Most Sedona Unitarian Universalist Fellowship members are engaged in some sort of service—to SUUF or to their community.

Sadly, service often evokes images of self-sacrifice or hard work. However, at SUUF, service usually is experienced as a form of spirituality.

This comes from matchmaking between individuals and appealing service activities. They encourage newcomers to ask some questions of themselves—to get down to the heart of the matter–so the service they choose to do will be truly life-enriching.

They suggest asking first, “What is really at the heart of it all for me?  Why am I here?  Why did I say yes to being a part of this community?  And what of my gifts and passions can I offer to others?”

By listening inwardly to the answers, volunteers are guided toward service activities that are meaningful, not only to the congregation but to those individuals as well.

UU leader, Parker Palmer suggests finding service activities through which we will thrive by listening deeply to truths that already exist within us. By doing so, he says, we can “let our life speak” and remind us of what is life-giving and renewing for us. We can hear a kind of “call” from a voice inside that can point us on our way. “Because let’s be honest: Not all service and leadership spaces within a religious community make our heart sing.”

When we give ourself the gift of inner attention, we often hear a way that we can serve our community with the talents we have always had.  Moreover, UU Rev. Nic Cable adds “I often notice that the deepest meaning often comes from the connections congregants make with others along the way. The journey can be more important than the destination. I marvel at the beautiful relationships nurtured when people come together to serve their community.”