We gather as many drops, each winding our own path down life’s surfaces and ruts. Here we pool together as a single body, flowing together for a time. Together we are a stream, at times even a river, for with our shared force we can travel toward oceans of meaning and seas of connection.

In recognition of Labor Day, we light this flame to honor all work, including the work of our hands and our backs, in gratitude for all the labors that support our world, and for all those who boldly continue the work of justice, equity, and peace.

We light this chalice to remember the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days.

My beloved people, I cannot pretend, And so I will not tell you, That everything is okay right now. That there is no reason to be angry, That you must be optimistic Or at peace. I cannot pretend these things, And so I won't tell them to you. But now our chalice is lit, And so all I ask in this...

We ignite this flame, symbol of our faith, to beckon us into community, warm our hearts with love, and give us a light to follow as we carry our faith into action.

Leader: In this sacred space People: Let us be still in the quiet. Leader: In this sacred space People: Let our hearts open as a butterfly’s wings. Leader: In this sacred space People: May the glow of this light shine within us.

We light our chalice this morning in the spirit of gratitude, Thankful for years of ministerial service to this church, For celebrations of life and death, dedications, and communions, For leading worship, grounding our congregation in spiritual practice, Helping us to navigate the wonders and...

Luz del sol to warm your days. Luz de luna to illuminate your nights. Luz de estrella to steer you through rough oceans. Luz de vela to celebrate your fifteenth year. Esta luz, this chalice is lit for you this day, That it and this community may be a source of light to guide you into adulthood.

I light this chalice for all the times you have lit this chalice; For every time you struck the match Or flicked that zapper thing Or empowered a nervous parishioner to do the same. I light this chalice for all that you've done: For all you've fostered and cultivated and nudged; For all you've...

We call forth the life of our faith by igniting our chalice. This spark of new beginnings invites us into a sacred space to reflect where we have been and where we are going. Even knowing that this particular flame will intentionally end with our ritual extinguishing, we fear not its end… For we...

We light our chalice as a symbol of gratitude as we celebrate the abundance of our lives together. In this sanctuary we harvest bushels of strength for one another, and offer our crop with the hands of compassion and generosity....

We light this chalice as a symbol of reunion. We reunite in this sanctuary to share the flow of our hearts with one another. We gather together in ritual to celebrate our fountains of joy to hold each other through storms of grief to guide one another through rapids of transformation to rest...

Within the heart of the flower, the fountain of beauty Within the heart of the community, a fire that warms and dances Within the heart of each of us, a spark of the spirit of life. Holy, holy, holy.

I light this chalice as a symbol of my commitment to the values of Unitarian Universalism. May its light be a beacon of hope to me, and to all who seek freedom, truth, and meaning in life.

As the chalice is lit let us come together into the sacred space we have created. Let the cares of the day fall away and know that here is a place for quiet reflection, for a pause in our lives, for breathing into our true selves....

Let us hold a quiet moment now as we light our Chalice. Henry David Thoreau wrote in his journal on February 2nd, 1841: "A child asked his father what became of the old moon, and he said it was cut up into stars." Consider the light. Light out of darkness. Light begets light....

May the flame of this chalice, the symbol of our faith, connect us to all who have come before us, all who are with us in body and and spirit, and all who are yet to come into being. May it serve as a reminder of our unity and connection across all time and space.

Let us hold a quiet moment together as our chalice is lit. As the wild wind bites, so does the still flame warm us. As the deep snows block our doors, so does the gentle flame bring us out....

The hours of day and night are in balance. In honor of Earth-centered traditions that celebrate this time of year, we observe that the flaming chalice holds the elements of the four directions: Earth, air, fire, water. The lamp oil for earth The air that feeds the flame The fire we light And the...