International Council of Unitarians and Universalists Global Chalice Reading

Girl lights a chalice at the start of worship at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Boulder, Colorado.

Until its dissolution, the International Council of Unitarians and Universalists (ICUU) distributed a new Chalice Lighting Reading each month. An archive is being created on the website for the Leadership & Design Team for International U/U Collaboration. Congregations are invited to use these readings during worship services, and to introduce it as a Global Chalice Lighting.

This is a terrific resource for congregations that have an international vision and wish to have a ritual element of that vision regularly included in worship services.

Global Chalice Lighting: October 2021

ICUU announces the 212th in its monthly global chalice lighting readings. Congregations worldwide are invited to use the reading for at least one worship service in the designated month, identifying it as the “ICUU Global Chalice Lighting” for that month.

These words are offered by Dorothea Kaufmann, Unitarier – Religionsgemeinschaft freien Glaubens, Germany

German/Deutsch

„Wär nicht das Auge sonnenhaft,
Die Sonne könnt es nie erblicken;
Läg nicht in uns des Gottes eigne Kraft,
Wie könnt uns Göttliches entzücken?“

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

„In meinem tiefsten Seinsgrund
bin ich von Lichtenergie durchwirkt, die
mein Auge als leuchtende Farben sieht,
meine Haut als Wärme spürt und
meine Seele als Inspiration erfährt.
In dieser Einheit
von schöpferischem Funken
und funkelnder Schöpfung
vollzieht sich das Leben.
Verspüren wir das Licht in und um uns
und versprühen es mit
leuchtenden Beispielen
in die Welt!“

Dorothea Kaufmann

The words of the English translation of the October 2021 global chalice lighting from ICUU, with text in red and yellow boxes, with a photo in the background showing a sunrise.

English

"If not the eye was like the sun,
It could not see the sun’s majestic shine
If not God’s magic was in everyone,
Who could rejoice ov‘r anything divine?"

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

"From the bottom of my very existence
I am pervaded with light energy,
shining colours to my eye,
warmth to my skin,
inspiration to my soul.
In this unity
of creative sparks
and sparkling creation
life unfolds.
Let us open our senses to the light within and around us
and send it out with shining examples
into the world!"

Dorothea Kaufmann

Czech/Český

Kdyby oči slunci podobny nebyly,
nespatřily by slunce důstojný svit.
Kdyby kouzlo Boží v sobě všichni neměli,
jak by kdo mohl cokoli božského oslavit?

J. W. von Goethe

V nejhlubším základu své vlastní existence
jsem prostoupena energií světla:
svítí barvami do mých očí,
teplem na mou kůži,
inspirací do mé duše.
V této jednotě
tvůrčích jisker
a jiskřícího tvoření
se rozvíjí život.
Kéž otevřeme naše smysly světlu uvnitř nás i kolem nás
a vyšleme ho skrze zářné příklady
do světa.

Dorothea Kaufmann

Italian/Italiano

“Se l’occhio non fosse come il sole,
Non potrebbe vedere la luminosità maestosa del sole
Se la magia di Dio non fosse in tutti,
Chi potrebbe gioire per qualcosa di divino?”

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“Dal fondo della mia stessa esistenza
Sono pervasa dall’energia della luce,
Colori brillanti al mio occhio,
Calore alla mia pelle,
Ispirazione alla mia anima.
In questa unità
Di scintille creative
E creazione scintillante
La vita si spiega.
Apriamo i nostri sensi alla luce all’interno di e intorno a noi
E rispediamola con esempi brillanti
Nel mondo!“

Dorothea Kaufmann

Spanish/Español

"Si el ojo no fuera como el sol,
no se podría ver su brillo majestuoso.
Si no estuviera el encanto de Dios en cada uno,
¿quién podría regocijarse en todo lo divino?"

Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe

"Desde lo más profundo de mi existencia
me impregno con la energía de la luz,
colores brillantes ante mis ojos,
calor para mi piel,
inspiración a mi alma.
En esta unidad de destellos creativos y creación destellante, la vida se despliega.
Abramos nuestros sentidos a la luz dentro y fuera de nosotros
y enviémosla con acciones resplandecientes al mundo."

Dorothea Kauffman

Portuguese/Português

„Se não os olhos eram como o sol,
Não podia ver o brilho majestoso do sol
Se não a magia de Deus estava em todos,
Quem poderia se alegrar com qualquer coisa divina? "

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

„Do fundo da minha existência
Estou impregnado de energia luminosa,
cores brilhantes aos meus olhos,
calor na minha pele,
inspiração para minha alma.
Nesta unidade
de faíscas criativas
e criação espumante
a vida se desenrola.
Vamos abrir nossos sentidos para a luz interna e ao nosso redor
e envia-la como exemplos brilhantes no mundo!"

Turkish/Türkçe

Eğer gözler güneş gibi olmasaydı,
Güneşin görkemli ışıltısını göremezdi
İnsanın içinde Tanrının büyüsü olmasaydı
İlahi olan herhangi bir şeyden kim keyif alabilirdi

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Varlığımın en başından itibaren,
Gözüme ışıldayan renkler,
Vücudumun sıcaklığı,
Ruhumun ilhamına kadar
Işık enerjisiyle doluyum
Hayat,
yaratıcı kıvılcımlar ve
parıldayan yaratılış birliği içinde gelişir.
Algılarımızı içimizdeki ve çevremizdeki ışığa açalım
Ve onları parıldayan örneklerle dünyaya gönderelim.

Dorothea Kaufman

French/Français

Si l'œil n'était pas semblable au soleil,
Le soleil ne pourrait jamais le voir ;
S'il n'y avait pas la force de Dieu en nous,
Comment le divin pourrait-il nous ravir ? "

(Johann Wolfgang von Goethe)

« Dans mon être le plus profond,
je suis imprégné d'énergie lumineuse,
que mes yeux voient comme des couleurs vives ;
ma peau ressent comme une chaleur
et mon âme ressent comme une inspiration.
Dans cette unité d'étincelle créatrice
et de création pétillante, la vie prend place.
Sentons la lumière en nous
et autour de nous et envoyons-la avec des exemples visibles partout dans le Monde ! "

(Dorothea Kaufmann)

Thanks to our translators: Portuguese: Liliane Mira; Czech: Matěj Čihák, Spanish: The Editorial Committee of Ministerio Latinx; French: Jean-Claude Barbier; Italian: Ian McCarthy; Turkish: Fertac Bilge