The words we use matter. But the words we don’t use matter too.

I have been hoping to find a way to talk about words and what is wrapped up in them, especially when our spirituality is at issue. Here’s my attempt at that: a set of conversations about some of the words we don’t use. And hopefully along with that, a chance to enjoy one another’s company and some beautiful Summer evenings outdoors.

Being able to ask meaningful questions of ourselves requires looking at our assumptions, biases and implicit feelings. And since we create brave space at UUCC, I invite us to do just that about some of the big picture religious ideas that sometimes rattle around when we work on big ideas.

What are these ideas that often show up as what we are trying NOT to do, and NOT to be? What are our feelings about these ideas? What can we learn about ourselves by reflecting on our feelings? And how else may we understand these ideas? How can they challenge us? What can we learn by thinking with them as well as against them?

These conversations will have a particular structure. Its going to be a casual conversation. There’s no curriculum here. Instead, the goal will be to invite those who join the conversation to express their feelings about one of our taboos. After we get those feelings out, I’ll hope to give some wider context, some other points of view that we might reflect on. After some discussion, we’ll invite one another to express some new directions they could see for these taboo ideas that hopefully lead to more discussion.

We’ll be gathering on Sunday evenings in either the garden or on the East lawn, unless weather chases us inside. I sincerely hope some fireflies join us.