Gathering Music (Mary Bopp)
Welcome and Announcements (Rev. Josh Pawelek)
Centering
Prelude
"Swimming to the Other Side"
By Pat Humphries
Jennifer Richard, vocals and guitar
Chalice Lighting and Opening Words
"Leaves"
By Nicki Giovanni
Opening Hymn
#1023 "Building Bridges"
Words: The women of Greenham Common peace occupation in England, 1983
Music: Contemporary English Quaker chant
Building Bridges between our divisions,
I reach out to you, will you reach out to me?
With all of our voices and all of our visions,
friends, we could make such sweet harmony.
Welcoming New Members - Margo van Kuren and Hinda Handschu
Introductions (Membership Committee co-chairs)
The Charge (Minister)
As you take up membership in the Unitarian Universalist Society East, I charge you to share with us who you are. Share your creativity, your experiences, your questions, your doubts, your beliefs, and all your discoveries of life's meaning. I charge you to shake us up with your ideas, to stir us up with your conscience, to inspire us with your actions, and to stimulate our hopes with your dreams of what life can be.
Congregational Welcome (Congregation)
We welcome you as companions in the search for truth and meaning. We invite you to share in our mission of caring for one another, encouraging each other in spiritual growth, working for justice and peace in the wider community, and living in harmony with the earth. We join our gifts with yours, trusting in the power of community to bring freedom, healing and love.
New Member Affirmation (New members)
We join the Unitarian Universalist Society East out of a desire and willingness to participate in a liberal religious congregation. We pledge to share our time, energy and gifts; to diligently seek our spiritual truths; and to strengthen the bonds of community.
Responsive Hymn
"What is this Church?"
words adapted from Eugene Sander
Music by Jean Sibelius
What is this church?
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.
What is this church? Ask those who came before,
And found themselves, by crossing through its door.
Joys and Concerns
Musical Meditation
Offering
We do not gather our gifts only for ourselves but to share with the larger community. Continuing our practice of sharing our gifts with the community beyond our walls, fifty percent of our Sunday plate collections for the month of February will be shared with Manchester's African American and Black Affairs Council or AABAC. AABAC is a community-based organization whose mission is to uphold all aspects of the lived experiences of Black people in Manchester through advocacy, education, the arts and community events.
Offering Music
"All Ye Refugees"
Jenn Richard, guitar and vocals
By Sandra McCracken
Sermon
"On Inclusion, Part II"
Rev. Josh Pawelek
Closing Hymn
#323 "Break Not the Circle"
Music by Fred Kaan
Words by Tom Benjamin
Break not the circle of enabling love
where people grow, forgiven and forgiving;
break not that circle, make it wider still,
till it includes, embraces all the living.
Come, wonder at this love that comes to life,
where words of freedom are with humor spoken,
and people keep no score of wrong and guilt,
but will that human bonds remain unbroken.
Join then the movement of the love that frees,
till people of whatever race or nation
will truly be themselves, stand on their feet,
see eye to eye with laughter and elation.
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.
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