Celebrating in the Stillness
Throughout this fall, I have begun my Mondays and Thursdays with the stillness found within the spiritual direction circle I lead for the small handful of UUCA folks who decide to join. We begin by stilling our bodies and following our breath to the center of our beings. Then over the hour, we commune with both our inner spirit and with each other. We share our journeys and depart with gratitude and with any intentions that guide us forward. It is a time of deep connection, grounding, and joy. In short, each hour is a type of quiet celebration.
What I discover is that such moments of spirit-guided stillness, quiet, and even solitude are rich and purpose-informing. I will share more examples of this when I preach on Dec 13th, but when we gift ourselves with contemplative practices it is likely that we will discover greater compassion for ourselves and others, an intimacy with nature, and insight into how we can be of service.
This month I invite you into such quiet celebrations:
- By joining one of the spiritual direction circles. In addition to Monday and Thursdays at 9 a.m., for the month of December, I have added sessions on Tuesdays at noon and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Groups are limited to five people, so reserve your spot via Calendly. The system will email you a confirmation with a zoom link.
- By taking our “Celebrate Stillness” walk in Muir woods. Along the way, you will find ten readings – mostly poetry – that use nature as a metaphor for our spiritual lives. Come, walk contemplatively. Use the texts as prompts for reflection, using the question, “What is this text calling to my attention?”
May you find richness in the stillness of our lives. May you experience connection.
Yours in ministry,
Rev. Anastassia