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Gathering Music (Dorothy Bognar) Welcome and Announcements (Anne Vogel) Introduction to the Service and Guest Speakers Centering Prelude "Secret of Life" by James Taylor Andy Ricci, guitar and vocals Chalice Lighting (Laurie Kelliher) Joys and Concerns Silent Meditation Offering Continuing our practice of sharing our gifts with the community beyond our walls, fifty percent of our Sunday plate collections for the month of August will be split among three area food pantries: MACC Food Pantry, Hockanum Valley Food Pantry and CT Mutual Aid East of the River Food Pantry. Offertory Music "Circle Game" by Joni Mitchell Andy Ricci, guitar and vocals Sermon 1 : "In Search of Ritual" (Laurie Kelliher) Hymn #1009 "Meditation on Breathing" by Sarah Dan Jones Dorothy Bognar, piano When I breathe in, I'll breathe in peace. When I breathe out, I'll breathe out love. When I breathe in, I'll breathe in peace. When I breathe out, I'll breathe out love. When I breathe in, I'll breathe in peace. When I breathe out, I'll breathe out love. Michael Michaud "Pray It Again and Again" from The Power and the Pain by Andrew Holecek Musical Meditation "Meditation on Breathing" performed by Dorothy Bognar Sermon 2: "Over and Over Again! Breath, Mantras, Meditation and Movement (Michael Michaud) Closing Hymn #1031 "Filled with Loving Kindness" Ancient Buddhist Chant Adapted by Mark W. Hayes; Music by Ian W. Riddell May I be filled with loving kindness. May I be well. May I be filled with loving kindness. May I be well. May I be peaceful and at ease. May I be whole. May you be filled with loving kindness. May you be well. May you be filled with loving kindness. May you be well. May you be peaceful and at ease. May you be whole. May we be filled with loving kindness. May we be well. May we be filled with loving kindness. May we be well. May we be peaceful and at ease. May we be whole. Extinguishing the Chalice Closing Words 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 and Announcements   Centering   Prelude   “Verdant Meadows” George Frederick Handel (arr. Van. A. Christy) Dorothy Bognar, piano   Chalice Lighting and Opening Words   Opening Hymn   #76 “For Flowers That Bloom about Our Feet” Words: Anonymous Music: Severus Gastorius Dorothy Bognar, piano     For flowers that bloom about our feet, for tender grass so fresh and sweet, for song of bird and hum of bee, for all things fair we hear or see: Giver of all, we thank thee.   For blue of stream and blue of sky, for pleasant shade of branches high, for fragrant air and cooling breeze, for beauty of the blooming trees: Giver of all, we thank thee.   For this new morning with its light, for rest and shelter of the night, for health and food, for love and friends, for everything thy goodness sends: Giver of all, we thank thee.   Introduction to the Service   Reflections from Sharon Gresk   Joys and Concerns   Musical Interlude   Reflections from Jim Adams   Offering Continuing our practice of sharing our gifts with the community beyond our walls, fifty percent of our Sunday plate collections for the month of August will be split among three area food pantries: MACC Food Pantry, Hockanum Valley Food Pantry and CT Mutual Aid East of the River Food Pantry.  Offering Music   “My Master Hath a Garden” Eric H. Thiman Dorothy Bognar, piano   Reflections from Mary Ellen Vigeant   Musical Interlude   Closing Reflections from Kate Kimmerle   Closing Hymn          #207 “Earth was Given as a Garden” Words: Roberta Bard Music: Roland Hugh Prichard Dorothy Bognar, piano     Earth was given as a garden, cradle for humanity; tree of life and tree of knowledge placed for our discovery. Here was home for all your creatures born of land and sky and sea; all created in your image, all to live in harmony.   Show to us again the garden where all life flows fresh and free. Gently guide your sons and daughters into full maturity. Teach us how to trust each other, how to use for good our power, how to touch the earth with rev’rence. Then once more will Eden flower.   Bless the earth and all your children, one creation: make us whole, interwoven, all connected, planet wide and inmost soul. Holy mother, life bestowing, bid our waste and warfare cease. Fill us all with grace o’erflowing. Teach us how to live in peace.   Extinguishing the Chalice and Closing Words        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 and Announcements Prelude "The Song the World Still Sings" Music and Lyrics by Jenn Richards Service Introduction Chalice Lighting and Opening Words Opening Hymn "Morning Has Broken" #38 in Singing the Living Tradition Words by Eleanor Farjeon; Music: traditional Gaelic melody Morning has broken like the first morning, blackbird has spoken like the first bird. Praise for the singing! Praise for the morning! Praise for them, springing fresh from the Word! Sweet the rain's new fall sunlit from heaven, like the first dewfall on the first grass. Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden, sprung in completeness where God's feet pass. Mine is the sunlight! Mine is the morning born of the one light Eden saw play! Praise with elation, praise every morning, God's recreation of the new day! First Poem : "Know What I Mean" By Bruce Cohen Second Poem : "La Pregunta Sagreda" by Lisa Sementilli Joys and Concerns Third Poem : "My Mother's Voice" by Marsha Howland Offering Continuing our practice of sharing our gifts with the community beyond our walls, fifty percent of our Sunday plate collections for the month of August will be split among three area food pantries: MACC Food Pantry, Hockanum Valley Food Pantry, and CT Mutual Aid East of the River Food Pantry. Offering Music "The End" Music and Lyrics by Lucky Luke Harper When I get a hit, I mark my own flank When I get to walk, I build myself a plank When I get a ride, I stay off the road Asking me to think is telling me to go   I’ve been lonely with the ghost I’ve been stealing from my host I’ve been cursing all the saints For my grounds to grow   You won’t listen if I glisten I’ll be sober, but I’ll be fixin’ Wake up three-fold, wet and empty and full of dread   I’m a sermon for the preacher I’m a lesson to the teacher I won’t tire of fighting fires in my head  If I’m not at the end   When I get to sing, I get paid no mind When I write a song, I’m sorry, it’s mine When I try to dance, I can’t believe my limbs Only playing games, I don’t think I’ll win   I’ve been carrying the flowers I’ve been pleading to the powers I’ve been telling on myself For not letting go   You won’t listen if I glisten I’ll be sober, but I’ll be fixin’ Wake up three-fold, wet and empty and full of dread   I’m a sermon for the preacher I’m a lesson to the teacher I won’t tire of fighting fires in my head  If I’m not at the end   I’ll say sorry when I feel it I’ll forgive you when I mean it I’ll seduce my righteous anger into bed   You won’t change me, don’t you know me? You can’t fight me, hell ain’t slowed me You can’t live with me if I can’t break your bread   You won’t listen if I glisten I’ll be sober, but I’ll be fixin’ Wake up three-fold, wet and empty and full of dread   I’m a sermon for the preacher I’m a lesson to the teacher I won’t tire of fighting fires in my head  If I’m not at [the end]   Fourth Poem:   "Laundry Eagles" and "Prism Women" by Jeannette Lesure   Fifth Poem:  "Sacred" by Molly Vigeant   Reflections   Closing Hymn   “May Nothing Evil Cross This Door” #1 in Singing the Living Tradition Words by Louis Untermeyer, Music by Robert N. Quaile   May nothing evil cross this door, and may ill fortune never pry about these windows; may the roar and rain go by.   By faith made strong, the rafters will withstand the battering of the storm. This hearth, though all the world grow chill, will keep you warm.   Peace shall walk softly through these rooms, touching our lips with holy wine, till every casual corner blooms into a shrine.   With laughter drown the raucous shout, and, though these sheltering walls are thin, may they be strong to keep hate out and hold love in.   Extinguishing the Chalice and Closing Words   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.

Spinoza talk by MFB delivered at UUSE Sunday 7/28/24. Title  “Spinoza’s God:  Wisdom from the 1600’s”           I was struck dumb in the year 2023 when I heard for the first time: the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) planned a big change.  The UUA leaders proposed that we drop all 7 of our Principles.  There would be something new. “No,” I said.  “Don’t take our Principles.” Our UU principles have taken at least 5 centuries to develop.  Written and debated for years by Unitarian Universalists (UUs).  The UUA General Assembly of 1985 adopted them. In shock, I realized that the 7 Principles meant something deep to me.  They spoke to my soul.  But I could not articulate why.  What was so important about the Principles? I read the New Yorker magazine, and sometimes more than the cartoons.  In February, I happened on a book review.  The title of the review:  The Reticent Radical, Baruch Spinoza’s quiet revolution .  The book:  Spinoza:  Freedom’s Messiah , a short biography in Yale University’s Press, written by Ian Buruma.   A quote from the review:  Spinoza argues that the highest happiness of which human beings are capable is seeing the universe “under the aspect of eternity.” He said Spinoza’s dedication to freedom of thought makes him a thinker for our moment. And for my moment this past winter. This is the Buruma book!  ( Show! ) I told people that          What disturbed me most about the proposed A2, and the removal from the UUA Constitution of the 7 Principles, was the appearance of thought control .   No one was going to tell me what I was going to think. No one was going to take away my 7 Principles.   At the back of our Sunday Service program are the 7 Principles.  Take a look with me.  It begins:  We covenant to affirm and promote:  and then lists the 7.  Clear and poetic. I have been OK with the 7 Principles.  They do NOT tell me what I must think or believe.  Just that I join with the rest of Unitarian Universalists in affirming them.  And I proudly promote them. And since the UUA adopted them in 1985, I have done just that.  I hand out the book mark with the 7 Principles on them – particularly when anyone asks me why I am a UU.  ( Show latest Bookmarks! Offer to give them out. )  I am proud of them.  I fully accept these principles as a guide to my own life.  I try daily to live up to them, incorporate them in my actions.  I even base my lawyer’s advice upon them. And these 7 Principles do NOT tell me what to believe. When I tell you that I use them in my legal practice, let me say:   I often represent people in hotly contested will contests.  Angry people on both sides.  I represent the people on one side of the contest.  They despise the people on the other side.  I urge my clients to: Respect the inherent worth and dignity of every person involved – the other side, their attorney, the judge, any witnesses, themselves. Work for Justice, equity, and compassion in this family conflict.   Conduct a free and responsible search for truth and meaning.  Know and deal with the real facts of the case.  Not just what you want to believe. We’re all in this together. All the Principles apply to a winning case.   5. Peggy Webbe  spoke about truths on Sunday July 7 here.  One definition of truth is subjective and based on faith.  All other religions but ours have such faith truths:  Reincarnation, The Virgin birth, Jesus was God’s son on Earth, There is a heaven, There is a hell.  There is a man-like God who watches over us, to whom we can pray, and who created all homo sapiens in God’s own image.  And there are so many more such “truths”.   Peggy noted that these faith truths do not meet the scientific requirements for objective truths.  Yet these faith truths have dominated world religions for millennia, have caused, and are continuing to cause, great death and destruction by their true believers.   Faith truths are powerful . 6.           The critic in the review – Spinoza: Freedom’s Messiah  – wrote, “Intellectual freedom has once again become an important issue, even in countries, such as the United States, that pride themselves on being uniquely free.”  Our First Amendment says we can think what we want and say what we think  – a paraphrasing from Spinoza. I was hooked after reading the review.  Got the book.  Got another for our Book Cart in the lobby – please borrow it.  Let us know your thoughts.  Got a lot more books from libraries.  Got a lot off the internet.  All since reading the February book review. More about why Spinoza is now one of my heroes. 7. It helps us to know the hard world of Spinoza  in order to appreciate his astounding insights.  His Jewish family lived in Spain until Catholics took it over about 1492.  Remember the Spanish Inquisition!   They moved to Portugal, but the Spanish Inquisition followed them.  The family had to convert to Catholicism or be burned at the stake.  Their choice was to flee to a more tolerant place.  Spinoza’s family took the name of a Spanish town, Espinoza, and fled to France.  In 1615 the French expelled them and they moved again to the Netherlands.  There the Spinoza family brought Baruch Spinoza into the World on November 4, 1632, nearly 400 years ago.  The Netherlands were then the least intolerant  land in Europe.  Calvinists with their new dogma were in charge.  But they also allowed people of other faiths to live there. The Spinoza family prospered.  The Jewish community thrived in the Netherlands despite not being allowed citizenship, and not bending much to the Calvinists.  Jewish traditions could be followed.  One was a focus on education.  Baruch Spinoza was an apt student, but asked too many questions.  His Talmud and Bible teachers thought him the most troublesome.              Spinoza thought, and said, the Bible stories were supernatural fiction by incompetent writers.  Also, the supernatural does not exist, there is no immortal human soul, angels do not exist, there was no divine creation by a God.  A God did not chose the Jewish people! Christians were angry with Baruch and his friends.   The Jews were angry with him.   The rabbis and other Jewish leaders were concerned about staying on the good side of the powers that be.  The rabbis tried to silence Baruch.  They offered him money to be quiet.  He refused it.   In 1655 a man with a knife attached Baruch.  He blamed leaders of his synagogue. The synagogue’s leaders ruled that Baruch Spinoza was a non-person , and no longer a Jew.  They excommunicated him in 1656; age 23 .  No chance to repent.  His family dropped him from their homes and business.  He had no support. He said this was all the better.  He was now free . He devoted the rest of his life to philosophy.  He supported himself by grinding and polishing lenses for scientists using microscopes and telescopes.   (The glass dust ruined his lungs leading to his death February 21, 1677 at the age of 44.) However, his thought poured from him until his death. He signed his writings as Benedictus de Spinoza, and printed them in Latin.  Friends printed in the local vernacular.  They became targets.  An angry mob seized two of his friends, and savagely killed them. Baruch kept a low profile.  He published in Latin.  Often anonymously.  The mass of people could not read him.   8. What are some of those thoughts of Benedictus de Spinoza from the 1600s that struck such a chord in me? I read English translations of his major works – Tractatus  and, posthumously, Ethics .  Thick stuff.  But I began to catch his style.  Please look at the page  available to you when we are done – on a table as you leave.  It has some of his statements – those that struck me.  Particularly those in which he explained his ideas of God. How did the World of Europe react to Spinoza?  He helped launch the Enlightenment Period (roughly 1685 – 1815).   Spinoza’s writings spread over Europe during the Enlightenment.  However, they were often attacked.  Even in the relatively tolerant Netherlands, the Tractatus was officially banned in 1674.  His friends did not publish his Ethics until after he died in 1677.  Yet his writings persisted.  He was a most attacked thinker for centuries after.  The critics are much less caustic today.  Books keep coming out about Spinoza and his thoughts.  My favorite now is this one.  HOLD UP BOOK !  Most readable. The Enlightenment carried many of Spinoza’s conclusions, particularly those about freedom.  The best policy in religious matters, he wrote, is “…allowing every man to think what he likes, and say what he thinks.”  How much more UU can one get! 9. That last clear statement told me why I was reacting so well to Spinoza’s writings.  When I first walked into a Unitarian Universalist fellowship meeting in Cheyenne Wyoming in 1965, I sensed that I could freely speak my mind.  And people listened politely.  And the people there also spoke their minds - freely .   Respectfully! It has been the same here at UUSE for the last 55 years.  People here speak their minds freely and we listen.   We are brave people.  We face the mysteries of Life, the Universe, and Everything.   We do not accept anyone’s subjective truths – Take it on Faith! Truths - no matter where they come from. My deep dive into the writings of Spinoza pleased me.  Yes, I am still suffering some unrest over the UUA removal of the 7 Principles.  However, I breathe easier now.  Spinoza has assured me I can keep thinking freely.  In fact, he tells me that I cannot stop thinking freely. My credo was stuck for years in the “agnostic” mode:  I now welcome Spinoza’s definition of God.  He writes in his Ethics :  By God, I mean a being absolutely infinite…eternal and infinite…Whatsoever is, is in God, and without God nothing can be, or be conceived.  As that thought seeps into my being, I cannot get too upset with whatever goes on at the UUA.  Also, I cannot get too upset with whatever may change at this Society.  So far, we have kept our Principles.  The phrase “Life Goes On” has new meaning for me.  That does not mean I will stop urging revisions in our UUSE Constitution that ease the apparent grip of the UUA on our minister and our assets.  UUSE must remain an independent entity - affiliated with the UUA, but never subordinate.  By remaining independent, free thought can flow.  I can remain happy here. My take on Spinoza?   I welcomed all that I read, and could understand, from his writings.  His definition of God strikes a chord with me.  Spinoza’s God  is everything.  Given his service to astronomers of his day, he grasped the concept of a universe extending far beyond Amsterdam.  (Gallileo died 10 years after Spinoza’s birth.)  His view of God allows Spinoza to be at ease wherever he found himself.  I sense that if I keep on considering God in Spinoza’s way, I will be more at ease with myself.  Everyone I meet has been created by this God.  They are part of God.  The laws of science and objective truths are immutable, even if we do not yet know a fraction of those truths.  It is comforting to think that the unknown truths can someday be known.  Think DNA! As to us in this Meeting House, all one with God:  I am more ready than ever to call you all friends, to listen to your thinking, and to freely share with you mine. Some closing words to this talk, an echo from Spinoza, from our own Cyndi Krupa: May peace, light, and love infuse all beings  with a feeling of connection and the knowing we are one . Delivered live with a fair amount of ad-libbing and expansion on points.  Designed to take 20 minutes more or less.  As delivered, took almost twice that time. Additional Spinoza Quotes here

Gathering Music Welcome & Announcements Centering Prelude "God is All, All is God" by Mary Bopp Chalice Lighting Opening Hymn #155 "Circle Round for Freedom" by Linda Hirschhorn Circle 'round for freedom, circle 'round for peace, for all of us imprisoned, circle for release, circle for the planet, circle for each soul, for the children of our children, keep the circle whole. Reading From the 1836 essay "Nature" by Ralph Waldo Emerson Read by Susan Barlow Introductions, Joys and Concerns Musical Response Offering Continuing our practice of sharing our gifts with the community beyond our walls, fifty percent of our Sunday plate collections for the month of July will be split among three area food pantries--East of the River Mutual Aid in East Hartford, Hockanum Valley Food Pantry in Vernon, and Manchester Area Conference of Churches in Manchester. Offering Music "Lawful Harmony of the World" by Mary Bopp Homily : Spinoza's God" Closing Hymn #1064 "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 upholding 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. Closing Words "The Outermost House" by Henry Beston Read by Susan Barlow 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.

Last month, Saturday, June 22nd, 2025 (or 80.2% of) delegates to the Unitarian Universalist Association General Assembly, meeting online, voted to adopt the proposed new Article 2 of the Unitarian Universalist Association bylaws. 499 (or 19.8% of) delegates voted against the proposal. This margin is similar to the vote our congregation took on March 17th, but in reverse. Approximately 70% of our members opposed the new Article 2, with 30% in favor. Because we also agreed that our General Assembly delegates would vote in proportion to our congregational vote, six of our delegates voted against the Article 2 proposal; two voted in favor. My apologies to those of you who are new to Unitarian Universalism: I realize you may have no idea what I am talking about. In short, the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) is the denomination to which our congregation belongs. The General Assembly (GA) is the annual gathering of delegates from member congregations for the purpose of conducting denominational business, including making changes to the UUA bylaws from time to time. Since 1985, Article 2 of the UUA bylaws, known as “Principles and Purposes,” has been the home of the seven Unitarian Universalist principles (which I shared earlier) along with the six sources of our living tradition. For these last forty years, the principles and sources have been prominent answers to the questions such as ‘what is Unitarian Universalism?’ or ‘What do Unitarian Universalists believe?’ The new Article 2, adopted three weeks ago, known as “Purposes and Covenant,” replaces the seven principles with six values, each with corresponding covenantal language, all emerging from a central foundation of love. It also replaces the six sources with a more general statement called “Inspirations.” These aren’t the only changes, but as this new Article 2 becomes more and more familiar to Unitarian Universalists, I imagine the values will become, like the principles, prominent answers to the questions, ‘What is Unitarian Universalism?’ and “What do Unitarian Universalists believe?’ The proposal needed a two thirds majority to pass. 80% is a definitive victory. The UUA has a new Article 2. The process, at least at the national level, is over. At the congregational level, and for many individual UUs, I suspect change will come more slowly, more haltingly. Over the coming years, as the new Article 2 makes its way into UUA religious education curricula, membership materials, marketing resources, websites, local newsletter articles, sermons, etc., and as we start referring to our values rather than our principles, our inspirations rather than our sources, some congregations will fully embrace the new language—some already have. Some will reject it outright, which has already happened. Some will find middle ground, which is also happening, and which will likely happen here. For us—members, friends and staff at UUSE—atop Elm Hill on the Manchester/Vernon line, above the Hockanum River, the Article 2 conversation has been contentious, has been divisive. It has been painful for at least some of you to find yourselves in profound disagreement with fellow UUSE members who you’ve known and loved and cared about for many years. It has also been painful for some of you to conclude that the UUA is acting in undemocratic ways, and worse, that the UUA is abandoning its commitment to the notion that Unitarian Universalist congregations are free and independent entities. And it has been painful for those of you who don’t believe the UUA has been acting undemocratically, and who don’t believe the UUA intends to assert greater power over congregations, to learn that other members of the congregation do believe these things. And of course the contentiousness and divisiveness didn’t end with our Article 2 vote in March. It continued to shape our discussions about our UUSE Constitution and how we relate to the UUA as a congregation. We could feel that contentiousness and divisiveness at our informational meeting on May 5th and our Annual Meeting on May 19th. It has led our Policy Board—very wisely, I believe—to form our Constitutional Change Task Force and our UUA Discernment Task Force, both of which are beginning their work this month. I’m very hopeful. I trust this work will enable our internal UUSE dialogue to continue in ways that will bring us together, enable us to hear each other deeply, encourage us to heal and strengthen relationships, and assure us that the Unitarian Universalism we practice here will, in the words I read earlier from the Rev. Victoria Safford, “anchor us, steady us, challenge us, unsteady us, infuse our days with gratitude and bless our nights with hope.” [I like ‘steady’ and ‘unsteady’ in the same list—we need our religion to do both.] I’ve been reviewing my public comments regarding Article 2 going back to January of 2023 when I first preached on it. That first sermon was entitled, somewhat facetiously, “Have We No Principles?” I didn’t actually answer the question, in part because I thought the answer was obvious, though for many of you it wasn’t obvious at all. The answer is yes, we still have principles. Though the seven principles no longer appear in the UUA bylaws, there is absolutely nothing to prevent an individual congregation from continuing to refer to them, publish them, teach them, etc. Prior to the final Article 2 vote at GA, the UUA parliamentarian reminded the delegates that “The independence of member congregations is affirmed in proposed Article II … which provides that congregational freedom is central to Unitarian Universalist heritage, and congregations may establish their own statements of purpose and covenants.  The sole requirement in Article II upon member congregations is that they may not require that their individual members adhere to a particular creed. As to individual UU’s beliefs, the Bylaws have no role in it.” Which means if any individual or if we collectively want to continue incorporating the principles and sources into our congregational life—as some of you have suggested—we can do that. As your minister, I support that. I also feel strongly we are obligated to incorporate the new Article 2 into our congregational life, but I see no reason why the principles and values cannot live side by side. Regardless of what we do here, the UUA now has a new Article 2. Change is upon us. Another point I made in that January 2023 sermon—to which I don’t think we’ve paid enough attention here, and to which I don’t think the UUA has paid enough attention either—had to do with grief. In that sermon I said “There’s a lot I can say about why I like the proposed new Article 2. But I don’t think any of it actually matters until we acknowledge, reflect on and live with the grief that many of us will feel if this change goes through. The UUA adopted the current seven principles in June of 1985…. They have been the center of my faith ever since. They have been my response to the question, What is Unitarian Universalism? For better or for worse, they are in my bones. They are in my heart, my spirit, my soul. The rabbi preaches in response to the Torah. The Christian minister or priest preaches in response to the Christian New Testament. The Imam preaches in response to the Koran. I preach in response to the principles. I anticipate experiencing grief and a sense of loss if they go away.” Further, I said “I’m mindful that a majority of you became Unitarian Universalists after 1985. For you, the seven principles have been the only center of this faith you’ve ever known. So yes, we will experience grief and loss if they go away. It will feel strange learning the new language of our center. It will feel strange referring to values, rather than principles. It will feel strange referring to inspirations rather than sources. It will take time to change.” Grief is certainly not the only emotional dimension of the Article 2 debate here, and I don’t want to suggest that all the divisiveness we’ve experienced is only due to unacknowledged grief. But there also is unacknowledged grief . For some of you, this change marks a profound loss. Ignoring grief rarely works out well for people, families or communities that have experienced a loss. Religious entities are uniquely situated to conduct grief work. I am hopeful that our upcoming UUA discernment process will enable us to acknowledge and process this grief together. In February of 2023 I preached on the New Article 2’s emphasis on love at the center of our faith. It had always been my greatest lament about the seven principles: no mention of—no reference to—the enduring, healing, transformative, relationship-building, justice seeking power of love. I always engaged the seven principles as if love resides at the center of our faith, even though it didn’t appear in writing. In that February 2023 sermon, and still today, what inspires me most about the new Article 2 are two phrases: “Love is the power that holds us together” and “We are accountable to one another for doing the work of living our shared values through the spiritual discipline of Love.” Yes, we construct our Unitarian Universalist faith out of many essential components: reason, the right of conscience, democratic processes and decision-making, trust in the scientific method, a free and responsible search for truth and meaning, the embrace of mystery, acceptance of change, a commitment to pluralism, the goal of a more just and equitable society, covenanted communities, and more. But a central, foundational, underlying love—love for ourselves, our neighbors, our communities, nature, the earth and all existence—gives our faith its power, its endurance, its sustainability, its resilience, its courage. Love animates our faith. Love gives our faith its warmth, its intimacy, its connectedness, its fire, its passion, its vision! I said in that sermon I don’t know exactly what a spiritual discipline of love is. I still don’t know for sure. But I want to know. I want us to know. I said it then and I repeat it today, I “look forward to figuring it out, exploring, experimenting, testing, practicing … with you.” I really mean that. I feel there is a potent opportunity for us to deepen our individual and collective spiritual lives as we define and practice a spiritual discipline of love. Again, none of this is to say that the seven principles and the six sources of the previous Article 2 are no longer relevant or necessary. And none of this is to say that members of our congregation who have ongoing concerns about the UUA should now put those concerns aside. Later in the summer or early fall, our UUA Discernment Task Force will bring us a process for talking to each other about concerns, fears, anger—about our grief—and about our hopes for the future of our congregation and the future of Unitarian Universalism. The goal of discernment, as I understand it, is not to debate, not to try to convince each other that one position or perspective is correct and another is wrong or ill-informed. The goal is to listen to each other, to listen deeply; to accept and honor each other; and to seek common ground in how we want to be in relationship with the UUA and with Unitarian Universalism. I may be describing our own spiritual discipline of love. The goal is to have our disagreements, to learn to be comfortable with them, and in that comfort continue as a vibrant, multigenerational, joyful, searching, justice-seeking, earth-protecting congregation here, atop Elm Hill on the Manchester/Vernon line, above the Hockanum River which eventually feeds the Connecticut River. Here, where we say ‘enter, rejoice and come in.’ Here, where we sing prayers to the ‘Spirit of Life.’ Here, where we chant “Love is the spirit of this church.” Here, where we raise our children, volunteer for committees, agree to serve as leaders, bake for the fair, contribute generously to the annual appeal, provide meals, rides and visits to those in crisis. Here, where we build lasting connections, friendships, community. Here, where we know who our neighbors are and it’s not some kind of dream. Here, where we give voice to and sustain the things that matter most to us. Here, where we know and trust and believe there is more love, always more love, always more love. Amen and blessed be.

Gathering Music (Mary Bopp) Welcome and Announcements (Stacey Musulin) Prelude "Sing Break Into Song" Members of the Manchester Women's Sacred Singing Circle Introduction to the Service Chalice Lighting #362 "Sing Rise Up O Flame" Words: Anonymous Music: Christoph Praetorius Led by the Manchester Women's Sacred Singing Circle Rise up O flame, by thy light glowing, show to us beauty, vision and joy. What Makes a Hymn UU? --Reading from the Preface to Singing the Living Tradition Read by Nancy Madar Opening Hymn #108 "My Life Flows On in Endless Song" Words: Traditional, Verse 3 by Doria Penn Music: Robert Lowry My life flows on in endless song, above earth's lamentation. I hear the real, though far-off hymn that hails a new creation. Through all the tumult and the strife I hear the music ringing. It sounds an echo in my soul. How can I keep from singing. What though the tempest 'round me roars, I know the truth, it liveth. What though the darkness 'round me close, songs in the night it giveth. No storm can shake my inmost calm while to that rock I'm clinging. Since love prevails in heav'n and earth, how can I keep from singing! When tyrants tremble as they hear the bells of freedom ringing, When friends rejoice both far and near, how can I keep from singing! To prison cell and dungeon vile our thoughts to them are winging; when friends by shame are undefiled, How can I keep from singing! Congregational Hymn Sing Part 1 #123 "Spirit of Life" Words and music: Carolyn McDade Introduced by Martha Larson #205 "Amazing Grace" Words: John Newton Music: Columbian Harmony, arr. by J. Jefferson Cleveland Introduced by Anne Vaughan #16 "'Tis a Gift to Be Simple" Words: Joseph Brackett Music: American Shaker tune Introduced by Martha Larson Welcoming Visitors and Joys and Concerns Musical Response Congregational Hymn Sing Part 2 #159 "This Is My Song" Words: Lloyd Stone Music: Jean Sibelius Introduced & performed by Larry Lunden #1064 "Blue Boat Home" Words: Peter Mayer Music: Roland Hugh Prichard, adapted by Peter Mayer Introduced by Stacey Musulin Offering Continuing our practice of sharing our gifts with the community beyond our walls, fifty percent of our Sunday plate collections for the month of July will be split among three area food pantries -- East of the River Mutual Aid in East Hartford, Hockanum Valley Food Pantry in Vernon, and Manchester Area Conference of Churches in Manchester. Offering Music Congregational Hymn Sing Part 3 #1053 "How Could Anyone" Words & music: Libby Roderick Introduced by Leslie Greene #203 "All Creatures of the Earth and Sky" Verses, 1, 2, 3 Words attributed to St. Francis of Assisi Music: Ausserlesene Catholische Kirchengesang, Adapted by Ralph Vaughan Williams Introduced by Stacey Musulin "In the Garden" Words and music: Charles Miles Introduced by Martha Larson Congregational Hymn Sing Part 4 - Request a song! (Live requests from the congregation) Closing Hymn #1057 "Go Lifted Up" Words and music: Mortimer Barron Go lifted up, Love bless your way, Moonlight, starlight guide your journey into peace and the brightness of day (repeat) 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.

09/15/19 by Joshua Pawelek “If only for once it were still”—words from the late 19th-early 20th-century Bohemian-Austrian poet, Rainer Maria Rilke. [1] I suspect every society in every age has had and will have its high pace, its franticness, its urgency, anxieties and stresses, its underlying sense of crisis. And in response I suspect every society in every age has had and will have its poets, its artists, its spiritual leaders who cry out some form of the words, “If only for once it were still.” If only for once I—we—could be at peace, at rest, quiet, tranquil, safe, unguarded, serene. “If only for once it were still.” We here in this congregation are well-rehearsed at witnessing, naming and feeling the anxieties, stresses and underlying crises of our own time. Certainly we witness, name and feel various manifestations of the climate crisis. We witness, name and feel various manifestations of economic crisis in our communities, our nation and the world. We witness, name and feel our nation’s political crisis—a deepening divide between liberal and conservative world-views, red vs. blue, coasts vs. heartland, rural vs. urban. We witness, name and feel the gun violence crisis, the opioid crisis, the resurgence of white nationalism. We pay attention to and attempt to address these crises. They have real and sometimes crushing impacts on our lives or the lives of people we love, on our community life, on our common national life. Our Unitarian Universalist principles call us to witness, name, feel and respond to these crises. Respect for human worth; justice, equity and compassion in human relations; faith democratic processes; the goal of world community; respect for the interdependent web of all existence—our principles demand that we pay attention and respond to the crises of our times. What is our role? What can we do? There’s an intensity to this liberal faith in this frantic age. And in the midst of it, the poet’s cry is ours as well: “If only for once it were still.” Rilke lived in what surely felt like an age of rapid technological growth. He was born in 1875, before the invention of the electric lightbulb, the modern automobile and airplanes. All of these things were in mass production by the time of his death in 1926. Still, he didn’t have television or computers. He didn’t have cable, the internet, social media, or smart phones. I’m naming these technologies because as amazing and powerful as they are, they also clearly heighten the franticness of our age. They heighten the anxiety. They heighten the feeling of crisis by bringing it ever closer to us, by enabling us to dive into the news cycle at any time, by making the world accessible to us and us accessible to the world virtually anywhere, any time of day if we don’t turn our devices off. And when we do dive in, the messages, images, advertisements and headlines arrive with dizzying speed which often, ironically, obscures the crises we want to understand. “If only for once it were still.” I find cable news shows to be a signature example of how technology brings crisis and anxiety closer while simultaneously obscuring them by making it more difficult to focus on what really matters. Picture in your mind’s eye how a typical cable news show looks. There’s usually a headline at the top of the screen, along with a fancy, eye-catching graphic, photo or video. Then there’s a talking head or a panel of experts in the middle of the screen, along with various ads in boxes to the right or left; local weather in another box, the date and time in yet another, sports scores and stock prices in other boxes, and the constant flow of more headlines and information running across the bottom of the screen, completely unrelated to what the talking heads are talking about. Where are you supposed to look? There are 10 or 12 options on the screen. And if your ears are listening to the talking heads, but your eyes are reading the headline roll, what is the quality of the information you are receiving? It’s as if the screen is inviting us to multitask as we watch. Yet, everything I’ve ever read about multitasking suggests it is a myth—not a real human capacity. Our conscious minds can only really focus our attention well on one thing at a time. [2] “If only for once it were still.” I was ordained to the Unitarian Universalist ministry in 1999, just around the time the cable news industry was taking off, about six months after the founding of Google, but well before the advent of social media and smart phones. I remember much that was spoken and sung at my ordination, but the Rev. Thomas Mikelson, one of my mentors in ministry, offered a simple piece of wisdom I shall never forget. He said “Go deep rather than wide. Wide is easy and tempting, but deep is where saving ministry lies.” What I experience in this moment, twenty years later, is that we live in a larger culture that daily pulls us relentlessly widthwise, even as our souls hunger for depth. We live in a larger culture filled with seemingly endless, heart-breaking stories about harm done to people, to the environment, to institutions, to neighborliness, to civility, even to the truth—all of it vying for our attention, drawing our focus in myriad directions at once. We live in a larger culture whose front page, unfortunately, resides on screens with tens if not hundreds of options to click on, each click leading to tens if not hundreds of new options, our attention and focus drawn relentlessly widthwise, but rarely, if ever, deep. “If only for once it were still.” I’d been talking to Mary Bopp about this widthwise pull as we prepared for this morning’s service. She suggested a piece of music entitled “Plumb,” p-l-u-m-b, as in ‘plumbing the depths.’ I immediately thought of the plumb line and the piece of metal at the end of the plumb line, the plumb bob. The plumb line is one of humanity’s most ancient construction tools. If I understand correctly, the builder suspends the plumb line. Gravity pulls the bob toward the center of the earth so that the line is perfectly vertical. [Pause] (You’ve got to wait until the bob comes to rest. For once it is still.) The builder uses the plumb line’s verticality to assess the verticality of the wall they are building. The plumb line is a vertical reference point for the builder. This feels like a fruitful metaphor for talking about our spiritual lives. In the midst of a culture that pulls us relentlessly widthwise, makes multiple, simultaneous demands on our attention, what is our plumb line? What points straight down to our center, our core? What is our truth? In the midst of the pulling, the franticness, the anxiety, the crises, can we drop our line, pause until the bob stills, and, as we sang, return to the home of our soul, to who we are, to what we are, to where we are; [3] and from there know more clearly how to focus our energy? It’s a powerful spiritual metaphor, though it carries certain risks. Plumb lines are mentioned in the Bible. One of the more famous references appears in the book of Isaiah: “Thus says the Lord God, / See, I am laying in Zion a foundation stone,/ a tested stone, / a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation: / ‘One who trusts will not panic.’ / And I will make justice the line, / and righteousness the plummet;/ hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, / and waters will overwhelm the shelter [of falsehood].” [4] Using the plumb line as a spiritual metaphor Isaiah is calling out the Israelites who have strayed from God’s justice and righteousness and threatening divine retribution. We read earlier form the book of Amos, another well-known passage: “The Lord was standing by a wall that had been built true to plumb, with a plumb line in his hand. And the Lord asked me, ‘What do you see, Amos?’ ‘A plumb line,’ I replied. Then the Lord said, ‘Look, I am setting a plumb line among my people Israel; I will spare them no longer.'” [5] Amos is also calling out the Israelites, reminding them that God has spared them so far, but now God has set a line and those who don’t measure up will not be spared. Essentially God is using the divine plumb line to determine who gets punished. That’s not what I had in mind. My concern always with these sorts of scriptural passages is not that they somehow mar the majesty, beauty and complexity of ancient Israel, but that they might be used today to divide people from each other; that the so-called righteous might use their plumb line to identify and cast out the so-called unrighteous; that so-called believers might use their plumb line to identify and cast out non-believers; that those who understand themselves as morally upright, upstanding, straight—like a plumb line—might use it to persecute those who don’t measure up. We could be talking about how religious institutions and people have historically persecuted gay and lesbian people, gender non-conforming people, people with physical or mental disabilities, poor people, Native Americans, pagans, folk healers, witches, interfaith couples, divorced people, unwed mothers, and more because they didn’t or don’t measure up. It makes sense to me that in times of crisis, in times of high anxiety some people (including us) can and/or will gravitate toward a very strict spiritual plumb line. It gives structure, meaning and purpose to their lives, which is a good thing, but the shadow side is that it can also become a tool of division, of persecution. If that’s the case, I think it’s better if the walls lean a bit. It’s better if things are a little off, in fact it’s much better that way. Of course there is another use for the plumb line and bob: plumbing the depths or what sailors might call depth sounding. Quoting from an article on the historical website Vintage News, “The most primitive tool for depth sounding was called a sounding line, or lead line: a thin rope of a certain length, with a lead plummet on its end. The lead lines were swung or cast by the “leadsman” …. At bigger depths, sailors used to tie marks made of leather, calico, serge or some other material. Those marks were placed at certain intervals and shaped and attached so that they could be easily read during day or night. Marks were placed at every second or third fathom…. After dropping the lead, the leadsman called out the depths. If a particular depth was exactly at a mark, [they] would say: “by the mark,” and then say the number. If the depth was somewhere between two numbers, [they] would say: “by the deep” and then say an estimated number of fathoms.” [6] So far I don’t see any risks using depth sounding as a spiritual metaphor, except that sometimes the water is deep and dark. We don’t always know what we’ll find when the bob settles on the bottom. Is our line long enough for the bob to reach the bottom? But in the midst of a culture that pulls us relentlessly widthwise, it’s really important to practice plumbing the depths. Hence, “Adventures in Spiritual Plumb Bobbing.” We heard earlier a meditation from the Rev. David O. Rankin, “Singing in the Night.” [7] His practice for spiritual plumb bobbing is prayer. He says “I love to pray, to go deep down into the silence: / To strip myself of all pride, selfishness, and coldness of heart.” Perhaps that’s his first mark. “To peel off thought after thought, passion after passion.” By the mark, 2 fathoms. “To remember how short a time ago I was nothing, and in how short a time again I will not be here.” By the mark, 5 fathoms. “To dwell on all joys, all ecstasies, all tender relations that give my life zest and meaning.” By the mark, 7 fathoms. “To peek through a mystic window and look upon the fabric of life—how still it breathes, how solemn its march, how profound its perspective.” By the deep, about 10 fathoms. “And to think how little I know, how very little, except the calm, calm of the silence, and the singing, singing in the night.” By the deep. It’s not enough to know how deep. What do we bring back from the depths? On a website called “Historical Naval Fiction,” I learned that if a sailor wasn’t familiar with the ocean floor where they were sailing, they could fill a hollow indentation on the bottom of the bob “with tallow or another sticky substance so that a sample of the bottom could then be brought up…. The nature of the bottom might be mud, sand, shingle or shell … or if nothing attached to the tallow, rock.” [8] What might we bring back from our depths? What might stick to the tallow on our spiritual plumb bobs? Rilke hoped to bring God back. “If only for once it were still…. / I could possess you, / Even for the brevity of a smile, / To offer you / To all that lives, In gladness.” Perhaps what we bring back is what we need most in the moment. Perhaps the act of being still, centering, peering within, reminds us what is most important: Gratitude. Humility. Truth. Purpose. Principles. Mission. Acceptance. Hope. Community. Faith. Love. Hopefully what sticks will help us stay focused, attentive and awake in the midst of uncertainty, anxiety and crisis, in the midst of a culture that pulls us relentlessly width-wise. Our ministry theme for September is expectation. My expectation for the year is that we shall take adventures in spiritual plumb bobbing, that in those aspects of our lives that matter most, we shall not go wide, but rather deep. Amen and blessed be. [1] Rilke, Rainer Maria in Barrows, Anita and Macy, Joanna, tr., “Wenn es nur einmal so ganz stille wäre,” Rilke’s Book of Hours: Love Poems to God (New York: Riverhead Books, 1996) p. 53. [2] Napier,Nancy K. “The Myth of Multitasking,” Psychology Today, May 12, 2014. See: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/creativity-without-borders/201405/the-myth-multitasking [3] Carlebach, Shlomo, “Return Again,” Singing the Journey (Boston: UUA, 2005) #1011. [4] Isaiah 28: 16-17. (New Revised Standard Version) [5] Amos 7: 7-8. (New International Version) [6] Docevski , Boban, “Depth sounding techniques that preceded the modern day SONAR technology,” Vintage News , February 23, 2017. See: https://www.thevintagenews.com/2017/02/23/depth-sounding-techniques-that-preceded-the-modern-day-sonar-technology/ [7] Rankin, David O., in Benard, Mary, ed., “Singing in the Night,” Singing in the Night: Collected Meditations, Vol. 5 (Boston: Skinner House Books, 2004) p. 3. [8] “Taking Soundings, Historical Naval Fiction. See: https://www.historicnavalfiction.com/general-hnf-info/naval-facts/taking-soundings .

Gathering Music (Mary Bopp) Welcome and Announcements (Rev. Josh Pawelek) Centering Prelude "Teach Your Children Well" by Graham Nash Pat Eaton-Robb, guitar Chalice Lighting and Opening Words excerpt adapted from a prayer prior to the UUA General Assembly vote on Article 2 the Rev. Victoria Safford Opening Song #1031 "Filled With Loving Kindness" Traditional Buddhist meditation, ad. by Mark W. Hayes Music by Ian Riddell May I be filled with loving kindness. May I be well. May I be filled with loving kindness. May I be well. May I be peaceful and at ease. May I be whole. May you be filled ... May we be filled ... Silence Readings Musical Meditation Joys and Concerns Musical Interlude Offering The recipients of our July and August community outreach offerings are the MACC Food Pantry, the Hockanum Valley Food Pantry, and CT Mutual Aid East of the River Food Pantry. Offering Music "All Some Kind of Dream" By Josh Ritter Pat Eaton-Robb, guitar Sermon "Principles and Values: Reflections on Article 2" Rev. Josh Pawelek Closing Song #95 "There is More Love Somewhere" African American hymn There is more love somewhere. There is more love somewhere. I'm gonna keep on 'til I find it. There is more love somewhere. There is more hope somewhere... There is more peace somewhere... There is more joy somewhere... Extinguishing the Chalice Flame 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 "Amazing Grace" Words by John Newton Arr. by Mary Bopp Welcome and Announcements Centering Prelude "Clair de Lune" by Claude Debussy Chalice Lighting and Opening Words Story "Truth and Lie" by ZeroPark30 Adapted by Peggy Webbe Opening Hymn #1008 "When Our Heart Is in a Holy Place" Words and Music by Joyce Poley 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. Silent Meditation Welcoming Visitors and Sharing Joys and Concerns Musical Interlude Watermark by Enya Offertory During the month of July, the recipients of our community outreach are the food banks located in Manchester, Vernon and East Hartford. Offertory Music "Adagio Cantabile" from Sonata op. 13 Ludwig van Beethoven Reading "A Legend of Truth" by Rudyard Kipling Adapted by Peggy Webbe Homily "The Many Faces of Truth" Peggy Webbe Closing Hymn #1057 "Go Lifted Up" Words and Music by Mortimer Barron Go lifted up, Love bless your way moonlight, starlight guide your journey into peace and the brightness of day Extinguishing the Chalice Closing Words "The Truth That Makes Us Free" Worship Web: Author Unknown May the truth that makes us free, and the hope that never dies, and the love that casts out all fear lead us forward together, 'till the day breaks, and the shadows flee away. 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 and Announcements Centering Prelude [Video] "Fathom: Flute Meditations on the Atlantic" by Kristen Dockendorff Chalice Lighting and Opening Words Opening Hymn #1009 "Meditation on Breathing" Words and Music by Sarah Dan Jones When I breathe in, I'll breathe in peace. When I breathe out, I'll breathe out love. Introduction to the Service Reflections from Paula Baker Joys and Concerns Musical Interlude Reflections from Glenn Campellone Offering During the month of June--Pride Month in the United States--the recipient of our community outreach offering will be Trans Voice and Visibility-365. Managed by our friends at the Metropolitan Community Church of Hartford, TV-365 is a ministry dedicated to uplifting and supporting the wellbeing of transgender individuals in Connecticut by providing basic human needs, information and referral, service coordination and support to individuals. Their emphasis is on those most under-served, neglected, victimized and oppressed. This includes, but is not limited to, transgender women and men of color, those with disabilities, youth and elderly, immigrants (documented and undocumented), low income and victims of crime. Offering Music "I Can See Clearly Now" By Johnny Nash Sung by Kate Howard-Bender Reflections from Gina Campellone Closing Hymn #1007 "There's a River Flowin' in My Soul" Words and Music by 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 my heart ... There's a river flowin' in my mind ... Extinguishing the Chalice and Closing Words 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 and Announcements (Martha Larson) Centering Prelude "The Path" Improvisation by Mary Bopp Chalice Lighting Opening Words #447 (to be spoken in unison) 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. Introduction of the Service Opening Hymn #298 "Wake Now My Senses" Words: Thomas J. S. Michelson Music: Traditional Irish Melody Wake, now, my senses, and hear the earth call; feel the deep power of being in all; keep, with the web of creation your vow, giving, receiving as love shows us how. Wake, now my reason, reach out to the new; join with each pilgrim who quests for the true; honor the beauty and wisdom of time; suffer thy limit, and praise the sublime. Wake, now, compassion, give heed to the cry; voices of suffering fill the wide sky; take as your neighbor both stranger and friend, praying and striving their hardship to end. Wake, now, my conscience, with justice thy guide; join with all people whose rights are denied; take not for granted a privileged place; Gods love embraces the whole human race. Wake, now, my vision of ministry clear; brighten my pathway with radiance here; mingle my calling with all who will share; work toward a planet transformed by our care. Prayer (Thich N'hat Hanh) Welcoming Visitors and Sharing Joys and Concerns Musical Interlude Offertory During the month of June--Pride Month in the United States--the recipient of our community outreach offering will be Trans Voice and Visibility-365. Managed by our friends at the Metropolitan Community Church of Hartford, TV-365 is a ministry dedicated to uplifting and supporting the wellbeing of transgender individuals in Connecticut by providing basic human needs, information and referral, service coordination and support to individuals. Their emphasis is on those most under-served, neglected, victimized and oppressed. This includes, but is not limited to, transgender women and men of color, those with disabilities, youth and elderly, immigrants (documented and undocumented), low income and victims of crime. Offertory Music "Rainbow" (Kacey Musgraves, Shane McAnally, Natalie Hemby) Sung by Jeannine Westbrook Introduction to the Sermon Sermon "The Bitter with the Sweet" Beth Hudson Hankins Hymn #396 "I Know This Rose Will Open" Words and Music by Mary E. Grigolia I know this rose will open. I know my fear will melt away. I know my soul will unfurl its wings. I know this rose will open. Extinguishing the Chalice and Closing Words 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.