The Soul Matters theme for January is “Story.”

Explore the theme along with us by considering these questions:

In your family of origin, what story was told about you? Were you the funny one? The talented one? The troublemaker? The quiet one? The clumsy one? The rebel? The leader? The smart one? The difficult one? The “good” one? How has that story about you lived on, either by supporting your growth and relationships or by hindering them?

What’s your fondest memory of being read to as a child?

If you had to put the current stage of your life into a genre right now, what genre would it be? Mystery? Romance? Thriller? Fantasy? Young adult? Fiction? Non-fiction? Satire? Self-help? Travel?

If you were to put the story of your childhood into a genre, what would it be? And what moment pivoted your life from that genre to another?

What story told by or about your ancestors has shaped or supported you the most?

Twenty years from now, when we tell the story of our current political situation, how do you think that story will differ from the way you are telling it today?

Is it time to forgive your story for having a life of its own?

What do you leave out of the telling of your life story that wants to be let back in?

When it comes to the story of your life right now, which best describes you: A character in it? The author of it? The editor of it? The bookseller/promoter of it?

Authors go to great pains to write “in their own voice.” So far, have you written your life story in your own voice?

Have you ever been healed or saved by a story?

Is it possible that your story of facing headwinds is blinding you to the many winds at your back?

What stories of survival, hope and connection are carried in the scars, aches and shape of your body? What might it mean to thank your body for the stories it has carried?

As your child’s identity started to bloom, what story did you tell yourself about how their life would unfold? Were you close?

What is one story you hope will be told at your funeral?

What’s your question? Your question may not be listed above. As always, if the above questions don’t include what life is asking from you, spend the month listening to your days to find it.

There are many different ways to engage with the Soul Matters curriculum at the CVUU.

Look for announcements in upcoming newsletters and Weekly Update emails for information on how to join next year’s groups. In the meantime, you can create your own small group by inviting a friend out for coffee and talking through the questions posed above.

Volunteer to work with our Children’s RE program, which also uses the Soul Matters curriculum. Contact our CCRE to learn more about getting involved.

Keep an eye on our newsletters for an introduction to each month’s theme and info on when worship services or adult forums are being held on the Soul Matters topics.

Engage with our Facebook and Instagram posts on Soul Matters topics. Or start a conversation in our Facebook Group about the month’s topic.

Read the Weekly Update email for a new way to explore the monthly theme each week. If you don’t receive our Weekly Update email, contact Leann in the office to get signed up.