Holy are the places of becoming,

the places of clear vision,

where life and world are intertwined

and we can see forever in this moment

and give thanks. . .

Holy are the places of becoming.

Maureen Killoran

From the Soul Matters team:

It’s become popular in our society to talk about spiritual journeys as a process of living into your full or true self, of letting the authentic seed inside you unfold. We UU’s agree. We even enshrined it in our principles that celebrate each of our unique seeds (inherent worth) and unique journeys (a free and responsible search).

At the same time, there’s something deep within UUism that pushes in the opposite direction. Historically, we’ve been “leavers” –  people who struggled not so much to find ourselves but to untangle ourselves from the religious identities we were given. So we have this important awareness that spiritual journeys are not simply about unfolding your true self, but also about untangling from your old self. We agree with Albert Schweitzer who wrote:

The path of awakening is not about becoming who you are. Rather it is about unbecoming who you are not.

Which means we are also sensitive to the fact that most spiritual journeys begin with a goodbye -a separation, a decision to walk away. We know that the first step is often laced with mourning, difficult endings and, all too often, isolation. We know that “unbecoming” is not easy work.   We also know that it isn’t a one-time thing. We find ourselves routinely tempted into and thus tangled up in all kinds of identities and journeys that aren’t truly ours. “Unbecoming who you are not” is a journey we walk every day, over and over again.

I hope you join us on our journey of “Becoming”  this month.  Please review the packet for individual reflection and pick something that helps you to continue “becoming” what is next for you.    And don’t forget that we are on this path together.

Rev Lucy

April Packet for Individual Reflection (PDF)