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Gathering Music Jean Gabriel-Marie: La Cinquantaine Robert Schumann: Traumerei W. A. Mozart: Rondo from Sonata in A major, K. 331 Dorothy Bognar, piano Welcome Centering Prelude Benjamin Godard: Berceuse from Jocelyn Dorothy Bognar, piano Chalice Lighting & Opening Words We Kindle This Flame by Selena Fox We kindle this flame with love for mothers and foremothers past, present, and future; We kindle this flame in celebration of community and its generations. We kindle this flame with respect and support for the greater circle of life of which we are all part. Opening Hymn STLT #368, Now Let Us Sing Words and music: Anonymous Dorothy Bognar, piano Now let us sing, sing, sing Now let us sing, sing, sing Lift up your voice, be not afraid; sing to the power of the faith within. Now let us sing, sing, sing Now let us sing, sing, sing Lift up your voice, be not afraid; sing to the power of the hope within. Now let us sing, sing, sing Now let us sing, sing, sing Lift up your voice, be not afraid; sing to the power of the love within. Now let us sing, sing, sing Now let us sing, sing, sing Lift up your voice, be not afraid; sing to the power of the joy within. Time for All Ages How to Spot a Mom Written by Donna Amey Bhatt Illustrated by Aura Lewis Read by Sam Taylor Hymn STLT#16, 'Tis a Gift to Be Simple Words: Joseph Bracket, 18th cent. Music: American Shaker tune Dorothy Bognar, piano (Sing 2x) 'Tis a gift to be simple, 'tis a gift to be free, 'tis a gift to come down where we ought to be, and when we find ourselves in the place just right, 'twill be in the valley of love and delight. When true simplicity is gained, to bow and to bend we shan't be ashamed. To turn, turn will be our delight, 'till by turning, turning we come 'round right. Announcements Joys & 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 May will be shared with Hartford Deportation Defense, CT Students for a Dream, and Unidad Latinas en Accion. Offering Music Leonard Gautier: Le Secret (Intermezzo Pizzicato) Dorothy Bognar, piano Introduction to the Service Reading Thoughts of a Mother by L. E. Bowman (as read by a father ...) Are you hungry? Are you tired? Do you need a jacket, some water? Of course, I'll carry everything you've collected. Of course, I'll sit in the grass. Do you need a fortress? A fire? Something soft to fall onto? I'll hold you, hold you together. I'll hold you forever. Will you always reach for my hand the way you do now? I'll expand if you need me to. I'll give if it helps you. I'll cross every river and face every storm. Is that too much? Too little? Am I guiding you forward or holding you back? You're green now but in a blink you'll be older. I'm getting older. This life flicks by faster and faster. One day' I'll leave you. I don't want to leave you. Can I pause time? Bottle this moment? How do I keep you when nothing lasts? Musical Interlude Reflections: Sam Taylor - Wisdom from UUSE Moms Reflections: Sam Taylor - Mothering during the 2020s Musical Interlude Reflections: Kate Kimmerle - The Benign Neglect of a UU Mom Closing Hymn STLT #391 Voice Still and Small Words and music: John Corrado Voice still and small, deep inside all, I hear you call, singing. In storm and rain, sorrow and pain, still we'll remain singing. Calming my fears, quenching my tears, through all the years, singing. Extinguishing the Chalice Bring Happiness by Barbara Cheatham And now we take our leave Before we gather here again-- may each of us bring happiness into another's life; may we each be surprised by the gifts tht surround us; may each of us be enlivened by constant curiosity-- And may we remain together in spirit til the hour we meet again 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. Impress an Artsy Mom with an Origami Heart

The Ancient Spring At our Earth Day service two weeks ago I said it is always a worthwhile exercise to reflect on what it means to have a place in the interdependent web of all existence. I then said that such contemplation can, at times, lead us into that kind of spiritual or mystical experience in which all the borders and the boundaries between us and everything else melt away, ebb, fade, disappear, revealing in their wake an endless, crisscrossing multitude of connections, of relationships, of mutual dependencies, a sense of the oneness of everything, a sense of the strange but real bonds that unite everything to everything, which leads us to offer grace for everything, which was the title of that sermon.[1] This morning I am proposing a different, though related and equally worthwhile exercise, a reflection on what it means to have a highly specific, physical place in the interdependent web of all existence; and more to the point, what it means for us, as a congregation, to have and to care for these four particular acres, sloping gently eastward, down from the top of what I’ve always known as Elm Hill, where Manchester’s northeast corner abuts the Talcottville area of Vernon, where an ancient spring lies hidden in our woods, overflowing in springtime and feeding a pond just beyond edge of our property, whose exit streams eventually empty into the Hockanum River far below us. What does it mean to have this land, which is also home to turtles, owls, woodpeckers, squirrels, a variety of pollinators, wild turkeys, deer, at least one woodchuck which I saw running across the parking lot on Tuesday morning, thousands of other birds (though many are just passing through), the occasional neighbor cat, the occasional teenage humans parking in our lot after hours, and monarch butterflies who, if I have my facts correct, will be arriving over the next month for their summer stay? What does it mean to have this land which is best by invasive species whose presence, over time, weakens otherwise hearty trees, which explains why a number of them fell in the northeastern section of our woods during the last major ice storm? Open area in the northeast woods What does it mean to have this land, which is home to a beautiful, peaceful memorial garden, a final resting place for so many of our deceased loved-ones, our congregational ancestors, a truly sacred site? Memorial Garden What does it mean to have this land, whose constant 55° temperature 500 feet below the surface, heats a glycol solution which we then use for heating and cooling our meeting house? What does it mean to have this land? I invite you to take a brief, quiet moment to reflect on your relationship to these four, gently sloping acres at 153 Vernon St. West in Manchester. **** Today we welcome new members into our congregation. As we conduct our welcoming ritual, we offer a very specific invitation to the new members. We invite them “to share in our mission of 1) caring for one another, 2) encouraging each other in spiritual growth, 3) working for justice and peace in the wider community, and 4) living in harmony with the earth.” All of you who are members of this congregation received some version of this invitation when you officially joined. As your minister, I think a lot about what it means to be a member of the congregation. I try to articulate that meaning on Sunday mornings from time to time, but I find I articulate it most elaborately at the Introduction to Unitarian Universalism class which we hold 3-4 times a year. In that class I say things like, members have the responsibility to attend and vote at congregational meetings. Members can be elected to one of our many leadership roles. Members make the most generous financial gift possible to the Annual Appeal. Members receive care from each other when they need care; and members also provide care to each other as needs arise (that’s part 1 of the invitation). Members explore opportunities for spiritual growth together through participation in Sunday Services, small group ministry, affinity groups, and religious education offerings (that’s part 2 of the invitation). Members participate as they can in our organizing for social and environmental justice and peace-making in the wider community (that’s part 3 of the invitation.) Part 4 of the invitation is living in harmony with the earth. I confess, I probably say the least about this facet of membership. How do we live in harmony with the earth? There are thousands of ways to pursue it, and so many of us practice various ways in our daily living. But how do you, the members and friends of this congregation, collectively live in harmony with the earth? You have this particular tract of land, these four gently sloping acres. Maybe the new member invitation needs more specificity. Maybe it should be an invitation to live in harmony with this land; to faithfully steward this land; to compassionately care for this land. Perhaps this is obvious. But this is my message on this day when we welcome new members: Being a member of this congregation includes endeavoring as best we can to live in harmony with this particular patch of earth. Being a member of this congregation includes caring for this land. **** There’s a lot we don’t know about this land. We’re confident we follow a long line of stewards, though we don’t have much information about who our predecessors were. We know these woods are relatively new. We suspect, like much of New England, this was pastureland in the 19th and early 20th centuries, before most of the houses were built in the neighborhood. That may be why someone laid stones around the spring—a place for the animals to drink. Though some have argued those stones may have been placed earlier, either by the Podunks or Wangunks who hunted and fished on these lands for centuries prior to the arrival of European colonists, and whose predecessors began inhabiting these lands between 8,000 and 12,000 years ago. We find the remains of old stone walls on this land. Old trails. There’s a very old apple tree out there, though our building manager, Jane Osborn, says she’s never seen it bloom. At one point there was a piece of barbed wire buried in an old tree, though I’m pretty sure that tree was removed to make way for this building. These are all clues about who lived in harmony with this land before our time. A lot has changed during the time I’ve been serving as your minister. Most notably, this sanctuary wasn’t here when I started in 2003. The chapel and classrooms below us weren’t here. There was a wide grassy space between the building and the memorial garden that we sometimes used for outdoor picnics and celebrations, as well as children’s programming in the warm seasons. The congregation threw a party out there for my family in 2006 when our son Max was born. At one point Janet Heller and our former Director of Religious Education, Vicki Merriam, started the first children’s organic vegetable garden in that space. In the mid-2000s, we went through a multi-year process of becoming an official Unitarian Universalist Association Green Sanctuary. During that time we learned a lot about how to better care for the land by planting native species, removing invasive species, composting, and using various organic farming techniques in our gardens. Our building project in 2009 and 2010 was disruptive to the land. Around that time we created an Ecological Landscaping Team whose task was to relandscape the areas disturbed by the building project. At that time we also relocated the children’s organic vegetable garden to its current location by the south entrance to the meeting house. We used wood from dead cedar trees to make the beds, fed the soil with our own compost, and watered the beds with rain water captured in rain barrels. That garden has gone through a variety of changes over the years. Mary Lawrence managed it as an organic garden for a number of years, naming it the Peas and Love Community Garden. In recent years we’ve planted more native pollinators than veggies, but an herb garden remains, and everyone is welcome to pick from it. This spring the Children and Youth Ministry program will be planting veggies in a few of the beds. Organic Garden, herb garden, etc. Compost Bin These are examples of how the land in the vicinity of the building has changed. But there are changes out in the woods too. Of course, there are a lot of invasive species that weren’t there 50 years ago, and a lot of the work that needs doing involves clipping the invasives before they reproduce. Clipping is easier and less labor-intensive than trying to pull them out by their roots. But it’s not all about invasives. Cory Clark pointed out that some wooded areas are now more open, in part because trees have fallen as a result of weakening from the presence of invasives. In that more open space, Cory and others have been asking, what could the next growth be? Some have suggested an edible forest. Can we plant orchard trees, apples and pears? Can we plant berry bushes? Could we, in time, develop a small, sustainable road-side food ministry? Pick-your-own apples? Pick-your-own blueberries? That’s in the future. There are more immediate tasks today. And I mean TODAY we will be planting native plants and berry bushes on the grounds. If you would like to help, Cory Clark will guide you to the areas we have prepared. Tools will be provided. **** Finally, I asked, what does it mean to have this land? I struggle with this language, and I’m sure some of you struggle with it too, because “having” implies possession. Yet this land ultimately doesn’t belong to us. In a spiritual sense, we don’t have it at all. We are a part of it, a partner with it, a recipient of its gifts. Spiritually speaking, it may be more accurate to say the land has us. We are, at most, temporary stewards, like all those who have come before us. Yet, I decided to ask the question this way—what does it mean to have this land?—because, legally, the members of this congregation quite literally have this land. We own it. We are responsible for it. That’s the nature of the land-owning system we inherit from the European colonists who brought it with them in the 17th and 18th centuries. This ownership systems is one of the primary reasons the earth is in so much trouble today. Land has become a commodity to be exploited, its riches extracted, its ecosystems polluted. Too often, land ownership grants the owner the license to destroy it for the sake of financial gain. As we reflect on what it means to have this land, let us be mindful of what so often happens to land that humans have. Let us endeavor not to exploit this land, not to abuse this land, not to neglect this land, but to be good stewards, to keep it healthy and fertile, thriving and beautiful, trusting that as much as we have it, it has us; trusting, if nothing else, that when we take care of this land, when we take care of these four gently sloping acres on Elm Hill, here on the Manchester-Vernon line, it feels good. Amen and blessed be. [1] Pawelek, Josh, “Grace for Everything,” a sermon delivered to the UU Society East, Manchester, CT, April 19, 2026. See: https://www.uuse.org/post/grace-for-everything-a-sermon-for-earth-day-rev-josh-pawelek-april-19-2026.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Here's What's Happening in CYM this Sunday, May 3rd: Nursery: Childcare will be available in our nursery at 11 am for children age 3 and under. Sunday Service, 11 am: "This Land" UUSE’s meetinghouse sits on four acres at the top of Elm Hill, on the Manchester-Vernon line, above the Hockanum River Valley. What is our collective obligation to these four acres? What is our role on this land? Note: This service will be followed by a land stewarding project. Wear work clothes if you wish to participate. Coordinator: Rev. Josh Pawelek. Time For All Ages: Children and youth in grades 2-12 will attend the beginning of the Sunday service in the Sanctuary on the Main Level. The first two rows on the right are reserved for children and youth to sit together, and families are welcome to join them. After the “Time For All Ages” segment of Sunday service, children and youth will be dismissed to the Garden Level to attend further programming. Spirit Play: “Norbert Capek Flower Communion” Spirit Play children will go directly to their classroom at 11 AM for the day’s lesson. This is a story about a Unitarian man who had a wonderful idea about how to celebrate the light and beauty inside each of us and the beauty of the earth. In the UU church, we call this celebration our Flower Communion. Young UUs & Jr YG combined: "Building a Bridge Together" week 4 AND "Art Workshop" with Dottie Reiss. The middle school students will finish the bridge by drilling holes for tacks & then tacking the wood slats together with straps. Elementary children will join Dottie for an Art Workshop, and then decorate the 'railings' for the bridge. High School Youth Group: "Vision Board Part 2" HSYG meets this week to finish their Vision Board: the future of HSYG and UUSE as a whole. Affirmation Group: The group meets this week 12:30 pm - 2 pm in the couch room. Bring a lunch! See you Sunday! * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Calling All UUSE Moms! Calling all UUSE moms for help in developing a celebratory tribute to the diversity of moms! Do the prompts below move you? If so, please email your responses (or thoughts on being a mom) to Sam Taylor at uuseoffice@uuse.org by May 1st to contribute to our Mother's Day service on May 10th. What does being a mom mean to you? How has your identify shifted since becoming a mom? What is your favorite memory of your mom? What values do you hope to instill in your children? How do you approach motherhood? What advice would you give a mom? What do your children call you? Thank you for your responses! Vision & Mission: Community Post-It Wall with the Strategic Planning Task Force For those who have not yet had an opportunity to share their opinions on the current vision and mission statements or for those who would like to add additional comments, we hope to get your feedback so we can best represent the whole congregation with the upcoming work. After or before services until the end of May, in the Sanctuary lobby and on the Garden level lobby, you can suggest revision ideas on a Post-It or place a green dot to show satisfaction with the current wording. Upcoming Dates of Note:  Sun, May 3: Ryan Ford Concert, 3 pm - 5 pm Sun, May 10: NO CYM programming, Mother's Day Sun, May 17: All Congregation Worship: Flower Communion Service AND the UUSE Annual Meeting, 12:45 pm, childcare provided Fri, May 22: The Heart of the Arts, 7 pm An evening of music and poetry featuring Christian Loftus, Manchester's own troubadour, and Nadia Sims, the town's celebrated Poet Laureate. Summer hours starting May 24th. One service at 10 AM. Sun, May 24: NO CYM programming, Memorial Day Weekend Sun, May 31: CYM Field Day & HSYG/Jr YG Escape Room Outing Sun, Jun 7: All Congregation Worship: Affirmation Sunday Service Sun, Jun 14: All Congregation Worship: CYM Sunday Service Future Opportunities: The UUA is offering free online training Child and Youth Safety in UU Communities This gathering will review UUA suggestions for policies and practices to create a safer congregation for all ages, including Sunday mornings, multigenerational events, and children/youth programming. Two meeting time options: Thursday, May 14, 7-8 pm ET -or- Tuesday, May 19, 10-11 pm ET Check out https://www.uua.org/lifespan/re-sources/spring-2026-youth-safety General Assembly (GA) GA is the annual meeting of the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), where participants gather to worship, witness, learn, connect, and make policy decisions for the Association through a democratic process. UUSE is looking for people to attend virtually or at a satellite location. The 2026 GA will be held virtually June 14th-21st. Check out https://www.uua.org/ga for some info. Are you interested in representing UUSE at this year's General Assembly? Questions? Email Desiree at uuseoffice@uuse.org Greater Hartford U.U.'s at Dunkin Donuts Park On Saturday evening, August 1, 2026 Join the three area UU Societies (Fern Street, USH, and UUSE) at the Liberty Bank Pavilion, Dunkin Donuts Park. It's the picnic package, which will include standard ballpark fare and vegetarian options, free waters and soft drinks, and a chance to meet other UU's in the area. Doors and the picnic open at 4:30 with the game scheduled to start at 6:10 p.m. The picnic will remain open and serving food until about 7 p.m. A firework show follows the game. We are excited that the 3 Societies are exploring how we can work and play together, enjoy our UU values, and celebrate one another. Cost is $50 per person, but if you need help, financial assistance is available. Click here for the flyer! With Gratitude, CYM Committee Members: Sudha, co-chair Michelle Spadaccini, co-chair Desiree Holian-Borgnis Kaitlyn Guilmette Rhona Cohen Committee email: uusecym@uuse.org Angela Attardo, CYM Program Assistant CYMAsst@uuse.org

Gathering Music "Sleep of the Blessed" by Glen Phillips "Brokedown Palace" by the Grateful Dead "Astral Plane" by Valerie June Jennifer Richard, guitar and vocals Welcome and Announcements Centering Prelude "Where I Go" by Natalie Merchant Jennifer Richard, guitar and vocals Chalice Lighting and Opening Words "Ground of Being" by the Rev. Natalie Fenimore Opening Hymn "Blue Boat Home" by Peter Mayer Though below me, I feel no motion standing on these mountains and plains. Far away from the rolling ocean still my dry land heart can say: I've been sailing all my life now, never harbor or port have I known. The wide universe is the ocean I travel and the earth is my blue boat home. Sun my sail and moon my rudder as I ply the starry sea, leaning over the edge in wonder, casting questions into the deep. Drifting here with my ship's companions, all we kindred pilgrim souls, making our way by the lights of the heavens in our beautiful blue boat home. I give thanks to the waves up holding me, hail the great winds urging me on, greet the infinite sea before me, sing the sky my sailor's song: I was born up on the fathoms, never harbor or port have I known. The wide universe is the ocean I travel, and the earth is my blue boat home. New Member Welcome Introductions (Membership Committee co-chairs) The Charge (Minister) As you take up membership in the Unitarian Universalist Society East, I charge you to share with us who you are. Share your creativity, your experiences, your questins, you doubts, your beliefs, and all your discoveries of life's meaning. I charge you to shake us up with your ideas, to stir us up with your conscience, to inspire us with your actions, and to stimulate our hopes with your dreams of what life can be. Congregational Welcome (Congregation) We welcome you as companions in the search for truth and meaning. We invite you to share in our mission of caring for one another, encouraging each other in spiritual growth, working for justice and peace in the wider community, and living in harmony with the earth. We join our gifts with yours, trusting in the power of community to bring freedom, healing and love. New Member Affirmation (New members) We join the Unitarian Universalist Society East out of a desire and willingness to participate in a liberal religious congregation. We pledge to share our time, energy and gifts; to diligently seek our spiritual truths; and to strengthen the bonds of community. Responsive Hymn "This Meetinghouse" words adapted from Eugene Sander by Josh Pawelek Music by Jean Sibelius This meetinghouse, A place of love and gladness. Where all may meet to seek the common good. A source of strength, to face each doubt and sadness. Where every dream, is known and understood. This meetinghouse, ask those who came before, And found themselves, by crossing through its door. Joys and Concerns Musical Interlude Offering Hartford Deportation Defense says, "we are an immigrant organization in Hartford, CT, working alongside our neighbors to build a just and dignified future for our families and communities in the Hartford region." They engage in a variety of activities in support of immigrants, including fundraising (especially for people facing health emergencies), providing resources for families with a loved-one in detention, working with immigration attorneys, rapid response, accompaniment to hearings and legislative advocacy. Offering Music "Song for the Seeds" by Humbird Sermon "This Land" Rev. Josh Pawelek Closing Hymn "Keepers of the Earth" by Joyce Poley We are blessed by ev'ry river, Ev'ry river makes us whole. With its riches and its beauty, Ev'ry river feeds our soul. And we are called as keepers of the earth, We are called to speak its sacred worth. For our children and our children's children, We are called as keepers of the earth. We are blessed by ev'ry mountain, Ev'ry mountain makes us whole. With its riches and its beauty, Ev'ry mountain feeds our soul. And we are called as keepers of the earth, We are called to speak its sacred worth. For our children and our children's children, We are called as keepers of the earth. We are blessed by ev'ry forest, Ev'ry forest makes us whole. With its riches and its beauty, Ev'ry forest feeds our soul. And we are called as keepers of the earth, We are called to speak its sacred worth. For our children and our children's children, We are called as keepers of the earth. We are blessed by ev'ry ocean, Ev'ry ocean makes us whole. With its riches and its beauty, Ev'ry ocean feeds our soul. And we are called as keepers of the earth, We are called to speak its sacred worth. For our children and our children's children, We are called as keepers of the earth. Extinguishing the Chalice Closing Circle May faith in the spirit of life And hope for the community of earth And love of the light in each other Be ours now, and in all the days to come.

Gathering Music Welcome Centering Prelude Chalice Lighting and Opening Words "The Door Swung Wide" by Rev. Scott Tayler We light this flame in a world where so much has grown dark. May it remind us that sparks can always be struck, and very little is inevitable. Most of it is mystery and magnificent surprise. Which means new and yet-to-be imagined worlds always await. Which means a door has already swung wide, with possibility waiting on the threshold ready to pull us through. Opening Hymn "All Possibility" Chant by Kit performed by members of the Women's Sacred Singing Circle All possibility. All possibility. Is in you, Is in you. Is in me, Is in me. Time for All Ages "Answer Mountain" adapted from a story by Sarah E. Skwire Musical Interlude #1057 "Go Lifted Up" Mary Bopp, piano Announcements Joys and Concerns Musical Interlude Reading "Imaginary Conversation" by Linda Pastan You tell me to live each day as if it were my last. This is the kitchen where before coffee I complain of the day ahead--that obstacle race of minutes and hours, grocery stores and doctors. But why the last? I ask. Why not live each day as if it were the first-- all raw astonishment, Eve rubbing her eyes awake that first morning, the sun comung up like an ingenue in the east? You grind the coffee with the small roar of a mind trying to clear itself. I set the table, glance out the window where dew has baptized every living surface. Offering Offering Music "Closer to Fine" by the Indigo Girls Jenn Richard, guitar and vocals Reflection 1 - Ellen Williams Musical Response "Flowers Are Red" by Harry Chapin Reflection 2 - Stacey Musulin Closing Hymn #95 "There Is More Love Somwhere" (adapted words below) There is more hope somewhere. There is more hope somewhere. I'm gonna keep on 'til I find it. There is more hope somewhere. There is more choice somewhere. There is more choice somewhere. I'm gonna keep on 'til I find it. There is more choice somewhere. There is more truth somewhere. There is more truth somewhere. I'm gonna keep on 'til I find it. There is more truth somewhere. There are more paths somewhere. There are more paths somewhere. I'm gonna keep on 'til I find them. There are more paths somewhere. There is more strength somewhere. There is more strength somewhere. I'm gonna keep on 'til I find them. There is more strength somewhere. (Repeat final line) There is more Hope... There is more Choice... There is more Truth... There are more Paths... There is more Strength... There is more Love somewhere. Extinguishing the Chalice and Closing Words The flame in our hearts never ceases burning. Closing Circle May faith in the spirit of life And hope for the community of earth And love of the light in each other Be ours now, and in all the days to come.

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

Gathering Music (Mary Bopp) Welcome and Announcements (Rev. Josh Pawelek) Centering Prelude "Improvisation I" Kristen Dockendorff Chalice Lighting and Opening Words excerpt from Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer Opening Song "What a Wonderful World" Bob Thiele and George David Weiss I see trees of green Red roses too I see them bloom For me and you And I think to myself What a wonderful world. I see skies of blue And clouds of white The bright blessed day The dark sacred night And I think to myself What a wonderful world. The colors of the rainbow So pretty in the sky Are also on the faces Of people going by I see friends shaking hands Saying, "How do you do?" They're really saying I love you. I hear babies cry I watch them grow They'll learn much more Than I'll ever know And I think to myself What a wonderful world Yes, I think to myself What a wonderful world Ooh, yes. Time For All Ages Musical Meditation Joys and Concerns Responsorial Song "Prayer for Connection" Words by Cyndi Krupa Music by Mary Bopp May peace, light and love Infuse all living beings With a feeling of connection And knowing we are one. Offering The recipient of our April Community Outreach offering is the Inter-Religious Eco-Justice Network, or IREJN, Connecticut's only faith-based environmental non-profit organization. Their mission is to inspire and equip Connecticut's religious communities and their spiritual allies to protect our planet through education, engagement, and advocacy. Offering Music "Improvisation II" Kristen Dockendorff Song "Grace for Pollinators" By Nancy Schimmel, arr. by Joyse Gilbrick For this our food we thank the bees That pollinate the flowers. We thank the moths that do the same In the evening hours. We thank the birds and butterflies In ev'ry habitat. And when we eat bananas We sing to thank the bat. We all are links upon a chain, The eater and the fruit, The light upon the busy leaf, The water at the root. We join our hands together when Another day is done. We praise the winged workers And feed upon the sun. Sermon Grace for Everything Rev. Josh Pawelek Closing Song #163 "For the Earth Forever Turning" Words by Kim Oler, music by Nick Page For the earth forever turning; for the skies, for ev'ry 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 bluegreen hills of earth. Extinguishing the Chalice Closing Circle May faith in the spirit of life And hope for the community of earth And love of the light in each other Be ours now, and in all the days to come.

Gathering Music Welcome Centering Prelude "The Word" Music & Lyrics by John Lennon & Paul McCartney Performed by Sandy Johnson & Dan Thompson Chalice Lighting and Opening Words "Morning Blessings of the Celtic Dawn" Written by Dee Hennessy, as published on Insight Timer Opening Hymn #298 "Wake, Now, My Senses" Words by Thomas J.S. Mikelson, Traditional Irish Melody Mary Bopp, piano (1st 4 verses) 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; God's love embraces the whole human race. Introduction to the Service - Liz Garmise Time For All Ages A Performance of Magic By Eliot Garcia of the UUSE Junior Youth Group Hymn #1057 "Go Lifted Up" Words & Music by Mortimer Barron (repeat 2x) Go lifted up, Love bless your way, moonlight, starlight guide your journey into peace and the brightness of day. Announcements Joys and Concerns Musical Interlude Offering The recipient of our community outreach offering for the month of April is the Inter-religious Ecojustice Network, whose mission is to insprie and equip Connecticut's religious communities and their spiritual allies to protect our planet through education, engagement, and advocacy. Offering Music "Anticipation" Music & Lyrics by Carly Simon Performed by Sandy Johnson & Dan Thompson Poetry Reading "Crocus/Spring Equinox" Written and read by Sudha Sevin Poetry Reading "Spring Parade" Written and read by Coryn Clark Homily - Liz Garmise Closing Hymn #108 "My Life Flows On In Endless Song" Words - Early Quaker Song, Music: American Gospel Tune Mary Bopp, piano (1st 2 verses only) 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 through 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! 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 Centering Prelude "Earth Blessing" by Helen Yeomans UUSE Choir Vera Elzerman, percussion Chalice Lighting and Opening Words "Alleluia!" by the Rev. Jeanne Lloyd Opening Hymn "Morning Has Broken" Words by Eleanor Farjeon Music: 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 pas s. 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! Time for All Ages "Seed Blessing" Joys and Concerns Musical Response Offering The recipient of our April Community Outreach offering is the Inter-Religious Eco-Justice Network, or IREJN, Connecticut's only faith-based environmental non-profit organization. Their mission is to inspire and equip Connecticut's religious communities and their spiritual allies to protect our planet through education, engagement, and advocacy. Offering Music "Slavonic Dance op. 46, no. 8" by Antonin Dvorak Dorothy Bognar and Mary Bopp, pianos Music "Agnus Dei" by Eugene Butler UUSE Choir Music "Let There Be Music" by Joel Raney UUSE Choir Homily "Let There Be Music" Rev. Josh Pawelek Closing Hymn "Lo, the Day of Days is Here" Words by Frederick Lucian Hosmer Music by Robert Williams Lo, the day of days is here, Alleluia! Festival of hope and cheer! Alleluia! At the south wind's genial breath -- Alleluia! Nature wakes from seeming death, Alleluia! Fields are smiling in the sun, Alleluia! Loosened streamlets seaward run, Alleluia! Tender blade and leaf appear; Alleluia! 'Tis the spring-tide of the year, Alleluia! Lo, the Eastertide is here, Alleluia! Music thrills the atmosphere. Alleluia! Join, you people all, and sing -- Alleluia! Love and praise and thanksgiving, Alleluia! Closing Music "Welcome Spring" by Andy Beck UUSE Choir 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.

Note: Rev. Pawelek began this sermon by teaching the song “Holy and Divine” by Lindasusan Ulrich, to the congregation. This song was inspired by the words of Rev. JeKaren Olaoya and is dedicated to the trans/nonbinary community. The words are very simple:   Lean in, I love you. / Once again, I love you. / Now and always, I love you. / Your lives are holy and divine.            At the 2024 Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) General Assembly in Pittsburgh, delegates debated a resolution entitled “ Affirming Transgender, Nonbinary, Intersex and Gender Diverse People is a Fundamental Expression of UU Religious Values .” [1]  The resolution passed with nearly 92% of the vote. During the debate, Rev. JeKaren Olaoya, then a member of the UUA board of trustees, came to the pro mic to speak in favor of the resolution. She was angry. People at the con mic had been questioning the validity of the resolution in a variety of ways. The debate was becoming more and more painful to transgender and nonbinary people who were present. When it was her turn to speak, she said: “To my trans, nonbinary, intersex or gender diverse beloveds, lean in…. I love you, I love you, I love you. Please do not leave this space without feeling my love and the love of others who see you as divine. I love you, you are divine. I love you, you are holy.… I love you, you are worthy of being whoever you need to be to survive and thrive in this world. I love you.” [2]   Rev. Lindasusan Ulrich, who lives in Connecticut and is, among other things, a wonderful songwriter, wrote “Holy and Divine” in response to Rev. Olaoya’s words. The song appears in the UUA’s new online hymnal, Sing Out Love. [3] This Tuesday is Transgender Day of Visibility. From the GLAAD Website: “Each year on March 31, the world observes Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) to raise awareness about transgender people. It is a day to celebrate the lives and contributions of trans people, while also drawing attention to the disproportionate levels of poverty, discrimination, and violence the community faces compared to cisgender people. International TDOV was created in 2010 by trans advocate Rachel Crandall … the head of Transgender Michigan … in response to the overwhelming majority of media stories about transgender people being focused on violence. She hoped to create a day where people could celebrate the lives of transgender people, while simultaneously acknowledging that due to discrimination, not every trans person can or wants to be visible.” [4] There are many reasons why it is important to me to lift up Transgender Day of Visibility in a Sunday service here at UUSE—and to anticipate lifting it up in some way every year around March 31 st . The first reason is personal. While it’s safe to assume there have always been trans people within the Unitarian Universalist ministry, for most of our history they have been closeted. But when I was in seminary in the mid-1990s, I had peers seeking to become UU ministers who were fully out and visible as trans. This had never happened before in our denomination. The process was enormously difficult for them. They faced not only misunderstanding, but blatant discrimination. Not all of them succeeded. I learned from them. Their clarity, courage and persistence impacted me very deeply. In relationship with trans seminarians, I started understanding that they weren’t somehow flawed, confused or mentally ill (which is, honestly, what many people thought). They were simply  human beings trying to live authentically. In the words of the 2024 UUA resolution affirming trans people, they were “a beautiful and divine manifestation of humanity.” [5]  The flaw lay in society’s rigid and, I add, unholy gender binary, which puts everyone into gender boxes—male and female, pink and blue, men are assertive, women are nurturing, boys don’t cry, a good girl wouldn’t raise her voice, etc.—then sanctions and punishes those who dare to live outside the boxes in some way. I want to lift up the name of Laurie Jean Auffant, the first out trans minister to be called to a Unitarian Universalist congregation. Before that call, she served our congregation in Storrs for a few years—the same years I was serving our congregation in Norwich. Some of you may remember her. She was one of my closest colleagues in the early years of my ministry. In 2004 I was invited to serve as an ally-member on the original board of TRUUsT , Transgender Religious Professional Unitarian Universalists Together, [6]  which I did for a few years. I’m not sure how helpful I was as a board member, but I certainly continued to learn. I said it then, and I continue to say it now: the gift we all receive from transgender, nonbinary, intersex and gender diverse people is their implicit and sometimes explicit challenge to social norms and constructs that have immense power over all of us, but aren’t entirely true. It’s a falsehood to say there are only two genders. People who know in their hearts, their bones, their souls that they don’t fit within the rigid gender binary, that it is toxic to their mental and physical health to attempt to do so, and therefore find a way to live beyond it, choose to break free from it in some way, choose to play with it, have fun with it, delight in it, find joy in it—such people show the rest of us what it means to say yes  to authenticity in any part of our lives regardless of social norms. They show the rest of us what it means to say yes  to the still small voice within regarding any challenging questions we may face. They show the rest of us what it means to say yes  to spirit however it may be unfolding within us, speaking to us, guiding us—spirit which, by its very nature, is transgressive, crosses lines, and, like the wind, blows where it chooses. I remain grateful to my transgender colleagues from those years for their persistent yes to the life that wanted to live in them. I take to heart  the words of the 2024 General Assembly resolution affirming trans people, “we proclaim that our [Unitarian Universalist] principles and values unequivocally commit our faith to honor and celebrate the full spectrum of gender identity and expression.” The Second reason I want to lift up Transgender Day of Visibility is that transgender people are under immense pressure to get back in the box, which is putting it politely. I want to draw your attention to the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention and Human Security . Lemkin is a US-based, international non-profit founded to fill gaps “in the global prevention protocols.” They began their work in Iraq ten years ago. They say “We built the Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention to be responsive and flexible, transparent and judicious, nonpartisan and vocal. We believe that peoples in crisis need immediate action and direct support, even when the international community has its head in the sand.” [7]  While they track and report on active genocides across the planet, they also issue red flag alerts to highlight situations that could become genocidal if left unchecked. Two weeks ago, on March 11 th , they issued their third red flag alert for the transgender population in the United States. In this most recent report, they argue that “the Republican Party’s anti-trans agenda has radicalized and continued to intensify. 2025 was the sixth consecutive record-breaking year for the number of anti-trans bills considered across the country…. Between 2021 and 2025, the number of bills in consideration has increased by 668 percent. The Administration has moved from identifying transgender people as a threat to the family and to the nation’s military prowess to claiming that transgender people constitute a cosmic threat to the spiritual health of the nation and the greatest direct threat to U.S. national security in the world. Given these ideological developments, especially coupled with the increasingly hostile and draconian legislation against trans identities, the Lemkin Institute believes that the United States is squarely within the early to middle stages of a genocidal process against trans people, the goal of which is to completely erase transgender people not only from public life but also from existence in the U.S. and globally.” [8]   I think for most of us, including me, despite having some sense of how horrendous life is becoming for transgender people in the US, it doesn’t feel possible that we’re witnessing signs of a potential genocide. The report lays it out in great detail, describing the content of recent laws from Indiana and Kansas. I urge you to read it. I’ll also note that when I asked trans and nonbinary people at UUSE to share their reflections, people sitting here expressed fear of being too public with their identity, even in Connecticut. One person wrote: “I'm very concerned about legislation designed to dehumanize us, other us, erase us. It makes things hard for us to live our lives authentically and safely.” And, although transgender people are facing the most immediate threats, the net is wide, and these attempts to lock in the rigid gender binary also have implications for the social, legal and political rights of gay and lesbian people. They have implications for women, which we’ve already seen in the assaults on reproductive rights and reproductive justice in the United States. They have implications for religious organizations, like us, who contend that all people have inherent dignity and worthiness, including transgender, nonbinary, intersex and gender diverse people. The implications are far-reaching. And we will respond. The 2024 General Assembly resolution calls on all UU congregations, leaders and members to consider a variety of actions which include:   • “Condemning all anti-transgender legislation, demanding the repeal of anti-transgender laws, and working to block additional such bills.”  • “Partnering with local and state organizations led by transgender, nonbinary, and intersex people to advocate for their needs and interests;” • “Supporting organizations that help people relocate or access health care including across state lines, such as the Pink Haven Coalition.” I spoke about this relocation work in February. In coalition with other congregations across the state, we are slowly building up the infrastructure to support trans people, or families with trans members, who are relocating to New England. Some of you have already signed up to join these efforts when the time comes. If you haven’t signed up, please feel free to reach out to me for more information, or visit Monica from the Social Justice Anti-Oppression Committee in the lobby following the service. There are other actions listed in the 2024 resolution, but I want to highlight one more: • “Participating in the Welcoming Congregation renewal program.” We are a UUA Welcoming Congregation. We gained this status in 1999 after a period of education about how to welcome and empower gay, lesbian and bisexual people. We always included transgender in the list of initials—LGBT—but the program didn’t explore transgender identity very deeply in the 1990s. Although we’ve talked about it a lot, we’ve never sought to renew our status as a Welcoming Congregation. Until now! Our Denominational Affairs chair, Desiree Holian Borgnis, brought the idea of renewal to the Program Council last fall, and the Program Committees are committed to leading us as a congregation through the renewal process. You’ll start to notice a variety of programs and events related to this effort, like our showing of the Imara Jones Ware lecture this coming Tuesday. In addition to Transgender Day of Visibility and Transgender Day of Remembrance, we’ll find ways to lift up a variety of important LGBTQIA observances and celebrations throughout the year, like National Coming Out Day, World AIDS Day, Pulse Night of Remembrance and the Stonewall Riots Anniversary. I didn’t know this, but there’s a national Lesbian Visibility Day in April. I think we need to celebrate! A lot has changed since 1999. We have a lot to learn. I’m really looking forward to it. There’s a lot at stake. March 31 is Trans Day of Visibility, and visibility is not easy for trans people these days. Nevertheless, I’ll leave you with words from Mike Baxter, a transgender member of our congregation. When I asked what gives him hope, he said, “The trans community is very vibrant and resilient, made of beautiful, strong people who care about their community and want to make a difference.” I couldn’t agree more. Holy and divine. Amen and blessed be. [1]  Read the full text of the resolution at https://www.uua.org/files/2024-06/ga2024_bus_res_amend_06092024.pdf . [2] McArdle, Elaine, “Video: After Her Viral GA Moment, Rev. JeKaren Olaoya Has More to Say About Love,” UU World , November 11, 2024. See: https://www.uuworld.org/articles/rev-jekaren-olaoya-video-general-assembly-trans-nonbinary-intersex#:~:text=When%20Rev . [3]  Learn more about Sing Out Love at https://www.singoutlove.org/ . [4]  “March 31 st  is Trans Day of Visibility.” Learn more at https://glaad.org/tdov/ . The Human Rights Campaign also shares excellent background and resources on TDOV at https://www.hrc.org/campaigns/international-transgender-day-of-visibility . [5]  Read the full text of the resolution at https://www.uua.org/files/2024-06/ga2024_bus_res_amend_06092024.pdf . [6]  Learn more about TRUUsT at https://transuu.org/about/ . [7]  Learn more about the Lemkin Institute at https://www.lemkininstitute.com/about-lemkin-institute . [8]  Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention and Human Security, “Red Flag Alert - Anti-Trans Genocide in the USA - #3” March 11, 2026. Read the full report at: https://www.lemkininstitute.com/red-flag-alerts/red-flag-alert---anti-trans-genocide-in-the-usa---%233 .

Gathering Music (Mary Bopp) Welcome and Announcements (Rev. Josh Pawelek) Centering Prelude "How Could Anyone?" by Libby Roderick Mary Bopp, piano Chalice Lighting and Opening Words "Blessing for Kin" by Sean Parker Dennison Opening Hymn "I Will Change Your Name" by D. J. Butler I will change your name You shall no longer be called Wounded, outcast Lonely or afraid. I will change your name Your new name shall be Confidence, joyfulness Overcoming one Faithfulness, friend of God One who seeks my face. Time for All Ages "Julian Is a Mermaid" Story and Illustrations by Jessica Love Musical Interlude Joys and Concerns Musical Meditation Offering The recipient of our community outreach offering is the CT Alliance to End Sexual Violence. Their mission is to create communities free of sexual violence and to provide culturally affirming, trauma-informed advocacy, prevention, and intervention services centered on the voices of survivors. Offering Music "Singing For Our Lives" by Holly Near, arr. by Mary Bopp Sermon "Holy and Divine: A Sermon of Honor of Transgender Day of Visibility" Rev. Josh Pawelek "Holy & Divine" by Lindasusan Ulrich Inspired by the words of Rev. JeKaren Bell & Dedicated to the trans/nonbinary community Lean in, I love you. Once again, I love you. Now and always, I love you. Your lives are holy and divine. Closing Song "How Could Anyone?" by Libby Roderick How could anyone ever tell you you were anything less than beautiful? How could anyone ever tell you you were less than whole? How could anyone fail to notice that your loving is a miracle? How deeply you're connected to my soul. Extinguishing the Chalice The flame in our hearts never ceases burning. Closing Circle May faith in the spirit of life And hope for the community of earth And love of the light in each other Be ours now, and in all the days to come. From Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders: Each year on March 31, the world observes Transgender Day of Visibility (TDOV) to raise awareness about transgender people. It is a day to celebrate the lives and contributions of trans people, while also drawing attention to the disproportionate levels of poverty, discrimination, and violence the community faces compared to cisgender (non-transgender) people. International TDOV was created in 2010 by trans advocate Rachel Crandall. Crandall, the head of Transgender Michigan, created TDOV in response to the overwhelming majority of media stories about transgender people being focused on violence. She hoped to create a day where people could celebrate the lives of transgender people, while simultaneously acknowledging that due to discrimination, not every trans person can or wants to be visible.

Prelude "A Beach Named Ferry" by John Packard performed by Jenn Richard Chalice Lighting #448 by Christine Robinson We gather this hour as people of faith With joys and sorrows, gifts and needs. We light this beacon of hope, sign of our quest for truth and meaning, in celebration of the life we share together. Welcome and Call to Worship Introduction to the Service - Nancy Madar Hymn #346 "Come Sing a Song With Me" Words & music: 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. 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, walk in rain with me ... Come, share a rose with me... Time For All Ages "All God's Critters Got a Place In the Choir" by Bill Staines Announcements A Time for Sharing: Introductions, Joys and Concerns "The Beginning" - Louisa Graver Offertory The recipient of our community outreach offering for the month of March is the CT Alliance to End Sexual Violence. Their mission is to create communities free of sexual violence and to provide culturally affirming, trauma-informed advocacy, prevention, and intervention services centered on the voices of survivors. Offertory Music "A Song for Judith" by Judy Collins performed by Jenn Richard Memories - Nancy Madar Reflections - Tracey Jackson RE Week - Emmy Galbraith Hymn #118 "This Little Light of Mine" Words & music: African American spiritual This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine. Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine. Ev'ry where I go ... Building up a world ... Extinguishing the Chalice #456 We extinguish this flame but not the light of truth, the warmth of community, or the fire of commitment. These we carry in our hearts until we are together again. "The flame in our hearts never ceases burning" Closing Circle May faith in the spirit of life And hope for the community of earth And love of the light in each other Be ours now, and in all the days to come.