Order of Service, December 22, 2015 - Solstice
Date of Service:
December 22, 2015
December 22, 2015 Winter Solstice
Everything the Power of the World does is in a circle. The Sky is round and I have heard that the
Earth is round like a ball and so are all the stars. The Wind, in its greatest power, whirls. Birds make
their nests in circles, the Sun comes forth and goes down again in a circle. The Moon does the same
and both are round. Even the seasons are a great circle in their changing, and always come back to
where they were.
~ Black Elk, from Black Elk Speaks
The turning of the Wheel of time is a circle, as the year is a circular journey we make around the sun.
We begin in the dark of the year, when present, past and future meet.
~ Starhawk, from The Spiral Dance
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*Gathering Chant We are the flow, we are the ebb
We are the weavers
We are the web.
Welcome Rima Snyder
Chalice Lighting Cassandra Christenson
Responsive Reading Spiderweb, The Salvage Men Kay Ryan
From other angles the fibers look fragile,
but not from the spider's,
Always hauling coarse ropes,
hitching lines to the best posts possible.
It's heavy work everyplace,
fighting sag, winching up give.
It isn't ever delicate to live.
It isn't ever delicate to live.
It isn't ever delicate to live.
Musical Interlude Piano Sonata No. 14, Mvmt. I Ludwig van Beethoven
Karen Hsu Patterson
Reflections on the Solstice Rev. Tera Little
Reading Father Earth Clarissa Pinkola Estes
Rev. Carrie Lauer
Silence & Meditation
Lighting of Candles Yemaya Asesu arr. Brian Tate
Karen Hsu Patterson & DeReau K. Farrar
Closing Words The Great Web Denise Levertov
Rev. Tera Little
Closing Chant Light is returning, even though this is the darkest hour
Nothing can hold back the dawn.
Let's keep it burning, let's keep the light of hope alive,
Make safe our journey through the storm.
One planet is turning, circling in her path around the sun
Earth mother is calling her children home.
Extinguishing the Chalice
Service Notes
Many, many thanks to all of you who helped make this celebration possible!
Cassandra Christenson
Emmy Cresciman
DeReau Farrar
Joyce Holmen
Karen Hsu Patterson
Rev. Carrie Lauer
Rev. Tera Little
Katie Malich
Rima Snyder
... and everyone who donated food and drink for the reception.