The White Lotus
Rev. Lee begins with speaking about last week’s in-person service. She also speaks to the times we’re living in right now: parents deciding what to do about school, and all of us watching the scenes in Afghanistan unfold. In talking about this week’s series, The White Lotus, she remarks upon the different ways in which we try to escape. Sometimes they’re healthy and sometimes they’re unhealthy – but all are temporary. She asks us to consider how we react when…
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…
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…
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,…
Die Hard
Rev. Ken begins with a fun explanation about why Die Hard is a Christmas movie. He explains that this isn’t just a cultural Christmas movie about a family trying to come back together to heal, it’s also a theological Christmas movie. Rev. Ken points to songs like “Oh Come Emannuel,” and “Oh Holy Night.” Rev. Ken admits that the darkness and cynicism present in the movie made a little too much sense to him when he watched it in December…
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…
Exterminate All the Brutes Documentary
Rev. Ken begins this week’s Message with the President’s statement about the Armenian Genocide, along with the response from the Turkish government. Many of our historical stories are difficult to reckon with, but it’s important that we’re honest about what happened, even if it’s painful. If that pain opens up a productive gap between reality and our aspirations, there can be growth and healing. Ken also shares a quote from James Baldwin about how accepting the past doesn’t mean drowning…
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…
Holding Tightly and Holding Lightly
Ken introduces a “gifts discernment” chart which asks you to plot things you both like and dislike, and things you’re good at and things you aren’t. This connects with our first SpiritFlix movie of this year: Soul. A movie which explores this very question. What are you good at, and what what brings you vitality. Holding tightly versus holding lightly. This is demonstrated in the movie by showing souls in a flow state, versus souls in a state of fixation.…