Spiritual Practices

Sunday, January 23, 2022

johnnyawwsome

“The Sabbath is to time what the tabernacle and temple are to space: a cathedral in time. On the seventh day, we experience in time what the temple and tabernacle represented in spaces, which is eternal life with God in a complete creation.” – Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, The Sabbath

This Sunday, Stacey Elza will give a lesson exploring the “cathedral in time” focusing on the spiritual practice of slowing down and taking Sabbath.

Please join us for worship.

We are forgoing meeting in person during the coronavirus epidemic, meeting
on 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.

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.

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

Sunday, 28 November, 2021: Making Inroads

Robert

I see the Anthropocene as something that demands that we humans see ourselves in a different way, as a partial cause of those changes. But I also see the Anthropocene as an interpellation to challenge the human as the key subject of history.

— Joanna Zylinska

This Sunday Phoebe Durst will be using Joana Zylinska’s writings on the Anthropocene to talk about “Making Inroads” on our spiritual practice..

Please Join Us for Worship.

We are forgoing meeting in person during the coronavirus epidemic, meeting on 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.

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.

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 September 2021: Bread and Roses

LdeG

As we go marching, marching, unnumbered women dead
Go crying through our singing their ancient call for bread.
Small art and love and beauty their drudging spirits knew.
Yes, it is bread we fight for, but we fight for roses too.

“Bread and Roses” – James Oppenheim, inspired by Helen Todd

“Bread and Roses” came from the labor struggles of the early 20th century, and during more than a century since, many have reminded us that our singular focus on economic and technological progress, reason, and individual rights is not just insufficient but soul-killing. But our focus as a society today, including liberal and social justice thought, is still on economics, power paradigms, and rights. Even the interpretation of “roses” has morphed into a call for dignity rather than art, love, and beauty. Lisa deGruyter will talk about what we are missing, and whether centering art, beauty, comfort and human flourishing rather than wealth; giving up left-wing conspiracy theories; and reclaiming solidarity, not just with our own, but with the world will help.

Join us for Worship:

After a year of virtual services, West Fork Unitarian Universalists were excited to resume in-person services the end of May. In light of the current surge in Covid-19 infections we resumed Zoom services in August.

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.

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.

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

Sunday, 29 August 2021: … and Repeat

Robert
  • Wet hair thoroughly
  • Massage shampoo into your scalp
  • Lather, leaving on your hair and scalp for several minutes
  • Rinse and repeat

— Directions on a bottle of shampoo

The thing about spiritual practice that I get wrong most often is that, well, it’s a practice. Spiritual practice, like practicing a musical instrument, requires repetition. Robert Helfer will lead the service.

This service was postponed from August 22 because of illness.

Join us for Worship:

After a year of virtual services, West Fork Unitarian Universalists were excited to resume in-person services the end of last May. Today we are saddened to announce that in light of the current surge in Covid-19 infections we must once again forgo meeting in person. Remote services resume on Sunday 29 August 2021.

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.

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.

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

Sunday, 22 August 2021: … and Repeat

Robert
  • Wet hair thoroughly
  • Massage shampoo into your scalp
  • Lather, leaving on your hair and scalp for several minutes
  • Rinse and repeat

— Directions on a bottle of shampoo

The thing about spiritual practice that I get wrong most often is that, well, it’s a practice. Spiritual practice, like practicing a musical instrument, requires repetition. Robert Helfer will lead the service.

Join us for Worship:

Our services are Sundays at 11 a.m.  at the Progressive Women’s Association Event Center, 305 Washington Ave. in downtown Clarksburg, behind the Courthouse. There are classes for children and adults 10 to 10:45 am, and a coffee gathering before the service. More about us.

Classes and worship are replaced by Spiritual Outings on the first Sunday of each month during the summer, with brief worship, a potluck picnic, and outdoor activities. The schedule is in the sidebar.

We would love to have you come worship with us.

Children are welcome.  There is childcare and an activity for young children during the service.

The building is wheelchair accessible, with an accessible restroom.

Map

The schedule for the current adult religious education class is here.

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 27, 2021

johnnyawwsome

“From the Greek word selig (which means blessed) comes the English word silly. I like to think that there is something sacred about the ability to be silly – to play – to laugh and be child-like.” – June Mack Maffin

Join us for Worship:

This Sunday, Cricket Hall will present a service about Play as a spiritual practice.

We are excited to be returning to in-person meetings on May 23 after meeting virtually since March 2020. We are experimenting with a simultaneous Zoomof the service.. If you would like to participate by Zoom, please email westforkuu@gmail.com for details and a link.

Our services are Sundays at 11 a.m.  at the Progressive Women’s Association Event Center, 305 Washington Ave. in downtown Clarksburg, behind the Courthouse. There are classes for children and adults 10 to 10:45 am, and a coffee gathering before the service. More about us.

We would love to have you come worship with us.

Children are welcome.  There is childcare and an activity for young children during the service.

The building is wheelchair accessible, with an accessible restroom.

Map

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

Sunday, May 30, 2021

johnnyawwsome

“Writers imagine that they cull stories from the world. I’m beginning to believe that vanity makes them think so. That it’s actually the other way around. Stories cull writers from the world. Stories reveal themselves to us. The public narrative, the private narrative – they colonize us. They commission us. They insist on being told. Fiction and nonfiction are only different techniques of storytelling. For reasons that I don’t fully understand, fiction dances out of me, and nonfiction is wrenched out by the aching, broken world I wake up to every morning.” – Arundhati Roy

Join us for Worship:

This Sunday, Cricket Hall will present a service titled “Writing our Own Stories”.

We are excited to be returning to in-person meetings on May 23 after meeting virtually since March 2020. We are experimenting with a simultaneous Zoomof the service.. If you would like to participate by Zoom, please email westforkuu@gmail.com for details and a link.

Our services are Sundays at 11 a.m.  at the Progressive Women’s Association Event Center, 305 Washington Ave. in downtown Clarksburg, behind the Courthouse. There are classes for children and adults 10 to 10:45 am, and a coffee gathering before the service. More about us.

We would love to have you come worship with us.

Children are welcome.  There is childcare and an activity for young children during the service.

The building is wheelchair accessible, with an accessible restroom.

Map

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

Sunday, 18 April, 2021: How Did I Get That So Wrong?

Robert

I’ve spent most of my life being wrong. Not about everything. Just about most things.

— Chuck Klosterman, But What If We’re Wrong? Thinking About the Present As If It Were the Past

Robert Helfer will lead the service.

Please Join Us for Worship.

We are forgoing meeting in person during the coronavirus epidemic, meeting on 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.

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.

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

Sunday, March 14, 2021

johnnyawwsome

“When the train stops, the woman said, you must get on it. But how will I know, the child asked, it is the right train? It will be the right train, said the woman, because it is the right time. A train approached the station; clouds of grayish smoke streamed from the chimney. How terrified I am, the child thinks, clutching the yellow tulips she will give to her grandmother. Her hair has been tightly braided to withstand the journey. Then, without a word, she gets on the train, from which a strange sound comes, not in a language like the one she speaks, something more like a moan or a cry.” – Louise Glück

This Sunday, Phoebe Durst will deliver a lesson on the spiritual practices of commitment.

Please Join us for Worship.

We are forgoing meeting in person during the coronavirus epidemic, meeting on 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.

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.

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