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Gathering Music "Sleep of the Blessed" by Glen Phillips "Brokedown Palace" by the Grateful Dead "Astral Plane" by Valerie June Jennifer Richard, guitar and vocals Welcome and Announcements Centering Prelude "Where I Go" by Natalie Merchant Jennifer Richard, guitar and vocals Chalice Lighting and Opening Words "Ground of Being" by the Rev. Natalie Fenimore Opening Hymn "Blue Boat Home" by Peter Mayer Though below me, I feel no motion standing on these mountains and plains. Far away from the rolling ocean still my dry land heart can say: I've been sailing all my life now, never harbor or port have I known. The wide universe is the ocean I travel and the earth is my blue boat home. Sun my sail and moon my rudder as I ply the starry sea, leaning over the edge in wonder, casting questions into the deep. Drifting here with my ship's companions, all we kindred pilgrim souls, making our way by the lights of the heavens in our beautiful blue boat home. I give thanks to the waves up holding me, hail the great winds urging me on, greet the infinite sea before me, sing the sky my sailor's song: I was born up on the fathoms, never harbor or port have I known. The wide universe is the ocean I travel, and the earth is my blue boat home. New Member Welcome 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 questins, you 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 Music by Jean Sibelius 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 Interlude Offering Hartford Deportation Defense says, "we are an immigrant organization in Hartford, CT, working alongside our neighbors to build a just and dignified future for our families and communities in the Hartford region." They engage in a variety of activities in support of immigrants, including fundraising (especially for people facing health emergencies), providing resources for families with a loved-one in detention, working with immigration attorneys, rapid response, accompaniment to hearings and legislative advocacy. Offering Music "Song for the Seeds" by Humbird Sermon "This Land" Rev. Josh Pawelek Closing Hymn "Keepers of the Earth" by Joyce Poley We are blessed by ev'ry river, Ev'ry river makes us whole. With its riches and its beauty, Ev'ry river feeds our soul. And we are called as keepers of the earth, We are called to speak its sacred worth. For our children and our children's children, We are called as keepers of the earth. We are blessed by ev'ry mountain, Ev'ry mountain makes us whole. With its riches and its beauty, Ev'ry mountain feeds our soul. And we are called as keepers of the earth, We are called to speak its sacred worth. For our children and our children's children, We are called as keepers of the earth. We are blessed by ev'ry forest, Ev'ry forest makes us whole. With its riches and its beauty, Ev'ry forest feeds our soul. And we are called as keepers of the earth, We are called to speak its sacred worth. For our children and our children's children, We are called as keepers of the earth. We are blessed by ev'ry ocean, Ev'ry ocean makes us whole. With its riches and its beauty, Ev'ry ocean feeds our soul. And we are called as keepers of the earth, We are called to speak its sacred worth. For our children and our children's children, We are called as keepers of the earth. 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.

Gathering Music Welcome Centering Prelude Chalice Lighting and Opening Words "The Door Swung Wide" by Rev. Scott Tayler We light this flame in a world where so much has grown dark. May it remind us that sparks can always be struck, and very little is inevitable. Most of it is mystery and magnificent surprise. Which means new and yet-to-be imagined worlds always await. Which means a door has already swung wide, with possibility waiting on the threshold ready to pull us through. Opening Hymn "All Possibility" Chant by Kit performed by members of the Women's Sacred Singing Circle All possibility. All possibility. Is in you, Is in you. Is in me, Is in me. Time for All Ages "Answer Mountain" adapted from a story by Sarah E. Skwire Musical Interlude #1057 "Go Lifted Up" Mary Bopp, piano Announcements Joys and Concerns Musical Interlude Reading "Imaginary Conversation" by Linda Pastan You tell me to live each day as if it were my last. This is the kitchen where before coffee I complain of the day ahead--that obstacle race of minutes and hours, grocery stores and doctors. But why the last? I ask. Why not live each day as if it were the first-- all raw astonishment, Eve rubbing her eyes awake that first morning, the sun comung up like an ingenue in the east? You grind the coffee with the small roar of a mind trying to clear itself. I set the table, glance out the window where dew has baptized every living surface. Offering Offering Music "Closer to Fine" by the Indigo Girls Jenn Richard, guitar and vocals Reflection 1 - Ellen Williams Musical Response "Flowers Are Red" by Harry Chapin Reflection 2 - Stacey Musulin Closing Hymn #95 "There Is More Love Somwhere" (adapted words below) There is more hope somewhere. There is more hope somewhere. I'm gonna keep on 'til I find it. There is more hope somewhere. There is more choice somewhere. There is more choice somewhere. I'm gonna keep on 'til I find it. There is more choice somewhere. There is more truth somewhere. There is more truth somewhere. I'm gonna keep on 'til I find it. There is more truth somewhere. There are more paths somewhere. There are more paths somewhere. I'm gonna keep on 'til I find them. There are more paths somewhere. There is more strength somewhere. There is more strength somewhere. I'm gonna keep on 'til I find them. There is more strength somewhere. (Repeat final line) There is more Hope... There is more Choice... There is more Truth... There are more Paths... There is more Strength... There is more Love somewhere. Extinguishing the Chalice and Closing Words 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.

(With writing assistance from Janet Heller, Christine Larson, Mike Baxter, Mary Lawrence, Anne Vaughan, Janet Dauphin and special guest, Anthony Clarke) Yes: for our food we thank the bees and the moths (who work at night) the birds and butterflies, the bats (for the bananas) – indeed, all the winged workers – not to mention “the light upon the busy leaf’ and the ‘water at the root.’ [1]  Lyrics from “Grace for Pollinators,” by the composer Nancy Schimmel, which appears in the new Unitarian Universalist Association online hymnal, Sing Out Love. Wednesday is Earth Day. It is our custom here at the Unitarian Universalist Society East in Manchester, Connecticut, and in many UU congregations around the country, to offer an Earth Day service at this time of year.  The members of our Sustainable Living Committee know that my initial idea for this service was to share what I am slowly learning about the dire impacts of artificial intelligence on local ecosystems, especially those where data centers are—or will be—operating. In my view, the rise of AI, despite anything else one might say about it, offers yet one more grim tale about humanity sacrificing planetary sustainability and health for the sake of corporate profits. Yes, the story of AI is not only about this earth sacrifice, but it cannot be told truthfully without naming this earth sacrifice. My thinking is that, given our spiritual commitments to earth justice, in the very least we ought to create a thoughtful policy on the use of AI in our congregational life. We’re not there yet. And frankly, I don’t have the heart this morning to preach yet another sermon on yet another demoralizing set of data points on current and looming environmental catastrophes. This morning I am feeling much more aligned with the Potawatomi author and botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer, who tells us in her 2013 book Braiding Sweetgrass : “Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift.” [2]   Returning the gift, naming our joy, naming our wonder, giving thanks, offering grace for everything that makes our lives possible: these are our tasks as people of faith, not only on this morning, not only on Earth Day, but every day, multiple times a day, so that it becomes, if it isn’t already, an essential part of our spirituality, an essential part of our living, an essential part of who we are. And this makes sense for Unitarian Universalists. We often say this is who we are. For decades, we have grounded our faith in our seventh principle, “respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.” This grounding continues in the new statement of Unitarian Universalist values. About interdependence, the new statement says “we honor the interdependent web of all existence. With reverence for the great web of life and with humility, we acknowledge our place in it. We covenant to protect Earth and all beings from exploitation. We will create and nurture sustainable relationships of care and respect, mutuality and justice. We will work to repair harm and damaged relationships.” [3] It is always a worthwhile spiritual exercise to reflect on what it means to have a place in the interdependent web of all existence, to think it through, to meditate on it, to contemplate it; and then to move from thinking, from knowing intellectually that we have a place, to feeling it emotionally, feeling it physically, feeling it fully in our bodies—what does having a place in the interdependent web of all existence feel like? Does it feel like belonging, being home, being embedded in a reality larger than yourself? And, then, perhaps in more rare moments, to move beyond thinking, to move beyond feeling, to apprehension, to aha !, to sensing, to experiencing, even if only briefly, all the borders and the boundaries between us and everything else melting away, ebbing, fading, disappearing, revealing in their wake an endless, crisscrossing multitude of connections, of relationships, of mutual dependencies, and then; sensing still further, still deeper, at the center, at the heart, a revelation of oneness, a revelation of the oneness of everything, a revelation of the strange but real bonds that unite everything to everything. And then, before the revelation recedes, offering grace for everything. In my own moments of thinking, feeling, and apprehending what it means to have a place in the interdependent web of all existence, I am at times overcome, first, with gratitude. I want to find ways to offer thanks. Recall those words of the 13th century German Christian mystic, Meister Eckhart, “If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.” I am pretty sure the earth doesn’t know I am expressing my gratitude, but I don’t think it ultimately matters. What matters is that I am grateful and I say it out loud in some way. What matters is that we are grateful for all the ways the earth holds, nurtures and sustains us. But let’s not stop at gratitude. Let’s go further, let’s learn to revel, without apology, in joy for this holding, this nurturing, this sustaining. Let’s learn to revel, without apology, in joy at all the ways life manifests, all the strange, unbelievable, beautiful, awesome forms life takes. Robin Wall Kimmerer says “joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift.” With this in mind, I want the remainder of this sermon to be a prayer of thanksgiving and joy, a heart-felt hallelujah for the earth. I asked members of the UUSE Sustainable Living Committee to share with me what they are grateful for and what gives them joy. They are co-writers of this prayer of gratitude and joy, this “Grace for Everything!” to begin, I invite you to breathe deeply on this mid-April morning, one month into official spring. Breathe deeply, sit comfortably, settle further in than you already are. Breathe deeply and contemplate what it means to have a place in the interdependent web of all existence. Contemplate. feel. Apprehend. Let the borders and the boundaries melt away. Great spirit of life: animating, life-giving power within us and among us; God of our ancestors and of our children’s children’s children, Holy All: We offer grace for everything. For all the wild and natural places around the world, the mountains and valleys, rivers and lakes, oceans and reefs, islands and shores. [4] For all the creatures, plants, animals, fungi and mycorrhiza that struggle but continue to survive in their natural habitats despite the ever-growing threats from human enterprise and natural disasters. [5] For all the people, the scientists, the photographers, the documentary film makers, the environmental activists who share their studies of the natural world with us and advocate for its protection and survival, [6] with a special shout out to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, for their support for birds. [7] Indeed, for the birds, because the world would be unimaginable without their diverse, beautiful singing. Birds, who are incredibly smart; did you know there are birds who build and maintain compost piles to incubate their eggs? Birds, who can fly! [8] And for the wonder and awe so many of us encounter in animals, particularly in dogs, particularly in one dog named Sally, who is curious, inquisitive, playful, sensitive, intuitive, affectionate and very loving. [9] And although nobody mentioned cats (or ferrets, hamsters, gerbils, mice, snakes, birds, lizards, fish or any other creature we might live with as pets) this grace for everything includes them too. And also for the midge fly, a tiny insect that plays a crucial role in the pollination of cacao flowers. Indeed, without her, cacao trees would not be able to produce the pods that contain the cacao beans used to make chocolate. But she is not alone, this grace is for all the monkeys, birds, and rodents who enjoy eating cacao pods, and who help disperse the seeds of the cacao tree, ensuring its reproduction. [10] And for poets who pay attention, and remind us: Under the milkweed hangs a chrysalis jewel a monarch soon to come. [11] For every morning. And for the opportunity, while the world is still waking up, to walk, to connect with nature. For the recognition, no matter the weather or the day of the week, that there’s  always something new to observe, even after walking the same route thousands of times over many years. For the reminder, on such walks, to slow down and notice everything we take for granted as we go through our busy days: the morning chorus of birdsong shifting as daylight lengthens, a titmouse and a bluejay arguing over breakfast, a male cardinal perched on a barren branch feeding seeds to his beloved, robins scratching in leaf litter and tilting their heads, listening for worms. For the deer family, interrupted while foraging acorns on the ground to break their fast. For the red fox trotting along behind me. And for the great blue heron scooping up a rat in its beak, swallowing it whole, and letting it slide slowly down its long neck. Gross, but pretty cool. For all these ordinary moments that would easily be missed, yet which fill us with awe and joy if only we stop to notice how precious this gift of nature is. [12] For the opportunity to gaze out the window, to sit quietly and observe, to respond to the question, “What do you notice when you take the time to notice?” [13] For that 32° morning just last week. For seeing my breath in wispy clouds in front of me. For the grass crunchy with frost and dewy wet where the sun has already shone down, casting long shadows past leafless trees. Outside my window, every day connecting with the natural world is an adventure, and for that I am grateful. [14]   For the national and state parks and forests, for all the people who continue to protect these places, for opportunities to visit these places, and for blessed memories of these places. [15]   For the people and the owners of businesses who believe in a green future and who aren’t giving up on their innovative work of decarbonization no matter what the federal government does. For the people researching and bringing to market systems for recycling batteries, expanding battery storage capacity, recapturing critical minerals, developing alternative, sustainable fuels—from bio mass and waste gasses from traditional refineries—for sinking CO2 into building materials, for developing less carbon-intensive methods for concrete and steel production, for developing production efficiencies that use less resources and emit less Co2. [16]   For Revolution Wind, which is now generating renewable energy off the coast of Rhode Island For the woodlands and trails in and around Manchester and the people who maintain them. [17] For our local farmers who care for the land and grow healthy food. For the farmer’s markets. [18] For the land under our feet, for the ground on which this UUSE meeting house is built; and for the trees, plants, turtles, owls, woodpeckers, pollinators, wild turkeys, deer and all who make their homes right here. [19]   For the gardens we plant and maintain together. For all those who tend and care for all life that lives here. [20] For memories of our friends and loved ones whose ashes now help to nourish the plants in our memorial garden. [21] We offer this grace for everything:             For the earth forever turning; for the skies, for every sea; for the mountains, hills, and pastures, for the stars, for all the heavens; for the sun, the rain and thunder, for the seasons’ harmony, for our lives, for all creation; for the home that gives us birth; for our inevitable return to the blue-green hills of earth, for all we cherish,  [22]  we say hallelujah, amen and blessed be.             We offer this grace for everything, trusting that as the borders and boundaries melt, ebb, fade and disappear, we sometimes notice that we are part of everything there is, and everything there is, is part of us. The interdependent web of all existence.             Hallelujah, amen, blessed be.   [1] Schimmel, Nancy, arr. by Joyse Gilbrick, “Grace for the Pollinators,” in Sing Out Love ( https://www.singoutlove.org/ ). [2] [2][2] Kimmerer, Robin Wall, Braiding Sweetgrass (Minneapolis: Milkweed Editions, 2013) p. 327. [3]  New and Final Version of Article II Purposes and Covenant, as adopted at General Assembly 2024. See: https://www.uua.org/uuagovernance/committees/article-ii-study-commission/new-article-ii-2024 . [4]  Adapted from Jent Heller. [5]  Adapted from Jent Heller. [6]  Adapted from Jent Heller. [7]  Adapted from Chris Larson. [8]  Adapted from Chris Larson. [9]  Adapted from Mike Baxter. [10]  Adapted from Anne Vaughan. [11]  Haiku by Janet Dauphin. [12]  Adapted from Mary Lawrence. [13]  Adapted from Mary Lawrence. [14]  Adapted from Mary Lawrence. [15]  Adapted from Janet Heller. [16]  Adapted from Anthony Clark. [17]  Adapted from Janet Heller. [18]  Adapted from Janet Heller. [19]  Adapted from Janet Heller. [20]  Adapted from Janet Heller. [21]  Adapted from Janet Heller. [22]  This paragraph adapts Oler, Kim, “For the Earth Forever Turning,” Singing the Living Tradition (Boston: UUA and Beacon Press, 1993) #163.

Religious education is not just for kids. We have plenty of programs to keep adults busy too. Intro to UU The Intro to UU program is taught periodically by the minister. There's not one scheduled at the moment. Keep an eye on the Happenings section of the website to see when the next session might be coming.

Child programs, kids, toddlers, sunday school, youth programs, adult education. Children & Youth Ministry The Children & Youth Ministry (CYM) at UUSE offers a thriving program for all young people from infancy through senior high and more! Classes are held on the Garden Level at UUSE, concurrently with the second (11am) service from September through June. In the summer months, we offer a lighter schedule which runs concurrent with the 10am service. About Children & Youth Ministry Our Children and Youth Ministry (CYM) offers a thriving program for all young people from infancy through senior high and more! The CYM program is a cooperative effort; we utilize a team approach, with one adult from each family volunteering in some capacity in CYM. We urge families to become informed about UUSE philosophy, themes, and activities by attending services, participating in parent meetings, engaging in discussions with the Director of Children and Youth Ministry, Minister, CYM committee members, classroom volunteers, and other families. The CYM Committee also sponsors many multi-generational events, including winter holiday celebrations, Trunk-or-Treat, game nights, movie nights and more. UU Principles, Children’s Version: • Every person is important. • Be kind in all you do. • We’re free to learn together. • We can search for what is true. • All people need a voice. • Build a fair and peaceful world. • We care for the earth. Sources We Draw From: The living tradition we share draws from many sources, including: • Direct experience of mystery and wonder; • Words and deeds of prophetic women and men; • Wisdom from the world’s religions; • Jewish and Christian teachings; • Humanist teachings using reason and science; • Spiritual teachings of earth-centered traditions. Program Goals: • Continue to make community and connection the primary focus of our ministry, in order to build a strong support system for our children, youth, and families. • Foster UU identity formation by providing opportunities for children and adults of all ages to engage in fun and meaningful activities together. • Strengthen our commitment to dismantling systemic racism by selecting curricula, books, music, and movies with an anti-racist lens. • Build a community that cultivates pre-emptive radical inclusivity. New or Visiting? Be sure to let a greeter know if you’re visiting a service and would like to know more about our program. They will be happy to put you in touch with our Director of Children and Youth Ministry, Emmy Galbraith, on the Garden Level. We are happy to welcome you into our program at any time! If you are able, we strongly encourage that you connect with Emmy prior to a first visit so your child can know what to expect. Her direct email is dcym@uuse.org . Additionally, the CYM Committee is always available for questions or comments at our dedicated email: uusecym@uuse.org . Contact Us Emmy, the Director of CYM, can be reached by email at dcym@uuse.org And the CYM Committee is available for questions or comments at uusecym@uuse.org

A list of all of our past services, including links to the sermons. Past Services This is a list of past services. Upcoming services can be found here . 4/26/26 OOS Sermon YouTube The Possibilities in Us. Sunday, April 26th: The Possibilities in Us. In this service, we'll explore how there is hardly ever a single answer to a question, a single solution to a problem, or a single path to take. The unknown can certainly be daunting. However, the act of embracing possibility can afford us inspiration, growth, excitement, hope, and liberation. Coordinators: Stacey Musulin and Ellen Williams 4/19/26 OOS Sermon YouTube Earth Day Our April ministry theme is embracing possibility. While we often feel like solving the climate crisis is impossible due to political and economic forces, this morning we direct our attention to what is possible. Coordinators : Rev. Joh Pawelek and members of the UUSE Sustainable Living Committee Services at 9:00 and 11:00 A.M. #eBlast-04-15 4/12/26 OOS Sermon YouTube Anticipation In keeping with our April ministry theme of embracing possibility, we will explore anticipation. Hopefully, it has stopped snowing, and we are starting to see signs of spring. What are you anticipating as this new season emerges? What possibilities lie ahead? Join us for the magic that is unleashed when we anticipate the possibilities! Coordinators : Liz Garmise and Paula Baker Services at 9:00 and 11:00 A.M. #eBlast-04-08 4/5/26 OOS Sermon YouTube Let There Be Music! Our annual, all-congregation Easter celebration. Join us for music, story, and song as we consider the enduring themes of Easter. What stones are you rolling away? What new life is emerging in you? Coordinators : Mary Bopp, Emmy Galbraith, Rev. Josh Pawelek Services at 9:00 and 11:00 A.M. #eBlast-04-01 Show More