How I See It...

A yearlong journey in the Way of Jesus — open‑hearted, thoughtful, compassionate. Developed by one of our Lay members for your use.

 

SECTION I — The Heart of God (Weeks 1–8)

God as One, God as Love, God as Near

 

Week 1 — God Is One

Scripture: Mark 12:29-34

Reflection:

Unitarian faith begins with the simplicity of God. Not a tangle of metaphysics, but a clear center: the One who is the source of all life. When we return to divine oneness, we rediscover our own wholeness.

 

Practice: Meditate in silence for 5–10 minutes each day.

Prayer: Holy One, gather the scattered pieces of my life into peace.

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Week 2 — God Is Love

Scripture: 1 John 4:7–12

Reflection:

Love is not an attribute of God — it is God’s very nature. When we love, we participate in the divine life.

 

Practice: Offer one intentional act of kindness.

Prayer: Let love be my teacher this week.

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Week 3 — God Is Near

Scripture: Acts 17:27–28

Reflection:

God is not distant. God is the breath beneath our breath, the presence within presence.

 

Practice: Pause three times a day to notice God’s nearness.

Prayer: Help me awaken to Your presence in ordinary moments.

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Week 4 — God’s Compassion

Scripture: Luke 6:36

Reflection:

Compassion is the shape of God’s heart. When we practice compassion, we align ourselves with divine character.

 

Practice: Speak gently to yourself each morning.

Prayer: Make my heart soft toward myself and others.

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Week 5 — God’s Desire for Human Flourishing

Scripture: John 10:10

Reflection:

Jesus reveals a God who delights in human thriving. Abundant life is not luxury — it is wholeness, meaning, connection.

 

Practice: Do one thing that nourishes your well‑being.

Prayer: Guide me toward the life that brings me alive.

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Week 6 — Universal Grace

Scripture: John 3:17

Reflection:

Grace is not selective. It flows freely, without boundary or condition.

 

Practice: Extend grace to someone who frustrates you.

Prayer: Teach me to see others through the eyes of grace.

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Week 7 — The Sacred Ordinary

Scripture: Matthew 6:26–34

Reflection:

Holiness is not rare. It shimmers in the everyday: a cup of coffee, a quiet morning, a shared smile.

 

Practice: Keep a daily gratitude list.

Prayer: Open my eyes to the sacred woven into my day.

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Week 8 — Unity and Reconciliation

Scripture: John 17:21

Reflection:

God’s oneness calls us toward unity — not uniformity, but harmony.

 

Practice: Take one small step toward repairing a strained relationship.

Prayer: Make me an instrument of reconciliation.

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SECTION II — The Way of Jesus (Weeks 9–20)

Jesus as Teacher, Guide, and Model

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Week 9 — The Kingdom Within

Scripture: Luke 17:20–21

Reflection:

Jesus locates God’s kingdom not in institutions but in the human heart.

 

Practice: Notice moments of inner peace.

Prayer: Let Your kingdom grow quietly within me.

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Week 10 — Love of Neighbor

Scripture: Luke 10:25–37

Reflection:

Neighbor‑love is the heart of Jesus’ ethic. It is practical, embodied, local.

 

Practice: Help someone anonymously.

Prayer: Expand my heart toward those around me.

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Week 11 — Courage

Scripture: John 2:13–17

Reflection:

Jesus shows that love sometimes requires boldness. Courage is not the absence of fear but the presence of purpose.

 

Practice: Speak one truth kindly this week.

Prayer: Give me courage rooted in compassion.

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Week 12 — Compassion of Jesus

Scripture: Matthew 9:35–36

Reflection:

Jesus’ compassion is not pity — it is solidarity. He sees people as they are and loves them as they are.

 

Practice: Offer comfort to someone hurting.

Prayer: Let me see others with the eyes of Christ.

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Week 13 — Prayer as Connection

Scripture: Matthew 6:5–13

Reflection:

Prayer is not performance. It is presence, honesty, and openness.

 

Practice: Pray simply: “Here I am.”

Prayer: Meet me in the quiet.

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Week 14 — Forgiveness

Scripture: Matthew 18:21–22

Reflection:

Forgiveness frees the forgiver. It is a slow, gentle release, not a forced forgetting.

 

Practice: Release one small resentment.

Prayer: Loosen my grip on what harms me.

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Week 15 — Humility

Scripture: John 13:1–17

Reflection:

Jesus redefines greatness as service. Humility is groundedness, not self‑erasure.

 

Practice: Do a hidden act of service.

Prayer: Shape me into a servant of love.

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Week 16 — Radical Welcome

Scripture: Luke 15

Reflection:

Jesus welcomes the excluded, the forgotten, the judged. His table is wide.

 

Practice: Invite someone into belonging.

Prayer: Make my life a place of welcome.

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Week 17 — Hope

Scripture: John 16:33

Reflection:

Hope is a discipline — a choice to trust that goodness is still possible.

 

Practice: Name one hope each morning.

Prayer: Plant hope in my heart.

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Week 18 — Peace and Nonviolence

Scripture: Matthew 5:9

Reflection:

Peace begins with the way we speak, respond, and relate.

 

Practice: Respond gently in conflict.

Prayer: Let peace begin with me.

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Week 19 — Trust in God

Scripture: Luke 23:46

Reflection:

Trust is surrender, not passivity. It is releasing what we cannot control.

 

Practice: Let go of one worry.

Prayer: Into Your hands, I place my concerns.

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Week 20 — Renewal

Scripture: John 20:1–18

Reflection:

Resurrection is the pattern of renewal woven into life.

 

Practice: Begin one new habit.

Prayer: Renew my spirit.

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SECTION III — The Human Spirit (Weeks 21–32)

Human dignity, conscience, reason, and growth

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Week 21 — Human Dignity

Scripture: Genesis 1:27 (interpreted through Unitarian lens)

Reflection:

Every person bears divine worth.

 

Practice: Treat yourself with dignity today.

Prayer: Help me honor the worth in all people.

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Week 22 — Conscience

Scripture: Romans 2:14–15

Reflection:

Conscience is the inner teacher, the quiet voice of moral clarity.

 

Practice: Listen inwardly before making decisions.

Prayer: Guide my conscience toward compassion.

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Week 23 — Reason in Faith

Scripture: Proverbs 2:2–6

Reflection:

Faith and reason are partners, not enemies.

 

Practice: Ask one honest question about your faith.

Prayer: Bless my seeking.

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Week 24 — Freedom of Belief

Scripture: Galatians 5:1

Reflection:

Spiritual freedom is a gift and a responsibility.

 

Practice: Name one belief that feels authentically yours.

Prayer: Lead me into truth with gentleness.

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Week 25 — Lifelong Growth

Scripture: Philippians 1:6

Reflection:

Spiritual growth is a lifelong unfolding.

 

Practice: Reflect on how you’ve grown in the past year.

Prayer: Continue Your work in me.

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Week 26 — Inner Light

Scripture: John 1:9

Reflection:

The Light shines in every person.

 

Practice: Notice moments of inner clarity.

Prayer: Let Your light guide me.

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Week 27 — Moral Courage

Scripture: Micah 6:8

Reflection:

Courage is doing what is right even when it is difficult.

 

Practice: Take one small courageous step.

Prayer: Strengthen my resolve to do justice.

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Week 28 — Emotional Honesty

Scripture: Psalm 139:23–24

Reflection:

Honesty with ourselves is the beginning of transformation.

 

Practice: Name your emotions without judgment.

Prayer: Help me be truthful with myself.

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Week 29 — Gratitude

Scripture: 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Reflection:

Gratitude opens the heart to joy.

 

Practice: Write down three gratitudes daily.

Prayer: Awaken gratitude within me.

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Week 30 — Simplicity

Scripture: Matthew 6:19–21

Reflection:

Simplicity clears space for what matters.

 

Practice: Simplify one area of your life.

Prayer: Teach me to live lightly.

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Week 31 — Integrity

Scripture: Psalm 15

Reflection:

Integrity is alignment between values and actions.

 

Practice: Make one choice that reflects your deepest values.

Prayer: Make me whole and true.

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Week 32 — Joy

Scripture: John 15:11

Reflection:

Joy is a spiritual practice — a way of noticing goodness.

 

Practice: Seek one moment of joy each day.

Prayer: Let joy rise within me.

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SECTION IV — Community & Compassion (Weeks 33–44)

Beloved community, justice, service, shared life

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Week 33 — Beloved Community

Scripture: Acts 2:42–47

Reflection:

Beloved community is built through shared life, mutual care, and compassion.

 

Practice: Reach out to someone in your community.

Prayer: Make me a builder of beloved community.

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Week 34 — Hospitality

Scripture: Hebrews 13:2

Reflection:

Hospitality is the spiritual art of making space for others.

 

Practice: Offer welcome to someone new.

Prayer: Widen my heart.

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Week 35 — Justice

Scripture: Amos 5:24

Reflection:

Justice is love in public.

 

Practice: Take one small step toward justice.

Prayer: Let justice roll through my life.

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Week 36 — Peacemaking

Scripture: Matthew 5:9

Reflection:

Peacemaking begins with how we speak and respond.

 

Practice: Choose peace in one conversation.

Prayer: Make me a peacemaker.

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Week 37 — Listening

Scripture: James 1:19

Reflection:

Listening is a form of love.

 

Practice: Listen deeply to one person this week.

Prayer: Give me ears to hear.

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Week 38 — Shared Wisdom

Scripture: Proverbs 27:17

Reflection:

We grow through shared insight and mutual learning.

 

Practice: Ask someone what they’ve learned recently.

Prayer: Let wisdom flow among us.

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Week 39 — Mutual Care

Scripture: Galatians 6:2

Reflection:

We carry one another’s burdens — and allow others to carry ours.

 

Practice: Ask for help where you need it.

Prayer: Teach me to give and receive care.

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Week 40 — Service

Scripture: Mark 10:45

Reflection:

Service is the natural expression of love.

 

Practice: Serve someone quietly.

Prayer: Make my life an offering of service.

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Week 41 — Stewardship of Resources

Scripture: Luke 12:34

Reflection:

Generosity shapes the heart.

 

Practice: Give something — time, attention, resources.

Prayer: Make me generous in spirit.

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Week 42 — Stewardship of the Earth

Scripture: Genesis 2:15

Reflection:

Creation care is a sacred responsibility.

 

Practice: Do one earth‑honoring action.

Prayer: Help me care for Your world.

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Week 43 — Interfaith Friendship

Scripture: John 10:16

Reflection:

Truth is too large for any one tradition.

 

Practice: Learn something from another faith.

Prayer: Bless my friendships across traditions.

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Week 44 — Bridge‑Building

Scripture: Romans 12:18

Reflection:

Bridge‑building is the work of peace and understanding.

 

Practice: Seek understanding across difference.

Prayer: Help me build bridges, not walls.

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SECTION V — Living the Unitarian Christian Way (Weeks 45–52)

Integration, vocation, purpose, hope

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Week 45 — Head and Heart

Scripture: Matthew 22:37

Reflection:

Faith engages both intellect and compassion.

 

Practice: Reflect on how your head and heart work together.

Prayer: Unite my mind and heart in love.

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Week 46 — Compassionate Living

Scripture: Colossians 3:12

Reflection:

Compassion is a daily posture.

 

Practice: Choose compassion in one difficult moment.

Prayer: Clothe me in compassion.

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Week 47 — Integrity of Life

Scripture: Micah 6:8

Reflection:

Integrity is living truthfully and kindly.

 

Practice: Align one action with your deepest value.

Prayer: Make my life whole.

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Week 48 — Life of Service

Scripture: Matthew 20:26–28

Reflection:

Service is vocation — the calling to bless others.

 

Practice: Identify one gift you can offer the world.

Prayer: Use my gifts for good.

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Week 49 — Wonder

Scripture: Psalm 19:1

Reflection:

Wonder opens the heart to God’s presence.

 

Practice: Spend time outdoors noticing beauty.

Prayer: Fill me with awe.

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Week 50 — Peace

Scripture: John 14:27

Reflection:

Peace is a gift we cultivate through presence and trust.

 

Practice: Practice one calming ritual daily.

Prayer: Let Your peace settle in me.

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Week 51 — Purpose

Scripture: Ephesians 2:10

Reflection:

Purpose emerges from love, gifts, and service.

 

Practice: Reflect on what gives your life meaning.

Prayer: Reveal my purpose.

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Week 52 — Hope

Scripture: Romans 15:13

Reflection:

Hope is the final word — the quiet confidence that goodness endures.

 

Practice: Write a hope for the coming year.

Prayer: Fill me with hope that sustains and inspires.