Mourning the Darkness & Singing the Light of the Earth
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Story & Experience
This service was co-created by Radical Joy for Hard Times (me), the Green Sanctuary Committee (Wes Ernsberger), and the Covenant of Unitarian-Universalist Pagans (CUUPS—Jim Dwyer and Janice Lewis). We had invited members of the congregation to bring photos or images of places or species they cared about that were under threat, and everyone brought those forth in a ceremonial procession at the beginning of the service. Our service, which was tied in with the summer solstice, focused on the importance of balancing our feelings for the Earth. We recognized that we feel deep grief when Nature is hurt or endangered… and we are also constantly in awe of Nature’s beauty. The congregation also did a silent meditation outside, among UUCB’s lovely gardens. We strive toward allowing a balance of light and dark in ourselves, as the solstices and equinoxes teach us about the balance of light and dark in the skies.
This service was co-created by Radical Joy for Hard Times (me), the Green Sanctuary Committee (Wes Ernsberger), and the Covenant of Unitarian-Universalist Pagans (CUUPS—Jim Dwyer and Janice Lewis). We had invited members of the congregation to bring photos or images of places or species they cared about that were under threat, and everyone brought those forth in a ceremonial procession at the beginning of the service. Our service, which was tied in with the summer solstice, focused on the importance of balancing our feelings for the Earth. We recognized that we feel deep grief when Nature is hurt or endangered… and we are also constantly in awe of Nature’s beauty. The congregation also did a silent meditation outside, among UUCB’s lovely gardens. We strive toward allowing a balance of light and dark in ourselves, as the solstices and equinoxes teach us about the balance of light and dark in the skies.
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