Letting Go of Regret
Ralph Waldo Emerson’s wisdom and words inspire todays service topic:
Finish every day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as you can.
Speaker: Rev. Dianne M. Daniels
Rev. Dianne M. Daniels was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and grew up resisting the restrictive, overly harsh tenets of her mother’s former Baptist upbringing. Her father’s resistance to “organized church” encouraged her to find her way, both religiously and spiritually.
Rev. Dianne married her high school sweetheart, Aaron L. Daniels, the same weekend as their 10-year high school reunion. They are each other’s second spouses and have enjoyed a solid 35+ year (and growing) marriage, and have three grown children (laughingly called His, Mine, and Ours): Christoper, Ronald, and Ariana.
Rev. Dianne was introduced to the UU Congregation of Norwich by Ms. Lottie B. Scott (RIP). She and Aaron loved the people and the atmosphere so much that they’ve been members for over thirty years.
Rev. Dianne felt the call to ministry while attending services in Norwich. She recalls, “I fell in love with the people and the messages I heard from the pulpit.” She graduated from the Starr King School for the Ministry in Oakland, California, graduating with her Master of Divinity degree in 2021. She was ordained in October 2023 by UUCN and the Universalist Church of West Hartford, where she served as Sabbatical Minister from August 2023 through January 2024. Rev. Dianne has guest preached in and around eastern CT, western Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. Her previous technology experience helped her feel comfortable with preaching via Zoom to congregations as far away as Washington State.
Rev. Dianne preaches at UUCN on the first and third Sundays of each month and also serves as the Consulting Minister at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Storrs, CT, on the second Sunday of each month.
We Have the Power: Inspiration for a New Year
In a world that often leaves us feeling powerless, this sermon invites us to reclaim our agency through love, justice, and purposeful action. Drawing on Unitarian Universalist values, we are reminded that small, persistent acts of courage keep hope alive—and help shape a more just and compassionate future.
The Power of Hope – Even in a Small Flame
We are called to nurture everyday kindness through small acts of compassion and generosity, which can provide essential support during difficult times. This Sunday, we will reflect on how these small gestures can illuminate our shared path, offering comfort and hope in a world that greatly needs these light-filled connections.
Hope Grows in the Soil of Uncertainty
Incremental acts of courage, love, interdependence, generosity, and grace are the small drops that wear away stones, carve new landscapes into immovable mountains, and by torrents of popular will, cause sudden changes in the world.
Find a Way to Be Grateful for It All
Keep your hands open – only the open hand can reach out to another in sympathy, or offer gratitude for generosity and connection.
Together, the open hands of grief and gratitude encourage us to use those open hands to grasp another’s gift of love, sympathy, generosity, strength, or courage.
Gratitude Practice is More than Making a Gratitude List
Paying attention and appreciation toward the Ordinary – commonplace miracles, shifting our attention from waiting for “spectacular moments” to the abundance, love, and blessings that are already woven through our ordinary days. Join us for service as we explore the abundance, love, and blessings within our everyday lives.
Gratitude is More than an Attitude
Gratitude is more than a fleeting feeling; it’s an attitude and a way of life that involves acknowledging the tangible and intangible, often leading to a desire to give back to others.
This mindset can be cultivated through reflection, recognizing your dependence on others and the world around you, and expressing thankfulness.
“Presence and Listening 2”
A few weeks ago, we explored the meaning of Presence and Listening. We talked about slowing down, grounding ourselves, and practicing sacred attention—being fully here, body and soul. Today, we continue that conversation. This time, we go deeper. Because once we begin to live in presence – once we make room to truly listen – … Continue reading “Presence and Listening 2”
“Compassionate Transformation”
Today, we turn our hearts and minds toward Compassionate Transformation — the idea that compassion is not only a feeling or a response to suffering but also a catalyst for deep change in ourselves, in our relationships, and in our world. We live in a time when compassion is often portrayed as weakness, tenderness as … Continue reading “Compassionate Transformation”
“Presence and Listening”
Our theme today is Presence and Listening. These may sound like simple words, but they carry deep spiritual weight. Presence is more than just being in the room — it’s being fully present to the moment, fully present to one another, and fully present to the holy. And listening is more than just hearing words … Continue reading “Presence and Listening”