If you woke this morning with a sorrow so heavy

If you woke this morning with a sorrow so heavy
that you need the help of this community to carry it;
or if you woke with a joy so great that it simply must be shared,
now is the time for you to speak.
You are invited to stand, introduce yourself,
and speak from your seat, and I will light a candle for you.
If you have an announcement to make,
there will be an opportunity for that during the coffee hour.

[End with the lighting of one last candle]

For the joys and sorrows that haven't been spoken,
but which remain in the silent sanctuaries of our hearts.
These joys and griefs, spoken and unspoken,
weave us together in the fabric of community.