[Fuusmchat] Fw: Thinking About Gratitude

Thu May 21 16:35:18 CDT 2020

From: Meg A. Riley, Church of the Larger Fellowship 
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2020 9:03 AM
To: marthamcg at suddenlink.net 
Subject: Thinking About Gratitude

      Meg is meeting with the author of a new book, The Way of Gratitude: A New Spirituality for Today. 

                                "The idea of having time to settle in and think about gratitude makes me…grateful!" 

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                                Dear Friends,

                                Like all of you, I find that COVID has left me a little stupid, bewildered, and overwhelmed. Every day includes questions: Wait, did I touch that? If I put my keys there and then wash my hands, I’ll have to rewash them after cleaning the keys, so should I clean the keys first? And other mind-loops of precaution and anxiety. It’s easy to feel lost.

                                In all of this, I’ve needed spiritual practice to hold me, to keep me centered. Luckily spring is here, and I can spend happy hours in the garden. But when it rains, when I don’t want to get out of bed, when I am so mad about the injustice at play in decisions about COVID, I can hardly breathe, when overwhelming presses in from every side, I return to gratitude. Returning to gratitude allows the anxiety, overwhelm, and bewilderment to fall away, to move to the side. Returning to gratitude brings me back to life.

                                 “If spirituality is the practice of opening ourselves to everyone and everything else, then gratitude is the leading indicator of our spiritual progress. Gratitude is the hallmark of people who practice radical openness to life. Its presence in our lives, moment by moment and day by day, becomes a source of meaning and joy that will not desert us, even in our most difficult times.” That’s a quote from a new book by Rev. Galen Guengerich Senior Minister at All Souls Church in New York City, who is just publishing “The Way of Gratitude: A New Spirituality for Today” in a digital fashion.

                                I’m delighted to say that Galen has agreed to join me for a discussion of his book, and the way of gratitude. I hope you will come and invite your friends and family. We’ll meet Friday, May 29, at 5 PM Eastern Time on the Church of the Larger Fellowship’s Youtube channel. You can also copy and paste this link into your browser: https://youtu.be/0IGZZ6O01qQ. 

                                I don’t know about you, but the idea of having a good amount of time to settle in and think about gratitude makes me…grateful! I hope to see you there!

                                Gratefully,

                                Meg 

                                Meg A. Riley
                                Senior Minister 

                                clfuu.org 

                                questformeaning.org 

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