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"Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory" -- UUSE Virtual Worship, January 18, 2026
Gathering Music Welcome and Announcements Centering Prelude Chalice Lighting and Opening Words excerpt from the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s eulogy for the Rev. James Reeb (March 15, 1965) Opening Hymn Mashup "Say, Brothers, Will You Meet Us" and "John Brown's Body" lyrics by various authors, adapted by Rev. Josh Pawelek traditional American hymn tune Say, brothers, will you meet us, Say, brothers, will you meet us, Say, brothers, will you meet us, On Canaan's happy shore?
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3 hours ago3 min read
"The Arts as Resistance" -- UUSE Virtual Worship, January 11, 2026
Gathering Music (Mary Bopp, piano) Welcome and Announcements (David Klotz) Centering Prelude (Mary Bopp, piano) Chalice Lighting & Opening Words (David Klotz & Jane Penfield) #493 Hildegard of Bingen Fire of the Spirit, life of the lives of creatures, spiral of sanctity, bond of all natures, glow of charity, lights of clarity, taste of sweetness to the fallen, be with us and hear us. Composer of all things, joy in the glory, strong honor, be with us and hear us. Introduct
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6 days ago1 min read
Two Epiphanies, Rev. Josh Pawelek, January 4, 2026
Our ministry theme for January is practicing resistance . I’m not surprised our friends at Soul Matters (the independent UU resource hub that provides materials for our monthly themes) landed on this theme at this time. As we have named many times over the past year, the administration in Washington, DC has engaged in many authoritarian actions, e.g., abducting and deporting people without due process, deploying federal troops to US cities, cutting the social safety net to pa
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Jan 49 min read
"Two Epiphanies" -- UUSE Virtual Worship, January 4, 2026
Gathering Music Mike Zanta, Guitar Welcome and Announcements Centering Prelude "White Flag" by Joseph performed by Meetinghouse Chalice Lighting and Opening Words Matthew 2: 10-15a (New Revised Standard Version) Opening Hymn #1007 "There's a River Flowing in My Soul" by Faya Ora Rose Toure (Rose Sanders) There's a river flowin' in my soul. There's a river flowin' in my soul. And it's tellin' me that I'm somebody. There's a river flowin' in my soul. There's a river flowin' in
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Dec 29, 20251 min read
"Reflections & Hopes" -- UUSE Virtual Worship, December 28, 2025
Welcome and Announcements Centering Prelude "Edelweiss" by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II Service Introduction Chalice Lighting & Opening Words Chalice Lighting #448 in Singing the Living Tradition by Christine Robinson We gather this hour as people of faith with joys, 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 Hymn "My Life Flows on in Endless Song" #108 in S
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Dec 23, 20253 min read
Where the Light Begins, Rev. Josh Pawelek, December 21, 2025
I want to share the words the choir just sang. The piece is “Where the Light Begins” by the choral composer Susan Labarr. The words are a slightly adapted excerpt from a longer poem titled “Where the Light Begins,” [1] by the Rev. Jan Richardson, an artist, writer and Methodist minister. The poem is from Rev. Richardson’s 2015 collection, Circle of Grace: A Book of Blessings for the Seasons. [2] About the light she says: Perhaps it does not begin. Perhaps it is always. Pe
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Dec 22, 20254 min read
"Silent Night, Holy Night" -- UUSE Virtual Worship, December 24, 2025 - 5:00 PM
Gathering Music (Mary Bopp) Words of Welcome (Emmy Galbraith) Centering (Rev. Josh Pawelek) Prelude "Bring a Torch, Jeannette Isabella" Traditional French carol Arr. by Mary Bopp Chalice Lighting and Opening Words Excerpt from "A Christmas Carol" by Charles Dickens gently adapted by Rev. Josh Pawelek Opening Hymn "Angels We Have Heard on High" Words by Earl Marlatt Music: French Carol Angels we have heard on high Sweetly singing o'er the plains And the mountains in reply E
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Dec 16, 20255 min read
"Evening Vespers Service" -- UUSE Virtual Worship, December 22, 2025
Gathering Music (Debbie Vinick, harp) Welcome Introduction Centering Chalice lighting and Opening Words "Forgotten Church" by James Crews The next time you pray for someone else, send whispered words on shaky wings up to the night sky, you might consider including yourself before the final amen. When you ask for your own happiness, plead for a flashlight to shine a path through whatever darkness you are facing, it's like stepping back into the forgotten church of this one bo
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Dec 16, 20253 min read
Emmy's Friday Update
Greetings CYM Families & Friends! Our lovely choir director, Jenn Richard, has prepared a phenomenal array of musical pieces perfect for kicking off the holiday season! Do not miss this Sunday’s annual Holiday Music Service for all ages. Children & Youth Ministry (CYM) classes will not be held this Sunday, and we hope that families will enjoy this festive service together in the Sanctuary. The exceptions are that the Nursery will be open and our High School Youth Group progr
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Dec 12, 20252 min read
Dan's Test Blog
Greetings CYM Families & Friends! Our lovely choir director, Jenn Richard, has prepared a phenomenal array of musical pieces perfect for kicking off the holiday season! Do not miss this Sunday’s annual Holiday Music Service for all ages. Children & Youth Ministry (CYM) classes will not be held this Sunday, and we hope that families will enjoy this festive service together in the Sanctuary. The exceptions are that the Nursery will be open and our High School Youth Group progr
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Dec 12, 20252 min read
"Where the Light Begins" -- UUSE Virtual Worship, December 21, 2025
Gathering Music (Mary Bopp) Welcome and Announcements (Rev. Josh Pawelek) Centering Prelude "Joy on Christmas Morning" by Audrey Snyder UUSE Choir Chalice Lighting and Opening Words #542 "Solstice" by Diane Lee Moomey Again did the earth shift Again did the nights grow short And the days long. And the people Of the earth were glad And celebrated Each in their own ways Opening Hymn "Winter Takes its Time" Music by Mary Bopp Words by Rev. Josh Pawelek and Mary Bopp Drone: Wint
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Dec 11, 20252 min read
"Where the Light Begins" -- UUSE Virtual Worship, December 14, 2025
Gathering Music (Mary Bopp) Welcome and Announcements Introit "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" (Trad. English carol, arr. by BNL) the Gonzalez family, vocals Jennifer Richard, guitar Centering Prelude "Joy on Christmas Morning" by Audrey Snyder UUSE Choir Chalice Lighting and Opening Words "A Joyful Noise" by Rev. Josh Pawelek Opening Hymn #253 "O Come, All Ye Faithful" by John Francis Wade O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem. Come
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Dec 10, 20252 min read
"Choosing Hope" -- UUSE Virtual Worship, December 7, 2025
Welcome (Stacey Musulin) Centering (Martha Larson) Prelude : Improvisation on steel tongue drum performed by Kristen Dockendorff Chalice Lighting and Opening Words Excerpt from "We Gather" by Pat Uribe-Lichty We gather to find New ways of loving. New ways of thinking. New ways of being. We gather - yes, always we gather, for it is in gathering that we find our hope. Opening Hymn #118 "This Little Light of Mine" Words and music: African American spiritual, c. 1750-1875 This
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Dec 2, 20252 min read
Awake My Soul, Rev. Josh Pawelek. November 30, 2025
In these bodies we will live, in these bodies we will die / And where you invest your love, you invest your life / Awake my soul / Awake my soul / Awake my soul – w ords from the British folk-rock band Mumford and Sons. [1] I’m not deeply familiar with their music. My colleague, the Rev. Carolyn Patierno, mentioned back in October she was using the song in a worship service. I liked it, so I asked Jenn (Richards) if she could play it for us this morning. She already knew the
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Nov 30, 20259 min read
"Awake My Soul" -- UUSE Virtual Worship, November 30, 2025
Gathering Music "Someday at Christmas" by Ron Miller and Bryan Wells "Calling on Mary" by Aimee Mann Jenn Richard, guitar and vocals Welcome and Announcements (Rev. Josh Pawelek) Centering Prelude "Astral Plane" by Valerie June Jenn Richad, guitar and vocals Chalice Lighting and Opening Words "Late November" by the Rev. Mary Wellemeyer adapted ever-so-slightly by Rev. Josh Pawelek Opening Hymn #15 "The Lone, Wild Bird" words by H. R. MacFayden music from William Walker's Sou
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Nov 19, 20252 min read
"Gratitude for UUSE" -- UUSE Virtual Worship, November 23, 2025
Gathering Music Welcome and Announcements Centering Prelude "Rainbow Connection" by Paul Williams Chalice Lighting and Opening Words "The Abundance of Our Lives Together" by Katie Sivani Gelfand We light our chalice as a symbol of gratitude... In this sanctuary we harvest bushels of strength for one another ... we cultivate a simple sweetness to brighten our spirits ... May we be grateful for the ways we nourish and uplift each other, For it is the sharing of this hallowed ti
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Nov 17, 20252 min read
Do UU Know Your History? Rev. Josh Pawelek, November 16, 2025
Photo of King's Chapel from a recent UUSE Affirmation class trip to Boston I’m about to take you on a whirlwind tour of 1,840 years of Unitarian, Universalist, and Unitarian Universalist history. (I’ll be covering, on average, about 92 years every minute of this sermon). Please know everything I say is a generalization, and I am leaving out many important people, events, and trends. I’m offering primarily a theological history—Unitarian and Universalist are, after all, theol
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Nov 16, 20259 min read
"Do UU Know Your History?" -- UUSE Virtual Worship, November 16, 2025
Gathering Music (Mary Bopp) Welcome and Announcements (Rev. Josh Pawelek) Centering Prelude “Gather the Spirit” by Jim Scott adapted by Mary Bopp Chalice Lighting and Opening Words Excerpt from “I Call That Church Free” by James Luther Adams Opening Hymn #145 “As Tranquil Streams” lyrics by Marion Franklin Ham music: Musicalisches Hand-buch , Hamburg, 1690, adapt. As tranquil streams that meet and merge and flow as one to seek the sea, our kindred hearts and mi
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Nov 10, 20252 min read
"Supporting Dignity through Compassion and Love" -- UUSE Virtual Worship, November 9, 2025
Gathering Music Welcome and Announcements Centering Prelude Chalice Lighting & Opening Words "Chalice Lighting Words" by Albert Schweitzer At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us. In the glow of that gratitude, let our worship begin. Opening Hymn STJ #1008 "When Our Heart Is in a Holy Place" When our heart is in a holy place, When our heart
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Nov 4, 20253 min read
On Generosity, Rev. Josh Pawelek, November 2, 2025
Our November ministry theme is nurturing gratitude , which aligns very obviously with the Thanksgiving holiday later this month; though for me, it’s not the holiday that gives us the theme. For me it’s all the features of autumn—changing, falling leaves, dropping temperatures, decreasing daylight hours, increasing darkness—and perhaps most importantly, the conclusion of the growing season in these northern latitudes—the harvest, the reaping, the preparations for winter—all of
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Nov 2, 20258 min read
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