In a few moments, there will be a splendid party celebrating (name)’s passage into young womanhood. At that time, she will receive a series of traditional gifts, symbolizing the duties as well as the privileges of her new status....

Presentation of quinceañera by parents: (Minister’s name), I, (parent), and I, (parent), present to the congregation of [congregation's name] and of our family and friends, our daughter, (name), upon the occasion of her 15th birthday. Today we acknowledge her transition from the role of our...

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.

Welcome to this sacred celebration of emerging adulthood. We are gathered today to rejoice and bear witness as (name) and her parents and friends mark her transition from childhood to the estate of a young woman. The quinceañera tradition has its roots in the ancient cultures of Central and South...

I invite you to enter a period of quiet for a guided meditation. You may wish to adjust your position so that your spine is straight, your body relaxed, your hands resting gently in your lap. You will probably want to close your eyes and shut out all the distractions of the light....

Suspended between all that was and all that might be, we struggle to find this very moment—to live this very moment. Let us sit together for a moment, and savor this moment. Let us relish this between time where past meets future, Let us harbor a faith that reminds us that right now, right here,...

"Where are you a pastor?" It's not an uncommon question when you've chosen to do ministry in a small, rural town, especially when you wear a clerical collar much of the time. I'm getting used to the puzzled looks on people's faces as they struggle to reconcile a genderqueer body in this...

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....

How many more Sundays will the preacher in black robes and the solemn shuffle of papers Read the names of those whose light was extinguished for our right to bear arms? How many more Sundays will we try to believe that our hopes for justice are worth more than the lobbyists’ tailored suits and...

The Celebration begins with making “Brigid Butter,” which will be used on the bread that will be offered during Cakes and Ale. Ritual: Making "Brigid Butter" materials: Small, clean baby food jars Heavy whipping cream Cheesecloth Salt (various flavors) Small knives • Fill jars with heavy cream...

Let this be a place of warm and gentle silence: the silence that soothes and comforts the wounded, the silence that yields insights into heart and soul, the silence that calms, the silence the listens, the silence that speaks, the silence that renews. Let this be a place of warm and gentle silence.

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.

Come, let us enter this space of hope and community. Come, let us enter this space with our sorrows, our joys, our passion and compassion. Come. let us enter this space with the stories of our ancestors, for their strength and wisdom beats in our hearts....

Spirit of Life and love, God of many names and yet none at all Our hearts are stretched thin. We see and hear the devaluing of people of color, of those with disabilities, of women, of immigrants; this list, incomplete as it is, is exhausting. And yet, we hold fast because we carry hope in our...

Last year for Lent, I decided to say yes to any request. I made it all the way to Easter without  having to honor my decision.

"Rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation. Healing is an act of communion." from https://www.betterworldbooks.com/product/detail/All-about-Love--New-Vis… about Love, p. 215.

To offer hospitality, we first have to identify ourselves — sometimes in inconvenient or uncomfortable ways — as helpers; as willing to offer kindness or connection to someone we might disagree with.

Hallelujah! is a dangerous word, especially in the mouths of the creatively maladjusted.* Hallelujah! is a dangerous word, for it comes always with an exclamation point. Hallelujah!...

Being faithful doesn’t mean endless work. It also means attention to the movement of spirit that can appear as an hour of sleep, the truth of a toddler, or a donut in the middle of the day.