July / August UU Princeton Spiritual Theme – Our Principles and Sources
By Rev. Bill

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 Linda Benson at chalicecircles@uuprinceton.org. Our
Chalice Circle themes for July and August are the Principles and Sources of the Unitarian Universalist Association.

You’re invited to reflect on any or all of these expressions. What are some examples of how a Principle takes shape in your life? How does a Source offer you guidance?

The Principles
 The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
 Justice, equity and compassion in human relations;
 Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations;
 A free and responsible search for truth and meaning;
 The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and
in society at large;
 The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all;
 Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.
 (Being considered at denominational and congregational levels) Journeying toward spiritual
wholeness by working to build a diverse multicultural Beloved Community by our actions
that accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.
The Sources
 Direct experience of that transcending mystery and wonder, affirmed in all cultures, which
moves us to a renewal of the spirit and an openness to the forces which create and uphold
life;
 Words and deeds of prophetic women and men which challenge us to confront powers and
structures of evil with justice, compassion, and the transforming power of love;
 Wisdom from the world’s religions which inspires us in our ethical and spiritual life;
 Jewish and Christian teachings which call us to respond to God’s love by loving our
neighbors as ourselves;
 Humanist teachings which counsel us to heed the guidance of reason and the results of
science, and warn us against idolatries of the mind and spirit.
 Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions which celebrate the sacred circle of life and
instruct us to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature.