Upcoming Worship Services
October Theme- Cultivating Compassion
It’s tempting to think of this month’s theme as one of our lighter, more pleasant ones. After all, compassion sounds…well, nice. It conjures warm feelings and tender thoughts. Images come to mind of people telling each other they are holding them in their hearts. It would seem to be all about emotional connection and empathetic feeling.
But then along comes a quote like this:
“Compassion hurts. When you feel connected to everything, you also feel responsible for everything. And you cannot turn away. Your destiny is bound with the destinies of others.” – Andrew Boyd
Or this: “True compassion is to engage in the suffering of others.” – The Charter for Compassion
Both remind us that compassion is not just niceness and thoughtful feelings. It’s about something deeper: an impulse that drives us to action.
Indeed, that may be compassion’s defining characteristic; it is distinguished by doing. To feel the pain of another, empathy has that covered. But compassion takes it a step further. It urges us to do something about that pain.
In other words, compassion calls us to change things! It’s not just about comforting others; it’s about our comfort getting disturbed. It’s about connecting with another’s pain and struggle so deeply that we can’t rest until they rest. When we feel compassion – real compassion – we don’t just understand another’s pain, we want it to stop. And then we do what’s needed to make it stop.
And if that’s the case, then maybe compassion’s question for us this month isn’t what we first imagined. Instead of asking us, “How deeply are you able to feel?” maybe it’s asking, “What are you prepared to do?
Speakers for the Month
Oct. 5th- Gwelt Awenydd – “Which Witch Is Which?”
Oct. 12th- Dr. Hilario Molina – “Opium of the Masses: Religion in Latino America’s Rebellions”. Dr. Molina will discuss Dia de la Raza, (“Race Day”) in recognition of the mixed indigenous and European heritage of Mexico- the mestizo character of its population- and because many Mexicans object to paying homage to the controversial explorer and conquerer Christopher Columbus.
Oct. 19th- Rev. Rebecca Booher – Water Communion