As I write this, I am with ministerial colleagues in the Pacific Southwest at our first in-person gathering since February of 2020. Some thoughts on my experience here; I am in awe at how delightful it is to have an open space between worship, programming and meals to connect with like-minded individuals.
How wonderful it is to have the time to go on tangents and follow the conversation in a few different directions until we tap into something that has real depth and meaning. How great it is to relax enough that we can hear spontaneous laughter popping up from different small groups.
One of the conversations I had recently is about Internal Family Systems and how we can learn more about our Core Selves and the many different parts of ourselves. I love the “8 Cs” language that it uses about our Core Self—that it is calm, connected, confident, compassionate, courageous, creative, curious and has clarity. I adore times when I have the space to connect with that Core Self like this. One of the things that I love about Unitarian Universalism is witnessing each other’s worth and dignity AND strive to be our best selves at the same time.
When are you most connected with your Core Self? Is it in your morning hours as you embrace the calm of the day? Is it when you are experiencing magical moments of worship? Is it when you are creating something meaningful with others?
This coming Sunday, we will have our Shared Ministry Sunday where we explore the many ways that we can be connected, engaged and involved. Our hope is that you can bring your whole self to both the service and to our future. This week, I hope you have moments this week when you feel calm, connected, confident, compassionate, courageous, creative, curious and have clarity.