Religious Exploration/Education
December's Theme is Stillness
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Hello friends,
The winter solstice is almost here. The solstices and equinoxes are some of my favorite times of year. It's such a miracle and a blessing to witness the cycle of the seasons and the shifting of the sun, moon and stars. This awareness of the web of life is actually part of our sixth UU Source, “Spiritual teachings of Earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.” In the stillness of the winter solstice, we contemplate the dark, listening for the wisdoms and teachings in the quiet of the longest night. And we know that the light will slowly return.
So hold each other close, even if from afar. Hold yourself with love and care. And may you feel the blessings of this season in your heart.
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For our video this week, we invite you to our multi-generational Solstice service! It will be on the UUCSC website on Sunday morning.
Lee tells a story about two magical children who bring the balance of darkness to a land of people who love the light a bit too much.
We contemplate honoring the dark as we sit in the longest night of the year. And Lee leads us in a lovely solstice body prayer.
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Deep down in the belly of the night
Dream deep winter dreams
And lie safe in your grandmother's arms
Still as a seed
Still as a seed
Solstice, solstice, your candles burn
Solstice, solstice, your candles burn
First one, then two, then three, then four
My light is shining like a star
A Winter solstice cave! A full explanation is found in the Soulful Home this month. |
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The Shortest Day: Celebrating the Winter Solstice by Wendy Pfeffer describes what happens on the winter solstice as the earth tilts away from the sun in the northern hemisphere. It goes on to show how people through history have honored the sun at this time of year. |
The Rebirth of the Sun, by Starhawk is available on the UUA website for parents to read aloud to their kids. It's a lovely story of the longest night and all the love and gratitude the children offer the sun, to welcome it back into the sky. |
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The Shortest Day by Susan Cooper is a poetic and beautifully illustrated picture book about people celebrating the sun on the shortest day of the year, long ago and still today. |
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Video, Activity, and Musical Offerings |
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Make a Candle Flame Jump The winter solstice is a time of darkness and light, of candles and the returning of the light. Enjoy the science of candles while noticing the metaphor that we can rekindle each other’s flame.
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Mindful Moment
Honoring the dark and a "Christmas star"
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And remember to watch the southwestern sky at sunset for the next few nights! Here is a really interesting article about it. All month, Jupiter and Saturn have been looking like they are moving closer together in the sky. On the winter solstice they will appear so close to each other that they will look like one brilliant bright super planet. They haven't been so close since the 1200s! This is truly a magical gift from the universe this year. |
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Soulful Connections:
Food Drive and Cookie Exchange!
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Donate Food!
To work toward remedying food insecurity locally, Rev. DL and I will host a COVID-safe food collection to benefit the Johnnycake Center, in Peacedale. Just drive by UUCSC to drop off donations during these times:
Sat., December 19th and Sun., December 20
Noon – 2 PM
We ask for Holiday-focused non perishables - pasta, pasta sauce, canned veggies, canned beans, gravy, dry cereal, stuffing mix, quickbreads, crusts/pie filling, cookie and brownie mixes.
Share Cookies!
And in the spirit of connecting to each other… a Cookie Exchange will happen at the same time as the food drive! Bring a dozen home-baked cookies, safely packaged. You’ll be able to place that on a table and pick up a dozen made by someone else, in equal exchange. Please label clearly with the name of cookie, ingredients, and baker.
I will be there on Saturday and DL will be there on Sunday. We look forward to seeing you!
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And as always, we invite you to try out our Sunday zoom call. We are a small, joyful group of friends who share excitements, sadnesses and love together. Come any Sunday to try it out!
9am is kid time!
9:30-10am is adult sharing time for any who wish to stay.
Let's bring our special candles to share with one another. I'll bring my angel chimes! And I will try out the magic of making a candle flame jump!
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My kids and I, along with my mom and my best friend from my hometown are doing the photo scavenger hunt together (that I described in last week's newsletter), across three different states! Here are some of our pictures from this week. |
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