Practices

Rev. Gretchen Haley explores how to respond to the uncertainty that arises in moments of transition and digs into how focusing on the now and grounding in community can be life-steadying. 

Rev. Gretchen delivers an Earth Day message inviting us to practice the pause where we can both honor what’s been lost and lean into co-creating a joyful life. 2:31 Rev. Gretchen Haley’s sermon Earth Seeds 20:28 Foothills member Beckie Wagner reflects on her journey out of despair 25:21 Rev. Sean closes our Regeneration series   Learn more about Be More Gay at https://foothillsuu.org/bemoregay

Rev. Elaine Aron-Tenbrink guides us in exploring how we can move through ambiguous loss and pandemic social atrophy by attuning ourselves to what is alive. When we embrace observation and follow the threads of what is alive and beautiful, here and now, we begin to imagine something new to hope for. 1:31 Reflection from Rev. Meg Riley read by Rev. Sean Neil-Barron5:56 Rev. Elaine Aron-Tenbrink's sermon "Aligning with Aliveness"

What do we do when we feel so stuck or in despair that moving forward doesn't feel possible? Rev. Sean explores how we can find hope through doing. 5:28 Rev. Sean Neil-Barron's sermon "Hope is a Verb"34:53 Closing song: "Hope with Our Hands"   

Rev. Sean draws on East Asian philosophy and religious traditions to explore how embracing flow can help us live our best life.

We all share the longing to be known and embraced for who we are, messy parts and all. Yet, humans are experiencing loneliness at record levels (and this was true even before the pandemic hit!). So what is it we really want in friendships and how can we find it? Rev. Gretchen draws on friendship research to help you start opening up and forming deep, authentic friendships no matter your walk of life (2:03). Then Rev. Sean converses with his close friend and fellow Unitarian Universalist minister Rev. Joe Cherry about patterns and experiences within their friendship and friendships generally (24:19).

Rev. Sean interviews couples therapist Jennifer Dunkle on how we can simplify conflicts to make them more productive. We distinguish solvable and perpetual conflicts and explore how unpacking our personal histories can help with navigating conflicting values and goals.

Rev. Christopher Watkins Lamb explores the hit movie Encanto through the lens of Gretchen Rubin's four tendencies (The Obliger, The Upholder, The Questioner, The Rebel) to help us better relate with the inner and outer characters that make up our lives.