June – Fire “At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us.” –Albert Schweitzer Reflect on a person who rekindled your spark when you needed it the most. Is … Continued
May– Ritual Your ritual this month is one of gratitude and mindfulness. At sunrise—if you are an early bird—or sunset, if you prefer—take a moment to look at the sky. Stop the hustle and bustle and go outside if at all possible, for at least one brief minute. Breathe. Look at the sun rising or … Continued
April – And Yet (Easter) The Sufi tradition and Jewish folklore have stories about a phrase that is true in all situations; these words bring joy to sad moments and sadness to joyful moments. This profound phrase is: “This too shall pass.” Find ways to say “this too shall pass” in sad and happy moments … Continued
March 12, 2020 Dear Follen members and friends, Since last week, The COVID-19 pandemic has spread rapidly around the world. Our MA Department of Public Health has now advised that we avoid large gatherings. More information and requests from the Lexington Department of Public Health and Lexington Public Schools may be shared tonight via … Continued
February – Loyalty This is a juicy one. One synonym of loyalty is fidelity: faithfulness. We can be faithful to a person, an ideal, a promise, a way of life… We can be faithful spouses, faithful friends, faithful recyclers… there are a lot of ways to practice loyalty and fidelity. Faithfulness is something many humans … Continued
Has life taught you some hard-won lessons? Do you have a story to tell? Has your spiritual life grown and deepened over the years? Have you ever watched someone preach and thought “I could never do that!” This class is for you! Rev. Claire will lead you through a 6 session course, during which participants will support each other … Continued
March 3, 2020 Dear Follen Members and Friends, As infections from the COVID-19 coronavirus spread, it is important that we also spread information on how to prepare for and prevent this disease in our community and congregation. There is information about COVID-19 everywhere; two excellent resources are a recent New York Times podcast, and … Continued
January – Perspective “Objects in mirror are closer than they appear.” That’s what the side-view mirror in the car tells us every time we check our blind spots. This exercise is to check your blind spots—that is, the ones you know about. How has a change in perspective (or in knowledge, experience, age, authority, etc) … Continued
October Spiritual Exercise: Faith Let’s reflect on a very personal component of faith. Have you ever had a mystical experience? An experience, most likely quite brief, in which you felt something like: one-ness, connectedness, euphoria, deep joy, deep peace, epiphany, ecstasy, flight, presence, understanding, communion with God, ultimate reality, oceanic feeling? (To list just … Continued
Regret; repent; return; renew; and begin again. In honor of the Jewish holy time of Rosh Hashanah, beginning this month on September 29, have an encounter with the ritual Tashlich, Hebrew for “cast off.” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tashlikh. You can do this ritual on your own, or with your covenant group. (Rev. Claire does it with her … Continued
