Resonant Reading (Wednesday) – First two paragraphs of Jane Goodall’s “last words” – Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto

When

11/05/2025

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm

Event Type

Resonant Reading, Spiritual practice, Spotlight

An exploration of ideas, feelings, and our life experiences, using a different short reading as our springboard each time. The sessions are on Saturdays, 4-5, and on Wednesdays, 12-1. All are wide open and you are welcome to come twice a week or once in a while.

The participants over the years have found that the approach we take, and the respectful, affectionate community of inquirers in which we read and converse, are as important as the reading itself. While many small groups begin with a check-in, with a session only an hour long, Resonant Reading jumps right in to the conversation. Those who are frequently in the group get to know each other very well this way, and those who are new will soon find they are among friends.

Facilitators use a light hand, posting the reading in the chat and calling on whoever’s Zoom hand is up. Suggestions for readings* come from group members, who also take turns facilitating, if they want to try that role.

The reading for this session:

In the place where I am now, I look back over my life. I look back at the world I’ve left behind. What message do I want to leave? I want to make sure that you all understand that each and every one of you has a role to play. You may not know it, you may not find it, but your life matters, and you are here for a reason.

And I just hope that reason will become apparent as you live through your life. I want you to know that, whether or not you find that role that you’re supposed to play, your life does matter, and that every single day you live, you make a difference in the world. And you get to choose the difference that you make.

–First two paragraphs of Jane Goodall’s “last words” (https://janegoodall.ca/our-stories/dr-jane-goodall-leaves-behind-her-last-words/)

How to join:

Join this class from your Web browser: https://zoom.us/j/96865808923, passcode 227385
Join this class using the Zoom app: Meeting ID: 968 6580 8923
Join this class by phone: 669 900 6833 US (San Jose) Meeting ID: 968 6580 8923
Join this class by one-tap on mobile phones: 6699006833,,96865808923# (San Jose)
Phoning in, but not in the Bay Area? Find your local number: https://zoom.us/u/abL8clvIYT

This is the Zoom link for Wednesdays. For the Zoom link for Saturday, go to Calendar and click on a Saturday session.

Questions? Drop an e-mail to resonant-reading+owner@uucpa.org.

*This activity was formerly called “Sacred Text Reading.” That proved misleading–for one thing, more often than not our sources are secular–but it’s worth describing the qualities of a sacred text, which we still look for in the readings we choose. It is any reading that helps us to: