Healing the Self
Preached 11/8/2020 at SouthWest UU in N. Royalton OH
By Rev. Meg Mathieson
33 years ago today, a handful of people got together for the first Sunday service of SouthWest Unitarian Universalist Church. The church had more letters in its name than members, but it was full of heart. On Sunday, Nov. 8, 1987, Twenty-eight people signed the membership book, and Ken and Ellen Ellis signed it two weeks later. We have seven present charter members: Keith Mathews, Sherry Spencer, Judy Newell, Dave Newell, and Ken Ellis and Ellen Hansen-Ellis.
Thank you! Thanks guys! If life were back to normal and we were all together in the physical space of our sanctuary, We would have you stand up and you would receive applause. Maybe more - maybe flowers? Maybe a cake? Why not, here, enjoy your imaginary charter members cake. The best part is tht it’s whatever flavor you like and has no calories!
We remember our founding and our charter members for the same reason we look to the elections for hope: because history matters. What we do matters. We can’t know where we are going unless we look at where we came from.
Where we come from is wonderful! Let’s look at our Covenant together. Last year, many of you had the opportunity to sign this gorgeous Covenant that we share. It’s still here, still standing strong after all this time.
(Read Covenant aloud)
Thank you to those that put the thought and time and effort into writing these words. Thank you to all of you who took the time to sign. And I don’t want anyone to feel left out! I’m sure there are folks out there today who are saying darn, I didn’t get a chance to sign and I would like to!
You will. We all will. With the news yesterday that the next President of the United States will be a man who is taking the COVID crisis seriously, we can begin to harbor hope that we will indeed be together in this lovely physical space again.
It is so appropriate that the theme for the month is healing because even with this good news that gives us hope for the future, we have so much healing to do. I don’t have to tell you that it’s been a hard year. It’s been a hard year for every one of us, and that’s why I’d like to lead us all in a healing meditation. This is by Nathan Walker:
(Ring mindfulness bell.)
breathing in i am aware of my pain.
breathing out i am aware that i am not my pain.
breathing in i am aware of my past.
breathing out i am aware that i am not my past.
breathing in i am aware of my anger.
breathing out i am aware that i am not my anger.
breathing in i am aware of my despair.
breathing out i am aware that i am not my despair.
breathing in i am aware of peace.
breathing out i am aware that i am worthy of peace.
breathing in i am aware of love.
breathing out i am aware that i am worthy of love.
breathing in i am aware of joy.
breathing out i am aware that i am an agent of joy.
breathing in i am aware of hope.
breathing out i am aware that i am an agent of hope.
breathing in i am aware.
I am aware. I am aware that we have a lot of healing to do. Within ourselves, we must heal from the pains and traumas of the past year, past few years. Between ourselves, too, in our community, we need to begin the slow process of healing. Among each other.
And in the wider world, our country will be slowly healing. I do not envy Joe Biden the job he has inherited of cleaning up as badly broken and traumatized country, government, and people. It will be work for him, it will be work for all of us. Especially those of us who are in pain over seeing our own state turn a pretty solid red. It hurts.
Next week we will talk more about healing our community, healing our relationships with our neighbors and the larger country. I’d like to end with this prayer by Beth Dana about that communal healing and how it starts within.
God of Many Names, Mystery Beyond All Our Naming –
Lift us above the divisions,
Move us beyond inaction,
And heal us that we may know our wholeness, within and together.
As we emerge from this week’s election,
A time of regrouping, of celebration and despair, let us continue on.
May the victories energize the work ahead,
And may there be space for disappointment.
And then, may the spirit of inspiration found in coming together,
Stoke the fires of commitment within us,
Commitment to our neighbors, to justice, to creating a better world,
Propelling us forward to do the shared work ahead.
That our voices, that all voices, may be heard.
And that we may find continued ways to love and to serve.
May our relationships,
with those whose views we share,
as well as those with whom we disagree,
be filled with the spirit of compassion,
moving us beyond the walls of our knowing,
beyond the walls of sameness,
toward each others’ humanity.
Amen.
Preached 11/8/2020 at SouthWest UU in N. Royalton OH
By Rev. Meg Mathieson
33 years ago today, a handful of people got together for the first Sunday service of SouthWest Unitarian Universalist Church. The church had more letters in its name than members, but it was full of heart. On Sunday, Nov. 8, 1987, Twenty-eight people signed the membership book, and Ken and Ellen Ellis signed it two weeks later. We have seven present charter members: Keith Mathews, Sherry Spencer, Judy Newell, Dave Newell, and Ken Ellis and Ellen Hansen-Ellis.
Thank you! Thanks guys! If life were back to normal and we were all together in the physical space of our sanctuary, We would have you stand up and you would receive applause. Maybe more - maybe flowers? Maybe a cake? Why not, here, enjoy your imaginary charter members cake. The best part is tht it’s whatever flavor you like and has no calories!
We remember our founding and our charter members for the same reason we look to the elections for hope: because history matters. What we do matters. We can’t know where we are going unless we look at where we came from.
Where we come from is wonderful! Let’s look at our Covenant together. Last year, many of you had the opportunity to sign this gorgeous Covenant that we share. It’s still here, still standing strong after all this time.
(Read Covenant aloud)
Thank you to those that put the thought and time and effort into writing these words. Thank you to all of you who took the time to sign. And I don’t want anyone to feel left out! I’m sure there are folks out there today who are saying darn, I didn’t get a chance to sign and I would like to!
You will. We all will. With the news yesterday that the next President of the United States will be a man who is taking the COVID crisis seriously, we can begin to harbor hope that we will indeed be together in this lovely physical space again.
It is so appropriate that the theme for the month is healing because even with this good news that gives us hope for the future, we have so much healing to do. I don’t have to tell you that it’s been a hard year. It’s been a hard year for every one of us, and that’s why I’d like to lead us all in a healing meditation. This is by Nathan Walker:
(Ring mindfulness bell.)
breathing in i am aware of my pain.
breathing out i am aware that i am not my pain.
breathing in i am aware of my past.
breathing out i am aware that i am not my past.
breathing in i am aware of my anger.
breathing out i am aware that i am not my anger.
breathing in i am aware of my despair.
breathing out i am aware that i am not my despair.
breathing in i am aware of peace.
breathing out i am aware that i am worthy of peace.
breathing in i am aware of love.
breathing out i am aware that i am worthy of love.
breathing in i am aware of joy.
breathing out i am aware that i am an agent of joy.
breathing in i am aware of hope.
breathing out i am aware that i am an agent of hope.
breathing in i am aware.
I am aware. I am aware that we have a lot of healing to do. Within ourselves, we must heal from the pains and traumas of the past year, past few years. Between ourselves, too, in our community, we need to begin the slow process of healing. Among each other.
And in the wider world, our country will be slowly healing. I do not envy Joe Biden the job he has inherited of cleaning up as badly broken and traumatized country, government, and people. It will be work for him, it will be work for all of us. Especially those of us who are in pain over seeing our own state turn a pretty solid red. It hurts.
Next week we will talk more about healing our community, healing our relationships with our neighbors and the larger country. I’d like to end with this prayer by Beth Dana about that communal healing and how it starts within.
God of Many Names, Mystery Beyond All Our Naming –
Lift us above the divisions,
Move us beyond inaction,
And heal us that we may know our wholeness, within and together.
As we emerge from this week’s election,
A time of regrouping, of celebration and despair, let us continue on.
May the victories energize the work ahead,
And may there be space for disappointment.
And then, may the spirit of inspiration found in coming together,
Stoke the fires of commitment within us,
Commitment to our neighbors, to justice, to creating a better world,
Propelling us forward to do the shared work ahead.
That our voices, that all voices, may be heard.
And that we may find continued ways to love and to serve.
May our relationships,
with those whose views we share,
as well as those with whom we disagree,
be filled with the spirit of compassion,
moving us beyond the walls of our knowing,
beyond the walls of sameness,
toward each others’ humanity.
Amen.