February 2007 Worship Services

“We are fragile,
We are not broken.
We are imperfect,
We are not flawed.
We are curious,
We are not confused.
We are vulnerable,
We are not weak.
We are of this earth,
And yet the divine lives in us.
When I feel as if I am going to break,
I am the most human.
When I embrace my fragility,
I let you into my imperfect world.

For me, this dark and cold time of year, after the holidays have passed, is a time of reflection. We are fully back to work, getting back into the swing of things again. We turn our attention back to the world and the various activities that are required of us. It seems a long way to summer, and play, and spending time with family and friends. And so often this is the time of year we notice our fragility, pains, aches, vulnerability, weaknesses, confusion. Perhaps it is because of the darkness—which impairs our vision of things outside ourselves--causing us to turn a little inward, and to feel more acutely our age or our stress or our unfulfilled dreams. Light does seem to distract us, give us hope, and help us to forget about our fragile nature.

Perhaps we need to remember the light this time of year, not just the light from the sun or our many light bulbs, but the light of the divine, the light of humanity and creation, the light we carry inside, within us all the time.

Do we notice the light when we look inside? Sometimes that takes a little effort; sometimes it seems like a tiny spark barely visible in the darkness. The light is our connection with the divine, or with humanity, or with mystery, that helps us to embrace who we are warts and all, and still have hope and joy. This inner light helps us to see that we are not broken or flawed but holy just as we are. This light reminds us that we are curious and can use our rational minds to look at our complex world. This light opens us up to understand that we are not weak though we do have weakness and strengths. And this light holds the truth that we are most human when we embrace our fragility—seeing that our fragility is part of what makes us special, unique. Embracing our fragility also connects us with others, all humanity, all creation—for when recognize the fragileness of all things, we take more care of them, respect them more, understand them more, embrace them more.

When we embrace our fragility, we can be more open to others; we can let them in to our imperfect world, realizing that they will still love us and care for us. May we take the time to reach out to others, embracing the fragility, imperfection, and holiness in those we come into contact with. As we embrace them, we too affirm our own imperfections and our own holiness.

Blessings,
Rev. Tom

Worship Services:

February 4

We are the Keepers of the Dream by Rev. Matt Tittle, Minister of Bay Area UU Church

This sermon relates Martin Luther King, Jr. to Unitarian Minister and Transcendentalist Rev. Theodore Parker. Rev. Tittle will delve into Parker's "The Transient and Permanent in Christianity.” Rev. Tittle sermon will call us to social action because we are the keepers of the dream...

February 11

Why Is Everyone So Concerned About Global Warming? by Reverend Tom Capo

Al Gore’s movie “An Inconvenient Truth” was very popular at the Movie Box Office. Cities and States are developing guidelines for air pollution. People are talking about Global Warming in coffee shops and around water coolers. Do we really need to pay attention to this issue as people of faith?

February 18

To Be Announced

Potluck - Noon

February 25

Our Unitarian Universalist United Nations Office by Mary Overton, Board Member of the UUUNO

Mary will preach on why we have an office at the United Nations and what Unitarians Universalists do at the United Nations.