How Then Shall We Live, Knowing That We Shall Die?

To start out, we hear reports from three teens who went to Winter Camp. Then, Rev. Patrick once again weaves a message of hope from the writings of Mark Nepo, Wayne Muller, and his own insights, reminding us what a gift life is, through a tender discussion of death. When things happen in our lives, we can choose to judge them---to decide if they are right or wrong---or to see what is true in them for us. If we allow ourselves to get caught up in judging, then we spend our lives sorting instead of living. Throughout our lives, we learn how to ask for what we need; then we must learn how to accept what we are given as a result of that asking. The answer lies, always, inside us---in the pray-er. The reward of asking for what we need is that we become intimate with our own nature---we see where we are not matching our desires. We all have dreams, goals, and an identity. These are good, but they are not our ultimate end-point; they are a cocoon where growth happens. Eventually, we outgrow them and a new self emerges.