Gathering Music (Mary Bopp)
Welcome and Announcements (Gina Campellone)
Centering
Prelude
"A Story With No Words"
Written and performed by Mary Bopp
Chalice Lighting and Opening Words
"A Shared Story"
by Rev. Sandra Fees
For the stories that long to be told and retold,
for the stories that long to be imagined and reimagined,
for the stories that long to be envisioned and celebrated,
we kindle this chalice.
May its flame bring the light of different truths,
different paths and different voices,
all needed to cultivate a transformative story
of justice, love and beauty.
Introducing the Service
Opening Hymn
#1008 "When Our Heart Is In a Holy Place"
Music & words by Joyce Poley
Mary Bopp, piano & Jenn Richard, vocals
Chorus:
When our heart is in a holy place,
When our heart is in a holy place,
We are bless'd with love and amazing grace,
When our heart is in a holy place.
When we trust the wisdom in each of us,
Ev'ry color ev'ry creed and kind,
And we see our faces in each other's eyes,
Then our heart is in a holy place.
Chorus
When we tell our story from deep inside,
And we listen with a loving mind,
And we hear our voices in each other's words,
Then our heart is in a holy place.
Chorus
When we share the silence of sacred space,
And the God of our Heart stirs within,
And we feel the power of each other's faith,
Then our heart is in a holy place.
Time for All Ages
"You Are a Story"
by Bob Raczka
Welcoming Visitors and Joys & Concerns
Musical Interlude
Offering
Each Sunday, we dedicate half of the unallocated collections from our offertory to organizations that are working to improve peoples' lives in the Manchester area. The recipients of our January community outreach offering are Moral Monday CT and Power UP CT. Moral Monday gathers voices in the struggle for freedom and justice for black and brown people. Their areas of focus, activism and social change work include police accountability, voting rights, and workers' rights. Moral Monday CT was founded by Bishop John Selders and Lady Pamela Selders. Power UP CT brings much needed visibility to the ongoing realities of racism in Manchester and surrounding communities. They currently run Empower U, an after-school program at Squire Village in Manchester. UUSE currently serves as Power Up's fiscal sponsor.
Offering Music
"The Story"
written by Phil Hanscroth and performed by Jenn Richard
First Reflection (Gina Campellone)
Music
"Elderly Woman Behind the Counter in a Small Town"
written by Pearl Jam and performed by Jenn Richard
Second Reflection (Paula Baker)
Closing Hymn
#128 "For All That is Our Life"
Music by Patrick L. Rickey
Words by Bruce Findlow
Mary Bopp, piano and Jenn Richard, vocals
For all that is our life we sing our thanks and praise;
for all life is a gift which we are called to use
to build the common good and make our own days glad.
For needs which others serve, for services we give,
for work and its rewards, for hours of rest and love;
we come with praise and thanks for all that is our life.
For sorrow we must bear, for failures, pain, and loss,
for each new thing we learn, for fearful hours that pass:
we come with praise and thanks for all that is our life.
For all that is our life we sing our thanks and praise;
for all life is a gift which we are called to use
to build the common good and make our own days glad.
Closing Words by Rev. Rod Richards
May the stories we create
Honor our ancestors
Prove worthy of our children and our children's children
And tell of connection and compassion
In this present moment.
Extinguishing the Chalice
Closing Circle
May faith in the spirit of life
And hope for the community of earth
And love of the light in each other
Be ours now, and in all the days to come.
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