Sunday, November 15, 2020
from 10:30 AM
​with
​The Reverend Gordon Clay Bailey
​

​Come worship with the UUs!

Come worship with the UUs!

​1. How have societal labels helped, or hurt, you or those you love?
2. What can an individual do to help heal a nation?

Share Your Glorious Light with the World
Within each of our hearts there is a most glorious light.
Go forth, and let its spark help you understand what troubles both you and others;
Go forth, and let its light of reason be a guide in your decisions;
Go forth, and bring its ray of hope to those in need of help in both body and spirit, that they may find healing;
Go forth, and fan the flames of passion to help heal our world;
Go forth, and spread the warm glow of love, pushing back the darkness of the world;
Go forth, and share your glorious light with the world.
by James Morison 

​Spiritual healing is about working with illness, dis-ease and dis-harmony from multiple angles.

When using spiritual healing to address illness, we focus on bringing harmony back to reinforce a person‘s whole body-heart-mind health.  

In modern society, we expect quick fixes. Western medicine focuses on curing people through surgery, pharmaceuticals and other medical interventions. Many treatments focus on curing symptoms.  However, long-term reliance on only treatment can inhibit healing or create dependence on the treatment and even create additional illness and disease.

For example, anti-bacterial medications often create an imbalance in the gut.  Healing is not symptom-relieving nor is it always curing.  Addressing only one element of an illness rarely leads to healing.  We aim to transform the cause of the illness/disease and grow beyond the problem.  That is healing!  

from the website on Spiritual Healing    

Lean On Me
Bill Withers, John Legend, Stevie Wonder

Sometimes in our lives we all have pain
We all have sorrow
But if we are wise
We know that there's always tomorrow
Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on
Please swallow your pride
If I have things you need to borrow
For no one can fill those of your needs
That you won't let show
You just call on me brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on
I just might have a problem that you'll understand
We all need somebody to lean on
Lean on me, when you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For it won't be long
'Til I'm gonna need
Somebody to lean on
You just call on me brother, when you need a hand
We all need somebody to lean on

How, then, shall we be healed? What will it take to heal our nation?  What does it mean for us as religious liberals to talk of healing in a spiritual/religious context? What does it mean to talk of healing in a world where illness and disease are understood more clearly than ever before, but where adequate health care for most of the world's people remains inaccessible? What does it mean to talk of healing when medical and spiritual models of wellness don't speak much to each other? What does it mean to talk of healing when all too often the best we can do with all our knowledge and power and technology is not enough? How shall we be healed?

In order to change the world, our nation, our state, our county, our city, our congregation our selves we must see the whole picture.  Look to this day.  This moment in time and decide maybe just maybe it it time to do things differently or more collaboratively or maybe in a radically new way.  The key I think is seeing, hearing, listening and paying attention to the entirety. That means all of us.  Black and White, Latinex and Asian, native Americans and all of the indigenous people of our country and the world 

Here are a few things I've been gleaning about self care, leading to healing and possibly then leading to movement from the self out into the world. 

Nourishing the Mind, Body and Soul During the Pandemic-

1. Schedule your meal times. It is so easy to engage in boredom-eating and increased snacking while at home close to the kitchen and fridge! Remember you are what you eat.  Eat well!

2. Keep a regular exercise schedule. Maybe you used to go to the gym before or after work. Schedule that time for home workouts! Moving regularly is a great way to boost endorphins and feel-good hormones, and a good excuse to get out for some fresh air. Even if you can’t dedicate a lot of time, consider having movement breaks during your day. 

3. Drink plenty of water. Often, we mistake thirst with hunger. Being dehydrated can increase snacking or grazing and make you feel more fatigued, weak, and can affect concentration. Drink calorie-free beverages throughout the day, like water or seltzer.

4. Try to maintain a normal sleep cycle. Sleep is so critical for our mental and emotional health and directly impacts our behaviors around food. Continue going to sleep and waking up at a typical time, or try to use this time to establish a better sleep cycle of seven to nine hours a night.

5. Stay connected. It is so easy to feel isolated and lonely when stuck inside and you are not able to get together with friends and family or participate in social events. Reach out regularly over the phone, meeting platforms like Zoom, or through social media and FaceTime! A sense of togetherness and community is crucial right now, and virtual gatherings can be very uplifting.  Come to all of the UUCLV events you can.  We are here for you!

6. Learn something new. If you find yourself with more time on your hands, think about activities you have always wanted to do, books you wanted to read, podcasts you wanted to listen to, etc. Do them!

7. Practice gratitude. Take a minute every day to be grateful for something. It restores us to think about what we have, and not just on what we have lost.

8. Relax. Try to curtail your mind from catastrophizing by engaging in activities that make you happy and relaxed. Get up and dance, listen to your favorite song, do a puzzle, meditate, and focus on serenity whenever possible.

9. Be kind to yourself. Do not put too much pressure on yourself. We are in a time of change and worry. Do not add to your stress by creating unattainable expectations or burning yourself out.

10. Perform small acts of kindness. Doing for others is a proven way of making yourself feel good. Drop off a book for your neighbor to read, pick up groceries or donate food to someone in need, or send an encouraging text, card, or letter to someone to let them know you are thinking of them.

11. Remember you are a part of a faith community that has supported its membership since before this was a nation.  Our forbearers survived the revolution, the civil war, the flu of 1918, WW1, WW2, the 1960s , etc.

Please know that although times are unsettled and potentially stressful, this is temporary and some level of normalcy will resume at some point in the future.  HOLD ON!

In closing - Heal the world. Make this a better place.  For you and for me and the entire living planet!

In hope, in faith in our abilities to grow and change love for us all, 

Rev Gordon

​We shall be known by the company we keep
By the ones who circle round to tend these fires
We shall be known by the ones who sow and reap
The seeds of change, alive from deep within the earth
It is time now, it is time now that we thrive
It is time we lead ourselves into the well
It is time now, and what a time to be alive
In this Great Turning we shall learn to lead in love
In this Great Turning we shall learn to lead in love
We shall be known by the company we keep
By the ones who circle round to tend these fires
We shall be known by the ones who sow and reap
The seeds of change, alive from deep within the earth
It is time now, it is time now that we thrive
It is time we lead ourselves into the well
It is time now, and what a time to be alive
In this Great Turning we shall learn to lead in love
In this Great Turning we shall learn to lead in love
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Karisha Michele Longaker

​We leave this gathered community,
But we don’t leave our connection,
Our concerns, our care for each other.
Our service to each other, to the world, and to our faith continues.
Until we are together again, friends,
Be strong, be well, be true, be loving. For Remember that all of our lives we are in need AND Others are in need of us. 
     by ​Rev. Cynthia Landrum

Come worship with the UU's!

​Come come Come, Come, Whoever You Are
Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving.
It doesn’t matter.
Ours is not a caravan of despair.
Come, even if you have broken your vows
a thousand times
Come, yet again, come, come. 
~ Jalaluddin Rumi 

Talking points:
Native Americans and indigenous people all over the planet have been taken advantage of. Their lands stolen, their legacies taken away. They have been decimated by diseases and racism.

In order to be caretakers or keepers if others we must begin by being good stewards of ourselves. Are we getting the mental, physical and spiritual care we need to thrive?  If not are we ready to step up and get it?
​
The world’s religions offer us many opportunities and ways to be our sisters and brothers keepers. The key is to being open to others and seeing them as valuable and worthy beings. Extending our generosity of caring to all sentient beings will allow us to be each others keepers in right relationships.

1.  Were you raised with the Golden Rule?  If so is it meaningful to you and your life? Should be place this guideline on the young maybe even everyone?

2. Do you feel responsible for the lives of others?  For example should we be taking care of the earth so that future generations will have a planet that is healthy, clean, free from human degradation? 

3.  Have you been cared for or taken care of by others, strangers, teachers, distant relatives, your immediate inner circle? Is this to be expected? 

That's What Friends Are For
ft. Elton John, Gladys Knight & Stevie Wonder

And I never thought I'd feel this way
And as far as I'm concerned
I'm glad I got the chance to say
That I do believe, I love you

And if I should ever go away
Well, then close your eyes and try
To feel the way we do today
And then if you can remember

Keep smiling, keep shining
Knowing you can always count on me, for sure
That's what friends are for
For good times and bad times
I'll be on your side forever more
That's what friends are for

May the Love which overcomes all differences, which heals all wounds, which puts to flight all fears, which reconciles all who are separated, be in us and among us now and always.
by Frederick E. Gillis

​Let’s observe Hispanic Heritage Month by connecting to and honoring the contributions of our own LatinX Community. LUUNA is a multicultural continental association of Unitarian Universalists dedicated to both celebrating who LatinX people are and for the continued growth of the LatinX community within Unitarian Universalism. 

Attracting more Latina/os to our Unitarian Universalist tradition and for enhancing their participation within it by providing support, guidance, fellowship and advocacy.

Educating the larger Unitarian Universalist community about Latina/o history, culture and diversity; and facilitating Unitarian Universalist involvement in current issues that affect the various Latina/o communities.

Sharing aspects of Latina/o spiritual heritage, personal journeys and emerging UU Latina/o Liberation Theology with the larger Unitarian Universalist community thus enriching the worship, mission, and spirituality of our chosen faith.

Interacting with the Unitarian Universalist Association and other Unitarian Universalist organizations in order to enhance the justice-making abilities of LUUNA and the aforementioned organizations.

Interacting with other justice-making and multicultural organizations in order to bring about effective social change within our Unitarian Universalist movement so that it can truly become multicultural and empowering of traditionally marginalized and under-represented communities.

Membership in LUUNA is not restricted to Latina/os; it is open to all persons who are in sympathy with the aforementioned purposes, without regard to race, color, sex, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnic or national origin, marital status, physical or mental disability, citizenship, or political affiliation and shall not require any adherence to any particular interpretation of religion or to any particular religious belief or creed.

Talking points:
 The demographics of Hispanic and Latino Americans depict a population that is the second-largest ethnic group in the United States, 52 million people or 16.7% of the national population, of them, 47 Million are American citizens.  In Las Vegas the population is approximately 30% and growing. 

It is smart and right to both lift up our Latinex community living more fully into our 1  principle  but because as the years move forward the Latinex community will be the single largest ethnic community in the USA. 
​
Our community of Unitarian Universalist becomes more whole as the various groups of the human family join us, work with us, grow spiritually with us. 

Come worship with the UU's!

“Deep listening is the kind of listening that can help relieve the suffering of another person.”
      - Thich Nhat Hanh

Talking points:
How do you develop deep listening skills?
Here are some tips for becoming a better listener:
Put yourself inside the mind of the speaker.
Listen for meaning.
Pay attention to body language.
Cultivate empathy.
Avoid making judgments.
Look into others' eyes when they're speaking.
Pay attention to the feelings associated with the words.

So this day.  May we begin the journey anew.
May we listen with our whole sleeves.
May we use all the skills it takes to give full attention.
May we hear the needs of ourselves and others.
May we be a support for others and may others find support and strength in us.

May this community of ours , this nation, this world find/know peace and love!

How to Deep Listen
          1. Put yourself inside the mind of the speaker.
          2. Listen for meaning.
          3. Pay attention to body language.
          4. Cultivate empathy
          ​5. Avoid making judgements
          6. Pay attention to the feelings associated with the words.
          Deep Listening is a process of listening to learn.