October’s Theme
Our Sunday Services for October
October 6th…….How Can We Become Gracious?
Saying thank you is only the beginning if we want to become gracious
and grateful in our lives.
“Gratitude”
"We can only be said to be alive
in those moments when our hearts are
conscious of our treasures…..."
Thornton Wilder
October 13th…...Does Gracefulness Heal Us?
Recent studies claim it makes us healthier and able to handle life’s difficulties…….gracefully.
October 20th……Meet Them at the Door Laughing?
It's easy enough to say "thank you" for the things we appreciate. But
what about when misfortune comes our way? Some religious traditions call for gratitude no matter what. Is this siding with injustice? Or
a valuable spiritual practice?
October 27th……Is There More Than Gratitude?
Could “blessing others” be the next stage of gratitude? Can we use our
bodies to help do it?
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Being Gracious…..
Have you ever sat by a fountain? The spray is white and
light in the air. Maybe a rainbow is visible when you look at the water
in just the right way. Even at night the water plays with the light and
offers a graceful contrast to buildings of brick and cement. The arc of
water and its soft sound are good to be around.
I used to think it was silly to throw coins into a fountain. I
didn't believe a wish would come true if you threw your pennies into the
water. But now I throw them in all the time. For me the coins are a
way I can give back to the fountain in exchange for its beauty. When
I am reminded that life is lyrical, like the arc of water in the fountain, I
feel good. I throw the coins in thankfulness that someone, in this difficult and competitive world, still wants to remind us about life's gracefulness. The coins are my thanks. A simple giving back.
.
Thankfulness is free. It is also freeing. When I give thanks
freely, something inside of me softens. My eyes notice more. My mind
quiets down and gives me space to wonder. It is so simple. It helps
me have beginner’s mind and I find this offers a wonderful perspective. We can be thankful for many, many things.
Sometimes I don’t have the energy to be thankful. Sometimes my judgment or my resentment is so strong I don't want to say
thank you. Maybe you have felt this too. Someone does something
"nice,” but it is done in a way that doesn't feel nice at all. My inability
to be gracious makes me sad.
When I am angry or tired, I allow the words “thank you” to slip
out of my mouth. It is easier if I let go of my ideas and conceptions. I
breathe out and with my breath say, “thank you.” It feels a little like
the breeze of life.
Will you try it?
Make eye contact and say, ”thank you.”
Resources
Wise Words:
"Let gratitude be the pillow upon which you kneel to say your nightly
prayer. And let faith be the bridge you build to overcome evil and welcome good."
― Maya Angelou,
"There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is
a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle."
—Albert Einstein
"If the only prayer you said was thank you, that would be enough."
― Meister Eckhart
"In ordinary life we hardly realize that we receive a great deal more
than we give, and that it is only with gratitude that life becomes rich."
― Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Print:
An Interrupted Life : The Diaries and Letters of Etty Hillesum 194143. A young Jewish woman, writing in the shadow of the Holocaust,
practices gratitude.
The Gift of Thanks: The Roots, Persistence, and Paradoxical Meanings of a Social Ritual. Margaret Visser.
Uncommon Gratitude: Alleluia for All That Is. Joan Chittister and
Rowan Williams.
Words of Gratitude for Mind, Body, and Soul.
Robert Emmons and Joanna Hill.
Can You Live With More
Gratefulness in Your Life?
Resources
Movies:
Schindler's List (1993) A movie about compassion and gratitude
during one of the most dangerous periods in Nazi Germany.
1)
Sometimes nature is so beautiful or so awesome, we feel
thankfulness. Who or what would you be thankful to?
Pay It Forward (2000) A young boy is challenged to make the world
a better place. He does it with faith and gratitude.
2)
Smell of Camphor, Fragrance of Jasmine (2001) A compelling Iranian film about small moments of gratitude that prepare us for being
more human.
Thankfulness is not part of a zero-sum game (a game
where there is a limited supply). Where does your energy for
thankfulness come from?
3)
Can you speak gratefulness out loud? Can you speak and
hear the poetry of your own thoughts?
The Colour of Paradise (1999) Best Picture, Montreal Film Festival.
The love of nature brings a child who doesn't fit into society into harmony with his father.
It's Kind of a Funny Story (2010) A young man is given a place to
decompress and he discovers gratitude as he heals from his own depression.
Music:
Links are on our website!
Thank you
Sly and the Family Stone
One of the first mixed gender, mixed race bands doing a really funky
number.
For Once In My Life performed by Ella Fitzgerald
Many love songs are songs of gratitude.
For Good from the musical Wicked
A song that expresses gratitude for having an influential friendship.
Thank You For a Life
Kris Kristofferson
A simple song that expresses gratitude for a life well lived.
How Can I Keep From Singing? Chancel Choir, Oakland UU
“Our hymn of the month. Singing together is an act of gratitude for our
own voices and each other. “
Resources
Stories on the Internet: Links on our website
From TED…:
Brené Brown: The power of vulnerability, http://www.ted.com/talks/
brene_brown_on_vulnerability.html
From "This I Believe.."
The Act of Giving Thanks, (4 Minutes) http://thisibelieve.org/
essay/23878/
How giving thanks deepens the social fabric.
From "The Moth"
Fireworks From above, (10 Minutes) http://themoth.org/posts/stories/
fireworks-from-above A flight attendant corrects her attitude up in the
sky.
Internet Video
Gratitude, Moving Art. Beautiful scenes with voice-over about graciousness. https://www.youtube.com/watch?
feature=player_embedded&v=nj2ofrX7jAk