I love stories. Some of my earliest memories are of my father reading Winnie the Pooh and the Madeline books to me. These stories made me laugh, gave me hope, and taught me how to have courage and the joys of friendships. Stories also opened my mind to new ideas. I remember a children’s book about how the number 13 was a lucky number, not a bad one. And that witches were good, not bad. It made me think about how maybe the superstitions I had heard of weren’t true.
And I love that we tell stories most of the time in our services, during the Time for All Ages. Stories have been used to teach morals and values through time and throughout every culture, and that’s why we do them in the service. I invite you to think about what stories you put into your head – what we read has an impact on who we are. What kind of stories do you read? What stories have had an impact on you, as a child or as an adult? The best stories, I think, are ones that open our minds and help us love the world just a bit more.
May you enjoy some wonderful stories this year!
Rev. Sian Wiltshire is Orange Coast Unitarian Universalist Church's minister. Please feel free to reach out and say hello! She can be reached by email, revsian@ocuuc.org, or by church phone at (714) 556-2882 (x302).