and-peace-between-the-faiths-and-all-people-in-our-world-it-cuts-through-all-forms-of-prejudice-and-celebrates-what-makes-us-different-from-each-other.jpg

What happens when compassion and peace share a meal together?

Where is your compassion for those that have a different faith then you? 

How does that make you feel? What do you talk about?

Do you think prayer can help make the world a more peaceful place?

Prayer…is the little button by which the love of God may be diverted from the powerhouse of God’s spirit and carried into every remotest corner of the human heart.

John Haynes Holmes (Unitarian, pacifist, reformer, clergy) A Summons Unto Men ed. Carl Hermann Voss (1970) p.92

Shalom (Peace) Water

Unitarian Universalist (UU) Congregation all over the WORLD,

are bringing little containers of water with them 

to their UU Sanctuaries around this time of year.

In this time of In-Gathering, 
as the Summer comes to an end, 
and the newness of Fall is beginning to arrive.

Grounding us together in 
Peace, Shalom.

Spiritual activities and questions to ponder with your Family and Friends:

• Draw your water and its environment! (Bring it Sunday to show people)
• Where is your water from?
• What is the Story that goes with your water?
• Create a song about your Water!
• If you were to create a Chalice lighting about your water, what would it be?
• Take a quiet moment and all meditate on the water.

Have a Listen... 

emma's revolution: Swimming To The Other Side