Imagining Ourselves to Freedom

So many thoughts, feelings, words, images, deadlines, desires, worries, daydreams, and to-do’s are tumbling around inside me this morning. My inner state reminds me of this old image:

On a black-and-white TV screen, the camera focuses on a huge plexiglass globe. Inside it are small numbered balls lying in a heap. When the host of the show turns the crank on the globe, it spins, slowly, then faster and faster. At first the balls just bubble up, but soon they are zinging and ricocheting off the walls of the round container. This is what discombobulated looks like, I realize now. It’s also the way my brain feels this morning!

I know one reason why: When I reach immediately for my phone right after I wake up, it plunges me into a torrent of discombobulating news, a stream of words and images on the screen. It cramps my spirit and drowns out my imagination. It makes me feel sick.

I’ve got to unhook myself from scrolling for minutes or hours at a time. No matter whether I’m looking for news, social connection, education, entertainment, or sheer distraction, the scrolling deadens me. Especially in the morning, I need the space to imagine what I want this day to be.

So this week I am returning to a spiritual practice that has changed my life before. Every morning, I get up, make the decaf, feed the cat, and then jump back into bed—and I journal. From The Artist’s Way, I used to call this practice Morning Pages. This time I’m using The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life, which includes 100 very short essays and corresponding prompts, written by awesome people, collected and introduced by Suleika Jaouad. I’m committing to writing every morning for 112 days—an essay a day, counting Suleika’s own contributions.

Now I wake excited! I’m giving my soul, my imagination, this time! It doesn’t matter what I read or write, whether I follow the prompt or not. What matters is that I have cleared space for my mind and heart to unfurl. I’ve made time to feel my hand move across the page, leaving a trail of ink. Already I know I am on a path to freedom. Already I feel more love for life
and for my part in it.

If, even after my writing, I fall back into my phone—as I did this morning—I feel the joy dim and the discombobulation return. Screens and social media are designed to ensnare us, to disconnect us from our deepest selves and a full experience of life. I don’t want them to own me. I want to keep turning toward freedom!

I choose a summer’s worth of days to settle this habit into my bones. Tell me, dear ones, how will you imagine yourself toward freedom this summer—and how shall we imagine together?

~Rev. Nancy Palmer Jones

*With this reflection from Rev. Nancy, Words of Wisdom? will be taking a summer break. We invite you to search back through the reflections of this year or of the past 12 years. We will return posting new reflections on Labor Day, September 1, 2025.

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Imagination Required

Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,
the world offers itself to your imagination,
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting –
over and over announcing your place
in the family of things.

Excerpt from Wild Geese
By Mary Oliver

Twelve years ago, we began this writing ministry that we have called “Words of Wisdom?”.

The question mark has always been intentional. Each year, we invite those in our community who are willing and able to take up the themes of the year, and we write reflectively in a way that–we hope–may become shared wisdom with our beloved community. 

Every single aspect of this effort requires imagination.  It doesn’t matter what the theme is; it will always have to do with what it means to live on planet Earth at this time in human history, and how we can live with as much meaning and love as possible. I think that each of us who writes at some point during the year fears that we will run out of meaningful and love-driven things to say. Nevertheless, we call on our imaginations, and we find things to share, to ponder, to be curious about.

Our UU-sainted poet, Mary Oliver, offers a necessary reminder. This world offers itself to our imaginations and calls us–eternally–to our place in the family of things. Her words anchor me of what I know to be true for me: writing these reflections reminds me, week after week, year after year, that I have a loving, meaningful, wonderful place in this community. I am so grateful for you, the UUCG community, and the larger community of people who read our words.

With tomorrow’s post by Rev. Nancy, we will take our summer pause. Please watch for our words to begin again on Labor Day, September 1, 2025. Maybe you have thought about writing some reflections for Words of Wisdom? Watch for the invitation to writers that will go out in August. Imagination required.

~Bob Patrick

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Soon The Day Will Arrive

This past Sunday at UUCG we honored Memorial Day and the people who have served and
sacrificed their lives for our country in military service. As part of our theme for this
month, Living Love Through the Practice of Imagination, we explored what Memorial
Day means, as well as pondering where we go from here after so much pain in the past
from wars. I want to share a song that Sweet MUUsic, our house band, shared with the
congregation. It’s about imagining a future where we all are safe, free, and living in
harmony. This song is a wish for better days.

~Jen Garrison

Soon the Day Will Arrive

Soon the day will arrive, when we will be together,
And no longer will we live in fear
And the children will smile without wondering
Whether on that day thunderclouds will appear

Chorus
Wait and see, wait and see
What a world there can be if we share, if we care,
You and me
Wait and see, wait and see
What a world there can be
If we share, if we care, you and me.

Some have dreamed, some have died
To make a bright tomorrow, and our vision
Remains in our hearts
Now the torch must be passed
With new hope, not in sorrow
And a promise to make a new start

If you would like to listen to the song, here is a recording of the choir of First Unitarian Church of Baltimore performing it.

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Conversation With the Divine Imagined

I wrote this poem way back in 2006, with the idea of having a gentle conversation with
the divine as a loving parent figure. It was my imagination of what the divine as a parent
might say to me. I wrote it as a way to heal old wounds from my childhood.

My Child

My child,
Your smile lights up any room
And warms the hearts of all who are in it
You bring joy to others
Because you keep it within
But I see a sadness in your eyes
Tears that only you and I can see
My little one has carried a burden
For too long

My child, It was not my plan
To place you here to lift and carry
Another human soul completely on your own
No one can focus on only one person,
As you have had to learn
Just the same, I have sent many souls
To you along the way to lift and carry you

My child,
I would never leave you alone
There have been many times
When you have felt abandoned
But I have provided for the journey
You know that to be the truth
In your heart

My child,
You feel distant from me now
Confused, looking for direction
But you know your way
Far more than you realize
You have held onto your faith
When others would have given up

My child,
You know I have sent to you
People to guide you, to listen to you
My presence is with you through them
Always has been

My child,
Let go of the pain of the past
Live for the day I have given you
You are mine forever
I love you.

~Jen Garrison

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Rainbow Connection

The beloved “Muppet Movie” was released in June 1979, debuting the classic song, “Rainbow Connection.” Kermit the Frog (aka Jim Henson) sang this melody full of simple, yet profound questions. They are questions to open up the imagination about rainbows, and about life.

Why are there so many songs about rainbows,
And what’s on the other side?


Folklore speaks of imaginative pots of gold at the end of rainbows. But for Kermit and the
Muppets, they sing of a world where they imagine lovers, dreamers and themselves living in peace, safety and tranquility. Rainbows capture peoples’ imaginations, some seeing them as a promise from the divine. Rainbows also represent the diversity of people around the world. Our differences make us stand out, but can also join us together when we embrace those characteristics.

What’s so amazing that keeps us stargazing
And what do we think we might see…
Someday we’ll find it
The Rainbow Connection
The lovers, the dreamers and me…


This song is ultimately about hope for a better future. We may not seem to be there
now, especially when everything seems lost. But we can use our imagination to create a
better future with our skills, our compassion, and our virtues. We just have to hold onto
the hope that things will get better when we connect with the rainbow within all of us.

~Jen Garrison

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Space for the Wind

Years ago, I was taught a breathing practice. Recently in a friend’s blog, I was reminded of that same practice. Since then, I’ve been experimenting with it. The practice is very simple, and I think, transformative. It also gives space for us to engage it with our imaginations. 

First, the practice. Sitting in a calm place where you won’t be interrupted for a few minutes, it goes like this.

1. Breathe in a full deep breath.
2. Pause for a moment at the top of the breath.
3. Breathe out a full deep breath. 
4. Pause for a moment at the bottom of the breath.

None of this should be forced, and each of the four parts should fit your body’s readiness to breath like this. Here are shortened instructions:

1. Breathe in.
2. Pause.
3. Breathe out.
4. Pause


We can repeat this as many times as we want or have the space for. 

We can also add our imaginations to it. This is one way that I have done it.

  1. Breathe in and think to oneself: Open to healing.
  2. Pause and think to oneself: Receive the healing.
  3. Breathe out and think to oneself: Release all dis-ease.
  4. Pause and think to oneself: allow for balance. 

We can craft any number of images and phrases to go with each of the four parts of the breathing practice. It can also be done completely in silence with no words to think at all.  This can be a simple, powerful way to harness our imagination to the power of our breathing to address what we face each day. If we have health issues, we can bring healing into our bodies. If we face difficult decisions, we can breathe wisdom and guidance into our lives. If we are troubled over events in the world (!!!) we can breathe justice, guidance and balance into the world. 

It’s all about what space we give to the wind that is our breath, today.

~Bob Patrick

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By Degrees

I don’t believe we think things into existence.
Not completely. And not reliably.

But I do think we steer.
Intentionally, or not.

Some people plan it out.
Others drift and still arrive somewhere.

And over time,
what we imagine
and what we dwell on
starts to shape us.

Not always for the better.
Not always on purpose.

But now and then,
it’s probably worth asking ourselves:

Where have I been?
Where am I headed?
And who am I choosing to become?

~Ryan Peterson

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