The religious community is essential, for alone our vision is too narrow to see all that must be seen. Together, our vision widens and strength is renewed. – Mark Morrison-Reed IN TODAY’S SESSION… Our focus this week has been on community, and the gifts that each of us bring when we come...

Life is like a compost heap. The rotting debris of everyday trials just keeps piling up... but if we wait long enough and remain steadfast and strong, even the stinkiest pile will bear good and worthwhile things. —posted on the...

What is home? A roof to keep out the rain? Four walls to keep out the wind? Floors to keep out the cold? Yes, but home is more than that. It is the laugh of a baby, the song of a mother, the strength of a father, warmth of loving hearts, lights from happy eyes, kindness, loyalty, comradeship....

Awaken to the universe's simple gift of the butterfly. Watch with fascination and joy as a jeweled treasure glides by and gently touches your soul. — Kristen D'Angelo, freelance writer, blogger, and photographer IN TODAY'S SESSION... we learned about metamorphosis in both butterflies and frogs....

And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be in your heart. And you shall teach them diligently to your children, and you shall speak of them when you sit at home, and when you walk along...

Nature will bear the closest inspection. She invites us to lay our eye level with her smallest leaf, and take an insect view of its plain. — Henry David Thoreau, 19th-century Transcendentalist If you want to save animals, you have to save the Earth, and to do that, you have to be green. — Marisa...

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, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived. – Henry David Thoreau IN TODAY’S SESSION… Connecting our human homes to nature is...

Be aware of wonder. Live a balanced life—learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some. — Robert Fulghum, author and Unitarian Universalist minister IN TODAY'S SESSION... we learned the importance of balance in the web of life. We considered...

Perhaps the most radical thing we can do is to stay home, so we can learn the names of the plants and animals around us; so that we can begin to know what tradition we’re part of. – Terry Tempest Williams IN TODAY’S SESSION… We spent a wonderful time getting inside animal homes of all kinds.

No shade tree? Blame not the sun but yourself. — Chinese proverb IN TODAY'S SESSION... we learned about trees' vital role in our lives. We used our bodies to build a tree and then experienced a guided meditation in which we grew from acorns to mighty oak trees. We represented our interdependence...

The keeping of bees is like the direction of sunbeams. – Henry David Thoreau IN TODAY’S SESSION… During our discussions of finding home in a particular place, the Creating Home group learned about the homes of other animals and compared some of them to our homes. This session explored what...

Your deepest roots are in nature. No matter who you are, where you live, or what kind of life you lead, you remain irrevocably linked with the rest of creation. — Charles Cook, founder and director of Wild Earth Adventures IN TODAY'S SESSION... we learned about some interesting partnerships in...

We see in the world around us many symbols that teach us the meaning of life. You could notice if you wanted to, but you are usually too busy. We Indians live in a world of symbols and images where the spiritual and the commonplace are one....

We did not weave the web of life; We are merely a strand in it. Whatever we do to the web, We do to ourselves — attributed to Chief Seattle, chief of the Duwamish Nation IN TODAY'S SESSION... we heard the story, "The Grumpy Gecko," which showed that all living beings on the Earth are connected on...

I want to remind myself and others that our homes can become sacred places, filled with life and meaning. – Gunilla Norris IN TODAY’S SESSION… We began our exploration of home by talking about thresholds – places of entrance and exit where we begin and end our journeys. We created name...

Personal Spiritual Practices: These are practices done alone and, perhaps, daily—such as meditation, dream work, journaling, prayer, and so on. They’re what most people think of when they hear the words “spiritual practice.” Communal Worship Practices: Although Unitarian Universalists affirm...

Building the World We Dream About for Young Adults offers a process by which young adults can engage in honest and open conversations about race.

Materials for Activity A copy of the story "The Mish-Mash Heart" A sample mish-mash heart made by a leader or participant in Activity 2 Card stock in a variety of colors Fabric pieces, ribbons, and other decorative items Glue sticks, scissors (including left-handed scissors), and hole punch(es)...

This is a 30-minute activity. Materials Newsprint, markers, and tape Preparation Prepare and post a sheet of newsprint with these questions: In what ways do you agree with Fahs? In what ways do you differ? Is “God-talk” an issue in your congregation? How do you as a professional work with a...

This is a 30-minute activity....