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| the young lady has professional aspirations |
Less usual to the point of rarity, from my experience of more than 50 years in and around UUland, are the bilingual process, the youth of the musicians and worship leaders, and the actively involved congregation who MOVE WHEN THEY SING! Below are some of them during the other sine qua non of a UU religious experience, Coffee Hour.
Very few of you will be aware of the complexity of my relationship with Unitarian Universalism, beginning at age 12 when my father left an evangelical ministry began in boyhood and found his way to a godless and successful UU ministry. My self-appointed or god-anointed (who the hell knows?) task as a human being seems to be to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted, and that played out around race and issues of racial justice during my ministry. Not a strong area for this group of primarily socially/economically privileged, primarily white folks. I left in a drunken huff twice, then with some degree of grace and humility after a period of sobriety. That was more than 10 years ago, and no one is more shocked than I about what is clearly the beginning of a new phase of my relationship with the holy, UUland, and my ministry.
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| celery and peanut butter! |
And I really don't know why I think anyone might be interested, but I am posting below the Order of Service from that fateful Sunday a mere 25 days ago because I think it is waaay cool!
Don't know if I can keep the blog going -- life is getting kinda busy, but I also like telling the stories...
Peace out, friends.
susan/a
Centering Thought:
"To look back from the stony plain along the road,
which led one to that place is not at all the same thing as walking on the
road; the perspective, to say the least, changes only with the journey." -- James Baldwin, Go Tell It On the Mountain
Gathering Bell
/ Gathering Music (Prelude)
Opening Words
Michael: A veces me siento como un niño sin madre…
Megan: Sometimes I feel like a
motherless child . . .
Michael: Que aquí encuentres, un
saludo caluroso, una palabra amable,
Megan: Here
may you find a warm greeting, a kind word, a gentle touch
Michael: A veces me siento como que no tengo ningún
amigo
Megan: Sometimes I feel like I have
no friend . . .
Michael: Que aquí encuentres una comunidad
de apoyo, un pulso de liberación, una
visión
de esperanza.
Megan: Here may you find a
community of support, a pulse of liberation,
a vision of hope
Michael: A veces me siento como que casi me he ido…
Megan: Sometimes I feel I am almost
gone . . .
Michael: Que aqui encuentres una
canción para cantar, un momento de silencio, una
mano que sostener.
Megan: Here may you find a song to
sing, a moment of silence, a hand to hold
Michael: Aunque estés lejos de tu
hogar
Megan: Even when you are a long way
from home . . .
Michael: que estas paredes te
acojan, que esta comunidad quebrante tu soledad .
Megan: may these walls give you
shelter, may this community break through your
loneliness
Michael: Y que puedas sentir
el abrazo del
más grande espíritu de vida
Megan: And may you feel the embrace
of a larger Spirit of Life
Michael: Ven, veneremos juntos.
Megan: Come, let us worship
together.
Opening Song - #36 Cantando por nuestras vidas” Megan (soloist)
Welcome
Church Hymn
From all who dwell below the skies, let faith and hope with
love arise,
Let beauty, truth and good be sung, through ev’ry land, by
ev’ry
De todos bajo el gran sol, surja esperanza fe, amor
Verdad, y belleza cantando, de cada tierra, cada voz.
Church Aspiration& Chalice Lighting
May love be the spirit of this church, may the quest for
truth be its sacrament, and service be its prayer. To dwell together in peace,
to seek knowledge in freedom, and to help one another in fellowship. This is
our.covenant with one another.
El amor es la doctrina de ésta iglesia, la búsqueda de la
verdad es su sacramento ,
y el servicio es su oración. Habitar juntos en paz, buscar la verdad con
libertad, y servir a la humanidad juntos, ésto es lo que pactamos unos con
otros.
Instrumental Music
Affirmation
We are Unitarian Universalists, A people of Open Minds,
Loving Hearts and Welcoming Hands
Somos Unitarios Universalistas, Personas de mentes abiertas,
Corazones amorosos, Y manos que dan la bienvenida.
Story for All Ages “One Boy Told Me” a found poem by Naomi
Shihab Nye
“One Boy Told Me” is a found poem. A found poems means the
poet didn’t make up any of the lines herself. Instead they are all things she
overheard a boy say to her and she selected them. About her poem, she said: we
all start out as poets, and some just keep up the habit into adulthood. But we
can all reconnect to our own lost poets inside when we read everyday encounters
like these.
Music lives inside my legs. It’s coming out when I talk.
I’m going to send my valentines To people you don’t even
know.
Oatmeal cookies make my throat gallop.
Grown-ups keep their feet on the ground When they swing. I
hate that.
Don’t ever say “purpose” again, Let’s throw that word out.
But tomorrow’s in BOLDFACE.
When I grow up my old names Will live in the house Where we
live now. I’ll come and visit them.
Is it true that all metal was liquid first? Does that mean
if we bought our car earlier they could have served it?
What if the clock said 6:92 instead of 6:30? Would you be
scared?
My tongue is the car wash
My toes are dictionaries.
Do you need any words?
From now on I’ll only drink white milk
What does minus mean? I never want to minus you.
Just think—no one has ever seen inside this peanut before!
It is hard being a person.
I do and don’t love you—isn’t that happiness?
Instrumental Music
Offering
Our offering today goes to Project New
Village
Offering Music -
“Pequena voz”
Meditation Song - #1012 “When I am frightened”
Meditation
Instrumental Music
Message: “Faith at
Five Thousand Feet”
Closing Song - #1017 “Building a new way”
Closing Words & Extinguish the Chalice
Paul Robeson: Llevaré mi voz dondequiera que estén aquellos
quienes deseen escuchar la melodía de la libertad o las palabras que pueden
inspirar esperanza y valor en la faz de la
desesperanza y el miedo.
“I shall take my voice wherever there are those who want to
hear the melody of freedom or the words that might inspire hope and courage in
the face of despair and fear.
Mis armas son de paz, pues es solamente por medio de la paz que se puede lograr la paz .
My weapons are peaceful, for it is only by peace that peace
can be achieved.
El canto de la libertad debe de prevalecer. El canto de la
libertad debe de prevalecer.” Que construyemos un nuevo camino a esta libertad.
The song of freedom must prevail. The song of freedom must
prevail.”
May we build a new way to this freedom.
Closing Music (Postlude) - “Freedom jazz dance”
