Messages on Courage (Page 6)
Melting Ground
Beth begins by sharing a story from when she was a child and she experienced a near drowning. She talks about how she thought she’d been standing on solid ground, but that it seemed to melt beneath her feet. This pandemic has felt very much like the sensation of the ground beneath your feet dissolving. She shares a story about a person refusing to leave a flooded home because they’re clinging to a belief that they’ll be saved. Finally, she…
By Name
Rev. Lee begins by talking about the saga of the Maryland zebras on the loose. She then shares a story about a friend’s baby learning the words of things in the world – dog, ant, goat, fish – and how naming these things once calmed him down in the middle of a bad crying fit. This is actually a powerful tool for bringing someone out of an anxiety attack. She talks a bit about what it means to heal, and…
Under the Rainbow
Rev. Lee begins by sharing a quote from Toni Morrison. She defines the term “moral injury” and shows how it applies to the ongoing situation with Covid. She also offers a new way of looking at the story of Noah, and what it might say about a God who could both get angry enough to wipe out humanity, but also learn and grow and try again. Under the Rainbow [00:00:00] Speaker1The following is a message from Wellsprings Congregation. Melissa has…
WellCome Back Sunday
Rev. Lee begins by remembering how much has changed since the beginning of the pandemic, and holding space for the people we’ve lost. She also talks about the song we sang during service, “Hard Times.” It tells us that the answer to hard times is to dance. Rev. Ken also speaks. He shares a post from an Episcopal priest who commented on their own husband’s twitter post thinking he was a “random stranger,” for lack of paying attention. He emphasizes…
Avatar: The Last Airbender
This week, Carol Breslin, our YouthSpirit Director talks about the themes and meanings in the much-loved Nickelodeon series, Avatar: the Last Airbender. Miss Carol and the YouthSpirit kids have been watching this series together throughout the summer, and linking the 7 UU Principles to lessons learned in each episode. Avatar: the Last Airbender START OF TRANSCRIPT[00:00:00] Speaker1The following is a message from Wellspring’s congregation.[00:00:06] Speaker2Some of you may have seen this viral post from just this week, that’s real life…
The Wizard of Oz
Lee revisits one of the classics this week by talking about The Wizard of Oz. At its heart, this is a story about a girl who experiences trauma (literal head trauma, in her case) and spends much of the rest of the story trying to determine when and how things will feel safe again. This is very much what we’ve experienced in the pandemic. She also talks about the meaning of the Arabic word “Inshallah” and shares a poem contemplating…
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…
Nomadland
Rev. Lee shares her last message from her Philadelphia home about the movie Nomadland. This film focuses on the demise of a company town after the industry supporting it shuts down. She reflects on the fact that she’s about to move into a place that once used to be a company town too. She reflects on how the story of a company town suddenly closing down speaks to our own pandemic experiences, when the things we thought would always be…
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…
Mare of Easttown
Rev. Lee continues our SpiritFlix series with a Message about the HBO show “Mare of Easttown,” much of which features our local area. In particular, she shares her thoughts about how one of the central themes of the show is how falling apart or unraveling is sometimes a part of life, as depicted in the show. Mare of Easttown START OF TRANSCRIPT[00:00:00] Speaker1The following is a message from Wellspring’s congregation. Good morning, Wellspring’s, and I’m so excited to be offering…
Life of the World to Come*
This week, Rev. Ken talks about the Mountain Goats album “Life of the World to Come” and explains how it’s the inspiration for this message. He talks about the concept of “temporal distancing” and how it can be a useful tool in mindfulness practice. He tells us about a time when – quite unexpectedly – he experienced a profound change in perspective. Given this week’s events, Rev. Ken takes a moment to reflect on the George Floyd murder trial, before…
It’s Okay to Not Be Okay
This week, Chris reflects on the entirety of the weight of the pandemic. There are different levels of loss, but she validates the fact that we’ve all lost something. Perhaps we’ve remained healthy, perhaps we’ve kept our jobs, perhaps all our loved ones are safe; yet we’ve all lost things this past year. She contemplates why we are encouraged to shout our joyful moments, but to keep our lamentations quiet. Naming our grief and giving it space can be healing.…