Established in 2018, UU SpiritLife offers spiritually-focused programs to the Hartford CT area Unitarian Universalist churches, helping UUs to develop and deepen meaningful spiritual lives in both communal and contemplative ways. UU SpiritLife was formed in consultation with area clergy and maintains communications with congregation leadership.
We believe it is vitally important to connect with mystery and awe, and the intrinsic power, beauty, and goodness of being human. But it’s easy to get side-tracked. Our involvement with church can easily default to social action and the many engaging tasks of congregational life. And, there is so much encouragement to remain open-minded within our faith that we may get stuck questioning everything.
The basic assumption of SpiritLife is that human beings are body/mind/spirit. The goal of SpiritLife is to give UUs opportunities to explore their innate spirituality, and in the process, develop ways to lean into it. A solid spiritual life supports us, lending power and confidence to all our actions. When we pause first to turn inward for spiritual renewal, we will be more impactful in outward actions whether they involve our personal, social or congregational lives.
Over the years SpiritLife activities have included programs ranging from one to twenty sessions, all based on in-depth, spiritually-focused print or video material designed to evoke both an intuitive and intellectual response in participants. More than one hundred persons have participated in our program activities over the years. All of our programs are facilitated so participants are always in a non-judgmental environment free to ask questions and connect with others in the groups. The privacy of group discussions is intended to be respected to facilitate open and honest communications.
While programs are facilitated, our goal is that each of us comes to community programs ready to share from our own personal lives and experience, and facilitation and contributions from all are encouraged. The Community Conversation archives in the Programs section of this site will show the range and depth of topics that we have explored together.
UU SpiritLife programs are facilitated by Judy Robbins, Rick Tsukada, David Gonci, and Nicholas Bartoli. Judy, Rick, and David have had decades of involvement and program leadership among the three area UU congregations. Judy and Rick are veteran workshop leaders who have also led programs at the UU Rowe Camp in Rowe, Massachusetts. Nicholas joined as a facilitator in 2023, having located to this area following ten years as a monk at the Episcopalian monastery (ssje.org) in Cambridge, MA. Another local UU, Tom Gervais, was a founding leader and is also active with the UU oriented Meeting House Band.
UU SpiritLife programs are mostly held virtually and sometimes in person at the area churches. Watch for our listings in the congregation newsletters. And get on our email list for announcements of our programs. Sign up on the Contacts page at our website.