Three powerful words -- "Let it be". These words control our spirit and life. Our body, mind, and soul respond in accord with our wish. We simply "Let it be" and then it is. Simple words with great power when we just "Let it Be".
How and where do non-Christian UUs find spiritual solace and comfort in times of crises?
Thank you Pythia
Assuming a church is available, the minister, and the support groups in the church will be your prime sources. Even if the minister is theistic, hesh is flexible enough as a UU to respect your beliefs and help you use them to work through whatever issues may be facing you. I am speaking from experience here as a known atheist with a Universalist theise minister.
Even without a church, trust yourself and your social support group both personal and virtual. I note you list pagan on your profile. Most UU congregations have strong pagan support groups that you can tap into, and any bookstore and the net will have more resources than you can ever sort through, but some of them will ring true, and lead you to the help you need. And don't forget pagan fiction. Most of the good writers base their plots on real life challenges thinly disguised as pagan, and the solutions are generally well thought out.
When you think about it Christians offer much less. Their literature is generally outdated and based on a different world than the one we live in.
J'Carlin If the shoe doesn't fit, don't cram your foot in it and complain.
I agree with JCarlin that it actually could be far easier for a Pagan UU to find needed and spiritually relevant comfort in a UU church today than it was 20-odd years ago when I first was a "bricks and mortar" church member. So many more churches are drawing Pagans to them that it's increasingly commonplace to find active Pagan groups within a good many UU churches if not a church or fellowship that's more Pagan-oriented than any other "flavor."
If you're not close enough to a church or fellowship to make association with one workable, try the online Church of the Larger Fellowship. Even a trial membership gets you borrowing privileges from the CLF lending library which has a ton of resources that might be helpful in times of trouble, from books to DVDs to audio sermons. The library's Pagan selection isn't quite as comprehensive as I'd like, but it's much better than it was several years ago. The UU meditation manuals are collections of short inspirational pieces covering various life issues, and some of those may be helpful.
www.clf.uua.org is the link to the website. Click on "Join" on the top toolbar for info about the trial membership which truly is "no obligation." Near the end of the three months, all you'll get is an email asking if you're interested in full membership. No pressure to join at all. Doing the trial membership might give you a better idea if there are enough resources to be useful and helpful to you.
You might also find CUUPS (Covenant of UU Pagans) a worthwhile organization to look into for more specific help. There may even be an active chapter near you. Here's the link for it: www.cuups.org/
Thank you for answering my question, but the answers went in a direction I had not intended. Perhaps my question was not clear enough.
I had not asked for advice for myself with all the you statements in the answers.
I want to read the personal experiences of non-Christian UUs about how they. using I statements. cope with their personal dark nights of their souls, health crisis, etc. What resources and tools do they turn to?
To deliberately generalize to trigger responses, it seem like UUs have their lives together and don't suffer. They want to keep everything upbeat, positive, intellectual and abstrct and deny the shadow and their emotions.
Thank you for answering my question, but the answers went in a direction I had not intended. Perhaps my question was not clear enough.
Indeed, what precisely you were asking wasn't very clear. But then, most people who come here with similar questions to yours are asking for personal aid such as we offered, so perhaps we simply assumed and fell into the familiar pattern.
I want to read the personal experiences of non-Christian UUs about how they. using I statements. cope with their personal dark nights of their souls, health crisis, etc. What resources and tools do they turn to?
I'm rather a black sheep in terms of qualifying although I considered myself an active UU for nearly 30 years. I no longer affiliate with UUism but do still consider myself a Unitarian, an occultist if that helps to identify my "flavor of choice."
Anyway, I'd answer your question: If I were still a UU, the same resources I suggested for you. Church or fellowship and the support groups they often provide for those undergoing crises of mind, body or spirit. Talking with the minister and maybe getting ongoing counseling. Books and other media which might speak to what I'm experiencing and possibly advise me how best to deal with it.
In short, what any thoughtful, reasonable person would do to try to remedy the situation.
To deliberately generalize to trigger responses, it seem like UUs have their lives together and don't suffer. They want to keep everything upbeat, positive, intellectual and abstrct and deny the shadow and their emotions.
I really wish you hadn't raised this specter despite there being more than a bit of truth to it. UU's sometimes discuss their concerns that there isn't much consideration or examination of the shadow side of humankind in UU writings and services.
The question I'd have before I go much further is, "Are you a UU seeking to explore this issue within a UU context or coming here to pose this question due to a less-than-favorable opinion of UU's and UUism?" If it's the latter, this thread belongs in the debate forum, I'd say. As volatile as the issue tends to be, it may belong there anyway.
i just lost all my reponse; this has happened before to me. If I post in a journal how do other people read it? How do I add this group to my journal?
I am 70 years old. I'm homebound with chronic gastrointestinal problems with painful symptoms. I am visited by my UU minister and can call an episcopal priest, they bring me communion and I can call the night ministry.
I hate having to explain and defend myself. I granduated from college with a C minus average and have never been a debater. I have never read all the standard UU books. I looks like I'd better bend over backwards to not make statements that would offend. I just want to keep my posts personal and want to read other UUs psonal stories of how they cope with suffering. I have not come here to debate or ask for advice. I just want to know I'm not alone in my suffering.
I can no longer read because I am losing my vision to macular degeneration. I am having to turn inward to rely on my own inner resources. I do receive daily phone calls from a senior friendship line. I write messages to myself on index cards to encourage myself. I relisten to relaxation tapes for healing, breathing, and visualization. I play at painging. I love painting the Japanese enso circle. I hold objects that are meaningful to me, give me comfort or look at them in my apartment. I do these things plus more to try to stay sane and not go oevr the deep edge because of the physical pain.
These are the kinds of stories I want to read to know that I'm not alone. I don't want to be given advice unless I ask for it. I'm hoping that writing here will also be a comforting tool. I don't like it when people turn posts onto me using lots of you statements. I'm a person who is very feeling, emotional oriented; I am not an intectual. I'm trying to get out of my head, my closed loop thinking. Most UU debate goes right over my head and leaves me spinning. I am becoming very exhausted and dizzy. So I have to stop. I hope I've given a glimmer of what I'm hoping to read.
I'm just a poor sick alone 70 year old UU woman trying to find solace and comfort where I can and I'd like to know what other UUs do when they are ina dark night of the soul. Thank you.
I see I missed several mistakes. I hope I'm still undertood. I'm just an ordinary working class person who has lived life the best I knew how with what I was given.
Pythia, I'm sorry if what I said appeared to be demanding more information than you cared to give.
Beyond what I said previously about the UU resources I'd turn to, I'm honestly not sure how I'd answer your question. I've had some times in my life when I felt at rockbottom, but those were when I was an active UU and thus, I turned to the CLF library and to its minister by phone since that was when CLF was solely a church-by-mail or to books I already had that I knew would comfort and uplift me.
The only instances in my life that I can think of which I would call suffering are far too personal to talk about on a message board. Thus, I doubt that I can provide the type of account you request. Perhaps others can do so better than I.
I hope that you won't give up on us here, since you got a harsher welcome than you obviously deserve, to put it mildly. I simply didn't realize or understand your level of need. Sorry about that as well.
