Stillness

Inner Peace and Stillness

johnnyawwsome

Breathed into the World by Rev. Sandra Fees

Whoever you are, wherever you go,

May you know the stillness of winter

and the call to love.

May you see the moon

silvering the night sky

and let the dark of midnight

plunge you into your truest self

and fling you back out again

to a world in need of who you are.

May there be the familiar carols

you know by heart

and new melodies to set you free.

May there be feasting and frolicking,

kindness and wonderment.

And may there be wise people

to follow a star in the East

and a child to teach us to love

and enough magic

to let the imagination go wild,

to let Christmas arrive with its enchantments,

with its glitter, glow, and gold,

to let what wants to be born break through.

May the presence of the holy

crowd out fear, hate, and worry

and proclaim in this moment

that peace and goodwill might yet

be breathed into the world,

and avow that we too can give birth to love,

wherever we go, whoever we are.

Sunday, December 27, 2020

CZ

“The Joy of brightening other lives, bearing each others’ burdens, easing each other’s loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of the holidays.” – W. C. Jones

This Sunday, Cricket Hall will give a lesson titled “Putting the Holy back in the holidays.”


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.

Please Join us for Worship. And make sure you have a candle for a special meditation.


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


Mysticism is part of Stillness

johnnyawwsome

“What does it mean to be still and know I am God? The instruction to be still in Hebrew means to let go, stop striving, slacken and let drop. It’s a picture of loosening our clenched grip on the circumstances and outcome and trusting God… I’m the first to admit that being still goes against my instinct. We are fixers.  We want to make it happen and just keep pushing through. But the call to be still is a call to surrender.” – Lisa Apello

In This Time of Waiting (Advent Prayer) by Cricket Hall

Close-up study of a fir branch, with green needles

In this time of waiting, may we hold the world in our hearts.

In this time of waiting, may we hold each other’s hands.

In this time of waiting, may we be thoughtful and introspective.

In this time of waiting, may we delight in the darkness and all it teaches us.

In this time of waiting, may we rekindle the fires of hope, love, joy, and peace within ourselves and our communities.

In this time of waiting, may we become ready for the coming day.

Just Breathe

johnnyawwsome

Breath Meditation by Rev. Samuel A Trumbore

Let us turn inward now

Feel the rhythm of the breath.

In and out, In and out,

Find the peace of just being with the flow of the breath.

Letting go of yesterday and tomorrow.

Feel the restorative power of the peace of this moment.

A peace, large enough to open

to the concerns and sorrows that trouble us.

A stillness, quiet enough to respond

to the joys and celebrations that enliven us.

There is safety here in the rhythm of the breath.

The ebb and flow of life is enacted with each one.

Taking in oxygen sustenance,

Letting go of carbon dioxide waste.

Taking in the fullness of experience

Letting go of the residue that wants to cling to us.

Cultivate inner peace and inner safety

in this sanctuary

dedicated to cultivating the Spirit of Life

dedicated to being a beacon of love for all beings.

Sunday, December 13, 2020

johnnyawwsome

“The culture is telling us to go faster and faster, cram more and more into less and less time. One of the main benefits of slowing down is we start to get to know ourselves better; we find and forge the right path for us through life.” – Carl Honoré

This Sunday, Cricket Hall will give a lesson titled “Chalica: Seeking Joy and Stillness in the Principles”


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.

Please Join us for Worship.


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

Glitter Mindfulness Jars

johnnyawwsome

“When we hear the word “stillness” we immediately think of it as the opposite of movement – but stillness is something quite different altogether. Stillness is an energetic quality of being… Stillness is a choice. It can be felt by living in a state of presence where we remain connected to ourselves and are completely present in our body… In this quality of presence there is something that ‘stands still’, but it is not absent of physical movement. Rather, it is our beingness that remains unaffected by any movement, action or doing even though it moves, acts and does. It is the depth of the ocean unaffected by its waves. It is the ability to surrender to our inner-heart and live from here in all that we do. Therefore, Stillness is not something we have to go in search of nor is it a journey into escapism or numbness. It is where we come from and what we are innately made of and thus it is our natural state of being.” – Serge Benhayon

A fun activity – Make Glitter Mindfulness Jars