Messages on Death, Grief, & Loss (Page 2)

Messages on Death, Grief, & Loss (Page 2)

Us Kids

In the wake of the tragic events in Uvalde, Texas, Rev. Lee opens our annual SpiritFlix series with the movie “Us Kids.” This film follows some of the survivors of the Marjorie Stoneman Douglass school shooting, as they turn to activism.

God Shaped Hole

Rev. Ken begins this week with remembering his father, who passed away last Fall. He shares with us a poem/song his father wrote called ‘Tsuris,” a Yiddish word equating to “stress.” He tells us about his father’s experiences in the Korean war, and how traumatic they must have been. We are invited to listen to a poem quietly, and consider the busy nature of our lives, and whether that’s serving us. He shares a story about another veteran recounting his…

And the Award Goes To…

Rev. Ken opens this week’s message by taking a moment to talk about the recent passing of his father. He talks about the importance of play, and how sometimes competition can take play away from us. We can find joy when we look beyond winning or losing, and instead engage in self-directed, spontaneous, and creative play. He shares with us some examples of poorly but lovingly made cakes, and a story about an adult kickball team. And the Award Goes…

Wild & Precious Life

We welcome five different speakers from our congregation – ranging in age from 9 to 96 – to answer the question from Mary Oliver: “Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” Wild and Precious Life START OF TRANSCRIPT[00:00:00] Speaker1The following is a message from Wellsprings Congregation.[00:00:11] Speaker2My name is Mo, and I am nine years old. I live with my mom, dad, sister and dog. And to get my dog is…

Their Promises

Ken beings by telling a story from when he was three years old, and he made a funny comment about an older person. Our message series is called “God Laughs,” based on the Yiddish saying “We plan, God laughs,” and there is nothing more disruptive to our plans than death. He shares thoughts about a book called “No Cure For Being Human,” written by a woman who discovered she had stage 4 cancer at age 35; and a story about…

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…

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…

Minari

This week, Rev. Ken begins by talking about he voices of loved ones on answering machines. Minari is a movie about a Korean family’s move to rural Arkansas during the 80s, and Rev. Ken remarks on how poignant it was to watch this movie during the pandemic, when hatred against people of asian descent is still continuing. Ultimately, this is a movie about connective love in the midst of discouraging circumstances. Also shared is a Twitter thread that went viral,…

The Good Place

This week, Bev Fox talks to us about “The Good Place,” which is a show about life after death. Bev talks about how summer is a particularly tough time for her in terms of mental health, but while watching, she remembers the message of the show: “What matters isn’t if people are good or bad, it matters if they’re better today than yesterday.” Just like in real life, characters grapple with finding happiness in what feels like pandemonium. To end,…

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…