Messages on Belonging & Connection (Page 13)
Grease
Rodney talks about the first time he saw the movie Grease on vacation with a friend when he was 14. He mentions that when we are on vacation, we’re almost like different people. We go outside of our comfort zone, and we’re more present and mindful in our day to day because everything is new. Grease is a movie about a romance that began on a vacation. While some parts of the movie may seem silly, especially now, at its…
Ted Lasso
Chris talks about the lessons we can learn from the comedy series, Ted Lasso. Beginning with a personal story about joining a soccer team, he goes on to celebrate the idea of a “beginner’s mind” as shown in the series. Have a small snack nearby for this message. There’s a bit of interaction requested. Ted Lasso [00:00:00] Speaker1The following is a message from Wellspring’s congregation.[00:00:05] Speaker2So way back in the 1980s, when I did my student teaching, I was asked…
Anna and the Apocalypse
In this week’s Message, Rev. Ken tells us about a Christmas musical unlike any other: Anna and the Apocalypse. It’s a zombie movie largely focused on breaking away from the old you, from your old understanding of civilization, and moving bravely into something new. He also brings up an episode of Queer Eye where Jonathan Van Ness revisits their high school, not only to help make over a beloved music teacher, but also so they can heal some past wounds…
The Practice of Adulting
This week, Rev. Lee talks about little moments that sneak up on you and stay with you forever. She remarks on the differences between what “adulting” looks like to younger people observing adults, and what it actually means to the people living it. Our Heirloom Connection Penpals this week are Nan and Tina, and Julie and Ron. Nan and Tina talk about a shared interest in counseling, and how their life circumstances effected their ability to pursue that. Ron shares…
Connecting the Generations
Josie opens this message by talkin gabout the thrill of playing Pong on the TV for the first time. She also mentions the moral panic about videogames taking place at the time, whereas Josie sees them as an intro to crucial computer skills. This highlights the need for communication and connection among the generations. We share more conversations between pen pals born in the 2010s and the 1940s, respectively, about everything from the differences in technology and playground equipment, to…
Cosmic Mind, Home Heart
This week, Rev. Ken opens with a quote about spirituality by Walt Whitman.Continuing in our Heirloom Connections series, we share Evan and Micah’s pen pal videos. They’re asked to describe their “Ows and their Wows.” This brings them to some heavy topics, with some big and broad ideas, but they also look at the smaller things too – particularly superheroes.Ken also ponders astronaut Michael Collins, who had some spiritually enlightened things to say about being the furthest person ever away…
The Big Picture
Rev. Lee opens our new Message series by recounting “The Josh Battle.” She remarks how right it feels that “Little Josh” was allowed to win. This is the way it’s supposed to be when we say we want better for our kids. She also shares a recent “Maslow Got it Wrong” article. She highlights the difference between the Maslow Hierarchy of Needs and the “teepee” of the Blackfoot Indian Tribe.Rev. Lee speaks a bit about our current message series by…
Belonging Sunday
This week, Rev. Lee explains the meaning of Belonging Sunday in our congregation. She reflects on what it means to belong to a community, especially now that we’re in a pandemic. Later, she asks us to consider how there can be a cloud and sunshine in something as simple as a piece of paper. Our new members are introduced, and Rev. Lee goes over what’s in the welcome package we delivered to each household. There’s also a special welcome from…
Heart and Compassion Practices
Rev. Ken speaks about the issues that come along with having the news on all the time, and how sometimes it’s important to turn it off. He shares a story about a news reporter who shows emotion while reporting on a family. In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we walk through a heart practice you can do at home. Rev. Ken also shares a prayer for kindness, then a lovingkindness meditation where we can practice compassion even for people we…
Christmas Eve
Rev. Lee brings us our annual Christmas Eve service, this year inspired by the movie Home Alone. Christmas Eve Maybe you’ve had the feeling this week that you were running out of time as you hit refresh on a package that youwere tracking for delivery, as you thought about all the things that needed to happen, I guess, before Christmas.Maybe that’s one of the things that has become clear to you, all of these preparations and plans for Christmas.Which ones…
Darkness Visible
Ken shares a story from Anne Lamott wherein she talks about calling around to different friends asking about what Advent means to them. She doesn’t have much luck until she reaches a Jesuit friend who has 35 years of sobriety. He shares a dramatic event which happened early in his own recovery wherein folks at a 12-step meeting showed compassion to a man in a terrible state. The patience they showed then, evoked the feeling of Advent for this friend.…
Break Your Heart
In this week’s message, Rev. Lee talks about the upcoming election, and admits that she’d gone back and forth on what kind of message to deliver this week: one where she reassures us that everything will be okay, and one that warns us that it won’t be. She remembers words Rev. Ken said to her at her ordination: “Let your ministry break your heart,” and tells us that out broken hearts are good enough. She concludes with a story about…