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

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

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

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

Gathering Music Welcome Centering Prelude "The Word" Music & Lyrics by John Lennon & Paul McCartney Performed by Sandy Johnson & Dan Thompson Chalice Lighting and Opening Words "Morning Blessings of the Celtic Dawn" Written by Dee Hennessy, as published on Insight Timer Opening Hymn #298 "Wake, Now, My Senses" Words by Thomas J.S. Mikelson, Traditional Irish Melody Mary Bopp, piano (1st 4 verses) Wake, now, my senses, and hear the earth call; feel the deep power of being in all; keep, with the web of creation your vow, giving, receiving as love shows us how. Wake, now, my reason, reach out to the new; join with each pilgrim who quests for the true; honor the beauty and wisdom of time; suffer thy limit, and praise the sublime. Wake, now, compassion, give heed to the cry; voices of suffering fill the wide sky; take as your neighbor both stranger and friend, praying and striving their hardship to end. Wake now my conscience, with justice thy guide; join with all people whose rights are denied; take not for granted a privileged place; God's love embraces the whole human race. Introduction to the Service - Liz Garmise Time For All Ages A Performance of Magic By Eliot Garcia of the UUSE Junior Youth Group Hymn #1057 "Go Lifted Up" Words & Music by Mortimer Barron (repeat 2x) Go lifted up, Love bless your way, moonlight, starlight guide your journey into peace and the brightness of day. Announcements Joys and Concerns Musical Interlude Offering The recipient of our community outreach offering for the month of April is the Inter-religious Ecojustice Network, whose mission is to insprie and equip Connecticut's religious communities and their spiritual allies to protect our planet through education, engagement, and advocacy. Offering Music "Anticipation" Music & Lyrics by Carly Simon Performed by Sandy Johnson & Dan Thompson Poetry Reading "Crocus/Spring Equinox" Written and read by Sudha Sevin Poetry Reading "Spring Parade" Written and read by Coryn Clark Homily - Liz Garmise Closing Hymn #108 "My Life Flows On In Endless Song" Words - Early Quaker Song, Music: American Gospel Tune Mary Bopp, piano (1st 2 verses only) My life flows on in endless song above earth's lamentation. I hear the real though far-off hymn that hails a new creation. Through all the tumult and the strife I hear the music ringing. It sounds an echo in my soul. How can I keep from singing! What though the tempest 'round me roars, I know the truth, it liveth. What through the darkness 'round me close, songs in the night it giveth. No storm can shake my inmost calm while to that rock I'm clinging. Since love prevails in heav'n and earth, how can I keep from singing! Extinguishing the Chalice and Closing Words Closing Circle May faith in the spirit of life And hope for the community of earth And love of the light in each other Be ours now, and in all the days to come.

Gathering Music Welcome and Announcements Centering Prelude "Earth Blessing" by Helen Yeomans UUSE Choir Vera Elzerman, percussion Chalice Lighting and Opening Words "Alleluia!" by the Rev. Jeanne Lloyd Opening Hymn "Morning Has Broken" Words by Eleanor Farjeon Music: Gaelic Melody Morning has broken like the first morning, blackbird has spoken like the first bird. Praise for the singing! Praise for the morning! Praise for them, springing fresh from the Word ! Sweet the rain's new fall sunlit from heaven, like the first dewfall on the first grass. Praise for the sweetness of the wet garden sprung in completeness where God's feet pas s. Mine is the sunlight! Mine is the morning born of the one light Eden saw play! Praise with elation, praise every morning, God's recreation of the new day! Time for All Ages "Seed Blessing" Joys and Concerns Musical Response Offering The recipient of our April Community Outreach offering is the Inter-Religious Eco-Justice Network, or IREJN, Connecticut's only faith-based environmental non-profit organization. Their mission is to inspire and equip Connecticut's religious communities and their spiritual allies to protect our planet through education, engagement, and advocacy. Offering Music "Slavonic Dance op. 46, no. 8" by Antonin Dvorak Dorothy Bognar and Mary Bopp, pianos Music "Agnus Dei" by Eugene Butler UUSE Choir Music "Let There Be Music" by Joel Raney UUSE Choir Homily "Let There Be Music" Rev. Josh Pawelek Closing Hymn "Lo, the Day of Days is Here" Words by Frederick Lucian Hosmer Music by Robert Williams Lo, the day of days is here, Alleluia! Festival of hope and cheer! Alleluia! At the south wind's genial breath -- Alleluia! Nature wakes from seeming death, Alleluia! Fields are smiling in the sun, Alleluia! Loosened streamlets seaward run, Alleluia! Tender blade and leaf appear; Alleluia! 'Tis the spring-tide of the year, Alleluia! Lo, the Eastertide is here, Alleluia! Music thrills the atmosphere. Alleluia! Join, you people all, and sing -- Alleluia! Love and praise and thanksgiving, Alleluia! Closing Music "Welcome Spring" by Andy Beck UUSE Choir Extinguishing the Chalice Closing Circle May faith in the spirit of life And hope for the community of earth And love of the light in each other Be ours now, and in all the days to come.

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

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

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

From "Brave Clara Barton" by Jack Murphy with illustrations by Sarah Green Sometime in the early morning hours of February 28 th , US and Israeli airstrikes began decimating targets in Iran in a military campaign named “Operation Epic Fury.” The bombing has continued, with administration officials issuing ominous warnings, like “today will be the most intense day of strikes yet,” and “death and destruction from the sky all day long.” There’s an almost meaningless debate over whether Operation Epic Fury is a war. One can argue it isn’t a war because Congress has the Constitutional authority to declare war, and Congress hasn’t done that. Indeed, the Administration made no effort to get Congress’ approval, let alone build public support. Some officials refer to it as a war on occasion. Others say it’s not a war. This week the President referred to it as an excursion. Officials are using all sorts of euphemisms, mindful, I assume, that if they call it a war, it’s blatantly unconstitutional and illegal.             I call it a war. Given the scale of the attacks, the cost, the impact on energy prices and global commerce, the impacts on food distribution in the region, the long-term environmental consequences, and the sheer human suffering, I don’t have any other word for it. It’s a war. But let’s let the lawyers work on the legal questions which I’m sure will be with us long after the bombs stop falling. I want to speak to our moral and spiritual assessments of this war. To frame my thoughts, three things jump out at me.             First, I’m concerned about the tone with which our leaders talk about the war, and what that tone suggests about their regard for the legal guardrails that protect civilians. Most notably, in his March 4 th  press conference, Secretary Hegseth said “Our rules of engagement are bold, precise and designed to unleash American power, not shackle it. This was never meant to be a fair fight, and it is not a fair fight. We are punching them while they're down, which is exactly how it should be.” [1]  Our rules are designed to “unleash,” not “shackle.” This is highly loaded language from Secretary Hegseth who famously told troops under his command in Iraq to ignore guidance from military lawyers regarding how to uphold the Geneva Conventions on the battlefield. In his 2024 book, The War on Warriors, Hegseth  wrote  “If our warriors are forced to follow rules arbitrarily and asked to sacrifice more lives so that international tribunals feel better about themselves, aren’t we just better off winning our wars according to our own rules?! Who cares what other countries think?” [2]             Second, while it is difficult to get accurate information from the midst of a war zone, by many accounts, Operation Epic Fury is not limited to military targets. On Monday, according to Al Jazeera, “Iranian Deputy Health Minister Ali Jafarian [said] United States-Israeli attacks  across his country have killed and wounded mostly civilians and the bombardments on oil facilities have caused toxic smoke to spread across the capital, Tehran…. Jafarian said at least 1,255 people have been killed in Iran, including 200 children and 11 healthcare workers. Their ages ranged from eight months to 88.” [3]  On Wednesday, Al Jazeera reported that nearly 10,000 civilian cites has been bombed and that the civilian death toll was over 1300.” [4]             Third, allegations that the US, Israel and Iran are violating international law are mounting. On March 4 th , for example, a group of United Nations legal experts “condemned military attacks launched by the United States of America and Israel against Iran” as unlawful. “Unprovoked attacks by the US and Israel — launched amid diplomatic negotiations and without authorization from the Security Council — violate the fundamental prohibition on the use of force, sovereign equality, territorial integrity, and the duty to peacefully settle disputes under Article 2 of the UN Charter. They also violate the right to life.” [5]  The statement says “Civilians are bearing the brunt of this war with their lives, their safety, their environment and their health. In a country that has already lost thousands to violent repression following the nationwide protests that began on 28 December 2025, these attacks deepen an already profound human tragedy.” [6]             This war has very little support in the United States. People across the political spectrum reject it for a wide variety of reasons. Unitarian Universalists, especially since the Vietnam era, have generally opposed US war-making, especially in the Middle East; this war is no exception. There’s something deep in our spiritual DNA that leads us to oppose war in general and this war in particular. Part of our opposition stems from our left-leaning or progressive analyses and critiques of American abuses of power on the world stage, American imperial aspirations, American corporate domination, American hubris. That’s the intellectual part. But there’s a more fundamental source of our opposition, which is Unitarian Universalism’s basic concern, care and compassion for people and the planet. Our opposition is not just analytical. It’s something we feel. It’s in our bodies. It’s spiritual for us. We express it in our first principle, “the inherent worth and dignity of every person.” We express it in our sixth principle, “the goal of world community, with peace, liberty and justice for all.” We express it when we say “Love is the power that holds us together and is at the center of our shared values.” Human dignity, world community and love--that's who we are. Not war, not violence, and certainly not “punching them while their down.”             I have a theory that Unitarian Universalism inherits this emotional, physical, spiritual opposition to war—at least in part—from a cadre of 19 th -century Unitarian and Universalist women leaders, and likely thousands more women who engaged in similar activities but weren’t as well-known. I’ve been reflecting on this for a while and decided to share it with you this morning after reading a March 7 th New York Times  interview with the writer Rebecca Solnit. She said “Maybe changing the world is more like caregiving than it is like war.” [7]   Her statement made me think of these women. They are: the Unitarian and Transcendentalist writer, Louisa May Alcott, most famous as the author of Little Women ; the Unitarian abolitionist Julia Ward Howe, who I spoke about in January, most famous as the composer of the “The Battle Hymn of the Republic;” the less well-known Universalist Mary Livermore, a committed pre-war abolitionist and a post-war leader with both the temperance and the women’s suffrage movements; and the Universalist, Clara Barton, the “angel of the battlefield,” founder of the American Red Cross, and early innovator in the field of disaster response. All four served as battlefield nurses during the American Civil War. All four witnessed directly the horrors of war—the carnage, the suffering, the death. Their witness shaped their post-war lives: their writing, their lecturing, their ongoing activism. When I say there’s something deep in our Unitarian Universalist spiritual DNA that leads us to oppose war today, I think it originates, at least in part, from the witness of these spiritual ancestors.              Regarding Alcott, an article on a Civil War photography website says, “Her letters from this period reveal a sobering view of war. Alcott, like other nurses, had no formal medical training. She worked twelve-hour shifts tending to wounds, bathing patients, writing letters for them, and offering comfort as many succumbed to infection or trauma. The war brought no nobility or glory—only bloodshed, cruelty, and exhaustion. In a letter home, she wrote: “A more perfect pestilence-box than this house I never saw… wounded men, dying men, and decomposing flesh made the air oppressive….” Though her nursing career ended abruptly [due to illness,] it gave Alcott the raw material for one of her earliest successful works:  Hospital Sketches …. The sketches blended humor, realism, and sorrow in a way that captured the public’s imagination and revealed the emotional cost of war—especially through a woman’s perspective…. Alcott’s vivid descriptions of the wounded, her observations of military doctors, and her reflections on grief and human endurance offered a rare look into the Civil War hospital system.” [8]             Regarding Howe, an article on the website of The Peace Alliance says she “nursed and tended the wounded during the Civil War, and worked with the widows and orphans of soldiers on both sides of the war, realizing that the effects of the war go far beyond the killing of soldiers in battle. The devastation she witnessed … inspired her to call [on] women to ‘rise up through the ashes and devastation,’ urging a Mother’s Day dedicated to peace.” [9]  She issued her Mother’s Day Proclamation of Peace in Boston in 1870. We’ve offered Sunday services on this in the past. This was the original Mother’s Day. The text of the proclamation is in our hymnal, #573. It begins with these words: “Arise, then, women of this day! Arise, all women who have hearts, whether our baptism be that of water or of tears! Say firmly: We will not have great questions decided by irrelevant agencies. Our husbands shall not come to us, reeking with carnage, for caresses and applause. Our sons shall not be taken from us to unlearn all that we have been able to teach them of charity, mercy and patience. We, women of one country, will be too tender of those of another country to allow our sons to be trained to injure theirs. From the bosom of the devastated earth a voice goes up with our own. It says: Disarm, Disarm! The sword of murder is not the balance of justice.” [10] Mary Livermore served as a leader in the northwestern office of the United States Sanitary Commission, a private relief agency created by federal legislation at the outset of the war to support sick and wounded soldiers. [11]  Livermore’s 1887 book, My Story of the War, detailed the sheer agony of the conflict, described the horrors of hospital life, and documented the various ways women sacrificed to help achieve the Union victory. [12]   I love a very simple quote from her book: “It is better to heal a wound than to make one.”             Finally, Clara Barton, the angel of the battlefield. She really needs a full sermon. The children’s story I read earlier [13]  just scratches the surface of her achievements, really her ministry not only to wounded and dying soldiers in the Civil War and later on European battlefields, not only to the families of more than 20,000 missing American soldiers whose remains she helped identify after the Civil War, but to all the people of the United States with the founding of the American Red Cross and her later work responding to disasters. One article mentions that throughout her life she traveled to many disaster and war scenes to bring and administer aid, including the Johnstown flood, the Galveston tidal wave, the Cincinnati flood, the Florida yellow fever epidemic, the Spanish-American War , and the Armenian massacre in Turkey. [14]               If you find Secretary Hegseth’s disregard for the international rules of war and the Geneva Conventions morally objectionable, there’s an important piece of our history you need to know. Most of these international conventions, including the current Geneva Conventions, were written and adopted following World War II. However, the original Geneva Conventions treaty was written and adopted by 12 European nations in 1863. The treaty declared medical personnel neutral and … that sick and wounded soldiers would be cared for regardless of their nationality. The treaty also established the symbol of the red cross on a white background as a sign used by medical personnel to indicate their neutrality when aiding the wounded in war zones.” [15]  The United States did not sign onto the Geneva Conventions until 1882. The primary advocate for the United States to sign this treaty? Our spiritual ancestor, the Universalist Clara Barton.             When I say there’s something deep in our Unitarian Universalist spiritual DNA that leads us to oppose war today, I think I’m on solid ground when I say it originates, at least in part, from the witness of these spiritual ancestors. And what is the heart of that legacy? In the words of Rebecca Solnit, changing the world looks more like caregiving, than it looks like war.             Amen and blessed be. [1]  Hegseth, Pete, Transcript, “Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine Hold a Press Briefing,” US Department of War, March 4 th , 2026. see: https://www.war.gov/News/Transcripts/Transcript/Article/4421037/secretary-of-war-pete-hegseth-and-chairman-of-the-joint-chiefs-of-staff-gen-dan/ . [2]  Quoted in Wilson, Jason, “Pete Hegseth told US soldiers in Iraq to ignore legal advice on rules of engagement,” The Guardian, December 2, 2025. See: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/02/hegseth-us-soldiers-iraq-rules-engagement . [3] Aljazeera staff, “Iran says 1,255 people killed in US-Israeli attacks, mostly civilians,” Al Jazeera , March 9, 2026. See: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/9/iran-says-1255-killed-in-us-israeli-attacks-mostly-civilians# [4]   Melimopoulos , Elizabeth, “Iran war: What is happening on day 12 of US-Israel attacks?” Al Jazeera, March 11, 2026. See: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/3/11/iran-war-what-is-happening-on-day-12-of-us-israel-attacks . [5]  Statement from the United Nations office of High Commissioner for Human Rights, “Iran: UN experts call for de-escalation and accountability,” March 4, 2026. See: https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/03/iran-un-experts-call-de-escalation-and-accountability# . [6]  Ibid. [7]   Marchese , David, “The Interview: Rebecca Solnit Says the Left’s Next Hero Is Already Here,” New York Times , March 7, 2026. See: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/07/magazine/rebecca-solnit-interview.html ?. [8]  Winn, Melissa A., “I Set Forth in the December Twilight” Military Images Digital , September 11, 2025. See: https://www.militaryimagesmagazine-digital.com/2025/09/11/i-set-forth-in-the-december-twilight/ .   [9]  “History of Mother’s Day as a Day of Peace: Julia Ward Howe,” The Peace Alliance, May 8, 2015. See: https://peacealliance.org/history-of-mothers-day-as-a-day-of-peace-julia-ward-howe/         . [10]  Howe, Julia Ward, “Mother’s Day Proclamation,” Singing the Living Tradition  (Boston: Beacon Press and the UUA, 1993) #573. [11]  The US Sanitary Commission was founded by the Unitarian minister Henry Whitney Bellows, though it had its origins with an organization called the Woman’s Central Association of Relief. Ullman, Douglas, Jr., The United States Sanitary Commission, American Battlefield Trust, February 26, 2026. See: https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/united-states-sanitary-commission . [12]  Read and excerpt from Livermore’s My Story of the War at https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/s3-euw1-ap-pe-ws4-cws-documents.ri-prod/9780415896009/Document3-4.pdf . [13]  Murphy, Frank (author) and Green, Sarah (illustrator), Brave Clara Barton (New York: Random House, 2018). [14]   Lewis, Jone Johnson, “Clara Barton: Civil War Nurse, Humanitarian, Founder of the American Red Cross,” ThoughtCo, Feb 4, 2019. See : https://www.thoughtco.com/clara-barton-biography-3528482 . [15]  Friedman, Sarah, “Clara Barton and the Geneva Conventions” Library of Congress Blogs, December 22, 2023. See: https://blogs.loc.gov/law/2023/12/clara-barton-and-the-geneva-convention/

Illustration by Sarah Green from "Brave Clara Barton" Gathering Music Dorothy Bognar, piano Welcome and Announcements Annual Appeal Pulpit Testimonials Robin Byrne Centering Prelude "For What it's Worth" by Steven Stills Dorothy Bognar, piano Chalice Lighting and Opening Words To Remind Ourselves What Is Real by Elena Westbrook Opening Hymn #360 "Here We Have Gathered" Words by Alicia S. Carpenter Music: Genevan Psalter, 1543 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 "Brave Clara Barton" by Frank Murphy illustrations by Sarah Green Hymn #1057 "Go Lifted Up" by Mortimer B. Barron Go lifted up, Love bless your way, moonlight, starlight guide your journey into peace and the brightness of day. Joys and Concerns Musical Meditation Offering The recipient of our community outreach offering is the CT Alliance to End Sexual Violence. Their mission is to create communities free of sexual violence ad to provide culturally affirming, trauma-informed advocacy, prevention, and intervention services centered on the voices of survivors. Offering Music "Theme from "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Elmer Bernstein Dorothy Bognar, piano Sermon "On War, Women and Witness or Do UU Know Your History? Part III" Rev. Josh Pawelek Closing Hymn #212 "We Are Dancing Sarah's Circle" Words by Carole A. Etzler Music: African American spiritual We are dancing Sarah's circle, we are dancing Sarah's circle we are dancing Sarah's circle, sisters, brothers, all. Here we seek and find our history... We will all do our own naming... Every round a generation... On and on the circle's moving... Extinguishing the Chalice Closing Circle (music by Dorothy Bognar) 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 "Come, Come Whoever You Are" by Lynn Ungar Arr. by Mary Bopp Chalice Lighting and Opening Words "This Faith" by Heide Cottam Opening Hymn #21 "For the Beauty of the Earth" words by F. S. Pierpoint music by Conrad Kocher For the beauty of the earth, for the splendor of the skies, For the love which from our birth over and around us lies: Source of all, to thee we raise this, our hymn of grateful praise. For the joy of ear and eye, for the heart and mind's delight, For the mystic harmony linking sense to sound and sight: Source of all, to thee we raise this, our hymn of grateful praise. For the wonder of each hour of the day and of the night, Hill and vale and tree and flower, sun and moon and stars of light: Source of all, to thee we raise this, our hymn of grateful praise. For the joy of human care, sister, brother, parent, child, For the kinship we all share, for all gentle thoughts and mild: Source of all, to thee we raise this, our hymn of grateful praise. Time for All Ages "The Rabbit Listened" by Cori Doerrfeld Musical Interlude Announcements Introduction to the Service Welcoming Visitors and Joys & Concerns Musical Response Offering Continuing our practice of sharing our gifts with the community beyond our walls, fifty percent of our Sunday plate collections for the month of March will be shared with the CT Alliance to End Sexual Violence. (The Alliance) works to prevent and eliminate sexual violence in our state through education, legislation, advocacy, trauma-informed care, and a state-wide network of support for victims and survivors. Offering Music "With Open Arms" by Mary Bopp First Reflection - Emmy Galbraith Wisdom from Our Experts: Families & Religious Educators Second Reflection - Vivian Carlson Supporting Family Systems Closing Hymn #298 "Wake Now My Senses" words by Thomas Mikelson Traditional Irish melody Wake, now my senses, and hear the earth call; feel the deep power of being in all; keep, with the web of creation your vow, giving, receiving as love shows us how. Wake, now, my reason, reach out to the new; join with each pilgrim who quests for the true; honor the beauty and wisdom of time; suffer thy limit, and praise the sublime. Wake, now, compassion, give heed to the cry; voices of suffering fill the wide sky; take as your neighbor both stranger and friend, praying and striving their hardship to end . Wake, now, my conscience, with justice thy guide; join with all people whose rights are denied; take not for granted a privileged place; 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. Extinguishing the Chalice & 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.