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The
Small Group meets following the service to discuss the Twelve Steps
outlined in Karen's book and how they can be applied to life. Everyone is welcome to attend. Karen Armstrong is a British author and commentator known for her books on comparative religion. A former Roman Catholic religious sister, she went from a conservative to a more liberal and mystical Christian faith. The twelve steps she suggests begin with “Learn About Compassion,” and close with “Love Your Enemies.” In between, she takes up self-love, mindfulness, suffering, sympathetic joy, the limits of our knowledge of others, and “concern for everybody.” She shares concrete methods to help us cultivate and expand our capacity for compassion, and provides a reading list to encourage us to “hear one another’s narratives.” Armstrong teaches us that becoming a compassionate human being is a lifelong project and a journey filled with rewards. The First Step: Learn About Compassion The Second Step: Look at Your Own World The Third Step: Compassion for Yourself The Fourth Step: Empathy The Fifth Step: Mindfulness The Sixth Step: Action The Seventh Step: How Little We Know The Eighth Step: How Should We Speak to One Another? The Ninth Step: Concern for Everybody The Tenth Step: Knowledge The Eleventh Step: Recognition The Twelfth Step: Love Your Enemies |
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