January’s Theme: The Practice of Story
UUSRF is following the UUA curriculum Soul Matters this year. Each month has a theme and accompanying resources.
It’s dangerous…
to tell yourself that stories are tame;
to treat them as something that lives only between the covers of a book;
to think of them as something that can be easily kept on a shelf, taken down
and put back up as we see fit.
Stories are wilder than that and more powerful. This month is all about remembering that power. Indeed, who of us hasn’t felt controlled by a story? Stuck in a story? Hopeless about the way our story will end up? Simply put, our stories often write us as much as we write them.
Dec. 29 New Year’s Resolutions Maureen Ash and Alison Page
As we prepare to make the new year better than the one we are currently experiencing, maybe we should reflect on the past and use it to map the path we intend to take in 2025. In this service we will talk about the things that have made us feel alive, proud, energized, challenged and how we can work to enhance those experiences in the coming year.
Jan. 5 “Where I’m From” Alison Page
Poet George Ella Lyon wrote a beautiful poem called, Where I’m From. You can read it here and listen to it here. Over the years, thousands of writers, students and religious groups (including Soul Matters groups) have used her poem’s structure to write their own version. It’s a powerful way to explore and gain new insight into the story of where you are from. Here is a template that you can use to write your own “Where I’m From” poem/story. Bring your story to share with society members on Sunday.
Poetry Group meets after the service.
Jan. 12 Kinni River Land Trust Steve Leonard (KRLT) Outdoor Vocational Skills for the Disabled The Kinnickinnic River Land Trust (KRLT) is piloting a program for disabled individuals to learn outdoor vocational skills. UWRF Social Work Intern Emmaline Weist is helping KRLT lead this initiative. Our goal is to create a program where local disabled students and adults learn job skills as they help collect prairie seeds, propagate prairie plants and oak seedlings, make seed bombs, build bird houses, etc. working with KRLT on habitat restoration efforts and homeowners/businesses wanting pollinator gardens in their own yards. This spring semester, KRLT is working with River Falls High School and reaching out to similar programs to understand the possibilities as we seek out partners and funding. It’s a vision to build meaningful skills in individuals who want to work in an outdoor setting as well as protect our local natural resources.
Jan. 19 “The Story My Cancer Tells” Paula Lugar
Cancer: What does it mean? Is it a death sentence? Is it a wakeup call? Is it perhaps the story of one’s life?
Paula learned a great deal about cancer in Mexico where she underwent treatments not available in the United States and received a big dose of hope through the practice of German New Medicine. She will be sharing information about cancer as she now sees it. For the curious, here’s a website to visit before the service https://learninggnm.com/
Poetry group meets after the service.
January 19 Board Election Agenda – UUSRF will hold a short special meeting after the service on January 19, 2025 to elect a member to fill the open board position. Maureen Ash has volunteered for this position. Society members are encouraged to attend the January 19 service and cast a vote. An absentee ballot and proxy authorization for those unable to attend the meeting are available HERE.
Jan. 26 “The Story of the Three Vehicles of Buddhism” Shinko Rick Slone Buddhism is traditionally divided into three “vehicles”: the Hinayana, the Mahayana, and the Vajrayāna. Shinko will present in brief the development and teaching of these three vehicles and how they relate to the transformation of the self.
Feb. 2 “Three Stories of Love” Maureen Ash The UU theme for February is Inclusion, which is a kind of love. February is a month during which we think about romantic love, but there are so many kinds of love. Maureen Ash will read a few of her stories that illustrate types of love—parental, community, romantic. Poetry Group meets after the service.
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There are recorded UUSRF Sunday services on our Youtube channel.
https://www.youtube.com/@unitarianuniversalistsocie1847/videos