Displaying 1 - 49 of 49
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A centering practice for meetings, gatherings or worship in person or online.Meditation | By Lauren Wyeth | April 4, 2024 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Body, Connections, Contemplation, Immanence, Love, Mindfulness, Spiritual Practice, WorshipWeb, Worship -
Soak in the mystery and beauty of the universe.Meditation | By Mary Gear | March 1, 2023 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Body, Connections, Gratitude, Imagination, WorshipWeb, Worship -
I offer my "Ouch" with hope and trust.Meditation | By Atena O. Danner | August 18, 2022 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Anti-Oppression, Connections, Forgiveness, Humility, Living Our Faith, Relationships, Unitarian Universalism, WorshipWeb, Worship -
Ask yourself, in your heart: What or who are you grateful for?Meditation | By Susan Frederick-Gray | November 23, 2021 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Body, Connections, Gratitude, Spiritual Practice, Thanksgiving, WorshipWeb, Worship -
The winter solstice is a time to look back upon our ancestors, gather our family and friends close, and rejoice in the return of the sun. It is a time of renewed hope and a time of resurrection – for just as Arianrhod’s Wheel turns and the Oak King resumes his rightful place, so must we go on.Meditation | By Andrea Hawkins-Kamper | January 10, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Community, Connections, Earth, Earth-Centered, Nature, Paganism, Sacred, Spirituality, Winter, Winter Solstice / Yule -
Your first Christmas, your last Christmas, this Christmas, and the redemption of the whole world are all happening right now, forever.Meditation | By Quinn G. Caldwell | December 14, 2016 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Advent, Awe, Christianity, Christmas Eve / Christmas, Connections, Direct Experience, Family, Generations, God, Redemption, Spirituality, Tradition, Wonder -
Spirit of life and love, may we find appreciation today, and in our lives, for our embodiment. We are physical creatures: mind, spirit and soul housed within our bodies. Our bodies, our physical form, allow us to experience the world: Taste—chocolate chip cookies fresh from the oven. Touch—the...Meditation | By Seth Carrier-Ladd | February 12, 2016 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Body, Connections, Direct Experience, Gender, Gratitude, Humanism, Intimacy, Joy, Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgender/Queer, Secular, Sexuality, Unitarian Universalism, Wholeness, WorshipWeb -
Once, many grey autumns ago, I came upon a tree. The tree, a poplar, had dropped all of its leaves but for one, just one. Exactly one leaf remained near the topmost part of the tree, fluttering in the breeze like a little reddish-brown flag....Meditation | By David M. Horst | January 25, 2016 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Autumnal Equinox, Connections, Contemplation, Despair, Direct Experience, Earth, Earth-Centered, Letting Go, Nature, Reverence, Samhain, Thanksgiving, Winter Solstice / Yule, WorshipWeb -
Creator of Life, Source of All Being It was from the particles of the Universe that you formed me... Iron and carbon and phosphorous Mixed with energy, passion and dreams. I was made in your image, says ancient Scripture. Made from the colors of the rainbow, Shaped with bones straight and curved,...Meditation | By Cynthia Frado | December 8, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Atheism, Coming of Age, Connections, Direct Experience, Diversity, God, Homecoming / Ingathering, Identity, Inclusion, Individualism, Integrity, National Coming Out Day, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Reverence, Secular, Transgender Day of Remembrance, Unitarian Universalism, United Nations Day, WorshipWeb -
I am frequently astonished by monarch butterflies. Delicate beyond belief, they fly thousands of miles each year from all parts of the continent to settle in the forests of South America. To my delight, their migratory route takes them along a bridge near my home. A few days ago, I was driving on...Meditation | By Jane E Mauldin | June 3, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Animals, Beauty, Connections, Environment, Interdependence, Kindness, Nature, Purpose, Responsibility, Stewardship -
As I ride through Kandahar City’s Sub-District 9, I see a naked dust-covered kid playing along the road. That is not the strangest thing. But when he picks up a large rock and hurls it at the truck, I wonder aloud, “What the hell? Who lets their kid run around naked throwing rocks? What kind of...Meditation | By George A Tyger | May 18, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Anger, Children, Compassion, Conflict, Connections, Diversity, Division, Military, Military Service, Oppression, Veterans Day, War -
I sit alone, planning the rest of the day. Last night, I was joking and smoking, in broken Pashto, with the resident contingent of the AUP.* I introduced them to the beauty of Dominican tobacco, hand-rolled and perfectly aged. They all seemed to enjoy this symbol of Western democratic values, the...Meditation | By George A Tyger | May 18, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Acceptance, Connections, Direct Experience, Diversity, Generosity, Gratitude, International, Islam, Kindness, Military, Military Service, Peace, Unity, Veterans Day, War -
“You sargin or commandant?” a young Afghan lieutenant asks as he points to the cross on my chest. I try to explain what a chaplain is. In the end, he suggests Army mullah, and I agree. Not the most accurate description, but the most meaningful for him. Chaplain has little meaning for him.Meditation | By George A Tyger | May 17, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Acceptance, America, Community, Connections, Direct Experience, Diversity, Humanism, International, Memorial Day, Peace, Secular -
They teach us to read in black and white. Truth is this—the rest false. You are whole—or broken. Who you love is acceptable—or not. Life tells its truth in many hues. We are taught to think in either/or. To believe the teachings of Jesus—OR Buddha. To believe in human potential—OR a power...Meditation | By Leslie Takahashi | April 26, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), Connections, Direct Experience, Diversity, Division, Interdependence, Multiculturalism, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Truth, Unitarian Universalism, Unity -
What does deep spirituality feel like to you? Spirituality is impossible to define and difficult to describe. For me, it feels like connection—connection to myself, to others around me, to the earth and all of creation. Connection to myself feels like deep peace, awareness, calm, authenticity.Meditation | By Peter Morales | April 16, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Connections, Direct Experience, Earth, Relationships, Seven Principles, Spiritual Practice, Spirituality, Unitarian Universalism, Unity
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Every day we experience hunger and yearning: for food, for approval, for respect, for love, for meaningful work, for any and enough work, for home, for family, for friends, for health, for healing, for hope, for the departed, for the newly arrived, for the green trees, for the cool clean waters, ...Meditation | By Naomi King | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Connections, Gratitude, Healing, Health, Humanism, Love, Meaning, Purpose, Relationships, Secular, Spirituality, Thanksgiving, Tradition, Unitarian Universalism -
Let us join hands and hearts in gratitude on this wondrous day, where we have the abundance of our lives before us. We remember, on this day of bounty, all those who do not have enough, who are afraid, who are lonely, and who suffer....Meditation | By Naomi King | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), Abundance, Commitment, Compassion, Connections, Fall, Food, Generosity, Gratitude, Poverty, Secular, Spirituality, Thanksgiving, Unitarian Universalism -
We join together now in a time of meditation or prayer, spoken at first and then for a time in the peace that silence brings.Meditation | By Wayne B. Arnason | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Connections, Gratitude, Interdependence, Memorial Day, Unitarian Universalism
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Here in this space, we are gathered, called by our sense of urgency, or duty, or the longing for community, called to be together on this day...Here, in this space, we are gathered...called to hold ourselves accountable to our values...to remind ourselves of those hopes and dreams and possibiliti...Meditation | By Maureen Killoran | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), Community, Connections, Healing, Hope, Pain, Unitarian Universalism
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Holy Spirit of Life and Love, You who are our source and our ultimate destiny, Lead us this day on a crooked path. So often we are in so much of a hurry Taking the direct route to our goal, Not allowing ourselves to be distracted, Sometimes being too direct with one another in all that we seek to...Meditation | By Thomas Rhodes | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Beauty, Caring, Connections, Direct Experience, Earth-Centered, Home, Humility, Journey, Relationships, Simplicity, Trust, Unitarian Universalism, Vulnerability -
Let us enter into a time of meditation, contemplation, and prayer. Feel the earth beneath your feet as it supports you. Feel the love of this community as it surrounds and enfolds you. Feel your breath as it flows in and out of your body. Listen to your heartbeat. Listen to your heart......Meditation | By Thomas Rhodes | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), Brokenness, Compassion, Connections, Unitarian Universalism, Wholeness
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You Birds of the Air, Hawk, Sparrow, and laughing Jay You embody freedom itself, delight us with your song, astound us with feats of migration Grant us your perspective, for too often our horizon is limited and we are blind to the full results of our actions....Meditation | By Thomas Rhodes | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), All Saints Day, Animal Blessing, Animals, Connections, Earth, Earth Day, Earth-Centered, Humility, Love, Nature, Relationships -
There is a living web that runs through us To all the universe Linking us each with each and through all life On to the distant stars. Each knows a little corner of the world, and lives As if this were his all....Meditation | By Robert T Weston | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Connections
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Holy spirit, We feel you moving among us here. Bless us with your presence. For we are in need… …in need of strength and courage. Our road is filled with rocks, with boulders strewn, boulders so high we sometimes wonder whether we can climb them, We are in need… …in need of comfort and...Meditation | By Judith L Quarles | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Challenge, Connections, Peace, Presence, Strength, Unitarian Universalism
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Gracious One: Keep watch on the innovators, the trailblazers, the takers of risk. Invite us to be persons of vision and integrity. Help us to remember the mystery from which possibility is born. Lead us to honor the sacred space where ministries, idealists, and realists meet....Meditation | By Hilary Allen | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 6th Principle (World Community), Activism, Connections, Doubt, Equity, Hope, Humanism, Imagination, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Purpose, Truth, Unitarian Universalism, Vision, Vulnerability
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Spirit of Life and of Love, Deep down we know that there is a greater mystery, a life and a pulse with which we are all connected. We know also that our lives are happier, healthier and more satisfying when we reach out to it, when we make it a conscious and real aspect of our lives. Yet it is so...Meditation | By Kate Lore | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Christianity, Connections, Gratitude, Service
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Source of Life, Taker of Life, Transformer of Life, Life Itself We implore you—hear us. Let us hear ourselves. Let us hear our own cries for help. Let us hear the pangs that rise from our bodies. Let us hear our bodies. Let us hear our breaths. Let us hear our living soul, its bellowing laughter...Meditation | By Ma Theresa "Tet" Gustilo Gallardo | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Connections, Humility, Imagination, Immanence
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To rise, to rise each morning with the faint glow of starlight on our backs as we head into the joys, the surprises, the challenges of each day sometimes with awe and wonder, perhaps expectation, perhaps dread… To rise, to rise each day peering over waterlines, sandbags, walls, garbage, bunkers…...Meditation | By Marta I. Valentín | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Abundance, Anti-Oppression, Connections, Gratitude, Unitarian Universalism, Unity, Anti-Oppression
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May we open ourselves ever more fully to that Eternal Mystery which lures us onward toward life and creativity. May we find the courage to live our faith, to speak our truth, and to strive together for a world where freedom abounds and justice truly does roll down like water. May we know the...Meditation | By Carol Meyer | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Compassion, Connections, Mystery, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Vulnerability
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Once upon a time, a thief snuck into the room of a sleeping Buddhist monk. As the burglar rummaged about, the monk awoke. The startled thief ran into the snowy streets with the monk racing after him, "Please stop!" the monk called, and the man finally did, realizing that his pursuer was no threat.Meditation | By Jeffrey A. Lockwood | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Abundance, Buddhism, Caring, Compassion, Connections, Empathy, Generosity, Happiness, Hospitality, Interdependence, Living Our Faith
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O Thou whose power we see in the stars and whose presence we experience as love, we would today be sustained by that power and open to that love. Help us to remember that "as we sow, so shall we reap"—that whatever we project out from ourselves also comes back to us....Meditation | By Charles A. Howe | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Caring, Connections, Healing, Love, Relationships, Unitarian Universalism
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Teach my heart healing words. Show me the words that help rather than harm. Instruct me in the verbs that bring energy, the nouns pointing to the real, the adjectives describing your subtleties....Meditation | By Sam Trumbore | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Connections, Contemplation, Healing, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Trust, Unitarian Universalism
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Spirit of life, we come from different spaces. Some of us arrive alive with hope and joy. Some of us come in loneliness or fear -- looking for friendship and support but not sure we'll find it.Meditation | By Tony A Larsen | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), Compassion, Connections
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Spirit of life—mysterious power in all creation—we gather before you now as countless others have stood asking that you make yourself known to us. Let us find you in the glories and wonders of the world and in moments of great joy and ecstasy. But most of all, let us find you in the commonplace:...Meditation | By Andrew C Backus | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Awe, Connections, Growth, Mystery, Revelation, Transcendence -
Oh God of many moments, of night gliding into day, and day seeping into night, of infant milky sleeping breaths and wrinkled, crinkled aging eyes, of the starting beauty of sunlight gazed upon a tree and mournful moonlit vistas, call us from days of doing into instances of being, remind us of the...Meditation | By Tess Baumberger | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Awe, Body, Connections, God, Grace, Nature -
No one is ever really ready for Christmas....Meditation | By Maureen Killoran | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Christianity, Christmas Eve / Christmas, Connections, Direct Experience, Love, Patience
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Not gold, nor myrrh, nor even frankincense would I have for you this season, but simple gifts, the ones that are hardest to find, the ones that are perfect, even for those who have everything (if such there be). I would (if I could) have for you the gift of courage, the strength to face the...Meditation | By Maureen Killoran | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Acceptance, Challenge, Christmas Eve / Christmas, Community, Connections, Courage, Generosity, Hope, Presence, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Simplicity, Strength, Winter Solstice / Yule
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Divinity is our birthright. God nods to God from behind each of us. But let us remember, as Mr. Emerson said, "divinity is behind our failures and follies also." In the silence that follows, let us pray that we may notice and accept the Divinity of tiny things the Divine of ordinary miracles and...Meditation | By Victoria Weinstein | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Brokenness, Connections, Direct Experience, God, Meaning, Purpose, Unitarian Universalism, Unitarianism
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The church is a body. May this body breathe and be together in the spirit of hope May it feel held by comfort. Those who seek consolation, may they find it in the solace of this moment. The church is a body. It is as strong as all the people who have ever gathered within its walls....Meditation | By Victoria Weinstein | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Body, Community, Connections, History, Purpose, Seven Principles, Vulnerability
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On this both joyous and solemn day we have reason to celebrate; we have reason to be grateful; we have reason to be proud. We gather in the shadow of a world unsure of itself, of plans for peace lost in the plague of ambition, of a planet under threat. And yet, we have cause to be hopeful. Our...Meditation | By Priscilla Murdock | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Commitment, Connections, Gratitude, History, Purpose, Unitarian Universalism
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Let us be together in silence. Let our hearts listen. Let this house be quiet. For a moment, stretch back in memory to the first time you joined a meeting of this church. It may have been in this building or in a rented space or a home. What was happening then? Were you comfortable, anxious,...Meditation | By Jacqueline A Collins | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Building/Space Dedication, Connections, Friendship, History, Purpose, Strength, Unitarian Universalism
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Now is the moment of magic, when the whole, round earth turns again toward the sun....Meditation | By Victoria Safford | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Awe, Christmas Eve / Christmas, Connections, Earth-Centered, Gratitude, Hanukkah, IllUUmination, Kwanzaa, Love, Winter Solstice / Yule, Wonder -
The moment of prayer is an invitation to be calm in the midst of the tumult of the world and our over-busy lives, to bring together thought and feeling, mind and spirit, and to find some center -- some still point -- of perspective and peace. Here in this sanctuary which has been the home for so...Meditation | By Earl K Holt III | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Connections, Generosity
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Let us take a moment to settle into the silence. Hear and feel your quiet breathing. Hear and feel the quiet of this room and this community of quiet people. As we sit in the quiet, feel the life that stretches between us, that fills this room....Meditation | By Emmy Lou Belcher | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Awe, Connections, Freedom, Presence, Silence, Unitarian Universalism
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I invite you into a space of quiet and peace, to ground yourself by noticing your contact with chair and floor, by sitting straight, by becoming aware of your breathing. Look at your hands....Meditation | By Christine Robinson | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Balance, Body, Connections, Direct Experience, Healing, Health, Unitarian Universalism -
How does one address a mystery? Cautiously—let us go cautiously, then, to the end of our certainty, to the boundary of all we know, to the rim of uncertainty, to the perimeter of the unknown which surrounds us. Reverently—let us go with a sense of awe, a feeling of approaching the powerful holy...Meditation | By Gordon B McKeeman | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Awe, Connections, Contemplation, Mystery, Presence, Unity, Wonder -
Ah, how beautiful is this day. How crisp and clean the air. How clear the sky. How full of life the teeming earth. And we are alive! Yes, we feel the beat of our own hearts, the pulsing of life in our veins, the rhythm of our breathing....Meditation | By Sara Campbell | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Connections, Healing, Mystery, Strength, Unity
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Here is where it all begins. It cannot be otherwise. Here we have come to listen, we have come to hear. An old woman sat here yesterday on a park bench, a brown bag at her side, her eyes sparkling as children frolicked on a carousel. "Nice day," I said. "You're right," she said, and smiled....Meditation | By Maureen Killoran | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Compassion, Connections, Direct Experience, Listening, Relationships, Unitarian Universalism
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"Dukkha," they say. The Buddhists say, "All is dukkha." It is hard to translate, they tell us. It means literally "suffering" but the feeling of dukkha is closer to impermanence. The fact of impermanence is central to the Buddhist path to nirvana, enlightenment. Dukkha. All is impermanence....Meditation | By Elizabeth Tarbox | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Buddhism, Change, Connections, Death, Letting Go, Presence, Unitarian Universalism