Monthly Theological Theme ResourcesThe life of a congregation is a rich community tapestry of people, programs, ministries and worship. We lift up the patterns of this tapestry at Unity Church with the threads of monthly themes woven through our worship and programming. These themes deepen our understanding of our own faith and strengthen our bonds with one another in religious community. In each new church year, following a three-year cycle, the monthly themes run from September through the following June. We explore each theme in worship and in our newsletter; in covenant groups, guided writing sessions and Wednesday evening programming; and in our community outreach ministries, our literary journal and programs, and many other opportunities.
December 2019: ReverenceNewsletter Reflection
BOOKS Reverence: Renewing a Forgotten Virtue by Paul Woodruff What Does It Mean to be Human: Reverence for Life Reaffirmed by Responses from Around the World, ed. Frederick Franck, Janis Roze, and Richard Connolly Doors in the Air, a children’s book, by David Weale and Pierre Pratt POETRY Behind My Eyes by Li-Young Lee MOVIES Harold and Maude (1971) The Music of Strangers: Yo-Yo Ma & the Silk Road Ensemble (2017) In the Light of Reverence (clip from 2016 PBS feature: https://to.pbs.org/35aWV6e) November 2019: GratitudeNewsletter Reflection
POETRY “Thanks” by W.S. Merwin: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/57937/thanks BOOKS The Gift: Creativity and the Artist in the Modern World by Lewis Hyde The Thankful Book, a children’s book, by Todd Parr WEBSITE A Network for Grateful Living, founded by David Steidl-Rast, encouraging a spiritual practice of gratefulness. (gratefulness.org) MOVIES A Muppet Christmas Carol (1992) October 2019: ForgivenessNewsletter Reflection
BOOKS No Future without Forgiveness by Desmond Tutu Four Ways to Forgiveness, short stories by Ursula K. Le Guin Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling I’m Sorry, children’s book by Sam McBratney, illustrated by Jennifer Eachus "A Case for Reparations," article by Ta Nehisi-Coates MOVIES Lady Bird (2017) The Tale of Despereaux (2008), based on the children's book by Kate DiCamillo September 2019: BelongingNewsletter Reflection
BOOKS Go, Went, Gone, novel by Jenny Erpenbeck (2017) Identity and Violence: The Illusion of Destiny by Amartya Sen (2006) The Golden Compass, novel by Philip Pullman (1996) Belonging: Remembering Ourselves Home by Toko-pa Turner (2017) MOVIES Mulan, 1998 animated movie The Point, 1971 animated movie June 2019: WisdomNewsletter Reflection
BOOKS Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison (1977) Heart Sutra, Translation and commentary by Red Pine (2005) Holy Envy by Barbara Brown Taylor (2019) MOVIE The Mustang (2019) May 2019: PeaceNewsletter Reflection
CHILDREN'S BOOKS The Peace Book by Todd Parr I Am Peace: A Book of Mindfulness by Susan Verde Wangari's Trees of Peace: A True Story from Africa by Jeanette Winter BOOK Peace Is Every Step: The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life by Thich Nhat Hanh April 2019: FreedomNewsletter Reflection
BOOKS Common Sense by Thomas Paine (2018 reprint) Making All Black Lives Matter: Reimagining Freedom in the Twenty-First Century by Barbara Ransby (2018) Voice of Freedom: Fannie Lou Hamer: The Spirit of the Civil Rights Movement by Carole Boston Weatherford (2015) A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf (1989 reprint) MOVIES 13th: A Documentary (2016) Free Solo (2018) March 2019: SurrenderNewsletter Reflection
BOOKS The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion (2007) How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence by Michael Pollan (2018) The Dark Interval: Letters on Loss, Grief, and Transformation by Rainer Maria Rilke (2018) The Silent Cry: Mysticism and Resistance by Dorothee Sölle (2001) February 2019: ParadiseNewsletter Reflection
MOVIES Cinema Paradiso (1988) TELEVISION The Good Place (2016-present) BOOKS Justice on Earth: People of Faith Working at the Intersections of Race, Class, and the Environment by Jennifer Nordstrom (2018) A Different Pond by Bao Phi (2017) The Overstory by Richard Powers (2018) January 2019: JusticeDecember 2018: WonderPhotography can be a spiritual practice. Taking pictures with intentionality -- being open to glimpses of grace and wonder in the world -- is a spiritual practice. A recent Wellspring Wednesday asked participants to look for wonder in the everyday. These photographs spring from the daily practice of taking a moment to focus, to stop and pay attention, to notice the beauty in the world around us. Feel free to participate in the practice even if you were not at the workshop. Send your photos to kathryn@unityunitarian.org to be included in the slideshow.
Newsletter Reflection
BOOKS The Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague by Geraldine Brooks (2002) Ten Poems to Change Your Life by Roger Housden (2001) Infinite Wonder: An Astronaut's Photographs from a Year in Space by Scott Kelly (2018) CHILDREN'S BOOKS How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss (1957) Wonder by R.J. Palicious (2016) Everywhere, Wonder by Matthew Swantson (2017) November 2018: CovenantNewsletter Reflection
BOOKS More Together than Alone: Discovering the Power and Spirit of Community in Our Lives and in the World by Mark Nepo (2018) CHILDREN'S BOOKS Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney (1985) Mother Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins (2015) MOVIES In America (2002) The Incredibles (2004) Another Year (2010) ONLINE Brittany Packnett, The UUA 2018 Ware Lecture: https://www.uua.org/ga/off-site/2018/ware October 2018: LongingNewsletter Reflection
BOOKS The Myth of the Eternal Return: Cosmos and History by Mircea Eliade (1954) 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez (1967) CHILDREN'S BOOK Zen Shorts by Jon Muth (2005) MOVIES Coco (2017) The Visitor (2007) September 2018: FaithNewsletter Reflection
BOOKS The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer (reprinted, 1995) An Altar in the World: A Geography of Faith by Barbara Brown Taylor (2010) Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation by Parker Palmer (1999) Faith: Trusting Your Own Deepest Experience by Sharon Salzberg (2003) MOVIES The Martian (2015) Selma (2014) ONLINE On Being: The Meaning of Faith (2004) Anne Lamott, Sharon Salzberg, Lawrence Kushner |
The links below contain a list of resources for each theme. Each document contains additional links that will direct you to the original resources.
CURRENT YEAR 2019-20
September: Belonging
October: Forgiveness November: Gratitude December: Reverence January: Brokenness February: Repair March: Resilience April: Integrity May: Thresholds June: Blessing Year 1 ThemesSeptember: Unity
October: Forgiveness November: Gratitude December: Repair January: Resistance February: Prayer March: Sin April: Redemption May: Blessing June: Sabbath Year 2 ThemesSeptember: Vocation
October: Sacrifice November: Pilgrimage and Pilgrims December: Incarnation January: Courage February: Love March: Brokenness April: Transformation/Resurrection May: Hope June: Belonging Year 3 ThemesSeptember: Faith
October: Longing November: Covenant December: Wonder January: Justice February: Paradise March: Surrender April: Freedom May: Peace June: Wisdom This was the last full cycle (2018-19) before the one off of 2019-20. Year 4 ThemesSeptember: Hospitality
October: Reverence November: Grace December: Waiting January: Authority February: God March: Suffering April: Compassion May: Transcendence June: Awakening |
© Unity Church-Unitarian • 733 Portland Avenue, Saint Paul, MN 55104 • 651-228-1456 • unity@unityunitarian.org • A Welcoming Congregation
