November 2014
Theme: Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day in the United States is just a few days away. Many people name Thanksgiving their favorite holiday often citing traditions and recipes unique to their family or celebration that make it an especially meaningful holiday.  Thanksgiving and giving thanks is also an important part of our faith tradition.

Here are some reflections, meditations, and other resources from the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) around Thanksgiving: UUA Thanksgiving

And here you will find some ideas for table graces for use or inspiration at your Thanksgiving table:Resources for Practice and Reflection

November 2014
Theme: Gratitude

“If the only prayer you say your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.” - Meister Eckhart, Medieval Mystic

“Gratitude keeps the heart muscle from withering.” - Rev. Eliza Blanchard, UU Minister

When we hear the words “thank you” or “gratitude” most of us have an immediate idea of what those words mean. They are familiar words, so familiar that we likely don’t even pause to think about our understanding of them.  

An essential part of spiritual growth is the ever deepening understanding of what we think we already know.  This is why in many religious traditions the same readings and stories are read and retold year after year.  The point is not to memorize the text or learn the story by heart, but to engage it, to be curious about it, to notice things you’ve never noticed before and deepen your understanding and personal connection to it.  

Exercise:

Spend some time with the quotes from Meister Eckhart and Eliza Blanchard above.

Share or write down your understanding of the quote(s).

Try reading one or both each day for a week.  Reflect and write down your understanding each day.

At the end of the week look at what you’ve written following each period of reflection.  Did your understanding  or connection to the words change in any way?  How so?  

What was it like to read and reflect on the same words each day?