October’s Theme is Courage
“Courage is not the absence of fear, it is the feeling of this fear, being afraid, and showing up anyway.” —Alexandra Blakely
Oct. 4th:
The Blessings of Kinship
Rev. Sarah Gibb Millspaugh, preaching;
Linda Lewis, worship associate
Our annual Blessing of the Animals service honors the human connection with other animals. You are invited to bring your pets (if it’s safe!) or bring a photo or representation of your pets. We will also build an altar for our pets who have died—all participants who are actively grieving the loss of a beloved pet are invited to bring a photo or representation.
Oct. 11th:
Decolonize Your Soul
Rev. Sarah Gibb Millspaugh, preaching;
Julie Mack, worship associate
In honor of Indigenous People’s Day, and in recognition of the third anniversary of the beginning of Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza, we will look at the spiritual costs of colonialism here in San Diego County, the US, and around the world. How has 500+ years of colonialism shaped our thinking and shaped our souls? Whether our ancestors are among the colonizers or the colonized (or both!), we have absorbed spiritual untruths about what it means to be human. We have adapted to a “business as usual” that benefits the wealthy and powerful over the collective. We have commodified things that never should be commodified–even commodifying spirituality itself. Join us to explore what it means to shed our colonization, soul-wise, and be more fully alive.
Oct. 18th:
Finding Inner Poise
Rev. Sarah Gibb Millspaugh, preaching;
Kelley Grimes, worship associate
Sometimes we think that if we were wise enough, if we were spiritual enough, we would have inner peace. But the world today is so out of balance that for most people, achieving inner peace would require a total retreat from reality! The yoga teacher and scholar B.K.S. Iyengar looked to the Hindu Vedic and found an alternative concept: “inner poise.” Inner poise is the strength, balance, and calm to face whatever challenges come our way. Join us to reflect on how to build up the inner poise we need to navigate the world today.
Oct. 25th:
Small Group Sunday: Courage
Mindi Marlow, worship associate
Small Group Sunday will start with a short (½ hour) worship service, followed by ½ hour of small group ministry exploring the Soul Matters monthly theme of Courage.
Nov. 1st:
Grief: The Only Way Through… is Through
Rev. Sarah Gibb Millspaugh, preaching;
Julie Mack, worship associate
On this Day of All Souls/Day of the Dead we will honor those in our congregation who have died in the past year, as well as all those who we personally grieve. We will construct an All Souls altar and reflect on the process of grief, and how essential and ultimately soul-healing grief can be.
Please refer to our Indoor/Outdoor Policy for worship indoors from November – April.
