Turning earth, you have brought us today to the shortest day of the year.
Your back turned to the sun, we live in slant light this morning.
The air is cold. The sky is gray.
Night is already gathering and will come upon us quickly.
Some of us, too, this morning, are feeling cold and gray.
Disappointed with ourselves and with the circumstances of the world,
we, too, have turned our backs to the sources of light and life.
Doubtful about the future, and despairing of our faith, we, too, sense a long night gathering.
But winter knows nothing of disappointment, doubt, or despair.
Winter relaxes with needed rest and gathering of resources.
The life that will bloom in April lies safe in your womb.
The snow settling on your shoulders will melt into the water we need for August.
Cherish this season to slow down and rest.
Enjoy the warmth of friends all the more for the chill outside.
Pause to name what bright possibility grows within you.
Use the quiet to gather resources that we will spend all next year.
Today we light our candles, loving the darkness.
Today we sing our carols, loving the quiet.
Today we share our gifts of abundance, loving the empty spaces of a winter landscape.
And we give thanks for all of the Earth’s times and moods and for our own changing seasons of life.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
God of our Understanding
God of our understanding
Be with us today, surrounding us, filling us,
warming our bodies, brightening our thoughts, lifting our spirits.
Where we are hurting, bring a balm of healing
Where we are fearful, bring a touch of courage
Where we are confused, bring a word of wisdom
Where our lives are chaotic, bring calm peace
We give thanks for the food on our tables
And we pray for those who will not have enough food this week
We give thanks for heated rooms and roofs over our heads
And we pray for those who will sleep outside this week.
We give thanks for friends and families every where gathering together
And we pray for those families separated by necessity or painful choice
We give thanks for all those who work to keep us safe and secure
And we pray for the end of war and all the damage that war does to ourselves and our world.
May our leaders be wise to guide us
May we be strong to do the work required.
May we know the peace of a presence larger than ourselves lifting us when we are down, celebrating our success, and being the constant witness and companion of our lives.
In all the names we give you, in all the ways we know you, and with humble bowing to the mystery that we cannot truly name or know, we reach out in trust and love, and we live in peace and joy.
Be with us today, surrounding us, filling us,
warming our bodies, brightening our thoughts, lifting our spirits.
Where we are hurting, bring a balm of healing
Where we are fearful, bring a touch of courage
Where we are confused, bring a word of wisdom
Where our lives are chaotic, bring calm peace
We give thanks for the food on our tables
And we pray for those who will not have enough food this week
We give thanks for heated rooms and roofs over our heads
And we pray for those who will sleep outside this week.
We give thanks for friends and families every where gathering together
And we pray for those families separated by necessity or painful choice
We give thanks for all those who work to keep us safe and secure
And we pray for the end of war and all the damage that war does to ourselves and our world.
May our leaders be wise to guide us
May we be strong to do the work required.
May we know the peace of a presence larger than ourselves lifting us when we are down, celebrating our success, and being the constant witness and companion of our lives.
In all the names we give you, in all the ways we know you, and with humble bowing to the mystery that we cannot truly name or know, we reach out in trust and love, and we live in peace and joy.
Holy Spirit of Community
Holy Spirit of Community
We feel ourselves sometimes so alone, and so small
Sometimes it feels we have been left forsaken by friends, by family, by our nation, by our God,
Help us to see that this is always an illusion.
Help us to see that each one of us stands at the center of a vast community.
Help us to see that we can reach out in any direction and find hands reaching back to grasp us.
Help us to understand the truth of our seventh principle that tells us of our place in an interdependent web of all existence of which we are also a part.
We give thanks for the blessing of this community
We give thanks for the ancestors of our faith who support us from the past
We give thanks for the future of this future who encourage us from the future.
We give thanks for the loving support of the spirit of universalism that brings us all to wholeness
And we give thanks for the truth of Unitarianism, that name our personal power, and call us good and able to make our world a better place for ourselves and for all.
We feel ourselves sometimes so alone, and so small
Sometimes it feels we have been left forsaken by friends, by family, by our nation, by our God,
Help us to see that this is always an illusion.
Help us to see that each one of us stands at the center of a vast community.
Help us to see that we can reach out in any direction and find hands reaching back to grasp us.
Help us to understand the truth of our seventh principle that tells us of our place in an interdependent web of all existence of which we are also a part.
We give thanks for the blessing of this community
We give thanks for the ancestors of our faith who support us from the past
We give thanks for the future of this future who encourage us from the future.
We give thanks for the loving support of the spirit of universalism that brings us all to wholeness
And we give thanks for the truth of Unitarianism, that name our personal power, and call us good and able to make our world a better place for ourselves and for all.
Unitarian and Universalist
We give thanks today for the gifts of our Unitarian faith:
That human beings are powerful and good
That we are capable of making joy in our own lives
And in changing the world around us for the better.
And we give thanks today for the gifts of our Universalist faith:
That we are upheld by an irresistible force of love
That all the universe is a single creation
And that all existence will eventually find its way to salvation.
We give thanks for a faith that affirms our power, when we feel powerful,
And that offers us comfort and strength from sources beyond our own when we’re feeling weak and afraid.
With thanks for a faith sufficient to all the times of our lives, we go forward today into our lives, equipped to live lies of peace, love, and justice, in every situation we find ourselves.
May it be so.
That human beings are powerful and good
That we are capable of making joy in our own lives
And in changing the world around us for the better.
And we give thanks today for the gifts of our Universalist faith:
That we are upheld by an irresistible force of love
That all the universe is a single creation
And that all existence will eventually find its way to salvation.
We give thanks for a faith that affirms our power, when we feel powerful,
And that offers us comfort and strength from sources beyond our own when we’re feeling weak and afraid.
With thanks for a faith sufficient to all the times of our lives, we go forward today into our lives, equipped to live lies of peace, love, and justice, in every situation we find ourselves.
May it be so.
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