Sunday, September 6, 2020: West Virginia Wildlife Center, French Creek

August 31, 2020August 30, 2020Robert

Elk at French Creek

We have Spiritual Outings on the first Sunday of each month during the summer. For this year’s fourth outing, we will gather for a celebration of summer, nature, and fellowship on Sunday, September 6, at the West Virginia State Wildlife Center at French Creek.

Please note that unlike most of the parks we visit, the Wildlife Center charges an admission fee from April 1 through October 31. Make sure you have cash to pay at the gate.

Adults 16 and over: $4
Children 6-15: $2
Children 5 and under: Free

During this time of covid-19 pandemic we are practicing appropriate social distancing; please wear a mask.

We will meet at 11 a.m. in the picnic area near the elk enclosure for a short worship service followed by a modified potluck picnic, conversation, walking, and touring the animal enclosures. We will be practicing social distancing and wearing masks. Bring food to share if you are able and wish to share; otherwise, just bring food for yourself and share our company.

We would love to have you come worship with us.

For a map, please use this link: https://goo.gl/maps/2DgtJDkMYHN2

Email westforkuu@gmail.com or use our contact form for more information or to carpool, or write to us at PO Box 523, Clarksburg WV 26302

Red Spotted Newt

Sunday August 30, 2020: The Great Showman

August 24, 2020November 22, 2020Robert

The noblest art is that of making others happy — P.T. Barnum

Welcome before prelude

Good morning and welcome to West Fork Unitarian Universalists. I’m Robert and I am blessed to serve this congregation as a lay leader. I’m glad to see all of you here today.

Thank you for joining us.

Let us use the prelude for centering. We are about to enter sacred time. We are about to make this time and this place sacred by our presence and intention.

Please silence your phones… and as you do so, I invite us also to turn down the volume on our fears; to remove our masks; and to loosen the armor around our hearts.

Breathe.

Let go of the expectations placed on you by others—and those they taught you to place on yourself.

Drop the guilt and the shame, not to shirk accountability, but in honest expectation of the possibility of forgiveness.

Let go of the thing you said the other day. Let go of the thing you dread next week. Be here, in this moment. Breathe, here

Prelude: Entry of the Gladiators, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus Band

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Sunday, August 23, 2020: Once More with Feeling: Repetition as Spiritual Practice

August 21, 2020August 21, 2020Robert

The little chores in our kitchens, bathrooms, living rooms, and outside surroundings become spiritual practices when they bring us back to ourselves. As Thorp puts it: “When you bring energy and attention to each of your activities, you are no longer engaged in maintenance. You’re involved in taking care of things.” – Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

We are forgoing meeting in person during the coronavirus epidemic, meeting instead through the magic of ZOOM. We share music, readings, and hymns on our usual presentation slides, have a story and a talk, and share joys and sorrows, as well as a virtual “coffee hour” discussion starting at 10:30, with the service at 11. If you prefer not to be seen, video is optional. If you would like to participate, please email westforkuu@gmail.com for details and a link, or for help with using ZOOM.

We would love to have you worship with us!

If you are a regular attendee, we have added you to our Google Group if we had an email address. If you have not gotten a group email already, please email westforkuu@gmail.com so that we can add you to the group, which we will be using for staying in touch with each other during this time. Public announcements will continue to be posted here on the website and on our Facebook page and Twitter account, as usual.

Once More with Feeling: Repetition as Spiritual Practice

August 13, 2020johnnyawwsome

We will be meeting on Zoom. We will have a gathering coffee time at 10:30am and the service will begin at 11:00am. If you prefer not to be seen, video is optional. If you would like to participate, please email westforkuu@gmail.com for details and a link, or for help with using Zoom.

We would love to have you worship with us!

Once More with Feeling: Repetition as Spiritual Practice

August 13, 2020johnnyawwsome

We would love to have you worship with us!

Sunday August 9, 2020: The Great Showman

August 7, 2020November 22, 2020Robert

The noblest art is that of making others happy — P.T. Barnum

Our forays into Unitarian and Universalist history normally focus on our heroes, the stars of social justice and liberal religion. But perhaps we need to be equally aware of our slightly less reputable past. This Sunday Robert Helfer will venture into the world of Phineas Taylor Barnum, Universalist, the master of “flimflam” behind the revelation that “there’s a sucker born every minute“

NOTICE: This service was postponed to Sunday, August 30, 2020.

Email westforkuu@gmail.com or use our contact form for more information or write to us at PO Box 523, Clarksburg WV 26302

Sunday, August 2, 2020: Audra State Park

July 27, 2020June 16, 2020Robert

: Swimming at Audra

We have Spiritual Outings on the first Sunday of each month during the summer. For this year’s third outing, we will gather for a celebration of summer and fellowship on Sunday, August 2, at Audra State Park.

During this time of covid-19 pandemic we are practicing appropriate social distancing; please wear a mask.

We will meet at 11 a.m. in the picnic area for a short worship service followed by a modified potluck picnic, conversation, walking, and possibly swimming. We will be practicing social distancing and wearing masks. Bring food to share if you are able and wish to share; otherwise, just bring food for yourself and share our company.

We would love to have you come worship with us.

For a map, please use this link: https://goo.gl/maps/dQZFRS2idTJ2

Email westforkuu@gmail.com or use our contact form for more information or to carpool, or write to us at PO Box 523, Clarksburg WV 26302

Curbing the Need to Be Right: Using Acceptance as a Tool for Spiritual Growth

July 21, 2020July 22, 2020johnnyawwsome

Logic, reason, and science are often at odds with the spritual and the divine. How do we honor the 3rd Principle to accept one another and encourage spiritual development in our faith communities? Sunday, July 26th, John Hall will attempt to thread this difficult needle in our principles and perhaps find some new tools for dealing with the discomfort of other people’s “wrong” ideas and how to grow from it.

We would love to have you worship with us!

Sunday, July 5, 2020: Watters Smith Memorial State Park

June 29, 2020June 16, 2020Robert

We have Spiritual Outings on the first Sunday of each month during the summer. For this year’s second outing, we will gather for a celebration of summer and fellowship on Sunday, July 5, at Watters Smith Memorial State Park.

During this time of covid-19 pandemic we are practicing appropriate social distancing; please wear a mask.

We will meet at 11 a.m. in the Pioneer shelter in the picnic area near the historical area for a short service, led by Bruce Bredden, followed by a modified potluck picnic, conversation, and walking. We will be practicing social distancing and wearing masks. Bring food to share if you are able and wish to share; otherwise, just bring food for yourself and share our company.

Please email westforkuu@gmail.com if you would like to carpool.

We would love to have you come worship with us.

Email westforkuu@gmail.com or use our contact form for more information

or write to us at PO Box 523, Clarksburg WV 26302

Sunday, June 21, 2020

June 17, 2020CZ

“Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves – slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future; live the actual moment. Only this moment is life.” ~Thich Nhat Hanh

This Sunday, John Hall will give a lesson entitled, “Mindfulness: Being Aware of Ourselves”

We are forgoing meeting in person during the coronavirus epidemic. We share music, readings, and hymns, on our usual presentation slides, have a story and a talk, and share joys and sorrows, as well as a virtual “coffee hour” discussion, starting at 10:30, with the service at 11. If you prefer not to be seen, video is optional. If you would like to participate, please email westforkuu@gmail.com for details and a link, or for help with using Zoom.

We would love to have you worship with us!