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Order of Service Archive

 
*Gathering Hymn                                   Circle ‘round for freedom, circle ‘round for peace
                                                                   For all of us imprisoned, circle for release.
                                                                  Circle for the planet, circle for each soul
                                                                   For the children of our children, keep the circle whole.
 
Prelude                                                     Reflection I (9am)                                                                          Richard Wilder
                                                                   Dear Mister God, Children’s Letters to God (11am)              C.M. Shearer
 
Welcome                                                  Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur
 
Chalice Lighting                                     Sanna Legan & Alexis Restum, YRUU Youth Group
 
*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 and Turning Point
 
Time for All Ages                                     Supper Bowl Sunday
 
Song of Blessing                                     This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine…
                                                                    Everywhere I go, I’m gonna let it shine...
 
Life Together
 
Pulpit Message from Dining for Dollars Fundraising Auction Team
                                                                     Garland Allen
 
Offering                                                       Take Me to Church                                                       Hozier-Byrne, Andrew
                                                                     Gabriel Paredes, tenor
 
Devotional Time
 
Silence
 
Sung Response                                        Open My Heart                                                                            Henry S. Flurry
                                                                     Open my heart to all that I seek;
                                                                     Let me be part of the Love You give.
 
Reflection                                                  DeReau Farrar
 
Music for the Morning                             My Belief (9am)                                                                                           Yiruma
                                                                    Gloria, Gloria (11am)                                                                   Antonio Vivaldi
 
Sermon                                                      With and Without God                                         Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur
 
*Closing Hymn                                         #1054 Let This Be A House of Peace
 
*Benediction
 
Musical Response                                   Finlandia (9am)                                                                                Jean Sibelius
                                                                     May Love Be Your Guide (11am)                                                    Clif Hardin
 
*Please stand in body or in spirit
 
❦ ❦ ❦ ❦
 
Greeters:                                                        Sanna Egan, Tom Foretich & Denise Helton
Ushers:                                                           Steve DePaul, Linda van Ligten, Greg Wood & Ned Wright
Coffee:                                                            Diane Macunovich, Peggy Rhoads, Kit Shaw & Alicia van Ooyen
Bookstore:                                                     Nancy Babbitt
Backyard Bounty:                                         Rima Snyder
 
Service Notes
 
To honor Black History Month, in February our opening hymn will be Lift Every Voice and Sing . Often
called the Negro 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.
 
Thank you for your generous gifts of $436.10 for Black Lives Matter LA and $768.07 for the UU Service
Committee.
 
This month, as part of our Supper Bowl Sunday campaign, 60% of our offering will go to the Westside
Food Bank to provide food to social service agencies serving preschool children, seniors, veterans,
and people who are homeless on the Westside of Los Angeles. The Food Bank acquires as much food
as possible through donations, and also purchases food from wholesale merchants to consistently
provide our member agencies with the most nutritious food possible. Our Extra Helpings Westside
Program, which recovers food that would otherwise be thrown away from bakeries, restaurants,
caterers and food suppliers, provides about one third of the food we distribute. Thanks to the
economies of scale and our efficient operation, we can acquire five pounds of food for each donated
dollar.
 
 
 
*Gathering Hymn                                      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                                                      The Things That Matter (9am)                                                    Daniel Gledhill
                                                                    Eternal Light, Shine In My Heart (11am)                                 Eugene Englert
 
Welcome                                                   Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur
 
Chalice Lighting                                       Margot Page
 
*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 and Turning Point
 
Time for All Ages                                          God’s Hat                                                                             Christopher Buice
 
Song of Blessing                                         Go Your Way In Peace Jim Scott
                                                                        Go your way in peace, wander as you may.
                                                                        Blessed is the path you take, may love guide you on your way.
                                                                        Comfort find in truth, may your struggles cease.
                                                                         May the fire within your heart light the way of peace.
 
Life Together
 
Pulpit Message from Dining for Dollars Fundraising Team
                                                                      Vicki Foxworth (9am)
                                                                      Garland Allen (11am)
 
Offering                                                        Unexpressed (9am)                                                                 John Bucchino
                                                                      There Is Sweet Music Here (11am)                                            Jamey Ray
 
Devotional Time
 
Silence
 
Sung Response                                        #123 Spirit of Life
 
Responsive Reading                              #657 It Matters What We Believe                                     Sophia Lyon Fahs
 
Music for the Morning                              Be Thou My Vision                                                               arr. Jason Shelton
 
Sermon                                                       Real Enough                                                        Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur
 
*Closing Hymn                                          #126 Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing
 
*Benediction
 
Musical Response                                   Out There (9am)                                                                              Alan Menken
                                                                     Meditation (11am)                                       Mary Goetze & Rev. Bill Breeden
 
*Please stand in body or in spirit
 
❦ ❦ ❦ ❦
 
Greeters:                                 Dwight Flowers, Glen Howell, Michael Young & Steve Young
Ushers:                                    Tom Foretich, Barbara Kernochan, Peggy Kharraz & Ned Wright
Coffee:                                     Sheila Bjornie, Nancy Howell, Leah Moore & Sylvia Young
Bookstore:                               Nancy Babbitt
Backyard Bounty:                  Sue Bickford
 
Service Notes
 
This month, 60% of our offering will go to the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) 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.
 
 
 
 
January 18, 2015                                                                                                                         Martin Luther King Sunday
 
We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality,
tied in a single garment of destiny.
- Martin Luther King, Jr.
 
*Gathering Hymn                                      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                                                        Maple Leaf Rag (9am)                                                                    Scott Joplin
                                                                      Steal Away (11am)                                                                arr. Moses Hogan
 
Welcome                                                    Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur
 
Chalice Lighting                                        Rick Rhoads
 
*Opening Hymn                                          #1028 The Fire of Commitment
 
*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 and Turning Point
 
Time for All Ages                                         A Sweet Smell of Roses (9am)                                       by Angela Johnson
                                                                                                                                                      illustrated by Eric Velasquez
 
                                                                       My Journey to Montgomery, 1965 (11am)                        Rev. Ernie Pipes
 
Song of Blessing                                        Go Your Way In Peace                                                                        Jim Scott
                                                                       Go your way in peace, wander as you may.
                                                                       Blessed is the path you take, may love guide you on your way.
                                                                       Comfort find in truth, may your struggles cease.
                                                                       May the fire within your heart light the way of peace.
 
Life Together
 
Offering                                                        May You Find Peace (9am)                                                      Daniel Gledhill
                                                                      Ain’t No Stopping Us Now (11am)                                   arr. James Hayden
 
Devotional Time
 
Silence
 
Sung Response                                        When I breathe in, I breathe in peace
                                                                     When I breathe out, I breathe out love.
 
Music for the Morning                               Prelude in G minor, Well-Tempered Klavier II                    Johann S. Bach
                                                                      Speak of Peace (11am)                                                    Allan Robert Petker
 
Introducing Our Speakers                        Cathie Gentile (9am)
                                                                      Peggy Rhoads (11am)
 
Community Speakers                               Trudy Goodwin and Bob Gordh
 
Message                                                      Walking Toward Trouble                                   Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur
 
*Closing Hymn                                            #1015 I Know I Can
 
*Benediction
 
Musical Response                                    Out There (9am)                                                                             Alan Menken
                                                                      Meditation (11am)                                      Mary Goetze & Rev. Bill Breeden
 
*Please stand in body or in spirit
 
❦ ❦ ❦ ❦
 
Greeters: Roberta Frye, David Olson & Rhonda Peacock
Ushers: Bonnie Brae, David Goetz, Rick Rhoads & Michael Young
Coffee: Sheila Cummins, Alice Hall & Pam Teplitz
Bookstore: Nancy Babbitt
Backyard Bounty: Roberta Frye
 
Service Notes
 
We are grateful to have Trudy Goodwin and Bob Gordh from the Santa Monica Committee for Racial
Justice with us today. Trudy Goodwin is a continuing fellow of creative writing at Mount Saint Mary’s
College, School of Humanities, Los Angeles. She is a community activist, co-founder of the Committee
for Racial Justice, member of the 2015 Pan African Congress and #BlackLivesMatterLA. While Bob Gordh
has a strong academic background, including a Ph.D. in Philosophy and an M.A. in English, he has
always believed in putting theory into practice. He is currently a member of the steering committee of
the Committee for Racial Justice and chair of its anti-mass incarceration subcommittee, as well as the
L.A. No More Jails Coalition.
 
This month, 60% of our offering will go to the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) 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 thier full human rights.
 
 
 
*Gathering Hymn                                             Common Ground                                 Ivan Lins, Paul Winter & Jim Scott
                                                                             In a circle of friends,
                                                                             In a circle of sound,
                                                                             All our voices will blend
                                                                             When we touch common ground.
 
Prelude                                                               Classical Guitar Improvisation (9am)                                       Jim Scott
                                                                             Blessing (11am)                                                                    Emily Crocker
 
Welcome                                                             Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur
 
Chalice Lighting                                                John Zinner
 
*Opening Hymn                                                #347 Gather the Spirit
 
*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.
 
Offering for the Westside Food Bank and Turning Point
 
*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.
 
Time for All Ages                                               Rainforest                                                                                      Jim Scott
 
Song of Blessing                                              Go Your Way In Peace                                                                 Jim Scott
                                                                             Go your way in peace, wander as you may.
                                                                             Blessed is the path you take, may love guide you on your way.
                                                                             Comfort find in truth, may your struggles cease.
                                                                             May the fire within your heart light the way of peace.
 
Life Together
 
Offering                                                               In Our Hands                                                                                Jim Scott
 
Devotional Time
 
Silence
 
Sung Response                                               I Am Waiting                                                                                  Jim Scott
 
Responsive Reading                                      #490 Wild Geese                                                                      Mary Oliver
 
Music for the Morning                                     Harmony                                                                                        Jim Scott
 
Sermon                                                             To Bless or Curse the World                   Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur
 
*Closing Hymn                                                 #1059 May Your Life Be As a Song
 
*Benediction
 
Musical Response                                          May Your Life Be As a Song Reprise (9am)                           Jim Scott
                                                                           Meditation (11am)                               Mary Goetze & Rev. Bill Breeden
 
*Please stand in body or in spirit
 
 
❦ ❦ ❦ ❦
 
Service Notes
 
We are very grateful to have composer, guitarist, singer, poet, and activist, Jim Scott, with us this
morning as our guest musician and worship leader. Jim Scott has brought his contemporary and
multicultural music to more than 600 UU congregations over three decades. His much-loved “Gather the
Spirit” and a number of others are included in the UU hymnbooks. Former Co-chair of the UU Ministry
for the Earth, Jim was also involved in creating the "Green Sanctuary" program. With degrees from
Eastman School of Music and Berklee College, Jim has dedicated much of his musical work to celebrating
ecology, peace and justice. His long time friend and mentor Pete Seeger called Jim "some kind of a
magician."
 
Thank you to our service participants: Nancy Babbitt, Steve DePaul, Sanna Egan, Barbara Gibbs,
Phyllis Kory, Robert Kory, Kris Langabeer, Carrie Lauer, Katie Malich, Dan Patterson, Kit Shaw, Sue
Stoyanoff, Jila Tayefehnowrooz & Linda van Ligten.
 
This month, 60% of our offering will go to the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC) 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.
 
 
 
 
*Gathering Hymn                                         We Give Thanks                                                                     arr. Susan Peck
                                                                        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                                                          We Shall Overcome                                                    arr. DeReau K. Farrar
 
Welcome                                                        Nica Eaton-Guinn
 
Chalice Lighting                                           Paice Van Ooyen, YRUU Youth Group (Young Religious UUs)
 
*Opening Hymn                                           #347 Gather the Spirit
 
*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.
 
Offering for the Westside Food Bank and Turning Point
 
*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.
 
Time for All Ages                                       Catherine Farmer-Loya
 
Song of Blessing                                        Go Your Way In Peace                                                                      Jim Scott
                                                                      Go your way in peace, wander as you may.
                                                                      Blessed is the path you take, may love guide you on your way.
                                                                      Comfort find in truth, may your struggles cease.
                                                                      May the fire within your heart light the way of peace.
 
Life Together
 
Offering                                                       Just As Soon                                                                            Beverly Crawford
 
Responsive Reading                               #728 Blessed are Those                                                 Rev. John Buehrens
 
Devotional Time                                        Nica Eaton-Guinn
 
Silence
 
Sung Response                                        Filled With Loving Kindness                                                       Ian W. Riddell
                                                                     May I/you/we be filled with loving kindness.
                                                                     May I/you/we be well.
                                                                     May I/you/we be filled with loving kindness.
                                                                     May I/you/we be well.
                                                                     May I/you/we be peaceful and at ease.
                                                                     May I/you/we be whole.
 
Music for the Morning                               Let it Rain                                                                                     Michael Farren
 
Sermon                                                       Bless You!                                                                              Nica Eaton-Guinn
 
*Closing Hymn                                          #1064 Blue Boat Home
 
*Benediction                                              Nica Eaton-Guinn
 
Musical Response                                    You Covered Me                                                                    Donald Lawrence
 
*Please stand in body or in spirit
 
 
❦ ❦ ❦ ❦
 
Service Notes
 
Special thanks and welcome back to our guest musicians, Selah Gospel Choir. Selah Gospel Choir is a
community gospel choir based out of Pasadena. The choir was founded in 2007 with the vision of
creating a space for all people to be able to sing gospel music, regardless of their own faith identities
and backgrounds.
 
Thank you to our service participants: Nancy Babbitt, Tom Early, Sanna Egan, Tom Foretich, Denise
Helton, Barbara Kernochan, Diane Macunovich, Peggy Rhoads, Kit Shaw, Linda Van Ligten, Alicia
Van Ooyen, Paice Van Ooyen & Greg Wood.
 
This month, 60% of our offering will go to the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC)
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.
 
 
December 28, 2014
 
We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring
will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.
- T.S. Eliot, Little Gidding
 
*Gathering Hymn                                         Morning Has Come                                                                  Jason Shelton
                                                                        Open our eyes to see that life abounds;
                                                                        Open hearts to welcome it among us.
                                                                        The light of hope here shines upon each face.
                                                                         May it bring faith to guide our journey home.
 
Prelude                                                          Where or When, Babes in Arms                                       Richard Rodgers
 
Welcome                                                        Eric Huang, Worship Associate
 
Call to Worship                                             Meditation XVII, Devotions upon Emergent Occasions      John Donne
 
Chalice Lighting                                           Black Elk Speaks                                                    told by John G. Neihardt
                                                                         Nalani Santiago-Kalmanson
 
*Opening Hymn                                            #12 O Life That Maketh All Things New
 
*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.
 
Offering for the Westside Food Bank and Turning Point
 
*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.
 
Time for All Ages                                             Something from Nothing                                                   Phoebe Gilman
                                                                            Kim Santiago-Kalmanson
 
Song of Blessing                                             Go Your Way In Peace                                                                 Jim Scott
                                                                            Go your way in peace, wander as you may.
                                                                            Blessed is the path you take, may love guide you on your way.
                                                                           Comfort find in truth, may your struggles cease.
                                                                           May the fire within your heart light the way of peace.
 
Life Together
 
Offering                                                              Hundreds of Stories, In the Heights                     Lin-Manuel Miranda
 
Devotional Time
 
Silence
 
Devotional Hymn                                            Winds Be Still                                                   Samuel Sebastian Wesley
                                                                           Bird fly high. Lift our gaze toward distant view.
                                                                           Help us to sense life’s mystery.
                                                                           Fly high and far, and lead us each to see
                                                                           How we move through the winds of eternity.
 
Reading                                                           Why Our Memory Fails Us          Christopher Chabris & Daniel Simons
 
Music for the Morning                                    Once Upon a Time, All American                                   Charles Strouse
 
Sermon                                                            Once Upon a Time - Again                                                 Michael Eselun
 
*Closing Hymn                                               #191 Now I Recall My Childhood
 
*Benediction                                                   Michael Eselun
 
Musical Response                                         I Know Where I’ve Been, Hairspray                                  Marc Shaiman
 
*Please stand in body or in spirit
 
 
❦ ❦ ❦ ❦
Service Notes
 
Service participants: Nancy Babbitt, Tom Foretich, Glen Howell, Nancy Howell, Peggy Kharraz, Sue
Stoyanoff, Michael Young, Steve Young & Sylvia Young.
 
Welcome back and thanks to our guest musician this morning, Michael Antaramian.
 
Today’s Community Offering will go to the Simms/Mann-UCLA Center for Integrative Oncology, a
national model for providing integrative patient care for individuals and families touched by cancer.
 
*Gathering Hymn                                   O come, o come, Emmanuel, and with your captive children dwell.
                                                                  Give comfort to all exiles here, and to the aching heart bid cheer.
                                                                  Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come within as Love to dwell.
 
Prelude                                                     I’ll Be Home for Christmas                                                            Walter Kent
 
Welcome
 
Chalice Lighting                                     The Peters Family
 
*Opening Hymn                                        Deck the hall with boughs of holly, fa la la la la, la la la la.
                                                                    ‘Tis the season to be jolly, fa la la la la, la la la la.
                                                                     Don we now our gay apparel, fa la la la la la, la la la.
                                                                     Troll the ancient yuletide carol, fa la la la la, la la la la.
 
                                                                     See the blazing yule before us, fa la la la la, la la la la.
                                                                     Strike the harp and join the chorus, fa la la la la, la la la la.
                                                                     Follow me in merry measure, fa la la la la la, la la la.
                                                                     While I tell of yuletide treasure, fa la la la la, la la la la.
 
*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.
 
Offering for the Westside Food Bank and Turning Point
 
*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.
 
Story Part I                                                 The Longest Night
 
Song of Blessing                                       Fast away the old year passes, fa la la la la, la la la la.
                                                                      Hail the new, ye lads and lasses, fa la la la la, la la la la.
                                                                      Sing we joyous all together, fa la la la la la, la la la.
                                                                      Heedless of the wind and weather, fa la la la la, la la la la.
 
Life Together
 
Offering                                                      Candlelight Carol                                                                            John Rutter
 
Story Part II                                               A Light in the Window
 
Musical Response                                  Light One Candle                                                                           Peter Yarrow
 
                                                                    Don’t let the light go out, it’s lasted for so many years.
                                                                    Don’t let the light go out, let it shine through our love and our tears.
 
Story Part III                                             Upon This Shining Night
 
Musical Interlude                                    Greensleeves                                                           Anonymous (16th century)
                                                                                                                                                            arr. Bernard Dewagtere
 
Welcoming New Children
 
Responsive Reading                             #616 For So the Children Come                                          Sophia Lyon Fahs
 
Quiet Time
 
Musical Response                                  #259 We Three Kings
 
Story Part IV                                              The Friendly Beasts
 
Closing Words
 
*Closing Song                                         This Little Light of Mine
 
*Please stand in body or in spirit
 
 
❦ ❦ ❦ ❦
 
Service Notes
 
Thank you to our service participants: Nancy Babbitt, Sheila Cummins, Tom Early, Barbara Gibbs, Wendi
Gladstone, Alice Hall, David Hallinan, David Olson, Rhonda Peacock, Rick Rhoads, Rima Snyder, Pam
Teplitz & Ned Wright.
 
Many thanks to our guest musicians: Bill Nunan, Eve Ahlers, Sammy Nunan, Tommy Nunan, Mari
Nunan, and Piper Redman.
 
Today’s Community Offering will go to the Ocean Park Community Center (OPCC). OPCC
empowers people to rebuild their lives, with the goal of ending-- not simply managing -- human
suffering. OPCC is an independent, community-supported organization in which staff, volunteers and
clients work with mutual respect to address the effects of poverty, abuse, neglect and discrimination.
The agency's programs are designed to remove barriers to access the resources individuals need to ensiure their survival, end their victimization and improve their quality of life.
 
 
 
December 21, 2014, 7pm                                                                                                                              Winter Solstice
 
May the light around us guide our footsteps…
may the darkness around us nurture our dreams.
-- Kathleen McTigue
 
*Gathering Song                                                Round and Round                                                           Author unknown
 
                                                                              Round and round the earth is turning,
                                                                              Turning always 'round to darkness,
                                                                              And from darkness 'round to light.
 
Prelude                                                               The Holly and the Ivy                                                                Traditional
                                                                              Lynn Angebranndt, cello
 
Welcome                                                             Judith Martin-Straw
 
Chalice Lighting                                                Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur
 
Opening Words                                                  Darkness to Light
 
Story                                                                     The Return of the Sun
 
Musical Response                                           Come Darkness, Come Light                                         arr. Rima Snyder
                                                                             Rima Snyder, singer
                                                                             Karen Hsu Patterson, piano and Lynn Angebranndt, cello
 
Candle Lighting
 
Meditation in Darkness
 
Responsive Reading                                      I who am the beauty of the green earth                                    Starhawk
         
                                                                            I who am the beauty of the green earth and the white moon among
                                                                            the stars and the mysteries of the waters,
 
                                                                             I call upon your soul to arise and come unto Me.
 
                                                                             For I am the soul of nature that gives life to the universe.
 
                                                                             From Me all things proceed and unto Me they must return.
 
                                                                             Let My worship be in the heart that rejoices, for behold—all acts of
                                                                             love and pleasure are My rituals.
 
                                                                             Let there be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and
                                                                             humility, mirth and reverence within you.
 
                                                                             And you who seek to know Me, know that your seeking and yearning
                                                                             will avail you not, unless you know the Mystery
 
                                                                             For if that which you seek, you find not within yourself, you will never
                                                                             find it without.
 
                                                                             For behold, I have been with you from the beginning,
 
                                                                             And I am that which is attained at the end of desire.
 
Invitation to the Spiral Dance                         Judith Martin-Straw
 
*Closing Song                                                  Light is Returning                                                               Charlie Murphy
 
                                                                            Light is returning, even though this is the darkest hour.
                                                                            No one 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.
 
*Benediction                                                   May the Light of Your Soul Guide You                          John O'Donohue
                                                                          Rima Snyder
 
Extinguishing the Chalice
 
*Please stand in body or in spirit
 
 
Service Notes
Thank you to our service participants and musicians: Lynn Angebranndt, Rev. Rebecca Benefiel
Bijur, DeReau Farrar, Carrie Lauer, Karen Hsu Patterson, Kit Shaw, Rima Snyder and Judith
Martin-Straw.
 
Many thanks to our reception hosts, Kirk Attebury, Joyce Holmen, and Katie Malich.
 
❦ ❦ ❦ ❦
 
                          May the Light of Your Soul Guide You, by John O'Donohue
 
                          May the light of your soul guide you.
                          May the light of your soul bless the work
                          you do with the secret love and warmth of your heart.
                          May you see in what you do, the beauty of your own soul.
                          May the sacredness of your work bring healing, light and renewal to those
                         who work with you, and to those who see and receive your work.
                         May your work never weary you;
                         May it release within you wellsprings of refreshment, inspiration and excitement.
                         May you be present in what you do.
                         May you never become lost in the bland absences.
                         May the day never burden you.
                         May dawn find you awake and alert, approaching your new day with dreams,
                         possibilities and promises.
                         May evening find you gracious and fulfilled.
                         May you go into the night blessed, sheltered and protected.
 
 
 
 
*Gathering Hymn                                       O come, O come, Emmanuel, and with your captive children dwell.
                                                                       Give comfort to all exiles here, and to the aching heart bid cheer.
                                                                       Rejoice! Rejoice!
                                                                       Emmanuel shall come within as Love to dwell.
 
Prelude                                                         Prelude No. 2 in C minor (9am)                            Johann Sebastian Bach
                                                                       Kua Rongo Mai Koe (11am)                                                arr. Eddie Quaid
 
Welcome
 
Chalice Lighting                                         Frederick Kafka, YRUU Youth Group (Young Religious UUs)
 
*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 and Turning Point
 
Time for All Ages                                        Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge                                               Mem Fox
 
Song of Blessing                                        This little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine…
                                                                       Everywhere I go, I’m gonna let it shine...
 
Life Together
 
Offering                                                       Looking Forward (9am)                                                             Daniel Gledhill
                                                                     Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal (11am)                                  Michael Larkin
 
Devotional Time
 
Silence
 
Sung Response                                        #123 Spirit of Life
 
Reading                                                     A Caregiver’s Bill of Rights                                                               Jo Horne
 
Music for the Morning                              When You Believe, The Prince of Egypt                         Stephen Schwartz
 
Sermon                                                       A Caregiver’s Bill of Rights                            Rev. Rebecca Benefiel Bijur
 
*Closing Hymn                                         #346 Come Sing A Song With Me
 
*Benediction
 
Musical Response                                   Somewhere Over the Rainbow, The Wizard of Oz (9am)      Harold Arlen
                                                                     Irish Blessing (11am)                                                                    Bob Chilcott
 
*Please stand in body or in spirit
 
 
❦ ❦ ❦ ❦
 
Service Notes
 
A Caregiver's Bill of Rights, by Jo Horne
I have the right:
● To take care of myself. This is not an act of selfishness. It will give me the capability of taking better
care of my loved one.
● To seek help from others even though my loved ones may object. I recognize the limits of my own
endurance and strength.
● To maintain facets of my own life that do not include the person I care for, just as I would if he or
she were healthy. I know that I do everything that I reasonably can for this person, and I have the
right to do some things just for myself.
● To get angry, be depressed, and express other difficult feelings occasionally.
● To reject any attempts by my loved one (either conscious or unconscious) to manipulate me through
guilt, and/or depression.
● To receive consideration, affection, forgiveness, and acceptance for what I do, from my loved ones,
for as long as I offer these qualities in return.
● To take pride in what I am accomplishing and to applaud the courage it has sometimes taken to
meet the needs of my loved one.
● To protect my individuality and my right to make a life for myself that will sustain me in the time
when my loved one no longer need my full-time help.
● To expect and demand that as new strides are made in finding resources to aid physically and
mentally impaired persons in our country, similar strides will be made towards aiding and
supporting caregivers.
 
Thank you to our service participants: Nancy Babbitt, Tom Early, Sanna Egan, Tom Foretich, Denise
Helton, Barbara Kernochan, Phyllis Kory, Robert Kory, Diane Macunovich, Dan Patterson, Peggy
Rhoads, Rima Snyder & Ned Wright.
 
Today’s Community Offering will go to the Ocean Park Community Center (OPCC). OPCC
empowers people to rebuild their lives, with the goal of ending-- not simply managing -- human
suffering. OPCC is an independent, community-supported organization in which staff, volunteers and
clients work with mutual respect to address the effects of poverty, abuse, neglect and discrimination.
The agency's programs are designed to remove barriers to access the resources individuals need to
ensure their survival, end their victimization and improve their quality of life.
 
Cover image from Can’t We Talk About Something More Pleasant? A Memoir by Roz Chast, p 146.
 
*Gathering Hymn                                              #116 I’m on My Way
 
Welcome                                                             Nica Eaton-Guinn
 
Chalice Lighting                                                Rev. Kikanza Nuri-Robins
 
*Opening Hymn                                                 #1007 There’s A River Flowing in my Soul
 
*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 and Turning Point
 
Time for All Ages                                                   Rev. Kikanza Nuri-Robins
 
Song of Blessing                                                  Go now in peace, go now in peace
                                                                                 May the spirit of love surround you
                                                                                 As you go, as you go, on your way.
 
Life Together
 
Offering                                                                 Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child
                                                                                Michael Guinn, Vocalist
 
Devotional Time                                                  Nica Eaton-Guinn
 
Meditative Hymn                                                 #1002 Comfort Me
 
Sermon                                                                 Finding Sanctuary                                                      Nica Eaton-Guinn
 
Music for the Morning                                        Sanctuary Song
 
                                                                               Make us aware we are a sanctuary
                                                                               Each made holy and loved right through
                                                                               With thanksgiving, I am a living
                                                                               Sanctuary for you
 
*Closing Hymn                                                    #95 There is More Love Somewhere
 
*Benediction
 
Musical Response                                             Lean on Me
                                                                               Michael Guinn, Vocalist
 
*Please stand in body or in spirit
 
 
❦ ❦ ❦ ❦
 
Service Notes
 
Service participants: Nancy Babbitt, Sheila Bjornlie, Bryan Cahill, Tom Early, Dwight Flowers, Resa
Foreman, Tom Foretich, Peggy Kharraz, Jila Nouroz, Karen Hsu Patterson, Rick Rhoads, Rima Snyder.
 
Our guest musician today is Michael Guinn. Other than being Nica Eaton-Guinn’s husband, Michael had
a successful career as a recording artist for Sony in Japan in the 1990s. We are grateful that he is sharing
his gifts with our community today.
 
Today’s Community Offering will go to Step Up on Second. Step Up delivers compassionate support to
people experiencing serious mental illness to help them recover, stabilize, and integrate into the
community. With 100 permanent supportive housing units at six locations in Santa Monica and on the
Westside of Los Angeles, Step Up now serves over 1,800 individuals each year with a focus on offering
help, hope, and home.
 
Are you ready to Step Up? For the past 15 years, our church has served a meal to residents at Step Up
on Second once a month without fail. We will have a meeting for all interested in volunteering next
Sunday, December 7 outside under the shade structure after the second service. Please sign up at hunger@uusmorg.