Our Monthly Spiritual Themes guide our Chalice Circles, which are small, intentional groups of members and friends that gather for spiritual enrichment through personal sharing. For more information on Chalice Circles, please email chalicecircles@uuprinceton.org. Our Chalice Circle thoughts and questions around the theme of Nature this month are:

I see that this body—made of the four elements—is not really me, and I am not limited by this body. I am the whole of the river of life, of blood ancestors and spiritual ancestors, that has been continuously flowing for thousands of years and flows on for thousands of years into the future. – Thich Nhat Hanh

Which element (earth, air, fire, water) do you chiefly identify with? Does that change or remain the same?

 

We need acts of restoration, not only for polluted waters and degraded lands, but also for our relationship to the world. We need to restore honor to the way we live, so that when we walk through the world we don’t have to avert our eyes with shame, so that we can hold our heads up high and receive the respectful acknowledgment of the rest of the earth’s beings. ― Robin Wall Kimmerer

Who in your life has taught, or modeled, acts of restoration in the world?

 

We need life around us that grows, flourishes, and thrives. Because we all want to grow, flourish, and thrive. – His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

When have you seen nature growing and flourishing? Did it evoke a similar sense within you?

 

Much of the oxygen we breathe comes from plants that died long ago. We can give thanks to these ancestors of our present-pay foliage, but we can’t give back to them. We can, however, give forward. ― Joanna Macy & Chris Johnstone

Which ancestors in your life would you thank for their gifts of today? What would you give forward?