Order of Service, December 29, 2019

INFINITE POSSIBILITIES

Guest Speaker: Rev. Al Boyce

Service Assistant: Nickie Albert

Prelude  

Welcome and Announcements

Introduction of Visitors

Opening Words: As We Gather Together This Morning, by Bets Wienecke

Lighting the Chalice Flame:   
Come, come, whoever you are. 
Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving.
Ours is no caravan of despair.
Come, yet again come.

Affirmation: Love is the spirit of this Congregation and service is its law. This is our great covenant to dwell together in peace, to seek the truth in love and to help one another. 

Hymn: #346 Come Sing a Song with Me

Children’s Faith Development Program: David Traupman
Go now in peace, go now in peace; may the spirit of love surround you everywhere, everywhere you may go.

Ancient Reading: Genesis 15, excerpts

Moment of Silence and Candle Lighting

Modern Reading: Your Beliefs Become Your Thoughts, by Mahatma Ghandi

Offertory  

Sermon: Infinite Possibilities, Rev Al Boyce

Hymn: #368 Now Let Us Sing

Extinguishing the Chalice Flame: 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.

Closing Words: When All Is Quiet and We Are Small and the Night is Dark, by Jane Rezepka

Postlude

Order of Service, Christmas Eve

THE MESSAGE OF CHRISTMAS

Rev. Carole Yorke: Service Leader

David Traupman: Worship Associate

Lynn Tomlinson & Bob Tomlinson: Ushers

Logan Bell & Faith Walters: Sharers of the Flame

Prelude: My Grown-Up Christmas List (D. Foster) 

Welcome   

Lighting the Chalice Flame: (in unison)
As we kindle this flame, a symbol of the warmth of this community, We kindle too a vision of hope, of gifts longed for,  of gifts offered and of gifts received. May this season, this night, remind us that it is always the season of miracles.

*Affirmation: (in unison) Love is the spirit of this Congregation and service is its law. This is our great covenant to dwell together in peace, to seek the truth in love and to help one another. 

Call to Worship: Why Are We Celebrating Christmas?

*Opening Hymn: #253 O Come, All Ye Faithful

Responsive Reading: #616 For So the Children Come

Reading: Luke 2:1-5 

Hymn: #246 O Little Town of Bethlehem

Reading: Luke 2:6-9 

Hymn: #231 Angels We Have Heard on High

Reading: Luke 2:10-14

Hymn: #237 The First Nowell

Reading: Luke 2:15-20 

Hymn: #245 Joy to the World!

Message: The Meaning of Christmas

Hymn: #244 It Came upon the Midnight Clear

*Candle Lighting

*Closing Hymn: #251 Silent Night, Holy Night

*Benediction

Postlude: Feliz Navidad (J. Feliciano) 
Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad
Prospero año y felicidad

I want to wish you a Merry Christmas
I want to wish you a Merry Christmas
I want to wish you a Merry Christmas
From the bottom of my heart

Post-Service Reception

Order of Service, December 22, 2019

CHANUKAH, WINTER SOLSTICE

Service Leaders: Barbara Hatzfeld

& Rachel Melcher

Prelude: Carry Your Candle (K. Troccoli)

Welcome and Announcements

Introduction of Visitors

Opening Words

Lighting the Chalice Flame:  
Let the lighting of this flame rekindle in us the inner light of love, of peace, of joy and of hope. And as one flame lights another, we pledge ourselves to be the bearers of the light wherever we are.

Hymn: Come, come, whoever you are,
Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving.
Ours is no caravan of despair.
Come, yet again come.

Affirmation: Love is the spirit of this Congregation and service is its law. This is our great covenant to dwell together in peace, to seek the truth in love and to help one another. 

Quiet Time/Meditation/Prayer/Candle Lighting

Hymn: #221 Light One Candle

Offertory: Walking in the Air (H. Blake)

Homily #1: Chanukah, Barbara Hatzfeld

Homily #2: Winter Solstice, Rachel Melcher

Closing Hymn: #55 Dark of Winter

Extinguishing the Chalice Flame: 
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.

Closing Words

Postlude: Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head (H. David & B. Bacharach)

Order of Service, December 15, 2019

ARE THE TRINITY AND CHRIST RELEVANT TO UNITARIANS? (PART 2)

Guest Speaker: Canon Thomas O’Brien

Service Leader: Barbara Hatzfeld

Prelude: Dance Lesson (Billiam Bennett)

Welcome and Announcements

Introduction of Visitors

Opening Words

Lighting the Chalice Flame: Let the lighting of this flame rekindle in us the inner light of love, of peace, of joy and of hope. And as one flame lights another, we pledge ourselves to be the bearers of the light wherever we are.

Hymn:
Come, come, whoever you are, 
Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving.
Ours is no caravan of despair.
Come, yet again come.

Affirmation: Love is the spirit of this Congregation and service is its law. This is our great covenant to dwell together in peace, to seek the truth in love and to help one another. 

Story for All Ages: Give Love: An Emerson Family Story 
From the collection Stream of Living Souls

Children & Youth Check-In & Send-Off:
Go now in peace, go now in peace; may the spirit of love surround you everywhere, everywhere you may go.

Quiet Time/Meditation/Prayer/Candle Lighting

Hymn: #32 Now Thank We All Our God

Social Justice Minute

Offertory: At This Table (I. Menzel)

Reading

Sermon: Are the Trinity and Christ Relevant to Unitarians? (Part 2) Canon Thomas O’Brien

Closing Hymn: #29 Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee

Extinguishing the Chalice Flame: 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.

Closing Words

Postlude: Do They Know It’s Christmas (B. Geldof & M. Ure)

Order of Service, December 8, 2019

MY FIRST CHALICA, A REFLECTION

Guest Speaker: Joe Donatone

Service Leader: Linda Hartley

Our task is to be who we are, in every way we can be; our salvation proceeding in putting ourselves back together after each tumble. We irridesce, shine, and radiate. We exclaim and roar: we are. -- Kenneth L. Patton

Introduction

Hymn: #349 We Gather Together

Prelude: One World (S. Healy)

Welcome and Announcements

Lighting the Chalice Flame:  
Come, come, whoever you are,
Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving.
Ours is no caravan of despair.
Come, yet again come.

Affirmation: Love is the spirit of this Congregation and service is its law. This is our great covenant to dwell together in peace, to seek the truth in love and to help one another. 

Time for All Ages: Excerpt from Flame of Learning, Chalice of Love by Janeen K. Grohsmeyer

Children & Youth Check-In & Send-Off:
Go now in peace, go now in peace; may the spirit of love surround you everywhere, everywhere you may go.

Hymn: #123 Spirit of Life

Quiet Time/Candle Lighting/Meditation:
The Moment of Magic by Victoria E. Safford

Offertory: From a Distance (J. Gold)

Responsive Reading: #441 To Worship

Sermon: My First Chalica, A Reflection, Joe Donatone

Hymn: #318 We Would Be One

Closing Words: You Are the Holiday Miracle by Gwen Matthews

Chalice Extinguishing: It Becomes More by Amy Zucker Morgenstern

Postlude: Top of the World (R. Carpenter & J. Bettis)