Gathering Music (Mary Bopp) Welcome (Rev. Josh Pawelek) Prelude "There is a Love" Music by Elizabeth Norton Words by Rebecca Ann Parker There is a Love holding me. There is a Love holding all that I love. There is a love holding all. I rest in this Love. There is a Love holding us. There is a Love holding all that we love. There is a Love holding all. We rest in this Love. We rest in this Love. Love. Chalice Lighting and Opening Words "Invocation" by Angela Herrera (ad. by Rev. Sierra-Marie Gerfao) Opening Hymn #298 "Wake Now My Senses" Words by Thomas J. S. Mikelson Music, traditional Irish Melody Wake, now, my senses, and hear the earth call; feel the deep power of being in all; keep, with the web of creating 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. Wake, now, my vision of ministry clear; brighten my pathway with radiance here; mingle my calling with all who will share; work toward a planet transformed by our care. Story "Swimmy" by Leo Leonni Musical Medication Announcements Joys and Concerns Musical Interlude Offering Our September Community Outreach Ministry recipients are the Manchester Latino Affairs Council and She Leads Justice. The Manchester Latino Affairs Council (M.L.A.C.) was established in January of 2007. Its current mission is to address social issues with a focus on diversity, inclusivity and equality within Manchester's Latino community. She Leads Justice advocates for under-resourced, marginalized women in Connecticut. They work to close the civil legal justice gap and to create state policy for economic security. Formerly know as the Connecticut Women's Education and Legal Fund, their work supports women who identify as cisgender and transgender, and non-binary individuals, as well as people of all marginalized gender identities. Offering Music "Plowshare Prayer" by Spencer LaJoye Pat Eaton-Robb, guitar Sermon "Your Invitation to the Party: Joy, Justice, and the Work of Love" The Rev. Sierra-Marie Gerfao Closing Hymn #131 "Love Will Guide Us" Words by Sally Rogers Music, traditional, arr. by Betty A. Wylder Love will guide us, peace has tried us, hope inside us will lead the way on the road from greed to giving. Love will guide us through the hard night. If you cannot sing like angels, if you cannot speak before thousands, you can give from deep within you. You can change the world with your love. Love will guide us, peace has tried us, hope inside us will lead the way on the road from greed to giving. Love will guide us through the hard night. Extinguishing the Chalice Closing Circle May faith in the spirit of life And hope for the community of earth And love of the light in each other Be ours now, and in all the days to come. About Our Guest Speaker The Rev. Sierra-Marie Gerfao of New Haven is the newly appointed part-time Executive Director of the Connecticut Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry. She also serves as Director of Family Ministries at the UU Congregation of Danbury. She is passionate about building communities of belonging and flourishing.

We begin our 2026-2027 congregational year. We begin as the last days of summer yield to autumn. We begin at the midpoint between the summer and winter solstices, a time of balance between light and dark. We begin as the lush, green summer season of exploration, play and discovery gives way to the yellow-gold-orange-red-crimson season of harvest, of winding down, of letting go. We begin each morning, noting a slight chill in the air and the first changing leaves. We begin as our children and youth leave summer behind and begin their new year of studies—most in school, some at home. As always, we are proud of them! We begin as our Jewish siblings observe their high holy days, approaching Yom Kippur tomorrow—that ancient liturgical cycle calling attention to the themes and the practices of atonement, reconciliation and beginning again. We begin with a full congregational calendar—last week’s backpack blessings and a homecoming picnic hastily moved indoors, art shows, contra dances, children and youth ministry parents’ orientation, Introduction to Unitarian Universalism, concerts, the coffee house, and many, many opportunities to participate in environmental and social justice and service activities: the GHIAA power summit, volunteering at Verplanck Elementary School, the CT UU Justice Ministry conference, the environmental voter postcard project. We begin. We begin, once again. Let us begin, once again, with love. We begin as foolish, misguided and unnecessary wars drag on, impacting energy markets, impacting agricultural markets, stoking inflation, speeding the reckless development of military drone technologies, exposing the weaknesses of once super powers, exposing the inexperience, carelessness and greed of leaders who assumed it would be so easy, who assumed their invasions would last days, certainly not months, and never years. We begin amidst all the usual warnings of climate catastrophe, most recently the collapse of tens of millions of tons of glacial ice near the Langtang Lirung mountain on the Nepal-Tibet border in late August—1400 dead, 5,000 still missing—the vivid images and videos from survivors almost impossible to believe. We begin amidst new and increasingly strident warnings from technology industry leaders about the very real dangers of the artificial intelligence models they continue to develop. We begin in the wake of widespread and often violent immigration enforcement actions in Danbury and across the southwest corner of Connecticut. We begin, knowing that we are called to support our immigrant neighbors—and will—despite the risks of doing so. We begin also as mid-term elections approach in the United States, as the President and right wing media pundits continue to make false claims about stolen elections and voter fraud, while simultaneously promoting changes to voting that, whenever the courts don’t block them, disenfranchise millions of people. And thus, we begin with justified concern and profound anxiety about the future of democracy in the United States. We begin. We begin, once again. Let us begin, once again, with love. **** I emphasize beginning with love, to highlight language in the Unitarian Universalist Association’s new values statement: “love is the power that holds us together.” This congregational year I am planning a sermon series on the six Unitarian Universalist values. As many of you know, the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) adopted its statement of values at its 2024 General Assembly. We read portions of the statement at last Sunday’s homecoming service. It’s hard to forget our cuddly mnemonic stuffed animal, JETPIG, which stands for the values justice, equity, transformation, pluralism, interdependence, and generosity. The UUA’s values statement is still very new. It is still in its infancy as a defining text for Unitarian Universalism. Through preaching on the values, I hope to contribute to a growing body of work that names with depth, nuance and passion how these values define Unitarian Universalism as a religion, as a faith, as a set of broad spiritual practices. It’s been two years and a few months since the 2024 General Assembly, but I haven’t preached on the values until now, in part because our congregation took time in 2024 to discern how we wanted to engage with the new statement. For the previous forty years, the defining statement for Unitarian Universalism was its seven principles. Many members of this congregation loved and still love the seven principles, and wanted to make sure they didn’t disappear with the passage of the new statement of values. We commissioned a discernment task force, which ultimately recommended that we use both the principles and the values as defining statements for Unitarian Universalism in this congregation. In response to that recommendation, we created a ‘principles and values integration taskforce’ to set some guidelines and expectations about how we would do that. We finished that work last winter. By the way, if you’re new to this congregation, you may be noticing a pattern: Yes! We create a lot of task forces and committees. It’s just how we roll. We might even consider adding a seventh value to the statement: committees! (It doesn’t do much for the acronym. Jectpig?) The discernment task force also recommended that we develop a plan …. to explore the values through Sunday Services, Children and Youth Ministry, Membership …. and Adult Religious Education activities. We may create a task force for that. But even before that happens, this sermon series on the values is part of the response to that specific recommendation, part of an eventual plan. I am looking forward to this sermon series, and I regard this sermon as the first in the series. **** Our ministry theme for September is beginnings. I am contemplating how to begin well. Though my initial impulse was to talk about what I’m looking forward to this congregational year—what we’re building together—I realized that if I start talking about the coming year—if I start looking to the future—I am missing an important, grounding message—a message at the heart of the new statement of values, a message not about where we’re going, but about where we’re actually starting from. Love is the power that holds us together. Especially because there is so much noise in the wider world: bombs falling; glaciers collapsing; ICE and Customs and Border Patrol abducting people off city streets in front of children on school buses; politicians screaming falsehoods about rigged elections; people struggling to pay bills—39% of households in Connecticut can’t afford to meet basic needs according to the United Way’s 2026 ALICE report[1]—because of all this, we need a simple, powerful message that reminds us of the love that resides at the heart of our religious and spiritual lives. And especially because the northern hemisphere is tilting away from the sun, summer is yielding to autumn, and changes in the land are coming very soon, some grand, some subtle—all beautiful this march of days—the turning leaves, the harvest aromas, the crunch of dried leaves underfoot, the chill in the air, flocks of birds heading south to warmer climes; especially because at times the beauty catches us, leaves us in awe, leaves us quiet, still, grateful, we need a simple powerful message that reminds us of our connections to the whole of life, our oneness with everything, and how it calls us to center love, kindness, respect, compassion. I’m mindful of just such a simple, powerful message in the Jewish wisdom story from the Babylonian Talmud, familiar to many of you, I am sure – not the Babylonian Talmud, but the story: A gentile seeking to convert to Judaism comes to the sage Hillel and asks to learn the entire Torah while standing on one foot. Hillel responds: “What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the entire Torah; the rest is interpretation.”[2] I’m mindful of just such a message in Jesus’ simple, powerful words to the scribe who asked, “Which commandment is the first of all?” Jesus responded with two commandments, which have come to be known together as the great commandments. The first is to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.” “The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”[3] I’m mindful of a simple, powerful message about the nature of religion, attributed to the Dalai Lama: “My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness. This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness.”[4] And I’m reminded of a simple, powerful story about love from the late Unitarian Universalist minister, the Rev. Robert Walsh, about a young woman who asked him if he would baptize her baby who had been born with a heart defect and was facing a risky operation. The woman’s home church refused to baptize the baby because she was not married to the father. Rev. Walsh started explaining the Unitarian Universalist child dedication to her, apologizing because it doesn’t wash away sin or get the child into heaven. She listened patiently. When he finished explaining she said, “All I want to know is that God blesses my baby.” “In my mind,” he writes, “I gasped at the sudden clarity in the room. I said, with a catch in my throat, ‘I think I can do that.’ And I did.”[5] These are all reminders for me of the love that lives at the center of our faith. The Unitarian Universalist values have a simple, powerful starting place. "Love is the power that holds us together and is at the center of our shared values.” I hear echoes of the story of Hillel teaching the whole of the Torah in this message. I hear echoes of Jesus’ proclaiming the great commandment in this message. I hear a resonance with the Dalai Lama’s simple religion of kindness in this message. Certainly Rev. Walsh’s baptism story speaks to the love at the center of our Unitarian Universalist faith. A simple, powerful message. In response to each other, in all the ways we participate in and build community here at 153 West Vernon St. in Manchester (and with our online community), let’s be mindful that love is the power that holds us together and is at the center of our shared values. In response to all the noise, the violence of war, environmental catastrophe, rising authoritarianism, threats to democracy, the increasing cost of living, let’s be mindful that love is the power that holds us together and is at the center of our shared values. In response to the beauty of the changing seasons, the beauty of the natural world, the beauty of the earth, the knowledge that all is connected to all, the knowledge of the oneness of everything, let’s be mindful that love is the power that holds us together and is at the center of our shared values. Now we begin. Now, we begin, once again. Now, we begin, once again, with love. Let us begin with love. Amen and blessed be. [1] See the 2026 Alice data at https://www.ctunitedway.org/alice-data/. Read the CT Mirror’s reporting on the data at https://ctmirror.org/2026/09/10/ct-poverty-measure-united-way-alice/. [2] Bokser, Ben Zion, tr., “The Tractate Shabbat” in The Talmud: Selected Writings (New York, Mahwah: Paulist Press, 1989) pp. 86-86. Or see Shabbat 31a:7 at https://www.sefaria.org/Shabbat.31a.7?lang=bi. [3] Mark 12: 28-31. [4] Dalai Lama XIV, Piburn, Sidney, ed., The Dalai Lama: A Policy of Kindness: An Anthology of Writings by and About the Dalai Lama (Ithica, NY: Snow Lion Publications, 1990). [5] Walsh, Robert R., “A Baptism,” Noisy Stones: A Mediation Manual (Boston: Skinner House Books, 1992) p. 31

Rob Napier UUSE - July 5, 2026 It’s hard, just now, to celebrate America. I know many of you feel that. I feel that. Maybe it was always hard. Or at least maybe it always should have been hard. But I want to raise up something else today. Something I think should be celebrated. And that’s the Idea of America. I know it sounds naive, maybe even blind, but I think the Idea of America has been a powerful thing and often a good thing. It belongs to us, all of us. And I won’t let anyone take that away, no matter how many times we fail at this idea. What idea? At its heart, that things can be better. That it’s possible for things to change. That we can govern ourselves without a king. That there is more to success than lineage and blood. I’m not saying we were the first to have the idea or even the first to put it in practice, but we really have inspired the world with it more than anyone. Tens of millions have come here because they believed in that idea, and even today they keep coming. I want to honor those people. I want to honor their choices. I think they were right to come. I think the idea is worth it. A lot of things can be true at the same time. America is built on colonialism and slavery. But it’s also built on principles. Principles the original writers didn’t fully understand, but planted as seeds that have grown generation by generation. When the Declaration of Independence says “all men are created equal,” what’s meant is even less inclusive than the language used. The signers meant white men, and beyond that, white men of property.[1] But once you plant that seed, the idea of inalienable rights, rights no king or government bestows, but are an inherent part of human dignity, you can’t keep its logic and promise from growing, expanding, until it encompasses everyone. In the late nineteenth and early twentieth century millions of Jews fled oppression in Eastern Europe. My mother’s family was among them. They came to New York, like so many others, and they passed by the Statue of Liberty. In 1903, a plaque was added with a mostly-forgotten poem written twenty years earlier by Emma Lazarus.[2] It ends with the purest expression of the American Idea that I know. It’s what we chose to put on our greatest symbol. Give me your tired, your poor,Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door! Not college graduates from Norway,[3] though they’re welcome. Not even those “willing to work.” No. Those “yearning to breathe free.” We ask nothing else. The homeless, the wretched, the refuse cast aside, they are welcome. That’s the idea that inspired so many. And I honor that. But the Statue of Liberty wasn’t created to welcome immigrants. That was a reinterpretation. Liberty Enlightening the World is a statue that celebrates freeing the enslaved.[4] Under her foot are the broken slavers’ chains. She was designed by French abolitionists after the Civil War who were so inspired by America that they hoped the statue might inspire France back to democratic ideals. For our whole history, others have been captivated by that idea. A nation, “conceived in Liberty.”[5] In 1875, around the time when the Statue was conceived, there were already seven Black Representatives in Congress, and a Black Senator from Mississippi.[6] Constitutional amendments had been ratified abolishing slavery, enshrining birthright citizenship and equal protections, protecting the right to vote. Two Civil Rights Acts had been passed. The delegates who created the South Carolina 1868 Constitution, were majority Black. Under the Ku Klux Klan Act, hundreds of Klansmen were fined or imprisoned, and the organization was arguably destroyed for decades, not to reform until the twentieth century.[7] That’s the Idea of America that the Statue of Liberty was celebrating. That idea is a myth. I know. In an earlier design, the broken chains at her feet were in her hand, but they were made more subtle to not offend donors and politicians who wanted to put the Civil War behind them.[8] The contested presidential election in the very next year led to a compromise where the Southern states allowed Hayes to be President in exchange for pulling the army out of the Southern states, backed with a promise that they absolutely wouldn’t oppress Black people any more.[9] They immediately began oppressing Black people, both legally and extralegally. Within fifteen years, Mississippi, the one state with a Black Senator, had made it all but impossible for Blacks to vote. Within twenty-five years, there were no Black members of Congress. A series of Supreme Court rulings upheld this situation. Williams v. Mississippi, Giles v. Harris, the infamous Plessy v. Ferguson, and more. Sound a little familiar? This is not the first time America has made great strides forward, just to fall back hard. Twenty years ago, we were asking what we were going to do with our permanent Democratic majority. We had our first Black president. Then we had Obergefell. We were seriously talking about trans rights. When have trans rights ever been on the table? For those of you grayer than I am, could you even imagine that forty years ago? The progress was slow, but we came further than we’d ever come before. And then. ... I’m not here to tell you it’s ok. I’m not here to tell you to be grateful for what we’ve still got. I’m not even here to tell you it’ll get better. It won’t. Not by itself. Not without struggle. I’m here to tell you that we’ve backslid before. We had Black Senators before we had Jim Crow, but then we had Brown v. Board tearing down separate but equal, Loving v. Virginia legalizing interracial marriage, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act. We have our predecessors to look to, to know what we need to do to move forward again. And I believe the first thing we have to do is to hold onto our myths. The stories we tell ourselves to inspire ourselves to be who we want to be. I refuse to let petty would-be despots take away our most powerful possession, the idea, the belief, the faith that things can be better. The book of Hebrews calls faith “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”[10] I call faith those things I would believe even if they were not true. And we need faith. But we don’t need faith alone to believe in the Idea of America. To believe that things can change for the better. We’ve seen it happen. In 1965, the Voting Rights Act passed in both the House and Senate by a 4-to-1 margin.[11] It commanded strong majorities from both parties. It took Selma to get it introduced. It took struggle. But that struggle pushed, cajoled, finally shoved a Congress of 98% middle-aged white men to pass the most impactful civil rights act since Reconstruction. I'm sure many of you are very familiar with the events in Selma, Alabama in March, 1965 that culminated in a march to the capital in Montgomery, and President Johnson formally asking for the passage of the Voting Rights Act, which he then signed into law less than five months later. It's an incredible story. But I think the lessons for us today are in what came before. What made Selma so impactful. Selma wasn't an accident. It didn't come out of nowhere. It was part of a long line of action, struggle, and courage. And planning. Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, William Lloyd Garrison, Ida B. Wells, Rosa Parks, the Freedom Riders, the Greensboro sit-ins. More than 70,000 people would participate in sit-ins across the South in 1960 alone.[12] The Selma to Montgomery march was planned in response to the murder of Jimmie Lee Jackson. It was hoped to channel the rage of the community. It was planned in a little over a week. The first two attempts were stopped by State Troopers. The third and successful march happened within a month of Jackson’s murder. One month. I want to remind you this was a 54 mile, four day march that involved hundreds of people getting fed, having a place to sleep. There were food trucks, first-aid stations, arrangements and permissions for places to camp. There were buses and cars shuttling people around. It wasn’t just folks setting off and seeing what happened. I just planned the choir’s potluck for 20 people and it took me almost as long as these folks had. Organization matters. Strong institutions matter. Strategy and discipline matter. Deep pools of volunteers matter. Building a community that can effectively and quickly respond. That's why it's so important that we provide the support we do to organizations that share our values, and that they know they can call on us. Good intentions aren't always enough. Sometimes, in order to have that historic speech, you need someone who can source a few hundred meals and some porta-johns on short notice. Visibility and repetition matter. No one thought Governor Wallace was going to change his mind just because a few thousand people show up outside his door. They weren’t there to speak to the Governor. They were there to speak to America. And America was paying attention. And America was paying attention because activists had been relentless. Highly publicized protests had been going on in Selma for months. Despite being told for years and years to just be patient. Despite being chastised for being too demanding, to be thankful for what they already had won. Despite being told they were doing it wrong. It bothers me when someone calls out an injustice, and someone else says "don't complain about that, there's all these other, worse things." We can be mad about more than one thing at a time. Spread the work. Let them go fix that problem. You go focus on fixing the one you think is important. Or even worse, someone hears about injustice and says “what, you're surprised?” Acting like it’s “uncool,” “unsavvy” to keep a spotlight on atrocity, because repetition never changes minds? In the Book of Luke, Jesus tells a story.[13] In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, “Grant me justice against my [adversary][14].” For a while he refused, but later he said to himself, “Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.” The Book of Luke was written in Greek, and that’s the “scholarly” translation that likely captures the author’s meaning, but I prefer a bit more literal translation of the last verse, what the words actually say: Yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice so that she may not finally come and punch me in the face.[15] Sometimes, we need to be the widow. Now some of you might be counting on your fingers, thinking 1875 to 1965 is a long time. Decades, decades to crawl back. Most of a century. Is that what’s ahead of us? I don’t think it has to be. Even with our backsliding, we really are in a better place today than we were in 1965, let alone 1865. I don’t want to downplay the challenges we face, but it’s important to see clearly where we are. Same-sex marriage is popular.[16] ICE is incredibly unpopular.[17] At the end of Reconstruction, Northern whites were tired, and despite the Congressional gains for Blacks in Congress, they did not come from the North. Connecticut didn’t have its first Black Representative until 1991. The cause of abolition moved nineteenth century America, but equality did not. But today, more than a dozen states are Sanctuary States, and I’m proud that Connecticut is one of them.[18] No Kings protests draw millions. Pride month is celebrated all over the country, and by so many companies that we worry it’s over-commercialized. I want you to sit with that. We’re worried that Pride may have become too popular. In every state, same sex marriage has majority support today.[19] Yes, even whatever state you’re thinking of. That’s where we’re starting from. That’s where we are today. When the Voting Rights Act passed, about three-quarters of America was opposed to interracial marriage.[20] Martin Luther King, Jr’s approval rate was net-negative, and by the next year it had cratered to about 60-30 disapproval.[21] And still, the Voting Rights Act passed by overwhelming majorities. Think of how we can heal when justice is popular instead. And it is. I’m not saying that authoritarianism can’t break us. It can. I’m not saying you shouldn’t be scared. I’m not saying we aren’t falling backwards faster than many of us ever thought possible. It’s all true. But according to the polls, there are more than 100 million Americans who have your back. I want to honor that. There were more votes for Kamala Harris in Texas than in all New England combined. There were more Harris voters in South Carolina than in Connecticut. You’re not alone. We’re not alone. In city after city, tyranny has tried to crush the Idea of America. And the people have said no. In L.A., in Portland, in Minneapolis, and so many more, the people have said no. People have been harassed, arrested, killed. But the people have said no. Tyranny shall not have its way. We are not alone. I think our greatest risk is cynicism. Losing faith in others, and treating that as wisdom. Believing we lack strength, that we lack support, when we have so much. We are not alone. I still believe in the Idea of America. That the future can be better than the past. That we can make a difference. That justice will overcome tyranny. I believe that you are with me. I believe that Manchester is with me. And Connecticut. And 100 million Americans and more. The Idea of America belongs to us, it belongs to all of us. And we will not let the cynical and small take it away. The decades of rebuilding will be harder than this decade of destruction. It will take all our hope, and all our strength, our devotion to peace and our tenacity for justice. In 1962, at Zion Hill Baptist Church, the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr concluded with these words:[22] And with this faith we will go out and adjourn the counsels of despair and bring new light into the dark chambers of pessimism and we will be able to rise from the fatigue of despair to the buoyancy of hope. And this will be a great America! We will be the participants in making it so. And so, as I leave you this evening I say, Walk together children! Don’t you get weary! Amen and Blessed Be. 1 Jefferson’s first draft of the Declaration of Independence included the passage: “[King George] has waged cruel war against human nature itself, violating it's [sic] most sacred rights of life & liberty in the persons of a distant people [i.e. Africans] who never offended him, captivating & carrying them into slavery in another hemisphere, or to incur miserable death in their transportation thither.” He explicitly includes at least Black men as having the inalienable rights of life and liberty. This section even made it through Committee review, but was stripped out during the Congressional revisions. It wasn’t that no one of the time could imagine Blacks as having rights. People thought of it, wrote it down, and then chose to remove it. It seems unlikely that Jefferson really meant to include Black men in “all men are created equal,” but Jefferson contradicted himself a lot, and often failed to consider the wider implications of what he said, so it’s always difficult to say what Jefferson “means.” 2 “The New Colossus” See “The Immigrant’s Statue” at the NPS Statue of Liberty site for a brief intro. Georgina Schuyler, a friend of Lazarus’s, started a campaign in 1901 to get the poem added to the pedestal. Lazarus was a well-known poet in 1883, and was asked to donate a poem to be auctioned to help raise money to construct the pedestal. She initially refused. But she was very active in helping Jewish refugees from eastern Europe, and was eventually convinced to write a poem that centered on the statue’s impact on those new arrivals. 3 “Trump bemoans lack of immigrants from majority-white countries to the US.” The Guardian. April 8, 2024. 4 For a quick overview, see the “Abolition” page from the NPS’s site on the Statue of Liberty. 5 Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, 1863. 6 For this and much more, see “Black Americans in Congress” at the US House’s History site. 7 Wikipedia’s several Klan-related pages are quite disjointed, but the “First Klan” section of the main Ku Klux Klan page is a reasonable overview of this period. 8 “The Original Lady Liberty,” Library of Congress Blogs, November 2020. Includes early drawing. 9 The broad term for this movement is “Redemption” and marked the end of Reconstruction. Much of its argument and strategy is continued today in the dismantling of the Voting Rights Act and other anti-discrimination laws, and the results so far have been the same. Southern states have immediately (within the same week as Louisiana v. Callais) started implementing policies explicitly designed to make it harder for Blacks to vote. During Redemption it took years to do the same. 10 Hebrews 11:1. (NRSVue) 11 S. 1564: 77-19. H.R. 6400: 333-85. 12 The Civil Rights Movement Archive is an incredible source of information on this era. See the 1960 page for information on the Sit-In movement. 13 Luke 18:1-5. (NRSVue) 14 Greek: ἀντιδίκου (antidikou). NRSVue translates this as “accuser” but that translation annoys me, so I’m not using it here. It’s referring to the other party in a lawsuit, not specifically the plaintiff (the widow is clearly the one seeking justice). The translation is distinguishing the technical word for “other party in a lawsuit” from a more general “person opposing me” (ἀντικείμενος). But I think it muddies the point of this passage. Yes, I know this is way too much detail about a one-word, trivial translation choice, but you’re clearly the kind of person who likes to read the footnotes. 15 Greek: ὑπωπιάζω (hupópiazó). A boxing term that means to strike beneath the eye and create a bruise (i.e. give a black eye). NRSVue offers “slap me in the face” as an alternate translation for this verse. It’s a metaphor for “harass” or “wear down” as a boxer might with jabbing punches. The author of Luke was not actually suggesting the judge was afraid the widow would beat him up. Sorry. Some suggest that “give a black eye” had the same metaphorical sense we use today, as in “publically shame,” but I haven’t seen much evidence supporting that. 16 Gallup: “Same-Sex Relations, Marriage Still Supported by Most in U.S.” June 24, 2024. 17 NPR/PBS/Marist: “Two-thirds of Americans say ICE has 'gone too far' in immigration enforcement.” Feb 5, 2026. 18 Center for Immigration Studies. June 29, 2026. 19 PRRI: LGBTQ Rights Across All 50 States. March 4, 2025. 20 Gallup: “U.S. Approval of Interracial Marriage at New High of 94%.” Sept 10, 2021. 21 Pew: “How public attitudes toward Martin Luther King Jr. have changed since the 1960s.” Aug 10, 2023. 22 “The Dilemma and the Challenge Facing the Negro Today,” June 17, 1962 (conjectured). Note that accurately citing MLK speeches is extremely challenging. King recycled a lot of stock passages, sometimes at length, so you can’t just look for “adjourn the councils of despair” and think you have the right speech. He used that phrase in at least three speeches. Do not trust the sourcing from random YouTube videos. They’re usually wrong. The best source I’ve found is the Stanford King Institute site (kinginstitute.stanford.edu), but its search is very poor. It’s best to use a search engine with “site:kinginstitute.stanford.edu”.

Gathering Music (Mary Bopp) Welcome (Rev. Josh Pawelek) Announcements Centering Prelude "Bonfire Magick" by Mary Bopp Chalice Lighting and Opening Words #446 "To the Four Directions" by Joan Goodwin Spirit of the East, Spirit of Air, of Morning and Springtime Be with us as the sun rises in times of beginning, in times of planting. Inspire us with the fresh breath of courage as we go forth into new adventures. Spirit of the South, Spirit of Fire, of noontime and Summer. Be with us through the heat of the day and help us to be ever growing. Warm us with strength and energy for the work that awaits us. Spirit of the West, Spirit of Water, of evening and autumn Be with us as the sun sets and help us to enjoy a rich harvest. Flow through us with a cooling, healing quietness and bring us peace. Spirit of the North, Spirit of Earth, of nighttime and winter Be with us in the darkness in the time of gestation. Ground us in the wisdom of the changing seasons as we celebrate the spiraling journey of our lives. Opening Hymn #1 "May Nothing Evil Cross This Door" Words by Louis Untermeyer Music by Robert N. Quaile May nothing evil cross this door, and may ill fortune never pry about these windows; may the roar and rain go by. By faith made strong, the rafters will withstand the battering of the storm. This hearth, though all the world grow chill, will keep you warm. Peace shall walk softly through these rooms, touching our lips with holy wine, till every casual corner blooms into a shrine. With laughter drown the raucous shout, and, though these sheltering walls are thin, may they be strong to keep hate out and hold love in. Spoken Meditation 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 Our September Community Outreach Ministry recipients are the Manchester Latino Affairs Council and She Leads Justice. The Manchester Latino Affairs Council (M.L.A.C.) was established in January of 2007. Its current mission is to address social issues with a focus on diversity, inclusivity and equality within Manchester's Latino community. She Leads Justice advocates for under-resourced, marginalized women in Connecticut. They work to close the civil legal justice gap and to create state policy for economic security. Formerly known as the Connecticut Women's Education and Legal Fund, their work supports women who identify as cisgender and transgender, and non-binary individuals, as well as people of all marginalized gender identities. Offering Music Sermon "Beginnings" Rev. Josh Pawelek Closing 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. Extinguishing the Chalice Words adapted from #703 in Singing the Living Tradition Author, anonymous Closing Circle May faith in the spirit of life And hope for the community of earth And love of the light in each other Be ours now, and in all the days to come.

Gathering Music (Mary Bopp) Welcome (Emmy Galbraith) Announcements (Rev. Josh Pawelek) Centering (Emmy Galbraith) Prelude Chalice Lighting and Opening Words "A Spacious Welcome" by the Rev. Shari Woodbury Opening Hymn #361 "Enter, Rejoice and Come In" Words and Music 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... Back to School Slideshow Blessing of the Backpacks Ritual Hymn #1010 "We Give Thanks" Words and music by Wendy Luella Perkins Oh, we give thanks for this precious day, For all gather'd here, and those far away; For this time (food) we share with love and care, Oh, we give thanks for this precious day. Joys & Concerns Musical Meditation Offering Our September Community Outreach Ministry recipients are the Manchester Latino Affairs Council and She Leads Justice. The Manchester Latino Affairs Council (M.L.A.C.) was established in January of 2007. Its current mission is to address social issues with a focus on diversity, inclusivity and equality within Manchester's Latino community. She Leads Justice advocates for under-resourced, marginalized women in Connecticut. They work to close the civil legal justice gap and to create state policy for economic security. Formerly known as the Connecticut Women's Education and Legal Fund, their work supports women who identify as cisgender and transgender, and non-binary individuals, as well as people of all marginalized gender identities. Offering Music "Heavenly Day" by Patty Griffin Jeannie Westbrook, vocals UU Principles 1st Principle: The inherrent worth and dignity of every person; 2nd Principle: Justice, equity and compassion in human relations; 3rd Principle: Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations. 4th Principle: A free and responsible search for truth and meaning; 5th Principle: The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large; 6th Principle: The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all; 7th Principle: Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part. UU Values Justice. We work to be diverse multicultural Beloved Communities where all thrive. Equity: We declare that every person is inherently worthy and has the right to flourish with dignity, love and compassion. Transformation. We adapt to the changing world. Pluralism. We celebrate that we are all sacred beings, diverse in culture, experience, and theology. Interdependence. 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. Generosity. We cultivate a spirit of gratitude and hope. Our Congregational Commitment We come together as companions in the search for truth and meaning. We share in our mission of caring for one another, encouraging each other in spiritual growth, working for justice and peace in the wider world, and living in harmony with the earth. We join our gifts, trusting that a gathering of diverse souls, working together, has the power to bring freedom, healing and love. We renew our pledge to share our time, energy and talents with this congregation; to diligenly seek our spiritual truths; and to strengthen the bonds of community. Chant "Love is the spirit of this church and service its law. This is our great covenant: To dwell together in peace. Love is the spirit of this church and service its law. To seek the truth in love, and to help one another. Love is the spirit of this church and service its law. Reflection and Dialogue "Beginning a Congregational Year" Emmy Galbraith and Rev. Josh Pawelek 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 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. 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 "That's Why I Stand by the Union" Written and Performed by Dan Thompson, guitar Welcome Announcements Centering Prelude "9 to 5" by Dolly Parton Performed by Dan Thompson, guitar Chalice Lighting Open Words Rose Schneiderman's 1912 speech to the Women's Trade Union League "What the woman who labors wants is the right to live, not simply exist -- the right to live as the rich woman has the right to life, and the sun and music and art. You have nothing that the humblest worker has not a right to have also. The worker must have bread, but she must have roses, too." Opening Hymn #109 "As We Come Marching, Marching" Words by James Oppenheim Music by Caroline Kohlsaat Performed by Mary Bopp, piano As we come marching, marching, in the beauty of the day, a million darkened kitchens, a thousand workshops gray, are touched with all the radiance that a sudden sun discloses: for the people hear us singing, "Bread and roses, bread and roses!" As we come marching, marching, we battle too for men, for they are women's children, and we mother them again. Our lives shall not be sweated from birth until life closes: hearts starve as well as bodies -- give us bread, but give us roses! As we come marching, marching, unnumbered women dead go crying, through our singing, their ancient song of bread! Small art and love and beauty their drudging spirits knew: yes it is bread we fight for, but we fight for roses too! As we come marching, marching, we bring the greater days: the rising of the women means the rising of the race. No more the drudge and idler, ten that toil where one reposes, but a sharing of life's glories -- bread and roses, bread and roses! Time for All Ages Musical Interlude (Mary Bopp) Joys and Concerns Musical Interlude (Mary Bopp) Offering Our September Community Outreach Ministry recipients are the Manchester Latino Affairs Council and She Leads Justice. The Manchester Latino Affairs Council (M.L.A.C.) was established in January of 2007. Its current mission is to address social issues with a focus on diversity, inclusivity and equality within Manchester's Latino community. She Leads Justice advocates for under-resourced, marginalized women in Connecticut. They work to close the civil legal justice gap and to create state policy for economic security. Formerly known as the Connecticut Women's Education and Legal Fund, their work supports women who identify as cisgender and transgender, and non-binary individuals, as well as people of all marginalized gender identities. Offering Music "Rich Men Earning North of a Million" By Billy Bragg Performed by Dan Thompson, guitar Homily "Labor in the Pulpit" Ed Hawthorne Musical Interlude (Mary Bopp) Dialogue Closing Hymn "We Belong to One Another" Music by John Wyeth Lyrics by Amanda Udis-Kessler Performed by Mary Bopp, piano We belong to one another. To each other we are bound As we build a world together full of joy that we have found. What we are, we owe to others; when they need us, we respond. We belong to one another and we hold a common bond. We rely on one another at the dawning of our days, When we learn from those around us how to live in loving ways. As we grow, we need each other and the gifts that we can share. As our lives come to their ending, how we need each other's care! We give thanks for one another, for each heart and hand and face. We are grateful for the blessings that infuse our lives with grace. May we offer our abundance; as we're given, may we give. In our thanks for one another, may we help each other live. 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. About Our Speaker Ed Hawthorne is President of the Connecticut AFL-CIO, the democratic state federation of hundreds of local unions that represents more than 250,000 working people across the state. President Hawthorne was unanimously elected at the state federation's Constitutional Convention in October 2021, making him the youngest president in the organization's history. Under President Hawthorne's leadership, he led the organization's efforts to pass legislation to limit an employer's use of anti-union captive audience meetings - becoming the second state in the country to pass this law and inspiring a nationwide campaign to curtail the use of this union busting tactic. He also oversaw a dynamic political program that helped elect dozens of union members while holding elected officials accountable in both Hartford and Washington, D.C. With over a decade experience in the field of law, President Hawthorne previously worked as an Appeals Referee for the Connecticut Department of Labor where he conducted unemployment appeals hearings as an administrative law judge. As a member of AFSCME, he formerly served as President of the Western Connecticut Area Labor Federation, Vice President of AFSCME Local 269, and an executive board member for AFSCME Council 4 and the Connecticut AFL-CIO. President Hawthorne is currently the chair of the Second Injury Fund, and is a member of the Governor's Workforce Council, Northwest Regional Workforce Investment Board, AFL-CIO State Federation AI Task Force, and Town of Wolcott Pension Committee. He also continues to serve on the Wolcott Democratic Town Committee. A graduate of Marist College, President Hawthorne earned his Juris Doctor degree at SUNY at Buffalo School of Law and graduated from the Harvard Trade Union Workshop. He is currently licensed to practice law in Connecticut and New York. Born and raised in Connecticut, President Hawthorne lives in Wolcott with his wife and their two daughters. In his free time he likes to cheer on the Buffalo Bills and is a burgeoning wing connoisseur.

Gathering Music “Samson and Delilah” by Rev Gary Davis “You Gotta Come On Up to the House” by Tom Waits Dan Thompson, guitar and vocals Welcome and Announcements (Rev. Josh Pawelek) Centering Prelude “Precious Memories” (traditional) Nancy Madar, guitar and vocals Joe Madar, vocals Chalice Lighting and Opening Words “The Summit” by Mike Baxter Opening Hymn #66 “When the Summer Sun is Shining” Words by Sydney Henry Knight Music from The Southern Harmony, 1855, arr. by Margaret W. Mealy Ben Elzerman, bagpipes, Jenn Richard, piano When the summer sun is shining over golden land and sea, and the flowers in the hedgerow welcome butterfly and bee; then my open heart is glowing, full of warmth for everyone, and I feel an inner beauty which reflects the summer sun. When the summer clouds of thunder bring the long-awaited rain, and the thirsty soil is moistened and the grass is green again; then I long for summer sunshine, but I know that clouds and tears are a part of life’s refreshment, like the rainbow’s hopes and fears. In the cool of summer evening, when the dancing insects play, and in garden, street, and meadow linger echoes of the day; then my heart is full of yearning; hopes and mem’ries flood the whole of my being, reaching inwards to the corners of my soul. Emcee’s Intro (Gymm Morey) Music “Living in the Promised Land” by Willie Nelson Peter Marotto, guitar and vocals Poem "Ancient Astronomers" by Bill Lautenbach Music “I Just Saw a Face” by Paul McCartney and John Lennon Sandy Johnson, vocals, Dan Thompson, guitar Joys and Concerns Musical Interlude "The Keelman Ower Land" Traditional Northumbrian Smallpipe melody Ben Elzerman, bagpipes Offering The recipients of our July and August community outreach offerings are the MACC Food Pantry, the Hockanum Valley Food Pantry, the CT Mutual Aid East of River food security program, and the TLC Foundation. As a reminder, you can also donate on our website. If you haven’t visited our new website, we highly recommend it. Lots to explore! There’s a yellow donate button in the top center of the home page. Offering Music “Devotion” by Amy Ray Jenn Richard, guitar and vocals Poem “Ten Commandments By Cory Clark Music Original Song By Nick Glomb Poem “On Friendship, Key West Vacation, 2023” By Elizabeth Thomas Music “Choose to Be Near” by Andy Ricci Poem “*FIFAround and Find Out” By Lisa Sementilli Music “Eve of Destruction” By Barry McGuire Pat Eaton-Robb, guitar and vocals Poem “Heaping, Helping Spoonfuls” By Marian Vitali Homily (Rev. Josh Pawelek) Music "Surprise" Doug Pease, Harmonica Closing song #95 “There is More Love” Traditional African American There is more love somewhere. There is more love somewhere. I’m gonna keep on ‘til I find it. There is more love somewhere. There is more hope somewhere… There is more peace somewhere.. There is more joy somewhere… Extinguishing the Chalice 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 "Carnival of the Animals: The Swan" Composed by Camille Saint-Saens Performed by Chris Crossgrove, piano Chalice Lighting and Opening Words Opening Hymn "All God's Critters Got a Place In the Choir" Words and Music: Bill Steines Performed by Nancy Madar, guitar and vocals (Congregation sings the chorus only) All God' critters got a place in the choir Some sing lower and some sing higher Some sing out loud on the telephone wire Some just clap their hands or paws or anything they got now Introduction to the Service Joys and Concerns Musical Interlude Offering The recipients of our August community outreach offerings are the MACC Food Pantry, the Hockanum Valley Food Pantry, and the CT Mutual Aid East of the River food security program, along with the TLC Foundation. As a reminder, you can also donate on our website. There's a yellow donate button in the top center of the home page. Offering Music "Blackbird" Words and music by Paul McCartney & John Lennon Performed by Chris Crossgrove, piano Slideshow: Our UUSE Animal Family Reflection #1 - Kristen Dockendorff Poem - "Reunion" by Sheila Foran Reflection #2 - Nancy Madar Slideshow - In Memoriam Closing Hymn #175 "We Celebrate the Web of Life" Words and Music: Alicia S. Carpenter Performed by Chris Crossgrove, piano We celebrate the web of life, its magnitude we sing; for we can see divinity in every living thing. A fragment of the perfect whole in cactus and in quail, as much in tiny barnacle as in the great blue whale. Of ancient dreams we are the sum; our bones link stone to star, and bind our future worlds to come with worlds that were and are. Respect the water, land, and air which gave all creatures birth; protect the lives of all that share the glory of the earth. 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 Centering Prelude "The Poet Speaks" by Robert Schumann Chalice Lighting & Opening Words Opening Hymn #360 "Here We Have Gathered" Words: Alicia S. Carpenter Music: Genevan psalter Here we have gathered, gathered side by side; circle of kinship, come and step inside! May all who seek here find a kindly word; may all who speak here feel they have been heard. Sing now together this, our hearts' own song. Here we have gathered, called to celebrate days of our lifetime, matters small and great: we of all ages, women, children, men, infants and sages, sharing what we can. Sing now together, this, our hearts' own song. Life has its battles, sorrows, and regret: but in the shadows, let us not forget: we who now gather know each other's pain; kindness can heal us: as we give, we gain. Sing now in friendship this, our hearts' own song. Time for All Ages Hymn #413 "Go Now In Peace" Words & Music by Natalie Sleeth Adapted (repeat 2x) Go now in peace. Go now in peace. May the love of God surround you everywhere, everywhere you may go. Announcements Introduction to the Service Joys and Concerns Musical Interlude Poetry Anne Vaughan - Morning Run Becomes Morning Walk Mike Baxter - Lessons Eileen Driscoll - The Family of Humanity Chris Northrup - The Three Feather Day Offering The recipients of our July and August community outreach offerings are the MACC Food Pantry, the Hockanum Valley Food Pantry, and the CT Mutual Aid East of the River food security program, along with the TLC Foundation. As a reminder, you can also donate on our website. There's a yellow donate button in the top center of the home page. Offering Music "Song Without Words" by Mary Bopp Poetry André Thouin - Love in the Darkness Marian Vitali - My Legs are Flowers in a Field Dottie Reiss - One Day Rosemary Lockard - Little Birdie Musical Interlude Poetry Sheila Foran - Remember Andy Ricci - Earth Mover Cory Clark - The Miracle Gina Campellone - God Says Yes to Me & A Memo to Alice Closing Hymn #83 "Winds Be Still" Words: Richard S. Kimball Music: Samuel Sebastian Wesley Winds be still. Storm clouds pass and silence come. Peace grace this time with harmony. Fly, bird of hope, and shine, light of love, and in calm let all find tranquility. Bird fly high. Lift our gaze toward distant view. Help us to sense life's mystery. Fly high and far, and lead us each to see how we move through the winds of eternity. Light shine in. Luminate our inward view. Help us to see with clarity. Shine bright and true so we may join our songs in new sounds that become full symphony. 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.

Don't make assumptions Always do your best Gathering Music (Mary Bopp, piano) Welcome (Sam Taylor) Centering Prelude "Late for Lammas" by Mary Bopp Chalice Lighting and Opening Words (Liz Garmise) Excerpt from "Prayer for Love" Opening Hymn #128 "For All That Is Our Life" Words by Bruce Findlow Mary Bopp, piano For all that is our life we sing our thanks and praise; for all life is a gift which we are called to use to build the common good and make our own days glad. For needs which others serve, for services we give, for work and its rewards, for hours of rest and love; we come with praise and thanks for all that is our life. For sorrow we must bear, for failures, pain, and loss, for each new thing we learn, for fearful hours that pass: we come with praise and thanks for all that is our life. For all that is our life we sing our thanks and praise; for all life is a gift which we are called to use to build the common good and make our own days glad. Time For All Ages The Magical Yet Author: Angela DiTerlizzi Illustrated by Lorena Alverez Gomez Announcements Joys and Concerns Musical Interlude Introduction to the Service Offering The recipients of our community outreach offering for the month of August are : Manchester Area Conference of Churches (food pantry) Hockanum Valley Food Pantry CT Mutual Aid East of the River (food pantry) TLC Foundation Inc in Manchester, a non-profit dedicated to helping vulnerable youth Offering Music "Answering the Call of Love" by Jason Shelton Sung by Sandy Johnson Homily Don't Make Assumptions Liz Garmise Musical Interlude Homily Always Do Your Best Sam Taylor Closing Hymn #1031 "Filled With Loving Kindness" Traditional Buddhist Meditation Words and music adapted by Mark W. Hayes Mary Bopp, piano May I be filled with loving kindness. May I be well. May I be filled with loving kindness. May I be well. May I be peaceful and at ease. May I be whole. May you be filled with loving kindness. May you be well. May you be filled with loving kindness. May you be well. May you be peaceful and at ease. May you be whole. May we be filled with loving kindness. May we be well. May we be filled with loving kindness. May we be well. May we be peaceful and at ease. May we be whole. Extinguishing the Chalice and Closing Words Excerpt from "A New Dream: Heaven on Earth" 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 - Improvisation by Mary Bopp Welcome & Announcements (David Klotz) Centering Prelude Chalice Lighting and Opening Words Opening Hymn #20 "Be Thou My Vision" Words: Ancient Irish Music: Traditional Irish Introduction to the Service Joys and Concerns Musical Interlude Offering Offering Music Reflection - Karin Dionne Musical Interlude Reflection - Marian Vitale Musical Interlude Reflection: Jane Penfield Closing Hymn #21 "For the Beauty of the Earth" Words: Folliott Sandford Pierpoint Music: Conrad Kocher 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.

Our spiritual lives mirror the changing seasons. This remains a gospel truth for me.[1] Our spiritual lives take cues from the changes between seasons and the changes within each season—changes in the light, in the proximity of Earth to Sun, in the angle of Earth toward Sun; changes in temperature, color, the land, the wildlife, the night sky. All seasonal changes serve as prompts and cues for our spiritual reflection, practice and growth. For example, our spiritual winters are for rest and nurture, gestation, germination. They are womb times, dormant times, inward times, tomb times, dreaming times, healing times, seeds-waiting-below-the-surface times. Our spiritual springs are for rejuvenation and resurgence, bursting forth, rising up. They are fertile earth times, greening times, red-buds-on-branches times, warming times, planting times, youthful times, awakening times, resurrection times. Our spiritual summers are for exploration and play, invention and innovation, learning and growth, discerning vocation, discerning meaning and purpose. In our spiritual summers we find ourselves both rooted-in-rich soil, soaking up nutrients and moisture, and moved to venture out, to wander along our growing edges, to wander down roads not previously taken. Our spiritual autumns are for harvest, settling in, winding down, letting go. They are ripening and reaping times, gently falling leaves times, waning and decay times, preparing-the-fields-for-winter-rest times, reckoning with death times, thin veil times, remembering-the-ancestors times. These are some of the ways I describe how our spiritual lives mirror and respond to the changing seasons, how so many spiritual prompts and cues are embedded in our experience of the changing seasons. My descriptions are not universal. They don’t travel well. They don’t apply at the equator or in regions with two predominant seasons, rainy and dry. I say “our spiritual lives mirror the changing seasons” because I like the sound and feel of that language; but for some it may be more useful to say, simply, “our spiritual lives mirror the patterns of the earth;” or “our spiritual lives mirror the changes in the land;” or “our spiritual lives mirror the movements of the night sky.” I also note that our spiritual seasons do not always align with the calendar. Spiritual winter for rest, which may be necessary at any time of year. Spiritual spring is for rebirth, which may come at any time of year. Here, now, it is summer in the northern hemisphere. Summer’s mid-point is next weekend. Those who follow the neo-pagan wheel of the year might know it as Lughnasadh, the ancient, Gaelic first harvest festival occurring on the cross-quarter day between the summer solstice and the autumnal equinox. At least some of the mythology associated with Lughnasadh tells of gods fighting over the dispensation of grain. Some may also know the summer mid-point as Lammas, or Loaf Mass Day, or the Feast of First Fruits, a Christian first harvest celebration in some English-speaking countries. As I review the various mid-summer festivals around the world, harvest is definitely a theme; which makes sense: if one plants crops in March or April, certainly one will be harvesting by mid-summer if not sooner. But for me, as a prompt for spiritual reflection, harvest belongs with autumn, and I don’t want to arrive at spiritual autumn too soon, at least not in this sermon. I don’t want to miss the themes at the heart of spiritual summer, which for me are exploration, play, invention, learning, growth, seeking meaning and purpose. I’ve always thought of spiritual summer as a time to pursue passions and interests we haven’t yet pursued or which we’ve been neglecting. So often, for so many reasons, we aren’t doing the things we really want to do; we aren’t living the lives we long to live. I think of those words attributed to the 20th-century American Christian mystic, Howard Thurman: “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and then go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” Spiritual summer is the time to do the thing we feel called to do, so that we can come alive, so that we can live meaningful, purposeful lives. **** At the recommendation of a colleague, as part of my summer study leave, I’ve been reading a set of novellas, the “Monk and Robot” series, from the science fiction writer Becky Chambers. The first book in the series, Psalm for the Wild-Built, published in 2021, takes place on Panga, a moon that was once an industrial center, filled with factories that relied on robot labor. One day, the robots decided they didn’t want to do factory labor anymore. They disappeared into the wilderness. Humans respected the robots’ decision, and adapted by recreating their society, such that now Panga is a post-industrial, post-capitalist, green utopia.[2] Note: So much science fiction these days is dystopian. But the Monk and Robot series is utopian. Panga feels like the place we’re longing to create on earth today! The story begins as Sibling Dex, a monk who tends a monastery garden in the city, feels restless. Dex, who uses they/them pronouns, decides to change vocations, becoming a travelling tea monk. They bike from village to village with their tea cart. People visit the cart and open up to Dex, sharing their stories, problems, challenges, questions. Dex listens, engages in conversation, then brews a special cup of tea for each person they speak with, selecting tea leaves that will soothe the unique stress, anxiety, heartache or ailment the person is living with. It’s a ministry, for which Dex becomes very well-known. People look forward to Sibling Dex’s visits to their village. Dex, at least initially, is doing the thing that makes them come alive. They find a sense of purpose to overcome their restlessness. As I read it, Dex is in the midst of a spiritual summer. They are summering—not in the sense of vacationing, but in the sense of finding the truth at their core. But the restlessness returns. Sibling Dex is no longer confident serving tea is their purpose. They’re not sure it’s meaningful, at least not in an ultimate sense. Something else calls them. They decide to journey alone into the wilderness, a radical decision, since humans don’t do this. I read the decision as Sibling Dex moving deeper into their spiritual summer, exploring, searching, seeking. In the wilderness Dex meets the robot Mosscap, the first human-robot contact since the robots left the factories centuries earlier. It turns out Mosscap has left robot society to learn how humans are doing. There is a basic question at the heart of Mosscap’s research; what do human’s need? Through the course of their ensuing conversations it becomes clear Dex needs meaning and purpose. Mosscap is confused by this. [Humans], it says, “the creators of us … originally made us with a clear purpose in mind. A purpose inbuilt from the start. But when we woke up and said, We have realized our purpose and we don’t want it, you respected that. More than respected. You rebuilt everything to accommodate our absence. You were proud of us for transcending our purpose, and proud of yourselves for honoring our individuality. So why, then, do you insist on having a purpose for yourself, one which you are desperate to find and miserable without? If you understand that robots’ lack of purpose … is the crowning mark of our intellectual maturity, why do you put so much energy into seeking the opposite?” Mosscap, though it, too, is searching, and expresses a clearly-stated purpose to learn what humans need, is also content just to sit still and observe. Apparently, robots will sit still and observe a small feature of the natural world for decades at a time. So Mosscap is genuinely confused about Dex’s anxious search for meaning and purpose. Dex struggles with Mosscap’s questioning. I do too. I realize that over the years, I’ve put enormous energy into what I am calling summering, into figuring out how to live in a way that is meaningful and purposeful. I’ve put enormous energy into conducting my ministry in a way that is meaningful and purposeful. Countless times in countless ways I have said to you that one of the central roles of this congregation in your lives is—or at least ought to be—supporting you in seeking, discovering and pursuing meaning and purpose. That’s not about to change. And I don’t think Becky Chambers is suggesting that it should, though she is clearly wondering how to value the human search for meaning and purpose. I take from her a caution that the search for meaning and purpose—as important as it is, as deep and profound a part of the human condition as it is—may not always get us where we think we want to go. We may never find fulfillment. The answers we seek may be more elusive than we imagine, may remain mysterious despite our best efforts. The journey may never end. That’s the caution. But I also read her as saying it’s OK. She’s counseling us to approach our searching more lightly, to pursue it more gently, to leave space—even cultivate space—for spontaneity, serendipity and the unexpected; to spend more time sitting still and observing. There’s a message here about trust and acceptance. I think Chambers is saying ‘yes, search for meaning and purpose, as Dex is doing, but also relax. Breathe. Settle in. Trust there are certain, fundamental truths that surround us, hold us and live in us whether we’re successful in our searching or not, whether we find the meaning we long for or not. Two things Mosscap says speak volumes to me in this regard. First, Dex asks Mosscap: “’It doesn’t bother you …. The thought that your life might mean nothing in the end?” Mosscap responds: “’That’s true for all life I’ve observed. Why would it bother me?’ Mosscap’s eyes glowed brightly. ‘Do you not find consciousness to be the most exhilarating thing? Here we are, in this incomprehensibly large universe, on this one tiny moon around this one incidental planet, and in all the time this entire scenario has existed, every component has been recycled over and over again into infinitely incredible configurations, and sometimes, those configurations are special enough to be able to see the world around them. You and I—we’re just atoms that arranged themselves the right way, and we can understand that about ourselves. Is that not amazing?” Second, robots were designed to live forever. When Dex learns they have chosen to let themselves decay over time—have chosen impermanence—they are incredulous. “‘…. You could live forever. But you chose this. You chose to be impermanent. People didn’t, and we spend our whole lives trying to come to grips with that.’ ‘I didn’t choose impermanence,’ Mosscap said. ‘The originals did, but I did not. I had to learn my circumstances just as you did.’ ‘Then how,’ Dex said, ‘how does the idea of maybe being meaningless sit well with you?’ Mosscap considered. ‘Because I know that no matter what, I’m wonderful,’ it said. There was nothing arrogant about the statement, nothing flippant or brash. It was merely an acknowledgement, a simple shared truth.” **** It’s summertime. Mindful that any of us could be moving through any spiritual season at the moment, I’m trying to name the essence of spiritual summer. I’m clear it’s a time for searching and seeking. I’m clear it’s a time for exploration, play, innovation, creativity, for doing the things that make us come alive, especially if we’ve been avoiding those things. I’m clear summering is for discerning meaning and growing in our sense of purpose. I also understand we don’t always get there. We don’t always find what we’re looking for. We don’t always experience fulfillment in our searching, and, as it did for Dex, this may feel problematic, even painful, which may bring us to a place of anxiety, even existential worry – my life is finite; surely it means something, surely there is some point to it! What if there isn’t? It is very human to ask these kinds of questions. In this summer season I am finding some comfort in the insights of a fictional robot: that consciousness is exhilarating, a gift beyond measure; that we are a collection of atoms that arranged themselves in a certain way and now have the ability to perceive ourselves and the universe—and this is a blessing; and, that despite our impermanence, we are wonderful. Whatever spiritual season you find yourself in, I wish you well on your particular journey. And in all your spiritual summers, I wish you a fruitful search for meaning and purpose which hopefully includes time to sit still and observe. And whether your searching yields the answers you seek or not, I remind you of the gift of exhilarating consciousness. I remind you that you are wonderful. Amen and blessed be. [1] Here’s an example of a similar sermon on the same theme from a few years ago on the transition from winter to spring: https://www.uuse.org/post/turning-rev-josh-pawelek-february-2-2025. [2] Learn about “Psalm for the Wild-Built and other Becky Chambers books at https://www.otherscribbles.com/#/a-psalm-for-the-wild-built/.