Freethinkers Community Group
A place for all views and opinions with unfettered expression. Just play nice!
Hi everyone,
I have been to my Unitarian Church 3 Sundays in a row now. As I sit thinking about the message(s) from this fellowship and the kindness of the people I have met, I am blown away by it all. While I surely wish I had found it with my husband before he died, and we could have experienced this together, I will deal with that fact...and I'm so grateful for what is there for me now.
Yesterday they had "flower communion" which is a spring rite for Unitarians. None of this dogma about communion like in a Christian church, which I have seen many times. No eating a wafer and drinking fake wine that is supposedly the blood and body of Christ. No insistence on confessing our so-called "sins" to a human before we are even allowed to participate in communion. Nope, everyone just brought a blooming flower, either from our own desert garden or a purchased flower, then placed the flowers in empty vases. At the end of the service, we all walked up and took a flower home (but not the one we brought!), stressing diversity and acceptance of change, while celebrating spring. The Unitarian minister who started this custom 95 years ago sadly died in a Nazi concentration camp because of expressing his religious beliefs. The tradition continues to this day.
The sermons are all thought-provoking and certainly speak to me as I navigate through grief. Subjects such as learning to embrace change in our life, or yesterday's "story" about a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. I light a candle each Sunday for my husband, and yesterday submitted a written request for the "joys and sorrows" portion of the service for everyone to wish for strength for me. Afterwards, the associate minister picked me out of the congregation (well, I did have a name tag on my shirt!) and expressed his happiness at seeing me at the service and asked how I was doing. It was very, very nice.
There is just a pure sanity about what I have witnessed and participated in. Even if a member was an agnostic or atheist, I don't believe they would find anything offensive. Being interested in human growth, human kindness, world peace, social justice...this is what I would invent, if I could invent a church.
Even the artwork on the walls changes every few months, done by local artists.
I'm very, very happy that I found this place.
Mystic
I have been to my Unitarian Church 3 Sundays in a row now. As I sit thinking about the message(s) from this fellowship and the kindness of the people I have met, I am blown away by it all. While I surely wish I had found it with my husband before he died, and we could have experienced this together, I will deal with that fact...and I'm so grateful for what is there for me now.
Yesterday they had "flower communion" which is a spring rite for Unitarians. None of this dogma about communion like in a Christian church, which I have seen many times. No eating a wafer and drinking fake wine that is supposedly the blood and body of Christ. No insistence on confessing our so-called "sins" to a human before we are even allowed to participate in communion. Nope, everyone just brought a blooming flower, either from our own desert garden or a purchased flower, then placed the flowers in empty vases. At the end of the service, we all walked up and took a flower home (but not the one we brought!), stressing diversity and acceptance of change, while celebrating spring. The Unitarian minister who started this custom 95 years ago sadly died in a Nazi concentration camp because of expressing his religious beliefs. The tradition continues to this day.
The sermons are all thought-provoking and certainly speak to me as I navigate through grief. Subjects such as learning to embrace change in our life, or yesterday's "story" about a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. I light a candle each Sunday for my husband, and yesterday submitted a written request for the "joys and sorrows" portion of the service for everyone to wish for strength for me. Afterwards, the associate minister picked me out of the congregation (well, I did have a name tag on my shirt!) and expressed his happiness at seeing me at the service and asked how I was doing. It was very, very nice.
There is just a pure sanity about what I have witnessed and participated in. Even if a member was an agnostic or atheist, I don't believe they would find anything offensive. Being interested in human growth, human kindness, world peace, social justice...this is what I would invent, if I could invent a church.
Even the artwork on the walls changes every few months, done by local artists.
I'm very, very happy that I found this place.
Mystic
I am sooooo happy for you that you have the love and support that you need and deserve.
I still haven't looked into the Unitarian Church near me. My mom is going downhill and has become a full time job in trying to keep her in the game for as long as possible.
You keep going.....you are doing good!
(((((((((((((Hugs.....a flower.......and love))))))))))))))))))) sent your way!
Also glad to be informed that not all "churches" go with that "body and blood" stuff. Always struck me as cannibalistic. The flower thing seems a much better way to go.
{{hugz}}