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March Youth Religious Exploration: Paying Attention

Hello, Friends!

This month’s Soul Matters theme is “Paying Attention”, and to honor that, all month long, we are going to explore the power of attention. Here are the topics for this month: Our Impact on Others, Inequality, the Present Moment, and our Relationship with Water.

We get excited when the theme gives us a chance to explore some of the calendar connections for the month, and even more so when we can dive into some of the For Fun and On the Fringe dates on our calendar list. This month, there are three great calendar tie-ins with our theme of Paying Attention:

● Our first session gives us the opportunity to explore World Compliment Day, a day that few of us have spent any real time with.

● Our second session will dive into the wisdom and invitations of International Women’s Day, which offers us a chance to introduce or reintroduce the inspiring UUs Emily Stowe and Lucy Stone.
● And finally, our fourth session opens up space to lean into World Water Day in new and fun ways as we play with the power of paying attention to water.
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This month’s sessions also provide a bridge to exploring our UU values and religious heritage. For instance, in session one, we engage our Humanist heritage as we look at the importance of not overlooking people who are suffering and paying attention to the power we have to help them. Additionally, in session three, we tap into our value of religious pluralism as we explore Buddhism’s call to pay attention to the present moment. This Buddhist call to use our attention intentionally also invites us to honor our UU Value of Equity, which challenges us to “use our time, wisdom, attention, and money to build & sustain fully accessible & inclusive communities.”
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We look forward to these opportunities for community. Please reach out to one of us if you have questions, comments, or would like more information on our programming.
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With gratitude,
M’Lee & Ashley
Co-Directors of Religious Exploration

Religious Exploration

The Religious Exploration Department at UUCE enhances the spiritual growth of our infants, children, youth, and adults by providing a place where congregants of all ages share, interact, and experience “meaning making” about life within a welcoming environment of discovery and cooperation.  The Unitarian Universalist Association and independent UU authors develop the curricula we have chosen with you in mind.  Other components of our programming include worship, community building, special rituals and events, leadership development, social action, and fellowship.  Our programming is open to all persons, whatever their religious background or present beliefs, non-beliefs & questionings.

Ask a Unitarian Universalist their definition or interpretation of what “religious” and “religious education” means in our faith, and you will receive many different answers.  However varied these definitions, we are all certain of the role you play in your own experience in church. We believe that you are your own primary religious educator.  We urge you to honor your own wonderings and wanderings and share them with other people in the church community.  Everything and everyone in this congregation can contribute to your faith development.  We work toward building an atmosphere that respects and cares about individual differences and personhood while developing a strong UU identity.  We strive to build a multigenerational community that is enriched by the many cultural experiences we bring to one another.  In this company of “seekers” you will find ways to further build upon our beloved community of memory and hope.

Our program is only made possible by Religious Exploration staff, as well as numerous volunteers, and the Religious Exploration committee.