Spiritual Practice

​Our hope is that you find Unity Church to be a place where you can find and keep your balance, where you can find support to lead a loving life of integrity, service, and joy. Spiritual practice is a primary means of moving toward that goal and Unity Church offers a variety of ways to develop and deepen your spiritual practice.

What is a spiritual practice? The UU College of Social Justice has a beautiful explanation on their website that begins “Spiritual practices are the habits in our lives that center us, open our attention more fully, and nurture our connections to something larger than ourselves. . .” Read more on their website about the three common elements of spiritual practice: attention, intention, and repetition. As they explain, “. . . walking on the beach can be very healthy and relaxing; it can even give you a deep spiritual experience of connection. But it will become a spiritual practice only when it is done with awareness and intention, and is repeated consistently over a period of time.”
 
Want more about spiritual practice? Our Anderson Library has the book Everyday Spiritual Practice available to check out.

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Chalice Circles and Spiritual Practice Packets

Chalice Circles bring together groups of 8-10 committed participants with a trained leader to listen—to each other, to the world, and to their deepest selves—and develop a more intentional and authentic life. Each month, a packet of spiritual practice content related to the monthly theme is published for use by circle participants, and anyone in the congregation interested in reflecting more deeply on the theme. Get all the details including the 2023-24 spiritual practice packets.

2023-24 Themes
​September - Connecting
October - Confessing
November - Capacity
December - Compassion
January - Courage
February - Choosing
March - Creativity
April - Calling
May - Community
June - Cultivation

OCTOBER SPIRITUAL PRACTICE PACKET: CONFESSING

A Spiritual Practice to Feed Your Soul: Lectio Divina

Second Wednesday and Fourth Tuesday of each month, September-May
7:10 p.m., Online via Zoom
Register once, at any time, to attend any or all sessions
Participate in a centuries-old monastic practice of listening, contemplating, and responding to sacred texts; modified with poetry for Unitarian Universalist small group spiritual practice. Led by Lisa Wersal or Shelley Butler. A different poem at each session. On Wednesdays, you may join the Zoom from the Gannett Room at church. Questions? Contact Shelley at library@unityunitarian.org.

Sangha Practice

Tuesdays • 4:30-6:00 p.m. • Ames Chapel
At the heart of Buddhist practice is the commitment to awaken –- to step into our doubts and predicaments and hear the roaring of life at the still point of a turning universe. Through weekly practice of meditation, we discover a clarity of mind attentive and accountable to each moment of life’s flow, and touch the mystery of our original face. This group is open to anyone interested, no experience is necessary, and instructions will be provided. For more information, please contact Rev. KP Hong at kp@unityunitarian.org.

Kung Fu Practice

Saturdays • 9:00-11:00 a.m. • Online via Zoom
Please email Barney Kujawski to receive the link.
Our holistic self-defense practice invigorates the body, rejuvenates the spirit, and clears the mind. Explore our rich Five Animal Kung Fu (leopard, snake, tiger, crane, and dragon) to develop a personalized style that suits your temperament and body type. Beginners and experienced martial artist welcome! Be our guest and see if this is the right fit for you. 

UU Wellspring Sources Program

UU Wellspring is a year-long program of spiritual deepening connected to the Six Sources of our living Unitarian Universalist faith tradition. Through reading and reflection, daily spiritual practice, spiritual companionship, and small group process that holds space to hear our deepest thoughts, the UU Wellspring Sources program is a deeply meaningful way to explore what Unitarian Universalism means to you and how you want your faith to guide your life and your work for justice. ​

Minister Messages

For the first year and a half of the Covid-19 pandemic, Unity Church ministers provided five messages a week about spiritual practice. Watch them on YouTube invite us into a wide variety of meaningful practice. 

Spiritual Direction

Unity Church-Unitarian has a deep commitment to each person’s spiritual growth. We encourage each member to cultivate their inner life, to pay attention to the spirit within which enables us to open ourselves to compassion, to develop reverent and nurturing spiritual practice, to embrace the world with curiosity, welcome, and love. In this spirit, we seek to offer resources to our members which will support them in this journey. We invite you to explore the gifts that spiritual direction might bring. For more information about Spiritual Direction opportunities, please visit Grow Soul or contact Sarah Cledwyn at sarahcledwyn@gmail.com.