Tiny Shifts

"Release to Receive: Part 2" (8/30/20)

Rev. Gretchen Haley, our Senior Minister, reflects on Collective Release. She asks, “What does it mean for us to be focused on release and letting go?” 
She discusses how the intentional acknowledgment of what is ending, and the release of what we are holding will help us stay connected both to what’s happening around us and what’s happening within us.
This reflection leads us directly into the Water Communion Final Ceremony, filmed on the patio of our Foothills campus where we have not been in together since March 8, 2020 before the full arrival of the pandemic.
Permission to stream music in these services obtained from One License (A-736246) and Christian Copyright Solutions (9214).

"Release to Receive: Part 1" (8/30/20)

Rev. Gretchen Haley, our Senior Minister, introduces us to the ritual of Water Communion. Explaining how this ritual is rooted in the 1980’s feminist movement within Unitarian Universalism.
 
Rev. Gretchen then reflects on what it means to release to receive. She says, “We release
so that we can receive the gifts present here and now.” She goes on to say, “As we pour the water, we release the stories of the past
onto the altar of our shared community,
symbolized in the shared collection of our water.”
 
This reflection leads us directly into the Water Communion Community Ceremonies.
 
You can learn more about the history of Water Communion at https://www.uua.org/worship/holidays/water-communion/original-water-ritual.
 
Permission to stream music in these services obtained from One License (A-736246) and Christian Copyright Solutions (9214).

"Where We Start From" (8/23/20)

Our Senior Minister, Rev. Gretchen Haley, begins our Re-Opening (Your Heart) series by leading us in a ritual of naming what has ended. She talks about how endings are not finalities, but are actually a place to start from.
 
You can go deeper by reading the book “Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes” by William Bridges. Learn more and buy the book at https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/159615.Transitions

"Question Everything" (8/16/20

What are the big questions on your mind and heart these days? In each segment, Rev. Gretchen Haley, our Senior Minister, and Rev. Sean Neil-Barron, our Associate Minister, have 12 minutes to answer as many questions from the congregation as they can. (Both parts together in this podcast.)

"Elaine Answers Questions" (8/16/20)

Rev. Elaine has only six minutes to answer as many questions as possible about herself and her ministry. 
This is a great opportunity for congregants to learn more about our newest staff member.

"Faith for All Seaons" (8/9/20)

Rev. Kelly Dignan, Spiritual Companion, continues our Good News of Unitarian Universalism series by asking the question “Why do bad things happen, and how are Unitarian Universalists comforted when they do?”
 
Visit https://www.kellydignan.com/ to learn more about Rev. Kelly.
 
Check out the book referenced in the homily at https://www.amazon.com/faith-all-seasons-Liberal-religion/dp/B0006EVA86
 

"What We Can Save" (8/2/20)

Rev. Lee Paczulla, Executive Minister at Wellsprings Congregation, continues our Good News of Unitarian Universalism series with this heart-felt homily centered around the idea of saving what we love instead of fighting what we hate.
 
You can learn more about Rev. Lee and Wellsprings Congregation at http://www.wellspringsuu.org/new/.

"Shaping Change" (7/26/20)

On Rev. Kristen Psaki’s last worship service with Foothills Unitarian Church, she offers this two-part reflection on the lessons and insights she has learned at our congregation and how we changed her and each other.
 
Check out Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower https://www.betterworldbooks.com/product/detail/Parable-of-the-Sower-9780446675505
 
And if you’re already familiar with Butler’s work, dive deeper with this podcast, Octavia’s Parables: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/octavias-parables/id1519024926