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.

Gathering Music (Mary Bopp) Welcome (Emmy Galbraith) Announcements (Rev. Josh Pawelek) Centering Prelude "My Heart is Open" by Mary Bopp Chalice Lighting (The Gilbert Family) Opening Hymn #346 "Come Sing a Song With Me" by Carolyn McDade Come, sing a song with me, come, sing a song with me, come, sing a song with me, that I might know your mind. (Chorus) And I'll bring you hope when hope is hard to find, and I'll bring a song of love and a rose in the wintertime. Come, dream a dream with me, come, dream a dream with me, come, dream a dream with me, that I might know your mind. (Chorus) Come, walk in rain with me, come, walk in rain with me, come, walk in rain with me, that I might know your mind. (Chorus) Come, share a rose with me, come, share a rose with me, come, share a rose with me, that I might know your mind. (Chorus) Reflection: "Gifts" Slideshow Music "You Are My Sunshine" Lucy Diamond, piano Joys and Concerns Musical Interlude 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 "Awaken Me" by Abigail McBride "Amazed" by Linda Hirschorn "Gratitude" by Ina Medley performed by members of The Manchester Women's Sacred Singing Circle Recognition and Gratitude Musical Interlude Bridging Incoming 6th graders: Simone Ford, Kaidee Holian-Borgnis, Eliot Garcia, Maverick Schlechtweg Incoming 9th graders: Genevieve Bender, Margeaux Ford, Cedric Garcia, Charlotte Gonzalez, Claude Gonzalez, Cole Holian-Borgnis, Olivia O'Brien-Cohen, London Fludd Graduating 12th graders: Graham Bornhost, Max Pawelek Words from the Minister Closing Hymn #123 "Spirit of Life" by Carolyn McDade Spirit of Life, come unto me. Sing in my heart all the stirrings of compassion. Blow in the wind, rise in the sea; move in the hand, giving life the shape of justice. Roots hold me close; wings set me free; Spirit of Life, come to me, come to me. 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.

Friends: this piece Dorothy has just played, “Deep River,” from the late 19th-/early 20th-century British composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, is based on the African American spiritual of the same name. Taylor, who was the mixed-race child of a Sierra Leonean father and a British mother, was fascinated by the music of the African diaspora. One notable experience was his attendance at a London performance of the Fiske Jubilee Singers, a world-renowned African American a capella group from the historically black Fiske University in Nashville, TN.[1] Taylor was particularly moved by their rendition of “Deep River.” He became well-known in European classical music circles for his compositions based on both African-American spirituals and traditional African-continent music. This piece, "Deep River," is part of a larger collection he published in 1905.[2] “Deep River,” which like so many black spirituals emerged out of the crucible of American slavery, is a powerfully hopeful song—hope for freedom, deliverance, justice, acceptance and peace in this life and in the life to come: Deep River, my home is over Jordan; / Deep River, my home is over Jordan; / O don’t you want to go to that Gospel Feast / That Promised Land where all is Peace? / Deep River, I want to cross over into camp ground. I have only a cursory understanding of the place “Deep River” holds in African American culture. It has worked its way into books and book titles. It has worked its way into jazz. It has worked its way into poetry, perhaps most famously echoing through Langston Hughes’ poem, “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” which he wrote in 1920 at age seventeen, and which launched his career as a towering American poet. You can find it in our hymnal as “I’ve Known Rivers.” I’ve known rivers ancient as the / world and older than the flow of / human blood in human veins. / My soul has grown deep like the rivers. [3] In his 1945 commentary on the spirituals (later published under the title Deep River) the Christian mystic, Howard Thurman, said this in reference to the song: “The fascination of the flowing stream is a constant source of wonder and beauty to the sensitive mind. It was ever thus. The restless movement, the hurrying, ever-changing stream has ever been the bearer of the longings and yearnings of [humanity] for land beyond the horizon where dreams are fulfilled and deepest desires satisfied.”[4] Thurman understood the spirituals as emerging out of the unique experience of black people in America, but the goal of his commentaries on the spirituals was not to name what is uniquely black about them, but to name what is uniquely human about them, to find universal truths within them. Our ministry theme for June is ‘renewal.’ This is my sermon on renewal. I initially titled it “The Renewal Imperative,” thinking that with so much happening in the world that creates stress, anxiety, fear and despair—so much happening that keeps us up at night, tires us out, wears us down, divides us even from each other—renewal seems, well, imperative. Let’s take time to renew ourselves. Let’s take time for regeneration, for restoration. But the more I studied Howard Thurman’s commentary on “Deep River,” the more the word “imperative” didn’t sound right. It sounded like a mandate, an order: “Thou shalt renew Thyself!” Yet another task to add to the list, and thus another source of stress and anxiety. 10:00 meet with Mary. 11:00 meet with Emmy. 12:00, eat lunch. 12:30, renewal. 1:00, Emergency Preparedness Team. After reading Thurman, I decided to give the sermon a more prayerful title: “May the River Renew Us.” Thurman counsels us “to think of life as being like a river.” He calls this “a full and creative analogy.”[5] A river flows from a source to a destination. Ask yourself: what is your source? What is your destination? These are spiritual questions with spiritual answers. For Thurman, as a Christian mystic, the source and the destination are, paradoxically, the same: God, which for the river is the sea. He says, “All the waters of all the earth come from the sea. Paradox of paradoxes: that out of which the river comes is that into which the river goes. The goal and the source of the river are the same! From gurgling spring to giant waterfall; from the morning dew to the torrential down-pour; from simple creeks to mighty river—the source and the goal are the same: the sea. Life is like that! The goal of life is God. The source of life is God.”[6] That’s his theological language, which I find to be wonderfully aligned with our Universalist heritage. I invite you to translate his language into whatever language speaks to you; and I’ll offer this translation which speaks to me: All life, if we go back far enough, has a common source, which is sacred, holy, beautiful, powerful, awesome and, though increasingly knowable through scientific theory, experimentation and discovery, remains mysterious. And all life flows toward a common destination, which is sacred, holy, beautiful, powerful, awesome and, though also increasingly knowable through scientific theory, experimentation and discovery, also remains mysterious. Between the source and the destination, our small yet sacred, holy, beautiful, powerful, awesome lives flow. May the River Renew Us. The analogy deepens. Thurman reminds us there are times when the river floods—times when we become overwhelmed, when we may face imminent danger, when our survival may be at stake, when we need to get to higher ground. Our reptilian, limbic system takes over—fight, flight, freeze. In such moments we’re not resting in thoughts of our sacred, holy, beautiful source; we’re not contemplating our sacred, holy, beautiful destination. This is part of life, part of the human condition. There are also times when the river runs dry—our energy is low, we struggle in our relationships, we’re in a rut, our sense of purpose goes missing, we forget our sacred, holy, beautiful source, we forget our sacred, holy, beautiful destination. This, too, is part of life, part of the human condition. “The time of drought may be seasonal,” writes Thurman, “or it may be specially circumstanced. It is therefore of greatest importance,” he continues, “to understand its cause, and to discover … what special reserves must be tapped so as to bring flowing fully and freshly the refreshing, life-giving currents. There is perhaps no greater revelation of character than what is revealed by the things to which one appeals for regeneration and restoration!”[7] And I would add renewal. In the wake of a flood, or when your river runs dry, to what do you appeal for renewal? What puts you back in touch with your sacred, holy, beautiful source? What puts you back in touch with your sacred, holy, beautiful destination?” What allows you to re-enter the river, to flow with its life-giving currents, to remember your source and your destination. *** In May I attended a three-day gathering of my Unitarian Universalist clergy study group, the Greenfield Group. Our gathering focused on bringing joy, play and fun more deeply into our lives and our ministries. In preparation we read The Book of Joy, by the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu: Pleasure Activism, by the progressive thought leader, writer and facilitator, adrienne marie brown: and a collection of poems from the 14th century Sufi poet Hafiz called I Heard God Laughing. We listened to joyful music. We watched TED Talks from researchers who study play in children and adults. We each shared a short reflection on our theology of play. But instead of presenting academic papers—our normal mode of interacting—we used the bulk of our time to play together. It was not easy for a group of 25 clergy to let down a guard we didn’t fully realize was up, and sink into play. But we did it. I had a blast. I left feeling renewed. A concept that repeatedly shows up in the psychological literature on play is “flow.” If I have my facts correct, the term was first coined by the Hungarian psychologist, Mihaly Csikzentmihalyi in the early 1990s. In people of all ages, play induces flow, a state in which one is completely immersed in the activity, loses track of time, and is not easily distracted. Of course, this also describes the state achieved through spiritual practice. Meditation, prayer, singing, stretching, journaling, labyrinth-walking, sacred dance, ritual all have the capacity to induce flow. It’s the same with physical activity. It’s the same with creative activity. Further, a significant body of research concludes flow is good for us. It correlates with good physical and mental health, emotional well-being and spiritual aliveness. Flow renews us. This makes me wonder: perhaps the greatest resource we have for deepening our spiritual foundations in adulthood—for getting in touch with our source and our destination—isn’t what we learned as children from the priest, the rabbi, the imam or the minister, isn’t what we learn from church, synagogue, masjid or temple today, but is rather our childhood experience of play, of fun, of joy—all the things that induce flow. Not the rules, the right or wrong answers—certainly not the doctrines and the dogmas—but those experiences of surrendering to the moment, getting lost in a task we enjoy, losing track of time—though I prefer to think of it as entering into a state of timelessness—letting the river take us or, to reference our opening words from the Rev. Manish Mishra-Marzetti, letting the currents hold us and guide us. [8] *** When the flood has receded and it is safe to venture out, may we surrender once again to the river. May the river renew us. In the midst of drought, when our souls feel parched, let us tap our reserves, so that the refreshing waters flow once again. May the river renew us. In times of stress, anxiety, fear and despair, may we learn to move with the currents of the river of life, to trust them. May the river renew us. In challenging times, may we remember the river’s source—the sacred, holy, beautiful powerful, awesome, knowable yet mysterious source. May the river renew us. In difficult times, may we remember the river’s destination—the sacred, holy, beautiful, powerful, awesome knowable yet mysterious destination. May the river renew us. May the arrival of summer—the season of play, fun and joy—renew us. May the words of the poet whose soul has grown deep like the rivers be a gift to us, a gift to all people, a source of renewal. May the deep river music of once enslaved people yearning to be free, yearning for that great gospel feast, for the peace of the promised land be a gift to us, a gift to all people, a source of renewal. May our lives flow. May our lives flow. May our lives flow. May the river renew us. Amen and blessed be. [1] For the history and the current-day activities of the Fiske Jubilee Singers, visit their website at https://fiskjubileesingers.org/. [2] Elkins, Stephanie, “Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s ‘24 Negro Melodies’, January 16, 2024. See: https://www.wpr.org/music/classical-music/samuel-coleridge-taylor. [3] Hughes, Langston, “I’ve Known Rivers” in Singing the Living Tradition (Boston: Beacon Press and the UUA, 1993) #528. [4] Thurman, Howard, Deep River and The Negro Spiritual Speaks of Life and Death (Richmond, IN: Friends United Press, 1975) p. 66. [5] Thurman, Howard, Deep River and The Negro Spiritual Speaks of Life and Death (Richmond, IN: Friends United Press, 1975) p. 66. [6] Thurman, ibid., p. 74. [7] Thurman, ibid., p. 72. [8] Mishra-Marzetti, Manish, “River Call,” in Voices from the Margins (Boston: Skinner House Books, 2012) p. 9.

IMPORTANT PHONE NUMBERS Mental Health, Health, Suicide Prevention and Addiction Resources 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline 9-8-8 - call text or chat if you or someone you know has thoughts about suicide Mobile Crisis 2-1-1 is a statewide, community based and family supportive clinical intervention service for children & adolescents experiencing a behavioral or mental health crisis. Mobile Crisis provides rapid emergency crisis stabilization for children and their families as well as short-term follow-up care and connection to other services. Call 2-1-1 and ask for mobile crisis. A child can receive Mobile Crisis services in: Their home At school At their doctor’s office In the Emergency Department (ED) Any other community setting Arrive within 45 minutes or less Convenient Hours: Mobile hours are 6am-10pm M-F; 1pm-10pm weekends/holidays. Available by phone all other hours https://www.TurningPointCT.org -  Mental Wellness Website for and by CT youth who want to chat, text, talk about young people in recovery from mental health and substance use issues. "We know what it’s like to feel alone, stressed, worried, sad, and angry. We’ve lived through the ups and downs of self-harm, drugs and alcohol, and the struggle to find help." Planned Parenthood of CT https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-southern-new-england (birth control, STDs, HIV/AIDs testing, reproductive care, abortion https://www.plannedparenthood.org/online-tools/chat 1-800-230-PLAN Toivo - Center for Holistic Healing Hartford, CT Anti-Violence and Safety Resources CT Alliance to End Sexual Violence 24 Hour Hotline: 1-888-999-5545 ENGLISH (Call or Text) 1-888-568-8332 ESPAÑOL CT Coalition Against Domestic Violence (intimate partner violence, family violence) https://www.ctsafeconnect.org/ Help with Basic Needs United Way health and human services hotline 2-1-1 (help with food, child care, housing, fuel, other basic needs) https://www.211ct.org/

Gathering Music “Sarabande” from Keyboard Partita #1 By J.S. Bach Dorothy Bognar, piano Welcome (Rev. Josh Pawelek) Announcements Centering Prelude “Prelude” from Keyboard Partita #1 By J.S. Bach Dorothy Bognar, piano Chalice Lighting and Opening Words “River Call” By Manish Mishra-Marzetti 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. Chorus 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 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 “What is this Church?” words adapted from Eugene Sander Music by Jean Sibelius What is this church? 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. What is this church? Ask those who came before, And found themselves, by crossing through its door. Joys and Concerns Musical Interlude excerpt from Menuet I and II from Keyboard Partita #1 By J.S. Bach Dorothy Bognar, piano 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 “Deep River” by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Dorothy Bognar, piano Sermon “May the River Renew Us” Rev. Josh Pawelek Closing Hymn #65 “The Sweet June Days” Words by Samuel Longfellow Music: English Melody, arr. by Ralph Vaughan Williams The sweet June days are come again; once more the glad earth yields its golden wealth of rip’ning grain, and breath of clover fields, and deep’ning shade of summer woods, and glow of summer air, and winging thoughts and happy moods of love and joy and prayer. The sweet June days are come again; the birds are on the wing; bright anthems, in their merry strain, unconsciously they sing. Oh, how our cup o’er brims with good these happy summer days; for all the joys of field and wood we lift our song of praise. 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 (Mary Bopp) Welcome and Announcements (Rev. Josh Pawelek) Centering Prelude "Rainbow Fantasy" by Harold Arlen arr. Mary Bopp Chalice Lighting and Opening Words "Broken Glass" by Sarah Poutre Opening Hymn #1002 "Comfort Me" by Mimi Bornstein-Doble Comfort me, comfort me, comfort me, oh my soul. Comfort me, comfort me, comfort me, oh my soul. Sing with me, sing with me ... Speak for me, speak for me ... Dance with me, dance with me ... Comfort me ... Free At Last Players: Reflections Joys and Concerns 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 "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" music by Harold Arlen, lyrics by Yip Harburg Sandy Johnson, vocals Free At Last Players: "The Purple Brick Road" Closing Hymn #1057 "Go Lifted Up" by Mortimer B. Barron Go lifted up, Love bless your way, moonlight, starlight guide your journey into peace and the brightness of day. Extinguishing the Chalice Closing Circle Free At Last Players: Talk Back

Welcome and Announcements Prelude "The Older I Get" by Alan Jackson performed by Jenn Richard, vocals & guitar Chalice Lighting Call to Worship Hymn #1010 "We Give Thanks" Words & music: Wendy Luella Perkins Oh, we give thanks for this precious day, For all gather'd here, and those far away; For this time (food) we share with love and care, Oh, we give thanks for this precious day. Introduction to Service Speaker #1 Sandy Johnson A Time for Sharing: Introductions, Joys & Concerns Musical Response Speaker #2 Ellen Castaldini Hymn #1007 "There's a River Flowin' in My Soul" Words & music: 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... Offertory "This Must Be the Place" by Talking Heads performed by Jenn Richard, vocals & guitar Speaker #3 Joe Madar 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.

Updated May 17, 2024 Do you need Childcare for the meeting? - https://www.uuse.org/post/do-you-need-childcare-for-this-sunday-s-annual-meeting Discernment Letter - https://3ce23514-62b3-4167-a04a-ad0b131b09e9.usrfiles.com/ugd/3ce235_638d44fcc09b4a639052c9e235c7d365.pdf Side By Side (Updated May 17, 2024) - https://3ce23514-62b3-4167-a04a-ad0b131b09e9.usrfiles.com/ugd/3ce235_a649a4dd76744db9a7b694b674abe007.pdf Slate - https://3ce23514-62b3-4167-a04a-ad0b131b09e9.usrfiles.com/ugd/3ce235_b5362f7963f4404197b79cf0bc28b18c.pdf Budget - https://3ce23514-62b3-4167-a04a-ad0b131b09e9.usrfiles.com/ugd/3ce235_49cad73f6d6c43a7aa02b14fb6c6796b.pdf Call letter with absentee and proxy ballots.pdf - https://3ce23514-62b3-4167-a04a-ad0b131b09e9.usrfiles.com/ugd/3ce235_d03f98593c1340a4a4c54ca1bd3cccb7.pdf Gift Policy - https://3ce23514-62b3-4167-a04a-ad0b131b09e9.usrfiles.com/ugd/3ce235_04523911bdde4e849c42f72c82ace46b.pdf Endowment policy - https://3ce23514-62b3-4167-a04a-ad0b131b09e9.usrfiles.com/ugd/3ce235_8c46870199b84675bb3b5c62ed4062a7.pdf