Minister's page
Another New Year. I have celebrated twice already. Many cultures begin their new year in the autumn when the last harvest is gathered in. We in the Unitarian Earth Spirit Network take the winter solstice as the start of a new year, because it is the time when the sun appears to be stationary over the Tropic of Capricorn, before it starts to move northwards again pushing light and warmth to the northern half of the world..
In December my sermons were about Advent and so were some of the ones I heard. We seem to have been intrigued with the theme of journeying towards events that were to be the start of great changes. The story of the journey towards Christmas is easy to translate into one of everyday life. We are all journeying somewhere, that is what life is - a journey. But where are we going and why are we going and what is going to happen when we get there? Set these journeys into a day or a week or a year or a lifetime, the same questions should always be asked. Unitarians have always focussed on the biblical exhortation to show your faith by doing good works. Since their beginnings they have journeyed along doing their good works in a multiplicity of ways depending on their own skills or circumstances. They have not journeyed alone. They have journeyed because they also have an inner faith that seems to compel them. We say it doesn't matter what that faith is so long it is not based on creating harm in the world.
If you are going to make resolutions this new year about you weight, or smoking, or drinking, or going to church, please add another one - to continue the spiritual journey and along the way show your faith by doing good works. I wish you all a happy and successful journey through the coming year.
Tony
Worship Page
The seventh day was created as a day of rest, the good book says, but that day has been absorbed into the working week and taken away from us. The world no longer sleeps, the people have no quiet. The rhythm of life has no rests. The world is mostly lit up during the darkness that is supposed to be rest from the day. The commercial light of the outside world is so different from the peaceful spiritual light of the inner world.
Seven is a special number, some say a sacred number. As we live day by day in this seven days a week of life burning world, the colours of life can be bleached to grey.
Let us try to restore the number seven as a symbol of rest. No matter how busy, how pushed for time, introduce a seventh bar rest in the music of life. If you can make it a seven bar rest, why not?
In the gospel story Jesus took himself a way off from the disciples to be on his own and pray. Why don't we?
Seven was the jubilee year of forgiveness. If you were to take a fraction of that time for prayer or reflection you allow the light of the divine world to flow in. Peace of mind, peace of heart can be rediscovered, stamina is restored. May the spirit of holiness find a place to enter your heart when it is resting and fill your life with joy.
Prayer
Pray for yourself but afterwards let us pray for others. Let us pray for the refugees and the victims of warfare and pray that they can find safe havens. Let us pray for the fighters that they will lay down their arms and come to embrace their enemies as friends, learn that war will always end in peace and then a conference. Let us pray for the peacemakers who know that violence brings death not life to the innocent.
Let us pray for every heart that is troubled, that is derailed from the spiritual path, or sees no path at all. May those troubled hearts be taken under the protection of the Angels and the footsteps guided towards the sanctuary of love.
Let us pray for our loved ones, family and friends and wish each one of the peace and joy for the coming year. May each of us have a prayerful and positive life in the year ahead.
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