Seeds. They contain all of the genetic information needed to create plants that will spring up, many times their original size, to be known in their fullness. They, in turn, create more seeds, blown about to find their purpose near and far. Enclosed in a protective coating, dependent on their environment for survival, seeds are fragile and powerful at once. Fragile in their dependence on circumstances, powerful for the potential they have to send forth vibrant life.

Spirits. They are as unique as each of us, and as universal as humankind's connection with a mystery larger than ourselves. I'm not aware of a single religious tradition that does not fundamentally connect humans with a sacred force, known or always hidden from us but is nevertheless a significant part of us.

We don't work hard to make sure that every seed from every plant will survive. We know that some will not, because they have been blown too far afield of rich soil, or because they are not strong enough to become larger, more tenacious plants. But we want to make sure that it is possible for every human spirit to survive and grow. We do this because we are all connected, because the spiritual survival of one person affects the spiritual health of so many others. We do this because we know we are the ones who have the power to change the circumstances that help or hinder the spiritual and physical thriving of others.

Six women sit in a circle. Puerto Rican. African American. White. Dominican. One is from Trinidad. A candle is lit, and a short relaxing meditation is spoken in soothing tones. And then the stories begin.

Nikki says she can't believe in God because it seems like no matter how hard she tries, everything turns against her. She has been incarcerated twice. She lost custody of her now 16-year-old daughter the first time she was in jail. She is trying to rebuild that relationship. She is having a hard time getting public housing because of her criminal record. Her 2-year-old son is getting to be a real handful, and she can't stand the thought of trying one more time to pull her life together. She has just found out that her daughter was sexually abused, and at this point she launches into wrenching sobs. She, too, has been sexually assaulted several times in her life. She says she has never willingly had sex with a man.

This brings an outcry from the women around the table. Filled with compassion and touched by their own pain, they spill out similar stories. Most of them, it turns out, have histories of sexual abuse. One is HIV-positive as a result. There is a raging argument about God's will, everyone with a different take on why one should believe or not believe and how one should go about believing. Some of the women want to persuade Nikki that it was God's will that she be alive; it is important to them that she is with them this morning. Others echo her anger at a God who could let all of this happen. Milagros, one of the quietest women in the group, waits until the end to speak.

"The way I see it, it's just like my father always said. For every prayer, there's an 'amen.' You know what amen means, right, 'so be it.' So every time I pray, I don't know when it's going to come or how, but every time I know that there will be an 'amen.' When I wanted to leave my home country to come here, I prayed and prayed, and then one day it happened: 'amen' and I'm here. Then when I was being kept in my home and not allowed to leave and my boyfriend was beating me up and telling we I wasn't worth anything, keeping me from seeing my family or having money to feed my baby, I just kept praying to be out of it, to be able to find a way to get myself out. And then I got a phone number one day, and I just kept trying. And my 'amen' was coming here. Now that I'm here, I'm praying for an apartment, and I just know that my 'amen' is gonna come somehow."

At Renewal House, these profound stories of struggle, of despair and of faith, are the beginning of the healing process. The "amen" to the prayer for healing and new life is itself contained in these times of sharing. The telling is a sacred event, ripe with the opportunity for growth and new life. Our women's programs at the UU Urban Ministry are committed to finding new ways of making those "amens" happen. Renewal House is the site for women and their children in search of a safe place to make the brave transition to a life free from violence, for women who call our 24-hour hotline for support as they tell their stories of fear, for educating people in their schools and at community events about domestic violence so that they may have their part in ending it. STOP: Sisters Together Offering Peace is our evolving new outreach program for women in the community who need the support of the other women as they work to change the course of their physical and spiritual lives. We are committed to finding ways to enrich the soil in which their spirits may safely plant roots and grow. Let all the people say "Amen!"