Wellsprings Congregation

In this companion episode to Rodney's Message "The Economy of Joy," Rodney highlights some songs that bring him joy.

Rev. Ken opens this week's message by taking a moment to talk about the recent passing of his father. He talks about the importance of play, and how sometimes competition can take play away from us. We can find joy when we look beyond winning or losing, and instead engage in self-directed, spontaneous, and creative play. He shares with us some examples of poorly but lovingly made cakes, and a story about an adult kickball team.

Beth begins this week by talking about the concept of "deserving joy." She remembers certain moments in her childhood where she experienced huge amounts of joy, and worrying that those feelings may have been lost. She reminds us that paying attention can lead to joy, but being busy, stressed, or not in the moment can cloud that feeling over. It's important to not ignore the bad things going on in the world, but - as Beth says - to grab a bucket and sing along with others as you work together to put the fire out.

We welcome five different speakers from our congregation - ranging in age from 9 to 96 - to answer the question from Mary Oliver: "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

Kathleen begins with a story about a child who knocks down a younger playmate, and who is asked an important question about kindness. She asks us to consider what happens when we experience joy. She reminds us of the parable of not hiding your light under a bushel, because the world needs all the light we can get right now. She offers us some advice from a Buddhist monk about how to find joy amidst sorrow. We also take a moment to remember a departed friend.

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Ken beings by telling a story from when he was three years old, and he made a funny comment about an older person. Our message series is called "God Laughs," based on the Yiddish saying "We plan, God laughs," and there is nothing more disruptive to our plans than death. He shares thoughts about a book called "No Cure For Being Human," written by a woman who discovered she had stage 4 cancer at age 35; and a story about a quote he saw on in a hospital chapel.

Beth begins by sharing a story from when she was a child and she experienced a near drowning.  She talks about how she thought she'd been standing on solid ground, but that it seemed to melt beneath her feet. This pandemic has felt very much like the sensation of the ground beneath your feet dissolving. She shares a story about a person refusing to leave a flooded home because they're clinging to a belief that they'll be saved. Finally, she reminds us of the importance of the fourth UU principle.

Rev. Lee begins by talking about the saga of the Maryland zebras on the loose. She then shares a story about a friend's baby learning the words of things in the world - dog, ant, goat, fish - and how naming these things once calmed him down in the middle of a bad crying fit. This is actually a powerful tool for bringing someone out of an anxiety attack. She talks a bit about what it means to heal, and how that process will look different for everyone.

This week, Rev. Ken begins by talking about the concept of "yucking someone else's yum." He also reflects on the meaning of nervous laughter and sarcasm, and shares a story about a time when he laughed nervously while making a 911 call. A concept called "The four horsemen of relationship apocalypse" is shown, as is a story about a man who suffered from OCD as a child.

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This week, Rev. Lee shares stories of things that are held together in unconventional ways. She shares stories from a colleague who have a late 90s Suburban - now held together with duct tape as more and more systems fail over the years - and a colleague who keeps what remnants she still has of her baby blanket in a small ceramic container. We find ways of holding things together when they mean something to us.

This week, our Message begins with a story about Beethoven. Rev. Ken remarks on how apropos our new message series, “God Laughs,” is this week, since we are not gathered together in Bell Hall like we were just a week ago. This message seried gets its name from a Yiddish proverb “We plan, God laughs.” He talks about the importance of keeping covenants with one another, even though we realize that plans may fall through. This was demonstrated recently when Steve Burns, host of Blues Clues, made a video to thank his fans years after he abruptly left the beloved TV show.

Rev. Lee begins by remembering how much has changed since the beginning of the pandemic, and holding space for the people we’ve lost. She also talks about the song we sang during service, “Hard Times.” It tells us that the answer to hard times is to dance. Rev. Ken also speaks. He shares a post from an Episcopal priest who commented on their own husband’s twitter post thinking he was a “random stranger,” for lack of paying attention. He emphasizes that we are not inherently flawed, but originally blessed. He also explains how we can continue a beloved ritual even during a pandemic.

Chris begins this week's service by talking about the nature of happiness. He highlights the Kurt Vonnegut quote "If this isn't nice, what is?" He also brings up the concept of tragic optimism, which means being clear-eyed about a situation, while remaining hopeful. He concludes with The Five Remembrances of Buddhism. He goes through each and explains how - even though some of them might seem gloomy on the surface - they can hold the key to happiness.

This week, Rev. Ken begins by talking about he voices of loved ones on answering machines. Minari is a movie about a Korean family's move to rural Arkansas during the 80s, and Rev. Ken remarks on how poignant it was to watch this movie during the pandemic, when hatred against people of Asian descent is still continuing. Ultimately, this is a movie about connective love in the midst of discouraging circumstances Also shared is a Twitter thread that went viral, full of people encountering lost loved ones on the images in Google Maps.

Rev. Lee begins with speaking about last week’s in-person service. She also speaks to the times we’re living in right now: parents deciding what to do about school, and all of us watching the scenes in Afghanistan unfold. In talking about this week’s series, The White Lotus, she remarks upon the different ways in which we try to escape. Sometimes they’re healthy and sometimes they’re unhealthy – but all are temporary. She asks us to consider how we react when we are faced with uncomfortable situations.

This week, Carol Breslin, our YouthSpirit Director talks about the themes and meanings in the much-loved Nickelodeon series, Avatar: the Last Airbender. Miss Carol and the YouthSpirit kids have been watching this series together throughout the summer, and linking the 7 UU Principles to lessons learned in each episode.

Lee revisits one of the classics this week by talking about The Wizard of Oz. At its heart, this is a story about a girl who experiences trauma (literal head trauma, in her case) and spends much of the rest of the story trying to determine when and how things will feel safe again. This is very much what we’ve experienced in the pandemic. She also talks about the meaning of the Arabic word “Inshallah” and shares a poem contemplating its meaning.

Rodney talks about the first time he saw the movie Grease on vacation with a friend when he was 14. He mentions that when we are on vacation, we’re almost like different people. We go outside of our comfort zone, and we’re more present and mindful in our day to day because everything is new. Grease is a movie about a romance that began on a vacation. While some parts of the movie may seem silly, especially now, at its heart, it’s a movie about two people working on a relationship. They each discover new aspects of themselves as they build a meaningful partnership.