Sunday Service — November 26, 2023

More Wonder: As Promised • Speaker: Miranda Van Horn

In her poem “Swan,” Mary Oliver describes the swan and asks her reader, “Did you see it in the morning, rising into the silvery air, an armful of white blossoms, a perfect commotion of silk and linen as it leaned into the bondage of its wings: a snowbank, a bank of lilies… And did you feel it, in your heart, how it pertained to everything?” Oliver knew well how to find and express wonder. Recent scientific studies suggest that people who look for and recognize wonder in their environment stay healthier, heal faster, and increase the likelihood that they’ll get better at finding even more wonder. This program is a consideration of the new science of awe — an extension of my summer talk on natural wonders when I’d promised to share a meditation thatcan help you find more wonder in your surroundings. This time, I’ll keep my promise.