In the largely secularized culture and language of our time, the subject of this chapter is by no means one that elicits universal interest. To many serious-minded people phrases such as "the love of God," "God's love for us," or "the human response to God's love" are almost meaningless. Yet the...

James Luther Adams, published in On Being Human Religiously (Boston: Unitarian Universalist Association, 1976). Used with permission. Note: Bold text did not appear in the original. It is added here to highlight passages mentioned in "Preparing to lead this workshop" in the workshop's Introduction.

Three major elements in the Pragmatic Theory of Religious Beliefs James Luther Adams highlights three major elements of in his Pragmatic Theory of Religious Beliefs: (1) behavior, (2) a feeling that prompts, accompanies, or stands in tension to the behavior, (3) a belief, the meaning of which is...

No matter how much of a humanist one may be, it would seem impossible (at least to me) for a thoughtful and sincere person who is trying to be a citizen of the world, who knows sympathetically something of man's religious history, to feel it necessary to discard completely all the ideas or concep...

This was Sophia Lyon Fahs' 1960 Rufus Jones lecture, published by the Committee on Religious Education, Friends General Conference, Philadelphia, PA, 1960. Used by permission.  ...

Excerpted and adapted from the article, "Margaret Fuller's 1842 Journal: At Concord with the Emersons" edited with an Introduction by Joel Myerson, Harvard Library Bulletin 21 (October 1979)....

This is a 30-minute activity. Description How does our congregation pay attention to our individual experiences of emotional struggle? Is the congregation a place where people can bring their whole selves, even when they are feeling less-than-perfect? Reflect on your own experiences of emotional...

Selections from Memoir of William Ellery Channing with Extracts from His Correspondence and Manuscripts, In Three Volumes, William Henry Channing, ed. (Boston, 1851). Here are three excerpts from Volume I of Channing's Memoir. I. My whole life has been a struggle with my feelings. Last winter I...

This is a 30-minute activity. You will need copies of Singing the Living Tradition, the Unitarian Universalist hymnbook, one for every two participants; paper and pens/pencils; and newsprint, markers, and tape. Engage participants to consider how contemporary Unitarian Universalism reflects de...

Tragedy calls and challenges us as people of faith. How can we make our children feel safe when we ourselves are deeply shaken? We simply do the best we can. We take small steps.

This is an archived resource. Please go to Deeper Joy in the Faith Curricula Library for an updated resource

As we head into the holiday season, it's a good time to bring attention to the practice of self-management. Time together with relatives often elicits old memories and deep emotions. The practice begins by first becoming self-aware when ugly emotions start to swell up and our amygdalaevideo by...

"Volunteering to host coffee hour is a great way for newer folks to get involved." "We used to have potluck dinners, but we have so many dinners offered in our service auction that we don't seem to have the interest to plan potlucks anymore." "Attending Leadership School helped me to be an effect...

Read at a measured pace, pausing between sentences. With your eyes closed, relax your body, starting at your head. Relax your face muscles, and then your neck, letting balance keep your head upright, rather than tension in your neck. Pull your shoulders up to your ears, and then let them drop,...

On the top of the pizza box, use a ruler and a marker to draw lines parallel to three sides of the box, 1" in from each edge. Use a box cutter or sharp scissors to cut along the three lines, to make a flap in the lid of a pizza box. Fold this flap up so it stands when the box lid is closed. Cut...

Please close your eyes, and place your hands, palms open, in your lap. Shrug your shoulders up toward your ears. Push them up as high and tight as they will go, and then let your shoulders drop and relax....

Read aloud at a measured pace, pausing between sentences. With your eyes closed, relax your body, starting with your head. Relax your face muscles, and then your neck, letting balance keep your head upright, rather than tension in your neck. Pull your shoulders up to your ears, and then let them...

The authors of these readings have given approval for their use. We gather this hour as people of faith With joys and sorrows, gifts and needs We light this beacon of hope, sign of our quest For truth and meaning, In celebration of the life we share together....

By Pat Schneider, from Another River: New and Selected Poems (Amherst Writers and Artists Press, 2005). Used with permission. The self you leave behind is only a skin you have outgrown. Don't grieve for it. Look to the wet, raw, unfinished self, the one you are becoming. The world, too, sheds its...

"Telling" is used with permission. For more information about Laura's poetry and other writing, go to her website, www.laurahershey.com.