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When I think of power, strength, sheer physical force, I think of an avalanche. Tons of thundering snow come falling down the side of a steep mountain with the speed and irresistable force of a locomotive or freight train. In an instant an avalanche can sweep away everything in its path. But...Homily | By Gary Kowalski | January 25, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 6th Principle (World Community), Christianity, Earth, Earth-Centered, Easter, Flower Communion, Nature, Sacrifice, Transcendence, Transformation
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Maybe prayer doesn’t mean talking to God at all. May it means just listening. Unplugging the TV, turning off the computer, Quieting the mental chatter and distractions. Maybe it means listening to the birds And the insects, the wind in the leaves, the creaking and groaning of the trees, noticing...Meditation | By Gary Kowalski | January 25, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), Contemplation, Direct Experience, Listening, Prayer Practices
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On Easter Sunday, we remember the teachings of Jesus as we celebrate the miracle of life, which is also closely related to the mystery of death. Jesus, for example, spoke of a seed. Unless it falls to the earth and is buried, it remains just a seed. But by going down, down beneath the ground, it...Homily | By Gary Kowalski | January 25, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), Change, Christianity, Death, Easter, Faith, Growth, Transformation
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Asked if he was lonesome in his hut on Walden Pond, our neighbor Henry Thoreau famously replied, “How could I be lonely? Don’t I live in the Milky Way?” Thoreau doubtless would have been encouraged by the recent discovery of Kepler-22, a planet just 600 light years from earth right in the...Reading | By Gary Kowalski | January 25, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Advent, Awe, Christmas Eve / Christmas, Direct Experience, Science, Wonder
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Is the world getting more connected or more fragmented? Facebook, in conjunction with the University of Milan, recently announced that there were only 4.74 "degrees of separation" among its 700 million users (representing 10% of the world's population). That contrasts with the famous six degrees...Homily | By Gary Kowalski | January 25, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), 6th Principle (World Community), Community, Friendship, Homecoming / Ingathering, Interdependence, Solidarity
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We gather on this beautiful morning, the anniversary of a day painful to remember but impossible to forget ... We remember all the heroes and heroines of that day, the firefighters and emergency responders who demonstrated such courage in the midst of crisis....Meditation | By Gary Kowalski | January 25, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 6th Principle (World Community), America, Democracy, Nonviolence, Peace
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Gracious Spirit, Who makes the first to be last and the last to be first, Who makes the rain to fall and the sun to shine upon all, Help us to understand that life is not an contest Where having the most toys is the point of the game, To realize that the victor’s circle can be the loneliest spot...Prayer | By Gary Kowalski | January 25, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), Acceptance, Dignity, Grace, Humility, Self-Respect
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Children widen the circle of our being in ways that are limitless. Every baby that’s born connects us to our history, our own parents, grandparents and unknown forbears who brought new life to the world in each successive generation. Every baby that’s born links us to the future, to a world yet...Meditation | By Gary Kowalski | January 25, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), Birth, Child Dedication, Children, Children's / Religious Education Sunday, Children's Sabbath, Family, Fathers, Generations, Love, Mothers, Parents -
We draw from many wells, From oceans and rivers, From lakes and streams, From the muddy Mississippi to the roaring Rio Grande, From faraway places and from the ponds and puddles in our own backyards....Ritual | By Gary Kowalski | January 25, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Buddhism, Christianity, Community, Diversity, Hinduism, Humanism, Inclusion, Taoism, Unity, Water Communion
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We give thanks for love, Agape and Eros, Chocolates and pillow talk, And all of cupid’s arrows. For unrequited yearning And the grand passion burning, For quiet appreciation And platonic contemplation. For lovers, too, we offer thanks: Those gay and straight, near and dear, Gender metamorphic or...Meditation | By Gary Kowalski | January 25, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Intimacy, Love, Sexuality, Valentine's Day -
When used as a responsive reading, "We are waiting" is the congregational response. This is the season of anticipation, Of expecting, of hoping, of wanting. This is the time of expecting the arrival of something--or someone. We are waiting. This is the time of living in darkness, in the hues of...Responsive Reading | By Leslie Takahashi | January 25, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Advent, Balance, Calling, Christianity, Contemplation, Hope, Unitarian Universalism, Vision -
A tale of salvation, ecology, and sharing. Characters Narrator Noelle Voice in a dream Noelle’s sisters Jane, Rain, and Elaine Friendly farmer(s) Ship builder(s) Numerous animals: dogs, cats, mice, cows, horses, frogs, etc. Act 1 (Noelle at center stage, sitting, covered in blanket and appearing...Story | By Christian Schmidt | January 25, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Activism, Children's Sabbath, Christianity, Direct Experience, Earth Day, Earth-Centered, Environment, God, Interdependence, Justice Sunday, Service, Water Communion
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We ask blessings on this, our church home. May this building be a tool to continue the good work of our helping hands, our loving hearts, and open minds. May this home be safe harbor for all who sail upon the sea of Life, and a beacon of hope to those on rough waters....Blessing | By Jennifer Stokes | January 25, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Building/Space Dedication, Commitment, Community, Empathy, Generosity, Gratitude, Home, Responsibility, Reverence, Stewardship, Vision, WorshipWeb
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"Why a flaming chalice?” the question comes. It’s the cup of life, we answer. A cup of blessings overflowing. A cup of water to quench our spirits’ thirst. A cup of wine for celebration and dedication. The flame of truth. The fire of purification. Oil for anointing, healing. Out of chaos,...Chalice Lighting | By Lisa Doege | January 22, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Anger, Anti-Oppression, Beliefs & Principles, Brokenness, Courage, Disaster or Crisis, Healing, Oppression, Solidarity, Sorrow, Tradition, Truth -
O light of life, Be kindled again in our hearts As we meet together this morning To celebrate the joy of human community Seeking a wholeness that extends beyond ourselves.Chalice Lighting | By Sam Trumbore | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Commitment, Community, Connections, Faith, Gratitude, Inclusion, Joy, Sacred, Strength, Wholeness
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Leader: Every endeavor begins with a first step, and encounters darkness and difficulty along the way. Response: We know the darkness of ignorance, of fear, and of tyranny. Leader: Yet we know the dawning of the light, the beginnings of hope, and the renewal of life....Chalice Lighting | By Charles F Flagg | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Beginnings, Challenge, Courage, Discernment, Doubt, Faith, Fear, Hope, Journey, Palm Sunday, Power -
Fill your heart like a vessel with the Christmas spirit. Take the time to let your vision clear and your concern deepen. Allow your heart to overflow with all the authentic gifts that this season has to offer....Meditation | By Donna Morrison-Reed | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Christmas Eve / Christmas -
We’ve begun a new ritual around our dinner table in which each member of the family takes a minute or two to name what he or she has been grateful for. No matter how yucky our day has been, we try to offer our gratitude in the spirit of kindness and real thankfulness. Often, the ritual’s nicest...Reading | By Jane E Mauldin | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Forgiveness, Gratitude
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Like most traumatic scars, the ones that are found in Hiroshima and Nagasaki are permanent: reminders of the terrible damage human beings can inflict. Similar scars can be found in the hearts and souls of people around the world who understand this terror: scars of grief, sadness, fear and even...Prayer | By William G. Sinkford | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: America, Direct Experience, Hiroshima Day, Interdependence, Multiculturalism, Peace, Purpose, War -
In this time of loss In this time of asking why We light a flame of sharing We light a flame of commitment. In this time of why We light this flame Sign of our searching Sign of our sharing Sign that together we remember Together we ask why Together in sadness and joy We share light. Together we...Chalice Lighting | By David Breeden | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Commitment, Community, Death, Generosity, Grief, Identity, Joy, Sacrifice, Searching, Sorrow -
The following meditation will begin and end with the sound of the mindfulness bell. breathing in i am aware of my pain. breathing out i am aware that i am not my pain. breathing in i am aware of my past. breathing out i am aware that i am not my past. breathing in i am aware of my anger....Meditation | By Nathan C. Walker | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Awe, Body, Buddhism, Contemplation, Direct Experience, Discernment, Healing, Health, Kindness, Mindfulness, Peace, Presence
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Many of the past generation and many of today have found three abiding values in prayer: the quiet meditation on life, the reaching out toward the universal and the infinite, and the courageous facing of one's profoundest wishes....Meditation | By Sophia Lyon Fahs | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Children
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If you woke this morning with a sorrow so heavy that you need the help of this community to carry it; or if you woke with a joy so great that it simply must be shared, now is the time for you to speak....Ritual | By Judy Welles | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Joy, Listening, Presence, Sorrow, Unitarian Universalism, Vulnerability
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Come we now out of the darkness of our unknowing and the dusk of our dreaming; Come we now from far places. Come we now into the twilight of our awakening and the reflection of our gathering. Come we now all together. We bring, unilluminated, our dark caves of doubting; We seek, unbedazzled, the...Chalice Lighting | By Annie Foerster | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Despair, Earth-Centered, Hope, Hospitality, Nature, Shadow, Spirituality, Transformation, Winter, Winter Solstice / Yule -
We light this chalice to celebrate the inherent worth and dignity of every person; To reaffirm the historic pledge of liberal religion to seek that justice which transcends mere legality and moves toward the resolution of true equality; And to share that love which is ultimately beyond even our...Chalice Lighting | By Steve Stock | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 6th Principle (World Community), Anti-Oppression, Community, Dignity, Equity, Justice, Love, Mystery, Purpose, Solidarity, Unitarian Universalism, Worth -
Take from life its coals, not its ashes. Fan the flames of love and justice; join hands and hearts in common endeavor; and there will be no limit to what we can achieve together.Chalice Lighting | By Laurel S Sheridan | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Abundance, Activism, Challenge, Commitment, Connections, Justice, Love, Purpose, Solidarity, Unitarian Universalism, Unity -
Leader: Spring, the triumph of light over darkness, Response: Victory of newness and growth, and warmth vanquishing cold, Leader: We, too, know coldness and darkness within us, as it is in our world....Reading | By Charles F Flagg | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Vernal Equinox
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Our prophets died for the freedom of faith; We are here in their spirit. We are here to practice and sustain our living tradition; To light a chalice, Claiming for justice The heat and power of fire....Chalice Lighting | By Heather K Janules | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Commitment, Community, Connections, Faith, Freedom, History, Love, Sacred, Tradition, Transcendence, Unitarian Universalism, Unitarianism, Universalism -
Please join me now in a litany for the season. I invite you to respond with the words, “We remember. We forgive. We love.” For gifts we yearned for, but did not receive… For things we received, but never wanted… For those who offered us cheer when what we needed was comfort… For those who...Reading | By Peter Friedrichs | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Christmas Eve / Christmas
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Every week we gather in this beautiful space to find peace. Each week words and music offer and celebrate peace with the hope of instilling it in us. Now, take the peace you have found here, back out into the world with you. Renewed in our faith and inspired to act, Let us be the peacemakers the...Closing | By Sam Trumbore | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Peace
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Reading Isaiah 58:1-12 (excerpt) Shout out, do not hold back! Lift up your voice like a trumpet!Announce to my people their sins. Day after day they seek me and delight to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness… Look, you serve your own interest on your fast day, and...Sermon | By Kathleen McTigue | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), Economy
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Listen! This is a noisy world. You may have heard of the story of a dispute in the student union of one university. It seems "the presence of a juke box...disrupted conversation. Conversationalists petitioned for removal of the offending machine....Reading | By Richard S. Gilbert | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Listening
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Last Sunday morning I picked up the phone in the office at the Unitarian Church of Baton Rouge, LA. After I said, "Good morning, Unitarian Church," a woman's voice said, "Good morning! Can you tell me what the topic is this morning?" Uh-oh. I thought real fast and said, "The topic is, "COME TO...Reading | By Victoria Weinstein | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Acceptance, Commitment, Connections, Direct Experience, Faith, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Relationships
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I grew up as the heavily-committed eldest child of an American Baptist minister in the 50's. Committed, that is, to self-preservation, staying out of trouble with our small town and my family, and having fun within safe parameters, namely, church activities. I never felt particularly committed to...Reading | By Elizabeth Ketcham | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 3rd Principle (Acceptance & Spiritual Growth), 4th Principle (Truth & Meaning), Christianity, God, Playfulness, Prophetic Words & Deeds, Reason, Revelation, Reverence, Unitarian Universalism
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In the presence of these flowers,These representatives of Creation's profound beauty:Diverse and Unique, but Related and Interdependent,These flowers which come to us as gifts from we know not whereAnd which we, in turn, choose to bring to our shared and common altarAs gifts to one anotherIn thei...Meditation | By William G. Sinkford | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Flower Communion
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Earlier this week I was speaking with a member of the church about the sermon I was going to deliver today. She said to me, “What’s the big deal?” This one’s easy. All you have to say is: “You have money. We need money. Give us your money. Then we can all go home.” So, you have money. We...Sermon | By Peter Friedrichs | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Canvass/Pledge, Generosity
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A complete service for Children's Sabbath, with Homily by Pat Hoertdoerfer. Chalice Lighting We gather this hour as people of faith With joys and sorrows; gifts and needs. We light this beacon of hope, Sign of our quest for truth and meaning, In celebration of the life we share together. Opening...Complete Service | By Patricia Hoertdoerfer | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Children's Sabbath
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Welcome all you saints! Yes! You are saints, all of you are saints, for it is not by perfection that we are sainted, rather it is by our actions. It is not by perfection that we are sainted; rather it is by our presence. It is not by perfection that we are sainted; rather it is by our giving....Meditation | By Susan Brown | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: All Saints Day, Halloween, Samhain -
I hate goodbyes. I hate everything about them. It bothers me that “goodbye” isn’t really what I think we most often want to say. When those I love leave me, or I leave them, goodbye isn’t what I want to say. I want to tell them that their warm hand on my cheek, which caught my desperate...Reading | By Kaaren Solveig Anderson | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Change, Ending, Letting Go
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Ministry is a quality of relationship between and among human beings that beckons forth hidden possibilities; inviting people into deeper, more constant, more reverent relationship with the world and with one another; carrying forward a long heritage of hope and liberation that has dignified and...Reading | By Gordon B McKeeman | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Compassion, Healing, Installations, Leadership, Ordinations, Presence, Service, Teacher Dedication, Unitarian Universalism
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I love to pray, to go deep down into the silence: To strip myself of all pride, selfishness, and coldness of heart; To peel off thought after thought, passion after passion, till I reach the genuine depths of all; To remember how short a time ago I was nothing,and in how short a time again I will...Meditation | By David O. Rankin | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: God, Immanence, Presence
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Among the most accomplished and fabled tribes of Africa, no tribe was considered to have warriors more fearsome or more intelligent than the mighty Masai....Reading | By Patrick T O'Neill | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), 2nd Principle (Justice, Equity, & Compassion), Child Dedication, Children, Children's / Religious Education Sunday, Children's Sabbath, Commitment, Community, Family, Fathers, Generations, International, Mothers, New Child, Relationships -
What can we say about Rudolph? He was excluded by other reindeer. They did not let him play with them. We may feel confident that they made fun of him and his red nose. It is possible that they hurt poor Rudolph. He was on the outside. The other reindeer had a special relationship with Santa Claus.Story | By Edward Harris | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Acceptance, Christmas Eve / Christmas, Diversity
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The Woman Who Outshone the SunThe Legend of Lucia Zenteno Characters Narrator Lucia Zenteno (older child or adult) Iguana (small child) Water (several) Fish (several) Otters (several) Townspeople-elders and children (several) Props Long, flowing, bright skirt with pinned on flowers and butterflie...Story | By Nancy Jilk | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Diversity, Earth Day, Forgiveness
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This light unites us. This light unites us with our neighbors, Our friends and our enemies. Most importantly, This light unites us within ourselves. Our hearts, Our souls, Our spirits. This light unites us. —First Parish, Bedford, Massachusetts, Coming of Age participant...Chalice Lighting | By Rebecca Pankhurst | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Acceptance, Coming of Age, Community, Diversity, Healing, Reconciliation, Relationships, Sacred, Unity, Wholeness -
The element of fire represents passion, veracity, authenticity, and vitality. If the chalice is the supporting structure of Unitarian Universalism, then we are the flame....Chalice Lighting | By Sarah Lammert | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Challenge, Commitment, Community, Compassion, Freedom, Living Our Faith, Love, Power, Truth, Unitarian Universalism, Vulnerability -
Reverently I offer this symbol of our hope and high intent. Reverently I bequeath this flame to you. This is the light that is lit for everyone who comes into the world. Bear this light to others, one by one. Let the flame go from life to life till all is lit with its warmth. Tell that the light...Chalice Lighting | By Elizabeth M Strong | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 1st Principle (Worth & Dignity), Acceptance, History, Hope, Inclusion, Interdependence, Kindness, Reverence, Sacrifice, Seven Principles, Vision, Wisdom -
Our Unitarian heritage bids us light our chalice In the name of freedom, In the light of reason, In actions of tolerance. We gather in community to celebrate a heritage of freedom, reason, and tolerance....Chalice Lighting | By Elizabeth M Strong | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: History, Unitarian Universalism
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Fire and water, ancient opposites Sun and ocean, the cradle of life Dancing flame and dancing river— We invoke them together today As we kindle our chalice flame.Chalice Lighting | By Laura Horton-Ludwig | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: 7th Principle (Interconnected Web), Awe, Earth, Earth-Centered, Immanence, Interdependence, Nature, Paganism, Peace, Playfulness, Reverence, Sacred, Transcendence -
Divine spark from sacred dark Symbol of our holy intent Illuminate this hour.Chalice Lighting | By Kathy A Huff | January 21, 2015 | From WorshipWebTagged as: Discernment, Grace, Growth, Immanence, Meaning, Presence, Revelation, Reverence, Sacred, Unitarian Universalism, Wonder