Small Group Ministry, August 2011-Connectedness

Readings for Contemplation

The Seven Principles of Unitarian Universalism. We, the member congregations of the Unitarian Universalist Association, covenant to affirm and promote:

• The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
• Justice, equity, and compassion in human relations;
• Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
• A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
• The right of conscience and the use of democratic process within our congregations and in society at large;
• The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
• Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

The Seventh Principle is often viewed primarily in terms of ecology: our place on the earth, and the ways in which all living things are interdependent. However, it is also a description of humanity’s interdependence; in addition to being individuals, we are all members of communities and of society. And finally, the “interconnected web of all existence” has come grown in our tradition to include the metaphysical, the mystical, our understanding of and connection to Other.

When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world. ~ John Muir                      

I searched for God and found only myself.  I searched for myself and found only God. ~ Sufi Proverb

And while I stood there I saw more than I can tell, and I understood more than I saw;
for I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of things in the spirit,
and the shape of all shapes as they must live together like one being.
 ~ Black Elk (from Black Elk Speaks)

We are all on a journey together. . .
To the center of the universe. . .
Look deep
Into yourself, into another.
It is to a center which is everywhere
That is the holy journey. . .
First you need only look:
Notice and honor the radiance of
Everything about you . . .
Play in this universe. 
Tend all these shining things around you:
The smallest plant, the creatures and
Objects in your care.
Be gentle and nurture.  Listen. . .
As we experience and accept
All that we really are. . .
We grow in care.
We begin to embrace others
As ourselves, and learn to live
As one among many. . .”
~ Anne Hillman

I do not think the measure of a civilization is how tall its buildings of concrete are,
But rather how well its people have learned to relate to their environment and fellow man.
~ Sun Bear of the Chippewa Tribe

Lakota Instructions for Living
Friend do it this way - that is, whatever you do in life, do the very best you can
with both your heart and mind.

And if you do it that way, the Power Of The Universe will come to your assistance,
if your heart and mind are in Unity.

When one sits in the Hoop Of The People, one must be responsible because
All of Creation is related.
And the hurt of one is the hurt of all.
And the honor of one is the honor of all.

And whatever we do affects everything in the universe.If you do it that way - that is, if you truly join your heart and mind as One - whatever you ask for, that's the Way It's Going To Be.
~ passed down from White Buffalo Calf Woman

Opening Words & Chalice Lighting: 
(responsive reading)
This we know. The earth does not belong to us; we belong to the earth.
This we know. All things are connected like the blood which unites one family.
All things are connected.
Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons and daughters of the earth.
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. ~ Chief Seattle

Check-in: You are invited to share a significant joy, sorrow, ending or new beginning in your life recently.

Meditation:
Love all Creation 
The whole of it and every grain of sand
Love every leaf
Every ray of God’s light
Love the animals
Love the plants
Love everything
If you love everything
You will perceive
The divine mystery in things
And once you have perceived it
You will begin to comprehend it ceaselessly
More and more everyday
And you will at last come to love the whole world
With an abiding universal love. ~ Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Deep Sharing/Deep Listening

1. What was a time that you deeply felt connected with the interdependent web of the universe, and what impact did this experience have on you?  
2. To acknowledge the interdependent web of all existence means that we live in the midst of mystery. . .every one of us is part of a much larger story than we can comprehend from our own limited perspective. 
                    ~How do you define that web and that mystery?
                    ~Assume that you, like George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life,” were given the opportunity to see how the lives of others—or of any part of the web—have been affected by your conscious or unconscious actions.   What do you see and how do you feel about it?

Time for Reflection to Deep Sharing/Listening

Closing Reading/Extinguishing the Chalice
May my feet rest firmly on the ground
May my head touch the sky
May I see clearly
May I have the capacity to listen
May I be free to touch
May my words be true
May my heart and mind be open
May my hands be empty to fill the need
May my arms be open to others
May my gifts be revealed to me
So I may return that which has been given
Completing the great circle.
~ The Terma Collective

So May We Be.

Adapted from Countryside Church Unitarian Universalist, Palatine, IL who were inspired by First UU San Jose.