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Gathering Music "Ambient #8" by Dan Thompson Welcome (Vivian Carlson) Prelude "Here Together" by David M. Glasgow Opening Words (Rev. Dr. Molly Housh Gordon) Chalice Lighting (Gretchen Maune & Members of the UU Church of Columbia, MO) Story from Through the Mickle Woods by Valiska Gregory read by Rev. Dr. Leon Dunkley, Jr. Interlude "We Are Weaving Our Lives" by Alexa Sunshine Rose performed by beheld Centering Moment (Jamila Batchelder, Director of Religious Education & Violet Vonder Haar, Director of Music Ministry, UU Church of Columbia, MO) Prayer & Moment of Contemplation (Rev. Joan Javier-Duval) Reading "Shaking the Tree" by Jeanne Lohmann read by Rev. Jordinn Nelson Long Anthem "Weave and Spin" by Starhawk performed by Lea Morris Sermon "Weaving Our Lives" Rev. Dr. Molly Housh Gordon Hymn "Circle Round for Freedom" by Linda Hirschhorn led by Natasha Steinmacher and Francisco Ruiz Offering: Continuing our practice of sharing our gifts with the community beyond our walls, fifty percent of today's Sunday plate cash collection will be shared with The TLC Foundation. The TLC Foundation is a private, non-profit transitional living center in Manchester dedicated to providing a safe, structured home for local children and youth who, through no fault of their own, cannot live with their families. They remain enrolled in Manchester Public Schools and receive the care and stability they need until they can be safely reunited with family or transition to independent living. Offertory Music "Hold On" by Lola performed by beheld Benediction (Rev. Dr. Molly Housh Gordon) Extinguishing the Chalice & Closing Circle Postlude "Weaving Our Songs" Arranged by Paul Winchester Music by David M. Glasgow, Alexa Sunshine Rose, Carolyn McDade and Starhawk

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Gathering Music "Angel from Montgomery" by John Prine "Little Pictures" by Sandy Johnson Sandy Johnson, vocals; Dan Thompson, guitar Welcome and Announcements (Rev. Josh Pawelek) Centering Prelude "Lonesome Valley" by Woody Guthrie Nancy Madar, vocals and guitar Joe Madar, vocals Chalice Lighting and Opening Words Romans 12: 4-8 Adaptation by Rev. Josh Pawelek Opening Song #38 "Morning Has Broken" by Eleanor Farjeon led by Pat Eaton-Robb 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! Emcee's Intro (Gymm Morey) Music "Feelin' Good Again" by Robert Earl Keen Peter Marotto, guitar and vocals Poem "Like Heaven" Elizabeth Thomas Music "A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall" by Bob Dylan Pat Eaton-Robb, guitar and vocals Joys and Concerns Offering The recipients of our July and August community outreach offerings are the MACC Food Pantry, the Hockanum Valley Food Pantry, and the CT Mutual Aid East of the River food security program. Offering Music "Leaving Arisaig" by Bill Livingstone "Loch Maree" by G. S. McLennan Ben Elzerman, bagpipe Vera Elzerman, snare drum Poem "Dashed Dreams" by Cory Clark Music "Songbird" by Nick Glomb Nick Glomb, guitar and vocals Poem "The Haunting of the Asylum" by Bill Lautenbach Music "See You on the Other Side" by Lemmy, Zakk Wylde and Ozzy Osbourne Jennifer Richard, guitar and vocals Poem "Hot Pink" by Lisa Sementilli Music "For What It's Worth" by Stephen Stills Andy Ricci, guitar; Sandy Johnson, vocals Homily (Rev. Josh Pawelek) Closing Song #131 "Love Will Guide Us" by Sally Rogers led by Kate Howard-Bender Love will guide us, peace has tried us, hope inside us will lead the way on the road from greed to giving. Love will guide us through the hard nig ht. If you cannot sing like angels, if you cannot speak before thousands, you can give from deep within you. You can change the world with your love. Love will guide us, peace has tried us, hope inside us will lead the way on the road from greed to giving. Love will guide us through the hard night. 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 (Dorothy Bognar and Martha Larson, piano duo)   Welcome and Announcements   Centering   Prelude  Sonatina in C major, Op. 55, Nr. 1, in C major, 1st movement by Friedrich Kuhlau & August Riedel (for 2 pianos) Dorothy Bognar and Martha Larson, piano duo   Chalice Lighting and Opening Words #418   Introduction to the Service   Opening Music "Homeward Bound" Words and Music: Paul Simon performed by Sandy Johnson (vocals) and Andy Ricci (guitar)   Joys and Concerns Musical Interlude   Offertory Continuing our practice of sharing our gifts with the community beyond our walls, fifty percent of our Sunday plate collections for the first four Sundays of August will be shared with three local pantries: MACC Food Pantry (in Manchester), Hockanum Valley Food Pantry (in Vernon), and CT Mutual Aid East of the River Food Pantry (in East Hartford).   Offertory Music Sonatina in C major, Op. 55, Nr. 1, in C major, 2nd movement by Friedrich Kuhlau & August Riedel (for 2 pianos) Dorothy Bognar and Martha Larson, piano duo   Reading "Birkat HaBayit," a Jewish blessing for the home   Musical Interlude   First Reflection – Malcolm Barlow, “The History of MISAC”   Musical Interlude Second Reflection - Lynn Damon, "Beechwood Memories from a Former Resident"   Musical Interlude   Third Reflection – Stan McMillen,   “ The Economics and Moral Case for Affordable Housing” Musical Interlude Final Reflection - Anne Carr, "When Affordable is Beyond Reach"    Closing Hymn  Hymn #1, "May Nothing Evil Cross This Door" Words by Louis Untermeyer, Music by Robert N. Quaile Dorothy Bognar and Martha Larson, piano duo   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 From Spirit Wheel: Meditations from an Indigenous Elder, “ House of the Spirit ” (Steven Charleston)   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. Additional Information For information on Manchester population statistics, see https://censusreporter.org/profiles/16000US0944690-manchester-ct .    For information on state statistics and the ALICE Report, see https://www.unitedforalice.org/Attachments/AllReports/state-of-alice-report-Connecticut-2025.pdf    The Beechwood Apartments rent schedule: For information on the economic benefits of affordable housing, see https://homesight.org/the-economic-benefits-of-affordable-housing   To see how zoning affects the price of housing, see https://www.ctinsider.com/business/article/ct-zoning-affordable-housing-values-20791578.php?sid=676c747c7748d4899c0d2ca8&ss=A&st_rid=f5e36bb1-9d1c-4e74-bd94-70d19c6422b7 .   The Connecticut Housing and Segregation study is available at https://portal.ct.gov/datapolicy/Knowledge-Base/Articles/Housing-and-Segregation-Study?language=en_US   Information on rent trends is available at https://www.ctinsider.com/realestate/article/ct-rent-average-cost-zillow-20781943.php?sid=676c747c7748d4899c0d2ca8&ss=A&st_rid=f5e36bb1-9d1c-4e74-bd94-70d19c6422b7    For information about HB 5002, see https://ctmirror.org/2025/06/03/ct-hb-5002-housing-bill   The “CT Fair Share Housing Study Final Report” is available at https://www.coventry-ct.gov/DocumentCenter/View/9575/CT_Fair_Share_Housing_Study_Final_Report___2025 Link to MISAC Grants and Charitable Donations : https://drive.google.com/file/d/16rduv--9ARzMrWtHXdkg7LiEczbGD5Jz/view?usp=sharing

Gathering Music (Mary Bopp) Welcome & Announcements Centering Prelude "Beau Soir" by Claude Debussy arr. by Heifetz Anhared Stowe, violin and Mary Bopp, piano Chalice Lighting and Opening Words Introduction to the Service Opening Hymn #15 "The Lone Wild Bird" Words: H. R. McFadden Music: William Walker's Southern Harmony Mary Bopp, piano The lone, wild bird in lofty flight is still with thee nor leaves thy sight. And I am thine! I rest in thee. Great spirit come and rest in me. The ends of earth are in thy hand, the sea's dark deep and far-off land. And I am thine! I rest in thee. Great spirit come and rest in me. Joys and Concerns Musical Interlude Offering Continuing our practice of sharing our gifts with the community beyond our walls, fifty percent of our Sunday plate collections for the first four Sundays of August will be shared with three local food pantries: MACC Food Pantry in Manchester, Hockanum Valley Food Pantry in Vernon and CT Mutual Aid East of the River Food Pantry in East Hartford. Offering Music "Lotus Land" by Cyril Scott, Arr. by Kreisler Anhared Stowe, violin and Mary Bopp, piano Reflection - Jane Penfield Musical Interlude Reflection - David Klotz Closing Hymn #163 "For the Earth Forever Turning" Words and Music: Kim Oler, arr. by Nick Page Mary Bopp, piano For the earth forever turning; for the skies, for every sea; for our lives, for all we cherish, sing we our joyful song of peace. For the mountains, hills, and pastures in their silent majesty; for the stars, for all the heavens, sing we our joyful song of peace. For the sun, for rain and thunder; for the seasons' harmony, for our lives, for all creation, sing we our joyful praise to Thee. For the world we raise our voices, for the home that gives us birth; In our joy we sing returning home to our blue-green hills of earth. Extinguishing the Chalice and Closing Words Excerpt from Celia Thaxter's An Island Garden 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   “ Wildflowers ” Words and music by Tom Petty Performed by The Gonzalez Family Dan Thompson, guitar   Chalice Lighting and Opening Words   Introduction to the Service   Opening Hymn  # 1008 “When Our Heart Is In A Holy Place” Words and Music: Joyce Poley Mary Bopp, piano   (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)   Joys and Concerns   Musical Interlude   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 shared with three local pantries: MACC Food Pantry (Manchester), Hockanum Valley Food Pantry (Vernon), and CT Mutual Aid East of the River Food Pantry (East Hartford).   Offering Music “Turn! Turn! Turn!” Written by Pete Seeger Performed by The Gonzalez Family Dan Thompson, guitar   Reading “Late Summer Ritual” by James Crews   Musical Interlude   Homily “Bittersweet August” Paula Baker     Closing Hymn  #203 - “ All Creatures of the Earth and Sky ” Words attributed to St. Francis of Assisi Music by: Ralph Vaughn Williams Mary Bopp, piano     All creatures of the earth and sky, come, kindred, lift your voices high, Alleluia, Alleluia! Bright burning sun with golden beam, soft shining moon with silver gleam:   (Chorus) Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!   Swift rushing wind so wild and strong, white clouds that sail in heav’n along, Alleluia, Alleluia! Fair rising morn in praise rejoice, high stars of evening find a voice:   (Chorus)   Cool flowing water, pure and clear, make music for all life to hear, Alleluia, Alleluia! Dance, flame of fire, so strong and bright, and bless us with your warmth and light:   (Chorus)   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 (Dorothy Bognar) Welcome and Announcements (Martha Larson) Centering Prelude "On Golden Pond by Dave Grusin Dorothy Bognar, piano Chalice Lighting "We Believe" from Martha Larson's childhood Unitarian church in Harvard, Mass. We believe in the beauty of tolerance, The quest for truth, The path of love, The goal of character And the fellowship of the church Introduction to the Service Opening Hymn #347 "Gather the Spirit" Words and music by Jim Scott Gather the spirit, harvest the power. Our sep'rate fires will kindle one flame. Witness the mystery of this hour. Our trials in this light appear all the same. (Chorus) Gather in peace, gather in thanks. Gather in sympathy now and then. Gather in hope, compassion and strength. Gather to celebrate again. Gather the spirit of heart and mind. Seeds for the sowing are laid in store. Nurtured in love, and conscience refined, with body and spirit united once more. (Chorus) Gather the spirit growing in all, drawn by the moon and fed by the sun. Winter to spring, and summer to fall, the chorus of life resounding as one. (Chorus) First Credo - Mike Baxter Second Credo - Dorothy Bognar Welcoming Visitors, Sharing Joys and Concerns Musical Interlude Reading a poem by Nikita Gill read by Sam Taylor Third Credo - Liz Garmise Offertory Now is the time when we pause to share our gifts with our beloved community and reach out to our neighbors beyond. We do not give because we are rich. We are rich because we give - to support our UUSE community, the causes we believe in, and to further justice in the world around us. Fifty percent of the undesignated cash collected in July and August will be shared with three area food pantries: MACC, Hockanum Valley, and CT Mutual Aid East of the River. Offertory Music "Ashoken Farewell by Jay Unger Dorothy Bognar, piano Reading "Desiderata" by Max Ehrmann, c. 1952 read by Mike Baxter Fourth Credo - Sam Taylor Closing Hymn "Go Lifted Up" #1057 in Singing the Journey Words and music: Mortimer B. Barron Go lifted up, Love bless your way, moon-light, star-light guide your journey into peace and the brightness of day 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.

It’s been over a month since more than 3,000 Unitarian Universalists from nearly 600 congregations, 48 states and a number of countries gathered in Baltimore (and online) for the 63rd Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) General Assembly (GA). It’s become my July custom to share my GA experience with you. It felt extremely important to do this in 2023 and 2024 because the UUA was debating significant changes to Article 2 of its bylaws, specifically replacing the seven UU principles with six UU values; and replacing the six sources of our living tradition with a more general statement entitled “Inspirations.” It was a contentious and difficult, multi-year debate. Though the vote at the 2024 General Assembly solidified this change, I remind us our congregation will use both the principles and the values moving forward. Our Policy Board has convened a Task Force to propose best practices for how to do this. We’ll be hearing more from them in the fall.             Interestingly, though speakers and visual displays referenced the new values frequently, there were also regular references to the principles. When one prominent guest speaker quoted the first principle, “the inherent worth and dignity of every person,” there was raucous applause. I am not sure what to do with this, other than to simply note that the principles still seem deeply embedded in the spiritual life and culture of GA. I’m sure this is even more true in local congregations. I imagine it will take time for the new values to become similarly embedded in the spiritual life and culture of our congregations.             This easy mixing of principles and values speaks to my main observation of this year’s GA: no significant controversy. In fact, there was significant unity. We were united in our common concerns, anxieties and fears about the country’s authoritarian drift in general, and the Trump administration’s authoritarian policies and tactics specifically. Many of our Los Angeles area UU kin shared accounts of the impact of the White House sending federal troops to support Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in their city. And on the opening day of GA, the Supreme Court issued its ruling in US v. Skrmetti, upholding a lower court's ruling that a Tennessee law banning gender affirming care for minors does not violate the equal protection clause of the Constitution's 14th amendment. Though anticipated, this was a major and painful setback to transgender people and all those who love and support transgender people. The pain, the anger, the disenchantment with Los Angelas and Skrmetti in particular were palpable in Baltimore. It fed our sense of unity. It also continually gave rise to a unified sense of hope, commitment and a resolve to fight for a more fair, welcoming, inclusive, loving, and just United States.             If you were a GA newbie, you might feel like you’d gone back in time a few years. This is because masks were required. You may remember that the Biden administration terminated the national Covid 19 Emergency Declaration in 2023. In response to various public health trends following that decision, the 2024 GA passed a resolution entitled "Centering Love Amidst the Ongoing Covid 19 Pandemic." 1]  This resolution invites us to do work we haven’t fully done as a congregation: communally examine our experience of the pandemic, what we learned about welcoming and taking care of our most vulnerable members and friends, and how we can continue those practices now and in the future. It urges UU congregations to foster a mask-affirming culture. It says “our … proclamations of love and justice call us to confront the ongoing disregard for those most vulnerable in our world and meet it with liberating counter-cultural norms in our communities.” The GA culture is a mask-affirming culture.             GA is also a music-affirming culture. The music is always phenomenal. Those of you who were able to watch the GA Sunday morning service got a taste of it. I heard six or seven songs during the week that I want to explore with our Music Director, Mary Bopp, and hopefully teach them to you in the coming months. But that’s just the tip of the musical iceberg. There’s big music news: The UUA is publishing a new hymnal called Sing Out Love . [2] Sign of the technological times: Sing Out Love  is an online, digital hymnal. Congregations purchase subscriptions which permit them to download sheet music, print it, share it on the screen, broadcast it, record it, and archive the recordings. It will include a significant number of the hymns from our current hymnals   as well as lots of new music. Because it is online, new music can continually be added. For a congregation our size, the subscription costs $360/year.             I am so excited for new music! Singing the Living Tradition —the grey hymnal—was published last century. It’s 35 years old. Singing the Journey —the teal book supplement to Singing the Living Tradition —just celebrated its 20th birthday. Though we love some of these hymns and will continue singing them, we’ve been repeating them for decades. That’s not how art and creativity work. Just like we have new visual art on our walls every season (thank you Carolyn Emerson), we should be singing new songs every year. Music is a central feature of our worship life, a boon to our collective spiritual experience. While we absolutely should continue singing our beloved favorites, we also need new and uniquely Unitarian Universalist music that responds to the current moment. I hope and trust that’s what we’ll get from Sing Out Love.             Another aspect of GA I have come to love over the years is the wide diversity of worship services. I love to hear colleagues preach, to witness how they craft liturgies, how they incorporate story, video, sacred dance, and music, and how they collaborate. I attended a Juneteenth service led by the staff of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tallahassee, FL. I attended an earth-based service led by the Covenant of UU Pagans at which an apparently unplanned spiral dance took place with over 500 people. The U/U Global Network led worship with participants from India, Hungary, England and Canada. (By the way, anytime anyone from Canada introduced themselves as Canadian, the standing ovation was immediate and sustained. Lots of sympathy for Canadians.)             One could spend all their GA time in workshops, worship, lectures, the exhibition hall (so massive I can never visit every booth) or exploring the host city. But there is also the actual business of the GA delegates. I want to tell you briefly about three Actions of Immediate Witness and one Congregational Study Action Issue the delegates passed with strong majorities. Actions of Immediate Witness (AIWs) are responses to significant developments in the world that necessitate immediate engagement among UU member congregations and groups. [3]  These statements do not direct the UUA to take specific actions. Rather, they express the conscience of the GA delegates and give guidance to congregations for pursuing engagement. The three AIWs are not surprising. They mirror concerns, anxieties, fears and hopes we typically express here.             First, “We Declare and Affirm: Immigrants [Are People Who] Have Inherent Worth and Inalienable Rights.” [4]  This statement grounds our support for immigrants in our affirmation of the “the sacredness of every human being and our shared humanity across lines of culture, experience, and theology.” Further, “Our UU values affirm that justice demands fairness and equal protection [for] all. Due process – a cornerstone of democracy – guarantees that no one is deprived of life, liberty, or property without a fair hearing. When immigrants are denied these rights, we are called to respond with moral clarity and courageous action.” The statement then describes the current crisis facing immigrant communities in the United States. And it outlines a set of actions UU individuals and congregations can take, including education, advocacy, public witness, fundraising and partnering with immigrant rights groups.             Second, “Defending LGBTIQ Freedom Amid Funding Cris[e]s: A Call for Global Solidarity.” [5]  This AIW refers to the UU principles for its theological grounding. “Our Unitarian Universalist principles affirm the dignity of every person, justice and compassion in human relations, and the goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all.” It adds: “Our UU faith calls us to recognize that all bodies are sacred, and that each person is endowed with the divine gifts of agency, conscience, and self-determination, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.” It describes the global crisis in funding for LGBTIQ people and communities, spurred not only by US cuts to both USAID and domestic programs, but also cuts by other nations, corporations and private donors amounting to more than $100 million worldwide this year. It names countries like Uganda, Myanmar, Malawi, Ukraine, and the United States where cuts have already caused severe harm. It outlines opportunities individuals and congregations can take in terms of learning, advocacy, organizing and public witness.             Third, “Faithful Defiance of Authoritarianism: Reaffirming Our Covenants for Democracy and Freedom.” There are multiple grounding sources for this statement, but I love that it begins with a reference to the “the flaming chalice, the living symbol of contemporary Unitarian Universalism, [which] recalls the compassion and strength needed to aid Jewish refugees on the eve of World War II, and has come to represent helpfulness, sacrifice, and enduring faith in action.” [6]  Inspired by this history, the statement calls upon the UUA, member congregations, clergy and laypeople … to “cast off the cloak of isolation and transcend our differences—both within and beyond ourselves—to defend the guarantees of just law, constitutional integrity, equal justice, meaningful separation of powers, due process, and the freedoms of speech, press, and assembly.” It urges us to “work actively with leaders of other faith traditions to develop common strategies, events, actions, and messaging to bring a strong multi-faith presence that promotes our common values, counters the autocratic actions and messages of elected leaders, helps build a powerful pro-democracy movement, and guides us to a common dream where all can thrive.”             Finally, the delegates adopted a Congregational Study Action Issue (CSAI) entitled “Abolition, Transformation, and Faith Formation." [7]  CSAIs are different from AIWs in that, when adopted, they inaugurate three years of congregational study before the GA passes further resolutions or calls for any actions. This statement defines abolition as “a holistic approach to systemic social change that includes, but is not limited to: the abolition of slavery; replacing systems and cultures of violence, coercion and control with transformative justice and relational practices; and dismantling the prison-industrial complex as we now know it. It requires the transformation of our society and the replacement of our current public theologies of retributive justice and violence.” It lists a series of questions for congregational study and reflection, followed by a list of possible congregational or regional actions to help further explore the topic. Imara Jones             I would be remiss if I did not mention Imara Jones’ Ware Lecture . [8]  The Ware Lecture is a longstanding GA tradition dating back to 1922. Past lecturers include Martin Luther King, Jr., Howard Thurman, Mary Oliver, Stacey Abrams, Kurt Vonnegut, Shirley Chisholm, Jesse Jackson, Krista Tippet, and Maria Hinajosa. Imara Jones is the creator o f TransLash [9]  Media, a cross-platform journalism, personal storytelling and narrative project, which produces content to shift the current culture of hostility towards transgender people in the US. She spoke about the reality that across the planet, and certainly in the United States, transgender people are inevitably among the first targets of authoritarian and fascist regimes. She said (and I am paraphrasing) “if you can’t understand the attacks on transgender people and communities across the country as the vanguard of fascism, I don’t know what to tell you.” She spoke at length about the Heritage Foundation and its decade-long effort to build right-wing political power using misinformation about transgender people as a wedge to shape public opinion. She said if you find yourself talking with anyone on any side of the political spectrum about bathrooms, athletes, grooming, pronouns – any of the hot button issues related to trans people – know that these are not the conversations transgender people want you to have. These are the conversations the Heritage Foundation wants you to have. Please do not take the bait. At some point we’ll host a screening of Ms. Jones’ lecture here. It was a highlight for me, one of those moments at GA when our common concern, anxiety and fear transformed into a common hope, commitment and resolve. These are my GA reflections. Amen and blessed be. [1]  The Action of Immediate Witness regarding Covid Care is at: https://www.uua.org/action/statements/centering-love-amidst-ongoing-impact-covid-19 . I also recommend reading (or re-reading) the text to the 2024 General Assembly business resolution, “Embracing Transgender, Nonbinary, Intersex and Gender Diverse People is a Fundamental Expression of UU Religious Values” at: https://www.uua.org/action/statements/embracing-transgender-nonbinary-intersex-and-gender-diverse-people-fundamental#:~:text=Most%20recently%20in%202021%2C%20the%20General%20Assembly,promotes%20discrimination%20abridges%20human%20rights%20and%20our . [2]   https://www.uua.org/worship/lab/virtual-hymnal . [3]  Learn more about AIWs here: https://www.uua.org/action/process/aiw . [4]  Read the full text at: https://www.uua.org/action/process/2025-proposed-aiw-all-people-have-inherent-worth-and-inalienable-rights .  [5]  Read the full text at https://www.uua.org/action/process/2025-proposed-aiw-funding-global-lgbtiq-freedom-amid-crisis . [6]  Read the full text at https://www.uua.org/action/process/2025-proposed-aiw-faithful-defiance-authoritarianism . [7]  Read the full text at https://www.uua.org/action/process/2025-proposed-csais/abolition-faith-formation . [8]  Learn about Imara Jones and the Ware Lecture at https://www.uua.org/ga/program/highlights/ware-lecture . [9]  See https://translash.org/ .

SUMMER Greetings CYM Families It is time to REGISTER your child(ren) for Children & Youth Ministry programming for the 2025-2026 liturgical year.  You may notice some changes to the registration questions compared to previous years - this is to protect pertinent personal data of our children and youth.  We will talk more about this at our Orientation on Sunday, September 14th.  In the meantime, please feel free to call me with any concerns. And now, here are the answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the registration process:   Do I have to register my child? If you plan on having your child attend any CYM programming at UUSE including childcare in the nursery , even once, we NEED your child to be formally registered through the link above to comply with our Safe Congregation Policy.  This is for the safety and well-being of all the children and youth who spend time in our building. Should I register my child even if I’m not sure we will attend?  Yes!  This will ensure that we have a name tag, adequate supervision, and supplies ready for your child, should you choose to attend at any time over the course of the year.  We would much rather be over-prepared for your presence than stuck underprepared.  Don’t delay in registering even if you’re not sure if you can/will attend! I registered my child last year; do I need to register them again?  YES!  All children and youth ages 0-18 should be registered by their caregiver every summer, ahead of the upcoming program year. Thank you for your cooperation and dedication to our fantastic Children & Youth Ministry at UUSE! With Care and Gratitude, Emmy Galbraith dcym@uuse.org Cell: (860)576-7889 CYM Committee Members: Michelle Spadaccini, co-chair Sudha Sevin, co-chair Heather Alexson, co-chair Desiree Holian-Borgnis Paula Baker Committee email: uusecym@uuse.org Angela Attardo, CYM Program Assistant CYMAsst@uuse.org

Gathering Music "All That We Let In" by Indigo Girls Jenn Richard, guitar and vocals Welcome and Announcements Centering Prelude “Today and Every Day”  By Dar Williams Jenn Richard, guitar and vocals Chalice Lighting and Opening Words Excerpt from “War Talk”  Arundhati Roy Opening Song “Sanctuary” Adapted from Randy Scruggs and John W. Thompson Love prepare me to be a sanctuary Sure and steady, tried and true With thanksgiving, I'll be a living sanctuary, for you. Meditation Musical Meditation Joys and Concerns Musical Meditation Offering The recipients of our July and August Community Outreach offerings are the MACC Food Pantry, the Hockanum Valley Food Pantry, and the CT Mutual Aid East of the River food assistance program.  Offering Music “A Little Light”  By Elton John, Brandi Carlisle, Bernie Taupin and Andrew Watt Jenn Richard, guitar and vocals Sermon “General (Assembly) Reflections”  Rev. Josh Pawelek Closing Song “This Joy That I Have”  By Shirley Caesar This joy that I have The world didn't give it to me This joy that I have The world didn't give it to me This joy that I have The world didn't give it to me The world didn't give it The world can't take it away This strength…. This love…. This pride…. This peace …. This joy…. The world didn't give it, the world can't take it away The world didn't give it, the world can't take it away 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.

Vivian Carlson July 6, 2025 Simplicity. Webster’s dictionary defines simplicity as the state of being uncomplicated, free from pretense and clear in expression. Chaos is the opposite - a state of utter confusion, an unorganized mass or mixture. So how do we dispense with pretense and find clarity in a world that seems more cruelly chaotic daily? One strategy is to look to the wisdom of our ancestors who managed to survive overwhelming natural disasters, plagues, unimaginably evil tyrants, wars that killed entire generations and more throughout recorded history. The Bhagavad Gita, the ancient Hindu scriptures written 5,000 years ago, contain these words: “Where there is no sense of unity, . . . society is plunged into chaos. Social chaos is hell for the family and for those who have destroyed the family as well. It disrupts the process of spiritual evolution begun by our ancestors.. . these terrible deeds, violate the the unity of life.” The Tao Teh Ching, written by Lao Tzu in China 2,000 years ago reminds us that “There is no calamity like not knowing what is enough. There is no evil like covetousness. Only he who knows what is enough will always have enough.” And, more recently, our own Walt Whitman tells us that “This is what you shall do: Love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give 1 alms to every one that asks, stand up for those who are different, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence toward the people, go freely with powerful uneducated persons and with the young and with the mothers of families, re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul. . .” Both Lao Tzu and Walt Whitman offer perspectives shared by most indigenous peoples who have lived close to Mother Earth and supported one another in order to survive for centuries. My indigenous friends in South America shared with me much of their ancient wisdom which is still practiced on a daily basis today. There are 9 indigenous tribes in Guyana. They have fought wars against one another as well as carefully balanced their relationships with one another and the rainforest for centuries. Each tribe hunts different animals in the forest so that no one species is ever depleted. Each tribe specializes in making different items so that trade with one another is necessary. My Makushi friends have ancient knowledge and skill at making the curare poison used to coat hunting arrows and making baskets so carefully woven that they hold water. Other tribes make, trade and share different necessities and all take only enough from the forest, and do so only after asking the spirit of what is taken for permission and expressing gratitude for the gift. The forest is life. My Makushi friends often stated this simple truth in conversations about their way of life. 2 Robin Wall Kimmerer, author, environmental biologist and member of the Potawatomi Nation, has written a small book entitled The Serviceberry describing this “culture of gratitude” in which life centers around acknowledgement of and gratitude for the all of the gifts we find in our lives. Being grateful for all that we have leads to the realization that we have enough. Taking only what we need and giving a reciprocal gift for what we have taken is a radical response to our surrounding consumer culture. In a culture of gratitude and reciprocity, “all flourishing is mutual.” We can create interdependent webs of self-reliance and reciprocity, sharing what we have with others, passing on the gift by caring for one another, using, re-using and sharing needed items, and caring for the earth. Compassion is not an ideal, but a way of being in the world. It is an outcome of gratitude and in times of social chaos may be expressed in all human relationships as well as in many social and political actions. Working to address injustice through involvement in groups and actions designed to support those most affected by tyrannical cruelty and to fight injustice in all its many forms brings a sense of agency, strength and sharing in otherwise overwhelming situations. Acts of kindness require courageous action in our everyday lives. There will be more kindness in the world if we practice gentle breaths and balance our efforts with quiet ease. Practicing kindness in daily life requires reaching out to others, including those with whom we disagree or 3 find offensive or frightening. Such judgments often interfere with our intentions to see the good in each person. Being kind to all in a divided and violent society is difficult. It is also a way of reducing the divisions and violence that surround us. Peace is also not just an ideal. It is an active practice. We can increase peace in the world by practicing nonviolence in our thoughts and actions, by pausing to think before we speak instead of reacting, and by centering ourselves in the love of the divine spirit that lives within us. Meditation, prayer, yoga, tai chi, immersion in the natural world all offer pathways to peace. So how can we benefit from the wisdom passed down by our ancestors? We can seek to live simply, practicing compassion, kindness and peace as a means of resisting the injustice and chaos in our country. Taking collective action in support of social justice increases the effectiveness of our resistance and our individual practices. Simple living requires awareness, presence, thoughtful responses and integrity. It requires understanding the concept of ‘enough’ and never taking more than we need from others or from Mother Earth. It requires gratitude for our many gifts and an understanding of the fact that we can build mutual relationships based on sharing and reciprocity that will help to shield us from the ravages of social chaos. May it be so. Reflections on solstice - Ellen Williams When I was young I knew there were solstices since they were written on the calender. I also knew that I was happy playing in the dirt and planting. I liked longer days in summer. Im not sure I knew much more than that. The funny thing is that longer days are up until summer solstice and then they start to get shorter. When I was in Alaska a few years ago, they mentioned how in Fairbanks, they have a baseball game that lasts all night on the solstice. We were thee a few days before that. I remember watching the sun set at 11:45 pm, but it didn’t really get dark after that. Now I know that solstices measure when the light changes and the position of the earth’s axis is closest to the sun for summer solstice. Other names for this holiday are Litha and midsummer. Some folks make flower crowns, collect herbs and look at the magnificence of nature. Some folks leap bonfires, however, please don’t do this without guidance. Solstice meditation Take a deep breath and slowly let out Take another deep breath and slowly let it out Visualize the sun’s brilliant light surrounding you, filling you with warmth and energy. Visualize the abundance and joy that summer brings, feeling these qualities within yourself. As you exhale, imagine releasing any negativity, stress or old patterns. Imagine a personal sphere of sunlight about you filling you with vibrance and energy. Repeat I am statements, like I am alive, I am joyful, I am abundant, I am free of any other I ams that are personal for you Express gratefulness for the sun and the season for the Gradually Bring your awareness, back to your body and your surroundings. Give yourself time to be fully conscious in this room. As I was at a concert with my mother in law last week, she asked what I was doing the next day. I said I was working on a service for church. She asked what it was about, and I said it was about Soltice and simplicity. She asked more about solstice, and I wasn’t ready to say I’m a pagan to my 91 year old mother in law, who is Episcopalian. So I explained how I see spirit in nature, in the plants, and trees and how flowers grow from seeds, and she said “that’s how it should be” and I explained how soltice can celebrate the beauty in nature. As in the reading messenger, where Mary Oliver suggests we focus on what matters, standing still and being astonished and rejoicing at all we see in nature. She also suggests we be grateful for all that we are exposed to. In the song welcome, rejoice, and come in, I am called by the upbeat melody, the feeling of connectedness I feel I share with other folks here. S o I am welcomed, I rejoice and am glad to come in. Then today will be a joyful day reminds me of the carefree days of summer. Some ways I feel joyful in summer include watching the butterflies at my milkweed plants and hummingbirds at many of my plants. Or being in the yard and listening to children playing in nearby yards. Or sitting around a campfire with good friends. Or curling up with a good book. Please find some ways to celebrate solstice over the next few weeks.

Gathering Music (Mary Bopp) Welcome (Martha Larson) Announcements (Stacey Musulin) Centering Prelude "The Oneness of Everything" by Jim Scott, arr. by Mary Bopp Chalice Lighting Excerpts from "The Awakening" by Joseph M. Martin Awake, awake, my soul, and sing! The time for praise has come. The silence of the night has passed; A new day has begun. Let music never die in me! Forever let my spirit sing! Let all our voices join as one to praise the giver of the song. Introduction to the Service Opening Hymn #188 "Come, Come, Whoever You Are" Hymn #16 "'Tis a Gift to Be Simple" Hymn #38 "Morning Has Broken" Andy Ricci, speaker, guitar and hymn leader Hymn #1007 "There's a River Flowin' in My Soul" Welcoming Visitors and Sharing Joys and Concerns Musical Response #123 "Spirit of Life" Hymn #346 "Come Sing a Song With Me" Jenn Richard, guitar and hymn leader Hymn #21 "For the Beauty of the Earth" Hymn #1064 "Blue Boat Home" Hymn #159 "This Is My Song" Offertory 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 shared with three local pantries: MACC Food Pantry (Manchester), Hockanum Valley Food Pantry (Vernon), and CT Mutual Aid East of the River Food Pantry (East Hartford). Offertory Music #1051 "We Are ..." by Ysaye M. Barnwell; 2020 GA Virtual Choir, directed by Benjie Messer; Soloist Dr. Ysaye Barnwell Hymn #131 "Love Will Guide Us" Dorothy Bognar, speaker Jenn Richard, guitar and hymn leader Hymn #203 "All Creatures of the Earth and Sky" Hymn #337 "Have I Not Known" Hymn #1026 "If Every Woman in the World" Hymn #1 "May Nothing Evil Cross This Door" More hymns if time Extinguishing the Chalice Excerpt from "The Awakening" by Joseph M. Martin Let music never die in me! Forever let my spirit sing! Wherever emptiness is found, Let there be joy and glorious sound 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.