February 24, 2018
The unifying themes of this program are justice, love, learning and hope. The messages come from sermons and readings from Unitarian-Universalist sources. The program title comes from a beloved Unitarian-Universalist hymn, “Spirit of Life,” which includes the words, “Sing in my heart all the stirrings of compassion” and “Move in the hand, giving life the shape of justice.”
What does Hildegard von Bingen have to say about noticing our vital signs? Click the sermon below to find out more!
Commentary
Written by Orlando Montoya
It was a little thing. I had to meet a client at hotel last week. It was raining, all day, a steady, soaking rain. I parked, grabbed the umbrella from my car and, as I approached the hotel lobby, I shook the umbrella. But it was still dripping. So, I reached for one of those plastic umbrella bags, stuffed the umbrella in it and waited in the lobby for my client, who never showed up. I returned to my car, disposing the umbrella bag in a trash can. The umbrella bag’s total useful life was 15 minutes. I’m upset about this little thing because, the week before, I peered into a microscope, looking at a little thing. I was at the University of Georgia Marine Education Center. I was there with a dozen other people dissecting anchovies from local waterways. We removed the gills and stomachs of the fish and placed the parts on a filter, sucking the water out. What remained were what looked like tiny blue, squiggly lines on the filter. These were tiny synthetic fibers, plastics that got into the fish as they swam around in their short lives. Who knows how they got there? Our clothes, the wash, the sewer, the gunk of our lives all carry microplastics. Plastics are in just about everything, everywhere. We toss millions of tons of plastics into our environment every year. Half the plastics ever produced in history were produced in the last 13 years. Plastics blow in the wind and course through our bodies. It’s a little thing. But please, let’s do better. Leave the umbrella outside, shop with reusable bags, request your coffee in a mug, refuse plastic whenever possible. Little things add up, in our lives, in our bodies and in our one and only interdependent world.
Sermon
“Vital Signs” (10/28/18)
Rev. Guelen Guenguerich
Unitarian Church of All Souls, New York City
Sermon
“Spiritual Resiliency in Troubled Times” (12/2/18)
Rev. Tim Kutzmark
Unitarian-Universalist Church of Fresno, California
Sermon
“What You’re Not Allowed To Love” (2/12/17)
Rev. Aaron White
First Unitarian Church of Dallas
Sermon
“Unity and Diversity” (8/26/18)
Rev. Angela Herrera
Unitarian-Universalist Church of Albuquerque, New Mexico
Braver Wiser
Used by permission of Braver Wiser, a publication of the Unitarian-Universalist Association
Quest Monthly
Used by permission of Quest Monthly, a publication of the Church of the Larger Fellowship
UUA Statements
Messages from the Unitarian Universalist Association
Natural Silence
Used by permission of ListeningEarth.com
UUA Principles and Sources
Our liberal faith as defined by the Unitarian Universalist Association
World Religions
Written by Orlando Montoya
Interfaith Calendar
Written by Orlando Montoya
UU FAQ
Written by and used by permission of John Sias from interviews with Rev. Steve Edington
Published by the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Nashua, NH
