Messages on Spiritual Practices (Page 5)
The Idol of Wealth
Rev. Lee introduced our new American Idols series with a story about the “Idol” of wealth. She shares a story about a real estate investor who chooses to overlook the opportunity for making vast profits, and instead focuses on building up a community of committed neighbors.
WellCome Back Sunday
Rev. Lee and Ministerial Intern, Beth Monhollen, have organized a special blessing and “refreshing” for us this week. Congregants were invited to bring in a house plant and to let the congregation offer the plants a little boost.
The Dialogue Institute
Lay Preacher Rodney Whittenberg speaks with fellow WellSpringer, Majid Alsayegh, as well as David Kruger from The Dialogue Institute about the importance of interfaith cooperation and understanding.
Alternatives to Violence
Lay preacher, Kathleen Higgins, speaks with guest Brian Winward, about their joint work in local prisons, speaking with incarcerated people about alternatives to violence.
#OrdinaryPraise
Rev. Ken offers a heartfelt final message as minister here at WellSprings, before his retirement.
Telling Fortunes
Today, Rev. Lee, with the help of a YouthSpirit friend, takes us through the activity of creating paper “fortune tellers,” and sharing the results with one another.
Moving Small Stones
Ministerial Intern, Beth Monhollen, takes us through the classic story of Stone Soup – where a village all makes small contributions, resulting in a full meal for everyone. She uses this lesson to tell us how we can make small contributions to the world too, and that the cumulative effect can be huge.
Mystery Seeds
Rev. Ken leads the congregation through an activity where we plant seeds. He discussed the importance of not knowing what the seeds are, but trusting that they will grow and bloom regardless.
It’s All in the Release
Rev. Ken talks a bit about our typical New Year’s ritual where we write down things we want to let go of, and release them into a fire. This year, he wants to try something a little different, and he walks us through a brief guided meditation where we look at our insecurities with compassion. He also invites us to participate in a different way. It’s All in the Release START OF TRANSCRIPT[00:00:00] Speaker1The following is a message from WellSprings…
On the Lookout
Rev. Lee begins by talking about something small that’s been bringing her lots of joy: Noodle the pug and his bones/no bones videos that have taken TikTok by storm. The Noodle videos are answering a craving for a simple joy. Rev. Lee also shares some periodic updates from her friend about her daughter, and what life is like as a 3 year old. She tells us about a book she’s looking forward to reading called “On Looking,” which gives the…
The Economy of Joy
Rodney begins this week’s message by talking about the joy he feels when listening to music. He recounts a story of his typically-stern father making space for joy in his life too. After telling us about an experience where he saw a procession of people heading to a church, he shares a list of songs that make him feel joyful. Rodney is releasing a companion podcast to this one. You can listen to Rodney’s Music Ministry here. The Economy of…
Joy In My Heart
Beth begins this week by talking about the concept of “deserving joy.” She remembers certain moments in her childhood where she experienced huge amounts of joy, and worrying that those feelings may have been lost. She reminds us that paying attention can lead to joy, but being busy, stressed, or not in the moment can cloud that feeling over. It’s important to not ignore the bad things going on in the world, but – as Beth says – to grab…