Who are your ancestors? Who are the people who have made you who you are? Can you name your biological ancestors? Your spiritual ones?

Our theme for November is “Ancestry” and it has already stirred these questions and more in me. Thinking of my biological ancestors is most often an opening for gratitude. I remember those who made a way for me, who sowed and planted, worked and built, weeded and harvested. Even though they were far from perfect, they did the best they could and I am here because of them. I would not be who I am without all of them–their mistakes and their triumphs. I am glad to be reminded of this.

My spiritual ancestors are another story. These are my chosen line, the thinkers, artists, and rabble-rousers that I take courage from and hope to emulate. These are the lineage of my heart, my soul, and my calling. These are the ministers who preached truth when it was unpopular and dangerous. These are the artists who reveal the truths of naked emperors and pierce the veil of apathy and numbness. These are the gender outlaws who trusted who they knew themselves to be and began to build the world that could hold them. These are the abolitionists, the suffragettes, the civil rights pioneers who rallied to the side of the broken, the oppressed, the abused. Remembering these spiritual ancestors is an opening for courage and for the strength that comes from knowing that we are not alone.

Then there is the sense of connection that opens from knowing that in fact, we are descended from the cosmos itself. We are connected to everything and everything is connected to us. Remember this is an opening for awe, for that feeling of being part of something vast and holy and beautiful. Remember this is an opening for inspiration and reverence for all that surrounds and upholds us, all that connects us through time and space. This sense of belonging is also a source of gratitude.

This month, as we explore the theme of ancestry, see what opens in you. There are amazing resources from our Soul Matters partners here. Questions, activities, movies, books, readings, music…there are so many ways to bring our themes into your life between Sundays.

Love will Guide Us,

Rev. Sean