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"one hand opens in grief, the other in gratitude
pressing them together to pray” ~ Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer Unitarian Universalism is pluralistic faith and a living tradition. At UUCO, this means we offer a spiritual community that holds sacred and secular space for believers and non-believers of all sorts. Prayer seems like a fraught endeavor for many and often we might disagree on the “how” and “why” of it. To whom or what do we pray as Unitarian Universalists? The answer, of course is, “It’s complicated.” Personally, I’m a big fan of prayer- whether it’s an utterance or shout of words, a dance of the spirit, a stroll through nature, a song chanted on repeat, or the focused meditative practice of voicing mantra. I pray in color-doodling on paper words or symbols to put my thoughts out into the universe. My friend Stephen says that spell work is prayer with props. I think ritual is a kind of prayer. My definition of prayer as a UU is wide open and I like that. While I love to pray and think it’s generally a good practice, I’ve also seen prayer weaponized or used as an excuse to avoid personal responsibility. “Thoughts and prayers” have been mumbled to bypass or minimize tragedy by those with power who choose to offer empty words but no action. Effective prayer is a focusing practice to help one make sense of a situation or give hope when no sense can be made. Some prayers should activate us and help us work towards our highest good. Other prayers can be offered in grief when you don’t know what else to do and sometimes that’s all you can do- just pray. And holy smokes! Sometimes prayer is simply a moment to express gratitude. In just thirteen words, poet Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer expresses the complexity of life and how prayer is a practice that reminds us that we contain multitudes. Grief and gratitude, being open to receiving all that life offers, then bringing it all close to our hearts. This November, this is much to grieve: The loss of democracy, the erosion of kindness, the despair felt when lacking resources for people to be able to feed and shelter their families because a livable wage is not a right in this country. This November, there is also much to be grateful for: friendship, chosen family, and practices of mutual aid-folks who extend acts of compassion because to ignore suffering is unfathomable. I’m also so grateful for this beloved community that gathers in hope. And I’m grateful for Love that will not let us go. Bringing my hands together in prayer, I am mindful of Rev. Dr. Rebecca Parker’s words: There is a love holding me. There is a love holding you. There is a love holding all. I rest in this love. Blessings to you all, Rev. Sarah
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Ah October, my favorite month of the year, when the weather starts to be a little cooler, a little darker. It’s time for pumpkin picking, hayrides, bonfires and lattes. Schools are ready for fall breaks and harvest celebrations, with witches riding and monsters mashing towards Halloween. After several years of serving congregational life, with the end of summer being intensely busy, I recognize that October is a month that I must push the “slow down” button. October, while peppered with so many opportunities for community engagement, is really the lull in the impending seasonal storm before us that makes up winter gatherings, obligations, elections, and more.
I generally thrive on chaos, intensity, and rapid pacing but this isn’t sustainable long-term. Add to this the constant 24-hour demands that many of us face living in a tech savvy world, along with a barrage of doom in our media and the urgency to fix it and fix it quickly, we risk burning out. We can’t really live into our values of Unitarian Universalism, or be people who center love if we don’t, at least occasionally, slow down to remind ourselves about what matters most and why we do what we do. We serve no one well if we are burnt toast. Maybe it’s a luxury or a privilege for me to say, “slow down” or “hit the pause button.” Maybe you feel like you can’t jump out of the hamster wheel, maybe you feel like your job or family depends upon you operating at a break neck speed. Capitalism makes you believe this is true. But what if you took ten minutes to step outside to breathe in the fresh air or slowly sip a cup of water? What would happen if you reached out to your colleague to say, “Hey, I could use some help?” What if you walked just a little slower to your car to notice the sounds around you? What if you took the time to look in the eyes and smile to each person you encountered in a day rather than avoiding their gaze and rushing off? Could we make time for slowing down? I believe life is a “both and” scenario. We live in a time of great urgency, a time to experience life to its fullest, and we must sustain a pace that is gentle and loving to ourselves and others so that we can be part of a peaceful world in which we strive to create. If we want a peaceful, loving world, we must be peaceful loving people. And there’s no rushing the process as much as I wish I could. Dominique Browning writes, “Slow living, I have come to understand, opens up the prospect of slow love, the most sustaining sort of love I have ever known - a love that comes of an unhurried and focused attention to the simplest things, available to all of us, at any time, should we choose to engage: family, friendship, food, music, art, books, our bodies, our minds, our souls, and the life that blooms and buzzes all around us… Perhaps even more importantly, slow love comes out of the quiet hours, out of learning from the silence that is always there when we want it.” So, my fervent wish for you this month is to slow down, engage in slow living, slow love. Fill your cups and be gentle with yourselves, beloveds, because you matter, you are worthy, and we are all powerful enough to change the world, one breath at a time. With love at the center, Rev. Sarah |
Reverend Sarah OsbornePart-time minister at UUCO Archives
August 2026
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