May 21, 2017                                                          Celebrating Religious Education & Our Bridging Ceremony

 

Prelude                                                     This Little Light of Mine

                                                                  Jack Rizzo (9am)

 

Welcome                                                                                                                        Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur

 

Chalice Lighting                                        Pam Teplitz

 

*Opening Hymn                                         #121 We’ll Build a Land

 

*Covenant                                                 Love is the doctrine of this church.

                                                                  The quest for truth is its sacrament,

                                                                  And service is its prayer.

                                                                  To dwell together in peace,

                                                                  To seek knowledge in freedom,

                                                                  To serve humankind in fellowship,

                                                                  Thus do we covenant with each other.

 

*Hymn of Praise                                        From all that dwell below the skies

                                                                  Let songs of hope and faith arise

                                                                  Let peace, goodwill on earth be sung

                                                                  Through every land, by every tongue.

 

Offering for the Westside Food Bank

 

Time for All Ages                                      Building Blocks                                                               Kathleen Hogue

 

Song of Blessing                                      #1053 How Could Anyone

                                                                 How could anyone ever tell you you were anything less than beautiful?

                                                                 How could anyone ever tell you you were less than whole?

                                                                 How could anyone fail to notice that your loving is a miracle?

                                                                 How deeply you’re connected to my soul.

 

Life Together

 

Pulpit Message                                        Right Relations Task Force

 

Story Part I:

Growing UU Children                              The Seed, the Pot, the Soil

                                                                The Brownlie/Oakes Family (9am)

                                                                The Duckman/Linnemeier Family (11am)

 

Offering                                                    Faith is a Journey

 

Devotional Time

 

Musical Response                                  The Magic Trumpet                                                            James Burke

                                                                McCartney Hutchins (9am)

 

Story Part II:

Growing UU Children                              The Water & the Sun

                                                                Sabina Mayo-Smith, Jane & Daphne Correia (9am)

                                                                Beverly Shoenberger & Sarah Robson (11am)

 

Sharing the Seedlings

 

Music for the Morning                             This Little Light of Mine

                                                                Ian Oakes (9am)

 

                                                                De Colores

                                                                Charley Duckman (11am)

 

Recognition of Teachers

 

Congregational Response                      RE Teachers and Adult Program Facilitators,

                                                                we thank you for taking responsibility as leaders of our classes.

                                                               We sincerely appreciate your commitment

                                                                 to sharing the great promise of our common heritage and the unfolding                                                                            future

                                                                with our children, youth, and adults.

 

Affirmation (unison)                                We are all part of this one community, children, youth, and adults alike.

                                                               May we all be enriched by exploring spiritually

                                                               and deepening our faith together.

 

Musical Response                                 Naughty                                                                                 Tim Minchin

                                                               Delaney Hutchinson

 

Bridging                                                 Freddy Kafka & Taila Walderman (9am)

 

Responsive Reading                             It Takes a UU Village

                                                              Lois Hutchinson & Larry Weiner (11am)

 

Closing Song                                        The Circle Game                                                                    Joni Mitchell

 

*Benediction

 

Musical Response                                Amen in Bb

 

*Please stand in body or in spirit

 

Greeters:                   Roberta Frye, Wendi Gladstone, Audrey Lyness & David Olson

Ushers:                      Bonnie Brae, Hugo Contreras, Kit Shaw & Greg Wood

Coffee:                      Barbara & Kim Andres, Sheila Cummins, Alice Hall & Eileen McCormack

Welcome Table:        Wendi Gladstone

Bookstore:                 Sarah Harper

 

Today 40% of our non-pledge offering will go to Unitarian Universalism beyond our congregation. Today we send our gifts to our Unitarian Universalist Association to promote social justice and liberal religion through public advocacy, leadership development, faith formation, and support for over 1,000 Unitarian Universalist congregations in the United States and around the world.

 

Bridging Ceremony -- Congregational Affirmation

 

We celebrate this new phase of your life's journey.

            We encourage you to continue your own free and responsible search for truth and meaning.

With both joy and sorrow, we let you go to spread your wings.

            This church community will always provide a spiritual home for you.

Your roots are here.

            Wherever life takes you, may you make a place for yourself in a Unitarian Universalist congregation.

It is up to you to show up, get involved, and give something back.

             It is up to us to build a bridge of support for youth and young adults.

 

All: We pledge ourselves to make our congregation a haven for all who are walking the bridge

from youth into adulthood.

 

Circle Game

 

Yesterday a child came out to wonder

Caught a dragonfly inside a jar

Fearful when the sky was full of thunder

And tearful at the falling of a star

 

Then the child moved ten times round the seasons

Skated over ten clear frozen streams

Words like when you're older must appease him

And promises of someday make his dreams

 

Chorus: And the seasons they go round and round

And the painted ponies go up and down

We're captive on the carousel of time

We can't return we can only look

Behind from where we came

And go round and round and round

In the circle game *

 

Sixteen springs and sixteen summers gone now

Cartwheels turn to car wheels thru the town

And they tell him take your time it won't be long now

Till you drag your feet to slow the circles down

 

Repeat Chorus

 

So the years spin by and now the boy is twenty

Though his dreams have lost some grandeur coming true

There'll be new dreams maybe better dreams and plenty

Before the last revolving year is through

 

Repeat Chorus

 

...And go round and round and round

In the circle game