Sunday, May 17
Soul Matters Sharing Circle: Flourishing Together
The Unitarian Church of Marlborough & Hudson invites you into a time of spiritual reflection with our Soul Matters Sharing Circle. Each month, in lieu of a formal worship service, we will gather in the Knight Room or Union Hall to create safe, sacred space together, in a sharing circle format, so we may explore topics that apply to our daily living, and which contribute to personal spiritual discernment.
Facilitators: Rev. Nan Rogers Flavin and Jim Flavin
“If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other.”
Mother Teresa
UCMH is about to cross over a threshold that embodies this month’s theme: Flourishing Together. As we prepare to merge with our sister church First Parish in Stow, the hands we’ve been holding with one another as a congregation loosen just a bit so that we may extend them in friendship, spirit and community as we begin the building of a new Village. A theme like flourishing carries the connotation of blooming, as if this month is solely about helping each other blossom brightly into the fullness of all we can be. But maybe it’s also about softening. Our culturally-encouraged pursuits of independence haven’t made us safe; they’ve only made us brittle. Maybe what we want is a reconnection to that part of us that longs to be vulnerable, that is willing to be brave and take a chance to journey together, sometimes carrying one another for a little while.
One of the most powerful – and often most underrecognized – sources of mutual flourishing is storytelling. Stories are the threads that weave us together. The stories passed down and shared widely are the means by which we become “a people.” When others are brave enough to share their stories of pain, we discover that our suffering is not unique and our healing is not out of reach. When we feel empty, the stories of others fill us. When we feel weak or scared, the stories of others give us strength. Where you find flourishing, stories are sure to be close by.
Let’s invite one another into sharing our stories on Flourishing Together.
Youth ages 13-18 are encouraged to participate in our Circle. For children up to age 6: Nursery Care is available. For children ages 7-12: Children will be meeting in Union Hall.
COVID Safety: Masks are optional. Please, if you’re not feeling well, do stay home! Many thanks for your kind consideration!