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Order of Service Archive

Sunday, March 12, 2017
 
             March 12, 2017
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*Gathering Hymn                                       #1010 We Give Thanks
                                                                      Oh, we give thanks for this precious day,
                                                                      For all gathered here, and those far away;
                                                                      For this time we share with love and care,
                                                                      Oh, we give thanks for this precious day.
 
Prelude                                                        Ebenezer                                                                       Thomas John Williams
 
Welcome
 
Chalice Lighting                                        Sabina Mayo-Smith
 
*Opening Hymn                                       #103 For All the Saints
 
*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
 
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
                                                                    Emily Linnemeier
 
Offering                                                      Ave Verum Corpus                                                                          W. A. Mozart
 
Devotional Time
 
Silence
 
Sung Response                                     #396 I Know This Rose Will Open
                                                                   I know this rose will open.
                                                                   I know my fear will burn away.
                                                                   I know my soul will unfurl its wings.
                                                                   I know this rose will open.
 
Responsive Reading                            #568 Connections Are Made Slowly
 
Music for the Morning                          This is Love to Me                                                                               Adam Gautel
                                                                  “Kyrie” from Requiem K.626                                                            W. A. Mozart
 
Sermon                                                   Arrival: Data Driven Religion                                              Rev. Silvio Nardoni
 
*Closing Hymn                                     #139 Wonders Still the World Shall Witness
 
*Benediction
 
Musical Response                               Blessed Be
 
*Please stand in body or in spirit
 
❦ ❦ ❦ ❦
 
Greeters:                                              Dwight Flowers, Katie Malich & Jila Tayefehnowrooz
Ushers:                                                 Bonnie Brae, Steve DePaul, Ned Wright & Michael Young
Coffee:                                                  Phyllis Kory, Linda van Ligten & Jila Tayefehnowrooz
Welcome Table:                                  Barbara Gibbs
Bookstore:                                           Sarah Harper
 
Service Notes
Today 40% of our non-pledge offering will go to Safe Place for Youth. From its recently expanded
location in Venice, CA, Safe Place for Youth seeks to inspire, nurture, and empower the resilient
human spirit of homeless youth (ages 12 - 25) by providing immediate and lasting solutions, one
young person at a time. Safe Place for Youth prioritizes low barriers for entry, harm-reduction, a
trauma-informed approach, and the provision of a safe, supportive environment. They do this through
a continuum of care that includes street outreach, drop-in services, case management, health and
wellness, and education and employment programs. For more information, to volunteer or to donate:
http://www.safeplaceforyouth.org.
 
Rev. Silvio Nardoni is a former affiliate minister of this congregation. He continues to practice law in
Glendale and counts that as part of his ministry. He lives in Silver Lake with his wife, Wanda, and an
assortment of feathered and furry friends. His passions include watching movies and his hobbies
include gardening and playing billiards.
 
Sunday, March 5, 2017
 
             March 5, 2017
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*Gathering Hymn                                 Gracias por el amor                                                         arr. William James Ross
                                                                Gracias por el amor del cielo, gracias por el inmenso mar,
                                                                Gracias por el cantar del bosque. ¡Aleluya!
                                                                Gracias por este nuevo día, gracias por nuestra gran unión,
                                                                Gracias por todas las bondades. ¡Aleluya!
 
Prelude                                                                                                                                                                Daniel Gledhill
 
Welcome
 
Chalice Lighting                                     Jacki Weber
 
*Opening Hymn                                     #1 May Nothing Evil Cross This Door
 
*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
 
Song of Blessing                                   #118 This Little Light of Mine
                                                                  This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine...
                                                                  Everywhere I go, I’m gonna let it shine...
 
Life Together
 
Pulpit Message                                      Barbara Gibbs, Dining for Dollars Auction Fundraiser
 
Voices of Community                             Beth Rendeiro & Alison Hurst, Safe Place for Youth
 
Offering                                                     Karitas Habundat                                                             Hildegard von Bingen
 
Devotional Time
 
Silence
 
Sung Response                                   #1013 Open My Heart
                                                                Open my heart, to all that I seek.
                                                                Let me be part of the Love You give.
 
Responsive Reading                        #658 To Risk
 
Music for the Morning                       Troubled Water (9am)                                                                     Margaret Bonds
                                                              Go Down Moses (11am)                                                            Adolphus Hailstork
 
Sermon                                               Where is the Fair in Farewell?                               Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur
 
*Closing Hymn                                 #1008 When Our Heart Is in a Holy Place
 
*Benediction
 
Musical Response                           Blessed Be
 
*Please stand in body or in spirit
 
❦ ❦ ❦ ❦
 
Greeters:                                         Barbara & Kim Andres, Tom Foretich, Barbara Gibbs & Denise Helton
Ushers:                                            Tom Early, Barbara Kernochan, Linda van Ligten & Greg Wood
Coffee:                                             Deirdre Dietel, Peggy Rhoads, Kit Shaw & Alicia van Ooyen
Welcome Table:                             Barbara Gibbs & Linda van Ligten
Bookstore:                                      Sarah Harper
 
Service Notes
 
Today 40% of our non-pledge offering will go to Safe Place for Youth. From its recently expanded
location in Venice, CA, Safe Place for Youth seeks to inspire, nurture, and empower the resilient
human spirit of homeless youth (ages 12 - 25) by providing immediate and lasting solutions, one
young person at a time. Safe Place for Youth prioritizes low barriers for entry, harm-reduction, a
trauma-informed approach, and the provision of a safe, supportive environment. They do this through
a continuum of care that includes street outreach, drop-in services, case management, health and
wellness, and education and employment programs. For more information, to volunteer or to donate:
http://www.safeplaceforyouth.org.
 
Karitas Habundat translation:
Loving tenderness abounds for all
from the darkest
to the most exalted one beyond the stars.
 
Exquisitely loving all
she bequeaths the kiss of peace
upon the ultimate King.
 
Sunday, February 26, 2017
          February 26, 2017
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*Gathering Hymn                              #188 Come, Come, Whoever You Are
                                                             Come, come, whoever you are,
                                                             Wanderer, worshiper, lover of leaving
                                                             Ours is no caravan of despair
                                                             Come, yet again, come
 
Prelude                                               Dickinson College                                        Lee Hastings Bristol, Jr.; arr. Gledhill
 
Welcome
 
Chalice Lighting                             James Witker
 
*Opening Hymn                               #149 Lift Every Voice and Sing
 
*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                                                                                                                                            Kathleen Hogue
 
Song of Blessing                                #414 As We Leave This Friendly Place
                                                               As we leave this friendly place, love give light to every face;
                                                              May the kindness which we learn, light our hearts till we return.
 
Life Together
 
Pulpit Messages                                Melinda Ewen, Dining for Dollars Silent Auction Fundraiser
                                                              Kikanza J. Nuri-Robins, Board of Directors
 
Gift for OPCC                                      Kit Shaw, Stewardship Committee & John Maceri, OPCC
 
Offering                                                Deep River                                                            Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (9am)
                                                                                                                                                             Alexander Blake (11am)
 
Devotional Time                                 Fragile and Rooted                                                        Rev. Carolyn Owen-Towle
 
Silence
 
Sung Response                                 #1007 There’s a River Flowin’ in My Soul
 
Responsive Reading                        #490 Wild Geese
 
Music for the Morning                       Witness                                                                                                   Hall Johnson
 
Sermon                                                Hearing the Call of Wild Geese                                      Rev. Anne Felton Hines
 
*Closing Hymn                                 #346 Come, Sing a Song with Me
 
*Benediction
 
*Musical Response                         Ubi Caritas
                                                                Ubi caritas et amor,
                                                                Deus ibi est.
 
*Please stand in body or in spirit
 
❦ ❦ ❦ ❦
 
Greeters:                                             Wendi Gladstone, Kris Langabeer, Michael Young & Steve Young
Ushers:                                                Tom Early, Tom Foretich, David Goetz & Rick Rhoads
Coffee:                                                 Barbara Andres, Kim Andres, Sheila Bjornlie, Leah Moore & Sylvia Young
Welcome Table:                                  Barbara Gibbs
Bookstore:                                           Sarah Harper
 
Service Notes
 
Today 40% of our non-pledge offering will go to Turning Point, a program of OPCC. Turning Point
Transitional Housing was established in 1983 as a 55-bed shelter for homeless men and women in
Santa Monica. In addition to an individual sleeping area, three meals a day and clothing, Turning
Point provides intensive case management, counseling and support groups, specialized programs
such as job counseling, money management, health education, computer classes and independent
living skills. If you are homeless and would like to be considered for residency at Turning Point, please
contact OPCC at (310) 450-4050.
 
To honor African American Heritage Month, in February our opening hymn will be Lift Every Voice
and Sing. Often called the Black National Anthem, this hymn is a setting of a poem that was
originally written to honor President Lincoln in 1899. There is something profound about reciting this
text anytime topics such as oppression, justice, or activism enter the conversation. It is a text that
calls us toward the pursuit of liberty for all, while rejoicing in the progress we have made and
honoring those lives that have been and will be lost to the struggle.
 
Rev. Anne Hines retired last summer (for the second time!) after more than 30 years of parish
ministry, all within our Pacific Southwest District. In 2015, Emerson UU Church in Canoga Park
bestowed on her the honor of Minister Emerita. She now serves as one of the UUA Pacific Western
Region’s Ministerial Transition Coaches. At home, she enjoys playing piano and spending time with
her family.
 
Ubi Caritas translation:
Where charity and love are,
There is God.
 
Sunday, February 19, 2017
 
             February 19, 2017
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*Gathering Hymn                               #16 ‘Tis a Gift to Be Simple
                                                              ‘Tis a gift to be simple, ‘tis a gift to be free,
                                                              ‘Tis a gift to come down where we ought to be,
                                                              ‘And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
                                                               ‘Twill be in the valley of love and delight
 
                                                               When true simplicity is gained,
                                                               To bow and to bend we shan’t be ashamed
                                                               To turn, turn will be our delight,
                                                               ‘Till by turning, turning we come ‘round right
 
Prelude                                                                                                                                                             Daniel Gledhill
 
Welcome
 
Chalice Lighting                                   Joyce Holmen
 
*Opening Hymn                                    #149 Lift Every Voice and Sing
 
*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
 
Song of Blessing                                 #414 As You Leave This Friendly Place
                                                                As you leave this friendly place, love give light to every face;
                                                                May the kindness which you learn, light your hearts till you return.
 
Life Together
 
Pulpit Messages                                  Faith in Action
                                                                Dining for Dollars Fundraising Auction
 
Offering                                                 Del Cabello Mas Sutil (9am)                                                 Fernando Obradors
                                                               Negro Bembon (11am) Electo Silva
 
Devotional Time
 
Silence
 
Sung Response                                #1009 Meditation on Breathing
                                                            When I breathe in, I breathe in peace
                                                            When I breathe out, I breathe out love.
 
Responsive Reading                       Each of Us Has A Name                                    Zelda, translated by Marcia Falk
 
Music for the Morning                       Prelude from Prelude and Caprice                                                 George Walker
 
Sermon                                               All in the Family                                                          Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur
 
*Closing Hymn                                 #277 As We Wend Homeward
 
*Benediction
 
*Musical Response                          Ubi Caritas
                                                                 Ubi caritas et amor,
                                                                 Deus ibi est.
 
*Please stand in body or in spirit
 
❦ ❦ ❦ ❦
 
Greeters:                                     Roberta Frye, Glen Howell, Audrey Lyness & David Olson
Ushers:                                        Steve DePaul, Nina Emerson, Kit Shaw & Ned Wright
Coffee:                                         Sheila Cummins, Rebecca Crawford, Alice Hall & Eileen McCormack
Bookstore:                                  Sarah Harper
 
Service Notes
 
Today 40% of our non-pledge offering will go to Turning Point , a program of OPCC. In addition to
food, shelter and clothing, Turning Point provides intensive counseling and support groups, money
management, health education and independent living skills. If you are homeless and would like to be
considered for residency at Turning Point, please contact OPCC at (310) 450-4050.
 
To honor African American Heritage Month, in February our opening hymn will be Lift Every Voice
and Sing. Often called the Black National Anthem, this hymn is a setting of a poem that was
originally written to honor President Lincoln in 1899. It is a text that calls us toward the pursuit of
liberty for all, while rejoicing in the progress we have made and honoring those lives that have been
and will be lost to the struggle.
 
About the Offering Music: Negro Bembon
The poem “Negro Bembon” by Nicolas Guillen was translated from Spanish into English in 1948 by
Langston Hughes. Using African American dialect, Hughes translated it as, “Thick Lipped Cullud Boy,”
a cynical criticism of a wealthy young person of color for whom all the blessings in the world cannot
erase his dismay over being identified as “cullud.” With a catchy tune and a Cuban groove, this song is
a celebration of our identity, self-worth, and belovedness, no matter how we look.
           ~ Zanaida Robles
 
Del Cabello Mas Sutil, Translation:
Of the softest hair
Which you have in your braid
I would make a chain,
So that I might bring you to my side.
 
A jug in your home,
Little one, I would like to be,
So that I might kiss you
Every time you took a drink.
 
Sunday, February 12, 2017
 
            February 12, 2017                                                                                                        Blessing of the Animals
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*Gathering Hymn                                  #203 All Creatures of the Earth and Sky                                   Verse 1 only
                                                                  All creatures of the earth and sky,
                                                                 Come, kindred, lift your voices high
                                                                 Alleluia, Alleluia!
                                                                 Bright burning sun with golden beam,
                                                                 Soft shining moon with silver gleam:
                                                                 Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia!
 
Prelude                                                   Devotion                                          arr. Gledhill; from Missouri Harmony, 1820
 
Welcome
 
Chalice Lighting                                   Johnson Family (9am)
                                                                 Jo An Peters (11am)
 
*Opening Hymn                                    #149 Lift Every Voice and Sing
 
*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
                                                                 Or barked or meowed, by every tongue.
 
Offering for the Westside Food Bank
 
Time for All Ages                                    A Stormy Tale                                                                               Kathleen Hogue
 
Song of Blessing                                  This Little Light of Mine                                                                        Traditional
                                                                 This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine...
                                                                 Everywhere I go, I’m gonna let it shine...
 
Life Together
 
Pulpit Messages                                     Dining for Dollars
                                                                   Heart & Soul
 
Offering Speaker                                    Amy & Bruno Lacombe (11am)
 
Offering                                                    The Monk and His Cat (9am)                                                     Samuel Barber
                                                                   Duetto Buffo di due Gatti (11am)                                       Gioachino Rossini
 
Our Pet Stories                                       Cassandra Christenson & Delaney Hutchinson, Makino Family (9am)
                                                                   Ellie Peters & Nalani Santiago-Kalmanson (11am)
 
Responsive Reading                             A Prayer for the Animals                                                      Albert Schweitzer
                                                                  Hear our humble prayer, O Spirit, for our friends the animals,
                                                                            especially for animals who are suffering;
                                                                   for animals that are overworked, underfed and cruelly treated;
                                                                             for all wistful creatures in captivity that beat their wings against bars;
                                                                    for any that are hunted or lost or deserted or frightened or hungry;
                                                                              for all that must be put to death.
                                                                    We entreat for them all mercy and pity, and for those who deal with
                                                                     them we ask a heart of compassion
                                                                                  and gentle hands and kindly words.
                                                                            Make us, ourselves, to be true friends to animals, and so to share
                                                                                   the blessings of the merciful.
 
Devotional Time
 
Sung Response                                      #15 The Lone, Wild Bird
 
Introduction to the Blessing
 
Blessing of the Animals
 
Congregational Blessing:                      “[Name of pet] ”
                                                                          We love you,
                                                                          We bless you,
                                                                          We appreciate you.
                                                                          We behold the loving spirit within you.
 
*Closing Hymn                                         #1064 Blue Boat Home
 
*Benediction
 
Musical Response                                   Colours in the Dunes                                                Bongani Ndodan-Breen
 
*Please stand in body or in spirit
 
❦ ❦ ❦ ❦
 
Service Participants : Bonnie Brae, Hugo Contreras, Dwight Flowers, Sarah Harper, Barbara
Kernochan, Phyllis Kory, Katie Malich, Jila Tayefehnowrooz, Linda van Ligten & Michael Young.
 
Service Notes
 
To honor African American Heritage Month, in February our opening hymn will be Lift Every Voice and
Sing. Often called the Black National Anthem, this hymn is a setting of a poem that was originally
written to honor President Lincoln in 1899. It is a text that calls us toward the pursuit of liberty for all,
while rejoicing in the progress we have made and honoring those lives that have been and will be lost
to the struggle.
 
Today, 60% of our offering will go to the UU Animal Ministry. The Unitarian Universalist Animal
Ministry serves as a source of education for UUs by relating the religious and spiritual aspects of our
tradition to justice and ethical issues, and by promoting and supporting justice making efforts for
animals within our UU congregations and in the world.
 
Black History Month Composer Spotlight: Bongani Ndodana-Breen . Please see flyer section.
 
Sunday, February 5, 2017
 
      February 5, 2017
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*Gathering Hymn                                 #1010 We Give Thanks                                                   Wendy Luella Perkins
                                                               Oh, we give thanks for this precious day,
                                                               For all gathered here, and those far away;
                                                               For this time we share with love and care,
                                                               Oh, we give thanks for this precious day.
 
Prelude                                                 Prelude in C Major                                                                                   J. S. Bach
 
Welcome
 
Chalice Lighting                                    Margot Page
 
*Opening Hymn                                  #149 Lift Every Voice and Sing
 
*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
 
Song of Blessing                                 #414 As We Leave This Friendly Place
                                                               As we leave this friendly place, love give light to every face;
                                                              May the kindness which we learn, light our hearts till we return.
 
Life Together
 
Pulpit Message                                  Right Relations Task Force
 
Offering                                               Make Them Hear You from Ragtime                                       Stephen Flaherty
                                                              Thomas Ahern, bass-baritone
 
Devotional Time
 
Silence
 
Sung Response                               #1002 Comfort Me
                                                           Comfort me, comfort me, comfort me, oh my soul.
                                                           Comfort me, comfort me, comfort me, oh my soul.
                                                           Sing with me...
                                                           Speak for me...
                                                           Dance with me...
                                                           Comfort me...
 
Responsive Reading                     #521 May I Be No One’s Enemy
 
Music for the Morning                    Goodbye, My Love from Ragtime                                                 Stephen Flaherty
 
Sermon                                            Where is the Good in Goodbye?                                  Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur
 
*Closing Hymn                               #168 One More Step
 
*Benediction
 
Musical Response                          Amen in Bb
 
*Please stand in body or in spirit
 
❦ ❦ ❦ ❦
 
Greeters:                                      Barbara & Kim Andres, Tom Foretich, Barbara Gibbs & Denise Helton
Ushers:                                         Peggy Kharraz, Jila Tayefehnowrooz, Linda van Ligten & Greg Wood
Coffee:                                          Deirdre Dietel, Jimmy Hogue, Kit Shaw & ALicia van Ooyen
Welcome Table:                          Barbara Gibbs
Bookstore:                                   Sarah Harper
 
Service Notes
 
Today, 40% of our non-pledge offering will go to Turning Point, a program of OPCC. Turning Point
Transitional Housing was established in 1983 as a 55-bed shelter for homeless men and women in
Santa Monica. In addition to an individual sleeping area, three meals a day and clothing, Turning
Point provides intensive case management, counseling and support groups, specialized programs
such as job counseling, money management, health education, computer classes and independent
living skills. If you or someone you know is homeless and would like to be considered for residency at
Turning Point, please contact OPCC at (310) 450-4050.
 
To honor African American Heritage Month, in February our opening hymn will be Lift Every Voice and
Sing. Often called the Black National Anthem, this hymn is a setting of a poem that was originally
written to honor President Lincoln in 1899. There is something profound about reciting this text
anytime topics such as oppression, justice, or activism enter the conversation. It is a text that calls us
toward the pursuit of liberty for all, while rejoicing in the progress we have made and honoring those
lives that have been and will be lost to the struggle.
 
Sunday, January 29, 2017
 
       January 29, 2017
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*Gathering Hymn                                             Bind Us Together
                                                                            Bind us together, oh bind us together
                                                                            with cords that cannot be broken.
                                                                            Bind us together, oh bind us together,
                                                                           oh bind us together with love.
 
Prelude                                                            Searching for More                                                            Daniel Gledhill
 
Welcome
 
Chalice Lighting                                             Amy & Bruno Lacombe
 
*Opening Hymn                                             #360 Here We Have Gathered
 
*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
 
Song of Blessing                                          #414 As We Leave This Friendly Place
                                                                         As we leave this friendly place, love give light to every face;
                                                                         May the kindness which we learn, light our hearts till we return.
 
Life Together
 
Offering                                                          La Lune Blanche (9am)                                                           Gabriel Faure
                                                                        Elijah Rock (11am)                                                                 Jester Hairston
 
Devotional Time
 
Silence
 
Sung Response                                           #1031 Filled With Loving Kindness
                                                                        May I be filled with loving kindness
                                                                        May I be well.
                                                                        May I be filled with loving kindness
                                                                        May I be well.
                                                                        May I be peaceful and at ease.
                                                                        May I be whole.
 
                                                                       Verse 2: May you be filled with loving kindness...
                                                                       Verse 3: May we be filled with loving kindness...
 
Responsive Reading                                 #657 It Matters What We Believe
 
Music for the Morning                                Nocturne op. 29 no. 2 (9am)                                               Frederic Chopin
                                                                       The Evening Star (11am)                                    Samuel Coleridge-Taylor
 
Sermon                                                         Longing & Belonging                                       Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur
 
*Closing Hymn                                             #121 We’ll Build a Land
 
*Benediction
 
Musical Response                                     Amen in Bb
 
*Please stand in body or in spirit
 
❦ ❦ ❦ ❦
 
Greeters:                                          Bryan Cahill, fUUsion ℅ Karen Patterson
Ushers:                                            Tom Early, Tom Foretich, David Goetz & Kit Shaw
Coffee:                                             Rebecca Crawford, Linda Marten, Susan Stahl & Alicia van Ooyen
Welcome Table:                              Barbara Gibbs
Bookstore:                                       Sarah Harper
 
Service Notes
 
Today 40% of our non-pledge offering will go to the UUSC, (Unitarian Universalist Service
Committee), to advance human rights and social justice in the United States and around the world.
The work of the UU Service Committee is built on the conviction that all people are entitled to basic
human rights, which transcend divisions of class, race, nationality, sexual orientation, ethnicity,
religion, and gender. We envision a world free from oppression and injustice, where all can realize
their full human rights.
 
La Lune Blanche by Paul Verlaine
 
The moon, white,
Shines in the trees:
From each bright
Branch a voice flees
Beneath leaves that move,
 
O well-beloved.
 
The pools reflect
A mirror’s depth,
The silhouette
Of willows’ wet
Black where the wind weeps...
 
Let us dream, time sleeps.
 
It seems a vast, soothing,
Tender balm
Is falling
From heaven’s calm
Empurpled by a star...
 
It’s the exquisite hour.
 
(translation: www.babelmatrix.org)
 
Sunday, January 22, 2017
 
         January 22, 2017
Our faith community is the bedrock upon which we stand
to face the challenges that confront us in our rapidly changing world.
- Elizabeth Jones, retired Director of Religious Education
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*Gathering Hymn                         #34 Though I May Speak With Bravest Fire                                            verses 1&2
                                                        Though I may speak with bravest fire and have the gift to all inspire
                                                        But have not love, my words are vain, as sounding brass, and hopeless gain.
                                                        Though I may give all I possess, and striving so my love profess
                                                         But not be given by love within, the profit soon turns strangely thin.
 
Prelude                                          Advent                                                         Dr. Zanaida Robles, arr. Daniel Gledhill
 
Welcome
 
Chalice Lighting                           Laura Matthews
 
*Opening Hymn                           #109 As We Come Marching, Marching
 
*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
 
Welcoming Our Preschool/Multi-Age Teacher, Lisbeth (Liz) Rivera
 
Time for All Ages                          Dedicating Ourselves to Lifespan Religious Exploration
 
Song of Blessing                          #118 This Little Light of Mine                                                                      Traditional
                                                        This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine...
                                                        Everywhere I go, I’m gonna let it shine...
 
Life Together
 
Pulpit Message                            Right Relations Task Force
 
Offering                                         I Found Myself a True Love                                                                       Harold Arlen
 
Devotional Time
 
Silence
 
Sung Response                         #123 Spirit of Life/Fuente de Amor
                                                      Fuente de Amor, ven hacia mí.
                                                      Y_al corazón, cántale tu compasión.
                                                     Sopla_al volar, sube_en la mar,
                                                     hasta moldear la justicia de la vida.
                                                     Arráigame, libérame,
                                                     Fuente de Amor, ven a mí, ven a mí.
 
Responsive Reading               #652 The Great End in Religious Instruction                                   W. E. Channing
 
Music for the Morning
 
Reflection                                  Religious Education For Times Such as These
                                                    Rev. Diane Dowgiert
                                                    Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur
 
*Closing Hymn                        #298 Wake, Now, My Senses
 
*Benediction
 
Musical Response                 Amen in Bb
 
*Please stand in body or in spirit
 
❦ ❦ ❦ ❦
 
Greeters:                              Wendi Gladstone, Kris Langabeer, Michael Young & Steve Young
Ushers:                                 Hugo Contreras, Steve DePaul, Jila Tayefehnowrooz & Ned Wright
Coffee:                                  Kim Andres, Sheila & Harvey Bjornlie, Nancy Howell & Sylvia Young
Welcome Table:                  Barbara Gibbs & Kris Langabeer
Bookstore:                            Sarah Harper
 
Service Notes
 
Today 40% of our non-pledge offering will go to UUSC, (Unitarian Universalist Service Committee)
to advance human rights and social justice in the United States and around the world. The work of the
UU Service Committee is built on the conviction that all people are entitled to basic human rights,
which transcend divisions of class, race, nationality, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, and
gender. We envision a world free from oppression and injustice, where all can realize their full human
rights.
 
Rev. Diane Dowgiert serves as interim minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greensboro,
NC. She previously served as minister at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tucson, AZ for ten years
and at the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Marietta, OH for five years. Diane is a graduate of
Starr King School for the Ministry. With a background in social work, Diane has a passion for
responding to the needs of the local community, and for bringing Unitarian Universalist principles
and values to social justice issues. Outside of church, she enjoys hiking and quilting. She has been
married to her husband AJ for 42 years. Their family includes two adult sons, one wonderful
daughter-in-law, one grand dog, and two adorable cats.
 
Sunday, January 22, 2017
 
           January 22, 2017, 3pm                                                                                                  Ceremony of Welcome
 
May we affirm that love is our greatest purpose.
Accepting one another is the truest form of faithful living.
The search for truth is our constant star.
May we pledge our hearts, minds, and hands:
To challenge injustice with courage; to find hope in times of fear;
and to live our our Unitarian Universalist values every day as beloved community.
- Jay E. Abernathy, Jr.
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*Gathering Hymn                                      #318 We Would Be One
                                                                     We would be one, as now we join in singing,
                                                                     Our hymn of love, to pledge ourselves anew
                                                                     To that high cause, of greater understanding
                                                                    Of who we are, and what in us is true.
                                                                    We would be one, in living for each other
                                                                    To show to all, a new community
                                                                   
                                                                     We would be one, in building for tomorrow
                                                                     A nobler world, than we have known today
                                                                    We would be one, in searching for that meaning
                                                                    Which binds our hearts, and points us on our way
                                                                     As one, we pledge ourselves to greater service
                                                                    With love and justice, strive to make us free.
 
Welcome (Responsive)                          #442 We Bid You Welcome
 
Chalice Lighting                                     Heather Reed
 
*Opening Hymn                                     #1028 The Fire of Commitment
 
Reflection                                               A Community of Welcome                       Nalani & Kim Santiago-Kalmanson
 
Musical Response                              #402 From You I Receive
                                                               From you I receive, to you I give
                                                               Together we share, and from this we live.
 
Reflection                                            Welcome to Shared Ministry                                  Leon Henderson-MacLennan
 
Offering                                                Wonfa Nyem                                                                                              Adzenyah
 
Reflection                                            Welcome to Dream Together                                   Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur
 
Sung Response                               #34 Though I May Speak With Bravest Fire
 
Meditation                                        Welcome to Interdependence                                         Rev. Susan Manker Seale
 
Silence
 
Music                                                 Kujichagulia                                                                                Dr. Zanaida Robles
 
Sermon                                             Religious Education is All We Do                                      Rev. Diane Dowgiert
 
Ceremony of Welcome
 
Rev. Rebecca: I invite Jacki Weber, our Congregation Vice President, to come forward at this time. We
appreciate the Board’s leadership of our community and ask that you, on behalf of our Board of Directors,
lead us in welcoming Kathleen to our community and in renewing our congregation’s commitment to the
mission of Religious Exploration in our church.
 
Board of Directors: Kathleen, we welcome you into our community with joy and love. We commit ourselves
anew to the mission of Religious Exploration in our church. We will support you in your ministry with
children, youth, and adults in service to our Unitarian Universalist faith.
 
Rev. Rebecca: I invite the members of our Religious Exploration Committees to come forward at this time.
We celebrate your leadership and ask you now to affirm your commitment to the mission of Religious
Exploration at our church.
 
Members of our Religious Exploration Committees: Kathleen, we honor and welcome you into our
community. We will work with you to create a safe and welcoming environment for all who come here and to
help them to develop a spiritual life, participate in meaningful social action, understand our Unitarian
Universalist principles, and respect the diversity of beliefs within our own congregation and the larger world
community.
 
Rev. Rebecca: Will you promise to share the work not only with our Director of Lifespan Religious
Exploration, but to call on the members of this congregation to help and support you in carrying this light in
the coming years?
 
Members of our Religious Exploration Committees: We will.
 
Rev. Rebecca: Religious Exploration Teachers and Advisors, including those who lead Our Whole Lives
Sexuality Education and Heart to Heart Circles, the time you spend with our children, youth, and adults is
one of the vital ministries of this church. It is a gift to them and to all of us. Thank you for all you do. Today
we ask you to affirm your commitment to the mission of religious exploration at this church with the reciting
of these words.
 
Religious Exploration Teachers and Advisors: Kathleen, we honor and welcome you into our community.
We value your experience and support and will work with you to inspire children, youth, and adults in our
community to explore, learn and grow as they move along on their religious journey.
 
Rev. Rebecca: Recognizing the challenges and joys of teaching in our congregation, will you care for our
children, youth, and adults, and will you love them? Will you bring your enthusiasm, talents, and energy to
this task? And, when things get tough, will you communicate lovingly with one another and our Director of
Lifespan Religious Exploration about your boundaries and limitations as you carry this light in the coming
years?
 
Religious Exploration Teachers and Advisors: We will.
 
Rev. Rebecca: Children and youth, you are the light of religious exploration at this church. Will you bring
your open mind, your loving heart, and your helping hands to our church each Sunday? Will you work hard
to learn with your friends and the adults who choose to spend their time with you? Will you promise to let
your light shine? If so, please say, We will.
 
Children and Youth: We will.
 
Rev. Rebecca: Parents, you are the primary religious educators of your children, and you also trust this
community with their big questions and worthy dreams. And so we ask you to affirm your commitment to
the mission of religious exploration at this church with the reciting of these words.
 
Parents: Kathleen, we welcome you and recognize your commitment to our children and youth. We will get
to know and support you, the Religious Exploration Committees, and our teachers in this work.
 
Rev. Rebecca: Parents, will you help your child come to church regularly and participate fully? Will you
register them in our Religious Exploration program? Will you make an effort to show up both on Sunday
mornings and for other events that help us build our beloved community?
 
Parents: We will.
 
Rev. Rebecca: It takes our whole community to build the world we dream about and it takes a UU village to
raise a UU child. This is what it means to be a spiritual community. I invite the congregation to rise in body
or in spirit and join in welcoming Kathleen to our community and renewing our commitment to the mission
of Religious Exploration at our church.
 
Congregation: Kathleen, we welcome you and recognize your commitment to Lifespan Religious
Exploration at our church. We value your insight, experience, and passion for the work that you do.
 
Rev. Rebecca: Remembering that this is a shared ministry, will you promise to journey with our new
Director of Religious Exploration and with each other in the spirit of mutual love and to recognize and
respect one another’s limitations, humanity and boundaries as you work together in this shared ministry?
Will you nurture one another along your spiritual journeys, bringing the light each time you gather and
work together to build this loving community?
 
Congregation: We will.
 
Passing the Light
 
Rev. Rebecca: Kathleen, will you promise to bear and safeguard this light and work together with this
congregation to help us to dwell together in peace, seek knowledge in freedom, and serve humankind in
fellowship?
 
Kathleen: I will. I am honored to bring my commitment and passion to serve as your Director of Lifespan
Religious Exploration, and to be entrusted with shaping the religious, spiritual, and ethical growth of your
community. I promise that all I do here I will always come from a place of love and respect and to walk with
all of you in the spirit of mutual love, so vital to our life together at the Unitarian Universalist Church of
Santa Monica.
 
*Closing Hymn                               #118 This Little Light of Mine                                                               Traditional
                                                          This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine...
                                                          Everywhere I go, I’m gonna let it shine...
 
*Benediction (unison)                  Today we have welcomed Kathleen Hogue
                                                          as our Director of Lifespan Religious Exploration.
                                                          We have affirmed and renewed our commitment to the
                                                          mission of Religious Exploration at our church.
                                                          May we all be bearers of the light of our beloved faith
                                                          as we continue our journey together.
 
*Please stand in body or in spirit
 
Service Notes
 
Today 100% of our offering will be split evenly between the RE Fund of UU Santa Monica and the
Liberal Religious Educators Association (LREDA) . The RE Fund is used to supplement and enhance
RE programs at our church, including support for teacher appreciation events, youth trips, and other
unanticipated expenses. LREDA is an anti-racist, anti-oppression, welcoming, professional
organization open to liberal religious educators and those supportive of religious education. LREDA
promotes the religious growth and learning of people of all ages and advocates for and supports
religious educators and the field of liberal religious education.
 
Rev. Diane Dowgiert serves as interim minister of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Greensboro,
NC. She previously served as minister at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Tucson, AZ for ten years
and at the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Marietta, OH for five years. Diane is a graduate of
Starr King School for the Ministry. With a background in social work, Diane has a passion for
responding to the needs of the local community, and for bringing Unitarian Universalist principles
and values to social justice issues. Outside of church, she enjoys hiking and quilting. She has been
married to her husband AJ for 42 years. Their family includes two adult sons, one wonderful
daughter-in-law, one grand dog, and two adorable cats.
 
Kathleen Hogue is our Director of Lifespan Religious Education. She previously served the UU
Church of Tucson as Director of Lifespan Faith Formation. Kathleen brings a contagious passion for
nurturing people of all ages in their spiritual growth to her role, and has been serving Unitarian
Universalism as a leader in religious education since 2001. Honesty, sharing feelings, and coming
from a place of love are three of her core values as a religious professional, and her past leadership
has focused on ministry with youth and young adults, multiculturalism and acceptance, volunteer
support, and program administration. Prior to joining the RE staff at UU Tucson, Kathleen founded
and ran her own daycare for over twenty years. She grew up in Tennessee and has also lived in
Cleveland, Ohio. Kathleen is particularly thrilled to be here at UU Santa Monica, a congregation
with such a clear vision for social justice and human rights. Kathleen Hogue relocated to Los
Angeles, along with her adult son, two cats, and one dog, in mid-September. Welcome, Kathleen!
 
Thank you to our DRE Search Committee/Transition Team: Leon Henderson-MacLennan
(Co-Chair), Jo An Peters (Co-Chair), Denise Helton and Sylvia Young (Personnel Committee), Dan
Patterson, Nalani Santiago-Kalmanson, and James Witker . Thank you to our RE Committees.
 
Thank you to our Director of Music, Dr. Zanaida Robles, and our Adult Choir for the gifts of their
music this afternoon.
 
Thank you to our ushers: Tom Early, Kit Shaw, Ned Wright, and Michael Young.
 
 
Sunday, January 15, 2017
 
                January 15, 2017                                                                                                                  MLK Sunday
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*Gathering Hymn                                      #188 Come, Come, Whoever You Are                           Lynn Adair Ungar
                                                                     Come, come, whoever you are.
                                                                     Wandering, worshipper, lover of leaving
                                                                     Ours is no caravan of despair
                                                                     Come, yet again, come.
 
Prelude                                                       Looking Within                                                                            Daniel Gledhill
 
Welcome
 
Chalice Lighting (Unison)                     Only Love Can Do That                                                  Martin Luther King, Jr.
                                                                    Returning hate for hate multiplies hate,
                                                                    adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars.
                                                                    Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.
                                                                    Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.
 
*Opening Hymn                                       #1000 Morning Has Come
 
*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                                     Martin’s Big Words                                                            Doreen Rappaport
                                                                                                                                                      illustrated by Bryan Collier
 
Song of Blessing                                    #169 We Shall Overcome                                                               Traditional
                                                                   We shall overcome.
                                                                   We shall overcome.
                                                                   We shall overcome, someday.
                                                                   Deep in my heart, I do believe, we shall overcome someday.
                                                                   We’ll walk hand in hand...
 
Life Together
 
Pulpit Message                                      Heart to Heart Circles
                                                                  Abby Arnold (9am)
                                                                  Kirk Attebury (11am)
 
Community Speaker                             John Raphling (11am)
 
Offering                                                   Theme from “Somewhere in Time” John Barry
                                                                  I Dream a World                                                                 Rosephanye Powell
 
Devotional Time                                   #732 For Martin Luther King, Jr.
 
Silence
 
Sung Response                                    #199 Precious Lord, Take My Hand
 
Music for the Morning                         Precious Love                                                                              Thomas Dorsey
                                                                                                                                                        Arr. Arnold Seiver (11am)
 
Sermon                                                 Only Love Can Do That                                          Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur
 
*Closing Hymn                                    #1015 I Know I Can
 
*Benediction
 
Musical Response                              Amen in Bb
 
*Please stand in body or in spirit
 
❦ ❦ ❦ ❦
 
Greeters:                                  Roberta Frye, Wendi Gladstone, Audrey Lyness & David Olson
Ushers:                                    Nina Emerson, Barbara Kernochan, Peggy Kharraz & Michael Young
Coffee:                                     Sheila Cummins, Alice Hall, Pam Teplitz & Alicia van Ooyen
Welcome Table:                     Wendi Gladstone
Bookstore:                              Sarah Harper
 
Service Notes
 
Today 40% of our non-pledge offering will go to Los Angeles Community Action Network to help
people dealing with poverty create and discover opportunities, while serving as a vehicle to ensure we
have voice, power and opinion in the decisions that are directly affecting us. Their overarching social
change goals are to:
 
● Organize and empower community residents to work collectively to change the relationships of
power that affect our community.
● Create an organization and organizing model that eradicate the race, class, gender barriers
that are used to prevent communities from building true power.
● Eliminate the multiple forms of violence used against and within our community to maintain
status quo.