As we light this chalice, we kindle the spirit of the great turning: the movement for justice alive in this nation today. May we feel it in our bones, and in the stillness of this hour, may we sense it calling our name.

As Unitarian Universalists, we believe democracy is more than a political system; it is a shared journey, a collective responsibility, and a profound act of faith in one another.

Oh Spirit of Life and Love, fortify us with the wisdom and tenacity of our ancestors to continue toward the promise in the founding documents of our nation: a nation where all of us are created as equals and are endowed with the inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Our faith also gives us hope. A faith that knows that transformation is a holy and sacred task, that affirms that the democratic process is a faithful act, that brings a generous heart and a lens of justice and liberation to all that we do, that values equality and equity and is centered in love.

As we set down this work for the day, may we release with it all that has wounded us, keeping close only what has fed and enlivened our spirit... When we bless the world with our love, we are blessed in return.

In these times of fragmentation... to canvass is to choose the deeper assurance of interconnectedness and to heed the call of radical, all-embracing love.

May we remember the atrocities that brought us here.

Each of us, imperfect and vulnerable bodyspirits that we are, is connected to a vast web of love which holds us and will not let us go.

We come into consciousness in the middle of the story...

When someone lists Unitarians or Universalists, they usually name white men. Never anyone Black like me.

From the beginning, the story of Black people in America has been told through the lens of white supremacy.

If you’re seeking sacred Black “text” in our tradition, you have to examine the way our Black ancestors lived.

As we repent in full body and form, secure our names and the generations to come as you have done through time. God who blessed the womb of life, save us once again.

Holy flame of times past, brighten this present moment…

Spirits of winter, I celebrate you!

We are the recipients of an incredible gift and a beautiful vision.

Welcome, all who seek renewal in a weary world.

God of our ancestors, may we find the ways in which we can connect across generations.

We are the hands and feet of love. And sometimes its fingernails, too.