Program Description

The last few years have not been easy, including in our local congregations. Whole swaths of members have simply stopped coming; COVID is confusing, and polarizing; many ministers have joined the great resignation; and Pew studies and friends alike have pronounced the end of the local church.

In this moment, when so many of us might be wondering if we should just give up, and relent, now’s the time instead to double down on our commitment to the local church -this unique community that saves us and also breaks our hearts - often much more of the latter than we’d like to admit. In the midst of our culture of death, the church is a place of life. Or it is, as long as we are willing to bring our own lives to it. Join us for a morning of celebration, witness, and future-visioning for the already and not yet power of the local Unitarian Universalist church.

Leading us in worship will be Rev. Gretchen Haley, Rev. Shari Halliday-Quan, Rev. Sean Neil-Barron, Lea Morris, Adam Podd, Joseph and Aimee Santos-Lyons, and Allison King with the GA Choir.

Order of Service

• Ingathering Songs
  Led by Alison King, with Melissa Sky-Eagle on piano, and the GA Band - Michael Backus, guitar, John Wulcott, bass, Casey Anderson, drums
  • We Give Thanks
  • Wake Now My Senses
  • Siyahamba
  • Rivers of Grace
  • Come and Go With Me
• Call to Worship
  Revs. Gretchen Haley, Shari Halliday-Quan, and Sean Neil-Barron
• Choral Anthem—“The Storm is Passing Over”
  Charles Albert Tindley/arr. Barbara W. Baker
  Choral Direction by Alison King, with Melissa Sky-Eagle on piano
• Chalice Lighting
  Aimee, Mikyka’ela, Iyara and Rev. Joseph Santos-Lyons
• Holding / Held
  Rev. Shari Halliday-Quan
  Adam Podd, arrangement and piano
  • “Rock Me (Divine Mother)”
    by Ana Egge and Gary Nicholson
• Spoken Word & Visual Reflection—“Because Church”
  Rev. Sean Neil-Barron
• Musical Response—“Abide With Me”
  Traditional Lyrics by William Henry Monk with arrangement/new lyrics by Rev. Christopher Watkins Lamb
  Piano by Melissa Sky-Eagle, spoken word from Lea Morris, Casey Anderson, drums
• Story—“Partners”
  Rabbi Marc Gellman, used by permission of the author
  Original artwork by Steve Sedam
  Voice over by Michael Cruz
  Video animation by Elliot Cennamo
• Sermon—“The Deal On Those Days”
  Rev. Gretchen Haley
• Choral Anthem—“You Will Be Found”
  Benj Pasek & Justin Paul/arr. Mac Huff, Hal Leonard
  Choral Direction by Alison King, with Melissa Sky-Eagle on piano, and the GA band

• Special Collection

  ECRCP builds grassroots leadership within East Multnomah County to create an equitable, inclusive, and livable community centered on the needs of the most underrepresented and marginalized residents. It aims to advance policies that improve the lives of Black, Indigenous, and communities of color with an intersectional framework of race, gender, sexuality, immigration status, age, disability, class, and lived experiences.

  Donate

  Offering—East County Rising Community Projects
  Offering invited by Rev. Shari Halliday-Quan
  Donate
• Offertory
  Lea Morris, vocals and Adam Podd, piano, and the GA Band
  • “With a Little Help from My Friends”
    Lennon and McCartney
  • “Heart Wide Open”
    Lea Morris
• Gratefulness
  Revs. Gretchen Haley and Sean Neil-Barron
• Closing Song—“There is More Love Somewhere”
  Traditional Spiritual
  Arrangement by Adam Podd
• Benediction
  Rev. Gretchen Haley
• Postlude

Additional Credits

Deep gratitude to Nancy Bowen, Julica Hermann de la Fuente, Manish Mishra-Marzetti, Kimberly Quinn Johnson, Tandi Rogers, Nathan Ryan, Victoria Safford, Rebekah Savage, and Taryn Strauss for ongoing dialogue and feedback connected to this service and its themes. And thank you to Brett Lewis for your constant support, and Rev. Susan Frederick-Gray for the invitation, and for your courageous and steadfast leadership.