Affirmations / Covenants / Doxologies
Sydney A. MorrisReading for four voices and unison response
(From the East:)Brothers and sisters in creation, we covenant this day
with you and with all creation yet to be;
With every living creature
and all that contains and sustains you;
With all that is on the earth
and with the earth itself;
With all that lives in the waters
and with the waters themselves;
With all that flies in the skies
and with the sky itself;
We establish this covenant,
that all our powers will be used
to prevent your destruction.
ALL: In wilderness is the preservation of the world.
(From the South:)
Brothers and sisters in creation, we covenant this day
with you and with all creation yet to be;
With all of humanity that has come before
and will come after us in future generations;
With the human heart as it opens time and time again
to the wondrousness of love;
With each new child
and the promise that sparkles in their eyes;
With the shining stars of hope and love
in the eyes of those around us;
We have felt the joy of living,
and we covenant that our love will be dedicated to others
that they may also feel such joy.
ALL: In love is the preservation of the world.
(From the West:)
Brothers and sisters in creation, we covenant this day
with you and with all creation yet to be;
With the great unity of all sentient beings,
and all that exists;
With the unending cycles of birth and growth,
death and rebirth,
of which we are a part;
With the peaceful knowledge brought us
though sages and children
of our belonging and our grace;
With the universal weaving of destiny and creation,
weaving patterns of magnificence and music;
We covenant to remember our membership in the family universal,
and to be with one another in the spirit of connectedness.
ALL: In wisdom is the preservation of the world.
(From the North:)
Brothers and sisters in creation, we covenant this day
with you and with all creation yet to be;
With the cry of despair which reaches our ears
from the furthest corners of the earth;
With the last breath of the starving child
and the tortured woman and the hunted man;
With hopes dashed and dreams drowned we covenant:
We will not forget you,
nor let the torch of your most cherished vision be extinguished forever;
We will remember and we will continue to fight on.
ALL: In justice is the preservation of the world.
First verse, England, author unknown
Source: 1997 UUMA Worship Materials Collection; altered
Copyright: The author has given Unitarian Universalist Association member congregations permission to reprint this piece for use in public worship. Any reprints must acknowledge the name of the author.
Last updated on Wednesday, April 16, 2008.
