Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
“Title” date ““epigram from top of order of service if you use one Prelude Jane Hulting Gathering Bell Welcome and Call to Worship Kathy Good morning and welcome! I am KE, privileged and blessed to serve this lively and growing congregation. I am joined today by worship associate, -------------. Today, we We’re glad you are here. It’s good to be together. Please join us for (coffee and conversation or potluck lunch) immediately following our worship celebration downstairs in fellowship hall. Communication/Connection Card (Generally I want to announce one thing, either the thing happening today, very soon or the thing that feels most important. Sometimes I do say more than one.) 1 We invite you to bring all that you are to this community: Your whole self - including your truths and your doubts, Your fears and your dreams. Whoever you are, you are welcome here. You are welcome here. In our presence may you seek meaning, Speak your truth in love, Share your truth, your gifts, and your love. (That’s what I basically say. Sometimes, I adlib a bit from it. Sometimes I add something pertinent to the particular service. Below from the George DeBenneville day.) As one of those on our window, George de Benneville wrote, "As no church is pure in all things, so none can be found that does not contain some truth. Glorious truths are found in every church and religion under the sun. And this glorious chain of truths . . . we believe will someday unite all of them into one form of love."i May we unite in love as we worship together. 2 Chalice Lighting (There are many beautiful possibilities for chalice lightings. I sometimes use the opening stem below and then use one of the principles, one of the sources or the Restoration Covenant that seems to fit the service.) As we light our chalice this morning, we call to mind and reaffirm one of the principles of our free faith: the acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations. Responsive Song Here Together Congregation We are here, here together in this holy moment and we’re grateful for the winding road that brought us to this place. (repeat) Entering Reflection (One page; 450 to 700 words max, 3-5 minutes) Gathering Hymn (We moved both joys and sorrows and the offering to the front of the service so that our children and youth can participate.) Joys and Sorrows We build our community, our connections by sharing our joys and sorrows – those things that brought you lifted up above the snow in joy this morning or those burdens that weighed you down, trudging through the slush. (I’ve been saying something like below since using the stones and water.) 3 We share our joys and sorrows using stones and water. Water is essential for life; water holds us all. Water can symbolize emotions. I invite you to come forward, bring your stone or choose another to represent your joy or sorrow, hold it and send the energy of you prayer into the stone and then place it in the water. The ripples remind us of our connections. Like dropping a pebble into a pool of water, we never know how far the ripples of our changing lives -- the sharing of our joys and sorrows and stories may travel. As you come forward, you may bring your joy or sorrow in silent prayer or you may come to the microphone and verbally share. Prayer Responsive Hymn # Spirit of Life or LovingKindness or When our Heart is in a Holy Place The Morning Offering/Change for Change Below are several different requests.) (From December) One way to share our own light is to share from our financial resources for the building of our community, for our work in the world to transform the world. . . I invite you to share “happy money” – money that you can feel good about sharing. 4 If you are a first time visitor here, you are our guest and we are happy to welcome you. Your presence with us is a gift and you are not obligated to give us another gift. The morning offering to this community will now be gratefully received. (from a November service) Generosity is a significant spiritual practice – generosity of spirit, generosity of time and energy and yes, generosity of our financial resources. I invite you to share “happy money” – money that you feel good about sharing – because you are helping to create and sustain a meaningful spiritual home. Money that you can joyfully give because you have also been given good gifts. May we share with awareness of gratitude for the abundance of gifts that we have received. Change for Change will go to ------------------. It will _______________. (And sometimes mention Restoration volunteer involved or other connection to the recipient.) Offertory (Since we have started receiving the offering up front, I generally say some words of thanks which includes thank you for all your gifts of life, love and energy.) 5 Thank you for all your gifts of life and love. Your sacred, holy gifts of your life energy, your resources and your time to help make the world better, to help your religious community. thank you for your holy gifts of life and love. Thank you for the gifts of service (or music or . . . particular people for particular things.) Story Wisdom Children and Youth leave for their time together. Reading Anthem Words of Inspiration ( Generally 1800 to no more than 2500 words. I try to end with using some words or phrases in the hymn that follows. You can end by saying Ashe. Amen Blessed Be. May it be so. Or any combination, if you like. You don’t have to. My friend, Ken Belden generally ends the sermon by saying , “May you live in blessing.”) Hymn # Closing Words Extinguishing the Chalice 6 (You can ask people to form a circle and hold hands for chalice extinguish. Some folks here really like it; some hate it. I often just plain forget it.) Responsive Song “Here Together” Music & Lyrics by David Glasgow We have spent time together and these holy moments give us strength to go down the winding road until we meet again. (repeat) (I have been inviting the worship associate to walk with my down the aisle as we sing the repeat verse. We open the doors.) and my prayer for you is a peace that’s true until we meet again. (After the song, I say something like this below and sometimes add “but first come downstairs for coffee/lunch. It still seems to get a laugh.) Go in Peace and be peace and return in love. May you live in blessing. Postlude Questions for Contemplation: (If you are using these, I just type them here to remind myself.) 7 i http://www25-temp.uua.org/uuhs/duub/articles/georgedebenneville.html 8