Reports & articles
Spring into Action....
...and bring a non-perishable food item and put it in the box in the
foyer. Our generous donations help feed the individuals and families in
our community who depend on food provided by the Survival Center.
Alice Zuvers
What Really Matters
Small Group Ministry
One of the things that I appreciate about my own group is that everyone understands that showing
up, having made and kept a commitment to the group, “really matters.” We had a small number
this month due to illness and work issues, but no one stays home because they don’t feel like going out that evening. It matters to be here, together, in community. We allowed extra time for
“check in.” What was interesting about this is that our check ins were completely on topic. Each
of us spoke of important things going on in our lives, people who matter to us, experiences we
greatly value. We could have gone home after the check in and felt like we had had a complete
evening.
Once we got to the quotes, we dove in even deeper. Several of our quotes came from our own UU
Principles and Purposes: the inherent worth and dignity of every person; respect for the interdependent web; justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love. We talked about our deepest values, how we have been of service to those we care about, how we have even gotten wiser as
we have aged. I think that our circle held a lot of wisdom that night.
We talked about living in the moment. I used contra dancing as a metaphor. It’s a kind of social
dance where a caller tells you what steps to do, sort of glorified walking done to energizing live
music. If you mess up the step, you can’t go back and fix it. You have to move on to the next step.
If you go back, you’ll get more lost. You HAVE to live in the moment, right on the beat, and the
next beat, and the next. AND no one cares if you mess up. All we have is the present [beat] and
what’s yet to come. I said that I prioritize joy, and someone asked for a pencil to write that down.
“Choose happiness now. Life happens and forever rushes forward. But the present moment is
what we have, so choose to be happy and love right now. Embrace it fully.” – Shannon Kaiser
Katie Olmstead
6