Speaker: The Rev. Cathey Edwards

Wise Concentration

The Pali word translated into English as “concentration” is samadhi. The root words of samadhi, sam-a-dha, mean “to bring together.” Concentration is a slowing down of our mental activity through single-pointed concentration. In our day and age of great distractions, this skill and teaching is invaluable.

Wise Mindfulness

Zen teacher Thich Nhat Hanh says that Wise or Right Mindfulness is at the heart of the Buddha’s teaching. When Right Mindfulness is present all the teachings are present. So we will explore what mindfulness might mean or look like in our daily lives and in our church community.

Wise Effort

Wise Effort, sometimes called Right Diligence, is the sixth part of the Eightfold Path of Buddhism. If you’ve been following along in this sermon series it won’t surprise you that the Buddha has a list of four suggestions to develop wholesome qualities and release unwholesome qualities. We will explore what makes wise effort and connect … Continue reading Wise Effort

Wise Intention

Right Resolve or Wise Intention is the desire to act with correct intention. It means wishing to do no harm. Just as medical professionals take the Hippocratic oath to do no harm, we can judge each of our actions and decisions with similar scrutiny.

Wise View

The Noble Eightfold Path is the Buddha’s instructions on cultivating liberation, and the fourth of the Four Noble Truths. Like the compass of the 10 Commandments, the 8 instructions point to an ethical and joy-filled life. Over the summer we will look at each one. Ever come to realize how you see a situation or person in completely the wrong way? This first fold—Wise-, Skillful-, Correct-, or simply, Right View names the effort to seek a true understanding of how reality and suffering are intertwined. It gives us a lens for understanding ourselves and our world today.

Ode to Summer

While not an astronomical date, Memorial Day marks a cultural beginning to the summer. Our fertile and fecund hill reminds us that the season of summer has begun. It is also the long weekend we remember who have died in military service for the United States. We will examine together these gateways, birth and death, that mark our time together.

Secret Language of Flowers; Mother’s Day and Flower Communion

Please join Hope Unitarian Church in celebrating Flower Communion in our service. The Flower Communion Service, originated by the Rev. Norbert F. Capek in his native Czechoslovakia in 1923, is perhaps the most widely celebrated ritual in Unitarian Universalist congregations today. Please bring a flower. The flowers will be placed in vases and you will take home a different flower.