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Sunday Reflections

Over the last two months, we’ve been in the depths of some of the breadth of our theological diversity: Samhain, All Souls, Advent (coming soon, Hanukkah).

And we’ve had services of vastly different energy: we debuted our Fellowship Band with upbeat joy, and we had a spoken and sung prayer with contemplation.

More than one of you in the receiving line has said (on different Sundays) something like: “thank you for your message. The feel of the service was not for me, and I know it was for others here. Thank you for doing this.”

What a beautiful sentiment to receive. Sometimes in Unitarian Universalism we can become the muddled melding pot (where no one really shines, the least common denominator). At UUFWS, we’ve made the bold proclamation that we’d rather be a bright mosaic, where we all shine at different times, in different ways.

We believe we learn even from the experiences that aren’t “our thing”. And we wonder, perhaps, if we learn and grow most from these? We wonder, what might be there for us to learn in services that feel less in our own language (verbal, emotional or spiritual)?

And, we’re excited to explore this all together.

And – if you wanted to explore All Creation Waits, the advent calendar in a book we looked at this past Sunday, here are links for the children’s edition as well as the original edition and a gift edition.

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Sunday Reflections: November

Reflections From 11/2/2025 ~ All Souls Sunday

This past Sunday, we honored all who died, with particular attention to those who died within the past year and had been a part of our Fellowship Community. We read their names, and sang songs of honoring our ancestors.

We also heard the story Popi’s All Souls Song*, the choir sing the gorgeous song In Remembrance by Eleanor Daley, and gleaned some wisdom from Robin Wall Kimerer’s essay Becoming Earth: Experimental Theology (it’s well worth the read!).

*a reminder that just like at a library, you can “check out” this and other stories we read together at the end of the RE hallway, across from the single stall bathroom!

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Sunday Reflections: October

Reflections From 10/12/2025 ~ Our Muddy, Middle World

Want to hear our story from this Sunday, The First Fire, a Cherokee creation story told by the storyteller herself? You’re in luck – here’s Gayle Ross at the Museum of Native American History in Bentonville, Arkansas.

This Week’s Wonderings:

  • Where’s the fun (for me; for us) in living in a muddy world? Where’s the struggle (for me; for us) in living in a muddy world?
  • What do I/we need to do to find more joy in the fun, and more ease in the struggle?

…and where does spiritual practice/ritual/routine fit into these answers for you? How might these help you meet the moments?

Reflections From 10/5/2025 ~ The Hardest Word

This past Sunday we began our month exploring to Stories of Messy Humans by looking at the wisdom from the Jewish High Holy Day of Yom Kippur. We heard a story of the Ziz through the children’s book The Hardest Word: A Yom Kippur Story. We then reflected on what we can learn from the Jewish atonement process of t’shuvah, which is often translated as repentance, and more literally means returning. We discussed the five stages of t’shuvah, from middle ages Jewish Rabbi, philosopher and Torah scholar Maimonides, as explored by Rabbi Danya Ruttenburg in her book On Repentance and Repair: Making Amends in an Unapologetic World.

For a summary of these five stages of t’shuvah, you can read Rabbi Ruttenburg’s blog The Heroic Work of Repentance for the Union of Reform Judaism.

Wondering words for our week:

  • To whom do I need to say “I’m sorry”?
  • What relationships in my life need repair and reconciliation?
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Reflections From 9/21/2025 ~ Bread and Roses

This Sunday, we kicked off our year’s worship theme of Stories of Bread and Roses, by hearing the story of the origin of the phrase “Bread and Roses”.

We learned that it likely came from Helen Todd, factory inspector turned Suffragette due to her heartbreak over seeing children working in factories. We also learned that it was likely written down by Helen because of Maggie, the hired help of an older woman hosting the Suffragettes on their tour across Illinois. Maggie shared with the Suffragettes that their reflection on how we needed “bread, and roses, too” was her favorite part. The phrase then went on to become a rally cry and song for workers and so many other fighting for justice.

To read Helen’s full article in American Illustrated Magazine, Volume 72, you can go to the Google books link here, and then search for “Helen Todd”. This will take you to her article “Getting Out the Vote” on page 611.

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Reflections From 8/24/2025 ~ In Conversation: On Being Human

This past Sunday, Rev. Kenneth Pettigrew and Rev. Kayla engaged in a conversation on what it is to worship and be in community across theological, cultural and racial diversity. Rev. Kenneth named that often in predominantly white spaces, the people of color are not seen as being there, or fully human. This naming received words of gratitude from the congregation. He also named that it is a matter of intellectual integrity and honesty to be able to express different names for and expressions of the holy in theologically diverse spaces (including God and Jesus).

He challenged us: how can we be present and take the light, word, hope we find when we’re together, while acknowledging not everything can be for us in a space of theological and cultural diversity?

And I challenge us: let’s be more consciously present of what speaks to us, and what we imagine might speak to someone else. Let’s move that imagination into knowing by taking the time to have a real conversation and get to know someone we don’t know. Especially someone who has a different theology or culture from us, someone who is of a different race, class or age group.

We are only as real, as deep and as honest as we make ourselves. Let’s co-create this community together.

Curious about how we are framing being in such a diverse community, working to truly make space for all, instead of unconsciously centering a few? Read more about Paula Cole Jones’ framework of Community of Communities here.