Voluntary Simplicity
Voluntary simplicity as a spiritual practice of living lightly on the Earth speaks to our mission of “caring for the Earth and nourishing the spirit”. Members of SFUU have explored simplicity through Sunday Worship, SFUU forums, and small group ministry (‘Simplicity Circles’). On this page you will find:
Enough (excerpt from the November 26, 2023 Sunday Service)
Simplify, Simplify (excerpts from the March 17, 2019 Sunday Service)
Practicing Radical Simplicity (excerpts from the July 28, 2019 Sunday Service and forum)
Simplicity Circles (information and complete curriculuum)
Enough
During the November 26, 2023 Sunday Service, David Besseler briefly reflected on what ‘enough’ is and how it is deeply personal for each one of us.
Simplify, Simplify
Here is the description of this March 17, 2019 worship service:
This Sunday we will explore the possibilities of sustainable living through voluntary simplicity. Can we make a difference in a world afflicted by accelerating climate change and the exploitation of Earth’s limited natural resources? Can we resist the call to consumerism and consciously choose to live more simply, and enrich our daily lives in the process? In his book, Voluntary Simplicity, Duane Elgin defined voluntary simplicity as a “way of living that is outwardly simple and inwardly rich. … The objective of the simple life is not to dogmatically live with less, but to live with balance in order to realize a life of greater purpose, fulfillment, and satisfaction.” Join us this Sunday to explore what voluntary simplicity is, and what it is not.
During this service SFUU members Barb Munn and Kelly Chandler shared their spiritual journeys toward simplicity, inspired by their deep commitment toward our planet and the challenges being presented by climate change. You can listen to selected portions of this service by clicking on the embedded audio files. Click here for a transcript of the entire the service.
Practicing Radical Simplicity
Kyle and Katy Chandler-Isackson at their urban homestead in Reno
In 2001, along with their two sons, Katy and Kyle Chandler-Isacksen made a giant leap to live a more sustainable and joyful life. They moved to a 200 square foot house and then turned off all the electricity! On July 28th, 2019 Katy and Kyle came to SFUU where they presented a worship service and follow up forum on practicing Radical Simplicity. Listen to these recordings from the service to hear what this leap to Radical Simplicity has meant to their lives and how you can embrace more elements of simplicity in yours, to battle the climate crisis and challenges of our times.