forgiveness

Sunday, 26 January 2025: Are You Being or Becoming?

Robert
Black and white image of fish and birds blending into each other

Christians, for example, believe that each of us has an unchanging, permanent essence called the soul. Buddhists, however, believe that a core self is an illusion, and they focus instead on the anatman, or “not-self.” Even within the same philosophical tradition, such as that of the ancient Greeks, disputation on this issue went back and forth: Does the true essence of a person or thing reside in its unchanging nature, being, or in the fact that it is in flux, becoming. Plato argued the former; his student Aristotle, the latter.

— Arthur C. Brooks, “Are You a Platonist or an Aristotelian?”, The Atlantic, 24 October 2024

We currently conduct a full worship service on the first Sunday of each month, and discuss a different short reading each of the remaining Sundays.

On Sunday, 26 January, we will open with a very brief service and chalice lighting, followed by our discussion. Robert Helfer will lead the service and discussion. This week’s reading is “Are You a Platonist or an Aristotelian?”, by Arthur C. Brooks.

The article, “Are You a Platonist or an Aristotelian?”, can be found here. This is a gift copy of the article; you can read it without subscribing or logging in to The Atlantic.

All are welcome to participate.

**If you wish to join by ZOOM and do not already have the link, please email us at westforkuu@gmail.com**

Please Join us for Worship.

Our services are Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time on ZOOM and in person at the Progressive Women’s Association Event Center, 305 Washington Ave. in downtown Clarksburg, behind the Courthouse.

Children are welcome. The building is wheelchair accessible, with an accessible restroom. You may park in the lot on the west side of the building; DO NOT PARK in the Washington Avenue pay lot. Please enter through the door at the back on the west side of the building.

Map

A half hour for coffee, discussion, and socializing, including those who attend through ZOOM, follows from the end of the service until 12:00 noon. More about us.

If you have been a regular attendee and we had an email address for you, we have added you to our Google Group. If you have not gotten a group email already, please email westforkuu@gmail.com so that we can add you to the group. We encourage members to continue discussions through the week using the WFUU email group. Public announcements will continue to be posted here on the website and on our Facebook page as usual.

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

Sunday, 19 January 2025: Pardon, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation

Robert
Autumn Crocus

We can say that there might sometimes be an obligation to pardon. There is never an obligation to forgive. “Forgive” is from the Old English word forgyfan – “to give, grant, or bestow.” It’s a gift. It cannot be required. If it is forced or coerced or pressured, then it’s not a gift.

— Rev. Meredith Garmon, “Pardon, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation”, 17 November 2024

We currently conduct a full worship service on the first Sunday of each month, and discuss a different short reading each of the remaining Sundays.

On Sunday, 19 January, we will open with a very brief service and chalice lighting, followed by our discussion. Robert Helfer will lead the service and discussion. This week’s reading is a sermon , “Pardon, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation”, by Rev. Meredith Garmon of First Unitarian Church, Des Moines, IA.

The sermon, “Pardon, Forgiveness, and Reconciliation”, can be found here.

All are welcome to participate.

**If you wish to join by ZOOM and do not already have the link, please email us at westforkuu@gmail.com**

Please Join us for Worship.

Our services are Sundays at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time on ZOOM and in person at the Progressive Women’s Association Event Center, 305 Washington Ave. in downtown Clarksburg, behind the Courthouse.

Children are welcome. The building is wheelchair accessible, with an accessible restroom. You may park in the lot on the west side of the building; DO NOT PARK in the Washington Avenue pay lot. Please enter through the door at the back on the west side of the building.

Map

A half hour for coffee, discussion, and socializing, including those who attend through ZOOM, follows from the end of the service until 12:00 noon. More about us.

If you have been a regular attendee and we had an email address for you, we have added you to our Google Group. If you have not gotten a group email already, please email westforkuu@gmail.com so that we can add you to the group. We encourage members to continue discussions through the week using the WFUU email group. Public announcements will continue to be posted here on the website and on our Facebook page as usual.

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

Chalica 2017 Day One 

CZ

For each day of Chalica we will offer activities, some are fun and some are more reflecting, a chalice lighting, and a meditation. Gather everyone together, light the chalice, and breathe into the principles with us each day.

Activities:

  • Watch a Christmas Carol. (Scrooge learns an important lesson)
  • Make “I am Thankful for you because” cards for your friends and family.
  • Make nice notes, cookies, or a small craft for your neighbors, especially the ones you don’t get along with.
  • Write in a journal what the first principle means to you.
  • Spend time with people you don’t usually get along with, those with different religions, political views, or cultural identities. Find things you like about them
  • Go serve at a homeless shelter
  • Donate toys, blankets, or clothes to a shelter (do it in person so you can see who you are helping).
  • Write an apology letter to someone you hurt this year.
  • Write a letter of forgiveness to someone who hurt you this year.

Chalice Lighting: (If you don’t have a chalice at home, remember that the point of a chalice is that it is a symbol so any candle will work.)

Love can transform the world By Maureen Killoran

Love is the aspiration, the spirit that moves and inspires this faith we share.
Rightly understood, love can nurture our spirits and transform the world.
May the flame of this chalice honor and embody the power and the blessing of the love we need, the love we give, the love we are challenged always to remember and to share.

Meditation:
Our Meditation today is about Love. Focusing on love helps us to remember that each person is important.

Psalm 23 for This Moment by Kevin Tarsa

Here is a musical meditation as well. “Perfect” by P!nk is about knowing that you have worth and others have worth. Enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BIye98Ryic

Season’s Blessings,
Cricket

Sunday November 8, 2015

CZ

RE (Religious Education) will be at 10 am. Adults will continue Building your Theology and Children will focus on Relationships in What do you Stand for?

During our service this week,  we will focus on forgiveness and reconciliation. It has been said that forgiveness does not mean reconciliation and this is true. Our service will focus on the forgiving capabilities of our hearts and the act of reconciliation. Our service leader will be Cricket Hall.

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Have a good week. Hope to see you on Sunday.

~Namaste,
Cricket