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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.

Gathering Music     Welcome & Announcements   Centering   Prelude:   “Simple Gifts Meditation” Trad. Shaker hymn, arr. by Mary Bopp   Chalice Lighting and Opening Words From “Benediction” by Bernadette Miller   Introducing the Service   Opening the Quarters     Opening Hymn   # 361  “Enter, Rejoice and Come In” by Louise Ruspini Enter, rejoice, and come in. Enter, rejoice, and come in. Today will be a joyful day; enter, rejoice, and come in. Open your ears to the song ... Open your hearts ev'ryone ... Don't be afraid of some change ... Enter, rejoice, and come in ...   Welcoming Visitors, 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 July will be shared with MACC Food Pantry (Manchester), Hockanum Valley Food Pantry (Vernon) and CT Mutual Aid East of the River Food Pantry (East Hartford).   Offering Music “Ordinary Miracles” by Mary Bopp   Reading “Messenger” by Mary Oliver   First Reflection: “Reflections on Solstice” (Ellen Williams)   Second Reflection: “Living Simply Amidst Chaos” (Vivian Carlson)   Closing the Quarters   Closing Hymn #16   “Tis a Gift to be Simple” by Joseph Bracket, American Shaker tune '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.   Closing Words  “Choose to Bless the World”  by Rev. Dr. Rebecca Parker   Extinguishing the Chalice   Closing Circle May faith in the spirit of life And hope for the community of earth And love of the light in each other Be ours now, and in all the days to come.

Gathering Music (Mary Bopp)   Welcome & Announcements (Stacey Musulin)   Centering (Martha Larson)   Prelude                                              “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free” Music by Billy Taylor, Lyrics by Billy Taylor & Dick Dallas Vocals: Melissa Paul-Perez Drums: Bob Janes  Piano: Mary Bopp   Introduction to the Service     Chalice Lighting & Opening Words                        "Beacon of Freedom" by Tracy Johnson   We kindle our chalice flame this morning Awakening the fire of our ancestors in our hearts. Beacon of freedom held out to light the way Light of reason illuminating the path Spark of courage igniting our Spirits Aglow with hope for all we endeavor to do together Holy flame of times past, brighten this present moment That we may be the Love that is our center and our foundation, both. Blessed be.   Opening Hymn                                 “I’m On My Way” #116 Words & Music: Traditional African American folk Arranged by Mary Allen Walden Hymn Leader: Melissa Paul-Perez  I’m on my way to the freedom land I’m on my way to the freedom land I’m on my way to the freedom land I’m on my way, great God, I’m on my way.   I asked my sister, come and go with me. I asked my sister, come and go with me. I asked my sister, come and go with me. I’m on my way, great God, I’m on my way.   I asked my brother, come and go with me. I asked my brother, come and go with me. I asked my brother, come and go with me. I’m on my way, great God, I’m on my way.   If they say no, I’ll go anyhow. If they say no, I’ll go anyhow. If they say no, I’ll go anyhow. I’m on my way, great God, I’m on my way.   I’m on my way, and I won’t turn back. I’m on my way, and I won’t turn back. I’m on my way, and I won’t turn back. I’m on my way, great God, I’m on my way.   Time for All Ages                            "Under the Quilt of Night" By Deborah Hopkinson Illustrated by James D. Ransome     Welcoming Visitors and Joys & Concerns   Musical Response                            Prayer                                                             Prayer for Juneteenth                                                         By Addae Ama Kraba   Creator of All, As believers in justice, Woven into a single garment of life. Making us one with the human family, Let us rejoice for those who safely passed through the shades of night towards the daylight of freedom. Spirit of all possibilities, may we be blessed with true freedom, Free of all oppressions. Spirit of hope, With grateful hearts We lift our voices in shared solidarity, Holding each other safe In the fire of justice and the light of love. Amen/Blessed Be   Offering Continuing our practice of sharing our gifts with the community beyond our walls, fifty percent of our undesignated Sunday plate collections during the month of June will be shared with Trans Voices and Visibility (TV-365). TV-365 is a ministry of the Metropolitan Community Church in Hartford, dedicated to uplifting and supporting the well-being of transgender individuals in Connecticut by providing basic human needs, information and referral, service coordination and support to individuals. This ministry also works to support and collaborate with relevant support groups and service providers. The emphasis is on those most underserved, neglected, victimized and oppressed, which includes, but is not limited to, transgender women and men of color, those with disabilities, youth and elderly, immigrants (documented and undocumented), low income and victims of crime.   Offering Music “Meditation On Lift Every Voice and Sing” By Mary Bopp on piano     Sermon "What Does YOUR Quilt Say?" Stacey Musulin                                                 Closing Hymn                                "Circle 'Round for Freedom" Words and Music by Linda Hirschhorn   Circle ‘round for freedom, Circle ‘round for peace, For all of us imprisoned, Circle for release.   Circle for the planet, Circle for each soul, For the children of our children, Keep the circle whole.   Chalice Extinguishing                   "The Limits of Tyrants" #579 By Frederick Douglass   Those who profess to favor freedom, and yet deprecate agitation, are people who want crops without plowing up the ground.   They want rain without thunder and lightning; they want the ocean without the awful roar of its waters.   This struggle may be a moral one; or it may be both moral and physical, but it must be a struggle.   Power concedes nothing without a demand; it never did and it never will.   Find out what people will submit to, and you have found out the exact amount of injustice which will be imposed on them.   The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress.   Closing Words                                 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.

GA 2025 Sunday Morning Order of Service June 22, 2025 “Revolution Begins with a Dream” Ingathering Songs led by Natasha Steinmacher and Rev. Verdis LeVar Robinson, GA Band - Carl Kennedy - leader/piano, Joshua Long - guitar, Delorean Fullington - bass, Keith Butler, Jr.- drums Morning Has Broken by Eleanor Farjean Rising Green by Carolyn McDade Down By The Riverside African American Spiritual Centering Music I Feel Your Spirit by Sheri Jones–Moffett and Daniel Moore arr. Rev. Verdis LeVar Robinson GA Choir, GA Band, Dr. Jolie Rocke - soloist Calling the Ancestors & Invocation Rev. Connie Simon Chalice Lighting Rev. Dr. Omega Burckhardt, Rev. Connie Simon, Rev. Chris Jimmerson Opening Hymn Gather the Spirit by Jim Scott Rev. Verdis LeVar Robinson, Natasha Steinmacher Time for All Ages/Story “Living Our Values to Meet the Moment” written and told by Julie Rigano Offering South Baltimore Community Land Trust Offertory Love is the Most Excellent Way by JoyAnne Amani Richardson GA Choir, Carl Kennedy Prayer Rev. Dr. Omega Burckhardt Musical Response I Choose Love by Mark Miller GA Choir, Carl Kennedy, Allison Charette - soloist Message “Revolution Began with a Dream” Rev. Dr. Nicole Kirk Musical Interlude We Are by Dr. Ysaye M. Barnwell Natasha Steinmacher, GA Choir, GA Band Message “Revolution Begins with a Dream” Rev. Dr. Nicole Kirk Closing Anthem All Around by Curt Coffield, Israel Houghton, and Aaron Lindsey arr. Rev. Verdis LeVar Robinson, GA Choir, GA Band, Sarah Vinolus - soloist Charge to the Descendants (includes releasing ancestors) Rev. Dr. Nicole Kirk, Rev. Connie Simon, Rev. Dr. Omega Burckhardt Musical Blessing Higher Ground by Stevie Wonder soloist - Dr. Jolie Rocke, GA Choir, GA Band

Welcome (Emmy Galbraith) Announcements (Rev. Josh Pawelek) Centering Prelude "Fifth Sonata" Antonio Vivaldi Elliot Vadas, cello Chalice Lighting and Opening Words "Your Children" By Kahlil Gibran Opening Hymn #123 "Spirit of Life" By Carolyn McDade Spirit of Life, come unto me. Sing in my heart all the stirrings of compassion. Blow in the wind, rise in the sea; move in the hand, giving life the shape of justice. Roots hold me close; wings set me free. Spirit of life, come to me, come to me. Reflection Slideshow Joys & Concerns Musical Meditation Offering Trans Voices and Visibility-365 (TV-365) is a ministry of the Metropolitan Community Church in Hartford, dedicated to uplifting and supporting the well-being of transgender individuals in Connecticut by providing basic human needs, information and referral, service coordination and support to individuals. This ministry also works to support and collaborate with relevant support groups and service providers. Our emphasis is on those most underserved, neglected, victimized and oppressed. This includes, but is not limited to, transgender women and men of color, those with disabilities, youth and elderly, immigrants (documented and undocumented), low income and victims of crime. Offering Music "Cats in the Cradle" By Harry Chapin Will Alexson, guitar and vocals Recognition & Gratitude Musical Interlude Bridging Distinguished Youth Service Award Words from the Minister Closing Hymn #65 "The Sweet June Days" Words by Samuel Longfellow Music, traditional English Melody The sweet June days are come again; once more the glad earth yields its golden wealth of rip'ning grain, and breath of clover fields, and deep'ning shade of summer woods, and glow of summer air, and winging thoughts and happy moods of love and joy and prayer. The sweet June days are come again; the birds are on the wing; bright anthems, in their merry strain, unconsciously they sing. Oh, how our cup o'er brims with good these happy summer days; for all the joys of field and wood we lift our song of praise. Extinguishing the Chalice Closing Circle May faith in the spirit of life And hope for the community of earth And love of the light in each other Be ours now, and in all the days to come.

Nadia Sims is the Poet Laureate for the Town of Manchester. Currently, the poet is focused on spreading her message of grace across CT, NY, and MA. The Princeton graduate is the proud author of "A Soft Place to Land," "We Know the Dark" and her newly released collection "Apostle, Interrupted" . Her spoken word album, "The Weight of Grace," is available here , here and here and pretty much everywhere else. Nadia Sims   “A Poet’s Purpose” ©Nadia Sims, 2025   To listen and translate The murmurings of life To catch darkness’ secrets And find the wound To not just hear the wind at the tops Of the trees, but to interpret God’s whisper To witness rage and terror and call them Twins by blood and name To hear the laughter of a baby And liken it to the birth of joy To not just see the silver lining But to sew tapestries with it that bind The world to a common understanding To give pain meaning To give love a fighting chance and Hope good soil to grow To say: You were seen And never created in vain   “Boxes” ©Nadia Sims, 2025   In the census of life, Poverty was the first box I ever checked See, I didn’t know I was broke Until the Scholastic Book Fair Came in the first grade and I Had just enough money to window shop Books are a luxury when you’re scraping Pennies together for milk I lived in that box of rice, beans, government cheese, Boiled water for baths and lights that never stayed On for a while – but true darkness didn’t come until My stepfather called gays an abomination And I found myself in a closet – not because I was sure of my sexuality, but because being questionable wasn’t safe in that space – there were already so many things to hate about me in that place – I was already fat, lazy and not his child, I wasn’t Going to give him something else to hate to my face So, I hid behind grades and a grin that said Everything was great on my face I didn’t know what it meant to be Black Until I went to a university where everyone else wasn’t And worked 3 jobs to live and still left with debt Worked twice as hard because I knew half as much and all I could depend on was myself A two for one – poor and Black, both boxes checked   And then I found out my body was in danger of being labeled There are just too many things that I’m not physically able How can I go about the business of a woman’s work When the parts that make me a woman don’t really work? When diabetes doesn’t want me to win? And I’m half a donut away from needing insulin? Single, barren, diabetic – check, check, check Queer, Black woman – check and double check Well, at least I’m American I was born here, right? Even with all my checkboxes, I still have some rights And maybe if I live quietly, I can hide in plain sight Except I can’t Because boxes become targets My stepfather taught me that – That boxes become topics And labels you can’t take back Become headlines and catchphrases Become the names on t-shirts And loud cries asking why And hashtags And cautionary tales And Hollywood films where checkboxes die And the actors who play them win awards While we hold the picket lines And swap out signs to keep up with today’s crisis Like due process and corruption and is it safe to be where Ice is   It wasn’t until recently that I realized I was broken And rapidly breaking from my fears unspoken That there are too many boxes Too many marks against me That there’s no safe place to hide No safe way to be me And that’s no way to live In the land of the free     “Checking Boxes” Rev. Josh Pawelek [To Nadia:] Thank you for this poem. And thank you for your next poem, which I had an opportunity to read a few weeks ago when you wrote it, and all I could say was “wow!” Thank you for being here this morning and sharing some truths about yourself. Thank you for your vulnerability. Thank you for your witness. Thank you for coming here with the poet’s purpose in your heart, mind and soul which you begin to describe in your poem, “A Poet’s Purpose,” as listening and translating the murmurings of life, catching darkness’ secrets, finding the wound, and not just hearing the wind at the tops of the trees, but interpreting God’s whisper.   [To the congregation:] Our ministry theme for June is freedom . In early May Nadia and I had a conversation about freedom and how we might explore it together on a Sunday morning in this space. We landed on boxes. Whether we like it or not, we Americans are a box-checking people. Nadia refers to the census of life. I’m mindful that every decade when the United States census comes around, we check off boxes on the form. We check a box to indicate our financial relationship to our home (owned by you or someone in this household with a mortgage or loan? Owned by you or someone in this household free and clear (without a mortgage or loan)? Rented? Occupied without payment of rent?). We check a box to indicate our sex (male or female are the only options if I remember correctly). We check a box to indicate whether we are of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin. And we check a box to indicate our race. I’ll just say, in my view, given the wide variety of choices and the way they are listed on the page, there’s some profound confusion at the Census Bureau about what race actually is (though that’s a message for a different Sunday). My point is we are invited, asked, expected, required to identify pieces of ourselves by checking boxes. In doing so we, often very innocently, box ourselves in. It's not just government agencies, and all the other form-using entities with which we interact—health care providers and insurance companies being perhaps the most prominent deployers of forms to gather data. It’s the census of life. We box each other in, often out of ignorance or our own insecurities. We box ourselves in, sometimes without realizing we’re doing it, sometimes very intentionally, to stay safe, to survive. Nadia speaks about the way her step father boxed her in; and how in response, for safety, she boxed herself in further. Again, Nadia, thank you for this sharing, your vulnerability, your translations of life’s murmurs, your catching of darkness’ secrets. I haven’t written my own poem, my “Boxes” companion piece. I would like to. It would sound very different from Nadia’s, a reminder that some boxes confer privilege—even power—to those who can check them off. My poem might say something about remembering my parents purchasing their first home and filling the shelves around the fireplace with books from their college days. There would be a line in my poem about three square meals a day and those white powdered mini-donuts after-school snacks. There’d be a whole stanza on music lessons, little league baseball, and summer vacations on North Carolina’s Outer Banks; maybe another on our Unitarian Universalist congregation. My poem would veer into confession, would lift up my childhood assumption that everyone lives this way or close to it; would name, with some embarrassment—though I can handle it—that I was oblivious not only to the boxes others were checking, or the way oppression was boxing them in, but oblivious to the boxes I was checking—white, straight, middle-class, able-bodied, college bound—and oblivious to the truth those boxes and others were creating limits and boundaries, shaping and curtailing—dare I say colonizing—my life in subtly pernicious ways, even though I felt free, unbounded, unlimited. It is the land of the free after all. Isn’t that how we’re supposed to feel? My life was real and I wouldn’t trade it; but my poem would call that freedom-feeling an illusion, paid for with the back-breaking, exploited labor of people I would never know. My poem would invite contemplation and struggle. I was four years old when Fannie Lou Hamer took the stage at the National Women’s Political Caucus and uttered those immortal words, “Nobody’s free until everybody’s free.” That would be the struggle my poem invites. My poem might even end with that quote. My poem would end there, with an implicit, if not explicit, invitation to struggle for everyone’s freedom. And I would have to add a similar invitation to struggle for the earth’s freedom, because she too is boxed in. This would not be an invitation to struggle alone, of course, but to join with people who are already confronting, subverting and redesigning all the ways the census of life confers privilege and power on some and harms many others. I am mindful there are some boxes we might really want to check. I think that’s what Pride is all about. People check their gay, lesbian, bisexual, polyamorous, pansexual, transgender, gender non-conforming, gender-bending, gender fluid, intersex, 100% queer boxes in a big public way in June—out loud, proud, celebratory. This is who I am! This is who we are! We deserve and claim space in this society. We are Americans too! We are human beings too! Though it's not my identity, I have some sense of how freeing it is to check the Pride box in a moment when the federal government is doing everything it can to erase it. But ultimately, there’s something utterly inhuman about checking boxes, because each of us has pieces of ourselves that just don’t fit into the boxes we’re offered. Each of us, to quote Nadia, has pieces of ourselves that are questionable. Our lives are much more grey than black and white. Beauty, complexity, mystery and transformation reside in the grey spaces. But when we box ourselves in, we lose that. We lose all the unique, quirky, off-beat parts of ourselves that make us us. In the end, we need a practice of unchecking the boxes.             “Unchecked” ©Nadia Sims, 2025   When I turned 33, I asked God, “what did you make me?” He answered, “a beautiful misfit.” Said, “I never intended for you to be like anyone else – What your family never seemed to like What your friends couldn’t find a way to love I designed it on purpose I designed you on purpose   You are wild and weird and wired a little wrong How else would you break ceilings and switch lanes And defy gravity? You are loud, chaotic, and boisterous How else would you disrupt the norm and break strongholds? What is good about a messenger that cannot be heard?   You make mistakes. You stumble. You’re clumsy. How else would you learn empathy and fortitude? To keep walking through the wilderness? To not look down upon those who stumble too.   You love too hard. You give too much. How else would you learn grace? I made you to be in the world, not of it To not be so tied to boxes that you lived in a cage To not be so busy hiding behind a shield that you make it a barrier to living I designed you to experience rejection and heartbreak, Never to test you, Never to hurt you, But for you to show others that you can dance on broken legs, And sing with a broken heart You can mother with no womb And make life your canvas And you can be brave enough To tell the world how You are red with anger and there Are not enough words that don’t End in less - You are not hopeless Or helpless Or jobless Or loveless But it’s close And you listen to the blues enough To know you are blue It’s not quite depression But it’s close That tinge of anxiety Has colored your days With a purplish hue You rise royal and hold tight To your golden crown in a world That would prefer your brown Chin be down As you all come to the Realization that bootstraps Are green and there will Never be enough to go around For those of you living In greyscale The view is 4K HD but you’re still Afraid of telling the truth in Technicolor But you are emboldened In Black – unerasable and here to be witnessed For others to take For others to create Their own canvas of courage   I designed you to rise as the sun does And you do I designed you to soar like the eagles And you do I designed you to thunder and roar and rage And you do I would never put all of that sound and fury In a checkbox I designed you to endure, to outlast any shackles To move forward, to fight the grey And the grave And the extermination of your light I designed you to break every chain To live a life outside the boxes – Unchecked.”

Gathering Music (Mary Bopp) Welcome and Announcements (Rev. Josh Pawelek) Centering Prelude “The Poet Speaks”  by Robert Schumann Mary Bopp, piano Chalice Lighting and Opening Words "A Poet's Purpose" by Nadia Sims Opening Hymn #1002 “Comfort Me”  By Mimi Bornstein Comfort me, comfort me, comfort me, oh my soul. Comfort me, comfort me, comfort me, oh my soul. Sing with me, sing with me… Speak for me, speak for me… Dance with me, dance with me… Welcoming New Members Introductions (Membership Committee co-chairs) The Charge (Minister) As you take up membership in the Unitarian Universalist Society East, I charge you to share with us who you are. Share your creativity, your experiences, your questions, your doubts, your beliefs, and all your discoveries of life's meaning. I charge you to shake us up with your ideas, to stir us up with your conscience, to inspire us with your actions, and to stimulate our hopes with your dreams of what life can be. Congregational Welcome (Congregation) We welcome you as companions in the search for truth and meaning. We invite you to share in our mission of caring for one another, encouraging each other in spiritual growth, working for justice and peace in the wider community, and living in harmony with the earth. We join our gifts with yours, trusting in the power of community to bring freedom, healing, and love. New Member Affirmation (New members) We join the Unitarian Universalist Society East out of a desire and willingness to participate in a liberal religious congregation. We pledge to share our time, energy and gifts; to diligently seek our spiritual truths; and to strengthen the bonds of community.  Responsive Hymn “This Meeting House” words adapted from Eugene Sander by Josh Pawelek Music by Jean Sibelius  This meeting house, 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 meeting house, ask those who came before, And found themselves, by crossing through its door. Joys and Concerns Music "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 Trans Voices and Visibility-365 (TV-365) is a ministry of the Metropolitan Community Church in Hartford, dedicated to uplifting and supporting the well-being of transgender individuals in Connecticut by providing basic human needs, information and referral, service coordination and support to individuals.  This ministry also works to support and collaborate with relevant support groups and service providers. Our emphasis is on those most underserved, neglected, victimized and oppressed.  This includes, but is not limited to, transgender women and men of color, those with disabilities, youth and elderly, immigrants (documented and undocumented), low income and victims of crime. Offering Music "I Need No Wings to Fly" by Mary Bopp Spoken Word “Boxes”  Nadia Sims “On Checking Boxes” Rev. Josh Pawelek “Unchecked”  Nadia Sims Closing Hymn #1028 “Fire of Commitment” Words by Mary Katherine Morn Music by Jason Shelton From the light of days remembered burns a beacon bright and clear Guiding hands and hearts and spirits Into faith set free from fear. When the fire of commitment sets our mind and soul a blaze When our hunger and our passion meet to call us on our way When we live with deep assurance of the flame that burns within, Then our promise finds fulfillment and our future can begin. From the stories of our living rings a song both brave and free, Calling pilgrims still to witness to the life of liberty. When the fire of commitment sets our mind and soul a blaze When our hunger and our passion meet to call us on our way When we live with deep assurance of the flame that burns within, Then our promise finds fulfillment and our future can begin. From the dreams of youthful vision comes a new, prophetic voice, Which demands a deeper justice built by our courageous choice When the fire of commitment sets our mind and soul ablaze When our hunger and our passion meet to call us on our way When we live with deep assurance of the flame that burns within, Then our promise finds fulfillment and our future can begin. 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.