Each year, on the first Sunday of January, we have a service titled "Service of Our Living Tradition." It is a special service where we recognize the births and the deaths in our congregation and in our individual lives. We recognize our new members with a "New Member Welcoming Ceremony" and we affirm our deacons. That is, we affirm their special relationship with the congregation and the work they do for this beloved community. The minister also recognizes an "exemplary" volunteer by giving to someone the "Minister's Volunteer of the Year Award."
It is different than our usual service, but one I wanted to post on our website, so that you would see one our our "newer" traditions. Rev. Lillie Henley
SILENT PRAYER AND MEDITATION
Please respect the silence of the sanctuary and those who gather. You are invited to light a candle on the Chapel altar before the service or during the Prelude.
PRELUDE
PROCESSIONAL HYMN
“Rank by Rank Again We Stand” #358, Singing Our Living Tradition our Unitarian Universalist hymnal
OPENING WORDS
Psalm 92 (New International Version, adapted to be inclusive)
It is good to praise you O God and make music to your name, to proclaim your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night, to the music of the ten-stringed lyre and the melody of the harp.
For you make me glad by your deeds, O God; I sing for joy at the works of your hands.
How great are your works, O God, how profound your thoughts! …O God, you are exalted forever.
My eyes have seen the defeat of my adversaries; my ears have heard the rout of my wicked foes.
The righteous will flourish like palm trees, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the God, they will flourish in the courts of our God.
They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, "God is upright; God is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him."
INVOCATION
DECLARATION OF FAITH
Our free-will Declaration was adopted by the Congregation in 2006.
In faith and freedom, we are called
to bring hope and healing to the world,
so that all may rejoice in God's grace.
I believe in
the universal love of God,
the spiritual authority and
leadership of Jesus Christ,
the trustworthiness of the Bible
as a source of divine revelation,
the need for repentance
and forgiveness of sin,
and the final harmony
of all souls with God.
RESPONSIVE CALL TO PRAYER
Adapted from Psalm 147:12-20
Leader: O God hear our prayer!
Congregation: Praise Yahweh, O Zion!
L: For God strengthens the bars of your gates;
C: God blesses our children.
L: God grants peace within our borders;
C: God fills us with the finest of wheat.
L: God sends out a command to the earth;
C: God's word runs swiftly.
L: God gives snow like wool;
C: God scatters frost like ashes.
L: God hurls down hail like crumbs—
C: who can stand before God's cold?
L: God sends out a word, and melts them;
C: God makes a wind blow, and the waters flow.
L: God declares the word,
C: and we must listen, God hear our prayers;
All: open our hearts, we praise you O God and will listen.
PASTORAL PRAYER
PRAYER OF JESUS
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done,
on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those
who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
and the power, and the glory,
forever and ever. Amen.
WELCOME AND TIME FOR COMMUNITY
OFFERTORY
DOXOLOGY
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow!
Praise God, all creatures here below!
Praise God above, ye Heavenly throng!
Praise God, Creator, in your song!
CHOIR SINGS
“We Laugh, We Cry” Verse 1, #354 Singing Our Living Tradition our Unitarian Universalist hymnal
CELEBRATING THE BIRTHS
READING
“Sleep” by Sappho, Ancient Greek Poet
Sleep, darling
I have a small
Daughter called Cleis, who is
Like a golden
Flower
I wouldn’t
Take all Croesus’
Kingdom with love
Thrown in, for her
CONGREGATION SINGS
“We Laugh, We Cry” Verse 2 #354, Singing Our Living Tradition our Unitarian Universalist hymnal
Speaking the names
REMEMBERING THOSE WHO HAVE DIED
READING
Lament of a dying mother of the Maori tribe
The bright sunbeams
Shoot down upon
Tauwara, whose
Lofty ridge veils
Thee from
My sight. O Amo, my beloved,
Leave me, that my eyes
May grieve, and that
They may unceasingly mourn:
For soon must I descend
To the dark shore—
To my beloved who has gone before.
CONGREGATION SINGS
“We Laugh, We Cry” Verse 3 #354 Singing Our Living Tradition our Unitarian Universalist hymnal
Speaking the names
MINISTER’S THIRD ANNUAL
“Volunteer of the Year Award”
RECOGNIZING OUR NEW MEMBERS
New Member Ceremony
Minister: The congregation welcomes today into members of this church new members who have united with us in religious fellowship. Will our new members who have joined in the last six months come forward? I invite our Church Moderator and our Church Registrar.
Moderator: You have signified your desire to become a member of this religious fellowship, sharing alike its privileges and duties. It is altogether fitting that those who are agreed in the deep things of the spirit should walk in one company together.
The members of this congregation are united, one with another, by the bonds of the spirit, in that service which is perfect freedom, striving for righteousness of life after the example of him who came not to be ministered unto but to minister. Your action here today signifies your intention to loyally support those things which are true and right, not only within this church, but in every relationship of life.
Registra: As a sign and token of your joining this church, you have signed the church by-laws in the membership book containing the signatures of those who have faithfully subscribed to this fellowship in the past. Those by-laws state, “We ... hereby unite for the public worship of God, the study and practice of the religion of Jesus, and the maintenance of the ordinances of the Christian Church.”
Moderator: Have you joined this congregation for that purpose?
New Member(s): I have.
Moderator: On behalf of the members of this congregation, I welcome you into this household of faith and offer you the right hand of fellowship. May the blessing of God keep us ever in the unity of the spirit and the bond of peace.
Minister turns to the congregation.
Minister: New members have joined our congregation. We recognize their commitment to UNMC today. We are hopeful of their continued spiritual and religious growth, and we hope that they and their family are blessed by this church.
Congregation: We delight in you joining us in our spiritual, religious, and faith journeys. We hope the bonds of spirit, the service we share, and the ministry we affirm answers your need for a loving, joyful, religious community. We welcome you to membership.
READING
John 1:(1-9), 10-18
REFLECTION BY OUR MINISTER
READING
From On My Own at 107: Reflections on Life Without Bessie by Sarah L. Delany, Amy Hearth
“Bessie, something just occurred to me. If I live a few more years—to the year 2000—I will have lived in three different centuries.
Well, if I’m going to make it to the year 2000 I figure I had better increase my stamina. So I’ve been climbing the stairs at least once a day, even if I don’t need to. And when I’m lonely and I can’t sleep, I’ll do an extra set of my yoga exercise, even if it’s in the middle of the night.
I heard a funny joke. You’d have loved it. It goes like this: a one-hundred-year-old lady was asked how she was feeling and she said, ‘Pretty good, but you never know what tomorrow’s going to bring. I ain't buying green bananas anymore, if you know what I mean?’
I thought the joke was mighty funny.
I don’t know what it says about me though. ‘Cause I’m still buying green bananas! I guess it makes me an optimist.”
“Buy Green Bananas”
Sarah L. Delany, born in 1889, and her sister Elizabeth Delany, born in 1891, wrote Having Our Say The Delany Sisters’ First One Hundred Years. They are better known as Sadie and Bessie. After Having Our Say, they wrote Book of Everyday Wisdom.
Bessie died first, in 1995 at the age of 104.
Sadie, sadly, did not see 2000; she died in January 1999 at the age of 109.
They lived together their whole lives, growing up in Raleigh, North Carolina, with their parents and later they moved to New York City. Both had advanced degrees from Columbia University and chose careers over marriage.
Sadie’s favorite Psalm was our “opening words,” Psalm 92. Especially the last few verses:
The righteous will flourish like palm trees, they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the God, they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, "God is upright; God is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him."
Their reflections in Everyday Wisdom are inspiring to every reader. Mostly because they remind us that no matter how demanding and complex our lives are, if we live simply, with integrity, and nurture our relationship with God, life is good.
Actually, if we were to compare their “recipe” for a good life with a “family systems theory” model, we would see the same components or, we could say, ingredients! To have a healthy family system we must be adaptable, flexible, accepting, explore our spirituality, educate ourselves, and be intentional about our relationships in a loving way.
Bessie and Sadie wrote (adapted):
Every day, pray; make God an everyday part of your life
Embrace change
Develop strong principles and live them
Educate yourself
Value what is truly valuable: love, family, friends
Live without regrets
Sadie also said make joy in your life. She found joy in gardening.
Now “joy” is not something floating around out there, that falls on us like rain; it is the satisfaction we feel when we “do” something to make our own lives, or others’ lives better. For Sadie it was gardening. We need to do something every day to bring joy into our lives. It doesn’t have to be extraordinary; it can be as simple as a smile, opening a door for someone, or being courteous as you drive. Real joy comes from being intentional in our effort to make life better for ourselves and others.
In her last book Life Without Bessie, Sadie tells the joke about green bananas. Of course, we know they are symbolic of “hope.”
Hope in the face of reality.
Hope in the face of any outcome.
Hope in the face of all possibilities.
Hope doesn’t float around waiting to fall on us like rain, either. Hope is knowing the certainty of the destination and taking each step along the road with a desire to know all the possibilities of the journey. Hope is knowing the certainty of the destination and taking each step along the road with a desire to know all the possibilities of the journey.
If there is a chance we feel like we have “lost hope,” then we have to find it. I am not negating the realities of diagnosable illnesses of depression or psychological challenges; these are real and medicine and therapy can help. I am saying that hope is about “possibilities.”
Possibilities we can experience if we our lives in healthy ways.
Every day, pray; make God an everyday part of your life
Embrace change
Develop strong principles and live them
Educate yourself
Value what is truly valuable: love, family, friends
Live without regrets
And
/b/Buy green bananas. Buy green bananas.
Amen and Blessed Be
AFFIRMATION OF OUR DEACONS AND THE TRANSITION OF A NEW HEAD DEACON
Rev. Henley: Today we affirm our Deacons . We recognize their diverse gifts and what they bring to the ministry of deacons in the life of our church. There are many kinds of spiritual and religious gifts; it is, however, the same Holy Spirit which gives them.
Congregation: There are different ways of serving, but the same God is served.
Rev. Henley: All who stand before you are Deacons of this church. They have been called to serve, and have been faithful and willing leaders in service to this beloved community.
Congregation: Thank you Deacons, we are grateful for all you have done for us. We thank God for the gifts of yourself you have shared.
Rev. Henley: Today we recognize the service of David Skidmore for having served as head deacon for so many years.
Congregation: Thank you Dave, we are grateful for all you have done for us.
We thank God for the gifts of yourself you have shared.
Rev. Henley: Today we affirm the transition of Marti Martinson to Head Deacon. We are hopeful that God will continue to bless the diligent work of Marti in this church. He has served us in so many ways, and we are confident that in the future his gifts will honor our Covenant with each other, with the community, and with the world.
Congregation: We celebrate with joy and hope the service of the Head Deacon and all the Deacons. We promise to love you, honor your leadership, and assist you, so that together we may be a faithful loving church in the ministry of Jesus of Nazareth.
HOLY COMMUNION
ORGAN MEDITATION
CLOSING HYMN
“We Laugh, We Cry” Verse 4
#354 Gray Hymnal
BENEDICTION
Posted by UNMC Office at January 9, 2009 02:42 PM