You whose hearts are broken, come in. You whom pain has touched, and sorrow, and shock. You who have cried this week, and read the news with sadness. You whom loss has shadowed. You who grieve. Come in, come in. You with hearts open to joy and hope, come in. You whom love has touched, and...

We were all children once, and we carry fragments of our childhood times with us. Today, let us honor those children who walked before us, who transformed into who we have become, who led us to this place, who have lessons for us still.

There is nothing you need to bring with you to be welcome here no right beliefs or proof of citizenship no eternal optimism or clarity of conviction no boundless courage or endless expertise You do not need to know what brought you here Or how you will solve that problem you are turning over and...

In the presence of this fire We hear the voice of our God, Of our Goddess, of our Holy. “You are on Sacred Ground.” In the presence of the flame In me, in you, in us, Moving, resting, gathering— We are on sacred ground. In the presence of this fire We are compelled To take up a torch, to carry...

The chalice is the container— the space where the musicians and the listeners gather. The oil is the fuel— the hours of practice and the life experiences of everyone in the room. The wick is the instruments and vocal cords through which the music will flow. And the flame—the flame!— is the...

Reader One: You who feel your heart is breaking, come in. Reader Two: You who are confused and wondering. Come in. Reader Three: You who are angry, in pain, or not wanting to be here. Come in. Reader Four: You who are hopeful and energized. Come in. Leader: Come into this community of your heart...

We are Unitarian Universalists. When we lift up our Seven Principles, some of us think of them as a form of theology—but they are more important to our collective than that: they do not tell us what we should believe; they tell us how we should be. They tell us how we should act in the larger...

We live inside paradox. Humans generally don’t like to admit it—we much prefer tidy, stable, comprehensible, logical ways of getting through the day—but paradox is woven into the fabric of this particular universe we inhabit. Light is both a particle and a wave Imaginary numbers describe the...

It was at a gathering of white women when this gathering of the waters first came to pass. White women in a second wave of gender self-awareness; awakening, connecting, making new meaning, shifting the old ethos. The solidarity of these white women was reflected in the waters each brought, waters...

Open up the doors Push on looming wooden arches embroidered with ironwork Brace shoulders against the weight of history unmoved Slough off the musty smell of unused joy and stored up sorrow Knock rust off the hinges if you have to And let your breath precede you inside Open the doors more Make ro...

May we recognize and abandon the familiar attitudes and practices that do not serve the whole. We are who we are and we have the opportunity to be who we want to be, to create a new inheritance for the future....

We light this chalice remembering and honoring our own tradition and celebrating the rich diversity of traditions among us. As we search for justice, meaning, and purpose, may we remember that justice, meaning, and purpose live first in deeply listening to one another. This chalice lighting was...

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....

Blessed Lady, Hallowed Lord, Let me hear your Holy Word. When the Veil is thinned tonight, Let me see with Sacred Sight.

Here we are in our circle again. A circle of vision and reflection, A forum for deciding and empowering. Here we are at the base of another bridge, another space spanning the shores of today and tomorrow. Beckoning us to cross the chasm, one day at a time....

As we create and share sacred space together, let us reflect upon what brings us here. We have all come here for different reasons, from different decisions, faced different challenges and shared different love. And yet all of our differences have led us to this space, right here, right now. Some...

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.

We are all flames. When we gather hand in hand our church our community our home We inspire, We celebrate, We come together Sharing our light of hope for our shared future. This chalice lighting was written by two young children and their parent, in honor of their mom's ordination.