The seeds we plant today become the trees of tomorrow. In our time on this earth together, we are creating the earth our grandchildren will play on. If it could talk to you today, what would the year 2050 tell you about how we survived, how we even thrived, on the journey from now till then? Join us for this Earth Day service where we celebrate the joy of the earth and dream of the seeds we will plant to nourish our children’s children.

Buddhist principles teach us to be here now, present to all that is without judgement or attachment. In this intense and full world, how can we be present to what is without spinning in circles? Join us for this worship service where we explore slowing down by paying attention to the beauty in front of us, directing our attention to where we want to spend our energy.

What was your journey into Unitarian Universalism? Was it a smooth journey? For example, some of the members of this church have been life-long Unitarian Universalists (UU) and have not had to endure leaving some other faith traditions that might have been difficult, even traumatic. Yet others have been UU for many years now and have navigated transitions from other faith communities into this one. It is also true that some made their way into this faith tradition and into First Unitarian Society of Milwaukee with little or no formal religious experience. For some of us, transitioning and considering becoming a UU has been difficult, even traumatic

As finite creatures, we cannot hold everything. While we believe in the ultimate transformation and liberation of all people, we cannot pay attention to every single thing all at once. When the pressures of the world feel infinite, we can surrender to the truth of our finitude, take responsibility for our corner of the earth, and let the infinite hold the rest. Join us for this worship service where we commit ourselves to the finite, and let the infinite hold the rest.

Buddhist principles teach us to be here now, present to all that is without judgement or attachment. In this intense and full world, how can we be present to what is without spinning in circles? Join us for this worship service where we explore slowing down by paying attention to the beauty in front of us, directing our attention to where we want to spend our energy.

Creating authentic connections with people means being present to them AND ourselves at the same time. We have to be able to look inward and notice what is going on in our hearts at the same time we are showing up and witnessing the human being in front of us, which is a lot of attention! Join us for this worship service where we explore how to build authentic community by paying attention to self and other.

Resilience is a funny thing in some situations. It does not come out of a bag you can dip into when needed, it is an ongoing practice, a toolbox of sorts. We cannot use all of the same approaches to life’s challenges over and over. Using the same approaches over and over, may lose their effectiveness over time.

What practices do you engage in to restore balance in life, resilience, especially when life gives you more lemons that seem possible to bear? How might we explore the power of ancestral wisdom, art, beauty and rest to create even more forms of resilience for the lives we are leading?

When people say, “you’re so resilient,” it means you’ve been going through it. We figure out how to survive hard times, whether we are ready or not. The key to making it through, is to keep going. Join us for this encouraging service where we celebrate our adaptability, name survival tools, and cheer one another on to get to the other side.

In community, we create a shared story which shapes us and the future like magic. Our connection to our people draws us out of ourselves and builds individual and collective resilience. The diversity of our stories and understandings strengthens us and gives us power. Join us for this Pledge Drive Kick Off service where we explore the power of mutual aid to build our communal and collective resilience.

Being steadfast in one’s moral and spiritual convictions despite overwhelming outside pressures to do otherwise is one of the hallmarks of a faithful life, including for Unitarian Universalists. How do the learnings of our spiritual ancestors help inform our own resilience and commitment to Love in these troubling times?