Uu Fellowship Of San Luis Obispo County

It's a term we hear a lot these days in the media, referring to the impassioned repetition of a questionable claim even after it is proven false. Where did this phrase come from? What does it hide?

"Don't Know Mind" sometimes called beginners mind functions in many ways. The secret is to be skillful in your understanding, and to make it work for you as a tool of discovery rather than as an excuse. We'll get up close and personal with don't know mind.

One of the definitions of "conviction" is "a firmly held belief or opinion." But convictions can sometimes run deeper than opinions and survive across changing beliefs. Where do convictions come from? How do they guide us?

Most religions and ethical systems speak of the virtues of humility. Is there a place for healthy pride? Is pride the opposite of humility? Where do the two meet?

What does patriotism look like in 2018? Hand over the heart? Taking a knee? How do we express a love for country along with our commitment to resisting the most destructive forces within it?

We are used to hearing this chant of protest-- as a demand for justice. Pursuit of justice is a core UU Principle, and yet we've also heard since childhood that "no one said life is fair." When such injustice hits closer to home-like say, a diagnosis of cancer, how do we find peace when there seems to be no justice? UCLA oncology chaplain, Michael Eselun, will explore this territory.

The ways in which we speak can inspire a range of responses. How do we become aware--and intentional--about how we speak in a climate that has wildly inconsistent standards about communication that is proper, respectful, and effective.

We will sing together, honor our awesome RE teachers and assistants, celebrate our community in preparation for the Annual Meeting, and look out toward the future...enter, rejoice, and come in!

Sometimes it is hard not to view religion as a negative influence on individuals and communities, with the histories and present-day realities of religious strife and violence and intolerance. Our Universalist heritage calls us to seek the underlying commonalities in teachings of justice and compassion, and to appreciate the harmonies of many different religious and ethical voices.

Is membership in this congregation, in itself, a spiritual practice? If so, what does it entail?

Practice justice (from our Mission). Practice patience, compassion, and empathy (from our Covenant). We are a practicing people

"Earth my body, water my blood, air my breath and fire my spirit." This chant reminds us that we are people of the earth, and that our fire of commitment comes through the connections we have to nature. Come explore Hildegard of Bingen’s “Viriditas”. Each of us is a vessel, a chalice. Come nurture the flame within that expresses itself through us as a lived commitment to the UU Seventh Principle.

"To what purpose, April, do you return again?" asked poet Edna St. Vincent Millay. "Beauty is not enough." And, indeed, it is not enough when one faces depression or despair. How can we respond, within our own lives and to others?

Humility has always been considered a spiritual virtue, yet one cannot find it mentioned anywhere in our principles or mission or covenant. What does humility mean? What gifts might it bring to our culture at large?

We live in a society that is obsessed about the prices of everything, but has a harder time calculating what things actually cost. What is the price of generosity? What is the cost of not being generous?

We have heard that money talks, but what exactly is it saying? If we listen closely--in our own lives; in our culture; in the wider world--what do we hear?

We all support this church and sustain it with our gifts, but how do we decide how much to give?

We often talk about a pledge to the church or the congregation as if it were separate from us; an organization out there that we support. But our pledges are really promises to one another: all we who gather, along with those who came before us, and those who have yet to join us. My pledge is a pledge to you.

It is all too easy for me to sometimes treat spirituality as a spectator sport; to learn about it rather than to nurture it within my own life.

Puzzle Pals launches today and it strikes me that it just may provide some helpful insights into how we work as a congregation every day of the year.