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… increasing religious plurality in our congregations has brought in perspectives and practices from earth-based religions of many kinds, amplifying an understanding of humankind as one part of a great interconnected web of all existence and deepening our humility and reverence for the web of life.Quote | By Sheri Prud’homme | April 25, 2024 | From WorshipWebTagged as: #UUAGA, Earth, Earth-Centered, Humility, Pluralism, Reverence, UUA Bylaws, Vision for UUism -
The oldest stories tell us we came from the dust, and to dust we will return. But dirt? That’s different. Dust is fine, often even sterile. Dirt, on the other hand, is made up of messier stuff.Ritual | By Joy Berry | March 11, 2024 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Earth, Earth-Centered, Nature, Reverence, Sacred, WorshipWeb, Worship -
See how the winds have shaped her hands to hold hope? So tenuous, it trembles like a hummingbird’s heart. She gently carries hope to a nest in the midst of the maelstrom and tilts it into the bowl of tiny feathers and mosses. Hope is so hard to cup. She might need your help when it seeps through...Poetry | By Jennifer Pratt-Walter | April 16, 2020 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Awe, Earth-Centered, Hope, Nature, Reverence, Wonder -
"After the Sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it....Homily | By Heide Cottam | February 13, 2019 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Awe, Christianity, Easter, Faith, Hope, Living Our Faith, Love, Mystery, Reverence, Strength, Transformation -
And so I bury my cauldron today I fill it full of salt and place it in the warm earth. Cradle it Persephone! Hold and rock and heal this womb. Take my woes and transform them. I was supposed to be this perfect gateway, and hold the balance of life and death. Well I held life, for a brief moment.Prayer | By Rebecka Clement | January 22, 2019 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Birth, Courage, Death, Grief, Healing, Letting Go, Love, Memorial Services, Mothers, Nature, Reverence -
Spirit of Life, love which holds us, We gather in reverence and thanks for You. We are grateful for the gift of another breath, and for each moment of connection, beauty, and truth. Cry with us in our pain for our world. Remind us that we are loved, just as we are. Remind us that we are connected...Prayer | By Elizabeth Bukey Saunter | October 21, 2018 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Christianity, Gratitude, Journey, Purpose, Reverence, Service, Spiritual Practice, Spirituality, Unitarian Universalism -
I do not wish to breathe another breath if it is not shared with others. The breath of life is not mine alone. I brought myself to be with you, hoping that by inhaling the compassion, the courage, the hope found here, I can exhale the fear, the selfishness, the separateness I keep so close to my...Affirmation | By Kristen L. Harper | August 22, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Awe, Body, Direct Experience, Humanism, Interdependence, Intimacy, Relationships, Reverence, Secular, Unity -
At last, we are here. After a long winter, we can say enthusiastically and without second thought, alleluia! Alleluia, spring is here in all her glory. New life begins, the earth and its creatures are resurrected from their dens of hibernation and dark slumber....Opening | By Jeanne Lloyd | August 11, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Beauty, Christianity, Earth, Earth-Centered, Easter, Gratitude, Hope, Joy, Reverence, Spring, Transformation -
Blessed Lady, Hallowed Lord, Let me hear your Holy Word. When the Veil is thinned tonight, Let me see with Sacred Sight.Invocation | By Martha Kirby Capo | August 11, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Earth-Centered, Immanence, Mystery, Paganism, Presence, Reverence, Samhain, Transcendence -
Here, today, in this place and with these people, May we listen so that we can hear; May we hear so that we can feel; May we feel so that we can know; and May we know so that we can change ourselves and this world. May this chalice we light, Light our Way.Chalice Lighting | By Erik Walker Wikstrom | July 13, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), Body, Change, Community, Listening, Purpose, Reverence, Transformation, Unitarian Universalism -
Those of us who call ourselves religious Humanists have a strong reverence for life. Many of us experience a deep sense of awe before the mystery of life and death, those powers greater than ourselves. We share a respect for science and reason, and we are willing to live with ambiguity to live...Reading | By Carol Hepokoski | April 20, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Awe, Earth, Earth-Centered, Environment, Humanism, Nature, Reverence, Wonder, Climate Justice -
Reason is an important tool, sure — an essential arbiter of truth claims about the world. But religion is grounded someplace deeper, where we experience the joy of living and are connected intimately with all that is....Reading | By Mark Ward | April 20, 2017 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Humanism, Purpose, Reason, Religion, Reverence -
As December opens up before us, we welcome in the gift of reflection.Affirmation | By Gwen Matthews | December 20, 2016 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Advent, Christianity, Christmas Eve / Christmas, Earth-Centered, Hanukkah, Hope, IllUUmination, Judaism, Love, Mystery, Paganism, Reverence, Tradition, Winter, Winter Solstice / Yule -
Gather we now into this space, this time when the Wheel turns and the Veil shatters. Gather we now to remember, to grieve, to prophesy, to complete our harvests before the Long Dark comes. Gather we now to tell the Old Stories and sing the Old Songs, to be as we have always been —the Voice of our...Invocation | By Andrea Hawkins-Kamper | October 26, 2016 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), All Souls Day, Autumnal Equinox, Community, Connections, Día de los Muertos, Earth-Centered, Generations, Halloween, Interdependence, Paganism, Reverence, Sacred, Samhain, Spirituality, Tradition, Unitarian Universalism -
Once, many grey autumns ago, I came upon a tree. The tree, a poplar, had dropped all of its leaves but for one, just one. Exactly one leaf remained near the topmost part of the tree, fluttering in the breeze like a little reddish-brown flag....Meditation | By David M. Horst | January 25, 2016 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Autumnal Equinox, Connections, Contemplation, Despair, Direct Experience, Earth, Earth-Centered, Letting Go, Nature, Reverence, Samhain, Thanksgiving, Winter Solstice / Yule, WorshipWeb -
Beloved Children of the Oneness of many names, you who cover the land in numbers greater than the stars, I petition you, I pray to you, because you are the fruit of God’s promise to the World; because each of you holds a piece of the truth of all that is; because the vision of Beloved Community...Prayer | By Jan Taddeo | December 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 6th Principle (World Community), Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Justice, Justice Sunday, Multiculturalism, Peace, Reconciliation, Reverence, War, WorshipWeb
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Creator of Life, Source of All Being It was from the particles of the Universe that you formed me... Iron and carbon and phosphorous Mixed with energy, passion and dreams. I was made in your image, says ancient Scripture. Made from the colors of the rainbow, Shaped with bones straight and curved,...Meditation | By Cynthia Frado | December 8, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Atheism, Coming of Age, Connections, Direct Experience, Diversity, God, Homecoming / Ingathering, Identity, Inclusion, Individualism, Integrity, National Coming Out Day, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Reverence, Secular, Transgender Day of Remembrance, Unitarian Universalism, United Nations Day, WorshipWeb -
As we kindle this flame, May it spark in each of us Connection and commitment To this living tradition And to each other.Chalice Lighting | By Cynthia Landrum | November 11, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Caring, Commitment, Connections, Interdependence, Living Our Faith, Relationships, Reverence, Tradition, Unitarian Universalism, Unity, Wonder -
We light this chalice for our children and youth, and for us: celebrating the flame of faith lit in each of us, honoring the light each of us bring into the world, rejoicing in the community we create together.Chalice Lighting | By Christian Schmidt, Alexis Capen | June 4, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Child Dedication, Children, Children's / Religious Education Sunday, Community, Direct Experience, Faith, Family, Generations, Inclusion, Interdependence, Reverence, Worth, Youth Sunday, Youth/Teens, WorshipWeb -
(adapted from the original) If, on a starlit night, with the moon brightly shimmering, We stay inside and do not venture out, the evening universe remains a part of life we shall not know....Meditation | By Marni Harmony | June 2, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Awe, Beauty, Courage, Direct Experience, Earth-Centered, Journey, Mystery, Nature, Reverence, Transcendence, Wonder
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On this green bank, by this soft stream, We place with joy a votive stone, That memory may their deeds redeem, When, like our sires, our sons are gone. —Ralph Waldo Emerson A green heron stands motionless on the bank of Emerson’s soft stream. In its beak it holds a fish, just the right size for...Meditation | By Stephen M. Shick | May 27, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Animals, Death, Earth Day, Earth-Centered, Environment, Generations, History, Nature, Reverence, Sacrifice, Stewardship -
Ministry is all that we do—Together Ministry is that quality of being in community that affirms human dignity— beckons forth hidden possibilities, invites us into deeper, more constant, reverent relationships, and carries forward our heritage of hope and liberation. Ministry is what we do...Meditation | By Gordon B McKeeman | May 14, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Community, Courage, Dignity, Hope, Installations, Ministry, Ordinations, Relationships, Reverence, Service, Solidarity, Unity
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It is not old, Yet it comes through the wisdom of the ages. It is not young, Yet it comes through the passion of innocence. It is not revolutionary, Yet it comes proclaiming change. It is not solitary, Yet it travels alone, seeking the open heart. It is not lonely, Yet it seeks relationship....Poetry | By Stephen M. Shick | April 27, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Connections, God, Reverence, Sacred -
I call upon you, <ancestor>, from the Cloud of Witnesses to accompany me today. You teach me <value(s)>, and today I am called to <action/mission>. Walk with me. Inspire me....Prayer | By Tandi Rogers | April 26, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Identity, Presence, Reverence, Spiritual Practice
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With our words we have given our mind's consent to the letter of this covenant. Now let us come together in the spirit of covenant, laying on our hands, and offering our heart's consent. As we begin, join me in placing your hands over your heart. Feel its precious beating....Blessing | By Keith Goheen | April 22, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), Commitment, Compassion, Hospitality, Installations, Ministry, Ordinations, Presence, Relationships, Reverence, Service, Spirituality, Tradition, Unitarian Universalism, WorshipWeb -
“I believe that if, on every Sunday morning before going to church, we could be lifted to a mountain-peak and see a horizon line of six hundred miles enfolding the copious splendor of the light on such a varied expanse; or if we could look upon a square mile of flowers representing all the specie...Quote | By Thomas Starr King | March 31, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Awe, Earth, Earth Day, Nature, Reverence, Unitarianism, Universalism, Wonder, Climate Justice
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We join our voices in a holy communion of mind and heart, dedicated to the promises that bind us in compassion, one with another. In this hour we light the flame that signals our intention to find the sacred in every living thing.Chalice Lighting | By Robin F. Gray | March 25, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Community, Compassion, Covenant, Dignity, Healing, Immanence, Inclusion, Reverence, Sacred, WorshipWeb -
Over the years your staples have slipped and pages loosened. Here a faded purple crescent of ancient wine, there a smudge from bricks of date paste. But when you speak I swoon....Poetry | By Rabbi Rachel Barenblat | March 24, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Courage, Freedom, God, History, Judaism, Reverence, Sacred, Tradition
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We float on a sea hidden beneath dry surfaces covered by stones. Isn’t this why we drink and dive so deeply go down to the sea in ships risk drowning, again and again? Isn’t this why Moses parted the waters to begin his journey? Why Jesus crossed the waters to comfort and challenge us? We were...Poetry | By Stephen M. Shick | March 23, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Abundance, Awe, Nature, Reverence, Sacred
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I have been wondering what the morning glories know. Is it envy that compels these vines to strangle other flowers arising in their path? Or perhaps self-preservation, to climb these walls, forsaking humbler beings, winding greedy stems around the trellis in their hungry pursuit of light. Still,...Poetry | By Terri Pahucki | March 23, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Connections, Earth-Centered, Joy, Nature, Reverence
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(adapted from the original) I say that it touches us that our blood is sea water and our tears are salt, that the seed of our bodies is scarcely different from the same cells in a seaweed, and that the stuff of our bones is like the coral. I say that the tide rolls in on us, whether we like it or...Poetry | By Marni Harmony | March 9, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Awe, Body, Change, Nature, Reverence
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Once upon a time I was Now I am Some day I will become Once there was And now there is Soon there will be And some day there surely shall be Once upon a time we were Now we are And some day (Hallelujah!) we shall surely become Amen Amen...Poetry | By Margaret Williams Braxton | March 9, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), Change, Character, Direct Experience, Growth, Reverence
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Oh spirit of life and love, We pause for a moment on this snowy day to reflect on the changes one week can make in our lives. We celebrate the feast of Imbolc, the pagan holiday that heralds the coming of spring. Our hearts stir with the thought that lambs are being born, that the light is...Prayer | By Deborah Weiner | March 2, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Acceptance, Agnosticism, Earth-Centered, Imbolc / Brighid's Day / Candlemas, Mystery, Nature, Paganism, Reverence, Unitarian Universalism, Vulnerability, Winter, Climate Justice
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We all emerge from Dwell within Are transformed by And called back to Love. May your mind be humbled before this Mystery. May your heart grow hopeful by it. May you be sustained by this Love always.Benediction | By Eric Williams | February 27, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Connections, Love, Mystery, Reverence, Universalism -
In this new year, let us be amazed. Let us search for new life and hope in our midst. Let us nurture creativity in every form. Let us be reminded that new insights of the universe are always being made. In this new year, let us be amazed.Prayer | By Aaron Stockwell Wisman | February 20, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Christianity, Creativity, Direct Experience, Humility, Nature, New Year, Revelation, Reverence, Science, Searching, Secular, Twelfth Night / Epiphany
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Blessed is the Sky, And all that is warm and filled with light. Blessed is the Air, And all that is open and free. Blessed is the Earth, And all that is steady and firm. Blessed is the Sea, And all that is hidden and deep.Blessing | By Eric Williams | February 20, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Acceptance, Awe, Beauty, Earth, Earth Day, Earth-Centered, Freedom, Immanence, Mystery, Nature, Paganism, Reverence, Summer Solstice, Vernal Equinox, Wisdom -
We ask blessings on this, our church home. May this building be a tool to continue the good work of our helping hands, our loving hearts, and open minds. May this home be safe harbor for all who sail upon the sea of Life, and a beacon of hope to those on rough waters....Blessing | By Jennifer Stokes | January 25, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Building/Space Dedication, Commitment, Community, Empathy, Generosity, Gratitude, Home, Responsibility, Reverence, Stewardship, Vision, WorshipWeb
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Single Set of Cremains Whispering Breath of Mystery, rattling the windows of our spirits with tears and sorrow, draw us back to the wonderful, the loving, the beautiful times we had with name, whose ashes we now hold. Recall to us his/her / this one’s inspirational actions, caring, and commitment.Ritual | By Naomi King | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Animal Memorial, Death, Generations, Grief, Memorial Services, Reverence, Transformation -
How shall we begin to live out our free faith? Nurture this precious light. When we do, we are beacons of freedom creating a safe place to rest, explore, and innovate. Nurture this precious light!...Reading | By Naomi King | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Community, Purpose, Reverence
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For the gift of this day and for our community of spiritual nurture and compassion, we give thanks. We light this chalice as a symbol of our faith. May our many sparks meet and merge in communion of heart and soul.Chalice Lighting | By Bruce Southworth | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Caring, Commitment, Community, Compassion, Faith, Gratitude, Growth, Hope, Presence, Reverence -
We light this chalice for the web of life which sustains us, For the sacred circle of life in which we have our being, For the Earth, the Sky, Above and Below, and For our Mother Earth, and for the Mystery.Chalice Lighting | By Paul Sprecher | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Connections, Earth, Earth-Centered, Generations, Interdependence, Mystery, Nature, Paganism, Power, Relationships, Reverence, Sacred -
How shall we address thee who art the One of a thousand names yet ever nameless? O Vishnu, Maya, Kali, Ishtar, Athene, Isis...Great Mother of Creation, womb of the universe, The Feminine Divine….Blessed art thou who hast given life to all And receiveth us at the end, forever thine... Jupiter,...Meditation | By Richard M Fewkes | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Buddhism, God, Goddess, Hinduism, Islam, Multiculturalism, Reverence, Transcendence, Multiculturalism
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Leave aside the little thoughts that distract you from the depths of your soul, For this is a holy place, and now is a holy time. Join with the others in this room, this community of seekers, and together, let us find our Sabbath.Opening | By John Gibb Millspaugh | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Community, Reverence, Sacred, Searching
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Reverently I offer this symbol of our hope and high intent. Reverently I bequeath this flame to you. This is the light that is lit for everyone who comes into the world. Bear this light to others, one by one. Let the flame go from life to life till all is lit with its warmth. Tell that the light...Chalice Lighting | By Elizabeth M Strong | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), Acceptance, History, Hope, Inclusion, Interdependence, Kindness, Reverence, Sacrifice, Seven Principles, Vision, Wisdom -
In the river, the water continually flows on, yet the river is ever there. "Our lives flow on in endless song," yet life and joy shall never end. Quotation from the traditional Quaker song, "My Life Flows on in Endless Song," #108 in Singing the Living Tradition.Closing | By John C Morgan | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Abundance, Christianity, Hope, Joy, Reverence, Transcendence, Unitarian Universalism
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Go in peace. Hold in your heart the certainty That the spirit of life is with you always. When your heart is torn asunder Or when you soar with sweet joy, You are never alone, never apart, From the spirit that resides within us, That guides our lives and cherishes us always. Take comfort. Blessed...Closing | By Enid A. Virago | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Awe, Immanence, Pain, Reverence, Sacred, Unitarian Universalism
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Unto that which is noblest in each of us we make appeal. Unto those common ideals of justice and mercy that bind us in common humanity we turn for inspiration. Unto the fearless dreams of our forebears in the worship of their gods and their vision of truth, we bow in gratitude. Unto the larger...Meditation | By Edward A. Frost | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Generations, Humility, Reverence, Sacred, Unitarian Universalism, Vision
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Through the week this chalice abides, cupped and silent, Softly it gleams in a dimly lit room, complete unto itself. Today, we come together as a community of faith, joyful and free, Our individual energies combine to spark the flame of Truth....Chalice Lighting | By Martha Kirby Capo | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 6th Principle (World Community), Commitment, Community, Faith, Justice, Living Our Faith, Meaning, Presence, Reverence, Tradition, Truth -
"Holy One, You knit me together in my mother's womb." This is the voice of Psalm 139: "[I] was not hidden from you when I was made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth." Let us remember and celebrate, this morning, that each of our bodies was woven together in the depths of...Opening | By Erika Hewitt | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), Body, Good, Healing, Health, Illness, Mystery, Reverence, Secular, Unitarian Universalism, Wholeness -
The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord keep all those whom you love, whether here or in some other place. May God be your companion and you be God's friend, as you walk together through all the days of your life; and at the journey's end, may you find the welcome of God's love. It keeps us all.Closing | By Charles C Forman | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Christianity, Connections, Death, Friendship, God, Reverence, Sacred, Salvation, Unitarian Universalism