"What Makes You Come Alive?" -- UUSE Virtual Worship, February 8, 2026

Gathering Music (Mary Bopp)

Welcome and Announcements (Rev. Josh Pawelek)

Prelude

Chalice Lighting and Opening Words

Excerpt from "Waiting to Grow Again"

by Jennifer Johnson

Opening Hymn

"Winter Takes its Time"

Music by Mary Bopp

Words by Rev. Josh Pawelek and Mary Bopp

Drone:

Winter takes its time. Winter takes its time.

Verses:

Let us all heed winter's teaching.

Let us not pass quickly by.

Let us honor winter's wisdom.

Let the darkness hold us close.

Let us rest in winter's stillness.

Let us rest the long night through.

Welcoming New Members

Introductions (Membership Committee co-chairs)

The Charge (Minister)

As you take up membership in the Unitarian Universalist Society East, I charge you to share with us who you are. Share your creativity, your experiences, your questions, your doubts, your beliefs, and all your discoveries of life's meaning. I charge you to shake us up with your ideas, to stir us up with your conscience, to inspire us with your actions, and to stimulate our hopes with your dreams of what life can be.

Congregational Welcome (Congregation)

We welcome you as companions in the search for truth and meaning. We invite you to share in our mission of caring for one another, encouraging each other in spiritual growth, working for justice and peace in the wider community, and living in harmony with the earth. We join our gifts with yours, trusting in the power of community to bring freedom, healing, and love.

New Member Affirmation (New members)

We join the Unitarian Universalist Society East out of a desire and willingness to participate in a liberal religious congregation. We pledge to share our time, energy and gifts; to diligently seek our spiritual truths; and to strengthen the bonds of community

Responsive Hymn

"This Meetinghouse"

words adapted from Eugene Sander by Josh Pawelek

This meetinghouse,

A place of love and gladness.

Where all may meet, to seek the common good.

A source of strength, to face each doubt and sadness.

Where every dream, is known and understood.

This meetinghouse, ask those who came before,

And found themselves, by crossing through its door.

Joys and Concerns

Musical Meditation

Offering

We do not gather our gifts only for ourselves but to share with the larger community. Continuing our practice of sharing our gifts with the community beyond our walls, fifty percent of our Sunday plate collections for the month of February will be shared with Manchester's African American and Black Affairs Council or AABAC. AABAC is a community-based organization whose mission is to uphold all aspects of the lived experiences of Black people in Manchester through advocacy, education, the arts and community events.

Offering Music

Sermon

"What Makes You Come Alive?"

Rev. Josh Pawelek

Closing Hymn

#123 "Spirit of Life"

by Carolyn McDade

Extinguishing the Chalice

The flame in our hearts, never ceases burning.

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.